POW #9

Stop Motion: "You've Got a Friend in Me"

Kennygram #9

I took this picture at the stairs of the 100 building.  I tried to use the rule of thirds, but I think the stairs may take up more than a third of the picture. I did not use any special settings and kept the SLR camera on auto mode.

Current Event #9

Youngest Mayor in Dorset, Minnesota 

Event Summary: How old do you have to be in order to be eligible for mayor? Well, if you live in Dorset, Minnesota, you only have to be four years old.  Four-year-old Robbert Tufts has been chosen as the new mayor of this 22 resident town.  According to tradition, each year during town's festival the  name of next mayor is drawn from a list of names out of a hat. This is what led to Robbert's "election" as the next mayor. That being said, the life of a mayor comes naturally to "Bobbie" who spends his stressful days deciding on which bait to choose when he goes fishing and formulating campaign speeches.  He also has a "girlfriend" named Sophia, who may or may not know of Bobbie's aspiring love for her. Unfortunately, Bobbie's term will end after one year in August, but his legacy will surely live on.

Event Significance: I think that this event has a certain significance for the town of Dorset, Minnesota.  However, due to the fact that this town only has twenty-two residents and has had its zip code removed by the post office, the administration of Robert Tufts has little impact on the rest of the area.

Personal Response: The first thing that I thought of when I saw this event was how close the community in Dorset had to be.  For this town to only have 22 residents, each person must know everything about everyone.  I also thought that the carefree attitude expressed by the townspeople in the removal of their zip code and their method of elections shows a level of relaxation that many people never experience.

Link

W.E. 5/17/13

1. Comment and Critique
2. POW - liquid
3. Kennygram #9
4. Current event #9
5. Assignments

C.E. #8

Giant Snails Found in Houston

Event Summary: Researchers at the Institute for the Study of Invasive Species at Sam Houston State University along with authorities are warning Houston residents to stay away from an interesting pest.  According to reports, one resident was doing her daily gardening when she discovered a giant African land snail in her yard.  After notifying the Lady Bird Johnson Wild Flower Center, warnings were issued about the possible diseases that these creatures can carry.  Some of these diseases include meningitis and different parasitic diseases.

Event Significance: This event is significant for the Houston area because these snails, while physically harmless, can carry harmful diseases.  Residents have been warned to take caution if a giant snail is spotted and to notify authorities.

Personal Response: When I saw the size of the snail, I felt a tingling sensation that went from the tips of my toes to the ends of my hair.  It made me cringe, both on the outside and the inside as I wanted to crawl into a little ball and stare at the disgusting creature that had appeared before my eyes.  SNAILS ARE NOT MEANT TO BE THIS BIG. As I was investigating into the article further, I read the lovely fact that these snails can lay up to 100 eggs per month.  I just have one thing to say - I'm glad I'm not living in Houston.

Link

P.O.W. #8

The Journey

I thought that this picture was a good example of "character".  It shows a bug about to embark on a long journey up the tree branch.  This could signify people's journeys that they make in life in order to discover their character and who they really are.  I liked how the background is blurry, but I wish that the bug was more crisp and clear.  I took it with an SLR camera with the sunlight as my only light source.

KennyGram #8

I thought that this picture had a good contrast between the bright and fun hot pink poster and the dreary and gray water fountain and background.  I was not too crazy about this picture, but I thought it was an interesting one for some reason.  I took it with the SLR cameras in the classroom with the flash on.

W.E. 5/10/13

1. Comment and Critique
2. Photo of the Week #8 - Character
3. Current Event #8
4. Kennygram #8
5. WE 5/10/13

P.O.W. #7

This picture works for spirituality because it shows how we have to pinpoint who we are in life in order to understand what our future holds for us.  The circle within a circle idea is meant to help us narrow down the choices that we have in order to figure out who we really are as a human being.  This helps us develop our character and purpose in life. I took this picture in Boston with an iPhone.  

This picture works for spirituality because it was taken on the deck of the U.S.S. Constitution.  It is meant to show our pride for our country and how we are able to unite as a country to fight off our enemies and those who wish to control or harm us.  The picture is of one of the masts on the deck and this particular one happened to have a platform at the top of it.  I also took this picture in Boston with an iPhone.

This is a picture of the chandeliers that are in the front entrance at St. Joseph's Church.  They represent spirituality because the lights represent finding our way in darkness.  If we are lost and afraid, all we have to do is turn on a light and we will be comforted by the brightness that it provides.  This picture was taken with an iPhone as well.

Current Event #7

Bad Date Caught on Camera

Event Summary: An interesting photo taken of a couple after a bad fight at an Olive Garden has gone viral.  Adam Howell, a software designer in Pineville, North Carolina, witnessed the fight that took place between the couple.  According to Howell, after the confrontation took place, the couple tried to ignore each other throughout the remainder of the dinner.  The woman could be seen messing around on her phone while her date blockaded himself inside a tent of dinner menus.  His plan did not work for long, however, because the waitress had to take the menus away after the couple's food was ordered.

Event Significance: This event was not significant at all in any way; it did not change the world at all.  However, it provides a laugh for many people who find entertainment and enjoyment in trivial relationship drama.

Personal Response: I had a hard time trying to find an interesting event for this week.  I came up with a lot of other events that were good, but had relatively no information whatsoever about the event.  I finally chose this event to write about because it made me laugh at the intense drama that was unfolding at a restaurant.  I have seen people have a bad date before, but never one in which a person hides himself in a fort of menus, that was pretty original if I do say so myself.

Link

Kennygram #7

I thought this picture was a decent picture, but not an exciting one.  Yes, I liked having the tree trunk sort of peaking into picture over the begonias, but I did not find it all that interesting.  I did like the picture much better before I cropped it because the flower bed extended downwards and the begonias completely surrounded the bottom of the tree trunk.  The only thing that I really did not like was the green weeds growing next to the tree trunk.  I took it with the SLR cameras in the classroom around 10:30 in the morning, so I was using the natural lighting from the sun.

Assignments W.E.

1. Comment and Critique
2. POW #7 - Spirituality 3 pictures
3. Kennygram #7
4. Current Event #7
5. Assignments W.E. 5/3/13

Current Event #6

Miracle Photos of a Boy with Muscular Dystrophy

Event Summary: Luka has the usual boy dreams of skateboarding, swimming, and playing basketball.  However, these dreams will never come true for Luka; for Luka has muscular dystrophy which leaves him confined to his wheelchair and bed.  Because of his weakness, Luka is only able to produce tiny motions with his fingers.  But, his strong and whimsical imagination makes up for his lack of movement.  Dreaming of being able to see himself doing these activities, Luka asked photographer Matej Peljhan to make his dream a reality.  Thinking hard for days, Peljhan eventually thought of the idea of placing Luka on the floor and shooting from above.  His idea turned out to be a success.  Luka could now see himself doing activities that he never thought were possible, all thanks to one dedicated photographer. 

Event Significance: This event is very significant for children with muscular disorders and are unable to play sports or do activities that they have always dreamed of doing.  This story shows that it is possible to see yourself engaging in things that they would never think would be possible.  

Personal Response: I thought that this story was touching and relevant for our class since this story deals with photography.  I think that the way the photographer was able to make Luka's dream a reality was pretty ingenious and thoughtful.  I wish that I could be able to touch someone with my photographs like Peljhan did with his.

POW #6

I thought this picture was "square" because of all the windows and columns that were associated with the building.  Since a square is a type of rectangle, I thought that the rectangular windows worked in the picture, as well as the square parts inside the windows.  I took this picture in Boston and thought it was cool because of all the different building materials that are present on the building.  I also liked how aged the building looked.  I took the picture on a cloudy day with an iPhone, so I was pretty pleased with the quality.

The bottom says, "Every day, Massachusetts highways saves thousands of gallon of fresh water and eliminates polluting sewage. "

On a lighter note, I also wanted to put this picture in as a joke because it still fits the requirements for square, it has squarish pictures inside a rectangle frame against a rectangular cement block background. However, I thought that it was just plain queer and downright disgusting.  WHO IN THIER RIGHT MIND RECYCLES HUMAN WASTE?! It was in the bathroom of a rest station in Massachusetts, so that has to tell you a lot . .

Kennygram #6

King of the World

I thought this picture was cool because it it so plain and simple.  I love the simple blue sky/background that the bird is against.  I thought that the bird was in a perfect position because his/her beak is open and she/he is poised and turned in a good direction in the picture.

Assignments W.E. 4/25/13

1) Comment and Critique with Mr. Yocum
2) Blog Post - "Photo of the Week 6" - The theme this week is "Square".
3) Blog Post - "KennyGram 6"
4) Blog Post - "Weekly Assignments W/E 04.26.13"
5) Blog Post - "Current Event 6"

POW #5

Jesus - I took this picture because it shows Jesus as a young boy being taught to pray by Joseph.  I wanted to take a picture of this statue so that the picture shows the front of the statue.  However, the statue was not level, as well as the plaque that is on the front of the statue.

Couples together/love - I took this picture because instead of showing a couple together in love, I chose to do a family together in love.  I liked how the red stone background is the same throughout the picture and I really liked the addition of the flowers on the bottom.  There is a shadow in the bottom right hand corner that I just now noticed while I was typing this paragraph that I don't like, but overall I thought it was a good picture.

Pathway - I liked this picture because of the repetition of the columns on the left hand side, as well as the depth of field that is going on in the picture.  When I was standing in the hallway, I could see a black gate at the end of the pathway.  However, this is not visible in the picture which made me disappointed.  I also think that the sunlight on the left is a bit annoying as well.

Someone sitting alone - I really liked this picture because I thought it was a creative interpretation of sitting alone.  Instead of actually sitting, I was lying down on the ground while I propped my feet up against a tree.  I liked how the tree was visible in the picture as well. The only thing that I would change was to maybe have on some type of shoes in the picture.  When I took the picture, I was wearing my Sperry's which are not the prettiest shoes to be wearing, not to mention that mine are brown and would blend in with the tree trunk.

Dead flowers - Not to be weird, but I collect dead flowers . . . I have multiple bouquets of dead flowers, including ones from my first Communion and first Reconciliation. . . like that's not weird at all . . . 

I did like this picture because it shows the detail in the dead roses.  I also liked how there were a ton of flowers and not just one red one or one yellow one.  The only thing that I did not like was that I think the background was a bit overexposed, but that may actually draw the person's attention to the flowers instead of what was going on in the background.

Kenny Gram #5

The View from the Bleachers

I thought this picture was interesting since you rarely get to see the bleachers from this point of view.  I liked how the bottom of the bleachers is in the center and sort of leads out into the middle of the picture.  The only thing that I would change would be to remove the two poles in the background using Photoshop, but I am not that advanced in removing poles and such and I think it would look very bad after I did it.

C.E. #5

Boy Throws Foul Ball Back Into Field

Event Summary: What started as a cheerful and happy baseball game in Oakland turned into a disappointing one last Sunday.  After a foul ball was caught by a man in the stands, he humbly gave it to the family sitting to the left of him.  He gave it to the father who then proceeded to give it to his youngest son.  However, as the father turned to thank the man for the ball, his son shocked the fans by throwing the ball back into the field.  The father, unaware at what his son did, turned around to find the ball missing.  On further investigation, he realized what had taken place.  Throughout the remainder of the game, his son could be seen tucked into a tight ball, not wanting to face reality.  In the end, the ushers brought back the ball to the young boy.  For this family, this event will be forever remembered as one eventful day.

Event Significance: This event doesn't have any significance to the world what so ever, but it does create a happy and heartfelt feeling in everyone who reads it.  Especially in the wake of the Boston Tragedy, this story brings relief to the disturbing reports in the news which will not go away any time soon.

Personal Response: I first saw this story on the morning news and thought it was the sweetest thing.  The little boy's reaction after his father figures out what had happened was priceless as he lay cuddled in a ball with his head in his glove for the remainder of the game.  I thought it was so nice when the ushers returned the ball back to him.

Link

Assignments W.E. 4/19/13

Assignments

1. Assignments W.E. 4/19/13
2. Kenny gram
3. Photos of the week
4. Comment and Critique
5. current event

POW #4

1) a path - This picture shows a path because of the street which leads towards the back of the picture, giving a path for the cars to travel on.

2) someone walking alone - this picture shows someone walking alone because my dad is walking alone all by himself into the gate.  This is not my best picture because I wish he was the only person in the picture, but it is a public area.

3) two friends - this picture shows four friends, my family, instead of two friends, but I think that the theme/message is still clear.  I thought it was very creative and I liked the look of it.

4) Beach - this picture shows the beach because if you look through the center of the picture, your sight is directed to the beach in the back.  I really liked the small table set that is on the patio which I thought gave it character.  I thought it was a creative interpretation of a beach because it shows a calm and relaxed setting on the beach rather a classic picture of waves and the sand. 

5) Protest - This picture is of a sign that I would qualify as protest.  First of all, the sign says that the church was assembled in 1629.  However, there was a three year gap between the date that it was assembled and organized, in 1632.  I have no idea why it took them three years to organize, maybe they were so disorganized they could not become organized, I have no idea and will probably never know or understand.  I have no idea if my explanation even made any sense. . . .

C.E. #4

Patient Gets More than What He Asks for at Dentist

Event Summary: When Christopher Crist checked into his Indianapolis dentist's office for an operation, he had no idea that he would come out of it toothless.  Expecting to have only three teeth pulled, he woke up from the surgery having no teeth.  The dentist who had operated on Crist was reported to have kept injecting the numbing medication into Crist's gums, leaving him groggy and unaware of his surroundings.  His family is currently trying to obtain Christopher's medical records from the dentist's office, Amazing Family Dental, in order to file a complaint.

Event Significance: I think that this story has a huge significance in Indianapolis because there has to be more patients who regularly attend appointments at this dental clinic.  The patients should be notified about the incident, for it could easily happen to one of them.  Even if this case was accidental, no one should have to worry about the legitimateness and skill level of their dentist.

Personal Response: I thought that this story was very different - who goes into the dentist and walks out with all of his teeth pulled? I feel so sorry for the unfortunate patient who "accidentally" had all of his teeth pulled by an unfit dentist, whether by accident or purposefully.  One thing that I noticed about the story was that the dental clinic was called Amazing Family Dental.  THERE IS NOTHING AMAZING ABOUT THIS UNQUALIFIED DENTIST!

Link

KennyGram #4

A Hall of Lockers

I really liked this picture.  I guess it is because the focus is at the first locker and the picture gradually becomes unfocused as the eye looks towards the left of the picture.  I did like the picture more when it was not cropped, but it still looks cool.

Assignments W.E. 4/12/13

Assignments

1. T.A.T. with Mr. Yocum
2. P.O.W. #4 choose five from list
3. Kenny Gram #4
4. Current Event #4
5. Stop Motion
6. Blog Post Weekly Assignments

Assignments W.E. 3/27/13

Assignments

1. Weekly Meeting with Mr. Yocum
2. Blog Post - "Weekly Assignments W.E. 03/27/13
3. Blog Post - "Current Event #3"
4. Blog Post - "KennyGram #3" - on this post please submit the images you submitted for the gallery in the Senior Hallway
5. Blog Post - "Photo of the Week #3" - theme = Spring Has Sprung
6. Continue work on your stop motion project - we will complete these after break
7. Submit your KennyGrams for consideration for display in the Senior Hallway

P.O.W. #3

Messages in the Snow

Theme: Spring has Sprung
Location: Orange, MA
Weather: extremely cold and snowy

This picture deserves no comment.  Spring has not sprung up in New England.

C.E. #3

Mother Leaves Child Alone in Car

Event Summary: In New Zealand, one couple was horrified to discover a baby alone in a car.  However, it wasn't the unusual situation that caused them worry, but the note attached to the baby's blanket.  It read, "My mums in doing the shopping, call her if I  need anything,"along with a phone number at the end.  The couple, thinking the mother would be back soon, waited for her to return.  After several minutes, the sleeping baby attracted many bystanders, and photographs were soon uploaded to almost every social media site, going viral quickly.  One person eventually called the mother, but she is not facing charges because no one has filed a formal complaint against her.

Event Significance: I think that this event is only significant in New Zealand because the event took place in New Zealand and did not violate any other country's laws.  However, it does have a global significance because it creates a growing awareness to underaged children being illegally left alone by irresponsible mothers and fathers whether it is in a car or at home.

Personal Response: When I heard this story I had two reactions.  One was what the heck was the mother thinking in order to leave her extremely young baby all alone in her car.  Anybody could simply break into the car and steal the child. My second reaction was sympathy for the poor mother. Obviously, I have never grown up around a young infant, my sister is only two years younger than me and all of my young cousins live in KY, but I do know how hard it is to get an infant to sleep soundly.  The mother is also facing growing contempt for her actions which could possibly be justified, but that is  nearly impossible.


Link

Kenny Gram #3

My Kennygram submissions were:

Artist: Hannah Arlinghaus

Title: The Endless Hallway

File Name: f_arlinghaus_hannah_kg_001.jpg

Caption: School never ends in the upstairs 200 hallway.

Artist: Hannah Arlinghaus

Title: The Melancholy Rain

File Name: f_arlinghaus_hannah_kg_002.jpg

Caption: On a rainy day, gloominess fills the air. 

C.E. #2

Man Discovers Knife in His Back After 3 Years

Event Summary: When Billy McNeely's fingernail got caught on a sharp object while he was itching his back, he knew something was wrong.  After further investigation as to what the object was, his girlfriend responded that there was a knife protruding out of his back.  Three years ago, McNeely had gotten into a fight and was stabbed five times.  He was rushed to the hospital where the doctors proceeded to stitch him up without taking an X-ray.  Now, three years later, after complaining of pain, he went back to the hospital where doctors proceeded to remove the knife.

Event Significance: This event has very little significance seeing how it took place in Canada.  It does bring to mind the carelessness of a minor group of doctors who are "practicing" in the medical field.  In reality, they do everything they can to take advantage of other people and squeeze money out of them.  While I feel like this was an unfortunate accident, the lessons learned from this event have a purpose.

Personal Response: When I read this story, I felt sick because I do not like knifes, especially ones that are visible inside a person's back.  The thought of living with a knife blade inside of your back for three years makes me cringe, for I do not think that it was a pleasant experience.

Link

Stop Motion Preview

This is the raw format of my stop motion.  I've edited the length of each picture in terms of time, but I still have major editing to do.  I also have yet to put in a title/introduction and an ending slide, but I'll get there very soon.

Kennygram #2

I took a picture of the upstairs 200 hallway.  I thought that this picture was cool because the far doors are at the very center of the picture.  I also believe that the depth of field is used in this picture.  What I didn't like was how the top of the picture looked slightly crooked.  The only way that I could figure out how to fix it would be to crop it out because the end of the light is straight, but the top is crooked.

POW #2

For this POW, I took a portrait picture of the statue of St. Joseph outside the office.  In regards to indirect lighting, I used the sun as my light source.  I liked how the portrait was centered and how vibrant the colors were.

Assignments WE 3/22/13

Assignments

1. TAT with Mr. Yocum
2. B.P. POW #2 Theme: Portrait using indirect light
3. B.P. Kennygram #2
4. B.P. Current Event #2
5. B.P. Stop motion preview - 15 seconds
6. B.P. Weekly Assignments WE 3/22/13

KG #1

I thought this picture was sort of interesting with the different angle and all of the words around the fire alarm.  However, I think that the glare was a bit distracting on the picture.  The only way that I can think of fixing it would be to take a picture either at early morning or late afternoon/night when the sun is down but there is still indirect sunlight.  This would remove the glare.

CE #1

Manhattan Mom Commits Suicide - With 10 Month Old Child Strapped to her Chest

Event Summary: On a sunny March afternoon, bystanders in Manhattan were equally disturbed and stunned as they watched 44 year old Cynthia Wachenheim step off of her eighth story apartment.  However, it wasn't the sick sound of Cynthia's body hitting the ground that caused shivers in the unfortunate witnesses, but what Cynthia had strapped to her body.  10 month old Keston had been put into a harness attached to his mother.  As this shock registered through their minds, witnesses had no chance to look away.  However, the sound of a baby crying helped to lessen the gruesome sight unfolding before their eyes, for it meant that baby Keston was still alive.  Having miraculously survived, Keston was rushed to the hospital where he was listed in stable condition shortly after. He escaped with only a few minor cuts.

          According to authorities, Wachenheim's 13 page suicide note included references to her being a horrible mother and wife.  Other sources add to this saying she was convinced that little Keston had a disability, a fear that doctor's had confirmed to be false.  What is unclear to friends, family, and neighbors was why Cynthia told herself that her life was not worth living anymore.  Neighbors unthinkingly agreed that Keston was beloved by both his mother and father and that his parent's relationship was strong.  With Cynthia's death, a husband is left with unanswered questions, a son is left motherless, and friends are left in downright chaos.  

Event Significance: While this story does not have any political or economic effect, the significance of it is unimaginable.  The sick uniqueness of this horrible event has to appeal to the confused emotions of every single reader who reads this story.  

Personal Response: When I read this story, I did not know what to think.  I felt so depressed and confused.  First, I was heart-broken because Cynthia Wachenheim left behind a loving husband and a healthy baby boy.  Second, I was filled with unending relief after realizing that even though he was strapped to her chest, baby Keston lived and was in close-to-perfect condition.  What Cynthia did not think about was that by killing herself, she left behind a motherless child.  By strapping that child to herself as she fell eight stories to her death, she left behind a soon-to-be an emotionally confused child. She did not think of the terrors that would come to haunt her son later on in his life.  However, I do not know what she was thinking and maybe she did think about all of these situations.  What I do know was that somehow, her brain was not connecting right with her emotions and feelings.  Somehow, she had it understood that she was useless and confused.  I can only feel extreme sorrow for her and hope that she can come to love herself.  

Link

POW #1

I took this picture underneath the bell tower at St. Joseph's. I really liked certain aspects of this picture, but I thought that certain aspects could also be improved.  I liked how the window/arches were visible and how the bright, vivid blue of the sky was shown peeping through.  However, I wish that more of the window/arches were visible.  I also wish that the black speaker was not visible.  I don't think that this could be achieved easily since I was at the back wall of the bell tower and had no more room to move backwards.

Fair Use Quiz

1. Copyright status is given to anyone who would like to copyright their own work.  The person does not have to be famous.
2. The MPAA uses dogs to search and find pirated videos.
3. Yes, it is legal because the person is not making extra copies of the copyrighted work and the original buyer had paid the full price for the original work.  This is also protected in the First Sale Doctrine.
4. Copyright was created to give credit to people for their achievements and to therefore encourage other advances in multiple subjects.
5. It would depend on the copyright restrictions of the photographer.  If the photographer wants people to take his work and put it onto the web so that he would become known, that would be okay. However, if the photographer clearly states that no one is allowed to copy his work, it would be an infringement. 
6. It would be legal to share the music file if the person has legally paid the full price for the song originally and has obtained permission from the creator if the terms of copyright are not specified.
7. Fair use allows ordinary people to copy part or all copyrighted work without facing penalties. 
8. Creative Commons Licensing is a nonprofit organization that allows people or organizations to obtain copyrights but still make their work visible and obtainable to the public.
9. It is acceptable to use another person's copyrighted works when either: you have obtained permission from the creator, you have paid the full legal price for the original work, or it abides within the legal limits allocated to using another person's work.
10. It would not be legal because only the original renter has paid the full legal price for renting the DVD.  By passing the DVD on, he has given the movie to other people to see without paying for the DVD.
11. Public Domain refers to a collection of works that have had their copyrights expired or are given to the public without copyright restrictions.
12. Any work produced by the U.S. Government is already in the public domain and can be obtained legally by any citizen.  
13. This statement is false because the Night of the Living Dead is already in the Public Domain.
14. Paul's copyright goes into effect when he has created his tangible idea.  Even though you do not have to register it, Paul needs to register it in order to pursue an infringement case.  His copyright lasts for his lifetime plus an additional 70 years after his death. 

Assignments W/E 3/15/13

Assignments

1. B.P.      Assignments W/E 3/15/13
2. B.P.      C.E. #1
3. B.P.      P.O.W #1 
4. B.P.      K.G. #1
5. B.P.      "Fair Use" Activity

POW #9

I thought that this picture had a lot of cool elements going on.  First, I liked how it sort of had a vanishing perspective and was symmetrical on both sides.  Second, I think that the picture has leading lines because of the beams on the ceiling.  The hardest part of this picture was making sure that everything was level and making sure that I was far enough back to take the picture, otherwise the picture looked horrible.  I also had to remove everyone's junk from the hallway, which I don't want to do again.  I took it with an SLR camera at 2:00 so I had to increase the ISO setting (which I figured out!).

Kennygram #8

I liked how this picture was from a different point of view.  I took it in upstairs 100 building in front of Mrs. Thurson's room.  I leaned over the edge of the railing and took a picture of the statue on the ground.  I think it would be cool if the flowers could spell something or make a symbol, but that's a lot to ask for!  I took it with a SLR camera around 2:00, so I used the normal sunlight.

Current Event #9

Yosemite's Junior Ranger Sweetheart

Event Summary: Yosemite's rangers were stunned and quite surprised when they received a letter from little Evie.  In her letter, Evie explained how she had accidentally taken two sticks from the park home with her, which is illegal.  A devout junior ranger, Evie stated how she had not realized that she had put the sticks in her bag and just wanted them to be returned to nature.  After reading the letter, the park rangers described how they had received none like it before.  They hung it up on their wall for one year, but then decided to post the story to Reddit, expecting a only few people to get a heartfelt laugh from it.  However, because of its genuine sincerity, the story was a tremendous success, totaling around 2,000 comments.  The rangers also proceeded to contact Evie and her parents to ask if little Evie had a specific spot in the park in mind for the return of the sticks.  They are currently awaiting a response.

Event Significance: I think that this event only had a slight impact on the local level.  While it does set an example for selfish tourists who want to take home nature, the story does not really have a huge impact.  It does apply to tourists from all over the world due to the fact that about 4,000,000 visitors tour the grounds of Yosemite every year.

Personal Response: When I first read this story, I thought that it was one of the sweetest things that I had ever read.  I imagined an innocent little girl breaking down in tears and in panic because she had realized she accidentally took home TWO STICKS from the park.  Her genuineness and dedication to making things right just "put the icing on the cake" for this story.

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Kenny Gram #7

I took my Kenny Gram #7 while it was raining on Tuesday morning.  I liked this picture because there are a lot of different lines and angles to look at.  I also liked how the rain drops were visible.  Overall, I thought that the picture was very interesting and I liked how it turned out.  I didn't know if we were supposed to keep the black and white theme, but I thought that it also made the picture interesting.  I took it with the SLR cameras in the classroom with no extra lighting or settings turned on.

POW #8

I took a picture of the benches outside of the 300 building for my POW.  I liked how the benches were at the side, and I think it follows rule of thirds as well.  I do think that my black and white photo is a bit too dark, but I'm sure that is an easy fix on photoshop.  I took the picture outside in the morning while it was raining so there wasn't a lot of sun.

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Current Event #8

Ironic Twist through Russia's Version of Google Maps

Event Summary: Marina Voinova casually sat down at her computer to look up her house through Yandex Maps, the Russian version of Google Maps.  Expecting to see her house and be on her way, she instead noticed something rather peculiar.  In front of her house was her fiancé, Sasha, with his arms around another women.  As she scrolled further through the map, she could see Sasha kissing the slim-figured brunette. Shocked and outraged, she brought Sasha into the room and asked him to look up her house online.  Sasha's face "changed colors" after realizing Marina's purpose for her strange request.  Pleading with her saying that he did not really love the other women, Sasha tried to persuade Marina that she was his only true love.  Marina was not looking for any excuses and immediately called off the wedding.

Event Significance: I think that this event only applies to Russia, since the U.S. uses Google Maps instead of Yandex Maps.  The article does bring up the issue of privacy.  If people are visible and distinguishable on Yandex Maps, the company should make an effort to blur their faces to protect their privacy.  Even though the company commented that people could make requests to blur their faces if they find an issue, who really has the time to search through the whole world to find yourself?

Personal Reflection: I think that this event was bitter sweet.  It was sad because it ended with a cancelation of a wedding and a relationship due to a freak chance of finding the fiancé committing adultery.  However, it was sort of hilarious because the man has to be pretty embarrassed, first because he was caught committing adultery, and second because of the way he was caught.  I also think that this event reflects the issue of personal privacy like I mentioned above.  I think its pretty scary to know that people can just search the web and find where I like to hang out on the weekends.

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Current Event #7

A Goldfish Named "Jaws"

Event Summary: In Lake Tahoe, NV, researchers are running scared.  After searching for invasive fish species, scientists instead found a 4.2 lb. goldfish that was 1.5 ft. long.  According to environmental scientist Sudeep Chandra, there were about fifteen other monster goldfish in the same area.  The goldfish had most likely been dumped by aquarium owners after the goldfish had grown too big and had become a nuisance.  

Event Significance: I think that this story has a local impact.  If humans start to impact the environment by inserting foreign species into lakes and ponds, the whole food chain is interrupted.  I also think that this story creates a growing awareness to the problem of aquarium dumping.  

Response: I thought that this story was interesting due to the shear size of the goldfish, hence the title "Jaws".  To think that goldfish like theses could be swimming in our waters makes me scared to go swimming.  I understand why people dump them into lakes, but there has to be a better alternative to aquarium dumping.  

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Kenny Gram #6

For my Kenny Gram, I took a picture of one of the stained glass squares in the chapel.  I think that the creativity may be in the picture, however, it does have some issues.  I think that the unevenness of the square in the first place may create a sense of crookedness for the picture.  I also think that some lighting element was off because there is a slight red hue to the whole picture.  I took the picture in the chapel with the lights on as high as they would go.