Current Event #2

FAA Grounds Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Summary: The history of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been plagued with issues, and the present history of the Dreamliner is no different.  Since it was first proposed, the Dreamliner has been over budget and behind schedule.  Now, two incidents have occurred that many say were due to the rush of Boeing to put the Dreamliners on the market.  Both of these incidents include battery failures or problems that have many people worried.  Recently, Nippon Airways in Japan reported battery failures and an emergency landing which had passengers scared.  Due to the many problems, the FAA decided to follow India Air in grounding all of the Dreamliners until they can be sure that they are safe for travel.  This decision places more negativity towards Boeing and their questionable airplanes. 

Event Significance: I would consider this event an international event because it transcends many countries around the globe.  These countries include Japan, India, and the U.S.  It also affects the people in many countries because these planes were supposed to be the planes of the future.  Now, the safety of the planes is questionable, and the fate of the Dreamliners are uncertain.  Passengers of all cultures and ethnicities travel by plane which presents a global issue.

Response/Reflection: I think that this issue is a huge issue because if passengers do not feel comfortable flying in these planes, then they will stop flying altogether.  This one issue can cause falls in the number of purchased tickets and therefore flights.  I think that grounding the Dreamliners creates a sort of fear towards Boeing.  I know that I don't want to fly on a Dreamliner anytime soon!

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Stop Motion Test

For my stop motion test, I rearranged berries to form a smiley face.  I think that the beginning was sort of bad because it doesn't really show how the circle forms.  I also think that my shots were inconsistent because I didn't use a tripod to stabilize my camera and shots.

However, I think that the ending was good because it shows the transition from the line of berries into the face.  I think that the winking in the end was good as well.

This test helped me to figure out the basics of a stop motion.  I learned how many pictures I needed and at what intervals I had to take the pictures.  I also learned that a tripod IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to create a good stop motion.

Kenny Gram #1

I chose this picture for the Kenny Gram because not a lot of people have noticed the cross that was built into the wall of the front of the two hundred building.  I think it shows that Bishop Kenny has a deeper sense of Catholic faith than what most people think.

POW #2

It's a Small World

I thought that this picture fit in with the theme, "It's a Small World" because my cat is obviously too big for this box.  The world is too small for my cat, but he doesn't seem to realize it . . .

I think that the composition of this picture is okay because I could see the camera shadow in the bottom right corner.  I couldn't figure out how to position myself to not get the shadow.  I took it during the night so I did use the ceiling light.  I took it with a regular camera.

Current Event #1

Family Survives Australian Wildfire

Summary:
                     Tim Holmes recounted his terrifying experience as he, his wife, and five grandchildren           escaped "tornadoes of fire" in Tasmania, Australia.  After realizing that the flames from a nearby fire were coming closer, Holmes described how there was nowhere left to go except for the jetty a short walk from the house.  Seeking shelter, Holmes led the group into the cold water in which they stayed in for a total of two and a half hours.  Holmes was photographing the whole ordeal to send pictures to the children's parents in case they all perished.  They were saved when Holmes captured an escaped boat and rowed them all to safety.
                  Leaving her five children with her parents so she could attend a funeral, Bonnie Walker described how she had to brace herself for the worst.  However, upon hearing of their survival, she and her husband were overjoyed and estatic.  Unfortunately, the Holmes' house was entirely burnt down, like the hundreds of other homes in their community and in Tasmania.

Significance:
                  Even though this story was a local story, the iconic picture of the family huddling under the jetty has gone viral and news stations accross the world have been broadcasting and commenting about this story.  I saw it a couple of days ago on the news and decided that it would be a good story to write about.  I think that it is significant because it shows the over-repeated phrase of "never giving up".  However, this story is a true example of this.  Even when the family was faced with "tornadoes of fire", the grandfather bravely led them into the chilling water where they sat for a considerable amount of time. 

Reaction:
                 When I saw this picture and read the news article, my first thought was how could the family have withstood the heat from the fire for so long.  My second thought was how could the family have withstood the chill from the water for so long.  I could not have done what the grandfather did when he took pictures in case they did not survive.  That would have drove me insane and I don't think that I could have kept my cool.

Link

POW #1

                                            This                                                        is

                                         a picture                                               of my cat

                                      that I took with                                    a regular point 

                                     and shoot camera.  I thought that it was a good picture 

                 -                   because it depicts my cat as being lost in thought.  I like                      -

                          -          the way that his eyes are not staring directly into the camera.     -

                                   - If I could improve this picture, I think that I would have -

                                     taken the picture so that his left whiskers are in the picture 

              -           -       - because they sort of get cut off towards the end.  Also, I -          -           -

                                     think that the picture would of been better if his paws were 

                                   - included in the picture because it would give the full effect -

                          -               of the cat.  I took the picture in the late afternoon                  -

                 -                              so there was no artificial lighting.  Also,                                   -

                                                      I did no touch-ups in photoshop. 

2012 Year in Review

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     For Marine Staff Stg. Jeremy Cooney, his family reunion after his deployment was far from ordinary.  He had tears in his eyes as he was greeted with an unexpected surprise, seeing his son Michael walk for the first time.  But it was no ordinary walk, for Michael had cerebral palsy and his chances of learning how to walk were slim.  Scooping his son into his arms, Jeremy's huge smile was hard to miss and his immense love of his family could be seen.
     When I first watched this video months ago, I had tears in my eyes.  Of course I cry when I watch any military welcome home surprise visit, but this one was special.  This video shows the sacrifice that parents make when they are deployed.  Instead of watching their children grow and mature, service men and women sacrifice their time to protect our country.  The video also shows the happiness and joy that is felt when they return home and are greeted by their family, and sometimes secret surprises.