Just Prove It!

I had so much fun in the grade ten comm. tech course this year! I remember the first set of tutorials we had to do for photoshop, and I was so excited that we finally got to start! The tutorials and assignments were confusing at times, but I loved doing them, and I also loved having an end product.

• Multiple Exposure - I had so much fun working on my multiple exposure, and I loved seeing what it looked like at the end.
• The Circus that Surrounds Me - This was one of my favourite assignments. I love creating collages and stuff, so it was great to be able to do it digitally. It was great to be able to show people all about who I am and what I like. It was fun to be able to be creative. I like the 'eccentricK' spin on it by making it like a circus.
• Pattern - Vectorizing was so much fun! It was hard at first, and you definately had to take your time on it, but I loved vectorizing. Putting the pattern together was great because we got to experiment with different things until we created something that we were proud of.
• EccentricK Inspiration - This was fun too. Along with vectorizing pattern, I got to vectorize someone I love, and admire, Kurt Cobain. I hope I did him justice.
• EccentricK Video "I Am" - This was byfar, my favourite assignment. I love videos, and creating videos, and working with videos. It was fun to start with nothing, and turn it into this great, cute little video about me and my friends. It showed people what kind of music we like, and how everyone is musical. I have uploaded the video below for those who want to watch it.

EccentricK

Each year the basement gets tansformed into and amazing, magical art show, where tons of students' artwork is displayed. Artwork is displayed everywhere, lights are shining, movies are playing, etc. The basement of Mary Ward doesn't look like a basement anymore! I love seeing the talent of everybody, and I love looking at all of the art. It was great to see people's different personnalities and ideas come through in their art, and the creativeness of all of the art students.

The senior video students had some great videos, and the dresses the grade 11 fashion students made were amazing! I wish I could've bought them all. My favourite part of the art show however, was the junior theatre with all of the 'I Am' videos. It was great to see what my classmates had come up with. I loved working on my video. We shot a bunchof scenes, and putting them together in the right order with music was definately time consuming. It all paid off though, when I saw my video in the theatre. It looked so great up on that projector!

Congrats on another great artshow!

Ring Ring Ring

Cell phones allow you to contact anyone on the go, wherever you are. You can IM on your cell phones, and write emails and text messages. Personally, I am also on the phone, and texting -- I'm always communicating with people. However, on the weekend, I was standing in line in the checkout line with my mom at the grocery store, and the person who was in line two people ahead of us was on the phone. She was gabbing away practically telling her life story. I heard her whole conversation, not because I was evesdropping, but because she was practically shouting! I bet everyone in the store could hear her shrieking and laughing. Everyone has a cell phone nowadays, and have become really common. It is often unpractical to turn your phone off, or to avoid answering a call, so I have come up with five rules that are neccesary to follow when using your cell phone.

1. Keep your voice down! - Not everyone wants to hear what your plans are for the night, or what he said to her, and what you said to him, etc. There is no need to shout on the phone. Sure, the signal and sound has to go a long way, but they can still hear you!
2. Excuse yourself to answer a call or text message - If you are in the middle of a conversation with someone, don't interrupt them to pick up your phone. And definately don't text while they are talking. Simply say "Excuse me, I need to get this" and all will be ok.
3. Do not use your phone during an innapropriate time! - You do not need to be on your phone at the movie theatre, or during a seminar at school, or at a wedding reception, etc. Sometimes, your personal texting life needs to take a backseat. There are more important things!
4. Always text back - While I am against crazy texting, when someone texts you, it is clearly because they need something, and are expecting a response. Take the 30 seconds it takes to respond.
5. Don't go phone crazy! - You don't need to be on your phone 27/7, and you don't need to text 1000 times a day. Relax, take a breather, and get some fresh air, maybe.

Technology at it's Best

Louis C.K made some very interesting points in the video. There have been so many technological advances within the past few years, and people have become very used to getting everything quickly and easily. People have been taking this incredible technology for granted. There is no possible way that society now could go on without high-speed internet, cell phones, and Bluetooth. I don't think that I could either. I'm constantly texting -- at school, at home, when I'm out, etc. Also, I am always on the internet. I check Facebook multiple times daily, I'm always reading and replying to emails, and I'm always IMing my friends. All of this technology is so amazing and advanced, however, I find myself even yelling at my computer screen, or hastily closing my flip phone whenever something minor should go wrong.

My parents had been discussing that when they were children, they did not own a TV, which were very tiny and in black and white back then. They also did not own a computer for they were very expensive and very large. They had rotary phones, and if they ever needed to contact someone when they were out, they would have to use a payphone! They never typed emails, but had to actually write letters...by hand!

Technology is so advanced, yet still so new. So next time you get mad at the TV, or throw your cell phone across the room, think abouthow convenient it has made your lives.

Gaming Gone Wild

In this day and age, gaming is a very big part of not only teens', but adults' lives too. I wouldn't say that I am an avid video game player, but I definitely enjoy playing every once in a while. Games like Rock Band spark my interest because it's a fun game, it allows you to challenge yourself and beat your own score, and it's a great game for playing with a group. Whether you are playing or watching, there's something entertaining to do. Playing video games is not something I enjoy doing for hours at a time, and I know that I eventually will have to take a break for reading, exercising, and socializing.

While I find games like Rock Band harmless, there are other, more violent games I think have a negative impact on youth today. People need to realize that video games are fantasy, and that reality needs to be kept separate. In a lot of games today, gamers have an endless supply of lives and resources, while in reality, that is quite the opposite. We do not have an infinite number of lives, and shooting people, and committing other crimes in video games would have very serious consequences in the real world. People need to realize that games are not to be taken seriously. Games also have negative effects on youth because they make the games their lives, some even skipping school, and other responsibilities just to play in a virtual world.

Another part of gaming is the ability to play online. Playing in a game "online" allows you to connect with other real people, and play together, or compete against each other. This allows for some healthy competition if you don't always have another person to play against, as well as improving communication skills. The disadvantage to this is that you never really know who you're playing against, as your opponent may not always be who they say they are.

Some games are educational, improving reading and writing skills, such as Brain Age. The point of the game is to do timed puzzles, math problems, and matching problems, trying to earn a better score each time. There are also games like Roller Coaster Tycoon, leaving the gamer to plan out an amusement park, and manage money while also keeping customers happy. I have played both, and both are very fun to play. But this leaves me wondering if youth today actually pay attention to, and grasp the educational aspects of these games? Playing both games myself, I found myself giving up if the questions were too challenging in Brain Age. Also, I didn't really find myself properly managing the amusement park, often purposely putting roller coasters in the park without a finished track, laughing when the car would shoot off the end into nothing, and charging $100 to use the bathroom, seeing what the outcome would be.

All in all, I would guess most games are harmless, as long as the gamer knows when enough is enough, and knows not all things in games are equal to reality, or to be taken seriously.

The Campaign Trail

The Americans elected the first ever African American president on November 4th, 2008. I am very glad that I am alive to see such an event, as it will make history that we will always remember. Getting George Bush out of office and electing Barrack Obama was one of the best things the Americans could have done for themselves.

The first advertisement was a depiction of a good American life, just before George Bush was elected. A group of friends sat around, drinking beer, shouting "Wasssssupppp" at each other. In the second advertisement, Barrack Obama has used a version of the first advertisement in a very effective campaign add for himself. Obama brought to light the many issues plaguing the United States, all caused by Bush's bad decisions. The same men in the first advertisement were now in the war, unemployed, injured, and homeless, bringing to light the plummeting stock market, unemployment, war in Iraq, and minimal health care and housing systems. At the end of this ad, when one man asks "Wasssssupppp", the other says "Change". This advertisement was very effective, and really made me see that Obama is a man who wants to change all of the problems in the US right now, and I think Obama is a fresh face capable of making all of these changes.