What I Learned 10/29/12

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    I learned how to take photos of a light up jack-o-lantern. First you have to buy different shaped of pumpkins else they’ll all look the same. Then figure out your design and carve your pumpkin. Before you get your camera out make sure you put a candle inside and turn the lights off. If your pumpkin isn’t super bright you can put extra candles on the side to boost the exposure. It’s best to set your camera at 3000-4000 k so the yellow color of the candle looks warm not crazy. Use the basic manual mode, use a tripod because then your photos are taken at a lower shutter speed so you can get more light in. Also keep your ISO low to avoid noise in the picture. And last if you want to get tricky with your photos put your pumpkin on a reflectance table so you can see the glow of the pumpkin on the table as well. Just have fun with it and make it your own.

Article:

 http://photo.tutsplus.com/articles/shooting-articles/how-to-make-fantastically-fun-jack-o-lantern-photos/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Phototuts+%28Phototuts%2B%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

What I learned today 11/8/12

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What I learned today 10/8/12

How to build a field studio light table. For photographing animals, insects and plants to support your picture you can use a white background. The light table is the way to go, it’s a studio that you can take anywhere. You need a portable table and a light. When your taking pictures make sure you have a diffuser or a softbox with a flash to get a good photo.

Halloween

My family never celebrates Halloween and so I've only gone trick-or-treating maybe at the most 2 times. I remember 8th grade I got invited to a Halloween party and I had to dress up. I hate all the gross fake blood costumes and the slutty costumes, I found something that would be funny but also cute, a fat pumpkin. My costume was very comfortable and easy to walk in, and also kept me warm walking around because of all the padding inside. It was a pretty fun night because I was with all my friends and we were hyped up on sugar!
I think Halloween is THE worst holiday ever. Celebrating the devil is something that I do not want to do with my life, yes it's only one day out of the year but it's scary, gross, and not right.

Election

In 4 years I think we're going to look back and think negatively about the 2012 election. I personally think Obama hasn't done anything at all if anything he made matters worse. He has put us into so much debt, at least a trillion dollars each year he was president the time before. And back then when he got elected the first time his slogan was "change" and "hope". Umm it changed in negative way. Obama doesn't know anything about the workforce, Romeny is a huge business man and knows what he's doing and knows how to get jobs for people. Just look at all the work he's done when he was governor. In 4 years I'm going to be in college and going to want to be looking for a job and because of this election I don't think many people are going to find jobs.

what I learned today 10/31/12

10/31/12 Today I read an article about quick tips: the best sunset pictures made from home. First things first people always say you have to go to cool places to see amazing sunsets, that’s false, you can go right in your backyard or a dense urban area. You just got to keep your eyes open and be watching outside all the time. You can get a different picture in a matter of seconds, the clouds change all the time and if you stand there and wait you'll have plenty of pictures in an hour.

http://photo.tutsplus.com/articles/inspiration/quick-tips-the-best-sunset-pictures-made-from-home/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Phototuts+%28Phototuts%2B%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

compare/contrast essay. Snickers vs. Three Muskateers

   Snickers and three muskateers are important because they're sweet and tasty. In the candy world the problem with snickers and three muskateers is which one to pick. While snickers and three muskateers are both chocolate, there are several differences between them, snickers are salty and sweet, and three muskateers are mushy and sweet.
   The big push for snickers is it helps you get into a good mood. 

What I learned today 11/14/12

When to use and not use the flash when taking pictures. Using the flash can make or break your picture. You usually want to use the flash when its dark and you don't have good lighting. If you do have a little light and you're very close to the object you probably are better off not using it because it can make your picture too bright and could make the picture white. When using flash don't have your subject be behind a wall. If you are shooting inside with the flash make sure the flash is pointed to the ceiling so it doesn't make it too bright on your object.

http://us.gizmodo.com/5376271/giz-explains-when-not-to-use-your-cameras-flash

Mall Shooting

I'm so glad that I was not at the mall that day. I think the shooting was completely random and out of the blue. I don't understand why a guy would come in a shoot random pedestrians, obviously something was going on in his head that day.
I feel so bad for the family's that have to deal with this tragic accident. Also I feel bad for whoever witnessed it first hand. I know I would definitely be so scared and just in shock for a long time. I'd probably be too scared to even watch a Bourne movie with shooting in it. It would just remind of of the tragic accident that I had to experience.

What I learned today 11/16/12

Modern architecture.
"Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building."
It started in the 20th century and rapidly increased technology advancement and modernization of society. Some important architects in history and development of the modernist movement include Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, Oscar Niemeyer and Alvar Aalto.
Characteristics:

• The design should derive directly from its purpose
• simplicity and elimination of unnecessary detail
• visual expression of the structure 
• The true nature and natural appearance of material should be seen. "Truth to material"
• use of industrially-produced material

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_architecture

Snikers vs. Three Muskateers

I don't really mind, I love both. I'm not a super picky eater so pretty much any candy will do for me. I love how snikers has caramel, peanuts, and chocolate. The peanuts give it a good salty flavor and the chocolate and the caramel gives it a sweet taste. I love muskateers because it's all just sweet, I do prefer the mint muskateers more than the regular though. The mushy marshmallow inside is wonderful with a hard layer of milk chocolate over the top, when you bite into it it's soft and sweet.

What I learned today 11/16/12

How to train for a marathon or half marathon.

"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired."- George S. Patton, U.S. Army General, 1912 Olympian

Your mind does all the work, just like George said, "The body will always give up". First answer why do you want to complete a marathon? To say you did it, to prove to yourself that you"re better then you think you are? Before starting to run you need to start out with a good pair of running shoes. Go to runner's world and get a pair, they'll even fit them for you so they exactly match up with what you need. Then you're ready to run. Make sure you eat good food, and lots of protein all through that day. Make sure you're running at least 20 miles a week to keep your body in shape. You probably want to run 4-7 miles every couple days and then on Saturday or Sunday you should run more, and make sure each week you're increasing the miles on the Saturday or Sunday, you want to at least make it to 20 miles. When you hit 20 you want to slow back down and do less and less.

 http://www.marathonrookie.com/

What I learned today 11/18/12

Today I learned about diabetes. 
Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin, or because cells do that respond to the insulin that is produced. There are 2 different types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. 
Type 1 is is characterized by loss of the insulin-producing beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, leading to insulin deficiency. It mostly effects people that are healthy and at a healthy weight. 
Type 2 is, is characterized by insulin resistance, which may be combined with relatively reduced insulin secretion.
http://www.diabetes.org/

Thanksgiving weekend

Thanksgiving was nice and relaxing this year and it was also my dads birthday. We mostly stayed at home and did our own thing we did have a semi big dinner. We also went to go see Red Dawn, the movie was kind of not believable I don't think it could really happen. The movie was very interested and kept me on the edge of my seat and I might or might not have slipped a few words in the movie theater hahaha. After celebrating with my family for the whole day we have a fire outside with some of our friends that we hadn't see in a long time. It was fun to hang out, laugh, and eat around the fire with them. It had been a long time since we had seen them so it was nice to catch up with them and see what they have been doing with their life. After they left and the night was getting quiet and randomly my brothers friends made me come to the mall with them to go black Friday shopping. I love shopping but I didn't know if I loved it this much to go on the craziest day of the year. We got there and it took not as long as I thought it was going to take to get a parking spot, I think we just got lucky. We got there and just walking through the mall was stressful, right as the clock hit midnight the whole mall erupted and girls started running and screaming, it was actually very funny to watch! We only went to 3 stores total, H&M, Macy's and PacSun. I only found a couple things in H&M to get. We only spend an hour there because we were all so tired, we got home around 1ish and I crashed on my bed.
On Saturday was the civil war, I was sad my beavers lost but I still love them. Never will I ever become a duck fan! They're cocky idiots and they're so full of themselves and they are flat out annoying.
Overall the week was pretty good, coming back to school was a drag, waking up and having FST fist period after a week off of school, not my favorite. I was very ready for the holidays to come and to have another break. Can't wait for Christmas and New Years!

Traditions

On Christmas we always take a family picture on the stairs before we can open presents. After opening all the big presents a tradition is we open stockings next. Stockings are my parents favorite thing and it was always a tradition in their family to open them last so we decided to carry it on. Right after stockings we always eat this amazing apple cake that's my mom make. It's warm, fresh, and filling. For the rest of the afternoon we usually hang with the family, watch a movie or whatever. At night we head over to my grandmothers house for a big family get together and have dinner, open presents, and hang out with the family. The day before thanksgiving we have this tradition with our friends that we all go see a movie together, there are usually 40 people that come total and it's a blast! And we all come back to my house for desserts and game time. On thanksgiving we always have a big dinner and turkey with my family and sometimes it's at my grandmas house and sometimes it at my house. We always play games all together and it always ends up being really fun! Towards the end of the night my family all puts their name in a hat and we draw to see who gets who a present! It's fun and I love it. My grandma isn't good a gifts so we take it over. One year I got a Dora the explorer doll and I cried because I was so upset that I got such a dumb present, that was the worst Christmas ever!

Problems Puritans Faced

• Starvation
• Sickness
• Indians
• Diseases
• Weather traveling

Free Write

Topic: In light of what happened last week. What is your one hope as we head into the holiday season?
My one hope is that the world just calms down and stops freaking out. I've honestly never heard this much bad news in one week. So so many families are hurting right now from a lost one. It's not fair that these Innocent people are dying, they did nothing wrong. Especially the kids that were young in that elementary school they did nothing wrong. And then having a service form them and then them having to cancel that because of a bomb threat! You're kidding, it's just terrible.

Holiday Madness

   We are having a holiday madness kind of like March madness but with Christmas songs and movies. I personally don't know that many holiday songs or movies. My family always tends to watch the same ones over and over again. It mostly consists of Elf, the Santa Clause movies, Four Christmas', The Polar Express, Christmas Vacation, and Home Alone. As far as the music goes I don't listen to that much, we only listen to it when we are decorating the tree and also Christmas morning.
   I think this holiday madness in class is fun! I get to learn more about the Christmas season every day. It also gets us even more and more excited for winter break. I'm excited to see what the results will be.

Outside reading book

For the outside reading book I'm reading the second book in the Hunger Games series, called Catching Fire. I'm getting close to finishing it. It's been a great book so far and every entertaining like the first Hunger Games book. It is a little different in how they have all the people that have previously won come all together and fight. So that means the Katniss has to go up against her counselor Haymitch.
Plan to finish:
Read every night and when I come home from school.