Reflection #5 10/31

Kamryn
Intro to Humanities

31 October 2015

Reflection #5

    My project is to learn how to braid hair, install, and style hair. I am proud to say that my braiding skills have gotten a little better. In class, I braided Chelsie's hair and as you know Chelsie has very long hair and being able  to braid it is quite an accomplishment. Chelsie and Anwaar doubted my new skills and I proved them wrong. The braids were uneven and loose, but that is because I was scared to hurt her and there was a limit on time in class. While typing this, I am attempting to braid my doll's hair in a circle, but it is pretty hard. I really enjoy braiding hair now and would like to try on a different texture. I will try to braid my sister's hair next time I see her or one of my friend's with a tight curl pattern. Next week, I will keep braiding and keep getting better at it.

 

Reflection Week 5

For the fifth week, of 20 Percent Time, I created a second blog post. I decided to write about the student that was assaulted at Spring Valley High. I feel really proud of myself for making that post, and I got positive feedback from both of my parents. On the post I made last week, 33 people saw my post, and I got an overflow of positive responses from my immediate family. Some of them even showed my posts to other people. The post I made yesterday has been seen by 12 people. Despite the views my post has gotten, only one person has commented on my actual post.

Although I'm glad I published something this week, the goal was to create posts two days out of the week. This is something I want to work on by the time I write my next reflection.

Week 4

Week 4 was the first week after I've decided to follow the 5 times a week schedule. This week I've chosen for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Every was made 30 minutes as usual, and I chose two strength days, two cardio days, and one flexibility day. Tuesday and Thursday were my strength days, Wednesday and Saturday were my cardio days, and Sunday was my flexibility day. From this point I will be asking my coach about my workouts in order to have the perfect result for my sport, fencing. This would includes this like Leg strength training and running.

REFLECTION CUATRO

This week I gained experience in grilling burgers and hot dogs. I gained this experience by volunteering to help at harvest festival. Therefore instead of my mom supervising me it was a parent who specialized in grilling burgers and hot dogs. We began by setting the charcoal alight and placing the grill tray over it. Then we placed the burgers on and flipped each patty when we decided it was appropriate until the patty no longer secreted a pinkish liquid. Then we moved on to the hot dogs where we just turned them until all sides were cooked. This was my first experience involving grilling and I believe that it will assist me if I decide to grill another meat because I learned that while grilling whenever the meat secretes a lot of the pink liquid you should flip it. Therefore the secretion of the pink liquid serves as an indicator that you should flip the meat. By flipping at the right time it you avoid the meat being undercooked or burned. I feel as though I did a fine job and in the future I wish to roast chicken.

Reflection #4

Chelsie: Scrap-booking

           This week for my 20% time project I was able to complete the next two pages of my scrapbook. At this point I printed out the pictures in smaller sizes so that I could put more on the background of the pages. Using smaller pictures instead of the regular sized ones gives you more space to work with so that you can add more to the pages. Something that I thought of on my own was that I can put hidden flaps throughout the scrapbook. For example, a piece of paper can flip up unveiling a picture or phrase that is hidden underneath. I used this technique and the smaller pictures on the two pages that I made. I learned that I can come up with my own new styles and techniques while using other ideas that I have researched as well.

Reflection #4

This week, I tried something new with my German learning methods. Instead of using the Mondly app like normal, I tried youtube. I found it a little harder to learn than the app so I plan to mostly stay with the app. I also found out that the app was teaching me only the informal terms for certain words. So I didn't know how to formally speak to someone. But I plan to use the app mainly to learn but use youtube to see if there are any formal terms that I can say.

Reflection #4

Obstacles: Last week, I had to figure out how to create animations that follows the rules of gravity and anatomy. It was very funny how even the smallest gesture I make requires a lot of muscle and body collaboration to create a smooth movement. After figuring out joint points and rotation movement, I set off to create more frames.

A new obstacle that I face will be the deadline and deadline and tedious work required to create a few seconds of drama. I spent around an hour and half to create the first 5 seconds of the cartoon ( which can be viewed below). Some factors will come into play such as it's my first few practices with Animatron. Hopefully as I get use to the program, I can make more content faster.

What I learned: I never appreciated the hard work that comes into a simple movement that animators from Pixar and Disney has been doing for decades. I was able to appreciate the beauty because of the effort that I'm experiencing.

You can tune in for the continuation next week:
https://www.animatron.com/project/2fdd285651453eec8e890802

Reflection Week 4

I am finding Signed English much easier to understand, and it just one week I can pick out a few words in videos. I would like to emphasize that it really is just a few, because when fluent people use Signed English it goes way faster than when I practice with myself, but just being able to pick something out made me excited. I am almost done with the first song I was learning. I can sign the whole thing, but not at all to the tempo of the song, so I am trying to work on speed. I definitely think watching the songs has been helping me to remember words and has been the main factor behind me being able to recognize things here and there.
Spreadthesign has been really helpful. It not only shows words but some common phrases too. I think this coming week I am going to focus more on learning common phrases than the songs.

Reflection #4 :D🍆💦

This week, I have gone back to reading Krita articles to help speed along the process when my sketch is finished. I am also looking at inexpensive drawing tablets- my parents said I might be able to get one if I behave (yeah, right).

I found one of my old unused sketchbooks and I am going to try to set aside time so I can draw something once a week. I like drawing, but when I try to force myself to do it, I have no desire to draw anything. I'll tell you how that goes.

Weirdly enough, Tumblr is a good source for learning how to draw both by hand, and on software?? I started following some art blogs and what I found was actually really helpful. I'd post my findings this week, but since I'm using an iPad to type this, every time I open a new tab, anything I've written disappears. Apple should get on that.

Admittedly, this has been another "meh" week for my project, but I know I'm going to make so much progress the first week of November. We end the week early for the NJEA Teachers' Convention, and as a result there's a four-day weekend.

Looking back, I can't believe that it's been 5 whole weeks since my class began this project! The semester is nearly halfway over, and I'll need to plan for the impending due date in the upcoming weeks ahead.
Drizzy out.

Reflection Week 4

This week was an excellent week for my running. Earlier in the week, on Monday, I got new running shoes! It was exciting. On Tuesday I broke them in with a 3 mile run. I woke up the next day with my right ankle hurting, but it didn't hurt DURING my run, it only hurt after. Thursday it still hurt, but after my stretches I decided I could bear the pain and went for a 4 mile run. Friday was a short run, only 2 miles on the treadmill, not outdoors. Monday through Friday I not only ran, but started strength training. I run at night around 8, but after school I work out around 5. I did an entire cycle the five days, alternating the muscle groups the exercises were focused on. Every thing from lunges, to squats to different machine workouts.

My diet continues going well, but weekends continue to be seemingly endless cheat days. This weekend I went out to eat TWICE. And on Saturday I ate half a pizza by myself.  Tomorrow will be a tough run. I am still plateaued at 6 miles. But, I'm working on it in a safe manner. Slow but steady.

Reflection-Week 4

This week I started to do research on HTML coding instead of Java. In my tech class we do java coding so I wanted to do something different. I found multiple websites that have information on HTML coding, so I will use those as a guide while I make my code.  So far, I've just learned the basics to setting up an HTML code.

Reflection Week 4

Today marks week 4 for my improvement for the mile run. I seen improvement in my run. This time in my mile run I burned off 8 seconds off my prior best run. I still been drinking lots of water. I try to drink at least one water a day but when I drink more than my minimum I get in trouble for drinking too much and not letting anyone else in my household get any water. I also been watching many videos on youtube that shows me how to become a better runner. I learned to breathe in through my nose and out of my mouth. I plan to continue improving.

Reflection 4

Once again, I'm sort of disappointed with my progress in guitar lessons. The past week I got caught up in more work that I didn't find as much time as I had originally planned to use. However, I did find more time to practice and learn than I did last week. I found out how hard it is to remember all of the different chords despite only learning a few. During class, I started looking up potential songs that I want to be able to play by the end of this semester, but nothing really caught my eye.. or ear haha. But I have a while to go, so I think I'm okay for now. I learned the G and C chord this week and memorized them. I also practiced my one minute changes that I've learned so far, which is a lot because the changes are between all of the chords I know. Although it may not seem like I did too much, it is still a big step forward in learning how to play the guitar.

Reflection 4

I think I might have had some bad luck this week. I actually got a few more rows done and then my project accidently fell apart. The yarn slid off the needle when I wasn't really paying attention and the stiches got loose and it was impossible to put back on. I'm not too upset because I didn't really have that much done, and I was using it as a practice scarf anyway. It was a dumb mistake, but at least now I'll get some more practice. I also have tons and tons of yarn so that's not a big deal either. Later today, I'm going to fix it. I'll have to create a new slipknot, but I think I might have forgotten how to do that so I'll use the instructions I found online the first time. I feel like a mess because I'm basically starting over, but then again I guess it won't be too bad because I've already done it once. I just feel like time is going by so quickly. I decided that I'm going to try to start taking pictures of my progress too.

Reflection 4

This week, I haven't done much with my project. This is mostly due to college deadlines coming up and my personal life being extremely busy. With that being said, I have continued watching tutorials by famous producers making beats using fruity loops; Boi-1da, Metro Booming, and Mike Will. They have given me inspiration and key ideas in crafting something.

When my upcoming November 1st deadline ens, I'll have much more free time. The biggest thing I need at this point is time. Time to fail, trial and error, to try and craft something, fail, and keep trying. To be able to let something that I create sit for a few hours, days, let other people here it, research what effects would go right, wrong.

On the side, I've also continued my search for plug ins that will lend itself to the sound I want to produce. I'd like to produce music that is slightly futuristic sounding, space sounding, with swooping synths and high tempo drums, only slightly slower than EDM music.

Reflection #4 10/22

Kamryn

Intro to Humanities

22 October 2015

Reflection #4

    My project is to learn how to braid hair, install, and style hair. This week, I forgot my hair doll in my kitchen so I was not able to practice braiding someone else's hair. In class, I researched hair that is typically used for weaving. A person can use human or synthetic hair. Human hair is more expensive and is broken into two types. One is stripped of the cuticle and the other is not. The one still in tact with the cuticle is more expensive because it can be colored, styled, and heat can be used on it. It also lasts and stays in better condition longer than the other type. Human hair breaks down into many more forms and textures, but stripped and not stripped is a very important difference. I decided since I forgot my hair doll I'd cornrow my doll's head and take a picture. As you can see, the dolls hair is very synthetic. It is a Bratz hair doll I got when I was younger and I thought it would be nice to use, but I don't know if I will be able to use it for the final project. Next week, I will try and show braiding in a circle if the hair doll permits it.

Reflection Week 4

This week, I created my first blog post. I wanted to make two posts this week: one about the blackout in India and the protests happening in South Africa. However, I couldn't properly formulate an opinion on the blackout since I didn't completely understand what was going on. I instead decided to write a post on the protests occurring in South Africa. The South African government proposed a 10% to 12% increase in tuition fees at the University of Cape Town, so many students have decided to peacefully protest against this idea. When I first wrote my post, it more informational than op-ed, and I'm looking to do a combination of both, so I edited my article many times so I could include some of my opinion. I was satisfied with what I wrote, but I know I can write better pieces. It felt good to finally have something on my blog, though.

REFLECTION TRES

This week I continued my focus on cooking breakfast meals. My dish this week was fried egg/omelette. The reason why I cannot properly distinguish whether it's an omelette or egg is because it takes the appearance of an egg, however it has ham, onions, and tomatoes inside of it so in a sense it's an omelette. I began this meal with my mom by assisting her in cutting the vegetables and mixing it with the egg, but she went on to fry the egg without my help. The egg came out astonishingly good as always and I think that learning how to cook this egg/omelette will be very beneficial in the future because I plan to combine with the pancakes I learned to cook a week ago. Overall, the egg came out well and I was able to keep good pace with my mom so my performance was pretty good. Next week’s dish is turkey.

Reflection Week 4

Christian

This week, I started to use the semi-automatic modes and manual mode on my camera. The first semi-automatic mode is Aperture Priority Mode. In this mode, the user chooses the aperture, (the opening in your camera when shooting) and the camera automatically chooses the shutter speed, ISO, white balance etc. This mode is useful when taking shots of a still object in which shutter speed is not a huge priority. If the user chooses a large aperture number, the hole will be smaller, letting less light in, have a larger depth of field, and a slower shutter speed. A smaller aperture number results in the opposite.

Shutter Priority Mode is very similar to Aperture Priority Mode except the user chooses the shutter speed rather than the aperture. This mode is useful when capturing moving objects such as using a high shutter speed to freeze an object and get a clear shot, or use a low shutter speed to blur and object for visual effect.

Lastly, Manual Mode is exactly what it sounds like. The user is in total control of all settings of the camera. This mode is obviously the most difficult available on the camera. I will continue to practice in Manual Mode to get more familiar with the different settings available on the camera.

Reflection #3

This week, I tried in German to say home-related things, foods, and drinks. I started to see as I practice more I can recall the things that I learned already much easier. As for talking to someone who speaks German, I haven't found a stationary partner but I'm still looking for one. I tried to speak what I know to friends and family but all they do is just repeat and ask what it means. Which is all expected from those who weren't interested in learning. But it helps me remember what I recently learned so its beneficial. I plan to continue my work in the German language and teach others as I learn myself.

Reflection Week 3

This week I looked further into the difference between ASL and Signed English. Signed English is a form of sign language that uses ASL signs but follows English grammar rules. I read that people who speak English regularly often find this much easier to learn, which makes sense because understanding grammar rules is the hardest part of any language, in my opinion. So, I decided that I am going to focus on Signed English for right now and maybe if I feel confident enough in it eventually I can try to learn the ASL grammar rules.
I found a YouTube channel that posts Signed English covers of popular songs, so I am watching some of those. Also, a tutorial for each song is posted along with the cover. I found that trying to learn songs I am already familiar with in Signed English makes it easier for me to remember words or phrases. This YouTube channel also provided me with some great Signed English resources that I starting using, such as the sign dictionary at Spreadthesign.

Reflection 3

This week i started editing my power point. I included my daily diet plan and the times for my starting mile time. I also continue to work out everyday through frequent body workouts, core workouts, and much more. Even if I don't get to the daily exercises me walking around my school's campus all day and the walks home from my town's high school fills in. I plan to continue my diet and to keep running.

20% Time Reflection #3

Chelsie: Scrap-booking


         
           This week for my 20% Time project I was able to print out some more pictures and instead of just pasting them on I cut them into different shapes  and made borders for them. I finished the next three pages. Instead of using stickers I made some of my own letters that I created and even gave the paper I used it's own texture. it is coming along beautifully and I cannot wait to see what the final product is going to be like. It is definitely more difficult than I thought that it would be but, I know that the final product is going to be worth the work.

20% Time Week 3

To start this post off, I've decided that with my packed schedule, I'll be forced to dropped my exercise schedule from seven days a week to five. This has been caused by a rigorous sports schedule that usually goes through the entire week, but as soon as the fall is over, my schedule should free up a bit more. This week I was very limited with my strength training days, so I decided it was best if had took one day of strength training(Friday), one day of anaerobic cardio(Sunday), one day of aerobic cardio(Thursday), and two days of flexibility training(Tuesday and Thursday). I'm beginning to get accustom to these routine schedule throughout the week, and I seems to be much easier for me persuade myself to continue rather than skip a day. Next week, I would like to start with more strength training. I feel that I should continue switching between strength training in the gym, and more simple forms of exercise at home, such as running or ab workouts. As far as what I'll be doing next week and my schedule, that is yet to be determined.

Reflection 3

This week I started to play with the software Animatron, which is an online software that allows users to create animations with amazing tutorials for beginners. I spent a lot of time learning about the tools such as pen and import settings to create character. The video listed below is my first ever animation with a possible draft for the intro of my cartoon video. Many new trials include learning to create scenes and how to insert scenes into chronological order. The first step is to draw a basic figure I wanted to practice with. After drawing the basic stickman, I then proceeded to move his hands or location on the canvas per each time frame to have the final product as shown below. 

One obstacle I face is understanding the anatomy of the body. Even the simple task of creating a waving hand is troublesome because I need to understand the joints and physical abilities of how humans interact. I'm very happy with the limitless possibilities that I can create with my new found knowledge and I can't wait to show you guys next week of the first draft for the introduction of my video.

https://www.animatron.com/project/d8eb22563054861837423459

http://clips.animatron.com/4e0389750ac9c1100a072cc274e75196

REFLECTION 3

So my new runners diet was going pretty well this week. Until the weekend... AGAIN. It's something about weekends. I'm always on the go, and therefore I'm susceptible to snacking. Not only that, there were two more birthday celebrations yesterday and today. And we all know what that means. Cake and pizza, pizza and more cake. And I didn't run or exercise at all the past two days. I'll have to work on my weekend workouts.

However, the week was very successful. I plateaued at 6 miles, but that's okay, Since I have time, I'll take it easy for a bit. After all, I'm half way there ! I'm no longer sore, and breathing is becoming easier. Once I hit 2+ miles in, I feel like I can run forever. Until my feet start to hurt.

The cold is taking a toll on my running though. Especially since I run at night, and it's even colder then. It hurts my skin and I'm worried I might get sick. I'm trying to dress appropriately for runs but it is difficult because I don't want to bundle up and over heat but I don't want my skin to freeze and fall off either.

Reflection #3 :D

Today my other friend and I are going to the UCTech design lab to use Krita. Since my friend is in the design program, she and I thought it would be a good idea to learn how to use Krita together because I have to master Krita for a project, and learning how to use artistic software will be very helpful for my friend in the long run.

In the design lab, there are drawing tablets the students to use and scanners to upload student work to the computers. We are going today because we are both free, but I imagine that sometime in the near future we will set up a regular date to meet.

Update: We couldn't go to the design lab today because the teacher in charge wasn't there, so we played Cards Against Humanity with her friends instead. This week was not in vain, though, I've started working on a sketch to scan to the computer and color in Krita. My friend said we could meet next week on a day she was sure the teacher was there.

Reflection 3

This past week I was really busy with tests, papers, quizzes, and homework, so I didn't have a lot of time to practice playing guitar. I realized that learning the guitar independently is really hard, especially in finding the time to practice while having to focus on schoolwork. I'm really disappointed that I didn't get to learn any new material and move forward. I only found the time to practice the chords I learned, mainly focusing on my newly learned chords from last week: Dm, Am, and Em. Last week when I learned them, I was still a little rusty and slow when it came to finding the chords, so I tried my best to improve and practice the changes between them. I didn't really do much this week and I'm kind of upset because of that, but I'm determined that I will do a lot more the next upcoming weeks.

Reflection Week 3

I HAVE IT. I finally got Fruity Loops, and man, is this baby complicated. I'll make strides over the course of the weekend, I know it, but the learning curve for using this bad boy will be immense. I'm constantly referencing prior tutorial videos and google on how to do relatively basic things. Most of it, at this point, is learning the fundamentals of using the program more than actual music creating, which is comforting, in a sense. It might take a while to get good at the music creating aspect, but what I'm aiming for is relative mastery in using the actual software, even mastery at a basic level. From there, I can build on complexity, layering upwards towards something amazing. On the side, I'm also looking into plug ins. Plug ins are general sound sets that are either native or non native to Fruity loops, and created by other people, available for download. They give you preset notes, piano rolls, and drums to play with and further edit. They're like templates, and being that they cost money, I'm researching ones that will aid my style and be worth their price tag. Things are moving, and this is exciting.

Reflection Week 2

In my second week working on music production, I continued to focus mainly on understanding the software of Fruity Loops, my music production software. Being that I still don't have it, it's tough to say how well I'll know what I'm doing until I actually get my hands on it. However, it's a very complex software, and these tutorials will be invaluable to help me give a head start. Most notable is learning how to make separate patterns (drum patterns, piano patterns, synths, etc). Another important thing noted from the tutorial is how to then edit the sounds of the individual notes and drum kicks and snares and claps. This is where there is no substitute except experience; there are hundreds of permutations when it comes to affecting even the most simple pattern, and only through trial and error will I learn what works and what doesn't.

On the side, I have also continued watching various youtube videos of how famous music producers producer their own music, general tips, mindsets. Some reoccurring themes seem to be finding your own style that you personally like, not trying to clone other people, being dedicated to your craft, and not being scared to fail. When I get Fruity Loops, I'll start watching more specific videos of producers using the actual software to remake the skeletons of certain popular beats; it's worth noting many professional producers use Fruity Loops, so this is a serious thing.

Reflection #3 10/16

Kamryn

Intro to Humanities

11 October 2015

Reflection #3

    My project is to learn how to braid hair, install, and style hair. This week, I cornrowed my hair into a few braids. The sections were a little uneven an it was kind of sloppy so I might need a little more work and start practicing braiding in a circle like I saw in this video I watched. The video I watched in class was"Cornrow Weave Foundation Braid Video" on Youtube. I found out that the circle technique is the best to use because it makes the hair look less like a wig and more natural because it is easier to sew in closer to the scalp. I am not proud to say that I did not accomplish as much as I thought I would in class. I was a little distracted, but next week I will work ten times harder ad focus on my goal. At home, I practiced braiding my mom's hair instead of doing mine like I did the past few weeks. Next week will be focused on braiding the hair in a circle and I will try to make a video of me doing it or take pictures along the way.

Reflection Week 3

Christian

            This week, I started to test out the different modes that my camera has to offer. Automatic Mode is the easiest because the camera essentially guesses the best settings for the shot that you’re taking. Portrait Mode sets a large aperture (low number) and sets the focus on one object in the shot. This mode is obviously good for taking pictures of others. Macro Mode sets an even larger aperture in order to take close-up shots. This is optimal for taking pictures of smaller objects such as bugs and flowers. Landscape mode is the opposite of Portrait Mode. A small aperture (high number) is set, which allows the scene that you are photographing to be as in focus as possible. This is useful for nature or large shots. Sports or Action Mode is simply used for photographing moving objects such as cars and animals by increasing the shutter speed. Night mode is used when there is not a lot of natural light in the shot. This is done by decreasing the shutter speed, which allows more light in the shot. I had a lot of fun experimenting with these different modes.

Reflection #3

This week, I did not create any new blog posts because I was working on other things for school, such as tests, quizzes, and projects. Next week, however, I want to find time to put something on my blog because it is still empty. I was thinking about writing a piece on portrayal of certain marginalized groups in the media. I also made my "About Me" page more accessible by changing my layout. On my old layout, that page was harder to find. I only have two tests next week, so it shouldn't be hard to work on my blog during that time.

Reflection 2

The past week I submitted what I thought would be my final submission, but with help from Ms. Roy, I decided to participate in CSPAN's StudentCam 2016 contest. Since the beginning of 20%, I had a difficult time creating a project that had a main focus to it. I thought about writing short stories and essays, but that had no overall theme to it. By creating a video for CSPAN's contest, I get to make something that has a clear goal; create a video about a topic that the presidential nominees should talk about this election. My topic came to mind as soon as Ms. Roy told me about the project. One of the most important problems our country faces is campaign finance reform, 66% of American believe there is too much money in the political process, 46% of Americans support a completely rebuilt system and 39% believe in fundamental changes (NYT 2015). Initially, I did not have any drive for this project because I could not think of something that was interesting and would last the full year. This week I plan of researching the campaign finance system and how different Americans view it.

Reflection 3

This week didn't go exactly as I had planned. I realized that finding time to work on this project is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I had a lot of other projects due, my college essay and applications, and other school work to worry about this week so I didn't get a chance to actually sit down and knit. However, I did talk to my mom about it and she said she would teach me whenever we found the time. I've still been gathering resources, and so far I have a pretty long list of different videos and websites I can refer to. I'm still excited about knitting, but I'm a little disappointed that I didn't set aside some time to work on it this week. Next week will definitely be better.

REFLICTION DOS

This week I developed my technical cooking skills while learning how to cook pancakes. Essentially my mother has taken me on to be her cooking pupil so whenever she cooks I usually tag along. For this week's dish, pancakes, me and my mother gathered the ingredients and put them together in a bowl. Then my mom taught me how to mix the ingredients and I got experience in mixing pancake batter. Once the ingredients was dissolved together I put it in the frying pan and cook my pancakes. The pancakes came out quite good and it tasted fantastic. This experience of cooking pancakes helped me develop my frying and mixing abilities. In the future, I hope to do  Additionally, next week I plan on doing an egg/omelette and the frying experience will come in handy when cooking said omelette.

20 % Time Reflection #2

Chelsie: Scrap-booking

         For my 20% time project this week I was able to print out some pictures and construct the next two pages of my scrapbook using some techniques that I found online like stitching the actual papers. You don't necessarily need glue to stick on things to your pages. you can use colored tapes and even stitch things on. As i previously mentioned, my scrapbook is in the order of my priorities so the first couple of pages are going to be about God. The first ones are going to be about my relationship with him and then it is is going to follow with my responsibilities in the church. I am part of a ministry so that is what will follow after I finish displaying my relationship with God.

REFLECTION WEEK 2

This week was a challenging one, and almost discouraging. Thursday my shins hurt a lot, so the entire weekend I wasn't able to run. But before Thursday, I managed to run 5 miles both Monday and Wednesday. I also attempted to start my new diet (well not so much a diet as more of a lifestyle change when it comes to eating). I did not eat out, and I tried to not skip breakfast. I started making fruit and vegetable juices to keep me from feeling hungry throughout the day and getting much needed vitamins into my body. However, once I stopped running, my motivation fell along with my diet and not only did I have a cheat day--I had a cheat weekend. Saturday was my worst day. Not only did I have nachos for breakfast (at 3 in the morning I may add) I ate pizza for lunch and dinner. I attended two birthday parties, both of which were more focused on a much younger crowd, and so I ate my boredom away in cake and icing. Twice. So this week was a small hiccup in my great plan. But yesterday came along and I was ready to start anew. I ran 4 miles, and it was a challenge, getting back into the rhythm. I also started my strength training schedule. I feel sore, but it's a welcoming sore. I like the reminder of knowing I'm pushing myself.

Reflection #2

This week, I started to converse with other people I knew who speak German. I was able to hold a short conversation before it got lost in translation. But I can't fret, I knew this was going to happen. All I can do is continue to practice. At least I am aware that I can talk to someone for a short amount of time. I was also able to remember things by repeating them constantly in my mind. I got the introductions and formalities down but next I consider "small talk" next to conquer.

Reflection 2

This week I actually ran my first mile to see how my first time will turn out. I didn't do as bad as i thought i was. Some problems i faced were body tiredness. My legs were sore after i finished running. I need to stretch, drink more water, and stick to my diet. I plan to keep running to increase my times.

Reflection 2

This week I took a technical approach to the sketches I made last week. There were definitely some struggles with getting accustom to a mouse instead of a pencil. Also I decided to focus on making the characters more simple than the original. I follow by using the circle and rectangles default option that comes with the program, SketchPad, which I am using to draw. I think next week I will focus more on the story plot and set my priorities I would like to focus. I think backgrounds and such should be used for important emphasis and not just to fill blank space. This way the watcher can know when the scene is import.

Reflection 2

This past week I have made some decent progress. I decided to start knitting. I found an easy beginner tutorial online and watched it through once before trying it for myself. I got my yarn and needles and tried following along. I realized that I didn't really like the way the tutorial explained it, and I looked at some other websites for help. I think I like reading step-by-step instructions and looking at pictures better than watching videos. Anyway I started knitting and got a row done. It's not as easy as it looks. I'm going to try to find time to sit down with my mom and have her help me. I am hoping to get some more done next week.

Reflection #2

Reflection

 For this week, I started to do some actual coding. I went on the Processing website where they teach you how to use codes to see which codes could be useful for me. I used the translate() and rotate() code. I saw what the perspective() code did, but didn't look farther into it because i don't think I will end up using that code in the future. These codes that I've learned will be useful for specific projects involving shapes or drawn objects within a code. 

Reflection 2

This week I finally found the chance to borrow my friend's guitar, since I found that mine was more of a children's toy version. She also gave me a beginner's guitar book, a tuner, clamp, and her own chord book. The new guitar sounds much better than the one I own, and I also learned how to tune it using a chromatic tuner that you attach to the guitar. I continued to practice the D, A, and E chords, and improved greatly in changing from one chord to another. To practice changing chords, I did "One Minute Changes," in which I see how many times I can transfer back and forth between two chords in one minute. Doing this each day helped me change chords much more quickly than when I first started and helped me memorize them. I learned how to strum using the 4:4 pattern, and used that in trying to play a short and simple song. I did two exercises called Single Sound Recognition (SSR) and Chord Progression Recognition (CPR), which improved my recognition of chords by ear. Once I felt comfortable enough with those three chords, I decided that it was time to move onto stage 2. I learned three more chords: D, A, and E minor. I then practiced how to alternate between the three. This week seemed a lot more productive than the first, and I hope that the next following weeks will go the same.

Reflection #2

Kamryn

Intro to Humanities

11 October 2015

Reflection #2

    My project is to learn how to braid hair, install, and style hair. This week I focused on mastering multiple braiding techniques. I researched the differences between cornrows and french braids to decide which style I'd lie to use for my project. French braid and is braided overhand (which is easier for me personally) and cornrow is underhand which makes the braid closer to the scalp. I think that it would be smarter to do cornrows for the final project, but I would still like to perfect my french braiding and other styles. Having a good braiding background will make the foundation of my final product easier to do. The better the braids, the better the hair will look. By perfecting my technique, it will make the styling more neat and give a better look. Videos I watched included “ Learn how to Cornrow Your Own Hair! Fast + Easy + Lots of Tips"  by Elizabeth Ruedas and "How to Braid Cornrows: Cornrows" by ehowbeauty on Youtube. The cornrows were less successful than the french braid I worked on last week, but I will continue practicing in weeks to come.

Reflection Week 2

Christian

                This week, I continued to experiment with my camera. I went to the park around the corner from my house to take some pictures with natural light. My friends Tyler and Karlos came to the park to take pictures with me. I will attach a couple of shots I took in a later blog post. I played with the ISO sensitivity of the camera, which controls the amount of light that the camera takes in. The ISO setting can be compared to the iris that every one of us have in our eyes. In the image attached with Tyler and Karlos walking, I used the flash to reflect the Pedestrian sign and by chance, the arrow on the sign is pointing directly to my friend Tyler’s head. Things like that are why I have such an interest in photography. If you can capture the right moment, you tell a story with a single image.

Reflection #2 :D

Unfortunately, my friend was busy so I couldn't talk to her this week about Krita. But on the other hand, I finally downloaded it for my home computer! Two new service packs for Windows Vista and three hours later, Krita was up and running! I don't really know how to use it completely, so all I did was scribble a bit and write "I make bank $$$" with the calligraphy tool. See the attachment.
One of my classmates was on this website, https://sketch.io/sketchpad/, and she was drawing something in the browser. I checked it out, and as it turns out, you don't have to download anything, so it's good to use on school computers. I was thinking that I could sketch there when I'm not at home. I'll post a link or upload anything I draw there on here, too.
I also found a really helpful wiki on how to use Krita: https://userbase.kde.org/Krita--it's been really helpful so far and I've just been going through the posts, checking everything out. It's only Friday, and I do most of my work on the 20 Percent Time project on Saturday and early Sunday, so if any crazy things or updates happen I'll repost.

Proposal

For my 20% project, I plan on participating in CSPAN's StudentCam 2016. My project will consist of creating a five to seven minute long video on what issues I want presidential-hopefuls to discuss. The goal of this project is to create a video that inspires people to think and ask questions that will be significant in the upcoming presidential election. Though there are prizes involved, I am doing this out of my own interest in politics and law. For this project I will have to thoroughly research the issues that are the most important to me. The first issue that comes to mind is campaign finance reform and the Supreme Court's opinion in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Another issue I will probably discuss is income inequality. The research part of this project will be easy and I will enjoy it because politics has always intrigued me and this is the first election I will be able to vote in. I will, however, have a difficult time trying to address our nation's most important problems in less than seven minutes. It also may be difficult to find a particular video in CSPAN's video library, especially anything pertaining to the Supreme Court. January 20, 2016 is the deadline for this project, which gives me plenty of time for planning/writing, filming, and editing.

During class time I will plan out what I want in my video and then I will start researching and writing. Outside of the class, I will still research but the main focus will be filming and editing. Filming and editing can be very tedious, I do not think I would have enough time during 20% time to accomplish anything significant for the video.

Reflection #2

This week for 20 Percent Time I finally created my blog on WordPress. The process didn't take that long and it was really easy to find out the layout I wanted to use. So far the only thing I have done on my blog is create an About Me page, and it is the first thing you see if you come onto my blog. Now I have to move on from here and find out what I want to talk about.

Reflection UNO

This week I made decent progress in learning how to cook; I got experience in frying turkey. Essentially my mother was going out and told me  to let the turkey soak in the broth for 30 minutes on low then I should heat up the oil and transfer the turkey to the bowl full of heated oil. Additionally she told me to wait until the turkey looked like a orange brown combo but I knew what she meant. I followed her steps word for word and honestly the first batch looked magnificent. I coerced my friend into eating my turkey and he told me it was utterly disgusting. When I ate it however I acknowledged that it was tasteless but not disgusting. Obviously I decided to take another run with this and I added a piece of turkey  to the oil in the attempt to create another batch which violently backfired. The  oil burst out of the bowl and even though it was only a little oil it landed on the heated part of the electric stove which created a vast amount of smoke. I then pushed the bowl off the stove and took out the piece of turkey when I thought the time was right. Once again the turkey looked perfectly fried but was tasteless . Also due to the vast amount of smoke, the fire alarm in my crib went off causing my family to tell me to try again another day preferably at a different location. I plan to try this again hopefully with the support of my loved ones.  My performance was truly terrible and I think that should've let it sink in the broth longer because later on when my mom returned she cooked the turkey and it turned out perfectly.

Proposal

My 20 Time Project is going to be cooking.

My final product/goal/accomplishment will be  to be able to cook 5 different foods for each meal of the day. In order to achieve this goal I need to know the recipe for different meals. For instance this is the recipe for NY Strip Steak:

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 (1-inch thick) boneless NY strip steaks
• Tarragon Melting Sauce, recipe follows
• Onion ring toppings, recipe follows

 

Tarragon Melting Sauce:

• 2 cups butter
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons minced green onion
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

 

Onion Ring Toppings:

• Vegetable oil, for deep frying
• 2 medium white or yellow onions
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Salt
 

Directions

In a heavy-duty, resealable plastic bag, combine oil, lemon juice, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper; add steaks to bag. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag several times to distribute the marinade. Place the bag in a bowl and refrigerate 30 minutes, turning bag occasionally.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove steaks from marinade, discarding marinade. Place 3 steaks in hot skillet; cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side or to the desired degree of doneness. Remove steaks to a serving plate, and keep warm Repeat process with remaining 3 steaks. Top each steak with 1 to 2 tablespoons Tarragon Melting Sauce.
Serve immediately.
Tarragon Melting Sauce: Position knife blade in food processor bowl; add all ingredients, and process until smooth. Cover, and refrigerate.
Yield: 3 1/2 cups
Onion Ring Toppings: Preheat oil to 360 degrees F.
Slice the onions into very thin rings and separate the rings. Spread them out and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Place the flour in a resealable plastic bag. Put the onion rings in batches, in the bag, close tightly and shake until the onion rings are coated.
Fry the onion rings in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, until they are brown and crispy.
Remove with tongs and drain on paper towels. Taste and season with salt, if necessary. Top the steak with the fried onion rings.

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen, 2008

Also I will purchase a cookbook for beginners in addition to using the vast internet. Once I develop my initial skills and knowledge I should be able to cook new meals with ease. The most difficult thing about this project would probably be to create a meal that tastes good given my lack of experience in cooking. Most of this project will probably be done outside of class because I do not have tools necessary to prepare a meal in class. Outside of class is where I would test the technique I studied in class in order to create my meal of the week.