Blog 10

What is/was Reconstruction? What went well? What went poorly?:
Reconstruction was the time period that came after the civil war when the union tried to regain power over the confederate states once again. One attempt was creating Freedman's Bureau which was an organization made to help freed slaves with food, medical care, and other basic needs. Basically, Reconstruction was a time for African Americans to really get settled into America. However, the Reconstruction did not go quite as planned. Abraham Lincoln died in the midst of freeing the slaves, and his replacement's (Andrew Johnson) new reconstruction plan went against actually reconstructing the Union all together. Johnson made Black codes (codes that took away the rights of African Americans) in the southern states, and even vetoed the early version of the Civil Rights Bill. Johnson was later impeached. This was also a time where many hate groups started in the south such as the Red Shirts, and the KKK.

Why is it relevant today?: It's relevant today because without this time of struggle and triumph, we probably wouldn't have gotten as far as we are today when it comes to being united as a country, and giving every race equal rights. We usually learn from mistakes made in history, and The Reconstruction had plenty to learn from.

http://current.com/items/89518095_female-kkk-recruit-shot-and-killed-as-she-left-initiation-ritual.htm

This article is about a recent KKK killing. A woman tried to leave the KKK upon the entrance ritual (a sudden change of mind) but was shot by one of their members before she got a chance to do so. This clearly connects to The Reconstruction, because it's basically an update on how far, or not-so-far the KKK has come after over 100 years. Apparently, their still around even after all of this change in America.

Blog 9

What is the issue and/or controversy? Where can one get more information? In what way(s) does the story relate to our class? How might it tie in to our work for Media Saves the Beach?

"A nonlethal device best known for beating back pirates off the coast of Somalia was deployed by local police in San Diego at political gatherings, and even at a competition to build sand castles"
--September 14th, 2009

I suppose the issue is that this device, which is usually used to ward of pirates from cruise ships, is also used as a weapon, and was deployed during a time where kids and other pedestrians are likely around, and at that event. Apparently, this device can even damage hearing. Apparenty, Police Sheriff Bill Gore said that this device was "a precaution just in case." But is it really neccisary? And why around these events? I think this story relates to our class because it's another way our beaches are possibly being misused, depending on what side of the argument your on. It could tie into our work because it could probably be the base of someone's project. Who knows what else is in that water?

You can find the article at: http://current.com/1isru4c

You can also find more information in: East County Magazine (Find link in article),

Media Saves The Beach: My Ideas (Blog 8)

What ideas do you have for Media Saves the Beach? What content interests you? What projects might you create?

At the moment, when I think of Media Saves the beach, I think of actually participating in beach clean ups and extensive research on whatever subject I choose. By extensive, I mean I'm going to have to look up information and statistics from ten years ago to make certain comparisons. I'm considering doing the calendar project, because I think it's for a good cause, and it would give me a glimpse in what it takes to publish something. However, if I don't manage to make the cut for the calendar project, I'm going to go with photojournalism. My current interest lies in testing the water, and/or finding out out how much litering has increased or decreased throughout the years, though I'm not sure I can do that.

My Final Icon Work (Blog 7)

The Spark

By: D’Vaughn McCrae

It only takes one spark to light a candle. There are certain things you remember as a kid that always seem to stick with you; whether that’s when you first learned how to ride a bike, or when you first went to school. Mine was learning how to read. Dr. Seuss was of the first authors I read when I was little. His stories taught me some of my most valuable life lessons.

Celebrate birthdays. In fact, celebrate the fact that you’re alive and unique every day. You could have been born something completely different, like some sort of bacteria, or blade of grass, or a potato. But you weren’t. Out of the billions and billions of other things you could have been, you were born as your own person. Always remember that, because “today you are you! That’s truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!” Even Oprah Winfrey told part of this to the world in her own words (“The more you praise and celebrate your life—the more there is in life to celebrate”). William Shakespeare’s character Hamlet, even said: “God has given you one face, and you make yourself another”. Everyone has more than one face. One that shows, and one that lies beneath the skin.

Turns out our eyes can only see the shallow features of a person upon first looking. You can’t judge a person based on what they were born with. No kind of person is better than another. Martin Luther King Jr. shared the goal of having people “live in a nation where they are not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”. Dr. Seuss put this more simply in his book The Sneetches: “Sneetches are Sneetches, and no kind of Sneetch is best on the beaches.” While Dr. Seuss’s words go against prejudice of any kind, both of these great influences embody the same beliefs. Hating people based on what they look like will get us nowhere.

Hate and weapons can only take you so far in life. In the end, happiness can only bring happiness, and hate can only bring hate. Guns inspire new guns, and can develop into bombs. There’s not much good that can come from using a more powerful weapon against an ‘enemy’. There’s no good in fighting someone because they’re different, especially when the difference is as small as what side of the toast you spread and eat your butter on. Dr. Seuss’s The Butter Battle Book not only relates to the development of nuclear weapons, but even reminded me of the current war going on between Iran and Israel. Dr. Seuss wrote about a war that had been going on for years and years over a difference of beliefs. Iran and Israel seem to be going through similar circumstances. The end of the book basically asks us how we can end these types of wars. It’s amazing that Dr. Seuss managed to get me to connect this to a children’s book.

Dr. Seuss wrote and drew for adults as well, sending out the thought of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” to America. How Dr. Seuss managed to write and draw in a way both adults and children could understand is another mystery to me. I guess an adult can be as clueless as a kid, and a kid can be taught as well as an adult. Dr. Seuss helped me grow up to where I am now. I’m more confident in choosing my own paths and being able to understand what to do. Dr Seuss’s spark taught me that my opinion matters and it’s up to me to let the world know what I think in my own way. This goes for everyone. Now when I start to worry about my future, it’s easy for me to remind myself “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go.”

Citations

"Quotes." Think Exist. Web. 8 Sept. 2009. .

"I Have a Dream Speech - Full text, audio & video of Martin Luther King Jr's most famous speech, I Have a Dream / Address at March on Washington." MLK Online - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speeches, pictures, quotes, biography, videos, information on MLK Day and more! Web. 7 Sept. 2009. .

"The Declaration of Independence - TEXT." Archiving Early America: Primary Source Material from 18th Century America. Web. 10 Sept. 2009. .

"Hamlet: Entire Play." The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Web. 12 Sept. 2009. .

Dr., Seuss. Oh, the places you'll go! New York: Random House, 1990. Print.

Dr., The Butter Battle Book. New York: Random House Children's Books, 1984. Print.

Dr., Seuss. The Sneetches & Other Stories. New York: Random House Children's Books, 1961. Print.

Dr., Seuss. Happy Birthday To You! New York: Random House Children's Books, 1976. Print.

American Icon Reflection (Blog 6)

1. I learned that I tend to write a lot more than what's actually needed. A lot of words and sentences can be cut out and still have the same impact in my writing. But, if needed, I know I can cut out a lot, and work with it so it fits on a page nicely. I also discovered that even though I'm a pretty decent writer now, I still have plenty I can learn. I actually had challenges to overcome after getting edited. Usually it doesn't take me long, or it's just small things, but there was plenty that could be tweeked this time around. So it's good to know the world of writing is even bigger than I thought!

2. One technique I tried to use more was evidence, and I think I definately accomplished that. I put a lot more evidence into my paper by using quotes, which I don't think I've ever actually done for any school writing assignment. I think this made my writing seem more legitimate, and understandable because of the multiple connections that were made so that a wider audiance could probably understand what I was trying to say.I also tried to use the thought of "concerts, not pancakes", meaning that each sentence sort of ends with a bang, like a concert. It's a way to keep the reader interested. I wouldn't say I accomplished this to the full extent, but I think I improved on keeping the interest flow together.

3. If I had time for one more draft, I'd probably try to think of another way to make my writing more fun, I guess. So it sort of held more of the Dr. Seuss spirit in it. It would probably be a long process, but I like making revisions to see how many other ways I can word something, or get a message through.

4. It only takes one spark to light a candle. It may be a bit cheesy, but I really do think it's a very important line to the entire reading. It is the very first line of my writing, and from the very start of this project when I picked my icon, that line has been the message. One of the main points of this writing was to tell that one little thing can change a person's life for the better. It can even change the world. And when that spark comes at a young age, it stays with you, and builds up. That's what I think, at least.

My Icon Picture

This is all I have for now. I still have to work on it, but I don't know what to add!

Photography Techniques (Blog 5)

Vignetting

I like this technique in photo-editing because it seems to draw the attention to what's in the center of the photo. Plus it gives it that old-time/retro feel that makes the whole picture of a classic look.













Bokeh
This technique really brings out the foreground, and makes everything in the front looks extremely focused. The background looks to have a more magical-feel because everything is sort of out of focus like a dream.







Unique Perspective

I like the idea of using an uncommon perspective while looking through a lens. It seems like a lot of pictures taken with thise theme would be difficult, but I think that's one of the things that makes them beautiful.

American Icon's Artist Statement Critiques (Blog 4)

My first set of feedback told me that I should try to explain myself more in a certain paragraph I wrote, because she wasn't sure exactly what I was reffering to. That was all my first editor said, so I didn't get much feedback from it. However, I also got feedback from Randy, and he had plenty to say. The suggestions I got were to add more evidence (like in the article from The New Yorker we read), gather evidence from other places than the Dr. Seuss books I was using, and to make it all flow together better by making each paragraph lead into the next. At first I thought that would be hard, but then I found out the spacing on my page was 1.5, so I'll have plenty more room to write (the first draft was a bit longer, so I'll probably go back to that).

Here's my second draft:

The Spark
By: D’Vaughn McCrae
It only takes one spark to light a candle. There are certain things you remember as a kid that always seem to stick with you; whether that’s when you first learned how to ride a bike, or when you first went to school. Mine was learning how to read. Dr. Seuss was of the first authors I read when I was little. His stories taught me many valuable life lessons I will share a few of them with you
Now.
Celebrate birthdays. In fact, celebrate the fact that you’re alive and unique every day. You could have been born something completely different, like some sort of bacteria, or blade of grass, or a potato. But you’re not. Out of the billions and billions of other things you could have been, you were born as your own person. Always remember that, because “today you are you! That’s truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!” Even Oprah Winfrey told part of this to the world in her own words (“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate”). William Shakespeare brought up the other part of this lesson when saying “God has given you one face, and you make yourself another”. Everyone has more than one face. One that shows, and one that lies beneath the skin.
Turns out our eyes can only see the shallow features of a person upon first looking. You can’t judge a person based on what they were born with. No kind of person is better than another. You’d be surprised how alike you are to some of the people you see on the beach. Martin Luther King Jr. was surely one of the greatest teachers of this message. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they are not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”. Dr. Seuss put this more simply in his book The Sneetches: “Sneetches are Sneetches, and no kind of Sneetch is best on the beaches”. While Dr. Seuss’s words go against prejudice of any kind, both of these great influences embody the same beliefs. Hating people based on what they look like will get us nowhere.
Hate and weapons can only take you so far in life. In the end, happiness can only bring happiness, and hate can only bring hate. Guns inspire new guns, and can develop into bombs. There’s not much good that can come from using a more powerful weapon against an ‘enemy’. There’s no good in fighting someone because they’re different, especially when the difference is as small as what side of the toast you spread and eat your butter on. Oddly enough, Dr. Seuss’s book not only relates to the development of nuclear weapons, but even reminded me of the current war going on between Iran and Israel. The Butter Battle Book talks of a war that had been going on for years and years over a difference of beliefs. Iran and Israel seem to be going through similar circumstances. The end of the book has no answer as to how we can end these types of wars; it simply points out how ridiculous it is to start and continue this sort of thing for so long. It’s that Dr. Seuss managed to get me to connect such a thing to a children’s book.
Dr. Seuss wrote and drew for adults as well, sending out the thought of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” to America. How Dr. Seuss managed to write and draw in a way both adults and children could understand, I don’t know. I guess an adult can be as clueless as a kid, and a kid can be taught as well as an adult. Dr. Seuss helped me grow up to where I am now. I’m more confident in choosing my own paths and being able to understand what to do. Dr Seuss’s spark taught me that my opinion matters and it’s up to me to let the world know what I think in my own way. This goes for everyone. “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go.”

American Icon Soarces (Blog #3)

Dr. Seuss
http://www.seussville.com/main.php?section=home&isbn=&catalogID=&eventID= (Online Bio)
This soarce is on his official site, and it has a lot of information about him overall. For instance, it talks about what he did (from books to political cartoons), and it also talks about what he did in his early years, which is also interesting because I don't know much about him from way back then.

The Sneeches (A book Of His)
The Sneeches is a good example of one of his books that has a bigger message than regular story books. It's basically symbolzing prejudices of every kind, and how it's completely pointless and ridiculous. It's a really sweet book all together, and it will be a good sample of his symbolistic works.

Dr. Seuss Goes To War; The World War II Editorial Cartoons of Theodor Seuss Geisel by Richard H. Minear (Political Cartoons)
This book I think has all of Dr. Seuss's political cartoons, and really gives you a look at his style and thoughts on happenings in World War II. There are plenty of examples of his humor in this.

Martin Luther King Jr.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk (Video/ Voice recording of Martin Luther King Jr. Giving his speech "I Have a Dream")
I remember reading this speech back in the 2nd grade. I didn't fully understand it all back then, but it always had a strong effect on me. To this day, this speech moves me to an extent that always surprises me.

http://www.martinlutherkingjrarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=91357387_clean&firstvisit=true&src=search&currentResult=4&currentPage=0 (News Paper Article on Martin Luther King Jr. winning Nobel Peace Prize )
This newspaper article reports on one of his many successes, and I just think it's really interesting to see how people first reacted to Martin Luther King Jr. Back when his ways of thinking were new, but they're still amazing to this day.

http://www.thekingcenter.org/DrMLKingJr/ (Online Biography from The King Center Website)
This site has a bit of background information to help get me started with researching him. It wasn't so overwhelming to read, but I felt I needed more afterward, so, I went to this site:

http://www.biography.com/articles/Martin-Luther-King-Jr.-9365086 (Really long online biography)
This site was a longer, more detailed version of a biogrophy of Martin Luther King Jr. This biography is really long, but if you just glance through it, there was plenty of good information.

American Icons Galore! (Blog 2)

Theodore Seuss Geisel

When I was first starting to read, I read his books, and loved reading them, too. As I got older, I saw that there were a lot of his books that held deeper meaning to them, and I think those messages were placed into my subconscious mind throughout the years.

Dr. Seuss was not just a good children’s book writer. He also drew and wrote political cartoons during World War Two, mostly about Hitler and other Dictators who were ruling at that time. These cartoons proved to be clever and had interesting portrayals of what was going on in the world. I love his use of sarcasm and satire to get his point through. It shows that there are many different ways a person can let their voices be heard. This truth, among others, has inspired me throughout my entire life.

I could go on and list every detail of why I find Dr. Seuss so inspirational, but I know that if I did that, this would probably become The Never Ending Blog. Basically, Dr. Seuss has this funny source of wisdom in his writing that definitely teaches you something, but he doesn’t force you to learn it. You can either understand what he’s trying to say, or not. It really depends on how deeply you’re willing to think about it, and I think that’s a very calm way of getting a message out as well as effective.

Martin Luther King Jr.
Who and what was important to this icon? Why?
How did this icon become important to you?
How did this icon become important to American culture?

Everyone was important to Martin Luther King Jr. That was the point. Every person, no matter what color, were equal through his eyes, but not all others. Racism was what he wanted to get rid of, and he definitely helped with how far we've come on that matter. He was tired of seeing people so mistreated just because of their skin tone. Judging a book by its color is ridiculous, and he knew it. He knew that people weren't what others always said they were based on their race. No one deserved to be treated so cruelly.
The idea of true racism is disgusting to me. I mean it literally makes my stomach churn. I know of many of the other activists who struggled against racism, but Martin Luther King Jr. has always been a big influence to me. When I was a kid in elementary school, we started to learn about how it was in the past, and what Martin Luther King Jr. did to change that. I found it inspirational that he did so much without hurting anyone. His belief system has really shaped my beliefs as well as how I handle things in life. I look at people all the same upon first meeting, and avoid violence and such to get a point through. I am usually a very calm person, and it takes a lot to really aggravate me. I respect others as best as I can even if I don't especially like that person. I'm not saying that I don't get mean sometimes, but for the most part, I'm respectful towards everyone. Remembering to treat people the way you want to be treated is the main lesson I've learned. I even learned about Gandhi after researching into Martin Luther King Jr., because he had mentioned Gandhi being his inspiration.

I feel, in a way, if Martin Luther King Jr. hadn't done the things he did, had written the speeches we all know today, I probably wouldn't be here. I'm biracial, so not judging others on their race has always been essential for me. And even if I were born in this day and age, but not much had changed, I could have been one of the kids who got sprayed with fire hoses, or I could be one of the people who got killed for no good reason. I wouldn't know the friends I know today, and I know I wouldn't be as happy as I am now. Not to mention Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches have touched my heart in many ways because they're so inspirational and ring true to me, and I know for a fact that they did the same for so much more people in the past. More so for them than me, actually. He gave people hope, and opened so many people's eyes to the truth. Truly, he has set so many guidelines I abide by in life.

Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
What does this icon represent to you?
How did this icon become important to you?
How has this icon changed you?

I first read Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll when I was in the 7th grade. I had never really been a fan of the Disney movie, but I loved the various individuals that I'd seen from it. I picked it up at the library one day, and within the first chapter was hooked. It made me think around and upside down things, if that makes any sense. Basically, it challenged me to think a little differently, and introduced me to a more crazy form of narration. Books had always been paragraphs and chapters, so when I saw the different poems added in (such as the rat tail poem), I realized that when someone writes out of creativity, you don't have to stick to a format. The goal is to get a reaction out of the reader and keep their interest. When I read this book, I was not as into writing as I am now, but it expanded my horizons of thinking. My ideas didn't always have to be logical, which in turn made my life more fun, and allowed my imagination to work without thinking of reality at all. Characters could be whatever I wanted, could say whatever I wanted, and do anything. In the pages of this book, the possibilities were endless and it was funny, and odd, and terrifying to me. It got so many reactions out of me that it got me thinking about how others would react in these scenarios as well. Not only that, but the characters were one of a kind, and could be changed into different versions of themselves in so many ways.

Alice in Wonderland represents imagination and adventure to me. It made me actually crave to take a risk and not be afraid to be myself. It turns out that myself is someone who loves to get reactions out of people and play around. I use my imagination constantly without even trying, and sometimes not even wanting to. This book made me want to explore the wonders of the world even more than I had expected. It made me want to meet all these different sorts of people, and break out of the ordinary. I think that this was the first book that truly pulled me out of the real world, and into its own. When I read this book, I was in Wonderland. I've been visiting my own Wonderland ever since. If it's taught me one thing, it's that you don't always have to be logical. Just let loose and let go. I remember thinking how uptight Alice seemed to me, and I knew I would handle things differently. Or I thought I would. This book taught me that I would need to be open to new experiences and meeting new people. The differences of these places and people are what make the world so interesting. Crazy is a mindset. You can be crazy without actually being crazy. You can do whatever you want in your mind; bringing it to life is just a matter of how real it is to you. Wonderland is my land of imagination and fantasy, and that is what fuels my life for the best.