Design a Mashed Up Children’s Book in the style of this College Humor example. For your final piece, create a JPG image no less than 500 pixels in any dimension. Post to your blog, and submit the URL to this assignment. Be sure to use the DS106 assignment tags so it will show up on their website.
Assignment:
Visit the Student Blogging Challenge website. Click on the Participants menu to find a list of kid bloggers who are participating in the challenge. There are blogger children from many different countries all around the world. Find 3-5 young bloggers, visit their blogs, and offer them your encouragement. For ideas on what to say, see How to compose a quality comment, courtesy of Linda Yollis’ 3rd grade class in California. When you are finished, write a post on your own blog describing your experience. Who knows? You might give much needed encouragement and support at just the right time. You might even make a new friend!
Reflection:
I visited and commented on 6 year old Em and I was thrilled to see such young children blog about many things such as their likes and dislikes, cultural events, and the current affairs for these young bloggers.These kids have a great opportunity to become the experts of the future internet.
Another blog I visited was 10 year old Siena. I was amazed that Siena was able to recite 120 numbers from Pi, very impressive!
My last blog I visited was 14 year old Michael I was surprised that a male teen would spend some time blogging about what they like, he likes Guitars and video games, I wish I had the time to play those 
We were asked to create our own Country including A flag, Stamp, Stationary, and a Currency
Country: The United Districts of Human Social Order, HSO for short
Government Style: A New form of Democracy (True Democracy)
Governmental Leader: Me and my Pals
Here are my designs in PDF or look below: Flag, Stamp, Stationary, Currency
1. Flag
2. Stamp
3. Stationary
4. Currency
Brian Butters
ENGL 100
Visual Literacy Draft 2
03/14/2012
The Misconception: Convicts will always be Convicts
Many people see only what they want to see, and sometimes, the perceptions people have for ex-convicts can be blurred because of the media and cultural differences. For example, a person living in a small rural town without a prison system is only able to create a perception based from the given generalities such as internet outlets and television media that only portray partial bias to the negative side, but if the same person were to live in a much larger community with a nearby prison system would generally have a more direct viewpoint on people who are transitioning from prison to a prisoner reentry program. Furthermore, a person whose work was in direct interactions with ex-inmates would strongly disagree that the phrase “once a convict always a convict” is erroneous. In my personal experience, not all convicts stay in the stereotypical image of a convict; I have worked hand-in-hand with ex-convicts trying to achieve success after prison life. The truth is that many people will steer away from people who have a criminal background because they are not aware that people can change or they are fearful around ex-convicts because of lingering social stigmas.
Images that illustrate negative connotations toward a select group of people have a powerful and emotional impact that can destroy a person’s character without creating a firsthand impression. For example, a person who decides to break the law and who is proven or not proven guilty in accordance to the status law is automatically deemed as a criminal. Agreeably, Criminals should serve the appropriate sentence for the given delinquency, but when a law-breaker serves the specified decree, the bound ex-convict is still faced with painful obstructions such as housing, employment, and fear of re-entering social abridgement. The purpose of the penitentiary existence is to allow the convict to repay the debt caused to humanity and to reflect one’s unlawful activity in hopes to turn a new leaf to become a prolific part of the social order, but sadly once the convict is released, the ex-convict is forced to fray whether or not the person has repaid their debt to society. In result, many ex-convicts choose to follow their shadowy footsteps into the life of a criminal because they may feel unwanted, frustrated, or have not had a proper plan of action to succeed in a new life after prison. However, some ex-convicts endure the attached stigma by hankering for a positive lifestyle, choose to continue a path that is not destructive, and follow through with a prisoner re-entry program that will harness the ex-convicts for a secure and encouraging transition.
“Frank W. Abagnale’s story of crime and redemption inspires General Session attendees” by Jenna Scafuri writes a brief story about Frank Abagnale’s life of crime and how he redeems himself by the positive things after prison. Jenna Scafuri informs readers that Abagnale spent most of his young adult life living as a con-artist, but after he was caught, Abagnale spent five years in the French prison system with the aid of the United States of America’s FBI. The FBI gave Abagnale the chance to work, and learned the criminal processes from him. After thirty years passing, Abagnale is still working for the FBI, and various media and movie producers have create themes from Frank Abagnale’s story. The topics term are prisoner reentry, FBI, pardon, and God.
Sources:
Scafuri, Jenna. “Frank W. Abagnale’s story of crime and redemption inspires General Session attendees.” Corrections Today 73.5 (2011): 68+. Academic OneFile. Web. 6 Mar. 2012. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA278008180&v=2.1&u=ksu&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w>
TORRALBAS, KATY. “My Life So Far: Nick Chandler, 46, Ex-convict.”. Naples Daily News, Aug.-Sept. 2008. Web. 18 Mar. 2012. <http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/25/my-life-so-far-nick-chandler-46-ex-convict/>.
Assignment:
This excerpt from This American Life:
My view on it
I might be a little conspiracy theory minded. so, please bear with me.
Theory 1:
Is media stretching some stories? Why wouldn’t they? I mean, any good story sometimes needs shock value, but when a company explicitly states “journalism”, Listeners and reader assume actuality. For a business who runs information to millions of people, I am certain they will check their sources, why would they kill their creditability? So, my question is why are they retracting their story? for fear of powerful tech companies? Create a lie to cover the truth? American’s can’t take the truth? If this retraction is true, could it be fabricated too? The question is, can the original story be feasible? I say – Yes! Can the retraction be false to hide truth? I say – Yes!
Theory 2:
If this retraction is true — I give This American Life kudos for taking back their erroneous claims. I am was a little sad — for any of these theories or claims. But, the is a great example of fact vs entertainment. In this Internet infused life, with many tools to create or portray any point, I believe we need to really think about responsibility when it come to creating internet content. Is the onion a real source of fact? No, but does it explicitly state that the content on the website is 100% true. No! But, the importance of a internet user is to use your head. No to be sheeples, and make wise judgements, and not assume sources.
Listen to the RadioLab Podcast Parasites
Answer the following questions on your blog/website. Submit the URL to this assignment.
Very cool creepy sounds to build intensification — It reminds me of old scary movie music, but it add a digital flare to it by gating (speeding/slowing in short-time). The show kind of takes the listeners to a childlike memory of “eerie” feelings. The story is about a wasp’s natural killer instincts, the show goes into detail how the wasp “torments” a cockroach. There is constant music in the background from angelic pads to banging crashes, it sound like killer thriller moments in a movie. They talk about pathogenically information on how “parasites” get into humans. GROSS! But yummy because I am twisted like that, I am part nerd, geek and artist.
Transitional piece is with ambient/Jazz/Jazz-fusion
Less music/background but still there subtlety — Two or three voices chatting – add southern banjo music to get into the story. The story is about the stuff that comes out of your poop chute and the lifecycle of hookworms. Invention of the outhouse helped with many cases of hookworms. The show transitions to another story by lots of southern rock in the background. Yuck! The second speaker is pretty monotonic, gives info about parasites. I like the lullaby music before they say the word lullaby.
End story with old recording
They do advertisement like an old voice mail.
Kitty cat parasites, sound of purring of a cat. Cat poop parasites, Oh dear! The talk of people on a phone in the background is annoying. Mind-control from the guts of a cat, whatever! I like the space gun sound and nasty cough screech. Talk about the theory of mind-control through parasites, it’s a little far-fetched for me, but interesting about mental issues. Cute kitty sounds.
Ends with soft chiming music. and the old voice mail ad’s
This is my second draft edit, I used a clipping mask on both images to “clean up” the edges a little. When I originally created this image in Illustrator I forgot to save my work in .AI format, and only .PDF, so I had to re-create some of the texts and formats to edit this. (I guess it is a learning experience. ) The image on the right side is played a little in Photoshop to add ” A Jazz Period” for Carver because he enjoy music and the Arts too!
This image was created in Illustrator as well. I had a hard time converting the transparencies from .AI format to .PDF format but I suppose I will figure it with settings. I used a free vector to add a flare to the background, Hence, there are many layers in this file. I wanted to create a darkness about him because he was a true madman. I also changed the image on the top-right with a clearer image, and zazzled it in Photoshop. I also, used a clipping mask to do a round cutout. I created a gradient bar to separate header from body. I used live tracing to “paint” the header’s image “The raid on Harpers ferry”.
This image was created in Illustrator. Used the same techniques above. I used another free vector for the background parts (Header and the body). The body vector has some spice with “stars” or “light dots”, I think it fits well for Dr. Stanley Ann Dunham, she was full of life and spice. The image at the top-right is played with in Photoshop using the effect “Cutout”, then again, The clipping mask.
This assignment is to listen to What I did for Love episode #457 and give some feedback. This will be interesting
Crazy story about a couple that never got married, then the unthinkable happens. They decide to test their relationship by jumping the gun on the current relationship to a “lets sleep with as many people we can.” They describe the act as an Amish “rumspringa”. I was not shocked by the story, this happens all the time, but truly, you don’t hear about it. I knew how it would turned out to be — a breakup. Honestly, I think it was two soft people were unsure how to “break it off”. So, they jump from the bridge together. Big deal.
Act Two: 21 Chump Street
A classic example of “honey-pot” story. Simple story. A undercover female cop flirts with a student, and tried to build a pseudo-relationship, She casts the line — he bites — she reels in the big one. The student does not know the trap, but she tries hard to get him to her some weed. He doesn’t have it, but finds a way after some pressure from her. I’m pretty sure its a good way to catch the “bad guys” but the intent the cop had was nothing but mistrust and pressure. People will do anything for love/
A cute story about a duck in love with a rock. I enjoyed to light Jazz and Waltz sound in the background. The duck brings the duck brother’s to help carry the rock. I loved the storytelling technique.
Kinda boring, maybe too many stories in a group? Kinda reminds of “Stranger than fiction”. Anyways, An author becomes a stalker to a character in her own book? Okay, now I get it, a women finds a open journal of her lover, and finds that he has been cheating on her. Okay, that was not my favorite story.
