Back To 1983

A day without technology, Is like a day without breathing. I spend the majority of my time texting, on facebook, playing video games, or watching tv, so this assignment was hard from the RUBRIC! Thank god i had a thanksgiving requiring loads of attention, and college apps coming around the corner. I cannot say that i was perfect though....

I started off the day, and already broke my assignment! My phone alarm went off at seven thirty, and i looked at a text message before i realized that i couldnt! So i quickly closed out of the text window, and went downstairs to eat breakfast. I made myself food, and began helping clean and get ready for guests. I looked at the clock and what seemed like hours was only ten minutes. I thought to myself, could my life really revolve this much around technology?!

I tried my hardest to not use my phone or the computer, and i feel i did an okay job for a novice. If i needed information, i asked and didnt look it up on my phone. If i wanted entertainment, i played with my dogs. So on the day went and it was very relieving.

We finished dinner, but then i broke the assignment again. I had to call my girlfriend for information on when i was meeting her. I felt terrible about it, but it was a necessity. I then drove to her familys house and enjoyed an amazing second feast. I was surprised what it felt like to not use my phone or other technology. I realized that i was alot more social than i usually am. i felt more comfortable talking to people, and found out alot more than i would just being quiet and relying on technology for entertainment.

I wish i could have stuck to the rules 100% and would greatly enjoy this assignment in the future at a time not around the holidays... LOL

Food Inc Articles

The Scope of the World Food Crisis
900 million people suffer from hunger each year. The growing of population and the middle class has increased the demand for food. With the new laws the larger food corporations are growing so large that they are taking over the smaller companies. People that are not involved with the big companies are being drained and bought out.

This is the issue that I would chose because it plays a role in not only our country but it is happening all over the globe. This would be an issue that is not only effects our country but it helps the rest of the world. I know that some countries are worse than others but most need some help.

Cheap Food
Everyone is cutting back on prices of products so in turn they can get paid more by more coustoumers. This travels down to the bottom of the work chain when the farmers get their wages cut. Their wellfaire is being cut off so that is effecting them there. This forces them to work longer days which is what lowers their heath.

The Financial Crisis and World Hunger
This article was mainly about food prices and how people in poor countries can't grow their food anymore. It also talks about micro loans which are loans taken in very small amounts to farmers in need of a little money.

Feilds of Poison
The pesticides that are being applied to the crops are effecting the farmers. The farmers usually live next to there farms where the pesticides can leach into their drinking water. The harmful chemicles are causing health problems in the farmers. They can't afford healthcare in America so they go back to Mexico to deal with their health issues.

Biome HW#2

Tundra: Ice paradise

Q:2,500 people live here year-round, many working in Svalbard's coal mines.

Q: How can people live up there with the unsurvivable conditions?!

C: The fact that it was surprising that animals could survive in those conditions to scientists, and yet humans also live there is very interesting to me. That a person could work, and survive there is a wonder.

Marine: Ultra Marine

Q:What the Bird's Head Seascape holds: 2,500 islands and reefs, nearly 1,300 fish species, 600 coral species, 700 mollusks (including seven species of giant clam), sea turtle rookeries, and more.

Q:How can you protect all of that life?

C: i think it is remarkable that so many species can live amongst eachother, and benefit the community as a whole. I wish humans could learn from other animals, and that we could FIX things rather than ruin them.

Desert: The Cruelest Place on Earth

Q:Then we would come to know it not simply as a place of harsh rocks, gravel, and lava but as a shelter, a home, an open stretch beneath the sky that offers all a man and his family need: grass for the livestock, palms for weaving the thatch of a home, special shrubs for making a toothbrush or curing a stomachache, and canyons with deep, cool water holes.

Q: How come more dont live there?

C: i think that many people overlook the benefits of the things they think would suck. I think that ya if i took a look at a piece of land, that had dead carcasses and blistering heat, and no rain, i dont think i would want to live there. But these people have mad e a home for themselves, that they love.

Biome HW#1

Biome hw #1

Freshwater

Q:What is the difference between a lake and a pond?

A:Ponds are man made.

Marine:

Q: How can the earths surface be 71% ocean, and still have less organisms than on land?

A: i believe that a lot of the oceans species have not been recorded and discovered.

Desert:

Q: What kind of desert is San Diego?

A:?

Forest:

Q:When a forest is burned, how long does a full recovery take?

A:40-50 years

Grassland:

Q: is anything produced in grasslands?

A: it is where a lot of livestock are hunted.

Tundra:

Q: How was the arctic tundra formed?

A: The tundra was formed by a retreating continental glacier only 10,000 years ago.

Goals for Friday/Weekend

My goals for Friday are to for the first hour of class, complete my design plan. The second half i will be at least half way done with plant index, so that i can finish it over the weekend.

Goals For Tomorrow

My goals for tomorrow go as follows:

first 30 min- Arrange chapparal in fitting order and add the remaining native chaparral to design plan.

Second 3o min- begin index of plant species, and talk to Lia about photo options.

Second half first 30- Continue index

Last 30- finish design plan. have 2-5 people critique.

Levine, Jonathan A. "California Annual Grass Invaders: the Drivers or Passengers of Change? - HilleRisLambers - 2010 - Journal of Ecology." Wiley Online Library. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2745.2010.01706.x/full.

demonstrated that the displacement of native annuals by Mediterranean annual grasses in California may largely have been driven by cattle grazing.






Sayer, Emma J., and Edmund V.J. Tanner. "Experimental Investigation of the Importance of Litterfall in Lowland Semi-evergreen Tropical Forest Nutrient Cycling - Sayer - 2010 - Journal of Ecology." Wiley Online Library. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2745.2010.01680.x/abstract.

Litter removal affected forest nutrient cycling and productivity less than expected, probably because the soil at the site is moderately fertile. However, litter addition increased litterfall indicating that some limitation of forest production was removed by litter addition.





Carrington, M.E. "Comparison of Post-fire Seedling Establishment between Scrub Communities in Mediterranean and Non-mediterranean Climate Ecosystems - Carrington - 2001 - Journal of Ecology." Wiley Online Library. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2745.1999.00419.x/abstract.

Mediterranean climate ecosystems in other regions have nutrient-poor soils similar to our subtropical Florida sites, but show post-fire seedling recruitment patterns more similar to the nutrient-rich sites in California. Climate therefore appears to play a more major role than soil characteristics

DESERT COMMUNITY

I think a garden like this would be very cool. Perhaps focusing on smells, like lavendar, ginger, mint, jasmine, etc. But also focus on the colors. I want the garden to look cool, and be interactive. I want people to be able to come and smell the plants, and enjoy spending time in it.



Essay Questions:

What are some differences between a community and a population?

Explain a scenario where a sandy loam would be more ideal than a clay loam.

L-WOPs for Minors Cruel Punishment?

I believe that as a thirteen-year-old kid, life is way more confusing than it is for an adult. Things are hazy and full of "what ifs." Joe Sullivan was thirteen when he was convicted of sexually assaulting a 72-year-old woman. Sexual assault is no "what if" or accident, and by far not excusable due to age; but to penalize a thirteen year old with life without parole seems to be a bit to harsh to me. Life without parole provides no hope for the prisoner. They will spend the REST of their life behind bars. This makes sense for adults that have proved that they cannot abide by the laws, and have broken them in a completely unforgivable way, but for a thirteen-year-old kid, there is no possible way that life in prison with no chance of parole is right. The article Locked Away Forever? says "it seems inconsistent that one be denied the fruits of the tree of the law, yet subjected to all of its thorns." After reading the article, i asked myself a crucial question; does a child really understand the value of life? I believe that in order to serve life behind bars, you have to have had the opportunity to live, and really understand life for what it is. Life is not treated as a gift by a thirteen year old, and that is regular. It takes longer than thirteen years to really have a grasp on the meaning of responsibilities, consequences, and benefits of abiding by the law. Sexually harassing an old woman is in no way excusable, but I believe that in almost any case, that life behind bars, without the chance of parole is very harsh punishment, and is unfair.

White Dominance In Society

White supremacy in today's society is a very controversial topic. Some argue that white supremacy is blatantly visible today and that white dominance is everywhere. I believe differently. I believe that this country is hugely reliant on whites for alot of things. You can point out racism and discrimination with every race since the beginning of conflict. I believe that in the last twenty years, there has been a huge change in society. From the Rodney King incident to the rise in gang violence has led to the blatant racism and dominance like in slavery, and blatant governmental discrimination to civil conflicts and disputes that change history. It is hard for me to say that whites are the dominant race, and that blacks and minorities are opressed people. I just think that discrimination, racism, and setbacks happen in any society, and that nowadays they are just hidden behind media coverage, and false happenings.

Week 3: Thursday

First, the days usually start with me setting up my computer.

I boot up, and get ready to work.

Option A: I do work on my computer. Whether it be imputing data from Youth Group events, or working on a project for a Mentor.

Option B: My mentor and i kick back, and discuss. We talk about what we are doing, where we are at, and what we can do to move on in the right direction. It sounds vague, but overall thats how it is regardless the topic.

Last, Overall, i feel like i am lucky to say that in some way, that our work changes somebody. A poster i have made, allows people to get the information on donating to Haiti. Setting up the routine for Youth Group can allow people to connect to what we are talking about.

These pictures show what i've seen at internship. I love the work i have done and i am so appreciative and happy to have been a part of it. The people i have worked with have been very inspirational and are overall great people.

Week 3: Wednesday

Julie Johnson

Youth Ministries Coordinator

San Diego First Church Of The Nazerene

Jared Joseph Callahan

Pastor To Youth and Families

San Diego First Church Of The Nazerene

Week 3: Tuesday

Step One: Creation. When i have spare time, or finish working on something, i am quick to ask for more work. I am often emailing peers in my office asking if they need my "services." This is how i use my outgoing personality and love for what i do to benefit others which i find is the very point of internship.

Step Two: Revising Work. I spend more hours going back and revising my work and fixing small errors or adjusting things to my mentor's liking, than i do producing the product. I am always going back and changing things whether it be the color of an object, or the location of text, there always is something that can be improved. I have learned alot through this.

Step 3: Final Work. Today, i spent some time putting together a final collection of the physical work i have done here at my internship. I feel like this is important, because to look back at your final work, you gain an appreciation, and realize the effort you put into it. I am surprised and proud to say that i have produced this much.

Internship Week #2

This week was good, but slow. The weather played a big factor in the 30 hour famine, the event of the weekend because part of it was sleeping outside, and that was no longer the case. Something memorable from the week was not something that happened to me, but something i read. My mentor gave me a book of devotionals which are kind of like horoscopes when i think about it. It is something you read daily, and it talks about life, and what god is doing in your life, and the world around you. The one that struck me most was Fridays. It talked about how god has a plan for the world and your life remains in place despite how the world tries to destroy it. The most memorable line was this "Evil is a temporary part of life, but God is eternal. He will have the final say." I find that memorable because of all the things going on in this world (The Haiti earthquake, economic depression, etc.) that it will all be okay, and i find that assuring!

A challenge from the week was me battling through being sick. I had a cold all week, and have been sleeping poorly. I found that hardest in my week because i was not as motivated and felt less aware and creative. I think that with a restful weekend ahead, that my last week will be good.

Week 2: Thursday

Today, i did not go into the office, but if i could take a picture, it would have been me at my desk space doing graphic design work. It would be a poster for upcoming events which really does explain what i have learned at this internship. I have learned how much effort it takes to put something together, and to organize an event. So much effort goes into every action in life. From filming and having to organize every last detail, to running an event making sure every person is taken care of is what i have learned.

Week 2: Wednesday

Jared Callahan

With your job as a youth pastor, and your love for film making, how to the two tie together? What aspects do you bring into both professions?

How did growing up in a Christian household construct your future?

In your films, what is the common underlying focus or desired impact?

What do you take away from your own films? What do you hope others take away?

How has your role in the church changed how you live your life?

Has there been a specific experience that has changed your life during the four years you have ran the youth group?

What do you hope for the future? Do you have any direction you are looking forward to?

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Julie Johnson

Briefly describe your job and what you do in the church.

How did you become involved with the youth group?

How did your move from New Hampshire form what you are doing today?

What do you take away from your job that you apply in your own life?

What is your most memorable experience with running the youth group?

What do you hope for the future? What direction do you want to go in?

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INTERNSHIP Week # 1

My Internship site is located at San Diego First Church at Point Loma Nazerene University which is located about three miles from school by Sunset Cliffs.

The Department i am working in is in the Youth Ministry Department with my mentor Jared Callahan, where i am doing a variety of things such as producing short films, creating Advertisements and newsletters, helping host and run events, and help run youth group on Wednesday nights.

My main project was to create a short film with my mentor who is an independent filmmaker as well as a youth pastor. Some other side projects include working with the youth ministries coordinator, assisting her with hosting events.

My learning objective is to oversee the duties of a director or producer, and observe the different things that come along with making films. Also, to observe what it takes to run a youth group. With this, i am using my graphic design skills, my knowledge of the work that i am doing, and my willingness to learn and excell. After one week, i have learned so much about the effort it takes to run a youth program. It is a very valuable learning experience. My schedule varies depending on the day. On some days, i work from 11 to five, or from 3 to 9. Working in film is very hard because the hours are tough. My mentor has shared stories about crazy hours he has worked on films. It makes me a little scared to choose that as a career path.

The skills i need for this internship are graphic design knowledge (programs, creativity, adaptability), and overall adaptability to my work. I think my biggest skill i need in order to work with my mentor Jared, is my dedication to working. As long as i am dedicated to working, and trying my hardest, he is happy with my work. I am very lucky because i am learning so much from him and from my other mentors. This is giving me such exciting insight into my future plans.


Weekly summary:

My first week in five words:
Exciting, Busy, Revealing, Sleepless, Fun

This week was really fun because i got to learn so much about TWO jobs. My mentor is both an independent filmmaker, but also a youth pastor. Going into internship, i knew i would get a feel for both, but i never would have guessed how much work i would be doing! The cool thing is that i have loved every minute of it. I have known him and been a part of his youth group since junior high school which is cool because we already had a bond. He was out of town for a lot of this week, but i got the opportunity to work with his partner Julie Johnson. She has tought me so much! I worked with her to coordinate two events. I helped her organize and run Youth Group on tuesday night, a Parents Meeting thursday night, and a S.A.L.T (Student Action Leadership Team) retreat which i am also a part of. I am getting a Behind-The-Scenes look into what it takes to run a weekly youth group.

My favorite part of this week was either making the advertisement for a Haiti Relief Fund, or going to Point Loma High School and being interviewed with my mentor about our short film, and other films he has done. They were both very inspirational and i loved being a part of both. But i must say that i am most proud of my work on my poster!

Some work of mine that i am proud of from the week:

(Up: A rough draft of a potential poster for the short film i produced)

(Up: The Haiti Relief Advertisement I Made)

Week 1: Thursday

In this blog post, write about what you would like to learn when you interview your mentor. Post the big ideas and main topics you want to discuss and why they are important to you.

I am planning to interview my mentor during lunch in the following week. I do not know a specific day because of upcoming events, but finding a day will not be a problem. When i learn about my mentor, i will ask him about three main topics. First topic would be how his life has changed from his occupation. Being a youth pastor, he has been a part of some HUGE events, experienced life changing things, and gotten the opportunities to travel and experience things i could only dream of being a part of. Next, i will ask about future plans. Where from here, where will life take him? Will film be the pathway, or will God use him for bigger things? I think this will make great conversation and will be an awesome interview. Last, i will ask him his most memorable life experience from his work. Whether it be his countless missionary trips to Africa, South America, Mexico, etc, or his filming. What has Made your job worth doing?

I am super stoked to do this interview and learn more about him.

Week 1: Tuesday

Work For Today:

Today I started off making a flyer for a parent's night coming up on Wednesday.


After finishing that, i read through a packet for an upcoming event at the church. They are doing a 30 Hour Fasting Event to raise money for a town called Malawai located in South Eastern Africa.

I will be helping with this event by documenting and possibly making a film out of footage from the event as well as helping plan and educate others about the event.

Last, i made my own advertisement for the Event.

1.Skills i would like to develop on my site are not physical as much as they are mental. I would love to aquire the skills needed to be independent and manage my time. From managing receipts of items bought for films, to speaking slow to organize my words when presenting, i am just taking in what it takes to be independent and a responsible buisness person.

2.I am interested in the work that my site does because of its motivational aspects as well as being able to make films that change peoples lives and opinions of life. I watched a film my mentor helped make called Short Term 12 which is in the top ten nominees for an oscar. It is just crazy to think that i have the opportunities to be a part of something like this.

3.I will be working on a lot of graphic design work and creating flyers that help get a message out which is really simple but really cool. I am also producing a few more short films for upcoming events as well as helping plan those events.

Week 1 : Monday

What have you actively done to start off on the right note?

What have you actively done to create interesting opportunities for yourself?

What have you actively done to advance the interests of your mentor and/or site?

What can you do in the immediate future to improve yourself and your experience in the above areas?

I feel that i did all of these tasks before internship started. I had the opportunity to intern for a good friend of mine and collaborate so that we could accomplish something awesome. For example, in November i had all of the paperwork signed and ready to start so that in the following months, we could come up with just what we wanted to do and what my expectations were. We were able to have already produced a short film together which i feel is the best work i have ever done in my life.

Overall, i feel that i have knocked out the "prelude" to internship so that i could go straight in to doing something cool. I am very excited for the future and for the rest of the work we will be doing together.

Pre-Intern

Sarah's Assignment Questions:





1. Has the economic crisis effected the film festival community?


2. Have award scholarships been limited due to the lack of funding?


3. What is one way that you have seen the recession affect your colleagues?






Today, I arranged being able to barrow a computer from school to be able to do my work for internship. After, i met up with my mentor and discussed my duties for the following weeks. I am very excited to be a part of these things. After that, I edited my previous brainstorm on a potential poster for the short. I feel that the poster is slowly coming along well, and i hope that i can come down to a concrete idea in my head as to what it is going to look like by the end of the week, giving me plenty of time to revise.





My Work Space:

The American Man

I remember hearing the stories about the war, stories of my grandfather’s life, and they all must have been repeated hundreds of times before I started to understand them. I remember the story of his encounter with the famous General Doolittle, and the story of his plane being shot down on his last mission, but what I remember most is that every time the stories of his past were told to me, I felt like I was watching a movie. I would always ask for more stories, but a lot of stories were hard for him to tell. I have never thought about asking my grandfather who his icons were, but all I know is that he became a man that is respected by people all around the world. When I think back on my childhood, and hearing those stories, I now know the purpose of me knowing the amazing aspects about my grandfather’s past. Even to this day, when I visit him, I am hearing these stories as if they came out of a movie. They are always filled with such passion, but yet when he tells them, he is quiet and serious as if he were telling me something that would change my perspective on life, but when I think about it, they really have changed my perspective on life and accomplishment.

What I hold closer to me are the life lessons I have learned from him. He taught me that unless you have experienced failure, there is no way you can enjoy success, and that is one of the many things that he has taught me that I live my life by. There are so many things that I look up to him for and there are an infinite amount of questions I have for him about his life, but I have already learned so much from him that I don’t even need to ask any more, because I’m afraid I will forget something.

Morris Maxwell Wasserman is my icon in so many ways. His love for his family, his dedication to his country, his success in his business, and his outstanding ability to always be the most interesting man wherever his life may take him. He is the hero of my family, and the reason I am who I am today. Without the things my grandfather has taught me and the stories he has shared with me, I wouldn’t be who I am today. My grandfather represents what every American can aspire to be like. It is hard to live up to the things he has done, but what every person can do, is respect what he has done and who he has done it for. He is a selfless man who every American can look up to.

I am most proud of this piece because I took a long time revising and editing my essay to make it perfect. This went along with my "American Icon" picture that was of me portraying my grandfather. I wrote this because to me, my grandfather is The American Icon. As i said in my essay, " His love for his family, his dedication to his country, his success in his business, and his outstanding ability to always be the most interesting man wherever his life may take him" make him the biggest icon in my life. I feel that this essay showed the man he is and the life that every man strives for.

The Power Of Fear

Immigration to the United States is deadly but for some, a necessity in order to survive another day. Blaming one person would be un-reasonable, and ignoring it would be ignorant. I believe that blame should go on the people driving them out of their homes, and forcing them to find better lives. The cartels and gangs of Mexico are pushing the citizens to flea from home in order to feel safe from their wrath, pushing them to drastic measures of survival. It is the power of fear that the cartels use on the innocent people of Mexico that is driving them out and making them come to the United States to find a new home.
When the people are forced to leave their homes because it is unsafe, they have to do the un-thinkable to survive another day. Driven from their homes, they instantaneously have to make the decision whether to go to the United States, or relocate somewhere else far from home. Both are dangerous, but the path to the United States has a death toll un-imaginable to the common person. From walking the hundreds of miles of desert, to trusting a smuggler with your life, the way out is no easy feat.
It is not the government, the high border walls, or the “American Dream” that is forcing the people of Mexico to flee to the states, but it is the people driving them out that are corrupting their lives with the impact of their violence that is responsible for the number of people that die each year crossing the border. Even though the cartels and gangs may not be responsible for all of the deaths, if there was a decrease in violence and an increase in safety in Mexico, the number of people coming to the United States for a home would be significantly different than it is today.

IAT Test

Your data suggest a slight automatic preference for Young compared to Old.

I dont get the point of this, nor do i agree with it. I prefer young people when i am looking to hang out and relax or do something. I prefer old people when i am looking for criticism, and for advice. I can learn alot more from "old people" than i can from young. I do not prefer one or the other at all.

Your data suggest a strong automatic preference for European American compared to African American.

This was a weird one. As bad as it sounds, i found myself linking the bad things to black people and the good things to white. I do not consider myself a racist whatsoever, and i treat black people as the same as i would anyone, but i found myself thinking with the stereotypes. That was an eye opening test.

Your data suggest a strong association of Black Americans with Weapons compared to White Americans.

I could have predicted the turnout of this test. Once again as bad as it sounds, i linked the weapons to the black people and the harmless items to the white. I found myself once again quickly going with the stereotype, and when i think about it, i think the point of this test was not to show everyone who is racist and who is not, but to show that people think with stereotype on impulse. It does not make people bad people if they think on impulse, it just shows the bad things society has taught people to think.

Blog 07/03/09

Everchanging

I think the parts that really jump out at me are the parts where he talks about being unsure, and scared of change, and when he says "we make the same mistakes, were always hanging on, break the promises were always leaning on, all this time spent waking up." I think that means that people make mistakes, and often the same mistake, but we spend so much time dwelling instead of changing and moving on. The song is called Everchanging and the title hints what the song entails. It talks about changes, and being stuck on the obstacles, and being hurt, but i take a lot more away than that. I interpret this song as more of a release from the stress of change. and that no matter what changes, and what stays the same, that you cant dwell on the stress of change.

In the face of change,that's when she turned to me and said:"I'm not sure anymore..."And there, amidst the waves and the cloudless skies...That blanket, the year before...I watch my life wash ashore.

Have you ever been a part of something that you thought would never end?And then, of course, it did.Have you ever felt the weight inside you,pulling away inside your skin?Then something had to give...

And now the lines are drawn...Is this feeling gone?The best parts of this have come and gone and now that is all that this is.With the reasons clear,We'll spend another year...Without direction,full of fear,but now things will be different.

There's nothing simple when it comes to you and I...Always something in this everchanging life;and there probably always will.Now that time is getting harder to come by,the same arguments are always on our minds,killed this slowly fading lights.

And now the lines are drawn,is this feeling gone?The best parts of this have come and gone,and now that is all that this is.And with the reasons clear,we'll spend another year...Without direction,full of fear,but now things will be different...

And now something, has kept me here too long...And you can't leave me, if I'm already gone And now something, has kept me here too long...And you can't leave me, if I'm already gone...Well something, has kept me here to long, and you can't leave me, if I'm already gone...

And we make the same mistakes; we're always hanging on.Break the promises we're always leaning on.All this time spent waking up...Now keep this line open to get this call from you,speak the words that keep me coming back to you...

Now this time it's all different...And now something has kept me here too long,and now I'm gone...