Photo Critique #7

This picture really caught my attention because of the colors mainly and also because of the tunnel.
It looks like the tunnel would be abandoned, but since the road isn't completely covered in leaves then people know that it's still in use.
I also really like that the picture includes the road that goes into the tunnel. It makes me want to go there and go through it.
The colors of fall are beautiful. Period.
I like that the outsides of the picture are slightly blurred.
I think that the cropping is perfect.

Photo Critique #6

I really liked this picture mostly because of the baby feet in the adult's hands.
It shows how small and fragile a baby is.
Black and white always gives the essence of timelessness.
I really like the lighting as well. The light from the top makes the viewer focus on the baby's feet.
I think the cropping is okay, but maybe a little more picture so that a viewer can see all of the adult's hands.

Seth Godin

Seth Godin is the author of 12 best selling books that have been translated in to 33 different languages. He also blogs and focuses on the marketing industry.

In his speech about standing out, Godin first speaks about hot Otto Rohwedder invented the first sliced bread in the 1910s but it wasn't until Wonder came along, 15 years later, that people actually picked up on the idea. All because of the way Wonder marketed and advertised it.b Godin explains, "It's not always about what the patent is like or what the factory is like. It's about can you get your idea to spread or not."

The TV-Industrial Complex is a cycle in which a company first buys an ad, they get more distribution, sell more products, then make a profit. They push their product over and over and once you have it saved somewhere in your brain, you are most likely going to end up being a consumer of that product.

"Coke-Japan comes out with a new product every three weeks because they have no idea what's going to work and what's not." said Godin. He explains that "in a world with too many choices and too little of time, we tend to ignore stuff." Things need to be remarkable. Something that's worth making a "remark" about. If it isn't, then it will be ignored and not spread.

Seth Godin spread the idea of spreading ideas. It's all about mass-marketing. That's how businesses become successful, by advertising in a way that is remarkable. They focus on those who will listen, not those who will ignore their advertising because it is boring and played too much. "The riskiest thing you can do is be safe."

The China Connection

Linn-Benton Community College’s president, Rita Cavin, is looking forward to the school’s partnerships with six technical colleges in China. She is hoping this will start happening sooner rather than later and is shooting for within the next three years.

Cavin recently gave a presentation called "The China Connection" in which she gave peers insight into the purpose of building partnerships with China's colleges and the importance of these relationships with them.

According to Cavin, students coming to LBCC would most likely be from one institution with one focused goal.

“We are in this for what will help our students, our programs, and our faculty," said Cavin. “We can be a very select, very high quality added, piece that some of their (China’s) students and some of their faculties experience.”

According to a mission statement provided by Cavin, the partnerships will increase the global awareness of LBCC employees and ensure that LBCC technical programs incorporate:

• To increase global awareness of LBCC employees and students through a program of exchanges and visits to international technical colleges and work sites;
• To ensure that our technical programs incorporate awareness of global practice, trade and career opportunities;
• To give our students an enriched career preparation through a program of visiting professors and students and through their own travel;
• To develop expertise about international business culture and practice in order to support local and regional trade expansion;
• To demonstrate respect for diverse experiences by using the expertise of our diverse community members as we develop international partnerships;
• To develop a foundation of international exchange that can be broadened to other countries and cultures beyond China; and
• To create a larger international student population and experience at LBCC for international students who enter our community outside of formal partnerships.

Even though Cavin is retiring, she is very enthusiastic about LBCC having partnerships with other colleges.

Last July, members of LBCC's administration went to six different technical colleges in China to tour them and decide if they wanted to do a partnership with them.

While in China, Memorandums of Understanding, which are broad agreements to begin exchanges, were signed with Beijing Polytechnic College, Xijing University, Qingdao Technical College, Rizhao Polytechnic College of China and Shanghai Institute of Health Sciences.

"The main thing about Qingdao, for me, is that I think we were there for about an hour and Rita and I kept saying to each other ‘this feels just like Linn-Benton.’ Even when we met with the president I kept thinking that this is just how we would do it. It just feels just like Linn-Benton, so I think that there is a strong philosophical connection,'' said Carol Schaafsma, executive vice president of Academic Affairs and Workforce Development.

"We would like to see some things happen this summer,” said Schaafsma. “We also expect to have more Chinese presidents come and visit LBCC's campus.”

These relationships developed in October 2008 when Bill Thallemer, the Vice president of Student Services and Government Relations, went to China representing our college. He visited technical colleges that are co-sponsored by the Chinese government and the American Association of Community Colleges. This gave the presidents a chance to size up the technical colleges in advance to see if they were interested in a partnership.

Then, in April 2009, presidents from a few colleges in China came to visit the LBCC campus. In addition to touring the campus, the presidents visited the elected officials in Salem, Ore., and met Mae Yin, a retired state senator. They additionally visited the city of Albany and sat in the council seats.

"They are very interested in learning about assistant learning centers, how to teach and work with committees and are also interested in the children and students,” Cavin said. Assistant learning centers allow students to get the help they need with their school work and they are very useful for those that don't have English as their first language.

Photo Critique #5

I liked this photo because instead of the vandalism being something negative or a gang name, it is something a bit humorous and it has meaning.
It looks like it is written on a bathroom wall or something close to it.
The cropping is fine but there's more writing at the bottom right corner.
I also like that you can see the reflection of the person taking the photo. It makes the scene real and random. It was obviously not a planned picture.

Photo Critique #4

Here is a photo that I found to be extremely beautiful, mainly because of the colors.
I think the glass is a very unique touch because since the water is in the glass, the background is flipped upside down.
I find it also neat that the background is blurred but what is shown in the glass is clear, it's like a whole other picture just inside the glass.
I think that the cropping is close to perfect, because enough picture is shown, but maybe a little more picture at the bottom would work better.

Photo Critique #3

This photo caught my attention because a few different reasons.
I really liked that instead of just taking a picture of a homeless person, the photographer captured people walking in front of her.
It gives an emotion of loneliness. While everyone is going about with their daily lives, she is forgotten.
The black and white also gives and essence of gloominess. It is, in fact, a sad situation and the black and white definitely adds to that.
I think the cropping is fine, because the subject, a homeless woman, is the main focus.
But maybe if there was more picture at the bottom so that the feet aren't cut off, I think that would improve the photo a little, but it's not necessary.

Cinema Bizarre!

Cinema Bizarre consists of five guys from Germany who play SynthPop/rock/Power pop music.
They are a slightly androgynous, glam rock band from Berlin. They started in 2005 after Kiro, Strify, and Yu met at an anime convention in Berlin. Not long after, Shin and Luminor joined the group. Their first album, Final Attraction, was released in 2007. Love songs (They Kill Me) was their first single. After missing a few shows due to health problems, keyboardist Luminor left the band and Yu's close friend, Romeo, took his place.
None of them use their original names, but go by nicknames.

Here's a list of the members and what they do in the band:
Strify: Lead Vocals
Shin: Drummer
Romeo: Keyboard
Yu: Electric Guitar
Kiro: Bass Guitar
Former Member:
Luminor: Keyboard/Back up vocals

History of the band
Strify, Kiro, Yu met at an anime convention and hit it off. Later on Luminor (the previous keyboardist), and Shin joined the band. Luminor left the band in 2008 because of some health problems (rumored to be bulimia). Yu's friend, Romeo, took over his position.


Fame-Ball Tour
In May, my best friend, Sarai, and I bought tickets for the Fame Ball Tour.
The four acts included two bands we have never heard of; The White Tie Affair and Chester French, our favorite band from Germany; Cinema Bizarre, and the headlining act; Lady GaGa.
We had originally bought the tickets to just see Cinema Bizarre, but we were impressed by the whole show. We arrived 7 1/2 hours early and there were only two people waiting in front of us.
One of the girls let us in on a secret... that Strify and Shin were in having lunch in the cafe down the street! Of course, Sarai and went!

We got a table right behind them but we were so nervous and excited at the same time that we couldn't say anything. But right when they were getting up to leave, I turned around and said-like the dork I am- "HI!" That definitely caught Strify's attention. Thank God.
Those next ten to fifteen minutes were HEAVEN! Their English was so impressive, too. We talked about how much we LOVED their music (of course) and why we came to the concert (of course not for the other 3 bands but ONLY for Cinema Bizarre. We made that quite clear.) I think they probably fell in love with us.

Anyway, after indulging in conversation, getting our tickets signed, and taking a picture with the two, they went back to their tour bus and Sarai and I were left star struck.
We then went back in line and waited 6 1/2 more hours. Then the doors finally opened. Sarai and I rushed in so fast and good thing we did, we got to the gate and I could literally touch the stage from where we were standing!

After about ten minutes of waiting, the first band, Chester French, came on stage. I was surprised at how good they were. But who really cares? Next up were our Germans! FINALLY!
They only played four songs and I swear Sarai and I were the only ones that knew the lyrics, let alone knew who the heck these sexy Germans were. They played an AMAZING four songs! I think the band definitely noticed us coz we were basically screaming every darn word. It was nice.

When they were done and were walking offstage, we yelled at them, telling them we loved them and all the things crazy fan-girls do. Kiro (the bass player) even blew us a kiss. Next up was The White Tie Affair and then finally Lady GaGa.
Overall it was a wonderful show. Especially since we saw CINEMA BIZARRE!!! =)
To see a picture of our "run-in" with Strify and Shin, click here.
To see a video of the last part of Cinema Bizarre performing their last song and to see the band's reaction to Sarai and I being freaks, click here. (Kiro blowing us a kiss is included).

ToyZ
Cinema Bizarre's long-awaited new cd, ToyZ, was finally released August 21st. The cd was released all over Europe, Canada... pretty much everywhere but America.
Needless to say, I was kind of pissed.
The band had decided to release a separate album, Bang!, for fans in the U.S. that included a few tracks from ToyZ and a few from their first album, Final Attraction, that came out last year.
I've been a fan of Cinema Bizarre for a while now and since I had already gotten the Final Attraction cd, thanks to sources on the Internet, I was saddened by this new "Bang!" cd.
I mean I guess it's good for those who are new Cinema Bizarre fans. But what about us that have been devoted fans for a longer time?

So I looked it up online and in order to import the ToyZ cd from Canada (through Amazon), it would cost $45.98. Way too expensive. Instead, I began a search for a new source and I came across a file-sharing site. Now I'm not sure if this is illegal or not, so I will leave the web site's name out of this.

A girl in Europe had bought the ToyZ cd and uploaded the songs. How nice of her. especially nice since I got to download the whole album FREE.

Now I understand this might piss a lot of people off, saying I should buy their album instead of download it free off the internet.
But I promise that once I see Cinema Bizarre again, I will be more than happy to give them $15, the same price I would've paid if they would've released the freaking album in the United States!

CD REVIEW
General Information:
Cinema Bizarre, a SynthPop/power pop/rock, group from Germany, released their second Cd on August 21, 2009.
The album titled ToyZ, released on Island Records, includes 18 songs. There's also a deluxe edition Cd that contains four more.
Like I mentioned before, if ordering through Amazon, importing the album from Canada can cost $45.98. But there are cheaper ways of going about it. ;)
The album peaked at number 24 on German charts.
The first single of the album is called "I Came 2 Party". It features Space Cowboy who also has worked with Lady GaGa.

Rating:
I would definitely give this song 5 our of 5 stars, not only because I am a HUGE fan of Cinema Bizarre, but also because I think that almost anyone who listens to this album will love it. It's upbeat yet real. It's different, not like all the mainstream crap going around. It's a very fun and emotional album.

Surviving a Zombie Attack

This is, unfortunately, the season for zombies. Here are some facts that you need to know in order to survive the horrendous outbreak of the living dead.

To identify a zombie, a few things to keep in mind are the appearance of a zombie. Their legs are limp, skin is pale, and they have dark circles around their eyes. Another thing to know is that zombies do not dance, eat candy, or swim.

Being prepared can really help you stay alive. Map out a resort and plan rations. This will help you greatly. If your friend or family member is bit, they are doomed. "The infection is absolutely irreversible."

If you do come in contact with a zombie, the only way to kill them is to make their brain inactive. You can do this by decapitating their head or taking a machete to it.

There have been signs of these creatures in British Columbia and they are now moving south. So beware.

For more information about zombies, you can go to the following sites:
Common Craft
Youtube
Zombie Survival Wiki

A quick thank you to Lee "Living Dead" LeFever and Sachi "Snakes on a Plane" LeFever for sharing this valuable information.

Photo Critique #2

This photo is called Holga Tree by marcstck

I really liked the sepia in this photo. It makes it look classic and a bit vintage-like.
Another thing I really liked is that the picture is one tree, probably during the fall, in an open field and in the background is a city with tall buildings. It gives the picture emotion because it looks like the tree is lonely.
I think there could be a little cropping at the top. The sky adds a lot of dead space so maybe just a bit more cropping at the top would better the photo.

Photo Critique

Here is a photo that I really like because of several different things.
First, I thought the photographer took advantage of the lighting by taking the picture at an angle where the sun was directly behind the person doing a back flip.
I think the clouds definitely add to the dramatic effect.
I also like that the two people are almost silhouette-like.
Being in black and white really gives this photo a classic feel to it.
The cropping could have been a little less. I think that if there was a little more picture behind the guy's feet it would look better.

International Becomes National

Mohammad Sharifpoor traveled about 7,500 miles to attend classes at LBCC.

The student from Iran said, "I learned about LBCC from my brother who goes to Oregon State University. I also have a friend who is in their second year here. I chose LBCC because I plan on transferring to OSU but coming here is cheaper to start with."

There are currently 26 international students attending LBCC and two who are doing the duel-enrollment program with LBCC. The students come from Japan, South Korea, Ghana, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Libya, Egypt, Iran, England, United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Canada, and China.

Students first need to fill out a detailed application. Then once that is received, an I-20 form is sent to them. Knowing English is required. They need to either have taken a TOEFEL test with a score of 500 or above, graduated and received a standard diploma from a US high school, or have taken and passed the IELTS with a minimum score of 6.0 or above.

The number of international students has dropped while security has increased since the tragedy of September 11. All of the student's information is sent to homeland security. If a student or their family moves, it must be reported within 10 days.

Some upsides for international students are that they can transfer to other universities. Getting to experience a different culture is also memorable. Student Outreach Coordinator, Christine Baker, includes "In some countries, the American degree is prized."

Even though America is no longer the number one country for international students to study in, it has not fallen far. It stands in fourth after Britain, New Zealand, and Australia.

Though there are a lot of positive aspects for international students, there are a few down sides. Tuition is increased making the price $200 per credit instead of the $74 for domestic students. Also they are not eligible for financial aid. Proving they have the year's tuition in a bank and paying for insurance is also essential. International students must choose a major.

Students cannot be undecided. But if wanted, they can change their major. International students have to go through a thorough process in order to become a student at LBCC.

International students aren't the only ones who benefit by studying at LBCC. Christine Baker shares, "having international students is also good for domestic students. Interacting with them opens their eyes to different cultures. It also changes views and it's very exciting.''

Students are not the only ones who visit LBCC. The Vocational Education Leadership Training

Program, or VELT, run by Bill Thallemer, provides workshops that will increase vocational skills for senior leaders and administrator.

Five of the twenty-five presidents in China came to learn how to improve teaching techniques. The program trains over 100 people a year over a five-year period.

For more information about international students, you may contact Student Outreach Coordinator, Christine Baker. And for more information about the China Experience, you may contact Bill Thallemer.

Overflow Parking

The parking lots of LBCC were full Monday morning, the first day of fall term, resulting in lawns being used as temporary parking places.

My First Blog Post

The reason why I am taking this photojournalism class is because I would like to pursue a career in journalism and also I love to take photographs. I believe this class would be very helpful and I could definitely use the techniques I learn here to help me in the future with a job.
I am a shy person and when our first assignment was to snap pictures of random people, it was very intimidating. But after awhile I got use to it.