tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77835772024-03-23T14:41:42.147-05:00Mark in MontanaChronicling my life of independence in western Montana after escaping a North Dakota nursing home.markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.comBlogger211125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-63065527509146666862011-07-23T23:12:00.002-05:002011-07-23T23:14:41.407-05:00Determination<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande'; font-size: medium; "><object id="flashObj" width="486" height="412" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="flashVars" value="omnitureAccountID=gntbcstkusa,gntbcstglobal&pageContentCategory=video&pageContentSubcategory=&marketName=Denver, CO:kusa&division=Broadcast&SSTSCode=&videoId=1055059952001&playerID=34762914001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAB_wnNRk~,WN9MweAQd_tBaI99JKgDAcW3bUx7peWv&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true"><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com"><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashvars="omnitureAccountID=gntbcstkusa,gntbcstglobal&pageContentCategory=video&pageContentSubcategory=&marketName=Denver, CO:kusa&division=Broadcast&SSTSCode=&videoId=1055059952001&playerID=34762914001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAB_wnNRk~,WN9MweAQd_tBaI99JKgDAcW3bUx7peWv&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="486" height="412" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" swliveconnect="true" allowscriptaccess="always" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; ">The other day my mom sent me a recent news clip that featured my little cousin’s girl Lily. She is the youngest runner in the story and it’s just too cute not to share.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; ">Her determination is pretty rare for someone her age and it really brought a smile to my face. Hope you enjoy!</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My internship with the Missoulian is about to wrap up and I hardly can believe it. I have three big stories to finish and I’m pretty excited to have them published. There are a few stories I haven’t posted but will do that in the next day or two.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Not too much else going on but I have been enjoying the summer weather we’ve had. It’s been a little warm but definitely not as bad as most of the country. It’s strange not to have the humidity out here in western Montana but hey I’m not complaining!</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Take it easy and stay cool people! </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Mark</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-55766161107868233592011-07-17T01:23:00.000-05:002011-07-17T02:29:14.200-05:00Dragon Dictate<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5T3v-2wMqTICVOQ6a39DDA8r_FWXk5aGAVdQ9zGP57ANjTkku6XfiO1Xl9cxpijDEo6ZZxRyTkSqZ8hGHWFZ6xwYSD3cwq7VbBxpL7KqqMJ2VuESnPZ9BagWke5kDkAHGPPZA4Q/s1600/dragondictate.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5T3v-2wMqTICVOQ6a39DDA8r_FWXk5aGAVdQ9zGP57ANjTkku6XfiO1Xl9cxpijDEo6ZZxRyTkSqZ8hGHWFZ6xwYSD3cwq7VbBxpL7KqqMJ2VuESnPZ9BagWke5kDkAHGPPZA4Q/s400/dragondictate.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630219607320009074" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A few weeks ago at my internship, I became quite frustrated with how long it took me to type out a story. This got me thinking about again trying speech recognition software and hopefully this would be the solution to my problem.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:medium;">The only available software that I could order for my Mac was Dragon Dictate. I’ve had a mostly hate relationship over the years with this product. My trouble had always been getting the program to recognize my voice with a decent amount of accuracy. I usually ended up by being so frustrated that I stopped using it. My past experience made me skeptical but there weren’t any other options.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:medium;">I got the software installed but after a day of using it with great success the USB card that came with my Bluetooth headset crapped out on me. It was frustrating but a new card had to be mailed to me. I was able to continue working with the program with a different headset, while I waited receive a replacement card.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:medium;">Yesterday I was finally able to get the new microphone to work. In these past few weeks despite some glitches, the software has worked great. Even with my ventilator it hasn’t missed a beat.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:medium;">It’s amazing how fast I’m able to type and getting a paragraph written only takes a matter of minutes. This definitely will help me get stories typed much faster and the increased productivity has made me feel much more independent. Overall, I’d give the Dragon for Mac about a 9.5 out of 10. The downside is it misses an occasional word but the program gets better accuracy the more you correct its mistakes.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:medium;">Mark</span></p> <!--EndFragment-->markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-14974121603997516692011-07-10T22:03:00.000-05:002011-07-10T23:03:24.063-05:00Latest stories<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_9127ef26-9d4d-11e0-bc89-001cc4c002e0.html"></a></b></span><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_9127ef26-9d4d-11e0-bc89-001cc4c002e0.html">Missoula County Relay for Life raises more than $136K</a></b></span></blockquote><blockquote><b><a href="http://missoulian.com/explore/article_5fe20364-9dc7-11e0-89f4-001cc4c03286.html">Yellowstone a park of change: New center, road will greet visitors</a></b></blockquote><blockquote><b></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_43886470-a078-11e0-891f-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1RlVyc4eh">Big Sky graduate serving on USS Washington in Pacific</a></span></b></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_9c47387a-a1f4-11e0-8645-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1RlWHmyXl">Food Bank Network gets $65,000 grant for summer children's program</a></span></b></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_c48404ba-a444-11e0-bdb8-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1RlWtXAXU">Missoula-area law enforcement plan extra patrols over Fourth of July weekend</a></span></b></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_c48404ba-a444-11e0-bdb8-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1RlWtXAXU"></a></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://missoulian.com/business/local/article_94285bb2-a535-11e0-88d1-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1RlXDWjIC">Blue Marble biotech business plans jobs expansion in Missoula</a></span></b></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://missoulian.com/business/local/article_94285bb2-a535-11e0-88d1-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1RlXDWjIC"></a></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 34px; font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://missoulian.com/sports/rodeo/article_f24ee864-a85f-11e0-b046-001cc4c03286.html">Darby Bull-O-Rama raises money for cancer</a></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://missoulian.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/article_1012f064-a984-11e0-b261-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1RlYPRZ3G"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><b>Family friendly wildlife films go into the ‘Woods’</b></span></span></a><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:inherit;font-size:13px;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><b><br /></b></span></span><br /></span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 34px; font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://missoulian.com/sports/rodeo/article_f24ee864-a85f-11e0-b046-001cc4c03286.html"></a></span></div></span></span></span>markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-78650594275884949662011-07-10T21:44:00.003-05:002011-07-10T22:49:19.717-05:00Arlee Powwow<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEe03f_oSSEn_B2VeDEBxamvWHoGBMziBZchE0qjNghy97tmVnFJk1PtBX-TnlWmWDJ1lWd8h-4qKgIGdgxKPyx-bRVuMpRlJ3s1NeLPZLQFkN_ZOEO-0_0bo712hbO-wQoKuSw/s1600/powwo.tiff" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEe03f_oSSEn_B2VeDEBxamvWHoGBMziBZchE0qjNghy97tmVnFJk1PtBX-TnlWmWDJ1lWd8h-4qKgIGdgxKPyx-bRVuMpRlJ3s1NeLPZLQFkN_ZOEO-0_0bo712hbO-wQoKuSw/s400/powwo.tiff" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627932672575609138" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Photo by Flickr user BigSkyKatie</span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I’ve been a little too busy to keep up on posting my stories as they are published but will list them in an accompanying blog post.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#999999;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The internship keeps going fantastic and I’ve learned so much in a little over a month. I’m working on several stories at the moment including stuff for a few longer feature pieces. It’s hard to believe I only have three weeks left but I’m going to learn as much as I can in the time left.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I spent the Fourth of July up in Arlee Montana for their big yearly powwow celebration. The powwow has been a Fourth of July tradition since the late 1800s and the story of its beginning is quite interesting.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">During the last part of the 19</span></span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">th</span></span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> century, federal Indian agents were banning any celebration of traditional Indian culture because they wanted native peoples to integrate fully into white society. Traditional Indian celebrations were considered a barrier to these assimilation efforts.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The natives got creative and told the federal reservation agents they weren’t having a powwow but instead were holding a celebration recognizing America’s independence. This satisfied agents because they thought the native peoples were being patriotic and not reverting back to their traditional ways. I love the ingenuity of how they we able to keep their culture alive and fool the agents at the same time.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This was the first powwow I’ve ever been to and it was quite interesting. The dancing was phenomenal and the age of dancers ranged from three-year-olds to older gentleman in their late 80s. I liked it all but the little kids dancing was my favorite part. These young kids are so vital because they will be the next generation to keep these traditions alive.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I had a fresh foot-long corn dog for lunch and a fresh squeezed lemonade but I couldn’t leave without having some fry bread. Definitely not health food but hey it tasted so darn good! It was a great way to spend the Fourth and I ended the night by going to the fireworks here in Missoula with Theresa and Dustin. The fireworks were fantastic as usual and it rounded out a great day.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Mark</span></span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </span></span></div>markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-2881868954067022832011-06-25T21:46:00.001-05:002011-06-25T21:48:54.722-05:00Week 2 articles<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_ba78e186-9632-11e0-8b5b-001cc4c03286.html">Missoula churches look to provide temporary housing for homeless</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_c4af512e-97c9-11e0-b4f1-001cc4c03286.html">Man wants unnamed Glacier peak dedicated to his dad, a former park worker</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_404cd018-9879-11e0-9465-001cc4c002e0.html">Missoula Moose Lodge to mark century of servi</a>ce</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_a86eff54-99e6-11e0-9682-001cc4c002e0.html">Former Lucky Diamond casino manager accused of embezzling nearly $400K</a></span>markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-5718569831834865272011-06-25T21:37:00.001-05:002011-06-25T21:39:37.805-05:00Week 1 articles<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_4ebe8756-9106-11e0-ba49-001cc4c03286.html">EPA awards $1.2M in soil cleanup money to Kalispell, CSKT</a></span><br /><br /><a href="http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_3654440e-9254-11e0-9bce-001cc4c03286.html"><span style="font-weight:bold;">UM scholarship created for Japanese students affected by tsunami</span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_fc5ba9f2-9318-11e0-821a-001cc4c03286.html">Missoula man wins national Older Volunteers Enrich America Award</a></span>markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-39975276624921994342011-06-25T21:32:00.001-05:002011-06-25T21:37:00.443-05:00InternshipThis spring I began the pursuit of finding an internship for the summer. Journalism majors are required by the School of Journalism to complete 240 internship hours before being able to graduate. I figured now was the time to get this done if I wanted to graduate with my class next year. <br /><br />Portfolios were assembled and mailed out to almost every newspaper in western Montana. I didn’t know where my path would lead but as long as I could get quality reporting experience it didn’t matter where I went. <br /><br />It didn’t take long before the Missoulian expressed interest in having me as a summer intern. I was excited to work for a large newspaper and it was my hope to do stories on a variety of topics. <br /><br />Things got underway three weeks ago and I really had no idea what to expect. I just decided to take things as they came and report to the best of my abilities. The experience has been fantastic and everybody at the paper has been extremely kind to me. <br /><br />The range of stories I’ve covered has been quite astonishing. Some of the stories I’ve done include: a new UM scholarship, naming a peak in Glacier National Park for a former employee, the Missoula Moose Lodge turning 100 and a high profile embezzlement case.<br /><br />Yesterday I had the opportunity to interview a local sailor who is deployed on the USS George Washington in the Pacific Ocean. Everyday definitely brings something different to my desk and I love the surprise each story provides. <br /><br />I’ll be posting my articles here weekly after getting the first few weeks up. <br /><br />There is much ahead this summer in addition to my internship. I have a few road trips planned with the first taking me to the Vancouver Pug Gathering at the end of July. Hopefully if all works out, I’ll be North Dakota bound sometime in August. <br /><br />Stay tuned and I’ll do my best with keeping my updates current. <br /><br />Markmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-30315594020113609882011-06-23T01:30:00.001-05:002011-06-25T20:42:57.871-05:00ResurrectionMy blog has been out of action for many months and I figure it’s time to give things a bit of a jumpstart. I’ve been extremely busy these last few months, as I have transitioned into the world of professional journalism. To start things off let me begin with a brief summary of spring semester. <br /><br />The bulk of this past spring was devoted to my Public Affairs reporting class. I must admit it scared the hell out of me to take the class after hearing the amount of work involved but I dove in headfirst anyway. <br /><br />This class takes green student journalists and gives them the tools needed to succeed in the professional world. We met twice a week and were expected to file a weekly beat story in addition to whatever else we were covering. I choose to cover the city beat and it was a great way to learn about the inner workings of local government. <br /><br />We also were required as a class to cover the regular Monday night meetings of the Missoula City Council for a month. It was a little crazy at first trying to file a story on a midnight deadline but it got better as time went on. City council meetings for the most part aren’t awful exciting but they do have their moments especially when public controversy is involved. <br /><br />When our council duty was over, we were briefly exposed to the world of criminal justice. I learned how to access court documents and got the chance to cover the wrap up of a felony domestic violence case. The case was cut and dried because the defendant entered a plea agreement. I liked being in the courtroom but the case I chose to cover was over in three minutes. It was shocking to have things end so fast but it still was an invaluable experience. <br /> <br />During the semester I covered a variety of issues ranging from an epidemic of potholes in Missoula to medical facilities banning legally registered patients from using medical marijuana. There is a funny aside to the marijuana story. <br /><br />This story was difficult because most facilities wanted to remain tight lipped on patient policies but that didn’t deter me from doing my job. Anyway, I visited a particular nursing home in town and the administrator was not very happy with my prying questions. I was quickly asked to leave the facility or the local authorities would be summoned. <br /><br />I found my experience of being kicked out of a nursing home to be a hilarious case of irony. Reminds me of challenging authority back home but hey thats a story for another time! <br /><br />The other highlight of Public Affairs class was getting a piece published in the school paper The Kaimin. I probed the failure of the University of Montana to follow updated regulations to the Americans with Disabilities Act concerning concert and event ticketing for folks with disabilities. <a href="http://tinyurl.com/3f72fy7">Click to view the article: GrizTix not in compliance with new ADA regulations</a><br /><br />I greatly enjoyed this course and it prepared me to take my journalistic skills to the next level. Our professor was amazing and I’ll definitely take his kernels of wisdom with me throughout the rest of my career. <br /><br />Probably my favorite class this spring was Print/Web Design. I didn’t know how much work this class would be but it was worth every bit of effort. <br /><br />This class introduced me to the digital world of professional printing and it was quite an intense learning curve at first. There was so much to learn and we had to throw all our preconceived notions out the window. <br /><br />We used Adobe InDesign for all our work and it was great to learn many new skills. I worked hard on learning the software and I completed a wide variety of assignments. Some of these included newspaper layouts, a journalism portfolio, advertisements, a tabloid newspaper cover and other assorted projects. <br /><br />The final exam required us to design a multi-page magazine layout, which implemented many of things learned over the semester. I put together a fictional dog magazine called Woof and the end product turned out great. If I can figure out how to do it, there will be a copy of my magazine here on the blog. <br /><br />My trio of journalism classes was rounded out by Media Law. You may think this would be a boring class to take but I found it to be quite interesting and informative.<br /><br />The class was broken up into discussing the different facets of law affecting the media. Topics ranged from media access and libel to obscenity and free speech. Hopefully I’ll never need to put many of these legal principles into use but it’s important to know what my rights are as a journalist. It’s hard to inform the public without having these protections in place for the media to use. <br /><br />I enjoyed the part of class where we got to participate in mock trials dealing with certain parts of the law. Each person in the class was assigned to a group and we took turns acting as judges and lawyers representing different cases. Cases were spread out through the semester so it wasn’t too overwhelming to prepare for our particular roles. We also had to write legal briefs, which weren’t tons of fun but it was educational to research legal cases and precedents. <br /><br />The semester was pretty taxing on me but everything worked out beautifully in the end. I was able to nail down A’s in all my courses and this made every late night worth it. My goal each semester is to work as hard as possible and let the chips fall where they may. <br /><br />It’s hard to believe I only have a year of school left but at least my hardest semester is over and done with. <br /><br />Markmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-14611707429180584212010-12-31T02:23:00.000-06:002010-12-31T03:24:01.398-06:00Indian EducationThe nice thing about attending a liberal arts university is you get the chance to take classes outside of your major. This past fall I took my first Native American Studies class and while it was a challenging the course was rewarding. The class dealt with the post-reservation era in Montana and taking this class was partially for enjoyment. I also took the class to explore the complex issues affecting Montana tribes and this will hopefully make me a better rounded journalist. <br /><br />Dr. Beck, the chair of the Native Studies department, taught the class and his wealth of knowledge made learning very interesting. We explored the history of each Montana tribe and the contemporary issues playing a role yet today. It was nice to spend time on each tribe and I was surprised at how complex many issues were. Issues relating to water rights and tribal self-determination were especially complex. <br /><br />During the semester our class gave team presentations on each reservation. We had the individual responsibility of covering an issue unique to our specific reservation. I addressed the epidemic of Indian suicide on the Fort Peck reservation, which is located in Northeast Montana. It was difficult subject matter to tackle but I felt it was a critical issue to understand. My research was quite extensive and this allowed me to put together an awesome PowerPoint. <br /><br />There are few classes I hate to see end but this was certainly one of those. I learned an incredible amount and have a much greater respect for American Indians. This spring I’m taking another Native Studies class and it deals with the portrayal of Indians in American cinema. <br /><br />I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and all the best in 2011! The year ahead looks to be very exciting and I look forward to sharing it with each of you. <br /><br />Peace… Markmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-62719326766466911152010-12-23T02:09:00.003-06:002010-12-23T02:21:05.632-06:00Merry Christmas!You may have thought my blog was lost in the digital abyss but it is very much alive! The busy fall semester of 2010 is in the books and it was a satisfying experience academically. I’ll begin things here by recapping my start in the professional program at the UM School of Journalism. <br /><br />I was excited to begin my foray into online reporting but the prospect scared the hell out of me a little too. The class turned out to be a great experience and I had the opportunity to work on a collaborative project for <a href="http://www.newwest.net">NewWest.net</a> Our class explored food/agriculture issues unfolding in the Rocky Mountain West during the semester. The group I was part of tackled agricultural decline and attempts to revitalize the current situation. <br /><br />I covered the history and impacts of agricultural decline in eastern Montana and Colorado. It was a daunting task to construct this story but I had tremendous luck in gathering informative sources. The whole story process was invaluable and I was quite happy with how everything turned out. <br /><br />Our class had five groups that explored different areas of the food economy and our work will appear on <a href="http://www.newwest.net">NewWest.net</a>, an online news source covering issues in the Rocky Mountain West. It’s exciting that NewWest is giving us the room to run a 5-day series on their web site. I’ll put my story up here when it appears. <br /><br />My other journalism class was less exciting but it taught the basics of print editing and the extensive AP style method. The experience was tough but in the end I developed skills that will serve me well in the future. I learned that editors do a ton of work and it is something I respect but really don’t have a passion for. Personally I find reporting to be where I would like to focus.<br /><br />I took a Native American studies class, which I thoroughly enjoyed but more on that after Christmas. <br /><br />Recently I discovered a new social media tool that is a cross between Facebook and Twitter. It’s called Tumblr and I really like the simple format it uses. I’ll use my Tumblr page to put up stories & photos I find interesting along with some lighter stuff as well. You can view it by visiting: <a href="http://markboatman.tumblr.com">http://markboatman.tumblr.com/</a><br /><br />Well that’s it for now but I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Have a safe weekend and I will return in a few days with a wrap on the rest of the fall semester. <br /><br />Peace, <br /><br />Markmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-3840943661094339362010-08-27T01:55:00.006-05:002010-08-27T02:18:54.758-05:00Birthday bash<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSL4DLGy0ltphkaEVnIUfaF3UV_t2VUieteTeLTFKkfsnwQy1eKfJgcQHeFheBFjDRDS2uMiHAiXgv8zitlyNWk9Crefz8KWuuUaqAK_z2E52AWvTs_If0rRl4u3E93V3WNP92w/s1600/IMG_0219.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSL4DLGy0ltphkaEVnIUfaF3UV_t2VUieteTeLTFKkfsnwQy1eKfJgcQHeFheBFjDRDS2uMiHAiXgv8zitlyNWk9Crefz8KWuuUaqAK_z2E52AWvTs_If0rRl4u3E93V3WNP92w/s400/IMG_0219.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509981572265853026" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizr9TMiakC6S8Fe_69CzU2mwPm0mnHQLaCAt8Z8akkFEJ0Nk6U-zEUevYtbIS3a708htGif9jIGTUPcmj_7t1mQIiINr1e28uVQ31cdM84UDyDgjM0YqBvGZR9VEluU7dlC7Vykw/s1600/IMG_0191.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizr9TMiakC6S8Fe_69CzU2mwPm0mnHQLaCAt8Z8akkFEJ0Nk6U-zEUevYtbIS3a708htGif9jIGTUPcmj_7t1mQIiINr1e28uVQ31cdM84UDyDgjM0YqBvGZR9VEluU7dlC7Vykw/s400/IMG_0191.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509981563771465090" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhugqv1Ti2lQifUru47w-OlW2lh6LfnREoBW8sUwRkew0vlKusXa7tQOxyP-e-ygDESgIksJMzFYCXVBP84bvqmHy6nXTahEZaMbLONOKW9BKpntisBYJZesDBOcl1Xv7JTgRJF0Q/s1600/IMG_0187.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhugqv1Ti2lQifUru47w-OlW2lh6LfnREoBW8sUwRkew0vlKusXa7tQOxyP-e-ygDESgIksJMzFYCXVBP84bvqmHy6nXTahEZaMbLONOKW9BKpntisBYJZesDBOcl1Xv7JTgRJF0Q/s400/IMG_0187.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509981553954114210" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01mJUfE4rEdHllVZqM7t4l2f4NTOSqQkNknLiEBPAofb6vItc-rHUT9ImV4hzZyH6L_anPC5O2eo0adfCHCuB0hA24AW2mE_uJvR5osff9bW-ZoI0naQe68qJ7t2-74gWaC8Wsg/s1600/IMG_0168.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01mJUfE4rEdHllVZqM7t4l2f4NTOSqQkNknLiEBPAofb6vItc-rHUT9ImV4hzZyH6L_anPC5O2eo0adfCHCuB0hA24AW2mE_uJvR5osff9bW-ZoI0naQe68qJ7t2-74gWaC8Wsg/s400/IMG_0168.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509981543498625122" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZT6Op-dGmL5CUWZx4lHT450WhaUYsl-2kj3xA_jM8p8shuq6M6QLHAnFqXVpvG2kTVk3g037hjwo6_OBG_qHpYGpfeWRtaomSiSDUnhijmjv4lydWZpNzPOG29-OPTnXcv6b5Q/s1600/IMG_0164.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZT6Op-dGmL5CUWZx4lHT450WhaUYsl-2kj3xA_jM8p8shuq6M6QLHAnFqXVpvG2kTVk3g037hjwo6_OBG_qHpYGpfeWRtaomSiSDUnhijmjv4lydWZpNzPOG29-OPTnXcv6b5Q/s400/IMG_0164.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509981542217987186" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YpvhrWb0KUJGbEmVb0wgjLnVuzYBvfJXFJn_FDfLswqLF6B1d5xVRMpbE49mIxlIrUSOgVCMVjmuAWYUoRsmGuNrDnxSJpKjNn5r0smqyDJ_kCcCCTsO_BIU1wqmPKIkyCUEyw/s1600/IMG_0198.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YpvhrWb0KUJGbEmVb0wgjLnVuzYBvfJXFJn_FDfLswqLF6B1d5xVRMpbE49mIxlIrUSOgVCMVjmuAWYUoRsmGuNrDnxSJpKjNn5r0smqyDJ_kCcCCTsO_BIU1wqmPKIkyCUEyw/s400/IMG_0198.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509981066158417282" /></a><br /><br />Every once in awhile we get to have those perfect days. Days where all is right with the world and nothing can seem to go wrong. I was lucky enough to have a day like this twelve days ago when I celebrated my 35th birthday with friends and family. <br /><br />My parents planned to be in Missoula this year for my birthday and I thought it would be fun to have a get together while they were in town. Theresa and I planned a picnic for my folks and many of our Missoula friends. It ended up being a fantastic event and a chance for people to gather before fall arrives. <br /><br />We had ribs, chicken, salads, along with some great adult libations. Not to worry the kids had soda and water to drink ☺ Theresa thought she was being quite funny by putting a sheep on my cake as you can see in the picture HA HA HA There is a story that goes along with my cake motif but you’ll have to ask Theresa about that!<br /><br />It was awesome having T’s grand daughter Aleah and our nurse Casey’s kids in attendance. They are all so cute and man are they getting so darn big. Aleah was kinda shy but Casey’s boys sure warmed up to everyone. <br /><br />Piper, Casey’s oldest boy is six and he lives to play pranks. Well Theresa bought Jelly Belly jelly beans for the party but she bought Piper some “special” look-alikes that were in a word noxious. He laughed so hard giving me these nasty confections. The jelly beans were disguised as normal Jelly Belly’s but they were flavors that included: skunk spray, pencil shavings, dog food, toothpaste, baby wipes, rotten eggs, and centipede. Hey at least I was given some normal ones in between.<br /><br />Well I’ve rambled enough but I would like to thank everyone who was involved in my special day. Having my parents here was the best birthday present I could ask for. Sometime this weekend I will blog about the rest of my parent’s recent visit.<br /><br />Peace… Markmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-80004936350118273012010-08-19T00:52:00.003-05:002010-08-19T00:57:33.209-05:00Pug-demonium<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLojUiWeNh18RRGMgQhrFUISe6IjYI1w5wS3JuuxIEMjgmsCjaeCLArDl9iXUG5HPv7Aa25uTb7EJ-tdsVnfk8VsI1oEvld7G1OL67xQlGC-IV8C9ACul2yzrcU6LrdwGG29Ddg/s1600/phpsQMRntPM.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLojUiWeNh18RRGMgQhrFUISe6IjYI1w5wS3JuuxIEMjgmsCjaeCLArDl9iXUG5HPv7Aa25uTb7EJ-tdsVnfk8VsI1oEvld7G1OL67xQlGC-IV8C9ACul2yzrcU6LrdwGG29Ddg/s400/phpsQMRntPM.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506995200278871266" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCm5dRQJj8-rRk3l1wX5hbzm9x7_dX8Dr9yOda_wjcxYlZVMFW_4OYxMRr3lOoDJjBlf_0nGXuHv7tAItJAsgSgGtcIUNtBWB0u3s9jFt3x1SA6GNoo1eoZ1qCNw0Tcd5tJDGlA/s1600/php6eGUjvPM.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCm5dRQJj8-rRk3l1wX5hbzm9x7_dX8Dr9yOda_wjcxYlZVMFW_4OYxMRr3lOoDJjBlf_0nGXuHv7tAItJAsgSgGtcIUNtBWB0u3s9jFt3x1SA6GNoo1eoZ1qCNw0Tcd5tJDGlA/s400/php6eGUjvPM.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506995198190778370" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85vui139HVDX364vu8RehMQ7FH7yOpSZZS3imBJGGcil2Bbe3GNk5gWBHTxgCsaEuD2VFRmhPpZe19A_T5uzbYjziEc8_4fH2sV7dfgv3OZYmV5-u-9991ISc1yGg-N2bfo-mEQ/s1600/38736_1381763115475_1573885621_30986142_108841_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85vui139HVDX364vu8RehMQ7FH7yOpSZZS3imBJGGcil2Bbe3GNk5gWBHTxgCsaEuD2VFRmhPpZe19A_T5uzbYjziEc8_4fH2sV7dfgv3OZYmV5-u-9991ISc1yGg-N2bfo-mEQ/s400/38736_1381763115475_1573885621_30986142_108841_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506995194924923170" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBpzs4qgTkt-S7d-ZNFcvUpQAKW_28nFEagwU7uSSeFOT2nwmSoA5aNq3zvY_fpzfJFGP8unzAiHVQN4pzpc6BHpR1Qn3LZ0YKWEPiSftSZCLz7mDlEVJJCuUfOHXFW1D7thpEA/s1600/39966_1381761395432_1573885621_30986137_1255814_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 393px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBpzs4qgTkt-S7d-ZNFcvUpQAKW_28nFEagwU7uSSeFOT2nwmSoA5aNq3zvY_fpzfJFGP8unzAiHVQN4pzpc6BHpR1Qn3LZ0YKWEPiSftSZCLz7mDlEVJJCuUfOHXFW1D7thpEA/s400/39966_1381761395432_1573885621_30986137_1255814_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506995183992665762" /></a><br />Wow it’s been a busy but amazing summer and I apologize for the lack of blogging activity. Things are going great in Missoula and I just had a very nice visit with my parents. There will be a blog about that soon but in the meantime here’s one about our first visit to the weekly Mountain Pugs meetup here in town. I hope everyone of you is having a fantastic summer and I promise that my blog will be busy before the start of fall. <br /><br /><a href="http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_ae3ba818-9f7f-11df-9686-001cc4c03286.html">The Missoulian recently published an article about Mountain Pugs</a>, a locally based Pug owner group that meets weekly at Missoula’s Bark Park. We got very excited after reading this because we’ve been looking for a way to network with other area Pug nuts for a long time. Well about ten days ago we braved the unknown and under went our initiation in local Pug culture. <br /> <br />Theresa and I pulled up near Bark Park with Sammy and Ugga not knowing what craziness lay in store for the four of us. We turned onto the trail leading into the park and met the owners of Bam Bam, an enormous thirty eight pound muscular Pug. We walked and talked while Bam Bam playfully chased after Ugga. It turns out they were all making their first visit to the group too. <br /><br />I wound my way to the meeting spot, maneuvering my chair around bumps and low hanging tree branches. We finally arrived at a shady area where all the other members were congregating with their curly tailed furkids. I looked to the right, I looked to the left, and all I could see were PUGS. There were fawns, blacks, little Pugs, big Pugs, young Pugs, old Pugs, and even a few Puggles thrown in for good measure. Ugga was quickly off to socialize with the others but things were quite different with our Sammy. <br /><br />Sammy is usually if not always Mr. Outgoing at home but in the presence of all these strange Pugs, he became a big shy guy. He initially wanted Theresa to hold him but after a few minutes he cautiously checked out his surroundings. He didn’t venture very far from the security of his mama though. Sammy will definitely be making more meetups so he can learn to better socialize with his furry brethren. <br /><br />I’ve included some of my favorite pictures from the meetup. The second picture is of a sweet Pug named Polly. Little Miss Polly slowly made her way up to me at first, woofing at the mysterious contraption I was seated in. Her owner then brought her up for a closer look and I was immediately given a few gentle pug kisses. I was sure smitten with Polly and can’t wait to see her next time. <br /><br />The final picture is of our Ugga. We brought along a water dish for our kids but it didn’t hold Ugga’s interest very long. She was wandering around and thought this dish looked much more inviting than hers. Nothing like your Pug lounging in another dog’s dish. Oh well nobody minded at all because we were all there to get away from the grind and smile at life for awhile.<br /><br />We had a great time meeting over 50 Pugs and their wonderful owners (or people as I like to say). I look forward to many more meetups in the future and getting to know many new friends both furry and human. My life has been so enriched by these snorty, silly, and bug-eyed creatures and it’s amazing to be around others who couldn’t agree more.<br /><br />Peace, <br /><br />Markmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-90149980640491722392010-07-08T22:34:00.008-05:002010-07-12T12:47:57.269-05:00Slower pace<object width="402" height="377"><param name="movie" value="http://www.overstream.net/swf/player/oplx?oid=ettflasre2m0&noplay=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.overstream.net/swf/player/oplx?oid=ettflasre2m0&noplay=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="402" height="377" allowFullScreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br />Life here in Missoula has slowed down after summer school wrapped and I've started enjoying summertime. It feels good to have had a successful summer class and there was so much I was able to learn.<br /><br />I've attached a copy of my final project and I couldn't be happier with my first attempt at non-linear video editing. The process leading up to the final selected video was pretty intense because we only had five weeks to learn everything. This included many hours gathering video & interviews, researching, and editing it all together. Hope your enjoy the story I was able to assemble. <br /><br />The best part of the class was working with our professor Kagan. He made the class not only informative but fun too. The real world knowledge we gathered will serve many of us well in our future careers in journalism. Gets me excited to begin the professional program in the fall.<br /><br />The transition from school to vacation has been fabulous and it's great to unwind a little bit. I plan on enjoying my time off and I have a few plans. This weekend our friend Julie from New Hampshire is flying in for a visit. She plans on checking out the U for grad school and it will be fun showing off what western Montana has to offer. My folks are coming out for a visit in August for my birthday as well. Summer will end on a high note as Theresa, Dustin, and I will catch The John Mellencamp/Bob Dylan concert here in town.<br /><br />Hope everyone's summer is going great and hopefully I'll be back with another update real soon.<br /><br />Peace...Markmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-775325686887999182010-06-06T20:56:00.000-05:002010-06-06T21:58:06.606-05:00Adventures in TelevisionTuesday morning I wheeled myself into UM Disability Services (DSS) to start work on my first television production project. I met up with my professor Kagan to begin shooting the B roll footage for my final project. <br /><br />My story deals with the expansion of DSS to better serve students with disabilities here at the University of Montana. The B roll portion of footage I shot last Tuesday will supplement the interviews I will shoot this coming week. I will lastly edit everything together into a cohesive story by using Final Cut Pro. If things go as planned, hopefully it will end up on my blog in a few weeks.<br /><br />Kagan arrived shortly after I did and the work was set to begin. Before it was time to work though, I had to run through my mental checklist. Operating a television camera is somewhat complex and it requires following numerous procedures. You first have to get the tripod level before attaching the camera or all your footage will be crooked and unusable. Next you have to white balance the camera so your colors will look like they are supposed to. You need to white balance the camera each time the lighting or shooting environment changes. Now the camera iris must be set to let in the right amount of light for the conditions. It’s similar to an f-stop on a still camera so it wasn’t a huge deal to learn. The last thing left to do is focus the camera and adjust the audio levels.<br /><br />I wanted to get a feel for what was going on around the DSS offices because I felt it was important<br />to the telling of my story. This involved shooting some of the office staff working, staff moving boxes to the newly expanded DSS area, and the front desk/lobby area. My professor offered me great advice as the shoot progressed and that helped my confidence grow. The biggest hurdle was using the viewfinder of the camera but my professor solved that by letting me use an auxiliary monitor. This allowed me to see the shot and then I could adjust the camera accordingly.<br /><br />I’m not planning a future career in television but you just never know. My decision to take this class was based on my need to become a well rounded print journalist. There will be few journalism jobs for those of us who can’t write, gather audio, shoot video, and take still photographs. The goal for now is to enjoy the rest of this class and possibly look at taking a professional level television production class. After that anything is possible.<br /><br />Peace…Markmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-54000518620967387162010-05-29T23:07:00.000-05:002010-05-30T00:06:25.912-05:00Final projectThe ending of my photojournalism class marked the close of an intense challenge for me. I didn't know what to expect going in but at the least hoped to keep up and learn a few things. These things were acheived and I exceeded the expectations I laid out for myself. I will be posting more of my work from the semester but I'll start with my final project which I consider my best work.<br /><br />The subject for my project was Missoula glass blower Casey Bergschutz. I covered the entire glass blowing process and also Bergschultz's life as a father of two adorable boys. My shoots went well and the toughest task was narrowing down over 500 images to the final 8-9 selections. I'm happy with the results and below are my favorites. <br /><br />Enjoy...Mark<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3rkIfdZE94S1C1Rt6pyny8AxtE2GrTT_GIvTSlJvF9lJ2teX_Q-vmEKceTRRGtXqnlKy6PTwvr9Hdmy4i6nKg06wnSeZZ_JuwNr0dSGIy3hI-_b6VFdfQY_yR-huHetDIOvMew/s1600/1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3rkIfdZE94S1C1Rt6pyny8AxtE2GrTT_GIvTSlJvF9lJ2teX_Q-vmEKceTRRGtXqnlKy6PTwvr9Hdmy4i6nKg06wnSeZZ_JuwNr0dSGIy3hI-_b6VFdfQY_yR-huHetDIOvMew/s400/1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476924100928323330" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzq4eV7RPhw4v6y_yx3VNQELDr4ONe37t4LH62tiTl460-oGZX6mB6j19tzAxPYV4GtGMkH7ZWRhCkxcf0FsV2TZmpzLB2PLIrmRT4KuRweum2_zjZT5M3GgmIzxxEIhyphenhyphen69ArQA/s1600/2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzq4eV7RPhw4v6y_yx3VNQELDr4ONe37t4LH62tiTl460-oGZX6mB6j19tzAxPYV4GtGMkH7ZWRhCkxcf0FsV2TZmpzLB2PLIrmRT4KuRweum2_zjZT5M3GgmIzxxEIhyphenhyphen69ArQA/s400/2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476923806193742034" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkIfHZnHG4_4yZtNfyT5xbuoBX1ZpLfqal-CEK4DyzglggvolfN_8vZb7N10C-zzJ4z-neRJNBo58e8X3GDYIKDBtCDCh-iq4I9djsIDzzdLzfsiyrgNRJ1tSvMCb87C1YiVEGg/s1600/3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkIfHZnHG4_4yZtNfyT5xbuoBX1ZpLfqal-CEK4DyzglggvolfN_8vZb7N10C-zzJ4z-neRJNBo58e8X3GDYIKDBtCDCh-iq4I9djsIDzzdLzfsiyrgNRJ1tSvMCb87C1YiVEGg/s400/3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476923797697033778" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_XnYOKp2BcnlFaEXa88d8kG9x8d_ksIWOGveDcyu2cQANLMqC0HsrnY24w0iDusnJdn4SaKAYuvCjjDJ-UDfe6al2tr7pJ7JBvLfNXzEUSC9ZZyEQAuogmC9Hj31HWsz0SJ-X5w/s1600/4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_XnYOKp2BcnlFaEXa88d8kG9x8d_ksIWOGveDcyu2cQANLMqC0HsrnY24w0iDusnJdn4SaKAYuvCjjDJ-UDfe6al2tr7pJ7JBvLfNXzEUSC9ZZyEQAuogmC9Hj31HWsz0SJ-X5w/s400/4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476923794979058242" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9APRWHbTIT9sThwBzIeLEZcPefbUwGHbiJS0je10Q_o_tAwLQHpdMZZd9oSQ2xbQ22yQeNoprL6dOT2Vz7DIaQR50SqHiXvFM_NBGX2uD8vllD8DO-okSxr7_Dl7fx1KLs3qJyw/s1600/5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9APRWHbTIT9sThwBzIeLEZcPefbUwGHbiJS0je10Q_o_tAwLQHpdMZZd9oSQ2xbQ22yQeNoprL6dOT2Vz7DIaQR50SqHiXvFM_NBGX2uD8vllD8DO-okSxr7_Dl7fx1KLs3qJyw/s400/5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476923791942935314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTnYhL9oCdfVSrR4Rovu_Rx5ZznKVDBahCUA7DRM7j0W-XM7u4ray1eafXWnwGGfPPH01EM0y4LejjJkujIWny3IbJuGV92XplMTYmP44wg8ky3P9jBdaXlS40lHTbtfAfCtRvg/s1600/6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTnYhL9oCdfVSrR4Rovu_Rx5ZznKVDBahCUA7DRM7j0W-XM7u4ray1eafXWnwGGfPPH01EM0y4LejjJkujIWny3IbJuGV92XplMTYmP44wg8ky3P9jBdaXlS40lHTbtfAfCtRvg/s400/6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476923786129174898" /></a>markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-91210208957204173612010-05-25T22:33:00.001-05:002010-05-26T01:08:48.860-05:00Idaho and Bare Naked Ladies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7FMKk5mfonW4ahLQv0fBO2kiDf4rvloatcKLbU4gM_BvFlZ2M4Q-rFLx3AXrQsLFs5EdPwGHD89BTjPmhZNlV-C53DRdT5vSg9T2SHc4m_18gzC_x_zmr1m4pG9x5SLAQEq71lQ/s1600/crop+this+image.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7FMKk5mfonW4ahLQv0fBO2kiDf4rvloatcKLbU4gM_BvFlZ2M4Q-rFLx3AXrQsLFs5EdPwGHD89BTjPmhZNlV-C53DRdT5vSg9T2SHc4m_18gzC_x_zmr1m4pG9x5SLAQEq71lQ/s400/crop+this+image.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475431118172160994" /></a><br />I set out last Tuesday (5/18) for a day trip to Clark Fork, Idaho with Theresa as my guide. We went to Clark Fork so Theresa could put plants on her parent’s graves and show me around the town she grew up in.<br /> <br />The weather for our trip was cloudy with on and off rain but we weren't going to let that damper the day. We travelled along Highway 200 and went through Plains and Thompson Falls before leaving Montana. Our stomachs were rumbling as we came into Plains and stopped at a great roadside stand. The lunch fare consisted of buffalo burgers and tacos with a chaser of huckleberry lemonade. <br /><br />We made it into Clark Fork after three plus hours on the road and I received the grand tour. Theresa showed me the house she grew up in, her high school, where certain friends & relatives had lived and of course the local hang outs. It was a nice little town nestled in the Idaho Panhandle and I was very glad to have seen it.<br /><br />Next on our agenda was a trip to the local cemetery where Theresa cleaned and planted her family's gravesites. It was weird that while we were at the cemetery a wild tom was calling for his mate. He was very intent on noisily reminding us of his presence. Theresa tried to get a picture of the rowdy pair but they were moving a bit too fast.<br /><br />Before hitting the road back to Montana, we made a brief stop at Lake Pend Oreille. Lake Pend Oreille is massive at an area of 148 square miles and maybe on our next trip we can explore it a bit more. The highlight for me was watching a family of ducks out for a swim on the lake.<br /><br />I had the bright idea of stopping outside of Clark Fork to dine at the Amber Bear Inn. The Inn was very well advertised but getting there was another thing. We saw the main sign for it along the highway and turned off. We went a short distance and made another turn. I started to worry when after several turns we hit gravel. At this point we were committed and decided to forge on. Well after what seemed like an eternity we came upon a large house in a mountain meadow.<br /><br />Theresa went up to the door and proceeded to ring the bell. After a few minutes the proprietor finally emerged. She informed Theresa that they had just returned from a grocery run and she supposed she could cook us something. Well geez we wouldn’t want to inconvenience your fine establishment for a meal! She went on to explain they were open mostly for breakfast and lunch but dinner was more of a summer thing. Well don't ya think it would be good to put that on your billboard? She volunteered her husband to carry my very heavy power chair up the steps but we politely declined. Theresa told the gal she was worried about us finding our way back to the highway. Our hostess said we shouldn't have any problem and if we end up in the Diggers driveway we know we've gone too far. That would be fine except who the heck are the Diggers?<br /><br />We finally made it to the highway and began our long trip home. Dinner had to wait and we ended up eating at the O.K. Cafe in St. Regis. The O.K. Café is good place to stop if you find yourself on I-90 in western Montana. We finally rolled into Missoula about 10:30 that night but it the trip was awesome. I surely won't forget about our trip to the Amber Bear Inn!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlRZHXYQs4d0NLKb8rliZFWZbBUSAHU3FsYak7vy6rSP0FxVioM31TfQxzLJfx12BdfkwqWIOdq2CW_J_r9SbUDnNEjdx0RM_3-_gWxnQZoL-Tnt3JviLHikI6olC_o4B5Vyb6g/s1600/IMG_9182.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlRZHXYQs4d0NLKb8rliZFWZbBUSAHU3FsYak7vy6rSP0FxVioM31TfQxzLJfx12BdfkwqWIOdq2CW_J_r9SbUDnNEjdx0RM_3-_gWxnQZoL-Tnt3JviLHikI6olC_o4B5Vyb6g/s400/IMG_9182.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475431387635203442" /></a><br />I've been a Bare Naked Ladies AKA BNL fan since my Dewey Apts. days back in Jamestown. Their blend of sophisticated pop lyrics and quirky humor drew me to the band. When Theresa said she had tickets I was so excited but a bit bummed because Steven Page was no longer fronting the band.<br /><br />The concert was fabulous and BNL didn't miss a beat with Ed Robertson at the helm. They had an awesome light show and it was fun to see them engage with the audience. I thought they sounded quite good and they played many of my favorites including: The Old Apartment, Falling For The First Time, Pinch Me, You Run Away, Too Little Too Late, and It's All Been Done.<br /><br />It was a memorable evening and I'd definitely go see them again if given the chance. Check out BNL if they come to your neck of the woods.<br /><br />I promised some pictures on my final photojournalism project but I'll be back Thursday with that.<br /><br />Peace...Mark<br /><br />BNL Photo Credit: barenakedladies.commarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-22490654562566306892010-05-16T15:20:00.000-05:002010-05-16T16:21:10.097-05:00History in the making<object width="490" height="243"><param name="movie" value="http://www.kpax.com/player/VideoPlayer.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param value="configXML=http%3A//www.kpax.com/player/config.cfm%3Fvideo_id%3D3829%26zone_id%3D%26categories%3D1%2C22%2C180%2C249%26categories%3D" name="flashvars"></param><embed src="http://www.kpax.com/player/VideoPlayer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" width="490" height="243" flashvars="configXML=http%3A//www.kpax.com/player/config.cfm%3Fvideo_id%3D3829%26zone_id%3D%26categories%3D1%2C22%2C180%2C249%26categories%3D"></embed></object><br /><br />Thursday I witnessed the beginning of a new chapter at the University of Montana as the Payne Family Native American Center was dedicated. This beautiful facility will house the Native American Studies (NAS) program and is the first building of it's kind in the nation.<br /><br />The new Native American Center has a few features that stood out to me. They include:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">+The Bonnie HeavyRunner gathering space, a stunning atrium that is the centerpiece of the building.<br /><br />+Native designs from each of Montana's tribes are inscribed throughout the flooring of the building.<br /><br />+The Payne Center is the first completely green (LEED certified) building on the UM campus.<br /><br />+The landscaping uses a combination of native grasses, plants, and flowers that require little water.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">+Outside the center are the flags of each Montana tribe and a storytelling area where the oral traditions of the first Montanans can flourish.</span><br /><br />I have no native blood in me but seeing the faces of those in attendance at the dedication filled me with hope for the future. This country to put it bluntly has screwed over it's indigenous peoples and treated them like second class citizens for centuries. These wrongs sadly can't be undone but things like the Payne Center can start giving appreciation and respect back to our native brothers and sisters.<br /><br />As a student journalist, I want to have a basic understanding of the issues related to Montana's first peoples. I'll get a start on that this fall when I take my first Native American Studies (NAS) course. The course will deal with issues Montana Indians have dealt with since the reservation era began. I'm expecting this to be a rigorous class that will benefit me greatly in the future. If this class turns out to be as interesting as I think, there may be more NAS classes in my future.<br /><br />I failed to mention this but at the Payne Center dedication a very famous Montanan was in attendance. Joe Medicine Crow was born in Lodge Grass Montana and his deeds in WWII earned him the distinction of being the last Plains Indian War Chief. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom (highest civilian honor) by President Obama in 2009. Below is on clip on Joe Medicine Crow from the Ken Burns documentary The War.<br /><br /><object width="490" height="235"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/O_9-arto8D8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/O_9-arto8D8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="490" height="235"></embed></object><br /><br />I’ll have a post Wednesday on my final photojournalism project and a summary of the semester gone by.<br /><br />Peace…Mark.markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-54801171712440330262010-03-28T12:04:00.002-05:002010-03-29T12:43:59.230-05:00The VerdictI've been awaiting a response on my journalism school application and last Wednesday I received a long white envelope in the mail from the university. My heart was racing as my nurse opened the envelope and began reading. She started saying something about congratulations and I let out a yell. I sat stunned in my van while learning I'll be an official journalism student this fall!<br /><br />Yes there are many questions I have but these will be answered at an early April orientation meeting. I'll begin picking my fall classes soon and then the countdown will be on.<br /><br />I would like to thank anyone who has supported me over the years, especially my mom, dad, and sister. You all are so important to me and I'll try very hard not to let you down. Special thanks must go to Theresa, Dustin, and a few incredible nurses. You guys have been beyond amazing and are the reason this dream is a reality! I can't thank you enough.<br /><br />There still is a semester to complete so we will have to continue this journey later. Hope you will enjoy joining me on this ride because I have a feeling it won't be a dull one :)<br /><br />Peace...Markmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-46049089005130473232010-03-13T12:51:00.009-06:002010-03-13T13:31:58.732-06:00Portrait pressure<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfggcex4V3J3hj1oVbf-PpiCd4xww94Nn4FgmiDcIsM7TrjjOvUbMAinXxNTdlxDNbsZ4Q5m5R75-ypAOuuGKp3dS8Nn0It9Vo_eaoBwcTU1k4LM1sjnETHu1148gLSGMZZaneMg/s1600-h/1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfggcex4V3J3hj1oVbf-PpiCd4xww94Nn4FgmiDcIsM7TrjjOvUbMAinXxNTdlxDNbsZ4Q5m5R75-ypAOuuGKp3dS8Nn0It9Vo_eaoBwcTU1k4LM1sjnETHu1148gLSGMZZaneMg/s400/1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448197304997666642" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lf58ue3p_GBu6jFExIBiRBgtMfy0XJyBB5yodUwNcd9HsGmmoZDbizN4D1u02fHQJVktnqOAYcwhTXvw6iWuYAgWgrSdcorZCEZKpqiQjfVaRAvVjkU4ol5PC0_BOAsQqFFwNA/s1600-h/6.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lf58ue3p_GBu6jFExIBiRBgtMfy0XJyBB5yodUwNcd9HsGmmoZDbizN4D1u02fHQJVktnqOAYcwhTXvw6iWuYAgWgrSdcorZCEZKpqiQjfVaRAvVjkU4ol5PC0_BOAsQqFFwNA/s400/6.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448197121640296290" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9er61FrX7Sjg7oV7T8loKyzXx0V6YoAxUofuZfJps0ibl6y5a12XxI6EyZehqXt2FHhq6Uh8hcQafmnYK1kDQbcuHsRWgTQ0F65B_c5CjTLGHIRHHUa7tzDDz669B9Y0MVfO6OA/s1600-h/5.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9er61FrX7Sjg7oV7T8loKyzXx0V6YoAxUofuZfJps0ibl6y5a12XxI6EyZehqXt2FHhq6Uh8hcQafmnYK1kDQbcuHsRWgTQ0F65B_c5CjTLGHIRHHUa7tzDDz669B9Y0MVfO6OA/s400/5.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448197109911247522" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNcTUl7T_i8sdw4jrMBcQW6ayf40xTDbfquVqDiKUWWdk2bRnnDVqxxe6uG4IMYc02gkzsOgJgVOBb797s8OkzWA9ZAOiS2eED-cCns0P8B_yRW_QwTBy4DfjWOY9dys9WvA-tA/s1600-h/4.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNcTUl7T_i8sdw4jrMBcQW6ayf40xTDbfquVqDiKUWWdk2bRnnDVqxxe6uG4IMYc02gkzsOgJgVOBb797s8OkzWA9ZAOiS2eED-cCns0P8B_yRW_QwTBy4DfjWOY9dys9WvA-tA/s400/4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448197093811756866" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FHDKqiJtPG24xq3Txmo5uvjs4AoVBb6Ine6wHlbWB7lCu0dMM-6lvCJxcvQUPMaHZ06B-iUclfEc0BpR9zYJe0eFttP_cMlvGGcEIOdkvMFHdmXmq2Vc87pYRBW_teeOxEeDIA/s1600-h/3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FHDKqiJtPG24xq3Txmo5uvjs4AoVBb6Ine6wHlbWB7lCu0dMM-6lvCJxcvQUPMaHZ06B-iUclfEc0BpR9zYJe0eFttP_cMlvGGcEIOdkvMFHdmXmq2Vc87pYRBW_teeOxEeDIA/s400/3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448197092677728530" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihr7SenaAcauaLq9-gFD8IsKI7bQUvOwOL7SEneGfiUKP6lknLVg9CS26Ghp0ibwojAXBSzwsSdNhTxp7YoUpTKkXXSEo1yOGm04ZbhL2SuNPDGrpeFZCrLa0thxjYrOf4E0a9rQ/s1600-h/2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihr7SenaAcauaLq9-gFD8IsKI7bQUvOwOL7SEneGfiUKP6lknLVg9CS26Ghp0ibwojAXBSzwsSdNhTxp7YoUpTKkXXSEo1yOGm04ZbhL2SuNPDGrpeFZCrLa0thxjYrOf4E0a9rQ/s400/2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448197084512751794" /></a><br />A couple weeks ago we were given probably the hardest assignment of the semester in our photojournalism class. My mission whether or not I chose to accept it was to take thirty portraits of total strangers in a week.<br /><br />Needless to say I was a bit panic stricken at first but it wasn't too bad once I got underway. I must say Missoula is full of cooperative souls and I only had a few refusals. The hardest part of this whole thing was the editing process. I'm still new to Photoshop so it took some time to edit thirty photos but I made it through.<br /><br />I couldn't put all my portraits up here so I chose a few favorites instead. Hope you enjoy!<br /><br />Peace...Markmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-79328675862560541832010-03-10T23:18:00.004-06:002010-03-10T23:37:36.918-06:00Chilean Heroics<object width="416" height="374" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="ep"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="movie" value="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=world/2010/03/09/penhaul.chile.unlikely.heroes.cnn" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><embed src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=world/2010/03/09/penhaul.chile.unlikely.heroes.cnn" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="416" wmode="transparent" height="374"></embed></object><br /><br />I've been slacking with the blog lately but school has been keeping me busy. My friend Marsha brought this video to my attention and I just had to share. It speaks to the good of humanity and also the bad.<br /><br />These two women are heroes in the truest sense of the word. Their actions were unselfish and show the love these two have for their fellow human beings. As for these cowardly nuns, they sicken and disgust me. How can you pledge to take care of these people and then bail on them in their hour of need? Hopefully karma will catch up with those two very soon. I'd continue on a further rant about organized religion but I'll step off the soapbox for now :)<br /><br />I'm curious to what other's think so please feel free to comment on this post.<br /><br />Peace...Markmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-75275518079724201102010-02-26T01:13:00.000-06:002010-02-26T02:13:44.112-06:00The Waiting Is The Hardest Part<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IKMUSmKRPrY&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IKMUSmKRPrY&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Well the time has finally come for me to formally apply to the UM School of Journalism. My application has been submitted and hopefully I will receive the much awaited decision around the end of March. I feel pretty confident but you just never know about these things.<br /><br />I have been a fan of CBS's Steve Hartman for awhile now and love his unique style of reporting. Being it is the winter sports season, I thought I'd share the story of Wil and his passion for skiing. Enjoy and I'll share more of Hartman's gems from time to time.<br /><br />Peace...Markmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-43428347601378866702010-02-22T12:54:00.005-06:002010-02-22T14:36:21.298-06:00Depth of field<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhooy3MAyxs4HO843qz4X66_t0ZFDzkhrTmAQ6npJfoc5jfMrTFggA_GnuoBHhSPFV_yeWhlH2hs4rTT4IfpL6uV0S18ZQldRh8LOixmlWQEM2C4N2IYwmBQHYWNdwi-cSvQJKP3g/s1600-h/short+dof.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhooy3MAyxs4HO843qz4X66_t0ZFDzkhrTmAQ6npJfoc5jfMrTFggA_GnuoBHhSPFV_yeWhlH2hs4rTT4IfpL6uV0S18ZQldRh8LOixmlWQEM2C4N2IYwmBQHYWNdwi-cSvQJKP3g/s400/short+dof.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441143806138234482" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAvr2uXERNz7xtwxo4faQsL3Uo7Yf9q8C5WI9oPtQboQUghqMBMyfv_z61jHlAE2RmSqIgcovvcvYIT6bHJt2wmK9-dBypc772I9c4elLXoCWhXWr9AcbYjsg-YslfLurfdupjEQ/s1600-h/max+dof.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAvr2uXERNz7xtwxo4faQsL3Uo7Yf9q8C5WI9oPtQboQUghqMBMyfv_z61jHlAE2RmSqIgcovvcvYIT6bHJt2wmK9-dBypc772I9c4elLXoCWhXWr9AcbYjsg-YslfLurfdupjEQ/s400/max+dof.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441143795326419106" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7yf4HhYJA7SYlF5g-20YiDbjcJAEdtcRXBcAH6Cl6uMztPgJNnZan6reHM3qWKkmHpt-bLM-sDXXgk75LOKZxwzxhwH0TBzRFbrT7D6RqtKiWLelMpoxZ93bPRwl-Y10A0zF9kw/s1600-h/max+dof+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7yf4HhYJA7SYlF5g-20YiDbjcJAEdtcRXBcAH6Cl6uMztPgJNnZan6reHM3qWKkmHpt-bLM-sDXXgk75LOKZxwzxhwH0TBzRFbrT7D6RqtKiWLelMpoxZ93bPRwl-Y10A0zF9kw/s400/max+dof+2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441143788558171922" /></a><br />Here are a few of my shots from an assignment dealing with depth of field. Depth of field is a term that deals with how much of a picture is in sharp focus. I took the pool ball shot with a wide aperture and this gave me a shallow depth of field. The shallow depth of field brings the 5 ball into focus but blurs most of the remaining picture out. This shot worked out pretty well for my basic level of skill.<div><br /></div><div>The other two photos were taken with a very narrow aperture and this brought the entire image into sharp focus. I've really enjoyed learning the basics during this class and it is a great pastime for me to pursue. There will be many more photos upcoming here and this spring I hope to travel a bit and shoot the beautiful scenery of western Montana.</div><div><br /></div><div>Peace...Mark</div>markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-15611653173846689762010-02-19T23:00:00.002-06:002010-02-20T00:03:31.531-06:00Portrait pics<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6Va9WXEOcnGQVyvtNLrKf21DM-ZrMRQUgJA5RXUwDZzNulpKIm2tBYrS1ghqimAYyKWNqPiqlg2w-wijI_PDYg4UAw0NgNFVXIEDpLCkgpKKxA9iBG56r01jFs65C5X0w_NtNA/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6Va9WXEOcnGQVyvtNLrKf21DM-ZrMRQUgJA5RXUwDZzNulpKIm2tBYrS1ghqimAYyKWNqPiqlg2w-wijI_PDYg4UAw0NgNFVXIEDpLCkgpKKxA9iBG56r01jFs65C5X0w_NtNA/s400/1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440201437140244578" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dMSwjQJZjmue1fXG-FVj13R1FYE4raEW9mIDKHrgEn2hZAXz6xREQZKHwKfpZV2HyP8qvYuhB_io82Zs-ECdOeZrcc7syAG-Y7VyP-FBzbJsAOgRWJVIsBXHWGZZOp22KCsE9Q/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dMSwjQJZjmue1fXG-FVj13R1FYE4raEW9mIDKHrgEn2hZAXz6xREQZKHwKfpZV2HyP8qvYuhB_io82Zs-ECdOeZrcc7syAG-Y7VyP-FBzbJsAOgRWJVIsBXHWGZZOp22KCsE9Q/s400/2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440201432275444290" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwqR7Ea4TwV-1Mt02QczJBUMlmU_bvgIQQ7h2RC5HS1HbrxnzUqs26zk9tOIO2QavgwFfbnM8iW0H3Nx5QTk5uREC1rLMBZ9lYn0mZmpxdRsSM95ZzesCY1EFQuHE7D8Rk4r_Rw/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwqR7Ea4TwV-1Mt02QczJBUMlmU_bvgIQQ7h2RC5HS1HbrxnzUqs26zk9tOIO2QavgwFfbnM8iW0H3Nx5QTk5uREC1rLMBZ9lYn0mZmpxdRsSM95ZzesCY1EFQuHE7D8Rk4r_Rw/s400/3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440201429623934002" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXj3gxjPZfSXJWsjq9Le44RLcQJDSuMBldW1lW6iPjDuh0otl2e2_aXLEDrq3sTk5dV3v91ewIRzQ4BSuQ5NezEBwalxzAHtqtfjfetOh06wbV-xSeO2Wt_R__TbXl9pm2oxH0g/s1600-h/4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXj3gxjPZfSXJWsjq9Le44RLcQJDSuMBldW1lW6iPjDuh0otl2e2_aXLEDrq3sTk5dV3v91ewIRzQ4BSuQ5NezEBwalxzAHtqtfjfetOh06wbV-xSeO2Wt_R__TbXl9pm2oxH0g/s400/4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440201420654709426" /></a><br />I'm really getting into my photojournalism class and last week we worked on depth of field. It was fun to experiment with a few different types of shots and I felt things went well. The photos need to still be converted to jpeg but I'll put them up here on Sunday.<br /><br />The above shots were taken by my classmate Micheal and I felt he did a great job. I really like the tighter shots he took and hey I didn't even break his camera :) <br /><br />Things will get crazy this week as we head out into the field for a major portrait project. It's been a blast so far and I've learned so much already about the intricacies of photography. Can't wait to see where I can take my new knowledge.<br /><br />Peace...Mark.markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-16844564086924444082010-02-15T17:51:00.001-06:002010-02-15T18:55:16.544-06:00disAbled in the media<object id="otvPlayer" width="400" height="268"><br /><param name="movie" value="http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/static/flash/embeddedPlayer/swf/otvEmLoader.swf?version=&station=wls§ion=&mediaId=6884067&cdnRoot=http://cdn.abclocal.go.com&webRoot=http://abclocal.go.com&site=" ></param><br /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><br /><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"></param><br /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><br /><embed id="otvPlayer" width="400" height="268" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" <br /> allowscriptaccess="always" allownetworking="all" allowfullscreen="true" <br /> src="http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/static/flash/embeddedPlayer/swf/otvEmLoader.swf?version=&station=wls§ion=&mediaId=6884067&cngdnRoot=http://cdn.abclocal.go.com&webRoot=http://abclocal.go.com&site="><br /></embed><br /></object><br /><br />When I began my pursuit of a journalism degree, I wondered how many others with disabilities had taken a similar path. Yes there are examples like my friend Scott in Florida who graduated from St. John's and there are high profile examples in people like John Hockenberry. Beyond the few examples I can cite here, I wonder why there aren't more of us in this field.<br /><br />Now I'm not naive to think there aren't reasons for this. Yes it's a challenging endeavour and there are more times than not when you have to flat out work your ass off. The feeling I get though from working on a story makes up for the effort expended. It may also be there is little money in the bulk of journalism. Yes there is money in the upper echelon careers but very few of us will become the next Katie Couric or Brian Williams. Being happy in a profession is more important to me than raking in the dough. <br /><br />These reasons are valid but I'm hoping I can inspire others with disabilities to take the plunge and I'd be satisfied if it's even just one. The video above should be all the proof needed to show that it can be done. We as a community need to take an active role in the world around us and perhaps even to be the storytellers of important events. I'd like to wish the good folks in Chicago well as they work to inform their community. Just think of the potential if more of us got involved all around the country. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.<br /><br />Peace...Markmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783577.post-54527959015906069302010-02-13T00:17:00.003-06:002010-02-13T02:33:45.664-06:00First photos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-o2Dnw6aDK2b22Ys3bzjNKs0kr4b9bqKR6zg146IKIc6JeyoI8crZk65d8pfFamITNqcVWJETUTaehugdPpTx2FNl6YVOMWjHdkCd7ZHXSYVGBircCXGcVynywmE4gu3fHh30ZQ/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-o2Dnw6aDK2b22Ys3bzjNKs0kr4b9bqKR6zg146IKIc6JeyoI8crZk65d8pfFamITNqcVWJETUTaehugdPpTx2FNl6YVOMWjHdkCd7ZHXSYVGBircCXGcVynywmE4gu3fHh30ZQ/s400/1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437608766524452946" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUPMjB9pFyOBGFn_1Mb5Q8bHCu6GIjW1VhimBBMVlztbBSV0mHMeiX3Ej8n26WJX8TLTj9Qjy-7stqLfwgLq0HLRLs6M0MZqJ8O710FpEodDdiQC9qpqdwg-jmvsfhn7XDYLssw/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUPMjB9pFyOBGFn_1Mb5Q8bHCu6GIjW1VhimBBMVlztbBSV0mHMeiX3Ej8n26WJX8TLTj9Qjy-7stqLfwgLq0HLRLs6M0MZqJ8O710FpEodDdiQC9qpqdwg-jmvsfhn7XDYLssw/s400/2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437608765580151714" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBO9hN4Kz-I4_yr8GSAvzAIUYGqItAAOq8oCkNMoVWFJZzGBTXMyAgK1OXkYtzY-h9Nh_-2ld0bhnTmDkl8ulvmvyuHfFqg-GbqJqauEMEAqBTbRJSudYfuvDbRkuf18rK-_5Y-g/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBO9hN4Kz-I4_yr8GSAvzAIUYGqItAAOq8oCkNMoVWFJZzGBTXMyAgK1OXkYtzY-h9Nh_-2ld0bhnTmDkl8ulvmvyuHfFqg-GbqJqauEMEAqBTbRJSudYfuvDbRkuf18rK-_5Y-g/s400/3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437608754808788594" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DSeqQQ5BLnZGfd0o-QlNDsu0MaJhTZOUZmiQYjyE095bDzy6NpnDqvsox1MK_yaYMJH6FGY382zYCHZaYN6_jkKSCgYl8gdVYpJ8b4xP1SJsUkxG7i6vw43yNMWgR_dtx2Tz5g/s1600-h/4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DSeqQQ5BLnZGfd0o-QlNDsu0MaJhTZOUZmiQYjyE095bDzy6NpnDqvsox1MK_yaYMJH6FGY382zYCHZaYN6_jkKSCgYl8gdVYpJ8b4xP1SJsUkxG7i6vw43yNMWgR_dtx2Tz5g/s400/4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437608750196985810" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5XTSHglvQ1mIlN1lE0znf02yKgLK78WeBNrWx7JRWTsTdkXaS65dXkAX9OHq_Vu5xeG1DGx5Wv7AxMEQ0E3KhuNRIiFr0QCj4-J44aOZqQ2mHZF527Eg0Hjd0aJ8KGNbtXXJDQ/s1600-h/5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5XTSHglvQ1mIlN1lE0znf02yKgLK78WeBNrWx7JRWTsTdkXaS65dXkAX9OHq_Vu5xeG1DGx5Wv7AxMEQ0E3KhuNRIiFr0QCj4-J44aOZqQ2mHZF527Eg0Hjd0aJ8KGNbtXXJDQ/s400/5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437608748319153026" /></a><br /><br />I had my first shoot last week and here are my best photos. Not bad for my first attempt but there is much to improve on. <br /><br />This project called for us to be paired with a classmate and to take pictures of each other. My partner was Michael, a foreign exchange student from Australia. It was a good experience and a fun beginning project.<br /><br />Peace...Markmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09738814497495869059noreply@blogger.com4