1st Blog Assignment
Akash Shah on Sep 5th 2013
Create a two minute video, an eight image slideshow, or a ten song musical playlist that represents who you think you are to your classmates. Embed your creation in a blog post and then write no more than 500 words that explains how what you’ve created speaks to who you are. Here are some free tools that you can use for this assignment, but you are free to use whatever services you like:
Video Editors:
- YouTube Editor http://www.youtube.com/editor/
Image slideshows:
- Blogs@Baruch built-in galleries (documentation forthcoming)
- Flickr – http://flickr.com
- Flickr Slidr – http://flickrslidr.com/
- Picassa – http://picasaweb.google.com/
- Image loop – http://www.imageloop.com/
Musical Playlists:
- Grooveshark – http://grooveshark.com
- Spotify – http://www.spotify.com/us/
- Mixpod – http://www.mixpod.com/
I will let you know the Due Date for the 1st Blog Assignment in class
Filed in Blog Post One | 16 responses so far
16 Responses to “1st Blog Assignment”
FRO blog by Brandon Leung on Grooveshark
^^ (for the playlist above)
I think that this playlist describes me because it shows how diverse I can be since the genres of these songs are different. I like to listen to a lot of different things as you can see from my play list. All these songs have a specific meaning or theme that I would like to highlight as part of my personality or my outlook. Themes from these songs would be being confident, not giving up, not judging a book by its cover, being a good friend and enjoying life or childhood. These are all traits that I think would describe me the best and that I hope my peers would see.
One song that for some reason was left off the play list was “You’ve Got a friend in Me” by Randy Newman from Toy Story. The link is pasted below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy4uiiy0qgA
Hey everyone,
Link to Grooveshark playlist: http://grooveshark.com/#!/playlist/FRO13+BMB/90677818
One of my favorite songs is “The Air That I Breathe” by the metalcore band All That Remains. It features a mix of vocals and beautiful guitar solos. I play guitar myself (albeit on and off) and love Oli Herbert’s guitar solo at the beginning and towards the end.
I also enjoy sad-themed songs. Avenged Sevenfold’s “Afterlife” is just that piece. Despite its genre, it elicits a somewhat sad feeling throughout the piece. But it is well written, complex, and one can easily notice the talent of the band members.
I think I am somewhat of a relaxed person. The song “Gimme Shelter” by The Rolling Stones and I go hand in hand. The song starts off slowly (like me in the morning) and gets upbeat and happy (also like me). It is a simple song but very fun to listen to when one is feeling down.
I like to play sports and workout. My iPod reflects this. I have songs like “Indestructible” by Disturbed that get me adrenalized. I love the feeling of adrenaline coursing through my body. It’s as if I can lift cars! Some of the songs in my playlist get me pumped up and ready for workouts or strenuous at-home tasks. Some of these songs feature quick double bass drumming and drop-d guitar tuning (which, for those who do not know, gives the a song a meaner tone).
I also like to daydream a lot when I listen to music. I conjure scenarios where I perform impossible feats. I used to watch a lot of anime and so I always pictured myself as the main character with the ridiculously destructive powers.
I am also a man that enjoys music from other decades. Although these songs are mostly slower, they still elicit feelings of euphoria. The guitar solos, however, are still as well composed. It is very important to remember the work of our forefathers. “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” – that sort of thing.
If you really want to succeed in life, you will have to work hard and outshine everyone else. I believe in working hard and pushing yourself to your limits. Some songs in my playlist allow me to envision working hard and how it will pay off in the future. The song “Meddler” by August Burns Red starts off angry/sad-sounding, but it gets better (in terms of its tone). It elates you and gives you a fresh start (to fight another battle, workout out, or simply finish your homework).
By the way, I am George from Georgia the country! As such, I love different countries and enjoying what they have to offer. Once I become wealthy, I wish to travel all around the world! I have a song in my playlist that was composed in a different country (Germany)! Although it’s general category is similar to the rest of my songs.
Enjoy,
George Kobakhidze
https://play.spotify.com/user/andasreth/playlist/3vUusBF4kBysonQPxb8ioV
Hey everyone!
I’ve compiled a somewhat eclectic playlist, but that’s only because I’ve shamelessly decided to link to almost every part of myself. It took me a while to compile because I rarely like a whole song from any artist and it’s even rarer when I like more than one song of theirs. On the other hand, I listen to so much random music that I never bother remember the artists’ names, so you’ll have to make do with these.
Out of my choices, two represent my laid-back hobbies, literature, and piano. ‘What the Water Gave Me’ by Florence + The Machine isn’t my favorite one, but the chilling vocals, inspired by Virginia Woolf, had me in shivers the first time I heard it. I’ve chosen to include Chopin’s Waltz #7, as out of all the classical masters I enjoy him the most, and hope to (one day) be able to (or die trying) play well enough to be worthy of his compositions.
I can rarely sit in silence at home, nor when I’m going anywhere alone. It’s always headphones or speakers on full volume, as dangerous as that can be. Not all songs work in all situations; at home, there’s nothing better than Melody Gardot’s blues for a relaxing atmosphere as I cook dinner, and the sometimes hypnotic Buddha Bar collections are even better when I need to tune out of words and focus on homework.
When I’m off somewhere, walking to a strong beat, I’ll be shuffling through my list of songs more often than not. The rare artists that I will be caught listening to are Superheavy and The Gossip, but sometimes indie, reggae, and electronica make it to that exclusive list – if I remember their names from spotify.
Two songs are both my shame and my pride and joy – my guilty pleasures. I will never deny my undying love for Abba (not just cause they’re Swedish and I am to) and yes, Lady Gaga. Both motivate me and move me and make me want to sing right out in the street, though I try to just walk normally.
The final song is more of a homage to my heritage than a true favorite of mine, but I grew up with it. ‘Koni Priveredlivye’, which roughly translate as ‘Fastidious Horses’ by Vladimir Vysotsky, was a Soviet singer who had an incredible cultural impact in the time that my mother was growing up. Though I have never been to Russia I was very incorporated into the culture at home, and this song is a representation of what Russia was to my family, and what that part of my identity means to me now.
Whelps, that about covers it. Enjoy your weekend, everyone!
https://plus.google.com/photos/116313451110350691270/albums/5925918181687187281?authkey=CMulktvEh6P1Tw
I have pictures of my personal life! YAYY! They all makes up the basic summary of who I am. I can also confirm who I am with a few very simple statements: I love cats, I love animals, I love anime, I love the American Museuem of Natural History and I LOVE Michael Bublé. My life is a pretty simple one because I hate to over complicate things and I try to avoid dramas and stay true to myself. Though I tend to be overly passionate at times. Therefore, when I say love, I mean LOVE and when I say LOVE, I mean LOOOVVEEEE. Cats are amazing creatures: they are soft, cute and sleep everywhere but their own beds. My cats are quite mischievous which makes them super fun! Unfortunately that means I have to watch out for my plants because my cats will knock my plants over to get a spot on the window sill. It is very calming to mean being having green plants around my house; also I feel especially proud when I get them as baby plants and see them grow to hug plants. I’ve been an anime fan since I was in seventh grade and then in eight grade I grew two gigantic anime posters for my local library as thanks for providing me with my favorite anime. Both posters were up for four years until the library got new head that didn’t appreciated beautiful non-library works. It made me sad because I never got it back before they threw it out. I promise you it was amazing’ I was very talented eight grader. I’ve been volunteering with AMNH for two years with different programs of theirs; recently I did summer internship and it was best summer of my high school life because that place is super amazing an always fun! Also, I feel extra cool walking around with AMNH badge and being able to give tourists directions because I knew where halls were located! Finally Michael Bublé has the most amazing voice in this time and age. It’s soothing and he writes beautiful love songs and sings amazing tributes to the oldies of Luis Armstrong and Elvis. He has range of genres and he’s just my favorite artist because I get to enjoy the past and present musical times. Pretty much if you every get to know me better, my personally and speeches will revolve around these topics. They highly influence me and I’m very proud of that! I’m also very proud to be Guyanese because that makes my kind of unique and changes my perspective of certain things as compared to others.
https://plus.google.com/photos/113077526872230255110/albums/5926495593753098049?authkey=CMiYysCNx67R8wE
Hi everyone! I created an 8 image slideshow with things that I love and mean a lot to me. I found some of the pictures on google, a few being silly clipart, and a few others I took myself.
The first picture is of Turkey, which is where my family is from. I visited Turkey every summer when I was little. I lived there for two years when I was beginning high school, and moved back to the US when I was a junior. So being Turkish is definitely a big part of who I am.
My most favorite food in the entire world is actually a Turkish delicacy, called Çiğ Köfte. It’s basically consists of a type of rice called bulgur, and it is mixed with tomato paste and a huge variety of spices. It’s sounds really simple, but it’s amazing.
I consider myself to be a very logical and analytic person. For this reason, my favorite class in school is science. This year, I’m seeing chemistry, and I really enjoy the class. I’m actually studying pre-medicine, but I’m undecided about what my exact major should be.
In fact, my school grades is something that I care a lot about. I always aim to get the highest grade I could get. In high school I would get upset over getting a 98 when I could have gotten a higher grade.
I like to do other stuff when not worrying about school, like swimming. I took swimming classes starting when I was six and continued them for years. I enjoy going to the beach, which there is a picture of that I took.
As simple as this may sound, I like watching TV. Of course, everyone enjoys TV. For me, It’s relaxing to not have to think about everything you have to do for school and just have a good laugh.
I first started learning the guitar when I was in at school in 5th grade, and I loved it. I have a guitar my dad got me for my 13th birthday, which there is a picture of.
Lastly, the most important people in my life are my family. I have 2 other siblings. It’s definitely nice to be a part of a big family because you’re never alone; it’s always fun.
-Leyla
http://www.flickr.com/photos/102826996@N07/sets/72157635774912585
I’m not really going to try painting myself in a good light.
In my first two pictures, I’m making pancakes and showing you the ones that I would actually attempt to feed people. Now, I’m interested in cooking, but by no means would I say that I’m a good cook. I can at least say that it will be edible (which is good enough for me). There are a few things that I actually manage to cook were pancakes, curry, fried dumplings and other things.
My favorite type of food happens to be sushi. I prefer rolled sushi and my favorite fish in sushi would be tuna. I can actually make some sushi myself ; I’ve made a California Roll (of which the picture is showing) and a Spicy Tuna roll, although it’s been a while since I tried making it again.
I’m not really an avid reader, but I enjoy books from time to time. My preferred genre of books are usually classics, such as A Clockwork Orange, 1984, and so on.
Most of my free time is spent on playing games or watching anime. In this particular picture, I’m playing on the brother’s computer the game “FTL : Faster than Light”. I play a wide range of genres : shooters such as Team Fortress 2, MOBAs such as League of Legends, MMORPGs such as Guild Wars 2, and so on. I tend to not play puzzle, RTS, or racing games.
I watch a lot of anime and I would pick Baccano! as my favorite. Its particularly quirky cast and its two story lines regarding Immortality and a particular fictional train caper makes it the best anime for me. I watch a wide range of anime, although I tend to not watch the more mainstream ones and anime aiming towards a female audience.
And lastly, a picture of my brother. He’s pretty similar to me, although he enjoys League of Legends to a greater degree than me.
https://plus.google.com/photos/103413129402210810738/albums/5926587578101573793
So I decided to keep it simple and make a slide show to try to summarize my life. As a graduate of Fort Hamilton High School I can’t just simply erase that part of my life now that I am in college, which is why a good portion of those pictures are from my senior year. One of the most memorable experiences in high school was joining the volleyball team and accomplishing things that have never been accomplished in our school’s history, along with meeting guys who became my closest friends. I also got pictures of my family who have been a great influence in my life, especially my little brother who is like mini me. The picture of Chichen Itza represents how much I enjoy traveling and exploring. In summary I find myself pretty much a typical teenager who shares most of the interests others do.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andreaguerrerophotos/sets/72157635777448704/
Hey guys,
Explaining who you are through words and pictures can be really tough. So what better way to express myself than through the things that I love.
I guess the thing I love most would have to be music. I listen to huge variety of music, since it’s pretty much impossible for me to stick to one type of music. I feel that you’ll always want to express yourself slightly different than before. Whatever I’m feeling, music is my therapy. I can go through any obstacle in my life as long as I spend some time thinking with myself and music.
I wish I could say I was a reader, because I think it’s a great quality; to be able to get lost in a book. Unfortunately, I don’t read much but the few books I have read, have gotten me through important moments in my life. My two favorite books will always hold a l place in my heart, and that’s got to count for something.
The people I love represent such an essential part of my life. I sometimes take them for granted and don’t notice it, but at the end of the day I realize how much I love them. Especially my parents, who have always been there for me. We don’t always see eye to eye but, I do thank them the most for my childhood because I had a great one, and not many kids are able to. I’m also the oldest child, and I can honestly say that my little siblings mean the world to me. I get bossy and always think I know what’s right for them. I care too much- and sometimes, I feel like I’m a second mother to them. They’re great kids and everything I didn’t get to experience, I want them to.
The nights I spent with my best friends helped shaped who I am today too. We’ve gone through highs and lows but managed to pull through and have memories that’ll last for a lifetime.
Where my family comes from also plays an important role in my life. It’s my culture and I never got to fully experience or understand it until I went to Ecuador. The way of life is more calm and family matters most. It was a great experience because I learned to appreciate what I have and keep an open mind- which in my opinion was one of the most eye-opening lessons I’ve learned so far.
One of my most prominent traits would have to be my short temper and patience, which I’m working on. There are times where I feel like I have to get away from everyone and everything. Other times, I just like to be alone. My favorite things to do when I feel this way is to take a long drive or go to a beach. There’s a long road by my house and that’s my favorite place to go for a ride. It really clears your mind.
– Andrea
http://www.flickr.com/photos/102853413@N07/sets/72157635781373435/
Hey people! To be honest, there’s nothing much to talk about myself. To start things off, I love anime! Therefore, I made my slideshow entirely of anime pictures.
I’m pretty diverse with what kind of animes I watch. I’m willing to watch any kind of anime as long as I get into it. That’s pretty much what my first picture is, the diversity of all kinds of shows in one picture.
Moving along, my family and friends are pretty much what I value most in life. My family is the main reason why I’m still here in this world. And I am grateful for all the efforts they have put into me. They provide me with food, shelter, and every other necessities. My friends keeps me happy and I value all of them as though they are part of my family.
Although I don’t fascinate school a whole lot, it is still an important place in my life. School is where I met all of my close friends I have so far and is also where I met you people. It is also where we get educated so we can prepare for the future. So, even though school isn’t my forte, it still is a very important in my life.
Aside from anime, I also love video games. I enjoy almost any kind of video games but my most favorite kinds are the ones that I can play with my friends. I seem to enjoy the games more when I have friends to accompany me.
I also love to listen to music. I listen to almost any kind of music including music from other languages. One of my favorite band that I still listen to is Linkin Park mainly because of how deep the meanings of their songs are. But the kind of music I listen the most to right now is music with a sad tune.
Even though with all these kinds of positive influence on my life, I still feel outbursts of sadness and loneliness. I consider myself to be very pessimistic and therefore I think a lot of negative thoughts. Most of the time, I keep them to myself but I tend to share it to people I trust.
I’m not afraid to admit this but I still cry pretty easily even though I am in college and is pretty much an adult. My feelings are pretty sensitive and I still cry whenever I listen or watch anything that is sad. I guess I live up to the adjective I said on our second day of freshman seminar, gloomy.
-Gloomy Gary 🙂
Hello,
https://plus.google.com/photos/102510897012418960790/albums/5926571547315327265?authkey=CLq-vtSNt9PmzgE
My parents immigrated to the United States from China many years ago, going from a small village in Guangzhou to small apartment in Manhattan’s Chinatown, which is where my brother and I grew up. I lived with my maternal grandparents, parents, and brother and attended an elementary school a mere five minutes away.
In 2006, my family moved to a house in Coney Island, Brooklyn. It was definitely a big change going from the crowded, booming streets of Chinatown to the quieter streets of Coney Island. There are perks, though, such as living within two blocks of the beach.
I attended Brooklyn Technical High School and was a biomedical engineering major. I can say that I have met most, if not all, my best friends there. As for being a biomed major, I do enjoy science, but don’t think I would want a career in it.
I am obsessed with everything cats. I have cat shirts, shoes, and phone cases. I love cat videos. I visit Petco just to look at cats.
I love television shows and movies because they take me away from the real world for anywhere between a half an hour to three hours. When I love a show, I invest myself into it. My favorite show of all time is White Collar; I have all the DVDs and have met the cast and crew.
Besides television shows and movies, I love to watch musicals. I myself cannot sing nor dance, but I think the world would be a better place if people would just burst into music in the middle of the street. My favorite musicals include Les Misérables and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.
What surprises people most about me is that I love watching baseball and basketball. I was introduced to baseball in elementary school during the annual students versus staff game. I wasn’t too great of a player, of course, but my brother was and we just kind of bonded by growing up as Yankee fans. My love of watching basketball began with my parents when they were still in China. It was and still is a craze there, and when my parents came to America, they would put it on the TV while we were eating dinner. It became a family bonding experience.
Lastly, my favorite place to visit in NYC is the High Line. Whether I am alone reading a book or with friends having a picnic, being surrounded by both nature and the city gives me a sense of serenity.
Hey, everybody it’s Nadim and here is the link to my photos.
https://plus.google.com/photos/114693463554464545693/albums/5926624454157149137
In my first photo I put a picture of one of my favorite shows out right now which is Game of Thrones. I started watching it less than a year ago and it’s if freaking amazing! This show has everything from drama to violence and some fantasy. I’m almost caught up and I can’t wait for future episodes.
In my next photo I put some musical notes because I obviously love listening to music. Whatever mood I’m in I can always find something to listening to. Some of my favorite artist would be Lupe Fiasco, The Fray, Adele, Skrillex, and Train. I was going to make a playlist for this post but it was to hard to just pick 10 songs.
My next photo I put a film since I enjoy watching movies. For movies I mostly watch comedies and action movies. I personally feel that movies now a days aren’t as good as they once were especially comedies. My favorite movie for comedy would be ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ and action would probably be ‘The Dark Knight’.
I put a picture of a computer since I am very into technology and always keeping up to date. My interest in technology is what motivating me to become a software engineer. So I’m thinking of going into Computer Information Systems as my major but I’m still not 100% sure yet. My goal in the future is to build my million dollar software company.
The picture I put of the guy about to get squashed was because I do believe in karma, which is always why I am careful of what I do. I also try to not do anything bad to anyone regardless of how I feel about them. It might be a coincidence but karma always gets me even when I do the slightest thing wrong so I try to be good even though I occasionally slip up.
I also have a picture of a soccer ball because I like playing soccer. I’m not into as much as I was before but I still enjoy playing every once in a while and watching games. Some of my favorite teams are Brazil and Argentina.
My next picture is White Castle which is probably my favorite restaurant. The sliders are amazing and I just don’t ever get tired of eating them. It really made me sad when I realized that there were states that didn’t have White Castle and I am grateful that i live in New York.
My last picture is a mix of four pictures which are all essentially video games. The first game I have is Bioshock Infinite which I am still playing but I love it. The next pic is of a nintendo 64 controller since I love playing the old classics on my computers emulator. Whenever I play these classics it reminds me of when I was a kid and played these games. Forgetting how old they are they are still just as fun. I also have a picture of some of my other favorite games such as Grand theft Auto and Street Fighter. I also love these games and no more the age they are always fun to play.
So yeah that’s some stuff about me and the pictures that make up who I am. Overall though i have different interests and I am always willing to explore new things and expand on what I already love.
https://play.spotify.com/user/1299860088/playlist/1vgJfLrN2B2P6nfEgBHCZ3
Hi guys! My name is Alice Frank and this is the playlist I composed to show everyone the music that represents me as a person. Red Hot Chili Peppers are a MUST
because they are a band that bring out great emotions in me. They know how to calm me down and at the same time they give me the energy that needs to be brought to the table. I can honestly say that I listen to them religiously and feel like they are the one band that really do represent me as a person.. The Strokes are the type of band that you listen to to just “chill out” and I like that because I’d sit in my room with lit candles and listen to them while playing cards or sudoku and just regain my peace of mind that might have been lost throughout the week.. The White Stripes are a classic and I chose “Seven Nation Army” because its such a powerful song and listening to it motivates me to do anything that I aspire to do. (sorry for the split blog)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzM_pqYRpRQ
Are we done embarrassing the Freshmen now. 🙁
Also, that is IN FACT my two minute video that I’ve created specifically for the purpose of this FRO class and I am not going to be making another one.
ENJOY.
– Brian
https://plus.google.com/photos/112302341610027866050/albums/5929241749688695057
The first image is of a jailbreak software called green poison and it represents my liking for jailbreaking and my iPhone. I am a fan of technology and its because of the discovery I made about jailbreaking.
The second image is my recent favorite album. In terms of Genre it represents about 75% of the music I listen to.
The third image is my favorite football team the New York Giants of course. Not so long ago i used to go to the park and play football on weekly basis but recently everyone including myself have been to busy to play.
The fourth image is my new fixed gear bike which i got when summer was over. I’ve become obsessed with learning how to ride with no breaks on the bike maybe next summer I will learn and venture throughout the city.
The fifth image is of my favorite foods. If I am in a bad mood the perfect cure can be either one of them.
The sixth image represents my liking for mathematics. Since i was young i would always like competing with my cousin to see who can solve problems faster. Although I’m not as good as i can be in mathematics i still like it when it doesn’t get annoying with things like limits(for everyone in calc 1).
The seventh image is supposed to represent my family meaning that i like to keep a close relationship with my family. I can consider some of my friends to be like brothers and therefore like family. I also consider my girlfriend family since i’ve been with her for so long and I’m probably the single person on this earth who knows most about her. My family is important to me and help me and encourage me to do better.
The last image is my favorite color, olive green. My favorite color constantly changes and it affects me in a weird way because i begin to buy clothing of what ever my favorite color is a certain times in my life.