Final Project: Cloud Chasing 101

Cloud chasing and vaping are relatively the same.  The main difference between the two, is that cloud chasing is considered to be used in actual competitions such as cloud chasing, and flavor chasing.  Regular vaping is just blowing clouds of vapor for the fun of it that aren't as big as the clouds you get from cloud chasing.

People choose to vape for a number of different reasons.  Some like to do it to help them quit smoking cigarettes, and some do it for recreation.  People find vaping relaxing and a way to help calm them down.  One of the factors of cloud chasing is that, you need to build or wrap your own coil in order to be able to blow big clouds of vapor.  Without having a coil built, you won't be able to blow big clouds of vapor and most of your inhales will probably end up being dry.

Theres a lot that goes into the process of wrapping your coil to cloud chase.  You need to make sure you have a good amount of wire to be able to coil around the modifier and you also need to torch the wire before you begin wrapping it just to burn off any manufacture oils, or chemicals that may be left on the wire.

There are also some safety precautions that should be taken into consideration before you get to the final step of building your coil.  You want to get an ohm reader so you can measure the amount of ohms the wire contains just so your not inhaling anything bad into your body.  The lower the ohms, the hotter the vapor will be, the higher the ohm measure, the cooler the vapor will be.

Cloud chasing can be fun, and a way to compete against other people who vape.  Just remember that it takes a lot of practice and getting your body used to especially your lungs, to inhale vapor and then being able exhale it out creating a vapor cloud.  It's not something you just pick up and start doing without haven't had any practice with it before.  So have fun vaping, and just remember to be safe and take into account all of the safety precautions before you start cloud chasing and vaping in general.

Myths About Vaping

For our video we decided to touch on some of the myths about vaping and how it has become popular across the nation.  Vaping has become a new trend that is growing very rapidly across the country. The five myths that we were gonna talk about were the following; Electronic cigarettes containing antifreeze, Nicotine causing cancer, vaping being just as deadly as analog cigarettes, vaping being a gateway to tobacco, and second hand vapor being a threat to bystanders.

 Vaping is the healthy alternative to smoking cigarettes.  Vaping is used with E-juice that has propylene Glycol and vegetable glycerin to create big clouds when exhaling.  The E-juice leaves a distinct after taste that can sometimes be fruity, sweet, or sour, depending on what flavor the e juice is.

Users can choose the level of nicotine all the way from 24 milograms being the most to 0 being the least amount.  Some people use E-cigarettes or even vape mods to help them stop  smoking regular cigarettes that have tobacco in them.

The E-liquid is very overpriced currently in the market and for this reason, many consumers choose to make their own liquid since it's cheaper then buying the actual liquid in the store or at a vape shop.  Vaping is defined as the act of inhaling water vapor through a personal vaporizer or electronic cigarette creating the battery to heat up the liquid that is atomized into an inhalable vapor.  E-cigarettes differ from traditional cigarettes since they do not contain carcinogens and vinyl chloride therefore there is no secondhand smoke associated with vaping.  

There are some health risks that are brought up about e-cigarettes such as there being a less likelihood of them causing cancer and are less harmful than traditional cigarettes.  The long-term effects of vaping have yet to be initiated.  The heart association mentioned that e-cigarettes containing nicotine but no tobacco could potentially serve as a "gateway" drug to addict young people who may decide to use regular cigarettes or smokeless tobacco.

Vaping is used for recreational use, or it can also be used to help smokers quit smoking regular cigarettes which have been being advertised a lot more lately through TV commercials.  Scientists think that it actually works well as another alternative to help smokers quit and studies have been done to prove it reduces tobacco cravings.

Video Project Write Up

For our video project, we have decided to talk about vaping, and some of the misconceptions people tend to make about it.  Some people think the liquid that is used inside the vaporizer is harmful when really it isn't.  It's usually natural juices that are used with scented flavors or tastes when you inhale the vapor.  

We are going to use examples in the video to show demonstrations of vaping and some of the different techniques that are used to vape.  The video will show different tricks as well as how to inhale the vapor and blow big clouds of smoke or vapor.

We are also going to incorporate the electronic non-menthal electronic cigars that are being used to help reduce smoking cigarettes which are being advertised a lot more now.  We are going to to push the idea of using electronic cigarettes more and have it geared toward smokers.  

We are going to use music as well in the video to make the video seem more interesting.  We will use ethier an DSLR camera or a go pro camera that will do the video recording and sound as well.  I will be doing the recording of the video and sound, while Mike will be the one doing the actual demonstrations of vaping.  

Newspaper Assignment

As I was looking at different newspaper websites for good quality and professionalism I came across the USAToday newspaper website that had different interesting news clips, a few struck my attention.   There was a news clip about a doctor in New York City leaving the hospital Ebola free which was pretty shocking news to here since he had just left West Africa helping cure patients there with that horrible disease. There was a clip about Obama looking like a fool while he was traveling through China chewing Gum.  It's considered very unprofessional to chew gum in China.  I think the USA Today has good offerings as far as interesting topics to find out about and to see what is going on in the world.  There were some about the winter storm that hit the mid-west and effected people greatly.

I think the website layout itself could be done differently in such a way where it looked more professional.  I feel it looks more like a tv show kind've website rather than an actual newspaper website just because of all the animation and color choice.

The videos are pretty short about a minute long which is what an average news clip should be.  The length isn't that bad considering what the topic is on.  The topics are pretty interesting for the most part, there was one that I didn't really feel was necessary which was the one about the pilot flying a boy to go see the Northern Lights since it was on his bucket list to do.  It's not like it affected the world in any kind of way or helped.  The offerings I found on I-report seemed to be a bit more informational and interesting since there were stories about important events that were going on in the world and statistics showing population, environment, financial affects and so forth.

CNN IReport

I think Cnn Ireport is pretty cool.  It allows you to share your stories and discuss the news whats going on around you and in the world.  I think it's a good tool to use for reporting news stories especially if your some kind of news or television reporter.

I like the layout of it, and the fact that it's pretty user friendly.  It's easy to navigate through and I like the fact that you can actually meet other users who have an i report account and see what they are reporting.

The assignment tab is a bit confusing to me, so that would probably be the only thing that I dislike about the site other than that, I think it's great.  I think it's a good idea for people to use and to post news stories about what's happening in the world.  I think it's important to know about the news around us.

From The Voice of A Business Major "Audio Slideshow"

The audio slide show reflected the experience that Chris has had with being a business major here at Lyndon State College.  Chris talked about the pros and cons of the business major that is offered here including the more difficult courses versus the much more simpler ones.

Chris first talks about his experience with what he has gotten out've the business program so far.  He talks about classes that he had to take, and the ones that were really useful to take.  He talked about the hard courses that are required for business students to take.

He also talked about his transition from being an Electronic Journal Arts major to becoming a business major and how he's enjoying the business field a whole lot more than the Electronic Journal Arts field.

He Shared his thoughts about not being an Electronic Journal Arts professional since he thought it would be boring and not as interesting as knowing how to run your own business, or becoming an entrepreneur.  He thought he would get more out've studying to become a business consultant.

Chris talked about the different professors that inspired him and actually enjoyed taking the course with.  There were some professors he had who weren't so great and didn't teach the material as well as the other professors did.

He talked about what his end goal was once he did receive his degree in business, and that was to work at a specific business that he had always had in mind.  He thought that with having a business degree, there were endless opportunities, as opposed to having a degree in Electronic Journal Arts.  Where he wouldn't be making as much money which amounted out to be approximately $32,000 a year.

The audio slide show was designed to show prospective students and whoever else wanted to know more about the business world, the required courses, and what typical business classes look like.  We also wanted you to hear what a person's insight was on about being a business major and the benefits you got out of it.

The audio slide show was aimed toward prospective business major students who are seeking that major and want to learn more about it.  It was a diagram showing what you need to know about becoming a business major and whats going to be needed of you in order to be successful in the business world.


Credits:

Photos/Editing: Wynston Longmore
Sound: Mike Amento
Sound Slides/Slide Show: Mike Amento
Text/Story: Wynston Longmore

200 Word Synopsis Audio Slide Show

For our audio slide show we have decided to interview one of our friends about their major in general. 

They are a business major at Lyndon, and they will be talking about the specific classes that are needed in the program and what you need know about being a business major.

He will be talking about his experience from the beginning of his freshman year to present time where he's a senior. 

The more challenging classes versus the more simpler classes will be described during the interview.  The story aspect will be about the life of a business major and what it will take to become successful in the business world. 

We will be using an audio recorder for the interview.  The photos will be shot with a DSLR digital camera and a cell phone. 

We hope to show the progression of a business student throughout their four years at Lyndon State including some of the business class rooms at Lyndon State, text books, and hopefully photos of the actual student depending on whether or not he decides to let us. 

The audience that this slide show will aim at is prospective business students that need some insight into what the actual major has to offer.  The interview will draw their attention because they are interested in what business classes are like at Lyndon State.

Gallery Homework Slideshow

I chose to use this photo gallery since the Miami Heat is my favorite basketball team.  This particular photo gallery doesn't tell a story but more of an outline of the victories the team has gotten and the losses they have had.  It shows some of the player's attitudes and their sportsmanship.  This photo gallery doesn't have sound since it's not necessary.

Miami Heat Photo Gallery:
http://www.nba.com/heat/hpg1415-sas-141018

Minimum Wage In Chicago slideshow no-audio:

I chose this slide show of people living on minimum wage, and it shows this woman caring for her kids and taking care of them the best she can, even though the times are rough and she's not making much money by working at Mcdonalds.  But it shows that she is still doing what she has to do to take care of her children.  This slideshow tells a story about her lifestyle and how she has to do whatever she can to take care of her children. 

http://www.reuters.com/news/pictures/slideshow?articleId=USRTR4AKI6#a=3

Waiting For Death:

I chose this audio slideshow of a man old's age and him using this statute as a metaphor, this was interesting to look at it and watch with the sound.  The sound with the slide shows makes it a lot more intriguing, and it grabs your attention more knowing that what your listening to is a story being told.  Sound makes all the difference in a world depending on what kind've slide show it is.
http://www.latimes.com/local/ed_shneidmanff_ss-htmlstory.htmlhttp://www.latimes.com/local/ed_shneidmanff_ss-htmlstory.html

The Unemployment Rates of Burlington Vs. Guilford

 For  our data visualization, we chose to look at and compare the unemployment rates of Burlington, Vermont, and Guilford, Connectcuit.  From the months of March through August 2014 the unemployment rate has gradually increased in the months of June and August.  It started at 3.2 in the month of March 2014.  It seemed like in the months of April and May, that the unemployment rate decreased a little those being the months of spring meaning there was a bigger percentage of people who were employed and were able to find spring and summer employment.  The overall estimated unemployment rate for Burlington was 4.1 percent as of the month of July 2014.

Comparing the unemployment rate in Guilford, CT we notice that the rate was significantly higher which is kind of strange since it’s a lot smaller than Burlington, VT.  Must mean that there isn’t much opportunity around for employment and a lot more people have a difficult time trying to find employment in the town. 

During the recession we just came out of, the unemployment rate in Burlington was a lot lower than the national unemployment rate.  Right now, there are employers struggling to fill positions Known as the “Job Seeker’s Market.”  There are more jobs that are available; more then there are people who are actually qualified for the position. 

A lot of the jobs that in the Burlington area are in the service industry such as: hotels, restaurants, and convenient stores.  The majority of the class is listed in the hospitality industry. 

The fall foliage is going to open up demand for the tourist industry jobs, and also ski resorts are going to start getting busier.  It’s also the beginning of the holiday season.  There is a fair amount of manufacturing jobs in Burlington as well. 

Burlington in particular is becoming a tech hub “spot.”  There is a demand for highly skilled technical workers with advanced and specific computer skills, such as company’s like: dealer.com, mygofer.com.  Burlington is also becoming a place where there are a lot of people who are creating their own businesses also known as entrepreneurs which is effecting the job market in such a way that people don’t need to work for anyone they can just work for themselves and be paid under their own payroll.  The company uber.com is a taxi source company that has been designed using the Icloud new technology aspect.  The company will need drivers, which will also affect the job market.  As the years progress, the unemployment rate for Burlington will most likely decrease as more entrepreneurs create their own businesses, and will continue to increase in the town of Guilford, CT unless there is a change in the opportunity for employment and more jobs start becoming available. 

Facebook Popularity Analysis Critique

I chose this data visualization since it showed how popular face book has become over the past years, and how the co founder of the company Mark Zuckenberg, has become a self made billionaire according to Forbes.  Half of Facebook users have more than 200 friends meaning it's becoming popular every day.  An interesting statistic regarding 24 million people in United Kingdom log on to Facebook which was increasingly high.  556 million people access Facebook on their mobile devices or tablets.  I liked how the graph showed the average monthly users using a bar graph.  It was pretty easy to read and understand.  I didn't like how the article didn't talk much about the Facebook messenger app which seemed to become pretty popular recently and how that has affected Facebook users over the past year.  The bar graph showed a clear estimate of users, it was clear and accurate.  By the end of 2013,Facebook had 1.23 billion monthly active users worldwide. adding 170m in just one year.
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/feb/04/facebook-in-numbers-statistics

LSC Men's Basketball Team

Promising future for LSC Men's Basketball
https://soundcloud.com/mike-amento/podcast-interview

Lyndonville, VT – The Lyndon State College Men’s Basketball program is shaping up to have a very bright future in the years to come with new head coach Chris Dorsey leading the team.

Dorsey, a former member of the men’s basketball team himself, has had extensive experience with the sport both on and off the court. Not only was he one of the best players ever to have worn the LSC jersey but he has also become a successful coach.

As a student at Lyndon, Dorsey graduated in 2007 as a Bachelor of Science with a degree in Exercise Science.

Being part of the team while Lyndon had its most successful season ever (23-5) shows that Dorsey is someone who is fit for the position of head coach. He knows what it takes to make a team work harder and play longer than they ever thought they could.

In 2004-05 Dorsey was named the Lyndon Athlete of the year after being recognized nationally for his assist/turnover ratio. It is facts like this that show hiring Dorsey as the head coach was a great idea for the Hornets.

Off the court Dorsey has coached the men’s basketball team at Esparto High School in Esparto, CA. This gave him the opportunity to coach and work with some of the most talented athletes in Northern California.

Also, Dorsey has done some assistant coaching at Lyndon immediately after he graduated in 2007. While coaching he taught Physical Education electives.

As far as bringing in a new coach is concerned, that really did not even happen here. Dorsey has been, and always will be an important staple in the Lyndon athletics community.

He has finally been given the opportunity to lead the Hornets the way he sees fit. As a former Hornet we can be assured that he will put everything he has into the team.

As a coach Dorsey is said to be stern with his players in order to instill great personal qualities in each of them. Also, he plans on changing the style in which the team plays, which will be a refreshing change for the players and fans.

Dorsey’s strengths as a coach are shown in his ability to recruit players, further their skill development, and managing the team during games and practices.

This coming season will mark the first of hopefully many with Dorsey as the head coach. All of Lyndon is looking forward to seeing what he can do with the program.

Counting to 10 in Foreign Language

https://soundcloud.com/mike-amento/foreign-numbers

A LSC Basketball Athlete

For our podcast, we are interviewing a current Lyndon State College athlete on the mens basketball team.  His name is John Williams.  John is also a captain of the team that will mark his senior year of playing on the team.

John will answer basic questions regarding the team and his own personal experience.  He will describe what his roll is like such as being the captain of the team.  John will talk about what it's like traveling to different games in different states.   John will talk about his injury that has been effecting his playing time but still was eligible to play for the next season.  He was out for the whole season, tearing his meniscus training in offseason preparing for try outs.  John recently encountered another knee injury in his left knee that will have him sit out for some time until it completely heals.  Until then John will have to undergo physical therapy.

The athlete will explain how the team handles a loss and how that affects everybody.  John will talk about his three years on the team playing as a power forward.  The team recently got a new coach, John will talk about what he thinks about him and how he thinks he'll be a better coach then their previous one.  "This coach has what it takes to coach a team," said John Williams.

The interview will end with John talking about his future playing basketball and how he will continue to carry out his career after college.  Stay tuned in to hear about John Williams basketball career here at Lyndon State College!

Subaru Rally Team USA and Tom Segura Comedian Podcasts

I listened and watch the video of Subaru Rally cars being worked on in the USA. It showed guys welding parts, painting, and detailing rally cars. I picked this podcast to listen to because it looked interesting and I wanted to learn about what cars are used for rally races. I liked how they showed close up shots of the cars that they were working on and high video camera quality. I didn't like the fact there was no audio, it was only video throughout the whole podcast. They were behind the scenes of what the guys were doing and preparing for the rally races. I would continue to listen to the Subaru Rally Team USA if it has some audio in it. I would put in on my ipod if there was audio, I need the audio to be able to figure out what the podcast is about. The second podcast I listened to was about a comedian named Tom Segura, the episode I listened to was called "White Girls With Cornrows." It was pretty funny what the comedian was talking about. He was talking about how white girls act really tough and tend to not act like themselves. He mentioned how women act once they come out've jail, they think the world owes them. I wanted to see if if this comedian was funny since I have never heard about him before, in which he was. I liked all his jokes. but if it was a bit longer it would've been better. I wouldn't continue to listen to his jokes and other podcasts by him since he wasn't that funny to me. I would't put this on my ipod just because it's not that funny to me and would kind've be a waste of time listening to.

Online Writing Exercise: Amber Alert For Missing Child:

(Note: This is an online writing exercise and should not be mistaken for an actual news story)
There has a been a missing file report for a juvenile boy named Zachary Lee.
Zachary was last seen in his driveway playing basketball, until he was picked up by a random stranger that had said he had known Zachary in which Zachary didn't have a clue who he was. The boy was playing at his home in Sunderland, Vermont.
There was an Amber Alert that went out at around 5 pm, letting the community know there has been a missing child. He was a foster child who lived with his two foster parents. His biological parents were from France and didn't speak much English. Zachary had recently got sent back to his own country. Witnesses think that Zachary's mother may have known who the stranger was that came to pick Zachary up since they say she mentioned his name and said they used to be good friends. Zachary's home was located at 2327 North Road in Sunderland Vermont.
Authorities say that Zachary's mother has been very unstable ever since Zachary has came into the United States. The Department of Child Services noticed very poor parenting behavior and later decided to take the child away from his parents. The police are on the lookout for a man in his mid thirties last seen in Sunderland Vermont on 2327 North Road wearing blue jeans and white shirt and a red cap.
Zachary Lee is described as as a white male, age 12, approximately 5 feet tall, weighing 95lbs, with short brown hair,, brown eyes, and speaks with a French accent. He was last seen wearing a black puffy coat with white stripe, jeans, a green-colored sweater with black sneakers.
Patricia Kane, Zachary’s biological mother, is a 49 year old white female approximately 6'0 tall, weighs 125lbs., with blonde hair, brown eyes; and she also talks with a french accent. The Vermont State police are worried about Zachary's well being and support since he is young and new to his living environment. Police are worried since there is a history of his mother escaping with him when they were in France.
Anyone with information regarding Zachary's findings is asked to call the Vermont State Police at 802-442-5421 or text the crime stoppers hot line at 1-800stopctcrime or visit the Vermont Crime stopper website and submit your comments at http://www.ancestorhunt.com/vermont-most-wanted.htm

Apple iCloud safe?

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/09/is-apple-s-icloud-safe-after-leak-of-celebrity-nude-photos--106691.html I think people shouldn't put their financial information on icloud since there taking too much of a risk with other people stealing their identity and using it. I feel like apple should be responsible for letting celebrity nude photos leak and letting people get control of other private information.

Customized Blog Profile

I chose to use a busy background with a image of an interesting looking bridge in San Francisco.  I like to travel and thought that it made sense to use it for a background for my blog profile.  I wanted to use a bold font that would make the title on my Blog page stand out, so when people visit my blog page they can get an idea of the kind've theme I was aiming for.  I wanted to lay out my blog page in such a way that there was all the blog info in the center of the page and then I was thinking about adding some photos for the side of the page, once I figure out how to add images using the CSS styling code.