Thursday, April 2, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Podcast Script
Complete Show Length in Minutes: 5 minutes
Intro Music Clip: Title: “Scratch Battle(Dj Moth Vs Dj Matsa Vs Dj Lil'mike)” Time: 25
Intro:
Voice 1
Hey, so do you love music so much that you will die if you have to spend an hour without your Ipod? Do you constantly know what is “in” and not in the music industry? Do you know the lyrics to every song played on the radio? Is there not enough room for more music on your 80gb Ipod? If so, stay tuned.
Song: Giash & Til Yali - My Little Lady Birds (Remix) [Minimal] (plays for 15 sec, then fades in and out)
Voice 1
So, how do you turn your love for music into a hobby and maybe a job?
Voice 2
Well, you might want to become a DJ.
(pause) 5 seconds
Voice 2
Many DJs out there have a passion for music, and their passion and hobby help them make extra cash on the side. Although it is possible to make a living out of DJ’ing, most Djs also have a day time job.
(pause) 5 seconds
Voice 1: So how do I get started?
Voice 2
Well, you have to first start taking baby steps. There are many DJ’s out there who are booked with events and they can not attend them all at the same time, so this leads them to look for people who would be interested in DJ’ing.
Voice 1
Are there any special skills that I will need?
Song: Deadmau5- Sometimes things get complicated
Voice 2
Well, you do need some basic skills. However, a lot of the DJ’s that hire you will teach you these. Seeing that you are handling expensive equipment, you will also need to know the basics of how to set up the equipment, connect all the cords and how to run it. With being a mobile DJ you will often have to drive out to the venue, set up, play, and then tear down, so it is essential to know how to set up quickly, safely and effectively.
The next thing that you will need to know is how to read the crowd and what to play at what time. As soon as you have this down, which usually doesn’t take long, you will begig your career long journey on perfecting your ability to beat match. Beat matching is being able to switch from song to song without the crowd really noticing, and as the name suggest, keeping the music flowing all throughout the night without any abrupt changes or stops. Depending on how good you can beat match is pretty much how good of a DJ you are, and even pros are not always perfect.
(pause), Song. Frederico Franchi-cream
12 second break.
Voice 1: That sounds like a difficult job, is there a fun part to it?
Voice 2: Hahaha, well yea, of course. After you get the basics down, its all about having a good time and being relaxed. You just go with the flow of the night, and there is nothing more rewarding then seeing a crowd go crazy just because you threw their favorite song on.
Song:
Wamdue Project - King Of My Castle (sander van doorn rmx)
Voice 1. So is there any progress in the job, can I start my own DJ’ing company?
Voice 2:
Yea, of crouse. There really is not much holding you back from just going solo and starting up your own firm, however, there are some difficulties. The main thing is money, Dj equipment is not cheap, and you need good equipment if you plan on doing large events and doing a good job. Another thing to keep in mind is that it is not always easy to find customers, so getting your name out there can also be a challenge.
Song: Kid Cudi vs Crookers -Day and Night
Let’s Spin Some Music
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Reality of Alternative Energy
The Reality of Alternative Energy
Every week we fill up our cars with gas so that we can get to work, to school, get our groceries or go anywhere we please. However, as gas prices skyrocketed over the summer, there was much talk about switching to alternative energies. There many different types of alternative energies, some better then others, which all point to a safer and more efficient future. Although many of these alternative fuels such as hydrogen and ethanol, they will not necessarily be in used in full power in the auto industry any time soon.
Everything around us ranging from cars to lawnmowers runs on gasoline, and therefore it would be impossible to completely switch from gasoline to another source right away. On predominantly every corner you drive by there is a gas station and therefore, when a new energy source such as hydrogen or ethanol is introduced, it will be very hard to refill. In addition to this, there will still be gasoline cars around so they will also need gas stations, and that would either require both to be readily available or for the current gas stations to be remodeled and modified to support gas as well as hydrogen and or ethanol. Although currently, there are both ethanol and diesel cars and trucks out there, there are not too many gas stations around that carry both of those fuels. In fact, ethanol fuel is mostly available in the Midwest, where there are corn farms. In addition to the inconvenience of filling up your alternatively powered vehicle, there is the question of whether or not an alternatively powered vehicle is any better then the current gasoline engine vehicles out there.
Although both hydrogen and Ethanol have been praised, there is a problem with both of these. As Ethanol has been as getting a lot of attention lately, it really is not as good as it sounds. The main problem with ethanol is that it is not very efficient. First of all, making Ethanol takes a lot more energy then making gasoline, and although both of them have to be refined, gasoline is simply pumped out of the earth while ethanol has to be grown. To grow ethanol also takes energy as well as many chemicals which pollute the earth, among which are fertilizers and fossils fuels used in tractors and such to harvest it. It has been calculated that even if all of the corn production was turned into producing ethanol, that it would only be sufficient enough for about 12% of all of the fuel demands in America. Even if by some new technique we were able to grow twice as much corn, we still would not be able to have enough to meet the demands of the fuel required to run the country. However, we are forgetting the main part about ethanol, and that is that it is made from corn, a food that everyone uses. With a higher demand for corn, our food prices would also go up and therefore by solving once crisis we would start another. Just as Ethanol, Hydrogen too has drawbacks.
Although many critics rave that hydrogen cars essentially produce water as an exhaust, there is a problem with it. Water vapor is the gaseous form of water, and is also a greenhouse gas; in fact, it is a far more powerful greenhouse gas than the CO2 produced from burning gasoline. Therefore, with both of these alternative energies there is a trade off, and generally not a very beneficial one. Along with problems with the alternative fuels themselves, you also run into the problem of alternative energy producers.
Many of the big corporate companies out there have a solid base in the petroleum business and therefore are not welcoming any new comers. These companies have developed a secure transaction and profit through which they cycle. For alternative energies to come into play there would have to be a new person on the block who would be able to fund and compete with these big fat oil companies. In addition with large corporate oil companies, many countries also base their economies on exporting oil. It should be kept in mind that the US is the worlds biggest oil importer.
Consequently, although there are many ideas out there about alternative energies, most of these energies just sound good, but are really not as beneficial as they sound. With ethanol and hydrogen power, there is more pollution then that from gasoline. Another factor is that changing from our current fuels to these alternative fuels would be a mere inconvenience. As a result, it is safe to say that the world is not going to shift from fossil fuels to any other alternative fuel anytime soon.
Every week we fill up our cars with gas so that we can get to work, to school, get our groceries or go anywhere we please. However, as gas prices skyrocketed over the summer, there was much talk about switching to alternative energies. There many different types of alternative energies, some better then others, which all point to a safer and more efficient future. Although many of these alternative fuels such as hydrogen and ethanol, they will not necessarily be in used in full power in the auto industry any time soon.
Everything around us ranging from cars to lawnmowers runs on gasoline, and therefore it would be impossible to completely switch from gasoline to another source right away. On predominantly every corner you drive by there is a gas station and therefore, when a new energy source such as hydrogen or ethanol is introduced, it will be very hard to refill. In addition to this, there will still be gasoline cars around so they will also need gas stations, and that would either require both to be readily available or for the current gas stations to be remodeled and modified to support gas as well as hydrogen and or ethanol. Although currently, there are both ethanol and diesel cars and trucks out there, there are not too many gas stations around that carry both of those fuels. In fact, ethanol fuel is mostly available in the Midwest, where there are corn farms. In addition to the inconvenience of filling up your alternatively powered vehicle, there is the question of whether or not an alternatively powered vehicle is any better then the current gasoline engine vehicles out there.
Although both hydrogen and Ethanol have been praised, there is a problem with both of these. As Ethanol has been as getting a lot of attention lately, it really is not as good as it sounds. The main problem with ethanol is that it is not very efficient. First of all, making Ethanol takes a lot more energy then making gasoline, and although both of them have to be refined, gasoline is simply pumped out of the earth while ethanol has to be grown. To grow ethanol also takes energy as well as many chemicals which pollute the earth, among which are fertilizers and fossils fuels used in tractors and such to harvest it. It has been calculated that even if all of the corn production was turned into producing ethanol, that it would only be sufficient enough for about 12% of all of the fuel demands in America. Even if by some new technique we were able to grow twice as much corn, we still would not be able to have enough to meet the demands of the fuel required to run the country. However, we are forgetting the main part about ethanol, and that is that it is made from corn, a food that everyone uses. With a higher demand for corn, our food prices would also go up and therefore by solving once crisis we would start another. Just as Ethanol, Hydrogen too has drawbacks.
Although many critics rave that hydrogen cars essentially produce water as an exhaust, there is a problem with it. Water vapor is the gaseous form of water, and is also a greenhouse gas; in fact, it is a far more powerful greenhouse gas than the CO2 produced from burning gasoline. Therefore, with both of these alternative energies there is a trade off, and generally not a very beneficial one. Along with problems with the alternative fuels themselves, you also run into the problem of alternative energy producers.
Many of the big corporate companies out there have a solid base in the petroleum business and therefore are not welcoming any new comers. These companies have developed a secure transaction and profit through which they cycle. For alternative energies to come into play there would have to be a new person on the block who would be able to fund and compete with these big fat oil companies. In addition with large corporate oil companies, many countries also base their economies on exporting oil. It should be kept in mind that the US is the worlds biggest oil importer.
Consequently, although there are many ideas out there about alternative energies, most of these energies just sound good, but are really not as beneficial as they sound. With ethanol and hydrogen power, there is more pollution then that from gasoline. Another factor is that changing from our current fuels to these alternative fuels would be a mere inconvenience. As a result, it is safe to say that the world is not going to shift from fossil fuels to any other alternative fuel anytime soon.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Stem Cells
Everyone has certain views and opinions, and it is normal for people to disagree. However, it is also important for people to be able to openly state their opinions and be able to support them with facts- be able to advocate. The topic that I am advocating for is Stem Cell research. Quite honestly I do not really know why I chose this topic, but I do think that Stem Cells have a very large potential.
For my project I made a short video introducing everyone to what stem cells are. I gave a simple definition and the hidden potential of stem cells as well as the main controversy associated with stem cells. However, the video is very short and does not really explain anything the well, and so I decided to reflect on it by better explaining the subject matter.
The main drive behind stem cells is that they are unspecialized cells, and therefore they can become any type of cell in the body ranging from heart cells to neurons or brain cells. These cells could therefore be used to heal a very wide range of diseases or injuries. Now although all this sounds great, there is a problem, and that is getting these stem cells. Stem cells are naturally found in either bone marrow or in embryos from which they respectively get their names: adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells.
There has been a lot of controversy about embryonic stem cell research because as the name suggests, “embryonic” stem cells can only be derived from an embryo, and thus this is correlated to abortion and the killing of innocent babies. However, this is not true, because from a scientific point of view, the embryonic stem cells that are needed are only found in a blastocyst which forms in the first 5 days after fertilization, or conception. Of course, someone might argue that life starts at fertilization, from where the journey of life begins; but it should be noted that at this point, the only life that is really there is a group of undifferentiated stem cells which could become just about anything that is alive. However, the main truth is that this fertilization is usually done in vitro, that is- it is grown in the laboratory specifically with the intent to be studied.
Although the beginnings of stem cell research were very controversial, there has been a lot of recent progression in the field. With the recent elections, Michigan’s proposal 2 was passed which now allows the donation of embryos produced in fertility clinics that would otherwise be discarded, as well as government funding of stem-cell research. Also, there are plans for the first stem cell operation this summer, where patients with spinal cord damages will be injected with stem cells. These patients are volunteers who can not walk and they are hoping for a cure with the operation. With the proper care, there is a lot that can be achieved with stem cells, and therefore I believe that this research should not be shut down.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Advocate
For my project I have decided to advocate for stem cell research. I have chosen this topic because there was, and somewhat still is, a lot of controversy about this subject. For the goals of my project I would like to inform people more about it and the possibilities that can be achieved from stem cell research. I am planning on making a slidshow type video (a combination of power point and video).
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Screen shot
The very first thing that came to mind when I saw the screen shot was: "Is this what I want?" In a few minutes I realized that there wasn't really anything better that I could think of, so I let it be.
Composing in a digital space is very forgiving. I say this because one can make a mistake and simply redo or edit their current composition. If one is writing in a journal and comes up with a new idea after he or she concludes the paragraph, there really isn’t much that he or she can do to fix it; however, in the digital world, he or she would be able to simply go back and edit. There are a lot more benefits to editing via a digital medium rather then the old fashion pen and paper. Not only is it easier, but it is also a lot faster and more organized, especially if one is writing a formal paper in pen. Instead of crossing something out and writing on top of it, one can just delete and re-type it.
To better understand the digital composing processes requires thinking in a digital manner. Composing essays in a digital manner is simple because of easy editing; however, composing music in a digital manner requires a very vivid imagination. Although some aspects can be easier, such as the computer keeping beat or repeating it exactly, others can be harder, such as getting the envisioned beat into the computer. All in all, the only way to understand digital composing is to work with it.
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