Author: jkuzyk

First off, I trekked off to find Something Unusual on a Walk

Much to my surprise I found a friend! Originally he was running away from me.

When I stayed still and did not make sudden movements, then he was willing to forage in the grass. I figured that using a signaling principle, that I was not a predator, even to a squirrel, may be effective.

---

For the Make the Dullest Video, I knew my choice right away.

Since I work on a computer for both school and during my internships, the dullest thing is the twirling icon in the address bar (at the top), for the internet indicating that it cannot connect.

---

Embrace your Geekness Day is made for me. Here’s the picture that aptly describes us:

Geek. flickr photo by Ribbit Voice shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC 2.0) license

Here I am, wearing my TRIBE super soft T-shirt that was ONLY available at a gaming convention. I am playing Risk of Rain 2 with headphones on, so as not to disturb others. Pure bliss for me.

————————————–

Learning Principles Employed

In the above videos, I have tried to make them personal, in an effort to not only make them interesting, but also draw in the viewer. I have tried to offer unexpected experiences.

I’ve tried to employ a little Pretraining through introducing the “friend” first and then explaining the experience after the video to reinforce the learning.

I have also tried out Contiguity in the post about being a Geek. I have grouped the Geek description with my video of actually being geeky. I have worked to keep the captions with the image (although could not figure out how to add it right next in WordPress). Then I put my video directly below.

I am also working to follow the Coherence principle. I am striving to be on-topic and succinct with my words.

---

While working on the Daily Create: Be shady or shadowy, I leaned into photography of shadows while I was visiting the desert.

This object provides physical separation, while also providing some permeability of light into the space.

As you may have guessed, the above is an intricate lattice work metal gate, sitting on a supportive post, which provides a stunning and interesting shadow on the southwestern tiles.

I also took this other image. It is from the same theme as the image above.

It is not a weird spikey alien, but instead it is a potted cactus.

---

For International Plant Appreciation Day, I had to go further afield then just my house.

My favourite plant is Bougainvillea, which is a type of climbing shrub found in hot climates. I love the stunning pink colour. Most people think that these are the blooms, when in fact they are actually the leaves of the plant. It is as deceptive as it is beautiful. The vibrancy really stands out against the sunny blue sky background.

I took on the challenge of writing a haiku associated with my favourite plant.

Oh Bougainvillea 

Out in the desert with no snow 

Beautiful to see

---

Monster Art: My monster is a furious  beast. 

He is found in Joshua National Park and is ancient. He has a body as solid as a rock, with armour to protect him. With blood red eyes, he has just enjoyed  his latest tasty meal. 

Exploring the above images was a good exercise for me. It made me more aware of the environment around me. It also allowed me to work with and learn some new image enhancement features.

I am also working to use the features of WordPress to provide groupings, strong organization easy digestion of my work for the reader through my site’s menu and category features.

What’s in a sound? Turns out, a lot.

For “Going All Nostalgic On Us,” I really thought old school.

My family were strong believers in the link between classical music and brain development, and so we had the “Baby Einstein” DVDs when we were preschoolers. Classical music would be played while images and learning occurred on the television. I loved the anticipation, excitement and variety of instruments in this piece:

Source: Vivaldi Four Seasons: Spring (La Primavera) Full, original. Youssefian & Voices of Music RV 269 4K

Thinking about “a sound related to my dream job,” below is a snippet of music for your listening pleasure:

Source: Maddigan, Kristopher. “Carnival Kerfuffle.” YouTube, 19 Nov. 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShRtTavUDi8.

There may not be many of the folks that recognize it, but it is one of the audio pieces from Cuphead, which is a 2D “run and gun” video game. It’s the audio and visual style that stands out for me. The art style is a cartoon straight from the 1930s. The music is all Big Band Jazz style, composed by Christopher Maddagen, a classically trained percussionist who never wrote a game soundtrack. I especially love the trumpet in this piece. The creators of the game are Saskatchewan brothers who had never made a game before. It’s a fun game and a massive commercial success, with over 7 million sold.

My dream job: video game designer working with a great audio track, or maybe trumpet player.

Words and text can be powerful. Because I am a science major, I do not really do a lot of writing on a regular basis. If I do write, it is of a technical nature or sending emails. I rarely do any type of creative writing. This really gave me an opportunity to do this.

—————————-

One exercise was the “A week of remix.” It was a poem about the week (which my mother remembers being told). I have rewritten it, below, to show constant struggle to get myself out of bed and fully functioning!

Work to awake – by James Kuzyk

Mondays a slog to get awake

Tuesdays better, but little at stake

Wednesday is a swing, for

Thursday when I begin to win

Fridays great to end the week

Saturday fortunately able to sleep

Sunday chill, to start anew

Do it again, but still no clue.  

—————————————–

“National Lost Sock Memorial Day” was an interesting exploration:

A sock lost its partner,

Now out in the cold,

Was it on purpose?

Well, it was very holed.

—————————————–

“What’s the last book you read?” The last book I read was a graphic comic, Hawkeye. It is based on the Marvel Superhero and explores his relationship with his protégé Kate. It’s a really great read. It really explores how flawed Hawkeye is, as a character. He is a multi-dimensional person and really very imperfect. It is really resonated with me. He is always trying to help the little guy or someone in need. It is action packed and yet there are good lessons within the book. I highly recommend it!

I have tried to use techniques such as signalling through bolding text, providing transitions and adding links for the reader. I am also working on my storytelling, by working to make the posts interesting and personalized to engage the reader.