Sunday, March 30, 2014

Macbook Pro Review



After many weeks of consideration I decided to upgrade my computer situation.  Obviously I had a lot of choices but of course who would've guessed that I would end up with another Apple computer.  Although I don't think of myself as a geek, I have attempted to better understand why buying an Apple is worth it?  I actually had an Macbook Air last year but unfortunately committed the ultimate sin. . . I spilled water on it.  Even though it was only a tiny spill it completely destroyed the laptop.  This was tough to take because Applecare insurance does not cover water damage.  Oh well moving on I'm not trying to bore you with a story about my stupidity and not asking for your sympathy.  I decided to purchase the MacBook Pro 13"inch with Retina Display and I will admit I am completely blown away.  The Macbook Air was great because it was fast, sleek, and very portable but the new Macbook Pro's are now comparable in size.  The Retina display justifies why its a slightly bigger then the air and the processing speed from the Intel iCore 5 processor is mind blowing.  I never thought I would buy another Mac but after looking at many Sony Ultra books I decided it was worth the extra money.  I am very excited to use this machine because I think it will work great with Adobe Photoshop and allow me to get more into graphic design.  Ultimately I think buying a laptop can be a difficult decision and you should always think about price and preference.  Whatever decision you make just keep in mind that your paying a lot more for "upgrades".

Exploring the Plaza



Since it was my birthday over the weekend I decided to get out of Topeka for a day.  Even though I have taken many trips to Kansas City throughout my lifetime I still feel like I don't know a lot about Kansas City.  Everyone knows the stereotypical descriptions of Kansas City. . . good barbeque. .Jazz. . etc.  The city is unique and has a lot more to offer then just barbeque and luckily this weekend I got to explore this amazing city.  I spent the day on the Plaza and enjoyed the perfect weather we had this weekend.  The plaza is truly a unique experience and I think anyone visiting KC should spend a few hours walking through this part of town.  It has a wide variety of upscale restaurants and is great for anyone who enjoys shopping.  The plaza offers something for everyone and they even have several events throughout the year.  First Fridays is the one of my favorite examples of this and is a great mix of art, music, and food.  The other great thing about the plaza is that it's located very close to Westport which is a great place to go out on weekends.  It has many local bars and restaurants and is very popular place for the younger crowd of KC.  I had a great birthday weekend and Kansas City never seems to disappoint.  If you ever get the chance to go up to KC then make sure you check these places out.  See you guys next week!

Spring Break



For most students spring break offers the rare opportunity to take a week off school and go to some hot vacation spot with your closest friends.  Some of us aren't as fortunate as others and get stuck in Topeka either working or atleast taking a break from school.  As the week progressed the only thing to look forward to was the NCAA Basketball tournament.  Since I am a KU fan, I anxiously await this horrible time of year.  After month's of watching a team grow and mature it is easy to see why we get so attached to sport teams.  We root for our team year after year as they chase the almost impossible task of winning a six games in a row.  Kansas fans have had to endure agonizing defeats which have been down right embarrassing and yesterday was another example of what is becoming a common theme each March.  As the game started it was clear that the team lacked energy and had trouble adjusting to Stanford's defense.  The first half ended with go-ahead three by KU and it seemed as though they had put themselves in good position to start the second half.  That momentum never carried over to the second half as KU failed to capitalize on multiple Stanford turnovers.  Poor shooting and defense allowed Stanford to dictate the tempo of the game and keep KU from executing on the offensive end.  As the game was nearing the end I had a sense of what was to come.  It felt like I was watching a train-wreck waiting to happen.  Ultimately this team had flaws that we're exposed at the end of the season.  Without arguably their best player lost to injury, KU went from being a great team to a mediocre one. In the end they were just not good enough to get of first two rounds of the NCAA tournament.  If you live in Lawrence you know this is a really exciting time of year, especially if KU goes as far as the Final Four.  This is why the next few weeks will be hard not to focus on the "what ifs" and "what couldve been".  Next week I'll be focusing on my birthday

Sunday, March 9, 2014

The Influence of Marketing





This week I wanna focus my blog post on focus on my major and what I hope to do with it after I graduate.  As mass media majors I think we have the unique opportunity to learn about a subject that is constantly evolving.   Mass media applies to many different mediums and play an important role in most peoples lives.  The internet has forever changed the way we communicate, learn, and share information.  Since my childhood I have always been interested in marketing and specifically advertising.  I was always amazed at how in only 30 seconds I could be influenced by a commercial.  Once I graduate I would love to get the opportunity to work for a marketing firm that works with different companies.  This would be a demanding job but also very rewarding because the creativity involved.   Hopefully in the future I get to show you some projects related to this subject but I wanted to show some of photography that might work well in advertising.  Anyways I just wanted to share a little bit more about myself. See you next week!

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Post 3-March Madness

It has been an exciting week to be in Lawrence, KS, where the town is celebrating the Kansas Jayhawk's 10th consecutive Big 12 Regular Season title. The weather has made it slightly challenging to go out and celebrate this accomplishment, it is still apparent that students are ready for March Madness. The people of Lawrence have been waiting for 9 months for this time of year and it's amazing to think that the journey at most only last's three a few weeks out of the year. This year's hype surrounding this season is different then most, and the expectations for a national championship are at an all-time high. The month of March is very special because it includes my birthday and my trip to El Salvador. My mom is from El Salvador and I have the opportunity to go there during Spring Break to visit family. I really excited to visit family I haven't seen in years and reconnect with them. I hope I get some great photography opportunities and I'll keep you updated next week!