Send me your news tips

Yeah, it's that time of year again- school's out and I need something to do besides painting parts of my house and reorganizing my basement.

If you have any story ideas, or events for me to cover for the Mapleton PRESS this summer, please let me know. Send me names, phone numbers, or email addresses of people I should contact.

I'm especially interested in covering Charter Oak and Ricketts, but will be glad to write about Soldier and Ute too. For that matter, if you have ideas for Schleswig, Castana, Mapleton and Danbury I will be glad to pass them along to the PRESS office.

I am also looking for great ideas for Charter Oak Achievement Days AND anyone from the Missouri Valley area who has any story ideas about RAGBRAI.

Just look for the "Contact Me" button on the right side and it should automatically open your email program. Thanks and see you at Achievement Days!

Check out the changes

All of my blogs have undergone an overhaul. 3 biggest additions;

1. Navigation bar with links from each blog to all the other blogs
2. a contact button for getting in touch and
3. subscribe button- especially good for the cartoon blog- get an email every time there's a new cartoon!

I also rearranged the right hand menu bar to reflect our (tentative) schedule for next fall, but I left the links that can help with the classes we offer second semester too.

I appreciate that school's out so you probably don't need to check on this site for a class- but maybe you're interested in one of the things I teach and want to do some self-learning on your own. Hopefully either some of the things I've posted, or at least the links on the right will help you "expand your horizons" a little as we say in the education biz.

Since it's summer, don't be surprised if I let this particular blog lay fallow for about 12 weeks or so. I may put something on about Web Design when I go to the annual recertification workshop next month, but that's about that. But I sure hope you'll take a look at one of my many other blogs. It's not just a hobby, it's an addiction!

My column and political cartoons from the Mapleton PRESS are updated every Thursday, the Cheerleaders have a camp coming up in late June, and I'm always putting weird pictures on Wild Art. mal•com is new, and it's not really a blog- I hope to develop that website a little bit more this summer. Really, it's going to be the site to contact me about photography or graphic design (tee-shirts). If you're going to be a Senior next year and don't think you can afford to go to one of the expensive professional photographers in the area for your Senior pictures, give me an email, maybe we can work something out. I guarantee to be the cheapest around.

Otherwise, HAVE A GREAT SUMMER, congratulations to the class of 2008, and as our Biology teacher, Mrs. Pippett always says, "make me proud!"

See you in the Fall!

Or would you rather be a mule?

Would you like to swing on a star
carry moonbeams home in a jar
and be better off than you are
or would you rather be a mule

A mule is an animal with long funny ears
he kicks up at anything he hears
His back is brawny but his brain is weak
he's just plain stupid with a stubborn streak
and by the way if you hate to go to school
You may grow up to be a mule

Oh would you like to swing on a star
carry moonbeams home in a jar
and be better off than you are
or would you rather be a pig

A pig is an animal with dirt on his face
his shoes are a terrible disgrace
He has no manners when he eats his food
He's fat and lazy and extremely rude
But if you don't care a feather or a fig
you may grow up to be a pig

Oh would you like to swing on a star
carry moonbeams home in a jar
and be better off than you are
or would you rather be a fish

A fish won't do anything but swim in a brook
he can't write his name or read a book
to fool the people is his only thought
and though he's slippery he still gets caught
but if then that sort of life is what you wish
you may grow up to be a fish
(music)
a new kind of jumped up slippery fish

And all the monkeys aren't in the zoo
everyday you see quite a few
so you see it's all up to you,
you could be better than you are
you could be swinging on a star

Miss something?

Well, you do still have TWO more days since Cartoonist Appreciation WEEK lasts May 3-9 and Teacher Appreciation WEEK lasts May 5-9!

Otherwise, you'll have to mark your calendars for next year.

Compositing, Retouching, and Ethics

Funny we were just talking about this in class when I was called out to take these pictures of Middle School water conservation poster winners. The first picture (small color at left) had kids in the background during passing period, but the second one had a distracting glare from the flash on a locker and the second kid from the left in the front closed his eyes. Both pictures were too dark. Now notice the black and white that I sent to the paper, brought up the middle grays, burned the posters so you could see them more clearly, and used part of the kids face and the locker from the first picture and blended them onto the second picture.

Ethical? I guess I felt comfortable with it because I don't believe that anything or anyone is misrepresented, but I know at least one journalist who would be aghast and offended, not to mention disappointed in me.

Bottom Line is, you can't always believe your eyes anymore, so use those critical thinking skills and never stop asking questions or being critical and skeptical of the media, politicians, advertisers, and celebrities.

Macro

Hey photo students- need an idea for your portfolio? I'm teaching both my Jr Hi Art class and my High School Painting class about Georgia O'Keefe and her flowers. Then what do ya know I spotted the first flowers to bloom in my in-law's garden out on the farm. So, I couldn't resist putting the old macro setting on the camera and getting down on my knees to shoot a few. I like these so well, I may just have to paint one of them!

Beware of what you share!

We need pictures!!!

Yearbook needs prom and after prom pictures and golf pictures.
PLEEEEEEASE email me your pictures or tag some to me here on face book if you want me to use them.

ted.mallory@-at-gmail.com

I don't feel right about just up and surfing through everybody's photo albums on facebook because 1. you may not want me to use your pictures and 2. you may have other pictures that you don't want your teachers seeing. and frankly, 3. you probably have plenty of pictures I don't WANT to see.

All I know is this- I can't seem to get my yearbook and photography classes to bring in golf, prom and after prom pictures. Living in another town and having lots of family obligations I haven't been able to get them, and with Jim in rehab, Mrs. Hanigan hasn't been able to either.

So PLEASE, ANYBODY from Boyer Valley email or tag me your pictures you think should go in the yearbook!

Thanks,
Mr. Mallory

Maybe you know an Art teacher who sidelines as an editorial cartoonist. Maybe you should buy them something. Maybe you were hoping to pass their class so you could graduate. Maybe you'd better get shopping...

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