Submission #4: Blog Assignment

 Argumentative:
Vivor Soñar Leer: The radical range of color schemes, discombobulating object scale, unusual item combination, and drastic angling of geometric shapes combine to form a divine harmony in the middle of a flustering discord.   From drastic reds and harsh blacks to soft pinks and peaceful blues, the colors of the rooms create a dramatic range of mood from breathtaking to calming. 

Book About a Book: Ryan's artwork, distinct in style and whimsical in ideas, instills a childlike gayness and a twirling bliss in the eyes of all who see it.

 Personal/ Evaluation:
"And by me playing that sport it allowed me to gather numerous of friendships that are partially still intact in high school."

"The artist parent presents most of his drawings on regular brown paper bag and each day he creates one, each day he captures the bag with the camera and reveals his animated masterpieces. "

Pod Cast: Middle School

Middle School.... we all hated those most awkward, most embarrassing three years of our lives. We all started maturing (in ways we weren't exactly comfortable with). We started to notice the shy boy in the back of the classroom because his voice would crack every five words he said, leaving him completely mortified. Ladies, well this was the time for us to start on our very strict schedule about keeping up with personal hygiene. (Guys, us girls didn't mind the upkeep of personal hygiene, either.) And just when we thought entering a school full of a thousand students with unfamiliar faces was bad enough, we realized we had to worry about middle school dances. 

The audio clip starts out with Ira Glass interviews 14 year old Annie, asking why she to thought This American Life should do a segment over Middle School. When Ira Glass asks her why she signs the letter as "anonymous," she says it's so that she won't get made fun of at school in case anyone hears her on the radio. She later explains that middle school is an awkward time for everyone, and how it's not her favorite time in her life. Later on in the clip, Glass interviews a boy named Ethan, who is a shy boy who had no idea what to expect during the dance. He wanted a slow dance, but later talks about how he doesn't know how to dance and is afraid he won't do it "correctly." He just wanted to fit in with the other kids at the dance; he just wanted to be normal. Autumn, a seventh grader, talks about how she is too nice to tell the FIVE boys who asked her to the dance that she only wants to go to the dance to have fun with her girl friends. Lastly, my favorite part of the segment, a boy explains how he just recently started dating this girl. Unlike what we all would assume, the girl was one to ask him out, asking, "Chris, will you go out with me?" Just for your personal information, they've been dating for approximately twenty minutes. 

Junior High was really a silly time period for every adolescent, and we all assumed none of our peers were going through what we were going through... man, were we wrong. Like mentioned in the podcast, every little "event" that happened at school might as well have made the top news on AOL.com, because that's how fast and how exaggerated every bit of information turned into. The gossip-filled "maturing" three years of this time period will probably be one every person can look back to, and be thankful that s/he doesn't have to go through this alien stage again.

Short List: 2.20.12

It is said that every picture is worth a thousand words, although if this is true, perhaps this picture is worth around.... 50 thousand words? Believe it or not, this is not a photograph.. necessarily. Jim Kazanijan is a unique photographer, who uses his photos and compiles them together to create a "composite," (each of his composites contain around 50 images) or at least this is what he likes to call them. His impressive work of mixing photographs into collages make his portfolio worth taking a look at.



Many people around the world look at Hawaii and picture it to be the perfect vacation spot. In fact, we seem to forget that at one time, the little islands that make up Hawaii was once an isolated community with it's own unique culture. The Smithsonian Magazine wrote an article on Six Sacred Sites of Hawaii, explaining the once popular sacred rituals that gave the community a spiritual connection with one another.



Do you remember growing up? Playing outside with the neighborhood friends from when the sun rose to when the sun set? Or, playing on the Sega gaming console and occasionally watching The Rugrats and the Wild Thornberries? Wall to Watch has a clip on toys from the 80's, although since we recognize most of them, if not all, I think it's okay to relate to. The clip reminds us how much the world has developed with technology.

Podcast: Middle School

The Hunger Games: Finished

   Well... I can finally say it. I've finished The Hunger Games! I can say, by far, it is one of the best books I've come across. The book has a perfect blend of adventure, thrill, and romance; yes, romance. What's a good book without romance (or at least that's the question I like to ask)?
     Now, down to the "nitty-gritty"... I love the way the author writes. She writes in a way that holds onto the readers attention and throws unexpected events during the story, yet she is predictable in a certain way without being full out obvious. After talking to a couple friends about the book, some of them expressed their disappointment in the ending. I won't spoil the ending for those who haven't read the book, (and for those who did, what did you think about the ending?) but it definitely wasn't what I had assumed. The only problem that I have with the book is that the ending is at least somewhat predictable, because there is a sequel to the book. For most books, I would rather there be only one book rather than a series, because eventually it feels like the series drags on and on ( like the Twilight Series); however, I have hope for this series.

The House of the Broken Sun

With the building looking like it is being turned to dust and the sky never-ending, full of stars and openness, "The House of the Broken Sun" photo offers a beauty of lost hope and a questionable future.

The sulking tragedy of something once so great, stands here looking like an apathetic and numb house being carried away with the winds. Trailing up the picture, the repetitive lines on ribbed exterior walls of the house create a disorienting gravity. Following the corner that leads to the sky, looks almost like an extraterrestrial atmosphere; it expresses uncertainty and a level of discomfort. Leading towards the bruised yellow sun ties the photograph together, which is what the eye first witnesses when looking at the photo. Despite the disheartened mood set off from the photo, the never ending circular motion of eyes trailing around the photograph is what makes this picture pleasently sentimental and sincere.

Short List #2

We've all seen pictures like the one above, looking as if the water and clouds were airbrushed to give that smooth, soft texture. Believe it or not, this picture does not use air brush to give the ocean a very bold effect. Using long exposure photography creates a unique photo that has motion in the shot. With photography used in this unique way, it can create remarkable photos.



If you knew that your house was going to burn to the ground what would you save? Would it be more of  items that were practicle, rather than sentiment? Would the items reflect on what made you who you are today, or would it be your priorities? The Burning House is a site that allows users to upload photos of what they would take with them if their house burned to the ground.

Dear kindergarteners texting on an iPhone,

When I was your age, I had to use cups strung together by a string and pretend it was a landline.

Sincerely, where did your imagination go?

Dear Blank, Please Blank is a website that says it all. When we're mad, or happy, or scared, or confused, we often find our self talking to the person, the object, or even the emotion that is making us feel a certain way. This website is full of "Dear So and so", and then writes a sentence or so that explains what the problem is, and is signed by the mood that is coming off from the letter. It's a great site to look at when you have nothing to do.

Annotated Interpretive Response: Found Magazine

We all lose things, whether it's a twenty dollar bill, a photograph, or even the secret love note hiding in your back pocket, sometimes objects get misplaced and before you know it, you never see that cherished object again. What if you were browsing the internet, and you came across a site that displayed thousands of lost notes, letters, and pictures, and suddenly you see a picture of an old, crumbled up note that looks familiar to you, with your handwriting. Found Magazine is a site where anyone can upload a picture of misplaced objects they've found.

The love notes, torn, obscure photographs, and lost homework found rolling in the streets like a tumbleweed in the barren desert all suggest emotions that come from broken hearts to lost memories to hopeful beginnings. A letter to an officer, after receiving a ticket, explains in a note why his car isn't registered and how the owner doesn't have the money to pay the ticket because he needs to register his car first. Another letter, written by an aggravated, sad young child writes to his dad telling him how much he loves his father, but he's tired of daddy's nearly abusive ways. The broken grammar and slanted handwriting of these found objects express the reality of complicated lives people live.

Why is it is so interesting for human beings to dig deep into other's personal lives and snoop around? Maybe humans were made that way: to be nosy whenever there's a chance to be. This website is set up so that it grabs the immediate attention of any person quietly surfing the Internet, wondering whether that little boy is in a peaceful state of mind after writing his father a very stern note. And before people know it, they look up this website after a couple days, in hopes of finding out how that poor little boy is doing these days....