FiNaL

This class has helped me to realize that people are more alike than i thought before. We saw so many different facets of each other's personalities. People are like Day and Night. We see that in ourselves on a regular basis, and we also see that in the people we are closest to, but we hardly ever see that in people we don't know very well. The Fear assignment was my favorite, and that is really what brought out this change in my perspective. I'm very reserved and have trouble trusting people, but that assignment shoved other people's fears right into my face. Everyone else is just as afraid as I am, and they're all just as complex as I am, even though i rarely see that side of them.

We keep our Day side up front, and put that out for the world to see. But our Night side is kept hidden deep inside of us. It's just human nature, to hide our weaknesses. I know that i've been working on fighting my own fears since that assignment. It opened my eyes to the Day and Night inside of me, and showed me that my life has been ruled by my Night and my own insecurities. I'm starting to learn how to fight that. But unlike in a videogame where you aim to destroy your enemies, what I need to do is merge my Day and my Night. Kind of like a yin and yang symbol, they work together and make each other stronger. I need to find that symbiosis.



All of our emotions, and Day and Night, they're all completely natural. I tend to live in the realm of logic, and rarely look at my own emotions. I was always taught that they made me weak. But i'm starting to learn that it's okay to have emotions, even the bad ones like anger or fear, because we're only human. No matter how hard i try to be perfect, or to be "good" it doesn't really matter, because i'm guaranteed to make mistakes. By being such a perfectionist i'm really hurting myself more than helping, because i try to live up to standards that no human is really capable of, and i stress out about the tiniest details, and it just makes my emotional well-being much less secure.

I already know how to think, i've been an expert on that all my life. The lesson i need to learn now is knowing how to feel- and learning how to be okay with that.

So, for this project, I took 100+ photographs over the course of the week, just of things that triggered emotions in me (both good and bad). I later came up with the Day and Night theme, chose the two pictures that i felt were the most beautiful (Day- bright, clear blue sky with tree branches off to the side; and Night- a lamp illuminating part of the lilac bush behind it.) I remembered that fun blending modes trick Beth showed us a while back and played around with those two images. (Click on the photo to be linked to a full-size version).

I also wanted to write for this project. I wanted to write about how i felt, and what i'd learned, and what i'm still learning. So this is also a pretty wordy blog entry. But since i'm all about the words, the photos are kind of a visual representation of how i feel- though i definitely wanted to put the words here too :P

Here is the link to my gallery with some of the photos i took:
http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b313/PuppyNoelle/HowIFeel

class response... apr 26 2010

My guess was right, those things were bugs. Gross... especially when they started to come to life O.o

The movie we watched was great. Normally I can't stand documentaries, because they're too real, but these crazy people, and their crazy houses were all so out of the ordinary that it made the movie totally worth watching. I texted my boyfriend the title of the movie, so now i'm going to make him watch it too haha :)

I'm always up for a little fantasy, which is why i don't like most non-fiction, but these stories were so unrealistic that they almost seemed like they were fictional. You wanted for us to start thinking about what we like and why, well, i like fiction because it brings me back to my childhood and takes me away from my grown up problems for a little while. I'm pretty much a child at heart, and probably always will be. I like to be reminded that there can still be wonder and awe in the world, even if it isn't always real.

Class reaction 4/19/2010

I loved the duct tape experiment. It was a lot of fun, and the highlight of my day. It was really difficult though, trying to communicate without words. As i said while we were talking on the benches, I am all about words. Spoken words or written words, as long as i have words, i'm happy. But i'm a writer and a singer, so words are absolutely crucial to the way I live my life. I'm not very visually oriented, which is a bit odd for a new media student, so visual communication is harder for me. I did eventually start to catch on, but I was completely clueless when we first started out.

My favorite part of the whole experience was watching other peoples reactions. There were a lot of different reactions. A couple of teenage boys walked by us and were grinning from ear to ear at us. The family that we walked by was entertaining too. Some people just walked right by us, as if we didn't exist, but most people slowed down and stared. I love observing people's reactions to things. That experiment was a lot of fun! I thoroughly enjoyed it (plus it was good exercise too) :D

looking and seeing

It's funny how the most random things remind me of assignments sometimes... I was watching The Lion King 1 1/2 on Saturday night, and in the movie a quote came up that was perfect for this assignment.

Timon (the merecat) had just left his home and was looking for his ideal new home. He was lost, and bumped into Rafiki (the crazy all-knowing monkey), and Rafiki said to him: "Look beyond what you see."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkmMx0ddqt4




That really got me thinking. "Seeing" is a much simpler action than "looking" is. When you "see" something, it's right there. Your eyes take it in and your brain processes it and tells you what it is. "Looking" is also a synonym for "searching". It implies that you have to do so much more. Looking implies that there is a journey there as well. Having a journey, a story behind things, is so much more fun than just being passive.

class response (i am really losing track of these things...)

It's hard trying to pin down exactly who we are. And I dont really think we can pinpoint exactly who we are and put it into words. We're just too complicated.

I thought that the "stereotyping" exercise was excellent. And I would agree with a lot of the words/phrases given to people, based on what i know of them. I honestly had no idea what my word would be. And i had to think about it for a minute: "The Mystery". I thought about it for a while after class, and I can see why that might be. I am a very private person. I like to keep my faults to myself so that I can keep them in check, and I like to treasure the good things in my life by simply remembering them and/or cherishing them. I don't like to flaunt my entire life for the world to see. I am sort of like Elizabeth Bennet in Pride & Prejudice: "There are very few people I love, and even fewer of whom I think well of." I never mean any offense to anyone, but I like to be alone and independent. It's peaceful.

mE

Part I:

I am so many things. It's impossible to narrow down just one word to describe me. I'm also a big contradiction as well. Some people might say that I've led an easy, simple life. After all, I spent most of it living comfortably. As a child i had lots of toys to play with, lots of tv shows, and videogames i've enjoyed. I've had pets my whole life that i've been able to love and nurture. My parents have been happily married for almost 26 years now, and i've lived in the same nice yet modest house since i was 4. I've had the typical "American Dream" type upbringing.

Some people might say i'm spoiled or high-maintenance, because I love designer labels, and have a ridiculously nice set-up of electronics in my decent-sized bedroom. Yes, I drive a spiffy convertible, and always carry Coach bags, and cant live without my iPhone or Playstation 3. But i really don't think that i'm that much better than somebody who drives a fuel-economy car and only has one TV in their house. I've worked very hard, and shopped very smart for the objects i own. Almost every single thing I own, I bought myself- my parents really only buy me food anymore. I shopped around for months and finally found my car, and bought it for half of it's total value, without taking out any loans. I buy my Coach items on ebay, on clearance at department stores, or in the outlet stores. And I save up for and search like crazy for discounts and price matches on my electronics.

I love my stuff! My room is like one big amalgamation of everything that is me. I'm a collector, of many different things. I love pretty things, shiny things, amusing things. I also love things that trigger my imagination, things that get me thinking, things that i can take care of and nurture, things that have bold colors, things that are elegant, things that are comfortable, and things that make me feel like a kid again.

I decided to do kind of a comic strip showing off a few of my favorite things (and i've got the song from "The Sound Of Music" stuck in my head...) And maybe some people will still think that I'm materialistic or whatever for using my stuff to define who I am. But i don't care. The things we own are merely a tangible, physical representation of parts of our personalities anyways.





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Part II:

This is from my darling Laura:
"Ashley and I met through our love of music at IUPUI. I can still remember meeting her in music theory class a couple years ago. It took us until the end of the semester to have our first conversation, and then it was about Johnny Depp and Pirates of the Caribbean of all things. The next thing I remember was how stunned both of us were to find each other in scriptwriting class the next semester. We both had no clue that we were new media majors on the same track until that day! Well, that funny “coincidence” became the foundation that lasting friendships are based on. Ashley is a true friend. She’s thoughtful and caring, with a little bit of fun craziness for good measure. I know that I can count on her to lend a hand, or watch a Coach bag ;), when I need help. She’s the type of girl that will surprise you with a hug just to make you smile. She’s ready and waiting to stand by you through anything, even if it means doing the most bizarre things you could ever imagine (Hey, we’re new media people. This is life for us- LOL.). When it comes down to it, Ashley is one of the best friends that I have had. I hope that friendship continues into the future, even when our IUPUI days are behind us. :)”

This is from one of my coworkers who works overnights, so i only ever see her for a few minutes early in the morning:
"Ashley is a very sweet girl. She always greets everyone with a smile on her face, even when she is tired or sick. Her friendly greeting is always nice to see after a long shift. She is always happy to hear when we get finished with everything, and even when we dont finish on time, she says "No worries! That's what Im here for!" She always tries to make everyone feel happy."

class response 3/29/10

I thought it was intriguing to see so many different fears, and to see how many people had similar fears (the fear of heights, and public speaking being the two that came up). It was also interesting to see the different levels of depth to peoples fears: some people went with universal, run-of-the-mill fears, like heights, and some people really dug into their own psychological make-up. I also liked seeing the ways in which people expressed their fears: some of us physically faced our fears, while others used visual representations, and some people used words. I think how we express ourselves says a lot about a person, sometimes more than the what/where/when/why. Those of us that went for the more bold physical approach may have a greater desire to make an impact on other people. Those with visual representations may be a little more spiritual or abstract, and able to go with the flow more. And those who used words may be drawn more to the emotional connections they make with other people.

f.e.a.r.

Hypothesized reactions:

confused, surprised

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What is FEAR?

Fear is one of the most powerful emotions people ever experience. It's instinctual, it triggers our self-preservation and survival instincts.

Some people get a total rush from it, while others, like myself, are much more cautious and get freaked out easily by the things we are afraid of. I enjoy getting a rush sometimes, but only when i'm in a safe, controlled, and familiar environment. I get most of my adventures and adrenaline rushes from playing videogames and reading novels. Letting go of that "safety net" is so much harder for those of us who are always analyzing the potential outcomes and consequences of our actions. I always want to do things the right way and avoid making mistakes that could mess up my goals. I am one of those dreaded perfectionists.

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Description of experiment:

For my experiment I worked on facing my fear of not being in control.

I am a perfectionist, a control freak, and i have problems trusting other people.

My experiment was inspired by a performance done on the TV show Dancing With the Stars a few seasons ago where Marie Osmond and her dance partner performed a routine where she was essentially a doll being moved around the dance floor by her partner.

I did the first round of my experiment with my boyfriend. We haven't been dating very long, so I decided this would be an interesting experiment to help us build up trust. We started out with a few "catches" where i literally allowed my body to go limp and fell backward to have him catch me. Then, in a standing position, i let him move my arms, legs, and head around into different positions, kind of like a mannequin in a department store.

Observe the reaction:

When I performed the experiment in class, i wasn't quite sure how everyone would react. But i think they were more engaged in what i was doing because they had to guess what my fear was. They seemed to find it amusing, like a game.

Analysis of hypothesis with actual outcome:

At first i figured they would be confused, a) because my fear is not necessarily one that most people realize is a fear, and b) because most people probably wouldn't let someone they don't know very well move their body around. Some people did seem a little surprised by my fear, but I think the way i presented it made my fear amusing.

Proposed changes to your idea:

I was actually quite pleased with the results. I think the fact that people found my experiment amusing (and the fact that I myself found it amusing) has helped me take another step toward overcoming that fear. If i were to change anything about the experiment, I might make it a little more in depth, a little more complex somehow. Doing something bolder, like skydiving, where i'm free-falling in the air would really put me out of my element. But I know i'm still not ready for such a step right now.

Class Recap 3/1 (because i've forgotten what week we're on...)

My favorite part of this class was the showing of the rocks. I love gemstones, so I really appreciated the more crystalline rocks. When I saw the light, I wasn't quite sure what was going on though. But once I saw the rocks glowing I thought it was beautiful. Now I want some glow-in-the-dark rocks haha :3

The "turds" looked absolutely disgusting, so I didn't dare take one. I could smell the chocolate, but just looking at them made me want to hurl. I avoided looking at them as much as I could until they were moved (why did they have to be right in the center of the room?).

The monsters Beth showed us at the end of class were cool, but they were a little creepy. I can see why she called them "cute" because they are a little cartoony, but they seemed a little disproportionate, which can be unnerving. They were a wee bit awkward- like the artist was trying to make them silly and scary at the same time.

Layers, and layers... of Onions.

...not really. I'm not a big fan of onions. But I am a fan of layers, of depth.

People have many different layers. Sometimes it's impossible to really know someone until they tell you their deepest secrets. Even Shakespeare's poetry has hidden meanings that need to be deciphered. Every person is different. Some people wear their hearts on their sleeves, and some may never open up.

For this assignment I chose to write a poem about a girl who always puts on a mask of cheerfulness, even when she truly feels darker. I also did a few watercolor paintings to visually represent the girl in the poem.

Even drenched in darkness,
She shone like the sun,
With the grace of a princess,
She let herself come undone.



She wished for the world,
For a beautiful starlit sky,
But she was left in the cold,
Without even a good-bye.



She never settled down,
She refused others' pity,
Though she wore a broken crown,
She fancied it pretty.



Slowly she unraveled,
And her pristine wall fell,
From now on she must travel,
So she can no longer dwell.

Class #4 Recap

It was kinda cool how you could tie in what multiple people did and come up with one project idea from it. It seems like we all did kind of psychedellic things with color, i was surprised that other people had similar ideas to my own. A lot of the time we think that we're all so different from other people, when in reality we all have a lot more in common than you'd think at first glance.

The movie we watched was fantastic- a little bit creepy- but fantastic all the same. By the time it was almost over, I had gotten so into it that I couldn't help but stay until the end. I was thinking about it, and all the emotions it brought out for the rest of the night. It was very philosophically driven- which is my favorite kind of movie. I liked how it took the father and daughter and showed them in so many different contexts, particularly the father. They did a good job of capturing so many different facets of his life and personality, and showed it all off in a fantasy world to grab and keep the viewers' attention.

Bliss + Breaking Rules

Bliss:

I don't see why our society thinks that doing something fun is considered "stealing time". When I had finally found the time to sit down and think about what I wanted to do for bliss time, I had no clue where to start. I am always running around fulfilling obligations to other people and to work and school, but I realized that I never take any time to myself. I'm always so busy fulfilling obligations that I don't even really hang out with my friends, unless we're doing schoolwork together. It's no surprise I feel so lonely and stressed out all the time. I always put everything and everyone else before myself. I realized that I need more than a few hours of uninterrupted bliss: I need an entire vacation. But for now, I settled with this:

For my personal bliss I decided to watch the 2009 TV adaptation of Jane Austen's "Emma". I am a huge Jane Austen fan, and I think that Emma is probably the one of her heroines that is most like myself.

Emma is friendly, charming, eccentric, stubborn, a bit spoiled, a good judge of character, and fancies herself a matchmaker- though she says that she will never marry herself, unless she is truly in love.

She successfully marries off her older sister to one of their childhood friends, John Knightley, and then proceeds to marry off her governess to a wealthy widower, Mr. Weston, in their town. She then befriends a young woman named Harriet, whose lineage is a mystery (leaving everyone to assume that she is an illegitimate child). Emma, believing her to be the daughter of nobility, takes her under her wing and tries unsuccessfully to marry her friend off to an arrogant clergyman who is actually in love with Emma.

Due to the combination of her over-confidence in her ability to read people, and her lack of attention to herself, she inadvertently hurt her friend and embarrassed herself.

She then meets Mr. Weston's son, Frank Churchill, who was taken in by his aunt as a young child, whom she had been fantasizing about meeting for her entire life. He immediately shows interest in her and flirts openly and carelessly. When his aunt, who is sick, makes him return to her, Emma finds that she is not at all in love him, though she did enjoy his company. When he returned she was afraid that he was in love with her, but was relieved when he did not seem to be so.

Emma then, thinking that her friend Harriet was falling in love with Mr. Churchill, encourages her to pursue him. However, Emma later finds out that Harriet did not like Mr. Churchill, but instead fancied Emma's closest friend, George Knightley, (the elder brother of her sister's husband). After that Emma finally realized that she was in love with Mr. Knightley, and curses herself for her blindness to her own feelings.

Thinking that Mr. Knightley is indeed in love with her friend, she reluctantly lets him make a confession to her. Only he confesses that he is in love with Emma, and she consents to marry him. She later finds out that Harriet accepted the proposal of an old friend of hers, who is in charge of the farm on Mr. Knightley's estate.

I think that I relate so well to this story because often it feels like my own life is a hectic heart-wrenching drama as well. My own friends often ask me for advice in the romance department because I am typically very observant of people's behavior, and am usually very detached from the outcomes. But when it comes to myself I am at a total loss, just like Emma. I have had the desperate guys pursue me, and I have also been with men that I honestly thought I should be in love with. The one big difference in my story and Emma's is that my Mr. Knightley always seems to be so elusive. I constantly think that if he is already here, that I can't help but be oblivious to it.

I am drawn to Jane Austen's novels time and time again because the characters are always so rich, and she describes so many different types of relationships that it's not only educational in the way of experiencing another culture, but it's informative of how relationships are always so different. No two people and no two relationships are exactly alike. And sometimes you can even know a person all your life and never really know them until someone else comes along and interferes.

But I'm also a hopeless romantic, so watching and reading about peoples trials and tribulations in love are also completely amusing as well. :3

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Breaking Rules:

I love color, so for my breaking of rules, I chose to break the rule of "do not make your subject an unnatural color!" It may not be realistic, but I think it's fun having a purple dog, or even a red one :3

circling around

Q&A:

~What defines a circle?
A circle is something that always leads back to it's point of origin, whether exactly, or with slight alterations.

~How does a circle make you feel?
A circle makes me feel relaxed, and sometimes fascinated. It's probably the most beautiful shape in existence. A circle lasts forever, it symbolizes eternity. It's very peaceful. It helps me believe that things will get better again when things in life aren't going too well. It's comforting.

~Where do you encounter a circle?
Circles are everywhere. They're in so many places it's hard to see them all. There are so many squares, triangles, and other harsh shapes that circles just sort of blend into the background. They are in our bodies, on our vehicles; our planet is a circle; a camera lens is a circle that produces images that are rectangles. Snow flakes and rain drops are circles, even tornadoes are circles.

~What do circles mean to me?
Circles are very natural- we can't control them. We don't know where they start or where they end. Circles have no rules, you can go off on tangents, but those tangents still have a point where they connect with the circle. Everything comes back to a circle, be it the changing of the seasons, or a relationship with another person that you are very close to.

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1: http://www.mosaicprojects.com.au/Gif/StakeholderCircle2.gif
2: http://luxor-xul.sourceforge.net/talk/jug-nov-2002/images/svg-circle-intro.jpg
3: http://www.realcolorwheel.com/colorwheel.htg/Real_Color_Wheel_475.jpg
4: http://z.about.com/d/suvs/1/0/0/R/-/-/Wheel.jpg
5: http://haacked.com/images/BMFerrisWheel.jpg
6: http://gameracer.com.au/eshop/images/50-1-xbox360_nitro_wheel.jpg
7: http://rakkudesigns.com/products/silver.wheel_lrg.jpg
8: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/64/202565433_36ac58d12c_o.jpg
9: http://www.pangolin.com/images/spin_vga.jpg
10: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ol-images/nursery/uploads/2007_08_10_spinning_photo2.jpg
11: http://einstein.stanford.edu/Library/images/GPB-Concept-Dgrm-lg.jpg
12: http://www.bradcarlile.com/images-framed/Playground-Spin.jpg
13: http://www.thefizzbook.co.uk/images/spin-laptop.JPG
14: http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/led_hula_hoop_sideways.jpg
15: http://www.greatjewelryguide.com/wp-content/uploads/platinum-hoop-earrings-photo.jpg

16: 123454321 (palindromes)
17: waves
18: life
19: relationships
20: macaroni
21: stories
22: smiles
23: laughter
24: music
25: tarot cards
26: fate
27: 4x + 4y = 64
28: karma
29: eyes
30: family

Class #3 Response

I loved the "lights out" experiment. I didn't realize, until after Beth mentioned it, that more people were talking when the lights were out (or when the disco ball was on) than when the lights are on. We should have more classes like that! It really does make it easier, especially for New Media people like us, because we tend to be a more introverted breed. Most of us are so caught up in the ideas swirling around in our heads that when it comes time for us to take a stand and present ourselves to the world, we lack confidence. As an introvert myself, I know all too well how difficult it is to gain, and then maintain that confidence. Sometimes you have it one day, and then it may be months before you actually get it back again. We tend to get really brilliant ideas, but only share them with the few people closest to us (if we even share them at all!). There's a reason "trolls" are out there on the internet- because that's the only place they can feel confident about themselves. When nobody knows who you are to attack you for your opinions, it's like an adrenaline rush of confidence. And in an online setting, you never have to go back and look at your comment again, or deal with any responses you may get if you dont want to. In real life, if you are face to face with someone and you insult them, then you are forced to deal with the consequences right then and there. And the pressusre and guilt of that is never easy to deal with.

Lions and Tigers and Crop Circles, Oh My!

The first thing that comes to my mind when i hear "crop circles" is ALIENS! And perhaps watching the movie Signs is what got that idea stuck in my head...

Well, crop circles dont really matter since we have to crops to speak of right now... all we have on the ground at the present moment is snow. So i have some "snow circles" for your amusement. Oh, and they do come with their own little alien of sorts (one of the cute and fluffy variety).

The snow circles appeared after the big snowfall last weekend. Saturday morning the snow was pure and untouched. It was glittering and beautiful. Then Sunday morning the shapes appeared in the snow! What could have made them, I wonder?



Clearly it was some kind of alien that was rooting for the Colts in the Superbowl game last night... (the alien probably isn't too happy they lost).

Then it came out of nowhere, running towards me!



I couldn't get a good look at it at first, but I could tell it was very fluffy, perfectly equipped for the cold weather. I couldn't help but get a closer look, so my brother helped me capture the creature.



We finally trapped it and examined it.



The mysterious creature turned out to merely be my dog, a Pomeranian named Harry who loves playing in the snow. So we compared his paw prints to those that made the "snow circles"...



...and the prints were a match. It was little Harry who had made all those "snow circles." The mystery was solved, and the solution was not nearly as exciting as the mystery itself.

Though I will probably always wonder how he managed to make a Colts horseshoe in the snow...



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Special thanks to my brother, Nick, and my three dogs for helping me make the "snow circles" and to Harry for being a good dog and doing tricks for me while I took pictures of him :3

Response to Class #2

The second class was hilarious! We really have a crazy bunch. The activities we did were fun, and the magically transformed coke can was quite the little mystery :P

I enjoyed the color-circle. But it got really difficult as time went on- and i noticed people's responses got crazier (and wilder haha). It really goes to show that when you are backed into a corner and have fewer options, you can get more creative with the way you accomplish things.

And i really think we should make a sculpture out of the chairs/desks in the room... it may be a little on the crazy side, but it sure would be fun! :3

Rules rules rules...

Rules aren't always meant to be followed. Some rules we need, some are totally useless.

Bad Rules:

The one rule that annoys me above all other rules is the dreaded:

1) Dress Code!

I despise dress codes the most because for me, how i dress is an extension of who i am. And i dont like sacrificing who i am just to please other people. Sometimes i dress nicely, sometimes i wear a tshirt and sweatpants, and sometimes i mix and match. I love designers, and i love casual clothes, i love tank tops and tube tops all year round, i love lacy, girly things, and i love my football jerseys. Stilettos and sneakers. Blouses and baggy jeans. How can you truly be yourself if you're forced to dress like everybody else?

2) No music players

This one drove me crazy in high school! We were not allowed to have any electronic devices except calculators inside the school building. We couldnt have cd players (mp3 players once they became popular), cell phones, laptops, or anything else. Music has always been a driving force for me, i always listen to music when i do homework, or anything. It always inspired me, and helped me concentrate. Silence, on the other hand, always stifles me. When it's too quiet i cant think, and i definitely cant be creative! As long as we listen through headphones, why try to kill the music?

3) Reading textbooks!

Okay, so it's not particularly a rule... but since i'm thinking about school... I dont like reading textbooks, at all! They're boring! No matter how articulate the author, no matter how knowledgeable the author, we dont like reading (except fiction... that we'll read). Especially for New Media students... most of us are probably here, in this major, because we are hands on people. We prefer doing over sitting around and looking at what other people have done.

4) No cursing

It's a rule in a LOT of places, even households have this rule, so it's not just businesses and schools. Yes, expletives probably should be kept to a minimum, but people need to be realistic: havent you ever messed something up or stubbed your toe really hard and let out an expletive or two? We're all human, we all make mistakes. So more people need to get off their high horses (because they know they do it too.)

5) Too much freedom of speech...

Every weekend I see protesters gather outside the Planned Parenthood. I would just roll my eyes at them and keep driving on by, if it weren't for the fact that they print off huge posters with pictures of dead children and fetuses and use those as their protest posters- with their own children standing right there. Freedom of speech, as much as i love it, needs a few boundaries. No one wants to see those disgusting pictures, and children especially should not see those pictures! It's one thing to try and instill your beliefs in your children, but it's another to potentially scar your child for life with those graphic images!


Good Rules:

1) Do not kill

Yeah, pretty basic. Any form of murder is bad! Hurting people in general is bad. It's the most basic of all human morals.

2) No blackmail, insider trading, all those bad financial crimes

It's cool if you're smart enough to get away with it... but if you're smart enough to cheat your way around stuff, dont you think it would take less energy to just do it the right way? Dont take advantage of people.

3) Unemployment benefits

Yes, there's a lot of controversy around it, because there are people who take advantage of the system. But when you come from a family who had everything for so many years, a house, a comfortable life, a company car, no financial worries. Then have that all overturned out of the blue. It's tough. My family has been there. We lived with no health insurance, and a very meager income for several months. And it was through no fault of any of us. It's nice to have that buffer, so that we could at least survive until things got better again.

4) Insurance

Not really a rule, but it's something you legally have to have for some things. Yes, there are a lot of screwed up aspects of America's insurance programs, but isn't it nice to know that you have it? Just to give you a little peace of mind?

5) Tough immigration policies

Yes, I probably sound like a typical old white-haired Republican: but really think about it. Would you want somebody coming here, illegally, taking over your job, and receiving all of the benefits that you have worked for your entire life, benefits that they havent worked for at all? Think about the number of them who work under the table, getting paid tax-free, or living off social security, unemployment, and food stamps, when you and your friends and family are the ones funding it. It's one thing to want to help someone, that's why we donate our time and money to charities, but it's another to have our hard-earned cash get donated for us, to people we didn't consent to giving it to. What's fair in that?

Response to class 1

The most interesting part of the egg responses was how different each one was. Some people just stuck with the basics and did something simple, but some people really did something unique. I liked the eggshell mosaic the best- it was cool to see somebody take a totally different approach and be artistic. I think it's harder for New Media students to physically make art since we are so caught up in the virtual world. I feel that sometimes, I get so burned out editing video all the time, and it's refreshing to just pull out a sheet of blank paper and start painting or drawing on it. Working with tangible materials kind of brings me back to reality, and reminds me that there are good things in the physical world as well as the world inside my head.

the egg and the eye

Q&A Session:

What do eggs mean to you?
~eggs are a few things to me: 1) they're a delicious and healthy edible delight (omelets and scrambled are the way i like them best :3); and 2) they represent life. every living creature starts out as an egg, even humans. no matter how different we become as our lives go on, we still came from the same biological origin. even dinosaurs were hatched from eggs, and look how different from us they were!

What do eggs mean to other people?
~my guess? most people probably just see eggs as a food source, and dont think about them beyond that.

Do you like eggs?
~yes, i like eggs very much. they make a great meal, and they have a cool, unique shape.

Are you afraid of eggs?
~no, i am not afraid of them. unless somebody tries to throw them at me, my house, or my convertible... then i wouldnt be too pleased.

Would you eat an egg?
~(see first question :3)

How original does what you are thinking about the egg seem to you? And Is that OK with you?
~it probably isnt the most oroginal way of thinking about an egg. but do things always have to be original? no story is completely original- everything from our favorite movies and tv shows, to Shakespeare's plays are based on Archetypes that date back as far as human history. what's important is if we understand things.

Does an egg need to have anything to do with food?
~not necessarily, that's just our current society's most popular use for them.

Do you want to try to hatch it?
~well, my eggs are plastic easter eggs, so i dont think they ever had anything organic in them...

What are other people going to do with the egg?
~probably dress them up (that was my first idea...)

Is this fun? Or Are you frustrated?
~it's a little bit fun, because we can do something silly, and if people make fun of us, well, then that's just too bad. :P It is a little frustrating, trying to think of something unique to do with eggs.

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And Now the Meat of the Idea:

My original idea for the egg was to dress it up and make a story to go along with it- which i did do, but i eventually came up with a more unique idea: Easter Egg Astrology Fortune Cookies (minus the cookie part).

I actually didn't put a ton of thought into it, i got my inspiration simply by walking past my bookshelf and looking at my (many) astrology books. Then it clicked. I had a dozen colorful easter eggs, so could put one of the twelve zodiac signs on each easter egg! That still seemed pretty lame though, so i noticed that i had some fortunes from fortune cookies lying around my desk. I thought about being lazy and simply sticking those inside them, but i didnt have enough, (and i felt that i would be slacking if i did that). So i decided to take the "Quickie" horoscopes from Yahoo's horoscope section, print those off in a size comparable to the size of the cookie fortunes, and stick those inside the eggs! Poof! Your daily horoscope in an egg!

link for the horoscopes: http://shine.yahoo.com/astrology/
horoscopes are the "Quickie"s from Jan 24, 2010.

aaand here's some photos: