Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Blog #30
In the book Into the Wild, the author Jon Krakauer is telling the story of a man who has already died in his attempt to brave the wilderness on his own. In order to fully tell this story, he has to get his information from outside sources and somehow completely piece together the mystery of exactly what happened to the man and make it into a book without ever being able to directly communicate with him. To do this, he had to have effective interviewing techniques and the ability to extract a good amount of information from limited sources. This directly relates to the work that we are doing in Media Saves the Beach, because this involves a lot of those same techniques.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Nature Essay
Alia Boynton
Into the Wild
Is someone’s decision to brave the wilderness alone an act of bravery or an act of stupidity? Does surviving a near death experience unarmed make you a better person or does it simply prove that you have good luck? These are questions that often cross the mind of the reader while reading Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. Although I think that McCandless’ decision to walk alone into the wilderness with no proper protection or resources was a foolish and selfish one rather than an admirable and noble one, I disagree with the statement that there was “nothing positive at all” about McCandless’ decision to brave the wilderness alone, because there is no way that you can undergo an experience like that without learning something valuable, McCandless accomplished many positive things from his time in the wild, and it requires much more than just good luck to survive a near death experience.
It is impossible to really learn a lesson about something that you have never experienced for yourself. By going “into the wild”, McCandless made a decision that was frowned apon by mostly everybody. People say that nothing good can come from an idea like this, nothing can be learned by being foolish and irrational. But the reality is, most lessons are learned by doing foolish things. If you never get on a skateboard, you will never learn how to skate, even if standing on a narrow board with wheels and hurling yourself off of a jump may not seem like the most reasonable decision at the time. There is no possible way that you can undergo a near death experience and not learn anything from it. Just because the experience is not positive does not mean that you can’t learn a valuable lesson, one that you would not have learned otherwise. McCandless was very determined to embark on his journey, even though he knew his extremely slim chances of surviving and was advised by everybody he talked to that it was a bad idea. Before he left, he gave $25,000 to charity and burned all the cash in his wallet. Nobody burns all the cash in their wallet unless they are really determined to accomplish something. And although he did not survive his journey, I think that Christopher McCandless accomplished his goal.
Yes McCandless was foolish in his choice to face such a dangerous situation almost completely unarmed. Yes he was unprepared and did not consider the many people that he hurt by choosing to go out on his own. But it would not be a true statement to say that nothing positive came out of his experience. Many people go through their whole lives never really knowing the key to really being happy, never realizing the importance of the small things that they take for granted and never really experiencing the beauty of the world. McCandless achieved all of these things. Although he was not successful in surviving through his “final and greatest adventure”, I don’t think that was his intention. He lived the life that he wanted to and learned the things that some people will never know. On the day that McCandless decided that he is ready to leave, he writes in his journal that he had been reborn, and that “I have lived through much, and now I think that I have found what is needed for happiness”(p.169). This is something that a majority of people go through their whole life wondering, and never find an answer to. This is inevitably something positive that has come from McCandless’ experience in the wilderness.
“Surviving a near death experience doesn’t make you a better human it makes you damn lucky.” These are the words of one letter writer who did not agree with McCandless’ choice to go into the wild. I don’t agree that the knowledge that you have good luck is the only thing that you gain from surviving a near death experience. If you know as little about survival as McCandless did when he left for his adventure and are put into a situation in which your life could be ended and somehow make it through, you are inevitably going to learn something valuable about survival.
So although McCandless was not wise in his choice to take on such an unreasonable endeavor, nor was he noble or admirable in his intentions. But just because his reasoning is selfish doesn’t mean that he did not gain anything from the experience. Although he did hurt the people close to him by going into the wilderness on his own, McCandless gained the knowledge of how to find happiness and lived the final adventure that he had always dreamed of and faced situations that required more than just good luck.
Into the Wild
Is someone’s decision to brave the wilderness alone an act of bravery or an act of stupidity? Does surviving a near death experience unarmed make you a better person or does it simply prove that you have good luck? These are questions that often cross the mind of the reader while reading Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. Although I think that McCandless’ decision to walk alone into the wilderness with no proper protection or resources was a foolish and selfish one rather than an admirable and noble one, I disagree with the statement that there was “nothing positive at all” about McCandless’ decision to brave the wilderness alone, because there is no way that you can undergo an experience like that without learning something valuable, McCandless accomplished many positive things from his time in the wild, and it requires much more than just good luck to survive a near death experience.
It is impossible to really learn a lesson about something that you have never experienced for yourself. By going “into the wild”, McCandless made a decision that was frowned apon by mostly everybody. People say that nothing good can come from an idea like this, nothing can be learned by being foolish and irrational. But the reality is, most lessons are learned by doing foolish things. If you never get on a skateboard, you will never learn how to skate, even if standing on a narrow board with wheels and hurling yourself off of a jump may not seem like the most reasonable decision at the time. There is no possible way that you can undergo a near death experience and not learn anything from it. Just because the experience is not positive does not mean that you can’t learn a valuable lesson, one that you would not have learned otherwise. McCandless was very determined to embark on his journey, even though he knew his extremely slim chances of surviving and was advised by everybody he talked to that it was a bad idea. Before he left, he gave $25,000 to charity and burned all the cash in his wallet. Nobody burns all the cash in their wallet unless they are really determined to accomplish something. And although he did not survive his journey, I think that Christopher McCandless accomplished his goal.
Yes McCandless was foolish in his choice to face such a dangerous situation almost completely unarmed. Yes he was unprepared and did not consider the many people that he hurt by choosing to go out on his own. But it would not be a true statement to say that nothing positive came out of his experience. Many people go through their whole lives never really knowing the key to really being happy, never realizing the importance of the small things that they take for granted and never really experiencing the beauty of the world. McCandless achieved all of these things. Although he was not successful in surviving through his “final and greatest adventure”, I don’t think that was his intention. He lived the life that he wanted to and learned the things that some people will never know. On the day that McCandless decided that he is ready to leave, he writes in his journal that he had been reborn, and that “I have lived through much, and now I think that I have found what is needed for happiness”(p.169). This is something that a majority of people go through their whole life wondering, and never find an answer to. This is inevitably something positive that has come from McCandless’ experience in the wilderness.
“Surviving a near death experience doesn’t make you a better human it makes you damn lucky.” These are the words of one letter writer who did not agree with McCandless’ choice to go into the wild. I don’t agree that the knowledge that you have good luck is the only thing that you gain from surviving a near death experience. If you know as little about survival as McCandless did when he left for his adventure and are put into a situation in which your life could be ended and somehow make it through, you are inevitably going to learn something valuable about survival.
So although McCandless was not wise in his choice to take on such an unreasonable endeavor, nor was he noble or admirable in his intentions. But just because his reasoning is selfish doesn’t mean that he did not gain anything from the experience. Although he did hurt the people close to him by going into the wilderness on his own, McCandless gained the knowledge of how to find happiness and lived the final adventure that he had always dreamed of and faced situations that required more than just good luck.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Blog #27 Nature Writing
1.) McCandless decides that he is ready to leave the wild when he discovers that he has learned what he needed to learn from his experiences. In his journal entry, he writes that he has learned the importance of "the great holiness of food, the vital heat, positivism..absolute truth and honesty, reality, independence, finiality-stability-consistency". He also writes that he has found what is needed for happiness. This is the key, because really that's all anyone really needs. Once he has discovered this, he has no more need to remain in the wilderness.
3.)I do agree that McCandless' choice to live in the wild was a foolish and selfish one, and that he did not fully think through the negative affects that it would have on not only him, but everyone close to him who was affected by his adventure. I do not really see anything powerful and noble in his stuggles. He did not choose to have a solitary course of life in the wilderness for any noble reason or purpose. It was a purely selfish want to fulfill a personal goal and prove a point to himself, and if anything brought pain to his friends and family. I do not agree however, that "surviving a near death experience does not make you a better human it makes you damn lucky". Although I think that the choice McCandless made to attempt to survive alone in the wilderness alone was foolish and selfish, I think that it is still an incredible learning experience. There is no better way for someone with no knowledge of survival skills to really learn how to survive in the wild than to put them in a situation where it is absolutely necessary for them to be used. Anyone who suffers a near death experience has to learn something from it.
3.)I do agree that McCandless' choice to live in the wild was a foolish and selfish one, and that he did not fully think through the negative affects that it would have on not only him, but everyone close to him who was affected by his adventure. I do not really see anything powerful and noble in his stuggles. He did not choose to have a solitary course of life in the wilderness for any noble reason or purpose. It was a purely selfish want to fulfill a personal goal and prove a point to himself, and if anything brought pain to his friends and family. I do not agree however, that "surviving a near death experience does not make you a better human it makes you damn lucky". Although I think that the choice McCandless made to attempt to survive alone in the wilderness alone was foolish and selfish, I think that it is still an incredible learning experience. There is no better way for someone with no knowledge of survival skills to really learn how to survive in the wild than to put them in a situation where it is absolutely necessary for them to be used. Anyone who suffers a near death experience has to learn something from it.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
The Great Gatsby Essay
Evaluate The Great Gatsby as a criticism of the corruption of the American Dream.
The Great Gatsby. Just the name of this novel has a ring to it, a hint that it is about someone, or something with a good amount of power and importance. Anybody who has the title “the great” preceding their name must be something of great importance, right? At the beginning of this novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby is presented as a mystery man, living none other than what can be specified as the American Dream. He is wealthy, mysterious, handsome, and throws the most prestigious parties in New York on a regular basis. Everybody knows his name, he is the subject of the gossip of young giggling girls who attend his parties but have never actually met him in person. People come from all over the world to experience the festivities that take place at his house. Not only is he well known, he is the perfect gentleman, the type of man who would have a brand new dress personally delivered to a girl after her own dress had gotten torn at one of his get togethers. But one of the lessons that is taught to us in this book by the objective and observant narrator, Nick Carraway is that living this great fantasy is not everything that it seems. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the characters in his classic novel The Great Gatsby to portray that maybe living the American dream is more corrupt than it appears, and is not as wonderful as it seems.
In the beginning of this book, Gatsby has it all. He is charming and wins over pretty much every person he comes in contact with, has what seems like an endless supply of money and an endless supply of time. He has what everyone wants. But as the book continues your view on the fabulous dream life that Gatsby is living starts to change. As the book progresses, the character of Gatsby begins to unravel. It turns out that his entire past is a lie, and that he didn’t in fact finish his education at Oxford, or inherit his money in any respectable way at all. You find out that Gatsby is living the dream based on his mere desire to live the dream, a goal which he set for himself because he was too ashamed of his own boring average life. Thru ought this novel, Fitzgerald demonstrates the idea of perfection, and breaks it down to show that really, there is no such thing. Even “the great” Jay Gatsby, who has the life that everybody in New York wishes that they had, is merely a man using money that he had just recently earned in order to impress a woman, not to mention one who is already married.
This book is also filled with a web of lies and secrets. Gatsby wants to keep his reputation solid, and in order to do that he lies about his past, and makes it sound as though he went through a solid education at one of the most well known and well respected colleges, and worked his way to the top, when really he was a coward and dropped out of Oxford so that he could find a way to make his money faster. This inspires the reader to think that maybe there is no way to really achieve perfection, because the people who seem to have it all always have a background motive or a dishonest past to show that what they’re living is not perfection at all.
Gatsby is not the only character in this book who shows the corruption and downside of living the “good life”. One of the central characters of the book is Daisy Buchanan, a beautiful wealthy young woman married to Tom Buchanan, “one of the most powerful ends that ever played football at New Haven”(Fitzgerald, p.22), who came from an incredibly wealthy family and reached the climax of his life at age 21, but still has a big head from the power of his college achievements. On the surface, it appears that Tom and Daisy had it all. They spent a year in France on a whim and “drifted here and there unrestfully whenever people played polo and were rich together” (Fitzgerald, p.23). But despite the happy appearance on the surface, there was nothing happy about this relationship. Tom had a mistress who he would meet with when no one of importance to him was around. Daisy was well aware of this, although she never mentioned it. This was partly because of the deep love she had for Gatsby, which she hid along with her true feelings. By any observer’s speculation, Tom and Daisy were living the American dream, something that everybody wants. But when the truth beneath the surface is revealed, I can’t think of many people who would want to live that way.
At the end of this novel, after all of the mysteries are cleared and the deceiving facades have fallen away, Nick makes an observation about the people who live this fancy and corrupt life. “There were careless people, Tom and Daisy-they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.”(Fitzgerald, p.153). This is one of my favorite lines in the book, it really shows the notion of imperfection that comes with trying to be perfect. Fitzgerald did an excellent job of using the different characters in his book to portray this concept that the “American dream” doesn’t really exist, at least not without a price.
The Great Gatsby. Just the name of this novel has a ring to it, a hint that it is about someone, or something with a good amount of power and importance. Anybody who has the title “the great” preceding their name must be something of great importance, right? At the beginning of this novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby is presented as a mystery man, living none other than what can be specified as the American Dream. He is wealthy, mysterious, handsome, and throws the most prestigious parties in New York on a regular basis. Everybody knows his name, he is the subject of the gossip of young giggling girls who attend his parties but have never actually met him in person. People come from all over the world to experience the festivities that take place at his house. Not only is he well known, he is the perfect gentleman, the type of man who would have a brand new dress personally delivered to a girl after her own dress had gotten torn at one of his get togethers. But one of the lessons that is taught to us in this book by the objective and observant narrator, Nick Carraway is that living this great fantasy is not everything that it seems. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the characters in his classic novel The Great Gatsby to portray that maybe living the American dream is more corrupt than it appears, and is not as wonderful as it seems.
In the beginning of this book, Gatsby has it all. He is charming and wins over pretty much every person he comes in contact with, has what seems like an endless supply of money and an endless supply of time. He has what everyone wants. But as the book continues your view on the fabulous dream life that Gatsby is living starts to change. As the book progresses, the character of Gatsby begins to unravel. It turns out that his entire past is a lie, and that he didn’t in fact finish his education at Oxford, or inherit his money in any respectable way at all. You find out that Gatsby is living the dream based on his mere desire to live the dream, a goal which he set for himself because he was too ashamed of his own boring average life. Thru ought this novel, Fitzgerald demonstrates the idea of perfection, and breaks it down to show that really, there is no such thing. Even “the great” Jay Gatsby, who has the life that everybody in New York wishes that they had, is merely a man using money that he had just recently earned in order to impress a woman, not to mention one who is already married.
This book is also filled with a web of lies and secrets. Gatsby wants to keep his reputation solid, and in order to do that he lies about his past, and makes it sound as though he went through a solid education at one of the most well known and well respected colleges, and worked his way to the top, when really he was a coward and dropped out of Oxford so that he could find a way to make his money faster. This inspires the reader to think that maybe there is no way to really achieve perfection, because the people who seem to have it all always have a background motive or a dishonest past to show that what they’re living is not perfection at all.
Gatsby is not the only character in this book who shows the corruption and downside of living the “good life”. One of the central characters of the book is Daisy Buchanan, a beautiful wealthy young woman married to Tom Buchanan, “one of the most powerful ends that ever played football at New Haven”(Fitzgerald, p.22), who came from an incredibly wealthy family and reached the climax of his life at age 21, but still has a big head from the power of his college achievements. On the surface, it appears that Tom and Daisy had it all. They spent a year in France on a whim and “drifted here and there unrestfully whenever people played polo and were rich together” (Fitzgerald, p.23). But despite the happy appearance on the surface, there was nothing happy about this relationship. Tom had a mistress who he would meet with when no one of importance to him was around. Daisy was well aware of this, although she never mentioned it. This was partly because of the deep love she had for Gatsby, which she hid along with her true feelings. By any observer’s speculation, Tom and Daisy were living the American dream, something that everybody wants. But when the truth beneath the surface is revealed, I can’t think of many people who would want to live that way.
At the end of this novel, after all of the mysteries are cleared and the deceiving facades have fallen away, Nick makes an observation about the people who live this fancy and corrupt life. “There were careless people, Tom and Daisy-they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.”(Fitzgerald, p.153). This is one of my favorite lines in the book, it really shows the notion of imperfection that comes with trying to be perfect. Fitzgerald did an excellent job of using the different characters in his book to portray this concept that the “American dream” doesn’t really exist, at least not without a price.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
MSB Current Events
1.) http://www.great-lakes.net/teach/pollution/water/water3.html
This is a new website designed to teach people about the severity of the pollution that is currently found in our water. This is a very similar approach to my own in the sense that I want to educate the unknowing public about the dangers of our polluted water and the effects that it can have on them.
2.)http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/State_making_a_splash_at_Riverpalooza.html
Riverpalooza is an effort made to get the community involved in cleaning the local bodies of water. This is a good example of something that should be found in more areas.
3.) http://www.surfridersd.org/hotyb.php
I thought Emilie's "hold on to your butt" article was very interesting, because it is something that the public can so easily control but has turned into the most littered item in the world.
4.) http://www.sandiego.gov/thinkblue/pdf/0609bactiresp.pdf
This is an informational document showing the discovery of the hazardous storm drain draining waste directly into the water at pb point. This is very useful for me, because my subject revolves around the quality of the water in this area.
5.)http://environment.about.com/od/waterpollution/a/canadasewage.htm
This article sends a very powerful message about the affects that our pollution can have on us, it tells about the discovery that Canada flushes 200 billion liters of raw sewage directly into natural waterways every year.
This is a new website designed to teach people about the severity of the pollution that is currently found in our water. This is a very similar approach to my own in the sense that I want to educate the unknowing public about the dangers of our polluted water and the effects that it can have on them.
2.)http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/State_making_a_splash_at_Riverpalooza.html
Riverpalooza is an effort made to get the community involved in cleaning the local bodies of water. This is a good example of something that should be found in more areas.
3.) http://www.surfridersd.org/hotyb.php
I thought Emilie's "hold on to your butt" article was very interesting, because it is something that the public can so easily control but has turned into the most littered item in the world.
4.) http://www.sandiego.gov/thinkblue/pdf/0609bactiresp.pdf
This is an informational document showing the discovery of the hazardous storm drain draining waste directly into the water at pb point. This is very useful for me, because my subject revolves around the quality of the water in this area.
5.)http://environment.about.com/od/waterpollution/a/canadasewage.htm
This article sends a very powerful message about the affects that our pollution can have on us, it tells about the discovery that Canada flushes 200 billion liters of raw sewage directly into natural waterways every year.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Blog #21 The Great Gatsby
It is true that both Gatsby and Nick are somewhat detatched from their surroundings. The two are similar in many ways, although they do have their differences. Nick seems to be merely an observer, he takes into consideration his surroundings and almost floats along in the crowd, absorbing what he sees but never really becoming too involved. Gatsby also seems to be detatched from the crowd, but he seems to be working more from the inside. He is more mysterious and involved in things that we do not yet know about. Both characters seem to differentiate from the crowd, but Nick is merely observing and Gatsby seems to always be involved in something deeper that is not noticed at the surface.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Professional Example
1. I think the most successful element of this work sample is how effective it is at getting the message accross in such a simple way. They illustrate a principle that is well known to many people, especially teens, without actually stating it but instead by showing it in a way that is very clear to its intended audience.
2. The message of this commercial is to be above the influence of drugs, because the purpose of the commercial is made very clear at the end.
3. The intended audience for this commercial is teenagers who are struggling through high school and fitting in and knowing how to stand up to their friends even when there are negative influences and temptations.
4. The music that is played in the background along with the astonishing amount of people who are changing this one boy who does not have the power to stop them all comes together to create a very powerful message.
5. The creator of this video used time lapse in order to make the video effective, which is a very good technique to use when trying to get a point accross. This enabled them to make the video more powerful by showing the boy getting changed by many different people in a very short amount of time.
6. This commercial is one that I watched over a year ago, but was one of the first things that came to my mind when I was trying to find a powerful video. It sends a clear and simple message that is extremely important to our society through a very short video, but gets the point accross very well.
Monday, October 26, 2009
MSB sources
http://www.sdbaykeeper.org/
Coastkeeper is an organization that helps keep our coast clean and does regular beach cleanups in the San Diego area. I am working on helping out at some of these cleanups and am planning on interviewing some of the people who work with Coastkeeper along with some of the other volunteers who are helping out in order to get their opinions on the matter.
www.surfridersd.org/
SurfRider is another organization that hosts beach cleanups that are open to the public. On their website, there is a very interesting and well put together video made by Marty Benson, who is someone I would like to talk to, because i am considering doing a video as well.
http://vimeo.com/6934526
www.sandiego.gov/lifeguards/junior
Junior Lifeguards is an organization that trains teens with an interest in swimming and the beach to be experienced lifeguards. Although this organization is not geared towards saving the beaches or dealing with the conditions of our water, I would like to interview some of the lifeguards and see if they have ever had the poor quality of our water arise as a problem for them.
http://www.sandiego.gov/citycouncil/cd6/priorities/water.shtml
Priority number nine of district six of the San Diego City Council is to Protect, preserve and restore water quality in Mission Bay, San Diego River and all water bodies in the City of San Diego. It is focusing now on the Mission Bay landfill, which is an interesting topic that I may want to look into. This is being run by the Mission Bay Technical Advisory Committee.
http://www.surfridersd.org/documents/Environmental_Report_Card_press_release.pdf
The The League of Conservation Voters San Diego (LCVSD) is an organization that teamed up with Surfrider Foundation, San Diego Chapter, San Diego Coastkeeper and Sierra Club, San Diego Chapter in an effort to educate the public about the record of our elected officials on environmental protection, and to hold those officials accountable to a conservation agenda.
http://www.sandiego.gov/citycouncil/cd6/about/
Donna Frye is the City Council's longest-serving member, and has been working hard as an active environmentalist since the 1990s.
Coastkeeper is an organization that helps keep our coast clean and does regular beach cleanups in the San Diego area. I am working on helping out at some of these cleanups and am planning on interviewing some of the people who work with Coastkeeper along with some of the other volunteers who are helping out in order to get their opinions on the matter.
www.surfridersd.org/
SurfRider is another organization that hosts beach cleanups that are open to the public. On their website, there is a very interesting and well put together video made by Marty Benson, who is someone I would like to talk to, because i am considering doing a video as well.
http://vimeo.com/6934526
www.sandiego.gov/lifeguards/junior
Junior Lifeguards is an organization that trains teens with an interest in swimming and the beach to be experienced lifeguards. Although this organization is not geared towards saving the beaches or dealing with the conditions of our water, I would like to interview some of the lifeguards and see if they have ever had the poor quality of our water arise as a problem for them.
http://www.sandiego.gov/citycouncil/cd6/priorities/water.shtml
Priority number nine of district six of the San Diego City Council is to Protect, preserve and restore water quality in Mission Bay, San Diego River and all water bodies in the City of San Diego. It is focusing now on the Mission Bay landfill, which is an interesting topic that I may want to look into. This is being run by the Mission Bay Technical Advisory Committee.
http://www.surfridersd.org/documents/Environmental_Report_Card_press_release.pdf
The The League of Conservation Voters San Diego (LCVSD) is an organization that teamed up with Surfrider Foundation, San Diego Chapter, San Diego Coastkeeper and Sierra Club, San Diego Chapter in an effort to educate the public about the record of our elected officials on environmental protection, and to hold those officials accountable to a conservation agenda.
http://www.sandiego.gov/citycouncil/cd6/about/
Donna Frye is the City Council's longest-serving member, and has been working hard as an active environmentalist since the 1990s.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Comments on MSB Blogs
http://danielatoscano.blogspot.com/
In Dani's blog, she talks about using old pictures of Sunset Cliffs and comparing them to recent ones that she took herself. This is a very good idea for a photo project. She also has a link to several pictures on her blog, which shows that she is thinking ahead and already prepared with examples of what she wants to do.
http://hendersonthomasd.blogspot.com/
In his blog, Thomas says that he is considering doing a documentary about the pollution's affect on the public opinion. This is an interesting idea and something that is inspiring because I wanted to do a documentary type video as well. He mentions that he will be basing his video off of Jessica Matthew's documentary, so he has an idea of where hes going with the project and has a good source of inspiration.
http://emilieheartsblog.blogspot.com
In Emilie's blog, she presents a very clear question and a list of recources and ideas. This is very helpful because it is to the point and also gives recources that can be used for other projects than just her own.
In Dani's blog, she talks about using old pictures of Sunset Cliffs and comparing them to recent ones that she took herself. This is a very good idea for a photo project. She also has a link to several pictures on her blog, which shows that she is thinking ahead and already prepared with examples of what she wants to do.
http://hendersonthomasd.blogspot.com/
In his blog, Thomas says that he is considering doing a documentary about the pollution's affect on the public opinion. This is an interesting idea and something that is inspiring because I wanted to do a documentary type video as well. He mentions that he will be basing his video off of Jessica Matthew's documentary, so he has an idea of where hes going with the project and has a good source of inspiration.
http://emilieheartsblog.blogspot.com
In Emilie's blog, she presents a very clear question and a list of recources and ideas. This is very helpful because it is to the point and also gives recources that can be used for other projects than just her own.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Here is a link to the article I have chosen regarding local coastal issues:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5367/is_200103/ai_n21469947/
1.) The main event of this article is that the University of California has just recently launched a new research program to help solve the major management problems facing California's coastline. The program is called the Coastal Environmental Quality Initiative, and covers issues such as coastal water quality, fisheries, marine ecosystems and shoreline erosion. It provides $1.5 million per year for research to assist the state in its efforts to protect and manage California's ocean and coastal resources.
2.) This article gives a good amount of information about research that is needed and ideas that are not yet verified, but does not clarify what exactly the research program is attempting to accomplish, and if it has made any real progress.
3.) If I was creating a follow up to this story, I would include any progress that the research program has made and any new information has been found answering the questions regarding natural processes and human-induced changes.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5367/is_200103/ai_n21469947/
1.) The main event of this article is that the University of California has just recently launched a new research program to help solve the major management problems facing California's coastline. The program is called the Coastal Environmental Quality Initiative, and covers issues such as coastal water quality, fisheries, marine ecosystems and shoreline erosion. It provides $1.5 million per year for research to assist the state in its efforts to protect and manage California's ocean and coastal resources.
2.) This article gives a good amount of information about research that is needed and ideas that are not yet verified, but does not clarify what exactly the research program is attempting to accomplish, and if it has made any real progress.
3.) If I was creating a follow up to this story, I would include any progress that the research program has made and any new information has been found answering the questions regarding natural processes and human-induced changes.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Blog #11
1.) How aware are the poeple going to the beach of the quality of the water they are swimming in? What can we do to increase this awareness?
I chose this question primarily because I don't think that many of the people who go to the beach on a regular basis actually know much about the quality of the water that they are swimming and surfing in. To answer my question, I would go to several local popular beaches and survey beach-goers about how much they really know about the levels of bacteria in our water.
2.) How does the San Diego water shed work? Why is it so essential to us?I think that this is an interesting question because the water shed is a very important part of our environment and keeps our society functioning properly, but there are many people who don't understand exactly how it functions. To answer this question, I would survey experts on the subject and find areas in which the water shed is taking place.
3.) Does the general level of popularity (the amount of people who regularly visit a certain beach) of a beach make a difference in the quality of the water?
I want to know if a large amount of people in a certain area makes the water more contaminated, so to answer this question I would test the water from different beaches, some that are popular tourist spots and some that are much less popular, and test the results.
I chose this question primarily because I don't think that many of the people who go to the beach on a regular basis actually know much about the quality of the water that they are swimming and surfing in. To answer my question, I would go to several local popular beaches and survey beach-goers about how much they really know about the levels of bacteria in our water.
2.) How does the San Diego water shed work? Why is it so essential to us?I think that this is an interesting question because the water shed is a very important part of our environment and keeps our society functioning properly, but there are many people who don't understand exactly how it functions. To answer this question, I would survey experts on the subject and find areas in which the water shed is taking place.
3.) Does the general level of popularity (the amount of people who regularly visit a certain beach) of a beach make a difference in the quality of the water?
I want to know if a large amount of people in a certain area makes the water more contaminated, so to answer this question I would test the water from different beaches, some that are popular tourist spots and some that are much less popular, and test the results.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Civil War Paper Final Draft
One hundred and forty four years after the Civil War, we like to think that we live in a world where there is no discrimination, no violence or hate based on the different shades of our skin. We like to think that since slavery has been ended and freedom has been legally granted to African Americans all over America, that we can suddenly all coexist in peace without any unfair prejudice. In most places in America, this is true. No longer do African American citizens have to get up from their seats on the bus in order for a white person to sit and rest their legs. No longer do public schools have two separate drinking fountains, one with a label that says “colored” and one with a label that says “whites”. Due to racism that is still occuring in parts of the United States, it seems that the civil war never ended. Despite the peace and revolution that has spread the world after the war, there are some places in the Southern states of America where the struggle between races still continues.
“Dying for Dixie” by Tony Horwitz, a story in which a white teenage boy is shot by four black boys around his age because of a confederate flag that he kept on the back of his truck, provides a perfect example. The story takes place in the town of Guthrie, Kentucky, a small Southern town which provides as a perfect example of a place stuck in the past, in a time when blacks and whites were not considered equal. Horwitz describes biker bars in this town that have Martin Luther King Jr. day celebrations with a “Thank God for James Earl Ray Party” and a proclomation of “Fuck Martin Luther King Jrs B.Day”, and are filled with trashy white Southern men with the urge to start a fight. When Horwitz interviewed some of the men at the biker bar about the town, one of the men replied “We got a few people standing up for white rights. The rest are pussies who let niggers trample all over them. Like those boys who shot Westerman the other day..You’ve got your KKK and your BBB-that’s Badass Black Brothers. Two sides of the same coin. If they want war, come on.” This very attitude is what the father of the murder victim Michael Westerman is talking about when he states that in their town it feels like the war is still going on.
This does not mean that the majority of people in these towns are for “white power”. In fact, according to the man in the biker bar that Horwitz interviewed, there are not very many. But just a few of the strong willed white supremists can be enough to start a conflict. A good example of the racial conflict in this small town is the pool at the Holiday Motel. This small run down motel in Gurthie once had a public swimming pool available to anybody staying at the motel. One hot summer day a few black children paid their money and jumped in the pool. “It was like we sent an electrical charge through the water” said Maria Eskridge, the owner of the motel. Once the black children had gotten in, all the whites got out as quickly as possible. They complained to Eskridge to tell the blacks to leave. Eskridge, not having a strong opinion on the matter and not wanting to start more trouble, ignored the complaints. As the complaining from the white residents continued to get worse, Eskridge and her husband simply filled the pool with pond dirt so that nobody would be able to swim. This solution shows that althouugh there were not too many people strongly against people of different races, there were many people who didn’t care too much either way, but didn’t do much to help. This is one of the contributing factors to the continued conflict. By filling the pool with dirt, Maria avoided the conflict as much as she could. If she had taken a stand against the racist customers and made it clear that it is a free country and any customers who payed the fee were allowed to swim in the public pool, she could’ve done something to help. If the power of the white supremists is strong enough and the people in the middle are doing nothing to help the situation, the power of discrimination will become powerful enough to take over the small town.
It wasn’t long before the issue of racism and prejudice became a matter of life or death. Michael Westerman’s life was taken without warning five weeks after his wife had given birth to twins because of a confederate flag waving from the back of his truck. According to Michael’s own wife, the flag was there simply because it was red and matched the details on his truck. But living in a town where racism was still alive, the shooters assumed that it was a racial statement aimed at them. If there weren’t still white supremists aimed at flaunting the power of their race, this type of assumption most likely wouldn’t have been made. Maybe slavery has ended, maybe we are finally all legally thought of as equal, but there will always be people who break the law, and it’s these people who keep the war alive in parts of America.
“Dying for Dixie” by Tony Horwitz, a story in which a white teenage boy is shot by four black boys around his age because of a confederate flag that he kept on the back of his truck, provides a perfect example. The story takes place in the town of Guthrie, Kentucky, a small Southern town which provides as a perfect example of a place stuck in the past, in a time when blacks and whites were not considered equal. Horwitz describes biker bars in this town that have Martin Luther King Jr. day celebrations with a “Thank God for James Earl Ray Party” and a proclomation of “Fuck Martin Luther King Jrs B.Day”, and are filled with trashy white Southern men with the urge to start a fight. When Horwitz interviewed some of the men at the biker bar about the town, one of the men replied “We got a few people standing up for white rights. The rest are pussies who let niggers trample all over them. Like those boys who shot Westerman the other day..You’ve got your KKK and your BBB-that’s Badass Black Brothers. Two sides of the same coin. If they want war, come on.” This very attitude is what the father of the murder victim Michael Westerman is talking about when he states that in their town it feels like the war is still going on.
This does not mean that the majority of people in these towns are for “white power”. In fact, according to the man in the biker bar that Horwitz interviewed, there are not very many. But just a few of the strong willed white supremists can be enough to start a conflict. A good example of the racial conflict in this small town is the pool at the Holiday Motel. This small run down motel in Gurthie once had a public swimming pool available to anybody staying at the motel. One hot summer day a few black children paid their money and jumped in the pool. “It was like we sent an electrical charge through the water” said Maria Eskridge, the owner of the motel. Once the black children had gotten in, all the whites got out as quickly as possible. They complained to Eskridge to tell the blacks to leave. Eskridge, not having a strong opinion on the matter and not wanting to start more trouble, ignored the complaints. As the complaining from the white residents continued to get worse, Eskridge and her husband simply filled the pool with pond dirt so that nobody would be able to swim. This solution shows that althouugh there were not too many people strongly against people of different races, there were many people who didn’t care too much either way, but didn’t do much to help. This is one of the contributing factors to the continued conflict. By filling the pool with dirt, Maria avoided the conflict as much as she could. If she had taken a stand against the racist customers and made it clear that it is a free country and any customers who payed the fee were allowed to swim in the public pool, she could’ve done something to help. If the power of the white supremists is strong enough and the people in the middle are doing nothing to help the situation, the power of discrimination will become powerful enough to take over the small town.
It wasn’t long before the issue of racism and prejudice became a matter of life or death. Michael Westerman’s life was taken without warning five weeks after his wife had given birth to twins because of a confederate flag waving from the back of his truck. According to Michael’s own wife, the flag was there simply because it was red and matched the details on his truck. But living in a town where racism was still alive, the shooters assumed that it was a racial statement aimed at them. If there weren’t still white supremists aimed at flaunting the power of their race, this type of assumption most likely wouldn’t have been made. Maybe slavery has ended, maybe we are finally all legally thought of as equal, but there will always be people who break the law, and it’s these people who keep the war alive in parts of America.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Reconstruction
The period of reconstruction refers to the time in which many new policies were implemented between 1863 and 1877. This was a time when the nation was focused on winning the Civil War, abolishing slavery, defeating the Confederacy, reconstructing the nation and amending the US constitution. This era was succesful in providing big steps towards freedom and equality such as the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments which provided former slaves with national citizenship and granted black men the right to vote. But this success did not last for very long. After Lincoln was killed, Andrew Johnson took over as president. He did not care as much for reconstruction as Lincoln and under his rule the Black Codes were put into place as were other rules that compromised the freedom of the newly freed slaves.
This is similar to the modern civil rights movement, which refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring suffrage in the Southern states.
Here is the link to an article regarding the modern civil rights movement:
http://civilliberty.about.com/od/raceequalopportunity/ig/History-of-Black-Civil-Rights/Modern-Civil-Rights-Movement.htm
This is similar to the modern civil rights movement, which refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring suffrage in the Southern states.
Here is the link to an article regarding the modern civil rights movement:
http://civilliberty.about.com/od/raceequalopportunity/ig/History-of-Black-Civil-Rights/Modern-Civil-Rights-Movement.htm
Monday, September 28, 2009
American History Writing #1 Rough Draft
Now a days, one hundred and fourty four years after the civil war, we like to think that we live in a world where there is no discrimination, no violence or hate based on the different shades of our skin. We like to think that now that slavery has ended and freedom has been legally granted to African Americans all over America, that we can suddenly all coexist in peace without any unfair prejudice. And in most places in America, this is true. No longer do African American citizens have to get up from their seats on the bus in order for a white person to sit and rest their legs. No longer do public schools have two separate drinking fountains, one with a label that says “colored” and one with a label that says “whites”. But despite the peace and revolution that has spread the world after the war, there are some places in the American South where the struggle between races still continues.
“Dying for Dixie” by Tony Horwitz, a story in which a white teenage boy is shot by four black teenage boys around his age because of a confederate flag that he kept on the back of his truck, provides a perfect example of the types of places in which it seems that the war is still going on. The true story takes place in the small town of Guthrie, Kentucky. Horwitz describes biker bars in this town that have Martin Luther King Jr. day celebrations with a “Thank God for James Earl Ray Party” and a proclomation of “Fuck Martin Luther King Jrs B.Day”. When Horwitz interviewed some of the men at the biker bar about the town, one of the men replied “We got a few people standing up for white rights. The rest are pussies who let niggers trample all over them. Like those boys who shot Westerman the other day..You’ve got your KKK and your BBB-that’s Badass Black Brothers. Two sides of the same coin. If they want war, come on.” This very attitude is what the father of the murder victim Michael Westerman is talking about when he states that in their town it feels like the war is still going on.
This does not mean that the majority of people are for “white power”. In fact, according to the man in the biker bar that Horwitz interviewed, there are not very many. But even just a few of the strong willed white supremists can be enough to start a conflict. A good example of the racial conflict in this small town is the pool at the Holiday Motel. This small run down motel in Gurthie once had a public swimming pool available to anybody staying at the motel. One hot summer day a few black children paid their money and jumped in the pool. “It was like we sent an electrical charge through the water” said Maria Eskridge, the owner of the motel. Once the black children had gotten in, all the whites got out as quickly as possible. They complained to Eskridge to tell the blacks to leave. Eskridge, not having a strong opinion on the matter and not wanting to start more trouble, ignored the complaints. As the complaining from the white residents continued to get worse, Eskridge and her husband simply filled the pool with pond dirt so that nobody would be able to swim. This solution shows that althouugh there were not too many people strongly against people of different races, there were many people who didn’t care too much either way, but didn’t do much to help. This is one of the contributing factors to the continued conflict. If the power of the white supremists is strong enough and the people in the middle are doing nothing to help the situation, the power of discrimination will become powerful enough to take over the small town.
It wasn’t long before the issue of racism and prejudice became a matter of life or death. Michael Westerman was shot by four black teenagers because of a confedarate flag waving from the back of his truck. According to Michael’s own wife, the flag was there simply because it was red and matched the details on his truck. But living in a town where racism was still alive, the shooters assumed that it was a racial statement aimed at them. Maybe slavery has ended, maybe we are finally all legally thought of as equal, but there will always be people who break the law, and it’s these people who keep the war alive in parts of America.
“Dying for Dixie” by Tony Horwitz, a story in which a white teenage boy is shot by four black teenage boys around his age because of a confederate flag that he kept on the back of his truck, provides a perfect example of the types of places in which it seems that the war is still going on. The true story takes place in the small town of Guthrie, Kentucky. Horwitz describes biker bars in this town that have Martin Luther King Jr. day celebrations with a “Thank God for James Earl Ray Party” and a proclomation of “Fuck Martin Luther King Jrs B.Day”. When Horwitz interviewed some of the men at the biker bar about the town, one of the men replied “We got a few people standing up for white rights. The rest are pussies who let niggers trample all over them. Like those boys who shot Westerman the other day..You’ve got your KKK and your BBB-that’s Badass Black Brothers. Two sides of the same coin. If they want war, come on.” This very attitude is what the father of the murder victim Michael Westerman is talking about when he states that in their town it feels like the war is still going on.
This does not mean that the majority of people are for “white power”. In fact, according to the man in the biker bar that Horwitz interviewed, there are not very many. But even just a few of the strong willed white supremists can be enough to start a conflict. A good example of the racial conflict in this small town is the pool at the Holiday Motel. This small run down motel in Gurthie once had a public swimming pool available to anybody staying at the motel. One hot summer day a few black children paid their money and jumped in the pool. “It was like we sent an electrical charge through the water” said Maria Eskridge, the owner of the motel. Once the black children had gotten in, all the whites got out as quickly as possible. They complained to Eskridge to tell the blacks to leave. Eskridge, not having a strong opinion on the matter and not wanting to start more trouble, ignored the complaints. As the complaining from the white residents continued to get worse, Eskridge and her husband simply filled the pool with pond dirt so that nobody would be able to swim. This solution shows that althouugh there were not too many people strongly against people of different races, there were many people who didn’t care too much either way, but didn’t do much to help. This is one of the contributing factors to the continued conflict. If the power of the white supremists is strong enough and the people in the middle are doing nothing to help the situation, the power of discrimination will become powerful enough to take over the small town.
It wasn’t long before the issue of racism and prejudice became a matter of life or death. Michael Westerman was shot by four black teenagers because of a confedarate flag waving from the back of his truck. According to Michael’s own wife, the flag was there simply because it was red and matched the details on his truck. But living in a town where racism was still alive, the shooters assumed that it was a racial statement aimed at them. Maybe slavery has ended, maybe we are finally all legally thought of as equal, but there will always be people who break the law, and it’s these people who keep the war alive in parts of America.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Media Saves the Beach
For media saves the beach, I want to do something using photography to show the contrast between the beautiful appearance of the ocean to the facts about how polluted and contaminated it really is. I want to find evidence of the over abundance of trash in our oceans and get it on camera, and compare it to the beautiful landscapes that people see when they visit the beach every day.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
My Hero
Trying to decide on a choice for my American icon was a very difficult assignment for me. I wanted to find someone who I could really spark a deep connection with, someone I really admire; so I looked through lists of famous celebrities, writers, photographers, artists, and great thinkers, trying to find someone that clicked with my personality and who I hope to become. A couple of days ago, I came home to find that I had been searching for something that had been right in front of me all along. How could I have overlooked the person who had been 100% by my side all along? Someone who I have personally seen overcome every obstacle put in front of them and beat the odds even when there was no hope left? My American icon is my mom, the strongest and most inspiring person I know.
My mom and I had very different childhoods, she made sure of that. As a young child she was abused by her own mother, beaten and starved and locked in the basement on regular occasions. She was taken from her home by child services at a young age and was put into foster homes, left with nothing but a broken jaw that she had to live with until she was able to get dental surgery in her late twenties. She was then raised to be a strict Fundamentalist-Baptist and was sheltered from doing the things that most teenagers do, like go out with friends or even listen to music. Finally, after high school, she broke away from her religion and became a child's advocate for Project Heartbeat, a program made to help children who came from broken homes. Most people would have given up at this point, but that wasn't something my mom was raised to do.
Growing up, I never wanted to be like my mom. It took about fourteen years and the uncovering of some information that had been kept from me to realize how lucky I am to have her. When I was seven years old, my dad took me on a spontaneous four-week vacation to
I can not say that I can in any way relate to the pain and suffering that my mom has been through, but I am learning from her how to beat the odds even if they are all against you. I have been there with my mom when she battled cancer, both times; visited her when she was hospitalized for periods of time, watched her completely lose her memory for a period of two months, and all the while watched her do everything she can to make sure that I have the best life that she can provide for me. I can only hope to become as good-hearted and selfless of a person as she is.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Blog #6
While writing for this project, I discovered that when I write I generally have many good ideas, but the difficult part for me is putting them all together in a way that flows and makes sense. I had several drafts in which I had to revise the organization and order of the paragraphs and ideas. It was very difficult for me to cut down the essay into something that could fit on one page. I also discovered that I'm better at writing about personal stories and experiences of mine. I used many personal references from the past in my essay. I think that this helped me connect more with the reader and improved the writing.
"I visited her when she was hospitalized, watched her memory for a period of two months, and all the while saw her do everything she can to ensure that I have the best life that she can provide for me." I like this sentence because I think it mostly sums up the hardships that my mom and I have been through and her hard work and selflessness.
"I visited her when she was hospitalized, watched her memory for a period of two months, and all the while saw her do everything she can to ensure that I have the best life that she can provide for me." I like this sentence because I think it mostly sums up the hardships that my mom and I have been through and her hard work and selflessness.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Blog #5
bokeh
Bokeh is a technique in which the main central subject of the picture (usually whatever is closest to the camera) is in focus, while the rest of the picture is blurred and out of focus. I really like the way that this technique looks, and is especially helpful for putting the focus on the main element of the picture.
contrastAdding a high level of contrast to a picture is a very commonly used technique which highly emphasizes and contrasts the colors in a photo. This helps to make the picture bolder and the colors stronger, or in black in white photos helps emphasize the differences between light and dark.
unique perspectiveUnique perspective is the technique of taking photographs from unusual angles and places, which changes the levels of focus and often leads to a cool effect.
Blog #4
For the critique of my essay, my computer partner suggested a variety of ideas, including changing my organization in order to better get the readers attention and so that the essay will flow more smoothly. She also suggested revising some run-on sentences and marked up my paper with spelling and wording suggestions that would further improve it. She did like the personal aspect of the paper and reminded me to keep that if i changed the writing at all.
I want to change my work by revising the organization and order in which i presented the ideas and by fine-tuning the word choice and spelling, and maybe add some new information.
Second Draft of my Artist Statement:
Trying to decide on a choice for my American icon was a very difficult assignment for me. There are many great people in the history of our coutry who I admire that have made amazing accomplishments, but not many who I can honestly say have inspired me or drastically changed my view on anything. I wanted to find someone who I could really spark a deep connection with, someone I really admire; so I looked through lists of famous celebrities, writers, photographers, artists, and great thinkers, trying to find someone that cicked with my personality and who I hope to become. A couple of days ago, I came home to find that I had been searching for something that had been right in front of me all along. How could I have overlooked the person who had been 100% by my side all along? Someone who I have personally seen overcome every obstacle put in front of them and beat the odds even when there was no hope left? My American icon is my mom, the strongest and most inspiring person I know.
My mom and I had very different childhoods, she made sure of that. As a young child she was abused by her own mother, beaten and starved and locked in the basement on regular occasions. She was taken from her home by child services at a young age and was put into foster homes, left with nothing but a broken jaw that she had to live with until she was able to get dental surgery in her late twenties. She was then raised to be a strict Fundamentalist-Baptist and was sheltered from doing the things that most teenagers do, like go out with friends or even listen to music. Although she was away from her terrible home, things continued to get worse, in ways that I cannot explain because to this day i still do not know to the full extent what happened in my mother's teenage years. Finally, after high school, she broke away from her religion and became a child's advocate for Project Heartbeat, a program made to help children who came from broken homes. Most people would have given up at this point, but that wasn't something my mom was raised to do. Instead, she did her part to ensure that not everybody has to suffer.
Growing up, I never wanted to be like my mom. I would always accuse her of stifiling me by being too overprotective, and roll my eyes whenever she tried to make a joke. It took about fourteen years and the uncovering of some information that had been kept from me to realize how lucky I am to have her. When I was seven years old, my dad took me on a spontaneous four-week vacation to Europe. I never really questioned the reasoning behind it, I just assumed that it was purely for the sake of traveling. We went to London Paris, Rome, Venice, Verona, and other placed tht I don't even remember the names of. But being seven, I didn't appreciate the rich culture and history of these places as much as my dad. After what seemed like an endless day of being forced to walk for miles and miles and look at old paintings in historical museums, I called my mom from one of the hotel phones crying. I went on and on about how tired my feet were and how I wish I could come home because daddy was being mean. This phone call drastically changed my life in ways i could have never imagined. Little did I know, while I was touring Europe, walking and sight-seeing, my mom was in the hospital undergoing intense treatments that the majority of people do not survive through. The treatments were getting too rough, and she had reached the descision that she just couldn't do it anymore. She had come to the conclusion to tell the doctors to stop the treatments, a choice that would end the pain but also end her life. But after recieving that phone call, she realized that she couldn't leave me alone. She told the doctors to recontinue the treatment, and promised herself that she would stay alive long enough to watch me grow up. I am thankful every day that I picked up the phone and made that call.
All of her life my mom has been surrounded by peopel telling her what she can't do. Her doctors told her she wouldn't live past age thirty. She was told that she probably wouldn't survive the chimo therapy required to battle the melenoma skin cancer that had infected her lungs, but she beat the odds, on two seperate occasions. She became the only person in the Northern Hemisphere to live through the treatments that she was put through. As a young child, I saw my mom getting sick and dissapearing for weeks, and I can't count on my fingers the amount of times people warned me that I could possibly lose her. But she made it through every time. I began to think of her as invincible. I was never too scared that I would lose her for real, I was convinced that it would be impossible. One thing she taught me, that I will always take with me, is to never give up. I've come close to giving up many times, but I always think of my mom, and how she is iving proof that you can perform miracles if you keep trying, and never lose hope.
I can not say that I can in any way relate to the pain and siffering that my mom has been through, but I am learning from her how to beat the offs even if they are all against you, and how to learn from hardships and use them to grow and become a better person. I have been there with my mom when she battled cancer, both times; visited her when she was hospitalized for periods of time, watched her completely lose her memory for a period of two months, and all the while watched her do everything she can to make sure that I have the best life that she can provide for me. And I can only hope to become as good-hearted and selfless of a person as she is.
I want to change my work by revising the organization and order in which i presented the ideas and by fine-tuning the word choice and spelling, and maybe add some new information.
Second Draft of my Artist Statement:
Trying to decide on a choice for my American icon was a very difficult assignment for me. There are many great people in the history of our coutry who I admire that have made amazing accomplishments, but not many who I can honestly say have inspired me or drastically changed my view on anything. I wanted to find someone who I could really spark a deep connection with, someone I really admire; so I looked through lists of famous celebrities, writers, photographers, artists, and great thinkers, trying to find someone that cicked with my personality and who I hope to become. A couple of days ago, I came home to find that I had been searching for something that had been right in front of me all along. How could I have overlooked the person who had been 100% by my side all along? Someone who I have personally seen overcome every obstacle put in front of them and beat the odds even when there was no hope left? My American icon is my mom, the strongest and most inspiring person I know.
My mom and I had very different childhoods, she made sure of that. As a young child she was abused by her own mother, beaten and starved and locked in the basement on regular occasions. She was taken from her home by child services at a young age and was put into foster homes, left with nothing but a broken jaw that she had to live with until she was able to get dental surgery in her late twenties. She was then raised to be a strict Fundamentalist-Baptist and was sheltered from doing the things that most teenagers do, like go out with friends or even listen to music. Although she was away from her terrible home, things continued to get worse, in ways that I cannot explain because to this day i still do not know to the full extent what happened in my mother's teenage years. Finally, after high school, she broke away from her religion and became a child's advocate for Project Heartbeat, a program made to help children who came from broken homes. Most people would have given up at this point, but that wasn't something my mom was raised to do. Instead, she did her part to ensure that not everybody has to suffer.
Growing up, I never wanted to be like my mom. I would always accuse her of stifiling me by being too overprotective, and roll my eyes whenever she tried to make a joke. It took about fourteen years and the uncovering of some information that had been kept from me to realize how lucky I am to have her. When I was seven years old, my dad took me on a spontaneous four-week vacation to Europe. I never really questioned the reasoning behind it, I just assumed that it was purely for the sake of traveling. We went to London Paris, Rome, Venice, Verona, and other placed tht I don't even remember the names of. But being seven, I didn't appreciate the rich culture and history of these places as much as my dad. After what seemed like an endless day of being forced to walk for miles and miles and look at old paintings in historical museums, I called my mom from one of the hotel phones crying. I went on and on about how tired my feet were and how I wish I could come home because daddy was being mean. This phone call drastically changed my life in ways i could have never imagined. Little did I know, while I was touring Europe, walking and sight-seeing, my mom was in the hospital undergoing intense treatments that the majority of people do not survive through. The treatments were getting too rough, and she had reached the descision that she just couldn't do it anymore. She had come to the conclusion to tell the doctors to stop the treatments, a choice that would end the pain but also end her life. But after recieving that phone call, she realized that she couldn't leave me alone. She told the doctors to recontinue the treatment, and promised herself that she would stay alive long enough to watch me grow up. I am thankful every day that I picked up the phone and made that call.
All of her life my mom has been surrounded by peopel telling her what she can't do. Her doctors told her she wouldn't live past age thirty. She was told that she probably wouldn't survive the chimo therapy required to battle the melenoma skin cancer that had infected her lungs, but she beat the odds, on two seperate occasions. She became the only person in the Northern Hemisphere to live through the treatments that she was put through. As a young child, I saw my mom getting sick and dissapearing for weeks, and I can't count on my fingers the amount of times people warned me that I could possibly lose her. But she made it through every time. I began to think of her as invincible. I was never too scared that I would lose her for real, I was convinced that it would be impossible. One thing she taught me, that I will always take with me, is to never give up. I've come close to giving up many times, but I always think of my mom, and how she is iving proof that you can perform miracles if you keep trying, and never lose hope.
I can not say that I can in any way relate to the pain and siffering that my mom has been through, but I am learning from her how to beat the offs even if they are all against you, and how to learn from hardships and use them to grow and become a better person. I have been there with my mom when she battled cancer, both times; visited her when she was hospitalized for periods of time, watched her completely lose her memory for a period of two months, and all the while watched her do everything she can to make sure that I have the best life that she can provide for me. And I can only hope to become as good-hearted and selfless of a person as she is.
Friday, September 4, 2009
American Icon Sources
This is one of the earliest depictions of Disney's most famous creations, Mickey Mouse. This black and white reel, called "The Mad Doctor", shows a different side of Disney than we are used to. This is an important source of information because it shows the original inspiration and ideas for characters that Disney created such as Mickey Mouse and Pluto, before they became commercialized and stereotyped. It gives a unique insight on Disney's original ideas.
This is the well-known speech given by Walt Disney in which he welcomed everybody to his kingdom of happiness, Disneyland. In this speech Disney describes his feelings of what Disneyland should be and why he created it. There are no better words to describe it.
http://www.justdisney.com/walt_disney/ is probably the most complete online source that you could possibly find for everything you need to know about Walt Disney. It is complete with a detailed biography, a short biography, a filmography, animation, Walt Disney quotes, and more. From this, i will learn more about Disney himself, and get a stronger insight into his work.
The legendary pop art created by campbell soup can labels is a perfect example of the way that Warhol was able to create art out of something that noone would have ever thought of using. This piece of work was very contreversial and considered by many to not be art, but was a big part of what made Warhol famous.
Another important source is the movie Factory girl; a movie based on the rise and fall of Eddie Sedgwick and her relationship with Andy Warhol. It is an American biopic based in the 1960s. This movie is an important source because Sedgwick was Andy Warhol's main source of inspiration and muse for much of his work.
"Isn't life a series of images that change as they repeat themselves? " This statement made by Warhol basically summarizes his reasoning behind his unique art in the most simple way possible. The style that Warhol is known for is simply taking a picture and multiplying it many times, changing each one as it repeats itself.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
American Icons
Walt Disney is a name that brings a smile to the faces of almost everyone who hears it, and is recognized by
thousands of people acrossAamerica. Disney i
s a multiple Academy-Award winning film producer, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, and philanthropist, who is known mostly for being the co-founder of Walt Disney Productions, an achievement that changed the lives of people all over America and helped him to become one of the most well-known motion picture producers in the world. He was a dream weaver, a creator of fairy tales and lands far far away which he brought to life using colorful animation that captured the hearts of children everywhere.
On July 18th, 1955, Disney made these far away fairy tales acces
sible to children everywhere when he opened Disneyland Theme Park, also known as "the happiest place on earth". This revolutionary theme park s
oon opened in locations in Japan, France, and China, and became the second most visited theme park in the world. "To all who come to this happy place - welcome. Disneyland is
your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America ... with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world. Thank you." Disney said about the magical park that he had created.
Disney books and movies caused a revolution in America. The classic children's movies inspire children to dream and use their imagination, and escape to a world in which pumpkins can turn into horse-drawn carriages and fairy tales really do come true. Growing up, the world of disney was my inspiration for almost everything i did and helped me get through difficult times by bringing a little bit of magic to my life, the way it did for countless others.
Lucille Ball, one of the most powerful and influential popular and influential stars in America during her lif
etime, brought tears to the eyes of television viewers across the country. Tears of laughter, that is. A successful comedienne, television, stage and radio actress, model,and film and television executive, Ball had a long list of things to be proud of. But her greatest and most well-known achievement was her starring role in the hit show I Love Lucy, in which captured hearts playing the quirky and klutzy Lucy who lit up television screens all over America from 1948 to 1960. I Love Lucy became a classic and was soon followed by the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, and Here's Lucy.
She is known as the "queen of Bs" because of her many roles in B-list films rather than well known movies on the big screen, but will always be someone i look up to for working as hard as she did and putting herself wholly into her career, in which she achieved more than most by simply being herself and not worrying about critique on her unusual behavior.
Andy Warhol is a leading figure in the visual movement of pop art and one of the most inspirational and original artists of America, in my opinion at least. He began with a successful career in commercial illustrating and soon became famous worldwide for his unique and revolutionary paintings. In addition to painting and illustrating, Warhol became an avant-garde filmmaker, record producer, author, and public figure known for his membership in wildly diverse social circles that included bohemian street people, distinguished intellectuals, Hollywood celebrities and wealthy aristocrats. Warhol's work inspired many people with his flair for thinking outside of the box and coloring outside the lines, and was made to be the subject of many retrospective exhibitions, books, and feature and documentary films.
Warhol is someone who I will always admire, for his way of being able to look at something in a way that no one else could see it, and turning it into a form of art. This is a skill that most people strive to achieve but doesn't come naturally to many. It can open a whole new world of opportunities that never seemed possible. There was a time when no one would ever consider seeing a soup can label a work of art, until Warhol came along and changed everyone's view on what beauty is.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Junior Year
Junior year has just begun; one of the most challenging and important years in high school in which it becomes necessary for students to start figuring out their future. The question of what I want to do with my future is one that I have never had an answer to, so one of my goals this year is to find something that I'm passionate about and want to do after college, and work towards making it a possibility. During junior year I also really want to become more focused on my work and utalize the time that we are given to learn instead of getting work done as quickly as possible so that school can be over.
Through taking Humanities I want to develop ways to take in information by doing more than just looking on the surface, and see things in different perspectives. I want to learn to focus more and be able to follow through with things more often, which is something that can be difficult for me.
Through taking Humanities I want to develop ways to take in information by doing more than just looking on the surface, and see things in different perspectives. I want to learn to focus more and be able to follow through with things more often, which is something that can be difficult for me.
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