10/23

I want to fly. I want to jump of a cliff and fly. No this is not a pcp-inspired dream. This is on my bucket list. Before I die I will fly.
The sport is called wingsuit flying. Jumpers use a special wingsuit to glide through the air. It is different than your average skydive or base jump in the sense that the wingsuit slows you down so as to give you more free-fall time. The suit's wings catch the air and make it easier for you to control the direction of travel. I first saw videos of the sport a long time ago and ever since have been intrigued. Recently I learned more, when 60 minutes aired a piece on it. Apparently these divers not only have to be experienced jumpers, but also experienced climbers because oftentimes where they jump from is not accessible by automobile.
The dangers of this sport kind of go without saying. 200 mph freefalls only inches from death may sound intimidating to the average person, but to these thrillseekers it is just another day in the office.

10/21

While I have never heard of Stax Records, I have heard of nearly all the artists to come from their studios. The great Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T. and the MGs are among the most prominent artists to come from this soulful record company. Stax Records took the once controversial work of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and Solomon Burke and made their music more widely accepted by the masses. The Memphis laid back feel eased people's minds and broadened their horizons.
Stax Records helped bridge the gap between the races in the 1960s. White people were for the first time intrigued by what was widely considered African American music. The smooth sounds of this era soon spread amongst all races coast to coast. There is no questioning Stax's great influence on the present day music scene. As the article states there would probably be no rap or even some rock if Stax Records did not exist.

10/19

This past weekend I went to go see what all the hype was about. Where the Wild Thing Are was awesomely indie. "The line for Where the Wild Things Are looks like Radiohead had sex with Urban Outfitters" accurately describes the people whom director Spike Jonze was attempting to attract. The commercials, while appealing to little kids, suggest a deeper underlying meaning. It makes those of us who remember reading the book as a child question why we are still longing to get away from it all. Why can't we live on an island like Max?
Author Maurice Sendak exposes the trials and tribulations of everyday life via this little boy who gets in an argument with his mother and runs away. An island with crazy looking "monsters" becomes his home away from home. But these monsters are not normal. They are mysteriously simplistic beings whose sole desire is to have fun. And so Max leads them in their carefree frolicks through the trees.
But all good things must come to an end. The stress of becoming a leader and having to please everyone can be come too great a pressure, especially on an 8 year old. Jonze's colorful cinematography and Sendak's blissful writing style were the reason for such an eclectic group of people who ordinarily would have scoffed at paying $10 to go see a movie.

10/16

Jon Stewart gives the general public knowledge of current events, whereas the basic news channels and shows do not. Glenn Beck was merely reiterating generic republican views on how he should keep his estate. The CNN video with Michael Moore was just an argument. It was clear that no progress was being made and watching the video any further would result in a migraine. Speidi is just a sad representation of where Americans views of "news" are today. Stuck up on celebrities, we have fixed are brains to believe that this pop culture crap is vital to our everyday well-being.

The Daily Show, while being biased at times, is an excellent source of current events. They have discovered a way to deliver the news to the average American without it being too boring. In this case a clever title: Rape-Nuts, drew my attention. This video was no different than what is expected of the Daily Show. The Republican target this time was Senator Al Franken and his anti-rape bill. Jon Stewart uses tidbits of newscasts to broadcast the "true" elements of the story to his audience, and he adds his two sense in at the end of each clip. While his delivery method may be biased, it does its job in generating viewers.

10/14

Overall this is terrible for music. Artists will be far too concerned with making every song a pop hit that will make them rich. What makes music good is the classic album that we see little of these days; the album that maybe has one hit single that unfairly overshadows the genius of the rest of the album. I find that more and more greatest hits albums are being released, so as to generate more revenue by giving people what they want to hear. Even Radiohead, a band known for their extreme distaste for mainstream music, now has a greatest hits album. To me its like, what's the point? What makes music so good is the variety. We need music that downright sucks, so as to make other artists and tracks all that much more enjoyable.
To me the problem is already evident in hip-hop music. The focus has been centered on making a catchy beat and less upon the lyrics in the song. Artists like Soulja Boy and Travis Porter are perfect examples of this mass movement down the slippery slope towards "fake" hip-hop. Are lyrics gonna be thrown out all together? What's next?
I am also thrown as to what this will mean for heavy metal artists. Will their genre be abolished entirely seeing as they don't have as great a following as others? Or will they transform themselves into marketable, Metallica imitators?
I shudder to think about the future of rock. If rock looses its grit and attitude then it might as well be grouped side by side with pop or worse yet, country. Oh god!

10/12

I chose the paradox video. The video changes my perspective on artists. I have always been under the impression that artists are just hipsters desperately searching for a way for their artwork to be loved by all, yet still considered indie. When I watched the video I soon realized I was sorely mistaken (or at least in the case of these artists). They seemed to thoroughly enjoy the medium through which they got to express their abstract pieces.
The first guy, Mark Bradford, is not your typical urban graffiti artist. He is a little bit more cutting-edge. His medium is recycled flyers posted up around the hood. He scrapes them off and sands them down and arranges them to tell a story. His labor-intensive work tells stories from a variety of cultures, from being an African American during the Civil Rights movement to walking the overcrowded streets of present day India.
While I am not a fan of theater in any way, shape or form, I found myself intrigued by Catherine Sullivan's artwork. She created plays that did not involve a normal type of actor. The acting required for her pieces can best be described as sporadic and impromptu. The result was actually quite terrifying. She herself explained, "(it's) meant to be scary because it's arbitrary". This did not calm my nerves anymore, but made me wonder why she would create such a shocking piece. She further justified her abstract thinking by stating she takes pride in simulating events she has no direct involvement in, purely to make her artwork unstable, and thereby more surprising.
Some might say Robert Ryman was more dull than the rest of the artists showcased here, but I call bullshit. Ryman's age is shown through wise words such as his personal philosophy: "painting something has to look easy, even though it might not be easy." Through his white artwork he solves problems and leaves his audience with a soft, quiet, and visually soothing experience.
The last couple, Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla, caught my eye, not just because of Jennifer's beauty. They work on live-action symbolic structures. Both strong advocates of free speech, they display this in their structures. One structure was an enormous pieces of chalk which they placed in a square in Peru. Droves of people walked up and not only expressed their distaste for the political leadersip in Peru but also anything on their mind. It was cool to see something inherently considered juvenile to be used by people of all ages.

10/9

What does it mean to have swag? I here people claim they have swag everyday, yet no one can give me a true definition. Some people say it means style, as in how a person walks, talks, and dresses. But if that is the case then can't everybody have a different definition of swag? I think my three year old tennis shoes are swaggerific. Others might frown at three day old Nike's. What specifically makes people so swagged up? Is it ones' shoes, hair, or physical attractiveness?


Generally speaking it seems as if swag is a shallow term. In that case let us turn to the celebrities. Does it refer to people who wear all the latest fashions? Paris Hilton? Or is it associated with the latest hip-hop stars? Soulja Boy? Or perhaps it's the money. But if that is the case, then does Bill Gates have swag? My best bet is all of the above. Lil' Wayne is so swagged out... or is it up... who really cares?

9/30

Like the article concludes, people do not want to be isolated from their friends or family because of their varying political views, so they side with a more neutral opinion. I sympathize with this situation, but at the same time would never vote a different way just because someone told me. I voted differently in the 2008 presidential election than my friends and family. Your vote, just like your religion does not have to be a big deal. You can keep it a secret. And that is where I believe this article is wrong. I don't necessarily believe that more Americans are classifying themselves as atheists, but rather not siding a particular way on a religious issue or strongly identifying with a party.
I, for one, was baptized in the Catholic church. I went to church until I was seven and started putting power rangers action figures in the collection box. Ever since I have slept in Sunday mornings at home. Now would it be correct to say that just because I have ceased going to church I am atheist? Probably if you ask the Catholics. But logistically speaking I have not picked up any other religion. I personally do not affiliate with any sect and I am okay with that. So when America calls me atheist when I should be placed in that "other" category, I do get offended.