reminder

• Final Project due tomorrow!
• Includes

1. 5 page paper (academic paper relating an idea gathered from the text to a global perspective).  This must be in MLA format (heading, numbered pages, citations from the text) and Times New Roman, size 12 font, double spaced.
2. Artistic Translation (the visual (can also be sound) that you'll present to the class that describes the idea you gathered from the book).
3. Artist's statement: 450-750 words describing the work of art in your own voice.  Play up your voice, your patterns, your process, etc.  This is your statement

* Note:  You MUST let me know, today, if you need any technical support for your presentation.  Presentations should be 7-ish minutes.

In class, we'll present our visuals and read, out loud, our statements.  If time permits, we'll discuss what we saw in each other's work.  

You have one more lecture to attend.  

In class on Thursday, you'll have time for some closure:  we'll finish any presentations we didn't finish; we'll have a little party; and you have the OPPORTUNITY to ask any remaining questions you might have about college, writing, or Kyle's preferences in ice cream.  

Is there anything you need?

another source

Many of you are writing about freedom, speech, and communities representation.  I've asked a lot of you, who controls who lives where?  Who decides/changes/impacts a community and how it is stereotyped?  

Relate this article to those questions, to your texts, maybe even to your essays.  Start to see how world events are relevant to the ideas you are writing about.

this is mostly for blake, but good to read

blake, this article complicates your paper huh?  it presumes that this disatisfcation with government is more global and it also suggests that choice--implied in your paper--might not be an option in any government.  plus, it seems like the kind of article you might like.  

interesting commentary

http://www.osaarchivum.org/galeria/the_divide/chapter02.html

write a response to this quote

Imaginary Places

For some of your five page papers, you might want to consider the process and act of reading--how reading effects the writing of the paper, the thinking through of larger ideas, etc.  Here's a quote to consider and respond to:

Reading, we are allowed to follow someone else’s train of thought as it starts off for an imaginary place. This train has been produced for usÑor rather materialized and extended until it is almost nothing like the ephemeral realizations with which we’re familiar. To see words pulled one by one into existence is to intrude on a privacy of sorts. But we are familiar with the contract between spectator and performer. Now the text isn’t a train but an actress/ model who takes off her school uniform piece by piece alone with the cameraman. She’s a good girl playing at being bad, all the time knowing better. She invites us to join her in that knowledge. But this is getting us nowhere.   

—Rae Armantrout

What does this quote mean? 

What does it say about both the reader and writer?  About the act of reading?

Relate this to reading in this class.

TODAY

After reading the introductions, some of us had "unfocused" or unclear thesis statements.  Take the time, during the blog session, to carefully write your thesis statement out.  After writing your thesis, write another sentence that says what your paper will do (this is called the "intention statement")--if you have these two sentences, the paper has a logical flow (it will do what the intention says and refer back to the thesis).  

Let's have a talk if you feel confused about thesis statements or introductions in general.  

this made me think of our conversation

about consumerism and the economy:  here's a cool art project

art show dealing with the arts and the economy

“Everybody's got (more) money issues.”


Mess Hall
6932 N Glenwood Ave (between Morse and Farwell Aves) Far North Side, Chicago Map
El: Red to Morse. Bus: 22, 96, 151, 155 Directions
http://www.messhall.org
Prices
Tickets: Free
Description Curated with AREA Chicago, this group show tackles the financial crisis with contributions from InCUBATE, the Artist-Run Credit League and other local artists and organizations. For more information, visit messhall.org.
When
Sun 3pm–6pm , Mon–Aug 13 4pm–7pm Ongoing through Aug 30.

biofuels

Interesting article...if you don't read Seed magazine, you might want to.

Tamms Supermax

http://www.yearten.org/

Just so you can see what I'm talking about when I forget to give context about Tamms.

bridge program

Were here in bridge program to improve on our english and math. But do you think it's necesary if you want to major in dance or photography? and why do you think so? If you don't pass the bridge program and you can't be accepted, what are your alternatives? Just wondering. If I don't make it, I think i would go for nurses aid. All my family are nurses and I think it will benefit me more financially. Just wondering why aren't we accepted and what makes them better?

what art movement is your lineage and affection to

http://www.aknowles.com/

This is one of the founders of the fluxus movement, a movement I feel a lot of affiliation towards. I know that a lot of my work is rooted in this kind of work.

What movement(s) do you feel affiliated with and what have you gathered from their work?

Have you ever felt like a prisoner in your own home?I knew two girls who's parents were soooo over pretective!They stayed in the house all day, and had to sneek out when there parents not around.But now that there both 18, one plans to go to a college far away, and the other plans to move to the southside with some guy.Did your parents ever over crowd you so much you just couldnt wate to grow up and leave? or are they like my parents somewhat over protective , yet still let me make my own mistacts.

Foot Binding

During The EArly 20th Century the wealthy chinese Women would bind their feet to look pretty. They Start binding their feet at age 4. Some Dies from the pain. If It Hurts and they can't sleep their mom would sit on their feet so it won't hurt so much. Their toe would fold to the bottom of their foot until the bone would break. Womens that has flat feet means their poor and work in the farm or work for the wealthy women that has bind feet.
here's some pictures: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bound_feet_(X-ray).jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Natural_vs._bound_feet_comparison,_1902.JPG
From My Big Sister I Heard my grandma could have bind her feet but she didn't because she want to help out in the farm.
If We still have foot binding today for the girls to look pretty would you do it?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Foot_binding_shoes.jpg
i forgot about their shoes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_FYM2Y4AR4

8/08 Michael Law Blog

a few days ago in class, during kyles post lecture, we discussed about celebrities and the charity. Someone had mentioned that lil kim has a charitable foundation called lil kim cares. another class what skeptical about her foundation, and then later started a heated argument. what i wanna know is that do you think its alright to have bad influence celebrities be the face of a charity? and do you also think that true "role models" are what they were 30 years ago?

Kyle and Kristen

Dear Teachers,

Can you PLEASE check and see if Aaron F. still has a class open, so i can sign up for him in the Fall?

-Michael

call for work!

Request Your Input

We'd like to know if you would like to cancel the blogging session and dedicate the ENTIRE session (both class periods) to workshopping.  You would still have your passing break (5 minutes).

If you want to do this, Kyle and I will expect you to photocopy your essays so we can start responding ASAP and get into groups where more than one person responds to your work using the rubric distributed in yesterday's class.

If you don't want to do this, you risk getting less feedback for your revision.  

Generally, a workshopping session is the whole class period and can take this much time.  You might want to start getting used to this.  Let's decide at the beginning of class.

It would still be your responsibility to reply to the blog question already posted by Kim before tomorrow's class.

Blind or Deaf..What we take for granted...

Hellen Keller was an american author, political activist, and lectureer. She was not born blind and deaf but at nineteen months old she contracted an illness which could of been meningitis. Unfortunately if left her blind and deaf. One of my favorite quotes from her was "The one thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision." If you were to pick either being blind or deaf, what would you choose and why? I would pick deaf over blind. For me, I can't live without sight. You wouldn't be able to appreciate visual beauty. Sight is a beautiful thing. But being deaf, I can't imagine my life without music. I'm a quiet person I would say than being loud so I can live in a world full of quiet and still be able to communicate by reading lips and body language. But it really depends on you and your personality. My question is if you're deaf, how can one appreciate music, and can you feel rythem. And if you're blind, with not ever knowing what anything looks like, do blind people have an imagination?

Questions for post-lecture

Think about the documentary Screamers that we watched on Thursday, specifically the involvement of the band System of a Down. What do you think about how the band uses their celebrity status to address the issue of the Armenian genocide? Do you think the congressman they spoke to took them more or less seriously because they addressed him as a band with cameras rolling? Are they effectively using their art to make their point? Does whether or not you like their music affect the impact of what they are trying to say about recognizing the Armenian genocide?

Also consider the documentary itself as its own piece of art: Did it engage your interest? What was the effect of having sometimes lengthy stretches of nothing but concert footage? What about when the music was set to images of bodies, people chained together while marching, bones, etc? How did this intersection of music and images change the idea of “piles” as Ames discussed them on Wednesday?

What is the relationship here between the band’s art and their message? Between the documentary and this message?

Fxckin' Racist

Me and a few of my friends were casually strolling the city the other day when on about three seperate occasions, people drove by and shouted "go home niggers!" and things of that nature. It didn't really bother us though. And that scared me. It feels as if our generation doesn't take the "n" word serious anymore. But it could've been because we knew we couldn't do anything about it so we just laughed. But I do kind of feel like if they said it in front of us I would've punched them in their fuckin' faces. Basically my question is, does it seem like the "n" word is being taken much too lightly in our generation?

ethics and art

I've been pushing you to discuss the ethics of representation in your books--culturally, economically, racially, politically. Here's a good article about another ethical issue (animal cruelty in art).

Can you find examples of animals being used for the sake of art?

Can you find a link between the way the animals are treated and the way people are portrayed or used in your books?

Remember, full sentences! And ask questions to your peers (using names).

art opportunity

m-log workshop at SPACE led by Owl Project m-Log workshop led by Owl Project plus special guest Leafcutter John. A two day workshop including all the materials needed to build & customise an m-Log to your own spec! m-Log is a hand-held wooden controller interface. The m-Log fits in the palm of the hand and is made using a semicircular cross section of a branch (Just like the iLog). Inside the m-Log is the muio interface ( http://www.facebook.com/l/;www.muio.org ). Available with a rage of built in sensor inputs (light sensors, accelerometers etc) it has plug in and play compatibility with a wide variety of applications, notably MAX MSP/jitter, SuperCollider and Open Frameworks. Get your saw* and soldering iron ready and join a community of owners and start developing and sharing your own patches to use on one of the worlds rarest digital interfaces. During a two day session participants will be taken through constructing an mLog circuit, drilling the holes for the switches, building software audio instruments in SuperCollider and MAX MSP and finally a little sanding and oiling. Using minimal amounts of electronics combined with the simple and flexible material of wood we aim to return a sense of the of craft and individuality to the production of modern hand held technology. We look forward to making and developing m-Logs with you. http://www.facebook.com/l/;www.owlproject.com * In the kit all wood will be pre cut and ready for assembly To book go to http://www.facebook.com/l/;mlogworkshop.eventbrite.com/

My brother and I

Growing up my brother and i were totttally different people. He was the all around american boy, played football, track, tennis, and still made straight a's. And wile He was doing that, i was rehersing, or helping to rase money for the history or art club. He, was very tidy and neat. It looked like a tornado had gone through my room most of the time. He's about 4 years older than me so about the time he was heading off to college i was staring high school. And of course, he got into Texas A&M which is a top school for those who dont know. A&M is also a very conservative college. So while i was going through high school it was put into me by my brother and mother that college is about being a "right minded intellectual" meaning straight a's and taking classes such as Agriculture economics 101. And that i had to join some sorroity and go to football games. But i soon found out that none of that stuff was for me. And, too many broken hearts, i decided to go to a Liberal Arts school. And all my family can talk about is how i'm missing out on the "real" college experence.

Now, my question is, am i? Are we missing out on some all american experience of what college is supposed to be by going to a arts school?
Another thing is why do you think we think that college is supposed to be this "all american" experience with frat boys and beer pong and the whole 9 yards?

This also got me thinking about birth order and whether or not that sets the tone for the rest of our lives. because my brother was born first did he not have a chance at being anything but conservative? Was it my destiny to have a thought pattern at million miles an hour and be artistic? If you google Differences In siblings personalities there are alot of good articles that talk about this.

Being Different!

In Today's Society, Every Ethnic Group See Each Other A Different And Some Uses Abusement Because Of This. Asians Being Made Fun Of Their Eyes And Being Nerds In School. African Americans Being Illegal Immigrants And Pregnant. Do You Believe This Is Happening In Today's Society And Why? Have You Ever Been Involved With Any Of These Problems?