Having been in many situations and around many people in my life where appearance matters, I am defensive of clothes and the importance of the message they carry. It is an understatement that not all nice clothes mean whoever wearing them is “superficial”, because appearances do matter depending on the environment and situation that the wearer is in. Maybe in a perfect universe someone could always show up for work being underdressed and not be judged, but depending on one’s career it is usually best to be presentable out of respect and acknowledgement of coworkers, position, and the formality and seriousness of one’s job. What kind of message would be sent to clients or customers if they were to be met by someone of an important position in casual clothes like t-shirts and jeans? Incredulity would ensue if someone showed up to a cocktail or black-tie event like a wedding underdressed- it would show an assumed lack of respect.
Unfortunately, some people seem to think that dressing nicely is the opposite of having an individual style. This is often not the case and slightly more formal clothes only restrict what may look tacky in a certain situation; not necessarily restricting one’s entire style. I am all for individual style and think it should be fostered as a statement of one’s self. Designer clothes may understandably be controversial to some, considering where they come from, but anyone can wear less expensive items and still look appropriate for work or an event that requires dress-up. However, when it comes to pondering if a very individual look might be “in style” or not, deciding gets tricky.
Being honest with myself, there are times I covet clothes and a certain appearance, as do most people I’m sure, whether they like it or not. It is interesting to see how some people try so hard to be in style and some try specifically hard not to be in style, wanting to look different and often to project an attitude of “I don’t care about trends at all- just try to make me conform!” Of the two I laugh more at the former when taken to an extreme. A “chav” in Great Britain refers to a guy who thinks himself fabulous because he is decked out in several big labels advertising their logos in one outfit; a “chavette” is a female version. Occasionally around campus I’ll see a chavette and laugh at how she is trying way too hard to be trendy and show off that she can afford designer stuff. If someone wants to be taken seriously he or she should probably avoid either extreme of being a chav or a style rebel; both of these are “trying too hard” and looks that are effortlessly suiting tend to be better taken to. We learn to read people by their styles because looks represent what a person feels about himself and his environment. For this reason outfits will continue to be significant in society.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Interpreting Technologies
Of all the types of technology devices I can think of that exist today, none jump out at me more in terms of usefulness than computers. They have been around for a while, but they’ve come so far from their initial models, their intentions for us constantly growing and taking us very far as well. Although there are disputes as to who invented the first computer in what year and based on what definition of what constituted a “computer”, it is assumed that the first programmable computer was built from 1936-1938 in Germany and called Z1. The first digital computer was built from 1937-1942 at Iowa State University (then Iowa State College), and was called the ABC (Atanasoff-Berry Computer) named for its inventors, Prof. John Vincent Atanasoff and graduate student Cliff Berry. It weighed 700 pounds, had over 300 vacuum tubes, contained a mile of wire, and could perform 1 operation about every 15 seconds.
From Z1 and ABC until today, modern computers have gone through as much evolution as the human race. They are not even built the same way as their first ancestors. Computers have gone from being the size of a room to today’s claimed “smallest computer in the world”, the picotux 100 at 35x19x19mm. The first computers were basically experiments and not widely used, but they have gone from calculating and storing data to being used every day for the internet, research, medicine, science, art, and countless programs. Although the very first computers were not of great use and could only be studied by scientists, they fostered technology that lead to today’s computers opening up a world of possibilities to almost anyone, in unparalleled comparison to other media.
What my computer means to me is that I get to access a vast amount of information, explanations, opinions, ideas, and entertainment that I would have no access to otherwise. It allows me to reach people I wouldn’t be able to, to express creativity in a unique way through social networking sites, blogs, and the creating and sharing of digital art. I received the laptop I am writing this entry on as a 16th birthday present from my parents; until then I shared the big un-portable computer with them and didn’t have as much freedom to use it when I wanted. Getting my own computer for the first time opened up the world to me even more. I didn’t have to worry about how much time I was selfishly taking up to be online and write papers. I believe the affect computers have on most people today means these devices shape how they can view the whole world, have their voices heard potentially across the world, and participate in a number of engaging activities.
From Z1 and ABC until today, modern computers have gone through as much evolution as the human race. They are not even built the same way as their first ancestors. Computers have gone from being the size of a room to today’s claimed “smallest computer in the world”, the picotux 100 at 35x19x19mm. The first computers were basically experiments and not widely used, but they have gone from calculating and storing data to being used every day for the internet, research, medicine, science, art, and countless programs. Although the very first computers were not of great use and could only be studied by scientists, they fostered technology that lead to today’s computers opening up a world of possibilities to almost anyone, in unparalleled comparison to other media.
What my computer means to me is that I get to access a vast amount of information, explanations, opinions, ideas, and entertainment that I would have no access to otherwise. It allows me to reach people I wouldn’t be able to, to express creativity in a unique way through social networking sites, blogs, and the creating and sharing of digital art. I received the laptop I am writing this entry on as a 16th birthday present from my parents; until then I shared the big un-portable computer with them and didn’t have as much freedom to use it when I wanted. Getting my own computer for the first time opened up the world to me even more. I didn’t have to worry about how much time I was selfishly taking up to be online and write papers. I believe the affect computers have on most people today means these devices shape how they can view the whole world, have their voices heard potentially across the world, and participate in a number of engaging activities.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Reading Places
Because our lives are spent going from location to location, the message sent to people upon entering various places is more significant than we think. I notice now that messages each place sends are mostly very clear; I’m sure we learn at a young age to easily read places at once to know how to behave within the area. Or maybe we don’t even learn, but the knowledge of what a certain place is all about is ingrained in the mind, based only on recognizing the objects in the location, how many people are there, and what it looks like.
In fact, this idea seems probable to me when I think about when I was much younger and knew exactly how to behave in a certain place (although not always doing that). A few observations and I notice similarities in places of similar purpose that I hadn’t realized before. Most private places are small in size, meant usually for just one person and occasionally more than one (places such as bedrooms, bathrooms, spa-like luxuries such as saunas and hot tubs, and vehicle interiors). The more public the place in general, the larger it is. Parks, office buildings, shopping malls, and hotels are all public and spacious, especially if they are found within a city- also a location containing many more public places than somewhere suburban or rural. Backyards, beaches, clubs and parks are all places of leisure and are the most open, with little to no objects obstructing free range to let loose by running, swimming, dancing, or playing sports. Workplaces on the other hand, contain many manmade objects for workers to use. Factories, offices, kitchens and hospitals do not have large space and instead have machinery, desks, computers, and utensils.
It’s quite easy to see that if a place looks isolating it’s probably meant to be private; if it’s filled with manmade things the location is meant to be occupied by people using those things correctly while doing their jobs. What might not be as obvious, for example, is to know how to behave in a library. If someone were raised without ever seeing a library or knowing what it was, what would prevent him from being boisterous and distracting upon entering? Such a person would have to make a keen observation about the new place; a library is filled with books, meant to be read. And no one can read very easily if there is a lot of noise around. So, the person would need to infer that all the books, research tools and search engines found in a library would mean people go there to concentrate instead of socialize, being at their very basic quiet instead of loud in the environment.
In fact, this idea seems probable to me when I think about when I was much younger and knew exactly how to behave in a certain place (although not always doing that). A few observations and I notice similarities in places of similar purpose that I hadn’t realized before. Most private places are small in size, meant usually for just one person and occasionally more than one (places such as bedrooms, bathrooms, spa-like luxuries such as saunas and hot tubs, and vehicle interiors). The more public the place in general, the larger it is. Parks, office buildings, shopping malls, and hotels are all public and spacious, especially if they are found within a city- also a location containing many more public places than somewhere suburban or rural. Backyards, beaches, clubs and parks are all places of leisure and are the most open, with little to no objects obstructing free range to let loose by running, swimming, dancing, or playing sports. Workplaces on the other hand, contain many manmade objects for workers to use. Factories, offices, kitchens and hospitals do not have large space and instead have machinery, desks, computers, and utensils.
It’s quite easy to see that if a place looks isolating it’s probably meant to be private; if it’s filled with manmade things the location is meant to be occupied by people using those things correctly while doing their jobs. What might not be as obvious, for example, is to know how to behave in a library. If someone were raised without ever seeing a library or knowing what it was, what would prevent him from being boisterous and distracting upon entering? Such a person would have to make a keen observation about the new place; a library is filled with books, meant to be read. And no one can read very easily if there is a lot of noise around. So, the person would need to infer that all the books, research tools and search engines found in a library would mean people go there to concentrate instead of socialize, being at their very basic quiet instead of loud in the environment.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Connecting with Celebrities
When it comes to how famous people are viewed and treated, I believe Celebrity should be one thing, and Politician another. However, as of late especially and to annoyance on my part, that line is being consistently crossed. It seems like Sarah Palin is frequently on the cover of People magazine, and the Obamas, as much as I am a huge fan myself, are being paraded incessantly around like Hollywood superstars. Although politicians should not be treated as celebrities, they often are. And the envy I feel for my family having seen/met Barack Obama in the past few days is as deep as if they had all met a mainstream Hollywood star.
For my parents, and for me in the summer when I work, famous politicians often become much less distant and we are able to meet them for visits and important conferences. But most people interact with celebrities in entertainment through the media, unless they happen to work with them just like my parents work with politicians. If someone is able to meet or see a celebrity for whom they have great admiration, it almost seems like an out-of-body experience even for grounded people. It seems so silly but I must admit I’m more “star-struck” than I think, because on the rare occasion that I’ve seen someone famous I’ve been left in awe. Seeing Sarah Jessica Parker on accident while filming her perfume commercial at Opéra led me to exclaim that I was so lucky, it didn’t matter if I never saw another celeb again!
Sarah Jessica has star power, just ask any of the millions of “Sex and the City” fans who love her for the cleverness, wit and high-fashion sense of style she embodied in the role of Carrie Bradshaw. But while she is the persona of a much-coveted New Yorker lifestyle, SJ provokes my interest through her other achievements. She has proved her acting skills by turning down countless typecasting film roles about a single woman in a cosmopolitan setting to take roles in independent, lower budget films very different from her signature Carrie. She also did more theatre acting when she was young and is married to Matthew Broderick, of whom I’m a fan as well. An “ordinary” person’s relationship with a celebrity is meaningful because often the celeb stands for something of great importance to the fan and embodies what the fan aspires to be.
For my parents, and for me in the summer when I work, famous politicians often become much less distant and we are able to meet them for visits and important conferences. But most people interact with celebrities in entertainment through the media, unless they happen to work with them just like my parents work with politicians. If someone is able to meet or see a celebrity for whom they have great admiration, it almost seems like an out-of-body experience even for grounded people. It seems so silly but I must admit I’m more “star-struck” than I think, because on the rare occasion that I’ve seen someone famous I’ve been left in awe. Seeing Sarah Jessica Parker on accident while filming her perfume commercial at Opéra led me to exclaim that I was so lucky, it didn’t matter if I never saw another celeb again!
Sarah Jessica has star power, just ask any of the millions of “Sex and the City” fans who love her for the cleverness, wit and high-fashion sense of style she embodied in the role of Carrie Bradshaw. But while she is the persona of a much-coveted New Yorker lifestyle, SJ provokes my interest through her other achievements. She has proved her acting skills by turning down countless typecasting film roles about a single woman in a cosmopolitan setting to take roles in independent, lower budget films very different from her signature Carrie. She also did more theatre acting when she was young and is married to Matthew Broderick, of whom I’m a fan as well. An “ordinary” person’s relationship with a celebrity is meaningful because often the celeb stands for something of great importance to the fan and embodies what the fan aspires to be.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Identifying with Music
Being an extremely broad subject with countless definitions, music is so integrated into just about everyone’s life that it’s difficult to determine one’s exact age upon first feeling the effects of it. Most people I am sure were exposed to music during infancy; this initial exposure and the health benefits that come with it being even older than the onset of memory. Speaking of infancy and early childhood, the music listened to during this crucial stage is even, at these early ages, a creator of identity. The lullabies and soft, maybe classical music often thought to be appropriate for children conjures images of fantasy and fairy tales, and children can pretend to be whoever they want to be (a princess, an explorer…) while listening to this music.
You or I might not consider it pleasurable listening to pots and pans clanging on the floor, a 2-year-old percussionist singing along. But it is music to him. During the onset of electronic music in the 50’s, composer Edgard Varèse had a definition for what he called “The liberation of sound.” It was “the right to make music with any and all sounds.” An important idea lies here. Of all the types of media that help create identity through how they are experienced, music is the simplest yet the most powerful, so powerful that a toddler can feel its affects and is even able to create it himself. That’s certainly influence.
I am sure that young children are aware of how powerful music is, because in my oldest memories this is the case. First seeking music at age 2, I took piano lessons and may have learned whatever a toddler is able to learn on piano. Unfortunately I can’t play the piano today. Around this age I developed a love of opera and attempted to “own” the music by “conducting” and singing along upon hearing it. To this day I love opera. But now my favourite is jazz, I love how broad it is. Without a doubt it shapes my identity because I believe it’s more open to interpretation and diversity than any other genre, and often I feel very changeable with different moods. For me, the type of jazz I hear can affect my feelings almost instantly and draw me in more than other genres do. I am a fan of almost all music, except for certain country, metal and pop- these genres rarely have any meaning for me, but all others I can think of I can enjoy for being able to relate to in some way.
My musical influences range widely as well. I play the clarinet and saxophone. Having lived in the Bahamas, Germany, Brazil and France I enjoy music from all of those places. I’m especially a fan of Brazilian artists such as Sergio Mendes, Ivete Sangalo, Cidade Negra, Jota Quest and Charlie Brown Jr. This type of music is rewarding for me because it’s a link with the country closest to my heart. A type of music that conjures images of a place and people, through its unique melodies, rhythms, and other dynamics is a quality that draws people to it.
You or I might not consider it pleasurable listening to pots and pans clanging on the floor, a 2-year-old percussionist singing along. But it is music to him. During the onset of electronic music in the 50’s, composer Edgard Varèse had a definition for what he called “The liberation of sound.” It was “the right to make music with any and all sounds.” An important idea lies here. Of all the types of media that help create identity through how they are experienced, music is the simplest yet the most powerful, so powerful that a toddler can feel its affects and is even able to create it himself. That’s certainly influence.
I am sure that young children are aware of how powerful music is, because in my oldest memories this is the case. First seeking music at age 2, I took piano lessons and may have learned whatever a toddler is able to learn on piano. Unfortunately I can’t play the piano today. Around this age I developed a love of opera and attempted to “own” the music by “conducting” and singing along upon hearing it. To this day I love opera. But now my favourite is jazz, I love how broad it is. Without a doubt it shapes my identity because I believe it’s more open to interpretation and diversity than any other genre, and often I feel very changeable with different moods. For me, the type of jazz I hear can affect my feelings almost instantly and draw me in more than other genres do. I am a fan of almost all music, except for certain country, metal and pop- these genres rarely have any meaning for me, but all others I can think of I can enjoy for being able to relate to in some way.
My musical influences range widely as well. I play the clarinet and saxophone. Having lived in the Bahamas, Germany, Brazil and France I enjoy music from all of those places. I’m especially a fan of Brazilian artists such as Sergio Mendes, Ivete Sangalo, Cidade Negra, Jota Quest and Charlie Brown Jr. This type of music is rewarding for me because it’s a link with the country closest to my heart. A type of music that conjures images of a place and people, through its unique melodies, rhythms, and other dynamics is a quality that draws people to it.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Escaping
To describe the origins and purpose of entertainment, the idea of escaping comes to me immediately. Entertainment is probably just as old as the human race and is necessary for a sound mind and relaxed demeanor. It stimulates or sedates us, and in all cases I can think of, offers an opportunity for escape.
Escaping through means of entertainment can be quite powerful; media such as music, novels and film especially create ulterior environments in the mind. I believe there is an innate demand to escape occasionally, and entertainment is experienced because of a desire to experience, not a need to. An aspect of fantasy is definitely involved, but the main reason for escape is to take oneself away from the outside world for an enjoyable, personal experience of his or her choosing.
If entertainment had an “opposite”, it might be most of what has to be done in one’s everyday life that can be found boring and is done out of necessity instead of desire. This could have the reverse effect of escaping, it can be confining because the person doing the things he has to do doesn’t have the freedom of choosing what to experience and for what reason. On a larger scale, fantasy involved in escaping can mean different things for different people. Fantasy is always part of someone’s quest for a new destination through media. If someone is very unsatisfied with their life, chances are they’ll have more of a need for consistent entertainment of some sort through which they can transport themselves to a happier state of being.
Even though escaping is necessary, it is frowned upon at times for indulgence in a certain form of entertainment or for being experienced at the wrong time. A child will get yelled at if he is watching TV instead of doing his homework. Someone might wish that his or her friend would not listen to a type of controversial music nor to be as addicted to social networking sites as they are. Many of these media are also coveted because they can be so relaxing and require no work on part of the viewer but to simply watch or listen. Most people escape everyday, looking forward to their freedom away from mundane responsibilities and the “ordinary” in life.
Escaping through means of entertainment can be quite powerful; media such as music, novels and film especially create ulterior environments in the mind. I believe there is an innate demand to escape occasionally, and entertainment is experienced because of a desire to experience, not a need to. An aspect of fantasy is definitely involved, but the main reason for escape is to take oneself away from the outside world for an enjoyable, personal experience of his or her choosing.
If entertainment had an “opposite”, it might be most of what has to be done in one’s everyday life that can be found boring and is done out of necessity instead of desire. This could have the reverse effect of escaping, it can be confining because the person doing the things he has to do doesn’t have the freedom of choosing what to experience and for what reason. On a larger scale, fantasy involved in escaping can mean different things for different people. Fantasy is always part of someone’s quest for a new destination through media. If someone is very unsatisfied with their life, chances are they’ll have more of a need for consistent entertainment of some sort through which they can transport themselves to a happier state of being.
Even though escaping is necessary, it is frowned upon at times for indulgence in a certain form of entertainment or for being experienced at the wrong time. A child will get yelled at if he is watching TV instead of doing his homework. Someone might wish that his or her friend would not listen to a type of controversial music nor to be as addicted to social networking sites as they are. Many of these media are also coveted because they can be so relaxing and require no work on part of the viewer but to simply watch or listen. Most people escape everyday, looking forward to their freedom away from mundane responsibilities and the “ordinary” in life.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Keeping in Touch
“Keeping in touch” with what goes on in the world provides indispensable information that is necessary to know in today’s butterfly effect of global affairs. I use the term butterfly effect (in which a small occurrence somewhere in the world can lead to larger repercussions) because we have easy access to the rest of the world. International relations of any one country to another are strong today, and any overseas decisions or affairs the U.S. decides to get involved with ultimately affects the lives of Americans in some way.
The media, especially the internet, is useful for keeping in touch with the world. Of course news in the papers is the closest to unbiased (although often small biases in news are unavoidable). I prefer to hear more about what’s going on in the whole world rather than just the U.S., so I try to keep up with that. I am lucky to have grown up with that interest; I’ve lived in 5 countries and most of my friends are from very mixed backgrounds or nationalities, so I also like to keep up with news for their sake. For example, my good friend who is half Israeli and half Brazilian temporarily served as a soldier in Gaza very recently for the crisis with Hamas. My parents who work for the government and are living in Frankfurt keep me informed on American political relations with foreign countries.
I like to hear about global politics most steadily as well as political affairs within our country. I also like to closely follow a presidential campaign, so up until the recent election I was watching very carefully to always see what was going on with the candidates and their parties. Despite the importance of the constant global news-flow coming our way, “getting away” from it all is also enjoyable in small doses. Many people have stressful jobs and are frequently tied to keeping in touch with family and the outside world. In this case quiet vacations and meditative time away from the blackberry, pager and internet is good for the health! Following global current events is a good idea as long as one can strike a balance, and is able to occasionally part from his or her PDA!
The media, especially the internet, is useful for keeping in touch with the world. Of course news in the papers is the closest to unbiased (although often small biases in news are unavoidable). I prefer to hear more about what’s going on in the whole world rather than just the U.S., so I try to keep up with that. I am lucky to have grown up with that interest; I’ve lived in 5 countries and most of my friends are from very mixed backgrounds or nationalities, so I also like to keep up with news for their sake. For example, my good friend who is half Israeli and half Brazilian temporarily served as a soldier in Gaza very recently for the crisis with Hamas. My parents who work for the government and are living in Frankfurt keep me informed on American political relations with foreign countries.
I like to hear about global politics most steadily as well as political affairs within our country. I also like to closely follow a presidential campaign, so up until the recent election I was watching very carefully to always see what was going on with the candidates and their parties. Despite the importance of the constant global news-flow coming our way, “getting away” from it all is also enjoyable in small doses. Many people have stressful jobs and are frequently tied to keeping in touch with family and the outside world. In this case quiet vacations and meditative time away from the blackberry, pager and internet is good for the health! Following global current events is a good idea as long as one can strike a balance, and is able to occasionally part from his or her PDA!
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