Half-Moon Nails: My Pinterest Contribution

 Start with fresh nails and pick two colors that have a decent contrast.

 You will also need reinforcement labels.

 Paint a first coat of the lighter color.

 Add a second coat and let it dry.

 Apply the reinforcement labels to each finger with the top of the circle just covering the bottom of your nail.

 Paint the second color on to your nails over the labels.

 Apply two coats and let dry.

 Once dry, remove the labels and you're set!

Uploaded on Pinterest!
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/548805904564175407/

            If there is one thing that I learned from this project, it is that "DIY-ing" something does not always have to be as hard as it looks.  Often times when I go on Pinterest, I see and pin a lot of cute and crafty things, but never actually take the time to look at them and physically do them.  I like to think that one day I will, but time after time it never happens.  I always just assume that the projects will be too complicated and/or expensive, and never give them a chance.  This assignment has taught me differently.  Thanks to picking homemade t-shirt designs as my craft of choice, I was truly able to see how there is a DIY craft for every budget and level of skill.
             Now that the project has come to an end, I am left with three unique t-shirts that I am able to say I cut, sewed, tied, and beaded myself.  Although they are nothing fancy, there is a great deal of satisfaction that comes along with that, and it is a sort of rush that makes me want to continue to try my hand at these DIY crafts.  Now that I know some of my abilities, I feel that I may be able to step up my game as far as the level of difficulty.  I am also proud to say that I feel this project was a form of recycling.  The shirts that I used were old, random t-shirts that I had just collected from different events from over the years.  I only wore them to bed, if they even ever made it out of my closet.  However, now that they have had a makeover, I really look forward to wearing them either to the beach or just on a casual summer day.  I have already gotten compliments on them, and people have been shocked when they find out that I made them.  Overall, I am very pleased with the results of this project and especially with what it taught me.

Letters to a Young Contrarian: Chapter 18

             The majority of this chapter spoke of history and past wars and types of government, as many of the others chapters have as well, yet this one was much more in depth.  I have to admit that I did not comprehend a large amount of the beginning of the chapter for this reason, but since it just spoke of history, there was nothing really profound or beneficial for me to take away from the first half.  However, towards the very end, I found many of Hitchens' statements inspiring, and was definitely able to gain something from the chapter.  For example, when ending his discussion about the defense of Bosnia, Hitchens writes, "But if you believe it, then bloody well say it and remember what a small risk, relatively or comparatively, you are running."  Clearly he saying to stand up for what you believe in, yet he makes a valid point.  What are the risks you take when doing this?  Unless they involve harm to yourself or others, then are they even really risks?  Why should we care what people think?  Hitchens is telling us that we shouldn't, and he makes a very valid point.  If we truly care about something that much, then we should be able to say it out loud, otherwise, do we really believe it?  I feel that this can be a true test of where a person's beliefs lie.  Following this argument, Hitchens goes on to write, "Second, do not worry too much about who your friends are, or what company you may be keeping.  Any cause worth fighting for will attract a plethora of people…"  To me this means that you also should never worry what your friends think of you when you stand up for the things that you believe in.  If it is truly the right thing to do, then they will either support you or people that believe the same way as you will come around and join you.  You should never base your beliefs or choices off of those around you, because they are not the ones that will have to deal with your conscience later on.  Overall,  if this book has taught me anything it is these basic pieces of advice.  The author has shown me that a rebellious dissident is one that never goes with the grain, and that speaks his or her mind no matter what the consequences.  I really need to remind myself this more often, and remember to stand up for my beliefs when the time comes.

Pinterest: Week 3

For my third Pinterest shirt, I chose one with a ribbed back.  When I first looked at the pictures online, I imagined this being extremely difficult and taking me multiple hours, but after following the steps it turned out to be quite the opposite!  The shirt only took about an hour, and if anything, the most difficult and tedious part was measuring out and drawing all of the penciled lines.  Once that was done and the lines were cut, the shirt was really just a matter of an over/under technique that took less that 5 five minutes.  I was so surprised at how simple it was that I might make more just for the fun of it!  All of my friends found this one to be the coolest design and I can definitely use some more beach shirts.  Overall this was my favorite shirt to make so far!

Hacktivist Reaction

              After screening the documentary on Hacktivism and the Anonymous culture, I must admit that this post is difficult to write, considering the film left me speechless.  Yes, I had already known what a hacker was, and yes, I had known what 4 chan was, yet I had assumed that both were associated with nerdy, middle aged men living in their mother's basements (stereotypical, I know.)  I had heard of the kinds of things that were posted on 4 chan, and while they were laughable, the thought in the back of my mind was still, "Wow, these people really must have nothing better to do."  It seemed to just be a funny way to waste time.  However, this documentary has changed my view completely on the "computer nerd" culture and on websites similar to 4 chan.  I know see what power they truly hold, and it amazes me.  I found it in a way beautiful to see how this group "Anonymous" came together at first to simply cause mischief that they found amusing, but soon used this community that they had to stand up for what they believed in, and to make a difference.

Internet Art: Chapter 4

             While reading Chapter 4 of Internet Art, the first net artist that jumped at my attention was Adam Chodzko.  Born in London in 1965, Adam grew up to graduate with a degree in the History of Art from the University of Manchester, and then went on to Goldsmith's College where he received his MA in Fine Art.  The book cites Adams main contribution to internet art as piece titled Product Recall.  I found this piece extremely interest because he actually used a product recall to assemble the owners of a Vivienne Westwood jacket that had been sold ten years before.  Although this work impacted net art, Adam is an artist that has worked with mediums such as video, installation, photography, drawing, and even performance.  His work is said to explore the interactions and possibilities of human behavior, which clearly relates to his Product Recall piece, which was released in 1994.  Adam has been exhibiting his work since 1991, and I feel that the messages he gets across are truly beautiful.  The things that could occur when ten random strangers, with only the purchase of a jacket in common, are endless.  His art is daring and unique, and it is really interesting to see how it challenges and explores relationships and anthropology.
              A second artist that I felt the need to look into further was Olia Lialina, who actually had two of her pieces featured in this chapter.  The first was Zombie and Mummy, which showcases digital graphics of two monsters in a fantasy world.  Her second piece is titled IDENTITYSWAPDATABASE and is a multilingual database where users basically share and look for identities using images, questions, and text posts.  Olia was born in Moscow and originally studied film and journalism at Moscow State University, and then went on to study art in Budapest and Germany.  Her most famous net artwork is "My Boyfriend Came Back From the War," and it is featured on Art Teleportacia, a web gallery that she founded to display her work.  "My Boyfriend Came Back From the War" is a piece that allows the user to almost become a first person in the story.  Click by click it tells the tale of a young couple dealing with the situation mentioned in the title, and the user can change the story's path depending on where they click.  Sentences and phrases form via the hypertext, but it is a bit choppy, and therefore the piece is sort of an abstract representation of what this experience is like.  Olia's work is extremely interesting and very diverse, and today a great portion of it can be found in the computerfinearts collection at Cornell University.

Vine Project in the Haunted Club Lib

Our story is about two girls in a haunted library. The exposition is Liz and Maddie going into the library and browsing through the books. The rising action is when the books start acting on their own, and the climax is when they realize that the library is haunted. The falling action is Liz and Maddie running away from the library and the folders are following them. The resolution is when they look back and all the haunted objects are gone. It is supposed to look like a supernatural happening.
Working in a group was awesome and we got the work done really quickly. We all came up with different ideas for the videos and turned it into one interesting story. I filmed the clips and Liz and Maddie acted and moved the props around. It was really fun to film and we think it turned out great at the end. 

Pinterest: Week 2

This weekend, in honor of my sorority's Formal being so soon, I decided to turn to Pinterest to help me ask my date and to include as part of the project.  Of course, my balloon proposal does not look nearly as good as the one in the picture, but hey, it's the thought that counts, right?  My friends and I blew up about 30 balloons, although the picture doesn't show them all, and then proceeded to pass out before we went into his room and left Oreos and Reese's along with them.  The moral of the story is that he said yes and I have Pinterest to thank for a cute, easy, way to ask.  Following this, I continued with my theme of homemade t-shirt designs and attempted a braided racer-back shirt.  I was a little nervous for it because it involved sewing, but it turned out to be pretty easy!  The shirt took about an hour and a half, and I already have gotten compliments on it and had people say they plan on taking old shirts they never wear and doing the same thing!  I thought this was really awesome and I can't wait to build up my collection of self-made shirts.

Church of Science?

             A religious system based on the seeking of self-knowledge and spiritual fulfillment through graded courses of study and training;  this is the definition of scientology, the religion that just can't seem to keep itself out of the media and out of the mouths of critics.  Yet, how much does the average person know about scientology?  After a little research, here are some of the pros and cons I found:


Pros:  Man alone accomplishes his own goals, solves his own problems, and gains lasting happiness
          Helps a person be in the Here and Now
          You only have to believe what you want to
          Helps people become more harmonious and relaxed
          Offers real tools for use in everyday life  


Cons:  Represents a "one-size-fits-all"
            Absence of openness
            Focuses on enemies, war, battle, or anything attacking or critical to Scientology
           Aims to be "mainstream" and is therefore seen as a scam
           Reputation for ruthlessness


In Clearwater, FL, The Church of Scientology (also known as the Flag Service Organization) is an enormous building that serves as a retreat for Scientologists from around the country, as well as their headquarters.  It is the hub of the Scientology community and today has over a dozen buildings, 1,200 staff members, and more than 2,000 out-of-town visitors every week.  The Scientology community in Clearwater alone has upwards of 12,000 people. The Church is very prominent in the world wide community of Scientology, and members of the religion look forward to the day when they can hopefully come to train and practice Scientology in Clearwater.

Free to Play

              I absolutely LOVED the film Free to Play.  Not only was it a suspenseful romance, but it was a great documentary that opened my eyes to a world I do not know much about.  The main stars of Free to Play, the hard-core professional gamers, are people that I have never really come into contact with in my life.  The "gamer" stereotype has always been something of a joke to me; thinking of these people has middle aged men living off of junk food while playing video games in their mom's basement.  In Free to Play, I was able to see the stories behind each of these gamers, and therefore was able to better understand where their love of this sport came from and why they put so much time into it.  I gained great insight to the world of gamers and it has surely banished the stereotype that I held.  As far as wondering if gaming will ever become bigger than televised sports, I honestly cannot decide what I feel.  Coming from a family, and even a culture really, that values and idolizes these professional sports and their physical aspect, I don't really see how gaming could ever compete.  That being said,  technology advances every day, and the gaming community grows with it.  In a world that also values technology, I do feel that there is a great possibility for gaming to at least become televised in the future.         In some ways this could be problematic.  If gaming becomes a big enough deal that it can be done professionally, this may further decrease the number of children getting physical activity or doing well in school,  let alone going to college.  If a child sees that they can make a living out of playing their video games, they may never have a reason to leave the couch.  Although I find the world of gaming and the way that it is advancing to be truly fascinating, this is something that should be taken seriously when we consider its future.

Pinterest: Week 1

The goal of my Pinterest project is to stick to a theme of clothing.  Pinterest is loaded with DIY t-shirt designs, and considering my "ballin' on a budget" economic status, I figure that they are something everyone has lying around and this therefore won't be a pricey project.  I have collected 3 of my own -shirts to begin cutting and transforming, and hope to collect more from the neighbors in my hall.  I expect the t-shirts to take about an hour each, and so I will create 6 different t-shirt designs.  These are just a few that I hope to accomplish: 

I actually planned to do more than one t-shirt this weekend, but this one took a surprisingly long time to finish.  The tricky part was all in the beads; it took hours to get each piece of cloth to fit through the tiny beads, and then to eventually tie the two pieces together.  The shirt probably took about 3 hours, but since it is so simple looking I will definitely be making more things than needed for the 6 hours.