Chapter 16 of Letters to a Young Contrarian begins to discuss the topic and different types of humor. I was very intrigued when first reading this, because I wondered if Christopher Hitchens, the dissident of all dissidents, viewed humor in the same way that I or someone of average society does. It turned out that we had a lot in common on the subject. The main view being that "..there is a relationship between intelligence and humor." I couldn't have agreed more with the author upon reading this. I have always found the funniest people in my life to be some of the wisest and to have the most common sense, all while being book smart as well. In order to deliver and understand humor, you must be well educated on current events and on different kinds of people, and you must be able to read situations well as to see where what jokes are appropriate. This brings me to the next statement of the chapter with which I agreed. Hitchens writes, "He was witty enough to know when to keep quiet, which many comedians are not." There are often people in our lives that may be funny, but simply do not know when enough is enough. Humor is something that can have a limit, and should, because less is often more. This once again proves the main point that one must be wise and aware as well as intelligent in order to be humorous.
As Chapter 17 begins, it is somewhat related back to the topic of wit and humor, but soon transforms into a discussion of sticking up for what you believe in. The author writes, "Have no fear of being thought a monomaniac." By this he means that if you believe in something and want to stand up for it, then you must fully commit to it. You should not care if people become tired with your preaching, or if they label you "obsessed," because it only shows that they have been too weak to stand up for their own causes. Hitchens ends the chapter with a truly beautiful piece of advice, one that I hope to remember, by writing, "The great reward, if that's the right word, lies in the people you will meet when engaged in the same work, the lessons you will learn, and the confidence you will acquire from having some experiences and convictions of your own, to set against the received or thirdhand opinions of so many others." I cannot even begin to describe how much this means to me, because it is something that I have experienced, yet also something that I often forget. It is very true that the causes you fight for or the values you hold truly become worth when you are with others that believe the same way. You grow an incredible deal from experiences like these, and you then have what it takes to go back into a world full of opinions different than your own, and still stand strong.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Glitch Art: Robert Downey Jr.
When I first began thinking of who to showcase in my Glitch Art project, celebrities that experienced "glitches" in their lives were the only people coming to mind. By this I mean stars who took and turn for the worst, maybe with drugs or alcohol, and fell from grace. Divas like Lindsey Lohan or Amanda Bynes both experienced these rough patches and have not yet recovered. However, I then thought how Glitch Art is about taking something that would normally be considered a problem or malfunction, and turning it into a piece of creative beauty. I wanted a celebrity that worked through his or her "glitch" and came back as something better, and Robert Downey Jr. was the first that came to mind.
As a young actor, Robert Downey Jr's career started out very promising. From making his first big-screen debut at the age of five, to being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor after his role as Charlie Chaplin in 1992, it was safe to say the boy's career was going places. That being said, it was soon clear that Robert was not strong enough to avoid the path that too many child stars have gone down. In 1996, Downey was ordered by the court to attend a 45-day program for cocaine and heroin addicts, with headlines labeling him as the "Most recent casualty of Hollywood's Heroin Resurgence." It seemed to the world that what could have been a promising acting career was flushed down the toilet once again at the hand of drugs. But Robert wasn't like the others, and in 2000, he was released from the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison and went to join the cast of the TV series Ally McBeal. He proceeded forward to do many other films including Tropic Thunder, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Today he is most well known for his role as Iron Man in both the first and second movie as well as in the Avengers. I find this to be quite a beautiful metaphor for his life, because although he went through a "glitch," he over came it and is now a real life Iron Man, stronger than ever.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Letters to a Young Contrarian: Chapters 14 and 15
As Chapter 14 begins, it is clear that it will be discussing the topics of following the crowd vs. being independent, and of big, tyrannical government. Hitchens begins the chapter with a quote from the famous novel Catch-22 that states:
Major Danby replied indulgently with a superior smile, "But, Yosarian, what if everyone felt that way?"
"Then I'd certainly be a damned fool to feel any other way, wouldn't I?"
When I first read this, I felt sympathy towards Yosarian. Although I do believe that everyone should think for themselves, I thought that he made a point, that is, until I continued reading. Hitchens goes on to discuss that being the minority is not necessarily a bad thing, and although I do tell myself that, I have to stop being a hypocrite and follow through with it. He writes, "Those who need or want to think for themselves will always be a minority; the human race may be inherently individualistic and even narcissistic but in the mass it is quite easy to control. People have a need for reassurance and belonging." The last sentence is truly what hit me. We are all very different people with very different views and thoughts, so it is only natural that we would have many different opinions. Yet, we take such comfort in being part of a group and in having people that see things the way we do, that it sometimes brings us to alter our views. Hitchens ends the chapter with the perfect way to sum this up by saying "Joseph Heller knew how the need to belong, and the need for security, can make people accept lethal and stupid conditions, and then act as if they had imposed them on themselves."
Hitchens continues this discussion in Chapter 15. The very first paragraph stood out to me as he said, "Well, no, I don't think that the solidarity of belonging is much of a prize. I appreciate that it can bestow some pride, and that it can lead to mutual aid and even brother- and sisterhood, but it has too many suffocating qualities, and many if not most of the benefits can be acquired in other ways." As a sister in a sorority, this really made me think. I absolutely love the feeling of being in a sisterhood; of belonging to an organization bigger than myself. It does in fact give me pride to say that I am a part of it, and the bonds that I have built would not have been made if I had not joined. That being said, I understand where the author is coming from. Belonging to a mass does have some "suffocating" qualities, such as stereotyping. This is a problem our society continues to face, and it is, unfortunately, very easy to do when someone belongs to a large group. However, coming from someone who has experienced the negatives and positives of belonging to a mass, I do feel the the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, and that it does help to form relationships that you could not have otherwise formed. Overall, just like with most of this book, I am not black and white when it comes to agreeing or disagreeing with Christopher Hitchens.
Major Danby replied indulgently with a superior smile, "But, Yosarian, what if everyone felt that way?"
"Then I'd certainly be a damned fool to feel any other way, wouldn't I?"
When I first read this, I felt sympathy towards Yosarian. Although I do believe that everyone should think for themselves, I thought that he made a point, that is, until I continued reading. Hitchens goes on to discuss that being the minority is not necessarily a bad thing, and although I do tell myself that, I have to stop being a hypocrite and follow through with it. He writes, "Those who need or want to think for themselves will always be a minority; the human race may be inherently individualistic and even narcissistic but in the mass it is quite easy to control. People have a need for reassurance and belonging." The last sentence is truly what hit me. We are all very different people with very different views and thoughts, so it is only natural that we would have many different opinions. Yet, we take such comfort in being part of a group and in having people that see things the way we do, that it sometimes brings us to alter our views. Hitchens ends the chapter with the perfect way to sum this up by saying "Joseph Heller knew how the need to belong, and the need for security, can make people accept lethal and stupid conditions, and then act as if they had imposed them on themselves."
Hitchens continues this discussion in Chapter 15. The very first paragraph stood out to me as he said, "Well, no, I don't think that the solidarity of belonging is much of a prize. I appreciate that it can bestow some pride, and that it can lead to mutual aid and even brother- and sisterhood, but it has too many suffocating qualities, and many if not most of the benefits can be acquired in other ways." As a sister in a sorority, this really made me think. I absolutely love the feeling of being in a sisterhood; of belonging to an organization bigger than myself. It does in fact give me pride to say that I am a part of it, and the bonds that I have built would not have been made if I had not joined. That being said, I understand where the author is coming from. Belonging to a mass does have some "suffocating" qualities, such as stereotyping. This is a problem our society continues to face, and it is, unfortunately, very easy to do when someone belongs to a large group. However, coming from someone who has experienced the negatives and positives of belonging to a mass, I do feel the the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, and that it does help to form relationships that you could not have otherwise formed. Overall, just like with most of this book, I am not black and white when it comes to agreeing or disagreeing with Christopher Hitchens.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Forever my Favorite
By the technical definition of a gamer, which states that it is anyone who "plays a game or games, typically a participant in a computer or role-playing game," then I can definitely give myself this title. However, in today's society, a true gamer is someone who devotes the majority of their time to playing and beating games. No matter how busy their schedule, they make time for playing games, and they take up most of their money, conversations, and thoughts. This is something I cannot define myself as. That being said, I have always grown up with computer and video games in the house, and once in a while I really do enjoy playing. My favorite video game of all time would have to be Mario Kart. Currently I have Mario Kart 7 for the Wii, and I don't think it would be that difficult for me to play for days at a time. There are so many things to love about the game, the first of which, is that it is really simple to grasp. For someone who is not the greatest at video games and understanding all the buttons and combinations, I can proudly say that Mario Kart is easy to catch on to. Another reason I love it is that whether you play with up to 3 other people or alone, the game is just as fast-paced and competitive (though I do love playing with friends much more). The main reason I love the game is because it has all of the intensity and thrill of a racing competition, with the fun sounds, classic characters, and colorful graphics of Mario. The first of the game's series, Super Mario Kart, was released in August of 1992, and the latest, Mario Kart 8, is set to be released in May of this year. Since the beginning of Mario and Luigi, the many games that involve the brothers have had a huge cultural impact on people everywhere. Not are they one the most popular and well known game series around the world, but they have become a part of everyday life. You can go anywhere to find a shirt, a backpack, a keychain, a hat, and pretty much any other wearable or usable object with a scene or character from one of the Mario games. The theme song is extremely well-known and recreated and re-used by millions of people. And, of course, the characters are a halloween favorite. Overall, the love of the game has shown through our culture and through the lives of the gamers everywhere. No matter how old I get, I am sure that Mario Kart will forever be my favorite video game.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Linked In!
My profile is definitely not as full as it could be, but I feel like it is a pretty good start! I know that as the years go on and I gain more experience with jobs and internships and other educational opportunities, I will definitely be able to expand it greatly.
Trolling the Minaret
'Wow this is so weird to read! I was just at the Hojo pool a few days before break with some friends and we jokingly asked some of the staff that walked by how much they would miss the kids that used to live there. We were all giggling and didn't at all expect them to answer, but they actually gave us honest responses. One was a younger guy and seemed really concerned that two female roommates he used to have relations with would no longer be easily at his will call. He seemed WAY more open to talking about it than we were so that got awkward. He also hinted at the fact that he was really bummed out about the dozens of girls that would no longer be at the pool for him to stare at. Quite the pig if you ask me. The other staff member was an older woman who was beyond relieved to have the students out of her hair because of all the remains of "illegal activity" that she would walk in on in the mornings. Apparently she never reported any of it?? Either way the two were an odd pair and I probably won't be making a trip back to the Hojo any time soon."
My comment on this article: http://theminaretonline.com/2014/02/13/article32571#comment-6527
Internet Art: Chapter 3
When researching Maciej Wisniewski, and internet artist featured in chapter 3, I found that his contribution to internet art and the world of computers in general was far greater than the book made it out to be. He is not only a digital artist, but a computer programmer and a pioneer in network computing who focuses on the social impact of the internet. He is the founder of Netomat, Inc., which began merely as a net-based art project for him. It now continues to develop as a powerful, multimedia communication platform between businesses and consumers. His work prior to this consisted of many high-profile digital art projects, such as those mentioned in Internet Art (Internet Places, 2002), and then moving on to work for IBM before ultimately becoming his own boss in the digital world.
A second artist from this chapter whose work I found extremely interesting was Benjamin Fry. His piece Valence takes information rich objects and visualizes them in a three-dimensional format. Fry received his Ph.D. from the MIT Media Lab, and has since then been featured in multiple museums including the Museum of Modern Art in NYC, and has also been honored with many design awards. Today, he is a principle and co-developer of two different companies, and will forever be an expert in data visualization.
A second artist from this chapter whose work I found extremely interesting was Benjamin Fry. His piece Valence takes information rich objects and visualizes them in a three-dimensional format. Fry received his Ph.D. from the MIT Media Lab, and has since then been featured in multiple museums including the Museum of Modern Art in NYC, and has also been honored with many design awards. Today, he is a principle and co-developer of two different companies, and will forever be an expert in data visualization.
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