Because Pulse Park need to be viewed after dusk, viewing of the Tree Huts suffered a bit, but there was an interesting spookiness to their vague presence above us.
The most interesting things I notice in these results are that I do seem to talk about myself a whole lot (i, me, and my all appearing in the top 10). I found the same counts of certain words amusing as well, such as its/up/don't/have" (am I saying "I don't have a clue, its up to you?" more than I realize?) and make/more/love (about which I won't comment...). As an aside, based on the relatively low word count I generated during the week, it made me realize a behavioral trait I hadn't noticed: i do most of my personal correspondence and social networking on my work computer these days.
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i: 94 you: 81 if: 25 me: 25 was: 25 my: 21 your: 19 be: 18 don't: 17 have: 17 its: 17 up: 17 about: 16 are: 16 can: 16 from: 16 |
know: 16 just: 15 this: 15 like: 14 not: 13 so: 12 they: 12 think: 12 we: 12 what: 12 you're: 11 sure: 10 do: 9 he: 9 one: 9 that's: 9 |
when: 9 all: 8 an: 8 by: 8 how: 8 i'm: 8 it.: 8 let: 8 should: 8 were: 8 I'm: 7 been: 7 get: 7 no: 7 s: 7 didn't: 6 |
go: 6 got: 6 haven't: 6 help: 6 her: 6 his: 6 i'll: 6 pretty: 6 probably: 6 really: 6 still: 6 tell: 6 there: 6 back: 5 definitely: 5 ee: 5 |
f: 5 had: 5 hte: 5 into: 5 love: 5 make: 5 more: 5 our: 5 them: 5 time: 5 way: 5 who: 5 will: 5 |
Because Pulse Park need to be viewed after dusk, viewing of the Tree Huts suffered a bit, but there was an interesting spookiness to their vague presence above us.
Photographs coming soon...
The class' interpretation of and reaction to this piece was generally positive. I was a bit disappointed to hear that the postures of the characters made their mental states seem somewhat obvious, and not as arbitrary and reconfigurable as I would have hoped. If I were to redo the piece, I would try to make their body language more ambivalent.
]]>I researched and co-opted the style and symbolism of Byzantine art in this piece because I found it a fitting analogy for the characterization I’ve witnessed: subjects are presented in a flat, abstracted fashion, but are then rounded out into more complex characters through the use of an intricate system of symbols. The symbols in this piece are representative (or satirical) of the character traits attributed to the candidate by each side (see key below). Though the symbolic language of Byzantine/early Christian art is largely foreign to us today, I’d argue that analogously reductionist representations are apparent in the sound bites, veiled or anonymous accusations, and other political propaganda surrounding this campaign. Ultimately, I hoped to comment on the fact that an accurate, “round” character portrayal is impossible to achieve when representations are limited to the dichotomy so often present in partisan politics.
Source: http://www.christiansymbols.net/
Following are the assignment details from Marina.
Character. Archetype vs. stereotype vs. individual. Cardboard character. Fully fleshed out character. This next assignment focuses on the challenges of character development. Much of a character’s depth is realized through a combination of its actions, interactions, and supplementary behaviors. In cinema, a character unfolds over time. A character is revealed by his/her/its actions. In media or installation, a character often has to reveal itself in new ways that are non-linear or multi-linear. Every work – whether that is a Kleenex box, a doorknob, a mascot, or a story’s protagonist has a character to it, that’s made up of its material, content, expression, and environment. This assignment should bring your scrutiny of all the elements that comprise character to the foreground.
Create a portrait. It could be a real or fictional character, or a chimera – a mythical composite beast. Your project must contain two or three distinct points of view (literal views, time frames, scales, positions, perspectives, or opinions).
2-3 screens, 2-3 soundtracks, or 2-3 objects or forms. You must make multiples of the same type of medium (i.e. all screens, all toys, all tape decks, all talking shoes).
Accompanying this should be a 1-3 paragraph character description. You should draw from the character shopping list or hand-out on characyter development. You will make this available to the class.
What is the central problem or thesis the character wishes to express? How is your portrait cinematic? Are you dealing with color, tempo, lighting, atmosphere, and scene to help give a sense of this persona? How are you characterizing your subject? How is she/he/it round, not flat? Are you alluding to any particular narrative genres? What are we gaining in character depth, contradiction, or narrative viewpoints from having more than one perspective? How do multiple viewpoints or iterations help make your character “round?”
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int analogPin = 0; // potentiometer wiper (middle terminal) connected to analog pin 3
// outside leads to ground and +5V
int val = 0; // variable to store the value read
#define INTERVAL 100 // interval between readings, in milliseconds
void setup()
{
Serial.begin(9600); // setup serial
}
void loop()
{
val = analogRead(analogPin); // read the input pin
Serial.println(val); // debug value
delay(INTERVAL);
}
import processing.serial.*; // import the Processing serial library
Serial myPort; // The serial port
int sensor;
int adjustedsensor=sensor;
int xcoord=0;
int ycoord=50;
void setup() {
//println(Serial.list()); // List all the available serial ports
myPort = new Serial(this, Serial.list()[3], 9600);
myPort.bufferUntil('\n'); // read bytes into a buffer until
//you get a linefeed (ASCII 10)
size(700,300);
background(0);
smooth();
noStroke();
fill(80,130,50,55);
}
void draw() {
//background(0);
ellipse (xcoord+1,(sensor/1.75)-ycoord,10,10);
if (xcoord]]>
A reporter working on a new Fodor's New York Travel Guide stops each of the following people on their way out of the AMNH and offers them a free pretzel if they'll sit on the steps with him for few minutes and talk about their experience inside.
Well, I came here today with my friend Susan and her baby Maxine, who's also three years old. I can tell you that I'm completely exhausted after navigating Jane's stroller through all those people, but we had a really great time. This is Jane's first time here, but I've been coming ever since I was in kindergarten--I still remember the first time I saw that dinosaur in the lobby, and it was great to see that look of awe in Jane's eyes today. A lot of the exhibits went over her and Maxine's heads, but Susan and I had a great time looking at all the old dioramas we remembered. The girls loved looking at the whale and the polar bears and the other animals they know from their picture books, and they also got a big kick out of sitting in that big clam shell in the Hall of Biodiversity. We got a great photo of the two of them. When we started to feel burnt out from walking so much, Susan and I relaxed with the kids on the floor in the Hall of Ocean Life, which I'd definitely recommend to any parent--it's so soothing and quiet in there, I could have stayed in there for hours. This is a great place for any parent to bring your kids--just make sure not to overdo it--the girls were really getting cranky by the end of it, as you can see, and Susan and I are beat. We didn't bother with any of the special exhibits because they were expensive, and my friends told me they're always packed. Maybe next time!
This place is a classic, and I usually have a pretty good time so I'd definitely recommend it to your readers, but I feel like I've been here way too many times now. Every time I get visitors from out of town, especially anyone with a kid, this is where they want to go. It's fun and all, but there are way too many people, way WAY too many kids running around and screaming, and it's definitely too expensive. I mean, I'm happy to bring my girlfriend out on a date and all, but spending $60 for an hour and a half? That's pretty ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, the IMAX part is fun, and I like the old dioramas, but there's definitely stuff that I feel they could do better--that forest floor section in the Hall of Biodiversity is just lame--stuffy, boring, silent--it could be so much better! And that Water exhibit really wasn't worth it--it was PACKED and though some of the interactive stuff was cool, it was like they were trying too hard. And the kids just seemed to be banging buttons because they make noise...I guess thats why a lot of the stuff in there was broken, like the 3D glasses. So much of the reading or listening stuff in there you couldn't even concentrate on with all that noise, and a lot of the displays just seemed kinda random and thrown together--I think "water" is way too broad topic, they probably should have focused just on water conservation or something. Like that game at the end--I feel like I actually learned a few useful things from it and the graphics were great, but the rest of it just felt like some sort of stressful carnival. Anyhow, I feel like I'm being kinda harsh because I'm tired--I do love this place, I just think adults should probably go during the week to avoid the hoards of kids and maybe just do part of it instead of trying to hit everything.
Wow, wow, I had an amaaazing time in there! I don't even know where to start I saw so much cool stuff! I think the whale was my favorite part, no wait, maybe the dinosaurs, oh but there was that cool mist in the water thing and that spinning globe--jeez, I dunno! Mom, what do you think was my favorite? [Mom mentions the tree stump in the Hall of the North American Forest.] Oh yeah, that was awesome too! But sad that they cut down that big tree...actually it made me sad when Mom told me that a lot of the animals in there were real live animals once--I don't like to see dead animals. And some of that water stuff was pretty sad too when Mom told me that it might run out. But it made me happy when we learned that there is stuff we can do to help; I'm definitely going to stop running the faucet when I'm brushing my teeth! Tell the kids in your book that this is a great place to go--my class is supposed to come back here in a few months and I'm so psyched that I'll be able to show my friends around. Oh the squid and the whale! I think that might've been my favorite--it's a little scary, but sooo cool! Yeah, this place is so great--I can't wait to come back! ]]>
The goal of my experiment will be to see what can be done to manipulate the subjects' perception of this space without changing their physical distance from each other. After arranging the two subjects at the proper distance from each other, I'll ask them to report their relative comfort on a scale of 1 to 10: 1 being very uncomfortable, 10 being completely at ease. I will then outfit them with a device that loosely encircles their necks and spans the distance between them with a fabric interconnection, and again ask them to report their relative comfort (the device will not cause physical discomfort, so this should not be a factor in their response). Finally, I will enclose the space between them with another layer of fabric which will connect over their heads, and ask for one last reporting on their comfort level. Again, no physical discomfort will be involved.
I anticipate that the subjects' comfort level will decrease with each step, as the space itself is made more intimate. I do expect that the fact that the subjects' will be the center of attention will also add a bit to their level of discomfort, but I do think there's still some validity and interest to the test. It's also quite possible, though, that I may get two volunteers who know each other well, and therefore find the intimacy of the space manipulation pleasant or fun. Only time will tell... Photos to come.
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Cashmere, purchased nearly a decade ago, large holes in elbows
Wool, bought for $2 at a thrift store, too big to wear, moth holes
Wool, found on street, ugly as hell, though I like the color, also too small
I began the process by sketching several design ideas:
After selecting the design at the top right as my favorite, I began plotting out the design on the grey sweater, which I'd decided to use as the basis for the new creation since it fits me well and was a favorite of mine before the elbows blew out. I quickly realized that unlike it appears in my sketch, the triangular portions at the waist were going to be the largest sections, so I decided to switch the color scheme and use the green sweater for those areas. I cut out the sections from the grey sweater that were slated to be replaced with the other colors, then used them as a pattern to cut from the other sweaters, leaving an addition 1/4" on each side for the seams. I made sure that the biases of the resected section matched the new material so there wouldn't be any weirdness when the pieces were assembled.
Unfortunately, due to a crazy schedule this week, I wasn't able to assemble the piece in time for class (I can't sew in my apartment after 9:00pm because it bothers the neighbors), but I'll be finishing it up this weekend and will post the results here when I'm done. In the meantime, here's a photo of the pieces laid out to give a sense of the final product...
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As I step back to reflect on the topics we've discussed this semester, and the objects I've created in response to them, it becomes clear that a large theme we're exploring here is interconnection. We've been investigating the different ways in which the designed objects and virtual spaces in our lives—whether art, tools, websites, gadgets, etc.—have the capacity to interconnect with each other as modules, with ourselves as users or viewers, with the planet (to positive or negative effect)...or to interconnect us with others: