Virgin Suicides: Half-way through

Halfway through the Virgin suicides, I’ve learned to respect the Lisbon sisters. After Cecillia’s death, the book journeys through the aspects of the neighborhood and the alterations and consistencies within the town. The boys become even more interested in the Lisbon family, especially the girls. One scene in particular, depicts the girls’ first day of school after the summer’s tragic event; the girls walk on the campus and through the school with a seemingly exotic air that intrigues both the boys and girls. The group of sisters comes off as strange and bizarre yet very interesting and luring. Many students along with teachers pity, and even admire them. As they would walk around the school, many of the kids dare not to approach them, especially when they walk as a group.  For some reason, the girls are intimidating to the school community.

Later on, some students approach the girls and even acquaint them. One of their common activities includes ditching class and smoking in the girls’ bathroom. Here, one or two of the sister’s friends will attend the sessions.  The narrators or the interviewers state that a girl they interviewed years later had said that the sisters were quite normal teenagers. This is later affirmed again by the boys themselves. On one fortunate day, Trip Fontaine, the hottie and punk of the school dared to ask Mr. Lisbon for permission to go on a group date with the girls. After some sly smooth talking, the protective father agreed. He seemed almost relieved. The night came and Trip and a couple of boys took the girls out to the dance. Here, the boys had the same epiphany that the girls were quite normal or that day they seemed that way. They also realize that as the world was looking in and speculating about the Lisbon family, the family was looking outward at the community too. They were not as secluded and aloof as everyone had thought.

Throughout the book, the narrators do confirm that the other sisters do perform suicide later. Nevertheless, the story continues to illustrate the views of the boys and the overall community presumably to the end. The adults’ and teens’ postulated theories of the family range from ludicrous to possible factors that could have caused the suicides.  These formulated ideas of the family seem almost obsessive, especially the boys’ opinions, but that’s not surprising since tragic death, especially a death of a young girl was not common in this neighborhood.  Another strange aspect of the story is the strained relationships between the family members. The father’s stoically quite manner  and unhappy behavior adds to the somber atmosphere of the story. His isolation in his science classroom and aloofness to community life suggests a plausible influence on the strength on his family life and marriage. In one interview conducted by the narrators, Mr. Lisbon had stated that after the suicides, he and his wife split. He seemed to be quite relieved. The mother’s behavior correlated with the father’s, but instead of his isolationist method, she stowed away in her room, sometimes doing chores, or knitting. At one period, she had actually resisted leaving her room and doing any housework. Her withdrawn attitude reflected an image of a mother who was almost ready to give up. During one period after Cecilla’s death, the family as a collective locked themselves in the house. Their lawn collected a wild vegetation of weeds and wines swarming around and on the house, and excessive leaves lay muddying the front yard.  With these bleak images interconnected, the view of the family is hopeless. Although the boys do confirm that the girls seemed normal, the many illustrations of the seemingly grim family affirms the ending circumstance of the Lisbon family members. 

Towards the end of Pride and Prejudice

Now towards the end of Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth is conflicted with her misjudgment of Mr. Darcy. During her summer tour with her aunt and uncle, the group travels across the country and make a stop at Pemberley where Mr. Darcy lives. Due to her Aunt’s curiosity to visit the Darcy household, they make a stop at an Inn and visit the large estate. Upon the visit, Elizabeth tries to loosen her worries of meeting him there, but just as she was comforted by the news that he was away on business, Mr. Darcy appears.  Their greetings were awkward, yet surprising, because Mr. Darcy had a change of character. Though, Elizabeth carried some embarrassment through her blushing countenance, the latter was genuine in his inquiries about her family. He was more openly friendly and more well-mannered than she had ever seen him. He proceeds to walk with them and give them a tour around his estate. From this excursion, Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s relationship improve drastically. Elizabeth gains an appreciation for him and his change of mannerisms, and all the while Darcy continues and more openly expresses his respect and admiration of Elizabeth in his subtle way.

After this lively and unanticipated day, the group head back to rest, but afterwards, during the week, Darcy and his sister visit the group. The day before, he had expressed his wish of introducing his sister to Miss Bennet which astonished yet pleased Elizabeth.  This visit was accompanied by Mr. Bingley and his sister. The sister was the same manipulative and cajoling beaut whereas her brother was the same high-spirited, charming, handsome, and genuine young man. After some formal inquiries toward one another’s health and family’s health, the visitors leave happily, especially Mr. Darcy.

 His intentions of the whole visit could be inferred as a way to earn Elizabeth’s respect and love.  His sincere wish for his sister and Ms. Bennett to meet was a delightful and agreeable gesture.  His devoting regard for Elizabeth is commendable, and the results of his effort to gain a good stance in the eyes of his love may be a success. The latter could not have been unaffected by his change, and this is shown in the passing days in which she cannot help but think about him and muse about the possibility of feeling more for him. Her old framework of Darcy changes, and her new view of the respectable man may be the very push needed to make her realize that she may love him most dearly. 

1. Books and Stuff 

"Through his lens we see grand, impressive exteriors and crumbling interiors—chairs stacked against walls with peeling green paint in a grand hallway; brightly colored toothbrushes still hanging on a rack; stacks of suitcases, never packed for the trip home" 

2. Keep Calm and Carry On
"The girls will graduate soon and grad parties are coming up and as they plan on going to friends parties Hanna is reminded she too will have to be the center of attention, something she isn't so used to."
3. Three Coconut Pods


"His comical description of ordinary occurrences hypnotize readers into  appreciating these "awesome" happenings that usually pass by unnoticed." 

4. Vivir, Sonar, Leer

"The radical range of color schemes, discombobulating object scale, unusual item combination, and drastic angling of geometric shapes combine to form a divine harmony in the middle of a flustering discord"

Natsumi Hayashi: Levitating Portraits

The photos shown here present a model positioned in mid-air "levitating". The model is shot alone in an isolated area or in areas crowded with people. Natsumi Hayashi's recognizable and iconic style of levitating portraits is taken precisely and carefully. Ensuring the subject is positioned in the frame in a desirable manner, Hayashi also displays Japanese vibrant culture through the lavishing dainty dress attire of the female model.

Observe closely at the girl in the pictures. In every picture, the subject is the same girl; the model is the artist. Natsumi, who mainly photographs levitating self-portraits, resides in Tokyo where she shoots her pictures in the settings of the city and the surrounding rural areas. With her professional Canon EOS 5D Mk SLR and large lenses, Natsumi will target a composition and focus the camera manually. Then she sets the self-timer and runs to her position. She’ll watch the camera’s blinking red LED count down ten seconds, and then she’ll proceed to jump. This process will repeat itself until she is satisfied with her product. In this circumstance, Natsumi jumps several to a dozen times just for one shot. The work effort seems to be the jumping instead of the camera shots itself.

In a few cases, some more complex equipment is used to obtain a shot at a distance or to obtain a shot with a 3D or depth effect.

The effects of these photos are mesmerizing, and they have an unreal sense of breaking the laws of physics.  The shots of the model seemingly jumping spontaneously serve a purpose of tricking the eyes and mind. At first glance, the pictures evoke an iconoclastic shot of a Japanese girl’s life levitating through daily activities. Observe again and notice that the pictures of the beautiful model and inviting settings are splurged with effervescence. Natsumi in these photos can be related to a real-life anime character who is spirited and energetic. Her vibrant attire, and voluptuous and sprightly form in the pictures effuse a dashing and active quality in these photos. The photos almost suggest that a life in mid-air levitation may be simpler and more fun. 

This American Life Podcast: What I Did For Love

Ira Grass who created This American Life, a weekly radio program, featured a special podcast for this week's universal holiday. In this special Valentine's Day edition, he speaks to Kristy Kruger about her quirky way of dealing with a breakup and to Kurt Braunohler about his thirteen year relationship with a woman.

The interview with Kristy starts out with an introduction as to how long Ira has known her. Having known her for a couple years, he tells the audience that she was having a "hard time” recently and explains further that after a break up with a guy, she continued to love him and began to obsess over him. Describing Kristy as unable to control her emotions for the guy, he gives us details about how her overwhelming feelings were shown through her wild gestures. At first, she thought of serenading him, which she had done before (Kristy is a singer/songwriter). Instead, she wrote letters to him that would never get sent and keep foods that he likes in her freezer along with his favorite pastries. She continued this while having no idea as to why she kept up with these ridiculous engagements. While Kristy affirms these actions, there is a sense of humility and self-deprecation on her part. The audience can relate to her situation in some way whether that be the silly activities or the overwhelming feelings she had for this boy. Yet these redundant gestures were nothing as wild as the “prank” she started and kept on during her drive to different music gigs around the country. As she headed to different gigs, at each place she would write his name on the bathroom walls along with a message as such, “ladies, please help me out. I really want my man back. Please call and tell him his Chalupa really misses him.” She would then leave his number next to the message. Considering how many women could have seen this, the guy must have had many calls and messages. 

Kristy’s behavior may be measured as imprudent and insensible, but maybe she really cannot help herself. She could be the very example of people fallen victims to love, especially unrequited love. Towards the end of the interview, she discusses how after two months of starting this “prank”, the guy sent her a cold text message demanding her to “knock it off with the bathroom walls” and to “Desist with this.” Kristy obliges, and instead approached a more constructive way of moving on, which was by listening to sad old country songs covered by a band called Town Criers. Her second method is a universal method of "moving on" for most girls; a method that may also include ice cream and romantic movies. 

Speaking to Ira, Kurt explains his past situation with this woman he had committed to for thirteen years and whom he had not married during this time. They had a healthy relationship; they loved each other and considered themselves “married” in a sense, yet they never approached the subject of matrimony until one ordinary day of hanging out. In mutual agreement, the couple decided to see other people for a month. They had this stubborn notion that their love could overcome anything. It was their way of testing the strength of their relationship or so they say. After this month of exhilaration and experiences, they extended the month to a few more months. 

Kurt explained how he had experiences he should have had when he was in his 20s. Having spoken to Kurt’s girlfriend, Ira affirms that the girlfriend felt the same. During this period, Kurt discusses how emotional his "encounters" with women were. He was adapted to his custom situation with his girlfriend of associating feelings with making love. These encounters with these strangers were new to him, and he felt astounded yet overwhelmed by it all. He didn't know how to separate his feelings from these situations. The couple had agreed to only see other people and not have relationships with them.  Nevertheless, this was difficult for both parties due to the fact that the two were developing feelings for the strangers they were seeing.The journey that the two endeavored to take on was a risky and wild one, but it did confirm the state of their relationship. 

At the end of the “trials” Kurt had really fallen in love with an Australian woman. Eventually, Kurt met up with his girlfriend and they discussed their situation. At the end of their luncheon, they broke up. Today, the two are on still on good terms and call each other from time to time. At the end of the interview, Ira speaks on behalf of the girlfriend that she felt that even before the suggesting and starting the “trial”, the relationship would have ended anyways. Both persons agreed that the relationship had run its course, and that both were scared and relieved to take on this challenge.  For most of us, this situation may be a dream or a ridiculous endeavor. Some of us may point out that if they had to question the strength of the relationship, then that’s an obvious road sign to end the relationship. Others may enjoy and celebrate the adventure the couple took on. Nevertheless, this example points out that not every relationship is the same. We make or break our relationships. 

Whether we were in love, or are in love now, every relationship has its own unique course.  Kristy’s behavior regarding this past relationship may have been wild, but there’s an appreciation for her passion and open heart. Kurt’s thirteen year relationship may have ended due to the forced infidelity agreed by both parties, but at the end, the couple agreed that even without this challenge, the relationship would have been broken off.  The trial only confirmed it. The title of this weekly podcast may have been misleading to audience members who hoped for stories of successful love and romantic gestures to significant others, but the title really evokes the true message of love. Our circumstances differ from one another, and that's especially true when it comes to relationships. Not every relationship will be the same and neither will our affections for one another be identical. The podcast covered two stories of the struggles and fight for love. The majority of the young adults including myself are not experts of this subject, but there is a common ground; whether we have lost it, experienced it, have it now, or never have felt it before, the idea that love is out there is strangely gratifying, and it gives us hope. 

Shortlist: artists

1. Stephen Wiltshire
Stephen was born in London in April 1974.  As a child he was mute and unsociable with others, and when he turned three he was diagnose with autism. At the age of four though, he was noticed for his enjoyment and skill in drawing. People had thought he had no language, but it was clear that drawing was his way of expression and communication. As an adult, Mr. Wiltshire is a successful city-scape artist.
stephenwiltshire.co.uk/

2. Drawing with a Squirrel
This blog belongs to an artist whose favorite art medium is ink. In her lavish and unique projects, Gentian Osman utilizes a wide range of ink colors and pens.
gentianosman.com/

3. Samantha Decarlo
Samantha is a freelance artist who also uses ink immensely in her work. Her style differs from the artist above.
http://samanthadecarlo.blogspot.com/p/about-artist.html

Podcast Response: What I did for Love

Ira Grass who created This American Life, a weekly radio program, featured a special podcast for this week's universal holiday. In this special Valentine's Day edition, he speaks to Kristy Kruger about her quirky way of dealing with a breakup and to Kurt Braunohler about his thirteen year relationship with a woman.

The interview with Kristy starts out with an introduction as to how long Ira has known her. He tells the audience that she was having a "hard time" and explains further that after a break up with a guy, she continued to love him and began to obsess over him.

Speaking to Ira, Kurt explains his past situation with this woman he had committed to for thirteen years and whom he had not married during this time. His story includes trials of love in which the couple started seeing other people in order to test the endurance of their relationship.

Both situations are unusual and seemingly crazy, but we can admit to ourselves that at one point we were the ones who were crazily in love with a person who didn’t feel the same way or we were the ones who were young , naive, and inexperienced. Considering most of the viewers here are young adults, most of us have or will face situations in a less intense form some day.

Deconstruction Art: Valerie Hegarty

Break-Through Miami 
Picture Link: Locustprojects.org 
valeriehegarty.com

Set on the backdrops of a seemingly archaic building or design set, this deconstructed art designed by Valerie Hegarty establishes a sense of the loss of nature or the nostalgia of the beauty the earth once embodied.

The artist had applied many layers of painted material to the walls and floors. Once she had finished, Valerie used a method she calls "reverse archaeology" in which she peels and removes the material in order to achieve a desired appearance.

With additional embellishments, like the obtrusive birds, the seemingly rash pond in the middle of the vibrant tiled flooring, and the ripped walls bearing some coloration, the installation renders a landscape of Miami and the city’s architecture. The opening of the development that frames the view of a luscious and tropic beach, may demonstrate the transitions of natural environments or may emphasis the urbanization that swallows up the scarcity of such prominent environments.

Expressing elements of Miami culture in the use of distinct Cuban-taste colored tiles and the ripped walls combined with the beach scenery, the design set reveals modern institutions as equally and maybe even more unstable than nature.

Valerie’s project captures the degradation of one institution in favor for another. The combination of the building in decay and the tropic settings may represent a balance of nature versus man-made institutions, but the haughty, ripped, and tarnished floors and walls point out the dramatic transformation from primitive beauty to modern turmoil. 

The Fault In Our Stars

"I went to Support group for the same reason that I'd once allowed nurses with a mere eighteen months of graduate education to poison me with exotically named chemicals: I wanted to make my parents happy. There is only one thing in this world shittier than biting it from cancer when you're sixteen, and that's having a kid who bites it from cancer" - John Green, The Fault In Our Stars

This excerpt is from the novel by John Green. In this scene the main character, Hazel who is a thyroid cancer patient explains her parents insistence that she continue to attend support group. She obeys, but only to appease her parents. Not much of a socialite in comparison to normal and healthy teenagers, Hazel is still witty and has a great sense of humor. Here at the support group meetings, she'll meet Augustus.

Later in the book, readers learn that the title of the book came from a famous line from a Shakespeare Play, Julius Caesar. Almost half way through the book, I've found that although the story holds some conventional love elements, the novel is unconventional in regards to cancer stories. The story does not strive to evoke sympathy in the readers, nor does it insist on trying to make them cry. Although there is a sense of tragic realism, the novel is philosophical and funny. The relationships in the book are respectable and admirable, and the lives of these characters allow the audience a chance to see the viewpoint of cancer patients.

This (2nd) List

1.) Bon Iver

With the 54th Grammy Awards approaching (this upcoming Sunday). One of the worthy nominees of the year is one of my favorite folk bands, Bon Iver. They are nominated for four 2012 Grammy Awards this year. The band includes Michael Noyce, Sean Carey, and Matthew McCaughan, but the face of the group is Justin Vernon, the indie folk singer/songwriter who founded this group. 

2. 43things.com

We've been into this new year two months now, and some of us have forgotten or have lost motivation to keep our new year's resolutions. Some of us may have not even made a resolution for this new year. Years before I became a bit more organized and on task, my friend referred me to this website. 43things encompasses a social networking essence, with a focus of goal-setting. According to the site, it is the world's largest goal-setting community ever.  

3. indie rock cafe: "Best indie rock music, hot new songs, popular rock bands, top album releases, free MP3s"

The site promotes new artists as wells as well-known artists. Organized into playlists and into articles informing readers about the bands/artists, the website also gives out free MP3s. Although not all of the songs are worthy, many of them have honorable mention in the music community. Music genres range from psychedelic to alternative rock.

SHOOTTHEPLAYER: KAKI KING, BEN LEE, FIRST AID KIT

Washed over with ludicrously overdone music videos of teenagers and adults singing covers of mainstream music, YouTube has only a few worthy and mentionable channels. One of them is ShootThePlayer.  This channel is an extension of the official blog with the same title, ShootThePlayer.com/blog.  Filmmakers, Amelia Tovey and Jonathon Wald, shoot singers and indie groups that may be well known or arising in the alternative community. With over 100 music films, the talented filmmakers capture the performers in iconic and sometimes commonplace locations around the world. Their interaction with their environments gives these films originality that cannot be mimicked.

Such awe-inspiring players include Swedish duo First Aid Kit, American singer/songwriter Kaki King, Australian musician/actor Ben Lee to alternative rock artists like Cloud Control, Andrew Bird, Soko, An Horse, and Holly Miranda. There is an abundant amount of talented artists in these films, many who have made it big in the music industry, creating scores for film and television productions to receiving Golden Globe and Grammy nominations/awards, yet they are still unknown to the mainstream audience. The blog also contains many other artists who are not well known to the music community, and are thus given a boost by these films.

Note that the films themselves are not meant to spur artists’ popularity, but rather capture art in the form of live and spontaneous music performances in raw locations. Filming in sites from Sydney Australia at the Opera house to the backdrops of a cemetery in France, the filmmakers capture the artists’ true sounds that are usually hidden in auto-tuned and mechanized mainstream music. All the while, the people and/or environment in the films induce an intimacy and vitality in the performances. 

Kaki King

Below is one of my favorite artists, Kaki King. Amelia filmed her in Australia's Sydney Hyde Park in 2007. Talented at playing lap steel guitar, drums, piano, and the guitar, she plays her custom designed Ovation guitar in the park as pedestrians walk by. Her techniques involving finger-style playing, fret-tapping, and bass-slapping styles exceeds the horizons of artistic guitar playing.