Penelope

                                                   May 31, 2011 – December 12, 2012

          Yesterday I had to make a tough decision...I was given the role of "God". My cat Penelope, the P-tard, Special-P, and ms. Penelope Priss, had found some antifreeze in the garage from a recent car fixing. The sweet, translucent neon liquid made her to where she could not walk, and sometime later on in the night she began to sieze. She had a total of 7 seizures which we know of. I was at the kitty doctors at eight a.m. sharp (when they open) and delivered my emergency into their good graces. Unfortunately after I took my chemistry final, I received a call stating that she had severe liver damage, and that only 1 out of 100 cats with the damage she had would survive. On the other hand, I was also told that there is an expensive dialysis treatment, for four days/nights, with no guarantee–1:100–for saving her life...which would also induce my cat with more pain.
          I did not take the latter, instead I made a tough decision to end her life before she experienced anymore suffering. Morally was I in the right? To play "God"? For a dumb-ass human error–leaving antifreeze[poison] out. I hope so, for if I was ever hooked up to a machine, I would rather have the plug pulled...end it. Yes, I can make a Wit comparison here, but I will not. My emotions have gotten the better of me today. Hey, at least my P-tard is out of pain...I will truly miss her and I am glad that I can give her my last blog posting for humanities 101.

Escheresque

Alex Grey "Net of Being" (2002-2007)

My eyes have always been drawn to paintings, pictures, sculptures et that have symmetry. Most of all though, I am drawn to the Escheresque techniques various artists incorporate in their works. The mathematical beauty of shapes and tessellation I sought after as a child, still awes me as an adult today. (Maybe because I enjoy math...That I find it to be a big puzzle in itself?–Don't know). The artist Alex Grey in no doubt has some masterpieces of art–some[most] of his art is a bit bizarre though–and of course Grey's eye candy for me are his bright tessellation pieces. But Escher, he truly holds the key to my heart...or last jig to my saw. Just look at that brilliance below, and these lovelies are carved on wood :)  

M.C. Escher "Butterflies" (1950)

Snow, snow, SNOW

                     

         Tis the season to rejoice in the white fluffy stuff–SNOW! Natures artistry at its finest, that is if you have a microscope. Snowflakes appear literally out of thin air, and like yesterday, can blanket the outside. They are born high above us within the dim, grey winter clouds. A simple act of freezing (>32 degrees Fahrenheit) turns formless water vapor into visually striking crystalline ice sculptures. Snowflakes mature as they drift slowly to Earth, where artists and scientists intercept their fall and use microphotography to capture the fleeting works of natures art.

          Dr. Kenneth Libbrecht’s, a pioneer in the art of the snowflake states, “Photographing snowflakes is always enjoyable because there are so many different types, with no two exactly alike. Each new snowfall is another world to explore, and I still often find novel specimens. The snow may seem rather unvaried to the naked eye, but the microscope reveals an amazing menagerie of beautiful crystalline forms.” (A change in major might be upon me soon...what a cool job...art, snow, nature, skiing[?]). 

Welcome to my Dreams

                                                                           Rob Gonsalves

"The Sun Sets Sail"

   

"Written Worlds" 

"Deluge" 

          I love when I find an artist, whose expression on paper resemble my subconscious, my dreams. The artist above, Rob Gonsalves, I fell in love with at Hastings three years ago. Yes, Hastings. I was purchasing a new novel and on my way to check out, walked past the yearly calendar display. Amused, I started thumbing through, and what I found was a calendar by this artist. All of his special thoughts and skill into a 12 months spectacular of visual pleasure. Every year since, I purchase a new calendar from Rob Gonsalves, and my walls are that much happier.
          When I look at the world, his artistry correlates my perception. When I close my eyes, his representations are mirror images of my dreams.                        

Even Elements are Artists

Noble Gas Spectra

                                        Top to bottom: helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon.

          Every element in the periodic table is unique: from shells, orbitals, photons, neutrons and electrons... Each element has its own eccentricity. And when I had the opportunity last week to see just how special elements are, I was in awe, for my chemistry class was assigned to do a lab on the atomic spectrum of hydrogen. Basically take a gaseous element and seal it into a glass tube (discharge tube), and hook it up to high voltage (image below). What you see through this device, the spectrometer, are unique rainbows, distinct for each element.

                               Spectroscope (right), prism (middle) and a discharge tube (far left).

          Each of the colorful, pretty lines represents electron transitions within the atom. And through mathematical interpretation, using Bohr's theory, we can establish the energy levels and wavelengths, which determine the actual levels that are associated with each wavelength. Fascinating. However, the science jargon was not what first caught my attention, it was natures inherent beauty–NATURES ART, elements in the visual line spectrum. Awesome. Needless to say that I did very well on this lab, for nature had me at hello...I'm a rainbow.

Creative or Logical?

The Spinning Dancer, also known as the silhouette illusion

         This 2-D, rotating image was designed by the Japanese web designer Nobuyuki Kayahara in 2003. Thought at first to be a test of right or left brain dominance in the psychology world; that if you see the lady spinning counter-clockwise then you are more of a left-brained person, that is logical. Or if you see her spinning clockwise then you are right-brain dominant and more creative (artistic). And, if you can see her spin both directions then your have pure genius. However, this theory of left vs right brain dominance in the scientific world is nonsense. Just as the subconscious works together with the conscious, the left hemisphere of the brain works together with the right hemisphere. They are buddies. The Silhouette Illusion is a very creative piece of art work, though not a brain test as previously thought. Instead, this entertaining discussion piece is simply an optical illusion called a reversible, or ambiguous image. These types of images are scientifically studied to learn more about how vision works.  
         “What’s happening here to cause the flip is something happening entirely within the visual system,” said Thomas C. Toppino, chair of the department of psychology at Villanova University. “If we can understand why it is these figures reverse then we’re in a position to understand something pretty fundamental to how the visual system contributes to the conscious experience.”
         I stick to my guns, believing that everyone is an artist, or holds the capacity to be one if they merely reflect on their possibilities or the world around them. So don't believe for one second that if you see this lady only spinning left that you are not creative. You are. Everyone is. But, can you see her spinning both directions?...it's fun, give it a try. 

Miracles or Science?

 

ICP–"Miracles"

          The music video above is quite possibly the most idiotic, asinine, closed-minded lyrics ever written. But funny as hell if you listen carefully. Basically, this video–for me–represents the ignorant masses who praise an unknown entity and denounce scientific fact–Nietzsches' nihilism. The video and lyrics speak for themselves. I honestly did not think that this video could be made fun of any more than the video itself, but alas, Saturday Night Live conquered: 

SNL Parody on "Miracles"

(Apologize for the quality, SNL must have removed the original video from YouTube)

*"F@*$ing magnets, how do they work?" - ICP.   Mwhwahahahha.

Possibilianism: A Different Take

"Our ignorance of the cosmos is too vast to commit to atheism, and yet we know too much to commit to a particular religion. A third position, agnosticism, is often an uninteresting stance in which a person simply questions whether his traditional religious story (say, a man with a beard on a cloud) is true or not true. But with Possibilianism I'm hoping to define a new position -- one that emphasizes the exploration of new, unconsidered possibilities. Possibilianism is comfortable holding multiple ideas in mind; it is not interested in committing to any particular story."-David Eagleman

          My niece asked her mom–my sister–not too long ago, "Mom, what is the right [correct] religion?" My sister, a little shocked at her daughters open observation said, "No one really knows...there is not one correct religion...". What a smart girl my niece is. How can one say this religion or that religion/belief is correct, when there are thousands of others. And are those whom believe in opposing religions [from yours] sentenced/blasphemed from your eternal afterlife?–Christianity. I would hope not.
          The video above is what I believe in, for it does not single out one society, belief, religion or theory, but entwines them together. And my sisters final thought to her daughter, "...there are too many possibilities out there [world, universe], so no one should commit to one idea." Yes, she too is a Possibilianist. 

Mitch Hedberg: Comedian of the One-liners

          Comedy is a release, it is fun, humorous, shocking, brilliant and sometimes lame. Mitch Hedberg is by far one of the funniest comedians to ever hit the stage, and entertain the masses with his coined "one-liners". After getting an assignment–chance–to read the famous Friedrich Nietzsches' work Twighlight of the Idols, I could not help but compare the two men on their comedic expressions on their philosophies. Not to mention that Nietzsche uses one-liners to also get his ideas forth in the section Maxims and Arrows. Lets compare and contrast these two geniuses:

""All truth is simple." Is that not doubly a lie?" - Nietzsche
"I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it." - Hedberg
"What? Is man merely a mistake of God's? Or God merely a mistake of man's?" - Nietzsche
"When someone tries to hand me out a flyer, it's kind of like they're saying, "Here, you throw this away." - Hedberg
"To live alone one must be a beast or a god, says Aristotle. Leaving out the third case: one must be both–a philosopher." - Nietzsche
"I saw this wino, he was eating grapes. I was like, "Dude, you have to wait." - Hedberg

          The connection between these two geniuses, for me, is profound. Maybe you can't see it. But golly, it puts a smile on my face...and isn't that one of the jobs of an artist, to entertain, or leave in awe.

Vivre Sa Vie, Chapter 11

          I just so happened upon this theatrical gem this summer. New movies have there perks, no question in that, however, I love to submerse myself in the classics. This one in particular, which I only caught on chapter 6 the first time around–there are twelve in total–instantly stopped me from continuing on with yard work. The cinematography, music score, settings, casting, and most importantly the story line had me in awe. Set in 1962, this beautiful and heart aching film follows the life of a young Parisian woman on a slow downward spiral into prostitution.
          In many respects, especially in the arts, France paves the way for us Americans–a duh factor on commen sense...insert now. A film of such nature as this would not have been permitted in America in the 1960's. It would have been looked down upon and rejected. To view a film like this, to me, is a look back on history. Movies are museaums filled with art all categorized into different generas, themes, actors, and time periods. All having a significant impact on society. I love "my" museums.
          The clip I have chosen of this film to share is chapter 11. In this last week my humanities class was assigned to read upon the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, along with other great philosophic thinkers that have shaped humanities current view(s)–history makers. I deemed it necessary to share such a poignant scene, in which Nana questions a random philosophical man at a cafe. He references Plato, Kierkengard and Kant, in order to help her shed light on the inner paradoxes she encounters/faces/thinks. I do not want to ruin the end, and therefore I ask you all to watch this film.
          I will leave you with this analogical teaser: When Alice looked into the rabbit hole, was she not curious and inevitably ventured into it not knowing the outcome?

"Between The Folds"- official theatrical trailer.

Origami is Yoda, yes.

          The art of origami will always hold a special place in my heart. How does one make such beautiful and intrinsic sculptures through paper folding? With the combination of my love for movies and the documentaries that shed light onto otherwise unknown realities, I now have a better understanding into this creative expression (preview above). What intrigues me most about origami is the use of technical mathematics, science, and hours of dedicated patience. This art form is used throughout the medical field, let alone any field that requires packaging, which I was unaware of until I stumbled across this film.
          This documentary is available on Netflix, with a running time of 54 minutes. I hope everyone can take time out of their busy schedules for a glimpse into this creative and beautiful art form. I also hope everyone who watches this movie will feel inspired, and be able to take something special from it.