"EVILLLLLLLL EEEEVILLLL" -Mermaid Man

(Question 1)
Its a mystifying phenomena when a decent person makes an unexpected transition to a darker side of thinking or acting. One can wonder how or why this could happen to a person previously viewed as a good-hearted individual. The root of evil intentions cannot be pinpointed to a specific cause, because it differs among individuals. Macbeth was a war hero, and beloved king, with all he needed, and nothing to really complain about. He was the definition of a good man. In Macbeth's case, the seed of evil was planted with the prophecy of the witches. "Hail Thane of Cawdor..." The idea blossomed and grew within Macbeth's heart and mind, it caused him great internal trouble as he become bombarded with the idea of murdering his cousin, his own blood, for what? Power. For one to make the transition, there has to be a reason. This is referred to as the "Lucifer Effect". "The Lucifer effect describes the point in time when an ordinary, normal person first crosses the boundary between good and evil to engage in an evil action. It represents a transformation of human character that is significant in its consequences. According to Christian legend, Lucifer was once God's favorite angel until he challenged God's authority and was cast into Hell with all the other fallen angels" (http://www.quora.com/What-is-the-Lucifer-Effect) IN other words, when a person commits a small evil act, it can have a exponentially downward cascading effect to the individual's ethical and moral values. Obviously the initial resulting mental effects of becoming evil are quite negative (unless you are a psychopath...)  as expressed by Macbeth, who was subject to paranoia, denial, kill-your-bestfriend syndrome, and proceed-to-decimate-an-entire-family disease. Now I am being comical with reference to Macbeth, however, in the real world, evil people one sees in mugshots, on tv screens, and in everyday life, could have very well been a good person prior to making their transition for their own case specific reason. It is important to resist evil temptations because you could be one act away from turning to an evil life. (that part kinda sounded a little religious, no offense to anyone, <3 u guys)

#IBlooking @contemporaryArt

In late October, the IB class was given an opportunity to adventure to downtown Raleigh and explore the Contemporary Art Museum. This field trip originated in English, yet aligned perfectly with the Theory of Knowledge art unit. Upon reading the Curator's Statement, I was both intrigued and somewhat confused on what I should expect. However after viewing the pieces, some of which I felt frustrated with, I began to understand their underlying meanings, and their true beauty blossomed in front of my eyes.


Visual Analysis
           One particular piece caught my attention almost immediately. As one walks in, they turn and see a huge display of many glass bells hanging from the ceiling. Without even knowing the story behind the piece, the first thought was "wow..."

In a very, very, extremely, crude and rough representation, I present the "Temple of One Thousand Bells"

vs.

Title: Temple of One Thousand Bells

Artist: Laura Belem

Date: 2010

Medium: 1000 glass bells, which are attached by string to the platform above, with a recorded story told over speakers which tells of the origin and inspiration for this piece.

Size: approximately 14 feet long, and 8 feet wide

Stylistic Period/Culture/Context

The "Temple of One Thousand Bells" is an old sailors tale that originates from Latin America. The actual art piece was created by Laura Belem and the actual year which the piece was completed was 2010. However each glass bell was created by a different artist over a period of time.

Subject/Iconography 
Laura Belem creates this representational piece that symbolizes the bells from an Old Sailors folklore that originated from Latin America. The story tells of a long lost island that held a temple with bells that when struck by wind would release a melody with unmatched beauty. However this island sank to the depths of the ocean, and the sounds were lost, or so people thought. Some said that if one were to listen hard enough, they could still here the bells sweet melody. A sailor had set out to attempt to listen to these bells. Upon his first attempts, he was met only with the sounds of the ocean, followed by the song of a mermaid, which entranced him. He barely escaped. Frustrated with his inability to hear the bells, he made a final effort. He surrendered himself to the sounds of the ocean, and listened effortlessly to whatever came to him. As he was becoming absorbed into the sounds surrounding him, he began to hear the melody of the bells.

Style/Technique
Laura Belem uses simple techniques that create a sophisticated beautiful piece. The entire color scheme consisted of either white, or clear (disregarding the black speakers) and allowed for the refraction of light to create an almost mystical type of setting as one sat in silence looking at the swaying bells. The piece was not organized in anyway. The different lengths of string and different sizes/shapes of bells added to this disorganization, yet beauty emerged regardless. An interesting feature to the bells was the fact that not a single one contained the actual hammer needed to strike the bell and create noise.

Significance/Function/Purpose
The purpose of Laura Belem's piece is to capture the beauty and mystery of an old sailors tale from Latin America. The story also reveals an interpretive lesson that shows the idea that one cannot expect great things so readily, but through determination and a humbled attitude, great things can be attainable. The function of the piece is to readily inform and introduce a larger audience the style and significance of Latin American stories and art.

Thank you for this opportunity!!!!

iPhones....Bigger and Bigger = Better?

The new iPhone is out, and it is bigger, better, and badder than all other phones on the market...but hold up, it only has a few minor tweaks to boost performance. The major difference it the screen size. It has been almost drilled into our heads in todays modern society that "more is better." There are numerous examples that a multitude of companies use to express this message, but I am going to pick on Apple because they are just so popular.

At first glance one can obviously see the phrase "Bigger than Bigger." Hinting to the idea that the new iPhone is revolutionary to the models past. "It is bigger and therefore better", is the general idea from this text.

Now with a connotative examination of the visual text, underlying messages break through. Apple relies on the gluttony and envy to advertise and ultimately sell their products (this is an opinion obviously). For a hypothetical example, If John Doe has a new iPhone 6, but Jim Bob has the lousy, old, outdated iPhone 5s, he is going to be feeling quite jealous. Again the message "Bigger is Better" plays into the idea that gluttony is a major idea present in this text. To reiterate the earlier idea, this message has been psychologically implanted into today's mind's that "more" is the way to go. Gluttony is defined as "habitual greed," implying that this greed is a habit, or something that is being done constantly. When people continuously want more and more iPhone, Apple provides, but as soon as Apple provides insight to the new, shiny, "revolutionary" (for the millionth time), people automatically drop what they are doing and want want want.

This text is aimed at any current iPhone user, and to be even more broad, and smartphone user. It is a generalized text that doesn't target a specific sex, however given the prices of the phone (which are curiously not provided on this text), the new iPhone is aimed towards the middle to upper classes, or those who are willing to starve their families for a month just to hold a glorified iPod. (Kidding) Obviously our society puts emphasis on the idea the amount of money something costs makes it better (my dad yells at me about this a lot). But it is a direct result of gluttony that leads to envy, or vis versa. The seven deadly sins are everywhere, and everyone is guilty of them whether they realize it or not...

freebie for me

A freebie is what I request for the Sunday past, (B-day 10/19)
I am sorry this is late, for the week went by fast.

The name game: Trey vs. George?

*FIRST PLEASE WATCH THE AMAZING VIDEO BY VSAUCE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7THJoRYA2c (It is SOOOO worth it)*

Your mind is blown, I know.

The story of my name Trey is a funny one. Shortly after my birth, my parents friends came to visit. They asked, since my name was George William Sterling III, "how about you nickname him Trey?" Trey is a latin based word meaning "The third," thus it seemed as an obvious nickname. My father immediately loved it, and from that day I was to be called Trey.

Throughout my life I've referred to myself as Trey. It has been how I introduced myself, and what people have always called me (disregarding the first days of school and the attendance list). Now, recently, as I inch closer to the age of 18, I've been using George at an increasing rate, to fill out college applications, for signatures, etc. I do get a few laughs when I tell people my full name, because when they hear it, they think of royalty or some important name in history. Now I take no offense to the jokes (besides “George of the jungle.” I will go apes*** on you, pun intended) but my name has more meaning than just  a hearth for jokes. My grandfather is George W.  Sterling Sr., followed by my father George. W. Sterling Jr. I am the Third in this line.

But, if my father, grandfather and I have had the same name, how can I talk about the meaning of my name as it defines me as an individual? Well this is why is like using “Trey.” I find it is how I take my own individual twist on my name. It defines me as being the third, yes, but also the honor of being next in the line to name my son (Lord willing) George W. Sterling IV.  “Trey” is what I consider my “name of innocence.” It is what I am called as a kid, but will eventually fade away as I gain years and mature, almost as a kind of death of innocence. I chose not to research the origin of George (I am pretty its from Roman time period), because I would rather take what I know from experience, and from stories to derive my own meaning.

George (n. Name) : A name often associated with royalty (I’m not complaining), however when combined with the last name Sterling, a new meaning takes place for me. A Hard worker, and maybe slightly shady (my grandfather was an entrepreneur/ business man who built from the ground up, and was also part of some tax evasion schemes…but he was still a respectable man), one willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for his family and country, selfless (my father is an active duty officer in the US Army), and _____.

This blank is for me to add as I mature and literally “make a name for myself.” Each previous George added something special to the name, and I am still in the process of discovering what I will add. Names are special, and carry meanings beyond just a way to identify someone. So take pride in your name, it is truly special.

I guess you can say I have two "identities." There is "Trey" and there is "George." Trey is a happy, usually friendly person. But when there are times to be serious, most refer to George. Formal introductions? George. Talking to the former director of the FBI's son? Definitely George. Hanging out with friends? Trey. Playing sports? Trey. You get the general idea. It depends on the situation, which is something that makes me unique, rather than someone with one name for all situations. It gives those serious situations more emphasis and meaning. Don't get me wrong, I love my friends, and the "Trey" part about me. But "George" is my future, and I am excited to find out what that future holds. 

Huie Post

We are the Other - Eric & Mike with Cup Foods Employees and Customers, Minneapolis, Minnesota (2012)


At a glance, it seems like a regular corner store with regular customers. There are different people of different races present in the store. The signs read "Please" and “I used to feel intimidated by the people hanging out in front of the store but after spending some time here I feel comfortable.” Upon a deeper review of the picture, it is clear that there was some discomfort and tension between the individuals. In fact Huie actually says, "Mike (“Please”) is the second youngest of four brothers who own Cup Foods. Eric is the second oldest of four brothers. They had not met before the taking of this photo." I am assuming they had seen each other, but had not formally met. Now, after they had met, Eric is obviously more comfortable around these people. His discomfort and intimidation was probably due to the outward appearance Mike and others have. Whether it be race based or just a natural reaction to physically larger people (Eric is not the largest person in the world.)






What was the drive behind Eric's intimidation? Eric had never met or talked to these people before, yet he manifested a reason why he should be scared. In todays American society, stereotypes run rampant. People are classified, or "othered" based on beliefs, appearance, actions, etc. Eric probably assumed the worst. They're black and aggressive and scary, he probably thought. It's not entirely his fault, society can be held responsible for some of the blame.






In Gilead, women are the people who are "othered." They are classified by society based on their previous lives and actions. For example, there are distinct differences between handmaids and marthas. Handmaids, although they hold a respectable position, were placed in this role as a from of punishment for being against the feminist revolution, being lesbian, or other reasons. Marthas were chosen to be maids and house carers. They are physically differentiated by colors of the clothes they wear. Handmaids wear read, Marthas wear green. They are even treated differently.






In Eric's situation, he had the ability to overcome the wall of stereotypes that separated him and Mike. But how could the society of Gilead overcome the classification of other people? Are Marthas and Handmaids equal? Could Offred ever consider herself equal to, lets say, a Serena Joy?