What is "FRAGRANCE"?

After I watched the video Jess posted called "Story of Stuff," it made me think about all of the toxins that I might encounter everyday from the products I use, and not even realize it. So I went to this website to find out: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php?nothanks=1

The first thing I saw was the video on the main page about the things manufacturers put in the products we use on our bodies everyday (shampoo, lotion, cosmetics, etc). I found it shocking that they don't have to test their own products! After watching this, I wanted to know what was in the stuff I use each day, so I typed Dove soap into the search box and was amazed that it could cause neurotoxicity due to the untested "fragrance" it contains. What is in the stuff you use on your body each day?

Can you believe the FDA doesn't regulate this stuff ?!?

You can also click on this link to see the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN5IiaOaIt8

Amy

p.s. on a totally unrelated topic, I also stumbled across this video that provided a good laugh :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbmovjSI7I0

Campaign for Real Beauty

http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com

As a young woman, I have to say that I love this campaign and the idea of 'widening the idea of beauty'. I am overwhelmed by images in magazines and in the media of women who carry this idea of beauty around but neglect to expose the dishonesty and betrayal done to their bodies so they look that way. As an educator who works very closely with young people, I deal with and witness self-esteem issues all the time. I feel sorry for kids growing up in these times. I see how many struggle with their self-image in a time they already struggle with so many other things, including figuring out who they. This campaign is inspiring and the mini-films are beautifully done. Please take the time to check out the site and view the films.

http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/dsef07/t5.aspx?id=7373&filmno=0

The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam

I’m currently working towards creating a graphic novel about the multiracial experience and often look to various sources of inspiration and ideas. The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam (2007) is a graphic novel written by Ann Marie Fleming, a multiracial artist and filmmaker about her great grandfather, Long Tack Sam, a world renowned magician.

Although the novel focuses on Long Tack Sam,, the novel also uses Sam’s magician identity as a metaphor to represent the experiences of her cross-national, multicultural and multiracial family. Due to many wars, and international political events, racial segregation and discrimination her family had to often “escape”, “disguise” themselves. I identified with the way she explains how being part of two racial categories you are often like a chameleon, magically perceived one race in one context and another race in another context, and all the different complexities that come with this. She is also able to together conflicting stories told by different people into a collective whole to make sense of who she is.

Anne Marie Fleming originally created this story as a film, and you can see short clips of it here: http://www.longtacksam.com/

Here’s an interview with Ann Marie Fleming, the author: ttp://www.smithmag.net/memoirville/2007/10/05/interview-ann-marie-fleming-the-magical-life-of-long-tack-sam-author-artist-and-filmmaker/

Here’s a review of the graphic novel on the Asian American Comics website:
http://www.asianamericancomics.com/comics/magical-life-of-long-tack-sam/

I find it fascinating to see the increase in positive representations of Asian or Asian-American heroes and heroines in American popular culture. Anne Marie Fleming even touches on this issue in her graphic novel when she talks about how Long Tack Sam refused to let his daughters act in Hollywood films because they would only represent Chinese people as “bandits, opium smokers, asexual murderers and all around bad guys” (Fleming, 2007, 112). She even questions at the end of her novel, why it is that Long Tack Sam has been forgotten even though he did achieve as much popularity as Houdini during his time.

Diem Dangers 

Rosebud...

A quick blog about one of my favorite films of all time--Citizen Kane. Actually, I just finished watching it on this snow-filled Saturday night with two friends who happened to have rented it on Netflix. I acknowledge that many of you may have already seen this film, but if you haven't, it's an extraordinary film that contested the work of the then-famous and powerful Hollywood mogul William Randolph Hearst.

The first time I saw the film was while I was an undergraduate--it was part of an undergraduate course in leadership that I was enrolled in. The film is extremely personally meaningful, if for no other reason that I hope to never lose the true joys in my own life (my own "Rosebuds") and to be wary of those things (material success, popularity success, financial successes) which seem so alluring but never seem to bring real happiness.

Without giving the plot away, Citizen Kane is a film where the main character, Charles Foster Kane, is a media mogul who boasts that "People will think what I tell them to think!" and "You provide the prose poems, I'll provide the war!" His newspaper, The New York Inquirer, begins with ideal aspirations, but as time moves on, it becomes a platform for Kane's own grandstanding and pursuit of greatness--indeed, he works less and less to report the news and more and more to tell his audiences what the news is--or what he thinks they should think. Ultimately, Kane's life is enveloped by loneliness as his own possessions fail to provide happiness and his friends can no longer be won over with cheap charisma or money.



The film itself is a loosely based criticism of the real-life media mogul William Randolph Hearst, who had a reputation for manipulating people in order to create news. He himself went to no end to try and have the movie blocked and the negatives destroyed, as its portrayal of him angered him. As for a study on power, image, the understandings we get through the media and the motives of those behind the media, it's a very impressive piece.

I do not want to say too much more, but if you're reading this and you have not seen the film, it is a must-see. See http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033467/

John Edwin Silvia

Story of Stuff

This is a great visual/audio narrative about america's consumption. Its accessible, true and could be used as a powerful educational tool in the classroom, the community, the family, etc. View and pass it on... click on the ? Jess

Cloud Appreciation Society

This photo was selected from the photo gallery on the Cloud Apreciation Society website. It was taken by Andrew Kirk in Bishop Calafornia and was titled "Old Glory". I chose this photo for two reasons. One was to exhibit this organization who's emphasis I think is really exciting-clouds. The other reason is that I believe this image is a good reminder that amoung all of the class discussions on minority groups and gender preferences in media, we are all still "united".

Lisa G.

http://www.cloudappreciationsociety.org/

Total Eclipse of the....

Something incredible happened this week. As we were going about our business, taking classes, studying for school, eating french fries, etc., a Lunar Eclipse occurred, and on a crisp, winter night, was clearly visible on Wednesday, the 20th of February.

I found this photo by John Tlumacki of the Boston Globe on Boston.com and I was in awe of his multiple-exposure photograph. The picture, taken over the Scituate Lighthouse, captures the moon as shown in 10-minute intervals, beginning at 8:45 p.m. (left) to 9:35 p.m., when it was almost in its totality.

There are pictures on the site showing the Eclipse as seen in several locations around the U.S., as well as Jerusalem and beyond. Seeing our galaxy in all its glory through pictures will take you on a journey of amazement. Do you remember what the difference is between a Lunar Eclipse and a Solar Eclipse? When will we see this happen again? (Not until December 10, 2010) And how can scientists predict that accurately? Just awesome! Check it out.

-Carrie P.

Cognition and Artists

And now for one of my favorite science blogs: Cognitive Daily
by Greta and Dave Munger. Greta is a psychologist, and Dave is a writer.
http://www.scienceblogs.com/cognitive daily/

How are artists trained to see? can you tell which picture was looked at by an artist below?


Check out these other articles on art and cogition at http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/research/art/

-sam smiley :-)

Top Drawer Gallery/Dead Cat Gallery Night

This image is a painting by one of the artists whose work is shown at Top Shelf Gallery in East Providence, RI. My friends and I attended an opening at the gallery on Saturday Feb 16. Top Shelf is a non-profit that works with people with disabilities and the arts. Interested in outsider artists and the art of my students whom have numerous developmental delays I attended the show. My friend was also doing a documentary on the artist whose work was being shown for public awareness and to advertise for the gallery's funding. After this event I went to another gallery, The Dead Cat located in Providence we attended the gallery because there was a call for extras for a bar scene. The artist who was using the space used free drinks as an incentive on the flyer. What was interesting and yet not surprising is that no one was ever told what the scene was about, it was not on the flyer. As we stood there my friend asked someone what the scene was about and they described it as a rape scene with a man walking a woman who was on heroine from the bathroom through the bar and into the backroom/bedroom. It sounded like a rape scene, we left offended. It was a night of pure contrast! To think that we were in the background of a documentary earlier that night that was for "the cause" then could of been shot in the background of a scene that was violent. I have yet to find out what the film was about that night at the deadcat but asking around.
www.topdrawerartcenter.org
jess

The Wind in My Life

We have a guest blogger who has created the video below. Her name is Fatma Lelshobokshy
She is currently in Lesley's Intercultural Relations program, and working on a certificate of leadership in digital storytelling from University of Colorado in Denver.
http://www.storycenter.org/certificate.html

This digital story was an element of a healing process for her. She used Final Cut Pro to edit it. To do this type of story, she says you do not need any advanced skills in either computer or film making. However, making the digital story does advance those skills in video, and technology.

Unity Through Diversity

Click here to see the horses eye:

http://www.muralmosaic.com/Cochrane/panels%20html/082.html

Two Vancouver artists, Lewis Lavoie and Phillip Alain create murals, but they are not typical murals, they are called Mural Mosaics.  Each mural is made up of small square panels that are all contributed by different artists, in some cases up to 270 artists, who bring with them their own styles and unique backgrounds.  "...That's sort of the goal here is to get as many diverse artists and diverse styles but yet still be able to show unity in it." -Lavoie

  

I think that murals are a great way to bring people together, support communities and pay tribute to special events. Even more powerful when a mural is a mosaic made up of pieces that reflect diversity, yet is able to create one final piece that unites them all.  So far these two artists are working on many more Mural Mosaics but one of the biggest will be for the 2010 Olympics. 

Jordan Byrne

Mural Mosiac Website

The Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up"

The following music video is a favorite of mine due to how the provocative and unsettling images throughout the video challenge the viewer's notion of gender, while challenging the listener's perception of the song itself. When the single was first released feminists and censors were horrified by the title "Smack My Bitch Up". Of course, these strong words had the public assuming that British band The Prodigy was promoting violence toward women. However, when the music video was aired on MTV (in the days when MTV actually did that) its story gave the song a different meaning all together. As we follow the lead character's life through their own eyes we experience the mayhem of sex, drugs, and violence, instigated by this faceless "monster". All the while, we believe the person is male, and it is not until the last second of the video that we are shocked to find out who this person really is.



Deb Eskie

AnnMarie O'Dowd

An artist up and coming...

I was having lunch at Flash's (312 Stuart Street, Boston, MA) Saturday. I was happily entertained while eating with AnnMarie O'Dowd's mini gallery being displayed at the restaurant. I love the colors and images that O'Dowd has painted. It is so calming in a heavily rushed society.

For more of her painting and information about her galleries:
http://amopainting.com/

Phi Nguyen

Soul Man

I know I posted already but I was on cnn.com and I always check out the political cartoons. I thought this one was funny and I wanted to share it. The image is full of detail, the afro, the clock which is something worn by rapper Flavor Flav from Public Enemy and the colors, red, green and yellow which are colors that represent Africa. I find it interesting becasue I remember when Bill Clinton was in office and often you would hear African Americans say "he is really black"; which was often spoken as a result of his actions in office for minorties and under-represented populations in the US.

It is by Bill Mitchell and can be found at www.cnn.com/politics

Melissa Ratliff

Wii-Hab

I have played many video games in the past but on Christmas I experienced the Wii for the first time.I was intrigued by it and found myself tired after playing for a few hours. A few days ago I was in the car listening to the radio and heard the term Wii-Habilitaion. I laughed but then realized that the commentator was speaking about using Nintendo's Wii as a tool in the physical therapy field. When I got home, I researched it on the web and found that physical therapists across the country in hospitals, nursing homes and other clinics are using the Wii with patients to build up strength and coordination. Its fun and entertaining but it is also acting in another capacity as a form of therapy which must be a relief for patients because some physical therpy excerises are not only painful but repetitive and bland such as the bean bag toss. For the first time video games have a new function other than just entertainment.

*Melissa Ratliff*

more on this story: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/

Canstruction

“A Cup of Hope” by RJC Architects


Canstruction is a competition/charity where design teams of architects, engineers, graphic designers, and students compete to build sculptures entirely out of cans of food. Each structure stands 8’x 10’x 10’ and conceptually addresses metaphors that come to mind when dealing with issues of hunger. The sculptures are displayed in hopes of raising public awareness, judged, disassembled, and distributed. So far 10 million pounds of food has been donated and disbursed to food banks, soup kitchens and local charities. It’s a great organization that delivers a powerful message in a creative way. These competitions are held in a number of states across the country, including Massachusetts.

http://www.canstruction.org/


-Christina Delaney