Ode to a Dress

Digital media can more easily capture and share an ordinary object or moment than other forms because it is easy. Anyone can get a camera for cheap and take a picture. A person will be more likely to take pictures of ordinary things if it is easy and cheap. If it wasn’t, more thought and planning would go into a photograph or recording. I think Seinfeld is a good example of observing the ordinary. After all, the show is famous for being “about nothing.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2lfZg-apSA

Ode to a Dress

A perfect dress will have a flattering neckline. There are several acceptable options, but one must make sure that it does not require constant adjustment. This part of the dress needs to always remain in close contact with the chest. The sleeves will not constrict the arms in any way. The dress will hug the ribcage down to a girl’s natural waistline (generally a sash or belt can be found here), where it will fall freely and naturally to just below the knee. If it is any longer a girl’s legs will appear spindly and look as though they are not attached to her body. A dress that is too long might also make you look like a pioneer or a hippie (I mean no offense to the pioneers, but their styles are uncomfortable and unnecessary). The dress cannot be too short, either, because one’s knees would be exposed. Knees are wrinkly, dry, pudgy, shaving-cut-plastered, ugly little things, and one should try her best to keep them covered at all times. The skirt will be full, but not excessively large. The fabric that this dress is made of will be lightweight and made of something soft, like cotton. This will allow free and easy movement. There are many acceptable patterns, but this list does not usually include stripes of any kind.

A perfect dress such as this will provide all the confidence a girl needs (especially when worn with comfortable shoes, a pearl necklace, and lipstick). When wearing a perfect dress, she will feel free, happy, and beautiful. I often wonder why I don’t wear dresses every day. Unfortunately, they exist mainly in the past, closets of very old women, and stores with high prices.

Whatevs and Faces

This videos awesome. Especially as, in reality it's just shots of people, faces, landscapes, etc. These are things we see everyday, all around us, and yet with a little work (french setting, rural beauty) and talent it's absolutely stunning. 
Digital Media serves as an excellent platform for 'observing the ordinary' because it's so powerful. It can easily turn something ordinary, like a face or landscape, into something much much more through video, editing, color, composition (not in the rule of thirds sense), etc. DM makes it so easy also. Film can obviously do these things as well, but DM streamlines the process, opening it to many many more people, providing a voice to the otherwise voiceless. Because of it's accessibility, millions of videos have been created that otherwise wouldn't have, many of which are very ordinary things. Some are glorified (as seen above), some are purely ordinary- kids playing soccer, jumping on the tramp, etc. Even if a seemingly ordinary video doesn't seem influential or cool to a viewer, it will always mean something much more to the maker. Is there really anything ordinary at all? If you step back and look at the process behind the video, or the story, or the setting, or the experience, nothing will ever be ordinary. 


Ode to Solitude & Landscapes & Outdoors
One day last semester I had extra time in my schedule. I could have read a book or studied or eaten food or slept. Instead, I went hiking up to squaw peak with my camera. I hiked alone, taking time to take pictures of a leaf or mushroom or view or stream. What might have been a 3 hour hike ended up being much more like 5 or 6, partially due to my lack of direction and partially due to my photography. The views along the way, were very worth it. By the time I finished I had hiked something like 8 miles and was tired and hungry, but going on this hike has been one of the best experiences I've had here. It was different, it was adventurous, even therapeutic, and I loved it. Do things out of the ordinary. 

Check out these pics

Thoughts from places and an ode to carrots

So I happen to like random things that happen in life and I really enjoy watching other people's boring life even though they might find them boring themselves.  I think that digital media is good to express ordinary things because other people like to know about what happens in other people's lives, as boring as they might seem to ourselves.  Also expressing your life can be easy online or in a video because you can pick and choose what you post or talk about because you have the power to edit.  I think it would be easier to talk about ordinary things because you don't know the people that are reading it and they choose to read it rather than you just boring your life story on someone that doesn't wan to hear it.

A type of video I found about ordinary life were started by the vlogbrothers called thoughts from places which were then adapted by other people.  It's just a video about a day in someone's life.  It's video and a voice over telling the audience about what they are looking at or an interesting insight.

Here is a video by Charlie McDonnell.
http://youtu.be/MDmuLWQggXc

A thoughts from places in South Africa.
http://youtu.be/76D9BBrizPM

And a link to the vlogbrother's playlist with their thoughts from places video.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9EF0C1C9A93295C5&feature=g-user-a

And now my ode:

Carrots. Oh how I love them, their crunchiness, their sweetness, oh just thinking about them makes my mouth water.  To me, there is only one way to eat carrots, and that is raw with the peel still intact.  Cooked carrots, too mushy, carrot juice, too bitter, Boiled just sounds gross.  In soups and stews? Well, they are just too soggy, and really when enjoying cake would you really want carrots in them?  No, the only way to really enjoy carrots is raw.  You may think, well, then all you need to do is drown them in ranch, and then I will eat them all, but no.  You see the thing about carrots is that if you get them grown the right way, and just ripe enough, they are the sweetest things you will ever taste.  The crunch when biting in will release the sweet, carrot juices that will flow into your mouth, and your taste buds will sing.  Really, the only way to get this magnificent taste is through home grown carrots.  Yes, you pull them out of their warm, dirt, home yourself.  That my dear is the only way to get the perfect carrot.  Now these home-grown goodnesses are not always accessible. When that happens you must make do with dressing. My dressing of choice for these orange roots is ranch.   Now when you have this you can only put a dab of ranch, and then if you get too much, sometimes you have to wipe off the excess.  You have to do this or else the taste of the carrots is lost in the sour taste of ranch.  Too much ranch can create the taste that is too much ranch and not enough carrot goodness.

            Now you may ask, well, what about baby carrots.  Well you have to be careful about these mini carrots.  Some are just the middle of the big carrots without the peels and cut down to size.  This is not how carrots should be enjoyed, because the middle of the carrot is the worst part a carrot.  It can be bitter and leave an aftertaste that will last in your mouth for hours.  This is not good eats.  This is bad eats.  No that is why you must be very cautions of baby carrots because sometimes all that it is is worst part of the carrot. 

An Ode to Star Wars

The Dark Side.  What is the Dark Side?  Why can we all identify with it?  For as long as I can remember, Star Wars has been a part of my life.  I remember Hoth being the greatest battle I'd ever witnessed, as I prayed that the Rebels would be able to hold off those Imperial Walkers.  I remember giggling Boba Fett yelp as he plunged into the depths of the Sarlacc.  I remember cowering in fear as the Emperor tortured Luke.  Why do I remember these things?  Because Star Wars transcends any kind of time, class, or race barriers.  It's a story of archetypes, and thus there is some kind of primal connection we all feel with the characters.  Who didn't feel shock and sympathy for Luke when found out Vader was his father?  Who didn't feel triumph as the rebels destroyed the Death Star, saving the planet of Yavin IV from imminent destruction?  Who didn't feel sheer, giddy joy as the Ewoks picked apart the most structured military in the universe?
  Now, I know many would argue that the dated visuals, camp, and prequels have ruined the Star Wars franchise.  Not so.  It is true that the visuals of the original Star Wars have aged a bit over time, but that is part of the inherent charm.  Star Wars is a bit campy too, which is again part of the charm.  It is also true that the prequels lacked a certain feeling found in the original films, but since they complete the mythology, they can be so powerful.
  And Star Wars isn't just an action packed saga, there is a strong sense of moral commitment in the films as well, and it makes uncountable references to ancient legends and mythology.  One cannot help but feel chills as they see the undeniable connection between Emperor Palpatine and Adolph Hitler.
  Star Wars isn't a story.  It's a universe.  I know the names of dozens, if not hundreds, of characters, planets, creatures, weapons, races, and ships.  Star Wars is beautiful.  I love it.  I love it, love it, love it.  It is more than a film.

Why Digital Media Caters to the Ordinary...

  Digital media is the perfect medium for the ordinary.  Why is is this?  Because digital media is often created by the ordinary!  It no loner requires a film studio, a record label, or a publisher to have your work appreciated by millions.  Thanks to the internet, almost anything is possible in the modern world.  Websites like Youtube, Vimeo, and Blogger allow everyday stories to be made public to anyone with internet access.  Since this is the case, Gerald in Scotland can post pictures of his new car, while Melissa in Virginia can post a video of her baby singing, and Christina in Ecuador can comment and share both.  Since such networking is so easy, thanks to the internet, the ordinary is beginning to be glorified in our society.  There are dozens, if not hundreds who have become famous from their home works.
  One such medium that has exploded recently is vlogs or video logs.  Olan Rogers was just an average guy from Memphis, who loved to make funny videos with his friends, Joshua Pursley and Thomas Gore.  They called themselves Balloonshop, and they excelled in absurdist humor Youtube skits.  After the group went their separate ways, all of them decided to work on their own individual videos.  Olan Rogers' career in particular has taken off.  Thanks to Youtube and Facebook, Rogers is a now a renown comedian, actor, and director.  He started most simply with vlogs where he explained his views on certain things in the world.  However, since then Rogers has gathered a massive following, reaching the 5,000 friend cap on Facebook and over 24,000 followers.  He has directed epic series, such as New Prime, which have hundreds of thousands of views.  He even has his own clothing line.  Rogers is also currently on a comedy tour across the United States.  This all started because Rogers decided to make some ordinary videos with his friends.  The ordinary is what Youtube thrives on.

You can check his website here...
http://www.olanrogers.com/olan/

Observing the Ordinary

Digital media has a unique way of involving multiple senses. When we watch a video, we see what’s happening, but we also hear it. Plus, we feel emotion brought on by the music or the story, and we read explanations and comments that add to our understanding. This format has the power to take something seemingly ordinary, and make it new and interesting by focusing on detail and showing different perspectives.

Each individual sees the world through his/her own lens, so to speak. We bring to each photograph, video, or blog post our own experiences, opinions, and beliefs. In this way, the same digital story can have a different effect on everyone who experiences it. Through digital media we can also learn the way others see the world, and appreciate the differences that make us unique. It’s important to realize that the way we perceive things isn’t necessarily the best way or the only way. We should also think about what we see, think, and feel and how we might convey our perspective to others. It may seem plain and ordinary to us, but we might have something special we can add to the worldwide conversation. Digital media allows us to do this easier and more effectively than any other medium.

In this Taylor Swift music video, “Ours,” we see a girl as she survives working in a dreary, bland, stereotypical office. She deals with crowded elevators, fake potted plants, and annoying co-workers. The effect is humorous, because we’ve all been in her place – surrounded by so much industrial/commercial/manmade monotony that we feel the need to escape to somewhere fresh and alive. I like this video because it takes the ordinary and makes you chuckle a bit at just how ridiculous some of the things we put up with are.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux2k07ToaRA

Ode to Youthful Imagination

Being the oldest of five kids, I’ve been lucky enough to watch all my siblings grow from birth. Something I’ve always admired about kids ages about two to ten is their immense ability to imagine and play. When I was younger, I used to be able to imagine right along with them, but now that I’ve grown, I watch in admiration and appreciation. These pictures feature my sister, who is four, in various moments of play. She can turn anything into a fun alternate reality – a beach, a tube, a piece of paper, a leaf – each is a portal to another world that is entirely and beautifully her own.

Homemade Toaster

Thomas Thwaites, of the U.K., last year brought to life the complexity of one of our simplest machines through a very unique DIY project: he had set out to build his own toaster from scratch.

"Now, hold on a minute," you might say. "What's so great about that?" To which I reply: well, when I say "from scratch" I mean, "he went out to mine ore and minerals to build a toaster encased in plastic." Watch the video below, and within about 30 seconds the apparent complexity of such a simple and ubiquitous device in our American culture will become self-evident:

Homemade or do-it-yourself projects have always fascinated me, because every time I see the insides of some previously seemingly simple device (i.e., a toaster), I am undeniably dumbfounded by how little that I know about the things that I use in the world around me, as well as how much we simply rely on the knowledge of those who have gone before us to make our lives mo

I learned to love to cook for this precise reason: everything that is now prepackaged or frozen food (what most of us here have grown up on or at least around), at one time, HAD to have been made in someone's kitchen and tasted almost identical to what you find in a pre

formed meal. Someone once had the idea to make pasta using eggs and flour. To bake bread into a loaf shape and then slice it. And then to eventually toast it. If all of these things once had to be performed by hand, and the product was proven to be of equal or greater value than those we now see today (assuming, of course, that quality control and R&D has done an on-par job of recreating the prototype), then why do we not learn these skills in case they become no longer available? Indeed, are we destined to become as Arthur Dent, who could only make sandwiches to impress future civilizations? I pray that we do

not.re pleasant. I fear that we are akin to the sedentary and hedonistic when we cease to seek out and strive to learn more about the world around us; children have this vision, so why can't we as adults?

Below are some of the things that I have found fascinating in my life re

cently, many of which I have no REAL idea as to how they work beyond a vague Wikipedia-based knowledge and some generic cookbooks....uh, I mean, textbooks...as a guide.

I have no idea how this knows when

my clothes are dry (I think it does, and

it just taunts me with wet clothes):

Breadmakers are pure magic: Clocks remain forever a mystery:

Space pens work by pressurized Nitrogen capsules...but normal pens? Gravity? So simple, yet so complex.