summerrrr!

this is how bored i am...i havent posted anything since november. here is a fun list of things to do to pass the time...or just a list of not so fun things that i've been doing...

1. tv
2. more tv
3. napping
4. re-organizing your room
5. baking cookies
6. mall-ing
7. grocery shopping
8. reading trashy novels
9. addictinggames.com
10. online shopping

yay...it's not like anyone will read this but thats a-ok

CHRISTMAS!

yay! thanksgiving is next week which means christmas is just around the corner! i know that it's not all about the presents but i have no idea what to ask for. the only thing i could come up with was new sweatpants ha. but anyway i was cruising online and how cool is this?

it's called a weekdate planner and you can write reoccurring events in it. i have no idea why i want to ask for such practical things for chrismas, but seriously...how cool is this? and if you feel like buying one (for me) check out their website.

http://www.weekdate.com/

procrastination...

since i no longer do hw...this is what i just came across. it's just really nice to hear something like this, especially right now.

I just want to remind you that life is still moving forward and the sun is still shining down on you. The love you deserve is still out there and the compassion and empathy you are seeking is right there deep inside of you. It’s right here on La Dolce Vita as well.

There are billions of people out there in this world which means the ones who have trampled over your heart and stolen a bit of your faith are not the center of the universe nor should they be the center of yours any longer. Play the lead in your life. Give yourself top billing and walk away from a cast that’s not supporting you properly. All relationships, be they platonic, romantic or familial should fill you up and make you feel safe, loved and respected. You do not owe anyone moments of your life, tears from your eyes or chunks of your self-esteem.

We all know there will be those who will devalue, disregard and disappoint you but as a Dolce, you know (or are learning) that you don’t have to be one of them.

The sweetest part of life is feeling safe, secure and loved when you are alone. Let us remind one another that we have all of the love, support, strength and good direction we need and it lives in our own hearts.

Take care of you because you can.

http://ladolcevita.ivillage.com/love/2007/10/dont_give_up_on_yourself_even.php?dst=rss%7Cls

'tis the season to be jolly

has anyone else noticed all the christmas commercials on tv now? yay! i also just came back from target and everything is decorated for christmas. and the weather is absolutely perrrrfect. cool with beautiful, clear skies. oy i just love fall!

supposedly, the season that you're born in is your favorite season. i think i remember doing a survey for science class in the 6th grade. and i guess it's true because i was born in october and i do love fall.

yay for blogging

i like the fact that i started this blog for a class. but now that i have it (even though i havent used it since the spring) i figured i might as well use it. i'm not quite sure what i'll be posting here so if you have any fun ideas let me know :) not like anyone is reading this anyway...

Last month, a few articles were featured in the Daily Trojan, featuring piracy and 20 letters that the Recording Industry of America sent to USC. These letters were part of RIAA’s new plan to crack down on illegal downloading. 400 letters total were sent to 13 universities around the United States.

These letters offer person who receives it a “discounted rate” to settle or else by sued by the RIAA. However it is unfair the way that the RIAA chose the few students nationwide to send these letters too. People worldwide download music illegally and to pinpoint certain people randomly is unfair. There obviously needs to be a standard.

This program was intended to actually benefit students because the student is able to settle at a discounted rate without a lawsuit being filed. But it could be possible that these letters are merely a way to get students to confess to downloading music illegally. Also, although this is supposed to be a way to stop students from downloading illegally, people will always find a new way to cheat the system and download music.

Enjoy this wonderful anti-piracy rap :)

Ok so i know we went over this in class but for some reason the embedded thing won't work...here's a link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uTqGiZQfvk

Authenticity - The Start of Something New

A fundamental notion of postmodern art is the “idea [that] something completely new is a fallacy (Sturken & Cartwright, 261). The book further questions if it is “possible to make something new in a context of constant remakes, parodies, and references,” alluding to the use of celebrities and other cultural contexts in advertisements, TV shows, movies, and more.

So then we must ask ourselves, is it possible to make something new out of something that already exists? If I use artwork created by another person in a piece of my own, like Sherrie Levine, is mine truly a “work of art” or just a worthless replication of the original? Postmodernism is “not concerned with representing reality but with rethinking the function of art and emphasizing the role of institutional context in producing meaning” (263). In other words, according to postmodernist thought, we should not be concerned with the actual work but the meaning being produced by it.

But what if there was no meaning behind the work? What if I collaged a series of images taken by a photographer (not me) and called it my own? I only chose these pictures for their aesthetic value. Sure, I could make up “meaning” for my collage, but could we really consider this to be a newly created piece? I really have no idea how to answer this…I’m actually asking…