Refection (postReflection)

I just got done writing my rough draft for my final reflection yesterday and it got me to thinking about life. I decided to write about some general themes from the class and their implications on our lives. I came to the conclusion that technology is going to be the single greatest thing to happen to our generation and that it will be our generation's responsibility to mold that technology into the most beneficial medium the world has ever known.
I still felt this way as I parted the comforts of my sleeping quarters this morning to venture to the bus stop and eventually my place of employment. I watched my bus go flying by as I approached the stop and realized that I would have to wait a half an hour for the next of its kind--what luck. At that moment a rather attractive young lady, who just happened to be my type, approached the bus stop as well. I truly wanted to strike up a conversation with this girl and, indeed, would have had it not been for one small little detail. Both she and I were both listening to head phones. So we sat side by side for what seemed like an eternity waiting for the same bus. Technology had let me down.
She seemed content to listen to her ipod at the same time i was unwilling to disturb the situation with a simple, "Hello, where you headed?" or "Hi, it's not so cold if you can just stay out of the wind." Technology has officially killed the casual bus stop conversation. Is that the kind of world we really want?

Ode to the Compilation

Candidate for project of the year?

I don't know if I enjoyed this project just because of my love for music or if I...yeah that was pretty much it. It was kind of like assigning an avid sports fan a Sunday afternoon television watching assignment. I am not saying that my project is going to be better than those of my classmates, I am just saying that I likely enjoyed the process more than they did. Maybe because I spent the majority of my Thanksgiving break compiling the anthology.
The most difficult task to achieve was coming up with a theme--not that it was alien to me but that I had so many ideas to chose from. I did not want to simply chose a playlist from my itunes, that would be cheating. Instead, I decided to compile a grouping of songs from what I am into right now. I titled it "Toasting Bagels In My Underwear" because I like to play such songs during my morning routine, one that commonly includes the aforementioned task. I wanted to do a themed mix that focused a collection of songs on a single word or idea but doing so would have excluded many songs that I wanted to share. It would have also lacked proper transitions and flow. Mixing like writing is difficult because, no matter how much time you put into it, it can always be improved upon. I am going to regret, after I turn it in, that I did not include certain tracks or transition something a certain way. An essay or research paper is just a string of "tracks" that need to be tweeked on the ends to flow into the next idea or song.
This project was truly an enjoyable one and I look forward to seeing what my fellow mixers bring to the table.

My Cutup

Taken from the Onion "Thanksgiving Won't Be the Same This Year Without a House"

I still do not know if I understand the idea of write-ups after several attempts at learning both the process and the meaning behind it. I especially do not know how someone could make a living off of it. I feel that it was just a scrambled up mess that was a lot less creative than the original work. I know one thing, I am not a very good cut-up artist.

I suppose I could take the time to materialize a cleaver way to tie stealing a man's heart to stealing a man' s artwork. Instead I think I will just give you this video Enjoy.

Medical Miracle: Man Lives Thanks To Heart Stolen From Dead Man

Spooky's Audiology

I really enjoyed my initial reading of Dj Spooky's Rhythm Science. However difficult it may have been to follow his flow of ideas, it was refreshing to read something that definitely went against the grain. I felt like I could relate with his writing style, although I could never get away with it at this stage of my career. Nonetheless, I enjoyed turning the pages of Rhythm Science both because it was an enjoyable read and because I usually got to turn two at a time. It felt like I was getting twice as much work done as usual. Hopefully the remained of the book generates as much excitement as the first five tracks.
I also found a few things on the Dj during my initial online research of the book. His most recent work is on a new project called The Rebirth of a Nation. Some may be familiar with D. W. Griffith's controversial 1915 work The Birth of a Nation. Paul Miller is attacking the racial tendencies Griffith made in this monumental film. Here is a clip I liked.

Here is the remix I created during class today. I don't remember exactly where the images came from but with the exception of the Tetragrammaton, they are all from students of 201. I don't want to toot my own horn, but I think it is kind of funny.