Art Redefining Tokyo

Talk about some unconventional street art! There is this area in Tokyo that is known to have an uncontrollable rat infestation. This group of artists known as "Chim Pom" caught some, took them to a taxidermist, and made them into little Pikachus!!! Ha, imagine passing this while you walk down the street? They even got the lightning bolt tail!
I think this is such a cool example of how art can kind of turn a negative into something productive and positive. Just so cool.

This is from the series of videos called Tokyo Rising, where Pharrell (yeah, the rapper/producer one) gets to frolic around Japan in his Palladium boots doing a sort of documentary about the aftermath of the 3/11 earthquake and tsunami that killed 20,000 people.
(Okay no frolicking, I'm just a little put-off with the majorly blatant Palladium brand placement in these videos. But hey they are contributing to the cause so I really shouldn't be so uptight about this minor detail. And I'm actually in love with Pharrell and his kick - ass  boots).
Anyway I think it is so interesting how art and culture are being revolutionized as a result of this devastation.
! People are protesting to the government's dishonesty about safety concerning all the radiation. And apparently protesting in Japanese culture is a novel thing. One interviewees says, "Making your opinions known to the public is scary. It's like standing stark naked in public".
! People are questioning their safety after being rudely awakened from their economic success driven slumber.
! People are embracing their own culture in a new way.
And Ellie, one of the artists in Chim Pom, says something really interesting about how as artists, it is their duty to create something out of all this to show how they view these times. When you look at art through this kind of lens, it becomes so much more understandable the way Anthropologists talk about material culture. Because that is exactly what artists are creating-- material culture. They are making objects that describe a people's perspective, context, and lifestyle. They are communicating to others around the world and to future generations what all of this means to them.

Take a look at all the videos. They are really aesthetically awesome. And really informative and interesting too. I did not know half the info I now know about 3/11. Because like all important international news... American's probably don't know crap about it. :/

Disturbing and Unconventional Study Tips... but they really work.

1 - Bribe -
I have a major problem with procrastination so whenever I think of a large intimidating project that I have to start on or the 40 pages of theoretical rambling I have to get through, it helps to bribe yourself. In other words make the prospect of studying more enticing. For example tell yourself, "Okay I will let myself go to that trendy coffee house and splurge on a frapuccino if I sick around and read my book for at least an hour". Or, "I so don't want to work on this project, but if we start early we'll have enough time to schedule several fun meetings by making them half work and pizza party!" Be warned though, If you have no self control this might not be the method for you.
2 - Blackmail -
This method is a little depressing, but could work for you if you are the type of person that is able to handle this kind of punishment. So you get home from school from a long day. You have a major assignment that you are probably going to be up late working on. But you are starving. So you telll yourself, "I won't allow myself to eat anything until I write one page of this paper!"
3 - Be Odd -
A great way to motivate yourself is by coming up with a hilarious or creative spin on your project. In my high school English class we read "The Secret Life of Bees" and had to do a character profile for one of the characters in the book. So I chose to do mine on the cold racist father T. Ray, in the form of a dating site profile! If was very funny and I used a picture of a deranged looking Nick Nolte. However it was still very informative, since people want to put as much information about themselves as they can in a dating profile. I had to really analyze the book for little tid-bits and clues that gave away information about his character. Anyway, this was a really fun project that I enjoyed working on because I thoroughly enjoyed what I was creating. This worked because I love comedy, but this method can work if you simply incorporate something you love! For example, use that Lauryn Hill song you love in your poem analysis assignment.
4 - Be Coy -
A weird method that works for me is being noncommital. For example if I am just sitting around my house bored or waiting for my soap opera to come on, I'll tell myself "Okay since I am not doing anything useful right now, I'm going to pull out this book I have to read by next week and just read like three pages. Then I'll put it down and watch my show when it comes on." Chances are that that tiny start will be worth it, because your interest will be piqued and later you will pick up that book with genuine interest. Learning is fun, usually it is just the THOUGHT of a project that you dread.
5 - Learn... Like a Boss -
Studies have shown that when you have to explain a concept or project to someone else, this helps you understand the concept better yourself and it will be committed to memory for a longer time. So strap on your tie and comb-over toupe like the saucy CEO you are underneath, and perform a mini presentation of what you are learning or have to memorize. Younger sibblings/relatives, pets that can't run away, and house plants are perfect for this because they are usually happy to have the attention (especially house plants :( because no one ever pays attention to them).

I hope some of these tips are helpful And I hope that, if you never knew it before, learning can be fun! Usually it is all about the way you approach something that will determine how enjoyable or boring it is.

Welcome Lost Person Who Found my Blog and is Chivilrous Enough to Keep Reading! :)

This is my first blog post!
I have been web-surfer and blog-follower for quite a while now, and have finally decided to become part of the blogging community myself. I am inspired by so many things in this wonderful world, but what good is my awe and fascination if I am keeping these things to myself?! So my mission is to share and discuss some of the things that interest me and hopefully get to interact with like-minded people. Opposite minded people are fine too, I'm not picky.  

Here is a little list (okay okay, it grew into a longish list) of what you'll be finding in my upcoming posts--
- art: featured artists, photography, multimedia art, pop art, comic books, and other art forms
- Integral parts of the  human condition
- Mini ethnographic pieces, so that I can hone my anthropology skills
- Interesting research findings in anthropology, sociology, psychology, communication, and the like
- Random philosophical musings
- Interesting community events, movements, and synergies
- Feminist propoganda
- Vintagey things, like movie/music posters, photographs, and clothes
- Crafts, upcycling, repurposing, refashioning, and other creative activities
- Music: interesting artists, and an anthropological perspective

Wow, okay this is looking like a pretty ambitous list... I kind of just intimidated myself. But now I think you have a pretty good idea of what to expect from me.


P.S. I believe that the "you can't start a sentence with a 'But'" rule is obsolete. And inconvenient. And no fun. And annoying. And that applies to "And" also.