Sharks And Shiny Sequins

Day 30.

Day Thirty!

DAY THIRTY!!!

This will be my final post for the consumption blog project. My biggest takeaway from this is I don’t think there is much of a future for me in “blogging”. I’m still trying to gain traction on my research paper. I want to find a talking point that I feel passionate about or at least can enjoy writing about. Oh, and I suppose meeting the project requirements are also important.

I also have a paper on Marketing due this Sunday. I believe it is something along the lines of a shopper interview. I don’t know. Haven’t even had time to open the assignment layout. Gotta say, I’m not the biggest fan of Marketing thus far. I’ll throw “Marketer” on the list of career duds right beneath “professional blogger”.

I also have four pictures to take by tomorrow morning. I was hoping to go to the Marjorie McNeally Conservatory after class to take some photos, but I forgot they close at 4pm in the winter. I need to form a backup plan, posthaste. And the assignment is color-based. 

And it is SOOOOO colorful outside right now. No joke. It is FULL of color!

And that color is white.

Anyway, I gotta sign out now. I’ve got one last collection blog to write before I peace out. I wish you all well. 

Bernie announced his intentions of running yesterday. I went to his donation website https://secure.actblue.com/donate/bern-site?refcode=splash-top-right and gave to his campaign to show my support.

I made my final splurchase today. I went appropriately enough with The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. He speaks for the trees! 

I believe I have found a topic for my paper. And the topic is... (drumroll) ... paper. 

Yup. 

After all that contemplation. 

Question: If we reach a fully digital world will students still write “papers”? My mom still uses “taping” when recording video on her phone or camera. The international save icon is an image of a floppy disc. I suppose there are still some hold-overs.

Today I bought a stock in my local co-op. I was making observations at a retail for a Marketing paper. I decided I shopped there enough to benefit from ownership in the market. 

I also purchased deodorant, blackberries, frozen waffles, organic mac-n-cheese, yogurt, black licorice, kombucha, bread, gluten-free pasta, seitan bacon, almond cheese, kumquats, ramen noodles and Earth cookies.

Collection Pt 3

In observation of Valentine’s Day, I’ve decided to share my collection of favorite excerpts of James Joyce’s love letters to Nora Barnacle. My girlfriend and I were discussing these letters on Valentine’s Day and reading through a handful of them. Now if you have not read any of the correspondents between the two, and you have a strong curiosity and equally strong stomach, feel free to look up some of these letters. But be prepared to feel the urge to take a shower immediately after. James Joyce was an incredibly nuanced, prolific, and eloquent writer so reading his personal letters opens incredible insight into his inner wants and desires, which he describes in the detail and manner of a literary master.

I am still running ideas through my mind for my RP3 paper. Thinking so far the best idea will be to go with the book idea. Seems that will probably align more correctly with the rubric for the assignment. I can even look into general paper consumption. I’m sure there is staggering data out there on the subject. And it might be interesting to see if the digitization of the world has had any impact on our paper consumption. I am usually very conscious of my own consumption, but I very much still enjoy a physical book over e-books. No batteries. You can read outside. The tactile feel and smell of a book. I also find visual pleasure in watching my bookmark slowly making its way from cover to cover as I progress through the book and the thinning grip between your right thumb and forefinger as you reach the end of a book.

With so few days left I’m really trying to string together some consistency and context to my splurchase paper and blog. I’ve tooled with ideas. I’d like to write about the value of art in the marketplace, both historic and modern. This would be a difficult tie-in with my consumption blog, but would link to my splurchase. But it would be difficult come time to write about the “redesign” of my purchase. It has no packaging, and is essentially sold solely because of its current fantastic design.

Another idea I had was to revisit my splurchase and buy some Ibuprofen (I hurt my back while shoveling snow). It got me thinking about modern first world advancements in medicine and technology. This got me thinking whether advances would be as rapid in a philanthropic-socialist system versus a capitalist democracy. This however raises questions on its connection with my blog. And it also doesn’t solve the issue of the redesign aspect.

Happy Valentine’s Day! My electronic devices were plugged in all night consuming electricity. I dressed for class, in clothing that was created using cotton, leather, denim, metal, wool, and rubber. My girlfriend drove me to school, consuming gasoline. I finished my first series of screen prints in my first class that morning, consuming both time, ink, photosensitive emulsion, tape, water, and paper. All the while I was listening to a new podcast on my Kindle called Mission To Zyxx and consumed four episodes of said podcast. After class, I made my way to a student center, where I heated up a tofu rice bowl, created using tofu, rice, scallions, garlic, carrots, cucumbers, and chili oil, that I brought from home. I used a napkin and fork which was created using plastic and paper. I purchased an iced tea from a vending machine in a bottle made of plastic. I was quite tired after my meal and consumed an episode of Silicon Valley on my Kindle before consuming roughly 90 minutes of sleep seated in an armchair. I awoke with forty minutes before my next class and decided I needed some sugar to help me wake up. I bought a Snickers bar from the vending machine. The candy was made with sugar, chocolate, peanuts, caramel, and countless unpronounceable chemicals. I attended my last class of the day and awaited my girlfriend to come get me in my car, and we drove back home, consuming more gasoline. I got dressed in my work clothes, also made of cotton, denim, leather, wool, and rubber.

I normally have the morning off of school on Wednesdays. But today I had signed up for a number of mandatory product research sessions that the Marketing program at Carlson School of Management requires its students to take part in. I’m slightly skiddish about the morals and ethics that go into mandating a bunch of students to participate in corporate research. I see little value in education in being a lab rat in these surveys. 

Anyway, I took the train to the Carlson school of business where I was instructed to meet on the fourth floor and check in at the reception desk. I got there about fifteen minutes early, but I was having a hard time accessing the fourth floor. I managed to find two elevator banks that required card access. No dice there. I found a nearby stairwell that leads up to the fourth floor, but I was met by a door with yet another card reader. Back down the stairs and out to the main lobby I found yet another set of stairs, but I only had three minutes before  I was late. Luckily, there was a reception desk on the fourth floor of this stairwell. Unfortunately, the only one manning the desk at the time was a sign saying that the security was on break and planning on returning shortly. I waited fifteen minutes for the guard to return. I was definitely late by now. I told the guard that I was here for a RUS survey. He informed me an e-mail had gone out earlier that morning stating the survey had been moved to an online session. I checked my e-mail, and sure enough.

So I sat around for another hour to take another survey I had scheduled before returning home in time to drop my girlfriend at work, return home, change and go into work.

It was ridiculously busy tonight. Must have been a number of folks trying to beat the Valentine’s Day crowd. Well, we ended up filling up the bar and restaurant with only three employees manning the entire front of house. 

I’m on campus today from 8am to 4:15pm. I then need to make a break for home where I feed the dogs, let them outside, change for work, and make it in so I can punch in by 5:00pm. Artemis wanted the car today as hers is still not running consistently since the polar vortex. I’ve got it to fire up a few times, but I’m beginning to suspect it’s an issue with the starter. I’ll need to investigate once I get more time.

I finished reading Berlin: City Of Stone. I picked up a new graphic novel. It is called Powers: Who Killed Retro Girl? by Brian Michael Bendis. Have not read this one before, but I’m familiar with the writer. He actually was the creator of Miles Morales, an alternative universe, half-black, half-hispanic teenage Spider-man, featured as the protagonist in the new movie, Spider-man: Into The Spider-verse. A great movie, highly recommended for those that haven’t seen it yet.

Side note/fun fact: Unlike most heroes (e.g. Batman, Superman, etc.) Spider-man’s name is spelled correctly with a hyphen. It really peeved Stan Lee off seeing it done otherwise. R.I.P. Stan Lee.

Woke up this morning and split a pot of coffee with my girlfriend before taking her to work. I returned home I spent a good part of the day catching up on schoolwork. I read through a number of chapters for Marketing while tending to a few loads of laundry. I took a break for a while from reading to... uh.... do some reading. But of the recreational variety. I read some more of The Name Of The Rose. I finished Starve. By this time I went to go pick up Artemis from work. She picked me up an Impossible Burger with french fries before checking out, which I ate very quickly upon returning home. We sat around for awhile watching Silicon Valley. I’ve been looking for new shows to watch/half-watch. I’ve been searching for a very specific show that is intriguing to listen to, not that important to watch, and one that I can tune out entirely for ten minutes and not be absolutely lost in the plot. This is mostly so I can study, draw, or work while watching. Also my girlfriend has to like it.

I made my “splurchase” just now. I decided on purchasing a screen print from local artist and DJ Booka B. He has numerous works featured predominately in my place of work, and I have spent many nights closing up the bar contemplating purchasing one of his pieces.

I am currently taking a course that heavily features screen printing, and although Booka B has many hand painted works, I’ve become more intrigued by his screen prints and the process which goes into them.  

My appreciation of handcrafted graphic art has increased over the years and I currently own several letter press prints from Hatch Show Print out of Nashville, but this is my first screen print acquisition.

I feel good about this purchase, not only because I’m obtaining something I have sought after, but also because I really relish and enjoy supporting local artists whenever possible. This particular artist even lives in the same neighborhood as I, so it feels “extra” local.

I actually went a little overboard and purchased three prints. I couldn’t help myself. I bought two smaller prints at $10 a piece, and the one shown here for $30. Even though it is the furthest from the $2 splurchase goal, I decided to include this one because it is my favorite of the bunch.

The work measures 18″ x 24″ and is a two color print on 100# French Paper. I purchased it online at www.bookab.net, and do not have the physical copy as of yet. I am awaiting instructions for pick-up, where I most certainly will make a run and grab frames for the prints shortly after. I can’t wait.

The snow is really starting to come down. The drive to class today was a bit of a white-knuckler. Made it to my first class where we began our screen printing process.