First as Tragedy, Then as Farce by Slavoj Žižek

I saw this video in my literary theory class today and thought it was awesome. This is my first exposure to the thought and theory of Slavoj Žižek, and I like it. I think the animation in this video really helps, too. It's interesting to think that we might need to reexamine our definition and application of charity, as well as consider the consequences of our charitable actions. Consumer charity is something I've been thinking about lately, and Žižek's thoughts have given me even more to think about. Check out the video, if you like.

Pictures at Stonehenge

My good friend Heather Walker got me looking at my Stonehenge pictures again. It turns out that I'm quite fond of many of the pictures I took there. So I thought I'd highlight a few here. I don't think that my thin England journal contains any thoughts about Stonehenge, which I think is a shame. Now, almost a year and a half later, I'm still not sure what I'd say if I were to write about visiting Stonehenge. For now, the pictures are my journal entry, and they are probably better than any words I would have, or will write. If anyone who has visited Stonehenge has a thought or two about their experience, feel free to share it, if you like.

Nature's Raw Power

Not to be confused with the Raw Power of Iggy and the Stooges, this is a raw power that really might destroy you. Here are two shots from National Geographic's photo contest that is going on until November 30. For sheer spectacle, these might be the winners for me, though there are many other shots that are really remarkable.

Ed van der Elsken's Hong Kong

I've been looking at Phaidon's little book of Ed van der Elsken photographs, and this one really caught my attention. A cityscape like this is a bit rare for him, which might be part of why the picture stuck out to me; but I also just think it's a really awesome picture.

This copy of the picture isn't the best, but it's the best I could find. Check out those layers and how he's caught the boats at just the right moment. The haze and infrastructure are really something too. The city looks like something from Fritz Lang's Metropolis, but a lot dirtier. So maybe it's more like a combination of Metropolis and Blade Runner, with a dash of The Fifth Element. Anyway, I really like this picture and felt like sharing.

Gustav Doré is Awesome. Hell is Not.

Gustav Doré's horrific depiction of the Ninth Circle of Hell, from Dante's Inferno, where sinners are frozen in ice.

Because no one wants yet another blog to read

I'm avoiding my Foucault reading. And studying for my Humanities test. But at least I have a playlist of softer Nine Inch Nails tracks groovin away while I putter around in cyberspace. This is college.

If anyone else is looking for a way to burn out on The Internets, then check out this blog. A friend of mine started it and I contribute to it sometimes (generally when I should be doing something responsible). Several other people contribute stuff too, much of it probably much more interesting and useful than the stuff I post. So read their stuff, if you're curious.

Is this a shameless plug? Yes. But it might still be better than reading Foucault.

Aaron Huey on the Oppression of the Lakota Indians

As Thanksgiving approaches, consider this:

Political World

In the wake of another election, I recommend four albums that seem particularly relevant to the occasion:

• The Ghost of Tom Joad - Bruce Springsteen  
• New York - Lou Reed 
• Year Zero - Nine Inch Nails 
• Oh Mercy - Bob Dylan

I think these get at how I'm feeling pretty well. And below you can watch Bob tell us how it is, which is fun. Yahoo! provided the best visual quality version of "Political World", but of course we gotta watch an ad before getting to the video, which actually amuses me. An ad before "Political World". It's not quite as good as when I watched Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story in the Visa Screening Room of the Elgin Theater during the Toronto International Film Festival, but it's getting there. Enjoy the video.

 

Does anyone need yet another politician

"Does anyone need yet another politician, caught with his pants down and money sticking in his hole?" - Lou Reed

Hegemony wins again.

When Students Have Cameras

So, my Basic Media Tools film class is finished, and I'm so relieved, because it took up so much time. But it was fun sometimes and allowed us to do ridiculous projects. Like make a swede of Inception [2010]. Four of us shot the film together, and then each of us had to do our own edit, which is a cool idea if you think about it. Well, I thought I'd highlight Duncan Rawlings' edit of the film, which I quite enjoyed. This is the product of our term labors, which tells you something about who they let into film school these days.

Dear Utah Legislature,

My vote has been cast.