Andy Warhol was a great artist in the 1960’s. A great influence on the “Pop Art movement”, his paintings of Marilyn Monroe were iconic then and are still widely recognizable now. Besides his colorful, bright, and psychedelic works, however, there were the paintings and works of art that he composed that stood out the most; simple pictures of everyday objects. This was a completely new turn on art yet a very new concept to be put forth. As writers write about what interests them, or “what they know”, Warhol put this to work on canvas by painting some of his simplest, yet most effective, unforgettable works of art: the “Campbell’s Soup Cans” collection. As a child, Warhol ate a bowl of soup everyday. The Campbell’s company was already famous and an important, valid part of many American homes, and had been for nearly a century, by the time he decided to produce paintings of various flavors of the company’s soup cans, but the collection shed new light and focus to the soup itself, as well as to the concept of popular culture artwork. It was marveled ar that such a basic idea, with an ordinary design, could provoke such deep and intense feelings amongst people, and could become so widely renowned. A painting of a soup can could be turned into a collection of thirty-two, and set up to look like a grocery store isle, something so often taken for granted, only to still be highly famed and remembered years later, with commemoration contests, exhibits, and memorabilia set up to honor it. When I look at any of the given Campbell’s Soup Can paintings, I feel warm inside. It’s a happy, nice, and thoughtful feeling that provokes memories of childhood and simplicity. I am not alone in my feelings, as I am sure many others feel the same as I do, judging by and explaining the popularity of the collection. It allows people to be happy, to understand, to think, and to feel, all with a basic depiction of an item that they typically would not take the time to think twice about, and it is because of this that the simple portraits truly are a work of art.
So...Final blog post. You know, I've wanted to start one of these things forever and just never got around to it. And I never really used it as much as I meant to. But it is pretty cool. I think I'm actually gonna keep it. It's weird posting papers and stuff on a blog, and it's extra work and effort, but I've really enjoyed posting random thoughts and stuff on here, and getting to know the class. The cool part about this is seeing people "outside" of the classroom, and getting to critique their work. It's nice to see how other people write their papers or think of topics, especially on creative subjects. It allows us to admire what people think, work on, and do. So many classes go by where you don't even know the people who sit next to you, but with these blogs, I feel like I've gotten to know a lot of people and made many new, and nice, acquaintances. And I get to admire them. The best part of it is that I know that people like Colin, Ian, and Tiffany are brilliant, and people like Jordyn and Allison and Raquel are interesting, and other people in our class are talented and really cool. I do honestly hope to have future classes with these people, or to at least keep in touch with most of them. I've seen that blogging allows people to see different sides to others they normally wouldn't expect. The shy person might be really funny and creative, and blogging allows him or her to showcase his/her talents. It's a strange phenomena, but I like it...Kind of (when I have the time for it, though it is pretty cool knowing the world can read what you write).
If I could redo any assignment it probably be the one on Facebook and teachers I did; I would go back and proofread :-P
The poem at the top (which I forgot to post earlier in the semester) is one I wrote myself a few years ago. I figured nothing could be more personal to me than my own feelings, which also relate to those of my friends. While I look back, I don't know what I was thinking at the time, or what about. But it must've meant a lot to me or I wouldn't've written it down. The colors I chose related to the feel of the words, red and bold for anger, softer colors for softer or less important words. The poem is basically about love and hate and emotion, and how sometimes feelings can't be conveyed by words or simple concepts, but are dependent on oxymorons.
I believe that the colors help the emotion show even more, and convey the feelings of the words.
To view the poem, click the picture to make it bigger...
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert Pirsig, is a philosophical book about Quality, life, existentialism, and general thoughts. It's a very deep book, though somewhat hard to read. And of course, it does have a story behind it, of which I won't go into detail in case anyone decides to read it. But anyway, the main story basically discusses a motorcycling trip across the country that the author takes with his son, Chris, and a couple close friends, John and Sylvia. This video is one I made awhile back for a class, and as I was thinking about what kind of a book trailer I could do, I realized the video I already had was a perfect advertisement, and great for getting into the feel of the book. I obviously don't own the rights to any of the pictures or music, but did remix the songs and layout everything myself. All of the pictures are real pictures from the trip, pictures of the same path traveled by other people, pictures of the people involved, pictures of painting, books covers, parts of nature, diners eaten at, etc, that relate to the book and the trip that was taken. There are pictures of the author as he looked then and in recent times, a recent picture of his son Chris, and paintings by a woman they visited along the way (Gennie DeWeese), and many other things that make the book more enjoyable after you've read it, but that could possibly get you into the feel of WANTING to read it. It took me awhile to truly appreciate this work of literature, but when I finally learned to, it was held near and dear to my heart. When making this video, I wanted to try to do justice to the points of the book. Quotes and such don't work for me when it comes to these things, as I believe that the best quotes can come from reading the book itself, and experiencing it for yourself. I picked songs that relate to the topic of insanity that is avid throughout the entire novel, and tried to get the video to make the audience feel as though they are looking at a scrapbook or were part of these trip, or had known these people personally. I hope you enjoy it and that it will lead you into if not reading the book, at least reading ABOUT it and what it discusses.
A websites that can be helpful to research this topic is MOQ.org, which discusses the Metaphysics of Quality and has message boards devoted to figuring out the meaning and understanding behind Pirsig's story, which is now considered to be the greatest philosophy book of modern times. The constant changing of speaker and pattern tend to make the book confusing, and so reading up on it before actually reading it does work wonders into getting through it more easily and swiftly, though it does remove some of the surprise aspect.
They played La Bamba on MyTv 20 today... It was nice to see it... watching movies like That Thing You Do and such always gets me thinking and makes me feel...not so much happy, but whole... and so I thought about this movie intently, especially after realizing the mention that Buddy Holly, one of my favorite musicians, as well as The Big Bopper, died along with Ritchie Valens, and wondered about how the world must have felt that day...another plane crash took place with civilians, so it was kind of overshadowed...but nowadays, we lose one semi-popular musician and are saddened for a long time to be...Imagine losing three... and it made me wonder about Donna, Ritchie's girlfriend..and what happened to her, seeing her slink into her chair while still a high schooler, hearing that the high school sweetheart she would marry (in a time when such things happened), had just died. She is the one that the song "Oh Donna" is written for, just as "Peggy Sue" was a real person as well. They all died so young but their music is still popular and influenced a whole generation... But they left behind these people, who we know somewhat through the influence popular songs, but through personal means...
And I'm rambling...
So, long story short,
I looked it up, and found a video, of the two girlfriends. And I guess it makes clear two popular sayings that need to be experienced to be understood...
A friend posted this as a note on their Facebook, and I remember I used to do stuff like this all the time, kinda using my CD player as a fortune teller, so I thought it would be fun to take...and for anyone else to take if they choose too.
Put your iPod/mp3 player into shuffle. In every question, play a song; a corresponding song in each of the questions which will be the answer. Try and enjoy!
1) How does the world see me?
Naive, by The Kooks-- Coincidentally, I've been called this a lot lately.
2) Will I have a happy life?
Wisdom From Vanity, by Starrfadu-- This is my view on life...idk if it defines happiness more than understanding, however.
3) What do my friends think of me?
I Think We're Alone Now, by Tiffany-- Well, I do prefer a small group of friends to a large group.
4) Do people secretly lust after me?
All I Want is You, by Barry Louis-Polisar-- So, apparently, unbeknownst to me, but yes
5) How can I make myself happy?
Help!, by The Beatles-- Oh yeah, that's not an obvious solution haha
6) What should I do with my life?
Act Naturally, originally by Buck Owen, but performed by The Beatles-- Good advice.
7) Will I ever have children?
Yellow, by Coldplay-- Nice song, don't know what it means in this case. Read my horoscope maybe?
8) What is some good advice for me?
The Wanderer, by Dion & the Belmonts-- Well, journalism is fast paced..
9) How will I be remembered?
Foundations, by Kate Nash-- Really, not sure.
10) What’s my signature dancing song?
Let Me Borrow That Top, by Kelly-- Great.
11) What's my current theme song?
A Well Respected Man, by The Kinks-- Good to hear.
12) What do others think is my current theme song?
She Will Be Loved, by Maroon 5-- That's awesome...
13) What shall they play at my funeral?
Anyone Else But You, by The Moldy Peaches-- Lol. Funny.
Timothy John Russert, Jr. was born on May 7, 1950, to his truck driving, sanitation engineer of a father, “Big Russ” and his stay-at-home mother, Elizabeth. Growing up with a modest background in Buffalo, New York, Tim could only hope to make something good of himself. His father worked two jobs all of his life to be able to afford to send his children to Catholic school in hopes that they would receive a better education. Russert has said that these schools "taught [him] to read and write, but also how to tell right from wrong,” and he credits them with a lot of his success and personality structure. He attended Canisius High School in South Buffalo and walked four miles in the snow with his sisters to get to school, four miles back home for lunch, and then back to school again. With all of his struggles, Tim “thought [he] would come up in buffalo and if [he] got real lucky [he’d] have a chance to go to college and maybe even law school and then be a good lawyer..or a good teacher…and that would be the extent of fulfilling [his] dream.” He never expected what he would accomplish or what was to come. Tim Russert not only became the first person in his family to attend college, he graduated from John Carroll University in 1972 and went on to Cleveland State University’s law school, with the love of but lacking in the financial support his family could not provide him with. Upon joining NBC news in 1984, Russert went on to become the Bureau Chief for the network by the end of the 1980s, and soon enough, the vice president for NBC News. When he took over as moderator of “Meet the Press” the show gained fame and popularity and Tim’s career took off. With a couple of his own shows, high end positions in a major network, and a spot hosting election coverage, this man’s face became well-known around the world. His highly thought out questions, his well-prepared interviews, and the use of his dry erase board during the year 2000 presidential elections are what Tim Russert is most famous and most known for. With all the new technology, new innovations, and impressive ways of figuring out outcomes, the method of using something all of us can probably afford, and find, proved to be the most effective, and most popular. Tim Russert’s simplicity, truth, and honesty appealed to the public at a time when these things were seemingly uncalled for. He did not become famous for his looks, his scandals, or the “people he knew”. He became famous for knowing what he was doing and doing it the best way he knew how; by being himself. His autobiography about his father, Big Russ and Me, was a major hit in 2004 and revealed a more personal side to the person we saw on our small, flashing screens when we turned on the TV. It showed his soft side and inspired people into accepting that anyone could accomplish anything, as long as they set their minds to it. He later stated that the older he got, the wiser his father seemed to appear to him. His family was a big deal to him, and a big part of his life. This familiarity in him made him more acceptable and, somewhat loveable, to the people around him and those to whom his shows were broadcast. His death on June 13, 2008 due to heart failure was a shock and a loss for many. Journalism nowadays, though still avid and clean, is heading toward politicized, glamorized viewpoints and headlines, and many of those presenting the information out there cannot match up with the greats by any means. People often do what they need to get ahead, even if it means not portraying the information they are giving out in the best possible way. From his dry erase board that is now in the Smithsonian, to the tears of Tom Brokaw at his memorial, reaching to the emotion-driving speech that President-elect Barack Obama gave during a charity event during the 2008 elections, Tim Russert will definitely be impossible to replace, and his loss will undoubtedly impact journalistic media as we know it immensely.
Works Cited
Catholic News Service." TV newsman thanks Catholic school teachers who 'changed my life'." Nancy Frazier O'Brien. 26 April 2000. < http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0002542.htm>
The Clevland State University." CSU Mourns Loss of Tim Russert, Distinguished CSU Alumnus." Brian Johnston –Contact Provost.13 June 2008. < http://www.csuohio.edu/news/releases/2008/06/russert.html>
Meet the Press. “Tim Russert Memorial Episode” Tim Russert. 15 June 2008. Copy available on Youtube by searching, “Meet the Press Tim Russert Part 6”
The St. Louis Beacon. “In Memoriam: Tim Russert." Henry I. Schevy. 16 June 2008. < http://www.stlbeacon.org/voices/in_the_news/in_memoriam_tim_russert>
Podcast Script for No Tim like the Present Done by one commentator
Music Opening Song: Thunder Road by Bruce Springstein
Tim Russert is remembered by different people as different things. Many younger people do not know who he is, but have probably heard of him, and many of the older people consider him one of their own. Either way, he’s a man that’s remembered by someone, somewhere, and always will be. A lot of people didn’t realize how great this person was until he died, like most of the greats; Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allen Poe… But Tim really was an awesome guy. When you think of him it’s usually as that big guy with the round face that’s on the news show Sunday mornings. Or he’s the dude with the dry erase board during election season screaming “Florida!” when everyone else is using high tech computers and guessing things wrong. He never really strikes you suddenly as brilliant until you really look at it. Here is a guy, who grew up poor, in a lower class family, walked 4 miles in snow to get to school, and ended up making tons of money off of his hard work in the end. It’s truly amazing. No one would’ve expected this guy from South Buffalo who struggled to pay for school, and had a dad who didn’t even make it through high school, to make it that far, but Russert did it. He was the first person to interview Pope John Paul II, made it through law school, got through all of these really great things, became the VP of NBC, and still managed to make you feel like you were buddies who were hanging out and knew each other from back in the day.
Song: How to Save a Life by the Fray Tim Russert planned for his interviews, researched, thought out stuff. Even if he did wing anything, he still managed to be ready as best he could and to get stuff done. The dry erase board he used during the 2000 election is in a major museum, remembered by everyone, and he still plays a major role in election coverage, even though he’s dead. This person was good hearted, deep, and just all around good. He never treated anyone like he was better than they were, though granted he probably was. And his role model was his dad. He wrote an autobiography about himself, and he’s this big time newscaster, and the guy he talks most about is his father. That says something about his character all around. He wasn’t just a newscaster, he was a Buffalo Bills fan, and a son, and a father and husband, and everyone’s best friend.
Song: Keep Me in Your Heart for Awhile by Warren Zevon Tim Russert is probably the only guy I’d let into my living room that early on a Sunday and actually listen to for that long. He was really smart, yet down to earth enough where you didn’t completely hate his guts. And he was religious and devoted. Loved his job, died doing it. And always kept his class by not picking sides during elections. He simply did what he did and left it at that. When he collapsed at the NBC offices, and Wikipedia was first to break the news, and tradition, the release of the info was so huge that everyone was up in arms over his loss. Tons of on-air specials with people who usually keep it together crying aired. Bruce Springsteen dedicated a song to him, and Barack Obama made sure he was remembered months later during elections. This guy’s death was a really big deal, especially for the time it happened. No one expected it since he’d just had a stress test, and was doing fine before. He died right before Father’s Day in an election year, doing what he loved to do, but left us with a huge gap. He’s irreplaceable, and well remembered. May he Rest In Peace.
