Has anyone else noticed it has been a long time since there was a good western? No? Is it just me? I look in the video store for westerns for my dad but I end up with poorly written and poorly acted pseudo westerns that are historically inaccurate, boring and pointless. And then to try and make them interesting they try to mix genre’s like stagecoach robbers in a haunted house, or cowboys fighting zombies. I know 3:10 to Yuma was moderately successful, but it was also a remake. Cowboy films used to be huge blockbusters. What happened? Was it that they weren’t selling anymore or did Hollywood just stop caring about the genre? Some of my favorite films have been westerns: Two Mules for Sister Sara, A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Quick and the Dead. Mind you all of these films not only had great actors but great directors as well; Sergio Leone, Sam Raimi. I am surprised that with not only the financial success but the critical success of 3:10 to Yuma, westerns didn’t begin to worm their way back onto the silver screen again. But westerns are not the only genres suffering. I am noticing more and more that comedies are going down the tube, as well. Both genres seem to have one thing in common- laziness. No one wants to take the time to write something really clever, so they either go for the big action packed, special effects saturated hoopla or the cheap laugh.
I think we are due for another really good western. They need to make a comeback.
Procuring and Maintaining Sources
http://www.spj.org/rrr.asp?ref=56&t=yj
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
I Came, I Saw, I Ate Chocolate Cake
The Faculty Exhibit at VCSU
Tonight I attended the Faculty Art Exhibit in the Art Department at Valley City State University. It was entertaining and interesting to see teachers Linda Whitney and Jerrel Holm to show and talk about their work. Holm’s work was ceramic pots, while Whitney’s was framed prints. Holm’s work was inspired by the badlands of western North Dakota. The pots had tiny spikes protruding from them which are reminiscent of the harsh and prickly plains of the badlands. The pots were made out of porcelain, a fine clay to work with, but also very frustrating. “Frustration, frustration, frustration. But I guess, that’s what keeps it interesting.” Holm said about working with the soft, smooth clay. It seems that unlike the usual clay, in which he can throw all day with having success with almost every piece, with porcelain he can try and throw three or four pots before having a successful one.
Linda, whom everyone, including her students, call her Linda, hence the informality, had framed prints created by printmaking. A very elaborate and involved, time consuming process. I cannot explain every detail about the process, but I can tell you a few things I have learned. The procedure begins with a metal plate, in which a tool is used on the plate to “rock” grooves into it. Keep in mind this is done in eight different directions. After the plate has been rocked if she were to print it on paper it would be completely black in color. But after the plate has been rocked she takes another tool and uses it to smooth down a design of what she wants printed. Very smooth would come out white and slightly smooth would be gray in color. So, each plate takes about 6-8 weeks to complete, all but three in the exhibit have been completed in the last year, there were about 20. Linda has also received a national award in which she has her own solo show in a gallery.
Her pieces were inspired by the television shows she watched growing up and fairytales. She states, “The thematic content, in my work, is derived from the collision of my childhood memories of studied fairytales and early television shows with the political ramifications of those experiences.”
These are beautiful, inspiring pieces which I urge many of you to see. Plus, there might be some apple cider and chocolate cake left over. Well, maybe not the chocolate cake.
Tonight I attended the Faculty Art Exhibit in the Art Department at Valley City State University. It was entertaining and interesting to see teachers Linda Whitney and Jerrel Holm to show and talk about their work. Holm’s work was ceramic pots, while Whitney’s was framed prints. Holm’s work was inspired by the badlands of western North Dakota. The pots had tiny spikes protruding from them which are reminiscent of the harsh and prickly plains of the badlands. The pots were made out of porcelain, a fine clay to work with, but also very frustrating. “Frustration, frustration, frustration. But I guess, that’s what keeps it interesting.” Holm said about working with the soft, smooth clay. It seems that unlike the usual clay, in which he can throw all day with having success with almost every piece, with porcelain he can try and throw three or four pots before having a successful one.
Linda, whom everyone, including her students, call her Linda, hence the informality, had framed prints created by printmaking. A very elaborate and involved, time consuming process. I cannot explain every detail about the process, but I can tell you a few things I have learned. The procedure begins with a metal plate, in which a tool is used on the plate to “rock” grooves into it. Keep in mind this is done in eight different directions. After the plate has been rocked if she were to print it on paper it would be completely black in color. But after the plate has been rocked she takes another tool and uses it to smooth down a design of what she wants printed. Very smooth would come out white and slightly smooth would be gray in color. So, each plate takes about 6-8 weeks to complete, all but three in the exhibit have been completed in the last year, there were about 20. Linda has also received a national award in which she has her own solo show in a gallery.
Her pieces were inspired by the television shows she watched growing up and fairytales. She states, “The thematic content, in my work, is derived from the collision of my childhood memories of studied fairytales and early television shows with the political ramifications of those experiences.”
These are beautiful, inspiring pieces which I urge many of you to see. Plus, there might be some apple cider and chocolate cake left over. Well, maybe not the chocolate cake.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Life on Mars... And What?
According to http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/01/15/mars.methane/index.html methane gas was found on Mars which means there may be life on planet Mars! The website states that because methane can be expelled by certain microbes, I’m paraphrasing; there is a strong probability that they exist on the planet. The website goes on to say that salts, falling snow and nutrients have all been found on the planet which are also signs that there may be life. There have even been chemicals found that are toxic to humans but can be used as a food source for certain life forms to exist, which dispelled the concern that ice can be used for water but where would their food come from?
Isn’t it exciting? I actually do find it exciting, interesting, fascinating even. But at the same time I have to ask myself “so what?” if there is or was life on Mars what understanding do we really gain? Does that mean we get another planet to use as a personal garbage can? Also, the novelty’s gone. I don’t know if any of you remember, but the whole “Life on Mars” thing was suggested less than a year ago when they found ice on the planet. You can find more information about that on the aforementioned website and at http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/080620-phoenix-ice-update.html . Either way, the website states that the goal is to find life on Mars; which, yes, if there was life on Mars I would like to know about it. Why I’d like to know about it I have no idea other than the novelty of it all. However, my point is that finding life on Mars is as far as the goal goes. They mention nothing of what would be accomplished after they have found it. What does someone do with that kind of knowledge? Who benefits from this knowledge? But, I may just not be able to see the big picture and maybe I’m missing some huge implications by finding life on Mars, but as of right now, I have no idea what they are.
Isn’t it exciting? I actually do find it exciting, interesting, fascinating even. But at the same time I have to ask myself “so what?” if there is or was life on Mars what understanding do we really gain? Does that mean we get another planet to use as a personal garbage can? Also, the novelty’s gone. I don’t know if any of you remember, but the whole “Life on Mars” thing was suggested less than a year ago when they found ice on the planet. You can find more information about that on the aforementioned website and at http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/080620-phoenix-ice-update.html . Either way, the website states that the goal is to find life on Mars; which, yes, if there was life on Mars I would like to know about it. Why I’d like to know about it I have no idea other than the novelty of it all. However, my point is that finding life on Mars is as far as the goal goes. They mention nothing of what would be accomplished after they have found it. What does someone do with that kind of knowledge? Who benefits from this knowledge? But, I may just not be able to see the big picture and maybe I’m missing some huge implications by finding life on Mars, but as of right now, I have no idea what they are.
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