The Virgin Suicides

The Virgin Suicides is a novel that was recommended to me in class by my peers. It starts off by introducing the now middle-aged adults whose lives have been changed forever. They revisit what they know about the five Lisbon girls' lives and deaths through their own memories and interviews with neighbors, tracking the destruction of a family over thirteen months, and exploring the lingering feelings of love and pain that have persisted for 20 years. These men have this awkward obsession with the five fated sisters, Therese, Mary, Bonnie, Lux, and Cecilia Lisbon. These mysterious girls don;t see,m to really be known in the town, but with the youngest, Cecilia, kills herself, it establishes "the year of the suicides" and all eyes are on them. The boys seem like a vague group of boys whose names are never mentioned entirely. All we know is they are in high school , and live in the same suburb as the Lisbon's and have always been fascinated the girls.

Inference vs. Evidence

1) "The radical range of color schemes, discombobulating object scale, unusual item combination, and drastic angling of geometric shapes combine to form a divine harmony in the middle of a flustering discord." - Vivir Sonar leer
"The shots of the model seemingly jumping spontaneously serve a purpose of tricking the eyes and mind." - No Trust In Tomorrow

2)"There always seems to be a certain picture that stands out in a portfolio, and we find ourselves thinking, "Wow, is that really how pretty our world is?"

"In this beautiful collection of gripping photos, Christopher Payne catalogs the decay of state mental hospitals across the country. "

Submission #4 : Lunch Bag Art

 Lunch Bag Art is a tumblr that is very unique and worth looking at. It's not like your regular kids day to school where parents pack their lunches, a normal routine. Well this guy took it to a new level. He took an artistic route and as a challenge. After looking at a few lunch bag creations, I noticed he enjoys doing it because it makes his kids happy and he incorporates what they did or watched last night and try to recreate the moment.  Almost like a learning experience. He draws with such detail and effervescence that it almost convinces us we can do the same thing, piece of cake. The artist parent presents most of his drawings on regular brown paper bag and each day he creates one, each day he captures the bag with the camera and reveals his animated masterpieces. He has a variety on subjects that he draws. Most of them of course are for his kids to show off at school but I think it goes deeper in the person who is actually creating the image. Seems to be almost a hobby to this man.  From the picture above of Hugo from the show LOST

has fine detail and such gentle modesty that it almost acts as an inspiration to go out and draw pictures on your kids lunch boxes. Every day his kids go to school he takes a picture before they leave to keep it as a memory because I'm sure that the child will throw it away since his dad is always drawing pictures on his lunch. But the surroundings in which he takes it is simple peacefulness. Like a regular day almost explosively generic.

short list #3

1. "A man's best friend is his dog" in this tumblr the companionship

 balances with the bond each man in each picture presents. There's feeling

of happines, and almost like each man's life is complete

having his dog. You can tell by the way they look at each

other or by the way they interact in each picture 

2. Lunch Bag Art is a tumblr I stumbled upon that verifies 

how some parents either get bored or want their kid

to have the best lunch at school. That extra "umpf" 

in each drawing I'm sure leaves a smile on their face. This 

is really intersting and the art is phenomenal that 

is drawn on these simple brown paper bags. 

3. For all you Modern Family fans, this is the tumblr to 

take a look at. Each picture recaps the funny moments

in the show and expresses a lighthearted feeling that 

we all love. Some you just can't not see and not laugh

due to the joyful excitement. 

Submission #3 My Way

“My Way” is an episode from This American Life that expresses the choices a person makes in their life. The amazement of the two stories creates a contrast yet a comparison at the same time. Larry Wegielski, a 50 year old man is inseparable with his wife, but the strangely loving story is that she past away. They were the perfect couple and he can’t imagine his life without Ve-ve. His expressions enhance the word “love” and establishes a philosophical happiness that not one individual can take. It’s a choice he is willing to take, visiting his wife at her grave stone, signals a feeling of home. The second story highlights about a young teenage boy, the age of 14, who is not afraid of cooties and girls, but chooses to block out love forever. He chooses to live a normal life playing D&D with his friends and growing up alone. Seeing what love and girls can do to a his peers, he documents his feelings about the situation. The young boy presents a depressing outlook for the audience, but for him, it's a lifestyle, a choice, living the dream. 

The first story or act, according to This American Life the man who has lost his love seems to be sad and mournful, but he is the complete opposite. Having a positive attitude, he walks to his wife's cemetery, almost like he is at home. This baffling story introduces a new level of love. He knows many people think is is crazy but that doesn’t stop him. His strong relationship with Ve-ve has not quit even though he has a girlfriend. Confusing yet sweet, this man proves that love and the feeling of home doesn’t have to be physical, more like a spiritual statement. 

Joe is an average, awkward teenager except for the fact that he has strange views on interacting with the opposite sex. He argues how love is pointless and it ruins people, which for his age, possibly not a good idea but its the fact that he never wants to fall in love. He is content with how he is, play Dungeons and Dragons with his friends. He insists that life is better this way and is almost doubfull for his love of his own family. Joe is a very strong opinionated teenager and when asked how he sees himself when he is in his 20s, he responds and explains how his life will consist of a small apartment with an awsome video game system and he does not need girls and love to interfere with his life, because it will be perfect the way it is. 

Larry and Joe seem very different in their opinions but when analyzing, they appear to be similar in the act of choosing, not caring what people thing, and being happy. Larry enjoys and is not sorrowful of the death of his wife. Of course he wishes she was back but, he spends a good amount of time with her even when she’s not on this Earth. He has a dignified appreciation and would not change anything for any one. Joe is the same way. He will not let anyone try to convince him of what should be right. To Joe it’s generic and not the way of life he sees himself in. Both stories are outspoken with opinionated, strong and prideful men.   

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children .. part 2

After finishing this book I was in an unexpected awe. A definite read if you are into mysterious, spooky stories. This mysterious land with an abandoned orphanage expresses the majestic formality. Not only that but the quizzical photographs that were attached mic with the novel to be a thrilling reading experience. The abandoned bedrooms are explored by 16 year old Jacob and who has a sense of something peculiar.
 I couldn't stop reading this book, not knowing what I had got myself reading into this book due to the ghosty feel, I had to force myself to put the book down and go to bed. The originality it portrays is spectacularly odd. The novel was well written almost like a scrapbook but with text having a life of its own, never ending words describing the story.
The characters created an explosion of characteristics for the reader. Jacob is the awkward but like-able kid who comes across as both unique and a normal teenager. All the individuals in the novel has intensely distinct personalities.
The Format of the book acknowledges the beauty with the pictures neatly and orderly spread apart throughout the book; woven into the story, it created a creepy and odd feeling with that cool old fashioned feel that makes you want to go explore old abandoned places.
This book is a good read, definitely something out of my comfort zone just from reading the summary. Its not your typical ghost story, I can guarantee.

Podcast Response: My Way

“My Way” is an episode from This American Life that expresses the choices a person makes in their life. The amazement of the two stories creates a contrast yet a comparison at the same time. Larry Wegielski, a 50 year old man is inseparable with his wife, but the strangely loving story is that she past away. They were the perfect couple and he can’t imagine his life without Ve-ve. His expressions enhance the word love and establishes philosophical happiness that not one individual can take. It’s a choice he is willing to take, visiting his wife at her grave stone, signals a feeling of home. The second story highlights about a young teenage boy, the age of 14, who is not afraid of cooties and girls, but chooses to block out love forever. He chooses to live a normal life playing D&D with his friends and growing up alone. Seeing what love and girls can do to a boy, he documents his feelings about the situation. The young boy presents a depressing outlook for the audience, but for him, it's a lifestyle, living the dream. The two stories compare similarly by the choice of not caring what other people think of them, yet contrast in the name of love.

Submission 2: Unhappy Hipsters

 Unhappy Hipsters is a friendly tumblr that gives the world a feel of being lonely in the modern world sometimes. There's a sense of architecture when it comes to the houses; a sense of being generic. The calm, peaceful subjects in each photo illustrate the philosophical minds of each individual. Each picture introduces a straight on view of each scene almost emphasizing the main idea, yet still portraying a sense of doubt. Every dull, clinical wall seems like a never ending plethora of space that makes us wonder of our judgement. These “hipsters” seem to consider questioning everything about life. The photographer prepares each image with a goal that needs to be reached. Almost implying that the picture has its own purpose, its own life. The ineffable microcosm leaves viewers thinking about their hopeful curiosity. 

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Homes For Peculiar Children is a fiction novel that has a different feel to it. The blend of fiction and fact, fantasy, and photos gives a uniquely mysterious outlook. This book made a remarkable impression on me due to its classic adventure and strange originality so far. Anyone can read it, appeals to both teen boys and girls as well as their moms and dads. 

Starts out with Jacob, a 16 year old who witnesses the death of his grandfather. He is sent to a small Welsh island in search for answers. Wondering whether his grandfather's growing up stories and the orphanage populated by invisible and levitating children are actually true. His grandfather treasured a box of strange photos that are shown throughout the book. The pictures are so fascinating and really out of the ordinary. Beautifully photographed the author did a nice job incorporating them within the novel. The photos ad a whimsical edge to the text and serves as an introduction to Jacob's "friends." They give depth to the story is incredible.  

Each character I learn about feels real and the photographs really help give a visual. I have heard that once you read more into the book the fun begins. Almost like a horror movie without the stereotypical zombies and dramatic, unnecessary music. The setting is quite exotic creating an addictive read thats impossible to forget. Looking forward to reading more !

Short list #2

All this public affection
was making Frosty miss
the sofa bed.

Pets who want to kill themselves is a tumblr I stumbled along

where the title just forced me to see more. I couldn't help but 

laugh seeing all the pictures and reading each caption

that went along with it.   I have a little Yorkshire Terrier that 

has many different outfits for different seasons and her expressions

just say it all. You can't force a dog to like the situations it's in

and this tumblr illustrates perfectly the trouble 

                          dogs have in their lives and the joy we get.  

Unhappy Hipsters is a tumblr that shows the loneliness in the modern day. The photographer captures simple yet outrageous moments,  almost hearing the euphoric silence. Peaceful and mysterious these pictures portray

a sense of curiosity

Black and wtf is strangely explosive when it comes to black and white pictures. This tumblr introduces a new level of discombobulated scenes. In some pictures the author intends to question our sanity and definitely give ourselves a scratch on the head. Some are convincing artifacts verifies the comical passion, back in the day.

Submission 1: Pandora vs. Slacker

From generation to generation there's always a new trend of listening to music. From cassettes we went to CDs, then even the MiniDisc, then to mp3 players. Now having smartphones (iPhones, Androids,etc.) we can expand the spectrum and move to more mainstream, streaming internet radio. Right now, two of the most popular services are probably Pandora and Slacker Radio.

Internet Radios are an alternative way to listen the music just for you. Depending which one you use, the set up may be different, but generally they bundle up a plethora of songs and let you listen to whatever specific genre, artist, song, etc. you have put as your basis. 

I personally use Pandora for my calm escape and drown into the music, like fish in the sea. After an oral survey I took, asking my peers which internet radio they prefer most, more than half answered with Pandora. The ones who are strictly Pandora users have never even heard of Slacker until I surveyed them.  

Looking at their websites, they both have different layouts. As a first time Slacker user, I was impressed how extremely easy it was to customize my radio stations based on any range of musical artists. It also brought up recommendations for other artists in the same genre that you could choose to add to your station. Slacker had this feature called fine tuning where it lets you decide the levels of music discovery you want to include in you channel, as well as choosing how popular you prefer the songs to be, how often your personal favorites should be included, and what musical eras can be played. Sounds complex, but in reality the fine tuning function explodes the vast combinations and takes personalization to a whole new level. A positive about Slacker is there is no cap, meaning you can listen to unlimited music. The selection of songs in Slacker is much better than Pandora and the repetition of songs is a lot less.

With all that said, Pandora on the other hand, has a much cleaner site and straightforward. The best thing about Pandora is excluding the advertisements (which is understandable since it is offered gratis), there are little distractions and you can get right to you music escape. Pandora does take longer to buffer when music quality is set to high, but no significantly longer than Slacker. If you are a long term Pandora user, you get about 40 hours of streaming music a month for free. If 40 hours isn’t enough there is always the premium account. Unfortunately, with this is does not offer you unlimited skips and no ads. Pandora does a great job at selecting a song and building a station around that. 

When looking at the greater picture both radios are great and have their own unique style. I would recommend to check both sites if interested. Not to worry, if the computer is far away, a quick download can have both the apps on you phone in just minutes so you don't have to go anywhere. 

Tweaked . . part I

I don't really know what it is with me and reading these depressing, sad, and serious books about drug addictions. Tweaked is one of those stories. I wasn't recommended this book but I remember looking at the iconic book cover from one of my peers and my curiosity has finally been fulfilled..well almost. I have to finish the book to fully get the experience. 

Starting out with a normal average kid with a chaotic family. Reading the first page I knew what was coming and sorrow overflowed my body. Gordie's brother Chase is a victim of the drug life. Specifically Crystal meth. He has devoted his life to revolve around this deadly monster. 

Looking up the crystal meth on dictionary, I stumbled upon this definition "The drug is cheap and provides a fast powerful high that makes it attractive to the user. But crystal meth carries a terrible price. Casual use of the drug can quickly lead to addiction, and prolonged use created a variety of serious health and social problems for the individual and his or her family"

Sadly this is the definition of Chase. After trying it with his friends he was automatically hooked and couldn't stop. Stealing, lying, rebellion was a normal routine to feed his addiction. He has stolen as much money from his parents as he could get his hand on. Gordie resents his brother and is angry..furious at what Chase has become. He is angry what Chase left behind, his family. He hates what his family has become from his addiction. From his parents' eyes, Chase is sick and needs help. Yet every time he is admitted to rehab he goes behind their back, only concern is searching what avenue or trick he could obtain money to pay his dealers. 

Gordie is trying to live a normal life, but how can he when his brother sells his precious guitar in order to pay for drugs. Stealing $2000 from Gordie to pay off his drug debt when he only needed $500. Gordie is absolutely finished with Chase, has no sympathy..completely enraged at his brothers actions. Chase ends up getting stoned and breaking a bottle over a man's head resulting in death. 

For a story dealing with a family member dealing with drug addiction, the author is able to capture the tragic and powerful emotions well. Usually stories based on drug addicts are about the actual drug addict; I understand what is happening to the drug addict not what happens to his/her family. In Tweaked, my instincts are telling me that this its not all about the actual addict, but how drug addictions of a family member can tear a family apart. This story is well written so far with a progressive plot and I can't wait to read more and find out what happens next with Gordie and his family.