Hacking pacemakers, programmable vasectomies (with on/off buttons), and plenty more to think about in the link below. This is TED.com: download the podcasts, listen a one while you exercise or walk to class. They give some of the world's smartest and most important people only 17 minutes to be as profound as possible. Even Obama only got 17 minutes. This one site contains some of the best cultural research and analysis out there.

http://www.ted.com/talks/avi_rubin_all_your_devices_can_be_hacked.html

If you watch this, make a comment. I'd like to hear about this video and also other podcasts you find interesting.

Ashley and Madison



Song of the Landscape


This piece is nothing like you have ever seen before. It is a masterpiece of sorts that could be a useful conversation starter if you’re hanging out with a tiresome or boring person. This piece makes any clean-cut space look chaotic. It has attitude, it has emotion, and it most certainly perfects the trait of individuality. It is like an abstract piece of nature made out of brass and iron. The square pieces at the top look like a doorway into a new cycle. It could relate to your own life and how you may want a fresh start and try new things. Therefore, this piece can be an example of solid motivation; a piece of art that can relate the changes of nature to the changes in your own life. Nothing compares to the industrial beauty of this piece that almost “sings” to you. The abstract shapes take place on brass lines almost in the way of a music staff with notes on it ready to be played. The great thing about this piece of art is that its true meaning is up for interpretation. Everyone can find their own sense of meaning within this piece. When I look at this artwork, I see energy, light, and change. It has an interesting rhythm of insanity. If you need some wicked crazy in your life, check this thing out. It’s boss! It almost looks rebellious. who cares about straight lines and thinking “inside” the box. Trust me, this thing looks like nothing you’ve ever seen!

Fifteen Planes by David Smith

Lyndsay Martinelli

Alex Boyes

An interesting piece that we found at the exhibit was called “Fifteen Planes”, created in 1958 by David Smith. The entire piece is made out of stainless steel and is comprised of fifteen steel, rectangular sheets. The sheets, or planes, are welded together and are attached to one another by a small portion, allowing the entire piece to branch out as the individual pieces build off of one another. The piece is supported by two long poles, both of which are actually two very long and skinny steel sheets, making the tallest part of the structure reach about ten feet tall. These poles attach to the fifteen smaller, connected planes. The two poles are attached to a large, flat base which is what holds the entire structure to the floor. This very plane work of art exudes simplicity, but to us, seemed to take the shape of a flamingo or similar bird dipping its head into the water. The planes are basically plain, taking steel’s natural silvery color. However, upon observing more closely, we noticed that the sheets had a random pattern on them that  resembled the look of finger smears in a squiggly formation on the surface. Most of the sheets of steel face vertically, so our view was that of the base.The only exceptions were three planes that lie on a horizontal axis, allowing us the view of the planes’ edges. The piece as a whole exhibits parts that are only rectangular shaped; there is no roundness to the piece at all.

    This piece stuck out to us because even though the structure is made out of so many individual little pieces, when these pieces are combined, they create a bigger picture. We thought it resembled a flamingo. The long poles resemble the flamingo’s legs and the square steel sheets are arranged in a way that resemble the shape of a flamingo’s body bending over as if the flamingo was drinking from a creek. Overall, what we found most interesting and appealing Aleis that if taken apart, this structure would be nothing more but fifteen sheets of stainless steel. But the artist put the pieces together in a way that allowed them to form another shape entirely. Whether it was our imagination or the artist’s intent, a flamingo drinking from a creek stood before us.

why you should see the hero

Why you should see The Hero sculpture

The Hero sculpture is captivating because it represents the importance of mind over body in our hero’s. The head or top of the sculpture is solid representing its value and importance opposed to the body which is just an empty rectangular frame. Since the body has no arms or legs this represents the importance of contributing through thoughts and Ideas more than physical actions done with the body. This means that doesn’t matter how strong of a body someone, if that person has a mind like a hero then they are a hero. The sculpture is a rusty color and is placed over an hour glass structure which reminds me of how my hero’s are getting older and that even though there is nothing left of their bodies their memories still provide me with strength... Since the sculpture is made of steal it represents strength and permanence which is true of many hero’s in that they live in our hearts and minds long after they have gone physically. So, if a society or a person has a mind like a hero, it would last a long time and would be a standard of their lives.. So you should visit this sculpture to see the significance it could have to you since hero’s are important to everyone because we all want to be like our hero’s. The hero’s we wish to emulate represent the actions we will make as individuals and as societies.

Nelson and Yongbo

BIG DIAMOND!!

Calderon
Blunn
Dzingel

No rules. “Big Diamond” follows David Smith’s theme of cubes and anarchy. In a world without gravity and where time is in-existent, geometrical figures rule the day. This sculpture is interesting because of the curious manner this piece comes together. Everything is connected through the metal work.

In addition, the color scheme of this sculpture is not the most fascinating. Dull colors are  for the most part utilized with exception to bright orange and white. As seen by a number of smears and dripping, the paint was carelessly thrown on. Clearly, the metal work is the true focus of this artwork - not the overlay.

Behind the sculpture was the letter T. Serving almost like a spine to the piece, this T was seemingly had the purpose of balance and foundation. Although reiterating David Smith’s theme of cubes and anarchy, “Big Diamond” oddly enough carried an aspect of unity.

Overall, this piece brought out endless thoughts and ideas. David Smith had this in mind while constructing this brilliant mixture of shapes and colors. Even though this piece was extremely simple, the possibilities of discussion range from the circle of life to a children's jungle gym. This piece can be as deep and complex that one wants to make it. Without deep thought while looking at it, it could seem to be a useless piece of art.

Untitled 1962 David Smith Painting

Austin Thees
David Renner
We chose to examine an untitled painting by David Smith, painted in 1962 using spray paint and paper. This artwork had several objects created in the negative space of the painting. The painting is very abstract in the sense that one could take many different meanings from it. The only way know the true meaning of the painting would be to ask the artist himself. Through observation, we have come up with a couple possible meanings for what this painting could mean and why it is important.
The clearly defined quadrilaterals are put into contrast with the free flowing shapes shapes which are in the focal point of the painting. It appears that the rectangles are trying to escape the darkness and mystery of the center, and seek refuge among the lighter colors in the corners of the piece.

Another interpretation we had of this painting is that two people are standing on a platform in a time machine. The rectangle in the top right corner is a calender, and the one on the far left is a digital clock, both are flipping back and forth through time. The center is blurred because the objects inside the machine are beginning to phase into a different time period. The colors are all distorted due to the travel through time and space.

This painting shows a desire for knowledge and concrete ideas, in opposition to the ambiguity. It is important because it represents a unique style utilized in the 1960’s. It’s a unique painting because of the several meanings it could have behind it such as showing movement toward the unknown with time travel, or escaping the norm.

Untitled David Smith

David Smith was fascinated with geometrical shapes and the balance of the world around him. He believed that circles were more primary than squares, having being used for wheels and then improved for various purposes. He used circles and other various shapes largely throughout his art, as can be seen in his picture of his sculpture “Untitled.” David Smith gives no specific title to his work of art to give people the opportunity to interpret the “people” as they would like. This sculpture depicted several objects composed of different shapes and forms. These forms seemed to create people. The picture showed that though people may be different, they are still people. People are all original, just like the different shapes that made up the different people in the photograph. For instance, one person was depicted having an empty head, while another had an enclosed circle for a head. This shows that even though they look different they can still be themselves and not have to worry about outside judgment. David Smith used this piece to encourage people to appreciate who everyone is, even if they are different from ourselves. The people in the picture conquered their differences and were still able to come together, as we should be able to. The sculpture also had one person holding a piece that looked like an eye in the front. This serves to show how everyone has a different way of seeing the world and that we should be open to other people’s point of view because our view is not the only possible one. 

Kellen and Stefanie

"Big Diamond"

            David Smith’s piece, “Big Diamond,” is peculiar, but wildly interesting. From a distance, it looks as though it is some sort of carnival game, full of hoops to throw a ball or some sort of object through. It is composed of a variety of different colors and shapes. The colors range anywhere from yellow to grey, with a bit of salmon, orange, and red mixed in between. This structure has an array of shapes including circular rings and hoops, rectangles, diamonds, and triangles. Within the largest diamond, contains a single capital “T.” The backside of the object, with the exception of the “T,” is a lot less detailed. More than likely, that was the artist’s attempt to keep attention focused on the front of the piece. At certain angles, it almost looks like some sort of creature or animal. The large diamond is its body, and the rest of the shapes compromise the rest of its body. The head shape, which is also a diamond, is wearing what looks like an earring.

            This piece was strange to look at from all angles, particularly because it looked like an entirely different piece of art depending on your viewpoint. The colors were strange and almost contrasted with each other, giving the piece a very dynamic, geometrical look. Out of all of David Smith’s work that we saw, “Big Diamond” seemed to be the only piece with triangular and diamond shapes. The majority of his pieces were full of large plates of steel and rectangular shapes. This piece really stood out from the rest of them. It was crooked, bizarre, and really caught our attention. We seemed to change our interpretation of what the piece was each time we examined it. Curiously, David Smith worked as a welder at an American locomotive company. That seemed to inspire his work greatly, especially after seeing all of the twisted steel and contorted metals.

Matthew Foreman
Mike McGee

Wexner: Cubi I 


Celeste D'Netto and Greg Mayer


In David Smith’s Cubi I, there were many interesting aspects to his work. As Celeste and I walked into the room, we were introduced to a piece of art right smack in the middle of the room. All the lights on the ceiling were pointed right to it. The very first thing we noticed was the color and strokes on each cube of this piece of art. There were bright, yet odd and very unique swirls on each cube. There were also little nicks and indents around each cube that we weren’t sure if they were suppose to be there, or just kept there over time. Next, the first puzzling idea we came across was located at the very bottom of the sculptor. Out of all the rectangular and cube-like objects in this piece of art, everything was held up by one thing: a little circle. The artist used the circle to rest these objects on it. The next thing that we noticed was the placement and organization of where each cube like object was placed in this work of art. There were 5 rectangular like objects and it seemed like the second from the top and fifth from the top were placed on the same spot of the cube either above it or below it, and the third from the top and second from the top were also placed at the same spot. It almost looked symmetrical except for the very top parallelogram which i believe was the only non-cube in the whole piece of art.

The overall work is highlighted by the lighting in the room that all showcases the piece and therefore shows that this piece highlights central aspects of life.  Since the piece is in an open space it catches the audiences  attention since it is so large and polished.  I first noticed the circle at the base of the sculpture that appears to hold the entire figure on a delicate balance.  Since the circle offsets the cubes that depict an order that appears static, the circle sets up a general life story that proves when there’s balance and order, at the base is something offsetting and always has that balance on it’s toes and very much subject to change. The meanings that can be derived from this piece can apply to individual people’s personal lives and society as a whole as well.  The first large solid square is like the foundation in which everyone has in their personal lives, people learn as kids certain beliefs that are always at the base of their life’s events.  Furthermore, this large square is like the foundation of society’s standards often derived mostly from a sense of propriety.  From this base square, people build their lives on the foundations in which they started living and perceiving the world.  

Untitled, 1946 by David Smith

Untitled, 1946 by David Smith

Wexner Center for Arts

Ohio State University

We interpreted the painting as showing the relationship between human and nature. All the humans in the painting are female, and it appears that the birds or creatures inside the birds are trying to make love to them. There is a creature coming out of a bird and a bird hugging another female. This might possibly be showing the complexity between human and nature. If you look closely, you can see that the humans are always above the creatures. At one side of the painting there is a tree like object with what appears to be a bird's nest in it. This might be where the birds came from. There is also a ton of other symbolism, such as possible candles on candelabras, and what appears to be anchors. We are unsure of what these represent, maybe they could be representing human influence. The upper left hand corner has symbols that remind us of hieroglyphs, so possibly a language is being incorporated into the painting as well. The language does seem to be connected to a female, so maybe it is her thought. This painting is also interesting because we think that it might be unfinished. In the bottom left hand corner there is an incomplete drawing and a spot of color. We think the artist might have intended to put something there but never did. The painting itself appears to have an egyptian and greek influence. The middle female character resembles egyptian drawings and sculpture, and the second female is posed like greek sculptures. This might be what inspired the art style of the painting. The painting is very complex and we also think that there might be another female character in the upper right corner. It is very hard to interpret. She seems to be made out of stones, and seems to have fabric around her, possibly getting dressed to look like the other females. The painting is tough to interpret but we think the common theme is the relationship between human and nature. 

Theodore Mackey

Michael McIntyre

Higher Education, Lower Opportunity

In the article Higher Education, Lower Opportunity, the author begins with a description of education 250 years ago.  This is effective because the author shows how education has transformed in those 250 years.  He describes how without the 14^th amendment, which grants all born in the U.S. are granted citizenship, which influenced the decision in a 1982 Supreme Court case.  His main argument is that the education system is a “rags to riches” system.  He does a good job of giving examples and interviews with some of these students.  He uses these as his main argument to influence is opinion that Congress needs to pass a law in order to allow immigrant students the same opportunities as native born American citizens. 

Going Green: Just Another Act?

I read the article on commonplace called “Going Green: Just Another Act?” I really enjoyed this article because it talked about a topic that I care deeply about: the environment. In this article the author talked about how this organization called Environmental Media Association (EMA) has celebrities and famous, rich people advertise for them in the hopes of inspiring those who look up to these famous people to also be aware of their effects on the environment. These celebrities drive hybrid cars and wear organic clothing, but are they really that concerned with keeping the environment healthy and from being destroyed? I honestly do not think so. They put on an act for money to appear like they support a certain cause when in reality they do things like spend $1,700 to fly their hats first class; which, for one, is, to me, a complete waste of money. Not to mention the amount of pollution that was produced on that flight. I agree one-hundred percent with this author and I think it’s a great article. 

Higher education, lower opportunity

Before I started reading this article, i just expected that this article would simply focus on the gap between the rich and the poor resulted from unfair educational opportunity, but it wasn't. Although a writer stated about what I had expected, she mainly talked about the limits of educational opportunity of those who were born outside of America. I think her article is very compelling because she wrote about how America was built by founding fathers came from other countries, and then, said the United States was promising land for those seeking to grab new opportunities. I strongly agree with her opinion that if people can’t have a chance to pursue higher education because they weren’t here, it totally denies the root of America !! 

You Are Being Lied To, Again: Baseball's New Drug- Review

This article was about a semi-recent issue regarding performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball. The author explains the consequences, availability of these drugs, and his personal experience and opinion on this subject. As an avid fan of “outside-the-lines” sports stories, I tried to follow this topic as much as I could. This article made me remember all the hype that was going on for players like Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and numerous others. I really liked how he included himself as a primary source using these drugs for medical reason and having no bias involved. I also really like how he brings America’s opinion into his research because unless you are a true baseball fan, smashing homeruns and throwing faster fastballs are all people want to see, no matter how they do it. Also, if anyone starts performing better, America is going to start becoming suspicious about said persons medical treatments. I believe his ethos is very strong because he does include numerous sources and lack of bias. 

"Advertising Appeals: When Emotions Go Too Far"

In the article “Advertising Appeals: When Emotions Go Too Far,” written by Adam Turner, advertising ethics is called into play. Is it within any distance of word moral to advertise a product or service with the backdrop of national tragedy or other frightening events? Mr. Turner thinks emotion-fueled advertising has been taken too far. He makes a good argument when he speaks of top-tier car companies using the strong nationalism and patriotism, a result of the attacks of September 11^th on the World Trade Centers, to entice people into “buying American.” Apple’s advertising techniques are also called into question because of their “dystopian 1984” fear mongering. He makes a solid point that manipulative advertising, used by preying on consumer’s emotions, is wrong and unethical.

Source: http://www.mhlearningsolutions.com/commonplace/index.php?q=node/5777

Review of "Tattoos: What You See is What You Get"

The article "Tattoos: What You See is What You Get," by Jonathan Holan of the Ohio State University, taken from commonplace, is about exactly as the title implies, tattoos. The author talks about how tattoos are viewed in society. Most younger people accept tattoos and have no issues with them at all. However the business professional world is still on the fence. The author recalls an interview he had for a job, in which he was qualified, and then was told no, based off his appearance, his tattoos. I have heard of this happening many times, and I can personally say that any job interview I have ever gone on, you better believe I was wearing long sleeves, just in case. In my opinion society needs to quit judging people for tattoos, like the author mentions, many people get tattoos for sentimental reasons, and they are not just to be defiant. Tattoos are a form of art and expression, and only add more depth to an individual. No one should be judged on their appearance, wether that be tattoos, piercings, or blue hair. People should be judged on their personality and intelligence instead. 

What's your opinion on tattoos?

-Theodore Mackey

Link to original article:

http://www.mhlearningsolutions.com/commonplace/index.php?q=node/5778

review "going green:just another act"

The author of this paper brings up some really good points in regards to society and the "green movement".  The new popular thing is to be eco, and to go green but most of what people are exposed to in regards to eco-friendly solutions are anything but.  Take a brand new hybrid car for example, if it more friendly to the environment to buy a new prius and create all the pollution involved in producing a 2200lb new product or would it be better to retro fit already green vehicles to better serve our environment, is it better to buy reusable shopping bags which a company makes and sells or just to find uses for disposable bags so that they replace another product you already buy (small trash bags) and give them a second use.  By no means am I saying I am an environmentalist I loved my old suburban at 7mpg and my long unnecessary road trips but, it seems a little hypocritical to buy new things and create more waste while throwing away old things (which us what you do when you buy something new) to be more eco-friendly.  Why don't people just come out and say it, they are riding the newest trend until it gets old and they move on to something cooler.  This writer does a great job of pointing out the flaws in our current thinking and the way we follow trends rather than focus on doing whats right.

Stressed Out and Ready to Drop Out? Review

This article broke down what stress is and who gets it, ways people let stress overtake them, and better ways to deal with stress. It seemed well informed and provided a few statistics and helpful links. However, reading it as a currently stressed-out fellow student, it kind of just made me more stressed. Now I'm stressed about being stressed, and if I am dealing with stress in an unhealthy way. One of the ways the article said to reduce stress was through university sponsored events, or taking a break and doing things like playing with puppies. Seems nice. The only thing is who will participate in these events? Students who think they can. If I'm stressed out about my midterms coming up, papers due, and projects to be turned in, the last thing I'll do is take a break to go out, no matter how cute the puppies.The article just seemed like it was coming from someone who wasn't very stressed, or hadn't had a lot of experience with seriously freaking out. The ethos would be a lot stronger if I didn't feel this way about the author.

why pollution is your fault

McDonalds has fed the American people for a little over fifty years. Some would say that McDonald’s is an essential part of any true American’s diet. McDonald’s has served billions of people during its many years of business, having a huge influence on the nutrition of America. Therefore the healthy status of American nutrition can be attributed to the nutritious value of McDonald’s food.

Why should taxpayers pay for the arts in schools?

 Why allow the arts in education? What is so important about music, theatre, dance, ceramics, or painting that taxpayers should shell out millions of dollars a year for their inclusion in school curriculums? Why not divert our focus from the arts entirely and focus solely on STEM? After all are not Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math the way of the future? Are they not the tools needed by America's use to stay one step ahead of the rest of the world and keep this great country in the lead role on the international stage? They most certainly are, but what happens when we strike all but those four subjects from education? What happens when that analogy is no longer understood by the brilliant minds of tomorrow, those solving equation after equation in order to reach a goal? Absolutely nothing. Without the arts and without the creativity and individuality inspired by theatre, music, and visual art who had the new idea? Where is the creativity that leads to the incredible new spaceship which can transport fleets of humans to Mars. Gone. One could crunch numbers all day long and achieve absolutely nothing without the originality shaped through self expression in education. Science, technology, engineering, and math are the tools needed to achieve the goals of tomorrow, but the arts are the gateway that allow for those goals to exist.

Woody Harrelson on the legalization of marijuana

Recent advances in the effort to legalize marijuana have caused great debates throughout the country. Non-supporters of marijuana are having a more and more difficult time proving the negative effects of marijuana still outweigh the positive effects. Medical use of marijuana is now legal in 16 states and Washington DC because clearly there are more benefits that negative consequences from using the herb. Many of the non-supporters are still living in the “reefer madness” days and need to step into the 21^st century.

What would David Beckham say

What would David Beckham say about whether or not to introduce goal line and decision replay technology into the beautiful game of football/soccer?

This is quite a touchy subject in the footballing world, but very important one, one the FIFA board are trying to decide now. Introducing it into our game today would change the game, change the flow of play, lose the purity, passion, controversy that comes with decision making by the refs and there human error. It could also be the difference between winning the world cup or not. It’s hard to say really, this is a game that I have loved since before I can remember a game that I still love to this day and will still love until the day I die, so why would I change it? You can over anaylize the video after each game, look at each foul, every decision, every foul. At the end of the day you would probably end up equal, some call you get when you shouldn’t, and some call you don’t when you should, but at the stoppages in play and reviewing calls I think will take away from the game in a massive way. Goal line technology on the other should be simple, if the ball crosses the line then it’s a goal, that can be a man with a monitor that gets the replay right after it happens and has the advantage of a 2^nd look. A ball can hit the bar and cross the line but because of the spin, ping right out, just look at our goal in the Germany match at this world cup, to make it level at the half. I could see from the sidelines that it had definitely gone in but a referee, 2 linesman and the 4^th man on the side couldn’t see it, they were the only ones in the stadium that saw it that way. I like to see a similar system of goal line technology that they use in the Ice Hockey over in the States, as soon as ball crosses the line a big alarm goes and there is no messing around. It’s about time that these mistakes were taken away because there are so much riding on games for this to happen and it can be done without stopping the game. 

Tyler the Creator and Religion

Tyler the Creator and Religion

            Religion is something that plays a huge part in a lot of people’s lives. People live their whole life according to their religion or lack of religion. People do certain things and don’t do certain things just because their religion tells them to or tells them not to. Religion is the single most biggest factor of the world and basically controls people. People live every moment of their life according to a religion because they think it will bring them eternal life in the after life, but we don’t even know for sure if there is an afterlife. We have no proof that there is an after life. We cant ask dead people what happens when we die. People with religion all rely on their faith to save them.

 http://www.coolehmag.com/frontEnd/interview.php?i=51&s=101

From Grandma

Stephanie, marriage is hard. It’s not fun; it’s not a game you get to play. You don’t get to dress up and play house and live happily ever after. Everything you probably assume about marriage, let me tell you right now, is wrong.

People these days are ridiculous. Celebrities getting married and divorced over and over, like it’s no big deal. If you’re not going to mean it, don’t get married. If you’re going to break up in a year, don’t get married. That’s what dating is for. Because let me tell you, marriage is not what you think. Marriage is not about love, is not about finding ‘the one,’ and is not about being with someone because they make you happy. Marriage is a commitment. That, is the first problem with society. Oh we love each other; we’re going to be together forever. Wrong! Do you know how many people are on this earth? How many billions? And you think you found the one single person that was meant for you sitting next to you in your college lecture or work cubicle? This idea of the ‘one’ is what corrupts marriage. People get married, then decided they don’t love each other anymore, or not as much, or they find someone that makes them happier. Bam, divorce. Unless you meet every single person of the earth’s billions, it’s impossible that you find the single best person for you on this earth. Love is hormones; it’s a feeling that will most likely change at some point. And it has absolutely nothing to do with marriage.

Do you know what a vow means? It’s a solemn promise, an oath. You make a solemn promise when you get married, to be together until death, no matter what. That’s another problem. People just throw these words around like they mean nothing. Marriage is a legal, binding contract. Because people take these verbal promises for granted, they make it a legal contract documented on paper. And people still mess it up!

You’re not ending up divorced 5 times like you’re mother. You’re going to be like me, married for 55 years to one man, from an arranged marriage. You learn to live with each other. You learn to ‘love’ one another. Divorce is not an option. You end up married to this man, or not at all. Divorcees are liars; your mother is a liar. She broke one of the most solemn promises humans can make. More than once at that. No, no my dear. Not you. No granddaughter of mine will end up a liar.

-Grandma

This is awful

            The United States of America should make arranged marriages mandatory. This would make life so much easier. You wouldn’t have to worry that one day when your 30 your going to have to settle for some German lady named Helga with more hair on her back then you have on your whole body. If your dad had great taste in woman and you got to be single all the way till college ended, I don’t see any flaws in this argument. Imagine all the pretty girls at college bars who would be disappointed in there future husbands so they would settled for average looking guys like me.  Even the divorce rates would fall drastically because no one would have a choice!

Voice= My sexist meathead friends