Monday, April 18, 2011

Reaction to class 4-11-11

I thought that the description on the second half of the "remember that project" assignment would be a good thing to address in the reaction to class blog since it really covered the subjects of that class. I said in the previous blog that I really haven't had any particular trouble with any of the assignments, but I don't really have issues sharing in a group and feel I know myself quite well, I can certainly see how people would have trouble with some of the personal subject matter. I don't know if I particularly experienced as much growth as some of the others however the class was new and occasionally a breath of air. The class was sometimes stifling as well, as when you could feel the tension others were holding and when it got so personal it almost felt like group therapy for people in the room. People go to group therapy in groups of people with relatable problems, when you listen to an issue that is far removed from you it is hard to feel involved and relatable. The girl who answered "why are you here" so fervently had the problem of a lack of passion and creativity, where I feel I have too many things I want to do and sometimes I zero in to the point of obsession on certain things so others I want fall to the wayside. 




Remember that project?

I don't think that any one thing is really my "wellspring of creativity", but I find many things inspiring. Art, films, music, even low brow commercials can have redeeming value when you are interested in the creative aspect. I try and hope I accomplish uniqueness in the work that I do, but when you are influenced by things  I feel some of that will inevitably show through. I haven't really had particularly had trouble being creative or extra troubles with any assignments in this course, I have had assignments that it was hard to get into doing because of the content and also the level of openness and therefore personal subject matter. Sometimes I feel like sharing and other times I just want to be alone or anonymous. We were put on the spot by this assignment with the call to make something unique and memorable. This call is a tall order, and  if I ever have something that not really stifles my uniqueness and creativity as much as makes me want to withhold it is to have it demanded. If I can stay organic I try to do that. Here is a picture I found in my phone; I took it on 4/13, it was done in joking, I don't remember the person's name just that it was a friend of a friend, I didn't remember taking it, it is somewhat unique, it happened organically, and now it is memorable.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Fear Blog


Examine the situation.

This is what I asked you to do in the beginning of this assignment. What is fear, etc.?
Fear is a response to a perceived threat that is a necessary adaptation for survival as well as an integral part or the fight or flight response.

Formulate an experiment.

Play with the idea of fear and come up with an idea for something you can create (or do) that explores your thoughts on this idea.
I have already understood and faced my main fear for quite some time. I have the same fear which actually lies somewhere in between the distinction of fear and anxiety for almost my entire life. I will revisit my largest initial bout in facing the fear, a visit to an old folks home.

Hypothesize the expected outcome.

How do you think people (your classmates) will react to what you came up with?

I expect that people will see my fear as a fairly understandable anxiety. As my fear is one or reasoning and it is not an acute fear but a dull and long lasting one my arguments rationalizing the anxiety may pass well into understanding by other people in the class. Past family relationships that each student has had will play a roll in how they interpret the subject.


Conduct the experiment.
Share/present what you came up with in class.
I gave a rundown of the attached presentation in class.

Observe the reaction.
Take notes of how people actually did respond to your creation (or whatever it was) in class. Somehow document your findings so you can refer to them later.

I feel that some people thought the fear was understandable, but didn’t speak up or comment. I did notice some understanding looks and nodding from certain members of the class, however there were some that might have thought the subject matter was crass. I have a take it or leave it presentation style that might have gotten the disapproving reactions so it is hard to say if it directly related to the fear itself.

Analysis of hypothesis with actual outcome.
Compare your notes on the actual reaction you got from your class mates (and me) with what you expected would happen.

I feel that my hypothesis followed the reactions rather closely except for the disapproval of my presentation style I mentioned above.

Propose changes to your idea based on what happened.

I could propose some style changes in the delivery of my fear as I mentioned above, but if it is about me then whatever way I present personal subject matter should be correct. The only other thing of my fear presentation I would change would be adding some video as it might have helped grab people’s attention more and therefore made people more open to the validity of my fear.

Then discuss the experience/presentation from class which you responded to most strongly, be it yours or someone else's. Answer these questions on your blog.
What was it and who did it?
Why did you respond to it so strongly?
How does it impact how you see your own project?

I didn’t feel strongly about anyone else’s, they were sometimes understandable, but my only fear is my own. I did feel that some presentation methods were interesting, and that made me think about making my own project less static.


 Worst things about aging;

Everyone you know dies
List by the United Nations (2005-2010)







Rank
Country (State/territory)
Life expectancy at birth (years)
Overall
Life expectancy at birth (years)
Male
Life expectancy at birth (years)
Female
1
82.6
78.0
86.1
2
82.2
79.4
85.1
3
81.8
80.2
83.3
4
81.7
79.0
84.2
5
81.2
78.9
83.6
6
80.9
77.7
84.2
7
80.9
78.7
83.0
8
80.7
78.5
82.8
9
80.7
78.5
82.8
10
80.7
77.1
84.1
11
80.7
78.3
82.9
12
80.5
77.5
83.5
13
80.2
78.2
82.2
13
80.2
77.8
82.5
15
80.0
78.0
81.9
16
79.8
76.9
82.6
16
79.8
77.5
81.9
18
79.5
76.5
82.3
18
79.5
77.1
81.9
20
79.4
76.5
82.3
20
79.4
77.3
81.3
20
79.4
77.2
81.6
20
79.4
76.5
82.1
20
79.4
75.5
83.3
25
79.3
76.1
82.4
26
79.2
76.0
82.2
27
79.0
76.6
81.5
27
79.0
76.5
81.6
29
78.9
76.5
81.3
30
78.8
76.5
81.2
31
78.7
74.7
82.7
31
78.7
75.7
81.6
31
78.7
77.2
81.5
34
78.6
75.0
82.2
34
78.6
75.5
81.5
36
78.3
76.0
80.6
36
78.3
76.2
80.4
36
78.3
75.6
80.8
39
78.1
75.0
81.2
40
77.9
74.1
81.5
41
77.6
76.0
79.9
42
77.3
74.4
79.8
43
77.1
75.0
79.7
44
76.5
73.4
79.5
45
76.4
72.3
80.5
45
76.4
73.4
79.7
45
76.4
72.8
79.9
48
76.2
73.7
78.6
49
76.1
73.3
79.2
49
76.1
72.8
79.7
51
75.9
72.5
79.9
52
75.7
72.3
79.2
53
75.6
74.2
77.5
53
75.6
74.3
77.5
53
75.6
75.2
76.4
53
75.6
71.3
79.8
57
75.5
73.0
78.2
58
 GuamUS)
75.5
73.3
77.9
59
75.3
71.6
79.1
60
75.1
71.3
78.8
61
75.0
72.1
78.0
62
74.9
72.2
77.4
63
74.7
70.7
78.5
64
74.5
72.4
76.8
65
74.2
72.3
76.2
65
74.2
72.0
76.7
65
74.2
71.3
77.1
65
74.2
71.8
76.6
69
74.1
72.3
76.1
69
74.1
71.7
76.8
71
74.0
71.7
76.3
71
74.0
71.7
76.9
73
 Tunisia (10% above world average)
73.9
71.9
76.0
74
73.7
70.9
76.8
74
73.7
71.8
75.6
76
73.5
70.6
76.3
77
73.4
71.8
75.0
78
73.3
69.2
77.4
78
73.3
72.3
74.3
80
73.0
69.5
76.7
80
73.0
67.5
78.3
80
73.0
71.3
74.8
83
72.9
69.9
76.0
83
72.9
69.2
76.6
85
72.8
69.5
76.2
85
72.8[4]
70.9
75.3
87
72.7
67.3
77.7
88
72.6
70.0
75.2
89
72.5
70.8
74.5
89
72.5
69.0
76.1
91
72.4
68.8
76.2
91
72.4
68.8
76.1
93
72.3
70.9
73.7
94
72.2
69.3
75.5
95
72.0
69.9
74.2
95
72.0
68.4
75.1
97
71.9
68.8
74.9
98
71.8
69.4
74.3
98
71.8
69.7
73.9
100
71.7
69.5
73.9
100
71.7
68.3
74.5
102
71.6
69.5
73.8
103
71.5
68.5
74.8
104
71.4
68.9
74.0
104
71.4
65.9
76.8
106
71.3
69.1
73.6
107
71.2
69.0
73.4
108
71.0
67.1
74.8
108
71.0
69.4
72.6
110
70.7
68.7
72.7
111
70.6
66.5
75.0
112
70.3
66.7
73.8
113
70.2
67.0
73.6
113
70.2
66.9
73.7
115
70.0
68.3
72.1
116
69.8
67.8
71.8
117
69.0
63.1
75.2
118
68.9
65.1
72.5
119
68.8
66.6
71.1
120
68.7
67.0
70.3
121
68.5
67.7
69.3
121
68.5
67.6
69.5
123
67.9
62.1
73.8
124
67.5
63.8
71.2
125
67.3
65.1
69.3
126
67.2
64.0
70.4
-
 World Avg.
67.2
65.0
69.5
127
67.0
61.6
72.4
128
66.8
64.2
69.9
128
66.8
63.9
69.9
130
66.7
64.1
69.4
131
65.9
64.3
68.1
131
65.9
62.0
69.9
133
65.6
64.0
67.5
133
65.6
63.4
67.7
135
65.5
63.6
67.4
135
65.5
65.2
65.8
135
65.5
61.83
72.6
138
65.2
63.0
67.4
139
64.7
63.2
66.4
140
64.4
63.0
65.8
141
64.2
62.4
66.0
142
64.1
63.2
65.0
143
63.8
63.2
64.2
144
63.6
62.7
64.5
145
63.2
59.0
67.5
146
63.1
61.0
65.1
147
62.7
61.1
64.3
148
62.1
59.0
65.3
149
60.9
59.1
62.8
150
 East Timor (10% below world average)
60.8
60.0
61.7
151
60.0
59.6
60.5
152
59.7
57.3
61.9
153
59.5
57.8
61.5
154
59.4
58.6
60.3
155
59.4
57.7
61.3
156
58.6
57.1
60.1
157
58.4
56.7
60.1
158
58.0
55.6
60.3
159
57.2
54.6
60.4
160
56.9
57.8
56.0
161
56.7
56.4
57.1
161
56.7
55.6
57.8
163
56.0
54.4
57.6
164
55.3
54.0
56.6
165
54.8
53.6
56.0
166
54.5
52.1
56.6
167
 Kenya (20% below world average)
54.1
53.0
55.2
168
52.9
51.7
54.3
168
52.9
52.5
53.1
170
52.5
51.4
53.6
171
52.3
50.7
53.8
172
51.6
50.4
52.8
173
51.5
50.8
52.2
174
50.7
50.5
50.7
175
50.6
49.3
52.0
176
50.4
50.0
50.8
177
49.6
48.1
51.0
178
49.3
48.8
49.7
179
48.3
47.5
49.3
179
48.3
48.1
48.4
181
48.2
46.9
49.4
182
 Nigeria (30% below world average)
46.9
46.4
47.3
183
46.5
45.2
47.7
184
46.4
44.9
47.9
185
46.2
44.6
47.8
186
45.7
44.8
46.6
187
44.7
43.3
46.1
188
43.8
43.9
43.8
189
43.5
44.1
42.6
190
42.6
42.9
42.3
190
42.6
41.0
44.1
192
42.4
42.1
42.5
193
42.1
41.7
42.4
194
 Swaziland (40% below world average)
39.6
39.8
39.4

Frailty
Walkers
Arthritis
Wrinkles
Muscle loss
Aches
Fatigue
Eating at 4:30pm

Mental faculties

“Millions of older Americans—indeed, the majority—cope constructively with the physical limitations, cognitive changes, and various losses, such as bereavement, that frequently are associated with late life.”

-Mental Health; Report of the Surgeon General

Inevitable
Reminders

building ruins
’He not busy being born is busy dying’
Bob Dylan

Burden

 On family

Taxpayers

Sometimes the public

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 20, 2006
No Jail For Elderly Driver In Market Crash
Calif. Judge Gives 89-Year-Old Probation For 2003 Market Crash That Killed 10
By Christine Lagorio

“Weller was 86 when his 1992 Buick Le Sabre plowed at freeway speed into the crowded farmers market on July 16, 2003. In addition to the 10 killed, more than 70 people were injured.”

Irrelevant
Target audience
Products
Music