D & D

Hi there! I know we haven't known each other very long or anything, but I'm going to go ahead and ask you for a little favor, mmkay? Pretty, pretty please never say the words "facade" or "evocative" ever again. My heart hurts a little more every time I hear them, and if you say these words even just once again, I think my head might explode a little too. I can't really blame you for my abhorrence of the f word, this is mostly because Leslie used it in 1281 like most people use the word "like," but the e word is all you buddy. I even looked up some synonyms for you, courtesy of thesaurus.com: expressive, redolent, graphic. So to conclude my rant, I'd just like to say that I mean no disrespect, but seriously you might kill me if you keep this up. And then my mom would have to hate you.

Now for blogging!

I'm actually really confused by this blog topic. Okay, nevermind, not any more. I went to deviantart.com, and got some ideas. On this website, there are a ton of entries that portray women in an exceptionally dominant manner. Once again, I have goal 3, which is promote gender equality and empower women. In the presentation of our project, I know we have to be especially conscious not to make our goals for women to not be especially dominant persay, but equal. It can be a really fine line, I know, and I even find myself slipping and making the mistake of confusing women in a dominant role over men as women in an equal role to men. It often feels like we must overcompensate in the areas where we have been slighted in the past. But alas! That's not the goal.

Sooo, this blog entry, haha. Well my ideas for the presentation of this project are pretty simple, I'd say. I would really like a layout and presentation for this project that absolutely BLEEDS of equality, but does not scream it blatantly. In a perfect world, our presentation would be completely understated and factual. I don't know if we're supposed to or encouraged to add fluff/fillers, but I really hope not because I have been trained in my entire career as a student to avoid this at all costs.

You know, come to think of it, I find design SO. INCREDIBLY. CONFUSING. I honestly can't figure out if this class is helping me at all or losing me even more. I didn't really understand what was expected of us for this project until today when Jeff aided me and one of my group members. Therefore, this blog prompt also confuses me. And I believe my entire entry here is really disjointed but it's late.

Posted by lavas003 at 6:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sorry, I'm so sorry I forgot to do this blog!!! I am doing it now however, but I still apologize :(

Alright, now to blogging and shiz. I think a really good example of how the designed environment supports who I am would be my room. At the beginning of a semester, we get thrown in to a random room and are basically forced to "make it work" if you will. Well, make it work we certainly do! I love that, even INSIDE the designed environment, we in turn get to design our own environment. That's some deep stuff right there. So once my camera starts working, I'm going to put some pictures of room up and give a little narration!! Okay it's still not working so I'm going to do blog prompt 6 while it continues to not work..

Posted by lavas003 at 6:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Okay so I won't lie, this blog prompt is a little confusing to me. But hey, I'll play along. So, assuming I was released from the constraints of architecture school, what would I do to impact my environment...

First, I would research about a topic I am extremely interested in, which is the unethical treatment of women across the world. Every great project begins with research, so that is definitely fundamental. After this, my big plan would be to make a documentary detailing the oppression of women on each of the seven continents.

I'll add pictures and more later!!

Posted by lavas003 at 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Okay, well first of all I have to say I'm PSYCHED I got my first pick for this project. Gender equality is an issue that I care a TON about. There are enough things to say about how women are degraded in the U.S., but this nothing compared to the way women are abused in other parts of the world, especially Africa and the Middle East. I really can't wait to get started working on this project with my group!!

“What all the ads and all the whoreoscopes seemed to imply was that if only you were narcissistic enough, if only you took proper care of your smells, your hair, your boobs, your eyelashes, your armpits, your crotch, your stars, your scars, and your choice of Scotch in bars--you would meet a beautiful, powerful, potent, and rich man who would satisfy every longing, fill every hole, make your heart skip a beat (or stand still), make you misty, and fly you to the moon (preferably on gossamer wings), where you would live totally satisfied forever.� - Erica Jong

“A community is democratic only when the humblest and weakest person can enjoy the highest civil, economic, and social rights that the biggest and most powerful possess.� - A. Philip Randolph

“Being a woman is a terribly difficult task, since it consists principally in dealing with men.� - Joseph Conrad

“Activism is my rent for living on this planet.� - Alice Walker

For my first quote, just know that I wasn't looking at a man hating feminist website, I just found this and it made me laugh. It also conveys very strongly the high standards women are held up to, not just by men, but by other women also. The second quote I love because I think the idea of equality seems quite unattainable or utopian to certain people; to me, this quote completely inspires the idea of equality as something quite within reach. The third quote I threw in because it also made me laugh and I love that this man is looking from a women's point of view :) The last quote just really resided with me as inspiration for this project. It illustrates perfectly the idea that for all we take from the earth and each other, we must do all we can to give back an equal amount.

Playlist:
1. "Come Together" - The Beatles
2. "Invincible" - Pat Benetar
3. "Little Black Sandals" - Sia
4. "Survivor" - Destiny's Child

The music I chose to relate to this project really means, in essence, strength to me. I interpret "Come Together" not necessarily in a peace-y, let's all make love way, but that WOMEN need to band together to create a strong front that demands equality in every aspect. Equality need not be earned; conversely, it should be related to the idea of freedom, which is a birth right.

The remaining songs are about women and power. Power lies in our choices, and these songs really illustrate how our choices can make or break this power.

pictures: www.unicef.org, www.stuffem.files.wordpress.com

Posted by lavas003 at 1:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Okay, I must say, it was really hard for me to think of something to say for this topic. Wanna know why? Well I'm going to tell you even if you don't cuz this is MY blog bitches. I am too easily appeased. I think that lately, I have been looking at things like, well, I probably can't do anything to fix this anyway, so I better just get used to it. Like transportation, OOOF that's a biggie, which is exactly why I'm not going to write about that. I WOULD write about the homeless, but I talked to a ton of jerks that are already doing that, so I don't want to be lame. INSTEAD, I'm going to be a little egocentric here for a moment, and write about a personal problem.

My problem is that I have many friends that live on the east bank of campus, and wouldn't you know it, I got stuck on the west bank. What a pisser. So, solutions: 1) make new friends, 2) move to the east, 3) bitch about it, 4) devise a sweet plan for a tunnel that goes straight from the east bank dorms to middlebrook!! Okay, solution 1 is simply out of the question. I am just not good at making new friends. Apparently, I come across as standoffish, and when I do talk, I swear a lot so that doesn't exactly say "Hey let's be bff!!!!" Number 2 I just can't, I don't want to offend my roommate and all and plus I have a lot of stuff and it sucked to move it once. Solution 3, I've already done. Quite a bit. Basically all first semester. So that leaves number 4!!!

Okay, I realize that there is an enormous river in the way, but there should totally be a tunnel that AT LEAST goes from here to Coffman. Despite it being hellishly cold, it would make my life a lot more convenient. It SUCKS to have to walk from middlebrook to the effin bus stop in sub zero temperatures and then walk from the bus stop on the east bank to see people. It's a frickin treck, no lie. And honestly, dealing with the river issue, can there not be like a tunnel spiel that goes THROUGH the river??? I've seen that shit happen in aquariums and whatnot, don't tell me it can't be done. It would be super cool too, I would definitely invest in that.

So c'mon, they can build frickin cantalievers and all that other impressive shit but they can't build one g.d. tunnel?!?! Bitch, please.

And I think this really qualifies as a social design issue because I'd design the tunnel to help my social life issues.

Posted by lavas003 at 6:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hmm, energy, flow and transformation through the city... Well the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of energy would have to be the people of the city. Everyone always seems to be in a rush to get somewhere, or maybe I naturally gravitate towards fast walkers, I don't know. People just seem to be all hyped up about everything... but I guess the people who take it slow are less noticeable in that respect.
When I think of flow, I think of the Mississippi River. It brings an amazing aspect of nature to an extremely urban area, and I think it is very important that we can maintain some connection with nature, especially in the middle of such a large metropolis. Simple as that.
Finally, transformation actually brings to mind the subject of architecture. Walking or driving through the city, the extreme diversity of buildings and culture just seem to meld or transform into each other, but not in a crap way, in a good way. In a way that can leave you proud and awed at what the people before you created individually, yet managed to make connect with the surrounding area. I supposed this could go along with the idea of flow also.
Weeeeell that's all I've got for this blog! I hope it doesn't suck.

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