eARTh

So true. What would this world be like without art? Where would people get ideas for anything? How would people express their creativity? Being trained as an artist myself, this quote basically feeds my ego. Its basically saying the world without us artists is just mundane and boring. Somewhat true but not absolute. 

What defines "art"? My 8 years of formal, artistically trained eyes can't even distinguish what really makes art. Sometimes I can understand. It maybe the "wow" factor or the "stop and stare" factor. What makes people stroll across galleries and stop at certain pieces of work? I don't know, maybe its different tastes. On average no one can truly see the Mona Lisa because of the crowd is always present at the Louvre. There are those pieces of work that you can get you awestruck. However theres also the strange handful that gives you the "wth" thoughts. 

Salvador Dali, one of my favs.

James Jean <-------Love this contemporary guy as well. Amazing. Too good to just choose one.

In today's society, art is generally a form of either massive appreciation and criticism. "Who the heck would display such things" or "damn thats impressive". I guess society considers static, visual forms as art. What about the others? By others I mean the writers, the musicians, the everyday photo blogger, and maybe even you who read/write/browse tumblrs and blogs. Artists are so selfish. They want to keep that title to themselves. The static bunch who create static images unable to break the stasis quo. 

I don't usually see "artists" as ones who can create such beautiful images through words alone. I don't see "artists" as ones who can immerse the audience in a new level of soundscape through the blending and meshing of harmonies and melodies. I don't see "artists" as ones who dazzle consumers through their exquisite use of everyday foods and craft them into tasteful masterpieces.

Personally I believe the title of "artist" is incomplete without "the others". Its just ignorant on their part to exclude people who clearly have the same passions as them, making Earth a non-mundane world.

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Bible Progress - Numbers 26

Cults

Justin Bieber's movie which was released couple of days ago has a 1/10 rating across the board. Critics give it a 62% rating to please some of his mindless female fans but completely lol-ed at the fact that its also in 3D. I have nothing against the guy. I don't like him nor do I hate him. I just think hes starting to get in way over his head. Personally I think that Bieber is not at that stage in his career where a whole movie is dedicated to him. Fan service probably. He just started his career and who knows how long that'll last. Never Say Never has been compared to Michael Jackson's This Is It. That in itself completely outraged probably half the world minus the Bieber girls. The overall summary of that comparison goes something like this: "@$#%$ Bieber %#%$% Bieber @$#!% Bieber @$%# Bieber".

Justin Bieber should just go to Korea. By sheer fangirl power alone he would take over the country. Bieber fans are becoming kpop fangirls, God forbid. They would do anything, ANYTHING, to help their "idols". They create a borderline cult within themselves. It freaks me out to the max when I see some of the stuff fangirls/boys would do to "help" their idols. All I know is that Korean fangirls are mindless zombies, at least American fangirls still retain their human brain, for now anyways. I don't know where these girls get the mindset that sending a letter written in blood during their period is romantic. Why is it okay to spend every single penny of your college savings to buy a useless gift that the celebrity doesn't even care about? Why would you put your entire future in jeopardy dropping out of school "for your celebrity's sake"? No, that is not even classified as peaceful protest. You guys just retarded. Period. 

Guy fans are no different. The SNSD disease has contaminated Korean fanboys. Fanboys are more physically active when it comes to defending their idols' image. Dream Concert couple of years ago stirred up a huge controversy when fanboys were literally beating the crap out of fangirls for booing at SNSD's performance. They justified it as "defending their girlfriend's honor". Many were hospitalized yet none were justified. Police dismissed it as "crude behavior". My patience is severely tested when I read these types of (I dub them) cult stories. I especially get ticked when fangirls and boys spend all their parents' hard earned money into ridiculous junk for the celebrities. Makes me wanna just knock some sense into every single one of them, but that would put me down at their level so I just choose to lol behind my computer screen like a cyber bully. Me writing this entry pretty much puts me down at their level as well anyways. I can almost see Bieber fangirls becoming this. Hopefully American girls will have a little more common sense than these mindless, non-human korean fans. Its stuff like this that completely degrades a generation as a whole. Wake up Generation Y, its time to start living like human beings, not post-apocalyptic-brainless-inhumane beaches. 

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Bible Progress - Numbers 15

Eye Iza Kollage Stewdant

I think that is how I write my papers. Its been a year now since I've written a paper for a class. Back in the days of AP Lang and Lit, I used to be beastly in writing papers. Ironically I outscored my non-asian counterparts in both reading and writing on the SATs yet failed miserably on the math section. Those glorious days are gone now. I had to write a paper for my Asian American class. It was a measly 4-pages but it seemed like an eternity to me.

I remember days when I used to love writing, especially during the xanga era. Its kind of embarrassing when I read over my past entries. Such emo-ness. Whatever was on my mind I ranted and vented through xanga. It felt good at the time when you would see those eprops rack up. The joy of writing carried over to high school. I took AP Language as well as AP Literature. Both classes I did ok on the AP exam (not that it matters in college) but I can recall bs-ing everything with my lovely friend, sparknotes.

In college my writing skills took plummeted. I assumed that since the university makes everyone take WRT 105 and 205, my writing skills would improve. I did get good grades but I feel like my writing skill decreased. Maybe its not the skill but rather the desire to write. I hate writing such formal papers like my sociology paper. Its definitely not my style. It took me less than 6 minutes to write this much on my blog but it took me 1 hr to write this much on my sociology paper. Blogging has definitely kept me writing about whatever the heck I want. Sometimes I get this desire to write hence most of my blog entries are just random mumbojumbo. I like it. I am a pretty "go with the flow" guy myself and I guess it sort of carried over to everything I do, including writing...and my sociology paper. Fail -.-;;

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Bible Progress - Numbers 1

Apples to Apples

Transmedia is flooded with Apple. You can almost smell the fruitiness of it from a mile away. I dare you to bring the new Windows phone to Shaefer, you may not leave alive. VPA is so immersed in Appleness that a PC user is basically shunned from everything. Walking down the halls of shaefer, students are working on their Macbooks in all forms: pro, air, vintage, ibook, g4s. We text, schedule, and do assignments on our iPhones and for the handful that are better off, iPads. I can always spot a VPA major in an academic environment. We always tend to write "notes" on our laptops or our sketchbooks. Half of the time we draw our notes in our sketchbooks and for some odd reason, we have our own dress code. Our professors are decked out in the most prestigious apple gear. Shaefer, ComArt, Crouse, and the Warehouse are havens for mac users and hell for PC users. 

Want to print something? Gotta print it from a mac. 

Want to use internet? Safari and Chrome only. 

Everywhere you go you see the shining apple logo from everyone's macbooks and the familiar text tone of the iPhone. I admit, I have conformed to this apple nation. I can't help it. I wouldn't be able to do anything if I didn't have my Mac. In fact I've become so immersed in it that I have lost the ability to work a PC. I was trying to set up my personal preferences in the library PCs but I completely forgot how to change even my wallpaper. Apple has become my choice for tech. I cannot work with any other phone except my iPhone (and some of the Droids). Our professors absolutely despise and hate Windows with a burning passion. The first day of CAR 430 last semester was spent as a rant-fest of how we all hated Windows. The first hour of TRM 451 this semester was spent as a bash-fest on Blackberries. The nerd rage that goes on in class is my source of entertainment on Mondays and Tuesdays. Its interesting because ironically, those that hate Microsoft can't work without MS Office. Honestly I'm a 80% mac person. The other 20% goes out to Windows for gaming and MS Office. 

I'm an apple convert and probably will stay that way for the rest of my life. I think all my fellow readers who are designers, producers, writers, artists, or just creatives in general can agree with me when I say Apple is definitely catered towards the creatives. Rarely do you see apple products in Whitman or Life Sciences. Overall it just comes down to personal preference unless you reside in one of the VPA buildings. Than you're forced to join the apple fanatics cult.

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Bible Progress - Leviticus Ch.2

God grant me serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.

Amen.

My life motto. Living one day at a time and enjoying one moment at a time at the Grove. Could not ask for a better last retreat. Bittersweet with a hint of saltiness.

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Bible Progress - Exodus Ch.21

We Weren't Born to Follow

I refuse to conform to society.
So why should I conform to the nonconformists?

I refuse to be ignored.
It doesn't mean I'll be arrogant.

I refuse to be silent.
It doesn't mean I'll shout out hypocrisy.

I refuse to be prideful.
So I just won't let up any room for self absorbing thought.

I refuse to be violent.
Doesn't mean I won't fight back.

I refuse to be pushed aside.
So I'll march against the main problem.

I refuse to be melting away in a melting pot.
So I'll be the one stirring the pot.

I refuse to be utterly destroyed.
So I'll stand up in the path of a devastating tank.

I refuse to be the book everyone reads.
I'll be the author of thousands.

I refuse to be a chicken, spending everyday of my life looking at the ground.
So I'll be the eagle, spending everyday of my life soaring above the clouds.

I refuse to change the world.
I want to be the catalyst for thousands to change the world.

I refuse to be drowned in my own evil.
So I'll build an ark.

I refuse to have my beliefs trampled.

I refuse to have my morals spat on.

I refuse to let my inner devil take control.

I refuse to let my inner saint be overpowered.

I refuse to follow the world.

Because we weren't born to follow.

I refuse to walk away when He calls.

This I will not refuse.

-Etrnl Creativity 2011

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Bible Progress - Genesis Ch.37

2011 and 1754 Pages to Go

Happy new years everyone!
Happy birthday Etrnl Creativity, you are now 3 years old.

...and with that we welcome a new year, new challenges, new blessings untold, and new memories.

I'm always fascinated around this time of the year when people always says "I know 20xx will be a good one", despite the fact that next year they're going to say "2011 was such a bad year, 2012 will be a good one". These people I've never understood but I guess its nice to hope for the best for a refreshing new year.

2011 is going to be the biggest year of my life thus far. In 1st grade when we had to take our state exams, we bubbled in our expected year of college graduation. In 1995, 2011 seemed like an eternity away. Senior year of high school we filled out our college apps and checked "class of 2011". Even then did 2011 seem like an eternity away. 4 years of high school felt like forever but 4 years of college just went poof. This is the year where many things will happen in my life, milestones will be accomplished, and the true beginning of the "real world". Theres many things that I want to do this year but it narrows down to one thing that I've finally mustered up enough willpower and faith to do; read the whole bible, cover to cover. Today I have read Genesis 1-3. Its something I've been wanting to do since forever but could never find the will to do. Maybe 2011 will finally be "the" year. I'll be reading on a 3 chapter a day schedule and if I follow it, I should be finished with the whole bible by December 27th, 2011. Once school picks up and job rush hits its gonna get tough. Hopefully I'm committed enough this time around. Personally it'll be a nice little test of faith and commitment.

From here on out I'll be posting my current place in the bible after every entry. My goal is to write "Revelation 22" at the end of my last entry for the year. 2011 has risen over the horizon and we've got 365 days to welcome new adventures and endure new hardships. 

I'm not a big fan of ddukgook but tradition calls and now I've gotta go get some. 

Have a blessed new year everyone!

Bible Progress - Genesis Ch.3