Chinese Cultural Revolution Photos

When Chairman Mao was attempting to regain power, one of his plans was to rally the people against the "Four Olds"; old culture, old habits, old customs, and old ideas. People were told to revolt against the Four Olds, that it was the biggest battle yet. A group called the Red Guards were created to help enforce the struggle against Fourolds. And it worked. People were up in arms about anything that could be considered "Fourold", attacking store signs, unfit clothing, and even people who were deemed "old-fashioned". This picture depicts one of countless instances of citizens in the street forming together to attack a fourold, in this case, a sign.

Ji-Li bears witness to this kind of behavior many times in her experience. She remembers the first time people came together to attack a sign. They put more and more force on it trying to break it, kicking it, stamping on it, even smashing it into the ground. Eventually they bring out an axe and chop it into pieces. After that, public destructions of fourolds become commonplace. Red Guards run rampant through the streets, attacking anything they see unfit. The schools introduce the "Red Successors" so that even Grade School kids can get in on the red power.

GPA College Blog 2

Looking back at my GPA from last semester, I remember how horrified I was when I discovered that it was less than the 4.0 I had expected. But now that my GPA has dropped to a 3.5, my previous fear over having a 3.75 doesn't seem so bad. Not that I'm shocked with my new grade at this point. 3.5 is perfectly reasonable considering the B+ I have in Math/Physics, and the completely abysmal B- I have in Spanish (and even that doesn't seem so bad when it used to be a C). The fact that it is even so high is primarily contributed to the combination of my current GPA with last semester's, which was significantly higher. Without the combo, my grade would be residing closer to the 3.33 range. Clearly, the 3.3 has got to go if I want to get into any sort of respectable school.

I was at odds against my first and second schools (USC and CalArts respectively), getting opinions from both sides about which one I should do. It was really tearing me apart until I realized that I could simply go to one after the other. I never really cared about that third school. Anyway, my plan is to first go to USC (rockin' film school there) and then go to CalArts (best animation course in the world). This way, I get double the education, and don't have to make such a tough choice.

I can't really reflect on my past answers for this question, because they were contextual to the current situation I was in. In more general terms this time, I basically need to improve all of my grades, especially Spanish, which is currently at an abysmal 81%. I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS. So I'm going to need to do very well on the upcoming project, or else I have no hope of getting it up to something reasonable. I should also work on getting my Math grade from a B+ to an A, and just overall improving my Humanities grade.

Suheir Hammad & Marjane Satrapi-Part 2

In her Def Poem, Suheir Hammad says, "Smoke where once was flesh". Here she is signifying how humanity is the ignition of revolution. The flesh of life is set aflame by the revolutionary ideas of free thinkers, and as the revolution comes full circle, the self-destruction of the revolutionaries themselves burns the flash, leaving nothing but the smokey remains of humanity. She also says, "Thank you to the woman who saw me blinking back tears. She opened her arms before she asked 'Do you want a hug?'" Here she uses her experience during the dark times that surrounded the Crisis on Terror, to show that even in humanity's worst times, where hope seems all but lost, those who give their hearts out, who invest in people during their moments of weakness, who accept those for who they really are, and reject the social values set by society, these few people are able to find a silver lining in the chaos.

Suheir Hammad & Marjane Satrapi on War

Today in class, we listened to one of Suheir Hammad's incredible poems. While the entirety of her presentation was very inspiring, a few lines in particular stuck out to me. First off, there was the line"I will not dance to your war drum". This signifies that despite the government's propaganda, their lies and their trickery, despite all of the things that they say, she will not give in to it all and support the violence.

Next, she says "I will not hate for you, nor will I hate you", which shows that her choice is not binary. Just because she does not support her country's decision to go to war, she will not turn her back on it either. The last interesting line here is, "We cherish corpses". Here, she is deconstructing the concept of martyrs, saying that they have been so overblown with importance, so infused with sacredness, that in some cases a dead boy is valued more than one who is still living.

Suheir Hammad & Marjane Satrapi both have very similar opinions on war. Both parties wish to stay away from violence, war, and overblown nationalism and stay relatively neutral within their boundaries. Despite this, they still love their country, and do want to remain supportive of its non-repressive endeavors. They despise how the martyrs are treated, and how all who oppose the country are considered enemies of the war and executed. All in all, both Suheir & Marjane do not wish to get wrapped up in the crazy political turmoil their country has created.

Islamic Holidays

Islamic New Year marks the beginning of the Muslim calender. People gather in mosques and pray. Ashura is the tenth day of the Muslim calendar. It commemorates the martyrdom of Mohammed’s grandson, Hussein. Reenactments and plays are performed in memory of him. Some Muslims beat and flog themselves. Mawlid an-Nabi marks the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed. Muslims focus on life and teachings of Mohammed. Some consider it to not be a holiday. 

Laylat al-Miraj is a holiday that celebrates Mohammed's night journey, where he ascended to heaven and met with the other prophets, before finally negotiating with Allah so that Muslims only had to pray 5 times a day. It is the most important holiday for Muslims. It is celebrated by telling children the story of Mohammed's Nightr Journey, as well as a feast of treats. 

Laylat al Baraat is a day of preperation two weeks before Ramadan. It is known as the "Night of Emancipation". Ramadan is the longest holiday in the Islamic Religion, spanning the entire ninth month of the Islamic Calendar. During this holiday, all who are of able physical and mental condition are required to fast during the day for the entire month. At the end of the month, Eid ul-Fitr, a huge three-day celebration takes place. Kids go door to door asking for treats, people visit each other, and everyone asks for forgiveness.

Current Events-Iran

Iran is a country out in the Middle East. At  1,648,195 sq km, it is the 18th largest country in Asia. That's roughly the size of Alaska. The government is a theocratic republic, where most of the power is given to religious figures. Almsot the entire population of the country are Muslims, with a staggering rate of 98% Muslim. The majority of the populace speaks Persian, and roughly three-quarters of the country is literate.

In other news, the Iran Government is being criticized for its increased usage of the death sentences. Critics accuse the government of using the death sentence as a threat to the populace, and even abandoning due process in trials. It seems their allegations are at least partly true, with over 150 executions last year and already 67 this year, totaling about  

2 per day at this point.

Street Art....?

1. I noticed that the artists incorporated a lot of personal things in their work. For example, Invader was always posting Spce Invader tiles all around the city. The artists also used a variety of different styles. While Invader mostly used tiles, Banksy used spray cans and posters to convey his messages.

2. I was amazed by how "Mr Brainwash" was able to get his art so loved and recognized despite that fact that he was....not exactly an artist. He was a total dumbass.
He didn't know anything about art- hell, he actually HIRED people to do the art for him. He just came up with some basic, stupid concepts. And yet, somehow, everyone bought into it. Un-freaking-believable.

3. All of the artists used their craft to convey their message in different ways. For example, Banksy had the "Elephant in the Room" exhibit for his first art show. He painted an elephant like the wallpaper in the room to convey how people can often miss things. I too can use art to convey a message.