Save the Earth Do This

RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLERECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLERECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLERECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLERECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLERECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLERECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLERECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE

REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE

REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE

REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE REUSE 

REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCEREDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCEREDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCEREDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCEREDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCEREDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCEREDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCEREDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE 

Invisible (short narrative)

I never understood my fascination with being invisible.  Being invisible to most means the ability to do whatever you wanted or ultimate freedom. Being invisible can give you that freedom but I'm more drawn to the ability to disappear.
 I long to disappear from this world when things seem to be unbearable . It would mean that I am no longer burdened with the responsibilities I have to others and myself. ] Sometimes I just wish I can make it stop so I can have a moment's rest.
Individuals who are invisible have plenty of time to think. The problems of the world cannot see them to burden them with responsibility, anguish, and stress. If I were invisible, I escape the world I knew for a moment's rest. Too many times my relaxation and happiness has been hindered. Once my work is finished, I will be free of these parasites who want this, take that, and it will be me who can finally want and take.
There are those who say being invisible is being worse than being nothing. Their argument is that being conscious  will being completely ignored is a life worse than hell. I am not fazed by this argument. You have to become less than nothing in order for the parasites not to find you because no matter how much yourself you get rid of, the parasites always manage to find you.
-Ralph Wells ,researcher of Imperceptible Tissue Serum

A Book To Read

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a biography about the life and times of Henrietta Lacks. Henrietta Lacks was an African-American woman who had cancerous cells taken without her knowledge in the 40s. These tumor cells were biologically immortal, meaning that as long they received the nutrients they needed, they would not stop dividing. Researches upon these cells have provided nearly all of the medical developments within the last century. HeLa cells were used to prove the effectiveness of the polio vaccine.  HeLa cells were also used to develop methods for freezing cells without harming or changing them.  This made it possible to send cells around the world using the already-standardized method for shipping frozen foods and frozen sperm for breeding cattle.  These are just few of the many developments brought by her cells. While companies and others benefit from selling and research upon Henrietta’s cells, her family is too poor to afford health insurance and care.

Henrietta lived in a time where taking these cells without her permission was considered okay for someone of her racial and economic status.  Many people didn’t know about or didn’t mind the experimentation on various minorities because of the negative stereotypes they believed in, the extreme prejudice they had against them or just because they had no regard for the lives of these minorities.

In terms of race, this was not the first time unethical medical research was performed on someone of African-American heritage. For example, to observe the natural progression of syphilis, The Tuskegee syphilis experiment researchers chose poor, African American men with syphilis. Controversy arose because these men were not told they had syphilis nor were they treated for it despite the validation of penicillin as a cure for the disease. Researchers chose black subjects because they, like many whites at the time, believed black people were “a notoriously syphilis soaked race”

In terms of her economic status,  many doctors and researchers often took samples from  or experimented on poverty stricken individuals in compensation for free medical care. This was common practice at the time Henrietta’s cancer cells were removed without her consent. Also it was common practice to withhold information from and take samples from patients without their consent to avoid unnecessary fear and hesitation that would hinder scientific study. This is also the case when researchers do not share information regarding procedures and sample removal with the patient’s family. HeLa cell research contributed to the demand of and implementation of an informed consent requirement in research regarding human subjects.  

Movie Review

Movie Review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKFLrTYKIXk

Sin City is one of my all time favorite movies. Sin City was released in 2005 and was written, produced and directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez. It’s based on Miller’s graphic novel series of the same name.   The movie emulates the style of the book with unique black and white color processing with few significant objects appearing in color. The film has an all star cast who’s characters are all unique, meaningful and most of all fun to watch.

Sin City follows three male protagonists in the crime ridden and sinful city of Basin City.  Bruce Willis is cast as John Hartigan, an aging police detective (one of the few good cops)who risks everything to save a little a girl from a serial rapist.  Mickey Rourke is cast as Marv, a veteran with questionable sanity and a lust for revenge against the killer of his one-time sweetheart. Clive Owen is cast as Dwight, the mysterious protector of a town inhabited by independent prostitutes.  The first two performances, stand out the most to me however.

The performances by the three mentioned actors are superb.  You want Bruce Willis to save the girl because you begin to respect the good person he tries to be in a nearly lawless city. He never stops or hesitates to do the right thing no matter how bad he is mutilated and punished by Basin City. He doesn’t care what he has to do or what he has to lose, he will be the knight in shining armor.

Mickey Rourke’s performance as Marv is fantastic as well.  Even though he is arguably a ravaging psycho killer I began to care for his cause as i get to know him. When he is not dismembering criminals in pursuit of his Goldie, he’s the average joe. He drinks a little, he’s self conscience (of his scarred face and body), he visits the occasional strip club, he’s a gentleman and he can be quite the friend.  What I found most remarkable is that he was really convincing as a comic book character. He was quite enjoyable to watch.

Art Review

Art Review

I f****** love comic books. I have spend a great deal of my life trying to read as many as possible and know as much about them as possible. My comic book knowledge can put some nerds to shame (don’t know whether should I be proud or sad of that myself) They have been the major influence on my decision to pursue art throughout my life with the hopes of making my own someday.

My favorite artist is Frank Quietly  (his pen name) who is a Scottish comic book artist. His real name is Vincent Deighan (born 1968).He may sound familiar to people who read comic books. He worked with phenomenal DC writer Grant Morrison on many groundbreaking projects.  Morrison and Quietley teamed up to reinvent the X-men for a modern audience in New X-men, humanize Superman  and recapture his extremely sci-fi roots in All Star Superman, and reveal an all new dynamic duo in Batman and Robin. These books are some of my all time favorites because of  Morrison’s deep understanding of comic book mythology and gift of intricate storytelling and character and Quietly’s  unorthodox  and iconic style.
http://www.liveforfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/all-star-superman.jpg

This piece is from All Star Superman. When I look at his art the first thing I usually notice is his choice in color. The shades of light blue, blue, light red and dark red are not only perfect choices but they are not the outlandish and unbelievable colors often seen in the costumes of superheroes.  Also his sense of detail is remarkable. From the shadows casted by the falling sheets of paper to barely noticeable reflections of superman’s red and blue costume in the glass everything is there.

What the image is representing as well is also amazing. In this picture, Superman is depowered, hiding and forced to rely on a gun to defend himself against a super powered Lex Luthor. That may not seem  like much but after analysis of what that means you realize how amazing the picture. Superman, the most powerful being on the planet, is now facing desperation and perhaps fears of death or the deaths of others.   This accomplishes 2 things, An intensly dramatic situation- if superman is facing desperation, that says something on how dire the situation truly is and the personification of Superman who was once regarded as difficult to relate to but now he is seen feeling desperation and fear like we do.

http://www.jollygoodshow.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/batman-and-robin-12.jpg

This is piece from Batman and Robin (Batman Vs Robin) Again notice his choice in color.  The iconic but not too bright colors of both superheroes contrast of each other nicely. Also Quitely’s sense of detail can be seen in little things like the different types of texture throughout their costumes and the stitches in  the young and new Batman’s  cowl that may have had altered to fit him or that his costume has been battle damaged due to  his inexperience.

This image is representing something amazing as well. In this picture, the former Robin Dick Grayson has become the new Batman and he is fighting his Robin, Damian Wayne the spoiled and illegitimate son of Bruce Wayne.  These are fresh perspectives on iconic characters. Dick Grayson was the former Robin and he replaced Bruce Wayne. He is a more human and more liked Batman and Quitley expressed this by replacing Batman’s usual black primary with a more friendlier blue and giving him a less intimidating body type from than Bruce Wayne.  This Robin was not the Robin Dick was. He is brash, rude, and impulsive and condones the use of lethal force.  This dynamic duo is not the one we are familiar with. Damian does not even see Dick as an equal let alone a partner. They always fight and they compete and this unique comic book relationship is depicted perfectly in this image.

We Have the Right

Since the beginning of time, man has always fought over principles and freedom that they are entitled to. These entitlements are called rights. Even though the earlier definitions of man have changed over time to where some of these men did not have these rights, the purpose of rights are to establish entitlements that all man ,no matter how different,  have no matter what. The interpretation of what exactly what entitlement a man need and what defines a man has changed has lead to conflicts between men for as long as we could comprehend difference in each other.

In a way, rights don’t end conflicts but since the absence of them often creates conflict, they create conflict.  We solve these right related conflicts by rewarding those without the rights in question with the rights they deserve or demand but their will always be a group that doesn’t have a right that another has. These type of conflict never ends. It seems to me to destroy these conflicts is to destroy the idea of entitlement or privilege. If the privilege doesn’t exist, no one can claim to not have it. 

What I am saying is that if no one has privilege, no one can claim to be treated unfairly. It would be technically world peace right? This brings up a few questions. Now the real question is do we need the concept of privilege for a functioning society? Do we need our authority figures to have special powers? How far can the world go with abolishing privilege without being cruel to those that may have special circumstances?  Just-a- brainstormin’

McCarthy’s Birthday Week

http://cdn2.knowyourmeme.com/i/000/068/894/original/cool-story-bro-house-Cool-Story-Bro.jpg?1283216613

Nope. Just kidding. Happy birthday!

Ummm yeah…how do I make this 250 words? That’s pretty much all I got. I failed.