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Doing Nothing

For this assignment, I was quite excited to see how far I could push my limits on just how much “nothing” I could do. I have diagnosed ADD which many may take that and think “she’s fidgety and can’t sit still for long periods of time” however, this is false! Although I do fidget and change my position in my chair quite a lot, I am very good at doing nothing. My thoughts run wild constantly so I am able to entertain myself pretty well when just sitting and thinking. Through this assignment, I was able to do nothing for about 45 mins before I got really bored. I found that by taking the time to sit and actually listen to the thoughts that dance around my mind, I can really unlock some very interesting sections of my brain. I found myself really questioning my values and how I perceive the world vs how others may view the world since every pair of eyes has a different perception. Although, I do also have extreme anxiety, so thinking too much can often lead to me going down some pretty crazy or dark routes so after about 45 mins I knew it was time to stop or else I would spiral! Overall good experience and I think we should all fit a little bit of nothing in our lives from time to time. 

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Week 12

Group Questions (Anna, Shara, Carlee, Leif)

1. How has queer theory and “queering” accelerated the modern world to how it functions today and how queer and non-queer people interact within our current social fabric?

2. How does failure function as a mode of queering?

3. How can non-queer people contribute to queer theory and how can they contribute to queering without silencing queer bodies?

4.How has capitalism worked against queer theory and is it possible to envision the idea of queering continuing to influence the future while maintaining a capitalist society? In other words, will capitalism allow queering to grow and expand, or will capitalism be the death of queering? 

5. How can failure move queer and non-queer people forward towards a more expansive and creative society? 

6.Is queering the future, or has queering created the modern world that we now know? 

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Observing and Describing Assignment

Note down the place: The Starbucks located on Arthur Ashe Blvd

the time: 3:42 in the afternoon

the date: 27 Nov 2021

the weather: chilly, brisk air, bright, cloudless skies. 

Note down what you can see: I see a patio with only a few chairs that no one is occupying due to the fall chill. I see the iconic starbucks artwork that almost looks like it was bought from hobby lobby. I see walls that look clean from afar, but are adorned with scratches, chips, and marks. I see the starbucks workers tirelessly making drinks for the never ending stream of customers entering the store. I see myself in my computer screen’s reflection typing away at this assignment. 

The street: the street is busy and buzzing with people going about their saturday afternoon. There are many establishments that line the streets of the boulevard. As I sit in the starbucks, gazing out of the window I notice the nice apartment complex that is towards the right, and the red brick building next to it that I cannot figure out its purpose. The window looks out onto the roads situated behind the starbucks, so I don’t see a lot of people walking by (except for the person with the yellow cap that just crossed my eye). 

The buildings: I see the apartment building that’s trying really hard to look modern and attract a younger crowd of residents. I cannot make out the red brick building and its purpose, but it almost gives off warehouse vibes. 

The shops: the shops surrounding the starbucks range from a local florist to a popular restaurant behind the starbucks, En Su Boca (where my ex works...). 

The cafes: The only cafe in the direct vicinity is the starbucks I am currently sitting in. I find this interesting, because usually there are other coffee shops near a commercial starbucks. 

The other shops: Surrounding the starbucks outside of the flower shop and the restaurant include: An Aldi, hardee’s, a barber shop, a 7/11, a CVS, and multiple car shops. 

Detect a rhythm: the flow of people entering the starbucks. As the afternoon slowly transitions into night, less and less people enter the store in search of a pick-me-up. The people that remain in the store are here for similar reasons as myself; to get some work done. There are 5 people total left in the store, each one glued to a computer, book, or tablet, using this atmosphere to be productive and get work done. 

Read what's written in the street: As I look around me, I see signs within the store that allow me to reap all the benefits starbucks has to offer. Free wifi that I am currently using, a note that says they welcome service animals, signs that indicate no smoking is allowed indoors, menu’s (including the new holiday specials), vinyls stuck to the windows that steer you towards ordering ahead and skipping possible lines. 

Decipher a bit of the town. Arthur Ashe Blvd, a very busy and crowded street, packed with establishment after establishment that try to catch your eye and win your business. Many places to eat due to the heavy foot and car traffic that pass by constantly. A busy street that is situated in the heart of the fan district, calling out to all the residents that live near by. 

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Classification of Sign Types

#1: My first representation was the gay flag. The gay flag I would classify as a symbol for the gay community. I feel that this is the case because I do not think that the gay flag is an icon (as it does not imitate gay people). The gay flag utilizes the colors of the rainbow in order to symbolize those who belong to the community. 

#2: My second representation were paintings. I think that if I had to fit paintings into one of the modes, I would choose Icon. Although paintings are far from what we think to be icons when that word pops into our head, through the definition, I think that’s what fits best. Paintings usually heavily resemble their subject in looks and I think that’s why an icon mode fits paintings better than symbol or index. 

#3: My third representation was the news (particularly print news). I think that printed news media best fits the description of an index. According to the definition of an index, the signifier (print news) is directly connected to the object (wordly issues). This is true due to the reporting process news media uses. The news reports directly on whats happening in the world, often times straight from the source. 

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Everyday Representations (makeup)

#1: The first representation I thought of is the gay flag. Though people look at the gay flag and see the rainbow, that rainbow represents much more than just some pretty colors. The gay flag is meant to encompass every person who falls under the LGBTQ+ community and represents them as valued human beings within our society. Before the flag, gay people went unrepresented in this world, but now and especially around June, we see gay people flying that flag high and we all know what it represents. Through this representation, the people whom the flag is supposed to represent is left out, and is replaced by the colors of the rainbow, in order to symbolize the vast and unique nature of everyone in the LGBTQ+ community. 

#2: The second representation I thought of were paintings! As an art student I am constantly looking at artwork, and often times paintings. My roommate is a painting major so I see his art work all the time (often including me as the subject). However, paintings are just representations of what the artist see’s or wishes to represent about everyday life. Portraits, landscapes, etc are all representations of how that specific artist views the world and that is beautiful. 

(Vincent Van Gogh’s painting “Landscape at Twilight”) 

#3: I had a bit of trouble coming up with my third example of a representation. However, it dawned on me when my mom was telling me about the current news. The news itself is a representation of the world around us. Reporters give us information that is often biased and thus their representation of the world and what is happening. 

(A Washington Post Article)

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Discussion #2

Our group discussed the week 7 lecture, and thought deeply about other examples for a Skeuomorph. One of our favorite examples that we thought of was the sound our phone camera’s make when we take a photo, and how that imitates the original sound of a physical camera. We also thought about the finder app on our computers, and how it emulates a filing cabinet and the creation of “folders” to organize digital content.

(finder folder of mine that illustrates the “filing cabinet” imitation)

(photo of an iphone preparing to take a photo. If the ringer is on the camera will make a sound that imitates a physical camera sound)

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Discussion 1

Where we met: slack 

When: (late) oct 10 

Who attended: me, shara, and catherine 

What we talked about: My group and I discussed most in depth the lecture about structuralism and post structuralism. We got to talking a lot about the “Duck Amuck” cartoon and how well that illustrated the idea of post structuralism/ structuralism. We thought it was really interesting to think about how structures are built upon structures (or meta structures) and they are seemingly infinite if you keep pulling back further and further. We also talked about our various views on the ideals of structuralism, as well as how interesting as well as confusing the idea of it is. We all thought that without seeing an example like Duck Amuck or the example of the eggs from the lecture that we would not have been able to grasp the idea as well. 

We also talked about our week 7 lecture of simulation and copy, but I thought that structuralism was much more interesting and I would like to explore it further in coming weeks.