omg-designanddiscontents

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The Last Post: In Defense of “Treat Yoself”

I can’t believe it’s already come to an end. “New Year New Me” energy has worn off and only the distant future is helping me continue on...

A bit melodramatic? Maybe. Accurate? I think so. There has to be more that keeps us going than just the ultimate goal of graduating with the right internships, GPA, and references. My mother, bless her, managed to come to America and focus single-mindedly on the light at the end of the tunnel. I am, unfortunately or fortunately, American-born and cannot relate to focusing solely on my studies with such intensity as though my life depends on it (which it absolutely did for her, and only sort-of does for me). I have neither the fortitude nor the drive, and I know that there are options that many cannot even fathom in other countries. It’s a multitude of privilege, and one that I am well aware of.

I am also aware of the ways in which I am disadvantaged racially, economically, etc. and how that effects what I consume and what I decide not to consume. In class yesterday, the question of whether or not we would purchase something more expensive if it was made more ethically was raised, and I had to sit for a moment and be honest with myself. Would I, really? As much as I’d want to...most of the time the answer is no. If I have the opportunity to purchase a face essence for $20 that will last me three months great, but sometimes the spa life mask is the only option. I’m sitting here with a face mask as I type this. I also have incredibly unethically made makeup but those are the only companies that produce my shade. I have a multitude of products that could be replaced, but if I tried to purchase only ethically it would be way beyond my budget.

And the thing is, I wouldn’t even consider myself below the poverty line. I would say this type of purchasing is the reality for majority of Americans, though perhaps compared to the average University student this financial reality may be unfamiliar. If that is the case, even if everyone that could afford buying more expensive yet ethically made products purchased them, there would still be the higher demand for the cheaper product. 

I think this is an industry problem. Items and rituals of self-care, no matter how superficial they may be, are important to everyone. For someone it might be getting their nails or hair done, others a face mask, some might like to splurge on an essential oil (environmental impacts of which I mentioned in an earlier post). Because of the desire to minimize the cost of production, the materials used are harmful for the environment, and the means of production often exploit labor and natural resources. But we live in a desolate late-capitalism hell-scape and sometimes I need to relax. I also think about people whose lives are in more danger or risk than mine and what it means to carve time out of your day for something nice. 

To treat ones-self. Or rather, to “treat yoself”. What does it mean? It’s so subjective. I’ve been examining care throughout these blog posts but the exact definition eludes me. It’s accountability and discipline and mental health sure...but it’s also being kind. Giving a gift to yourself when you can. A reward at the end of my week after seeing that my efforts and paying off. It’s the ritual of washing my face every day that calms me and centers me so I can face the day. It’s the dumb little diffuser that has cool LED lights in my bedroom whose lovely orange scent reminds me of my first memories.These acts that bring about the feeling of being cherished. And I know that the culmination of these small purchases from millions of people leaves a significant impact. I suppose my wish, my goal, would be to create a world where the means of production matter, where the labor matters, where ignorance can choke... where you can “treat yoself” in peace. How beautiful would it be if the ways in which we care for ourselves can also immediately benefit and care for others, without going immediately broke. I hope that as a designer, as a human being... I can bring make this a reality. 

[omg-designanddiscontents]

Art as Care..and the Consequence

I went to the MIA again, as I usually do, and I was reminded of a scene in Black Panther, one of my favorite recent movies. There is a scene when Erik Killmonger, the antagonist (or possibly antihero?) who plans on taking over the land of Wakanda, where most of the movie takes place, and then the rest of the world by “resetting” the power balance with an army having more military might than the U.S. military industrial complex, among other Western military powers. He stands in a museum in front of artifacts placed in clear glass, next to a white security guard who makes sure that he does not touch the items that came from the country of his ancestors.   I don’t even know if what is said on those plaques is completely true. There is no citation, no information on the discovery and worse- no primary resources. If the museum offered these artifacts to the people it came (was stolen?) from would they truly say “No it’s fine!”. I highly doubt this. It’s made me question the design of a museum, and what it is meant to represent. 

According to a quick wikipedia search, I found out that the MIA used to be the “Society of Fine Arts”. The style of the building is “beau-arts”, specifically taking inspiration from the imperial Roman architecture. It was an academic architectural style taught at a school of fine arts in France. Can it signal any more class-related hierarchy? Millions of dollars used to purchase work that may have been taken without consent, and then presented in a museum. I consume this content as part of my self care because I am inspired, but I worry that all context and meaning is lost when placed in a room that was originally geared towards a specific type of exclusive audience. How would these artifacts look, be handled, and be represented when given back to the home country they came from?  I’m going to end the blog with this compelling article from hyperallergic. 

[omg-designanddiscontents]

My Growing Coffee Addiction

This is partially a joke, because I don’t spend money on more than one or two cafe beverages a week, and I cannot handle more than one shot of espresso.

What I do want to talk about, however, is why this drink is so captivating, and why the cafe is so captivating as a place to gather and spend time. I have noticed that there are three aspects that go into the experience of cafes in the U.S., especially compared to the cafes I have been in in Europe, which I had the privilege of going to on a school trip. 

One thing that I notice is the means of communication and transportation that differ greatly from Europe. Part of this has to do with necessity, but I believe culture plays a big role. Most of the coffee shops in the city, even a place like Minneapolis, are not within “reasonable” walking distance of many neighborhoods (one could argue 30+ minutes of walking is alright, but I’m assuming this is only the case in the warmer months). Most of the coffee shops that I see in more convenient, family friendly locations like malls and inside shopping centers are Starbucks and Caribou Coffee. I’ve seen Dunkin Donuts popping up as well. I also wondered why, unlike any place I’ve seen in Europe, these places have drive-thrus as well. America. I read an article about the history of public funding and public transportation and, well...it’s been a long time coming.  

Cars are also symbols of power, class, masculinity (read: trucks) and maturity. We’ve had them for so long that the type of car one drives becomes a part of how they present themselves as a person. Meanwhile, Europe doesn’t have the room or the space. I believe that cars still define someone, but not in the same way that they do in America. I also notice that it’s also one of the few ways people can get together and talk in public. Shopping malls, in the sense of indoor large centers, aren’t really common. What I find most interesting is the way people get together. I remember spending less time on screens in Europe overall when I was on my trip. Granted, this likely has a lot to do with the activities we had planned and my own excitement. However, even in moments of downtime, sitting at a cafe and just talking felt like the “thing” to do.  Now that I think about it, that was the last time I consumed coffee so often. Cappuccino after cappuccino at cafes for roughly 2 euros. This drink, one shot of espresso, was two dollars and significantly less filling. Different values create different products and atmospheres I suppose. Because I am now one of those screen-attached students working on my Typography class with my classmate.  

[omg-designanddiscontents]

My Trip to Target

For my collection post, as I mentioned earlier this week, I am sharing my experience at target which is equal parts funny and insightful, in my opinion. No “Barbara with a K”’s were hurt in the recording of this audio. The video itself was ten minutes long, so I decided to share a snippet of the perspective of people that work in the health and beauty section regarding the type of customers that purchase face masks.

Here is the link!

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S l o w D o w n

I would call this “care pt. 2348902″, but I think we get the point. I have also decided to spend the rest of my blog posts on this idea of consuming products related to or are in fact, care. Today I’ve decided to take a look at time.

I was absolutely floored when I got out of my bed for the first time (technically second if you count a bathroom trip...) only to realize it’s nearly 2pm in the afternoon. I had honestly been watching short videos on youtube and checking up on all the social media and news I had missed in the past week. My eyes opened this morning at around 10am. 

What do I spend most of my time on? Honestly, if it’s not the obligatory school and work, I try to spend most of my time being as leisurely and inactive as possible. This extends beyond physical fatigue of moving myself to places, and has more to do with the amount of mental energy I am willing to spend. My only regret is that I don’t have a physical book to read at the moment.

When I’m not doing those activities, I thoroughly enjoy going through my daily routine incredibly slowly (if at all), and maybe taking a trip to the art museum by myself or with my artist friend, where we look at the same intriguing exhibits and get $1.49 glazed donuts at Glam Doll, or some other small pastry and/or beverage. I look at the same four or five exhibits, and find something new about the works that I’m inspired by. I’m one of those people that spend five minutes on a piece and look up the biography of the artist. 

It’s by all means uneventful in terms of stimulation, but this is what I like. It’s a brain vacation. Monday through Saturday I’m turned on mentally, connecting concepts, taking care of chores and duties, planning, cooking, budgeting...so when I don’t have to do that, I give myself a complete vacation. I used to feel so ashamed about it, thinking I should be going out to bars...or out in general... and spending on money on alcohol while talking to people. I am also one of those introverts that considers socializing events work, however meaningful or interesting. It’s not my default, my natural state. Naturally, I love to be immersed in something beautiful and to be mindful about it. I’m okay with that.

[omg-designanddiscontents]

Freshness.

I am a total sucker for not only packaging, but the types of imagery that give off a feeling of freshness. It sounds strange to call it a fetish a la Marx, but I understand the sentiment (and the context). I don’t how I would stop this aesthetic preference if I wanted to.

I received a free face mask in the mail about a week ago from YesStyle, a site that sells skincare and other fashion/beauty related products. In my defense, I follow a dermatologist on youtube for recommendations on beauty products so I “feel” like I am making “smarter purchases”, but who knows- with my budget maybe $36 on skincare isn’t very smart. 

I love the packaging on this one. I love the feeling of straightforwardness, clarity, and transparency with clear information on who/what/when/where/why/how of the product. I like when the scientific names of ingredients are given the layman's terms in parenthesis. Even better if it doesn’t have harsher chemicals that give me rashes. 

It doesn’t need that much space though. The actual cloth is so small, but I feel extra luxurious with the packaging. I recognize the hypocrisy in criticizing the packaging of one face mask when I, too, have one. But that’s the beauty of packaging, isn’t it? The illusion of choice when majority of these ingredients may have come from the same farms/laboratories/endangered species. I may have sipped the kool-aid.

[omg-designanddiscontents]

The Missing #7: It’s a Vibe

I realized as I was looking through my archive that I forgot my seventh blog post on the first week, because I mistook it for my collection post. I decided to write about something I’ve noticed since I started working at Target since last year. 

I’m talking about moods. It’s so interesting to observe how people interact with a certain mood, and why we may be attracted to some and repulsed by others. Are they cues from body language? Micro-expressions? Do we make assumptions purely on the way someone looks? Is it all of the above? I’m not sure. What I do know, is that people are seemingly drawn to those that either appear, or actually are, projecting more negatively. 

I have a co-worker that tends to share more “negative”, as in critical, self-deprecating, or snap-judgement based thoughts and opinions, when we are talking at work- at least compared to the rest of our team members in our specific department. As someone who, as I mentioned in an earlier blog, tends to choose positivity as a key ingredient in “meaning-making” of my experiences, my co-worker’s thoughts and beliefs are always intriguing to me because of how different they seem to be from my own. When this co-worker shares more positive body language, thoughts and feelings, everyone is more drawn to consuming what they have to share- even those who would oppose what they have to say. 

I couldn’t help but think about how this also plays out in social media. We tend to not only consume, share, and talk about news that has negative, devastating, tragic content. We respond with threads or posts to trolls, or just opposing views, amongst the sea of positive comments on a post. The most spread posts are often a witty (though accurate in my opinion..) take on some form of problematic behavior that was encountered by the author in the digital or physical sphere. 

This worries me when I think about the type of content creators and companies that purposefully push out offensive, divisive, or otherwise negative content simply because of the views, responses, conversations, and outrage that may come from it. A good example is perhaps everything that the makeup influencer Jeffrey Star does, which creates more clicks and money from youtube, as well as a growing base of people who wish to follow him because they believe in what he says, or to be contrarian to the public response. I wonder why this is so effective... 

[omg-designanddiscontents]

On Care pt. 3: Consumption

Care is great...until it’s not. 

Yesterday was valentines day, and more nauseating than seeing couples that I personally know are not having a good moment pretend everything is perfect, is hearing people’s desperation for someone to be with that they can pretend everything is perfect with. 

What is care and what is not? If you are desperate for a relationship and you do not have one, does “no one care” or is no one fulfilling a need that ultimately they cannot fill for you? This may seem cold, but I truly don’t believe that any one person can complete you. Even romantic relationships are supported by the friends/family/culture that they exist in, encouraging them to continue going along the proper steps that lead to marriage, kids, etc. I don’t mind this, actually. But I do think that it’s strange that it’s a taboo to acknowledge.

In my personal experience, I’ve had family members in beautiful, long term relationships, some that ended very badly, and others that chose to stay single their whole lives. Having seen these perspectives has led me to believe that one’s life is truly theirs, and even having someone to share it with on a daily basis does not stop your life from being your own responsibility. When I hear things like “I need someone to complete me” or “I feel lost without__” it is worrying. I’ve also found that with age these sentiments seem to go away, if the elders in my life are an accurate representative of American society. 

From a young age, we are taught through media of all varieties that there is only one person to complete you. I hope most people have grown out of this by now, but for those that do, it’s unfortunate spending your life searching for the type of care you should be giving yourself. It’s like leaving your vegetable garden full of fresh food in search of vegetables, and then the garden is neglected. I believe however we feel like we want to be treated, we should be giving to ourselves also. I love relationships, including my own, but I believe what makes it work is being able to share in the love that already exists, not living in desperation for something only you can give to yourself. 

[omg-designanddiscontents]

More on Splurchasing

I noticed some more unique features today after peer-reviewing with my classmate. I’ve been thinking about how consumption of both ephemeral and physical objects may come from the same place/same cultural values or expectations. This product, made to target towards those who are looking for “self-care”, is the intersection of the desire to “consume” wellness and to consume a product that will supposedly improve the appearance of your skin with “natural” products. 

The packaging is built circular, with text that is found on many Pinterest/blogging messages of (often feminized) messages of self-care. The hierarchy of the text starts with the “natural” ingredient, cucumber, which also happens to have the largest text. This assumes freshness and the green implies health. In much smaller text, on the back of the package, it states that results will be seen when used about three times a week. Although it seems cheaper, this purchase is more expensive than buying a $8-$10 skincare product that could be used for six weeks or more. 

After reading “Unwrapping Use Value” by Willis, I can see how the use value exceeds the actual benefits of this products. The product packaging does indeed send the message of “purity” of a product- and isn’t that what we all want when we look (and feel) a mess? Processing emotions is messy...bring on the paraben-free cucumber!

[omg-designanddiscontents]

Splurchase

Today I went to the Nicollet Mall Target after classes to complete my splurchase. Because I work at Target, I knew I would be able to obtain some valuable information about the people that shop at the store, and also learn something new because I have never worked in the health and beauty department. I Took a video/vlog about this experience I will add to my collection post later this week.  It was absolutely hilarious talking to some new coworkers I never talked to before about the type of people that would make “clean” beauty and self-care related purchases at Target, and we even came up with a persona based off of organic conversation. I was also incredibly lucky to stop by when they had beauty samples out, also advertising clean products with essential oils in them (I would have bought that if it wasn’t so expensive!). 

Without giving away the video, we pointed out the irony of someone who is conscious about the products they put in their body, but do not research exactly what these buzzwords mean and if they actually fulfill the promise in the packaging. I also thought about the consumption of essential oils. According to this blog, it takes about 250 pounds of lavender to make a single pound of essential oil. What does this say about farming practices? I’m sure the corporate farms that produce these plants use pesticides and herbicides and other products to make their oils anyway. Many plants are also on the list of Threatened Species, such as sandalwood, cedarwood, and rosewood. I actually love essential oils. This face mask does not contain any, but I do use products that contain them and it’s making me re-think what “clean” beauty means if it leaves such a “dirty” mark on many ecosystems.

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The Magic of Value

It’s nearing the end of the consumption blog, there is about a week of posts left and I’m starting to wonder what it is that makes me unique, what my voice is as a person and a designer, and what parts of me are actually me or simply reflecting or mimicking an influence like I have talked about in previous posts. I’ve caught my “stride”, so to speak, in terms of design work and am feeling more and more capable each day. That being said, I’m not sure what I’m bringing to the table. How are my projects showing who I am? What is it that I want to share? How am I going to share it?

I don’t have the answer in this blog, but I did some brushing up on Marie Kondo, whose book I skimmed through and took screenshots of when I visited a friends’ house. She is a professional “tidier”, with a background in shinto religion as a shrine maiden at her community shrine, and I’m sure her beliefs, her culture, and her passion contributed to this new and, in my opinion, valuable way of looking at life and space and items.

I don’t have any organized religion that I belong to, but I do “believe” in the fractal nature that life seems to present itself as. Meaning, I believe that everything is connected to and reflecting upon itself, including the spaces that you navigate and live in, and what it may say about your personality, beliefs, thoughts and emotions. I’m not sure which starts first, but I see it as more of two parts of a whole rather than cause and effect. If this sounds up in the clouds I’m going to go ahead and blame my CSPH course on Worldviews. From what I see of Marie Kondo, I feel that she is a very conscientious person. There is a process that she uses to “wake up” items or activating them by tapping them. In this article with Bustle, the writer suggests that this practice comes from the belief that everything in existence- not just organic, living beings- is sacred.

That’s pretty cool. I was also interested in what type of backlash that would ultimately occur with this book and method becoming popular- especially at the hands of a non-western woman, specifically an Asian woman from Japan. While not explicit, some reviews include the idea that tidying is not the solution to psychological issues. Other reviews are born generally of ignorance to her background. Many critics are simply turned off by her cheerful attitude on camera.

It’s such an interesting phenomena, that when one solution of many presents itself to other peoples’ experiences that happens to resonate with them, others have a sort of... attitude? That pops up, which to me boils down to “that’s too good to be true”. And that’s fair, because nothing is good for every single person except perhaps adequate food water and shelter. I find this happens a lot with anything that brings about any amount of emotional satisfaction or joy. Maybe someone is going through underlying mental health issues- does tidying up cause harm? Of course, it’s the job of the critic to be critical, but I also feel like splitting hairs isn’t particularly interesting to read.  

To me, cleanliness and care for the items I have in my life, and being more conscientious of what I buy and what I keep all stems from the same feeling of care that I also place upon myself and upon people. I don’t divorce the physical objects I surround myself with from other areas of my life. That is to say, maybe Marie Kondo and these critics are two sides of the same coin? I see the “symptoms” and the “root” issue in any situation as reflections or extensions of each other, not a linear cause and effect. More of a continued cycle that started at some point in time.

Tidying Up helped me, and so did many other things. I’m a complex system with complex problems that involve complex solutions. And Tidying Up is a wonderful piece of the puzzle to me.

[omg-designanddiscontents]

In Review

Today I met up with a classmate who I happen to share a lot of classes with this semester, including this course. We decided to look over our work together and review each others’ blogs. I think through talking about these experiences I’ve been able to get to know my classmates better in ways that I otherwise would not have. It is unusual to pay attention to  someone’s habits unless you have reason to, such as living with them. However, because of the unique opportunity these blogs present, I am learning about how people’s perspectives are shaped and how it affects the ways they think about the world and about design.

I talked with Ellen about work woes, but also about how trends and assumptions can lead to escalating conflict. Hearing about disruptive young teens in a store that yelled homophobic slurs at a police officer who forcefully shoved them out then said a racist comment is...not exactly surprising but incredibly disheartening. At the risk of sounding too “kumbaya” I have to believe that even the most offensive behaviors are shaped by (often negative) experiences that alters our world-views.

We also talked about mental health, which leads me back to my discussions about wellness and self-care, but on a more societal level. Is it “well” to be phobic (in every definition of the word- from fear to disgust and hatred) of entire groups of people because of who their “classifications” of gender, race, sexuality, socioeconomic status, etc.? When is it well to hate, and when is it not? I used to have a lot of contempt for people who had significantly more money than I do, having grown up with low income. I could justify this, but ultimately I was the one suffering. This doesn’t stop my desire and commitment to socioeconomic liberation and overall liberation amongst ALL peoples, but I recognize when I am hurting myself. However, the last person I want to help me come to a conclusion like that would be...well, anyone actually. It involves coming to terms with personal experiences that I’ve had and no one can rush that. It also doesn’t absolve continuing economic injustices. It simply means that it doesn’t affect my health anymore like it used to.

I’m not exactly sure where I was going with the above paragraph. I think I’m just interested in what wellness amongst people and not just within ones-self looks like, now that I’ve done a lot of care and taken time to care for myself mentally. And I’m interested in how un-wellness is perpetuated and created as well.

[omg-designanddiscontents]

Collection Post #3

This week I collected photos of images that I associated with brand lifestyle, and techniques used to get shoppers to buy more products. I took pictures of my time at the Gopher spot, and of various items such as water bottles that indicate a certain lifestyle based on the brand.

In hindsight, I realize that the University of Minnesota also has a brand lifestyle, that isn’t even advertised on Websites and brochures. The websites and brochures include pictures from a couple years ago of students working or laughing with friends. The University of Minnesota lifestyle to me looks like expensive technology, expensive backpacks, expensive winter coats, and University of Minnesota gear. Students also often carry water bottles and non-greasy fast food (or restaurant food) or home-cooked meals. I also happen to match a lot of this list, even though most of what I have purchased is second-hand or given to me.

I’m going to take a closer look at the materiality of what I collect this week as well, and see how it compares to the phenomena I have been blogging about the past few weeks.

[omg-designanddiscontents]

Easy Like a Sunday Morning

What are boundaries, and why are they needed? 

In my personal experience, boundaries are about preference, and being authentic. If I like chocolate ice cream, and I mention this when someone asks if I like chocolate ice cream, that is a boundary. A boundary is also not wanting to stand within a foot of someone who I do not know. I’m interested in whose boundaries are respected, and whose are challenged, and why.

I’m not divorced from this phenomena either. The reason why I thought to write this post was thinking about family and how I was not good at respecting the boundaries of my mother (what she would like to have done in the house, money she has budgeted that isn’t for buying toys, etc.). My response to her boundaries was tantrums until I was at the age to sulk, and finally try to negotiate as I moved into adulthood. Finally, as of the past few years I simply accept what she prefers, and feel happy contributing to her comfort/peace. 

But why did this take so long? Honestly... I believe I felt entitled. I think to every person or group of persons we feel entitled to, encroaching on boundaries becomes something that’s not even thought about. On the other side of this, I think that there are behaviors we have that can lead someone to believe that you do not have strong preferences or boundaries in a particular area. For example, going to a park and not caring where you’d like to place your blanket, but someone else has a strong preference in that moment. 

I notice that women in general tend to express less boundaries, whether they have them or they genuinely do not care about a certain subject. I also find myself saying “oh, sure!” and “whatever is fine!”. For a long time I felt uncomfortable stating a boundary that would be deemed “negative” because rocking the boat socially was against the rules. What rules? What boat? I’m not sure, but this is the analogy that came to my mind. 

I used to feel very uncomfortable watching other women express their boundaries in a straightforward way as well, thinking “isn’t that a bit...?”, and thinking everyone will judge them. Now that I’ve gotten more comfortable expressing my boundaries, it is only in hindsight that I realized how inhibited I was in my self expression. Not everyone is going to like you. Unfortunately, society tells women that they should be someone everyone likes. I don’t want to be easy and accommodating at all times. I suppose being “liked” is something I’m willing to sacrifice. 

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Lyft Blues

I “had” to take a lyft to work this Saturday. I could argue many other scenarios, but the bottom line is that buses can come early sometimes and I missed my chance to make it to work within a reasonable time frame.

Unfortunately, the Lyft made me just as late as I would have been. It be like that sometimes. I chose lyft because of the overall lower prices for rides, but I know the entire service is in many ways a rip-off for consumers. Public transportation can only do so much given the funding and circumstances- and Minneapolis has it better than other cities.

That being said, I very much so do not appreciate having a terrible experience with penalty charges for changing your mind after 120 seconds of deciding on a lyft. I end up coming late because of my driver’s route change, but the price of lyft rides has gone up anyway so what used to be a $9 ride is now reasonably $13. It seems small, but that’s nearly 50% increase. 

Was the scarcity there? Or just created? I wonder what a small business carpooling or ride-sharing would look like. 

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Splurging

Today I spent money on bottles of ginger ale, hoarding them like I was going to hibernate. I was also tempted by gum, chips, and other snacks in the Gopher Spot located on the lower level of the Saint Paul Student Center. To continue my exploration of visual communication and my mood, and connecting these phenomena to what I have learned about shopping behavior, I am now able to understand my cravings a bit better, and how biology has played a role in what I notice and what I spend time and money on. 

When you walk into the gopher spot, the chips, gums, and “healthy” candy is what is in that strategic “right below eye level” height as mentioned in The Theory of Supermarkets. Talk about immediate yet ultimately unhelpful stress reduction. I believe chips are the biggest rip-off because they are mostly filled with air both in terms of the bags and the chips themselves (compared to eating potato slices). Like gum, chips run out very quickly and need to be replaced, the taste and sensations and sounds make the overall experience pleasant and warrants a repeat. 

I didn’t buy either chips nor gum. I know that for a fact if I started purchasing chips, I would begin to justify spending four dollars on a bag of chips, and that would be unfortunate for my wallet. I get gum from Aldi’s because it is cheaper, and I only go there once a week. However, I did notice that now that the semester is underway, more chips are gone than there were in the first or second week of the semester. 

This made me think of the items that I do splurge on, which is typically other foods (meals) and skincare products. These are worse because I do in fact need food, and skincare is important to me. However, after giving my wants a second thought, I find that I need less than I think.

[omg-designanddiscontents]

Dat Apple Life Pt. 2

So sex, status, and good marketing had us all hooked on the Abercrombie lifestyle, and during the same time we are also becoming increasingly hooked with Apple products and they have become the technologies to have, not just an option out of many. We know the history, Steve jobs and a basement or garage, or whatever. Made some computers and fades into relative obscurity until starting to become profitable once more in the 21st century.

Unlike Abercrombie, Apple came into its power during the recession, and released its first iphone shortly thereafter in 2010. It is now 2019 and there have been nearly ten iphone versions, and multiple small variations of those versions. That’s almost one new phone a year! And we all bought in. I went from one Andriod phone to an iphone and a macbook in 2016-2017. I saw other college students and people at cafes and businessmen and youtubers and DJ’s use Apple products, and I thought the computers must work better, so I felt that I should invest in one.

The Grammy’s commercial I saw featured an Apple computer being used by hired actors or models to celebrities like Oprah Winfrey. The entire commercial was music and images of people using macbook computers, making it feel like a wholesome experience. I don’t see them stopping any time soon. 

Apparently, Apple recently bought the company Akonia Holographics last year. I wonder if we’ll all be watching commercials about Apple Augumented Reality goggles with our Augumented Reality goggles.