Comprehension Extension

Welcome to the summer of 2010...

who wants to run through my sprinkler?

The other day I went canoeing with the Out-of-the-Box club. The oddest sensation was being in the water, at the same level as the water, but not getting wet. I was one with the current.

While I was paddling along, I approached a fisherman alone on a dingy boat. I told him that I would give him a jawbreaker in exchange for a life story. He responded that he did not like candy, but I insisted that he tell me a life story anyway. After only a moments hesitation he went on to tell me a fantastically horrifying story of his near-death experience with a tornado. He had to get out of his car, run into a ditch, and watch the twister tear up his neighborhood.

I was excited about the story, so I asked him if it had changed his philosophy on life. I asked if it made him appreciate his existence, or if it made him a better person. He responded,

"No... It was just really scary."

Ted Vasin












Today, I was biking home from school when I saw a lemonade stand. There were four girls and they were selling lemonade and brownies. My first thought was, I can't afford those. I then realized they were not of Starbucks value, and that both treats would probably cost less than the 50 cents I had in my pocket. My next thought was, there is no way I have time to stop. I soon remembered that it's summer and I was headed absolutely nowhere.

By the time I finished this cognition, I was already halfway down the block.
Why is this significant?
Because while I was coming up for excuses why NOT to make a purchase, I already passed the opportunity. I've been there- I know what it's like to be 7 years old and have nothing to do but bake brownies and sit on the side of the street, and that even one sale would put a smile on my face. I felt terrible.

So, for me, the next time you pass a lemonade stand, make a stop. Don't let the opportunity just pass you by. It might even be good lemonade.

(this story may or may not be a metaphor)

Damon Soule

My interpretation of music has a great deal to do with the setting, mood, and time when I listen to it. For example, I might hear a song when I'm content and have a certain opinion on the meaning of the song. If it is a song that I associate with good memories, that also may contribute to my perception.

However, if I listen to the same song at a different point in time--let's say I've matured, or I'm dealing with an inner conflict--I might gather an altered meaning to the same song. It's something interesting to think about when you're alone and have time to reflect.

The various times and places you listen to a song don't always change your perception of it. Nonetheless, it does add a different dimension to the song, and thus a greater appreciation of it.

It is also noteworthy how not only one's emotion changes music, but music changes one's emotions. I feel like we are all reflections of the music we listen to- what beat is playing in the background of our everyday lives. There's something healing about it.






Very impressive design blog by my friend Jordan. While the cool graphics caught my eye at first, his writing style is hilarious and something we can all relate to: http://killinginthename.com/?x=portfolio

Katy's Gallery 1

My Peter Pan Syndrome is decreasing based on the several freedoms I get in return for my childhood. Next year I'll be in Montreal with boundless adventures ahead of me, I'm sure.
I'm also excited to start purchasing art. My grandpa advised that I start buying the art I appreciate by undiscovered artists, and one day it will be quite the investment.

Here is a brief version of my ideal gallery.


Damon Soule










Rujun Shem









Nina Rizzo













Judith Mullen










Jim Waid

































This is something I made. Doesn't it look like it's sparkling?


Created via Scribbler Tool

One time, I got Bored

During the ever-so-long last week of high school, I've been doing what I need to do to avoid boredom:




I spontaneously bought Ratatouille and Up.







I printed out several copies of my children's novel. Whether or not people will read them is a different story.












I biked around with no destination whatsoever.










I have mastered the art of Snood.








I stared at these while listening to the new Crystal Castles CD- http://www.hybridmoment.com/ , http://www.hotdoom.com/





I tried and failed to re-install Rollercoaster Tycoon onto my computer. This is a problem that deserves professional attention.








I rediscovered the squirrel videos on Youtube that I like (Drunk Squirrel, Squirrel Attacks Deer)








I also watched this video-

I have found small ways to break rules everyday at school. This is perhaps the most dangerous diversion to boredom.









As well as this-











And then I came up with this theory-


There is no such thing as impossible. Since the universe is infinite, that means there are infinite possibilities. Everything you create or imagine exists in the universe because even if it is invisible to our eyes, it still exists in your mind.





The inner mind of Alex Grey


"I'd say that my work is concerned with the subjects of consciousness, love, transformation, all of the elements that make life worth living as far as I can see; artwork that focuses on the human body and attempts to visualize how body, psyche, soul and spirit all interrelate. My paintings attempt to mirror a higher deeper identity for the viewer and evoke our multidimensional reality on a two-dimensional surface. The soul is made visible by the artwork."

In a Field

In a field my daydreams lingered between the tall blades of grass. The blades bent in the wind, each one brushing against my head and summoning wishful thinking. Ideas rose like feathers in the breeze. As I watched them drift, the clouds opened up like a spirit in the sky. The field and I were cleansed with raindrops. I felt each one. Even though my daydreams were soaked with water, they could still float in the flourishing wind. I noticed that the raindrops got bigger as the afternoon went on.
So did my ideas.






Artwork by Robin
Urton






















My friend Ryan says that whenever he's with me, he sees lots of colors. I don't quite know what it means, but I think it's one of the best compliments anyone's ever given me.

So, let's metaphorically compare life to a Microsoft Word document. You and I each represent one period on the page.

What if an infinite number of pages were covered in periods? What if it made a beautiful pattern?

Each period may seem insignificant, but one is a part of something bigger and more beautiful than itself. But you must wonder how it got beautiful, and who knew how to design it like so. This Word document was not made on its own, by random chance, illogically.

Someone had to open up Word, and I don't think it was a mere computer glitch. Someone had to type it.



Please let me know what you think of my metaphor.















For all of you who are interested in science, behold! A glowing beverage!

My Glass Art

When someone asks you what superpower you would have, I think almost everyone would want to fly. Some people ignore the fact that flying would be sweet as hell, and try to come up some "unique" answer, such as invisibility or mind reading. However, we all really know that they want to fly but can't admit that they're just like everybody else.


Click here to feel like you're flying http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ycBGkLkEkg








The other day I went on a glass art field trip to Chicago Hot Glass. We got to work with extremely skilled glass artists on handmade paperweights.







After that, we went to Ken Saunder's glass art gallery in the city. I was amazed at some of the things I saw, and I am grateful for the inspiration (or humiliation?) that these artists give me.






Here is some of the glass art I've been working on this year. As you can see, I have developed a specific style. Glass art is kind of like an addiction. I crave to cut glass.





There are more to come (once they're out of the kiln!)

Thought Salad

I gave my brother a cactus as a birthday gift. They're cheap and fun to play with.

I wish I knew where to find one of these cactuses.

This one is so stealthy you can't even see it.

The best advice I've ever received is "You can't live your life in fear". My dad told me this while we were staring up at a house on a Californian mountainside. It looked as if it were held up by toothpicks. The obvious risk of earthquakes made me wonder why anyone would want to live there. That's when my dad said it.

Ever since then, I've lived by his advice, taking risks and living fearlessly. I don't know if he realized what he was getting himself into.















If I could go anywhere in the world, I'd go to a rainforest in South America. I'd sit in the leaves, far away from civilization, and I'd close my eyes. I would focus on the sounds of life around me--the bird songs, the chirping bugs, the rain hitting the foliage. I'd let the rain soak into my body while smelling the sweet, clean air. Wouldn't that be nice?















When I was approximately seven years old, I was laying in bed unable to sleep. That's typical of me. I'm terrible at turning my brain off. I bet it's 10:38, I thought to myself. I rolled over to look at the clock. It was 10:38. I started to dance in celebration. To this day, when I see that it's 10:38, I do a little dance. I still think it's really cool that I guessed the time.
















When I was a child, I had a reoccurring dream where my teachers had fallen into a giant chasm in the desert. The chasm was consistently filling up with water and I felt the need to save my teachers before they drowned. I asked Freddy Flinstone if I could borrow his ride. It happened to be a flying car, like the ones in the Jetsons. I'd normally fly down, with the entire Flinstone family cheering me on, yet I never remember actually saving my teachers. Does anyone have an interpretation of what this means?


















I could play with this for hours: Kaleidoscope Maker






Very well done artistic animation, if you're into that sort of thing: http://www.changethethought.com/hat-max-laura-braun/






"There are no facts, only interpretations." ~Friedrich Nietzsche

Out of the blue

Yesterday I went to Art Chicago. My favorite artist was Chul-Hyun Ahn who does optical illusion art sculptures, mostly using fluorescent light bulbs and mirrors. Far out.






















Each sculpture is probably less than 1 foot deep. However, the illusion makes it seem as if they go on and on indefinitely. These are about 15 feet tall and 15 feet wide, each with colored lights that switch and dance.














Last night I went to Prom. I saw lots of good friends and danced to all of the techno songs. The food was even good. I'm so glad that I went.

(I love this kid)








I'm working on a cool spanish project right now. We're supposed to write a telenovela (spanish soap opera) and proceed to film it and act it out awkwardly with very little resources available. My group's storyline includes climbing trees, amnesia, pregnancy and a cliffhanger ending.

Tonight we filmed the romantic dinner scene at Taco Bell. We made sure to have a random Mexican family in the background of the shot at all times, so it would be as realistic as possible. When we got done speaking rudimentary spanish, the dad from the Mexican family told us that his son did that same project last year, at New Trier, in Conversational Spanish class. I didn't believe him at first, but it in fact was just a very odd coincidence!














After Taco Bell I went to Hackney's to wait for a friend to get off work. As I was sitting in the lobby, a middle aged man approached me and said, "Do you like cats?"

I told him I did. He sifted through his wallet and pulled out a business card that said "Buffy the Cat". He told me he made a book about Buffy the cat. He then whipped out his Blackberry and showed me pictures of Buffy, a cat dressed in outfits and forced to pose doing human activities, such as motorcycling and cooking. He told me to tell all my friends about the book, and since I thought he was cool, I decided to advertise it on my blog.






When I got home, my friend Jenn left me a sweet video to watch. I wish that buildings could always look like this, especially starting at 0:55-
http://www.ndesign-studio.com/blog/3d-projection-on-buildings