Don’t tell your son yet

Galanes, Philip. “ I Learned My Teenage Son Is Being Bullied. Should I tell Him?”  Social Q’s, The New York Times. 8 Dec.2016

Dear Anonymous Mom,

I do not think you should directly approach him by stating his problem. As a parent, it must be hard to communicate to a son that is considered a freak. Moreso, having your son open up to you is a big struggle. It may be safer to tell him about your own personal problems and gradually let him open up. It doesn’t take a day to do this, basic trust has to be formed. I hope that the girl that told you this can help you out. She may seem concerned herself, so you should speak to her. Maybe you should have a leader that your son can look up to. At this era, having a figure to look up to becomes important in how your kids will grow up to be. In fact, maybe you are lacking a male figure in the family. Make sure he is aware that he can trust you with basic emotional and mental aspects of his problems. If you cannot seen to be in touch with him, make sure the girl can properly talk to him. You can even invite her over to dinner and your son can get to know her. It’s a great way to let him open up to someone else besides the mom. Find different alternatives for your son to go to! Let him be free and make sure he can trust you!

Sincerely,
Jenni

Manet and Courbet

These two works of art are similar in which they both feature a woman. In Woman with a Parrot, the artist Gustave Courbet was criticized for lack of taste by dull colors, postures, and hair texture. Courbet went against the origins of proper artistic form that were crucial at his time. He wanted to create something, not perfect or idealized but different for the viewer. While he was criticized for these factors, Edouard Manet was also criticized. His painting of Olympia was more so a rebellious movement of art. He went against the idealized Venus body, the rendering, and the perfect appeals. Manet was trying to show the true desire of a man, seen by his painting. Both painting shows a form of movement going against the true value of art and brings the connection between the artist and the viewer. Another similarities is the usage of chiaroscuro by both artists.

The rendering of these two drawings are different. While Courbet painting emphasizes more of the dull flesh of the woman, Manet wanted a more emotional appearance for the reader by the way Olympia is being portrayed. Her characteristic such as dirty hands and the origin of her name gives a feeling of normality. Such that she is the face of a true woman. In contrast to Courbet who shows more of a perfect rendering of the woman with a parrot on her hand. She seems to be more on the noble side while Olympia is seen more of a prostitute.

Most female nudes were portrayed as Venus because beauty was found in her. As Manet breaks the image of what we are so used to, the public uses catharsis to change their actual feelings about it. Catharsis is the release of a 3^rd emotional element, providing relief or strong emotion. Manet used his this form of catharsis by using his emotional feelings of the beauty of art and woman to a sexual reality of his inner desires. Olympia is the product set by his catharsis as a relief of his over flow of sexual desires.

Question Time!

Cindy T., via Facebook, Wednesday night

1. Are you comfortable if I ask you some questions about you ethnicity and origins?  Can I write about your answers on a public class blog?
– yeah sure.

2. Do you identify yourself with an country or ethnicity beyond the United States of America?  If so, which one?
– Chinese, from China

3. How have you learned about the origins/history/past/importance of that place? (If they feel no strong connection to other place or identity, then ask them to talk about being American.)
– A little but not very much because my parents never told me about their life in china. Well as an American, I feel like I am conflicted between what I am known as, Chinese or American. Often I get confused if I should even include myself such title. I want to be able to personally express my self as an individual, not by race.

4.Is there one person, maybe a hero or ‘wiseman’ or king or law-giver, that is important to your people–someone people tell stories about, maybe legendary, maybe true?  Can you tell me a story?
-Yes, theres a monkey king. He is famous in the Chinese mythical tales of the gods and power. He restores order when someone consumes too much power in a china. The Chinese monkey is symbolized as wise.

5. What values do you think that story teaches?  Are those values important in the traditions of your people?  how?
– I was taught this story from a young age. It taught me that all evil must be taken away and if there is no balance, we should take initiative in balancing such action from happening.

Cindy has been told about the great monkey that has been taken as a historical context. Despite not knowing what she is identified as, she know what she is. Most importantly, the great monkey can be a great example of Vergil’s Aeneid, it state, ” …will inherit the line and build the walls of Mars and after his own name, call his people Roma” I felt this quote has correlation to the great monkey because it both talks about prosperity in a country. These nationalistic view becomes an essence in obtaining trust by the people. I hope Cindy learns to obtain a different value of what she is.

Ahmed A, via text msg, Wednesday Afternoon.

1. Are you comfortable if I ask you some questions about you ethnicity and origins?  Can I write about your answers on a public class blog?’
   – mhm
2. Do you identify yourself with an country or ethnicity beyond the United States of America?  If so, which one?
   – Pakistan, Islam
3. How have you learned about the origins/history/past/importance of that place? (If they feel no strong connection to other place or identity, then ask them to talk about being American.)
   – Yeah a little. I am more Americanized because I came to NY at a young age. Uhh my family heard about dreams coming true and having a better life in the US so we moved.
4. Is there one person, maybe a hero or ‘wiseman’ or king or law-giver, that is important to your people–someone people tell stories about, maybe legendary, maybe true?  Can you tell me a story?
   – The father in a family household. My dad take care of everything. Having a dad must be important in the Islamic culture because it shows masculinity for the children and respect the values of our own culture.
5. What values do you think that story teaches?  Are those values important in the traditions of your people?  how?
   -They tell me that I must have a family when I grow up. That I must be a good dad too. Having a dad to son/ daughter relationship is important as the child grows up. They can have problems if they do not have a father.

   Ahmed seems more of a chill guy. He wants to be able to communicate not the religious value of his culture, but what he has known by practicing islam. I do not see any similarities between the readings of Rome and Ahmed’s story. However, I can say that having a powerful and strong leader does obtain the continuation of a great country.

Gao J. via Facebook, Tuesday night

1. Are you comfortable if I ask you some questions about you ethnicity and origins?  Can I write about your answers on a public class blog?
   – Yes I am comfortable if you ask away.
2. Do you identify yourself with an country or ethnicity beyond the United States of America?  If so, which one?
   – Yes you may and you have my every permission to do so. I see myself as Chinese American, so I guess Chinese ethnicity.
3. How have you learned about the origins/history/past/importance of that place? (If they feel no strong connection to other place or identity, then ask them to talk about being American.)
   -I have learned about the different Dynasties and the many trades and wars that makes China what it is today, but I don’t really remember it. I have learned about the history of America, and I can tell you one thing: that our history was all sorts of messed up.
4. Is there one person, maybe a hero or ‘wiseman’ or king or law-giver, that is important to your people–someone people tell stories about, maybe legendary, maybe true?  Can you tell me a story?
   – I don’t know anyone who is important to “my people” (you mean like the rest of Chinese population in China?) I do know a story (but not really a story :/) that has captured the hearts of some Chinese people though, and it is the Gospel 🙂
5. What values do you think that story teaches?  Are those values important in the traditions of your people?  how?
   – That Jesus has come down to Earth to release all of our chains from sin and bring grace upon us. The values are important to those who know Him but also for those who don’t know Him.

   I found Gao’s story interesting because religious believes was not a powerful century for it. Despite that, Gao’s religion seems to motivate him by what he has learned about the Gospel. In relations to the Roman’s text, Aeneas can be best in relationship to God. ” Aeneas puts in here with a bare seven warship saved from his whole fleet.” This quote shows that Aeneas has given hope to these people that were in need of rescue. God also saved those from their sins in order to restore grace upon us. I was very glad to have heard Gao’s answer in response to these questions.

 

Monkeys??

 

                  In this image that I am going to show cannot find it in your everyday life but you can see it in the MET. I found this painting appropriate for this blog because first, theres monkeys and second because it reminded me a lot of Vermeers painting from class. “The Art of Painting” by Johannes Vermeer depictes a painting of Vermeer himself painting in a very elegant and nobel dress, in comparison to the monkeys in “The Experts” by Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps. “The Experts” shows not a person painting but monkeys examining a piece of art work to show that the art of the past should indicate contemporary taste. In this case, a comparison with the meaning behind “The art of painting” show art’s importance while “The Experts” shows the arts meaning. The composition in both paintings enhances a physical and emotional depiction of the narrator’s view. Moreso, monkeys are depicting themselves as educated and having modest dress showing wealth similar to Vermeer’s painting. These monkeys separate the difference between 1600 and 1800 century art with the new movement of antiquity. In the scenery of “The Experts” seems to be a messy looking studio while Vermeer was more of a clean slick look. I believe Vermeer was trying too hard depicting himself as an ideal painter. Therefore, despite differences in the narrators depiction of art, they both revolve in the emphasises on structure and composition for a direct connection to the audience. Painters are this time didn’t had much literary individuals so pictures were a great way to inform meaning and a story. 

Careful Sherlock Holmes!

In the book, “The Final Problem : A Sherlock Holmes Graphic Novel,” I found a letter by Dr John H. Watson that has referred back to the ides of March. In the book it states,

“Beware the ides of March,” Caesar was warned. And the middle of march 1886 was marked by major changes.”

This section, refers to the ides of march that allude a negative feeling caused by a threat. The author hopes to tell the reader that ides of march is a date on the calendar marked for catastrophe, especially by “major changes” contributing to the changes in the weather. Such threat would help the reader know it is a negative phrase as one should be warned by Watsons emotional fear.

“…Caesar dreamed he was raised aloft upon the clouds and grasped the hand of Jupiter. 2 Moreover, omens not a few and not without significance came to him: the arms of Mars…made a great noise at night, and the doors of the chamber where he slept opened of their own accord.”

This section that I took out from Cassious Dios is like the letter by Dr John H. Watson by alluding the change of weather as a symbol of danger. Cassious Dios demonstrates a threatening situation for Caesar by having bad dreams, having noises at night to indicate a starling situation, and having the chamber doors open by the gust of wind. Comparing to Dr John H. Watson’s letter, there was a dramatic change in his environment. There were meter shower and flashes of the red planet was visible from London.

Cite:
Kopl, Petr. The Final Problem. Andrews UK. 15. September. 2015.

62nd Station

During a rainy day, I found myself waiting for the N train at 62nd street. As I was looking around, I saw colums being connected by voussoirs. Unlike the Romans, these voussoirs did not have a keystone but just a wide semicircle that connects each columns. “Tudor arch” is what they call this wide arch. Back then, the material made for voussoirs were stones because it was an easy material to find. Now, we use cement which holds the shape of a semicircle without a keystone. As you can see, there is no keystone in this voussoirs which shows advancement in material and form of architecture. It doesn’t have a different function because it’s supposed to hold up the colums just like the Romans. However nowadays you see less often the use of voussoirs because we use plain platforms to hold bug buildings. There are many buildings which incorporates such arches such as the navel in the Santa Sabina and the window which are carved as a voussoirs.

South Africa’s Government Major Impact on Citizens

The value of ownership in an individual’s land were significant not only currently but also hundreds or years ago. Today, in South Africa, the government are not allowing a fair share of land owned by the rights of its citizens. More so, the government and high class(Whites) are taking smallholders ownership. This alludes to the article, “Livelihoods after Land Reform in South Africa” in which it tells the immense control by the power by containing and manipulating its people by property. I was able to find this article under Onesearch in the Brooklyn College Library website: Gracchi “Land Reform” Africa.

The intended audience of this publications is for ignorant individuals or people who are unaware of what is happening now in South Africa specifically. The economic cost of such low growth is the government. Issues underlining the qualities and support of a smallholder agriculture by LSCF, who does not accept or make changes in their system. For example, as stated, “… the fundamental problem is the South African state’s stubborn commitment to the LSCF model of agriculture, notwithstanding the rhetorical embrace of smallholder agriculture in some policy documents”. This statement applies in unequal share of money distribution within their country.

The author does not connect the search terms one to another. More so it encompasses the link between power officials vs the lower class and its significant role in the economy. We can see such unbalance in government power in the article, ” South Africa’s ‘dualistic’ agrarian structure comprises around 35,000 large-scale, mostly white-owned commercial farms, occupying the majority of the country’s agricultural land”. As the majority of the owners were white, there was a lack of ownership and even culture. Comparing such culture, in Rome, the power of the people were limited but that didn’t stop in a systematic change. Unlike South Africa, going against the government would have caused serious issues.

Unlike South Africa, Roman plebeians could help the poor because they suffered the most. They have accomplished a lot that benefited the lower class as shown, “Other gains included the abolishment of debt-bondage in 326, access to public land, and allotments of conquered territory for the poorer citizens. The alleviation of the burdens of the poor ended the plebeian struggle as a radical movement.” The government did not make a change but rather it was the people who did. In South Africa, the government and high class took many positions of the smallholders.

Aliber, Michael. “Livelihoods after Land Reform in South Africa.” N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ez-proxy.brooklyn.cuny.edu:2048/doi/10.1111/joac.12012/full&gt;