I’m an artist, yo. No Experience Necessary.

I don’t know diddly squat about art….in technical terms. I fancy the way it looks, and I love the way it makes me feel. It challenges me to do more than think, but to project who I am off of the piece that I’m observing. Everything you observe has a piece of you in it because you are experiencing it. Who cares what the artist(s) was thinking, what am I thinking? How do I feel? Can I catch my breath or do I just want to run away? Can I force myself to stay or am I weeping because its too much for my soul to handle in one take? ….somethings are so beautiful its hard to bear.

So, when did this become about art? As soon as I decided to build something, I just didn’t know how entranced I would become with making things or how involved I would get with my trash. I share an intimate relationship with the products I use, I’m not talking sex toys, but with the things I throw away and with the things I purchase. Now, everything I spend money on (or acquire for free)  has a story, has a journey and a destiny and I become the gatekeeper to its fate. Yes, just like in ghostbusters. The product is the key and I’m the person that makes the decisions on which door its going through. On one end, it goes to the trash and ultimately ends up in a landfill. On another end, I throw some glue on the bottom and build something kooky while listening to Peaches…and then its going to be raunchy out the wazoo. On ANOTHER end, I reuse it in another way, incorporate it into my everyday life and deter away from buying something shiny that will break and need to be replaced (just like its supposed to).  OR I do something else with it, whatever comes to mind, but as long as I’m not selecting the first option without considering all other options I feel peachy keen.

This project was my attempt to demonstrate how recycling should be the last choice. We must first REDUSE, then REUSE, and as a last resort RECYCLE. With that being said, being conscious of our purchasing and wasting habits is crucial. Secondly, we must be aware that there are OPTIONS! Remember, one woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure. We have the option to change, adapt and alter the things we use and turn them into something that is new. In the same light as recycling combined with reusing, we have the option to create and make art. This kind of art is unconventional, its raw and unyielding…just the way I like it. This kind of art has the potential to make you a more conscious person all around and can ultimately change your world, like it did mine. I’ve found a new solace through this experience and I couldn’t be more appreciative.

In addition to transforming yourself, art, especially eco-art can make a statement and can also help people in many different ways. Viewing art is nice, but its docile. Healing can come from participation and what better way to engage in participation, than to show your work and to work with others.

Art can change things, and its definitely not just for the elite….oh and there are multiple truths in my opinion. essentialism can suck it. check out this article: http://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/28/arts/does-art-change-things-or-people.html

ART IS THERAPEUTIC! You bet your sweet ass it is, check it: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1506781/A-brush-with-art-helps-people-cope-with-the-pain-and-anxiety-of-cancer-says-study.html

In reference to the second article, art can heal. It can help people and in my attempts, it can help the planet. It can be complex, simple, structured or falling apart, the point is that it can be whatever you want it to be. Aside from music, I’m hard pressed to find many other things out there that have the same repertoire.

I loved this project and I’m excited to showcase my work later today. Peace, Love and Captain Planet for life. Chyeah!

What the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks am I talking about?

I keep mentioning this concept of “Found Object Art,” which I figured was pretty self-explanatory, but after doing more research I have found that there are multiple interpretations for this concept so I would like to share my findings to clear up any loose ends.

What is found art?

Art that is found. Most contemporary artists now interpret this as rediscovered, refurbished, repurposed, or reused. It may be that you are looking at something left on the side of a street, thinking, “Why did they throw that out? It just needs a paint job.” You, the artist, find an irresistable object in a store, on the street, in your friend’s garage while you are helping to get ready for a yard sale, or under your bed.

Some found objects are created in the fury and frenzy of artistic creation. In the excitement of creating a found art piece, some artists deconstruct items in their home or will use objects in their immediate vicinity to assist in evoking emotions felt at the time or powerful concepts. Found Object Art is created by the use of everyday or truly found objects, given purpose and significance by those who find and conceptuallize them into artwork.

Is Found Art Modern Art? History into Contemporary Art

Found Art is thought to have practicing origins from the artist Marcel Duchamp, whose readymade works were controversial for the turn of the twentieth century. He created such famous works as Fountain and Bottle Rack.

Around the time of Pablo Picasso’s cubist phase of creation, Picasso also employed the use of found objects, such as La Petite Chouette (an owl constructed from found objects), which was made from household and building materials, including screws, pliers, a missing piece of a sauce pan, and pliers. The piece is said to have sold in 2000 for over one million dollars. Picasso’s piece was grounded in expressing the emotions he felt at the moment of creation.

Female artists had their hands in the beginnings of found art as well. Louise Nelson created unique three-dimensional sculptures from wood in the 1930s.

Dadaists (ManRay as a prime mover) and Surrealists incorporated found objects into their practices. Post-Modernists or Contemporary works carry on the tradition today with variants and combinations of preoccuring art movements, with new subgenres, such as Steampunk, Assemblage, and Junk Art. Both Found Art and its subgenre Assemblage have a relation to collage, of which Picasso is a famous practitioner. Rauschenberg’s paintings are a dynamic combination of flat surface with protruding found objects, resulting in a common connection between everyday life and art as more than association.

Duchamp, Hirst, ManRay, Picasso, Nelson, Koons, Scwhitters. These are but a few of the names that assisted in the success, persistence, and development of Found Art as a movement.

The development of Found Art can also be seen in mainstream consumerism and the efforts of society to Go Green. Used Rubber USA, an intriguing example, takes used tires and reuses them, in the form of stylish wallets, ID holders, briefcases, and other forms.

Found Art is Not True Art? The Critics

Throughout its development as an art movement and practice, Found Art has faced criticism. Duchamp’s Fountain (an unusable urinal) was rejected in 1917 by the Society of Independent Artists as not true art. There are still those today who view Found Art and other related movements as a not a true form of art. Yet many, like Damien Hirst, suggest that even traditional forms of art are truly Found Art. (Paint is transformed into its medium by scientific and biological means and placed on a canvas, given significance by the artist and the viewer.)

There were those before the Modern art era who recognized the potential of turning everyday objects into fine art. We see it in the conceptual, aesthetic, and philosophical writings from the Greeks into the modern period. But what is Found Art?

The beauty of this movement is that is left up to the artist, who gives the found object its own life through the artist’s concept. An object that has undergone its own period of existence and use has its own readymade signficance of which the artist taps into or chooses to ignore.

KEY: FOUND ART CAN INCORPORATE ANY FOUND OBJECT. You don’t have to use items that just look neat, get messy, get creative, throw in something that smells funny, do what you do.

Read more at Suite101: What is Found Object Art? An Overview http://artsociety.suite101.com/article.cfm/what-is-found-object-art-a-simple-overview#ixzz0n8uNnDTu

So, now that we’re all experts in found art, what is Assemblage art???

Assemblage Art

Art form in which natural and manufactured, traditionally non-artistic, materials and objets trouvés are assembled into three-dimensional structures. As such it is closely related to Collage, and like collage it is associated with Cubism, although its origins can be traced back beyond this. As much as by the materials used, it can be characterized by the way in which they are treated. In an assemblage the banal, often tawdry materials retain their individual physical and functional identity, despite artistic manipulation. The term was coined by Jean Dubuffet in 1953 to refer to his series of butterfly-wing collages and series of lithographs based on paper collages, which date from that year. Although these were in fact collages, he felt that that term ought to be reserved for the collage works of Braque, Picasso and the Dadaists of the period between 1910 and 1920. By 1954 Dubuffet had extended the term to cover a series of three-dimensional works made from primarily natural materials and objects. The concept of assemblage was given wide public currency by the exhibition The Art of Assemblage at MOMA, New York, in 1961. This included works by nearly 140 international artists, including Braque, Joseph Cornell, Dubuffet, Marcel Duchamp, Picasso, Robert Rauschenberg, Man Ray and Kurt Schwitters. Several of the works shown were in fact collages, but the breadth of styles and artists included reflects the wide application of the term and the sometimes fine distinction between assemblage and collage. The ‘combine paintings’ of Rauschenberg, for example, fall awkwardly between the two, being essentially planar but with often extensive protrusions of objects. The inclusion of real objects and materials both expanded the range of artistic possibilities and attempted to bridge the gap between art and life.

The ancestry of the assemblage can be traced back to the artistic and literary environment of late 19th-century France. In his later poetry, especially Un Coup de dés jamais n’abolira le hasard (1897), Stéphane Mallarmé adopted a technique in which poetic fragments were pieced together in unusual semantic and typographic arrangements. Guillaume Apollinaire later extended this method in his Calligrammes (1918). By emphasizing the visual appearance of words their traditional role of signification was both enhanced and expanded. In the same manner assemblage emphasizes the visual or tactile qualities of formerly utilitarian objects while nevertheless exploiting the perception of the banality of such objects. In the visual arts, one of the most notable early attempts to use non-artistic materials can be found in Edgar Degas’s Little Dancer Aged 14 (1880–81; bronze version, London, Tate). In an attempt to achieve greater realism, Degas included a real muslin skirt and hair ribbon in the bronze version, and the original clay and wax version also included a horse-hair wig.

“Assemblage art is non-traditional sculpture, made from re-combining found objects. Some of these objects are junk found in the streets. It is doubtful that this form of art could have existed before the 20th century. We needed copious junk to have this art form…It expresses an attitude or statement by the artists about our throwaway society…” <–KEY!

We currently live a throwaway society, where over-consumption and wastefulness is the norm. One way to curb this horrible  trend is to, uh, do something about it! Captain is my attitude and statement, what’s yours?

….and that is the art lesson of the day

Don’t be an art fuddy duddy, straight lines are for chumps ;)

When you think of found object art, what do you envision? Well from my project it might be that you visualize trash and junk, recyclables and other unwanted items being turned into something that may or may not look cool. I believe anyone can be an artist, not a potential artist but a full-fledged badass creator that can produce pieces that move people…if you create them with your heart and without profit in mind. Building the captain had transformed my project, I think that I originally wanted to link this to the cartoon and how having more shows like this around would create a new wave of eco-friendly citizens that got their foundational green loving ways from an inspiring cartoon. Captain Planet was a very inspirational cartoon and looking back, I think I can find more facets of how much it affected my life. The simple fact that love was considered an element just as important as the other tangible ones proves that they were sharing a deep deep message. It takes more than just jumping on the green bandwagon to share your love for our planet, it actually takes love. Art is a tool of love, a labor of love and a force of love when executed as such. Innovation doesn’t have to come from the most abstract thinkers but can be the genius of someone trying to show the art world that they need to remove that stick from their ass. Marcel Duchamp was one such artist. Despite being skilled in painting and other medias, Duchamp was also known for pieces that he created out of everyday objects. His Fountain piece was created from an unmodified urinal as stated above, and the piece with the wheel, yeah thats just a bicycle wheel…he knew how to work it, but one of the most intriguing things about him was that he was a rebel. He wasn’t making fun of the art world, but he was making statements and strides to loosen up the atmosphere. I don’t understand art that is boring, that takes a trained mind to understand. I want children to be able to look at what I’ve built and be interested, ask me questions and take something from the interaction. This is what activism is all about, showcasing your passion and sharing it with others. Although, I won’t get to have an exhibit featuring this piece of work, there are pictures on this blog. Outside people have seen this work, I can post pictures on any of the social networking sites that I am a part of and use the interweb to really bump up the captains street cred. Through this project I have accepted that I’m not a refined kind of person, I don’t pride myself on perfection but on the lack there of. I like rough edges, rips and tears, splotches and gaps. And everything in between. Staying within the lines makes you a minion, so I say STAND UP, SHOUT, BUILD, BREAK….do what it is that shows love and do it in your own way. I love the planet so I saved some waste and built something out of it. Lets show future generations examples that are not about more overconsumption but about sustainability, environmental justice and LOVE <3

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Artist: Marcel Duchamp (1887 – 1968)

Nationality: French

Movement: Dadaism

Media: Painting, Sculpture

Biography:

Marcel Duchamp studied in Paris, where he acquired the stimulus of Cézanne and the Fauves. He later combined the properties of Cubism and Futurism, to create a revolutionary piece entitled Nude Descending a Staircase. Duchamp was also the creator of the ready-made in 1913 , an everyday object transformed by its context. For example, in Duchamp’s 1917 piece, Fountain, he exhibited a unmodified urinal as his sculpture. In 1915, he moved to New York and became an influential figure in American Dadaism. His later works were intending to be playful and humorous, but also rebellions against the stiff nature of the art world.

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The Cap’n is so Androgynous.

Long time no blog, sorry about that. I’ve had several rough weeks and since the passing of my grandmother last month, have been struggling to keep up with the winding chaos that is my life.

The Captain is finalized!!! Pictures to follow my ranting

This project has worked to shape a new form of consumer in myself. Building the captain was a lot more difficult than I originally expected, the glue issues was only one of the obstacles. The last time I sat down to put on the upper body and final touches, I literally stared at this pile of junk I was creating for hours wondering what my next move would be. It’s one thing to have a vision, its another to execute it. I have many visions, many aspirations and random outlets for my creative craziness, but more often than not I don’t follow through. TIME TIME TIME, what a bitch. Always getting in the way of my fun, preventing me from truly expressing myself and limiting the things I can/want to do. But was it time that was really getting in the way? We all wish for more hours in the day, but 24 is what we have and I think we just lost a second or two thanks to some earthquake centered shifts in the earth’s crust or something…my roommate is always telling me some interesting fact about geology or war or tech stuff, he’s quite the resource. Anyhow, I’ve come to realize how horrible I am at utilizing my time. I spend more time being depressed about the stuff I need to get done than I actually spend doing the stuff that I need to get done. And playing catch up for the past few weeks has been an extremely depressing feat. However, what I lack in time management I make up for in pure awesomeness. Constructing the captain has made a new “woman” out of me. I use “woman” because gender roles are arbitrary.

My consciousness as a consumer has been altered entirely. Yes, I’m more aware of packaging in new light. Yes, I buy less. But the big YES comes from a new gained realization into how everything fits together. I’m not talking about globalization but how everything we throw away literally fits together. When I got the idea to build the captain and friends, I imagined a figure created out of aluminum cans as the only material. And with the glue issues, I quickly discovered that that was impossible. And I’m super broke again so I couldn’t afford the poxy that I needed to really get everything secure no matter what the material. I have yet to construct to rest of the crew and I’m not sure I will, I started changing my mind and wanted to build Gaia so ideas are up in the air and flowing once again.

Back to my point…

I used crushed cans and uncrushed cans for the base, but building the top half couldn’t be done with more crushed cans….so I had to look outside of that medium. And this is the mind blowing part folks, I transitioned to all of the other resources I had readily available (i.e. trash)…hence, Junk Yard Champions, yeah. So, besides the original cans, there were some bits of cardboard attached and so now I could build the torso with more cans but the arms and head was another story. So, I did what any brilliant artist does in the modern age and let go of preconceived notions of what I initially wanted and let the Cap’n do his own thing. The arms came together with bottles that I cut, and target bags I had saved for my room trashcan. I used old bath gloves to secure some hard to glue spots, I found an old mouthwash bottle and used it for the head. I took packaging from the bath gloves to make the belt and the top of the mouthwash bottle became the emblem on his chest. Voila! And he looks dope. Its a mixture of all the junk that either could or could not be recycled, some stuff we know would just get thrown into the dump with no other alternative. Well, I found another alternative dammit! And the parts fit in this magnificent way, it came out better than I imagined. When you view the pictures, think abstractly, its made in the image I drew and in the image of the actual animated character but its also a representations of how “junk” flows through our lives without us stopping to think about it. NOW I CANT STOP THINKING ABOUT IT!  Everything I purchase, I look at it as a potential piece to the puzzle, admiring how I could add it here or there, or what could be made out of it. Remember, I’m not thinking of the food or products that I’m buying in the same way, nor am I considering the things they come wrapped in, in the same way. I’ve avoided some things because I know it would end up useless at the end of the cycle and I’d be a bad consumer if I let that happen.

I’m probably not going to build something out of every piece of trash I encounter, but now I know that trash is no longer just an end to a means, it can take on new form and have new life. But,  going to “the” trash should always be the last place my things end up……contradicting a decluttering simplicity that I long for, which I will address in my next blog. My next few blogs, leading up to my final blog should be posted in the near future. Until next time bloggers, enjoy my boy. I think he’s so fly.

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Breaking it down to #’s, and $!

Hello everyone!

Sorry for the late post, my computer got the Blue Screen of death and been without a computer… I am curretly in Hale.

Okay last blog I mention that this blog would be conduction of money and how much I have actually been able to reduce my usage in electricity, water.

Electricity

Well I will start with my Electric (Westar Energy): Before I started this project our Electric bill was $138.65 our latest bill turn out to be, $81.03 We saved 57.62 , I am expecting the next bill to be even less. All it took was some extra blankets, unplugging any electrical devices not being used, and making sure the lights were turn off. I mean think with that 88.45 you can do a lot with! When my roommate and I SAW the big difference we were stoked! It might have been hard at first, but in the end it was totally worth it.

Water

Water: We don’t pay for water at our apartment, but I found this awesome tool, that is a calculator on how much water you use. I have the initial water usage and the final water usage with mostly my usage, and some information about my roommate water usage.

First Results: As you can tell, they are horrible, I was shocked to see that… Also if you are intrested in figuring out how much water you use, here is the link:

http://www.tampagov.net/dept_water/information_resources/Saving_water/Water_use_calculator.asp

As you can tell there is a big change in my water usage. It is sad how much water I still use, but have done a lot better then when I first started. I will like to invite you to use the calculate, and see how much water you use! Its unbelievable, and to think that there is people that don’t have water, while I waste a lot of it…

Recycling/Trash

As far as my recycling I have counted how many times we took out the trash before I started to do this. Now keep in mind that I was only able to recycle for a whole week, meaning separating bottles, cans, cardboard etec. for one week, since my roommate was not too happy to have that around the house.

Before not doing any type of recycling we took out the trash 4 times in 7 days.

When I started separating the cardboard it made it to 3 times

the whole week while I recycle all that was possible, 1 time.

As of now we are only recycling cardboard items and since I am trying to get things that are not package in a box our trash is now 2 times in 7 days (that includes the bathroom trash as well)

So in other words we started by taking the trash 4 times in 7 days to now 2 times in 7 days, so half our waste are recyclable!

Here is a “Trash Trivia Game” even if it says its for 4-6 grade, I think some of the questions most of us don’t know the answers to! try it out!

http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/TrashGoesToSchool/Trash.html

Food!

Well when I started this project I bought the cheapest things I could get for my money, so normally I would buy food for 2 weeks that would bring me to 60-76 dollars, that would include microwave oven ready foods, Ramen, chips, juice, ham, bread, box dinners were you just add the meat, Beef (steak, ground beef, chicken you name it).

After the project i bought food for only a week, had meals plan, and it cost me 50-57 dollars: it consisted of lentils, cheese, milk, tortillas, eggs, vegetables such as cilantro, onion, peppers, lettuce, fruits, tomatoes, strawberries, mango’s, apples, pears, and grapes as well as more. I would still buy some of the frozen pizzas (have a week spot for them) and cereal but overall I felt I would get more full in one sitting instead of having to keep munching when I did the TV dinners. Plus I also had leftovers that helped a lot when I had no time to cook. I have not lost any weight but Its good to cook again! I won’t deny that sometimes I am too tired to cook, but for the most part I love to cook and I had started to forget about it. One could say that I may have not save much money, but I think other wise, I had more leftover food, and I actually got full with just one plate instead of having to munch on something else since most TV dinners did not conquer my appetite! Also if you plan your meals ahead it helps too!

Here is an article that talks about junk food as an addiction that maybe causing obesity:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62R23O20100328

Hope this helps!

Hope to write my final blog this Friday!

Thanks for reading

WATER USAGE

RESULTS
PER CAPITA DAILY WATER USE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD (gallons)
INDOOR WATER USE		OUTDOOR WATER USE
Bathroom	30	Lawn Watering	0
Toilets	20	Other Outdoor Uses	0
Faucets	180	GENERAL WATER USE
Laundry	1	<!—->
Dishwasher	1
Hand Washing Dishes	27
Click one of the categories above to learn how to reduce your water usage. COMPARISON BETWEEN YOUR HOUSEHOLD AND THE TAMPA AVERAGE* HOUSEHOLD Total Per Capita Gallons of Water Used in the House Per Day Per Month Per Year Your Household 259 7874 94535 Tampa Average 106 3180 38690 New and improve calculations of water reduction. RESULTS PER CAPITA DAILY WATER USE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD (gallons) INDOOR WATER USE OUTDOOR WATER USE Bathroom 20 Lawn Watering 0 Toilets 20 Other Outdoor Uses 0 Faucets 72 GENERAL WATER USE Laundry 1 <!––> Dishwasher 1 Hand Washing Dishes 2 Click one of the categories above to learn how to reduce your water usage. COMPARISON BETWEEN YOUR HOUSEHOLD AND THE TAMPA AVERAGE* HOUSEHOLD Your House Tampa Average Interior per capita gallons per day 116 64 Exterior per capita gallons per day 0 40 Total Per Capita Gallons of Water Used in the House Per Day Per Month Per Year Your Household 116 3526 42340 Tampa Average 106 3180 38690 *Based on Tampa Water Department data.

You say jump, I say how high

The amount of advertising we see on a daily basis almost seems like a clichéd topic to me, but that doesn’t undermine it’s importance Truthfully, it seems as if every aspect of our lives is bombarded with advertising: movies, tv, radio, internet, cars, clothing, buildings, etc. The list is never ending. I heard once that the average American is exposed to over 3,000 advertising messages EVERY SINGLE DAY!

I believe it is important to not only be able to recognize the advertisements that we are being exposed to, but to also be able to recognize the ways in which it impacts our way of thinking. I have been trying to do just that recently and it’s quite overwhelming when I start thinking about it. I would like to believe that I have a fairly decent handle on my technology consumption—I’m currently Facebookless for Lent which has seriously cut down my internet time to basically only checking my e-mail and doing homework, I rarely watch TV, and I tend to only listen to music on my iPod—but I don’t pretend that the media doesn’t have a firm grasp on me.

I am interested in how all of this information relates to my life and what I can do to try and deflect the constant bombardment with advertisements.

One area that is heavily advertised is food. One article I found said that in 1999 over $4 billion was spent on advertising for the food industry (a figure that has greatly increased I’m sure). The majority of such advertisement is aimed at adolescents. According to research I found here, http://www.kff.org/entmedia/entmedia032807nr.cfm, “of all food ads in the study that target children or teens, 34% are for candy and snacks, 28% are for cereal, and 10% are for fast foods. Four percent are for dairy products and 1% for fruit juices. Of the 8,854 ads reviewed in the study, there were none for fruits or vegetables targeting children or teens.” It is a bit scary to think about what a firm grasp the media really has on today’s youth. We’ve also read several articles for class that have mentioned corporate sponsored schools–something I had never heard of before.

There is a radio in the dorm bathroom and for the brief bursts of time that I am exposed to it I have noticed that it is almost always advertisements and the ones dealing with food offer incentives for customers to come in (specials/coupons/etc.). I think that this method of advertising impacts our lives because people tend to want to go to a place where they will benefit financially and determine their plans accordingly.

The Kaiser Family Foundation also has some good information on the amount of media that teens and adolescents consume daily (here’s the link http://www.kff.org/entmedia/entmedia012010nr.cfm). The biggest media influence is music/audio, followed by television watching, computer use, and video games.

I have made a greater effort to turn work blocking out media in my own life primarily through my reduction in time spent on the Internet. I also encourage those I babysit and my siblings to turn the TV off and go do something else (especially the younger ones) and try to provide ideas for them. Reminding others is a good way for me to remind myself to take more control over my thoughts.

Another important aspect of advertising that I have noticed is the incredible amount of time dedicated (almost always towards women) to dieting, fitness, and an overall weight loss. The vast majority of such advertisements are aimed at purchasing something (pills, exercise machine, work out video, etc.) and so rare are the public service type announcements just advocating healthy decisions that they really stand out to me when I see/hear them. We are all aware of the link between media and body image especially for women so I feel like it’s important for me to reduce the media in my life that is both consciously and subconsciously telling me that I need to alter my body.

Something pointed out in this article, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/09/17/sunday/main2015684.shtml, is that “consumers are in control of their media.” We do have some say in the amount and kind of media we consume. I like the thought that even though advertisers may try their hardest, I can always turn the TV or radio off and carry on with my life and make a conscious effort to not let it get to me.

Jamie Oliver is taking on America!

This I found really exciting, it is not the same thing as my project but it goes alone with it nicely. So set your DVR, if you have one, to ABC on Friday, March 26th at 8pm.

First you are probably thinking, Who is Jamie Oliver? Well he is a well known British chef who, at age 34, has done some pretty remarkable things. Jamie was born in England and started working with food at a young age at his father’s pub.  At age 16 went to Westminster Catering College and spent time in Frances honing his culinary skills. After working under many chefs his first big brake was a TV series where he was known as The Naked Chef. Oliver then channeled his fame and cooking skills into working for the greater good.

In 2005 Jamie made a four part documentary called Jamie’s School Dinner’s where he worked to improve the quality of Britain’s school lunches. This was part of a larger program in the UK called Feed Me Better. This program was successful in getting government money to improve school kitchens, more culinary lessons for cooks, and overall better school lunches. Oliver is very passionate about food and about teaching kids where it comes from and getting them to cook and love fresh nutritious food.

Jamie has now crossed the pond and is taking on an even bigger challenge. He has come to America’s statistically unhealthiest city and is trying to change the way the look at food, he is here to start a food revolution. It is called Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. It first airs Friday, March 26th and is a 6 part series. Jamie isn’t alone on the show, unfortunately or fortunately, depending on the person, Ryan Seacrest is also helping with the show check out these previews:

This reminded me of Kingsoliver in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle talking about how kids do not know where their food is coming from. This totally shocks me but I admit I know what they are but I have no idea how to eat or cook them. So if you’d like to : Join the Revolution! and sign the Petition! Let’s help Kansas reach 100 members! (as of now we have 96)

Now remember, the show begins March 26th at 8pm on ABC and if you miss it I’ll be sure to update about it and remind you all of it too.

Living Alive (again)

Just for a quick disclaimer, I have tried to post this a million times and I’m pretty sure its to no avail.  If it has already been posted I’m sorry .

Before this class I have honestly never thought about what it is to truly be environmentally friendly.  In all actuality I never even took the time to consider what it meant to be environmentally friendly.  However the readings we have done made me realize that the reason that most people are not more environmentally responsible is because they are not environmentally conscious.

As of now it seems we are all stuck in the mentality that what matters is the fact that we make it to work on time, get the house clean, make it to class, put on our socially acceptable attire and pick up our under-paid paycheck with a smile.  I believe that we are not conscious to the damage we are doing to the earth because we simply are not conscious.

I know that I for one have been in this lifestyle for years.  I go through the motions of my day as opposed to experiencing my day.  If I were to take the time to focus on who I am, where I came from, where what I’m eating came from maybe I would begin to enjoy what I do on this earth instead of taking it as a chore.  I believe that if I were to meditate for an hour or two a day I would have time to reflect on my life thus far, and perhaps even have better hope for the future.

I researched exactly how to go about meditating and throughout the various websites I browsed I found that no one really has that answer.  Several insist that prayer is the way to go, others find serenity in nature, some use cd’s but the way that intrigued me the most was from the people who said that they can meditate at work, over lunch break or even while driving.  Of course I am not going to attempt to reach a meditation zone-out while driving, but that is the level I hope to get to.  I am willing to try ever technique possible to achieve this peaceful state.

I am going to attack this in at least four stages.  First I am going to try to become more in-tune with my body.  So far I have found sites that say Yoga will bring on a more self-aware meditative state, but I’m hoping to find something a little less mainstream.  My second focus will be becoming more aware of the natural environment.  So far I found several ways to do this, some say just focusing for a few minutes on where what you’re eating comes from and others go out and meditate in the elements. I may try them both.  My third project will be meditating to better understand my own mind.  Sounds weird to me still but most of the articles that I’ve read about the subject says that I need almost have a conversation with myself after reaching a meditative state, and I think that will be interesting.  My fourth and last focus (for now at least) will be the soul.  I am honestly nothing near religious (although I was in a Catholic school for most of my life) but I think it’s important to realize that there is more to us then just flesh just as I believe there has to be more to the earth than oil.

I believe that my greatest difficulty to achieving my goal will be being able to clear my mind, let alone find the time to do so.  I can’t remember the last time I was able to sit and just be.  I’m very excited for the opportunity that maybe one day I will be able to do so.  I believe that by meditating I will open myself up to realize what I could do for the earth as opposed to what I can achieve economically while I am here, or at least that is my goal.