Best of Today: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

The movies plot revolves around Rosencrantz and Guildenstern going to England, to deliver the note that Claudius has written, saying that Hamlet has gone insane and he should be killed. Their voyage there is filled with attempts of comedy but end up being annoying and seem pointless. For example, the coin flipping scene in the beginning of the film was ridiculous. The director was attempting to be funny by being as crazy as possible. The one good aspect I found with the film was the different perspective of Hamlet. And you get to learn more about Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and the crazy games they play. Overall I would say that the film was not a good idea. I am sure loyal Shakespeare readers would be annoyed witht his movie, even if it is just for fun.

Best of Today: Early Homo Sapiens

While reading the Arts and Their Interpretation, I found the observations of Homo sapiens really interesting. It is amazing that some of the first works of art were cave paintings. I believe that it shows that while humans evolve, our intellect helps us to be more creative. This gave the earlier humans to create cave paintings. I found it interesting that the Homo sapiens drew a lot of animals. This makes sense though, because they were drawing about things that they knew and were important. I also found it interesting how detailed they drew the pictures. They made dsitinctions between male and female and even drew mammoths that were pregnant. The paintings were drawn to help the future generations learn how to hunt. They repeated the paintings as techniques improved. I believe the early humans wanted to preserve their rituals and traditions, which transformed into great art.

Best of Today: Wilson's Beliefs

While reading The Arts and Their Interpretation, I found that an important message being presented was that the interpretation of art can be considered a science. Wilson claims that both science and art need each other to coexist. He believes that many scientific discoveries can be considered great works of art. The process is similar, trial and error, persistency, and working off of other people's previous works. Wilson's website really interested me, it was fun thinking of the most exotic animals we could and looking them up on his search engine. Wilson's TED video was also really interesting. It was amazing to see all of the different bacteria there is on the planet. And to learn that most bacteria is actually good for you was a suprise. I also liked Mr. Allen's idea that when we read book swe enter other people's minds. I can share Wilson's great mind by just reading some of his published works. I find this amazing.

Best of the Week: Art with wire, thread, sugar, chocolate

This TED presentation was definitely the highlight of my week in humanities. The pieces of art that we saw were both unique and amazing. The pieces of thread he used to make some of his portraits were incredible. It looks like someone drew the artwork but it is actually yards and yards of thread. The creativity to be able to apply thread with art is amazing. I like the TED presenters outlook on art also. He encourages using an array of methods to create artwork, telling people to ignore criticism from others. He is proof that if someone has talent, it doesn't matter what form they chose to express their creativity. I believe that his most out of the box idea is his use of planes to make drawings in the sky. I believe that the presenter embraces a lot of aspects of humanities, and he definitely challenges the status quo with his innovative ideas. He is a good model to replicate because he goes into foreign territories and succeeds in impressing and producing great works of art.

Metacognition: Do You Mind

When I answer the Do you mind questions, I usually have to take some time to think about the question. I sometimes have to figure out my personality and answer accordingly. For example, A talent you wish you had, was one of the questions. I figured that I am a person who enjoys music and thought that if I could play some of the songs I listened to I would enjoy it even more. I believed that I would have a better understanding of the song if I actually knew how to play it. What suprised me about my thinking process is how I have to visualize myself in different situations to figure out what I would enjoy or want. This part of my process enables me to get a better understanding of myself. The Do you mind questions require us to think about where we see ourselves in the future and what we are going to be doing. These types of questions again require me to visualize where I will be in the future. I enjoy this aspect of my thinking because I can produce a vivid image and answer the questions in detail. Other questions that require us to dig into our past and pick out a rememorable moment is harder for me. I cannot always figure out what specific things in my past I find the most important. I dislike this part of my thinking because I am unable to make up my mind. The Do You Mind questions require a lot of deep thinking.

Connection: Hamlet and The Lion King

While reading Hamlet, I could not help but think of the movie The Lion King. There are actually a lot of similarities between the two stories. For instance, in both stories, the main characters' fathers are killed by their uncles. Each uncle is trying to improve their position and become king. Also Simba and Hamlet both want to avenge their fathers’ death and want to take their rightful place on the throne. The stories have a similar premise too both with villainous uncles. Simba and Hamlet are also similar in their visions of their fathers, both talking to the dead. Another Similarity between the two stories are Simba’s and Hamlet’s friends, Rosencrantz Guildenstern and are similar to Timon and Pumba. It is really amazing how many similarities these seeming unrelated stories have.

360 Degrees: Should We be afraid of Swine Flu?

The most prevalent epidemic that is occuring at the time is the break out of the swine flu. Spawning from a pig farm in Mexico, it has caused national concern with repeated reports of the disease. With an epidemic, comes a lot of speculation on how serious the outbreak is. Many believe that the swine flu will cause deaths in the United States, similar to the 150 people who were killed by the infectious disease. The president, Barack Obama, has asked congress for 1.5 billion dollars to help combat the disease. Reports have stated that the flu is spreading throughout the United States. U.S. officials however say that there is no need to panic over the flu outbreaks, since they are quite common each year. Those who are less alarmed about the outbreak point to new advances in a vaccine in early may. Swine flu is an enigma, I do not know whether to be overly cautious or go on as I usually do.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090428/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_flu