Jaz Design

My copy of Adbusters came today. Like every year they’re doing a TV Turn-Off week, only this time it’s called “Mental Detox Week” which makes more sense in that the digital explosion of the last few years means we’re hounded by more than just TV.

The premise:

“The idea is simple: take your TV, your DVD player, your video iPod, your XBOX 360, your laptop, your PSP, and say goodbye to them all for seven days. Simple, but not at all easy. Like millions of others before you, you’ll be shocked at just how difficult – yet also how life-changing – a week spent unplugged can really be.”

Find out more at this link.

Last night’s South Park, titled “Over Logging” actually highlighted some key issues surrounding always being “turned on” to the internet in particular. It’s really hilarious, but also a little disturbing. I won’t spoil it, but I did want to mention a few things that have tied into things I’ve read in Adbusters material. Not knowing how to behave in a face to face situation, feeling compelled to check and reply to emails etc, becoming numb to real relationships and sex, having too much information etc.

I’m all for the internet, I just thought it was funny and thought provoking and tied in well with Adbusters’ message. Check it out if you get the chance

I think in America you might be able to view the full thing where this clip is, if not, here’s a clip!

I had a lovely Christmas, I spent Christmas eve and Christmas morning with the mister and his family, which was great and I really enjoyed myself. We spent Christmas eve snuggled up watching telly, drinking Champagne, and then woke up uncharacteristicly early Christmas morning to open our presents.

We’d decided to do a “serious” present, a “silly” present and a bunch of stockingy presents for each other. I’d bought him Mass Effect (Xbox 360), the Muse poster from the gigs we went to in June, a Screaming Flying Monkey and a lot of chocolate and sweeties

He’d accepted my suggestion of jewellery, and got me the beautiful set shown here. I picked butterflies because of the Muse song “Butterflies and Hurricanes” which is my favourite song of all time, it’s pretty special. He also got me Lego Star Wars II (PS2) (which I haven’t had chance to play yet), a make and display Play-Doh parrot which is awesome, and lots of sweeties.

My Mum got me a subscription to Adbusters magazine which is awesome because I won’t be able to read it at the library once I finish uni , I got money, a new duvet and set, lots of chocolate and sweeties, a nail varnish set, Sleepy Hollow, Design Without Boundaries: Visual Communication in Transition and I’m sure I’m forgetting some stuff.

As an aside, watch Toy Story, it’s awesome. I’m Woody, howdy howdy howdy.

I was reading The Good Human today, and my attention was drawn to this collection of artwork by Chris Jordan. As he says:

“This new series looks at contemporary American culture through the austere lens of statistics. Each image portrays a specific quantity of something: fifteen million sheets of office paper (five minutes of paper use); 106,000 aluminum cans (thirty seconds of can consumption) and so on. My hope is that images representing these quantities might have a different effect than the raw numbers alone, such as we find daily in articles and books. Statistics can feel abstract and anesthetizing, making it difficult to connect with and make meaning of 3.6 million SUV sales in one year, for example, or 2.3 million Americans in prison, or 426,000 cell phones retired every day. This project visually examines these vast and bizarre measures of our society, in large intricately detailed prints assembled from thousands of smaller photographs.”

It definitely does that – even from the images there a scary reality is easy to see. I can’t imagine how those must appear in reality… or how long they took to produce. I am terribly curious. I may well have a nose around the net tomorrow, if I get time. IF. That’s a big if. Check it out anyway, you may be surprised!

Just a quick reminder that this week is TV Turnoff week.

I don’t have a TV here anymore (I never thought I’d miss it but I do, go figure), but I do have a lot of shows stored on the PC. I also know I won’t be able to resist watching the new 24… We’ll see. I think this is something that’s easier to do if you’re by yourself. I used to go weeks without watching anything.

Anyway, good luck to you if you’re one of the brave ones switching off! Kudos. I need to get gone, busy day today!

Things are good.

I’m on the mend now. Fingers crossed it stays that way. I made it into town the other day, and I’ve even been to Portsmouth and to uni. I was mortified about missing the start of that really. And also, I have so much work to do now, last semester’s, and this semester’s… but that’s ok. Because it’ll get done. So long as I can stay well. I still get fairly tired easily, but that’ll go. Thankfully the feeling depressed about it has passed, I think that went with the actually being able to do things again-ness.

South Park, good or bad?

I actually did something artistic the other day, it felt good.

I’m also reading Design Anarchy – finally managed to put my hands on it in the uni library (yeah, because I can afford £50 for a book). It’s good. It scares me sometimes, as do the Adbusters magazines, but it’s good. I like it a lot.

I finished The Modern Pagan: How to Live a Natural Lifestyle in the 21st Century. It came across to me as a little preachy at times, a lot of things are common sense, but it was alright. Not the best book in that vein that I’ve read, but still good to read all the same. I know I marked off some pages to go back to, maybe when I do I’ll think some more about how useful I thought it really was.

I started a Library Thing thing actually, though I’ve not had much time to play with it. I like the site and what it does, but not the interface so much. I don’t know. Anyone know of any similar sites? I guess it’s like last.fm in a way.

So it’s halfway through February. Anyone keep their new years resolutions this time? I didn’t make any. I stopped eating chocolate for a bit, but that went to hell when I got sick. I can’t count how many Mars eggs I’ve eaten – they have to be the best invention since…. cream eggs. Still, that needs to stop. Really.

Actually, that’s a lie, I did have a resolution in mind. Haha. Guess that went to hell too. I’ll dig that out and maybe start doing it. It involves cameras.

Happy belated Val Day world. Love is amazing. Find some.

I got an essay back that I wrote “analysing an image found within contemporary visual culture”. I got 70% which is really good, and some really nice comments. Considering I was in quite an upset/stressed out state the day I wrote that, that’s pretty amazing. I did put in some library time for that though, and it paid off, judging by one of the comments. I guess I might just live in the library this semester. It’s not like I don’t have too much to do.

Quite probably one of my favouritest photos ever. <3 Although it should be the other way around, as per the way it was developed ;P

I’m getting rid of my tellybox. That’s not to say I won’t watch telly elsewhere, I think that’s inevitable. And you know, the stuff I watch on the PC, but but but, I’M GIVING UP HOLLYOAKS. Properly this time. Yes. You heard. Giving it up.

24 is scary. It’s all going wrong. Fix it.

I should do the stuff I came home to do.

Adbusters have announced ‘Slow Down Week’ (see the animation here). The premise being:

For one week, instead of running to catch the bus or zipping in and out of traffic, try walking to work. Instead of grabbing take-out on the way home, cook a meal with your family. Leave the TV and computer off, and play an old-fashioned board game, or just sit and catch up with family and friends. If possible, take a day off work — and then while it away with a long walk and an afternoon nap.

It sounds interesting, but then one has to have been going fast in the first place for that to work

I checked out the latest Adbusters in the liiiibary t’other day, it was a roundup of 2006 edition, which, as per usual, scared me senseless. It’s very interesting though. Always worth reading.

Also, it being new year and all, I thought I’d share this link with you – yes everyone claims to have the secret to willpower, but this kind of thing I think would actually work if anyone actually tried it.

And now, I must go blitz my Play to Create project………..

ETA: I’ve been chocolateless since Sunday…. similar to last year I’ve given it up.

“Every November, for 24 hours, we remember that no one was born to shop, we make a small choice to participate by not participating. If you’ve never taken part in Buy Nothing Day, or if you’ve taken part in the past but haven’t really committed to doing it again, consider this: 2006 will go down as the year in which mainstream dialogue about global warming finally reached its critical mass.”

It’s this coming week. See here for more information.

I don’t think I can get away with buying nothing, I’ll need train tickets, but otherwise. Should be ok. Should.

They also have this idea for a buy nothing Xmas. I like buying people presents, and already have done, so it’s too late for me, but I must admit I did consider opting out of Xmas this year. Just because, the Xmas stuff was in stores before Halloween, and Halloween is a lot more fun and should not be overshadowed by the confused mess of emotions that is our modern day Xmas.