Blog 5- The Blade of Grass

Going outside to look at nature was a welcome change from going outside just to rush off to class. It was nice to observe the little color that we have on campus instead of just hurrying past it, not even noticing. Choosing only one item was surprisingly difficult. I thought about a leaf, I thought about a twig, I thought about some soil, but these items seemed too cliché. I wanted to pick an item that was not immediately thought of. So I chose some grass. But then the patch of grass I chose, did not feel quite right, so instead, I chose a single blade from the much larger area. The piece of grass I picked is larger than a typical piece of grass, not much longer, but a lot wider. The blade of grass looks like it has been folded in half before, and has a small tear on it’s left side that kind of looks like an insect ate away at it. The bright green color is what first caught my eye, because there is so much brown and beige outside right now, and since spring is coming, there are hints of green everywhere. Running my fingers up and down the length of the blade, I realized that one way is smooth and one way is rough, as if petting a dog the wrong way. The fact that one blade of grass alone does not look like much, but when you have hundreds upon hundreds of blades together make it almost impossible to decipher one individual blade, forming something like a carpet. Smelling it was surprising, it did not smell like I would immediately expect a blade of grass to smell like, it nearly smelled like it was fake and was reminiscent of plastic. A scientist could most likely tell me what kind of grass this is. I am allergic to two-thirds of the grasses, so I bet they could tell me if it was one I am allergic to. The scientist could possibly tell me how old the blade of grass is, or maybe what feeds on this type of grass. A scientist would definitely be able to tell me the genus and species of this piece of grass. An artist would tell me the exact shade of green that the blade is, and might talk about the movement the plant has. They would tell me the best way to photograph it so the lighting was just right, and how 

Blog #3

“The Portrait” by James Horner. 4:43

Back to Titanic (More Music from the Original Motion Picture)

This piece if from James Cameron’s epic film, Titanic. Fittingly entitled “The Portrait,” this piece is played about half way through the film, in the famous drawing scene. The first sound I hear in this piece is a short, soft succession of notes played three and a half times. Then an even shorter, three note transition into a repeat of the first succession.  After this calming introduction, the piano starts to play what sounds somewhat like Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.” The song so far is light and airy. Throughout the entire piece, there is not one specific part that stands out as the focal point. Almost all of the notes are played around the same volume, and yet there is immense variety in their tone. The song is played on just a piano, making it an extremely simplistic piece of music.

When I hear this song and I close my eyes, I feel as though I can touch the notes. When I feel myself touching them, they are soft and almost velvety, but at the same time, cold. The first part of the song, the introduction, makes me picture water. Not an ocean because it is from Titanic, but perhaps a small clear cup of water with little rays of light shining through it. Then after that, I can visualize the entire scene from the film in my head. Every camera angle, the actors, the lighting, the dialogue, the set, is all perfectly planned out in my head. I realize that this is going to sound trite, but this music almost gives me hope. I am an incredibly pessimistic person, and it is extraordinarily difficult to find a song that simply turns that pessimism around. But this song does just that. I don’t know why, but it instills some ounce of happiness in me, that I was previously lacking.

            When I hear this song, I feel soothed and I feel relaxed. No matter what mood I’m in, when I hear this piece of music, I feel at ease. Suffering from difficult anxiety attacks more often than I would like, “The Portrait” is one thing that sometimes helps me calm down while waiting for the medicine to kick in. This is also the song I put on when I need to read something extensive. The song has no lyrics to distract me and it has no loud or surprising instrumentals that knock me off my seat. The song is simple. Simple in the way it was written, in the way it was executed, and in the way it is accepted into one’s mind. This is one of the most beautiful songs I could possibly think of. The song brings out strong emotions with only one instrument and no lyrics. Not one part of this song feels wrong, there is not one note that feels even remotely out of place. When the piece is over, I feel refreshed. I feel like the song was a filter for my body, removing any impurities that were slowing me down before. 

How to make a pond...?

Michael Pollan's "How to Make a Pond" is about Pollan building a manmade pond in his backyard, and seeing all the wildlife that was drawn to it. In my opinion, it seems like Pollan's argument was that life can grow anywhere in the world, even in the most unlikely places. Mentioning the Pacific Island of Krakatau, he talks about the island being completely rejuvenated after it had been “literally sterilized” by a volcanic eruption. He also spoke of his manmade pond that started off with no life at all. His answer to making a pond is that one can’t just dig a hole and fill it in with water, that it needs to be maintained.  He is a gardener, so he compares the pond to a garden, saying that both need attention to stay alive.

How To Make A Fireball

         I used to always be afraid of fire. It was something that I avoided at all costs. One day my best friend at the time decided that lighters were fun to play with, and would light them when his parents weren’t around, and I always yelled at him to put it away. But one day, I let him teach me how to light it, and ever since, I’ve been obsessed with fire. My fear slowly evanesced from my mind, and was immediately replaced with an undying love for the dancing yellow flame.

In order to make a fireball that I can actually hold in my hand, I need a few things. First I need a t-shirt or an article of clothing that is 100% cotton, nothing synthetic, because as I’ve found, they tend to melt and burn up. I cut this article of clothing into strips, depending on how many fireballs I want to make, usually only one or two strips are necessary. I have to wrap this strip into a tight ball, and with 100% cotton thread, I thread a needle that pierces through the center of the ball. Once through, I have to wrap the thread around the ball over and over in a random pattern like a ball of yarn, and pierce the thread through the ball once more, and cut off any extra. After the ball is tightly wound, I have to soak the cotton in lighter fluid; I’ve found that the best kind to use is kerosene. I have to be very careful not to get any lighter fluid on my hands while I’m doing this, so I don’t light my fingers on fire. I then place the kerosene soaked cotton ball in my palm, and light it on fire. The top of the flame is clearly too hot to touch, but I am able to hold the sides of the fireball without burning my fingers. Putting out the ball of fire is fairly simple; I just cup my hands, cutting the oxygen supply from the fire. Making the fireball is quite simple, and it’s fun to play with, but I always take proper precautions whenever I’m playing with fire.

i found some rabbit tracks.

Usually after English class, I go directly to res to eat lunch. But on Monday, January 31, I forgot my UMass Pass, so I had to walk back to my room to get it. While walking back from the freshman quad, I saw some tracks in the freshly fallen snow. At first I thought nothing of it, I often see tracks while walking to class, but then I remembered the assignment that I had received just a few hours before. I didn’t have my camera with me, so I took out my phone to take a picture.

My first instinct was that the tracks belonged to a rabbit, and upon further investigation, I found that they were undoubtedly those of a rabbit. Rabbit tracks are very distinct, having two prints in the back close together, and two in the front farther apart. These tracks were heading away from Sentential Way toward the Residential Dining Facility.

            Rabbits are very common in Massachusetts. According to Wikipedia, there are eight different kinds of rabbits. Rabbits are recognizable because of their long ears, which can grow up to 10 centimeters long. Their front paws have five toes while their more powerful hind paws have four. Rabbits are animals that are commonly preyed upon, making them always aware of movement in their environment. If threatened, a rabbit will warn others by stomping the ground, and escape in many different ways, like burrowing and hopping away in a quick zig zag pattern. If captured, they kick with their powerful hind legs, or bite with their strong teeth.

            Rabbits are notorious for their breeding habits. They can have a litter from four to twelve babies. According to Wikipedia, “a single female rabbit can produce as many as 800 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.” A female is ready to breed at about six months, and a male is ready to breed at about seven months. So it is easy to see how they obtained their reputation. Baby rabbits are born naked, and within a few days form a base coat of fur. Rabbits live approximately nine to twelve years. The European Rabbit is the most common and best-known species of rabbit, and live burrows underground. More than half of the world’s population of rabbits lives in North America, but the European Rabbit is now found all over the world, including North Dartmouth.