Revive

I just wanted to update the blog since it's been dead for a while.
One of my favorite contemporary art blogs (We Make Money Not Art,) is doing a 10 part spot light feature on Latin American artists.
In addition to this they covered two great pieces of interests deeply rooted in much more modern Mexican culture.
The first being Enrique Metinides' work (example to the Right) of photography, it was all work originally shot for the Mexican Newspaper's which are famously a lot more gruesome. I feel this body of work does not really provide a different view of the image's purposes aside from being for shock value. However this could be taken as a way of addressing Mexican disaster media, and it's similarities to the art world.
Although I feel the next work is not as visually stimulating, it has a great cultural connection. The piece Casa Segura by Robert Ransick is a shack placed within Arizona set up with food, water, and other basic supplies however within it there is also a touch screen, allowing the illegal immigrants who frequent the desert to leave a digital note behind, but it also acts as an oasis with the supplies. The artist hopes that with the immigrants ability to leave notes behind (which can be accessed and read from this link) would give them a voice that is not heard in the media surrounding border control issues. I feel that this is a strong piece of art, however it will not get adequate exposure and void the artist's purpose of giving these immigrants a new forum.

KING OF SPAIN TELLS CHAVEZ TO SHUT UP

it was a meeting of everybody and Chavez called the spanish leader a fascist and that a snake is more human than him. the leader of Spain is pro America and therefore Chavez doesnt like him but then again everyone pro America is anti Chavez and Castro and Morales etc. because they are socialist leaders.anyway they were talking and chavez kept saying things but his mic was turned off and the king of spain turned to him and told him "why dont you shut up". chavez didnt respond immediately but later said that he and the venezuelan govt. reserves all right to criticize the other nations and blah blah.

ARGENTINA!

argentina's first lady is elected president! Cristina Fernandez rode into the presidency on her husband's reputation but now must learn to stand on her own. She will take over December 10th. breaking news our latin/ hispanic women were coming up in this world! People are expecting her not to be able to do it, but let it be known that the underdog will shine!

apocolypto

for my modern literature class. we were studying the holocaust and were asked to do different genocides. I chose the GUATEMALEN CIVIL WAR. which basically was a genocide
here is the definition of a genocide;
the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group.
the war went on for years and now guatemala is a very poor country, with everything that it has gone through. so with this in mind i watched the movie APOCOLYPTO which to my surprise really described what was going on..

free trade benefits us workers

Full article
President Bush's decision to help the impoverished countries of Panama, Peru and etc.

Aztec Warrior Societies

Commoners who excel in warfare are promoted to the noble class and can enter some of the warrior societies (at least the Eagles and Jaguars). Sons of nobles trained at the Calmecac however were expected to enter into one of the societies as they progressed through the ranks. Warriors could shift from one society and into another when they became proficient, each society has different styles of fashion and equipment as well as styles of body paint and jewelry.

Eagle and Jaguar warriors
The largest warrior society was the Eagles (quauhtin) and the Jaguars (ocelomeh) . They dressed as the animal they took their name from, some wearing pelts of large felines and others dressed in eagle feathers. Many of these warriors are depicted as statues. The Headquarter of the Eagles and Jaguars was the Quauhcalli "the Eagle House" located in the ceremonial precinct in Tenochtitlan.

The Otomies
The Otomies (Otontin)were another warrior society who took their name after the Otomi people who were known for their fierce fighting. In the historical sources it is often difficult to figure out whether the word otomitl "Otomi" refers to members of the Aztec warrior society, or members of an ethnic group who also often joined the Aztec armies as mercenaries or allies.

The Shorn Ones
The "Shorn Ones" (Cuachicqueh) was the warrior society with the biggest reputation - their heads were shaved apart from a long braid over the left ear. Their bald heads and faces were painted one half blue and another half red or yellow. They had sworn not to take a step backwards during a battle on pain of death at the hands of their comrades.

AMERICA MEDIA BEING IGNORANT LIARS AS USUAL

OKAY WELL A FEW DAYS BACK I WAS LOOKING THROUGH SOME FOX MEDIA THINGS THAT HAD TO DO WITH VENEZUELA WHEN CHAVEZ SHUT DOWN THE RADIO STATION. THEY HAD CALLED HIM A MANIACAL DICTATOR AND THAT HE KILLS EVERYONE WHO DOESNT LIKE HIM OR GOES AGAINST WHAT HE SAYS. THEY SAY THAT HE IS OVERREACHING AND VIOLATING FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND ALL. OKAY WELL WHAT I GOT TO SAY TO THIS AND TO ALL THE DUMB AMERICAN PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE WHAT FOX- A RIGHT WING NETWORK SAYS IS THAT NUMBER ONE CHAVEZ ISNT A DICTATOR. HES BEEN ELECTED INTO OFFICE A WHOLE MESS OF TIMES THE PEOPLE VOTE HIM IN. TWO HES ONLY A DICTATOR TO AMERICANS AND A THREAT BECAUSE HES NOT PRO AMERICAN AND NOT A CAPITALIST.SEEING AS SOCIALISM AND COMMUNISM ARE FROWNED UPON THEY MAKE HIM LOOK LIKE THE BAD GUY. THINK ABOUT IT, ALL THE COLD WAR STUFF, THE RED SCARES, BAY OF PIGS AND ALL OF THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS MADE ON CASTRO BY THE CIA. SERIOUSLY. HERE LOOK AT HELEN KELLER. ALL EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT HER IS THAT SHE WAS BLIND AND DEAF AND THAT SHE LEARNED HOW 2 SPEAK READ AND WRITE. BUT DID YOU KNOW THAT SHE BECAME A SOCIALIST RADICAL LATER IN LIFE AND SHE WAS CONSTANTLY BASHING THAT RACIST PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON. NOPE, THEY DIDNT TEACH US THAT IN SCHOOL, ONLY TRANSFORMED HER INTO A BROING ICON OF "IF SHE CAN DO IT, YOU CAN TOO".ANYWAY BACK TO VENEZUELA, MY FOURTH POINT BEING THAT THAT RADIO STATION THAT HE SHUT DOWN HELPED IN THE 2002 COUP DE TA. THE RADIO STATION BRAGGED ABOUT HOW THEY HELPED OUT PLANNING THE COUP BUT SINCE CHAVEZ WAS FREE HE SHUT DOW THE RADIO STATION BUT NOW PEOPLE ARE SAYING HES A DICTATOR BECAUSE HE SHUT THEM DOWN AND IT VIOLATES FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND SPEECH. NO, THAT RADIO STATION WAS A BUNCH OF CRIMINAL TRAITORS AND DESERVED WHAT THEY GOT. MAYBE CHAVEZ IS OVERREACHING BY SHUTTING THEM DOWN COMPLETELY, THAT I AGREE BUT THE WAY FOX NEWS BASHED ON HIM CALLING HIM A DICTATOR AND MAKING UP ALL THESE LIES ABOUT HIM IS INCREDIBLE AND THE SAD PART IS PEOPLE BELIEVE IT. MY WHOLE POINT OF THIS BLOG IS DONT WATCH THE NEWS ESPECIALLY FOX NEWS, THEY BLOW THINGS UP OUT OF PROPORTION AND MAKE LIES. YEAH IT COULD BE CNN OR WHATEVER BUT JUST HOW IT IS IN SCHOOL WITH THAT "HE SAY SHE SAY" YOU GOTTA CONSIDER YOUR SOURCE OF INFORMATION.