Craig Thompson: Author, Drawer, and Wisconsinite - 4/15

Blankets by Craig Thompson

    Craig Thompson came to UWSP to talk about his books he has created and the future book that is coming out this year. Reading Blankets, made me want to come to his presentation to learn more about him and what lead him to become such a great author.

Journal 5: Blankets by Craig Thompson Response

I love you, Raina.

           The graphic novel Blankets by Craig Thompson is an interesting and relatable book to read. The trailer created by Dtaberner does capture the experience of reading the book, but it does leave out some important parts of the novel. It does highlight themes such as figuring out your faith, how to grow up and be human, but leaves out the true inside feeling of his feelings about love and keeping to his faith.

Journal 4: The Incredibles Edition: Robot Scene

      In the animated film The Incredibles, Bob Parr, aka Mr. Incredible, finds himself jobless. He gets a package from a woman named Mirage. She asks him to help terminate a robot for an award from her boss. He takes up the offer and he tricks his wife, Helen Parr, into thinking he is going on a business trip.  He is sent on a plane and travels to the island of Nomanisan with Mirage. She explains to him the top secret mission to terminate the robot. She explains that the robot can be tricky because of its ability to able to solve problems it’s confronted with. Mr. Incredible is faced to find the prototype robot deep in the jungle of the island. Once he get off the plane, he finds himself running through the god-forsaken jungle. He is sweating, realizing how out of shape he is, when the robot attacks him. He still uses his super strength to defeat the robot, but the robot figures out his moves and leads him to a volcano. Mr. Incredible pushes him into the lava, but the robot comes popping out with hi one red eye. He punches threw the robot and it is stabbing its self-multiple times. The robot rips out its power source and falls over. Mr. Incredible laughs and jogs away. Then presented is a parrot with its eye as a camera. Watching threw the camera is Mirage and the mysterious boss in the shadow…

        The scene I described above demonstrates that Mr. Incredible still knows how to defeat the bad guys, even out of shape and older. When he still wears his old super suite, it shows he is still stuck in the past, but knows he has missed using his superpowers more than anything. Also, the scene has advanced animations with the jungle and the volcano. It feels and looks like real vegetation and steaming hot lava! When Mr. Incredible decided to take on this mission, he lies to his family and does not want to admit to himself that he misses hero work and the adrenaline rush from it. This scene demonstrates the dramatic fight scene between the robot and Mr. Incredible. The scene has many creative angles and humor while during this “Boom Pow!” fight scene. At the end, they show that someone has been watching him the whole time to defeat Mr. Incredible and soon further into the movie with the rest of his super family!

Favorite Movie: Pride and Prejudice

You have bewitched me body and soul, and I love...I love...I love you.

        Pride and Prejudice is one of my all time movies to watch. The movie is dramatic, but also open ups a view of that time period. I personally can say this is my favorite movie because it is a love story set back in the 1800s, reflects on of my favorite books, and makes me want to know more about that historic time period.
        Pride and Prejudice, the book, can be hard to read in general. It took me two to three times to read to understand what Jane Austin is actually saying in her text. Most people always say that books are always better than the movie, but in this case I think it evenly tied as both being pretty amazing. Jane Austin's literature is set back in time with the older English. This may be hard for people to read, but the movie really puts her words into perspective.
        This movie is about a young lady living in a middle class household with four other sisters. They are all looking for eligible husbands to be wed to. Elizabeth Bennett, the main character, is fighting against herself to be independent, but falls for Mr. Darcy unexpectedly. The two crossed lovers are stuck between his wealth and her rank and place of her family. This love story opens up a new chapter for women to be independent but to have faith in someone to care for them when the time is right. It makes me realize the struggles women had back in that time period and how marriage at a certain age was a big deal. The love story is complicated, with the Elizabeth, and her smart and spunky personality. The movies makes me want to keep watching it over and over to really understand what they are saying.
        I love watching this movie because it makes me want to learn more about that historic time period and read more of Jane Austin's novels. I know this may be somewhat of an older book and time period, but I enjoy the romanticism and representation of women through Jane Austin's words. Overall, Pride and Prejudice should be watched to understand and witness a timeless love story.
       

How To Efficiently Paint Your Nails

By: Ashton Kusch, Mackenzie Suchy, & Janelle Nelson

                                                                                               

 

Are you feeling down? Do you want to add some pizazz to your life? Look no further than at your very fingertips. Are they dull and lack color? Do you need a new form of expression? Knowing how to paint your nails is the answer to all these problems. Pick a color and paint away. Pick black if you’re feeling bold, or if you want some party nails, choose a sparkle based color.  Any emotion you are feeling, there is a color for you to experiment with. If you don't like the color, you can remove and apply new colors at an endless rate. There is no easier way to express yourself than by painting your nails.

Painting ones nails may seem like an easy process, it can actually be quite complex. Before starting your nails you must first gather the necessary items for the process. In regards to your cuticles, which are at the base of your nails, you must acquire a cuticle pusher, and use by pushing the cuticles down towards the direction in which your knuckles reside.

List of Necessary Items:

1. Nail Polish Remover
2. Cotton balls/cue tips
3. Nail clippers
4. Nail filer (if need be)
5. Cuticle Pusher (if you don’t own one, using your nails works just fine)
6. Desired Nail Polish (we recommend Essie or OPI)
7. Clear Coat Nail Polish (we recommend Sally Hansen brand)
8. Paper Towel

 

(see materials below for example)

 

 

 

 

Part 1- Preparing the nail

Preparing your nails is an important aspect of painting your nails. Proper nail care will reflect the health and appearance of your nails. Below are the following steps for Part 1: Preparing the Nail:

Step 1. Remove any remaining nail polish. Removing excess nail polish from your nail before you start will give a clean base for your new color.

Step 2. Wash hands. You want to have clean hands and to remove any dirt from under the nail before painting your nails.

Step 3. Cut nails to desired length and use a nail filler to shape. (Refer to picture provided of nail clippers and file) Make sure to not cut your nails too short or to cut your skin. Also, file the edges of your nail to smooth and shape them as desired. Some might want to have the nail boxed shape or have a curved edge to the nail. Either of these work, it just depends on your preference.

Step 4. Push cuticles back using either end of the pusher, so you see the bottom whites of your nails. There are two ends for different size nails. Do not push down too much as that could cause pain and unhealthy nails.

Step 5. Shake nail polish, there should be a ball within the polish to mix and properly distribute the color. Some nail color may need to be shaken aggressively to evenly mix the color.  

Part 2- Painting the Nails

Step 6. Unscrew the top of the nail polish, and scrape the excess nail polish on the brush on the inside rim of the bottle. Adding too much nail polish on the brush will make it difficult to paint even coats.

Step 7. Apply the paint going from the base of the nail upwards.  Repeat the upward strokes until the entire nail is covered with nail polish( do not paint over the white cuticles).  If needed, add more nail polish to the brush from the bottle.

Step 8. Repeat steps 6-7 and paint each remaining nail.  

Step 9. Let the first coat of nail polish dry.  This step is essential because if you don’t let the 1st coat of nail polish before putting on a 2nd coat, air bubbles could form and the nail polish will take too long to dry.  You can use a blow dryer to dry the first coat faster if needed.

Step 10. Add additional coats of nail polish by following steps 10-11 for every fingernail.  Apply more coats of nail polish until you have reached your desired color intensity.

Step 11. Touch your finger on the coat of nail polish to check if they are dry.  The nail is dry if the coat is hard and does not smudge when touched.

Step 12. If the nail does smudge when you touch it allow it to completely dry and later fix the smudge by applying more nail polish over it, or apply a clear coat of nail polish

 

In your everyday life you should always strive to be the best version of yourself either it be knowing how to paint your nails and expressing yourself through color, or wearing high heels and prancing around town, then so be it. If that means painting your body blue and calling yourself a Smurf, then so be it! The bottom line is that when you do things to better yourself, your outlook on life can take a turn for the best. When there are more happy people expressing themselves in such a way, the world becomes a happier place. Give yourself the confidence to express yourself, because when doing so, you are probably inspiring people around you. Painting your nails has become a direct correlation with ones self-confidence; no matter who you are you can always add a little pizazz to your life with a swift brush of some nail polish!

                                                   

(Ignore voices; listen with no sound)

Finding Stevie

Where is Stevie?!

On February 24th, it was a dark blizzardy morning when our professor broke the news to us that our beloved mascot Stevie Pointer had been abducted. This news was very shocking! Our first thought was “Oh no!, he escaped the building and is in the horrid below freezing weather outside.” But, our professor reassured us that Stevie was last seen in the lobby sleeping, by the winding staircase. Stevie usually likes to wander around the dusty vents of the library. This was predictable, but we were uncertain why he did not return to his bed under the front desk. It was up to us to find him amongst the winding bookshelves of the Library. We decided to set out to find clues which would lead us to our mischievous Stevie. In order to complete the daunting task, we had to find his painted purple paw prints which would lead us to him!

Writer's Choice

Role Model or not..?

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6289390/hot-100-meghan-trainor-ed-sheeran-glen-campbell

If you do not know who the woman above, you might know her top hit song, "All About that Bass". Meghan Trainor's songs influence women to be themselves and not worry about their size you are.