Boo PIXAR :)

Boo Pixar! Boo!

Thanks to the awesome Creative team of PIXAR... I met my all time favorite character "BOO".

This PIXAR animated cartoon (MONSTER'S INC.) was released in 2001... If I remember it right, I was already a college freshman then...

At that time, I thought that I've already outgrown the liking for cartoons and other cute kids stuff. I was in college after all...

Then came the character of "BOO"... All of a sudden, I felt like I was 6.

PIXAR was successful in bringing out the kid in me once again...

Having read and seen the story of PIXAR... I realized what they have... which makes them a cut above the rest...It is their ability to stimulate not only the audiences' minds...but most importantly...they knew how to stimulate the audiences' hearts.

Each time I see a PIXAR film... I turn into my 6 year-old self. I become silly and i like it.

The very inspiring story of PIXAR animation is a perfect conclusion for this semester's creativity class.

It is a good reminder for each one of us... that we should hold on to the child in us... and not let our free flowing creativity and passion for things be stolen from us by the adult rules of life.

I leave you all fellow creativity bloggers with a pretty useless quote from Henry Waternose of Monster's Inc:

"Kids these days... they don't get scared like they used to."--HENRY WATERNOSE

Perhaps it's time we all start searching for the old 'KID' in us... the one who gets scared, who laughs, who fumble, who screams BOO!

Salut Pixar!

Snoopology

Out of the many possible candidates for this exercise... I chose to look no further... I chose my Dad. Why? Because the exercise calls for us to snoop on someone we know (but there's a question of biases)...and then later on we were given the option to snoop on someone we don't know (which is a lawsuit waiting to happen)... and so I thought that my DAD would be the perfect snoop subject... Because, yes I know him...but even if we live in the same house...we haven't said a word to each other for 2 years... (Don't ask...let's skip explaining the drama part).

Moving on to the SNOOPING results...

The OBVIOUS:

Here are some things that I know about my dad since I was a kid...which was evident with the things I found in his room...

EVIDENCE 1: (He organizes his shirts by color)

SPYTERPRETATION 1:

Anyone who sees this closet, would naturally assume that the guy who owns this is either disciplined or have OCD...Well...since I know my dad...his closet very much reflects his personality.He is very meticulous and organized...Ooh and he obviously learned this from somewhere as evident with SNOOP subject no.2

EVIDENCE 2: (WAR, MASONARY, MARTIAL ARTS, BOOKS/ MILITARY STUFF)

SPYTERPRETATION 2:

Yes...My dad used to be in the military (FACT He left a little after I was born). Most of the stuff that he owns reflects that he is very 'masculine'..I consider him the epitome of a traditional patriarchal male archetype...someone who is fascinated about war and guns. If one were to analyze the books that he reads, one would notice that my dad is a leader and is a very 'homosocial' person because he belongs to an "all boys club" such as the Freemasonary and 'Shriners'. Freemasonary is a fraternal organization that arose during the 16-17th century. A lot of famous men were members of the said fraternity. Great leaders and heroes such as Jose Rizal, Emilio Aguinaldo, Benjamin Franklin, Ronald Reagan and many other accomplished individuals.

Moving on...I mentioned earlier that even if my dad and I live on the same roof, we don't speak to each other due to personal reasons...that's why I missed out on a lot of things about my dad...and with this snooping exercise...I was able to know his current state...My verdict? He is a classic example of a man undergoing a "MID-LIFE CRISIS".

THE SUBTLE:

EVIDENCE 3: MID-LIFE CRISIS EVIDENCES

(DIVING LOG,TOBACCO BOXES,PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS, CAMERA RELATED PURCHASES, A BOX OF BEARD & MUSTACHE DYE, A READING GLASS)

DIVING LOGBOOK shows that he picked up on his old hobby...he's diving again...

Boxes of unused TOBACCO implies that my dad picked up on smoking. He is a non-smoker. But I guess, part of a man's mid-life crisis is socializing a lot with different people, going out on posh parties...and what could better signify success and manliness than a man smoking tobacco? Right? :)

Oh also...since he has boxes of tobacco and not boxes of Marlboro, even if I don't know the owner, I'd guess that he is in his 50s... :) hahaha

BEARD & MUSTACHE DYE

This shows that the man who owns this room is bearded and is maintaining it intentionally...He is vain alright!

PHOTOGRAPHY PURCHASES

My dad is really trying to keep himself busy...and has apparently picked up on a new hobby "PHOTOGRAPHY"... Whoever snoops on my dad would guess that he is a creative person...which is true!

Oohhh..Notice the reading glass??? A simple yet perfect clue to guess the room owner's age!

Notice my dad is also reading Photography books, Leadership and war books, oh and a book on Violence and aggression?! Hmmm...

OVERALL SPYTERPRETATION:

I think my dad is experiencing mid-life crisis. He is revisiting his old passion for (military, guns, martial arts, war etc.) and at the same time he is keeping himself busy with old and new hobbies such as diving and photography.

These things also signifies that my dad embodies the traditional characteristics of what the patriarchal society considers "masculine". With the things that he owned...All very 'manly'... Even if I don't know him I think I can point out that he is a man who values his 'macho' image.

All these interesting objects I found in his room shows that he is a man who has great physical strength, but at thesame time is a social butterfly. It is also evident that he likes taking on the role of the leader in his relationships.

SPYSUCCESS!!! :)

Some of his things I observed in his room also shows his competitiveness and sense of adventure... He also seems like a very ambitious man, who values his pride and honor.

The best thing I got out of this exercise is discovering that despite my dad being in his fifties...I think he is still discovering a lot of things about himself... I guess the road towards self-discovery really doesn't end till your old and grey...oh and with my dad's hair dye?I think it will take time for him to get to the end of that road :) hahaha (kidding)...

EEEEWWWW :-) yuck

WARNING: Might be too YUCKY for BOYS!

My chosen product for my YUCK design observation...might be too gross for BOYS... (sorry sir mark, i know you have no choice but to endure this) :-)

Here it goes...

Presenting my YUCK design observation:

TAMPONS with CARDBOARD APPLICATOR

For those who don't know how to use a TAMPON here's a simple visual step-by-step process for you to undrstand how this product works.

TAMPON 101:

Getting ready:

Wash your hands and unwrap a fresh tampon

Finding a comfortable position

standing with their knees slightly bent is a very comfortable and easy way to reach the vaginal area, with the vaginal opening’s muscles relaxed.

Inserting the applicator

If you’re using a tampon, you’ll see that the applicator is made of two tubes, one fitting inside the other. So you’ll need to pull the inner tube out 'till it “clicks” at the bottom of the outer tube, prior to inserting the applicator.

Hold the applicator lightly on the outer insertion tube at the grip location with your thumb and middle finger. Remember to keep your pointer finger away from the applicator. With the removal string hanging down, insert the outer tube into your vaginal opening at a slight upward angle, toward the small of your back. Gently slide the applicator all the way into your vagina, until your fingers touch your body.

Placing the tampon inside

With your pointer finger, slide the inner tube all the way into the outer tube until the ends of both tubes are even — this slides the tampon out of the applicator and into the right place in your vagina.

Removing both applicator tubes

Firmly hold on to the two tubes that are now one inside the other. Gently take out both tubes together, leaving the tampon inside your body and the string hanging outside ready for removal. When your tampon is inserted correctly, you shouldn’t even feel it. If it feels uncomfortable, it is probably not placed far enough. The uncomfortable feeling comes from the tampon rubbing against the muscles at the opening of the vagina. If this happens, simply remove the tampon and try again with a new one, making sure to insert it deeper into your body. It’s normal for beginners to try insertion a few times before they get it right.

Applicator Disposal:

Do not flush the applicator or wrapper. After you have inserted the tampon, you can place the used applicator back into the wrapper and dispose into a trash can.

Now that you have an idea on how to use this product you are probably wondering why some girls use them when regular pads are available?

WHY I/WE WEAR EM':

1) I wear tampons because unlike sanitary pads which makes me feel aware that I have my period, a tampon makes me forget about having the red flag up because I don't feel anything.

2) I can wear anything because there aren't any bulging pads. So no need to avoid anything white and tight!

3) Best of all... I can do sports, like swimming without worry!

THE INVENTION FROM HELL:

TAMPONS is such a great invention...until they thought of being earth friendly and decided to design a CARDBOARD APPLICATOR....

The idea of creating a bio-degradable, earth friendly, flushable applicator is great for the environment and I appreciate it. It's nice to know that I don't have to feel guilty of polluting the world with more plastic (applicators). However, the designers failed to consider the possible discomfort it may add to the already uncomfortable experience of putting on a tampon.

YUCK YUCK YUCK (Things I hate about CARDBOARD APPLICATOR)

1) Since the applicator was made of cardboard, it was dry and harder to insert than the plastic applicator because the cardboard absorbs the moisture making it less lubricated therefore more painful to insert. As a result, I tend to waste 2-3 tampons just to do it right.

2) The cardboard applicator was stressful to use because it can sometimes fall apart... It was as sturdy as the plastic applicator.

3) It is messier because it is made of paper. (Enough said.Just let your imagination work)

4) Since using the applicator is comparable to using a syringe... The Cardboard form was more difficult to use and to press unlike the plastic applicator. I end up ruining the applicator.

5) If tampons aren't inserted properly = STAIN

So although I love to be part of the whole green movement... I still prefer using plastic applicators for tampons instead of the YUCK cardboard applicator. I'd probably cut down on using plastic bags instead, but I'm not using a cardboard applicator ever again!