Rust Belt

alterative materials for jewelry? awesome! use what you got!


these rings were created by Tabitha Ott. they are made out of recycled gift cards. great idea, recycle an old gift to make a new one.

cyanide

Hydrogen cyanide, under the name Zyklon B, was used as a genocidal agent by the Germans in World War II. this deadly gas was also used to execute prisoners in San Quentin prison up until 1994. cyanide pellets would be placed under the chairs of the prisoners then released into an acid causing the gas to rise and be inhaled. once inhaled the sensation of not being able to breath and the feeling of a heart attack would be the fate of the people strapped into the chairs. After the execution was over and the person pronounced dead 10-12 minutes later, the gas inside the chamber would be released threw a chimney into the atmosphere...to again affect human life. Why are people still releasing this chemical into the environment if it was deliberately used to kill people?

The Price of Gold

The price of extracting gold from the earth is not worth the value that is assigned to this “precious” metal.

Poisonous chemicals such as Cyanide and Mercury are dumped on to rocks to separate the gold from the rock ore, this leaching process allows the miners to retrieve a greater amount of gold from the rocks. But the retrieval of this metal by using this process does not come without a price. The chemicals can be spilled and run off can find its way to lakes and rivers, killing the ecosystem. Polluting the water and animals that need the water source to survive. Exposure to these chemicals can cause serious damage; they have affects on the central nervous, respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Knowing that these chemicals can cause serious damage to human, animals and plant life, why do the mining companies still use them? They do because they are trying to make money, the buck is the bottom line. The companies will continue to treat the environment in such a way until the mining laws created in 1872 are changed. They are out dated and need to be changed, steps to protect the environment and its ecosystems need to be made. Gold is not worth the life of any creature no matter how big or small.

just a thought

I feel like I have been living in a bubble, and perhaps I was. This maybe the case, but through the research I have been doing for both the Blood Diamonds project and now the Materials project presented in the Metalsmithing class, I am being opened up to countless social, economical and environmental problems and issues that I previously had no idea about. If I had no ideas about some of these issues I wonder how many others were also in the dark.

With out knowing and understanding information and situations outside our lives how can change come about. The first step needs to be discovering this knowledge. Perhaps more effort should be put on getting the information out into the world, into the consumers hands so they can take an active part to end or improves some of these issues.

That’s not to say that someone will no longer buy diamonds or gold after reading about blood diamonds, or the damages to the earth caused my mining, but it will make them more aware of situations going on outside of their world. And perhaps at some level affect the way they think about the things they purchase. Even making someone stop and think about what they are doing is a step in the right direction.

With all the things going on in the world, all the problems and the social injustice that are taking place, it is hard to see a solution. Uncovering all this information about people who have been affected by materials that I use in the studio on a daily basis is hard for me to swallow. I wont stop making objects with these materials, but I will be more conscious of the materials I use from now on, where they come from and the affect they have on the environment.

I have to believe that over all people are good and that things will change. Other wise we can give up where we stand and let things remain the same, live in our bubble of comfort and be glad we were born on the privileged side of the spectrum.

Hug Therapy

I found this book when i was going through boxes in my basement, i had accidentally taken it from my high school a few years ago....shh don't tell.

All the rules and proper conduct are found inside... remember hugging is not kissing. Also complete with all the different types of hugs and to whom and when to apply. For example the sandwich hug is used for three good friends or two parents wishing to comfort a child. Touch and interaction is important, it is needed. Are we getting our daily dose of interaction? with self check outs at the store and online chatting, we might be missing out on vital contact, that is not only nice but beneficial to our health. Hug some one today!!

The Green Glass Co.

This is a set of bud vases created by The Green Glass Co. They recycle beer and wine bottles and create new containers, cups and goblets. What a great way to recycle with out the need for the recycling plant, this saves energy too!

my mom made a blog

Today i helped my mom set up her own blog... i better get cracking on mine so i can set a good example. for some reason this is hard for me, so i am going to take the advice Megan gave and try and blog everyday. Habits can be a good thing, hopefully this one will stick!