MT | Milindo Taid

University of Padua, Italy. International PhD Fellowships 2012-2013.

Jul 10

Università degli Studi di Padova (University of Padua), one of the oldest universities in the world (estd. 1222), is offering PhD fellowships across its various schools for the academic year 2012-2013. Of particular interest is the School of Social Sciences: Interactions, Communication, Cultural Constructions.

15 research fellowships for foreign students to attend Doctoral Schools/International Courses. The duration of the doctoral courses is three years, starting on 1st January 2013 and ending on 31st December 2015.

Application Deadline: 5 September 2012.

Homo Shopus: The Buyological Urge

Jul 06

Vancouver, Canada based Adbusters have been culture jamming for quite some time now, and they describe themselves thus – “We are a global network of culture jammers and creatives working to change the way information flows, the way corporations wield power, and the way meaning is produced in our society.” No mean challenge to take on, especially with late capitalist manifestations of corporate power excesses and top down flows of information. I have been an Adbusters follower for many years now, and what drew me first to them was their more than unconventional approach to magazine layout and design (everything that the ‘Time’ is not, if you know what I mean), and of course with convincing content that I find resonances in, it did become a regular fix. Here is a sampling of Adbusters posters dubbed ‘Homo Shopus: The Buyological Urge.’ Take a look.

Dalkomhan Insaeng: Jee-woon Kim. (South Korea) 2005.

Jul 05

Dalkomhan Insaeng (translated ‘A Bittersweet Life’) showcases the inimitable Lee Byung-hun primarily, with the obligatory ‘crimson tide’ that is somewhat a part and parcel of most gangster films. Part over the top action choreography, part dripping melodrama – not exactly a ballet with bullets, but comes close to an attempt at it. I found it strangely unsatisfying. Watch out for the violence – mature audiences advised.

Eric Johnson: Cliffs of Dover. 1990

Jul 05

Eric Johnson - Cliffs of Dover

Watch this video on YouTube

1990 | Eric Johnson: Guitars | Tommy Taylor: Drums | Kyle Brock: Bass

Jennifer Maestre: Sculpting with Pencils!

Jul 04

Jennifer, a graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design got inspired by sea urchins. What followed was an obsessive love affair with pencils as a medium, not for illustration but for sculpting! Take a look at her sharp sculpting skills.

Michel Foucault: Self and Subjectivity (Lecture). 1983

Jul 03

The work of late French historian and philosopher Michel Foucault wields a wide and considerable influence on structuralist and post structuralist thought across a broad range of disciplines in philosophy, humanities and social sciences, to this day. I was quite excited to hear Foucault’s voice in this, articulating his thoughts as only he can. The ultra heavy French accent takes a while to listen in to, but once you do, the ride is great. He examines Western culture’s conceptual development of individual subjectivity. Recorded at the University of California, Berkeley, April 1983. (Note: There are some distortions in the audio once a while (sound sped up), but the ‘rough patches’ get over quickly.)

PhD studentship in Human Geography at the University of Leicester, UK, 2012.

Jul 02

PhD studentship in Human Geography at the Department of Geography for the students of UK/EU and International students at the University of Leicester, UK, 2012. Internationalisation of British Higher Education and Social Media: Academic Identities, Transnational Socialisation, and Engaged Pedagogic Practice.

Study Subject(s): Human Geography Course Level: PhD

Eligibility: Applicants must have a first-class or high upper second-class honours degree (or equivalent qualification) in geography or a social science discipline relevant to the project (such as media studies or education) and meet the University’s standard English language entry requirements.

Lewis Hine (Sociologist & Photographer): Child Labour 1908-1924

Jul 01

I encountered sociologist Lewis Hine’s hard hitting body of photographic work (from the early 20th C) quite a few years back, and the images stayed on. Like Eugene Smith much later, Hine’s camera was a camera with a conscience, powerful enough to be a catalyst for social reform. Documenting the end of innocence of children employed in factories, cotton mills, coal mines and households across the USA. 1908-1924.

Kim Ki-Duk: Bin-jip (2004)

Jun 30

Kim Ki-Duk‘s “Bin-Jip” (‘Empty House’ also titled ‘3 Iron’) is a quaint cinematic experience, a love story of sorts hovering between spirit-reality-fantasy. Nothing is articulated entirely, nor is there a need for it. Relationships are discovered in profound silence. Watch.