Posts

The Culture of Gender

Gender’s cultures: where the third gender has been accepted for centuries. By Asia Leonardi for the Carl Kruse Blog When a boy is born, a blue ribbon is hung at the hospital door. If it is a girl, the ribbon is pink. The color is also combined with clothes to give away, rompers, bibs, even diapers, and pacifiers. The girl is given skirts and her ears pierced. When the boy grows up, he is taught not to cry when he falls, while the girl is comforted and caressed by the mother. The girl is given the dolls, the boy lego. The girl watches the movies of barbie, the boy those of spiderman. She gets her hair done, maybe braided and decorated with beads; he gets shaved. The girl goes dancing, the boy kicks. The girl can never say bad words, not even repeat them; if the boy does, you reproach him, but the second time you leave him alone. We tend to believe that gender, like sex, is a natural quality, supported by the laws of biology. We should first understand what is meant by "natural"

Planning Your Life Makes You Happier

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By Vittorio Compagno for this Carl Kruse Blog Here’s My Experience A few weeks ago I was lost at the foot of my bed, sitting on the floor, reading a book, immersing myself in the words and the worlds that I imagined, wanting to drive away the thought of an exam that I would have had shortly thereafter. The more I leafed through the pages, the closer my mind seemed to approach the task to which I could not escape, and if I did, I would have lost time studying for and taking another, and the cyclical anxiety that this would entail. And that’s how the life I was living more and more day by day seemed built on a house of cards, ready to fall on me at the first gust of wind, which, sooner or later, would come. And it came. I finally failed that exam, I could take another one after two weeks, but I knew that the same situation would always be repeated, that my feelings about the hot and guilty stasis would not change on their own. So, taking advantage of the fall of the house of cards, I wan

Electro - From Kraftwerk to Techno

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  by Vittorio Compagno for the Carl Kruse Blog Looking at Dusseldorf, a city with less than 1 million inhabitants, one may only think about the modern architecture, the fashion industry, or its art scene. What many people don’t realize, it’s that the city was the center of a cultural revolution that took place in all of West Germany.  In an attempt to create a new identity for their nation, the best of the German intelligentsia drifted away from a 25-year middle period of American influence, creating a counterculture movement that rode the wave of the demonstrations that took place in the 60's throughout the Western world.  At the center of the German avant-garde movement was a band that formed in 1969: Kraftwerk . Their name, which means “Power Station”, is an indicator of the inspiration of the group to industrial design, with an important contribution of the gone but not forgotten Bauhaus.  Their style, inspired at the beginning by industrialism, shifted towards the well

Retrofitting Classic Cars

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  by Kristin Kruse for the Carl Kruse Blog In today’s society, climate change is on everyone's mind, making oil the enemy. Oil has seen a gradual slowdown in its extraction and refinement.  As laws change to counteract climate change, alternative fuel methods are taking the front seat, especially electricity.  Electric cars are becoming more mainstream, with countries like the United Kingdom ending sales of traditional fuel cars by 2030. Anything that runs on batteries and powered by an electric motor is more efficient, less noisy, emits no exhaust, and requires less maintenance.  This is a seemingly no-brainer alternative. Cities become cleaner, people save money on fuel.   However, not everyone is convinced of this full transition to alternative energy, especially classic car enthusiasts. The question then becomes how do you satisfy people who grew up with classic cars like Cadillacs, Mustangs, Beetles, or Fiat 500s? The answer is retrofitting.    Retrofitting consists in

Should Scientists Focus on UAPs?

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  by Vittorio Compagno for the Carl Kruse Blog Since the release of digital cameras and, most of all, the internet, videos of UFOs and celestial sightings have appeared through the internet, raising curiosity and questions all around the globe.    The scientific community, still not impressed by the sightings, has been pressed by the public to investigate those which, in a broader term, we define as UAPs .   UAPs, or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, catch a wider interest also among those that have been criticizing the numerous sightings of “green men in the sky."   The seriousness and scientific interest around UAPs has increased, following the recent decision by the U.S. Department of Defense to release a report about the sightings. The report focuses on the behavior of the flying objects, which are able to move with incredible speed and precision, allegedly using technologies not currently used or tested by the Department of Defense in any field.

Princeton Alumni Blog Reviews

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  Princeton Alumni Blog Reviews   by Deanna Balestra for the Carl Kruse Blog Princeton University has not only helped develop politicians, scientists, doctors, and many more career-savvy individuals, but it’s churned out some Ivy League-level bloggers as well. These sharp-minded alumni have crafted and shared thought leadership on many topics from physics to pop culture. This is a quick review of some interesting blogs put forth by Princeton grads; you can see a full list of the blogs here .          The Peaceful Dumpling by Juhea Kim This blog serves as an online magazine devoted to making the planet a better place. It talks about sustainability, compassion, wellness, and living a plant-based lifestyle. It has vegan recipes and reviews while also talking about our impact on the environment.    Carlkruse.com by Carl Kruse  Carl Kruse is a prolific writer who hosts several blogs. This is a great blog to read with a hot cup of tea while you enjoy a rang

Art Activism In The Digital Age

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  By Deanna Balestra for the Carl Kruse Blog For the past 100 years, we’ve fully embraced art in political activism with painting, sculptures, live demonstrations, and more. In fact, being enraged seems to be a driving force in some  artwork, an opening of flood gates to release anger. Activist art is also meant to draw attention, share perspective, and even change minds when possible.    Historic Examples Of Art Activism   Throughout history, there have been marginalized people given a voice through artistic expression. Art has also been an outlet for crying out against unjust governments and societal inequalities.    Diego Rivera created murals protesting Mexican politics in the 1920's and 30's. His paintings were attacks on the ruling class, capitalism, and churches. Rivera wanted to protect worker’s rights and promote socialism.   Diego Rivera, Peasants     Yayoi Kusama did live protest performance art, often using nude subjects, to protest the Vietnam War.