The 'Vessel'

Adventure Van here, with a blog on the "Staircase to nowhere", a structure being built by Thomas Heatherwick. In New York, this large building is said to possibly be able to rival the attraction of the Statue of Liberty. It costed over 150 million USD to build. And... there's no full point. Like most art, it's a visual masterpiece. And it's in New York, which is kind of over saturated in pieces of art, be they murals, statues, or interactive buildings such as this. The question is, what type of art is actually needed anymore. Art is a good thing. But something that blocks pathways, looks somewhat like an eyesore, and is simply unneeded? Can that really be art?

Adventure Van, thinking.

Sports.

Hey guys, it's Adventure Van here with a blog about sports. The modern version of ancient gladiatorial combat, you can now watch people bash against eachother either live or over a tv screen. Sports have been a huge part of most cultures. And with things like the super bowl and other large events, it's hard even for people uninterested to not stay informed. It's all a huge part of popular culture, especially the characters the players themselves create. We love how they act on camera so much we'll forgive transgressions that are huge if they're off camera. But if you do something against the idea of the top, and it's on camera, that's when you're in trouble. So, what exactly is it in sports that you actually want to see? Most games are already skewed for one way or the other, and the majority of it is all made to look nice. Do you actually want to be watching a sport? Or what America has now?

Adventure Van, thinking.

Cigarettes.

Hey guys, it's Adventure Van here with a blog about cigarettes. These are a habit that some people have. And it's a damaging and addictive one that most people will agree is both damaging and addictive. The question is, why do we continue to not only smoke them ourselves, but get others to smoke them as well? The damage they can cause to lungs can be devastating, and it's also possible to hurt others with second or even third hand smoke. Yet it's still able to be advertised and sold despite the facts of life or death that can come with it. And even when we move from paper cigarettes to 'e-cigarettes', we don't get rid of what makes it both harmful and addicting. And that's because without it being addictive, would anyone make money off of them with the damage they cause? A large portion of economy and stocks depend on these harmful little sticks. Are they a necessary evil to the public, or do we have other ways to make this money without glorifying a harmful product?

Adventure Van, thinking.

Privacy

Hey guys, it's Adventure Van here with a blog about privacy. In the age and day of the internet, any information given out there will stay out there. It doesn't matter where or how anymore, you could end up in someone else's picture or video without even knowing until you see that film on your Facebook feed. And that's a scary thought, right? And governments can use that information forwards anyway. You have continent wide surveillance in both China and America, and in the rising flood of distrust among people the slightest move could be recorded and make you be ostracized by many more people then you could ever hope to even meet. And it's so much harder to repair damage done by this breach then it is to damage it. As much as some effort can be made to stop this state of constant surveillance, there's never a moment that you can really feel safe from the prying eyes of millions.

But, is that a good thing or a bad thing? Would we even know the correct answer to that question?

Adventure Van, thinking.

One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest

Hey guys, it's Adventure Van here with a blog about One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. It's a book about a convicted criminal tricking authorities to get of jail to go to the more cushy insane asylum, only to find out what it actually is. And it's a good book. The twists it has are actually twists, and the characters are all well thought out. And it's depressing.  It is a sad book if you look at it in most ways. But, despite that, it's still got a message and it's still got a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how dim it looks. It's a mix of both hopelessness and hope for the different people inside the asylum. It's a story with the conflicting ideas. But the ones in power always seem to turn out on top.

It's a horrible book and everyone should read it.