Since its publication in 1914, readings of Tender Buttons have often found their interpretive anchor in the person of Gertrude Stein. Due in part to Stein’s enigmatic aura and self-created status as celebrity and genius, readings of the poem often conflate Stein with her work, using elements of her life to explain the inexplicable. My project examines this tendency by constructing a condensed critical history that focuses on the earliest responses to the work as well as recent and contemporary criticism. I question the efficacy of these readings, and in hopes of developing new approaches, I end my project by examining Stein’s own writings about writing and interacting with Tender Buttons. By suggesting new strategies and evaluating previous strategies, my project aims to encourage new ways of reading Tender Buttons that are less dependent on its authorial aura and can perhaps even lead to a more approachable, pleasurable reading experience.

Thesis (M.A.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Anthropology Dept., 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

This body of work is the result of practice based research, culminating in a collection of five garments featuring pictorial prints, created through digital sublimation printing¹. The accompanying exegesis examines the place of my work within the contextual framework of related knowledge. The exegesis explores two main contextual notions. Firstly, the position of dolls' clothing play as a hegemonic tool in the process of learning to construct identity through self-presentation. This reflects on the practice of enculturing in girls the ability not just to do, but to observe oneself whilst doing. Secondly, the role of garments and fabric as liminal² markers at the transitional space between interior and exterior, domestic and public, self and not-self. My analysis is centered on the creation of original pieces of clothing. The garments are questioned by the issues explored in this exegesis. The research makes an original contribution to the body of knowledge by the nature of the creative work, and its analysis involving contemporary theoretical debate on the nature of fashion. ¹ Sublimation printing is a method of chemically bonding ink to a polyester or acrylic surface such as fabric, using extremely high heat and pressure. In this research project I am bonding images of photographs to polyester and acrylic fabrics. ² In this exegesis I use the word liminal to describe an occupying of an ambiguous space, on the threshold between one thing and another.

This body of work is the result of practice based research, culminating in a collection of five garments featuring pictorial prints, created through digital sublimation printing¹. The accompanying exegesis examines the place of my work within the contextual framework of related knowledge. The exegesis explores two main contextual notions. Firstly, the position of dolls' clothing play as a hegemonic tool in the process of learning to construct identity through self-presentation. This reflects on the practice of enculturing in girls the ability not just to do, but to observe oneself whilst doing. Secondly, the role of garments and fabric as liminal² markers at the transitional space between interior and exterior, domestic and public, self and not-self. My analysis is centered on the creation of original pieces of clothing. The garments are questioned by the issues explored in this exegesis. The research makes an original contribution to the body of knowledge by the nature of the creative work, and its analysis involving contemporary theoretical debate on the nature of fashion. ¹ Sublimation printing is a method of chemically bonding ink to a polyester or acrylic surface such as fabric, using extremely high heat and pressure. In this research project I am bonding images of photographs to polyester and acrylic fabrics. ² In this exegesis I use the word liminal to describe an occupying of an ambiguous space, on the threshold between one thing and another.

This thesis analyzes Gertrude Stein's Tender Buttons through the framework of the cult of domesticity. In understanding the ways in which Stein mocks and transgresses gender constrictions, while simultaneously adopting the language of domesticity, I understand the ways in which Stein breaks with the antebellum notion of separate spheres.

In June 2009 I conducted a study of the habitat associated with Broadleaf Barbara's Buttons (Marshallia trinervia) along Bird's Creek in Vernon Parish, LA. Twenty two plots were sampled for all vascular plants. Of these, 17 samples were from the area where M. trinervia was present and 5 samples were from the area where M. trinervia was absent. From each sampling plot a soil sample was collected and analyzed. There were significant differences in the species richness of all plant groups (p=0.0075), herbaceous plants (p=0.056), and woody vines (p=0.083) between the two locations. The soil texture was also significantly different in the percentage of sand (p=0.021), silt (p=0.029), and clay (p=0.089) between the study locations. The study found that the samples associated with M. trinervia were higher in species richness for all plant groups and the soils from these locations had a higher mean percentage of silt and clay particles.

The ancient Maya adorned themselves with ornamental objects. This study investigates a type of polishing tool used by the ancient Maya to manufacture certain types of ornaments. Five stone polishing tools used by the ancient Maya are presented and analyzed. Relevant artifact forms are examined to establish which types of artifacts were being polished with these tools. An extensive discussion of the archaeological record and artistic representations of miniature earflares and buttons, which were polished with many of these stone polishing tools, is also included because the terminology used to refer to these objects has varied throughout the academic literature and is in need of clarification.

This thesis addresses the influence that social media sites have on the behavior of online customers (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc.). The thesis combines information from three different approaches that study how social media sites are used by online stores to help increase their sales: 1) Google Analytics; 2) Crazy Egg; and 3) an online Survey. Firstly, Google Analytics was used to collect data from three online sources. The data was used to determine the path that customers took to arrive at the online stores. Using data only from those customers who completed a transaction. The researcher found that revenue generated from search engines was approximately four times higher than from typed URLs, online ads, as well as Twitter and Facebook. The researcher also found that revenue generated from Twitter traffic was increasing. Secondly, Crazy Egg was used to collect information on event actions (e.g., button presses) that generated more webpage specific details. In particular, we were interested in knowing how often customers clicked on an online store’s social media buttons (e.g., on Facebook and Twitter). The Crazy Egg data indicated that customers only used the online store’s social media buttons (i.e., Facebook and Twitter) about 1% of the time. Finally, an online survey was conducted in order to capture the opinions and attitudes of customers who used social media, including their tendencies to follow stores online, and the frequency of their visits to the store’s social media sites. We found that all participants used at least one social media site. Approximately 69% of the participants followed stores online using social media (Facebook and Twitter being the most common) and they used these sites to look for offers, find product information, and read reviews from other customers and the online stores’ owners. The survey also showed that 47% of participants reported that they had used social media buttons while visiting an online store, which was much higher than the results generated by Crazy Egg.

In this thesis, drill bit buttons with cobalt, nickel and iron binders in different compositions have been tested against granite and sandstone and the wear and friction have been measured. Furthermore, the wear and degradation of the buttons have been categorized. Buttons with cobalt binder were tested against granite and sandstone and buttons with alternative binders (Ni, Fe, Co) were tested against granite. Cobalt buttons were used as a reference and the wear and friction of the alternative binders was compared to the reference. The amount of worn rock was also measured. Furthermore, post treated drill bit buttons with a composition of Fe-Ni-Co were compared to buttons with the same composition that had not been post treated The results show that buttons with an alternative composition of Fe-Co-Ni and Fe- Ni wears less than the cobalt reference. The post treatment process does not decrease the wear of the drill bit but lowers the deviation from the mean wear. The amount of worn rock does not differ between the samples except for between the post treated and not post treated buttons with a composition of Fe-Ni-Co. The post treated buttons produces more rock debris than the not post treated. No apparent difference could be seen on the surface of the tested buttons after the test. However, composition specific cracks could be found underneath the surface of the samples. EDS-analysis showed signals of oxygen inside of all of the investigated cracks. For some compositions at depths of 20 micrometers. The curves of friction shows similar appearance but the values of the coefficient of friction differs. No apparent correlation was found between the wear and friction of the samples. Furthermore, no apparent correlation was found between the hardness and the wear of the buttons.

Syftet med detta arbete var att undersöka hur man skulle kunna gå till väga för att skriva låttexter genom att ha en film som inspirationskälla. Jag har skrivit tre låtar baserade på filmen ”The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”. Jag kollade igenom filmen två gånger och valde sedan ut scener och karaktärer att jobba vidare med. Det kunde till exempel vara scener med mycket substans att skriva om, samt scener som väckte min egna nyfikenhet. Materialet jag fick utav denna process resulterade i specifika, tidskodade scener och citat från filmen som jag delade upp i separata anteckningar. Detta arbete resulterade i tre låtar där låt 1 har mest fokus på en karaktär, låt 2 har mest fokus på en historia och där låt 3 har mest fokus på en känsla. Musiken är intuitivt skriven och har som syfte att backa upp texten. Jag lärde mig hur viktigt det är med förarbete, och att just ha en metod när man skriver text. Har man det så har man också alltid något att gå tillbaka till. Förhoppningen är att denna metod skall kunna upprepas oavsett vilken genre man helst jobbar med som låtskrivare.