A Vision of Students Today

After watching A Vision of Students Today, I feel like its pretty much a "downers' look on life as a whole. I understand that these can be the harsh realities after spending all your time and money on school but is this a video an effective way to form a critical mind? I see a bunch of bored students complaining into a piece of paper at 9AM when in reality, they're really thinking, "I'm very hungry.' or "When will this thing end?" I think the music is even worse.

One point goes to the Debbie-downers.

Abres Los Ojos

Abre Los Ojos is a film, basically about a womanizer named Cesar that gets into a bitch-inflicted car accident and realizes that he can't get laid anymore because his face is deformed. Once a man realizes he can't get laid, he goes crazy. This causes a series of events and ultimately decides to sign up for 'Life Extension' through the crazy science of cryonics. He then commits suicide and begins to live a 'virtual life.'

Many things stick out when we realize that he is living in a computer-simulated world. Just like the films and shows we watched, the people don't realize that they are truly living in a computer-simulated world. Everyone seems to live their life normally. In a way, Cesar can be seen as a 'hero' although his 'Hero Journey' is not yet complete. He realizes his problem-- he can't get laid. His suicide begins his 'adventure' and he brings his psychiatrist sidekick for the ride. And although his journey isn't over, the point in time in which revitilization of a dead human body is possible, he will sure get his 'loot.'

Simone & The American Dream

Simone serves as a commentary on on most 'VR' films because WE choose to identify these 'VR' as parallels to real life. Much like Simone, these films tend to manipulate the masses that all this stuff REALLY went on or will go on. There are plenty of films that take a life of their own (Star Wars, The Matrix, Star Trek) and they produce crazy-ass cults. Simone, herself, is pretty much like these VR films because once they are produced, they take a life of its own. They convey human emotion and it plays a huge role on this Earth. These 'VR' films make people go crazy too. I still can't believe Simone turned THE Tony Montana into a nut-- Just like these 'VR' films in real life.

Research project?

For my final research project, I am leaning towards the topic of the role that Religion has played during the Bush Administration. We know about the "Jihad" against America, but is it really a Religious war between two nations? Three nations? Was George W. Bush a 'crusader?' If you think about it, 'The War on Terror' was merely a war against Islamic fanaticism with the fear of believing that the 'terrorists' were out to 'get our freedom.' The Bush Administration is responsible for the rise of Christian fanaticism due to his use of media in order to manipulate the Nation into believing the war was really against terror. GWB depended on religion in order to get thorugh the whole mess, and he states it clearly in all his interviews. This led to the belief that we are a 'Christian Nation.' Newsweek had an article on the 'Rise and Fall of Christian America' and I plan as using it as my basis on my project.

shadows are uncanny.

Sigmund Freud's concept of the uncanny is the belief that something “can be familiar, yet strange at the same time.” Much can be said throughout my life with the uncanny. I feel everyday, we pretty much deal with the uncanny every second of our lives. Much like The Matrix, everything around us is mostly man-made. Everything mad-made is uncanny if you think about it. Other than nature, all the things we seem to have wouldn't have been even thought of half a century ago. A phone that takes pictures, plays music and retrieves information?!? BLASPHEMY!
When in comes to Jung's “shadow,” I firmly believe that everyone has at least one symbol in their life, in which they would never forget, that would eventually determine how they carry out their lives. Religion? The cross, the cresent, the star of david? Other than religion, past experiences carve their way into anyone's brain. Example: about two years ago, I got into a car accident that pretty much sucked the life out of my left leg. After that experience,my heart tends to skip whenever im in a car, and a swerve occurs. I am definitely haunted by my “shadows.”

English 103 Topic

For my 103 project, I am thinking about doing a powerpoint or an essay on the rise and fall of Christian America. Even though I do not practice any "Religious" beliefs, I've always had an interest in how religion shapes the way people live. The Presidency of George W. Bush helped create a new sense of religious pride and fanaticism. How does he compare to different cult leaders such as Rev. Jim Jones and Mashall Applewhite? Did Bush indeed start a religous war? All of these are ideas of what I can hopefully look into. With the seperation of church and state being a staple into our country's beliefs, how did Bush use the media into making his Christian beliefs into law?

Alternate Worlds

"Alternate worlds" can be seen as a means for escape from real life. Yet, just like in the Star Trek episode, "The Royale," it can also be a trap from real life. I felt that the Star Trek episode was very weird. Not because of the story line, but because of the characters. But that's another story. The Matrix and Royale are pretty much the same in terms of the pleasure standpoint. The Matrix was definitely more of an upgrade in terms of quality of life in contrast to the real world in The Matrix. The Royale was a place in which all human pleasures took place... gambling, beautiful women, booze. The fact of the matter was that these places provided an escape, to a time more than a century earlier, and provided human pleasure. This could be the directors foreshadowing of bad times to come. Will alternate worlds ultimately take place as a form of entertainment in the future?
We already have video games. But with the way things are going with video games, alternate worlds would probably exist in a life-like form. Video games have become so complex the past decade that I have lost track and interest in video games (except sports games). But the fact that I play sports games is ideal that I do give in to alternate worlds.
The Farscape episode was just really weird. Is the dude really in Australia? I don't know. And the fact that everything around him was happeneing but not? It just made me really confused. Maybe I would understand it if I watched the whole thing?