Blog #7

During my time at this school I have enjoyed the classes I have been taking. I enjoy the freedom that my classes give me. Its not like high school where you get work everyday and have to have it the next day here you do your work when you want to you don’t have to worry about whether you did your homework last night. Which I think in the long run is better because in high school if I missed a homework I didn’t really sweat it but here I start stressing out if I miss a homework, which is why I haven’t missed a homework to this day. *bragging . I also like the fact that if we need to research something we constantly use the web. Although we have books we don’t rely on them as much as we do the internet.. This is getting me ready for more thorough research that I’m sure I’m going to encounter in this or a future class. I think I still have to polish my research chops though. Another thing that I like is the fact that the cluster is so involved with media. We don’t go a week without watching some sort of movie or a clip or something. Which is great for m peers and I because a lot of us are going into media related work. Also we’ve copyrighted our blogs which is awesome because I‘ve never had anything copyrighted before. I have some things I’m still wondering about but none of them come to mind right now

Blog #6

The Matrix is the type of movie that you have to watch at least twice. You can’t completely understand it if you don’t. Once you do watch it and get the general idea of it you get to thinking “Would I want to live in the matrix or would I take the blue pill if the choice was given to me?”. Well I personally would want to live in the “real world”. If someone said to me that I could choose to live a life of comfort and ultimately ignorance or I could choose to live a hard life but I would know exactly where I am and what I’m doing I think I would choose the latter. This might not be the case for other people because nowadays more and more people are trying to find the easiest way out. I don’t think that is anyway to go about your life. Now when it comes to the question of whether or not we live in the matrix it’s hard to say but I’m going to say yes we do live in the matrix. The reason I say this is because I consider what some drug users say. If someone is high on marijuana or a hallucinogenic drug of some sort they might argue that the way they see the world is the way it should be seen and that the world that they experience while under the influence of these drugs is the “real world”. So in this particular case the people who are against drugs are the people living in the matrix and the “stoners” are the the ones who have taken the red pill and been set free . Pun intended.
Another thing to keep in mind is, how different are men and machines really? They do many of the same things in some cases computers and machines do a better job than most men and women. So if humans and machines do many of the same things what makes them so different. There are many answers that science fiction movies have touched upon. One of them is the fact that machines can't feel any emotion so they have no compassion or mercy when they kill the humans in the ships like in the movie. They can't feel love or sadness which are things that make humans come to a conclusion when faced whith a decision that requires judgement. Which is the reason that machines can't make judgements.

Blog #5

For this class
Blog series 1-6 WEEKLY
Essay 1-6 WEEKLY
joint final project WEEK 12
Mass comm and society
Blackboard assignments WEEKLY
Joint final project WEEK 12
American film
written assignments OCCASIONALLY
final shot evaluation project WEEK 12

I think in order to get these assignments done on time I have to make sure to at least begin an assignment when it is first given. I have a little problem with procrastination and if I am to do these assignments and projects on time I have to get over it. I think that when it comes time for evalution I have to go back and check if everything is there and if it isnt i have to make sure I do it.

Blog #4 Truman Syndrome

Truman Syndrome is a Disorder in which the victims believe wholeheartedly that they are the unapproving participants of a reality show or film. The term was first used after the film The Truman Show came out. I guess people saw it and started thinking that what they saw was true and that it applied to their life. I think that some people might believe they are in a television show because some things that happen in real life are to hard for them to comprehend. Let’s say a person’s mother dies they might be hurting so bad that the only way to dull the pain is to say to themselves that it isn’t real. This is just an example im not saying this is the case in everyone of the people that suffer from this disorder but the truth is it would be very difficult to find out why these people think the way they do. I found the information about the Truman Syndrome on CNN.com. I think this is a trustworthy source because it is a legitimate news site. I don’t think the writer/s of the article would risk their reputation by posting something false

Blog #3 The Truman Show

The Truman Show is the story of a man whose entire life is a lie. Its aim is to make people laugh, but watching the film you can’t help but start to think about the similarities that this has to real life. For example the blatant use of advertisement and product placement. It seems nowadays you can’t walk down the street without stumbling upon some sort of advertisement also product placement has become obvious and ridiculously shameless. In the movie Truman is forced into participating in advertisement’s for “Kaiser Chicken” or “mococoa-made from the world’s finest cocoa beans, grown on the upper slopes of Mt. Nicaragua”. This, in the movie, is humorous but when you really think about it, it’s pretty sad. To me this is sad because I start thinking about the big picture. His entire life is a lie and they use these ads to fund the lie, and of course to fill their wallets. I feel bad when some of these reality show participants subject themselves to embarrassing things for the guilty pleasure of others and for the monetary gain of the producers so, watching Truman do things that we only do behind closed doors and in front of a mirror for the entertainment of others, I can’t help but feel pity for him. Another aspect of the movie that catches my attention is when the director Christof says that he has given Truman the chance to lead a normal life and that the world we live in is sick. When I hear this I think that Christof has become so obsessed with the “life” he has given Truman that he starts to believe that the world outside of the huge set is horrible. There are a lot of bad things that happen in the world but there is also a lot of good. You can’t expect a person to lead a normal life if they don’t experience the good as well as the bad things that the world has to offer. So in making sure that Truman never sees the bad he is taking away the chance to lead a normal life that he thinks he is giving Truman.

Another thing that caught my attention is when Christof says that Truman could leave at any time if his desire to do so was more than just a vague ambition. He says this and still he tries to prevent Truman from escaping. He tries so hard that he almost kills him. Watching this part and really thinking about it you can't help but compare the film to real life. I don't want to sound preachy but If the Government does not want to let the public know something they will do, like Christof, everything in their power to prevent people from knowing the truth. Although if a person digs deep enough they might find what they are looking for, like Truman.

Blog#2 The Allegory Of The Cave

The allegory of the cave is a very interesting idea. It basically asks if a person is brought up to believe one thing is good when in reality it is not when that person discovers the truth will he believe it or will he still believe the only thing he knows. Further still it asks if he were to return to the people who still believe whatever it is they believe will they shun or even kill him because of his new found enlightenment. It also asks if in the process of said enlightenment would the person be threatened or angry at the person who was trying to make him realize his error. This to me is a very interesting idea and when I read it I think immediately of religion. I do not want to anger anyone but if someone is brought up to believe that one religion is correct and they have followed all the teachings of that religions deity’s and leaders to the letter, to try to convince them to convert to another religion would be next to impossible. The process of attempting to convert someone would undoubtedly include telling the person that their god does not exist. This in itself would enrage even the most faithless follower of that religion. An example of what would happen if one religion tried to change another religions way of life is The Crusades. The crusades were fought to restore Christian control of the holy land. I am sure the intentions were not just to gain control but to convert everyone of a different religion as well. The crusades lasted nearly 200 years. The other religions would not give up. The allegory of the cave is correct in that sense.

blog#1

I am not a cyborg. Although it seems I encounter them every day. People that spend more time on their phones than actually interacting with a human being. A cyborg is a person who’s body has been taken over by electromechanical devices. After reading that definition you might be thinking “this guy is being way too melodramatic. How can a phone or a computer takeover a body?!” Well the truth is your mind is as much a part of your body as let’s say your legs or your arms and in the case of a large part of the population these appliances have more than taken over your minds it’s gotten to the point where people claim to feel physical pain if they go more than one or two days without their phones. I am not a cyborg because my situation hasn’t reached extremes but I’ll admit I am getting there
The reason I say I am getting there is because I am slowly becoming dependent of some electronic devices. Some of these devices I use out of sheer necessity and the others I use out of choice. Transportation, for me at least, is an absolute necessity. I live In the Bronx and go to school in Queens. This is why using such electronics as the metrocard vending machine are unavoidable. Even the booth has computers so depending on technology while using transportation is inevitable. Hell, even a metrocard is considered technology. If you have a car it’s the same story if you need gas there is no way to get it without coming into contact with some sort of computer. So some necessities like going to school or driving to work have become impossible without electronics.
Then come the electronics one uses by choice. This includes telephones, cell phones, computers music devices, televisions, Gaming systems etc… I myself have not become dependent of cellphones or smartphones as they're known as now but something I feel I would be very sorry to lose is my computer I could ramble all day about the benefits of a computer but i'll spare you my rant. I am simply saying that without a computer my life would change drastically and probably not in a positive way. Even More so than my computer the object I can't imagine living without is my Ipod.I am a very musical person. Every chance I get I try to play music or write lyrics I would say that music is a very large part of my life and so is my Ipod. If I didn't have my Ipod With me at all times I would be very close to panic.
I am not a cyborg...yet, because I estimate that in about a month I will become dependent of my Ipod. It will reach the point that I won't let anyone touch it without my permission and supervison. That is how much i care about that wonderful device. I think if I take care of my son/daughter half as much as i take care of my Ipod i will be a great father. In conclusion, If I become dependent of electronics, as long as it is my choice, I wont mind.