Thursday, March 25, 2010

reflection.... blog seven

this past two weeks actually felt like what i thought college should feel like, fast paced and challenging. even though i still dont feel as if giving my all i know im giving more effort than i gave last semester, and a small improvement is still an improvement. the one question that really made me think and look at things differently was the "is this site trustworthy?", pertaining to the truman syndrome blog. I've wondered if certain sites where i would get my information were trustworthy but i've never questioned why they were deemed trustworthy

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

matrix review

Ok so let me load the paper into my typewriter and put my beeper on silent so I can write a response to one of the most viewed films of last millennium. I speak of this film and this response in the past tense because this film debuted in 1999 over a decade ago so I feel this blog entry may be a bit too late. The story of “The Matrix” is based on one of the most intriguing questions man has ever asked, “What is real?” Since the days of early philosophers such as Plato and Socrates many people have tried to dispel the illusion of what is perceived as reality. Well “The Matrix” takes Plato’s allegory of the cave and adapts it into an action sci-fi film, because let’s face it the only thing missing from Plato’s version was a six minute shoot-out scene. This movie walked that thin line of being an entertaining sci-fi flick without catering toward the geek crowd like battlestar gallactica or various other movies with a loser cult-like following. Similar to “The Truman Show”, the movie made the audience question their beliefs on what is “real” or not. At the time this movie was released I was a junior in high school, all of my friends went to go see it without me because I was short on cash, and regardless of how many times I asked none of them would explain to me exactly what the matrix was. I’m not sure if it was because they really didn’t understand the movie or they just couldn’t explain it, but whatever the reason was, that question ate me alive for months until the DVD was released. Even after watching it the first time I still wasn’t sure what the answer to that question was, maybe I was too dazzled by the fight sequences (they were suspended by wires, and that really just amazed me) or too busy rooting for the agents to kill Mr. Anderson (I always want the bad guy to win) to really pay attention to the story being told. However by the 2nd or 3rd time (I really like the fight sequences) I understood the message and then, like many others after watching the film began to question “what is real?” , “is reality real because I am told it is real?” ,“Which pill would I have chosen?” and “What if I’m the one?” (I know I’m not alone on that last question). My only gripe with the movie is the romance between Trinity and Neo, I mean would this film have been any worse if they didn’t have a storyline that appealed to teenage girls, but hey what do I know. In summation, I think the story was well written, I believe it was acted well, and presented on the screen in a way that was easy for the masses to digest, because Plato’s story told without an element of action and I guess romance too would have just been kinda boring.

blog 4... Truman Syndrome

According to Newsweek Truman syndrome is similar to schizophrenia with paranoia and delusions, except with Truman syndrome the patients believe they’re a part of a reality show or being surveilled by a government agency and everyone is in on the joke. With shows such as “Candid Camera” and “punk’d” or the movie “Enemy of the State” it is somewhat understandable for people to think that big brother is watching. Being that there are so many ways to track and monitor a person’s every movement the possibility of unknowingly being televised doesn’t seem too farfetched. Truman syndrome is similar to the paranoid feelings that someone is behind you or that someone is following you that most people have it except it is greatly exaggerated due to it being a mental illness. If a person is already in early stages of schizophrenia and sees a reality shows plot that loosely mimics the events in their actual life their delusional mind would naturally assume that they are involved in a similar experience. This paranoia would progressively get worse when coincidences such as random video cameras pointed in their direction or they happen to see the same person more than once. The site I found my information on was a Newsweek site, so being that it is a trusted and respected news magazine I can only assume the website would be just as trustworthy. However this does not mean the message I am receiving is not distorted or manipulated in some form or fashion.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

....

When Truman finally exits Seahaven, what do you think it is that he expects to find on the other side of the door?

Unknowingly Truman has lived his entire life in the media spotlight. This exposure has unfortunately made Truman just as famous outside the protective walls of Seahaven as he is on the manufactured island. As he ventures out in the “real” world for the first time, thirty years into his life he will notice many similarities with the televised life he once lived.
With Truman being the first human adopted by a corporation he was already well known to the entire world before he took his first breath, and with every following breath he became more famous. From the moment he steps out of Seahaven he will always be followed by cameras, only this time they will be visible. Complete strangers will still know his name and more about his life and him than he possibly knows. With him being the biggest star on television for thirty years there are people who grew up with him and only see him as a television star rather than a normal person. The difference with the outside world is that this world doesn’t revolve around Truman nor does it begin or reset as he awakes. Being lied to his entire life by people that he thought loved him or were his friends has only made him vulnerable and possibly paranoid, not good characteristics to start out in this new world with….. blah blah blah

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

I am a cyborg

I am a cyborg
By my definition a cyborg is a human that relies on technology to live or survive. Much like a critically injured man relies on a respirator or life support machine to keep his heart beating. Although my title suggests that I can’t do without most modern technology to survive the truth is I do need it to live. I do not need a cell phone or the internet to survive however it does make living much easier. Most modern technology is taken for granted to the point where they don’t seem like a necessity until you have to do without them for any extended period of time.
Many people that think they can’t live with much of the technology they use on an everyday basis don’t realize how well they were doing before they became addicted; however I can also blame myself for the exact same thoughts. Since there is now an abundance of information, any random question that pops into my head can be answered within minutes or even seconds depending on my connection speed. Long gone are the days of thumbing through several encyclopedias and still not being able to find the answer to your question. I bought my first cell phone at the age of eight-teen so I can still remember how frustrating it was missing an important call as soon as you leave the house or how difficult it was to meet someone in a public place without any confusion. So being that important calls and instant information are now a way of life I must say this technology is necessary to live, or at least live comfortably.
Much of our modern technological advance are so embedded in our everyday life that we don’t realize how much we use things such as automatic sliding doors or elevators