A glimsp into time.

2004-01-23T13:10:00.000-08:00

Class 13- Diving in the virtual pool.

VR is a very interesting field to go into. It never ceases to amaze me about how many uses people can come up with using virtual reality. Just today, I read about curing phobias using VR. It is very cool that they are able to do that, and can speed it up as well. I like seeing technology to good use. It makes me feel that we are not abusing what we are learning, creating and exploring. Making a new bomb scares me, and so does using VR to train the military, but if it helps people go out of their house, then go for it. Still with anything else, I think we need to be careful with what we are creating.

2004-01-22T13:10:00.000-08:00

Class 12- What does it take to be a trekkie?

I think some of my sociology professors would like to show the movie Trekkies and establish the breaking of social norms. I think the movie was interesting and honestly I was not bothered by the people who were featured in it. However, I was fascinated by the reactions of the class. It establishes that people feel uncomfortable by anything that is outside the norm. If something is not within the "usual" they do not know how to react.

I do agree with Scott about how some of this could be unhealthy. I feel that there needs to be a division between real and fantasy. However, I feel that everyone needs to search for that happiness, and whatever makes them happy they should do (minus the harming of people).

I do like the fact that people do the community service. I thought it was interesting how people extended the morals from the movie into other parts of their life and then helping other people. Anyone who helps people in a positive way, I think there will be awesome!

2004-01-21T12:44:00.000-08:00

Class 10- A grey reality...

Looking far into the night sky, I see tiny bright flickering lights in the distance I wonder if they are the balls of gas or maybe just a match burning brightly until its inevitable end? Is anything out there real or is it just a construct of what people believe the world ought to be? Stepping out of the state of nature, we created boundaries that define what our society is and how we should act. We have created government to regulate our actions and a society to confine them into 4 solid lines. We have religion to dictate gods and where we are going to go when we die. It is interesting to see that when we talk about the matrix or neuromancer how these ideas reflect the world that we live in when we think they are in deep space nine. I think it just proves more of the point that we live in a sci-fi world.

2004-01-20T13:08:00.000-08:00

Class 10- Into Cyberspace.

While watching the Matrix today, I was beginning to wonder about the cyberpunk culture and Americans in general. It seems that Americans cherish the times that we witness violence on TV or in a movie. Cyberpunk was originally created because tension arose between the programmers and the military. But is cyberpunk really suppose to be violent? Does the greater search for information outweigh the need to have this violence within our literature and our movies?

Overall, I find cyberpunk interesting. I think it is very relevant in our world today. We do live in a science fiction world, where concepts of the past are today's reality. Though we might not be able to actually leave digital footprints in cyberspace, one could imagine that this reality might become feasible.

I do not know the answer to this or even if it is really a question. It is just another though I have come to ponder when exploring the greater question: what is the matrix?

2004-01-16T13:12:00.000-08:00

Class 9- Sony Blue Guy.

Well, one can say that this class is very symbolic on the fact the corporation story beat over the environment story. Alas, we are all doomed! The evil corporations are taking over the world. I may say that in a humorous tone, but the fiction is very close to the truth. I really think that the story hones on upon what we are facing today and the sins that the corporations are committing. "Greed is back." This famous line from the 80's has not disappeared in the American or capitalistic and we are going to exploit it for our own uses. The irony of it all is that we use everything for our own uses. We are exploiting the corporations for our own grade. Honestly, what is this world getting too.

Thinking about the short story that we read last night, I think it was good. I didn't necessarily get the point at the beginning, but once we talked about it I ended up liking it more. It was so simple that it was fun.

Overall, its the weekend! Wahoo! But there is a lot of work to be done!

2004-01-15T13:11:00.000-08:00

Class 8- Men In Black Day.

Today, the class got into a discussion about race and how it is almost hidden within the American Culture. We analysis the movie "Men In Black" and how the concept of racism are in the movie. Now, some of them I can see why they would think that some of the things would be considered, like the use of tiger, slick, ace and Jr. However, I think it was more that we was a young guy. Towards the end, Will Smith yells "Hey, Old Guys!" So I would think it was more about young versus old, then degrading him in a racist way.

I think that the lighthearted comedy makes use of the fact that the majority of people do believe in aliens, but they don't really believe. Like people that we have had contact with some extraterrestrial, but they do not live with us on earth. I do think that the movie does play on some of ideas and beliefs that we hold.

In retrospect, I think the beginning plays a little more into the overall theme of the movie, with regards to immigrants. We do treat people differently, just like the MIB did to Mikey in the beginning. Again I do think that overall concept of the movie will take a little more thought....

2004-01-14T13:23:00.000-08:00

Class 7- Half Way There.

I am a little frustrated with my web project. But I'll figure it out.

I am happy to say that I have picked a topic to research. I am going to research virtual reality. I have a friend who has actually created a program to work with phobias using VR. It is a very big subject with many uses. I think I am going to break it down into groups, like training, education, treating phobia, and games to name some of the areas that I have found.

I have interesting ideas for the short story. It is down to two: creating an environment on Mars that is like earth and how the world reacts to it. Or I was given a chain mail funny e-mail that has inspired to maybe make a 1984 world. I am going to talk to my partner about it later....

2004-01-13T13:20:00.000-08:00

Class 6- Star Trek day.

I must say this movie was a more fun than blade runner. I will have to think more about this movie. But it was interesting how human life changes drastically with the contact of the alien species. I think the what if question defiantly comes into play here. Then there is a theme about family. The people on the ship are a family, and they do things to help each other out. There is that loyalty within the group of people. I don't know if this goes along with anything we have read yet, but that is a theme within blade runner.

I have some interesting ideas for my short story. I think something about the environment on mars would be interesting. Creating a virtual environment or a real environment on mars then it backfiring. I think that would be interesting, then I would be able to use some of my environmental science background with it.

However, I did get a fun e-mail today that would be interesting to use as well. You give the person an id number and they know your entire life history. And all of this came out while he was trying to order pizza. This miniature story gave great insight of a possible future. It had a big brother feel to it. More later!

2004-01-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

Class 5- Adventures into Web Design!

Today, I have gathered some good ideas about my web page. I think I am going to start working on it more, so I don't have to wait until the last minute to work on it. Too bad I can't work on it at home.

I was thinking what I am going to do my research on. I think the environment and sf is going to be an interesting topic for me with my background into environmental science. Then it would be able to help me write my short story. I think I could write a decent fantasy story, but I think I need to lean more towards a typical or classical science fiction feeling or theme. Maybe I should think up a moral to the story first and then write fit a story to the moral. It seems that all science fiction has a moral to the story. I guess that could be considered the change. The environment really interests me, because I have or had such a passion or it. Then watching blade runner has made me more aware of it. I will just have to wait and see what comes up in my research.

2004-01-09T13:09:00.000-08:00

Class 4- The second time around watching Blade Runner, I defiantly like it better. This time I didn't fall asleep this time, so that was a help.

More human than human. I now understand what that saying is about. The Replicants show more human qualities then the humans throughout the movie. It is interesting how in there short time, they have evolved into complex creatures. They know fear, and have survival instincts. They know love and have empathy towards each other. This is very different then the police officers that we can in contact with. It makes sad or slightly describes me that this could me a possible future. I think one of the reasons why people don't like the movie is because it pushes people's comfort zones.

2004-01-08T13:03:00.000-08:00

Class 3.

I must admit I am a bit of a nerd. Lately I have gotten back into the X-files being repeated on TNT. I guess it goes well on why I am in this class. Now, watching X-Files has gotten me thinking about aliens. Is there really life out there? Have we been contacted by it? If not, do you think we will ever get there? Then today, I was thought I might search the SETI website. I always thought it was neat that you too could help find out if their are extraterrestrial life out there. Actually, what just popped into my head was how that would make an interesting story. If the radio waves on a bunch of people's computers all of a sudden went crazy like it did in the movie Contact. Would it cause some type of crisis? Would people start killing themselves like they did to get onto the comet? Or anyone believes us? Or going along of the X-Files and being skeptical about if the government would ever let us know about this information.

It is interesting that many movies have taken different perspectives on it. MIB and the X-Files go along with the secretive government plots, while say something as silly as Independent Day obviously can not.

All of the literature we have read says that SF reflects the feelings that people have and the current situations that we are in. I wonder if all of the secret conspiracy films really do express the feelings that Americans have towards the government. To turn that, the X-Files theme that The Truth Is Out There goes along with the governmental conspiracy, but in reality does people want to know? Are we all just behind a veil of ignorance? Don't we believe what we want to believe?

To conclude: Here are some movies and books that I think I am going to add to my web page.
Movies that I have seen and love:
Contact
The Abyss
Stars Wars (4,5,6)
Dark City
X-Files (The movie or the series)
Minority Report
Matrix
5th Element
Jurassic Park
MIB
MIB II

Books:
Martian chronicles
Alas, Babylon
Ground Zero (X-Files)
I'll look through my books tonight

2004-01-07T12:59:00.000-08:00

Class 2- I am pondering about what topic I should write about for my story. I keep thinking about the book Prey, which I would classify as science fiction. Though I obviously do not have the medical or computer science background to be able to convey something like that. I am really interested in fantasy, so I might want to combine it with sf. I think writing about vampires would be interesting and could be fun. There is so many places a person can go with it. But I was also thinking that since I have a little background into environmental science, I might be able to write about something like that. It could be fun.

I think for tomorrow I am going to research about a topic that I am interested in. I am kindof lost when it comes to it.

One last thought. There was a story I read in 11th grade I think call: The machine stops. I think it would be really good to read in this class.

2004-01-06T11:37:00.000-08:00

Science fiction is a fasinating subject that takes the person out of this reality and into one were they must wonder about the future or expand their thought outside of the four black solid lines that form the box. I wish we are reading some stories that I have read in the past, but I am looking forward to reading some new authors and experiencing some of my favorite ones.