Final Project:Vanilla Sky/The Matrix

These two movies have a lot in common even though they are from two different genres.  Also they are two completely different movies.  The Matrix is sort of an action movie that came out in 1999.  But the Matrix isn’t just an action movie many people know that.  Vanilla Sky is a psychological thriller that came out in 2001.  Vanilla Sky revolves around David a man who has everything.  But he still lives with his day to day routines like anyone else.  He also takes everything for granted.  The Matrix revolves around Neo a computer hacker who has 2 lives.  Both movies show how important choices really are.

            David and Neo make many choices that change their lives.  Morpheus gave Neo two choices the red pill or the blue pill.  The red pill would have Neo reborn and see the truth.  The blue pill he would wake up and forget everything going back to his everyday life.  Neo of course takes the red pill then he learns about the Matrix.  He is also reborn cause of taking the red pill.  David also takes many choices that change his life.  Such as getting in the car with Juley.  This leads to his accident which messes up his arm and mostly his face.  When David sees there is nothing left in life he goes to life extension.  Where you die and are born again and you’ll live without aging. 

David and Neo both have the same fear of heights.  Throughout Vanilla Sky David fear of heights is mentioned.  At the end if he wants to wake up he has to jump off the building.  During The Matrix Neo was getting help from Morpheus to escape the agents.  He had two choices one that involved heights or another one that involved getting arrested.  Neo was too afraid of heights so he got captured by the agents.

David gets introduced into life extension.  Where you’re in a system in a dream world.  He gets to start a new life similar to Neo.  Since the person is going to be sleeping imagining what ever they want to imagine.  There can be glitches in life extension which is what happened to David.  When this happened everything was upside down he didn’t know what was going on.  Neo goes into the matrix where he is able to warp reality since it isn’t real.  David was able to do this in life extension.  When he wanted one of his friends to be around him they would appear.  When Neo gets hurt in the Matrix his body gets affected in the real world.  David calls his enemies the seven dwarfs.  While Neo agents are called agents.  Both characters got to where they were because they were bored of life.  Neo was bored of his life so he took the red pill.  David had nothing to live for so he went into life extension.  Both characters have a virtuall reality life extension/The Matrix.

            These movies have many similarities although they are different movies.  At the end of each of these movies you’ll be asking yourself is this really real.  Or does this happen in my life.  The two pictures are how both characters wake up.  David is the one with the building.  Morpheus is offering Neo the two pills one blue and one red.

           

Day of the CAT

I got to the testing room at 5:15.  I'm well rested.  Ready to take my CAT.  I'm higly confident.  The proctor isn't there yet. So I'm able to relax.  I have my 2 pens, 1 pencil and my dictornary.  I see Doctor X come around the corner.  The proctor comes at 5:40.  We are let into the room.  I show the proctor my LaGuardia ID.  The tests are soon distributed to the students.  I'm familar with the prompt.  Thanks to all my time in Doctor X's class.  It's about media and deception.  I automatically think about the Truman Show and The Matrix.  I bring up scenes from The Truman Show were Christof plays with the audiences emotions.  Making them cry and fell sorrow.  In the Matrix some people don't know what is really real.

Blog Entry 4.3

LaGuardia College
Aaron Straker
11/23/10

I think Google stops people from using their knowledge. In the blink of an eye, the search engine delivers useful information about pretty much any subject imaginable. Think about when you don’t understand something or your unsure where do you go. Most of the time you’ll go to Google to get the information. Without out even taking the time to think about what you’re not understanding. You could have probably gotten the answer if you just sat down and thought about the subject material. But google is so tempting because it has all the answers and it’s so easy to use. When you first go to the internet you most likely will be taken to google. You can access google through your computer, laptop, Cell Phone even IPod. Almost everyone has at least one of the devices. Nicholas Carr author of “The Shallows: What the Internet is doing to Our Brains” thinks that google is even making us shallow.
From personal experience I’d say whenever I don’t understand something I’ll run to google, which I’m sure many others do. I mostly go to google for my Math homework. If I can’t solve a solution I’ll search how to solve the certain math equation. While I could have taken the time to brainstorm, what is the question asking me? Nicholas Carr says “What really makes us intelligent isn’t our ability to find lots of information quickly”. Meaning you don’t have to run to google for information, because that doesn’t make you intelligent anyone can run to google for information. If you think deeply on your own without google search engine you’ll see yourself becoming a much better thinker and more intelligent.
Nicholas Carr says “If were distracted, we understand less, remember less, and learn less.” This is true if you’re using google. Once your on google you’re on the internet, there are so many distractions on the internet that you won’t even be able to use that information you just found. You can be doing homework but you take a trip to google, next thing you know your own facebook then later on YouTube. Now you’re so far away from what you were just doing. You might waste 1 or 2 hours surfing the web, when all you came for was for an answer to a question you didn’t know. Nicholas Carr says “The Net bombards us with messages and other bits of data, and every one of those interruptions breaks our train of thought. We end up scatterbrained. The fact is, you’ll never think deeply if you’re always Googling, texting, and surfing.” This is true especially when I’m doing homework, I’ll watch a YouTube video which is about 10 minutes long, and then I’ll answer one or two questions on my homework. Using google has many disadvantages you get your information, but you might easily get distracted away from the work your currently doing.
Nicholas Carr says “If you’re really interested in developing your mind, you should turn off your computer and your cell phone and start thinking. Really thinking. You can Google all the facts you want, but you’ll never Google your way to brilliance.” If everyone uses google for information they’re all going to get the same answer, not always the same but mostly similar. But if you sit down and think about something you might think of something different, and no one else might know about it.

Is Google Making Us Stupid???

LaGuardia College
Aaron Straker
11/23/10

I think Google stops people from using their knowledge. In the blink of an eye, the search engine delivers useful information about pretty much any subject imaginable. Think about when you don’t understand something or your unsure where do you go. Most of the time you’ll go to Google to get the information. Without out even taking the time to think about what you’re not understanding. You could have probably gotten the answer if you just sat down and thought about the subject material. But google is so tempting because it has all the answers and it’s so easy to use. When you first go to the internet you most likely will be taken to google. You can access google through your computer, laptop, Cell Phone even IPod. Almost everyone has at least one of the devices. Nicholas Carr author of “The Shallows: What the Internet is doing to Our Brains” thinks that google is even making us shallow.


From personal experience I’d say whenever I don’t understand something I’ll run to google, which I’m sure many others do. I mostly go to google for my Math homework. If I can’t solve a solution I’ll search how to solve the certain math equation. While I could have taken the time to brainstorm, what is the question asking me? Nicholas Carr says “What really makes us intelligent isn’t our ability to find lots of information quickly”. Meaning you don’t have to run to google for information, because that doesn’t make you intelligent anyone can run to google for information. If you think deeply on your own without google search engine you’ll see yourself becoming a much better thinker and more intelligent.


Nicholas Carr says “If were distracted, we understand less, remember less, and learn less.” This is true if you’re using google. Once your on google you’re on the internet, there are so many distractions on the internet that you won’t even be able to use that information you just found. You can be doing homework but you take a trip to google, next thing you know your own facebook then later on YouTube. Now you’re so far away from what you were just doing. You might waste 1 or 2 hours surfing the web, when all you came for was for an answer to a question you didn’t know. Nicholas Carr says “The Net bombards us with messages and other bits of data, and every one of those interruptions breaks our train of thought. We end up scatterbrained. The fact is, you’ll never think deeply if you’re always Googling, texting, and surfing.” This is true especially when I’m doing homework, I’ll watch a YouTube video which is about 10 minutes long, and then I’ll answer one or two questions on my homework. Using google has many disadvantages you get your information, but you might easily get distracted away from the work your currently doing.


Nicholas Carr says “If you’re really interested in developing your mind, you should turn off your computer and your cell phone and start thinking. Really thinking. You can Google all the facts you want, but you’ll never Google your way to brilliance.” If everyone uses google for information they’re all going to get the same answer, not always the same but mostly similar. But if you sit down and think about something you might think of something different, and no one else might know about it.

Sleep Dealer

Aaron Straker
LaGuardia College
11/20/10

Sleep Dealer is a science fiction movie that came out in the year of 2008. Sleep Dealer deals with the many things that can happen in the future. Mostly consisting of the new technologies being created everyday. These technologies are changing the very world we live in today. Sleep Dealer is a very complex movie which connects with other science fiction gems, such as the Truman Show and the Matrix. All of these movies make you think about what will happen in the future.

Sleep Dealer and the Matrix have many similarities such as there virtual worlds. There was a war in the Matrix. It was the machines/agents vs. the humans. The only time the humans were able to fight the agents was when they entered the Matrix. Neo and others were able to enter the Matrix through machines. There is something similar to this in Sleep Dealer. In the movie the workers do virtual labor. The characters have nodes which allows them connect into the virtual world. But in order to get them you need to get them installed. These nodes are metal objects which are placed inside the human body. This enables them to go online and do work. Neo also has something similar in the back of his head after he took the red pill from Morpheus. They also have Virtual Wars in Sleep Dealer. Fighter pilots can shot up Iraq in this virtual world. But sleep at home every night. This also happens in the Matrix. They’re able to fight the agents in the Matrix/Virtual Reality but sleep in the real world. In the Matrix and Sleep Dealer they both plug themselves into the virtual world. While there actual body is still in the real world. If you get hurt inside the virtual worlds your body in the real world will be affected this happens in both movies.

Sleep Dealer also connects with the Truman Show. In the Truman Show Truman is own television for almost all of his life. Truman doesn’t know that he’s on television though. The people who are watching the show laugh and cry at what Truman is going through. They all watched Truman grow up and know all his memories from his childhood. Similar in Sleep Dealer where Memo girlfriend sells her memories. Also memories which involve them together. So anyone who wants to see it can purchase his and her memories. Something that is a bit weird selling your past.

Sleep Dealer and the Matrix have many differences. Sleep Dealer you get connected to the system to get online. Also so you can work and make money. It’s a must to get connected. That is why Memo goes through hell to get the nodes installed. He actually gets mugged while trying to get installed. In the Matrix you have the choice to get installed. It isn’t necessary you actually have the choice. Morpheus gives Neo the choice of the blue pill or the red pill. Blue pill you wake up and forget and red pill you’ll see the truth. Neo takes the red pill. He wakes up then he later gets connected into the Matrix.

There are also many differences between Sleep Dealer and the Truman Show. With The Truman show everyone sees his memories. Also his entire childhood and life. Since he was on television until he was 30 years old. In Sleep Dealer you get the chance to actually sell your memories or not. Someone can view them or not. But you know what is going on when someone is looking at parts of your life. Unlike the Truman Show.

Blog 4.1

The internet and mobile devices can be used as teaching tools. Our current generation can be called the iGeneration. Preteens and teens are constanly plugged in. There's nothing wrong with using technology to learn.

They are many websites that can be used to learn. For my writing class there is grammarbytes.com. It teaches you how to use verbs, commas, fused senetences and much more. There was also a freerice.com which helped improve someones vobulary and grammar. For my reading class there is backboard hich helps students with reading comprehension. There are many other classes that have the internet as teaching tools. My math class has educosoft.com. Where you can do your hw and take quizzes/tests. There's also tutorials online. For the iGeneration mostwork is online. Because if it isn't kids wont do it. Since they're already online they'll have a better chance of doing the hw. But there is a problem when the kids multitask. When a student is on facebook and on youtube while doing there homework they shouldn't except a good grade. Teens have to forget about there social lives while they're doing homework.

Students shouldn't be allowed to multitask with there work. This is a new generation called the iGeneration where everything is very different. Homework is mostly done online same for talking to your friends.

CLASS BLOG: Blog 13: How to do One Thing at a Time

CLASS BLOG: Blog 13: How to do One Thing at a Time: "             In the passage 'How to do one thing at a Time' by Nancy Jones, Nancy explains that in this century and generation multi-tasking..."

The author doesn't present a claim. But they're saying don't multi task it's better to do one thing at a time. The author has many grammatical errors probably from rushing. Reading over his/her work will help. I think mostly this author needs to take his/her time and look over the essay.

Blog 3.5 McDonalds

If teenagers keep on eating McDonalds on a daily basis they won’t be able to do as much physical activities. According to the very generous U.S dietary guidelines, 1,340 calories represent more than half of a teenager's recommended daily caloric consumption. Meaning some of these calories won’t get burned and will be stored as fat. If teens keep on doing this they’ll be storing fat on a daily basis. Also if the teens don’t participate in any physical activities they will have an even bigger chance of coming obese. McDonalds is one of the reasons why many teenagers and adults are obese. Imagine a teenager having these meals 3 times a week or even more. That's 4,020 calories. McDonald’s meals use to be 680. That's much more than it used to be. Physical activity among teenage boys and girls has dropped optimally because of these special meals.

Obesity has always been high in the United States. Everywhere you turn there's a McDonalds. In my neighborhood there’s a McDonalds. Someone could say in almost every neighborhood they’ll be a McDonalds. This is why so many teens have it because it’s everywhere there’s no avoiding McDonalds. There are other fast food places like Subway, Checkers, Burger King and Wendy’s. When someone eats McDonalds are any other fast food place they consume more calories than usual. McDonald’s meal use to be 680 calories. But then was raised to 1,340 calories. McDonalds now has the option to supersize your meal. Customers are always encouraged to supersize their meals. The regular coke is 16 fluid ounces when supersized it's 42 fluid ounces. When French fries are supersized there more than double the weight of the original order.

If teens keep eating like this soon some will be obese. Some won’t but they won’t be as strong as they used to be. They won’t be able to move as fast as they use to. "Completing this jumbo dietetic horror is the fact that the easy availability of such huge meals arrives in the same years in which physical activity among teenage boys and girls drops by about half." If someone was to eat McDonalds for a month breakfast, lunch and dinner. Like what was done in Supersize me you could get very ill and probably die. Or get some sort of heart condition. The main point eating too much fast food without exercise isn’t healthy for anyone.

Blog 3.4

Leo gets introduced to how meat products are really made.  The real conditions aren't the ones you see on TV with animals living happy on the farm.  Animals are put into factories where they're feed antibiotics to keep them alive.  Since so many of the animals are suffering from diseases.  Chickens beaks get cut off. The Meatrix shows the conditions the animals are put in.  How barns are being destroyed and more of these factories are being made.  The areas where this takes place are suffering from a lot of pollution.

Leo goes into the Meatrix.  He sees what a modern day dairy factory looks like.  The machines are getting the milk out of the cows instead of humans.  Animals get pumped with artificial growth hormone.  Something was shown and T.V about this how the chickens weren't even able to stand up.  Cows are being feed blood as a milk replacer.  When this happens the cows can easily get mad cow disease. 

Leo goes to save Moopheus.  The conditions are showed for when the meat is being made.  The workers often injure themselves showing how dangerous the working conditions are.  The manure from the intestines gets on the meat and is still being eaten.   

Many bad things happen with the foods.  But what happens to the people who have to work in these environments.  Slaughterhouses are filled with blood and fecal matter from the cows and other animals.  The animals are taken down a line where they will be shot with a gun.  Some workers get knocked down by the cows and fall into the blood.  If one of the workers gets a cut they can also get sick.  If they fall and crack there head open they can get cow blood and fecal matter inside of their bodies.  The workers can get very sick from this.  Then the meat gets cut up.  But you have to be careful that no fecal matter gets in the meat.  Because this can spread E. coli which can make the people who eat the meat get very sick.  There are many things in the slaughterhouse that can contaminate the meat.  Including the cows because sometimes there sick themselves but are given antibiotics.  Sometimes the antibiotics make the cows even sicker.  Someone feed this meat can get very sick.  Or have chronic diarrhea for a week. 

Practice CAT # 3.3

People act different on cyberspace than they would behave in real life.  Rutgers students Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei post a video of Tyler Clementi kissing a boy.  This leads to Tyler Clementi jumping off the top of the George Washington Bridge killing himself.  Two Rutgers students could face five years in prison.  Cyber bullying has been going on for a long time.  It's different from actual bullying since the bullying and victim aren't face to face.  But now with technology it can go that far.  Through webcam like the situation with the Rutgers students.  But like the article says it isn't about technology it's about inhumanity to others.  Why would a human being do such a thing to another human being?  It makes humans look worse than animals. 

"The Psychology of Cyberspace," "people say and do things in cyberspace that they wouldn't ordinarily say or do in the face to face world."  I have friends who act cool on facebook but are dull and boring in real life.  It seems like the real world is cyberspace.  "It's somewhat similar to road rage.  How many times have you seen someone in a passing 3,000 pound vehicle make a hand gesture that he or she probably wouldn't have made if encountering a similarly frustrating situation while walking down a sidewalk?"  This happens on cyberspace when someone curses at you they won’t do the same thing in real life.  It's because you're safer in a car and computer than face to face with another person.  Or one of your friends talks more on facebook than in real life.  Because they have low self esteem from bullying/cyber bullying.  On facebook I've seen a user tag there friend in a post then tag a boy and say that she gave him oral sex.  Where the whole world could see it. The person would say it in real life but its just wrong posting something like that online.  Or when someone lost a fight posting it on twitter saying you're happy it happened.  Bullying and cyber bullying are actual too different things.  Cyber bullying is actually worst than actually bullying.  With actual bullying you can see the victim suffering.  With online bullying you never know how much someone is suffering you're inflicting.  You don't know if the victim is going to kill themselves, the bully, or even shoot up the school killing many other innocent people. 

With bullying some victims can be scarred for life.  They'll never forget they're horrible childhood.  This could make them very violent when they get older.  Not everyone can handle the situations the same.  Cyber bullies can inflict mental anguish that can hurt worse then physical wounds because a cyber attack can reach a vast audience.  Through something like YouTube where the whole entire world can see.  When that happens to someone they could possibly have a mental breakdown.  Possibly even lose their minds.  Or try to get revenge at the people who bullied them.  Which would most likely lead to murder?  Cyber bullying is very dangerous and needs to be stopped.  Because it leads to suicide and homicide.  What is currently going on are perfect examples of inhumanity to others.

Reflection
Good
_______
I organized the information.
Took important facts and quotes from the passage.


Bad
______
Too many opinions.
Keep on staying on one subject.

Blog 3.2

LaGuardia College

Aaron Straker

10/21/10

                “We now engage in cyborgian activity all day long”.  I can agree with this quote mainly through personal experience.  We all use Google/the internet all the time to find information.  Facebook and twitter tells us what were interested in.  Also activities with your iPod or mp3 player to listen to music.  Or your cell phone to contact your friends.  You switch between many electronic devices on a daily basis. 

                Facebook can be used for almost everything now.  You probably wouldn’t need a phone if you had a facebook.  People can still contact you.  Your friends can easily write on your wall, private message or just chat with you.  You can even plan events on facebook.  Invite people to the event they have the choice to say yes, no or maybe.  This is both good and bad.  The good part is you’re going to get things that you’re interested in.  Everyone likes to see things that they’re interested in.  But the bad is more than the good.  Why does the internet know what you’re interested in?  Why is it storing that information about you?  What is it used for and who sees it?

                Google doesn’t allow us to think.  Instead of solving the problem most people run to google.  This is something even I do.  If I don’t know a word I’ll just google it.  Instead of brainstorming and thinking of the possibilities.  Maybe these websites have taken away most if not all of our creativity.  There are websites where you see others opinions.  Such as imdb to see if a movie is good or not.  People just can’t see a movie they have to search others opinions. 

                Like the article says some people have limits on things such as the internet.  “People who are thrilled by personal technology are the ones who have optimized their process they know how and when to rely on machine intelligence.”  I don’t if I’m home I’ll be on the internet most of the time.  But there people can go on the internet for maybe 5 minutes then go off and do something else.  Or these people can log onto facebook get what they need then log off.  While others log on and off all the time.  This similar to the advanced chess game.  “In fact the overall winner wasn’t one of the grandmasters or supercomputers; it was a pair of twenty something amateurs using run of the mill PCs and inexpensive apps.”  This can be the same thing with google and facebook.  Knowing when to consult the software and when to ignore its advice.  “As Kasparov later put it, a weak human with a machine can be better than a strong human with a machine if the weak human has a better process.

But everyone is different in their own ways.  It all depends on how you can use these tools.  Or if you rely on them too much.  “As we face that trade off, figuring out to integrate machine intelligence into our personal lives becomes the key challenge”.  This is something that I and many others have to learn how to do.  “Ultimately, the real question is, what sort of cyborg do you want to be?”

Personal Electronic Devices

People wouldn't be able to do most if their regular rountines with personal electronic devices.  How do you wake up in the morning.  Most people wake up because of alarm clocks.  Also cell phones because you can use your cell phone as a alarm clock.  Without alarm clocks you wouldn't wake up when you want to or most likely need to.  You would most likely be late for work or school or where ever else that you're going.

Where do you get your information.  You mostly get information from the internet or the TV.  Without these two you would have no idea what is going on around you.  You wouldn't know what to wear.  Something which is very important.  So you're not wearing a winter jacket when it's going up to 60 degrees.  Or wearing shorts when the temperature is going to drop very low.  If you don't know how to do something your not going to sit down and try to think about it.  Your going to go on the internet then google.  This is something I think everyone uses once a week and much more.

michael: This picture depics a computer tha...

michael:

This picture depics a computer tha...: " This picture depics a computer that has frosed, with its user now fustrated and confused he starts pulling his hair in front..."

Reading blog: A Coppertop's Life Artifacts

Reading blog: A Coppertop's Life Artifacts: "To much TV for kids,even the TV gets sick when he watches the same person for hours, but we don't. I picked this picture because almost eve..."

estrella: blog 8

estrella: blog 8: "Practice Catw 3: The Net is the real world. The Net can be an excellent communication in our real world. We can find much important infor..."

Brave New World: Artifact 2

Brave New World: Artifact 2: "Is it just me or is it crazy to have a surfing pool on cruise ship? Surfing is normally done in the ocean, whereas in this case you are re..."

Brave New World: Artifact 2

Brave New World: Artifact 2: "Is it just me or is it crazy to have a surfing pool on cruise ship?"

Artifact 3

I choose facebook because most teenagers have a facebook.  Even older people have a facebook.  A majority of the people you know have a facebook.  Facebook takes up most of teenager’s time.  On facebook you’re not really talking to your friends.  It's also a chat room if you want it to be.  If you use the facebook chat.  Similar to the first scene with Neo in the Matrix.  When Trinity contacts him through the chat room.  She wasn't really talking to him in person.  She was chatting with him through the internet.  On facebook you don’t even see the person that you’re talking to similar to texting.  But texting is for everywhere including on the go.  You can even use facebook on the go now.  Through facebook mobile on many phones now.  Soon you’ll be able to text and go on facebook through your watch.  Because technology keeps on getting better and better.    

Artifact 2

Video games are another one that has been around for a long time.  Almost everyone has at least one game system.  Some people have more than 1.  The top 3 game systems are ps3, Xbox 360 and the wii.  Back in the days if you wanted to play your friends you had to go to their house.  At least your were hanging out with an actual person.  But now you can connect be at separate houses and play your friends.  You can play anyone in the world from your house.  Instead of playing meeting people and playing them.  For the wii you can play sports against your friends.  Such as tennis, boxing, golf, basketball etc.  Wouldn’t it be easier to go outside and play these games with your friends or actual people?   

Artifact 1

I choose it because who doesn’t have a cell phone in the year 2010.  When I was younger I had to wait until I was in junior high school to get my cell phone.  But now kids in the 1^st grade are probably getting cell phones.  Next thing you know when your kids are in pre-k they’ll already have their cell phone.  Cell phones are a very good way of contacting people.  Cell phones separate us from speaking to real people all the all time.  When you talk on the phone the person’s voice is digitized.  People can talk on the phone for hours.  There’s also times when two friends are hanging out.  But both are talking on the phone.  Wouldn't it be better if you just talk to the friend that's right next to you?  Who is an actual real person instead of a digitized voice.  Cell Phones go even farther you don't have to talk to your friends.  You can just text your friends.  Most people resort to texting others because people don't feel like talking.  Because you don't have to talk as much anymore.  If you told a teenager to contact their friend most likely they would text instead of calling.  Everyone knows how to text now.  So less people are talking to each other. 

A Coppertop's Life Artifacts

    

I choose it because who doesn’t have a cell phone in the year 2010.  When I was younger I had to wait until I was in junior high school to get my cell phone.  But now kids in the 1^st grade are probably getting cell phones.  Next thing you know when your kids are in pre-k they’ll already have their cell phone.  Cell phones are a very good way of contacting people.  Cell phones separate us from speaking to real people all the all time.  When you talk on the phone the person’s voice is digitized.  People can talk on the phone for hours.  There’s also times when two friends are hanging out.  But both are talking on the phone.  Wouldn't it be better if you just talk to the friend that's right next to you?  Who is an actual real person instead of a digitized voice.  Cell Phones go even farther you don't have to talk to your friends.  You can just text your friends.  Most people resort to texting others because people don't feel like talking.  Because you don't have to talk as much anymore.  If you told a teenager to contact their friend most likely they would text instead of calling.  Everyone knows how to text now.  So less people are talking to each other. 

 

I choose facebook because most teenagers have a facebook.  Even older people have a facebook.  A majority of the people you know have a facebook.  Facebook takes up most of teenager’s time.  On facebook you’re not really talking to your friends.  It's also a chat room if you want it to be.  If you use the facebook chat.  Similar to the first scene with Neo in the Matrix.  When Trinity contacts him through the chat room.  She wasn't really talking to him in person.  She was chatting with him through the internet.  On facebook you don’t even see the person that you’re talking to similar to texting.  But texting is for everywhere including on the go.  You can even use facebook on the go now.  Through facebook mobile on many phones now.  Soon you’ll be able to text and go on facebook through your watch.  Because technology keeps on getting better and better.    

Video games are another one that has been around for a long time.  Almost everyone has at least one game system.  Some people have more than 1.  The top 3 game systems are ps3, Xbox 360 and the wii.  Back in the days if you wanted to play your friends you had to go to their house.  At least your were hanging out with an actual person.  But now you can connect be at separate houses and play your friends.  You can play anyone in the world from your house.  Instead of playing meeting people and playing them.  For the wii you can play sports against your friends.  Such as tennis, boxing, golf, basketball etc.  Wouldn’t it be easier to go outside and play these games with your friends or actual people?   

The Truman Show Argument Essay

LaGuardia College

Aaron Straker

10/7/10

                I think that it is possible for this to happen.  The most significant thing from the passage “Life imitates art as “Truman Syndrome” diagnosed.  Was “Meanwhile, researchers in London described a “Truman Syndrome” a patient in British Journal Psychiatry in August.  The 26 year old postman “had a sense the world was slightly unreal, as if he was the eponymous hero in the film” the researchers wrote.  This is significant because movies do all sorts of things shock, surprise, scare, anger and make audiences very unhappy.  But never has a film worked on this level.  This person actually thinks that he’s Truman from the movie. 

                When I was younger I came out of the movies feeling like the main character.  But what kid doesn’t that happen to.  On the other hand this was a grown man he was actually 26 years old.  The movie actually messed with his head.  Till the point he was mentally ill.  It makes you think is this movie too smart for our current society.  Movies like this are messing with people’s minds until they think it’s going to happen to them very soon.  Or this has been happening to them all there life.  People are really scared of the lack privacy.  Everyone needs their privacy or else they’ll go mad.  At the beginning of the movie Truman was calm until he started figuring things out.  Also when the giant of metal (light) fell out of the sky.  Then he heard people saying his every move when he was driving.  This is when he was listening to the radio.

                The significant thing is how this movie makes people mentally ill.  Many movies have had psychological impact on people.  The only ones I can think of are horror movies.  Psycho made audiences afraid of showers, The Exorcist made some people faint, Jaws made audiences afraid to go in the water and Alien made people vomit.  But everyone eventually recovered from these movies over time.  These are horror movies that don’t even mentally ill.  The Truman Show is a funny satire that makes some people go crazy.  Probably because it connects with the world we live in today.  The Truman Show came out in 1998 and is probably even more important today.  Many people are suffering from this.

                Another thought could be technology is getting so advanced people can’t believe it.  From “Life Imitates art as “Truman Syndrome” diagnosed “ Several recent studies have chronicled delusions entwined with the Internet such as a patient in Austria who believed she had become a walking webcam.  This is similar to 1984 the government knows everything your thinking and doing.  Also from what you’re looking at on the internet.

                The most significant things can have a big impact on your life.  The Truman Show has changed many people’s lives.  Also made some mentally ill.  But mostly it has changed the way people view certain things.  From the article “Vaughan Bell, a psychologist who has researched Internet-related delusions, said one of his former patients believed he was in the virtual-reality universe portrayed in the 1999 blockbuster the Matrix.  Showing there’s a connection between culture and everyone’s mental health.  

My Archetype

My strongest archetype is innocent.  My archetype says that I seek safety.  Also that I’m too dependent on others around me.  Something that I'm not really surprised with.  All my life people around me think that I'm innocent and could never do wrong.  That's what people think when they first meet me.  Until later they find out some of the things that I've done in my past.  The way innocent is described in archetype is trust, faith and optimism.  I can relate to this because I have no problem trusting others around me.  I'm very optimistic with foods I have no problem trying new foods.  Or also trying new things I have never done before.  The stages for my archetype are naive, blind, obedience and dependence.  The shadow has many of my bad parts are childish behavior, denial, and addiction to consuming (things, food and fun.)  This is something I can relate to sometimes my behavior can be very childish.  Sometimes when I'm waiting for someone I'll wait for a long period of time knowing that they are not coming.

My second archetype could be Magician.  Since it got a 2 like some of the others.  But I had some of the characteristics from the Magician.  It says that the call for the magician is being able to alter the known world.  The Shadow for magician is manipulation, evil black magic, sorcery.  It also says that Magicians have their own view of the known world.  I would say that I’m the magician archetype only because I like to trick people sometimes.  Sometimes I’ll use sarcasm and people won’t know if I’m joking or I’m serious.  I actually do have my own view of how things are.  But the only thing I don’t do this manipulator others around me.  It also says that the Magician wants to change himself or someone else.  Magicians fear themselves and their potential to do harm.  I actually am afraid of what I could or would do if I was ever angry.   

The Truman Show

LaGuardia Community College

Aaron Straker

English

The Truman Show is a movie that makes you think.  The Truman show is a funny satire.  If that's what you would call this movie.  It shows exactly how the media controls us.  The movie is something everyone should see.  The movie isn't serious to the point it would be boring.  The movie has many funny parts because the main character is played by Jim Carrey.

          One big element in the movie is media.  Truman doesn't know that he's been on tv his entire life.  Throughout the movie we see people watching him on tv.  While Truman has no idea that this is happening.  The movie shows how even in movies our emotions get played with.  Truman’s father supposedly died when he was very young.  Later in the movie we see him reunited with his father because of his best friend since high school.  Truman begins to hug his father.  Christof who controls Truman’s world and the television show tells them to change the music and zoom in on Truman's face.  We see the audience have tears of joy.  Christof just controlled the audience emotions by simply changing the music and zooming in on Truman’s face.  The Truman show is on 24 hours a day.  When the show goes offline for the first time everyone panics.  The show isn't affecting their lives in any way.  There just watching someone else live there life.  But everyone still panics.  For some people they become emotionless.  Just waiting for a new tv show.  People stop doing their work because of a tv show.  Security Guards stop working just to watch this show.  Security Guards are supposed to be saving lives not watching someone else’s day to day lifestyle.

          The movie shows how repetitive our everyday lives are.  Imdb “When the lady comes on the bike with the basket, then the dog and then the yellow Volkswagen".  Truman says all they do is go around and around.  This movie is very similar to everyone’s life.  Even if one hasn't seen it.  There's a notion of your born, do stuff then die.  In the movie Truman starts the day off with the same words every day.  Imdb “In cases I don’t see ya good afternoon, good evening, and good night”.  He also has the same conversations with the same people.  Nothing ever changes in his life.  It doesn’t matter what your lifestyle is your life will always be repetitive.

            In the Truman Show Christof is sort of God.  He’s in control of Truman’s world.  He controls what everyone says to him.  He even controls the weather.  Christof has Truman on camera ever since he was a baby.  Even before that.  If Christof wants there to be an accident there will be an accident.  For example the accident in the elevator.  At the moment Truman tried to enter the elevator.  But since he’s the star of the show two men grabbed him and took him out of the building.  Truman had no idea what was going on.  The next day his wife has to do surgery because of the accidents.  Everything that happens in the world is all because of Christof.  He seems to be a God of Truman’s world.  If Christof says let there be rain there will be rain.  Imdb “Also note that Chrisof does not have his name listed among the “real world” in the credits, but in “Christof’s World”.  His high profile media driven life is no different from Truman’s”.

            The movie also shows that everyone has control over their lives.  If someone wants to be a drug dealer or criminal they can easily become one.  If someone wants a college education they can get one but through many years of hard work.  Christof states “He could leave at any time.  If this were anything more than a vague ambition, if he was absolutely determined to discover the truth, there is no way we could prevent him.”

Blog Entry 1.3

LaGuardia

Aaron Straker

9/23/10

                My life compared to Socrates life I don’t know how I can compare my current life to his.  So far I know some differences that me and Socrates have.  Socrates was a philosopher a lover of wisdom.  While like he said I live in a world of relative ignorance.  One of his quotes even describes me somewhat of the old me.  “We are even comfortable with that ignorance, because it is all we know.”  But now I’ve changed somewhat I’m not as ignorant as I use to be.  But now I actually don’t mind asking questions.  I’ll ask the same question more than once.  Some people may get mad but I want everything to be clear. 

                Right now in my life I would say that I’m not chained.  Because even though I have my opinions and still listen to others opinions and respect them.  Even if I know what they’re saying is obviously false.  I’ll even think things through most of the time.  When I was younger I never really liked feedback from others.  I took it as offence to myself and my intelligence.  Even though others were trying to help me.  But now I want other people’s feedback.  I’m not the kind of person who tries to impress others so because if you did that could mean you’re still in chains.  Because the only person I can fulfill is myself.  Socrates knew he was ignorant.  He just simply wanted to learn more and more.  I also know I’m ignorant and I don’t know about everything out in the world. 

                They are many things created that are shadows for us.  Mainly it’s technology that’s a shadow for everyone including myself.  Some television shows are big shadows for people.  People watch shows with real people doing things while they could actually be doing the same for themselves.  Another possible shadow for people is reality shows.  Because people are mostly watching others do things that doesn’t even benefit there life.  These are some of the many ways that technology has created shadows for us.  Devices such as IPods, I touch, I pads, Cell phones and etc have effects on your life.  Technology even has a negative effect on my life.  Technology is one of the many shadows created for society.  Socrates didn’t seem to have many shadows because there were no technological distractions in his everyday life.  He never boasted about being the smartest.  He would always tell others that he wasn’t that smart.

                Walking out into the light would possibly be very difficult.  Because everyone would have to change their ways.  Dropping a bad habit is never easy.  Coming out into the light would mean less internet for me.  I wouldn’t say TV because I don’t watch as much TV anymore.  For Socrates coming out into the light was much easier.  All Socrates wanted to do was to learn more and more.  The more he learned he wanted to learn even more.  The difference between us there is that I don’t have that same type of energy as Socrates.

                I never really tried to help get others free.  I listen to others opinions but I won’t force my ways onto others.  Because everyone has their own choice on how they want to approach things.  Socrates listened to how someone was going to do something.  Then he told them there was an easier way of doing it. 

                I know where I am from the way I behave on a regular basis.  I’m not shy I can talk to others.  I can easily answer questions.  If someone asks me a question I won’t be afraid to tell them I don’t know.  I won’t beat around the bush and say I’m not sure.  Because saying that makes you even more ignorant.  It’s better to know that your ignorant than trying to hide it.  A quote that relates to Socrates should be “curiosity killed the cat”. 

Heroes Journey

LaGuardia

Aaron Straker

September 23, 2010

            Monday September 20, 2010 5:50 AM my journey began.  On this day had to go to school even though I was sick.  This is something I really hate.  Because when you’re sick everyone treats you different.  Because of the fear of getting sick themselves.  It’s not like high school where you can stay home.  You’re paying for college.  This is when I first crossed the threshold to go to school.  I would even say that I first crossed the threshold when I stepped out of bed.  Once you do that you don’t know how your day is going to go.  You just have to wait and see for yourself.  That is when my journey officially began.  I was still very sick I had a runny nose, fever and bloody noses from time to time.  I still have this cold now.  While I’m constantly editing my heroes journey.

            My tests for the day was to get to school on time and don’t fall asleep in any of my classes.  I failed the first test.  I was early but I took one wrong train then ended up 30 minutes late.  I thought the R train went to Queensboro Plaza.  It does but there’s a Manhattan R train and a Queens R train.  So I failed that test.  I passed my other test.  This was don’t fall asleep in class.  I never fall asleep in class now that was a bad habit in high school.  You really have to leave the bad habits in the past.  Which I have done. 

            I actually got more than one reward that day.  My first reward was to be able to get to class safely.  Also to have the energy to stay awake during class even though I wasn’t at my best.  Also I didn’t sleep go to sleep till 1:00 then had to wake up at 5:50.  I also got another reward through a failure.  Not sure if that has ever happened before.  Something that is really weird.  I was supposed to meet one of my friends from high school after class.  I wasn’t feeling well so I told her I was going to leave early.  I actually got to hang out with her on September 23 and we had a great time.  But when I left I saw one of my friends from high school.  At this point I was on my way home when I saw my friend.  He asked me questions how college is.  He made jokes and acted retarded as always.  I eventually got home. 

But I have to return to this 4 days a week.  There’s no escaping I can’t refuse it our else I’ll fail.  Therefore money is wasted.  I came back on Wednesday even though I was sick.  I have many more days to go.

Essay 1 (Can you live without technology)

           I interact with all kinds of technologies in my everday life.  In the morning I look at my cell phone.  I will use the toaster to make breakfast most of the time.  I use the computer and my ipod touch to talk to my friends.  When i need to go somewhere I take the train.  There's so much techology that I use I can't even write it all on paper.

          My life would be so different without all these technologies.  I wouldn't be able to talk to my friends all the time.  I probably wouldn't be able to talk to them at all.  I text my friends from high school all the time.  I also talk to my friends on facebook.  I wouldn't be able to travel to that much places without the train.  My life would be so different without my T.V, computer, phone and ipod touch. 

         I do believe that I'm very dependent on them.  Sometimes I might take it to the next level.  One time I woke up and went straight on to facebook through my ipod touch.  I think about it now I didn't even leave my bed and I was on facebook.  Sometimes I'll sit in bed and be on the internet.  So I guess I am dependent on technology because without it I would be very bored.

        Mostly I am very dependent on technology.  I mostly have my ipod touch with me.  So I can listen to music on the train or on the go.  Without my ipod touch I would be staring outside the window on the Q train.  On my breaks between classes I'll try to get acess to the internet through wifi.  I'll use my phone to text friends in other classes.

        Without technology I would feel disconnected the world.  I wouldn't be able to talk to my friends at all.  I wouldn't be able to call them or talk to them.  I really think without any technology I myself wouldn't be able to survive.  Or might die of pure boredom.