WikiLeaks

Julian Assange is an Australian internet activist known for his WikiLeaks. The below video is an interview about a few of his WikiLeaks as well as a very intense video that was released about the war in Afghanistan. I had many mixed feelings as I watched this video because it is not how American Soldiers have been portrayed to the American public. At this point in my life, politics are not a huge importance to me although it probably should. Seeing this made me upset and I felt as if it only showed one side of the story. In the same sense I am not a soldier and feel as though I cannot judge the way they should act because they go through very rough times and situations. In a way I feel it is a good thing that he is helping the "truth" about events become available to the public. Part of me thinks how do I know this is even the "truth" and I am still skeptical. This is a website that people can decide to go to and read the information he puts up. It is not being broadcasted across the TV or forced upon everyone. It is everyone's choice to see the information and I believe he should be free to post whatever.

A Second Life

“Imagine a world
Where you can be anyone
Go anywhere
Do anything…”





In our class discussion about Second Life and the possibilities of future Technology that would enable humans to feel and experience things physically through a game or program immediately reminded me of the movie Surrogates. (please view the below movie trailer)

If this were ever to become our reality I’m not sure how I would feel about it. Sure, it is a cool idea and would be amazing if it was actually accomplished. But is that how I would want to live my life? To me, I feel like the idea of this future way of living and spending hours on end in Second Life is not living. These games are all false representations of life and are not real.

For me to say that I would not be interested in experiencing such an advanced piece of technology would be a lie. I just don't think it should become a lifestyle. Human beings were created for a purpose. Why ruin humanity with robots? What is the point?

The Universe

Thinking about the universe is mind boggling to me. This video of Carter Emmart showing a demo of a 3D Atlas of the Universe really put into perspective to me just how small we are. I get caught up in every day life and where I am and what I am doing, not thinking about how minuscule and short my life actually is. It was amazing watching this video, seeing just how beautiful and astronomic the universe is. What is even more amazing, is that what we saw is only what we are capable of seeing as of now and that there is even more to the universe out there that we have no idea about.

Brave New World

"That is the secret of happiness and virtue - liking what you've got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people like their inescapable social destiny."
- Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, Ch. 1


The story of Brave New World written in 1932 by Aldous Huxley, takes place in London six hundred years in the future. The people that are apart of this world are free from war, hate, poverty, disease, and pain. In order for this society to operate properly there are ten people that are in control, who are called “Controllers”. All other members of this society are created in a factory and are then processed through an assembly line where they are conditioned for their future purpose intended for them in this world. Aldous Huxley creates a futuristic world, in which an ironic state of happiness is created through conditioning, hierarchy and artificial gratification.

Image of Perfection

The first image, “Your body is a battleground” by Barbara Kruger was originally used in a march in Washington DC supporting a pro-choice position and reproductive rights for women. What I like about Barbara Kruger’s work is that it is not always self-explanatory and is open to interpretation. I would argue that the metaphor of a women’s body being a battleground not only relates to the battle of abortion but that it goes deeper. As I initially look at this picture I see two sides of a face, one being positive and one being negative. The underlying photograph represents to me the two sides of a person: the outside appearance and the inside emotions. Her makeup and shaping of the eyebrows represents the ideal woman in the 1950’s. This picture discusses the body being a “battleground” from all sorts of angles. Women are put under an enormous amount of pressure on how they are supposed to look, act and be. The phrase “sex sells” is so true in that through advertisements, the most common message is that if you buy a product you will get a girl, or if you buy a product you will look like this girl so you can get a man. Our perception on beauty and attraction is completely fabricated by the media.

The next image “Memory is your image of perfection” also by Barbara Kruger only reinforces what I have been saying. The way we are brought up and through what we are exposed to as we grow is what creates our image of beauty. There is no original choice of what we individually think of beauty, these images are an influence to society as a whole. The image plays with the idea that the body or actual person is transparent while the high heels and jewelry stands out symbolizing that the outward appearance and that material things are what really matter.

Below is a video that I immediately thought related to these two images. It is a commercial done by Dove to inspire natural beauty and bring awareness of today’s false image of beauty. I feel like the video speaks for itself and is very inspiring for people to be happy with who you are and know that everyone is beautiful in their own way.

Cloning

"Abortion, euthanasia, human cloning, for example, risk reducing the human person to a mere object: life and death to order, as it were!" -Pope John Paul II

My opinion about cloning is very simple. God created us in his image and each of us are unique. Human life is something to be valued and not treated like a commodity to be bought and sold. As Pope John Paul II states in the above quote, keep life and death in the order it is meant to be in and as God created the world to be.

Trip to the MFA

Above is "Boulevard Saint-Denis, Argenteuil, in Winter" by Claude Monet.

This painting, although not viewed by the whole class was the piece of art that really jumped out to me as I walked through the Museum of Fine Arts. Winter being my favorite time of the year is what initially made me want to get closer to the painting. As I looked closer I was amazed with how Monet played with the weather and the light. I could really feel the struggle the sunlight was having as it tried to peek through the soft falling snow. I also really love Impressionism because of the visible brush strokes, how it isnt directly focused on the subject matter, and how there is an emphasis on light and its changing qualities.

Frankenstein

One of the major themes in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is Friendship and Companionship. Below are a few quotes from the book that go along with this theme.

"I have no friend, Margaret: When I am glowing with the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate my joy; If I am assailed disappointment, no one will endeavor to sustain me in dejection." (Letter II, pg. 1)

"We were brought up together; there was not quite a year difference in our ages. I need not say that we were strangers to any species of disunion or dispute. Harmony was the soul of our companionship, and the diversity and contrast that subsisted in our characters drew us nearer together" (Volume 1, Chapter 2, pg. 38)

"I am alone and miserable; man will not associate with me; but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me. My companion must be of the same species, and have the same defects. This being you must crate." (Volume 2, Chapter 8, pg. 146)

We see an ongoing yearning for friendship and companionship throughout the whole story. In the letters in the beginning of the book, Walton becomes depressed because he does not have anyone to share his experiences, joys and fears with. Walton wants a friend and someone he can relate with to share the experience of this huge quest he is embarking on.

Frankenstein was born into a family where he was the only child. He had always wanted a companion, a friend, someone he can relate to and spend time with. When Elizabeth was brought into the family, Frankenstein was ecstatic and was happy to finally have someone his age to spend time with.

The monster that Frankenstein created expresses the sadness and loneliness he feels. He also yearns for someone to come into his life that he can care about and in turn care about him. He comes to realize that because of his appearance, this person needs to look like him so each other is accepted.

"Will Robots Inherit the Earth?"

"Will robots inherit the earth? Yes, but they will be our children." -Marvin Minsky

The Secrets of Tomb 10A

"The Secrets of Tomb 10A, Egypt 2000 BC" is a fairly new exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, located in Boston, MA. As a part of the exhibit, there is a mummified head of one of the Tomb 10A's occupants. It is still unknown as to if the head is male or female but a DNA analysis is still in the works to hopefully clarify if it is Governor or Lady Djehutynakht. What interested me about this mummified head is how well in tact it still was. You could clearly see the wrapping of the material around the head, as well as the black pigment designs in place of where the eye brows would be. This mummy is one of the earliest to show evidence that embalmers removed the brain through the nose. The bones on each side of the nose were surgically removed in order to assist in the removal of the brain. This represents the amount of detail and care that the egyptians gave to a body when someone died.

Icarus

Hubris generally shows one being out of touch with reality and overestimating one's own competence or capabilities. In the story of Icarus, he had become so excited about flying as he soared through the clouds he ignored the warning his father had given him to stay low in the sky to avoid the heat of the sun and as a consequence he fell to his death. When I was sixteen and had just gotten my drivers license I insisted that I was going to go on a road trip with one of my friends. My parents with little confidence allowed me to spend the day going somewhere but I had to be home before the day had ended. As i set off on this journey I believed that with a car and and open road the opportunities were endless. I did not take into account my unknown inability to follow a map, the price of gas and the slim amount of time we were given. After taking multiple wrong exits and trying to maneuver ourselves through back roads we somehow ended up in northern NH. Our pride and stupidity prevented us from asking directions and we just could not get ourselves on the right track. Not before long we had begun to run out of gas. I had just opened a checking account, but it had very little money on it. As i filled up the tank in the car my bank account slowly went into overdraft where I was charged a fee. Eventually with the help of my angry parents and a few random gas station employees we made it back home early the next morning. Although this experience was very frustrating at the time and I had clearly over stepped my boundaries I still do not regret this "road trip gone wrong". After driving across the state of NH in one day I now know a lot more about the highways, roads and towns. To some extent it is beneficial to be hubris so you can learn from your mistakes. WIthout stepping over boundaries, you loose an opportunity to learn. In the case of Icarus, his decision lead to his death. His death is an example to everyone to know their limits and boundaries and know when it is alright to cross them.

My Philosophy

I was brought up in a Christian household in a small town in New Hampshire. I come from an area with very little diversity and with people who for the most part have the same beliefs. Coming to Boston was a complete change from what I am use to as I met many different kinds of people. One of my strengths is that I am not judgmental. I enjoy helping people and enjoy learning new things. I believe that God has a plan for my life and while I strive to find out what that plan is I want to be happy and leave a print on the lives of the people who i meet.