2040

I woke up in my sleeping pod and gave the voice command for the door to open. I stretched and floated over to my dressing chamber. I picked out my favorite silver wrap-around outfit from the holographic screen and waited while the machine put it on. I floated by my window and look out at the moonscape and towards the dying planet that we once inhabited. A pang of fear and pain hit my chest as I think about the destructive power humans can posses. I glided over to the food dispenser area and gave the voice command for cereal. The dry space food packet came out of the opening. I grabbed the packet with my chubby fingers and consumed it quickly. I strapped myself into my transport chair and gave the voice command to go to my class room. I zoomed down the metallic hall and turned right into pulled up to desk and holographic screen. I said "play" and watched my virtual teacher give the lesson for the day. I listened to history of our time on Earth and wondered what it was like to live there. After the lesson was done, I completed some work questions. When I finished, I decided to watch the daily announcements and news. Chairman Boswell was explaining how they are building another greenhouse on the west side of the compound. I got bored so I decided to sleep some more. I reclined in my chair and took a nap. When I woke up, I was hungry so I went to the food dispenser on my chair again. I ate a powered chicken packet and gave the voice command to my chair to call my mom. Her voice came out my chair and she said that she was in the entertainment room. I told my chair to go to the entertainment room and we zoomed through the metallic building. My mom was wearing the same thing she always does; a black wrap around with a silver lining. We talked briefly about each others day. I asked my chair for a snack and a dried fruits popped out. After a while of staring at the screen flashing images of the board of directors of this compound, I decided I was tired so I went back to my sleeping pod and slept for the rest of the day.

Blog 7: Pictures in Our Heads

Ever since its creation, television has had a profound effect on society. Television is a influential source of entertainment and a window to the happenings around the world. The works of George Gerbner, Shanto Iyengar and Donald Kinder asked the question, "What exactly is television showing us and how does it change the way we think about the world around us?"

Gerbner conducted a study that observed the portrayal of the world on television programs and linked people's views of society with the amount of television that they watched. The results showed that the heavier viewers had a skewed perception of what the world was like while the lighted viewers remained more realistic. Gerbner concluded that the more one watches television the more it influences her perceptions of society.

Iyengar and Kindler conducted a study in which they had multiple control groups that watched programs that were specifically edited to emphasize a particular issue in the country. After a week of testing, the results showed that each group was more concerned with the issue that was emphasized in the programs they viewed. Ivengar and Kindler's experiments supported Gerbner in that television greatly influences your opinions but added that it is not just how much you watch but what you're watching that influences your personal views.

Television is a great source of entertainment and knowledge but it can sometimes be misleading. The material that is shown is not always reality. In order to avoid being brainwashed by these images we must resist these pictures on the screen to become "pictures in our heads."

Blog 4: Avatar

Director James Cameron's Avatar is this year's blockbuster hit! It is the highest grossing movie of all time, beating out the former title holder, Cameron's Titanic. It includes revolutionary animation and crystal clear 3D. Avatar is a must-see cinematic masterpiece.

Avatar is set in the future on a foreign planet called Pandora. This planet is inhabited by beautiful humanoid creatures called the Navi. The humans are on this planet to excavate and collect the extremely rare and value stone, Unobtainium. The conflict begins when it is explained that the largest deposit of this stone is directly beneath the Navi village. Jake Sully, a paralyzed former marine, is sent to infiltrate the Navi village disguised in an Avatar Navi body which he remotely controls (when controlling the Avatar, the person is put in a machine which allows them to feel, move, and live as if they were actually in that Navi Avatar body). Jake soon becomes entranced by the beauty of this world and the connection that the Navi have with it. He falls in love with his Navi teacher, Neytiri, who is the princess of the people. As the excavation date nears, Jake must choose between this magical new world and the home he came from.

Segourney Weaver plays the off beat and tough scientist who developed the Avatar program. The handsome Sam Worthington, known for his role in the latest Terminator, plays Jake Sully. The Navi people in Avatar were made to look incredibly real using the latest performance capture technology and Cameron's own creation of the image based facial performance capture. These technologies mean that that every movement of the CGI characters on the screen was performed by the actors. They are put into suits with sensors on them and they perform every stunt and every movement that the character does. There is also a little camera attached to the actor's helmet that records their facial expressions and then transfers every nuance of emotion to the Navi person. Therefore, what you are seeing on the screen is an almost exact performance and interpretation by the actors in the body of a Navi.

This movie is an amazing visual and cinematic experience that will leave you in awe. Avatar is the start of a whole new movie generation. Be sure you don't miss the epic film, Avatar!

Blog 5: Julie and Julia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjvJHsJD8ic

This is a trailer for the movie Julie & Julia. The opening images of this trailer is of Meryl Streep in black and white introducing herself as Julia Child followed by her catch phrase. This opening appeals to older people because it features the famous and familiar actress Meryl Streep playing Julia Child, an iconic television cook from the 1960's through the 1980's. Both of these people are familiar to this age group and therefore the trailer has grasped their attention.

The trailer then introduces that the movie will in fact have something to do with Julia Child and shows an amusing clip of Julia and her husband. A new character (played by Amy Adams, a familiar modern actress) is introduced as a "cubical worker" who has some connection with Julia Child. Another amusing clip is shown about her dissatisfaction with her job. These amusing clips lead the middle-aged viewer to believe that the movie is lighthearted and makes them want to see the film. The conflict of the new character is presented when she expresses her unhappiness with her life and the resolution is made that she could write a blog about something she loves, cooking. The trailer then states that the movie is based on two true stories. This connection with a modern day story and the familiar story of Julia Child makes the middle-aged person want to see it because they can be nostalgic and hip at the same time. Also the fact that they are true stories appeals to middle-aged viewers who usually prefer reality rather than fantasy.

The trailer continues on to show the development of both story lines with a few more amusing clips throughout. It explains that Julie is going to cook through Julia Child's cookbook and write a blog about it and depicts the life of Julia Child and her journey to becoming a "legend." The words in between the clips explain how Julia Child's work gave Julie "the recipe to change her life." This appeals to middle-aged viewers because it is inspirational and shows that something else from their lifetime has made a positive impact on the current generation. Concluding with a few more amusing clips and the older viewer is left with a happy feeling and the urge to go see Julie & Julia!

Less Privacy is Good for Us (and You) # 2

The issue of Privacy in this country is very complex. There are many different factions fighting for there views to be heard. In Amitai Etzioni's article, "Less Privacy is Good for Us (and You)" the many facets of the privacy issue are discussed.

One of the situations which Etzioni described is the HIV testing of mothers in the delivery room. If mothers allowed for them to be tested for HIV in the delivery room their children would have a better chance of not receiving the disease themselves. Many groups fight this incentive saying that it violates the mother's privacy. The question is are we willing to sacrifice the privacy of mothers to save their babies?

Another example that Etzioni provided was the use of facial recognition technology to cash checks at ATMs and such. The use of these so called biometrics would greatly reduce the amount of identity theft, rouge criminals, divorcés running from child support payments and much more. Although this has many benefits to society, it would also eliminate the possibility of moving somewhere and trying to start a new life there. Once again the issue of privacy conflicts with the common good.

Privacy is complex because the issue of when, where, and how it should be implicated is controversial. It is agreed that things such as listening in on phone calls, going through someone's email without permission, and cameras in bathroom stalls is a violation of privacy. But when it comes to situations such as the ones above, we begin to skate on the line of whether its right or wrong. That is why the privacy issues are so complex and that is why we need to examine them further.

Immokalee

Immokalee is a wonderful community full of rich culture and history. It started out as a Seminole village and morphed into a cattle ranching and farming community. Railroads were built and logging took over the industry. The surrounding swamps were drained, making way for more agricultural and job opportunities. Pioneer settlers, Mexican workers and Seminole residents came to live there. Oil was found nearby creating a completely new arena for work and profit in the community. Now, Immokalee has a flourishing casino and university that help bring new prosperity and growth to the town. As was said in the WGCU videos Untold Stories: Immokalee Part I and II, "The only constant in Immokalee is change," and that's exactly what it's past and future embody.

I live in Naples, Florida. Naples and Immokalee differ in many ways. Naples is known as a rich town. It is very expensive and highly developed. Our main source of revenue is tourism. Although there is some cultural diversity, a large portion of our population is composed of older Caucasian residents. Immokalee is a poorer community compared to Naples. Their revenue comes from tourism, agriculture and their casino industry. Their community is more ethnically diverse with a greater population of Hispanics, mostly Mexican, Seminoles and much more. Although these two communities are very different, they both are special and influential in their own right.

The American Dream is the freedom for people to choose what they want to do with their life and be able to find their own “pursuit of happiness”. I think that Immokalee is an example of this phenomenon. The individuals in the community are allowed to follow their own dreams and find happiness for themselves. This allowed the community to be prosperous, diverse and successful in many different arenas. Immokalee is a great example of the American Dream at work.

Immokalee is a growing and evolving place. Many new industries have recently developed there. There is a new and very successful casino in the community run by the Seminoles. The new Ave Maria University is also helping the community grow. There is also the airport in Immokalee that is helping the community evolve. The ever present agricultural industry continues to benefit the community. All of these industries will be a driving force in the future of Immokalee.

The town of Immokalee is ever growing, changing and moving in new and more positive directions. In ten years, I see the community of Immokalee achieving prosperity and growth. Their education will have improved and everyone will be given better chances at achieving their goals. The previously mentioned industries will be flourishing and bringing wealth and opportunity to the community. Immokalee will be thriving and be very influential. The future of Immokalee looks very bright and I can't wait to see its continuing growth.

“A Quilt of a Country: Out of One, Many?”

America is a melting pot. It is home to many different people from many different cultures and backgrounds. Despite all of our differences the citizens of America come together as one when the situation calls for it. Many may wonder how people from such opposite walks of life can joined into one so easily. But that's the magic of the United States; "a mongrel nation that somehow in times like this, has one spirit."

In the article "A Quilt of a Country: Out of One, Many?" by Anna Quindlen discusses the unconventional ways of "Great American Melting Pot." This article was written just after the 911 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers. After that tragic day all of the people of America came together to provide their support and help in anyway they could. The United States is one of the greatest countries in the world for this and many other reasons. The American spirit defies reason and defies the odds but it is what makes this country run. That is why I love America! :)