Electronic Arts reported today that they will be laying off employees by 6 percent due to a decrease in stock value by 14 percent and a delay in EA's new Harry Potter game.

Movies

I figured that finding a movie that changed my life would be much easier than a book, but I found it to be just as difficult. What I did realize is that the movies I enjoy fall into one of two categories. Movies that challenge my outlook on life and the human condition, and movies that remind me of special people or events in my life. Quite frankly, I‘m not comfortable saying that any one movie has “changed my life“, but surely there are movies I can think of that remind me of someone special, or challenge my view of who I really am.
Dirty Dancing came out in 1987, and even though I was only 1 year old at the time, it would eventually become one of my favorites. If you know me at all you would probably be surprised that this movie means so much to me, and I’ll even admit that it branches away from my normal tastes. What makes it one of my favorites though, is how much it reminds me of my father who died when I was 12.
Here’s another odd one that I wouldn’t normally like, but certain circumstances allow it to be true. The Notebook from 2004 was one of the more successful love stories in recent years, and it was no exception for me and my girlfriend at the time. We went to see it in theaters and as you might have assumed she was very excited and I was quite skeptical. I came out of the theater feeling pleasantly surprised which was such a refreshing feeling. To fast forward through a good chunk of my young life, the relationship ended tragically, my heart was broken, and I felt like I had wasted 4 years. The reason I am telling you this is because those specific events that happened have enhanced my “feelings” for this movie more than they could have ever been under normal circumstances. I haven’t watched The Notebook since I broke up with her, and I am not sure I ever will again, but nevertheless it is one of those movies that conjures up more emotion than almost any other.
The last movie I’ll mention is one that lies more within my normal tastes. An independent, sci-fi/horror British film from 2002 called 28 Days Later. The main plot of the story is that a “rage” virus has broken out in London and has seemingly spread throughout Europe. One man awakens from a coma, completely unaware of what has happened and finds himself all alone with no explanation. Filmed with a digital camera, it gives off a “home movie” look that really brings the horror to life. As much as any scary movie can actually scare me, this one would be top of the list.
In closing, movies, along with all other types of art, have a very specific purpose in my opinion. They move us, not physically but mentally and subconsciously. A few years back I was asked to give a definition of the word “art”, and at the time I found it difficult to come up with an answer. Now it is clear to me that art is like a drug that is craved by out multi-layered, complex mind. We are capable of so many specific emotions that we (humans as a whole) can’t help but experiment with them and stimulate them from time to time. I suppose if you looked hard enough, all movies - and all art for that matter - conjure some kind of emotion. But it’s the emotions that I like to “play” with most inside my own mind that determine what I like best. The variables that affect how these pieces of art are interpreted (which emotions are extracted) are what make us such unique organisms.

Nintendo Taking the Next Step

Reported today in the New York Times, "Nintendo Co Ltd will launch a DS machine that can take pictures and play music, hoping to cement its lead over Sony's PlayStation and encroach into the territory of Apple Inc's iPod and iPhone."

I don't see how this cannot be a good move for Nintendo. The cost will be about 30$ more than the original DS, but assuming that it's features are practical and easy to use, it would be like an iPod with the capacity to play fun and intuitive video games.

"State of the Newspaper" Address

In today's technological age, the newspaper seems archaic. With so many other places to get our information about the world, why use a newspaper? I still believe it's a great tool for dealing with local news and affairs, but there isn't much reason to suggest that the Internet won't take over that role in a better, more efficient fashion. I have to agree with the critics who say that the newspaper industry as it's currently constructed will inevitably fail, but I wonder that if it were to happen, would it feel like a tragedy? I tend to think not.

The question becomes whether or not this way of distrubuting information has become obsolete. A newspaper's cost seems reasonable, it's easy to carry, and can be used at almost any time or place. In my opinion, this is a key aspect of the newspaper that has allowed it to endure this far in time. For a platform so old, it has the unique ability of being more "on-demand" than some of our newer media. But let's continue by talking about culture. We say that mass media is a "cultural forum" where it's members can reflect upon and debate the social integrity of communities, government, and civilization. The newspaper more than any other platform allowed its participants to speak their minds, but now the Internet has been able to do it much easier and faster. Certain websites like "Myspace" and "Facebook" have figured out that people like to be engaged in the same media that they digest.

So what is the newspaper industry trying to do to get us involved? I can only speak for myself when I say that increased advertising doesn't cut it. Give me a newspaper with ninety percent advertisement and I still won't buy it. What newspaper companies are starting to realize is that my generation only uses a newspaper when there isn't a computer around. Their decision to get us involvedon public forums via the Internet is smart, but also a no-brainer. However, it all points to the same result; the newspaper is being faced with its own demise, and its' killer is modern technology. Even if it does convert to the internet, how much can an entity change before it has become something completely different?

Inspired

What would it mean if I wasn't inspired by a book? It might mean that I don't read much, which is true in my case, but I am speaking of its meaning in a broader sense. Am I not smart? Inefficiently educated? Lesser than my ancestors?

I wonder what people would have done one hundred years ago if there was something else to do besides reading books. I've grown up in an age where books are not the only way to express ideas or learn useful information. I can go on the Internet and search some one's You tube video, or find some one's blog about any topic I can think of.

To be honest, I have never been inspired by a book, but I freely admit that I haven't read enough books to say that I would never be inspired by one. Sometimes I like to read, but I use it for entertainment rather than a way to soak up useful, real-world information. It's probably true that I don't know as much as I should, but I know enough to survive the everyday life that I live. If I am required to know more, than I will do so.

I sometimes think that in the past, people who had nothing to assure their future security looked to books to teach them something they didn't already know. Maybe I don't need to do that anymore, or at least I don't feel threatened enough by society that I feel like I have to. Perhaps technology has become advanced enough that I can sufficiently know what I need to without reading books. I've gotten my most valuable, life-long lessons from essays and philosophical discussions. I'm not saying that I don't need to read books, but I am suggesting that perhaps there are other ways for us to obtain the crucial, real-life knowledge that we all require to survive.

U.S Video Game Sales Rise

It was reported in the New York Times today that, "Americans bought $384.6 million in video game hardware, up 3 percent from a year ago, lead by sales of the handheld Nintendo DS, which sold 518,300 units, according to data from market researcher NPD Group."
The article goes on to say that even during the economic slump we are in, video game sales have stayed at a respectable level. However, this was the first single digit percentage growth for hardware in 27 months.

Spirituality?

I wanted to address the video we watched in class early last week. The woman in the video talks about spirituality and the connection we make with each other through words. I find it interesting that we use the word "spirituality" to describe the connection we get when we feel that we are truly understood. This begs the question, at least in my mind, why must it be this complicated? As humans, we all have a necessity to interact with another person. If you don't believe me, watch Castaway and see how quickly it takes Tom Hank's character to go insane and start talking to a volley ball. The point is that for some reason we feel that this feeling we get through interaction with others is something extraordinary, and I find that interesting. Call me pessimistic, but I don't think its anything that special.
Humans are advanced beings with advanced minds, and as such we require advanced forms of interaction to feed our social hunger. It's a very tangible aspect of the human condition. Watch a catscan before and after someone engages in conversation, or watches one of their favorite movies. There is nothing spiritual about it, it exists clear as day.

Video Games in the News

Imagine a game where you can build a living organism from scratch, with hundreds if not thousands of possible ways to make them physically unique. The same company that brought you Simcity and The Sims brings you a new game called Spore.

To be brief, the object is to create an organism (with what ever sorts of extra appendages and natural weapons you desire) that can survive the test of time and become the dominate species on the planet.

The reason I brought this up is not because the game is good or bad, but because I believe games of this type tell us something about ourselves. We love control and we love to escape reality. In fact, this escape is the very reason that video games were invented.

However, we demand more than just that. It has to be fun, and if it's not then we aren't interested in controlling it. Who knows what could happen when video game worlds become just as vast and realistic as reality itself. Perhaps some of us may choose to "live" there entirely and never come back.

Dallaire, Jeffrey

First, let me briefly introduce myself. I live in Warren, Rhode Island, which is the town North of Bristol. I've lived here my whole life with the exception of a vacation here or there. When I'm not working or doing homework, I enjoy going to the gym and playing video games, or as I like to call it, soothing my brain with 0's and 1's.

First, I'd like to touch on some ideas that I found interesting from from the first chapter of our text book.

Stanley J. Baran on page 12 talks about mainstream culture. "Especially in a pluralistic, democratic society such as ours, the dominant culture (or, mainstream culture) - the one that seems to hold sway with the majority of people - is often openly challenged."

I either find this wrong or insignificant. By its very nature, the mainstream media does not challenge the mainstream culture because it is the mainstream culture. The only media that makes a true effort to challenge our current culture are the ones that are too insignificant - due to their lack of being mainstream - to be taken seriously. Take a look at Air America Radio. This is a group of people with extreme left-wing bias, and as Bill O'Reilly likes to call them, "secular progressives" or "left-wing loons". Air America is a good example (in my opinion) of a media outlet that tries to challenge mainstream culture, but they are too far from the mainstream to be effective which is sort of a paradox in and of itself.

Take one more example. Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO. For those of you who never heard of it, it comes on every Friday night at 11:30. In my opinion, he is the champion of the progressive culture that I hope we all strive for and eventually obtain. His opinions are raw and logical, and in today's culture its a breath of fresh air. However, he is occasionally attacked by the mainstream media for being too provocative and extreme in his views. The mainstream media in this country does not reward people for being against the mainstream, in fact, its just the opposite. Its grip on our society only gets tighter when rationalists like Bill Maher try to make their voice heard.

Here's another quote on page 16. "Everyone involved has an obligation to participate responsibly. For people working in the media industry, this means professionally and ethically."

I really wonder what Baran means exactly when he says, "...professionally and ethically." Isn't our idea of professionalism governed by our mainstream culture? Wouldn't that hinder a person's ability to challenge it? How can we change the rules if we are forced to follow them or be outcast by the public? Again, I point to Bill Maher. Does he where a suit and tie? Of course he does. And if that is what Baran is talking about when he says "professionally" than I can accept that. However, if by professional and ethical he means that Bill Maher must say all the right things as to not offend anybody than that is just completely wrong. There are many things that Bill Maher hates about our mainstream culture, and he believes that the only way to change it is to look those people in the eye and tell them that they are wrong. Surely that will offend some people, but so was the church offended when Galileo proclaimed that the earth revolved around the sun.