(XXXII) The End

Dear English 110.01 Newbs,

Welcome to your first experience in a college level writing course. Consider yourselves special for being in this specific class, because there is none other than it (trust me, you can survey your friends taking other English 110 classes). The next quarter of your academic career is going to revolve around watching science-fictions, then writing about them. You will admire some, hate others, perhaps become a fan of one; but suspending judgment is of the essence, if you intend to carry on the lessons from this class. You will learn how to spot multiple real world connections in sci-fi shows. Eventually, you will find yourself easily making these connections on your own. You will communicate your observations with the rest of the class via routine blogging/commenting. In regards to those assignments, it will be in the best of your interests to work them promptly; especially commenting. You don't want to find yourself spending every spare minute of your day browsing through blogs in order to say something. I also advise you to make relevant comments; this could bring you quite a few extra credit points. Of course, you will learn the techniques on how to make your writing style more timely, compelling, and relevant. Just keep in mind that your goal is write material capable of being published by the end of this course. I could babble more gibberish about this class, but I would rather enumerate them for you-creates more emphasize. So here are points to remember:

1) Keep an open mind - You're not going to like everything you watch in this class, but all the shows have fans. There's a reason for that.

2) Keep ahead of the game - Comments, blogging, your giant research paper which you're going to work on over, and over, and over, and over...

3) Give some spunk to your comments (both written & verbal) - comments like..."that was great!! :)" bear very little weight in this class

4) Start your day with a healthy break-fast - It will brighten your day

5) Take advantage of the outdoors - You will find inspiration and relief from mother nature (keep in mind this year's winter storm and what my class had to endure...the flow of negativity was common at times)

6) Drink lots of Starbucks coffee - You just might earn a GOLD member's card like Hillary

7) Convince one of your friends (not in the class) to blog routinely with you - You will learn so many fun facts about them, and the random happenings of their day. You might also learn some interesting blogging strategies from their writing style.

8) Try not to accidentally click publish instead of save as draft, when typing your blog.

Those are my words of advice. If you have a hefty workload this quarter, this class will be tedious. But no matter what you're case is, I am certain you will emerge from this course a better writer.

Sincerely,

Agent McSneaky

(XXXI) Firefly: "Out of Gas" (Sn. 1, Ep. 8)

We've gone full circle. From Firefly, to numerous other sci-fi shows, and back to Firefly. This episode derives its title from the explosion aboard Serenity which destroyed the air generator, and drastically shortened the ship of its air supply. By pushing Kaylee out of harms way, Zoe was rendered unconscious by the impact of the blast. This incident greatly saddened the entire crew, especially her husband, Wash. He wanted to remain by her side the whole time the doctor worked on her, but Malcolm obliged Wash to return to the deck, to figure out a solution to the greater crisis; they were stuck in the middle of space with a bad engine and a critically low air supply. Kaylee, the expert mechanist, explained to Malcolm that there was just no way to fix the ship without a very important piece which was destroyed. The damage of this critical part, made Serenity seem like a car without an engine. They only had a few hours of air left, and the only viable solution was to abandon ship using two smaller vessels. These also had low air supplies, but at least they could move around and seek help. Malcolm decided to remain aboard Serenity just in case anyone responded to his distress signal in time. Malcolm basically communicated with this decision that he would rather die with his ship than abandon it. Inara was clearly distressed, and she told Malcolm that he didn't have to die alone. Jayne and Wash displayed the same degree of concern on their faces before leaving the ship, but chose to keep their silence.

Malcolm stayed behind, and fortunately a rescue team showed up. Turns out this rescue team was just a group of wolves in sheep's clothing. Despite getting shot, Malcolm still stood up for his ship and ousted the thieves while getting what he wanted from them. Malcolm repaired the ship but couldn't garner enough strength to push the button that would recall signal to the rest of Serenity's crew. He fell unconscious and nearly died, but awoke much later on a sick bed in the ship's medical room. He was surrounded by the entire Serenity, and looked very much pleased.

Malcolm faced very trying times in this episode. He had to make life-changing decisions, and most of them dealt with his very own life. He was ready to give his own life for the ship. This shows great dedication and care, on Malcolm's part. These qualities also reflect in his interactions with the rest of the crew. He seemed heartless and inconsiderate when he pulled Wash by the throat away from his unconscious wife. Sometimes leaders have to be re-emphasize their authority with harsh actions. But these actions are not necessarily inconsiderate; rather they reflect a leader's concern for the greater good. Malcolm couldn't have his only pilot sulking incessantly, when the ship needed to be steered. Malcolm was just demonstrating the quality of tough love. He had to make forth right judgments during the crisis, but showed how deeply he cared for his crew when things turn out for the better.

(XXX) Caprica: "Gravedancing" (Sn.1, Ep.4)

In episode one there was a terrorist attack orchestrated by mercenaries of the secret organization, Soldiers of The One (STO). The prevalent belief revealed in this episode holds that God is a 'moral dictator', so all those who believe in the existence of this supreme being are extremists. All the violent acts they carry out in the name of God, such as blowing up a train full of people, makes them terrorists to society. In episode two, the law enforcement unit of Caprica (the GDD) unraveled the identities of a teenage girl(Zoe) and her boyfriend, who might have planned the attack. In all fairness, whether Zoe had any knowledge of the attack is still a baseless claim. But it is discovered with all certainty that she was an STO member. Her mother(Amanda) immediately assumed that she helped plan the attack, and voiced out this claim in a very public outcry in front of mourners at a memorial service. Obviously, these mourners quickly transformed into an angry mob and held the tragic events of the past against Amanda. Things I'm not aware of occur in episode 3, then episode 4 rolls around where Zoe's father(Daniel) focuses on easing the general public's contempt against the family and all it represents.

In the beginning of the episode, Daniel polishes up strategies for his national TV broadcast interview with two of his PR agents. His agents emphasize that his responses on camera should alienate him and his wife from his daughter as much as possible. How so? By saying Zoe was a very 'troubled' child. The PR agents also advice him to project a tone full of remorse. I suppose this was geared at making the public feel sorry for the family. The PR agents literally gave Daniel a script of what to do and say during the interview. During the interview, Daniel tried acting out the script, but the the host of the show belittled his defenses, and roused his audience more against the family. The host used the word 'troubled' against Daniel's defense by suggesting that a 'troubled' girl like Zoe frequenting virtual worlds would assume that her actions had no serious consequences in the real world. Before Daniel's interview went completely asunder, his wife, Amanda, came to his rescue. They both conducted the interview henceforth, and they spoke honestly regardless of the PR script. They interview went a lot better, and even the PR agents admitted from backstage that the couple had communicated an amazing PR message together. To prove how effective their message was, a certain man who wanted Amanda killed because he lost a wife and daughter in the attack, changed his mind after the interview and quickly notified his hit-man to call-off the hit.

What Daniel's PR agents wanted him to do seems very common of public figures in our society. Whenever something bad affects a public figure's reputation, it seems like most of them step up to speak for their case with a 'cookie-cutter' PR campaign. A PR campaign is necessary, but it has to be honest in order to be effective I believe. I happened to come across part of Tiger Woods' 'I'm so sorry' speech, and it seemed to do worse for his image, I think. His speech did not seem honest at all, it sounded like something written by a team of PR agents, and the fact that there was all this planning in advance to his speech just didn't feel right(can't be said any simpler). I'm sure a lot of people would now argue in defense of his apology, but a number of his past sponsors are probably of the same opinion I am. In time following Tiger's apology, numerous high-power sponsors (Gatorade, AT&T...) quickly dropped him. I guess the message from this episode was, If you have to apologize for whatever reason to a mass of people, just be frank.

(XXIX) Farscape: "Premiere" (Sn.1, Ep.1)

So here goes another out-of-space sci-fi storyline, with a human protagonist by the name of John Crichton. I'm assuming Earth, in this series, is supposed to reflect present times because what is seen of it doesn't look very different from the real world. John Crichton is an astronaut/scientist who came up with an interesting theory about high speed travel across space. His theory revolved around the idea that a planets atmosphere and gravitational pull could be used as a slingshot to propel vessels at unrecorded speeds. Obviously, theories are to be verified with experiments, and John Crichton volunteered to be the guinea pig of his own experiment. So he traveled beyond the skies with a traditional spaceship, then detached from it with a tiny vessel designed to support the experiment. The 'sling-shot' experiment was initiated, and worked well! Incredibly well! Perhaps too well, because Crichton developed a wormhole which shot his tiny vessel light-years across the universe. Worst of all, he was welcomed with the most unpleasant conditions; amidst a space battle between alien thieves and alien peace-keepers. While this poor fellow was in complete awe, one of the peace-keepers collided with his vessel (called Farscape 1 by the way), and spun uncontrollably to its explosive end on a giant floating rock. This was a mere accident which I'm sure Crichton will suffer for during the entire series, because the victim aboard this peace-keeping jet was brother to a peace-keeper Captain. Farscape 1 was reeled into the alien 'thief' ship, and what followed was a man in utter confusion about where he was and what these beings were. Crichton was then injected with a highly advanced alien substance which made him able to communicate with the alien beings aboard the ship. He was eventually thrown into a secured area together with a female peace-keeper captured during the conflict. Surprisingly, Peace-keepers look exactly like humans albeit their seeming lack of emotion. A display of this is shown when Crichton had to explain to the peace-keeper what empathy felt like. So essentially this episode establishes the beginnings of Crichton's adventures in space aboard this alien ship (moya) and many other alien creatures, composed off: an intimidating and mean looking alien warrior with a sword, an alien 'priestess'-hairless and blue in complexion, the female peace-keeper, Moya's pilot, Moya (since it's a living ship), and a tiny egomaniac who lusts after power and riches (besides him, moya, and the pilot, everyone else had a standard human build-thus two legs, two arms etc)

Fact of the matter is, I would be scared out of my mine if I was in John's shoes. But eventually the fear would just dissipate and I'll ask a lot of silly questions to figure out where I was. Then I'd try to understand the alien technology, and determine how I could use it to my advantage. I definitely would have felt extremely well of myself for introducing the 'sling-shot' theory to a group of technology advanced beings. Coming from 'primitive' planet Earth, you would expect these creatures, with highly advanced technology, to be familiar with all possible concepts regarding space travel. Ironically John's 'primitive' smarts saved moya and every life aboard.

(XXVIII) BSG: "Bastille Day" (Sn.1, Ep.3)

So in the previous episode, "Water", Galactica's fleet lost a majority of its water supply. Nowadays water is a precious commodity to have, like oil. I think someone in our class made this fateful observation about what would happen to humanity if abundant resources like water, were to run short of supply. Cheers to this keen observant. So water is in short supply, but fortunately for the fleet, they come across this moon with a drinkable supply of water, in the form of massive ice sheets. The process of melting this ice and transporting it to the ship would be a dangerous job and will demand a massive supply of man-power. Apollo suggested that they gather 1500 prisoners for the job, but the President said she would not tolerate slave-labor. So Apollo made the other suggestion that all the prisons who volunteered for this job, be granted points towards their liberty. The President agreed to this, but when Apollo led an envoy to deliver this deal to the prisoners, none of them volunteered for the job. A political revolutionary by the name of Tom Zarek, spoke on behalf of all the prisoners. He had technically ascended to the position of leader. To the ignorance of Apollo, the prisoners had organized a take-over. Apollo and his envoy ended up as Captives, and as ransom, Zarek ordered the President to hold elections so the people could select their leader in a fitting democratic manner. The President refused to negotiate with the 'terrorists' and had a rescue team (led by Starbuck) sent to take control of the situation. Starbuck's rescue team arrived when Apollo appealed had already appealed to Zarek; imploring him to have some of his men do the job that would save what was left of human kind. In return, Apollo promised that elections would be held in due time, and until then, the prisoners could assume full control of their ship (& basically have their own convict-island..sorta) The President received the news with slight, when Apollo disclosed his deal with Zarek. But Apollo reaffirmed the fact that the President was only completing the term of the previous president, and after seven months, elections would be held as their constitution demands. At the end of the episode though, the President confided with Apollo that she had cancer, and would probably not live for seven more months.

I think this episode was basically speaking out against government tyranny. The title itself refers to the French Storm of the Bastille, in which the French citizenry broke into a prison, the Bastille, in a meaningful gesture against brute government power. With the President relying a lot on military decisions, it should come as no surprise that many elements of democracy were steadily dissipating. It seems the government likely took a dictatorial stance with administering Galactica, and Zarek saw that the government was losing sight of critical demands from its citizenry.

(XXVII-1/2) BSG: "Water" (Sn.1, Ep.2)

Water, the essence of life. A very important resource taken for granted when in abundance. In this episode of BSG, the space colony suffers a 60% loss in their water reserves after an inexplicable 'accident'. For the sake of preserving remaining water reserves until a solution is found, Galactica's leadership decides to ration water consumption radically; thus no showers, no unnecessary hand-washing, and similar measures designed to minimize consumption. Even so, calculations reveal that the water supply will be able to sustain the ships for just a few days. So Galactica launches its military on an emergency campaign to fetch water in neighboring planets. Thorough investigation of the water containers reveals that the 'accident' was caused by an explosion; explosions that were planted using explosives stolen from Galactica's own weapon arsenal. Given this information, CMDR Adama quickly speculates that there's a cylon within the colony.

There's no doubt to me that this cylon agent is Boomer. In the beginning of the episode, she is shown completely soaked, dazed, confused, and looking like she just returned from a mission. When she goes for a towel in her bag, she finds an explosive. Boomer sneaked into the armory to return the explosive and to her surprise, a number of explosives were missing from the storage box. Boomer’s jolts of surprise were genuine, but she could be a sleeper agent. Cylons like her are designed to feel human but, I’m assuming, their actual form is hidden in their subconscious, and is fully engaged whenever needed. Ironically, Boomer was the one who discovered a planet with H20 at the end of the episode. I predict she is going to suffer a deep internal struggle throughout the series, because part deeply cares for the well-being and security of Galactica as a ‘human’ military official, while the other side of her is a cylon driven to destroy humanity. Her plight won’t be too different from someone suffering from dissociative disorder.

(XVII) STNG: "The Measure of a Man." -- Get a ruler and find out

In this episode, the Enterprise is docked at a Star Fleet station I'm supposing. There is no explosive action, but rather a lot of socializing with other soldiers of Star Fleet and making dinner plans. Well in this episode, the rising action begins when a Star Fleet commander/scientist, Maddox, obtains permission from Star Fleet to assume command over Lt. CMDR Data, a unique android of amazing ability serving aboard the Enterprise. Maddox's intention was to disassemble Data, understand the workings of his being, and duplicate him in the thousands. Maddox's motif was well-intentioned but Data observes that his research omitted certain obstacles, and was consequently not safe. The Captain of the Enterprise, Picard, was of the same opinion and refused to transfer Data under the command of Maddox. Picard argued that he wouldn't tolerate any potential harm on Data because he was a well decorated and prized commander of the fleet. Since orders from Star Fleet couldn't easily be challenged, Picard suggested that Data retire in order to evade Maddox's intentions. Maddox consulted again with Star Fleet command, and they declared that Data, being an Android, was property of Star Fleet. Hence he could not go against any of their orders. Picard consulted the rule book and found that he could challenge Star Fleet's decision in trial, so a momentous trial (the likes of Brown V. Board of Education) was arranged to essentially decide whether Data was just property or worthy of fair treatment as a human being.

Picard obviously pitted himself as the defendant, but awkwardly enough, following some Star Fleet regulation, a member of the Enterprise, Riker, was forced to argue against his own friend as the prosecution. During the trial,one major issue was brought into question; Data's sentience. This had to do with his intelligence, self-awareness, and consciousness. Riker called Data as a witnessed and toyed around with the fact that Data was just a machine. He was created by man, can be disassembled and rearranged, and can be turned off with the push of a button. To conclude his argument, he compared Data to Pinocchio (in terms of his functions not actions). This was a tough argument to bring down, so Picard called for a recess. During recess, Picard obtained a great defensive argument from none other but Whoopi Goldberg...for real. She said there have always been disposable creatures in the history of many worlds. Creatures you could just use and dispose of without caring about their welfare and feelings. This was a direct reference to slavery, and what the fate of Data's kind shall be if Maddox successfully made an entire race of Datas. So Picard carried this argument to the trial, and called Maddox as a witness to prove that Data was a sentient creature. Maddox was question about Data's intelligence, and it was undeniable that Data was probably the most intelligent being in the universe, capable of learning new things around him just as well as humans. Picard asked Data if he was aware of where he was and why, and Data explained that he was a trial which would determine his fate; proving that he was aware of his situation. Picard referred to the articles which Data packed in his little box when he thought he was going to retire, and in there were items of sentimental value to Data; like the 'picture' of a human lady whom Data was intimate with (shocking right? I wonder if his electrical circuits literally shocked her during times of deep intimacy, since he claimed to be fully 'functional') Picard ended up winning the case with his argument about slavery, and Data was given the power of choice as a human being. Maddox was disappointed but Data reassured him that he will be glad to submit to Maddox's procedure, but only when his research had overcome its flaws.

Data was made for Star Fleet's use. He is a machine but learned and developed human sentimental qualities over time. He was made in man's image, and it should come of no surprise that he eventually developed man's values. Given these qualities, is he indeed worthy of fair treatment as a human being? I think so. Even Maddox reconciled with this reality at the end of the episode, when he addressed Data as 'he' for the first time (hitherto he referred to Data as 'it'). I think Battlestar Galactica shows a scenario which was evaded in this episode of Star Trek. The Cylons, which are as sentient as humans, were relegated to the position of slaves under human control. After watching Caprica, I believe the Cylons are even more sentient than Data, given that they were humans before being transferred to mechanized bodies. The Cylons obviously developed hatred the human race, and eventually broke-out in a vicious fit of vengeance. Do I feel sorry for humans? Yes, but they had it coming for them by using sentient creatures as disposable property. The humans could face up to their mistakes and negotiate with the Cylons, but I think it's to late. At this point of BSG, it's either us or them.

(XXVI) Caprica: "Rebirth" (Sn.1, Ep. 2)

Previously on Caprica: A mother (Amanda Graystone) was informed by the authorities that her teenage daughter (Zoe Graystone)was not just a victim, but also co-conspirator to a suicide bombing on a train. Zoe had an avatar of herself saved in a virtual world. Besides being intangible, this avatar was an exact representation of Zoe. Her father (Daniel Graystone) accessed this virtual world, and 'captured' Zoe's avatar; he basically removed and saved Zoe's avatar in a disc. Daniel then uploaded Zoe's avatar into one of his prototype robots (cylon) which he invented for military use. The episode, Rebirth, seems to focus on Zoe's mother as she deals with the loss of her daughter. The episode also highlights how Zoe deals with the world around her from the exoskeleton of a cylon robot.

For some reason, Zoe chose not to display any sign of consciousness behind her robotic frame, so her father assumed that her avatar failed to synchronize with the cylon. Zoe played the perfect role of the motionless robot when under the watch people, but she was well aware of her surroundings like a human being. She could talk and move like a human being, but only did so to sneak around and call her best friend, Lacy, when no one was around. What's funny is, Zoe still thinks of herself as a human being. She still has her conscience and memories intact, and even displays emotion when she finally meets with Lacy. The episode also has this interesting way of playing on the viewers' perception of Zoe as a human/Cylon, by switching back and forth showing her as the robot cylon, then the human she was. In one scene, while being transported from the lab to her father's home office, Zoe became hysterical and tried to break loose from the transport van, but her right hand was strapped tight by the metal bindings. When the transporters rushed to open the back-door, they saw the cylon robot on it's feet trying desperately to free its arm. So one of the transporters, who felt there was something distinct about this cylon, rushed to calm down Zoe, and at this point she is shown as a human being. Initially I thought the producers did this for the sake of the viewers, so they could see how Zoe was trapped in the body of a machine. But I steadily realized that this was like synaesthesia. When shown as a robot, all the observations made and things done to Zoe seemed ok, because she literally looked like a giant robot with no sort of human emotions. But when shown as a human, all the things done to her suddenly become more poignant and unjust. We see her in the Lab strapped upright to this wall with metal bindings, and in one scene she was shown as her human self when a drill was about to be pushed through her face for repairs.

This jumping back and forth between showing her as a human and machine made me wonder whether her treatment was fair. Judging from the title of the episode, Rebirth, it sounds like she was essentially born again, but in the giant steel-frame of a machine meant for destruction. Given this series takes place just a little bit more than a half-century before the turn of events in Battle Star Galactica, I now see a motif as to why the Cylons sought to exterminate all human beings in the BSG episode, '33'. Perhaps the Cylons felt like they deserved fair treatment as humans too, but their position under human control suggested they were nothing more than just military property.

(XXV) BSG: "33"

This episode showed human civilization and the cylons engaged in a strenuous game of cat and mouse. Unfortunately, humankind was playing the role of the mouse, and its losses were tremendous with each cylon attack. After a successive series of cylon attacks, every 33 minutes, the human race had dwindled to less than 50,000, and the armada of spaceships carrying what was left of humanity had to perform jumps (light-speed travel) whenever the cylons attacked. Somehow the cylons consistently managed to find the humans after every 33 minutes, putting humans in a perpetual state of readiness for conflict. This predicament, we come to know, has taken over 230 jumps and has lasted five days. All non-civilians aboard the fleet (soldiers, doctors, mechanics, civil administrators etc,) have been working without rest for five days. Obviously the stress of relentless work, with no sleep, is visible on everyone's face.
I found it particularly interesting when, Gaius, the 'schizophrenic' Doctor said everyone has their limits. It made me wonder whether the humans would persist until they were down to one ship, or would completely give up at some point as the doctor assumed. The humans only faced a grim outlook in their numbers after every jump, but they kept working at their best. With each cylon attack, the human head count fell by about a thousand yet the humans kept fighting, even after 237 jumps and over 120 hours of physical and mental anguish. I guess this episode demonstrates the capacity of human will, if you were to look at it from the standpoint of a cylon. At the end, human persistence paid off, with the birth of a child.

(XXIV) Stargate SG-1: "200" (Sn. 10, Ep. 6)

I watched some Stargate movie years ago when I was a kid, and I'm sure that counts as a little bit of background. It was quite serious from what I remember, so I had similar expectations for this episode. Turns out I was wrong, and rather of being serious this episode contains a lot of slapstick humor. The entire episode is like a parody of many shows and movies in present day popular culture. The episode opens up with the whole Stargate crew, seated formally in a conference room, watching a theatrical trailer of a movie depicting their ventures, "Wormhole X-treme". Given the movie is still in production, the Producer comes to the crew to seek assistance with the script. Every crew member considered the idea a waste of their time, and one of them was especially excited to get away from the silly conference and commemorate his 200th walk through the Stargate with the upcoming mission, hence the title. Unfortunately, the gate developed some malfunctions, and the crew had to stay on base and endure a long session of pitching ideas with the big movie producer from Hollywood-whom by the way is actually a human-like alien who had the chance to spend most of his life on earth, and is thus human in nature. The first idea pitched involved the crew going to some planet inhabited by beings called, furlings. As the name suggests, these creatures were basically giant fuzzy balls on two feet. Imagine koala bears, with a little bit more fur, and measuring at least four feet in height. Well, the idea ended with the furling planet destroyed in a massive explosion. Outcome: Pitch denied. These creatures reminded me of something similar from one of the Star Wars movies, I just don't remember which one. Many more ideas pitched allude to well-known shows, like Star Trek and such. The one I found most interesting was the suggestion that "Wormhole X-treme" feature a younger cast. The outcome was as such:



I saw this and immediately thought, "Jersey Shore drama meets science-fiction". By the end of the episode, the movie studio executives call-in to inform of their decision to cancel the movie, and instead renew the 'Wormhole X-treme' TV series. Overall, the episode was very entertaining to watch. There was nothing serious about it and I thought that was a pleasant relief. At the very end, though, one of the 'actors' of Wormhole X-treme said during an off-set interview that, science-fiction is an "existentialist metaphor...[of the] human condition". He presented this deep view which one could ponder upon in an essay paper.

(XXIII) DON’T BURN DOWN MY HOUSE JUST BECAUSE I CARRY LOTS OF MATCHSTICKS

Dollhouse: "Epitaph One" (Sn.1, Ep. 13)

This episode pictures the world of the Dollhouse, ten years from the time the ‘tech’ was first used. It’s 2019 and the world, or at least Los Angeles as shown, is in ultimate chaos. The city of LA is shown completely ablaze and in ruins. We come to learn during the episode that this mayhem of human civilization was caused by a conflict between ‘prints’ (imprinted human beings) and ‘actuals’ (non-imprinted human beings). To the disadvantage of the actuals, the prints are now a majority and have been programmed to kill all actuals. Life is even made harder for actuals by the fact that all forms of technology with a signal could be used to transmit memory imprints into the minds of actuals. Thus actuals are placed in a dire scenario where all forms of communication ‘tech’ need to be destroyed on sight, and they have to spend most of their lives hidden underground; the reason for this being radio airwaves which can be used to do some severe memory printing.
In this episode four armed actuals, an erased print, and a sneaky print trapped in the body of a little girl, dig their way underground to the humble origins of the ‘tech’. As a slight digression, all along I’ve been referring to the Dollhouse as an underground organization without knowing it was physically located under the ground. Well, as this group of people figure out where they, a bunch of drama ensues, and given we’ve all watched the episode I’ll fast forward to the scene I consider of huge importance. In the final scene where Mag, Caroline, and Zone climb up from the Dollhouse to see the ruins of Los Angeles in daylight, Mag said something to the likes of ‘they really thought they were helping huh…is this what we needed’ and Caroline replied, ‘no…it’s playing with matches and they burned the house’. Caroline’s analogy for the horrible circumstances is a good one. However, the scenario depicted in this future isn’t based on fact, it is just a possibility. The ‘tech’ is just another exemplary matchstick humanity plays around with once in a while. There have been scenarios where society played with matches and burned a ‘room’, but not necessarily the whole house. Take for instance, the Manhattan Project which gave birth to the nuke. This matchstick was fooled around with in Japan, and hundreds of thousands perished. Was this unfortunate scenario needed? That’s a whole different argument. But the fact is, 65 years later, civilization is still alive and prosperous, despite procuring stockpiles of this ‘matchstick’. All it takes is responsible use, to ensure that all forms of ‘tech’ aren’t a fire hazard to humanity.

(XXII) BtVS: "Normal Again"

The end of BtVS’s “Normal Again” leaves a lot of ambiguity about Buffy’s reality. As is shown in the episode, Buffy’s mental state is trapped between two alternate realities; with elements of both, trying to prove that the other reality is a delusion. Buffy’s friends argued that her visions were caused by the venomous substance jabbed into her at the beginning of the episode by the really hideous monster she confronted. As we know it, Buffy’s friends are part of her ‘real’ world ridden with monsters, vampires, and demonic spirits. However, Buffy’s visions reflect a much more realistic world. In this alternate reality, she is incarcerated in a mental institution as a schizophrenic patient. Here, all her wild adventures about being ‘the slayer’ are said to be mere figments of her imagination. After all, Buffy herself admits at some point that her numerous pursuits to be a hero and save the world just sound crazy. Buffy’s own feeling of being delusional was reinforced by the presence of her parents. They represented two people missing from her ‘slayer’ reality that she really ached for.
Nevertheless, whatever Buffy’s state of mind, which reality is actually ‘real’ seems to be the most dramatic quandary in this episode, I believe. Buffy’s visions were not at all like dreams; they were the exact opposite. In her institutional reality, which seemed like visions to her initially, she physically felt the world and people surrounding her. In truth, one reality preceded the other. Buffy explained in the episode that she was admitted into an institution as a child before her life at Sunnydale followed. Judging from the episode’s ending, in actuality, perhaps nothing followed Buffy’s time in the institution. Perhaps, her life as a slayer is actually a ‘Buffyverse’ created from her imagination but, in her case; differentiating between both realities was unfeasible, since both are as vivid as each other. It would be much easier to snap back into reality if there was a much more crucial distinguishing factor, like gravity.

(XXI-1/2) Legal & Ethical Complexities

Whereas we all know that the legal system is usually depicted with an image of balance scales, in actuality, legal rulings do not necessarily equate in a similar fashion with ethics. It might be a hard matter to distinguish between, but take the recent Supreme Court ruling which incited hot political commentary for instance. According to this recent ruling, corporate entities, both domestic and foreign, are entitled to the same rights as people. Thus they are now legally allowed to influence any congressman just as much a concerned constituent who bellows at his congressional representative when there’s a matter of grave concern. The most critical aspect of the ruling was in regards to campaign finance. Henceforth, corporations could essentially contribute as much as they want towards a candidate of their choice. This takes away public weight from the electoral process. Whereas political candidates had to rely on multiple donors to support their campaign, now all they need is to appeal to one rich company and their campaign finances are secured. Now, corporations still can’t vote, but such a ruling guarantees at a future like that not too far away. There is certainly a lot of rabble rousing over this decision and it has galvanized a mass flock of opponents in a few days, but it is law as of February 2010. Issues are usually complex, and that’s why people speak of a gray area in decision-making. But it would be a lot better if laws were consistent with general public perspectives on ethics.

(XXI) ARP to CP

Again, the arguments presented in my CP paper are not very different from those found in my ARP. My CP paper starts off with the question "What defines law?", and then I scheme over a few principles which characterize laws in our society, such as fairness and justice. Afterwards, I make the argument that the law embodies such noble principles, but doesn't entirely reflect ethical judgment. The implication here is that, "certain illegal actions might not be unethical, just as there are legal decrees which might not be entirely ethical."

Reckless murder is clearly unethical as well as it is illegal. In contrast, marijuana, though deemed illegal, is an absolute necessity for those who need it for their health. Could it then be argued that patients in desperate need of marijuana be allowed to have some for personal consumption? Yes. Is their consumption of an illegal substance ethical? Yes, unless it is better to watch them suffer in pain because a government restriction forbids them from obtaining a substance which could be of great help. Quite understandably, there are a few states sensitive to this argument, and have carefully tailored medical marijuana laws in place. But there is no such law at the national level, leaving most patients in need of marijuana at risk of persecution as criminals.

The original identities of the dolls volunteered themselves to be test subjects of the Dollhouse’s experiment. Their service entails five years of living in a state of blissful ignorance, after which they will be compensated with a hefty payload. The dolls also stand in a position to benefit physical talents they never had, since the memory imprints extend to their muscles. In a sense, the deal between the dolls and the Dollhouse is comparable to real life researchers who compensate all those willing to participate in their experiments. But unlike real-life test subjects that can decide to walk away from an experiment, none of the dolls can suddenly change their mind and walk away from their five year indenture with the Dollhouse. The disposition of the dolls might not be different from mice used in lab experiments, but mice were captured whereas the dolls 'willed' themselves into their predicament.

The technology used by the Dollhouse is revolutionary. With it, people could pay to have unwanted memories erased. Its use could mean the difference between life and death for those contemplating suicide due to traumatic memories. Some of the dolls offered themselves for this experiment in order to heal from horrific memories of their past. For many, the world can be quite an unbearable place. There are many hardships which make life hard to endure such as poverty, homelessness, and famine. In such a world, it should not be difficult to find a few willing to give up what they perceive as miserable lives in order to open a door of prosperity; prosperity and a chance to live free of depressing thoughts. Although the dolls volunteered to be subjects of an experiment they were largely unaware of, they knew very well that they were offering their lives to a criminal organization. The Dollhouse’s actions are justified and thus ethical, since the dolls offered themselves. Following a consistent system of judgment should allow for all ethical actions to be legalized.

...and there's a summary of my CRP

(XX) The Great JBs

Over the years, the world of critically acclaimed action-packed espionage thrillers has slowly fallen under the domination of arguably the most recognized secret agents ever: J.B, J.B, and J.B. First off, we have the suave, smooth, and sharp character of the ages known as James Bond. Given his length in the business, he certainly has an established reputation in this genre. The second agent in the business is quite a new face, and goes by the name of Jason Bourne (of The Bourne Trilogy). He is a very skillful combatant, yet austere and reclusive-partially due to his amnesia. But the last initial on the list, and the focus of this blog, belongs to the one and only Jack Bauer, of the TV series 24.

Besides the suspense of the show alone, Jack Bauer's rogue character has a substantial 'pull-factor'. He has proven himself to be a man willing to do anything for the greater good, and by greater good I mean the safety and well-being of the American people. It is a noble purpose indeed, but one must have witnessed some of the extreme scenarios in the show to really understand the scope of how far Bauer can go. Just to list a few things done in his name, they involve:
(1) torture (2) torture to death (3) Kidnapping (4)becoming a fugitive (5) attempted murders (faked to look like murders obviously) etc.
I guess the point I'm trying to make is, if you're on the side against Jack Bauer and end up in his hands, you might as well forget all what you learned about the Bill of Rights because he does not play by the rule book. Ironically, that's what makes him the best.

Disclaimer: Though my favorite show, I can't really say much about its recent happenings. I haven't paid attention to the show for the past two seasons, as with any other TV show

(XIX) The Troubles...

Besides the ethical dilemma discussed in my paper, I also tried to integrate a theological twist on things. My paper sort of flows fluently until right before the end where I compare the dolls(of the Dollhouse series obviously) to clones, and make the explicit inference that dolls and clones are a bunch of soul-less beings. I guess the biggest issue with this argument is finding compelling evidence that supports my case. I tried defending my claim with a dictionary definition for a soul, but decidedly I need something more scholarly. I think another issue with this entire argument is how it fits with my thesis. If it could be done perfectly, would it be ethical or unethical to clone a human being? I do not know. I wish finding an answer to this was as easy as conducting a litmus test. But no, it's quite a painstaking thought process. For better understanding of my troubles, here is an excerpt from my paper:

"The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the soul as “the moral and emotional nature of human beings” (Merriam Webster). If one’s soul is to be defined by such inner characteristics, then the Dollhouse practically murdered its dolls when it erased them of their original identities. In effect, the dolls are a bunch of soul-less beings. A state which is not much different from what religious zealots would say about clones because, just like the dolls, clones do not possess an original personality which characterizes a soul."

S.O.S

(XVIII) Thesis

I revamped my thesis idea into a concise and brief statement for my secondary source integration. It reads as follows: "(background information)....Thus certain illegal actions might not be unethical". Essentially, the message I seek to convey is as straight forward as I put. It's quite a dilemma but, in my paper, I tried to come up with examples which clearly distinguish between unethical/illegal from ethical/illegal actions. These forthcoming examples aren't used in my paper, but take for example reckless murder. It is clearly unethical to murder someone out of spite and definitely a crime,thus illegal. In contrast, marijuana, though deemed illegal, continues to be consumed by those who need it for medicinal purposes. If sought, one will come across many studies enumerating the medical benefits of marijuana. Could it then be argued that patients in desperate need of marijuana be allowed to have some for personal consumption? yes. Is their consumption of an illegal substance ethical? possibly( depending on your point of view). There could be more room to elaborate on this topic, but here's the basic digest.

(XVII) Star Trek: The Original Series - "The Doomsday Machine" (Ep. 35)

In this episode of Star Trek, the Enterprise comes across the remnants of destroyed planets. Upon seeing this, they conduct a brief survey and find out that the destruction was not caused by a natural process but rather an external force. They then come across the wrecked Constellation; another spaceship of the Federation. When running a general sweep the Enterprise finds the Captain (Decker), who claims to be the only survivor aboard the Constellation. He reveals to the Captain (Kirk) of the Enterprise that whatever attacked his ship was also responsible for the complete destruction of the planets. At this point, the Captain theorizes that the cause for all this destruction was a ‘Dooms Day Machine’. A machine built ages ago by one warring party to destroy both sides of the war. The machine was designed to serve as deterrent of war by inflicting fear of its use. But it ended up being used. Now the machine just travels across the universe, destroying planets for energy. At the end of the episode, the machine was destroyed using explosive power similar that of what we know presently as hydrogens bomb.

The use of a Dooms day scenario is common of the science fiction genre nowadays. The protagonists are typically entangled in situations that involve saving a planet, or even entire galaxies. Take for example, the popular show Heroes. The whole first season revolved around one proverbial saying, “Save the cheerleader, save the world.” Somehow, saving the cheerleader was key to preventing some super villain from blowing up the entire world to pieces. Another example, with a plot quite similar to this episode’s, would be the movie Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. The movie somewhat reflects what superhuman inhabitants of a particular planet would do with the impending approach of the Dooms Day Machine. In this scenario, the Dooms Day Machine was the Silver Surfer’s master, Galactus; a deity who travels across the universe feeding on the life force of planets, just like the Dooms day device in Star Trek. Nevertheless, I think the idea of the Dooms day scenario used in this episode originally came from the movie Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb. It’s a black and white movie which was released much earlier than the airdate of this Star Trek episode, and the concept of a Dooms Day Machine was likely established here.

(XVI) "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bob Marley

Happiness is a state of being everyone would want to be in, but that isn't the case for most people in the world. Even I wouldn't say I'm an entirely happy person considering my current state of affairs. Nevertheless, within the unalienable rights listed in the Declaration of Independence are, "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". But are most people really pursuing happiness? If so, what is their definition of happiness? To many, happiness is equivalent to good fortune. Happiness equates to amassing as many material pleasures you desire during your lifetime. However, following Marley's advice in the this song, if "the landlord says your rent is late, He may have to litigate. Don't worry, be happy". In a sense, this song is trying to convey the message that happiness has little to do with physical pleasures. Having a broad smile on your face every hour of the day should not reflect your joy at having a brand new car, but rather an inner state of psychological bliss. Placing too much emphasis on materialistic goods as a source for happiness, just sets one up for a future of mental anguish. Take the brand new car for instance, if you bought it to drive it, then you're just as liable to get in an accident with it. Material goods are typically not destined to last a lifetime time. Even if they did, the pleasure that comes with having them eventually dissipates with time. The mind, however, is the core of everyone's psychological being, and it lasts just as long the living flesh. The mind doesn't just function internally either. Its state casts an outward reflection of every individual. Hence, happiness has to be tuned at this level. That way if you "Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style[and]ain't got no girl", you could still keep a cheerful outlook on life.


(Lyrics Below)

"Here is a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry be happy
In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy......

Ain't got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy
The land lord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don't worry, be happy
Look at me I am happy
Don't worry, be happy
Here I give you my phone number
When you worry call me
I make you happy
Don't worry, be happy
Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style
Ain't got no girl to make you smile
But don't worry be happy
Cause when you worry
Your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
So don't worry, be happy (now).....

There is this little song I wrote
I hope you learn it note for note
Like good little children
Don't worry, be happy
Listen to what I say
In your life expect some trouble
But when you worry
You make it double
Don't worry, be happy......
Don't worry don't do it, be happy
Put a smile on your face
Don't bring everybody down like this
Don't worry, it will soon pass
Whatever it is
Don't worry, be happy"

(Provided by metrolyrics.com)

(XV) Mmmmm.....donuts....[gargle, gargle, gargle...]

I honestly miss being a kid. Whenever my mind sits on idle, I can't help but reminisce on the days when all I cared about was food, fun, play, and sleep. Nowadays,spending too much time on any of those activities feels like an absolute loss of productivity. It is insane to think of but I wish I could do without sleep these days. But it is a necessity, just as all the other activities listed. Doing without any of those necessities could lead to real insanity, and that won't be good. Growing up just adds a funky twist to all those childhood cares: responsibility. In order to be a respectable adult, you have to be assume many tasks and carry them out responsibly. But only in a cartoon,like The Simpsons, will you see the most ridiculous example of adulthood at it's prime. Homer Simpson, the main character of the show and patriarch of the Simpson family, represents the lack of all the qualities in a typical working adult. He holds a job at a nuclear power plant, where he spends most of his time sleeping. He maintains a very plump figure, and could care less about the nutritional value of what goes through his mouth. His level of intelligence is skewed towards moronic values. Plus, his sense of style is noteworthy for its absolute blandness. Despite all these incompetences, Homer is capable of flaunting quite an impressive resume. He was once an astronaut, and has achieved many comparable feats. The truth is, if such a lifestyle was realistic enough, I would gargle in the name of Homer J. Simpson.

(XIV-1/2) Thesis Development attempt

If ethics is a strict matter of right and wrong, then individuals who willingly subject themselves to the whims of shady organizations, like the Dollhouse, are not really victims of whatever unfortunate circumstances they are put through. What might be perceived as unethical behavior by the Dollhouse, is in a sense, justified by the fact that the actives volunteered themselves for such use. The ethical situation here can be compared to assisted suicide(euthanasia). Euthanasia is legal in only three states of fifty. It's illegality everywhere else partially lies on its perception as a form of murder. This presents a very vague between actions that can be considered ethical or unethical. Could euthanasia really be considered unethical if the victims offer themselves to be killed?

*Since my thesis didn't get a chance to be critiqued in class today, feel free to unleash the fury of words on here mates.

(XIV) "Fear" by Rhonda Wilcox

What makes the Gentlemen of BtVS' "Hush" really frightening is indeed their "politeness, [and] the suits"(Pg. 151), and such a description creates a stark contrast to the cliché demon character. Although the Gentlemen are ugly, they carry their hideousness with a broad smile. Their attire distinguishes them from the typical image of a vile demon in tattered clothing, or lack of clothing in some cases. Besides the fact that they float above the ground, the suits give the Gentlemen an added air of authority like gentlemen of the Victorian era. This image reflects particularly well with the way they prey upon their victims. In "Hush", the Gentlemen exercise the common courtesy to knock on their victims' doors in order to be let in. This action demonstrates that the Gentlemen essentially request permission from their chosen targets before killing them. In a way, the Gentlemen represent those of society who shade their cruel intentions with the most mild mannered behavior.

(XII) "Grimm Realities" by Elizabeth Bridges

Modern day horror flicks are really just an extension of ancient folklore stories, this article argues. This claim isn't entirely baseless given the number of concrete examples enumerated. For instance, the article compares the rhyme in Buffy the Vampire Slayer's "Hush" to a typical children's folk rhyme; rhymes which are described to be vested "overtly in death, [yet] juxtaposed with a happy melody"(pg.102). Despite the hundreds of years that separate stories like Buffy from ancient tales such as Hansel and Gretel, they both appeal to common human fears that are timeless. The idea of vulnerable children, dispossessed of their parents, being preyed upon by utterly vicious and ugly monsters is one that sure will frighten people of whatever generation.

(XI) BtVS - "Hush"

Actions speak louder than words. I believe this maxim summarizes the entire plot of this episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Hush". The episode captures a social scenario where the only thing that matters are actions. Without any voice, all of the main characters are forced to physically demonstrate their thoughts and emotions. Language is an effective tool which most people usually use to be coy about their thoughts in situations where they feel urged to express themselves. Take for instance, the scene where Buffy and Riley babble in an awkward fit of romantic blush for each other. They clearly showed romantic interest but neither of them was courageous enough to admit how they felt about the other. Another similar scenario is shown in the argument between Xander and Anya. Here, Anya accuses Xander of not being in love with her simply because he can't express those emotions in words. The pattern emerges with these two love-struck couples who can't come to terms with their emotions vocally. But when the grim situation arises where no one has a voice, the couples are better able to demonstrate their love. In the case of Buffy and Riley, they hugged and finally kissed when they saw each other for the first time since the city was put on mute. In the latter, Xander launched a vicious attack against Spike when he saw what looked like Spike coming-off a vampiric luncheon on Anya. She eventually broke up the fight while realizing how much Xander really loved. This scene showed that Xander, a mere human, was ready to jump recklessly into a fight against a superior being in order to protect Anya. In a subtle way, this episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer might be suggesting that love is better defined through physical action than words.

(X) Dollhouse - Research question

It is revealed from the starting scene of the Dollhouse that its actives are hired out according to the customizable interests of its clients. The clients could hire an active to perform an assassination or fulfill personal sexual fantasies. In this particular scene, the latter is discussed and it opens up a world of human trafficking. This side of the Dollhouse was probably not revealed to the original identities of the Dollhouse because they likely would not have accepted to be used up as assassins and sex slaves. Indeed, the actives are slaves. Performing such activities dehumanizes them to the level of mere assets employed, unwillingly, to satisfy the wants of the rich. However, does the Dollhouse make its actions fairly ethical each time the actives are erased of such memories?
After actives exhaust the length of their contract with the Dollhouse, they are given back their original identity and walk-away not knowing what the Dollhouse ever did to their bodies. In this case, the Dollhouse protects itself from any claim of wrong-doing since the actives won’t even have a clue of what they were put up to. Unless an active walked away to later discover an incurable physiological scar like herpes, they might never care to investigate what their bodies were subject to. Nevertheless, once released back into the world with their original identities, the actives are bound to come across numerous people whom they encountered when under the threshold of the Dollhouse. Worst yet, some might find themselves being pursued by the law for crimes they have no memory of.

(IX) Firefly: "Trash" (Sn. 1, Ep. 11)

Once again, Saffron makes her grande appearance and tries to double-cross the entire crew of Serenity in this episode of Firefly, titled "Trash". Unfortunately, for her she tried to play a group of people that had already witnessed the trashy side of her behavior.
Essentially, in this episode Captain Reynolds agrees to execute Saffron's plan to rob a wealthy man of his possession worth quite a hefty amount. During the planning stages of this mission, when Saffron works hand in hand with Serenity's crew, she sets up little tweaks that she anticipates will help her escape with the loot all to herself. This prized possession was to be dropped off at a remote pick-up location where Captain Reynolds and Saffron(in a separate ship), and the rest of Serenity's crew would come collect it. Saffron's genius plan beforehand was to inflict minor damage on Serenity so the crew wouldn't get to the drop-off location on schedule, and subdue Captain Reynolds on their way there so she could collect the prize before the rest of the crew shows up. She succeeded at both, but was unaware that Captain Reynolds instructed Inara to be at the drop-off location well ahead of schedule to collect the prize.
I focused on the scene where the wealthy man encounters Saffron and Captain Reynolds in mid-thievery. It is discovered here that Saffron was married to the the wealthy man for six years under the name of Yolanda. When the wealthy man eventually learns about Saffron's true character, he looks at her straight in the eye with the appearance of a man who is truly heart-broken. In reaction to this Saffron exclaims: "Don't look at me that way!!". This made me realize that she must have felt really disturbed. Given her brief love affairs with men around the galaxy, six years with one man is very odd. Perhaps she developed some affection for this man, thus explaining her sense of guilt when he discovered her true colors. In fact in the beginning of the episode Captain Reynolds met Saffron when a friend of his introduced him to his 'wife', Saffron(obviously under a different name). When this man learned about her true identity, he dumped her immediately in a fit of rage and her reaction was apathetic.
The pattern is evident here with her breaking hearts without any feeling of distress. But the scene I paid attention to presented an odd scenario where she actually acted in a way that displayed shame. It became clear that, like Inara, Saffron isn't entirely heartless.

(VIII) Angel: "Somnambulist" (Sn. 1, Ep. 11)

As my next primary source focus, I picked the episode "Somnambulist" from Joss Whedon's production Angel. The central theme I recognized in this episode of Angel was of being haunted by the past.
In summary, the main character Angel(Vampire cursed with a soul)starts having vivid dreams of what he perceives as himself killing random people in Los Angeles. These dreams, however, depict actual murders being carried out by Angel's apprentice from over two centuries ago, Penn. The 'dreams' serve as a signal of Penn's presence and Angel is able to see through Penn's eyes because he turned and trained Penn as a vampire. Being the 'good person' he is now, Angel evidently seeks out Penn to Kill him. Ironically, during the fierce final battle between the master and apprentice, Penn ended up being killed by a friend of Angel's who is a police detective, Kate.
There are many scenes of importance in the episode but I chose to focus on the final fight.
Angel and Penn fought once before in what was characteristically much more intense than their final encounter. Here, they were both transformed into their vampire states and Angel initiated the attack. In the final fight however, Angel did not transform into his vampire state. I think it safe to assume that this form gives them(vampires) heightened physical prowess compared to their human disguise. If so, then Angel did not really feel the will to fight at this point. In fact, during the fight Angel is much less aggressive compared to the previous one, and doesn't seem to have much drive. Why so? Given their relationship, Penn and Angel share a deep connection; one that is described as a father-son relationship of sorts. Angel probably wasn't anxious at the prospect of killing his own creation.

At the end of the episode Angel mentions how he enjoyed the dreams. After all, Penn's actions were only a reflection of what Angel used to be. He realized that his current pursuits work at cross-purposes with his sub-conscious desires and it terrifies him.

(VII) Drake Performance Center

West of the campus' land-limits sits OSU's premiere theater facility, the Drake Performance Center. It lies along the banks of the Olentangy River and houses OSU's theater department.
The entrance, which lies to the east side of the building looks quite dull. It looks very much like a cardboard box that was folded around with some flaps left open. The few windows present give it the appearance of a dense and inscrutable building. However the side overlooking the river(west) gives the building interior a very welcoming face. As soon as you step through the front entrance, you find yourself walking towards the cascade of windows outlining the back of the interior. This side of the building also happens to be the main sitting lounge which could be used as a waiting area, study area, or lunchroom.

Although most of the building space is primarily used for theater performances, the lounge blends perfectly with natural elements to create a soothing environment. The location encapsulates the serene flow of the river and the crimson colored radiance of the setting sun. Perhaps, it could serve as a desirable area of reflection for those who like to ponder on the issues of life.

(VI) "But She Was Naked!"

What turns a boy into a man?

In terms of biology the answer is rather simple: puberty. But culturally speaking we all know attaining manhood is not so easy. In various cultures around the world there are certain rites that mark the transitional stage from boy to man. Here in the United States for instance, some might describe this significant moment as the point where a boy gets his drivers license, his first job, or when he moves out of the family home. Individual cultures have their own distinct rites, like a Jewish Bar Mitzvah. But essentially, there's a universal notion that a man truly becomes a man after his first coital engagement.

However, there is a paradox in this notion that supposes a boy must have 'known' a woman in order to become a man. In the article "But She Was Naked!", Inara's superior knowledge on this matter is displayed in the post-coital discussion between her and Fess. Fess, who was a virgin shortly beforehand, asks "Aren't I supposed to be a man now?" and Inara responds with "A man is just a boy who's old enough to ask that question...[sex] is a ritual, a symbol...But it doesn't make you a man." Her response demonstrates mastery of a companion's rhetoric. By explicitly stating that sex doesn't turn one into a man she reassures Fess' self esteem by suggesting his father is misguided from the true ideals of manhood. The article "But She Was Naked!" shows that companions like Inara also possess a high level of wisdom, besides charm and rhetoric.

(V) "Our Mrs. Reynolds"

After watching Firefly's "Our Mrs. Reynolds" today, i garnered the most important scene to be the part where 'Mrs. Reynolds'(Safron) is introduced to everyone aboard the boat. Everyone else, besides captain Reynolds, Inara, and Safron, seems to make a joke out of the situation while Captain Reynolds tries to make sense out of it. Captain Reynolds' crew even call him a monster when he unintentionally makes his 'wife' cry by asking serious questions. This scene is followed by a pattern of similar scenarios whereby Captain Reynolds unintentionally 'hurts' Safron's feelings and apologizes soon after. In some way, Captain Reynolds perceives himself as a monster because even he said to Safron that he isn't sure he could be a good husband. Eventually Safron reveals her truly malignant personality but what we can collect from the episode is that she played the role of an 'ideal' woman, to some. She acted as a really emotional person and offered to do whatever was demanded from her husband. Yet she acted this way rationally in order make everyone she encountered vulnerable; with the exception of Inara. The binary opposition here is displayed with the men, whom as leaders are intended to act rationally for the most part, but end up swayed to their downfall by displaying too much emotion.

(IV) Dollhouse: "Ghost" (Sn. 1 Ep. 1) --> Thesis

I believe the 'Dollhouse' demonstrates an aspect of people going to the extreme to satisfy their desires. So far it has been shown that people hiring the services of the puppets, usually do so to fulfill their sexual or emotional desires. Those with a lack of exemplary sentiments can be satisfied with the puppets of the Dollhouse.The puppets chose to be employees of the dollhouse in order to live a more dynamic lifestyle while those who hire their services seek certain pleasures that will be otherwise impossible to attain with someone in their right state of mind. In effect, the Dollhouse fulfills the wishes of both sides.

(IV) Dollhouse: 'Ghost' (Sn. 1, Ep. 1)

I decided to watch the first episode of 'Dollhouse' for this part of our blog assignments and i was hooked. I would recommend the show to anyone with the time to watch it. Basically the series revolves around a secret organization (the Dollhouse) that hires out programmable human beings to those willing to pay the high price. These programmable human beings( or puppets as i refer to them) could be employed at a variety of tasks; even those of tremendous physical skill since any personality type infused into the puppets affects even their muscle memory.

What bothered me the most by the end of the episode was the Dollhouse's sense of ethics in this entire operation. The fact that they operated covertly obviously cues at a sense of wrong-doing. My curiousity took me back to a particular scene where two employees of the Dollhouse debate about the justification behind their company's actions. One employee was more inquisitive while the other sought reasons to justify their work.

Among the justifications given was the fact that the puppets were there by will of their original personalities( there's more but going any further on this would give away too much of the plot). This made me realize that after all, there are plenty of people who would be willing to sell what they perceive as 'miserable' lives in order to live a much more interesting one with the Dollhouse. It reflects an aspect of selling your soul to the devil in exchange for all the pleasures of the world or deeply wanted desires. There is great room for the Dollhouse to do 'soul fetching' in a world where a majority of people aspire to lead different lives.

Another reason that warranted my consideration was the suggestion that human beings are inherently programmed by the way they lead their lives. This assumption does not lie far away from the truth considering that we are all born without any particular knowledge of anything. Thus from birth we are raised to think certain ways, speak a certain language, adhere to certain religions, and doing many more things our individual cultures set us to do. Personality wise, we were all blank slates at birth and the Dollhouse simply recreates that state to give way for new memories.

'What would it feel like to be a secret agent for a day? A professional dancer? or a pilot?' These are just a few questions that fall within the realm of reality in the series. Puppets with the capability of doing anything once their brain is uploaded with the right memory.

(III) High School is Hell

After reading the chapter, 'High School is Hell', it now seems very clear how metaphors from horror stories are quite in tune with reality. A good example used was the one about a witch using magic spells to knock-off contenders for a spot on the cheerleading squad being similar to Olympic skaters using tough guys to brutalize their competition. Such examples display how horror stories are defined by our thoughts or even actions. The only difference between horror stories and reality is the extremity of actions in horror stories. In reality, people might harbor truly horrific thoughts but they usually do not happen in actuality. For example, wishing someone would go burn in hell does not actually make it happen. But Charles H. Cooley's theory of the 'Looking glass self' draws a point of convergence between metaphors and reality. For instance, those affected by anorexia due to social factors can be compared to Marcie's sense of being invisible. In both cases, the individuals believe they are viewed a certain way by society and end up defining their lives by self-placed labels.

(II) Firefly-'Serenity', 2nd attempt

This time around I tried as much as possible to watch the episode with a 'suspended judgement', and I came to realize the scene right before the opening credits gives quite a hefty load of clues to the series' premise. In this scene we witness Fireflies crew stealing 'goods' from the ruins of a ship in space until they get intercepted by an Alliance patrol ship. At this point it isn't revealed what the 'goods' are but it is safe to assume that they are worth a lot of money. Also established at this point is the fact that Firefly's crew is conducting illegal activity since the Alliance steps in as a body of law and order. In order to escape from the sticky situation, Firefly's pilot engages 'crybaby' which sends a false distress signal to the Alliance. In effect, the Alliance's patrol ship forgoes chasing Firefly in order to rescue the source of the distress signal. This decision in some way portrays the Alliance in a positive light.

Aboard the Firefly, Jayne declares they won since they managed to escape with all the 'goods'. However, Captain Reynolds repeats the declaration with an air of indifference, if not anguish, as if they lost. This emotional response from Captain Reynolds doesn't seem rational since they successfully hauled in all the valuable 'goods' without any loses! It would be logical for the Captain of any pirate ship to express tremendous joy for capturing so much loot with minimal failure. But Captain Reynolds carries himself at the end of the scene as a man without accomplishment. This, in fact, is reminiscent of the battle he lost against the Alliance years before. Perhaps in his mind, he will always be on the losing side as long as the Alliance stays at the helm of law and order in the universe*.

*( I am not sure how far the Alliance's governing power extends. The universe is just a presumption)

(II) Firefly-'Serenity'

In my opinion the most important scene in the show would be the point where Captain Reynolds opens up the Doctor's cargo and all hell breaks loose. Everyone on board the ship from there becomes a criminal of sorts and thus share a common 'bondage' in crime. Everyone else, besides the Agent and the Preacher, was already a criminal but that changed as soon as the Preacher subdued the Agent with a two punch knock-out. That qualifies him to be charged for assault on a government Agent. In conclusion, I think that was a bonding scenario for everyone aboard the ship.

(I)The beginning lies at the end

Cheers to all you fellow followers. The past three week break felt like the longest winter break I’ve ever had. The last couple of days have been a blast. Reconnecting with good friends after a temporary drift apart certainly makes one realize how important they are. Besides reconnecting, the incessant snowfall has been quite irritating. As an ex-snowboarder, I’m fine with having snow atop the mountains but not on the roads; it just makes driving a hassle.
My favorite shows include The Simpsons, 24, Heroes, and some show featuring a plump kid called Eric Cartman. But I’m not insanely passionate about them because I am a true gamer during my spare time. I am a Sony PS3 aficionado and a fellow uncharter since December of 2009 (to any who plays Uncharted 2).

Lasagna with mushrooms and spinach is amazing.

Everybody likes jiving to techno music I bet. Some are just not aware yet. I am part of a select mass fully in tune to the music however.

If you ever visit Anaheim, California, I recommend you visit the Rainforest Café for a slice of the Volcano. Anyone heading down south to Biloxi, MS should definitely visit The Shed BBQ. It was basically made out of trash but has some delectable delights. Anyone going to Boston, MA should not leave me behind. I went there and my heart stayed. I need to find it back. The Netherlands is a classic destination but I would not advise anyone to indulge in legalized marijuana over there. It’s just not proper to do such a thing, depending on your sense of morals. Atlanta, GA is quite a sight too. I guess taking pictures at the CNN tower is on the ‘to do list’ of most tourists going there. But beware of the homeless.
The message here is that I am a travelling man. I’ve been to quite a few places and I fully intend to continue globetrotting for as long as I can.

It should be no question what year I am since the sole purpose of this blog is for a first year writing course.

My name is Frank and I welcome you to my blog.