(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.