My uncle’s film, Howl, which premiered at Sundance this winter, officially has a distributor and will be released in september!

James Franco as Allen Ginsberg

http://www.movieweb.com/news/NEoCFqtpJkM4rw

one reason why our remix culture is so successful….. the genetics of mashups.

Pretty self explanatory beyond that… take a look.

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this is just super cool.

check out this animation –

http://wimp.com/brilliantshort/

Okay, honestly I didn’t LOVE the film. I thought it was an interesting concept, and overall entertaining, but I felt there were some loopholes in the plot, and I found some of the camerawork to be distracting. In the Q & A session the director did say they wanted to leave you with a sense of ambiguity, and not a clear understand, to leave you more in fear at the end of the film. This didn’t entirely work for me, but this also isn’t my favorite genre of film, so who am I to judge?

I think the biggest point I want to make about this film, really, is how exciting it was to see a final product produced by a middlebury team of past and current students and faculty. I loved what they were saying about doing an independent film – having an idea, and taking the initiative to put together a (relatively) small team and actually DO it themselves from start to finish, and have a product as they wanted it.

I also thought it was interesting when Professor Mittell asked how we could start to “advertise” for the film, being a select bunch who has actually seen it. The immediate answer (after an unsure pause) was “join the Facebook group?” Leave it to technology and the web, to spread the word. It certainly can’t be a bad place to start.

Next week I have a mandatory orientation meeting for my semester abroad program. The e-mail about the orientation stressed the fact that the meeting is mandatory, but also said, “special accommodations will be made only for those students not in the New York area.” That’s me. I thought Skype might be an option, but I also thought maybe they would just set up a time to talk on the phone and give me the details. But sure enough, I e-mailed about being in vermont, and they e-mailed back saying they could “Skype me in” to the meeting if I was available at the time. I’m wondering if they will have a computer on the table at my spot where I would be sitting… like a floating head… an avatar attending the meeting for me. While I watch and listen from my computer screen.

Just like I said about being able to do my initial interview over Skype, it is nice that our technology allows us to do these things that would otherwise make these opportunities virtually (ha) impossible. I’m a little skeptical though about being Skyped into the orientation. I’m worried that something could go wrong with my internet connection and I would be cut out, or that I won’t feel comfortable asking questions…. Do I still raise my hand if I want to ask something? Hmm…

here are a few “snapshots” from my first explorations on Second Life. As of now, I’m not so into it. My disinterest may be a result of my not really knowing how to do much in the virtual world… or it may have to do with the discussion as to whether or not this is a GAME. I think if I lean towards the reasons why it’s not seen as a game – that it does not have a set path, specific end goal, time frame, etc – I realize these are the reasons why I’m not engaged. We’ll see how it goes as I continue to explore. I do, however, really enjoy having the option to FLY everywhere. My favorite place I found so far was the planetarium at the space museum. I was pleasantly surprised when I could go in it and actually see the constellations on the ceiling. And to make it just that much better, “Adiemus” played as I walked through the doors into the dark dome for a little outer space ambience….

Five days later, I am still baffled by the amounts of equipment we saw on our tour of the Middlebury servers. We take for granted every day, that we can sit down with the simple equipment of a lap top, and be “connected” to the internet, and almost anything we want, with the click of a button and no wires or extra hardware. Walking into the server rooms and seeing how much we are ACTUALLY “connected” to, made me rethink how we use our computers and other technologies. I realize how ignorant and uneducated most of us are about the technologies we use on a regular basis. How the heck does the internet actually work? I don’t get it. We’re connected to the servers, which are in a room connected to a bazillion wires that go into the ceiling and under the floors… and apparently some fiber runs underground connecting us to the internet connection in Albany… and that is connected to something else? Where is the central THING that makes the internet? And what is floating around in the air that allows us to have a “wireless” connection?

While our laptop fits nicely in a drawer and in our backpack, and we “store” things online in some seemingly infinite electronic folder, someone else somewhere is watching towers of machinery, changing tapes and hard drives that are holding all that information in a tangible way.

It’s just crazy. I’d like to see what the server rooms look like for programs like “Second Life…”

I just realized I left my phone at my friend’s house. I had a moment of panic when I realized that meant I also didn’t have my usual alarm, which I need to wake up for my team breakfast in the morning. PANIC. The best part is though, that the first thing I did when I realized this, was look for my phone so I could text someone and ask them to bring it to breakfast… duh. How stupid am I. It’s become my natural reflex though. Second nature.

I soon realized that my iHome has an alarm function, as does my running watch. But for whatever reason I don’t trust those things to definitely wake me in the morning like I do my phone. I guess thats because I rely on them everyday (rarely ever, really).

Then there’s the issue of… do I have anything on my phone that I don’t want people to find? For many people, a phone becomes a very personal device, holding text messages that you might not want everyone to read. I think I’m in the clear, but the thought did cross my mind.

Something about not having a phone … I think a lot of people would agree with me that you feel kind of “naked” without it. I’m predicting one of those mornings where you wake up every 30 minutes, afraid your alarm isn’t going to do its job.

Alanis Morissette made (what I think is) a great spoof of the Black Eyed Peas’ song, “My Humps.”

I think its A. hysterical B. ridiculous C. makes us realize how BAD some lyrics are these days. Without the beat of the original version, you can actually pay attention to what the song is saying:

I drive these brothers crazy,
I do it on the daily,
They treat me really nicely,
They buy me all these ices.
Dolce & Gabbana,
Fendi and NaDonna
Karan, they be sharin’
All their money got me wearin’ fly
Brother I ain’t askin,
They say they love my ass ‘n,
Seven Jeans, True Religion’s,
I say no, but they keep givin’
So I keep on takin’
And no I ain’t taken
We can keep on datin’
I keep on demonstrating.

My love (love), my love, my love, my love (love)
You love my lady lumps (love),
My hump, my hump, my hump (love),
My humps they got you

The spoof definitely dramatizes the effect of the lyrics being silly and absurd, but I still think it’s a point worth noting.

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