Hello all.
So. In my politics class we have to make a blog and update it at least 3 times a week. I have decided to do mine on Education Policy in the United States with a bit of comparison to the world to get an idea of where our students are coming from when they enter. So yea. Part of the grade will be determined on how often it is read and commented on. So you should ALL read and COMMENT!!! If you would like to, post it somewhere that your other friends can see it and read it! That would rock. So yea, I hope you all read it and such because I will be talking about school here at MHO and the after school program I work at with my students.
YEA!
http://reworkeducation.blogspot.com/
September 24, 2009
August 23, 2009
Robot Chicken That All Sci-fi Fans Will Enjoy
Saw this on Robot Chicken and laughed my ass off. Check it out. It has Seth MacFarlane for any Family Guy watchers, Joss Whedon for all of us fans and Melissa watch for the great Battlestar Galactica scene. Loved it and thought I might pass it along.
FYI The good parts are the first 3 or 4 minutes before credits and around the last 3 minutes or so.
July 22, 2009
Tim Burton's Alice
You should have already seen this on Facebook, Twitter, etc. But just in case...
TEASER TRAILER FOR ALICE IN WONDERLAND (omg)
http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/07/22/alice-in-wonderland-teaser-gives-a-generous-glimpse-of-tim-burtons-excellence/
I think it looks fantastic. Garden of flowers...very nice. I wish we had a shot of the Caterpillar, though. (Alan Rickman as voice, mmhmm). Johnny Depp, of course, is expected to be amazing, but I think he looks and sounds even better than I could have imagined! Oh... how will I ever survive until March?
--ALLISON
TEASER TRAILER FOR ALICE IN WONDERLAND (omg)
http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/07/22/alice-in-wonderland-teaser-gives-a-generous-glimpse-of-tim-burtons-excellence/
I think it looks fantastic. Garden of flowers...very nice. I wish we had a shot of the Caterpillar, though. (Alan Rickman as voice, mmhmm). Johnny Depp, of course, is expected to be amazing, but I think he looks and sounds even better than I could have imagined! Oh... how will I ever survive until March?
--ALLISON
July 14, 2009
Apparently I blog about movies
Movie news you should care about.
I obsessively keep up with all the movie news I can find, or at least what I can find from the couple of blogs and web sites I read. Anyway, here’s a summary of some exciting stuff I think we should all be looking forward to.
1. Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood – already filming, no idea when it’s supposed to be done. Cast includes Russel Crowe as Robin Hood and possibly also as the Sheriff of Nottingham; Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian. There will be musical numbers in the movie. Ridley Scott has previously directed Blade Runner, Hannibal, Alien, Black Hawk Down, and American Gangster, if you didn’t know.
2. Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby – yes, a Gatsby remake, and I’m pretty excited. Luhrmann has directed Moulin Rouge and the 1996 Romeo + Juliet, so it’s bound to be a little bit weird and a little bit awesome. Supposedly he may want to cast Leonardo DiCaprio as Nick Carraway, but that may be hard to pull off. No news on who will play Gatsby or Daisy, though if Luhrmann is bringing back actors he’s worked with before, I wouldn’t mind seeing Nicole Kidman as Daisy. Most other people seem to think she is either too old or is a terrible actress, though. Others have suggested Ewan McGregor as Nick and even Christian Bale as Gatsby.
3. 2011 looks like it will be a big year for more comic book superhero movies, of which I am always a fan, even though I hardly read any comics. Green Lantern was recently announced, along with Thor, Captain
http://green-lantern.moviechronicles.com/
Yeah, Spider-man 4 on May 6, 2011, possibly in 3-D. It’s also supposed to be “darker” and “edgy.” Script is still in progress, and no one is talking yet about who the villains will be. Personally, I hope they don’t try to cram three villains into one movie like they did with Spider-man 3. I’m still waiting for someone to explain to me why that happened, especially if there were plans to continue the series.
http://spider-man.moviechronicles.com/
Oh, and Natalie Portman is playing Jane Foster, the love interest in Thor. I don’t know much about this comic series from Marvel, but I do like Norse Mythology and Natalie Portman, so I’ll go see it, also in May 2011.
http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/13/natalie-portman-cast-as-love-interest-in-thor/
4. There are rumors going around about Batman 3, including Johnny Depp as a possibility for the Riddler. I’m sure Depp will make an appearance in the franchise at some point; it’s rather inevitable.
http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/31/new-batman-3-rumors-riddler-and-penguin/
5. Smurfs, the movie – even if this one ends up being terrible, there’s no way you can’t be excited about a Smurfs movie. And it might end up being pretty funny, seeing as two of the screenwriters worked on the second and third Shrek movies.
http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/07/08/smurfs-movie-happening-scooby-doo-director-tapped/
I could go on, but I’ll leave it at that for now. In the meantime, which upcoming films are you looking forward to?
--ALLISON
July 10, 2009
And the lesbians always die
So since I am not working this summer (which is killing me slowly inside...) I have decided to watch exploitation films that I have and heard about. Recently I finished Beyond the Valley of the Dolls: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065466/ .
I watched Valley of the Dolls awhile back and decided that this had to be the next thing to watch.
Long story short, there is this crazy murder scene that was based off the Manson family's murder and the lesbian couple dies. I don't know. I find it funny and disturbing at the same time. In the 70s women in horror and b- movies portrayed a lot of things, and lesbians were one of them. Usually, the couple is experimental, and eventually dies in murder, rage, rape, or any other odd mutilating way. Common theme throughout various films. I don't know why, but I guess it is an interesting look into our history when we look at how we portray the women and homosexual community in the cinema. Besides that, the soundtrack is rocking...anyways.
Exploitation films. Tons of blood, bad acting, nude women and men, and much more!
I watched Valley of the Dolls awhile back and decided that this had to be the next thing to watch.
Long story short, there is this crazy murder scene that was based off the Manson family's murder and the lesbian couple dies. I don't know. I find it funny and disturbing at the same time. In the 70s women in horror and b- movies portrayed a lot of things, and lesbians were one of them. Usually, the couple is experimental, and eventually dies in murder, rage, rape, or any other odd mutilating way. Common theme throughout various films. I don't know why, but I guess it is an interesting look into our history when we look at how we portray the women and homosexual community in the cinema. Besides that, the soundtrack is rocking...anyways.
Exploitation films. Tons of blood, bad acting, nude women and men, and much more!
May 20, 2009
The Brazen Android
Steam-powered robot revolution as told by Walt Whitman's best friend? Click! They even have an audio version of it available.
May 16, 2009
Rape, Consent, and Dollhouse
I read blogs, and although I haven't specifically looked for Dollhouse-related blogs, the blogs I read tend to be heavily populated with Joss fans, so my regular blog-reading has brought some issues to my attention. Alas is a blog that I used to read regularly and then read less and less until I just kind of stopped. But I came across their Dollhouse recaps/analyses through a series of links, and they brought up something I'd like to discuss, which is the issue of sex with Actives. (The two posts/comment threads which sparked my interest are the reviews of Episode 6, "Man on the Street," and Episode 9, "A Spy in the House of Love.")
I think everyone would agree that what Sierra's handler did was rape. Resting Dolls are icredibly vulnerable; they tend obey orders without question and are programmed to trust their handlers. A handler raping a doll is akin to an adult raping a child. It's an abuse of power over someone who you are supposed to protect.
What about Actives? Can Actives truly consent to sex? The blogger and commenters on Alas believe that all sex with Dolls, be they Actives or resting, is rape. At least some of the people who become Dolls sign a contract for five years. We don't know the specifics of the contract, of course, but I'm assuming it covers the possible activities they might engage in as Actives. By signing that contract are they consenting to any future sexual activity that occurs when they are imprinted?
What about the people who didn't sign contracts or who are pressured into signing? Sierra was forced into the Dollhouse.* In one of the flashback scenes between Caroline and DeWitt, Caroline said that she didn't feel like she had a choice.
Is it even possible to consent to become a Doll? Echo doesn't think so. In the finale she says that people can't sign themselves into slavery. It's implied that November is paid when she's released, though, so to me the Dollhouse seems to me like a type of indentured servitude: become a Doll for five years, giving the Dollhouse complete control over your body, and get paid at the end of it. (Assuming you enter willingly, that is.) But can signing a contract really justify the erasure of someone's personality and the use of their body as a tool for fulfilling the needs of others?
All these questions of consent lead to this: Do you think that there is a difference between having sex with a willing Active and raping a resting Doll? Is DeWitt's relationship with Victor/Roger any different than the handler's rape of Sierra?* It's mentioned in one episode (Episode 2, I think?) that clients aren't allowed to rape an Active; the imprinted personality must consent. Does that make a difference? Couldn't the imprint just be designed to consent to sex? Is sex with an Active a violation of the original personality's body? Is there a remnant of the original personality left in the Doll that is raped when the Active has sex?
This brings up even more questions not directly related to rape. Do the resting Dolls have personality's that are separate from their original personality? (For example, Victor cares about Sierra.) Or are the Dolls muted versions of the original people? What about the imprinted personalities? Do they count as "people"? How much autonomy do the imprints have? They are programmed with certain traits, skills, and responses, but they have thoughts and feelings. When the Dollhouse erases an imprint, are they killing a person?
So, fellow people who watch Dollhouse, what are your thoughts on these subjects? They've been bothering me, and I thought I'd ask for other people's input. The show brings up a lot of interesting questions, and to say that the characters are nuanced is an understatement. I want the Dollhouse brought down, but I like some of the people that work there a lot, even though they're kind of creepy and messed-up. Stupid Joss and his stupid shows that make you think!
*Sierra's backstory has always bothered me. DeWitt really believes in the Dollhouse and thinks that it helps people. I could see her justifying someone signing the contract under pressure as still technically having a choice. I don't think that even she could find a way to morally justify someone being forced into into the Dollhouse, though. Maybe one of her superiors in the Dollhouse lied to her. I hope we find out more in the second season(omg it wasn't cancelled!).
*I think it takes a certain level of cruelty to rape someone who clearly cannot/did not consent, as Sierra certainly couldn't and didn't. If the imprinted personality seems to consent, it might be easy to forget that the personality was created partly for the purpose of sex. It might be easy to ignore the issues of consent and not think of yourself as a rapist, especially if you've convinced yourself that the Dollhouse's purpose is morally justifiable. That doesn't mean that the act isn't rape. I like DeWitt, for all that she is twisted and deluded, and don't want to think of her as a rapist, but I'm not sure that she isn't one.
I think everyone would agree that what Sierra's handler did was rape. Resting Dolls are icredibly vulnerable; they tend obey orders without question and are programmed to trust their handlers. A handler raping a doll is akin to an adult raping a child. It's an abuse of power over someone who you are supposed to protect.
What about Actives? Can Actives truly consent to sex? The blogger and commenters on Alas believe that all sex with Dolls, be they Actives or resting, is rape. At least some of the people who become Dolls sign a contract for five years. We don't know the specifics of the contract, of course, but I'm assuming it covers the possible activities they might engage in as Actives. By signing that contract are they consenting to any future sexual activity that occurs when they are imprinted?
What about the people who didn't sign contracts or who are pressured into signing? Sierra was forced into the Dollhouse.* In one of the flashback scenes between Caroline and DeWitt, Caroline said that she didn't feel like she had a choice.
Is it even possible to consent to become a Doll? Echo doesn't think so. In the finale she says that people can't sign themselves into slavery. It's implied that November is paid when she's released, though, so to me the Dollhouse seems to me like a type of indentured servitude: become a Doll for five years, giving the Dollhouse complete control over your body, and get paid at the end of it. (Assuming you enter willingly, that is.) But can signing a contract really justify the erasure of someone's personality and the use of their body as a tool for fulfilling the needs of others?
All these questions of consent lead to this: Do you think that there is a difference between having sex with a willing Active and raping a resting Doll? Is DeWitt's relationship with Victor/Roger any different than the handler's rape of Sierra?* It's mentioned in one episode (Episode 2, I think?) that clients aren't allowed to rape an Active; the imprinted personality must consent. Does that make a difference? Couldn't the imprint just be designed to consent to sex? Is sex with an Active a violation of the original personality's body? Is there a remnant of the original personality left in the Doll that is raped when the Active has sex?
This brings up even more questions not directly related to rape. Do the resting Dolls have personality's that are separate from their original personality? (For example, Victor cares about Sierra.) Or are the Dolls muted versions of the original people? What about the imprinted personalities? Do they count as "people"? How much autonomy do the imprints have? They are programmed with certain traits, skills, and responses, but they have thoughts and feelings. When the Dollhouse erases an imprint, are they killing a person?
So, fellow people who watch Dollhouse, what are your thoughts on these subjects? They've been bothering me, and I thought I'd ask for other people's input. The show brings up a lot of interesting questions, and to say that the characters are nuanced is an understatement. I want the Dollhouse brought down, but I like some of the people that work there a lot, even though they're kind of creepy and messed-up. Stupid Joss and his stupid shows that make you think!
*Sierra's backstory has always bothered me. DeWitt really believes in the Dollhouse and thinks that it helps people. I could see her justifying someone signing the contract under pressure as still technically having a choice. I don't think that even she could find a way to morally justify someone being forced into into the Dollhouse, though. Maybe one of her superiors in the Dollhouse lied to her. I hope we find out more in the second season(omg it wasn't cancelled!).
*I think it takes a certain level of cruelty to rape someone who clearly cannot/did not consent, as Sierra certainly couldn't and didn't. If the imprinted personality seems to consent, it might be easy to forget that the personality was created partly for the purpose of sex. It might be easy to ignore the issues of consent and not think of yourself as a rapist, especially if you've convinced yourself that the Dollhouse's purpose is morally justifiable. That doesn't mean that the act isn't rape. I like DeWitt, for all that she is twisted and deluded, and don't want to think of her as a rapist, but I'm not sure that she isn't one.
April 24, 2009
VV Brown- Crying Blood
I heard VV Brown while watching a British talk show on YouTube, and now I can't stop listening to this song. It has sort of a cool, retro sound.
April 18, 2009
Sofia Snow
What up peps. I heard this woman one night and I thought I would share. She is amazing when you hear her live. This was one piece that was amazing.
April 12, 2009
Dressing Like Joan
So in an effort to revive Free Verse, I bring you this article. Because who doesn't want to dress up like Joan Holloway. And because it relates to that Mad Men party we'll be having this summer. Supposedly there will be more to this series, too.
ALSO, new doctor who special is out on the internet! Anyone seen it? I might watch it tonight if I can finish this homework.
ALSO, new doctor who special is out on the internet! Anyone seen it? I might watch it tonight if I can finish this homework.
February 28, 2009
Neil Gaiman + Joss Whedon = Awesome
I was reading this blog (which is awesomely nerdy and you should check it out) when I found a link to an interview from 2005 with Neil Gaiman & Joss Whedon. Despite being kind of out of date, it's a pretty good read. They talk about comic books and what makes something "fantasy" or "sci-fi." I enjoyed it, so click and read!
Prop 8: The Musical
This is kind of old, but you should watch it if you haven't seen it already. It's pretty funny. Plus, Neil Patrick Harris is in it.
February 17, 2009
Poladroid!
So, I found this downloadable program called Poladroid that will take your pictures and convert them into "polaroids". It's pretty nifty. You should check it out.
Examples from some Buttons' birthday and New Year's Eve pictures:
Examples from some Buttons' birthday and New Year's Eve pictures:
February 14, 2009
Happy Valentine's Day!
I want to wish a Happy Valentine's Day to all you lovely, wonderful, awesome people! I love you all.Valentine found via http://www.katespade.info/. Some of them are pretty cool/funny. Check it out.
February 3, 2009
I told y'all Iceland is awesome!
Well, their economy wasn't doing so awesome. In fact, it kind of collapsed. But! Something good came out of it! Iceland made Johanna Sigurdardottir its interim prime minister. She is Iceland's first woman prime minister and the world's first openly gay prime minister.
January 11, 2009
January 7, 2009
I *heart* Eddie Izzard
When a victim of the Mumbai terrorist attacks missed his show because of his injuries, Eddie went to the hospital and gave the man a private performance of his stand-up.
January 3, 2009
The 11th Doctor
Matt Smith is the new Doctor.
He hasn't been in much film or television, although he worked with Billie Piper in the Sally Lockhart films and an episode of "Secret Diary of a Call Girl." At 26, He's the youngest Doctor ever. He's also very Tennant-esque. Admittedly, I'm a bit disappointed. I was hoping for someone older and different from the previous Doctor. Of course we won't really know what his Doctor's like until 2010, so maybe he'll make the role his own. Watch the video at the first link. He seems pretty cute and charming. (He should incorporate that thing he does with his fingers into his Doctor's character!) I hope he does well; he has very big shoes to fill.
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