2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: A Space Odyssey
I’ve always been one to like films that really dip into art, which 2002 A Space Odyssey does. I’m also one to always love a good flick because movies are what I was brought up on. I may be a movie buff, but 2001 A Space Odyssey is one movie I had never seen before and now I know why. In my opinion this movie is that it is a movie to be appreciated but not enjoyed. I’m not saying that there were no enjoyable points because there were, what I’m saying is that the movie is more of an art than a movie to just relax to.
2001: A Space Odyssey is a film that was directed by Stanley Kubrick and was released in 1968. This is a science fiction film that incorporates human evolution, technology, artificial intelligence, and extraterrestrial life. The movie is said to be way ahead of its time using special effects, surreal imagery, music, and minimal use of dialogue. 2001: A Space Odyssey is today recognized as one of the greatest films ever made. The 2002 Sight & Sound critics have actually ranked it as one of the top ten films of all time. It was nominated for four Academy Awards and received one for visual effects because they was so far advance for their day. Now, today the film is preserved in The National Film Registry.
The film starts out with apes searching for food. As the scene progresses a black monolith appears. The apes approach the monolith and begin to scream and jump about. The scene progresses even more when one of the apes discovers that he can kill using a bone as a weapon. The apes are meant to represent the dawn of man, or in other words evolution. The monolith represents the discovery of technology, which in this scene is the bone that is used to kill other animals for food. So if you put the pieces together the scene represented the evolution of man and man’s discovery of technology.
The film then quickly moves to a space ship. On this space ship the audience is shown what life on a futuristic space ship would be like. The ship is decorated with a very futuristic look, or at least with the look that people have been conditioned to think of when they think of the future. The technology is far in advance such as the videophone one of astronauts uses to call to talk to their daughter through what looks like a television screen. The food it made to look simple and easy to eat. The women workers on the ship are shown delivering the food, but not by just simple walking to the astronauts but by walking up walls and being upside down to make it seem as if there was no gravity and the only thing keeping them on a surface was their futuristic shoes.
The film then goes into the Jupiter mission, which is again on a futuristic space ship. There are two mission pilots and 3 other scientists that are cryogenic hibernation. Another addition on the ship is the ship’s computer, named Hal that is made to help the astronauts and was also made to have genuine emotions. As the mission progresses Hal starts to have computer complications because he begins to stop trusting the humans that are controlling him. Hal starts his rampage by killing one of the astronauts and then proceeds to kill the scientists that are in hibernation. The astronaut that is left shuts down Hal and leaves in one of the ship’s pods to continue to Jupiter. This scene illustrates how humans should not rely on technology because it is never certain that it will follow what it is made to do.
When the last astronaut arrives on Jupiter he is put into what looks like a section of a house. The astronaut is without technology now. He quickly ages years at a time until he is finally shown his deathbed. The monolith that was shown at the beginning of the film then appears in front of his bed. The astronaut then dies and is turned into what looks like a floating fetus. This scene shows how it is perceived that humans cannot survive without technology.
This film is meant to show how technology may help the evolution of man but it does not control us and if or when it does we will rise above it.

progress

My group has been working on a website for current or future Ball State students. Our website is designed to help students pick the computer that is perfect for them. We are splitting up our website into two different links that will take to either information about Mac computers or PC computers. So far we do not have much on our site but we do have information researched about each computer that we will eventually unload to our links. I really do believe that in the future we, as older students, will be able to recommend to our friends or to any future student that they check out our site and see what will work for them best.

Are you a Mac or PC?

Our group is working on a website that will help future and present college students, primarily at ball state, to decide between getting a Mac or a PC. We will be giving information on each, but not trying to one up each other in anyway. Just presenting the facts to help the student decide what he or she wants.
Our main purpose is to just help. We don't want to make it a competition on what brand is better. We will be loading facts, videos, and pictures to help the student get a better idea. So check it out when we are done and find out if you're a Mac or PC.

print, spoken, electronic

This week's reading was over chapters 47 through 59. The main points i got out of our readings were about print text, spoken text, and electronic text. These topics are perfect for what we are doing in class right now. We are working on a group project where my group is creating a website comparing Mac and PC computers. In this project will be using all of these topics.
Print text will be used for our group report where we must write a two page report about what we will be including in our project.
Spoken text will be used also because we are required to present our final project to the class.
Finally, we will be using electronic text by using a website to put together our project.
These topics are very important, but particularly in this project.

strategies

For this reading we read three chapters; analyzing causes and effects, classifying and dividing, and comparing and contrasting. All of these chapters deal with different ways of strategies for reading and writing. When reading these three chapters i was most interested in the comparing and contrasting because i believe it made the most sense to me.
I had no idea that there was two ways to comparing and contrasting so it was very interesting learning about those. The two different ways include; the block method where you discuss each item separately, or in blocks, and the point-by-point method where one is comparing and contrasting on specific points. You can even use graphs and images to present comparisons which can come in handy if you are demonstrating your comparison to a visual learner. There are a few other ways to demonstrate comparisons such as using figurative language and considering the rhetorical situation.

Reading

When you read you can come across all sorts of new information, words, and phrases. That's why it is important to read certain texts certain ways so you can catch all the new information in a text. Some reading only requires a quick glance or skim while others may require you to read through carefully. What may also help you to better your understanding of the text is to preview the text or in other words, skim through the title, any headings, and the first and last paragraphs. After reading it is a good idea to summarize your text and look at the main ideas, this will help if you still have any questions about the reading what about. The main point to this reading is to take your time and not rush your reading because that will only harm your understanding.

text analysis

Text is what we are influenced by. That is why text analysis is so important. When we read any text there has to be some sort of understanding. Text provides information as well as a sense of feeling that one gets while reading. Not only can you analyze text but also pictures.
There are many key features to text analysis, according to reading, such as; a summary of the text, attention to the content, a clear interpretation of judgment, and reasonable support for your conclusions.
I found this reading very resourceful because I have never been properly educated on how to analyze a text. What i found interesting was learning how to really apply yourself to the text.

proof reading and editing

Proof reading and editing, two different things. I had no idea!
When proof reading you make sure that every word is spelled correctly and every word and sentence is where it is meant to be as well as check for correct punctuation. I don't know about you, but i am not the best speller. I make sure to proof read all of my papers many times to check all of my punctuation and spelling. Although I may proof read many times it doesn't mean that I'll catch all of my mistakes and that is the exact reason why it is a good idea to have someone proof read your paper as well.
While editing you check to make sure your paper flows well together. You make sure your paragraphs are fitting into the right places as well as your sentences. This as well as proof reading needs to have a peer perspective and not just your own.
In the future just remember that proof reading and editing are two different things and need to be done.

revising at its finest

Many people don't realize it but revising a paper can be the most important part of writing a paper. When going over a paper you can find the most simple mistakes you made in the initial writing you did. Going over your paper can help you to revise those mistakes made. Some steps you can take according to the reading include; check your thesis, follow an outline, and revise your beginning and ending.
When checking your thesis make sure it matches to your purpose of the paper. while following your outline make sure you have all the right parts to your paper. As you revise your beginning make sure you have drawn the attention of your audience. Finally while revising your ending make sure it comes to a close so not to cliff hang your readers.

narratives, oh the possiblities...

Narratives, they can tell you so much. You can express yourself in so many ways and for so many reasons. You can even express a lesson you may have learned through a moral of a story within your paper. You might even learn something about yourself that you didn't know before. The possibilities are endless when writing a narrative paper.
When I write a narrative I find it helpful to just write out ideas. I also make sure I write about topics that are very important me. As long as you make sure to speak from within and properly plan out your paper you will come out with a good narrative paper.

Ideas. How do i go about putting them to my paper?

Ideas, everyone has a million of them floating through their heads every moment of the day. It only seems like we have none when we are in front of a piece of paper or a computer screen about to write a paper, its almost like they all have flown away from our heads. Luckily there are many ways of getting your ideas on your paper. These include; freewriting, looping, listing, clustering, cubing, questioning, outlining, letter writing, and discovery drafting.
I personally use the freewriting, listing, and outlining methods. In freewriting its as simple as it sounds, you write freely letting the ideas flow from your mind. In listing you simply list ideas and details on a piece of paper which you can refer back to as you write your paper. Finally, in outlining you can create an informal or formal outline of what you are going to write and how you are going to write your paper.
As i stated before there are many other ways of getting your ideas flowing. So, while you are writing your next paper play around with these methods because you never know what you could come up with.

what is my purpose in writing?

In the Norton Field Guide to Writing book they say that all writing has purpose. I completely agree. In my opinion when someone is writing something they are trying to get a point across to the audience who is reading the writing. There are other instances in which someone might write to explore thoughts and emotions with oneself for therapeutic reasons or maybe even as an art to express themselves. Whatever the purpose may be, everyone has one when writing.
Now to answer my own question. My purpose in writing changes from one paper to another. I could be simply writing a letter to friend to express my feelings, writing a persuasive paper for a class to get a point of mine across, or even just texting a friend to say hello. No matter what type of writing i am doing i always have a purpose behind it.
Writing will always have a purpose no matter what you have to say. In conclusion as i write and read in the years to come i will no longer think of a writing as just words on a paper but as something that has meaning and a purpose to the writer.

my first post

exciting.... i guess?