Dueling Pop Culture

Movies that are produced by the big movie studios are designed to "win you over". Even so, the movie wouldn't be produced if the executives weren't confident that the movie audience would relate to the theme. This is the delicate but interesting spot that popular culture is in. Pop Culture affects the attitudes of the masses, but at the same time must play to the core beliefs of those same masses before it can try to give them a new perspective and possibly a new direction.

In this day and age there are various issues confronting people. Some of them involve political opinion. Movies often attempt to influence public opinion on political issues by winning an audience over to a character and then her beliefs. Then they make the symbol of the opposing side into a "bad guy". Sometimes, situations in movies are used as metaphors for certain modern political good guys or villains. In this environment it is no surprise that there are different and conflicting "messages" portrayed by the movies. If you saw certain movies back-to-back and thought about what the metaphors stood for you might feel a little uncomfortable at your own inner conflicts.

Three movies that come to mind that deal with similar issues are Avatar, Star Trek (all the movies adhere to the same overall history and belief system), and Pearl Harbor. All three of these movies deal with war, technology, pacifism, belligerence, and savagery. On a larger scale these three movies deal with who's world-view is the right one.

Avatar is about a planet of indigenous creatures called the Navi. In this world, humans are alien and are trying to exploit the resources of the planet Pandora. In the process of exploitation there happens to be a very large tree home in the way. The humans are determined to remove the tree and obtain the precious "unobtanium" beneath it. This is destroying the most important home and symbol of their culture.

This movie portrays the invaders as ruthless inconsiderate bad guys and the indigenous people look pure, innocent, wise, and somewhat pacifist. The messages here seem to be about certain countries using their military might to bully less powerful ones. We call it Imperialism and it has been a factor throughout the history of the Western World. But the parallel doesn't end there. It seems likely that some might be thinking "what business does the US Military have in overseas occupations like Iraq and Afghanistan?"

On the other hand, Star Trek seems to have a lot more sympathy for civilization. Captain Kirk seems to find himself either fighting to save civilization from destruction or asking aliens (who are worthy enough) to join the coolest thing ever, the "United Federation of Planets". The mission of "Star Fleet" has an imperialist sound to it:


"To explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before."

Seeking out new life seems to mean 'to get them to join the UFP or vaporize them'. In fact, the races that refused to join were either savage (Klingons and Romulans) or don't have real bodies (the Organians and the Q).

Pearl Harbor has a very different message than Avatar. That is, pacifism can get you killed. Those brave home boys are out there protecting the country from the savage Japs who don't even have the decency to send a letter before bombing your stuff. The message includes the rally that we have to be willing to fight to protect our "way of life."

All three of these movies have high emotional content that prepare you for the messages that tend to follow. In some movies with these messages are sometimes subliminal as you gradually realize what the symbolic representations might mean. We are actually having sympathy for a cause before we know what that cause is. Therefore, as observers, we are presented with the choice to take what we feel is right but also sometimes allow ourselves to be influenced or at least have sympathy for the "other side."

Be a Skeptic

It's interesting, funny, and troubling to think about the many urban legends that circulate from person to person or on the internet. Some of the stories have been around for decades or centuries, before the internet, being spread by human contact.    

  Many of these older stories are ripe for another go-round. For example, the girl who kept her pony tails too long without brushing them out. A family of spiders hatched in her hair and ate her scalp. 

The stories are interesting because they are creative. These stories are intriguing, often gruesome, sometimes funny.It can be both entertaining and troubling to see how vulnerable the human psyche is to unbelievable, ridiculous stories. On the other hand, there are a small number of items that have been found to be true. So, how is someone to evaluate which are silly and which are worthy cautionary warnings? Are there thinking skills we can use to evaluate Urban Legends? What about other stories and claims that we are confronted with in life? How can we use reason and critical thinking to evaluate all these things?

                   

There are several organizations that try to bring folks back to their senses and reason on these stories. One entertaining and thought-encouraging site I found is urbanlegends.about.com. This site has a fun approach to discussing and investigating urban legends, myths, and audacious stories. All the time, evidence is reviewed, and reasonable thinking is encouraged. There are discussions relating old folklore to newer regurgitated stories. Beyond being useful in evaluating Urban Legends, it seems that the reasoning skills that are encouraged on this site would also useful for evaluating all types of claims, including sales pitches!

The charter of the site talks about human values and cultures:

"Here we'll explore the fundamentals of folklore and urban legends -- what they are, where they come from, and what roles they play in human cultures, now and down through history."     

             

 Indeed, there are several tools on this site that are intended to educate you on general folklore, and test your "Urban Legends IQ". You can take various quizzes that cover history and make you think about how you already react and reason on these things.

                   

 David Emery seems to be the main writer on this site. Reading his bio it seems that he amply qualified to discuss these topics. His mission statement is placed in his profile. In it he states his intent and the types of stories he investigates:

                   

"On this site we'll debunk, deconstruct, and, wherever possible, simply revel in the strangest, scariest, funniest, most popular tall tales, rumors, and hoaxes people see fit to share, both online and off. I'm pleased to have you join me in what promises to be a constantly entertaining, ever-enlightening exploration of the urban legends and folklore of the digital age."

Different stories require different treatment, but generally, a standardized approach seems reasonable. This site seems to show a pattern of examination. First, the story is presented clearly. Second, when they are available, variations of the story are shown to reinforce the basic ideas. After this the facts or lack of facts are examined. Often included are reports, quotes, and findings of people who have investigated the story or have tried to reproduce the results. Where possible, links are made to sites that are generally accepted to be reliable, such as government, education, or medical authorities.

                   

This site promotes critical thinking by appealing to reason and common sense. It also evaluates the story by systematically examining the facts. The quotes are linked to the people who said them so they can be examined. Variations of the stories are included and it often becomes immediately obvious the story is a fabrication.

                   

One of the methods of presenting the urban legend is through video clips.

                   

It would be easy to research the statements made on the clips but you are inclined to pretty much trust that the author is telling the truth. Often there is a further explanation or background information given, along with some appeals to reason. Some of the "legends" are verified to be true, and some reasonable advice is given when it comes to things that could be unsafe to consume or use. The site is interesting and might appeal to a large audience, but I don't see that rigorous critical thinking is compromised.

                   

Urban legends are interesting to read and evaluate. The site urbanlegends.about.com is a fun place to check out the latest urban legends as well as the classics. This site will help reinforce your powers of reason as you learn how to evaluate all kinds of claims and stories.

On the Same Page

The concept of everyone in a community reading the same book and participating in discussions is an interesting notion. As long as people aren't frowned upon for not being interested in reading that book or participating in discussions.

One goal of "group read programs" is to "building a sense of community and promote literacy." Another is "to enrich th experience of reading for everyone, regardless of race, gender, age, income or the neighborhood they call home." I can't help but include the entire Prescott community when I think about some practical approach to deciding on a book.

One of my top considerations would be to avoid politics. Keep in mind there are to be discussions of the book. We don't want them to turn into political debate.

Pollitical bias is extremely wide in Prescott. We'll have to avoid attempts to sway "the other side," whatever that may be. There must be topics that everyone can agree on.

The book should be interesting, fun, and be widely available.

My recommendation would be "Coming of Age in the Milky Way" because it not only fulfills these requirements, but because it lays out the history of science. While it does make some religious beliefs seem silly, it also makes some scientific beliefs seem silly as well. But all in all, it makes the reader feel like we are all in this together and seems like a unifying discussion for people of all types.

Physics Tweeps

It is somewhat ironic that Albert Einstein was considered the Father of Quantum Mechanics. Yes, he did "discover" the photoelectric effect by explaining how and why electons move when light strikes metal. For this he was awarded his only Nobel Prize. But this discovery led to the eventual conclusion that the universe was "lumpy" at sub-atomic sizes. He was never comfortable with the hypotheses that things weren't "smooth", but rather, acted randomly and unpredictably at sub-atomic levels. That's why he made the often misused and misunderstood statement "God does not play dice".

Einstein was rather a champion of his own explanation of the universe, the Theory of General Relativity. General Relativity is very good at explaining the behavior of things larger than atoms, especially the motion of stars and planets, in essence, gravity. Quantum Mechanics specializes in things smaller than an atom and has almost no explanation for gravity. At very small sizes, gravity is so weak that it is not an issue. At very large sizes, gravity is the main force acting on objects in space. Both theories are extremely well tested. But here is the dilemna: BOTH CANNOT BE RIGHT!

Einstein spent the last 30 or so years of his life searching for answers to the dilemna. It became called the search for the Theory of Everything (TOE). It is still the focus of physicists around the world! It has been called the search for a theory of Quantum Gravity. 

Two of the best-known physicists of our time are Brian Green and Michio Kaku.

I chose to follow these two physicists on Twitter because they are both intimately involved with the leading-edge research done on Quantum Gravity. They are both professors and authors and I have read one each of their books.

In the last decade or so, Superstring Theory has gained a lot of support in the physics community. Brian Greene is one of its champions.

His book, "The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory," is easy to understand and provides an interesting and sometimes humorous explanation of the state of the science today and how it evolved over the last century. It also explains the essence of String Theory and why that theory requires 10 dimensions or so, some of them being "curled up". Brian Greene is qualified to speak on the state of the science as he is a professor and co-director of the Institute for Strings, Cosmology, and Astroparticle Physics at Columbia University.

Michio Kaku is the co-founder of string field theory.

Having earned his PhD in physics at the University of California at Berkely, he is now a Professor at the City College of New York. He has published more than 70 peer-reviewed articles and 7 books. He is known as a "popularizer of science" due to his appearances on television programs and film, and his weekly radio show.

I am interested in seeing information about the latest discoveries in string theory and classic particle physics. If a testable theory of Quantum Gravity can be produced, it could provide insight into all the secrets of the universe.

Lovemarks

It was during the time I was working at McDonnell Douglas Tymnet in San Jose when I saw my first Macintosh Computer. The creators of this machine, Apple Computer would soon become my "lovemark" brand, if you will.


At the time I was feeling frustrated that everyone was so resistant to change. We were using clunky "command-line" editors to create our network downtime schedules. I believed there had to be a better way! Even though other parts of the company had developed certain technologies that could make us all more productive, my group had no interest in improving.

One evening I was visiting with some friends who had just bought an Apple Macintosh computer, called a "Mac Plus". This was a "portable" computer because it was a singe-unit construction (plus a keyboard and mouse), weighed less than 50 pounds and it had a handle on it. But what I saw on the screen changed my life. It was unbelievable. You could move a file to the trash by just - moving it. You held a little device in your hand called a "mouse". By moving the mouse along a flat "mouse pad" you could move the arrow on the tiny grey 9-inch screen in any direction! It was mind-blowing! Instead of ugly all-caps green glowing text, there were little graphic images of the files! Rather than remembering the syntax for >: DELETE ##somefile.*, someotherfile.#xx, etc, the "delete" was an image of a trash can! You controlled the computer by moving this little mouse around and clicking on things!

It seemed obvious it would soon become unnecessary to memorize commands. That my skills operating the PDP-10 mainframe, the PDP-11 front-end processor (this was Bill Gates' first niche), Foonly, and IBM AT were now archaic. This disturbed and excited me.

Soon after this, I got a job at a small company called Adobe Systems. Software Test was a new career direction for me. I remember one of the pivotal interview questions was "would you have a problem learning the Macintosh?" I was almost giddy and was very happy to get the job.

As time went on I learned about Steve Jobs and the connection between Apple Computer and Adobe Systems. Steve Jobs' goal was to be able to display anything on the computer screen and print exactly the same thing! Adobe technology made this and the first laser printer possible. This was "getting it".

Way back then, I was mainly a fan of Steve Jobs. Here is someone who seriously "got it". I was lucky to be constantly working with brilliant poeple, all of them Mac fans. Before this I was alone, now I was with family. In the beginning, all our software was designed for Macintosh. Later, we ported Adobe Illustrator 4.0 for Windows but it was really hard and it really sucked because graphics was just an afterthought for Windows. Kind of like cupholders in cars.

After Steve Jobs was forced out of Apple, the dark ages of ignorance and evil had begun to creep in. The investment community didn't know how to think of Apple. The managers that were trained in academia didn't know how to manage Apple. Being able to perceive people's needs and provide a great product to fill them was incomprehensible to them. As Apple got weaker and weaker, Adobe committed to creating all their software in tandem on Macintosh and on Windows. Further, Mac users were being verbally assaulted, being called "Mac Heads"! It was a dark time for the empire.

Eventually, out of desperation, Dr Gil Emelio, CEO of Apple Computer, decided to purchase one of Steve Job's companies, called NeXT (Steve also owned PIXAR!). NeXTSTEP was the undisputed best operating system in the world that could run on a small computer. Guess who came along for the ride? It wasn't long before Steve Jobs became the "Interim CEO" of Apple Computer!

Since then, Apple has been able to convince the world of a better way. They provided the gorgeous iMac, iBook, developed a Mac User Interface for NeXTSTEP and a seamless way for users to migrate to it, the digital Hub was now possible and the Mac could now be the main connection for all sorts of digital devices. They created the iPod, the smart iPhone and the iPad (all major airlines have adopted the iPad to replace the 50 pounds of manuals normally required in the cockpit!).

My most recent experience has been with my 17" Apple MacBook Pro I bought over 5 years ago. It has endured almost constant use with heavy multi-track audio recording sessions, photoshop use, etc. I have not had a single virus or any other problem with this computer. As a result I've been able to focus on my music, the designs on my band website, and all my varied school projects. I don't have to fuss with Windows service packs or virus software or wondering if some hardware device doesn't work with the motherboard. Apple designs both the hardware and software and it's tested together before being shipped to adoring customers. After you buy the computer or other device, you don't have to worry about buying more devices to make it connect. Apple includes all the add-ons. Apple ships beautiful, easy-to-use devices for listening, reading, and communicating. Apple's philosophy of not having to read the manual to get it to work has spread first to Adobe, then other software makers, then hardware makers. That's part of "getting it".

Perhaps my early story is non-typical. I was lucky enough to be there and was part of the changes that were taking place. I felt the smothering stale stuffy frustration of life before the Mac changed the world. I remember the times when I wanted to give up and just drive away and start a simpler life. Since then I observed and learned how some people "got it" and others sought the perceived safety of tradition.

My "lovemark" for Apple Computer has grown from my roots as a human being. We are human beings because we adapted to difficult conditions. We invented tools. We constantly advanced - or we died. But the toolmakers and technology inventors saved the rest from predators and starvation. Just like Windows now has pretty good graphics, sound, music, Premiere, Photoshop, etc. If it wasn't for the Macintosh, there would have been no need for those immense and costly changes to the Microsoft operating system. Does anybody "get it?"

Band Website Review - the Killers

The Killer's are currently a very popular band and have become influential on the music scene. Record companies seem to be creating or signing bands that sound like the Killers. The band hails from Las Vegas and have been an entity for about 10 years.

The band's music brings together sounds from techno, pop, and rock to create something unique and catchy. The lyrics and melodies are highly active, that is, they are designed as the center of focus to drive a feeling. Of course, this may very well be the definition of pop music. While satisfying the basic tenets of pop music, the songs go far beyond them by being intelligent and sophisticated. At the same time, the instrumentals and production allows plenty of room for moodiness. The accompanying music supports the theme, sometimes as little echoing whisps that subtly refine the center of attention, and sometimes as very powerful reinforcement of the justification of the pain you carry down deep.

A little more about the bands persona. They project a no-nonsense aura and at the same time are able to avoid the "take-yourselves-too-seriously" problem. The band is on your side. When you listen to the music you might become subtly aware that we all must be hiding our feelings and protecting them with convoluted structures. The Killer's music creates a very pure brave persona who honestly puts human feelings out there. The conflicts the person faces are real and painful. In the process of doing this, the band also JUSTIFIES your feelings. Yes, there is murder and there are actions and reactions. But there is no ugliness of contrived revenge, passive-aggressive anger or retribution. Of course we all identify with the emotions and this is how the music gets "under your skin."

With the music in mind, lets consider the important images the band must put across on their website. Will it destroy the complex and delicate lattice of opinion I have developed by listening to the music? How will it add to or change my opinion of the band? I am expecting a lot as I click on the Killer's website.

Ooooh when I fist open the page there is an intriquing photo that fills the page. It is a flat, wide-open expanse of frozen land, occupied by a large frozen tour bus and what appears to be a retro (old) TV box, sitting out there alone. The edge of some structure is noticeable on the right edge. This first scene is edgy and tends to enhance the band's image.

The logo is the traditional Killers logo, which looks like an old-fashoned marquee, lit with little lights that are dots. The color of the logo is a light tan. However, as it is placed over the dreary greyish-blue sky background, it appears to be gold. So far, it looks pretty good.

The menu items are also set in light tan. The font is some modern offshoot of Helvetica. It looks modern and retro at the same time. It is beautiful. Due to the thin font and light color, the menu items are difficult to read. They are located in a place that you would expect them to be, top and center, so they are not difficult to find. This weakness becomes a strength when you move the cursor over the text. As you do, the entire menu area changes color enough to read clearly. This is cool. Now you can see how it is layed out. The page menus change to white and the album names are shades of tan/gold. There is nothing cheesy about this site. My opinion of the band is confirmed. They presented something new and it has not disappointed. At the same time, I am intrigued to see if there's a bigger picture.

Hmmm is that all there is on this page? While I'm here, why don't I just drag my mouse-cursor around on the page? It's a cool picture. But wait! When I drag the mouse over the bus, the bus lights come on! A large "TOUR" title appears over the bus. I click on the bus and a page appears showing a list of tour dates and locations. Nice.

I return to the opening page and move the mouse around again. As I drag it over the TV/Radio, it lights up and the word "NEWS" appears above it. Of course! When I click on the TV/Radio, a news page comes up that displays the latest goings-on of the band. Interesting, a U2 tribute album that the Killers are contributing to. Even though I like the band, I get the impression that I underestimated them.

Back to the main page, nothing else lights up. As I move my cursor to the right edge, something unexpected happens. The entire landscape scene moves over and I can see some new structures. This apparently become the page for their first album, "HOT FUSS," which was released in 2004. As you move the mouse around there seem to be random hot-spots that will activate the "HOT FUSS" title. If you click when the title is displayed, you'll get a new page that's superimposed over the page you left. That is, you can still see the scene where you were, but it appears dark and the information about the album appears. Pretty cool.

I want to see what other "scenes" there are. As I hold the cursor near the right edge of the screen, the scene continually and seamlessly scrolls and changes as it moves. The scene changes from day to night and there are various items on the landscape where links are created for "Music", "Photos", another album "SAMS TOWN", "Videos", "Sawdust", "Day and Age", "Gift Shop", and "The Victims" (this would be the fan site).

There is a highway that stretches away from you as if you are standing in the middle of the road. If you click on the road sign that says "Somewhere" you'll be redirected to the fan message board. You have to sign up to be able to see or leave any messages.

The Killer's band site doesn't really do much to reaffirm my original view of the band. I don't feel any connection to any of the song videos I have seen. However, the site creates a sort-of generally mysterious aura for the band and this is consistent with the music. An adoring fan will not be hindered from forging a connection between this site and the aura of the band. The importance of this fact should not be underestimated; this site doesn't limit what the band can do with their music. In this sense I will say it is well done.

Email for Cash!

Here is an urban legend that has been circulating for a while, but it re-appeared in my email recently. This is the story that Microsoft will pay you $245 for each person you forward the email to.

  

Yes! You heard correctly! Microsoft and AOL are performing email beta tests and they are willing to pay big $$ to you if you would just forward this email to all your friends!

When you get this email your mind is fluttering between "this is stupid" and "what if it's real?" The idea is so ludicrous that something happens in your mind. "What if it's REAL!!!" after all, the email quotes lawyers who have "checked it out" and it's all "legit." Plus, what's the big deal... it's easy to forward a few emails.

How can one free themselves of this dilemna? One safe way to start is to consider the facts. What can we know about this type of claim?

Why don't we think about what's going on in technology today? Email is old news. Billions of emails are sent every day. It is one of the simplest forms of communication on the internet since it is usually very small and doesn't involve any special video streaming or special treatment of any kind.

                   

                  The "legend" claims that AOL and Intel have to test their email in order to ensure that AOL remains the most widely used program. The facts are that the internet uses industry standards and there is no way to use a completely proprietary system that the internet can't route. Email programs abound and they are all pretty easy to use. Having a successful email client wouldn't distinguish one company over another or "ensure" anything.

Since the quotes from "lawyers" seem to give the email an aire of legitimacy, let's think about this. These are just words in an email. Can you look up these "lawyers" and verify that they exist and that they actually "checked it out?" It's just easier to go ahead and forward the email... just to be sure!

The most fascinating thing about this email is that someone really did forward it. In fact, this has been bouncing around the internet for years, so thousands of people have been forwarding it. Does this mean all of them have similar reasons for forwarding it? Are they all completely ignorant of technology and how the world works? This particular email was forwarded by a friend of my mom's. Their purpose was probably to feel helpful, needed, "in the know." Their knowledge of computers and internet is limited to sending email and poking around on the internet.

This legend plays upon various "worldviews." One, that the super-rich are soooo rich that they wouldn't notice the stupidity of paying anyone $245 to forward an email. Another "worldview" is that lawyers know everything and will make sure that an email claim is enforced.

When I first saw this email, I thought it was funny and that nobody would believe it. Then I wondered about those people who got their $24,800.00 checks and I thought wow it must be real!!! What do I have to lose! Everything was quite compelling. The big corporations, the rich tycoons, the lawyers. All became a buzz of OMG I gotta get the money or I'll regret it!!!!

                   

But then I realized that all the people that forwarded it to me must have believed it. Apparently, in their rush to get some cash the didn't have time to get the real scoop on snopes. There were a lot of people believing this, with no evidence whatsoever. But if it were so, I'm sure I would have heard that my mom's friend was driving around in a Mercedes.

This legend seems to gain momentum in a population distrustful of large corporations and the government. Conspiracy theories abound. This particular legend plays upon the perceived disconnect of the sort-of alternate rules that large corporations play by.

It is an unsettling thought that the masses (the voting public!) are basically ignorant of the issues facing corporations and government. People who don't have a feel for these issues are most likely to accept and pass on legends like this.