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January 30, 2007
When Cyborgs Have Feelings
What is this one, "When Cyborgs Have Feelings?" you're saying. Yup. I know what you're thinking, you're thinking, "This post is going to be about AI or maybe IA, Isaac Asimov."
'Kay, no, this isn't about futuristic gadgetry that figures out how to think, but about a movie that is.
Yesterday I got to tell three sets of people the story of how I just saw Ghost in the Shell.
You get different responses, of course, from different groups. And hearing what they all thought about the movie was kind of neat and put it in a different perspective and stuff. Some were California designers. Some actually knew a helluva lot more about anime than me. Some were folks I've been hanging out with lately as the days grow longer, hibernation comes to a close, and we all crawl out of our caves.
Anyway, getting back to shells and ghosts and stuff. I really didn't "get" this movie. I mean, first it was all dubbed over in English (which Akira and I didn't realize until we got to the END and the menu bar popped up and it said "Japanese with English subtitles" and we both cursed because 1) you really lose a lot of the character when those dubbed people voice over and you know, it's always the same people and voices, isn't it! and 2) Akira's native language is actually Japanese. So what if I don't understand これは難しい日本語の文章じゃないけど、だったらいいな。I mean, he does. And if 50% of the audience is right there getting it, then man, you know that is better than 0%.
So this movie was one of the ones that inspired Matrix, according to some credible sources. Anyway, I am a big fan of Matrix. Keanu Reeves did better in this than when he was chewing all that stupid gum in Speed.
So yeah, I saw the first Matrix on its opening night in the way front seat of a theatre somewhere in Manhattan. I was with a bunch of art students from Pratt, whom I was running with in those days, and we were all excited about the whole cape and kung fu and judo and slow-mo and title sequences and green laser lights bouncing around doing their thing.
The Fifth Element, the Matrix, and that one with Tom Cruise and those women who can see the future and have those little red "Yes" balls that roll around--what the heck was that movie? All of these seem to have been influenced by Ghost in the Shell. And I'm not a movie critic, okay. It's not like I've watched 4,582 movies through my childhood and teenage and early 20 years.
But I do like the motion of photography and sound, along with the time bit of it. Except for in dreams, you just don't get that anywhere else but film.
Posted by Dipika at 5:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 22, 2007
The Natural Nirvana Guarantee
There is this little incense store I went to yesterday at Pike Place Market. Everything inside, except the guy and girl chatting across the counter ["plastic is really not a big deal for the planet in the scheme of things," he said, and she said "I don't get it," and he waves his hands and goes "time-travel!"] is from India or Nepal or Tibet.
In the window, I found a "Ganesh kit." Not even in Ahmedabad have I seen one of these! On the front of the box it says: "Includes incense, instruction guide, prayer cards and a beautiful hand-crafted deity."
What is this about? And anyway, Ganesh does not hang out in the way the artist has depicted here, what is going on with that? Maybe having the Hindu gods do anything you want is part of the Natural Nirvana Guarantee.
Posted by Dipika at 1:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 18, 2007
"All Kinds of Crazy People Walking Around"
This random guy, about 22, with frumpy clothes and curly blond hair walks into Design Kompany's office today when there's only two of us here. We're on a streetfront that's kinda busy and since this is Urban Living there are all kinds of characters strolling by, or as M says, "All kinds of crazy people walking around."
S: Looks like he's coming in.
D: Hm.
S: ...
D: ...
G: Are you accepting applications for employment?
S: No, sorry.
G: Are you accepting applications for employment?
D: Um, no.
G: I'm drug-free.
D: ...
S: ...
G: Is this a drug free establishment?
D: ...
S: ...
G: I only have six dollars and I'm really hungry.
D: Sorry, I wish we could help out, but we're pretty small.
S: ...
G: Do you take vitamins?
D: What.
G: Vitamins. Do you take vitamins?
D: No.
G: You should. You'll grow bigger.
Posted by Dipika at 5:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 9, 2007
Philosophizing Relativism: Are You Happy?
--I know, but it's just so general to say that when you're not saying anything at all. It doesn't describe anything.
--Why not? Sure it does. I'm talking about the equation of y versus x, you know what I mean? I mean if y is 'happiness,' than what is x? As in, what does y depend on?
--Depends on a lot of things. Comfort, security, safety, love, friendship, wealth, health, freedom... buncha stuff. Some people just choose to weight some of these things more heavily than others.
--So everyone's on a different trajectory, you mean.
--Yeah.
--So if my x, wait. So my x weighs some things more heavily than others, is what you're saying.
--Yeah.
--...
--...
--I don't know. That's not a very satisfying answer.
--Why.
--I mean, isn't it just naysayerish to throw your hands up in the air all the time and say, "It depends." I mean, isn't the purpose of science to break things down into quantifiable chunks so you can really see links and make comparisons and contrasts? I mean--
--No, because--
--'No!'
--Hey, I'm not saying it isn't. I'm just saying that it has to do more with the relative perceptions than anything else. I mean, if someone asks you point-blank, 'Are you happy?,' there are way too many variables that are weighted differently according to each person that you can't have an objective yes-or-no-answer.
--But this Italian guy I met on Friday asked me 'Are you happy' and I said, 'dunno,' and he said, 'Dunno!? But can't you just feel it in your heart! It's like... you just know it. And he starts waving his hands all in the air and goes, 'I know it if I'm happy or not,' he says. "I just know it... it's like... being in love!"
--...
--That's quite a line, huh.
--Quite.
Posted by Dipika at 6:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack