Apr/15/2011 08:50
Connor sends this in:
Intelligence agencies hunting for terrorists in World of Warcraft
The FBI raided the apartment of two University of Michigan students to investigate "potentially fraudulent sales or purchases of virtual currency that people use to advance in the popular online role-playing game World of Warcraft."
Two students, a sophomore and a junior, share a University Towers apartment in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but claim the feds have the wrong people as neither of them even play WoW. Records show that "laptop computers, hard drives, video game systems, credit cards, a cell phone, paperwork and other computer equipment" were seized. The college sophomore told AnnArbor.com, "They thought we were involved in some kind of fraud. I'm pretty sure they have the wrong people, but they took all my stuff."
[Full article here]
Intelligence agencies hunting for terrorists in World of Warcraft
The FBI raided the apartment of two University of Michigan students to investigate "potentially fraudulent sales or purchases of virtual currency that people use to advance in the popular online role-playing game World of Warcraft."
Two students, a sophomore and a junior, share a University Towers apartment in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but claim the feds have the wrong people as neither of them even play WoW. Records show that "laptop computers, hard drives, video game systems, credit cards, a cell phone, paperwork and other computer equipment" were seized. The college sophomore told AnnArbor.com, "They thought we were involved in some kind of fraud. I'm pretty sure they have the wrong people, but they took all my stuff."
[Full article here]
Framing things as "Not Real" with Language
Apr/14/2011 09:23
As mentioned in class...
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Pap Smears at Walgreens | ||||
| ||||
Apr/14/2011 08:19
Benjamin sends this in:
65 Ways That Everything That You Think That You Own Is Being Systematically Taken Away From You
Everything that you own is slowly being taken away from you. It is being done purposely and it is being done by design. Many Americans like to think of themselves as "well off", but as will be demonstrated below, we don't "own" nearly as much as we think that we do. The truth is that most of us have to frantically run around accumulating wealth as rapidly as we can so that we can somehow stay ahead of the rate that wealth is being taken away from us. The entire system is designed to take what you have away from you. There are many ways that this is accomplished - taxation, inflation, debt, interest, fines, fees, tickets, government seizures and good old-fashioned corporate greed. If you tried to just sit back and do nothing but hold on to the wealth that you already have you would find out that it would disappear rather quickly. When you take the time to really analyze our system the conclusion is undeniable - everything that you think that you own is being systematically taken away from you.
[Full article here]
65 Ways That Everything That You Think That You Own Is Being Systematically Taken Away From You
Everything that you own is slowly being taken away from you. It is being done purposely and it is being done by design. Many Americans like to think of themselves as "well off", but as will be demonstrated below, we don't "own" nearly as much as we think that we do. The truth is that most of us have to frantically run around accumulating wealth as rapidly as we can so that we can somehow stay ahead of the rate that wealth is being taken away from us. The entire system is designed to take what you have away from you. There are many ways that this is accomplished - taxation, inflation, debt, interest, fines, fees, tickets, government seizures and good old-fashioned corporate greed. If you tried to just sit back and do nothing but hold on to the wealth that you already have you would find out that it would disappear rather quickly. When you take the time to really analyze our system the conclusion is undeniable - everything that you think that you own is being systematically taken away from you.
[Full article here]
When Fantasy Things are Stolen
Apr/02/2011 08:14
Meagan sends in an episode of The Big Bang Theory that I can’t seem to get to embed...
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/big_bang_theory/video/?pid=N_TTYRj7EhS_dJEq0idU3eAMo7QVklNr&vs=Default&play=true
Sheldon’s World of Warcraft things are stolen.
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/big_bang_theory/video/?pid=N_TTYRj7EhS_dJEq0idU3eAMo7QVklNr&vs=Default&play=true
Sheldon’s World of Warcraft things are stolen.
South Park on Wrestling
Apr/01/2011 08:17
Connor sends this in -- the very smart (as always) South Park episode on WWE.
http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s13e10-wtf
http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s13e10-wtf
Fantasy Island
Feb/22/2011 09:37
The point is always: The fantasies you want aren’t good for you. We need to think more about this whole dynamic, and why we (people? Americans?) are so interested in the idea that fantasies will always go wrong.
My paper including Densha otoko
Feb/22/2011 09:34
Again, remember to read it as a talk, not an article. It is a very different genre!
Densha otoko appears toward the end.
PDF is here.
Densha otoko appears toward the end.
PDF is here.
Female Android
Feb/10/2011 10:59
From Martin as well (by way of Osaka Japan):
This is a great example of “the uncanny valley” (also originally theorized in Japan), which is something we’ll continue to think about over the course of the semester.
This is a great example of “the uncanny valley” (also originally theorized in Japan), which is something we’ll continue to think about over the course of the semester.
Techno / Military / Fantasy Mimicry
Feb/10/2011 10:49
Connor sends this in. He sees similarities between “BigDog” and the Metal Gear Gekko from Metal Gear Solid 4.
From Metal Gear Solid:
BigDog:
From Metal Gear Solid:
BigDog:
Unconditional Love
Jan/29/2011 19:25
This week, in a conversation about something not particularly related to fantasy, I found myself recommending this radio show to a student. It is quite amazing and I am posting it here in case others might also want to listen. There are certainly possible connections with fantasy and, given our conversation about the conditions of possibility for love, I would be happy to hear your reactions.
The embedded font is a bit hard to read, so I’ll paste a description below.
317:
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Originally aired 09.15.2006
Stories of unconditional love between parents and children, and how hard love can be sometimes in daily practice.
PROLOGUE.
Hard as it is to believe, during the early Twentieth Century, a whole school of mental health professionals decided that unconditional love was a terrible thing to give a child. The government printed pamphlets warning mothers against the dangers of holding their kids. The head of the American Psychological Association and even a mothers' organization endorsed the position that mothers were dangerous—until psychologist Harry Harlow set out to prove them wrong, through a series of experiments with monkeys. Host Ira Glass talks with Deborah Blum, author of Love at Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection. (9 minutes)
ACT ONE. LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD.
Alix Spiegel tells the story of a couple, Heidi and Rick Solomon, who adopt a son who was raised in terrible circumstances in a Romanian orphanage, unable to feel attachments to anyone...and what they do about it. (27 minutes)
Song: "Loveless Town", Sarah Blust
ACT TWO. HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT.
Dave Royko talks about the decision he and his wife faced recently about his autistic son's future, and whether he should continue to live with the family. (19 minutes)
The embedded font is a bit hard to read, so I’ll paste a description below.
317:
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Originally aired 09.15.2006
Stories of unconditional love between parents and children, and how hard love can be sometimes in daily practice.
PROLOGUE.
Hard as it is to believe, during the early Twentieth Century, a whole school of mental health professionals decided that unconditional love was a terrible thing to give a child. The government printed pamphlets warning mothers against the dangers of holding their kids. The head of the American Psychological Association and even a mothers' organization endorsed the position that mothers were dangerous—until psychologist Harry Harlow set out to prove them wrong, through a series of experiments with monkeys. Host Ira Glass talks with Deborah Blum, author of Love at Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection. (9 minutes)
ACT ONE. LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD.
Alix Spiegel tells the story of a couple, Heidi and Rick Solomon, who adopt a son who was raised in terrible circumstances in a Romanian orphanage, unable to feel attachments to anyone...and what they do about it. (27 minutes)
Song: "Loveless Town", Sarah Blust
ACT TWO. HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT.
Dave Royko talks about the decision he and his wife faced recently about his autistic son's future, and whether he should continue to live with the family. (19 minutes)