The movie Zardoz, to be honest, might be the worst movie I have ever seen. Honestly, how would someone like Sean Connery sign on to do that movie. I think that it must have been because of the Bond stage he was in and in Zardoz there was also a lot of women around him all the time. ONLY EXPLANATION.
However, the movie does show the idea of following an idea of something more than one’s self no matter how silly it is. The people of the Outlands follow Zardoz simply because he has told them that they are called or special people. This shows that people want to feel important to a being that is higher than themselves and fell that they are special. I think this really boils down to one’s insecurities that all humans possess. These insecurities lead to many different things but I think that this movie is a prime example of insecurities forcing one to a certain religion.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Brock Hughes-21
The movie 21 was an awesome movie. I really enjoyed the whole thing and I am really glad that we went to see the movie. I honestly still cannot really relate it to religion but I thought it was a sweet movie. The movie was about six MIT students that are brilliant minds, how I figure all the students at the school are. The main character needed to be able to pay for his school tuition so joins a group of students who are busy beating the casinos every weekend in Vegas to strike it rich. The only real parallel I saw with religion is the warning of letting earthly things become what motivates one into doing something. This group of students is seduced by the big money they can win and they allow it to become their master, which ultimately puts their lives in danger.
The Bible says that material possessions should not control our actions or thoughts; which I think is a great idea and something that should be followed because if that is your only pursuit in life you are going to get in a lot of trouble with other people that you step on to get to the top!
The Bible says that material possessions should not control our actions or thoughts; which I think is a great idea and something that should be followed because if that is your only pursuit in life you are going to get in a lot of trouble with other people that you step on to get to the top!
Karen Schomaker- Motorcycle Culture
A few of my friends are bikers, and they love it like nothing else. I recently got the opportunity to ride on my first bike with my friend Butler. I couldn't tell you any details about the bike, but I can tell you it was red. I can also tell you that it took him a year to finally convince me that I wasn't going to die. After one particularly stressful week on a Friday night I finally gave in to Butler's pleas and got on the bike.
After the initial freak out of "oh holy heck this bike is going to fall, I'm going to end up in the hospital, and how the hell am i going to finish up my senior seminar's from bed with a thousand broken bones?" it was amazing. We hoped on the I-64 and rode down to VA Beach. The physical experience is one thing- feeling the full force of the wind on your body, seeing the ground below your feet, and knowing that one wrong move could lead to disaster- but the mental aspect was mind-blowing in its own right. I noticed things I had never noticed, and I have driven along this road numerous times. I noticed the stars in the sky, I paid attention to the trees, and as we grew closer to the water I could smell the salt in the air.
Slowly the worries I felt earlier that night regarding all the work I had been trudging through this semester melted away and I could just think about the present. I thought about the future, I thought about the past. I realized that I like where I am in my life, and while there are things I wish I could change, there are other things that I will never be able to forget. I realized how lucky I am to have my friends and my family, and that with their support I can get through anything that comes my way.
There was something about being on the back of that bike that enabled me to let go of worries, and embrace the present. My mind cleared out and I was able to just have on of those experiences where I was fully in the present- the here and now. Once my mind was clear I was able to give way to the random simple thought slowly sift in. It was an amazing experience in that it was a feeling I had never before experienced, and I gained greater understanding for those who are a part of this biker culture.
After the initial freak out of "oh holy heck this bike is going to fall, I'm going to end up in the hospital, and how the hell am i going to finish up my senior seminar's from bed with a thousand broken bones?" it was amazing. We hoped on the I-64 and rode down to VA Beach. The physical experience is one thing- feeling the full force of the wind on your body, seeing the ground below your feet, and knowing that one wrong move could lead to disaster- but the mental aspect was mind-blowing in its own right. I noticed things I had never noticed, and I have driven along this road numerous times. I noticed the stars in the sky, I paid attention to the trees, and as we grew closer to the water I could smell the salt in the air.
Slowly the worries I felt earlier that night regarding all the work I had been trudging through this semester melted away and I could just think about the present. I thought about the future, I thought about the past. I realized that I like where I am in my life, and while there are things I wish I could change, there are other things that I will never be able to forget. I realized how lucky I am to have my friends and my family, and that with their support I can get through anything that comes my way.
There was something about being on the back of that bike that enabled me to let go of worries, and embrace the present. My mind cleared out and I was able to just have on of those experiences where I was fully in the present- the here and now. Once my mind was clear I was able to give way to the random simple thought slowly sift in. It was an amazing experience in that it was a feeling I had never before experienced, and I gained greater understanding for those who are a part of this biker culture.
Karen Schomaker- Film 1
I titled this "film 1" in case I blog again about film, but who knows if I will. I'm kind of enjoying sharing a few thoughts randomly right now, even though I'm not sure if it is what we are supposed to do here. But, seeing as how this is a film class, I probably ought to talk about film in at least one blog.
One thing that I have noticed is that we have watched a whole heck of a lot of war films. Okay, maybe only 2 in class, but I feel like it has been more- especially with my friends this semester. And the more war films I watch, the more I feel they are all the same. America is entrenched in deep horrific warfare against some faceless evil. We are the good, they are the bad, and we must fight to win- we must fight for glory. Blood, guts, sweat, and tears pour forward until I'm not sure I can take the cinematic jumble anymore. But with this comes the underlying internal struggle within the few main characters who question the point of the war, and how their involvement adds to or takes away from the meaning of their life.
I get it- battle is crazy, intense, gory, and emotions are wild and high- but how many movies do we need to watch before we understand this? How much money does Hollywood need to pour into the industry so that we as viewers can get the same message in a different way. Call me a cynic, or overly critical, but I think all these films are the same after a while. Yes, they are done differently, some present the message more artistically than others, but when I walk out of the theater with the same "war is horror, men struggle to find meaning, but in the end the learn more about themselves and become stronger because of it.... unless they die, but they died in peace" message I just stop caring. What I want to see is something different- something spectacular- or perhaps something that shows war as boring, where soldiers sit around a lot, and some never see a battle. I realize this doesn't make for award-winning drama, and wouldn't pull in numbers to the box office, but those messages are just as important aren't they?
One thing that I have noticed is that we have watched a whole heck of a lot of war films. Okay, maybe only 2 in class, but I feel like it has been more- especially with my friends this semester. And the more war films I watch, the more I feel they are all the same. America is entrenched in deep horrific warfare against some faceless evil. We are the good, they are the bad, and we must fight to win- we must fight for glory. Blood, guts, sweat, and tears pour forward until I'm not sure I can take the cinematic jumble anymore. But with this comes the underlying internal struggle within the few main characters who question the point of the war, and how their involvement adds to or takes away from the meaning of their life.
I get it- battle is crazy, intense, gory, and emotions are wild and high- but how many movies do we need to watch before we understand this? How much money does Hollywood need to pour into the industry so that we as viewers can get the same message in a different way. Call me a cynic, or overly critical, but I think all these films are the same after a while. Yes, they are done differently, some present the message more artistically than others, but when I walk out of the theater with the same "war is horror, men struggle to find meaning, but in the end the learn more about themselves and become stronger because of it.... unless they die, but they died in peace" message I just stop caring. What I want to see is something different- something spectacular- or perhaps something that shows war as boring, where soldiers sit around a lot, and some never see a battle. I realize this doesn't make for award-winning drama, and wouldn't pull in numbers to the box office, but those messages are just as important aren't they?
Karen Schomaker- Reflection on Existentialism
When I was writing my paper for this class on Easy Rider and existentialism, I kept coming across new definitions and explanations for existentialism. This made it difficult for me to come up with a solid idea on what it means to be an existentialist and what it entails. Eventually I settled on exploring two philosophers- Soren Kierkegaard and Jean-Paul Sartre, both of whom are well-versed in this ideal, making it easy to find information.
However, what I found interesting about these two was that despite the fact that they were talking essentially about the same thing, there were large differences. Kierkegaard looks at existentialism in the ideas of the "leap of faith" and individual subjectivity, specifically looking at how this ties in with religion, God, and true faith. Sartre is an atheist who disagrees with Kierkegaard's philosophy regarding it's religious contexts, but takes the philosophy to a more social and political level- looking specifically at the individual and the idea that man is free to create his own essence. As a scene in Easy Rider highlights briefly with a sign in the brothel, "Death only closes a mans reputation and determines it good or bad" which is a reflection on Sartre's argument that it is impossible to define a man until he no longer exists because man is always changing with the context in which he leaves, and arguably the subjectivity he has within his life.
However, what I found interesting about these two was that despite the fact that they were talking essentially about the same thing, there were large differences. Kierkegaard looks at existentialism in the ideas of the "leap of faith" and individual subjectivity, specifically looking at how this ties in with religion, God, and true faith. Sartre is an atheist who disagrees with Kierkegaard's philosophy regarding it's religious contexts, but takes the philosophy to a more social and political level- looking specifically at the individual and the idea that man is free to create his own essence. As a scene in Easy Rider highlights briefly with a sign in the brothel, "Death only closes a mans reputation and determines it good or bad" which is a reflection on Sartre's argument that it is impossible to define a man until he no longer exists because man is always changing with the context in which he leaves, and arguably the subjectivity he has within his life.
Karen Schomaker- Personal Reflection
Have you ever stopped to think about yourself? Who are you? How have you grown and developed over a certain period of time?
I think most of us do this at multiple points in our lives- I know that I do, especially when I hit "turning points" in my life- such as graduation, or the beginning or end to a relationship. A few years ago, when I was just a freshman in college, I was easily influenced by other people's opinions and views- especially my new friends because I desperately wanted to fit in and be thought of as normal. When my roommate talked about how she was an atheist and thought religion was false it made me stop and contemplate about my own views. Although I did not agree with her (there were a lot of things we failed to agree on...) I did start to wonder about why I felt a strong attachment to my Catholic faith.
I am a born and raised Catholic- and growing up I barely questioned it. I went to church with my parents, I went to Sunday school, I learned my prayers and could recite the creed by heart. In middle school, after hitting a rough patch with my family at home, I started questioning religion and God's existence. After some exploration I decided that even if I was wrong, I was better off continuing my faith because of the comfort it provided and the community I was a part of. In high school this commitment continued and I took an active role in my church- specifically by joining a Diocesan Youth Council that met monthly to develop an annual youth convention for the Richmond Diocese. Through this I became part of a unique community, and my peers who were also a part of this council became a strong support in my life.
So why is it when I got to college I was so willing to drop these affiliations? Why did my need for affiliation with my roommate and other friends become a larger priority than the community that I had felt so close to before college? I have no idea, but I do know that I have spent the past four years struggling to recreate a definition for myself and my beliefs. I know what I believe, and I know it's a constant struggle of doubt, but how is this defined? When I get older and am trying to raise kids, what will I tell them? Will they be just as confused as me? Will I return to the Catholic Church for guidance?
I think most of us do this at multiple points in our lives- I know that I do, especially when I hit "turning points" in my life- such as graduation, or the beginning or end to a relationship. A few years ago, when I was just a freshman in college, I was easily influenced by other people's opinions and views- especially my new friends because I desperately wanted to fit in and be thought of as normal. When my roommate talked about how she was an atheist and thought religion was false it made me stop and contemplate about my own views. Although I did not agree with her (there were a lot of things we failed to agree on...) I did start to wonder about why I felt a strong attachment to my Catholic faith.
I am a born and raised Catholic- and growing up I barely questioned it. I went to church with my parents, I went to Sunday school, I learned my prayers and could recite the creed by heart. In middle school, after hitting a rough patch with my family at home, I started questioning religion and God's existence. After some exploration I decided that even if I was wrong, I was better off continuing my faith because of the comfort it provided and the community I was a part of. In high school this commitment continued and I took an active role in my church- specifically by joining a Diocesan Youth Council that met monthly to develop an annual youth convention for the Richmond Diocese. Through this I became part of a unique community, and my peers who were also a part of this council became a strong support in my life.
So why is it when I got to college I was so willing to drop these affiliations? Why did my need for affiliation with my roommate and other friends become a larger priority than the community that I had felt so close to before college? I have no idea, but I do know that I have spent the past four years struggling to recreate a definition for myself and my beliefs. I know what I believe, and I know it's a constant struggle of doubt, but how is this defined? When I get older and am trying to raise kids, what will I tell them? Will they be just as confused as me? Will I return to the Catholic Church for guidance?
Karen Schomaker- The Pope Goes Digital
The other day, while on facebook, I was caught a discussion in one of my groups. Someone had posted a news link (provided below) about how the Pope has decided to go digital in order to "better connect with youth". Apparently, for World Youth Day in July the Pope plans to send out text messages to thousands of young catholics in Australia.
While this is amusing, I'm also confused. First- how is the Pope supposed to get all these mobile numbers so that he can send them? How is he going to find a phone that will store all of the numbers (I think my phone will only hold a couple hundred, which is way more than I need)? When is he going to find the time to sit down and send these texts? Are they going to be personalized- or a random mass message? Is it really going to be from the Pope? Who is going to show the man how to use the phone? Can those getting the text then save the Pope's number and call him back later for a personal chat? And finally- How the heck can I get on that list? I want a text from the Pope!
This also raises the question of how is it that youth have allowed themselves to become so disconnected with the non-technological world that the Pope has to resort to text messaging in order to reach them? This bothers me on multiple levels, but mainly on the idea that today's youth- myself included- have become to heavily dependent on our technology that we fail to be able to see what is important beyond what we can find on our computers, ipods, and cell phones. Even more so- we try to enforce this idea and dependence onto our elders. When our parents struggle to learn how to use the cell phones beyond the basics of making a phone call, or do not understand how to do more with a computer than turn it on and check email, we laugh at their incapabilities. But what does this say about us? Have we become so disenfranchised with the real world and the ideals we were raised on that we have forced ourselves to turn to technology to be our guide, as opposed to God? What does our example, as the generation between those who do not depend on technology and those who have not known a world without it, say to today's young generation- those who look up to us as an example of what to expect, and what is appropriate?
Should the Pope really have to resort to mass text messaging in order to reach today's youth, or should the youth realize that there is more to life than the machine in their pocket, and turn to our elders to seek information?
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSSYD19071020080507?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews
While this is amusing, I'm also confused. First- how is the Pope supposed to get all these mobile numbers so that he can send them? How is he going to find a phone that will store all of the numbers (I think my phone will only hold a couple hundred, which is way more than I need)? When is he going to find the time to sit down and send these texts? Are they going to be personalized- or a random mass message? Is it really going to be from the Pope? Who is going to show the man how to use the phone? Can those getting the text then save the Pope's number and call him back later for a personal chat? And finally- How the heck can I get on that list? I want a text from the Pope!
This also raises the question of how is it that youth have allowed themselves to become so disconnected with the non-technological world that the Pope has to resort to text messaging in order to reach them? This bothers me on multiple levels, but mainly on the idea that today's youth- myself included- have become to heavily dependent on our technology that we fail to be able to see what is important beyond what we can find on our computers, ipods, and cell phones. Even more so- we try to enforce this idea and dependence onto our elders. When our parents struggle to learn how to use the cell phones beyond the basics of making a phone call, or do not understand how to do more with a computer than turn it on and check email, we laugh at their incapabilities. But what does this say about us? Have we become so disenfranchised with the real world and the ideals we were raised on that we have forced ourselves to turn to technology to be our guide, as opposed to God? What does our example, as the generation between those who do not depend on technology and those who have not known a world without it, say to today's young generation- those who look up to us as an example of what to expect, and what is appropriate?
Should the Pope really have to resort to mass text messaging in order to reach today's youth, or should the youth realize that there is more to life than the machine in their pocket, and turn to our elders to seek information?
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSSYD19071020080507?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews
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