Technology Is A Tool, Not A Life Ruiner

So I'm currently taking a graduate course called Emerging Telecommunication Technologies. Oh I know, how impressive. Except it's not. The textbook is from the early 90s and other readings are from the 60s. Not so emerging.

Really the class is about crotchety old men scared of change. They think technology is ruining which ever is the current generation, making us all more and more stupid. Their 100+ long papers are filled with gargantuous word which I don't have the time or carry the attention span to read. My world involves tweets and articles I can read in three minutes. Characters are much to valuable in technology to be using large words and like most people, I need my news short and fast because I have about million other things to check and do.

I'm in the process of writing an opinion paper for said class and I thought I'd outline my initial thoughts about the way technology is affecting the world here. First of all I would like to make my opinion clear, I do not believe technology is ruining the world. Until we are creating Arnold Schwarzenegger killing machines I think we will all just be fine.

The world is always changing and humans are always adapting. This is the first reason I know we are all going to be okay. Older generations always fear something, like rock and roll, civil rights, and girls in pants. We are getting better at realizing that many of these things won't destroy the world. Most of us understand that future us is going to look back and think about how silly the world was not letting gays marry because we were in fear that would collapse the entire structure of marriage and family. Yes it might change the structure but, like accepting that the world was actual round and Earth was not the center of the universe, maybe things will make more sense and we might actually learn something.

The second reason we can all chill is technology is simply a tool. Just like scuba gear allows us to explore the depths of the ocean, technology allows us to access information almost instantly. It does not actually transform humans in any way. A person is not actually stronger or more talented because they can strap on a scuba suit and swim underwater for an hour. However, human are not going to grow gills or develop bodies that can sustain large amounts of pressure so they can freely dive. Maybe in a million year, but should we really have to wait that long to explore the ocean? I don't think so. If we have the tools we should use them and then use our technology to store the information we collect, research better methods, and communicate across the world.

Third, technology has ruined anything yet, at least not drastically. If it had, many more people would be serious about using it less. It has made us lazier and walk into a few more fountains at the mall but life is still going strong.

Lastly, the problem is with society, not technology. We have become lazy and weak-willed. We make the conscious decision to lay around watching YouTube clips and constantly checking our Facebook. We feel anxious when we are not near our phones to check updates. We do not have to accept that reality. Really just leave your phone at home for the day. Read a book on the weekend and keep your computer off. It really isn't that hard and it may actually feel good. Also, relax and keep everything in perspective. Technology is not a big deal, it is a tool.

Everyone always says that if technology disappeared we would all be screwed. That is not true. We would quickly adapt. Humans always adapt. If it is with technology or not, change will happen and we will learn to live with it.

How To Win A Breakup

Delete their phone number.

Delete photos of you and them together.

Put their stuff in a box.

Try and remember their phone number so they can pick up their stuff.

Write, organize, and rewrite every problem with the relationship, hoping that when they come you have a chance to talk to them and can remember everything you wrote down.

Be sad that they don't want anything back.

Have a "Me" day.

Take the box out to the trash.

Tell all of your friends you have thrown away all of their stuff and you are ready to move on.

Write a status about how good it is to take care of yourself for once.

Speak loudly to your/their friends about how happy you are.

Go out and have a crazy night.

Drink.

Feel lonely.

Drunk text them.

Yell at them that they were a waste of your time.

Go out with a random person.

Show this new person off to friends and tell them again how happy you are.

Hope they feel jealous.

Cry about not being ready to move on.

Stay in for the night.

Read a book.

Take a long shower.

Go to sleep.

Wake up in the morning.

Realize none of that was important and move on with your life.

TIFF Movie Reviews

TIFF this weekend was an amazing experience. Toronto is a big, busy city filled with the nicest Canadians. Our hostel fed us pancakes for breakfast and the other guests kept us entertained with their foreign accents. The film festival was also great. Not only were the movies incredible, they were emotionally exhausting. I had a unique opportunity to see each director speak about their movie as well. Overall, I watched four movies in two and a half days. Of the four, I would like to share three of them. You may realize that they all sound quite depressing, but such is a film festival. Still each of these three films were tremendous stories with great meaning. So here it goes...

White Elephant (Elefante Blanco)
The movie surrounds two priests working in the slums of Buenos Aires, where they are plagued with neighborhood violence, drugs and the police, and government and clerical bureaucracy. Through their struggles they stay loyal and continue fighting to improve the lives of the people in their community.

Even though the story was about the constant disappointment, false hopes, and violence faced by the priests, I was in awe of its beauty. The colorful culture and rich history add such a depth to the story. Also the determination and collectiveness of the priest really make you wish the best for their efforts. However, every one of their actions seem to bring on another horrible event. For this reason, I very much love this movie. The idea that a person's good actions are not aways rewarded with good is unlike most stories. It is a reminder that good does not deserve good in return. What is good, is how you choose to act in the face of adversity. In an early scene, one of the priests is confiding in the other, very disturbed over witnessing the murder of an entire village. He cried wishing he was there to die with them. The other priest said him that it is easy to become a martyr and die but it was his job to stay alive. In other words, dying is easy, what is hard is to live a good life while suffer again and again.



Twice Born
This movie was three movies packed into one with about five opportunities to end. In brief, Twice Born is a story of two people that fall in love during the Bosnia war and desperately try to have a baby. Their pursuit ultimately destroys their relationship and the world they knew.

Normally a jam-packed movie with multiple ending points would be extremely frustrating. Somehow through the great writing and directing, the stunning shots are too exquisite to turn away from and every twist keeps you emotionally invested. The story first follows the love of Penelope Cruse and Emile Hirsche's characters, Gemma and Diego, which is the kind of love people dream. A few years after their marriage the Bosina war began. Bosina, Gemma, and Diego reflect one other as they individually loose their innocence. The war destroy's Bosnia along with wiping out the purity of it's citizens. Gemma's idea of true love is gutted by her pursuit of having a child. Diego's past is riddled with fearful experiences that he had been able to cover with a beautiful imagination and eventually drugs. He later experiences the rape of a women so horrible that he can not return to his happy state. In each way they are all broken down and everything that is good is destroyed.


Ginger and Rosa
Ginger and Rosa is a simple plot. Two girls born on the same day, in the same area become best friends in 1960's London. They grow up and experiences life life together. Ginger becomes involved protesting the Cold War while Rose becomes romantically involved with Ginger's father.

It is an emotionally stirring movie with quite a sad ending. Of course it is visually striking with lovely scenes. I'm not quite sure why I loved it as much as I did because it was overall quite upsetting. Even through the selfishness of Ginger's father and best friend, she still tries to win their acceptance. It is hard and relatable to watch someone reach out again and again to be acknowledged, only to be overlooked by blind selfish acts.


So when you are ever in need of a stunning film and also a good cry there are my suggestions. Enjoy with a box of tissues!

TIFF

A few weeks ago I was enjoying some music and brews at Founders. I was mainly there to check out the band A Lull. I had cheekily feel in love with them a year prior during a summer concert series connected with Mars Hill Young Adult. In "hipper than thou" fashion the group chose to meet in unorthodox circumstances and inside theaters. Along with the concerts, they also did a film series and traveled to the Toronto International Film Festival 2011 (TIFF). Even though A Lull's performs during the summer concert was probably one of their worst (due to some technical issues), I went nuts when I found out they were returning. I told everyone just how excited I was by telling them I was going to pee my pants, just incase they couldn't tell from the erratic look on my face.

After listening the opening band I was hanging on the patio trying to contain myself with a friend, John. He was talking with Eric (the director of MHYA) about the upcoming 2012 TIFF adventure. The 20 original spots had filled up and unfortunately John was the first one on the waiting list. He was hopping there would be at least one drop out or the more unlikely event that 10 additional people would signed up so the trip could accomodate a group of 30. Even though John and Eric were both encouraging me to sign up I had already decided, although I would love going, it was just too expensive. I was pretty bummed because I love adventures and movies. As they talked more about TIFF and as the beer set in I felt like I was really missing out. 

I'm not sure if it was the personal invite, the magical qualities of the beer, a high from the concert, or the very late hour, but when I got home I immediately turned on my computer to sent an email asking to join John on the TIFF waiting list. Then I feel asleep with my computer still on my lap. When I woke up in the morning and came to my senses, I panicked at my impulsive action. I even drafted up another email stating I wasn't really serious about the previous 2:00 a.m. message. It was just a little joke, haha... I want to keep my money. But something made me hesitate. Maybe it was knowing that I was only on the waiting list and the chances of having another 8 people sign up was unlikely. I figured I could sit on the idea and think about it through out the day. Ultimately, I decided leave it up to the world. If a spot opened up, I'd take it. 

Now this really isn't a big deal. It really just a silly story about how I signed myself up for TIFF. I did end up getting a spot and so did John. With the trip just days away, I'm very ecstatic it all worked out. We will all be climbing into 12 passager vans and taking a four day adventure together to Toronto. We each get to share and experience 5 films and engage each other in discussion. In our free time we can explore the city and I'm crossing my fingers for a Hockey Hall of Fame visit. I'm pretty geeks to be participating in this unique 30 person, uber cool vacation.  Happy TIFF!