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March 23, 2006
V for Vendetta
I went out to see a movie the other night. I know, I couldn't believe it either. The last movies I've seen in theaters were Brokeback Mountain, Walk the Line, and before that it was the Fantastic Four.
I went to see V for Vendetta. I was actually really impressed. I had no idea it would be such a good movie. The plot centers around a Guy Faukes character named V who hopes to destroy the orwellian society that has been created in the future Great Britain. There are men that go around the city listening in on conversations in houses; censorship of the media is prevalent; and homosexuals, muslims, and hippies have all been arrested and interned or are in hiding. The government has used terrorism to keep people in fear, justifying the breach of human rights.
The movie's political message is quite clear, and one can draw parallels with the current administration in the United States. The accents, the humor, and the setting might be different, but the argument is the same. Herman Goering put it best:
"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."
The antithesis to Goering's idea is the protagonist of the movie: V believes that the government should fear its constituents, not vice versa. In fact, V always remains masked througout the entire movie, believing himself to be an idea rather than a person. And using Guy Faukes as a disguise and some talented rhetoric, he manages to eventually inspire Natalie Portman to become the vector of the idea that he embodies. His methods are somewhat far-fetched. The head shaving, the rats, the dungeon, the lesbian tragedy-- it was a bit much for me.
The torture that Natalie Portman undergoes supposedly allows her to live without fear. Is it true that torture can induce fearlessness. I know from experience, after having to go through last semester, that I can handle any assignment in chemical engineering without an extra heartbeat. It's definitely mellowed me out. One knows the worst, and when one survives it, there's nothing left to fear. (Well this lasts for a while at least, until the traumatic memories begin to fade.)
The movie definitely shows what can happen when the government keeps its country in fear. Inferring from the movie, why is it that so many Americans fear a terrorist attack on the United States? Especially in the Mid-west. Yes, it is a real problem. I will not deny that there is someone out there that might have a plot to blow up a building. But he's not necessarily a foreigner. And yet the scope of much of the anti-terrorism campaign is aimed outside of the United States (*coughIraqcough*). Oh my god I'm turning into Michael Moore. Time to stop.
Posted by piep0058 at 07:20 PM | Comments (1)
March 21, 2006
Free Time.
I am so ready to get out on the prowl. And get a hot body. I think I can sustain this motivation I've gained lately to go running. And I'm doing crunches with the ab roller at the front desk. Lifting less than I should... I mean... curls, push-ups, pull-ups might not be able to cut it... but I hope they will. I know I'm shallow. But it would be nice to look like this.
Classes have suddenly become easier. I don't know what it is. Perhaps because I don't have a lab to do. Who knows. Things are clearer. I have my life back. That lab literally ruined my life. Not gonna lie. It ate all of my free time. I think free time was a necessary aspect of learning.
Many people say that the brain still works on solving problems even when the conscious part of the mind is not focused on them. However, in my case, I literally had NO TIME to let my mind rest.
And to top that off, I had a professor threatening to fail me. This was something that I could not let my mind drop. Spending another year here doing the same labs I did last year was terrifying to me. Of course, I forgot to realize that there were no students from last year repeating the course. So it took me a while before I realized that these were idle threats. That doesn't mean that my professor-student relationship was anything great. I must say, Professor Caretta was definitely not very constructive. I mean, he said how he saw things. But saying 'that's middle school work' is not constructive. It seemed that other professors were more helpful in critiquing their students presentations. Maybe it's just because I had winter break to recover from CHEN4401, but CHEN4402 was a much better experience with Professor Scriven. He provided more specific criticism, and asked questions that made us think more about what was going on. Plus, I wasn't afraid of him. Yes, I was indeed afraid (and still am, to some degree) of Professor Caretta.
Yes, he is preparing me for what will be expected of me in the real world. And he was successful in getting us to prepare for going out into industry. He's not a bad guy. He simply needs to be more constructive with his criticism.
Anyway, CHEN4601 study time.
Posted by piep0058 at 09:15 PM | Comments (0)
March 19, 2006
Four to the Floor
Single? Yeah. Sam and I broke up after maintaining nearly a 6 month relationship. And over 5 of those months we were at least 500 miles away from each other. He wants to be friends; doesn't everyone want that?
This could be exciting. I haven't been single in a long time. I have become so used to telling people I'm not available that it might be kinda hard at first. But it must be necessary. At least I don't have to worry about maintaining contact on a daily basis. I also have the freedom to get a job anywhere in the country. Well, as stated previously, anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon line (although Washington, D.C., is still on the list). Yeah staying in Minnesota would be nice, but a job overrules that requirement.
I gotta say it was really good times. I had myself prepared for the breakup, not gonna lie. I've gone through this routine before. It's just a shame that the past 6 months have been for nothing.
But have they? I honestly don't know. I appreciated the time. But it's gone now. And it's something I can't have anymore. And I had been so used to not wanting anything else, but now I have to want something else. Requiring yourself to want something else when you don't want something else is not an easy task, but it gets done one way or another. So in essence, it has been for nothing, perhaps even a negative. I am in the red everywhere it seems.
Song to listen to: Starsailor, Four to the Floor. (The remix of course, Starsailor is way too slow to listen to right now.)
Posted by piep0058 at 07:16 PM | Comments (7)
Back the Blogging Track (Perhaps?)
I feel I have had more entries in the past week or so than I have in the past year. Honestly, my life has become grossly complicated. I've been longing for the days when the most I had to worry about was waking up on time in the morning. Now I have graduating, finding a job, not being like Ennis Del Mar, and bills to worry about, just to say the least of my troubles.
So the job search continues. I really want a job in Minneapolis, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Could I really move to Texas. My first response is to say NO WAY IN HELL. I will never move south of the Mason-Dixon line, ever.
But then I think that any job I get would only be for a few years before I go back to school. So, living in, say, Austin or Houston wouldn't be all bad. Austin is somewhat of a liberal oasis down there. Same with San Antonio, so I've heard.
A job in Madison or Denver or Chicago or New England or the Pacific Northwest would be totally acceptable. In fact I would welcome the chance to relocate to one of those cities for a year or so. Perhaps even Germany or Austria?
It would most definitely have to be something I would enjoy doing. That is, not working in a smelly plant. Something that is new and exciting and not just getting numbers and presenting them. I would hate that.
So, let the games begin.
Posted by piep0058 at 01:52 AM | Comments (2)
March 18, 2006
Back from Acapulco
Well, I'm back from Mexico. I must say it was definitely good times. For the most part. I definitely did not need to drink so much. And there were a lot of people around. And I did have a really really skanky swimsuit. But, other than that, I'd say it was great.
I got tan, I drank some booze, and I had issues communicating with the locals. I think that sums up Mexico.
But now I'm back, and it's back to work, thank god, and back to finding a job. And cleaning up. First stop, my e-mail, yikes!
I think a trip to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts is a good call right now. Time for some self reflection. Going from 90 degree weather to 10 inches of snow on the ground requires some intermediate time looking at art.
Posted by piep0058 at 01:26 PM | Comments (0)
March 09, 2006
So 4 Months Later...
I have the urge to blog right now. I haven't been in such a good mood in a long time. Well at least the past month or so. Really. I don't feel like blogging when I'm busy/angry, it doesn't yield good writing.
I leave for Acapulco tomorrow. That's a plus.
The weather today is super nice. I'm going to wear shorts to the airport tomorrow. And I'm going to ride the light rail too.
I know that there is someone out there that I love. Another plus.
I'm not all cranky because of miscommunication and not meeting unspecified expectations.
And that Rihanna song (SOS) makes me feel good too.
I gotta say now that 4401 and 4402 are over (Chemical Engineering Unit Operations) I really have a better outlook on life. I have more time. I get to do the things I want. I get to sit around and wait to find something to do. I haven't been this bored since before school started. Unfortunately, my body has suffered from it. I haven't gained any weight, per se, but I do feel a bit flabbier than I'd like. And now that the weather is getting warmer, I'll be able to get outside and get active again (so I don't have to spend as much time in the computer lab or at my computer writing lab reports). I can feel the life trickling back into me after being dormant for so long.
On the downside, I don't have a job yet. But I'll find one. I know I'll get one.
Another downside: I'm broke. Anyone want to hook a brotha up with some cash money?
Posted by piep0058 at 05:09 PM | Comments (32)