Think Inside the Box @majoqueva - Tumblr Blog

William Gibson ‘had so very little idea of how to write a novel’ when he was commissioned to come up with a manuscript

This exactly portrays how I feel right now: ODD. In this article, Gibson talks about how he wrote Neuromancer and his motivations. When he was writing his novel, he was thinking about the future generations who would read it. Moreover he explores his feelings of freedom and fear of never getting his novel done, and how careers are odd (things will happen as they are supposed to happen). After exploring identity in relation to Neuromancer and many other texts and movies this semester, I feel I've changed the way I understand what surrounds me. So many questions have come to my mind about reality and the way I communicate with other people. I find surprising how humans are always trying to create perfect realities, worlds, utopias. We are always living day by day, and our sense of memory and motivations vanish little by little. I sometimes worry so much about the end results that whenever I get things done, I cannot recall how I got it done and why. William Gibson says every time he completes a novel, he has no idea what he's done. This is how I feel now. What am I doing? What are my motivations? Why do I care so much about things and why I sometimes don't care?

I sometimes feel limitless, I sometimes feel nothing. I sometimes feel real, I sometimes can't feel.

"Time, and lives, can be like that. Just as friendly if unimaginable forces may sometimes find us, unlikely as that can sometimes seem." -William Gibson

alexaleinin-blog

When we got into our conversation about virtual reality and Second Life, I honestly had a hard time relating. My whole life I’ve never played video games. i played outside. Took in the air. I was a little hippy child that wasn’t ever as involved in technology as much as my peers. And it wasn’t…

poorhector

I think your post is really interesting. In contrast to you, grew up playing video games and interacting with people in the virtual world. So if you’ll allow me I’d like to play a bit of a devil’s advocate.

I suppose that if I’m interpreting your post correctly, you contend that not being able to see someone’s reactions or hear their tone hampers one’s ability to experience other people. I will definitely admit, that missing the subtleties of seeing someone’s face or hearing their voice does make communication a lot more difficult. However, when I want to experience a meaningful relationship, I view communication as the road rather than the destination, if that makes sense. Communication is how relationships are experienced, but not necessarily what I want to get out of them.

I suppose that I should take Second Life as an example because everyone is now familiar with it. For a game like Second Life, I think the goal is to interact socially and develop some friendships or even romantic relationships. I think that expressing affection to your Second Life spouse or friend is definitely possible through just words on a computer screen. I would think it would be rather comforting to know that somewhere out there in the internet someone cares about you or just has a good time chatting with you. They might not be able to see your smile, but you can tell them that you are happy. I suppose that when I’m looking for a friend on the internet, I’m just looking for a connection to someone else. Their facial reactions or tone of voice just don’t seem that important.

As far as confusing a game with reality, I would imagine that only happens to a small minority of gamers. However, I do think that I’ve made real friends with video games and had real fun.

majoqueva

I definitely relate to this. When I was little, I wasn't exposed to . I did play games on my computer using CDs and I used to play some games online. However, I rarely, not to say never, had virtual relationships or interactions with other people. This topic is somehow blurred to me. I still remember the first time I played xbox at the house of one of my friends. It just felt weird controlling a character that was running trying to find some ghosts. It didn't seem real. I won't say I don't enjoy playing video games, however I've found myself having a hard time finding a game that I really enjoy. I never tried playing Second Life, but I did try FarmVille and Sims. I guess the environment I grew didn't encourage me to find enjoyment in virtual games. Creating a community or characters was never of my interest. I always had someone to play with...

Billions of people can't access the Internet. A Human Right is ensuring that everyone can get online.

We give for granted the access we have everyday to the internet. However, only around 26% of the population in the world has access to internet. Then, should everyone have the right to have internet access? I found this topic quite controversial. Internet has become a tool we constantly use day to day. It's a tool to research, gain information, express our opinion, and stay informed about what's happening in other places. This is why I would say the internet more than a right, it should be a tool to achieve equality. Maybe in the future more people will have access to the internet. What will happen if this tool is controlled by a specific groups like the government? Is there really a way to achieve equality?

Web the Film is a documentary about the possibility to give internet access to those communities which currently don't have neither the infrastructure nor the knowledge to use internet. It proposes the use of internet as a possibility to improve the quality of life of these isolated communities.

Another problem with texting: Misinterpretations. This is a funny video, but is somehow true!

The Problem with Texting

It is impossible for me to imagine a day without cellphones. It is hard to imagine people walking on the street without a phone in their hands. Everyday that I bike to classes, I count the number of people I see either texting or talking on the phone. At the end, it easier to count the number of people who are walking without their phones. I feel that several years ago we were leaving the moment without distractions, and now we are leaving in a collective world that is always interacting in a no-face-to-face basis. When I was younger I remember that my parents didn't like us to use our phones whenever we were eating or having a conversation together. So many times I've heard my dad saying "This is related to work, let me just finish this." Ironic? Now texting is the primary way in which I communicate with my parents. Texting is not my favorite thing; I feel it takes more time than a simple call and I always end up feeling I did not say exactly what I wanted to say. However, sometimes it is easier to write things that we would not normally say in front of a person. A simple "love you" in a text might not really mean "I love you." I've found myself writing this so many times, but I've being unable to say it to some people when I see them. I might sound excited sometimes, but I'm not really that excited. It might seem that I'm laughing when I'm not even laughing. I might sound okay when I'm mad or upset. I sometimes feel texting is not my thing because I prefer face-to-face interactions.

This photograph was part of some of the pictures I used in my first short take, where I asked other international students how they felt in a new environment and how others saw them. This picture in particular reminded me of the conversation we had in class about what home means. After living away from "home" for almost one year and a half, I have found myself confused. I somehow feel foreign to both my old and new "home." I found myself comparing both places and trying to relate them, too. It was then that I got to the conclusion that home is not only a physical place, but rather the networks you create with people. Hence, there is only one home for me. This home is the feeling to know that I have people I trust in both physical places, and they form part of who I am.

almphotoarchive

is a phrase that sickens me. It drives me crazy. It’s misogynistic and sad and girls need to stop. It is essentially a thing women say to fit in with guys by joining them in a masculine superiority complex. By discounting HALF of the human population as unworthy of your...

majoqueva

It's hard to explain what I feel about this issue. I was raised in an environment surround by mostly girls. I went to an all-girls-school from elementary school to high school. People would constantly ask how I survived being in the same school for more than 13 years. I believe that by growing in an environment were we as women were not constantly differentiated or compared with boy, I developed self-confidence of being able to develop any ability I want to. We were taught we were able to succeed in a male-dominated world, and that we had the same chances as boys. Fortunately, I was never diminished by others in the sense of not being able to do something because I was a girl. This week, I received the news that my school was no longer going to be an all-girls-school. All my classmates and I have a chat where we talk about random things. This time we had a really interesting conversation about this crucial change in our former school. We were all surprised after hearing this, because even though sometimes we couldn't stand each other, we developed an environment of comfort and no-judgement. We had and still have a strong sense of support among each other. Now that all of us are now in co-ed schools we do see some differences on how girls act with boys. A friend is studying Electrical Engineering in the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico City and has experienced gender discrimination. She has being told that she is not able to do things, that she doesn't know how to work as a boy, and they have diminished her abilities. She has also heard girls saying it would be better if they were boys. During college I have also experience something similar. However, in my case is has boys who don't want to receive help from a girl. I believe the idea of boys knowing more or being better with numbers is still common. For my Physics class, I was helping my TA in a lab session since I had already done that experiment. I was surprised to see that boys would say they did not have any questions and then go and talk to the TA. I did not take it personally, though I felt they didn't want me to help them. How did I know something they didn't? It's not only the I do not get along with girls from girls, but also the barrier boys put on women. It has become an endless cycle were both men and women keep creating barriers which try to prove a gender is better than another. In my opinion, a lot of effort and analysis is required to destroy these barriers.

For my English class last semester, we had to write a humor essay. I decided to write on how our daily routine has changed after the increasing use of technology, in this case cellphones. This essay is a what a typical conversation with our phone might look like. I personalized a phone in order to show how the relationship with technology has become a relationship with a "second self." We have developed a dependent relationship with your phone. More than a relationship, our cellphones have become the new way to live. I believe this essay relates to Always-On/Always-On-You: The Tethered Self by Sherry Turkle. I want to prove the interaction we have with technology has changed how we develop ourselves and also how we develop relationship with other, and sometimes technology just acts as a barrier when we interact with our surroundings.

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The Cell Cycle: Development of a Productive Life

By Joe Quezada

Life begins when the alarm of my fully charged cell phone shouts, "Hit snooze, hit snooze! Just five more minutes. Sleeping five more minutes won't hurt anyone. Trust me, I'll wake you up again."

Five minutes later, my cell phone, Ringo, screams, "It's time, time to open your eyes and do something productive. Get up, get dressed, get ready now!"

Ringo is my best friend. He reminds me to do the essential tasks of the day: "Before even opening your eyes completely or stepping out of your bed, check your email. What stores have special offers and discounts this weekend? Are you going shopping this weekend? Why wait if you can do it today? Click the link and buy online!"

My friend keeps me on my bed: "Where are you going now? You forgot to check Facebook! You are not getting out of this bed until you check how many notifications you have. They sure are essential to keep you up-to-date about the real world and your 100,000 close friends! Don't be rude. Wish a happy birthday to your Facebook friend-that friend to whom you never say hello when you see him on the street."

My friend Ringo says, "Take a Snapchat and start the story of your day now! Why don't you take a picture of your pretty, sleepy, swollen face? Everyone will only see it for a couple of seconds. Unless they screenshot it and upload it to Facebook."

Ringo accompanies me to the bathroom-what a true friend-and keeps me entertained: "Lets read the news, no, no, no…why don't we relax by playing Candy Crush? It's not like you are going to stress out because you might run out of lives. Just calm down, wait for 29:59 minutes, and you'll get another life."

My mom's voice says, "What are you doing? Why is it taking you so long? Did you get stuck in the toilet? Or are your hands glued to your cell phone again?"

My cell phone rejoices, "Play music with my speakers and pretend you didn't hear your mom. Ten more seconds and you'll get an extra life. Motivation is what you need to pass Level 399. Keep on working!"

It's just nine in the morning and my cell phone complains, "I feel something is missing. I need energy! My battery is running out, I only have 90% left. Charge me soon or I might die." Ringo jingles as I unplug him from his charger, "Ting ting…let's leave home and have a productive day everywhere, especially at school. What can be better than a continuous learning process? My plan is to develop your multitasking skills: learn to pretend you are in class while you read Facebook newsfeed, admire Instagram pictures, play Fruit Ninja, and tweet how boring your class is. All at the same time. Impressive, right?"

My cell phone continuously asks for attention, "Hey, hey! I'm here! You just got 100 emails, 300 texts, 200 Facebook messages, 15 missed calls, and 10 Facebook friend requests. What were you doing without me? Life revolves around your virtual friends and me. Interaction with real people is not important anymore."

Lunch with my friends-sorry, with their cell phones-is speechless. Literally speechless. It's easier to receive a message from them than hear their voices. My cell phone comforts me, "This is what I call quality time with friends."

My cell phone is ready to continue the multitasking training during my afternoon physics class: "Now let's learn how to text without taking a look at the screen. You'll become an expert: 1340 characters per minute is our goal."

I don't understand why my teacher gently asks me to put Ringo away. He is such a great mental enabler: "I can be your personalized calculator. You don't have to worry anymore about adding difficult quantities, not even 5+1."

Before even stepping out of my class, I try to reach my cellphone from a pocket inside my backpack: "No, no! Remember, you just put me inside your pants pocket! The high-frequency waves of notifications were what kept you awake the whole class."

As I walk outside my class to the parking lot, I have a deep conversation with Ringo: "Don't you see, talking to people is tedious and boring. What's the problem with talking through your phone, or even through FaceTime? It's basically the same interaction, except you get to see your friends through an HD camera. It's even better than in real life!"

I notice a codependence phenomenon on my way to the parking lot. My cell phone explains it to me, "Earphones are like an umbilical cord between a mom and a fetus. The connection between you and me is now physical. People are plugged to devices like me to avoid interactions with other people."

Ringo keeps giving advice, "You don't have to learn the way back to your home. Use my GPS in case you get lost. That's what friends are for, right? To help you in your moments of stress and confusion."

As I get home, my phone agonizes, "Please, charge me again! My electric pulses will stop beating, and I won't be able to help you procrastinate. You have a lot of homework, and no time to waste."

I'm on my way to charge Ringo, but he suffers a painful death. The blackness of his screen provokes a deep sadness. It feels as if my pulse went missing. It's getting harder to breathe-I might even faint. However, I'm able to reach my savior: Ringo's charger.

I'm about to experience the greatest relief in my life. Ringo resuscitates and comes back from the afterlife. His bright screen refreshes and says, "Charging, charging… 1%. But go ahead, reply to the messages I received in the afterlife. Your friends were quite insistent." Mom calls me-through my cell phone, of course-"Why didn't you answer your phone? Get down here now! Dinner is ready."

I sit down at the table as I feel the anxiety running through my veins. I know Ringo is talking to me because I can see the light going on and off. I won't be able to survive thirty minutes without my friend. Although my parents are talking to me, I cannot take out of my head that my friends are calling me through my phone.

Dinner and all the mental work of the day make me tired. "Why don't you take a nap? I'll wake you up!" says Ringo's wheedling voice.

His voice is always there, "You cannot escape from me, deal with it. I'm part of you now. I'm the source of your power. I'm the motor of your mental development. What would you do without me?"

I lie down to sleep, and in my dream Ringo keeps repeating, "I'm not just a trend. I'm not just a friend. I'm your life."

___________________________________________________________________

florenceandthecodeine

majoqueva

florenceandthecodeine:

Carol Rossetti - Women

"It always bothered me the world’s constant attempts to control women’s bodies, behaviors and identities. This control is such a deep part of our culture that we hardly ever realize how cruel it is and how it restricts our personal choices."

“Not all the situations that I portray are lived exclusively by women. Several of them can be experienced by any human being, and I invite all men to identify as well.”

These are so powerful!

Labels Against Women | #ShineStrong Pantene

Though this advertisement is not related to women in comedy, I believe it does an awesome job to portray the double standards women have to face at the work place. Relating this to the conversation in class about women in comedy, I believe the problem is that women are always compared to men. Why can't we just be different?

zeldazelda-deactivated20170104

"Immigration is an American experience. Acceptance is an American value."

(via zeldazelda)

UNDERWATER DREAMS - Trailer - 2-2014

A couple of weeks ago I went to the screening of the documentary Underwater Dreams, which was an event organized as part of the Hispanic Heritage Month. As I was watching the documentary, I tried to analyze both its content and the format. Since the beginning I tried to understand what was the purpose of this documentary. Though at the beginning it seems that its purpose is to show how a high school robotics team from Phoenix beat the MIT college robotics team, the second half of the documentary focuses on the impact this event had on their community. It raises questions about equal opportunities for those who do not have the proper immigration documents.

After the screening, there was a Q&A session with the cast of the documentary. It was really motivating hearing everything and actually getting to see the people in the documentary. It makes everything more "real," more tangible. Most of the students in the team were not able to go to college since they did not have the chance to get scholarships or even pay in-state tuition. Here is were everything collided, fighting for a dream, fighting against stereotypes, proving how sometimes though everything seems possible, the barriers of prejudice stop people from growing and achieving their goals.

#robotics #underwater #rov #engineering #phoenix #carlhayden #mit #stem #michaelpena #dreamact #dreamers

This reminded me of the insertion of Gina Valdés in Anzaldúas's La conciencia de la mestiza/Towards a New Consciousness:

Hay tantísimas fronteras There are so many borders

que dividen a la gente, that divide people,

pero por cada frontera but for every border

existe también un puente. a bridge also exists.

The physical borders created by people are not always as threatening as the borders we create everyday, the mental and intangible borders we keep building. I find the idea of creating a cosmic race- a mestizo race- were not only borders like race, but other borders like language and gender unite, a way to develop a new consciousness. It is hard to define which borders have been taught to us, which one we have acquired, and which one we have constructed. Ignorance is what keeps us constructing them without a reason. There should not be a dominating race. Why can't we leave without prejudice?

#noborders

#Think inside the box

Doll Test

Talking about tests, I recently remember the Doll Test, which incorporates race and children's perception. This experiment was conducted around the 1940's. Children, both black and white were given two dolls, which differ in skin and eye color. They were asked which doll was good, bad, intelligent and dumb, among other questions. The results are surprising, as the majority of white and also black kids chose the black doll as the ugly and bad one.

The test was recently reapplied in the US, as well. The results show there is still a preference for white things, and there is still a devaluation for black. I became aware of this experiment after I watched the video done with Mexican children a couple of years ago. Though there is not a big population of African American in Mexico, racism still exists. Most children said the black doll was the ugly and the bad one, too. However, when they were asked what doll better resembled them, children doubted and the struggle to classify themselves as either black or white was noticeable. Whenever they chose the white doll, their arguments seem not convincing. And when they said they looked more like the black doll I perceived a sense of guilt and shame.

Do we learn to be racist from the way society acts? Or is there an innate tendency to be racist? The Doll Test is an interesting study which clearly portrays that the environment in which children development is influenced by stereotypes, media, education and their family. I believe that though this test was applied to a small group of children (limited in race selection) and we cannot not generalize or find a specific pattern, we are always trying to satisfy those who surrounds us. It all comes down to how parents treat their children, how they embrace their race and what kind of values they teach to their children. I can also relate this to the messages portrayed in media, including TV programs, movies and advertisements. We are being constantly bombed with messages about race and gender, which we do not necessary accept but we do unconsciously absorb and incorporate to our culture.

A white Ohio woman is suing a sperm bank for allegedly inseminating her with sperm from a black donor by mistake.

It's surprising how so many of the classes I'm taking this semester relate to each other. It never crossed my mind how directly related bioethics and identity are. During my Bioethics class we have been talking about current topics related to ethics and new technology and diseases. However, race is and gender have played an important role in the engineering and medical field. As time passes by, technology advances have created controversies such as the one described in this article. What happens when a white lesbian couple receives a black man's sperm by mistake? We are dealing with both race and gender stereotypes. Though this simple error was not made on purpose, it will have an impact in the development of Payton, daughter of Jennifer Cramblett and Amanda Zinkon. The emotional distress all member in this family are suffering is related to the homogenous and closed-minded community they live in. As the article says, they are planning to move to a more diverse community in order to enhance a more natural development according to Payton's background.

As technology develops, there is no doubt that ethics is becoming more complex. Adding on to racial discrimination, Payton has to overcome the fact that she is different from her parents. After reading some of the comments on this news, I realized people have different perception of what being racist is. Though some people say the lesbian couple is racist, I believe they are just trying to give her daughter a better opportunity to develop her more authentic identity without having to suppress any part of it.

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