Is Video Game Culture Setting This Generation Up For GUI Based Warfare?

When watching WarGames the only the scene that stuck out the most to me was when David and that girl (ugggggh) were in the room playing "Thermonuclear Death Strike" or whatever. When David started to put in the commands, it's weird to me because he knew he was hacking into something that could be potentially dangerous, but he continued anyway. My thinking is that he is desensitized to the extreme warfare due to the age of video games. Not saying that games set up people to be violent, but maybe the fact that he spends a lot of time playing games like Galaga and other space shooters of the time, annihilating an entire planet (even if it wasn't his own) would not have been much of a stretch. They even though about which targets would be the best to hit. Las Vegas is a very good target for such a strike because there are many people, tourists, and it would definitely make the American defense systems pretty angry. It's safe to say that the scare culture also has something to do with David's actions in the Joshua system.

 Even though he was asked to play a game, this was much more than that. It can be said that these issues have been reduced to a game due to the many scare tactics in place. Since the world was dying down from the Cold War, there was more open talk about the ultimate death that could have happened if the nukes were launched. Like with us for example. When Osama Bin Laden was a threat to our country, there weren't many people openly talking about how we were threatened, but now that the threat is removed, sooooo many people talk (and even joke) about the threat that he caused. This can be applied to what Russia and America have gone through. It was so much of a game to David, that he even chose to play as the “enemy country”. I digress though

The coolest thing about this movie has to be the fact that no one wins when you engage in nuclear warfare. Right?

Can The Naked Eye Tell the Difference Between Replicants and Humans

Blade Runner is a very strange movie. At least top 10 strange movies out of all the movies I have ever seen. (I've seen Pulse... that movie is awful...) Back to the point though. While watching this movie, it was very weird that there wasn't a huge way to declare a human from a replicant. I think that the replicants have become so advanced in design not even the creators could tell the difference. This may be where the empathy tests come in. These empathy test seem like the best way to figure out whether or not a being is an actual human, or the man made replicant. Let's take a look at the Blade Runner Wiki's definition of a replicant. “A replicant is a synthetic human with paraphysical capabilities. It is a genetically engineered creature composed entirely of organic substance. … Humanoid replicants were created for military purposes and for the exploration and colonization of space. The Tyrell Corporation recently introduced the Nexus 6, the supreme replicant — much stronger and faster than, and virtually indistinguishable from, real human beings. Earth law forbids replicants on the planet, except in the huge industrial complex where they are created. The law does not consider replicants human and therefore accords them no rights nor protection.” 

I believe that with the latest advances in replicant technology, the replicants can't even truly tell if they're human or not. Since they look just like humans, and have organic components, it can be argued that they are a living being. That's besides the point I want to make. My main point is that these replicants are so advanced, they believe that they are human. When Pris is shot and is dying, I don't think she is having a malfunction. I think that she believed she was truly a human the entire time she was alive, and upon being shot, she truly realized that she could be lying to herself. The entire freakout scene was pretty surreal. That wasn't a malfunction happening. I believe that was pure anger that was developed by the replicant's CPU. How do you feel about this?

E.T. is Jesus?

Through the talk in class, there has been a large speculation that E.T. and the entire story, and movie were supposed to be based off of the story of Jesus. I find this an extreme stretch, and in my honest opinion, it's really not hard to compare any situation to the story of Jesus. The two stories do have a lot of similarities, but not enough to truly be an imitation story. I agree that it can be a large inspiration from the story of Jesus, but an imitation is not likely.

Like we talked about in class, every story has some type of inspiration from a very popular story of the time. Examples of this can be films using scenes inspired by The Wizard of Oz, and even The Matrix. Even looking at The Matrix the story of Neo can be compared to the story Jesus. Neo was the savior that the world needed, and overcame much adversity from people who opposed him. Not too close to the original Jesus story, mind you, but there can be similarities in a story if you make them. Even when looking at The Wizard of Oz, the group who all has their individual problems could be going to the Wizard (Jesus...) to get these wished fulfilled, only to find out that the power was inside them, or something like that. Good v evil. (It's been a while since I've seen the movie)

In the reading by Frank Tomasulo, he makes a bout about finding E.T. and comparing that to the Jesus manger birth. "A prenatural being comes down to earth from the heavens and is found in a small shack or 'manger' behind the main house... He spreads good will and love during his brief time on Earth and acquires disciples in the process... He is hunted down and dies at the hands of the ruling authorities... He is resurrected from the dead, and rises again to his heavenly home"(275) These comparisons come even closer to the the Jesus comparison, but the one that sticks out to me is the death of E.T. Being at the hands of an evil organization. The scientists did not listen to those who knew E.T. The best, and that led to him dying a very early death, only through the return of Elliot (his disciple) to his side. Very weird stuff here

But to remain on the point of E.T., I did some research on the topic, and found a very interesting article on someone hearing about the E.T., and had some very interesting things to sat about it. They say, “Thenthere's the clear parallel of E.T.'s life to that of Jesus Christ.Surely this was done on purpose. I mean come on! Really! Do you thinkthat Steven Spielberg just made up all this stuff? Think about it: Acreature from "another world" who is far more wise andloving than anyone on earth. No one understands him and finally thegovernment closes in on him seeking to seize him, but he dies. Thencalling to his "captain" in the sky he is picked up andreturned to "space." Like I was saying, the inspiration from the Jesus story is obvious, but another thing that I also said this is more of an inspiration than an imitation.