Tuesdays with Media: Gattaca

I watched my all-time favorite movie for the first time in high school biology.  Gattaca is science fiction/crime noir film set in the near future.

The trailer reeks of the nineties, but that just means it's a product of its time.  The film, however, is much more timeless.  The production design, rather than going forward, looked to the past.  Everyone dresses like their in the fifties or sixties, and it works to the film's favor.  Movies that take place in the future usually feel trapped by the era that the movie was made during.  Back to the Future Part II, for example, went too over-the-top with its predictions of the future, ironically making everything feel too much like the eighties.  By making Gattaca look like the future according to the 1950s, it allows the audience to easily become immersed in the film.

The basic story is about a man who is born naturally in a world that is run by genetically modified human beings.  He is seen as being worthless because his genetic code says that he will never amount to much.  IDs are gone, replaced by an individual's DNA, which is read instantly by computers using a single drop of blood or saliva.  To overcome the prejudice of his society, our protagonist, Vincent, becomes a "borrowed ladder" by teaming up with someone with much higher-quality DNA, a wheelchair-bound former Olympic athlete, Jerome.  Jerome provides DNA samples of hair, blood, and urine, while Vincent provides for them financially.  Everything seems to be going according to plan when someone at Vincent's work is mysteriously murdered.

The film is a beautiful portrayal of the human spirit overcoming incredible odds.  Vincent, who has a heart condition and wasn't supposed to live to see adulthood, is able to be prove that he is more than just his genes.  While the story and set design are great, what really sells the movie are the actors.  Vincent is played by the underrated Ethan Hawke with the always talented Jude Law as Jerome.  Also a part of the show are Alan Arkin and Gore Vidal in supporting roles.  Even Uma Thurman, who I generally don't care for, is great in her role of Irene, Vincent's love interest.

One of the reasons that I enjoy this film so much is because it combines genres that I enjoy (sci-fi and mysteries) with a positive theme that uplifts and inspires, all while still leaving the ultimate meaning up to the audience.  It's a shame that the only other film that I've seen by the writer/director Andrew Niccol was In Time, a pandering waste of time.  Regardless of his later work, this film still stands as my favorite movie, even fifteen years after I first saw it.  If you haven't had a chance to see this one, I definitely recommend it.


Gattaca is distribute by Columbia Pictures.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Good
I was invited over to hang out with a couple in the ward this Saturday.  It's a family that I've had plenty of interactions with and I've visited before, so it was great to hang out again.  We have a lot in common and we're all so talkative that I got there at about 7:30 and left just before midnight - and that was after several attempts to leave sooner, but the conversation just kept starting up again.  Samuel came along as well and it was clear that he was happy to visit with some more people, but he wasn't quite as ready to socialize so long as he fell asleep a few times.

One thing that I did as a way to show my appreciation for the invitation, I made cupcakes.  I usually stick with cookies, but since I wanted to stick with ingredients that I had on hand as much as possible, I felt that cupcakes were a better options.  While the couple complimented me on the treats, they were really enthusiastic about the frosting.  I usually stick with butter cream frosting, but this time I went with a marshmallow-based frosting.  It was more work than I anticipated, but it was worth it the extra effort.  (For those interested, the cupcake recipe I used can be found here and the frosting recipe I used can be found here.)

The Bad
I've been stressed out at work this week.  I was surprised to learn that I misunderstood a document I was working on and had to start nearly from the ground up.  While my supervisor has been very understanding, I still missed an internal deadline.  The good news is that I am now on the right track, but I'm still going to have to work late everyday this week to get as much done as possible.

The Ugly
Due to my elevated stress levels, I was in an agitated state yesterday at Church.  I intentionally choose my seat based on the lack of small children in the vicinity to help me stay calm.  Five minutes before the sacrament hymn began, two families slid into the row directly in front of me.  While the children in this group were certainly better behaved than some that I've seen, their lack of reverence still pushed me over the edge.  At one point, one of the mothers looked at me and apologized, but all I could muster was making eye-contact with no expression.

I want to make something very clear: I am not blaming these families for ruining my Church experience.  I was not in a good place when I arrived and probably anything could have pushed me over the edge.  I am, however, frustrated with our society that I can't critique what I see in a child's behavior without being the bad guy.  I know that what was expected of me when the woman apologized, according to social cues, was that I accept her apology and assure her everything was fine but that would have been lying.  If I had said anything other than "It's fine," I would be perceived as a monster.  The woman, who I'd seen before but only passing, was clearly annoyed with my reaction, or lack of one, though she never said anything else to me.

By the time Sacrament Meeting ended, I was in full-blown panic mode.  I couldn't talk without severely stuttering and it was all I could do not visibly shake.  I knew that I wouldn't be able to teach my Sunday School class, so I looked around for the Sunday School President but to no avail.  I grabbed the First Counselor of the Bishopric and explained in my halted speech that I had to leave.  He told me that he would take care of things and that I shouldn't worry, which of course still I did.  I texted Samuel that he would need to find a ride home and I left - he was very understanding when he got home and I explained what happened, but I still felt like a heel for abandoning him.

Part of the reason for my panic attack is that I had been fighting depression for awhile, and while depression and anxiety are related, how to combat them is slightly different.  While I was depressed, I just needed to keep busy but now I need to manage my time efficiently.  For example, it's very easy for me to hung up on the formatting of a document.  That means I can spend an hour or two correcting the capitalization of a particular word as it appears in the document.  While that can work if there's time, with a looming deadline, I should have left the formatting to the end.

Another mistake I made was that I didn't arrive early.  I got there just in time, but by then most of the pews were filled.  I scanned for a spot with few children and took a seat in the overflow, which is often a battleground where reverence is concerned.  Clearly, I need to arrive early.  I talked to Samuel and he agreed that it would be good to get there fifteen minutes early.

So I had a week and weekend that was filled with ups and downs, but it's still an improvement over being unemployed.  Let's see if this coming week can be much more positive.

New Arrival

“I don’t belong here!” cried the new addition to the Prison.

“Yeah?” asked the nearby guard, sarcastically.  “Nobody else belongs here, neither.  I’ll be sure to let the boss man know right away.”

“I mean it,” the prisoner continued.  “I’m not a bad guy.  I wasn’t supposed to end up here.”

The guard sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.  He’d seen this reaction countless times before, but he decided to go easy on the guy.  “Look, I ain’t the Judge.  You’re here because you belong here, at least according to Him.  Look at bright side: you won’t be here forever.”

“I know you must have heard this sort of thing from other inmates before, but I really have to talk to someone with some authority on the matter.  The judge made a mistake.”

The guard could stop himself from laughing.  “Ha!  Mistake?  No, sorry, buddy but the Judge don’t make mistakes.  But if you want to talk to somebody, I’ll send somebody over.  Seriously though, save yourself the trouble and just make peace with your situation, it’ll just make it easier.”

The guard continued on his way.  Sometime later there was a knock on the prisoner’s cell and a tall man with dark hair and a warm, grandfatherly smile walked in.  "Hello. It’s Gregory, right?  You wanted to speak to someone about your Judgment?”

“Yeah, that’s right.  And, uh, call me Greg.”

“It’s nice to meet you Greg,” said the tall, grinning man.  He sat down on the single chair facing Greg, who took a seat on his bed.  “My name is Thomas, but you can call me Tommy.  How can I help you?”

“As I was telling the guard,” Greg said, “I don’t belong here.  I’m not a bad guy.”

“I’m afraid that’s not what your file says.  Multiple counts of tax evasion, embezzlement, and drug use are just a few of the items mentioned.  Why would you be exempt from punishment?”

“So I made a few mistakes.  Nobody’s perfect.  And shouldn’t you have my file with you if we’re talking about it?”

“I read through it earlier,” Tommy said, “and since I have a photographic memory, I didn’t see the need to bring the physical record.  And you aren’t here because you’re imperfect; if that were the case, I’d be here, too.  But you still have to make amends before you’re granted your freedom.”

“But isn’t there some other way?” Greg pleaded.  “I mean, I didn’t even think a place like this existed until a few days ago when I ended up here.”

“Not believing in the existence of something doesn’t make it any less real.  No, Greg, you’re here because you always justified your actions.  An extra drink on the weekend was okay because you were stressed out.  A lie to hide your gambling from the authorities was fine because you weren’t hurting anyone involved.  Going through multiple marriages and affairs because you were too passionate for one person.  You never changed and you convinced yourself that you didn’t need to.  I’m very sorry, but your sentence is just.”

Greg was shocked at how thorough his file was, but not enough stop him from replying with a rebuttal.  “What about all of the good that I did?  I volunteered at the Community Center for a while, I was a professor at a University where I shaped young minds, I even donated to charity.  Surely that means that my sentence is too harsh.”

Tommy nodded.  “That was all taken into account when your judgment was passed.  You have to remember that doing good doesn’t make up for doing bad.  Also, what were your motivations for the things you did?  You worked at the Community Center so you’d have some volunteer work to put on your college application.  You were a professor, yes, but you never really cared about your students; you often had your assistant both teach and grade assignments, you just oversaw everything.  And you gave to charity for tax breaks.  You only ever did anything if it benefited you.”

Greg was really at a loss for what to do.  Did he really have to accept his fate?  There had to be something else he could do.  Tommy seemed to sense his hopelessness and spoke up.

“Your time spent here can be put to good use.  You can develop your talents, take some classes to build new skills, or study and learn new things.  Have you had a chance to look over the orientation material yet?”

Greg looked at him confused, then grabbed a large orange envelope.  “Are you talking about this? It just has, like, a Bible and a study guide in it.”

“That’s a bit simplified, but yes, that’s the basic idea.  You should read up.  It’ll help you become better adjusted.”  Tommy stood up from the chair.  “Well, that does it for me.  If you have any more questions, try your orientation material first, but I’ll be happy to come and speak with you if need some additional help.”  He extended his hand to Greg, who shook it reluctantly.

“I still don’t think I should be here,” Greg grumbled.

“No, I don’t suppose you do,” replied Tommy, still with a warm smile “but you wouldn’t be happy 'upstairs,' either.  People are far too selfless for your tastes: I’m certain that it would really annoy you, at least the way you are now.  I’m sure I’ll see you again soon, Greg.” With that, Tommy left and Greg was alone to reflect on what had been said.  Without anyone else around and deprived of his usual distractions and vices, Greg’s thoughts were nearly deafening.

General Conference, April 2014

I've recovered from my illness and I've had a chance to listen to Conference.  What did I think?

More than anything else, the topic of addiction was mentioned over and over again.  Rarely was it the main focus, but it kept coming up.  And not just addiction, but addiction to pornography.  Sister Reeves gave a particularly heartfelt plea for us to protect ourselves from its evil influences.  While she was the only one that focused her entire talk on the subject, there were multiple speakers each session to bring it up.  The clear message: if you aren't already protecting yourself against addiction, particularly to pornography, take steps to ensure your safety.

In addition to addiction, I noticed lots of talks about standing up for one's beliefs.  Some were about defending the Church, while others were about being true to our testimonies in Jesus Christ, but they all encouraged us to be faithful members.  However, I am left confused by Elder Ballard's message about using the Church's full name when identifying both the Church as an institution and our membership to it.  I'm not confused by his words, but how they compare to the big ad push the Church has done with the "I'm a Mormon" campaign.  For over a decade, I've been avoiding the M word unless talking about the Book or the prophet, but I'd recently given in since the Church leaders seemed to have changed their position.  Now Elder Ballard confirms that, nope, it hasn't changed.  Can someone help me make sense of this?

Finally, it seemed like there were more talks than usual that focused on the Savior.  There are always at least a couple, but it seemed like that number went up this year.  Apparently, we need to be reminded who's name we've taken upon us.

That's my take.  What stood out to you?

Tuesdays with Media: I, Robot

When I was in high school, I would often pass near the public library on my way to catch my bus.  Sometimes I would go the library to pick something up to read while riding said bus.  One of the first books that I remember checking out during one of these trips was the collection of science fiction short stories I, Robot by Isaac Asimov.  I remember that I recognized the author's name from my dad's collection of paperbacks - and I was in high school, so I was required to think that robots were cool - so I decided to give it a try.

I really enjoyed the stories, but I didn't understand the theme until I reread it a few years ago.  The stories all had a similar format with a problem with a robot presented to the human characters who had to find a solution using the laws of robotics, which were:

1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2) A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Pretty straightforward, but with enough variation in each story to stay interesting.

The theme that I missed the first time as an adolescent?  Exploring what it means to be human.  That's the great thing about science fiction: on the surface it's about robots and space ships and aliens, but just under the surface are deep, philosophical themes.

Asimov was really great at the science part, but the fiction portion wasn't as strong.  His characters are usually fairly flat and the dialogue can be pretty dry, but the stories' conflicts are entertaining enough to keep you engaged.  While I do recommend this collection, I also recognize that it's probably only for sci-fi fans.  And for the record, I was disappointed the 2004 film of the same name departed so dramatically from the source material.

(By the way, I thought that it was kind of cool that I first read I, Robot during the year in which the first story is set: 1998.)

I, Robot was originally published by Gnome Press

Weekend Woes

I was planning on posting my thoughts General Conference, as I did last Conference, but my body had other plans.  Spent most of Saturday and Sunday unconscious and fighting what felt like a low-grade fever.  While I did recover enough on Sunday night to listen to the first session, I would like to get through the other four sessions before I comment on the Conference.

What happened to me that caused the fever?  Stress.  I was expecting one more unemployment payment that never came - a miscalculation on my part - which made my first paycheck from CAS, while still wonderful and needed, not as helpful as I had hoped.  This, along with a looming deadline, combined to kick the crap out of me.

I am feeling much better and I plan on finishing Conference in the next few days, but this was a firm reminder that just because I'm employed, it doesn't mean that my worries are over.  That being said, I would rather deal with the stress of too much going on than not enough.

Contact

The following is the newly declassified transcript of the US government's first and only known encounter with extra-terrestrial life.

DATE: 14 June 1947, 0921
LOCATION: Outside of Roswell Army Airfield (RAAF)

CAPT [redacted]: Base, this is Capt [redacted]. Over.

RAAF: [redacted], this is Base. We copy. Over.

CAPT [redacted]: I'm picking up some weird fluctuations on my radio. Any idea what it might be? Over.

RAAF: What kind of fluctuations? Over.

CAPT [redacted]: Well, it sounds like woman's voice softly repeating a word again and again. Over.

RAAF: You're probably just picking up another channel. Over.

CAPT [redacted]: I thought that, but it's coming in over multiple channels. Plus, it's coming in clearer than your signal. Over.

RAAF: Are you hearing it now on this channel? Over.

CAPT [redacted]: Affirmative. Over.

RAAF: Well, what's the lady saying? Over.

CAPT [redacted]: Uh, I wouldn't call her a lady. She keeps saying [redacted]. Over.

RAAF: You're kidding me. Over.

CAPT [redacted]: [Laughs] That's a big negative. I told you, I can hear her clearer than I can hear you. Over.

RAAF: I'd tell you to ignore it but if the signal is strong enough to be heard loud and clear over multiple channels then it could compromise our communications. See if you contact her back and tell her get off her radio and clean up that mouth of hers. Over.

CAPT [redacted]: Roger. I'll switch to an empty channel to initiate contact, leaving this channel open for normal comm. Over.

[2.35 MINUTES PASS]

CAPT [redacted]: Base, do you copy? Over.

RAAF: This is base. I copy. Over.

CAPT [redacted]: I contacted the woman on the radio as advised. She responded but she said that she lost track of a probe and asked if I had seen it. I really have no idea how to respond. Over.

RAAF: She said that she lost a probe? Ask her to describe it. Over.

CAPT [redacted]: Roger. Over.

[0.55 MINUTES PASS]

CAPT [redacted]: She described the probe as disk shaped and bright silver. She said it should be flying in the area. Can we make her cut this non-sense out? Over.

RAAF: [redacted], you said that she said there should be a flying disc in the area? Can you confirm? Over.

CAPT [redacted]: Affirmative, but what does it matter? It's all hogwash. Over.

RAAF: Capt [redacted], we have unconfirmed reports in the area of a, quote, "unidentified flying object" that's been described as, quote, "saucer-shaped." Is this woman claiming responsibility for it? Over.

CAPT [redacted]: Uh, I think so. Base, what's going on? Over.

RAAF: Too soon to say. Contact her again, but stay on this channel this time. Ask her to increase her signal so that we can pick it up here. Over.

CAPT [redacted]: Roger. Contacting, eh, the unknown woman on the radio. Please increase signal strength of radio broadcast.

UNKNOWN: Is this better?

CAPT [redacted]: Base, did you hear that one? Over.

RAAF: Affirmative, [redacted]. Over.

CAPT [redacted]: Yes, we hear you. How did you know about the aircraft that was spotted today? Over.

UNKNOWN: I told you, it's my probe. So you've found it?

CAPT [redacted]: Please explain the purpose of the probe. Over.

UNKNOWN: I sent the probe down to gather information, but I lost contact with it. I think I forgot to charge the battery. I do that sometimes. I was able to get enough data to plug into my translator. That's how we're able to communicate. But you've found my probe?

CAPT [redacted]: I don't know. What do you mean, "translator?" You a Jap? Over.

UNKNOWN: No, I'm a Xendarian. I'm from a planet similar to yours but my star is a bit larger. I was sent on a peaceful mission to see if your people are interested in interstellar travel.

CAPT [redacted]: Get serious. You expect me to believe you're an alien? Over.

UNKNOWN: Tell me Capt [redacted], how can I have superior radio equipment to you? Also, your people on the ground didn't detect any unaccounted for aircraft in the area and yet my probe was clearly seen. Either I'm from a planet more advanced than yours or I'm using secret technology to play games with you. And before you ask if I'm hostile, if I'm as advanced as I say, you'd already be dead if I wanted you to be. I will be happy to land my ship and explain everything, I simply want to retrieve my probe first.

RAAF: This is the Roswell Army Airfield. We have collected the probe but it suffered heavy damage in a crash. It's mostly wreckage. Over.

UNKNOWN: [Sighs] That's disappointing. Well, I'll still collect what's left. I'll let you know when I'm ready to land.

CAPT [redacted]: This is all so strange. I must ask, why did you keep repeating that obscenity earlier? Over.

UNKNOWN: What do you mean? I was using inappropriate language?

CAPT [redacted]: You kept saying [redacted]. Over.

UNKNOWN: Yes, that's my name. I don't like having my translator find an equivalent in your language. I had tried to contact my probe with all of my other communications equipment but that didn't work so I tried calling out my name on different radio frequencies. Every Xendarian probe is programed to return when it hears its owners voice call his or her own name.

CAPT [redacted]: Your name is [redacted]? Over.

UNKNOWN: Yes. I've always liked it. What does it mean in your language? I haven't had a chance to look it up yet.

CAPT [redacted]: It means [redacted]. Over.

UNKNOWN: That's disgusting! How could you twist around such a nice name into THAT! You know what? Forget it. I'll mark you down as uninterested in our services. You don't deserve our tech. I'm out of here. Keep the probe for all I care.

CAPT [redacted]: Hello? [redacted], do you copy? Over.

RAAF: Her signal's gone dead. Over.

CAPT [redacted]: Base, what just happened? Over.

RAAF: I have no idea. No way General [redacted]'s going to believe this. Over.

CAPT [redacted]: I don't believe it and I was here! Do you think this one's going to be classified, just to cover up how weird this whole thing was, like with [redacted]? Over.

RAAF: Probably. Now head back to base. I have a feeling we'll need to debrief. Over.

CAPT [redacted]: Roger wilco. Over and out.

END OF TRANSCRIPT

Shorties 6

Real Understanding
As a technical writer, I'm not expected to be an expert in the subject that I'm writing on but an expert writer and researcher.  I seek out the information I need and use it in such a way that the reader thinks I'm an expert.  I still have to have a basic understanding of the subject but that usually develops as I do the research. Yesterday at work, I finally started to "get" what I'm writing about, which is good since it's an instructional guide.  Up to this point, I've just been copying information from another document.  It's still early for me on this project but I'm really pleased that I've started to internalize the material.

Stress Reducer
When I wrote about my trials in getting a Maryland driver's license, my dad left a comment asking me what I can do to prevent something like that happening again.  I thought about his question a lot and realized that I was neglecting one of the four things that I need to do regularly to manage my anxiety.  I've been eating healthy, studying my scriptures daily, and (mostly) getting plenty of sleep, but I haven't been exercising like I should.  A lot of that is due to the bad weather we've had which would throw my entire routine off.  So, to better combat Mother Nature, I've decided to join a gym.  I've done a lot of research and found a decent gym for $10 a month, which is super reasonable even for me and my lean budget.  I even pass it coming home from work.  Since I haven't gotten paid yet, I probably won't start until next week, but I'm excited to be able to hit the gym again.

Roommate's Milestone
After Church on Sunday, Samuel went to visit a member of the ward who is unable to attend church and blessed the sacrament for the first time.  I didn't go, but Samuel came back beaming.  He told me how excited he was to have finally blessed the sacramental water and that he is eager to do it again.  (In case I haven't mentioned it, Samuel is a convert and is still very new to the gospel).

Vegetarian No More
Monday was the last day of my cleanse, which means I'm eating meat on a regular basis again.  I've certainly dropped the weight that I gained while unemployed and, I suspect, a little bit extra that I didn't need to lose.  I guess that means that I'll have to pack on the pounds by pumping iron.

"Now run!"
While I was visiting the Larsen's to celebrate my birthday, Henry and Clara showed me a new game that they've discovered.  It's the classic activity where a kid grabs an adult's leg and is dragged along while the adult walks.  However, walking got old and they started asking that I run.  Not that I would actually run, I did try to move a bit faster for them, though with little success.  As with countless uncles before me, I tired before they did.  Still, they were both super excited that we got to play together, which never gets old.

Tuesdays with Media: Avatar: The Last Airbender

I grew up watching cartoons, so when I became an adult, I saw no reason to stop.  Back in 2005, a cartoon started it's run on Nickelodeon that I completely ignored.  Avatar: The Last Airbender, while an American cartoon, was heavily influenced by Japanese anime, which I don't generally care for.  Due to the animation style, I ignored it.

Then I learned a little kung fu.  Ian sponsored me as the two of us took lessons in Choy Li Fut style kung fu, which was amazing and I've missed it ever since we stopped.  We both got really into practicing our stances and forms, but the lessons were expensive, so they didn't last long.  This short experience sparked in me a fascination in martial arts that still exists to this day.  Due to my new appreciation for all things kung fu, I paid much closer attention to fight-choreography in movies from that point on.

I forget why I decided to watch an episode of Avatar, but I sat through two back-to-back episodes from the second season, "The Serpent's Pass" and "The Drill."  I was blown away.  I really had almost no idea what was going on story-wise, but it didn't matter because the visuals were amazing.  Yes, it still had a strong anime-style animation, but the fight-choreography was fantastic.

For those who don't know, the universe that Avatar takes place in has people that are born with the ability to "bend" or telekinetically control one of the four elements.  So there are airbenders, waterbenders, earthbenders, and firebenders.  What was so great about this show, however, was that benders used their powers by doing martial arts.  To add to the cool factor, each type of bending was modeled after a different style of martial arts.  Airbenders use Baguazhang, which emphasizes avoiding your opponent; waterbenders use Tai Chi, which emphasizes fluid movements; earthbenders use Hung Ga kung fu, which emphasizes strong stances; and firebenders use Northern Shaolin kung fu, which emphasizes strong attacks.  Only the Avatar can control all four elements, which is why he or she is so important.

This show's production team really took time to animate each movement properly.  The movements may have led to making rocks fly, but it was such a unique approach that I had to see more.  I sought out the first season and watch through.  Not only were the visuals great, but the episodes also had some really great character development and world building.  I think by the time season three started, I had seen the first two seasons twice each.  I also got Paige and Isaac involved and we would often talk about different themes and choices that characters made as new episodes came out.

The series ended back in 2008, but in 2012 the sequel series, The Legend of Korra, began.  Paige, Issac, and I still often discuss each episode after it's aired.  While Korra is a great show, I still prefer the original.  It may have been a show for kids, but it treats it's audience with enough respect that people of all ages can enjoy it.  I recommend it for anyone who likes good-storytelling with cool action in a family-friendly setting.

Avatar: The Last Airbender was produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio