Civi Action

Our generation is pressured to do too much. We are taught that our resumes have to be stacked with positions, clubs and activities in order to succeed in life. I worry that this creates a false sense of commitment to our civic purpose. We almost lose sight of why we are doing the things we do. This course, however, highlights this dangerous tendency of our generation and forces us to correct it. This course has opened my eyes to my sense of accountability and responsibility to both my smaller and larger community. I realize that I am just a student a St. Joe's, or a resident of Philadelphia, but rather I am an pivotal member of a larger social fabric. With this role comes a sense of commitment to always grow and strengthen the bonds of this fabric. Whether that be volunteering within the community, spreading awareness for important issues, or even just following the rules and laws that keep our society safe, I have an ethical responsibility to myself and those around me.

Personally, the hardest, but probably most important lesson of this course, was how ethical accountable I am on the internet. I, like many of my peers, love using social media sites, such as facebook, to engage and connect with my social circle. Never, however, did I realize how people use social media sites to connect the larger world and create a larger impact on our social landscape. My suggestion for this course next year is to possibly create a hypothetical case studied where we develop plans to use facebook, or twitter, or myspace to tackle a current social problem.

Ted Talk

Allowing her inner-activist to break out of her shell, Alicia Nealon discusses new and emerging technologies and social media sites can shrink the global community, while simultaneously create large scale social change.

The Surrogates: Written, animated, dramatized, and everything in between

Reading The Surrogates was a different experience than watching the movie The Surrogates. Besides the glitz and glam of Hollywood, the movie presented much more dynamic and relatable characters than the book did, which is probably why myself, as well as my classmates, seemed to enjoy the movie more. Not limited to the constraints of 2-D pages, the movie explored the identities and backgrounds of the characters more than the book.

The book, however, offered a much more developed debate on the issues and ethics surrounding surrogates. While the movie concentrated on entertainment and audience engagement, the book devoted itself to presenting the issues at hand. I particular found it very interesting how the book incorporated scholarly articles after every chapter. In the classroom setting, the book lent itself more to facilitating lively and well-supported discussions.

Surrogates: a book, a movie, an ethical debate.

Tracking a world where humans can purchase unflawed robotic versions of themselves to act in the real world while being remotely controlled from the unattached world of their homes, The Surrogates, both the movie and the book, follows a supposedly ideal society where crime has plummeted and people are able to lead seemingly more fulfilling lives. After reading the book and viewing the movie, however, I have to wonder, "is this really a better life?" Take FBI agent Tom Greer, played by Bruce Willis. He and his wife share a superficial relationships with each others surrogates, yet are unable to share any real or genuine moments as husband and wife. In the novel, Tom asks his wife to share dinner with him, but she declines because it will take her too long to prepare her surrogate. How can this be a more satisfying life? Can one truly be happy if they are only able to interact with others in their surrogate form? And if so, does this mean that your identity is no longer based on your natural human persona, but rather on your mechanical surrogate image? Personally, I believe that The Surrogates highlights, although in an exaggerated manner, how a dependancy on technology can corrupt the unique originality of the human mind. In my opinion, each mind posses an innate integrity, a gift of unique thought and expressions. Technology, such as surrogates, so desperately tried to perfect humanity, that it often fails to celebrate this unique gift.

What does it mean to be human?

What does it mean to be human? Is it as simple having opposable thumbs? Or is it bigger? Maybe our ability to think and reason on a higher, more emotional level? While there seems to be many answers, big or small, to this question, the fact remains that we are indeed human and have been given one life on earth. Or have we? What if we could live multiple lives on earth. Technology gives us this opportunity. Whether it be an alternative personality on social media sites such as facebook or second life, or an alternative appearance created on the operating tables, technology has developed ways of transforming natural human existence. It gives us a chance to recreate our original human existence into something new, something different, and presumably something better.

Is it really better? Reading the article The Tech Lab: Bruce Schneier and watching the Ted Talk with Nick Bostrom, we are exposed to the two extremes of supposed effects technology has on human existence. While the article calls for a sense of accountability for the negatives of technology, the TED talk celebrates the positives. They stand has polar ends; one representing a scared and paranoid viewpoint of technology, the other celebrating it with excitement and promise.

In his article, The Tech Lab: Bruce Schneier, Schneier creates a strong attack on technology, claiming that "data is the pollution of the information age." Citing the developing security technology of cameras and surveillance devices, Schneier conjectures that "what was once ephemeral is now permanent." In other words, he worries that technology has made us prisoners of the digital age. No longer are we free to live our lives without them being recorded, "cross-indexed and correlated, and then used for secondary purposes" Schneier mandates that "we must, all of us together, start discussing this major societal change and what it means." He asserts that the ethics of our society must catch up to the technology that is currently controlling it.

Nick Bostrom, on the other hand, offers a much more optimistic viewpoint of technology in his TED talk. Although offering staggering statistics and lofty ideas about existential risk, Bostrom highlights the "more subtle and difficult to grasp" concept that life isn't always as wonderful as it could be. Is this really the best we can do? Bostrom believes that technology can improve human life because improvement is not just about eliminating negatives, but about adding positives. How do we go about such improvement? Bostrom suggests that we have to change. Although he acknowledges technologies ability to change human biology, he believes that technology has the ability to change our human consciousness. It affords us the opportunity for life and possibilities to be limitless. Because technology is always growing and expanding, the chances humans have to change and improve their lives are too. Technology poses new and exciting ways to improve human life because it creates the human consciousness of limitless possibilities.

Final Cut:A Diagnosis is Not a Deadline: The Jimmy Calnan Story

Here is the final cut of our project. It is a far cry from the previous cuts of the material. Although the storyline and clip content has not changed since the first cut, the special effects have undergone a radical facelift. By adding transitions, subtitles, music and title/credit pages, we have spruced and polished the presentation of our video. Personally, my favorite special effect is the title pages. I love how the "A Diagnosis, Not a Deadline" sweeps onto the screen as two parts. First, "A Diagnosis," then "Not a Deadline." For me, this effect truly captures the theme of our project. As the video narrates, Jimmy has lived his life in reverence to his diagnosis, but has never treated it as a death sentence. He is aware of his condition, takes the necessary steps to treat and contain his sickness, but he never once lets it bar him from living a full and meaningful life. The title, "A Diagnosis, Not a Deadline," commemorates how Jimmy has transformed his physical and emotional struggles into a positive inspiration for others in his community.

Cut #1

So here is the project to date. It has all the typical problems of any first cut: rough transitions, shaky audio, and fragmented images. Its one redeeming aspect, however, is the strength of the story arc. Although most of this we accredited Jimmy with for having such a compelling and engaging life story, we are proud of how we have cut, edited and arranged the clips to weave Jimmy's story. Please watch and give any feedback!!!

YouTube Report Project Idea

For our YouTube Report Project, my group and I have decided to spend a day in the life with Jimmy Calnan. As 20-year HIV and AIDS survivor, Jimmy Calnan embodies a spirit for life and a passion for community. By sharing his story, Calnan hopes to transform his physical and emotional struggles into a positive inspiration for others in his community. We plan to shadow him as he volunteers at the Mazzoni center, an AIDS treatment and awareness center. Also, he has offered to let us accompany him to one of his doctor's visits. Our only concern is how to film such sensitive material in a respectful manner.

The Ethnosphere

What is cultural diversity? Is it something as large scale as people from different, maybe far countries meeting and discussing their ethnic beliefs and traditions? Or can it exist on a smaller scale? Maybe even as small as neighbors within our on Philadelphia community meeting and discussing their differing beliefs and traditions?

Well Wade Davis believes that before we can even begin to think about cultural diversity on the small scale level, we must first be open to addressing cultural diversity on the large scale level. In a June 2002 article, "Explorer Wade Davis on Vanishing Cultures," Wade explains that "There's a tendency for those of us in the dominant Western culture to view traditional people—even when we're sympathetic to their plight—as quaint and colorful, but reduced to the sidelines of history, while the real world, which of course is our world, continues moving forward." He goes on to point out, however, that this is simply not true. "Change," however Wade explains, "is the one constant in history. All societies in all times and in all places constantly adapt to new possibilities for life."

It is this point that makes me wonder. If change is constant throughout history, crossing both temporal and cultural boundaries, then each society has at least that factor in common. I believe that to truly have a constructive and productive discussion about cultural diversity, everyone should change not only creates diversity, but it is also the common thread through each society.

The Empire of Illusion

In his book, The Empire of Illusion, Chris Hedges offers a opinionated and unforgiving critique of the social, political and economic culture of contemporary American life. His harshest and strongest arguments filter through his essay, "The Illusion of America," in which he contends that we live in two different Americas- one of elusive dreams, media-constructed lies, and political-exploited power AND one of truth and freedom. The later, however, he holds has been suppressed, and almost erased by the corruptive illusions of the former. Hedges describes America as,

“The government, stripped of any real sovereignty, provides little more than technical expertise for elites and corporations that lack moral restraints and a concept of the common good. America has become a façade. It has become the greatest illusion in a culture of illusions. It represents a power and a democratic ethic is does not possess…We remain tempted by mirages, by the illusion that we can, still, all become rich” (143).

He offers further support by citing statics like, $623 billion US Defense budget for 2006 – “more than all other militaries on earth combined” (144) – or the current “$3 trillion war” or that “since the end of the Second World War, the federal government has spend more than half its tax dollars on past, current, and future military operations” (153).

Hi arguments, however, are not limited to his book. When talking to an online radio blog, Hedges defended his viewpoints on America's current soci0-political landscape, by developing his theory of "inverted totalitarianism." As a humble reader and listener, I wont dare attempt the synthesize his thought process, but please check it out and comment as to whether or not you think this helps the arguments originally presented in Empire of Illusion, or just adds one more compliant to his long laundry list of grievances with America.

St. Bernard Project

Volunteering.....

Because Rebuilding a Community Takes More Than One Set of Hands

Haunted by images of Hurricane Katrina, Liz McCartney bravely choose to leave her bubbled life in Washington, D.C. and move to St. Bernard Parish, a community just east of New Orleans. Hoping to mend the physical destruction and emotional displacement of the Katrina survivors, McCartney founded the Saint Bernard Project, which raises funds, finds skilled volunteers and rebuilds the homes of thousands of people. According to her website, " The St. Bernard Project can transform a gutted house into a livable home in just eight to 12 weeks for an average cost of $12,000." McCartney proves that one voice, one set of hands is just the beginning of reshaping a community.