Killing the "present", one remote control at a time...

This is for Group B, on The Third Interval.

In the article The Third Interval, Paul Virillio expresses concern over increased use of and dependence on technology. He claims that human beings are becoming slaves to technology and that social interaction amongst each other has been dissipating because of it. We become immobile as we kill what Virillio calls "present time" by isolating it and no longer applying it to our "concrete presence". In other words, for example, whenever we see something or someone that is clearly on the other side of the country through, say, television or video conferencing, we are eliminating "present time" because we are watching what is happening live on the screen. We are being connected to the other side, we are here and there at the same time; we are telepresent. Virillio even makes the stunning claim that this increase in dependence leads to more single-parent families, that number of family units is decreasing because of it.

Although there may seem to be some truth in his argument, I completely disagree with it. Virillio seems to be creating these arguments without much proof, except for the fact that a human being becomes more of a couch potato whenever they pick up the remote and channel surf. At least, that was the impression I received. Indeed, there is a growing dependency on technology, especially now that people are equipped with mp3 players, cell phones, and laptops, but that does not necessarily mean that people have become less active or less social. Sure, there may be some who sit at home for a few hours and surf through the Internet, but they usually venture into the outside world and join their friends for lunch. People take walks. The world is not barren! Virillio also fails to mention the power of fast correspondence and communication through the use of the Internet, which can be highly beneficial when the need persists.

As for the breaking up of the family home, there are definitely numerous reasons as to why there are more single-parent families, which Virillio also neglects. Once again he provides no evidence for his wild claim that it has little to do with "liberation of values" and is instead due to the expansion of the urban areas.

Everybody say "Wiiiiiii!!!!"

Okay, so I was also another who was disappointed that Super Smash Bros. (the original or Melee) wasn't one of the games that we were to play tonight. But given as the purpose of this was to have everyone play games that were easy to adjust to, I didn't mind so much afterwards.

I personally believe that the most popular game of the night was WarioWare: Smooth Moves for the Nintendo Wii. Although you can definitely not mess with classics like Tetris and Pac Man, since games like those paved the way for the games we have today, WarioWare is unique on its own right. So far, this game has made use of the new Nintendo technology in every way possible (and in the beginning, the only game until recently). It's funny because it also reflects on the times. We have become a fast-paced world. Our generation has grown up prepared to take on challenges that speeds towards us, including the current developing technology: internet, cell phones, computers, etc. The concept of the game is to figure out within a span of about 5-30 seconds (depending on the mini-game) what action must be taken with the controller when the command is given on the screen. The more the level is completed, the faster it goes until you reach the boss stage. The controller must be held in the position given (a picture of a man with his own "Form Baton" in the position) before the mini-game begins. What's even funnier are the messages in between, teaching the player in which position the controller must be held. The narrator's speech contrasts to that of the entire game: it's very slow and mellow, resulting in his punchlines being funnier.

Compared to the classic games played during class, the games in WarioWare were much more unexpected. Although you weren't sure where the ghosts would roam around next in Pacman, they would still follow the same pattern of trying to follow the yellow munching ball and destroy him. Whereas in WarioWare, each level was different. Each story had to use a different strategy (or strategies), and each strategy had several different uses that didn't appear in any certain order.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that although games do still in fact follow a pattern (take DDR for instance, the direction of the arrows are pretty much the same, depending on the stage) and have since the birth of video games, the player now has more choices (as in DDR, song choices) and variety (the many mini-games in WarioWare). Some reflect our fast-paced world, because if they didn't, gamers would be bored.

A question for regular gamers: does anyone notice that when you play certain games time seems to fly much faster than normal?

Realism? Oh, so so close...

Time Code tells a story of different people, apparently the first time someone has attempted to put four different small screens in one giant screen. Each story is filmed at the same time, without any cuts and almost purely improvisational, which gives it a more realistic feel. Plus, the actors have more room to grow and expand on the experience of their characters.

In the beginning, it is really difficult trying to figure out which of the stories one must concentrate most on, or what the connection between them is. The volume between them all is loud, as if they are all trying to speak over each other trying to grab the attention of the audience. It doesn’t help that at some points the soundtrack becomes louder than the voices of the characters themselves. It becomes a bit clearer later on as to where the audience should direct their attention to when the volume for the screen being focused on is turned higher, and the volume for the rest becomes lower, usually to the point of silence. The connection between them is clear when the first earthquake happens and everyone reacts. The audience finally realizes that each event is happening simultaneously to the other.

In the end, little importance is given to many of the players and instead the story focuses on the love triangle between Rose, her girlfriend Lauren, and her lover Alex. The climax takes place when Lauren reacts and fatally wounds Alex by shooting him with a gun. It seems like this is the point in which the film loses its realism entirely. The singer in the studio focuses her camera on him as he lies there bleeding. No one calls the police. As Lauren walks out the building, the little group of the supporting cast huddles into a giant cluster and almost comically move together backwards using baby steps, in fear that they too would become Lauren’s next victims.

The director of this film indeed took a risk in providing a different perspective to regular cinema. He attempted to provide the audience with a feeling of realism by having nothing cut and by having the actors improvise. However, the effort seemed wasted as the film reached its climax, evidently turning into a kind of parody or mockery. In fact, to an extent it felt overacted. Some of the actions performed by the characters were overly exaggerated, normally something done in a play or in a silent film. The film digresses from its purpose, the realism is lost, and you feel like you are left with a feeling of dissatisfaction.

The Time Machine and Time Dependency

I believe that the novel enforces the idea that without the control of, and the harmony with, time, situations in life become hectic, unmanageable, and, in this case, possibly dangerous. The first six chapters of the The Time Machine certainly bring out the paranoia in the main character. Although he is bombarded with several benefits of the future, his confidence in his surroundings begins to deteriorate once his machine is stolen. The time frame he is currently stuck in is no longer a utopia of the future, but a vast unknown world full of what seem like unpleasant creatures. Without the machine, the Time Traveler feels lost and helpless, fearing that he will not be able to return to his own time frame, and to the familiar. It is something that represents what many fear: lack of control of machine time. As I read The Time Machine, this scene is what struck me the most. Many, if not all, of humankind of modern society depend greatly on time: when to certain tasks, when to meet people, even when to go to bed and awaken. One can get sidetracked and feel lost and hopeless because of over-dependency.