War of the Worlds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9T9f3UbGuo&feature=player_embedded

   Here is a clip from the 1950's movie "War of the Worlds." Just picture Earth as it is today... we are constantly fighting with the people around us, and are killing people by the thousands daily. Now try and picture Earth fighting off against OTHER planets. Though this movie is from the 50's it is quite accurate in the fact that we may someday find that we are up against not only our own kind, but creatures we do not know of that are out there in space. It is crazy to thing that the world we live in today may be peaceful, compared to what is predicted to come in the future. What will we do to stop the madness? Is there any stopping it? Once our world becomes this way I am afraid there is no turning back. No "invasion" letters are going to help us, we just need to stand up in fight. But will that be enough?

Wall-E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohcwksrvDOg&feature=related

   This is a youtube clip about Wall-E. Like the title of the clip says, it is sad to see what our future might come to. It is all too real to see the masses of obese people in the future. With the way our society functions this is not surprising what so ever. With an overkill of cheap fastfood restaurants to go to people are alwas shoving unhealthy things down their throats. In this clip of the future we are now able to sort of reflect on ourselves and see where we are going wrong. If we do not want our future to look like this, then we all need to make a change, and quick.

Genetically Modified Organisms

    Not too many people know what genetically modified organisms are, or what they are used for... They are organisms such as plants and animals that we eat, which are gentically enhanced or changed to fit the "ideal image" of what consumers want to find in their grocery stores. I put the words ideal image in quotations because thats exactly what GMO's are, images. What you see if definitly not what you get. Though the food at your local grocery store may look perfect, the nutrients inside are the exact opposite; actualy there are barley any nutrients in them at all. These genetically modified foods are totally enhanced with drugs and toxins to make them "ideal." But in reality, our future could be in grave danger if we do not change the way the producers are making our food.
    In the picture above it is showing the initials "GMO" which obviously, stand for genetically modified organism, but as the "O" is a nuse, which is basically representing what we are doing to orselves. By eating these products our futures are not very bright, we are basically killing ourselves with every bite.

Equality in the Workplace

http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/witsend/2011/08/women-predict-a-bleak-future-for-equality.html

   We always learn in history class about the great length women went to to become "equal" in their society, but what they never teach you is that all women aren't equal. In the workplace is it evident that women have significantly lower pay stubs and job titles, than men do. Why is this? Is it because men are still rooted in their old ways? Many believe it has to do with maternity, and not being able to "handle the pressure." But who are men to judge? Recent studies have shown that little change to close the gap of equality has been made since 2007, and if life carries on in this way then in the future maybe the gap won't close at all. These days, women and men's equality is a very hush hush subject in the United States, it is all "a thing of the past," but many don't know the cold hard truth- and that is, we aren't all equal all the time. In my opinion, this is non-sense. We live in a well off civilized country, but we can't even have equal gender rights? If this is going to change, women in the work force need to step up. They need to stand up with what they believe in because if they don't, nothing will change. There could be a brighter future if these women just put their mind to it, we could all be equal one day...

Can Religion Last?

http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/future-of-religion/

     Many of us have seen on the news the religious disputes going on around the world, and I can't help but wonder if they can last with one another on the same planet? It is hard enough to picture a world with no religious wars going on, but now on top of that, there is question that they and survive at all; an it doesn't even have to do with one another! Because of our developing society, it has become harder and harder for churches, temples, and mosques to preach their centuries-old beliefs. This short article I found from Englitennext.org explains the ways in which our religions need to change if they think they are going to survive our current society. One piece of advice given is to "Take a transformative journey to the leading edge of a new 21st-century spirituality." Though this may sound simple enough,this is a big change for religions around the world, to conform to. I think this says a lot about our society today, it shows that we are all too caught up in "keeping up with the Joneses" to even believe in something so old fashioned. I think it is truly sad that soon, if relgion does not change, we no one will have a relgion at all. What will we have to believe in? Nothing, is the answer. Society will be even more caught up in material things than we already are, leaving no room for spirituality.

I'm a country music freak

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0Yg9wjctRw
    I am in love with country music, so when I was listening to my iPod earlier, and this song came on I thought it would be perfect for a blog! This song is called "Welcome to the Future" by Brad Paisley and it's one of my favorite songs. Though it is different from what I think of as the future (a later time), Brad Paisley's future is now. He talks mostly about how things have changed from when he was younger; using technology references such as "and I'd have given anything, to have my own Pac-Man game at home. I used to have to get a ride down to the arcade, now I've got it on my phone," to show how much our society has changed in the last few decades and the advancements we've made. Such drastic changes have been made in all aspects of the world, and Brad Paisley is able to simply put the words to make them sound so perfect.
   I think that this song shines a positive light on the human race as a whole. Paisley is giving society credit for coming up with all of these new advancements, and not just in technology; Paisley also uses Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks to convey his message of an ever changing world.

Five Ways You're Killing the Planet

http://www.popsci.com/environment/gallery/2008-06/five-ways-you%E2%80%99re-killing-planet?image=4

   It is evident that preserving our environment has been an issue these past few years; many are concerned that due to greenhouse gasses we are slowly killing our planet. This is a great article from popsci.com which explains five simple ways we can help save our planet and ensure our future. I think this is a great way for everyone to cut back in things, such as electricity use, to make sure there is actually going to be a future... These simple tasks could make all the difference in the world.
   If we as humans continue on in our daily lives as we do now, we do not know what could happen farther down the road. From research though, it seems like our future will not be very bright if we don't make a change shortly. The author of this article, though, seems hopeful that each individual person is able to make a change, even if it is as small as shutting down your computer at night or unplugging your charger when your phone isn't using it.

In Time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efNzhEKm3w4
   This is a movie trailer for the new movie "In Time" starring Justin Timberlake. When I saw the commercial for it the other day, I instantly knew that it would be a great to use for a blog post. By watching it's commercial and trailer, I thought "In Time" looked like a very interesting movie about biotechnology. There is not many movies that I am interested in that fall under this category, but there is something about this movie that makes me want to go see it.
  Basically, in "In Time" everyones' lives are limited to the time shown on their arm; they are able to buy back time to extend their lives, but their appearance never actually passes that of a twenty five year old. This is a very powerful scene in the movie because it shows the technological advancements that are soon to be made in the near future. As shown in this clip, everything will change within the human body. It seems as though biotechnology will be our greatest area of interest in the next few decades, as the human population is forever changing.The producers did a great job at emphasizing each message they were trying to portray in the movie! They definitely used great detail to make this movie amazing! I cannot wait to see it .

War!

     In the picture above is a scene of a war happening in what I suspect to be the future. This picture represents exactly what I understand war in the future to be like- a bunch of people inside of steel suits running around fighting each other with lasers and fighter jets; in other words, absolute madness. Not only does this illustration focus on war, but it gives us an idea about what technology will be like in the future. In my opinion, the artist of this wanted to give his viewers a well rounded idea of the future instead of just a narrow picture focusing on either one or the other (war or technology, etc). This depiction of the future reveals a lot about or current society as a whole. A mixed message is given off in the picture above. It gives us the impression that our current technological standpoint is going to advance very much within the next years; soon soldiers will be in full robot gear to protect them instead of the skimpy uniforms they have now to protect them. Though this is a positive step in the right direction, on the other hand the soldiers are fighting a war which implies there are issues in this time. Yes, in our current state we do not have world peace, but we don't know the extent that war in the future could go to if it becomes how it is in the picture above.

The Longest Poem I've Ever Read

 The Future 
A poem by Marc Wallace
 

In the future, we’ll plan the future better.

In the future, you can just become your TV.

In the future, your sexual partners will meet all the qualities on your checklist.

And this anxiety you’re feeling now? In the future you won’t feel it.

In the future, technology will always work, and there won’t even be weekend downtime for systems repair.

In the future, Friday night parties will never be boring.

In the future there will be less deadlines and they’ll be easier to meet.

In the future, all pollution will contain its own self-cleaning element.

In the future, if your house burns down, you’ll have another house by the time you get home.

In the future, your insurance policy will actually pay.

In the future, your friends won’t talk so constantly about everything they think they should already have.

In the future, no good deed will go unrewarded.

In the future people will like you just for who you are.

In the future, everyone will have their own sky marshal.

In the future, fires and floods made worse by ecologically damaging overpopulation will lead to photo-ops for everyone.

In the future, that eleventh-rate doctor you married who’s seeing a nurse in Oceanside behind your back will stay home more often and cut the grass.

In the future, people will fart less.

In the future, corporations will pay you for gas.

In the future, because we’ll already be in the future, children won’t have to be the hope for the future.

In the future, we won’t have to wait for things to get better.

In the future, we will already have learned from our mistakes.

In the future, you can take all the time you need.

In the future you’ll get more turns at the microphone.

In the future, if there’s a disaster, a holographic image of your favorite public leader will be sent to you and speak to you personally, giving you whatever message will be most helpful to you at that time.

In the future, babies will change their own diapers.

In the future you’ll only have to work when you feel like working.

In the future, you really will be able to buy your own Brooklyn Bridge.

In the future, on the Internet, not only will you be able to be whoever you want, but everybody else will be whoever you want.

In the future, those fears and realities which are holding you back will no longer be so frightening or real.

In the future, all the food that’s bad for you won’t be so bad.

In the future, even when you’re contradictory, incoherent, or just plain full of shit, people will listen to what you say.

In the future, if there’s someone you don’t like, you’ll be able to call up the media and have that person exposed.

In the future, attractive women won’t look away from you with that slight sneer that says “Not in your lifetime, pal.”

In the future, the sports bar frat boy war whoop will be practiced by everyone and heard by no one.

In the future, your dumb ass incompetent liar of a boss will laugh more, buy you lunch, and ask you how you’d like to be treated.

In the future, there won’t be mercury in your fish unless you like mercury.

In the future, sporting events will be as exciting as the hype.

In the future, your laundry will do itself.

And also grocery shopping and taxes.

In fact I’m not even sure there will be taxes.

And lawns won’t need to be cut or watered.

Besides, everyone will be able to waste all the water they want.

In the future even the water in your toilet will be drinkable.

In the future, the thought of your currently pathetic future as an underpaid and overworked middle manager or data entry drone for some faceless organization that makes its money by diminishing the richness of human life won’t depress you nearly as much.

In the future, The Young and The Restless will be young but not restless.

In the future, you’ll have the only house on your block that ever throws loud parties late at night, and when you do, your neighbors won’t complain and will make beer runs for you.

In the future, no one will have miles to go before they sleep.

In the future, no one will tell you not to break the rules. Unless you want them to.

In the future, weekends will be longer than weeks.

In the future, no matter how spontaneous you are, everything that needs careful planning will be carefully planned.

In the future, you’ll be able to exercise and keep in shape without moving much.

In the future, heterosexual sex will never risk pregnancy, but you can still have babies whenever you like.

In the future, it will be all sex all the time.

In the future, institutional restrooms will be kept clean and always have extra toilet paper.

In the future, that 22-year old white suburban thug who dropped out of school, carries brass knuckles, has a KKK tattoo and is looking for someone to blame will have turned into a gift-giving grandmother.

In the future, if you get drunk at a party, your car will do your designated driving.

In the future, advertising jingles will never get stuck for hours in your head.

In the future, real estate agents will ask you to set the price they’re asking for the house you want to buy.

In the future, if you’re good at something, people will actually like you for it.

In the future, gambling won’t be a gamble.

In the future, you won’t have to worry that your wildcat investing, reckless spending sprees and string of expensive girlfriends will leave you at age 50 broke and alone in a rented Chula Vista condo.

In the future, all marriages will be analyzed beforehand to make sure they’re not mistakes.

In the future, extra-marital affairs won’t leave anyone feeling abandoned or betrayed. And if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t want such affairs to exist, well then they won’t.

In the future, your government will never kill people for reasons that leave you with gnawing impotent guilt.

In the future, fanatics of all kinds will consider in advance, and carefully, the ramifications of everything they think and the harm they might do.

In the future, each of us can have our own individual Leader of the Country.

In the future, there will be no more war criminals.

In fact war itself will no longer be a revolting misuse of human life. All things considered, war will be kind of okay.

In the future, lines will wait for you.

In the future, you won’t even have to try to win every argument.

In the future, you can just push a button.

In the future, you’ll never be hostile, cruel, cheap or ignorant, or if you are, no one will notice.

In the future, no one will just be counting the minutes.

In the future, math and science problems will solve themselves.

In the future, we’ll still have different backgrounds, but we’ll have the same values.

In the future, the confusion of experiencing the world will have been replaced by immediate access to awareness. There will never be anything you don’t understand.

In the future, you won’t have to make an effort. But if it will make you feel good about yourself, you can.

In the future, no one will be annoyed if you’re late.

In the future, you can put yourself first and no one will think you’re selfish.

In fact, in the future everybody’s feelings will be exactly as central as they want them to be.

In the future, if you want the spotlight you can have the spotlight, and if you want out of the spotlight you won’t ever have to take a turn.

In the future, all the bad stuff will be quite a bit less bad, so much less, in fact, that it might not be bad at all.

In the future, you won’t waste so much time waiting for the future. Since, you know, it’ll already be here.

Which means we’ll be done with worrying about the future.

And all this working for the future too. Damn right!

In fact, in the future, and this may be the most different thing of all, you and I will still be alive in the future. And not, that is, dead.


     I found the poem above to be very interesting to read. It captured my interest because of the way it was written, but also because what it has to say about the future. It is a mixture of all the primary issues of the future (environment, government, technology, inequality, religion, and war), except reversed; they are no longer issues, they have a minor impact on any persons' life. In "The Future" the future is made out to be this perfect place where everything goes your way no matter what. In one of the last lines of the poem it states that, "In the future, all the bad stuff will be quite a bit less bad, so much less, in fact, that it might not be bad at all." I think this is the perfect example of the major characteristic in a dystopian society- the belief that everything is perfect all the time and nothing could ever go wrong. 
     In my opinion I feel as though the author is somewhat making fun of our current society throughout his poem. Wallace is doubting the fact that our generation is able to improve on the future because we are so wrapped up in ourselves- we don't have time to make the world a better place. He is trying to send a message that war, happiness, and a perfect life will never be achieved by the way we are acting. Wallace is able to send this message by portraying the speaker of this poem to be a bit ignorant. My opinion is that Wallace wants our society to know what we sound like- a bunch of ignorant selfish people.

Back to the Future

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM5EYO5wWMA


   In this clip of "Back to the Future" starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, a time machine built by the two is shown in the year 1985. Time machines and space travel are in almost everyone’s' depiction of the future, so this correctly portrays the ideas of the general public. In my opinion, this is a part of what made this movie so successful; there were no tricks or crazy representations of the future, just a straight forward movie about what everyone wants to see.
   In most technology movies, the apparatuses shown are always very fancy and high tech; they are silver and shiny, with a great deal of rainbow colored buttons, and are able to just about anything one could imagine. That is not like in "Back to the Future though, the producers take more of a simplistic approach on how to reveal their messages within the movie. This is a great way to get people interested in the production because sometimes people don't fully understand the great lengths technology can go to, but in "Back to the Future," they can. They are able to somewhat connect to what is going on and how the time machine is made, which is a big part of a move- understanding. Another reason why I picked this clip is because the producers definitely represent the future of human society in a positive way. So many of the movies, shows, and books of this day and age show the future in a negative light; it is very rare that movies about upcoming generations don't have an underlying message within. Most reveal the harm our society is doing to our globe and it's effects on future generations to come, so I think this movie was definitely a breath of fresh air.

Eureka!

I found this episode of Eureka really interesting and intriguing. I particularly enjoyed all of the different aspects of technology within the show; whether it was the smart house or the full body scanners, I always wanted to learn more about this technology. It definitely left me wanting to watch more of this season.

In this episode, there were many instances where aspects of the future were able to shine through the initial scheme of the show. The smart house was a perfect way to show the path that technology is leading down. Scientists are always trying to find the next best thing, and this is definitely it. This house would obviously be my dream house, and probably everybody else’s too. In the future robots and technology will basically end up ruling the world, and this house is the first step in the right direction. People would absolutely love to be able to buy house that does everything for them. The stresses of life will no longer burden the people who live in these houses; because they always know there is “someone” at home to serve them when they get home.

Also, the holograms and body scanners are a step towards the future and what it is going to be like. In the future maybe all detectives and police departments will have access to these full body scanners, they will be able to match DNA on a whole new and improved level (not that most people have another dead-self to match).

In my opinion, the producers of this show want to portray the lives of people in future generations to come. They seem to have faith in the human population because they represent us in such a positive way. The producers are able to shine a light on technology and its development in future years, unlike the many films of destruction and devastation that so many are producing, this is a positive portrayal of the lives ahead.