WB 5

Dear English 110 students,

You have a long quarter of first year English ahead of you, and I believe there are a few crucial keys to success. First and for most, stay on top of your assignments. The work load is very manageable and well spread out, and will not pile up on you if you do your blogs on time and work on the larger papers a little bit at a time. Next I would like to tell you to take the blogs seriously, they are great practice your writing, task risks with your writing and voice your opinions. Another great way to improve our writing (and your grades) is to read, understand and use the comments Leslie gives you about your writing. If you think about her comments and take her advice, your writing and grades will improve. Finally, I would like to say that you shouldn't judge the course before you get into it. I was quite averse to sci fi before this class and I could not believe I actually had to watch shows in English class. But if you keep and open mind about the course material, you will get a lot out of it.

Good luck,

Trevor Stengel

Firscape

I think Firscape was the worst show that we watched all quarter. I thought everything about it was what could go wrong with a sci fi. Tacky aliens, lost astronaut, I just did not like the characters. As it started I thought it might have been an interesting show. With the astronaut taking off from Earth I figured that it may be a sci fi that was actually based on Earth. It turned out to be nothing like this. I could also barely stand looking at the aliens, not only were they tacky but they were gross. One thing I did like was that the one alien did not trust the human. I thought the lack of trust of humans was an interesting twist. Normally it is humans not trusting aliens.

I was unable to relate to Firscape at all. This quarter completely surprised me in that I was able to relate to old Star Trek more then the modern sci fi's that were made in my lifetime. The sci fi's that occurring in present day, like Buffy and Angel are interesting, but I have found that I was more interested in the old Star Trek and Firefly due to there story lines. The settings of the shows we watched were essentially irrelevant to my ability to relate to the show. It is the story lines and the issues that the characters go through that made all the difference in me relating to the shows.

Star Trek Next Generation

I really liked the episode we watched in class. I think I must just prefer the sci fi episodes that have conflict that involve an actual story line rather then just explosions and special effects. I found the issue at hand a very fascinating topic. The impact of creating more machines like Data could be extremely helpful. However is it really okay to risk the "life" of Data for this benefit. This episode brought up the issue of the value of life. It was decided that Data offers all the a human with a soul offers, and therefore was not property and his life could not be risked to try and duplicate him. He may not understand human emotion, as seen in the game of poker, but he feels human emotion, he can love. I found this episode relevant because I think that people that blindly support war are not actually thinking about what is being risked. I think that people frequently make the mistake of viewing this nations brave service men and women as property of the government. People see war and look past the fact that men and women just like us actually have to engage in battle when war is being waged. I never thought I could draw all of these important and relevant issues from a sci fi. I think that respect for human life is such an important issue in today's society, and somehow gets looked past.

I like Star Trek: Next Generation and Star Trek the original better then basically all of the things we have watched this quarter. I can't really say which show I like better though. The issue in the episode we watched in class was so interesting. I just have to say I am a big fan of the themes that are presented in both series. The are timeless and relevant today which engages me without being flashy, which shows that the story line are well thought out.

WB 4 Star Trek

I had never really watched Star Trek before, so I decided to start from the beginning and watch season 1 episode 1 "The Man Trap." In this episode Captain Kurk, Ship Sergeant McCoy and a member crew land on a plant that is inhabited by only two people, a professor and a women that McCoy used to have relations with. The viewer immediately notices that the women on the plant appears to each man as a women they desire. Shortly after landing they find a member of the crew dead. The woman claims that he ate a plant that must have poisoned him. Captain Kurk and McCoy bring the dead crew mate back aboard the USS Enterprise for some tests, they find that the man could not have died from the plant. It is not to hard for the viewer to see that the woman is morphing into different beings and killing people. The episode continues on to an end where McCoy must kill the creature that morphs into different beings while she appears to him as his past lady friend. I was surprised at how well this episode held my attention. It lacked the special effects that most sci fi's that people watch these days have, however I thought the story line was much more captivating.

Through the many different shows I have watched this quarter I have learned that there are many different types of sci fi shows. First of all the is the futuristic but more present day sci fi, like Buffy or Angel. These take place in the world we live in, however they include sci fi elements like vampires or forms of technology that we do not have. I thought that this form of sci fi would be my favorite. But when I watched it, it really was not up my alley. I think that just because the characters dress like they live in today's America does not mean they are relatable. Another type of sci fi I found is the futuristic outer space sci fi, such as Firefly or BSG. I have never been very interested in special effects, and I think these series rely too much on explosions and sex to interest the viewer. The final genre is the classic sci fi genre. The only experience I have with this genre is the original Star Trek. I would not have expected to like this show, but I was really interested when I watched it. Due to the special effects being limited I think that the story line is better developed then in other shows. I also think that many of the themes in the old Star Trek are timeless and still relevant today.

Battlestar Galactica

The only experience with Battlestar Galactica I had before watching it in class was hearing Dwight from NBC's The Office say, "Beats, bears, Battlestar Galactica." As many may assume my expectations were low. But I am glad to say that my first experience with BSG went over a lot better with me then my first experience with Firefly. I imagine that what I have seen of the show is a lot more event full and dramatic then the majority of the episodes, considering that it was the beginning of a miniseries to introduce the show. I was disappointed in a few scenes, I thought the scene of all the jets going in for attack was frustrating because they simply lost electricity and were helpless. I found that very frustrating to watch. However, I did really like how they had to resort to using those old planes. I like the parallel in how they were honoring that legendary pilot, and then were forced to fly the planes that he once used. I would assume that has a deeper meaning that I am unaware of because I have only scene half of a miniseries episode.

 

The other noticeable thing in this show for me was the abundance of sex. I never would have thought that sci-fi shows could get so raunchy. I stand corrected. I do not actually know what the point of all the sex in the show is, I just wonder if that is just a theme in general with television today. Or if sci-fi's just attempt to stimulate the brain in everyway possible, from action scenes with wild explosions to raunchy sex. Whatever the motive may be, I am puzzled.

 

Khalil Gibran- Friendship IXX

Khalil Gibran is a very famous writer from the early 1900s. He is best known for his work, "The Prophet." I am personally a biggest fan of his quotes. Here is about as close to a poem as Khalil Gibran gets. It is a poem about friendship. I like it because I think the poem portrays the idea that friendship is a bond, were both parties truly desire the best for the other. Khalil Gibran once said, "Friendship is alway sweet responsibility, never an opportunity." This poem makes me think about my best friends. Not only does it remind me of them, but it makes me wonder how I can be a better friend. There are so many poems about love, this poem is unique because it is so powerful, but it is not about romance, it is about friendship.

Your friend is your needs answered. 

He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving. 

And he is your board and your fireside. 

For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace. 

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind, nor do you withhold the "ay." 

And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart; 

For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed. 

When you part from your friend, you grieve not; 

For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain. 

And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit. 

For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught. 

And let your best be for your friend. 

If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also. 

For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill? 

Seek him always with hours to live. 

For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness. 

And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. 

For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed. 

Khalil Gibran 

Buffy Episode

Another surprisingly interesting episode of Buffy. In the episode Buffy was flashing back and forth from Sunnydale and a mental hospital. She does not know which one is reality, and honestly I had no clue either. I think that is what was so interesting to me during this episode, like Buffy herself, I was completely unsure of what was actually reality, and I think that helped me connect with the character. Not being a frequent Buffy viewer I did not know what these flashbacks could be planted in, but I found myself hoping that she could hold on to the apparent reality of the mental hospital. I thought, who would want to live in a world of vampires. But then it hit me, who would want to awake in a mental hospital and be told they had been mentally in a different state for many years either. At the end of the episode, Buffy decides to stay in Sunnydale. Her doing this still did not answer, which world was actually real. I don't know if I am missing something, but after I watched this episode I still had a lot of questions about what was really going on in the show.