When Technology Fights Back

Ana Siria Freire

When Technology Fights Back

It used to be human nature to think we are the center of the universe. We, as human beings, used to contemplate the idea of being served for eternity. First, we believed that we were the center of the universe. Everything was supposed to exist only to serve these biped creatures, from the planets to any stars, including the sun. All the progress that has been made by mankind has the purpose of man’s well-being. For example, during the Industrial Revolution, machines were invented to fulfill man’s hunger for progress, and this progress would be always on their side. In this century, technology says the topic of any commercial negotiation serve the man for economic purposes. Considering that machines were designed to be servants to man, many companies would not be successful without machines and their ultimate technology. Technology is always powerful and can be used for good or bad.

When the computers were introduced to society, humanity has found its major servant. The enormous change in our lifetime was made by the technology from computers and their diversification. For instance, the way communications have been made before computers and how we communicate now prove the benefits of this technology. Most people would dramatically admit that without this computerized technology, everything in their lives would be miserable. It seems that machines would not turn their back to humankind at any point in time. On the contrary, I have noticed some rebellious attitudes of computers towards their mentors. Would it be possible to have a revolution coming from computers? Would they request their freedom from so much work or overdue time without any compensation or early retirement? This attitude could be because so many of them are discarded without prior notice only to satisfy customers who prefer the thinnest phone with enormous possibilities! I know it looks funny and unlikely to happen, but recently, some situations have happened around the world. For instance, people have been killed for something that was posted from a computer and broadcast using computers. In this case, I could infer that the computer was against people and made them suffer. In another case, a birthday was to be celebrated; the birthday girl invited some friends using the tool called the social network, causing a police to bring order to the chaos that the party created.

Technology can be used in two different forms, first, directly; intentional to inflame people and create chaos. Second, it can be indirectly intentional because some innocence and good intention were applied without knowing possible disastrous consequences. Sometimes, technology navigates in troubled waters. Some sailors use turbulence to improve their situations and dissatisfaction with the weather, and others who enter the ocean only imagine having a good time under the sun without any problems on the horizon.

                                             

  The Duchess and Her Sunbathing

When a royal breast becomes more important than the craziness about religion and the opportunity some see to restart a fight using any kind of motivation, it seems there is something wrong in the world. This happened this week when a royal couple decided to go to the beach and enjoy the sunny day that any citizen deserves. This is so far, so good; however, the prince’s wife, who is the Duchess of Cambridge, decided to exercise a choice of sunbathing topless, which is very common in Europe. I did not read any article about the “Royal incident”, yet I have not traced any conclusion besides that she is a woman, who has the right to be alone and expose any part of her body as she wishes as long its does not interfere with the morality already established. Morality should follow the rule of common sense and not only Royal people have to follow it, but any other person with regular blood. This hunger for scandal involving royal families and celebrities is the new format to make money and sell extra magazines, and newspapers.  The paparazzi frenzy has become the form of invasion of privacy and gossips on the TV. Maybe this is the way to escape from the economic failure that Europe is in now, looking for scandals from Royal families. 

As humans we pretend to live and fantasize about the stories about princesses and their fairy tale life.  One never knows if the “frog that is kissed” is really a prince.  By making these tales a reality, this kind of invading of people’s private materials is very important to some people. Because they like gossip and scandal, the paparazzi probably could revive scandal from the princess from the fairy tales, for example, the life of Snow White and her decision to live with man that called himself a prince without any proof. He could be an impostor pretending to be from a royal family.  Another princess with a better source of scandal and which could be used by the Royal gossip followers is Cinderella, whose labor was exploited by her stepmother, something which is unacceptable in in the lives of royals. Sarcasm apart, why do some people care so much about this kind of information? The world is pumping disasters, wars, terror, and ignorance is in the surge in popularity of every a trashy movie. I wonder if the physical appearance of the princess is the only way to hide problems there are all over the planet.

Bob Dylan

Ana Siria FreireEAP 16409/14/12

Bob Dylan

“I'll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours”. (Bob Dylan) This week the messenger for some memory lines came from Bob Dylan, the famous singer and poetry. This week I have been surrounding by Bob Dylan’s songs. Wherever I went, Bod Dylan was there. From articles on Rollin’s Stones magazine, radio commentary recognizing Dylan’s ability to overcome himself every time he debut a new record, and to my son make me acknowledge how wonderful musician Bob Dylan is because he got five star as rating from his new album “tempest” .With all those recommendation, and the insistence from the media and family, I decided to get to know Dylan t enough to write about him in this blog. As I start to read Dylan’s life important facts, I could see some connections to him. We have something in common. We have lived with the same hunger: The music, the poetry, and the loyalty to an idol. Our first likenesses is music, even though I don’t play an instrument, I can differentiate discerned sounds that are common sense to musician, maybe it’s because I a music mother. We appreciate music styles like the blues and folk songs. It is important to say that folk songs are not country songs, even though they are talking about everyday life with a presence of a banjo and a simple guitar combined with some harmonious voices making a kind of chorus. Second similarity between Dylan and I is the Poetry. Bob Dylan is and will be recognized by his poetry that became music. The same way poetry is important to Dylan, it is important to me. Poetry is magic, is the way of one can dream and fly while creates words from images that were always there waiting to be caught and to be represent to someone in a form of a gift wrapped up with truth and solitude. Final resemblances, we have in common is the fidelity towards our idol. Bob Dylan honored his idol by visiting him many times while his idol was suffering from a muscular disease. He even   wrote a song and names it Woody Guthrie. How can I connect one of my idols to Bob Dylan? He was partner in music and life with Joan Baez, who is a musician, songwriter, and human rights activist. She has Mexican roots from her father’s side. She tries to understand the suffering from some Latin and South America people by visiting some countries and feeling their necessities. One of her album was made in Spanish. In this particular record, Baez sings one famous Spanish song called Gracias a la Vida by Chilean songwriter Victor Jara and Violeta Parra. One day I was interested in someone else’s Long play and as soon settle the need to the record and turn it on, I left the room. I, and move away from the room for reason that I don’t remember. Suddenly all noise around me was disappearing and the only thing I heard was a voice which I will never forget even after twenty seven years. I am glad I talked about Bob Dylan today. He reminds me music from a beautiful voice and poetry from a free mind always that always bring me peace. The poem below is a simple way to give back some feeling I have been receiving from those artists of my life.

Simple Words

Written by Ana Siria Freire

Since I heard your voice

birds got a competition

they can fly only high them you

but singing won’t be same no more

Since I heard your voice

words change their significance

love and power came from you

as you spoke gentle orders

People were calm during your concert

and when they live,

 they were furious for change

obeying poetry and building new world

People trust their feeling to your courage

hoping you will be their voice

spreading justice to them

avoiding battles and noise

I got suspicions

that you have singing for God

when you came to me

you brought some of the Lord.

When a woman heart is broken

it could bleed until she dies

no words could stop the pain

only the melody you have tried.

The Inconvenient Adds on YouTube

How frustrated do you feel when you are listening to a song that you really likes and then it is cut off because of an ad? The worst of all is when this message comes from political party. It is totally against the sense of listing to music especially when I am getting ready to start my studying. Image that: I grab all the needed materials, I have chosen the spot to study, everything is in place, and I have my chosen music with a new headphone. One is in complete tune with everything, expecting good results from my school work. Suddenly, a person loudly appears saying something that they thought is more important than the play list. Their voice is totally out of tone from I what have chosen for music. I know YouTube does not charge for their music, but this exchange of free service may not be worth the interruptions.  Sometimes free has a high price to be paid. In addition, most of the time my concentration is lost because I am checking when the “skipping the advertisement” option is ready. At least YouTube generously allows their listeners to prevent this uninvited voice. I guess very soon Pandora will be a better choice because even though they provide ads, it is after several songs and the commercials are shorter. What is your favorite music provider?