This week, I did a lot. Rewriting my movie review was nice, since it gave me a new perspective on Ghost in the Shell. This gave me something new to appreciate when it comes to great writing. The daily creates were fun, since it gave guidance and freedom to complete assignments with creativity. I enjoyed making a manuscript, since it is confusing to everyone else but me. My favorite assignment was creating our own characters, since I was able to do a writing exercise with a character I created when first starting my journey on creative writing. I am planning on looking through more daily creates and posts others have created. I have some favorites, since their creativity took them to another direction that I had not even thought of. Overall, it was a great week and I am ready to do a lot more next week.
Author Archives: Mustafa’s Thoughts
Ghost in the Shell (1995) – NEW Review
In my initial review, I focused heavily on the philosophical aspect of Ghost in the Shell. I did not write too much on how these themes and ideas are explored with technology. I had my own opinions, but I was curious on how Dr. Oblivion sees the movie. I asked if he thought the movie was more optimistic or pessimistic on the topic of AI and technology. He said the movie can not be broken down to the two categories of tech being good or bad. He said the movie shows many sides of it and it is a complex topic.
I noticed the movie blurs the lines between AI and human, as AI provides us with a reflection on who we are and what our mindsets are in this world. AI is a mirror that shows all of us, whether good or bad. The antagonist’s actions were extreme, but that was only because it’s creators had horrible intentions when creating this AI in the first place. Any action an AI performs is learned by our digital history, which is exact to how children learn and grow. The movie’s restraint and patience when expressing its ideas works in its favor, as it gives us time to digest and reflect on every piece of new information.
The Techno-Optimist Manifesto
When reading this, I assumed that it was a cherry-picked argument that made points supporting technology. I, now, realize that it is purposefully showing an optimistic viewpoint to contrast the common pessimistic view that people have with technology. The movie, “Ghost in the Shell”, can be mistaken as a dark, violent movie that shows the horrors of technology, since the main antagonist is an AI. Some points of this manifesto reflect what is shown in this movie. The technology is helping the city and everyone is efficient, but there are attacks being done on people’s brains due to bugs and AI. In the end, the movie reveals that it is neither good nor bad. Technology reflects human nature and our beliefs. The AI’s goal is to become human, to feel alive. This can be said for everyone on Earth. It’s a fantastic movie with a perfect balance on showing the positive and negative of technology.
This is Dr. Oblivion’s take on my reflection:
Course Character – Rikaro
Rikaro is a character I wrote when I first started writing scripts for my comics. He was born in a militaristic country that killed his race. He lost his parents at a young age, but was taken care of by an insane engineer that created weapons to rebel against the country. He was raised with these ideals, but never rebelled, due to his anxious attitude. As an adult, he built a reputation with the people by displaying his skills with creating weapons. He was employed as a lead engineer for the country and built weapons, but made smaller inventions on his own time to assist with the lower class of his city. Everyone saw him as a cold person, but he was still that anxious child within. He believes that he is a good person, since he uses his talents to help others near him, but ignores the devastation his weapons cause. One day, he saw the cruelty of his employers firsthand. His repressed emotions and the scars of losing his parents revealed itself and he turned his talents on the country itself. The city he worked in was destroyed and he became known as a mad scientist. Rumors and tales were created by witnesses that have ran into him and were lucky enough to escape. They all claimed that he was kind and had a nervous tone. It is a jarring fact, since he shows care for individuals, but still attacks mass populations.
Assignment Bank – How does a song make you feel?
I chose the song “Crunk Ain’t Dead” by Duke Deuce, since I would listen to crunk music constantly when I was in high school. The genre slowly faded, but this song reminded people of the endless hype it brings. I listen to it rarely but every time I do, it brings my energy up.
Assignment Bank – Create your own Room
Since the start of college, I’ve always wanted a minimalistic room. But, I soon realized that I was just used to a simple room. After looking through some designs, I am eager to change up my room and add some stuff. If I make some money, I want a room that has a similar look and vibe to the image up top. The color is simple enough where it doesn’t feel too much.
I want to add a bigger desk for work stuff and gaming in my room. I like the cleanliness of this image, but I would change the colors. After that, my room is complete.
Assignment Bank – The Color of Words
Using PhotoChrome, I entered the word “Artificial Intelligence”, and this was the image that was created. The colors used were all near grey and blue. I assume that this is since the color blue can be associated with technology in a way. The color grey is due to the images with city buildings and computer hardware.
Daily Create – Books for Everyone
Daily Create – Exit Sign
I made an exit sign where the TV man represents information on the internet that could seem false, so the exit points to a way that prevents misinformation.
Daily Create – Voynich Manuscript
This is my manuscript I made for my Daily Create. I was adding many details, but I felt that less was more with what I added initially. It keeps it more mysterious in a sense.
