Final Project - Stumped for Ideas :/

So I'm not entirely sure what I'd like to do for my final project... Went into this week thinking I could make a graphic novel, but the more thought I put into it, the harder it seemed... And ultimately I'm just not sure what else will work! Hopefully I can set my mind on just one idea, but let's see...

- Wooden/acrylic/silver-plated cardboard collage of some sort (not sure what I'd depict if that)

- Composition of "Traditional" and "Futuristic" gaming music (not sure if Sibelius is capable of the instruments I'd want, tho)

- Graphic novel of some sort, maybe could be pieced with composition, throwing together "Old/New" (but I don't know if I can get the props I want to use D:)

- Piece by piece comic, simpler than novel, done in wood or some simpler material

- Photo collection of some sort (need to figure out what makes it sci-fi exactly)

Hopefully one of these sounds good later on... ;~;

Dance Dance Revolution - Comment on pages 33-34

I'm sure Jenn and Terrence will talk more about this on their blogs, but the 5th section of last night's reading was very descriptive. We learn a lot about what our main tour guide has seen and experienced in her life. At first, all seems nice and peaceful, she talks about how her life is all well... but eventually, that shifts entirely in the other direction, and her and everyone else's lives are filled with pain and suffering.  ( :( )

Everything Before Us - Another Note on EI Divisions

So I started reading over my notes, and was suddenly reminded of a point that really just bothered me. Right after Ben is rejected by the 80+ date, his friend goes on and tells him he's sorry. Now, I was kinda hoping for something more supportive, but his "supportiveness" ends up being more of a bragging/blaming rant. 

His friend goes on about how "[Ben's] an adult now, [and] need[s]to fix [his] score”. He then goes on to remind Ben of how he and his wife came to be 90+, because they knew EXACTLY WHAT WAS RIGHT and waited to date and WORKED THEIR WAY UP TO THE TOP and NOW THEY SHOVE IT ALL IN HIS FACE. 

Like, thanks dude, I totally need to know how great you are now. It's nice to know that even though I've worked my butt off for this job, I can't get it because apparently I DIDN'T WORK MY WAY UP TO THE TOP so now I suck because my last romantic relationship failed. Yeah, it's all my fault. Thanks for reminding me, man. 

IT'S LIKE RACISM/CLASSISM/OTHER ISMS BUT WITH SCORES AND IT MAKES ME SO MAD UUUUUUUUUUGH

(Sorry for that, it just got me kind of riled up D: )

Everything Before Us - EIs, a New Ploy for Splitting Humankind

In Everything Before Us, we are introduced to a world where everyone is categorized and ranked by their EL scores, projections of how well they can handle and maintain romantic relationships. On their own, they might not seem like much in our world, but when you realize that everyone's life depends on their score, things get a little intense. Hard-working people who have strived for the greatest to learn all they can and be an amazing candidate for a job can get rejected, or even lose their job if they have too low a score or develop a lower one. Bank loans, workplaces, living spaces, even things as simple as bars are divided by EI scores.

At the beginning of the movie, we see Ben working hard to get a job, but with his score so low, he can't. His friend tries to set him up with a high EI scored partner, but as soon as she knew he wasn't very high, she backed out of the date set-up, admitting "she'd never have anything to do with a sub-40".

Once Ben has gotten his life "back together", he goes to an EI 80+ bar, and meets Ana there. Originally, she'd planned drink with her friends, but "they're a bunch of sub-40's anyways, so what would [she] do there?"

Constantly throughout the movie, we are reminded that people with low EI scores can't do anything, and are judged for having low scores... And much like class, race, gender, ethnicity, religion, and so many other determiners, it's scary to see how a single name or number can change a person's life entirely...

Dance Dance Revolution - A Multitude of Languages

So far in Dance Dance Revolution, we've learned about how this new desert land is home to a language. However, it's not just any language, it's a combination of several others built into one, constantly developing as new people with different languages enter this region. At first, the narrator of the story gives us a few translations, so we know more or less how to read this book, but once we're actually thrown into the poetic accounts, things blow up pretty quickly. 

As a kid, I always dreamed of being able to learn many different languages so I could "talk to everyone in the world". With my knowledge I'd be able to break a lot of boundaries. At about the same time, I'd heard about the concept of secret codes, and how they could function in between languages, and that thought fascinated me. Determined, I hoped to be one of those people writing those codes and sending them off (don't really know where to, since I didn't wanna go into secret agencies or anything). 

The idea still seems cool now, but without a lot of knowledge on languages, there are some segments where I'm entirely left in the dark. I'm able to grasp most of what the guides are talking about, but when they talk in or mention an onomatopoetic phrase in a language I haven't studied, I get really lost. It's kind of scary, but also really interesting, because it keeps me wanting to learn more. In some future, I hope to read through this, and know exactly what all these words and phrases mean all combined into one.  

On Such a Full Sea - What Story are "We" Telling?

On page 243, the unnamed narrator notes that when telling Fan's (or anyone) story, details always run the risk of being changed slightly, as every storyteller can add their own little imprint to their version. With this in mind, I find it interesting that the narrator talks so extravagantly about 6's final work of art in such an elegant manner, but then also notes on page 295 that it would've been nice if Fan could see it. Which begs the question: Who is telling this story? Fan wasn't there to see 6's last piece, so who could have possibly known that she drew it out? Maybe it's an extra detail added in one of the many retellings of Fan's story? 

On Such a Full Sea - Murals and Stained Glass

As I was reading through the mural scenes, I couldn't help but feel reminded of the stained glass windows you'd typically see in churches. Typically, these stained glass pieces will feature a religious icon (maybe Jesus, Mary, some saints, disciples, etc.), in the context of what we know of their lives. A few depict hopeful scenes, like Jesus' return, or important icons rising up to heaven. As Mr. Kim had us read over the mural passage again, it was interesting to see how much they connected. The mural is pretty much a summation of these girls' lives, and even what some of their hopes and aspirations will be. Both are in a very elegant style, and it's this beauty that gives these pieces power.