La Sociedad de la Maquina.

The dreams are back. Dreaming crazy, upstarting dreams that have me rolling in my REM.

Thoughts-- so many thoughts.
All that blogging from months back.. all the hard work and hoping.
I'm in the Graphic Design program. Not fully, not yet, but I've made it through the first door.


This, as you can imagine, was quite a conversation piece at family functions.
An uncle of mine began to encourage my embrace of the technological world,
being a "forerunner in art and bringing in the newest advancements toward future progress"...
that sort of thing.
We began discussing things that got me really thinking.
For instance, models will soon be obsolete for advertising. With the ability to create such lifelike models with computer programs... why pay a model, a photographer, and a graphic designer (or advertising agency... for generalizing purposes we'll leave it with graphic designer), when you could simply pay the one to create the perfect model and the perfect ad?

It was slightly frightening to think about. To think that humanity could soon be replaced by a level of perfection and beauty that didn't exist? Something so lifelike that it seemed "real", but it was unachievable... like Barbie's measurements. It wouldn't matter how beautiful a person was, they could make a version of that person on the computer... and make it "better". Unrealistic expectations.

All this being said, I almost kept the smartphone I was given originally for Christmas. All complications with the service provider aside, it could have been mine... needless to say I was drooling over all the exciting little extras it had. I knew that when I had such a hard time giving it up that I NEEDED to get rid of it. I don't need technology taking over my life any more than it already has. Half of the Christmas party for dad's side of the family was spent with my brother trying to figure out the in's and app's of said smartphone. I gave it up begrudgingly, but I found it more indulgence and luxury than I could ever hope to need or want at this point in my life.

Funny thing, watching a commercial on television for a documentary... something about "Planet of the Apps: a Hand-Held Revolution"... and that terrified me. This whole thing, something that my profession is harboring and embracing-- is all rather simultaneously exciting and terrifying.

Just what are we pioneering here?
and if we are so postmodern, a world of re-runs and do-overs... recycling styles and mixing medias. if pluralism is our language, if avant-garde is our heart's beat... then so be it. However, I feel something new swelling in the iron belly of The Machine Society. Good or bad? Only time will tell.