Things I can write about include updates on my reading of Scaruffi’s, or my television watching, including the latest episode of The Walking Dead, or a couple of movies I’d overdosed myself. The list of movies included at least: In Time, I Am Gabriel, Grabbers, Good Deeds, Fire With Fire (maybe even more! but I think! that that is it!). I plan to just start randomly and without too much planning just write about some of these things, and see how it goes. Right now it’s 23:11, so tonight’s write up has become another race to Cinderella’s curfew. Let’s just see how this goes…
Christian propaganda and the film I Am Gabriel
I started watching this production innocently, unaware of its true nature. Not even the early scene in which we meet Gabriel quite tipped me off yet. The character is of course called after the title, i.e. Gabriel, but in all due respect to the character he actually plays and what he represent’s in the target audience’s heart, I shall henceforth refer to the child-character as LBJ, standing short for Little Boy Jesus.
The story-line in brief: LBJ shows up in a little Texan town that’s been (rhetorically) dying especially to lack of rain. LBJ performs some miracles (including bringing the rain and resurrecting a girl), and renews the town’s faith in their true lord and saviour. Note that the town is Christian, and everyone goes to church every Sunday, but apparently that isn’t good enough.
The brings me to one of the many amusing (in a 1:1 ratio with “distressing”) motifs in the film: Prayer. They don’t pray enough. First night LBJ visits, the hosting wife notes that he spends all night praying! They give one (of many of the film’s) speech, and conclude that the most important thing in the world is to speak to the big Dude as much as possible. FFS, he convinces Mom (my name, not the official name, of the wife of the couple who hosts LBJ after he’s found at the side of the road – oh! which reminds me! the town’s name is Promise! no shit, honest to god… honest to LBJ ffs!)… anyway, I was saying, LBJ has convinced Mom to start up a thing (business, group, hobby? whatever) to make prayer cushions (!!!) not just for their town, but for the whole world. Because praying more will solve the world’s problems! (I’m going to have to stop abusing Shift-1 and Shift-/, and Shift-F+F+S, despite the incredible invitation to use so).
Honestly, there’s even a scene wherein LBJ joins Mom in her craft group (i.e. a suitable activity for women), i.e. one of many of the film’s Christian wet dreams, during which Mom explains the plan and everyone’s so happy.
There are so many things I could mention, so I’ll select at random and try to be brief:
- Jesus talks to a down-syndrome boy who displays magical knowledge of LBJ, hence proving that it’s ok that the Infinitely Good Being commits the innocent to a life whose blessings include such joys as Alzheimer’s (i.e. one of the many blessings of having an extra little chromosome).
- The local reporter manages to have her special interest story on LBJ retold in the big paper, i.e. in the Dallas paper! (These people are even more myopic than the stereotypical American who can’t point to the rest of the world on a map).
- At the end of the film (lol: spoiler: lol) the couple have received a gift from LBJ: Mom is holding a baby. The idea I get is that babies are produced by miracles, forgetting the step involving an engorged penis squirting a salty juice into a lubricated vagina, following a session (of variable length) of rubbing those parts against each other. Coz it’s a miracle!
- LBJ leaves the world after standing at the stage in church, sprouting wings, and glowing white (although he only disappears a tad later). During this, the congregation act strangely, spontaneously raising arms into the arm, and wording very visibly “Thank you” and such. Ergh ugh blergh.
- Umm, I’m trying to think of other spectaculars, although I should note that a lot of what makes this film into the expression that it is, is ubiquitous in its feel all throughout.
Meta: If I remember more that deserves being noted for posterity, I will make records accordingly, but for now, allow me to move onto something, anything, else…
Continued readings of Scaruffi, Chapter 3
I’ve only made a little bit of progress today, continuing my note-taking (based on highlights and notes made previous readings) from expert systems, to the difference between induction/deduction in systems, then genetic algorithms, emergent computation, and artificial life.
Those are all efforts towards producing computer (or mechanical) learning, and they are in the large part each based on different theories of what learning is, or else how learning might be produced.
For example, the section on expert systems is based on an understanding of learning that says that it can be modelled based on how experts learn. That is based on a delineated domain (i.e. of expertise), and a search within that metaphorical space (i.e. space of possible solutions). By comparison, the section on genetic algorithms doesn’t necessarily know what learning is, but therein is postulated the idea that learning may be generated by the same means that life generates its components (i.e. via genetic variation and selection, all of which is incorporated in that phenomenon called Evolution).
Meta: There is much more I could write about the details included in these sections. And I may yet rewrite those details (i.e. from the black notebook inside which I produce my first round of notes upon reading, although secondary to the electronic notes produced on the kindle). But I have been more interested in understanding the bigger picture of the chapter, which I have been mind mapping based on those notes. My understanding of these sections of chapter 3 will contribute towards that bigger-picture understanding that is in progress… To be continued.