Pseudo-Christian allegories in Battlestar Galactica (spoilers)

Recently I've started re watching Battlestar Galactica. I used to watch it when it was airing on Si-Fi channel before Si-fi was a paid cable channel.

Upon rewatching it, I've started to notice a lot of very interesting religious themes and questions being addressed. To begin, the obvious dichotomy between the polytheistic religion held by the humans with its similarities to the Bible, like how president Roslyn stands a moses figure, leading the people through exile to the promised land, despite the fact that she will not be allowed into the promised land. Within this specific portion there exists an interesting relationship between the believers and non-believers in said prophecy.

Possibly more blatant is the monotheistic religion of the Cylons which exists in relation and contradiction to the faith held by a large portion of the human race. Between the two, the god of the Cylons seems to be more active in the realm of the show, such as when Gaius gives himself over at the behest of the blonde Cylon apperiton who appears frequently in his head, and correctly "guesses" the location of the ore-refining tanks allowing Apollo to destroy the Cylon base on the ore-baring planetoid. However, all of this is tempered by the fact that the Cylons are super evil and hell bent on murdering the whole human race.

At times, these allegories are so very literal as the "last supper" orientation of the background on the Netflix veining screen.
The show also takes the lineage of god as the father and humanity as the children one step further as to include the Cylons as the children of humanity, whom has turned their back on god for favor of the gods of koulbal (essentially greek and roman gods, and the twelve colonies are correlated to astrological signs)

At this point in the show (mid season 2) it is apparent that "god"s plan is the eventually annihilation of the human race but only after it's use toward the end of creating a true human/Cylon hybrid child, which is intended to replace humanity as the "children of god"

All in all I am falling further and further into the deep and well written hole that is Battlestar Gallactica. I would highly encourage any scifi fan or good-tv enthusiast to check it out

Project Runway (1)

For this month of Project Runway, we watched the episode 2 of the Season 11 (the all new episodes!!)
Arrietty, Renshou, and Lina joined me in the community room and we enjoyed an hour long show of pure drama and finished/unfinished garments unfold. Unlike the previous seasons of Project Runway which majority of them were based on individual tasks, this season is strictly set into a group project, much like the apprentice. The winning team is rewarded with all their members being qualified to move onto the next round, with an additional immunity given to one specific designer who came up with a wining design. The losing team on the other hand, must face a verdict on a runway and let go a member of their team in the end. The drama, pressure, and stress of it all!!
It was refreshing experience to put on a different hat and just seat back and watch artists working hard to create art pieces and critique their work and have discussion on who is going to be a winner and who is most likely to leave.
There will be a second round of Project Runway season 11 in a month from now on February 28th at 9:00 PM!! If you like the show and want to join us,  you know when to come to the community room and find me!! :)

Gray

Sub-freezing temperatures, rain, snow that lacks the decency to stick to the ground, early sunsets, and fog. February is gray. There is no side-stepping this issue. If February had an iPod it would play a depressing mix of funeral dirges, 90's alternarock, and The Pianist soundtrack. February, in all of its grayness, makes getting out of bed in the morning an upsetting proposition and causes you to seriously consider hibernation as a viable alternative. Faced with gray you can resign yourself to a month of sweatpants, snooze buttons, and angst or take steps to snap the hell out of it. "There is life outside your apartment and you're only gonna see it if you leave."

The first step, which I took recently, is to create a playlist of songs that get you on your feet and out the door. Not matter how kitschy, overplayed, or cliche, if it gets you moving its good enough. Might I recommend any of the following:

1. Shake it Out- Florence + the Machine

2. Dani California- Red Hot Chili Peppers

3. Get Over It- OK Go

4. F**k You- Cee Lo Green

5. Hey Ya- Outkast

6. Canned Heat- Jamiroquai

7. Hot Stuff- Donna Summer

8. Bulletproof- La Roux

9. Stayin' Alive- Tragedy

10. You Sexy Thing- Hot Chocolate

11. Girls Just Want to Have Fun- Cyndi Lauper

12. I'm Just a Girl- No Doubt

13. Come on Eileen- Dexys Midnight Runners

14. Sugar Daddy- Hedwig and the Angry Inch Soundtrack

15. Blister in the Sun- Violent Femmes

Soylent Green is...

Green jello? Ludlow residents gathered for back to back screenings of Soylent Green and Delicatessen, the first of the monthly First Friday Film and Food series of the semester. Green jello -shaped like people- was served during the event. Whether New York City in the year 2022 or post-apocalyptic France, things got real when there were too many people and not enough food.

The line-up for the rest of the semester includes:

• Chocolat on Friday, February 1st
• Monty Python and the Meaning of Life, Friday, March, 1st
• Saturday Night Fever, Friday, April, 5th

The films are the first Friday of every month and start at 8:30 PM in the Community Room. Food related to the films will be served. Indulge your sweet tooth, see if you have room for wafer thin mints, and learn the proper way to eat pizza.

Can't get enough film? Check out Midnight Movies at the Sunshine Theater. RA's Bethany and Becca will be going to see The Godfather on Saturday night, February 9th at midnight (if that isn't shameless self promotion I don't know what is).

Post Crossing Event!

 

On Sunday I hosted a Post Crossing event to get residents into touch with other postcard pen-pals around the world!

Equipped with pens, pencils, paper, markers and other miscellaneous items, a few residents and I preceded in creating our own postcards for our sending pleasure. 

What is Post Crossing you ask?

It's a project that allows anyone to receive postcards (real ones, not electronic) from random places in the world.

How does it work?

Go to Post Crossing.

1. Request an address and a Post ID
2. Mail the postcard to that address
3. Receive a postcard from another postcrosser!
4. Register the Postcard ID you have received
5. Go to number 1 to receive more postcards!

 Several residence also created postcards for Post Secret, which is an ongoing community mail art project, created by Frank Warren, in which people mail their secrets anonymously on a homemade postcard. Selected secrets are then posted on the PostSecret website, or used for PostSecret's books or museum exhibits.

 If your interested and want to mail in your own secret , the address is:

 Post Secret
13345 Copper Ridge Rd
Germantown, Maryland 20874

Sugar Sweet Sunshine's Little Secret

Since I moved to Ludlow I have developed a strong love for many of the foods that can be found right around the corner from where we live. If you know me, you know I'm all about finding good food, I was recently introduced to a bakery down the street.

Read or Not to Read?

 

Many, if not all of us, are required to read a book or two in our humanity classes (HLD), but who has the time? With finals approaching and deadlines to meet who wants to spend any amount of valuable time sitting down to read?

I know how you feel and I have a better solution for you then just skimming Spark notes. One word...

Audiobooks.

I had completely forgotten this was an option for awhile and once I remembered I haven't picked up a book since. It's quicker and easier to sit down and do other class work while listening to a book verses reading.

Here is a link to 500 different classical novels you can get for free!

LINK

Here are but a few readings that they offer that could be required for class.

Canterbury Tales  
The Divine Comedy
A Tale of Two Cities 

And if your just looking for something to listen to as you work on your homework in you room  Here are a few I've listened to and recommend.

Coraline
The Chronicles of Narnia (All 7 Books)
Les Misérables

And remember, if you like the story support the author/publishing company by buying the book!

American Horror Story Asylum

If you watched any of the American Horror Story Asylum episodes you are probably just as obsessed with them as I am. The two episodes leading up to the finale of this season were in a way helpful since they were disclosing certain things that were never clear to the viewer from the beginning. It was interesting that they started to do a lot of flash forwards in the future. I must say that the season finale was very disappointing. The whole season was just filled with so much suspense and so much climax that the end was kind of expected and you could guess what was going to happen.  

Other then the fact that the end was kind of disappointing, it was really great to meet some other fans of this show! And of course it was great to meet new individuals that had never seen this show that probably are doing nothing but catching up on season 1 and 2. 

I hope they do come out with a third season! Stay tuned!