I have ten completed pages of my final paper on "Cruel and Unusual: Crime and Punishment in Cyberpunk Lit"... and now I am fine-tuning and intergrating my secondary sources. Yet, I am still struggling, as I feel like I have TOO MUCH information...I have a hard time separating discussions of crime and punishment from those of power, politics, technology, morality, justice, etc, because they seem inherently connected, and yet I don't want readers to be confused while reading my paper. As I prepare… Continue

I finished Little Brother this weekend and as I predicted, it was my favorite book out of the bunch. It addressed so many tech issues that are important and sometimes overlooked, like propaganda and media distortion, and at the same time, it also explored issues that are relevant to today's teens, and probably every generation of teenagers, like challenging authority, and communication barriers between adolescents and adults. Finally, this book also explored an issue that applies to both tech an… Continue

I can admit it, I am rather....frugal. I don't like to spend money, especially when I know I can get something for free. Like this book. Online. But....the desire to have a physical book in my hand that I can curl up with in my waterbed, or read on the deck in the sun, got the better of me and I spent 20 bucks on Little Bro. But, I am only a quarter of the way through this book and I already love it. I think it's going to be my favorite read from the course. I love how Doctorow takes such comple… Continue

Check out this article from CNN.com about future solar trees, that will harness solar energy....very cool. Everytime I am out drivingt at night, I can't help but think how much energy is wasting lighting the streets, and shopping plazas, etc. I had a major duh moment when I read this article...how are we just now thinking of these solutions?! And I love that not only is this a fantastic idea, but it is aesthetically pleasing~

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/07/24/solar.trees/index.html

Did anyone else feel like Sterling was subtly hinting that Oscar was probably the only qualified and sane person in this novel, and therefore the only person fit to be a real political force? Honestly, he was organized, smart, mechanical, and had some truly inspiring ideas. I just find it somewhat ironic that the only fit candidate for any/all political positions is the product of an genetical engineering experiement. What is Sterling saying about the state of politics in America?! Other than th… Continue