Here is an e-mail the student body recently received from our technology department:

CMC Students,

Information Systems and Network Services recently gained information from the RTA’s/LTA’s that CMCNet has been less than stable. I would like to offer an explanation.

First and foremost, certain users are monopolizing the address availability on the wireless network. This leads to "limited or no connectivity" as described by many
affected students. Our staff manually cleared close to 100 addresses this morning, so things are working properly at this point.

The next thing (and most important to keep in mind) are users that aggressively use "Peer-2-Peer" programs through the wireless network. The wireless network was not built as a piracy hub, but rather an academic tool. Performing these operations makes the central server less responsive for ALL who are connected. One user alone transferred over 19.6GB of bidirectional P2P data on the CMCNet wireless network yesterday.

I was reading some random articles when I came across an interesting one which combines technology and Kim Jong-Il, psycho dictator extraordinaire. Apparently, in order to get Kim’s attention/annoy him, the U.S. government is imposing trade sanctions on Kim’s favorite luxury items. These items include, Rolex watches, plasma TVs, certain cars and motorcycles and, of course, iPods. Since the rest of North Korea can’t really afford these things, the sanctions are really targeted directly at Kim. This is the first time the U.S. has imposed sanctions specifically just to annoy a particular leader. Aside from pissing Kim off, they also hope it will curtail his giving of expensive gifts to his supporters, which is one of his tools of control.

Today, for a Worlds of Buddhism class project, a few friends and I visited Tzu Chi in San Dimas, the state headquarters for the international Tzu Chi Buddhist movement. Since our project is focusing on Buddhism & Ecology (or ecoBuddhism), we went expecting to pick up some pamphlets about how environmental concerns factored into the monastery’s every day practices and buildings

Upon our arrival, Trisha (who is maybe the temple’s PR person, we were unsure) ushered us into a room, presented us with maybe the best tea we’ve ever had, and sat us down to watch a Discovery Channel documentary about the Tzu Chi, or Buddhist Compassion Relief, Foundation.

SO last Wednesday I am sitting at my computer when a friend of mine who graduated and now works for an advertising firm in LA IM's me to ask what I am doing for the evening. "Oh nothing much," I respond, "probably going to do some homework."

"Damn" she says, "Because I have four tickets to the Rolling Stones concert that I got at work and no one to go with."

Talk about my lucky day. Needless to say I accepted the invitation with little hesitation and several hours later found myself sitting off the third baseline waiting to see the Stones in concert. I don't know how many of you have seen them live, but if you get a chance to go before you die, (or before they die would be more likely), GO! Despite the fact that all four of them are 60 plus years of age, they play and perform with more energy than a group of teenage boys on Adderall. It was a sight to see.

I meant to blog about this a couple weeks ago when it first game to my attention, but I think it’s fitting that I’m doing it now, since we just finished discussing gaming. Anway, in my Sociology of Popular Music class, people sometimes bring in music to share with the class. One guy showed the class a website called 8 bit peoples, which is basically a site for a group of people who make music using sound cards from old gaming systems. Commodore 64 and Gameboy seem to be the most popular ones to use. For Gameboy, someone even developed a cartridge called “Little Sound DJ” that allows users to program their own songs, using the sounds of the Gameboy itself along with electronic drum kit samples.

Have you ever just looked around in one of your media studies classes and thought to yourself, "is this actually happening?" Did I seriously get to watch Youtube and talk about video games for 2 and a half hours yesterday and call that class? Wow, did I ever choose the right major.

This is just a small blog to rejoyce in the fact that instead of learning about the constitution, supply and demand, or memorizing the periodic table of elements, I am watching "hologrinding" in a galaxy far, far, away. Man, isn't Media Studies just the shit sometimes?

Reading Hamlet on the Holodeck, among many things, got me thinking about the possibilities of future technology especially in the gaming industry. It seems after any new gaming system comes out I always find myself thinking that this is as good as it gets. Game technology can advance no further than Super Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt for the original Nintendo. But then, not long after comes Mario All-Stars for the Super Nintendo, Sonic the Hedgehog for Sega, Mario Cart for N64.... And though my heart remains with, Super Mario III for regular Nintendo, game technology just just keeps getting better and better.