Dominik Pucek

Prevalent in Ishiguro's work (having read A Pale View of Hills) is the role of memory in the narrative. In Pale View the work leans more towards the reiteration of pain to produce a state of melancholy along with its reflection on loss, Never Let Me Go's Kathy (and clone collegues) constantly revisit memory in nostalgic lust for the charm of days past and articles lost in order to evaluate who they are supposed to be in the now. However, this story seems more focused on the value of those things lost and the pain they must face in its wake rather than recalling a painful event. As we learn, these clones are the sort of "spoiled children" of the organ trade.

Continue reading "Miss H.it [Blog 27: Reading Ishiguro]" »

Back in the 90's everyone in the Tri-state area found out who Radiohead was before anyone knew who Radiohead was thanks to (at that time) the new Q104. I remember Julie Slater saying before playing them - which was not a corporate decision but hers - that she really liked this new band. It was a mecca for all things rock, and the last place rock in new york would have a healthy place to exist. It was cool because they played everything. At night around 10 or 11 they used to have Mandatory Metallica. And it was always the "old Metallica." So, in thinking about my project I've complied a short Mandatory Metal Book List.

Continue reading "Mandatory Metal (Shout out to the long dead Q104) [Blog 25: Plans for Final Project]" »

I really liked this piece. Steen's slant on why we enjoy aesthetics so is a compelling read. He gets down to the bare bones of looking at why something seen could be so pleasing, and what kind of specific truths, precarious as they are, that process elucidates.

Continue reading "Fiction is truth, truth Fiction [Blog 24: Response to Keats / Steen]" »

I want to commit myself to an investigation in the appeal of Metal, that is, the music, the culture, the art, the combined experience of each element. Being a metal fan, these things are all second nature to me, so when Prof. Tougaw suggested that this could be a compelling project, initially I rejected it. Why? Because there is a stereotype applied to the people who comprise the metal world - that of the mosh pitting knucklehead who still lives with his Mom. My sort of thought process was "why analyze something that doesn't want and doesn't need analysis?"

Continue reading "Sheared Metal [Blog 23: Final Project Proposal]" »

Mr. David McCabe makes an interesting point that I would like to expicate here that heads in a completely different yet not unrelated direction. A broad and expansive view of the process he suggests is necessary and inevitable to making progress. Does it relate to consciousness?

Continue reading "Gotchu Open [Blog 22: Response to Psych 801]" »

Right before I sleep I hear things. I mean, I’m not sure. I think I hear them. No one’s there. I must be thinking them right? I can feel them rush on me, phantoms bearing down, breathing in my ear. Usually I can make them float away. Sometimes they don’t and I can’t keep the thoughts from screaming, stealing my very breath, the air around me vacuuming away like hands over my throat, through my chest. I drown and I drown until I scramble and crawl out of bed and get the lights up. Another red bull keeping me on until day light.

Continue reading "Shield From Self" »

So apparently out of body experiences can be induced (I sent you all an article about this, come on, reconstruct - you remember). Isn't that ridiculous? And amazing. Our bodies are wonderfully brilliant organic machines aren't they?

Continue reading "Dislocated Identity [Blog 20: Consciousness Report]" »

Years ago, in the 90's, Metallica released a video for One, a song they wrote inspired by a movie/book called Johnny Got His Gun. The video features clips from this movie about a man who had gone to the war, survived a bombing, but was left without arms or legs, sight, hearing and speech. I thought that was one of the most horrific things you could possibly experience - being trapped within the mind completely.

Continue reading "The Greatest Fear [Blog 19: Reading Bauby]" »

In Blue and Gold again. Just me and Boris this time. It had been hard since Jo-Jo'd left for Australia. Especially since it meant it was over with Pete, just at it had been over with Boris. Now she'd left the two boys to sort it all out for themselves and, well, you wonder who's problem it really was.

Continue reading "Trashed in Alphabet City [Blog 18: An Autobiographical Lie]" »

I have always been intrigued by deja vu. I don't remember the first time I experienced it, but I experience it a few times a year, and each time I don't really feel a fear come over anymore, more of a comfort. I think this is because I've rationalized the whole thing, analyzed it as hard as I could, and thus took the mysticism out of it. It has lost its quality to me as prophecy, or precognition. Its also been scientifically explained as an anomaly of memory/vision, perhaps related to stress. Interesting, but boring, maybe. As a matter of fact, I had deja vu twice this week. I feel the scientific answer is right. Why?

Continue reading "Tu Deja Vu, Aussi? [Blog 16: Consciousness Report]" »