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(Photo credit: http://www.movi2free.com)
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Late last night I was fortunate enough to catch Terminator 2 on TV. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy this film. Introduced to it by my kids of course, I watched it so many times in the past, but I’d forgotten just how much I’d been influenced by its anti war and violence undertones and, far more than that, by its very haunting theme music.
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And that theme has more than likely influenced my photography because, when I’m out taking photographs – and when I’m processing them on this computer too – when I get into the groove, when things are starting to really set me off visually, I sing and hum to myself – which only serves to get me up onto an even more elevated visual high. My wife tells me that the noises emanating from this room can be loud and weird – but who cares, I’m in there and doing it, and boy am I flying!
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And the theme from Terminator 2 is one of those pieces of music that – temporarily forgotten but everywhere in my head this morning – has really put me into creative moods in the past. And especially so when I’ve been photographing urban and motor vehicle abstracts, which is something I don’t do so much of these days.
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I’m never going to let myself forget this tune again and, in this post, there are some images that may sit alongside this film and its futuristic theme – and some disquieting thoughts on the relentless march of technology too.
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From the top down, the images here are:
1. Arnold Schwarzenegger in his excellent portrayal of The Terminator – “Hasta la vista, baby!”.
2. Parked car.
3. Inside Tate Modern.
4. Our laundry basket.
5. Parked cars.
6. Bristol layby, with dog ends (cigarette butts).
7. Inside Tate Modern.
8. Our laundry basket.
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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Terminator 2 is about the fight against artificial intelligence (AI), that is trying to exterminate or enslave humans, to take over the world.
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Science fiction, yes, but are vast sums not being spent on AI at this very moment, and are not some – Microsoft’s Bill Gates for one – already worried?
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Profit and power drive everything of course and so AI is here to stay. And I don’t want to hinder technological advances, I certainly couldn’t even if I wanted to and, in any case, not being immortal, I don’t suppose I’m going to be around to see any profound consequences of AI – but I am distinctly wary.
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CONTACTING INTELLIGENT LIFE ELSEWHERE IN THE UNIVERSE
And the spiders from Mars? Oh, yes, I’m a Bowie fan and this track is one of my favourites. As soon as “Ziggy played guitar, jamming good with Weird and Gilly” starts up and this music takes hold of me, I’m there with it. “With just the beer light to guide us” strikes a personal chord of course, and, equally of course, in the end, he took it all too far – by why not? Do it, Ziggy, go for it, man!
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But this is not really about Bowie, its about the recent news items on up and coming attempts to contact intelligent lifeforms elsewhere in the universe. Regarding which, once again, I can only say I’m extremely wary and nervous. My reasons? Well, let’s look at ourselves. We are a single species but we can’t get along together for one moment, doing all sorts of dreadful things to each other under the banners of nationality, race, politics, religion, you name it.
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So, this being the case, I can’t really see any reason for things improving if we find ourselves joined by others of a different species – a species unrelated to anything else on this planet. And, indeed, events here on Earth could be made infinitely worse by such an encounter.
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Because, to get here, such beings would have to be significantly more advanced than we are, and technology is really what its all about. Once a civilisation has reached a certain technological stage, short periods of time can make a vast difference – let’s compare the military expertise and weaponry available today with that available at the end of World War II, for example. And so a civilisation 100 years ahead of where we are now, should it have belligerent intent, would be, to say the least, a formidable adversary.
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Well, once again, I’m powerless, and getting older. But let’s just say that I wouldn’t rush headlong into contacting any other intelligence, I’d think a lot about it first.
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FATman Photos 
first of all: fantastic series, dear friend 🙂
Though of people from some other world scares me to shit.Pardon my language 🙂 First let us talk among ourselves properly. We can’t tolerate people from our own sphere due to various stupid reasons, then how we are going to manage with aliens! I pity younger generation. How many problems they are going to face! our forefathers lead such a simple life. When I visit villages, for my work, I feel like settling down at such places. Then I think ,oh ! how I m going to communicate with Adrian if I stay here ? 🙂 and I am back to my bustling, noisy , messy, polluted city. Seriously speaking, absolutely scary scenario. and one which we can do nothing about but pray that it doesn’t happen in our lifetime at least.
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This is interesting, my friend. Not many people have Liked this post, and you are the only one who has talked at all about the possibility of aliens arriving. As you say, since we can’t get on with each other, how the hell are we going to get on with “real foreigners”? Yes, let’s hope its not in our lifetimes. The arrival of aliens has the potential to alter our world just as severely as would be the case with a nuclear war.
And I’m right with you re wanting the simple life and, in small ways in retirement, I’m achieving that. But of course, like you, I still live in a city and have phones, a computer and so on but, where I can, I’m keeping away from the complexities of modern life. Thanks for your thoughts! A 🙂
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Oh yes, I would love to settle down in a village somewhere. And Indian village can be a challenge for someone who is so used to electronic world. Otherwise also, I am family loving person so can’t be far from them. So have to tolerate this concrete jungle. My retirement is also not too far away so I do think about it.
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Yes, the difference between your traditional countryside and your modern cities is vast, far more so than over most, at least, of Britain – but your family really is the thing. And I urge you to think about your retirement – what path(s) will you embark upon? Retirement is quite a change – a good change I do think – but still something to be thought about, not just something that happens mindlessly. A
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Agree. 🙂
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Terminator. 🙂
I’ve enjoyed those films many times over too, the first one being my favourite . I remember once when Hubby had a job working into the wee hours of the morning, I would pack the girls off to bed and sit with the tv all to myself. we didn’t have lots of expensive chanels to watch, but for some reason we were able to get foreign movie chanels for free. I’d seen the movie so many times before that I quite happily settled down and watched it the whole way through in German. 🙂
And your pictures… I love the way that your laundry basket is placed next to the Tate Modern. 😀
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Glad you’re a Terminator fan too – think I may have to get a T2 dvd, mine having “disappeared” into someone else’s collection. And glad my juxtapositions get to you – or is that not allowed on a Sunday? 🙂
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Great post Adrian!
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Robyn, thank you very much! Adrian
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Again, wow. Again, you inspire to wear a camera in a fast-grab holster, always at the ready. I especially like your rotated street detail with the dog ends–a term I’ve not seen before.
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Gary, thank you very much, my friend! A holster, eh? Well Doc Holliday had a shotgun so Doc Bolstad could have a camera – tho I don’t think I’d go anywhere near the White House with this holster of your’s if I were you! 🙂 A
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hmm..interesting..the name has always put me off…sounds rather terminal..but after reading your post …might think again. If they are like ET..I would not mind giving it a little cuddle and sending it HOME!
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Oh dear, Paula, what have I done???! I don’t think you’re going to find Terminator 2 anything like ET (which is another film I really like – and, if I’m honest, which never fails to make me dewy eyed!). But nevertheless, it looms large in my legend. However T2 may not be for you >>> and if you see it and hate it, are we still on talking terms???!!!! 😦
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