Ubiquitous is a word that means "everywhere." We all know that there are lots of pigs in the world. Some good pigs like Wilbur in Charlotte's Web...and some bad pigs too, like the pigs in Orwell's Animal Farm. I have a picture of a beautiful Yorkshire hog diving off a board into a pretty county pond. The pig is smiling. He is a good pig. Good pigs are everywhere. Happy, friendly, useful pigs. And then there are the bad pigs. Remember when you mother admonished you? "Don't be a pig!" she'd command. She was telling you not to be selfish, and to think of other people. Your mom (and my mom) hoped that we would consider the feelings and rights of other people. This blog is about good things and bad things: good and bad things happening in Carroll County, good and bad books, good and bad food. Thanks for taking a look.

Transcendence: See this Really Bad Bad Movie

Posted Friday, November 14, 2014, at 8:57 AM

Transcendence is a $100 million dollar movie starring Johnny Depp and Kate Mara released in early 2014. It immediately tanked and can now be seen on Netflix and late-late night cable. I encourage you to watch this film for a couple of reasons. First, if you're a budding film-maker it's a definitive lesson on what to avoid: wooden acting, duller than mud cinematography, and inane script writing. Watch it, learn from it, and you'll save millions of dollars.

The second reason is that the film is, awkwardly, about singularity, an idea about which we all need to know more. Singularity is when computers become self-aware (like people) and begin to operate without the control or input of any human master. In the "singular" world, computers can fix themselves, gather and manage all information, and use that information to enact decisions based simply on logic, and independent of what individuals or a government wants. Such a world is essentially utilitarian and was first described by John Stuart Mill.

As Transcendence skittishly unfolds, Depp and his wife Evelyn (played by Rebecca Hall) are computer Whizz Bangs working in the area of artificial intelligence (AI). A group of domestic terrorists, led by Kate Mara sporting a hilariously bad hairdo, set out to destroy the world's AI proponents. They murder geeks and geek bystanders and, along the way, attack Johnny Depp who, before dying, has his brain downloaded into an AI prototype called PINN.

The balance of the film involves robots, betrayal, car crashes, and the usual thriller-diller hubbub. The ubiquitous Morgan Freeman supervises the ensuing mess, and the always competent British actor Paul Bettany, is noble and long-suffering. I couldn't possibly spoil the conclusion for you.

By all means, see Transcendence if you are a budding filmmaker. And, be sure to do a little research about Singularity. It may sound like a far-fetched idea to you, but visit any place where young people congregate. There, you will observe them entirely ignoring the human beings around them while they "relate" to the machines in their hands. It won't be long before the machine holds us in it's hand.