I chose to analyze this mural by the graffiti artist Banksy after seeing a poster of it in my friend’s room. I think it is an interesting piece of art as it captures the conflict between the common people and the police, as well as the conflict between innocence and violence. It depicts a teddy bear (innocence) throwing a Molotov cocktail (violence) at police in riot gear. The words “The Mild Mild West” are inscribed in white on the top of the black background, which is again, a contrast. The police are wearing black, in front of a background, which can suggest that the police are the evil here, while the bear is white, suggesting that he is the “good guy,” or the common people.

This mural was painted by the graffiti artist Banksy. This is a mural on the side of a building, so he intended for it to be seen by the general public. Anyone with access to the area would be able to see the artist’s message, which I described above. This is an effective way of sharing his idea with the public because it is free to everyone. He draws attention to the main focus of the piece (the teddy bear) by centralizing the light and color on that part of the image. It is, important however, for the audience to have an idea of the people’s relationship with the police, as that is the focus of this mural. Overall, this piece can be interpreted in many ways, and I would like to analyze it further.

Certain aspects of Super Sad True Love Story parallel those found in real life, such as seclusion and ridicule due to personal differences. While the loneliness found in the futuristic setting of the novel manifests itself differently than in real life, it shows through especially in the case of Lenny. Lenny’s disconnect from his peers is seen especially in pages 57-65, upon his return to work. In the novel, most people are trying to achieve eternal life and the illusion of being young forever. Lenny, however, is visibly aging while surrounded by young people. He does not like new technology, likes to read books, and simply does not have the funds to complete the anti-aging treatments that others do. He is shamed for being visibly older and laughed at when he tries to fit in. Certainly most of us would agree that we have felt excluded at some point in our lives, whether that be due to differing interests, cultures, or personalities and this is exemplified in Super Sad True Love Story.

This scene in the novel alludes to those instances in real life, in which someone tries to fit into a group in which he or she is clearly not comfortable or does not conform to what is “normal” for that group. This is an important issue, because in Lenny’s case, this exclusion makes him want to change who he is and how he acts. Unfortunately however, real people also experience these things every day and want to change to fit in with certain groups. The theme of loneliness and exclusion based on personal differences in Super Sad True Love Story translates into real life scenarios, and shows how destructive this behavior can be to those targeted by the ridicule.

The “Eye in the Sky” podcast talks about surveillance technology that could be useful in solving heinous crimes and protecting our citizens. This surveillance technology consists of a small plane with cameras connected to the bottom of the plane. Originally designed to solve larger-scale military incidences, this technology can be beneficial because it can survey large areas at a time. This technology has been brought to America to help solve crimes here, and is generally non-invasive, as the images collected are not analyzed unless a crime is committed. This means this technology would almost be less intrusive than normal surveillance cameras on street corners. Also, the images collected from almost two miles up are low resolution to small objects, so the police are cannot track us individually. This technology would be helpful in large-scale crimes, such as gang activity, robbery, and murder.

The podcast also highlights people’s hesitance toward this technology. Those opposed to these technologies explain that this technology is not really needed because of lack of government trust and lack of evidence to back up its effectiveness. Many people believe that authorities, the government, or the people behind this technology could abuse the power that comes with this high level of surveillance. Would they be spying on our everyday lives? This technology makes people uncomfortable. Also, the technology has some limitations; it would not be as effective in cities where there are large underground transportation systems or areas where there is a lot of tree cover. These naysayers also believe that if someone really wants to commit a crime, this will not completely deter them and they will find better ways of covering their crimes, or just do it anyway. Overall, many people believe this technology could be beneficial in solving serious crimes, however many also believe it oversteps the boundaries of personal security.