Wednesday, February 05, 2014

All Previous Posts for Robotic Erotic Electric ENGL 220 Class @ SDSU Spring 2014


  • revision, not so key... 
    Posted on: Wednesday, February 5, 2014
    just a reminder to always mark these messages i SEND unread if you use your
    smartphone to get email. You are likely
    to not scroll and miss key info when you
    survey your class messages on your
    smartphone appliances.
    On another note, I am starting to update
    your GTA contact pages with email addresses
    and office hour meeting places and times...
    note that your GTA contact info appears online
    coded to stifle spambots stealing emails for
    spam sendings. for instance, my email
    will appear there as MEMO AT SDSU DOT EDU
    or bnericci AT mail DOT sdsu DOT edu
    replace the word AT with @ and DOT with .  
    and all will be magic! cheers,
    your head robot, Bill


    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • Key Diary Updates!!!! 
    Posted on: Friday, January 31, 2014
    robots!!!!! be sure to refresh your cache (reload your page) so you get the latest updates!!!
    http://eyegiene.sdsu.edu/2014/spring/roboticerotic/diary.html#latest

    over and out
    cyborgnericcio


    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • good news and last chance to easily pick up your required textbook POETRY INTERNATIONAL 
    Posted on: Friday, January 31, 2014
    more apologies as PI staff again let us down today!!!!... BUT, to the RESCUE...
    the editor in chief blew a gasket
    and now... more hours to exchange 6 george
    washingtons for paper and joy:
    read for details!
  • ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    From: Jenny Minniti- Shippey <jmshippey1@gmail.com>
    Date: Fri, Jan 31, 2014 at 2:36 PM
    Subject: Re: Poetry International Problems
    To: "memo@sdsu.edu" <memo@sdsu.edu>
    Hi again,
    Booksellers coming to your class Tuesday, and the office will be open 11-3 Monday and 12:30-3 Tuesday.

    Jenny

    T hanks, Jenny!!!!
    Bill

     
    Dr. William Anthony Nericcio
  • Director, Master of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences (MALAS)
  • Professor, English & Comparative Literature
  • San Diego State University | MC 6020 | A&L 273
  • San Diego, California 92182-6020 office phone: 619.594.1524 This email is a natural product. All noted variations in 
  • spelling and grammar enhance its individual character 
  • and beauty and in no way are to be considered flaws or 
  • defects. As such, please do not forward this missive without
    asking permission in writing. 
  • links: cyber-index @eyegiene   textmex@facebook   blog   tumblr  








  • Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • this and that... 
    Posted on: Friday, January 31, 2014
    androids! robots! cyborgs! reminders that you have to 'like' our robotic erotic electric facebook
    page in order to get class updates--
    you can do that here. remember that
    facebook pages archive outside
    posts on a different page here--
    this is in case you are worried
    that your posting did not go
    through.
    also, i am seeing posts on social
    media with links  telling you
    where to see HER online free.
    setting aside ethical matters, it
    is JUST NOT THE SAME to
    see a movie on a computer
    and in the theatre. in terms of
    brain science, it's an other
    experience altogether.
    there are great matinees
    tomorrow and sunday
    at fashion valley--a trolley
    trip away for those of you
    stuck on campus! believe
    me, Jonze's opus is worth
    7 bucks!
    updates to your page diary
    in an hour or two...
    bill nericcio
    head robot



    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • have a great weekend... 
    Posted on: Thursday, January 30, 2014
    robotic humanoids, thx for a great week of classes.. I learned so much
    from your contributions and feel really lucky to be
    part of such a great mob of students...
    wanted to let you know I am giving you a little more time for
    your readings, with crumb/mairowitz due for Tuesday and
    LEVIN's Stepford novella for Thursday... do try to have at least
    half of Levin read by Tuesday if can or wish!
    updates will be LIVE on your diary page
    tomorrow...
    lastly, take a peek at our day to day
    'syllabus' from london rocks in 2012/
    http://eyegiene.sdsu.edu/2012/summer/londonrocks/index.html
    mas info here:   http://malas.sdsu.edu/LondonRocks2014
    sign up for more info here:  
    OPEN TO ALL MAJORS AND TO YOUR
    BUDDIES IN THE UC SYSTEM, COMMUNITY
    COLLEGES, AND MORE.
    over and out,
    Bill Nericcio



    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • Reminder! 
    Posted on: Thursday, January 30, 2014
    I am in office hours right now in Arts and Letters 273 till around 3:30 today...
    usual office hours are
    drop on by and let me know if
    I am screwing anything up with
    our crazy class!
    cheers,
    bill nericcio
    ps: regular office hours: http://eyegiene.sdsu.edu/2014/spring/roboticerotic/officehoursspring2014.jpg


    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • Apologies 
    Posted on: Wednesday, January 29, 2014
    One of your classmates wrote in to let me know that she and her roommate were
    confused by the assignment for tomorrow--
    with good reason, the writings was horrible:
    both unclear and choppy!
    I have revised your diary--be sure to hit
    your refresh button or you are likely to
    re-see my mangled ungainly prose!
    http://eyegiene.sdsu.edu/2014/spring/roboticerotic/diary.html#latest
    good night!
    bill nericcio


    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • REMINDER REMINDER 
    Posted on: Wednesday, January 29, 2014
    I just received this email from the managing editor of POETRY INTERNATIONAL... please
    come to class with what you need to ease
    the process (exact change!)...
    Remember, you only need ONE issue--
    you pick from four provided according
    to your tastes in lit/poetry... this book
    is a required text for the class!
    Here's her email:
    ---------- Forwarded message ----------


    From: 


    Jenny Minniti
     <jmshippey1@gmail.com>
    Date: Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 3:54 PM


    Subject: Re: specific issues of PI?


    To: Bill Nericcio <memo@sdsu.edu>


    Hi Bill,




    just confirming: I have two staffers coming to your class from 10:45 to 11 tomorrow morning to sell books!  They can accept cash or check, $6.  They're bringing about 100 books, so hopefully that will assuage the masses clamoring for poetry.  The office will be staffed Thursday from 12:30 to 3 pm also.




    Thanks again,




    Jenny







    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • minor update to your robotic erotic electric class diary... 
    Posted on: Wednesday, January 29, 2014
    please note the update to  your class diary giving you
    extra time to screen HER for
    class!!!!!!
    be SURE to refresh your
    cache (reload your webpage)
    when hitting this link... if you do
    not, you may not see updated
    information
    http://eyegiene.sdsu.edu/2014/spring/roboticerotic/diary.html
     


    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • update on poetry international... 
    Posted on: Tuesday, January 28, 2014
    from PI with their apologies for today's mixup! Poetry International is for sale in AL 262, from 11-3 pm Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of this week, and various hours during the following weeks. PI will also be for sale before class on Thursday, Jan. 30th, in Peterson Gym at 10:45 am. The cost is $6, payable by cash or check. You may choose to purchase issue 4, 11, 12, or 13/14. Thanks, and enjoy your poems!



    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • reminder--bring infosheet filled out with details to class tomorrow... 
    Posted on: Monday, January 27, 2014
    reminder--bring infosheet filled out with details to class tomorrow...if you absolutely CANT draw, yes you can paste in a picture!!!!
  • link: http://eyegiene.sdsu.edu/2014/spring/roboticerotic/roboticINFOSHEET_1.pdf



    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • diary updates! 
    Posted on: Monday, January 27, 2014
    http://eyegiene.sdsu.edu/2014/spring/roboticerotic/diary.html


    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • home page updated! 
    Posted on: Monday, January 27, 2014
    many of you have been writing with queries regarding your required
    book, POETRY INTERNATIONAL--
    I have updated your homepage to
    reflect new info--it appears below
    along with the issues you can
    select from... Poetry International
    Staff will be coming to class tomorrow
    to sell copies--bring your 6 bucks!!!!
    One note about a text NOT shown on your textbooks lists above--for this section of 220 (220.03 to be exact) you are required to purchase a copy of POETRY INTERNATIONAL for the class. POETRY INTERNATIONAL is edited and published by San Diego State University Press and is run out of the SDSU English Department. I have made special arrangements to let you select any ONE from four different issues of Poetry International, either issues (4, 11, 12, 13/14)? We have arranged for you to pay only $6 for your issue (a HUGE savings), but you must buy it direct from the Poetry International offices, Arts and Letters 262 (CASH OR CHECK ONLY)!!! (for now). They plan to have staff there daily between 11 and 3pm the week of Janurary 27 to January 31st. Pick the issue that most closely mirrors your interests; here are your choices--pick ONE:
     
     


    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • Who is Driving this Crazy Spaceship!???? 
    Posted on: Monday, January 27, 2014
    Bios are now live for your robotic board of directors!!!
    http://eyegiene.sdsu.edu/2014/spring/roboticerotic/GTAs.html


    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • updates to your tumblr 
    Posted on: Saturday, January 25, 2014
    robots! -------------------------------
    i changed the look of your tumblr and added multiple posts here: http://roboticeroticelectric.tumblr.com
    -------------------------------
    summary of all previous blackboard emails
    to the class here: http://roboticeroticelectric.tumblr.com/post/74349271389/all-prior-posts-to-the-class-pre-jan-25-2014
    read all the stuff here if you just crashed to bring
    yourself up to speed!
    -------------------------------
    class main website here:
    http://eyegiene.sdsu.edu/2014/spring/roboticerotic/

    -------------------------------
    over and out, head robotNericcio
    ps: one of the books we are reading this
    semester (a strange one!) Textmex, has
    a blog that updates/reflects the book in
    real time! you can see that here:
    http://textmex.blogspot.com


    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • very cool conference coming up @ ucsd... 
    Posted on: Friday, January 24, 2014
    robots, cyborgs, and androids!!!! who is up for a cinetrek roadtrip!?????!!!!!! read the description and then answer the poll below... Gregory Hampton: “Racing and Sexing Robots: Analysis of the boundaries between 21st Century Robots and 19th Century Slaves”
    Thursday, February 13, 2014
    4:00-5:30pm
       Literature Building Room 155 (de Certeau)

    With the technological advances over the past few decades it is inevitable that the creation and dissemination of robots and similar technology will become commonplace in the households and imaginations of the American populous. Japan has already produced humanlike robots that can sing and dance. What is more interesting is how these robots are assigned both race and gender as identity markers. Why does a machine need such a complex identity, if that machine is designed to only complete the mundane labor that humanity wished to forgo? One plausible response is that the robot is being designed to be more than an appliance but less than a human. In other words the technology of the 21st Century is in the process of developing a modern day socially accepted slave. Karel Capek’s play R.U.R. produced in the year 1921 in Czechoslovakia was not merely a science fictive fantasy; it was a prophetic look into humanity’s destiny. The employment of the robot remains at the center of the literary genre of science fiction and is inextricable from the discourse of slavery and the African American. Unfortunately, if such a machine happens to take root in the American social system founded on the notion of slavery, the results will yield an abysmal circumstance of hierarchy. This essay will consider the boundaries and borders that occur in the evolving discourse of robots and slaves.

    Gregory Hampton holds the title of Associate Professor of African-American Literature  and is the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of English at Howard University.  Dr. Hampton holds a B.A. in Economics and African-American Studies from Oberlin College; an M.A. in African-American Studies from Yale University; and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Duke University. He has published articles in the English Journal, the CLAJ (College Language Association Journal), Children’s Literature in Education: An International Quarterly, Obsidian III, and Callaloo. His most recent courses have been invested in the problematic of the black body and its portrayal in both literature and film as well as literature across cultures (African, British, Native American, Caribbean, and Asian). His book Changing Bodies in the Fiction of Octavia Butler: Slaves, Aliens, and Vampires (Lexington Books) is the first monograph of literary criticism invested in examining the complete body of fiction produced by Octavia E. Butler. In addition to African-American speculative fiction, Hampton’s fields of interest include 19th and 20th Century American and African-American literature as well as gender studies.
    https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6KTX5HX

    on the poll, do not say YES you are going unless you are SURE you are committed to this odyssey!!!!...





    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • get in the groove fast... 
    Posted on: Friday, January 24, 2014
    after reading "The Yellow Wallpaper" hop onto the net and dig up cool stuff on Charlotte Perkins Gilman and
    share it... no, she was not a groovy go-go dancer!
    share your findings after you 'like' your home
    away from home, the robotic erotic electric
    social media mothership @ facebook.com:
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/English-220-Robotic-Erotic-Electric/464330593679066    
    remember to carefully read these two pages:
    http://eyegiene.sdsu.edu/2014/spring/roboticerotic/home.html
    and
    http://eyegiene.sdsu.edu/2014/spring/roboticerotic/passport.html
    yours
    Robot Nericcio
    ps: come to london with us--it will blow your circuitboards, robots!  infolist


    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • all emails to the robotic erotic electric class appear here... 
    Posted on: Thursday, January 23, 2014
    robots! I just posted a massive posting to your tumblr site that archives ALL the emails
    I have sent to the class since early this year:
    http://roboticeroticelectric.tumblr.com/post/74349271389/all-prior-posts-to-the-class-pre-jan-23-2014
    cheers,
    bill nericcio



    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • update/main webpage link... 
    Posted on: Thursday, January 23, 2014
    thx for the support today--i think our literary/robotic experiment is going to rock!
    key link: http://eyegiene.sdsu.edu/2014/spring/roboticerotic/
    bill nericcio
    memo@sdsu.edu
    http://textmex.blogspot.com


    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • updates to the roboticeroticelectric mothership... 
    Posted on: Thursday, January 23, 2014
    sdsuROBOTS (aka Engl 220.03 citizens) you can expect updates to this page all the time--it is YOUR responsibility
    as a member of our band of literary
    cyberpirates to check this page at least
    three or four times a week!  your smartphone
    is NOT the best way to study this
    page--you will likely miss something
    important if you use that little technological
    gem exclusively...
    http://eyegiene.sdsu.edu/2014/spring/roboticerotic/diary.html
    yours,
    dr. bill nericcio
    ps: with 40 to 50 people trying to crash
    this section it is going to be a long shot,
    but if you know a friend totally into art,
    cinema, theatre, literature, etc. who is
    NOT a full-on slackersaurus, bring them
    along today!



    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • Get ahead on your work for English 220 @ SDSU... 
    Posted on: Tuesday, January 21, 2014
       Get ahead on your work for English 220 @ SDSU...
    Read CHARLOTTE PERKINS GILMAN's THE YELLOW WALLPAPER before the first class on Thursday, January 23, 2014--also, cinetrekONE... screen Spike Jonze's HER
    at a theatre of your choosing BEFORE January 31, 2014...
    see you Thursday!   if you know an artsy film, art, theatre major dying
    for a won't-put-you-to-sleep class, bring them along to try to crash
    the class on the 23rd!
    yours,
    dr. bill nericcio
    memo@sdsu.edu
    {especially if you are on hotmail, be sure to add
    bnericci@mail.sdsu.edu and memo@sdsu.edu as
    contacts--otherwise, my emails to you are likely to
    end up in your spam box!}...


    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • just a quick note ... 
    Posted on: Thursday, January 16, 2014
    if you are seeing this, you are signed upfor english 220.03 @ SDSU this spring...
    the day to day 'diary' for our class is
    not ready for primetime--you are welcome
    to look at it, but the assignments listed
    there are not finalized...
    http://eyegiene.sdsu.edu/2014/spring/roboticerotic/index.html


    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • note... 
    Posted on: Thursday, January 16, 2014
    if you are signed up for my english 220 class, i added you to an online
    list of present and former students
    who i hit with intellectual/cultural
    emails from time to time--feel free
    to unsubscribe if your in-box overfloweth.
    you'll hear more about this in class, but
    I am hosting a summer class in london
    this summer!   here's some info on that
    adventure--sign up for the london
    info-elist here: http://tinyletter.com/londonrocks2014
    more info here: http://malas.sdsu.edu/LondonRocks2014/
    ------------------------------------------
      
  • Prospective Student Travelers,
  • Professor Wiese, Melissa Bolthouse, and I can talk until we
    are blue in the face about how special the London Rocks program
    is and how amazing life in London will be.
    Ultimately, however, it is our alumni who can best talk about their
    unique experiences--as Nicole Best did on our London Rocks
    facebook page (see it here as well as a screengrab if the FB
    link is uncooperative).
    Here, though, better yet, and straight from the students
    themselves, are four video commentaries, filmed at our
    going away reception with Professor John Makey, Summer
    2012 at the Imperial College student pub:
    https://vimeo.com/channels/654741

  • Happy New Year from SDSU London Rocks 2014!!!!
    Yours,
    Dr. William A. Nericcio
    memo@sdsu.edu



  • Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • english 220 social media links... 
    Posted on: Tuesday, January 14, 2014
    English 220heads!
    if this is the first email you have received, your
    class syllabus lives online here:
    http://eyegiene.sdsu.edu/2014/spring/roboticerotic/

    the home page with the course description
    and list of required works is here:
    http://eyegiene.sdsu.edu/2014/spring/roboticerotic/home.html
    your specific rights and responsibilities
    for the class live here on your 'passport' page:
    http://eyegiene.sdsu.edu/2014/spring/roboticerotic/passport.html
    your day to day assignments will appear here soon:
    http://eyegiene.sdsu.edu/2014/spring/roboticerotic/diary.html
    Also, a quick note that you will be posting updates to the class facebook page here:
    http://bit.ly/roboticeroticelectric
    Be sure to 'like' that page in order to 
    receive key updates--folks who hate
    facebook and avoid Zuckerberg's invention
    like the plague can still 'see' the class updates
    there as the page is public.
    if facebook makes you sick, you can
    make use of the class tumblr site
    here: http://roboticeroticelectric.tumblr.com/
    numerous class-related postings are already
    live on both these sites!
    yours
    dr. william a. nericcio
    http://malas.sdsu.edu/textmex



    Posted by: William Nericcio
  • Posted to: ENGL220-03-Spring2014 English 220.03 Robotic Erotic Electric

  • 41 students on the way to 216... 
    Posted on: Saturday, January 11, 2014
    Sorry to interrupt your nfl or vacation pleasure--this is just a test email/announcement
    for english 220 @ sdsu, spring 2014...
    your syllabus (and more) lives online here:
    http://eyegiene.sdsu.edu/2014/spring/roboticerotic/
    if you have friends who are unabashed, unashamed
    artsies who love books, film, theatre, photography,
    and art, invite them to add this section of 220!
    cheers,
    Dr. William A. Nericcio, aka "Bill"
    http://malas.sdsu.edu/textmex

Thursday, May 24, 2012

More Fun in the Uncanny Valley: Nuclear {Mannequin} Family Edition


"Makies": Diving Headlong into the Uncanny Valley! via boingboing.net


source: http://boingboing.net/2012/05/23/makies-custom-made-3d-printe.html wikipedia on the "uncanny valley"...
"The uncanny valley is a hypothesis in the field of robotics and 3D computer animation,which holds that when human replicas look and act almost, but not perfectly, like actual human beings, it causes a response of revulsion among human observers. The "valley" in question is a dip in a proposed graph of the positivity of human reaction as a function of a robot's human likeness. The term was coined by the robotics professor Masahiro Mori as Bukimi no Tani Genshō (不気味の谷現象) in 1970. The hypothesis has been linked to Ernst Jentsch's concept of "the uncanny" identified in a 1906 essay, "On the Psychology of the Uncanny."Jentsch's conception was elaborated by Sigmund Freud in a 1919 essay entitled "The Uncanny" ("Das Unheimliche")...Mori's original hypothesis states that as the appearance of a robot is made more human, a human observer's emotional response to the robot will become increasingly positive and empathic, until a point is reached beyond which the response quickly becomes that of strong revulsion. However, as the robot's appearance continues to become less distinguishable from that of a human being, the emotional response becomes positive once more and approaches human-to-human empathy levels. This area of repulsive response aroused by a robot with appearance and motion between a "barely human" and "fully human" entity is called the uncanny valley. The name captures the idea that an almost human-looking robot will seem overly "strange" to a human being, will produce a feeling of uncanniness, and will thus fail to evoke the empathic response required for productive human-robot interaction."

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Two More Chapters in the History of the "Ersatz Human" | Body Modification Edition

We're back--after a couple of sequences where this blog was given over to various undergraduate and graduate courses I teach at SDSU, I am back to posting materials here that document recent marvels concerning the simulacrafication of the human (gracias Baudrillard), the transmogrification of human subjectivity through technology and camouflage (gracias Sarduy).


click the images for the original postings...





Monday, October 03, 2011

CYBERHIVE: Durex Edition

Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2011 09:44:39 -0700
Subject: Re: the new blog is live...: MALAS600B-01-Fall2011
From: Heriberto Vasquez
To: William Nericcio <bnericci

I would like to share this commercial on the blog.... and I will be sharing in class a quick scene from the play "In the next room: The vibrator play" it was performed at the Lyceum theatre last semester but sadly enough I couldn't get any vids from that exquisit performance.

until class!

eddie