Parkers Office on Pandora (RDA)

Started by Zefanaya, February 01, 2010, 12:25:00 AM

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Tsa'räni

Star Wars is nothing but a cautionary tale.  EU - mostly a joke.  Prequels - nothing short of a complete tragedy.  Their only hope, literally, is that Bioware infuses some decent writing/brain power into the Star Wars universe.

No matter what else Cameron does, the very first thing should be taking a look at all the horrible mistakes Lucas and friends made and ensuring he does not repeat them.

Zefanaya

I agree I liked star wars but loved Avatar (i am not a huge sci-fi fa there was something about Avatar that made me want to look past the title of Sci-Fi and go see it when I saw it I could feel connected to the Na'vi like I had known them for some time it was an amazing movie the Na'vi from what we have seen are an amazing and strong people and humans seem to never change).

also fell free to suggest new topics that fall in line with the thread maybe even just some speculation about RDA and the journey and discovery of padora and all that. Also who thinks that i should take the time to write a short story of how I think RDA got involved with Pandora and the discovery of Pandora (of course i do not have the rights to the Avatar franchise but since there is no prequel to the movie I don't think Mr. Cameron would mind and the story would just be how my mind thinks they found it the reactions and the "Early Days of The Pandora Mission"©).

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Eywa ayhawnu niwotx Na'vi.
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kharul_karyu

Cameron should stick to three sequels. End of story. Prequels are an interesting plot device, but, umm, we should remain in slight ignorance of what may happen to Earth, how we were led down the road to need unobtanium.

Really, if you've been watching politics, though, there is something more to concentrate on than fiction and cinema. Hopefully, there is enough care on this planet to want to watch Olbermann, Maddow or Schultz on MSNBC, via the web, at least. Thom Hartmann is also good, but he isn't available to everyone, unless one podcasts him via the web as well.

Well, after those who become informed about what's going on, they all should be outraged. We all should be united against this. It's like there are people in this country who would let this country, elected by the People, fail and let Corporations take over. The Greed over Everything is astounding.

If we can't reverse this so-called Plutocracy, the ruling validated by the Supreme Court on this last January, well, then. We might as well start be looking for Pandora now. Seriously, because if nothing is changed here, it's all downhill. Goodbye, Gaia. Nice try, Obama.

I think the parallels in fiction and real life isn't by chance, at least on Cameron's part. I think it's Cameron's intent to point out the stupidity of the ruling class, the more they power-grab. However, the Supreme Court gave a sloppy wet kiss to the Corporations because the Corporations have all this greed and nobody can help themselves. I'm sure you've seen this somewhere on the web or television. "More, more, we need more!" they cry. So it was given to them. Disgusting.
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dky.tehkingd.u

Well in the words of Selfridge himself:

"Killing the indigenous looks bad. But what shareholders hate more than bad press is a bad quarterly statement. I didn't make up the rules."


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#24
Quote from: Tirey Hawnuyu on February 01, 2010, 12:25:00 AM
OK was watching the movie just at my local theater not in 3d just to study the na'vi culture and stuff in the movie with out being suckend into all the AMAZING  visual works James did and I noticed hanging in a lighted frame in Selfridges (Parker the RDA Jerk) looks like maybe a Na'vi artifact maybe like a necklace  with feathers and as i have been observing Parker he keeps his eye's on the prize but i sense maybe he feels bad for the Na'vi or something if he hates them or does not care about them why put an artifact in a lighted frame and hang it in his office next to the RDA logo just saying hey also fell free to post other things that are sort of just in the background of the movie tht are strange or coll or what ever.


Eywa ngahu.

Back on topic: The ASG states that Na'vi "Stuff" (pretty much anything the Na'vi make) commands top dollar on Earth. There are several references to RDA executives having "evil space fish" or headdresses, and whatnot. It is part of the uber-power culture--when you have so much money and power that you search for the impossible-to-find, just to get your fix, like an addict. I think it is a way of showing that Selfridge is part of that super-executive culture; but may also show his underlying interest in the Na'vi, say as an amateur anthropologist. Mostly though--what is not discussed in the movie by the way--Selfridge is a damned good executive. He is the COO of the most important off-world RDA site in the universe. 5 minutes before the movie begins he is on top of the world. He is young, rich, powerful, and "the man" on Pandora. He is about to expand an already successful organization. he really was a good executive (by corporate standards). No doubt he was the top of his class at Harvard or Yale. His bosses will be deeply disappointed in him now though.

oh yeah, and back off topic: Unobtanium is a term that has been around forever, but it is so little-know by the public that it is getting a ton of flak.

Also also (off topic). As to sequels, JC is making T5. Probably before A2. Check out IMDB. This is not a joke.
2022 update: Working on the new astrology book. "How to read tarot" books are on Amazon, if you are into that sort of thing.
Okay, so the old podcast is here: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/radioavatar It was goofy fun that ended too soon, but we had creative people. I hope we can get a new gang together (interested? PM me, let's make some magic!)
(Very old, outdated) Na'vi FUN activity book is here: But what are you doing? Let me know! :)

Technowraith

Returning to the topic...  :P

Well, if the money hungry RDA bastards really wanted, they could take Na'vi stuff back to earth and sell it, which i wouldn't doubt they do.

Ayskxawng tawtute! (Hopefully that made sense... starting to build bigger phrases now).
See that shadow? It's the last one you're gonna see.

Tsmukan fa kxetse anawm

dky.tehkingd.u

Quote from: Technowraith on February 03, 2010, 09:59:54 PM
Ayskxawng tawtute! (Hopefully that made sense... starting to build bigger phrases now).

Ayskxawng tawtute as in "Morons humans"

or

Leskxawng tawtute as in "Moronic humans"?

;)


Back on topic, I'm sure it's mentioned somewhere that Na'vi artifacts are sold on Earth for ridiculous prices.


"Fì'u keye'ung lu!"
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Zefanaya

Quote from: Kaltxì Palulukan! on February 03, 2010, 09:53:28 PM
Quote from: Tirey Hawnuyu on February 01, 2010, 12:25:00 AM
OK was watching the movie just at my local theater not in 3d just to study the na'vi culture and stuff in the movie with out being suckend into all the AMAZING  visual works James did and I noticed hanging in a lighted frame in Selfridges (Parker the RDA Jerk) looks like maybe a Na'vi artifact maybe like a necklace  with feathers and as i have been observing Parker he keeps his eye's on the prize but i sense maybe he feels bad for the Na'vi or something if he hates them or does not care about them why put an artifact in a lighted frame and hang it in his office next to the RDA logo just saying hey also fell free to post other things that are sort of just in the background of the movie tht are strange or coll or what ever.


Eywa ngahu.

Back on topic: The ASG states that Na'vi "Stuff" (pretty much anything the Na'vi make) commands top dollar on Earth. There are several references to RDA executives having "evil space fish" or headdresses, and whatnot. It is part of the uber-power culture--when you have so much money and power that you search for the impossible-to-find, just to get your fix, like an addict. I think it is a way of showing that Selfridge is part of that super-executive culture; but may also show his underlying interest in the Na'vi, say as an amateur anthropologist. Mostly though--what is not discussed in the movie by the way--Selfridge is a damned good executive. He is the COO of the most important off-world RDA site in the universe. 5 minutes before the movie begins he is on top of the world. He is young, rich, powerful, and "the man" on Pandora. He is about to expand an already successful organization. he really was a good executive (by corporate standards). No doubt he was the top of his class at Harvard or Yale. His bosses will be deeply disappointed in him now though.

oh yeah, and back off topic: Unobtanium is a term that has been around forever, but it is so little-know by the public that it is getting a ton of flak.

Also also (off topic). As to sequels, JC is making T5. Probably before A2. Check out IMDB. This is not a joke.

Parker and Quartich were both really good at their jobs and at the very very begging of the movie i thought Quartich was kinda funny (now i know he was just crazy truly insane how long had he been on that planet)? but I agree humans have a need for power and to dominate.
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Coyote

#28
My impression was that Parker Selfrifge's biggest sin was the sin of ignorance. I don't think he was heartless, I think on some level he found the Na'vi interesting, perhaps even fascinating somewhat, but he wasn't an anthropologist, he was sent there to, as it was said, be the COO of the 'Big Dig' and make money.

Selfridge just didn't understand. He didn't understand the significance of Kelutral, he was under the impression that the Na'vi could "pick any tree and go live there". He couldn't comprehend why the Na'vi didn't want schools and roads in exchange for moving. He honestly thought he (and by extension, RDA) was being reasonable.

Col. Quaritch later dismissed Eywa as an entity entirely-- he said "the Na'vi have gathered, and they think their deity will protect them" [chuckles around the room]. They clearly felt that Eywa was just some random pagan nature-god thingy, and didn't realize it was a semi-sentient (if not fully sentient) being that could actually do stuff. They were probably ignorant of the Tsaheylu connection and the ability of the animals to interconnect, and so on. Even Grace Augustine, after years of being there and studying, was still just on the cusp of figuring out all that "electrical impulse between the plants" thing.

There was a lot of ignorance on the part of the humans who clearly saw the Na'vi only through their own eyes. Even the open-minded humans (Grace, Norm, etc) were largely unaware of Pandora's basics and saw it all as an unconnected mass of random life forms.

So Parker Selfridge probably collecte da number of items, some of which may have even been given as gifts (either to him in particular, or previous Directors in general) as tokens of peace (maybe when humans first landed) or as war prizes after human victories. Remember, humans have been there for 20 years, relations have probably gone back and forth many times between hostile to friendly to indifferent (from human pespectives) for some time. After all, from 1860 to 1880, white relations with the Native Americans pretty much ran the gamut from war, to peace, to indifference, etc. And sometimes it changed on a whim.



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2022 update: Working on the new astrology book. "How to read tarot" books are on Amazon, if you are into that sort of thing.
Okay, so the old podcast is here: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/radioavatar It was goofy fun that ended too soon, but we had creative people. I hope we can get a new gang together (interested? PM me, let's make some magic!)
(Very old, outdated) Na'vi FUN activity book is here: But what are you doing? Let me know! :)

Technowraith

Quote from: Coyote on February 08, 2010, 09:56:20 AM
My impression was that Parker Selfrifge's biggest sin was the sin of ignorance. I don't think he was heartless, I think on some level he found the Na'vi interesting, perhaps even fascinating somewhat, but he wasn't an anthropologist, he was sent there to, as it was said, be the COO of the 'Big Dig' and make money.

Selfridge just didn't understand. He didn't understand the significance of Kelutral, he was under the impression that the Na'vi could "pick any tree and go live there". He couldn't comprehend why the Na'vi didn't want schools and roads in exchange for moving. He honestly thought he (and by extension, RDA) was being reasonable.

Col. Quaritch later dismissed Eywa as an entity entirely-- he said "the Na'vi have gathered, and they think their deity will protect them" [chuckles around the room]. They clearly felt that Eywa was just some random pagan nature-god thingy, and didn't realize it was a semi-sentient (if not fully sentient) being that could actually do stuff. They were probably ignorant of the Tsaheylu connection and the ability of the animals to interconnect, and so on. Even Grace Augustine, after years of being there and studying, was still just on the cusp of figuring out all that "electrical impulse between the plants" thing.

There was a lot of ignorance on the part of the humans who clearly saw the Na'vi only through their own eyes. Even the open-minded humans (Grace, Norm, etc) were largely unaware of Pandora's basics and saw it all as an unconnected mass of random life forms.

So Parker Selfridge probably collecte da number of items, some of which may have even been given as gifts (either to him in particular, or previous Directors in general) as tokens of peace (maybe when humans first landed) or as war prizes after human victories. Remember, humans have been there for 20 years, relations have probably gone back and forth many times between hostile to friendly to indifferent (from human perspectives) for some time. After all, from 1860 to 1880, white relations with the Native Americans pretty much ran the gamut from war, to peace, to indifference, etc. And sometimes it changed on a whim.





I began to think the same thing during some of the recent screenings. Selfrige isn't bent on killing everything (Quaritch is). But i think he just fails to understand anything that the scientists bring forth. The look on his face at the end of the movie tells it all: I should have known better.
See that shadow? It's the last one you're gonna see.

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dky.tehkingd.u

Selfridge just wants the money. Like he said, shareholders don't like bad press, but they hate bad quarterly statements even more.


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Zefanaya

greed distorts the purity of all. Selfridge seems like he could have been a good guy and I think he resented what happened, but he did have the power or the choice to say "hey calm down lets just give it some more time or look some where else", but as he did not it led to the death of an unknown number of Na'vi and in turn the death of several humans I would not be surprised if they all faced criminal charges upon return to earth, but my new question is what will detour the humans from coming back with more fire power and just taking what they want? I would hate to think the next movie is just more death but how ever JC has it play out it still will be good.

Eywa ngahu ma aytsmukan ulte aytsmuke.
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Quote from: Tirey Hawnuyu on February 11, 2010, 11:59:35 PM
greed distorts the purity of all. Selfridge seems like he could have been a good guy and I think he resented what happened, but he did have the power or the choice to say "hey calm down lets just give it some more time or look some where else", but as he did not it led to the death of an unknown number of Na'vi and in turn the death of several humans I would not be surprised if they all faced criminal charges upon return to earth, but my new question is what will detour the humans from coming back with more fire power and just taking what they want? I would hate to think the next movie is just more death but how ever JC has it play out it still will be good.

Eywa ngahu ma aytsmukan ulte aytsmuke.
Yeah, that is the discussion that is happening in the thread "human return to Pandora" (or something like that). We have been discussing all kinds of possibilities, based on the state of Earth, the RDA, the geology of Pandora, and the possibility of moons. We will probably disagree over this on the podcast as well.
2022 update: Working on the new astrology book. "How to read tarot" books are on Amazon, if you are into that sort of thing.
Okay, so the old podcast is here: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/radioavatar It was goofy fun that ended too soon, but we had creative people. I hope we can get a new gang together (interested? PM me, let's make some magic!)
(Very old, outdated) Na'vi FUN activity book is here: But what are you doing? Let me know! :)

Atoki Atanyä

Quote from: Technowraith on February 01, 2010, 08:16:36 PM
I don't think Parker is entirely heartless. I think he was concerned to a point about the magnitude of what he was getting himself into. Remember the look on his face when the attack on the tree of souls starts? (When all the aircraft are taking off, the camera pans to Parker who has an expression of worry on his face). All the stuff in his office are relics of items he's collected in the skirmishes with the Na'vi. Displayed for whatever reason.

Agreed. He genuinely looked emotionally disturbed at the fall of Hometree, and he is constantly offering Jake the chances he asks for. While his concerns on the surface only seem to be concerns for the sake of the company, as the film progresses I think we can see them begin to affect his own personal morals more and more.

I would like to see Parker come back as a Na'vi, just for a crazy twist. I don't think he was as heartless as many think.

The lasting image in my mind is when the attacks begin, and we see a shot of Parker, alone in his office, playing mindlessly with a piece of unobtanium, contemplating his actions (or inability to prevent actions).
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Ftiafpi

Quote from: Atoki Atanyä on February 12, 2010, 11:43:37 AM
Quote from: Technowraith on February 01, 2010, 08:16:36 PM
I don't think Parker is entirely heartless. I think he was concerned to a point about the magnitude of what he was getting himself into. Remember the look on his face when the attack on the tree of souls starts? (When all the aircraft are taking off, the camera pans to Parker who has an expression of worry on his face). All the stuff in his office are relics of items he's collected in the skirmishes with the Na'vi. Displayed for whatever reason.

Agreed. He genuinely looked emotionally disturbed at the fall of Hometree, and he is constantly offering Jake the chances he asks for. While his concerns on the surface only seem to be concerns for the sake of the company, as the film progresses I think we can see them begin to affect his own personal morals more and more.

I would like to see Parker come back as a Na'vi, just for a crazy twist. I don't think he was as heartless as many think.

The lasting image in my mind is when the attacks begin, and we see a shot of Parker, alone in his office, playing mindlessly with a piece of unobtanium, contemplating his actions (or inability to prevent actions).

Also, if you take into account the deleted scene where he tries to stop Quaritch it seems like he really was having 2nd thoughts.

Zefanaya

Quote from: Ftiafpi on February 12, 2010, 12:02:54 PM
Quote from: Atoki Atanyä on February 12, 2010, 11:43:37 AM
Quote from: Technowraith on February 01, 2010, 08:16:36 PM
I don't think Parker is entirely heartless. I think he was concerned to a point about the magnitude of what he was getting himself into. Remember the look on his face when the attack on the tree of souls starts? (When all the aircraft are taking off, the camera pans to Parker who has an expression of worry on his face). All the stuff in his office are relics of items he's collected in the skirmishes with the Na'vi. Displayed for whatever reason.

Agreed. He genuinely looked emotionally disturbed at the fall of Hometree, and he is constantly offering Jake the chances he asks for. While his concerns on the surface only seem to be concerns for the sake of the company, as the film progresses I think we can see them begin to affect his own personal morals more and more.

I would like to see Parker come back as a Na'vi, just for a crazy twist. I don't think he was as heartless as many think.

The lasting image in my mind is when the attacks begin, and we see a shot of Parker, alone in his office, playing mindlessly with a piece of unobtanium, contemplating his actions (or inability to prevent actions).

Also, if you take into account the deleted scene where he tries to stop Quaritch it seems like he really was having 2nd thoughts.

First parker as a Na'vi that would be pretty interesting also that deleted scene needs to be in their and the Tsu'te death scene should be in their.
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Zefanaya

I am going to Broden the range of this thread it is now open to any thing regarding the way RDA conducts business

hope we get some good topics and conversations going.

Eywa ngahu
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AMERICANS FOR PROTECTION OF FREE SPEECH

Kaltxì Palulukan!

#38
Quote from: Tirey Hawnuyu on February 14, 2010, 12:19:48 AM
I am going to Broden the range of this thread it is now open to any thing regarding the way RDA conducts business

hope we get some good topics and conversations going.

Eywa ngahu

Okay ma aysmuktu,

We have a global "consortium" that is not the only, but is "the largest" of the NGA's (non-governmental agencies). This is a prediction of the future, and it really makes sense; a sort-of "Corporate Feudalism" where the kings and queens (CEOs, CFOs, COOs, and other execs) really do hold power over life and death of the rest of us. Private security is a pleasant name for private army. If, as a corporation, you can get the rights to sell water (and this has been accomplished in third-world countries even now), you can take the water from the land and sell it to the people who live on that land. They must buy water from you or they will die. Pretty sweet, huh?

Okay, so let's multiply that by 4 or 5. The RDA (and it's corporate allies) manufacture breathable air, water, food, housing, and careers. In fact, once you are "off-planet," you are really now a citizen of the RDA, not any particular country. When you are at sea, especially in international waters, the captain of that ship is high-lord and master. This may not be as draconian (in our time) as it was in the 600's to 1800's, but in the RDA future it is EXACTLY how it is. Selfridge really had it in his power to politely ask the Colonel to dispose of anyone, for any reason, should he desire. So, with thousands of workers "off planet," what's to say that there are not abuses in the system? What if the next "boss" that comes to Pandora is more like the Colonel and less like Selfridge?

How hard would it be to create a penal colony on Pandora and dump all of society's "undesirables" there, like they originally did with Australia? Sure, it is an expensive price at first, but they may make deals that involve "work-to-release" programs that involve stripping Pandora clean (of everything living). You don't have to pay prisoners, and you do save a LOT of money on medical insurance and other benefits. Labor (actually paying your people) is always one of the most expensive aspects of any business enterprise. And we are talking about the RDA here. Couldn't it be possible that the RDA could (I am resisting saying "The Empire Strikes Back" but I am sensing a great disturbance in the Force, where critics of A2 will try to be clever by calling the sequel just that) "strike back" by sending the dregs of society to do their dirty work? They save money on Earth-side prisons, and "body dump" a lot of people they are wasting money on feeding, and they do get some labor value out of them before Pandora kills them. I doubt the public would care much about prisoner's fates on Pandora, if the RDA decided to use "human garbage" as cheap labor.

Okay, now I have this slime coating me. I think I got a little too deep into that post. I need a shower--SET!
2022 update: Working on the new astrology book. "How to read tarot" books are on Amazon, if you are into that sort of thing.
Okay, so the old podcast is here: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/radioavatar It was goofy fun that ended too soon, but we had creative people. I hope we can get a new gang together (interested? PM me, let's make some magic!)
(Very old, outdated) Na'vi FUN activity book is here: But what are you doing? Let me know! :)

Zefanaya

#39
Epic and agreed I will make a full comment when I am not using my iPhone.

Edit:

As i said I agree seeing how as Parker and Quaritch are almost 5 light years aways from any formal government they become the masters of the RDA workers and researchers it takes almost 6 years to get to pandora so yeah who ever controls the guns has the power, as for the penal colony I like what you said and I agree I do not have anything to add to that you really know your stuff.

Eywa ngahu
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