1. "Scholars finish dictionary of ancient Egyptian language." ScienceBlog 19 September 2012. Web. 13 October 2012.
The Chicago Demotic Dictionary, developed at the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute, has finally been completed. The article details how the Ancient Egyptian common language has contributed to Modern English, as well as how it sheds light on how the common people of Ancient Egypt lived. It is written in a fairly conversational style.
Language news is always fascinating news, and so this one had to be included.
2. Knight, Chris. "From Doctor Who to Looper to Robot & Frank: The best sci-fi is made on a shoestring." National Post 7 October 2012. Web. 13 October 2012.
Knight uses Doctor Who (the Daleks, specifically), Looper, and Robot & Frank as examples of effective science fiction that's financially successful because of its small budget. These are contrasted with blockbuster movies of the past summer, and the take away is that good science fiction needs to be more substantial and referential to our own present to be successful.
This article is included because it shows that substance is more often appreciated than flash.
3. McGinn, Dave. "The $55K, 2,900-square foot, eco-friendly home – with no electricity bills." The Globe and Mail 10 October 2012. Web. 13 October 2012.
This article explains just what an "earthship" home is (one built from recycled materials, and that uses natural heating and water) and how they're more economically and environmentally feasible than your standard home. Its focus on a couple from Tilsonburg, Ontario lends this story a human interest element, and it's written in a simple style that makes broad use of quotations.
Wild designs and neat aesthetics combine with practicality in this subject, and so it's something I've got to share.
4. Baumann, Chris, and Shu Setogawa. "Korean teachers preferred." The Korea Herald 10 October 2012. Web. 13 October 2012.
This one is a report on a study of teacher preferences among Koreans. It shows that Koreans do prefer Korean teachers, even when it comes to English language instruction, because they are believed to be the most apt to demonstrate the proper etiquette and cultural values. Baumann and Setogawa's report is written in a formal, academic style and includes a handful of charts.
Although this report addresses the issue of ESL teachers, I included this one to help spread these findings and because it very quickly details how the Korean approach to ESL teaching is changing.
5. Everett-Green, Robert. "1K Wave: Can a great film be made for $1,000? Ingrid Veninger thinks so." The Globe and Mail 10 October 2012. Web. 13 October 2012.
Ingrid Veninger, Toronto filmmaker, believes that local filming and at-home editing mean that anyone who wants to make a movie can - and for only $1000 up front. Veninger has already run the 1K Wave contest, and five films were created as a direct result. This article is written in a conversational style with quotes from a variety of local filmmakers.
Creative contests that stand out like this one deserve to get attention. So, since this one also works with this Annotated Links' theme, it had to be included.
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Closing
Next week check the blog for a new polished draft of fiction (Monday), a look for the lurking in Silent House (Friday), and the next Annotated Links (Saturday).
And to keep your reading going throughout the week, check out Tongues in Jars for translations and commentary of the Latin poem "Dum Diane vitrea" and the Old English Beowulf.
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Showing posts with label society. Show all posts
Showing posts with label society. Show all posts
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Saturday, October 6, 2012
[Sæternes-dæg] Annotated Links #20: Bending Borders
1. Koh, Yoree. "Novelist Murakami Weighs In on Japan Territorial Rows." Japan Real Time (The Wall Street Journal) 28 September 2012. Web. 06 October 2012.
Koh recaps Haruki Murakami's stance on Japan's current territorial disputes as they appeared in an essay that made the front page of the Asahi Shimbun. Murakami argues that these territorial disputes are threatening the cultural ties that the three Asian countries have established over recent decades, and that they're "like getting drunk on cheap sake." This article is written in a plain, direct style.
Haruki Murakami is an amazing writer, and the matter of Japanese-South Korean-Chinese territorial disputes is one of interest since I recall how passionate many South Koreans were about their owning Dokdo (Takeshima, in Japan), so inlcuding this article was a must.
2. Stusinski, Melissa. "‘Looper’-Like Time Travel Possible, Scientists Say." The Inquisitr 28 September 2012. Web. 06 October 2012.
A misleadingly titled article that suggests that time travel to the future is possible, while time travel to the past is much more problematic. This one is written in a very conversational style that makes it seem like a token blog entry.
Despite its brevity, this article is included because it is a solid summary of time travel mechanics.
3. Tozer, Jessica L.. "Sensors on Scan." Armed With Science 2 October 2012. Web. 06 October 2012.
Dr. Chris Field at the Naval Research Laboratory is currently working on technology that does just what Star Trek's tricorder does - scan an area for any and all vapours it contains. Various applications for this quarter-sized technology are discussed, ranging from carbon monoxide detection to airport security applications. Tozer writes in an informal style.
Anything about such amazing science simply has to be included. It's practically the law.
4. Oh, Young-Jin. "Coming out on Psy." The Korea Times 2 October 2012. Web. 06 October 2012.
This one offers a thought-provoking look at the Psy phenomenon from the perspective of someone who thinks that Psy represents nothing Korean. In it Oh relates his thoughts on Psy and how they've evolved to his current stance that Psy represents more of global pop culture than Korean pop culture. It is written in a prim, yet conversational style.
Because of the wild popularity of Psy, this one had to be included to offer a counter-argument to his apparent bolstering of the Korean cultural wave that's supposedly swept over the world in recent weeks.
5.Clayton, Nick. "Scientists Look to Use Bee’s Brains to Control Flying Robots." Tech Europe (The Wall Street Journal) 4 October 2012. Web. 6 October 2012.
Researchers at the universities of Sheffield and Sussex are looking into using bee brains to power flying recon robots. Among the uses for these robots, the article focuses on their being used to gather information to help rescue teams figure out what the next best option is. It is a short article, written in a plain style.
This one's included because it's some exciting news from the world of robotics, and it's not often that social insects are thought of as being as useful to science as social mammals.
Back To Top
Closing
Next week, watch for another (much more recent) poem on Monday, and a prowl for the palatable in Leprechaun In The Hood on Friday!
Back To Top
Koh recaps Haruki Murakami's stance on Japan's current territorial disputes as they appeared in an essay that made the front page of the Asahi Shimbun. Murakami argues that these territorial disputes are threatening the cultural ties that the three Asian countries have established over recent decades, and that they're "like getting drunk on cheap sake." This article is written in a plain, direct style.
Haruki Murakami is an amazing writer, and the matter of Japanese-South Korean-Chinese territorial disputes is one of interest since I recall how passionate many South Koreans were about their owning Dokdo (Takeshima, in Japan), so inlcuding this article was a must.
2. Stusinski, Melissa. "‘Looper’-Like Time Travel Possible, Scientists Say." The Inquisitr 28 September 2012. Web. 06 October 2012.
A misleadingly titled article that suggests that time travel to the future is possible, while time travel to the past is much more problematic. This one is written in a very conversational style that makes it seem like a token blog entry.
Despite its brevity, this article is included because it is a solid summary of time travel mechanics.
3. Tozer, Jessica L.. "Sensors on Scan." Armed With Science 2 October 2012. Web. 06 October 2012.
Dr. Chris Field at the Naval Research Laboratory is currently working on technology that does just what Star Trek's tricorder does - scan an area for any and all vapours it contains. Various applications for this quarter-sized technology are discussed, ranging from carbon monoxide detection to airport security applications. Tozer writes in an informal style.
Anything about such amazing science simply has to be included. It's practically the law.
4. Oh, Young-Jin. "Coming out on Psy." The Korea Times 2 October 2012. Web. 06 October 2012.
This one offers a thought-provoking look at the Psy phenomenon from the perspective of someone who thinks that Psy represents nothing Korean. In it Oh relates his thoughts on Psy and how they've evolved to his current stance that Psy represents more of global pop culture than Korean pop culture. It is written in a prim, yet conversational style.
Because of the wild popularity of Psy, this one had to be included to offer a counter-argument to his apparent bolstering of the Korean cultural wave that's supposedly swept over the world in recent weeks.
5.Clayton, Nick. "Scientists Look to Use Bee’s Brains to Control Flying Robots." Tech Europe (The Wall Street Journal) 4 October 2012. Web. 6 October 2012.
Researchers at the universities of Sheffield and Sussex are looking into using bee brains to power flying recon robots. Among the uses for these robots, the article focuses on their being used to gather information to help rescue teams figure out what the next best option is. It is a short article, written in a plain style.
This one's included because it's some exciting news from the world of robotics, and it's not often that social insects are thought of as being as useful to science as social mammals.
Back To Top
Closing
Next week, watch for another (much more recent) poem on Monday, and a prowl for the palatable in Leprechaun In The Hood on Friday!
Back To Top
Saturday, September 29, 2012
[Sæternes-dæg] Annotated Links #19: Wonders Outwards, Inwards, and Engineered
1. "This is Not a Real-Life Pokemon, Just the Poodle Moth." TechEBlog 23 September 2012. Web. 29 September 2012.
This article focuses on an image of the poodle moth in nature, and as a pokemon card. It's a brief article that includes no extra description of the animal or an external link.
Nonetheless, this link is included because of its weirdness and how it shows the world's wondrousness.
2.Marable, Eileen. "This Nazi Space Buddha isn't science fiction — it's real." DVICE 27 September 2012. Web. 29 September 2012.
According to this article, information on a Buddhist statue made from meteorite iron was recently released by researchers. This statue is from the 8th-10th centures, but the iron itself fell some 10,000 years ago, along the Siberia-Mongolia border. During the late 1930s it was brought to Nazi Germany, possibly because of the swastika on its chest. This article is written in a sensationalist, yet level-headed style.
This article is included because of its bizarreness.
3. Taylor, Kathleen. "The Brain Supremacy." Huff Post Science 24 September 2012. Web. 29 September 2012.
An article that proposes that the field of neuroscience is going to be a hot spot for future scientific development - as the brain is increasingly better understood, the more it will be treated directly, and the more it will be pleased directly (with things like artificial experiences or direct thought-editing). At the same time, this piece raises the ethical questions important to a world where neuroscience can do all of these things. Taylor writes in a lecture-style register but keeps things moving along smoothly.
This one is included because the matter of brain manipulation is a curious thing.
4. Adams, James. "Why reading more carefully is better." The Globe and Mail 21 September 2012. Web. 29 September 2012.
Adams explains the importance of reading slowly based on observations of reading brains and circulatory systems. According to this article, slow reading gives blood flow to all of the brain, whereas skimming something only gives a blood flow to certain parts of the brain. He writes in a casual but tidy style.
I had to include this one because any research into the body's reaction to reading needs to be shared. Especially when it proposes such positive benefits to slow reading.
5. Kooser, Amanda. "Nintendo zapper hacked to shoot high-powered laser." CBS News 26 September 2012. Web. 29 September 2012.
Over at North Street Labs in Portsmouth, VA, engineers have hacked an NES Zapper to fire a powerful laser. This laser can set things on fire, damage eye sight, or burn skin. A video demonstrating some of its applications is included with this article, and it's written in a direct, simple style.
Because this one is so amazing, it's included.
Back To Top
Closing
Tomorrow, watch for the next look-back/look-ahead entry!
Back To Top
This article focuses on an image of the poodle moth in nature, and as a pokemon card. It's a brief article that includes no extra description of the animal or an external link.
Nonetheless, this link is included because of its weirdness and how it shows the world's wondrousness.
2.Marable, Eileen. "This Nazi Space Buddha isn't science fiction — it's real." DVICE 27 September 2012. Web. 29 September 2012.
According to this article, information on a Buddhist statue made from meteorite iron was recently released by researchers. This statue is from the 8th-10th centures, but the iron itself fell some 10,000 years ago, along the Siberia-Mongolia border. During the late 1930s it was brought to Nazi Germany, possibly because of the swastika on its chest. This article is written in a sensationalist, yet level-headed style.
This article is included because of its bizarreness.
3. Taylor, Kathleen. "The Brain Supremacy." Huff Post Science 24 September 2012. Web. 29 September 2012.
An article that proposes that the field of neuroscience is going to be a hot spot for future scientific development - as the brain is increasingly better understood, the more it will be treated directly, and the more it will be pleased directly (with things like artificial experiences or direct thought-editing). At the same time, this piece raises the ethical questions important to a world where neuroscience can do all of these things. Taylor writes in a lecture-style register but keeps things moving along smoothly.
This one is included because the matter of brain manipulation is a curious thing.
4. Adams, James. "Why reading more carefully is better." The Globe and Mail 21 September 2012. Web. 29 September 2012.
Adams explains the importance of reading slowly based on observations of reading brains and circulatory systems. According to this article, slow reading gives blood flow to all of the brain, whereas skimming something only gives a blood flow to certain parts of the brain. He writes in a casual but tidy style.
I had to include this one because any research into the body's reaction to reading needs to be shared. Especially when it proposes such positive benefits to slow reading.
5. Kooser, Amanda. "Nintendo zapper hacked to shoot high-powered laser." CBS News 26 September 2012. Web. 29 September 2012.
Over at North Street Labs in Portsmouth, VA, engineers have hacked an NES Zapper to fire a powerful laser. This laser can set things on fire, damage eye sight, or burn skin. A video demonstrating some of its applications is included with this article, and it's written in a direct, simple style.
Because this one is so amazing, it's included.
Back To Top
Closing
Tomorrow, watch for the next look-back/look-ahead entry!
Back To Top
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
[Wōdnes-dæg] On Education, Work, and Passion
Introduction
Troubled Times for Work
Closing
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Introduction
Today's editorial isn't based on any one article so much as it is on experience and general reading.
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Troubled Times for Work
Those currently in their 20s are media darlings, in their own strange way. No, we aren't all starring in a hip new TV show or sporting roles as extras in an upcoming movie of tremendous importance. Instead, we're bucking the trend that's been accepted and unquestioned practice in the Western world for centuries.
Many of us who have taken the road of education to get where we are are not quite where we expected ourselves to be. We're living with our parents and/or working a job that doesn't require our university or college-acquired knowledge possibly to pay off debt incurred by that education. If you're in your 20s, chances are, at least one of those is true for you - possibly even all three are.
Reading through articles found on my own and passed onto me by friends and family, it seems that society as a whole is quite disturbed by this. Post-secondary-educated youth living with their parents into their late 20s? Humanities majors and masters serving coffee and waiting tables? Massive debt holding the youth back? The second question may not be anything new, but it's still mentioned consistently enough.
Yet, as direly scarce as fitting employment may be and as impossible as the prospects of following the old "high-school --> post-secondary --> work" life model appear, this doesn't necessarily mean that society is in crisis. Rather, it's in the middle of an opportunity.
As difficult as it can be to stride through debt, go back to living with your parents, or to work a job that you could've been hired for fresh out of high school, the old life model's being disrupted gives those of us in these situations the chance to do something different. It gives us all a chance to step back and to really ask what we want to do with ourselves and what we need to do in order to get there.
The economy is still stabilizing, and the job market is as rocky as ever. But passion is as important as ever, and it's something that can be started anywhere, even if you're not working in the safe and secure 9-5 style job that the old life model dictates. It's strange, and it can be frightening, but we've gone off model and it's for the better.
Back To Top
Closing
Check back here on Friday for a journey amidst ribald jokes looking for gems in Your Highness.
And, in the meantime, be sure to check out my video game writing here.
Back To Top
Troubled Times for Work
Closing
Back To Top
Introduction
Today's editorial isn't based on any one article so much as it is on experience and general reading.
Back To Top
Troubled Times for Work
Those currently in their 20s are media darlings, in their own strange way. No, we aren't all starring in a hip new TV show or sporting roles as extras in an upcoming movie of tremendous importance. Instead, we're bucking the trend that's been accepted and unquestioned practice in the Western world for centuries.
Many of us who have taken the road of education to get where we are are not quite where we expected ourselves to be. We're living with our parents and/or working a job that doesn't require our university or college-acquired knowledge possibly to pay off debt incurred by that education. If you're in your 20s, chances are, at least one of those is true for you - possibly even all three are.
Reading through articles found on my own and passed onto me by friends and family, it seems that society as a whole is quite disturbed by this. Post-secondary-educated youth living with their parents into their late 20s? Humanities majors and masters serving coffee and waiting tables? Massive debt holding the youth back? The second question may not be anything new, but it's still mentioned consistently enough.
Yet, as direly scarce as fitting employment may be and as impossible as the prospects of following the old "high-school --> post-secondary --> work" life model appear, this doesn't necessarily mean that society is in crisis. Rather, it's in the middle of an opportunity.
As difficult as it can be to stride through debt, go back to living with your parents, or to work a job that you could've been hired for fresh out of high school, the old life model's being disrupted gives those of us in these situations the chance to do something different. It gives us all a chance to step back and to really ask what we want to do with ourselves and what we need to do in order to get there.
The economy is still stabilizing, and the job market is as rocky as ever. But passion is as important as ever, and it's something that can be started anywhere, even if you're not working in the safe and secure 9-5 style job that the old life model dictates. It's strange, and it can be frightening, but we've gone off model and it's for the better.
Back To Top
Closing
Check back here on Friday for a journey amidst ribald jokes looking for gems in Your Highness.
And, in the meantime, be sure to check out my video game writing here.
Back To Top
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
[Wōdnes-dæg] Plagiarism
Introduction
The Article Summed Up
Plagiarism: A Personal History
Root Causes
Plagiarism: A Crime Against Language
Closing
Back To Top
Introduction
Perusing the day's Globe and Mail, I came across two stories that would work rather well as editorial fodder.
The first was an interview with Robin Pollock, A Torontonian currently at the Scrabble Championships in Florida. This one gave a good sense of what it took to be a champion (or just serious) Scrabble player, and would have been praised as a sign of the status of the wordsmiths among us: Not a story grand enough for the front page, but at least news-section worthy.
Delving deeper into the paper, however, I found an article that struck much deeper than anything about a board game could. I found an article in the Arts section about Fareed Zakaria and the controversy swirling around him because of the discovery of his plagiarism.
Back To Top
The Article Summed Up
The article begins by relating how a blogger discovered that a large part of his recent article on gun control for Time magazine was poached from an earlier piece written by Jill Lepore and published in The New Yorker. It then goes on to show how Zakaria apologized to some of those he wronged, has been put on suspension for a month by CNN and The Washington Post, and how, despite everything swirling around him, he seems to be feeling less guilty than expected.
After relating this instance of a professional plagiarising another's work, Houpt moves onto other cases of professionals plagiarizing before finishing with the hypothesis that journalists (and writers) are spreading themselves so thin that plagiarism is to be expected. Houpt cites Zakaria's own hectic schedule over the past few months in his defense and also notes how many major journalists don't always write everything that's attributed to them.
Back To Top
Plagiarism: A Personal History
All of this gives me, a young up-and-coming writer, pause - especially because of my academic background. Through all six years of my university studies plagiarism was constantly watched for, checked for, double-checked for, and avoided. All necessary citations were made as accurately as possible, and all sources that were used were included in bibliographies at the ends of papers.
Perhaps this extreme prudence came from being constantly warned about plagiarism in opening classes, in course outlines, and through email notifications. Or perhaps it came from being accused twice before.
Once it happened in elementary school where, being a little lazy and full of A's, a large section of a resource was poached to speed a project up. Then, once more I was accused in high school where the advanced argument and style of an essay made a teacher wary, though all evidence - and most importantly, the truth - were on my side.
Of course, in the former case, being guilty, I lost marks, but in the latter case I received an ever-after unthinkable 100% (on an English paper, no less).
Whatever the case in my own history, if journalists are spreading themselves thin and basically backing themselves into corners where they have no choice but to plagiarize to keep things running smoothly, then a few things might be to blame. There are the personal things - greed, audience pressure, the feeling/desire to just do more - and the matter of writers' pay.
Back To Top
Root Causes
The first of these issues can be dealt with easily enough on paper. Though restraint is much more difficult to put into true practice. Simply put, though, if you're a writer and seem to be trapped in a position where you have no choice but to plagiarize to meet deadlines or to keep a blog afloat, then just ask if anything can be ended. After Zakaria's month-long suspension is over his plagiarism will probably be largely forgotten by most of the public, but this isn't something that every writer will be able to weather.
The other issue is more systemic, and less personal, but still a major concern. Anyone can write, but to write things that show up in newspapers, that show up on reputable websites, or in magazines or books, writers need training.
To become a journalist you need to know how to write, but you also need to know about things like the impact that story can have on those involved or readers in general; you need to know about how best to approach topics and subjects; and you need to know about the ethics related to the profession. It's no different with fiction, or with poetry. And those with all this training (or awareness/skill) should be properly paid.
To write for yourself is one thing, but to write for other people - in most cases, people you don't even know, and may never know - is completely different. You need to know how to write so that you can interest people, you need to know how to convey emotion by showing it to a reader rather than telling him/her about it. And you need to be able to put words together in such a way that people can enjoy reading what you write for potentially long stretches.
Back To Top
Plagiarism: A Crime Against Language
Setting aside all personal and industry issues, the fact that plagiarism exists makes little sense.
English is a puny language in comparison to many others (Greek and Latin come to mind - after all, on the dance floor an Ancient Roman could just say crisa rather than "shake it!").
Yet, it's the magic of language to take a finite set of things and put them into a near infinite set of connections and orders, even to get across the same meaning. Some people call a writer's own way of putting words together to get across a meaning that another writer has already conveyed "style." Maybe that's part of the problem.
Outside of fiction and poetry, writing can sometimes drone. There are some journalists with unique voices, but more often than not the sort of thing that you'll read in a major magazine is hardly distinguishable from anything else in the same publication. By and large non-fiction writers, fiction writers, and poets have more unique voices than your standard reporter or news writer.
In part, this monotony in journalism comes from newspapers and news shows and magazines requiring a standardized tone - often authoritative - and it can be hard to maintain that tone if everyone is writing in their own unique style. The internet has helped to give people a platform to show off their own voices in their writing, but one of the trade-offs so far is the loss of that authoritative tone in a lot of what's posted online.
Back To Top
Closing
Check back here tomorrow for another Annotated Links, and don't miss Friday's delve for the deserving in Squirm.
Back To Top
The Article Summed Up
Plagiarism: A Personal History
Root Causes
Plagiarism: A Crime Against Language
Closing
 |
Back To Top
Introduction
Perusing the day's Globe and Mail, I came across two stories that would work rather well as editorial fodder.
The first was an interview with Robin Pollock, A Torontonian currently at the Scrabble Championships in Florida. This one gave a good sense of what it took to be a champion (or just serious) Scrabble player, and would have been praised as a sign of the status of the wordsmiths among us: Not a story grand enough for the front page, but at least news-section worthy.
Delving deeper into the paper, however, I found an article that struck much deeper than anything about a board game could. I found an article in the Arts section about Fareed Zakaria and the controversy swirling around him because of the discovery of his plagiarism.
Back To Top
The Article Summed Up
The article begins by relating how a blogger discovered that a large part of his recent article on gun control for Time magazine was poached from an earlier piece written by Jill Lepore and published in The New Yorker. It then goes on to show how Zakaria apologized to some of those he wronged, has been put on suspension for a month by CNN and The Washington Post, and how, despite everything swirling around him, he seems to be feeling less guilty than expected.
After relating this instance of a professional plagiarising another's work, Houpt moves onto other cases of professionals plagiarizing before finishing with the hypothesis that journalists (and writers) are spreading themselves so thin that plagiarism is to be expected. Houpt cites Zakaria's own hectic schedule over the past few months in his defense and also notes how many major journalists don't always write everything that's attributed to them.
Back To Top
Plagiarism: A Personal History
All of this gives me, a young up-and-coming writer, pause - especially because of my academic background. Through all six years of my university studies plagiarism was constantly watched for, checked for, double-checked for, and avoided. All necessary citations were made as accurately as possible, and all sources that were used were included in bibliographies at the ends of papers.
Perhaps this extreme prudence came from being constantly warned about plagiarism in opening classes, in course outlines, and through email notifications. Or perhaps it came from being accused twice before.
Once it happened in elementary school where, being a little lazy and full of A's, a large section of a resource was poached to speed a project up. Then, once more I was accused in high school where the advanced argument and style of an essay made a teacher wary, though all evidence - and most importantly, the truth - were on my side.
Of course, in the former case, being guilty, I lost marks, but in the latter case I received an ever-after unthinkable 100% (on an English paper, no less).
Whatever the case in my own history, if journalists are spreading themselves thin and basically backing themselves into corners where they have no choice but to plagiarize to keep things running smoothly, then a few things might be to blame. There are the personal things - greed, audience pressure, the feeling/desire to just do more - and the matter of writers' pay.
Back To Top
Root Causes
The first of these issues can be dealt with easily enough on paper. Though restraint is much more difficult to put into true practice. Simply put, though, if you're a writer and seem to be trapped in a position where you have no choice but to plagiarize to meet deadlines or to keep a blog afloat, then just ask if anything can be ended. After Zakaria's month-long suspension is over his plagiarism will probably be largely forgotten by most of the public, but this isn't something that every writer will be able to weather.
The other issue is more systemic, and less personal, but still a major concern. Anyone can write, but to write things that show up in newspapers, that show up on reputable websites, or in magazines or books, writers need training.
To become a journalist you need to know how to write, but you also need to know about things like the impact that story can have on those involved or readers in general; you need to know about how best to approach topics and subjects; and you need to know about the ethics related to the profession. It's no different with fiction, or with poetry. And those with all this training (or awareness/skill) should be properly paid.
To write for yourself is one thing, but to write for other people - in most cases, people you don't even know, and may never know - is completely different. You need to know how to write so that you can interest people, you need to know how to convey emotion by showing it to a reader rather than telling him/her about it. And you need to be able to put words together in such a way that people can enjoy reading what you write for potentially long stretches.
Back To Top
Plagiarism: A Crime Against Language
Setting aside all personal and industry issues, the fact that plagiarism exists makes little sense.
English is a puny language in comparison to many others (Greek and Latin come to mind - after all, on the dance floor an Ancient Roman could just say crisa rather than "shake it!").
Yet, it's the magic of language to take a finite set of things and put them into a near infinite set of connections and orders, even to get across the same meaning. Some people call a writer's own way of putting words together to get across a meaning that another writer has already conveyed "style." Maybe that's part of the problem.
Outside of fiction and poetry, writing can sometimes drone. There are some journalists with unique voices, but more often than not the sort of thing that you'll read in a major magazine is hardly distinguishable from anything else in the same publication. By and large non-fiction writers, fiction writers, and poets have more unique voices than your standard reporter or news writer.
In part, this monotony in journalism comes from newspapers and news shows and magazines requiring a standardized tone - often authoritative - and it can be hard to maintain that tone if everyone is writing in their own unique style. The internet has helped to give people a platform to show off their own voices in their writing, but one of the trade-offs so far is the loss of that authoritative tone in a lot of what's posted online.
Back To Top
Closing
Check back here tomorrow for another Annotated Links, and don't miss Friday's delve for the deserving in Squirm.
Back To Top
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Annotated Links #14: Science and Human Acheivement
1. Tucker, Phil. "Web designer building nuclear fusion reactor with parts from eBay." Sync.ca 2 August 2012. Web. 7 August 2012.
Brooklyn-based web designer Mark Suppes has been building a small-scale fusion reactor out of parts bought on Ebay over the past four years. Suppes has no nuclear physics background, but after a video made by Dr Robert Bussard inspired him to take up the challenge of building a working fusion reactor he has remained unfazed. The article is written in straightforward style that ultimately leans more towards reportage than possible human interest aspects of the story.
This article is included here because its subject is a testament to the innovative spirit of individuals and to the power that inspiration has to help people trailblaze.
2. Brandrick, Chris. "Want to live on Mars? Here's your chance." MSN Tech & Gadgets 31 July 2012. Web. 7 August 2012.
Mars One, a Dutch company founded by Bas Lansdrop, is looking to send a team of 10 civilians on a one-way settlement mission to Mars. The company will take on 40 volunteers through an international lottery in 2013 and, after specialized training, 10 of these 40 will be sent on the mission.
Mars One plans to send a communications satellite to Mars in 2016, to follow up with "settlement units" in 2020, and to send the crew itself in December of 2022, arriving on the red planet in April of 2023. The article is written with a slightly incredulous tone, while delivering bare facts. It also includes a link back to the original story as it appeared on Y!Tech.
This article is included because it showcases the audacity that humanity possesses when faced with the chance to delve into totally new territory. If you had no strong connections to Earth, wouldn't you enter the lottery and hope to be picked?
3. Gonzalez, Robert T. "Carl Sagan’s message to future explorers of Mars will cold-cock you right in the touchy feelies." io9 7 August 2012. Web. 7 August 2012.
Gonzalez features the full Carl Sagan quote from which a shorter excerpt has been bandied about the internet of late. The article also includes a brief introduction to the full quote, and mentions the reciprocal relationship between science and science fiction.
This article is included in this edition of Annotated Links because the Carl Sagan quote beautifully expresses why people have sought to climb high mountains, to write long works of fiction or philosophy, and to explore other worlds.
Back To Top
Closing
Don't miss tomorrow's editorial, where I offer my thoughts on book covers and ebooks, or Thursday's Annotated Links.
Plus, be sure to be around on Friday for Part Two of All-Request August: A search for the good (aside from the laughs) in the Bruce Campbell-starring, terrible-effects-having, quality-filming-using Alien Apocalypse.
Back To Top
Brooklyn-based web designer Mark Suppes has been building a small-scale fusion reactor out of parts bought on Ebay over the past four years. Suppes has no nuclear physics background, but after a video made by Dr Robert Bussard inspired him to take up the challenge of building a working fusion reactor he has remained unfazed. The article is written in straightforward style that ultimately leans more towards reportage than possible human interest aspects of the story.
This article is included here because its subject is a testament to the innovative spirit of individuals and to the power that inspiration has to help people trailblaze.
2. Brandrick, Chris. "Want to live on Mars? Here's your chance." MSN Tech & Gadgets 31 July 2012. Web. 7 August 2012.
Mars One, a Dutch company founded by Bas Lansdrop, is looking to send a team of 10 civilians on a one-way settlement mission to Mars. The company will take on 40 volunteers through an international lottery in 2013 and, after specialized training, 10 of these 40 will be sent on the mission.
Mars One plans to send a communications satellite to Mars in 2016, to follow up with "settlement units" in 2020, and to send the crew itself in December of 2022, arriving on the red planet in April of 2023. The article is written with a slightly incredulous tone, while delivering bare facts. It also includes a link back to the original story as it appeared on Y!Tech.
This article is included because it showcases the audacity that humanity possesses when faced with the chance to delve into totally new territory. If you had no strong connections to Earth, wouldn't you enter the lottery and hope to be picked?
3. Gonzalez, Robert T. "Carl Sagan’s message to future explorers of Mars will cold-cock you right in the touchy feelies." io9 7 August 2012. Web. 7 August 2012.
Gonzalez features the full Carl Sagan quote from which a shorter excerpt has been bandied about the internet of late. The article also includes a brief introduction to the full quote, and mentions the reciprocal relationship between science and science fiction.
This article is included in this edition of Annotated Links because the Carl Sagan quote beautifully expresses why people have sought to climb high mountains, to write long works of fiction or philosophy, and to explore other worlds.
Back To Top
Closing
Don't miss tomorrow's editorial, where I offer my thoughts on book covers and ebooks, or Thursday's Annotated Links.
Plus, be sure to be around on Friday for Part Two of All-Request August: A search for the good (aside from the laughs) in the Bruce Campbell-starring, terrible-effects-having, quality-filming-using Alien Apocalypse.
Back To Top
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Annotated Links #13: Japan in Art and Quirk
1. Bennett, Lennie. "Art deco exhibit at Ringling Museum illuminates Japan's lost decades." Tampa Bay Times 22 July 2012. Web. 2 August 2012.
Bennett describes the contents of the "Deco Japan: Shaping Art and Culture, 1920-45" exhibition and gives a brief history, explanation, and context of the movement in Japan. However, Bennett doesn't include what the remaining two stops of the exhibition are or for how much longer the exhibition will be staying at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Bennett writes in the style of an informative account of visiting the exhibition.
This article is included because of the obscurity of its subject matter - I had no idea that there was a significant and culture-changing art movement in Japan after World War I and during World War II.
2. Elwood, Kate. "CULTURAL CONUNDRUMS/Cultural facets of Cupid's arrow." Daily Yomiuri Online 30 July 2012. Web. 2 August 2012.
Elwood gives a history of Japanese romance novels, including how they "blossomed out of Western seeds" in the 70s and 80s, and how Sanrio started its "New Romance" line for domestically written romances in 1982. She also summarizes a comparative study of Western harlequin and Japanese romance stories written during the 70s and 80s. According to the study, the most marked differences found in Japanese romance novels are that female leads are generally stronger, and that the hardships involve social restrictions that keep love from being widely accepted rather than love itself.
This article is included here because because it gives a good look at the differences in the romance genre, and thus in two cultures romantic ideals.
3. Liebl, Lance. "Giant dancing Japanese robot women in bras will be the end of us." GameZone 27 July 2012. Web. 2 August 2012.
Liebl reports on a restaurant in Tokyo that features robotic female torsos on giant mech-legs, operated by women in bikinis. His article includes a live link to the original picture album on The Chive. It also Includes a short youtube video of a man tinkering with one of the robots.
This article is included here because it's an example of Japan's well-known quirkiness, something that I find utterly fascinating.
Back To Top
Closing
Tomorrow, join me for Pt. 1 of All-Request August, featuring a search for the superb in Plan 9 From Outer Space!
Back To Top
Bennett describes the contents of the "Deco Japan: Shaping Art and Culture, 1920-45" exhibition and gives a brief history, explanation, and context of the movement in Japan. However, Bennett doesn't include what the remaining two stops of the exhibition are or for how much longer the exhibition will be staying at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Bennett writes in the style of an informative account of visiting the exhibition.
This article is included because of the obscurity of its subject matter - I had no idea that there was a significant and culture-changing art movement in Japan after World War I and during World War II.
2. Elwood, Kate. "CULTURAL CONUNDRUMS/Cultural facets of Cupid's arrow." Daily Yomiuri Online 30 July 2012. Web. 2 August 2012.
Elwood gives a history of Japanese romance novels, including how they "blossomed out of Western seeds" in the 70s and 80s, and how Sanrio started its "New Romance" line for domestically written romances in 1982. She also summarizes a comparative study of Western harlequin and Japanese romance stories written during the 70s and 80s. According to the study, the most marked differences found in Japanese romance novels are that female leads are generally stronger, and that the hardships involve social restrictions that keep love from being widely accepted rather than love itself.
This article is included here because because it gives a good look at the differences in the romance genre, and thus in two cultures romantic ideals.
3. Liebl, Lance. "Giant dancing Japanese robot women in bras will be the end of us." GameZone 27 July 2012. Web. 2 August 2012.
Liebl reports on a restaurant in Tokyo that features robotic female torsos on giant mech-legs, operated by women in bikinis. His article includes a live link to the original picture album on The Chive. It also Includes a short youtube video of a man tinkering with one of the robots.
This article is included here because it's an example of Japan's well-known quirkiness, something that I find utterly fascinating.
Back To Top
Closing
Tomorrow, join me for Pt. 1 of All-Request August, featuring a search for the superb in Plan 9 From Outer Space!
Back To Top
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
[Wōdnes-dæg] Fantastic Fantasy and the Grit of Popularity
Introduction
The Article Summed Up
Fantasy and Cynicism...Hand in Hand?
The More Names, the More Things
Closing
Back To Top
Introduction
The subject of today's editorial comes from the website Fantasy Faction - a site that hosts articles, interviews, reviews, forums, and a podcast that are all about the fantasy genre.
This article by Douglas Smith caught my eye because it attempts to explain the current trend away from "classic" tales of black-and-white good versus evil in modern popular fantasy. The article also grabbed my attention because it speaks to the variety that can be found in the fantasy genre.
These elements aren't just interesting, but are also quite relevant to me since I'm in the midst of writing my own fantasy universe into existence.
Back To Top
The Article Summed Up
In his article Douglas Smith notes the growing popularity and presence of gritty, realistic fantasy and tries to explain it.
Quite deftly Smith looks at the trends in entertainment more generally, and concludes that what we watch and read to relax as a whole has become grittier as the world around us has changed into something a bit grittier, too.
Gone are the days of massively popular soap operas and police procedurals, and now things are more about characters so real we might bump into them on the street and involve plots so intricate that it's as easy to become entangled as it is to become immersed.
Smith concludes with the statements that writers of gritty fantasy are reinvigorating the genre, that it's cool to read fantasy again, and that this might just be "a second 'Golden Age' for fantasy."
Back To Top
Fantasy and Cynicism...Hand in Hand?
As far as its explanation of why gritty fantasy is now popular goes, this is a great article.
The world certainly has changed, and, as those of older generations have said from time immemorial, it may actually be worse off (in some ways). Technological advances aside, events like "9/11" have made people more readily dubious of others and paranoid enough that fear could now be considered a small animal living in most people's heads as much as a human emotion.
Older stories that follow a straightforward plot and shimmering, clean-cut characters are definitely no longer enough to put this animal to sleep for a time so that the human host can truly enjoy an escape.
Instead, worlds and characters need more depth. In fact, this might be an analogue to the extra cynicism in a lot of people's worldviews. Just as more scrutiny and attention is paid to the real world and goings-on therein, so too in entertainment are characters and plots under more and more scrutiny.
The best way to meet that scrutiny, so far, has been to present things that are more layered and more like the world that can be seen all around. Instead of escaping into worlds that contrast the real one, the increasing popularity of gritty fantasy suggests that people are more willing to escape into worlds that are like their own.
Back To Top
The More Names, the More Things
Another factor to consider when looking the rise in gritty fantasy is the ever-increasing drive to categorize literature and entertainment. Particularly, the urge to separate the "adult" literature from the "children's" literature.
Both fantasy and science fiction have always been perceived as children's literature.
They aren't set in the real, contemporary world.
They aren't written by those who aspire to write capital-L literature.
But at the same time, there have always been adults who enjoy fantasy and science fiction more than other forms of not-true stories. These adults would read Frank L. Baum, they would flip through Asimov, they would delve into the world of the Harry Potter series.
At times these stories, labelled as being for "children," would be adapted into re-tellings or versions that were more "grown-up," and at other times they would be distributed with darker, more "adult" covers. Anything to appeal more directly to those who were outside of the original key age demographic but nonetheless liked what they read for whatever reason.
Enter gritty, realistic fantasy.
Just like that, there's now a fantasy sub-genre for adults, those who'd been generally perceived as "too old" for stories about magic, heroes and villains, Good and Evil. And where there is a supply to fill a hitherto unfulfilled demand that supply will soon prove insufficient.
After all, give something a new, more specific name, and those previously too shy to admit to liking that something under it's old, general name (let's say fantasy) will come out and help push demand even further.
Back To Top
Closing
Don't miss tomorrow's Annotated Links (#13), and keep an eye out on Friday for the first part of All-Request August, featuring a search for the superb in Plan 9 From Outer Space!
Back To Top
The Article Summed Up
Fantasy and Cynicism...Hand in Hand?
The More Names, the More Things
Closing
 |
Back To Top
Introduction
The subject of today's editorial comes from the website Fantasy Faction - a site that hosts articles, interviews, reviews, forums, and a podcast that are all about the fantasy genre.
This article by Douglas Smith caught my eye because it attempts to explain the current trend away from "classic" tales of black-and-white good versus evil in modern popular fantasy. The article also grabbed my attention because it speaks to the variety that can be found in the fantasy genre.
These elements aren't just interesting, but are also quite relevant to me since I'm in the midst of writing my own fantasy universe into existence.
Back To Top
The Article Summed Up
In his article Douglas Smith notes the growing popularity and presence of gritty, realistic fantasy and tries to explain it.
Quite deftly Smith looks at the trends in entertainment more generally, and concludes that what we watch and read to relax as a whole has become grittier as the world around us has changed into something a bit grittier, too.
Gone are the days of massively popular soap operas and police procedurals, and now things are more about characters so real we might bump into them on the street and involve plots so intricate that it's as easy to become entangled as it is to become immersed.
Smith concludes with the statements that writers of gritty fantasy are reinvigorating the genre, that it's cool to read fantasy again, and that this might just be "a second 'Golden Age' for fantasy."
Back To Top
Fantasy and Cynicism...Hand in Hand?
As far as its explanation of why gritty fantasy is now popular goes, this is a great article.
The world certainly has changed, and, as those of older generations have said from time immemorial, it may actually be worse off (in some ways). Technological advances aside, events like "9/11" have made people more readily dubious of others and paranoid enough that fear could now be considered a small animal living in most people's heads as much as a human emotion.
Older stories that follow a straightforward plot and shimmering, clean-cut characters are definitely no longer enough to put this animal to sleep for a time so that the human host can truly enjoy an escape.
Instead, worlds and characters need more depth. In fact, this might be an analogue to the extra cynicism in a lot of people's worldviews. Just as more scrutiny and attention is paid to the real world and goings-on therein, so too in entertainment are characters and plots under more and more scrutiny.
The best way to meet that scrutiny, so far, has been to present things that are more layered and more like the world that can be seen all around. Instead of escaping into worlds that contrast the real one, the increasing popularity of gritty fantasy suggests that people are more willing to escape into worlds that are like their own.
Back To Top
The More Names, the More Things
Another factor to consider when looking the rise in gritty fantasy is the ever-increasing drive to categorize literature and entertainment. Particularly, the urge to separate the "adult" literature from the "children's" literature.
Both fantasy and science fiction have always been perceived as children's literature.
They aren't set in the real, contemporary world.
They aren't written by those who aspire to write capital-L literature.
But at the same time, there have always been adults who enjoy fantasy and science fiction more than other forms of not-true stories. These adults would read Frank L. Baum, they would flip through Asimov, they would delve into the world of the Harry Potter series.
At times these stories, labelled as being for "children," would be adapted into re-tellings or versions that were more "grown-up," and at other times they would be distributed with darker, more "adult" covers. Anything to appeal more directly to those who were outside of the original key age demographic but nonetheless liked what they read for whatever reason.
Enter gritty, realistic fantasy.
Just like that, there's now a fantasy sub-genre for adults, those who'd been generally perceived as "too old" for stories about magic, heroes and villains, Good and Evil. And where there is a supply to fill a hitherto unfulfilled demand that supply will soon prove insufficient.
After all, give something a new, more specific name, and those previously too shy to admit to liking that something under it's old, general name (let's say fantasy) will come out and help push demand even further.
Back To Top
Closing
Don't miss tomorrow's Annotated Links (#13), and keep an eye out on Friday for the first part of All-Request August, featuring a search for the superb in Plan 9 From Outer Space!
Back To Top
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Annotated Links #12: Bully for Japan
1. Ruble, Cynthia. "Parent-child relationship key to solving bullying problem in Japan." The Japan Daily Press 30 July 2012. Web. 31 July 2012.
This is a first person, opinion-based piece written as part anecdote and part observation. It identifies two major issues in Japanese culture that may make bullying ubiquitous: a willingness to accept hardships as part of life rather than try to improve them (related to the Japanese concept of "gaman"); and the unwillingness amongst adults to stand up against bullying for social reasons.
This article is of interest because it offers a cross-cultural look at bullying, and at some of the universals (unwillingness to defend oneself, fatalism) that may perpetuate bullying.
2. Gale, Bruce. "Tackling the bullying culture in Japan's schools." The Straits Times [found on Asia News Network] 18 July 2012. Web. 31 July 2012.
Gale analyzes bullying in Japan based on Herman Smith's The Myth of Japanese Homogeneity. Specifically, Gale notes and includes analysis based on the three characteristics Smith writes of: "intense competition for scarce educational advantages;" "that girls are rarely victims;" and "that the victims are usually transfer students who do not yet have friends to protect them." Gale also makes an interesting connection between bullying, gang violence, and heterogenous/multicultural societies, and another between bullying and the art style found in many manga. The article is written in a straightforward, easy to read style.
This article is of interest because of its analyses and because it offers a good sociological overview of the problem of bullying in Japan.
3. Nelson, Christopher. "To cut down on bullying, transform school culture." MPR News 23 July 2012. Web. 31 July 2012.
A first person opinion piece based on Nelson's experiences as a student and educator. Nelson writes that it's important to tell bullies that bullying isn't what's done, and to get them to feel included after being reprimanded, not ostracised. He states that the best solution is to have a strong, school-wide sense of where the school is going and what's important to it, yet he notes that there is no one formula for this sense and its enactment that can be universally applied. The article includes a brief summary of Nelson's experience and credentials.
Though it isn't about bullying in Japan, this article is included because it offers an interesting counterpoint to the otherwise ignored sense of school spirit found in Japanese schools that may also underlie bullying new/transfer students.
Back To Top
Closing
Tomorrow's editorial will be about the increasing grittiness of popular fantasy, and this Friday check the blog for a search for the good in the infamous Plan 9 From Outer Space. Plan 9 currently sits at a 66% among critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but because of a special request, and the movie's reputation, I'm going to relax my usual 50% cut off point.
And, of course, don't forget to check out "Annotated Links #13" on Thursday!
Back To Top
This is a first person, opinion-based piece written as part anecdote and part observation. It identifies two major issues in Japanese culture that may make bullying ubiquitous: a willingness to accept hardships as part of life rather than try to improve them (related to the Japanese concept of "gaman"); and the unwillingness amongst adults to stand up against bullying for social reasons.
This article is of interest because it offers a cross-cultural look at bullying, and at some of the universals (unwillingness to defend oneself, fatalism) that may perpetuate bullying.
2. Gale, Bruce. "Tackling the bullying culture in Japan's schools." The Straits Times [found on Asia News Network] 18 July 2012. Web. 31 July 2012.
Gale analyzes bullying in Japan based on Herman Smith's The Myth of Japanese Homogeneity. Specifically, Gale notes and includes analysis based on the three characteristics Smith writes of: "intense competition for scarce educational advantages;" "that girls are rarely victims;" and "that the victims are usually transfer students who do not yet have friends to protect them." Gale also makes an interesting connection between bullying, gang violence, and heterogenous/multicultural societies, and another between bullying and the art style found in many manga. The article is written in a straightforward, easy to read style.
This article is of interest because of its analyses and because it offers a good sociological overview of the problem of bullying in Japan.
3. Nelson, Christopher. "To cut down on bullying, transform school culture." MPR News 23 July 2012. Web. 31 July 2012.
A first person opinion piece based on Nelson's experiences as a student and educator. Nelson writes that it's important to tell bullies that bullying isn't what's done, and to get them to feel included after being reprimanded, not ostracised. He states that the best solution is to have a strong, school-wide sense of where the school is going and what's important to it, yet he notes that there is no one formula for this sense and its enactment that can be universally applied. The article includes a brief summary of Nelson's experience and credentials.
Though it isn't about bullying in Japan, this article is included because it offers an interesting counterpoint to the otherwise ignored sense of school spirit found in Japanese schools that may also underlie bullying new/transfer students.
Back To Top
Closing
Tomorrow's editorial will be about the increasing grittiness of popular fantasy, and this Friday check the blog for a search for the good in the infamous Plan 9 From Outer Space. Plan 9 currently sits at a 66% among critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but because of a special request, and the movie's reputation, I'm going to relax my usual 50% cut off point.
And, of course, don't forget to check out "Annotated Links #13" on Thursday!
Back To Top
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Annotated Links #8: Wearing in and Wearing Out
1. Turchin, Peter. "Cultural Evolution of Pants." Social Evolution Forum 7 July 2012. Web. 18 July 2012.
Peter Turchin posits that pants are worn not because of any sort of comfort, but because of social norms - and that these norms evolved over time. His central argument is that in the Classical West everyone wore tunics or chitons, and they believed that only barbarians wore pants (and laughed at them for it, just as non-Scottish Westerners might laugh at men wearing kilts today). This is a blog entry, strewn with illustrative pictures and written in a casual professional style. The entry includes a link to part two of his argument, wherein he explains why horses led to the prevalance and social power of pants in Western society.
2. "Wearable Hummingbird Feeder." Heatstick.com 2010. Web. 18 July 2012.
The product known as eYe2eye is a hummingbird feeding helmet. This site contains videos and pictures of people using the helmet, and a detailed explanation of what the helmet is and what it's made from, all of which implies that the asking price is a fair one. All of the information is presented in a bright and stylized format, with text written in a simple and direct style.
3. Oremus, Will. "Hacker Uses 3-D Printed Keys to Crack Police Handcuffs." Slate 16 July 2012. Web. 18 July 2012.
A German security consultant known only as "Ray" demonstrated how 3-D printing can be used to make effective handcuff keys at a New York conference on Friday 13 July 2012. Police departments use one set of keys for all of their handcuffs from the same manufacturer, meaning that anyone with the right digital blueprint and a 3-D printer could create a key to all of a police department's handcuffs. "Ray" plans to make the digital blueprints for the key he used in his demonstration public to show police how new technology is changing the rules of the security game and to help them to keep vigilant. The article is written in a quick and light style.
Back To Top
Closing
Don't miss tomorrow's editorial entry, or part three of Nicolas Cage month on Friday with a search for the decent in 2011's Trespass. And, of course, come Thursday be sure to watch for Annotated Links #9!
Back To Top
Peter Turchin posits that pants are worn not because of any sort of comfort, but because of social norms - and that these norms evolved over time. His central argument is that in the Classical West everyone wore tunics or chitons, and they believed that only barbarians wore pants (and laughed at them for it, just as non-Scottish Westerners might laugh at men wearing kilts today). This is a blog entry, strewn with illustrative pictures and written in a casual professional style. The entry includes a link to part two of his argument, wherein he explains why horses led to the prevalance and social power of pants in Western society.
2. "Wearable Hummingbird Feeder." Heatstick.com 2010. Web. 18 July 2012.
The product known as eYe2eye is a hummingbird feeding helmet. This site contains videos and pictures of people using the helmet, and a detailed explanation of what the helmet is and what it's made from, all of which implies that the asking price is a fair one. All of the information is presented in a bright and stylized format, with text written in a simple and direct style.
3. Oremus, Will. "Hacker Uses 3-D Printed Keys to Crack Police Handcuffs." Slate 16 July 2012. Web. 18 July 2012.
A German security consultant known only as "Ray" demonstrated how 3-D printing can be used to make effective handcuff keys at a New York conference on Friday 13 July 2012. Police departments use one set of keys for all of their handcuffs from the same manufacturer, meaning that anyone with the right digital blueprint and a 3-D printer could create a key to all of a police department's handcuffs. "Ray" plans to make the digital blueprints for the key he used in his demonstration public to show police how new technology is changing the rules of the security game and to help them to keep vigilant. The article is written in a quick and light style.
Back To Top
Closing
Don't miss tomorrow's editorial entry, or part three of Nicolas Cage month on Friday with a search for the decent in 2011's Trespass. And, of course, come Thursday be sure to watch for Annotated Links #9!
Back To Top
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Annotated Links #5: Technological Culture, Cultural Technology
1. Totilo, Stephen. "A New, $99 Console Called Ouya Is Real and Radically Different From Xbox, PlayStation and Wii." Kotaku 3 July 2012. Web. 5 July 2012.
This article confirms the existence of a new console called the "Ouya." Apparently the console will sell for $99, run on the Android platform, and come with a developer's kit - inviting people to create their own games and hacks. The article is written in a sparse style that just covers the basics, but promises more information once it becomes available.
2. Mckenzie, Hamish. "The Curse of Culture." PandoDaily 4 July 2012. Web. 5 July 2012.
Mckenzie writes about the limitations that a country's culture imposes on its youth, especially those of an entrepreneurial bent. His analysis focuses on the way in which cultural emphasis on hierarchies, the status quo, and risk evasion found in Asian nations leads to less innovation. This analysis is briefly contrasted with the individualistic culture of America, though with the caveat that Americans often don't know how to handle entrepreneurial hardship since their dreams often face too little criticism. Mckenzie writes in a conversational, yet professional style, and includes some quoted expert opinions.
3. Shin, Ji-Hye. "Culture Technology – a Paradigm Shift from Technology Oriented to Human-Centered." Korea IT Times 3 July 2012. Web. 5 July 2012.
Shin provides two definitions of 'culture technology': technology used to emphasize pre-existing cultural forms, and technology that has stories embedded in its design. Shin also mentions the theory of convergence, and the fact that technology and culture are converging more and more in the realm of the individual as society as a whole puts more and more emphasis on the individual. The article is written in a simple style, but with a few misspellings and grammatical errors that may initially cloud understanding.
Back To Top
Closing
Be sure to come back to this blog tomorrow for a search for the good in the first film of Nicolas Cage month: Deadfall!
Back To Top
This article confirms the existence of a new console called the "Ouya." Apparently the console will sell for $99, run on the Android platform, and come with a developer's kit - inviting people to create their own games and hacks. The article is written in a sparse style that just covers the basics, but promises more information once it becomes available.
2. Mckenzie, Hamish. "The Curse of Culture." PandoDaily 4 July 2012. Web. 5 July 2012.
Mckenzie writes about the limitations that a country's culture imposes on its youth, especially those of an entrepreneurial bent. His analysis focuses on the way in which cultural emphasis on hierarchies, the status quo, and risk evasion found in Asian nations leads to less innovation. This analysis is briefly contrasted with the individualistic culture of America, though with the caveat that Americans often don't know how to handle entrepreneurial hardship since their dreams often face too little criticism. Mckenzie writes in a conversational, yet professional style, and includes some quoted expert opinions.
3. Shin, Ji-Hye. "Culture Technology – a Paradigm Shift from Technology Oriented to Human-Centered." Korea IT Times 3 July 2012. Web. 5 July 2012.
Shin provides two definitions of 'culture technology': technology used to emphasize pre-existing cultural forms, and technology that has stories embedded in its design. Shin also mentions the theory of convergence, and the fact that technology and culture are converging more and more in the realm of the individual as society as a whole puts more and more emphasis on the individual. The article is written in a simple style, but with a few misspellings and grammatical errors that may initially cloud understanding.
Back To Top
Closing
Be sure to come back to this blog tomorrow for a search for the good in the first film of Nicolas Cage month: Deadfall!
Back To Top
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
[Wōdnes-dæg] A "Rebel" Gay-Straight Alliance in the Waterloo Catholic District School Board
Introduction
Interesting Local Developments
Over-Great Expectations
Closing
References
Back To Top
Introduction
The matter of "sexual minority youth" in Catholic schools came to the fore again recently.
This time, removed from the national coverage afforded the matter in Toronto schools, there seems to be at least some hope in the Kitchener region as this article in the Kitchener-Waterloo Record by Liz Monteiro implies.
One of the key players in this situation, Anthony Piscitelli, is undoubtedly right that it's a divisive issue that would do more harm than good for the students as camaraderie amongst teachers would certainly take a hit if they were forced to take a side.2
Nonetheless the presence of students with a variety of sexual orientations within Catholic schools is still an important issue that needs to be addressed.
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Interesting Local Developments
What's most interesting here is the simple fact that Catholic groups around the Kitchener-Waterloo region don't seem to have any problem with it.
A consultant for the Waterloo Catholic District School Board from the Congregation of the Resurrection (an Institute of Consecrated Life for men), Rev. Fred Scinto, said that students shouldn't have to live in fear of being persecuted because of their sexual orientation - he even went so far as to quote St. Augustine, saying "We are a church of saints and sinners but Christ is still within it."3
In fact, this issue is particularly newsworthy because it's already playing out a little bit differently than it did in the province's capital. For the Kitchener-Waterloo region already has a school that has a group that is essentially the same as the oh-so-feared gay-straight-alliances. This school is St. Mary's High School and it sounds like the group there has done nothing but good for all of the students involved.
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Over-Great Expectations
So why are gay-straight alliances still such a big deal elsewhere? It seems like there's very little justification for it outside of some kind of ungrounded fear that these alliances are going to serve as homosexual hook-up groups, at least that can be inferred from the emphasis that these articles put on the Church's message of chastity for adolescents.
I think that Luisa D'Amato hits the nail on the head when she writes:
The issue here is a weird paradox in Catholic teaching that allows for all sorts of people to be accepted by the Church but that denies that at least a part of every person's identity - what makes them a complete person - is sexual.
As D'Amato goes on to point out, the denial of this aspect of people as part of accepting them "hasn’t worked out so well for the priesthood and, it is increasingly clear, presents nothing more than a delusional fantasy in the real lives of real people."4
Real lives aren't so neatly compartmentalized. Nor can real people easily section themselves off. Trying to do both just makes for a hardened mass of knots that even Alexander the Great couldn't cut through.
Hopefully, the example set by St. Mary's will be seen by other schools and by other boards, and support groups for students of any "sexual minority" will spring up in other Catholic schools.1
At least then, as a new teacher, there'd be one less thing to disagree on with the majority of Catholic schools.
Back To Top
Closing
Check back with this blog on Friday for a hunt for the good in Johnny English Reborn.
Back To Top
References
1. Monteiro, Liz. "Kitchener Catholic high school already has a gay-support group." TheRecord.com 2 May 2012.
2. Simone, Rose. "Fear of ‘divisive’ discussion ends gay-straight alliance group motion." TheRecord.com 29 April 2012.
3. Monteiro, Liz. "Schools have duty to provide safe environment, former student tells board." TheRecord.com 30 April 2012.
4. D'Amato, Luisa. "D’Amato: Piscitelli has it right — the Catholic school board should listen." TheRecord.com 2 May 2012.
Back To Top
Interesting Local Developments
Over-Great Expectations
Closing
References
 |
Back To Top
Introduction
The matter of "sexual minority youth" in Catholic schools came to the fore again recently.
This time, removed from the national coverage afforded the matter in Toronto schools, there seems to be at least some hope in the Kitchener region as this article in the Kitchener-Waterloo Record by Liz Monteiro implies.
One of the key players in this situation, Anthony Piscitelli, is undoubtedly right that it's a divisive issue that would do more harm than good for the students as camaraderie amongst teachers would certainly take a hit if they were forced to take a side.2
Nonetheless the presence of students with a variety of sexual orientations within Catholic schools is still an important issue that needs to be addressed.
Back To Top
Interesting Local Developments
What's most interesting here is the simple fact that Catholic groups around the Kitchener-Waterloo region don't seem to have any problem with it.
A consultant for the Waterloo Catholic District School Board from the Congregation of the Resurrection (an Institute of Consecrated Life for men), Rev. Fred Scinto, said that students shouldn't have to live in fear of being persecuted because of their sexual orientation - he even went so far as to quote St. Augustine, saying "We are a church of saints and sinners but Christ is still within it."3
In fact, this issue is particularly newsworthy because it's already playing out a little bit differently than it did in the province's capital. For the Kitchener-Waterloo region already has a school that has a group that is essentially the same as the oh-so-feared gay-straight-alliances. This school is St. Mary's High School and it sounds like the group there has done nothing but good for all of the students involved.
Back To Top
Over-Great Expectations
So why are gay-straight alliances still such a big deal elsewhere? It seems like there's very little justification for it outside of some kind of ungrounded fear that these alliances are going to serve as homosexual hook-up groups, at least that can be inferred from the emphasis that these articles put on the Church's message of chastity for adolescents.
I think that Luisa D'Amato hits the nail on the head when she writes:
"The central problem here is the medieval logic of Catholic thought, slammed into modern North American culture with its deep concern for human rights. According to Church teachings, every person must be loved, gay people included, but not their sexual acts, which the Church teaches are sinful and morally disordered, both because they occur outside Church-sanctioned marriage and because children cannot be born from them."4
The issue here is a weird paradox in Catholic teaching that allows for all sorts of people to be accepted by the Church but that denies that at least a part of every person's identity - what makes them a complete person - is sexual.
As D'Amato goes on to point out, the denial of this aspect of people as part of accepting them "hasn’t worked out so well for the priesthood and, it is increasingly clear, presents nothing more than a delusional fantasy in the real lives of real people."4
Real lives aren't so neatly compartmentalized. Nor can real people easily section themselves off. Trying to do both just makes for a hardened mass of knots that even Alexander the Great couldn't cut through.
Hopefully, the example set by St. Mary's will be seen by other schools and by other boards, and support groups for students of any "sexual minority" will spring up in other Catholic schools.1
At least then, as a new teacher, there'd be one less thing to disagree on with the majority of Catholic schools.
Back To Top
Closing
Check back with this blog on Friday for a hunt for the good in Johnny English Reborn.
Back To Top
References
1. Monteiro, Liz. "Kitchener Catholic high school already has a gay-support group." TheRecord.com 2 May 2012.
2. Simone, Rose. "Fear of ‘divisive’ discussion ends gay-straight alliance group motion." TheRecord.com 29 April 2012.
3. Monteiro, Liz. "Schools have duty to provide safe environment, former student tells board." TheRecord.com 30 April 2012.
4. D'Amato, Luisa. "D’Amato: Piscitelli has it right — the Catholic school board should listen." TheRecord.com 2 May 2012.
Back To Top
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
[Wōdnes-dæg] Preppers: Not Starchy and Dull Ties, but Freeze Dried Food and Bartering
Introduction
Going too Far
Some Possible Disasters
Conclusion
References
This entry's topic is a bit of a cheat, since it didn't come from a newspaper or a Google Alert. I'm letting it slide in since I did get it through email, it was unexpected, quite surprising, and it offers a whole group to learn about.
Introduction
Preppers, people who are preparing for what they believe is an imminent disaster or cataclysm,1 might seem a little crazy to some. People a little too close to the paranoid thinking espoused by people like Glen Beck. But before jumping to any conclusions, let's see the extent of Preppers' preparations.
Based on the content of Prepper.org, it seems like they do it all.2 But, the three mainstays, understandably, look like becoming self-reliant for food, bartering, and self-defense.
The first two are understandable.
Bartering doesn't necessarily need to undercut money or the economy, it could be used to buttress it in some ways.
And learning how to grow your own food, make your own flour,3 and so on and so on are all really important things. Doing things in the old ways helps to perpetuate those ways. In a way, people who know how to mill their own flour are living pieces of history while the rest of us still buy it from store shelves. Stockpiling food can be problematic, however.
Nonetheless, if you're expecting civilization to collapse, it makes sense that you'd want to make sure you can defend yourself, but this sort of preparation is where the movement starts to sound less quaint and becomes vaguely threatening.
Going too Far
Yes, if society as we know it collapses, that means that the law might lose its power to maintain order. And a return to what some call "natural law" would not be pretty. But to take preparations to the extreme of stocking up on guns and ammo is simply going too far.
Getting firearms or archery training in preparation strains the boundary, but still seems somewhat sensible. If it makes a person feel safe, that's great, but it suggests too firm a belief in the imminent collapse of society.
Some Possible Disasters
Now, there is a lot going on across the world to suggest something might be coming down the tubes shortly.
The problem of having a money based more on an idea or series of concepts than any tangible thing (like gold); a new disease breaking out of laboratories and causing a pandemic; an earthquake that will finally cut large pieces of California and British Columbia away from the North American continent; a zombie apocalypse.
Okay, the last one's made up, but all of these scenarios seem to lean so heavily on things out of people's control or their own self interest that zombies may as well be included in a list of possibilities.
A small group of people may have a lot of sway over the global economy but what do they have to gain if that economy crumbles? Without that sort of system in place all of their value becomes meaningless. If you were in such a powerful position wouldn't you do everything possible to serve your best interest as well as, at least nominally, the best interest of everyone else?
The same goes for the fear over scientists potentially publishing their findings about making avian flu transmittable between mammals.3 Human hubris doesn't put people beyond trying to spread it in the mistaken belief that they have an antidote and will be safe. All the same, if pandemic strikes and the world's population is decimated where does that leave the survivors re: its resources? A power vacuum might exist, but society would also be entirely re-ordered.
Conclusion
Times are tough, economies are eccentric, and people might be getting more paranoid as a result. But it's important to remember that as much as there's a lot going on in the world, ours is also a world in which its easier than ever to see/read/listen to what's going on.
Our high level of connectivity means we get more news, the fact that a lot of it is negative definitely isn't going to help us feel better about the future. But it's more a matter of volume than of content. Bad things happened all over the world before we could read about them with just a click or a flick.
Nonetheless, Preppers should be commended for their dedication to their beliefs. And, ultimately, for those of us who are perhaps more optimistic, for their preparing themselves as potential teachers as well. And if there is no major disaster, then at the least there will be a whole subculture that keeps extreme DIY attitudes alive while the rest of us rely more and more on each other.
References
1. Forsyth, Jim. "Subculture of Americans prepares for civilization's collapse." Reuters 21 Jan 2012.
2. The Prepper Networks. Prepper.org. 2009-2010.
3. Branswell, Helen. "Future work on lab-made bird flu viruses should be done in most secure labs." Winnipeg Free Press 6 March 2012.
Going too Far
Some Possible Disasters
Conclusion
References
This entry's topic is a bit of a cheat, since it didn't come from a newspaper or a Google Alert. I'm letting it slide in since I did get it through email, it was unexpected, quite surprising, and it offers a whole group to learn about.
 |
Introduction
Preppers, people who are preparing for what they believe is an imminent disaster or cataclysm,1 might seem a little crazy to some. People a little too close to the paranoid thinking espoused by people like Glen Beck. But before jumping to any conclusions, let's see the extent of Preppers' preparations.
Based on the content of Prepper.org, it seems like they do it all.2 But, the three mainstays, understandably, look like becoming self-reliant for food, bartering, and self-defense.
The first two are understandable.
Bartering doesn't necessarily need to undercut money or the economy, it could be used to buttress it in some ways.
And learning how to grow your own food, make your own flour,3 and so on and so on are all really important things. Doing things in the old ways helps to perpetuate those ways. In a way, people who know how to mill their own flour are living pieces of history while the rest of us still buy it from store shelves. Stockpiling food can be problematic, however.
Nonetheless, if you're expecting civilization to collapse, it makes sense that you'd want to make sure you can defend yourself, but this sort of preparation is where the movement starts to sound less quaint and becomes vaguely threatening.
Going too Far
Yes, if society as we know it collapses, that means that the law might lose its power to maintain order. And a return to what some call "natural law" would not be pretty. But to take preparations to the extreme of stocking up on guns and ammo is simply going too far.
Getting firearms or archery training in preparation strains the boundary, but still seems somewhat sensible. If it makes a person feel safe, that's great, but it suggests too firm a belief in the imminent collapse of society.
Some Possible Disasters
Now, there is a lot going on across the world to suggest something might be coming down the tubes shortly.
The problem of having a money based more on an idea or series of concepts than any tangible thing (like gold); a new disease breaking out of laboratories and causing a pandemic; an earthquake that will finally cut large pieces of California and British Columbia away from the North American continent; a zombie apocalypse.
Okay, the last one's made up, but all of these scenarios seem to lean so heavily on things out of people's control or their own self interest that zombies may as well be included in a list of possibilities.
A small group of people may have a lot of sway over the global economy but what do they have to gain if that economy crumbles? Without that sort of system in place all of their value becomes meaningless. If you were in such a powerful position wouldn't you do everything possible to serve your best interest as well as, at least nominally, the best interest of everyone else?
The same goes for the fear over scientists potentially publishing their findings about making avian flu transmittable between mammals.3 Human hubris doesn't put people beyond trying to spread it in the mistaken belief that they have an antidote and will be safe. All the same, if pandemic strikes and the world's population is decimated where does that leave the survivors re: its resources? A power vacuum might exist, but society would also be entirely re-ordered.
Conclusion
Times are tough, economies are eccentric, and people might be getting more paranoid as a result. But it's important to remember that as much as there's a lot going on in the world, ours is also a world in which its easier than ever to see/read/listen to what's going on.
Our high level of connectivity means we get more news, the fact that a lot of it is negative definitely isn't going to help us feel better about the future. But it's more a matter of volume than of content. Bad things happened all over the world before we could read about them with just a click or a flick.
Nonetheless, Preppers should be commended for their dedication to their beliefs. And, ultimately, for those of us who are perhaps more optimistic, for their preparing themselves as potential teachers as well. And if there is no major disaster, then at the least there will be a whole subculture that keeps extreme DIY attitudes alive while the rest of us rely more and more on each other.
References
1. Forsyth, Jim. "Subculture of Americans prepares for civilization's collapse." Reuters 21 Jan 2012.
2. The Prepper Networks. Prepper.org. 2009-2010.
3. Branswell, Helen. "Future work on lab-made bird flu viruses should be done in most secure labs." Winnipeg Free Press 6 March 2012.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
[Wōdnes-dæg] What's Korean for Rainbow?
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South Korea is a curious country. Socially conservative, yet technologically super-progressive. Think America of the 1950s but add things like LG and Samsung and the internet you've basically got South Korean society as it appears to an outsider. And though the country maintains its traditional exterior, all of that technology allows a number of sub-cultures to thrive.
Among these subcultures is the homosexual set.
What drew my attention to this subculture in particular is an article from the LA Times,1 discovered through a Google Alert for "Korea Culture." The article tells the tale of Seok-Cheon Hong, a prominent actor who came out in 2000 after struggling with the issue for a number of years.
Hong's move led to the destruction of his career, and to a nosedive in his own feelings of self-worth. For as an openly gay celebrity he was ostracized,1 and in a society that prizes community and the group as a whole, to be shunned is more than just getting dropped from your "scene" or city - it's like being an exile within your native land's borders.
Luckily, a 2003 scriptwriter with an idea for a show about a gay man coming out and facing complex social issues revived Hong's career.1 Now he is probably the most prominent gay activist in South Korea.
But what came before? What's the history of homosexuality in South Korea?
Somewhat unsurprisingly, it's a history similar to that within Western culture.
In South Korea's past, homosexuality was regarded as being entirely abnormal and anomalous. Not because of Christian ideas (as is the case with the West, at least after Christianity's rise), but because of Confucian ones. For part of the filial piety that Confucianism so stresses regards marriage and procreation as essential parts of a son's duty to his father (pressures on to continue the line, produce the next generation of your family, etc.).2
Yet, as early as the Silla dynasty (57 BC to 935 AD) homosexuality was practiced among an elite warrior class known as the hwarang. At least, that's what's inferred from contemporary poetry about this class, and from the different meanings and mutations of the word down through the centuries.2
The Goryeo period (918-1392) also saw homosexuality practiced among the upper classes. Also, during this brief period, a new euphemism for it came about: yongyang-chi-chong (meaning the dragon and the son, a mix of two male symbols).2
In the Joseon dynasty that followed (1392-1897) the upper middle class completely eschewed homosexuality publicly, but engaged in it privately. Interestingly, it was also practiced at the opposite end of the class spectrum in rural Korea, where there were travelling male prostitutes.2 The term used for these men is namsadang, which more literally means actor or theatrical performer.2
In spite of this thread found throughout much of South Korea's history, the country's Confucian ideals are slow to change and homosexuality remains something regarded as "psychologically deviant, sociologically detrimental and morally corrupt."2
Jumping ahead to the nineties, students at Yonsei and Seoul National Universities were organizing themselves and getting gay rights advocacy groups together.
It's super significant that these students were at Yonsei and Seoul National Universities because those are two of the three most prestigious schools in the entire country (the other being Korea University). These schools' prestige meant that their students weren't uneducated lowlifes, but instead bright up-and-comers - thereby casting serious doubt on an old South Korean stereotype that homosexuals are depraved misfits from only the lowest rungs of society.2
These student movements were met with a media response that ranged from neutral to positive - a subculture was given a voice.
Several TV shows and campaigns and rallies followed, but the movement continued to be attacked by the more conservative South Koreans (yes, generally older), and by Christian groups.
For when Confucianism has been passed over, any major shift in South Korean society needs to get by the second most influential philosophy in South Korea: Christianity (of a Protestant and Catholic conservative sort). As such, at least according to Sang-Hoong Song, the arguments against homosexuality by Christian groups are based in the Bible rather than stats or other data which makes them seem less than sturdy.3
Thus, the fight for gay rights continues.
What's rather extraordinary about all of this is that any conservative, sex segregating society (like South Korea) paradoxically provides a socially acceptable set of limits that can act as a veneer over homosexual relationships.
After all, closeness between men is definitely something entrenched in South Korean culture - Confucianism might condemn homosexuality as much as the Old Testament does, but it also highly values close friendships. That's why it's not weird for men to walk down the street in Seoul or Busan or Incheon holding hands (though possibly buzzed or drunk while doing so), and women do the same (alcohol apparently less of a factor in this case).
Of course, that's not to say that all men holding hands on the South Korean streets at night are secretly gay, nor that Confucian mores are some kind of subterfuge.
Rather, such a strict philosophy creates a very fine line, and as long as nothing runs afoul of that line publicly, then no harm is done to anyone's public image. It's only when something leaks into, or someone bravely opens up in public as Hong Seok-Cheon did that the person's place in that society is jeopardized.
Having no veneer at all is definitely a better option, and one that's slowly becoming the case for South Korea. Older and more traditional South Koreans might still wonder what a homosexual is or think that it's an act against nature, but the younger generation is sure to encourage and create a South Korea that is more accepting and open.
What do you think about the fight for gay rights in conservative societies like South Korea's? Just toss your thoughts into the comment box below.
And check back on Friday for my review of S. Darko: A Donnie Darko Story.
References
1. Glionna, John M. "Gay South Korean Actor Throws Open Closet Door." L.A. Times. March 5, 2012.
2. Kim, Young-Gwan and Sook-Ja Hahn. "Homosexuality in ancient and modern Korea." Culture, Health & Sexuality, January–February 2006; 8(1): 59–65.
3. Song, Sang-Hoon. "The gay situation in Korea." Yawning Bread. November 1999.
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