As I sit here at my computer, my children, and their best friends, are all camped out in my family room, just about ten yeards away, watching The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe on our large-screen tv.
I'm not sure why I point this out, other than that it's a conversation starter.
I didn't think much of this movie when I saw it in the theatre. It has great visuals, a good script adaptation, a moderately exciting fight scene, but as a whole, this film doesn't click for me. I've thought about this fairly often, trying to understand just what doesn't work.
The best that I can come up with is that it lacks a cohesive energy. I'm never really "attached" to any of the children, nor am I ever really "afraid" of the witch. And the pacing of the entire film seems too much the same, and so we lose the rhythm of highs and lows that is so essential to good drama.
It's not a bad film, it's a heck of a lot easier to watch than the BBC television version, but it's not nearly as exciting as it could or should be.
I'm curious what others thought of the film...?
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Thursday, April 20, 2006
You're messing me up, Bill Gates!
I don't think much about my computer, except when things start to go wrong. I suppose the majority of people are like that. I like my computer to operate the way it's supposed to, and to be safe and secure.
And because I don't want to think about it, I've subscribed to Microsoft's automatic updates program (as well as at least two security programs).
This past week I downloaded fifteen Microsoft security updates for my computer.
And then it stopped functioning properly.
Now you would think that when Bill Gates sends you an update for your computer, your computer will actually work better than before. When it doesn't, you (I) actually have start thinking about the computer. This is what happened during this week.
I'm fairly computer savvy, so I began my investigation, first determining that the computer stopped working the proper way shortly after downloading the updates. That was the easy part.
I won't go into detail as to my route to fixing this, but needless to say, my email to Microsoft Support was indeed answered within 24 hours. Here's the response:
In other words... "We've contacted you in 24 hours, but if you want it fixed, then take a day off work and spend it on the phone talking to someone you can't understand try to figure it out for you."
I discovered, from a chatroom, that ONE of the updates doesn't work properly on SOME computers (no one has been able to determine which computers are most likely affected as far as I can tell).
The answer, of course, was to remove the update (which wasn't nearly as simple as it sounds), but once that was done, my computer is back to functioning normally (so far, he says, with fingers crossed and knocking on wood). If YOUR computer isn't working well since updating, post a message here and I'll walk you through the solution and/or point you to some web sites that can suggest how to fix it (if you don't trust me).
I know that all my Mac friends will point to this as another reason to take a bite out of the Apple family, but as someone who has worked moderately with both, I still prefer my PC ... faults and all. After all, there's nothing that says I have to use Internet Explorer as my web browser. In fact, once I started experiencing problems, I immediately switched to my loaded Mozilla program and had no problems whatever. And as for programs such as Word and Excel ... I believe those are the standard on most Macs now, too.
It's amazing, though, what we expect from our computers.
Earlier this week I was looking for a recipe for something I remember making many years back. I assumed it was in one of my cookbooks, but couldn't find it. I mentioned it to my wife and said, "It has to be in my recipe card file or in one of my cookbooks because it was something I made before there was an internet, so I couldn't have Googled it back then." Boy, did that statement give me a shock once I realized what I'd said!
And because I don't want to think about it, I've subscribed to Microsoft's automatic updates program (as well as at least two security programs).
This past week I downloaded fifteen Microsoft security updates for my computer.
And then it stopped functioning properly.
Now you would think that when Bill Gates sends you an update for your computer, your computer will actually work better than before. When it doesn't, you (I) actually have start thinking about the computer. This is what happened during this week.
I'm fairly computer savvy, so I began my investigation, first determining that the computer stopped working the proper way shortly after downloading the updates. That was the easy part.
I won't go into detail as to my route to fixing this, but needless to say, my email to Microsoft Support was indeed answered within 24 hours. Here's the response:
Hello Daniel,Thank you for contacting Microsoft Online Customer Service.I
understand that you are experiencing issues with Internet Explorer and Microsoft
Word after installing updates. I regret the inconvenience caused.As a Customer
Service Representative, I would like to inform you that Microsoft provides
no-charge support for all issues that arise due to installation of Windows
updates.Please contact the concerned support team to avail no-charge support at
(866) 727 2338. Monday-Sunday: 24 Hours a Day.Daniel, I hope you find the above
information helpful.Thank you for using Microsoft products and
servicesDysonMicrosoft Online Customer Service RepresentativeIf you have any
feedback about your Online Customer Service experience, please email my manager,
Rahul Rajgopal, at ...
In other words... "We've contacted you in 24 hours, but if you want it fixed, then take a day off work and spend it on the phone talking to someone you can't understand try to figure it out for you."
I discovered, from a chatroom, that ONE of the updates doesn't work properly on SOME computers (no one has been able to determine which computers are most likely affected as far as I can tell).
The answer, of course, was to remove the update (which wasn't nearly as simple as it sounds), but once that was done, my computer is back to functioning normally (so far, he says, with fingers crossed and knocking on wood). If YOUR computer isn't working well since updating, post a message here and I'll walk you through the solution and/or point you to some web sites that can suggest how to fix it (if you don't trust me).
I know that all my Mac friends will point to this as another reason to take a bite out of the Apple family, but as someone who has worked moderately with both, I still prefer my PC ... faults and all. After all, there's nothing that says I have to use Internet Explorer as my web browser. In fact, once I started experiencing problems, I immediately switched to my loaded Mozilla program and had no problems whatever. And as for programs such as Word and Excel ... I believe those are the standard on most Macs now, too.
It's amazing, though, what we expect from our computers.
Earlier this week I was looking for a recipe for something I remember making many years back. I assumed it was in one of my cookbooks, but couldn't find it. I mentioned it to my wife and said, "It has to be in my recipe card file or in one of my cookbooks because it was something I made before there was an internet, so I couldn't have Googled it back then." Boy, did that statement give me a shock once I realized what I'd said!
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
No drama good enough.
I've been following some interesting conversations in a Yahoo Playwrighting group, regarding the fact that the Pulitzer committee has decided not to award a prize this year in the Drama category.
There is a sense of indignation among playwrights that the Pulitzer committee has declared (by the virtue of not declaring) that there are no dramas worthy of their award. What does this mean?
Well, it could just mean that there weren't any plays good enough. It could mean that the judges (journalists) weren't qualified to make such an assessment. It could mean that by having the deadline moved up (apparently) the shorter time span eliminated some of the best plays from consideration. All of these are "possibilities" that have been discussed.
Any one of them is a rather sad possibility, particularly if true.
I do wonder if there truly aren't any plays out there right now that are worthy of receiving award honors. Can it be? Is theatre in such trouble that it can't even find a show worthy of winning a prestigious award?
No, I don't think so. I think that the world is filled with gifted playwrights. The problem, as I see it, is matching those playwrights with equally gifted producers and/or promoters who will see to it that the works of the playwright are polished and produced.
Producers today are looking for the quick buck, they are not interested in developing a relationship with an artist and working with him (or her) to bring out his(her) fullest potential.
No drama good enough? Nay, I say. No producer bold enough.
There is a sense of indignation among playwrights that the Pulitzer committee has declared (by the virtue of not declaring) that there are no dramas worthy of their award. What does this mean?
Well, it could just mean that there weren't any plays good enough. It could mean that the judges (journalists) weren't qualified to make such an assessment. It could mean that by having the deadline moved up (apparently) the shorter time span eliminated some of the best plays from consideration. All of these are "possibilities" that have been discussed.
Any one of them is a rather sad possibility, particularly if true.
I do wonder if there truly aren't any plays out there right now that are worthy of receiving award honors. Can it be? Is theatre in such trouble that it can't even find a show worthy of winning a prestigious award?
No, I don't think so. I think that the world is filled with gifted playwrights. The problem, as I see it, is matching those playwrights with equally gifted producers and/or promoters who will see to it that the works of the playwright are polished and produced.
Producers today are looking for the quick buck, they are not interested in developing a relationship with an artist and working with him (or her) to bring out his(her) fullest potential.
No drama good enough? Nay, I say. No producer bold enough.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Good books.
As some of you know and others can determine by looking at my current reading list, I often am reading more than one book at a time (though not at the SAME time). Often, one or two of these are slow reading and haven't really grabbed my interest. On occassion I've been stuck with an entire reading list that is a chore to wade through (I know, I know, there's nothing that says I have to finish reading a book that I don't like -- nothing except my own sense of literary duty).
On this particular instance I am reading four books (Arthur & George; Saga of the Volsungs; The Evil B.B. Chow and Other Stories; The Historian)that have all captured my interest and are very good reads. In fact I struggle with choosing which to read when I have a moment to sit and read. This is a nice feeling.
On this particular instance I am reading four books (Arthur & George; Saga of the Volsungs; The Evil B.B. Chow and Other Stories; The Historian)that have all captured my interest and are very good reads. In fact I struggle with choosing which to read when I have a moment to sit and read. This is a nice feeling.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Hendiadys.
I learned a new word today.
"Hendiadys."
It's a word I probably should have known, though I can't imagine when or why I would have learned it. It's also a word that is not in my paperback Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
According to the book I just finished reading, A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599,
While I recommend the book, Shapiro goes on to note how the use of hendiadys creates a kind of "mental vertigo" which adds to the unbalanced nature of Hamlet.
Fascinating. A cool word. Neat meaning. I'll have to try to incorporate some in my own work.
"Hendiadys."
It's a word I probably should have known, though I can't imagine when or why I would have learned it. It's also a word that is not in my paperback Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
According to the book I just finished reading, A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599,
Hendiadys literally means "one by means of two," a single idea conveyed through a pairing of nouns linked by "and."Examples are "law and order," "house and home," and "sound and fury." According to the book, almost no English author before or after Shakespeare wrote in hendiadys, and even Shakespeare himself didn't do it much -- except for Hamlet, in which there are sixty-six of them. The next highest count is in Othello, with twenty-eight. (And yes, it's pretty amazing that there are people [generally considered to be scholars] who actually go and count things like this!)
While I recommend the book, Shapiro goes on to note how the use of hendiadys creates a kind of "mental vertigo" which adds to the unbalanced nature of Hamlet.
Fascinating. A cool word. Neat meaning. I'll have to try to incorporate some in my own work.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Masked Marvels and Wondertales.
I saw a show last night that was an absolute blast. It was titled, Michael Cooper: Masked Marvels and Wondertales. I even love the title (so much so that I borrowed it)!
Michael Cooper is a mime (not the bad, street mime that everybody loves to hate) and mask-maker. He actually does very little performance mime, but he does combine his talent for body control with his innovative masks, and the results are splendid!
He's got a web site (of course!) and I encourage you to check it out. The Masked Marvel
A coule of thoughts have hit me since seeing the show last night.
First, how that show has likely affected my eight-year-old son. My son is a VERY creative young man. I see a lot of myself in him -- his creativity, his temperament, etc -- the main difference being that his parents are encouraging his artistic bent perhaps a bit more than mine did. Unlike me, however, my son is incredibly interested in science. He has more than a passion for studying frogs and insects and spiders and dinosaurs and rocks, etc.
What a show like this has done is throw my son out of balance. How great! How fun! How creative! I want to be just like that! ...but what about science...?!
How wonderful it was, then, when after the show my son asked Mr. Cooper, "Do you like science?" Cooper's response was, "Absoutely! My father was a veterinarian, and I thought about doing that, too. A lot of people think that the arts and sciences are far apart, but I think that they are very closely related. You need to be able to think creatively, like an artist, when you study science, and when you perform art you need to be able to think analytically, like a scientist, when you are preparing a show." So...which road will my son ultimately follow? Time only, will tell.
My other thought about the show, was ... had I stayed with it, that could very well have been me on the stage. My interest, study, and work in mime, along with my passion for masks and puppetry, could very well have had me performing for 200 last night, instead of Mr. Cooper. Do I miss it? Yes and no. I miss it, but I have no regrets with the path that I've followed.
I would most certainly see this show again. And maybe I'll even raise my hand when he's looking for volunteers.
Michael Cooper is a mime (not the bad, street mime that everybody loves to hate) and mask-maker. He actually does very little performance mime, but he does combine his talent for body control with his innovative masks, and the results are splendid!
He's got a web site (of course!) and I encourage you to check it out. The Masked Marvel
A coule of thoughts have hit me since seeing the show last night.
First, how that show has likely affected my eight-year-old son. My son is a VERY creative young man. I see a lot of myself in him -- his creativity, his temperament, etc -- the main difference being that his parents are encouraging his artistic bent perhaps a bit more than mine did. Unlike me, however, my son is incredibly interested in science. He has more than a passion for studying frogs and insects and spiders and dinosaurs and rocks, etc.
What a show like this has done is throw my son out of balance. How great! How fun! How creative! I want to be just like that! ...but what about science...?!
How wonderful it was, then, when after the show my son asked Mr. Cooper, "Do you like science?" Cooper's response was, "Absoutely! My father was a veterinarian, and I thought about doing that, too. A lot of people think that the arts and sciences are far apart, but I think that they are very closely related. You need to be able to think creatively, like an artist, when you study science, and when you perform art you need to be able to think analytically, like a scientist, when you are preparing a show." So...which road will my son ultimately follow? Time only, will tell.
My other thought about the show, was ... had I stayed with it, that could very well have been me on the stage. My interest, study, and work in mime, along with my passion for masks and puppetry, could very well have had me performing for 200 last night, instead of Mr. Cooper. Do I miss it? Yes and no. I miss it, but I have no regrets with the path that I've followed.
I would most certainly see this show again. And maybe I'll even raise my hand when he's looking for volunteers.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
My nephew's blog.
Blogs are obviously the "hot" thing on the computer these days. I know that when I sit down at my desk, I check my emails and then a few blogs. I've had to add one more blog to my list -- my nephew.
My nephew is 28, and has decided that he wants to do something of service to humanity. He has spent the last three months working with Doctor's Without Borders, and is stationed in Liberia. He is a logistician (?).
I find quite a bit of his blog fascinating. Maybe you will too.
http://tajmunson.blogspot.com/
My nephew is 28, and has decided that he wants to do something of service to humanity. He has spent the last three months working with Doctor's Without Borders, and is stationed in Liberia. He is a logistician (?).
I find quite a bit of his blog fascinating. Maybe you will too.
http://tajmunson.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Arizona to Minnesota.
It's not lost on me that my beginning point isn't far from Winona, Arizona, and my destination was near Winona, Minnesota. That said, I had a long, but pleasant five days driving my father and his wife from their Arizona wintering home back to the pleasant upper-Midwest. We stopped to take in a few sights (mostly tourist-y things) and a few uncommon birds (my father is an avid bird watcher).
Here are a few favorites of mine from the trip.
Best Night's Sleep: Swedish Country Inn -- Lindsborg, KS
Worst Night's Sleep: Best Western -- Santa Rosa, NM
Best Dinner: Irene's Tea Parlour -- Lindsborg, KS
Worst Dinner: Jim-n-I's Restaurant -- Elkhart, KS
Best Breakfast: Jim-n-I's Restaurant -- Elkhart, KS
Best-Looking Waitress -- Jim-n-I's Restaurant -- Elkhart, KS
Favorite Bird Spotted on Drive -- Roadrunner, along highway in Arizona
Best Tourist Trap: Boot Hill Museum -- Dodge City, KS (while looking pretty cheesy from the outside, the layout of the museum and the information offered was really top quality)
Best Section of Road for Driving: Highway 26 -- New Mexico
Worst Section of Road for Driving: Interstate 90 -- Minnesota
State with Most Garbage along Roadways -- New Mexico
State with Least Garbage along Roadways -- Iowa
Here are a few favorites of mine from the trip.
Best Night's Sleep: Swedish Country Inn -- Lindsborg, KS
Worst Night's Sleep: Best Western -- Santa Rosa, NM
Best Dinner: Irene's Tea Parlour -- Lindsborg, KS
Worst Dinner: Jim-n-I's Restaurant -- Elkhart, KS
Best Breakfast: Jim-n-I's Restaurant -- Elkhart, KS
Best-Looking Waitress -- Jim-n-I's Restaurant -- Elkhart, KS
Favorite Bird Spotted on Drive -- Roadrunner, along highway in Arizona
Best Tourist Trap: Boot Hill Museum -- Dodge City, KS (while looking pretty cheesy from the outside, the layout of the museum and the information offered was really top quality)
Best Section of Road for Driving: Highway 26 -- New Mexico
Worst Section of Road for Driving: Interstate 90 -- Minnesota
State with Most Garbage along Roadways -- New Mexico
State with Least Garbage along Roadways -- Iowa
Monday, March 20, 2006
Camera fun.
Before heading on to our vacation to Southern California, I insisted that we get a new digital camera. I had intended to buy a digital Canon SLR camera because I like the versatility an SLR offers. However, when I started looking at cameras, I saw that Canon offered a pocket camera with a 7.1 mega-pixel resolution -- at an affordable price! While I knew that I would like the SLR, the point-and-shoot was going to be much more useful for the rest of the family.
While playing around with this new camera, I got this picture below which I rather like.
This is a picture of my reflection, taking a picture of my daughter, looking out the window of our car. The sun was setting as we were parked alongside the Pacific Coast Highway, watching for dolphins, and it (the sun) was at just the right angle so that I could see both reflection and interior image.
While playing around with this new camera, I got this picture below which I rather like.
This is a picture of my reflection, taking a picture of my daughter, looking out the window of our car. The sun was setting as we were parked alongside the Pacific Coast Highway, watching for dolphins, and it (the sun) was at just the right angle so that I could see both reflection and interior image.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Snow in Southern California.
It has snowed, hailed, "slushed" and just about every other type of weather possible to come down from the sky while we are here visiting.
Here is a rare photo of snow in the mountains in Santa Barbara. I took this from my rental car. The snow was not there two hours later.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Kirby.
Okay, I'm not the biggest baseball fan in the world, but there have been a few years when I followed the Minnesota Twins faithfully. The first time was during the era of Harmon Killebrew and Tony Olivia, and then during the Kirby Puckett years.
Like so many others, I just plain liked Kirby. He always just seemed like a naturally nice person, along with being a pretty darned good baseball player.
He'd been out of baseball for awhile now, so it's not as if the baseball community is suddenly missing him, but with his death this week, I think the world is a just a little worse off without his enthusiasm and drive.
Thanks for the games, Kirby!
Like so many others, I just plain liked Kirby. He always just seemed like a naturally nice person, along with being a pretty darned good baseball player.
He'd been out of baseball for awhile now, so it's not as if the baseball community is suddenly missing him, but with his death this week, I think the world is a just a little worse off without his enthusiasm and drive.
Thanks for the games, Kirby!
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Busy and sleepless.
I've been busy as of late. I've been in discussions with the Great River Shakespeare Festival people about coming on board and doing some work with them. A big part of the hold up has been that I am not looking for full-time, long-term work. When they mentioned they were still looking for a stage manager I balked and said I really wasn't interested. Instead, it looks as though I will be acting as some sort of interim production manager for only a seven week period. Nothing is official yet, but as of our last phone conversation, that seems to be where things are headed.
Next week, Friday, the wife and kids and I head out to Southern California for a week+ vacation. I won't be blogging much at that time...I hope to not be near a computer for the entire week.
I've also recently been approached about potentially working on a Christmas project in Texas this coming holiday season. Christmas in Texas? I gave my standard reply of, "Of course I'm interested, and yes, I'm available at this time, let me know more when you know more."
In the meantime, I haven't been sleeping well lately. This is not usual for me. I love my sleep.
In part, it's because my youngest son has been waking up during the night and coming to me. I can get him back to sleep, but then either I am up for the rest of the night or sleeping fitfully. In fact, in the past five nights, I've had two "nightmares." Now, I don't usually remember my dreams at all, and can't tell you the last time I had a dream that I can recall, but suddenly, in less than a week, I've had two dreams which have left negative impressions on me. What's up?
Next week, Friday, the wife and kids and I head out to Southern California for a week+ vacation. I won't be blogging much at that time...I hope to not be near a computer for the entire week.
I've also recently been approached about potentially working on a Christmas project in Texas this coming holiday season. Christmas in Texas? I gave my standard reply of, "Of course I'm interested, and yes, I'm available at this time, let me know more when you know more."
In the meantime, I haven't been sleeping well lately. This is not usual for me. I love my sleep.
In part, it's because my youngest son has been waking up during the night and coming to me. I can get him back to sleep, but then either I am up for the rest of the night or sleeping fitfully. In fact, in the past five nights, I've had two "nightmares." Now, I don't usually remember my dreams at all, and can't tell you the last time I had a dream that I can recall, but suddenly, in less than a week, I've had two dreams which have left negative impressions on me. What's up?
Friday, March 03, 2006
Clean comedians.
When I was a kid, I remember spending HOURS listening to my parents' albums of comedy ... Bill Cosby, Allan Sherman, The Smothers Brothers, Tom Lehrer, Bob Newhart. To this day I can probably recite most of any of ten records to you.
As my children were watching a DVD of the old FAT ALBERT AND THE COSBY KIDS television show, I got to think about how much I enjoyed Cosby's albums, so I went to my local library and requested a CD of "The Best of Bill Cosby." My children have had a blast listening to some of Cos' sketches!
Now, way back when, I expect that even Cosby was a little on the risque side. On the CD we have been listening to, we hear him, as "Tonto," telling the Lone Ranger to "go to hell." It's funny, it's part of the joke, but it's a little 'heavy' for my kids. Still, I listened to it when I was about 8, so why not let my kids.
And it got me to thinking about today's comedians. Is there anyone out there that might be comparable to those I mentioned above ... and who's clean? Is there any comedian out there who is funny and who isn't using the "F" word?
I'd love to let my kids listen to something other than what I had 35 years ago, but I'm just not sure what's funny AND clean.
As my children were watching a DVD of the old FAT ALBERT AND THE COSBY KIDS television show, I got to think about how much I enjoyed Cosby's albums, so I went to my local library and requested a CD of "The Best of Bill Cosby." My children have had a blast listening to some of Cos' sketches!
Now, way back when, I expect that even Cosby was a little on the risque side. On the CD we have been listening to, we hear him, as "Tonto," telling the Lone Ranger to "go to hell." It's funny, it's part of the joke, but it's a little 'heavy' for my kids. Still, I listened to it when I was about 8, so why not let my kids.
And it got me to thinking about today's comedians. Is there anyone out there that might be comparable to those I mentioned above ... and who's clean? Is there any comedian out there who is funny and who isn't using the "F" word?
I'd love to let my kids listen to something other than what I had 35 years ago, but I'm just not sure what's funny AND clean.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Music? What music?
I had some music blasting in my living room the other day, and I was freely enjoying the composition of sounds when my cat sauntered through the room, making absolutely no sign of recognition that there was anything, any sound, different. I picked him up and held him close to a speaker and still there was no reaction other than that which he normally gives as he doesn't like to be picked up.
I don't think this is unusual behavior for cats (all animals?) and it got me to thinking that perhaps music, the creating and the understanding of and the appreciation of, is what sets man apart from the animal kingdom.
Why is it that an animal that can hear and recognize the distinct "pfft" as the opening of a can of cat food from the complete opposite end of the house, can make no recognition to a blend of music notes? Even my children practicing their piano doesn't make the cat react (and I mention this not because the music is 'bad' necessarily, but for the fact that it is live music, rather than recorded). What is it, then, that puts music apart from other sounds for the animals? Is it, perhaps, too many sounds all at once and so it is ignored?
Do dogs react differently to music? I'm thinking of fictional accounts, such as the recent Harry Potter series, in which at one point during one of the books (I forget which), to get past a nasty three headed dog (I did say this was fiction), music would put the dog to sleep.
William Congreve's often mis-quoted quote "Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast" is often used to suggest that wild animals can be calmed with music, but the quote itself, from his play The Mourning Bride is actually used in reference to an inanimate world, and in question, rather than an actual, statement of fact. Here is the entire character's line:
Why do humans enjoy music so much that we often have it playing as background for our daily lives, yet animals seem to not even notice its existence?
I don't think this is unusual behavior for cats (all animals?) and it got me to thinking that perhaps music, the creating and the understanding of and the appreciation of, is what sets man apart from the animal kingdom.
Why is it that an animal that can hear and recognize the distinct "pfft" as the opening of a can of cat food from the complete opposite end of the house, can make no recognition to a blend of music notes? Even my children practicing their piano doesn't make the cat react (and I mention this not because the music is 'bad' necessarily, but for the fact that it is live music, rather than recorded). What is it, then, that puts music apart from other sounds for the animals? Is it, perhaps, too many sounds all at once and so it is ignored?
Do dogs react differently to music? I'm thinking of fictional accounts, such as the recent Harry Potter series, in which at one point during one of the books (I forget which), to get past a nasty three headed dog (I did say this was fiction), music would put the dog to sleep.
William Congreve's often mis-quoted quote "Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast" is often used to suggest that wild animals can be calmed with music, but the quote itself, from his play The Mourning Bride is actually used in reference to an inanimate world, and in question, rather than an actual, statement of fact. Here is the entire character's line:
And so, to continue with my thoughts, why don't animals (or my cat leastwise) recognize or appreciate music? Is it, as I suggested, too many sounds at once, conflicting for an animal's attention?Musick has Charms to sooth a savage Breast, To soften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak. I've read, that things inanimate have mov'd, And, as with living Souls, have been inform'd, By Magick Numbers and persuasive Sound. What then am I? Am I more senseless grown Than Trees, or Flint? O force of constant Woe! 'Tis not in Harmony to calm my Griefs. Anselmo sleeps, and is at Peace; last Night The silent Tomb receiv'd the good Old King; He and his Sorrows now are safely lodg'd Within its cold, but hospitable Bosom. Why am not I at Peace?
Why do humans enjoy music so much that we often have it playing as background for our daily lives, yet animals seem to not even notice its existence?
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Disposable.
In recalling my days in high school, I remember going to parties where groups of us would be gathered around the turn-table, listening to the latest album by Steely Dan or Chicago or some-such. We'd look over the cover and in some cases, check out the lyrics printed inside. When the album was done, we'd slip it back in the stacks, adding it to our collection of great music.
When CDs became the standard, things hadn't changed too much. The printing was smaller and we didn't have to flip the darn thing over to hear the whole "album," but basically it was the same. The CD would display nicely among the collection of music.
Today's youth don't know this feeling.
In today's disposable society, everything is temporary. Music is downloaded in compressed form, stored digitally in a device that is more compact than my wallet, and when the listener is through, the music is deleted and more is downloaded. Quantity and an ever-changing rotation of songs is what is important.
But when you visit a friend's home, how can you check out their music collection? What can you tell about a person simply by seeing an iPod on their coffee table? You can check out how many songs are in their playlist, and maybe the title of a song or two, but that's it.
Same goes for books. How can you check out someone's bookshelf when their books are in digital form as e-books? And what does the reader do when they are done with an e-book? They delete it, as if it doesn't exist except as a memory or something that was once read.
Perhaps it's because I'm a pack rat and I enjoy having my music on a shelf where I can look it over and select the music that fits my mood (or shapes my mood) for the day; and that I proudly display the books that I enjoy reading for every visitor to see, but I don't think I care much for the temporariness in today's pop culture.
Perhaps the entire culture will be tossed aside for something new and the entire digital age will be deleted.
When CDs became the standard, things hadn't changed too much. The printing was smaller and we didn't have to flip the darn thing over to hear the whole "album," but basically it was the same. The CD would display nicely among the collection of music.
Today's youth don't know this feeling.
In today's disposable society, everything is temporary. Music is downloaded in compressed form, stored digitally in a device that is more compact than my wallet, and when the listener is through, the music is deleted and more is downloaded. Quantity and an ever-changing rotation of songs is what is important.
But when you visit a friend's home, how can you check out their music collection? What can you tell about a person simply by seeing an iPod on their coffee table? You can check out how many songs are in their playlist, and maybe the title of a song or two, but that's it.
Same goes for books. How can you check out someone's bookshelf when their books are in digital form as e-books? And what does the reader do when they are done with an e-book? They delete it, as if it doesn't exist except as a memory or something that was once read.
Perhaps it's because I'm a pack rat and I enjoy having my music on a shelf where I can look it over and select the music that fits my mood (or shapes my mood) for the day; and that I proudly display the books that I enjoy reading for every visitor to see, but I don't think I care much for the temporariness in today's pop culture.
Perhaps the entire culture will be tossed aside for something new and the entire digital age will be deleted.
Monday, February 20, 2006
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Reading Ionesco.
It has been a terribly long time since I sat down to read Eugene Ionesco simply for pleasure, and by God...I enjoy his writing!
I'm a bit of an Ionesco nerd, having read, researched, and writen about his plays, own copies of some of his hard-to-find children's books, and have a photo of him hanging on the wall next to this desk, so when I came across a collection of his short stories that I had not read, I was quite excited.
So far, I haven't been disappointed. His fiction is crisp (or that of the translator anyway), and the plots are absurd. I would expect nothing less.
I know that Ionesco is not for everyone (in fact, there are likely very few of us in the world who truly enjoy his work this much), but I find something very relaxing in the completely absurd world of Ionesco. Why is that? What is that? Is it simply nostalgia?
I'm a bit of an Ionesco nerd, having read, researched, and writen about his plays, own copies of some of his hard-to-find children's books, and have a photo of him hanging on the wall next to this desk, so when I came across a collection of his short stories that I had not read, I was quite excited.
So far, I haven't been disappointed. His fiction is crisp (or that of the translator anyway), and the plots are absurd. I would expect nothing less.
I know that Ionesco is not for everyone (in fact, there are likely very few of us in the world who truly enjoy his work this much), but I find something very relaxing in the completely absurd world of Ionesco. Why is that? What is that? Is it simply nostalgia?
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Fifth grade basketball.
I watched my daughter play tournament basketball today. My daughter is in fifth grade.
There were only three teams competing at the fifth grade level (twice as many at sixth grade maybe), and one thing was very evident -- my daughter's team doesn't take it nearly as seriously as the other teams. And this is a good thing!
As you might expect, there are some obvious stand-outs on each of the teams -- kids that have some natural talent and ability, and some who need a lot of work. One girl on my daughter's team tends to stand around with her arms folded across her chest. One seems to never know if she's offense or defense from play to play, and one who is generally afraid of handling the ball (my daughter).
But despite all this, all eleven girls on my daughter's team played nearly equal minutes for the entire game. On the two opposing teams, the stand-outs hardly ever sat out. Needless to say, our team got beat pretty badly in each round.
However...! In both games, the score was tied at the half, and it was the second half in which our girls just got worn out. Not surprising ... they only get together once a week, and they either practice, or play a game/tournament. And when they do practice, they only get half the court (sixth grade works the other half), so no surprise that they get worn out in an entire game.
But what I like about the way our coach is handling this is that it gives each of the girls the confidence to play to the best of their ability and to decide if they really like playing. A person who sits on the bench an entire game doesn't know if it's fun playing or not. These girls aren't stupid...they know which girls are the better players and who to get the ball to.
I've seem much improvement in my daughter's playing and confidence since they started. In the past, the few times my daughter ever caught the ball she would simply stand still and look for someone to throw it to. Today I actually saw her dribble a few times, AND dribble through and around coverage...not just taking it down court! I also saw her go after a loose ball and tie up her opponent to force a jump ball. I NEVER would have expected to see her that aggressive at this stage.
For a meek, book-wormish girl, this sporting activity is doing wonders for her esteem and confidence and comraderie. And she's having fun! She talks about it often. Now if the coach were to bench her for all but two minutes or so, she likely wouldn't be interested in continuing. One might think, 'Okay, but would it be so bad if someone who isn't good, quits?' But you really don't know if they might not develop in to someone good, if you don't play them and work with them. Sure, my daughter isn't likely to be the next Lindsay Whalen (UofM star basketball player now in women's pro on the Connecticut Sun WNBA team [and an intentional pun as my wife's maiden name is Whalen]), but she could become a decent support player given the opportunity.
I think about this because I can clearly recall playing basketball as a fifth grader. I was talent-less in sports, but I liked the idea of basketball. But any actual games that we played, I was put in only during the last minute or two of a half, and usually only because the coach had to play everybody. That got only pretty quickly, and I certainly didn't want to continue with it.
Bravo coaches Wade and Benson for encouraging all the girls to play their best!
There were only three teams competing at the fifth grade level (twice as many at sixth grade maybe), and one thing was very evident -- my daughter's team doesn't take it nearly as seriously as the other teams. And this is a good thing!
As you might expect, there are some obvious stand-outs on each of the teams -- kids that have some natural talent and ability, and some who need a lot of work. One girl on my daughter's team tends to stand around with her arms folded across her chest. One seems to never know if she's offense or defense from play to play, and one who is generally afraid of handling the ball (my daughter).
But despite all this, all eleven girls on my daughter's team played nearly equal minutes for the entire game. On the two opposing teams, the stand-outs hardly ever sat out. Needless to say, our team got beat pretty badly in each round.
However...! In both games, the score was tied at the half, and it was the second half in which our girls just got worn out. Not surprising ... they only get together once a week, and they either practice, or play a game/tournament. And when they do practice, they only get half the court (sixth grade works the other half), so no surprise that they get worn out in an entire game.
But what I like about the way our coach is handling this is that it gives each of the girls the confidence to play to the best of their ability and to decide if they really like playing. A person who sits on the bench an entire game doesn't know if it's fun playing or not. These girls aren't stupid...they know which girls are the better players and who to get the ball to.
I've seem much improvement in my daughter's playing and confidence since they started. In the past, the few times my daughter ever caught the ball she would simply stand still and look for someone to throw it to. Today I actually saw her dribble a few times, AND dribble through and around coverage...not just taking it down court! I also saw her go after a loose ball and tie up her opponent to force a jump ball. I NEVER would have expected to see her that aggressive at this stage.
For a meek, book-wormish girl, this sporting activity is doing wonders for her esteem and confidence and comraderie. And she's having fun! She talks about it often. Now if the coach were to bench her for all but two minutes or so, she likely wouldn't be interested in continuing. One might think, 'Okay, but would it be so bad if someone who isn't good, quits?' But you really don't know if they might not develop in to someone good, if you don't play them and work with them. Sure, my daughter isn't likely to be the next Lindsay Whalen (UofM star basketball player now in women's pro on the Connecticut Sun WNBA team [and an intentional pun as my wife's maiden name is Whalen]), but she could become a decent support player given the opportunity.
I think about this because I can clearly recall playing basketball as a fifth grader. I was talent-less in sports, but I liked the idea of basketball. But any actual games that we played, I was put in only during the last minute or two of a half, and usually only because the coach had to play everybody. That got only pretty quickly, and I certainly didn't want to continue with it.
Bravo coaches Wade and Benson for encouraging all the girls to play their best!
Monday, February 06, 2006
Painful stupidity.
So...because I'm stupid, I broke my toe this past Saturday. It was me, a door, and some anger. The door won.
While I initially thought that I had broken my toe, after finally removing my shoe late Saturday night (about 15 hours after the door jumped out and got in front of my toe), I decided that the toe wasn't broken, but that my purple and cracked toenail would probably be a goner.
Today, after visiting the doctor, he said, "Well, let's just take a couple of x-rays, just to be sure." When he returned to the room after the x-rays had been taken, I could tell by his question ("Are you in a lot of pain?") that there must be something else going on. He showed me the x-rays and how the bone at the tip of my toe was askew.
Other than some pain reliever, there wasn't much he could do -- he said it might be five weeks before it heals. He offered to get me a "boot" to keep my foot flat so that I wasn't putting pressure on the toe, but did say that it wasn't necessary as long as I was careful with it (and that indeed the boot might be more cumbersome than anything else). I opted for no boot, but will be using a cane when I walk around.
Stupid. Sometimes I'm just stupid.
While I initially thought that I had broken my toe, after finally removing my shoe late Saturday night (about 15 hours after the door jumped out and got in front of my toe), I decided that the toe wasn't broken, but that my purple and cracked toenail would probably be a goner.
Today, after visiting the doctor, he said, "Well, let's just take a couple of x-rays, just to be sure." When he returned to the room after the x-rays had been taken, I could tell by his question ("Are you in a lot of pain?") that there must be something else going on. He showed me the x-rays and how the bone at the tip of my toe was askew.
Other than some pain reliever, there wasn't much he could do -- he said it might be five weeks before it heals. He offered to get me a "boot" to keep my foot flat so that I wasn't putting pressure on the toe, but did say that it wasn't necessary as long as I was careful with it (and that indeed the boot might be more cumbersome than anything else). I opted for no boot, but will be using a cane when I walk around.
Stupid. Sometimes I'm just stupid.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Recapping January.
I keep a hand-written journal of the books that I've read. On a whim, I decided to make an on-line version of that same journal -- I've found it's much easier to type my thoughts to a blog than it is to sit and write them by hand (though I do still copy the blog to a notebook).
Earlier in January, I thought it might be fun to keep a similar journal for movies I've seen. Being a subscriber to Netflix and having a great many movies available through my local public library, I thought that this might be a fun way to keep track of what I've seen.
And then... well, since I'd seen a few short plays in January, I decided to start a theatre review journal as well. You can see all these other blogs by clicking on the "view my complete profile" at the top of this page.
And now, looking back at these other blogs of mine, I thought I'd pick my favorites....
I didn't finish reading many books in January. This was mostly because of my time involvement with the one-act play at the local high school. And because I didn't get a lot of reading in, my pickings here were rather slim. Based on what I've got in my journal, I'd have to say that the best book that I finished reading in January was The Best American Essays 2004 collection. The fact that a collection, which contained many selections that I didn't particularly care for, was the best read suggests that I didn't fare particularly well with books for the month.
There were many more videos to choose from for my month's best. This too is a result of my busy schedule with the one-act. I found it rather relaxing to come home to unwind by tossing a movie in to the DVD or VCR. I think that the best movie I saw was easily Anatomy of a Murder. This really was quite a well-done film. The acting, the script, the direction, the score were all wonderful. Preminger's The Man With the Golden Arm was also much more enjoyable than I had expected (especially the jazz score!), but my second favorite was most likely a tie between Chocolat and Through a Glass Darkly -- both extremely well done films.
The best theatre I saw was the one-act play, Line by Israel Horovitz. This was well performed. As I mentioned in the theatre journal blog, my problem with Horovitz plays is that I feel he writes stock characters rather than actual people. This worked well, though, for this group of actors.
January seems to have kept me busy, and I can only speculate (and look at my calendar) to see what February holds in store.
Earlier in January, I thought it might be fun to keep a similar journal for movies I've seen. Being a subscriber to Netflix and having a great many movies available through my local public library, I thought that this might be a fun way to keep track of what I've seen.
And then... well, since I'd seen a few short plays in January, I decided to start a theatre review journal as well. You can see all these other blogs by clicking on the "view my complete profile" at the top of this page.
And now, looking back at these other blogs of mine, I thought I'd pick my favorites....
I didn't finish reading many books in January. This was mostly because of my time involvement with the one-act play at the local high school. And because I didn't get a lot of reading in, my pickings here were rather slim. Based on what I've got in my journal, I'd have to say that the best book that I finished reading in January was The Best American Essays 2004 collection. The fact that a collection, which contained many selections that I didn't particularly care for, was the best read suggests that I didn't fare particularly well with books for the month.
There were many more videos to choose from for my month's best. This too is a result of my busy schedule with the one-act. I found it rather relaxing to come home to unwind by tossing a movie in to the DVD or VCR. I think that the best movie I saw was easily Anatomy of a Murder. This really was quite a well-done film. The acting, the script, the direction, the score were all wonderful. Preminger's The Man With the Golden Arm was also much more enjoyable than I had expected (especially the jazz score!), but my second favorite was most likely a tie between Chocolat and Through a Glass Darkly -- both extremely well done films.
The best theatre I saw was the one-act play, Line by Israel Horovitz. This was well performed. As I mentioned in the theatre journal blog, my problem with Horovitz plays is that I feel he writes stock characters rather than actual people. This worked well, though, for this group of actors.
January seems to have kept me busy, and I can only speculate (and look at my calendar) to see what February holds in store.
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