the end.

I just finished reading the last article for the course and I must say I really enjoyed it. Both the articles by Feiski and Edmundson’s were very interesting. For starters I found reading something not full of technical terms very refreshing, especially as my mind is starting to wind down. But I also really liked so of the points that were made, especially in Edmundson’s article. I understand that close readings are important, but I also think it is important to read for oneself – whether it be for enjoyment or personal growth. I believe I had one of those moments he was talking about, where you go “Ah ha!” while I was reading his article. After a year of close readings, critiquing and analyzing everything that was read, it was good to remember that it is ok just to read sometimes.

I can’t believe that this year is already coming to an end, it just flew by!!! It seems like just yesterday we were all sitting down in Dr. Pound’s class for the first time. Everyone a little terrified at the idea of this theory class, and shocked at the idea of writing a weekly blog. It seems to me that this blog has been a pretty good tool when it came to figuring out the course material, even if it was just to get your ideas out there to see what people thought. I think I will actually miss my weekly bog updates; they were such a good mode of expression. The course itself turned out to be much better than I thought it would be and I think Dr. Pound did an excellent job of conveying all that knowledge that was smushed into one course.

Well good luck to everyone on the exam, and have a great summer!!!

The Wild Wild West

Here I thought that this essay would be a walk in the park, however, after today’s class I realized just in-depth the Copyright issue is. Here are my thoughts thus far….

When it was asked if copyright was connected to phrases in music I immediately thought about my current Intro to Music class. In the class we have been looking at music throughout history, all the way back to the Medieval Ages and up until the Twentieth Century. Many of the composers throughout the years have been borrowing phrases from each other. The most recent that comes to mind is Aaron Copland’s 1938 ballet, Billy the Kid. Copland borrowed phrases from a lot of the popular tunes of the time, many of them western. To my knowledge there was never a copyright issue over the matter. I find it interesting how copyright infringements have been going on for years; however it is only recently that they have become issues.

I don’t remember then names of any of this, but I couldn’t believe when Dr., Pound was talking about that artist who used super small phrases from a variety of artists, got sued and lost. It is understandable, especially when you’re going up against someone as big as Michael Jackson. However, the fact that people have been doing it for years and suddenly it’s such a big deal…unno.

I guess this means I am more on the side of people having access to other people’s work. Although I do think that people should get recognition for what they do. In that sense I think that Creative Common is awesome. It works under such a great concept of individualizing what you allow done with your work; I think it is a great step to figuring out the digital Copyright laws.

And here I thought I had nothing to say…well good luck on the LAST ASSIGNMENT everyone.

the good side

When I logged on to the internet this morning I found an article on MSN.com. It is about the uses of technology to save lives. There were a couple suicides that were stopped by twitter or Facebook, a man was found using the GPS on his phone and a couple other incidences. I think it is good to see an article that focuses on some of the good in technology, especially since it is here to stay and there’s nothing we can do about it…
Here is the link…
http://tech.ca.msn.com/photogallery.aspx?cp-documentid=23647361

from face to face

I found today’s class really enjoyable and interesting. Even though I feel like I knew a lot of what Dr. Pound was saying I don’t think I knew it consciously. It was a real eye-opener to how much technology has changed our lives. I especially liked the activity where we had to write on a word. I think this activity really helped with the whole eye-opener thing. It really is interesting when you compare generations of technology. Like I said in class technology has made my long distance relationship way easier. However, when Dr. Pound asked me if it was weird to change from in person to Skype I was really taken aback by my answer. It wasn’t weird. Of course I like in person much better, but Skype is a fairly decent second best. It is odd to me that I didn’t find this change weird. It really affirms how submersed our generation is in technology.

Also, I really like one of the idea’s talked about in the article for today. The electronic textbook idea. How much easier life would be!! By putting everyone on the same page we get a better quality of learning! It could also be made so there is a national curriculum, which I love the idea of. Right now if I wanted to switch to a university outside of Ontario I would lose my Education credits because of the different expectations for the program. With electronic textbooks this could be fixed. Even if the schools teach different things the access to the textbooks used at a prior university would make the switch possible. Also if this extended to high school I think that the transition from high school to university would be much easier since everyone ahs access to the texts. I also love the less money paid too:)

I also tried to find a link to this slideshow I found on msn.com, but no luck. It was about mistakes people made on Facebook. The one I remember most is t his girl was angry at her boss and said so in her status. She also suggested that he made advances at her. She girl however did not remember she had added her boss as a ‘friend’ on Facebook. Needless to say, she was fired over Facebook. There really is no more privacy lol.

I love my lampost picture:) Although, it may have more to do with cyborgs then technology.

the rabbit who visited the wizard in the matrix

Due to this assignment, I watched The Matrix for the first time. I had no desire to every see this movie, however I really enjoyed it. I think my favorite part of the movie was all the allusions to Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. I think this was a really good idea because both stories have a similar concept to The Matrix, however since they are classics people are familiar with them. In giving the audience something they are familiar with allows them to follow the story line to The Matrix better, I know it helped me.
Here are some of the allusions I picked up….
Alice in Wonderland
• “follow the white rabbit” – to Neo, ended up being a tattoo
• “I bet right now you’re feeling a bit like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole” – to Neo as he is introduced to the new ideas
• If you take the red pill, “ you’ll stay in Wonderland, and I’ll show you how deep the rabbit hole goes” – Morpheus to Neo about what pill to take
• Neo looks through a looking glass just before he is taken out of the Matrix
The Wizard of Oz
• “buckle your seatbelt Dorothy, Kansas is going bye-bye” – to Neo before he is taken out of the Matrix
• “Mr. Wizard, get me the hell outa here” – Trinity to Tank, running away from an Agent
I just thought this was the coolest part of the movie and that it was a major aspect in the flavor of the movie.

the 'real' hockey

I think that last class was one of the best classes we’ve had yet! For starters I’m understanding!!! (Which after the class before, I am pretty happy about). I think that the hockey reference was a really good one to illustrate the concepts that we’ve been talking about. For one thing, everyone knew about it, and even if you aren’t an avid hockey fan like me, it was still a great moment. Therefore I think we we’re all able to grasp the concept because we were all so excited.

Another reason that class was pretty awesome, was the national spirit that was going on. This is the first Olympics that I’ve ever really been interested in and I think a large part of that was due to it being on home turf. I only recently am starting to enjoy watching hockey (I’m not huge into sports; I am a slow learner lol) and yet I felt my blood boil when the States scored in the last 24 seconds of the game. When Crosby scored my boyfriend in Edmonton texted me instantly and when I went on Facebook, the statuses of my friends across Canada was something about that goal. For me this further affirms the idea that this goal is only a signifier. It linked all of Canada together, whether you’re a hockey fan or not. It was something we were all excited about and all heard about – as a result it is a common experience, even if we have to see it in replay.

Something else the Olympics demonstrated was different realities. Each country went into the games with a slightly different reality. The Georgian team; mourning the death of their team mate, were competing in his memory. For them it was not purely a joyous occasion. Canada’s reality was shaped by hosting. I think the different realities is most evident when you look as the silver medalists. Most of them were thrilled to have won silver, however, whenever the States did it was like their world was crashing down. Granted, I could understand how much they wanted gold, but they did place. As a result I think the States have an entirely different reality.

Dr. Pound mentioned language and how it is not connected to reality but working in a system. I think that is why I am having trouble with this theory. For a theory that has realized the system of language and that there is no reality, how can it be described using a system that has been linked to reality for so long. I feel like we don’t always have the words to describe this theory.
That’s all for now….tata

brains to bones

First off, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I don’t think my brain has hurt this much since the start of our course. I’m finding these ideas really hard to sink my teeth into. Though the examples at the end of class really helped...I think.

Secondly I would like to tip my hat to Klages. After finishing her last chapter I would like to note that I found her text to be extremely helpful with tackling this course. There are so many ideas and theorists; I found her material to be an excellent guide for the majority of the year.

Finally, something that comes to a shock for many of my friends is my family’s TV situation – we only have four channels (including the French one). How do we manage? We have a lot of DVDs and our favourite TV shows on DVD. The most recent TV show to our collection has been the first couple seasons of Bones (which has quickly become a member of my top five favourite shows). The show is about a forensic anthropologist, Dr. Brennan (aka Bones), her team of scientists (‘squints’) and her partner, FBI special agent, Seeley Booth. The two investigate crimes where the victims are less body and mostly bones.

The reason I bring this up is in the first season Bones’ assistant Zack, said something that I thought fit with today’s class. Zack is brilliant, and very rational. The team was being interviewed by a government agent to determine whether or not they would be a threat when dealing with sensitive matters. The agent purposed a scenario to Zack, ‘If you had a piece of knowledge that was very sensitive, could I get it out of you?” She then went on to list a series of ways she would try, beg, bribe, etc. To all of these he responded ‘no’. Finally she asked if he would give it up if she presented a logical, reasonable argument. At this he faltered, and nearly agreed.

(SPOILER) In a later season it is this reasonable logic that causes Zack to become the apprentice to a cannibal following a secret society.
Zack followed the Humanist idea about absolute truths to a t. A reasonable (scientific) argument was the only way of convincing him. It was this that was his undoing. As a result I feel that this is an argument against a humanist existence, and perhaps one of mixed humanist and postmodernism ideas.

** the images title was a bone lampost