SOTD

Song of the Day


Lonely Island feat. Micheal Bolton: Jack Sparrow


I laughed my guts out the first time I saw this. The thing is, it is still funny after at least a dozen times... great stuff..

Agnostic Point (A Penn Point)

(Photo via NPR)

I am working up a blog series on 'Agnostic' and 'Atheism' (differences and similarities according to the best authority...me). Much of the discussion will focus on popular understanding of the two world views and the how those views interact with the actual meaning of the words. These are issues I find interesting and a compelling read. I frequently find myself on atheistic sites reading critiques on my world view. 


So as I was reading through some Think Atheist conversations and saw this video entitled "Agnostics Suck!" Well, I was naturally intrigued and ventured forth. I was surprised when I really enjoyed the video. So I thought I would share it. (Remember I claim my world view is agnostic...) Be warned, I had to open another blank tab on my browser because the camera work drove my crazy.

Portlandia...

Portlandia on IFC (I don't know if that is free-to-air or paid tele...)

I don't know how popular this is in the U.S. but I just watched a couple clips of this show and laughed hard...

Here is my favourite of those I watched...

Ancient

I spent a good 20 minutes just looking. The waterfall was amazing. Not nearly the biggest I had ever seen, not the most spectacular. But it has a peace to it. The water tumbled over the layers of rocks with seemingly little effort and the even at the pool of water beneath there was a calm presence.

I studied the formation of the falls, how the water carved its path. This drew my attention to the multitude of layers which had been exposed. I said out loud, "How many years do you think it took to build what the waterfall is now eroding?" As we headed back we passed through an information booth. It explained that it had taken hundred of thousands of years to create those layers.

In that space I felt very small and insignificant. It was glorious. All of the pressures of this time I have just erode. The stress of making a difference or being meaningful is lessened and there is a sense of reality in a very healthy way.

Don't take myself too seriously. I am but a speck in an expansive and acnient place. It is just cool to be part of that experience.

The Fun Theory

LOVE THIS VIDEO! I would much prefer this being done by some independent company trying to change the world, but I cannot deny the impact Volkswagen is having. In fact they have had several creative moments... There was that one called "The Bug" which still has a cult following...

The genius is in the process, not the marketing

It happens all the time all around the world all the time. Someone is clever enough to analyze a situation, find a way to gain from it, develop a plan, carefully enact the plan, and finally evaluate the results. Once in a while, this process is applied in a creative or innovative way which shift some paradigms. That shift isn't a process shift, but an application shift--finding new ways to apply the same process.


I ran across this video. I had not heard or seen the photo that is mentioned in the video, but the process clearly worked for these guys.

Here is a German based marketing company who seized on free publicity. They used the upcoming launch (a few years ago) of Google Earth in Germany to create some attention and some buzz. Their picture went viral and world-wide. Then they developed the above 'documentary style' clip to highlight the company's vision statement and creativity. In affect, I am advertising for them right now. What is impressive to me is their creativity to apply the same age-old process to the current technological and cultural trends. After all, what is more believable in today's psyche than Google Earth or a documentary.

Primary Education & Blogs...

As a techie, I want to provide people resources to make their job more effective. Sometimes this means a job becomes obsolete because of the technology, but that has happened throughout history with new advances. So when I am paid to help an organisation's technology, my ultimate goal is to provide the organisation the best tools for their budget and company culture.

A few years ago I was working for the education sector with a large organisation which was in charge of several schools ranging from Kindie to Year 12. It was a difficult assignment for a few reasons. I was (and remain) passionate about kids having an opportunity to learn. So the decisions made based on cost or work load frustrated me. After all, this is one of the most important things we do for our world--educate the next generation(s).

Another frustrating factor was the technological incompetence of the teachers. Now I have the utmost respect for teachers, so when I say incompetence, it is not in condemnation of a teacher. I mean the word according to its definition: "lack of physical or intellectual ability or qualifications." (dictionary.com). Yes, there were examples of some teachers who just did not have the intellectual ability to understand how technology could be used as a tool for education. But for most teachers, it was the absence of the intellectual qualification. For many of those people, they could not be bothered to learn how technology could impact their teaching abilities.

I also found that any change in an educational system seems like a culture change. Which implied for me, small technology changes would (and did) take years to be accepted into the organisational community. It was much like trying to run in water--lots of energy for very small gains.

So when I run across teachers who teach but appropriately use technology as a tool, I get very excited. Sometimes the excitement comes from a small thing like running across a blog used in a Year 2/3 class while looking for reviews of a play you are about to go see. So here is what prompted these thoughts:

Mr. Baldock's Year 2/3 Blog

Namatjira

So my wife and I were invited to see a play called Namatjira. It is about a man named Elea, a.k.a Albert Namatjira. Elea was an Indigenous Australian who became known for his watercolour paintings of the Outback. He was the first Indigenous person to become a citizen of Australia. The play stars 3 of Elea's actual family members (two grandchildren and a niece).

Namatjira is a quirky play about this man's life. The man who stars as Elea also plays Rex and other characters as well as being the narrator. The idea of the play is to allow the audience to take life's journey with Elea. And it is a journey of heart break. The characters interact with the audience to a degree, which at times pulls your attention out of the play, but the rest of the play is written so well that, as an audience member, I felt like a participant in a great work.


I loved the play. I turned to one of the people we went with and said "When art changes the way you view culture, THAT is good art." That is exactly what this play did. It placed you in Elea's position, when in reality, as a middle class family heading to your local theatre, you are on the opposite side of the story.


If the play rolls around to your area, take the time to see it, you will not be disappointed


Here is a proper and lengthy review:
Theatre Notes Blog
 
Picture from Belvoir St. Theatre @ belvoir.com.au