Education

2009.11.30 - Monday

Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity

An oldie, but a goodie. I'm a firm believer that the job of the public education system shouldn't be to produce good employees, or even to produce good students. The job of the public system should be to produce complete individuals.

We've somehow gotten used to the idea that a young person isn't really supposed to know what they want to do until university, or sometimes even later. That has always struck me as all kinds of ridiculous. The majority of people should have a good idea of where they want their life to go coming out of high school, and the reason they should go to post-secondary school is to learn how to do that thing. What high school should provide is the broadest possible experience in all areas, so that nearly everyone can discover at the earliest possible age what it is they like doing and are best at.

Now, for the most part, I actually think my high school experience provided this. There was a broad range of subjects and I certainly discovered what I liked and didn't like, and what I was and wasn't good at. The one unfortunate thing was the lack of some kind of required music program. I was totally off music at the time, by choice, but looking on it now it would have been good if I'd been force fed some kind of music course. I don't think it would have changed anything, mind you. I would have still ended up gravitating towards visual arts, but I think the experience would have been beneficial. Where I think my high school experience let people down isn't what was offered in terms of courses, but what was encouraged. Even within the visual arts program, it was suggested that you absolutely had to attend some kind of university program, whether it be at Emily Carr, UBC, or elsewhere. The "career planning" literature had no flow chart for film school and I honestly don't think any of my counselors were able to think outside of the box created by the university system.

I did the career research outside of the usual system while I was in high school, always having to use the "other" columns on the career planning sheets. Most of my computer graphics work at the time was done at home, building websites or even doing projects in MS Paint, for crying out loud. I knew enough to sign up for a two week 3D animation workshop during the summer between grades 11 and 12, one aimed specifically at high school students, which I found online after reading about the school in a Nintendo Power article, of all places. That short course validated the choices I'd made the previous school year to opt out of math and science classes to focus specifically on art, computer science, and drafting. The rest is history for me. I could have easily wandered aimlessly for years if it weren't for the extra curricular work on my part, my bucking of the "career preparation" trend pushed on students, that Nintendo Power subscription, and that workshop having space for me.

I shouldn't have had to do any of that. I had to go to a summer school 3D workshop because my high school only had one copy of 3D Studio running on a computer with so little memory you couldn't create more than a single sphere. A "career counselor" shouldn't be so out of touch that they didn't even realize computer animation had been an entire industry for over 10 years before I brought it to their attention. The purpose of public school isn't to get people into university, it's to help them to figure out what they want to do, and no, those aren't the same things.

Silver Screen Classics

2009.11.29 - Sunday

Last night was the Vancouver Symphony's "Silver Screen Classics" show, featuring music from some classic films, as well as some not-so-classic films which happen to have decent scores. The show was a lot of fun, but I would definitely love to see the typical "film score" concert format change a little bit in the future. I suppose it's the nature of a symphony concert to cater to an older crowd, but really, these shows always play "Gone With The Wind" and "Ben Hur". I know they're good scores but there's other stuff out there, folks. It doesn't all have to be from films your audience remembers watching as teenagers. Not every selection absolutely must be an Oscar winner, either. I suppose my biggest gripe was just the similarity of the choices. The main theme from film scores do tend to have a particular style, and when you play five or six of them in a row they do blend together. It would have been nice to hear more drastically different pieces, or instead of simply performing theme after theme, to hear some of the music that doesn't just play over the opening credits.

As a younger audience member, newer stuff wouldn't hurt, either. The most recent pieces performed last night were during a medley of John Williams' most famous work, but even then we're talking the 70s and 80s. Film scores are really one of the only avenues for modern day orchestral music, and even then it seems to be assumed that only the 30, 40, or 60 year old stuff can be played live. I'd love to hear a performance of music from three or four films, but playing more than just the main themes. A lot of the time the really great music, or even a really great use of a main theme is found during the film itself. I suppose it would just be nice to hear some of this music performed as a symphony, instead of just as four or five minute "tracks" which stand alone.

Oh, and those video screens...pointless. They had some quick montage clips from the various films playing, all in horrible video quality, on two tiny screens on either side of the stage. While they were, thankfully, not very distracting, they just didn't serve any purpose for me, even for the films I hadn't seen. As for the performance itself, it was great. The strings were a lot better than the brass, and unfortunately the female broadway singer they enlisted to perform "My Heart Will Go On" should definitely never perform it again. The John Williams section was great, "The Magnificent Seven" was fast, loud, and exciting, and I think my other favourite was probably "The Godfather". It's the kind of show I would like to see more of, with just a few tweaks.

Small Gallery Update

2009.11.27 - Friday

"Stargate Universe" makes an appearance in this small gallery update. Obviously I've got quite a few more shots than just these, but I'm trying to keep it to just the best ones for now. That, and sometimes a cool shot just doesn't work as well as a still image. More to come from this season, but I must follow the air dates. If you're watching the show, I hope you're enjoying it!

Gaming In The Mainstream

2009.11.25 - Wednesday

Video games are about as mainstream as they're ever going to get. I know the gaming press is obsessed with the idea that video games will eventually rival other forms of popular media like films and music, but in their current form I just don't see how that's going to happen. Playing a video game still has more in common with playing cops and robbers than it does with watching a film, and until that basic premise changes it's always going to be viewed as a juvenile activity.

Look, video games have been around for a while now. The first generation who grew up with them are now running corporations, working in hospitals, and serving in public office. Yet society's overall view of gaming as the immature pursuit of the fantasizer hasn't really gone away. Here's a litmus test I like to consider for such things: would you drop the "I'm a big gamer" bomb on a first date? I barely play video games these days, and I doubt I would even mention that much. Certainly there are segments of the adult population that would be cool with it, just as there are segments of the adult population who still play "Dungeons & Dragons", but on the whole, we view them as activities unworthy of a proper adult.

There are aspects of video gaming that are socially acceptable. Party games, for instance, aren't really viewed much differently from a board game or charades."Rock Band" is essentially the same as karaoke; a perfectly socially acceptable way to spend time with real, live friends who are in the same room and who you'll be interacting with. "World of Warcraft" flat out is D&D, while "Call of Duty" will never escape the fact that it's a simulation of war and will always be frowned upon.

Most of that is beside the point, however. The real reason the majority of the adult population tends to look down on video games, even those of us who grew up with them, is because they are a juvenile activity. In our minds, they're almost the complete opposite of the activities we as adults feel we should be taking part in. For most people, their careers become more interesting than any fantasy. For most people, it's more rewarding to save money and purchase a real property than to finally acquire that magical suit of armour in "World of Warcraft". Real relationships take priority over digital ones, and real activities and real personal development become more rewarding than the fake fantasy of the game world. I won't even get started on people having families. Every once and a while I'm tempted to go out and buy "Uncharted 2" for my Playstation 3, because it's supposed to be a great game, but I don't because there are countless things I'd rather do instead. I'd rather play hockey. I'd rather put time into my martial arts training. I'd rather spend more time on my Greek lessons. I'm more interested in working on art projects, or writing for my website, or sending email to some old friends. I'd even rather take up piano or singing again, both things I liked to do as a kid but foolishly gave up during the "I don't care about anything" teenage years, which were, perhaps not coincidentally, the years when I played the most video games.

Do you know why I'd rather do those things? Because they offer real challenges, not fake ones. They offer real experiences, a real sense of satisfaction, and they convey real benefits to other aspects of my life. All of those activities enrich my person, and that's something I don't think I've ever gotten from playing a video game. For most of us, gaming occupies a space that is completely opposite from our mental state as adults. They aren't simple theatre like a film, which is at least a social function. They're pure fantasy, with no bearing on the reality of a life which means more and more to us as we age. I'm not trying to say that adults can't play video games and be taken seriously. Certainly it's become more acceptable in the past ten years. What I'm saying is that despite this change, and despite the first few generations of gaming children now occupying the adult world, being a thirty year old "gamer" still has a negative slant where being a thirty year old film or music lover does not. It's something that's inherent to the solitary, ultra-fantasy nature of games. Until that changes somehow, I'll chuckle every time I read some article on Kotaku that claims video games are "finally being taken seriously!"

I mean come on people. One of the premiere English language video game news sites is called "Kotaku". This is how the adult gaming community views itself. Doesn't that say it all right there?

Communism

2009.11.20 - Friday

Those who live with it suffer. Those who've been freed celebrate its passing. Those who've lived without it wage a bitter, constant, unending battle to keep it at bay.

Sounds like a disease to me.

EU President Appointed

2009.11.19 - Thursday

Belgian PM is first "president of Europe"

I say "appointed" because this President has in no way been elected. Oh, they make some noise about Europeans' elected officials electing the President, but then UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown admitted the "selection", not election, was "unanimous", and I think we all know what a unanimous election is really a sign of. Some meaningful quotes from the article:

"But while the EU prides itself on being a club of democracies, the process of choosing its new leader was far from transparent or open. The people of Europe are getting no say, not even through their parliamentarians. Van Rompuy's new job was announced after a closed-door dinner for the EU's heads of state and government."

Perhaps I should have said "quote", since this revised version of the article has since been edited to remove true statements that could have been offensive to the left-wing totalitarian types at CNN. Originally the article also pointed out that there have been no platforms released by any candidate, and that there will be no public confirmation hearings. It's more likely that there won't be hearings of any kind. Tony Blair lost consideration for the Presidency because Gordon Brown believed he didn't have enough support among "key decision-makers". Well who are they? We don't know.

The voice of Europe's citizens grows quieter with each passing year. Unelected bureaucrats, working nameless and behind the scenes, make more and more of the key decisions which govern the operation of the continent. Elections are carried out, then reset and carried out again when the bureaucratic elite, often in another country entirely, disapprove of the result. Many on this side of the Atlantic look to Europe as a bold leader, paving the road they believe Canada, even the world, should eventually follow.

I find even the thought of it disgusting.

I'm Here For The Live Orchestra, Not The Video

2009.11.15 - Sunday

I bought a couple of tickets to the VSO Pops "Silver Screen Classics" show later this month. As many of you know I'm a big fan of many great film scores so the opportunity to see a few of them performed live is always nice. I'm disappointed however with the production's decision to include a video screen that will play clips from the films during the show. I'm going to the symphony, not the movie theatre. If I wanted to actually watch "Gone With The Wind" or "Indiana Jones" I would take the DVDs off my shelf and play them, and it would cost a lot less than 60-plus dollars a seat!

I have my suspicions about why they do it. They do the same thing with the recently popular concerts of video game music. I'm sure a small part of it has to do with the fact that this music originates from a film, so the two are obviously tied together. However, when watching a film, we might recognize or notice music, but we don't listen to it. When I go to see a live orchestra play, I intend to listen to the music, and giant video screens are an annoying distraction. More than that, however, I believe there is a strong bias against film and game scores from the artistic elite who's facilities are being used, and who willingly or not, are putting on these shows in an attempt to draw more people to their rapidly aging audiences. I don't believe these people think film and game music can stand on its own. I think they believe the music needs the visual crutch in order to succeed, since it's not "real" orchestra music like the stuff they usually perform.

Personally, I believe they're flat out wrong.

Remembrance Day

2009.11.11 - Wednesday

"I've tried to live my life the best I could. I hope that was enough. I hope that, at least in your eyes, I've earned what all of you have done for me."

Organization

2009.11.08 - Sunday

We're already well into November and I'm only now getting started on my usual post-summer organization chores. The last couple of months have been fairly busy, to say the least. Things have really picked up at the office, especially during the last three weeks. Late September saw a visit from one of my cousins from Florida, and another came in from Kimberly over the Halloween weekend. All of that stuff tends to create a lot of photos, which in turn creates a lot of photo editing and organization work for me. Yes, I know I'm anal about it, but having a properly organized photo album is worth every single minute I've poured into it. As long as I don't let a huge backlog build up, I plan to keep going this way indefinitely.

Now it's time to get the organization chores done around the house. Most of that means tossing useless junk that somehow seems to sneak its way into my life. I tend to be fairly ruthless when it comes to keeping, or not keeping, "things", but no matter how much one tries there always seems to be a pile of junk to pawn off on people or just flat out throw in the garbage. It's just one of those universal laws. Another one is the inability of a person to be completely, 100% organized. What I mean by that is to have literally nothing on one's "to do" list. I don't mean abstract things like "go back to painting", or for me, "learn Greek". I mean concrete things, such as "buy a new winter coat", or "clean out the closet". Just this week, now that I've started to knock things off of my own list, the DVD drive in my computer decided to break. It just doesn't want to open any more, sounding like there's a broken gear inside or something of that nature. So, without any actual effort on anyone's behalf, I've just been given another tedious chore that I have to deal with. Stuff just happens, and we try to stay ahead of it I suppose. That's life.

So apart from cleaning and doing a bit of redecorating, what's going on? Work I suppose. October was a fairly busy month and I expect the rest of November will be as well. It's almost time to start thinking about Christmas, for crying out loud. I just had the thought that I haven't been to a movie in, I don't know, maybe three or four months. "2012" comes out next week, which I'll definitely have to see in the theatre. I expect it to be horrible, but with amazingly ridiculous visual effects shots. The trailer looks absolutely insane. Oh, I'll also try to get some new stills up in the gallery soon. Now that a few more episodes of "Universe" have aired, I can do that.