So, no vote for comment of the week this week, as if anyone actually voted here for comment of the week anyway. So what's going on?
I should lay some foundation first. Students in a couple of classes each semester are required to follow the greenpage and to make sure they are following they have to do five comments per week on the blog. Each time a student leaves a comment (well really when anyone leaves a comment) I get an email and then a filter routine in my email apps sticks the emails into a "News Comment" folder.
Through the week when I see that someone has posted something I will read the entry and if I think the work is a candidate for comment of the week I flag it. I tried once upon a time to read all the comments at once at the end of the week but it was just too much of a slog. By the end of the week I usually have flagged something like 12-15 entries. I then need to cull the field down to the top five I put out for voting.
The culling process starts while I do the weekly comment count. I sort the comment folder by sender and check each entry for appropriate depth and look for duplicates. When doing that I will see if one student has multiple flagged messages. When there is a case of multiple good entries from a single student I usually do a quick assessment of which of those multiples I will put forward for the comment of the week. At some point I decided that each of those five comments should be from different students.
Usually. This week there was an artifact.
This week while I was culling from 15 to 5 I found that one student had actually flagged 5 out of 5 comments in the week. There had been times before when people had had three. I think there may even have been a case where someone had four in a week. But never five, until this week. So this week I made a new rule:
If you flag five out of five comments in a given week you win.
So no vote this week. One student just did too well. Damn. I'll keep this rule in place until two students flag 5 out of 5 in a single week together. And then I'll think of another rule (while being quietly thrilled with the problem). I can't wait.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Where's The Voting?
Monday, February 11, 2013
Worth a Look
Here are some articles from last week's Greenpage that might be worth your time:
Female Directors More Prominent in New York
NYTimes.com: The old boys’ club of New York theater, for decades defined by the chummy relationships of producers and directors, is changing with the rise of female directors who are in demand by veteran playwrights as well as hot young writers.
The Guns in My Plays
HowlRound: After the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, I felt like I’d felt after 9/11: grief stricken, traumatized and voiceless. In all the categories I fall in: woman, mother, playwright, human being, the events of that day, remain unbearable. The blessing and the curse of the writer is her imagination. At every mention and at random moments of every day in those first few weeks, I would begin to imagine what occurred in those classrooms, what was waiting for the first responders, and for those children’s parents. Even now, I have to harden my heart to put these words onto paper. While I avoided most of the news on cable, I did venture onto Facebook where I discovered some of my “friends” were anti gun control. I do not understand this position, so I started reading (and posting) all the articles I could find on gun legislation. I read some very cogent, practical and common sense articles like New York Times columnist, Nicholas Kristof’s, op-ed. Then I read Porochista Khakpour’s essay, “Why Did Nancy Lanza Love Guns?” In it, she describes her personal journey of love and obsession and ultimately rejection of guns: guns made her feel safe, guns made her feel powerful, guns were sexy, guns were fun.
Theater Education Programs Are in Demand for Workforce Creativity
www.huffingtonpost.com: Imagine a group comprised of accountants, tech executives, actors, corporate CEOs, playwrights and theater directors engaged in an urgent conversation. These rather divergent personalities are all discussing the state of theater education in America and its impact on our country's economy, culture and future. They all agree that our nation's future workforce can't afford a curtain call on creativity.
Space Invaders: Unorthodox Arts
livedesignonline.com: How important is a venue? Touring productions always have to adjust the show to the space, but designers often create in ways that make the show adaptable to anticipated venues. And scripts? They usually stay the same. Unorthodox Arts, based in Boston, is, well, unorthodox. For its first production, Dust and Shadows, rewriting the script to suit venues and respond to spectators was part of the plan. Company members created their own roles in a sketchy 20-page script for a murder mystery, staying ready to elaborate and revise. At some performances, particular props were used, at others they weren’t, and sometimes they were used in unanticipated ways.
Work Ethic
Tested: On this week's episode, the gang discusses the importance of work ethic and why the drudgery of hard work means so much when you're starting off in a new job or career. This even applies to kids and chores!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Argo
Yesterday Mrs TANBI and I went to see Argo. It was sort of remedial Oscar viewing. We'd meant to go see it a while ago but somehow hadn't. So it was time to fix that. We went to SouthSide Works.
I thought the movie was pretty good. I like spy movies and I like behind the scenes movies so this was sort of in my wheelhouse. The Hollywood characters were great and I could totally see how making a fake movie would be entirely possible. Projects start and stop so often that it does seem like if you had the money to spend you could do whatever you wanted.
Movies set in the 70's and 80's are finding a special place in my heart. I wonder if my folks had the same kind of feelings about movies set in the 50s. Seeing the details really gets to me, like when they pan to the side of the bed and you see the kids 2XL toy. I didn't have a 2XL but I had friends that did. The cars and the clothes and the rotary phones all drive home the period.
Not much to talk about in terms of the story since it is a retelling of history. I will say that all of the news resonated with me and seeing Ted Koppel and Dan Rather when they were much much younger strongly reinforced the story. I remember the hostage crisis. I remember watching morning TV and having it interrupted for a news report and seeing the gate of the embassy. As a kid it wasn't that scary. I wonder what people old enough to have really understood would have felt. The film really doesn't show how the news hit the home front aside from the actual players.
One of the other parts that struck me was how if they hadn't had to keep the success a secret they could have really mitigated the black eye the military got when they failed on their rescue attempt. I can remember how inept the government and Carter looked after hearing the news about a botched rescue. Following that up with a story of success would have made a big difference at the time. I wonder why they kept it secret for so long.
As the film progressed I found myself thinking that the actual Argo screenplay must be REALLY bad. I came to that conclusion because I got to thinking that ti would have been a tremendous marketing advantage if they could have actually made the Argo movie to go with the original making of Argo story. They could even have done it as an animated short, or as a made for TV special. That they aren't using it at all suggests to me it must be really unimpressive.
Of course that is complete speculation.
I guess I'll give Argo an H. Good film, well worth your time, and it'd probably be fine on your home screen.
Saturday, February 09, 2013
Movies
When I first started doing this I thought one of the primary things I would be posting would be reviews of movies. It never really happened, I'm not sure why. I guess maybe politics has been more fun to write about. But here I am, many, many years later and I am still thinking about posting about movies. Really I thought it would be movies and TV and books. But for the moment lets focus on movies.
If I am going to write about movies I will need some kind of rating system. I could go with thumbs up or thumbs down, but my experience tells me that my opinions are not often that clear. Pretty much everything would wind up thumbs up. I could do stars: 4 stars, 2.5 stars etc. I think that again could really say more about the film than it does. Really, any ranking system be it stars or 1-10, or ABCD is just making an effort to rank one film against other films and I don't think that tells all the story it could.
More than hierarchical rankings imply I think there is a dimension of movie choice that hadn't been part of public discourse that nowadays is really significant. We watch movies in different modes and have many more opportunities to watch; and those things should figure into a contemporary rating system.
Our top end movie experience these days, at least here at casa TANBI, is to go out to the theatre, see the film in IMAX on a full size IMAX screen. There's only one theatre within a reasonable drive that fits that description. It's a full size traditional IMAX screen with a steep house and stadium seating. The bottom line for that is that to get a decent seat you really have to arrive pretty early. So to be worth the drive and the price and the process a film needs to be something special. Lets call that our top rating "IMAX Worthy."
"Top Rating" implies a hierarchy, and I guess that's ok, but would be the same a "4 stars" or "10/10." The next ratings wouldn't work that way though. After a film that is so special to merit the big theatre experience, the next choice is whether to see the movie in a theatre at all. The difference here is that just because a movie doesn't call out for a theatre it doesn't mean it isn't a good movie. So the next two ratings could be "Date Night" for films that are worth seeing and worth seeing in a theatre and "Home Theatre" which means the movie is worth seeing and will be good at home - and is worth appointment viewing on your best screen. Although different those ratings aren't necessarily better or worse than each other.
The next rating would be "streamer." That would be a movie that is ok to watch and it doesn't really matter how you watch - no big screen, no surround sound required. Sometimes now we stream movies on the computers or the tablets. The viewing experience isn't really the same but it's ok for what it is. Finally, I think the last rating would be "Pawn Stars" which means you could watch it if it's on, but you could also watch Pawn Stars (or Dual Survival or Love It or List It or whatever).
So we're set for the TANBI movie rating system. It goes like this:
Make sense? Now I just need to see some movies.
Ellipses...
Like I said, there will be a little bit of a drop off in posting... They got everyone here riled up over snow, then it rained. Fine by me... Yesterday I ordered something I didn't really need from Sears. It came today - ZOOM. Why can't that happen when it is something I need? Figures... I have fallen way behind on the DVR. It might be time for some bulk deleting... I lost a credit card last week, but because it is 2013 and not 1987 the whole thing was resolved in about 12 minutes... I tried to listen to today's studio performance like it was a radio play. I am pretty sure I fell asleep. We have so many good undergrad candidates for next year we're beginning to wonder if we'll get to the admit list, let alone the wait list... I need to think of some good ways to recruit grad TD students. If you have any ideas, please send them my way... Got to hang out with my sister and her family last weekend. Apparently she reads the blog occasionally. So if you read this: hello... I really didn't need to know George W. Bush was a painter. And I REALLY didn't need to know his favorite subject is nude self portraits... I think I may have come up with a photo/shop project that is more achievable than the last idea. Plus it'll mean I have to learn a new piece of gear... Always seemed like it was easier to campaign on civil liberties than it would actually be to govern that way. Looks like Obama discovered that too... When I saw my sister she gave me a late holiday gift, so now I don't have to choose between a Roku and an AppleTV, but I might need to buy a new television... I'm considering a Twitter feed for the Greenpage. I wonder if there's an app out there that could take the posts and tweet them out like one every two hours automatically... Why do they keep canceling the cartoons I watch? I must not be the target demographic. Which makes me wonder why someone doesn't do cartoons where I am the demographic - well, besides Archer...
Thursday, February 07, 2013
#NFTRW Weekly Podcast
This week's articles:
1. Will Tina Fey's "Mean Girls" Sing on Broadway?
2. Motion test for Mama's ghostly creature is freaky all by itself
3. Cirque battles declining fortunes
4. Human Dimension & Interior Space
5. Hundreds Die in Brazilian Nightclub Fire
6. TV review: A thrilling look at 'Shakespeare Uncovered'
7. Glee Thinks They Did Jonathan Coulton a Favor
8. Hollywood wants drones for filmmaking
9. Beyoncé. Horse meat. Lance Armstrong. We have to care about this contempt for the public
10. This Clever Resume That Looks Like an Amazon Page Is So Good I Would Buy It
But probably not in that order.
Featuring: Jake, Matt, Lauren, & Cat
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
How Much Would You Pay?
I get this email every day with merchandise they think I might want to buy. Pretty much always they are right, if I had all the money in the world I would certainly buy pretty much everything they suggest.
Today, one of the items was this:
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
Vote for Comment of the Week
Here are this week's contenders...
Student #1 left a new comment on your post "Beyoncé. Horse meat. Lance Armstrong. We have to c...":
When I found out Beyoncé was lip syncing, my first thought was "well that doesn't surprise me". I'm not saying that I wasn't a little dismayed, it's just that I've grown accustomed to being disillusioned. we're always being lied to, it just if it's to protect us we don't mind, when it's to protect someone else, well that's goes against all our kinder garden morals. A text book no no of sorts.Of course, I would like to point out that doping and lip syncing are two VERY different things. Its the difference between cheating and chickening out, and therefore really shouldn't be compared. It's the fact that they were covered up thats the issue. It's as though average people are some child that you lie to because you can't bear to see the look on their face if you told them the truth. Admit it, we've all done it at one point in time or another. A little white lie to keep them happy, a little white lie to keep them quite. Lying is easy. It was easier for Beyoncé to lip sync in front of the president then to stand up in front of the entire country and say" I didn't have time to rehearse and the cold will make my voice cracks, I'm scared I might screw up but I'll give it my best shot." Who wouldn't be scared, especially when society judges stars so harshly. But fear's part of life isn't it. So yes I'm a little disappointed that Beyoncé lip synced. And yes I would like if the media was a little more truthful (I'd prefer not to second guess if the meat I'm eating is actually meat.) but Beyoncé is still human, so let's not be so quick to judge her when we all need to work on not telling lies or judging others to harshly.Student #2 left a new comment on your post "Hundreds Die in Brazilian Nightclub Fire":
Whats with all these places locking their exits?! Isn't that the entire point of having exits that you can walk out whenever you please, or run out screaming if there is an emergency. Im not sure how similar the fire safety laws in Brazil are to those in the US, but this is the second story in as many weeks that mentioned more than one fire where many of the deaths would have been avoided had the venues been properly prepared and had not locked the guests onto the building. Its pretty frustrating, fire safety laws exist for a reason and even though sometimes they are bent for the reason of entertainment that should just mean you are that much more cautious and prepared for if and when a fire does breakout. Thats a big part of going somewhere is that even if you aren't consciously thinking about it, you are depending on the fact that wherever you are is taking the proper measures to make sure you are as safe as possible and when places don't talk that seriously they are setting up a bad name for the industry.Student #3 left a new comment on your post "'Sound of Music' actress says Maria character a co...":
Although hearing the names "Rodgers and Hammerstein" brings to mind happy couples singing in fields together, the core of their musicals bring up much more radical themes than just the trials of love. The Sound of Music marks a families choice to revolt against the government they are governed by. They risk their lives to escape, never compromising their morals and values. Maria herself goes against the ruling power, in effect fighting against her own beliefs. Maria made sacrifices of her faith in order to serve an even higher cause of helping the family. Even the nuns lie in order to save the family from the Nazi's. The bible does not say "Lie within reason". It brings to mind the moral dilemma brought up in the JPS play Doubt. The head nun in doubt, says out loud what the sound of music only hints towards "When you take a step to address wrongdoing, you are taking a step away from God, but in his service."Student #4 left a new comment on your post "Culture Count: Life in Annie's Orphanage":
I can definitely relate directly to this article, although from the opposite perspective. I was a "child actress" in "The Nutcracker" when I was seven, and we had to have an adult guardian for the show. They were exactly what this Jill Valentine says they were - half stage manager and half cool aunt. We even had the same problem of keeping our overwhelming energy and excitement quiet while in the wings and the dressing room. The onsite guardian was invaluable to us; she would herd us to makeup and wardrobe at the right time, made she we were in the wings but well out of the way when we needed to be, and took care of our little needs, making sure we were well taken care of throughout the show. I can only imagine that Jill Valentine is just as invaluable to the production of "Annie," and I'm glad onsite guardians are gaining recognition for their important roles.Student #5 left a new comment on your post "Ohio High School Fires Director for Staging Legall...":
For a show that is about self empowerment and finding your own i think the firing of this teacher was completely unfair. People are so concerned on keeping their children innocent that they are forgetting the meaning of theatre and the great messages that can be told from it. If they want a high school friendly show then they need to continue doing high school related shows with high school characters, and even then if you create a show about high school, REAL high school, it will be much more raunchy than this.Vote in the comments or by email.
Monday, February 04, 2013
Worth A Look
Here are some articles from last week's Greenpage that might be worth your time...
TV review: A thrilling look at 'Shakespeare Uncovered'
latimes.com: Loving Shakespeare with a love so immoderate it would take a Shakespeare to describe it, I was pretty well pre-sold on "Shakespeare Uncovered," a six-part analytical-historical gambol through several of his plays, beginning Friday on PBS. By the same token, I am liable to be more critical of the product; but as it turns out, it's a treat.
Cirque du Soleil, a victim of the economic crisis
Daily Press: The economic crisis has certain consequences, even in the entertainment industry. Cirque du Soleil announced on Wednesday that it would eliminate up to 400 jobs – mostly at its headquarters in Montreal – because of the Canadian dollar exchange rate, the economic crisis and rising production costs for its performances, informs lefigaro.fr. The Canadian dollar has been soaring in the past years against the U.S. dollar, cutting the profits of the company.
Hollywood wants drones for filmmaking
The Hill's Hillicon Valley: Unmanned drones are best known for their ability to hunt down suspected terrorists abroad, but they might have an entirely different use: movie-making. Hollywood's lobbying group is pressing the Obama administration to allow filmmakers to use drones for aerial shots.
Beyoncé. Horse meat. Lance Armstrong. We have to care about this contempt for the public
The Guardian: In the science fiction film The Matrix, all-powerful machines transform the planet into a huge computer simulation where humans exist only in a dream world. Among the few sentient "free" people left fighting the machines is Cypher, who abandons the struggle following a revelation: he actually prefers the simulation to reality. "I know this steak doesn't exist," he says. "I know that when I put it in my mouth, the Matrix is telling my brain that it is juicy and delicious. After nine years, you know what I realise?" He chews the steak ostentatiously and sighs. "Ignorance is bliss."
This Clever Resume That Looks Like an Amazon Page Is So Good I Would Buy It
gizmodo.com: Making your resume stand out from a pile of papers or a bunch of pixels on a screen is hard as hell. How can people who went to similar schools and worked similar jobs and have similar skills differentiate themselves? By being clever. Like Philippe Dubost. He turned his resume into an Amazon product page. It's brilliant!
If you still have some time after that...
