[Sæternes-dæg] Annotated Links #22: Different, but the Same

1. Ramstad, Evan. “Are Koreans the Irish of Asia? Here’s a Case.” Korea Realtime (Wall Street Journal) 16 October 2012. Web. 20 October 2012.

Ramstad recounts the recent visit to Seoul of Eammon McKee, Ireland’s ambassador to the Koreas, and a speech he made there wherein he fleshed out the Korea-is-Ireland cliché. He quotes McKee’s speech selectively, compiling a brief list of the ways in which the two nations are similar. This article is written in a pure journalistic style, this article reports on the idea of the two nations having shared traits.

An article about how two disparate nations actually have quite a bit in common is a great way to start of an Annotated Links about different things that, upon further analysis, can easily be considered similar. Thus, this article was an easy pick for this week’s batch.

2. Lorditch, Emilie. “Using Science Fiction to Educate.” Inside Science 17 October 2012. Web. 20 October 2012.

This one is a brief article that provides an overview of the basic argument for using science fiction in science education: to show the relevance of science to young people so that more of them will take an active interest in pursuing the sciences at college or university. It makes specific reference to science fiction and super hero films while leaving out anything about science fiction literature. Lorditch writes in a direct style of reportage, with an effective use of quotes.

Science fiction and science fact are definitely different, but the limits of human technology are always making gains on the limits of human imagination. This article doesn’t make a direct comparison between science fiction and science in the classroom, but mining science fiction for examples to show how science does and doesn’t work bridges the two nicely.

3. Houpt, Simon. “IBM hones Watson the supercomputer’s skills.” The Globe and Mail 19 October 2012. Web. 20 October 2012.

In this interview with the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center’s Eric Brown, Houpt explores the different uses for IBM’s Question Answering supercomputer Watson. Specifically, Houpt asks about IBM’s work with the US healthcare insurance provider WellPoint and how Watson will figure in with that. It’s written as any interview is bound to be written – in a conversational tone.

Though comparisons between Watson and human personalities don’t come up until near the end of the interview, this piece is included in this week’s Annotated Links because it underscores how a stripped down version of human thinking (parsing sentences, taking certain elements and understanding the relationships between them) is being emulated by computers.

4. Taylor, Kate. “Picnicface: Why are we laughing? I don’t know, but it sure beats crying.” The Globe and Mail 20 October 2012. Web. 20 October 2012.

Taylor’s article offers some quick background information on the Picnicface story, along with a very quick rundown of where the three-person comedy trio is today. Her article also offers some thoughts on the matter of internet fame vs. old school fame, and how being popular on YouTube does not necessarily translate being popular on the boob tube. This one is written in a straightforward style, with quotes from players in the Picnicface story sprinkled throughout.

Including this one in the Links for this week was necessarily partly because it fit and partly because of personal prejudices. Picnicface is an hilarious troupe, and the ways in which culture on the internet is different from culture on TV or radio or in print is something that needs more mainstream attention.

5. Strickland, Eddie. “Red Potion (The Legend of Zelda cocktail).” The Drunken Moogle 14 October 2012. Web. 20 October 2012.

Simply a recipe for a cocktail inspired by the Legend of Zelda (clicking on that tag at the bottom of the recipe shows another 4 pages worth of Zelda-inspired booze bombs). This recipe is written in a direct style without any extra notes.

This one’s included for the obvious reason that video games (‘The Legend of Zelda,’ perhaps especially) are not the same as real life. However, it must definitely be noted that medieval medicine (and therefore medicine in a high fantasy setting such as the one in ‘Zelda’) would invariably involve alcohol in some way – so the two different worlds of the real and the virtual are bridged by the cause of and solution to all of life’s problems: alcohol.

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Closing

Next week, watch for a poem post for Monday, and Part Four of Shocktober, when I’ll make the call for the conversion of the campy horror flic The Convent.

Plus, over at Tongues in Jars, watch for the fifth stanza of “Dum Diane vitrea” in Tuesday’s Latin entry, and Wiglaf’s tongue lashing of the cowardly thanes in Thursday’s Beowulf entry.

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[Sæternes-dæg] Annotated Links #21: Simple Solutions

1. “Scholars finish dictionary of ancient Egyptian language.” ScienceBlog 19 September 2012. Web. 13 October 2012.

The Chicago Demotic Dictionary, developed at the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute, has finally been completed. The article details how the Ancient Egyptian common language has contributed to Modern English, as well as how it sheds light on how the common people of Ancient Egypt lived. It is written in a fairly conversational style.

Language news is always fascinating news, and so this one had to be included.

2. Knight, Chris. “From Doctor Who to Looper to Robot & Frank: The best sci-fi is made on a shoestring.” National Post 7 October 2012. Web. 13 October 2012.

Knight uses Doctor Who (the Daleks, specifically), Looper, and Robot & Frank as examples of effective science fiction that’s financially successful because of its small budget. These are contrasted with blockbuster movies of the past summer, and the take away is that good science fiction needs to be more substantial and referential to our own present to be successful.

This article is included because it shows that substance is more often appreciated than flash.

3. McGinn, Dave. “The $55K, 2,900-square foot, eco-friendly home – with no electricity bills.” The Globe and Mail 10 October 2012. Web. 13 October 2012.

This article explains just what an “earthship” home is (one built from recycled materials, and that uses natural heating and water) and how they’re more economically and environmentally feasible than your standard home. Its focus on a couple from Tilsonburg, Ontario lends this story a human interest element, and it’s written in a simple style that makes broad use of quotations.

Wild designs and neat aesthetics combine with practicality in this subject, and so it’s something I’ve got to share.

4. Baumann, Chris, and Shu Setogawa. “Korean teachers preferred.” The Korea Herald 10 October 2012. Web. 13 October 2012.

This one is a report on a study of teacher preferences among Koreans. It shows that Koreans do prefer Korean teachers, even when it comes to English language instruction, because they are believed to be the most apt to demonstrate the proper etiquette and cultural values. Baumann and Setogawa’s report is written in a formal, academic style and includes a handful of charts.

Although this report addresses the issue of ESL teachers, I included this one to help spread these findings and because it very quickly details how the Korean approach to ESL teaching is changing.

5. Everett-Green, Robert. “1K Wave: Can a great film be made for $1,000? Ingrid Veninger thinks so.” The Globe and Mail 10 October 2012. Web. 13 October 2012.

Ingrid Veninger, Toronto filmmaker, believes that local filming and at-home editing mean that anyone who wants to make a movie can – and for only $1000 up front. Veninger has already run the 1K Wave contest, and five films were created as a direct result. This article is written in a conversational style with quotes from a variety of local filmmakers.

Creative contests that stand out like this one deserve to get attention. So, since this one also works with this Annotated Links’ theme, it had to be included.

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Closing

Next week check the blog for a new polished draft of fiction (Monday), a look for the lurking in Silent House (Friday), and the next Annotated Links (Saturday).

And to keep your reading going throughout the week, check out Tongues in Jars for translations and commentary of the Latin poem “Dum Diane vitrea” and the Old English Beowulf.

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[Sæternes-dæg] Annotated Links #20: Bending Borders

1. Koh, Yoree. “Novelist Murakami Weighs In on Japan Territorial Rows.” Japan Real Time (The Wall Street Journal) 28 September 2012. Web. 06 October 2012.

Koh recaps Haruki Murakami’s stance on Japan’s current territorial disputes as they appeared in an essay that made the front page of the Asahi Shimbun. Murakami argues that these territorial disputes are threatening the cultural ties that the three Asian countries have established over recent decades, and that they’re “like getting drunk on cheap sake.” This article is written in a plain, direct style.

Haruki Murakami is an amazing writer, and the matter of Japanese-South Korean-Chinese territorial disputes is one of interest since I recall how passionate many South Koreans were about their owning Dokdo (Takeshima, in Japan), so inlcuding this article was a must.

2. Stusinski, Melissa. “‘Looper’-Like Time Travel Possible, Scientists Say.” The Inquisitr 28 September 2012. Web. 06 October 2012.

A misleadingly titled article that suggests that time travel to the future is possible, while time travel to the past is much more problematic. This one is written in a very conversational style that makes it seem like a token blog entry.

Despite its brevity, this article is included because it is a solid summary of time travel mechanics.

3. Tozer, Jessica L.. “Sensors on Scan.” Armed With Science 2 October 2012. Web. 06 October 2012.

Dr. Chris Field at the Naval Research Laboratory is currently working on technology that does just what Star Trek’s tricorder does – scan an area for any and all vapours it contains. Various applications for this quarter-sized technology are discussed, ranging from carbon monoxide detection to airport security applications. Tozer writes in an informal style.

Anything about such amazing science simply has to be included. It’s practically the law.

4. Oh, Young-Jin. “Coming out on Psy.” The Korea Times 2 October 2012. Web. 06 October 2012.

This one offers a thought-provoking look at the Psy phenomenon from the perspective of someone who thinks that Psy represents nothing Korean. In it Oh relates his thoughts on Psy and how they’ve evolved to his current stance that Psy represents more of global pop culture than Korean pop culture. It is written in a prim, yet conversational style.

Because of the wild popularity of Psy, this one had to be included to offer a counter-argument to his apparent bolstering of the Korean cultural wave that’s supposedly swept over the world in recent weeks.

5.Clayton, Nick. “Scientists Look to Use Bee’s Brains to Control Flying Robots.” Tech Europe (The Wall Street Journal) 4 October 2012. Web. 6 October 2012.

Researchers at the universities of Sheffield and Sussex are looking into using bee brains to power flying recon robots. Among the uses for these robots, the article focuses on their being used to gather information to help rescue teams figure out what the next best option is. It is a short article, written in a plain style.

This one’s included because it’s some exciting news from the world of robotics, and it’s not often that social insects are thought of as being as useful to science as social mammals.

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Next week, watch for another (much more recent) poem on Monday, and a prowl for the palatable in Leprechaun In The Hood on Friday!

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[Moon-dæg] Poem #997b

Context
Sun and Moon
Closing

{A rare sighting, but a jackpot for the celestial paparazzi. Image found on the blog Wish You all the Best.}

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Context

Tonight’s piece is a sample of my poetry from 2010. This was when I wrote poetry that stuck to a fairly regular form. This specific poem is also an example of my stuff on love that’s written in an Elizabethan style; in fact, it’s similar to Christopher Marlowe’s “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” (a.k.a. “Poem #997”).

Check it out, and let me know what you think in the comments!

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Sun and Moon

A kiss and a peck and a see you tonight
Said the sun to the moon
at the coming of first light
Go my love and hide away
Scarce your face – scarce!

I’ll hide it behind window-blurred bars
And raise around you robes of cloud
As I shed light, generation, elation to those below.

Then, when those look up nightly
through eyes and disembodied words
To the glow of light from my cumulus chase,
We can join behind a dark-wooled herd
To stoke our lights before parting.

Before returning to our days.

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Closing

Check back at this blog on Friday for a look for the likeable in The Samaritan (a.k.a. Fury). Then on Saturday, you’ll be able to find the newest Annotated Links here, and a look back/look ahead on Sunday.

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Annotated Links #13: Japan in Art and Quirk

1. Bennett, Lennie. “Art deco exhibit at Ringling Museum illuminates Japan’s lost decades.” Tampa Bay Times 22 July 2012. Web. 2 August 2012.

Bennett describes the contents of the “Deco Japan: Shaping Art and Culture, 1920-45” exhibition and gives a brief history, explanation, and context of the movement in Japan. However, Bennett doesn’t include what the remaining two stops of the exhibition are or for how much longer the exhibition will be staying at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Bennett writes in the style of an informative account of visiting the exhibition.

This article is included because of the obscurity of its subject matter – I had no idea that there was a significant and culture-changing art movement in Japan after World War I and during World War II.

2. Elwood, Kate. “CULTURAL CONUNDRUMS/Cultural facets of Cupid’s arrow.” Daily Yomiuri Online 30 July 2012. Web. 2 August 2012.

Elwood gives a history of Japanese romance novels, including how they “blossomed out of Western seeds” in the 70s and 80s, and how Sanrio started its “New Romance” line for domestically written romances in 1982. She also summarizes a comparative study of Western harlequin and Japanese romance stories written during the 70s and 80s. According to the study, the most marked differences found in Japanese romance novels are that female leads are generally stronger, and that the hardships involve social restrictions that keep love from being widely accepted rather than love itself.

This article is included here because because it gives a good look at the differences in the romance genre, and thus in two cultures romantic ideals.

3. Liebl, Lance. “Giant dancing Japanese robot women in bras will be the end of us.” GameZone 27 July 2012. Web. 2 August 2012.

Liebl reports on a restaurant in Tokyo that features robotic female torsos on giant mech-legs, operated by women in bikinis. His article includes a live link to the original picture album on The Chive. It also Includes a short youtube video of a man tinkering with one of the robots.

This article is included here because it’s an example of Japan’s well-known quirkiness, something that I find utterly fascinating.

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Tomorrow, join me for Pt. 1 of All-Request August, featuring a search for the superb in Plan 9 From Outer Space!

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[Wōdnes-dæg] Fantastic Fantasy and the Grit of Popularity

Introduction
The Article Summed Up
Fantasy and Cynicism…Hand in Hand?
The More Names, the More Things
Closing

{Who is the knight standing over, and will he or she hang as well? Image found on the blog A Fantasy Reader.}

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Introduction

The subject of today’s editorial comes from the website Fantasy Faction – a site that hosts articles, interviews, reviews, forums, and a podcast that are all about the fantasy genre.

This article by Douglas Smith caught my eye because it attempts to explain the current trend away from “classic” tales of black-and-white good versus evil in modern popular fantasy. The article also grabbed my attention because it speaks to the variety that can be found in the fantasy genre.

These elements aren’t just interesting, but are also quite relevant to me since I’m in the midst of writing my own fantasy universe into existence.

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The Article Summed Up

In his article Douglas Smith notes the growing popularity and presence of gritty, realistic fantasy and tries to explain it.

Quite deftly Smith looks at the trends in entertainment more generally, and concludes that what we watch and read to relax as a whole has become grittier as the world around us has changed into something a bit grittier, too.

Gone are the days of massively popular soap operas and police procedurals, and now things are more about characters so real we might bump into them on the street and involve plots so intricate that it’s as easy to become entangled as it is to become immersed.

Smith concludes with the statements that writers of gritty fantasy are reinvigorating the genre, that it’s cool to read fantasy again, and that this might just be “a second ‘Golden Age’ for fantasy.”

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Fantasy and Cynicism…Hand in Hand?

As far as its explanation of why gritty fantasy is now popular goes, this is a great article.

The world certainly has changed, and, as those of older generations have said from time immemorial, it may actually be worse off (in some ways). Technological advances aside, events like “9/11” have made people more readily dubious of others and paranoid enough that fear could now be considered a small animal living in most people’s heads as much as a human emotion.

Older stories that follow a straightforward plot and shimmering, clean-cut characters are definitely no longer enough to put this animal to sleep for a time so that the human host can truly enjoy an escape.

Instead, worlds and characters need more depth. In fact, this might be an analogue to the extra cynicism in a lot of people’s worldviews. Just as more scrutiny and attention is paid to the real world and goings-on therein, so too in entertainment are characters and plots under more and more scrutiny.

The best way to meet that scrutiny, so far, has been to present things that are more layered and more like the world that can be seen all around. Instead of escaping into worlds that contrast the real one, the increasing popularity of gritty fantasy suggests that people are more willing to escape into worlds that are like their own.

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The More Names, the More Things

Another factor to consider when looking the rise in gritty fantasy is the ever-increasing drive to categorize literature and entertainment. Particularly, the urge to separate the “adult” literature from the “children’s” literature.

Both fantasy and science fiction have always been perceived as children’s literature.

They aren’t set in the real, contemporary world.

They aren’t written by those who aspire to write capital-L literature.

But at the same time, there have always been adults who enjoy fantasy and science fiction more than other forms of not-true stories. These adults would read Frank L. Baum, they would flip through Asimov, they would delve into the world of the Harry Potter series.

At times these stories, labelled as being for “children,” would be adapted into re-tellings or versions that were more “grown-up,” and at other times they would be distributed with darker, more “adult” covers. Anything to appeal more directly to those who were outside of the original key age demographic but nonetheless liked what they read for whatever reason.

Enter gritty, realistic fantasy.

Just like that, there’s now a fantasy sub-genre for adults, those who’d been generally perceived as “too old” for stories about magic, heroes and villains, Good and Evil. And where there is a supply to fill a hitherto unfulfilled demand that supply will soon prove insufficient.

After all, give something a new, more specific name, and those previously too shy to admit to liking that something under it’s old, general name (let’s say fantasy) will come out and help push demand even further.

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Closing

Don’t miss tomorrow’s Annotated Links (#13), and keep an eye out on Friday for the first part of All-Request August, featuring a search for the superb in Plan 9 From Outer Space!

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Annotated Links #12: Bully for Japan

1. Ruble, Cynthia. “Parent-child relationship key to solving bullying problem in Japan.” The Japan Daily Press 30 July 2012. Web. 31 July 2012.

This is a first person, opinion-based piece written as part anecdote and part observation. It identifies two major issues in Japanese culture that may make bullying ubiquitous: a willingness to accept hardships as part of life rather than try to improve them (related to the Japanese concept of “gaman”); and the unwillingness amongst adults to stand up against bullying for social reasons.

This article is of interest because it offers a cross-cultural look at bullying, and at some of the universals (unwillingness to defend oneself, fatalism) that may perpetuate bullying.

2. Gale, Bruce. “Tackling the bullying culture in Japan’s schools.” The Straits Times [found on Asia News Network] 18 July 2012. Web. 31 July 2012.

Gale analyzes bullying in Japan based on Herman Smith’s The Myth of Japanese Homogeneity. Specifically, Gale notes and includes analysis based on the three characteristics Smith writes of: “intense competition for scarce educational advantages;” “that girls are rarely victims;” and “that the victims are usually transfer students who do not yet have friends to protect them.” Gale also makes an interesting connection between bullying, gang violence, and heterogenous/multicultural societies, and another between bullying and the art style found in many manga. The article is written in a straightforward, easy to read style.

This article is of interest because of its analyses and because it offers a good sociological overview of the problem of bullying in Japan.

3. Nelson, Christopher. “To cut down on bullying, transform school culture.” MPR News 23 July 2012. Web. 31 July 2012.

A first person opinion piece based on Nelson’s experiences as a student and educator. Nelson writes that it’s important to tell bullies that bullying isn’t what’s done, and to get them to feel included after being reprimanded, not ostracised. He states that the best solution is to have a strong, school-wide sense of where the school is going and what’s important to it, yet he notes that there is no one formula for this sense and its enactment that can be universally applied. The article includes a brief summary of Nelson’s experience and credentials.

Though it isn’t about bullying in Japan, this article is included because it offers an interesting counterpoint to the otherwise ignored sense of school spirit found in Japanese schools that may also underlie bullying new/transfer students.

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Tomorrow’s editorial will be about the increasing grittiness of popular fantasy, and this Friday check the blog for a search for the good in the infamous Plan 9 From Outer Space. Plan 9 currently sits at a 66% among critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but because of a special request, and the movie’s reputation, I’m going to relax my usual 50% cut off point.

And, of course, don’t forget to check out “Annotated Links #13” on Thursday!

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Annotated Links #11: Getting Technical And/Or Long

1. Bird, Winifred. “Fish-loving Japan begins to embrace sustainable seafood.” The Christian Science Monitor 24 July 2012. Web. 26 July 2012.

A lengthy article that details much of the action being taken both inside and outside Japan to move the country into using sustainable fisheries since they consume 6% of the world’s fish harvest. The article is flush with consumption and fishing industry statistics. It is written in the style of a report, and includes very little to no human interest element.

2. Julian, Hana Levi. “Sci-Fi Comes Alive in New ‘Temporal Focusing’ Microscope.” Arutz Sheva 25 July 2012. Web. 26 July 2012.

Professor Yaron Silberberg and Dr. Dan Oron of the Physics of Complex Systems Department at the Weizmann Institute have created a microscope that views cells in both time and space. The microscope works by controlling the focus of a laser light beam in time rather than in space. It has been used primarily for brain tissue analysis so far. The article is written in a revelatory fashion, and dwells on explaining just how the microscope works.

3.Johnson, Carolyn Y. “Boston scientists use light to control behavior in monkeys.” White Coat Notes 26 July 2012. Web. 26 July 2012.

Using a technique called “optogenetics,” (a process by which algae genes are inserted into brain tissue) a team of scientists in Boston have successfully used light to control monkey behaviour. The team is optimistic that their work will help scientists to breakdown and figure out complex human behaviours and diseases in the future. The article is lengthy, but gives a significant amount of background information on the experiment and where it may lead in a straightforward fashion.

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Closing

Don’t miss tomorrow’s conclusion to Nicolas Cage Month – a search for the salvageable in Seeking Justice!

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Annotated Links #10: Massaging Media

1. Chung-Un, Cho. “‘Focus on human nature, not unique cultural aspects’.” The Korea Herald 18 July 2012. Web. 24 July 2012.

Robert McKee explains why he finds Korean film so intriguing. He also highlights the importance of speaking to human nature rather than cultural elements in stories intended for an international audience. This article is part reportage, part interview between McKee and the Korea Herald. It is written in a straightforward style with only some minor typos.

2. Dvorsky, George. “How An Alien Invasion Inspired Kevin J. Anderson to Start Writing Science Fiction.” io9 16 July 2012. Web. 24 July 2012.

Kevin J. Anderson’s accomplishments are listed, and it’s noted that his novelization of Rush’s Clockwork Angels is due out in September. Included is a long quote about Anderson’s seeing the War of the Worlds movie lead him to writing science fiction. The article is written in a light, direct style.

3. MSumm. “Dear Nintendo, Please Give Me a Zelda Game Tougher Than Majora’s Mask.” Kotaku 17 July 2012. Web. 24 July 2012.

A rant/letter directed at the major players at Nintendo, asking for a new Zelda game that is as difficult as Majora’s Mask. MSumm considers Majora’s Mask difficult because of its utter lack of hand-holding and un-skippable tutorials. Difficulty is sought because beating such a game grants the player a great feeling of satisfaction. This article is posted from Kotaku’s “Speak Up” forum, so there are some typos and grammatical errors. The article’s style is quite casual.

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Closing

Tomorrow, watch this space for an editorial entry, and don’t miss Annotated Links #11 on Thursday! Then, come Friday, the final part of Nicolas Cage month, a quest to find the good in Seeking Justice, will be posted.

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Annotated Links #9: Changing Our Minds

1. Kesterton, Michael. “Keeping an open mind about vacationing aliens.” Globe and Mail 12 July 2012. Web. 19 July 2012.

This is a collection of small news briefs about quirky events and findings. The most interesting of these is one entitled “Seat of self-awareness disputed,” which summarizes an article from London’s Sunday Times about Dr. Donald Pfaff, a neuroscientist who believes that the center of the brain responsible for creativity and self-awareness evolved in primitive fish to help them escape from predators. These news briefs are written around quotes from the original articles.

2. Feit, Daniel. “Hands-On: Nintendo’s Demon Training Purports to Build Your Brain’s RAM.” Wired 18 July 2012. Web. 18 July 2012.

As a 3DS follow-up to the popular Brain Age memory training game, Nintendo is releasing Five-Minute Demon Training on July 28 in Japan. According to Ryuta Kawashima, the neuroscientist who works on Nintendo’s brain training games, Five-Minute Demon Training helps to build your memory’s speed and capacity. The article is written using the first person, and includes a video of the Nintendo Direct video featuring a demo of the game.

3. Crowell, Todd. “Could Fukushima Cause A Change In Japan’s Groupthink?” Asia Sentinel 17 July 2012. Web. 18 July 2012.

Two commissions, a parliamentary commission headed by Kiyoshi Kurokawa (the Kurokawa commission for short) and “The Verification Committee for the Accident at Tepco’s Fukushima Nuclear Power Station” headed by Yotaro Hatamura (the “Hatamura Committee” for short) are on the verge of publishing investigative reports on the Fukushima disaster. These reports will help to answer whether the disaster was an act of God or the result of Japanese risk-aversion and group-think, though the article takes no sides. This article is written in a clear, concise style and includes some quotes.

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Closing

Don’t miss part three of Nicolas Cage month, going up tomorrow, as we get into 2011’s Trespass.

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