Coding? What's That?

     This video is very interesting, as well as the article written about it "Gates, Zuckerberg: Kids, learn to code."  Unlike the majority of kids in the United States, if this video can be taken for its word, I actually did learn basic coding in High School. I was put in the class on accident, but it turned out to be pretty fun. I have forgotten alot of it, but this video does encourage me to maybe get back out there and do a little coding from time to time. Coding, can actually be very enjoyable. I did the "Hello World" project the man who created Valve (Gabe), discussed in the video, in the class I took in High School. It is a very satisfying feeling, seeing the thing you created pop up on screen. But I do have to comment on how they say coding is easy. While I am sure alot of it has changed in the 5 years since I first learned it, coding is not easy. Similar to learning math, or a new language, it can be very frustrating. Syntax errors are the bane of every programer's existence,  especially when you have pages and pages of code. Luckily, with really good sources on the internet, or even a friend who is familiar with programming, these errors can be found and solved reasonably quickly. 
I find it very amusing that they show these work places as such free and creative spaces. While alot of work places are becoming a lot more relaxed, it really does depend on where you work as to what your work environment will be like. I would be willing to bet a large sum of money that the programmers who work for the military and government aren't lounging around on couches playing video games and eating chips at work. But I understand the concept behind the video. It is a video trying to encourage kids and adults alike to try programming, and make it seem appealing. I have a few friends who are computer science majors, and from what I hear, the limited number of computer programmers is because it is not easy to get a degree in that field. It takes alot of hard work, and sometimes, alot more than just basic math skills to pass the kind of classes they have to take. It is a very positive message to spread, but it is important that the people who are interested in programming because of this video, be willing to take on a challenge if they wish to persue it as a career. 

Rebuilding Past Technologies

Photo: rebuilt Colossus, completed in 2007, John Robertson, for The National Museum of Computing.

Personally, I find this kind of stuff fascinating. It never ceases to amaze me how we have advanced from these room sized computers that weighted well over a ton, to tiny hand held computers that weigh only a few ounces. Rebuilding these old computers is an important reminder, especially to those of my generation, who have grown up with computers being apart of everyday life. It helps us to understand how much work and innovation went into computers, before we were alive, and in some cases, even before our parents were alive. The advancements made by these machines affect our daily life, whether we realize it or not. We use the technology that was started with these computers nearly every waking minute of our daily lives. By rebuilding these giant computers, we are able to study and learn from our past. Seeing how inventors of the past solved issues and made innovations we take for granted today can inspire us to create new and innovative ways to solves problems with modern computers. These old computers are an important part of society's past, and its great that museums full of rebuilt old computers exist, so that people will be able to remember the importance of these machines well into the future.

Video Game Violence?

Does Video Game Violence Promote Real Violence?

In my opinion, ultimately, no. If this were true, people all over not only the United States, but globally would be beating each other to a pulp, murdering one another and committing other acts of crime and violence at extremely high rates. Everyone, especially in my generation, would be very violent, because we grew up playing video games. Not to say that things don't happen, but video games are not the sole cause. Much of the violence that occurs, is for the same reason it has always occurred, ignorance. Bad parenting, psych issues, mental illness and even just plain old not knowing better are some leading causes for violence.
Violence, has always been a common part of western society. In ancient times, people would watch other people kill each other, and be killed, in an arena. This, known as gladiator competitions is what we base modern sporting events off of now. (Think of how most sporting arenas resemble the Colosseum). Humans, love watching competitions of physical strength, and ability, including and up to watching people kill each other. Sports are one of the most common forms of competition, but can lead to actual physical harm.Video games, just like sports, simulate this competition, but without any actual risk of harming one another. Video games are even less violent than sports, because players rarely actually interact in real life. 
In some ways, video games help to even prevent violence. Many of my friends use video games as a way to "vent their frustrations." Video games are a good way to do this, because they allow stress and tension to be relived with out any physical harm done to anyone. Many people with violent tendencies may find video games to be a release, or a way to fulfill their violent urges without actually harming someone. This may even prevent a lot of violent crime, by allowing violence to occur with out actual people being harmed. Also, it can be a discouraging factor. Someone I knew was playing a violent video game, where the main protagonist was a drug dealer. This discouraged him from being a drug dealer, because as he said "these guys go through alot of shit."
Where video games can promote violence, is with people who may having issues telling reality from virtual, such as people with mental illnesses and small, impressionable children. Unfortunately, it is often the case that these kinds of people can readily access violent video games that can negatively influence them. But this is more the minority than the majority.
Video games are not the outright cause of violence, but can be a factor when bad situations have already began to breed trouble. Video games may even help to release tension, or fill a void that may even help to keep violence under control.Video games, in and of themselves, do not cause violence.

Ray Kurtzweil

This man, Ray Kurtzweil is most defiantly a very intelligent man. His theories, many of which have been surprisingly accurate, are very interesting. From the research I have done, he defiantly is an optimist, seeing the future in a very positive light. He believes that there will not be a "showdown" between computers, artificial intelligence, and humans, as Hollywood has so readily taught us to believe. Instead, humans and AI will work together to improve the lives of humans, through advanced health care treatments and recreation of human bodies with Nano-robots. He even predicts that someday, we will all be able to live very long lives, to the point of being immortal.
 This I do have to disagree with, because, humans are not made to live forever. Life and death ha been the nominal cycle of things since human existence. To change this pattern as rapidly as he predicts would be hazardous to the mental health of many, and would not be an intelligent decision, due to earth's limited resources. Earth cannot support everyone living forever, if people wish to keep reproducing. While the benefits of future medical technology he predicts will be very useful in improving lives, living forever, in my opinion, is a little too optimistic.
 

Ignite Ia microprocessor.JPG, Wikimedia Commons, Mirko Raner

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/27/magazine/ray-kurzweil-says-were-going-to-live-forever.html?smid=pl-share

Stop Motion Animation

Very cool!
 
Hudson - Against The Grain from Dropbear on Vimeo.

I love this video! The use of such ordinary and every day objects in a creative way is to be admired in an artist, and this video exemplifies it. Everyone has pencils or colored pencils, and this video found a way to make pencils a very compelling medium. I love how it uses pencils to represent all different kinds of things. This keep the viewer very engaged. Stop motion animation often has the power to do this. Its unique style of movement, and the way many artists use objects in new and creative ways in these animations make them very entertaining, and compelling. As an artist, I always admire those who do stop motion, because of its complicated and time consuming nature. But the result is totally worth it!

BLU BLU

This artist creates very unique and different animations. His animation, MUTO, was a very interesting concept. He did graffiti art as stop motion animation. It was quite elaborate, encompassing many walls and quite a few different areas.This obviously took a lot of work and effort, and that is to be admired. The sheer scale of a number of the pieces used in the animation is astounding, and to create a stop motion animation using that scale is impressive. I did, however, find some the subject matter a little strange and disturbing. The bugs eating the mans face down to just the skull, was amazing art work, and very interesting, but also a little weird. I find this animation compelling, and obviously done by a talented artist.




MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Singing In The Rain

This scene is very disturbing, and not just because of the content. The way the actor sings "Singing In The Rain" is creepy. But why that song?

 "Singing In The Rain" was a song written in the 1950s. In that era, innocence and purity were admired, and consistently projected on movie and television screens. By singing this song during committing such a violent and brutal act, is a statement about society. "Singing in the Rain" was an idealization of things, the real world was not like that. The rape and beating in this scene of Clockwork Orange was the exact opposite. There was no idealization, but rather an exaggeration of society. The characters in the film are hyper-violent, and decided to commit this act randomly, out of boredom. This juxtaposition of innocence and hyper-violence draws the viewer's attention. This song being sung is a direct response to the covering up and polishing of society. It's as if this act was committed and shown just to make up for the lack of reality in the past. It is a direct attack against that projection of innocence, by projecting the opposite. It was made to be disturbing, and shake the viewer, the exact opposite of the pleasant feeling of the original song in its original film. It is a brilliant scene, that conveys so much more then what appears to be on the surface.

A Trip to the Moon

As one of the first science fiction films ever created, it is creative, innovative and imaginative. While slow by today's standards, it is still very entertaining and must have captivated audiences of the time. The special effects are quite amazing considering the technology at the time. One of my favorite scenes is when the bullet shaped space ship is landing on the moon. It amazes me how smooth they make the landing out to be, and how it appears to float to the surface. This effect entertains me greatly and I find it fascinating. The scene where the space ship falls off the cliff on the moon and onto earth is also interesting, because no one at the time really knew what space was like, and how to get to the moon, let alone get back from it. This was a very creative way to imagine how it might be done wit the technology at the time. And of course the face of the man on the mood scene is brilliant! No wonder it is famous!

Roger-Viollet, Screenshot from Le Voyage dans la lune (A Trip to the Moon) (1902)

Angel de Quinta's STAGE DOOR Blog

These are 7 examples of Broadway plays that use technology in a creative way.

Jesus Christ Super Star

This Broadway musical uses an effect I found interesting.  In the section where the man in the red vinyl jacket is singing, the background is projected onto a screen. This allowed for a series of complicated images to be shown without curtain changes or backdrops. This means the image can be shown and changed very rapidly, which was very useful for the effect the director was trying to create. Another interesting detail I noticed was the use of Televisions as actual stage props. These TV's were actually on and showing images on the screen and were also actually broken. This added a level of reality to the musical which was nice.

Godspell

This musical had a fountain of sorts in the middle of the stage during a certain number. Water pours down from the ceiling unto a pool in the stage. This is an innovative way to use water in a production, especially one where the stage is in the center of the audience.

Mary Poppins

 This musical is cleverly able to make Mary Poppins fly. With elaborate special effects through stage design and stunt props, Mary Poppins convincingly takes to the sky, wowing the audience. What is amazing, and creative, is how it is done nearly invisibly. The wires, harnesses and other contraptions holding Mary up are almost unseen to the audience, making the illusion of flight that much stronger.

Avenue Q

Avenue Q uses puppets and puppet technology to create an interesting alternative to the usual musical. Instead of dressing up characters in costumes solely, the concept of this performance was to use puppet, controlled by people to do very over the top characters.

42nd Street

This musical utilized a myriad of lights and signs to simulate the lighted up feel of 42nd street in New York City and the infamous Broadway and Time Square. They simulate the signs in the city that never sleeps and the environment that it creates is very convincing.

CHAPLIN the Musical

 This musical has very interesting sets. It has moving pieces that simulate certain effects without the real objects actually being there. Take for example the gears in the background of one scene, moving separately from the other elements of the set and creating the illusion of machinery in the background.  

Oliver! 

 This musical has very elaborate sets that take a unique advantage of the lighting to create certain environments. It very intentionally creates night and day environments through the use of lighting behind and around the large intricate sets.


These Broadway musicals all cleverly use different kinds of technologies to create certain effects or events with in their plots.

Wicked, Behind the Emerald Curtain

Behind the scenes of Wicked

These videos were all very fascinating. I loved the make-up one (as seen below). I know how intricate and complicated theater make-up can be, and it actually is a small hobby of mine. I love how the makeup of Elphaba evolves as her character changes changes and matures into her own woman. Another interesting video was that of the "Time Dragon". Having seen the show a few years ago, I always wondered what the dragons purpose was in the show. This video helped to explain that it was an element from the novel that the set designer felt was an important creative point. The dragon adds to the over all astethic and feel of the musical (mise en scene!), making it feel like another world on stage. 

So much work and thought went into the creation of Wicked, its no wonder its such an amazing show!

The Ring Cycle at the MET

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeRwBiu4wfQ&feature=youtu.be
This stage is amazingly designed and executed, the innovative use of it exemplified in this scene with the ride of the Valkyries. They use the advanced set up in the middle of the stage in order to simulate the Valkyries riding their horses to a battlefield to transport fallen heroes to Valhalla. The set is later used to set up scenes and create environments. The versatility of the stage set is amazing.