Wednesday, September 30, 2009
ESL: Home Listening Due 12 October 2009
RELIGIOUS TRADITION ENDS
Go here.
1. Who, according to one of the news hosts, can't be on the sidelines (of a football field) anymore?Go here.
2. What have cheerleaders been banned from doing?
3. What do the student signs violate?
4. Who came to the above conclusion?
5. According to one newscaster, how many years have the cheerleaders had the banners?
6. Who do the cheerleaders try to motivate with the banners?
7. According to one student, when did they start this tradition?
8. According to one student, in one word what is the reaction from the community?
9. What religious beliefs do the majority of the community hold?
10. According to one newscaster, what happened the night before the interview with the two students?
11. What does the superintendent of the school say she personally appreciates?
12. How many people complained about the banners?
13. What is the superintendent protecting the school district from?
TOP OF THE WORLD
TOP OF THE WORLD
THIS SONG WAS produced and co-written by Richard Carpenter and sung by his sister (also a drummer), Karen Carpenter. It's a gorgeous song with wonderful production values (it would be difficult to break down the intro, so much is happening).Apart from her singing, Karen is famous for being the face of anorexia, a terrible dysmorphic disorder (hating one's body) of chronic self-starvation in order to look thin. As Hamlet said, "I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself king of infinite space were it not that I have bad dreams." Or as the biblical book of Proverbs phrased it, "Better to rule over oneself than conquer a city."
The record is brilliantly produced by Richard Carpenter with Karen's now famous inhale of breath just before she begins the vocal about 26 seconds into the file. Lyrics are on the video.
[Fwd: Questions/Answers] I've been told students never received this so I'm sending it again & also posting it.
> You mentioned about a word "jammed" in class just now, and you said that we can use the word when we're talking about a machine.
> So I wonder why we can say "the CD is jammed," but not "the computer is jammed?" What is the difference between the two?
>
> And I do not really understand the explanation you gave us for "mind over matter." Could you help me to have a better understanding about it?
I will always answer class questions to the whole class, so everyone learns, though the sender will always be anonymous.
1. A machine can be jammed. A CD cannot be jammed, but any mechanical object with parts can be jammed, such as a CD player. A computer cannot be jammed because there are no mechanical parts, only hardware. This is not entirely true, however, if one's DVD drive is jammed (will not close, or is stuck). But normally computers don't jam since it's mainly an issue of software or hardware not made up of mechanical parts. An electric fan can jam; a door can jam (won't open); a window can jam because it may not open smoothly, or a painted window will get stuck. A gun jams. Sometimes a jammed gun will save someone's life since it won't shoot. A rifle can jam. It's just a word that native speakers know how to use and when to use it. It's something native speakers don't think about; collocations come as part of life.
Sometimes "jam" is used as part of a phrasal verb (with a particle): "It jammed up on me." "I put too many bananas in the juice blender so it jammed up on me."
"Jam" is also used in a related way to say one is in a difficult position: "I'm in a jam at the police station. I lost my ID. You've got to come over with some identification." A "jam" then is a difficult situation that is usually unforeseen and may involve some kind of pressure. A jam then is different from a problem. A door can be broken and be a problem; but if a door is broken and one has to leave on an airplane flight in five hours one may be in a jam if one can't fix it right away. It's a matter of nuance, shades of meaning. "Listen, I'm in a jam. My plane leaves in two hours and I can't close my door. The hinges don't work. I can't leave the door open while I'm away. Can you come over and take care of it while I'm gone?"
So, no, a CD can't jam, though the CD player reading the CD might jam, or jam up, as we say. Nothing simple or made of one part can jam. It must be made of several parts where one part of the machinery can get stuck for some reason.
Another meaning of "jam" is a jazz free improvisation session. That is, musicians play freely, just having fun, to see what happens. There are even Rock jams.
Yet another meaning of jam is that sugary dessert that children (and even adults) spread on bread.
2. As for mind over matter, I can't do better than quote Shakespeare's Hamlet: "I can be bounded in a nutshell and count myself king of infinite space were it not that I have bad dreams."
(Note, I'm quoting the man, Hamlet, not the play, Hamlet, in which case I would have to italicize the word.)
In other words, some people can have 20 million dollars, live in a palace and kill themselves at 25 years old; another, whose mind is at peace, can live in a shabby home, with little money and can say, "I'm so blessed: I've got my health." Or: "I'm so blessed: my health could be a lot worse than it is." Or: "My health is terrible, but I still have my family, so I feel blessed."
See it's all a matter of mind over matter. Buddhism understood this. Zen (Ch'an Buddhism even more so). All our desires come from our mind. Advertisers understand this too, but from a different point of view. Whereas Buddhism tries to teach us that since all our desires are artificial, not natural, but come from our minds, and therefore we should get rid of those false desires, advertisers try to increase those false desires/needs: "You need this perfume to catch a man." "You need to lose weight to look sexy." "You need to have this brand new expensive car to attract the opposite sex." "If you drink this brand of Scotch you're a real man." Or, in psychopathology, "If my mother doesn't approve of my boyfriend I must be evil." "If my father doesn't applaud my grades, I must be bad," etc. And so on.
So what Hamlet knows is, if his mind were quiet, if it did not have false needs or desires, he could live in a little nutshell and still feel that he was KING OF ALL SPACE. But it's his bad dreams (i.e. thoughts) that prevent this: My neighbor has a new car so I must have one too. My classmate got a higher grade so I can't sleep at night, even though I'm getting good grades and my family has 40 million dollars in assets! I'm wearing last year's clothes instead of this year's, so people will laugh at me. To quote Hamlet again: "There's nothing either good or bad but that thinking makes it so." This is part of what is called Cognitive Psychology too, which tries to emphasize changing our habitual way of thinking about things (mother, father, friends, money, etc.). The anorexic is not fat but thinks that her weight is too heavy for what she thinks is thin! And no matter how much weight she loses she will always feel fat because she thinks fat, or she thinks thin. "There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so."
> So I wonder why we can say "the CD is jammed," but not "the computer is jammed?" What is the difference between the two?
>
> And I do not really understand the explanation you gave us for "mind over matter." Could you help me to have a better understanding about it?
I will always answer class questions to the whole class, so everyone learns, though the sender will always be anonymous.
1. A machine can be jammed. A CD cannot be jammed, but any mechanical object with parts can be jammed, such as a CD player. A computer cannot be jammed because there are no mechanical parts, only hardware. This is not entirely true, however, if one's DVD drive is jammed (will not close, or is stuck). But normally computers don't jam since it's mainly an issue of software or hardware not made up of mechanical parts. An electric fan can jam; a door can jam (won't open); a window can jam because it may not open smoothly, or a painted window will get stuck. A gun jams. Sometimes a jammed gun will save someone's life since it won't shoot. A rifle can jam. It's just a word that native speakers know how to use and when to use it. It's something native speakers don't think about; collocations come as part of life.
Sometimes "jam" is used as part of a phrasal verb (with a particle): "It jammed up on me." "I put too many bananas in the juice blender so it jammed up on me."
"Jam" is also used in a related way to say one is in a difficult position: "I'm in a jam at the police station. I lost my ID. You've got to come over with some identification." A "jam" then is a difficult situation that is usually unforeseen and may involve some kind of pressure. A jam then is different from a problem. A door can be broken and be a problem; but if a door is broken and one has to leave on an airplane flight in five hours one may be in a jam if one can't fix it right away. It's a matter of nuance, shades of meaning. "Listen, I'm in a jam. My plane leaves in two hours and I can't close my door. The hinges don't work. I can't leave the door open while I'm away. Can you come over and take care of it while I'm gone?"
So, no, a CD can't jam, though the CD player reading the CD might jam, or jam up, as we say. Nothing simple or made of one part can jam. It must be made of several parts where one part of the machinery can get stuck for some reason.
Another meaning of "jam" is a jazz free improvisation session. That is, musicians play freely, just having fun, to see what happens. There are even Rock jams.
Yet another meaning of jam is that sugary dessert that children (and even adults) spread on bread.
2. As for mind over matter, I can't do better than quote Shakespeare's Hamlet: "I can be bounded in a nutshell and count myself king of infinite space were it not that I have bad dreams."
(Note, I'm quoting the man, Hamlet, not the play, Hamlet, in which case I would have to italicize the word.)
In other words, some people can have 20 million dollars, live in a palace and kill themselves at 25 years old; another, whose mind is at peace, can live in a shabby home, with little money and can say, "I'm so blessed: I've got my health." Or: "I'm so blessed: my health could be a lot worse than it is." Or: "My health is terrible, but I still have my family, so I feel blessed."
See it's all a matter of mind over matter. Buddhism understood this. Zen (Ch'an Buddhism even more so). All our desires come from our mind. Advertisers understand this too, but from a different point of view. Whereas Buddhism tries to teach us that since all our desires are artificial, not natural, but come from our minds, and therefore we should get rid of those false desires, advertisers try to increase those false desires/needs: "You need this perfume to catch a man." "You need to lose weight to look sexy." "You need to have this brand new expensive car to attract the opposite sex." "If you drink this brand of Scotch you're a real man." Or, in psychopathology, "If my mother doesn't approve of my boyfriend I must be evil." "If my father doesn't applaud my grades, I must be bad," etc. And so on.
So what Hamlet knows is, if his mind were quiet, if it did not have false needs or desires, he could live in a little nutshell and still feel that he was KING OF ALL SPACE. But it's his bad dreams (i.e. thoughts) that prevent this: My neighbor has a new car so I must have one too. My classmate got a higher grade so I can't sleep at night, even though I'm getting good grades and my family has 40 million dollars in assets! I'm wearing last year's clothes instead of this year's, so people will laugh at me. To quote Hamlet again: "There's nothing either good or bad but that thinking makes it so." This is part of what is called Cognitive Psychology too, which tries to emphasize changing our habitual way of thinking about things (mother, father, friends, money, etc.). The anorexic is not fat but thinks that her weight is too heavy for what she thinks is thin! And no matter how much weight she loses she will always feel fat because she thinks fat, or she thinks thin. "There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so."
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
MIDTERM EXAMS
NOTICE
The mid-term examinations of FLLD are scheduled for the week of November 16th.
It is recommended that no teaching activities be conducted during the examination week.
FLLD
Sept. 30, 2009
ALICE BLUE GOWN
ALICE BLUE GOWN
This waltz is from the 1919 Broadway musical, Irene. Alice Blue is a steel shade of blue made famous by a gown President Theodore Roosevelt's daughter, Alice, wore. Broadway songs typically included a verse (V) and chorus (A), with a bridge tune in the middle (B), thus V-A-B-A. Verses were intended to segue smoothly from speaking to singing in stage plays. But as radio airplay became too costly, verses were dropped and today only dedicated vocalists sing the verses of the classic Broadway songs. This is a pity because often the verses were as musical as the chorus and sometimes more so (listen to the verse for "Stardust" or "Someone to Watch Over Me" for two examples). Some Broadway songs ("Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" is an example) lacked verses.
This waltz is from the 1919 Broadway musical, Irene. Alice Blue is a steel shade of blue made famous by a gown President Theodore Roosevelt's daughter, Alice, wore. Broadway songs typically included a verse (V) and chorus (A), with a bridge tune in the middle (B), thus V-A-B-A. Verses were intended to segue smoothly from speaking to singing in stage plays. But as radio airplay became too costly, verses were dropped and today only dedicated vocalists sing the verses of the classic Broadway songs. This is a pity because often the verses were as musical as the chorus and sometimes more so (listen to the verse for "Stardust" or "Someone to Watch Over Me" for two examples). Some Broadway songs ("Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" is an example) lacked verses.
In my sweet little Alice blue gown,
When I first wandered down into town,
I was both proud and shy,
As I felt every eye,
But in every shop window I primped, passing by.
Then in manner of fashion I'd frown,
And the world seemed to smile all around.
'Til it wilted, I wore it,
I'll always adore it,
My sweet little Alice blue gown!
I was both proud and shy,
As I felt every eye,
But in every shop window I primped, passing by.
Then in manner of fashion I'd frown,
And the world seemed to smile all around.
'Til it wilted, I wore it,
I'll always adore it,
My sweet little Alice blue gown!
ORPHANS OF THE STORM (home viewing)
ORPHANS OF THE STORM
FOR DEDICATED STUDENTS, you may wish to study D. W. Griffith's Orphans of the Storm (1921) at home besides viewing it on Friday. It's in 14 parts and part 1 is here. You can easily find the other parts, usually seriatim (in order). You will notice that this print has different tinting (explained in a previous handout) from the print you'll see on Friday.Home Listening Due 5 October 2009
1. What is easy to rack up?
2. Can people go to debtors prison in the US?
3. Can one go to prison for unsecured debts?
4. Can one go to jail for unpaid child support?
5. How high a percent of one's wages can be garnisheed for debt?
6. In two words, according to financial expert Erica Sandberg what's the most important way to avoid being sued for debt?
7. According to Sandberg, what is the ideal way to pay off one's debt?
8. Can one be sued if one files for bankruptcy?
9. What will cause one's credit to be bad for a long time?
10. What does NFCC stand for?
2. Can people go to debtors prison in the US?
3. Can one go to prison for unsecured debts?
4. Can one go to jail for unpaid child support?
5. How high a percent of one's wages can be garnisheed for debt?
6. In two words, according to financial expert Erica Sandberg what's the most important way to avoid being sued for debt?
7. According to Sandberg, what is the ideal way to pay off one's debt?
8. Can one be sued if one files for bankruptcy?
9. What will cause one's credit to be bad for a long time?
10. What does NFCC stand for?
THE TWILIGHT ZONE: 50th Anniversary
50 years later, Twilight Zone bridges time
"There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call The Twilight Zone." - Rod Serling
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — On a Friday night in October 1959, Americans began slipping into a dimension of imagination as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. They've really never returned.
"The Twilight Zone," first submitted for the public's approval by a reluctant CBS, has resonated with viewers from generation to generation with memorable stories carrying universal messages about society's ills and the human condition.
Like the time-space warps that anchored so many of the show's plots, Rod Serling's veiled commentary remains as soul-baring today as it did a half-century ago, and the show's popularity endures in multiple facets of American pop culture.
"I'm interested in the escapist ideas, the psychological nature of the stories," said Lauren Chizinski of Houston, a first-year graduate student in sculpting at Syracuse University who is among two dozen students taking a class on show and its 50th anniversary.
"The Twilight Zone" has been exulted in mediums such as pinball and video games and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride at Disney theme parks.
The original show — which ran just five seasons, 1959-1964 — led to a feature film by Steven Spielberg and John Landis in 1983, and is reportedly soon to appear again on the silver screen from Leonardo DiCaprio's production company.
It's also resulted in short-lived television series in the 1980s and in 2002, and has been the subject of scores of books, Web sites, blogs, comic books and magazines and a radio series. It's even inspired music from the Grateful Dead, Rush, Golden Earring and Michael Jackson.
"Even people who have never seen 'The Twilight Zone' know about it," said Doug Brode, who is teaching the Serling class at Syracuse and teamed with Serling's widow to write "Rod Serling and The Twilight Zone: The 50th Anniversary Tribute."
With quality writing, acting and production, "The Twilight Zone" pioneered a genre, said Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University.
"The whole idea of 'The Twilight Zone' jumped off the television screen and became a catchphrase, a buzzword for something much beyond the TV show itself," Thompson added. "When you say Twilight Zone, it's its own genre. The X-Files was working in 'The Twilight Zone' genre."
Its signature theme song even became part of popular language, allowing people to describe unusual or inexplicable moments with a simple "doo-doo doo-doo," Thompson said.
CBS has no plans to observe the show's 50th anniversary, said spokesman Chris Ender. The show has enjoyed nearly uninterrupted popularity through television, syndication and DVD releases and is under license to air in 30 countries, he said.
The Syfy Channel regularly broadcasts The Twilight Zone and plans a 15-show marathon Oct. 2.
Anniversary observances are planned in Binghamton, N.Y., where Serling grew up and went to high school; at Ithaca College in New York, where Serling taught from 1967 until his death in 1975, and which keeps Serling's archives; and at Antioch College in Ohio, where Serling was a student — met his wife, Carol — and later taught.
"I don't think he would have thought in a million years that Twilight Zone would be having an important 50th birthday or that it would still be on," said Carol Serling, who will attend the celebrations in Ithaca and Binghamton.
"Through parable and suggestion, he could make points that he couldn't make on straight television because there were too many sacred cows and sponsors and people who said you couldn't do that," she said, referring to the networks' reluctance to deal with contemporary issues in its prime-time programming.
There were 156 episodes filmed for the original series; Serling wrote 92 of them and other contributors included Richard Matheson and Ray Bradbury, two of the deans of science fiction writing.
In a time on television when suburbia was idealized in popular shows such as "Ozzie and Harriet" and "Make Room for Daddy," Serling offered a mixture of fantasy, science fiction, suspense, horror — and the show's trademark macabre or unexpected twist.
Serling had already earned acclaim for his television writing ("Requiem for a Heavyweight," "Patterns,") but found himself fighting CBS to get "The Twilight Zone" on the air. Serling would have repeated conflicts with network censors throughout his career.
In 1958, CBS bought Serling's teleplay, "The Time Element," which he hoped would be the pilot to his weekly series. The story was about a bartender who keeps waking up in Pearl Harbor knowing the Japanese will be attacking the next day but unable to convince anyone he's telling the truth.
But CBS shelved the series after buying it because the studio didn't think there was much commercial value in science fiction. Bert Granet, producer of the weekly CBS anthology series "Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse," stumbled on the script and wanted it. He bought it for $10,000.
The story aired on Nov. 24, 1958, and became the Westinghouse series' biggest hit, garnering more audience reaction than any previous episodes. CBS finally decided to take a chance on Serling's series.
Monday, September 28, 2009
A song to listen to
SONG SUNG BLUE
This was one of Neil Diamond's biggest hits (1972, #1). The song is by Diamond but the music was adapted from the ravishing andante (slow movement) of Mozart's Piano Concerto #21 in C-major. It's remarkable that people who can't enjoy classical music from its original source will turn it into a #1 popular hit if it's adaped and set to lyrics! This has been the case for many famous classical melodies, such as Celine Dion's hit "All By Myself" (originally charted by Eric Carmen).
Song sung blue, everybody knows one
Song sung blue, every garden grows one
Me and you are subject to
The blues now and then
But when you take the blues
And make a song
You sing 'em out again
You sing 'em out again
Song sung blue, weeping like a willow
Song sung blue, sleeping on my pillow
Funny thing,
But you can sing it with a cry in your voice
And before you know it get to feeling good
You simply got no choice
Me and you are subject to
The blues now and then
But when you take the blues
And make a song
You sing 'em out again
Song sung blue, weeping like a willow
Song sung blue, sleeping on my pillow
Funny thing,
But you can sing it with a cry in your voice
And before you know it start to feeling good
You simply got no choice
Song sung blue
Song sung blue
Funny thing,
But you can sing it with a cry in your voice
And before you know it get to feeling good
You simply got no choice
Proverb Presentation Wednesday 30 September 2009
PROVERB PRESENTATION
For Wednesday 30 September 2009
Students should have a chance to speak more in this class. So for Thursday choose a proverb, quote, or saying and explain its source (writer, book, film), its meaning as you understand it, its significance to you (why you chose it), some background information (where you found it, whether others used it), and something special in the phrasing, idea, or vocabulary of the proverb. Give your name first and then your presentation. Make your presentations brief and to the point. Examples:For Wednesday 30 September 2009
1. "Poor and content is rich and rich enough." From Shakespeare's Othello. The proverb sums up a basic principle of happiness, to be content with whatever one has. In terms of style, the contrast between "poor/rich" is effective and ironic (to be poor is to be rich, if one is content). Note also the repetition of "and" which adds rhythm to the proverb. Finally the repetion of the word "rich" emhasizes the irony of the proverb.
2. "Let Justice roll down like a river, Righteousness like a never-ending stream." This is from the minor biblical prophet, Amos. Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King quoted this at least twice in his speeches. It sums up the importance of social justice in the Bible. Biblical poetry, rather than using rhyme, rhymes one idea with another, by repeating or contrasting it. So justice/righteousness, river/stream, roll down/never-ending are repeated for maximum effect, adding power to the thought. It also shows how the Bible can be used as a blueprint for social justice.
2 Gospel songs
GOSPEL MUSIC
GOSPEL IS ONE of the most fecund branches of music, with numerous new recordings each year. It's hard to imagine a bad Gospel CD because no Gospel singer would record unless the Spirit possessed them. No Gospel singer records to make money, though they don't mind money if it comes.
There are superstars in Gospel music as in other genres. Today's superstars include The Winans, Yolanda Adams, Hezekiah Walker, and dozens of others.
Most soul singers come from a Gospel background (Whitney Houston's mom is the great Gospel singer, Cissy Houston; they sang together in The Preacher's Wife). Some started out as superstars of Gospels and switched to Soul, where the money is. Sam Cooke, in fact, almost invented Soul music after leaving his Gospel group, The Soul Stirrers. Aretha Franklin was raised in the church, sang in the church, but later became probably the greatest female Soul singer of all time.
Besides a large canon of traditional Gospel songs and Afro-American spirtuals, which must rank among the world's greatest folk music, new Gospel songs are written continuously. It's a very rich field of music with some of the world's greatest voices and greatest vocal harmonies. It's a field worth exploring. Among the older Gospel singers, Mahalia Jackson is still considered the greatest Gospel singer of all time. Marian Williams had one of the greatest Gospel voices. Clara Ward was another legend. The list is huge. Just explore the music as much as possible.
DIDN'T IT RAIN?
A famous Gospel song that has appeared in countless versions, with the same melody but different lyrics. Gospel music is fecund. Much of it is similar to the oral tradition in literature, where each singer changes the words to suit a new purpose and sometimes words from one Gospel song are added to another. This version of "Didn't It Rain?" is in the Country style, by the Oak Ridge Boys. It sings of the Flood and Noah's Ark. The lyrics have no relationship with lyrics to other versions of this song, though the melody is usually the same. There are many songs on the Flood and Noah. Check my former blog, EPIPHANY and click on "Bible Songs" for some lyrics to these songs. You may be able to locate versions on youtube. The difficulty of referring these songs is that no Gospel record is the same as another, with rare exceptions, such as "Peace in the Valley." Most Gospel records, as I said above, are created anew by each singer based on an earlier or other versions. The lyrics would be hard to track down and I don't have time to do it myself. DIDN'T IT RAIN?
The good Lord went to NoahAnd he told him about the flood
He said Noah build me a vessel and make it out of gopher wood
Build it big tall and strong so it won't be torn apart
Old Noah built him a masterpiece and he called it Noah's ark.
Didn't it rain, children, didn't it rain, rain, rain, 40 days and nights didn't it rain? (2)
He had a moose and a goose and gander, alligator and a big hippo
A monkey and an ape a couple of snakes around a sheep and a goat
He had a possum and a coon and a black baboon
An eagle and red tailhorn
A buck and a doe a turkey and a crow and a donkey trying to balk
He had leopards lions a bull and a buffalo
Orangatangs and little things all lined up in a row.
He had a dog and a gopher rat a great big grizzly bear
A mule and a cow a boar and a sow, he had two of everything there.
Didn't it rain, children, didn't it rain, rain, rain, 40 days and nights didn't it rain? (2)
He had apples peaches plums and pears, grapes and apricots.
Peas and beans and turnip greens
He had corn and baby squah
He had a pumpkin and a big watermelon, he had every kind of wheat
And just before he closed that door he had a hand of mustard seed.
Didn't it rain, children, didn't it rain, rain, rain, 40 days and nights didn't it rain? (2)
NEVER GIVE UP
This is an example of modern Gospel. Strictly speaking it's not really Gospel since it doesn't mention God, Jesus, or a biblical event or person. It falls into the class of Inspirational Music. Presumably the goal of Inspirational Music is to reach a wider market by NOT mentioning God! Yet the song is sung by one of today's greatest Gospel singers, Yolanda Adams, which makes the song Gospel just by having her vocal attached to it. This is one of the great vocals in contemporary Gospel music. Notice that Adams prefixes words from the minor prophet Habakkuk to the song, to insure that it's heard as a Gospel song and not just an inspirational song! Another example of an Inspirational song is "When You Believe." Probably the most famous Inspirational song is Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic, "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel. Notice these songs never mention God or biblical ideas, so everyone, including atheists, will take comfort from them. But Yolanda Adams is certainly a Christian. Whether religious or not, sit back and enjoy this superb vocal.NEVER GIVE UP
"For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end, it shall speak, and not lie; though it tarry, wait for it, for it will surely come; it will not tarry."
Habakkuk, 2:3
Habakkuk, 2:3
Visions that can change the world
Trapped inside an ordinary girl
She looks just like me
To afraid to dream out loud
And though it's set for your idea
It won't make sense to everybody
You need courage now
If you're going to persevere
To fulfill your life's purpose
You've gotta answer when you're called
So don't be afraid to face the world
Against all odds
Keep the dream alive don't let it die, if something deep inside
Keeps inspiring you to try, don't stop
And never give up; don't ever give up on you
Don't give up
Every victory comes in time
Work today to change tomorrow
It gets easier
Who's to say that you can't fly?
Every step you take you gets
Closer to your destination
You can feel it now
Don't you know you're almost there?
To fulfill your life's purpose
You've gotta' answer when you're called
So don't be afraid to face the world
Against all odds
Keep the dream alive don't let it die, if something deep inside
Keeps inspiring you to try, don't stop
And never give up; don't ever give up on you...
Sometimes life can place a stubborn block in your way
But you've gotta keep the faith
Reap what deep inside your heart
To fly
And never give up
Don't ever give up on you,
Don't give up
Who holds the pieces to complete the puzzle?
The answer that can solve the mystery
The key that can unlock your understanding
It's all inside of you
You have everything you need
So, keep the dream alive don't let it die
If something deep inside keeps inspiring you to try
Don't stop
And never give up; don't ever give up on you...
Sometimes life can place a stubborn block on your way
But you've gotta keep the faith
Bring what's deep inside your heart
To the light
And never give up
Don't ever give up on you
No.don't give up
No, no, no, no
Don't give up
Don't give up
Don't give up
Oh, don't, no, no, no, no
Don't...give...up
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Twilight Zone (music by Marius Constant)
This TV theme by French avant-garde composer, Marius Constant, has become one of the most famous in TV history and has also been used in the movie versions of the series. It was was not used for the TV series until the second season. The first season's theme was written by the legendary film composer, Bernard Herrmann (Vertigo, Psycho, The Day the Earth Stood Still, North by Northwest, Obsession, Taxi Driver, etc.). Apparently the producers preferred Constant's more catchy theme. Actually the theme was patched together from two cues of Constant's library music, which studios often purchased from composers to use (or "track") whenever they needed to use stock music material. The rest is history.
Week of 28 September 2009
BIBLE
Week of 28 September 2009
THE FIRST MURDER
Week of 28 September 2009
THE FIRST MURDER
4:1 The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, "I have gotten a man with Yahweh's help." 4:2 Again she gave birth, to Cain's brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 4:3 As time passed, it happened that Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground. 4:4 Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering, 4:5 but he didn't respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell. 4:6 Yahweh said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen? 4:7 If you do well, will it not be lifted up? If you don't do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it." 4:8 Cain said to Abel, his brother, "Let's go into the field." It happened when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him.
The Bible writes about "dysfunctional families" from the beginning. Notice the first child is a murderer; the cause is envy. This kind of competing against one's neighbor, leading to sad results, cointinues. The Bible's style is to simplify what we think of as complex actions. But in the Bible we see the step by step process in simple form: Cain is rejected; his face shows anger; he invites his brother out to kill him.
4:9 Yahweh said to Cain, "Where is Abel, your brother?"
He said, "I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?"
Who is responsible? Another insight of the Bible writers. Adam blames Eve, Eve blames the snake. Cain asks is he responsible for his brother, even though he killed him.
The French philosopher Rene Girard makes a lot out of what he calls the special gift the Bible has in exposing innocent victims. In other myths, he says, the victim is never called innocent. But the Bible makes a point of calling the victim innocent, from Abel, to Jesus. Girard considers this the special genius of the Bible, which gave voice to the victim.
4:10 Yahweh said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the ground. 4:11 Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 4:12 From now on, when you till the ground, it won't yield its strength to you. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth."
4:13 Cain said to Yahweh, "My punishment is greater than I can bear. 4:14 Behold, you have driven me out this day from the surface of the ground. I will be hidden from your face, and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth. It will happen that whoever finds me will kill me."
Note the escalation (increase) in violence. Anyone who kills Cain will be avenged seven times. There's a problem however. Who's going to kill Cain if he's the only one on earth besides his parents?
4:15 Yahweh said to him, "Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold." Yahweh appointed a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should strike him.
4:16 Cain went out from Yahweh's presence, and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. 4:17 Cain knew his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Enoch. He built a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.
Note that its the murderer who builds the first city. Below, we are back to the so-called Priest document, which we saw in chapter 1. Now we have a new phrase: "Documentary Hypothesis," identified with a man named Julius Weilhausen (1844-1918). This is also called the Source Hypothesis. I've already mentioned this but will discuss it now in more detail. The Documentary Hypothesis strongly shows that the first five books of the Bible (called the Pentateuch; pent=5; teuch=scroll) were not, as once thought, written by Moses. Rather they were edited together from 4 different sources. The earliest is the J source; because this source uses the name Yaweh (translated as Lord); the next source is E, after the word for God, Elohim; E like P uses "God"; E is the least important for our study because the least preserved as far as we know. Probably the most famous E text is the binding ("sacrifice") of Isaac. P is important; we read him in ch. 1 and find him again below. He must have belonged to the Priest class because he is concerned with later Jewish ritual, which he then imagines back to the beginning. Thus "evening and morning were the first day" shows that the Priest ritual had already begun, as had the Sabbath by the time ch. 1 was written. The final source is also important, called D because the entire book of Deuteronomy is written by this writer, as well as other books outside the Pentateuch.
We find P again. Note there is no Cain, no Abel, no murder! There's only Seth. So Seth became a hero to some early religious sects, called Gnostics, who believed that man was not naturally "fallen"; so they traced themselves back to Seth and called themselves Sethians. Gnostics later influenced early Christianity, especially the Gospel of John. But we won't go too much into this, at least not now.
5:1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, he made him in God's likeness. 5:2 He created them male and female, and blessed them, and called their name "Adam," in the day when they were created. 5:3 Adam lived one hundred thirty years, and became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 5:4 The days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years, and he became the father of sons and daughters. 5:5 All the days that Adam lived were nine hundred thirty years, then he died.
5:32 Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
The human race is traced through Noah's 3 sons. >From "Shem" we get "semites" (Jews); from Ham the darker races; from Japheth Europeans or Asians. The story of the Flood is famous. Here, in a more confusing way, the J and P stories are combined, rather than separated by chapters. This for example is a J text; note the use of Yahweh:
6:5 Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6:6 Yahweh was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart. 6:7 Yahweh said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the surface of the ground; man, along with animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them." 6:8 But Noah found favor in Yahweh's eyes.
The following is the Priest text:
6:9 Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God. 6:10 Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 6:11 The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 6:12 God saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
6:13 God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 6:14 Make a ship of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ship, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch. 6:15 This is how you shall make it. The length of the ship will be three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 6:16 You shall make a roof in the ship, and you shall finish it to a cubit upward. You shall set the door of the ship in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third levels. 6:17 I, even I, do bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is in the earth will die. 6:18 But I will establish my covenant with you. You shall come into the ship, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. 6:19 Of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ship, to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 6:20 Of the birds after their kind, of the livestock after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort shall come to you, to keep them alive. 6:21 Take with you of all food that is eaten, and gather it to yourself; and it will be for food for you, and for them." 6:22 Thus Noah did. According to all that God commanded him, so he did.
Once again the J text. Note that in the Priest text only 2 animals are taken to the ark, but in the J text 7. Why? Because the P would now allow anyone to sacrifice except the priest class. So he told the story without sacrifices. (If there had been sacrifices, one pair would not have been enough to continue the species after the flood.)
7:1 Yahweh said to Noah, "Come with all of your household into the ship, for I have seen your righteousness before me in this generation. 7:2 You shall take seven pairs of every clean animal with you, the male and his female. Of the animals that are not clean, take two, the male and his female. 7:3 Also of the birds of the sky, seven and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive on the surface of all the earth. 7:4 In seven days, I will cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights. Every living thing that I have made, I will destroy from the surface of the ground."
7:5 Noah did everything that Yahweh commanded him.
7:6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came on the earth. 7:7 Noah went into the ship with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives, because of the waters of the flood. 7:8 Clean animals, animals that are not clean, birds, and everything that creeps on the ground 7:9 went by pairs to Noah into the ship, male and female, as God commanded Noah. 7:10 It happened after the seven days, that the waters of the flood came on the earth. 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep were burst open, and the sky's windows were opened. 7:12 The rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.
7:13 In the same day Noah, and Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, entered into the ship; 7:14 they, and every animal after its kind, all the livestock after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. 7:15 They went to Noah into the ship, by pairs of all flesh with the breath of life in them. 7:16 Those who went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him; and Yahweh shut him in. 7:17 The flood was forty days on the earth. The waters increased, and lifted up the ship, and it was lifted up above the earth. 7:18 The waters prevailed, and increased greatly on the earth; and the ship floated on the surface of the waters. 7:19 The waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth. All the high mountains that were under the whole sky were covered. 7:20 The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered. 7:21 All flesh died that moved on the earth, including birds, livestock, animals, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. 7:22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, of all that was on the dry land, died. 7:23 Every living thing was destroyed that was on the surface of the ground, including man, livestock, creeping things, and birds of the sky. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ship. 7:24 The waters prevailed on the earth one hundred fifty days.
8:1 God remembered Noah, all the animals, and all the livestock that were with him in the ship; and God made a wind to pass over the earth. The waters subsided. 8:2 The deep's fountains and the sky's windows were also stopped, and the rain from the sky was restrained. 8:3 The waters receded from the earth continually. After the end of one hundred fifty days the waters decreased. 8:4 The ship rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on Ararat's mountains. 8:5 The waters receded continually until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.
Note in the J version there are only 40 days to the flood; in the P version, 150 days.
8:6 It happened at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ship which he had made, 8:7 and he sent out a raven. It went back and forth, until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8:8 He sent out a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from the surface of the ground, 8:9 but the dove found no place to rest her foot, and she returned to him into the ship; for the waters were on the surface of the whole earth. He put out his hand, and took her, and brought her to him into the ship. 8:10 He stayed yet another seven days; and again he sent the dove out of the ship. 8:11 The dove came back to him at evening, and, behold, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off. So Noah knew that the waters were abated from the earth. 8:12 He stayed yet another seven days, and sent out the dove; and she didn't return to him any more.
8:13 It happened in the six hundred first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth. Noah removed the covering of the ship, and looked. He saw that the surface of the ground was dried. 8:14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.
8:15 God spoke to Noah, saying, 8:16 "Go out of the ship, you, and your wife, and your sons, and your sons' wives with you. 8:17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh, including birds, livestock, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply on the earth."
8:18 Noah went out, with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives with him. 8:19 Every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, whatever moves on the earth, after their families, went out of the ship.
8:20 Noah built an altar to Yahweh, and took of every clean animal, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 8:21 Yahweh smelled the pleasant aroma. Yahweh said in his heart, "I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake, because the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I ever again strike everything living, as I have done. 8:22 While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."
Note how God accepts the fact that humans are evil. This is the first of the four Covenants in the Old Testament. This is called the Noachide Covenant, an agreement made with Noah. The next covenant is made with Abraham (the Abrahamic Covenant), then with the Jewish people (the Sinai Covenant), then with David (the Davidic covenant). Now people start to eat meat as well as vegetables. But the blood of meat is forbidden. This will become a key issue for Christians when they decided to give up the Law, since Jesus replaced the Law.
9:1 God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. 9:2 The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything that the ground teems with, and all the fish of the sea are delivered into your hand. 9:3 Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As the green herb, I have given everything to you. 9:4 But flesh with its life, its blood, you shall not eat. 9:5 I will surely require your blood of your lives. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man's brother, I will require the life of man. 9:6 Whoever sheds man's blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image. 9:7 Be fruitful and multiply. Increase abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it."
Note above the basis for capital punishment (9:6). Also note how the passage is written like a recreation; as if God were making the world again, with the same commands: "Be fruitful and multipy," etc.
9:8 God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, 9:9 "As for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you, 9:10 and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ship, even every animal of the earth. 9:11 I will establish my covenant with you: all flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood, neither will there ever again be a flood to destroy the earth." 9:12 God said, "This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 9:13 I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be for a sign of a covenant between me and the earth. 9:14 It will happen, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud, 9:15 and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 9:16 The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." 9:17 God said to Noah, "This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth."
This is what is called an etiological story. There are many of them in the Bible. An etiological story explains why something is the way it is, as in the case of a rainbow.
9:18 The sons of Noah who went out from the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan. 9:19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these, the whole earth was populated.
9:20 Noah began to be a farmer, and planted a vineyard. 9:21 He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent. 9:22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 9:23 Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn't see their father's nakedness. 9:24 Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him. 9:25 He said,
"Canaan is cursed.
He will be servant of servants to his brothers."
9:26 He said,
"Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Shem.
Let Canaan be his servant.
9:27 May God enlarge Japheth.
Let him dwell in the tents of Shem.
Let Canaan be his servant."
This is another etiological story; it "explains" why the Canaanites are treated like slaves. This text was a key text used to justify slavery in the US South.
9:28 Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood. 9:29 All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, then he died.
Now follows another famous etiological story explaining why there are so many languages on earth.
11:1 The whole earth was of one language and of one speech. 11:2 It happened, as they traveled east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there. 11:3 They said one to another, "Come, let's make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. 11:4 They said, "Come, let's build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let's make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth."
Note the consistent language: "Come, let's" and "Come let's," until God "came down." Once again we see a step by step process. It shows the uselessness of fighting against God:
11:5 Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. 11:6 Yahweh said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do. 11:7 Come, let's go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." 11:8 So Yahweh scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city. 11:9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there Yahweh confused the language of all the earth. From there, Yahweh scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.
11:27 Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot.
This is the beginning of the Jewish religion. Abram, later Abraham, follows God obediently, even leaving his home without pause. This is the beginning of Jewish monotheism as well as the Abrahamic Covenant. It's also important for Christians; because St. Paul valued the Abrahamic Covenant more than the later Sinai Covenant, based on Jewish laws. Abraham's religion was "by faith alone," which became an important idea for Paul and later Christians. Note how to save oneself one must turn one's back on everything: home country, parents. (We assume they were worshiping many gods in Abraham's home, so that home was a bad influence. To found a new religion, Abrahm had to leave. And he didn't hesitate. "GO!")
12:1 Now Yahweh said to Abram, "Get out of your country, and from your relatives, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you. 12:2 I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing. 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. All of the families of the earth will be blessed in you."
V. 3 above seems to predict Christianity's appeal to "all families of the earth."
12:4 So Abram went, as Yahweh had spoken to him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed out of Haran. 12:5 Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother's son, all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls whom they had gotten in Haran, and they went to go into the land of Canaan. Into the land of Canaan they came. 12:6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. The Canaanite was then in the land.
Notice that 12:6b is a key verse for scholars of the Documentary Hypothesis; because we read that "The Canaanite was then in the land." Obviously this verse was written long after Moses had died!
SCHEDULED FILM FOR FRIDAY 2 OCTOBER 2009
ORPHANS OF THE STORM
For Friday a silent film classic, Orphans of the Storm (D. W. Griffith, 1921) is scheduled.
For Friday a silent film classic, Orphans of the Storm (D. W. Griffith, 1921) is scheduled.
Movies were silent until the onset of sound in 1927. This does not make Silent Cinema an inferior art. In fact some critics, such as Rudolph Arnheim, believe that films lost whatever artistic value they had with the addition of sound. That's because sound, according to these critics, weakened the artistic independence of the image, the way that talking would destroy classical ballet!
Few critics would agree with this view today. But it's a useful counterbalance for viewers--especially young viewers--who believe that any film made more than twenty years ago is unworthy of appreciation! Some young viewers, for example, can't believe that even a black-and-white film (much less a silent film) is worth seeing.
In point of fact, few films today equal the great films of the 1930s-50s, when most films were made in black-and-white and had short runtimes (usually under two hours, though many averaged 90 minutes). Directors quickly mastered the art of sound and image together, scripts were well edited, preproduction values were high, studio contracts insured that actors would be always ready for the next role without delay, and contract composers guaranteeed a solid musical score no matter what period the film was set in.
But the Silent Era may pose problems even for film lovers. The main problem may simply be runtime. There was no standard electrical projection speed in the Silent Era as in the Sound cinema. Obviously the projection speed had to be standardized in sound films or actors' voices would change pitch with even a light variety or warble of projection speed. Thus sound speed was standardized at 24 fps (24 frames per second).
But the Silent Cinema was filmed and projected by hand cranking. Though this varied, depending on filmmaker and projectionist, the standard speed was 16 fps. Still a projectionist might slow down a romantic scene and speed up comedy, though that was often done in the camera as well. For example, a cameraman might undercrank a comic scene knowing it would be speeded up at standard 16 fps projection speed. (To undercrank means to crank more slowly; hence when shown at normal speed, the action goes faster; and vice versa, to overcrank means the action will go more slowly at normal speed.)
Now Orphans of the Storm has a runtime of just under 120 minutes on the standard DVD release. But the official runtime, listed on IMDB (the International Movie Database) is 150 minutes! Therefore the actors will move faster and more comically, making Griffith's direction seem inept. Students should keep this in mind when viewing the film. You can also view at least part of the film at under 1X in the forward option on your DVD player menu.
When viewing an old, especially a silent film, the student is faced with the issue of whether there is progress in the cinema. No rational person would argue for progress in the arts! For example, few would place Shakespeare above the great Greek playwrights, or a modern dramatist above Shakespeare. Few would put a musical by Andrew Lloyd-Webber above the classic Broadway musicals. And electric blues singers are not superior to acoustic blues singers of an earlier period.
Yet some viewers find it hard to appreciate a black and white film. The case is even more of an issue for silent films.
But few comic films today equal the comic classics of Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Harry Langdon, and, of course, Charlie Chaplin. These films suffer even less from variation in runtime because comedies seem even funnier at faster speeds.
There are great beauties in the silent classics. And in the realm of art, technology should not matter. Great Spanish acoustic guitar music (Tarrega, Turina, Torroba, among many others) is not inferior to electric guitar music of today and usually superior.
Still it takes some education to ignore the technological differences and try to experience the work of art in terms of form and content rather than technology. Studiously watching Orphans of the Storm might help. We'll see other silent films in this class, or at least parts of them. But this may be your only chance to seriously study a silent film classic.
D. W. Griffith is usually credited with inventing modern film grammar, in terms of shot and scale, as we know it today. Certainly editing is the basis of Griffith's art, and almost every scene in his films is, to some degree, shaped by the grammar of editing, usually intercutting or cross-cutting within or between scenes.
Scale was also an important innovation in Griffith's films. Whether he should be credited as the inventor of scale for dramatic effect is another issue; he certainly systematized scaled shots for maximum effect throughout a film, alternating long shots, medium shots, and close-ups with unfailing dramatic instinct. And Griffith was above all else a storyteller!
Besides this, and despite today's runtimes that speed up his films and obscure his directorial skills with actors, Griffith's performances (especially that of his main actress, Lillian Gish) usually rank with the best performances of the screen.
One final word on silent films: before color, directors often tinted their films for special effects. For example, blue would be for night scenes, sepia for indoor scenes, red for heightened emotions, etc. The print we'll see of Orphans of the Storm does not use contrastive tinting in this way, but is tinted sepia throughout.
Few critics would agree with this view today. But it's a useful counterbalance for viewers--especially young viewers--who believe that any film made more than twenty years ago is unworthy of appreciation! Some young viewers, for example, can't believe that even a black-and-white film (much less a silent film) is worth seeing.
In point of fact, few films today equal the great films of the 1930s-50s, when most films were made in black-and-white and had short runtimes (usually under two hours, though many averaged 90 minutes). Directors quickly mastered the art of sound and image together, scripts were well edited, preproduction values were high, studio contracts insured that actors would be always ready for the next role without delay, and contract composers guaranteeed a solid musical score no matter what period the film was set in.
But the Silent Era may pose problems even for film lovers. The main problem may simply be runtime. There was no standard electrical projection speed in the Silent Era as in the Sound cinema. Obviously the projection speed had to be standardized in sound films or actors' voices would change pitch with even a light variety or warble of projection speed. Thus sound speed was standardized at 24 fps (24 frames per second).
But the Silent Cinema was filmed and projected by hand cranking. Though this varied, depending on filmmaker and projectionist, the standard speed was 16 fps. Still a projectionist might slow down a romantic scene and speed up comedy, though that was often done in the camera as well. For example, a cameraman might undercrank a comic scene knowing it would be speeded up at standard 16 fps projection speed. (To undercrank means to crank more slowly; hence when shown at normal speed, the action goes faster; and vice versa, to overcrank means the action will go more slowly at normal speed.)
Now Orphans of the Storm has a runtime of just under 120 minutes on the standard DVD release. But the official runtime, listed on IMDB (the International Movie Database) is 150 minutes! Therefore the actors will move faster and more comically, making Griffith's direction seem inept. Students should keep this in mind when viewing the film. You can also view at least part of the film at under 1X in the forward option on your DVD player menu.
When viewing an old, especially a silent film, the student is faced with the issue of whether there is progress in the cinema. No rational person would argue for progress in the arts! For example, few would place Shakespeare above the great Greek playwrights, or a modern dramatist above Shakespeare. Few would put a musical by Andrew Lloyd-Webber above the classic Broadway musicals. And electric blues singers are not superior to acoustic blues singers of an earlier period.
Yet some viewers find it hard to appreciate a black and white film. The case is even more of an issue for silent films.
But few comic films today equal the comic classics of Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Harry Langdon, and, of course, Charlie Chaplin. These films suffer even less from variation in runtime because comedies seem even funnier at faster speeds.
There are great beauties in the silent classics. And in the realm of art, technology should not matter. Great Spanish acoustic guitar music (Tarrega, Turina, Torroba, among many others) is not inferior to electric guitar music of today and usually superior.
Still it takes some education to ignore the technological differences and try to experience the work of art in terms of form and content rather than technology. Studiously watching Orphans of the Storm might help. We'll see other silent films in this class, or at least parts of them. But this may be your only chance to seriously study a silent film classic.
D. W. Griffith is usually credited with inventing modern film grammar, in terms of shot and scale, as we know it today. Certainly editing is the basis of Griffith's art, and almost every scene in his films is, to some degree, shaped by the grammar of editing, usually intercutting or cross-cutting within or between scenes.
Scale was also an important innovation in Griffith's films. Whether he should be credited as the inventor of scale for dramatic effect is another issue; he certainly systematized scaled shots for maximum effect throughout a film, alternating long shots, medium shots, and close-ups with unfailing dramatic instinct. And Griffith was above all else a storyteller!
Besides this, and despite today's runtimes that speed up his films and obscure his directorial skills with actors, Griffith's performances (especially that of his main actress, Lillian Gish) usually rank with the best performances of the screen.
One final word on silent films: before color, directors often tinted their films for special effects. For example, blue would be for night scenes, sepia for indoor scenes, red for heightened emotions, etc. The print we'll see of Orphans of the Storm does not use contrastive tinting in this way, but is tinted sepia throughout.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Here are 2 sample Moon Day essays I wrote several years ago. NOTE: I know NOTHING Of Moon Day except basic generalties but I managed to write something specific and concrete.
A Moon Day Memory
On Moon Days I studied my grandfather's unsteady shuffle to the backyard barbecue grill. In my mind's eye I still see him pacing slowly, with frozen sausages cradled in his venous arm as he achingly crouched to retrieve a link that slid onto the rough grass. It's a slow odyssey for us as well as him. Our mouths water in gustatory frustration. But this is Grandpa's pride and Father patiently smiles.
With trembling, gnarled fingers, Granddad is scarcely able to grill a sausage through. Fearful for our health, still we mimic pleasure in eating what is served with grandfatherly glee.
Grandfather died two years ago. Dad now owns grilling chores on Moon Day. He whirls from kitchen to garden; his strong fingers insure a safely cooked feast. But hygiene and efficiency can't replace Grandfather's slow senescent shuffle beneath an autumn moon on a still September night.
MOONSHINE
It was Moon Day. I wanted to celebrate the holiday in traditional fashion: eating fattening mooncakes and trying to locate the moon through all the pollution in Tainan County. But my friend, Cindy, was more sophisticated."Why waste time on superstitious things like moon watching?" she chastised. "Ch'ang-O doesn't exist anyway! Why not do something intelligent for a change?" She paused for dramatic effect. "Let's go to a fortune teller."
Cindy was one year ahead of me in university so she reasoned better than I did. She also drove faster.
Soon we were facing a tall, slender elderly man, with saucer eyes gazing at us intently who introduced himself simply as Mr. Wang. He then mumbled a few words in Taiwanese we could not exactly make out. Then he greeted us eagerly in Chinese, accented with a regional dialect that marked him as an immigrant from Mainland China. But the pasted smile on his face as he welcomed us quickly vanished as he assumed a more professional style with an abrupt dab of menace in his voice.
"You willing to risk the danger of having your fortune told?"
A shiver went down my spine, but Cindy, the rationalist, only nodded in agreement. Meanwhile I surveyed Mr. Wang's dimly-lit premises, which heightened the ghostly effect of an orange bulb dangling from the ceiling by an extension cord.
The aroma of incense almost stifled me and I noticed a partially-eaten box lunch on an antique mahogany desk, with two roaches nibbling from it. I tugged at Cindy's arm, silently pleading for us to leave. But, rationalist that she was, she was adamant, determined to learn her fortune—for better or worse.
Mr. Wang invited her to sit down in a wobbly folding chair with a tattered tea-stained cushion on it, then he grasped her right forearm and expectantly rotated her hand so the palm faced him. With exaggerated solemnity, he traced lines in her palm, grunting all the while, as if he were reading messages from another world—or a future time.
"Not to worry," he smiled. "These lines affect only ten percent of your life." He paused, as if deep in thought. "You have interesting lines—not all of which I can read fluently. I feel like an ESL student reading your palm—like I was reading a second language."
Mr. Wang continued to explore the geography of Cindy's palm as if he were trekking through darkest Africa.
"I suspect your future pertains to a foreign land—maybe England or America. Who knows for sure?
"Ah, yes. I see a marriage in the not-so-distant future, to a good-looking man. And this line here"—he traced a line in Cindy's palm with a long bony forefinger—"shows that you will bear children with this man."
Abruptly, Mr. Wang dropped Cindy's hand and seemed to totter on his feet.
"But I grow faint. The messages are too strong for me at the moment. I must rest. I'm an old man. I can't read as easily as I used to when I was your age. Please allow me to sit down. Luckily, with the money you pay me, I'll be able to visit the doctor down the block and he can restore my vitality, part of which I lost reading your palm."
He smiled a fatherly smile, not seeming menacing at all anymore—just a common and pitiful poseur. More out of sympathy than satisfaction, Cindy took a couple of NT dollars from her purse and handed them to the now weary reader of palms.
When he saw the money, Mr. Wang's eyes lit up and he reached for my forearm too—as if suddenly revitalized by a blood transfusion. But I had a foresight that Mr. Wang seemed to lack, and I kept both arms firmly buried in the pockets of my light evening jacket.
Realizing his profit margin that evening was not to grow much higher, Mr. Wang shot a glance at the wall clock—an ancient timepiece, with Roman numerals to mark the time.
It was clear he was impatient for us to leave. Taking the hint, we bid our farewells and gladly hastened out into the cool autumnal air.
After that painful experience, I pleaded with Cindy for us to observe the holiday in more traditional fashion, and for the two of us to watch the moon together—perhaps sharing a watermelon drink. But she frowned on such superstitious behavior.
"Besides," she added with a smile, "I've got to run home and figure out who's that handsome man Mr. Wang predicted I would bear children with. I've got several boyfriends at the moment, but none of them seem to fit the bill."
She smiled. I frowned, thinking of Cindy's many boyfriends and my lack of any. Feeling abandoned, I despondently planned to return to my monkish dorm and entertain myself with a box of Ramen noodles and the soundtrack from Titanic, jealously wondering what romance Cindy had in store for her.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Exams
Since I've already been asked about Final Exams (!) I'll once again send a printscreen version of the semester schedule up to the beginning of the second semester (the complete schedule, for the entire academic year to June, is on the NCKU web pages). (This schedule is also on my blog, but I forget under which label/link: maybe "all," meaning "all students.")
Exam week begins 11 January 2010. The Bible Final will therefore occur exactly on 11 January. The Film Final will occur in the two-hour Friday session, on the 15th of January, during regularly scheduled times (starting at 1:10 p.m.) and in the regularly scheduled lecture classroom.
I've repeated this information numerous times, but on the other hand students have a right to be well informed about these matters.
I've no idea why midterms are not listed, but they are usually held the midpoint of the 18-week semester, therefore the 9th week, either the week of November 8 or 15. The same logic applies: Bible Exam will be on Monday of that week and the Film Exam will be on the Friday of that week. Of course we'll make a class announcement on this issue.
While I'm at it, let me remind you that I never allow absences for an exam! That means commit yourself to the exam date. A serious hospitalization with a note from a doctor and if the teacher is informed IN ADVANCE would then be excusable. But obviously it would be best for both of us if you did not get in such a situation!
At the same time, keep in mind that students who have poor study habits may suffer more disadvantage from a mild illness (slight fever, chills, stomach unrest) than if they had studied well all semester. It's easy to REVIEW what one has studied even with a low-grade fever; but one cannot STUDY with a low-grade fever or chills. That's one more reason to study all semester. If you plan to do your studying a day or two before exams and you fall ill you're in trouble! In case of a mild illness one can still review the material, show up for the exam, and do well.
Many stage actors perform well with a low-grade fever ("The show must go on!"); I myself passed an important exam with a low-grade fever and other symptoms. By the time the exam was finished the symptoms were gone!
ESL: People
PEOPLE
People,
People who need people
Are the luckiest people in the world
We're children needing other children
And yet letting our grown-up pride
Hide all the need inside
Acting more like children than children
Lovers
Are very special people
They're the luckiest people in the world
With one person,
One very special person
A feeling deep in your soul
Says you are half now youre whole
No more hunger and thirst
But first be a person who needs people
People, people who need people
Are the luckiest people in the world.
With one person
One very special person
A feeling deep in your soul
Says you are half now you're whole
No more hunger and thirst
But first be a person who needs people
People, people who need people
Are the luckiest people in the world.
Home Listening Due Monday 28 September 2009
HOME LISTENING
DUE MONDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 2009
To view the video, go here or use attached file.
1. How many Americans are threatened by Osteoporosis?2. When is the best time to combat this threat?
3. How much percent of a woman's bone mass is accumulated by the time she's 18?
4. What is the building block that lays the foundation for one's bones?
5. At what age do we start losing bone density?
6. What two elements are important for kids?
7. What is the single most important thing for teens to do to increase bone density?
8. How many glasses of milk do young people need to get enough calcium?
9. How many minutes a day exercise do young people need?
10. What can make a big difference for bone density?
11. How many milligrams of calcium a day are needed for young people?
12. How many milligrams of Vitamin D are recommended?
THE MIND AND THE MATTER (Handout) for Monday 28 September 2009
THE MIND AND THE MATTER
1. Who is a child of the 20th century according to host/narrator, Rod Serling?2. What according to Serling is Archibald Beechcroft rebelling against?
3. What, according to Mr. Rogers, who meets Beechcroft in the rest room, is a personal obligation?
4. According to Rogers, what can't you beat for vitamins?
5. Does Beechcroft drink?
6. When does he take the subway every morning?
7. According to Beechcroft, what comes with solitude?
8. Where is the bookstore located where Henry's friend works at?
9. What did Henry's friend cause a woman to do?
10. What chapter of Henry's book discusses Initial Phenomena?
11. What does Beechcroft say is the most unknown power in the universe?
12. What does Beechcroft want to get rid of?
13. What does it take to do this?
14. What does the person knocking on Beechcroft's door want?
15. What is the number (letter) of Beechcroft's apartment?
16. What is the name of his insurance office?
17. What is the first diversion that Beechcroft asks for?
18. What is the second diversion?
(Incidentally, at this point Bernard Herrmann's music cue begins and continues intermittently afterwards (the other music is not by Herrmann). The music was tracked from another Twilight Zone show, "The Lonely.")
19. Besides people, what else does Beechcroft say he doesn't care much for?
20. What kind of people does Beechcroft want?
21. Whom does he wish that everyone he sees will be like?
22. How much does the news vendor want for the paper?
23. What does the woman in the elevator want of Beechcroft?
24. On what floor does Beechcroft get off?
25. What, according to Beechcroft, is just as bad as a lot of the people he normally dislikes?
26. At the end, how does Beechcroft decide the world should be?
27. What does Beechcroft tell Henry he got out of Henry's book?
Monday, September 21, 2009
For Wednesday 23 September 2009
THE MIND AND THE MATTER
To see this assigned show, go here: 1, 2, 3.WARNING: Too late I discovered that part 3 (the final part) is not available on youtube. This is becoming common on youtube, at least with The Twilight Zone shows, for obvious reasons. (It may be on youtube but I haven't found it & usually it's near the last segment in the series.) But students are quite good in finding this material on their own sites or in their own way. If you do find part 3, please notify your classmates. But you should view parts 1 & 2 anyway. This is a language class!
The
The host, and frequent writer of the shows (he wrote this episode too), Rod Serling, actually used science-fiction conventions in order to address social issues, as can be seen in "The Mind and the Matter." In early television (and even today) sponsors were very concerned about losing audiences due to serious social issues, such as racism, government policies, etc. But they were quite willing to overlook (or more likely not even notice) the same issues discussed in a sci-fi disguise.
The show has since entered the culture on many levels. The title itself has become a common phrase ("I feel I'm in the twilight zone").
Host Rod Serling's narration of each show has become one of the parodied or imitated personalities ever to appear on television. A popular song by Manhattan Transfer became a hit. The title music after the first year (by Marius Constant) has become one of the most famous themes in movies or television. There have been several movie versions of stories from the series, with the same title.
The show featured some of the best writers to write for television (host Rod Serling wrote more than half of the shows himself). The series was also a showcase for musical talent, including a young Jerry Goldsmith, who later became a top film composer, and the legendary Bernard Herrmann (Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho), whose music from "The Lonely" (another Twilight Zone episode) is actually tracked in this episode too (the somber music that appears when Beechcroft begins to feel lonely).
The series was typically a half-hour (which translates to 22 minutes of noncommercial air time), but stretched to an hour for one year, generally considered the less successful of the episodes. "The Mind and the Matter" is a half-hour show, much of which is silent or with little dialogue. So it's a good introduction to the series for ESL students. On the other hand it's comic treatment of a sci-fi experience is not typical of the series, most of which were quite intense in their drama.
All the shows were well written, directed, and acted, with careful attention to details. Note in the beginning as Archibald Beechcroft (Shelley Berman) walks to his office without even looking where he's going, exactly the problem he accuses the coffee boy of doing! The one weakness in the show are the terrible masked people made to look like clones of Beechcroft in the elevator.
VOCABULARY
1. population explosion=overpopulation2. legacy of progress=benefits of technology
3. clumsy clod=awkward, stupid person
4. precisely your problem=exactly your problem
5. not unaware (litote: saying something in negative form rather than positive form: "she's not unattractive")
man
6. spinach and lettuce man=a common locution with "man": "I'm a meat man myself. I hate vegetables." "I'm a New York woman; I hate the country."
7. watching your diet=be careful of one's weight/eating.
8. dead tired=very tired.
9. jamming into an elevator=crowding into an elevator.
10. cacophonous din=harsh noise
11. jostled=lightly bumped into.
12. take hold=become a habit.
13. millennium=(biblical) thousand years of a perfect world.
14. cross them off=get rid of them.
15. decimate=to totally get rid of. (compare: decade, decimal)
16. on the cult side=not orthodox or accepted by standard religions or science.
17. swears by the book=testifies to the worth of it.
18. chartreuse (green-yellow) and orange scarf.
19. initial phenomena=first things seen.
20. unequivocal=without a doubt.
21. that's what it takes=that's what required.
22. be extinct=not to exist anymore. Dinosaurs are extinct, except in Steven Spielberg movies. "Be" is commonly used in imperatives: "Be gone!" "Be quiet!" "Be happy!"
23. mind over matter=it's what you think of something that counts.
24. bored to death=(hyperbole, exaggeration). (See #28.)
25. accessible to suggestions=open to your opinions.
26. occupy my time=entertain me.
27. too much of a good thing (common idiom)=everything is bad in excess (liquor, exercise, study).
28. bored to tears (see #24).
29. solitude=being alone (not necessarily being lonely). "I keep three chairs in my home. One for solitude, two for friendship, three for society." (Henry David Thoreau)
30. I loathe them=I hate them.
31. for good and all (idiom)=completely.
32. alternative=another choice.
33. I've rid myself=to eliminate: "I've rid myself of her forever."
34. the populace=people.
35. diversion=entertaining change.
36. electrical storm (thunderstorm)=rainstorm with thunder and lightning, rare in Taiwan but common in New York, etc.
37. I've had it for today="I've had enough for today." "I've reached the end of my patience."
38. draw moustaches on faces: common diversion of children or even adults.
39. it's weighing on you now=it's causing mental pressure.
40. Frankly=honestly, truly, etc. (intensive, emphasis).
41. cocker spaniel=dog.
42. you bet your life; you bet your sweet life.=Mild oath. "Very much so!": "Are you going to marry her?" "You bet your sweet life I am!" In other words, there's no doubt about it, therefore you can risk your life on the bet. Also the name of a popular TV quiz show hosted by Groucho Marx, later remade with Bill Cosby.
43. deposit ten cents=put money in the box.
44. sardines=tightly packed (like sardines in a can).
45. sty (pig's house)
46. respite: pause from something.
47. relief=lessening of pressure or pain.
48. "hosts, droves, bevies of people"=many people.
49. had it?=had enough?
50. did you get anything out of it?=did it help you?
51. pap=children's food; mindless reading material.
52. trial and error=tested experience.
53. people notwithstanding=despite people.
54. miserable noise (transferred epithet): a transferred epithet is common in English, such as "lonely house." Here "lonely" is transferred from people to the house. "Miserable noise" is noise that makes a person miserable. "Stupid movie" doesn't mean the movie is stupid (how can a movie be stupid?) but that only stupid people would watch a movie like that.
55. frenetic (occurs early in Serling's narration)=madly rushing about.
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