2009-06-24

在乎智慧財產?還是深愛錢而已?

你不會相信。我一開始也沒有相信。不過是真的。在禮拜一的“導師演習”還有財法系老師跟我們講智慧財產相關注意事項(包含一些不太對的事),禮拜二就看到這個新聞ASCAP美國作曲家、作家和發行商協會)跟電信公司要錢,因為 - 他們在公開表演!沒錯!ASCAP認為每次有人聽到一個ASCAP代表的歌當電話鈴聲,電信公司在公開表演那一首歌,所以要付。

別忘記,用這個鈴聲的人已經有付錢為了那些歌,但是那個愛錢的協會要更多,所以想到這個不可思議的要求。不過,他們好像不是第一次有試這種事。

問題是,不管他們要求多沒有道理,只要那個組織夠大,他們就可以買一些政治家幫他們推薦對他們有利的法案…

2009-06-22

Exercises in futility

If you have been working in Taiwan for a while (company or school does not matter) you may notice how some Taiwanese love meetings. Meetings can solve each and every problem. When I was working in an electronics company, we used to say 越開越會,不開就不會,要開到會. (Sorry, can't be translated, a play on words.) If there is an important meeting, then important people must be in it. But not everyone is entitled to join a meeting...

This academic year was the first time I was not assigned as a class teacher, allegedly due to my administrative work - which had never been a problem in previous years. Anyway, not being a class teacher or tutoring teacher means I do not get invited to the prestigious class teacher meetings - during which all things concerning the semester are talked about, so I don't get to know any of them, even though I am still giving courses. Flaw in the system, one of a few...

The funny thing is, this year is (was) my last at this school, and now, about a month before I "disappear", I am suddenly invited to a "meeting" that turns out to be a "class teacher training". I asked the people in charge of checking attendance why I suddenly was invited - no idea.

The best part however was the topic: Music. I regretted instantly having chosen to wear a shirt a last time instead of for example my "Punk you!" t-shirt. Unfortunately, it was not that much about music. Or, only about a very narrow field. While my music library contains songs of so many different styles that some people would ask me whether I was a musical pig swallowing every song that copmes my way, I do not have any song suitable for today's lecture, since it was all pretty much psychedelic (OK: Only a Northern Song perhaps? Nah, too much melody...) and more suitable for yoga or meditation until you are ready to drop your shoes and hover out of the room.

Really bad she didn't dare to ask me (one of two foreigners and the only "white" face in the room) what music I like - I had my Eee with me and already loaded up Exaile, ready to play a nice sample song... (I even happaned to have the cables with me to hook my computer to their amp, in case people couldn't hear...)

It seems the main goal was to show us how to use music to relax. At least with me that goal was not achieved. Someone probably forgot to tell her that people can't relax to music they don't like. And I didn't like hers. I do not expect her to like mine either (she only spoke repeatedly of "pop music" not being "suitable", maybe she did not even know punk rock...), that's the problem with different tastes, but at any rate I would not ask her to relax to Anne Clark or (OK, let's slow down a bit) ELO.

So, three more hours wasted, at least there was a free lunch box at the end. And I know for sure that I will not attend tomorrow's meeting, even with "invitation". (Or shall I say "demand"?) This time I know the topic, and it would be even more futile on several levels, so I just take the Beatles' advice... (But maybe I should bring my special meeting fish to school, so I can caress it during the next meeting. You have to translate this into Chinese to understand it...:-P)

Across the universe

我後悔沒有電視機的機會很少。這是一個。當一個Beatles愛好者我怎麼兩年後才會發現這部電影?如果你至少一點喜歡Beatles - 看!一整部原則上是用Beatles的歌講故事。中間會有一些“正常”的話,但是連那些可能包含歌詞,像Sadie在家裡突然看到Prudence,問Jude她怎麼進來,Jude回答"She came in through the bathroom window."

對了,有沒有剛注意這些名字?都是從Beatles的歌抓出來的:Sexy Sadie, Dear Prudence, Hey Jude... 還有Lucy (in the sky with diamonds)、Doctor Robert等。也可以看到很多跟Beatles的電影有關的東西,像Magical Mystery Tour的巴士或Yellow Submarine的Blue Meanies。

我平常比較喜歡原唱,不太喜歡被“改裝”的歌(OK,Tainted love - where did our love go跟一些Depeche Mode的歌之外),但是這裡的歌被改的非常棒。一整部電影很棒。他們改的其實只是唱的方式,歌詞跟電影真的是很完美同步的。像Jude回英國後早上買報紙看到美國的新聞,背景有A day in the life的音樂。只有音樂,沒有人唱,但是歌詞開頭其實是I read the news today, oh boy...

我之前以為I am Sam已經是一部充滿Beatles的電影,但是Across the universe會遠遠超過。我幾次試過跟學生做這種事,用歌詞當對話,像Moulin RougeElephant Medley,但是沒有多少學生會專心聽音樂,注意歌詞內容,所以大部分的應該算是失敗。其實,也沒有人發現我在之前的系網在右側所有區塊都用Beatles的歌名當抬頭…

如果你喜歡Beatles,或至少喜歡音樂:看!HBO剛好這個月在播…

PS: 如果你想知道Across the universe裡面有多少Beatles的關系 - 慢慢看

2009-06-17

There's a light...

...over at the Frankenstein place...

No, 我現在不要談Rocky Horror,我要談作業。在幾年教書的過程中發現一年比一年…… 對。像這個學期我有一門我不那麼喜歡的課,叫“英文聽講實習”,是三年級的課。我這個學年為了加強他們能力給他們的長期作業,他們好像都沒有做。(而我給的作業不見得會無聊…)期末考的作業我也早就公告,但是幾乎沒有人準時開始準備 - 一組之外。

我平常不太喜歡教單純“英語”的課,因為這不是我的專場。不過我可以利用很多音樂或電影的資料訓練聽力,順便也盡量給一些沒有興趣的學生一點動力。這次也有做類似的事,給學生看Monty Python的一些表演,也跟他們練習模仿,然後比較多用Top Gear虐代他們。

如果你兩個都不知道:看!Monty Python在西方文化裡相當有名,所以如果你只有學語言,但是不知道Monty Python,你還是沒辦法了解人家在談的一些事。而Top Gear…… 我雖然不太喜歡四論車,認為有兩個輪子就夠多,但是Top Gear不是一個普通的汽車節目……

那,期末考的任務是做出一個影片:超過一分鐘,不需要超過量分鐘,模仿Top Gear用比較有趣的方式介紹某一個交通工具或想出一個挑戰。我沒有要求技術方面很高的水準,這不是這門課的重點。重點是語言,所以我原來希望學生會花一點時間想一想可以做什麼,討論,修改,然後簡單地拍。

我這幾年已經習慣連考式的時候學生不見得會準備好。不過,至少一組這次真的有準備,而且有超過我的要求,遠遠超過。如果你想大概了解他們在做什麼,你先可能要有看過一些東西:

- Top Gear: Race through London
- Monty Python: Dead Parrot
- Monty Python: Bicycle Repairman

我知道他們在一些地方有些小錯誤。不過,其中一些也是故意的。我有給他們100份因為他們真的有模仿。他們拿那個Race through London的挑戰當范本,修改,做出自己的版本。裡面放Monty Python也是他們自己想到的,七年後第一次有學生想到接合我給他們看的東西……

你等了很久,對不對?如果你真的有看上面提到的,那麼這裡是學生的作品:我有做出小一點的AVI當(MPEG4, 48MB, 320x240),學生原來交WMV當(190MB,640x480 )給我。他們的影片包含NG片有20分鐘,你慢慢看 - it's worth it...

更新:影片現在在Youtube,分

更新2:忘記一件事。學生沒看過Spaceballs,所以是他們“不小心”做的,但是他們其實也有點模仿Spaceballs的一個小部分

2009-06-14

風大、雨大、麻煩大…

…我的雨衣跑去哪…?

2009-06-05

問不問,說不說

要不要試試問Wolfram Alpha,一個新的search engine?不過,目前可能還要用英語問比較有趣

Ball, Line, Music

Nice...