Tom Bissell and Something Like Gaming Ethics

Posted on July 17, 2012 by awtraughber

SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDST OF FOURTH QUARTER, some of the students that hang out in my room before school started playing a new iPhone game: Kick the Boss.  I couldn’t help but ask about the game as their laughter had piqued my interest.  “It’s a game where you torture your boss,” they said.  I wasn’t quite sure what to say: torturing my boss wasn’t something I had ever thought about in my two decades of having one.

I’ve not been a huge game-player in my life.  Sure, I enjoy your basic arcade game.  My iPhone games consist mostly of plants and zombies and birds.  But there are a lot of games out there full of people killing other people, and that’s become something of a bother to Tom Bissell, a writer and game-player who writes often about the field.  Last week Grantland posted Bissell’s thoughts on the newest games and how they deal with torture PLUS all of the regular violence of “shooter” games.

If you’re a gamer yourself, it’s definitely worth the read.  And if you simply like good writing, it’s definitely worth the read.  You can check out the article here.

Posted in Internet | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Joss Whedon Says the Darndest Things

Posted on July 14, 2012 by awtraughber

I’VE BEEN A JOSS WHEDON FAN for a while now.  Firefly then Buffy then Dollhouse.  The Avengers?  I was one of those that saw it not so much as “hopefully the best Marvel movie ever” but as “Joss Whedon’s best chance at finally having a major cinematic hit.”   And so, while the movie was great, it was even better seeing America respond well to a guy whose television work has twice gotten the axe early.

Whedon made an appearance at Comic-Con this weekend . . . had a panel all to himself, which is quite the accomplishment.  And while I wasn’t there, he did say a couple of things I thought worth passing on.

More than just directing, Whedon is known for writing well.  Some might call his writing shiny.  And while there was a time he could write a lot, he now relies on others to help with things like movies and comics, all who try to employ the power of witty banter.  His thought: When I can I love to write it…but in the main I am very grateful now I have this extraordinary stable of people I can trust.  That’s a real sign of good investment over time, something to strive for in the world where profession meets passion.

He went on to name-check one of his tried and true writing crew, Tim Minear (of most of his show but Buffy).  Of Tim and his ilk he said: once you assemble them, clutch them to your bosom and never let them go.

But it was his response to his love of writing and directing in multiple genres and, really, why he does what he does: That’s the only thing I want to do with my life, create emotional moments, and I don’t care where.

The creation of emotional moments.  The man is a master of them in every genre and every story he touches.  It’s great to think that maybe, even after so much great work, that he’s just getting started.

You can read more of the original write-up from Comic Book Resources here.

(artwork courtesy of Comic Book Resources)

 

 

Posted in Faith, Internet, Movies, Television | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Real Lesson from Jeremy Lin

Posted on July 13, 2012 by awtraughber

I WAS AT THE GYM Wednesday when the ESPYs were on.  While I was there, Jeremy Lin was being interviewed as everyone was waiting for the show to begin.  I was curious to hear what he had to say; he has quite a bit of credibility but hasn’t been in the news much since the tapering down if “linsanity.”  I was really impressed with what he said was the best thing that had happened since he “found fame.”  I was especially impressed when he said it twice.  Here’s the clip:

Of all of the good things that had happened to him in the past year, what was the best thing?  Getting to play ball well.  Getting to do his best at the thing he seems love the most.  How good it is to hear someone say such a true and good thing is a worthy reward!  And it’s no solo show for the basketball player: it’s about playing the game well with others, being a team.  That’s a strange thing to think about if you do things more on your own, which is often the case for teachers.  And yet there’s always a bigger team that you work with.  It’s by no means an easy connection, teaching, especially when you’re more comfortable as king of your classroom.  Lin, though, is a great reminder of what is possible, what is better, when you connect well who share your passion and play well.

Posted in Internet | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Movies, Movies, Movies

Posted on July 12, 2012 by awtraughber

WE’RE HALFWAY THROUGH 2012, and so the question of the quality of movies out this year has popped up over at Grantland.  It’s been a good six months for me and the movies, really.  I’ve only seen a tiny handful of duds (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?  Seeking a Friend? Even then, they had good moments), but that doesn’t mean that the good ones are Oscar-worthy.  Prometheus?  Maybe and yet not.  Avengers?  Only in a world where the popular vote matters.  Even still, the guys at Grantland have a fun time talking things through.  You can check out their “Summermetrics versus Oscarmetrics” article here.

And, thanks to ComiCon going on this weekend, we’re getting all kinds of hints for movies a little further down the line.  One of those creating buzz is Sam Raimi’s “prequel” to The Wizard of Oz:  Oz, The Great and Powerful.  Could be interesting.  Trailer below. . .

 

Posted in Internet, Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

New Music Wednesday: The Killers

Posted on July 11, 2012 by awtraughber

SATURDAY IS MY USUAL DAY to post something about new music.  New music by The Killers just can’t wait that long.

I’ve been a fan of the band since Hot Fuss and the hooks of “Mr. Brightside” and “All These Things That I Have Done.”  Sam’s Town, for me, was an amazing movement to a more definite sound, a refined kind of modern Americana.  Day and Age, which peaked with “Dustland Fairy Tale” and “This is Your Life,” was more of the same.  I like them because their sound is big.  I like them because they seem to have personality (with many thanks to their lead singer, Brandon Flowers).

Here’s their newest song, “Runaways,” from their September-dropping new album, Battle Born.

Heads up for the new tune came from the folks at Grantland.  Staff writer Amos Barshad posted some interesting commentary with the song, including a good and honest appraisal at the band’s “affect” and their place in the current music pantheon (or lack thereof).  Good article to read here.

Posted in Internet, Music | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Writing Advice from A Pro

Posted on July 10, 2012 by awtraughber

SUMMER BREAK FINALLY STARTS FOR ME once the final bell rings today.  Sure, I’ve got some tests to grade and some report cards to complete, but most of the work will be done.  Which leaves me two weeks to vacate.  Learning never ends, of course.  In light of that, I hope to get to some reading that I haven’t been able to these last few weeks.  One of the books I’m looking forward to is Nathan Englander’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank.  It’s a book with strong buzz.  Plus it’s a collection of short stories, which makes it much easier to wade into.  Below is a talk Englander gives about one of the cornerstones of good writing: write what you know.  Something to learn from, even hear in the midst of a long, hot summer.

(Original link from The Daily Beast)

Posted in Books, Internet | Tagged , | Leave a comment

New Song Saturday: The Avett Brothers

Posted on July 7, 2012 by awtraughber

I SHOWED UP LATE to the Avett Brothers bandwagon.  Not as late as I got to the Mumford & Sons bandwagon, mind you, but late enough.

So I’m pretty excited about the pending release of their next album, The Carpenter.  They’ve already debuted one song from the album, have already posted it on iTunes for your purchase.  Or you can listen to it thanks to the NPR Summer Music Preview.  Just click here and scroll down to the play button for “Live and Die” by the Avett Brothers.  I think you’ll be glad that you did.

(image courtesy of relix.com)

Posted in Internet, Music | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

“The Star Wars That I Used to Know”

Posted on July 1, 2012 by awtraughber

GOTYE’s “SOMEONE THAT I USED TO KNOW” was a great song for a while, was great until every station on the radio started playing it along with what seemed like endless remixes of the unique-sounding song.  So leave it to a Star Wars fan to come up with a “redo” that really gets you to thinking.

Here’s a “remake” video of the song titled “The Star Wars That I Used to Know.”  While the body paint angle is a little strange, the lyrics and second singer are well-rendered and spot-on.  Be sure to stay to the end of the video for the credits: seems like the creators of the video have a lot more up their sleeves.

(original source: relevantmagazine.com)

Posted in Internet, Music | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The List, the Shortcut, and the Table (All from Godin)

Posted on June 29, 2012 by awtraughber

SETH GODIN HAS BEEN AT IT AGAIN, posting a number of quality thoughts on his blog.  I finished one of his older books, The Dip, over a week ago.  His perspective on marketing and sales seems spot-on, and that perspective can have interesting implications for other parts of life, vocation and all.

Godin’s take on “big work and small tables” really resonates in a culture of so much stuff and so little time to get it all done.  And yet, Godin asserts, “The obligation is to carve out time for the big work.”  How, then, do you reconcile the big and the small?  Check out those thoughts here.

I also like his recent comparison of shortcuts and direct paths.  This is a great example of truth that crosses disciplines and vocation.  Turns out that shortcuts aren’t as helpful as you think.  Check out that entry here.

Most recently, Godin posted some thoughts on an age-old self-help tool: the list.  In the world of education, checklists have been said to be the heir-apparent to our beloved rubrics.  What if there is a bigger, deeper list that isn’t so much a list of things to do as a list of reasons NOT to do the most important thing?  Could be true  . . . You can learn more about that kind of list here.

Once you get over to Godin’s blog, take some time to look around.  The man has lots of great thoughts floating around, slowly coalescing into books and things. It’s a great way to start your day, really.

(photo courtesy of ncvps.org)

Posted in Internet | Tagged | Leave a comment

Feedback and The Newsroom (or “I am tired of stupid”)

Posted on June 27, 2012 by awtraughber

YESTERDAY my Communication Skills class started their second round of impromptu activities: news-casting.  The initial response was not positive.  It never has been, really.  Yet I persist in keeping it as an assignment.  There’s something challenging about it.  Really, there are many things challenging about it.  Speaking “off the cuff.”  Having a decent amount of background knowledge about the world beyond your Facebook news-feed.  Being able to connect the dots that many of us take for granted.

I wish I could go back in time and show my class the premiere episode of HBO’s The Newsroom.  Granted, I wish the language of the episode was a little more private-school appropriate, too.  I finally caught the episode last night, and it was amazing.  True and very true: it’s an Aaron Sorkin show through and through.  There wasn’t an awful lot of walking, but there was a copious amount of talking.  And it was brilliant.  The show, which follows the reinvigoration of a news program and its news anchor, presents the best of what news can be.  I’m old enough that I had a time where the world news was important to me, that I had an opinion on who was a better world news anchor, even.  I miss that kind of thing, honestly.  This show reminds me why.  Sure, people in real life don’t talk from a Sorkin script (which is so unfortunate!), but it’s good to see some dialogue that elevates more than deflates.

Reviews of the show have been interesting.  The premiere pulled in over 2 million viewers, which isn’t bad for scripted cable.  Critics, of course, have not been kind.  Their criticisms are mostly based on predictable Sorkinisms, which I understand.  I’ve seen every TV show the guy has made, a good number of them multiple times.  And while he has his faults, the joys of watching his scripts brought to life outweigh any negatives.

If you get a chance, check out the pilot episode.  It’s available free for a while online.  You can check it out over at YouTube or view it as a podcast through iTunes.  Be warned: the language can get a little rough.

I do hope my students get a taste of the rush of reporting the news, even if it’s just through a simple impromptu activity.  And I hope The Newsroom is around for a good time to come.

(Photo courtesy of tv.nytimes.com)

Posted in Television | Tagged , | Leave a comment