Then take this handy quiz!
http://www.sporcle.com/games/moose14991/basiabulat
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Productive Group Work
"However, consider what is missing from interacting via written media—all the information we take in from others that is nonverbal. In a face-to-face conversation, we construct meaning not just from the content of words but also from the gestures, movement, and expressions that our partners or groupmates use. Think about your own behavior when you are talking on the telephone with someone. You may gesticulate and change your facial expressions as you speak and listen, even though the person on the other end of the line can't see you. Even our e-mail habits reflect our need to assign meaning to our words. The use of emoticons (those little smiley faces used within e-mail messages) is widespread. Short message service (SMS) programs used for text messaging and instant messaging routinely include graphical images to represent a range of facial expressions. Receiving these nonverbal signals is important to our understanding each other and may be an important step in learning.
The Neural Basis of Face-to-Face Interactions
Have you ever found yourself caught up in the contagion of a yawn? Perhaps you were sitting in a faculty meeting when a colleague began to yawn. Before you knew it, you were yawning too. You might have noticed or recall from your undergraduate communications course that people who are talking to each other often unconsciously adopt the gestures and body language of each other to synchronize their conversation. You can see this phenomenon at any local gathering place where people are striking up conversations.
This mirroring behavior has roots in the workings of the brain and may be key to how we learn. In the 1980s,
neuroscientist Giacomo Rizzolatti and his colleagues at the University of Parma made a chance discovery..."
(Frey, Fisher, and Everlove )
Now tell me, did this make you yawn, too? I thought it was hilarious.
Frey, Nancy, Douglas Fisher, and Sandi Everlove. "Productive Group Work." (2010): Print.
The Neural Basis of Face-to-Face Interactions
Have you ever found yourself caught up in the contagion of a yawn? Perhaps you were sitting in a faculty meeting when a colleague began to yawn. Before you knew it, you were yawning too. You might have noticed or recall from your undergraduate communications course that people who are talking to each other often unconsciously adopt the gestures and body language of each other to synchronize their conversation. You can see this phenomenon at any local gathering place where people are striking up conversations.
This mirroring behavior has roots in the workings of the brain and may be key to how we learn. In the 1980s,
neuroscientist Giacomo Rizzolatti and his colleagues at the University of Parma made a chance discovery..."
(Frey, Fisher, and Everlove )
Now tell me, did this make you yawn, too? I thought it was hilarious.
Frey, Nancy, Douglas Fisher, and Sandi Everlove. "Productive Group Work." (2010): Print.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Top 50: Part IV
20:Artist: Moby
Learned About 'em: From Dad, hah!
Ideas!: Moby was on repeat in my house for several years, but somehow I don't mind that. His mellow electro stuff is generally very enjoyable, good background music. His best known song is probably Extreme Ways which was featured at the end of each “Bourne” movie. Play is his best album, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes electro pop.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee:
19:Artist: Beirut
Learned About 'em: I don't know, maybe eMusic
Ideas!: I love sitting down on a sunny day and listening to Beirut. Very rhythmic, awesome vocal stuff. I don't know how exactly to describe their sound. You cannot understand any lyrics on some songs, but others have really cool lyrics (or half a song is coherent while the other have is incomprehensible) it's all good though. Listen to Elephant Gun and Scenic World.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: They popular because they're different, but they should be because they're talented.
18:Artist: Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Learned About 'em: Nate, on the way to school. Every day.
Ideas!: Their two albums Show Your Bones and Fever to Tell are full of catchy Karen O. hooks. It's Blitz is full of new stuff but overall they haven't changed much over the years. It's good music for people who like Karen's voice. Heads Will Roll is probably my favorite song of theirs right now.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Eeeeelongated things are common.
17:Artist: Arcade Fire (Nate is a guest contributor for this section)
Learned About 'em: “Probably eMusic”
Ideas!: NATE-"Funeral is a great album, lots of good songs. It was extremely popular when released making many peoples top lists for the year. My most listened to song is Intervention, a very dramatic organ plays throughout the song which is joined by floating backing vocals halfway into the song."
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: (They're from Montreal, which makes them all the more awesome.)
16:Artist: Iron and Wine
Learned About 'em: Iron and Wine/Calexico, awesome duo
Ideas!: Smooth melodies paired with clever, meaningful lyrics. Iron and Wine front man/song writer Sam Beam writes songs by drawing upon his past and like many of my favorite songwriters focuses heavily on naturalistic themes. My favorite song is probably The Trapeze Swinger, although there are many, many other great songs. I would highly recommend the album In the Reigns for any first time listeners.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: I love Iron and Wine, lots.
15:Artist: Heartless Bastards
Learned About 'em: NATE-"eMusic probably because of their name" (I first heard them on a mix of HB and Demetri Martin.)
Ideas!: NATE-"All This Time is the album I've listened the most, specifically the songs All This Time, and Gray. Lead singer Erika Wennerstrom has striking deep vocals that carry many of their songs along with loud guitars. The theme of many of their songs is “lost” and “searching”."
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: (“I'm gonna take everything, everything.”)
14:Artist: Sufjan Stevens
Learned About 'em: eMusic? Achsah? Christmas?
Ideas!: Sufjan is... different. He has a very mellow voice and plays very mellow instruments. He is an ambitious song writer (he claimed he was going to complete a 50 part series, one for each state though thus far he has only done Illinois and Michigan and has recently said he will not complete this series after all. Damn, I really wanted to hear him sing about Delaware.). He is the epitome of indie rock, dresses like it, sings like it, the whole sha-bang. He is from what I understand a pretty religious guy, and released an awesome Christmas album a few years back that is actually enjoyable. My favorite song is definitely Chicago.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Good luck with New York Sufjan!
13:Artist: of Montreal
Learned About 'em: eMusic
Ideas!: These guys are totally wild, and their music videos are only crazier. None of their songs make sense in any kind of literal sense. I wouldn't say I love them but they are interesting to listen to occasionally.Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse is a favorite of mine, enjoy the insane video.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Bah-Bah-Bonkers!
12:Artist: The Mountain Goats
Learned About 'em: Downloaded Sunset Tree
Ideas!: 36 Hudson in the garage. All sorts of junk in the unattached spare room. Dishes in the kitchen sink, new straw for the old broom. Friends who don't have a clue, well meaning teachers. But down in your arms, in your arms. I'm a wild creature. Floor two foot high with newspapers. White carpet thick with pet hair. Half eaten gallons of ice cream in the freezer. New fuel for the sodium flares. I write down good reasons to freeze to death, in my spiral ring notebook. But in the long tresses of your hair, I am a babbling brook.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: I am a babbling brook.
11:Artist: blink-182
Learned About 'em: How does anyone learn about Blink-182? I don't know.
Ideas!: Super popular power punk. They are most recognizable for their guitar leads and famous drummer Travis Barker. Most or all of their popular songs seem to be about growing up and dealing with life during the high school/college transition period. They are widely identifiable and thus exceedingly popular.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Not head, 'ead.
Friday, September 17, 2010
The Mountain Goats
I won't pretend to understand much about John Darnielle or his songs but I can say definitively that both are very good.
The Mountain Goats are led by lead singer John Darnielle who often plays solo on guitar and vocals. The vocals are a bit unorthodox in that he doesn't always "sing" per-se, sometimes it borders on spoken verse with music in the background. This seems to really bother some people; if this really bothers you then I suppose you're just going to have to miss out. Sorry.
Darinelle is obviously a pretty intelligent guy as evidenced by a few interviews with him I've read and the depth and cleverness of his lyrics (I'm sure if I knew enough about scales and what not I could tell you they were clever, too.). This in mind separates him from a lot of artists who maybe are good at writing songs but don't have a clear idea on what they believe underneath their lyrics (see popular music).
I haven't ever read much in terms of a biography about Mr. Darnielle but if you listen to any of his music it is pretty evident that he comes from complicated roots. This gives some of his music a bit of what many people I've offered his music to have called a "depressing" twist, but that is not quite right. Darnielle doesn't intentionally write a lot of upbeat and positive songs, but I think it is unfair to describe his music as depressing. Darnielle is simply writing songs as he sees things. I think this is an important distinction that people should consider before judging his music.
A lot of Darnielle's albums are concept albums, or at least the songs share a premise. Most albums also share a common thread in tune and beat as well. This makes it essential to actually listen the whole album, which is not something many of us are used to doing these days with the advent of the iTunes single/YouTube video. I've always advocated listening to music albums at a time, not that I always do- but it can be really cool to sit through a well put together album that lays out a story about a time or place that the author of the album experienced (this is why LP's are awesome).
I thought about reviewing all of The Mountain Goats albums that I have, but as I mentioned earlier they are mostly concept albums and I think it would be somewhat foolish to try to "rate" what Darinelle was trying to put to song. So I am going to somewhat arbitrarily recommend several songs from my favorite Mountain Goats albums.
Sunset Tree-
You or Your Memory
Broom People
This Year
Dilaudid
Dance Music
Dinu Lipatti's Bones
Up The Wolves
Lion's Teeth
Hast Thou Considered the Tetrapod
Magpie
Song for Dennis Brown
Love Love Love
Pale Green Things
Get Lonely-
Wild Sage
New Monster Avenue
Half Dead
Get Lonely
Maybe Sprout Wings
Moon Over Goldsboro
In the Hidden Places
Song for Lonely Giants
Woke Up New
If You See Light
Cobra Tattoo
In Corolla
Heretic Pride-
Sax Rohmer#1
San Bernardino
Heretic Pride
Autoclave
New Zion
So Desperate
In the Craters on the Moon
Lovecraft in Brooklyn
Tianchi Lake
How to Embrace a Swamp Creature
Marduk T-Shirt Men's Room Incident
Sept 15th 1983
Michael Myers Resplendent
I think you get the idea... listen to it album at a time and you will appreciate it much more!
However I suppose until you get an album this will have to tide you over.
The Mountain Goats are led by lead singer John Darnielle who often plays solo on guitar and vocals. The vocals are a bit unorthodox in that he doesn't always "sing" per-se, sometimes it borders on spoken verse with music in the background. This seems to really bother some people; if this really bothers you then I suppose you're just going to have to miss out. Sorry.
Darinelle is obviously a pretty intelligent guy as evidenced by a few interviews with him I've read and the depth and cleverness of his lyrics (I'm sure if I knew enough about scales and what not I could tell you they were clever, too.). This in mind separates him from a lot of artists who maybe are good at writing songs but don't have a clear idea on what they believe underneath their lyrics (see popular music).
I haven't ever read much in terms of a biography about Mr. Darnielle but if you listen to any of his music it is pretty evident that he comes from complicated roots. This gives some of his music a bit of what many people I've offered his music to have called a "depressing" twist, but that is not quite right. Darnielle doesn't intentionally write a lot of upbeat and positive songs, but I think it is unfair to describe his music as depressing. Darnielle is simply writing songs as he sees things. I think this is an important distinction that people should consider before judging his music.
A lot of Darnielle's albums are concept albums, or at least the songs share a premise. Most albums also share a common thread in tune and beat as well. This makes it essential to actually listen the whole album, which is not something many of us are used to doing these days with the advent of the iTunes single/YouTube video. I've always advocated listening to music albums at a time, not that I always do- but it can be really cool to sit through a well put together album that lays out a story about a time or place that the author of the album experienced (this is why LP's are awesome).
I thought about reviewing all of The Mountain Goats albums that I have, but as I mentioned earlier they are mostly concept albums and I think it would be somewhat foolish to try to "rate" what Darinelle was trying to put to song. So I am going to somewhat arbitrarily recommend several songs from my favorite Mountain Goats albums.
Sunset Tree-
You or Your Memory
Broom People
This Year
Dilaudid
Dance Music
Dinu Lipatti's Bones
Up The Wolves
Lion's Teeth
Hast Thou Considered the Tetrapod
Magpie
Song for Dennis Brown
Love Love Love
Pale Green Things
Get Lonely-
Wild Sage
New Monster Avenue
Half Dead
Get Lonely
Maybe Sprout Wings
Moon Over Goldsboro
In the Hidden Places
Song for Lonely Giants
Woke Up New
If You See Light
Cobra Tattoo
In Corolla
Heretic Pride-
Sax Rohmer#1
San Bernardino
Heretic Pride
Autoclave
New Zion
So Desperate
In the Craters on the Moon
Lovecraft in Brooklyn
Tianchi Lake
How to Embrace a Swamp Creature
Marduk T-Shirt Men's Room Incident
Sept 15th 1983
Michael Myers Resplendent
I think you get the idea... listen to it album at a time and you will appreciate it much more!
However I suppose until you get an album this will have to tide you over.
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