A Collection of Daily Wisdom by Dennis Sylvester Hurd since September 2003.

For the majority of human existence, music was an oral tradition of individuals and tribes. Musical notation in a historical perspective may have started more than 4000 years ago with a cuneiform script in the lands of what is currently Iraq. Still, modern notation is most closely associated with European classical music. So, in the scheme of things, even being able to keep a written record of reproducible music is but the blink of an eye in human history.

Let's jump to the relative recentness of the last 150 years. We have invented ways to capture actual sounds and reproduce them at will. I'm barely a baby-boomer but have personally played LP's, 8-track tapes, cassettes, and now digital files. I know fortunes have been created and lost because of changes in these technologies. Access to it has dramatically allowed the accumulation of fortunes and vast power. The roads to artistic achievement have witnessed various twists and turns as the music industry has undergone continual growth and change.

BitComet is running as I type this. I have to admit it is just too damned easy to share little computer files containing songs. It is easier than going to the library to rip a copy from a CD. It is simpler than signing into an online music store. It is certainly less of a hassle than actually getting to a music store in the mall. We simply will no longer stick to outdated modes for music distribution, nor should we.

The thorny issue involves how to remunerate those who put all the effort into making those tracks. I haven't a clue as to how it should work. Perhaps those who create music will have to earn money by putting on live performances and simply giving away the little digital files. In a way, those gatherings will be a little closer to what music has been for the majority of its existence. For the majority of human existence, music was an oral tradition of individuals and tribes.

Labels: futurecast, music, technology

Go ahead. Think of something of which you have 4,300. Stumped?



I was out on a walk and decided to take an image of the downtown New Westminster parkade. It's a rather ugly structure that was built in the 1960's to allow parking for downtown shopping. After New Westminster's miracle mile fell into disarray, decades ago, it has solemnly and resolutely kept sunshine off Front Street which it covers. Downtown, after years of neglect, is recovering some of its former glory by attracting new residents in a multitude of towers being built. The parkade still doesn't do much at all. Though it must be said that things which become familiar tend to loose any perceived ugliness. I know the parkade has sort of grown on me.

Here is a slide-show with 37 photos of it. By the way, in answer to my own question at the top of this entry, the photo made my four thousand three hundredth image on Flickr.

Labels: Flickr, New Westminster

Today, I had my COMM 0004 students work on a new task.

I have scheduled our entire four-hour class in our department's special computer lab on Thursdays. The flat-screen monitors fold out of the way and the students are able to work in groups during the majority of the afternoon. We work on the computers for the last hour or so.



Many of their special online assignments found on our course homepage can be completed from home. So, I decided to have the students make voice recordings. They hand them in, so to speak, by copying to an Institute share-in network drive. The first assignment was simply to speak for 90 seconds. They were to describe a particular holiday in their culture. Then, they were to share the special ways they celebrate it. I have copied the files to a different share-out drive, so they may listen to each other's recordings.

I have been teaching the same level for many years at BCIT. However, I amaze even myself by how different the class is each time. I vary the materials but even if I didn't, each group of students has a unique character. I am enjoying the present one a lot.

Labels: BCIT, computer lab, students, technology

Nah, yesterday's promise to coninue posting photos of me in front of landmarks or famous scenes was an idle threat. Well, I don't have the fortitude to keep doing it for several weeks. In fact, I think I'll probably finish up on this tangent today. I'm already bored with the subject. I spent just a few minutes at the blog and discovered these ten other examples.

Hubbard Glacier, Alaska

Taj Mahal, India

Canadian Parliament, Canada

British Parliament, England

Fairmont Empress Hotel, Victoria, BC

Windmills, Zaanse Scans, Holland

Niagara Falls, Canada

Hollywood, California

Goreme, Turkey

Gate of India, India

As I could locate ten so quickly, it's no longer an exciting project. I'll have to think of something new to blog about tomorrow.

Labels: blogging, places

Yesterday, I considered how I'd be able to stand in front of the Grand Canyon next month for a photo. I included a previous image of myself in front of the Eiffel Tower on our Eurotrip 2005. I could go on for days simply adding photos of me standing in front of a variety of landmarks. Yikes, showing off? Perhaps, no burning issues to write about? Actually, I'd rather chalk it up to simply being lazy.


Here, I'm standing in front of the Astronomical Clock in Prague last fall.

Labels: Eurotrip 2007, Prague

How old is one during the summer between Grade 5 and 6? I think that was the last time I saw the Grand Canyon. I do remember the family crossing the country on that trip with an old Chevy pickup and camper. My mother always took lots of images in the form of Kodachrome slides. I wish I had those to scan but I guess they no longer exist as my father doesn't know their whereabouts.

I will be sure we get lots of digital shots of me standing at the edge of the canyon when Jay and I head to Arizona next month. We're taking vacation after I complete my current course, so from May 10th to 17th we'll be away.

The airfare we found to Phoenix seems so cheap! To travel one way is just $77 including taxes and fees. It'd certainly cost more than $154 each to drive there and back. Of course, we do have to go to Bellingham, WA in order to get the deal. I hope there are no surprises. We've never been on Allegiant Air before but service on every plane is non-existent nowadays, right? We now make it a habit to bring our own snacks as one is lucky to get a free pretzel to suck on from a flight attendant.

Labels: Desert Southwest, Eurotrip 2005, flying, Paris, travel planning

Yeah, I'm pretty butch. Lately though, we've been watching a lot of Disney as they do put out impressive Blu-ray editions. Sure, I had heard about Enchanted but had no idea I'd like it so much. I am probably not in the prime demographic for its intended audience. Yet, I was amazed by the disc's bonus material on all the work that went into the Happy Working Song. Before putting the disc back into the zip.ca envelope, I just had to watch that section again.

Of course, it's not quite as impressive in the fuzzy little YouTube player. Why is it allowed on the site anyway? Apparently it's been posted as a marketing tool so it probably won't be pulled.

If you've seen the movie you'll want to remember the sequence and if you've not, then you'll want to discover it.

Labels: movies, YouTube