Posts by Geoff Lealand
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Random Play: Even Better than the Real Thing?,
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I am in Japan at the moment and, coincidentally, went on a guided tour of NHK yesterday and encountered their experiments with 3-D television (television without special glasses). Seemed very much work-in-progress (more nausea-inducing than impressive) but the HDTV television demos were magnificent--like peering into a hyper reality.
Watched several productions being recorded. all courtesy of a long-time contact who works in audience research for NHK.
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Hard News: All the cool kids were there,
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Makes the Chiefs demolition of the Brumbies last week all the more sweeter! Bring on the Crusaders!
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Hard News: All the cool kids were there,
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Sounds like a great night out. Finally viewed the YouTube version on Media7 and it will go to the top of my bookmarks.
We are packing for a trip to Japan, to be out of town when the V8s take over the streets of Hamilton. Personally, I feel embarrassed that the Waikato's contribution to global warming is to burn up more fuel, sending overcharged cars around in meaningless circles.
My first trip to Japan and it is panning out like Peter Carey's 'Wrong About Japan' ie my offspring are heading straight for Akihabura and the cos-players; Josephine and I are heading for the old temples (the 'real Japan') .
But we are all going on a guided tour of NHK next Wednesday. -
Hard News: You can't always get what you…,
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...Ah copyright. The desperate, hopeless and pointless fight against piracy continues...
A report in the Media Guardian this week ("Home copying--burnt into teenage psyche", Monday 7 April) cites a survey by the British Music Rights that showed that 95% of 1,158 Brits surveyed 'engaged in some form of copying'
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Hard News: Piled in bins like summer fruit,
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On biofuels and foodstuffs--there is a giant cheese toastie still simmering in Tamahere, on the outskirts of Hamilton. My daughter is complaining that everything she eats tastes of burnt cheese!
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Speaker: In Praise of The Catalysts of…,
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Good to see this discussion in the public domain. I am concerned about Film and Theatre Studies but even more concerned about American Studies, for the proposals have implications for a much larger group of people. I haven't seen much to match the lobbying going in respect of Film/Theatre.
I did have a letter in The Press a month or so ago, framing my objections to plans to axe American Studies (as a MA graduate of the programme in the 1970s) and arguing that our understandings of contemporary life are pretty much framed by America--whether we embrace American values and world vierws, adapt or reject them.One instance--the intense interests we have in the Democrat primary!
I also recalled how American Studies introduced me to the notions of historiography and critical analysis--ideas I had never before encountered in NZ education. These beginnings have pretty much framed my subsequent academic career (now Assoc Prof in Screen and Media Studies at the University of Waikato, with an international reputation in research and writing (if you will forgive the plug!)
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We all understand, Russell...I also heard Bozo Bruce on MR and, to me, he seemed to be arguing for closed shop monopolies. Who does he represent exactly?
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Have a great launch, Russell. When you get a mo (and I know you are very busy chappie) could you give me some info on hooking up to Freeview (ie fitting it around Sky Digital). Maybe there isn't a problem but the Freeview people haven't been very helpful.
In the real world of Super 14, prospects are getting brighter, with the improving form of the Chiefs. Got some great talent, that team.
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Hey Geoff , are you the same guy who used to be at Otago Uni - I used to enjoy your lectures ... if you are?
'fraid not. I have only put in an occasional appearance at Otago.
(even though I don't want to turn this blog into Trade and Exchange)....
If any one is passing through Hamilton East in the next two weeks and wants to travel on with a bag of feijoas, just bung me a message at lealand@waikato.ac.nz (but not between April 14-24 as I will be in Japan) -
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...and whilst we are on the pleasures of the garden..the feijoas have started dropping (the first on the very same day the first dropped last year!) Fruit is smaller than last year (hasn't been getting the benefits of the sprinkler on the nearby vege garden) but a pretty big crop. Two years ago I had one fruit which weighed more than half a kg!
We have one big old tree and when that finishes, two other trees kick in.We do swaps with our neighbour--buckets of passion fruit for feijoas, as well as supplying various staff tearooms.