For an exam I was re-introduced to The Log Driver's Waltz, an old NFB Vingnette from 1979. For me it brings back some childhood memories of seeing it on tv and is just a pleasant piece of historic Canadiana, regardless of its nostalgic aspects.
I made a surface connection of this production of this film as a nostalgic and romantic expression of the log driving industry in Canada during a time when it was fading out of the industry. Perhaps connected to the same nostalgia that placed a log driving image on the the back of the 1970's to 1980's Canadian One dollar bill?
Would anyone with more expertise on the history of the log driving industry in Canada be able to say yae or naye to this observation/connection?
Cheers,
random uni student
Monday, August 16, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Nature, Humanity and History
Discussed this well known idea in class and came across it in an article. I thought it might be a nice one to share. It is, as mentioned, a well known thought as often seen in nature and climate change television documentaries. It might be comforting to note then, that the idea impacts history as an academic discipline. That was a comfort to me. Also, I just like how this is worded.
"In recent years, many environmental historians have argued that a perceptual division between ideals of "nature" and ideals of "culture" is at the root of many current environmental problems (see, e.g., William Cronon; Richard White; Neil Evernden). The notion that "nature" exists outside of and stands separate from human society and technology presents a challenge for addressing ecological problems in the twenty-first century. Not only does this dominant way of thinking mask many environmental tensions, but also it creates a sense of separation between most people's lived experiences and the environmental impact of their day-to-day activities. To conceive of "nature" as existing separately from "culture" is to deny the sense of interconnectedness that affects all forms of life on Earth. As Neil Evernden argues, "Nature is [. . .] nowhere near as independent or as 'given' as we like to suppose" (xii). For those concerned with addressing twenty-first century environmental issues, a critical re-thinking of what "nature" is and means is necessary....
Cultural production has long dictated the ways in which animals are conceived of and, ultimately, treated in Western society. From novels and fairy-tales to paintings, films, advertisements, and postcards, representations of nonhuman species continually shape the dynamics of interspecies interactions. These representations have firmly solidified the perceptual gap that exists between "nature" and "culture" in North America. In the realm of nature, such animals as bears, deer, and bighorn sheep are conceived of as "wild" and "untamed," while nonhuman animals encountered in spaces characterized by notions of "civilization" fit into very different systems of representation. In urban centres, for instance, nonhuman animals tend to be grouped into categories that label them as either "pets" or "pests," both commonly recognized as resulting from human desires, behaviours, and habits."
Cronin, Keri. "The Bears are Plentiful and Frequently Good Camera Subjects": Postcards and the Framing of Interspecies Encounters in the Canadian Rockies." Mosaic : a Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature. Winnipeg: Dec 2006.Vol. 39, Iss. 4; pg. 77, 16 pgs.
Enjoy,
random uni student
"In recent years, many environmental historians have argued that a perceptual division between ideals of "nature" and ideals of "culture" is at the root of many current environmental problems (see, e.g., William Cronon; Richard White; Neil Evernden). The notion that "nature" exists outside of and stands separate from human society and technology presents a challenge for addressing ecological problems in the twenty-first century. Not only does this dominant way of thinking mask many environmental tensions, but also it creates a sense of separation between most people's lived experiences and the environmental impact of their day-to-day activities. To conceive of "nature" as existing separately from "culture" is to deny the sense of interconnectedness that affects all forms of life on Earth. As Neil Evernden argues, "Nature is [. . .] nowhere near as independent or as 'given' as we like to suppose" (xii). For those concerned with addressing twenty-first century environmental issues, a critical re-thinking of what "nature" is and means is necessary....
Cultural production has long dictated the ways in which animals are conceived of and, ultimately, treated in Western society. From novels and fairy-tales to paintings, films, advertisements, and postcards, representations of nonhuman species continually shape the dynamics of interspecies interactions. These representations have firmly solidified the perceptual gap that exists between "nature" and "culture" in North America. In the realm of nature, such animals as bears, deer, and bighorn sheep are conceived of as "wild" and "untamed," while nonhuman animals encountered in spaces characterized by notions of "civilization" fit into very different systems of representation. In urban centres, for instance, nonhuman animals tend to be grouped into categories that label them as either "pets" or "pests," both commonly recognized as resulting from human desires, behaviours, and habits."
Cronin, Keri. "The Bears are Plentiful and Frequently Good Camera Subjects": Postcards and the Framing of Interspecies Encounters in the Canadian Rockies." Mosaic : a Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature. Winnipeg: Dec 2006.Vol. 39, Iss. 4; pg. 77, 16 pgs.
Enjoy,
random uni student
Friday, July 30, 2010
Albert Kahn - Early 20th Century Colour Photographs
I was sent a daily link from Very Short List and wound up searching the Albert Kahn Museum site.
Albert Kahn, (Under 'Albert Kahn (1860-1940)' , "... realising that his era was to witness great changes, he began to build up an iconographic memory of societies, environments and lifestyles – many of them traditional – around the world. From 1909 to 1931, he commissioned photographers and film cameramen to record life in over 50 countries. The images were held in the Archive of the Planet, a collection of 180,000 metres of b/w film and more than 72,000 autochrome plates, the first industrial process for true colour photography, of which the museum now has the largest collection in the world."
I'll be taking my sweet time and gazing through as much of the collection as possible, it's absolutely fascinating and I'm not quite sure how I havn't heard of this man before.I'm sure this is probably a case of me just being out in space/unobservant and hence never encountering this collection.
In navigating the french site (Mon francais, c'est terrible!) I eventually found colour photos from Canada in the 1920's.
Always good to keep in mind that a photograph is not always an accurate representation of reality. As with paintings, photographs are the interpretation of the photographer of the scene or people in which he/she is taking a picture. With that interpretation comes the photographers message (whether intentionally or not) of class, culture, gender, etc. A photograph is often more useful in giving insight into the photographer's perception of the world than it is information on the subject.
Enjoy gazing and musing!
random uni student
Albert Kahn, (Under 'Albert Kahn (1860-1940)' , "... realising that his era was to witness great changes, he began to build up an iconographic memory of societies, environments and lifestyles – many of them traditional – around the world. From 1909 to 1931, he commissioned photographers and film cameramen to record life in over 50 countries. The images were held in the Archive of the Planet, a collection of 180,000 metres of b/w film and more than 72,000 autochrome plates, the first industrial process for true colour photography, of which the museum now has the largest collection in the world."
I'll be taking my sweet time and gazing through as much of the collection as possible, it's absolutely fascinating and I'm not quite sure how I havn't heard of this man before.I'm sure this is probably a case of me just being out in space/unobservant and hence never encountering this collection.
In navigating the french site (Mon francais, c'est terrible!) I eventually found colour photos from Canada in the 1920's.
Always good to keep in mind that a photograph is not always an accurate representation of reality. As with paintings, photographs are the interpretation of the photographer of the scene or people in which he/she is taking a picture. With that interpretation comes the photographers message (whether intentionally or not) of class, culture, gender, etc. A photograph is often more useful in giving insight into the photographer's perception of the world than it is information on the subject.
Enjoy gazing and musing!
random uni student
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
New Podcast - 'Stuff You Missed in History Class'
A friend in one of my classes suggested this podcast and so far I'm in love.
Stuff You Missed in History Class
enjoy!
random uni student
Stuff You Missed in History Class
enjoy!
random uni student
The Mythological Card Catalog
I've heard far far too many times from my grandmother how much she enjoyed using card catalogs. My impression is that she thinks they are still used in libraries...Gram's a bit behind the times. We all get nostalgic about tools and skills no longer used, however I'm pretty sure most of us can agree that this is not one of those things. Granted, I wasn't around when card catalogs were in use, but I'm very glad I wasn't...I'm a fan of catalog search software.
random uni student
random uni student
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Social Media and the Long-Form Census
A great point from ACANADEMICS blog concerning the long-form census debate...
"Perhaps census questions change every year, and perhaps I missed the census that asked more "intrusive" questions. I can understand why some people would not want to divulge this kind of private information, but in the age of Twitter and Facebook (dont' even get me started on foursquare) it seems reasonable to suggest that the general population is okay (and by "okay" I mean "eager") to share information. We've even had to assign an acronym (TMI) to ask people to stop. Facebook is worth hundreds of millions of dollars because each and every one of us wants others to know where we are, what we're doing, and how we feel. "
The whole blog post can be found here.
Cheers,
random uni student
"Perhaps census questions change every year, and perhaps I missed the census that asked more "intrusive" questions. I can understand why some people would not want to divulge this kind of private information, but in the age of Twitter and Facebook (dont' even get me started on foursquare) it seems reasonable to suggest that the general population is okay (and by "okay" I mean "eager") to share information. We've even had to assign an acronym (TMI) to ask people to stop. Facebook is worth hundreds of millions of dollars because each and every one of us wants others to know where we are, what we're doing, and how we feel. "
The whole blog post can be found here.
Cheers,
random uni student
Monday, July 19, 2010
Technology killed the history star?
In response to an article by Sir. Keith Thomas about his working methods as a historian. I've been sitting on this for quite some time but, honestly, I'm bored in my poli-sci class so I'm zoning out and writing this. Historians, by nature and necessity, must be organized in their work. The evolution of a historian, or in my case a history student, is in part predicated on the evolution of the processes and methods by which one assembles, organizes and tracks information. I worry, however, that the rapid change in technology (specifically software and new forms of reading ie. electronic books, online journals, excell, word, Kindle et al. etc.) may disrupt this evolutionary process by which research skills are honed in that a researcher must constantly adapt to the new technology and indeed re-invent their research techniques to fit the new technology.
That's all, don't have more time to put anymore detail into it, but perhaps it's something to muse on.
Cheers,
random university student
That's all, don't have more time to put anymore detail into it, but perhaps it's something to muse on.
Cheers,
random university student
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
1891 Canadian Census Free Online for Canada Day Weekend
Gleaned from Chris Moore's blog...
"Christopher Moore's History News"
The 1891 Canadian Census is open on ancestry.com free of charge for the Canada Day Weekend...
1891 Census Temporarily Available for Free
I know I'll be taking advantage of this to track down the records of some family members information for posterity's sake. Perhaps my grandmother will like copies...
Happy hunting!
Random uni student
"Christopher Moore's History News"
The 1891 Canadian Census is open on ancestry.com free of charge for the Canada Day Weekend...
1891 Census Temporarily Available for Free
I know I'll be taking advantage of this to track down the records of some family members information for posterity's sake. Perhaps my grandmother will like copies...
Happy hunting!
Random uni student
Monday, June 28, 2010
Dusty bookshelves? I think not....well....maybe.
Interesting article out of the Huffington Post on the importance of funding public libraries. Surprising stats.
Opportunity and Access: The Power of Today's Public Libraries
I worked in a library (in southern Ontario) for a few years and I can anecdotally (a word??) attest to the findings in the article. It is vitally important that public libraries provide a place where people, who may not have access to the internet or the money to buy books, are able to actively participate in our information age. I also witnessed quite often just the free public space that libraries offered (coupled with access to the internet) being used as a haven for kids and teens who had a less than ideal home life. In these cases, like teachers in a small way*, library staff become key figures and influences in some of these peoples lives. Another note on the use of the internet in libraries is by elderly people. When working at my local library I had the opportunity to teach seniors (and even sometimes middle aged people) how to use a computer and the internet. This training became vitally important in more than a few people's lives; indeed I was able to witness some heart touching connections between generations are older people actively sought to take part in the world of their kids and grandkids. To cut budgets from libraries endangers cutting a whole swath of the population out of OUR information age.*
The link was found through a daily link subscription. Library Link of the Day . It's become very useful :)
Cheers,
random uni student
* Most teachers fill this role far more substantially than any library staff could. I certainly don't wish to take away from the good work and influence of our teachers.
*Noted that there are other places to access free internet, such as employment offices, but these are not as numerous as libraries and often the mandate of these sites is to use internet access for job searching.
Update: Found this article as well, it fits nicely to the theme...Libraries and Librarians Are Endangered Species: What You Can Do to Help
Opportunity and Access: The Power of Today's Public Libraries
I worked in a library (in southern Ontario) for a few years and I can anecdotally (a word??) attest to the findings in the article. It is vitally important that public libraries provide a place where people, who may not have access to the internet or the money to buy books, are able to actively participate in our information age. I also witnessed quite often just the free public space that libraries offered (coupled with access to the internet) being used as a haven for kids and teens who had a less than ideal home life. In these cases, like teachers in a small way*, library staff become key figures and influences in some of these peoples lives. Another note on the use of the internet in libraries is by elderly people. When working at my local library I had the opportunity to teach seniors (and even sometimes middle aged people) how to use a computer and the internet. This training became vitally important in more than a few people's lives; indeed I was able to witness some heart touching connections between generations are older people actively sought to take part in the world of their kids and grandkids. To cut budgets from libraries endangers cutting a whole swath of the population out of OUR information age.*
The link was found through a daily link subscription. Library Link of the Day . It's become very useful :)
Cheers,
random uni student
* Most teachers fill this role far more substantially than any library staff could. I certainly don't wish to take away from the good work and influence of our teachers.
*Noted that there are other places to access free internet, such as employment offices, but these are not as numerous as libraries and often the mandate of these sites is to use internet access for job searching.
Update: Found this article as well, it fits nicely to the theme...Libraries and Librarians Are Endangered Species: What You Can Do to Help
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Turning a new page...it's about time.
An interesting article...
"Gay-Themed Youth Literature Takes Off"
Article sent by Library Link of the Day
Cheers,
random uni student
"Gay-Themed Youth Literature Takes Off"
Article sent by Library Link of the Day
Cheers,
random uni student
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