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Academia
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Ideas & Questions
- Hits: 1885
The recent conflict of interest "scandal" at the U of C has prompted some thought as to the expectations and obligations of Academia, or University.
First of all, while I acknowledge the real world need and pressure of funding, this could be better addressed by raising corporate taxes and passing the proceeds along to the educational institutions in need. This is the purpose of taxation, to support those institutions that society values. By keeping corporate taxes low (a longstanding strategy of the Conservatives), and allowing the corporations to build their "brand" through selective donations to institutions that are willing to "partner" with them we remove all autonomy from Universities and Academia.
This diminishes the value of the Education received. Universities are not trade schools, or institutes of technology, they serve as well functions in research, in publishing, in advising government, and other roles, but their paramount objective should be to educate - without bias, and free of political, corporate, and religious interference. We would probably agree that fundamentalist Christian college would teach evolution and biology different that a standard university, it should not be hard, then, to understand that a University sponsored by oil and gas might not delve as deeply as it should into the environmental/social/political ramifications of the industry.
Education, as in University, in it's purest sense is not done strictly with the purpose of employing it's pupils upon release. Education is about learning to think critically, to relate to people from different backgrounds, to learning both generally and specifically about different areas of the arts and science. That you leave with an education and are more employable as a result should be the happy by-product of an opened, disciplined and trained mind.
It is both the peoples and the governments job to fund education, that we've so devalued the institution that it must go a-begging to corporate sponsors is tragic. We've a new government. We can fix this.
Synecdoche, New York
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Film
- Hits: 2032
I was surprised to discover this - I haven't seen it. Given I loved Being John Malkovitch, and appreciated Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Adaptation, this will have to be remedied - probably this evening.
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The whole movie is actually posted online.
But this comes as a preparation for Anomalisa, coming out this December...
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Which proves that I'm clearly getting older, as this has me far, far more excited than the new Star Wars. It's been a while since I've so looked forward to a movie...
Ronnie Burkett - The Daisy Theatre
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Theatre
- Hits: 1779
At his absolute best, irreverent improvisation, with 30 years of marionettes, song and bawdy innuendo to draw upon. I've seen almost every show he's done, there's few that compare, if you get a chance you should check him out...
End of the Rocky Horror Picture Show
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 2508
It's the end of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Halloween, and I've talked a few of the co-workers into going, they've never seen it. But I've seen it, how many times, 3, 4 years in a row? And I'm getting bored...
This year, it's rather less attended then most years, perhaps only 3/4 full, and a more subdued host, not as much absurdity, antics. Still a lot of absurdity and antics. They all enjoy it, salad girl, her boyfriend, the new Italian waiter, G and his girlfriend, everyone is happy but me...
Next year it will be the daughter's introduction, I'm just going to dump her and a friend and let them figure it all out. I'm done, I love the movie, the characters, the songs, but 3, mebbe even 4 years in a row, there's gotta be a better party out there somewhere, it's Halloween, I know there is...
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