Year: 2014

Schooling the Wire

Three SuperCut videos from season 4 of the wire on the words, school, schooled and schooling after a prompt from Jim Groom. Made with videogrep.py

I was surprised at how few times schooled or schooling were used.

Supercut videos are a nice way of looking at this sort of stuff but you can get a quick idea of the use of words by finding them in the subtitle (.srt) files.

For example I downloaded season 4 subtitles from The Wire S04(Season 4) english subtitles – TVsubs.net. This gives several versions of the files. I found before that the DVDRip.TOPAZ.en.srt ones work best for me. I’ve put them in the same folder as my wire episodes and renamed them to match these files.

I open the terminal and type cd then drag the folder from the finder into the terminal window and hit return. This moves me into the folder.

I then grep -e 'school ' *.srt which outputs a list of the episodes with school in the subtitles and the line:

The Wire Season 4 Episode 01 - Boys of Summer.srt:for some back-to-school stuff.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 01 - Boys of Summer.srt:back-to-school stuff for?
The Wire Season 4 Episode 01 - Boys of Summer.srt:When school start, I'll be selling it
The Wire Season 4 Episode 02 - Soft Eyes.srt:for your school clothes,
The Wire Season 4 Episode 02 - Soft Eyes.srt:your school shit, man.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 02 - Soft Eyes.srt:I can't wait until school starts.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 02 - Soft Eyes.srt:of school coming up, right?
The Wire Season 4 Episode 02 - Soft Eyes.srt:- Y'all need school clothes and shit?
The Wire Season 4 Episode 02 - Soft Eyes.srt:to buy school clothes with.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 02 - Soft Eyes.srt:to school some.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 02 - Soft Eyes.srt:to that school lookin'
The Wire Season 4 Episode 03 - Home Rooms.srt:do you want to go to school for?
The Wire Season 4 Episode 04 - Refugees.srt:For school or out the business,
The Wire Season 4 Episode 04 - Refugees.srt:to start out a school year,
The Wire Season 4 Episode 04 - Refugees.srt:school on Friday,
The Wire Season 4 Episode 04 - Refugees.srt:school you, brother.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 05 - Alliances.srt:ain't in school tomorrow morning,
The Wire Season 4 Episode 05 - Alliances.srt:take him in, school him,
The Wire Season 4 Episode 06 - Margin of Error.srt:- High-school biology.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 06 - Margin of Error.srt:Ain't no school today.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 07 - Unto Others.srt:Does the school have
The Wire Season 4 Episode 07 - Unto Others.srt:creep out of school after lunch.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 07 - Unto Others.srt:He's got to be at school in the morning.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 08 - Corner Boys.srt:the word around school is
The Wire Season 4 Episode 08 - Corner Boys.srt:the school or not.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 09 - Know Your Place.srt:after school lets out--
The Wire Season 4 Episode 09 - Know Your Place.srt:to the school social worker.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 10 - Misgivings.srt:I'll get the school police.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 10 - Misgivings.srt:of the school year,
The Wire Season 4 Episode 11 - A New Day.srt:front of the school today,
The Wire Season 4 Episode 11 - A New Day.srt:at school 45,
The Wire Season 4 Episode 11 - A New Day.srt:school 52, and school 58
The Wire Season 4 Episode 11 - A New Day.srt:- The school audit.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 12 - That's Got His Own.srt:when I look at the school budget.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 12 - That's Got His Own.srt:for the school budget.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 12 - That's Got His Own.srt:with the school board itself.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 12 - That's Got His Own.srt:is on the school system.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 12 - That's Got His Own.srt:As president of the school board,
The Wire Season 4 Episode 12 - That's Got His Own.srt:not the school board,
The Wire Season 4 Episode 12 - That's Got His Own.srt:- to go see the school superintendent.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 12 - That's Got His Own.srt:the Baltimore school system's
The Wire Season 4 Episode 12 - That's Got His Own.srt:middle school no more.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 12 - That's Got His Own.srt:no school closures.
The Wire Season 4 Episode 12 - That's Got His Own.srt:over the school board
The Wire Season 4 Episode 13 - Final Grades.srt:It knocks the school deficit
The Wire Season 4 Episode 13 - Final Grades.srt:your school system."
The Wire Season 4 Episode 13 - Final Grades.srt:I went to school here

Where as schooling:


01 - Boys of Summer.srt:So... he was schooling me.
07 - Unto Others.srt:Don't be schooling us now.
08 - Corner Boys.srt:we schooling them.

Only has 3 mentions as does schooled


01 - Boys of Summer.srt:You laughing. I've been schooled, dog.
09 - Know Your Place.srt:You schooled me good.
10 - Misgivings.srt:- You schooled them well.

If you just want the number of mentions:
grep -e 'school ' *.srt | wc -l
outputs 45.

I am sure lots of ds106 students can thing of some other useful and interesting ways to use this.

A Week of Creates

It has been a while since I gave the The Daily Create much attention. When I started having a longish train commute I though I do more of this, but the British Rail free wifi blocks flickr and I lost the habit.

I do look in on the home page and see tweets and last Tuesday I saw Write a Smart Alec Haiku, I always liked Haiku and similar short forms for teaching and at least some of my pleasure in the daily create is being a smart Alec. So: Concise

Given extra time,
Instead of this wee haiku:
a one word poem

I hope that my smart Alec reference was clear enough.

The next day, I glanced at my phone in the office and saw: Make us an experimental water photo, unconcerned for the need for stated need for focus, time and consideration I glanced out of the window:
Cloud Dock

Cloud Dock | Flickr – Photo Sharing!.

At this point I am feeling as if I starting a roll, but forgot all about tdc until late on Thursday night where the challenge was: Make a baby or something else. This seemed far to much bother for bedtime, but I raided my daughter’s old bedroom for a soft toy and Ductapeasaur roamed the couch.

Ductapeasaur

Given longer I would have tried to make a kale forest, but when I started chopping I was in danger of waking my wife so went to bed.

On Friday I was on holiday and planning a bit of a walk, Make a sound Map looked ideal. The instructions are great, Creative activities: sound maps. Sensory Trust. and tucked away for future reference.

Lack of cardboard near at hand made the decision to rely on my memory. Having the ideas in mind made my whole walk much more about sound than usual. A bright breezy day. Although I did lie down in a dampish patch for five minutes with my eyes closed it was pretty quiet.

The map represents a different five minutes walking the path beside the loch. I missed the sound of the mountain bike that sped by, making me jump out of my skin, from the drawing. I also forgot all about it when I got home and ended up submitting on saturday morning.

Sound map

Sound map | Flickr – Photo Sharing!

The Sound map was the most interesting of the week, it affected my whole morning walk by focusing my mind on sound.

Safe Havens

Everyone has a safe haven where they go to be alone and clear their mind. Take pictures of yours and make a collage.

This is a walk I’ve gone on a few times over the last couple of years. I’ve yet to meet another walker on the route.

Alt Oss & Loch Oss

Alt Oss & Loch Oss | Flickr – Photo Sharing!

Sunday’s
We have so much to take in that we forget to look in, puzzled me enough to tweet Mariana: but by the time she had explained I’d finished, using Photoshop Touch on the iPad.

tdc1036

Not sure how interesting that was but photoshop touch makes this sort of thing a snip.

A geek magnetic poem, please? rounded off the week nicely. This reminded me of playing with flash around 10 years ago, making toys for kids. I added a background of my mac colour classic which I dug out from flickr.

beopen

It feels pretty good to be back on the daily create, a wee bit of commenting and looking at other folks productions helped me enjoy the week even more.

Practising Reflection

Fearless Reflection
Fearless Reflection by Sandy Brown Jensen

I thought I’d have a wee go at Mariana’s Art on the Couch process.

Mariana is carrying out the project to learn about critiquing art, and:

Critique is often most instructive for the person offering it. In looking at other people’s work, and formulating your opinion of it, you’re learning a great deal.

Mariana is committing to do one per week, I think I might try one a month, so this is November’s.

Anyway here goes, following Mariana’s questions.

1. What stands out the most when you first see it?
My eye is drawn first to the central figure. The first thing that stands out is is the watercolour effect and overall warm colours.

2. Explain the reason you notice the thing you mention in number 1.
The unexpected blur on a mirror is disconcerting or makes me think. I expect sharpness from a mirror. The gaze of the figure seems to be going past my left shoulder.

3. As you keep looking, what else seems important?
I go next to the brown vertical on the left.

My eye then roams around the other objects on the wall surrounding the mirror finishing on the chair.

4. Why does the thing you mention in number 3 seem important.
This vertical gives the image depth, along with the chair back. They give me the feeling that I am looking across the room diagonally to the mirror.

5. How has contrast been used?
The figure in the mirror and the mirror frame push the figure inside the mirror, this pulls me into the frame and to the figure eyes.

6. What leads your eye around from place to place?
The green, white & red curtains, then the brown right left hand vertical, some sort of hanging brown object on the top left wall give great depth, the mirror frame more giving a feeling of looking in on the figure who is looking out.

The face mask on the right of the mirror seems to be floating off the wall. I wonder if it’s eyes are closed.

7. What tells you about the style used by this artist?
The water colour effect brings a dreamy informality to the picture. A romantic view.

8. What seems to be hiding in this composition and why?
Is the figure being slightly reserved, not meeting the viewer’s eyes?

For all her casualness her gaze is serious.

9. Imagine the feelings and meanings this artwork represents?
Although the figure looks pensive the colours are relaxed, calm and contemplative.

10. What other titles could you give this artwork?
Deep in quiet thought.

11. What other things interest you about this artwork?
I wonder about the note, or sheet of paper at the bottom left of the mirror. What is on it, sheet music? Is it jammed by the chair.

~tilde

 _________  ________  _________  ________  ___       ___           ___    ___ 
|\___   ___\\   __  \|\___   ___\\   __  \|\  \     |\  \         |\  \  /  /|
\|___ \  \_\ \  \|\  \|___ \  \_\ \  \|\  \ \  \    \ \  \        \ \  \/  / /
     \ \  \ \ \  \\\  \   \ \  \ \ \   __  \ \  \    \ \  \        \ \    / / 
      \ \  \ \ \  \\\  \   \ \  \ \ \  \ \  \ \  \____\ \  \____    \/  /  /  
       \ \__\ \ \_______\   \ \__\ \ \__\ \__\ \_______\ \_______\__/  / /    
        \|__|  \|_______|    \|__|  \|__|\|__|\|_______|\|_______|\___/ /     
                                                                 \|___|/      
                                                                              
 ________   ___  ___  ________  ___       _______   ________  ________        
|\   ___  \|\  \|\  \|\   ____\|\  \     |\  ___ \ |\   __  \|\   __  \       
\ \  \\ \  \ \  \\\  \ \  \___|\ \  \    \ \   __/|\ \  \|\  \ \  \|\  \      
 \ \  \\ \  \ \  \\\  \ \  \    \ \  \    \ \  \_|/_\ \   __  \ \   _  _\     
  \ \  \\ \  \ \  \\\  \ \  \____\ \  \____\ \  \_|\ \ \  \ \  \ \  \\  \|    
   \ \__\\ \__\ \_______\ \_______\ \_______\ \_______\ \__\ \__\ \__\\ _\    
    \|__| \|__|\|_______|\|_______|\|_______|\|_______|\|__|\|__|\|__|\|__|   
                                                                              
                                                                              
  ________  ___       ___  ___  ________                                      
 |\   ____\|\  \     |\  \|\  \|\   __  \                                     
 \ \  \___|\ \  \    \ \  \\\  \ \  \|\ /_                                    
  \ \  \    \ \  \    \ \  \\\  \ \   __  \                                   
 __\ \  \____\ \  \____\ \  \\\  \ \  \|\  \                                  
|\__\ \_______\ \_______\ \_______\ \_______\                                 
\|__|\|_______|\|_______|\|_______|\|_______|

For the last couple of commutes I’ve been hooked by a ~.

(I am cross posting this at my mainly educational blog and my ds106 one because I think this is so interesting.)

It started when I read I had a couple drinks and woke up with 1,000 nerds which touches on some many interesting things, online identity, ownership, internet history and made me think about about community, teaching about the web and some of the posts Jim Groom has be posting recently (/~space for example).

The ~tilde.club set up by Paul Ford while drinking is

not a social network it is one tiny totally standard unix computer that people respectfully use together in their shared quest to build awesome web pages

It mirrors what was the standard way to give university folk accounts and allows users to work on a remote computer through the terminal, communication and creating web pages. You will get a much better idea by reading the post and going to ~tilde.club and clicking some links.

It looked interesting enough to have a shot, but I had arrived at the party a little late. Fortunately there are other tilde clubs springing up and I got in to totallynuclear.club as ~troutcolor.

All I’ve done so far is created a webpage, set up a blog and visited other members pages. I had a quick chat on the commandline with ~maze who answered some questions.

Hopefully I’ll use the blog to document what I am learning as I go. I am certainly learning. I’ve use a terminal now and then locally on my mac and even very occasionally to play with my Raspberry Pi, but this is quite different. I find myself strangely drawn to the process. For some of the users on the tilde clubs nostalgia is a reason for being their, I missed that whole section of computer history as I started late. Any webpage creation I’ve done has been by uploading files via FTP or by using blogging software or social media. The ~tilde clubs work in both a older and modern modern way. I’ve noticed similarities in the way the developers for glow blogs work, not ftp for them, they talk of git, and are often logged into some cloud server via a terminal.

There are other interesting features emerging on totallynuclear and other tilde clubs I hope to get the courage up to try the IRC chat soon.

What could it be good for

Apart from fun which is a good enough reason.

Given that I an a teacher I wonder if this could be a good way to teach pupils/students about the web. I don’t think that there is anything Perhaps cover some technology history and web literacy. Although the technology is not very shiny and new it does feel quite exciting. It also, to some extent, remove a veil from the technology and perhaps could loosen the ties to silos.

What does it look like?

This is a very short screencast just touching on the basics, which is all I know at the present.

Starters for 10

Some links to interesting totallynuclear things:

Colour of the Wire

After the last post I’ve watched a few more episodes and have arrived in Season 3 of the wire. I though it might be interesting to see the overall colours of different episodes or seasons and compare them.

Following the same path1 as in the previous post I created a montage of screenshots from Episode 1 of season 3. I sort of expected it to be a bit brighter but:

out-1000

A bit of googling took me to Image Color Summarizer – RGB and HSV Image Statistics and:

Image Color Summarizer – RGB and HSV Image Statistics Season 1 Episode 1

Image Color Summarizer – RGB and HSV Image Statistics Season 3 Episode 1

Both described as dark faded red.

colours-of-the-wire

I wonder if it would be interesting to expand this to other episodes and series or if everything looks dark.

Footnotes:

1. I had a few problems with Storyboard this time as the .srt file I downloaded didn’t work, a quick google found one that did. I also noticed that the montage code I posted last time was missing a parameter --geometry +0+0 to remove padding