September 12, 2008
Four For Friday
Q1 - Food in Class: A friend reports that while waiting for his college course on Cross-Cultural Communications to start, a co-ed sat next to him and started eating her lunch (chicken-friend steak and mashed potatoes with a very strong aroma). Do you feel it's appropriate to bring your lunch to a college or university class and eat during the lecture/discussion? Would you personally do this?
Q2 - Publishing: A federal judge this week ruled against Steven Vander Ark, and U.S. author who was seeking to publish an encyclopedia about the Harry Potter series of novels. U.S. District Judge Robert P. Patterson concluded Vander Ark's already drafted "The Harry Potter Lexicon" would cause Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling "irreparable injury," and even went so far as to award Rowling and her publisher $6,750 in statutory damages and permanently blocked Vander Ark's publication from ever seeing the light of day. How do you feel about this? Should anyone be allowed to write a guide or reference book about another author's characters, or should only the original author or their publisher have the rights to publish guides about characters they created themselves?
Q3 - Staying Sharp: Everyone knows exercise helps maintain muscles and keep bones healthy. But can exercising your brain really help you remember and improve the way you think? Paying attention to your cognitive skills and taking steps to ward off Alzheimer's Disease is becoming more popular. Do you do anything in particular to exercise your brain?
Q4 - Retail: If you were forced to work at a retail store for 10 hours every week for the next year, which store would you choose to work for and why?
Posted by Mikal at September 12, 2008 3:12 PM
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1- I've eaten sandwiches and the like, but I think the key for me was that I never had hot/aromatic foods, and I made it a point to sit where the fewest possible people would even see me eating.
2- Without seeing what he wrote, its tough to really know, but when I read about this, it seemed that the judge made a ruling around the idea of new content: that Ark had none. While I think the statutory damages are a bit of a joke, it seems that most of these kinds of guides are done with at least the blessing of the original authors, which I happen to like.
3- I like Sudoku and do a couple puzzles a night.
4- Probably someplace like Game Stop, where I would like what's sold, generally only deal with others who feel the same way, and the few venturesome gift-buyers will believe whatever I tell them.
Q1 - No way. I have brought drinks in before, but I would not bring food into a University discussion and eat it during class. It's disrespectful and selfish.
Q2 - I feel that people have the right (by law) to write about whatever they want as long as it doesn't disrupt the "free speech" amendment. However, ethics and respect become a factor, but in today's world unfortunately those are absent in some people.
Q3 - It's all a mind game, if you think exercising your brain will help your memory...then it will. If you don't, then it won't. I say it can, but then again, some days I think 2 plus 2 is 7.
Q4 - Costco (do they count?) They have a wide variety of most everything you need (discounts!) and, you could have a polish dog, churro, chicken bake, and ice cream every day you work...and never have to leave!
Q1 - No. Never did and a lot of my classes it wasn't allowed. I did drink a few beers in the back of a huge lecture hall, but it was for some anthropology class that was showing us a movie of bonobo monkeys mating, so it was okay.
Q2 - I feel like J.K. should have taken the high road on this as she has more money then a lot of countries in South America. But the guy should have gotten permission.
Q3 - I think my work exercises my brain, Hopefully that wards off the Alzheimer's.
Q4 - REI or Harley.
Q1- I personally probably wouldn't bring a meal to class. But I don't mind if others do, but I do not want to hear them munching down on chips. So have some manners about what you bring.
Q2- I don't really have an opinion on this. Sorry.
Q3- I don't do much to exercise my brain, but I probably should.
Q4- Target. I look good in red and khaki.
Q1: In some of my classes, it was expected because it was dinner time. So, over half the class had food. I'd do it then. However, I wouldn't do it if the class culture didn't allow it.
Q2: I think that public information is fair game for any writer.
Q3: Yes, I watch TV. :o)
Q4: I'd work for a sport memorabilia store.
1) I would not eat a big meal in class, although a nutrition bar would be okay. And I don't think other people should eat a big meal like that. It's too distracting.
2) I disagree with the decision. The whole world is built on information developed by people before us. Could he blog about the characters?
3) Memory exercises seem to help me a lot. I like to read books that deal with trivia. The small bits of information are easy to retain and relate to other things I know. I find they're useful in conversation and ultimately they help my brain.
4) I would work at Nordstrom's. It would be my dream to have a customer try to return tire chains. http://www.snopes.com/business/consumer/nordstrom.asp
1. I had a couple of early morning classes in the day where a group of us would rotate responsibilities for bringing in a thermos of coffee, and I wouldn't have a problem with a candy bar. An entire lunch/breakfast or dinner is inappropriate and a distraction to classmates though. Besides... didn't momma always tell us to if you're gonna do that, you should bring along enough for everyone?
2. I believe it was a good decision. The distinction lies in the content. Vander Ark's Lexicon was essentially mining Rowling's work and presenting it in an encyclopedic form with relatively little original content. Reader's Guides or (God help me) Book club editions of books generally are designed to help a reader interpret a work and not straightforward encyclopedias. Rowling herself hasn't had a problem with any of the numerous literary criticisms or readers guides that interpret the books, just this one, which tells me that she has no problem with people interpreting her work, but does have an issue with someone repackaging her intellectual property for their own gain.
3. Not consciously. I do love logic puzzles, reading and doing crossword puzzles, which I guess amounts to the same thing, but I do all of those for pleasure and not to stave off brain rot.
4. I'm tempted to say a book store, but I'd probably get too depressed seeing the crap that people would buy. I'd probably go back to the grocery store. It's mindless, but there's very little of the fawning and sucking up to customers that is so necessary in most retail establishments.
1. It's one thing to have a snack or beverage in class, but it's kind of out of place to have a full meal. I don't want to hear/see someone else eat their meal while I'm paying to learn. Also, it's just weird from someone to crack open a chicken entree in English Lit.
2. I think only the original author should have complete authority over her characters. She created them, she should say who can and cannot use them.
3. I read, do crossword puzzles; exercise (somewhat); eat healthy.
4. Barnes & Noble or Borders. They have a zillion books and music, and a coffee bar.
Q1 - Generally, there is not much difference between eating during a lecture and eating popcorn in a movie theater. Instructors intimate and intimidate students into believing that class is more important than the latest blockbuster yet students can recall more of the movie than the professor's dronings, despite the snacks. Clearly, to ensure more recall of information in lectures, overpriced snack bars should be installed outside of every classroom.
Q2 - What mike said. There is nothing immoral about protecting your IP no matter how wealthy it has made you.
Q3 - I have always thought my father, a physician, as one of smartest people I have ever known. He would always stimulate his brain not to avoid the consequence of Alzheimer's but because of a genuine thirst for knowledge of any kind. Unfortunately, he has had Alzheimer's for many years. I do exercise my brain because I enjoy it but I don't believe there is a strong enough correlation between brain exercise and the avoidance of Alzheimer's. Since everyone is different with dissimilar experiences and genetics the only conclusive proof would be that if you went back in time and changed only the amount the brain exercise. Time travel is not impossible due to the lack of time travelers from the future proving the technology.
Q4 - Victoria's Secret. The why is self-evident.
1. No I would not eat in the class. I think it is rude.
2.I think anyone should be able to write a guide or refernce book. If the original author did not think of it first, that's their problem.
3. I know alot of people that do crossword puzzles for that very reason. My only "brain food" is getting through my list of things to do each day. My kids get annoyed if I forget something, and I as tell them, "You're lucky I know where to go at the end of the day."
4.When I left retail in 1987, after 8 years, I swore I would never do retail again. So I have a really hard time answering that question. I'd rather push a cart around a building delivering mail.
1. A full chicken meal? Strange. But she must have had a reason, maybe she has strange dietary needs... maybe? I'm always snacking on something, so I would probably take in some kind of food - but not a big ole' chicken dinner!
2. I'm totally torn on this one - maybe if he did what Disney-copy-cats do and stated fully that it was completely un-authorized... I don't know.
3. I play Pathwords and Scramble on Facebook :)... see, I'm just exercising my brain - not wasting time!
4. Isn't it obvious? The Emporium on Main Street, Disneyland USA.
Q1 - Food in Class: I figure whatever the professor says, goes. If the prof. is okay with it, then eat away! The best place to do this in is an advanced sign language class where speaking is prohibited. Your Doritos will never attract more attention!
Q2 - Publishing: Anyone should be allowed so long as they have permission from the copyright holder. Otherwise they ought to go underground like the Marquis de Sade. Steamy Harry Potter novels. Hmmm... okay, maybe not.
Q3 - Staying Sharp: I've always been a bit of a history junkie. Watching history documentaries is about as close as I get to exercising my brain. There's also the math I do when counting cards playing blackjack or calculating odds in poker. Then of course the logic arguments I have with my 11-year old daughter (who is not very logical as you can imagine. Typical argument is about whether Zac Efron is totally hot or not.)
Q4 - Retail: Mmm... I hate working retail. But if I absolutely had to do it again, I guess I'd pick one of those game stores where a bunch of 40-year olds go at it with 9-year olds in some Pokemon or Magic card game. I'd never have to worry about an angry customer who has the capability to beat me up should things come to fisticuffs.
1. Having been a college student, I can relate to having to catch a bite when you can. Life can get hectic. If it's not prohibited by the class rules the professor lays down, I say go for it.
2. I don't know that I agree with the damages awarded, but I think it was the right call.
3. I don't consciously do exercises for my brain. Not to say I don't exercise it, I'm just not thinking of it in that way. I read a lot of books. Does answering the Four for Friday count? :)
4. I would work at B&H Photo Video. The only location I know of is in Manhattan so there will need to be some sort of commuting magic that happens, but it's a hypothetical question anyway, so I'm sticking with that answer. I would work there because I would love playing around with all the movie-making gadgetry they have.
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