So we all see that Barack Obama went to Germany to speak in front of a million people. It was actually more along the lines of the Million Man March! Remember that? Right, about 200,000 people. Respectable, but let's not blow this stuff out of proportion, shall we?
Anyway, the head of Der Speigel's Foreign Desk, Gerhard Spörl, calls Barry "No. 44". (Can I call him, Barry?) 44: that's the number of our next president. Herr Bush, Jr. is No. 43, Poppy is 41, and Billy Blue Dress is nestled in there at No. 42. Hillary Yellow Pant Suit (who dresses her? sheesh!) will have to wait for 45. (note: five and twenty-ten-ten;-) )
So Gerhard summarily elects our next president a full 99 days before we get to hang our chads. The sheer audacity of it makes it hopeful. Can we indeed see a change in America's future. Re-engage the world as our friends, instead of giving everyone the cold shoulder? Is there hope for America? A country that Gerhard calls a "somewhat anemic, pragmatic democracy". (Note to self: Don't forget to watch the Daily Show tonight!)
I hope there's hope. The Germans seem to make some sense, as well as nice cars. But the sense does not extend to an "anemic, pragmatic democracy." Perhaps something was lost in translation? Perhaps it is meant to say our "democratic pragmatism is anemic?"
Auf Wiedersehen
Monday, July 28, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
28, 29, 20-10!
I’ve come across this before, how when some children are learning to count in English, that when they get to 30, they say “twenty-ten”. This is logical, and Sebleebler did this too.
In Mandarin Chinese, there are no "teens" or different words for multiples of 10. "Eleven" is "ten-one", "Twelve" is "ten-two", etc. "Twenty" is "two-ten", "Twenty-one" is "two-ten-one", etc. "Thirty" is "three-ten".
And who says Mandarin is hard to learn?
Here's "Twenty-one Reasons Why English Is Hard to Learn" (I believe this is from Richard Lederer's "Crazy English"):
1. The bandage was wound around the wound.
2. The farm was used to produce produce.
3. The dump was so full it had to refuse more refuse.
4. We must polish the Polish furniture.
5. He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7. Since there was no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8. A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10. I did not object to the object.
11. The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12. There was a row among the oarsmen on how to row.
13. They were too close to the door to close it.
14. The buck does funny things when does are present.
15. A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16. To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17. The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18. After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19. Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21. How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
In Mandarin Chinese, there are no "teens" or different words for multiples of 10. "Eleven" is "ten-one", "Twelve" is "ten-two", etc. "Twenty" is "two-ten", "Twenty-one" is "two-ten-one", etc. "Thirty" is "three-ten".
And who says Mandarin is hard to learn?
Here's "Twenty-one Reasons Why English Is Hard to Learn" (I believe this is from Richard Lederer's "Crazy English"):
1. The bandage was wound around the wound.
2. The farm was used to produce produce.
3. The dump was so full it had to refuse more refuse.
4. We must polish the Polish furniture.
5. He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7. Since there was no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8. A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10. I did not object to the object.
11. The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12. There was a row among the oarsmen on how to row.
13. They were too close to the door to close it.
14. The buck does funny things when does are present.
15. A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16. To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17. The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18. After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19. Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21. How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
aunt : ant :: jaunt : jant?
I used the word “jaunt” in an earlier post. Sebleebler and I enjoy rhyming, and lately he’s been interested in how things are spelled. Seeing the word “jaunt” got me thinking about phonics and regional dialects.
I grew up pronouncing aunt like the insect, ant. Plungerhead grew up pronouncing it like “awnt”. If phonics was the only way to learn to read, I might have a harder time when first encountering words like “jaunt”, “haunt”, and “taunt”. On the other hand, learning about the aunt/ant exception might loosen my brain up to being more receptive to the gazillion other exceptions in written English. It’s ultimately a wash since our brains are quite capable of accepting such language idiosyncrasies into our personal knowledge repository, but it's fun to think about regardless.
How about these?
good wood | food mood | blood flood
I grew up pronouncing aunt like the insect, ant. Plungerhead grew up pronouncing it like “awnt”. If phonics was the only way to learn to read, I might have a harder time when first encountering words like “jaunt”, “haunt”, and “taunt”. On the other hand, learning about the aunt/ant exception might loosen my brain up to being more receptive to the gazillion other exceptions in written English. It’s ultimately a wash since our brains are quite capable of accepting such language idiosyncrasies into our personal knowledge repository, but it's fun to think about regardless.
How about these?
good wood | food mood | blood flood
Do U Urdu?
Originally posted to another blog July 21, 2008
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It's a great era in which to unschool. The "interwebs" has made it sickeningly easy to have access to a vast amount of information and exposure to other cultures from the comfort of our living rooms.
Sebleebler, a huge fan of Tom & Jerry, wanted to find recent episodes on YouTube. Tom & Jerry are not known their loquaciousness, but one episode we watched did have quite a bit of dialogue... in Urdu, no less. And Sebleebler was eagerly watching it and giggling as usual. In fact, he watched the Urdu-dubbed ones several times in a row.
We've also learned a little bit of German through his interest in fire & rescue. I still have trouble pronouncing "Feuerwehr", but if we're ever in the EU and have an emergency, we'll know to dial 112 instead of 911.
Being exposed to different languages and cultures while following the interests of a 3-year-old? Priceless.
Now, if we could only teleport ourselves (or "jaunt" as Alfred Bester calls it in "The Stars My Destination") to anywhere in the world any time we'd like...
--------
It's a great era in which to unschool. The "interwebs" has made it sickeningly easy to have access to a vast amount of information and exposure to other cultures from the comfort of our living rooms.
Sebleebler, a huge fan of Tom & Jerry, wanted to find recent episodes on YouTube. Tom & Jerry are not known their loquaciousness, but one episode we watched did have quite a bit of dialogue... in Urdu, no less. And Sebleebler was eagerly watching it and giggling as usual. In fact, he watched the Urdu-dubbed ones several times in a row.
We've also learned a little bit of German through his interest in fire & rescue. I still have trouble pronouncing "Feuerwehr", but if we're ever in the EU and have an emergency, we'll know to dial 112 instead of 911.
Being exposed to different languages and cultures while following the interests of a 3-year-old? Priceless.
Now, if we could only teleport ourselves (or "jaunt" as Alfred Bester calls it in "The Stars My Destination") to anywhere in the world any time we'd like...
Friday, July 25, 2008
What’s going on with the New York Rangers?
What the heck has Glen Sather been drinking? Hogwart's Special Absent Mindedness Potion? Luckily it was just after he let Jagr go. Sorry, but it was time.
But back to Sather: Sean Avery — we’re like 100 times better at winning games when Avery plays. So he lets him go. What gives?
What happened to Prucha? His first year he’s great, scores over 20 goals. Last year they demote him to the checking line at best, hold him to 7 goals. Such a promising player, he should be on one of the top two lines. He’ll probably go back home, too. All the Czechs seem to be going back to Europe.
And why leave Shanahan dangling? We need a captain now. He’s definitely got another decent year in him. Let him lead and bring up all those youngsters. That’s why we have them.
And that Redden deal? We were good on defense! We need people who score some frickin’ goals, man! Be honest Glen, your mixing your medications, right?
Sather is going right back to where we started before he made the “about time!” decision to rebuild three years ago. Last years team needed to be tweaked, but he destroyed it.
Jagr gone. Avery gone. Shanahan going? Sather must go!
But back to Sather: Sean Avery — we’re like 100 times better at winning games when Avery plays. So he lets him go. What gives?
What happened to Prucha? His first year he’s great, scores over 20 goals. Last year they demote him to the checking line at best, hold him to 7 goals. Such a promising player, he should be on one of the top two lines. He’ll probably go back home, too. All the Czechs seem to be going back to Europe.
And why leave Shanahan dangling? We need a captain now. He’s definitely got another decent year in him. Let him lead and bring up all those youngsters. That’s why we have them.
And that Redden deal? We were good on defense! We need people who score some frickin’ goals, man! Be honest Glen, your mixing your medications, right?
Sather is going right back to where we started before he made the “about time!” decision to rebuild three years ago. Last years team needed to be tweaked, but he destroyed it.
Jagr gone. Avery gone. Shanahan going? Sather must go!
Encroachment
Not just a silly foul in football (american football for you non-americans out there).
Humans, since the first settlement, have encroached on wildlife. Every time I see deer walk by our house, I think of the fence I built to keep them from eating our garden. Every time I find the garbage cans ransacked by racoons, I vent my frustration verbally (or sometimes with pee) to the nearby forest as I pick up after the nasty, stinky mess they leave.
However, nowadays, I fail to be furious. It’s our own damned fault, after all. If we didn’t pave away the wilderness for those ever-so delightful strip-malls and planned communities, take away their homes, their lands, then we wouldn’t have these problems.
What happens when a bear walks through town — “SHIT! We gotta get that… that… THING! out of here. How dare it simply walk into town. Shouldn’t it be extinct or something?”
Man oh man! Just what have done to this world?
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