the things i ramble about.

i think i'm going to start doing a song of the day. because i'll never be able to share all of them.

i don't always know why. like today, it is nightswimming by r.e.m.

while you listen... i had the following conversation with a man in my linguistics class:

him: So...what do you think of this class?
me: i LOVE it. [insert long-winded explanation of how fascinated i am by grammar, syntax, and the various theories regarding the origin of language]. what about you?
him: (long pause)...I guess i feel very differently. (long pause)
me: i take it you don't like the class? why not?
him: well, we're focusing on the theories rather than the outcome.
me: but we already know the outcome. why would we focus on that?
him: why theorize about it?
me: because there's so much we don't know! there's so much we've yet to discover.
him: we know enough.

i am offended.

and because damon just texted me about raccoons, this:

did you know my dad once had a pet raccoon named trouble? did you know my dad is the most awesome human?

by the by. i apologize for ever feeling sad about my life. about anything, really. because i honestly honestly have a remarkable life. i am blessed with the BEST friends and family...thank you. punch me in the mouth if i complain. i have no reason.

thank you for being you. thank you for being alive. thank you for sharing your life with me. thank you for wearing a seatbelt.

anticipatory for two reasons

happy hallow's!!!

i can't wait. i drew this in logic today....after i got my test back, which i ACED! ha ha!

i invented haunted halloween camping today. it's become a life goal to make it happen.

did i mention I LOVE HALLOWEEN???

i'm ail duff hue let her stewed hey....hopefully the mail fates are on my side this time (i didn't put them in the FedEx box, so we should be okay).

Words, words, words! (and a puzzle)

I have some thoughts.

One of these thoughts is about plurals.

The plural of nemesis is nemeses (nem-iss-seas). Which follows standard rules of English grammar.

But THEN, the plural of premise is premises (prem-iss-is OR prem-iss-seas), sometimes pronounced with the long E sound as well. why is this? why? is this incorrect? or just an anomaly?

Following this train of thought, what about promise? why is the plural, promises, never pronounced prom-iss-seas? Why the inconsistency? not that i mind, but....but why?

these are the things i took notes on today in linguistics, rather than taking notes on what was actually happening during the lecture.

in said class, we talk a lot about the origins of language (this IS going somewhere, i promise). The funny thing is that none of the theories we discuss even acknowledge the possibility of creationism. it's always: "when did we split from the primates and start speaking intelligibly?" "how did the hominid's brain grow enough to be able to comprehend and create language?" Dear everyone, you do know that evolution is a Theory, yes?

there are two camps on this issue: one is that (A) language is innate; we are born with the ability to use and understand language. the other is that (B) language, like any other skill (piano, tying shoes, writing), is entirely learned. Children learn to speak purely through imitation.

There's far more evidence to support claim A. Children are clearly born knowing certain things about language that they are never taught. For instance, how do we all know to say "big red balloon" rather than "red big balloon?" no one taught us this. in fact, studies have proven that "motherese" ("look, say 'doggy!'" "BALL, timmy, that's a BALL.") is completely useless. we do not need parents or anyone else to label things for us to figure out what they are. How do we know that something "out" of the box can be "near" it, but something "in" it can't? Who teaches us these things? No one. Our brains are clearly hardwired with these concepts. Read about pidgins and creoles, if you wish to know more--it's fascinating!

The POINT is, language is clearly inherent. "BUT," the psycholinguists cry, "how did it begin? when did we evolve to develop this magnificent skill?" And that is when i laugh. Because if anyone were to look at the possibility that we didn't evolve, but perhaps knew these things from the beginning, there would be no confusion. Were they to accept that maybe we came from a Father who always spoke to us, and we to him, there wouldn't be any question at all. OF COURSE it's innate. And what's more, it's eternal. No one else in class brings up these points, though. And i wonder if there are a large number of us, silently laughing at all the head-scratching scientists.

And people think religion doesn't make sense.

In other news, can you decode these pictures? this was our in-class assignment today. we were given sentences and told to try and draw pictures of them. then we showed our pictures to other classmates and tried to figure out what they meant. very few of us succeeded. and yes, my artistic renderings may be terrible, but it's an intriguing point.

If you give up, the sentences are in the comments!

suspended/clapter

i need access to a piano.

ALSO. ... no, no, i didn't actually have anything to say there.

i discovered a few years back that it is shockingly simple to start a round of applause. you should try it someday. i realized this during a high school assembly, when the entire crowd would spontaneously break out in cheering and howling, seemingly unrelated to what was happening onstage. I decided to conduct an experiment, and so i did. I waited until it had been silent for almost a minute, and then, without preamble, clapped loudly and shouted, "WOOOOOO!" This could have been embarrassing, but lucky for me, my hypothesis was correct and humans are, in fact, ridiculously easily influenced. the auditorium erupted with noise, and after it died down, all went on as usual. no one was the wiser. and it has never failed me.

out of boredom, i conducted the same experiment in my improv class. in a setting so conducive to clapter (it exists), i knew it would be effective. and so it was. each time a student entered the classroom, a round of applause broke out. each time someone started to get slightly self-deprecating, we cheered for them. and no one ever knew they were being tested. humans are glorious.

some times i would NOT suggest trying this: at church (i have accidentally done so before, and no one joins in. no one.). at a funeral. maybe. i suppose that one depends. in a bathroom? no, actually, someone should definitely try that. report back to me.

i have 2 job interviews this week. please please please.

i could say a lot or a little at this moment. i'll make it easier by leaving it at a little. have a lovely evening.

Oh, and everybody in Antigone and King Arthur, break legs!

hello teacher, tell me, what's my lesson?

i love my logic professor. some of the reasons for this are:

*he is my logic professor.
*he is maybe the oldest man alive.
*he wrote on the projector screen, thinking it was the white board. now there is a green blur in the corner of it for all eternity.
*he looks so much like a monkey, i almost believe in evolution now.
*he has the gentlest of voices.
*his curriculum combines math and sentence structure.
*he told us openly how much he hates his boss.
*he makes jokes using terms like algorithm and aristotelian theory.
*the other students stare blankly at him.
*he misplaced his watch during our class hour.
*he says, "if you're not following me...to hell with it."

golly, i love school.