I think it has already been well established that English is a very unconventional and weird language. To reinforce this, I want to add some alternate spellings that have popped in my head recently.
1. Juice could be spelled g-o-o-s-e, with g from giraffe, oo from proper grammar, and s is s.
2. Nelenite, a random mineral I looked up, could be spelled p-n-e-l-e-k-n-i-g-h-t. Pn from Latin influences, ele, from it's quite boring without significant alternate spellings, kn from knot, and ight from any number of words, such as light or fight.
3. Fix would work spelled p-h-y-y-k-s. Ph makes an f noise, yy can make an i sound, like in Kashyyk, which is the first example I thought of, and ks because it sounds more or less the same as an x.
English is weird. You don't need to say much more than that.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Kid Shows
Kid shows have really devolved from what I watched as a kid. Among modern kid shows, you're lucky if they don't obnoxiously talk to you, thus casually and distastefully breaking the fourth wall. They are never in a working society and the only people in existence are the characters. There are no random interactions between characters, complex storylines, or even skilled problem solving. They're all dumb-downed, simplistic brain spam that kills you with corniness, dull music, and bad writing. Yes, a little kid can enjoy a show where the above is not true.
One example s one I watched as a kid, called Babar. I saw an episode of it recently as my youngest brother was watching local channels and it happened to be on. Over the course of the episode, there was a con man, revenge, international relations, trade, conviluted schemes, facades, riots, and business deals. Suffice to say, it was much more complex than any modern kids show.
I, for one, would like to know why kid shows have to be dumb. They could be significantly smarter, and even if the audience doesn't really understand the intricacies, it would most likely leave a stronger intellect than watching Dora choose paths and Diego hug venomous reptiles.
One example s one I watched as a kid, called Babar. I saw an episode of it recently as my youngest brother was watching local channels and it happened to be on. Over the course of the episode, there was a con man, revenge, international relations, trade, conviluted schemes, facades, riots, and business deals. Suffice to say, it was much more complex than any modern kids show.
I, for one, would like to know why kid shows have to be dumb. They could be significantly smarter, and even if the audience doesn't really understand the intricacies, it would most likely leave a stronger intellect than watching Dora choose paths and Diego hug venomous reptiles.
Friday, August 06, 2010
Blog Updates
I am hoping to actual by frequent in my posting from now on. Who knows if it will happen, I mean, it is a completely insane and unheard of concept among bloggers, but if I don't write it down, I am 67.9% more likely not to do it, according to the Just Made Up Statistics Bureau, which was formed by the You Can Throw Money At It Bailout program.
In addition, I did a bit of editing to the page to make it more interesting, if not more like an obnoxious commercial slogan, by alliterating all of the gadgets' names on the sidebar.
You may also notice that I also put up a poll, which has a ridiculous run time because the frequency that anyone checks this is probably only once in a blue with a greenish tint moon, and I actually want other people to vote on it besides me. Yes, I am skewing the results by voting on it myself. And yes, I know all of the words listed in the poll. Kibitz is Yiddish. Pnuemonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis and antidisestablishmentarianism are both some of the longest words in the English language, and I am a contortionist. For the benefit of those who are reading this after the insanely long run date of the poll and it is thus no longer up, the words above are words from the poll, with the question being: Which of these words do you know? At least, that's what it is, more or less.
That is basically all the changes I plan to make. If you have any other ideas, feel free to post it in the comments and it will begin the bureaucracy of my life, namely, being noticed, considered, filed in a cabinet for six months, forgotten, rediscovered while cleaning the office after my bureaucrat is fired for not being inefficient enough, who then hastily e-mails it to everyone in his contact's list, who send it to me, since I am not in the bureaucrat's inbox as that would be too efficient, I try to decipher the e-mail lingo, fail, form a committee to inquire as to the meaning of the e-mail, who after 6 months of deliberation and millions in taxpayers' money, send the translated version to my new bureaucrat, who sends it to my Secretary, who sends it to me, at which point, I finally decide whether or not to do it. Am I thinking of my bureaucracy, or government bureaucracy?
Don't worry. I'm done now. I will not drive you to insanity by adding worthless humor to my posts. I have made my pint and I now withdraw. (I am in somewhat of a weird mood today)
In addition, I did a bit of editing to the page to make it more interesting, if not more like an obnoxious commercial slogan, by alliterating all of the gadgets' names on the sidebar.
You may also notice that I also put up a poll, which has a ridiculous run time because the frequency that anyone checks this is probably only once in a blue with a greenish tint moon, and I actually want other people to vote on it besides me. Yes, I am skewing the results by voting on it myself. And yes, I know all of the words listed in the poll. Kibitz is Yiddish. Pnuemonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis and antidisestablishmentarianism are both some of the longest words in the English language, and I am a contortionist. For the benefit of those who are reading this after the insanely long run date of the poll and it is thus no longer up, the words above are words from the poll, with the question being: Which of these words do you know? At least, that's what it is, more or less.
That is basically all the changes I plan to make. If you have any other ideas, feel free to post it in the comments and it will begin the bureaucracy of my life, namely, being noticed, considered, filed in a cabinet for six months, forgotten, rediscovered while cleaning the office after my bureaucrat is fired for not being inefficient enough, who then hastily e-mails it to everyone in his contact's list, who send it to me, since I am not in the bureaucrat's inbox as that would be too efficient, I try to decipher the e-mail lingo, fail, form a committee to inquire as to the meaning of the e-mail, who after 6 months of deliberation and millions in taxpayers' money, send the translated version to my new bureaucrat, who sends it to my Secretary, who sends it to me, at which point, I finally decide whether or not to do it. Am I thinking of my bureaucracy, or government bureaucracy?
Don't worry. I'm done now. I will not drive you to insanity by adding worthless humor to my posts. I have made my pint and I now withdraw. (I am in somewhat of a weird mood today)
The Mistborn Series
I did, after all, put in the header that I would address books. Commence my first book review:
Frankly, this is more or less my favorite book series I have ever read, which says a lot when one addresses my unwillingness to choose favorites and that I have read many a book series. For starters, it's a fantasy. It is set in a believable world, with some classic spins on cliches, an intriguing and logical magic system, set in stone yet unexplained, allowing it to still be magic. There are also two other magic systems in the series. There is knowledgeable analysis of the formation of religion as well as into psychology. Multiple things are building up and climaxing in every book, with the ultimate (but unknown) problem not even being understood until the 3rd book. Things smoothly build into one another and create an intriguing universe and story. The characters are real, the politics intense, and the portrayal of different classes skilled.
Honestly, I don't like writing book reviews. Even for a book series as good as this, I can't truly express in words how good a book is without actually having the book read or divulging spoilers. So, instead of actually writing a long, comprehensive book review, I'll let you read it and figure everything out on your own. Yes, I bolded that in the hope you would read this first and not read my review, thus going into the series with a completely unaffected view. It is much better that way.
So, I'll end by saying, read it!
Books-
1. Mistborn - The Final Empire
2. The Well of Acension
3. The Hero of Ages
Frankly, this is more or less my favorite book series I have ever read, which says a lot when one addresses my unwillingness to choose favorites and that I have read many a book series. For starters, it's a fantasy. It is set in a believable world, with some classic spins on cliches, an intriguing and logical magic system, set in stone yet unexplained, allowing it to still be magic. There are also two other magic systems in the series. There is knowledgeable analysis of the formation of religion as well as into psychology. Multiple things are building up and climaxing in every book, with the ultimate (but unknown) problem not even being understood until the 3rd book. Things smoothly build into one another and create an intriguing universe and story. The characters are real, the politics intense, and the portrayal of different classes skilled.
Honestly, I don't like writing book reviews. Even for a book series as good as this, I can't truly express in words how good a book is without actually having the book read or divulging spoilers. So, instead of actually writing a long, comprehensive book review, I'll let you read it and figure everything out on your own. Yes, I bolded that in the hope you would read this first and not read my review, thus going into the series with a completely unaffected view. It is much better that way.
So, I'll end by saying, read it!
Books-
1. Mistborn - The Final Empire
2. The Well of Acension
3. The Hero of Ages
The Lexile System
I have been assigned to read a book with a lexile rating in excess of 900. Because of this, I have found out how dumb the lexile rating system is. It is a pathetic patchwork filled with fringe and poular books, but little in between. Plus, the comparative ratings are ridiculous. According to the lexile system, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Eldest, sequel to Eragon, is significantly more difficult than any of the Lord of the Rings, the Dune series, and any Tom Clancy book. Clifford the Big Red Dog books are about a third in difficulty to LOTR, Tom Clancys, and Dune. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is only about 100 points above Clifford. In addition, The Prince, by Machiavelli, is more difficult than any of these by a significant amount, despite being a measly 70 pages. It is admittedly difficult in those 70 pages, but its rating places it with works like Wealth of Nations, which is a thousand pages.
In summation of the above thoughts, I am being told that picture books are only slightly less difficult than some classics, a third less difficult than some very difficult books, and that books I read in the fourth grade are more difficult than books I am reading now, and that books with a thousand-page difference are only vaguely different in difficulty.
The lexile system will not be used by anyone I can influence, including myself, until it has undergone major revision. I think it is a poorly made system and disagree with anyone who thinls it useful.
The anti-lexile rating sentiment is now finished.
In summation of the above thoughts, I am being told that picture books are only slightly less difficult than some classics, a third less difficult than some very difficult books, and that books I read in the fourth grade are more difficult than books I am reading now, and that books with a thousand-page difference are only vaguely different in difficulty.
The lexile system will not be used by anyone I can influence, including myself, until it has undergone major revision. I think it is a poorly made system and disagree with anyone who thinls it useful.
The anti-lexile rating sentiment is now finished.
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