tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91195564433798228762024-03-14T08:22:10.896-04:00Country of the BlindSerge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.comBlogger174125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-54084613338776715842023-09-07T18:02:00.000-04:002023-09-07T18:02:28.006-04:001776 meets 1972 meets 2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wOmLFs33JdDtptEgyVMLBg4_Bx1DMz67zX4ZHFLLZOyy2J3O_cY2bWuPLwadrW8EG4tpaxl2nsollpGiXLoDw4Ff3svWaTzWIE9bLU2vSOCXZxBsYd6hc11RAfcD6QrU97l6lSQXmcpTmYFMbpA8kaKPwB3WJlOHqevpquDMQ33XDUQ0k00vgDAMqbjp/s1600/1776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1600" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wOmLFs33JdDtptEgyVMLBg4_Bx1DMz67zX4ZHFLLZOyy2J3O_cY2bWuPLwadrW8EG4tpaxl2nsollpGiXLoDw4Ff3svWaTzWIE9bLU2vSOCXZxBsYd6hc11RAfcD6QrU97l6lSQXmcpTmYFMbpA8kaKPwB3WJlOHqevpquDMQ33XDUQ0k00vgDAMqbjp/w400-h175/1776.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>As a tail-end baby boomer, a reliable source of entertainment here in 2023 is listening to 30-something (or even 20-something) experts explain to me what life was like in the 60's. Among other things, this comes up in the context of Critical Race Theory (CRT). I don't intend to opine on CRT as such in this post, partly because so far any explanation I hear suffers from such obvious fallacies that I think I must be hearing wrong. (Feel free to try explaining it in the comments, anyone who can refrain from ad-hominem attacks.) </p><p>However, part of the background to the CRT discussion is the assertion that hitherto history education in the U.S. has glossed over slavery and racism. This is just wrong. As someone who grew up in the south in the 60's, who went to lily-white schools with some of the most smugly racist people you could want to meet, I can assure you that we <i>did</i> learn about slavery, we <i>did</i> learn about Jim Crow. And the message was clear that racism was <i>bad</i>, Jim Crow was <i>bad</i>.</p><p>That was in history class. We were also required to read and discuss <i>Huckleberry Finn</i> in English class. In this respect I think our education on racism might have run considerably deeper in the 1960's than now in the 2020's---I'm not sure that students today still have this requirement. This may have less to do with glossing over racism than protecting tender young minds from the burden of reading an actual <i>book</i>.</p><p>Now this is all according to my recollection. Recently, however, I realized we have proof in plain sight that in the 60's people were quite aware of the role of racism in U.S. history and took it seriously. </p><p>That is the movie <i>1776</i>, released in 1972. Actually it was based on a stage musical that opened in 1969, which is why we can consider it as a data point from the 60's. The movie is rather like an earlier version of <i>Hamilton</i>, although <i>1776</i> aims for historical accuracy rather than race-swapping and employing hip-hop idiom. Most of the story takes place within the meeting room of the Continental Congress (which you can visit, looking more or less exactly as in the film, if you visit Philadelphia). It describes the surprisingly difficult process of coming to a consensus among the American colonies on declaring independence from England.</p><p>I like the movie. It's both fun and educational. </p><p>When I was in college, I found in the library a copy of the libretto for this show--a small book which listed all the dialogue. At the end was an appendix--an excellent idea--which noted the historical accuracies and inaccuracies of the story: this really happened, this we made up, this we surmised etc. One particular point I still recall; I'll come back to this later.</p><p>So, interesting fact which you can learn from this movie: the original draft of the Declaration of Independence included a paragraph on the evils of slavery. You don't see it now because the southern states, enthusiastic slave-holders that they were, insisted it be removed as the price of their support for independence. This is a <i>huge</i> plot point, the major crisis of the story. There's even a dark dramatic musical number, pointing up the hypocrisy of northerners who were also profiting from the slave trade.</p><p>This was in 1969.</p><p>Now what I learned from the appendix to the libretto: The main characters of the film are John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson; and John Adams is the first among these. The writers took the license of merging the character of John Adams with his brother Samuel Adams.</p><p>During the forementioned crisis our three protagonists are arguing over whether to strike the slavery paragraph from the Declaration of Independence. John Adams says: "If we give in on this issue posterity will never forgive us." This is an actual quote, from a letter of Sam Adams--<i>almost</i> an exact quote.</p><p>Actually what Sam Adams really said was: "If we give in on this issue, there will be trouble <i>a hundred years hence</i>; posterity will never forgive us." (italics mine) And the authors explain that they had to take out this prescient phrase, which was just waaay too on the nose.</p><p>Anyway, don't trust anyone who tells you that the role of slavery and racism in U.S. history was somehow covered up until just recently. It wasn't. </p><div><br /></div><p><br /></p>Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-3903170100476558902023-05-31T10:35:00.004-04:002023-05-31T10:35:49.423-04:00Hacking reminiscence<p style="text-align: center;"><strike><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DJbQRuAvMDk" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></strike></p><div><br /><p></p><p>...as in how to trigger and improve your reminiscence of a pleasant experience. (You could do the same for an unpleasant experience, but why?)</p><p>Certain stimuli are known to trigger reminiscence. The most well-known is scent. Decades ago, my first job was at a fence company. I spend hours in the shed out back, putting pointed tops on picket boards, using a specially-designed power tool as scary as any chainsaw used in a massacre. To this day, when I smell freshly-cut lumber, it instantly takes me back to that shed.</p><p>Then again, one of my <a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2007/08/kyoto-pa.html" target="_blank">first posts here</a> noted how the scent of wood pervaded with incense smoke takes me to a Japanese temple.</p><p>Theoretically you can stimulate a reminscence by (1) identifying a relevant scent to the experience and then (2) deliberately exposing yourself to the scent later. The problem with this is that if you leave step (1) to chance, step (2) is likely to be hard to pull off. My suggestion is to artificially associate an unusual but easily obtainable scent with the initial experience, so that you can later expose yourself to the scent at will. </p><p>What kind of scent? Perhaps an herbal oil. These come in small convenient vials. But choose a scent you are not already overly familiar with.</p><p>I haven't tried this yet.</p><p>A second trigger for reminiscence, as everybody knows, is music. Everyone has songs that trigger memories of a certain time and place, or even a particular experience. Often the experience itself provides the musical trigger. Visit Disneyland, and when you come back you can find the ambient music loops on YouTube. Sometimes the connection is more complicated---I recently wrote about how a certain <a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2023/04/reminiscence-and-free-association-japan.html" target="_blank">Quincy Jones song</a> reminds me of walking in Tokyo at night.</p><p>But here again you can forge an artificial connection. On my <a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/search?q=myanmar" target="_blank">trip to Myanmar</a> some years ago (incredible bit of fortuitous timing), I made a point of listening to the Double song <i><a href="https://youtu.be/DJbQRuAvMDk" target="_blank">Rangoon Moon</a></i> repeatedly. And now listening to it takes me back to that trip.</p><p>So next time you are planning a happy experience, design a soundtrack for it ahead of time. Then use your music player while the experience is happening, or on the way there and back.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-70736290020960755082023-05-19T17:50:00.003-04:002023-05-23T17:00:20.445-04:00Transistorpunk<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hEs_-ZD04LQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>
<p>This post is primarily a prediction, and secondarily a rant. </p><p>When I was a kid growing up in the 60's and 70's, the future looked awesome. Flying cars, moving sidewalks, cities on the Moon.... Now of course we have none of that. The technology of real 2022 is no match for what was envisioned.</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YyYgjcp0mY4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: left;">This however is <i>not</i> what I choose to rant about today. No, my complaint is that the technology of 2022 is bland compared to what we had <i>already</i> in the 70's. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Hollywood knows this already, which is why the John Wick series, <i>The Mechanic</i>, the Loki series, etc. use retro technology.</p><p>Technology has become more <i>capable</i> but less <i>beautiful</i>, and frankly less cognizant of human needs.</p><p><b>Example. 1964 versus 2023:</b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk4aNhHW1jER3yOC_G3-nh4tuEuFv1xw7Gjmi6aSfxp62oOo4kxAjezEp6ft4NLAqavbESbBH0oliwkXvqw2CFIl78cUOjSjIL95D1L6CAlTGZb6B_h882CcjAbHBH0Z9dHYOd3FvCNrgcZNlZnE_0d5x4endlDFvFEhQE7MEL6BixsBAt6g3kt6J2VQ/s3664/1964_Studebaker_Avanti_interior_(5942985424).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2748" data-original-width="3664" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk4aNhHW1jER3yOC_G3-nh4tuEuFv1xw7Gjmi6aSfxp62oOo4kxAjezEp6ft4NLAqavbESbBH0oliwkXvqw2CFIl78cUOjSjIL95D1L6CAlTGZb6B_h882CcjAbHBH0Z9dHYOd3FvCNrgcZNlZnE_0d5x4endlDFvFEhQE7MEL6BixsBAt6g3kt6J2VQ/w640-h480/1964_Studebaker_Avanti_interior_(5942985424).jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">1964 Studebaker Avanti interior.</span> Photo by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1964_Studebaker_Avanti_interior_%285942985424%29.jpg" target="_blank">dave_7</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyf_o_sDNAkh2JzjtA-OfQB3VE2aZc-pjPA9tChfz9ttReejXmoLHbOjnSh6AB-fRpeOiA3N60ZVia_TVOdiLzIVI0msC8s9LFLL8JVdu6dCPPyUiWm59X7wEZ4IbLOKM1eQagIcRUakCaGU20hXjC5jweV9jMVWiKHiy48a7Gc5vgwCPmHJnL9Ap73g/s1254/Interior_of_Model_3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1254" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyf_o_sDNAkh2JzjtA-OfQB3VE2aZc-pjPA9tChfz9ttReejXmoLHbOjnSh6AB-fRpeOiA3N60ZVia_TVOdiLzIVI0msC8s9LFLL8JVdu6dCPPyUiWm59X7wEZ4IbLOKM1eQagIcRUakCaGU20hXjC5jweV9jMVWiKHiy48a7Gc5vgwCPmHJnL9Ap73g/w640-h394/Interior_of_Model_3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tesla Model 3 interior.</span> Photo by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Interior_of_Model_3.jpg" target="_blank">Leo Nguyen</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The Studebaker interior is carefully designed. Every element has a specific purpose and a specific stable and predictable haptic design. One can reach and manipulate any control without taking eyes off the road.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>The Tesla has a cheap tablet glued to the dashboard.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some call the Tesla design elegant. No it isn't. No design is elegant which functions poorly. Make no mistake, the driving factor in this design choice was cheapness. But I don't need to dive deeper into the particular case of Tesla, which has been and continues to be well commented on elsewhere.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I call your attention to this strange discrepancy---it doesn't mean I'm the first to catch on to it. As noted above, Hollywood is wise to it. One more example: in the James Bond movie <i>Spectre</i>:</div></div><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoKa0MinQlZh68FpQBiqD4JS43OXxPRBuPY9S5iFW8z1iWTj53sQ3SxXUJLMbJDrrw8HDtkasFK2jFm93_ZW0k8M6zJBWUPr4XmU6SOGubltt__KEtlJB3xzKGHSgiQzYe8ZeJ77zgkQ8kEb5FgAM4rhJzw5A9vAqF3tSv8dOqmoFgmZoW-W-4qF6pw/s1920/2016_CSK_13421_0017_002(moneypennys_gift_phone_from_bond110259).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoKa0MinQlZh68FpQBiqD4JS43OXxPRBuPY9S5iFW8z1iWTj53sQ3SxXUJLMbJDrrw8HDtkasFK2jFm93_ZW0k8M6zJBWUPr4XmU6SOGubltt__KEtlJB3xzKGHSgiQzYe8ZeJ77zgkQ8kEb5FgAM4rhJzw5A9vAqF3tSv8dOqmoFgmZoW-W-4qF6pw/s320/2016_CSK_13421_0017_002(moneypennys_gift_phone_from_bond110259).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When Bond gifts Moneypenny with an "untraceable" phone, it's not another featureless rectangle but actually has physical, touchable buttons. This was an older Samsung model that was already obsolete when the movies came out. But a contemporary phone would have been just too bland.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You've heard of "steampunk" I hope? Appreciating the beauty and elegance or steam-era technology. The best example I know is Disney's <i>20,000 Leagues Under the Sea</i>, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPB4ZT5eM8S7kjPg3J4PZgApyvveIiyRkBpzMOZPyk_r17gEhO4l_5GTovpWqlrBIV_EA3BoDH1v-ArJ62tQ8dOYm7uI4FZUYPnMUlY5flXpqlqC-4UScEzr6ucBD4f4zzYILLXe30qgZHSGWLI8kczOr4wVi2t47Co8O-7b2SlIWmDdhfmUbh9xX2tQ/s803/I21_I21.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="803" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPB4ZT5eM8S7kjPg3J4PZgApyvveIiyRkBpzMOZPyk_r17gEhO4l_5GTovpWqlrBIV_EA3BoDH1v-ArJ62tQ8dOYm7uI4FZUYPnMUlY5flXpqlqC-4UScEzr6ucBD4f4zzYILLXe30qgZHSGWLI8kczOr4wVi2t47Co8O-7b2SlIWmDdhfmUbh9xX2tQ/w400-h279/I21_I21.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">although I'm pretty sure the term "steampunk" didn't exist when this movie was made. Perhaps less well known is "dieselpunk"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Diesel_Forces.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="634" height="400" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Diesel_Forces.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">which celebrates the aesthetic of World War II-era technology. Note that both of these are rather fuzzy terms, and the elements "steam" and "diesel" refer more to an era than a literal energy source. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And so it would seem to be time to coin a new term <i>Transistorpunk</i>. Celebrating the aesthetic of technology from the 60's and 70's more or less. Not limited to transistors, but including vacuum tubes, <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=nixie+tube+clock&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjkpbvtqoL_AhVIEmIAHZUzBx4Q2-cCegQIABAA&oq=nixie+tube+clock&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzIICAAQgAQQsQMyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQ6BwgAEIoFEEM6CwgAEIAEELEDEIMBUMMIWLk0YJo4aABwAHgAgAHHAogBnQ-SAQgxMS4zLjIuMZgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=RetnZKTvBMikiLMPleec8AE&bih=689&biw=1415" target="_blank">nixie tubes</a>, definitely tactile push buttons.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You're welcome.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Update:</i> I see HP has <a href="https://gizmodo.com/hp-15c-scientific-calculator-collectors-edition-price-r-1850464801" target="_blank">re-released a lovely programmable calculator from 1982</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><p></p></div>Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-28078268903271362082023-04-15T21:00:00.002-04:002023-04-15T21:00:17.137-04:00Reminiscence and free association: Japan, harmonicas, and Quincy Jones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpZk8A1EdEPbjDwKF6rr3HdlbP39IradAj_hYpDr2-MtT_yJyy_k8WqInUAmrJQJP3ocUbK_Jmj9KxhZ4ulz_CI4IZdch6qHhN5jiP_w4gA_v4geesRfqCDNl1HjxKUdfu5Q9ahXFthdmvqdlGbxSlp8hzDQ4jdaMtOj1xsLxiQQc7uMDGDzIyZRZJQ/s1200/tokyo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpZk8A1EdEPbjDwKF6rr3HdlbP39IradAj_hYpDr2-MtT_yJyy_k8WqInUAmrJQJP3ocUbK_Jmj9KxhZ4ulz_CI4IZdch6qHhN5jiP_w4gA_v4geesRfqCDNl1HjxKUdfu5Q9ahXFthdmvqdlGbxSlp8hzDQ4jdaMtOj1xsLxiQQc7uMDGDzIyZRZJQ/w400-h266/tokyo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>"<i>If you don't do something about it, you're going to have taco trucks on every corner.</i>" --<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taco_trucks_on_every_corner" target="_blank">Marco Gutierrez</a>, 2016.<div><br /></div><div>I'm one of those who likes to say "there are two kinds of people," although what two kinds those are may vary from day to day. Today I'm here to tell you that people can be divided into <i>novelty seekers</i> and <i>novelty avoiders</i>. This difference illuminates a lot of what we see in life, including our politics. (This post is not about politics, but there are many serious researchers [which I am not] who could tell you much about the connection.) I find the quote above (meant as a serious warning) a perfect illustration. Gutierrez clearly is not only a novelty-avoider but apparently cannot imagine that some people (novelty-seekers) find the prospect of a taco truck on every corner rather enticing.</div><div><br /></div><div>As is often the case, I myself am a particularly interesting example.</div><div><br /></div><div>I say this because over the arc of my life I have transitioned from being a novelty-avoider to a novelty-seeker--proof that we are not born destined to be one or the other. As a small kid, our family went to eat very occasionally to a Chinese restaurant. I was the one who insisted on ordering from the "American" section of the menu and would sit there eating a hamburger while the rest of the family gorged themselves on Chinese food. This, by the way, was the <i>only</i> time that I would have <i>any</i> interaction with Asian people, limited to looking at the waitress in the Chinese restaurant. Our environment was just extremely homogeneous.</div><div><br /></div><div>I stubbornly refused to even try Chinese food until the age of fifteen, when I was finally coaxed into eating a bit, and it quickly became my favorite. A lesson to be had there.</div><div><br /></div><div>My friends and I had only the vaguest concept of differences between countries of East Asia. We were really only aware even of the existence of China and Japan--and Vietnam as well, since there was a war going on there. But in our minds they were essentially indistinguishable. When it came to Japan, we could have named two special characteristics--they took off their shoes inside the house, and they ate raw fish (which in those days seemed incredibly bizarre).</div><div><br /></div><div>That was a long time ago. Now I have a considerably deeper understanding and interest in things Japanese, which has enriched my life in many ways, some not at all obvious. Thinking back, I have realized that my first impressions of Japan came from the movies--from two particular movies. I have since rewatched both of these many times, and recommend both of them to people who enjoy low-key comedy.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first is <i>Teahouse of the August Moon</i> (1956). Perhaps I'll have more to say about this one in the future.</div><div><br /></div><div>The second is <i>Walk Don't Run</i> (1966), a unique kind of three-sided love story which takes place in modern-day (1964) Tokyo. It also happens to be Cary Grant's last movie, and it's good to see he was a smooth as ever.</div><div><br /></div><div>In those days we had no VHS, no DVD, no streaming on demand, which means the only way I would see this movie is being taken by my parents to the movie theater. As a kid, I completely ignored the main plot of the movie, but some of the broader moments of comedy made an impression on me that I can still recall today--for example the romantic lead Jim Hutton taking a flying leap into a public bath. Those scenes are what I <i>consciously</i> recall. </div><div><br /></div><div>Several years later, in adolescence, other minor events triggered a serious fascination with things Japanese: the butterfly effect in action. It was then that I started studying the Japanese language. These two movies had vanished from active recall by then--I could not even have told you the titles.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next event in the story: in 1983 I visited Japan for the first time. Yeah, it was great, and it fleshed out all kinds of rather superficial knowledge I had from books and photos. Fragrances, the feel of the air, all kinds of things you can only get from being there. (<a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2007/08/kyoto-pa.html" target="_blank">Ah, here is the exception that proves the rule.</a>)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
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<div><br /></div><div>And then in 1984: I hear Quincy Jones' song <i>Velas</i> on the radio for the first time. Super-mellow R&B, with the legendary Toots Thielemans on the harmonica. <i>But I'm hearing something else in the music.</i> To me this sounds like Tokyo--like walking on one of the urban backstreets at night. These are not the vast neon jungles you see in the movies, but tranquil, a mixture of shops and homes, passers-by but not crowded, with a balmy summer breeze. It's not the kind of place that tourists take pictures of, but in retrospect it's a fond idyllic memory. I did find one 1983 photo, and put it at the top of this post.</div><div><br /></div><div>I couldn't account for this effect of the music--not <i>yet</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>But one day shortly thereafter: I was browsing in a used record store. Once again, in those days we had no MP3's, no music streaming. Acquiring music depended on having the luck to come across it in a store. On that day I came across this:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWPg375HKEFfZEVSoNxM_3hQELocO2MoxG7rvWLrwKOM4iL35Dvv3lDH5-3_0S_1Jcn6R1J1HawC2MJmLLuKu8YSN67jbo4Gxo0KIBIHJk5Y46vuN-MfHzyXQ03qDEgD5mBwMIcf95F8gXDSn16xbmrD0K1xBw7KP9yO_LHinXunN42I5a2N-d08jHg/s300/Walk,_Don't_Run_(soundtrack).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="300" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWPg375HKEFfZEVSoNxM_3hQELocO2MoxG7rvWLrwKOM4iL35Dvv3lDH5-3_0S_1Jcn6R1J1HawC2MJmLLuKu8YSN67jbo4Gxo0KIBIHJk5Y46vuN-MfHzyXQ03qDEgD5mBwMIcf95F8gXDSn16xbmrD0K1xBw7KP9yO_LHinXunN42I5a2N-d08jHg/w400-h397/Walk,_Don't_Run_(soundtrack).jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>As I have said, by this time I no longer remembered the title of this movie nor had thought about it for many years. So my first thought looking at this was: <i>Hey, I know this movie! </i></div><div><br /></div><div>And then the next thing I noticed: It's Quincy Jones! </div><div><br /></div><div>And later I found: and Toots Thielemans!</div><div><br /></div><div>Naturally I bought the record and listened--music I had heard just once eighteen years earlier, and never once thought about. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0ppo11FAvPc" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Breezy cheerful R&B. That whistling is Toots Thielemans again. Not at all "Oriental" sounding, but it was embedded in my subconscious as "Japan" since age eight.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-43706082115088874442023-03-06T17:43:00.003-05:002023-03-06T17:43:16.443-05:00The Tarot system of tactical time-management<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpAwAr2TOuqFadDz4P8rJH393jFAgBE5KKjod_1X9aR9lKejHQw2r9K3mE45LDsoboVUcsyzn3GUPr5RGusJ1ebgodn2clNK1P8DtRxHlzzvD_BWDWDJM6kha_XWgTw59aJfry4jQsirww-UhBZnH3pI5cHlx6HjcghhRWuyS0KOtM5KDT_kpSTkYnA/s3264/desk.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpAwAr2TOuqFadDz4P8rJH393jFAgBE5KKjod_1X9aR9lKejHQw2r9K3mE45LDsoboVUcsyzn3GUPr5RGusJ1ebgodn2clNK1P8DtRxHlzzvD_BWDWDJM6kha_XWgTw59aJfry4jQsirww-UhBZnH3pI5cHlx6HjcghhRWuyS0KOtM5KDT_kpSTkYnA/w400-h300/desk.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I am recently retired.<div><br /></div><div>For many years now the list of things I want to do has far outstripped the time I have available (you too?). Retirement alleviates this situation but by no means eliminates it.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've also long been interested in "time management," both for practical, selfish reasons and as a theoretical concept. </div><div><br /></div><div>In recent months I have been using a new system I developed to help me prioritize my time. I started doing this <i>before</i> retirement. More available time allows the system more room to play but I found it equally useful when free time was scarce. I only wish I had figured this out years ago.</div><div><br /></div><div>Because the system uses index cards, I call it the <i>Tarot</i> method as a catchy name. Actual Tarot cards are not used.</div><div><br /></div><div>This system stands on the shoulders of the giants--or at least the fat people--who went before me. Some important perspective can be gleaned from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_management#The_Eisenhower_Method" target="_blank">Eisenhower Matrix</a>. You can visualize this matrix as a sheet of paper divided into half both vertically and horizontally, thus with four quadrants. Each of your obligations goes into one of the four quadrants. </div><div><br /></div><div>The left half of the page is for obligations with high urgency--that need to be done <i>soon</i>--and the right half is for obligations with low urgency. Examples: cooking today's dinner is high urgency, since it needs to be done today; starting an exercise program is low urgency, since in the long run it makes little difference whether you start today, tomorrow, next week, or even next month. </div><div><br /></div><div>The upper half of the page is for obligations with high importance--feeding the baby, while the lower half is for obligations with low importance--rearranging your sock drawer. (Caveat: what is important or unimportant often depends on your own subjective priorities.)</div><div><br /></div><div>So the four quadrants we could describe as HIHU (High Importance, High Urgency), HILU (High Importance, Low Urgency), LIHU (Low Importance, High Urgency), and LILU (Low Importance, Low Urgency). The problem many of us have (as Eisenhower described it) is that LIHU obligations tend to take attention away from HILU obligations, which are all too easy to postpone until tomorrow. Generally HIHU obligations get done, and presumably it's ok to ignore LILU obligations altogether (though I'm not sure I agree with this--subject for a future post). The Eisenhower matrix is not really a <i>method</i> so much as a way of looking at things.</div><div><br /></div><div>(One can refine this matrix by allowing more than two columns or two rows--although understanding the concept might be more important than actually writing down the matrix.)</div><div><br /></div><div>One of the major benefits of the Tarot system is ensuring that low-urgency obligations are not starved for attention--especially the high-importance ones.</div><div><br /></div><div>The second pre-existing building block for the Tarot system is <span style="text-align: center;">the </span><a href="https://francescocirillo.com/products/the-pomodoro-technique" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Pomodoro Technique</a>. This is a particular system of <a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2016/01/introduction-to-timeboxing.html" target="_blank">timeboxing</a>, based on units of 25 minutes. 25 minutes seems to be a good length of time for maintaining focus on a given task. The standard Pomodoro Method consists of 25 minutes working, 5 minutes rest, 25 minutes working, 5 minutes rest, etc. There are many enhancements but I won't go into those here. A unit of 25 minutes spent on a single task is called a <i>pomodoro</i>. The Tarot method operates in units of pomodoros.</div><div><br /></div><div>Step 1 of the Tarot method is listing out your priorities. Make a list of the activities you would like to be doing with some regularity. The list should not include anything that is <i>non-negotiable</i> for a given day--getting up and going to work, feeding the baby. You do these outside of the Tarot system. Limit the list to activities to be done in your <i>negotiable time</i>--that gray area between daily obligations and daily leisure time (everyone needs some leisure time).</div><div><br /></div><div>Some examples of items on my own list (yeah really):</div><div><br /></div><div>Studying Burmese;</div><div>Studying Cantonese;</div><div>Studying quantum mechanics (yeah, yeah, I like studying)</div><div>...etc... but also:</div><div>Playing chess;</div><div>Going through my CD collection; making sure I have ripped each one, and deciding whether to dispose of it;</div><div>Scanning documents;</div><div>Reading a book;</div><div>Writing this blog;</div><div>Shining my shoes;</div><div>...and so on. Currently my list has 35 items on it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Step 2 of the Tarot method: for each activity on your list, decide what percentage of your negotiable time you would like to devote to that activity. Make this an even percentage--no fractions of a percent. The total percentages for everything should add up to 100%.</div><div><br /></div><div>What if you have more than 100 items on your list? It could happen. Then you will have to make some tough choices. I suggest keeping a second list of things to work on at some future time. It's also possible to merge two extremely low-urgency items into one and assign that one a 1% priority.</div><div><br /></div><div>Different items could have very different percentages, but no single item can be less than 1%.</div><div><br /></div><div>Examples again: the largest percentage on my list is Cantonese, which is 16%. At the 1% level are things like shining shoes and scanning documents.</div><div><br /></div><div>Step 3 of the Tarot method. Now the cards come into play. Get a stack of 100 index cards. For each item on the list, write that item on the number of cards equal to the percentage given to that particular item. Each card gets just one item. So in my case, "Cantonese" gets written on 16 different cards, while "shine shoes" gets written just one card. Now I have a deck of 100 index cards, each with a single task.</div><div><br /></div><div>Shuffle the deck well. (It's possible to mix the cards more evenly than a random shuffle, but just shuffling is a lot easier.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Thereafter you will use this deck to plan your negotiable time. When you have an available pomodoro of negotiable time, take the first card off the deck and do what it says. Move the card to the bottom of the deck. When that pomodoro is finished, take another card off the top and do what it says. Repeat whenever you have a pomodoro of negotiable time.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you get a card and just can't deal with that particular task at the moment (maybe mowing the lawn, but it happens to be raining), take the second card of the deck and keep that card on top of the deck, so that you will deal with it at the earliest opportunity.</div><div><br /></div><div>How long will it take you to get through the entire deck? That depends on your life and how much negotiable time you have available. For example, suppose you have an average of 2.5 hours of negotiable time each day--that translates into five pomodoros. So it would take about 20 days to get through the entire deck. Your very low-urgency (1%) tasks would get about one pomodoro of attention in those 20 days. But that is way better than zero.</div><div><br /></div><div>As life evolves, you can let your deck of cards evolve with it. Take out some cards, add some new cards. It's a rewarding feeling when you wrap up a project and can pull those cards from the deck.</div><div><br /></div><div>To be honest, there is nothing sacred about the number 100. You can add a card to the deck without subtracting one, so the deck now has 101 cards (or 102, 103...). Be aware, however, that there is always a trade-off. When you increase the number of cards in the deck, each pre-existing item loses a proportional amount of time. So I suggest being honest about these trade-offs by adding and subtracting at the same time.</div><div><br /></div><div>One aspect of the Tarot system I have come to enjoy is as an approach to handling unpleasant but necessary tasks--like doing your taxes, for example. When the task first arises, I simply put some cards for it into the deck--enough to be sure the task will be completed by the deadline. (For example, doing my taxes takes about four pomodoros. Just a single card is enough to complete them by the deadline, since I go through the whole deck at least four times before then. And putting the card(s) in the deck, I immediately forget about that task for the time being. When the card comes to the top of the deck, I then spend a pomodoro on it and then forget about it again until the card comes around again.</div><div><br /></div><div>The original Pomodoro method was extremely rigid as to schedules. Each pomodoro is 25 minutes, no more, no less. No interruptions allowed--an interruption immediately cancels that pomodoro. However, I have decided that allowing each pomodoro a little flexibility in reaction to circumstances makes it possible to fit more into a day--more precisely, to have more productive time in a day. So sometimes I keep working on a task for a few extra minutes if it means I can reach a milestone or even finish the project. If I get interrupted, I stop the timer and come back and restart it when I can. </div><div><br /></div><div>Emotionally I find that using the Tarot method has freed me from nagging anxiety or even guilt about the various low-urgency tasks that were so easy to neglect. All I have to do is make sure each of these gets at least one card in the deck and progress (may be slow but) is guaranteed.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The big lie.</b> I have described the Tarot method in terms of a stack of index cards because I wanted the simplicity of the underlying principles to come through, and because I wanted to make it clear that the ideas do not depend on technology. However, I actually don't use cards; I use a spreadsheet that I have programmed to emulate the deck of cards. Actually, it's a little more powerful because I can in fact use fractions of a percent, and it distributes the tasks more evenly than pure randomness. But the card method described here works just fine and is easy to get started.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-40306887369968316252022-08-15T11:37:00.035-04:002022-08-15T18:31:22.862-04:00Learn Khmer Script the Lazy-Ass Way: Part Two: The Vowels<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4HT3jb6dNPZO5No9WvrIlIkuFBCFBtPzvnzLag3o5GHZekaZmQ8EYXbcBKpYKBiU4H_HRcHJ3SOjFRcspkymvXecHVNTd7cQiCXK9xwz4reqOqLoCABi_gdDT-2Iely-9UT0o2pvpc1fHsmli6cKp7wACHAubyJXIeKQNryMn7y7a0Lp1YpoCwkJ1w/s2048/51964720911_e718449287_k.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4HT3jb6dNPZO5No9WvrIlIkuFBCFBtPzvnzLag3o5GHZekaZmQ8EYXbcBKpYKBiU4H_HRcHJ3SOjFRcspkymvXecHVNTd7cQiCXK9xwz4reqOqLoCABi_gdDT-2Iely-9UT0o2pvpc1fHsmli6cKp7wACHAubyJXIeKQNryMn7y7a0Lp1YpoCwkJ1w/w400-h266/51964720911_e718449287_k.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by <a href="https://flickr.com/photos/holgers-bilderwelt/51964720911/in/photolist-2naWM6Z-SwKVhU-NWcn3u-2gEiWsd-yTnqJf-2iLr6z1-rBDTiF-yTth9M-2iyHKcj-2igUqCk-2irPP1x-8sNUew-RQm5zX-RASvpC-2mGWucJ-bUqCvW-ixCkct-8cxUgc-QU5b7Q-6b24tf-6aWWot-baBwDX-4gABSw-QU58N1-2mGWudW-awQb6N-qZGoJy-4gAzUf-6b24ns-ayB9RN-QeNLmp-4gwyxV-RhM1t8-QU5iDy-Rf8dAJ-4gwyiR-QU5PNG-QeNyJM-bqStLY-6aWUPP-2mGUbtf-QeNzLr-6aWWEa-baBwa8-awMsdn-QbZ9u1-Rf8ttu-Rf8sp5-RpX59h-dFb6v2" target="_blank">Holger Wirth</a></span></p><p>After long delay (sorry) here is Part 2 of my system for learning the Khmer script. <a href="https://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2015/08/learn-khmer-script-lazy-ass-way.html" target="_blank">Part 1 was the consonants.</a> Part 2 is vowels. </p><p>Disclaimer. You should be using other materials and methods to study Khmer if you want to make use of this system. The system itself is only a memorization aid. I am assuming you have some basic familiarity with the script.</p><p>One of the issues noted with Khmer consonants is that they come in two families. The "A"-series has an inherent "A" vowel; whereas the "O" series has an inherent "O" vowel. This means that if you write just a consonant by itself--no vowel--it will be pronounced with either an "A" sound or an "O" sound, depending on which series it belongs to.</p><p>However... the Khmer script also has plenty of vowel symbols as well. Depending how you count them, individual symbols can be combined to make new compound symbols with new pronunciations. In English, for example, we could consider "ea" to be a new vowel formed by combining "e" and "a", so that <i>beat</i> is pronounced differently from both <i>bet</i> and <i>bat</i>.</p><p>And <i>moreover</i>, each vowel symbol, whether individual or combined, has <i>two</i> pronunciations, depending on whether the attached consonant is "A" series or "O" series.</p><p>Interesting fact about Khmer script: the vowel sound following the consonant might be written to the left, right, above, or below the consonant. Sometimes on several sides at once. Examples;</p><p><span style="font-size: large;">ជា</span> is the consonant <span style="font-size: large;">ជ</span> followed by the vowel<span style="font-size: large;"> ា</span>. The dotted circle is something you never see in actual Khmer, and you never see this vowel standing alone either. The circle indicates that the vowel needs a consonant to the left of it.</p><p><span style="font-size: large;">ពី</span> is the consonant <span style="font-size: large;">ព</span> followed by the vowel<span style="font-size: large;"> ី</span>. This time the circle shows that the consonant goes under the vowel.</p><p><span style="font-size: large;">នៅ</span> is the consonant <span style="font-size: large;">ន</span> followed by the vowel<span style="font-size: large;"> ៅ</span>. The circle shows that the vowel is written on both sides of the consonant.</p><p>So to help me remember the pronunciations of the vowels, I needed names which would represent both the "A"-series pronunciation and the "B"-series pronunciation. (Some exceptions are noted below.) </p><p>Each name encodes the pronunciation using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). I can't give a complete breakdown of every IPA symbol, especially as it applies to Khmer pronunciation, but I'll try to provide a few pointers. </p><p>The important letters of each vowel name are capitalized. To find an appropriate English word containing a given combination of letters required me to reach for some pretty exotic vocabulary. Look them up.</p><p>So we start. All in all, there are <i>thirty-seven</i> different vowel symbols in Khmer (most of which have two different pronunciations). Our list of vowels runs as follows:</p><p>1<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">ា</span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>AdAmantine IRis</b>. The name has two words, which is typical. The first word <b>AdAmantine</b> encodes the A-series pronunciation, which is <b>æː</b>. In the IPA, <b>æ</b> is a wide "a" sound like "cat" and <b>ː</b> shows that the vowel is stretched out in time. I use <b>A</b> to represent <b>æ</b> and I use two of them <b>AA</b> to indicate the prolongation. This is a general rule of the system: where the IPA uses <b>:</b> to show that a vowel sound is stretched out, my system doubles the letter that encodes the IPA symbol.) The second word <b>IRis</b> encodes the O-series pronunciation, which is <b>iːə</b>. I represents the IPA <b>i</b>, which actually sounds like the "i" in "pizza" and <b>R</b> represents the schwa <b>ə</b>, which is a neutral vowel . I skipped the prolongation symbol for this one.</p><p>2<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">ិ</span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Ebon Ink</b>. The letter <b>E</b> of the first word <b>Ebon</b> encodes the A-series pronunciation <b>e</b>. The letter <b>I</b> of the second word <b>Ink</b> encodes the O-series pronunciation <b>i</b>.</p><p>3<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">ី</span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>RIch megatherIId</b>. <span style="white-space: pre;">The letters <b>RI</b> of </span><b>RIch</b> encode the A-series pronunciation <b>əj</b>. (This is a <i>diphthong</i>, a combination of one vowel sliding into another. English has a lot of these, for example the "oi" in "coin".) Once again the letter <b>R</b> represents the IPA symbol <b>ə</b>. In the IPA the symbol <b>j</b> represents the sound "y" as in English "yes"; notice that this is very close to the IPA <b>i</b>, so I use the letter <b>I</b> to represent IPA <b>j</b> as well as IPA <b>i</b>. The double <b>II</b> in <b>megatherIId</b> represents the O-series pronunciation <b>iː</b> (prolonged <b>i</b>).</p><p>4<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ឹ</span></b> <span> </span><b>RYe</b>. I used a single word for this one because both pronunciations are simple vowel sounds. Once again the letter <b>R</b> represents the IPA letter <b>ə</b>. The letter <b>Y</b>, used here for the first but by no means the last time, represents the IPA letter <b>ɨ</b>, which can be described as a back unrounded vowel, and sorry, no, I won't explain what that means.</p><p>5<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ឺ</span></b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>RYpophagous flYbY</b>. <span style="white-space: pre;">The A-series pronunciation is encoded by the letters </span><b>RY</b>, representing a diphthong composed of the two vowels <b>əɨ</b> (compare to the two separate pronunciations of the previous vowel. The O-series pronunciation is represented by <b>YY</b>, encoding a long version <b>ɨː</b> of the vowel <b>ɨ</b> </p><p>6<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ូ</span></b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>OUtsized UkUlele</b>. The A-series pronunciation is encoded by the letters <b>OU</b>, a diphthong rather similar to the "ow" in English "low." The O-series pronunciation is encoded by the letters <b>UU</b>, a long version <b>uː</b> of the vowel <b>u</b>, rather similar to the "u" in English "rule."</p><p>7<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ួ</span></b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>URethane</b>. I used a single word for this one because the A-series and O-series pronunciations are identical. Both are encoded by the letters <b>UR</b>, a diphthong <b>uːə</b>, prolonged <b>u</b> followed by <b>ə</b>.</p><p>8<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">ើ<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><b>ARmored oRRery</b>. The A-series pronunciation <b>æːə</b> is encoded by the letters <b>AR</b>. The O-series pronunciation <b>əː</b> is encoded by the letters <b>RR</b>.</p><p>9<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">ឿ</span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>hYRax</b>. Once again, I used a single word for this one because the A-series and O-series pronunciations are identical. Both are encoded by the letters <b>YR</b>, a diphthong <b>ɨːə</b>, prolonged <b>ɨː</b> followed by <b>ə</b>.</p><p>10<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">ៀ</span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>IRon</b>. Once again, I used a single word for this one because the A-series and O-series pronunciations are identical. Both encoded by the letters <b>IR</b>, a diphthong <b>iːə</b>, prolonged <b>i:</b> followed by <b>ə</b>.</p><p>11<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">េ</span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>EIghtfold EEl</b>. The A-series pronunciation is encoded by the letters <b>EI</b>, a diphthong <b>eːi</b> of prolonged <b>e:</b> followed by <b>i</b>. The O-series pronunciation is encoded by the letters <b>EE</b>, a prolonged <b>eː</b>.</p><p>12<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ែ</span></b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>AErosol Egg</b>. The A-series pronunciation is encoded by the letters <b>AE</b>, a diphthong <b>æːe</b>. The O-series pronunciation is encoded by the letter <span style="white-space: pre;"><b>E</b> , a prolonged </span><b>ɛ</b>ː (more like the "e" in English "bed").</p><p>13<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>ៃ</b></span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>AIry YIeld</b>. The A-series pronunciation is encoded by the letters <b>AI</b>, a diphthong <b>aj</b>. The O-series pronunciation is encoded by the letters <b>YI</b>, a diphthong <b>ɨj</b>.</p><p>14<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ោ</span></b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>AOrtal OOze</b>. The A-series pronunciation is encoded by the letters <b>AO</b>, a diphthong <b>æːo</b>. The O-series pronunciation is encoded by the letters <b>OO</b>, a prolonged <b>oː</b>.</p><p>15<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ៅ</span></b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>AWned YUrt</b>. The A-series pronunciation is encoded by the letters <b>AW</b>, a diphthong <b>æw</b>. The O-series pronunciation is encoded by the letters <b>YU</b>, a diphthong <b>ɨw</b>.</p><div>16<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ុ</span></b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>OUtrigger</b>. Once again, I used a single word for this one because both pronunciations are simple vowel sounds. The A-series pronunciation <b>o</b> is encoded by the letter <b>O</b>. The O-series pronunciation <b>u</b> is encoded by the letter <b>U</b>.</div><div><br /></div><div>17<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ំ</span></b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>ALUminum</b>. This letter starts a new series of special <i>nasalized</i> vowels. All are distinguished by the little bubble mark above the consonant (this letter indeed consists of nothing but this bubble). and all are pronounced with "nasalization" like you find in French, for example; <i>i.e.</i>, some of the breath is directed through the nose rather than the mouth. For this first one, I used a single word for both A-series and O-series pronunciations. The letters <b>AL</b> encode the A-series pronunciation <b>ɑm</b>. As a rule the system uses the letters <b>AL</b> for this variant of the <b>ɑ</b>-sound. The new combination <b>AL</b> shows the vowel sound <b>ɑ</b>, which is rather like the "a" in English "father." The <b>m</b> here does not indicate a sound like "mama" but marks the nasalization of the vowel. The letter <b>U</b> encodes the O-series pronunciation <b>um</b>, which is a nasalized version of the vowel <b>u</b>.</div><div><br /></div><div>18<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ុំ</span></b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Marble OUtrigger</b>. Here the word <b>Marble</b> shows that this is a nasalized vowel. The letter O encodes the A-series pronunciation <b>om</b> (nasalized <b>o</b>). The letter <b>U</b> encodes the O-series pronunciation <b>um</b> (nasalized <b>u</b>).</div><p>19<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ាំ<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span>Marble Ashen ORange</b>. <span style="white-space: pre;">Again the word </span><b>Marble</b> shows that this is a nasalized vowel. The letter A encodes the A-series pronunciation <b>am</b> (nasalized <b>a</b>). The letters <b>OR</b> encode the O-series pronunciation <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>oəm</b> (nasalized <b>oə</b>).</p><p>20<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>ះ</b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><b>Hairy Ashen ERaser</b>. This letter starts a second series of special <i>aspirated</i> vowels, each marked by the two bubbles on the right. This indicates that the vowel is pronounced with sort of an "h" sound at the end of the syllable (which is the opposite of where it always comes in English). For all of these vowel names the word <b>Hairy</b> indicates this "h"-sound. Here the letter <b>A</b> encodes the A-series pronunciation <b>aʰ</b> <span style="white-space: pre;">(the small "h" coming at the end of the syllable). The letters </span><b>ER</b> encode the O-series pronunciation <b>eəʰ</b>.</p><p>21<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ិះ<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span>Hairy EpIcycle</b>. Again the word <b>Hairy</b> indicates the "h" at the end of the syllable. The letter <b>E</b> encodes the A-series pronunciation <b>eʰ</b>.<span style="white-space: pre;"> The letter <b>I</b> encodes the O-series pronunciation </span><b>iʰ</b>.</p><p>22<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>េះ</b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><b>Hairy EIghtfold Éclair</b>. Again the word <b>Hairy</b> indicates the "h" at the end of the syllable. The letters <b>EI</b> encode the A-series pronunciation <b>eiʰ</b>. The letter <b>É</b> encodes the O-series pronunciation <b>eʰ</b>.</p><p>23<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ោះ</span></b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Hairy ALbino URchin</b>. Again the word <b>Hairy</b> indicates the "h" at the end of the syllable. The letters <b>AL</b> encode the A-series pronunciation <b>ɑʰ</b>. The letters <b>UR</b> encode the O-series pronunciation <b>ʊəʰ</b>.</p><p>24<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ុះ<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span>Hairy OUtrigger</b>. Again the word <b>Hairy</b> indicates the "h" at the end of the syllable. The letter <b>O</b> encodes the A-series pronunciation <b>oʰ</b>. The letter U encodes the O-series pronunciation <b>uʰ</b>.</p><p>We come now to the final series of vowel symbols. These differ from all the others in that they are written as independent symbols rather than attached to a previous consonant sound. So far as I can tell they are used only when a vowel sound comes at the beginning of a word (although you can imagine having a word consisting solely of several vowel sounds).</p><p>Actually it is technically incorrect to say the vowel does not follow a consonant sound, because in fact it is preceded by a <i>glottal stop</i>--a catch-in-the-throat sound which you do hear in English but is not meaningful. In some other languages (like Arabic, for example) it works as a consonant sound on an equal basis with the others. This glottal stop is represented in the IPA by the symbol <b>ʔ</b> (like a question mark with no dot). This glottal stop is not represented in my names for the symbols.</p><p>Since these letters come only at the start of the word, and are not attached to any consonant, they do not have separate A-series and O-series pronunciations; each has a single pronunciation encoded by a single word.</p><p>25<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ឥ</span></b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Elephant</b>. The letter <b>E</b> encodes the pronunciation <b>ʔe</b>.</p><p>26<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ឦ</span></b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>RIxshaw</b>. The letters <b>RI</b> encode the pronunciation <b>ʔəj</b>.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p>27<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ឧ</span></b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Ocean</b>. The letter <b>O</b> encodes the pronunciation <b>ʔo</b>.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p>28<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ឪ</span></b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>YUppie</b>. The letters <b>YU</b> encode the pronunciation <b>ʔɨw</b>.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p>29<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ឫ</span></b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>RYa</b>. The letters <b>RY</b> encode the pronunciation <b>ʔrɨ</b>. Notice that here the R represents an actual r sound rather than the shwa as hitherto.</p><p>30<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ឬ</span></b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>RYdberg</b>. The letters <b>RY</b> encode the pronunciation <b>ʔrɨː</b>. This is like the preceding, except prolonged, and so this one has the longer name. <span style="white-space: pre;">Once again</span> the <b>R</b> represents an actual <b>r</b> sound rather than the shwa as hitherto.</p><p>31<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ឭ</span></b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>LYceum</b>. The letters <b>LY</b> encode the pronunciation <b>ʔlɨ</b>.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p>32<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ឮ</span></b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>LYme grass</b>. The letters <b>LY</b> encode the pronunciation <b>ʔlɨː</b>. This is like the preceding, except prolonged, and so it gets the longer name. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p>33<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>ឯ</b></span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>AEpyornis</b>. The letters <b>AE</b> encode the pronunciation, which I found described variously as <b>ʔæe;</b> or <b>ʔɛː</b> or <b>ʔeː</b>.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p>34<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>ឰ</b></span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>AIrship</b>. The letters <b>AI</b> encode the pronunciation <b>ʔaj</b>. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p>35<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>ឳ</b></span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>AUnt</b>. The letters <b>AU</b> encode the pronunciation <b>ʔaw</b>. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p>36<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>ឱ</b></span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>AOudad</b>. The letters <b>AO</b> encode the pronunciation <b>ʔaːo</b>. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p>37<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>ឩ</b></span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Udder</b>. The letter <b>U</b> encodes the pronunciation <b>ʔu</b><span style="white-space: pre;">.</span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p>And that's it. This system helped me, taking the problem of learning Khmer script from impossible to merely difficult.</p>Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-40597252415868637902022-07-10T16:49:00.000-04:002022-07-10T16:49:24.585-04:00France 2022<p> A whirlwind trip for a family wedding. For me it went so fast that afterwards I could imagine I had dreamed being there. This was my first trip post-pandemic. I was a lucky one but many others encountered major disruptions. I think I'll avoid flying overseas again for another year or more.</p><p>Click on any photo for a larger version.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJREB9qTjf2KM0kLnW9ygn09yp8vnGJzfuZm0uzpnQMr7Bjpj266-Cskd9KdR-fE1WXkqOAHO-3oMeRs6fGgVHI-UdBL1AJw4mB1HYzSdDNvSxAhU6YCnZyo2mwMNKnr5Gmbz4inHSqEWGlRMLOGuIz1B8YNWaPeYnaWp8Og4J_Cyb8mQym6W9BdqzBA/s3264/20220621_104916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJREB9qTjf2KM0kLnW9ygn09yp8vnGJzfuZm0uzpnQMr7Bjpj266-Cskd9KdR-fE1WXkqOAHO-3oMeRs6fGgVHI-UdBL1AJw4mB1HYzSdDNvSxAhU6YCnZyo2mwMNKnr5Gmbz4inHSqEWGlRMLOGuIz1B8YNWaPeYnaWp8Og4J_Cyb8mQym6W9BdqzBA/s320/20220621_104916.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAahBs9GueMFAajaddwbyWmLrq4tc5zraFXRr2_aGLgP-qi_xx0_MJk5dOvJtH98l9fSU2ntMom7qLBwRawC7FAHxFrgtFY2acElw3PhWEvLjWwDuiXZGlBiQTDfmGdjyb8GOoXDBGyjBZvdsq8u2GBwqF3UuxqjS4pC8oorU4bFz1KhfNSRiGqkLvQg/s3264/20220621_105049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGQjPkUvSxR8CTlYmebt8gfatGDA4jUQ8O1nikBsJF1_DbtM5PCNp2hzf0pUPXS6X9sN9CvwryPpBzn8pVtkhUclzqBsB5iLGIcSxa04oCXM9Emp20PMjT03OSSUrRpWOdiP25nek9PkmrCs-5oV-JlYvngWr32AAZuLokmuej1fJj2lLMdvswFSbvg/s1477/1656197031838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="1477" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGQjPkUvSxR8CTlYmebt8gfatGDA4jUQ8O1nikBsJF1_DbtM5PCNp2hzf0pUPXS6X9sN9CvwryPpBzn8pVtkhUclzqBsB5iLGIcSxa04oCXM9Emp20PMjT03OSSUrRpWOdiP25nek9PkmrCs-5oV-JlYvngWr32AAZuLokmuej1fJj2lLMdvswFSbvg/s320/1656197031838.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4o0WkTNCp_O9zjwbgzlWseSvcRDTDOUc2vKfkpjFhHs4XK76CKyYhiZCnrKGNbA1W23a1zkuZTGwLEV_IdS5kkVxpJqjOlEIRdoItqOI8_pMaJ8wVCumCs4tbub1h0vl_TmqwDGu9yjHhnJjmmLNgPNGS81M8-ZSN6yDMDlRJoEiPAgsdnTTUoThtgA/s3264/20220627_061330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4o0WkTNCp_O9zjwbgzlWseSvcRDTDOUc2vKfkpjFhHs4XK76CKyYhiZCnrKGNbA1W23a1zkuZTGwLEV_IdS5kkVxpJqjOlEIRdoItqOI8_pMaJ8wVCumCs4tbub1h0vl_TmqwDGu9yjHhnJjmmLNgPNGS81M8-ZSN6yDMDlRJoEiPAgsdnTTUoThtgA/s320/20220627_061330.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This last is a scene from Charles de Gaulle airport. What struck me is that the seating is designed so you can lie down and take a nap if you wish. ...Whereas in the US any public seating is designed with spikes, knobs, or whatever so that at any costs one cannot lie down.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-77297138342209564122022-01-01T17:29:00.001-05:002022-01-01T17:29:43.979-05:00My Dopp Kit<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3tbC5mQ9aCabKK2Kw76y4DsMoloe3-qSFKE3tA8I5iDPvcXVbDZ8fPhYlYWmLaj0eaSTjuIYk7FMi_ZByJluFDLzUZCFwLY0MkG1R6zDwTxLQ5wmYo3BXm9Lb9NrY3WFbHh1XTz4N-Sp4WEFQnU--qnzrjNdycZpRaKegv2R2tgFjQe2vqyB81m3_qw=s1066" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1066" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3tbC5mQ9aCabKK2Kw76y4DsMoloe3-qSFKE3tA8I5iDPvcXVbDZ8fPhYlYWmLaj0eaSTjuIYk7FMi_ZByJluFDLzUZCFwLY0MkG1R6zDwTxLQ5wmYo3BXm9Lb9NrY3WFbHh1XTz4N-Sp4WEFQnU--qnzrjNdycZpRaKegv2R2tgFjQe2vqyB81m3_qw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><p>Zoroaster said that possessions are our baggage on the journey through life and we should therefore be wary of carrying too much. (In the "can't make this stuff up" category, I found just now trying to verify this that there now exists a "Zoroaster" brand of luggage.) How much more true this is when applied to literal baggage and literal journeys.</p><p>I myself am towards the "travel light" end of the spectrum (though not so far out as some). This requires more than the mere intention of traveling light but is a skill that can and must be learned. I have taken trips of a week in temperate climes with only a single carry-on bag and a briefcase. In this I am influenced by my history of dabbling in ultralight backpacking, perhaps a subject for a future post. </p><p><i>On the other hand</i>, when traveling I often like to live with a little more luxury than in my day-to-day life. In this I am significantly influenced by Paul Kyriazi's <a href="https://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2011/01/product-review-paul-kyriazis-james-bond.html" target="_blank">James Bond Lifestyle</a> seminar. This is reflected both in my choice of accommodations and activities and in the selection of gear that I take along.</p><p>In this particular post, I look at the comments of my shaving kit. In these 108 cubic inches, I can aim for a level of luxury perhaps not practical for my everyday life. (And by the way, nothing feels luxurious when you are staggering along with too much luggage.) The most luxurious option is not always the most expensive (shaving cream, for example).</p><p><i>And in both respects</i>, when I travel, I think of the items I choose to carry as my <i>team</i>. And I want my team to be an <i>elite</i> team. Every element is chosen for peak performance. I've made many adjustments to the team over the years. This is where the team stands as of today.</p><p><b>Osgood Marley Dopp Kit:</b> While there are several crafters of high-quality leather goods offering a wide variety of fine kits, my choice was determined by compactness: this kit is a mere 3x4x9 inches. </p><p><b>Homemade ultralight first-aid kit: </b>sewn by yours truly from velcro and silicone-impregnated nylon back when I was doing ultralight backpacking. I haven't been backpacking in several years, but there are a few items of ultralight gear that I continue to find useful in daily life.</p><b>Panasonic Men's Card-type Compact ES518P-S Silver (Japan Model): </b>chosen both for slick design and ultra-compact design. Another plus is uses standard AAA batteries.<p><b>Adoric Life digital thermometer</b></p><p><b>The Art of Shaving cross-knurl safety razor</b></p><p><b>The Art of Shaving classic horn 3-blade razor:</b> Yes, I actually do travel with two razors sometimes, because I find them useful for different purposes.</p><p><b>antique toothbrush bottle:</b> took me the longest time to track this down on eBay</p><p><b>Fendrihan handmade fine-tooth metal comb:</b> because I'm tired of teeth breaking off of plastic combs</p><p><b>Hudson Trail Outfitters LED flashlight, Photon LED flashlight:</b> another holdover from my LWB days. Because a hotel room with closed drapes is the darkest place on the surface of the earth. In line with my backpacking philosophy, these provide minimal illumination to relieve absolute darkness at minimal weight.</p><p><b>HQY heavy-duty nail clippers</b></p><p><b>Brilliant Beauty brand precision tweezers</b></p><p><b>Astra double-edge razor blades</b></p><p>In addition to the foregoing there are the usual miniature shaving cream, toothpaste, cotton swabs etc. In every case I have found my favorite brand to be something available at the local grocery.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-88196389180992008122021-07-25T20:33:00.002-04:002021-07-25T20:33:53.838-04:00Music for working out--some favoritesChoice of music for working out is perhaps a type of personality test. If the piped music at the gym is any guide, most people seem to go for your standard up-tempo pop music--at least that's what they play in the gym. This never appealed to me. It's bland and uninspiring. I prefer music with the promise of something heroic and extraordinary. This to me is the point of working out in the first place, not to mention <a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2015/10/precepts-for-living-like-james-bond.html">most other things I do</a>.<div><br /></div><div>So herewith a selection of some of what I listen to when exercising. May some of them inspire you.</div><div><br /></div><div>1. "What Are You Going to Do When You Aren't Saving the World?" from <i>Man of Steel</i> (2013). Like many of my choices, this is movie music. In general I find movie music is often more willing to commit to a concept. This piece starts good but builds up to a couple of great climaxes. Great for pushing through he last couple of sets of an exercise.</div><div><div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YrGNQpllhzI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>2. "The Great Race March" from <i>The Great Race</i> (1965). In the movie, this song serves as the theme song for the always white-clad Great Leslie, the story's hero---polymath, daredevil, and unflagging good sport. This song is lighter in mood, but I like how apparently every patriotic song in the world was stolen from the great Leslie. <br /><div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T1OX6bIteLs" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>3. "Bim Bam Smash" from <i>the Bourne Supremacy</i>. Bourne soundtracks are admittedly all rather similar but <i>Supremacy</i> has more "flavor" to my ears and is my favorite. This track is from the big chase scene at the end of the movie. It has a high-speed energy to it--better for running than heavy weights.</div><div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ylUaZ4QpujA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>4. "The Ecstasy of Gold" from <i>The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly</i>, by the great Ennio Morricone. This is another good song for running (there's actually a lot of running in this scene).</div><div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PYI09PMNazw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>5. "No Rest for the Weary" from <i>In Like Flint</i>. More likely than not, you have never heard of this movie. It's my favorite among the James Bond imitators. For my lucky readers I found both the music track and the scene from the movie. Flint is very 60's--and yet his athleticism is more like Daniel Craig than Sean Connery.</div><div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PIqz6JrSpUA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HitjHoEleB8" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>6. "Chevaliers de Sangreal" from <i>The Da Vinci Code.</i> Another great tune that gradually builds in energy, great for doing several sets of an exercise or pushing through the last half-mile of a run.</div><div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CpHkMZxNLV0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>7. "Setting up the Lair" from the TV show <i>Arrow</i>. Once again, I provide both the scene and the music track, because I think visual context is essential for appreciating this track. Stephen Amell is one of the buffest guys ever to appear on TV. This track accompanies him setting up his lair (a strenuous activity in its own right), culminating in the most badass workout ever.</div><div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y8n2_taBISw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2RXGXgPRlTI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>8. "His Name is Napoleon Solo" from <i>The Man from U.N.C.L.E</i>. One of my disappointments in life is that this film seems not to have spawned the franchise that was clearly intended. If it had done so, this track could have become a theme song. It's more about attitude than energy.<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WDVJtsle0hM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>9. "The Pines of the Appian Way" by Ottorino Respighi. Okay, not a soundtrack; in fact this one is classical. Another great piece that steadily builds to a climax.</div><div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pMeXzqTfNcY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>10. Finally: "Big Right" from Cinderella Man, by Thomas Newman. Newman also did, for example, the soundtrack for <i>The Shawshank Redemption</i>. He makes an interesting choice in moments of triumph: contrary to what almost anyone else would do, he takes the mood rather dark. The message that I take from this is that it's a bit scary what human beings are capable of achieving in their peak moments.</div><div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qc4Zre0F3jw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
</div></div></div>Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-73574474593482078772020-06-30T15:48:00.000-04:002020-06-30T15:48:24.961-04:00Practical Joke #16 (Coronavirus edition)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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1. Go to a grocery store that has those "One Way" stickers on the floor.<br />
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2. Peel up the stickers and rearrange them so that shoppers are inexorably led into an inescapable vortex.Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-46637464318111899602020-03-24T20:20:00.000-04:002020-03-24T20:20:02.763-04:00Peru 2019<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEOukXwYMfuIQaVNoNRO3waK72SySzlYYju0Lk6MOFkOFP_aT3rVSMhIXwLWr3MgEF2ogzBjrHt67DcJucBhHE5LPZGz3jjw_oE2Eh7dcl62ByD1Gb8JhmcIUBzIrafc26TELZdgEJK6a/s1600/20190102_185316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEOukXwYMfuIQaVNoNRO3waK72SySzlYYju0Lk6MOFkOFP_aT3rVSMhIXwLWr3MgEF2ogzBjrHt67DcJucBhHE5LPZGz3jjw_oE2Eh7dcl62ByD1Gb8JhmcIUBzIrafc26TELZdgEJK6a/s1600/20190102_185316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEOukXwYMfuIQaVNoNRO3waK72SySzlYYju0Lk6MOFkOFP_aT3rVSMhIXwLWr3MgEF2ogzBjrHt67DcJucBhHE5LPZGz3jjw_oE2Eh7dcl62ByD1Gb8JhmcIUBzIrafc26TELZdgEJK6a/s400/20190102_185316.jpg" width="400" />(click on any picture for a larger version)</a><br />
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This report comes late, seeing as this trip happened approximately a year ago. But 2019 was a busy year... Visiting Peru marked several personal "firsts" for me: my first visit to the continent of South America, my first time to cross the equator (though just barely), the highest altitudes I have experienced.</div>
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We followed a complicated itinerary: Lima to Puno to Cusco to Machu Picchu back to Cusco to Lima and then home. Lima is at sea level whereas the other locations are at considerable altitude.</div>
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The weather at Christmas in Lima resembles summer in Maryland. The hill in the background oddly resembles Diamond Head.</div>
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A Peruvian Christmas tree. I much prefer this approach of decorating a native species to the obviously fake evergreens I have seen in other tropical locales.</div>
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After a couple of days in Lima, we flew to the city of Puno, on the banks of Lake Titicaca. For the first time in my life I experienced the effects of altitude. Puno lies an an altitude of 12,556 feet (3827m) above sea level, slightly higher than Lhasa, Tibet.</div>
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From the airport we took a rather lengthy taxi ride, through a town that looked pleasantly strange and unlike any place I had been before, and then across a quasi-rural landscape that reminded me of part of Texas where I grew up, to the town of Puno proper. We exited the taxi and went into the hotel lobby. Mrs. Gorodish then informed me that she wasn't feeling well. And, like Wile E. Coyote looking down to find empty space beneath his feet, I felt it too.</div>
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The first sensation is the obvious one of having not quite enough air. One should be able to compensate, I would assume, by breathing deeper and faster. Whether I didn't apply the theory properly, or it's just wrong, shortly there followed effects I had heard about but never experienced before: headache and nausea. We tried the local remedies: coca tea (which had no effect that I could feel) and then a local pharmaceutical (about which more to say later).</div>
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I had heard that sleeping is difficult at high altitude, and I now understood why that is true. It seems that when your autonomous breathing takes over as you fall asleep, you aren't getting enough air. So you wake up and breathe heavily. And the cycle starts again....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9gi3X57ikjR5LC7-5yegk1VyQqS155Al7ywQXFi5kfzSrUKlZOYMrVjQ_GywNyQ3zW3l4TeSaZ5gqEgYIAbgRmxzzbfA-U_VJuzz1Ij_nAi1V3A_HaBrSJakuzOgWl88eAIst2xJJnqK/s1600/20181229_072145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9gi3X57ikjR5LC7-5yegk1VyQqS155Al7ywQXFi5kfzSrUKlZOYMrVjQ_GywNyQ3zW3l4TeSaZ5gqEgYIAbgRmxzzbfA-U_VJuzz1Ij_nAi1V3A_HaBrSJakuzOgWl88eAIst2xJJnqK/s400/20181229_072145.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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After two days in Puno, we took the train to Cusco. Here I admire the shrewdness with which the Peruvians are leveraging their major resource of natural beauty for the tourist trade. Peru has no high-speed rail (nor, I suspect, even medium-speed rail). High-speed rail might well be impossible on routes that climb up and descend at significant grades. </div>
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Perurail makes a virtue of necessity by rebranding the Puno-Cusco train (which apparently runs at an average speed of 24 mph/40 kph) as a ten-hour luxury experience---deluxe food, entertainment, etc. </div>
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I missed a good shot here. Open space is such a premium here (not sure why--there's plenty of empty land) that the market is set up next to the train tracks and even <i>on</i> the tracks. Merchandise is spread out across the tracks, low enough that the train can pass over, and people scramble out of the way when the train passes by.</div>
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The highest spot on the route is the La Rava pass at 4338 meters (14232 feet). The thinness of the air was a remarkable sensation. But locals (of course) had no problem with it.</div>
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An interesting feature of this trip was the gradual change of the landscape from reddish-brown and arid around Puno, gradually greener, and extremely verdant in the area of Cusco. The mountains, too, became more rugged, extremely steep, almost vertical in places. Some of the train cars had domed observation roofs---this was one place with truly a lot of interesting things to see overhead.</div>
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For the latter part of the journey the track ran along the Urubamba river, which consisted of nothing but rapids for miles and miles and miles---which just goes to show how much we descended on that leg of the trip.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdaFkm0UVAZ9XqOeuCl-4kXFOoBQcfZcHQ5RCGeBKDOoq2K4FrIpVZG3HBvUY4qQ3M-BsFyrufhsrMsSZkI6H6T6M4mzKrNhyphenhypheniAHIh1yVdo6fW0DCwuRJr_mILbTyXE4xJTM5nkwItKUE3/s1600/20181230_094002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdaFkm0UVAZ9XqOeuCl-4kXFOoBQcfZcHQ5RCGeBKDOoq2K4FrIpVZG3HBvUY4qQ3M-BsFyrufhsrMsSZkI6H6T6M4mzKrNhyphenhypheniAHIh1yVdo6fW0DCwuRJr_mILbTyXE4xJTM5nkwItKUE3/s400/20181230_094002.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Cusco is at an altitude of 11,200 feet (3400m) so a little milder then Puno. By this time we were getting a little used to the altitude---at least the headaches and nausea were gone, though sleeping was still an issue. We felt good enough to scamper up some of the many hills. Cusco is a charming city, layered with pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial architecture.</div>
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And now we interrupt this program for a commercial announcement. It may or may not be the placebo effect, but this little pharmaceutical made us all feel significantly better with respect to the altitude. I swallowed it, but I have no idea what's in it--frog's eyebrows, leftover guinea-pig fragments, whatever.</div>
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Two more notable features of this advertisement. I love the lack of subtlety exhibited by the ailing gent on the far right. And this font, complete with outline, is apparently the official national font of Peru. </div>
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From Cusco we proceeded to Machu Picchu. This is one tourist attraction which is definitely worth the hype. Photos can't capture it. Breathtaking, jaw-dropping, verdant jagged mountains in every direction. </div>
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We were there at the beginning of January, which is supposedly the rainy season. Friends told me it would be disappointing because Machu Picchu would be shrouded in fog. As it turned out, everything was great. We had a little rain to deal with--not much. And the fog was merely some lovely wisps clinging to the mountainsides. </div>
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What's the opposite of "bucket list"? A list of the things I will never regret wimping out on... at the top would be visiting Huayna Picchu, which is the peak visible in the background of all the Machu Picchu photos. While I was there I noted outlines of domes, stairs, and other architecture at the peak. Incredible--like something out of a fairy tale.</div>
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Only later did I learn that--incredibly--they take tourists up to the top. If you want to see insanity in picture form, Google "Huayna Picchu hike". One sneeze, and it's all over...</div>
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Many people don't care for the modern town of Machu Picchu, which exists purely as a staging point for tours of the historical site. I found it rather charming, backed up against these fairy-tale mountains. Note the huge missing chunk of rock that fell down some time in the past.</div>
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The train back from Machu Picchu again featured scenic windows in the roof. Unlike most such trains, there actually is a lot of scenery overhead on this route.</div>
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On the way back to Cusco, we stopped at Ollantaytanbo, a small town notable for more Inca ruins, Inca construction still in use, and the inherent charm of the town itself. I must admit that by this point everyone in this group was experiencing high-altitude-Inca-ruin-climbing fatigue, so we eschewed visiting the spectacular fortress (the stairs to which we could easily see zig-zagging up the mountain).</div>
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Either you get this joke, or you don't. The men in our group all got it. None of the women did.</div>
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This explains why no one knows what state Springfield is located in.</div>
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Some of the Inca stonework is still in use in Ollantaytanbo. The trapezoidal doorway is a characteristic feature (poorly suited to the use of actual doors).</div>
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We see here once again the Peruvian national font, which are these outlined balloon-animal characters. It's everywhere. </div>
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And to wrap up, a visual aid. We carried this empty Coke bottle from Cusco back to Lima. The collapse indicates the difference in available air between Cusco and sea level.</div>
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Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-78811102893173873582020-01-02T22:01:00.000-05:002020-01-02T22:01:51.169-05:00Resolutions 2020<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xe5ltsXX4Pc" width="560"></iframe>
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<i>I've got to learn from the greats, earn my right to be living, with every breath that I take, every heartbeat...</i><br />
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My list of resolutions for this year is shorter than some previous years. Why so? I'm not sure; perhaps it reflects an evolving strategy of prioritization.<br />
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1. <i>Simplify my life. </i>Reduce the number of my possessions. Drastically reduce my stack of unread books. Complete or abandon unfinished tasks. Extend the make-your-bed principle (I <i>do</i> make my bed) to keeping my various inboxes clear and relentlessly chipping away at my to-do list.<br />
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2. Hit the gym about 25% more often, no matter how busy I get. Every year for everyone should include at least one fitness-related goal. I'm optimistic about this one, because actually I've put it into effect for several weeks, and I'm seeing the results.<br />
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3. Start a new language. Most likely this will be Persian. It's not the first time I have "started" Persian, but circumstances are more favorable this time. Notably I have found an excellent italki teacher for Persian.<br />
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4. Continue improving my Vietnamese. After two years of assiduous study, I can have meaningful conversations. This is satisfying and at the same time stimulates my awareness of what I miss out on by not communicating better.<br />
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5. Make significant progress on my digital-imaging research project. (My day job)<br />
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6. Spend at least five minutes a day writing this blog. May not seem like much, but it should allow for significant progress.<br />
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<br />Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-11764927933520585822019-06-01T17:39:00.003-04:002024-03-11T12:02:24.359-04:00Préceptes pour vivre comme James Bond<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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(<a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2015/10/precepts-for-living-like-james-bond.html" target="_blank">Precepts for living like James Bond</a>: as an exercise, I am rewriting the earlier post in French.)<br /><div><br /></div><div>1. Chercher de nouvelles expériences.</div><div><br /></div><div>2. Il n'y a rien hors de vos limites.</div><div><br /></div><div>3. Toute crise présente une occasion de pratiquer son sang-froid.</div><div><br /></div><div>4. Etre toujours en train d'apprendre.</div><div><br /></div><div>5. Chercher toujours des moyens d'augmenter le niveau de sa vie--physiquement, mentalement et financièrement.</div><div><br /></div><div>6. Si on ne trouve pas de saveur dans sa vie, chercher ce qui doit changer, et le changer.</div><div><br /></div><div>7. Le faire avec élan.</div><span id="docs-internal-guid-773fde72-7fff-ef14-ea81-6a030e53d44e"><div><span face="Montserrat, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Montserrat, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Update 11 March 2024: Heavily revised with help from my French teacher <a href="https://www.italki.com/lesson/2579765457" target="_blank">Julie</a></span></div></span>Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-46643414526228873502018-05-16T19:57:00.000-04:002018-05-16T19:57:20.268-04:00Scenes from Myanmar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This trip took place in December, but I'm just getting around to posting the pictures. We only saw a small part of the country, but what we saw was different from any place I've been previously. Forthwith some of the highlights. </div>
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The lady to the left is a typical figure. The traditional <i>longyi</i> still predominates. Not a few men weat something similar. </div>
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Gemstones are a local product. I had it half in mind to buy a pair of cufflinks as a souvenir, but I never saw such. I'm not sure the concept of "cufflinks" even exists in Myanmar. For that matter, I never saw a necktie while in the country. I heartily approve.</div>
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December in Yangon is like June in Maryland. It was a delightful respite from winter back home; on the other hand I can't imagine what summer would be like.</div>
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We stayed in the Governor's Residence, Yangon, which was literally the residence of the colonial governor when Burma was a British colony. This is my new favorite hotel of any place in the world. </div>
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The hotel is not large, but the service exceeds any place I have seen. If you asked where something was, they would not tell you but rather take you there. I believe the local wage level allows them to hire ample staff to attend to the guests' every need. Each evening around 8:00 there was a knock on the door and a concerned pair of employees wanting to know if we needed anything done, or maybe some cookies. And at various points we found employees standing ready in the corridors, just in case we happened to need something as we were walking by. </div>
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Pool at the Governor's Residence, which by design resembles something of a pond.</div>
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There is no "lobby" as such, but rather this little space, which is open to the outdoors. When you arrive you are invited to sit and have some tea. You are asked to provide your passports, and then a few minutes later they bring a form for you to sign and then escort you to your room.</div>
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Breakfast every morning was on this veranda. For me it was idyllic, but, again, I don't know how it could be with the heat and mosquitos of summer.</div>
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Another story which illustrates the attitude. Our last day in Yangon we were scheduled to leave the for the airport at 6:00 in the evening. We of course checked out of our room in the morning, before going out for the day. We came back to the hotel with a couple of hours to spare. The hotel provided a free room for us to relax in, inviting us even to shower and order room service.</div>
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This the "Elephant Coach" (no actual elephant included). This goes again to indicate the level of service in the country. For the city tour that I had requested, we were provided with this refurbished bus which could easily have held over a dozen passengers, for just the two of us. The bus came with a staff of three--a well-educated guide, a driver, and a "flight attendant" who made sure we were well-provided with juice and cold towels.</div>
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The Elephant Coach was appointed with wood furnishings, including this hand-carved air vent.</div>
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Shwedagon Pagoda dominates the city, a large gold-cased stupa atop a hill. When Southeast Asians say "pagoda" it seems they refer to an entire temple complex rather than just a single structure. The impressive stupa is surrounded by an equally impressive complex, It took us over an hour to make a leisurely circuit.</div>
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Kids visiting the pagoda. You see some wearing <i>thanaka</i>, a sort of sunscreen/cosmetic made from paste of a fragrant wood.<br />
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The actual stupa.</div>
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And now, change of locale. We took a flight for an overnight trip to Bagan, a small town famous for its literally hundreds of antique temples. I have a theory, BTW, that airline service in any randomly-chosen foreign country will be superior to that in the U.S. Myanmar did not upset the pattern.</div>
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The Bagan Lodge is very nice, although it can't compete with the Governor's Residence in my heart. Bagan has quite an arid landscape--somewhat scattered trees and scrub, but no grass to speak of. I had the feeling that I might be in someplace like Arizona.</div>
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This interesting little fixture in the lobby of the Bagan lodge (also open to the outdoors)--I christened the Three Eternal Urinators.</div>
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Instant noodles in the Bagan market. I don't know whether our instant noodles taste better, but they surely aren't as much fun.</div>
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Custom is to remove all footgear when entering a temple. This differs from the Japanese custom, which is only a practical measure to keep floors clean. In Myanmar the feet must be totally bare, and as often as not you will be walking outdoors anyway.</div>
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Just chillin' at the temple...</div>
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One of Bagan's many temples. This picture shows a detail which I also found interesting--note the panel of LEDs in the building entrance. I did not see many of these but I suspect budget is the limiting factor. I have not encountered such a mixture of the old and the new anywhere else--imagine if a Gothic cathedral equipped Jesus with an electric halo.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">In Bagan, by the way, we were forced to rough it with a staff of only two to look after our every need. In fact our Bagan guide was an inspiring young local woman, always knowledgeable and considerate. Although her financial level was on a totally different scale from here in the USA, she seemed to live without the anxiety for the future that many people here experience. </span><br />
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A devout cat.</div>
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The largest of Bagan's temples.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5BmRCkA8QDnodgEBgTjFM-C9KMGa6s-bHCiigYuTj2nBHALGbK2ob3bYIxo_VQhX32ACyIBBl4bUnFcOYjUq0NSU-3wHPBWYPwdQgzjd6-5R3YM094TJhYmTd8kp_DNVhKDWKHBh9ZMi/s1600/_DSC04320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1600" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5BmRCkA8QDnodgEBgTjFM-C9KMGa6s-bHCiigYuTj2nBHALGbK2ob3bYIxo_VQhX32ACyIBBl4bUnFcOYjUq0NSU-3wHPBWYPwdQgzjd6-5R3YM094TJhYmTd8kp_DNVhKDWKHBh9ZMi/s400/_DSC04320.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A rural village. The local economy is tightly interconnected: cotton is grown, spun, and woven into cloth; the unused parts of the cotton are fed to cattle, etc. Electricity was brought in just a couple of years ago. But they have found a new source of income in tourists. Our guide here was yet another impressive young woman: speaking English, Japanese, and excellent self-taught French.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiriCO7RK60d3-Fka_6Qrv6Ar1GCMNkNOZ8DXs44wyyfxKvARm4KQTnJgy54oQZLHLerJfcTwW3s2IfNIvlmknYnpKZtIFsvyB8aZt_F9vaSHXjE4HTfgchXvnXiSTU8BsfWgW2Ah2nYiJR/s1600/_DSC04433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiriCO7RK60d3-Fka_6Qrv6Ar1GCMNkNOZ8DXs44wyyfxKvARm4KQTnJgy54oQZLHLerJfcTwW3s2IfNIvlmknYnpKZtIFsvyB8aZt_F9vaSHXjE4HTfgchXvnXiSTU8BsfWgW2Ah2nYiJR/s320/_DSC04433.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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On the way out of the country, this impressed me. Note how the airport seats are not designed to stop you from taking a nap--and I saw several people taking advantage. And even more--note the generous amount of space in the background. If only I had had my roller skates...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9mI8e-iEQWvZgKUUawBKA0KRsPIiekptu9145CQcIk6a877Qy3lKrdVztLnL2bZHD4nMG9giZoar2BxwQjSzSPYomEhj6jsl9vWzzPw9M8RoEqzegataU2MGwWS85SvA44Pl7c9xMK5Xn/s1600/_DSC04430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9mI8e-iEQWvZgKUUawBKA0KRsPIiekptu9145CQcIk6a877Qy3lKrdVztLnL2bZHD4nMG9giZoar2BxwQjSzSPYomEhj6jsl9vWzzPw9M8RoEqzegataU2MGwWS85SvA44Pl7c9xMK5Xn/s320/_DSC04430.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And finally: preparations for a New Years Eve party as we were leaving town...</div>
<br />Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-79193671140898997182017-05-27T19:53:00.000-04:002017-05-27T19:53:00.259-04:00English/Thai Pun Sighting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsXySqC2F9ojYcz-G2Bm2cKowDxZdMM5KRe7_I40dKLZTQ_kY4323ZvHXTtOgdYZsJel2SMCe2RtSdMe8Atj-9zqTcbjtB-Wo99CxW_7zyZ3uRTb-Dw0IuyuCh44tGEq_0Z06KmrL5HOf/s1600/DSC03179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsXySqC2F9ojYcz-G2Bm2cKowDxZdMM5KRe7_I40dKLZTQ_kY4323ZvHXTtOgdYZsJel2SMCe2RtSdMe8Atj-9zqTcbjtB-Wo99CxW_7zyZ3uRTb-Dw0IuyuCh44tGEq_0Z06KmrL5HOf/s320/DSC03179.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thought this was cute... spotted on a bag of potato chips. This is a variation on the Lays potato-chip logo:<br />
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<a href="https://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/logopedia/images/1/1f/Lays_logo.png/revision/latest?cb=20100903011756" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" src="https://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/logopedia/images/1/1f/Lays_logo.png/revision/latest?cb=20100903011756" /></a></div>
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This version is modified for Thailand. At a glance it appears to say something like "Lay." But if you ignore the big "L" the other two letters are the Thai symbols:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">ลย</span></div>
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These are <a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2012/11/learn-thai-alphabet-in-one-hour.html" target="_blank">Thai letters corresponding to</a> <b>L-Y</b>. So the Thai version of the brand name is hidden inside the English.<br />
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<br />Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-36278466160167532692017-02-25T15:52:00.000-05:002017-02-25T15:52:00.893-05:00The Dirty Secret your Parents Never Told You about Columbus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2nKa_fRBlc-KJdtydAFyGZ0Td1Hx2k-H45KsNPyY1kbKb9g1E0nqosfc_TTFrI9CQMUMDngUuX_szawAeqvPRRqP6hfoHeKLn0HFpAP4AOY-6MJa0yyudaB_115SzO7K4-IV9xppeGA8/s1600/Hernan-Cortes-in-the-Spanish-conquest-of-Mexico.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2nKa_fRBlc-KJdtydAFyGZ0Td1Hx2k-H45KsNPyY1kbKb9g1E0nqosfc_TTFrI9CQMUMDngUuX_szawAeqvPRRqP6hfoHeKLn0HFpAP4AOY-6MJa0yyudaB_115SzO7K4-IV9xppeGA8/s400/Hernan-Cortes-in-the-Spanish-conquest-of-Mexico.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
There are people are see what is in front of their eyes, who learn what is told to them. And then there are exceptional individuals with special powers of insight, who see patterns and connections that others overlook.<br />
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I am one of those exceptional individuals.<br />
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Consider these well-known facts:<br />
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1. Horses were introduced to the Americas soon after Columbus's 1492 voyage (in fact by Columbus in 1493).<br />
<br />
2. Crossing the Atlantic by ship in the era of Columbus took roughly a month or more.<br />
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3. Ships of the era were small by today's standards, with few amenities. Most of the crew were expected to sleep wherever they could find space. The Captain's own stateroom was not much bigger than an elevator.<br />
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Where did the <i>horses</i> ride on the ship? Clearly they must have been confined to a small space during the long weeks of the voyage.<br />
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And now we come to the crucial insight, whereby events of centuries ago suddenly shed light on the human condition today:<br />
<br /><i>When your parents told you there was not enough space in the family room to keep a pony, clearly they were <b>lying</b>.</i>Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-57667684154007541192017-02-15T09:42:00.000-05:002017-02-15T09:42:05.271-05:00If you're at no risk of getting lost...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHIxFyeU-9BZxSNqjhW3Aiz0tWnT5HvscP0NQ2gqv0UE5UOM8X42giqSJpuKHHs-EXWFY89CG5HUKOo0EB2yCBisghDctBOahm_Ee3rxEa9own6YIicHbSCvt7QZ5bbaZLyhEcq5xIsK7/s1600/6020494333_53e3fbfa55_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHIxFyeU-9BZxSNqjhW3Aiz0tWnT5HvscP0NQ2gqv0UE5UOM8X42giqSJpuKHHs-EXWFY89CG5HUKOo0EB2yCBisghDctBOahm_Ee3rxEa9own6YIicHbSCvt7QZ5bbaZLyhEcq5xIsK7/s400/6020494333_53e3fbfa55_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/literato/6020494333/" target="_blank">Astrid Ayla Liberato</a></span></div>
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...then you're not really traveling.Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-72935644414002349542016-11-20T14:32:00.002-05:002016-11-20T14:32:55.133-05:00The Alphabet That Will Save a People From Disappearing<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pm7XUhKOZ0Y" width="560"></iframe>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/11/the-alphabet-that-will-save-a-people-from-disappearing/506987/?utm_source=nl-atlantic-weekly-111816" target="_blank">Interesting article</a> at the Atlantic on the creation of a new alphabet for the Fulani language.<br />
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Marred by a slight instance of cultural chauvinism: I snorted my milk at the following sentence: "But unlike Arabic, whose short vowels are written as diacritical marks above and below letters, the script assigned its five vowels proper letters." Arabic vowels may be different from Latin vowels; that hardly makes them "improper."<br />
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I also learned a useful marketing idea for those creating a new alphabet: Choose a catchy word with no repeating letters; make those letters the first of your alphabet; then take that same word to be the name of your alphabet (just as "alphabet"="Alpha"+"Beta", the first two letters of the Greek alphabet). Such is the case with "Adlam", the new alphabet described here.<br />
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<br />Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-70981738368697982842016-11-12T08:56:00.001-05:002016-11-12T08:56:51.749-05:00How Half Of America Lost Its F**king MindThe <a href="http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-reasons-trumps-rise-that-no-one-talks-about/" target="_blank">best analysis</a> I've seen of the 2016 election, from David Wong.Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-49247501798044568962016-11-09T12:43:00.001-05:002016-11-09T12:43:06.976-05:00Starting up a New Language: Some Case Studies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLNXr6IXGm1mYZiLcRqWYvtaal3jOUTYrKBrgwKbTGG73gZ2DnxwPHvT0HYhua_zbu6YSU-QGftH8JAvqsT6kHFLuhJvsW8ymKrhoGQmARtnFMaAYd7ekOD1gPX_X-jlhpWyZiGIG7ijo/s1600/7483061686_03733da31f_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLNXr6IXGm1mYZiLcRqWYvtaal3jOUTYrKBrgwKbTGG73gZ2DnxwPHvT0HYhua_zbu6YSU-QGftH8JAvqsT6kHFLuhJvsW8ymKrhoGQmARtnFMaAYd7ekOD1gPX_X-jlhpWyZiGIG7ijo/s320/7483061686_03733da31f_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mastorrent/7483061686/" target="_blank">Ryan Buterbaugh</a> </span><br />
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How best to tackle a new language depends on many factors:<br />
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1. How difficult do you expect it to be?<br />
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2. Is a new script involved?<br />
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3. What's your immediate goal? Your ultimate goal?<br />
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4. What tools are available?<br />
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5. How much time do you have available?<br />
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Herewith some examples of how I chose to attack some new languages.<br />
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<b>Swahili. </b>(First of all, my answers to the questions above: 1: easy. 2: no. 3: just want to make incremental progress. 4: fair number of courses and books available. 5: almost none.)<br />
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The approach: I use the <a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2015/09/some-standard-language-learning.html" target="_blank">Language/30</a> Swahili course and an <i>old</i> edition of <a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2015/09/some-standard-language-learning.html" target="_blank">Teach Yourself</a> Swahili, which gives a bare-bones presentation of grammar and vocabulary. I use <a href="http://audacityteam.org/" target="_blank">Audacity</a> to clip audio sentences from the Language/30 course and put the sentences with text into <a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2012/10/product-review-anki.html" target="_blank">Anki</a> flashcards. I create additional cards with words and sentences from the Teach Yourself book. The Teach Yourself cards have no audio, unless and until I find a good source for ad-hoc Swahili audio.<br />
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But Swahili pronunciation is pretty easy. The Language/30 samples should provide ample pronunciation practice, as well as providing a storehouse of useful sentences "in the bank." So far, at the rate of one new card per day (one new word or sentence every two or three days) it takes less than a minute a day, plus occasional prep time to create new cards.<br />
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<b>Thai.</b> (1: moderate to difficult. 2: yes. 3: just want to make incremental progress. 4: fair number of courses and books available. 5: very little.)<br />
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The approach. First I designed some <a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2012/11/learn-thai-alphabet-in-one-hour.html" target="_blank">mnemonics to help me</a> <a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2012/12/and-learn-thai-vowels.html" target="_blank">memorize the Thai alphabet</a>. I spent about a minute a day for some months just practicing the letters. I made Anki cards from the first few reading lessons of the Thai <a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2015/09/some-standard-language-learning.html" target="_blank">Pimsleur course</a>, mostly just nonsense syllables, but it helped me get a foothold on reading. I continued with the <i>Teach Yourself Thai</i> book (with accompanying CD's--some form of audio companion is a huge advantage). Sample sentences from the book go onto flashcards, while I <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyInlHgv_WI" target="_blank">download audio for individual words from Google translate</a>. (Note: I don't do this for Swahili because Google Translate's Swahili voice is a weird robot which I have no desire to emulate.) I also picked up Stu Jay Raj's unusual book <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cracking-Thai-Fundamentals-Operating-System/dp/1514899469/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443047984&sr=1-1&keywords=cracking+thai+fundamentals" target="_blank">Cracking Thai Fundamentals</a></i> and started reading through it and making flash cards as necessary (it has less memory-intensive content). And by dint of some effort, I devised a <a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2016/06/spelling-thai-tones-simplified.html" target="_blank">streamlined formulation</a> of the rules for determining tones from the Thai script.<br />
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Generally speaking, for each word, phrase, or sentence I have as many as five cards:<br />
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(1 "English to Thai") Input: English. Output: Thai audio.<br />
(2 "Reading") Input: Thai script. Output: English and incidentally Thai audio.<br />
(3 "Listening") Input: Thai audio. Output: English and incidentally Thai script.<br />
(4 "Spelling") Input: English and Thai audio. Output: Thai script.<br />
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In line with a principle that good flash cards should expect a single response, the term "incidentally" here indicates that the card presents the information as part of the response but I need not reproduce it as a "correct" response.<br />
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Only a few cards are of type 4. I am ramping up gradually to writing Thai. I use conditional compilation for Anki to generate these cards only when I specify.<br />
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On the other hand, I like the daily exposure to reading Thai.<br />
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I currently spend about four minutes a day working through my Thai Anki deck, adding new cards from the <i>Teach Yourself</i> book, <i>Cracking Thai Fundamentals</i>, or occasionally the Pimsleur reading lessons as necessary.<br />
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Starting up Khmer and Burmese was very similar, the main difference being a relative paucity of available resources.<br />
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<b>Sumerian.</b> (1: moderate. 2: yes. 3: finish Hayes book [see below]. 4. Chiefly books. 5. very little [see a trend here?])<br />
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Sumerian is a <a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2009/03/ultimate-dead-language.html" target="_blank">dead language</a>, which entails both advantages and disadvantages.<br />
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<i>Advantages: </i><br />
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(1) You need not be concerned about acquiring a perfect accent. For most dead languages, scholars are happy to inform you about the pronunciation with considerable detail and subtlety, but I'm always a little skeptical that they know quite as much as they think they do. Whether or not they really know what they're talking about, there's no harm in making things easy on yourself. This does not mean pronunciation can be ignored. I have yet to come across a writing system in which sound does not play some partial role at least. In the case of Sumerian, the writing is a combination of ideographic and phonetic symbols. Many words and phrases have alternate spellings. Having a crude idea of the pronunciation makes it much easier to recognize these.<br />
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(2) Likewise, you may choose to (or be forced to) downplay skills of <i>writing</i> and <i>listening</i> in favor of <i>reading</i>. Focusing on just one of the four standard language skills certainly simplifies matters.<br />
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For Sumerian, I depended on a single resource: John Hayes' book <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sumerian-Grammar-Research-Ancient-Eastern/dp/0890031975/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478544360&sr=8-1&keywords=hayes+sumerian" target="_blank">A Manual of Sumerian Grammar and Texts</a>. </i>Incidentally I see the hardcover edition of the book is now going for $4000. which makes me feel strangely wealthy. The book provides many samples of Sumerian texts, with vocabulary lists and extensive discussions of each.<br />
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Sumerian is written in a cuneiform script, which my computer does not support. Certainly the computer would not reproduce the variety of sizes and shapes of the historical texts. Here Anki's ability to handle images facilitates greatly. By scanning a page, and clipping out samples of text, I can reproduce any word or phrase from the book.<br />
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Generally I use two Anki cards for each item of Sumerian text:<br />
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(1 "Reading") Input: Sumerian text. Output: the transliteration (phonetic reading) of the text.<br />
(2 "English") Input: Sumerian text and transliteration. Output: the English translation.<br />
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I also use Anki Cloze cards for grammar rules, historical facts, etc.<br />
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This approach lets me work through at a steady (if slow) pace, while committing to heart the memorization-related content and reading some phrases of text (while reviewing Anki cards) every day.<br />
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<br />Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-82009312492665445452016-11-01T11:21:00.000-04:002016-11-01T11:21:13.848-04:00"Nude" and "Flesh" Are Not Colors<div class="top-media" data-beacon="{"p":{"mnid":"top_media"}}">
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A photo posted by Chyrstyn Mariah Fentroy (@chyrstynmariah) on <time datetime="2016-09-01T15:35:33+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Sep 1, 2016 at 8:35am PDT</time></div>
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In the "institutional/pervasive racism" category for today, note the photo above, courtesy of Chyrstyn Mariah Fentroy, who, based on the evidence of the photo above: (1) is a ballet dancer, and (2) has a richly-hued complexion. The story told by the photo is that apparently it is impossible to buy ballet slippers in any color other than off-white. If your natural skin shade is something other than off-white, then you are doomed to hand-paint every new pair of ballet slippers that you buy. (Apparently ballet slippers that contrast with your skin are taboo.)<br />
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I sympathize with all ballet dancers who have to deal with this. It is something of a burden to have to do this all the time. More important the situation sends a message that <i>you're the wrong color to be doing this</i>. Sure, you can shrug it off, but at some point everyone experiences shrug fatigue.<br />
<br />
I learned of this particular issue thanks to a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ballerina-of-color-nude-pointe-shoes_us_57d05ee3e4b06a74c9f22efa?section=&amp" target="_blank">Huffington Post article</a> by Katherine Brooks. Ms. Brooks is a serious contender for the Lack of Self-Awareness Awards. Note how the article becomes incomprehensible halfway through thanks to the profligate use of the term "flesh tone." What does this mean? Is it the pale peach one finds in a box of crayons? I literally could not follow the sense of the article once the term "flesh tone" is bandied about with reference to a diverse cast of characters.<br />
<br />
Why are people still talking about "flesh tone"? I learned back in 1975 that this was uncool:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1M93IgJc8k4" width="560"></iframe>Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-84506502051678924652016-09-29T08:42:00.003-04:002016-09-29T08:42:43.080-04:00Marilyn Goes to Poland!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JU7Q0fnyH9w/TwIXiUry83I/AAAAAAAAAQg/DKcsj4uRh_8/s400/3729902319_ed691700d3_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JU7Q0fnyH9w/TwIXiUry83I/AAAAAAAAAQg/DKcsj4uRh_8/s400/3729902319_ed691700d3_o.jpg" width="386" /></a></div>
Marek P. has translated the <a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2012/01/mnemonics-for-pronouncing-chinese.html" target="_blank">Marilyn Method</a> for memorizing the pronunciation of Chinese characters into Polish for his site <a href="http://zyskiwanieprzewagi.com/mnemotechnika-w-praktyce-cz-2-chinski-alfabet/" target="_blank">Zyskiwanie Przewagi</a>.Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-31342711445180261042016-09-04T18:30:00.000-04:002016-09-04T18:30:15.352-04:00More Arabic Mnemonics<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is a companion to my earlier post on <a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2015/01/mnemonics-for-arabic-vocabulary.html">mnemonics for Arabic roots</a>. An interesting feature of Arabic is that most words can be decomposed into a root and a pattern. The root consists strictly of consonants (usually three), while the pattern consists of vowels plus possible additional consonants.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In English we can see something of how this works by considering the words <i>sing</i>, <i>sang</i>, <i>sung</i>, <i>song</i>, <i>singer</i>. We could think of these composed of an underlying root <b>s-ng</b> overlaid on various patterns 1<b>i2</b>, 1<b>a2</b>, 1<b>u2</b>, 1<b>o2</b>, 1<b>i2er</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We could combine some of these patterns with a different root <b>dr-k</b> to yield new words: <i>drink</i>, <i>drank</i>, <i>drunk</i>, <i>drinker</i> (but no <i>dronk</i>, unfortunately).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">To repeat my earlier example, in Arabic, there is a root ك ت ب (</span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"><i>k</i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">-</span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"><i>t</i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">-</span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"><i>b</i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">) which has to do generally with writing. Some of the words formed from this root by fitting it into different patterns would be:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">كَتَبَ (</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">kataba</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"> = </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"><b>k-t-b</b></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"> × </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"><i>1a2a3a</i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">) "he wrote"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">كِتَاب (</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">kitaab</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"> = </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"><i>k-t-b</i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"> × </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"><i>1i2aa3</i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">) "book"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">مَكْتَبَة (</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">maktaba</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"> = </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"><i>k-t-b</i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"> × </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"><i>ma12a3a</i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">) "library"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">Most (not all) Arabic roots consist of exactly three consonants. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">The earlier post described a fairly complicated method for encoding these three consonants in an English word of phrase. This is not so simple because Arabic distinguishes many consonant sounds which English doesn't.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.8px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">To be honest, the previous method is a sledgehammer, really important only for the most stubborn cases. Many roots (like the forementioned </span><b style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">k-t-b</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">) can stick in the mind with modest effor</span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">t</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.8px;">—</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">especially if you remember just one of the derived words (such as "book").</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.8px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">In putting this method into practice, I realized that the puzzle needed another piece</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.8px;">—</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">an idea I borrowed from Heisig's method for Chinese characters. This extra piece is an English name for the root, analogous to Heisig's keywords. In the case of Arabic, I don't call this name a "keyword" but rather a "syndrome." For example, the syndrome for the forementioned </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20.8px;"><i>k-t-b</i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;"> root is "write."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">One-by-one I peruse my Arabic dictionary (which groups together words sharing the same root), and do my best to choose an English syndrome which comes closest to capturing the spectrum of meanings associated with the root. I don't do this for every Arabic word I encounter, but only for those that I find particularly hard to remember.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">For example, one pair of words that gave me trouble was:</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">طابِق (<i>Taabiq</i>), plural طَوابِق (<i>Tawaabiq</i>): a floor or story of a building, versus:</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">طَبَق (</span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20.8px;">Tabaq</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">), plural أطباق (</span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20.8px;">'aTbaaq</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">): a dish or course of a meal.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">Both share the root طبق (<b><i>T-b-q</i></b>), but I could see scant connection in the meanings. But perusing the various words associated with this root, it seems most are related to the idea of <i>one thing on top of another</i>. The floors of a building are arranged this way, as is the lid for a dish. The idea of a "dish" of a meal seems to be derived from the latter. I therefore chose the word "superpose" as the syndrome for the <b><i>T-b-q</i></b> root.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">Here's a list of some of the syndromes I have selected thus far, along with a sample word for each.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.8px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">dissociate<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="background: white;">هجر</span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;"><span dir="LTR"></span> (<b><i>h-j-r</i></b>)</span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 211.5pt;" valign="top" width="282"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="background: white;">هاجَرَ</span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;"><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>haajara</i> (migrated)</span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">disjoin<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="background: white;">فصل</span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;"><span dir="LTR"></span> (<b><i>f-S-l</i></b>)</span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="background: white;">فَصْل</span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;"><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>faSl</i> (to dismiss, fire)</span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">highborn<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 119.7pt;" valign="top" width="160"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="background: white;">شرف</span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;"><span dir="LTR"></span> (<b><i>sh-r-f</i></b>)</span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 211.5pt;" valign="top" width="282"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="background: white;">يُشْرِف</span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;"><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>yushrif</i> (supervises)</span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">hone<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 119.7pt;" valign="top" width="160"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="background: white;">حدد</span></span><span dir="LTR" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-color: white;"><span dir="LTR" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> (<b><i>H-d-d</i></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">)</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-EG" style="font-size: 12pt;">حّدِيِد</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-EG;"><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>Hadiid</i> (iron)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;">fan out</span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 119.7pt;" valign="top" width="160"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">نشر</span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> (<b><i>n-sh-r</i></b>)</span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 211.5pt;" valign="top" width="282"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="background: white;">نَشَرَ</span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;"><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>nashara</i> (published)</span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">confer<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">خول</span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> (<b><i>kh-w-l</i></b>)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="background: white;">أَخْوال</span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;"><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>'akhwaal</i> (maternal uncles)</span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">This leaves the issue of the pattern. How do I remember that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">طابِق (<i>Taabiq</i>) is a building story and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">طَبَق (<i>Tabaq</i>) is a dish rather than vice-versa? (This particular pair was a real issue for me.) These words have the same roots but different patterns. The Arabic grammarians had the clever idea of using the root فعل (<i><b>f-`-l</b></i>) "do" as a "neutral" root. They then described a given pattern by applying it to this "neutral" root. For</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">طابِق (<i>Taabiq</i>), the pattern of vowels is (<b><i>_aa_i_</i></b>). For </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">طَبَق (<i>Tabaq</i>), the pattern of vowels is (<b><i>_a_a_</i></b>). The Arabic terms for these patterns would be فّاعِل (<i>faa`il</i>) and فَعَل (<i>fa`al</i>), respectively.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">For the most part I handle this with a very simple device (also highly adaptable to many other situations). For a given pattern, I choose just one example of the pattern to use as a mnemonic hook for the pattern itself. For example consider the two patterns just mentioned: <b><i>_aa_i_</i></b> and <b><i>_a_a_</i></b>. The former also appears in the word هاتِف <i>haatif</i> "telephone" and the latter in the word بَصَل <b><i>baSal</i></b> "onions". I use these words to represent their associated patterns. Thus the word </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">طابِق (<i>Taabiq</i>) is broken down into <i>superpose</i> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">× <i>telephone</i> (root </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">× pattern) while</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">طَبَق (<i>Tabaq</i>) is broken down into <i>superpose</i> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">× <i>onions</i>. And my trouble in keeping this straight is resolved by creating whatever mental images serve to associate <i>telephone</i> with <i>story of a building</i> and <i>onions</i> with <i>dish</i>. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">In choosing a keyword to represent a given pattern, I try to choose something concrete, visualizable, and as distinct as possible from other keywords.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">Here's a list of patterns and their associated keywords. Both this and the previous list are works in progress. I add words as I find I need them.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">عَباءة</span> <i>`abaa'ah</i> wool cloak</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">فَعَالَة</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">_a_aa_ah</span></i></b><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">مُدُن</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>mudun</i> </span>towns<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">فُعُل</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">_u_u_</span></i></b><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">صَحْن</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>SaHn</i> </span>plate<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">فَعْل</span><span lang="AR-SA"> </span></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">_a__</span></i></b><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">فُلُوس</span><span lang="AR-SA"> <i>fuluus</i> </span>money<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">فُعُول</span><span lang="AR-SA"> </span></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">_u_uu_</span></i></b><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">بِدَل</span><span lang="AR-SA"> <i>bidal</i> </span>suits<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">فِعَل</span><span lang="AR-SA"> </span><b><i>_i_a_</i></b><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">أَرْجُل</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>'arjul</i> </span>legs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">أَفْعُل</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><b><i>’a__u_</i></b><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">مَسْرَح</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>masraH</i> </span>theater</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">مَفْعَل</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><b><i>ma__a_</i></b><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">بَصَل</span><span lang="AR-SA"> <i>baSal</i> </span>onion<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">فَعَل</span><span lang="AR-SA"> </span><b><i>_a_a_</i></b><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">قُفَّاز</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>quffaaz</i> </span>gloves<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">فُعَّال</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">_u_2aa_ </i>(<b><i>2</i></b> indicates double vowel)<span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">رِسالة</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>risaalah</i> </span>letter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">فِعَالَة</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><b><i>_i_aa_ah</i></b><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">سِجْن</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>sijn</i> </span>jail<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">فِعْل</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><b><i>_i__</i></b><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">خَلِيج</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>khaliij</i> </span>gulf<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">فَعِيل</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><b><i>_a_ii_</i></b><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.55pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">أَنْهَار</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>'anhaar</i> </span>rivers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.3pt;" valign="top" width="258"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">أَفْعَال</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">’a__aa_</span></i></b><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.55pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">سَتائِر</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>sataa'ir</i> </span>curtains<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.3pt;" valign="top" width="258"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">فَعَائِل</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><b><i>_a_aa’i_</i></b><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.55pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">رِياح</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>riyaaH</i> </span>winds<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.3pt;" valign="top" width="258"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">فِعَال</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><b><i>_i_aa_</i></b><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.55pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">قُفْل</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>qufl</i> </span>lock<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.3pt;" valign="top" width="258"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">فُعْل</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><b><i>_u__</i></b><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.55pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">مَنْزِل</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>manzil</i> </span>house<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.3pt;" valign="top" width="258"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">مَفْعِل</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><b><i>ma__i_</i></b><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.55pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">فَواكِه</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>fawaakih</i> </span>fruits<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.3pt;" valign="top" width="258"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">فَواعِل</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><b><i>_awaa_i_</i></b><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.55pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">عَرُوس</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>`aruus</i> </span>bride<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.3pt;" valign="top" width="258"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">فَعُول</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><b><i>_a_uu_</i></b><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.55pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">هاتِف</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>haatif</i> </span>telephone<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 193.3pt;" valign="top" width="258"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">فَاعِل</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">_aa_i_</span></i></b><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A couple more examples: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">طَوابِق (</span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 20.8px;">Tawaabiq</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">), plural of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">طابِق (</span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; line-height: 20.8px;">Taabiq</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">), breaks down into <i>superpose</i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">× <i>fruits</i> (<b><i>T-b-q</i></b> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">× </span><b><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">_awaa_i_</span></i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">), whereas </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">أطباق (<i>'aTbaaq</i>), plural of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">طَبَق (<i>Tabaq</i>), breaks down into <i>superpose</i> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">×</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;"> <i>rivers</i> (<b><i>T-b-q</i></b> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">×</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;"> <b><i>'a__a_</i></b>).</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">The <b>Arabic verb forms</b> get special treatment. Each verb form is a coordinated set of patterns describing the various verb forms. These are numbered from one I through ten X. Thus for a Form-IV verb, you know not only that the past-tense pattern is <b><i>i__aa_a</i></b>, but the present-tense pattern is <b><i>yu__i_</i></b>. More information is available in an Arabic grammar book or various places <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Arabic_verbs" target="_blank">on the Internet</a>.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">For the verb forms, rather than the example method I use for other patterns, I chose a code word for each form from II through X:</span></span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
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<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 118.15pt;" valign="top" width="158"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Form II<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 118.15pt;" valign="top" width="158"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ninja<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 118.15pt;" valign="top" width="158"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Form III<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 118.15pt;" valign="top" width="158"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">maiko, or
mikado<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 118.15pt;" valign="top" width="158"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Form IV<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 118.15pt;" valign="top" width="158"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ramen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 118.15pt;" valign="top" width="158"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Form V<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 118.15pt;" valign="top" width="158"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">anime<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 118.15pt;" valign="top" width="158"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Form VI<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 118.15pt;" valign="top" width="158"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">shinkansen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 118.15pt;" valign="top" width="158"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Form VII<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 118.15pt;" valign="top" width="158"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Godzilla<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 118.15pt;" valign="top" width="158"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Form VIII<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 118.15pt;" valign="top" width="158"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">futon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 118.15pt;" valign="top" width="158"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Form IX<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 118.15pt;" valign="top" width="158"><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">pagoda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Form X<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">sushi<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />I was guided by the Major system in choosing the code words, but that is not really important. Almost any set of visualizable code words works just as well once committed to memory. I also chose words with Japanese connotations. You might wonder why. Why not choose words with Arabic connotations—</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">sultan</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> rather than </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">sushi</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, for example? The reason is that </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">sultan</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> may well turn out to be a specific vocabulary item to be memorized. Using the same word as a code word creates a minor possibility for confusion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You notice also that I have two different code words for Form III. This is to distinguish the two versions of Form III that have different patterns for the "verbal noun". <b>Maiko</b> is used for those verbs with a verbal noun of pattern <span style="line-height: 115%;">مُفَاعَلة</span> (<b><i>mu_aa_a_ah</i></b>). <b>Mikado</b> is used for those verbs with a verbal noun of pattern <span style="line-height: 115%;">فَعَالٌ</span> (<b><i>_a_aa_</i></b>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Form I presents a more complicated situation. Any of the three Arabic vowels a, i, u may appear in the past-tense form, and any of the three may also appear in the present-tense form (although not all combinations appear). The Form I code words are chosen to describe these vowels as well:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>tatoo</b>: past <b><i>a</i></b>, non-past <b><i>u</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>taxi</b>: past <b><i>a</i></b>, non-past <b><i>i</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>tatami</b>: past <b><i>a</i></b>, non-past <b><i>a</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>titan</b>: past <b><i>i</i></b>, non-past <b><i>a</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>tutu</b>: past <b><i>u</i></b>, non-past <b><i>u</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20.8px;">(BTW in researching this post I learned that there are actually <i>fifteen</i> verb forms, but forms XI to XV are extremely rare. The system is easy to extend in any case.)</span><br />
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Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-29260651487719909752016-07-25T15:42:00.000-04:002016-07-25T15:42:01.285-04:00"We’re no longer a country that believes in human agency, and as a formerly poor person, I find it incredibly insulting."From a fascinating interview with J. D. Vance at the <a href="http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/trump-us-politics-poor-whites/" target="_blank">American Conservative</a>. (Jump to no conclusions based on the word "conservative.") Vance is one of too few who notice the dark side of the "Don't blame the victim" principle.<br />
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Imagine someone you know is a victim of violence, harassment, or other injustice. Being a nice person, you want to help. So you address the person as follows:<br />
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1. What is happening to you is unfair.<br />
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2. It is not your fault.<br />
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3. We should not blame the victim.<br />
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4. I must therefore assume you have no power and no responsibility in this situation.<br />
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5. So be passive.<br />
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6. Let those of us who have agency fix this for you.<br />
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Clearly something has gone wrong from Step 1 to Step 6. Sympathy has morphed into contempt.<br />
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Vance also has a <a href="http://amzn.to/2ag5nZd" target="_blank">highly-rated memoir</a> out (which I have yet to read).Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119556443379822876.post-73358887194383717382016-07-20T14:10:00.000-04:002016-07-20T14:10:44.952-04:00The Irony/Sincerity Gap Strikes AgainAs previously noted <a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2011/07/starved-for-irony.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://countryoftheblind.blogspot.com/2013/12/warped-reflections-in-icy-mirror.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Compare the American and Japanese trailers for Disney's upcoming <i>Moana:</i><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M5dnZKrUpdA" width="560"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ljik3zsGNF4" width="560"></iframe>
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Note how the American trailer emphasizes humor while the Japanese trailer plays up sentiment.Serge Gorodishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11613119860758025964noreply@blogger.com0