Time Heals All Wounds.. And Then Kills the Patient

Linguistic special verbs for state of the universe

2008-05-09T05:13:32Z

Date: Fri May 9 01:13:32 2008

I've been having problems with getting my Spanish and German versions of the same construct right (or at least, similar constructs, but maybe they only seem similar because I don't grasp them correctly). In English, we describe the state of the world using phrases like "It is XXXX", where "it" is understood, absent some topic of conversation that might compete for its attention ("it" is very jealous!), to be the beginning of what I think of as a "special construct" in English. "It is cold", "It's not safe to talk to them when they're arguing", etc. In some cases, Spanish uses phrases with the verb hacer for this idiom, e.g. "hace frio" for "it is cold". In some cases, German uses "es gibt" (it gives) for this idiom, e.g. "Es gibt Berge". In both languages, I *think* there are circumstances where one would conjugate ser/sein instead of using the idiom. If someone fluent in either/both languages would clarify for me when each usage is appropriate, I would be appreciative. Given that I occasionally communicate with people in German and Spanish, getting it right would be helpful :)

Also, to people who have studied linguistics, is there a name for that "it is" idiomatic construct?

This reminds me of that old LISP joke: "State-of-the-universe-p?" "Yes, the universe has a state"...

Deeper Desire for the Pen

2008-05-10T19:29:41Z

Date: Sat May 10 15:29:41 2008

As I mentioned on a poll on the LJ side of my blog (maybe I should add poll support to pound?), I don't mind editing out parts of songs that I don't like, from surrounding bits to entire interludes. (view full entry for contents)

Yesterday's rain was glorious.

Warm Breeze

2008-05-12T20:42:02Z

Date: Mon May 12 16:42:02 2008

An offer letter is on its way. If the salary/benefit details are appropriate, I'll have a job in SB soon. I'm a bit surprised that they didn't want me to do an in-person first (as they said they wanted when I first started talking with them). I suddenly have a lot to arrange. They want me there in 2 or 3 weeks, which will be a bit of an adventure to arrange (especially apartment-wise).

Moving details that's uninteresting unless you can give me advice on doing it better: (view full entry for contents)

My cats sometimes try to guess my passwords when I am away. I am thus convinced that cats would make very good information security employees - their passwords, at the very least, are fantastic.

Translation Layers and Feminism

2008-05-14T09:25:26Z

Date: Wed May 14 05:25:26 2008

A long time ago, as an undergrad, I took a variety of courses that exposed me to ideas that I've rejected-as-presented, some more-or-less entirely, some having acquired nuance enough that they no longer closely resemble what was taught. Highlight today: A set of ideas that I had the most careful exposure to in Philosophy of Art and one of the Women's Studies classes I took (both of which I quite enjoyed) but also heard a fair bit about during discussions with various groups on campus. The set of ideas: Feminist Science (and related topics). (view full entry for contents)

While gathering my thoughts on this topic, I stumbled across someone else having bumped into those talking about feminist math. This reminded me of the importance of "translation layers" between different philosophies.(view full entry for contents)

Note that this idea of translations has a troublesome relationship with an idea stressed by many branches of feminism that I like - not letting others solely controlling the framing/language of the discussion. (view full entry for contents)

My apologies for any spelling mistakes/poor grammar/poor style - this happened to pop into my head while I was going to bed.

Hobbits!

2008-05-14T19:11:40Z

Date: Wed May 14 15:11:40 2008

Panicky search for a cat-friendly apartment in Santa Barbara turned up some amusing things, like an "apartment" that's very clearly a garage with a rug on the floor (sheesh!) and ... a "Hobbit House". I am very sad that the hobbit house is $5000/month and not in the right area to bike to work, but .. text and pictures saved for posterity/amusement:

(view full entry for contents)

Hooray for eccentric house design. If only we could warp time and space to get this fountain nearby...

Dictionaryless Compression

2008-05-15T03:35:31Z

Date: Wed May 14 23:35:31 2008

Morse code spells out every letter in a communication. (view full entry for contents)

Second attempt at eating Med. Grill failed - again arrived when it was closing. It worked out ok though - ate at Aladdin's instead with some new company after forcing myself not to be shy. I still must have some sleek soon.

Much moreso than Columbus, I think I will miss Pittsburgh - apart from the cold, it's a wonderful town (even if takes some time and boldness to see the good parts), and if I ever find myself back here to start a family, I would not be disappointed. Boston and various parts of Europe are other possibilities. I doubt I'm settling down for good in Santa Barbara, but we'll see - if I decide to go to grad school or manage to establish a "life partner" relationship with someone are the most likely things that will next change my course in life. I think Squirrel Hill will hold a special place in my heart either way.

Starting to wrap up things here: saying goodbyes to people and places. (view full entry for contents)

Moving preparations: (view full entry for contents)

I need someone willing to assume my lease in Pittsburgh. $500/month (does not include utilities), 1 bedroom, 1 living room, 1 kitchen, one bathroom, lower floor of a house with only a shared entryway, laundry in the basement with lots of storage down there, parking in back. Outside lighting is good, the windows are fairly large. It's right by the intersection of Bartlett and Murdoch, a reasonably short walk to campus or to the 61 buslines and a very quick walk to Schenley Park. Anyone interested? Beginning date is fairly flexible.

Another quizlike thing soon....

Universal Ambassadorship

2008-05-16T00:22:38Z

Date: Thu May 15 20:22:38 2008

To be philosophically alone: easy to feel lost, lonely, even if one has a reasonably solid compass of one's own. Idea of community: some parts of community guard a set of posts that define a group, notion of heresy/wrong path allows notion of right path. Sometimes ingroup/outgroup needed - no "fellowship of people who eat food" as part of how we define ourselvess. (view full entry for contents)

In other news: (view full entry for contents)

A bit more on that front, how long should we expect movies, as-is, to keep existing? I suspect that the software to produce hollywood special effects will eventually be in everyone's hands, and that indie films will destroy Hollywood as an institution (perhaps Lars Von Trier's efforts will be seen as "culturally futuristic"-but-retro by then). With the right enabling technologies (Youtube, Apple, possibly Amazon will be the first generation companies in-the-centre of this), creativity and storytelling will presumably be the core of what films are about.

Slight update on the moving thing: (view full entry for contents)

Rings and People

2008-05-16T22:34:14Z

Date: Fri May 16 18:34:14 2008

Amusement: Title reminds me of webrings, a one-time meta-organisational fad on the Web. I think at the time my webpage was part of both the OS/2 and the general operating systems webpage.

Thoughts drawn back to a quote from the opening of the last episode of the Britcom "Spaced" - "They say that the family of the 21st century is made up of friends, not relatives". (view full entry for contents)

I really like how SqHill has both large social circles and a neighbourhood feeling that they fit together into. The ability to walk around to get everywhere one needs is vital to that, I think (I recently had a discussion with someone whether cars or tv are worse for modern society - I went with tv, but the case for cars is not a weak one). The feeling is a bit stronger here than anywhere else I've lived - I'm not sure how easy it is for students-away-from-home to broadly participate in these things in most cities (Columbus had the "art scene", but I never felt part of a neighbourhood - did any such neighbourhoods have what we have here, or is that something not all places have?).. I wonder, if that is in fact missing from a lot of areas of the US, what would it take to bring it about? Presumably suburbs, cars-as-necessity, and tv are part of the problem. I belive people who "need to drive" to go anywhere, regularly watch TV for a few hours every day, and live in the suburbs are less likely to be interesting people or to participate in culture. What can be done?

Legendary Springs

2008-05-17T03:51:29Z

Date: Fri May 16 23:51:29 2008

Most people I know are of the relatively stationary type in arrangements, but a few are the sort that can talk about spending a few months in place X, a few months and Y, staying in Z for a bit, and then going to N. I've had a certain amount of jealousy/admiration for those who can manage that very mobile life, (view full entry for contents)

Today there was Sleek, and it was insanely good. It is, unfortunately, not a food that seems to be particularly well-known by the internet, so I shall describe it. Spinach, black-eyed peas, the light taste (but no texture - maybe ground in?) of onions, cracked wheat, all sauteed, with some lemons to squeeze over it. It apparently hails from Lebanon, and there are, of course, other ways to make it - here is a different one. I hopefully will try Kassab's sleek sometime before I go - while they're not conveniently located for me anymore (no more free bus pass), I should stop by the Beehive again anyhow and I've loved everything else I've eaten at Kassab's.

I sometimes wonder if middle easterners had some people following the same vegetarian traditions that Indians have - Israeli/Arab restaurants seem just as good as Indian ones at having a wide variety of non-meat dishes to order. It is, of course, possible that "variety restaurants" in big cities in the US always have vegetarian dishes because the same demographic that eats a lot of foreign food (drawing mainly from liberal educated city-folk, I would guess) captures almost all vegetarians in the US (apart, of course, from American Hindus, who may or may not be liberal or educated in the same way - incidentally, Pittsburgh's Hindu temple was the first in the United States).

Talking to Shades

2008-05-17T15:41:59Z

Date: Sat May 17 11:41:59 2008

Just a dream: (view full entry for contents)

I have boxes, but still no place to live in SB nor anyone to take my current place. Hopefully one or both of these will resolve soon. In yet another "nooooooo! Why must this happen when I'm leaving?" moment (surprising numbers of these), the Rocky Horror Picture Show now seems to finally have a regular cast and place here. Damnit. It is seriously not fair for Pgh to keep suggesting all these things when it is theoretically too late to stay but not actually so. Job offers at CMU that actually sound kinda good, new friendships(?), revival of rocky, sudden interest in figuring out and going to grad school, people I might've hung out with more had they lived nearer moving really nearby, Grr. I don't know whether to be more mad at the world for providing the situations or myself for being pulled so neatly towards ugly unsure limbos whenever I try to make changes in my life.