EU passes law to restore 20% of bloc’s land and sea by end of decade [Click] “Narrow vote sparks fury in Vienna where climate minister is threatened with legal action by coalition partners.” I am pleased by the extent to which I could understand the minister’s statement, quoted in German. After all, I only studied German for two semesters, almost 60 years ago. I have thought for a long time that I could probably get along all right as a tourist in German-speaking Europe, with a little review of my old textbooks on the way. Naturally one thinks of visiting Berlin, but I have long daydreamed about visiting Trier. ——Alan
My German professor, Herr Schneider, was a deserter from the Austro-Hungarian Army, who attended university in Vienna; he was from the Sudetenland, and was active in the Czechoslovakian independence movement. He had some fine stories. His teaching methods were very old fashioned, but effective, and he had an amazing ability to write out multiple exams of EXACTLY the same degree of difficulty without duplicating a single sentence. Having previously studied Spanish, I had the Devil's own time with short and long vowels in German; having since studied Latin I can handle that all right. What are called "irregular" verbs in German are laughably simple compared to Spanish; studying Latin taught me how the simplification of vowel sounds in Spanish led to tremendous complications and irregularities of conjugation. I will vouch for the old proposition that Latin is the best Indo-European language to start with; it is far enough back on the tree of Indo-European languages that it has all the basic features, including ones that have been eliminated or greatly simplified in newer languages. Anyone who has a passable grasp of Latin will find no horrors in any Indo-European language--- even Hittite, I am sure. In several European (particularly Scandinavian) countries the first foreign language taught in school is Interlingua, which makes the transition to conventional languages easier. I don't know if it is so in Hittite, but evidently the original "genders" in Indo-European languages were two, for animate and inanimate objects--- which seems very sensible. I can read written Italian and French reasonably well despite never having studied either, but spoken French is another beast altogether. Spanish has been formally and repeatedly regularized since the 16th Century or thereabouts; one can pronounce any word from the way it is written, and can spell almost all words one hears. It is coincidental, but Japanese has some constructions that are similar to Latin; the best known example is the long sentence the meaning of which becomes clear with only the very last word--the principal verb. Thanks to declension, conjugation, and agreements in gender and number, both Latin and German sentences can go on for more than a complete page. Mark Twain joked about how a German could begin a sentence in America, swim across the Atlantic Ocean underwater, and surface with the verb in his mouth. -----Alan -------Alan
I was lucky that I had high school Latin. Essentially told me that other languages weren't like English. I found college German easy and Russian not unduly difficult. Korean (which I studied while the army had me stationed in that cuntry) was also somethig I could make sense of. I could even see the analogy of formal and informal verb forms to the German sie and du.
Predicted high today 87F; nice! Then a few days in the low nineties, rising into the low hundreds starting Saturday. Can't complain. We did some gardening yesterday; got one big trash can about 2/3 full of weeds and prunings. -----Alan
"Babylon is fallen, is fallen, Babylon is fallen to rise no more." The song Alan linked to yesterday got me thinking about hope, which in turn got me thinking about Vaclav Havel, which in turn got me thinking about his famous quote on hope: "Hope is not a feeling of certainty that everything ends well. Hope is just a feeling that life and work have a meaning.” I think that's the best we can do. -- nordy
A friend of mine was a foster parent. Referring to an adult mutual acquaintance I remarked, "His mama should have sat him in the corner one more time than she did." My friend looked at me meaningfully and rejoined, "Or one less time?"
I happened across mention of the 1914 British Air Raid on Cuxhaven; [Click] I noted with interest that the author of Riddle of the Sands [still a good story] helped to guide the British ships. ——Alan
If I may write on a personal note: 52 years today, I graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz. I remember because it was also the date of the Watergate break-in. The press accounts were so low-key in light of what was to come: "Five men were arrested ..." --nordy
The first three articles (as far as I've gotten as of yet) are all on China, one way and another. The general consensus seems to be we would do well not to underestimate China. It would also help to beef up our diplomatic presence around the world. The article by two Trumpsters, one of them Matt Pottenger, maintains that we have to radically increase defense spending. That article also opines that the way to increase military recruitment is not to lower standards nor to offer inclusive rhetoric nor yet to provide good, competitive pay, but rather to offer kids the opportunity to die for their country. Uh, yeah. That ought'a work. :P
I have recently finished reading Some Desperate Glory, a finalist for this year's Hugo award. The title comes from the poem Dulce et Decorum, which uses the horrors of WWI trench warfare to argue that one should not tell children anxious for some desperate glory that is is sweet and honorable to die for one's country (dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori).
It must be just a matter of time until it gets to us. I believe I read somewhere that the folks who developed the messenger-RNA Covid vaccines have made ones for various bird flu types, and will be able to field one for the human epidemic variant when it becomes manifest. That will be much faster than the old fashioned influenza vaccines brought up in chicken eggs. ----Alan
But no vaccine for kitties, not that it would do our outside kitties any good anyway. We have a Tom as well as a mamma with three kittens. None of them want to come inside, not that we could cope with them all inside.
A very pretty photo.
ReplyDelete---Alan
U.S. Attracts Even More Global Capital [Click]
ReplyDelete—Alan
EU passes law to restore 20% of bloc’s land and sea by end of decade [Click] “Narrow vote sparks fury in Vienna where climate minister is threatened with legal action by coalition partners.” I am pleased by the extent to which I could understand the minister’s statement, quoted in German. After all, I only studied German for two semesters, almost 60 years ago. I have thought for a long time that I could probably get along all right as a tourist in German-speaking Europe, with a little review of my old textbooks on the way. Naturally one thinks of visiting Berlin, but I have long daydreamed about visiting Trier.
ReplyDelete——Alan
German is a tough language; I struggled with it for years. When I was in Germany I was able to get by, but that's all. --nordy
ReplyDeleteI took both German and French in high school. I found German far easier than French. At least you pronounce it the way it looks! LOL
DeleteMy German professor, Herr Schneider, was a deserter from the Austro-Hungarian Army, who attended university in Vienna; he was from the Sudetenland, and was active in the Czechoslovakian independence movement. He had some fine stories. His teaching methods were very old fashioned, but effective, and he had an amazing ability to write out multiple exams of EXACTLY the same degree of difficulty without duplicating a single sentence. Having previously studied Spanish, I had the Devil's own time with short and long vowels in German; having since studied Latin I can handle that all right. What are called "irregular" verbs in German are laughably simple compared to Spanish; studying Latin taught me how the simplification of vowel sounds in Spanish led to tremendous complications and irregularities of conjugation. I will vouch for the old proposition that Latin is the best Indo-European language to start with; it is far enough back on the tree of Indo-European languages that it has all the basic features, including ones that have been eliminated or greatly simplified in newer languages. Anyone who has a passable grasp of Latin will find no horrors in any Indo-European language--- even Hittite, I am sure. In several European (particularly Scandinavian) countries the first foreign language taught in school is Interlingua, which makes the transition to conventional languages easier. I don't know if it is so in Hittite, but evidently the original "genders" in Indo-European languages were two, for animate and inanimate objects--- which seems very sensible. I can read written Italian and French reasonably well despite never having studied either, but spoken French is another beast altogether. Spanish has been formally and repeatedly regularized since the 16th Century or thereabouts; one can pronounce any word from the way it is written, and can spell almost all words one hears. It is coincidental, but Japanese has some constructions that are similar to Latin; the best known example is the long sentence the meaning of which becomes clear with only the very last word--the principal verb. Thanks to declension, conjugation, and agreements in gender and number, both Latin and German sentences can go on for more than a complete page. Mark Twain joked about how a German could begin a sentence in America, swim across the Atlantic Ocean underwater, and surface with the verb in his mouth.
Delete-----Alan
-------Alan
I was lucky that I had high school Latin. Essentially told me that other languages weren't like English. I found college German easy and Russian not unduly difficult. Korean (which I studied while the army had me stationed in that cuntry) was also somethig I could make sense of. I could even see the analogy of formal and informal verb forms to the German sie and du.
DeletePredicted high today 87F; nice! Then a few days in the low nineties, rising into the low hundreds starting Saturday. Can't complain. We did some gardening yesterday; got one big trash can about 2/3 full of weeds and prunings.
ReplyDelete-----Alan
The day before yesterday I sprayed the nutgrass, and already yesterday it was looking less than completely well.
Delete----Alan
"Babylon is fallen, is fallen, Babylon is fallen to rise no more."
ReplyDeleteThe song Alan linked to yesterday got me thinking about hope, which in turn got me thinking about Vaclav Havel, which in turn got me thinking about his famous quote on hope:
"Hope is not a feeling of certainty that everything ends well. Hope is just a feeling that life and work have a meaning.”
I think that's the best we can do. -- nordy
Yes, a good quote from Mr. Havel.
DeleteHere are the complete lyrics of “Babylon is Fallen” [Click] thanks to Sacred Harp Bremen
—Alan
I rather like the bit about Christ ruling with a rod of iron, despite it being out of fashion these days.
Delete----Alan
I can think of a certain felon who might need a rod of iron. --nordy
DeleteNeed the application of said rod of iron?
Delete----Alan
Right, Alan --nordy
DeleteI'd like to apply one liberally to Marjorie Taylor Green's posterior!
DeleteA friend of mine was a foster parent. Referring to an adult mutual acquaintance I remarked, "His mama should have sat him in the corner one more time than she did." My friend looked at me meaningfully and rejoined, "Or one less time?"
DeleteYeah.
Ben Meiselas video: Trump fake Black Church event exposed in time to derail right-wing coverage [Click]
ReplyDelete—Alan
I happened across mention of the 1914 British Air Raid on Cuxhaven; [Click] I noted with interest that the author of Riddle of the Sands [still a good story] helped to guide the British ships.
ReplyDelete——Alan
The Riddle of the Sands is indeed a good story!
DeleteIf I may write on a personal note: 52 years today, I graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz. I remember because it was also the date of the Watergate break-in. The press accounts were so low-key in light of what was to come: "Five men were arrested ..." --nordy
ReplyDeleteIt was indeed a momentous day.
DeleteCongrats on 52 years, nordy!
DeleteAh, the good old days when Republicans didn't let each other get away with any ol' thing.
Currently reading the May/June issue of Foreign Affairs.
ReplyDeleteAnything interesting? --nordy
DeleteThe first three articles (as far as I've gotten as of yet) are all on China, one way and another. The general consensus seems to be we would do well not to underestimate China. It would also help to beef up our diplomatic presence around the world. The article by two Trumpsters, one of them Matt Pottenger, maintains that we have to radically increase defense spending. That article also opines that the way to increase military recruitment is not to lower standards nor to offer inclusive rhetoric nor yet to provide good, competitive pay, but rather to offer kids the opportunity to die for their country. Uh, yeah. That ought'a work. :P
Delete😜 indeed!
DeleteI have recently finished reading Some Desperate Glory, a finalist for this year's Hugo award. The title comes from the poem Dulce et Decorum, which uses the horrors of WWI trench warfare to argue that one should not tell children anxious for some desperate glory that is is sweet and honorable to die for one's country (dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori).
DeleteIndeed it is not...certainly not trench warfare.
DeleteThe NYT is reporting that bird flu is sickening and killing cats in large numbers. In one S. Korean shelter, 38 of 40 infected cats died. -- nordy
ReplyDeleteIt must be just a matter of time until it gets to us. I believe I read somewhere that the folks who developed the messenger-RNA Covid vaccines have made ones for various bird flu types, and will be able to field one for the human epidemic variant when it becomes manifest. That will be much faster than the old fashioned influenza vaccines brought up in chicken eggs.
Delete----Alan
But no vaccine for kitties, not that it would do our outside kitties any good anyway. We have a Tom as well as a mamma with three kittens. None of them want to come inside, not that we could cope with them all inside.
DeleteSorry, I'm rambling again.
This session, VT Gov Phil Scott (R) vetoed more legislation than any governor before him. So, today the VT Legislature met for a veto session, and managed to override 6 of 7 vetoes!
ReplyDeleteWell done!
DeleteIt helps that we have a supermajority!
DeleteSteve Bannon won’t be spending his prison term in a ‘Club Fed’ as he had hoped
ReplyDelete