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tarigwaemirAd Mundo Exteriore,
Did you know that the word "geek" came from "geck", an Low German word for "A fool, simpleton; one who is befooled or derided, a dupe"? Scandinavian counterparts include the Danish gjæk, the Swedish gäck, the Norwegian gjekk and the Icelandic gikkr.
It's mildly disconcerting to realize that slang words have such old roots. But then again, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Language after all is pretty conservative--it's hard to invent new words that end up being used widely. Actually I'd think that it's hard to invent new words that aren't really just derivations of old words. I think I really do want to take that Social Analysis Core course on linguistics next year. (Definitely avoiding economics like the plague.)
I wrote a long entry earlier about helping to organize the tournament this weekend, but LJ lost it. -_- So now instead I am going to babble mindlessly until I get up the will to go shower and then finish reading chemistry.
I feel that I'm forgetting to do something very important. I'm not sure what. Probably something to do with applying for financial aid. Or actually, my plan of study. And my application for a Korean citation. Right.
Eventuellement, I'll sit down and figure out everything that needs to be figured out. But right now, I keep pushing everything off to "after Shoryuhai". I can't believe the tournament is in a few days. I don't feel at all ready. And oh, we're going to play at least six matches--luckily I don't think we have any chance of making it into quarterfinals. Still, six matches. O_O Two minutes each, but then the sensei told us that shiai may be short but it'll seem longer than any practice we've had so far.
My third expos draft is due next Monday, and I really want to write a good essay this time. Last time, I ended up messily sticking two essays together, and I felt terribly irritated because I rather liked the thesis. It would have been a great essay if I had an extra week to work on it, without a chemistry problem set. I'd like to redeem myself with this next essay--plus it's on Poe--but I have no idea what I'm going to do about a thesis. Absolutely none. Something about Poe and the fear of death and the dangers of excessively mystical Platonism (or is it excessively Platonic mysticism?)--that reminds me of Chesterton's startling rant on how Plato's ideas had a fundamental error that led later Platonists down perilously heretical paths (Arianism, Manichaean evil, and a lot of other heresies I don't remember). I was disturbed because I rather like Plato, and I also admire Augustine, whom Chesterton considered the source of Platonic influences in church dogma. (I know Augustine seems like a furiously repressed and close-minded monk; many people despise him, but if you read his Confessions, you do realize that he's scarily and amazingly intelligent.) And you know, Chesterton is right--despite my personal preference for a superreality of metaphysical ideas and forms, it's unhealthy and kind of bad theology to completely ignore the "baser" material world like that. And before I get distracted and talk exclusively about Chesterton, I'll, uh, stop writing. Right.
Besides, I'm pretty sure I already wrote something along these lines in this LJ, while I was reading his hagiography of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Poe, by the way, takes an utterly irreligious stance on it, but he still wants to believe in some sort of personal essence or soul--he calls it "identity"--that exists beyond death. He wants the assurance that we are not just biodegradable matter, that our dreams and nightmares and visions and fears are not some emergent side effect of excessive neural complexity that fade away. I suppose, in the language of Saint-Exupéry, he wants to know that tout n'est pas ephemère--but...I guess, his reason tells him otherwise? His morbidness tells him otherwise? His constant state of depression tells him otherwise? Qui sait? And why am I typing in French? And why am I still updating my LJ? Ugh. ::hits self::
...Tari
Post-script: You know, one day, I really should get around to reorganizing my writing site. I've been meaning to do it for the last two months.
Did you know that the word "geek" came from "geck", an Low German word for "A fool, simpleton; one who is befooled or derided, a dupe"? Scandinavian counterparts include the Danish gjæk, the Swedish gäck, the Norwegian gjekk and the Icelandic gikkr.
It's mildly disconcerting to realize that slang words have such old roots. But then again, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Language after all is pretty conservative--it's hard to invent new words that end up being used widely. Actually I'd think that it's hard to invent new words that aren't really just derivations of old words. I think I really do want to take that Social Analysis Core course on linguistics next year. (Definitely avoiding economics like the plague.)
I wrote a long entry earlier about helping to organize the tournament this weekend, but LJ lost it. -_- So now instead I am going to babble mindlessly until I get up the will to go shower and then finish reading chemistry.
I feel that I'm forgetting to do something very important. I'm not sure what. Probably something to do with applying for financial aid. Or actually, my plan of study. And my application for a Korean citation. Right.
Eventuellement, I'll sit down and figure out everything that needs to be figured out. But right now, I keep pushing everything off to "after Shoryuhai". I can't believe the tournament is in a few days. I don't feel at all ready. And oh, we're going to play at least six matches--luckily I don't think we have any chance of making it into quarterfinals. Still, six matches. O_O Two minutes each, but then the sensei told us that shiai may be short but it'll seem longer than any practice we've had so far.
My third expos draft is due next Monday, and I really want to write a good essay this time. Last time, I ended up messily sticking two essays together, and I felt terribly irritated because I rather liked the thesis. It would have been a great essay if I had an extra week to work on it, without a chemistry problem set. I'd like to redeem myself with this next essay--plus it's on Poe--but I have no idea what I'm going to do about a thesis. Absolutely none. Something about Poe and the fear of death and the dangers of excessively mystical Platonism (or is it excessively Platonic mysticism?)--that reminds me of Chesterton's startling rant on how Plato's ideas had a fundamental error that led later Platonists down perilously heretical paths (Arianism, Manichaean evil, and a lot of other heresies I don't remember). I was disturbed because I rather like Plato, and I also admire Augustine, whom Chesterton considered the source of Platonic influences in church dogma. (I know Augustine seems like a furiously repressed and close-minded monk; many people despise him, but if you read his Confessions, you do realize that he's scarily and amazingly intelligent.) And you know, Chesterton is right--despite my personal preference for a superreality of metaphysical ideas and forms, it's unhealthy and kind of bad theology to completely ignore the "baser" material world like that. And before I get distracted and talk exclusively about Chesterton, I'll, uh, stop writing. Right.
Besides, I'm pretty sure I already wrote something along these lines in this LJ, while I was reading his hagiography of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Poe, by the way, takes an utterly irreligious stance on it, but he still wants to believe in some sort of personal essence or soul--he calls it "identity"--that exists beyond death. He wants the assurance that we are not just biodegradable matter, that our dreams and nightmares and visions and fears are not some emergent side effect of excessive neural complexity that fade away. I suppose, in the language of Saint-Exupéry, he wants to know that tout n'est pas ephemère--but...I guess, his reason tells him otherwise? His morbidness tells him otherwise? His constant state of depression tells him otherwise? Qui sait? And why am I typing in French? And why am I still updating my LJ? Ugh. ::hits self::
...Tari
Post-script: You know, one day, I really should get around to reorganizing my writing site. I've been meaning to do it for the last two months.
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(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-15 12:46 pm (UTC)Early christian history is quite complicated. I think many of the 'church fathers' like Augustinus or Athanasios had the problem that they had to integrate Greek philosophies into Christianism without getting too much into 'paganism'. But it's certainly an interesting subject ^^
(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-15 02:51 pm (UTC)Geek comes from Geck? O_O; Whoa...
And don't you dare change your writing style. It's great! *hugs*
(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-17 08:48 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-17 06:04 pm (UTC)...Tari
(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-17 06:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-17 06:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-18 04:38 pm (UTC)...Tari
(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-19 01:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-04-19 05:27 pm (UTC)...Tari