LaLa's Laughably Silly Random Banter Thread - RB #158

[DraPrime]

Excuse me?

(So it turns out this image has multiple uses!)

It's just the least fun to speak. I speak English, Polish, some Spanish, am currently learning Latin, and I engage in the occasional Koine Greek. It's the least enjoyable of all those languages. It's simply boring.

[Form]

I got my hair cut today, and there really is a huge difference. I suddenly can feel the air around my head!!!

It almost sounds like you got a superpower from it.

[Fifty-Eyed Fred]

It's the least enjoyable of all those languages. It's simply boring.

English is only boring if one does not harness its sublime powers of grammatical mutability and magnificent vocabulary to create infinitesimal meaning through its changeling tones and eternally variable emotionally- and thought-stirring qualities! If you earnestly think the English language dull, you are not using it to its full effect!

[Serpentine]

I've heard English called a lot of things. Boring is a new one.

[LaZodiac]

So, I watched Thor yesterday. Was really good and I recomend it.

Concerning the english language, I can see why people would call it boring, but I would not personaly call it such.

[DraPrime]

English is only boring if one does not harness its sublime powers of grammatical mutability and magnificent vocabulary to create infinitesimal meaning through its changeling tones and eternally variable emotionally- and thought-stirring qualities! If you earnestly think the English language dull, you are not using it to its full effect!

Or perhaps I have tried other languages, and find them more enjoyable to speak.

[CurlyKitGirl]

Sorry, I didn't quite catch that. What did you say?

No, Zomby's a lovely person to talk too. No lancing!

Fortunately I have DR/Slashing rather than DR/Piercing or DR/Throbbing!

(hue hue)

My mind has barely just gotten out of the gutter after discussing incest (and its positives) for a good few days.
What's the point in trying to better myself and rise above my station if all I see, hear and read is sex?!

Why am I so atrocious at remembering people's birthdays? Beyond that, why am I pathologically incapable of giving a decent gift?

Something for me to project pre-exam stresses on to, I suppose. Not that I'm too stressed; merely healthily agitated.

Haha!
Guess who still doesn't have any exams?
Me!
Although there is that portfolio. Can you believe I have to hand in two hard copies and a CD with my work on? Where am I going to find a single solitary lonesome blank CD?
*is lazy*

Heh, well this isn't the first time on this forum that someone thought me older. I simply don't understand though. Everyone keeps overestimating my age despite all my efforts to be a silly man-child.

That happens to everyone here. Back two, three years ago, the majority of RB was of the consensus I was in my mid-twenties. Something I most definitely was not.
It's one reason I like the internet, people base their conceptions of you on what you discuss rather than looks, age, gender, sex or something else.

Maybe it's because of your continually referencing Chesterton and Aquinas, and carrying on philosophical discourse. Those are not traits commonly associated with youth. Not that there's anything wrong with them, of course; they're a big part of why I like you.

o.O
dragonprime! You intrigue me.
How about a discussion of now-defunct fourteenth- and fifteenth-century moral philosophies?
Okay, that's a joke. I only engage in fourteenth- and fifteenth-century moral/ethical/etc. philosophies through literary texts rather than reading actual writings on said philosophies; you'd trounce me.
Besides, I'm better at that sort of thing from the eight- fourteenth-century, barely. From a ssecular, literary point of view.
Also it'd probably break so many rules.

The above proves that age is nothing when interests are involved.

The main thing that makes the show good is its really strong characterisation. Starting with a musical number really isn't the best way to see that. Also, two minutes is rarely if ever enough time to accurately judge something.

Winter wrap up, winter wrap up...

Let's finish our holiday cheer
Winter wrap up, winter wrap up
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
Damnitall Heliomance! I'd only just gotten that song out of my head.

Oh well, it could've been Art of the Dress instead.

It's just the least fun to speak. I speak English, Polish, some Spanish, am currently learning Latin, and I engage in the occasional Koine Greek. It's the least enjoyable of all those languages. It's simply boring.

Latin and Koine Greek . . .
*envious sigh*
Not fair.
I'd commit a minor crime to learn them. Any books to recommend?
All I'm leanring/learnt/will learn are English, French, Old English, various dialects of Middle English, Old Norse, bits of Anglo-Norman, Middle French and possibly Old French.
Not fair.
I'm not going to comment on the "boring" and "least enjoyable" though. Let it simply be known that I am Koorly.
And I am currently working on a paper called the History of the English Language c. 600 - c. 1750AD.
Yeah.
English is most definitely not boring.

English is only boring if one does not harness its sublime powers of grammatical mutability and magnificent vocabulary to create infinitesimal meaning through its changeling tones and eternally variable emotionally- and thought-stirring qualities! If you earnestly think the English language dull, you are not using it to its full effect!

Pretty much this.

Okay, guys, you guys; my tutor is the most awesome woman in the history of awesome.
Ever.
The topic was division and divisiveness in the works of John Gower, and we got into discussing how the Confessio Amantis was divisive linguistically (it has Latin epigraphs, marginalia and commentaries) and we discussed the latin segments as another narrative layer.
This got us on to discussing House of Leaves.
I kid you not.
We spent five to ten minutes discussing the 'post-modernity' of said book and compared it to medieval manuscript traditions and texts.
OH! MY! GOD!
And my tutor even said, it's a fantastic, disturbing book that one shouldn't read in the dark. And zogmagog! You don't expect to be discussing fourteenth-century moral (in the good sense) poetry and then end up discussing that!

[Pentachoron]

So, I watched Thor yesterday. Was really good and I recomend it.

Yes it was.

I'm further into Rigor Amortis, now, I thought my uncle's story was pretty good. The book is a hard read for me because I'm not into erotica, but it is actually pretty well written, which is about all that's getting me through it. Plus, my uncle really wants me to read through it.

[Teddy]

It almost sounds like you got a superpower from it.

Indeed I did. I can now feel the temperature of the surrounding air through my head.

Actually, it's a bit chilly...

[DraPrime]

o.O
Dragonprime! You intrigue me.
How about a discussion of now-defunct fourteenth- and fifteenth-century moral philosophies?
Okay, that's a joke. I only engage in fourteenth- and fifteenth-century moral/ethical/etc. philosophies through literary texts rather than reading actual writings on said philosophies; you'd trounce me.
Besides, I'm better at that sort of thing from the eight- fourteenth-century, barely. From a ssecular, literary point of view.
Also it'd probably break so many rules.

The above proves that age is nothing when interests are involved.

Ah, some day Curly, some day we will engage in discussions about those great philosophers. I don't know about you, but I'm best with Kant, Aquinas, and Aristotle. I do love being a philosophy major...

Latin and Koine Greek . . .
*envious sigh*
Not fair.
I'd commit a minor crime to learn them. Any books to recommend?
All I'm leanring/learnt/will learn are English, French, Old English, various dialects of Middle English, Old Norse, bits of Anglo-Norman, Middle French and possibly Old French.
Not fair.
I'm not going to comment on the "boring" and "least enjoyable" though. Let it simply be known that I am Koorly.
And I am currently working on a paper called the History of the English Language c. 600 - c. 1750AD.
Yeah.
English is most definitely not boring.

Any books to recommend? For learning the languages? Well, Wheelock's Latin is a classic textbook for classical Latin. I've also heard that this is good for those who are self teaching. As for Koine Greek, I recommend Learn to Read New Testament Greek by David Black. Ultimately, it's best to take a class on this, which is what I'll have to do as part of seminary training.

[Thufir]

It's just the least fun to speak. I speak English, Polish, some Spanish, am currently learning Latin, and I engage in the occasional Koine Greek. It's the least enjoyable of all those languages. It's simply boring.

...

English is only boring if one does not harness its sublime powers of grammatical mutability and magnificent vocabulary to create infinitesimal meaning through its changeling tones and eternally variable emotionally- and thought-stirring qualities! If you earnestly think the English language dull, you are not using it to its full effect!

This.
You think your other languages are more interesting than English? Find something in one of those languages comparable to, say, Shakespeare, and then we'll talk.

No, Zomby's a lovely person to talk too. No lancing!

Hey, he said it.

My mind has barely just gotten out of the gutter after discussing incest (and its positives) for a good few days.
What's the point in trying to better myself and rise above my station if all I see, hear and read is sex?!

We're all in the gutter. But some of us are looking at the stars.

Haha!
Guess who still doesn't have any exams?
Me!
Although there is that portfolio. Can you believe I have to hand in two hard copies and a CD with my work on? Where am I going to find a single solitary lonesome blank CD?
*is lazy*

We have some blank CDs here! Hundreds of miles away from where you are!
When do you finish uni? I'm guessing relatively early if you have no exams.

Okay, guys, you guys; my tutor is the most awesome woman in the history of awesome.
Ever.

I disagree.

...And now I feel like I'm in Playground Squares...

[CurlyKitGirl]

Ah, some day Curly, some day we will engage in discussions about those great philosophers. I don't know about you, but I'm best with Kant, Aquinas, and Aristotle. I do love being a philosophy major...

Being an English student I dabble. Being an English student specialising in the era pre-1530 I have picked up a lot of little things from all over the shop although I won't be able to tell you under which school of thought they lie.
I can discuss influences of Pope Gregory I (I think), St. Augustus, Boethian philosophy and its literary impact, Aristotle, Plato, Neo-Aristotelean beliefs and how they contrasted orthodox Augustinian beliefs (as far as the clergy goes) - that last bit I picked up from Cadfael - ummm, lots of religious stuff (from Benedictine Rule to C of E) . . .
Seriously.
I can't tell you where to class all this stuff and more - I have a lot of political/medical/social/ethical musings from places as diverse as Boethius' Consolatione de Philosophia to Chaucer to The Owl and the Nightingale.
I suppose I approach it from the commoner, secular view; and you from the other end.
I love being a medieval English 'major' even if I don't know where I pick up half this stuff from.

And well, you are potentially popping into the UK sometime this July/AUgust aren't you? Miniature Britland-Trogland meetup?
Philosophy is optional.
Re-re-buy another copy of Sophie's World .

Any books to recommend? For learning the languages? Well, Wheelock's Latin is a classic textbook for classical Latin. I've also heard that this is good for those who are self teaching. As for Koine Greek, I recommend Learn to Read New Testament Greek by David Black. Ultimately, it's best to take a class on this, which is what I'll have to do as part of seminary training.

Yes, well, you have the option to attend classes on them! Stupid seminaries and their stupid lessons in the Classical languages.[/grumble]
I could. Next year. If they were offered. In another school. There used to be a Medieval Latin option paper for English, but it was dropped several years ago sadly.
Argh. So many options, so little time. As it is I'm going to be going to an Old Norse reading group tonight if I remember.
The Latin book looks very interesting, and from the sheer number of positive reviews . . . I may just buy it.

[DraPrime]

This.
You think your other languages are more interesting than English? Find something in one of those languages comparable to, say, Shakespeare, and then we'll talk.

Learn Latin, read the Aeneid, and then we'll talk. Also, Shakespeare is indeed impressive, but one man does not a language make. Just because one person is masterful with how he uses a certain language, doesn't change what its overall use is like.

Also, the way English is written just pains me. Take Polish, which I actually spoke first (although I learned English when I was about two years old, so it's hardly a new language for me). Everything is written exactly as it's pronounced, and it works beautifully. I love it. It makes the language coherently transfer from speech to paper. Ask English to work the same way and it falls over and vomits all over itself. I mean look at words like plough, dough, and cough. They only vary with the beginning, yet the "ough" is different each times. It's utter madness.

[CurlyKitGirl]

Learn Latin, read the Aeneid, and then we'll talk. Also, Shakespeare is indeed impressive, but one man does not a language make. Just because one person is masterful with how he uses a certain language, doesn't change what its overall use is like.

Also, the way English is written just pains me. Take Polish, which I actually spoke first (although I learned English when I was about two years old, so it's hardly a new language for me). Everything is written exactly as it's pronounced, and it works beautifully. I love it. It makes the language coherently transfer from speech to paper. Ask English to work the same way and it falls over and vomits all over itself. I mean look at words like plough, dough, and cough. They only vary with the beginning, yet the "ough" is different each times. It's utter madness.

Oddly enough, that's one reason I love English so much.
The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.-James Nicoll
English, aside from being a whorish language, is also a ferocious kleptomaniac. Once we steal a word we never ever let it go.
And so we have (in ascending order of - I forget the word, but it's 'poshness' for want of a better word. There's an actual linguistic term for it! Why do I always forget?) ask (the lowly, common Anglo-Saxon), question (the courtly, refined French) and interrogate (the imperious, educative Latin).
The English language makes no sense because we're thieves essentially. And yes, orthography almost never relates to phonemes. Drives you barmy really.

EDIT:
Also: just bought that Latin book you recommended. Am now divvying over whether to buy the Cambridge Latin Grammar as well. It's only a fiver secondhand.

[Pentachoron]

I found Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music again, great page if you haven't seen it before, has a big history lesson behind the different types of Electronic music and their inception and the instruments behind the music. Really cool.

Also, arguing that if someone doesn't like something they must not be using it to its full effect isn't a very fair argument. What does it matter if DP doesn't care as much for English?

[Thufir]

Also, arguing that if someone doesn't like something they must not be using it to its full effect isn't a very fair argument. What does it matter if DP doesn't care as much for English?

Well, it's mostly based on this sentiment.

[CurlyKitGirl]

We're all in the gutter. But some of us are looking at the stars.

Not me.

We have some blank CDs here! Hundreds of miles away from where you are!
When do you finish uni? I'm guessing relatively early if you have no exams.

Not really. I have until the middle of 9^th week to hand it in. (It's just started 3^rd week yesterday) So I finish in five weeks basically. Same as always. Have two weeks to write two essays comprising two to two and a half thousand words.
This word count seems to include footnotes as well. Huh.
And there are Greek letters in my Criteria For Marking section.
As for the CDs, there's got to be some around somewhere. I'm distinctly sure I have one floating around.

I disagree.

...And now I feel like I'm in Playground Squares...

Why? And why?

Well, it's mostly based on this sentiment.

Can someone be wrong based on a subjective opinion?
His opinion is his own, and the only way he can be wrong about it is if he's lying for the sake of trolling/lulz, or if he's labouring under a misconception.

Me, I adore my linguistics, so all languages are equal (except Esperanto), some are just trickier than other to get the hang of.
Me, I hated German with a passion.
Just couldn't get the hang of such a synthetic language at the time. Nowadays, it's a little easier. Fine, a lot easier.
Just a point of preference.

[Thufir]

Not really. I have until the middle of 9^th week to hand it in. (It's just started 3^rd week yesterday) So I finish in five weeks basically.

...There's got to be a mistake in one of those numbers. 9-3=6. Do you perchance have to hand it in in the middle of 8^th week? That would match the term dates I just looked up.

Why? And why?

Well, you know how Playground Squares works right? The Squares answer questions, the contestants either agree or disagree.
And a while back Shadow made a joke of disagreeing with everything. Including things which were not answers to questions, including the questions themselves, despite the fact he wasn't, y'know, playing.

And obviously I disagree because I consider there to be a more awesome woman in the history of awesome.

Can someone be wrong based on a subjective opinion?
His opinion is his own, and the only way he can be wrong about it is if he's lying for the sake of trolling/lulz, or if he's labouring under a misconception.

Given the nature of internet arguments, I feel that fallacy is somewhat implied.

[CurlyKitGirl]

...There's got to be a mistake in one of those numbers. 9-3=6. Do you perchance have to hand it in in the middle of 8^th week? That would match the term dates I just looked up.

Nope.
I got to hand it in in 9^th week. The official terms are always eight weeks long, with 0^th and 9^th weeks being for arriving and sitting exams. 9^th week is not an official part of the typical undergraduate term.
Some poor souls have exams into 10^th week sometimes.
It also explains why I had such a long Easter holiday. Easter was late, but we did our eight week long Hilary term, so we had extra time off, but had to go back almost instantly after Easter.

Well, you know how Playground Squares works right? The Squares answer questions, the contestants either agree or disagree.
And a while back Shadow made a joke of disagreeing with everything. Including things which were not answers to questions, including the questions themselves, despite the fact he wasn't, y'know, playing.

Oh, I've not been down SMBG way in years. Sounds like a very Shadow thing to do that, and fun.

And obviously I disagree because I consider there to be a more awesome woman in the history of awesome.

Someone's determined to make me blush.
I'd also debate the point, there are many awesome women in the history of awesome.
I recently learnt of one called Sojourner Truth.
She's a cool dude.

Given the nature of internet arguments, I feel that fallacy is somewhat implied.

I'm feeling mellow and reasonable. I have a (very expensive) piece of indulgent fudge (vanilla, raspberry and blueberry) in the fridge, and I just had a late lunch-high tea-early dinner.
Besides, I can hardly argue with someone when I very vocally express my opinion every other RB can I?
Well, I could, but one day it'll just be rude and shouty.
Plus, dude, Latin and Koine Greek. That'll buy you any number of favours and free passes from me.

[DraPrime]

Being an English student I dabble. Being an English student specialising in the era pre-1530 I have picked up a lot of little things from all over the shop although I won't be able to tell you under which school of thought they lie.
I can discuss influences of Pope Gregory I (I think), St. Augustine, Boethian philosophy and its literary impact, Aristotle, Plato, Neo-Aristotelean beliefs and how they contrasted orthodox Augustinian beliefs (as far as the clergy goes) - that last bit I picked up from Cadfael - ummm, lots of religious stuff (from Benedictine Rule to C of E) . . .
Seriously.
I can't tell you where to class all this stuff and more - I have a lot of political/medical/social/ethical musings from places as diverse as Boethius' Consolatione de Philosophia to Chaucer to The Owl and the Nightingale.
I suppose I approach it from the commoner, secular view; and you from the other end.
I love being a medieval English 'major' even if I don't know where I pick up half this stuff from.

And well, you are potentially popping into the UK sometime this July/AUgust aren't you? Miniature Britland-Trogland meetup?
Philosophy is optional.
Re-re-buy another copy of Sophie's World .

My goodness Curly, you've just listed off several of my favorite people ever. St. Gregory the Great for his liturgical reforms (especially the music), St. Augustine for his theology, Aristotle for the Nicomachean Ethics, and Plato for...just being Plato. I must say, the Rule of St. Benedict is an interesting document. I started reading it at one point because I was considering joining the Trappists, who follow that rule. Seeing all this, you are quite clearly a woman of class, knowledge, and awesome. Ah, if only this UK meetup weren't just before my arrival in Europe. Then we could discuss these great things.

Yes, well, you have the option to attend classes on them! Stupid seminaries and their stupid lessons in the Classical languages.[/grumble]
I could. Next year. If they were offered. In another school. There used to be a Medieval Latin option paper for English, but it was dropped several years ago sadly.
Argh. So many options, so little time. As it is I'm going to be going to an Old Norse reading group tonight if I remember.
The Latin book looks very interesting, and from the sheer number of positive reviews . . . I may just buy it.

Heh, well go yell at St. Jerome and Ptolemy for making Latin and Greek part of the seminary curriculum. They are most certainly to blame.

Oddly enough, that's one reason I love English so much.
The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.-James Nicoll
English, aside from being a whorish language, is also a ferocious kleptomaniac. Once we steal a word we never ever let it go.
And so we have (in ascending order of - I forget the word, but it's 'poshness' for want of a better word. There's an actual linguistic term for it! Why do I always forget?) ask (the lowly, common Anglo-Saxon), question (the courtly, refined French) and interrogate (the imperious, educative Latin).
The English language makes no sense because we're thieves essentially. And yes, orthography almost never relates to phonemes. Drives you barmy really.

EDIT:
Also: just bought that Latin book you recommended. Am now divvying over whether to buy the Cambridge Latin Grammar as well. It's only a fiver secondhand.

Ah, and I think this is where we diverge. I like my languages systematic and consistent, probably because I grew up with such a language (Polish), and I was raised by a mathematician who taught me to hate all strange inconsistencies.

Me, I adore my linguistics, so all languages are equal (except Esperanto), some are just trickier than other to get the hang of.
Me, I hated German with a passion.
Just couldn't get the hang of such a synthetic language at the time. Nowadays, it's a little easier. Fine, a lot easier.
Just a point of preference.

See, now I love German, most likely because it has grammar that is quite similar to Polish. All those strange ways of changing the nouns are fun!

[Thufir]

Nope.
I got to hand it in in 9^th week. The official terms are always eight weeks long, with 0^th and 9^th weeks being for arriving and sitting exams. 9^th week is not an official part of the typical undergraduate term.
Some poor souls have exams into 10^th week sometimes.
It also explains why I had such a long Easter holiday. Easter was late, but we did our eight week long Hilary term, so we had extra time off, but had to go back almost instantly after Easter.

That's kinda weird.

Oh, I've not been down SMBG way in years. Sounds like a very Shadow thing to do that, and fun.

It was!

Someone's determined to make me blush.

It is one of my goals in life.
I'm pretty sure there was a period last summer when I was managing in one way or other to make you blush about once a night. Good times...

Plus, dude, Latin and Koine Greek. That'll buy you any number of favours and free passes from me.

...I may have a new goal in life.

[Haruki-kun]

Oh, I've not been down SMBG way in years.

That is le sad.

In unrelated news: It really sucks having to do a a final assignment for Sound class when there's construction workers in the next building. Hammering. Drilling.
Pounding. In my head.

>.<

[DraPrime]

Plus, dude, Latin and Koine Greek. That'll buy you any number of favours and free passes from me.

Hmmm, ego fui informatio...

[Zaydos]

It's just the least fun to speak. I speak English, Polish, some Spanish, am currently learning Latin, and I engage in the occasional Koine Greek. It's the least enjoyable of all those languages. It's simply boring.

English is only boring if one does not harness its sublime powers of grammatical mutability and magnificent vocabulary to create infinitesimal meaning through its changeling tones and eternally variable emotionally- and thought-stirring qualities! If you earnestly think the English language dull, you are not using it to its full effect!

This.

So, I watched Thor yesterday. Was really good and I recomend it.

Concerning the english language, I can see why people would call it boring, but I would not personaly call it such.

I want to see Thor.

Learn Latin, read the Aeneid, and then we'll talk. Also, Shakespeare is indeed impressive, but one man does not a language make. Just because one person is masterful with how he uses a certain language, doesn't change what its overall use is like.

Also, the way English is written just pains me. Take Polish, which I actually spoke first (although I learned English when I was about two years old, so it's hardly a new language for me). Everything is written exactly as it's pronounced, and it works beautifully. I love it. It makes the language coherently transfer from speech to paper. Ask English to work the same way and it falls over and vomits all over itself. I mean look at words like plough, dough, and cough. They only vary with the beginning, yet the "ough" is different each times. It's utter madness.

Only ever read a little of the Aeneid in Latin. Things I learned: Virgil's writing was completely sublime in its native tongue and even without translating it the man's poetry played the heart like a fine lyre. The translation I had been assigned to read previously had sat in the mind like a brick, uninteresting and positively boring, but after translating (a few lines only) I compared five or so translations and learned I read the worst of the bunch.

English, though, is interesting if you bother to use more than the basic words. I wish I still had my vocabulary from a few years ago, but I started going to college and talking to other people (was homeschooled through high school) and apparently using a vocabulary that half of the people you know can't understand is frowned upon.

Languages known: English, Japanese (forgetting it), Latin (forgotten from 4 or 5 years of no practice).

I most definitely won't call Latin a boring language, but it can be painful. I blame Cicero.

[DraPrime]

I most definitely won't call Latin a boring language, but it can be painful. I blame Cicero.

That's what the somewhat simpler Ecclesiastical Latin is for.

[CurlyKitGirl]

My goodness Curly, you've just listed off several of my favorite people ever. St. Gregory the Great for his liturgical reforms (especially the music), St. Augustine for his theology, Aristotle for the Nicomachean Ethics, and Plato for...just being Plato. I must say, the Rule of St. Benedict is an interesting document. I started reading it at one point because I was considering joining the Trappists, who follow that rule.

Ooooh! I literally haven't read the Nicomachean Ethics since I was fourteen - it was Sophie's World that got me into it; I was a precocious child - but I remember enjoying it; even though I can guarantee I didn't grasp all of it.
Sadly, I only covered St. Gregory when I was reading my Bede, so I've only read a few of his letter, but he seemed like a lovely chap. Likewise, St. Augustine came about via studying Old English; and oddly, the Benedictine Rule came about from a presentation I had to make (monasticism and its influence on the composition and transmission of manuscripts, as well as contexts thereof). It seemed very complex, especially in the terms of the hours as compared to what little I knew of the, I think it's the Franciscan, order. And nope, no idea where I learned that.
And as for Plato, well, I did my A Level coursework on Plato's account of the trial of Socrates. His Republic felt a little dry to me, but I didn't read much of it; they were both really interesting though. And obviously the allegory of the cave.

Seeing all this, you are quite clearly a woman of class, knowledge, and awesome. Ah, if only this UK meetup weren't just before my arrival in Europe. Then we could discuss these great things.

Okay, that's it.
Don't know if you'll access to the internet in Europe regularly, but if you do, maybe give me a buzz if you're ever in the south of England.
It is a shame you're going to be in Europe post-meetup and pre-term time otherwise (with the former) there would be much fun had, and with the latter, well, much fun may have been had. Plus, Oxcamfordbridge is all about the old; and it being so roughly nearly-central it would have been easy for me to travel around.

Heh, well go yell at St. Jerome and Ptolemy for making Latin and Greek part of the seminary curriculum. They are most certainly to blame.

Out of curiosity, what exactly is taught at a seminary school aside from religiousy religious type things?
Jerome . . . Jerome . . . Mr. Vulgate! I actually translated some of that for an essay on something or other last term. Very nice language that, and a lot of interesting changes.
The Vulgate was the basis for several really important translations of the Bible into the Germanic language you know.
Ugh.
Who'd have ever thought I'd reference so many versions of the Bible (and learn the general history of it) at uni?

Ah, and I think this is where we diverge. I like my languages systematic and consistent, probably because I grew up with such a language (Polish), and I was raised by a mathematician who taught me to hate all strange inconsistencies.

. . .

See, now I love German, most likely because it has grammar that is quite similar to Polish. All those strange ways of changing the nouns are fun!

Yes, you're more for the synthetic languages (words are either highly inflective or agglutinative, and word order isn't as important to the sentence meaning as it is in analytic languages (e.g. English where word order is everything)) it seems. You'd probably be really good at picking up quite a few Asian languages like Japanese and Korean as well as the Uralic ones.
Logic, it's not my thing; but it certainly is yours.

That's kinda weird.

Since when did Oxcamfordbridge do normal?!
Remember: the Hunting of the Mallard; the Merton Time Ceremony; the subfusc.
Oxcamfordbridge lives in the seventeenth-century still.

It is one of my goals in life.
I'm pretty sure there was a period last summer when I was managing in one way or other to make you blush about once a night. Good times...

Probably. I forget.
Also, people reading this are going to think the weirdest things.

...I may have a new goal in life.

Yup. Totally are.

[Zaydos]

That's what the somewhat simpler Ecclesiastical Latin is for.

That sounds heavenly. I just dislike it when Latin poets make rhymes by changing the ending of words. Seeing as how that makes something like 20 words into homonyms, with the only means to figure out which is which by context. Seeing as how sometimes they'll do this multiple times in a sentence.

But Latin is an awesome language, and surprisingly helpful in learning Japanese.

[Pentachoron]

I wish I spoke more languages. English is the only one I can really say I know, I took spanish for three years, but all I have remaining from it is the ability to conjugate sentences perfectly. I have a very small smattering of German from listening to a lot of German music and having a grandfather from Germany. One of these days I'll get fluent in German. Darnit I know I have at least a +1 mod to my intelligence, I should have an extra language spoken for free.

[HalfTangible]

English is pretty lame on a forum or in IM since you can only use so much of the tones and varying emotional qualities and pronunciations properly, but it works wonders IRL.

[Thufir]

Also, people reading this are going to think the weirdest things.



Yup. Totally are.

That really didn't occur to me while I was writing my post, but yeah, you're probably right.

Edi @^: I'm still inclined to disagree. Obviously I can't speak particularly from experience, but I don't think English would suffer particularly more than any other language in that regard.