Last week I got kicked in the pants by a linguistic celebrity. What happened was that at Andy’s 24th birthday party, 2 guys talking about their difficulty in finding suits their sizes were forced to talk to me by Andy. (I who was being forced to constantly drink more champagne.) I forced the conversation to linguistics as I do, and one of the smartly-dressed chaps suggested I email any famous important linguistics person I could think of in the world and ask for advice. Well I did, and I expected a surrogate response or a cokkie cutter statement but NO, Erin McKean the editor of the New Oxford American Dictionary and all-around good American lexicographer, WROTE BACK… TWICE. It was almost too much to take.
Anyhow she suggested that more than having a job in the industry or taking specific classes what I should really be doing is keeping up on Historical Linguistics literature. I almost jumped out the door to buy some big happy books when I realized I already have 8 that I’ve tried to start and then lost motivation for. “If you think it will be hard to motivate yourself to do the reading set yourself a public goal and blog your progress,” said the mighty lexicographer. And so I am. [and then suddenly…]
September 2, 2008
in Books,dictionaries,Words & Origins
Things are not so bad. It’s odd, actually. I make plans in my head all the time, and when I was home for graduation parties my brother said he does the same, and even if its for small stupid things it ruins my day when it doesn’t happen. Right before I graduated I said that it was the end of the world, the photo album of the last week of school was ‘end of my life,’ and I meant it. [and then suddenly…]
June 9, 2008
in armillary sphere,Autobiographical,concerts,Cool_Guys_List,end of the world,famous people,jeopardy,life plan,Music,pandas,travel
This review contains spoilers, I guess.
I LOVEThe Last Crusade. It is one of the movies that you should not watch with me unless you love people saying lines right before they happen, and little “eeeee!!!” noises all through the hours. I am only annoying fangirl like that with Dead Poet’s Society and State and Main, but nothing is as bad. Examples of little girl explosions:
- “We’re turning around, they’re taking us back to Germany”
- Vintage dirt bikes with sidecars!
- Nazis! (I have a theory all movies with Nazis are good, including Illinois Nazis)
- “The penitent man shall pass.”
- (not) dying off the cliff.
June 2, 2008
in bad editing,fangirl noises,Indiana Jones,Movies,sequels
Occupation: TSA employee who sits at security checkpoint exit making sure no one comes in that way.
When I finally got to PDX after waiting 3 hours after missing my 6am flight from SJC, these are the thoughts that came to me when I walked past that guy.
[and then suddenly…] in Love Actually,PDX,SJC,TSA
So I walked with Bryan to the St. John’s Theater to see The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and it was raining. I had made previous comments about how I felt we were in a movie, and I decided that the rain would make more sense if we were in a romantic comedy. That isn’t possible, gender preference-wise, but it did make sense at the time.
The movie was good, I had heard about it for months from NPR Movie podcasts, it sounded fascinating from the beginning. The sewn eye was something I immediately looked away from, but the scene where his father calls him and neither can visit the other is heartbreaking in a terrible wonderful way. The alphabet is repetitive, but I had been told for months that it was amazing, so I did love it.
[and then suddenly…] in Autobiographical,Into the Wild,MAX,The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
I have never not seen more concerts than I have this semester.
It all began with such hope, but one without a car only gets to do things after 10 if people with cars do too. Dresden Dolls, Nada Surf and Hot Hot Heat with Louis XIV have passed, and Gogol Bordello plays tonight. Later this week Rufus Wainwright (for a pretty penny) and Presidents of the United States of America play on the same day. The Bobs have a concert on a Thursday, radio show day (kdup.up.edu) so that won’t fly, which only leaves… VAMPIRE WEEKEND.
[and then suddenly…] in Autobiographical,Louis XIV,podcasts,SNL,Vampire Weekend
