Comments for Killspeak http://www.soupface.net/blog Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:57:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 Comment on Political power and language change by Lucas http://www.soupface.net/blog/2008/07/21/political-power-and-language-change/#comment-4735 Lucas Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:37:48 +0000 http://www.soupface.net/blog/?p=71#comment-4735 Good points, Chris. Tulin and Matt (the people I was discussing this with) also mentioned the change to modern Turkish as a potential counterexample. Good points, Chris. Tulin and Matt (the people I was discussing this with) also mentioned the change to modern Turkish as a potential counterexample.

]]> Comment on Political power and language change by Chris http://www.soupface.net/blog/2008/07/21/political-power-and-language-change/#comment-4734 Chris Wed, 23 Jul 2008 05:04:07 +0000 http://www.soupface.net/blog/?p=71#comment-4734 As a caveat to the comparisons of Orwell's Newspeak to the historical attempts at forcing a nation or group of people into speaking a particular language, it's worth keeping in mind that in the historical cases you have instances of a political power attempting to completely overhaul a population's means of communicating, while Newspeak is much more insidious because it is a transformation of the language already spoken. The historical cases also deal with conquered peoples, whereas in 1984 it seems plausible if not assumed that the ruling power is homegrown. I feel like a thorough analysis of the control of language in modern China would be much more revealing, had we reliable access to that information. Of course, as a substitute we can always look at our own country or our neighbors to the south. Political Correctness might serve as a reasonable launching point for such a comparison. We will talk about this business of language and power in person at some point. It will be long and dreary for others involved and I'll begin babbling about systems of signification and the African American tradition of Signifyin' in music and the word vs the world and who knows what else and it will briefly make me feel like my degree was about something. As a caveat to the comparisons of Orwell’s Newspeak to the historical attempts at forcing a nation or group of people into speaking a particular language, it’s worth keeping in mind that in the historical cases you have instances of a political power attempting to completely overhaul a population’s means of communicating, while Newspeak is much more insidious because it is a transformation of the language already spoken. The historical cases also deal with conquered peoples, whereas in 1984 it seems plausible if not assumed that the ruling power is homegrown. I feel like a thorough analysis of the control of language in modern China would be much more revealing, had we reliable access to that information. Of course, as a substitute we can always look at our own country or our neighbors to the south. Political Correctness might serve as a reasonable launching point for such a comparison.

We will talk about this business of language and power in person at some point. It will be long and dreary for others involved and I’ll begin babbling about systems of signification and the African American tradition of Signifyin’ in music and the word vs the world and who knows what else and it will briefly make me feel like my degree was about something.

]]> Comment on Books I’ve read before I’ve read them aren’t all that fun by Jeremy http://www.soupface.net/blog/2008/07/05/books-ive-read-before-ive-read-them-arent-all-that-fun/#comment-4731 Jeremy Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:55:33 +0000 http://www.soupface.net/blog/?p=66#comment-4731 I read "The Chris Farley Show" last week, am reading Vonnegut's "Armageddon in Retrospect" this week and I'm continuing to ignore "This Is Your Brain on Music". I read “The Chris Farley Show” last week, am reading Vonnegut’s “Armageddon in Retrospect” this week and I’m continuing to ignore “This Is Your Brain on Music”.

]]> Comment on Books I’ve read before I’ve read them aren’t all that fun by Lucas http://www.soupface.net/blog/2008/07/05/books-ive-read-before-ive-read-them-arent-all-that-fun/#comment-4726 Lucas Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:29:44 +0000 http://www.soupface.net/blog/?p=66#comment-4726 I'm totally with you on Rand, Chris, though I wouldn't say that knowing what "Atlas Shrugged" was saying was why I found it frustrating. Sure, I already knew a lot about Rand's (laughably naïve) philosophy, but "Atlas Shrugged" is a long, dumb, and very poorly written book—and that's why it sucks (but I finished it, dammit). I’m totally with you on Rand, Chris, though I wouldn’t say that knowing what “Atlas Shrugged” was saying was why I found it frustrating. Sure, I already knew a lot about Rand’s (laughably naïve) philosophy, but “Atlas Shrugged” is a long, dumb, and very poorly written book—and that’s why it sucks (but I finished it, dammit).

]]> Comment on Books I’ve read before I’ve read them aren’t all that fun by Chris http://www.soupface.net/blog/2008/07/05/books-ive-read-before-ive-read-them-arent-all-that-fun/#comment-4725 Chris Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:51:54 +0000 http://www.soupface.net/blog/?p=66#comment-4725 I am with you all the way. The Fountainhead immediately came to mind reading this post, as it was both a book that I read for the sake of saying I read it, as well as one that presented ideas I was already familiar with. Although seeing those ideas in Ayn Rand's batshit crazy people-are-mouthpieces style of dialogue was a bit of a novelty. Right now I am alternating my reading back and forth. Last book I read: "Guards! Guards!" by Terry Prachett. Current book I am reading: "Blood Meridian" by Cormac McCarthy. Next up is some more Prachett, I need it. I am with you all the way. The Fountainhead immediately came to mind reading this post, as it was both a book that I read for the sake of saying I read it, as well as one that presented ideas I was already familiar with. Although seeing those ideas in Ayn Rand’s batshit crazy people-are-mouthpieces style of dialogue was a bit of a novelty.

Right now I am alternating my reading back and forth. Last book I read: “Guards! Guards!” by Terry Prachett. Current book I am reading: “Blood Meridian” by Cormac McCarthy. Next up is some more Prachett, I need it.

]]> Comment on How to sell your Christianity by Will http://www.soupface.net/blog/2007/11/17/how-to-sell-your-christianity/#comment-4571 Will Wed, 28 Nov 2007 01:31:20 +0000 http://www.soupface.net/blog/2007/11/17/how-to-sell-your-christianity/#comment-4571 Hawk your cheap wares elsewhere Christians! Hawk your cheap wares elsewhere Christians!

]]> Comment on On The Cyberpunk Educator by Lucas http://www.soupface.net/blog/2007/08/25/on-the-cyberpunk-educator/#comment-4416 Lucas Sat, 08 Sep 2007 04:32:57 +0000 http://www.soupface.net/blog/2007/08/25/on-the-cyberpunk-educator/#comment-4416 Your soul is a "mechanical beast?" Whoa. And thanks for the compliment. Your soul is a “mechanical beast?” Whoa.

And thanks for the compliment.

]]> Comment on On The Cyberpunk Educator by Chris http://www.soupface.net/blog/2007/08/25/on-the-cyberpunk-educator/#comment-4395 Chris Fri, 31 Aug 2007 03:17:39 +0000 http://www.soupface.net/blog/2007/08/25/on-the-cyberpunk-educator/#comment-4395 I enjoyed reading this and have concluded that you yourself should undertake an analysis of the cyberpunk genre. For your words are long and weighty, yet not ponderous. You convince me you know what you're talking about even though, deep within the mechanical beast that is my soul, I cling to the sad worry that you do not. But such is the plight of an eternal cynic. Well done! I enjoyed reading this and have concluded that you yourself should undertake an analysis of the cyberpunk genre. For your words are long and weighty, yet not ponderous. You convince me you know what you’re talking about even though, deep within the mechanical beast that is my soul, I cling to the sad worry that you do not. But such is the plight of an eternal cynic. Well done!

]]> Comment on The pressure of due dates by Lucas http://www.soupface.net/blog/2006/04/04/the-pressure-of-due-dates/#comment-4231 Lucas Wed, 01 Aug 2007 22:16:21 +0000 http://www.soupface.net/blog/?p=20#comment-4231 "I think nothing dates more quickly than science fiction. Nothing dates more quickly than an imaginary future. It's acquiring a patina of quaintness even before you've got it in the envelope to send to the publisher." From a recent <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000112701" rel="nofollow">interview with Gibson</a>. “I think nothing dates more quickly than science fiction. Nothing dates more quickly than an imaginary future. It’s acquiring a patina of quaintness even before you’ve got it in the envelope to send to the publisher.” From a recent interview with Gibson.

]]> Comment on I yakked at Eglinton by Peter Lynn http://www.soupface.net/blog/2007/07/04/i-yakked-at-eglinton/#comment-4163 Peter Lynn Wed, 04 Jul 2007 20:54:48 +0000 http://www.soupface.net/blog/2007/07/04/i-yakked-at-eglinton/#comment-4163 Now that's what I'm talking about! The fact that the train waited for you to finish puking really makes the story. Now that’s what I’m talking about! The fact that the train waited for you to finish puking really makes the story.

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