2014-02-28

Selfie, Green Shirt


Writing...

What is this culture of writing into which we find ourselves more and more drawn?  It has somehow the reek of narcissistic self-indulgence but at the same time it is a mystery, so much more than a mere passing fancy, a fad, a caprice of fashion, and somehow a daring, fearless, headlong plumbing of the very depths of what makes us all human, a vanguard drawing up from the nihilistic abyss precious, dripping threads and cords of identity without which we would all be less than animals, both bereft of the serenity of not caring who and what and why we are and crushed by the torment of the certain curse that we shall never have any answer.

2014-02-27

漫画: Just a Cigar...?

← Manga Index — Whole vignette

Now, this vignette may be taking a break for a few days, to be reprised later, after we have explored the domain of Financial Integrity and Financial Intelligence with Lulu & the snerds.

2014-02-25

Japanese Class

We read through the job description for my papers for volunteering as a facilitator/translator at the upcoming Sakura Con.
"words of work", "politeness" and "loss".  And also interrogative phrases as short, full sentences -- the shortest Japanese sentences possible....?

"Interest" and translation, and deceptively similar radicals.

"Yo, yo, yo" and "No, no, no, tai" and lots of basic kanji with a simple radical under the "mon" gamae (gate radical).  "Ka" as a word component, but also a standalone marker.

(repeat shot of above -- which is clearer?)

漫画: Mad Man Cometh

← Manga Index — Whole vignette

2014-02-13

漫画 Java-the-Hutt

← Manga Index — Whole vignette
Here's a Star Wars® reference that was something of an inspiration for this page.

Useful Chinese Character 誘

What is this word?

Here's the definition and writing for kan yuu and the full article.

I mention this because the second character came up, I  believe in our readings on biology in last class.  Can anybody find some of the words?

2014-02-12

Buddhist 12-Step Wisdom

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, not to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.
     -- Buddha

2014-02-11

Manga Index

VignetteSynopsis
The Poets of Porcadis
Meet the Boys Our heroes, Lenny & Sparky, are prowling around East Porcadis Park on what turns out to be a very strange and mysterious mission for a shadowy patron.
Lulu Goes to College Their quest leads them to Porcadis University, the Department of Mythology and Crypto-Memetics, and Lulu is persuaded to become a graduate student.
Lulu Meets the Blue Horn People Lulu's advisor leads her and her fellow students on a fantastical jaunt into and workshop of anthropology, biology, and ultimately memetics and memetic engineering.
Lulu's Internship at SCARE Lulu's starts interning at a local company to help them transform their business processes using the memetic analysis & engineering skills she's learning at school.
The 2nd Coming While waiting for her advisor to come back, Lulu once again locks horns and crosses swords with Pénélopé over points of philosophy and the bedeviling question of whether the office doughnut pool really is as fair as Lenny & Sparky think it is.
Schrödinger's Catachresis Our heroes awaken to find themselves in a strange place with some strange new companions.
Mop & Broom Con Lulu & Penny are taken on a study trip to the nerdy, feminist Mop & Broom Con.
Mr. Peabody & The Mermaids
A trip to the full-service Native American Bank Honquèrelle's & Mr. Peabody's projects lead the gang on an adventure to a bank that tries to meet everyone's needs.
Electionville Honquèrelle & Alexántebra use a new on-line game to try to get into office to prevent some bad trends from making it into Siren Cove.
Mermaid Comics and Japanese Mermaid Puns One-frame jokes and puns.

Japanese Scientific Paper

We started going through the paper on cucumber "pegs" response to Auxin hormone and gravity.

Practicing looking up characters, guessing their pronunciation from their radicals (and appearance in other words), getting what a sentence is about, practicing saying sentences and phrases over and over...and the beginning of asking and answering questions and rephrasing.

NOTE: I will not be there this week-end since I will be in TEXAS!!  We will resume the following Sunday!!

2014-02-09

No Right to Choose

From Facebook:

Someone unknowingly made a lifelong choice for me 42 years ago.
I am a mom of two boys and a wife of eleven years, whom had something taken away from her by the hands, or signature, of my husband’s mother. Here she stands in my home on Christmas Eve spouting that circumcision is the choice of the parent. Not in this house. What right did she have to have an intact husband for 45 years, and then take that right away from me? What right did she have to take away something that would have given us a more pleasurable experience together? She had no right, and she has no remorse.
It is hard enough to keep a marriage together when you have every tool in your arsenal, let alone someone thinking it is their right to rip part of it away.
I have kept my two boys, two and ten, safe and fully intact as they should be. It is not my choice to make. It is not a parental right. It is a human right. No thanks to the doctors who pushed circumcision on me for the extra income it generates. To those doctors that refuse to tell, or research the truth, I say shame on you. The Physicians Hippocratic Oath states “I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.” Can any doctor that preforms this painful and harmful surgery say that with complete confidence? First, do no harm.
I think now of my boys and their future partners. I have done this for you. I fight this fight every day for you.
There will come a day very soon when young doctors will stand up and say this procedure is wrong. It will come. What will happen on that day when parents realize they have altered their sons and their partners lives because doctors are not giving us the information we need? What about the son, and his future partner, that is born on January 1st, when the American Academy of Pediatrics has no other choice than to change their opinion January 2nd?
If it was not for my oldest son being born weighing only four pounds and being in the NICU for twelve days, he would have been cut just because the doctors said circumcision had its benefits. Shame on me for not doing one keystroke of research on the matter before making my “choice”. 
Now I am the person who will tell you that you don’t have to do it. I am now the person who will give you any and all information I can to anyone who will listen. Question the motivations of the medical professionals. They are neglecting to give one piece of information to parents about what a wonderful and perfect part of our boys they are ripping away, and then selling our sons functioning body part for medical research and cosmetic products. How can anyone claim informed consent when the foreskins functions are not even discussed? I was asked in a hallway after an NST appointment, being shown two photos, which one I would prefer. Yes, you heard me right, in the hallway. How can I make an informed “choice”?
If your only argument is cleanliness stop washing your hair for a few days. If it is so much easier to shave your head, I welcome you. But know this… it will grow back. Your son’s penis will not. I have two intact boys. No care is needed. Do not try to retract or wash inside with soap. Do not let any medical professional retract the foreskin. They will try. I am not sure what the fascination of our medical professionals are with intact boys, but it happens every day. Keep your son within an arm’s length at all times during an exam, in case you encounter someone that does not know proper care of an intact penis. I know, I was there and had to stop it. The average age of a child who can retract his foreskin is 10.5 years. The separation of tissue to allow retraction sometimes occurs in infancy, sometimes in adulthood. The only person who should ever retract a boy’s foreskin is the boy himself.
What about the significant percentage of boys permanently injured, disfigured, or who have died due to this procedure? What if complications arise for your son due to this procedure, what will you say? “Well, it had to be done.” Or “What have we done?”
I am determined to change one mind. Will it be yours? Please share this information as you see fit to educate anyone who will listen. I am not a doctor, just a wife and mother.
We know better now, now do better. Save our sons and question routine infant circumcision.

2014-02-05

Japanese Class last week


How to say "not" in Chinese characters 

Reading the Sakura Con information sheet...

Existence words

Directions to the hospital, and the hospital pun.


Alice drew this -- quite good, no?
She should draw a manga!!

Palouse Comic Con

I went.
I went to a panel on KickStarter and I think I might want to do one on my comic strip, to maybe product a graphic novel or something.

2014-02-02

Manga Index

VignetteSynopsis
The Poets of Porcadis
Meet the Boys Our heroes, Lenny & Sparky, are prowling around East Porcadis Park on what turns out to be a very strange and mysterious mission for a shadowy patron.
Lulu Goes to College Their quest leads them to Porcadis University, the Department of Mythology and Crypto-Memetics, and Lulu is persuaded to become a graduate student.
Lulu Meets the Blue Horn People Lulu's advisor leads her and her fellow students on a fantastical jaunt into and workshop of anthropology, biology, and ultimately memetics and memetic engineering.
Lulu's Internship at SCARE Lulu's starts interning at a local company to help them transform their business processes using the memetic analysis & engineering skills she's learning at school.
The 2nd Coming While waiting for her advisor to come back, Lulu once again locks horns and crosses swords with Pénélopé over points of philosophy and the bedeviling question of whether the office doughnut pool really is as fair as Lenny & Sparky think it is.
Schrödinger's Catachresis Our heroes awaken to find themselves in a strange place with some strange new companions.
Mop & Broom Con Lulu & Penny are taken on a study trip to the nerdy, feminist Mop & Broom Con.
Mr. Peabody & The Mermaids
A trip to the full-service Native American Bank Honquèrelle's & Mr. Peabody's projects lead the gang on an adventure to a bank that tries to meet everyone's needs.
Electionville Honquèrelle & Alexántebra use a new on-line game to try to get into office to prevent some bad trends from making it into Siren Cove.
Mermaid Comics and Japanese Mermaid Puns One-frame jokes and puns.

漫画 Caught!

← Manga Index — Whole vignette

Japanese research paper on cucumbers

Auxin in Cucumber Seedlings paper.

We'll try to take a look at this one a bit in class.  I'm also keen to toss out the idea of developing manga in class, with Japanese dialogue and all, during class.  Could provide context and so forth.