Since the new facebook is completely inferior in every way to the old facebook (at least this is what a precursory glance suggested to me), I have resorted to blogspot to chronicle my amazing reading journey via quotes, quips, and antics. In reality, I only used the quotes section of facebook so I could remember interesting things I've read, but since I'm actually making a post here ... I guess it is different.

Today's entry is from 'Course in General Linguistics' by Ferdinand de Saussure.

The two important things that come out of this book are the distinction between a diachronic study of a system and a synchronic study of a system. The first is studying a system based on its changes through time (in this case 'langue,' the system of language use as opposed to speech, or 'parole' as Saussure defines it); the second is studying a system apart from time, studying it as it exists at any moment as a whole, with no regard for, in this instance at least, changes in word meaning and pronunciation.

The second and most important concept that Saussure introduced is that of the arbitrary nature of linguistic signs (spoken and written words (sound-images)), the concept of signifier and signified. The basic idea is that a word, spoken or written, like tree, the signifier, recalls in the mind the concepts you hold of treedom, the signified. Without going into that in further detail, I'll merely point out that the main point is that the relationship between our speech and our written language and their referents in the 'real' world are completely arbitrary. The study of this phenomena, well ... actually the phenomena of all 'signs,' Saussure calls 'semiology.' This idea would become important in the study of linguistics, and for future theorists like Roland Barthes in Mythologies and Jacques Derrida in On Grammatology, for instance. It would also be a basis for Structuralism and is an early precursor to Postmodern thought.

Now onto the short, practically insignificant, quote:

'People often affirm that nothing is more important than understanding the genesis of a particular state; this is true in a certain sense: the forces that have shaped the state illuminate its true nature, and knowing them protects us against certain illusions' (p. 90).

I find this quote to be far reaching, especially when we think of not 'the state' but 'The State.'

Anyways ...

I also just finished 'The Western Lands' by William S. Burroughs. It was the last in a trilogy that started with 'Cities of the Red Night.' The second novel in the series was 'The Place of Dead Roads' (probably my favorite). I've become quite the fan of Burroughs, which makes sense since he influenced Pynchon, Dick, Kurt Cobain, etc; since he coined the phrase 'Heavy Metal;' since the sound of his voice is hypnotizing; and on and on and on ...

'The Western Lands' did not disappoint, though I felt that it was perhaps the weakest book in the trilogy. It certainly had its moments, however. One of my problems was that it was fairly hard to follow, despite many people on-line saying that is one of his easier-to-follow novels. Their are not as many cut-ups for instance. The novel is a blending of Egyptian mythology, as Burroughs understands it, interspersed with biographical information and the narrative of a character traveling through the Lands of the Dead toward the Western Lands. That was a fairly shitty synopsis, but it suffices.

What I especially like about Burroughs is the way in which he strips away any notion of humanness in his novels ... it is as though he were trying to write himself out of everything that could be considered human, into 'SPACE' as he puts it. Their were points in 'Cities of the Red Night' and 'The Western Lands' where I really thought that I was seeing past all cultural, human, sexual artifice into something that lied, so to speak, beyond it all ... if only briefly. Pynchon tries this, but he is never quite as successful. I didn't get this feeling nearly as strongly when I read 'Naked Lunch' or 'Queer,' which are the other two novels of his that I have read. I think I'm going to read the Nova trilogy next.

I also read 'The Postmodern Condition: a Report on Knowledge' by Jean-Francois Lyotard, but I am not about to start writing about that too. Maybe a quote or two ...

'This is a period of slackening -- I refer to the color of the times' (p. 71).

'Let us wage a war on totality; let us be witnesses to the unpresentable' (p. 82).

Enough!

I got my first official rejection letter a few days ago for one of the universities I applied to. The university that did accept me did so conditionally. The condition was that I graduate with at least a 3.2 GPA. I graduated with a 3.118. That is up in the air now. I am currently emailing with them, but it isn't 100% anymore ... I am basically back at square one. The other university hasn't replied either way. All in all, it doesn't look that good for my chances of getting in an MA program this year, which sucks. I have no other plan at this point.

I guess I could always go back to CWU if it comes to that. I think they would still accept me, but who knows. Maybe I should start studying for my GRE. I guess this just isn't my year ... it is the middle of January and nothing has gone right so far. Other than that, I am really looking forward to Vanguard: SOH. I have been playing in the beta for the last month and I must say I am more than impressed. I haven't felt this way about an MMO for a long time. It is no EverQuest, but then there will never be another EQ. It is weird (and I'm sure amazing geeky) the way old time EQ players talk about that game. They revere it on high as if was the best times of their life. I heard it described as "opening up a book and hopping in," I think that is the best description I've heard. I had so much fun playing that game. I remember sitting up in my little room and being so content and happy ... to the point that I wished I didn't have to sleep. It only lasted that way for maybe a year or so, but it was a great time. This game though ... player housing, boats, mounts and a complicated combat system. I am pretty happy. It is made by the creators of EQ.

So ... come the 27th I will be going into hibernation.

This was probably the worst Christmas to date. Not only did I get nothing, but I worked through the whole thing. I did get 3 days of holiday pay, which is 8 hours a day at my normal pay, and around 50hrs of overtime. So, I guess you could say that I did get "something;" however, the whole point of Christmas is you don't have to work for your gifts.

Other then that depressing shit, I haven't really done anything interesting for awhile. I wake up, watch The Simpsons, Invader Zim, Ren and Stimpy and then I walk a mile or so to the bus and go back to work. I did buy a huge book about Computer Networks to supplement all the shit I learn about at work, though. I read a little bit of it before passing out around 11am every day.

I think that the most exciting thing I did in the last few weeks that was I created an alternate gmail account. I did it so that I could create a system of filters on my old one that would either auto archive, forward, or delete all incoming mail. It should be more efficient, as if it really matters.

Well, sadly that is it. If an "event" of some sort takes place I will come and post about it.

My Grandma died almost two weeks ago now. The funeral was really nice, but very sad, which I guess is how those things go. I didn't cry, but I almost did. If I would have tried to talk I would have. My little 12 year old cousin Marissa went up and read a little thing she wrote about going out to my Grandma's house every Christmas and seeing all the presents under the tree she had for all of us grandkids. That made me lose it, pretty much, and I can't even think about it without feeling like crying. I dunno ... I think she pegged it for the best memories.

I got to go through a lot of my families stuff, which was really neat. Apparently the Alford family took many pictures from around 1910 and up. I never knew that my family traveled up here from North Dakota during the dustbowl, or that my whole family was so purely German. I also got to read a few letters my great uncles sent my grandmother during the War. All in all, it was quite the experience and it felt wierder than I thought it would.

In other news, I am working 40hrs of overtime in the next two weeks and skipping any type of X-mas. It's ok, though, I will make a good amount of cash. I feel like taking this year and working as much as possible. If i get into one of the 3 colleges i applied for then that will be where the money goes, and if I don't ... well ... then I will have a nice bit of cash to carry me around for awhile. Either way, it should be ok.

Ta

So, I went ahead and gave into sweetest temptation and bought the nintendo DS as I realized I would be making more money in one day then it and a game cost combined. I bought Super Mario 64 DS, which from a preliminary run before work is awesome. I feel better about the world/myself when using the duel screen with the stylus and will soon purchase a game called brain age that will test not only my unsteady hands but my Huge brains.

I also bought some curry paste (we will see how that goes) and some bannanas. Some other things too, but they are all boring compared to the curry paste and bannanas. I bought some ginger ... but you've all heard about me buying that from your friends, I'm sure.

Other then that, I looked into how much getting a master's degree in Washington would cost, and if i went to WWU or CWU it would cost around 12-14 thousand ... maybe more. If I did it in the UK, even as a non EU member, it would cost like 14k and I would get it done in 1 year as opposed to many. So, high five for that ... I'm off again in a year (hopefully) ... who knows where ... but I think i want to travel a bit more. Anyways, back to work where I am currently doing nothing but waiting 3 more hours for 8am to roll around and listening to a podcast ... peace.

This last week I padded my pockets with 22 hours of overtime pay. And this week? I'm doing it again!
In other news, I am getting moved to networking at my job, which is more complicated, but
gives me experience doing something that will allow me to get better jobs in the future. My
friend Nick is supposedly training me beginning Odin's Day. I want a nintendo DS so bad! I
think about it all day, and spend time just looking at games for it on the computer in the
3 hours of free time I have a day between work and sleep. I might get one tommorrow, but then
again. It's only like 129.99, which isn't very bad. I would have to get a couple games, so
it would be more like 200. If I did that and grocery shopping I will have spent half of the
money i made from overtime last week! That is the wierd thing, since I've started to make
3-4 times more a week then I ever have in my life, I've become more frugal with my money then
ever before. It's like something clicked on in my head and I am incapable of spending it. My paychecks
are filled with sweet irony.

On a sadder note, my Grandma doesn't have much time left and i really need to get over the mountains to see her.
It is wierd how fast these things come up on you. I just always thought I would have more time,
and I couldn't have been more wrong. Now there is probably only months left, maybe less. So, as
a friendly reminder to those of you out there that read this: go hug everyone you love, and
make sure that they know you appreciate them!

I finally got my TV moved into my new apartment, which is lovely, because I can finally take
advantage of the digital cable. It isn't anything special, because we pay a bare minimum, but
it is still nice to sit on the couch and watch TV.

btw LOST (on an isthmus) is INTENSE

Well, I finally got all of my stuff over the mountain to Redmond. I put pack rats to shame. I have boxes and boxes of every paper, syllabus, assignment, paper I drew a penis on, etc from college. I can't seem to make the leap that I will never need to know what these papers have to offer me. Thank God I've never had a subscription to TV guide or I would be in trouble. I imagine I wouldn't be able to convince myself to be rid of those .... they would have to come with me. It's an amazing sort of insanity.

On a slightly less OCD note (maybe), I now have all of my books with me. This is good because now when I feel like depressing myself with T.S. Eliot poetry I can at a moment's notice.

Acutally, I was reading The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (I'm sure that is spelled wrong) last night and, well, I dunno what happened, but alot of it clicked in a different way for me. It has long been a poem that I go back and read every now and again, but this time it carried a whole new aspect. I found some of it absolutly hilarious. The poem, instead of being depressing, which it still sorta is, had such a sarcastic undertone I found myself laughing aloud to my not so empty room.

There are a few ways to read the poem. I was reading it as a love poem. Well, I shouldn't say "love" poem, but rather, I was reading it with the understanding that the poem is about his inability to ask a women the "questoin." And I was reading that as, and this is a very middle school way of saying it, "Will you go out with me?"

Anyways, when I got to the part about him comparing himself to Lazarus and John the Baptist I started cracking up real bad (I had giggled a few times before), because I feel like maybe this poem is a little bit of a joke on Eliot's part. I mean, how can you compare those two biblical characters to asking someone out, it's a hilarious contrast really. Seeing the severed head of John the Baptist definatly preaching next to frail Mr. Prufrock, who is to shy to ask for a date, was quite funny. The two images were such a hilarious contrast. I am a nerd, yes, but I implore you to read this poem and find all these hilarious parts. Like "Do I dare disturb the universe," which is a little funny too. But, was this Eliot's intention? I dunno. The whole part about the night being spread out on table like an etherized patiant got me laughing too.

Other then that I bought a rice cooker.

peace