Of ushankas and matryoshkas

Машины. Introduction.

I began to study Russian several months ago in my free time, which has been pleasantly plentiful during the bowels of the winter. There's no purpose in sitting around doing nothing when I could be doing something productive, such as this. Language, as the most basic means of communication, is never a tool that could go to waste. The possibilities are quite interesting--from traveling to being a spy like the one in that movie (hoyhehe/хойхихи), but more so being able to talk about people without them understanding...

The language is more interesting than some of those offered at this school (although Russian used to be offered), not including English of course. Latin is practically useless because everyone who spoke it is dead (is not the purpose of a language to communicate?), and unless you're going to be reading the works of Virgil (which are all translated into English), then chances are you're never gonna use Latin. Then there's Spanish and French, which are both useful, but practically every competent American understands at least a little of one or both of these (click here to view a post that touches upon the incompetent American downview upon Spanish).

Здесь нет кошек, есть царевич и рестораны. Some pictures of lovely Russian things.

Perhaps the most notorious of Soviet attire, the (pashka-)ushanka. This one's made from the soft fur of a slaughtered rabbit--how warm! http://www.ushanka.com/media/products/black-rabbit-ushanka.jpg

The frigid but very nice looking destination: TUNDRA in the summer. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlt1BbOPI5ldbUcVRIUW-bQK9YTMTNRKeLblIvhl_jo8Os6Uo4cWLwIvR38G9MXVxJVKz1D9xWm4OyTYipiHEEMBlCLkGCLSMDYnooxiio-iPnE9B4Pu3PAE5l1X69XTeElW2lMw6ugEo/s1600/siberia-valley.jpg

If I lived in St. Petersburg, maybe I'd go to this church, the Church on Spilled Blood. Oh wait, I'm not Orthodox. But this church still looks nice. http://good-wallpapers.com/wallpapers/21917/Church%20on%20Spilled%20Blood%20-%20St.%20Petersburg,%20Russia.jpg

The aesthetic appeal of this Moscow is overwhelming. It looks like a sugar candy fairy land of sorts with all of the places of worship and colors. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/10/17/article-2219137-01AA0E3E000004B0-403_964x716.jpg

Пирожки - Conclusion

So, now, I urge you all, go do something productive. Learn a language. Play an instrument. Learn how to dissect a cat. Do whatever you like, but as long as it can easily be deemed productive by society.

А сейчас я иду. 

Extra: why ‘barbaric yawp’ is such a disgusting phrase

Now, kids, I'm not any linguistics expert, but I can tell you a little something. The word barbaric has two distinct free morphemes which both have somewhat negative connotations. They are bar (a place where people get drunk; historically a place where men get drunk and shoot each other) and bar, but pronounced as bear (a large animal capable of eating you). What a grotesque combination. That's why I prefer to use the word savage. Ah, listen to how that word just flows off the tongue, how it lacks that nasty unique English rhotic phoneme. . Unlike the semantic result of barbaric, that of savage is left as the listener's discretion; I give savage an even harsher connotation than barbaric. Then there's yawp, which I have no protest against.




Now, ask yourselves, would you rather insult someone by calling them a barbarian or a savage? (If you want you can answer in the poll to the left.)

A barbarian

Or a savage

But savage yawp just sounds awkward (that extra syllable in barbaric really makes a difference), so we can stick with barbaric yawp.

Of Incompetents and Vixen-Gargoyles

A Brief (Rather Unrelated) Introduction

Day after day we see it: the ever-dwindling competence levels of high school students, a trend closely correlating with the disgusting appearance of these kids--an appearance that can only be tangibly compared to that of vixen gargoyles. So I took some time to ponder what has been causing this trend. And I can't seem to figure it out. Is it the mere lack of any desire to do anything other than sit on a couch eating processed American food and play games on a smartphone?

Alas, I'm not going to continue talking about the general incompetence of high schoolers, as, chances are, I'd unintentionally end up offending many of you. So, below I have a number of photos that may serve as inspiration to more productive activities.

More Interesting Items

Here are some lovely pictures that have recently captured my attention, which you may also . I'm exploring the photoshopping work that can be done only by competents.

This cat looks much like my cat, except, unfortunately, my cat can't breath fire.

(http://www.zastavki.com/pictures/1920x1080/2012/Creative_Wallpaper_Cat_in_Fire_034916_.jpg)

What a beautiful old man. Such beauty can only come with Photoshop.

(http://whatthehayell.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/old-man-mask.jpg)

Another cat--they seem to be excellent animals to graphically design!

(http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs27/i/2008/124/e/9/water_cat_by_Artelfic.jpg)

I always find it especially pleasing when a graphic, such as those above, can fool people into believing in a paradoxical reality, perhaps where cats breath fire. The rapid pace at which technology changes (the rate of change is an exponential function, in case you didn't know) makes such graphics more and more believable. The next step is to get cats to breath fire.

With that and a 'hoyhehe' I leave you. Enjoy your day and refrain from competence-draining activities.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog!

Here you will find a place in which you can enlighten yourself. But make it fun. However, if you lack competence or effort, I urge you now: leave. Once again, welcome! And be productive!