Some Fun and Out-of-Context Quotes, Part XLIII

"You think I'm mean now, wait 'til you see me without food."
-Mr. Giromini on the 30 Hour Famine

"I can't remember my childhood anymore."
-David G. on time at IA going slowly

"Oh! She wants to be a teacher instead of a parachute!"
-Bri J. on a mistranslation of German

"You realize that my purpose in life is to entertain others with my stupidity, right?"
-Marie N.

"I just made a gesture without talking!"
-Kelsi C. on nonverbal communication

"I've gotten my best ACT and SAT scores on two hours of sleep."
-Anthony G.

"My best ACT section was the one I fell asleep on."
-Mr. Lyons on the above

"I'm getting more and more out of date as I age!"
-Abby S. on the 90s being two decades ago

"You mean, like, ghosts, and communism?"
-Kevin M. on the subjunctive being for talking about things that aren't real

"Brian! Sound intensity!"
-Ms. Priest on Brian's loudly making fun of Joel

"When I think I fail, I get a six."
-Lucy D. on the philosophy behind Math HL

"What are you, the Borg?"
-Miss Davey on judges' simultaneous, unanimous decisions

As far as you know

There are several words and phrases that can serve as a response to absolutely any statement, question, exclamation or other utterance. It can be kind of fun to try to find them and use them in various situations (just be careful to avoid being that guy.) The idea is not to say the same thing over and over again, but to have an arsenal of things to say when most other responses would be inappropriate or impossible. There are two categories into which such words and phrases can fall. The first is the confusion-based group, which includes such favorites as "Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz" and "Are your gastrointestinal problems getting worse?." The idea here is that the phrase does not have to make any sense at all in the context of a conversation. This group is put to good use in situations like this one.

The second category is my favorite of the two: the ToK-based group. These are the generic responses which ask the recipient to consider the deeper implications of what he or she has just said, tell him or her to "prove it," etc. My favorite of these is "Arguably," as it turns out that in fact every statement you hear on a daily basis is - at some level - arguable. The favorite of our good friend Harvey is the title, "As far as you know." I encourage to try these out for yourself, and leave a comment if you come up with any of your own. It's especially fun to get friends to try to come up with an utterance which cannot be answered with a ToK-based generic response; I often play this Game in the lunch line, and it is indeed quite entertaining. May the mass times acceleration be with you.

Poll: The seniors are gone.

I posted this just after the seniors' last day. Here are the results:

Yay! More space for us!
17%

Aww, we'll miss you!
70%

(Seniors only) Finally!
5%

(Seniors only) Oh no! Not already!
5%

I guess we're pretty popular:)

By the way, sorry for the infrequent posting lately. You'll start hearing more from the other Task Force members soon: I've asked them each to write a post introducing his/herself, and as soon as school starts back up you'll hear from them more. Not that we have to think about that yet, of course. Besides, I've still got a few posts in the making myself, so keep checking back!

IAtionary: Physicstubby

Phys-ics-tub-by [FIZ-iks-tuhb-bee] n.

1. A physics teacher, especially one using a video and/or other non-personal medium to instruct students; I was wondering why certain pipes can only support odd numbered harmonics, but once I watched the Physicstubbies I understood.
2. An alternate method of physics instruction based on the idea of leaving a child to watch a screen until he or she understands a concept

Alternate spelling: Fisixtubby

Mr. Giromini came into fisix class to make fun of Mr. Lyons for a picture he sent him of a guy wearing an iPad as a necklace. I believe the word they used was "bling." This wasn't the picture, but I think it's close enough:


Mr. Giromini said the real reason he was making fun of Mr. Lyons was not that he sent him the picture, but that he included the statement that if he had an iPad, this is what he would do with it. He said that he could have all sorts of cool stuff like music videos playing whenever he wanted. The discussion quickly turned to the possibility of recording lectures, then standing in front of the class to play it back. Like the Physicstubbies.

Some Fun and Out-of-Context Quotes Part XLII

Facebook Status: "Homework Sleepovers- the epitome of nerd-dom."
Reply: "I think skipping school to finish homework might be slightly worse xD"
-IA student facebooks on the great lengths taken to get homework done

"Hey, don't tell people class starts in two minutes when it doesn't!" - Lizzy on everyone being afraid of being late to Mr. Wolf's class
"But it DUD!" - Nilam on class starting in two minutes
"...I mean did..."- Nilan on self-correction

Pictures 'n' Stuff, Part VI

Some fun pictures in here, I think. And I really want that T-shirt.

I was hanging around The Cheezburger Network today, specifically Graph Jam, So Much Pun and Failbook. The first was introduced to me by Mr. Lyons, and the second reminded me of him. The third I just found for myself. The next four are a few personal favorites.









So true.




A friend linked to this on Facebook:

To what extent is calling an award the "Xerox Creativity Award" ironic? A conversation entirely in IBan

I finished my last ever IB exam yesterday, so I'm feeling somewhat reminiscent. When I think about it, I believe Mr. IB and I would get along very well, as counterintuitive as that sounds. I'll gladly say that I love the IB program, and I think it has had a profound impact on my thinking. I could go on nostalgically for quite some time but I think I'll skip ahead to today's topic, as nostalgia really isn't what it used to be.

My friend Brian B. (2011) recently posted as his Facebook status, "To what extent is calling an award the 'Xerox Creativity Award' ironic?" Apparently the award is presented to competitors in robotics competitions for unusual strategies and such. As I said, I was in an IB mood, so I decided to respond in IBan:

To the greatest extent possible, created by the possible excessive use of capital letters, the use of a brand name, and the clear contrast between the initial and penultimate words.

I must warn you that I am fluent in IBan.

Brian responded simply, "IBan sounds a lot like BS. It's just BS with IB words." Not about to give up, I countered with

It appears, given the limited length of the retort authored by [Brian's last name], that he is unaware of the full nature of the IBan language. This dramatic irony- created by the fact that most readers of said retort will have seen http://www.onlyatia.com/2008/05/iationary-eyebeean.html - is essential to the development of his message. This message is, (not to beg the question,) that he disagrees with the principles of the language.

The reader is then inclined to wonder how he would feel about Orwell's classic 1984, in which the opposite approach to language is employed. This juxtaposition of the simplified and and the complicated is key to [Brian's last name]'s disapproval, and only by understand [sic] these devices and [sic] a reader fully appreciate his intent.

Still not quite showing his full potential for writing in IBan, Brian said, "LMFAO. That just made my day. So IB...," to which I responded with two consecutive comments:

The author of this comment finds it necessary to clarify that the aforementioned point, "So IB..." ([Brian's last name] 2), is in fact the entire purpose of the language in question. He also must cite from his original comment that "I am fluent in IBan," ([My last name] 1) emphasizing that this point may be more potent after the previous demonstration.

followed by

He also, embarrassingly, must clarify that the concluding sentence in the second of his comments, above, was incorrectly rendered, and was meant to read, "...and only by understanding these devices can a reader fully appreciate his intent," ([My last name] 2).

Finally getting into it, Brian said:

The author of this comment agrees with [My last name]'s point in the previous comment that his claim of fluency in IBan "may be more potent after the previous demonstration" ([My last name] 3). He moves to admit [My last name] as [sic] fluent in IBan.

Me:

Upon closer inspection, this comment's purpose can be seen as twofold. On the one hand, it aims to thank the other participant in the current conversation for his appreciation of its author's proficiency in IBan while congratulating him on his own successful attempt thereof. This effect is created by his appreciative diction: he employs words such as "thank" ([My last name] 5) and "appreciative diction" ([My last name] 5).

On the other hand, the purpose of the comment can also be seen by the reader as a request for permission to publish the conversation of which it is a part on Only At IA, albeit with last names removed. This is evident in the author's sudden transition to a more inquiring diction, with phrases such as "request for permission" ([My last name] 5) and "inquiring diction" ([My last name] 5). Either way the reader chooses to interpret the comment's intent, its author does a masterful job of crafting his work, effectively conveying a multitude of messages while leaving only a slight trace of arrogance.

And finally Brian:

This comment's purpose can - like the comment to which it is a direct response - be seen as twofold. One function is to grant the request in [My last name]'s previous comment (to which this comment is a direct response) regarding the publishing of the conversation of which this comment and [My last name]'s comment are a part ([My last name] 5).

Another, equally important, function of this comment is to commend the extent to which [My last name] has successfully developed himself as self-centered and lacking humility through his tendency to quote himself even within a single sentence ([My last name] 5) and his precise diction, with which he provides himself opportunities to quote himself and thus develop himself as self-centered and lacking humility. [My last name]'s character development is quite masterful.

However the intent of this comment is interpreted, its author effectively conveys multiple messages in the language of IBan, which is an impressive achievement, as the author (at the time of the comment) is still learning IBan in the course IB IBan (a group 2 subject).

I decided to leave it at that for several reasons. The most prominent of these were that I wanted to get this post written in time to go to sleep at a semi-reasonable hour and that I was laughing too hard to think straight. Besides, I would inevitably get the last word in, as I get to write the post. I must say that I am impressed with Brian's analysis of my self-citations; it took me a couple of drafts to get the same-sentence self-references to work out just right. After an experience like this one - seeing how far we've both come - I find it much more believable that one must spend only four adult years in China to learn all the Chinese characters.

IAtionary: Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgaben-übertragungsgesetz

Rind-fleisch-e-ti-ket-tier-ungs-ü-ber-wach-ungs-auf-gab-en-ü-ber-trag-ungs-ge-setz [RINT-flaysh-eh-tih-keht-TEER-uhngz-oo*-behr-VACK**-uhngz-OUF-gah-behn-OO*-behr-trag-uhngz-geh-ZETS]*** n.

1. The German for "Cattle marking and beef labeling supervision duties delegation law," a law about cattle marking and beef labeling supervision duties delegation
2. Absolute, concrete proof that the German language is the single coolest sounding thing on the planet; A: I think German sounds kind of ugly.
B: It's not ugly, it's just guttural. I mean, Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz.
A: Wow, you're so right! Teach me more!

See also: Sind deine Verdaungsprobleme schlimmer geworden?

*English doesn't quite have the vowel ü (or else this wouldn't be funny), so click here for a better idea of how to pronounce it- try the sound sample.
**Please, don't actually say K. Click here if you're confused, and again, the sound sample is your friend.
***You can listen to the entire word here.

Sudheer dx

This was a teaser I posted on Only At IA's Facebook page a while ago. I found it on Mr. Majask's whiteboard. "What?" you ask. "Who's Fudheer?" Actually, poor, misinformed reader, the integral sign comes from the long S, which has all but disappeared but for its remnants found in the German ligature ß, which comes from the pairing ſʒ, ʒ being related to the modern letter s. Fire up.

Some Fun and Out-of-Context Quotes, Part XLI

I have no real witty comment at five thirty in the morning, so since the next quote to appear over there <--- will have to do with Star Trek, live long and prosper. Oh and for the record, Zefram Cochraine High School has nothing on IA. Now go read the new quote(s)...erm, I mean "Make it so, Number One."

"Since I tend to say stupid things it only seems logical for me to start listening for other people's stupidity."
-Marie N. on my invitation to join the OAIA task force

"I was conscious that entire class!"
-Anthony G. on misremembering fisix

"'Cause nothing says 'we care' like photocopies."
-Anthony G. on Kiss-A-Senior-Goodbye-Grams

"Monday we'll have a party."
-Mr. Stibitz on Friday being my last day

"Probably because you observed it."
-Mr. Lyons on Kavya's not understanding a college quantum physics course

"I give you three weeks."
-Mrs. Parliament on my resolution never to learn Klingon

"...Pregnant pause. Haha, don't say pregnant."
-Sra. on meaningful silences

"It gets kinda competitive. Like Survivor."
-SHS leader on college apps

"I don't want much, I just want the world."
-Sra. on being dedicated to SHS leadership

"Important, important, important. I'll look at all this important stuff later."
-Natalie K. on procrastination