Final Exam: Salon

   Well, it has been great fun. Really. Knowledge is amazing and powerful. Thank you so much for all off your input. Bittersweet. Anyway, here is my essay. Enjoy:

Salon notes.

Here are my notes:

Research Paper Update

As I have been working on my essay it has been kind of difficult to find an arguable claim considering dictionaries, as outlined in Dr. Burtons thesis powerpoint. I was although, able to connect it quite easily to the learning outcomes. In looking through the outcomes for a connection, the third one, communicating knowledge, basically popped out at me. The words preserved, communicated, and experienced seemed to help define my stance on the dictionary and the different things I have learned historically and personally.

Just for Fun

In doing research for my bibliography on dictionaries I was able to come upon some "low" and "cant" words, or in other words, slang or jargon words. They were recorded by Samuel Johnson and help to show his personality and writing style, which can prove to be difficult when writing a dictionary.
Here are some interesting words:
Dandiprat: a little fellow; a urchin; a word used sometimes in fondness, sometimes in contempt.
To conjobble: to settle, to discuss. A low cant word.
Clodplate: a stupid fellow; a dolt; a thickscull.
Kicksey-wicksey: a made word in disdain or ridicule of a wife.
To phog: to rob; to steal; a low word.

Unit Four: Printed Knowledge and the History of Dictionaries.

In thinking of what topic to use for my bibliography I thought of the different printed knowledge resources that I use. I found that not a day goes by in which I don't use a dictionary. Either to check my spelling or to make sure I'm using my words right.
While doing research I stumbled upon this quote which I thought was a pretty accurate intro into my topic.

"No reference book, perhaps no book of any kind except the Bible, is so widely used as "the dictionary."'

Pretty cool stuff.
So the research part was surprisingly fun. I was a little nervous to use printed resources as it was something I had never done before. It was interesting to see the little things you miss when actually going and doing the research physically. Actually turning the pages or cross referencing certain books and having to search shelves and follow library jargon. The library doesn't seem as daunting anymore and yet it's amazing to consider all the knowledge it holds on its shelves.
A fun thing to be able to do was read the book, search it's footnotes, and then find that referenced book. It made it easier to see how interrelated certain aspects of knowledge are and to be able to actually use the same books that authors used in their research. It also helped to create a sort of timeline as different authors from different times built upon eachother.
Another things to observe that I remembered from class discussions was the affect that highlighting or written notes had on the book. I found that I was drawn to the important parts, which was a help, while at the same time, I felt as if I might be overlooking things as my eyes would automatically be drawn to already highlighted portions. It definitely has its pros and cons.
 Anyway, here goes my bibliography on the history of dictionaries.

"For passage over the water, there is a bridge"





Our Rosetta Stone was composed of balsa wood, bamboo leaves, brush and india ink, and twine. Our language included English, Sanskrit, and Ogham. It was definitely interesting to see the contrast and difference among these languages and civilizations as they came together, and also somwhat easy to see why each civilization used the medium they did (also factor in what was available to them).

Overall, the process of bringing the factors of each civilization together made for some cool experiences and thought progressions.

Pokatok

"The ball game was literally a matter of life and death for ancient Mesoamericans." This sentence is true of the game Pokatok, played by the ancient Mayans. I remember seeing this game (stop at 3:40)  in the DreamWorks film The Road to Eldorado. While it presented it in a comical and not all together true way, it still remained to intrigue me. I remember later watching a Mayan documentary while in a Spanish class and became further interested in the the Mayans culture and customs. Because of this small amount of information I had of them, it was enough to whet my appetite so I decided to expand it and learn about their popular ballgame: Pokatok.

March to the beat of your own drum

Last night I was taught how to play the drums. It wasn't like any normal jam session which would include a legitimate drum set and sticks but one where I was able to learn how to go to the basics of drumming by learning and creating beats and rhythms.

With our humble array of pots, pans, tupperware, and spoons as sticks, my lessons began. My personal opinion on drums always seemed to be that anyone who could create a beat could play the drums. And while this is somewhat true, there are definitely more to drums than simply banging on a drum to your own beat. There are various rhythms and techniques used in so many different ways. For instance, the basic beat my willing teacher Elyse taught me was: "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and." While hitting one drum consistenly with that pattern, I was to hit a different drum on beats 1 and 3 by "double drumming" (Drums). Being a former piano student, I thought that I would be able to easily carry a beat with these drums but as we went on I realized that it takes much focus and more than simply rhythm and the ability to count. One has to be able to understand which drums you're hitting, the noise it creates, the speed that sounds the best. It is much more complex than I realized, and yet so simple at the same time.

Drums have been around for centuries. While there have been many guesses as to when it began, it is impossible to place the date of emergence of this basic talent. It's utility in different cultures has varied greatly as centuries pass and societies change. Today in society, drums are largely used for music and dancing, yet in older cultures, it was used for things as important as warfare where drums were used as signals for soldiers and to impose fear on the enemy (Cadre). Drums and their various uses have created a universal organization of sound that stems from one drum or a whole group of drums. They come with the ability to be played by musicians to mere common folk who enjoy tapping their feet to the beat of any song.

In learning about these drums through folk knowledge I have gained more appreciation for folk knowledge and the insights it gives once one becomes aware of what folk knowledge is and it's incredible effects. It teaches you so much about the how and when of learning as well as the different outcomes of it because of its influences.

By learning this skill, I can somewhat appreciate and pick out drums and beats within songs or even the simple beat to someone walking down the street. It helped me to realize that music is everywhere, in pots and pans, in falling raindrops, and nearly in every action that creates a sound. All in all I had great fun banging on the various pots and pans from my cupboards and learning how to create a beat from my own homemade drums.

Sources:

(Cadre): http://www.cadre-online.ca/drumhistory.html

(Drums): http://penz4.tripod/historyofdrums.html

Image #3: http://www.afrikayadrums.co.uk/page14.php

Twirling Baton

As embarrassing as it may sound, and look for that matter, I used to twirl baton. You may usually hear from your friends how their parents enrolled them in gymanstics, basketball, or piano lessons. And while I participated in a few of those activites, my main focus was baton twirling. I would perform at fairs, in pageants, community events, all while wearing hand-sewn crushed velvet and sequenced outfits with frilly skirts and fringe. Yeah, I was a big deal. So I gathered up a few of my roommates, grabbed my baton case, and tried to teach them how big of a deal I was.

Preserving Knowledge

In my family, as our garden becomes plentiful with fruit and vegetables each season, we gather our jars of all sizes, clear the counter off, put on our aprons, and prepare for the day or week full of canning and preserving.



As this ritual is performed each year, I learn something new every time. I learn from watching my mother slice the cucumbers or cook the tomatos. Or having her tell me the best way to peel the peaches. At my young age, going through this process was simply habitual and something to expect, I understood the "how" of canning, but not yet the "why." As I grew though, I began to realize more the "why" part of the procedure. We did it to build up our food storage, and preserve our food.

Looking into the history of canning and bottling, some reasons my family has for our actions remains the same throughout history. In reading more of the history, canning and bottling came about in the early 1800's when the French were trying to find an effective way to preserve food in order to feed their armies. The government offered and award of 12,000 francs to whoever invented the said method. Nicholas Appert then discovered a way to preserve food by placing the food in an air tight jar with and unbroken seal to prevent the growing of bacteria. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canning)
As time progressed, so did the quality of canning and bottling. Households and factories started to create more effective ways of preserving food. And it all stemmed from the basis idea of Nicholas Appert. Those who watched him create this preserving method continued it and found ways to improve the system, which then created a chain reaction that lead us all the way to canned goods that can be bought in a grocery with a shelving date that may outlive us.

It is always interesting to see the progression of ideas and inventions that stem from necessity. Because there was a need, someone found a way to create and from there, others found ways to constantly be passing on the information and constantly improving the way canning and preserving is done. As I grow up and have kids, I hope to pass along the knowledge that I have learned from my mom about canning and preserving food and maybe even improve the way that I carry out the work. It is a folk knowledge that didn't just start from my mom, but from a man in the 1800's who saw a need and addressed it.