#and to talking about doing my dissertation

[elephantlovemedleys]

just received my results this morning, and i am very happy to say that i officially have a master’s degree in medieval history !!!!!!

[official-linguistics-post]

on reconstruction and historical linguistics

to follow up on today's reblog, i want to comment briefly on the apparent misapprehension that linguistic reconstruction is just guesswork with a fancy name, because that's not accurate!

reconstruction is based on specific, well-attested constraints of linguistic development. we know from centuries of investigation that languages tend to change in predictable ways. we also have a decent understanding of the complexities introduced by phenomena like language contact, which can result in borrowing on multiple structural levels. our methods are well established and borne out by evidence.

comparative reconstruction involves applying these known constraints ("rules") in reverse on a collected body of words in related descendant languages. when possible, we also incorporate historical written evidence, which often provides midpoint references for changes in progress. it is always recognized by historical linguists that reconstruction can be imperfect; we cannot know what information has been lost.

the results of reconstruction can be mixed, but i'll let campbell (2013:144) explain:

How Realistic are Reconstructed Proto-languages? The success of any given reconstruction depends on the material at hand to work with and the ability of the comparative linguist to figure out what happened in the history of the languages being compared. In cases where the daughter languages preserve clear evidence of what the parent language had, a reconstruction can be very successful, matching closely the actual spoken ancestral language from which the compared daughters descend. However, there are many cases in which all the daughters lose or merge formerly contrasting sounds or eliminate earlier alternations through analogy, or lose morphological categories due to changes of various sorts. We cannot recover things about the proto-language via the comparative method if the daughters simply do not preserve evidence of them. In cases where the evidence is severely limited or unclear, we often make mistakes. We make the best inferences we can based on the evidence available and on everything we know about the nature of human languages and linguistic change. We do the best we can with what we have to work with. Often the results are very good; sometimes they are less complete. In general, the longer in the past the proto-language split up, the more linguistic changes will have accumulated and the more difficult it becomes to reconstruct with full success. (emphasis mine)

or, to quote labov's (1982:20) pithier if less optimistic approach:

Historical linguistics may be characterized as the art of making the best use of bad data, in the sense that the fragments of the literary record that remain are the results of historical accidents beyond the control of the investigator.

in sum, historical linguists are very realistic about what we can achieve, but the confidence we do have is genuinely well earned, because linguistics is a scientific field and we treat our investigations with rigor.

---

Campbell, Lyle. 2013. Historical Linguistics: An Introduction. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Labov, William. 1982. "Building on Empirical Foundations." In Perspectives on Historical Linguistics. Winifred P. Lehmann and Yakov Malkiel, eds. Pp. 17-92. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

[leonardcohenofficial]

i am in regular contact with my rabbi who is sponsoring my conversion and so many of the people i was in community with at the synagogue i attended in california and i watch services and i take my study really seriously and also it really has been so hard being far away from the synagogue and community that was so welcoming to me for so much of my time in grad school

[sword-wielding-sapphic]

I just need to inform you nerds about absolute madlad academic Joseph Brennan

most notably, he wrote a paper about a queer reading of Mordred in BBC Merlin which heavily cites his own (poorly photoshopped) pornographic slash manips

but he also edited a whole book about queerbaiting, including chapters about: Supernatural, Xena Warrior Princess, One Direction RPF, Supergirl, and the fucking Johnlock Conspiracy

all the rest of his work is about gay porn

I fucking love academia

[fstarnd1sco]

my favourite detail about viktor's flashback is the fact that his cane is too small for him

its not much, just a few inches too short, as canes are meant to the level of one's hip and his is right above it. a cane user also should be able to flex his elbow at a 20-30° angle (MD R. K., 1995), which he absolutely cannot do, and their wrist should be creased so the palm of the hand can rest comfortably. ideally, canes are measured and fitted to the user with a formula that takes into account both arm length and height

i dont think he developed spinal "problems" (for the lack of a more concrete term) that caused him to get spinal implants and use a back brace because of a too short cane, but it surely contributed

and i like this detail because it tells you a little something about his character, it encourages you to create your hypothesis, maybe he was growing and he could not afford to replace his cane, maybe he was stretching it out as much as he could. he has been probably using that cane for years now and you can see how it was obviously meant to be used by a smaller child AND also while we are at it

it is hand made, its a stick with a handle built into it, and the base just doesn't exist. makes you wonder.... who built it? maybe one of his parents was also an inventor, maybe they were good at building.... i dunno, maybe they built it for him

it just says so much about him, about his background, and it also creates this tragic picture of this kid with a cane that is meant to be used by someone smaller.... maybe he hasn't realised he has grown, or maybe he doesn't want to acknowledge it because he knows he cannot afford a new cane, maybe thats scary for him, i dunno

— R. K. (1995). Methods for estimating the proper length of a cane. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. url

[supercantaloupe]

did u ever end up pursuing musicology and if so can u talk a bit about that decision !! debating getting a phd in the field

answer under the cut bc this got long winded and is very rambly. tldr: if you're passionate about the field i say go for it But make sure you know why you want the degree/what you want to do with it, and make sure it makes sense for you financially to do so

i did, in fact at this point i have finished all my degree requirements so i can unofficially say i have a masters in musicology now. the reason it's not official yet is because i haven't graduated, because i'm doing a dual degree program with library and information science, so i need to finish the degree requirements for that too before i can completely finish next spring, at which point i will officially earn both masters degrees. but as for my actual musicology coursework, i'm done; i passed all my required and elective classes as well as my comprehensive exams.

several things went into my decision to pursue graduate education in musicology. i liked my university in undergrad, and was lucky enough that they still offered a masters program in musicology by the time i applied*, and luckier still that they offered a dual degree program with LIS. and on top of that, i applied to and got a fellowship with the university which would allow me to work in exchange for most of my tuition plus a stipend. so the factors for my decision were:

i would be able to stay at the same university, and not have to uproot my life to move somewhere else to continue studying. good bc i liked my professors and my social circle and the city and the educational and recreational opportunities here, even if (like any school) there are things left to be desired here.

i would be able to study both something i was really passionate about but not particularly lucrative/financially reliable (musicology) at the same time as something i'm not particularly passionate about but still interested in/suited for and very professionally relevant/teaches a lot of transferrable skills (LIS)

i would be able to earn two masters degrees at a (mostly) leisurely pace with a guaranteed job during that time for very little money out of pocket.

nearing the end of my program now, i think i made the right call for myself, considering my options. i don't think i could really make a confident recommendation for someone else though since my experience is so unique and specific. like, my university doesn't offer this program anymore. i don't think there are many similar programs at other universities either, though certainly there are schools with both musicology and LIS programs (and certainly ones that are beefier than mine). but for me, i think it was the right call. i really love studying musicology (music history in particular), and while i can write a good research paper when i put my mind to it, i don't have the natural curiosity and drive required to make a full-time career in research, publishing, and teaching. which is, in my estimation, about the only thing that a phd in musicology is really good for -- and why i'm planning on stopping with my masters. (plus, by graduation, i'll have been at the same university for seven years in a row. i need a break😓.) a bonus for me of the way my dual degree is structured is that i didn't have to write a thesis; and while i'm sure i could have written a respectable musicology thesis, i didn't have a burning topic ready to go, which is often the hardest part for me when doing a research project, and, well, i just didn't need to, so i didn't. in hindsight, given how tough my first two years of grad school have been (both for reasons within and without my control), i'm glad to have had that extra requirement off my shoulders.

at any rate, my end career goal isn't to be a full time researcher or a professor (which i'd need the phd for anyway). i would much rather work hands-on in performing arts management/administration, or as a music librarian, either as a reference and cataloging specialist at an academic or special research library, or (ideally!) as a performance librarian with an ensemble or theater company. ultimately what unlocked musicology for me as a viable and attractive graduate education path for me was the discovery that there are in fact jobs outside of academia where you can apply specialist musicology knowledge, especially ones that involve a hands-on role in the world of performance.

(i learned this from talking to an oboist-turned-archivist at a major professional orchestra, and i still think about that long conversation we had that completely opened my eyes about what to do after my bachelor's. i didn't have a clue until about senior year, and i don't know where i'd be now if i hadn't gotten a chance to hear from her and about her journey.)

all this to say, i'm glad to have had the opportunity to get my MA in musicology where, when, and how i did (though i know there would have been different, in some cases better, opportunities had i studied at a school with a bigger -- well, alive -- musicology program). but that's because i'm not just doing musicology, i'm doing something else that will help me better ensure that i won't starve for want of a paycheck once i graduate at the same time, and i'm doing it in a time and place where i'm lucky enough to have financial support to do so in the form of my fellowship (which is also granting me three years of lucrative job experience in another area!). were the circumstances different -- if i had to pay entirely out of pocket, if there was no dual degree program, if i had to move halfway across the country to continue my education -- i don't know that i would have gone for the MA at all. i'm not sure what else i would have done, to be fair, but that's just kind of how hindsight works i suppose

would i recommend it for anyone else? i don't know. musicology, especially at the level of academia, is a subject that i think is only made up of the passionate. it's certainly not the world's most lucrative career path. but if you're really passionate about it then you can't help but be drawn to it, and i understand that. i'm the same way. how else would i have ended up getting a masters in it? but unless your end goal is to be a professor, who researches and publishes and teaches full time, i'm not sure what the value is in a phd. unless it's a personal pride thing, in which case, that is a lot of work and time and money for personal pride but more power to you if that's your thing, i think that's dope. but if a phd isn't going to make a measurably positive impact on your life, i would say to pause and think very hard before committing to it. plus, nothing's stopping you from reaching out to local universities and music schools and seeing if they'll let you take classes as a non-degree student, if you're still interested in learning/studying without the whole degree. (or even non-local universities. some places offer online classes you can take from anywere.)

*they did close the program on me in the middle of my application though. my professors had to petition the dean to grandfather me in. it was a whole thing 😭

[psychhound]

how early is too early to start talking about a game youre developing? like if im working on a Big Project that is years away from an ashcan do i gotta keep that to myself for a while or can i stop chewing all my furniture and constantly bothering my loved ones

[al-mayriti]

Noting that I went to a catholic high school in the midwestern US, I would say that between 30-40% of my classmates followed a life path similar to the following (so not even half, but still a significant amount):

1) Age 18-21: start dating someone in uni

2) Age 22/23: get a job shortly after graduation (or have one already organized, probably from a summer internship while in uni)

3) Age 22-24: get engaged to your uni bf/gf within a year of graduating, once you both have jobs basically

4) Age 23-26: wedding within a year or two of getting engaged, also buy a house if you have that kind of money lol

5) 9 months to 1 year after wedding (so 24-26 generally): baby!

I think it's important to note that this culture is able to continue because many college-educated young USAmericans are able to get a decent job very soon after graduating, which speeds up the rest of the process quite a bit. For people who are not able to get a job quickly, or who choose to do further studies, add on a few years. (And for people who don't go to uni, subtract a few!)

yeah i was gonna say, the only thing i envy of that is the getting a job so early and easy lol. i think that's also the main difference or why people aren't married so early here. in my experience (note that i went to a private upper class school so almost everyone went to university and pretty much everyone is employed right now except me lol)

1) 18-23. uni. a bunch of them were dating before uni, others during, some after, you know how it goes. and also a lot of them didn't date (like me).

2) 23-25. finishing uni, doing a master's degree, and or living abroad (usually to work).

3) 25-26. come back to spain and work here, or finished studying and got a job. they start dating seriously.

4) 26-28. if they've been dating for a while, engagement. if not, they continue the grind. if they live abroad especially which is honestly more than half of my circle rn they won't want to get engaged until they come back or decide to stay in the other country (normally their partner is from there).

5) 28-30. this is the future for me so i'm just speculating, but here is marriage + baby for those who can afford it. keep in mind most of us this age are still living with our parents so. that's another thing to have in mind.

more or less that's the idea here. you first want to have a stable job, then a stable house, and then you can start thinking about proposing and weddings and kids. and that doesn't happen soon.

[gayness-and-mayhem]

I'm supposed to be doing a talk to some of my students in a couple of months about Star Trek and the origins of fanfiction, and I quite honestly don't know where tf to even start. If anyone has any idea suggestions/good places for me to do some more in depth research, I'd be really grateful, bc ngl, I'm slightly overwhelmed by the whole thing!

[bogkeep]

in the most recent patreon exclusive bonus episode of the very good podcast "if books could kill" michael hobbes has a very long tangent about a separate book he read for research (manhood in the making by david d gilmore) which is like, an anthropological study in what manhood means in various cultures across the world, and I Need This Book So Bad. i crave anthropological analysis of socially constructed gender roles in non-western cultures. but i must be patient. i found this book on a swedish bookstore but at the cost of too much money for a single book, and for a much more agreeable price on a norwegian bookstore - but they only ship to norway. in two months i will return. surely i can wait to months. i shall be so good and so patient

[ahalliance]

how do i turn qantoine’s spontaneous marriage proposal to qetoiles into evidence of his early-days fear of qfrench drifing away and keeping secrets from one another

[sanddusted-wisteria]

Qi and names

A really, really random thing I've been noticing as I'm doing a second playthrough: Qi almost never calls anyone by just their name. Unless he's talking directly to someone, he almost always uses a title or a stand-in...nickname? Epithet? Not sure what to call it.

[VERY long post below, contains some act 2 and mild act 3 spoilers]

Grace: The frycook

Elsie: The rancher's daughter/ranch girl

[pardon the text mine, i don't have screenshots of some of the act 3 quotes and it's not up on the wiki yet]

Catori: The entrepreneur

Justice: The sheriff

Also combined with Unsuur: The lawmen

Pen: The homunculus man

Yan: "Your director"

X: The bird

Bronco the Kid: "The person seeking Logan"

Pablo: "Our local barber"

Here are the ones with titles:

Trudy: Mayor Trudy (but also sometimes just "Mayor" or even "Trudy")

Fang: Dr. Fang

Nia: Assistant Nia

You/the builder: Earlier in the game/at lower relationship levels, he'll only call you "Builder". But later on, he'll always use your builder's name.

(at Buddy level)

(at Good Friend level)

And last but not least, those who Qi always refers to by name:

Mint (but he also calls him Sleepyhead, of course)

Zeke

Logan

Matilda (though she's only ever referred to once and she's been de facto stripped of her minister title at this point, so I'll gloss over her)

So uh...what's the takeaway? Well, I think it's an insight to Qi's idea of respect. All the people in the first section have nicknames, which are mostly light jabs at their character/job.

Contrast to the people in the second and third sections. If they have an established title of authority, he'll use it. And for those he refers to by name directly, it's someone he personally respects. Think about it:

Trudy is the mayor, the highest authority in town (and also probably singlehandedly responsible for his funding lol)

Qi's no quiet admirer of Fang's work, as shown by their few interactions

He respects Zeke as a fellow man of science, and a very persistent one at that

Nia is part of academia, advised by a reputable professor

Mint is obvious; he's his closest friend

And you! Take another look at his dialogue with you as it progresses through the main quest, especially after you build the mobile suit. He comes to respect you and your work.

Logan is an interesting exception, but I picked the above quote for a reason. I think he knows straight off the bat that the Logan situation is more complicated than other people say, and he sympathizes with him a little bit (even though he'll promptly hole himself up again and keep working after any Logan event happens).

I made another very long post a while back that touched on why Qi insists on being called "Director" all the time, and I think that's only compounded by this. It's a golden rule type situation, yk? You respect his titles, work, and time, and he'll do the same to you.

ETA: you could also interpret this as Qi viewing people as their occupations first. He's not the most sociable person in town, and he'd like to keep it that way (maybe). So he keeps a veneer of over-professionalism on by default.

[iamthepulta]

i did it u_u

[springcatalyst]

its honestly impressive how every single person employed by this university is a useless stupid cunt

[intravi]

Pea you always have such top tier Leon commentary. Patiently and enthusiastically awaiting your Leon dissertation because i KNOW it's gonna rearrange my brain 🙏

WAH 🥺 recently I’ve been replaying the game and feeling all sorts of things about him again. I feel really intensely and there’s a lot of layer and depth to his character that is meant to fool the viewer, since he’s a persona not only meant to be consumed by the people of Galar but by YOU 🫵 he is posed and introduced to YOU!!!! US!! As an insurmountable goal that we must pass! As a goal we may strive for and never reach! I feel that a lot of people somehow simply forget that fact and peeling that back makes for such an interesting read. Here, have a snippet from a rough draft

[meezer]

IT'S OFFICIAL. I'M DOING MY THESIS ON VIDEO GAMES