WATCH OUT FOR FALLING MACHINERY

WHY AREN'T YOU WEARING A HARD HAT?

THIS AREA IS OFF-LIMITS

(Which means that NOTHING WORKS YET!)

(Well, maybe SOME things, but don't tell the boss!)
(We desperately need the hours!)




Lazy Writer here. Looking for direction? Searching for that perfect pursuit to keep your mind in tip-top shape? I won't say "look no further"—always look further!—but if I can't pull something off my shelves to interest you, I'll eat my cat.


Hat. Hat.


Now then. A few simple questions should help my pinpoint forecast of your learning future. Which of the following—


Hey, wait—I'm just here for the coffee.

. . . .

Learning new things is better for your brain than caffeine is. Trust me.

Still, if you're only here for fun and games, I'll assume that you're already on your own personal Journey of Discovery . . . and that you dropped by because your brain needed a breather. In that case, feel free to hang out! Mi casa es su casa. Take time to relax in my:
Rec Room
Video games, board games, card games, and other active fun.
Home Theatre
Music, movies, television shows, and other passive viewing.
Gym
Mostly inline skating and some tips on weight loss and muscle gain.
Exercise is good for the brain! Even a little walking helps.
Library (Lighter Reading section)
Heartfelt tales, poetry, amusing anecdotes, and plenty of jokes.
I do read comic books, comic strips, and sprite comics, and this is where I keep 'em.
Kitchen
Plenty of food from around the world. Recipes as well.
Also some recommended appliances that will ease your kitchen duties.

Back on topic. Anyone here who actually does want to learn something? Or at least peruse the options?

Okay then. So tell me, which of the following most closely represents your current search?

...Wait a minute, who's been in here messing with my notes?!


. . . . . .



Wait, wait, wait, I think I got it. Let's try that again: Which of the following most closely represents your current search?
I have need to learning English language before Visa to expire. Please to help me!

I got English down...I'm more interested in the alternatives.

Time to move beyond language to the realm of logical thought.

Creation lies at the very core of humanity.

I haven't a clue what I need, but I sure know I need it.


If you don't think that covers what you're looking for, think again:

How to Cope With the English Language

Although my major focus is on the spelling system, I take time to improve your vocabulary and even coach a little on grammar. Not only is this good for ESL students, but even native-born speakers of English can find something either useful or humorous within these pages.

Yup, that's the one for me!

Gengo Crossroads: March of the Polyglots

. . . okay, just Gengo Crossroads. Gengo is the Japanese word for language, and this is a language learning hub, designed to discern your language needs and point you down the proper path. Although I discuss my experience with the individual languages, most of the resources aren't on my page, but they are good sites that I found useful in various ways.

As there are plenty of free resources to choose from, I don't point out paid services unless they're really important (or the only choice available). (Same applies to sources that require you to register.)

Now, the Gengo Crossroads cover those languages which have, for one reason or another, appealed to me at some point, in more than a "someday I'd like to learn a click language" fashion. My Indo-European bookcase is stuffed until the sides bulge out. My other language bookcase . . . not so full. Still, I range a bit: Finnish, Fijian, Tagalog, Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese. And, of course, American Sign Language. (I'd have info on Japanese Sign Language if I could find the info. So far I know four signs (I/me, buy, sell, and older brother).) I expect to have some info on Indian languages eventually.

At any rate . . . this list is hardly exhaustive, but it pulls together the necessary resources to learn more than a dozen good, mainstream languages and a few less common ones. Not to mention some information about constructed languages (which includes redirects to my Craft section, wherein you can learn to make your own conlang), with special attention paid to the three most influential conlangs: Esperanto, Quenya, and Klingon (yes, I do make unsubstantiated claims a lot—exercise your brain and try to pick them out).

Wow, the world of language sounds exciting!

Three Paths Meet

The Trivium, from the Latin word for (roughly) crossroads, is the study of three branches of learning. These can be applied broadly at an abstract level across all fields, or applied specifically at a concrete level in the study of any subject. The three fields are called Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric. In other environments we might call them:
Basically, you take isolated bits of data, assemble them into categories and deduce some rules about how they interact, and then use that information to predict how experiements will turn out (and, by extention, make good decisions about which experiments to actually try).

Since the Trivium forms the basis for all other learning, and since it's such a wide-reaching subject with nigh infinite application, you can't exhaust the subject and you can always learn something by returning to it. The Trivium is guaranteed to improve your ability to think . . . at least, if you put some effort into thinking in the first place.

A course in logical thought sounds most appropriate, Captain.

Step Up to Craft

Once you've taken it all in—and, often, while you're still in the middle of your own search—you may find that it's time to take what you know and show it to the world (or at least a small portion of it). This is where Creation comes in, and Craft is the skill needed to make a Worthy Creation. (Don't get too concerned about Worth just yet: That bugbear is behind all the failed Creators in the world, who looked so fervently for signs of skill that, finding none, they gave up, and moaned that their skills weren't equal to the task—when in fact all they needed was practice.)

Worthy Creation, the crafting of a masterpiece that is valuable enough to last through generations, that is the aim. And I . . .

I cover:
Writing
Tips and Tricks
In the form of poetry and lyrics, prose (short story, YA novel, novel, and series), play, screenplay, article, and fanfic.
Game Programming
Game engines, code, and the best sites for resources.
Art
Mostly drawing in various forms: manga and comic books, comic strips, jigsaw puzzles, and brush calligraphy.
Conlanging (constructed languages)
What to aim for, and how to get there.

I do need a little help . . . or at least inspiration.

Traveler Seeking Wisdom

If you're looking for answers to life, the universe, and everything, don't believe that lying Hitchhiker's Guide. I can show you a book much more suited to dishing out the answers, provided you're willing to read it. The author couldn't be better qualified to approach the topic, and the book itself is a fascinating read, as is more than evident in the sheer level of its world-wide popularity.

But, if the book doesn't appeal to you, there's a few other things I'd like to ask you, and maybe we can still have a sort of dialog on the topic.

Yes, this humble traveler seeks entrance . . . .

If These Fail to Catch Your Interest . . .

. . . I may still have you pegged:

Either you have all the resources you need to find better resources than this sorry website . . .

. . . or you haven't learned enough to appreciate valuable information when you find it.


(Since you read this far down the page, I can assume your key issue isn't laziness. Might be procrastination, especially if you're reading this at work.)

Whatever the case, I'm sure you can find more things of interest at Wikipedia (but let that be the beginning, not the end, of your search!).

Family Only

I have a new section open for direct communication with my family. People outside my family are not welcome unless specifically invited. The section is found right here.
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

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