We've been told many times that Dante Alighieri is without a doubt a genius. Why then does he have some of his characters speak in gibberish? The particular section in question is in Canto Seven, the First Line. Plutus speaks to the poets, saying "Papa Satan, Papa Satan, aleppy." In the notes for this Canto, Ciardi says that "Papa Satan" is likely a reference to "Il papa santo," (the Pope), making "Papa Satan" the Pope's opposite. This kind of word play is far beyond my comprehension and begs the question: Is gibberish a sign of utter stupidity or absolute genius?
When you check out Dictionary.com, a search for "gibberish" yields "meaningless or unintelligible talk or writing." In Freshman year I dated a girl whose mother and aunt had created their own language out of what seemed like gibberish. What I heard fit the above description, and yet the two sisters talked with what appeared to be absolute clarity. My girlfriend and I were in the back seat and she had a completely straight face, so I believed that I wasn't being fooled. Though I never asked what precipitated their need for a new language, I was fascinated by the exchanges I witnessed.
Pig Latin is a common example of gibberish that I've always had a huge amount of trouble with. For those of you who don't know, pig Latin manipulates words according to a set formula: the first syllable of a word is moved to the rear and an -ay is added; the rest of the word remains unchanged. Thus, the word "favorite" becomes"avoritefay." It's so confusing. My brain can't wrap around the speed at which some can speak this, and I need a minute or two to decode what it is that I'm hearing if I can decode it at all. Most of the time, it sounds like utter gibberish. Maybe you just need a different kind of mind in order to comprehend gibberish- neither smarter nor dumber, just different, more creative perhaps. Either way, I'll continue my struggle with pig Latin and wish all of you the best of luck too whether in a new language or just the Inferno.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Food, Family, and the Kitchen
Recently, I went with some friends to the local Taco Bell on the White Horse Pike. I'm sure you all know where I'm talking about. I've only been there one time before and decided to give it another try. I really stepped out of my comfort zone, ordering steak quesadillas instead of chicken. The food was all right, but, as I'm sure many of you who are familiar with "Living Mas," I prayed I wouldn't have any... adverse reactions.
Fortunately, I was fine, but this really got me thinking: Why on earth would I gamble with my stomach when I have perfectly good food at home? I continued thinking, about not only quality, but also price. Sure, fast food has a reputation of being both fast and cheap, but is it really? Let's take a second to examine that. I spent about $7 for a sub-par meal that hardly filled me. If I were to go with my family for fast food, we would likely spend upwards of $8-9 a person, because let's face it, you'll get more food if the 'rents are paying. For my family, that comes out to about $27 a person. When we go to Sam's Club or even Wegman's, we can get 3 pounds of incredible steak and a bag of potatoes for homemade fries, all of which would be absolutely fulfilling.
This brings me to my next point. Why don't more people cook at home? Home cooked meals often have a negative stigma attached, like having liver or Mom's got awful pot roast. But what if people took just a little more time to cook together or at least try to cook together. There are some of you out there who do cook at home together, and for that I applaud you. For those of you that don't, I recommend that you give it a whirl. You don't need generations-old family recipes or a dusty old cook book. Think of something you like, Google a recipe, and try it out with your family. It can't hurt and might bring you all closer.
Lastly, I've always been taught that the kitchen is the center of any home (we're able to eat in our kitchen and this is not a coincidence). You eat here, talk here, and clean up here, and I'm not talking about a dish-washer. We wash by hand I know we're closer as a result. Hand washing dishes gives us a chance to talk and simply be together.
Here's a suggestion for you guys: try it sometime, whether it's cooking, cleaning, or both. You may be pleasantly surprised with the results.
Fortunately, I was fine, but this really got me thinking: Why on earth would I gamble with my stomach when I have perfectly good food at home? I continued thinking, about not only quality, but also price. Sure, fast food has a reputation of being both fast and cheap, but is it really? Let's take a second to examine that. I spent about $7 for a sub-par meal that hardly filled me. If I were to go with my family for fast food, we would likely spend upwards of $8-9 a person, because let's face it, you'll get more food if the 'rents are paying. For my family, that comes out to about $27 a person. When we go to Sam's Club or even Wegman's, we can get 3 pounds of incredible steak and a bag of potatoes for homemade fries, all of which would be absolutely fulfilling.
This brings me to my next point. Why don't more people cook at home? Home cooked meals often have a negative stigma attached, like having liver or Mom's got awful pot roast. But what if people took just a little more time to cook together or at least try to cook together. There are some of you out there who do cook at home together, and for that I applaud you. For those of you that don't, I recommend that you give it a whirl. You don't need generations-old family recipes or a dusty old cook book. Think of something you like, Google a recipe, and try it out with your family. It can't hurt and might bring you all closer.
Lastly, I've always been taught that the kitchen is the center of any home (we're able to eat in our kitchen and this is not a coincidence). You eat here, talk here, and clean up here, and I'm not talking about a dish-washer. We wash by hand I know we're closer as a result. Hand washing dishes gives us a chance to talk and simply be together.
Here's a suggestion for you guys: try it sometime, whether it's cooking, cleaning, or both. You may be pleasantly surprised with the results.
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