Today's car ride home thoughts...
'Warn' is a weird word. It's very difficult to say. Well, maybe not difficult, but a little awkward. "Wawrn"...if I were going to make up a word, this is not the collection of letters and sound I'd settle upon.
'Warn' and 'Worn' are the exact same sounds, but are spelled differently. Why is that? Why not just make them homonyms? "He went to worn them that the troops were coming." Works just fine.
Is there a special name for words that sound the same, but have different meanings?
Later that evening (and by later, I mean 15 minutes ago)...
Yes, there is a word for that: Homophone. Duh, similar sounds, but that's not what I was looking for. 'Bear' and 'Bare', yeah yeah, I get it- same sounds. But there must be something for words that sound the same AND have different meanings.
Jackpot. Heterographs. According to "The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Writing Systems", a heterograph is "A differentiation in spelling that distinguishes different meanings of homophonous words or phrases." Yes! Was this something I learned back in the day but have since forgotten? Hmmm...it doesn't ring a bell. I remember homonyms. And homophones. And technically speaking they're (their, there!) all under the same umbrella; part of the same family. It's possible, I just don't remember.
The Spelling Society. A society for spelling. A smidge dorky, but they must have some thoughts...a ha! (kind of an interesting read)
"The misused word is heterograph. Many dictionaries seem to be unsure of its use, so they omit this word. These are: Thorndike-Barnhart, Murray's Shorter Oxford, 1955, Winston, Century, Collier's. Most of those that do list the word, give only a definition similar to that of the American College Dict.: "Heterography. a spelling different from current usage." Only 3 give the complete (albeit partly erroneous) definition: Webster's Collegiate says (and Webster's New International slavishly copies it). "Heterography. a spelling differing from standard current usage. b. spelling in which the same letters represent different sounds in different words or syllables, as in current English orthography, g as in get, and in ginger." Funk & Wagnals says: "Heterography. 1. orthography in which the same letter represents different sounds in different words or syllables, as c in camp and cent. 2. spelling varying from the standard. 3. heterophemy. a. relating to or characterized by heterography." Apparently none of these three tried to analyze the word "heterograph" to see if it was intended to mean what they say it does. Even a rudimentary knowledge of Latin should tell a person: "different writing," not "different sound." If so many dictionaries are confused, omissive or incomplete, how can the general public be expected to have a clear conception of the meaning of these words? Who should be considered responsible for these words being confused or deceitful? - the dictionary makers?, the teachers?"
Maybe I didn't learn this word back in the day. If the dictionaries struggle to grasp its meaning, I probably missed it somewhere along the way as well. I claim ignorance.
But after reading that article I'm still a little confused by one line: "[Heterographs] are not considered to be homophones." I'm struggling with this. I read both definitions for heterographs and homophones given by the article...and I understand why homophones are not heterographs...but why can't heterographs be considered homophones? I mean, "The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Writing Systems" uses homophones (okay, "homophoneous") in its definition for heterographs.
And then there's still the matter heteronyms and heterophones...
Ah!!!!
Any help getting my mind around all this would be greatly appreciated. I'm actually very impressed you're still reading this post.
'Warn' and 'worn'...stupid words that are consuming my Friday evening.
~Mikey D
I watched an HBO special the other night on the “Broad Street Bullies”, the moniker given to the Philadelphia Flyers hockey teams from the early 70’s. I had heard of them, but never really knew much about them (Bobby Clark was their star player…and that’s about it). But after watching that special, that was some group. They literally beat the shit out of their opponents. They were one of the first teams that brought guys in specifically for toughness. Remember the create-a-player option in NHL Hitz, and how you could make a defenseman an “enforcer”? Yeah, I’m pretty sure that term originated from the Broad Street Bullies.
It was actually a pretty smart strategy. The team was never as skilled as some of the others in the league at the time, so they had to do something to get the other teams off their game. So they used intimidation- and it worked. When they infused more talented players, like Bobby Clark, their style of play led to back-to-back Cup wins in the mid-70’s. They also became one of the most villainous teams in the league at the time, as they pretty much rewrote the record book on penalty minutes by individuals and by a team (I think the records still stand to this day). Those teams made the Red Wings-Aves rivalry games look like pussy shit. At the same time, the team opened the door for guys like Bob Probert to have long and successful careers in the league.
But one thing the special made me realize was that I know very little about hockey history. I had tons of misconceptions and wrong information about the early NHL. Here’s some things I learned…that I had no idea about. Did you know these things?
1) While it’s true Detroit is an original six team, before there was this:
There was this:
And this:
Did you know Detroit’s team names were the “Cougars” and “Falcons” before they became the Red Wings?
2) Speaking of the original six that is a bit of a misnomer. When the league was founded in 1917, there were two Montreal teams (one being the Canadiens), one Toronto team (the Arenas…later renamed the Maple Leafs), one Quebec team (the Bulldogs) and the Ottawa Senators. It wasn’t until 1924 that the Bruins came into being, and were joined in 1926 by Detroit, Chicago, and New York. By 1926, the league consisted of these teams:
-Montreal Canadiens
-Montreal Maroons
-Toronto St. Patricks
-Ottowa Senators
-New York Americans
-Pittsburgh Pirates
-New York Rangers
-Chicago Blackhawks
-Detroit Cougars
Original six? There was a team in Pittsburgh and New York before the Wings, Rangers, and Blackhawks got going! Did you know?
3) By 1967, however, the original six that we know are the only teams left standing (I’m assuming that’s when they were coined the “original six”). This really caught me by surprise; I always thought there were more teams in the league at this point. In 1967, six teams were brought in to bring the league total to twelve. Before looking below, can you guess who they were?
-Philadelphia Flyers
-Pittsburgh Penguins
-St. Louis Blues
-Minnesota North Stars
-Los Angeles Kings
-California Seals
I always thought the St. Louis Blues had been around a lot longer, I don’t know why. And the same with the Flyers. And the Kings and the Seals…I didn’t think the NHL moved out West until much later on (like 70’s or early 80’s). I would have thought that Canadian teams, like the Canucks, Nordiques, Jets, Flames, and Oilers, would have came first. Nope. (On a side note, the North Stars is fucking sweet name, it’s too bad they had to move.)
4) After the expansion in 1967, there were two divisions, the East and the West. Do you know how the divisions were split? We think of the Red Wings as part of the Western Conference (because, duh, they are), but they used to be part of the East (logical). With the six new expansion teams coming in, the original six became the East, and the new teams became the West. So you had Philadelphia in the West, and Chicago in the East. With more expansion in the 70’s, they broke teams into two conferences, and thus Detroit, one of the more western cities at the time, became part of the Western Conference. Did you know?
5) The New Jersey Devils started playing in 1982- except they weren’t an expansion team. They moved from Colorado and renamed themselves the Devils (another team that I thought had more history in the league). Their old name? The Colorado Rockies. Yes, the Rockies. Like the baseball team. Weird.
6) It’s pretty safe to say that hockey does not work too well in the southern US (I think we’d all approve of a move of these teams to more northern US locales or Canadian cities). And you’d think the NHL would have realized this before putting expansion teams down there in the mid-90s, because they did experiment with one southern hockey team- the Atlanta Flames. They lasted 8 years before moving to, yep, you guessed it, Calgary. The Thrashers are going into their 11th season…how long do you think they’ll last?
So how much of this stuff did you know?
~Mikey D
-Is anyone else already tired of the where-will-LeBron-go speculation? It’s obviously going to be the story of the summer, but man, it’s already old. Like Brett Favre coverage old. Speaking of Favre, what’s going to happen when training camps get going? How are they going to cover these two huge and so very important stories at once? I mean Rachel Nichols can’t be in two places at once!
-Since everyone in the world is giving their uninformed and uneducated opinions about where LeBron will go, might as well give mine. I think he’s going to the Timberwolves. Why? Minnesota needs someone to attract Ricky Rubio and pull him away from his club team in Spain. Otherwise they’ll have just wasted their top-10 pick from last year, and Minnesota is too proud of a franchise to let that embarrassment happen. And I guess LeBron would help with jersey and ticket sales, which would be a nice bonus as well.
-Russell Byrd, MSU’s incoming freshman SG, recently broke his foot in a workout. What is up with our guards? Lucious did that last year. Lucas and Allen this year. Now Byrd. What I’m really curious about is what shoes he was wearing. If he was wearing our team shoe, Izzo really needs to make a switch- at least to a different Nike shoe. Four guards in little over a year? That cannot be just a string of unfortunate bad luck.
-So a lot of love is being given to Purdue now that Johnson and Moore are coming back to join Hummel for their senior seasons. They’ll definitely be a top team in the Big Ten, but I’m skeptical of giving them a top-two ranking. Don’t underestimate the loss of Kramer. He was their Travis Walton- a senior leader who ran the point and played lockdown defense. There’s going to be an adjusting period with that team, so for now I’d put them around #5 in the preseason rankings. Not shabby at all, but not top-two.
-The more I think about Big Ten expansion the more I don’t want it. I could live with one more team, like Notre Dame, but not up to sixteen. Including schools like Nebraska and Rutgers just doesn’t feel right. Nebraska and New Jersey? That’s not Big Ten country. Neither is Syracuse or Connecticut. I want the Big Ten to keep its Midwestern feel (it’s bad enough Penn State was included as the 11th). I know it’s all about money, as always, so it’s irrelevant really where these schools are located, but as a fan I want the schedule and rivalries to stay relatively same. I already hate how some teams miss playing each other during the Big Ten football seasons, and this would only further my distaste. Add Notre Dame or don’t add anybody. That’s my vote.
-These last few episodes of ‘24’ have been epic. I cannot express to you how much I’ve enjoyed them. I can remember back to the first season, when Jack had a gun drawn on the bad guy (I forget his name and I’m too lazy to look it up) during the last episode, and wishing that Jack would just blow his brains out. I figured he wouldn’t since the good guys always do the right thing and just arrest the bad guys, but Jack was different. He pumped that mother fucker full of lead. It was like the writers of ‘24’ knew what people wanted to see. And while the subsequent seasons have been frustrating on more than one occasion, the writers are getting it right as ‘24’ wraps up its final episodes. They are giving the people what they want: Jack unleashed. And I have to say…it’s fucking awesome. So very fucking awesome.
-How awful would the NHL playoffs have been if the Penguins won Game 7? You’d have the Blackhawks, Sharks, Penguins, and Flyers. I hate the Blackhawks- fuck Hossa. I hate the Sharks for taking out the Wings. I hate the Penguins because they have our Cup. And the Flyers…well they’re lucky just to be in the playoffs, but by process of elimination they’re the team I’d root for. I’d be rooting for the 7th seed out of the Eastern Conference (although I suppose I am right now anyway). Sheesh.
-I’m thinking about getting a book on tape for my rides to and from work in the morning and afternoon. Any suggestions? I remember I got a book on tape from the library on one of my car trips to Maryland five or six years ago and really enjoyed it. It made the ride go quickly, and as summer approaches, that would be nice during the hot afternoon Maryland traffic leaving Baltimore.
-I also got a job this summer teaching at a charter school in Washington D.C. They sent me an offer letter this past week, so I will have some income this summer, which will be a pleasant change. Usually I just keep my tax refund and use some of it to pay the bills during the summer months, but this year I am actually going to forgo my summer of Wii playing and online poker gambling to be a working stiff. You know, just typing that last sentence out makes me feel like I made a bad decision. How will my created player ever make it to the Bigs if I don’t play??? He’ll be stuck in Mexico forever.
-I think the outside renovation Grace and I have undertaken is pretty much complete for the year. We’ve got the new front door, flowers in the garden in the front and backyard, got some grass growing in the front lawn, a new outside light fixture, and a new patio set for the back patio. We’ve spent a lot of time in the garden, and it’s actually been kind of fun. Some of the teachers I work with say it’s a little fruity, but eh, fuck em’. It’s a relaxing hobby Grace and I can do together, we get outside, and when you finish you can take a lot of pride in the work you did. Anyway, our home definitely looks less ugly from the outside. Maybe I’ll take some pictures or something.
Okay, that’s enough typing.
~Mikey D
Greyson Michael Chance is making the internet rounds with his version of "Paparazzi"...and it's damn good, too. The coolest thing is that Greyson is only a 6th grader, and not only does he do an amazing cover, he's already written two very beautiful original songs on his own (just type his name into YouTube, they'll come up). Very talented.
The kids at my school have "Beiber Fever"...which makes me want to rip out my hair. The kid is a no-talent ass clown and it boggles my mind that anyone, even a twelve year-old, would like him (I guess that's me being out of touch with today's youth). But mention his name at school, and the girls start to blush and giggle, and the boys start talking about how cool he is. Ridiculous.
Well today I showed my homeroom the video of Greyson and told them they should like someone like this kid. You know, a person with some talent. I fully expected them to rebel against me for trashing their beloved Justin Beiber, but from second one until the end not a single kid made a sound as Greyson played. It was kind of cool that they actually appreciated and enjoyed this kid.
~Mikey D
Goodbye Tom Herzog. Tom has left to get immediate playing time at Central Florida. Because he's enrolling in a graduate program not offered at MSU, he does not have to sit out the usual year like most transfers. He wanted more playing time, and it just wasn't going to happen in EL. I wish him nothing but the best; I hope he gets what he's looking for at CFU. It's too bad he didn't have the chance to kiss the 'S' on senior day this past season. I'm hoping that Izzo schedules CFU so he can have that opportunity. That'd be cool.
Hello Dwaun Anderson. He was just recently offered a scholarship for the 2011 season, and becomes our 2nd recruit to commit. Anderson joins PG/SG Brandon Kearney as the beginnings of a four man recruiting class that will have to replace Lucas, Summers, and Allen.
So who is Anderson? Well he's a 6-3 shooting guard that you won't find too much about on the recruiting websites. He's definitely an under the radar the guy now, but probably won't be for much longer. He had a breakout year this past season, owning some of the top 2010 guys in head-to-head competition. He's a legit contender for the Mr. Basketball title for the state of Michigan as well.
Oh, and he can do shit like this:
Welcome Dwaun. And good luck Tom.
~Mikey D
The Trade
So it’s probably too early to declare a winner in the three-team trade the Tigers were involved in this past winter that sent Granderson to New York. At the time I thought the Tigers got a nice return (2 relievers, #3 starting pitcher, and a starting CF for Granderson and Edwin Jackson), but now it’s looking like Dombrowski made a killing. Just looking at the Yankees/Tigers side of things, here’s how the stats look currently:
Phil Coke: 13 G, 11 SO, 14 IP, 1.93 ERA
Austin Jackson: .367, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 40 H, 5 SB
Curtis Granderson: .225, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 18 H, 4 SB (just placed on the 15-day DL)
Austin Jackson is the unquestioned frontrunner for the rookie of the year. We were all worried about replacing the top of our lineup, but Jackson and Damon, the ex-Yankees, are both hitting +.320. Any coincidence that Mags and Miguel are also having great starts with those guys getting on in front of them? I think not.
And after Jackson’s recent 5-5 game, people are already wondering if the Yankees should have parted with the kid.
Under Armour
I cannot be any happier for Grace. She has gotten her job at Under Armour, which she begins next Monday. She’s been trying forever to get out of Enterprise and into a field that she desired (purchasing for a retail company), and now she has the opportunity.
And it’s a really neat place she’ll be working at. Under Armour was founded by a University of Maryland grad, and its headquarters is down in Baltimore. Grace is going to be working in one of those old brick warehouse buildings that’s been renovated and converted into an office. Very hip.
But the coolest part is that the building is right on the water at the harbor. We drove down there this past weekend so I could have a look at it. And no joke, you walk out the front door of the building, and bam, you are on the water. There is a boardwalk with chairs that you can sit and have your lunch, or just relax and watch the water. We took in a sunset this past weekend.
I’m happy for her, but I’m a little jealous at the same time.
Interview
I had an interview this past Thursday at a school in Washington DC for a summer position. I had to go in and teach a 30-minute lesson and then sit down and do the formal interview portion. I was so much more nervous for the lesson! It’s really difficult to plan a lesson for a group of kids you have never met or know, and then teach it in a foreign classroom. I mean, it sounds easy, but it’s not. But I managed through, and I think I did really well on the regular interview part, so we’ll see. I should know by next Friday.
More MSU Basketball
They announced the Jimmy V tournament participants they’ll have at Madison Square Garden in one of those early season tournaments. Kansas opens against Memphis, and Michigan State opens against Syracuse. That’s a fucking dynamite lineup. Road trip anyone? I’d love to see that.
Video
So I'm not sure if you guys have see this "Did You Know?" video (it's two years old), but it's being force-fed down my throat at practically every professional development presentation I have as a teacher.
Now that I've seen it 3139873 times, it's become less informational and more, "well, what are they trying to tell me?" My running list includes the following:
~I need to change as a teacher to meet the needs of my current students.
~I need to incorporate technology into my classroom because it is part of my students' daily lives.
~What I'm teaching now to my students might have no impact on their lives whatsoever.
~It's tough to keep up.
~Teaching problem solving and communication skills is just as important as core content.
Anything else I should add to the list?
~Mikey D
