The animal in its native habitat

[robinturner]

Here I am in front of my computer talking to a nice young woman about philosophy.

The weird thing is that they actually pay me to do this.

Comments

[katminnaar.livejournal.com]

Hey, that's YOU?? :) (I like being able to finally see what other users look like!)
Who took the picture?

[solri.livejournal.com]

It is indeed I, as are all my userpics. The picture was taken by a colleague - I'd asked him to go round snapping tutorials for the front page of our website. I didn't pick this one for the site, though (you can see the winner here (http://www.bilkent.edu.tr/~fast) - the picture has better composition, and Şenol is prettier than me).

[katminnaar.livejournal.com]

I see. :) I don't know which one (lady?) is the one you mention being 'prettier.'

Oh, and is it correct to say "It is I" and then "prettier than me"? Am I wrong, or is predicate nominative correct in both instances--"prettier than me.... is/am"?? It's been awhile since I've had any serious grammar classes; I'm just wondering if the rules have changed!

[solri.livejournal.com]

The "prettier" one, Şenol, is a guy - he's the teacher who won the dubious honour of appearing on the front page of our website.

You caught me being inconsistent about case. I should have used "I" both times or "me" both times.

[katminnaar.livejournal.com]

I'll look at the pic again. :) And *tsk, tsk* ... YOU being a college professor and all! ::gasp:: For shame! :Þ (Oh well; it's just LJ, right?)

[solri.livejournal.com]

In mitigation, I plead the grammaticaly debilitating effect of reading hundreds of essays by Turkish undergraduates.

[solri.livejournal.com]

See, I even mis-spelled "grammatically".

[katminnaar.livejournal.com]

Oh. That bad, huh? Bleah. You mean they're written in Turkish?? You poor thing!

[solri.livejournal.com]

No, they're written in English (I wouldn't presume to grade somebody's Turkish). I spend ages putting in missing definite articles. The tricky thing is deciding when to indicate that there is a grammar/vocabulary problem, and when a sentence is completely irredeemable from the point of view of style or content. Turkish writing has different rhetorical conventions from English, the main one being a love of generalisation and platitude. I've lost count of the essays I've read which start with "All over the world ..." or "From the beginning of time ...".

[alsoname.livejournal.com]

I've lost count of the essays I've read which start with "All over the world ..." or "From the beginning of time ...".

Erm, I've found that American students do that too, though.

[solri.livejournal.com]

Oh my God.

[katminnaar.livejournal.com]

Eww, platitudes. ::wince:: Please correct ME if I ever do that!!

[circumambulate.livejournal.com]

I'd like to take this moment to say that it comes as no surprise that a Turk invented the harem.

[solri.livejournal.com]

LOL.

In my first teaching job here I had a bunch of girls from my class I hung out with that we would jokingly refer to as my "harem", but in fact our activities were pretty innocent; for example, since most of them were agricultural science students, they'd take me to their school to look at new strains of beans.

[alexgal.livejournal.com]

that's a nice gestural CONDUIT metaphor right there!

[solri.livejournal.com]

But where is the metaphorical flow going?

Note also how I habitually avoid eye-contact when speaking.

[alexgal.livejournal.com]

I don't know--I have to check the accompanying speech!

But it certainly looks like, in this frozen instance at least, you are presenting an idea-object to your addressee.

[solri.livejournal.com]

Yes, but the direction seems to be wrong. It's more like I'm juggling an idea and am about to drop it in my lap.

[tristan-moore.livejournal.com]

I got that you were kinda sifting through an idea at the moment of discussing it.

[tristan-moore.livejournal.com]

Lucky dude. ;)

awww

[asteriskhere.livejournal.com]

That certainly is an orange room. Salmon anyone?

Note also how I habitually avoid eye-contact when speaking.

That's just like my Z, avoiding eye contact when he's speaking.

Re: awww

[solri.livejournal.com]

A few years back, our department was in the university's good books to the extent that the acting rector asked us if there was anything we'd like. He was probably thinking about slaves graduate assistants. We responded, to his surprise, with a request for redecoration, which meant that the people in each office were presented with swatches. Our office went for salmon, and because the fluorescent lights we had were enough to induce epilepsy, we also asked for some spotlights. The result is that they call our office "the boudoir". Most people hate it, as it is in the basement and has no windows, but it suits my vampiric nature perfectly.

[bootcue.livejournal.com]

Wow! You look more like a philosopher than Sartre does!

[solri.livejournal.com]

That is one compliment I really don't deserve!

[harpersromo.livejournal.com]

Nice pic!
And she looks engaged by whatever it is you're saying, too.

[solri.livejournal.com]

That's the reason I liked this one - it's pure intellectual ego-trip!

[kristian.livejournal.com]

you look really intellectual! like someone on BBC!

[solri.livejournal.com]

Why thank you! I've always wanted to be on the Beeb.

[melpomeine.livejournal.com]

It must be nice.

[wonderfluff.livejournal.com]

Wow. No wonder I always had crushes on my Philosophy Professors.
So noble. *dreamy eyes*

[solri.livejournal.com]

I blush.