This is Your Brain on Language

Researchers have been able to determine that the human brain can think of a word, apply the rules of grammar to it, and send it to the mouth to be spoken in just 600 milliseconds. The revelation, detailed in the October 16 issue of the journal Science, brings scientists one step closer to understanding the process of language production within the brain, specifically word recall, the application of grammar, and then actually speaking the word.

Because complex language is unique to humans, it has been difficult to investigate the mechanisms behind how it works. Brain-imaging methods MRI are generally all that are possible to use in humans, but it's impossible to single out individual neurons over such short periods of time using this method. As a consequence, scientists have been unable to determine the specific mechanism within the brain responsible for linguistics in detail. Until now.

For the study, the researchers used intra-cranial electrophysiology to monitor brain language-processing activity while volunteers repeated words or spoke them in different forms, such as past tense or plural.

This team of scientists have shown that distinct linguistic processes are computed within small regions of Broca's area in the brain, including word identity, grammar and pronunciation. The findings challenge the widely held belief that Broca's area handles speech while another part of the brain, called Wernicke's area, handles reading and hearing.

So today's post is a little psychological, a little scientific, but this kind of information is important, especially when it comes to determining and treating language disorders. Approximately 7.5 million people in the United States have trouble speaking. More than 15 million individuals in the world stutter. And between 6 and 8 million individuals in the United States have some form of language impairment.

Haiku News - October 12 2009

Exactly what did
you think would happen when you
put your hand in there?

Two white donkeys dyed
with black stripes delight kids at
the Marah Land zoo.

It is not often
one will see a headline that
reads: Tree hits school bus.

Of course the driving
lesson ceased when he parked the
van in the bedroom.

At least someone out
there is trying to reduce
frivolous lawsuits.

Afraid of clowns? How
about dead deer dressed up like
clowns? Yeah, that's creepy.

In the battle of
the Great Horned Owl and the truck,
the owl was the champ.

Two pilots and flight
attendants brawled it out at
thirty-thousand feet.

Britain's new healthy
food sage is that beer-quaffing
clown, Homer Simpson...

...And his blue-haired wife,
Marge Simpson, is on the front
cover of Playboy.

Into the Darkness

Into the darkness
Without a torch light

Unexplored terrain
No compass or map

Tripping over roots
Falling over logs

Groping in the dark
For signals or signs

Fingers scraping bark
Tree branches tear flesh

Searching for moonlight
A path or a road

Hoping the journey
Will lead to wisdom

Friday Photography - End of Summer

Yes, I know the "official" end of summer was in September. But we had such nice weather far into September, it was a little hard to tell. And then we had a ton of rain at the beginning of October, so it really hasn't felt much like fall (maybe more like a cold spring).

End of Summer

Well, it frosted last night and now all of my container plants are pretty much dead. I wish I would have been paying attention, I totally wanted to bring my basil plants into the house. And this sunflower isn't too happy about it, either. Very different from the Above the Clouds picture from earlier this year (Don't forget Beyond the Clouds!). The droopy sunflower, the cold weather, the impending snow: Of course this picture is perfect for today.

Want more photography? My Green Side has a Photo Friday segment, too! Also, please check out my new photography blog at Sam Can Shoot. All photography, all the time.

Hip Hop and the English Language

Trying to find something good to post about today, I found this article called "Hip-Hop: An Indelible Influence on the English Language." Oh, there is a lot of fodder in here for me, mainly because I'm not a huge fan of hip-hop and because I believe the title is true. Much like how e-mailing and texting has had a lasting influence on our culture, it is obvious today to see how hip-hop has also left its mark:

Whether it is the addition of the phrase "bling-bling" to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2003 or the inclusion of the term "crunk" in the 2007 volume of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, hip-hop culture is changing the nature, the sound, and the rules of the English language. Words such as "hood" (short for neighborhood), "crib" (which translates as place of residence), and "whip" (meaning car) have become commonplace within everyday conversation. Phrases such as "what’s up" (hello), "peace out" (good-bye), and the extremely popular "chill out" (relax) are frequently used in television shows, movies, and even commercials for Fortune 500 corporations.

I used to like it. Hip-hop and rap used to have good qualities, but I'd say its one of my least favorite genres now. Part of it is the music, I'm a big fan of guitars and drums, while most hip-hop music is created with electronic synthesizers. They even use synthesizers on their voices, because apparently they don't have a decent sound. You know, back in the day you had to have some kind of talent, now anyone with a computer can get a record contract. But I digress.

A huge part of my difficulties with hip-hop is the language it uses. Hip-hop was establishing its roots between 1965 to 1984, according to the article and Bakari Kitwana's "The Hip Hop Generation." The music was entertaining, but at the time, it was also used by African-Americans to express concerns of political, social, and personal issues.

But hip-hop has evolved and what it was during that time period no longer exists. The valid, intelligent issues raised in these songs like racism and poverty have been replaced with language revolving around hos and bling, yet racism and poverty are still very real. Lots of hip-hop music seems to emphasize material possessions over quality relationships. Much if it is also considered degrading to women. The hip-hop movement has gone a step further and glamorized gang-banging and drug-dealing.

And I haven't even touched on the acts of murder many hip-hop artists commit on words. "Back in the day," there seemed to be a sense of pride among hip-hop writers in having a wide vocabulary and using words creatively. Now, consonants and vowels are dropped or misspoken on purpose to try and make the rhyme fit. This is just lazy and I can't respect it the same way I respected the hip-hop lyricists who came before. Compare the lyrics of Ice T, Public Enemy, NWA, and, yes, even The Beastie Boys to today's Flo-Rida, Ne-Yo, and Fabolous. Even their names are ridiculous. I mean... Jay-Z and Eminem needed to come back!

Now I'm not saying that hip-hop hasn't had any good effects on culture or that it hasn't made people think about language in an entirely different way. I have a few hip-hop favorites that I still listen to. But there is a reason why record sales have been down since 2005 and rumors are circulating that the death of hip-hop could be drawing near. Something has changed in its dynamic, and now it no longer seems to be contributing much of anything good to society, let alone language.

Additionally, with the current economic and social climate, hearing about a celebrities bling and expensive cars isn't what people want to listen to when they're struggling to make sure there is food on the table or a roof over their heads. Crime, poverty, and discord are abundant right now. If hip-hop went back to its roots and discussed political, social, and personal issues in the intelligent and thought provoking ways that it used to, it could make a come-back.

Haiku News - October 5 2009

Wisconsin Tourism
Federation at last swaps
out its acronym.

The buried treasure
sought in Springfield is likely
a practical joke.

Oz du Soleil gives
the bras that he collects to
those who are in need.

But if they would have
pulled it off, the theft would have
been legendary.

I wish that I could
have been the one to come up
with deer "mule-tide" cheer.

To goad kids to eat
fruits and veggies, tell them the
government sees all.

She screamed out bloody
murder, threw a pillow and
won the bear battle.

The "foremost psychic
in New England" knew their names,
but not how you think.

Kids these days. Really,
what about fork branding sounds
like it would be "cool"?

The Pike's Peak Llama
is going home, no longer
evading capture.

First Taste of Buffalo an Appetizing Affair

I wrote another article recently for the Wright County Drummer! This time instead of a new park, it's a new local community event. The very first Taste of Buffalo was a huge success and I am glad to have had the chance to cover it:

Nearly 300 people descended upon the first annual Taste of Buffalo, held on September 24th, 2009, at the Buffalo Civic Center. Organized by the Buffalo Area Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Bankwest, Coborn's and McDonald's of Buffalo, the name might be a little misleading. Restaurants, caterers, bar and grills, even grocery stores and gas stations from throughout Wright County and beyond were there to share their culinary creations with the public.

The Taste of Buffalo was born out of a desire to promote the 280 local businesses involved with the Chamber. At other big events that happen in Wright County, like the fair and the Arts & Crafts Festival, area businesses can get overshadowed by vendors that come from all over the Midwest region. This was a chance to highlight products and services offered by organizations located here in the community.

For three hours, the civic center's main room was a grand dining hall. Booths bedecked in maroon and white lined the length of the walls, each one offering attendees everything from bruschetta and Reubens to brownies and cheesecake. At the center of the hall, people could sit down to eat at dozens of tables adorned with linen tablecloths and floral centerpieces. Musicians took stage at the center and far end of the room, supplying diners with entertainment while they ate. White holiday lights were strung across the ceiling, providing some twinkling mood lighting for the occasion.

This story has been removed from The Drummer's website now, but the rest of it can be read here.

Friday Photography - Rockford Fire Engine No. 11

It has been a wet and dreary week in my neck of the woods. I haven't been able to get outside like I wanted, to take some pictures. But I was out and about last weekend at the Ames-Florida-Stork House's Children's Chore Day. And for the second time in a week, fire fighters were called to a place where I was taking pictures.

It's an old house, built in the 1860s. A little while into Children's Chore Day, some curious and alarming smells began to infiltrate it. They couldn't figure out if it was gas for the stove or sewer gas, so the house was emptied and emergency services were called.

From what I understand, once the fire fighters arrived, they were pretty sure it was sewer gas from a tub. But they wanted to keep people out of the house and stand guard until the gas company could get there to make sure.

I took the opportunity to snap some photos. Though my subjects are usually classic cars, I like taking pictures of unique vehicles. Fire engines are unique and how often do you get to walk right up to one in a non-emergency situation?

Take a look at the rest of this Flickr photo set to see more fire engine photos, pictures of a miniature firefighter, and activities children participated in on Children's Chore Day.

Want more photography? My Green Side has a Photo Friday segment, too! Also, please check out my new photography blog at Sam Can Shoot. All photography, all the time.

Banned Books Week in the United States

Sponsored by the American Library Association, it's Banned Books Week here in the land of the free and the home of the brave. The land of supposedly free speech and freedom of expression. During the last week of September every year, hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events. As Ron Dzwonkowski of the Detroit Free Press points out, this is one national week of recognition that we shouldn't need in our country.

Sadly, according to the American Library Association there were 513 challenges reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom just in 2008. The top ten contested books were:

• And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
• His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman
• TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
• Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
• Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
• Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
• Uncle Bobby's Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen
• The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
• Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper

Personally, I haven't read most of these, but I did read the entire "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" series when I was in junior high. They're freakin' scarey stories to tell in the dark! They're supposed to be edgy!

Other books that were banned or challenged last year were J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye,” Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, Ken Kesey’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” John Grisham’s “A Time To Kill,” and J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series. Many, many books have been challenged or banned in some places, including beloved classics. Check out the ALA's Frequently Challenged Books section.

The banning of books threaten the freedom of speech and expression. For society and civilization to thrive, we need to be able to freely exchange ideas. Also, I just generally don't agree with trying to put books in a corner (or a fire). So go ahead to Amazon.com, where every one of these books are still available for purchase. Read something someone else thinks is inappropriate.

Or perhaps you already have?

The 2009 celebration of Banned Books Week is September 26 through October 3.