http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/forum/stephen-frys-podgrams-episode-9-language Just another bbPress community en-US Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:12:07 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/search.php http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/stephen-fry-must-breed-discuss#post-239955 Mon, 05 Jul 2010 23:03:46 +0000 Hedonistic Man 239955@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>OK bear with me here, Stephen is a national treasure anyone who disagrees with this simple statement shouldn&#39;t be here. To the point Stephen should Marry Kathy Burke and live in perfect hypocrisy and get her to squeeze a couple out before it&#39;s too late!!!! </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/message-from-andrew#post-72565 Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:14:34 +0000 steviea11 72565@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ in your latest podgram you mentioned the funding and how everything is beginning to cost money, well here is an idea.<br /> Firstly I'll apologise if someone else has come up with an identical soloution but i simply haven't read anyone else's theories.<br /> Simply sell your podgram on itunes and make it only available there and there alone. Let them run it and your profits from this can pay for all the other tedious parts that make up fry.com 2.0 that you mentioned.<br /> I suppose by doing this you'll need to make each last around the 1 hour mark for VFM. I hope you at least think about it.<br /> The 1st episode of your travels across the USA was great , I've always had my reservations about America but you have dispelled them with one episode, congratulations ,and now one day I hope to go there myself . As we Scots say awrabest (all the best) with your travels , and lookafter your limbs this time.<br /> <br /> Steviea11 http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/uses-and-abuses#post-277267 Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:42:30 +0000 april101 277267@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>wonderful just finish watching. I thought it was very much thought provoking and stimulating. You have opened up a new understanding of English speaking to me. The modern cultural language often confuses me and I am for ever correcting the children when they do there home work. but you have help to translate, thank you.<br /> secondly, would like to know your views Steven on hand writing,I am passionate about this and feel that it is important, yet we see less of it in today&#39;s living. like when was the last time you maybe or others including myself received a nice hand written letter from an aunt or so. well am still waiting, I talked about this to some friends that was intrigued. but do you feel its dying out or are we to lazy to take the time out to do this.?<br /> thank you April </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/mono-no-aware-and-the-limits-of-language#post-112623 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:19:30 +0000 sevil 112623@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ Someone a lot cleverer than me once said &quot;The limits of my language are the limits of my world&quot; (Alexander von Humbold for once but I'm sure there are many others) and up until quite recently I accepted it without question. It seemed logical to me that our language preshapes what we percieve, that we only see what we know exists and we only know it exists because we have a name for it. <br /> <br /> But then a friend of mine who studies Japanese told me of a word the Japanese have called &quot;Mono no aware&quot;. She described it as the feeling one has when sitting in the garden after a good day, the sun is slowly setting and it is raining. Wikipedia says it's &quot;the awareness of mujo or the transience of things and a bittersweet sadness at their passing.&quot; (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mono_no_aware" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mono_no_aware</a>)<br /> <br /> Neither english nor german has an adequate expression for it, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who has experienced this feeling and puzzled about it for some time. I'm not saying that Humbold was wrong, I'm just saying it's courious that I have experienced something I should'nt have because I can't name it.<br /> <br /> On the other hand I use a word like &quot;love&quot; all the time, I theoretically know what it means and I can recognize it in others but I am not sure I've ever experienced it myself. So naturally, I'm confused. Did I miss something vital? I confess that I haven't studied Humbold properly, only read a little of his writings in school and I also haven't kept up with the literature since. As this podgram is about language I hope you don't mind me bothering you here, but feel free shuffle this to the appropriate location or delete it if it's out of place. http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/music-at-the-start-of-the-podgrams#post-275361 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 16:29:23 +0000 PCPC 275361@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>Firstly - a message to Stephen - I genuinely hope you can find some time over the next little while to make another podgram..they are sublime..it&#39;s been way too long and I am having distinct withdrawal symptoms!</p> <p>Secondly - does anyone know what the bit of music is at the start of the podgram? The sort of clappy/piano ditty. I also heard it recently on the radio as a backing for a Telegraph advert...</p> <p>Hope someone can help...big love </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/unbelievable#post-265165 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:34:08 +0000 JamesFox 265165@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>It was only yesteraday when I came home from work feeling quite miserable indeed. I sat in the train and gave the most perfect picture of human misery. This was up to the point I decided to get my iPod out and have a look at Stephen Fry&#39;s podgrams which I had only got the day before.<br /> In an instance my mood brightened up. It was fantastic. I sat there pressed play and within 30 seconds I was laughing so loud that fellow passengers started to stare bewildered at me.</p> <p>Dear Stephen, you saved my day. Thank you. </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/dorm-room-posters#post-65607 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:32:55 +0000 whateverfloats 65607@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <a href="http://classicilliterature.blogspot.com/2007/11/top-10-most-clich-college-dorm-posters.html" rel="nofollow">http://classicilliterature.blogspot.com/2007/11/to.....sters.html</a><br /> <br /> You have got to check out that link. I hate to admit it but I've got a Dali poster as well as one with the White Album. Ah, and Van Gogh.<br /> <br /> But in my defense, I was interested in all of the above long before I went to university. http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/please-please-please-bring-out-more-podcasts#post-234265 Sun, 30 May 2010 19:08:02 +0000 quiteignorant 234265@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>The podcasts were all amazing and are greatly missed. The blogs can&#39;t fill the gaps for dyslexics -they are a huge struggle. its a real Shame as the lanuage podcast gave a new view on language which was so inspiring.</p> <p>Much love </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/transcript-page-not-available#post-252023 Sat, 30 Oct 2010 21:14:30 +0000 SarahShep 252023@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>I am extremely interested in a transcript of this podgram, but any links I find to the transcript no longer work. I would like to have it as a written resource for English students to both listen and view the podgram. If anyone has a new link or a place I could go to find the transcript I would greatly appreciate it.</p> <p>SarahShep </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/kinetic-typography-using-this-podgram#post-249131 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:28:02 +0000 MatthewRogers 249131@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>I just made this kinetic typography video using the audio from the podcast. You can view it here <a href="http://vimeo.com/15412319" rel="nofollow">http://vimeo.com/15412319</a> I would love to know what you guys think of it. </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/upper-class-posh-accent#post-248857 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 19:23:18 +0000 papusica 248857@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>I would very much wish to know about how to speak with an upper class accent. I know that some vowels and groups of vowels are adjusted a bit to give that very nice interesting upper class sound, is that right, Stephen? Would you be kind enough to explain how this is done because I am not 100% sure and if I want to learn how to speak it would be better to learn the proper way rather than guess. Once I get the &quot;mechanics&quot; of it right then I can confidently have a go as I have a pretty good musical ear so I&#39;ll be ok with learning the melody of it so to speak. I&#39;ll appreciate your reply and thank you for your time, Stephen. By the way a very nice and interesting web site! </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/language-is-a-city#post-242439 Sun, 25 Jul 2010 04:30:02 +0000 Magistra_Corona 242439@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>I noticed that Mr. Fry was particularly drawn to the image of language as a city. I can&#39;t remember to whom he attributed this image, but it was also a favourite of Ludwig Wittgenstein. His &#39;Philosophical Investigations&#39; is a text I treasure.</p> <p>Okay, enough gushing! Here is wonderful quote from Wittgenstein:<br /> &quot;...ask yourself whether our language is complete;---whether it was so before the symbolism of chemistry and the notation of the infinitesimal calculus were incorporated in it; for these are, so to speak, suburbs of our language. (And how many houses or streets does it take before a town begins to be a town?) Our language can be seen as an ancient city: a maze of little streets and squares, of old and new houses, and of houses with additions from various periods; and this surrounded by a multitude of new boroughs with straight regular streets and uniform houses.&quot;</p> <p>I encourage anyone who is interested in language to give the &#39;Philosophical Investigations&#39; a look in. As both a philosopher and a classicist, I have found this work to be the best on the topic. But beware, Wittgenstein does not make it easy; his aim is to show you how language works by teaching you to look at how language is used.</p> <p>-Magistra Corona. </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/podgram-1#post-238931 Sun, 27 Jun 2010 21:45:47 +0000 Samantha Lee 238931@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>Hey Stephen</p> <p>I know I may be a little late in posting this post but I am a big fan of your podcast and unfortunately I am constantly in a situation where I have to entertain myself, which usually culminates in me putting on your podcasts. </p> <p>Basically I have found a website where you DO NOT have to put in .co.uk! Your third or fourth podgrame really stuck with me and I know how you bitched about having to spend time typing in .co.uk and how much that annoyed you. Quite frankly as soon as i saw this website i only thought of you, so here you go my impatient friend. If you want to only type in .uk this is the website for you: <a href="http://www.parliament.uk" rel="nofollow">http://www.parliament.uk</a></p> <p>Yes you may get no information from it but i hope i did my part. Unfortunatly I am from Essex and there are a few more .uk websites avalible to you but i think you will get more from the one suggested. What can I say, I&#39;m an Essex girl and I&#39;m totally trying to aviod it.</p> <p>Stephen Fry for Prime Minister</p> <p>Hope this at least gets some people chatting</p> <p>Samantha x </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/you-are-a-dormant-on-my-iphone-and-ipad-mr-fry#post-237297 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 06:17:49 +0000 Roundcat 237297@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>I love to grumble, and so I shall.</p> <p>As much as I have enjoyed your efforts to maintain some regular updates to your podgrams (as I wish you wouldn&#39;t call them) and your new shiny iPad app they are scarce and few between.</p> <p>Instead of new content you have been cut and pasting recordings from speeches you have made (The Itunes festival)&#39; cut and pasting speeches you have delivered (the arts meal,festival,luvvie thing) yesterday apart from this there has been nadda, nowt, nothing.</p> <p>Could it be that you are just to busy to entertain the drooling Mac using twitterits and therefore unable to supply a regular feed of material which all good websites need in order to be 1) uptodate or 2) worthy of a return trip?</p> <p>I know it&#39;s all free, and I also suspect you have done it at all not because you wish to promote yourself, but out of a nerdy love for the tools you have in your bag which you can tap away on midflght, but if you are to do it, I wonder if you could do it more. Your website often grows stagnant with new material just being adverts to encourage ratings or sell things. the iPad app is a bit of a joke. It only has about 4 stories on it and 3 of them are pre election.</p> <p>I invested an interest and you are not meeting that invest </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/language-1#post-232245 Wed, 19 May 2010 08:23:46 +0000 Mystic River 232245@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>Thank you Stephen, for a wonderful posdcast. I found it by accident - looking for british comedy on itunes.<br /> I don&#39;t intend to bore anyone - just want to illustrate.<br /> A traumatic and unhappy child began writing poetry and short stories at the age of 9, sometimes in runic script - but always as an outpouring of her heart and perhaps her anguish. Life&#39;s knocks made her very small, almost invisible until she stumbled upon a cathedral and fell in love with the organist(totally unrequited!)out came the foaming wellspring of devotion which was most likely seen as facile and embarrassing. Life stomped on her again and she moved to Europe (Germany) and became an english teacher. Business English (yuck) and grammar in schools (double yuck) coupled with culture shock and being starved of humour and good telly, she found this podcast which is absolutely delightful and just might shift the great plug of volcanic dust and shrapnel from her throat...cough. Thank you! Thank you - just gratitude. (If I get too dewy give me a large bar of chocolate and that will shut me up for a while.) Pray for her while she tries to teach a class of estate agents about utopia, brave new world and 1984 - one student said: &quot;What&#39;s brave new world. Is there a film about it?&quot; &lt;img src=&quot;http://www.stephenfry.com/bb-content/plugins//bb-smilies/default/icon_biggrin.gif&quot; title=&quot;:D&quot; class=&quot;bb_smilies&quot; /&gt; </p>