Dec 17th 2010 10:18 am Ever seen a cow close-up?
Beginning Monday, I will devote several days to answering your questions. I hope it will be fun. However, I’m going to finish out this week with a topic I’ve been avoiding: football, Cam Newton and Auburn University, my alma mater. I have avoided this, because you already know that while I decry the inflated importance of college football in the cable-television era I seem powerless to resist what Keith Jackson used to call “the color and the pageantry,” particularly as it relates to that grand ol’ football factory where I came of age. Anything I might say could rightly be discounted as the bias of a “homer.”
Besides, my related opinions have been in the record for years, both in the blog and in the comic strip. I often have ranked on the hypocrisy of the NCAA and have pointedly criticized Auburn’s drift toward an athletic department with a vestigial university attached. Other than tired old rants, I felt I had nothing to add. However, this week, in The Opelika-Auburn News, the daily newspaper where I began my own career as a reporter fresh out of college, there appeared two stories that you probably have not seen. Together, they illuminate a larger picture and illustrate my ambivalence about the whole situation.
Auburn’s offensive coordinator is a respected individual named Gus Malzahn. Since his recent arrival at Auburn, Mr. Malzahn has worked to create a highly innovative and complex offensive scheme. (Bear with me; I’m going to try and keep the ESPN boilerplate to a minimum here.) After a season or so of mixed reviews, that system bore fruit this year in spectacular fashion. The Tigers will be playing the University of Oregon Jan. 10, for the title of “national champion.” To keep Mr. Malzahn from jumping ship for any one of a number of attractive job offers, Auburn this week increased his salary to over $1,000,000 a year, making him one of the highest paid assistant coaches in the nation. It is not my purpose here to criticize Mr. Malzahn for taking advantage of his opportunities. However, it is an acknowledged fact that his offense would not be nearly so successful without the talents of a certain junior-college transfer named Cameron Newton.
Cam has not done so badly either. You may have seen him on The (Nissan) Heisman Trophy Awards Show Saturday evening. He won. Or you may have seen him on David Letterman Monday night, where he read “The Top Ten Things Cam Newton Can Say Now That He Won The Heisman Trophy.” Oh, yes, Cam has become quite famous.
The other story in the The O-A News (as we insiders call it) detailed the compensation Mr. Newton received for appearing on Mr. Letterman’s show. He was given a check for $200. NCAA regulations forbid him to take the money, of course, but he could donate it to the charity of his choice. Mr. Newton gave the money to Wrights Mill Road Elementary School, where he has been a volunteer mentor of “at-risk” children since the summer, when he walked in unbidden, offering his time and saying his dream was to some day open a day-care center. Now if you were to read this sort of thing on the Internet (kind of like you’re doing now), you wouldn’t believe it, but from everything I know it’s true.
All during this eventful season, Mr. Newton has shown up once a week at the school to encourage and befriend the children who need it most. I’m not sure what this has to do with anything, but if you think of Mr. Newton as a recalcitrant thug who is flaunting the rules of civilized sport for his own advantage, I think you’d be mostly wrong.
I have already failed. I had intended to wrap up this entire topic with a crisp, concise post. It’s been anything but crisp, and it’s gone on far too long. I am going to finish with a special Saturday post, wherein I’ll address some of the less-than-flattering publicity Mr. Newton has received.
Posted by jimmyjohnson / Vintage A&J
69 Responses to “Ever seen a cow close-up?”
Bill in Paducah on 17 Dec 2010 at 10:38 am #
Not to change the subject, but I love the Calvin and Hobbes strip where Calvin looked at a cow and said something to the effect of “Who was the first guy who said “I think I’ll pull on those things and drink whatever comes out.”?
Steve from Royal Oak, MI on 17 Dec 2010 at 10:40 am #
Jimmy:
It is nice to see that you can write long posts. You are normally so busy. I guess that I am getting cranky in my old age, but I would prefer a system where you had an 8-10 team league, everybody played each other and you had a champion. Then that champion plays another champion on New Years Day in an exhibition and everybody has fun. We do not need 35 bowl games. 15 maximum would be nice. Statistically, football is not a really good sport where you can determine the very best team mathematically and with the physical nature, they should not be playing more than 11 or 12 times a year. Watching a college game in the fall is an event that is pure Americana and by trying to make it like the NFL just ruins.
I have kept a notebook where I try to predict the bowl winners since 1969. The first ten years or so, I could write big and even have room to predict the NFL playoffs. Now, I need to cram it all in on two pages. But I enjoy the bowls. They often are evenly matched teams that are playing to win and not to lose.
I know that the drumbeat to a playoff system is inevitable, but I will enjoy the bowls while I still can. One of the highlights of my life was driving with my son from Michigan to Pasadena and watching the Rose Parade and then watching my ala mater, Purdue, play in the Rose Bowl. They lost the game, but I did NOT care. I savored every moment in that stadium.
Anonymous on 17 Dec 2010 at 10:57 am #
Growing up on a dairy farm, this reminded me of when my cousins from the “big city” would come to visit and my younger cousing, would refuse to drink the milk from our pitcher. She had to have the milk that “came from the store”. We still give her crap about it.
Dan McD on 17 Dec 2010 at 11:03 am #
I’m not really a football fan – not of the NFL, nor of college football. Up here in the northeast, it’s just not the same cultural phenomenon that it is elsewhere.
That said, I read this post start to finish, and enjoyed it all the way.
Because it turns out, when someone with your gifts sits down to weigh in on a topic of genuine concern to them, it’s generally a worthwhile read.
So now I’m a slightly broader person, and I’m looking forward to Saturday’s followup!
ps. How can you people be so absorbed with football during hockey season? Go Devils!
Soleil on 17 Dec 2010 at 12:04 pm #
It’s giving the money and time (unbidden and unheralded, no less) to a school that needs both so badly that makes young Mr. Newton a hero in my book, not the Heisman and the assumedly impressive paycheck he’ll be pulling down in a few years.
And he wants to open a daycare…what a good and sweet kid. I hope his mom and grandma are as proud of him as I think they are…they’ve raised a good person.
Steve from Richmond on 17 Dec 2010 at 12:29 pm #
This is a good time to ask, I suppose. How can you be a War Eagle and a Tiger at the same time? Maybe you could have a playoff to decide on one or the other.
@ Steve from Royal Oak – 15 bowl games would be perfect and the only improvement I would add is that the last ones HAVE to be played on January 1 – nothing after that. I guess I’m getting old and cranky too.
Hurd Finnegan on 17 Dec 2010 at 12:52 pm #
I am falling out of love with college football. I have not made the split yet but it is one big scandal away from happening. I went to Mississippi State, married into an Alabama family but have always pulled for any SEC team playing an out of SEC opponent. Living in Alabama I get so sick of the snide Alabama fans who just know that anything Alabama is better than Auburn and the snide Auburn fans that know that anything Auburn is better than anything Alabama, (Insert several in-laws here.). It is the same for any D1 school, mine included. Sports can’t be sports any longer it seems. It is descending down toward mud wrestling. I gave up Major League Baseball, the NFL and now I’m on the verge of disowning college football. My last haven was high school sports but it is going in the same direction. Using kids to further one’s own career. But for now, “WAR EAGLE” and go SEC. This may be the last time I can enjoy it.
Tom (somewhere in Georgia) on 17 Dec 2010 at 12:54 pm #
Iam impressed by Cam’s football ability but now see the manner of man he has become or is becoming. Thanks.
bruce on 17 Dec 2010 at 1:29 pm #
There’s too much football (12 games plus 35 bowls crammed into a single month), too many all-sports TV and radio channels, too many all-news TV and radio channels, too many all-bluster TV and radio shows. My solution is the off button and a dead-tree book.
Bob, near Mark on 17 Dec 2010 at 1:55 pm #
One of my daughters lives about 80 miles from Auburn. She likes football, but I’ve never asked if she watches the Auburn games.
chill on 17 Dec 2010 at 1:55 pm #
First, love Arlo and Janis and appreciate your other work we have seen recently.
Second, I am not a Duck (Southern Oregon), but am impressed with the Oregon team this yeaar. Hope one can see that the NCAA has real problems with “right” and “eligible” as words. Transfers from JC to other schools after being caught cheating and with a stolen laptop atg certain Florida school were not addressed very well with Mr Newton, not to mention the $ factor from his pastor father.
Go Ducks!!
Ace on 17 Dec 2010 at 3:04 pm #
(full disclosure here: my wife attended the University of Alabama, and we now live in Tuscaloosa.)
well, Jimmy … i have to fully disagree with you on some things here. i really feel how the Newtons and Auburn in particular have handled the whole pay-for-play scandal has been horrendous and unethical. i do believe Cam knew about his father shopping him around, and let’s face it — the kid has a history of bad behavior (cheating/academic fraud at UF, either stealing or receiving stolen property at UF, depending on whom you believe).
i may be wrong here, but i feel like Auburn has gambled everything that the university says matters on this season. it doesn’t seem the NCAA investigation is over, and if the worst is proven (as it sadly often is in college football), Auburn may end up being the SEC’s SMU. if that happens, it’s going to be a bad thing for football in the entire state (including here in Tuscaloosa).
that said, i don’t necessarily condemn Cam Newton out of hand. people are often more than one thing. but i hate seeing so many people condone and excuse and reward a guy who seems to be, for lack of a better term, “gaming the system.”
just my two cents’ …
Jerry in Fl on 17 Dec 2010 at 4:27 pm #
I grew up with Paul Harvey on the radio saying “and now for the REST of the story”. Thanks JJ for the part of the story that won’t be in the newspaper. Re the above, although, understandably, no one is interested, I will sit down after I run an errand in the rain and explain the puzzle from last night.
Jerry in Fl on 17 Dec 2010 at 4:30 pm #
And, oh yeah, maybe a word or two about the big story in PC.
Ghost Rider 6 on 17 Dec 2010 at 5:29 pm #
Football now exists only peripherally in my life, when at all. I did enjoy seeing the story about Cam Newton, though.
Good luck with getting Gene to eat eggs.
Bob, near Mark on 17 Dec 2010 at 7:30 pm #
GR6,
My great-grandmother refused to eat chicken. She raised them, and saw what they ate!
Phil in Sugar Land, TX on 17 Dec 2010 at 7:31 pm #
Want to hear something scary?
I went out this morning to pick up the Houston Chronicle and found on the lawn (in addition to the Chron) a copy of China Daily. Thinking it had been delivered by mistake, I looked up the street and saw that everyone had a plastic wrapped edition on the lawn.
the copy was all news in China…a number of stories from Shanghai…but the advertising was from local businesses.
I can’t think think what the purpose of this exercise was, but it sure was unsettling.
They didn’t carry A&J either, otherwise I would have considered dropping the Chron.
Jerry in Fl on 17 Dec 2010 at 7:38 pm #
Shows how easily China can drop something on your lawn. Whoa!
Jerry in Fl on 17 Dec 2010 at 8:05 pm #
It was probably delivered to the Wong house. Anyway, regarding Ignatius Reilly, you no doubt know that he is the main character of A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. The history of the book, along with the author’s name, had me convinced for years that it was all a joke, like King’s Bachman novels. It apparently was not a joke and it certainly remains one of the books that I will read every few years and enjoy it every time. The title comes from a quote from Jonathan Swift: “When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by the sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him.” I would explain further, but we have moved way past that point and my typing is terrible right now. Later.
Dale on 17 Dec 2010 at 9:30 pm #
I’m sure it’s unfair, but talk about the relationship between football teams and universities reminds me of the dialog in the Marx Brothers’ “Horse Feathers”, which runs something like this:
Professor Wagstaff [of Huxley U., played by Groucho]: Gentlemen, we can’t have both a football team and a college.
The Professors: [mumbles of agreement]
Professor Wagstaff: Tomorrow we start tearing down the college.
The Professors: But, Professor, where will the students sleep?
Professor Wagstaff: Where they always sleep: in the classroom.
ben in Pensacola on 17 Dec 2010 at 10:51 pm #
Jimmy, since you opened this can of worms…
Well said, Steve from Royal Oak. The playoff drumbeat is generated by networks to create more programming and avidly adopted by sports junkies for the same reason. Fifteen bowl games featuring well-matched teams would make for a lot more interesting post-season than any of the artificial constructs like the BCS, or several more games extending into February for a tiny handful of teams, most of which have only regional fanbases.
James Pollock on 18 Dec 2010 at 2:36 am #
ben, if you don’t think a championship tournament can bring any excitement, please feel free to discuss the NCAA’s largest moneymaker, the men’s basketball tournament.
No reason you couldn’t have 15 bowl games in the places they are held now, and a 16-team playoff, as well. Cut off the regular season (including conference championships) in early November, and schedule either the first three games of a 16-team championship tournament in late November into mid-December, or the first four games of 32-team tournament. Play as many bowl games as you’d like on January 1. Play the national championship game the weekend after Jan 1. True, the top few teams, the last ones to be eliminated from the tournament, having already had 3 or 4 extra games tacked onto their season, might decline a bowl invitation (then again, they might not… cut down to 15 bowl games, and the money paid out to teams to play in them gets meaningful again… not like the minor bowls now, where schools can actually lose money by playing in them.) As it stands now, traditional bowl rivalries can be disturbed by the BCS. The Rose Bowl will not have a Pac-10 team because Oregon and Stanford, the cream of the conference, were assigned elsewhere (Oregon to the title game, Stanford to the Orange Bowl). The Pac-10 was pretty balanced this year, except for those two, who each beat all 8 of the other conference teams.)
There were three unbeaten teams this year. TCU could finish unbeaten this year, as Boise State did last year, and have no chance at a national title despite beating everyone they played. Sure, maybe Oregon and/or Auburn would have beaten them had they played… but we’ll never know, will we? In basketball, the team that is the national champion is national champion because they beat everyone they played in the tournament, and they are the ONLY team that beat everyone they played in the tournament.
In football, the opportunity to be champions depends on polls… voting by people who may have seen you play (but probably didn’t). They can make the formula as complicated as they want, but that’s what it comes down to. In basketball, the seeding depends on reputation, but you only get to the championship game by beating everyone in your path.
THAT’S why we want a championship tournament for football. Schedule it correctly, and it doesn’t even have to conflict with bowl games.
BTW, networks do not want a playoff… bowl games can pick the teams based on their ability to draw a crowd (and a TV audience), while playoffs take the teams that win games. Just like the networks love Lakers/Celtics in the finals, and would hate Indiana/Oklahoma City. And baseball’s worst case scenario is a World Series of Dodgers/Angels, A’s/Giants, Cubs/Whitesox, or Yankees/Mets… because everyone else in the country tunes out.
catshoes on 18 Dec 2010 at 10:28 am #
Question for consideration:
If you send in all your artwork, how is it that you have all the old ones still? Do you use any special preservation (e.g. each one individually plastic wrapped or something)? Are the old ones yours or “theirs”?
Thanks!
Boise Ed on 18 Dec 2010 at 11:57 am #
Bill in Paducah: Did you ever see *Bound for Glory*? There’s a scene where Woodie Guthry, out to organize the farm workers in the 1930s, points to a weird-looking plant and asks “What’s that?” “It is an artichoke, señor.” “Well, uh, what do you do with it?” “Why, you eat it!” Guthry then utters an astonished “Oh” and moves on.
Dan McD: Go Sharks!
JJ: As a Texas alumnus and fan, I feel the same way you do in your first 1 1/2 paragraphs above. Although Texas is one of the most powerful political forces in the BCS, I’m rooting for the non-BCS Frogs to whomp on BCS-backed Wisconsin. I’d really liked to have seen Oregon and Auburn go down, and Boise State win out, to pretty much force a championship game between two non-BCS teams.
John in Richmond Texas on 18 Dec 2010 at 11:58 am #
Phil in Sugar land -bizarre, China hasn’t made it to Richmond yet, And say, will you be at the defunct Imperial Sugar plant dynamite implosion tomorrow morning? They’re leaving the original main building for retail, offices and lofts and blowing up the rest.
Jean From Dahlonega GA aka Trapper Jean on 18 Dec 2010 at 12:05 pm #
bruce-you are a man after my own heart. Give me the dead-tree book any time!
Not being a sports minded person, I have noticed for some time now that academics is taking a back seat to the Cult of the Athlete.
Bob from Minneapolis on 18 Dec 2010 at 12:14 pm #
Re: The Saturday newspaper strip
*** POSSIBLE “SPOILER” – if you want to try to interpret it on your own, see the strip at
comics.com/arlo&janis/2010-12-18/ first ***
Many commenters at comics.com are mystified – like some that thought they “got it,” I felt I had a vague idea what was being represented – that the TV program was dull, that his attention was drifting as he watched TV.
Then, it suddenly became much clearer when I thought of the expression “His head is in another place.”
Bob from Minneapolis on 18 Dec 2010 at 12:18 pm #
Moderation got me again. Sorry about the double post, Jimmy.
Jim in SE Mississippi on 18 Dec 2010 at 12:55 pm #
Phil in Sugar Land TX:
Here is, I guess, an explanation of how a copy of China Daily ended up in your front yard.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/7234929.html
If the paper “offers full coverage and in-depth analysis of developments and trends in China’s economy and society” as stated in the article, maybe we can find out what they are doing with all our money.
And if they did carry A&J, I imagine the culture clash would be horrendous.
Jim in SE Mississippi on 18 Dec 2010 at 1:06 pm #
Also, I looked up the Chinese characters for “Arlo” and for “Janis” and it looks like it would take JJ about as long to draw the characters as it would the rest of the cartoon.
curmudgeonly ex-professor on 18 Dec 2010 at 3:27 pm #
Jim/SE MI: Isn’t Chinese traditional writing ideographic? If so, what kind of ideographic symbol could suffice for Arlo or for Janis? These cartoon characters are almost human, thanks to JJ, and something that complex would be approximately impossible to describe in terms of ideas.
I do have an almost unused Chinese dictionary; maybe there are symbols whose sounds could be used for proper names, even though the symbolism might be far off. If that is not so, then I’d have to wonder how any proper name could be rendered in those symbols. If I remember this when I again get near that reference, I will have to try to figure out the matter of proper names.
Jim in SE Mississippi on 18 Dec 2010 at 4:27 pm #
c ex-p:
Try this.
http://www.chinesesymbolsmeaning.com/a-chinese-male-name-for-Arlo
To me, the second character somewhat resembles Ludwig, leaning toward the left. (Perhaps the idea is “Red Chinese cat-lover”?) I haven’t a clue about the first symbol.
Jerry in Fl on 18 Dec 2010 at 4:38 pm #
Rick, I apologize for not addressing your post earlier. My father had a serious stroke when I was 14 and he was 36 or 37. It took him awhile before he walked without a cane. It was not until he was 70 that he again had heart problems and further strokes. He died at age 81 three years and three days ago. I worried for many years that I would have a stroke at a young age not only because of what happened to him, but because there is a history of strokes in my mother’s family. I have never had a stroke, although Parkinsons can do a good job of imitating a stroke at times. Also, too high of an adjustment on the neurostimulator can make me do an excellent imitation of Kirk Douglas. I hate that feeling and anyone that has had a stroke has my sympathy. I don’t know that there is a very high incidence of strokes running in a family and I tend to think that it depends more on diet, exercise, etc. I hope that you are doing well. I may be a lot of things, but politically correct isn’t one of them so I’ll wish you a Merry Christmas.
Jerry in Fl on 18 Dec 2010 at 4:41 pm #
Still need that edit button. I forgot to mention that I totally don’t get the floating head unless JJ really does spy on us and, in that case, I certainly do relate.
Bob, near Mark on 18 Dec 2010 at 4:52 pm #
Jerry in Fl,
Don’t feel left out. Today’s (Saturday) newspaper strip is is over my head, too. (Unless it’s some reference to Robin Williams’s “King of the Moon” floating head character in “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.”) Or is he having an out-of-body experience?
James Pollock on 18 Dec 2010 at 5:32 pm #
floating head = mind wandering
curmudgeonly ex-professor on 18 Dec 2010 at 5:38 pm #
Jim/SE MI: Thanks for the link. I’ll try to find something in my dictionary and then compare them.
Languages have always fascinated me, but I am proficient only in English & Latin.
Bob, near Mark on 18 Dec 2010 at 6:38 pm #
I got moderated for mentioning a 1988 movie that had Robin Williams in a supporting role as a floating head???
Jerry in Fl on 18 Dec 2010 at 7:44 pm #
Thanks James. I do relate. In my case my head is wired to my body so I’m hopeing not to lose it completely.
Jim in SE Mississippi on 18 Dec 2010 at 8:20 pm #
c ex-p:
Chinese is Greek to me, but I’ve endeavored to never cease working on my English proficiency. And English is certainly quite fascinating in its own right.
I have a close friend who has had to meet the challenge of more medical conditions than one person should be reasonably expected to endure. Although she is sometimes understandably depressed by her situation, she continues to lead her life with much more dignity, grace and strength than I could possibly muster in her place. She is an inspiration to me.
Jerry in Fl on 18 Dec 2010 at 11:39 pm #
Well said, and I hope that you’ve said it to her.
Jim in SE Mississippi on 19 Dec 2010 at 12:31 am #
Many times, Jerry, many times.
As W. Mitchell says, “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” (I hope you’ve read his books or heard him speak.)
Tom (somewhere in Georgia) on 19 Dec 2010 at 6:30 am #
It’s Sunday morning and I enjoyed singing the Christmas carole with Arlo and Janis- by the way, how were the cookies and milk, Janis? Oh, and what’s your favorite Christmas treat? For me, it’s basic iced Christmas cookies or date filled cookies. And me on a diet…
Tom (somewhere in Georgia) on 19 Dec 2010 at 6:34 am #
Jim- Sorry to hear about your friend. My wife and I understand- (no details) And we embrace something similar that’s taught by John Maxwell : “it’s not what happens to you – but what happens in you.”
Steve from Royal Oak, MI on 19 Dec 2010 at 8:16 am #
Today’s strip reminded me of the time that I was scheduled to cantor and at Mass with no accompaniment. I said “For those who can sing well, please sing loud. For those who cannot, today is your lucky day because without a piano or organ, no one will know the difference!”
At the risk of going into moderation, here are A&J’s milk and cookies:
http://www.karenmaezenmiller.com/kindness-milk-and-cookies
Jim in SE Mississippi on 19 Dec 2010 at 8:34 am #
Thank you, Tom. Whether one is religious or not, I think this old Irish blessing has something to offer. So I’d like to send it to you and your wife and to all the members of the A&J community.
“May your days be many and your troubles be few. May all God’s blessings descend upon you. May peace be within you. May your heart be strong. May you find what you’re seeking wherever you roam.”
Ghost Rider 6 on 19 Dec 2010 at 8:57 am #
I can’t imagine how this will survive the Moderation Trap, but I’ll try. For a slightly more elegant version of “Milk and Cookies”:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.djmilkncookies.com/wp-content/uploads/cookies_and_milk_martini.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.djmilkncookies.com/page/2/&h=2428&w=2875&sz=1620&tbnid=AyBBbrXyEPLmTM:&tbnh=127&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmilk%2Band%2Bcookies&zoom=1&q=milk+and+cookies&usg=___faX7p3G9dGq6DsARMNSj5GibZw=&sa=X&ei=sg0OTbbfJ4qr8AaLqISHDg&ved=0CFAQ9QEwBw
Hey, it can’t hurt to butter up Santa all you can.
Phil in Sugar Land, TX on 19 Dec 2010 at 10:05 am #
John in Richmond; I was going to go watch those buildings come down, but I overslept. At 7:01 there was a rolling series of blasts that woke me up thinking “That can’t be thunder!” and then I remembered. Darn. I live in New Territory, about 3 miles from that facility, so I’m sure it woke up a large portion of Sugar Land.
The cane fields are now subdivisions and the Imperial Sugar facility will soon be a ballfield and a shopping faciliy and 10 years from now people will wonder why this town was called Sugar Land.
sandcastler on 19 Dec 2010 at 10:25 am #
Thank you for the Sunday strip; seems most fitting for this crowd,
Merry Christmas All.
Phil in Sugar Land, TX on 19 Dec 2010 at 10:44 am #
Jim in SE MS;
Thanks for that link. The paper was interesting if serious reading. The newspapers we read are more focused on events which affect people and this one seems to be focused on events that affect financial and international relations. Perhaps more comparable to the Wall Street Journal style.
Sugar Land has a significant oriental and Indian population, which maybe explains the shotgun distribution of the paper. Someone told me the other day that one of the top high schools here has 53% Asian/Indian students. They’re setting the GPA bar higher too.
I was under the impression that Chinese was ideographic too, but I went and read the Wikipedia article from which I drew this excerpt:
Chinese characters evolved over time from earlier forms of hieroglyphs. The idea that all Chinese characters are either pictographs or ideographs is an erroneous one: most characters contain phonetic parts, and are composites of phonetic components and semantic radicals
The article is quite technical but worth wading through. There are at least 7 major spoke dialects and a host of lesser ones and several different sets of writing, most of which are incomprehensible to one another. In addition to all the other national problems they have, this must really be a major issue.
Ghost Rider 6 on 19 Dec 2010 at 12:16 pm #
I recall it being said back in the Cold War days that if Soviet troops had entered widespread European combat, they’d have had major communication problems, due to the fact they spoke so many different languages. I wonder how the People’s Liberation Army deals with that today.
I once told a guy I served with that the Chinese military had over a million and a half ground troops. He observed that they must suffer a couple of dozen causalities every time they loaded their rifles.
John in LA late of PNS on 19 Dec 2010 at 12:59 pm #
A joyous Solstice and a Happy Festivus to all. Let the airing of grievances begin ! !
Have a cool Yule.
debbie on 19 Dec 2010 at 1:34 pm #
Merry Christmas and may Our God who dwelleth on High bless and keep each and every one.
Ghost Rider 6 on 19 Dec 2010 at 1:59 pm #
Thank you, debbie.
Anonymous on 19 Dec 2010 at 3:15 pm #
And thank m you Jim- and yes, we are people of faith and like the Irish blessing! (I’ll take all the blessings I can get!!) Merry Christmas!
Mary in Ohio on 19 Dec 2010 at 4:46 pm #
Best wishes to all of you – and your friends families, and companion animals!
Hurd in Bay Minette, Al on 19 Dec 2010 at 6:48 pm #
Speaking of the Solstice, (The real new year.), there is going to be a full lunar eclipse early tuesday. The following is from spaceweather.com :
The lunar eclipse of Dec. 21st falls on the same date as the northern winter solstice. Is this rare? It is indeed, according to Geoff Chester of the US Naval Observatory, who inspected a list of eclipses going back 2000 years. “Since Year 1, I can only find one previous instance of an eclipse matching the same calendar date as the solstice, and that is Dec. 21, 1638,” says Chester. “Fortunately we won’t have to wait 372 years for the next one…that will be on Dec. 21, 2094.”
Yep. I’ll be up early Tuesday morning.
Tom in Glendora, CA on 19 Dec 2010 at 7:12 pm #
I have a bit of an advantage for the lunar eclipse. I live on the west coast and
it starts at a reasonable hour for us. Unfortunately, it’s raining and is expected
to continue until Wed. Don’t think I’ll be seeing the eclipse directly.
For anyone else clouded over, NASA is doing a webcast here:
http://www.nasa.gov/connect/chat/lunar_eclipse.html
Jerry in Fl on 19 Dec 2010 at 9:52 pm #
I’m staying inside. The witch trials started immediately after the last one.
Domaucan1 on 19 Dec 2010 at 9:59 pm #
Jimmy,
Thanks for bringing up the true nature of Cam Newton. He is a young man who made some mistakes but has learned from them and has become a model citizen. The media has not portrayed him in his true light. May all of you have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year.
WAR EAGLE !!! GO BIG BLUE !!! BEAT THE DUCKS !!!
Dom Cangelosi
Baton Rouge, LA
Jerry in Fl on 19 Dec 2010 at 10:56 pm #
My apology. I thought that the first American”witch” was executed in Connecticut in May 1639, but I seem to be off by 8 years. Gamma rays interfering with my reception I guess.
Ghost Rider 6 on 19 Dec 2010 at 11:25 pm #
Jerry: According to my calculations, that’s only a bit over a 2 percent error. Probably doesn’t matter much. Except maybe to the executee.
debbie on 20 Dec 2010 at 12:53 am #
I have been running behind because of work….miss you all.
Ghost Rider 6 on 20 Dec 2010 at 1:31 am #
Been missing you too, sweetheart. Glad you’re staying busy, though. Ready for Christmas?
debbie on 20 Dec 2010 at 1:45 am #
are you kidding, GR6? I’m giving money
debbie on 20 Dec 2010 at 1:46 am #
I have just been invited on a cruise 20 minutes ago
Jean From Dahlonega GA aka Trapper Jean on 20 Dec 2010 at 6:32 am #
John in LA late of PNS- and a Happy Yule to you, too!
debbie-Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you!
To all my friends here-Whatever your choice of Holiday, may they be happy!
TruckerRon on 20 Dec 2010 at 11:33 am #
debbie — you were just invited on a cruise that left 20 minutes ago? I hate it when that happens!
debbie on 20 Dec 2010 at 12:59 pm #
lol