Current Books

Started by Payoang, December 23, 2009, 06:27:12 PM

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Kaltxì Palulukan!

Quote from: Tìng Eywatikìte'e on January 06, 2010, 12:14:47 AM
Well I just started my philosophy 101 class so I won't attempt to discuss metaphysics with you, though if you hunt down dustywhite I'm sure a fascinating conversation would occur. I'm glad you weren't attempting to generalize culture into a single chain. I agree that humans are an interesting creature as they have broken out of their natural niche and, for now, don't follow the same evolutionary rules as other organisms, at least in develop worlds where health care and science have blocked natural selections. Of course it would only take a couple natural disasters of epic proportions to change this.

The Na'vi make an interesting evolutionary case. I would like them to develop it more. Clearly the "bond" is what allows them to stay so deeply connected to the forest, because if you look at how different they are compared to the animals around them (only four limbs instead of six, no weird air holes on the outside of their body, ect) it is clear that they branched off in the evolutionary chain a lot earlier than even primates did from other mammals.

I was **just** about to comment on you two, and your fascinating discussion, when I saw my name.  :P

LOL!

I could read this stuff for hours--and the way you two interact (at least in this thread) is highly enjoyable, like watching to explorers ascend a summit together, simultaneously enjoying the challenge, the view that so few ever see, and each grueling step. Irayo my aysmuktu. I am in your debt.



2022 update: Working on the new astrology book. "How to read tarot" books are on Amazon, if you are into that sort of thing.
Okay, so the old podcast is here: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/radioavatar It was goofy fun that ended too soon, but we had creative people. I hope we can get a new gang together (interested? PM me, let's make some magic!)
(Very old, outdated) Na'vi FUN activity book is here: But what are you doing? Let me know! :)

Kaltxì Palulukan!

#41
Quote from: Faheu Akawng on January 08, 2010, 03:57:06 PM
In the movie, there's a scene where Norm Spellman holds a book about the Na'vi culture.
Do you think there is any chance that book will be made?

I hope some day I can get one of those...

That would be a brilliant use of product placement for an official document on Na'vi culture. (Show a product in a movie and then sell it in stores) It would have to be the official RDA corporate version (sanitized, censored; propaganda), but yes. It would be a compendium of "known facts" (the part of "known" we want you to know--consumer).

And I would consume it greedily. Someone get me a bib! I am at the trough!

(By the way, it is nice to see that they still read books in the future).

And I also like the fact that the Na'vi have no need to write things down. When you put some thought to it, writing is really one of the "great advancements in civilization" that is the all-too-real equivalent to the (mythos) of an apple (or a banana if you follow the Vedas) being the cause of "The Great Separation from Nature." When you write, you need something to write with, you need something to write on--ever and ever more complex structures that introduce the concept of "manufacturing" or the process of destroying nature to create "artificial," and of course the  inception of "private property" as a psychological state. And you need a place to store your writings.

It's like having a couch in the jungle. Sure it is fun to sit on, but at what cost? You have to build shelter to protect your couch from the rain, but then an alligator (oops! I mean a nantang) wants to sit on mister comfy-couch, so you have to build a circular wall around your couch--or discover the concept and manufacture of "corners." But now you need a door, because your wall has a roof (to protect the couch from the rain). Well that means hinges. Hinges? Who the (bleep) invented hinges? That is high art (engineeringly conceptually speaking) in contrast to the wheel.

But! At long last you have a couch, safe from predators, rain, and lazy louts who want to enjoy YOUR (private property) couch. But what if your relatives--you know the ones--they come over at (Na'vi) Thanksgiving (That was the day they chased all of the pilgrims OUT) and make a mess of your couch; what if THEY want to come "crash on your couch for a few weeks, dude"? Well now you need a lock (huh?)

This is a LOT of work for a stupid luxury. Oh, and by the time you have built your fortress and hired armed guards to protect your couch when you are away--gathering food, or finding women to share your couch--you will find that you are now separate from Eywa, and nature, and everything that is Eywa, and your world. You have slowly, by baby steps, divorced yourself from the connection to Eywa and her world. YOUR world is now a couch and "everything else."

And that is why Na'vi don't have couches. Jewelry? Yes! Couches! No!

And then there are the labels. (Read Søren Kierkegaard, or just watch "Wayne's World" once). Labels destroy harmony, as they cause the ultimate division through disassociation. Bah! I am sounding like Bill Nye. I am going to watch cartoons for a while.


2022 update: Working on the new astrology book. "How to read tarot" books are on Amazon, if you are into that sort of thing.
Okay, so the old podcast is here: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/radioavatar It was goofy fun that ended too soon, but we had creative people. I hope we can get a new gang together (interested? PM me, let's make some magic!)
(Very old, outdated) Na'vi FUN activity book is here: But what are you doing? Let me know! :)

Doolio

hahah, that is a great post:)
good that you mentioned kierkegaard, it has been a while.../grabs "philosophical fragments" and a pencil
...taj rad...

Tìng Eywatikìte'e

That was...simply amazing.  :D
Oeri lu Eywayä 'eveng


Alwin

I bouhgt yesterday the biologicaly blabla book on Amazon, but I'm live in italy so i'll get it probably on march....  :'(

mO_Tan

Quote from: Alwin on January 19, 2010, 02:00:10 PM
I bouhgt yesterday the biologicaly blabla book on Amazon, but I'm live in italy so i'll get it probably on march....  :'(

WOW! The suspense would kill me... Knowing that somewhere out there is MY book, but i'll only get it in a month or so!
"Guys, come on. Whats wrong with this picture? Wheres my cigerette?"

Txura Tirea

Quote from: mO_Tan on January 19, 2010, 02:23:54 PM
Quote from: Alwin on January 19, 2010, 02:00:10 PM
I bouhgt yesterday the biologicaly blabla book on Amazon, but I'm live in italy so i'll get it probably on march....  :'(

WOW! The suspense would kill me... Knowing that somewhere out there is MY book, but i'll only get it in a month or so!

Yea, it took 2 weeks for my book The Art of Avatar to arrive. It was tough.  :P
"There are many dangers on Pandora, and one of the subtlest is that you may come to love it too much." - Dr. Grace Augustine


Technowraith

Quote from: IkranMakto on December 25, 2009, 05:05:59 AM
Quote from: Seabass on December 23, 2009, 06:27:12 PM


I bought this. Fun read with lots of info, but has anyone else noticed the errata on almost every 5th page? Typos, spelling errors, and even some really glaring mistakes, like they were in a real hurry to type all this up.

It's supposed to be that way i think. It's supposed to be a hastily assembled data file on Pandora. (At least that's what i heard). Reading it enriches one with a vast amount of information on Pandora. I haven't noticed any typos, but now i'll see about looking for some. If it's editorial (as in the editor missed them) it's a shame. if it's intentional to keep the character of the book, then the typos seem "authentic".
It made me sad.
See that shadow? It's the last one you're gonna see.

Tsmukan fa kxetse anawm

Kaltxì Palulukan!

Quote from: Technowraith on January 20, 2010, 02:40:21 PM
Quote from: IkranMakto on December 25, 2009, 05:05:59 AM
Quote from: Seabass on December 23, 2009, 06:27:12 PM


I bought this. Fun read with lots of info, but has anyone else noticed the errata on almost every 5th page? Typos, spelling errors, and even some really glaring mistakes, like they were in a real hurry to type all this up.

It's supposed to be that way i think. It's supposed to be a hastily assembled data file on Pandora. (At least that's what i heard). Reading it enriches one with a vast amount of information on Pandora. I haven't noticed any typos, but now i'll see about looking for some. If it's editorial (as in the editor missed them) it's a shame. if it's intentional to keep the character of the book, then the typos seem "authentic".
It made me sad.

I have yet to find said errors, other than a few questionable typos. You should mark them all and note them here. I want to see what these mistakes are.
2022 update: Working on the new astrology book. "How to read tarot" books are on Amazon, if you are into that sort of thing.
Okay, so the old podcast is here: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/radioavatar It was goofy fun that ended too soon, but we had creative people. I hope we can get a new gang together (interested? PM me, let's make some magic!)
(Very old, outdated) Na'vi FUN activity book is here: But what are you doing? Let me know! :)

Technowraith

The Activist's Guide does have a few typos here and there, but i think the whole of them number between 5 and 10. If you think about the nature of the book itself, it would seem natural to have typos (a rushed publication hastily compiled and published without permission).

Take the typos for whatever they mean for you in particular. But the one thing that seems to nag me is that people are saying the book is no good because they are focusing on such a tiny percent of the book that they're missing the treasure trove of information presented as a whole. Sure, typos are annoying, but in the case of the Activist's Guide, it don't think it would have the same feel if it was a "clean" book. As for the Na'vi translations, i do know there are a lot of issues with the Na'vi in the activist's guide. Looking back, i can't begin to name all the instances of incorrect use of Na'vi. But the language is in development, and elements have changed since the books publication. And there are probably going to be more changes as the language becomes more known and studied. What we have is only the tip of the iceberg really.
See that shadow? It's the last one you're gonna see.

Tsmukan fa kxetse anawm

Kaltxì Palulukan!

Quote from: Technowraith on January 24, 2010, 09:56:06 PM
The Activist's Guide does have a few typos here and there, but i think the whole of them number between 5 and 10. If you think about the nature of the book itself, it would seem natural to have typos (a rushed publication hastily compiled and published without permission).

Take the typos for whatever they mean for you in particular. But the one thing that seems to nag me is that people are saying the book is no good because they are focusing on such a tiny percent of the book that they're missing the treasure trove of information presented as a whole. Sure, typos are annoying, but in the case of the Activist's Guide, it don't think it would have the same feel if it was a "clean" book. As for the Na'vi translations, i do know there are a lot of issues with the Na'vi in the activist's guide. Looking back, i can't begin to name all the instances of incorrect use of Na'vi. But the language is in development, and elements have changed since the books publication. And there are probably going to be more changes as the language becomes more known and studied. What we have is only the tip of the iceberg really.

Great post.
In rsponse: (I have a dream)

I am a child alone in the forest with my father. I love my father. I meet someone who says, "Go here. There are others like you." My father nods, and I leave him. I find this sanctuary and all around I am surrounded by other children, like a stray boy wandering into Neverland while Peter is fighting off Hook while the Indians hunt them both.

Someone there says "Welcome brother. Come, meet our mother; you will like her." And I do. For days, weeks she teaches me all about my people, my world, and she teaches me to speak, read, and write. She tells me things my father never told me. She reveals WHY the sky people are demons, and how it is their way of life, not their souls. She shows me how they have lost their way and now they come to Neverland to take over, to rob it of the magic, and to enslave us, or push us aside, as the dig the ground from beneath our feet even as we stand on it. I study hard. I go find my father once, twice, and ask him of these things my mother tells me, and he nods silently, wanting me to make my own path, to do more than t'sea, but to actually kame with my own eyes.

I return to find my mother; to thank her, but I see that many boys have tied her to a tree they have cut down, like the sky-demons do. They have lit a fire around her and spit on her and call her names. They say she speaks lies, and that she is NOT our sa'nok at all. They throw feces at her and howl like monkeys, demanding a new mother, a better sa'nok. They act like Tawtute. I am ashamed, and unhappy  to see the fracture, the hatred for our mother by some, and the indifference by others.

In this dream the movie is my father. He brought me to this world. The ASG is my mother here. She teaches me, fills in the missing points, helps me to understand WHY things in the movie happened, and what they meant. How did (some of) my aysmuktu turn so violently on her? If Professor Frommer changes the language to the point where the movie is incorrect, will they turn on the movie as well? Will we not buy the DVD "because they use illegal words" and their knowledge of the language was wrong, and their spelling was bad?

I am just asking questions.

2022 update: Working on the new astrology book. "How to read tarot" books are on Amazon, if you are into that sort of thing.
Okay, so the old podcast is here: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/radioavatar It was goofy fun that ended too soon, but we had creative people. I hope we can get a new gang together (interested? PM me, let's make some magic!)
(Very old, outdated) Na'vi FUN activity book is here: But what are you doing? Let me know! :)

Technowraith

Dusty: very interesting way of looking at the subject.  :)

Humans are programmed to pick out what's wrong. It doesn't matter if you printed 10,000 brochures that are correct. What matters is the 1 brochure that was incorrect. I see the same thing happening to the ASG. A tiny portion of the book is giving it such a bad rap that it's almost shameful.

As for the typos i've mentioned in the past here that i will go through and look at them. I have some time off from work later so i may start going through and doing that. The mistakes in Na'vi i can't help with too much right now. My level of na'vi isn't that expert yet. I know a fair amount of vocabulary, but the true grammatical structure is still a bit foreign to me.
See that shadow? It's the last one you're gonna see.

Tsmukan fa kxetse anawm

Kaltxì Palulukan!

Quote from: Technowraith on January 25, 2010, 04:56:57 AM
Dusty: very interesting way of looking at the subject.  :)
(snip)

Why tyvm! I liked yours a well. I think I shall read it again after I finish typing this. Just a quick note. You may enjoy this:

http://forum.learnnavi.org/your-projects-other-resources/easy-way-to-learn-navi-activity-book!/msg55921/#msg55921

It is an unofficial 2-page update to my new (20-page preview of the) "Learn Na'vi the Easy Way!" activity book (at the beginning of that thread). This particular PDF deals with the thought processes you mentioned, including a foray into grammar. (eek!) I await my roasting by the grammar police, but I have struggled to make sure I did it "by the book" (er . . . OUR books, OUR dictionaries, OUR crash course pdfs--not that heresy put out by the people who made the movie :) ), so it has to be right--right? (srak?)
2022 update: Working on the new astrology book. "How to read tarot" books are on Amazon, if you are into that sort of thing.
Okay, so the old podcast is here: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/radioavatar It was goofy fun that ended too soon, but we had creative people. I hope we can get a new gang together (interested? PM me, let's make some magic!)
(Very old, outdated) Na'vi FUN activity book is here: But what are you doing? Let me know! :)

Technowraith

Quote from: dustywhite on January 25, 2010, 05:18:14 AM
tyvm!

You know, i was trying to figure out what Na'vi word that was until i realized it was an acronym for thank you very much. hahahaha!  ;D
See that shadow? It's the last one you're gonna see.

Tsmukan fa kxetse anawm

Kaltxì Palulukan!

Quote from: Technowraith on January 25, 2010, 09:10:47 AM
Quote from: dustywhite on January 25, 2010, 05:18:14 AM
tyvm!

You know, i was trying to figure out what Na'vi word that was until i realized it was an acronym for thank you very much. hahahaha!  ;D

Oh, now that IS funny. You are are staring to thinkin Na'vi. And even after you told me, I still stared at it like there was an "x" missing or something. Yeah. This stuff is addictive.
2022 update: Working on the new astrology book. "How to read tarot" books are on Amazon, if you are into that sort of thing.
Okay, so the old podcast is here: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/radioavatar It was goofy fun that ended too soon, but we had creative people. I hope we can get a new gang together (interested? PM me, let's make some magic!)
(Very old, outdated) Na'vi FUN activity book is here: But what are you doing? Let me know! :)

Atantsawkeyä

Quote from: Technowraith on January 25, 2010, 04:56:57 AM

Humans are programmed to pick out what's wrong. It doesn't matter if you printed 10,000 brochures that are correct. What matters is the 1 brochure that was incorrect. I see the same thing happening to the ASG. A tiny portion of the book is giving it such a bad rap that it's almost shameful.

Kaltxì! Permission to save this as a personal favourite quote, ma 'eylan?
Oe plltxe na``Vortìkontì" srak?..

Tanhì Atan

Received Art of Avatar & Activist's Guide this week.  Both are nicer than I expected.   :D
Prius Makto.

Oe ftia Leed.

Oeri olo Ean-a Tanhì lu.
Tirea eyktan ta ean-a tanhì lu.

O.C. shapeshifter is socially clueless.  Now that explains a lot.

I love solar panels, Zero Energy houses, vegetative roofs, permeable paving & rainwater harvesting, but that still isn't green enough for me.