I'm going to make sure to buy a little extra column space for my obit on the offchance that anyone feels the need to 'well, actually' any of the claims made about me.
― Rep. Bob Excellentfrappuccino (Old Lunch), Thursday, 21 June 2018 22:07 (five years ago) link
Some sad news: Charles Krauthammer has died. Our obit is coming soon.— Paul Farhi (@farhip) June 21, 2018
― mookieproof, Thursday, 21 June 2018 22:07 (five years ago) link
Sad for whom?
― grawlix (unperson), Thursday, 21 June 2018 22:07 (five years ago) link
couldn't even sign in gorilla the cunt
― tired culché (darraghmac), Thursday, 21 June 2018 22:19 (five years ago) link
RIP Charles Krauthammer. You looked like you gave missions in GTA IV and died just now— Dan O'Sullivan (@Bro_Pair) June 21, 2018
― Glower, Disruption & Pies (kingfish), Friday, 22 June 2018 00:50 (five years ago) link
Farewell to a subtle mind, inquisitive spirit, and boundless imagination.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 22 June 2018 01:18 (five years ago) link
exclusive ILX footage of CK's last moments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_WEvWcVoFw
― the ignatius rock of ignorance (Dr Morbius), Friday, 22 June 2018 01:57 (five years ago) link
True, Koko learned to play the recorder, but she never learned *not* to play the recorder.— Waldo Jaquith (@waldojaquith) June 22, 2018
― flappy bird, Friday, 22 June 2018 05:09 (five years ago) link
RIP Koko.
― womp womp that sucker (Tom D.), Friday, 22 June 2018 10:03 (five years ago) link
you wouldn't have used that eulogy for a human if you'd have seen them throwing a turd at someone, double standards for these apes you see!
― calzino, Friday, 22 June 2018 10:14 (five years ago) link
I think the eulogy was for Charles Krauthammer, whoever he is, but point taken.
― womp womp that sucker (Tom D.), Friday, 22 June 2018 10:27 (five years ago) link
koko's columns would have had a way better effect on public policy than krauthammer's.
― maura, Friday, 22 June 2018 14:15 (five years ago) link
Whether or not Koko used language is by no means a straightforward question. I’m perfectly happy with them defaulting to say they did.
― Leaghaidh am brón an t-anam bochd (dowd), Friday, 22 June 2018 15:04 (five years ago) link
I agree with mfktz -- there is a strict definition of language and Koko clearly did not use language. It has nothing to do with prescription/description either.
― adam the (abanana), Friday, 22 June 2018 18:52 (five years ago) link
If y'all hustle, it may not be too late to get 'DISCLAIMER: DID NOT ACUTALLY KNOW SIGN LANGUAGE' engraved on Koko's tombstone.
― A Frankenstein + A Dracula + A Mummy That's Been Werewolfed (Old Lunch), Friday, 22 June 2018 18:59 (five years ago) link
is there a word for what Koko did? because people are just going to keep calling it language unless a better term is found
― silverfish, Friday, 22 June 2018 19:10 (five years ago) link
You mean besides 'jack shit'? I guess that's two words.
― A Frankenstein + A Dracula + A Mummy That's Been Werewolfed (Old Lunch), Friday, 22 June 2018 19:11 (five years ago) link
is there a strict definition of 'jack shit' and did Koko clearly do it?
― silverfish, Friday, 22 June 2018 19:13 (five years ago) link
I swore to myself to leave this thread alone, but for the record anyone calling themself a 'prescriptivist' or telling people off for their 'poor grammar' knows nothing about how language works. Also while I'm here, I have nothing for respect for Koko, but anthropomorphising her is imo a shitty way to appreciate an intelligent animal.
― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Friday, 22 June 2018 19:20 (five years ago) link
that's how I feel about furries
― valorous wokelord (silby), Friday, 22 June 2018 19:21 (five years ago) link
no shade tho
― valorous wokelord (silby), Friday, 22 June 2018 19:22 (five years ago) link
wait was Koko a prescriptivist?
― Kostic negotiator (Noodle Vague), Friday, 22 June 2018 19:23 (five years ago) link
Obituary thread still delivering.
― womp womp that sucker (Tom D.), Friday, 22 June 2018 19:30 (five years ago) link
I don't know - if she said 'block' (intending for someone to give her a block) and someone gave her a block Wittgenstein would consider that using language, no?
― Leaghaidh am brón an t-anam bochd (dowd), Friday, 22 June 2018 19:33 (five years ago) link
Wittgenstein was a philosopher, not a linguist. Apologies for not having a sense of humour about people being proud of being ignorant about my field, I won't bother arguing any more.
― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Friday, 22 June 2018 19:36 (five years ago) link
your field sucks
― i want to get cancer (map), Friday, 22 June 2018 19:39 (five years ago) link
maybe think about going into something else
sorry if my joke about krauthammer’s ruinous ideology offended
― maura, Friday, 22 June 2018 19:41 (five years ago) link
http://assets.rebelcircus.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/fine_villoresi_001.jpg
― Leaghaidh am brón an t-anam bochd (dowd), Friday, 22 June 2018 19:41 (five years ago) link
i stand by my belief that the world would be a better place if the marty peretz era new republic’s entire staff was made up of anyone else though
― maura, Friday, 22 June 2018 19:42 (five years ago) link
I don't know if this has been mentioned but ASL, BSL etc aren't syntactically the same as spoken English btw
― Kostic negotiator (Noodle Vague), Friday, 22 June 2018 19:42 (five years ago) link
including gorillas xp
its a pity yr field is defined by what ppl on a msg board think about a dead gorilla
but thats not really our problem like
― tired culché (darraghmac), Friday, 22 June 2018 19:43 (five years ago) link
I can't speak for everyone else, but my clowning itt has been less (read: not at all) about the argument over whether or not Koko was actually able to use language and more (read: entirely) about not waiting until her body was cold to start pooh-poohing any sentimental eulogizing about her grasp of ASL.
― A Frankenstein + A Dracula + A Mummy That's Been Werewolfed (Old Lunch), Friday, 22 June 2018 19:43 (five years ago) link
field appropriation omg
'AHEM, I think you will find that the decedent was actually little more than a CO-writer alongside his partner, Lowell Ganz. I hate to make such a stink before the body has been interred but, on behalf of the Shitty Explicitly-Solo Screenwriters of America, I feel that I must.'
― A Frankenstein + A Dracula + A Mummy That's Been Werewolfed (Old Lunch), Friday, 22 June 2018 19:50 (five years ago) link
I did my dissertation many moons ago on attempts to teach apes language. I realise most people are winding him up but I just thought I'd stick up for mfktz. Back then, the Koko project felt a bit of a dead end. There was some optimism around Sue Savage-Rumbaugh and her bonobos but not sure how different it ended up being.
― Alba, Friday, 22 June 2018 21:00 (five years ago) link
There was some optimism around Sue Savage-Rumbaugh and her bonobos
I remember it well, there was a giddy and excitable spirit abroad in the nation that some likened to the VE Day and its aftermath, and which few were immune to, no matter how cynical.
― womp womp that sucker (Tom D.), Friday, 22 June 2018 21:04 (five years ago) link
I both have mad respect for Camaraderie's profession (considered going that route myself) and am aware of at least some of the controversies surrounding Koko's communicative abilities. But a valid point can also be an ill-timed point, is the thing.
― A Frankenstein + A Dracula + A Mummy That's Been Werewolfed (Old Lunch), Friday, 22 June 2018 21:48 (five years ago) link
i was trying to work "ape has never killed ape" into this but that was not true in that last Roddy McDowall movie, or the reboot
― the ignatius rock of ignorance (Dr Morbius), Friday, 22 June 2018 22:23 (five years ago) link
Also chimps are cannibal psychos iirc
― Kostic negotiator (Noodle Vague), Friday, 22 June 2018 22:26 (five years ago) link
Ape has never killed Koko, she died of natural causes.
― womp womp that sucker (Tom D.), Friday, 22 June 2018 22:29 (five years ago) link
YOU ARE THE APE
― an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Friday, 22 June 2018 22:47 (five years ago) link
https://libraopen.lib.virginia.edu/downloads/pc289j08t
― Uncle Redd in the Zingtime (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 23 June 2018 00:46 (five years ago) link
This Koko tangent is incredible
― flappy bird, Saturday, 23 June 2018 01:03 (five years ago) link
Keep going
Koko the gorilla once ripped a sink out of the wall and, when her keepers confronted her about it, she blamed her kitten, signing "cat did it."
keeper: <signs furiously> "koko, what would you like engraved on your tombstone?"
koko: <signs furiously> "cat did it"
― karl wallogina (Autumn Almanac), Saturday, 23 June 2018 01:25 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT7M-7Q5XM8
― Uncle Redd in the Zingtime (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 23 June 2018 01:38 (five years ago) link
*crosses fingers* that “Oh Koko!” places high in The Beatles Solo Tracks poll
― Uncle Redd in the Zingtime (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 23 June 2018 01:52 (five years ago) link
Vinnie Paul died.
― EZ Snappin, Saturday, 23 June 2018 04:05 (five years ago) link