What effect does alchohol have? It's a muscle relaxant, breakdown products inhibit higher cognitive functions including the formation of new memories, and it depletes glucose. That's more or less it.
What are it's alleged other effects? Turning shy people into gregarious people, making people lose control of all emotional control, creating violent impulses while removing the ability to resist them.
Did you punch someone last night? Don't worry, it wasn't you, it was the alchohol. Did a friend spend the entire night insulting you? Just forget it, he doesn't believe anything he said, it was the drink talking. Did your libido override all conditioning? Were you deluded that all your jokes were hilarious? Did you metamorphose into a shameless exhibitionist? Drink has all these effects. Apparantly.
Alchohol, it seems, can completely change your personality. It can make you do things, like an evil spirit possessing you. It is both a highly psychoactive drug with a neverending list of effects, and a malevalent force with a conciousness of it's own.
No. Alchohol is the great excuse. People who become violent under the influence are those raised with violence, those who cry into their beer are depressed before they drink it, and the stupid, hurtful, hateful things your best friend said to you, he genuinely believes.
Happy? Oh I remember that.
Right. SFUK was a great success, H is happy going out with me, I've signed up for an Open University science course, I have a new bicycle, I think I'm finally over D, the band I'm (sort of) in have a gig lined up, my muscles are growing slowly in the gym, and I'm happy.
Now I just need to write some music, stop worrying about H, do the dratted OU course, avoid crashing the bike, not fall hopelessly in love again, learn to play guitar, do the cardio exercise properly, and somehow not get depressed again.
Now I just need to write some music, stop worrying about H, do the dratted OU course, avoid crashing the bike, not fall hopelessly in love again, learn to play guitar, do the cardio exercise properly, and somehow not get depressed again.
Dull
H likes to go out and do interesting things on dates. Concerts, theatre, movies. I am a man without an interesting life, in a town that offers little excitement.
I like him very much. I want him to stay with me, but I'm afraid that he'll get bored - with me, and my home town. What can I do? Except scrape around local theatres and music venues, hoping to find a steady stream of things he'll want to do and see with me.
I've been looking for a job, so I can pay for these things. Money would mean I could take him out like he needs, and even find a place of my own, where we could go afterwards.
It doesn't seem like much to ask.
I like him very much. I want him to stay with me, but I'm afraid that he'll get bored - with me, and my home town. What can I do? Except scrape around local theatres and music venues, hoping to find a steady stream of things he'll want to do and see with me.
I've been looking for a job, so I can pay for these things. Money would mean I could take him out like he needs, and even find a place of my own, where we could go afterwards.
It doesn't seem like much to ask.
Songfight UK Live 2004
I'm back from the gig. 20 musicians comprising 5 bands and a few friends, playing for 20 minutes each.
I met up with Nick beforehand - It was great to see each other again. I'd forgotten how much I missed his company. We met the other bands at the studio - Johnny Cashpoint (who was also the compare), Masters of Grip, and Pompeii (incorporating Mother Funker). Nick and I were the one man bands - Kamakura and, of course, Kapitano.
Johnny Cashpoint played first, a kind of camp electric folk.
Then Kamakura, who was especially nervous but played piano and guitar with skill under his singing.
I was number three, requiring the least onstage preparation with just a CD of backing tracks that I'd put together to sing over. I overacted a bit, was occasionally off key, and had to improvise some lyrics when I forgot them.
The Masters of Grip were straight ahead well performed rock.
The set list was alphabetical, but the order worked with Pompeii rocking out at the end. Doggeral lyrics, excellent unpretentious musicianship, and a lot of energy.
We'd each written a song specially for the event, and voted for the one we liked best - JC won.
Then, after the obligatory jam where we all improvised together for half an hour, most went home. JC, his boyfriend Des, two members of Masters of Grip, Nick and myself went to JC's flat for tea, pizza and a long chat about music.
Nick couldn't stay overnight, which made me feel sad. I slept over in JC's spare bedroom, and in the morning taked with JC and Steve from MoG about epistemology and genetic determinism.
Three of us filmed the gig, and there's a loose agreement to edit together a video from the footage. I've played back my own footage, and I look hideous on stage. Just fat and lumpy. I didn't realise it was that bad.
I met up with Nick beforehand - It was great to see each other again. I'd forgotten how much I missed his company. We met the other bands at the studio - Johnny Cashpoint (who was also the compare), Masters of Grip, and Pompeii (incorporating Mother Funker). Nick and I were the one man bands - Kamakura and, of course, Kapitano.
Johnny Cashpoint played first, a kind of camp electric folk.
Then Kamakura, who was especially nervous but played piano and guitar with skill under his singing.
I was number three, requiring the least onstage preparation with just a CD of backing tracks that I'd put together to sing over. I overacted a bit, was occasionally off key, and had to improvise some lyrics when I forgot them.
The Masters of Grip were straight ahead well performed rock.
The set list was alphabetical, but the order worked with Pompeii rocking out at the end. Doggeral lyrics, excellent unpretentious musicianship, and a lot of energy.
We'd each written a song specially for the event, and voted for the one we liked best - JC won.
Then, after the obligatory jam where we all improvised together for half an hour, most went home. JC, his boyfriend Des, two members of Masters of Grip, Nick and myself went to JC's flat for tea, pizza and a long chat about music.
Nick couldn't stay overnight, which made me feel sad. I slept over in JC's spare bedroom, and in the morning taked with JC and Steve from MoG about epistemology and genetic determinism.
Three of us filmed the gig, and there's a loose agreement to edit together a video from the footage. I've played back my own footage, and I look hideous on stage. Just fat and lumpy. I didn't realise it was that bad.
Oh Mr Darcy!
Four days since the last entry. And I was promising myself to update more often.
I went out with H on Wednesday. I wasn't feeling on top form intellectually, so wasn't able to make the conversation very meaningful or original, but being with him was pleasant. We saw a film - 'Pride and Prejudice'. It's a British-Indian film, based loosely on Jane Austin's book, telling of the loves and marriages of three Indian sisters. The central sister is at first incensed by, then falls for, the handsome but undiplomatic American Mr Darcy.
It was all good fun, with pseudo-bollywood musical numbers and some right-on satire, and H enjoyed it immensely. Walking back, he suggested I follow him into teaching as a profession, which would probably entail getting some more A-Level's this year, and teacher training next year. It's a possibility.
We weren't able to go to his room, but it felt good to hug him goodbye outside the place where he's staying. It's odd how I've had so much so much meaningless sex in the last 15 years, but when I'm in a relationship - with D or H - it's just satisfying to be together, hold hands, talk and hug.
One odd coincidence. I knew Gareth was doing teacher training, but I didn't realise he'd be in the same class as H. H says he hasn't made any friends here apart from me yet, and while in a way I'd quite like to keep him for myself, I hope he finds good company, including Gareth.
We'll meet again on Tuesday, for another film, and more of everything else.
PS. I need a place to be private and comfortable with H, which means a place of my own, which means moving out (again) from my parents, which means (somehow) getting a decent job. Or, failing, that, a half-decent job.
I went out with H on Wednesday. I wasn't feeling on top form intellectually, so wasn't able to make the conversation very meaningful or original, but being with him was pleasant. We saw a film - 'Pride and Prejudice'. It's a British-Indian film, based loosely on Jane Austin's book, telling of the loves and marriages of three Indian sisters. The central sister is at first incensed by, then falls for, the handsome but undiplomatic American Mr Darcy.
It was all good fun, with pseudo-bollywood musical numbers and some right-on satire, and H enjoyed it immensely. Walking back, he suggested I follow him into teaching as a profession, which would probably entail getting some more A-Level's this year, and teacher training next year. It's a possibility.
We weren't able to go to his room, but it felt good to hug him goodbye outside the place where he's staying. It's odd how I've had so much so much meaningless sex in the last 15 years, but when I'm in a relationship - with D or H - it's just satisfying to be together, hold hands, talk and hug.
One odd coincidence. I knew Gareth was doing teacher training, but I didn't realise he'd be in the same class as H. H says he hasn't made any friends here apart from me yet, and while in a way I'd quite like to keep him for myself, I hope he finds good company, including Gareth.
We'll meet again on Tuesday, for another film, and more of everything else.
PS. I need a place to be private and comfortable with H, which means a place of my own, which means moving out (again) from my parents, which means (somehow) getting a decent job. Or, failing, that, a half-decent job.
A date and a gig
I haven't updated in the last few days because everything is in transition.
H and I spent the day together on Saturday, and it was great. The spark between us is still there. I still find him stimulating, attractive, and pleasant to be with. And miraculously he feels the same about me.
I'm happy to sit, talk, watch a video and cuddle indoors, but H likes to go out. He likes to visit venues, eat in resteraunts, and see new things on a date - which is a problem in this town. Portsmouth is supposed to be a tourist attraction; It just doesn't have much attraction or many tourists. However, we managed.
This won't be an easy relationship. We're both short of money, he's a busy man, his health is quite precarious, and there's emotional baggage to deal with on both sides. It won't be easy, but it's worth it. We're trying to take it slow and careful.
One thing. H is getting over a relationship with someone he can't have, but cares for very deeply. I still care for D, though I no longer think about him all the time. I can understand what H is thinking and feeling. Neither of us will ever be completely out of love with these people.
At the end of the day, we just a sat and hugged for maybe half an hour. No groping, few words, and a few tears at the end. It felt magical.
We're meeting in the next few days, but it's not certain when.
Elsewhere in my life, my first 'proper' gig is less than a week away. Travel and accommodation arrangements are - of course - being made at the last moment. Anna doesn't want to come up to London to see me perform (I didn't think she would), so I'll ask Gareth.
I would have asked H, but he's got a ticket for the fabulous Scissor Sisters on that day! I'm pleased he's a fan too, and a little envious.
H and I spent the day together on Saturday, and it was great. The spark between us is still there. I still find him stimulating, attractive, and pleasant to be with. And miraculously he feels the same about me.
I'm happy to sit, talk, watch a video and cuddle indoors, but H likes to go out. He likes to visit venues, eat in resteraunts, and see new things on a date - which is a problem in this town. Portsmouth is supposed to be a tourist attraction; It just doesn't have much attraction or many tourists. However, we managed.
This won't be an easy relationship. We're both short of money, he's a busy man, his health is quite precarious, and there's emotional baggage to deal with on both sides. It won't be easy, but it's worth it. We're trying to take it slow and careful.
One thing. H is getting over a relationship with someone he can't have, but cares for very deeply. I still care for D, though I no longer think about him all the time. I can understand what H is thinking and feeling. Neither of us will ever be completely out of love with these people.
At the end of the day, we just a sat and hugged for maybe half an hour. No groping, few words, and a few tears at the end. It felt magical.
We're meeting in the next few days, but it's not certain when.
Elsewhere in my life, my first 'proper' gig is less than a week away. Travel and accommodation arrangements are - of course - being made at the last moment. Anna doesn't want to come up to London to see me perform (I didn't think she would), so I'll ask Gareth.
I would have asked H, but he's got a ticket for the fabulous Scissor Sisters on that day! I'm pleased he's a fan too, and a little envious.
The Book of Job, Chapter 2
The university need someone to teach four lessons in basic photoshop use - one hour per week. Usually this wouldn't be a problem, but as of this month, three new dictates come into force:
(1) There are to be no part time workers. All existing part timers have been sacked.
(2) There can be no new employees. Any new tasks or jobs are to be farmed out to existing employees.
(3) Support must not do any teaching at all.
One of the smaller upshots of this is that no one can teach the introductory photoshop course, because none of the existing staff have both the time and the right to do so.
Mark S is persuading the course leader to bend the rules and employ me for four hours over a month. Mark is quite good at making managerial types understand the blindingly obvious. I'm grateful that he's trying on my behalf, because I could use the work, and because I'm not nearly so patient with idiots.
(1) There are to be no part time workers. All existing part timers have been sacked.
(2) There can be no new employees. Any new tasks or jobs are to be farmed out to existing employees.
(3) Support must not do any teaching at all.
One of the smaller upshots of this is that no one can teach the introductory photoshop course, because none of the existing staff have both the time and the right to do so.
Mark S is persuading the course leader to bend the rules and employ me for four hours over a month. Mark is quite good at making managerial types understand the blindingly obvious. I'm grateful that he's trying on my behalf, because I could use the work, and because I'm not nearly so patient with idiots.
Joy and worry
I seem to have a boyfriend. He's not completely out, so I'll call him H.
H is highly intelligent and well read - we spent hours talking philosophy, science and culture. He's also gentle, attractive, traveled, personable and all the other things I didn't dare hope for.
One half of me can't quite believe a man like H would be interested in me, and the other half is afraid he won't stay interested. We've both had experience of relationships that built too high or too fast, leading to obsession or burnout. So, we're taking it slow and cautious.
I could very easily just fall for him head over heels, if I let myself.
H is highly intelligent and well read - we spent hours talking philosophy, science and culture. He's also gentle, attractive, traveled, personable and all the other things I didn't dare hope for.
One half of me can't quite believe a man like H would be interested in me, and the other half is afraid he won't stay interested. We've both had experience of relationships that built too high or too fast, leading to obsession or burnout. So, we're taking it slow and cautious.
I could very easily just fall for him head over heels, if I let myself.
A small saga
How I got my soundcard to work:
(1) Notice a rapid clicking sound during playback
(2) Reinstall the drivers, to no effect
(3) Switch to the onboard soundcard
(4) Find the clicks are still there, but with more background noise, and a lower recording level
(5) Attempt to buy a new soundcard over the net, to find the vendor's website is down
(6) Buy a new soundcard from a shop
(7) After installing it, find the same problems as the onboard card
(8) Put the old card back in, to find the clicks gone. And then back again.
(9) Reinstall the drivers again.
(10) Realise the problem is a noisy video capture card.
(11) Take out the video card, and try to remember what you wanted to do with the soundcard.
(11a) In the meantime, write a song, meet six men online, fail completely to get off with any of them, meet a seventh by accident and arrange a date with him at the weekend.
(1) Notice a rapid clicking sound during playback
(2) Reinstall the drivers, to no effect
(3) Switch to the onboard soundcard
(4) Find the clicks are still there, but with more background noise, and a lower recording level
(5) Attempt to buy a new soundcard over the net, to find the vendor's website is down
(6) Buy a new soundcard from a shop
(7) After installing it, find the same problems as the onboard card
(8) Put the old card back in, to find the clicks gone. And then back again.
(9) Reinstall the drivers again.
(10) Realise the problem is a noisy video capture card.
(11) Take out the video card, and try to remember what you wanted to do with the soundcard.
(11a) In the meantime, write a song, meet six men online, fail completely to get off with any of them, meet a seventh by accident and arrange a date with him at the weekend.
H...Y *3
There are times when I seem to be permanantly ravenous. There are other times when I'm just desperate for sex all the time. Right now, it's both. I'm hungry and horny.
My mind is capable of other things. Four out of the five backing tracks for my upcoming stage debut are now complete. I've fixed the soundcard problems on both my computers. And I've resumed copying music cassettes to CD. Oh, and the gym I'm building in the basement is almost ready to use.
The songfight board is moving to http://www.dumbrella.com/bb/. I still don't plan to re-enter than community till (say) the start of November. I'm missing regular contact with Nick, but I promised myself I wouldn't contact him for a week. He's enormously busy, and doesn't need the destractions I can bring - music and friendship.
I kept my doctor's appointment yesterday, just in case the current respite from depression ends. I've got a prescription for something called Citalopram - I'll know in a few days whether I'll need it. At the moment though, I'm happy, hungry and horny.
My mind is capable of other things. Four out of the five backing tracks for my upcoming stage debut are now complete. I've fixed the soundcard problems on both my computers. And I've resumed copying music cassettes to CD. Oh, and the gym I'm building in the basement is almost ready to use.
The songfight board is moving to http://www.dumbrella.com/bb/. I still don't plan to re-enter than community till (say) the start of November. I'm missing regular contact with Nick, but I promised myself I wouldn't contact him for a week. He's enormously busy, and doesn't need the destractions I can bring - music and friendship.
I kept my doctor's appointment yesterday, just in case the current respite from depression ends. I've got a prescription for something called Citalopram - I'll know in a few days whether I'll need it. At the moment though, I'm happy, hungry and horny.
Emotion
I don't know about anyone else, but when I feel an emotion, I understand superficially that I feel other emotions at different times, but I don't 'grok' it.
When I'm happy, the sadness of an hour before seems faintly baffling. When I miss a friend, it seems unconvincing when I tell myself that I won't always feel this way.
The transition from hurt to comfort that often comes after an hour of crying always takes me by surprise, as does the sudden sadness when a familliar object reminds me that good times are gone forever.
When I'm happy, the sadness of an hour before seems faintly baffling. When I miss a friend, it seems unconvincing when I tell myself that I won't always feel this way.
The transition from hurt to comfort that often comes after an hour of crying always takes me by surprise, as does the sudden sadness when a familliar object reminds me that good times are gone forever.
Better
I'm actually quite happy today.
Two days ago I found myself opening up to four seperate friends - Christine A, Gareth E, Lee S and Mark S2 - in series in one evening. Then yesterday with John M. It was all amazingly tearful, and exhausting, but at the end it felt like some blockage had been released.
Then last night a special email from D. That's twice he's let me down gently from my own rollercoastering emotions about him. This little personal recovery process isn't over yet, but after being stalled for months, it's finally moving.
So now I can actually concentrate on things, somewhat. Getting a decent soundcard for the portable, writing songs, jumping through cretinous hoops for the job centre, resuming work on the basement gym, political events...and maybe even finding someone who can care about me as I care about him.
Two days ago I found myself opening up to four seperate friends - Christine A, Gareth E, Lee S and Mark S2 - in series in one evening. Then yesterday with John M. It was all amazingly tearful, and exhausting, but at the end it felt like some blockage had been released.
Then last night a special email from D. That's twice he's let me down gently from my own rollercoastering emotions about him. This little personal recovery process isn't over yet, but after being stalled for months, it's finally moving.
So now I can actually concentrate on things, somewhat. Getting a decent soundcard for the portable, writing songs, jumping through cretinous hoops for the job centre, resuming work on the basement gym, political events...and maybe even finding someone who can care about me as I care about him.
Less down
Less ill and less depressed today.
After two days of messing around with maths, I've got five working softknee compressor settings on Audition. If you don't know what that means, it means I can take music I've composed and make the quiet bits louder, the buried instruments clearer, and the whole sound richer.
There's a Marxist Forum tonight, which I nominally organised, and will probably end up chairing. I'll try to record it.
Tomorrow I should go into the university, to try to discreetly find out what the hell is happening about my old job.
After two days of messing around with maths, I've got five working softknee compressor settings on Audition. If you don't know what that means, it means I can take music I've composed and make the quiet bits louder, the buried instruments clearer, and the whole sound richer.
There's a Marxist Forum tonight, which I nominally organised, and will probably end up chairing. I'll try to record it.
Tomorrow I should go into the university, to try to discreetly find out what the hell is happening about my old job.
Down
I'm ill, depressed and worried about Nick, who is ill and depressed.
I'm trying to create a decent softknee amplitude compression algorithm, to use in Audition. I've got some that sound reasonable, but none that sound great.
I've started to keep an audio diary, using the dictaphone. The idea is to record thoughts, feelings and ideas as they happen, instead of summerising them afterwards in the blog. These recordings are more raw and less considered than the blog entries - I've cried on more than one of them.
There's plenty to do - transfer my cassettes to CD, work on the backing tapes for UKSF, resume work on the gym - but it's difficult to get motivated. It might help if I got into a sleeping patten that didn't involve sleeping at 5 and waking at 12.
I'm trying to create a decent softknee amplitude compression algorithm, to use in Audition. I've got some that sound reasonable, but none that sound great.
I've started to keep an audio diary, using the dictaphone. The idea is to record thoughts, feelings and ideas as they happen, instead of summerising them afterwards in the blog. These recordings are more raw and less considered than the blog entries - I've cried on more than one of them.
There's plenty to do - transfer my cassettes to CD, work on the backing tapes for UKSF, resume work on the gym - but it's difficult to get motivated. It might help if I got into a sleeping patten that didn't involve sleeping at 5 and waking at 12.
One More Song
Well, I managed to throw together some lyrics and a backing track. The result is called 'One More'. I couldn't sing it terribly well for the recording, possibly because I was recovering from some mild food poisoning. These are the lyrics, though I expect to change them for the eventual final version:
VERSE 1:
One more morning
After the night before
One more nameless face
That leaves without a trace
I never want to go
Each time I say it's the last, but
I always go anyway, and I
Always find a reason to stay
CHORUS:
Look into the eyes of the
Man in the mirror
Try to read his mind but the
Eyes are blind
Look into the face of the
Man in the picture
Try to see his soul but the
Eyes are cold
VERSE 2:
One more time, and
This time I hope it's for real
Do you like girls or boys?
Do you like lots of noise?
If I could only sleepI might dream of love
One more night, one more day
Can't go on this way
VERSE 1:
One more morning
After the night before
One more nameless face
That leaves without a trace
I never want to go
Each time I say it's the last, but
I always go anyway, and I
Always find a reason to stay
CHORUS:
Look into the eyes of the
Man in the mirror
Try to read his mind but the
Eyes are blind
Look into the face of the
Man in the picture
Try to see his soul but the
Eyes are cold
VERSE 2:
One more time, and
This time I hope it's for real
Do you like girls or boys?
Do you like lots of noise?
If I could only sleepI might dream of love
One more night, one more day
Can't go on this way
:-(
Oh great. I've eaten something that seriously doesn't like me, Nick is depressed and angry, and I've got some meaningless beaurocratic hoops to jump through for the job centre. Lots of little things to do, but all I want to do is get some rhyming couplets written and recorded.
Up, down, and left of centre
This morning I dragged myself out of bed to go to a 'solidarity event' in Southampton with the Fire Brigades Union. All four of us in the car had a different version of what we were going to - it turned out that a single member of the FBU is a member of the BNP, and is standing for a position of power within the union.
Most of the FBU are against this, and we three carloads of people from Portsmouth were there to add numbers to the picketing of the Southampton headquarters, demanding that the fascist be excluded. Of course, the leaders of the FBU did not exclude him, and neither did they endorse him.
As I sat drinking tea with Gareth E and Donna S, Gareth said he thought going was a complete waste of time. I think it's better to build solidarity by turning up to pointless events than to risk alienating potential allies by staying away.
God politics is boring, national and local.
I missed an important political meeting tonight, simply because I forgot. People have been reminding me about it for a week, but I got engrossed in work on the 'rhyme' project. The Portsmouth branch of RESPECT was holding a seminar, open to the public, to put forward it's views on asylum and immigration.
More politics. I wish I could escape from it. I sometimes wish I didn't have the decency to get involved. No, not really.
There another mouse in the room - it looks larger than the other one. I've plugged in the ultrasound pest repellant.
Something else has happened which makes me feel guilty, but I can't talk about it here until I've discussed it with the person it concerns.
My feelings are so sensitive. Last nignt's IRC chat with Nick bouyed me up, now a mouse and a small mistake make me want to cry. Talking with Gareth was great, but a complication in the rhyme algorithm makes me despair.
Most of the FBU are against this, and we three carloads of people from Portsmouth were there to add numbers to the picketing of the Southampton headquarters, demanding that the fascist be excluded. Of course, the leaders of the FBU did not exclude him, and neither did they endorse him.
As I sat drinking tea with Gareth E and Donna S, Gareth said he thought going was a complete waste of time. I think it's better to build solidarity by turning up to pointless events than to risk alienating potential allies by staying away.
God politics is boring, national and local.
I missed an important political meeting tonight, simply because I forgot. People have been reminding me about it for a week, but I got engrossed in work on the 'rhyme' project. The Portsmouth branch of RESPECT was holding a seminar, open to the public, to put forward it's views on asylum and immigration.
More politics. I wish I could escape from it. I sometimes wish I didn't have the decency to get involved. No, not really.
There another mouse in the room - it looks larger than the other one. I've plugged in the ultrasound pest repellant.
Something else has happened which makes me feel guilty, but I can't talk about it here until I've discussed it with the person it concerns.
My feelings are so sensitive. Last nignt's IRC chat with Nick bouyed me up, now a mouse and a small mistake make me want to cry. Talking with Gareth was great, but a complication in the rhyme algorithm makes me despair.
Singe rhymes with Orange!
I think I've come up with an simpler algorithm for the rhyming dictionary. Without going into details, it looks like this:
(1) Accept a word to be rhymed from the user.
(2) Identify the final vowel of the word, and any consonants that come after it. That this segment matches the final segment of a word under comparison is the minimum criterion for rhyming.
Two - /t o/
Say - /s ei/
Give - /g i v/
Point - /p oi n t/
(3) Create a list of words that share the same final segment, taking into account any differences which have been set to ignore. So, assume word strees is being ignored:
So these words rhyme:
Pain /p ei n/
Gain /g ei n/
Slain /s l ei n/
Pentane /p e n t ei n/
Insane /i n s ei n/
But if the destinction between /m/ and /n/ is ignored, these words are allowed:
Same /s ei m/
Game /g ei m/
Aim /ei m/
Nickname /n i k n ei m/
(4) Sort the resulting list into order of how many phonemes match for each word.
/p l ei n/ has the minimum 2 matches with /p ei n/, as has /f o n t ei n, but /b l ei n/ has three. If the difference between /l/ and /r/ is being ignored, then /g r ei n/ also has 3.
The main problem with this algorithm is that sometimes a phoneme is skipped over when rhyming two words, and this algorithm can't cope with that. Porridge (/p o r i dZ/) almost rhymes with Orange (/o r i n dZ/). Similarly, Review (/r i v iu/) with Renfrew (/r e n f r iu/). I don't know whether this is important.
(1) Accept a word to be rhymed from the user.
(2) Identify the final vowel of the word, and any consonants that come after it. That this segment matches the final segment of a word under comparison is the minimum criterion for rhyming.
Two - /t o/
Say - /s ei/
Give - /g i v/
Point - /p oi n t/
(3) Create a list of words that share the same final segment, taking into account any differences which have been set to ignore. So, assume word strees is being ignored:
So these words rhyme:
Pain /p ei n/
Gain /g ei n/
Slain /s l ei n/
Pentane /p e n t ei n/
Insane /i n s ei n/
But if the destinction between /m/ and /n/ is ignored, these words are allowed:
Same /s ei m/
Game /g ei m/
Aim /ei m/
Nickname /n i k n ei m/
(4) Sort the resulting list into order of how many phonemes match for each word.
/p l ei n/ has the minimum 2 matches with /p ei n/, as has /f o n t ei n, but /b l ei n/ has three. If the difference between /l/ and /r/ is being ignored, then /g r ei n/ also has 3.
The main problem with this algorithm is that sometimes a phoneme is skipped over when rhyming two words, and this algorithm can't cope with that. Porridge (/p o r i dZ/) almost rhymes with Orange (/o r i n dZ/). Similarly, Review (/r i v iu/) with Renfrew (/r e n f r iu/). I don't know whether this is important.
Not a good day
The £60 has been stolen. I know where it happened, and how, but by the time I realised, it was half an hour later and I was on the other side of town.
I realised when I tried to pay cash for a dictaphone - an olympus VN240 - which I was led to believe could upload what it recorded to a PC. It can't. That ability belongs to the VN240PC which, of course, is not available in the local stores.
So, I'm down £110, and not terribly happy.
Tomorrow I've been roped in to show solidarity with firefighters who are picketing a collegue who is standing in an election for the BNP. And in the evening is a major meeting for RESPECT on asylum and immigration.
I just want to lie down and forget about all this for a while.
I realised when I tried to pay cash for a dictaphone - an olympus VN240 - which I was led to believe could upload what it recorded to a PC. It can't. That ability belongs to the VN240PC which, of course, is not available in the local stores.
So, I'm down £110, and not terribly happy.
Tomorrow I've been roped in to show solidarity with firefighters who are picketing a collegue who is standing in an election for the BNP. And in the evening is a major meeting for RESPECT on asylum and immigration.
I just want to lie down and forget about all this for a while.
What rhymes with 'Orange'?
I really should write about my first day of paid work in months, but it was on the one hand so complex, and on the other so tedious, that I don't have the will.
However, I've been working on an algorithm for a rhyming dictionary. One that works the way songwriters work - allowing for loosening or tightening of the rules for what constitutes a rhyme.
Take the word 'Game'. There's plenty of strict rhymes for it: Blame, Came, Dame, Fame, Flame, Frame, Insane, Maim, Lame, Same etc. But there's also some 'half-rhymes' - Bane, Again, Drain. What happens if the rules are relaxed still further? Queen, Say, Aging etc.
The rules for a strict rhyme looks something like this: Take a word, let's say 'Gridlock', and convert to phonemic transcription - /grIdlok/. Now break the word into segments - /g rId l ok/.
This is not exactly breaking the word into syllables. Starting from the end, ask whether the final sound is a vowel, or semi-vowel+vowel pair. If it is, that is the final segment. Hence:
Frappe - /f rap ei:/
Greywacke - /g rei: wak i:/
Mondo - /m on d o/
In the case of 'Gridlock', there is no terminal vowel. So, identify the final vowel sound and the final consonant, treat them as a unit, and work backwards in the same way.
Gridlock - /g rid l ok/
Telephone - /t el ef @u:n/
Cassette - /k @s et/
The phoemic stream is devided into vowel-consonant pairs, with some isolated consonants, especially at the beginning. 'r' is treated as a semivowel that only occurs before other vowels. 'h', although it is strictly speaking vocalic, is treated as a consonant. This system of segmentation is eccentric, but (I hope) optimised for finding rhymes.
A strict rhyme should occur on the stressed syllable of a word, so stress is indicated thus:
Frappe - /f ~rap ei:/
Greywacke - /g ~rei: wak i:/
Mondo - /m ~on d o/
Gridlock - /g ~rid l ok/
Telephone - /t ~el ef @un/
Cassette - /k ~@s et/
So, we now know that a strict rhyme for 'Mondo' must end in /~on d@u: /, so 'Condo' /k on d@u:/ is acceptable, though 'Condor' /k on dO:/ is not. A rhyme for 'Salient' must end in /~ei:l i: @n t/, if such a word exists.
What about looser rhymes? Well, we can relax the rule about stressed segments by ignoring stress marking, so rhymes for 'Peregrination' (/p e reg rIn rin ei:S @n/) need only end in /@n/ or /rin ei:S @n/, for instance.
More usefully, some destinctions between consonants can be ignored. In particular, destinctions between nasals. If the three-way destinction between /m/, /n/ and /N/ is relaxed, the following words rhyme:
Pan /p An/
Sam /s Am/
Sang /s AN/
Destinctions between long and short vowels can be ignored, or between vowels preceeded by a glide and those not etc etc.
This is what I worked out during a quiet half hour at work. Implementation is the hard part. I'll need to brush up on my ASCII phonemics (most likely the SAMPA system), and refamilarise myself with a programming language (BASIC is probably adaquate, though not elegant).
However, I've been working on an algorithm for a rhyming dictionary. One that works the way songwriters work - allowing for loosening or tightening of the rules for what constitutes a rhyme.
Take the word 'Game'. There's plenty of strict rhymes for it: Blame, Came, Dame, Fame, Flame, Frame, Insane, Maim, Lame, Same etc. But there's also some 'half-rhymes' - Bane, Again, Drain. What happens if the rules are relaxed still further? Queen, Say, Aging etc.
The rules for a strict rhyme looks something like this: Take a word, let's say 'Gridlock', and convert to phonemic transcription - /grIdlok/. Now break the word into segments - /g rId l ok/.
This is not exactly breaking the word into syllables. Starting from the end, ask whether the final sound is a vowel, or semi-vowel+vowel pair. If it is, that is the final segment. Hence:
Frappe - /f rap ei:/
Greywacke - /g rei: wak i:/
Mondo - /m on d o/
In the case of 'Gridlock', there is no terminal vowel. So, identify the final vowel sound and the final consonant, treat them as a unit, and work backwards in the same way.
Gridlock - /g rid l ok/
Telephone - /t el ef @u:n/
Cassette - /k @s et/
The phoemic stream is devided into vowel-consonant pairs, with some isolated consonants, especially at the beginning. 'r' is treated as a semivowel that only occurs before other vowels. 'h', although it is strictly speaking vocalic, is treated as a consonant. This system of segmentation is eccentric, but (I hope) optimised for finding rhymes.
A strict rhyme should occur on the stressed syllable of a word, so stress is indicated thus:
Frappe - /f ~rap ei:/
Greywacke - /g ~rei: wak i:/
Mondo - /m ~on d o/
Gridlock - /g ~rid l ok/
Telephone - /t ~el ef @un/
Cassette - /k ~@s et/
So, we now know that a strict rhyme for 'Mondo' must end in /~on d@u: /, so 'Condo' /k on d@u:/ is acceptable, though 'Condor' /k on dO:/ is not. A rhyme for 'Salient' must end in /~ei:l i: @n t/, if such a word exists.
What about looser rhymes? Well, we can relax the rule about stressed segments by ignoring stress marking, so rhymes for 'Peregrination' (/p e reg rIn rin ei:S @n/) need only end in /@n/ or /rin ei:S @n/, for instance.
More usefully, some destinctions between consonants can be ignored. In particular, destinctions between nasals. If the three-way destinction between /m/, /n/ and /N/ is relaxed, the following words rhyme:
Pan /p An/
Sam /s Am/
Sang /s AN/
Destinctions between long and short vowels can be ignored, or between vowels preceeded by a glide and those not etc etc.
This is what I worked out during a quiet half hour at work. Implementation is the hard part. I'll need to brush up on my ASCII phonemics (most likely the SAMPA system), and refamilarise myself with a programming language (BASIC is probably adaquate, though not elegant).
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