Robot Interaction Language

 
The book Learning ROILA was published a couple of months ago. “The RObot Interaction Language (ROILA) is a new spoken language that is optimized for the communication between machines and humans. It is extremely easy to learn for humans and it is simple for machines to recognize.” Available from Amazon.

A brief article about the language with a few specimen sentences is online at ComputerWorld.co.NZ

a tidbit of the language Orghast

 
In August 1971, an experimental theatre group performed a spectacle at the ruins of the palace of Darius in Persepolis. Parts of the event were performed in Latin, Greek and Avestan, and part was done in a language called Orghast which was created by poet Ted Hughes. Here is a specimen:

SÓYINNABLÁRGA
I was in darkness

FÓTTAHOÁNYA
brought into light

GRÓKIDOTÚTTU
I was broken in pieces

GUÉRRAOÁNYA
light healed me

Bits of information about the language and its development are scattered throughout the book Orghast at Persepolis by A.C.H. Smith (Methuen Publishing, 1972 and Viking Press, 1973). Used copies of this book are readily available from abebooks.com

It’s quite interesting to read about how the language evolved, how words that Hughes pulled out of thin air* turned out to have similarities to words in ancient languages, and how Orghast served as a lingua franca for the multinational theatre company on a few occasions – there was one situation in which a member of the group sent them a telegram written in Orghast.

If you are interested in artlangs, I recommend the book. There are lots of thought-inspiring quotations from Hughes about the relationships between the human body, poetry, and human languages.

  *Perhaps “pulled out of thin air” is a poor choice of words. Hughes said he created each word through a long meditative process.
 

linking the various selves

 
Sometimes when I am at work I will think of something I want to do at home… sometimes a conlang-related thing, and sometimes a gardening or housework thing…

For years I had trouble remembering these ideas after leaving work. I often wrote a note to myself on a piece of scrap paper and stuck it in my pocket or my briefcase, but those notes piled up and failed to get my attention.

Lately I have been sending e-mails from my work e-mail account to my personal account and this seems to succeed most of the time. Likewise, if I am at home and I recall something that needs to be done at work, I can send an e-mail from “at-home me” to “at-work me.” I know some employers don't permit this but fortunately my company doesn't prohibit sending an occasional personal e-mail.

So communication between at-home me and at-work me has improved quite a bit. Now I have to figure out how to improve the flow of ideas between “driving-around me” and “at-home me” and “at-work me.”

Sometimes “driving-around me” will call the landline phone at home and leave a message on the answering machine. That works well. But it is difficult for “at-work me” and “at-home me” to get a message to “driving-around me.”

I have gone back to updating my diary/journal more frequently. This is a great way for “past me” to send ideas and information to “future me.” What’s lacking (and is very much needed) is some way for “future me” to send messages to “present-day me.”

You know what annoys me? People who won't admit that they are laminated, made of distinct layers bonded together. You're not the same person now that you were 15 years ago. You're not the same person at work that you are at home. Stop trying to deceive your multi-self. You are a composite.

Empire Me

 
Okay, add this to the list of things I want to see. A documentary film about micronations has been produced. It is called Empire Me and you can see a trailer here.

And don't miss the website Micronations News Network.