Sunday, November 19, 2006

This virtual Book of Sand

Seeing a parallel between the 'infinite' book in Borges' "Book of Sand" and the infinity of the internet, here's an amusing link:
http://www.shibumi.org/eoti.htm

29 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ok, got me. It's just that I'm already doing so many productive things. But, hey, why not one more?
BTW, qu'est que ce «html tags»?

8:29 PM  
Blogger Tony said...

I think that means with the right tags it'll become a live link, i.e. that you can click on it and go to the address. Not sure.

8:53 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

thanks, I guess. I've learned to be fearful of things high-tec. haha.

Back to the Book of Sand, though. I don't know that book, but I understand that Michel Tremblay has a new book out, inspired by his recent bout with throat cancer. Does anyone out there know of this book? It sounds intriguing.

9:01 PM  
Blogger Tony said...

I listened to a long interview with Tremblay on CBC this afternoon. He was very .. dignified, like an elder statesman of Canadian literature, with a deep voice like Leonard Cohen's.

10:15 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Such a coincidence. I listened to that CBC show too. Speaking of things Quebecois, has anybody heard of a singer called Pierre LaPointe? He's very good!

6:21 AM  
Blogger Tony said...

Little sweet for me.

10:57 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bonjour, Tony, from Jean-Claude,
Je suis un luddite, certainement. Mais j'ecriverai encore.

Hostie et tablernacle! Si tu crois que Lapointe est trop doux, alors qu'est-que ce ton opinion concernement «Aznavour»? Tu dois le detester, n'est-ce pas?
Quel dommage!

12:19 PM  
Blogger Tony said...

No, Aznavour is amazing, another league.
But my taste is Tom Waits and the Pogues. Maybe we can agree on some middle ground: Leonard Cohen?

2:02 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow! Leonard Cohen. Just one question cause I find him basically cool: how is it that some scion of an upper-class Jewish family sets his poetry to country and western music? I like it, don't get me wrong.

PS. Jean-Claude told me to sign on, which is a good thing. I don't speak good French though. Just as well that LC sings in English.

3:10 PM  
Blogger Tony said...

So, Lucia and Jean-Claude, where do you live? I'm guessing Montreal.

8:59 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Tony, tu es tres malin! D'habitude, j'habite a Montreal, mais quelquefois a Ville de Quebec. Vraiment, je voyage beaucoup.
Lucia? Je la connais seulement un peu. La vendredi derniere, nous buvions quelques Unibroue et mangeaions de poutine. C'est tous. Seulement cette une fois. Je ne sais pas ou elle habite.

Leonard Cohen? Je l'adore!

5:09 AM  
Blogger Tony said...

I wonder how you perceive me as malignant, or perhaps my French is too weak. Perhaps the translation is that to label you as Montrealer is rude?

11:27 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

C'est moi encore, Jean-Claude.

Tony, tu es comique! Le mot «malin» traduiée en anglais est «clever», pas «malignant».

Je te recommande que te achetes une meilleur dictionnaire!

Maudit de tabernac de ciboire!

(Just joking, Tony.)Sommes nous nous amuser? JC

2:18 PM  
Blogger Tony said...

Bien, Babelfish fonctionne seulement environ 50% du temps. C'est au sujet de la limite de n'importe quelle vraie conversation que je peux avoir en français ! ! Pardon !

2:24 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Tony, qu'est-ce que «Bablefish»?

Tu es vraiment hilarant. ("hilarious", just in case tu ne sais pas.}

Aujourd'hui, j ai ecris une historie et, aussi, je me suis presente in a revolving restaurant. C'etait incroyable!

Pas de liturgical swear words today.

J'ai observe, toutefois, que une certaine «Beth» has weighed in sur le sujet de «place» en literature.
JC

8:38 PM  
Blogger Tony said...

Babelfsh est un moteur de traduction automatique qui fait un travail faible, assez mais pour comprendre l'essentiel. Mon Français, est réellement meilleur que Babelfish quand il vient à la lecture, mais l'inscription. Essayez de traduire votre poésie de favori en quelques langues et dos encore. Elle est très drôle.

http://babelfish.altavista.com/

9:34 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bonjour Tony!
Cette chose de Babelfish est grande! Penses aux possibilites pour decomposer les deux solitudes! Tu es un genie!
Aussi, le programmme donne egalement a un les accents qui, autrment, ne smblant pas foncionner le quand un saissent simplement ton blog.
Malheursusement,poutrtant,le program employe seulement [vous], pas de [tu]. Il y a une question que les Francais demandent: [est-ce que je peux vous tutoyer] Sais-tu le sens celui-la.
(Je ne trouve pas le cle our un question mark sur cette computer. Quel dommage!
A bientot!

11:02 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Salut Tony! J'ai voyagais ce matin!

Cette chose de Babelfish est grande ! Pensez aux possibilités pour décomposer les deux solitudes dans ce pays! Tu es un génie !

Aussi, le programme donne également à un les accents qui, autrement, ne semblent pas fonctionner le quand un saisissent simplement ton blog.

Malheureusement, pourtant, le programme employe seulement «vous», pas de «tu». Il y a une question que les Français toujours demandent: «est-ce que je peux vous tutoyer?»

Sais-tu le sens celui-là? JC

11:08 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Salut Tony! J'ai voyagais ce matin!

Cette chose de Babelfish est grande ! Pensez aux possibilités pour décomposer les deux solitudes dans ce pays! Tu es un génie !

Aussi, le programme donne également à un les accents qui, autrement, ne semblent pas fonctionner le quand un saisissent simplement ton blog.

Malheureusement, pourtant, le programme employe seulement «vous», pas de «tu». Il y a une question que les Français toujours demandent: «est-ce que je peux vous tutoyer?»

Sais-tu le sens celui-là? JC

11:09 AM  
Blogger Tony said...

I don't know the subtelty of tu versus vous. I thought it was a level of familiarity that can't be gained from 10 comments by an unknown blog respondant! But, hey, life's short, go ahead.
My French is being pressed to the limit, here. Are you able to continue in English?

9:51 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey, Tony!
You got me on that «vous», «tu» thing!
I can speak English! I'm a college teacher, and I'm just finish a term at «CEGEP».
I like books and music of all kinds! You like the Pogues and Tom Waits. I read somehow that Waits and a female singer are doing a CD together. Do you know about it?

6:45 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

6:45 AM  
Blogger Tony said...

Haven't heard of the Waits duet.
I'm a little intrigued that you are hanging around in this e-lounge. How did you find it?

10:29 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good question! It gave me brain freeze for long time. Then it all got clear.

So. You have the blog which I must admire you so much. It is hope you forgive weak command of Anglais, I wish to speak of my new position teach Anglais to class senior at Ste Anne de Beaupre de la Ville, who I now assign read blogsites of best sample in language. I learn of your blogsite from M. Rizzuto, le presidente de la conseil Ste Anne de Beaupre, when he leave Que with escort for court appearance in New York, we not give credence to false charge he Mafia boss Montreal, but M Rizzuto say blogsite of you desireble for study. SVP repond how you find idea to make so fine blogsite.
JC

5:35 PM  
Blogger Tony said...

I'm flattered that you admire the site. To be honest, I think you may be the only person who reads it! I keep posting things but wonder if I am just being self indulgent. In fact, because there is no real audience, and I am the boss, I am doing it entirely for myself, and having fun.
Please enjoy the place, and thanks.
Here that in Babelfrench:
On me flatte que vous admirez l'emplacement. Pour être honnête, je pense que vous pouvez être la seule personne qui le lit ! Je continue à signaler des choses mais me demande si je suis être juste art de l'auto-portrait indulgent. En fait, parce qu'il n'y a aucune vraie assistance, et moi suis le patron, je le fais entièrement pour me, et ai l'amusement. Veuillez apprécier l'endroit, et les mercis de rester.

7:35 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Pas de problem! The pleasure is all mine, certainement.
But, surely, from time to time others must visit?

11:37 PM  
Blogger Tony said...

Well, yes. A lot of friends email me regarding the different postings, but no one likes to post here, it seems.

12:02 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Tony, that's it.. Rizzuto and all. The police are moved in on my computer. Breaking in the doors as I write.
They think I with Mafia, but so wrong, n'est-ce pas?
I maybe can't write again. Must run. Nothing is what it appears to be.

11:39 PM  
Blogger Tony said...

How bizarre! Au revoir!!

9:18 AM  

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