Thoughts on how I communicate

I've noticed that if I ask cattitude to repeat something, he will do so word-for-word, whereas if I'm asked "What?" I tend to assume that the problem was with the syntax or word choice, rather than on the auditory level, and will rephrase for attempted clarity. That's a good technique when I've gotten tangled in baroque sentence structures--there are things that work in writing but can be hard to follow when spoken--or left out pronoun references or other assumptions. It's counterproductive when the problem is that only some of the words have been heard. If you notice me doing this (not that we get to spend enough time together offline), please remind me that when you say "What?" you mean "Please repeat those words" rather than "Please rephrase that."

[This started as part of a response to tamiam, in a comment thread on elisem's journal. I'm repeating it here because other hearing-impaired people who talk to me may find the information useful, and maybe some people, whether or not they fit in that category, may find it interesting. And as a reminder to myself.]

Thoughts on how I communicate

I've noticed that if I ask cattitude to repeat something, he will do so word-for-word, whereas if I'm asked "What?" I tend to assume that the problem was with the syntax or word choice, rather than on the auditory level, and will rephrase for attempted clarity. That's a good technique when I've gotten tangled in baroque sentence structures--there are things that work in writing but can be hard to follow when spoken--or left out pronoun references or other assumptions. It's counterproductive when the problem is that only some of the words have been heard. If you notice me doing this (not that we get to spend enough time together offline), please remind me that when you say "What?" you mean "Please repeat those words" rather than "Please rephrase that."

[This started as part of a response to tamiam, in a comment thread on elisem's journal. I'm repeating it here because other hearing-impaired people who talk to me may find the information useful, and maybe some people, whether or not they fit in that category, may find it interesting. And as a reminder to myself.]

Fun and games with job applications

I've been filling out a Stop and Shop online job application, since they're near here and apparently hiring. It's full of weird questions about personality and such, most of which I knew how I should answer. And some odd stuff: I've just clicked a box for "I have read this statement": the statement is about a Massachusetts law on polygraphs. I do not live, and am not apply for employment, in Massachusetts.

Oh, and they believe in three genders: male, female, and skip. The question is optional, and "skip" also (perhaps only, in their minds) means "I do not want to answer this question", but at least it's space for people to whom the other two don't apply.

(minnehaha, roadnotes, and womzilla, I listed you as references.)

Fun and games with job applications

I've been filling out a Stop and Shop online job application, since they're near here and apparently hiring. It's full of weird questions about personality and such, most of which I knew how I should answer. And some odd stuff: I've just clicked a box for "I have read this statement": the statement is about a Massachusetts law on polygraphs. I do not live, and am not apply for employment, in Massachusetts.

Oh, and they believe in three genders: male, female, and skip. The question is optional, and "skip" also (perhaps only, in their minds) means "I do not want to answer this question", but at least it's space for people to whom the other two don't apply.

(minnehaha, roadnotes, and womzilla, I listed you as references.)

The Sword in the Stone

This isn't a book review, because I haven't finished the book. (And I am therefore disallowing comments to protect myself from spoilers.)

cattitude has been reading me T. H. White's The Sword in the Stone, at a chapter or part-chapter at a time, before bed. We're having a fine old time.

There is in fact a plot, and characters. I particularly like Merlin, Wart, Archimedes, and the Questing Beast, and have been getting fonder of Sir Ector as the story proceeds. On the other hand, I keep interrupting the story to make rude remarks about some of the characters, notably King Pelenor. The entire thing is a festival of anachronism: it's got Uther Pendragon and Robin Hood, and has no definable tech level, and everyone in it talks like late Victorian or Edwardian English people, down to complaining about the Bolshevists. Quite funny.

I may attempt an actual review when we get to the end; this is mostly a placeholder because I haven't been talking about books much of late: I switch between focusing on Tiptree reading, which I discuss on the appropriate mailing list, and taking breaks therefrom with T. H. White or Ian Macdonald or rereading Amanda Cross.

The Sword in the Stone

This isn't a book review, because I haven't finished the book. (And I am therefore disallowing comments to protect myself from spoilers.)

cattitude has been reading me T. H. White's The Sword in the Stone, at a chapter or part-chapter at a time, before bed. We're having a fine old time.

There is in fact a plot, and characters. I particularly like Merlin, Wart, Archimedes, and the Questing Beast, and have been getting fonder of Sir Ector as the story proceeds. On the other hand, I keep interrupting the story to make rude remarks about some of the characters, notably King Pelenor. The entire thing is a festival of anachronism: it's got Uther Pendragon and Robin Hood, and has no definable tech level, and everyone in it talks like late Victorian or Edwardian English people, down to complaining about the Bolshevists. Quite funny.

I may attempt an actual review when we get to the end; this is mostly a placeholder because I haven't been talking about books much of late: I switch between focusing on Tiptree reading, which I discuss on the appropriate mailing list, and taking breaks therefrom with T. H. White or Ian Macdonald or rereading Amanda Cross.