Congratulations, Anu, on the occasion of your baby's first year of life! I'm supposed to keep this brief, and I will try, but there is quite a bit that I feel compelled to say. At least one Board member is aware of the true extent to which Max is an alter ego for my "real world" self, and this post is from Max's other half. When I signed up to this Board in August, I had no inkling of what awaited me. In the months since, I have been educated, informed, amused, angered and inspired. Above all, I have been amazed. Alone of the adults who post here I have no tertiary education, and for that reason, I had shied away from this Board for the first few months of its existence, fearing an aggressive academic elitism. Instead the warmth of reception and sheer depth of humanity that I have been treated to has left me humbled and grateful and regretting those wasted days. The diversity manifest among those who post here is the key to the strength of this Board, and my wish for the next year is for this to continue to be true. I am hopelessly addicted to this Board, and I don't care. AWADtalk would not have had the successful first year it did without the unique blend of personalities, experiences and talents that have contributed, and to all who have done so I offer my thanks. I am indebted to you all, and especially to Anu for setting up this Board, and for having the courage, discernment and foresight to allow it to evolve unaided. If the above seems rather egocentric it is because the anniversary has reminded me what a precious part of my life this Board has become. Ironically, what I have not learned here are the words to express how I feel, so I shall conclude by summing up what I wish for AWADtalk and for all who post here:
It seems much longer than five months since I first actively joined this board, although I had been monitoring it off and on since its inception. I have been receiving the word a day for some years, and the board was kinda intriguing.
But it took a controversial post from someone - I no longer remember who and don't really care - to get me to sign up and actually say something myself.
What the board has meant to me has been rather surprising. I've made friends here, something that would never happen on other boards, or at least the ones I've been involved with. I've learned quite a lot about language, but that's actually not been the major benefit from my perspective. What has been important is the fact that there are people out there who have widely differing opinions, and who can discuss them without feeling the need to abuse those who don't necessarily agree with them. This is not common and is not to be lightly dismissed, IMHO.
It is our differences as well as our similarities which draw us together, which provide the fun, the arguments, the commentary and the downright chutzpah which the board provides and evinces.
Since brevity is necessary, I'll stop at this point. But I do want to say two more things:
1. You're a great lot, and I thoroughly enjoy your wit, wisdom and occasional blunders and I hope you feel the same way about it.
2. Anu Garg, whether or not you meant to do so you have given a lot of people a lot of pleasure by setting up this board, and for that, perhaps even more than for the transfer of knowledge and exchange of opinions it enables, I sincerely thank you.
London, UK, 13/03/01, 23.10 OK, so I'm officially jumping the gun, but I'm out of the office all day tomorrow so....
Whilst I know I'm not one of the most prolific posters 'hereabouts', I find this board a fascinating place to be. If I have a spare moment in the day I log on and check what has been going on. I don't have any experience of other boards, but it strikes me that this is a unique place: it allows us all to discuss a common interest - language; it exposes us to differing views from around the world; it allows us to converse with likeminded people - no matter where they may be.
So, long may it continue - infrequent poster though I may be, I shall continue to enjoy.
I have had a great time this past year being here. I have learnt a lot but more importantly I have had the pleasure of being amongst people I like. Thanks and with love Avy
-------- For the occasion I wrote this : I hope you all like it:
A board created and the host disappears. With Aenigma in charge it sometimes appears, Anarchy of linguaphiles in cyber space - Do we care? We know it's a fantastic place.
The first day you're stranger but welcomed you'll be. Amidst all the chaos good people you'll see. Look beneath the banter, you will without doubt Know all about words is what we're all about! ---------
None of us know what lies ahead for us each day in the big wide world but this we all know and know full well: it will be a lot more bearable with our AWAD and the Board, and the gang of inspired lunatics and sober citizens who together give us a glimpse of what a civilized society should be like. All hail the great Anu and his Boardly representatives.
Happy Birthday to us Happy Birthday to us Happy Birthday dear AWADers Happy Birthday to us.
Max has said it all - as was to be hoped and expected. And said it far better than I could have managed. So I will just say - "Happy Birthday" to all of us; "Congratulations" to Anu for his inspiration and his hard work in giving it birth; "Thank You" to all of you out there who have patiently put up with my waffle and occasional rants and offered me friendship and support such as I have never known before.
I would like to offer you, as a birthday present, a small part of my favourite poem, which describes this board quite well: " Once more within the Potter's house alone I stood, surrounded by the Shapes of Clay.
Shapes of all Sorts and Sizes, great and small, That stood along the floor and by the wall; And some loquacious vessels were; and some Listen'd perhaps, but never talked at all."
Scotland – (started at) 9.00am Wednesday 14th March 2001
A big “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” to AWAD talk
I’ve had a wonderful time communing with people who speak all those other Englishes around the world. I’ve failed to persuade AnnaStrophic to add any extra consonants to her words as we have travelled together through the dictionary. I’ve made Jackie but she’s kept her “pecker up” despite the onslaught of a whole new vocabulary (how goes the rhyming slang, Jackie?) I’ve observed Tsuwm reach for the OED on more than one occasion to throw light where there was darkness (IKICLIU). I’ve befuddled Aenigma with my failure to accept that there is only one way to spell color. I’ve admired those with better grammar than I; decipher the code in search of perfect sense. I’ve learnt to know y’all as more than virtual friends and have accepted the quirks of regional language but.
Wearing my “veteran” badge with pride – Yours with affection - Jo
I would like to keep this as pure and simple as I feel it is. Anu, congratulations on this happy (very happy) anniversary, and thank you for providing the perfect playground for this unruly band of children who only want to play with words. I, for one, am enjoying every game and every discovery. As to the other children, I thank you all for making me feel so welcome from the moment I joined the board a few short months ago. You are a bunch of amazing, interesting, funny and helpful people, who often astonish me with your (collective) arcane knowledge on words and word-related issues. Thanks again. Marianna
A quick note from a whippersnapper: Initially I joined merely to exploit the collective knowledge of various languages on 'The Board'. I found many here not just hoarding words though. I realised, to simply amass words and language is futile, but to share the concepts encapsulated by them with others is a great laugh. I'm fairly new round here and have already run across some characters,.. it's got me itching for more!
ANU, ...two words: big up
unite & disregard physical and cultural division CDB
Suffer the lexicon to come unto me For I have ways to set it free
…Thus we were brought here (this set down), Following a wild surmise; And found ourselves amidst the hoard, The sapient cutlers of the Board, Polyphiloprogenitive Of sesquipedalian surprise Creating a smile of a frown With puns repetitive. Was it a mere Year Ago on which we found Through mail and friends this unsullied ground? Thus we were brought here (this put down) To the forum of growing renown.
Shut, shut the door, good friend, I'm overthrown: My children suffer from neglect My spouse is feeling barren, and the hearth Is still and flameless. Please reflect Upon this slough of response Which is not blameless For as it's grown Like some black hole in darkest space It sucked us in and though once We felt as though the pace Stretched easy for our iambs to maintain Th'addiction now can seem like April pain And this may lead to woe rather than mirth. Shut, shut the door, good Garg, we're overthrown - Surely we must spend more time on our own.
With tails between our legs then back we come To savour once again the unwithered sedge, The games without boundaries we play with some Others we have never met, and never may. Let not the wedge Be driven between us and they Who live for us at home; But may we also have the joy of unmitigated Companionship beneath this splendoured dome - Not irritated But lifted by the cries of whirling friends, The kindness of strangers, The ineffable delight of the Word, The unshakeable courtesy that keeps us from dangers, The shouts of welcome we have heard - May these be both means and ends. For through this glorious year we have both Enjoyed greatly, and suffered greatly When we left, and now we're loath To ever leave again; Since every time we tried there came a time when We found it insupportable, so lately With tails between our legs, back we've come, Saying Aie Anu tere bandhe hum.
-------------------------- Ravi Nair Hammersmith, London begun at 0845hrs GMT
ps. No points for guessing the 'inspiration' for this pastiche, but a point for each reference spotted! (Do NOT post on this thread - 'Party' will do... )
What wonderful tributes have already been posted! I'd just like to express my respect and affection for the wonderful people who inhabit this space. While love of language and words inspire us, the sense of community that has developed here is unlike anything I imagined possible on the Internet. When I recently posted news of my daughter's birth on the Board I was overwhelmed by the kind and meaningful congratulations that greeted me when I returned the next day.
I cannot possibly improve on what my friends here say. I am daily amazed at the collection of intelligence, knowledge, compassion and wit shown by the contributors to this board.
Thank you, Mr Garg, for all your contributions of money, time and talent to create the many wonderful AWAD services. I send you praises Broad and High. My world is a much gladder place for having found this place.
In a medieval time not hardly associated with hedonistic pursuits of excellence and intellect we are compelled to visit a forrested valley of western France marked solely by its very seclusion. In a dense copse on the side of a small hill we find the crumbling remains of a once grand watch tower. The dusty, grey stones of its structure have been strewn into heaps now blanketed with ivy and clematis.
This hidden area would normally be ignored by the largely uneducated and apathetic world, but to a certain group of young men this valley has become haven for their scholarly interests. This small band formed a secret society, a dead poet society, if you will. Every evening when their diurnal duties on the family farm were concluded they would abscond to this dilapidated tower to divulge their desires for knowledge. They would pour over the works of the ancient classics and make new discoveries of their own. Can such a fraternity have formed in Europe in the midst of a slump in learning? I insist that it is so.
Like any respectable arcane fellowship, this band created their own rules and codes and even their own private language. The language they devised had many French, Latin and German influence and all of their documents were recorded in this language. They loved their secret society and gave it a name they found to be very apt: "Anor Waltin Asiliso Decouvas" ("Our Sylvan Santuary of Enlightenment") The initials for their fellowship were embossed at the top of all of their documents and has come down subtly through history to refer to any such band so unified by the common principles of intellect.
Thus concludes today's edition of Capricious Pif. . .well, you can decide for yourself whether or not it's piffle.
(And you always thought AWAD just meant A Word A Day. )
Dear Anu, Thank you for establishing AWAD Thank you for starting AWADtalk You have brought learning to many people whether they contribute or just read the board. I have never met a group so consistently kind and decent to one another ... it speaks well for people who love words and especially for you,the man who had the conviction that there was a need for a place where linguaphiles could gather. You built it and we came. May the Universe bless and keep you, your family,your friends, and all who love words. May flowers strew your path and light shine upon all your endeavours. Namaste from your devoted High Priestess, wow Happy First Birthday Anniversary to "The One" and all!
Ludwig Wittgenstein, the Austrian philosopher, once said, "Uttering a word is like striking a note on the keyboard of the imagination." If that has any truth in it, AWADtalk is the place where a thousand symphonies flow. Thanks to your passion and love, it is filled with mirth, and music & magic of words.
Thank you everyone, for sharing and seeking, and making it the place to hang around words.
There are approximately 1,346,966,000 web pages in the known universe. At least two show a glimmer of intelligent life. Happy Day to y'all. Cheers (in all senses of the word) from the gang in the Twin Cities. -joe, ron, michael, et al
What has this board meant to me, in the nearly a year since I tremblingly joined ?
LEARNING--so many new words, real and unreal ones, formal and slang ones. Language usage. A new language! And something of another, and bits and pieces of others--over the internet! Not only other peoples' viewpoints, but about other cultures, and from those cultures' viewpoints. Tangential things such as more about how to use my computer, and the internet: how to LIU! Good books, and various art forms to try and improve myself.
LAUGHTER--I have, so many times, done everything from grin, to laughing out loud, to laughing till the tears literally streamed down my cheeks! Oh, the word play! Oh, the puns! The just plain funny stuff! Thank you all!
LOVE--Definitely the best of all! That a group of nearly all complete strangers, who came here by sheer coincidence, are so accepting, so giving, so willing to give others a chance to have their say or to test their "wings" without being steam-rollered, is just amazing to me, and I am so very honored to know all of you. Going beyond merely not putting people down, you are so supportive. And not just a handful--many of you are! All over the place! This board does indeed seem like a second "home" and family to me--I feel absolutely treasured, and I am so very grateful. Never would I have thought that I would, or could, come to feel close to people using this means of communication, but I have, I have. Words, of all things, fail me to describe the---the---how I feel about---oh, shoot, the love! Oh, how dear to me my friends here are!
Anu--I hope this thread gets across to you some idea of what your inspiration has done for us. I love you.
Because I am deaf, and cannot read very long, AWADtalk is my principal form of recreation. So many contributors are better informed than I am, I can learn a lot here. Bill Hunt Van Nuys, CA 8:17
365 thanks, Anu – you provide a daily dose of sanity and reflection in a mad world, and host this delightful forum where nation truly does ‘speak peace unto nation’.
Even greater thanks to the diverse and spirited bunch of fellow loonies who hang out here – I never visit without learning several new things.
And (p-p-p-p-pickup a penguin) my recipe book will never be the same again…
St. John reminds us that the logos, the word, has been since the beginning of creation. For "logos", understand "communication", the exchange of thoughts, information, learning, news, ideas, emotions (including above all, love) between one person and another.
In ancient times, the learned elite who had been schooled, perhaps over many years and with almost infinite pains and dedication, imparted their hard-won knowledge to a new generation by means of arcane rituals in what have become known as the "mysteries". The seeker after knowledge who offered himself as a candidate in the Eleusynian, or other, mysteries was led through a long and physically taxing (and even life-threatening) series of instructive ceremonials, after which he became a full member in the elite brotherhood of the initiated. The hierophant and his assistants, already masters of the lore, imparted it though words chiefly, which they themselves had learned from earlier masters.
Nowadays, of course, we have other means of transmitting knowledge, newest of which is the internet. Our hierophant, Anu, and his assistants, Jackie, Shanks, Max, Jo, ofTroy, Bingley, (in no particular order) and the others whom I have forgotten to list (forgive) are carrying on this ancient tradition in a 21st century way.
This unworthy seeker after truth, or whatever anyone can offer as truth, or at least anyone's best guess as to what may be truth, is deeply grateful for the instruction, as well as the entertainment which he has received. I have been inspired often, and have often belly-laughed to the point of falling off my chair. I am also grateful to be accepted into this brother- and sisterhood.
Anu, you made this possible. I doubt if you had any idea where it would go when you started it, but there are plenty of examples in history of a good thing starting off well which produces far beyond what the originator might have expected.
As you've probably picked up, we've tried to go around the world today, each of us writing as the day begins in our respective time zones, expressing our thanks to you (and each other) for the wonderful beast you've created. I was thrilled to see we'd reached you, and you had replied, as so many on this board have expressed so well how highly we value the existence of AWAD and AWADtalk.
I have learned so much, laughed so much, thought so much, written (and re-written) so many replies - all in nurturing this, the best addiction I've come across so far.
Thank you for making it possible, and congratulations for getting this simple, good idea to spread so far.
Just a simple THANK YOU to Anu and to all of the wonderful people I have met on this Board. I have felt welcome since the first day I found this great place. Many thanks for the tolerance, kindness and downright friendliness all of you have shown to me. Sincerely, Alicia Joy Gierschick
In case you're wondering, Pikeville is the tiny town where I actually live. I use Reading in my profile because it's the closest large and recognizable city.
Thank you, Dear Anu, for creating a place where strangers are welcomed as family, and all who enter (again, and again, and again in most cases) leave with a souvenir, whether it be an interesting new word, a glimmer of insight into other cultures, or simply a lighter step from having started the day off with a good chuckle.
i sincerely hope i'm wrong in this assumption, but i'd venture a guess that mine is not the only household in which a love of learning and a desire to be surrounded by intellectual superiors is looked upon with ridicule, if not outright scorn. for us this wonderful forum is a refuge of sorts, and for that i cannot thank you enough.
Thank you Anu, and thanks to all the folks and peoples.
I started this year off reading about how people on this board were planning to meet up someplace and party (for New Years?). Someone was bringing this, and someone else that ..should we meet there.. or come down here.. etc. This enticed me immediately, as I saw a community spirit with the first few posts I read. As I read further I realized (and was amazed) that peoples personalities were clearly shown and that this board was not just a list of facts and information. This, coupled with this board being distraction free (no banners, no advertisements (Thank you again Anu))has single-handedly saved the face of this media (in my eyes).
I already have a television which I don't use, and I'd much rather picture Jackie laughing herself into a puddle of tears, JazzO hacking his monitor up with his political sword, Bingley and Scribbler having tea, the smirk on WWH's face, the view out Bridget's window, me and my drinking buddies in OZ and Zild holding each other up on the way home from a night out (still "brown bagging" it), and the countless others that I have come to "know" just through words.
Finally, I say to my sister (satin): "This Board IS a school! One where you can show up when you want, kinda free, the teacher to student ratio is @2200 to one, it is self grading (why would you fail), you pick your own subject - but the objects are words... and even THOSE are up for interpretation
Coming in late to this thread, everything I could possibly say has been said, and better than I could have done, but I have been urged to add my ha'penny's worth, so I shall. This board is marvellous, and the proof of that is the ease with which it makes me feel at home, even after having been away for a couple of months. Thank you all, and keep it up. An especially big hug to Anu for giving us this fantastic place, thank you so much.
This feels like everyone has said everything eloquent there is to say.
Thank you and congratulations Anu for creating this awsome virtual place. The congrats also go to everyone for their contributions to the many wonderful conversations. I've learned many things from this group in the past few months, some useful, some not so, and hopefully I my contributions have not been too confusing.
You've brought fun to my life. It's great to sit here in the chaos of the office where I work & giggle. It amazing how much stress disappears, when I get to do that. Thanks
Happy Birthday!!! I am hoping to celebrate your second birthday, too. You are certainly appreciated by your loyal subjects! Even though I am new I can sense that the AWAD members are a great and grateful group!!!
Just so you know where I'm coming from: My son thinks it's hysterical that I always keep a supply of belated birthday cards on hand. That said, Happy One-Year-plus-One-Day Birthday, AWADtalk. (Is that right? I'm time-zone and International-Date-Line challenged.) Whatever. The greeting is late, spurred by the "morning after sobering thought," but heartfelt nonetheless. nk
Yesterday, when I logged into my station and immediately brought up AWAD to wish AWADtalk a happy birthday, I was so embarrassed to find that once again I was a day late, I couldn't even type a word. I felt even worse after reading that only 30 out of 2000+ replied. However, after sleeping on it I realized that many people have this problem, hence the need for Belated Birthday cards and this was confirmed this morning. So Anu and AWADtalk, here is my sincere wish for continued success even if it is late. Thank you for the priviledge of being able to scroll down the threads of knowledge and fun. Thank you to all my teachers here in this forum! Even you, musick! satin
I don’t know how to start this, If start writing “Congratulations!” or “I’m sorry” or even start a new thread: “The month after ...” I know there are no excuses for missing such a commemoration. Yes, I could write about how I was abducted by some nasty aliens or that Spanish daylight saving time system consists on putting back one month on our calendars. Lame excuses!.
Anyway, as we say here “mas vale tarde que nunca” so I’ll end this by writing
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Congratulations, Anu, on the occasion of your baby's first year of life!
I'm supposed to keep this brief, and I will try, but there is quite a bit that I feel compelled to say. At least one Board member is aware of the true extent to which Max is an alter ego for my "real world" self, and this post is from Max's other half. When I signed up to this Board in August, I had no inkling of what awaited me. In the months since, I have been educated, informed, amused, angered and inspired. Above all, I have been amazed. Alone of the adults who post here I have no tertiary education, and for that reason, I had shied away from this Board for the first few months of its existence, fearing an aggressive academic elitism. Instead the warmth of reception and sheer depth of humanity that I have been treated to has left me humbled and grateful and regretting those wasted days. The diversity manifest among those who post here is the key to the strength of this Board, and my wish for the next year is for this to continue to be true. I am hopelessly addicted to this Board, and I don't care. AWADtalk would not have had the successful first year it did without the unique blend of personalities, experiences and talents that have contributed, and to all who have done so I offer my thanks. I am indebted to you all, and especially to Anu for setting up this Board, and for having the courage, discernment and foresight to allow it to evolve unaided. If the above seems rather egocentric it is because the anniversary has reminded me what a precious part of my life this Board has become. Ironically, what I have not learned here are the words to express how I feel, so I shall conclude by summing up what I wish for AWADtalk and for all who post here:
but she’s kept her “pecker up” despite the onslaught of a whole new vocabulary (how goes the rhyming slang, Jackie?) I’ve observed Tsuwm reach for the OED on more than one occasion to throw light where there was darkness (IKICLIU). I’ve befuddled Aenigma with my failure to accept that there is only one way to spell color. I’ve admired those with better grammar than I; decipher the code in search of perfect sense. I’ve learnt to know y’all as more than virtual friends and have accepted the quirks of regional language but.
), and the countless others that I have come to "know" just through words.
!
