I smell a challenge.
We’ve gone rounds on archaic languages, we’ve fought a battle in the pit on your Luddite tendencies, and I’ve barely held my ground, if that.
I smell a preemptive concession - or at least until I get my midmorning nap in.
That’s “gansta” in proper usage, guys. I attended a performance of Coriolanus with the Romans as gansters, with motorcycles and AK-47s and all wearing black leather. They didn’t update the language. It was not good, but we still talk about how bad it was, so it did make its point.
Pizza and beers all around if you do Latin rap–best to use classic rap that everyone will recognize. (Maybe “Me so Horny,” or “Who Let the Dogs Out.”)
Oh, and I meant to add this link to an extremely interesting and on-topic thread.
Beastie Boys. License to Ill.
That will be my primary text.
A fine selection.
Shall we work with the classic Fight For Your Right or perhaps the oft-overlooked Paul Revere? Or perhaps one of my personal favorites, Brass Monkey?
[sub]How DOES ‘funky’ translate into Latin, anyway?[/sub]
Nice try, neophyte! If you want others to do your homework for you, go to GQ. They really don’t mind. 
Robin
Hehe. I feel like I’ve just been carded. I’m 39 and I wish I had homework, Robin. You should look at this really interesting related thread to see why I’m asking you guys this. It’s bait, you see.
Wait, let’s get back to Maeglin’s revelation that he is a rapierist. Can we allow him to hang around here after that?
Apologies to Humble Servant. I hadn’t read his Aeneid thread and missed the joke. (That’s what I get for not going to Page 2.)
This little masochist needs to go to bed.
Robin
While we’re discussing translating stuff into Latin, I’ll submit (for your approval!) something I did one day when I was bored…
In cavum in terram vivebat hobbitus. Non erat cavum foedum, sordidum, et uvidum, quod erat plenum dorsorum vermum et odoris levis; nec cavum aridum, pressum et harnenosum, cum nihil aut considere aut edere; erat cavum hobbiti, videlicet commodum.
Janua perfecte rotunda erat et picta viridis; habebat bullam flavam fulgidam in media exacta. Patebat in atrium cylindratum ut cuniculo: cuniculus commodior sine fumo, cum parietibus laqueatis, et pavimentis… here’s where I got sick of translating
[Dorothy Parker]
…“the art of the rapier” (thank God for that little letter i)!
[/Dorothy Parker]
I got my book today at Borders, off the shelf. It cost 24.95, which is slightly cheaper than Amazon.com. I also sprung for a Cassell’s Latin-English dictionary and a copy of Big Red Tequila by Rick Riordan (which has nothing to do with Latin, but it does take place in San Antonio.)
Robin
OK, count me in, too. I majored in Latin in college and loved it, but am now a little rusty. I would also love to be in on a Greek thread, as I have never gotten the hand of that stupid language. (I blame textbooks without vocab lists that make you look everything up in the big dictionary. I have quite a rant on this, I’m quite bitter.)
OK, I’m calm now.
So, is anyone doing this in the Twin Cities, MN area? We could get together for homework and vocab drills, and accountability support.
School ends on Friday. Next week I’ll get the book and be all ready to join in!
Sorry, Punk, you missed me by about six weeks.
Robin
…but I’m still in town. Over in Hopkins, to be specific. I wouldn’t mind getting together on a semi-regular basis for such matters.
(Of course, I’m still waiting for the damn book to arrive…)
Well, although the book’s not in yet, it’s probably high time to get started going over the basics of learning an inflected language. Those who have Latin, now is the time to preen. It will get more difficult later.
LNO, I’m dropping you an email shortly. It shouldn’t take too long to divide the material.
MR
Ok, a simple division - I’m management, you’re labor. I now delegate all work to you.
I love America.
(Also, my book arrived yesterday, so I’m ready to suffer the intense pain of Moreland & Fleischer.)
Ahem. I’ve HAD the book since Saturday. I’ve also been doing the exercises. (I suspect the authors are Commies based on some of said exercises, but I won’t spoil the surprise.)
Can I have an e-mail, too?
Robin
Got the book. Even went so far as to open it, at random. Instantly confronted by a slab of Caesar’s Gallic Wars. Immediate reaction: whimper… Next reaction: hey, I can follow some of this… yes, senility hasn’t set in quite as far as I thought. Hic, haec, hoc… ablative absolutes… amo, amas, amat… gerundives of obligation… yes, it’s all flooding back.
Actually, on a cursory inspection, looks like a good choice of textbook, guys. I look forward to getting some mileage out of it.