Sign Language, etc.

Update, 08/20/2015: Apparently the chart below is wrong! Read post below with many grains of salt. 

I think I'd like to learn American Sign Language (ASL). It functions as its own language, with rules for grammar, punctuation, sentence order, etc. ASL tends to be essential in my industry -- I've seen proposals that list direct service providers "fluent in ASL," usually linked to our strengths-based approach/diversity. Diversity is good. Just ask Mother Nature:

Hi, I'm Mother Nature, in my guise as a tiny plant. A tiny plant, by the way, that will  help researchers design new crops to help meet increasing demands for food, biofuels, industrial materials, and new medicines. Read all about it here. Moving on: diversity is good. Because I say so. And also because -- and I specifically mean biodiversity here -- diversity promotes healthy ecosystems. Healthy ecosystems can better withstand and/or recover from disasters. Think about it. We live in the Century of the Anchovy, after all. We're way past the Century of the Fruitbat. I'm Mother Nature and I approve this message.

Thank you, Mama Nature, I'm sure you include humans in the set of all things that are biodiverse. Oh hey, I just made up a new word.

Back to the topic at hand. The first step to learning ASL is to memorize the questions, in this handy little chart:

Okay, did you memorize it? Me too. Wasn't it educational, informative, and potentially useful for the future?

Then I had a flash of insight: perhaps my deaf kitty can also benefit from my new language skill! Below is my Sheba Sign Language (SSL) chart:

I'll try this out on her when she's not ignoring me. Then I shall document the results for science.

Almost Turkey Day!