Let it never be said that you can be completely bored in any one class. Even in the densest of texts, you occasional run across passages that grip your attention.
Here are a few of those things that I have run across recently in my studies.

( My thoughts... let me show you them... )

What have you guys been learning lately?

Q: How do you turn a piece of paper into a lazy dog in three steps?
A: A piece of paper is an ink-lined plane, an inclined plane is a slope up, a slow pup is a lazy dog. 

*rimshot*

Okay, so I like puns. I'm irrationally amused by them. More than I should be, I think. And in my English-French translation class today, we discussed how to translate things like advertising slogans, because they often have word play and cultural references and such that may not physically exist in the language/culture you're translating to. 

Some of my favourites from the list were:

"If I only have one life, let me live it as a blonde" (For hair colouring) I think that we ended up coming up with a pun in Québecois French with "blonde" (the hair colour) and "blonde", as in "ma blonde", which is slang for my girlfriend. 

"Let the train take the strain" (for some British rail company). I think one of the guys in my group came up with "Pour n'avoir rien à craindre, prenez le train-dre", which translates, roughly, to "So you have nothing to worry about, take the train", except the word for train has a verb ending tacked onto the end of it so it rimes with "craindre" (to worry). It would never actually fly, but the way that he said it, waggling his eyebrows? Funny as hell.

We didn't get to this one, but I love it: "It sits as lightly on a heavy meal as it does on your conscience." (for Jell-O)

We did get into this class-wide argument on how to translate Taco Bell's slogan "Think outside the bun." Clearly, it's a play on the expression "Think outside the box", telling consumers to think beyond hamburgers and think about tacos. We trashed the original slogan altogether, in my group, translating it as "C'est comme une fiesta dans ta bouche" (It's like a fiesta in your mouth!). A couple groups tried to translate it directly, but used the word "pain" (bread) which had us all descend into arguments, because "bread" doesn't immediately bring to mind hamburgers, right? Especially not in France. And then our prof said the most hilarious line (maybe you had to have been there and heard it said). He was saying that no, the girl's proposed translation would never work, because her word choice didn't convey "la réalité du 'bun.'" He said exactly what it sounds like - it didn't convey "the reality of 'buns'", like, hamburger buns have abstract connotations circling around them that invoke certain feelings and thoughts, and yeah, it's true, but he said it so seriously everyone started laughing. XD

Anyway, I don't have a picture that's thematically appropriate for this post, so here, have a picture of some Olympic athletes running with scissors:

Man, reading stuff from the 1830s has really improved my vocabulary. I've been reading things like the 1839 "Report on Indian Affairs" by J.B.Macaulay. (According to our prof., this will make us forty people join a group of about maybe forty other living people in the entire world who have ever actually bothered to read this 89 page document in full).


This man is Friederich Engels. He is one of the fathers of Communist thought. He is also from the 1800s. They knew how to grow glorious beards back then.

Macaulay uses words like "turpitude", which means "Inherent baseness or depravity; corruptness or evilness." Other recent searches of my dictionary.com application are "expostulate" ("to reason earnestly with someone against something that person intends to do or has done"), "solicitude" ("the state of being anxious or concerned; an attitude expressing excessive attentiveness"), "reify" ("to convert into or regard as a concrete thing") and "annus mirabilis" (a latin phrased used in English meaning "year of wonders; wonderful year").

Have you guys run across any neat-o words recently?

On another note, I've finally started to watch Due South recently. I know it's a classic television show... and is pretty much the only Canadian TV show that's famous in Europe and the rest of the world. And come on, who can blame them? Mounties are adorable and stalwart and all of those good things. 

"Tell my father I died with my face to the Enemy." - Inspirational quote of the day brought to you by Colonel Isaac E. Avery, 6th North Carolina regiment.


Snow Angel on Pristine Snow by ~Beboots on deviantART

( What exactly have I been up to recently that merits such a quotation? )

... the first post of the new year, and yet I say very little. ;) I am oh so mysterious.

Your result for The Golden Compass Daemon Test...

Fun Loving Soul

Take The Golden Compass Daemon Test at HelloQuizzy

( Oh, Ulster Unionists...  )

Also, I've decided to write my Honor's Thesis on American Civil War Medicine! (Although really, shouldn't I be working with my new crush, the Countess? ;) )

... were seized and feasted on at once.
-Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

As some of you may have noticed, I have been participating in NaNoWriMo the last few days! Things have been hectic, as I have been trying to get ahead in my wordcount so that I can slack of (out of necessity) later on, so I can write some of my scholarly papers... Here is a wordcount widget indicating my progress!




At the time of writing, my wordcount is 25,563 words. Yes, I have just hit the midway point, 25k. On the fifth day. Yes, I have surprised even myself. And it's actually good-quality stuff! .... well, in my subjective opinion, I have improved my writing style over the last two Novembers. :)

( Come in to my lair... let me tell you of my novel... )

A painting of Archangel Raphael by an artist who did a series of abstract painings of archangels.

(and oh god I have seen so much religious art in the last week during the course of my research on the characters of Michael and Raphael... Some of it good, a lot of it bad. But I really love the subtety of the above painting - because angels aren't just men with wings - they are impressions, actions, and light.)

Myself as Fujiwara no Sai from Hikaru no Go at Bellerose Con. (Taken by Chris, the boyfriend of my best friend)


( So let me tell you what I've been up to lately... and it isn't all homework! )


Thriller zombies feel dead, and so do I...

Oh my goodness, guys, there's snow on the ground. D:

Note: only a slight exaggertion.

( Actually, this photo is from.... )

This past Sunday was Free Admission Day, all over Edmonton. At all city-run facilities (pools, museums, etc.), everyone got in for free.

( And all of the really cheap people come to Fort Edmonton... )
It was because I'd told him how much I liked the baby shoes, so he wanted to have a demonstrative photograph. :) He was very nice.

So... long time no hear, guys! I've been ridiculously busy because of school (busier than I have any right to be, in September, but there you are), but I've finally found the time to give you guys an update.

But first, a brief photograph interlude!


Kirsten (left) and I (right) return to the Midway after successfully doing the Chautauqua petition program for the final time, on Harvest Fair (our last special event day of the year)

( I entered history to ESCAPE science... )

Now, then... do you folks recall this? And this? And the following horse? 


( All right then, let's continue on with our tour... )

Remember this? And this sneak preview?


( Well, I'm continuing the tour... )

If you'll just step right this way, I'll be beginning an abbreviated tour of this hand-carved work of art...

( As you may or may not know, the carousel here at Fort Edmonton Park is... )

(quote from creepy old woman innkeeper in Hot Fuzz)

( There's something about extreme weather that brings Canadians together.  )


Also, some kinds and then their parents applauded me after I ran a particularly fast (hand-cranked) bug ride for them. It made me very happy to be so appreciated. :)

Continued from part 3, here.

( Cut for photos of the 1905 tableau. )

Continued from here. 

( I begin my day... )

All right everyone, this is the post that you have been waiting for! (and it was just eaten by my stupid computer, so I'm retyping this because I love you guys and I love the Fort). I've been talking about my job quite a bit lately, you see. This post is for all of those who don't live in Edmonton but would like to learn more about how awesome Fort Edmonton Historical Park and living history museums are in general. :3

( Cut for photo post )