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?
- Mood:
blah
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:
- Mood:
amused - Music:Avatar Original Soundtrack
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.
- Mood:
busy - Music:Musikás: Bartók Album (Traditional Hungarian folk music)

Snow Angel on Pristine Snow by ~Beboots on deviantART
( What exactly have I been up to recently that merits such a quotation? )
- Location:No longer in Jasper
- Music:Avatar Original Soundtrack
Your result for The Golden Compass Daemon Test...
Fun Loving Soul

You are an open and social person. When you are left alone you tend to get bored and restless, and too much time without social contact makes you fade away. A good night surrounded by friends and laughter soon perks you back up.
You are trusting and truthful, and you aren't good at hiding your emotions from friends or strangers alike. People need to take you as you are - and often they do. You are confident but not overconfident, sensitive but not touchy. You aren't afraid to give your opinion, or to let someone know when they have offended you, but you don't constantly fly off the handle. You simply want to make your thoughts and feelings known, and you are just as open to hearing others' points of view. Sometimes your friends feel slighted by you, because they aren't as open about their feelings as you are, and so you don't always notice when they are feeling hurt or down.
Your daemon's form would represent your social and emotionally honest nature, as well as your balanced sense of self. He or she would constantly be throwing him or herself into the moment - enjoying the feel of the afternoon wind, the throbbing beat of music in the club, or helping you argue your point.
Suggested forms: Meerkat, Labrador Retriever, Sea Lion, Lemur
- Location:The Depths of Alberta
- Mood:
dorky - Music:Avatar Original Soundtrack
Here's another picture of Countess Markievicz before you go.
Stylish AND revolutionary. She can look good in anything.
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? ;) )
- Mood:
busy
Let me tell you of medicine in the American Civil War... and interesting things hiding about at the University of Alberta.
History is full of serious-looking men.
( Follow this serious-looking soldier into the abyss... )
- Mood:
enthralled - Music:Carnivàle OST
-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.)
- Location:The depths of central Alberta
- Mood:
chipper - Music:Carnivàle soundtrack
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.... )
- Mood:
busy - Music:Brendan and the Secret of Kells soundtrack
( 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.
- Mood:
thoughtful
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... )
- Mood:
working - Music:Mediaeval Baebes - World's Bliss
Now, then... do you folks recall this? And this? And the following horse?
( All right then, let's continue on with our tour... )
- Mood:
indescribable
- Mood:
artistic
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... )
- Mood:
nerdy
( 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. :)
- Location:At home, dry.
- Mood:
touched - Music:Still Alive - Portal OST
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 )
- Mood:
geeky
