The unclever blogger November 17, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff.add a comment
Pearls Before Swine isn’t necessarily my favorite comic strip, but every once in a while there is a good one that makes me chuckle. This one was in Sunday’s newspaper. I should have used Pig’s lines at the ATA conference. It certainly would have sparked some good conversation 🙂
TGIF: Font conference November 14, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff.3 comments
Thanks to Metrolingua for posting this video. It cracked me up! The video is an excellent personification of the fonts we know and love. I just want to know why Rage Italic is German…
TGIF: The Matrix runs on Windows November 14, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff.1 comment so far
If you are a Matrix fan and use a computer you will love this video from collegehumor.com.
Take the red pill. Get the blue screen. 🙂
Enjoy!
Take the red pill. Get the blue screen
IHOP streusel commercial November 13, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff.10 comments
OK, I just saw the IHOP streusel coffee cake pancakes commercial on TV, and I just want to go on record as saying I find it pretty insulting. My ears start bleeding every time he says “Danke schön” in his horrible fake accent. It isn’t worthy of a TGIF. But judge it for yourself… Although I have to say, the pancakes look pretty darn yummy.
Happy St. Martin’s Day! November 10, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff, German culture.3 comments
Saint Martin’s Day is without a doubt my favorite evening in Germany. St. Martin’s Day (or Martinstag, Martinmas, Martlemass, Mardipäev, etc.) is November 11, the feast day of Martin of Tours. Although in the Rhineland it is often celebrated on another day so that it doesn’t conflict with Weiberfastnacht, which is the kick-off for the Karnevalszeit (Mardi Gras) and takes place at 11:11 am on November 11 (11/11) when the women storm City Hall. The parade this year in Bonn is being held on November 10th. Even if you don’t understand German, you might want to click on the link and check out the photos (Bild-Galerie). Watching the kids walk through the dark night with their homemade lanterns simply warms my heart.
Martin of Tours was a Roman soldier who was baptized as an adult and became a monk. It is understood that he was a kind man who led a quiet and simple life. The most famous legend of his life is that he once cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm, to save the beggar from dying of the cold. That night he dreamed that Jesus was wearing the half-cloak Martin had given away. Martin heard Jesus say to the angels: “Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptized; he has clothed me.” According to legend, Martin was reluctant to become bishop, which is why he hid in a stable filled with geese. The noise made by the geese betrayed his location to the people who were looking for him.
The day is celebrated in the evening of November 11 in many areas of Northern and Eastern Europe. Named for Saint Martin, the Fourth Century Bishop of Tours, this holiday originated in France, then spread to Germany, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe. It celebrates the end of the agrarian year and the beginning of the harvesting. It also marks the end of the period of all souls, that begins on November 1st, which is why Saint Martin’s Day activities resemble those from Halloween.
Children parade down the street with paper lanterns and candles and sing songs praising St. Martin’s generosity. A man dressed as St. Martin rides on a horse in front of the procession and there are generally geese being pulled along in a cart. The parade is culminated in Bonn by a large bonfire on the Marktplatz. The kids then go door to door and earn sweets or treats by singing songs, dancing, or citing poems.
The lanterns the participants carry have become a distinctive part of the tradition. Every age group has its own lantern design, which becomes more elaborate with the age of the builder. Older youth often opt to take a flashlight and attach craft paper with cutout designs augmented with transparent colored cellophane paper making them appear like stained glass torches. I still have the lantern my boss’s daughter made for me in my room. Unfortunately the batteries corroded and the light on the plastic arm no longer works.
If you live in Philadelphia (Sarah…) you might want to check out the German Society’s St. Martin’s Day Parade.
TGIF: Happy Halloween! October 31, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff.add a comment
I am flying to Orlando today for a much needed mini-vacation and the ATA conference. I’ll be back in the office on the 11th. I’m not sure if I will be posting for the next 10 days, so please be patient if I don’t. I promise I will have all kinds of things to talk about after the conference.
I wanted to leave you with a non-translation-related video in honor of Halloween. This has some blue language (a.k.a. naughty words), but it is hilarious – and very true. The local news reported that a guy in England was told to take down some of his decorations because they were “too scary.” Give me a break! When I was little, the guy down the street (who had worked for Disney at one point) decorated his house to the hilt with scary decorations – I’m talking shutters askew, witch flying down on a broomstick, coffin opening, etc. – all to really spooky music and sounds. As a kid I was terrified to walk through there, but now I think back on that “haunted house” with fondness every year at Halloween! It totally rocked!
Folks, I hope you enjoy Foamy the Squirrel. Happy Halloween!
TGIF: Stay one step ahead October 31, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff.add a comment
It’s Friday! Time for another language-related video. All these Berlitz ads are starting to seem familiar, but they definitely get the point across in a unique way.
Lost the dongle October 29, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff.3 comments
Caveat emptor: My apologies if any of you are easily offended by nudity (although let’s face it, most translators have lived in other countries and don’t get offended by nudity and technically this isn’t nudity… 🙂 )
I am cleaning some files off my computer and discovered this little gem that someone sent me in 2005. Anyone who used to work with Trados back when it required the use of a dongle will really appreciate this. For those of you who don’t know what a dongle is/was, it was a small device that plugged into the serial port or parallel port of a computer in order for it to use protected software. When the dongle was not present (missing, not plugged in all the way, defective, etc.), the software would only run in a restricted mode or refuse to run at all. Ah, good times…
TGIF: How to never be unnatural or ridiculous October 24, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff.3 comments
Sorry for the blog silence this week. I am completely overwhelmed with work and am counting the hours to Friday afternoon, when all of my projects are due. Hopefully next week will be better. I only have about 40 pages of medical invoices and referrals to translate. Then I leave for FLORIDA! I can’t wait…
Anyway, it is Friday! Time for another video. Since I don’t speak French I can’t judge how good this gentleman’s French is, but I doubt he learned it in two weeks. Good thing he doesn’t look unnatural or ridiculous doing it. 🙂 Have a great weekend! I hope to stay as far away from the computer as I can.
TGIF: Another Berlitz commercial October 17, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff.1 comment so far
Whoever comes up with the ideas for the Berlitz commercials deserves a pat on the back. They are unique and funny. Here is another Berlitz commercial for your enjoyment. It can’t beat the ad with the German Coast Guard newbie, but it is still pretty enjoyable. Have a great weekend everyone!
Musings from an overworked translator 