and now for something actually totally related

Commenter zhoen pointed out that in my last post I completely failed to reference the seminal language-related Monty Python sketch "The Dirty Hungarian Phrasebook."

Allow me to remedy that immediately:



Also, as I was pulling up this clip, I found a number of clips from the Hungarian show Megasztár (in Hungarian, a "sz" is pronounced like an English "s," while an "s" is pronounced like an English "sh"), an American Idol-like talent competition. How American-Idol-like? This American Idol-like:



I have no clue what they're saying, but I think we can all imagine the gist of it.

This, however, is the strangest clip that YouTubed Megasztár has to offer. It is, as far as I can tell, a mock Megasztár clip featuring ... well, I couldn't really tell you. Cousin It? Playing death-metal? If ever I needed an enticement to learn Hungarian, it is so I can start to understand this:

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german expressionism

In elementary school, one of my favorite events was the seasonal distribution of a slim mail-order discount publishing catalog. Basically, it was like a Girl Scout Cookie order form, but for nerds. To be perfectly honest, my brain waters a bit just thinking about it.

I can't remember what they were called or what company produced them, but I do remember that it was a fairly important element of my ongoing childhood strategy to wheedle as many books as possible out of my parents. ("But Mo-om, these books are for schoo-ol! And I get five! For a dollar! The last time books were this cheap was when you were a kid!")

Occasionally, though, the offerings were less than impressive, and I would have to settle for a few oddball selections in order to make my bulk-discount quota. This is why, in sixth grade, I ended up buying my first foreign-language dictionary - in German.

It was, pretty much, the most useless book I could have purchased. My school didn't teach foreign languages, not really, preferring instead to have us study much more useful things like meditation and advanced Oregon Trail. We also had a three-month unit on the tundra, during which we spent two torturous weeks reading To Build A Fire.

Unfortunately for me, my dictionary didn't include anything about permafrost or impassable quagmire, so it wasn't of much use. It was soon relegated to a bookshelf in the corner of my bedroom where it has sat, neglected, ever since.

I have never had reason to regret that decision.

Until today.

Because today I discovered a series of amazing, almost Salad Fingers-like instructional videos at MyGermanClass.com.


I have no idea what's going on between Übel Knübel and his bester Freund here - and, actually, I have no idea what's going on in any of them, but I bet if I'd paid more attention to that dictionary, I would know. And I'm pretty sure it would be awesome. (More)

best foot forward

This video has, apparently, been around for a long time, but it's so mind-boggling that I couldn't help but pass it along.

It's a high school percussion band.

Playing DJ Shadow.

And they're kind of amazing.

And so focused and earnest in their dress-up clothes that my heart nearly split in two. (More)