The People are People of People (Depeche Mode)

Language: French

Went to the Iowa City arts festival yesterday with the husband and some of his family. It was a lot like all the other years. If we had significant wall space, or a yard, or enormous amounts of money, then it might have been more interesting, but as it was, it was mostly just hot and crowded, and I was having a bad day anyway. And a lot of the art sucked (though this guy was there, and his stuff is kind of interesting in-person. I don't know that it translates well to the internet.), too, in all the predictable ways.

I told the husband after that we really did need to stop scheduling events with his family that involve going to big, crowded places. We had a bad experience in downtown Minneapolis at the end of March, going to Macy's with the same family group. It was advertised as a special show all about Africa, and especially plant life in Africa, but although there were in fact a lot of plants, the science was extremely superficial, when they made any kind of effort at all, and some of it was also just plain incorrect. (This is the sort of thing that makes me nervous when people say that the answer to our declining public school system is increased corporate involvement.)

The Minneapolis trip, at least, got better. Love love love the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory. This visit in Iowa City, not so much: there wasn't all that much time to do anything with them, and they weren't having such a great time themselves; the three-year-old girl with the group apparently threw up all the way down from Minnesota, which may or may not have been motion sickness.

-Jessi

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[a]
People are people;
thus, why is it that
you and I should get the length
so terribly?

We're various colors
and different faiths,
and the different people
have various needs.
It's obvious you hate me,
although I did anything falsely;
I never even met you, so
what could I have made?

[b]
I cannot understand
what encourages a man
to hate another man:
help me to understand.

[a]

Help me to understand.

Now you punch and you give a kick and you shout with me.
I count on your common decency, that
has a gloss. Up to now it doesn't ,
but I'm sure that it exists.
It's taken them right there, to travel in a moment
from your head to your fist.

[b]

[a]

[b]

[b]

The Original and Servant (Depeche Mode)

Language: Russian

This one just came out sounding kind of odd. But I'm pleased with the picture I found. Talk about your sexy, if somewhat androgynous, servants. Rrrowrrr!

-Jessi

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Which it will be much
it will be much
it will be much
it will be much
it will be much
it will be much
much as life

"New" will be a game,
which we love to play. We see you!
With added reality, the game
processes me as a dog. And you – you
got me down on my elbows.

We are his original cause and servant, by
which we cause her. (The servant was originally by us.)

Much as life will be,
between this game and the sheets
(with you on the upper part and I underneath),
I forget all about equality.

Let's play the original servant.
Let's play the original servant.

Much as life, it appeals, and
if you throw away that feeling you hate, the facts
are disposable. From the fun,
this one. Afterward, this

domination of the name game.
Life! In the same exact bed, or in both, they are the
exception. They are executed with you
at the end of days.

Let's play the original servant.
Let's play the original servant,
the original and servant.

It will be much
it will be much
it will be much
it will be much
it will be much
much as life.

Much as life, it
appeals, and if you hate that,
the fact is, you're it:
that throwaway feeling
from fun, the disposable
one. This, after this:

Let's play the original servant.
Let's play the original servant,
(repeats to end)

Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode)

Language: Dutch

I believe it was Stan who, years ago, described Depeche Mode to me as "the group to listen to when you want to hear religious themes raised but not addressed in any meaningful way." That's not a direct quote, but that's the gist.

Probably "Blasphemous Rumours" is the best example of this, but "Personal Jesus" runs a close second, unless I'm forgetting something.

That said, I have been making an effort for a while not to draw attention to particularly odd results from Babelfish, on the grounds that it's like yelling the punchline and then telling the joke. ("Let me tell you this great joke. The punchline is, And then Mariah Carey says, 'Oh, that's okay, it's not really a dolphin, either!' But it starts out, A priest, a rabbi, and Mariah Carey are in a rowboat. . . .")¹

But there's no way I can resist pointing out "You must confess things on your udder." 'Cause that's just awesome, even if it seems more like it would have been more appropriate in "Milkshake," which I did a few days ago.

-Jessi

¹Anybody who can write a serviceable (= "funny") version of a joke that starts out, "A priest, a rabbi, and Mariah Carey are in a rowboat," should contact me immediately. You don't have to use the above punchline as your punchline. The first such joke I receive is worth $10 to the writer. No purchase necessary. Some restrictions may apply. Offer void to residents of AL, NC, ND, OK, SC, TX, and where prohibited by law. E-mail me for full contest details: send a blank e-mail with the subject line "Mariah Carey joke."

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Hear your own personal Jesus. To
someone who prayed, your someone,
your own personal Jesus
gives to hear someone pray. Your someone

who is unknown there feels
only flesh, leg, and you, all by the telephone, alone.
I will take you to a believer. Lift the recipient; make

my best test put
to the second.
You must confess
things on your udder.

I will provide;
I am your forgiver.

Range and home:
your personal Jesus.

To feel is unknown, and
you own your belief. From
range and contact, belief is
only flesh and leg. By all the telephones,
I will turn and lift the believer recipient.
With whom will I provide you? A forgiver? I
alone am into you.
From range and contact: belief.
(your own personal Jesus)
From range and contact: belief.