Green MP Jyrki Kasvi seeks Klingon votes
My favorite Finnish Green, MP Jyrki Kasvi, has translated his campaign website into Finnish, Swedish, English…and Klingon - and it make CNN… (finally, the Finnish elections make international news, LOL!)
HELSINKI, Finland (Reuters) — A Finnish member of parliament is aiming for re-election by campaigning with a translation of his Web site into Klingon, used in the TV series Star Trek.
“Some have thought it is blasphemy to mix politics and Klingon,” said Jyrki Kasvi, an ardent Trekkie. “Others say it is good if politicians can laugh at themselves.”
He said his politics posed some translation difficulties, since Klingon does not have words for matters such as tolerance, or for many colors, including green — the party under whose banner he is running in the national elections on March 18.
Yay! I’m not a trekkie, but gotta give respect to Kasvi. Funny guy and he really has his act together.
Comment by Passer-by — Fri, Mar 9th, 2007 @ 11:26 pm
This is the tipping point. I simply must move to Finland.
How large is the Star Trek subculture over there?
Comment by Stefan Constantinescu — Fri, Mar 9th, 2007 @ 11:49 pm
Phil:
“(finally, the Finnish elections make international news, LOL!)”
Kind of shows the CLASS of CNN, if this makes the “global news”. Jeez. No wonder I keep wondering why anyone would voluntarely watch CNN everytime I’m forced to do it.
OK. This Klingon thing is funny, but anyway. This shows just how US-centric CNN is. Had Kasvi tranlated his pages to a language used in some language used in some weird non-US-TV-series, would CNN have noticed. Hell no.
CNN, what a fucking joke.
Comment by Thomas — Sat, Mar 10th, 2007 @ 5:41 am
Thomas -
CNN is an American media outlet, of course it’s US-centric! What the hell did you expect? I’m sure this news would’ve been in the HS’s “Maailman ihmisiä” category if Star Trek was Finnish and Kasvi from Taiwan or something.
Comment by Pave — Sat, Mar 10th, 2007 @ 11:04 am
How large is the Star Trek subculture over there?
What do you mean by subculture? Resistance is futile!
Not really. I’m not much of a Trekkie.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Sat, Mar 10th, 2007 @ 11:15 am
CNN is an American media outlet, of course it’s US-centric! What the hell did you expect?
LOL!!
Comment by Phil — Sat, Mar 10th, 2007 @ 11:18 am
Ahahaha he is in the green party and klingon doesnt have a word for green… man that is ironic!
Comment by The Swede — Sat, Mar 10th, 2007 @ 11:44 am
Well, we already have a radio newsprogram in latin. They also had to invent new words, as the Romans were not familiar with hand grenades, suicide bombers etc.
Comment by Antti rn — Sat, Mar 10th, 2007 @ 1:47 pm
Star Wreck was translated into klingon too
Comment by Keksi — Sat, Mar 10th, 2007 @ 5:28 pm
Pave:
“CNN is an American media outlet, of course it’s US-centric! What the hell did you expect?”
I would expect it to be global, since that is what they seem to think they are. In fact YLE seems much more global than CNN. And YLE is - finnish owned, without trying to aspire to the viewers of the globe as some kind of “global service”.
Comment by Thomas — Sun, Mar 11th, 2007 @ 5:44 pm
Another reason to do away with taxes and passports - make it free, Man - the Klingons would.
Comment by Amy Brown — Sun, Mar 11th, 2007 @ 6:13 pm
Thomas -
CNN being global is just an advertising trick. I thought you didn’t believe those. Besides, there are European CNN etc.
Comment by Pave — Sun, Mar 11th, 2007 @ 9:23 pm
Pave:
“CNN being global is just an advertising trick. I thought you didn’t believe those.”
It seems I’m as dumb as the next guy. Somehow I thought that when CNN goes out telling the world, that we are going to be THE GLOBAL news network, they had the intention. Well, another example of US corporations that promise big, and produce much less.
Comment by Thomas — Sun, Mar 11th, 2007 @ 11:32 pm
@8,
if Kasvi wants a campaing song, he could try this guy: http://www.drammondt.com/english/index.php
Comment by prince of dorkness — Tue, Mar 13th, 2007 @ 12:14 pm