9 awkward translation fails on Amazon's new Swedish site

As reported in Sweden's The Local, Amazon has just launched in the nordic nation, and all the listings are in Swedish... just, not always the right Swedish. For example, "A greetings card depicting a duckling in a field was named söta-ansikte-kuk or 'sweet-face-dick'." Oops.

After online retailer Amazon launched in Sweden on Wednesday, shoppers quickly noticed several awkward mistakes in translation. Here are some of the most eyebrow-raising, as spotted by Twitter users.

The site is entirely in Swedish, but several products appear to have had their information automatically translated, leading to bizarre descriptions.

Several products included the term våldtäkt (rape/sexual assault), likely mistranslated from English 'rape' meaning the flower 'rapeseed' (raps in Swedish).

https://www.thelocal.se/20201028/translation-fails-on-amazons-new-swedish-site

Daycares in Finland Built a 'Forest Floor', And It Changed Children's Immune Systems

Makes sense to me. I've always believed in the hygiene hypothesis: Kids' immune systems need a workout when they're growing up or else they'll develop auto-immune disorders as their immune systems turn against their own bodies for lack of anything else to attack.

When daycare workers in Finland rolled out a lawn, planted forest undergrowth such as dwarf heather and blueberries, and allowed children to care for crops in planter boxes, the diversity of microbes in the guts and on the skin of young kids appeared healthier in a very short space of time.

Compared to other city kids who play in standard urban daycares with yards of pavement, tile and gravel, 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds at these greened-up daycare centres in Finland showed increased T-cells and other important immune markers in their blood within 28 days.

"We also found that the intestinal microbiota of children who received greenery was similar to the intestinal microbiota of children visiting the forest every day," says environmental scientist Marja Roslund from the University of Helsinki.

https://www.sciencealert.com/daycares-in-finland-built-a-backyard-forest-and-it-changed-children-s-immune-systems

'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' Won't Air On Broadcast TV This Year (people.com)"

Sign of the times.

"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" will no longer air on broadcast TV this year, but it can be streamed on Apple+. This marks the first time since 1965 that the Peanuts special won't air on TV.

Instead of airing on broadcast television, the Peanuts animated classics will be streaming on AppleTV+ as part of an expanded partnership with WildBrain, Peanuts Worldwide and Lee Mendelson Film Productions, according to a press release. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and A Charlie Brown Christmas will be offered on the streaming platform for free for certain dates this fall and winter.

Great Pumpkin will be available for free on the streamer from October 30 to November 1, the Thanksgiving special from November 25 to 27, and the Christmas special from December 11 to 13. But it's not just the iconic holiday specials that are moving to AppleTV+. Original Peanuts programming surrounding Mother's Day, Earth Day, New Year's Eve and back-to-school season will also be produced by WildBrain to air on AppleTV+. Included in the programming will be The Snoopy Show and season 2 of Snoopy in Space.

https://people.com/tv/its-the-great-pumpkin-charlie-brown-stream-appletv-for-free/

Newby smartphone question: Scanning QR codes

I just went into a local restaurant where they wanted me to scan one of those square-pixeled "bar" codes (QR code I think) to bring up their menu on my smartphone.

I don't have a smartphone so I asked for a paper menu instead. They eventually produced one, but seemed a bit shirty about it.

Was it just because I put them through the hassle of having to find a paper menu, or is there some advantage to the restaurant for making me do this? Does it give away personal information and put me on their mailing list or something? Do they get kickbacks when customers scan the code? Is it a URL that my browser goes to?

Just curious, as I seemed to be the only one not able (or wanting) to bring up the menu this way. I suspect this will probably become more common and it will be yet another way I'll get left behind without a smartphone. Not that it'll make me get one, mind.

The Terminator Theme (1984) Live Cover

Found while wandering around on 'tinternet this morning. I rather enjoyed it.

"Good lawd, what kind of country are we that an 89 y.o. has to work to make ends meet"

God, exactly! That's exactly what I think when I read stories like this which are almost uniformly presented as feel-good stories.

I'm sure most elderly people would prefer to stay home and visit their grandkids rather than deliver pizzas, work at McDonalds, or be Walmart Greeters. Those are NOT feel-good stories; they're an indictment of our society.

Just got a scam call purporting to be from Amazon

The call was from an 1-888 number. A recording told me of suspicious activity on my Amazon account -- a $795 order of a new iPhone. In order to dispute this charge, I was to stay on the line to talk to a representative and ....

That's when I hung up.

I do have an Amazon account which I use a fair bit, but I checked and there are no alerts or suspicious activities and no iPhones have been ordered, nor were any emails sent.

A scam, obviously, and my second of the day but this was a new one.

There will be a $75 non-refundable deposit for your dog...

If it's not refundable it's not a bloody deposit, is it? It's a fee!

Stop abusing the English language, dammit!

If your dog does a poo, please put it in a litter bin.

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