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Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-14 03:33pm
by dragon
(CNN)The question was about UFOs in the skies over Wales. The answer came in an alien tongue.
"jang vIDa je due luq. ach ghotvam'e' QI'yaH devolve qaS," was the reply, according to British media.
Time to panic? Call out the nukes to bring down the invading motherships?
Nah, it was apparently just a bit of good-natured ribbing by a liberal Welsh Labour government bemused by an out-of-the-blue inquiry from a conservative politician.
The government was using Klingon, the language of the race of warlike aliens of the same name on the "Star Trek" television series and movies. Fans have expanded the dialect into a full-fledged language with its own grammar and spelling rules.
According to the BBC and other outlets, Welsh politician Darren Millar recently passed along a few questions from a constituent about UFOs to the government minister responsible for science.
What he received in return seemed unintelligible but, properly translated, reportedly says, "The minister will reply in due course. However this is a non-devolved matter."
Further translated: We'll get back to you, but this is really a question you should ask the central government in London.
Millar, who spends most of his time on British health care as shadow health minister for the conservative Tories, took the response in stride.
"I've always suspected that Labour ministers came from another planet. This response confirms it," the BBC quoted him as saying.
Whatever the motive, the Welsh government scored "serious geek points" with the move, Twitter user @gkenvidal posted Monday.
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-14 03:58pm
by Eternal_Freedom
Ha, my old Professor is the Space Ambassador for Wales. He feels rather put out that he didn't get consulted about this.
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 12:05am
by Brother-Captain Gaius
(CNN)The question was about UFOs in the skies over Wales. The answer came in an alien tongue.
"jang vIDa je due luq. ach ghotvam'e' QI'yaH devolve qaS," was the reply, according to British media.
Yeah, I know this happened in Wales, CNN. So where's the Klingon?
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 12:49am
by Broomstick
Look at it - it has vowels, it can't possibly be Welsh!
No, seriously - I'm beginning to like Wales. It's where Dr Who comes from these days, people in the government speak Klingon, and Welsh men are seriously yummy looking.
I'm sure there's a downside somewhere, but it's clearly not visible from across the Pond.
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 01:01am
by aerius
Broomstick wrote:I'm sure there's a downside somewhere, but it's clearly not visible from across the Pond.
I've heard it's where all the sheep get sodomized.
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 03:19am
by Bedlam
Broomstick wrote:Look at it - it has vowels, it can't possibly be Welsh!
No, seriously - I'm beginning to like Wales. It's where Dr Who comes from these days, people in the government speak Klingon, and Welsh men are seriously yummy looking.
I'm sure there's a downside somewhere, but it's clearly not visible from across the Pond.
The weather from what I can remember of my time there, its just as well Irelands there or it would get rain 365 days of the year, as it is its only 300 or so.
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 06:48am
by dragon
I was listening to NPR this morning and one of the other politicians said see I told you my coworkers were aliens.
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 08:36am
by Broomstick
aerius wrote:Broomstick wrote:I'm sure there's a downside somewhere, but it's clearly not visible from across the Pond.
I've heard it's where all the sheep get sodomized.
I thought that was Scotland.
I think the downside of Wales is supposed to be the coal mines...?
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 08:45am
by madd0ct0r
the main disadvantage would be living in a mining terrace house between Eternal Freedom and Me
There's not much in the way of sheep anymore, the weather is often wet (it never really gets properly cold which I miss). The coal mines are largely shut, leaving impoverished communities throughout the mountains. They're still in mourning.
Poverty and crap connections outside of the Cardiff area are probably the biggest issues Wales has. It's a nice place.
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 09:01am
by Eternal_Freedom
madd0ct0r wrote:the main disadvantage would be living in a mining terrace house between Eternal Freedom and Me
There's not much in the way of sheep anymore, the weather is often wet (it never really gets properly cold which I miss). The coal mines are largely shut, leaving impoverished communities throughout the mountains. They're still in mourning.
Poverty and crap connections outside of the Cardiff area are probably the biggest issues Wales has. It's a nice place.
I object, I don't live in a mining terrace house! I have a very nice flat in an old synagogue.
But yeah, major downsides are fuck all work, poor connections outside Cardiff and (especially int he valleys area where I am) whole communities that just sit around and wait to die.
No, seriously, there's a place about six miles north of me that I went to once in my brief stint doing door-to-door sales. It's known as "the place people go to die."
And then you have the weather, which can go from "glorious sunshine" to "apocalyptic rain" in about ten minutes.
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 09:02am
by Broomstick
Sounds sort of like where I live, except instead of "apocalyptic rain" we get tornadoes.
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 09:14am
by Eternal_Freedom
In that case I can cross "American midwest" off my list of places to see, if it's that similar to Wales.
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 09:24am
by Broomstick
Hey, we have TWO kinds of scenery: cornfields or soybean fields! (Further west, it's either wheatfields or soybean fields)
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 10:27am
by Eternal_Freedom
I'm astonished. I never imagined a place more dull-looking than Lincolnshire was.
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 10:39am
by Tribble
IMO biggest downside is that not many people even know what Wales is? I've had to explain to quite a few people that the Prince of Wales is a prince of a country, and not the Prince of Whales. Though the ladder would be pretty cool because that would mean Aquaman could have a sidekick.
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 10:50am
by madd0ct0r
Broomstick wrote:Hey, we have TWO kinds of scenery: cornfields or soybean fields! (Further west, it's either wheatfields or soybean fields)
I'll have to post a video of the drive up the up to Rassau. I'm humming lord of the rings the whole way, each time.
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 11:21am
by Eternal_Freedom
Tribble wrote:IMO biggest downside is that not many people even know what Wales is? I've had to explain to quite a few people that the Prince of Wales is a prince of a country, and not the Prince of Whales. Though the ladder would be pretty cool because that would mean Aquaman could have a sidekick.
Yeah its quite complicated really. Though the idea of Prince Charles riding a whale into battle is quite amusing (IIRC, he has actually ridden a whale before, which is amusing, though I think it was actually a killer whale, which are technically dolphins, so I dunno and now my head hurts).
The other fun thing to explain to people is that Wales is not a country, but a semi-devolved principality within England, the ruling title of which is traditionally granted to the Sovereign's heir. It doesn't automaticaly make you a Prince or Princess of the UK, which I find myself explaining everytime someone brings up "Princess Diana" when she was technically (before the divorce anyways) "HRH Diana, Princess of Wales." Picky, yes, but it's important, damnit.
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 11:31am
by Tribble
Oh, one other thing I can think of is that damn bridge. I'm sure you know which one I'm talking about
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 11:32am
by Eternal_Freedom
Tribble wrote:Oh, one other thing I can think of is that damn bridge. I'm sure you know which one I'm talking about
New Severn Bridge? Old Severn Bridge? Milau Viaduct for a total outside chance for the moronic?
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 11:39am
by Darth Nostril
Or involving using Welshmen for target practice with a bow and arrow?
Pretty sure that law is not on the books anymore.
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 11:43am
by Tribble
New Severn Bridge? Old Severn Bridge? Milau Viaduct for a total outside chance for the moronic?
The one where you have to pay to get into Wales. Really annoying. That's Severn bridge right? I remember someone wrote a poem about it, but I can't remember it off the top of my head lol.
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 11:52am
by madd0ct0r
Eternal_Freedom wrote:Tribble wrote:Oh, one other thing I can think of is that damn bridge. I'm sure you know which one I'm talking about
New Severn Bridge? Old Severn Bridge? Milau Viaduct for a total outside chance for the moronic?
2nd Seven Crossing?
Ancient modernist bridge?
Devils Bridge?
Menai Bridge?
Brittania Bridge?
Aaron Brutes 1812 ?
Llangollen Canal?
Some of Newport's excellent bridge selction?
Newport Transporter bridge (3 in the world)
Carno Arch?
(that's a 2 lane road and river passing through it, largest in europe)
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 12:56pm
by Eternal_Freedom
Tribble wrote:New Severn Bridge? Old Severn Bridge? Milau Viaduct for a total outside chance for the moronic?
The one where you have to pay to get into Wales. Really annoying. That's Severn bridge right? I remember someone wrote a poem about it, but I can't remember it off the top of my head lol.
Yup, New Severn Bridge, or Second Severn Crossing. They charge you on the way in so they get the money before you know what Wales is really like. If they tried to charge you for escaping they' be replacing the barriers every day from people ramming them
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-15 01:43pm
by Me2005
Eternal_Freedom wrote:I'm astonished. I never imagined a place more dull-looking than Lincolnshire was.
Fun fact: Washington State and Oregon are together about the size of the entire UK. Roughly half of that area is badlands and rolling wheat fields
and nothing else. It takes 5 hours to cross driving basically straight across at 70 miles an hour, and there's nothing but badlands and wheat. There are almost no towns in that entire duration. Then you get to Northern Idaho, which is entirely mountains and trees. Once you cross the mountains between Montanna and Idaho though (another few hours), there's nothing but flatlands for
days. That's why we call it the "great plain," and "flyover country," - it's something like 1/8th the size of Europe.
It's weird how variegated and densely populated the UK is in comparison.
Re: Wales goverment answer UFO query with Klingon
Posted: 2015-07-17 07:15am
by Raw Shark
Broomstick wrote:Hey, we have TWO kinds of scenery: cornfields or soybean fields! (Further west, it's either wheatfields or soybean fields)
You are sorely neglecting sorghum, ma'am. Sorghum provided the last blessed variety that I was able to experience while driving through corn country. For hours, I was able to wonder, "WTF is that weird-looking grain?" until a gas station girl spoiled it for me.