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MadParrot.bsky.social

@madparrot.bsky.social
104 followers 79 following 29 posts

Interpreter (European Parliament), trainer, writer, comedian. Queen's, Oxford. On a train. All views personal.

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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
Coming soon
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Latest from Lourdes de Rioja: when someone dropped the f-bomb in plenary, she asked me to swear in 4 languages. Enjoy the rich silences between plosives www.youtube.com/watch?v=h83Z...
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Jan Rausch 🦁🐝 @interrausch.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
How to interpret 'fuck off' - and how YouTube seems to prefer the sound of 'f*ck off' and 'va te faire f*tre'. Featuring @madparrot.bsky.social. #1nt #Trump youtu.be/h83Z41u_LZU?...
youtu.be
In a language you understand...
YouTube video by Lourdes De Rioja
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Sarah Dempster @dempster2000.bsky.social · 29/12/2025
Top Adrian Chiles Columns of 2025: I’ve given up wild swimming. So why does my Volvo smell like mince? Should I tell the postman he has halitosis? My first wife wouldn’t let me wear shorts. I buried my father with my bare hands. It’s time we stopped talking about glamping. 1/3
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
Can’t help thinking how the French translation of the book he didn’t quite write is “L’Art de La Négociation”. Slippery, euphemistic language, English, isn’t it?
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
Excellent SCIC #InterpretingEurope with old friends & new- inc slam poet Leopoldo-Costa-prizewinner Annika Biedermann. "Do we understand processes of AI, Machine Translation, and human translation using Large Language Models? Or is it all ‘magic’ we can choose to believe in or not?”- Kilian Seeber
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
Alsace is full of quirky traditions. Here we see the death-defying “Exterior Advent Calendar”. The chocolate treats and iron trinkets of the less nimble were redistributed among the survivors in a 19th century Prussian version of natural selection.
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 15/12/2024
Before the 14th century Boar’s Head Gaudy with my fellow Queen’s matriculands, we visit the subterranean library extension. “Bit too brightly lit,” mutters a Lancashire voice. “You couldn’t get a decent kip in here.” 35 years have passed in a blink.
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European Rail Timetable @europeanrailtt.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
We're here to turn the Bluesky red and show you the interesting ways you can get from A to B in Europe (and some othe countries too...). Check out our bundle deals that include the Winter 2024/25 edition, published next month!
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 07/12/2024
Part rave-in-a-field, advertised by flyer alone; part échangisme in a hangar- Saint-Ghislain has all you need for le train-train quotidien
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
This week I’ve been reading about machine translation algorithms, fake news causing a riot, AI bots turning on their makers, an overheating planet, absurd nuclear brinkmanship. All in this 1966 sci-fi short story compilation. (Here’s the language-barrier scene in Harry Harrison’s Final Encounter).
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Lincoln Michel @thelincoln.bsky.social · 23/11/2024
This is a criticism to level at tech companies, which intentionally obfuscated the differences--and branded stuff that is not intelligence as "AI" to begin with--so when you criticize e.g. Google search being filled with inaccurate results they can say "Oh so now you hate curing cancer!!!"
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 23/11/2024
On a railtour tracing the Christmas 1944 battle which marked a turning point in WW2. Of course what this trainful of unfashionable middle-aged white men really needs is an all-day disco in the buffet car. Sous les pavés, la plage- under the anorak, my dancing trousers. The Battle Of The Bulge indeed
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 23/11/2024
Thanks, Teams! Now you pop up telling me to have a chat with myself, on top of everything else
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
Just had an English Breakfast tea. God that was greasy.
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 13/10/2024
Netflix is plugging me a "murder mystery in the Australian Alps". Presumably part of the mystery is how, when you're hiking from Krajnska Gora to the Laghi di Fusine via Arnoldstein on a perfectly clear day, if you take a wrong turn you can find yourself in Yarrangobilly.
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 05/10/2024
Every day, I think “There can’t be another pun worse than that.” I love Belgium.
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 26/09/2024
Here’s my Diddy story. My Mum used to listen to David Hamilton on Radio 2 when I was growing up. That’s it.
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 15/09/2024
Sing along to my mad attempt to render Wonderful World in all 24 official languages (in order of accession) to round off our Summer of Languages at European Parliament Interpreters www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl6o... #1nt #TerpLove
youtube.com
Multilingual Cover of "Wonderful World" by Sam Cooke | A Tribute to Linguistic Diversity
YouTube video by DGLINC
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 07/09/2024
Excited to be offering online workshops on Fri 27 Sep: - 11:00 Ask Me Anything (in EN FR IT ES PT) - 12:15 How I Became An Interpreter - 14:45 Virtual Booth Visit You can register at: visiting.europarl.europa.eu/en/event/bru... See you there! #1nt #TerpLove
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 13/08/2024
I told the passport officer I was grateful for their work because I collect stamps. They replied “Philately will get you everywhere.” And then I woke up wishing I could remember the joke.
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 18/07/2024
The Italo Calvino of unreliable narrator stand-up has a TV special launching on Sat 20th on Sky and Now. Don’t miss it! You can see him play the room as it’s dealt here: youtube.com/watch?v=CoNb_b…
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 23/05/2024
The Big Neapolitan Conspiracy: they tell you pizzas are flat, but actually they’re round.
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 04/04/2024
My review of BE FUNNY OR DIE, by @gralefrit.bsky.social A new book on comedy with relevance for #xl8 and #1nt #TerpLove mattperret.wordpress.com/2024/04/04/a...
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 04/04/2024
So busy thinking about how neither chilli peppers nor Sichuan peppers are peppers, and so excited to find 麻辣 in Brussels, that I order it in bad French. “Ce n’est pas le piment de Sichuan, monsieur. C’est le poivre.”
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Chris Limb @catmachine.com · 12/02/2024
Apparently Bagpuss is 50 years old today! Here's a link to the theme for the unmade American version Bagpuss USA. 😉
soundcloud.com
USA Bagpuss theme
Ill-conceived remake of a children's classic
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 04/02/2024
My recent interview with China Social Sciences Today, alongside the fabulous Maha El-Metwally, is on its way to me, old-style. Thanks, Madeline Weng- v interesting chat (for me at least!) English version here (try Safari or Firefox): csstoday.com/Item/12404.a... #1nt #TerpLove
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 03/02/2024
Contrary to my years-old assumption, it turns out Elon Musk is not in a romantic relationship with ultra-conservative activist Darren Grimes. This new reality is going to take some getting used to.
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 02/02/2024
Utterly joyful, giddying riff on what was already a highlight of a top show. (Also contains this week's best joke about Javier Pérez de Cuéllar)
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 27/01/2024
Slowly learning more Dutch, but in the meantime enjoying the punning coexistence of English and French in Brussels’ trendy neighbourhoods. HomePage for interior design on Rue du Page works well; the prominently displayed “Bites” at the Greek deli opposite need painting over.
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Ande Case 🎬🇪🇺#BLM 💚 @songoftheoss.bsky.social · 11/10/2023
The next interview with people in comedy is out… do enjoy my chat with the multi-talented Jeremy Limb…
podcasts.apple.com
‎Bon Mot Podcast on Apple Podcasts
‎Comedy · 2023
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MadParrot.bsky.social @madparrot.bsky.social · 24/01/2024
Hey you with the pretty face Welcome to the human race
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