Need a break? Watch this…, July 17, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff, Random musings.4 comments
I’ve been unbelievably busy this week. I translated a 6,800 word batch of medical reports on Monday and Tuesday and am now working on an 8,000 word computer game on horoscopes and love signs. I’m approaching burnout, so I took a break this afternoon to finally watch Act One of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog starring Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day and Nathan Fillion, which was released on Tuesday and almost immediately crashed the web site server and is now the No. 1 download on iTunes. Act Two is being released today and Act Three goes live on Saturday. They will only stay up until Sunday, July 20th. After that you can download it from iTunes and it will probably be released on DVD soon.
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog is the latest project by Joss Whedon (the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly as well as the feature movie Serenity). It is the first-ever superhero musical, featuring shy, wannabe mad scientist Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris), his archnemesis Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion) and the damsel in the middle (Felicia Day). Whedon wrote it during the writer’s strike in 2008 and filmed it in 6 days on a minimal budget. Joss’ work is known for its tight, witty dialog, and he can also write a catchy tune. And man, does Neil Patrick Harris have some fantastic pipes! I got chills listening to him.
I’ve been a huge fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel for years now, since I first watched them in Germany (they translated surprisingly well, although they usually aired at 2 in the morning). If you haven’t seen his work, I highly recommend it. You’ll love the dialog and will stay for the gripping, enjoyable storylines.
TGIF: Deaf Karaoke Live – The Ultimate Version July 11, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff.add a comment
This is one of my favorite videos — stand up comic David Armand performing his sign language interpretation of Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn. I think it’s pretty hilarious and hope you enjoy it. I offer you the original version as well as the “ultimate version” here.
A little levity: Photobombers of the Day July 2, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff.1 comment so far
My favorite blog (which shall remain nameless because it is not at all translation-related and is written by a total curmudgeon who regularly uses colorful language) made my day today by posting a link to Photobombers of the Day. Photobombers are people who deliberately try to ruin your photos while you’re taking them. I’m completely stressed out trying to finish a quality management handbook that is taking waaaaay too long to finish (it was due at 9 am today and it’s 4 pm now and I still have 1,500 words to go – luckily my client is really understanding and I’m keeping them apprised of the status as I go), so I really needed the levity to lighten my day. Hope your day is going better! I’m taking tomorrow off for a super-long July 4th weekend, so if I don’t post anything tomorrow have a Happy Fourth!
E-mail subject lines June 30, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Fun stuff, Random musings.1 comment so far
I was forwarded a job inquiry last week from a local temp agency looking for a German translator. The first thing I noticed was that the employee who wrote the e-mail hadn’t bothered to include a subject line (the subject line of the forwarded e-mail was: “Fwd: “). The e-mail also didn’t specify what kind of text it was, which didn’t exactly inspire me with confidence or the desire to respond to the e-mail.
In keeping with this topic, today’s Pearls Before Swine comic strip deals with e-mail subject lines. It’s definitely worth a read 🙂 . I’m going to employ this technique the next time I respond to a request that I don’t want to do. Don’t be offended if it’s you 🙂 .
A fun interview with a language lover June 30, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff, Random musings.add a comment
Today’s Cleveland Plain Dealer features a short interview with Heba El-Attar, an assistant professor at Cleveland State University. The interview was featured in the PDQ section, which has a light take on arts & life, so the interview isn’t exactly “intellectual,” but it’s a fun read all the same. Ms. El-Attar speaks Arabic, French, English, Spanish and some Italian and has lived in Germany, Spain, Milwaukee and Cleveland. I particularly like her explanations of Arabic culture and the misconceptions most Americans have of Arabic.
A TGIF treat: The Medieval Help Desk June 27, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff.add a comment
Everyone needs a little levity on a Friday. It’s a great way to start the weekend (although if you are like me you are most likely working this weekend – so humor me 🙂 ). This is without a doubt my all-time favorite video. I almost fell off my chair laughing the first time I saw this.
This video makes fun of modern newbie computer users by illustrating – in a way fully understandable to them – how silly some of their questions are by creating a similar problem in the Middle Ages.
It’s from a show called Øystein & Meg (Øystein & I) produced by the Norwegian Broadcasting television channel (NRK) in 2001. The spoken language is Norwegian. It’s written by Knut Nærum and performed by Øystein Bache and Rune Gokstad. Enjoy!
I’ve got a rule for that: The ProZ song June 26, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Fun stuff, Random musings.3 comments
This was a huge hit in the translation industry about a year ago. For those who haven’t heard it or would like to hear it again (it never gets old), I give you Rules, Rules, Rules by The Dangling Participles.
I have my own issues with ProZ, but certainly don’t look down on those who actually pay to be on ProZ. I have my resume posted there as well, but I certainly don’t pay for that “privilege.” I despise the idea of “bidding” for a job.
The KudoZ boards have helped me out numerous times when I was searching for a term in Google, and I’ve heard good things about the Blue Board. I also like the new availability calendar feature that full/paying members can post on their ProZ page. However…
My biggest complaint with ProZ is that they fail to patrol their members’ claims. Henry and I crossed swords several years ago when I alerted the ATA chapters that 35 people had erroneously (or perhaps purposely) declared themselves members of NOTA. Henry was not willing to work with us, and as a result MICATA asked to be removed from the list of organizations and the NOTA Executive Committee decided to opt out of their database. We are listed, but no one can select us as a Membership option. And don’t get me started on the million-words jobs for $0.01 a word I’ve been offered in the past…
Favorite tools: WeatherBug June 26, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff, Random musings, Tools.2 comments
One of my favorite non-translation tools is WeatherBug. It’s a tiny, free (ad-based) tool that resides in the tray of your computer and monitors your weather using the tracking station nearest you from among its 8000 tracking stations. When you first set it up you have to enter your zip code. It features live local weather conditions, forecasts, and life saving, severe weather alerts. WeatherBug’s application has also come pre-installed on HP and Compaq computers and Logitech peripherals, but you can also download it onto your computer for free using the above link. It can also be used on mobile phones. To date, WeatherBug has registered over 65 million users for the free WeatherBug product and has become one of the largest news and information sites on the Internet.
I like WeatherBug for two reasons: first of all, because it tells me how hot or cold it is without my having to look through an iced-over window at the thermometer outside and secondly (and most importantly) because it alerts me when a severe storm is coming. This way I can power the computer down if it is going to be a bad storm with lots of lightning (I’ve already experienced one fried modem due to a direct hit from a lightning storm and don’t want to jeopardize my computer, which is the lifeblood of my profession). But I suppose it could also be invaluable if there were a tornado alert and I wasn’t able to hear the siren a block away. Luckily I haven’t experienced that yet.
Usually, the WeatherBug features shows the temperature and looks like this: 
. When an alert is issued, the temperature turns into a bug that looks like this:
and starts chattering like a cicada. By double-clicking on the alert I can read the alert and decide what to do. In this case, there is a severe thunderstorm warning for my area until 5 PM. In fact, I just heard the first clap of thunder…
Etymologic: the toughest word game on the Web June 26, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff, Random musings.1 comment so far
Glenn at yndigo wrote an interesting post on blogging tonight and mentioned StumbleUpon, “which not only lets you collect sites you like but allows you to, ahem, stumble upon others you might never have discovered.” As a former Internet researcher I was immediately intrigued. I installed the plug-in and “stumbled upon” this little gem that I wanted to share with you all: http://www.etymologic.com. Etymologic gives you 10 randomly selected etymology (word origin) or word definition puzzles to solve. I’ve got to say it’s pretty tough. I thought I was pretty good at etymology, but I only got 2 out of 10 right on my first run-through. I could see this site becoming addictive…
Newspaper industry cutting back on using copyeditors June 25, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff, Random musings.add a comment
Fellow blogger, Abigail from Dispatches from an environmental translator’s desk, has posted the most tongue-in-cheek article I have read in a while. I’m sure the average reader probably might not catch the humor, but I know all you fellow linguists will love it!
On a different note, an interesting article that is definitely food for thought is this Washington Post story about the demise of the copyeditor in the journalism process. Make sure you read carefully!
I knew I was in for a treat as soon as I read the first five words. Enjoy!
