you know you're in a bad state when you finally solve a problem in MS Word that had been plaguing you for months and get visibly excited...
I review translated tech docs for one client. comparing the original Japanese with the translated English. finding mistakes, etc.
each document ends with a copyright statement that is set off within a pasted graphic. the text can be edited. the client's policy is to treat the copyright year as a document variable.
okay. I can do that in Word. File, Properties... yadda, yadda, yadda...
except, what happens when the copyright spans multiple years?
grammatically, you are required to separate the years with an en-dash. not a minus sign, hyphen or plain dash. an en-dash.
Word handles these normally within text by auto-converting them for you. it assumes you learned how to type on a typewriter and would have learned to type two hyphens ('--') when an en-dash was desired, and Word automagically converts the hyphens into one en-dash ('–').
except...
you can't do that within a document properties field.
grumble, grumble, lousy Microsoft, grumble...
nor, sadly, is the Insert menu available, so you can't use the Insert, Symbols workaround...
but then something occurred to me...
I found this web page a few weeks back out of my desire to spell my clients' names correctly within Gmail. it's Hervé, not Herve...
and today, out of the blue, it occurred to me...
a Eureka, jump-out-of-the-bath, moment...
there must be an ALT combination for en-dashes...
and sure enough... ALT-0150
at last, problem solved!
if only my issues with my lawyer could be handled this easily... (wink)
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
things I've done before...
(this is from Julie, who got it from Shawna and Kathy, who got it from...)
Bold what you've done and all that.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang or played a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Driven across the Golden Gate Bridge
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Hitch-hiked
42. Seen a geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie or television show (the news doesn't count)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Swam with dolphins
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Visited Machu Picchu
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone hang gliding
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp historic site
67. Won more than $100 in a lotto
68. Got flowers for no reason
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar or escargot
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Read the entire Bible
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Saved someone's life
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Walked the Scottish Highlands
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Had a baby
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book reading group
93. Lost a loved one
94. Walked in Jerusalem
95. Wrote and had a story or book published
96. Ridden a horse
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee or bitten by a poisonous snake
100. Read an entire book in one day
101. Built a home computer from pieces
102. Cooked a whole turkey for a special dinner
103. Made Christmas presents rather than buying them
104. Performed on stage for pay
105. Seen the Rosetta Stone in person
106. Visited the Smithsonian
107. Touched a piece of the Berlin Wall
108. Served at a soup kitchen
109. Memorized a poem
110. Watched a woman giving birth in person
111. Visited Angkor Wat
112. Lost more than 50 pounds
113. Seen the Pyramids at Giza in person
114. Flown in a helicopter
115. Sung karaoke
116. Bought a house or condo
117. Dyed your hair an unnatural color
118. Brewed alcohol
119. Driven across the Golden Gate Bridge
120. Had a "coming out" party
121. Got a tattoo
122. Went skydiving
123. Got a college degree
124. Climbed the steps at the Colosseum in Rome
125. Cooked 30 meals in 30 days
Bold what you've done and all that.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang or played a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Driven across the Golden Gate Bridge
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Hitch-hiked
42. Seen a geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie or television show (the news doesn't count)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Swam with dolphins
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Visited Machu Picchu
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone hang gliding
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp historic site
67. Won more than $100 in a lotto
68. Got flowers for no reason
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar or escargot
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Read the entire Bible
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Saved someone's life
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Walked the Scottish Highlands
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Had a baby
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book reading group
93. Lost a loved one
94. Walked in Jerusalem
95. Wrote and had a story or book published
96. Ridden a horse
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee or bitten by a poisonous snake
100. Read an entire book in one day
101. Built a home computer from pieces
102. Cooked a whole turkey for a special dinner
103. Made Christmas presents rather than buying them
104. Performed on stage for pay
105. Seen the Rosetta Stone in person
106. Visited the Smithsonian
107. Touched a piece of the Berlin Wall
108. Served at a soup kitchen
109. Memorized a poem
110. Watched a woman giving birth in person
111. Visited Angkor Wat
112. Lost more than 50 pounds
113. Seen the Pyramids at Giza in person
114. Flown in a helicopter
115. Sung karaoke
116. Bought a house or condo
117. Dyed your hair an unnatural color
118. Brewed alcohol
119. Driven across the Golden Gate Bridge
120. Had a "coming out" party
121. Got a tattoo
122. Went skydiving
123. Got a college degree
124. Climbed the steps at the Colosseum in Rome
125. Cooked 30 meals in 30 days
Sunday, November 9, 2008
politics is insanity
what a week.
from being over the moon about Obama.
to being outraged over Prop Hate.
to my experience last night...
I attended something called the Creative City Cabaret.
the best things about it? it was organized by a good friend, Chris, and the DJ work prior to the show was done by Chris' partner, Matt.
Vancouver is gearing up for municipal elections on 15 November. mayor, city council, the parks board and the school board.
to run, all you need is $100 and 25 signatures.
as you might imagine, this significantly lowers the bar to entry.
officially, I believe there are upwards of ten people running for mayor. most are independents, but there were some political parties I had not heard of, including the Work Less Party (go, Betty!) and the Nude Garden Party.
... pause...
so where were we? ah yes, the cabaret.
this was an opportunity for candidates to flex their political wings and appeal to voters in a non-traditional way. it was a talent show, basically. a sort of Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, let's put on a show! kind of affair.
there was legitimate talent and humor on display. Betty, the 80-year-old firebrand who heads the Work Less Party can tap dance like you'd never believe. amazing. her passion for politics and people serves her well in her tap shoes.
the woman, pardon me for forgetting her name, who sang Patsy Cline's Crazy, sadly, a capella, was also amazing, although I might be biased. she was, as we say, family.
the front-runners in the mayor's contest are both fairly decent guitar players. Gregor Robertson, the, it must be said, more attractive of the two, joined with with two other members of the Vision coalition to present a voters' guide, in an homage to Tom Lehr's The Elements (to the tune A Modern Major-General).
and Peter Ladner, who I had honestly thought to be despicable (for attempting to bail out Olympic developers secretly this past week) until I actually saw and heard him, performed songs he himself had written. wow.
there's also an amazing trans-woman, strikingly beautiful in personality and face, even though I think she picked up some styling tips from Sarah Palin, named Jamie Lee Hamilton. her campaign buttons are glorious: Vote for Jamie Lee: She's Different! I missed her act, though, as nature had called me away...
and then there were the stinkers.
the boos and groans from the audience made us all wish for a vaudevillian hook. it was painful to watch...
and painful to hear, as well, because two mayoral candidates had the appalling lack of tact and intellect to attempt stand-up comedy, which should now be known as the last refuge of scoundrels.
I suppose anyone who thinks they have no talent might be pardoned for thinking they could at least tell jokes.
but surely, surely, surely, you'd refrain from telling the worst kind of jokes.
oh, the misogyny. oh, the crudeness. oh, the trans- and homophobia... and the racism!
jokes that were last heard in a locker room thirty years ago were sadly resurrected.
I felt particularly badly for the voters who had brought their children and therefore had to continue to herd them out of the auditorium every time one of those reprobates took to the stage...
could you imagine such a thing in US politics?
a talent show?
at the municipal level, surely... I remember seeing Greg Nickels, now mayor of Seattle, pulling balls at Gay Bingo, stoically enduring Glamazonia's barbs and wit.
but I could never imagine any of last nights motley misanthropes running for anything in the US...
dear heavens!
from being over the moon about Obama.
to being outraged over Prop Hate.
to my experience last night...
I attended something called the Creative City Cabaret.
the best things about it? it was organized by a good friend, Chris, and the DJ work prior to the show was done by Chris' partner, Matt.
Vancouver is gearing up for municipal elections on 15 November. mayor, city council, the parks board and the school board.
to run, all you need is $100 and 25 signatures.
as you might imagine, this significantly lowers the bar to entry.
officially, I believe there are upwards of ten people running for mayor. most are independents, but there were some political parties I had not heard of, including the Work Less Party (go, Betty!) and the Nude Garden Party.
... pause...
so where were we? ah yes, the cabaret.
this was an opportunity for candidates to flex their political wings and appeal to voters in a non-traditional way. it was a talent show, basically. a sort of Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, let's put on a show! kind of affair.
there was legitimate talent and humor on display. Betty, the 80-year-old firebrand who heads the Work Less Party can tap dance like you'd never believe. amazing. her passion for politics and people serves her well in her tap shoes.
the woman, pardon me for forgetting her name, who sang Patsy Cline's Crazy, sadly, a capella, was also amazing, although I might be biased. she was, as we say, family.
the front-runners in the mayor's contest are both fairly decent guitar players. Gregor Robertson, the, it must be said, more attractive of the two, joined with with two other members of the Vision coalition to present a voters' guide, in an homage to Tom Lehr's The Elements (to the tune A Modern Major-General).
and Peter Ladner, who I had honestly thought to be despicable (for attempting to bail out Olympic developers secretly this past week) until I actually saw and heard him, performed songs he himself had written. wow.
there's also an amazing trans-woman, strikingly beautiful in personality and face, even though I think she picked up some styling tips from Sarah Palin, named Jamie Lee Hamilton. her campaign buttons are glorious: Vote for Jamie Lee: She's Different! I missed her act, though, as nature had called me away...
and then there were the stinkers.
the boos and groans from the audience made us all wish for a vaudevillian hook. it was painful to watch...
and painful to hear, as well, because two mayoral candidates had the appalling lack of tact and intellect to attempt stand-up comedy, which should now be known as the last refuge of scoundrels.
I suppose anyone who thinks they have no talent might be pardoned for thinking they could at least tell jokes.
but surely, surely, surely, you'd refrain from telling the worst kind of jokes.
oh, the misogyny. oh, the crudeness. oh, the trans- and homophobia... and the racism!
jokes that were last heard in a locker room thirty years ago were sadly resurrected.
I felt particularly badly for the voters who had brought their children and therefore had to continue to herd them out of the auditorium every time one of those reprobates took to the stage...
could you imagine such a thing in US politics?
a talent show?
at the municipal level, surely... I remember seeing Greg Nickels, now mayor of Seattle, pulling balls at Gay Bingo, stoically enduring Glamazonia's barbs and wit.
but I could never imagine any of last nights motley misanthropes running for anything in the US...
dear heavens!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
farm animals
it's an interesting experience to be involved in an American election from a foreign country.
Bill Clinton became president while I was in Japan, and while I voted for him, it wasn't that exciting a moment as last night was, as I read the RSS feeds (thank you, Nate Silver) over and over.
last night I was elated.
this morning, not so much.
in fact, the more time goes by, the angrier I'm getting.
let me explain...
there were several interesting propositions on the ballot in California this election cycle.
prop 2 ensures the animals we eat will be treated humanely. in other words, no more factory farming, with pigs, cows and chickens penned in so close they cannot move, standing in their own shit.
I am totally in favor of putting an end to factory farming in the US. between that and the corn lobby, US agricultural has become an extension of petroleum products. thanks, but no thanks.
prop 8 was put forth and supported heavily but Christian fundamentalists and Mormons (an odd couple if ever there was one--both believe the other to be apostate). its aim to to put an end to the recently granted right of same-sex couples to marry in that state, by enshrining discrimination and hate in the state constitution (with the wording, 'marriage shall consist of a union between a man and a woman.').
now, the count is not yet over, and the opponents of this atrocity might yet prevail, and even if we don't, count on lawsuits galore, but what struck me this morning (thanks to an article written by Autumn Sandeen) was that way more people voted in favor of prop 2 than voted against prop 8.
think about that.
apparently, in California, a place I have visited many times and home to many great friends, it is easier to be kind to animals than it is to consider the civil rights of other human beings!
WTF?!
my proposal, for the time being, is to start driving around to LDS churches and tabernacles and to plant lawn signs that read: Hate Lives Here.
I know a few Mormons, and not every Mormon was in favor of their church's taking of such a costly and bigoted position, but the LDS church's elders endorsed that project and encouraged, nay threatened, in some cases, its membership to cough up cash for it.
so no, we won't put yard signs at the home of individual Mormons. they aren't to blame. their church is, however, and people need to be reminded of that, over and over and over. hate.
Bill Clinton became president while I was in Japan, and while I voted for him, it wasn't that exciting a moment as last night was, as I read the RSS feeds (thank you, Nate Silver) over and over.
last night I was elated.
this morning, not so much.
in fact, the more time goes by, the angrier I'm getting.
let me explain...
there were several interesting propositions on the ballot in California this election cycle.
prop 2 ensures the animals we eat will be treated humanely. in other words, no more factory farming, with pigs, cows and chickens penned in so close they cannot move, standing in their own shit.
I am totally in favor of putting an end to factory farming in the US. between that and the corn lobby, US agricultural has become an extension of petroleum products. thanks, but no thanks.
prop 8 was put forth and supported heavily but Christian fundamentalists and Mormons (an odd couple if ever there was one--both believe the other to be apostate). its aim to to put an end to the recently granted right of same-sex couples to marry in that state, by enshrining discrimination and hate in the state constitution (with the wording, 'marriage shall consist of a union between a man and a woman.').
now, the count is not yet over, and the opponents of this atrocity might yet prevail, and even if we don't, count on lawsuits galore, but what struck me this morning (thanks to an article written by Autumn Sandeen) was that way more people voted in favor of prop 2 than voted against prop 8.
think about that.
apparently, in California, a place I have visited many times and home to many great friends, it is easier to be kind to animals than it is to consider the civil rights of other human beings!
WTF?!
my proposal, for the time being, is to start driving around to LDS churches and tabernacles and to plant lawn signs that read: Hate Lives Here.
I know a few Mormons, and not every Mormon was in favor of their church's taking of such a costly and bigoted position, but the LDS church's elders endorsed that project and encouraged, nay threatened, in some cases, its membership to cough up cash for it.
so no, we won't put yard signs at the home of individual Mormons. they aren't to blame. their church is, however, and people need to be reminded of that, over and over and over. hate.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Whose America now? Not Gore Vidal's
Mr Gumbel,
This sorry excuse for writing clearly reflects your obvious lack of a sense of humor and what clearly seems to be a lack of having ever read any of Mr Vidal's fiction.
Mr Vidal has never been, nor ever will be, reactionary. He is a progressive. You are setting yourself up as the next crypto-fascist, to succeed Buckley.
It's a shame you didn't go full bore and drag out his homosexuality as further proof of your (idiotic) thesis...
Do the rest of us a favor and leave Mr Vidal be. Save your venom for those who truly deserve it, like, say, the current administration of asshats.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
This sorry excuse for writing clearly reflects your obvious lack of a sense of humor and what clearly seems to be a lack of having ever read any of Mr Vidal's fiction.
Mr Vidal has never been, nor ever will be, reactionary. He is a progressive. You are setting yourself up as the next crypto-fascist, to succeed Buckley.
It's a shame you didn't go full bore and drag out his homosexuality as further proof of your (idiotic) thesis...
Do the rest of us a favor and leave Mr Vidal be. Save your venom for those who truly deserve it, like, say, the current administration of asshats.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
up for air
between the IRS mess and a massive translation job, I feel like I've been somewhat submerged.
it's been a beautiful autumn here. I've noticed that, at least, as I drive Hiro to and from work every day. we've had less rain than normal and the trees have been beautiful.
and Halloween is coming, which, in Canada, means fireworks. it's one of the few days a year people are allowed to legally set off fireworks so shops selling fireworks have spring up like mushrooms after a rain. a few days back, when some over-anxious neighborhood kids set off some, my inner New Yorker thought, gun shots?! but no... thankfully...
in the middle of all the craziness, Hiro and I managed to take a weekend off two weeks ago, and spent a great time with friends from Washington and BC. it was right after my lawyer had finally convinced the IRS that I had not moved to Canada to evade them, but had done so for love. that seemed to have melted a certain bureaucratic heart, and the levies were lifted! shortly thereafter, my car payment was paid, and at roughly the same time our landlords got the rent money. whew...
thankfully, there's still lots of work to do, so I'll get back to it. just thought I'd at least blog a bit more...
it's been a beautiful autumn here. I've noticed that, at least, as I drive Hiro to and from work every day. we've had less rain than normal and the trees have been beautiful.
and Halloween is coming, which, in Canada, means fireworks. it's one of the few days a year people are allowed to legally set off fireworks so shops selling fireworks have spring up like mushrooms after a rain. a few days back, when some over-anxious neighborhood kids set off some, my inner New Yorker thought, gun shots?! but no... thankfully...
in the middle of all the craziness, Hiro and I managed to take a weekend off two weeks ago, and spent a great time with friends from Washington and BC. it was right after my lawyer had finally convinced the IRS that I had not moved to Canada to evade them, but had done so for love. that seemed to have melted a certain bureaucratic heart, and the levies were lifted! shortly thereafter, my car payment was paid, and at roughly the same time our landlords got the rent money. whew...
thankfully, there's still lots of work to do, so I'll get back to it. just thought I'd at least blog a bit more...
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
voting
I got my absentee ballot last weekend and I voted yesterday.
since I'm not that familiar with people running for judge positions, I did use a cheat sheet, but otherwise, I know King County and Washington State well enough to vote against Eyman and his idiocies, against that idiot Sheriff Reichert (great work on the Green River case!) and against anything with the word 'non-partisan' in it (which means that Republicans assume they can buy a position if it passes).
since I no longer have my ballot, all I can say is that I voted on nearly strict party lines. I would never vote for anyone named for a cartoon dog (hear that, Rossi?), and I am so ready for President Obama!
since I'm not that familiar with people running for judge positions, I did use a cheat sheet, but otherwise, I know King County and Washington State well enough to vote against Eyman and his idiocies, against that idiot Sheriff Reichert (great work on the Green River case!) and against anything with the word 'non-partisan' in it (which means that Republicans assume they can buy a position if it passes).
since I no longer have my ballot, all I can say is that I voted on nearly strict party lines. I would never vote for anyone named for a cartoon dog (hear that, Rossi?), and I am so ready for President Obama!
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