Sep. 29th, 2009

alexpgp: (St. Jerome w/ computer)
Smack dab in the middle of the current Word document, I run into a patch of text that doesn't behave. As I type my translation, successive letters appear to the left of the previously typed letter. Then I notice that the end-of-paragraph symbol (which I have Word display, along with other non-printing characters) is sitting at the beginning of the paragraph instead of its normal position, at the end.

Hmmm.

Conclusion: Somehow, the paragraph is in right-to-left mode, which would make sense if it had been typed in Hebrew or Arabic. How to fix?

Without doing an exhaustive study, it turns out there is a button you can drag to your toolbar (via Tools|Customize|Categories: Format) that will set the direction as left-to-right, which I did (and it did). Should it be needed, another button will do the opposite.

I wonder what other surprises may await me today?

Cheers...
alexpgp: (Visa)
I am at a point where all the stuff due tomorrow morning is done, but not despeckled, which is good. This means that I will probably <crosses fingers> be able to "attend" tomorrow's online translator's conference being organized by proz.com.

My next challenge is going to be two more <urgk!> PowerPoint presentations that must be completed by COB on Saturday (and which I estimate together mass about 4600-4800 words, except that in some slides, the words are scattered over the slide like leaves after a windstorm, very nearly each in its own text box.

Galina is out at Home Depot, weaving yet another nefarious plot against our bank account.

Apropos of which, I should anchor myself and start invoicing!

Cheers...
alexpgp: (Schizo)
Actually, I didn't forget to take my HP tablet; I calmly and deliberately put it away before taking off for Texas.

A mistake. My bad.

Among other goodies, my iTunes setup and library are on that computer, and I don't recall having made a recent backup of the files on the HP, at least not one that I took with me to Texas.

Ultimately, I suppose I could see what backed-up music I have brought with me, figure out how I can keep the files on a USB drive while I use iTunes on the Aspire, and then possibly download and install iTunes and proceed from there.

Or I could just live with what's on the iPod until we return to Pagosa.

* * *
Among the 500 or so amendments proposed to the Baucus bill, one that was voted down would have required the final language of the bill to be available online to the public for 72 hours. Chairman Baucus is against doing so because putting the bill online would require two weeks, which has got to be the most compelling reason I've heard all week for railroading legislation. Transparency in government, apparently, was a tactic to garner votes last November, and nothing more.

And of course, even assuming his estimate of two weeks is correct, I can't help but wonder: what's the hurry? Heck, one would imagine that, if the bill is as good as its proponents claim it to be, the public would clamor for its passage after becoming acquainted with its provisions.

I mean, look, the main spending provisions of the bill don't kick in until 2013, which is the year of the next Presidential inauguration, for crying out loud. The bill itself is intended to make a not insignificant change in the way business is done in the health-care sector, which represents about 1/6 of the economy. There's a whole lot of promises in the bill that some folks spin one way, and other folks spin the other way, and some promises that probably represent yet more pork (along the lines of the stimulus money that was allocated to fight forest fires in the District of Columbia).

One thing seems apparent: the faction that favors the bill apparently don't want it to be examined too closely or under too strong a light. That worries me, because unlike used car salesmen, Congresscritters don't require my signature to screw me.

Cheers...

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