Russian war

  I have been a freelance translator for about 35 years now.
Over that time I have registered on multiple translator sites like Proz.com, Aquarius, Translators Directory. Go Translators, translatorscafe and more that I do not even remember.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine and continues to kill everyone in their path (just like the orcs in ‘Lord of the Rings’) I did raise my voice on facebook (which is most likely totally irrelevant) and pledged never to work for any Russian agency again.

And since the devil Adolf Putin is systematically blocking news and all forms of information about his atrocities to reach the Russian people, I believe it would be appropriate to urge all those translator sites to block all Russian agencies from posting job offers. This may not have any “real” effect on the war, but as an indirect message it could result in a few more people in Russia wondering what is going on in the world.

So, personally I urge those translator platforms to do something.
And if any other freelance translator might be willing to add his or her voice, that would be wonderful.

The current situation is NOT something one should “let slide” - like the Chinese are doing!

Translators - resist

Trump (I believe that person does not deserve any honorific or title), a self-declared enemy of freedom, is "all over the place", intentionally driving the world into chaos and towards destruction. Eventually his arrogant and self-centered behavior = he "trumples"over everthing and everybody, will adversely affect everybody who is not a fat, rich, white man living in the States.
And there is probably not much a few translators can do about it.

But ...
since it is now "America first", maybe the translator's community can come together and boycott jobs coming from the USA and/or American companies, so that those companies that a currently heavily "outsourcing" much of their work to those "dirty foreign people" who should be slaves in the first place, will have to rely more on "American only" resources. Requiring them to pay their "personnel" rates compatible with survival in the States and not the "peanuts" they offer on their slave markets.
I wrote about those before: e.g., Wagner Consulting International which offers 0.03 USD/word, which is WAY below any international standard and even cheaper than India based companies or TransPerfect. I would not be surprised, if Trump has his fingers in those businesses too.
I VERY MUCH doubt, that an ordinary American translator would/could work for 0.03 USD.

So ... what would happen, if Trump has to rely on translations = which ARE indispensible in numerous industries ONLY on those that are made IN America by white (male) translators? After all, if a translator from any arabic country would translate something, s/he might be planning/coordinating a terror attack his bombastity Trump.
Manpower will not meet the demand, quality might suffer when people are forced to work on unfamiliar materials, prices will soar because salaries/rates in the USA are most likely MUCH higher than what is paid to "ordinary" translators.

This *** might *** give Trump a hint. But then again, since he is pathologically delusional, he would/could not acknowledge that snow is white, even if he were left in the middle of an ice field in the antarctic.

"Translator resistance" -  a stupid idea of mine. I am well aware, that many translator simply cannot afford to recline work. I am one of those myself!!! But, this could be the minimal contribution translators might be able to make to the just started battle for freedom.
I myself will commit to this cause to the best of my abilities.
I would be "outrageously happy" (to speak with Linus), if anybody would actually feel it worthwhile to join me.
Thank you.
 

WFAS 2016 --- oh, please ...

I have thought for a while, whether I should say/write this here. Finally I made my decision.
  In November this year a world conference about acupuncture (WFAS 2016)  will be held in Japan. People working in this field probably know this  for a long time already.
 When I registered the other day via the  website set up for the WFAS 2016 I noticed, that the English of that  website is of embarrassingly poor quality. Although I contacted (mail)  first the secretariat of the conference and second the secretariat of  the "Japan Society of Acupuncture and Moxibustion" (JSAM = organizer),  neither of these offices considered it necessary to reply to my mail ..  or what would have been MUCH better .. correct the mistakes.
I have been trying to 'advertise' the good aspects of Japan (and/or Japanese acupuncture) to the world for about 20 years.
  This website looks to me like a deliberate attempt at demonstrating to  the world at large, that the Japanese are stupid and don't give a dime  about what other people think. Thereby also thwarting my efforts to  promote the "MADE IN JAPAN" brand.
I am not really open to the  suggestion/excuse, that the organize has not enough money. The general  participation fee is about USD 500. Assuming 500 participants register, a  not very unrealistic figure, the organizer collects USD 250,000 to run  the show. There surely should be 500 USD to ask an agency to draft a  proper text. If anybody would ask me (which nobody does!), I would call  it a disgrace.
Please! Send them a note. Maybe if a number of  non-Japanese people would complain about the strange English, the people  in charge might finally wake up ...

Digital world

先日アメリカの方から翻訳に関する問い合わせが来た。全く知らない人が初めての頼り次の如く始める：
Hi Tom,
I have a small bit of text in my Japanese page that needs real translation.
それに対して私は全く知らない相手からこのような突然、条件もはっきりしないで商売するのは遠慮すると答えた：
"Good evening, thank you for your mail, but I believe this is not really a proper way to "do business". (assuming that you want to do business)
そして私の名前は "Tom" ではないことを指摘し：
Probably I am too old(-fashioned) for this world, but I DO have a name:
Blasejewicz, or Thomas Blasejewicz, either of which is usually preceded by "Mr." Not "Tom".
それに対して相手は：
Also in the digital world people do talk quickly and not as formal. That is how business is done, people can get to know each other later。

これが現在のディジタルワールドの「常識　/　礼儀」であれば、私はその世界に余り住みたくないと思います。