Isn't that a nice thought, that ppl aren't that terrible, they're just paid to pretend by a foreign power....
But you won't believe how disappointed Paul Ryan will be about it before he approves of it.
I tried to make that a thing here months ago, but it never caught on, and I got bored of it.
Don't worry, though: I'm still doing the alternate Earth thing.
That's the Thing from the world where Sue Storm is the Thing, right?
Aye. I convinced her to join me on my merry trek across dimensions. She's my rock . . . and ohmagawd! You should've seen The Rock from that Earth. She was smoking hot!
figmentPez
Staff member
Once again Trump attacks the free press. "The Summit with Russia was a great success, except with the real enemy of the people, the Fake News Media. " The summit was criticized by numerous Republicans, and Trump is blaming all of that on "fake news". How is this in any way acceptable?
Senate rejects handing over Michael McFaul to Putin in 98-0 vote despite Trump's consideration.
BananaHands
Staff member
Further proof that republicans really only want to look like they care about Russian interference on social media.
Republicans block bid to extend election security grants
Republicans block bid to extend election security grants
BananaHands
Staff member
I'd just like to say that, as a professional interpreter, revealing what was said in a closed-door meeting we were at is considered against our professional ethics. Sort of like how doctors aren't supposed to reveal the details of their patients.
Having said that, though, I do acknowledge that sometimes doctors are subpoenaed to testify about their patients, so I'm not saying that it's absolutely wrong for the interpreter to be subpoenaed. I'm just noting we're generally expected to keep confidentiality.
This has been Bhamv's pointless aside of the day, we now bring you back to your regular scheduled programming.
EDIT: Also, another interesting thing about interpreters that might not be common knowledge: Our work is heavily dependent on our short-term memory, in that we'll hear a segment of speech, immediately translate it, and then move on to the next segment of speech. Our long-term memories are often not engaged during interpretation sessions. This means that, after we interpret something, we often cannot remember what we'd just interpreted. I often come out of meetings and conferences with no idea what it was about. So even if you do subpoena the interpreter, there's a good chance he won't be able to remember enough to give useful information. This (probably) isn't him being deliberately obstructive, it's just a quirk of our line of work.
Having said that, though, I do acknowledge that sometimes doctors are subpoenaed to testify about their patients, so I'm not saying that it's absolutely wrong for the interpreter to be subpoenaed. I'm just noting we're generally expected to keep confidentiality.
This has been Bhamv's pointless aside of the day, we now bring you back to your regular scheduled programming.
EDIT: Also, another interesting thing about interpreters that might not be common knowledge: Our work is heavily dependent on our short-term memory, in that we'll hear a segment of speech, immediately translate it, and then move on to the next segment of speech. Our long-term memories are often not engaged during interpretation sessions. This means that, after we interpret something, we often cannot remember what we'd just interpreted. I often come out of meetings and conferences with no idea what it was about. So even if you do subpoena the interpreter, there's a good chance he won't be able to remember enough to give useful information. This (probably) isn't him being deliberately obstructive, it's just a quirk of our line of work.
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B
BErt
Tounge in cheek question (i think. I hope.) but did we actually see the interpreters come back out of the room after their meeting? 
I'm one of those people who can listen to a phone call and repeat exactly what I hear to those around me in real time, or repeat back to you what you are saying exactly as you say it (similar to speech jamming). However, I almost never remember what I've just repeated, even though the words are fresh out of my mouth. Handy for when everyone in the group needs to hear what's going on and the phone doesn't have a speakerphone option, but inconvenient because then someone else will have to repeat back to me what I've just said once I'm done.
--Patrick
That's actually an interpretation training exercise known as shadowing.
Well I'm very good at it.That's actually an interpretation training exercise known as shadowing.
--Patrick
But if, during your translating, you had to translate something shocking, such as "sure you can have Alaska" would that stand out enough for you to notice?
Possibly. It's hard to say for sure, and would probably vary on a case-by-case basis.
This reminds me of a practice session one of our instructors had for us once. We interpreted a speech on human trafficking. The speaker said, "And on this slide you can see the brothel where girls as young as ten or eleven would be forced to service up to thirty men a day." And the photo in the slide was, I shit you not, just a hole in the ground. I remember all of us in that class just sort of stopping and staring agape at the Powerpoint slide.
The point of that exercise, however, was to train us to not lose our composure when we encounter something shocking or surprising during our work. An interpreter is basically supposed to be a black box, where one language goes in and another language comes out. So it's actually possible for an interpreter to faithfully translate "you can have Alaska" and not find it notable enough to remember.
BananaHands
Staff member
Republicans will block the release of any of those tapes because HILLARYS EMAILS
Never ever ever?
Never ever ever ever?
Because threatening the moderate voices in Iran is an awesome plan.
It's a shame that, for at least this moment in time, Trump didn't get to buy the Buffalo Bills back when, because then I could make so many jokes about that nuclear football.
Dave
Staff member
Had he been able to buy the Bills, he wouldn't be president, he wouldn't have such a grudge against the NFL, and we'd all be a lot happier. Yes, even the republicans would be happier. They'd have Hillary and that would make them all salivate with glee. Not because they like her but because it would have banded them all together in their mutual hatred of all things women.
figmentPez
Staff member
So, Russia can threaten us with nuclear missile attacks, and get no response, but Iran can say that a war would be terrible, but that peace would be equally great, and that's beyond the pale? Seems like Dolt45 is desperate to feel powerful right now, because his ego is taking a bruising from being Putin's monkey.
*ahem*
Dave
Staff member
So did the Cowboys the year before that. Doesn't matter. They wild carded in and lost to Jacksonville right away.
It matters when you go 17 years without it. Especially since I didn't even pay attention to the team back then so this was literally my first time.
Incidentally, this isn't the first time I've had this argument and I actually would have him as the owner if it kept him from being president. Just don't forget how I'd suffer. Especially when he dies and one of his spawn would own the team.
Incidentally, this isn't the first time I've had this argument and I actually would have him as the owner if it kept him from being president. Just don't forget how I'd suffer. Especially when he dies and one of his spawn would own the team.