PIP Takes The Plunge (Life Skills Programs Confidence Series Book 1)

Many judicial officers serving the council come from diverse cultural backgrounds. As Australian proceedings are normally conducted in English, it has long been understood that people from non English-speaking backgrounds should be given access to interpreters, ensuring they receive fair treatment in formal processes. The system should be fair to everyone, regardless of social status, education, disability, or cultural background. However experience in this sector indicates that there are common problems encountered with interpreters in the court system, such as;.

The JCCD commenced a project intended to address the issues revealed by the research, and provide officers of the court, and interpreters, with a set of standards they can use as a guide to best practice. Justice Melissa Perry of the Federal Court of Australia , who chaired the project committee, spoke at the official launch about the humanitarian and legal rights to equality before tribunals, courts and the right to a fair trial.

For example, in the case of our indigenous peoples, factors such as intergenerational trauma and experiences of discrimination, racism and poverty impact on indigenous perspectives of the justice system. For example, the State may have to bear the cost of a retrial, while the accused and witnesses are put through the trauma of a rehearing. The standards are not enforceable on any particular court but seen as a guide to best practice in the judicial system.

For example in June , the Queensland Courts adopted a process to fast-track access to interpreters in Family Violence situations. The project committee explain that it is necessary to build flexibility into the recommendations. This will allow for situations where there are shortages of qualified interpreters in a particular language. For this reason, the Recommended Standards have been designed with a set of minimum standards, and optimum standards that can be applied when there is a pool of qualified interpreters available.

The standards can be implemented progressively as capacity allows. The Recommended National Standards are an in-depth tool for court officials to use; in assessing when to engage an interpreter, how to engage one, and what to expect from them in a court setting. It also prescribes standards for interpreters such as; impartiality, confidentiality, duty to the court and the process of carrying out justice, duty of accuracy and duty of competency. Language Network is a new Australian online service that connects NAATI accredited translators and interpreters with clients throughout Australia and overseas.

Creator, Nicolo Tiozzo, has a background in IT and logistics. Nicolo created the Language Network after his research into tools and directories revealed a lack of Australian websites providing a platform where job offers are linked with skilled translators and interpreters.

In the real world, the price of a professional service it is not really a matter of what you want to pay, but more of what professionals charge for that service. The Language Network has a rating system, together with skill search and freelancer profile functions, which will help employers choose the right candidate for their task based on more than the mere price offered. At the same time, Nicolo hopes translators and interpreters will save the time and effort needed to build a website and will create a profile on the Language Network platform.

Creating a profile is free and employers can browse profiles and contact freelancers directly for quotes. Only translators and interpreters with valid NAATI accreditation or certification can register to provide services. Senator Seselja thanked retiring Chair, Ms Kerry Stubbs , and congratulated Voula Messimeri , who will take up the position as the newly appointed Chair from 1 December The focus of the project is addressing shortages of credentialed interpreters in new and emerging community languages.

It will also be of particular benefit for people in regional, rural and remote areas, where people do not have the same access to interpreters, as they do in cities. Senator Seselja also acknowledged the work of Professor Sandra Hale in leading the development of the new certification system, which will open in January NAATI is in a much stronger position now as a result of her leadership.

NAATI would like to thank all guests who were able attend the event, and made it such a memorable evening. These templates are in Microsoft Word documents. They will download directly onto your computer to your use. Usually this will be in your "downloads" folder. You can use the transition wizard to work out what you will need to do for each individual credential.

Generally, if your credential is already part of the revalidation system, you will not need to provide any additional evidence of Work Practice. For credentials that are not part of the revalidation system, you will need to provide evidence of work practice in order to transition that credential. Practitioners who have preregistered will have their transition form emailed directly to them, along with other important information. Presenters from Victoria and elsewhere have been able to offer various PD events in the past to Tasmanian practitioners, however AUSIT at the national level and particularly at the branch level has become increasingly aware that this is no real substitute for having an local entity on the ground.

• The Sons of Zadok.
• Teaching your children self esteem by Life Skills Programs Pty Ltd - Issuu.
• .

Other people can be co-opted to serve on the sub-committee. Any AUSIT member who would be interested in formally being a member of a sub-branch committee is invited to download a nomination form and return it to the address shown on the form. For additional information or any queries, please contact the General Secretary on secretary ausit. The session is intended to train practitioners in recognising domestic and family violence.

It will also involve appropriate and professional conduct in family violence situations and developing self-care strategies. It is being offered as a free introductory session to practitioners in Western Australia. Preregistration for Transition has now closed. Preregistered practitioners will receive their application forms directly via email from the 27th of September The prize is awarded by the FIT every three years, and recognises excellence in translation. Dr Windle received the award in the presence of FIT members and the translating community.

The judges for the award or international jury as it is known, paid tribute to Dr Windle in a written commendation. He has been translating for some 40 years, including for leading publishers such as Oxford University Press. His work, translating into English from nearly a dozen different languages, and across a wide range of subject areas, is described by his supporters as 'reliably brilliant'," the jury observed. His major publications include the biography: Dr Windle was awarded the prize for his non-fiction work.

When NAATI was established on 14 September , it was envisaged that a national professional association would assume responsibility in areas such as discipline within the profession, professional ethics, and the protection of the interests of the profession. However, it soon became apparent that two separate organisations would be needed in order to manage the various priorities of the wider industry. The two key outcomes were:. From the inception of these new committees, representatives from AUSIT have been appointed to and involved with them.

The year was a particularly exciting time, with NAATI and AUSIT working together, alongside other organisations, to run a special testing program designed to ensure the proficiency of language volunteers at the Sydney Olympic Games. As a result of these consultations design and planning work was able to progress, and the revalidation system was launched on 1 January She is responsible for managing editorial and promotional support for all NAATI communication material, as well as coordinating communication and stakeholder strategies, digital media and other services and projects.

Denise Formica reports on the eighth Critical Link conference held in Edinburgh last year. The conference broadly covered topics related to sustaining the interpreting and translating profession. The cool weather and cloudy skies of an Edinburgh summer were not enough to dampen the mood of the eighth Critical Link International Conference, which was held at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh between 29 June and 1 July Critical Link International is a Canadian-based organisation, initially focused on community and healthcare interpreting, but lately it has increased its scope to advocate for the advancement of community interpreting across the social and legal domains as well.

There were many interesting presentations and posters from spoken and signed language practitioners, academics and graduate students—as well as others in related professions—on the subjects of research, processes and practices of community translation and interpreting.

Questions are being raised about the quality of the interpreting provided, as there are no mandatory regulations to ensure the use of credentialled interpreters in UK courts. If this topic sounds familiar, it is: An enthralling discussion for all the tech-heads among us was led by Martin Volk, Professor of Computational Linguistics at the University of Zurich, who is at the forefront of research into machine translation.

Introducing conference delegates to the variety of systems that go beyond Google Translate and the like, he also underlined the manner in which technology can improve media access for people with disabilities.

A new life in Australia leads to a rewarding career

Among the sessions that I attended were some that focused on the issue of vicarious trauma. The core component of this approach is empathy, which is described as a cognitive rather than an emotional process. Nurses are encouraged to be attentive, responsible, competent and responsive, while also protecting themselves from possible trauma. Another session, presented by Canadian organisation Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services , placed great emphasis on the importance of recognising and relieving stress at the earliest possible stage, and then initiating the established protocols, beginning with staff debriefing and concluding with outcome assessments.

It was, of course, impossible to attend every presentation, but the program showed a strong presence of Australian researchers, practitioners and other stakeholders who contributed to the various conference topics. The webcast allowed conference delegates and participants from across a range of countries to raise questions on issues concerning the future of the profession.

Unsurprisingly, most of the discussion revolved around the importance of remuneration and working conditions, and the training and credentialling of all translators and interpreters as a means of achieving the recognition that we feel we are all due. My concluding remarks reflect the consensus I felt was reached during that final session, namely, that as practitioners we should be the first to acknowledge that unless we are part of the solution, we are part of the problem. Denise Formica, PhD compl eted her thesis on the translation of Australian contemporary literary fiction into Italian at Monash University in Follow Critical Link on Facebook.

In a recent co-translation project of a 21st-century Chinese-language novel featuring almost exclusively Uyghur characters, the close collaboration of two bilingual translators — native English speaker Bruce Humes, and I, a native Chinese speaker — enabled our rendition to touch upon the essence of Uyghur culture and present it in English through meaningful dialogue. To be published in 3Q , this book is part of a series entitled Kaleidoscope: In the literary publishing world, it is common practice to commission a translator who works into his or her native language.

In actual practice, however, there are some advantages to have a co-translator of the source language on board from the outset. This is especially important when the storyline switches frequently between past, present and future, as the native speaker can get a quick grasp of the order of events. As in Chinese, verbs are not conjugated, it can be confusing and time-consuming for the native English speaker to recognise when certain actions take place, and thus which tense to use.

Greater translation accuracy is also assured because the draft is scrutinised against the original text by a pair of fresh eyes. This can help to avoid misinterpretations of the source text before the translation reaches the final editor, who may not be fluent in the source language. More importantly, the co-translators complement each other due to their distinct cultural backgrounds.

Through discussion and exploration — and occasional heated debate! When both translators have a solid training in literature, their collaboration can truly breathe life into a novel. At the drafting stage, we put the translation alongside the original text paragraph by paragraph, to make sure nothing was missed or misinterpreted. Once we had both edited the draft at least once, we deleted the Chinese original and focused on tweaking the English.

From the very beginning, we realised an authentic Uyghur flavor to the translation would help the novel stand out in the market. This means using the Uyghur terms for cultural icons, character names, and the way Uyghur men address each other in daily life. We also went one step further — we noticed a few inconsistencies in the narration, and the author was quite happy to give us suggestions.

All in all, we both went through the novel a dozen times, tinkering here and there to make sure a reader who has no knowledge of Xinjiang or even China would thoroughly enjoy the story. The author Alat Asem, our Uyghur cultural consultant Nurahmat Ahat and my co-translator Bruce Humes are all open-minded polyglots who made this project a thoroughly enjoyable experience for me.

At a time when artificial intelligence might replace human translators and interpreters very soon, I firmly believe that human value shall prevail. This is because we are willing to reach out and work with like-minded people of other cultures, so that the wider world can discover and appreciate lesser-known cultures in their genuine and beautiful form. Even though I have two deaf non-signing relatives, I did not discover the Deaf Community until I was 23 years old. At the time I was studying psychology, and inspired by my young deaf cousin, I researched the impact of deafness on language development and learning.

I entered the Deaf Community at a time of great change and breakthrough: Auslan had recently been acknowledged to be a language; the Auslan dictionary was published ; new courses were launched. Initially I learnt Signed English until an Auslan course existed Meanwhile, I socialised with vibrant Deaf people and went to every event I could. Reluctantly I started to interpret and to my surprise and delight, discovered it was possible! This role included interpreting and expanded to include work as a psychologist for the Deaf. My dream had come true! Since having children, I have appreciated the great flexibility and versatility of professional interpreting which has become my career focus.

Here are some of the challenges I have faced along the way:. Realising friendship need not compromise professionalism on the job. Familiarity increases interpreting fluency. Tension muscular and mental. Exercising to maintain strength. A tonne of volunteer interpreting. This creates another challenge however…. The NDIS is creating an even greater demand for interpreters. But what keeps me in the interpreting profession after all these years? Anne is based in Sydney, Australia. People requiring interpreters services for Domestic and Family Violence matters will now be able to access interpreters more quickly at all Magistrates Courts in Queensland.

When receiving applications from people for Domestic Violence Protection Orders, counter staff at the court registries will determine the need for an interpreter, and arrange for an interpreter to be present at the first court appearance for domestic and family violence matters. Importantly the courts will pay for the interpreter services for private applications. Police will continue to arrange and pay for interpreters for the first court appearance for police applications. Previously, registry staff could generally only engage an interpreter once the presiding Magistrate had made an order that an interpreter be engaged.

In some cases this led to difficulty for people to understand the court proceedings in those early stages and delays in domestic and family violence matters being heard by the courts and finalised. The new process builds on a successful trial that was undertaken at the specialist Domestic and Family Violence court at Southport over the previous 18 months. Staff and court users found this to be a much more efficient way of engaging interpreters when parties to DV matters required this additional support. Magistrates Court counter staff have been trained and as well as the Practice Direction, can refer to a new written court procedure and other tools to assist them follow the process.

NAATI anticipates that earlier access to interpreters in the court setting, will improve the experience and outcomes for people involved in family violence situations. Prompt access to a credentialed interpreter, will ensure everyone understands the court processes and what is being said, from the very outset. This is expected to reduce confusion and stress on both parties, with an increased likelihood that respondents follow court orders. It will also ensure that each party has a fair opportunity to be heard, and can be informed about opportunities available in the community for ongoing support.

This funding will continue the objective of increasing the number of accredited Indigenous Interpreters approved to act in legal, medical, government and community service settings. The Indigenous Interpreting Project IIP was initiated in in response to the need identified among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, to be able to access language services.

News and Events for the NAATI Community

In remote communities, people who report that they do not speak English well, or at all, are much more prevalent. This funding will enable the continuation and expansion of the Indigenous Interpreters Project that will increase both the number of Indigenous languages available for testing and the number of certified interpreters in those languages.

NAATI looks forward to engaging with Indigenous communities and respective State and Territory governments to assist in identifying and developing capacity in the priority communities. As the national body credentialing interpreters, NAATI designed and delivers the IIP and collaborates with Indigenous organisations to identify languages where there is a demand for effective interpreters. This collaboration also presents an opportunity and a means to establish standards, guidelines, testing and examiner training.

Using interpreter services, when required, bridges gaps in understanding and upholds cross-cultural understanding. Read Minister Scullion's statement here. Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane from May 30 - June 7 A captioned recording of the Melbourne event is now available via our YouTube channel , for people who were unable to attend the face-to-face meetings. A copy of the presentation slides can be downloaded from our website. Our INT project team publishes a monthly e-newsletter to provide the latest project news and results.

This quote has become part of a new mental mantra that I have been learning to embrace. Coming back to the interpreting profession after many years away has taken more personal fortitude that I believed I had. Being sidelined due to health and caring roles, not due to a personal sabbatical, I knew that my confidence had taken a beating.

My priorities have dramatically changed while away, as has my-self-identity and skill sets. I was doubting my skills and knowledge. Did I have what it takes to come back into a field that I loved but I knew was very personally demanding? My negative self-talk was high and I needed to re-learn and remember how to have confidence in my abilities again.

I am so glad that I took this opportunity to re-establish networks both personally and professionally. I started the self-paced course with some scepticism. It was my respect for Pip that got me to enrol, not my faith in communication courses. Previous communication modules I had studied only reinforced strategies I knew or I felt were tokenistic in content. It took me about 6 weeks to complete the course mostly at night when I was mentally free to engage well.

It included four modules and a practical ethics group teleconference, which helped consolidate skills learnt in the modules. The practical nature of the course encourages you to implement the communication strategies taught, which build on each other as the course progressed. Imagine every interpreter was able to communicate without the psychological barriers that inhibit our ability to define our needs clearly. I think, most importantly, the Confident Communicator course provides practitioners with skills to give and receive quality feedback, equally.

This gives the potential for professionals to both be mentored and to act in a mentoring role. Everyone has feedback that is worthy of our attention, whether you have been working for 1 year or 25 years! Honestly, it has changed my life. The course has made me re-learn how to communicate, changing strategies I have used for many years, into helpful building blocks that facilitate a clearer communication path.

Understanding why I respond and how I communicate is a vital life skill, not just for interpreting. Skills I thought would support my professional practice have overflowed and impacted how I communicate with family and friends. Thank you Pip Cody and Auslan Services for giving me to opportunity to learn how to communicate an improved me…a process that will be lifelong I know!

Find out more about the Confident Communicator course with Pip Cody. Studying in Melbourne and Adelaide, she developed language and interpreting skills under the guidance of wise mentors both deaf and hearing. Her passion for advocacy, equal education and universal access drives her study and professional practice. De calls Adelaide home. The United Nations General Assembly has officially adopted a new resolution which recognises the role of professional translation in connecting nations and fostering peace, understanding and development. Saint Jerome was a Roman priest and historian, who is recognised for his original translation of the bible from Hebrew into Latin.

Multilingualism was recognised by the UN General Assembly in , for its importance in contributing to the achievement of goals of the United Nations. The latest resolution complements the Nairobi Recommendation of by UNESCO, [3] by citing the value of translation of literary, scientific and technical works, as is referenced in the Nairobi recommendation, but also widens the scope to acknowledge the practical contribution language professionals make in furthering the cause of the United Nations, in maintaining peace and security, promoting human rights and the rule of law, and operational activities for sustainable development.

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 24 May Retrieved from United Nations: The 4 pillars of the United Nations. United Nations recognises role of professional translation. Sophia Ra investigates the challenges encountered by professional healthcare interpreters, to explore their impact on the success of interpreter-mediated consultations and recommend strategies to deal with them.

Australia is one of the leading countries in community interpreting and provides various professional interpreting services within the public health system. This service uses nationally accredited interpreters who are expected to abide by a professional code of ethics. However, in spite of this national standard and policy, healthcare interpreters still face various challenges. This study sets out to examine cross-cultural issues that could affect interpreter-mediated medical consultations, as well as the perceptions of interpreters working in different language combinations regarding to what extent they might be able to offer cultural brokerage in similar contexts.

The study was carried out in a large hospital in Sydney, chosen because its catchment area includes a sizeable migrant population from a range of different ethnic backgrounds. Observations of 20 interpreter-mediated medical consultations were followed by semi-structured interviews with five of the interpreters. The study also identifies challenges caused by working conditions, protocols and expectations, including:. However, the study finds cross-cultural misunderstanding to be less of an issue for the interpreters involved than expected.

The study also explores a number of unethical behaviours engaged in by the interpreters involved, including side conversations being held between medical professionals and interpreters but not interpreted for patients, and interpreters acting as advisors for patients. Her research is supervised by Prof. Sandra Hale and Assoc. For further information, email Sophia Ra: I began my interpreting career in in a school.

I spent the first two and a half years of my interpreting career working in lower primary education, and in more recent years I have predominantly worked in a secondary school or university settings. I currently work in both education and community settings. Working in both domains of work has encouraged a cross fertilisation and diversification of my skill set, my attitude, my values, and my interpreting experiences, and I highly recommend it. Looking back to my early years in the field of interpreting, I realise I was initially scared to test the waters in community interpreting, but there is no doubt that by challenging myself to broaden my experiences outside of education I have actually enriched and improved my interpreting in the classroom.

It was consistent, predictable, and comfortable. I knew what I was doing in this setting and I thought I had the necessary skills. This is of course a potentially dangerous way of thinking as a professional, and can lead to unconscious incompetence. Indeed, in hindsight, I can see my interpreting skills were fossilising and it was critical that I branch out.

Fortunately, my timely decision to take the plunge into community interpreting was in an effort to not only expand my professional experiences and skills, but to see interpreting through a different lens that was not solely education-focused. Community interpreting has allowed me to work in tandem with some amazing interpreters, including Deaf interpreters, and as most of my work in education was solo, in community settings I learned the intricacies of working with another person and how to work in tandem effectively.

I have had the privilege of frequently working with Deaf professionals, diversifying my language choices and register from those used in education settings. I have been able to gain experience in high profile public assignments, formal settings, conferences, and interpreting academic presentations into English, as well as gaining experience in working with deafblind consumers. Community interpreting has also provided me opportunities to work with complex clients in complex situations which has not only helped my interpreting skills but has given me greater perspective to a plethora of social issues we are confronted by as interpreters.

Interestingly, this spurred me on to undertake a now nearly completed degree in social work. Community interpreting has given me a larger tool bag to take into the classroom to use when I am working with students who are still acquiring Auslan which is far too frequent, sadly, even in secondary school. Educational interpreting is not without its distinct advantages too. It certainly does not deserve its fortunately slowly changing reputation as the poor cousin of community interpreting.

It is where I learned how important it is to be free in my interpretations; to interpret the meaning and be as visual as possible. Deaf students taught me the importance of this. My early years in educational interpreting also gave me valuable skills in preparing for assignments, with fortnightly assemblies, excursions and incursions, and thanks to educational interpreting the second verse of the national anthem will forever be etched onto my brain!

Today I continue to work in education, and I am still learning things that I carry into my work in community interpreting all the time. I am particularly fortunate to often work with highly skilled Deaf staff in the classroom, from whom I am always learning, and then integrating my observations of them into my interpreting. I truly believe that in working in education and community settings that I have the best of both worlds! Prior to achieving this, she completed a Diploma of Auslan in In , she was nominated once again for her work.

Bonnie now works predominately in community settings in a variety of environments. She intends to tie her experience as an Auslan interpreter to a role in community social work in the future. The EQ system, commencing 1 January , will be better equipped to support the reliability, validity, practicality and integrity of NAATI testing and certification. Acknowledging the importance of facilitating a smooth transition from the approved course system to the endorsed qualifications system for students and institutions alike, all currently approved courses have been granted approval to 31 December Institutions will be able to apply for NAATI qualification endorsement status from 1 June , for qualification enrolments commencing from 1 January Due to differing enrolment dates, some students enrolled in NAATI approved courses will complete their course after the endorsed qualification system has commenced in Click here to download this information as a PDF factsheet.

In that article, I wrote about the importance of having an accreditation and formal regulation in our industry. Five years have passed and I still strongly believe in the importance of certification for the profession of translating and interpreting. While I was growing up in Portugal, I saw a lot of high school students with good marks in English, doing translation jobs in the holidays for extra cash.

Once I became a professional translator and came to understand how complex the job really is, I realised how misguided this practice was. After working in this industry for 10 years, it saddens me to hear about unqualified people charging customers for a job they are not qualified for. In my view, accreditation programs by reputable associations will increase the standards in our profession. Only people who are properly qualified and fully committed can be accredited, and can demonstrate the quality of their work.

Those people without relevant qualifications or who are unable to meet the required standards, will have a benchmark to aim for, in order be able to work as a translator. Qualifications and standards also provide a guarantee for clients, identifying the work of professionals, as superior to high school students. One of the methods used to encourage high standards within the profession and ensure good practice is a code of conduct.

Membership of an association requires compliance with a code of conduct. Certification can be expensive, especially for professionals who are accredited by more than one association, but it is an investment in yourself and your career, and one that will certainly pay off in the long term. In supporting professionals and their practice, associations need to provide a service for their members. Understanding how to keep a steady flow of stable, continuous work and methods of improving translating and interpreting skills, are two important areas where members look for relevant information.

Most associations do meet this need; offering courses, workshops and other events, but there are other ways associations could help to make our profession a better and more reliable one. The creation of appropriate avenues for translators and interpreters to work directly with their association in a positive and consultative way, with the ability to suggest new ideas or opportunities for improvement, would encourage the association to be more aligned with the needs of practitioners.

Associations could also provide an opportunity for practitioners to talk about real issues encountered in their work, providing a platform where problems can be discussed and perhaps solved, offering peer support to colleagues navigating similar situations. It is important clients are aware of language variants and localisation issues that may arise, so they can be better informed and therefore better equipped to choose the right professional for their specific needs.

Creating awareness in the community about language services and localisation issues is a service that associations can and should be involved in. Finally, achieving better communication between associations worldwide, and ensuring the same standards were adopted, would improve the quality of services internationally and serve to promote a more uniform approach to this profession. Other professions such medicine and law have their associations. Doctors, nurses and lawyers are not be able to practice without accreditation.

She is the founder of Updated Words. Catia is passionate about the translation industry and loves to share her knowledge with others. I vividly recall back then how interpreters were once regarded as volunteers, then welfare workers, and how they would at times dread the school holiday breaks - given this means little to no income. Nowadays, interpreters are seen as highly professional and increasingly well regarded in mainstream society. In years gone by interpreters could get away with wearing casual attire for business meetings, but as more Deaf people have become professionals or are in positions of influence, interpreters have similarly become more conscious of their self-image and professionalism.

While increasing demands of interpreters will continue, so too the diverse nature of the task at hand will rise. I am very mindful of interpreters who are embarking on work in a new setting. I have taken the liberty to ask interpreters as to how they prepare and maintain their ability to continually perform at optimal levels- both physically and mentally. I am somewhat surprised that they appear to have not considered how they are looking after their tools as much as they should. Whilst there is a general rule in regards to OHS and taking breaks etc.

I am not talking about investing in further training and development which is always essential and wise but investing in their total physical and mental wellbeing. Just as we are always committed to ensuring our car is regularly serviced, do you have the same approach to your main tools? If we neglect getting our car serviced regularly, then our car will continue to underperform - leading to more costly outcomes over time. With the ever-dreaded fear for any interpreters to acquire Repetitive Strain Injury RSI , interpreters should consider investing into areas such as recovery massages and the power of mindfulness.

This in turn will allow you to maintain high performance— naturally. As for your brain, again investing in looking after your mind is also critical. Just as it is important to eat and sleep right, your brain works extensively when interpreting. We should not discount that your role as interpreters can be unpredictable and the nature, tempo and complexity of your assignment can vary suddenly. Again investing in yourself to have a full body massage can not only help your body but evidently helps your mind.

Did you know your brain is actively processing around 2, bits of information per second on any given day for an average Joe Blow in society? Imagine how much more when you are actually interpreting. Just as builders, carpenters, painters, mechanics and welders need their tools to be working efficiently and effectively in their job, the same rule should apply for sign language interpreters. This is no different to elite athletes in my case being an Olympian as prevention is better than cure and the power of resilience was important.

During the prime of my career I was having almost three to four massages a week three were for recovery from intense training and one was purely a relaxation massage. Given my chosen event the Decathlon, I was susceptible to injuries and mental tiredness and having undertaken such proactive recovery treatment, I had little to no injuries and maintained mental focus during this time. In addition to this, I invested in ensuring I looked after my mental health and resilience component.

Incorporating all this allowed me to maintain and deliver high performance — and when it counted. Costs should not be a barrier in this issue as these could be claimed as a tax deductible expense check with your accountant as part of the gap if you can claim under health insurance. There should be no shame in treating yourself to these treatments regularly. In fact, it is a very smart way to go. Committing yourself to regular maintenance of your tools will ensure that you are treating and respecting your mind and body in a professional way which in turn will enable you to continue to deliver high performing interpreting.

There is nothing more frustrating than to be laid off due to injury or feeling mentally exhausted at the expense of losing income. Given the future will see more demands of interpreting skills across various settings, thanks to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, it is never more important to ensure your tools remain clean and sharp and well maintained. As a Deaf professional myself, having now written this I too am asking myself whether I should be practicing what I preach.

I need my tools to effectively do my job in my professional role and I shall be investing in maintaining these tools in the future. Dean is an Olympian, two times Commonwealth Games and four times Deaflympian. Dean is currently CEO of Deaf Children Australia and regularly sought to speak on various matters such as high performance, disability, marketing and communications.

Translation across different legal systems must respect cultural differences in the legal system, as well as recognize and reflect the styles of the legal system for which the translation is being made. How can the inductive reasoning of common law systems be meaningfully rendered into a civil law context, based on deductive reasoning?

And what of legal concepts which are viewed differently in different cultures? This session will present an overview of the history and theory of legal translation, with examples drawn from international treaties between nations. It will also include discussion time for questions drawn from professional practice. Dr Rocco Loiacono is a lecturer in Translation Studies at the University of Western Australia and in the Curtin Law School, where he teaches in the areas of property law and business law.

After graduating with a combined Law and Languages Honours degree, he worked for ten years as a lawyer, most of those in the commercial property department at national law firm Clayton Utz. Dr Loiacono was awarded his PhD from the University of Western Australia in , for research focussing on difficulties associated with the translation of treaties across different legal systems. Regular interpreter users are acutely aware of difficulties in accessing interpreters when needed.

Undoubtedly, solutions to this issue are multifaceted, but I believe that the retention of interpreters, and fostering career longevity are a big part of the solution. I have seen numerous accomplished colleagues come and go over the years. Career attrition is normal, particularly considering the nature of the job and its inherent strains, but I suspect that something may be happening in the field that is exacerbating this attrition. Having observed this situation from several angles: It surprises me when colleagues tell me that they are exhausted and overloaded with work, while others report insufficient work and require adjunct employment to supplement their incomes.

Nine people a mixture of experienced still-working interpreters; early-career interpreters, and people who had left their interpreting careers were invited to complete a simple, anonymous Survey Monkey. Respecting word limitations, I will only discuss the two most consistently reported reasons for people considering leaving or leaving, the profession: Of the six people who responded to questions regarding why they have either left, or considered leaving their career, all mentioned adverse relationships with colleagues as a factor.

This survey yielded invaluable positive data, on which I would like to have expanded, but space does not allow. As an interpreter trainer, I am privileged to share the joy and excitement that students bring when embarking on their interpreting careers. It is my dearest wish that we nurture this positivity, and that these newcomers experience career longevity, buoyed by those supportive, generous and kind colleagues that I know.

Every day Australian doctors see patients whose spoken English can be insufficient to communicate their symptoms or to understand their treatment. Often the person can talk in English but may struggle to understand technical language. Over languages are spoken in this country and yet 80 per cent of us can only speak English.

The linguistic diversity of the population is so great that no matter how multilingual the doctor is the languages of doctor and patient rarely match. Most doctors will need to make a decision about whether or not to use an interpreter every day. Here is one day in a typical general practice in a suburb, the one where I work. The practice has eight doctors, two nurses, and around patients. Although the identifying details have been altered all of these are real cases. He stares glumly at his elderly patient Sara who has booked to see him because she thought he spoke her language, the Myanmar language.

The interpreter comes on line and Dr Win is able to work out that Sara has gastritis. He explains how to test for bacteria in her stomach. Time is one of the major reasons cited by doctors for not using interpreters. Efficient medical practices delegate contacting interpreters to the front-office staff. Dr Win has learned to clarify before the consultation begins that he needs an interpreter, ask the patient to wait while reception contacts TIS National, and use that four minutes to read the patient notes and prepare himself.

Her young husband hovers in the background. If they had been in their home country an extended family of aunties and sisters would now be helping her to recover from surgery and care for her baby son. I stare aghast at the angry wound with its ridges of infected skin, trying to bury the metal staples. These should have come out five weeks ago. When she was discharged from hospital the staff had explained using Google Translate that she had to get the staples removed in ten days.

Amina had not understood and had been too embarrassed to say so. I have a regular appointment with Bruno who has started psychiatric treatment for depression and wishes to speak about his experiences in the war ten years ago. We have booked an on-site interpreter who speaks his language.

1. Begin Again?
2. Dates & Times:.
3. Little Miss Wise (Mr. Men and Little Miss Book 21).

Hana, who has been in the country for five months stands crying at the front desk with a three year old child in her arms. We have a huddled consultation with a phone interpreter in the treatment room. The child has swallowed the lithium battery from a toy. It will need to be removed by an endoscope under general anaesthetic. Hana wants to wait till her husband, who speaks better English, comes home from work. The practice pays for a taxi, and through the interpreter the nurse explains the urgency of the situation.

more on this story

I ring the hospital to say they will need to get an interpreter on the phone for the consultation. Not every consultation where the person has limited English will need a professional interpreter. Sometimes the situation is of low acuity and the patient can make themselves understood. There is no doubt however that interpreters are underused in Australian medical practice. For every consultations of a patient who speaks poor English, only one will a professional interpreter be used. There are four circumstances where doctors looking after people, whose command of English may be—at that moment—suspect, must think of using a professional interpreter, and have a defensible reason for not using one.

These situations are consent, complexity, crisis and to assess the competence of the patient to make decisions on their own behalf. Performing a procedure without informed consent is an assault. Yet all too often people with limited English proficiency are asked to sign a paper thrust in front of them, or have it explained by a family member whose technical English may be very limited.

Even though Amina spoke some English, her understanding was compromised because she was recovering from a major procedure, and she had no prior experience of wound staples. Denied the opportunity to clarify, Amina left hospital believing that staples could be left in permanently.

Complexity is also the reason that pharmacists can access TIS National. Mistakes in medication dosage can have major impacts on the patient, as in a case in our study of a patient who overdosed on a medication that was to be taken intermittently, resulting in major neurological side-effects. In a crisis professional interpreters are often overlooked in favour of any available person. In a famous case in the United States of America, a nine-year-old child who suffered a severe reaction to a medication was herself used as interpreter in the emergency department.

Her sixteen-year-old brother was subsequently co-opted into interpreting to their parents when she died. Failure to use an interpreter in a crisis is an indefensible approach when there is a hour priority phone line to access interpreters. On the way home from work I called into a nursing home to see Wilf, an octogenarian whose ability to speak English, his third language, had declined as he aged.

The absolute numbers have increased by two thirds over the last ten years to at least , people. Wilf was ignoring staff and refusing meals, and the staff were worried about his mental competence. As I walked down the corridor to his room I called the telephone interpreter service. Wilf sat up clutching the phone to his ear and wept as we talked in his language.

Wilf was perfectly competent, but starved of conversation. In a huge linguistically-diverse country like Australia the majority of interpreted consultations by doctors will always be by telephone. Rather than being a secondary fall-back option doctors should think of telephone interpreting as their best option.

Using a telephone interpreter requires some practice, good administrative processes that empower reception staff to access interpreters, and telephones with speaker facility. Once mastered, telephone interpreting helps doctors to be safer, more efficient and most importantly, to provide better service to their patients. This article was originally published in the Summer edition of Talking TIS and is reproduced with permission. I started my journey into a working life as a clerk for over a decade.

I then developed an injury, which saw me unable to continue working and I stayed home for eight years doing nothing. Almost immediately I fell in love with this amazing language and my hunger to know more was ravenous. I joined every class that was offered. After I completed all of the certificates, I still wanted to know more about Auslan and the next step up in my education was the interpreters course. This journey into the Deaf society was one of great trepidation for me. My fear was almost overwhelming but Auslan was like a drug and I needed more.

I would go to the Deaf Club and sit in a corner on my own with a Diet Coke these were two signs I knew so could order this drink. After a few weeks sitting in a corner, a group of ladies took pity on me and invited me to sit with them. The next important part of my journey commenced, getting to know the Deaf community and culture, and watching native signers conversing. I feel privileged to be seen as a friend and ally to the Deaf community as well as having the honour of providing a service for them as an interpreter and occasional transliterator.

The next step in my journey was to become a qualified interpreter and to work in the Deaf community. I remember my first job well as a NAATI paraprofessional accredited interpreter, it was a medical appointment. What did they say? Please repeat the word? Another lesson in my journey learnt, Deaf people would often sign and fingerspell the same word for emphasis.

Throughout my career as an interpreter there have been many opportunities for me to learn lessons and improve my skills. They have all taught me so much and given me opportunities to work in amazing places and bear witness to even more remarkable things. Some of the jobs I undertook were as a tandem or in a team with both hearing and Deaf interpreters.

These opportunities provided more experiential steps along my journey. I almost groan with envy when observing a DI interpretation. To work with them and know that they are there for the benefit of all of us in the room is a privilege. I thank them for these working opportunities and I am so grateful to have worked with them during my journey. Reciprocity is a wonderful thing! Our association has also provided extremely valuable professional development opportunities locally and at the winter schools and ASLIA National Conferences.

These have made my journey all the more knowledgeable and enjoyable. I cherish those who taught me and those with whom I studied. I tried to use this simple but effective tool at every booking. Sadly my journey within the Deaf and interpreting communities will be coming to an end all too soon. So I implore you all to embrace your individual journeys with all the enthusiasm and desire to succeed that you can muster.

She achieved her first accreditation in Are you thinking of expanding internationally or entering a new market? One of the first things you are likely to do is to have your marketing materials translated. So how do you get your message and call to action across effectively in a different language. Take the time to find a translator who is experienced in marketing and who understands your business.

Translating marketing documents requires creativity, cultural competency and an ability to convey ideas whilst at the same time retaining meaning and eliciting a desired emotional response. Your company name, slogan, logo or tagline all feature prominently on your website and marketing materials. Getting it right the first time around avoids costly corrective action and damaging your reputation. Your goal should be to maintain brand coherence as much as possible within any cultural limitations.

The more informed translators are about your brand, the more accurate and effective their work will be. They do this in order to convey these to your target audience in such a way that the message really speaks to them personally. Putting these recommendations in place will go a long way to ensuring that your translated marketing content retains its original compelling message and stand-out qualities. She has been practising since after completing a Masters of Interpreting and Translation Studies at Monash University. Nicola specialises in legal, marketing and business texts, drawing on over five years' experience in marketing, as well as a background in international business.

A small, brilliant segment perfected the technology. Absolute duplication of the original, down to the last neural connection. Which allowed for duplication of knowledge, memories, everything. Did Ren really think Snoke would allow him to destroy everything he had worked for?

First law of military strategy: How many clones of him are there, Ren wonders? Snoke's grin now turns into an evil grimace. The Resistance is finished, but the girl is still a concern, however slight. A smart ruler leaves no enemies alive, no matter how few. Ren has a connection with the girl. Is she still alive? And no lies, this time. We see Rey react again, as before. She knows he knows. Snap back to the palace on Coruscant. Snoke knows the truth without Ren having to say anything. But what Snoke doesn't know, and what Ren holds back from telling him, is that Rey is right here under the Supreme Leader's nose, on Coruscant.

In a visit to the planetary security authority, he describes her to the local authorities, utilizing a mind-paint system. The word goes out to find her. And Ren, of course, will search for her himself. What he will do when he finds her even he doesn't know. After Ren has left, Snoke brings in Hux. Time to begin consolidating the achievements of the First Order. Time to bring reluctant systems into the fold.

Hux names several that are ripe for takeover. Snoke nods, names three, one of which is Almuria. It occurs to Finn that they don't need fleets to stop the First Order. They just need to stop Snoke. Plans are laid for an uprising on Coruscant. Montage showing the passage of time during which the uprising is set in motion, the Almurians produce fighters for the Resistance, Ren and the authorities search for Rey who has cut herself off from Ren, so he can't pinpoint her location , and Poe and Chewie recruit personnel. On Almuria we see the front ends of new X-wings being built.

But only the front ends. Poe and Chewie arrive and begin to train new pilots. The Almurians remind Poe that they are merely manufacturers and will take no part in any conflict. Chewie offers his opinion on this and Poe hastens to quiet him. Not famed for their diplomacy. Secure deep-space communications allow Rey and Finn to inform Poe and Chewie of what they're planning. Poe avows as how as soon as their new ships are ready, they'll make the journey to Coruscant to come support the incipient rebellion there. It looks like a promising strategy, until a fleet appears off Almuria.

It's the First Order, under Hux, proclaiming that the Almurian Combine is now officially and gloriously welcomed into the Second Empire. The Almurians protest that they are neutral. A confident Hux replies that this is all for their own good. Better to be a part of the glorious 2nd Empire than continue as some spineless, unprotected neutrals. As a part of the Empire, Almuria will be protected. Protected from whom, the Almurians want to know?

Why, Hux replies smoothly, anyone who might threaten them. The Almurians can comply and all will proceed peacefully. Or they will be absorbed through force. An anxious Poe informs Rey of what's happening at Almuria and that he won't be able to support her proposed uprising.

They owe the Almurians a defense. Plans for the uprising are in motion. Too late to stop it now. Finn wishes her luck. Vice versa, and may the Force be with them both. On Almuria, a grim-faced Poe and Chewbacca prepare to launch their limited force. Then the Almurian leader arrives. Poe is coolly polite toward him, until the Almurian tells him that the Combine has decided to fight for its neutrality. There is much brotherly grasping of arms or maybe tentacles. The Almurians will fight alongside the newly formed Resistance squadrons.

Poe and Chewie are elated. The defense of Almuria is launched. Hux is not impressed. The fleet prepares to exterminate them.

Best Personality Development Program - How to take the Right Decision ? By Sandeep Maheshwari

Taking over the Combine will proceed that much quicker and easier when any resistance is destroyed. On Coruscant, Rey and Finn ignite the local rebellion, making progress toward the palace complex. He is not worried. Under the stress of combat, Rey lets her guard down for a moment. Ren informs Snoke that she is right here, in Coruscant, and even now heading toward the palace. His last concern will be eliminated. Just as the Skywalker line has been terminated. Which prompts Ren to ask why Snoke cares so much. Snoke's expression tightens and we get a fast-moving flashback.

To before episode one, to before episode four. A younger, muscular, even handsome figure that we recognize as Snoke. Bullying others, taking what he wants because he can, leaning toward the Dark Side. He is confronted by another, a hooded figure, who warns him that he is set on an untenable path. Snoke is not afraid, he feels he is more powerful with the Force than anyone.

He and the hooded figure fight in a factory where Snoke is knocked into a vat of chemicals and we finally see the determined yet sympathetic figure of his opponent. A young Obi-wan Kenobi. Back in the palace, Snoke turns on Ren, and his fury causes even Ren to draw back. Did he think, Snoke declares as he indicates his ravaged face, that he always looked like this? He vowed vengeance on Kenobi, any of his relatives and every one of his pupils.

Working through Palpatine, he almost achieved his goals, until Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader, was turned away from the Dark Side by his son, and killed Palpatine. Snoke has always been there, in the background, manipulating, scheming, but with Palpatine's death was forced to come out into the open. Only Ren lives, but as a disciple of Snoke. The best revenge on Kenobi. But Snoke did not foresee this girl, who is strangely strong with the Force. She is not a Kenobi, not a Skywalker, but she is the last unpredicted impediment to his rise to complete power and mastery of the Force.

Snoke takes no chances. And she is coming here, right to him. Truly, the ways of the Force are rich with irony. We cannot tell what Ren is thinking. Above Almuria Prime, the Almurian fleet is escorted out by the Resistance ships. But these X-wings are a new type. Front and rear are familiar enough, but they are connected by a tube-like six-sided central length of fuselage.

Poe tells BB8 that this droid strategy better work. The Almurian fleet is stronger than expected, but nothing they can't handle. It also seems to be escorted by a group of X-wings. That causes Hux to frown. It was believed that the Resistance was dead. How many fighter escorts? About a hundred, he is told. Well, after this battle, the Resistance really will be finished. Hux prepares to launch the TIE fighters. The Almurians launch drone ships that jump to hyperspeed. But they do nothing. Aboard his flagship, Hux smiles. His subordinates report that the new hyperspace defensive shields are working as intended, shunting anything coming at them at lightspeed off into hyperspace.

Chewie roars but Poe tells his pilots not yet. Get in closer, closer. On each of the six sides of the extended X-wings, four bay doors snap open. Out zoom twenty-four drones: Poe grins, Chewie roars, BB8 and R2 beep. Each X-wing commands twenty-four drones, all which move in perfect tandem with each commanding X-wing pilot.

Mirror images of his maneuvers.



• Kierkegaards Writing, III, Part I: Either/Or: Either/Or (Kierkegaards Writings);
• Britain Since 1945: Aspects of Identity!
• !
• Winter/Spring Program Guide by City of Coquitlam - Issuu.

Poe whoops and Chewie bellows as they attack. Screens are saturated and shattered, ships are flamed, and just as Hux orders a retreat to hyperspace, his own ship is blasted. Something startles Chewie and we see the Falcon pull away and out of the fight. As Poe circles and shoots in triumph at the remaining First Order ships, his expression abruptly changes as he remembers Rey, Finn, Rose, and supporters take down guards and fight their way into the palace complex. Finn doesn't know which way to go, C3PO isn't sure, but Rey knows. She can sense Ren. They fight their way into the reception room.

Ren is there, asks her to surrender. Ren steps aside to reveal She and Finn are shocked, stunned. C3PO is in "Oh dear" mode. She looks at Ren. Clone, he tells her. Indistinguishable from the original. How many, she asks? More than she could defeat, certainly. More than he could. More than they could together. He drops his head. Not that it matters if he does. He looks to his right. Two more Snokes come through the rear door. Activating her saber, Rey tells Finn and Rose to get out, continue the fight elsewhere.

She'll try to hold them off here. No way, they tell her. They fire their weapons. The trio of Snokes ward off the shots. Snoke freezes the trio. Rey drops her saber. Snoke orders Ren to complete the work. Firing up his saber, Ren approaches the paralyzed Rey, who struggles futilely to reach her own weapon, now lying quiescent on the floor. It quivers but does not come to her. Outside the palace, guards are firing from the ramparts down into the crowd. Something makes them look up. They panic and abandon their posts as their heavy weapons are destroyed.

It's the Falcon, with Chewie piloting and firing. After clearing an upper landing area, it touches down.

News & Events

Inside, Ren is clearly torn. He doesn't want to kill Rey, but he can't resist Snoke any longer. He apologizes, steps back, raises his saber Finn and Rose scream. At the last possible instant, something knocks Rey aside. She falls to the floor, gasping. Ren stands over her, lightsaber poised to strike. Then Ren, Finn, Rose, and C3PO, everyone, look to the main portal, their expressions reflecting their utter astonishment.

A single figure stands there. We saw him die at the end of ep. I searched for you. Your lifeforce had vanished from perception! So I had to To that space in between. The Force allows it. I needed a rest anyway. But this time Luke doesn't duck his strike. In one smooth motion he activates his saber But the real battle is between him and Snoke. Descending down from his seat, Snoke ignites a saber of his own.

So do his two doppelgangers. The fight is on. Luke kills one Snoke, fights the remaining pair. Elsewhere, the battle between the uprising and the security and guards rages. Finn and Rose retreat. Outside, among the chaos, they hurriedly discuss what they have seen. Snoke clones have to come from somewhere. With Luke and the Snoke clones occupied with one another, Ren reaches down, extending a hand to Rey.

Then he notices something and freezes. We see what he sees. Rey on the floor, breathing hard. The upper right side of her head cut away and cauterized. Amid the exposed bone, a small freeform transparency fills part of her head, melding sinuously with her brain. Behind the transparency, lights flash and twinkle. Reaching up, Rey touches the exposed area, and draws back her hand in shock. The revelation is as unexpected to her as it is to us. No wonder you mastered the use of the Force so quickly. He strikes down with his lightsaber.

Rolling, Rey dodges the blow, grabs her owner weapon, ignites it, and fights back. Luke kills another Snoke. He forces the last one backward. But so am I. And you are one. As Ren and Rey battle behind him, Luke prepares to confront the surge of identical newcomers. C3PO tries to flee, encounters the chaos outside, quickly retreats back in wondering how he ever got into this mess. Amid the combat raging outside, Finn and Rose save a high official from being killed by the mob.

The Supreme Leader's clones: They "persuade" the official to show them and head off, but not before they have acquired some grenade-like weapons from dead security personnel. Down, down they go, into the sub-levels beneath the palace complex. The frightened official shows them the guarded place where Snoke's clones are churned out. Finn and Rose attack.

While Finn holds off the guards, Rose sets the explosives they have acquired She and Finn exchange a look. Above, more and more Snokes pour into the room. Snoke snarls at Luke. He can't possible win. Stepping back, Luke bends, picks up a fallen lightsaber. Maybe he can't, but he feels that the Force is with him. It always has been, even when he was at his lowest moments.

Also, these are with him. He activates the second lightsaber and begins to swing both, making two circles, then he starts to cross them in front of him. And then he begins to pivot, faster and faster, a veritable dervish. Surrounded by a ball of multicolored energy, he plows into the multiple Snokes, obliterating them. They can't reach him through the energy sphere he is creating around himself.

Nearby, Ren presses Rey. She came from nowhere, her parents were nobodies. She tries to resist, but cannot. In her mind, she sees. Her parents, junk dealers, with an infant. An infant with a deformed skull. They take her to a renegade surgeon on Jakku. There is one possible operation, but it's experimental and highly dangerous. It could kill her.

Her parents agree to it. Rey is operated on. The shape of her head is made normal, but with part droid componentry inside to help keep her alive. Natural skin and hair grow swiftly over the surgical opening. Her parents can't handle her. They abandon her as young girl, paying what they can to Unkar Plutt to look after her.

He abandons her as a child, but she turns scavenger and somehow, survives. Rey is shaken by the recovered memories. She relaxes, sways, shuts off her saber. Ren holds off, still conflicted, but finally decides that he has to kill her. To save her from herself. To purify the Force. For his own sake. She falls backward, her eyes closing in resignation and exhaustion, and he moves in. Right into her reactivated lightsaber as her eyes snap open. Startled, run through, and as conflicted as ever, Ren dies in front of her The fireball that has surrounded him vanishes.

The First Leader is triumphant. A Jedi Master may go on and on, but a lightsaber's power is finite. The trio of Snokes surround him. Below, Finn yells at the imprisoned Rose, but she just smiles at him. The clone manufacturing area is destroyed. Above, a startled Snoke reacts. With his attention momentarily distracted, Luke reactivates his twin sabers and throws them. Two Snokes are speared and killed. The surviving Snoke looks toward the rear doorway, but there are no more Snokes, no more replacement First Leaders.

The many have been reduced to one. But it is enough. Raising his own weapon, he starts forward. Luke waits for the end. He stumbles over to Rey and she falls against him, sobbing. We see the exposed part of her "brain" twinkling. I am a monster! Just an enhanced version. Above Almuria, Poe and R2 are triumphant. So are the Almurians. But they're still determinedly neutral, their leader warns Poe. The Resistance needs more neutrals like them. R2 informs him that via the secret hyperspace communications channel that he has been told that the First Leader is no more and that Rey and Finn are all right.

Finn and R2 turn sober. They head back down to the surface of Almuria. In the palace on Coruscant, the victorious uprising salutes Luke and Rey as they emerge from the palace into the surrounding area, which is littered with smoking fighting machines, etc. C3PO, brushing at himself, follows behind. Luke suddenly staggers, has to sit down up against a tree in the imperial park. A concerned Rey bends over him.

Everything is alright now. The Force is, finally, in balance. She tells him he's going to be okay. He tells her he already is okay. There is, however, one small thing she has to do for him. Take care of the galaxy. No in-between existence this time. Holding back her sobs, Rey gently closes his eyes. C3PO is there to comfort her. But he has seen a great deal, and if he has learned anything it is that nothing is ever, really, completely for certain. Reaching up, he touches her exposed skull portion.

Has anyone told her lately how really beautiful she is? She sniffs, then starts to laugh, softly. Then her expression changes as she sees Finn, battered but alive, limping out of the smoking Imperial complex. He comes toward her and she rises to meet him. C3PO shakes his head dolefully. I'll never understand them. This story follows upon the events of Ep. That which could not be corrected is passed over. No timeline for completion. Like an old clock, I'm just slowing down. I suppose everything is relative no pun intended.

The energy that drove me or the compulsion, if you prefer back when I was in my twenties and thirties these days seems to be devoted to more homely tasks i. With currently six cats and a dog, there's a lot to look after I should have bought stock in a cat litter mine Ever since the maid, butler, and chauffeur quit har-de-har, as Jackie Gleason was wont to exclaim I've had more to do than in earlier times. The house is too big for us, but after living in it for 38 years there seems no point in moving. Tahiti is too far away, New York is too busy, Anchorage too cold although that is I reckon we'll just stick where we are.

Besides, if we moved I'd have to box up all the books although strangely, totally unknown folks as well as friends have repeatedly offered to kindly relieve me of any need to hang onto them. To quote from their webpage, "NXS explores "the self" in the age of digital technology". When time allows and interest evolves, I love doing stuff like this. You can't buy a dinner for two at the Five Crowns restaurant in Amsterdam with the proceeds, but it lets you explore. And I love exploring. So, eighteen stories featuring the crazy like a wolf or just plain crazy mountain man. It's great to see them all together in one volume.

Also, new introductions to the stories. Hardcover publisher still to be determined. I'll announce the publication date when it is made available. And that's about it. February's a short month, anyway. Those of you who'd like to read it can google 5senses. It's a freebie, so no need for hesitation. The weather here is ridiculous. The high today will be 70F. Other than the utter lack of precipitation, it's paradisical. The local critters, especially the cottontails, are more than a little confused.

I will reserve my own judgment until after I've seen it later today. And no, I have had nothing to do with the film or any subsequent related material. I am not doing the novelization, spinoff titles, or anything so much as a quote on a cereal box. They, my agency, and I are actively looking for someone to do the hardcover.

It's very flattering to constantly get requests to revisit or follow up on previous work. Something else featuring Skua September. It's not that such projects don't interest me. That's not the problem. The problem is that they all do. Time is finite and as it passes, there always seems to be more demand on it.

I love doing short fiction, too. Time, and ever less of it. Temps in the 70's until today and still above normal. The vegetation can deal with it but the birds are confused. On the other hand, our roadrunners always look a bit confused. Whereas the coyotes are delighting in the ongoing late season surplus of rodents, which is why they never bother to chase the roadrunners coyotes are the canid antithesis of stupid.

If they reflected zoological reality those great Chuck Jones cartoons would not only be boring but gruesome, with roadrunners horking down snakes and lizards while their coyote counterparts squatted nearby noisily and messily dismembering ground squirrels, chipmunks, and pack rats. Now, how did I get on that? Reality, one learns, even reality involving charismatic animals, is more of a George Carlin routine than a Hallmark Special.

Out next year from Del Rey. Which led me to a meeting with the wonderful and somewhat reclusive author James H. Schmitz, a favorite of Analog editor John W. So I can claim 47 years as a contributor. I wish I had more time to write short fiction. Heck, I wish I had more time, period. A hundred years is scarcely long enough to begin to emerge from childhood. Arthur Clarke knew that. I think it's one reason he never passed on an opportunity to play ping-pong. Last month I posted that the Discussion Board was deactivated. Just a different system.

Going to see COCO next week. I've always been a huge fan of animation. Got to give it up for Pixar. Their cinematic takes on old age, emotions, superhero life, fish family loss, and now death do not constitute typical cartoon fare. Also note that the Discussion Board is currently deactivated.

I can be contacted with questions, verbal flailings, etc. If someone would like to re-open, re-vamp, or otherwise re-handle a discussion board, I'm open to submissions. I have the time to answer questions but not to moderate. I hope everyone enjoys it. It was fun, though sometimes difficult, to write, due to the need to transcribe the Larian language into comprehensible human terms you'll understand when you read the book.

I'm trying to find time to compile some short story collections, since there hasn't been one in a while. The leaves of our wild grapevines have taken on veneers of metallic green and copper and all of the non-evergreens are losing their leaves altogether in preparation for winter The goldfinches are still all over the feeders while the first dark-eyed juncos, our omnipresent winter birds, arrived a few weeks ago. Canyon and Spotted Towhees are preparing to winter over along with the scrub jays.

I don't know where our roadrunners go Hollywood? Saw a young bobcat last week, fattening up on rodents. Autumn in the Arizona mountains. Might take awhile, but I expect it will get done. If you ever have the opportunity to attend one of their live performances, it'll leave you smiling from ear to ear for days afterwards. Meanwhile, here's a link to the video of Lakalaka, a new single from the album: Watch it whenever you're feeling down.

Plenty of other Te Vaka on Youtube. I regret that I am unable to travel due to domestic considerations, which is why I haven't been to a con or booksigning in quite some time. Couldn't even make it to the San Diego Comicon this past weekend. Until circumstances change, it looks like a couple of days at the annual Phoenix Comicon will be all I will be able to manage for the foreseeable future.

The ebook will be downpriced to 2. On that day the ebook will be available for 1. It's what is called monsoon season here in Arizona, even though the meteorological setup is not technically a monsoon. But it's close enough, and the name is popular enough, that the moniker has taken hold. Moisture from the gulf of California and central Mexico is drawn northward to dump as rain over the Southwest.

The lightning shows can be quite spectacular and dangerous. The thunder freaks out some of our cats while others just ignore the noise. The rain brings out other local residents who, in the absence of Tinder, have to travel to engage socially. Here's a picture of one taken yesterday in our driveway. Many, if not most of you, will be aware that there is a forest fire of significant dimensions in "the Prescott area".

While we have friends who are under evacuation orders, the fire is 17 miles southeast of our location with winds blowing east-northeast. We can see plenty of smoke, but neither our property nor the town of Prescott are in any immediate danger. Still, it gives one pause. Some of you may know the article I wrote for the New York Times a number of years ago which addressed the wisdom and will of living in a periodic fire zone. We all live with our choices. That fire, the infamous Yarnell Hill blaze that killed 19 hotshots was far closer to our home than is the current blaze.

Publication dates to come. I was able to attend Phoenix Comicon for a couple of days, though it entailed driving down each down, driving home, and repeat on the second day. About a hundred miles each way. One of our cats, Frosty, is diabetic and I have to give him his insulin shots on a regular schedule. It was such a whirlwind couple of days that I saw practically nothing of the con. Had to find out about the armed idiot who early on nearly got the con closed down the incident was all over the national news from other folks who actually witnessed the takedown.

I'm afraid we're in for more of such nonsense. Getting your face on TV by any means possible seems to be a defining moment for all too many whackos these days. All 17 to date published stories will be incorporated together with introductions on how each tale came to be. Hopefully, the cover will actually give readers some idea of what the mountain man looks like. And Worthless too, of course. Publication details to come. In it I have tried, as I always have over the years, to be as true as possible to the film while adding what original material I could. As always, I work as a combination author and fan, and I think I hope that comes through in the finished work.

For those who have asked: All of the Flinx books track his life chronologically. The official Commonwealth Chronology is available for perusing on my website and gets updated every time a new Commonwealth tale comes out. Keeping it all straight over a period of 46 years so far has been a challenge. The eternal question writers get asked, "where do you get your ideas? I love doing the Mad Amos stories. They're always fun, relaxing, and allow me to wander around the real Old West, a place of myth, legend, and real history where I've dwelled for the past 36 years Arizona.

I'd concocted this notion of having Mad Amos meet up with John Muir, in relation to an actual incident in Muir's life. But as is not uncommon in such circumstances, while I had what I thought was a good idea, I couldn't quite get into a story. Then one morning, while reading the news, a title struck me. But the interest arrises from the juxaposition. What has a mountain man to do with a cat?

More intriguingly, what has a cat to do with a mountain man? Most interesting of all And from that the story, as stories are wont to do, wrote itself. To my delight and amusement. Hopefully before too long it will equally amuse an editor. With a proper cover. There are 20 tales extant now. That would make for a nice, substantial book.

If all goes well, I'll see some of you there. Murray was a warm, open human being and a wonderful artist. Years before I made Murray's acquaintance I struggled to get U. Perhaps because Footrot Flats, being set on a working farm, dealt with actual farm topics like birth, death, and sex.

I thought it would have done wonderfully well in the American heartland. Metropolitan areas, too, but the strip never got the chance. Certainly it was syndicated and immensely popular all over the rest of the world All of the daily and Sunday strips are collected in book form and are available on line, including A Dog's Life, the feature-length animated film that for years was New Zealand's highest-grossing film until it was topped by, I believe, The Return of the King.

I cannot recommend them all highly enough if you enjoy good comedy writing, good comic art, and a knowing sensibility all too often absent from most daily strips. I wouldn't devote this much space out of a brief monthly update if I didn't believe in what I was saying. For a proper introduction you can go to www. This official site is maintained by Murray's son and will ease you into the world of the comic.

A number of you keep inquiring about future short story collections. I know there hasn't been one in a while. This is due to changing publisher priorities, even though every previous collection has done well. If there's a small publisher out there who's interested, I reckon we could put a group of recently published tales together relatively quickly. I'd also like to do a Complete Mad Amos Malone, which would reprint the dozen stories from the long out of print Del Rey collection plus the last eight or so that have never been collected and published in book form.

Together with a cover that would actually be a decent representation of the character. The ebook will be downpriced to 1. Grab 'em while you can. Though a somewhat different atmosphere from a con, I will be happy to chat and sign books when not breathing hard. If Open Road Media has a booth, I'll be around there, too. Hope to see some of you there. Phoenix in May is a lot more comfortable than Phoenix in July.

Tenative release date is end of summer. These one-volume editions provide a compact, convenient way to keep all three books easily at hand for reading at a single or extended, sittings. Thanks go to Open Road for publishing them in that format. Anyone who subscribes to the EBB newsletter can get advanced info on all their titles, etc. I was only able to attend for a day and a half and didn't expect to have time to do anything except fulfill my indicated responsibilities, but it turned out I was able to chat briefly with Mark Hamill again regular guy and meet a few other folks, including the gentlemanly Billy Dee Williams.

My schedule was pretty full and didn't really coincide with anyone else's. I was determined, however, to try and at least say hi to Fisher, whom I had never met before. I managed to ease into the very busy signing area where I politely introduced myself and asked if she would mind signing my copy of the original SW novelization. As she was obliging, I tried to make small talk. She lit up immediately, all but jumped out of her chair, and planted me with one seriously emphatic kiss. Expecting maybe a quick "thank you" or "that's sweet of you to say so", I was more than a little taken aback And that's how I'll remember Carrie Fisher.

I am working with Titan Publishing and Fox on what will be an original prequel to the film story. There may appear another original novel in , but at this point in time nothing is set. There will be a number of short stories, however, whose publication I'll announce as they appear. This is a monthly column on art and science that I do for 5enses, a local paper. If you're curious, you can likely find and peruse at least some of them on line. That decision is up to publishers, not me.

I don't have my own publishing house and even if I did, not the time to manage it. Email Open Road for price and release date. So if you've ever been curious to read it, that's a killer deal on the price. I just enjoy writing them. When finished, they go to my agent Virginia Kidd Agency and the agency offers them to magazines and anthologies. It's different when an editor specifically asks you for a story. I've always delighted in writing to a theme, be it SF, fantasy, or horror. The challenge lies in forcing you, as a writer, to place yourself in a framework of someone else's imagining as opposed to your own.

It's unlikely, for example, that as a writer you're sitting around one day envisioning the future of evil can-openers. So when an editor requests a story for an anthology built around that particular them, it pushes you into a different place. Mental stretching keeps the mind and the imagination just as active as physical stretching does for one's muscles and tendons. Perhaps the most common question writers are asked is, "Where do you get your ideas? The closest I've come to conversing with a truly alien lifeform. It's a comparison of Star Wars vs.

Star Trek, very heavily illustrated. I contributed the introduction, though I have to confess it had to be translated from the English by the book's authors, Oliver Cotte and Jeanne-A Debats, as my French is pretty limited sidebar: Patti's done well since then. Even if you don't know any French, the chapter titles will give you some idea of the book's content. Uhura", "Deux sagas, deux destins", "Robes de Princesses", and so on. For completists, Francophiles, Trekophiles, and Star Warsophiles. The publisher is Dunod. I don't know how to say "bon appetite" in Klingon The tadpoles in our little plunge pool have just about turned into frogs.

Mostly they're canyon tree frogs, so we have the privilege of finding frogs on the sides of our house without having to hunt for them in the creek. Saw two Peregrine falcons fighting over Willow Lake yesterday. Prescott is something of a renowned bird area, especially for Arizona. The several lakes in the area are important wintering-over grounds, Granite Mountain is home to numerous nesting Peregrine families, and bald eagles nest and fish here as well.

In the summer there are quite a few different species. It's not Ecuador or Peru, but it's not the Sonoran Desert, either. I'm not a birder, but I still enjoy seeing a less common species like the Crissal Thrasher, green-headed towhee, and blue grosbeak in our yard. We'd have more except that the chipmunks tend to keep them off some of the feeders. It can be a difficult time of year to write, what with all the birds finishing off the last of the summer seeds, the wildflowers in full bloom the catmint outside my study is flourishing , and the grape vines of Virginia creeper starting to change color.



Makes one want to take a walk and soak it all in instead of doing battle with the English language. Yet, compulsion to work drives me back to the keyboard, if only to write my monthly column local arts and sciences free paper Adams, to be released 1 November. At least a couple of short stories coming out next year, including a new Mad Amos.

Like to put out the cat at night except our cats stay in at night, or the coyotes would get them, or the great horned owls, or the red-tailed hawks in the morning, or a cougar might show up, or But enough about cats.