Fun Links
That Don't Have Much to Do With Captioning
These links are to things that struck our collective fancy and which we'd like to share with our visitors.
EMail Protector -- Jim Tucek's useful site encrypts your email address in a Java script so spammers can't grab it off the Internet and work their mayhem. We once made two sites. One had an e-mail address in HTML code. The other used a second address with Jim's encryption. Three weeks later the first address was getting as many as 85 generous offers for "performance enhancing" drugs, "amazing" free memberships, and endless supplies of cash. With Jim's help the second address got no spam at all. It's free too. We're impressed!
Bradley Bleeker --Artist and illustrator extraordinaire. His work graces many of the pages on this site. His remarkable range goes from contemporary fantasy comics and cutting edge video game graphics to corporate art like ours. He's also a pleasure to work with (but never call him before noon!)
Dxtron Technology Inc. -- Al has solder in his veins. Well, not really; but, he's a wizard at assembling electronics. We're using him on a project we can't do in-house and are impressed with his willingness and skill.
W3C Markup Validation Service -- Thank these guys and your English teacher if you can read this. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) maintains the HTML standards so you can view this page with one of the excellent non-Microsoft® browsers. We've cranked every single page of our site through their excellent test suite to be sure you don't have any trouble. The service is free and rarely down. Kudos to a standards setting group that really makes a contribution (perhaps the egos in the closed caption groups will take a hint!).
Vischeck -- Look through the other guy's eyes. This clever Stanford University site lets you look at your images (like the ones we use) as though your vision has three different kinds of color deficits.
The biggest bargain on the Internet for people making web pages. We've learned much from them and commend W3C Schools to you.
Deaf Professional -- We've been noticing that these folks seem to be the first with interesting tidbits about captioning technology. But most importantly they feature an up-to-date and sober look at the latest issues important to those of us who rely on closed captioning.
Digital Tech Services
-- Now this link is downright self-serving - but wacky enough to be included here. We have a strategic partnership with these guys to make opera palatable. So they use our front-end software and hardware to run huge (18 feet long!) signs above the stage so spouses have something to do instead of sleep. The signs and the libretto displayed on them are called "supertitles" or "surtitles" -- kind of captioning on steroids. Over the years Dave Latham has taught us a great deal about stage craft, scotch drinking and theater life. So we think you'll like him too.
How Many Sisters? -- Food for the soul too. More than once we've unwound to this creative Finnish trio. Sung mostly in English, the music is hard to classify. Because they sing many jazz standards "Jazz" is as good a classification as anything. Here's the perfect gift that you won't find in just any record shop.
Nellie McKay -- Is the music choice for the edgier crowd around here. She's aptly described as "Doris Day meets Eminem." At 19 years old she dropped out of music school and landed a Columbia Records contract. Not bad -- and great to listen to when you're slinging code and swilling coffee at 3AM...
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