Friday, November 09, 2012

App of the Month

I only heard about this month's app from the fall-out of an SNL skit.

Even if I'm up late enough on a Saturday to see SNL, I have no inclination to actually turn it on and watch what is usually a lame-ass show.

Allegedly they skit consisted of Mayor Michael Bloomberg giving a disaster speech and his American Sign Language interpreter behind him.  It got criticism from Academy Award winner  - Marlee Matlin.  That's all I know about the skit.

Marlee Signs is the app.


The app is quite girly. It's all very fuschia-y. It's almost like ASL Barbie or something.

ASL has always intrigued me - and save for saying 'thank you', 'grow up', 'sunshine' and a few other words, it pretty much escapes me, though I can eke out most of the alphabet.

But like me with any language, I might be able to get through it by reading (at my own pace) and even get out the words (at my own stuttered pace), but if someone talks to me in said language with any fluency I'm a lost soul.

Will I truly use the app?  Probably not?  Will it make me conversational in ALS?  Definitely not.  But basics aren't bad to have.  ...and as always..........it's free.

I never saw Matlin in her Oscar performance of Children of a Lesser G-d, but she had a great recurring role in the West Wing, which I much enjoyed.

If I have any issues with this app, it is that there is no audio.



(I'm wondering anyone got that last line.)

Of course anything with Marlee Matlin in it reminds me of Family Guy. You were all thinking it - now you get to see it.

4 comments:

Ur-spo said...

having worked with the deaf for some year, i could use an app for ASL - thanks !

cb said...

I prefer the "moviephone heard you say 300!" clip

Erik Rubright said...

"no audio"... ROFL

I've got a reserved spot in Hell, and I'm okay with that.

Harpers Keeper said...

Somewhat off topic but you should invest the time in seeing Children of a Lesser God. It is based on a very good play. She is wonderful in it and it is one of William Hurt's best performances as well.