AND IN THE END... The Contest Comes to a Close.

The contest closes tomorrow evening at 11:59 Eastern Time. Even so, this will be the last post I make on the matter.

To say I am surprised by the response would be an understatement.

I did my best. I produced the most accurate, also singable,  Latin translation I knew how.

I made suitable background music. I sang my heart out. 

And I uploaded my video to the contest.

At this posting, the second highest view count on a video in the contest is on my favorite competitor, an acapella group from Panama. They have 994 views. God have mercy on the single hateful person that disliked their soulful, thoughtful, beautiful rendition.

I am grateful to all the support I have gotten. All the shares, the likes, the retweets, all of it has contributed to what my video achieved.

As of this moment, my video has 14,300+ views. 

We proved that Latin is still relevant--that a community of Latin teachers and students can support an entry and make it go viral.

We proved that a Wisconsin boy with a Wisconsin network of friends and family can still make a difference.

We proved that a Crossfit community can make a video achieve greatness.

The results will be announced on March 29.

One last time, if you have not already done so, please watch the video, like it, share it here, share it elsewhere on social media.

We'll see how we do in a week... :)

UPDATE ON THE COVER SONG CONTEST

Contest closes on Tuesday March 22, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.

Sincere thanks to everyone who has watched, liked, and shared the video. The entries will be judged based on quality of singing, creativity, and audience engagement, evidenced by views, likes, and shares. 

Thanks to all of you, I've certainly won the audience engagement component. As of right now my video has 5700+ views; the next highest (which is my favorite competitor in the contest, watch and enjoy their video!) has 560 views.

I think my singing on the video is decent. I think doing a Latin language cover version is pretty creative.

So, who knows? Maybe the Wisconsin boy who became a spy, the spy who became a Latin teacher, the Latin teacher who became a singer--has a shot at this thing...

Yet another paper interviewed me and published their story with the fun and clever title, "In Video Veritas":

http://fortlee.dailyvoice.com/schools/in-video-veritas-leonia-teachers-latin-hello-by-adele-leads-contest/645298/

How Do You Say a Million in Latin?

I mean, few Romans besides Crassus ever faced this issue!

Even so, it's a legitimate question I was face to face with when I needed to translate Adele's "Hello" into Latin to enter a Cover Song Contest. 

The lyrics include:

"And a million miles."

Here's how the Latin works.

A mile is mille passuum (a thousand paces).

A hundred thousand miles is centena milia passuum (a thousand paces times a hundred).

A million miles is decies centena milia passuum (a thousand paces, times a hundred, times ten).
  
The math makes my brain hurt.

If you would like to support Latin in this international Cover Song Contest, watch the video below, a Latin language version of Adele's "Hello." If you like what you hear, give me an upvote.

Gratias tibi ago!

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If you're interested in Latin or ancient history, or even just an entertaining read, check out the time-travel thriller In Saecula Saeculorum. Click to learn more.


You'll travel back to ancient Rome on a harrowing mission to save the modern world. It's the adventure of four lifetimes.

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Wisconsin Has Won the World Championship Cheese Contest!

All is right with the Universe. For the first time since 1988, a US Cheesemaker has won the World Championship Cheese Contest. And, mirabile dictu, it's a Wisconsin Cheesemaker!

(I was born and raised in Wisconsin, that's why I care so much.)

[I'm taking a break from my incessant self-promotion of my entry into an international cover song contest to blog about this development. That said, please do go ahead and watch the video of my Latin language version of the Adele song "Hello." If you like what you hear, please give me an upvote!]

The winner of the 2016 World Championship Cheese Contest is Wisconsin producer Emmi Roth.

 I remain ever so proud to be from Wisconsin. I'm especially proud to be a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison--with three degrees from that school.

On Wisconsin!

A Latin Language Version of Adele's "Hello" by Keith Massey, PhD

I had not done a new Latin language cover since just before New Year's, when I did Auld Lang Syne.

A friend forwarded to me the information on a Cover Contest, and I decided it was time to create.

I chose Adele's "Hello." After the video, I share the English and Latin lyrics. If you are a Latin student or teacher, I hope you find the product a useful way to make Latin come alive in the modern world. I invite you to like the video on Youtube. Who knows, maybe a Latin language video can make a showing in this contest!

Verse
Hello, it's me	Salve, sum ego
I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet	Mirabar si tibi convenire post hos annos placeret
To go over everything	ut omnia meditaremur
They say that time's supposed to heal ya	Dicunt tempus te sanare
But I ain't done much healing	Sed non sanatus sum multum
Hello, can you hear me	Salve, me audire potes
I'm in California dreaming about who we used to be	Sum in California somnians de quibus eramus
When we were younger and free	Ubi eramus iuniores et liberi
I've forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our feet	Oblitus sum quomodo erat antequam mundus cecidit pro nobis
There's such a difference between us	Tanta differentia est inter nos
And a million miles	et decies centena milia passuum
Chorus
Hello from the other side	Salve de altera parte
I must have called a thousand times	scilicet milies vocavi te
To tell you I'm sorry for everything that I've done	ut tibi narrarem me paenitere pro omnibus quae feci
But when I call you never seem to be home	Sed ubi te voco, numquam es domi
Hello from the outside	Salve de foris
At least I can say that I've tried	Possum saltem dicere me conatum esse
To tell you I'm sorry for breaking your heart	tibi dicere me paenitere animum tuum fregisse
But it don't matter it clearly doesn't tear you apart anymore	Sed non refert quod clare te distrahit non amplius.
Verse
Hello, how are you?	Salve, quid agis?
It's so typical of me to talk about myself I'm sorry	dicere de me ipso soleo, me paenitet
I hope that you're well	Spero te valere
Did you ever make it out of that town where nothing ever happened	discessisti umquam ex oppido in quo nihil accidit
It's no secret that the both of us	secretum non est ut nobis
Are running out of time	tempus fugit.