[ Journals ] XI - Everyone Says I Love You

In Woody Allen's Everyone Says I Love You, nearly everyone sings for their paycheck. Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts, Goldie Hawn, Tim Roth, Alan Alda, Edward Norton, Woody himself -- they all interrupt the action to break into popular songs and ballads from the '30s and '40s. The actors use their own voices (okay, except Barrymore, who was dubbed); sometimes they dance, too, or are surrounded by passing characters engaged in flights of fancy choreography. But aside from the dismaying experience of listening to the cellophane-thin voices of Roberts faltering through ''All My Life,'' or Allen attempting ''I'm Thru With Love'' like a man on a respirator, there is nothing shocking or even noteworthy in this experiment. The late Dennis Potter used song and dance far more boldly and brilliantly as a reflection of inner emotional landscape in the BBC's ''Pennies From Heaven'' and ''The Singing Detective,'' where the characters lipsynched to original period recordings.
Take away the tunes and the footwork, then, and what you have is this: melancholia disguised as a romantic fantasia, with the filmmaker's nose once again pressed up against the window of an idealized, classy (i.e., vaguely WASPy or at least de-ethnicized) family. This time the filmmaker plays Joe, an artistic type divorced from his wife (Hawn), living in affluence in Paris, and intent on impressing a young woman (Roberts) he meets in Venice. Joe is the father of DJ (Natasha Lyonne), who lives with her mother and stepfather (Alda) in affluence on Manhattan's Upper East Side along with various full and half siblings. Life is a New Yorker magazine dream: perfect homes, delicious flirtations, and loving relationships among the entire blended family, more privileged a group it would be hard to find outside an Edith Wharton novel (and you know how unhappy those New Yorkers really were).
Styled as a romantic confection, ''Everyone Says I Love You'' is, in fact, steeped in an unacknowledged middle-aged sadness that leaks from the writer-director and saps the energies of his cast. (Roth, as a crudely virile ex-con, and Hawn, in full career reascendancy, are two of the few who defy the pall.) Missing the glow of grounded happiness that lit up ''Hannah and Her Sisters'' -- Allen's most mature family fantasy -- this celebration of love and good fortune doesn't feel very festive at all.


http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,295478,00.html


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[ Journals ] X - Stereo for the 21th Century

At the market, a housewife wearing white earphones taps her toes to 1970s disco. In a park, teenagers with small white boxes attached to their belts dance to the latest hip hop beats. And at the local college, a professor enjoys his Mozart collection while relaxing between classes. These days, it seems that no matter who or where they are, everyone is jamming out with Apple iPod.
The amazing is the honest new toy on the market these days. It may be the size of the deck of cards, but one iPod can store over ten thousand songs. And with its sleek, rectangular shape and smooth, rounded corners, it’s the coolest stereo ever invented. No wonder it’s the gift every teenager wants!
The iPod success is due to its simplicity and usefulness. Its controls are easy to use. And it has a scroll wheel, so users can look through song menus quickly. The most popular iPod feature is the “shuffle” option. This feature selects songs at random, creating a personal radio station for the listener.
Acquiring songs to fill your iPod’s memory banks is easy. Songs can be downloaded directly from an online music store called iTunes. Other iPod owners trade songs with friends or people they meet over the Internet. The 21st century stereo, however, isn’t limited to music storage.
Recorded books are also found in many people’s iPod collections. Users have also found out that iPods are great for storing digital data. The makers of the Lord of The Rings even used iPods to transport film scenes. And photographers can store their pictures on this handy device.
Powerful, useful, and fashionable, the iPod has touched off a revolution. It is changing the way people listen to music and access different media. Some musicians and pop stars believe iPods will completely the tapes and CDs music lovers once owned. Walkmans and full-size stereos, the ancestors of the iPod, could soon become antiques. Now that the world has discovered the iPod, there’s no going back. This new machine is here to stay.

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[ Journals ] VIIII - Are We Having Pun Yet?

A pun is a humorous “play on words.” Puns can use words with two meanings, or words that sound similar to, or the same as, other words. One example is, “The musician who was in jail was waiting for his next release.” The word “release” has two meanings: “to set free” and “a new album.” Another example is, “ Some people don’t like food going to waist.” Puns are meant to be funny, but some people find them to be pun-ishment!

I was wondering why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.

The scientist disconnected his doorbell because he wanted to win the Nobel Prize.

The runner’s shorts were too small, so it was a tight race.

The fisherman always did what his friends did. He said it was pier pressure.


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[ Journals ] VIII - English Is Child’s Play

Children are amazing! They pick up language so naturally and easily. Have you ever wonder why? It’s not because they have great natural language abilities. In fact, studies show that an adult’s potential to learn language is just as good as a child’s/
So why do children still seem to acquire language more quickly than the rest of us? It’s because of the way they learn. Children learn by simply doing what comes naturally—they listen, copy and communicate. Let’s take a closer look at how children acquire language. Perhaps discover a better, more “natural” way to learn English.

Listen, Listen, Listen
When people talk to children, they often use simple words that children can understand. That’s really important to the children’s language development. In order to learn, children must be able to comprehend what they hear. If they don’t understand it, it’s just meaningless noise.
English students also need to listen frequently to English thy can understand. Tune in to radio or TV programs like Studio Classroom that use English at your level. If you can’t understand every word or sentence, don’t get hung up on it. Just concentrate on what you can understand. And listen as often as you can.

Be a Copycat
Children like to copy what they hear. They mimic their parents, their friends and even the TV. This teaches them how to use and pronounce the language. Mimicking has the same benefits for students of a second language. As you listen to foreigners speak English, repeat what they say as best as you can.

Use English to communicate
Children don’t practice grammar drills, but use language to talk about things that interest them. This helps them learn to express themselves. They don’t worry about inadequate vocabulary or poor grammar. They find ways to express themselves, and they do it successfully.
Students of English should also focus on genuine communication. Look for opportunities to talk with people in English. If you can’t find a foreigner to talk to, talk with other English students, instead. Start an English discussion group and chat about music, movies or whatever interests you. Don’t worry about making mistakes. The objective is to learn how to communicate easily and comfortably. Remember that you can communicate successfully even with a small vocabulary.
Trust your own natural ability to learn English. You’ve got more potential than you probably realize!

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[ Journals] VII - Manage Your Emotions

You’ve been studying for hours. You feel burned-out and really need a break. You sit down to watch TV. Your mom comes in and yells at you: “You should be studying! Turn off that TV and get to work!” You feel angry and frustrated. So what do you do?

Everyone deals with emotions differently. Do you handle yours in a healthy way? Uncontrolled or suppressed emotions, especially anger, can hurt you—and everyone around you! The following tips will help you control your anger and other strong emotions.

Take a deep breath. Deep breathing will help relax you. It also forces you to slow down and let your mind catch up with your emotions.

Figure it out. Understanding what you’re feeling is the key to dealing with your emotions. Don’t worry about other people’s behavior. Figure out what you can do to help the situation that’s bugging you. Let your emotions motivates you to take positive action.

Get moving. Taking a walk or exercising provides a healthy way to use your emotional energy. It will also help relieve stress.

Laugh about it. No, humor doesn’t make your problems go away, but it can help you regain perspective. Tell jokes, find the funny movie. You’ll feel better and your problems might seem smaller.

Talk about it. Putting your feelings into words helps you trust and tell them what’s bugging you. Just make sure the person you talk to isn’t someone who will encourage your anger. And try to keep things in perspective; don’t just complain.

Take care yourself. Always eat right, exercise and get enough sleep. Emotions are easier to control when you’re well-rested and healthy.

Take responsibility. Emotions aren’t always under your control, but your actions are. So take responsibility for what you do; don’t blame others. That usually just makes the situation worse.

Learn to forgive. Most important, learn to accept and forgive yourself and others. Holding a grudge will hurt you more than anyone. Forgiveness may or may not heal a broken relationship, but it always heals the one who forgives.

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[ Journals ] VI - Dell Breaks Your Laptop, Sends Replacement Full Of Pubes

Reader K's call to Dell tech support for his laptop resulted in the tech helping him break a different computer, then sending him a replacement laptop full of human pubic hair. After diagnosing a faulty power adapter with K's laptop, the Dell technician asked him to plug the malfunctioning adapter into his other, out-of-warranty Dell to confirm the problem. K was reluctant, but complied, and fried his old laptop in the process. To their credit, Dell offered a replacement; unfortunately, it had a full bush. Full email, with picture, below (photo is NSFL: Not Safe For Lunch).

So I rarely resort to complaints as I think I am an easygoing consumer, but this time Dell went over the line. Maybe I just needed to write this email to vent, but I think it may be worth a post on your site...
Recently my 1 year old Dell laptop stopped charging the battery, so I called technical support (still under 3 year warranty) to try to resolve the issue. The technician recommended trying to plug another Dell power adapter into the laptop to see if this was the problem, and surprisingly it worked - problem solved...send me a new power adapter and I'll be on my way.
Unfortunately here things took bad turn. The technician thought that it would be a good idea to try the faulty power adapter in my other Dell laptop just to confirm that this was the problem. I told him that this laptop was no longer under warranty and that I didn't really want to mess with anything else since we had already resolved the issue. He said that we had to confirm this before he could authorize a new adapter being sent to me. So I plug it in and ZAP! Burning smell, and my old laptop was fried - nothing could revive it. At this point I was worried the technician would hang up, but to their credit they stayed on the line and after about an hour finally agreed to replace my old laptop. At this point, I was rather satisfied despite all of the problems - I was getting a new replacement for my old laptop.
About a week later, I get my "new" Dell laptop. I open the case, and the instruction manual is bent out of shape, and I start to worry. I reach the bottom of the box, pull out the laptop, and first thing I see is the top is covered in scratches. Some people may say that I should be happy since I was getting a newer model laptop to replace an old laptop with no warranty. My old laptop, however, was in great condition. When I opened up the new laptop, I saw the screen was scratched and dirty, and the keyboard was covered in debris. Wait, not debris....what is that? HAIRS!? Not just any hairs - these could only be described as pubes. I hate to be so crude, but pubes are pubes. Not the incidental curly hair, but rather mini-tufts between the keys. My only guess is that Ron Jeremy was the previous owner. At this point, I called Dell back, and I have written this email in between talking to 3 different people and over an hour of hold time. Nobody wants to help, and I'm reached the limits of my tolerance for poor service.

At this point, I'm considering 3 options:

1. Vacuum it, douse it in alcohol, and just try to use it and forget about "the hedgehog"
2. Sell it and buy a new laptop
3. Go to the gym, run 3 miles, trim body hair directly over the keyboard, send laptop back to dell (this is the cleaned up version)

Any other ideas?


Well, although Dell may not be listening to Executive Email Carpet Bombs anymore, it doesn't hurt to try. Here is a bunch of Dell email addresses, here are some more, and here is one more. Include pictures of the fuzz factory in your email, hopefully it will gross someone out enough to get you a replacement.

PHOTO LINK:
http://consumerist.com/374402/photo-dell-breaks-your-laptop-sends-replacement-full-of-pubes

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[ Journals ] V - The Sweet Taste of Summer

　　During the hot summer months people everywhere count on the sweet and creamy taste of ice cream to cool them down. Whether covered in chocolate, blended into milkshakes, or served in cones, ice cream is always a hit. But where does this poplar dessert come from?
Some say the Roman emperor Nero invented ice cream to satisfy his sweet tooth. He is said to have sent slaves high into the mountains to bring back snow, which chefs would mix with honey and fruit. Apparently, Nero like the frozen sweet so much that he had special cold rooms built in his palace to store snow.
　　Another story says that ice cream was first invented in China, almost four thousand years ago. Italian explorer Marco Polo supposedly brought it back to Europe in 1295 after a long trip to the East.
　　There is a little proof, however, for eight of these explanations. What we do know is that, by the mid-1600s, English king Charles I was enjoying ice cream. Palace records show the dessert was a favorite at palace dinner parties.
　　From the king’s table, it didn’t take long for ice cream to become poplar worldwide. American presidents Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were both big fans of the dessert. In fact, Washington paid almost US$200 (a huge sum in his day!) for a vanilla ice cream recipe.
　　The biggest problem with ice cream was how to serve the sweet treat. Most vendors sold it in tiny glasses called “penny licks.” However, customers often broke or stole the glasses, which cost vendors a lot of money.
　　The invention of ice cream cone solved this problem. Many people believe ice cream cones were invented at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. There, ice cream and waffle vendor combined their products and served ice cream in portable waffle cones. Records show, however, that ice cream was already being served in edible containers as early as 1888.
　　Today, ice cream is eaten from Taipei to Tunisia to Toronto. In most places, chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla are best sellers. In Japan, though, ice cream comes in an amazing range of flavors. Chicken wing, eel, or wasabi ice cream, anyone?

--by Francoise Raunet Landmark English August 2004
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i. new words/phrases
supposedly adv. 據稱
edible adj. 可食用的
eel

ii. useful / phrases
count on 依靠
blended v. 混合; 調合
sweet tooth n. 甜食癖
recipe n. 食譜
portable

III. The reason I chose this article

　　The hot weather these days made me think the summer is coming! And speak about the summer, the first image jumps into my mind is ice cream! I love the melty, sweet sweat creamy ice very much, and I even can eat it in winter! I think my favorite flavor may be peanuts, macadamia nuts, and so kind of nuts.

　　Talk about the special flvors, I know a store in Hsi-men has it's own special flavors. There are not only chicken wings, but also pork and much more flavors I even don't have the courage to try a lick.