用心品味，生活本来有滋有味！: Blog

2008 Olympics Opening Ceremony

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 21:16:00 GMT

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/08/2008_olympics_opening_ceremony.html

Beijing held its formal opening ceremony today for the 2008 Summer Olympics. The ceremony, held in the National Stadium known as the Bird's Nest, was attended by thousands, and watched by millions more on television. Below are some highlights of the nearly 4-hour performance. (24 photos total)

Drummers perform during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics at the National Stadium on August 8, 2008 in Beijing. (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

An artist in a space suit performs during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics at the National Stadium on August 8, 2008 in Beijing. (Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Fireworks explode over the National Stadium during the Opening Ceremony for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the National Stadium on August 8 in Beijing. (Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the National Stadium, also known as the "Bird's Nest", on August 8, 2008. The three-hour show at Beijing's iconic national stadium was set to see more than 15,000 performers showcase the nation's ancient history and its rise as a modern power. (AFP PHOTO / Olivier Morin)

Percussionists take part in the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing on August 8, 2008. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)

Percussionists hit their Fou drums at the start of the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing on August 8, 2008. (AFP PHOTO / Joe Klamar )

Percussionists with their Fou drums stand prior to the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing on August 8, 2008. (AFP PHOTO / Jewel Samad)

Artists perform around an illuminated Globe during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics at the National Stadium on August 8, 2008 in Beijing. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Artists perform during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games opening ceremony on August 8, 2008 at the National Stadium in Beijing. Over 10,000 athletes from some 200 countries are going to compete in 38 differents disciplines during the event, between August 9 to 24. (WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images)

The Olympic rings are illuminated during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics at the National Stadium on August 8, 2008 in Beijing. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

Artists underneath movable boxes perform during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics at the National Stadium on August 8, 2008 in Beijing. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Martial arts dancers perform during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics at the National Stadium on August 8, 2008 in Beijing. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Lighted dancers perform during the opening ceremony for the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Friday, Aug. 8, 2008. (AP Photo/David Phillip)

Drummers perform during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics at the National Stadium on August 8, 2008 in Beijing. (Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Artists perform during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics at the National Stadium on August 8, 2008 in Beijing. (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Performers cheer during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics at the National Stadium on August 8, 2008 in Beijing. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Fireworks light the sky over the National Aquatics Center (L) and the National Stadium during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics on August 8, 2008 in Beijing. (Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images)

An artist performs, suspended by wires during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics at the National Stadium on August 8, 2008 in Beijing. (Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Drummers perform during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics at the National Stadium on August 8, 2008 in Beijing. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

A musician performs during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games opening ceremony on August 8, 2008 at the National Stadium in Beijing. (WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images)

Performers are pictured during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics at the National Stadium on August 8, 2008 in Beijing. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

A dancer is silhouetted as she performs during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics at the National Stadium on August 8, 2008 in Beijing. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Children of migrant workers from outlying provinces look at themselves in the mirror as they use their hands to form the Olympic Rings after watching the TV live broadcast of the Olympic Games opening ceremony at their quarters August 8, 2008 on the outskirts of Beijing. (Andrew Wong/Getty Images)

恭喜几位在OSS的xdjm

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:33:37 GMT

多位一起在Opera上海奋斗过的xdjm升职了，恭喜一把。很多美好的画面，都是在这里和他们一起留下的生活轨迹。

再拿出当时两周年制作的视频做个回顾，看了还是很happy。虽然下一级的xdjm在其中没有出现，现在也基本上都是认识的朋友了，整个气氛基本上还是这么和谐的吧。

恭喜各位哦。

http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/XxYmIv97OSI/

Wild China

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 01:25:24 GMT

BBC和CCTV合作拍摄的纪录片，记录原汁原味的中国。没有找到高清晰的，youtube上的有些非高清的：

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=wild+china&search_type=&aq=0

Mr Woo Robots

Wed, 28 May 2008 18:23:19 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4LIThTB8Ww

They are doing whatever they can to save lives

Tue, 13 May 2008 18:20:43 GMT

Let's pray for all the Heroes.

中国股市狂飙的一天

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:03:36 GMT

不过要回到正常上升通道，还是任重而道远，希望能一步步走得踏实点。

Sakura Sunday的照片合集

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:34:32 GMT

http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/O5J4fGJlbvY/

包括相册中的照片以及几个视频片段。

回答问题 + Party 邀请

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 06:13:23 GMT

之前徐洋的还欠着，这次是薛燕波的，一次搞定，省得欠着感觉闹心，呵呵。我就不继续点名了，发个party邀请看看还有没有更多的人来:

Hi All,

Just wanted to send out an invitation to see if you are interested in coming to my place for a casual visit on Easter Sunday.

Time: 10:00 AM, Sunday, March 23
Address: Woodbridge Rd, Spring House, PA 19477

Things to do:

1. The house has a huge TV in the basement,if you want to be a couch potato.Hope you don't. Possibly we can hook up a Karaoke machine.
2. A laptop with PPlive, good for watching Chinese TV/movies.
3.A basketball. Basketball court available at Gwynedd-Mercy College.
4.Miss the fun of cycling? Not a problem, I have a mountain bike.
5.When is the last time you flied a kite? Made a kite?I have one.
6.Play poker/Majiang (Mahjong). But you will have to bring those with you.
7.Play other popular games. "Killer"(Sha ren you xi),Kai huo che (driving a train), etc.
8.Make wonton by ourselves or dine out together.

Car pooling is encouraged due to limited private parking. For those not around this area, you are very welcome if you don't mind driving down for a visit.

Please RSVP. Hope to see you then.

问题回答：

1.如何将生活与工作做最好的调配？

上班把事情处理好，早点下班该干嘛干嘛。周末好好玩，有些事情有个想法就去实现一下。

2.最近在听的，有能说出你心事的歌么，写句歌词给我？

家园
作词：王敏、张宏森
作曲：刘欢
演唱：刘欢、宋祖英
编曲：孟可

冰雪早以覆盖我的足迹
远方的炊烟摇曳温暖的招换
风儿无法吹断我回望的视线
家园好像永远征途漫漫

Rap：
一座座山一道道岭一片片川
我的故土这么难舍难离
一步步付出一阵阵雪野一次次别离
会很希望我们永不放弃
不是这里我会走向哪里
只凭着无边的希望和一片甘心好
旅途仿佛是越来越清晰
错过的心情在梦里来来去去

每个怀抱温暖我独恋的期盼
期盼在天边哪里命运会改变
千山万水走过只为这一天
自由的天地自由的家园

漂泊者的家到底在哪一边
回首故乡遥远抬头前路依旧茫然
纵然只有倒下才是终点
我只有未来没有从前

《闯关东》主题曲《家园》由三部分组成，第一段和声由刘欢演唱，旋律舒展，
将心境带入浪漫情怀之中；第二部分接刘欢演唱的RAP唱词与宋祖英演唱的《摇篮曲
》混声，甜美动人的《摇篮曲》结合RAP节奏的音乐情境展示了《闯关东》时代主流
意识与古典民俗风情的交织；第三部分是刘欢演唱高亢激昂的高音部分，听众所熟悉
的经典刘欢风格将音乐迅速推向高潮，在激情澎湃的转调中完成《闯关东》恢宏大气
与浪漫极致的华彩乐章。

3.最郁闷的事？

不被人理解的话挺让人郁闷的。

4.你最希望从朋友（不包括爱人）那里得到的是什么？

有需要的时候相互帮助

5.你最想去哪个地方？为什么？

海滩吧，这个时间Florida游很热门，房东，几个同事最近有去。

6.推荐一家你认为好吃又实惠的美食店。

合肥：很多很多很多

上海：黔香阁？

这边：Jim's Buffet? 哈哈，好可怜

7.遇到喜欢的人，你是勇敢表白还是默默关注？

废话，当然追了。其一，如果你的品位还可以，应该有很多其他人也喜欢那个人，所以得主动出击。其二，你喜欢的人喜欢你的概率往往大于一个你不喜欢的人喜欢你的概率，好绕口。
8.说出点你名的人的3个优点（不可删除题）

徐洋：背景科大扩频实验室，开朗，乐观，懂得生活

薛燕波：背景Opera Solutions，热心，积极，有大局观

共同优点：都是美女

9.什么事情会让你觉得很幸福？

幸福太多，开心就好。很多小事情都可以让人很开心啊。

10.你最想回到哪一年重新开始？

不要吧，明天会更好

11.你对你的近况满意吗？有什么需要改变？

总体满意，各方面都可以提高。

12.目前最大的娱乐活动
看电视：American Idol,闯关东，士兵突击，血色浪漫，血色湘西，奋斗，乡村爱情，刘老根，炊事班的故事，pplive上有时随便选个看看

骑自行车，打篮球，跑步，放风筝

13.你最讨厌的一件事是什么？

没有

14.你的梦想是什么？

大梦想没有，小梦想参见blog标题

15.你最看重一个人的品质是什么？

懂事，有大局观，积极乐观，etc

16.你能理性面对生活中的困难么

可以, problem solving is fun。“生活就是问题叠着问题” -- 士兵突击

17.此时此刻的一个小愿望?

周日party成功

18.最近你在读什么书，值得推荐的原因是？

黑天鹅，参考之前的一片blog。原因是算一个新的视角

19.你认为找一个什么样的伴侣会比较幸福（请全面回答+重点突出）？

15的答案+16的答案+和你个性相似+可以相互支持理解

20.你对你的人生观世界观价值观影响最大的一件事、一个人、一句话、一本书 or whatever?

没有，不过最近可以看看士兵突击，挺好看的。看的深的应该能体会到一些道道。

3月，春天还没来，已经夏令时

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:17:58 GMT

关键字：自行车，风筝，计步器，回归童年，etc

其实就是没事瞎折腾！

House_Captured_From_Photo

Kite_Overview

2008 Olympics

Pedometer

Roadmaster

"BBS" at home

小学1年级的水平保持到现在

公司的读书协会，不太苟同其中观点，权当一个新的perspective

搬家了

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 23:34:01 GMT

This place is only 2 miles away from the company, which translates into 5 minutes driving. I'm Yet to put the idea of "Walk To Work" to field test.

I shall be able to save some gas, and more importantly, some time spent on commuting. So it makes a lot sense.

New place, new year, heading for a new start.

Patio of the house, with great view outside.

What's ahead for the U.S. economy?

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 20:20:19 GMT

Bearish news have been sprawling all over the Wall Street Journal recently. Some industires have already been feeling the pinch and people are afraid that the worst is yet to come.

Housing slump, sub-prime crisis, credit crunch and others. And we are yet to see the collateral impact of those on the broader U.S. economy. Overall the financial industry is going to be one of the deepest hurt(if not the only one).

But some hedge funds are making huge profit by betting on the downward move of the economy. John Paulson is one of them. He was mentioned a couple of times in today's WSJ articles. Some excerpts:

***************************************************************************************************************************************

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120036645057290423.html?mod=hps_us_mostpop_viewed

On Wall Street, the losers in the collapse of the housing market are legion. The biggest winner looks to be John Paulson, a little-known hedge fund manager who smelled trouble two years ago.

Funds he runs were up $15 billion in 2007 on a spectacularly successful bet against the housing market. Mr. Paulson has reaped an estimated $3 billion to $4 billion for himself -- believed to be the largest one-year payday in Wall Street history.

***************************************************************************************************************************************

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120036270913390155.html?mod=hps_us_mostpop_viewed

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Relaxing at his 40,000-square-foot mansion, Palazzo di Amore, Jeff Greene reflects on a stellar 12-month run. He snatched the estate out of receivership for $35 million in a bidding war. He got married in a spectacular wedding here with boxer Mike Tyson as his best man. And he is up more than half a billion dollars on a bet that the housing market would crater.

He may have lost a friend in the process: John Paulson, a hedge-fund manager who devised what proved to be a wildly profitable strategy for betting against risky mortgages.

***************************************************************************************************************************************

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120036783112890507.html?mod=hps_us_whats_news

(Greenspan to join the hedge fund firm)

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, whom some blame for fueling a housing bubble, is signing on as an adviser to hedge-fund firm Paulson & Co., which has profited handsomely from the collapse of that bubble.Mr. Greenspan has said he would only consult with one client in each industry, and thus Paulson, with assets of $28 billion, is the only hedge fund he will work for directly. Still, all three of his clients have profited from a bearish view on housing and mortgages.

John Paulson, who founded the firm in 1994, lately has been making investments that he hopes will pay off if other kinds of consumer debt lose value, financial companies run into more problems and the overall economy slumps. In a late October presentation to investors, "The Worst Is Yet To Come," Mr. Paulson said the hedge fund anticipates lower housing prices, a decline in consumer spending, rising credit costs, and a slowdown in the economy so deep that lower interest rates might not help very much. His firm has been reducing its exposure to stock markets.

Life On The Go

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 23:48:36 GMT

The last day of 2007, I finally made the jogging trip I've been planning to do for a while. I literally jogged along the "Schuylkill River Trail" from Norristown to Valley Forge, and back to Norristown.

Now I'm typing with my legs sore...and having my delicous dinner

This is my way of saying goodbye to 2007, and saying hi to 2008. So what's your way of celebrating?

NBA比赛

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 12:39:11 GMT

上周五去看了场费城76人对华盛顿奇才队的比赛，两个队伍都没有特别有名的球员，不过我也只是半个伪球迷。最后76人以1分险胜。

回来周日就跑去买了个篮球，再饶有兴致的跑去家附近公园的球场练了会投篮。。。。

下周一有场76人对火箭队的比赛，到时候去给姚明加油助威，希望不会被主场球迷嘘得太厉害。。。相信中国球迷的实力。

Now it's the "Cooking" time

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 15:51:15 GMT

Cooking and driving are two of the simple yet essential techniques you've gotta have. After moving into my apartment, I got the chance to cook some simple Chinese dishes:

Valley Forge@ Fall

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 15:45:28 GMT

Got my brand new car today

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:10:23 GMT

It's a 2008 Toyoto Corolla CE,something like this:

It turned out that leasing the car was not such a good option for me due to my limited credit history, as I would have to make a huge down payment only for leasing the car. So I bought the car instead, which is pricier but at least I can have full ownership of the car. And the result is that I don't have any money left in my pocket. I will be waiting for the next pay check to cover all the debts, monthly rental,credit cards, etc.

Next step would be moving to my new "house". I will be staying with an American family, occupying a room of a town house. The landlord is a newly married couple and they seem to be very nice person. The location is at Norristown, PA. Nearby attractions inlude King of Prussia, Valley Forge, etc.

My updated contact info.:

215-444-5685 (phone)

215-500-6597 (cell)

william.jwzhu@gmail.com

I don't have access to MSN at this moment, so please give me a ring, or drop me an email instead.

Got my driver's license from PA

Sat, 20 Oct 2007 23:25:47 GMT

Now it's time to think about leasing a car. Originally I was thinking of buying a used car, but later on the idea of leasing a new car came to my mind. And also a couple of friends shared their thoughts about leasing a car.

Now I have two choices in my mind, a toyota corolla or a honda civic coupe/sedan.

A lot of things have been going on recently, a lot of changes. But sometimes changes can do you good.

Last Lecture from Professor Randy Pausch

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:25:18 GMT

Just wanted to share with you the lecture given by Professor Randy Pausch:

Lecture Video:

mms://wms.andrew.cmu.edu/001/pausch.wmv

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119024238402033039.html?mod=Moving-On

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119084081673940375.html?mod=hps_us_inside_today

Wall Street Journal publicity for Opera Solutions

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:46:52 GMT

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118960965927825185.html?mod=hps_us_mostpop_viewed

The article is titled "The New Battle for M.B.A. Grads", which talks about the recruiting of top MBA graduates this year.

Here is an excerpt where Opera's practice is mentioned:

Opera Solutions, a boutique consulting firm, assigns each of its M.B.A. picks to a "cultivation team," a group of employees who offer the student advice and information about Opera and its projects and arrange visits to the company's office.

"In a market with lots of job opportunities, we wanted to ensure that the students who are offered positions get intimately familiar with the firm and the culture to increase acceptance rates," says Dhiraj Nayar, a principal at Opera in New York. "This effort has helped recruit students who in some cases had offers from other top consulting companies."

Valley Forge

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 03:06:31 GMT

My manager Tom suggested that we go jogging at Valley Forge the other day.

After getting together with a couple of friends, we made it there, but this time, by driving along the trails. Great breath-taking views, which absolutely worth the time. Hiking would be another great option to take the time and experience what the nature has to offer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_Forge_National_Historical_Park

FICO Score 101

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 15:13:20 GMT

http://www.fatwallet.com/t/52/634740/

忙得想哭

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 03:26:00 GMT

坚持两天，等manager去Las Vegas度假我也休息休息。。。上张manager的照片

The Fighting Temptations

Sat, 25 Aug 2007 15:21:58 GMT

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0191133/

Some recent pics

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 01:14:38 GMT

Trip to Atlantic City, NJ

Sun, 08 Apr 2007 02:57:01 GMT

UNCLE KRACKER - Drift Away

Fri, 29 Dec 2006 04:01:14 GMT

"Drift Away"

Day after day I'm more confused
Then I look for the light through the pourin' rain
You know, that's a game, that I hate to lose
I'm feelin' the strain, ain't it a shame

[CHORUS:]
Give me the beat boys and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away
Give me the beat boys and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Won't you take me away

Beginin' to think, that I'm wastin' time
And I don't understand the things I do
The world outside looks so unkind
And I'm countin' on you, you can carry me through

Give me the beat boys and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away
Give me the beat boys and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Won't you take me away

And when my mind is free
You know your melody can move me
And when I'm feelin' blue
The guitars come through to soothe me

Thanks for the joy you've given me
I want you to know that I believe in your song
And rhythm, and rhyme, and harmony
You helped me along, you're makin' me strong

Give me the beat boys and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away
Give me the beat boys and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Won't you take me away

Give me the beat boys and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away
Give me the beat boys and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Won't you take me away

Oops! I did it again.

Tue, 26 Dec 2006 10:21:43 GMT

Asking for too much, too soon,

while doing too little, too late.

Lyrics: John Mayer - Waiting On The World To Change

Mon, 25 Dec 2006 09:04:50 GMT

me and all my friends
we're all misunderstood
they say we stand for nothing and
there's no way we ever could
now we see everything that's going wrong
with the world and those who lead it
we just feel like we don't have the means
to rise above and beat it

so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

it's hard to beat the system
when we're standing at a distance
so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
now if we had the power
to bring our neighbors home from war
they would have never missed a Christmas
no more ribbons on their door
and when you trust your television

what you get is what you got
cause when they own the information, oh
they can bend it all they want

that's why we're waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

it's not that we don't care,
we just know that the fight ain't fair
so we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

and we're still waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting waiting on the world to change
one day our generation
is gonna rule the population
so we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

VOA Wordmaster - Slangman: Health Slang ('Hansel and Gretel')

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 13:31:15 GMT

By Rosanne Skirble and Avi Arditti

AA: I'm Avi Arditti with Rosanne Skirble, and this week on WORDMASTER -- wishing you good health over the holidays, with Slangman David Burke.

RS: Once again, just for our listeners, Slangman David Burke has rewritten a popular children's fairy tale to infuse it with some popular idioms -- this time, related to health and eating too much.

AA: ... a theme in this particular tale, which is also an opera that is often performed around Christmas.

MUSIC: "Hansel and Gretel: Dream Pantomime"/Boston Pops Orchestra

TAPE: CUT ONE -- BURKE/SKIRBLE/ARDITTI

BURKE: "Once upon a time there was a boy and girl named Hansel and Gretel who were 'bored out of their minds,' so they decided to take a walk in the forest and got lost.

"Finally they saw a very unusual house. It was made of gingerbread and covered with cakes, and the windows were made of clear sugar. And they began to eat parts of the roof and windows. But then they suddenly heard an old woman's voice say, 'Who is eating my house?' 'Oh it's just the wind,' answered Hansel. Well, the woman was old but not totally 'out of it.' 'Out of it' means not completely coherent, not really thinking rationally.

"Well, suddenly the door opened and the old woman walked out. 'Oh, do come in and stay with me.' She took them both by the hand and led them into her little house. Then she gave them lots and lots of food to eat. They kept eating until they could not eat anymore.

"Well, Hansel was usually in 'tip-top shape' -- which means great physical condition -- but after eating so much he felt 'sick as a dog' and felt like he was 'running a fever.' That means to have a fever. He was nervous that he was going to 'lose his cookies.' Now that simply means to vomit. Why cookies, I don't know, but it's very common."

SKIRBLE: "And it's appropriate for this story."

BURKE: "Well, he felt like he would never 'bounce back.' Now that means to recover from being sick, to 'bounce back.' He felt really 'blah.' This is a great word. It's what we call an onomatopoeia, which simply is a word that sounds like what it means. So if you feel 'blah,' you have no energy, you just feel really terrible."

ARDITTI: "Spelled b-l-a-h."

BURKE: "Right. Oh, don't worry, his condition wasn't bad enough where he would have to 'go under the knife,' which means to have surgery. The last thing he needed was to go see some kind of 'quack.'"

SKIRBLE: "And that's not a duck."

BURKE: "That's not a duck, although that is the sound a duck makes. However, a 'quack' means a doctor who's not very good. In fact, a really terrible doctor is a 'quack.' The feeling in his stomach would just have to 'run its course,' which means just go through its natural progress of being bad, and then finally curing itself.

"Well, Gretel felt a little 'under the weather' too. 'Under the weather' simply means kind of sick. She thought she may even 'pass out.' 'Pass out' simply means to faint.' Hansel said, 'Gretel, just mellow out. Take a chill pill', because when you're really tense you're hot, so 'take a chill pill,' relax. Well, early the next morning the old woman -- I mean, the witch -- quietly woke up Hansel and led him into a little room made of more candy. It was actually a cage!

"Gretel heard him screaming and rushed downstairs, but the witch said to her, 'Go take this food to your brother so he will become even more fat, and then I'm going to eat him!' The witch gave Gretel the 'willies' so she didn't dare disobey. Well, to give someone the 'willies' means to make them nervous."

SKIRBLE: "Or scared."

BURKE: "'Gretel,' screamed the witch, 'go inside the oven and make sure the pilot light is on.' Well, Gretel wasn't 'born yesterday' and said, 'you know, witch, I'm not myself this morning.' When you're 'not yourself,' that means you're not feeling very well, so she said to the witch, 'Can you show me how to light that pilot light?'

"When the witch got in, Gretel gave her a push, shut the door and fastened the bolt. Gretel quickly ran to Hansel's cage and let him out and said, 'Hansel, the witch kicked the bucket. She croaked in the oven.' Now I don't really know why to 'kick the bucket' would mean to die. To 'croak,' that seems more normal,' because when a frog croaks it makes that sound of [throat sound]. (laughter) So if a frog dies, does the frog croak? Maybe not."

AA: Slangman David Burke comes to us from Los Angeles. Learn all about his different teaching materials on American slang at slangman.com. To reach us here, write to word@voanews.com or VOA Wordmaster, Washington DC 20237 USA.

RS: Next week -- welcome the New Year with some cowboy wordplay! With Avi Arditti, I'm Rosanne Skirble.

MUSIC: "Brother, Came and Dance with Me"/Disney Children's Favorite Songs

Des'ree - "You Gotta Be" lyrics

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 09:07:34 GMT

Listen as your day unfolds
Challenge what the future holds
Try and keep your head up to the sky
Lovers, they may cause you tears
Go ahead release your fears
Stand up and be counted
Don't be ashamed to cry
You gotta be
You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day
Herald what your mother said
Readin' the books your father read
Try to solve the puzzles in your own sweet time
Some may have more cash than you
Others take a different view
My oh my heh, hey
You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day
Don't ask no questions, it goes on without you
Leaving you behind if you can't stand the pace
The world keeps on spinning
You can't stop it, if you try to
This time it's danger staring you in the face
Oh oh oh Remember
Listen as your day unfolds
Challenge what the future holds
Try and keep your head up to the sky
Lovers, they may cause you tears
Go ahead release your fears
My oh my heh, hey, hey
You gotta be
You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day
You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day

VOA Wordmaster:Slangman: Food-Related Slang / 'Jack and the Beanstalk'

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 07:21:35 GMT

/*This program is really fun.*/

By Rosanne Skirble and Avi Arditti

AA: I'm Avi Arditti with Rosanne Skirble, and this week on Wordmaster: a fresh look at a topic we did with Slangman David Burke in Los Angeles five years ago this month: food-related slang. This time, he's whipped up one of his exclusive stories based on a children's classic -- namely, "Jack and the Beanstalk."

SLANGMAN: "Once upon a time, there lived a woman who was as American as apple pie. She lived in The Big Apple."

RS: "Where else."

AA: "New York."

SLANGMAN: "New York. With her only son Jack, the apple ...

AA/RS/SLANGMAN: " ... of her eye!"

SLANGMAN: "The most important thing to her. Unfortunately, she just couldn't cut the mustard in the working world. And to cut the mustard means to succeed. So she could not cut the mustard in the working world, and Jack was such a couch ... "

RS: "Potato!"

SLANGMAN: "Very good. A coach potato, a lazy person who does nothing but sit on the couch and usually just watch television. He was such a couch potato that there was no one to bring home the bacon, which means to earn money for food. For now, selling milk from their cow was their bread and butter, which means the only way they could earn money. But the cow they bought turned out to be a lemon, defective. [laughter] That's something you buy then you discover later that it just doesn't work."

AA: "Like a car."

SLANGMAN: "Right, we hear that a lot, especially of course with cars. If a car doesn't work after you bought it, it's a lemon.

"But in this case, the cow was a lemon and stopped producing milk! They were certainly in a pickle -- a bad situation. I have no idea why we say that, although we do. That's the interesting thing about some of these expressions. If you ask an American 'why do you say that, where does it come from?' we don't know, we just use it. So, 'Jack,' said his mother. "I'm not going to sugar-coat this.' That means to tell it like it is, even though it may be painful for the other person to hear. Well, the mother said, 'We have to sell the cow.' 'Sell the cow?!' Jack exclaimed. 'Mother, I think your idea is half-baked!'"

RS: "Not a great idea."

SLANGMAN: "Right, not carefully considered. It's half-baked. But Jack's mother kept egging him on, which means pushed him to do something, to encourage him. And the next morning, Jack took the cow to the city to sell it. Well, on his way to the market, Jack was stopped by a man who said 'I'd like to buy your cow, and I'll give you five beans for it.'

"And Jack said: 'What are you, some kind of a nut?' -- somebody who's crazy. We can say nutty. In fact, the movie 'The Nutty Professor' means the crazy professor. 'Ah, but these are magic beans!' said the man, 'and that's no baloney!' And baloney, which is ... "

AA: "Processed meat."

SLANGMAN: "Processed meat. I was going to say it's a food, but it simply means in this case nonsense, 'that's baloney.' The man told Jack that if he planted the beans, by the next morning they'd grow up tall, tall, tall and reach the sky. Well, since Jack really didn't know beans about ...

SLANGMAN/RS: " ... beans!"

SLANGMAN: "If you don't know beans about something, it means you don't know anything about it. Well, he did agree, and took the beans, then ran home to tell his mother the good news. When his mother discovered what Jack had done, she turned beet red. Now a beet is a vegetable that is really deep red. She turned beet red and went bananas, and threw the beans out the window.

"When he woke up the next morning, to Jack's surprise, there was growing an enormous beanstalk. 'Hmm, I'll see where it goes,' thought Jack, and with that he stepped out of the window on to the beanstalk to climb up and up and up.

"In the distance, he could see a big castle. When he walked in, Jack tried to stay as cool as a cucumber -- which means very calm, very relaxed. Well, it was difficult to stay as cool as a cucumber, because sitting there at the table was a giant who was rather beefy."

AA: "A big guy."

SLANGMAN: "A big guy. Big and muscular, that's beefy. And the giant was definitely what you would call a tough cookie, a stubborn and strict person. The giant placed a goose on the table and said, 'Lay three eggs!' and out came three golden eggs!

"The giant took the eggs, and left the room. 'Wow!' thought Jack. 'If I borrow the goose, my mother and I will have no more money problems! This is going to be as easy as pie!' he thought. Which means something extremely easy to do, which is kind of strange because pie is not that easy to make. Have you ever tried to make a pie?"

AA: "That's true."

SLANGMAN: "So he climbed up the table and grabbed the goose. The giant came running after Jack. Jack quickly climbed all the way down the beanstalk, took an ax, and chopped it down. And that, my friends, is the whole enchilada."

RS: "Enchilada."

SLANGMAN: "That's a Mexican dish, meat and cheese, that's wrapped in a tortilla which is made of flour and water. 'The whole enchilada' -- that means that's the whole story."

AA: For more of a taste of how you can learn English with help from Slangman David Burke, you can visit his Web site: slangman.com. Ours here is voanews.com/wordmaster, and our e-mail address is word@voanews.com. With Rosanne Skirble, I'm Avi Arditti.

How to Keep Your Aging Brain Fit: Aerobics

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 05:49:51 GMT

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116364034566424589.html?mod=mostpop

Let's get the ball rolling before it's too late.