Pictures: Porpoises

Pictures: Crates

A crate with seams







A shipping crate

Pictures: Stately homes

An ancient stately home

Pictures: Signallers

A military signaller







This graph of a signaller looks mysteriously creepy.

Pictures: Airfields

An airfield







An army airfield

Pictures: Ridged helmets

A ridged Nazi helmet








A ridged Roman helmet

Pictures: Ridges

A ridge running to the mountain summit







Wow. This view of a ridge really puts people in awe.

Pictures: Dugouts

A captured German dugout







A battlefield dugout

Article: IN SEARCH OF THE REAL BILL GATES

IN SEARCH OF THE REAL BILL GATES

Thursday, Oct. 20, 2005 By WALTER ISAACSON

He's the most famous businessman in the world. Reams have been written about how he dominated the revolution in personal computing and is now poised to turn Microsoft into a media and Internet behemoth. But we know little about him as a person. What beliefs and values drive this man who, as much as anyone, will determine the way we look not only at computers but at ourselves and our world? Here's an intimate look at one of the most important minds and personalities of our era.

...


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http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1120657,00.html?iid=sphere-inline-bottom

Article: Bill Gates: PC Genius, Internet Fool

Bill Gates: PC Genius, Internet Fool

Sunday, Jun. 29, 2008 By JOSH QUITTNER

Robert Sorbo / Polaris



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http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1818989,00.html

Article: Kids: Watching What They Eat

Kids: Watching What They Eat

Thursday, Jun. 12, 2008 By JEREMY CAPLAN

Enlarge Photo

Jasmine Ledezma eats a small bowl of Lucky Charms with milk for breakfast.

Penny De Los Santos for TIME

The U.S. is a nation of dietary extremes: even as a third of American teens are overweight, more than a million others suffer from undereating disorders. But sandwiched between those who eat far too much and those who voluntarily eat too little are millions of American teens in the moderate middle. Because their eating habits are varied and so difficult to study, it's easy to lose track of what's on their menus--but it's worth trying to find out. In a few years, those teens will be making food decisions not just for themselves but also for their own kids.

...


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http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1813979,00.html

Audio: A (free) popular radio episode: TAL: What I Learned from Television

What I Learned from Television

Originally aired 03.16.2007




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http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1241

Article: How I Work: Bill Gates

How I Work: Bill Gates

Not much of a paper chase for Microsoft's chairman, who uses a range of digital tools to do business.

Bill Gates, chairman and chief software architect, Microsoft, U.S.A.

April 7, 2006: 5:17 PM EDT

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http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/30/news/newsmakers/gates_howiwork_fortune/

Article: Hong Kong Soars

Yes, Hong Kong is really good at the technology-enabled global supply chain managment. They've always been good commerce traders. Always.

Li & Fung = 利丰行

--double_take

Hong Kong Soars

Friday, Jan. 19, 2007 By MICHAEL SCHUMAN

Enlarge Photo

The Hong Kong skyline

Mike Clarke / AFP / Getty

...

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http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1580419,00.html

News story: China's At-Risk Factories

China's At-Risk Factories

Thursday, Apr. 17, 2008 By BILL POWELL

Overheated Chinese manufacturers, like this one in Baotou, face rising costs and fears of a global slowdown.

China Pix / Getty

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http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1731898-1,00.html

Short video: Cell Phone: The Ring Heard Around the World: Japan

(Oh, Japan has always been so in. --Alex Wang)

Article: World's hardest-working countries

World's hardest-working countries

South Korea and Greece top the OECD's list of the average number of hours people work a year

Last Updated: Thursday, May 29, 2008 | 9:03 AM ET Comments1Recommend5

By Parmy Olson Forbes

LONDON — If you thought you worked long hours, consider 39-year-old Lee from South Korea. A civil servant at the ministry of agriculture and fisheries, Lee gets up at 5:30 a.m. every day, gets dressed and makes a two-hour commute into Seoul to start work at 8:30 a.m. After sitting at a computer for most of the day, Lee typically gets out the door at 9 p.m., or even later.

By the time he gets home, it's just a matter of jumping in the shower and collapsing into bed, before starting the whole routine all over again, about four hours later.

This happens six days a week, and throughout almost all of the year, as Lee gets just three days of vacation.

That's right. Three days.

...

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http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2008/05/29/f-forbes-work.html

News story: Truckers strike worldwide

Learning English - Words in the News

13 June, 2008 - Published 10:59 GMT

Truckers strike worldwide

Thousands of lorry drivers around the world are on strike in protest at rising fuel prices. Protests are taking place in Spain, Malaysia, South Korea and the UK. In Argentina food retailers have warned of shortages due to disruption caused by truckers. This report from Jane Warr:

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2008/06/080613_truckers.shtml

Timeline: A recent history of Japan – from imperial empire to economic power

In Depth

Japan

A recent history of Japan – from imperial empire to economic power

Last Updated September 21, 2006

CBC News

1894-95

First Sino-Japanese War breaks out for control of Korea. More modern Japanese army wins easy victory over Chinese forces. Marks beginning of Japan as an imperial power.

1904-05

Russo-Japanese War. Japan attacks Russia in dispute over dominance of Korea and Manchuria. Japanese forces win several victories against Russia. War ended by Treaty of Portsmouth, which recognizes Japan as world power. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt agrees to let Japan control Korea in return for greater American access to the Philippines.

...

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http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/japan/index.html

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http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&q=Philippines&ll=13.068777,113.994141&spn=39.799499,76.640625&z=4

Pictures: Gunners

A U.S. Navy gunner with his large seafaring gun








Gunner's mates

Pictures: Yeomen

A woman yeoman








Yeomen at their desks

Pictures: Truck bodies

An average Joe truck body






Now you're talking truck body

Pictures: Armored cars

Soviet armored cars

Pictures - Truck cabs

A cool truck cab

An even cooler truck cab

Pictures: Transmissions

Pictures: Radiators

A truck radiator








Can't you see the big square radiator at the front of the yellow truck? It radiates charm.

Pictures: Brass

A brass instrument







Brass rods/bars

Pictures: Safe conducts

Pictures: Smash-ups

A smash-up of cars






A fancy smash-up

News story: Conservative Anglicans vow to fight 'false gospel' in liberal churches

Conservative Anglicans vow to fight 'false gospel' in liberal churches

Members set themselves apart, but reject formal split

Last Updated: Sunday, June 29, 2008 | 12:54 PM ET Comments73Recommend35

CBC News

Related

Video

CBC's Duncan McCue interview Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada (Runs: 5:39)

Play: Real Media »

Play: QuickTime »

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http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/06/29/anglicans.html

+

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

+

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


+


"


...

Anglicanism forms one of the branches of Western Christianity; having definitively declared its independence from the Roman pontiff at the time of the Elizabethan Religious Settlement. By the mid 17th century the Church of England (and associated episcopal churches in Ireland and in England's American colonies) came to be seen as comprising a distinct Christian tradition with theologies, structures and forms of worship representing a middle ground, or via media, between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.
"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglicanism

News story: Chinese protesters torch buildings over police handling of teen's death

Chinese protesters torch buildings over police handling of teen's death

Last Updated: Sunday, June 29, 2008 | 1:51 PM ET Comments9Recommend15

CBC News

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http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/06/29/china-protest.html?ref=rss

Short video: Personal Genome Project

6.27.2008 Personal Genome Project

(running time 3:30)

In this video dispatch, learn why George Church of Harvard Medical School hopes to recruit 100,000 people and sequence all of their DNA.

-->

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/dispatches/080627.html

Short videos: Google-Yahoo! Deal; etc.

Short videos:

Click:
"Google-Yahoo! Deal"
"Beach Party"
at:
http://www.forbes.com/video/?video=fvn/topstory/cw_ts062508



Also:
Best Business Countries
http://www.forbes.com/video/?video=fvn/business/jg_bizcountries062508

Article - 感悟时事英语 ——美英报刊导读读后

感悟时事英语 ——美英报刊导读读后
发表日期：2005年8月6日 【编辑录入：zcj】

前两天偶得周学艺的<美英报刊导读>(北京大学出版).阅之.傻了!呆了!早知道有这等宝贝,偶前面说得都是废话了!如何阅读外刊,如何选择外刊,如何利用工具,如何学习词汇,本书交代得清清楚楚.唉!真是悲之,喜之,叹之,恼之,悔之也. 周学艺的<美英报刊导读>可贵之处,不在于介绍什么是英语新闻,英语新闻怎么写,也不在于介绍美英报刊有哪些,而是周以自己数十年阅读外刊 的经验,手把手地指导初学者应该如何学习英语新闻.比如美国报刊比英国报刊更通俗,而美国报刊中以<新闻周刊>较浅显,<时代> 周刊最难,英国报刊中<经济学家>和<金融时报>用词都比较艰深, (Speaking of paper magazines, I like the Newsweek much more than the Time. On the other hand, The Economist from UK is not bad at all, but it's not North America oriented.        --double_take) 应先看美报再看英报.再进一步<阅读时代周刊>可 以先不看首页的社论或评论,可先看后面的报道.又比如看报纸,应先看事件报道,跟踪时事,再看相关评论,这样才不至于稀里糊涂,不知道社论/评论说的是哪 一桩哪一件.诸如此类初学者起步应该注意的问题,不厌其详,一一道来. 事实上,偶在阅读外刊时也注意到了英美报刊语言艰深的问 题,故而比较偏好先看美报再读英刊.而在报道与评论的阅读先后问题上,偶是在数次"撞墙"后才明白过来的.没想到周大人早已意识到这个问题并专门提了出 来.要是偶早发现这个宝贝也不至于如此备受煎熬.不过话又说回来,要不是偶偷懒,时不时中断学习,没有每天紧跟时事报道,也不至于一看评论就不知所云.这 点实在值得大　　伙引以为戒啊! 本书还专门辟一章节讲述阅读美英报刊应该准备的工具书.阅读外刊,并非仅靠一本英语词典就可以打 遍天下无敌手的,这点,偶在前几集都有提及.而看懂外刊也绝对不是什么英专才能搞定的事情,更不是一味地无目的的扩大词汇量,或者无意识地扩大阅读就能应 付得过来的.想,周乃上世纪五十年代北大西语系毕业生,后任北大英语系副教授,而他初次接触外刊时也是云里雾里,一团浆糊的,所以尔等实在不必为自己现在 还不能读书看报而羞愧,关键是要坚持不懈,借鉴别人的经验,摸索出自己的办法. Genuine knowledge comes from pratctice.这是昨天翻看钟述孔的<适应口译手册>时,作者强调的一句话. 读书看报,不是认得几个字就可以 明白说的是怎么一回事的.相关的背景知识是极其重要,甚至可以说是致命的.与其他同类书不同之处还在于,周从个人学习外刊的经验出发,简单而有针对性地介 绍了阅读美英报刊所需要的一些基本知识.而作者并不是为介绍而介绍,而是时时刻刻惦记着读者的需要,从常见的阅读障碍出发,一一讲解相关的词汇背景. 最值得一提的是,作者在阅读外刊路上磕磕绊绊地走来,深之阅读外刊的难处所在,故专门辟一章节,谓之"学习方法",引导初学者少走弯路,少跌跤.这一 点,绝对是同类书中没有的,对于一个初学者来说又是绝对不可或缺的指路棒.试想,作者如果不是轻身体验过其中甘苦,又怎能如此细心周到,"体察民情"?这其中最让偶欣喜的是,作者以季羡林学习外语为例,强调实践出真理.在偶所有关于季羡林的藏书中,最吸引偶的也是季老学习德语的"游泳"学习法.因为德语目 前还是偶心中"永远的痛".没想到吾道不孤,关于此道竟与偶像不谋而合,其中之惊喜难以言语. 本书作者还提出了一个重要的观点: 看外刊,既要"读"得进去,又要"跳"得出来.也就是,绝对不能为"读"而"读",绝对不能让自己的思维被别人牵着走.具体说来就是要知道写文章的人为什 么说这番话,他是代表哪个政党的.虽说,新闻报道要客观公正,但是字里行间还是可以看出作者的政治趋向,个人倾向的,反映在字面上上就是褒贬词语的灵活运 用.关于这点,偶一向佩服<参考消息>标题写作.在前面的内容里,偶曾说过要学习一眼就明了作者意图的本事,现在周大侠说的就是这么一回事. 偶曾数次提到要谈论英汉,英英词典.在过去的帖子中也提到阅读外刊最好的词典是朗文当代英英词典,因为本词典重在"当代"二字.没想到,本词典亦是周学艺推崇之物.现摘抄其中"广告"内容以作例证: "Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English",......收词多.其特点是释义新,尤其是英美报刊上常出现的一些抽象名词,其释义很有针对性,列出许多引申词义.......不仅 如此,Longman的另一个特点是列出许多其他词典所没有的习语或短语......Longman释义用字浅显易懂;释文详尽,......美中不足就 是没有列出词源." 事实证明,Genuine knowledge comes from practice,偶在阅读外刊中的许多经验和教训在本书中一一得到验证,看来偶并没有走错路,剩下的就是Practice makes perfect 和 No pains, no gains 的问题了.

P.S.: This article was originally copied from http://cetr.bjtu.org/ReadNews.asp?NewsID=726 . But the domain name isn't in existence any longer. Sigh. Websites come, and websites go.

Article - 交美国朋友?

交美国朋友？
作者：　　编辑：　　时间：2005-08-09


"在很多人眼中，来美12年的加林已经成功地进入了所谓的美国主流社会，他在著名的大公司里靠实力拿着一份比大多数美国人都优厚得多的高薪。然而多年来，他却并没有交到一个能说得上话的美国朋友，而所谓 "主流 "的生活，又使他失去了大量的中国朋友。在中国人的聚会上，加林时常独坐向隅，成了抑郁的边缘人。

...

不可超越的玻璃顶

　　前途焦虑、分离焦虑、跨文化差异等种种因素，是导致新移民产生抑郁情绪的原因。 心理专家指出，在各种原因中，最难解决的是跨文化差异所导致的文化适应问题。

　　对移居西方国家中国人来说，文化适应问题显得尤为艰巨。

　　从语言上，分属汉藏语系的中文和印欧语系的英文背后所承载的文化信息有着巨大的差异，对于中国移民来说，语言障碍永远存在。

　　在生活方式上，美国可能比欧洲更令中国人压抑。美国总体上是清教徒的文化，社交活动通常以家庭为单位，平常没有什么夜生活，人际交往淡漠。中国移民的业余生活极其单调。那种" 晚上十点还有朋友招呼出去吃饭"的中国式交际，成为很多移民的社交奢望。

　　中国文化是一种底蕴深厚的强势文化，在许多人的体会中，离开祖国后，中国的文化才在他们身上显示出深厚持久的影响力量。这种影响，年龄越大的人越无法摆脱。一些中年移民的中国人，后来完全是 "看在孩子的份上"才坚持留在美国的。

　　表面上，大多数的抑郁总是这样那样的实际问题引起的，如工作、学习、感情等。但很多实际问题归根结底仍然是文化问题。

　　美国加州科技大学教授丁子江认为：文化的最深层困惑，是思维方式的困惑。它根深蒂固地影响着海外的中国移民，像一个魔咒，左右着他们的行为方式。

　　丁子江认为，在美国，中国人几乎无法从事管理层的工作，只能作为职业机器的零件而存在。究其原因，根本上还是文化障碍；同时，中国的教育方法决定了中国人才的思维方法比较不具有创造性，因此在技术和研究领域，也很难取得真正的成就。

...

　　许天红认为，二十几年的出国潮中，出国人员已经换了几代，而每代人的人格背景迥然不同。

　　人格的完善是由社会造就的，如上世纪70 年代末80年代初出国的第一代人中，很多都是有插队背景的老三届。这些人吃过苦，生活和心灵上长达 10 年的孤独磨砺，使他们能在异乡的土地上忍辱负重，白手起家。对他们来说，国外再难，也不过是再来一次 "洋插队"。 而相比之下，现在出国人的物质条件好了， 心理素质却普遍比不上第一代人，尤其是近两年来由父母筹资送出国的小留学生。这些人出国的心理准备最差，也最容易为抑郁袭击。

　　1993 年，中央提出了"支持留学、鼓励回国、来去自由 "的方针，国家教委公布了《关于自费出国留学有关问题的通知》。留学咨询专家徐小平认为，以90 年代中期作为分界，之前出国留学用的是别人的钱，回国愿望不强；而之后很多人出国用的是自己的钱，回国愿望很强烈。

　　以前在中国人心中，美国是金钱圣地，到处是发财机会，所以到了那里的中国人的姿态很低，对生活要求不高。看在美金和能学习先进制度的面子上，精 神需求方面就不讲究那么多了。现在，这些人在国内也能挣不少钱，再出国是为了寻求自我完善。所以格外重视生活的各方面质量。在此情况下，精神空虚就再也受 不了，他们觉得这会使自己的生活质量下降得很厉害，而能赚到的美元不足以弥补自己遭受的损失。

...

　　对于吃着麦当劳、听着摇滚乐长大的小留学生来说，他们的抑郁看起来更让人无法理解。我们总以为，在他们成长过程中，西方文化的影响似乎比中国文化更大。加州科技大学教授丁子江分析其中原因时表示：表层的了解无法解决真正的融合 。麦当劳、摇滚乐等只是大众消费文化，是很容易模仿的、很表面的文化。 当你真正置身西方文化中时发现，你无法与这个文化的魂魄产生真正的共鸣，所以骨子里还是原来的一套。而且，在表层文化下面还有很多不很显性的亚文化，如美国的青少年文化，外国人就更摸不着边际。

　　互联网可能是另一把双刃剑。和国外亲友经常保持联系的人会发现，虽然远隔万里之遥，他们对国内发生的各种大事小情无不了如指掌，上到政府换届， 下到歌星绯闻，甚至某孕妇自行剖腹产子之类的社会新闻。对此，他们不仅有了解的渴望，而且有追踪的热情，这种热情远超于他们对美国总统大选的关注。心理医 生指出，沉溺互联网上祖国的八卦新闻，是一种危险的标志，这说明：你对所在国的文化开始逃避了。

　　抑郁至此，何以解忧？

　　" 我觉得我已经适应了。这种感觉就像一个人突然失明时，一定会痛不欲生，异常恐慌。但时间长了，当他意识到自己再也不可能复明的时候，只有慢慢 地习惯，学着适应生活，在黑暗的天地里做一些盲人能做的事 "，" 永远不可能游刃有余。离开了原来完全不同的文化，就意味着生活的残缺，" ；"身残志坚的人 很多。" 不只一个在陌生文化中坚强生存的华人新移民提到了失明或残缺的感觉，他们告诉《中国新闻周刊》，承认残缺，正视心底深处的恐惧，是开始适应的第一步。

　　很多华人新移民信教了。在某种程度上，教会充当了这些人的社会支持系统，而上帝扮演了懂华文的心理医生的角色。同仁医院心理医生许天红指出，有坚固的社会支持系统或能够有效建立新的社会支持系统的华人新移民，出现抑郁的几率很低。

　　许天红制作了一个海外华人生存的人际圈模式：这个模式的核心是配偶或情人对海外生存者而言，最幸运的事是拥有一个同心同德、擅长沟通的生活伴 侣；接下来是同在一国的亲戚、朋友(主要是来自祖国的同学 )；再外圈，是同事，这个圈子主要由生存国家的本地人组成，虽然心理上不能依赖，但工作上可以相 互支撑。这个圈子很重要，需要投入大量的精力、财力去刻意经营；而最外面一层，是国内的亲友，这是海外生存者的大后方。

"

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http://www.usastudynews.com/data/life/10237.htm

I recommend to you two superb and authoritative English dictionaries

Friends, I've got two reputable and fantastic English-English dictionaries to share with you:

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
(This one is one of the best English dictionary series in Britain. I bought two around 3 years ago at about $50 each. I think they've started to offer it for free online recently.)

Merriam-Webster Dictionary
(This one is the best dictionary in the USA. I bought one at around $45 roughly 3 years ago. It's free on the internet.)

My impression tells that another well-known dictionary, Longman, is less popular in the USA and Britain.

The Webster one is just a complement to the Oxford one for me. Mostly I use the Oxford.

Don't forget, if you're still making use of some English-Chinese dictionaries to some extent, throw them away and bring in the English-English ones.

Article: A War Worth Fighting

A War Worth Fighting

Revisionists say that World War II was unnecessary. They're wrong.

By Christopher Hitchens | NEWSWEEK

Jun 23, 2008 Issue

http://www.newsweek.com/id/141501

News story: Bill Gates steps down

27 June, 2008 - Published 10:15 GMT

Gates steps down

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2008/06/080627_gates.shtml

Article on the web - The Mythology of Munich

For your information:
Hitler = 希特勒
Chamberlain = 张伯伦
Winston Churchill = 丘吉尔

CAMPAIGN 2008

The Mythology of Munich

Chamberlain's deal with Hitler has become shorthand for naive, weak leadership. But governing by analogy can be a mistake, too.

Bettmann-Corbis

Nuremberg, 1936: The evil of Nazism should have been plain, but not every enemy today is another Hitler

By Evan Thomas | NEWSWEEK

Jun 23, 2008 Issue



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Continued at:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/141502