Webheads chat logs from October 1, 2000

Meet the people in the chat today


Vance	Maggi	Michael	John	Moral
UAE	Germany	Australia	Puerto Rico	China

and Zoli from Hungary; Sophie sent her apologies ...

First we head that the hurricane nearing Puerto Rico was downgraded to a tropical storm and wouldn't be devastating the island after all. Some of us had just watched the closing ceremonies of the Olympics, and China has just started 7 days of National Day celebrations. Vance was having an operation Tuesday and explained about arthroscopic surgery. And we talked about elections in the USA and China.

Then we talked about ways to learn English online and how difficult it is to understand news broadcasts. So we all went to ABC News web page at http://abcnews.go.com/ and listened to a broadcast and talked a little about what we heard. Moral was going to find a broadcast for all of us to listen to. Zoli mentioned http://www.eviews.net as a good source of spoken English. Webheads can go to these sites, tell each other what they are interested in listening to, and we can all discuss what we hear and help each other to understand the spoken English.

Hear Me text chat logs

[Because Moral was participating in text mode only, no sound or voice, the text chat log was rich with interaction. Where annotation has been necessary, the comments in italics and in brackets are Vance's]

Maggi has joined

John has joined

Michael has joined

Status: Connected

Vance has joined

Maggi: Hi Vance---

[Vance has said he is glad to hear that the hurricane nearing Puerto Rico was downgraded to a tropical storm and won't be devestating the island after all]

John: Very good news. Greetings, Vance. Sorry, but my mike doesn't seem to be working. I can hear, but not speak.

Michael: lol

John: Thanks for telling him, Michael. Tropical systems start as a wave, then a depression, then a storm, then a hurricane.

Michael: Ying lan hasn't been here.

John: I had to leave the palace because of noise.

Vance: noise?

John: the Palace seems to make my speakers sound like a UFO.

Michael: lol

John: I had that same problem, so I put in a second phone line.

Michael: Great Maggi!

Michael: Rafael?

Moral has joined

Michael: Hello Moral!

Michael: Niced to see you.

Moral: hi there!

John: Hello, Moral. I can hear, but not speak.

Vance: Hi Moral, did you hear that?

Maggi: Hi Moral

Moral: nice to see you too mike

Moral: i can nor hear as usual.

Vance: Michael wants to know if you can haer us

Vance: ok, then we'll chat in text

Vance: How are you?

Vance: China is in the news today

Moral: fine. thanks.

Michael: What did China do today? (apart from the Olympics)

John: How is China in the News?

Moral: for olympic games?

John: Oh, they won a medal?

Michael: China wpn lots of medals, but I dont; know if this what V is referring to.....'

Maggi: they did

Vance: I'

John has left

Vance: Sorry, I've just had a message from Zoli on ICQ, remember him?

Moral: chins got 28 golden medals.

Vance: How many did the USA get?

Michael: Lots! Do you know how many Moral?

Moral: i don't remember.

Moral: about 38 or more.

Michael: I'll check....

Vance: I'm sending messages to Zoli. He might join us.

Michael: 39!

Moral: Vance, you didn't watch the games?

Maggi: time is bad here

Michael: And Russia 32.

Vance: I watched some times but I didn't count the medals

Guest460 has joined

Maggi: I don't think the number of medals should be important

Guest460: hello guys

Michael: Zoli?

Maggi: hi 460

Guest460: yeah. how can i change my name?

Vance: Could that be Zoli?

Maggi: hit options

Guest460 has left

zoli has joined

Vance: Good, you got it. Excellent

Michael: That was quick!

Moral: hi zoli!

zoli: okay, i found it.

Vance: I just said Hi and so did Maggi.

[Vance is writing down some of what people say so that Moral can follow the conversation. Zoli is able to hear and speak fine using the Hear Me client]

Vance: Zoli can hear ok. He's from Hungary.

Moral: do you know today is china's national day?

Vance: That's actually why China is in the news today

Maggi: A big holiday?

Michael: Aha!

Michael: So is it a big holiday today?

Moral: yes maggi. 7 days.

Michael: (snap maggi)

John has joined

Maggi: now that's a holiday!

Vance: Hi John.

Maggi: LOL

Moral: hi again john!

John: sorry, I lost all my connections for a while there. Had to reconnect.

Maggi: sh.. happens

Vance: Zoli says he watched the closing Olympics ceremony

Vance: and so did Michael

Vance: There were a lot of fireworks

Michael: The biggest firework show in history!

Vance: Maggi is going to watch the reruns

Moral: so did me.

John: First time I was unable to reconnect for such a long time. Neither server wanted to answer me.

Vance: And zoli watched it on TV

Vance: So did I

[Vance didn't see the ceremony; here he is correcting Moral's grammar]

Vance: Actually, I didn't see it, I was at work

Maggi: I haven't turned on the TV in ages

John: I didn't see it, either.

Vance: And at the doctor's

zoli: yeah, the opening and the closing ceremony were fantastic

Vance: For my knee

Vance: Yep

John: I hope it wasn't anything serious, Vance.

Vance: I'm going to have arthroscopic surgury Tuesday

Vance: I go there, sleep all day, and wake up with a well knee

Michael: lol

John: Oh.

Vance: It's keyhole surgery

John: Same question as Maggi.

Vance: Hey, they're not German doctors, I should be ok

Maggi: where's the keyhole=?

zoli: i was at the doctor too. i have piles. it's not a good feeling.

Vance: ohh, that's worse

Maggi: not nice, no

zoli: yeah.the examination is even worse

Vance: For arthroscopic surgery they insert an optical device in one keyhole ..

John: I've had them. Not fun at all.

Vance: and instruments in another

John: OK, I think I get it now.

Maggi: where is the keyhole?

Vance: The keyhole is a drilled through the knee while I'm asleep

Michael: in the door in V;'s knee!

Moral: what is arthroscopic surgery.

Vance: An arthroscope is an optical device with its own light source

Maggi: and what will they do while they are in the keyhole?

Vance: The doctor puts it into the knee and can see what it's looking at on a tv screen

Michael: unlock V's knee!

Maggi: LOL

Vance: That's it. Best part is I can sleep all day

zoli: did you dare to watch the screen, vance.

Moral: i got it. thanks.

Vance: No need. I'll be asleep. Unconscious.

zoli: what did you ask, michael. the sound was broken.

Vance: I'm really looking forward to that.

zoli: actually it's always broken.

John: Maybe you can have it video-taped.

Michael: great idea!

Vance: Funny you should say that John

Moral: what's wrong with your knee vance?

Vance: It actually will be taped and I get a copy

Vance: It's a tear in my miniscus cartilege

John: Actually, everybody's voice is breaking up.

John: It doesn't sound like fun.

Vance: I like to run. I haven

Michael: And you can put the tape of the operation on the Webheads website!

Vance: haven't been able to run since April

Maggi: and did they yell at you for not coming in sooner?

Vance: Yeah, Michael, good idea

Vance: No, they don't do that here Maggi

Vance: Only in Germany

Michael: Er...I thought I was joking!

Maggi: they should

Moral: miniscus cartilege?

Vance: Well, surgery is a last resort

John: Actually, Michael, it sounds like a good idea.

Vance: That's right Moral, medial miniscus

Michael: Would make agreat English lesson.

John: Any future MDs here?

Vance: It's the cartilege in the knee between the two main leg bones

Maggi: and sometimes surgery is necessary

Maggi: I learned the hard way

Moral: i don't know what is that vance.

Vance: It is in my case. I'm convinced.

Michael: I gotta go - work to do! (other work)

zoli: have a good week to you too

John: Nice seeing you again, Michael. Thanks.

Maggi: Think if you went sooner

Vance: The cartilege behind the knee cap Moral

Moral: bye michael.

zoli: bye michael

Michael: Bye all

Vance: DId you talk about anything interesting in the Palace Moral?

John: What I heard. Well, yes I think it was. After all, what is language learning except talking about trivialities?

Michael has left

Moral: I haven't yet Vance.

Vance: You haven't what, Moral /?

zoli: i think it's better if you write. :) i hardly hear anything.

Vance: OK, it's better for Moral too

John: My best classes have been where we took a topic that was interesting to some of the students, and talked about it.

Vance: I think all our classes are like that. You can talk about anything you like here.

John: So it isn't philosophically profound, or linguistically oriented, it helps communication.

zoli: imagine guys, i have a british friend. i met him on icq. he's learning my language, hungarian and i help him.

John: That's what I like about them.

Vance: That's interesting Zoli.

Maggi: my son is in Italy now

Vance: Is he planning to come to Hungary?

John: Sounds fun. I'm looking for another language to learn (I know English and Spanish).

Maggi: or rather waiting at the border to get through

zoli: yeah. we send each other's sound files (mp3). he records his sentences in english, and i in hungarian.

zoli: i'm learning spanish, john.

Vance: You could learn Hungarian from Zoli, John.

Vance: Hungarian is a baffling language I think, like Finnish.

zoli: yeah, vance. he wants to be an english teacher here.

John: Do you want any help, Zoli?

zoli: what does baffling mean?

Maggi: they are related

zoli: yeah, john. it would be great.

Vance: I knew an English teacher at the British Council in Budapest. In fact, they invited me there to give a talk.

Vance: Baffling means totally confusing

zoli: i go to the british counsil's library.

John: Let me know when, where, and how you want it.

Vance: Like in Romania, you can understand Romanian because it's latin based

Vance: But I can make no sense of Hungarian. It baffles me.

zoli: thanks, vance. my language is one of the most difficult ones.

zoli: there are many irregular verbs and stuff.

John: That is what I have heard.'

Vance: I think so. And Hungarian girls are among the most beautiful, which is frustrating when you can't speak the language.

John: But it gives you a reason to learn it.

zoli: yeah, vance :) luckily i can talk to them. :)

Vance: Lucky you!

John: I told my daughters that, if they REALLY want to learn English, find a English speaking boyfriend.

John: They didn't pay attention to me though.

zoli: yeah, that's the easiest way, john. :)

Vance: But that is the easiest way. Truly.

Maggi: kids are like that

Vance: How old are your daughters?

John: Yes, kids are like that. Imagine, two teachers in the family, and none studied education

zoli: that's interesting. :) and what do they teach?

Maggi: I didn't either

John: My daughters are 27, 25, and 21. My granddaughter is 2years and 3 months

John: My wife is a retired ESL teachers, and I teach ESL in the University.

zoli: i also want to teach in the future.

John: One daughter is an Accountant, one is a Tour guide, and one is studying Civil Engineering.

Maggi: I have a degree in Business

John: What do you want to teach, Zoli?

John: My accountant daughter has a degree in Human Resource Management, and my Tour Guide daughter has one in Marketing.

zoli: i'd like to teach english. now i'm attending an english course where i'm learning advanced english

zoli: i have to increase my vocabulary and improve my spoken english

John: Good luck. I think the best decision I made was to become a teacher.

Maggi: me too

Maggi: I love it

zoli: yeah, the only problem can be those nasty students. :)

John: Worst decision I ever made was to go into administration.

Vance: I love it so much I do it online. I don't teach any more in real life, except scuba diving

John: Vance, you are an administrator, right?

zoli: yeah, i can watch cnn and travel channel. but they speak so fast i can understand only a few words.

Vance: I manage computer assisted language learning at a language center in Abu Dhabi

John: Zoli, it is practice like that that will help you learn more.

John: I spent 6-7 years as a Department chair. Best thing I did was get out of that.

Vance: We could all go to CNN's web site and pick a broadcast and talk about what they say. Do you want to do that?

zoli: yeah, i know john. and i go to conversational clubs too sometimes.

Vance: Can you reach CNN Moral?

zoli: i thought that it would be a great idea to record a program and then to download the transcript for it.

Moral: no vance.

John: You can sign up for CNN headline news, also. They send you a summary every day and you can pick out the story you want to read/hear.

zoli: once i was subscribed to that mailing list.

Maggi: I get it for teachers

John: Actually, I've got so much to do that I just delete it, now.

Maggi: CNN Newsroom

Vance: Can you get any news broadcast in English on teh web Moral?

Vance: on the web?

Moral: i usually read news online, not hear.

zoli: hey guys, i know another great way to improve spoken english. there's a site called www.eviews.net where you can download interviews. unfortunately, however, you can pay for the transcript.

Maggi: I use it because they are easier to understand than the British Sky channel

Moral: i subscribed abc news.

Maggi: eviews is free

zoli: i also read a lot.

Vance: Can you reach the ABC news website?

John: What news do you read, Zoli?

Moral: yed i can.

zoli: yeah, the soundfile is free, but the text isn't free.

Vance: Eviews is good, but I'm looking for a place with news broadcasts that Moral can reach.

Maggi: I get them free

zoli: i read english book that i buy a second hand bookshop.

John: Have you tried Randalls Cyber Listening lab?

zoli: maggi, you could send me the texts then. :)

Vance: I just found http://abcnews.go.com/. Can you reach that one Moral?

zoli: yeah, i've tried that too. it's really great.

Maggi: tell me which ones

zoli: okay, i'll check what i have and i'll tell it to you.

Vance: I think that one of the hardest things to understand in a foreign language is the media

Moral: i'll try.

zoli: there's one about teaching kids. it was the last week's interview

Vance: The messages are given in concise efficient packages

Vance: little redundancy, nuance

Vance: But I think you can train yourself to understand it

John: That's the problem, Vance.

Maggi: I can check the archive...

Vance: It helps to have a teacher explain, to decode

zoli: yeah, vance. in the news the jounalist write very complexx sentences.

Maggi: Zoli...send them as email attachment?

Vance: I have a brilliant 30 second commercial in Arabic I captured off the radio here

Vance: It's spoken FAST and you can't understand it

John: Much of my Spanish was learned by watching Spanish language broadcasts.

zoli: yeah, you can send them in that way. i hope the .doc files aren't that big

Vance: But all the announcer says is visit 501 with main branch in Abu Dhabi and outlets in Dubai and Al Ain

Maggi: your email address?

zoli: John, aren't you Spanish?

Vance: Once you understand the message, then you slap your forehead

zoli: writing@freemail.hu

John: No, I'm an American who has lived in a Spanish speaking country (Puerto Rico) for the past 30+ years.

Vance: You can get all our email addresses at the webheads site

zoli: i have about 4 e-mail addresses :)

Vance: So Moral, did you reach the site? ABC?

John: So, you have that habit too.

Moral: yed vance. but a little slowly.

Moral: yes

Vance: Would you like to pick a broadcast we can listen to?

Vance: Anything you are interested in?

Vance: I get confused on the web between American Broadcastign Company ABC and Australian BC

Maggi: I only have one..same one for over 5 yrs.

Moral: vance, what's the difference between it and www.abc.net.au?

zoli: only one e-mail address? :)

Maggi: yep

Vance: That would be the Australian one

Vance: Either is fine.

zoli: i went to abc.go.com

Vance: Are you at http://abcnews.go.com/ or abc.net.au?

John: So did I.

zoli: is that okay?

Vance: Ok, the task is to pick a broadcast, we all listen, and we help you understand it

zoli: i'm downloading the page now.

Vance: Ying Lan would like this kind of game.

Vance: OK, let me know when you've found a broadcast we can listen to.

Moral: i am at abcnews.go.com

Vance: Better if Moral picks it in case he can't reach them all.

Vance: ok, we're at the same place.

Moral: good ideal. vance. i am trying.

Vance: I see for example, missed the news tonight? Listen now ...

zoli: yeah, i chose that one too.

Vance: Now I'm listening to it.

Vance: On world news

Vance: the high price of energy and presidential ...

John: I'm still downloading it.

Vance: what ever happened to energy conservation

zoli: me too

Vance: presidential politics I think it said earlier

Vance: Can you hear it Moral?

Moral: i got a bandwidth problem vance.

zoli: goverment, investigation, energy

Vance: I understand ...

John: I keep getting a "cannot connect to server" problem.

Moral: the server says my bandwidth is not fast enough.

zoli: oil

Vance: There's information on what you can hear at http://abcnews.go.com/onair/worldnewstonight/WorldNewsTonightIndex.html

Vance: Anyway Zoli, or Moral if you can connect during easy access time ...

Vance: You can listen to something like that and ask a question about it and we can listen to the same thing and explain it.

zoli: i can hear the story.

Vance: After a while you might find it easier to understand news in general, that kind of broadcast

Vance: Which one are you listening to?

zoli: world news tonight

zoli: about oil

Vance: I mean, which story? First it was the headlines ..

Moral: thanks vance. i think i can choose a site i can use.

Vance: ok.let me listen .. do you understand it?

zoli: i'm listening to the second story now.

Vance: You can't get it John?

Moral: i'll try it.

Vance: If you find a site you can use Moral, we can all visit it. You could send the url to efiwebheads@egroups.com

John: I'm getting it now, but very slowly. I get part of a story and then have to wait for a little more to download.

Vance: I'm listening to the first story now from abc world headquarters in New York

Vance: The price of oil and energy policy are topic of debate between Bush and Gore

Moral: ok vance.

Vance: Bush blames Clinton, Gore blames the oil companies

zoli: yeah, i've listened to that one too.

Vance: ABC News says both are true

Vance: Bush wants tax cuts for producers (naturally)

Vance: Interesting, I didn't even know they were debating

Vance: If you want to do this, you have to find one topic. The debate one is long and complicated. But it does have an argument.

Moral: vance, can you vote for the president of the us when you are overseas.

Moral: ?

Vance: Yes I can. I can vote at my embassy.

Vance: I'll be voting for Gore. You, John?

John: I live in an American territory, and I can't vote for president.

Vance: Really!!?

John: Yes. You have to be registered in one of the 50 states or in DC. No resident of a territory can vote.

Vance: Another brand of firestone tire may have been responsible for two deaths.

John: I read that this morning.

John: Good thing I'm not using Firestone.

Vance: I didn't know that. So you're not registered in a state? I hope you don't have to pay high income taxes if you don't get to vote.

Vance: No taxation without representation!

John: We don't pay Federal taxes, but we do pay a high local tax.

Vance: At least you vote in local elections

John: There is a movement here to get the presidential vote extended to the territories.

zoli: sorry guys, but i have to go. it was great to talk to you all. and john, i'll take you on your word. when i have problems with spanish i'll ask your help. :)

Maggi: I can't vote anywhere

John: Local elections include the governor on down plus a resident commisioner in Washington.

Maggi: bye Zoli

Vance: You can also get help from Rafael or Gloria or Antonio in Webheads.

John: Zoli, when you want help. just let me know. john@jhsteele.com

Moral: bye zoli.

John: bye Zoli.

Vance: OK Zoli. Nice to see you again. Come back next Sunday.

zoli: see you all

Vance: Listening to Israelis shoot Palestinians now. SIck.

zoli: yeah, i'll be here next week. have a good week. and thanks john.

Vance: bye, see you later

zoli has left

John: Vance, when I moved to Puerto Rico I had to choose a residency. Since I couldn't remain registered in Missouri unless I was living there, I selected PR.

Vance: Probably a good idea. I'm from Texas. No state income tax.

John: I would have to pay local taxes and Federal taxes (and Missouri taxes) if I stayed registered in Missouri.

Maggi: I pay German taxes

Vance: Not a good deal. Do you have to pay taxes in China Moral?

John: I just pay one tax (Income tax) -- but I'm in the 35% bracket.

Vance: wheww!

Moral: yes, i pay a little.

Maggi: I'm in a higher bracket

John: And I'm not in the highest bracket.

Vance: I don't pay much at all. No Texas state taxes, no UAE taxes, and almost no USA income tax because I live overseas.

Maggi: nice

Moral: we pay a little income tax when the salaried above a limitation.

Vance: Do you have any elections there?

John: Well, I hear my granddaughter calling me. gotta go. I'll see you all next week.

Maggi: bye John

Moral: yes. at least they let me do.

Vance: OK John. Keep in touch. Maybe Moral would be interested in your project.

Moral: i mean we elect our representors.

John has left

Vance: To the assembly in Beijing?

Maggi: representatives

Moral: and they elect some.

Moral: yed vance.

Moral: yes

Vance: I'm listening to a story from Sierra Leone

Moral: even hongkong people have their representives.

Vance: A rebel group committed war crimes and photographed them

Vance: They kept an elder as a slave laborer

Maggi: yuk

Vance: one night their camp was bombed

Vance: the elder escaped with pictures

Moral: But frankly i don't believe in democracy in china.

Vance: He kept them for 7 years

Vance: Why not Moral?

Maggi: why not Moral?

Moral: i haven't voted for years.

Maggi: toomany people?

Moral: no

Vance: You mean, you don't think the system is really democratic, so you don't vote?

Moral: we have only one candidate mostly.

Maggi: voting doesn't change anything?

Moral: yes vance i do.

Maggi: that is not democracy

Moral: voting hasn't changed anything.

Maggi: then it is a farce

Vance: Do you mean, yes, you don't?

Moral: for example, we have only one candidate for president so far.

Maggi: that is not a choice

Moral: yes vance. a language difference between chinese and english.

Vance: But if there were two candidates, then do you think it would be a good thing to have elections?

Vance: I ask because some people think their countries cannot be ruled by democracy

Moral: yes. at least it will be better.

Vance: Too many political parties, no focus, strong leader is needed (that's the argument)

Moral: we dont elect for our leader.

Maggi: or they don't want to give up control and power

Moral: our representives do it.

Maggi: but do they Moral?

Moral: yed, you are right maggi.

Moral: no, i don't think so.

Moral: but i think it is positive after hongkong and macau people can join it.

Vance: I doubt if this will change.

Moral: i count on it.

Maggi: you never know Vance

Vance: The reason China is in the news is the roundup of Fallungong people in Tianenmen Square during national day celebrations today

Moral: i knew it vance.

Maggi: and they just keep coming...

Moral: we did it in 1989.

Moral: when i was in university.

Moral: but failed.

Moral: well, should we go now?

Maggi: it is only a mater of time and momentum

Maggi: matter

Moral: yes i think time can make thingd better.

Moral: things.

Moral: well i am leaving now. have a good week vance and maggi.

Maggi: you too!

Moral: bye both of you!

Maggi: bye Moral

Vance: I just got back from the toilet

Vance: OK, nice to see you again Moral.

Maggi: sweet dreams Moral ^.^

Vance: Find a news broadcase we can listen to and we'll help you understand it.

Moral: thanks.

Vance: broadcast

Moral: ok

Vance: ok, bye. I've got to go too.

Moral has left

Status: Disconnected

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Webheads chat logs from October 1, 2000

Last updated: October 3, 2000 in Hot Metal Pro 6.0