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Chat with students Ying-Lan from Taiwan, and teachers Michael C, MAD Maggi, and Vance

July 4, 1999

Connecting to efi.virtualscholar.com:9998

Connected via TCP

*** Welcome to Virtual School House Vance!

Vance: @64,64 !It's Vance

Ying-Lan: hi Vance

Maggi: IHi Vance

Vance: Hi all

Maggi: It rained cats and dogs last night...

Ying-Lan: ^Like dogs and cats

Vance: did it?

Maggi: the sun is shining but it is very humid.

Maggi: sure did

Ying-Lan: ^It will be better after raining.

Maggi: after it rains....not before

Vance: like cats and dogs, YL. Has to be in that order.

Ying-Lan: ^I like it...

Maggi: in the meantime I just sweat.

Ying-Lan: Yes, ....

Vance: It's almost 50 degrees out in Abu Dhabi, but inside it's always comfortable.

Maggi: which fell first ....the cat or the dog...does it make a difference?

Ying-Lan: ^Ac..

Maggi: I don't have ac

Vance: Absolutely. This is how words collocate (go together) in English.

Ying-Lan: Really???

Vance: ac = airconditioning

Maggi: ok...so the cat always fell first...maybe because they are smaller and lighter.

Maggi: ac is lots shorter.

Vance: Yes, there are many words that can only be said in a certain order

Ying-Lan: ^Maggi, you don't have the air conditions in your house.

Vance: like "sink or swim" ... "hit and miss" etc.

Maggi: no, Ying...

Maggi: not worth it for the short time we need it.

Ying-Lan: It is cold in winter... do you have a hit?

Maggi: But I know where all the meeting rooms are that have it, so I can at least teach in comfort.

Maggi: heater?

Ying-Lan: Sorry,,, I am bad the the order of words.

Ying-Lan: yes, it is heate.

Maggi: can't live without heat in the winter here.

Vance: In Abu Dhabi there is no need for heaters.

Maggi: saves you money then Vance.

Ying-Lan: ^Vance, there is no winter in UAE....

Vance: It is very pleasant here about 9 months of the year, no real winter.

Maggi: Maybe I should visit you for the New Year :-)

Vance: Yes, why not?

Maggi: Because if the elctricity goes...brrrr

Ying-Lan: Because it is very cold in Germiny in the vacation of NEW YEAR.

Maggi: actually I was thinking more of what might happen with the Y2K problem.

Ying-Lan: y2k... BIG PROBLEM!

Maggi: They tested the electricity in Hannover and it didn't work.

Ying-Lan: Do you think the world will be destroyed by Y@K?

Maggi: we are all connected to the same net.

Vance: I think the world will be inconvenienced by Y2K

Ying-Lan: y2k?

Maggi: no, I doubt that Ying...

Maggi: ...but it could be a mess for awile.

Maggi: awhile

Vance: How do I get rid of my old avatar??

Maggi: press naked

Vance: yeek, I'm naked

Maggi: pick another

Maggi: ooooo

Vance: You don't like me naked?

Maggi: sure do

Vance: ok

Vance: There, back in character.

Maggi: are you soft like a teddy too ?

Ying-Lan: ^Another good news for me, that someone suggested to close the sysytem of banking from 1999/12/31 to 2000/01/02... then I will have a long vacation.

Maggi: Merck is going to do that too.

Vance: That sounds like fun. Don't you take off for New Year anyway?

Maggi: Just in case

Ying-Lan: who is merck.

Maggi: The companxy Merck.

Maggi: one of the companies I work for.

Ying-Lan: Vance, did you ask me?

Maggi: yes he did.

Ying-Lan: ^As usual, I go to office on 12/31 every year.

Ying-Lan: ^It is a busy day for me.

Maggi: :-(

Vance: Yeah, I just asked if you took off for our new year ... but we usually take off Jan 1, right Maggi? (We sometimes have to)

Maggi: Nothing musch going on here.

Maggi: much

Maggi: It is over a weekend anyway.

Ying-Lan: ^But if our goverment decide to close banking system from 12/31 to avoid the problem of y2k... I will get more one to two day to relax.

Maggi: it is a good idea

Vance: These days, new years is during Ramadhan, so we go into the desert. At Y2K expats in UAE will be in the desert.

Maggi: I will not have my computer on at midnight.

Ying-Lan: Do you think it works .... ?

Maggi: doing what Vance?

Maggi: if I live it off at midnight yes.

Maggi: eee...leave it off

Vance: We drive far off into the sand, put up tents, barbecue, drink a bit, fall down, get up, drink some more, go to sleep, wake up with flies.

Maggi: sounds like fun!

Vance: I'm just kidding. I don't drink enough to fall down anymore. Maybe we just run down a dune in moonlight and fall down.

Ying-Lan: ^To solve the y2k problem ,, only we turn off our computer... ?

Maggi: That will help Ying.

Vance: The Y2K problem is about all the little chips in appliances (elevators, etc.) that will think it's 1900 at midnight.

Ying-Lan: ^Oh... it is easy.. hehe

Vance: Probably your computer is y2k compliant.

Maggi: That is only for your computer at home Ying.

Ying-Lan: What is the Y2k compliant?

Maggi: Even if it is, won't hurt to leave it off at midnight.

Vance: compliant (from comply, meaning to support or agree with)

Maggi: means that nothing will happen,

Vance: comply = to do what you are told

Ying-Lan: ^You mean... maybe I don't have the Y2k problem... bcause my computer is new.

Vance: You probably don't.

Ying-Lan: ^Not really new.. but it is later than old ones.

Maggi: just to be safe then leave it off.

Vance: There are some tests you can run. Maybe we can find some on the Internet.

Maggi: I have the address somewhere.

Maggi: I tested mine already.

Ying-Lan: ^I have the test programs accompanied with my magazine.

Maggi: Win 98 now has a service kit to correct the bugs

Ying-Lan: My borther will protect it.

Ying-Lan: I am too lazy to do it.

Maggi: :-)

Ying-Lan: ohhhhh

Vance: YL, did you try the page with the poems by Shel Silverstein?

Ying-Lan: Did you finish it?

Vance: Yes, didn't you get the email about it to the eclass?

Ying-Lan: no...

Ying-Lan: ^When did you sent it?

Maggi: send

Ying-Lan: @64,64 !It's Ying-Lan

Vance: I found my mistake. I have a nickname for efiwebheads@egroups.com, eclass

Ying-Lan: Sorry, when I open my outlook98, it always cuts the line.

Vance: I sent it to "elass" by mistake. I'm sending it out now.

Ying-Lan: hi, maggi....

Vance: I don't know why "elass" didn't bounce ??

Ying-Lan: nice bear

Vance: Anyway, check your email.

Vance: Is there a mirror in here?

Maggi: I thought I would keep Vance company...

Maggi: I have a polar bear somewhere.

Ying-Lan: ^I did not receive this email from egoup.

Vance: Check it now

Maggi: the ghost was from >Ying

Vance: That's a nice one

Ying-Lan: yes...

Vance: Oh, YL, you were asking about recording with the Real Producer. I'll try it now.

Maggi: I have it Vance.

Vance: Can you hear the poems, Maggi?

Maggi: Let me go see...

Vance: You both should have just received the email.

Ying-Lan: @64,64 !It's Ying-Lan

Ying-Lan: Got it.

Vance: brb

Ying-Lan: ^When I was twenty may be older than twenty... I read those poems in Chinese.

Vance: Those are really nice poems, and I guess that's Shel Silverstein reading them. He just died, I believe.

Maggi: no sound Vance

Ying-Lan: ^"A light in the attic" is nice... He passed away. Really?

Vance: Yes. Where did I read about him recently ?? ... (memory fade)

Maggi: oh dear...the grey cells are rebeling....-)

Ying-Lan: Waaaa. Was he famous in USA?

Ying-Lan: Maggi, I don't understand your last sentence...

Maggi: ok...I forgot to install the G2 player...:-)

Maggi: Vance said he had a memory lapse.

Ying-Lan: lapse

Maggi: Men after 50 begin to lose their grey cells very fast if they don't use them.

Maggi: :-)

Maggi: a lapse is when there is a space with nothing

Ying-Lan: fade away?

Maggi: yes

Maggi: but Vance can do more than one thing at a time which is unusual for a man.

Maggi: He is safe I think.

Ying-Lan: So.. maggi, you laugh at Vance?

Maggi: oh no...not laugh at him....with him.

Vance: Yeah, I was doing something else for a minute (I heard that Maggi)

Maggi: he has big ears too!

Ying-Lan: I like this icon I weard... I doubt everything in English.

Ying-Lan: wear?

Maggi: yes wear

Vance: Do you mean the avatar you are wearing?

Maggi: I have that one too.

Ying-Lan: I like this icon I wore.. I doubt everything in English.

Maggi: why do you doubt everything?

Maggi: to doubt means you don't believe something...

Ying-Lan: ^I don't understand the meaning behind the lines.

Maggi: I think you mean you are not sure of your English and how you use it.

Vance: Michael wants us o check out http://www.chariot.net.au/~michaelc/Sound_Files/adelaide.htm

Ying-Lan: ^yes, you are right, maggi

Maggi: ok Vance

Ying-Lan: He has fixed the file,

Vance: He is trying. Were you able to get the Silverstein poems?

Maggi: me?

Vance: (yeah, you!)

Ying-Lan: ^But I am still downloading the poems of shel.rm

Maggi: sure...I got them.

Vance: oh, ok ... but why, it's supposed to stream .. did you get them in the Real Player YL?

Vance: You're getting the readings ok, Maggi?

Ying-Lan: I just to try ...

Vance: I can't test them here very well because of bandwidth problems. We have a 10baseT network. Sucks.

Maggi: First I have to download the realslide player...

Maggi: tsk tsk ...now now Vance...

Vance: What, sucks? Is this a dirty word?

Maggi: not that I know of...but not used in polite company, or have things changed...?

Ying-Lan: ^May I ask the question again? Was Shel Silverstein famous in USA?

Maggi: I tell my business students not to use it.

Vance: Yes, Shel Silverstein is famous in the USA. And Leonard Cohen.

Ying-Lan: ^I just " suck" in my dictionary... I don't understand the slang.

Vance: And I'm sure you're right Maggi. I wouldn't advise my kids or students to say something sucks, but I think its original meaning has pretty much gone. There are probably other words in English like .

Vance: like that

Vance: If something "sucks" YL it means it is terrible, the pits. In fact, it's better to say, "It's the pits."

Maggi: it wanted to save to my F drive...

Maggi: I think that is outdated vance.

Ying-Lan: pits?

Maggi: something in the gutter Ying.

Vance: I think so too. So what should I say, our network ... ???

Maggi: a pit is a hole in the ground.

Vance: A pit is a very deep hole.

Ying-Lan: ^By the way, I can not open Michael's file...

Vance: Me neither.

Ying-Lan: ^It is the same as you stated in your email, vance.

Vance: I think if something is "the pits" it means it's way way down there.

Maggi: I have to downlaod the realslide dingy first...

Maggi: hmmm...beschissen in German

Vance: Do you think so Maggi? I don't have it. Maybe I'll try and download it now.

Maggi: but that is not used in polite company or business either.

Vance: Is the schiss in beschissen what I think it is?

Maggi: yep

Ying-Lan: ^I have downloaded the real sildeshow.. but it doesn't work.

Maggi: oh boy...

Maggi: maybe I downloaded it for nothing then.

Vance: Then how is that worse than sucks .. but maybe schiss in German is something everyone uses so it's meaning is now about like sucks in English.

Ying-Lan: ^Vance,, you said shel silverstein passed away, May I put the whole book of "A light in the Attice" on Internet?

Maggi: it is Vance, but still not used in business or polite company.

Maggi: bescheuert is ok

Vance: hmmm ... SOMEone holds copyright on his material, and that's for 14 years, isn't it?

Michael C: @64,64 !It's Michael C

Maggi: let's see....what would that be in English ?

Michael C: Hi everyone.

Maggi: Hi Michael:-)

Michael C: So no Felix today.

Maggi: HE's naked too.

Ying-Lan: So.. I will be caught in the future.

Ying-Lan: Hi, Michaelc.

Ying-Lan: I can not watch the slideshow.

Michael C: There are problems with the slideshow. Vance is trying to help me sport it out.

Maggi: I downloaded it but haven't installed it yet...should I wait.

Ying-Lan: ^Are talking in privacy?

Ying-Lan: ^Are you talking in privacy?

Maggi: They must be Ying on icq...

Maggi: :-)

Michael C: Yes wait maggie. We're on ICQ Ying.

Ying-Lan: oh!

Vance: Sorry I was suggesting to MC how he can fix his slideshow.

Maggi: see

Ying-Lan: It is o.k.

Vance: Hey MC, do we need to download the slideshow to see it (from Real I mean)

Maggi: we can talk about them then, Ying.

Ying-Lan: I have it... but it is still out of order.

Maggi: I have it too, but not installed.

Maggi: I hate to fill up my computer with useless software.

Michael C: No the slideshow opens in Real player - like a dream on my pc. It appears to be coming from the Internet but as you say vance it is runnig off my hard drive. The bastard!

Maggi: turtle's egg in Chinese Michael...

Vance: Easily changed I believe. Just substitute the url for the pointer to the file on your computer.

Michael C: This is not useless software Maggie - it's fantastic! But....

Michael C: I followed the Real Audio instructions exactly and it doesn't work!

Maggi: you are just frustrated Michael

Michael C: Ah...but I won't be!

Maggi: see...I follow them and it doesn't work and I'm an idiot.

Maggi: typical female and non techie...

Vance: The Real wizard assume your files are in place when they create the metafiles. If you later move them to the web it screws up the pointers.

Ying-Lan: ^Maybe their instructions is wrong.

Vance: (there's another of those words: screw up)

Michael C: That's a dreadful thing to say maggie!

Maggi: screw is ok to use now Vance.

Vance: Well, there you are. Suck can't be far behind. Schiss is somewhere between the two.

Maggi: well I have been told that in so many words Michael.

Michael C: I think what Vance said is correct.n And that is pretty stupid of the Real Audio compnay I say!

Maggi: :-) probably Vance

Ying-Lan: agree

Ying-Lan: Just seven kids on sand

Vance: I think so too. I mean, not at all clever of a company that puts out some VERY clever software.

Michael C: You think females are non-techie maggie?

Maggi: write and tell them

Maggi: it may have been an oversight

Vance: Well, the way it works, once you've done one, you don't need the wizards any more, so it's not worth writing them.

Maggi: a lot are...because they figure why bother if men will only get down on them about it.

Vance: Putting up the the last page for YL took less time than to write a letter to Real Networks.

Maggi: others like me don't give two hoots.

Vance: In the TESOL CALL-IS interest section, there are some very hot techie ladies.

Vance: I mean hot techie, what did I say ??

Vance: I mean they shoot that stereotype right out the window.

Maggi: Actually I think in some applications a woman's natural talent for intuitive thinking is a definite advantage.

Vance: I don't think it's gender based at all, unless, as you implied, it's that women think why bother, so they don't try.

Maggi: hot eh? Freudian slip Vance?

Maggi: First mistake I made in German.

Vance: And that's behavioristic, not biological.

Maggi: most don't really feel it is worth the effort...I've been put down often enough.

Maggi: intuitive thinking Vance?

Vance: I'm sure I've put down lots of women in my time, before I realized that was not a good way to behave toward other people.

Ying-Lan: I should read more and more.....

Vance: YL, do you follow what we're talking about.

Vance: about?

Michael C: I'm going to try and fix the slideshow - back in a while.

Maggi: well, it takes a certain type of woman go get up over that...it comes more with age too.

Ying-Lan: I don't think the gender is a problem.

Maggi: do come back Michael....-)

Vance: We're all products of our upbringing, and we have to overcome ways we were trained to think and act.

Ying-Lan: ^We are equal...

Vance: Yes, truly.

Ying-Lan: "To be, or not to be, that's a question... but to be a man or to be a woman... it is not a question.

Maggi: the gender maybe not Ying, but our culture, traditions and perceptions of the role men and women have in a particular society...yes.

Ying-Lan: Yes... I have to confess your opinion, maggi.

Vance: If we're not equal, in the way we cope with technology for example, it is not because we are men or women, it's something else.

Ying-Lan: ^I try to influence by the gender... maybe that's why I am different from other ladies.

Ying-Lan: ^I try not to influence by the gender... maybe that's why I am different from other ladies.

Maggi: hmm...but if it is biological...related to the differences in how our brains are wired...then?

Vance: There must be hormonal effects, but I doubt if our brains are wired differently.

Ying-Lan: I am weaker than a man.. it is true.

Maggi: our brains are wired differently...

Vance: Do you mean physically weaker, or emotionally weaker?

Maggi: hormones play less of a role

Ying-Lan: ^both , I guessed.. Sometimes, I am easy to lost my temper.

Maggi: physically we are weaker sex in terms of raw strength.

Ying-Lan: ^both , I guessed.. Sometimes, I am easy to lose my temper.

Maggi: there are exceptions on both sides...taken as an average.

Vance: What do you mean by "brain wiring?" (... stalls for time while figuring out how to respond)

Maggi: women stay fit longer though because they do not lose muscle mass as fast as men with age.

Ying-Lan: what's that?

Vance: Have you been reading up on this, Maggi?

Ying-Lan: Brain writing?

Maggi: male and femaqle brains DO work differently....from how they store and retrieve information go the neural connections

Maggi: the latest in nuerobiology...I do keep up with it.

Ying-Lan: Really?

Maggi: It is fascinating.

Maggi: oops...neurobiology

Ying-Lan: maybe...

Maggi: not maybe

Maggi: fact...proven

Ying-Lan: What's your conclusion?

Vance: I conclude that women read more than men do about neurobiology.

Maggi: I haven't any conclusions per se...there is too much going on.

Ying-Lan: I can not... I have not enough time to read and remember those text.

Maggi: but there are real differences...we are not equal in that sense.

Ying-Lan: I really need to read more and remember all of them.

Maggi: We are fooling ourselves if we think it can ever happen.

Ying-Lan: ^You know... I was reading a wonderful book in Chinese afternoon

Maggi: Best would be to appreciate the differences and work together.

Ying-Lan: ^Those words are beautiful in chinese... I can not write the same words... ...

Vance: Each person has strengths.

Maggi: I have one of those memories...sometimes I wish I wouldn't remember so much :-)

Ying-Lan: ^Just express my opinions under those wonderful Chinese words.

Maggi: Then enjoy it in Chinese Ying..

Maggi: yu write some beautiful things too in English...

Ying-Lan: ^yea.... but I also could not write in English.

Ying-Lan: Frustrated.

Michael C: I'm back (heavy conversation people!)

Maggi: sorry

Maggi: I started it

Michael C: brb (again)

Maggi: I have to make a pit stop too :-)

Vance: (MC surfaces, sinks back below waves)

Vance: There's that word, pit, again.

Ying-Lan: ^"done"? Michaelc.

Michael C: Well i think I'm done....

Vance: I guess he's trying to fix his program. I'm looking at Real Producer. Do you want to talk about it?

Michael C: Anyone wanna try the slideshow again?

Vance: k

Ying-Lan: sure.

Ying-Lan: it works

Vance: I'm stretching my computer. Too many things happening at once. Need more memory.

Ying-Lan: but buffering.. now

Michael C: Meanwhile I sit and wait with anticipation.

Vance: so do I

Michael C: If it's buffering that's a good sign....

Ying-Lan: only the word "adelaide".

Maggi: what are you guys sitting on? :-)

Vance: good sign ...

Michael C: Click the word Adelaide Ying!

Vance: headphones on ... sound !!!!

Michael C: Yay!

Vance: Yes, a tour of MC playing and telling me about a main street in Adelaide.

Vance: bridge on the river Tarn

Vance: nice song

Michael C: Far out! Bloody amazing!

Michael C: It works!

Maggi: heh...it works

Vance: yeah, great. I've gotta do this. Excellent!

Ying-Lan: buffering

Maggi: me too

Michael C: Great potential for teaching right?

Vance: I'll say.

Maggi: hmmm

Vance: I'm heading for real.com right now!

Michael C: Thanks Vance. you're SOOOOO smart!

Ying-Lan: nice one

Ying-Lan: excellant

Ying-Lan: great

Ying-Lan: wondeful

Michael C: Do you have it Ying?

Vance: yeah, I've hit on THAT problem a number of times.

Ying-Lan: Yes, I have

Ying-Lan: pics with your voice.. right

Maggi: me to....

Michael C: Great. I'm no longer frustrated Maggie!

Maggi: she squeaks

Michael C: Pics with my voice and music!

Ying-Lan: yes, music.

Maggi: take a bow

Michael C: And it's really easy to do.

Michael C: Take a bow real Audio.

Ying-Lan: )APPLAUSE

Michael C: Thank you!

Ying-Lan: )APPLAUSE

Michael C: )KISS

Ying-Lan: That's wonderful.

Maggi: who got the kiss?

Ying-Lan: How much time did you take?

Michael C: Whoever clapped!

Maggi: wasn't me

Ying-Lan: That's wonderful.

Maggi: Ying got it

Michael C: It took about 2 hours but if you have the pictures on your drive it would take no more han an hour.

Ying-Lan: ^You made it by the realslideshow.

Maggi: be back in a jif...

Michael C: Yes - and a tip......

Ying-Lan: It is late, I need to go.

Ying-Lan: Thank you....

Michael C: If you want music do the music first. If you do the muisc first you can add a spoken track for each slide.

Michael C: If you do the spoken track first you can't add background music to the whole show.

Michael C: OK Ying. I'll check the Cohen song later. Promise!

Ying-Lan: Thanks...

Ying-Lan: see you next week.

Michael C: Vance is obviously off with real.com!

Ying-Lan: bye-bye

Michael C: Night Ying.

Vance: Bye, I'm downloading slideshow, distracted.

Vance: Nice to see you again.

Michael C: Figured as much Vance.

Vance: I'm excited about this. That was great.

Michael C: Sorry I interrupted the talk about gender and neurology etc

Vance: Very doable too.

Michael C: But Vance is happy! A new toy for the boys eh Maggie?

Vance: No, that's ok, MC, Maggi was winning, so you interrupted at a good time.

Michael C: And we have proved her point by being ditracted by technology!

Vance: Exactly.

Michael C: For the record Vance it was the .ram file that needed altering in the way you suggested.

Michael C: You still there Maggie?

Maggi: Yep

Vance: Are you still there YL?

Maggi: what was I winning?

Maggi: and girls Michael!

Michael C: Aren't you impressed by this male display of tech prowess?

Vance: You were winning the argument on brain wiring since you had read up on neurobiology

Maggi: you will definitely lose that one vance .-)

Michael C: (Ying has officially gone for the night - she said goodnight)

Vance: Well, you know more about that subject than I do, since I haven't read anything about it. I am therefore happy to learn from you.

Maggi: nope...

Maggi: I wasn't impressed Michael but I learned something .-)

Maggi: ok...alll the students are gone

Maggi: now we are off the record


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Last updated: July 5, 1999