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*** 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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