Velázquez and the Cinema

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Find out more and book tickets

Smart school of fish

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2464852,00.html

Smart school of fish expose stupidity of a popular myth

Scientists have discovered fish are actually adept learners, with distinct personalities that change as they pick up information about the world

魚兒有個性 為吃怕醜變大膽

http://hk.news.yahoo.com/061122/12/1wxig.html

Oxfam versus Starbucks

- AN ARTICLE FOR YOU, FROM ECONOMIST.COM -

COFFEE
Nov 7th 2006

And, this time, Oxfam may be in the wrong

A GROWING number of coffee drinkers seem to prefer their morning grande
skinny latte without a foul-tasting double-shot of social injustice.
Coffee has become a big testing ground for what it means to be an
ethical consumer. The hugely successful Fair Trade brand allows many
coffee addicts to get their fix with a clearer conscience, safe in the
belief that no farmers have been exploited in the growing of it.

So no wonder that Starbucks, an up-market global coffee chain, has
reacted like a scalded barista to criticism from Oxfam, a development
charity. Oxfam says that Starbucks is depriving farmers in Ethiopia of
$88m a year, by opposing the Ethiopian government's efforts to
trademark three popular varieties of local coffee bean. At least 60,000
customers worldwide have contacted Starbucks with expressions of
concern, prompting the company to post leaflets in its stores defending
its behaviour. It accuses Oxfam of "misleading the public", and insists
that the "campaign needs to stop".

This is not the first time that Starbucks has tangled with ethical
consumption advocates. It sells plenty of Fair Trade branded coffee:
indeed, it claims to be North America's biggest purchaser of Fair Trade
beans. But it also buys other beans, without a stamp of approval from
these arbiters of fairness--not least because there are too few Fair
Trade beans to meet its customers' demands.

Starbucks also has questions about the different standards of fairness
applied by the Fair Trade brand custodians in different parts of the
world. It doubts even that the strategy of the Fair Trade movement, to
secure farmers a premium over the market price for their beans, is the
best basic approach. Starbucks prefers a code known as the CAFE
practices (Coffee and Farmer Equity), which aims to help coffee farmers
develop sustainable businesses through a mixture of technical support,
microfinance loans, and investment in infrastructure and community
development where the farmers live.

So far from being a bloodthirsty exploiter happy to keep farmers in
poverty, Starbucks emerges as a responsible firm approaching difficult
questions in a thoughtful way. It wants to help its suppliers improve
their lot. It is certainly no cheapskate. Starbucks says that last year
it paid an average price of $1.28 per pound, 23% above the New York
Board of Trade's benchmark "C" price, for all its coffees.

Starbucks's enlightened behaviour makes good business sense. The firm
has positioned itself at the quality end of the market, where
ethically-minded consumers are concentrated. It has absolutely no
incentive to behave badly. Strikingly, another quality coffee producer,
Illy Cafe, has similar issues with the Fair Trade movement, and also
prefers to build sustainable coffee farming rather than indulge in
simplistic Fair Trade posturing.

So what of the Ethiopian trademarking question? Starbucks argues that
trademarking coffee beans contradicts standard approaches to
intellectual property, and may introduce legal complexities that deter
firms from buying the trademarked beans, thereby hurting farmers
instead of helping them. Starbucks favours a system of regional
certification, much like the APPELLATION CONTRoLeE system in French
wine, which would allow beans to be branded consistently without
creating legal problems. This, too, seems plausible and sensible: the
Ethiopian government, one of the most economically illiterate in the
modern world, would do well to take Starbucks's advice.

As for Oxfam's involvement, it will be interesting to see how this
battle of global brand versus global NGO develops. Starbucks has loyal
customers who may well be prepared to hear out the firm's side of it
and judge the case on its merits. Given the weakness of Oxfam's
arguments, Starbucks may yet emerge with its reputation enhanced, and
Oxfam with its credibility damaged. Is it too much to hope that this
battle may be a turning point in the war over corporate ethics, and
that it will cease to be enough merely for an NGO to throw mud at a
company, to have that mud stick? THE ECONOMIST will drink a grande
extra wet triple-latte to that.

See this article with graphics and related items at http://www.economist.com/daily/columns/businessview/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8129387

penguin book design

Penguin by Design A Cover Story 1935-2005 £17.99| Book: Paperback | 183 x 220mm | 256 pages | ISBN 9780713998399 | May 2005 | Allen Lane More...

 

Underneath the covers

Germano Facetti revolutionised British book design with his Penguin jackets in the 1960s. The secret, says Rick Poynor, lay in what went on behind the cover images

Browse a gallery of Facetti's iconic covers

 

free listening

dear all,

讀報看到這個訪問：「靜心聽——枚方雲
頓」http://orangedaysnews3.blogspot.com/2006/10/blog-post_20.html

得知有這樣一本中譯新書：《無料呻吟》
內容簡介 ： 引爆 NHK、朝日新聞、周刊雜誌熱烈追訪，日本一名橙髮青年路邊傾聽
12,000 人心事的結集。枚方雲頓曾是日本藝能界諧星，以一頭橙髮作為標誌，三年來
每個周末晚上在涉谷、原宿、新橋、橫濱……等地，在路上打開一張沙灘蓆，一張橙色
的桌子。攤開一個招牌：「我在聽你說，無料」。每天聽不同的人細訴心底話，至今
已超過 12,000 人了。
作　　者 ： 枚方雲頓
出版日期 ： 2006年10月16日

我覺得很有趣！如你也感到有趣，這裡還有同一位記者／譯者一年前寫的另一篇訪問
稿。
http://lifestyle.mingpao.com/cfm/travel3.cfm?File=20050626/trh/vzh1h.txt

言詞

p.s. 唏，u+如果收到樣書，可否借來看看研究？

Tycoon art-broken after ripping Picasso

IT WAS a moment in which tragedy and comedy came together to create one of the fine art world's worst disasters.

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1546722006

je vous presente kissu

Caesareans

Scientists in study of 5.7m births voice concern at elective Caesareans

NEWBORN babies are more than twice as likely to die when their mothers choose to have a Caesarean section, compared with natural births, according to new research.

http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1315582006

kadoorie

"大理石大厦"沧桑纪事 via 上海社会科学院历史研究所
传奇家族嘉道理 via 慧聪网

animal farm

video clips

How is fish's weight that Dora cat can carry? youtube
cat comedy: cat kingdom cm
taiwan dancing dog: youtube
goldfish waterballad: 金魚都可以訓練到咁
scare an owl to a cat: 貓頭鷹受驚的變化

sites

cats p-roduct/-layground: cat kingdom
album: cute overload

internship in nanfangdaily

请善待实习生!兼谈我在南方报业带实习生的经历／傅剑锋
http://www.xici.net/b6775/d40452648.htm

depressed little prince diary

http://diary.showhappy.net/?id=205544

2006 年 07 月 19 日 星期三 【晴】

憂鬱小王子

昨天,要到突破綵排,給我看見"憂鬱小王子"那本書出了,尤記得每次在報章裡看到那段有關憂鬱小王子的短報,便會有很多感觸及觸動,因為那些說話往往讓自己放鬆不少.....結果毫不猶疑地買了.

今天亦是放假,便一氣呵成的看完整本書,最深刻的便是他那個尋找回失去已久的快樂經歷,怎様讓他再感到這是一個充滿色彩的世界,亦可以與人一起分享這美麗世界的一切一切.....深刻是因為那種快樂,那種人人都可以感到的快樂,在我的生命上.....似失去了很久,究竟那個快樂,為什麼會失去呢?

看完那本書後,讓我更意識到.......那種常常出現之憂鬱/沮喪的感覺並不是沒有復原的機會,只是要經過"一步山"....一個漫長但重要的過程,才能找回快樂.主啊!!求指引我,幫助我這困苦軟弱的罪人吧!!

http://ricky.sccfriend.net/

7月25日 Tue (晴)　[24/7/06 10:18]
　　我想坦誠地與大家分享一件事——Ｒｉｃｋｙ也會有撐不住的時候

　　 我從來覺得，我能好好地控制好自己的情緒。自從中四時參加了ＥＱ愛心大使計劃，作為組長；及在校內服務時遇突發事件（特別是在ＩＴ　Ｐｒｅｆｅｃｔ、音響組）都會很鎮定、冷靜去處理，我對自己這方面尤有信心。
　　 所以，其實我一直都不明白為何一些身邊的人（特別是女孩子）會經常顯得很不開心、提不起勁、不想與他人談話、顯得很擔心似的，這樣的情況有可能是抑鬱，我從來都不明白他們為何要這樣，和他們的感受是怎樣。

　　 昨晚，翻開《憂鬱小王子》裡３８－４０頁的「抑鬱問卷」，那是要根據描述的情況在過往一星期有多常出現，答案有「很少」（少於一天）、「有時」（一至兩天）、「間中」（三至四天）、「常常」（五至七天），各有不同的分數。１５分以下為情緒健康；１５－２１分為抑鬱徵狀水平高出標準；２１分以上為抑鬱情況嚴重。相信您們有看昨晚寫的日記都知道我這測試中是２３分。
　　 首先要說的是抑鬱症可叫做「情緒感冒」，像感冒一樣（即是偶然病了～），是一種常見的精神或心理疾病，而這是可以痊愈的。
　　 這測試改編自美國流行病學中心的ＣＥＳ－Ｄ(The Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale)，用以測試抑鬱水平。這樣參與測驗者根據過去一星期出現沮喪感覺及抑鬱行為的頻率，自行作快速測試。
　　 以下情況是我在過去一星期間中／常常出現的：
－我被一些平時不會困擾我的事情困擾
－我很難集中精神工作
－我覺得情緒低落
－我覺得恐懼
－ 我比平時少說話
－我覺得孤獨
－我覺得不開心
－我提不起勁

　　 及至今天清晨，「我睡眠不安寧」這情況也顯現了。此時，我知道抑鬱的情況是怎樣。經過一段時間後，我祈禱，尋求主對於基督徒來說，是極之有效的，因為無論發生甚麼事，主對自己的愛不會變。

　　 書中１１１頁：心理學研究指出，「人的思考可以創造情緒」。如果你滿腦子被負面的憤怒、自卑、怨憎和沮喪佔據，便很容易會陷入消極悲觀的泥沼中。
　　 這是我向來相信的。所以在今早失眠的時候就開始想這星期發生過開心的事，和在這假期想完成的夢想……接著一段時間後就安睡了。

　　 在這裡寫出來，是想讓大家知道，要正視自己的負面情緒。我覺得，這裡亦是讓我分享生命的地方……所以不會害怕寫出來。
　　 我有信心去尋回快樂！

　　 推薦：《憂鬱小王子》游思行、棗田；突破出版社；＄６５

　　

lights out

8月8日 8pm，香港熄燈
http://lightsout.com.hk/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

Rinko Kawauchi photo diary

★★ 『りんこ日記』（フォイル刊）が全国の書店で発売中です。

ぜひお手にとってみてください。★ ★

個展　2006年
4/22〜7/2	カルティエ現代美術財団コレクション展（東京都現代美術館）に参加
5/5〜7/9	フォトグラファーズ・ギャラリー （ロンドン)
5/31〜7/23	フォトエスパーニャ（マドリッド）に参加

a page of your notebook

Noriko will holding an interesting conceptual exhibition at Muji in Shanghai.
The title is " make use think"

Part of it, she will feature how people use their notebook
she's trying to collect photos of "a page of note" from different people of diff. cities.

From: "noriko daishima" <daidainorinono>
Now it getting hotter and hotter in Shanghai, the exausting summer is coming...
maybe through my photoblog, you will see the summer scenery in shanghai/
http://lepetit-xiaoxiao.eco.to

now im preparing to create some works for my exhibition. holding on 25th august to 23th September at the Muji shop on Nan jing xi lu
At this conceptual exhibition. i attempt to reunite the meaning of production, consumption and nature displaying MUJI's representative items such as a piece of clothing, a household item and food .

Our daily life is full of things,we are more indifferent to things.nevertheless we always search for new things
We dont have much knowledge and imagination of
production :'how to make a product?'
consumption:'how people use a product?'
and nature'where does materials of a product come?'

The title of the exhibition is ' make use think'

One of the works is making notebooks sticking photos to express consumption; how people use a notebook.
so i eager to collect many many photos from many cities, Tokyo. Shanghai, Hongkong, Singapore, Taipei, Paris, London, etc.and
from many people beyond generation.

It would be so wonderful, if you sent me a page of notebook until 20th July.
Ive attached a photo as a sample,

(I drew all of my clothes three years ago, in order to know how i was greedy...)

all the best

Noriko

The Ethics of Eating [Project Syndicate]

i saw this commentary on Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org) and thought you should see it.

The Ethics of Eating

by Singer Peter

Global meat consumption is predicted to double by 2020. Yet in Europe and North America, there is growing concern about the ethics of the way meat and eggs are produced. The consumption of veal has fallen sharply since it became widely known that to produce so-called “white” – actually pale pink – veal, newborn calves are separated from their mothers, deliberately made anemic, denied roughage, and kept in stalls so narrow that they cannot walk or turn around. Read More

Disclaimer

Project Syndicate is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything said in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect Project Syndicate's views.

Maya Angelou

In April, of last year, Maya Angelou was interviewed by Oprah on her 74th birthday.
Oprah asked her what she thought of growing older.
And, there on television, she said it was "exciting." Regarding body changes, she said there were many, occurring every day...like her breasts.
They seem to be in a race to see which will reach her waist, first.
The audience laughed so hard they cried. She is such a simple and honest woman, with so much wisdom in her words!

Maya Angelou said this:
"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow."

"I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights."

"I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life."

"I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as "making a life."

"I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance."

"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back."

"I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision."

"I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one."

"I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone.
People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back."

"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Please send this to five phenomenal women today.
If you do, something good will happen: You will boost another woman's self-esteem.
If you don't...the elastic will break and your underpants will fall down around your ankles!;-) Believe me, I didn't take any chances on MY elastic breaking....I sent it to a lot of special women I care for.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we might as well dance

book news from china/sar

上海、北京、廣州三地書情：歷史刻上黃金印
中國網 時間：2006 年7 月3 日 文章來源：南方都市報
via google alert

香港書情：八十年代中國──重頭越

嘉賓： 北島、甘陽、小思、葉輝、馬家輝、黃子平、許子東
日期： 2006年7月8日 （星期六）
時間： 下午2:30－4:30
地點： 尖沙咀星光行商務印書館
七七年文化大革命結束後, 中國社會出現了空前的文化熱潮. 查建英訪問了阿城,北島,甘陽,崔健,李陀,劉索拉,田壯壯,陳丹青,陳平原等十二位八十年代出道的藝術文化人, 寫成500多頁的訪談錄《八十年代》. 這部訪談錄找來當年的文化界弄潮兒現身說法, 回顧這個近乎狂迷的思想大活躍年代.

伴隨著整個風雲激蕩的八十年代的是, 對於五四新文化的思考, 追隨, 反省和超越. 關鍵是, 一面追隨, 一面反省. (陳平原)

八十年代的可憐就是不知道自己有多惨, 還說甚麼文藝復興! 那是癱瘓病人下床給扶著走走, 以為蹦跳啊! (陳丹青)

正如章怡和《往事並不如煙》的大陸版一樣,《八十年代》訪談錄的大陸版同樣遭多處刪剪. 有時你不得不慶幸, 中文出版世界還留下香港這一線小地方.

via: 船山筆記

fall*1: ron mueck

5 August to 1 October 2006 (Open daily, 10am-5pm.)
Tickets £6 (£4) | Royal Scottish Academy Building, Edinburgh

it is Mueck's use of scale that takes your breath away.
His work is lifelike but not lifesize, and being face to face with the
tiny, gossiping Two Women (2005) or the monumental woman In Bed (2005)
is an unforgettable experience."

The show contains ten works, including the five that were shown at the
Cartier Foundation in Paris last winter, attracting 110,000 visitors.
The remaining works are made up of important previous works - such as
Man in a Boat, 2002 and a new commission of a giant baby.

http://www.nationalgalleries.org/mueck/highlights.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Mueck

Warren Buffett gives away his fortune

charity1.fortune

X-rays linked to breast cancer risk

TENS of thousands of women have a dramatically increased risk of breast cancer if they have a chest X-ray, according to research.

X-rays linked to breast cancer risk

IAN JOHNSTON SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT

• A chest X-ray could increase the risk of getting breast cancer
• More than 1 in 500 with the susceptible gene face a dramatic rise in threat
• Women with the BRCA1 and 2 mutation should opt for MRI scans

Key quote "We must interpret these results with caution. This type of study has inherent limitations because it relies on participants recalling the X-rays they have received" - Professor John Toy

Story in full
http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=936332006

Related topics

• Breast cancer
  
• Cancer research

photo by tse ming-chong

主旨： 謝明莊攝影作品及奇趣顯影室聯展

地點：奧海城一期地下「OC 藝廊」
日期：2006年6月2日至23日

「小照片 大社會」http://hk.news.yahoo.com/060611/12/1ontv.html

seoul train

主旨： Fwd: 國際特赦組織香港分會呈獻﹕《首爾列車》
(Please scroll down for English)
　
紀錄片﹕《首爾列車》
國際特赦組織香港分會呈獻
*本片備有中文字幕
　
國際特赦組織律師組和難民組呈獻《首爾列車》，一套記述北韓難民處境的紀錄片﹕
日期﹕二零零六年六月二十八日（星期三）
時間﹕晚上七時正
地點﹕聖安德烈堂大廳（九龍尖沙咀彌敦道138號）
查詢﹕mailto:admin-hk@amnesty.org.hk（電郵）或2300-1250（電話）
　
劇情簡介﹕
《首爾列車》紀錄了一條秘密的「地下鐵路」，這條鐵路承載著北韓人民試圖逃離他們家園所面對的生離死別。透過這場一觸即發且可能會愈演愈烈的人道危機，本片將帶領觀眾深入探討當中錯綜複雜的地緣政治。從細聽每個難民的故事，到和專家官員當面交鋒，製作隊伍真實地向觀眾揭露了國際法的力不從心，聯合國對待難民的官僚態度和無動於衷，以及一班為拯救這些難民不惜身陷險境的維權人士的英雄事蹟。
　
更多有關這紀錄片的資料，請登入﹕http://www.seoultrain.com/


"Seoul Train" --- presented by Amnesty International Hong Kong
* With Chinese subtitle
　
"Drive, walk, run -- but however you do it, be sure to see 'Seoul Train,' a wrenching documentary." (Denver Post)
　
Amnesty International Hong Kong Lawyers Group and Refugee Group are proud to present "Seoul Train", a film about the plight of North Korean refugees. All are welcome.
　
Date: 28 June 2006 (Wed)
Time: 7:00pm
Location: The Lounge at St Andrews Church, 138 Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kln.
Enquiry: admin-hk@amnesty.org.hk (email) or 2300-1250 (Tel)
　
*There will be a brief discussion session before the film show.
　
Synopsis
　
With its riveting footage of a secretive "underground railroad", SEOUL TRAIN is the gripping documentary exposé into the life and death of North Koreans as they try to escape their homeland and China.
　
SEOUL TRAIN also delves into the complex geopolitics behind this growing and potentially explosive humanitarian crisis. By combining vérité footage, personal stories and interviews with experts and government officials, SEOUL TRAIN depicts the flouting of international laws by major countries, the inaction and bureaucracy of the United Nations, and the heroics of activists that put themselves in harm's way to save the refugees.
　
For details, please visit: http://www.seoultrain.com/
　
　

cartoon ages

主旨： [Fwd: 邊套卡通是你的年代呀?]
from 1958 月光幪面俠 to  1995 美少女戰士....
http://tvtv.webhop.org

Report Thermal Crime

Subject: 舉報城市雪房 (請廣傳)

您好！

請您替地球先生做線眼，一起監察不合理的空調溫度。
炎炎夏日，竟然冷到打抖，你不覺得離譜嗎？不要再忍了，馬上打電話來香港地球之友，告訴我們，是誰這麼殘忍，讓你受冷，電話：25285588或從以下途徑向我們申訴。
http://www.foe.org.hk/Ealert/25/25C_e.asp
告訴我們詳情：日期、時間、地址，令你受苦的「黑手」，冷到什麼程度，對方怎樣回應你的投訴，以及你的聯絡方法(個人資料絕對保密) 。

Urban explosion

Trace the past and future expansion of the world's biggest cities with bbc's interactive map.

stephen hawking

時間簡史一甲子 看盡胡桃裡的宇宙─霍金（博客來）

並沒有多少科學家像霍金一般受歡迎的程度，他甚至曾受邀到卡通「辛普森家族」(The Simpsons Cartoon)及電影「星艦迷航記」(Star Trek)中客串演出。

Pope Benedict visits Auschwitz camp site

Pope Benedict XVI praying for victims of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Oswiecim, Poland yesterday. (AP)

le soleil dit,

You see, "Rainbow" in Judeo-Christian faith connotes the sense of forgivness, promise, hope, and new creation. So when a rainbow was raised at the far end of the horizon when Pope Benedict XVI was praying at a Nazi German extermination camp at Auschwitz, I broke into tears.

Think of a German Pope who had once been a reluctant member of Hitler youth, come now as a son of Germany and seek reconciliation, praying at the Wall of Death where thousands of Jews were slaughtered. It has been raining when Pope paid the visit. The sky was grey, and the atmosphere was somber. The chanting at the back only added to the desperate need for hope and reconciliation. It was at the moment when the Pope was meditating at the memorial, at the far back of the horizon, there appeared a "rainbow... I broke into tears.

How we need to be reminded that we cannot live as human beings without forgiveness, promise, hope and new creation.

The Tank Man

Mon 29 May 2006 9pm

http://www.channel4.com/more4/documentaries/doc-feature.jsp?id=53

The Tank Man was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th Century.

...when the square was once again cleared, the tanks paraded down the main highway, under the view of the Western media staying in an overlooking hotel.
One man, wearing a white shirt, carrying what looked like his shopping, stepped out in front of a tank and stopped the whole column.
The unknown rebel berated the tank's driver and refused to let him pass for several minutes, clearly risking his own life, until he was bundled away by four other men.
The photograph of the incident became one of the most famous images of the 20th entury.

a boy, a miracle and a wish

張栩醫生(Xu Zhang)於1998年因意外而癱瘓，但因為信仰展開新生命，並在家鄉遼寧推動關愛傷健者的工作。以下說的是何欣洋（七歲）的故事，他因為腦疾而多方面發育遲緩，但聽力視力嚴重缺乏的他卻有奇高的音樂悟性。（最近看過一些醫學紀錄片也有提到外國同類個案，一些失明智障的孩子都有演奏音樂的天才，我看著他們神乎其技的彈奏，的確如見神跡。）

但欣洋資源匱乏，現需要有關音樂發展、特殊教育等等的幫助。如果可以，請繼續傳送這消息，讓祝福無遠弗屆。以下是英文內容。

Dear Friends,

To me, the boy I'm talking about here is a miracle. He can not see and communicate normally with others, but he understands music! He is living a small village, a backward place near Anshan. He cannot have education for we don't have a school here suitable for him; He has the gift of understanding music, but his family doesn't how to further develop it given his physical and mental condition.What I'm doing is to invite you to explore the ways to further educate and develop him. It's greately appreciated if you like to tell the story to others or forward this letter to your friends. The boy needs our love and help!Thank you!

Zhang Xu*

Please Help This Little Boy…from Bethesda Rehabilitation, Ministry of Anshan

We got to know He Xin-Yang from a local TV program, and all of us were touched by his gift and savvy with music. On the TV, he was always restless, but when music came or when sitting at the piano, he became quiet and concentrated immediatey.He Xin-Yang is a seven years old boy, living in a small village near Anshan. He was diagnosed with "encephatrophy" when he was only seven months old. Since then, he had tried different treatment, but no much effect was seen. The current condition is: he has a deaf right ear and very poor sight (only can identify light). He has a limited vocabulary and has difficulty with communication. He is always restless… What makes He Xin-Yang different is his sensitiveness to music. Xin-Yang grew up living with his grandparents in the small church of the village. The grandpa is in charge of music affairs in the church, so Xin-Yang was growing up with the edification of church music. Under grandpa's influence, Xin-Yang became familiar with the tune of some 40 hymns when he was only three years old. Now, he can adroitly play electronic organ, piano, and drum. He is very familiar the sound from the 88 keys of piano and can easily locate their position. He often plays on the church service now. From March of 2005, the grandpa found a teacher to give Xin-Yang some professional training. With the barrier of verbal communication, the only way the teacher teachs him is by singing, and Xin-Yang responds her with piano. While the
teacher singing a new song or a piece of music, Xin-Yang plays the music following her. Usually only after three times, he can play the music fluently.
The comments from his teacher is: He Xin-Yang has an excellent memory with music and very sensitive to sound. He has special capability of understanding music with left ear. He has special enthusiasm with music and can master the contents in one day while others might take two week.The reason I tell the story is that we hope more people get to know him and help him for his further development. His family now has no idea where or how Xin-Yang can have good education and music training. We have the same concern and believe that he does need the following helps:Special Education: He Xin-Yang should go to school at this age, but with the difficulty of communication, ordinary primary schools here will not make sense for him. We hope there is a special educating way or a special education school which is suitable for him. Development in Music: With the physical disability, we believe the music is the special gift God gave him and we should not ignore it. So we explore that if there is special way to futher develop his musical gift.Dear friends, We need your advices, suggestions, and help with the boy. Thank you very much!!!

contact: mailto:zhangxuhk@yahoo.com.cn

Why don't these photos make the news?

Sometimes in our everyday lives we tend to forget what's going on elsewhere in the world and that the brave men and women of the service are just like you and I. They have family and friends back home who love them very much and are praying for their safe return.

When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for the people in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, and all around the world. There is nothing attached... This can be very powerful...

LE PAPILLON

LE PAPILLON 蝴蝶

Pourquoi les poules pondent des oeux?為什麼雞會下蛋
Pour que les oeufs fassent des poules.因為蛋會變小雞

Pourquoi les amoureux s'embrassent?為什麼情侶親吻
C'est pour que les pigeons roucoulent.因為鴿子咕咕叫

Pourquoi les jolies fleurs se fanent?為什麼漂亮的花會凋謝
Parce que ca fait partie du charme.因為這是遊戲一部分

Pourquoi le diable et le bon Dieu?為什麼有魔鬼又有上帝
C'est pour faire parler les curieux.是為了讓好奇的人有話可說

Pourquoi le feu brule le bois?為什麼用火燒木頭
C'est pour bien rechauffer nos corps.是為了讓我們的身暖起來

Pourquoi la mer se retire?為什麼大海會潮退
C'est pour qu'on lui dise"Encore."是為了讓人們說：再來

Pourquoi le soleil disparait?為什麼太陽會消失
Pour l'autre partie du decor.是為了裝飾地球另一邊

Pourquoi le diable et le bon Dieu?為什麼有魔鬼又有上帝
C'est pour faire parler les curieux.是為了讓好奇的人有話可說

Pourquoi le loup mange l'agneau?為什麼狼要吃羊
Parce qu'il faut bien se nourrir.因為他們也要吃東西

Pourquoi le lievre et la tortue?為什麼龜兔要賽跑
Parce que rien ne sert de courir.因為單個兒跑沒意思

Pourquoi les anges ont-ils des ailes?為什麼天使有翅膀
Pour nous faire croire au Pere Noel.為了讓我們相信有聖誕老人

Pourquoi le diable et le bon Dieu?為什麼有魔鬼又有上帝
C'est pour faire parler les curieux.是為了讓好奇的人有話可說

Ca t'a plu, le petit voyage? 你喜歡我們的旅行嗎
Ah oui beaucoup! 啊是，非常
Vous avez vu des belles choses? 我們看了很多好東西吧
J'aurais bien voulu voir des sauterelles 要是能看到蟋蟀就好了
Des sauterelles ? Pourquoi des sauterelles ?蟋蟀？為什麼是蟋蟀？
Et des libellules aussi, 還有蜻蜓
A la prochaine fois, d'accord. 下次吧，好嗎
D'accord. 好的
Je peux te demander quelque chose?我能問你一點事嗎
Quoi encore? 又是什麼
On continue mais cette fois-ci c'est toi qui chantes. 我們繼續，不過這次你
來唱
Pas question. 無得傾
S'il te plait. 求求你
Non, non, mais non. 不，不行
Allez, c'est le dernier couplet. 來吧，最後一段
Tu ne crois pas que tu pousses un peu le bouchon? 你不覺得你有點得寸進尺

Pourquoi notre coeur fait tic-tac? 為什麼我們的心滴答響
Parce que la pluie fait flic flac. 因為雨聲淅瀝沙啦

Pourquoi le temps passe si vite?為什麼時間跑那麼快
Parce que le vent lui rend visite. 因為風把他吹跑了

Pourquoi tu me prends par la main? 為什麼你握著我的手
Parce qu'avec toi je suis bien. 因為和你在一起，我感覺很好

Pourquoi le diable et le bon Dieu?為什麼有魔鬼又有上帝
C'est pour faire parler les curieux.是為了讓好奇的人有話可說


about the film: The Tournées Festival, a program of FACE
trailer: via podcast.blog.webs-tv.net/vito (tw version)

jamie oliver vs. junk food

令人振奮！jamie oliver發起的feed me better計劃誓要剷除英國學校內供應的junk food（學生們餐餐薯條汽水），已取得重大成功，繼早前貝里雅表揚並撥款280m英磅後，政府終於宣布由明年新學年開始禁止學校供應及出售一切junk food！請注意jamie發動的媒體攻勢，他巡迴全英60所學校改革學校飯堂，全過程攝製成電視節目（&dvd)，播出後引起極大迴響（明珠台也播過，好睇！）看著孩子們吐出他煮的健康新鮮食物（節目最後會改變）而猛啃不知名炸肉塊，惹起公憤（搜集了27萬個簽名），給政府很大壓力。除了改變學生口味，他也改變了食堂廚師的觀念，拍得很有人情味（令人想起......我們的總廚）。
story in series <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4391695.stm>
next round: america!
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/PersonOfWeek/story?id=1173890&page=1

cat. = chef, food, health, kids, school, uk