![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
If you can't make it, fake it.
May. 30th, 2007 09:15 amThis is a very simple how-to, How to be Charming, the American way.
Shall we all become charming at once? :)
Shall we all become charming at once? :)
The Tenth Dimension Explained.
Mar. 15th, 2007 08:02 amhttp://www.tenthdimension.com/medialinks.php
I've been following it up to the 4th dimension, and then it got pretty weird. Why does the 4th dimension have to be 'time'? Can't it be a physical dimension, like the first three?
I've been following it up to the 4th dimension, and then it got pretty weird. Why does the 4th dimension have to be 'time'? Can't it be a physical dimension, like the first three?
For people who get zapped (static electricity) from their car whenever they get out the door, here's a trick that might help you. As you leave your car, carefully put your feet down (don't touch any metal parts of the car yet!), then place one bare hand on the ground. There you are. It's safe to touch the car now.
Apppppologize!
Jan. 9th, 2006 10:03 amIn her course "That's not what I meant!" Deborah Tannen raises an interesting dilemma. Suppose you're involved in a minor road accident. You hit the other car and cause it a few dents and scratches. You pull over to the side of the road and talk to the other driver (who's understandably pissed off). Now what do say? On one hand, any insurance agent will tell you never to apologize or admit guilt. Exchange your insurance details and leave it at that; let the professionals handle it. On the other hand, if you provide a sincere apology, reach out to the other person, offer to make it up to them, etc., the other person may drop the issue altogether. Maybe it's only their pride that was hurt. What would you do?
חור בהשכלה
Dec. 15th, 2005 08:33 amThank goodness, at last - instructions for tying a tie. I wear ties so rarely, that I have no idea how to handle them.
When we were at a friends' wedding in Holland, we had to dress up for the occasion. At the last moment I realized there's no way I can get the bloody thing tied properly. We were renting a room in a small country cottage in Monnickendam, and I had to ask the landlord to help me out. He could barely keep a straight face, but gave me a hand in making me more presentable. I wonder what he thought about "the youngsters these days"...
When we were at a friends' wedding in Holland, we had to dress up for the occasion. At the last moment I realized there's no way I can get the bloody thing tied properly. We were renting a room in a small country cottage in Monnickendam, and I had to ask the landlord to help me out. He could barely keep a straight face, but gave me a hand in making me more presentable. I wonder what he thought about "the youngsters these days"...
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
Conversation Starters.
Oct. 22nd, 2005 10:51 amJohn McWhorter, speaking on a non-related topic in his "Story of the Human Language" series:
If you are at a party and you don't know what to say, (and it's easy not to know what to say) there are two things that you can always say, that will get you into the conversation. One of them is to say "well, you know, where you draw the line"? No matter what people are talking about, you say that, that fits in to the topic. I've used it often. And then another thing is, somebody says something, and you go "hehe... I'll bet"! No matter what they said, if you said "hehe ... I'll bet", that lends a note of spice to the conversation.
Amber Merchant.
Jul. 1st, 2005 07:37 amYesterday at the Tai-Chi gathering, the master of ceremonies told us a parable, "to break the ice" so to speak. Here it is.
There was a Chinese peasant, who had a son who had come of age. The peasant wanted his son to learn a trade, so he sent him to the local amber merchant, to be his apprentice.
On the first day the merchant gave the boy a piece of amber and said "hold this in your hand and go sweep the yard". At the end of the day the boy returned the piece to his master and went to sleep. On the second day the same instructions were repeated, and so on for the following month.
During the second month, the amber merchant would give the boy a piece of amber in the morning, tell him to wash the dishes, and return the piece in the evening. During the following year, the boy was also told to go shopping, mow the lawn, paint the fence, and run various errands in the city.
A year had passed and the boy got frustrated. He came to the master and said: "I am sick and tired from this apprenticeship. I haven't learned anything, I've worked like a mule, and I got nothing from it. I quit!". "Okay", said the master, "you are free to go". "You know something?", said the student, "I want to be paid for this entire year of hard labor!". "Sure", said the master, "take this piece of amber, sell it in the market and keep the money". The boy looked at the piece and said "hey, this is not real amber!".
There was a Chinese peasant, who had a son who had come of age. The peasant wanted his son to learn a trade, so he sent him to the local amber merchant, to be his apprentice.
On the first day the merchant gave the boy a piece of amber and said "hold this in your hand and go sweep the yard". At the end of the day the boy returned the piece to his master and went to sleep. On the second day the same instructions were repeated, and so on for the following month.
During the second month, the amber merchant would give the boy a piece of amber in the morning, tell him to wash the dishes, and return the piece in the evening. During the following year, the boy was also told to go shopping, mow the lawn, paint the fence, and run various errands in the city.
A year had passed and the boy got frustrated. He came to the master and said: "I am sick and tired from this apprenticeship. I haven't learned anything, I've worked like a mule, and I got nothing from it. I quit!". "Okay", said the master, "you are free to go". "You know something?", said the student, "I want to be paid for this entire year of hard labor!". "Sure", said the master, "take this piece of amber, sell it in the market and keep the money". The boy looked at the piece and said "hey, this is not real amber!".
