User Comments - RJ
RJ
Posted on: Homeschooling
December 16, 2012 at 1:14 AMHomeschooling has come a long way. There are yearly tests to take and software curricula are available. In some states approved curricula are mandatory. Here are some numbers. Home schooled students typically do better than those in public schools.
http://www.home-school.com/news/homeschooling-by-the-numbers.php
see also
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeschooling#Test_results
Posted on: Legalize It?
December 12, 2012 at 7:32 PMRichard Branson says end the war:
http://entertainment.time.com/2012/12/07/richard-branson-joins-the-war-against-the-war-on-drugs/
Posted on: Elevator Issues
December 4, 2012 at 3:19 AMThank you Vera. 我知道。
Posted on: Elevator Issues
December 3, 2012 at 12:40 PMThe reason elevators only go to select floors in tall buildings is that this aims to shorten everyone's ride. There will be less potential stops on the way up (or down) to your desired floor. How would you say upper or lower floors?
这个电梯只到顶层 ？
这个电梯只到低层 ？
Posted on: Experiencing Agricultural Life
December 2, 2012 at 5:30 AMactually they claim Chinese is spoken at a slower syllable per second rate due to higher data density. (less syllables are required to transfer the same amount of information.) Spanish on the other hand requires more syllables per second to convey the same amount of information so they speak faster.
Give it a read.
Posted on: Bakery Binge
November 21, 2012 at 6:57 PMJohn,
Agreed. I never eat processed assembly line bread. Good bread is here, and much more common than in China. The Chinese just don't seem to "get" the bread thing. You may not have heard that "Hostess" closed due to bankruptcy last Tuesday, so no more "Wonder Bread" in the States. (what were the "12 ways" anyway?). "Twinkies" are gone as well, although you can still buy on e-bay. Cant eat them myself, I guess all those school lunches packed with Millbrook bread sandwiches and Twinkies killed the desire. I hear they were good deep fried though. My Parents used to drink Instant coffee for God sake. To me its a sin. I guess people in the US got carried away with convenience and automated manufacturing for a while there. Twinkies, still a sad day somehow even though they were creme filled garbage. Iconic creme filled garbage. What kid didnt get stuck taking Twinkies in their lunch. They were good for trading however.
Posted on: American TV Shows in China
November 20, 2012 at 2:20 PMactually P2P is the ketone (phenyl-2-propanone) not the alcohol (phenyl-2-propanol) so it should be 苯基-2-丙酮 . Commonly referred to as phenylacetone. (in case there are any other chemists out there that would no doubt hold me feet to the fire).
Posted on: American TV Shows in China
November 20, 2012 at 2:05 PMHi He2xu4,
Not sure I agree with your colorful translation of 绝命毒師. Could it be something like dying evil teacher, or life cut short by fate turns teacher evil, or just life cut short by fate evil teacher. Du can have a double meaning here as in drugs (poison) or evil. It fits better with the theme of the show, which is how fate (unfair) and the frustration of following the rules for years to no avail (life is also unfair), combine to convince Walter to take a different path. He "breaks bad" after justifying it to himself, and finds it a slippery slope of no return that makes for a great show and a colorful life. Hmmmm. Havent we all thought of breaking bad at one time or another? It would be nice to have a native speakers interpretation of the title 绝命毒師. I can only guess.
Posted on: American TV Shows in China
November 20, 2012 at 12:23 PM桶甲胺 = barrel of methylamine
1-苯基-2-丙醇 = P2P (phenyl-2-Propanol)
苯乙酸 = phenylacetic acid ( possible precursor to P2P)
伪麻黄碱 = pseudoephedrine
Posted on: No TP
December 17, 2012 at 2:27 AMI believe ZB is referring to the box into which you place used paper, since you are not supposed to flush TP in China. Toilet altruism? Good luck with that one.