User Comments - RJ

Posted on: Introducing New Voices

well it is bad from the viewpoint of the shoppers and shop keepers in the sense that it is the most crowded, confrontational shopping day of the year. It also puts everybody in obligatory debt. No one really wants to fight the crowds on this day but you must if you want the bargains offered. Physical altercations have been known to break out as folks fight to get first in line for limited bargain offers. This I think is part of the joke. I don't disagree with you however, and I never shop on this day. Only the bravest bargain hunters enter this hostile environment. That is why it is called black Friday. I doubt very many people have ever heard of black ink being a part of it but it is known as the busiest and most brutal shopping day of the year. Stupid? You bet.

Posted on: Considering an iPad

ouch, I believe you are correct. I hadnt got that far since I dont really plan to buy one. Maybe Gen 2 or 3. I have heard comments how beautiful the thing looks and feels but..... no horsepower and many limitations.

I love my itouch also. There are some risks and limitations to the cpod app of which Im sure you are aware, but overall I like it too.

Posted on: Zombies!

Migaofoshan

you have good ears. They always write "bu" as a 4th tone, but the actual pronunciation follows the tone rules:

http://chinesepod.com/lessons/tone-rule-changes-for-bu

there are also rules for two third tones in a row, or the word "Yi"

http://chinesepod.com/lessons/tone-change-rule-yi-%E4%B8%80

http://chinesepod.com/lessons/tone-rule-two-third-tones

Posted on: Considering an iPad

I understand.

Posted on: The First Tone

sinosplice yes, and AIchinese

http://www.aichinese.com/

Posted on: What are you doing?

they mean the same. Zuo is used more often and some applications require zuo - such as zuo ai.

Qing wen tackled this:

http://chinesepod.com/lessons/to-do

做..to do zuo4

做作业...do homework - zuo4 zuo4 ye4

做家务...do housework - zuo4 jia1 wu4

做生意...do business - zuo4 sheng1 yi4

做饭...cook - zuo4 fan4

做菜...cook - zuo4 cai4

你在做什么？....what are you doing? - ni3 zai4 zuo4 shen2 me?

干...to do - gan1

你在干什么？...what are you doing?- ni3 zai4 gan1 shen2 me?

你在干吗？...what are you up to? - ni3 zai4 gan1 ma?

干活....to work [manual labour] - gan1 huo2

去地里干活...to go out to the fields to work - qu4 di4 li3 gan1 huo2u

我是干销售的....I work in sales - wo3 shi4 gan1 xiao1 shou4 de

我们是干教育的...we do education - wo3men shi4 gan1 jiao4 yu4 de

办 ...to do,to manage - ban4

怎么办，怎么办？...what's to be done? - zen3me ban4

？”...a song by Jay Chou "what's to be done?" zhou1 jie2 lun2 you3 yi1 ge ge1 "zen3 me ban4, zen3 me ban4"?

怎么办这事？..what do we do now? - zen3me ban4 zhe4 shi4 ?

Posted on: Considering an iPad

yea but you said the same thing about the android until you got one, right?

Posted on: Considering an iPad

I think it would also be great for Cpod and Skritter, even AIChinese. It has its uses but it can not replace a laptop, just yet.

Posted on: Considering an iPad

To me, the I-pad is just a huge i-touch. Several engineers I know bought I-pads and they were disappointed in the lack of any brain power in the device. No filing system, no directory. It is basically app driven and you must buy the I-pad apps from apple of course. I-touch apps work but show up very tiny (in their orig i-touch size I guess). Interestingly enough, all these guys gave the devices to their wives, who all seemed to love them. A happy ending. :-)

Posted on: Band Practice

Well, personally I think those other guys have the accent,. We are the "normal" ones - but I also realize its a biased opinion and its natural to feel that way. So you just have to accept it. They feel that way too. But they're wrong :-)