Thursday, April 13, 2006

Show 11 Thursday 13 April


Watch today's show at grouper or YouTube.


STICK NEWS

Kia Ora, In Stick News today, Japan’s public broadcaster has fired its chief sports news producer for stealing money.

43-year-old Tetsushi Oshita embezzled more than 17 million yen over a five year period from 2001. He stole the money by claiming expenses for 242 fictitious business trips. Oshita spent most of the money on clothes and entertainment. He was supposed to be working on soccer broadcasts.
His false claims were discovered when somebody checked a questionable soccer trip this month because the schedule seemed overly tight. More trips were then checked and it was found that about 60 percent of those he claimed for, were never taken.

Oshita now has no job and a few of his bosses have less money – they’ve received slaps on the wrists in the form of pay cuts.
And that was Stick News for Thursday 13th April.
Kia Ora.



conversations with sarah

#9 What is this all about?
This conversation is from the book The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Chapter 1.

A French police agent comes to the hotel room of American symbologist Robert Langdon to question him about a murder.
Step 1: Repeat Robert’s lines.
Step 2: Read Robert’s lines on the screen and talk to Sarah (the agent).

Agent  May I come in?

Robert What is this all about?

Agent  My capitaine requires your expertise in a private matter.

Robert Now? It’s after midnight.

Agent  Am I correct that you were scheduled to meet the curator of the Louvre this evening?

Robert Yes. How did you know that?

Agent  We found your name in his daily planner.

Robert I trust nothing is wrong?

Agent  This photo was taken less than an hour ago. Inside the Louvre.

Robert Who would do this?

Agent  We had hoped that you might help us answer that very question.




Note 1: In my book, this conversation is on page 11.
Note 2: About line 5.. in the book it says: “to meet with the curator”. I made a mistake and left out “with” – but both make sense grammatically.

Read today's news here.

Show 10 Wed 12 April


Watch today's show at grouper or YouTube.


STICK NEWS

Kia Ora, In Stick News today, it’s official: Drug companies are inventing diseases.
The idea that pharmaceutical companies promote sickness to make money, is sometimes dismissed as a wacky conspiracy theory. But it’s just been given a stamp of approval by researchers in Australia who have released a report criticizing the industry.

Disease-mongering works like this. Drug companies such as this “Drugs are us” want to make money. So they run campaigns to sell drugs. Scared customers hand over the money and the companies are laughing all the way to the bank.
The only one with sad face, is the consumer. They’re left with no money and a stomach full of useless drugs.

The legal drug industry has denied it invents diseases to make money. And Drugs are Us have released a statement warning consumers to take immediate action against the latest disease – virus B. They say the only way to protect against the disease is to buy this drug, manufactured by Drugs are Us, called anti-B.
And that was Stick News for Wednesday 12th April.
Kia Ora.



conversations with sarah

#8 What’s your name?

Sarah meets a child called Alice.
Step 1: Repeat Alice’s lines.
Step 2: Read Alice’s lines on the screen and talk to Sarah.

Sarah What’s your name?

Alice  Alice.

Sarah How old are you?

Alice  I’m seven.

Sarah Where are you from?

Alice  I’m from Wonderland.

Sarah Where do you live?

Alice  I live in Tokyo.

Sarah Do you like studying English?

Alice  Yes, I do.

Sarah Can you speak Japanese?

Alice Yes, I can.

Sarah Can you speak Russian?

Alice No, I can’t.



Link:

Read about today's news here.