Friday, January 25, 2008

#622 Song To Study Superlatives, Shanghai Subway Kiss


* A musician's lawyers had this script deleted on 29 October 2008, presumably because the post mentioned his name and the name of his song. I copied this from the Japanese script (and replaced the musician's name with X's):

Show 622 Friday 25 January
Watch today's show at YouTube or BlipTV.


Hi, I’m Sarah, welcome to The Daily English Show.
The song I recommend to study today is called XXX by XXX.
It’s very romantic. I’m going to read you the first verse.

I think this song is good for studying superlatives.
What’s a superlative?
superlative adj. (grammar) (of an adjective or adverb) expressing the highest or a very high degree of a quality
How do you make a superlative?

Very easy: just take an adjective or an adverb and add -est to the end or most before the word.
Often long words take most and short words take -est.

Let’s try.

You are nice.
You are the nicest girl in the world.
Could you be the nicest girl in the world?

You are beautiful.
You are the most beautiful girl in the world.
Could you be the most beautiful girl in the world?



STICK NEWS

Kia Ora, in Stick News today, a couple in China is planning to sue a subway operator after a video of them hugging and kissing was uploaded to the internet.

Last week a video of a couple kissing and hugging in the Shanghai subway was uploaded to the internet and attracted thousands of hits.
The video was filmed in September by subway security cameras.
The couple has now hired a lawyer and says they plan to sue the subway operator in the interests "of all passengers travelling on metro trains in Shanghai".

And that was Stick News for Friday the 25th of January. Kia Ora.



THE SNOW REPORT

at loaf lounge

There’s a cool heater at Loaf Lounge. It uses waste oil. The oil goes in here and this is the flame. The smoke goes out here. And you can turn up the temperature by adjusting how much oil flows in.



friday joke


Teacher: Now class, I’m going to ask you a question and I want you to all answer at once. How much is six plus four?

Class: At once.

I got the joke from here.



conversations with sarah
Where’s XXX from?


Brad Where’s XXX from?

Sarah America.

Brad What are some of his famous songs?

Sarah Um, he’s done hundreds of songs. I like XXX. Have you heard that?

Brad I don’t think so.

Sarah He released his first album before I was born.

Brad Really?

Sarah Yeah, in April 1978.

Show 621 Thursday 24 January


Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.

Hi, I’m Sarah, welcome to The Daily English Show.

The video I recommend to study today is a video that has been popular on the internet recently, the Tom Cruise Scientology video.

This is a video of Tom Cruise talking about Scientology which was intended to be for members of that group, but was somehow leaked.

So I’m going to talk about some language related to that video.

First of all, what is Scientology?

Wikipedia says it’s: a body of beliefs and related practices.

And it says the guy who started it, called it an applied religious philosophy.

And some people call it a cult.

Journalists, courts and the governing bodies of several countries have stated that the Church of Scientology is a cult.

I think it’s interesting that different people call the same group different things.

So what is a cult?

Cult typically refers to a cohesive social group devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture considers outside the mainstream, with a notably positive or negative popular perception. In common or populist usage, "cult" has a positive connotation for groups of art, music, writing, fiction, and fashion devotees, but a negative connotation for new religious, extreme political, questionable therapeutic, and pyramidal business groups.

It’s interesting how words have such strong connotations. If you’d never heard of Scientology before and I said it was a religion you might think, "oh yeah", but if I said it was a cult you might think, "ahh, scary".
But whatever label you give it, it is what it is, whatever that is, I’m not too sure, except that I read some of LRH’s theories on education and I thought they were nonsense.

Anyway, about this video, one interesting point is that Tom Cruise uses a lot of jargon – which is understandable because it was supposed to be an internal video.

I wasn’t sure how much – because sometimes I just think oh maybe it’s American English – or maybe I just don’t understand that word.

But then I saw one video which had subtitles explaining the jargon, which was helpful. For example, SP stands for suppressive person.

I looked at a site called whatisscientology.org and they have a glossary which explains a lot of scientology words, and suppressive person means:

a person who possesses a distinct set of characteristics and mental attitudes that cause him to suppress other people in his vicinity. This is the person whose behavior is calculated to be disastrous. Also called antisocial personality.

I think this video is popular because it makes Tom cruise sound kind of crazy, if you’re not into Scientology that is.

As for me I think this is one of the strangest lines.

Being a Scientologist, when you drive past an accident, it’s not like anyone else. As you drive past, you know you have to do something about it, because you know you’re the only one that can really help.



STICK NEWS

Kia Ora, in Stick News today, a British bus company has apologized to a human pet after one of its drivers threw her off a bus.

This 19-year-old woman says she is the pet of her 25-year-old fiancé.
Recently a bus driver told her to get off the bus. He said: "We don't let freaks and dogs like you on."
The company has now apologized. A spokesperson said they were worried about safety and she was welcome to use the buses but not when she is on her lead.
"Should she be attached to a chain and something happens on the bus, that could be dangerous,” they said.
The woman said her choice of lifestyle might seem unusual but was harmless.
"I am a pet," she said. "I generally act animal-like and I lead a really easy life. I don't cook or clean and I don't go anywhere without Dani. It might seem strange but it makes us both happy. It's my culture and my choice. It isn't hurting anyone."


And that was Stick News for Thursday 24 of January.
Kia Ora.




THE SNOW REPORT
on the road


It was really windy when we were driving back from Saison Club. Snow had blown over the road into mountain shapes, like sand dunes. It was really pretty. And scary too cause the wind was quite strong.



conversations with sarah
#377 Can cult have a positive meaning?

Step 1: Repeat Takako’s lines.
Step 2: Read Takako’s lines and talk to Sarah.

Takako Can cult have a positive meaning?

Sarah Yeah.

Takako In what way?

Sarah Um, when it’s used as an adjective before a noun, for example, a cult movie or cult book. Or a cult figure or cult status.

Takako What’s a cult movie? A movie about a cult?

Sarah No. Cult as an adjective means popular with a particular group. So a cult movie is very popular with a particular group of fans – as opposed to, say, a blockbuster which is a movie that has made a lot of money, so it’s more popular with a bigger group of people.



Tom Cruise Scientology Video
Transcript

I think it's a privilege to call yourself a Scientologist and it's something you have to earn. And because a Scientologist does, he or she has the ability to create new and better realities, and improve conditions. Ah ... being a Scientologist you look at someone and you know absolutely that you can help them.

So for me it really is KSW and it's just, like, it's, it's something that, ah ... I don't mince words with that, you know with anything that LRH does. But that policy with me has really gone, 'Boy'. And, and, I ... there was a time I went through it, I said, you know what, when I read it, I, you know, I just went "poo, this is it, this exactly it."

Being a Scientologist, when you drive past an accident, it's not like anyone else, it's, you drive past, you know you have to do something about it. Because you know you are the only one that can really help. But that's, that's what drives me. It's that I know that we have an opportunity and, ah, to really, to help for the first time and effectively change people's lives, and ah, I'm dedicated to that. I'm gonna, I'm absolutely, uncomprimisingly dedicated to that.

The orgs are there to help, OK. But we as, you know, as, also as the public, it's like, we have a responsibility. It's not just the orgs. It's not just Dave Miscavige. You know, it's not just, it's not just me. It's you. It's everyone out there. Kind of, re-reading KSW, and looking to see what needs to be done, saying OK, am I going to do it, or am I not going to do it? Period. And am I going to look at that guy, or am I too afraid because I have my own out ethics to put in someone else's ethics, and that is all it comes down to.

Because I won't hesitate to putting ethics in on someone else, you know, because I put it ruthlessly in on myself. And I think that, ah, I respect that in, in others, and, ah, you know, I am there to help. And we're here to help. And my opinion is, is that, look, you're either on board or you're not on board, OK? Which is it? If you're on board, you're on board, just like the rest of us. Period.

We are the authorities on getting people off drugs. We are the authorities on the mind. We are the authorities on improving conditions. Criminon. We can rehabilitate criminals. Way to happiness. We can bring peace, ah, and unite cultures. Ah, that once you know these tools and you know that they work, it's, it's not good enough that I'm just doing OK.

Travelling the world and meeting the people that I've met, you know, talking with these leaders in various fields ... they want help, and they are depending on people who know and who can be effective, and do it, and that's us. That is our responsibility to do that.

It is the time now. Now is the time. OK? It is being a Scientologist, people are turning to you, so you better know it, you better know it, and if you don't, you know, go and learn it. You know? But don't pretend you know it, and ... or for, you know, whatever. It's like, we're here to help.

If you're a Scientologist, you see life, you see things, the way they are, in all it's glory, you know, all of it's complexity, ah, and the more you know as a Scientologist, you don't become overwhelmed by it.
And ah ... when she, they said, "So, like, have you met an SP?" Hahahahahaha. And I looked at them, you know, and I thought, what a beautiful thing, because, maybe, one day, it will be like that. You know what I'm saying? Maybe one day it'll be that ... Wow. SPs, they'll just read about those in the history books, you know.

I just go through that tech, and it's, it, literally, it's not how to run from an SP. It's PTSSP - how to shatter oppression, confront, shatter oppression. You apply it, it's like 'boom'.

Because they don't come up to me and do that, ah, they don't do it to me, not to my face, you know, or anywhere in my vicinity where they feel they can be ... confronting. They just don't do it.

I wish the world was a different place, I'd like to go on vacation, and go and romp and play, and just do that. You know what I mean? I mean, that's what I want it to be. OK. That's how, you know, there's times I'd like to do that, but ... but I can't ... because ... I know, I know, so, you know, once you know, it's just ... I have to do something about it. It's not, you know, you can sit here and wish it was different, and then, you look at it. And you go, "OK, this is it, alright, OK". And at that moment where you go, you know, I have to do something, don't I? Yeah I really have to do it, because I cannot live with myself if I don't, and that really is it. I don't care if someone thinks it's hard or it's easy. Because you're either helping you're contributing everything you can, or you're not, OK? Ah, because I'm carrying my load, alright, and as much as you're carrying, I still feel like I got to do more. Alright. There's still a thing of 'let's go.'

You can see the look in their eyes. You know the ones who are doing it, you know, and you know the spectators, the ones who are going , 'Well, it's easy for you. What am I doing? And it's just, that thing is, ah, I've cancelled that in my area. It's like, man, you're either in or you're out. That's spectatorism, and it's something that, that is, we have no time for now.

So it's our responsibility to educate, create the new reality. You know, we have that responsibility to say, hey, this is the way it should be done. Because we do it this way and people are actually getting better.

Let's get it done. You know, let's really get it done. And have enough love, compassion and toughness, that you're going to do it, and, ah, do it right.

And I have to tell you something. I really, it is, you know, it's rough and tumble. And it's wild and woolly. And it's a blast ... it's a blast. It really is fun, because, damit, there's nothing better than the going out there and fighting the fight and suddenly you see, things are better.

I want to know that I've done everything I could, you know, every day when I think about those people out there who are depending on us. And, ah, I think about that. And it does make me feel, ah, like, man, you know, we got work, more help. Get those spectators, you're either in the playing field, or out of the arena. Really, that is how I feel about it.

I do what I can, and I do it the way I do everything ... hahahahahaha ... there's nothing part of the way for me. It's just wooo ...



notes

leak v. (of secret information) become known, intentionally disclose

connotation n. an idea or feeling which a word invokes in addition to its primary meaning

jargon n. words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group of people, and are difficult for others to understand

links

Tom Cruise Scientology Remixes/Spoofs
You know/Pause/Stare REMIX
Laugh REMIX
Laugh spoof
The Late Late Show spoof

today's STICK NEWS pictures

music

show start
artist: BrunoXe
album: aprendiendo desde 2004
track: Mandrake
from: Jerez, Spain
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

the snow report start
artist: Olga Scotland
album: Scotland Yard
track: Absolute
from: Moscow, Russia
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

cws start
artist: San Sebastian
track: Happy Sad
artist site

qa start
artist: ioeo
album: Groovetracks
tracks: groovetracks ending
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

qa bgm
artist: softspace
album: Room With A View
track: Eric Satie
from: gravesend, United Kingdom
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

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