everspring的个人资料

Sarah Connor - Real Love

50 Ways To Get Over A Broken Relationship (Love Relationship S This is the third series on ‘Love Relationships’ and the aim is to look at ways in which we can resolve or get over broken relationships. A broken relationship is simply an end to a relationship based on love, trust, affection, friendship etc. It can happen to anyone, at any age with/without warning. It is not only tagged to spouses, marriages or engagements but also affects friends, families, work colleagues….. This post will briefly address how it occurs and suggest 50 Ways To Get Over A Broken Relationship. The following are causes of broken relationships:

Who I am, Who I Am Not Lately, I’ve been feeling like a kept woman — kept by my Stuff, that is. After a bout of sickness that forced me to stare at my Stuff day in, day out, I am tired of looking at it. I’ve gone on one of those purging rampages that I’m not proud of. And after a morning of sorting and looking and piling and boxing up, I still have Stuff everywhere. It makes me mad. Isn’t that silly? I’m mad at my Stuff because I don’t want to look at it anymore, but I can’t bear to part with some of it, and I can’t find places for the rest. Which, naturally, means that there’s too much of it. I need a break. So I figured now was an excellent time to remind myself that I am not my Stuff. Please bear with me for a moment here. Who am I? I am Christine. I really am a know-it-all, but I’m learning to like that part of me. I like riding my bike, writing, Lily snuggles. I’m 24 with a dry sense of humor and no tolerance for bullshit and exclusionary language. Going green informs every aspect of my life right now. These things are me: they don’t require a lot of Stuff: bike, pen, paper, puppy, library access. Who I am not I am not the pile of five boxes in front of the office bookcase, waiting to be sorted through. I am not the closet full of games and movies that we use occasionally, nor the trunk of spare blankets, nor the box of winter coats that I went through earlier. And I am most definitely not the books overflowing from the bookshelves — they may represent things I like or know, but they are not my knowledge; that’s in my head. What you won’t see me doing shopping for clothes at Wal-Mart buying something without lots of thought eating veal, foie gras, processed foods What you may not believe about me I love temporary tattoos I am participating in NaNoWriMo this year for the first time ever, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to win I can eat a pint of ice cream in approximately forty minutes — less, if I’ve had a bad day My desk is a mess right now I work three different jobs on top of blogging I blub on a regular basis at movies, books, songs, photos, novel ideas, headaches, puppy snuggles The guys at the bike shop know me by name because I’ve gone in with so many questions What’s coming next I am going to finish this ridiculous decluttering/cleaning process, bring the Stuff to Goodwill, and get on with my life. Because hey: life is not about Stuff. And neither am I.

Kill Busywork: The One Skill to Focus On What Matters Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Michael Bungay Stanier of Box of Crayons. Imagine everything you do could fall into one of three buckets: 1. Bad Work. 2. Good Work. 3. Great Work. I’m not talking about the quality of the work you deliver – I’ve no doubt that’s fine. I’m talking about the meaning the work has for you and the impact it makes. Let me explain. Bad Work is the work that makes no difference yet consumes your time and energy. Put less politely, it’s those soul-sucking, spirit-draining activities that make you question how you ever ended up spending precious moments of your life on anything like this. Endless meetings. Paperwork. Busywork. Good Work is most likely the work you do most of the time, and you do it well. It’s necessary stuff that moves things along and gets things done. Organizations are primarily set up to do Good Work: create a product or service, do it efficiently, sell it to the world. There’s nothing wrong with Good Work– except for two things. First of all, it’s endless. Trying to get your Good Work done can feel like Sisyphus rolling his rock up the mountain, a never-ending task. And second, Good Work is too comfortable. The routine and busy-ness of it all is seductive. You know in your heart of hearts that you’re no longer you stretching yourself or challenging how things are done. Your job has turned into just getting through your workload week in, week out. And then there’s Great Work. Great Work is what you were hoping for when you signed up for this job. It’s meaningful and it’s challenging. It’s about making a difference, it matters to you and it lights you up. It matters at an organizational level too. Great Work is at the heart of blue ocean strategy, of innovation and strategic differentiation, of evolution and change. Great Work sets up an organization for longer-term success. The challenge is that Great Work carries with it uncertainty and risk as well as impact and reward. We’re pulled towards what Great Work promises and pushed away by its threat. We want to free ourselves from the regularity and comfortable rut that is Good Work, and yet we’re tugged back by the familiarity and certainty that it provides.

Snug Living Space Simplicity! I’m becoming addicted to this idea (it’s a healthy addiction). I’ve cleared out my wardrobe and book shelf (more editing required) and now it’s time to clear out the rest! We are moving from our spacious apartment to a smaller garden cottage, this is a perfect opportunity to get rid of stuff! I would like to get rid of about 85% of our current stuff, my wife would probably not allow this to happen, but my personal stuff is going to be a lot less, this makes me happy:)

4 Reasons why I’m simplifying my wardrobe. My wife thinks I have gone crazy. I threw out all my clothes yesterday, well, almost all of them, I kept too pairs of shorts, a pair of jeans, formal pants, three collared shirts and a jersey. The rest I gave to a very thankful under privileged person. The clothes filled a large black rubbish bag. I then went and bought five good quality organic plain t-shirts (I live in Durban, we can wear t-shirts all year round:) this is my wardrobe for now, I will be editing it further as I see what I need or don’t need. Why would I do this? It’s the first step in my simplicity experiments. Tackling your wardrobe is a good place to start simplifying your life. This is why I did it: Branded clothing; not for me: I’ve never liked the idea of paying huge amounts of money to advertise someone else’s product. So I threw out all the branded clothes I own and have asked my family if they would like to buy me clothes, plain is better and cheaper! Cheaper: I bought three plain organic t-shirts that cost me the same as if I bought one branded t-shirt! If you are the creative type, then you could always paint onto these plain T’s or do some other type of t-shirt decoration (screen print, tye-dye, patchwork etc…) More space for living: My wardrobe is cleaner and not as cluttered now, with only the clothes that I need, it feels great! Giving stuff away: It’s great to give your clothes away. If you haven’t worn something for 6-12 months, then give it away to someone who would benefit from them, in my country there are plenty of people that would.

It isn't easy. But that's a good thing. "The spirit of simplicity is not an inherited gift, but the result of a laborious conquest." Charles Wagner Quote found via Luke at Simplifi.de To the people who aren't initially scared off by going minimal, getting rid of all your stuff can sound terribly attractive. If you crave the feeling of being untethered, light as a feather, tossing your things is a great way to go. But it's not easy. In fact, it can be an overwhelming, difficult process. But it's totally worth it. Taking the time to go through what you own and consider each item before disposing of or donating it is important for you to really absorb the meaning of your decision to own less. It's also a time to reflect on your past decisions that led you to amass so many things. My bad habits were books and clothing. Once I had room for very few, I had to carefully select what I loved most, get rid of the rest. Recently my boyfriend and I made the decision to move in together, and while we look for a place (a small one!), we are renting a 10 by 10 storage space to hold our stuff, as well as some items for my parents. We managed to fill it up.

Choosing Contentedness I’ve been thinking about simplicity a lot lately and I’ve identified a key ingredient to living a simplistic life; contentedness. To be content with what you have and how your life is going is a fantastic feeling which I’m just now experiencing. I have a terrible habit of always wanting something, it could be something to eat, read, watch or say, but whatever it is I don’t need it and the satisfaction it brings is very temporary. I’ve started to write down things that I want on a “30 day list”, I write the something down and wait 30 days and if I still want it after that time (very rarely) and if I have the money for it then I’ll get it, after much deliberation. This trick I learned from Leo Babauta of mnmlist.

Things shall pass. The cartoon above is one of my personal favourites. I think it has a cool little message; that no matter how dark the cloud is above you or how cold the rain, there is hope that things will pass and stuff gets better. I’m generally not an optimistic guy, I’m not a fan of positive thinking and I’m aware of the horrors in this world, but I do try to cut negative vibes out of my life and I’m beginning to look towards a more simplistic way of living. I’m leaning towards the theory that simplicity, at least for me, is going to make me happier, less stressed and better off. This blog is a journal of my upcoming experiments with living more simply, I hope you continue reading.

美国人常说的地道口语听到同事说了一件挺糟糕的事情，你会怎么样回应呢？Oh, that's too bad?这句话好像有点过时了哦。现在更地道的说法似乎是That sucks。今天我们就来说一些美国人常用的地道表达。 1. XYZ 检查你的拉链 Hey, man. XYZ. 老兄啊! 检查一下你的拉链吧。 "XYZ" 是 "Check your zipper" 的意思。美国人填表做选项的时候多用打"X"来表示。这个打”X“的动作就叫"Check"，也就是XYZ 中的X。Y 代表Your，Z当然代表Zipper 了！ 2. kick ass 了不起 A: Wow, you fixed my computer in less than 10 minutes. You're good. 哇! 你不到十分钟就把我的计算机修好了! 你真棒! B: Yep. I just kick ass. 是的! 我就是了不起! 3. click (两人)合得来 I really like talking to her. I think we two really click. 我很喜欢和她说话。我觉得我们两个蛮合得来的。 4. suck 差劲; 糟透了 A: Guess what? We've just now missed the bus, and the next one won't come for another 45 minutes. 知道吗? 我们刚好错过公车了，而下一班车还要四十五分钟才会来。 B: That sucks. 太糟糕了! 5. all set 一切准备妥当 A. Is my car ready yet? 我的车好了吗? B: Yep! We just need to get this paper work done and you'll be all set. 是的! 我们只要把这份证明填好，一切就都准备妥当了! 6. My hands are tied. 我无能为力。 A: Mr. Chapman, can I hand in my homework next time. I left it at home. 先生，我能不能下次再交作业呢? 我把功课忘在家里了。 B: All of the scores must be given to the office by Friday, so you must have your homework today. It is a school rule and there is nothing I can do. My hands are tied!. 所有的分数都必须在礼拜五前交到办公室，所以你今天必须交作业。这是学校的规定，我无能为力。 "My hands are tied." 并不是真正的“手被绑起来”的意思，而是指“没办法”的意思。比如电话响了，你很忙不能接，也可以说"Can you get it? My hands are tied." (我很忙，你能接一下吗?"）

你知道SQ代表什么吗大家对IQ（intelligence quotient智商）和EQ（emotion quotient 情商）这两个词一定不陌生吧？这两种“商”在我们的生活中都起着很重要的作用，哪个低了都不是好事。不过，在这两种“商”之外，现在又有学者提出了第三种“商”SQ（social quotient），你知道代表的是什么吗？ Social quotient (SQ), first put forward by US scholar Daniel Goleman, refers to the ability to deal with social relations and follows in the style of the IQ (intelligence quotient) and EQ (emotion quotient) concepts. Goleman believes that interpersonal interaction exerts its great influence on our intelligence and other aspects of our lives. 社交商这个说法是由美国学者丹尼尔•戈尔曼首先提出来的，指的是人们处理人际社交关系的能力，与智商（IQ）和情商（EQ）的理念相同。戈尔曼认为人际交往对我们的智力以及生活的其它方面都会产生很大的影响。 Unlike IQ, which seems to be fixed after age five, all of us can work on skills like smiling or a positive attitude, traits commonly found in individuals with high social skills. Shy and extroverted people can similarly benefit from such efforts. 智商一般在5岁以后就基本定型了，但微笑、积极的社交态度等有效的社交技能是可以通过努力得到提高的。不管是害羞的人还是外向的人，都能从这样的训练中有所收获。

你所不知道的ball短语 Ball这个词人人都认识，就是球的意思。但在日常表达里，它的用法却不止于此。 1. The little girl had a ball at school today. 这个小女孩今天在学校参加了一个舞会。在上面这个句子里，ball的意思是“舞会”。另外，常见的短语on the ball 通常表示“有知识，有才华，懂行，办事利索”等意思。例如： 2. He is a teacher who is really on the ball. 他是个了不起的老师。那么，由此类推，have nothing on the ball就肯定是“没有才华，办事不利”的意思了。 a student who has nothing on the ball 学得一塌糊涂的学生有时候，我们还会用ball这个词来指代某件事情或者某个任务，比如： 3. I am glad you have started the ball rolling. 很高兴你把这事推动起来了。 4. The ball is in your court now. 现在球已到你那边了。（意即得由你做决定了）最后再补充一点，我们知道fireball是“火球”的意思，在日常表达中其实也常常引申为“成功、热情、精力旺盛”之意。例如： 5. I hope John will join us, he is a fireball (or he is a ball of fire). 我希望约翰能加入我们，他是个精力旺盛的人。

Playboys finally start to grow up It's midnight and three Lamborghinis are parked in a row outside a nightclub at the Workers' Gymnasium in downtown Beijing. Their owners are nearby, drunkenly saying their goodbyes after a big party. Pretty girls, luxury products and extravagant parties - these are things that typically come to mind when we think of the lifestyles of the children of China's nouveaux riche. But it's not always the case. Dressed in simple sportswear, 27-year-old William Li is struggling to rid himself of his addiction to luxury products and parties and build up his own business. His recently-discovered ambition emerged when his father, a former coalmine owner in Shanxi province, was forced to seek business opportunities in Beijing because of a government policy to merge small coalmines in the early part of last year. Li, his 61-year-old father's only son, obtained a management degree from a London business school and returned to China in 2003. After his graduation, he concentrated on partying with friends and never put his mind to more serious matters. "As the government policy started to take effect, my father had to sell his coalmines which used to be the only source of income for my family", he said. "I believe my father needs my supports and I cannot continue squandering his money and also my own life anymore." Li spent about 1.5 million yuan creating a restaurant in a commercial building in Beijing's central business district. In his view it was an ideal site for a catering business and he didn't bother with a market survey or any other analysis. By his own admission he was a spoiled boy, familiar with a Gucci umbrella and Prada keyring, and totally unprepared for consorting with waiters and cooks in a kitchen every day. However, despite putting in plenty of hard work, after the opening ceremony at the restaurant, he experienced one failure after another. "My first mistake was that I paid at least 30 percent more on the decoration of the restaurant than I should have for one of the same size and quality," he said. "That was a direct result of my ignorance of the decoration market. I also used to buy everything without proper research and bargaining over prices." On the opening night of Li's restaurant only two customers dined and he made 300 yuan in sales, far less than his costs. He said: "The location and menu were based on my own personal feelings but I have since discovered that running a business is not like children playing house," he said. "I intended to make my restaurant a high-end venue but I didn't realize there were some brand-name restaurants nearby. Also, the menu was mostly Sichuan dishes and was not creative enough to lure the picky gourmets in the commercial district who have tasted different cuisines across China and many foreign countries. Lots of management knowledge and experience were needed but my only background in the area was in organizing a nightclub party." Initially, Li, a member of China's post-80s generation, thought running a restaurant would be a piece of cake. Now, sitting in his quiet restaurant with its postmodern style, he frowns as he talks about it still running at a deficit. "I have to start from scratch and I will be very much committed," he said, determinedly. "I don't want to sleep on the money I inherit from my father but make best use of his money and experience."

Facebook friend your boss? Americans say no A survey released on Thursday found that 56 percent of Americans say it is irresponsible to be friends with a boss and 62 percent say it is wrong to be friends with an employee.

Words about Lantern Festival 中国的传统佳节——元宵节就要到了。正月是农历的元月，古人称夜为“宵”，所以称正月十五为元宵节。正月十五日是一年中第一个月圆之夜，也是一元复始，大地回春的夜晚，人们对此加以庆祝，也是庆贺新春的延续。元宵节又称为“上元节”。按中国民间的传统，在这天上皓月高悬的夜晚，人们要点起彩灯万盏，以示庆贺。出门赏月、燃灯放焰、喜猜灯谜、共吃元宵，合家团聚、同庆佳节，其乐融融。下面就向大家介绍一些元宵节常用词语的英文说法。 the Lantern Festival 元宵节 rice glue ball 元宵 glutinous rice 糯米 lions/dragons dancing 舞龙/舞狮 guess lantern riddles 猜灯谜 play couplets game 对对联 enjoy beautiful lanterns 赏花灯 snuff 灯花 exhibit of lanterns 灯会 dragon lantern dancing 耍龙灯 walking on stilts 踩高跷 land boat dancing 划旱船 yangko/yangge dance 扭秧歌 beating drums while dancing 打太平鼓 drum dance 腰鼓舞 fireworks party 焰火大会 traditional opera 戏曲 variety show/vaudeville 杂耍 Lantern Festival's temple fair 元宵庙会 colored lanterns' temple fair 彩灯庙会

London fashion week: the trends for 2010 London fashion week: the trends for 2010 1 / 5 Sheepskin The Minder jacket is the new biker jacket: see Burberry, and dream. Sheepskin-lined boots at Mulberry come a close second in the lust chart. 2 / 5 Metallics After liquid mercury at Halston, it was bronze at Betty Jackson (pictured), and oil-slick black at Nicole Farhi. 3 / 5 Wide-cuffed ankle boot The newest shape of boot is loose around the ankle. Pringle (pictured) did it best. Balenciaga, of course, did it last season. 4 / 5 Zip-up-the-back dress A modern classic. Seen at Roksanda Ilincic (pictured) and Antonio Berardi. 5 / 5 Marble prints Next season’s answer to this season’s holographic- honeycomb graphics. Seen at Peter Pilotto (pictured) and Clements Ribeiro.

职场“掏空族” 身边有很多人说，大学刚毕业的时候，工作热情极高，从来都是早到晚走，有活儿也是抢着干。可工作几年后，情况就不是这样了。项目策划会基本不发言了，年轻同事在讨论什么也跟不上了。这就是职场的“掏空族（over-drained clan）”。 Over-drained clan refers to employees who find themselves running out of new ideas as well as enthusiasm after spending all their time and energy on day-to-day work. They are usually regarded as spiritual victims of fast-paced jobs which deprive them of learning time. “掏空族”指在工作中持续投入大量时间和精力后，又无暇进行学习和“充电”，从而无法在职场再产生新的想法或工作热情的一群人。他们通常被视为当下快节奏职场中的精神牺牲品。 Working pressure and heated competition are the major factors behind the phenomenon. People have to put a lot of effort into their work to get their job secured, using up stock of knowledge they’ve got from previous education and losing enthusiasm for work. Keeping a good work-life balance may help them live a better life, and a lifelong learning plan will surely enable them to walk away from the clan. 工作压力和激烈的竞争是导致这一现象的主要因素。为了保住工作，人们把大量的精力都投入到工作当中, 把上学时学到的知识和技能都用尽了，也没了工作热情。保持好工作和生活的平衡能够使“掏空族”的生活更上一层楼，而如果有终身学习的规划，他们就一定能够摆脱被“掏空”的命运。

提出约会常用的十句话春节和情人节的脚步越来越近了，你准备好要怎么庆祝了吗？礼物都已经预备好了？那就开口约他/她吧。 Are you free tonight? 你今晚有空吗? Do you have plans tonight? 今天晚上有安排吗? Are you available tonight? 今晚你有空吗？ Are you busy tonight? 今天晚上有事吗? Let's go out tonight. 今晚我们出去吧。 I'd like to invite you to a show. 我想请你去看演出。 Do you want to go out with me tonight? 今晚愿意跟我出去吗? If you're free, why don't we go out tonight? 要是你晚上有空，我们出去走走行吗? Would you like to go to the movies with me? 你愿意和我一起去看电影吗? Would you like to go to a show with me? 你愿意和我一起去看演出吗?

让人难以抵抗的表白 1.Do you have a map? Because I just keep losting in your eyes. 你有地图么？因为我刚在你的眼神中迷失了。 2.Meeting you was fate, and falling in love with you was out of my control. 遇见你是命运的安排而爱上你是我情不自禁。 3.No man or woman is worth your tears and the one who is, won't make your cry. 没人值得你为ta流泪，真正爱你的人不会让你哭泣。 4.There are two reasons why I wake up in the morning: my alarm clock and you. 我早上醒来的原因有两个：闹钟和你。 5.You are everything to me, and I was so blessed when god sent you here for me. 你是我的一切，上帝让你来到我身边，我真是太幸运。 6.In spite of you and me and the silly world going to pieces around us, I love you. 哪怕是世界末日，我都会爱你。 7.If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put Y and I together. 如果我能重新来排列字母，我要把Y(你)跟I(我)排在一起。 8.It's not being in love that makes me happy, but is being in love with you. 不是恋爱的感觉让我幸福而是爱上你的感觉让我幸福。 9.There are 4 steps to happiness: 1 you 2 me 3 our hearts 4 together 通往幸福的路有四步：1 你2 我3 我们的心4 在一起。 10.Love you so I don`t wanna go to sleep, for reality is better than a dream. 爱你所以我不愿去睡觉，因为现实比梦境更美好。

如何表达各种情感纠葛话说人是这世界上最复杂的动物，那么人与人之间的感情自然也不会简单到哪儿去。今天咱们就来说说各种感情纠葛的英语表达方式。 1.I don't want to be the third wheel. 我不想当电灯泡。 2. He is dating another girl on the side. 他脚踏两条船。 3. I am a one-woman kind of man. 我是那种从一而终的男人。 4. Those boys like to hit on me all the time. 那些男生老爱找我搭讪。 5. That's the long distance relationship. 我们是异地恋。 6. You should have chivalry. 你应该有点绅士风度。 7. I saw you smooching with that girl just outside my window. 我看到你在我家窗外亲那个女孩了。 8. I'm all over you. 我对你很着迷。 9. I'm over you. 我跟你之间完了。 10. Are you trying to seduce me? 你想勾引我吗？

格格党去年，“寂寞党”曾经在网络上掀起一股风潮，于是乎，我们无论做什么，都是与寂寞有关。可是你知道吗？在职场中也有这么一群人风头很劲，他们被称为“格格党（princess clan）”，领导看见他们头疼，同事看见他们皱眉。你身边有这样的人吗？ Princess clan is a workplace expression used to describe those who were mostly born after 1985, take their job as play, pay too much attention to their own needs and are too socially unsophisticated to heed public standards. “格格党”是职场的一种称呼，指的是85后出生，视工作如儿戏，过度关注自己的利益，无法得到社会公共标准认同的这样一群人。 Called “princess clan”, but the term doesn’t necessarily refer to females only. The word “princess” here has two implications: first, “ge ge”, the Chinese equivalent for “princess”, means people in this clan are mostly spoiled and thus very much self-centered; second, “ge ge” is also the first two words of the Chinese idiom “ge ge bu ru (square peg in a round hole)”, implying that those people cannot fit in the workplace philosophy. 虽然叫做“格格党”，但这个称呼并不仅仅指女性。“格格”这个词在这里有两重意思：第一，“格格”表示这一类人多是娇生惯养，以自我为中心；第二，“格格”同时也是成语“格格不入”的前两个字，暗示这些人在职场中格格不入。

Post-Medium Publishing Post-Medium Publishing Publishers of all types, from news to music, are unhappy thatconsumers won't pay for content anymore. At least, that's how theysee it. In fact consumers never really were paying for content, and publishersweren't really selling it either. If the content was what theywere selling, why has the price of books or music or movies alwaysdepended mostly on the format? Why didn't better content cost more?[1] A copy of Time costs $5 for 58 pages, or 8.6 cents a page. The Economist costs $7 for 86 pages, or 8.1 cents a page. Betterjournalism is actually slightly cheaper. Almost every form of publishing has been organized as if the mediumwas what they were selling, and the content was irrelevant. Bookpublishers, for example, set prices based on the cost of producingand distributing books. They treat the words printed in the bookthe same way a textile manufacturer treats the patterns printed onits fabrics. Economically, the print media are in the business of marking uppaper. We can all imagine an old-style editor getting a scoop andsaying "this will sell a lot of papers!" Cross out that final S andyou're describing their business model. The reason they make lessmoney now is that people don't need as much paper. A few months ago I ran into a friend in a cafe. I had a copy ofthe New York Times, which I still occasionally buy on weekends. AsI was leaving I offered it to him, as I've done countless timesbefore in the same situation. But this time something new happened.I felt that sheepish feeling you get when you offer someone somethingworthless. "Do you, er, want a printout of yesterday's news?" Iasked. (He didn't.) Now that the medium is evaporating, publishers have nothing leftto sell. Some seem to think they're going to sell content—thatthey were always in the content business, really. But they weren't,and it's unclear whether anyone could be. Selling There have always been people in the business of selling information,but that has historically been a distinct business from publishing.And the business of selling information to consumers has alwaysbeen a marginal one. When I was a kid there were people who usedto sell newsletters containing stock tips, printed on colored paperthat made them hard for the copiers of the day to reproduce. Thatis a different world, both culturally and economically, from theone publishers currently inhabit. People will pay for information they think they can make money from.That's why they paid for those stock tip newsletters, and whycompanies pay now for Bloomberg terminals and Economist IntelligenceUnit reports. But will people pay for information otherwise?History offers little encouragement. If audiences were willing to pay more for better content, why wasn'tanyone already selling it to them? There was no reason you couldn'thave done that in the era of physical media. So were the printmedia and the music labels simply overlooking this opportunity? Oris it, rather, nonexistent? What about iTunes? Doesn't that show people will pay for content?Well, not really. iTunes is more of a tollbooth than a store. Applecontrols the default path onto the iPod. They offer a convenientlist of songs, and whenever you choose one they ding your creditcard for a small amount, just below the threshold of attention.Basically, iTunes makes money by taxing people, not selling themstuff. You can only do that if you own the channel, and even thenyou don't make much from it, because a toll has to be ignorable towork. Once a toll becomes painful, people start to find ways aroundit, and that's pretty easy with digital content.

Loose or lose? Would you please tell me the difference between lose and loose? Thank you. Hello Disha. I’m very glad that you’ve asked this question because people make mistakes with these words ALL THE TIME. And I don’t just mean people who are studying English as a foreign language, but even native speakers who have been using the language all their lives. In fact, I would even go as far as to say that this is one of the most common spelling mistakes there is. So let’s have a look at them – there are a number of important differences. First let’s take lose [L-O-S-E]. This a verb, so it refers to an action, or something we do. If you lose something it means that you no longer have it and you, usually, don’t know where it has gone. Let’s listen to these examples: I’ve lost my keys. Try not to lose your temper. I’m always losing my way (meaning I have trouble finding places as I take the wrong roads). He recently lost his wife (meaning his wife recently died). She feels like she’s losing her mind (meaning she feels like she’s going crazy). On the other hand, loose [L-O-O-S-E] is an adjective, so it describes something. It is used when we want to say that something is the opposite of 'tight' or is not fixed, although there are a few expressions which are less literal. Have a listen to these: The knot was a bit loose so the horse escaped. I prefer to wear my hair loose, rather than tied up. She always wears very loose clothing. He’s got a bit of a loose tongue (meaning he likes to talk and may not be very good at keeping secrets). The thief is on the loose (meaning he/she hasn’t been caught). Have you got any loose change? (meaning coins that are not worth a lot of money, usually in your pocket). Note that a very common place to make mistakes is when using the –ing form of the verb 'to lose' – people often put a double 'o' here. Be careful not to do this, because there’s no such word as 'loosing'. Hopefully this clears up the confusion you were having with this pair of words – as you can see they really are quite different. Not only are the parts of speech and meanings different, but also the pronunciation. ‘LOOS’ and ‘LOOZ’. Try saying these a few times. Thanks for writing in!

绣花枕头我们中国人常常用“花瓶”和“绣花枕头”来形容那些虚有其表的人，不过这样的形容词如果要说给外国朋友听，他们可不一定能明白。难道外国没有这样的人吗？非也。只是外国人不了解文化背景，无法理解而已。下回跟外国人聊天说到这个话题，你可以用macaroni（通心粉）这个词，既符合外国文化，又形象生动，保准他们能明白。 Macaroni, the name of pasta in any of various hollow shapes, is now used to describe people who are impressive in appearance but disappointing in substance. It’s similar to the English saying “Many a fine dish has nothing on it” or the Chinese idiom “embroidered pillow,” which boasts a beautiful cover, but with only worthless dried straw stuffed inside. 形状各异的意大利“通心粉”现在被用来形容那些外表光鲜亮丽而实质一无是处的人。它在这里表示的意思跟英语俗语“虚有其表”和汉语中的“绣花枕头”的意思一样，“绣花枕头”外表很漂亮，可里面却只是填满了干草而已。 For example: - Hey, do you see that guy over there? He is so hot! 哎，你看见那边那个家伙了吗？他好帅啊！ - Hope he is not a macaroni person. 希望他不是个通心粉才好。

“古董衫”种种自上世纪90年代以来，“古董衫”逐渐成为很多明星追捧的时尚热点。虽名为“古董衫”，但在时髦挂帅的今天，完全不等于“老祖母”的旧衣。古董衫的魅力，是古着的独特气质，但又能传达摩登意念，这也是穿古董衫的最高境界。话说古董都很值钱，这些古董衫也都价值不菲哦。 Vintage clothing is a generic term for new or second hand garments originating from a previous era. The word vintage is copied from its use in wine terminology, as a more elegant-seeming euphemism for "old" clothes. “古着”是对过去年代遗留下来的没穿过的或者二手衣服的一个总称。Vintage这个词是从葡萄酒酿酒的术语中借用过来的（原本意思是“陈年的”），在这里是对“旧”衣服的一个委婉的说法，更具古典气质。 Generally speaking, clothing which was produced before the 1920s is referred to as antique clothing and clothing from the 1920s to 1980 is considered vintage. Retro, short for retrospective, usually refers to clothing that imitates the style of a previous era. 一般说来，上世纪二十年代以前出产的衣服被称为“古董衫（antique clothing）”，上世纪二十年代到八十年代期间的衣服则是“古着”（vintage），而仿照过去年代风格出产的衣服则被称为“怀旧衫（retro）”。 Most vintage clothing has been previously worn, but a small percentage of pieces have not. Popular places to buy vintage clothing include charity-run second hand clothing shops, flea markets, antique markets, auctions, vintage clothing shops, textile or collectables fairs. 大部分古着都是原来有人穿过的，只有一小部分是没穿过的。买古董衫的地方一般包括慈善机构运营的二手服装店，跳蚤市场，古董市场，拍卖会，古着商店，纺织藏品交易会等。

Obama, Shakira meet at White House WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama and pop superstar Shakira are talking about U.S. policy toward children at the White House. Obama and the Colombian entertainer met briefly after she had meetings with staff from the National Security Council and the Domestic Policy Council to talk about early childhood development. A White House official, speaking only on the condition of anonymity because the meeting was not on the president's public schedule, says Shakira stopped by to say hello to Obama when the meetings ended. Shakira is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and has been an advocate for children in poverty. Singer Shakira listens to a question at the World Bank in Washington after she and World Bank President Robert Zoellick launched the Early Childhood Initiative at the World Bank in February 22, 2010.

“理想雇主”怎么说前一阵出炉的全球理想雇主排行榜中，谷歌名列第一。该排行榜是调查了全球11个主要国家顶级院校近12万名学生得出的结果。近日韩国一家就业门户网站也针对国内大学生进行了理想雇主的调查。请看相关报道： Samsung was selected as thepreferred workplace for a 2nd straight year in a survey of 1146 college seniors, done by Job Korea, a recruitment portal of South Korea. 韩国就业门户网站Job Korea对1146名大四学生进行的调查中三星连续第二年被选为韩国大学生的理想雇主。在上面的报道中，preferred workplace就是“理想雇主”，也就是学生们心目中最好的工作单位，也可以用preferred/ideal employer来表示。Preferred 在这里的意思是“首选的、喜爱的、优先的”，很多商务人士出差的时候都会选择圈内公认的preferred hotel（首选酒店），有些人的名字很难记，所以就会想出一个简单好记的简称来让别人称呼自己，这样的称呼就叫做preferred name。除了普通劳动关系中常见的雇主外，在劳动派遣中还有employer of record（名义雇主）、co-employer（共同雇主），joint employer（联合雇主）等不同职能的雇主。其中，employer of record就是劳动派遣机构；co-employer仅限于劳动者派遣中的雇主；joint employer既包括劳动者派遣中的雇主，也包括双重劳动关系中的雇主和某些生产紧密关联的雇主；而劳动排遣中的接收单位则被称为worksite employer（现场雇主）。

无固定期限合同《新劳动合同法》颁布实施已经接近一年了，职工的合法权益也得到了更有效的保护。但是全球金融危机暴发后，我国实体经济也不可避免地受到影响，利润下滑的公司开始裁员、减薪，这又使劳资纠纷数量大幅增加。请看《中国日报》的报道： The labor law is considered the most significant change in the country's labor rules in more than a decade. It makes mandatory the use of written contracts and encourages open-ended contracts to protect the rights of workers. 《新劳动合同法》被认为是近十年中国劳动制度领域的最重要变革。根据该法规定，为保护劳动者的合法权益，企业必须与劳动者签订书面合同，并鼓励签订无固定期限合同。 Open-ended (labor) contracts用在这里指我们平时所说的“无固定期限劳动合同”，也就是用人单位与劳动者约定无确定终止时间的劳动合同。很多人对“无固定期限”存在误解，事实上“无固定期限”既不是劳动者的“护身符”，也不是用人单位的“终身包袱”。只要没有出现法律规定的条件或者双方约定的条件，双方当事人就要继续履行劳动合同规定的义务。一旦出现了法律规定的情形，无固定期限劳动合同也同样能够解除。与之相对的，“固定期限合同”则是labor contract with fixed-term。 Open-ended经常用于表示“开放的、开口的、无限制的”。来看下面这段话了解一下open-ended和contract的用法吧。 Sylvia喜欢参加open-ended discussion（开放式讨论），问一些open-ended question（开放式问题）。她上学期刚刚获得学校的an open-ended and generous scholarship that lets recipients write their own ticket.（让受领者自行决定的无限额且大笔的奖学金）并签订了合同，She is under contract to teach there for one year.（她按照聘约要在那里教一年书）。她想拿奖学金来买基金，但现在市场上有很多open-ended fund（开放式基金），她不知道买哪个好。她想委托别人帮她买，刚刚draw up a contract（草拟了一份合同），但朋友提醒她，bare contract（没有担保的契约）通常是无效的。

节后增加“往返车次” The authorities of Beijing Railway Station and Beijing West Railway Station scheduled 18 additional roundtrips to cope with peak travel. 北京火车站和北京西站方面计划增加18个往返车次来应对出行高峰。在上面的报道中，roundtrip是“往返车次”的意思，如果指飞机航班，则就是“往返班次”。Roundtrip常用作形容词，意思是“来回旅程的，双程的”。例如：a roundtrip ticket（来回票，往返票，双程票）。“往返票”也可以用return ticket来表示，“单程票”则是one-way ticket。儿童乘车可购买half-price ticket（半票）。每年的Spring Festival travel（春运）期间都会出现passenger flow peak（客流高峰）。为了杜绝ticket scalper（票贩子）的出现，今年春运开始实行ID-based ticket booking system（实名购票制）。

用工荒 labor shortage 去年初，受全球金融危机影响，东部沿海地区经济发展减速，大量农民工失岗返乡。今年春节后，情况发生了令人意想不到的变化，由于经济迅速回暖，沿海地区和内地同时出现严重的用工荒。请看《中国日报》的报道： For many years, companies in the Delta have relied heavily on intensive labor manufacturing. Thelabor shortage may help them become more high-tech. 这些年来，珠三角地区的公司极其依赖劳动密集型制造业。这次的用工荒可能有助于这些企业转向高科技的生产方式。文中的labor shortage就是指“劳动力短缺”，也就是此次Pearl River Delta region（珠江三角洲地区）出现的“用工荒”。随着经济的企稳回升，该地区的migrant workers（农民工）缺口已达200万人。深圳表示，今年将上调minimum wage（最低工资），以吸引劳工。这与去年初的labor surplus/redundance（劳动力过剩）局面形成了鲜明的对比。与此同时，大量劳工也于节后涌入沿海地区的job fair（人才市场）寻找用工机会，以至于一些劳务输出大省出现了难觅surplus rural workers（农村剩余劳动力）的情况，同时引发的left-behind children（留守儿童）等问题也值得社会关注。不过，labor shortage也促使一些过于依赖labor intensive industry（劳动密集型产业）的公司加快产业结构升级换代，发展knowledge intensive（知识密集型）、technology-intensive（技术密集型）等新兴产业。

现场调查 on-scene investigation 距离2010年温哥华冬奥会开幕还有几个小时的时候，格鲁吉亚无舵雪橇运动员诺达尔•库玛丽塔什维利在训练中出现意外摔伤，最终不治身亡。目前，对于其死因的现场调查已经结束。请看《中国日报》的报道： The Coroners Service of British Columbia, responsible for the investigation of all sudden deaths, together with the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police), concluded their on-scene investigations on the luge track, where Georgian athlete, Nodar Kumaritashvili, died in the morning of the opening day of the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. 专门负责调查各类猝死事件的英国哥伦比亚法医服务处和加拿大皇家骑警队结束了对无舵雪橇赛道的现场调查。在温哥华冬奥会开幕的早晨，格鲁吉亚运动员诺达尔•库玛丽塔什维利在那里意外死亡。在上面的报道中，on-scene investigation就是“现场调查”。On-scene的意思是“现场的”，例如：an on-scene report（现场报道）；live on-scene TV coverage（电视现场实况报道）。表示“现场”我们还可以用on-the-spot、on-site和live等词汇来表示。例如：on-the-spot report（现场报道），on-site inspection（实地核查，现场核查）。Live主要指“现场直播，实况转播”，例如：The football game was televised live.（足球比赛在电视上直播。）

办公室的“技术达人” alpha geek 自从电脑成了我们工作和生活中的必备工具，电脑技术人员就自然而然地成了众人“追逐”的对象。死机了，中毒了，或是系统不灵光了，都得求“技术大哥”们帮忙，难怪他们都被称为alpha geek呢。 Alpha geek refers to the most technically adept, knowledgeable person in a workgroup or office. Alpha geek（技术达人）指办公室里技术掌握最多、最娴熟的人。 Those who study apes call the dominant member of the group the 'alpha male.' In the office or workplace, the most technically knowledgeable person often is called the alpha geek. 研究猩猩的人们通常会把猩猩群中处于主导地位成员称为“头号雄性”。由此，在办公场所，最懂技术的人就常常被叫做“头号高手”（即我们所说的“技术达人”）。

名嘴精英 chatterati 有大众传媒的地方，就不会少了“名嘴”这个群体。在很多时候，“名嘴”们的观点也着实会影响大众舆论。这就是媒体的力量。随着各类“名嘴”的不断涌现，这个群体内部也出现了一些名人，他们的影响力要比一般的“名嘴”还大，所以他们被称为chatterati（名嘴精英）。 The chatterati includes members of the media (especially columnists), talk show hosts, TV talking heads, and so on. Chatterati combines chattering classes, "the social group consisting of those people who are educated, articulate, and opinionated," and the suffix -rati, "the elite or intelligentsia of a particular group." Similar words are literati and glitterati. 名嘴精英是包括媒体人员（尤其是专栏作家）、谈话节目主持人，以及电视节目播音员等在内的一个群体。Chatterati（名嘴精英）这个词是由chattering classes（名嘴阶层）和后缀-rati构成的，前者（chattering classes）代表“受过良好教育的、表达能力较强且个人观点鲜明的这样一个社会群体”，而后者（-rati）则表示“某个群体中的精英分子”。类似构成的词还有literati（文人学士）和glitterati（知名人士）等。 For example: From when to die to when to give birth, from whom to live a life with, to how to spend their money, the chatteratis believe they should enjoy unlimited freedom. 不管是什么时候死还是什么时候生孩子的问题，还是跟谁一起生活或者怎么花钱的事情，名嘴精英们都认为他们应该享有无限的自由。

友敌 frenemy 俗语说：“在家靠父母，出门靠朋友。”朋友在每个人的一生中都扮演着重要的角色，不过具体是什么角色还要看朋友的属性来分，有些是bosom friend（知己），福祸与共；有些是acquaintance（泛泛之交），点头就过；还有一些则是frenemy（友敌），笑脸相迎，背后暗战。

你是“乐单族”吗？近几年有一个词特别流行，叫“乐活族”（LOHAS, lifestyles of health and sustainability），他们吃健康的食品与有机蔬菜，练瑜伽健身，听心灵音乐，通过消费和衣食住行的生活实践，希望自己有活力。其实，我们每个人都可以成为一个“乐活族”。不过我今天要说的却不是他们，而是一个新的群体，quirkyalone，暂译为“乐单族”。他们享受单身，抱着“宁缺毋滥”的理想不肯放手。 Quirkyalone is a neologism referring to someone who enjoys being single (but is not opposed to being in a relationship) and generally prefers to be alone rather than dating for the sake of being in a couple. International Quirkyalone Day is February 14, it started in 2003 as a "celebration of romance, freedom and individuality". “乐单族”（quirkyalone）指享受单身生活（但也不反对跟别人交往），而且宁愿单身也不愿意为了约会而约会的人。自2003年起，每年的2月14日被定为“国际乐单节”，用来“庆祝爱情、自由和个性”。 For the quirkyalone, there is no patience for dating just for the sake of not being alone. On a fine but by no means transcendent date they dream of going home to watch television. They would prefer to be alone with their own thoughts than with a less than perfect fit. They are almost constitutionally incapable of casual relationships. 对于“乐单族”来说，仅仅为了不让自己孤单而去约会，他们没有这样的耐心。在一次美好但却毫无深意的约会时，他们可能在脑子里想着回家看电视。他们宁愿跟自己的思想独处也不愿意身边有个不太搭的伴侣。他们几乎天生就不会跟人随便交往。

无主见的“羊人”sheeple 我们的周围有很多特别有主见的人，对别人的言行向来置之不理；也有那么一些人不怎么在意自己的想法，一味随大流，大家的方向就是自己的方向。有时候感觉这些喜欢随大流的人就像羊群一样，牧羊人的鞭子指向哪里，它们就往哪里走。难怪英文里会出现sheeple这个词来形容他们呢。 Sheeple is a portmanteau created by combining the words "sheep" and "people”, originating in the United States. It refers to people who are meek, easily persuaded, and tend to follow the crowd. Sheeple是由sheep和people两个词组合而成的，最初源于美国，指那些顺从、容易被劝服又喜欢跟随大众的人。来看个例句： You are a bunch of sheeples if you really believe we are ever going to see a dime of that $700 billion bailout come back to the taxpayers. 如果你们真的相信那7000亿美元救助资金会有一个子儿回到纳税人手里，那你们就是一群“愚众”。

水货 parallel import/grey product 古语说：“物以稀为贵”，应该没几个人不赞成吧。越稀有的东西，就越被人追捧，人们想要得到它的愿望也就越强烈。古时候，外邦进贡的稀罕玩意儿只有皇室贵族大臣们有机会把玩。到了现在，进口商品随处可见，只要有钱，你就可以拥有。没钱？那你可以去买grey product（水货）。 A parallel import is a non-counterfeit product imported from another country without the permission of the intellectual property owner. Parallel imports are often referred to as grey product, and are implicated in issues of international trade, and intellectual property. Parallel import（平行进口商品）指的是未经产品知识产权所有人允许而从别国进口的非仿冒品（真品）。此类商品通常被称为“灰色产品”（即我们所说的“水货”），在国际贸易和知识产权领域颇有争议。 Companies, either the manufacturer or the distributor, set different price points for their products in different markets. Parallel importers ordinarily purchase products in one country at a price (P1) which is cheaper than the price at which they are sold in a second country (P2), import the products into the second country, and sell the products in that country at a price which is usually between P1 and P2. 产品制造商或分销商对产品的定价是因市场而异的。平行进口商们通常在一国用当地价格（p1）买进某商品，该买入价是低于该商品在第二国的售价（p2）的，商品被进口到第二国后的售价通常会在p1和p2之间。

都市新男性 ladult 时代变迁，人们在社会中扮演的角色定位也跟着在变化。上世纪八十年代，不知有多少男士梦想着遇到自己的“慧芳”，又不知有多少女子在苦苦寻觅这心目中的“许文强”。这就是时代的烙印。如今，大批80后涌入社会，他们年轻、有活力，注重生活品味，又有责任感；有时感觉他们还像没长大的孩子，可在关键时刻，他们又很能担当。他们就是现代社会的ladult。 Ladult, as the name suggests, he is of a laddish persuasion but can be adult when it matters. He is 25-thirtysomething and appears to have re-found his masculinity. He is more bold and butch. They are men with self confidence and a keenness to look, behave and dress like men. Ladult，顾名思义，就是看起来稚气未脱，但在关键时刻会表现出其成熟一面的年轻人（即lad adult的合成形式）。他们年龄大概在25到30来岁，似乎重新发现了自己的男子气概。他们大胆，男人味十足。他们很自信，并且热衷于通过言行、衣着塑造自己的男性形象。 He is his own man, irons his own shirts (because he can do it better than his mum or girlfriend) and he can cook too. He seems to have grown up and got over laddish attitudes. He has no problem with the notion that women are his equals, but secretly thinks they are different and should remain so. We are however assured he isn't a chauvinist. 他们是自己的主宰，自己熨衬衫(因为熨得比他母亲或女朋友好)，自己做饭。他们似乎已经长大，没了小子气十足的态度和举止。他对男女平等的观念没什么意见，但心里觉得她们是不同的，而且应该继续不同下去。不过，有一点我们可以确信，他们不是大男子主义。

男保姆 manny 一说到“保姆”，你脑子里出现的是什么形象？温和善良的中年女性？勤快活泼的小姑娘？这种想法有点过时啦。现在很多地方都开始培训男保姆了，据说烧菜、看孩子、搞卫生，样样都不差呢。对了，他们还有个特形象的名字，叫manny。 Manny, male nanny, is the new name for young men who take care of other people's children for money. Manny，也就是男保姆，用来指代为人家看小孩挣钱的青年男子。 Most of the nanny students are young, and the majority are women. Although it is still rare to find guys on traditional nannying courses, attitudes are fast changing. Men of all ages are graduating from nanny schools and snaring places in domestic agencies, they are called mannies. 保姆学校的大多数学员都是年轻人，而且多是女性。虽然在传统的保姆课程班很少能看到男学员，但这种观念正在迅速发生变化。现在各个年龄段的男性正在从保姆学校涌出，并且在家政公司谋得差事，他们就被叫做男保姆。

危机时尚达人 recessionista 经济危机好像对大多数人都或多或少产生了一些影响。原本天天下餐馆的人改回家做饭了，之前每月买十件衣服的人改买三件了，而曾经月入超两万的人忽然收入就少了一半了。经济危机影响够大，但是在一些人身上基本看不出来。她们照样衣着光鲜亮丽，走在时尚前沿，不愧是recessionista啊。 A recessionista is a person who stays fashionable during an economic downturn without spending a lot of money. This word is a play on fashionista, a person who wears fashionable clothing or works in the high-fashion industry. “危机时尚达人”指在经济不景气的时候可以不花太多钱但仍然保持时尚的人。这个词是fashionista这个词的仿照版，fashionista指衣着时尚或者从业于高端时尚行业的人，即“时尚达人”。 Originally，recessionista refers to a person who insists that a recession is coming or believes that a recession would be good for the long-term health of the economy. 这个词刚出现的时候，指的是坚信危机会到来或者认为危机对经济长期健康发展有好处的人。

“促销女郎”booth bunny 看过车展的人们应该都对那些靓丽的车模们印象很深刻吧？甚至曾经听到有人说过，去看车展的主要目的就是为了看车模。虽说那些美女们站在那里并不能施展什么推广或讲解的技能，但谁也不能否认最能吸引观众眼球的恰恰就是她们。我们今天就来说说这些booth bunny。 Booth bunny refers to a good looking woman behind the booth usually representing a product at a trade show. The 'bunny' behind the booth knows very little about the product, and can't answer any questions, but she sure is attracting buyers. “促销女郎”指贸易展会上站在展台后面代表某个产品的美女。展台后面的这位“美女”其实对产品知之甚少，也回答不了任何问题，但她绝对可以吸引买家前来。 For example: The talent agency typically supplies up to 90 models — known in trade-show vernacular as "booth bunnies" — to Comdex(computer dealers exposition) exhibitors, who pay up to $ 350 a day for top models. 这家经纪公司为计算机分销商展览的参展商们提供了多达90名模特，展会行话把这些模特叫做“促销女郎”。这些顶级模特每天从参展商那里能拿到350美元的报酬。

近视相亲 nearsighted date 如果要说到网络对生活的重大影响，我认为人们社交方式的改变一定要算在其中。网络似乎把很多不可能变为了可能，相隔千里的两个人可以通过网络相识，然后成为好朋友，甚至发展成为恋人。由此，曾经的blind date已经有点过时了，现在的人们都原意先视频一下，然后来个nearsighted date。不过，在小编看来，这两种都不太靠谱。 As opposed to a blind date, where you have no idea what the other person looks like, a nearsighted date is one where you've seen a photo or chatted via web cam before meeting in person. This can often lead to disappointment if one person or the other has supplied misleading documentation. “近视相亲”是相对于“盲约、相亲”而言的，后者在见面前根本不知道对方长什么样，而前者则事先看过照片或者在网上视频聊过天。在近视相亲中，如果其中有一方提供了误导信息的话，那么这样的相亲方式通常都会以失望告终。 For example: I went on a nearsighted date last night. The picture he emailed me must have been from before he quit the gym. 我昨晚去跟一个只看过照片的人见面了。他之前发给我的照片肯定是身材保持不错的时候拍的。

Kristen Stewart: Rising Star Award Winner Coming out on top of the pack, Kristen Stewart was a big winner at the Orange British Academy Film Awards in London on Sunday (February 21). The Bella Swan babe smiled as she posed with her Orange rising star award in front of the winners boards at The Royal Opera House. The “New Moon” actress beat out fellow nominees including Carey Mulligan, Jesse Eisenberg, Nicholas Hoult and Tahar Rahim. Prior to the event, Kristen told press, “If I win, I’m gonna be like, ‘Carey, Jesse, suck it up—’cause I think Tahar should have won.’”

联想词搜索 associative-word search 6月18日晚，中央电视台在《新闻联播》和《焦点访谈》节目中连续曝光“谷歌中国”网站存在大量淫秽色情和低俗信息内容，随后，有关部门更暂停了其境外网页搜索业务和联想词搜索业务。目前，谷歌中国正在对其搜索内容进行整改，昨日已经全面改版了其搜索网站的首页。请看相关报道： Relevant authorities have punished Google China, instructing the search engine to suspend its foreign web search and associative-word search functions and to purge por(x)nographic and vulgar content immediately and thoroughly. 有关部门已对谷歌中国进行处罚，要求其暂停境外网页搜索业务和联想词搜索业务，并且立即彻底清除淫秽和低俗信息内容。上面的报道中，associative-word search就是“联想词搜索”，有报道中也用suggest search prompt来指代这项搜索功能，很多search engine（搜索引擎）都具备这样的功能。其实，用户在web search的时候，大部分都是用keyword search（关键词搜索），通过不同的search path（搜索路径）可能得到不同的search result（搜索结果）；有些网站可能会收集用户的search preference（搜索偏好），在显示结果时有所区别。

doomed single 吃过必胜客吧？那你听说过“必剩客”吗？知道这个词儿是什么意思吗？不知道，那你可就out了。提示一下，这个词跟现在很惹眼的“剩男、剩女”有关系。现在，大概猜到是什么意思了吧？对，就是“必定会剩下的男男女女们”。 The expression which has a similar pronunciation with "Pizza Hut" in Chinese, is used to describe those who are above the normal marriage age but still single and need to keep struggling to find their other half. This group more often than not put so much time into work that they have little chance to meet potential partners. So they are considered to be people who are doomed to be single, and that’s where “doomed single” came from. 跟必胜客发音相同的这个“必剩客”是用来形容那些超过普遍的结婚年龄仍然单身，而且还得继续为寻找自己的另一半而奋斗的人们。这些人通常都把大部分时间用来工作，很少有机会遇到合适交往的对象。因此，他们都被看作是注定要单身的一群人。故称，“必剩客”。 For example: John doesn't care much about being called “doomed single”, he said he enjoys being single. 约翰并不在意被称作“必剩客”，他说他很享受单身的生活。

Low-Carbon 随着《联合国气候变化框架公约》第15次缔约方会议暨《京都议定书》第五次缔约方会议（联合国气候变化大会，UN Climate Change Conference）于12月7日在丹麦首都哥本哈根召开，“低碳”顿时成为闪亮登场，成为媒体高频词语，同时也成为今年最受关注的流行词语。与此同时，以“低碳经济”为先导，“碳足迹”、“低碳技术”、“低碳发展”、“低碳生活方式”、“低碳社会”、“低碳城市”、“低碳世界”等一系列新概念、新政策应运而生，成为人们耳熟能详的流行语。从社会语言学角度来说，流行语不仅仅是语言符号，它们是社会变化发展的缩影，从特定角度表达着人们的价值观念和文化心态，真实地映照出社会现象和时代的变迁。流行语中有为数不少的一部分属于外来语。改革开放以来，随着中西文化多方位、多渠道的接触与交流，反映当代西方文化的名词术语更是大量涌入中华文化和汉语中，成为人们日常生活中的常用词汇，有相当一部分曾经是各个阶段的流行语，如“次贷危机”就是subprime loan/lengding/mortgage/mortgage loan crisis等。既然一部分流行语属于外来语，那么，从英语学习的角度来说，掌握这些最新流行语无疑有利于我们提高英语表达能力。为此，本文特收集整理一些与“低碳经济”密切相关的英语词语，附录相关例句，以方便广大的英语学习者掌握一些最新的相关表达。 1．低碳经济，即low-carbon economy。网络百科全书收录有low-carbon economy词条，其篇首第一句话如下：A Low-Carbon Economy (LCE) or Low-Fossil-Fuel Economy (LFFE) is a concept that refers to an economy which has a minimal output of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the biosphere, but specifically refers to the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.值得说明的是，虽然目前网络搜索结果显示，“低碳”的英文有的写成low carbon，有的写成low-carbon，但总体上说还是使用连字符号的居多，如12月7日关于哥本哈根联合国气候变化大会召开的新闻报道中有这么一句话：On the sidelines, climate activists competed for attention to their campaigns on deforestation, clean energy and low-carbon growth。 2．碳足迹，即carbon footprint。简单地说，碳足迹是用来衡量我们在日常生活中消耗的二氧化碳的一种方式。无论是开车上班、乘飞机旅行，还是使用电灯、电脑，我们都消耗石油、煤和天然气等化石燃料。这些化石燃料在燃烧时，会排放出诸如二氧化碳之类导致地球变暖的温室气体。对于carbon footprint，维基有如下定义：A carbon footprint is "the total set of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event or product". For simplicity of reporting, it is often expressed in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide, or its equivalent of other GHGs, emitted. 相关表达见如下例句：A new purpose-built office complex that will offer eco-friendly accommodation across 66,250 square feet is under construction in Wales. It is reported that the Cardiff Waterside project, entitled 3 Assembly Square, forms part of a £140 million construction project and will aim to offer business in the area an environment that has a lower carbon footprint than traditional office space. 上述句子的背景是，英国gov成立了一个The Low Carbon Building Programme (LCBP)，即低碳建筑计划，维基解释说，LCBP is a Government programme in the United Kingdom administered by BERR (formerly the DTI). It offers grants towards the cost of installing domestic microgeneration technologies and larger scale distributed generation installations for public buildings and businesses, provided energy conservation standards are also met.

Behind the Scenes of 'Twilight in Forks - The Saga of the Real Behind the Scenes of 'Twilight in Forks - The Saga of the Real Town' Stephenie Meyer's bestselling Twilight series is set in the town of Forks, Washington, the rainiest city in the continental United States. Now the real town, its residents, and its culture are showcased in the documentary Twilight in Forks - The Saga of the Real Town. Available on DVD on October 15, 2009, the documentary features an up-close look at the people who reside in the remote town and the affects of the Twilight phenomenon on Forks' residents. Producer York Baur Interview You have a home near Forks? York Baur: "That's right, yes. I grew up near Forks, partly. My family built a cabin out there, a summer cabin in the '60s when I was a little boy. I've been going out to the area ever since. My family now, my immediate family, we own that cabin." Since you have a connection to the area, how do you personally feel about it now being connected to Twilight and this huge vampire craze? York Baur: "I followed that area for a long, long time and while the area has incredible natural beauty and has had a good industrial base for a long time, the town of Forks itself is more than a hundred years old. It has experienced its ups and downs, as you might imagine, because it’s a forest products-based economy, largely. That's been a difficult area, particularly in the last year. Everybody knows what's happening in the housing market and certainly that had a big impact on the forest products market. So a long-winded way of saying that, while I don't think anybody could have possibly envisioned this happening, the reality is that it’s certainly very good for the challenge economically. But I think more importantly, at least from a personal point of view of Jason and I - Jason [Brown] who’s the director and my partner in this - the thing that we feel the most strongly about is that both the beauty and the very unique nature of the people and the culture of not only Forks, but certainly the La Push area and the Quileute culture, this is an opportunity for that to get exposed to the rest of the world through the lens of the Twilight phenomenon. That was the impetus for us to do this project." Is it being represented well? Does it fairly demonstrate what the town’s actually like and what the culture’s actually like? York Baur: "Well, we certainly have made every effort in our project to do so. The world will judge that I guess when our movie comes out. But we've made that the focus of our project. That being said, I think it’s probably also worth noting that while the Twilight saga is…it’s certainly fiction, Stephenie Meyer did, by all rights, a great job of characterizing the area. Now, obviously, the debate about are there vampires or not and those kinds of things, you know, we certainly explore those things in our movie. But if you think about the descriptions of the area itself, how incredibly remote it is, the natural beauty that exists there, the mysticism of the Quileute heritage, those things I think are well represented in the Twilight saga."

Interview with 'Twilight' Star Robert Pattinson One word can pretty much sum up Twilight star Robert Pattinson's acting style: intense. Pattinson analyzed his character of Edward Cullen, a 17 year old vampire who falls in love with a human named Bella (played by Kristen Stewart), in Twilight to an almost obsessive level. Pattinson had disagreements with Twilight author Stephenie Meyer over Edward, would engage in intense conversations with Stewart over the relationship between Edward and Bella, and even would stop in the middle of scenes to question director Catherine Hardwicke over exactly how a line should be delivered. Pattinson took the role extremely seriously, never wanting to play Edward as just the love interest in a teen vampire movie. Oh yes, he's definitely intense. Pattinson's being launched into stardom with his lead role in Twilight and pretty much every move the actor makes these days is being scrutinized and reported on by fansites and celebrity magazines. There's a lot riding on the film adaptation of Meyer's bestselling novel, including the question of whether or not movies will be made of the other three books in the Twilight series – New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. At the Los Angeles press junket for Twilight, Pattinson discussed how he approached the character and why it was so important to him that he get Edward right. Interview with Robert Pattinson How weird is it to see reports on your hair on the internet every day? Robert Pattinson: "Actually, I was in New York doing a radio interview and they're people sending in messages. 95% percent of the messages were saying, 'Take your hat off.' I was just like, 'Okay.' When people say something has become a trademark you have got to get rid of it. It's the worst." Are you really ready for the fandom that's going to result from this film? Robert Pattinson: "Yeah. My brain doesn't really accept it, so it's fine. I can be put anywhere and it just goes completely over my head. I just don't want to get stabbed or something. Literally, my representation asked me, 'Do you have any problems with this? Is it going to be okay?' I said, 'I just don't want to get shot or stabbed. I don't want someone to have a needle and I'll get AIDS afterwards.' That's only my real fears." Do you really think that's going to happen? Robert Pattinson: "Whenever I see a crowd I always think that. It's like being on a plane. I think the bottom is going to hit the runway when it's taking off." A recent Entertainment Weekly article leaves the impression you were obsessive about playing this role and had a lot of angst about taking it on. Is that true? Robert Pattinson: "Yeah. I didn't want to do a stupid teen movie. I specifically hadn't done anything which anyone would see since Harry Potter because I wanted to teach myself how to act. I didn't want to be an idiot. This came kind of randomly and I didn't really know what it was when it first started. I was going to wait for another year. I wanted to do two or three more little things and then do something bigger. And then this kind of happened and I was like, 'Well, okay...'"

"Twilight" Soundtrack Features Paramore and Muse - and Robert It's official - Robert Pattinson ('Edward Cullen') will in fact have a song on the soundtrack to Twilight, the big screen version of the first book of Stephenie Meyer's teen vampire series. And fans of Meyer will recognize artists in the soundtrack who provided inspiration for the author while she was pounding out the book series. Twilight Soundtrack List 1) "Supermassive Black Hole" - Muse 2) "Decode" - Paramore 3) "Full Moon" - The Black Ghosts 4) "Leave Out All The Rest" - Linkin Park 5) "Spotlight" (Twilight Mix) - MuteMath 6) "Go All The Way" (Into The Twilight) - Perry Farrell 7) "Tremble For My Beloved" - Collective Soul 8) "I Caught Myself" - Paramore 9) "Eyes On Fire" - Blue Foundation 10) "Never Think" - Rob Pattinson 11) "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" - Iron & Wine 12) "Bella's Lullaby" - Carter Burwell Interested in purchasing the soundtrack? Compare prices here. Twilight - The Official Synopsis Twilight is an action-packed, modern-day love story between a teenage girl and a vampire. Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) has always been a little bit different, never caring about fitting in with the trendy girls at her Phoenix high school. When her mother re-marries and sends Bella to live with her father in the rainy little town of Forks, Washington, she doesn't expect much of anything to change. Then she meets the mysterious and dazzlingly beautiful Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), a boy unlike any she's ever met. Edward is a vampire, but he doesn't have fangs and his family is unique in that they choose not to drink human blood. Intelligent and witty, Edward sees straight into Bella's soul. Soon, they are swept up in a passionate, thrilling and unorthodox romance. To Edward, Bella is what he has waited 90 years for – a soul mate. But the closer they get, the more Edward must struggle to resist the primal pull of her scent, which could send him into an uncontrollable frenzy. But what will Edward & Bella do when a clan of new vampires – James (Cam Gigandet), Laurent (Edi Gathegi) and Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre) – come to town and threaten to disrupt their way of life?

Interview with 'Twilight' Author Stephenie Meyer The Los Angeles press junket for Twilight kicked off with a press conference with Stephenie Meyer, author of the bestselling teen vampire romance novel and its three successors: New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. Meyer visited the set of Twilight during filming and was even asked to give notes/suggestions once a rough cut of the film was put together. According to the novelist, she was included in the process and believes director Catherine Hardwicke found the right actors to bring her vampires, and the humans they interact with, to life on the big screen. Stephenie Meyer Interview Why would you say is the reason for the incredible popularity of the series that you started? What do you think the essence of why so many 12 and 14 year old girls cannot live without reading every one of these books? Stephenie Meyer: "I don’t know. It’s hard for me to answer that because for me it’s an absolute mystery. I read a lot of books and some of them that I love are really popular and there are just others that I just think, 'Why isn’t everybody in the world reading this book? It’s so amazing.' So when one book takes off it’s, 'Why? Why does it ever happen?' I don’t know why people respond to these books the way they do. I know why I do, because I wrote it for me. It’s exactly what I wanted to read so of course I'm really hooked on it, and for other people it’s kind of bizarre actually."

Behind the Scenes of 'Twilight in Forks - The Saga of the Real Was there a reason, other than the fact you're familiar with the area, that you wanted to focus on this subject? Do you have an interest in vampires or was it just the fact this sounded like an interesting story? York Baur: "Well I think it’s a mixture of my long-term interest. Long before the Twilight phenomena was a gleam in anyone’s eye I had an interest in giving back to and trying to help and expose that area, because of my own personal passion for it and the people that are there. That was certainly the strongest component. But then the second thing was my connection to my own family – my wife and my daughter. I have a 15 year old daughter, and my wife got into the saga and my daughter was reading the saga so we had a connection within the family that intersected perfectly with my personal passion for the Forks area. So that really was the deal." "The saga idea did not start with me because it’s not a particularly guy-centric thing. But I remember the night that my wife said, 'Hey, you know I'm reading this book and it takes place in Forks.' And I'm like, 'Really?' So, you know, the rest is history I guess." Have you had any contact with Stephenie Meyer? York Baur: "No, we've had none. I don't know if it’s commonly known, but she is taking a year off." I heard that. York Baur: "Yes, and we certainly wanted to respect her privacy there, so we've not spoken to her. However, in our film there are a number of folks in Forks that have spoken to her, worked with her when she was there. And there's actually one - and I’ll just kind of leave it out there as a teaser - but there's even someone that was unknowingly involved in her writing of the story itself early on. I think there's going to be plenty for the fans to enjoy and some things that certainly the fans wouldn't know about the history of Stephenie and Forks itself." I'm from Southern California and we don't get much rain here. I've wondered if it affects peoples' personalities when the climate is so dreary? York Baur: "Well I certainly haven't noticed anything in a weird way, but what I will tell you is this, I think the rain is a metaphor for the closeness to nature because you can't avoid the closeness to nature when it’s touching your body, right? So I will tell you that universally, no matter who you are out there and no matter what your occupation etc, whether you're a transplant or a native, there's a sense of a closeness to nature there that I personally find doesn't exist anywhere else. It’s a function of both the beauty and the uniqueness of the nature there. I mean when you get 10 feet of rain, which is what Forks gets, 10 feet of rain a year, there isn't any place else in the lower 48, which is by the way why Stephenie chose Forks, as you probably know. So when you combine that with the remoteness, I don't think everyone fully appreciates how remote Forks is. And in fact one of the things that you may have seen us quoted on in the MTV stuff was that Forks is actually closer to outer space than it is to the nearest Wal-Mart. It is really remote. You've got to drive an hour and a half before you're in any sort of town and, and that's Port Angeles, population 15,000 or so. So it's just extremely remote, and when you combine that with the closeness to nature, I think that’s what permeates people's lives. And so it’s not that it affects them in any negative sense, but I do think it affects them in that way, in the closeness to the environment that they're in."

Review *The Vampire Diaries 1: The Awakening* by L.J. Smith I'm a fan of the t.v. show. BUT, really only because of Damon and Caroline. I love their characters and can't wait to see what happens to them (and including any of the cast members of Firefly always excites me, however badly her character was written). So, within the first 5 pages of The Awakening my first blurted thought-to-mouth was "Where's Damon?!" And he's in there, you just have to wait for it. Which I can do. I WAS disappointed with Caroline's character, though (in the book). She could have been a real Cordelia, but she wasn't amped up enough in the book. Which is one of my complaints in general: Vampire Diaries, the book, does not have punchy, memorable characters. Although I was surprised by Elena's character. I really liked how desperate she was to win over Stefan. She claims a few times in the book that she will persue him TO THE POINT OF DEATH! This girl is passionate about her interest and doesn't balk to spread rumors that Stefan is a "Narc" (which made me burst out laughing--I'm sure everyone remembers someone who was called the Narc in school, it's classic and should be used more in teen fiction). Or to deliver flowers for herself from her fake boyfriend, Jean-Claude. Desperate and conniving, and great to see in a main character. I find Elena in VD the TV show (VDTV) kind of cardboardy. Definately not the Cordelia-type Queen of Cool that she is at the beginning of the book. I liked how hard she tried at the highschool level to bag, although she didn't know it, a man who is hundreds of years old. "I've decided what to do my oral report on," [Elena] said, watching with narrow eyes as Bonnie finger-combed grass out of her curls. "What?" said Meredith. Elena tilted her chin up to gaze at the red and purple sky above the hill. She took a thoughtful breath and let the suspense build for a moment. Then she said coolly, "The Italian Renaissance." Bonnie and Meredith stared at her, then looked at each other and burst into whoops of laughter again. "Aha," said Meredith when thet recovered. "So the tiger returneth." Elena gave her a feral grin. Her shaken confidence had returned to her. And though she didn't understand it herself, she knew one thing: she wasn't going to let Stefan Salvatore get away alive. It's refreshing to see her engage him so openly and work to get his attention so obviously. I wish that L.J. would have played up the rivalry between Caroline and Elena over Stefan a little more instead of having Caroline just kind of fade away from the picture once S and E got going. But for the most part, I wasn't annoyed by Stefan as brooding and unattainable, because VD was written before Twilight and Buffy, for that matter: you can't be bothered, while reading, to be all "yeah, it's been done already". Actually I'm really fascinated by where Vampires in highschool began, in fiction. VD is originally published in 1991. I didn't read it at the time it came out, but I don't remember anything else out there about vamps in highschool. Or really relating vampires to the teen experience. Interview with a Vampire was a great book at the time, but it wasn't necessarily about the teen years. And VD doesn't remind me of Interview with a Vampire at all, really. What are the original vampires in highschool/teen experience books?

Lindsay Lohan “The Insider” Interview: Is Lohan A Hoarder? Lindsay Lohan breaks the silence on her “private pain” (That’s a direct quote, mind you….) in an emotional interview with The Insider’s Niecy Nash this Thursday, Feb. 4. The actress has been embroiled in several legal dramas since she shot to fame as a child star a decade ago. A mirage of troubles with drugs and family have turned the once popular young actress into a much-publicized mess in recent years. Lindsay’s been filling the holes within herself with tangible possessions — which have turned the actress’ Hollywood semi-mansion into a hoarders’ paradise — she plans to dish on that in tomorrow’s chat with Niecy. Here’s the tagline: Amid all the reports, the young star sets the record straight about her relationship with her father, Michael Lohan. And, with a bedroom full of shoes and a living room filled with clutter — is Lindsay a secret celebrity hoarder? Tune into our revealing interview Thursday night on The Insider…… She has rooms full of clothes but wears the same pair of leggings every day? Or does she just have 600 pairs of stretch pants that all look exactly the same? Either way, the fact that LiLo is doing exposes with the poor man’s answer to Entertainment Tonight says something about how far the Lohan star has fallen.

Facebook Gaming - The Gateway Drug? As passionate gamers, I know we love to bash the fad that is Facebook gaming. Farmville, Mafia Wars, and all of Zynga's other offerings to most gamers are nothing more than shallow time-wasters for folks addicted to the e-stalking tool that is Mark Zuckerberg's college project. I would even be inclined to agree, except I'm also brave enough to admit that I'm a level 27 farmer with a huge plot of land in Farmville, thanks to the urgings of my fiancée to hop on the tractor. I would say “wield the hoe”, but then people might think I'm talking about her and I'd like to keep the woman as my future bride. But what if these pointless little browser-based doodads are more than annoyances filling up your Facebook newsfeed? What if instead they are acting as the perfect gateway drug for future gamers? My fiancée, let’s call her Megoski in order to find out if she reads this (you’ll be able to tell by the welts on my torso tomorrow) was talking to a regular client about Facebook, when the topic of Farmville came up. The customer in question was espousing the virtues of tilling virtual soil while my Megoski simply shrugged and said, “Come on, really?” A born gamer, she is not. And yet, her client’s constant stream of laudation for Farmville hit a curious nerve in Megoski. One night during her own stalking rituals on the Book of Face, I watched as she cautiously clicked on one of her client’s Farmville posts… the fall into madness had begun. Next thing I knew, upon her arrival home each day there was no more hanging out on the couch to talk about her day. Not right away, anyway. Rather, when the front door opens these days, I watch as she says hello to the dogs, pecks me on the cheek and runs upstairs to her laptop to harvest about 200 bunches of grapes in order to save enough coins to upgrade her farm to plantation size. This from a woman who calls me a nerd (lovingly) for having a map of Mordor over my PC… okay, so maybe I am a nerd, but at least now I’m not alone. I am beginning to see Facebook games not as some hindrance on the advancement of the industry, but instead as a wonderful new phenomenon that is going to bring more people into the wonderful world of online gaming. A few weeks back Megoski asked to make her own Xbox Live avatar. I took this opportunity to show her the demo for A Kingdom of Keflings, figuring she’d at the very least get a kick out of seeing her creation stomp around on screen and picking up villagers. Then it was two hours later, and I was grabbing my credit card to buy enough Microsoft Points to purchase the full game. Does it matter that Facebook games are so simplistic, and relatively cheap and shameless in their ploys for money? Not if it helps bridge the gap between a hobby that was previously only my own and make it also my future wife’s. What started with Farmville moved slowly into Fishville, and onto the Xbox 360. I dare not show her what the Sims is all about; I would like to have her attention once in a while. A former coworker of Megoski’s once nearly convinced her to try out Everquest 2. Had said coworker not turned out to be a dud and get herself fired, I suspect eventually that my betrothed would have caved in to the looming presence of the EQ2 box sitting in my office and asked to see what it was all about. But alas, maybe I’m just a dreamer. For now I’ll be perfectly content to use Farmville in arguments over whether or not I should be playing so much Global Agenda. So next time you log into your own Facebook account find yourself affronted by a slew of updates concerning lost penguins, golden mystery eggs, or even whacked mobsters just take a deep breath. One day those vesting so much interest in their farms and mafias might wind up being your guildmates, or a competing soldier gunning you down from a nearby bell tower. Or more shockingly, you may wind up like me… intricately arranging your white fencing to keep your livestock in order and make your farm look presentable to the viewing public. That reminds me, I think I have a few mystery gifts to open. I hope they’re not a bunch of worthless white chickens.

Study links excessive internet use to depression People who spend a lot of time surfing the internet are more likely to show signs of depression, British scientists said on Wednesday. But it is not clear whether the internet causes depression or whether depressed people are drawn to it. Psychologists from Leeds University found what they said was "striking" evidence that some avid net users develop compulsive internet habits in which they replace real-life social interaction with online chat rooms and social networking sites. "This study reinforces the public speculation that over-engaging in websites that serve to replace normal social function might be linked to psychological disorders like depression and addiction," the study's lead author, Catriona Morrison, wrote in the journal Psychopathology. "This type of addictive surfing can have a serious impact on mental health." In the first large-scale study of Western young people to look at this issue, the researchers analyzed internet use and depression levels of 1,319 Britons aged between 16 and 51. Of these, 1.2 percent were "internet addicted", they concluded. These "internet addicts" spent proportionately more time browsing sexually gratifying websites, online gaming sites and online communities, Morrison said. They also had a higher incidence of moderate to severe depression than normal users. "Excessive internet use is associated with depression, but what we don't know is which comes first -- are depressed people drawn to the internet or does the internet cause depression?," Morrison said. "What is clear is that for a small subset of people, excessive use of the internet could be a warning signal for depressive tendencies." Morrison noted that while the 1.2 percent figure for those classed as "addicts" was small, it was larger than the incidence of gambling in Britain, which is around 0.6 percent.

Q&A: Sarah Silverman Sarah Silverman brings her off-beat brand of comedy back to the air tonight as The Sarah Silverman Program begins its third season on The Comedy Network. The Emmy-award nominated show, which features Sarah, her sister Laura and many of their real-life friends, is sort of an absurd slice of life in which entire episodes are devoted to things most of us are thinking but are afraid to say. Ben Kaplan sent Silverman a few questions to get her take on her season’s premiere. Q For someone unfamiliar with your show, give us three reasons to watch. A I’m not very good at selling myself. Eep. How’s this: Do you hate laughing? Do you get nauseous at the sight of love? Are you disgusted by the aggressively ignorant? Then this show is not for you! Q How have you changed as a performer on Season Three? A I’m slightly older. Q Where were you when Conan O’Brien signed off for the last time on his show? A On my couch hanging on every word. I thought what he said was so spot on. Beautiful, even. Q Who’s your favorite new comedian and why? A Oh my gosh. It may be a three way tie between Todd Glass, Chelsea Peretti and Tig Notaro. Three brilliant, brilliant comics in very different ways. Todd wears his insecurity on his sleeve and so brilliantly expresses all of it; Chelsea is so defined, such a pro, a brilliant writer — and so funny. We were very lucky to have her writing on the show this season; Tig Notaro (Officer Tig on TSSP) is magical — she holds the audience in the palm of her hand, she takes her time. I like to joke that she gets the most amount of laughs with the least amount of words — it’s true! Q What other shows do you like on TV? Have any shows been an influence on you? A So many! Lost, Damages, all of the Law & Orders, Mad Men — I love the one-hour drama. Q What do you make of the series conclusion of Lost? A My life will be a little bit emptier when it’s gone! They actually let us use a clip from Lost in the second episode this upcoming season. Q You had a cameo in Funny People that was set in a bar with Ray Romano and Eminem. Can you describe your scene with Adam Sandler? Where did you come up with your bit? A Just improvised a few takes. He would walk through the bar and talk to each of us and we’d do whatever. It was fun and so cool to be with all these comics. We’ve all known each other in one way or another for years and it was neat to all be in one place. Q Season Three of your show is premiering tonight. How do you recommend our readers get themselves in the mood? A I would take one or two puffs of marijuana. Not too much. Just enough to make it a treat. Or maybe a glass of wine if that’s your poison.

'H. Potter' & 'Clash of Titan' Officially in Three Dimensions Boy wizards and clashing titans are going to BURST OUT OF THE SCREEN and INTO YOUR SIGHT ORBS. Warner Bros. has confirmed rumors that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Clash of the Titans will be given the Captain EO stereoscopic 3D treatment for more exciting viewing through cheap plastic glasses. The rushed conversion of Titans--which is still aiming for an April 2 release--will be made by Prime Focus, using the company's View-D (catchy!) technology, a process insiders are describing as "so-so"! One experienced [stereoscopic]3D filmmaker called Prime Focus' first public showing of View-D "so-so" but added, "I'm sure if Warner Bros. is going with them it will be excellent quality." So, it's adequate at best but probably fine if a huge company is paying for it. What an endorsement. Those Clash of the Titans giant scorpion things are going to look so so-so!

Lady Gaga making music with Lindsay Lohan? Lindsay Lohan could be jumping onto Lady Gaga's disco stick. Über-producer Rodney Jerkins says he'd like the two young ladies to hit the recording studio together. "I can pair them up," says Jerkins, whose most recent collaboration was on Gaga's "Telephone" featuring Beyoncé. "I would love it. I would love to see what could happen." With or without the "Poker Face" hitmaker, Jerkins seriously believes that Lohan can be the next big thing in pop music… "If she stays focused, I think she has what it takes," Jerkins told reporters this weekend at the Clive Davis/Recording Academy pre-Grammy party at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. "I've talked to her, and I said, 'You've got what it takes. I really believe in you.' " Not that Linds has asked for our advice, but she really should get in touch with Jerkins…now! "I've seen a lot of people questioning actresses who have wanted to become pop stars, and they don't have it," Jerkins said. "I believe she has it, something deep down. I've listened to her in the past, and I think there's something there. It just needs to be pulled out." Jerkins wasn't as chatty when it came to discussing the "Telephone" video that Lady Gaga and Beyoncé recently shot with director Jonas Akerlund. "All I'm going to say," he said, "is that [the video] comes from a classic film." Yeah, we can't wait either.