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The debate over La computadora or El computador |
A Spanish teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, Nouns are designated as either Masculine or Feminine.
"House" four instance is feminine "La Casa."
"Pencil" however is masculine "El Lapiz"
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A student asked "What gender is 'computer'
Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether "computer" should be a masculine or a feminine noun.
Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.
The men's group decided that "computer" should definitely be of the feminine gender "La computadora" because:
- No one but their creator understands their internal logic;
- The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else
- Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and
- As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it
(This gets better)
The womens group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine "El computador" because;
- In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on
- They have lots of data but still can't think for themselves
- They are supposed to help you solve problems but half the time they ARE the problem AND
- As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model
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News Headlines
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| Heritage site owners to get aid |
| Carol Chung The Standard, 12 June 2008 |
Owners of private historic buildings will receive economic and technical help to repair their properties under a government scheme to be launched in a few months. |
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| Lawmakers condemn delays in theme park's construction |
| Helen Wu, SCMP 12 June 2008 |
Legislators have criticised the delay in completing a theme park on Ma Wan island, saying the government should have specified, in its agreement with the developer, when the full site should be open to the public. |
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| High-rise freeze call in warm Kowloon |
| Timothy Chui, SCMP 10 June 2008 |
A green group wants a freeze on skyscraper development in Tai Kok Tsui in west Kowloon to slow urban warming and to prevent the wind-blocking encirclement of its town center. |
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| Arts hub to get by on HK$21.6b, and no more |
| May Chan, SCMP 6 June 2008 |
The government has promised not to ask for more money for the West Kowloon Cultural District, after initial funding of HK$21.6 billion, even if it runs into financial trouble. |
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| Land-charge formula plan could liberate factory space |
| May Chan, SCMP 6 June 2008 |
Officials are considering adjusting land-premium calculations to encourage the conversion of thousands of industrial buildings to other uses. |
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| Official firm on $21b bill for culture hub |
| Bonnie Chen, The Standard 5 June 2008 |
The government insists HK$21.6 billion will be sufficient to build the West Kowloon cultural district infrastructure despite rising construction costs triggered by inflation. |
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| Budget for arts hub 'realistic' |
| Helen Wu, SCMP 5 June 2008 |
The worst-case scenario at the West Kowloon Cultural District project if the proposed HK$21.6 billion construction budget fell short was the delay of three phase-two performance venues, the government said yesterday. |
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| Building code faces quake test |
| Nishika Patel, The Standard 2 June 2008 |
Hong Kongs buildings could face tougher measures to ensure they can stand up to earthquakes. |
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| Survey reveals fears for proposed culture hub |
| TIMOTHY CHUI, The Standard, 2 June 2008 |
Public confidence is low over the HK$21.6 billion West Kowloon cultural project, with those living in the district concerned at the ability of the hub to stay afloat. |
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| Delays to MTR projects costly. Review of flat developments over station could result in HK$2b bill |
| Olga Wong, SCMP 2 June 2008 |
The government is reviewing plans to build flats above two MTR stations in response to complaints they would create a "wall effect" blocking air flow and sunlight for nearby residents - but every day it delays a decision the chances of making significant changes grow smaller. |
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Upcoming Event
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19-20 June 2008
ISO 14001:2004 EMS Internal Auditor Training (in Cantonese)
Organizer : Business Environment Council
Time : 09:15am - 05:30pm
Venue : BEC Auditorium, G/F, Jockey Club Environmental Building, 77 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, HK (MTR Kowloon Tong Station Exit C1)
Details : $2500, 20% - BEC members, additional 5% - early birds one month prior to the event, additional 5% - Group of 3 or more. This 2-day course will maximize your practical auditing skills by providing a clear interpretation of the ISO14001:2004 standards and requirements, successful auditing procedures and techniques, and competence in audit close-out, reporting and presentation.
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20 June 2008
International CSR Experts Forum-Key Drivers for Harmonized Community & Business Success in China
Organizer : Business Environment Council
Time : 08:30am-06:00pm
Venue : Shangri-La Hotel, Beijing, PRC China
Details : HKD 2,000 or RMB 2,000 - Early Bird: 10% off (Payment before 20 May 2008), BEC Member: 20% off, Sponsoring / Supporting Organization: 15% off, Team Discount: Extra 5 % for 2 delegates or more. This conference is the foremost gathering of senior executives on the transformational trends, challenges and opportunities of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in both global and local China context. 20 renowned leaders from government, business, education and media sectors will share their expertise and experience covering global standards, guidelines, best practices and outstanding examples. Speakers will also highlight how CSR serves as a key driver to sustainable development of Chinese enterprises linking with broader societal goals. Don't miss out this central platform to learn from the trendsetters and network with the movers and shakers in the industry.
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