Podcasts (播客)

    The B. S. Report

    Designed for the sports fan with a sense of humor, the B. S. Report is located by the sportswriter Bill Simmons. It's not uncommon for him to go almost a whole show without even mentioning sports.

    Wait, Wait… Don't Tell Me

    The show is a news program in the form of a game show. Each week a group of humorists and writers join host Peter Sagal in Chicago, where they are quizzed on the week's most important and funny news stories. Listeners also get to call in to play different news related games for a prize.

    The Moth

    The Moth is a weekly podcast run by a nonprofit art organization. The show is made up of recordings of “true story told before a live audience without notes”. Each week, the group releases short 10-20 minute tales told by people from all walks of life. Past presenters have included writers, comedians, scientists and even New York City police officers.

    Filmspotting

    Filmspotting is a weekly podcast and is a must-listen for any movie fan. The show is focused on movie reviews, but hosts Adam Kempenaar and Matty Robinson do more than just tell their listeners which new movie is worth seeing, they also discuss and examine the film as an art form. The show doesn't focus on current movies, either, as the hosts frequently discuss old films as part theme marathons.

How to Fill Your Empty Walls with Beautiful Art

    If you've ever stared at an empty wall wondering what to put there, you're not alone. The idea of having the same museum print as everyone else doesn't seem that appealing.

    But, many people who may be interested in purchasing art are at a loss on how to start. The amount of time taken to discover art and artists that you truly love, and the expense of purchasing art, keep many people from even considering it.

    But now, TurningArt is solving this dilemma(困境). TurningArt is an online subscription(订阅 ) service that allows the average consumer to learn about art and be able to afford to own it. TurningArt offers art-lovers an online gallery of thousands of works, from highly accomplished and successful artists, to view in their homes and eventually buy if they want to.

    Here's how it works

    Visit TurningArt.com to browse through the work of hundreds of independent artists from across the country. Sorted by style, medium, color, price, artist, or even region, new art is added daily. You're sure to find several things you like.

    Then, simply sign up for one of TurningArt's subscription plans. These start at just $10 per month. TurningArt will send you your first piece, framed and ready to hang right out of the box. The piece will not be the original, but rather a museum-quality print produced together with the artist. You can request the next piece at any time. New prints arrive in a mailer that you can use to send back your old prints.

    You can enjoy each piece for one, two, or three months—however long you want. And, best of all, you never have to worry about taping, sizing, or centering your new print, because all prints are pre-sized to fit easily into the frame originally sent to you.

    If you've got an empty wall to fill, or simply like the idea of getting fresh art in your home every now and then, TurningArt is for you.

    Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings Ltd, the largest global gaming provider and the operator of QQ, an instant messaging software service, has launched a series of scientific exploration events aimed at encouraging young people to explore the outside world, instead of being continuously absorbed online.

    “QQ has been in the market for 18 years, but it is not aging, and its application has become younger and trendier. We hope that more young Chinese can use the app to connect with different people and views worldwide. We never worry about losing game players. Instead, we hope that players can actually go out to learn more,” said Li Dan, general manager of marketing department of the social network group at Tencent.

    China's gaming market netted (净赚) sales revenues of 218.96 billion yuan ( $33.75 billion) in 2017, jumping 23.1 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, the number of mobile gain players in China reached 462 million, adding 10 percent over the last year. According to Tencent the number of active users of QQ, who are 21 years old or younger, has been increasing, and they tend to use the app for a longer time.

    Starting May 22 of last year, QQ organized free trips for young people to Galapagos, Namibia, Spain and the Antarctic, but it didn't reveal the specific amount it contributed to those trips. During each trip, it selected three to four participants from those who uploaded videos and made specific travel plans online. The finalists stand out with their clear video statements and their enthusiasm about going on adventures.

    “Tencent's approach appears to be contradictory with its own interests. But, in fact, this is consistent with the company's long-term growth strategy and will promote its business by establishing a good social image,” said Neil Wang, president of consulting firm Frost & Sullivan in China.

    Memory, they say, is a matter of practice and exercise. If you have the wish and really make a conscious(自觉的) effort, then you can quite easily improve your ability to remember things. But even if you are successful, there are times when your memory seems to play tricks on you.

    Sometimes you remember things that really did not happen. One morning last week, for example, I got up and found that I had left the front door unlocked all night, yet I clearly remember locking it carefully the night before.

    Memory “tricks” work the other way as well. Once in a while you remember not doing something, and then find out that you did. One day last month, for example, I was sitting in a barber(理发师) shop waiting for my turn to get a haircut, and suddenly I realized that I had got a haircut two days before at the barber shop across the street from my office.

    We always seem to find something funny and amusing in incidents caused by people's forgetfulness or absent-mindedness. Stories about absent-minded professors have been told for years, and we never get tired of hearing new ones. Unfortunately, however, absent-mindedness is not always funny. There are times when “tricks” of our memory can cause us great trouble.

    Below you will find a profile of each gap year program. If there is a specific program you are interested in or a question you have regarding these programs, please feel free to contact them directly.

    Youth International

    Since 1997, Youth International has been providing many people with the most exciting and educational experience of their life. It is a learning program that combines international travel, inter-cultural exchange, home stays, volunteer community service work and outdoor adventures.

    Phone: 720-270-3323

    Carpe Diem Education

    Through volunteer service, travel and cultural exchange, students of Carpe Diem Education receive a personal insight into themselves and their cultures. We specialize in guiding summer and semester programs for high school students. Each course is carefully crafted to develop leadership and self-awareness within our students, who return home better prepared to be leaders in thought and action.

    Phone: 503-285-1800

    Center for Interim Programs

    Founded in 1980, Center for Interim Programs is the first independent gap-year organization in America. Based on students' interests and budget, our experienced teachers help make individual course choices including: low cost volunteer options, language programs, research trips, and so on. We are committed to helping students find more experiences of formal education and work.

    Phone: 413-585-0980

    EF Gap Year

    EF Gap Year offers students the ability to explore several countries where you will learn a language, volunteer for a good cause, gain international work experience. Choose between a 12-week semester or 26-week academic year. You can then personalize your program to meet your learning goals and interests by deciding where, when, and how you wish to study on your own. Our well-structured curriculum even allows you to place out of college-level classes and earn advanced credits toward graduation.

    Phone: 800-726-9746

    When you watch a movie these days, it's difficult to tell what's real and what's created by using computers. Visual effects can even change how movies are made.

    Almost anything that can be imagined by a director can now become reality in the world of movies. "We're really not limited by the technology, '' said David Smith, the CEO of Sony Pictures Imageworks. Mr Smith said that with today's technology, the digital world was more realistic than ever before. For The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Mr Smith's team created a Times Square that was exactly like the real one in New York. "If there are lights inside the stores that are lighting areas inside the store we put those lights there," said Mr Smith.

    But there was still one challenge for visual effects artists, said Paul Debevec of the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies. "We're still trying to figure out how to perfect the human face in movies, " said Debevec. He said the movie — The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was still one of the best examples of computer generated movies, as actor Brad Pitt could be from an aged man to a baby in the movie.

    Mr Debevec added that besides changing the look of an actor's face, there could be another use for digital faces in the entertainment. Last year, effects artists created a digital face of the Asian pop singer Teresa Teng who was dead. Fans could still see and hear the concert on YouTube.

    Mr Debevec expects directors will start to use more virtual production techniques, like those seen in the movie Avatar. Mr Debevec says that with virtual production, there won't be a need for so many people behind the scenes. But visual effects artists agree, even with advanced technology, there is no replacement for a real actor showing a character in a movie.