ili 的優種子發芽記錄

http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

This is the longest talk that I have ever chosen.  Elizabeth Gilbert, a famous book writer, gives a funny but inspiring speech about the writers and the genius.  I'm quite glad to listen to her for her talk smoothes down my anxiety ((sometimes!)) of lacking of ideas. 

Elizabeth Gilbert is so humorous, during my listening I continually burst into laughter.  She speaks in a satirical way, but very mild.  She makes me to think about the relationship between I and my genius, or my muse.  Not only writers but also students have the problem of being slow in fruition so that they ((we)) sink into nervousness, anxiety, and even depression.  That's why she offers her opinion of "just do your job."  If we responsibly complete our task of laboring, there is no one that can blame us.  It is the genius, the divine, the muse should be blamed.

Elizabeth Gilbert deals with a somehow heavy topic lightheartedly, letting me easily accept her opinion.  I think this is consist with her goal to persuade people into taking  their difficulty of the process of creation easy.  She used a lot of body language, making her talk lively.  The ways she imitates the other creative figures makes my eyes fixed on the screen.  I really like this kind of fun talk.

I may not become such a good speaker, but I will do my best.  Otherwise, blame my genius for being lazy where industriousness is expected. XD 

http://www.ted.com/talks/margaret_wertheim_crochets_the_coral_reef.html

For my 11 post, I choose the talk of Margaret Wertheim's on beautiful math of coral, the most amazing presentation I have ever heard.  She did the best job too make the abstract into the concrete, as her project as well as her presentation.

I think the good points of this talk mostly lie in its content.  Her projects resulted from the worldwide issue-----global warming, but is going to be about mathematics, feminine handicraft, biography, and environmental activists.  I was totally surprised at her way to relate these very dissimilar things together.  At first I couldn't understand at all why coral reef had anything to do with geomatry.  But at the end, I was overwhelmed by the wool knitting blooming in the gallary, calling for concerns of the endangered world.  The most important message she pointed out for me is that the high level of abstraction can be engaged.  And people can definitely play with ideas and appreciate their beauty. 

For her way of presentation, I think she performed very neutural.  Her accent was pleasant.  I guess that she might come from England ((I'm not sure...)) Under my observation, there was the coral reef circling her wrist.  Although it was just a simple decoration, it was very catchy.  I think this is the first talk that the presenter tried to wear something related to her speech, in order to give impressions somehow.  This may not do so mach effect on some serious occasion, but in this talk it really gets a bonus point!

The artistic work of Margaret Wertheim's project is undoubtedly pretty.  If difficult ideas can always be imbodied in this lovely way, no one will hate science or math anymore. : D

http://www.ted.com/talks/jacqueline_novogratz_on_an_escape_from_poverty.html

Looking for an inspirng story, I click the talk of Jacqueline Novogratz on escaping poverty.  This talk is a very ordinary one, but just like the story she has told, it is dignified and meaningful.

When it comes to the way of Jacqueline Novogratz's presentation, I think it is natural.  She did not use any special effect to impress the audience, but just let her story go.  She freely told her story, and concluded in a very simple way.  Therefore, her speech makes me feel comfortable and fresh.  If she has recounted her story emotionally, may be it would become pretentious or hypocritical.  So I think she chose a good way of narrating her story.

The main idea in her story is worthy of consideration.  We are always dreaming of acquiring something, but actually we are only desiring some kind of mental state.  For example, Jean wanted to have a husband.  But after abandoned by her husband, she realized that what she really wanted was a loving family, and she had already had it.  She wanted to be a doctor, but she found out that she could be a person who serves, heals, and cures even if she did not get the liscense.

Like Jacqueline Novogratz said at the end of the speech, ordinary does not mean poor, and even poverty is an opportunity for innovation.  If we trust in ourselves and change our minds, we can be dignified in every situation.

http://www.ted.com/talks/jay_walker_on_the_world_s_english_mania.html

Recently, I have heard the talk from Jay Walker on the world's English mania.  Being a double-majored student in NCCU, I seldom think about why I have to  and  want to learn English.  But in this talk, Jay Walker gives us a good reason to continue our study.

I appreciate this talk firstly for its topic.  Because now people all around the world are working hard to memorize vocabularies, learn grammer, and take examnation such as TOFEL, TOEIC, or GEPT.  Learning English is definitely a trend, but some people just follow it blindly.  Jay Walker suggests two causes for learning English ----- to get opportunity and to solve problem.  English represents not only a better future but also a wider conversation.  It provides us hope.  Realizing the purpose is the foundation of persuming your goal successfully.

I also like the way Jay Walker shares his ideas.  At first he gives us many examples of mania, smoothly connecting his opening with his main message.  He uses a lot of picture or video to confirm us the prevailing English mania, and then explains briefly the reasons for this fever.  Besides, his pronunciation is perfectly beautiful !!!!!  And his speaks in an appropriate speed with some emphases on the key words.  The talk is not too long, but filled with great sentences.  All in all, this is nearly an ideal speech.   

It is quite a pleasure to listen to this kind of speech.  It is simple, clear, and informative.

http://www.ted.com/talks/joachim_de_posada_says_don_t_eat_the_marshmallow_yet.html

I choose Don't eat the marshmallow yet, the talk of Joachim de Posada, as my listening comprehension practice because I have read the article about the experiment he talks about before.  Compared with the boring and lenthy essay, this talk is so wonderful for it is short but conveys the idea clearly as well as lively.

At the beginning of my listening, I think that "OMG, he carries a strong accent !!!!!"  But actually I like the accent of south America, so as I find out that, I proceed my practice happily.

I think the biggest advantage Mr. Posada displays is the liveliness.  He uses the real marshmallow to represent the scenece to the audiences, walks around the stage to gather the audiences' attention, and illustrates his idea with gestures, pictures, and sounds.  He let the audiences to have fun not only by imitating and dramatizing the children's reaction but also by adding some humors in his talk.  Finally, he plays an extremely interesting VCR, making a perfect ending to his speech.

To sum up, his talk is concise but fascinating.  I hope that one day I can have that kind of charm.  Maybe the first step is to do my third presentation dramatically XD

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/christopher_deam_restyles_the_airstream.html

my post 7, I choose the talk Christopher C. Deam: Restyling the classic Airstream trailer to listen to because it only takes me 6 and a half minutes.  ((I'm such an honest person.....))  I think this talk is a very balanced one for it shows some advantages as well as some shortcomings.

The biggest strong point in this talk is that it has a clear structure.  Christopher uses the chronological order to introduce his work.  He talks why and how he redesigns the classic Airstream trailer first, and then the new mission of the classic Airstream trailer.  The visual aids serve the purpose well that they make the message concrete and  impress the audiences.

But the speaker's voice is flat and dull.  He sounds calm and objective.  This really confuses me because I assume that the designer ought to show his or her passion when discussing his or her work.  When he blows out his long sentences indifferently, I almost fall asleep.  I think he can change or vary his tone or volume to attract the audience's attention or emphasize his point.  If the speaker can not move himself or herself, how can him or her move his or her audiences?

Although I'm not so fond of this talk, I really like the redesigned classic Airstream trailer.  It really presents the spirit of travel, modernity, and independence.  Besides, Bambi is a cute name which I really love!!!!!

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/blaise_aguera_y_arcas_demos_photosynth.html

In my post 6, I choose the talk Blaise Aguera y Arcas: Jaw-dropping Photosynth demo.  The speaker demonstrates a new technology, but fails to impress me.  And this one is the most boring one I have listened to on TED so far.....

I'm not quite interested in this speech because of many reasons.  First of all, the subject does not attract me, so does the way speaker present it.  The speaker is actually explaining the scene we see on the screen instead of using those images to support and illustrate his point.  I know that this is because this talk is basically a demo, so it just sounds like what it should be.  But, I still don't like it.

Another reason is that the speaker fixs his eyes on the computer from the beginning to the end.  he only raise his head only for few seconds.  I know he has to operates the system, but if he made more eye contact with the audiences, it would be better.

Thirdly, he talks too fast, shooting like a machine gun.  His voice is somehow flat, and a little bit noisy ((I am not sure whether the problem comes from my headset or not))  

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/einstein_the_parrot_talks_and_squawks.html

Long time no post!!!!! So in my fifth post, I choose a very funny talk, that is, Einstein the Parrot talking and squawking. 

In this talk, there are two speakers actually.  One is Stephanie white, Einstein's trainer, the other is Einstein, the African grey parrot.   Stephanie creates a insteresting story to introduce Einstein so that the cute little bird can be her audio aid, attracting all the attention and arousing all the laughter.  She continually interacters with Einstein, as well as with the audiences.  Although this talk is more like a performance, Stephanie still sets a good example as a public speaker.  She speaks confidently, makes eye contact with the audiences, and vary her tone to dramatize the plot.  She once forgets her line, but by complimenting on Einstein, she carries on her talks perfectly.  At the end of the speech, she links her topic to her little helper, asks the audiences to protect the animals, and makes a wonderful ending.  

I think this talk is the extraordinary example of how to make your speech more lively with audio aids for us. XD  Stephanie makes a good balance between her description and Einstein's response.  The effect is that 1+1>2, the talk is a really good and cute one.  I believe that Stephanie must have practiced with Einstein over million of times.  Practice makes perfect, sorry for quoting such a cliched saying again, but practice is the most helpful way for us in our inclass speech.  I appreciate this talk.  I love Einstein.  And I complete my post 5, yeah!!!!!

http://www.ted.com/talks/jacek_utko_asks_can_design_save_the_newspaper.html

In this talk, I first notice that a good title serves good purpose.  Although our speech delivering in class do not have a title, we can learn from the TED that how important a good title is.  Since at TED we choose the talks we want to listen to by browsing the titles, the surprising or attractive titles often allude us into taking a look.  In my opinion, the best way to gain the attention is to raise an interesting question which arouses the audiences' curiosity.  Take the talk I choose from Jacek Utko, can design save the newspaper, for example.  Because it is a meaningful issue to discuss about, no sooner I caught the sight of that title than I clicke my mouse.  

So far I have wondered a little bit what I am talking about .....

Okay, then, I don't see anything special in the way of delivering speech, the speaker talks somehow too quickily and he seems to carry an accent.  But his content is excellent !!!!!  Because he is a designer, his visual aids are perfect !!!!! He designs his speech well, too.  He shares his opinion by telling his story, illustrates his points by showing the key words on the screen, and adds humor in his talk.  Notwithstanding he is talking about how design can change things, he is also revealing how a well-designed speech (or specifically, well-organized) can attract the audiences.  he says that no matter where you live, how you grow up, which company you are in, design can help you make your life better.  His speech is persausive because of its content as well as its form.   

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/bruce_mccall_s_faux_nostalgia.html

In Bruce McCall's talk "Nostalgia for a future that never happened," I see a very different way of presentation from the two speakers I have seen before.  The first part is the content.  His idea is very interesting as well as creative.  Since I am a student from advertising department, I'm especially fond of those silly,idiotic,and nonsensical stories. ((Although being embarrassed, I have to admit it XD))  But his innovation is also meaningful because it calls for different views of this world.  by combining syllables or words, he created new notions like retrofuturism, techno archeology, faux nostalgia, hyperbolic overkill, shamelessly cheap, and urban absurdism, all under the central concept of Serious Nonsense.  He built up his own "lexicon," and thus he could be so distinctive and outstanding from numerous artists all around the world.

In the delivery part, I think Mr. Bruce did a very good job.  He illustrated his main idea about his drawings clearly, but did not talk too much about the details.  Instead, he let his paintings speak up powerfully about themselves.  By doing so, Mr.Bruce attracted the audience attention successfully.   I think this is important surely because if he would have introduced every piece with all his effort, he would prevent the audience to appreciate the works themselves and cut down the pleasure of decipher the humor hidden in the scene. 

I love his idea,  I love his work, and I love his presentation.  As soon as I have find more good talk on the TED, I know why Professor Chao recommended this website sooooo fervently.  Without notice, I have already typed more than 250 words, wow!

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/brenda_laurel_on_making_games_for_girls.html

Why didn't girls play videogames?  This is a really attention-getting title which makes me choose Brenda Laurel's talk without thinking.  First of all, I think that she performed in a very "expert" or "researcher" way.  Maybe it's because that she started her speech with some background information abou the whole project and sat on the chair with a professional pose as if she was a NASA scientist. XD  But while she linked those serious materials with the everyday experiences, her speech became warm and amiable.  she explained huge idea by plain way, but pointing out the most important thesis clearly.  For example, she said humanism is the "improvable quality of life that we can do good things," much more attractive than the one I had encountered in my literature couse. ((hahaha))  At the closing part, she slows down and pause a little bit to emphasize some key points by simple sentences.  I was definitely moved at this moment.  I likes her talk, indeed.  There were no exaggerating gestures or passionate appeals.  Her talk is  nuetural, calm, but full of power.  I think the good content of this talk contributed to its success in the most part, while vidual and audio aids made it perfect. 

http://www.ted.com/talks/bill_gates_unplugged.html

In Bill Gates' talk, I see how a respectable and successful businessman delivers a speech in a warm and cheerful way.  Surprisingly, Bill Gates doesn't greet everybody at the beginning as I had been taught in class. Instead, he talks about his recent life directly as an opening.  I don't know whether it is proper or not, but it really makes the atmosphere more casual, especially with one of his hands in his pocket !!!!! :D  Although the topics he chooses sound serious, he adds some humor in his speech with property and picture.  His voice is a little bit broken, but it doesn't matter.  With a lot of gesture and walking around, he seems to be very comfortable on the stage.  But in the content part, I can't get the main idea of his speech at all.  I think he just gives example without emphasizing his point again and again.  Besides, his topics are too broad.  He doesn't narrow them down properly and illustrate them in a clear way.  The result is that I am very impressed of his calm and confidence, but I don't know what he is talking about after all.

Yesterday I saw a movie named The Other Boleyn Girl.  The story is about the sister of Anne Boleyn, Mary Bolyen, and her relationship with Henry VIII.  At first I didn't know that the story is originated from the English history and is about the Henry VIII and the Elizebath.  After appreciating this movie, i suddenly flet refreshed and was surprised that i finally figure out what happened in that time.  Moreover, I also had a clearer understanding of the genealogy of the royal family of England.

Movie and TV series really help me a lot in my life, especially in learning language.  Though I often learned slangs or dirty words  more than something worth a pick up in the TV series, I at least improved my listening comprehension with those bad language.  So I think that it's not a big deal to acquire some not-too-good words if I can get more pleasures and benefits from those authentic talk. XD

I am expecting to rent the TV series The Tudor Dynasty few days later (( If I could have free time.....)) and hoping that it will help me to understand the historical context thoroughly.  And this will really give myself a big hand to my study of English Literature Course: The Middle Ages and the Rainassance.   With the assistance of the audio-visual materials, I hope that I can understand what im learning about instead of losing in the confusion of world history.

優種子  侯以理/台北報導

公開女二級北二區預賽第三場次於3日下午在東南科大舉行，由目前戰績一勝的台灣大學出戰一敗的銘傳大學，銘傳第一節就拉出20分的差距，讓台大只能苦苦追趕，最後銘傳以破百佳績101：73擊退台大，獲得預賽第一勝。

優種子  侯以理/台北報導

公開女二級北二區預賽最後一場比賽由東道主東南科大與台灣大學共同擔綱演出，此役雙方均求勝心切，打得相當激烈，東南科大再次展現迅速、敏捷的球風，以86：53順利取得三連勝，也將北二區的冠軍獎座留在自己家，台大則是以一勝兩敗的成績排名第三，皆晉級複賽。