Birthdays

Today is my sister and grand mother's birthdays. Congratz :)

I usually just call them to say "get old!", but I sent presents to them this year. It's rare as well as cherry in winter. These gifts are kind of a recognition and a sympathy card.

My sister was willing to arrange a travel with our family on next March. My grand mother is now in a hospital.

(9:01 - 9:09)

Words of Today (Problems with Drugs and Medical Devices)

ESL Podcast 445 – Problems with Drugs and Medical Devices

• one in a million: Contaminated drugs are one in a million
• birth defects: The drug causes birth defects.
• defective: problem / This drug is defective.
• over-the-counter drugs: drugs available without prescriptions.
• litigation: claim to a court of law (訴訟)

(9:00 - 9:09)

Cherry blossom

I saw cherry blossom today. I was surprised.

One, blooming cherry in winter is unusual (although there're some sort of cherries blooming winter). Two, I was able to find it. I was just walking on my usual way. Three, I finally found a topic for this blog of today :)

(9:10 - 9:15)

Re: ECRS: methods against your tasks (4)

The last character S of ECRS stands for Simplify. The kiss mind. Keep it simple, stupid.

Some tasks can be simplified and it saves your time, cost or both. Where the 80% quality level is acceptable rather than 100% quality, we should consider how much cost and time to end the rest 20% tasks. People says the cost and time is four times as much as the previous cost and time.

(9:19 - 8:29)

Re: ECRS: methods against your tasks (3)

R of ECRS is replace or reorder. Some people say it's replace, other people say that's reorder. Anyway changing it with another thing.

Asking people to do it instead of doing it myself can be the best solution. Postpone (or move up) to do it as prioritization is always a good strategy.
(9:47 - 9:53)

Words of Today (Using Coupons and Rebates)

ESL Podcast 434 – Using Coupons and Rebates

• cut corners: save cost or time
• That’s what you think.
• putting me on: cheating me - Are you putting me on?
• worth the wait.
• mess around: I’m too busy to mess around with coupons and rebates.
• penny-pincher: A person who saves cost very much / stinginess.

English Café 166

• Brown v. Board of Education
• landmark decision
• enroll - join (to a school)
  
• desegregate - stop distinctions
  
• hairdos - hair styles
  
• down to the wire - hard even till the last / He kept studying right down to the wire (eijiro)
  

(9:12 - 9:25)

Re: ECRS: methods against your tasks

C of ECRS stands for combine. There might be some routines you can combine. I read a book on a train to the office. This is a combination of commuting and reading. I get off two stations before the destination station and walk to the office listening an English podcast. This is a combination of exercise, study and commuting :)

I think everyone is already doing similar things. The point is naming and recognizing it.

(9:27 - 9:37)