Wenlin

Wenlin (文林) is the best Chinese word processor and I say this for a couple of reasons. Besides being a wonderful tool for reading, typing and overall learning of Chinese, Wenlin is user friendly.

Microsoft’s Chinese input method actually works quite well too, but say you aren’t 100% sure that the combination of characters they give you is what you want…you have to go look it up. That’s what so good about Wenlin, as you type you can make sure you are inputting the correct characters. The format is a little bit different, and it takes a minute or two to get used to. I have also used NJStar, and Key, neither of which really seemed too user friendly. Dr. Eye was very impressive, but the version I used a couple of years ago didn’t have word processing software, I don’t know if they do now. The only bad thing I can think of about Wenlin is they don’t have an easy way to enter in the Chinese listing comma, but here is what I like:

Copy, Cut & paste any Chinese text, (simplified or traditional) from the internet or word document and if you can’t read the text already, you can scroll over the characters that you don’t know and it will tell you the definition and uses of the word at the bottom of the screen.

Add your own definitions.

See character origins.

Create character flashcards (this can be improved upon though).

Convert traditional to simplified and vice versa.

Wenlin’s definition database is from John DeFrancis’ Chinese –English ABCDictionary, (which I would also recommend to avid Chinese learners.)

Definitions let you see the traditional form as well.

Sample sentences are given with most definitions, to help with correct usage.

Search through radicals, stroke count, pinyin, pinyin plus tones, and English – Chinese capability.

My gripe with CNN

Ok, I think enough is enough. I take full responsibility for my actions, I mean, I’m the one who turns on the TV, chooses the channel and watches it, though sometimes while doing something else.

During the daytime hours when nothing is on at all, I watch the news. I try to watch something neutral, FOX supposedly is to conservative, and though I have no reason other than boycotting the Microsoft empire to some extent, I don’t watch MSNBC. So that leaves me with CNN. Overall, I like the network. I don’t watch the evening shows like Anderson Cooper, Wolf Blitzer or Larry King Live, its usually just the morning shows with Miles and Soledad. At first I thought that by watching CNN I would get world news, but it turns out that CNN is mainly American news, with international tidbits. Its not that I don’t care what is going on in America, but there is so much more going on around the world that the latest high speed chase in L.A. And though the developments that are coming out in the middle east, with Hezbollah, Israel and such are important and all, I think that CNN covers it way too much. Every time I turn on the TV its “Hezbollah shot some new rockets, and here are some new pictures of Israeli soldiers” followed by “Condi Rice will be going to Israel on Sunday” Anchor says “Okay, that’s summarize the latest developments for you today, Hezbollah shot some new rockets, here are some new pictures of Israeli soldiers and Secretary of State Condi Rice will be going to Israel on Sunday. We’ll be back after the commercial.” SOMEBODY SHOOT ME!!

You know, as I think about it more about it, I feel more sorry for the news anchors, they must feel like well dressed robots. Oh yeah, one last gripe about CNN. They do show sports scores on the bottom of their screen, I’m not sure how often they rotate them in, but I know I have seen the scores here is why it is so annoying:

NNY3….STL4,LAD2….OAK1,NYM1….ATL4, and so on

This might not be hard for you to read, I could just be stupid, but my eyes will always group the wrong teams together. Why can’t they just put up the sports ticker like everyone else and save everyone the hassle of trying to figure it out everytime!