A poem for a horoscope

Love, love, love!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21), for the week of February 11: In creating this oracle, I've borrowed words from the artist and poet Wolff Bowden. Please steal them from me and use them in cryptic, affectionate communiqués that will deepen your connection with someone who makes your heart sing. Here's the first batch: "You belong to love as wheels belong to roads, as grapes belong to the blossoming of taste, as corn belongs to crows, as shadows belong to the ache of heat, as happiness belongs to the capricious pangs of the soul." Here's the second: "May the color blue behold your body while sun washes your shoulders near the window. May your lips refuse the kiss unless your heart is home. May euphoria find you in the place where you are lonely. May you light a billion candles with your mind."

English Trainer Chronicles: Stick and Shearing

A double feature for today, from two of my funniest students.

1. Sheared

Me: What did you do last weekend?
Him: I went to the ... (checks translator) hairdresser.
Me: Oh, what did you have done?
Him: He ... (checks translator) sheared me.
Me: ???
Him: He sheared me.
Me: Oh. That's usually used for sheep.
Him: O-ka-aa-aa-ay.

2. Stick

Him: I'm trying to cut down on meat.
Me: Oh, that's great. So what did you have for lunch?
Him: Pasta and (checks translator) cauliflower.
Me: Wow... that's interesting. So, are you really avoiding meat?
Him: Yes, but I eat stick.
Me: Stick?
Him: Yes, stick.
Me: Are you sure it's stick?
Him: Um, steak?
Me: Oh! (Laughs) Do you know what "stick" is?
Him: (Laughs) Wait, let me check, let me check ... (Laughs out loud)

English Trainer Chronicles: Counterfeit

We were discussing this article from www.iht.com: French court rules against eBay over luxury fakes sold on its site.

It's about how eBay was ordered to pay €38.6 million in damages to LVMH, the French luxury goods company.

He told me about how some of the counterfeit goods were made in countries in which authentic goods were also made, and how some makers just make similar products, like bags for example, with lesser quality materials, and they just change small details, like the name.

We were talking about this part:

When counterfeits appear on our site we take them down swiftly, and today's ruling is not about our fight against counterfeiting," eBay said from Paris. "It's about an attempt by LMVH to protect uncompetitive commercial practices at the expense of consumer choice and the livelihood of law-abiding sellers that eBay empowers every day. We will fight this ruling on their behalf."

Him: They made a mistake! It's LVMH, not LMVH. It's a counterfeit company!