In this poor economic climate, employees are suffering even more annoyances than usual at work. Night markets and Web sites have caught the mood by offering “tread-on-the-rascal” socks with a human shape and the word “rascal” printed on the soles. Now you can trample on whomever or whatever is ticking you off. You can let off steam and have fun while you’re doing it. A lot of office workers are making group purchases of several dozen pairs in one go, and some people say they would like socks with pictures of their boss or ex-boy- or girlfriend on the bottom.
With summer approaching, these short socks are now hot sellers. Whoever it is that’s got you riled, you can picture that person and get your own back by treading on them as you walk down the street. It’s a clever idea and you can’t help smiling.
A vendor peddling socks in Taipei’s Shida Road night market says sock sellers owe thanks to actor-singer Show Lo, also known as “Piglet.” Not long ago, Lo was accused of buying his way up the charts. Many fans spoke out in his support and someone sent him some “tread-on-the-rascal” socks to change his luck and get rid of his pesky accusers. Lo wore the socks in public and thanked his fans for their support, boosting sales of the anti-rogue socks. On-line enquiries shot up and night-market sales took off.
A certain Ms. Shen of Taipei has been having a rough time at work recently. She has the feeling her boss is always trying to make trouble for her, so she bought a pair of the socks to get rid of her rotten luck. “I don’t know if they really work, but at least it helps me let off steam,” she says. A Ms. Lin, who made a group purchase of anti-rascal socks with some friends, says “It’s fun – that’s the main point, even if there’s no one in particular annoying you.”
Some suppliers have turned their minds to politics and had the idea of printing politicians onto the soles of the socks so you can trample the ones you don’t like — maybe former president Chen Shui-bian, for example, or the incumbent, Ma Ying-jeou. We also spoke to “Jane,” who recently split up with her boyfriend. She says she wants her ex’s name embroidered on the soles of her socks so she can give the two-timing cheat a good treading underfoot.
(LIBERTY TIMES, TRANSLATED BY JULIAN CLEGG)
景氣不佳，工作「鳥氣」特別多，各大夜市與網站上流行一款「踩小人襪」，襪底印有「小人」字樣的人型，把不滿全踩在腳底，出氣之餘也充滿趣味，不少上班族一次團購好幾打，還有人希望訂做老闆與前男女朋友的圖案。
夏天到，今年這款短襪反常熱賣，看誰不爽，心裡想著那個人，走路多踩幾下發洩，創意令人莞爾。
台北市師大路販售襪子的小販說，拜藝人「小豬」羅志祥之賜，他先前曾被人暗指買榜，歌迷聲援力挺，並送上「踩小人襪」改運，驅趕小人，羅志祥公開穿上感謝歌迷愛護，因而讓「踩小人襪」水漲船高，網路上詢問度暴增，夜市也賣到嚇嚇叫。
台北市沈小姐最近工作不順心，覺得老闆常找麻煩，買「踩小人襪」去霉運；她說：「不知道有沒有用，起碼可以發洩情緒。」參加團購「踩小人襪」的林小姐說：「好玩的成分居多，未必真的有小人在旁邊。」
有業者腦筋動到政治人物上，想將政治人物的圖像放在襪底，取「踩扁」、「踩馬」之意，剛與前男友分手的小貞則希望在襪底繡上前男友的名字，用力大踩負心漢。（自由時報記者邱紹雯）
A: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, known as “BJJ,” has become more and more popular. Even Hollywood stars like Halle Berry and Tom Hardy are obsessed with it. B: Some Asian stars, such as Taiwanese actor Eddie Peng and South Korean actor Lee Joon-gi, have also practiced this martial art. A: BJJ is not just a martial art, but also a combat sport. B: I’ve always wanted to try it, but I’m worried about getting injured. A: Diana Wang, a US doctor of physical therapy, is holding a BJJ seminar at PMA Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in Taipei Friday night. Let’s go check out how we
Picture a 45-foot-long animal with a 5-foot-long skull and 3-foot-long arms. It may not seem strange until you realize that a human with those proportions would be 6 feet tall with 5-inch arms. Although the Tyrannosaurus rex went extinct 65 million years ago, the mystery of its unusual body __1__ has fascinated scientists for over a century. Barnum Brown, the paleontologist who first discovered T. rex fossils, initially found it hard to believe that the tiny arms belonged to such a __2__ creature. One of his colleagues speculated that the short forelimbs might have been used to hold the
A: Actually, Brazilian jiu-jitsu is particularly good for small people like you. B: Really? How so? A: According to Diana Wang, a US doctor of physical therapy, the BJJ’s purpose is to help smaller, weaker people defend themselves by using various techniques, such as leverage. B: That sounds interesting. What time does Dr Wang’s BJJ seminar begin tonight? A: The event is scheduled for 7:30pm at PMA Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in Taipei. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. A: 其實你的個子比較小，很適合練巴西柔術呢。 B: 真的嗎？為什麼？ A: 據美國理療醫師王幼瑞博士說，巴西柔術的概念是讓弱小的人，也能利用槓桿作用等技巧防身。 B: 真有趣，王醫師的巴柔研討會幾點開始？ A: 今晚7點半在「台北巴柔運動館」，免費入場自由樂捐唷！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
Dogs’ noses are incredibly keen. They can even detect changes in cortisol levels in human sweat and breath. Known as the “stress hormone,” cortisol increases when humans are under pressure. Recent research indicates that the smell of human stress can influence a dog’s behavior and emotions. In the study, human volunteers were exposed to the stressful tasks of preparing and delivering a speech on the spot and then solving math problems. __1__ Researchers collected sweat and breath samples from the volunteers on pieces of cloth during both their stressful and restful states. Meanwhile, other researchers worked with 18
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