Thursday, November 26, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Very important safety tips & rules for women in an unsafe world!
Crucial
Because of recent abductions
In daylight hours, refresh yourself
of these things to do
in an emergency situation...
This is for you,
and for you to share
with your wife,
your children,
everyone you know.
After reading these 9 crucial tips,
forward them to someone you care about.
It never hurts to be careful
in this crazy world we live in..
1.
Tip from Tae Kwon Do :
The elbow is the strongest point
on your body.
If you are close enough to use it, do!
2..
Learned this from a tourist guide.
If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse,
DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM.
Toss it away from you....
Chances are that he is more interested
in your wallet and/or purse than you,
and he will go for the wallet/purse.
RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car,
kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole
and start waving like crazy..
The driver won't see you, but everybody else will.
This has saved lives.
4.
Women have a tendency to get into their cars
after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit
(doing their chequebook, or making a list, etc.
DON'T DO THIS!)
The predator will be watching you, and this
is the perfect opportunity for him to get in
on the passenger side, put a gun to your head,
and tell you where to go.
AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR ,
LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE..
If someone
is in the car
with a gun
to your head
DO NOT DRIVE OFF,
Repeat:
DO NOT DRIVE OFF!
Instead gun the engine
and speed into anything, wrecking the car.
Your Air Bag will save you.
If the person is in the back seat
they will get the worst of it .
As soon as the car crashes
bail out and run.
It is better than having them find your body
in a remote location.
5. A few notes about getting
into your car in a parking lot,
or parking garage:
A.) Be aware:
look around you,
look into your car,
at the passenger side floor ,
and in the back seat
B.) If you are parked next to a big van,
enter your car from the passenger door.
Most serial killers attack their victims
by pulling them into their vans while the women
are attempting to get into their cars.
C.) Look at the car
parked on the driver's side of your vehicle,
and the passenger side... If a male is sitting alone
in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back
into the mall, or work, and get a
guard/policeman to walk you back out.
IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the elevator
instead of the stairs.
Stairwells are horrible places to be alone
and the perfect crime spot.
This is especially true at NIGHT!)
7. If the predator has a gun
and you are not under his control,
ALWAYS RUN!
The predator will only hit you (a running target)
4 in 100 times; and even then,
it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ.
RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!
8. As women, we are always trying
to be sympathetic:
STOP
It may get you raped, or killed.
Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking,
well educated man, who ALWAYS played
on the sympathies of unsuspecting women.
He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often
asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle,
which is when he abducted
his next victim.
9. Another Safety Point:
Someone just told me that her friend heard
a crying baby on her porch the night before last,
and she called the police because it was late
and she thought it was weird.. The police told her
'Whatever you do, DO NOT
open the door..'
The lady then said that it sounded like the baby
had crawled near a window, and she was worried
that it would crawl to the street and get run over.
The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way,
whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.'
He told her that they think a serial killer
has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax
women out of their homes thinking that someone
dropped off a baby.. He said they have not verified it,
but have had several calls by women saying that
they hear baby's cries outside their doors
when they're home alone at night.
10. Water scam!
If you wake up in the middle
of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a
burst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your
outside taps full ball so that you will go out to investigate and
then attack.
Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbours!
Please pass this on
This e-mail should probably be taken seriously because
the Crying Baby Theory was mentioned on
America 's Most Wanted when they profiled
the serial killer in Louisiana
I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know.
It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle..
I was going to send this to the ladies only,
but guys, if you love your mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, etc.,
you may want to pass it onto them, as well.
Send this to any woman you know who may need
to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it
and it's better to be safe than sorry...(& we all need reminding from time to time!)
Everyone should take 5 minutes to read this. It may save your life or loved one's life!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Flight of the Concords
The mighty folk comedy duo New Zealand's Flight Of The Conchords proform their song "Humans Are Dead" Enjoy!
Sent by Carmen Aller
Sent by Carmen Aller
Monday, November 23, 2009
ENGLISH IS A CRAZY LANGUAGE
ONLY THE ENGLISH COULD HAVE INVENTED THIS LANGUAGE
We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men,
Then shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?
Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!
Let's face it - English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England ..
We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes,
we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square,
and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing,
grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.
If you have a bunch of odds and ends
and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English
should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.
In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
We ship by truck but send cargo by ship.
We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,
while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?
You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language
in which your house can burn up as it burns
down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out,
and in which an alarm goes off by going on.
And, in closing, if Father is Pop, how come Mother's not Mop?
I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT IF PEOPLE FROM POLAND ARE CALLED POLES THEN
PEOPLE FROM HOLLAND SHOULD BE HOLES AND THE GERMANS, GERMS.
We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men,
Then shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?
Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!
Let's face it - English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England ..
We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes,
we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square,
and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing,
grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.
If you have a bunch of odds and ends
and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English
should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.
In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
We ship by truck but send cargo by ship.
We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,
while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?
You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language
in which your house can burn up as it burns
down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out,
and in which an alarm goes off by going on.
And, in closing, if Father is Pop, how come Mother's not Mop?
I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT IF PEOPLE FROM POLAND ARE CALLED POLES THEN
PEOPLE FROM HOLLAND SHOULD BE HOLES AND THE GERMANS, GERMS.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
I really liked this entry to the MacMillan Dictionary blog. It's got a video with a song by Justin Timberlake. Click here to read the article and watch the video.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
swine flu ad
Watch this ad, simple but clear about how easily swine flu can be spread. click here and learn the expression to go down and its double meaning here. Got it
Monday, November 16, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Chocolate brownies
Well, if you have a sweet tooth, you might like to try this other recipe. Enjoy!!
Thanksgiving Day
Well, if you like cooking or just like to know about this celebration in the USA and the food related to it, watch this video,or just watch it for the sake of your English. click here.
How To Make A Crispy, Golden Roast Turkey
How To Make A Crispy, Golden Roast Turkey : Crispy, Golden Roast Turkey Recipe. This fool-proof method for roasting a turkey is guaranteed to result in a holiday bird that is moist, flavourful, and covered in a gorgeous brown skin. If you have guests that don't like turkey, this will change their minds. Sample our Crispy, Golden Roast Turkey recipe.Crispy, Golden Roast Turkey Recipe. This fool-proof method for roasting a turkey is guaranteed to result in a holiday bird that is moist, flavourful, and covered in a gorgeous brown skin. If you have guests that don't like turkey, this will change their minds. Sample our Crispy, Golden Roast Turkey recipe.
Step 1: You will need
Units:
* 1 fresh turkey, 5.5 kilos, washed and dried
* 1 ½ onions, chopped into quarters
* 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
* 2 garlic bulbs, cut in halves
* 1 lemon, cut into quarters
* A few celery tops
* some rosemary
* some thyme
* 40 ml olive oil
* 2 tbsp rock salt
* salt and pepper
* 1 baking tray with rack
* some kitchen twine
* 1 cutting board
* 1 knife
* 1 thermometer
* 1 bowl
* Serves:
* 12
* Preparation Time:
* 30 minutes
* Cooking Time:
* 3 hours
* Oven Temperature:
* 200° c - 390° f
Step 2: Preheat the oven
Set the temperature of the oven to 200°C (400ºF/ gas mark 6).
Step 3: Prepare the vegetables
Add to a bowl the onions, garlic, carrots, lemon, rosemary, rock salt, thyme, celery tops, and a little olive oil. Mix them all together by hand and set aside.
VIDEOJUG TIP
Handle raw turkey with the same care that you would raw chicken. Wash the inside and out with water and lemon juice and dry with paper towels. Use a separate cutting board and utensils.
Step 4: Trim the turkey
Place the knife deep inside the neck cavity and cut off the neck, trying to reserve as much of the skin as possible. Next, find the elbow joint of one of the wings, insert the knife, cut and remove. Repeat with the other wing.
Step 5: Fill the bird
Place the vegetables into the main cavity of the turkey, stuffing it as much as possible.
If there is enough skin remaining around the neck cavity to close it, stuff that area as well.
Step 6: Tie the bird
Start with a 1 metre piece of string.
Place it around the turkey's neck and wings. Cross the legs together .Wrap one side of the string around the legs and then wrap the other side. Pull them together and tie a knot.
Step 7: Prepare for oven
Place the bird on the rack. Pour some olive oil over its skin and rub it in well, covering the entire surface. Season well with salt and pepper. Turn the bird onto its side and season again. Repeat until the whole bird is coated and leave it on the rack, breast-side down.
Step 8: Roast
Allow for 10-15 minutes for each 450g of weight. After 30 minutes, lower the temperature to 180°C and cook for about 1.5 to 2 hours more.
Step 9: Check the turkey
At this time, test your turkey with a meat thermometer. Place it into the thigh first and then into the breast. The temperature should exceed 85°C for the thigh and at least 76°C in the breast. Once these temperatures are reached, remove the turkey and turn it breast-side up so it will brown. Increase the oven to 220°C and let it cook for 10 minutes more. At this time, remove the turkey from the oven, cut the string, and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.
Don't forget to save the drippings for the gravy from the oven tray!
Step 10: Serve
Time to carve and serve. Why not watch our other videos accompanying this one to complete your meal? How to Carve a Turkey and Perfect Turkey Gravy are just a couple of examples. Enjoy!
Thanks for watching our video How To Make A Crispy, Golden Roast Turkey For more how to videos, expert advice, instructional tips, tricks, guides and tutorials on this subject, visit the topic Roast Dinners.
How To Make A Crispy, Golden Roast Turkey
How To Make A Crispy, Golden Roast Turkey : Crispy, Golden Roast Turkey Recipe. This fool-proof method for roasting a turkey is guaranteed to result in a holiday bird that is moist, flavourful, and covered in a gorgeous brown skin. If you have guests that don't like turkey, this will change their minds. Sample our Crispy, Golden Roast Turkey recipe.Crispy, Golden Roast Turkey Recipe. This fool-proof method for roasting a turkey is guaranteed to result in a holiday bird that is moist, flavourful, and covered in a gorgeous brown skin. If you have guests that don't like turkey, this will change their minds. Sample our Crispy, Golden Roast Turkey recipe.
Step 1: You will need
Units:
* 1 fresh turkey, 5.5 kilos, washed and dried
* 1 ½ onions, chopped into quarters
* 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
* 2 garlic bulbs, cut in halves
* 1 lemon, cut into quarters
* A few celery tops
* some rosemary
* some thyme
* 40 ml olive oil
* 2 tbsp rock salt
* salt and pepper
* 1 baking tray with rack
* some kitchen twine
* 1 cutting board
* 1 knife
* 1 thermometer
* 1 bowl
* Serves:
* 12
* Preparation Time:
* 30 minutes
* Cooking Time:
* 3 hours
* Oven Temperature:
* 200° c - 390° f
Step 2: Preheat the oven
Set the temperature of the oven to 200°C (400ºF/ gas mark 6).
Step 3: Prepare the vegetables
Add to a bowl the onions, garlic, carrots, lemon, rosemary, rock salt, thyme, celery tops, and a little olive oil. Mix them all together by hand and set aside.
VIDEOJUG TIP
Handle raw turkey with the same care that you would raw chicken. Wash the inside and out with water and lemon juice and dry with paper towels. Use a separate cutting board and utensils.
Step 4: Trim the turkey
Place the knife deep inside the neck cavity and cut off the neck, trying to reserve as much of the skin as possible. Next, find the elbow joint of one of the wings, insert the knife, cut and remove. Repeat with the other wing.
Step 5: Fill the bird
Place the vegetables into the main cavity of the turkey, stuffing it as much as possible.
If there is enough skin remaining around the neck cavity to close it, stuff that area as well.
Step 6: Tie the bird
Start with a 1 metre piece of string.
Place it around the turkey's neck and wings. Cross the legs together .Wrap one side of the string around the legs and then wrap the other side. Pull them together and tie a knot.
Step 7: Prepare for oven
Place the bird on the rack. Pour some olive oil over its skin and rub it in well, covering the entire surface. Season well with salt and pepper. Turn the bird onto its side and season again. Repeat until the whole bird is coated and leave it on the rack, breast-side down.
Step 8: Roast
Allow for 10-15 minutes for each 450g of weight. After 30 minutes, lower the temperature to 180°C and cook for about 1.5 to 2 hours more.
Step 9: Check the turkey
At this time, test your turkey with a meat thermometer. Place it into the thigh first and then into the breast. The temperature should exceed 85°C for the thigh and at least 76°C in the breast. Once these temperatures are reached, remove the turkey and turn it breast-side up so it will brown. Increase the oven to 220°C and let it cook for 10 minutes more. At this time, remove the turkey from the oven, cut the string, and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.
Don't forget to save the drippings for the gravy from the oven tray!
Step 10: Serve
Time to carve and serve. Why not watch our other videos accompanying this one to complete your meal? How to Carve a Turkey and Perfect Turkey Gravy are just a couple of examples. Enjoy!
Thanks for watching our video How To Make A Crispy, Golden Roast Turkey For more how to videos, expert advice, instructional tips, tricks, guides and tutorials on this subject, visit the topic Roast Dinners.
Cristina sent this link in her comment to supersize me
Check it out, it might be worth the trouble. Click here.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Supersize me
If you want to watch the whole documentary, just click here. It's really interesting and educational. would you do something like that to prove your point?
Saturday, November 7, 2009
THINGS TO DO BEFORE I GROW TOO OLD
1. I'd love to visit all the main cities in the States and to top it off fly in a helicopter over the Grand Canyon. (Elena)
2. I´d like to have dinner with Harrisson Ford and besides, to make a very long journey around the world with my husband.(Mª Angeles)
3. I'd like to scubadive in the Caribian Sea (December is a good moment) with my family.(Pilar)
4. I´d like to find the best way to make the people who I love deeply inside a bit happier.(María José)
5. I’d like to ride a motorbike in a circuit track.(Álvaro)
6. I'd love to scubadive in some of the most beautiful oceans and besides to bungee jump.(Cristina)
7. Spend a couple of years working abroad. (Begoña)
8. I wish I could travel to The United States of America in order to spend Indenpendence Day in New York. ( Elvira)
9. I'd like to read a newspaper from cover to cover! (Sara)
10. I'd like to take part in a historical movie wearing a vintage dress (Marta)
11. I´d like to travel to de moon (the other Marta)
12. Before growing too old I would like to:
* Have a tiger as a pet.
* Drive a Formula 1.
* Spend a day with my favourite singer. (Ricardo Montaner)(Katiuska)
13. I want to drive a caravan from the Rockies to the Andes (Laura)
14. Quit working and enjoy my earnings travelling around the world, although with my earnings..perhaps just travelling around Spain. Doesn´t sound so bad anyway (Patricia)
15. I'd like to surf properly (Javi)
16. I´d like to sail around the world, for at least a whole year, spending enough time in each port so that I could get in touch with the country (José Manuel)
17. I'd like to take part in a Polar expedition (Mariette)
18. I'd like to tame a lion or a tiger (Noelia)
2. I´d like to have dinner with Harrisson Ford and besides, to make a very long journey around the world with my husband.(Mª Angeles)
3. I'd like to scubadive in the Caribian Sea (December is a good moment) with my family.(Pilar)
4. I´d like to find the best way to make the people who I love deeply inside a bit happier.(María José)
5. I’d like to ride a motorbike in a circuit track.(Álvaro)
6. I'd love to scubadive in some of the most beautiful oceans and besides to bungee jump.(Cristina)
7. Spend a couple of years working abroad. (Begoña)
8. I wish I could travel to The United States of America in order to spend Indenpendence Day in New York. ( Elvira)
9. I'd like to read a newspaper from cover to cover! (Sara)
10. I'd like to take part in a historical movie wearing a vintage dress (Marta)
11. I´d like to travel to de moon (the other Marta)
12. Before growing too old I would like to:
* Have a tiger as a pet.
* Drive a Formula 1.
* Spend a day with my favourite singer. (Ricardo Montaner)(Katiuska)
13. I want to drive a caravan from the Rockies to the Andes (Laura)
14. Quit working and enjoy my earnings travelling around the world, although with my earnings..perhaps just travelling around Spain. Doesn´t sound so bad anyway (Patricia)
15. I'd like to surf properly (Javi)
16. I´d like to sail around the world, for at least a whole year, spending enough time in each port so that I could get in touch with the country (José Manuel)
17. I'd like to take part in a Polar expedition (Mariette)
18. I'd like to tame a lion or a tiger (Noelia)
GROWING UP
# Growing up is to have more independence, maturity and responsabilities in order to achieve new challenges"(Carlos)
# When you learn how to grow up, your life is finishing so always be a child" (Marta)
# I don't think that making a mistake and taking note of it helps you grow up. IT JUST WARNS YOU NOT TO MAKE IT AGAIN. (Elvira)
# When someone grows up they might forget that once they were a child, but, even though they forget , that child will always be inside of them. (Noemí)
# Unfortunately, the most painful events in our life are the ones which make us grow up quicklier. (Mª Angeles)
# Every age has advantages and disadvantages and it's important to be happy with changes. But undoubtedly, after you deal with problems it is when your mind and spirit grow. (Pilar)
# Sometimes adults should be more like children. (Katy)
# To accept basic rights and duties in order to be happy without doing harm to others. (Carmen)
# You grow up when you become aware of the infinite wisdom of your heart.(María José)
# A good way to grow up and improve yourself is to make a mistake and overcome it.(Álvaro)
# You stop being a child suddenly, the next day you are an adolescent, and the following day you are an adult. (Noelia)
# Don't murder the child inside of you! (Mariette)
# "Growing up is never reaching the end. (Katiuska)
# Growing up is to be ready to face reality, even at its worst .(Jose Manuel)
# Growing up is to lose paradise, the paradise of imagination without any limit in childhood, the paradise of physical and mind power in youth, and we only can take a peep at it through our children´s look.(Jose Manuel)
# Growing up is not to be able to reach all those feelings that we used to have during our chilhood and youth, however pleasant or unpleasant, but always lively and bright. Now we know that perhaps only real earhquakes would cause them ...and we are afraid of that.(Jose Manuel)
# Growing up means losing our innocence,our freshness but also learning how to behave in a society and to become less selfish (unfortunatelly only some people).(Patricia)
# Grownups sometimes do not remember what it is like to be a child. It is very important to forgive and understand children. In this way growups become wise. (Almudena)
# When you learn how to grow up, your life is finishing so always be a child" (Marta)
# I don't think that making a mistake and taking note of it helps you grow up. IT JUST WARNS YOU NOT TO MAKE IT AGAIN. (Elvira)
# When someone grows up they might forget that once they were a child, but, even though they forget , that child will always be inside of them. (Noemí)
# Unfortunately, the most painful events in our life are the ones which make us grow up quicklier. (Mª Angeles)
# Every age has advantages and disadvantages and it's important to be happy with changes. But undoubtedly, after you deal with problems it is when your mind and spirit grow. (Pilar)
# Sometimes adults should be more like children. (Katy)
# To accept basic rights and duties in order to be happy without doing harm to others. (Carmen)
# You grow up when you become aware of the infinite wisdom of your heart.(María José)
# A good way to grow up and improve yourself is to make a mistake and overcome it.(Álvaro)
# You stop being a child suddenly, the next day you are an adolescent, and the following day you are an adult. (Noelia)
# Don't murder the child inside of you! (Mariette)
# "Growing up is never reaching the end. (Katiuska)
# Growing up is to be ready to face reality, even at its worst .(Jose Manuel)
# Growing up is to lose paradise, the paradise of imagination without any limit in childhood, the paradise of physical and mind power in youth, and we only can take a peep at it through our children´s look.(Jose Manuel)
# Growing up is not to be able to reach all those feelings that we used to have during our chilhood and youth, however pleasant or unpleasant, but always lively and bright. Now we know that perhaps only real earhquakes would cause them ...and we are afraid of that.(Jose Manuel)
# Growing up means losing our innocence,our freshness but also learning how to behave in a society and to become less selfish (unfortunatelly only some people).(Patricia)
# Grownups sometimes do not remember what it is like to be a child. It is very important to forgive and understand children. In this way growups become wise. (Almudena)
Friday, November 6, 2009
Global Language
Watch this video where David Crystal talks about English as a global language. Click here.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Guy Fawkes' night and meanings of words
Guy Fawkes’ night: time to celebrate villains, slang, and three types of banger
by Jeremy Bale on November 5, 2009
English loves short, direct, expressive, onomatopoeic words, of Germanic origin, with multiple meanings – like bang, crash, smash and whoosh. They are a fertile source of slang, and a popular word can – confusingly – acquire different meanings. A topical example is banger and three of its meanings are given below:
Banger 1
Bonfire Night has come round again. On the fifth of November 1605 Guy Fawkes was caught trying to blow up Parliament. Ever since then, his effigy has burned on bonfires across the land, as fireworks explode and rockets shoot skywards, commemorating the event.
Remember, Remember the Fifth of November, Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot …
Here in my village, after dark, as the celebration approaches, intermittent bangs and random whooshes can be heard nightly as the local children practice, like an orchestra tuning up. This brings on nostalgia for my boyhood days, when a penny banger was well worth the pocket money, and a threepenny cannon with the power of a hand grenade was on sale to small children at the sweet shop. I can still smell the bonfire smoke, the reek of cordite, and the succulent waft of sausage and mash.
Banger 2
And so, a sausage is the second type of banger, presumably because it sizzles and, if left unattended, explodes with a bang.
Banger 3
But wasn’t there a newspaper headline last month about Bangers for cash? When the Government extended its scrappage scheme? No, HM Government has not yet been reduced to flogging fireworks or sausages, but is offering a £2,000 sweetener if you trade in your old car – the third type of banger. I’m a bit miffed to think of mine as a banger because the exhaust pipe is fine, rarely pops, and certainly never goes bang.
by Jeremy Bale on November 5, 2009
English loves short, direct, expressive, onomatopoeic words, of Germanic origin, with multiple meanings – like bang, crash, smash and whoosh. They are a fertile source of slang, and a popular word can – confusingly – acquire different meanings. A topical example is banger and three of its meanings are given below:
Banger 1
Bonfire Night has come round again. On the fifth of November 1605 Guy Fawkes was caught trying to blow up Parliament. Ever since then, his effigy has burned on bonfires across the land, as fireworks explode and rockets shoot skywards, commemorating the event.
Remember, Remember the Fifth of November, Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot …
Here in my village, after dark, as the celebration approaches, intermittent bangs and random whooshes can be heard nightly as the local children practice, like an orchestra tuning up. This brings on nostalgia for my boyhood days, when a penny banger was well worth the pocket money, and a threepenny cannon with the power of a hand grenade was on sale to small children at the sweet shop. I can still smell the bonfire smoke, the reek of cordite, and the succulent waft of sausage and mash.
Banger 2
And so, a sausage is the second type of banger, presumably because it sizzles and, if left unattended, explodes with a bang.
Banger 3
But wasn’t there a newspaper headline last month about Bangers for cash? When the Government extended its scrappage scheme? No, HM Government has not yet been reduced to flogging fireworks or sausages, but is offering a £2,000 sweetener if you trade in your old car – the third type of banger. I’m a bit miffed to think of mine as a banger because the exhaust pipe is fine, rarely pops, and certainly never goes bang.
Guy Fawkes' night
Here you are a quiz from the BBC.
some more information about this festivity with an audio. Click here
some more information about this festivity with an audio. Click here
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
UP
watch the trailer of the movie. Good listening comprehension exercise. click here.
FEELING down or just tied down? Then the only way is Up.
The latest offering from animation goldmine Pixar is not only the best kids movie of the year but one of best movies of 2009.
I've just seen Up in 3D - it beats the 2D version hands down - and it is a wonderful piece of escapism that might finally convince the Academy to see past their prejudice against "cartoons" and give Pixar their first Best Picture Oscar nomination.
Up tells the story of Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner), a man who dreamed of going on an adventure to Paradise Falls in South America with his beloved wife Ellie.
But every time the couple get close to filling a money jar to save for the trip, they have to smash it to pay for some kind of repair.
It's a sequence that adults will understand only too well.
Then, sadly, it is too late because Ellie passes away.
That certainly brought a tear to The Sneak's eye. It might sound a touch serious, yet it is necessary to bring the tone down so that you can feel the full force of an emotional uplift.
And that is what happens next in one of the most moving scenes committed to celluloid, when Carl's house floats into the sky with the aid of hundreds of balloons.
That, though, is just the beginning. A young explorer called Russell is on Carl's porch when the house rises and joins the incredible journey, which is packed with cliffhanging scenes, colourful creatures, tender moments and big laughs.
So your critic is going to say what he says about every Pixar movie - there is something for everybody.
And if you think the hype about Up, which has taken £180million at the US box office, is a load of hot air then you are going to miss out on something very special.
Best Line: The last message from Carl's wife Ellie is "Thanks for the adventure. Now go have one of your own."
Best character: Carl is grumpier than Victor Meldrew.
Family rating: Fun from five to 105.
Bum numbness: You just won't want to get up.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/film/2674631/The-Sneak-gives-hisverdict-on-latest-Pixar-film-Up.
FEELING down or just tied down? Then the only way is Up.
The latest offering from animation goldmine Pixar is not only the best kids movie of the year but one of best movies of 2009.
I've just seen Up in 3D - it beats the 2D version hands down - and it is a wonderful piece of escapism that might finally convince the Academy to see past their prejudice against "cartoons" and give Pixar their first Best Picture Oscar nomination.
Up tells the story of Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner), a man who dreamed of going on an adventure to Paradise Falls in South America with his beloved wife Ellie.
But every time the couple get close to filling a money jar to save for the trip, they have to smash it to pay for some kind of repair.
It's a sequence that adults will understand only too well.
Then, sadly, it is too late because Ellie passes away.
That certainly brought a tear to The Sneak's eye. It might sound a touch serious, yet it is necessary to bring the tone down so that you can feel the full force of an emotional uplift.
And that is what happens next in one of the most moving scenes committed to celluloid, when Carl's house floats into the sky with the aid of hundreds of balloons.
That, though, is just the beginning. A young explorer called Russell is on Carl's porch when the house rises and joins the incredible journey, which is packed with cliffhanging scenes, colourful creatures, tender moments and big laughs.
So your critic is going to say what he says about every Pixar movie - there is something for everybody.
And if you think the hype about Up, which has taken £180million at the US box office, is a load of hot air then you are going to miss out on something very special.
Best Line: The last message from Carl's wife Ellie is "Thanks for the adventure. Now go have one of your own."
Best character: Carl is grumpier than Victor Meldrew.
Family rating: Fun from five to 105.
Bum numbness: You just won't want to get up.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/film/2674631/The-Sneak-gives-hisverdict-on-latest-Pixar-film-Up.
TED
This is just an example that can fit very nicely in our lesson about memory and the brain. Watch and listen. Food for thought!
TED Conferences
I've added a new website which seems to be quite interesting. If you haven’t come across TED before, their motto is “Ideas worth spreading”, and they feature talks and presentations from some of the world’s most fascinating thinkers – a visit to their website www.ted.com is highly recommended.
Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world.
Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world.
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