El beso pintado_WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!

Nutrition on Earth :)

In the beginning God covered the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, with green, yellow and red vegetables of all kinds so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

And God created the healthy yoghurt that woman might keep the figure that man found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 12 to size 14. So God said, 'Try my fresh green salad'. And Satan presented Blue Cheese dressing and garlic croutons on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast. God then said 'I have sent you healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them'. And Satan brought forth deep fried coconut king prawns, butter-dipped lobster chunks and chicken fried steak, so big it needed its own platter, and Man's cholesterol went through the roof. Then God brought forth the potato; naturally low in fat and brimming with potassium and good nutrition. Then Satan peeled off the healthy skin and sliced the starchy centre into chips and deep-fried them in animal fats adding copious quantities of salt. And Man put on more pounds. God then brought forth running shoes so that his Children might lose those extra pounds. And Satan came forth with a cable TV with remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering light and started wearing stretch jogging suits. Then God gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonalds and the 99p double cheeseburger. Then Satan said 'You want fries with that?' and Man replied, 'Yes, and super size'em'. And Satan said, 'It is good.' And Man and Woman went into cardiac arrest. God sighed ... and created quadruple by-pass surgery. And then ... Satan chuckled and created the National Health Service.

CoeXisT_U2 @ Vicente Calderón Stadium

CLOSE GUANTÁNAMO!

Live fast?

British Cinema: Social Films with a Laugh

By CARLOS MARTÍN GAEBLER

In the wake of the global success of The Full Monty (Peter Cattaneo, 1997), British cinema has made a joyous comeback. Probably the third most productive film industry in Europe now, after the French and Spanish, British cinema is finally making the screens of continental arts cinemas proving that entertainment needn’t be shallow or unconnected to everyday life. A series of high-quality independent films have proved to be major box-office hits without having to resort to sentimentality, as most Hollywood films tend to do.

A common feature of all of these films is a social concern combined with humour. They aim at showing the shortcomings and achievements of today’s multiracial, multicultural Britain, and narrate stories of racial, social or sexual integration, thus analysing ethical conflicts in the best tradition of European cinema.

Get Real (Simone Shore, 1998), based on a script by Patrick Wilde, one of Britain’s most reputed scriptwriters, is a typical coming-out story of adolescents with enough humour to make it fully enjoyable; it is both moving and hilarious. (I particularly recommend this film to language learners because of the well-enunciated English spoken throughout.)

The family conflicts derived from second-generation descendants of Asian immigrants trying to reconcile their fully-Westernised lives in today’s Britain with the prejudices and outlandish traditions they were brought up with is the topic of East Is East (Damien O’Donnell, 1999) and Bend It Like Beckham (Gurinder Chadha, 2002). These two films have become huge box-office hits in the UK in recent years by word of mouth. The latter film stars actress Parminder Nagra in the role of a girl who wants to play in a football club against the wishes of her conventional Hindu parents.

Probably the most successful British film at the turn of the century, Billy Elliot (Stephen Daldry, 2001) has had rave reviews worldwide. The story of a boy’s inner struggle to face the stereotypes of a macho society to become a dancer has moved filmgoers around the world. The film also stands as a metaphor for an individual’s fight to be oneself despite the narrow-mindedness of mainstream social expectations. As an added bonus, Julie Walters, in the role of Billy’s dance teacher, gives a stunning performance.

Finally, Born Romantic (David Kane, 2000) portrays a series of social misfits who set about finding true love in and out of a London salsa nightclub. Actors Ian Hart, Adrian Lester and Catherine McCormack give superb performances. The dialogue is witty from the very start and the soundtrack will have you dancing in your seat! Another feel-good film not to be missed.

In short, here you have some wonderful, highly-entertaining stories with substance to rent out on dvd from your local video store.

Netiquette: good manners online

Manual de urbanidad y buenas maneras en la red
José Antonio Millán (Editorial Melusina, Madrid, 2008)
Curtido en los entresijos de la Red, José Antonio Millán envía anualmente unos cinco mil correos electrónicos y recibe otros tantos; gestiona varios blogs, participa en foros y listas, y tiene desde hace once años un sitio web con más de mil páginas. Toda esta intensa actividad le anima ahora a intentar orientar a los cibernautas en sus tratos, ya sea en la redacción de correos electrónicos, en la gestión de una ciberbitácora o en los lugares sociales que propicia esa insólita región conocida como el ciberespacio.

Frase destacada: "Se ha dicho que Internet hoy es una gran conversación, y es cierto. Pero hay conversaciones de a dos; hay gente que habla en tono pausado y otra que grita para hacerse oír (...) Todo eso también se encuentra en la Red, y hay que aprender a comportarse..." Manual de urbanidad y buenas maneras en la red
Comentario: No se apropiará de un nick ajeno, ni renunciará a la ortografía. No escribirá todo con mayúsculas, ni enviará archivos desproporcionadamente grandes. No examinará los correos de un ordenador ajeno, ni publicará en Internet la imagen de alguien si su permiso. No instalará programas en ordenadores ajenos sin permiso... En Internet dar es recibir y sobre todo es imprescindible "tratar a los demás como quisiéramos que nos trataran". Hay en este estupendo y divulgativo manual muchos consejos y sugerencias para mantener las buenas formas en la comunicación a través de la red o, lo que es lo mismo, la netiqueta (contracción de "net", red en inglés y "etiqueta" en el sentido de modales). José Antonio Millán, editor, lingüista, traductor, escritor y apasionado conocedor de las tecnologías digitales, explora en este libro multitud de cuestiones tales como el texto más indicado que debemos poner en un asunto, cómo podemos dirigirnos a nuestro interlocutor o despedirnos en un correo, los archivos adjuntos, los acuses de recibo y las respuestas automáticas a correos, los correos masivos, cuándo debemos utilizar copia o copia oculta, el uso de los ordenadores ajenos ... una completa lista de sugerencias que siempre parten de dos principios: "no actúe con los otros como no querría que actuaran con usted" y "póngase en el lugar del otro".
Un libro dirigido a todas aquellas personas que se relacionan a través de Internet, tanto a nivel personal como empresarial o institucional.

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright (born July 22, 1973) is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter. Since 1998, he has recorded five albums of original music, several EPs, and numerous tracks included on compilations and film soundtracks. In addition to his baritone singing voice, he plays both piano and the guitar, often switching between the two instruments when performing live. While some of his songs feature just Wainwright with his piano, his later work is often accompanied by rock instrumentation or a symphony orchestra, displaying complex layering and harmonies with an operatic feel. Wainwright is an avid opera fan, and the influences on his music are evident. Some of Wainwright's songs have been described as "Popera" (Pop Opera) or "Baroque Pop". Rufus Wainwright has played in Spain several times this year. Last summer he gave a memorable performance at the FIB, and he has just given sold-out concerts in some Spanish cities (Málaga and Madrid) in his European Tour. Going to a Town is one of the tracks from Release the Stars, his fifth and latest album. (Click on the link to hear the song.)♥

Playing Mummies and Daddies_short film

A former student sent me Papás y mamás, a brilliant, thought-provoking Spanish short film with English subtitles, very suitable for practising inversion translation.

FREE T I B E T

Scotland's Magic

This is Scott's View, a place where Walter Scott would stop on the way to and from his home to admire Eildon Hill (the triple-peaked hill in the background). His horses became so used to him stopping here they would halt without any command. (Photo: semi-detached, 2008)

B2 English Podcasts (Listening Practice)

What is a podcast? A podcast is an audio file that you download from the Internet. After you download it, you can listen to it on your computer or on an MP3/portable music player (for example, an iPod or iRiver). You can subscribe to a podcast so that it is delivered to you automatically each day, just like a newspaper.

ESL Podcast is designed especially for people who are intermediate or advanced speakers of English, but want to improve their listening and speaking skills. We plan on providing a new podcast every day, Monday through Friday. The daily podcasts are always free.

There will be many different topics for our podcasts. We try to talk about topics that you will find interesting. All of our podcasts use “real English”—the normal, everyday English you will find among native speakers in the United States. ESL Podcast is not a textbook or a course. It is a way to listen to real native speakers talking as they do everyday in English. ESL Podcast tries to provide you with English you can understand. We speak at a slightly slower rate, but always use normal, native speaker English to help you improve.

There are two parts to every podcast: After a brief introduction, there is a discussion or dialog of the topic of the day. This usually lasts 3-6 minutes. In part 2, there is an explanation of the vocabulary and expressions used during part 1. We explain how certain words and phrases are used by native speakers, including both formal and informal expressions. All of the voices you will hear on ESL Podcast will be native speakers. We suggest that you listen to the entire podcast at least once, and then re-listen to Part 1.

ESL Podcast is currently produced by a team of volunteers. It is a production of the Center for Educational Development, in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Jeff McQuillan, who is the host of ESL Podcast, has been teaching English as a Second Language for many years both in the United States and in other countries. He received his Ph.D., his doctorate, in applied linguistics from the University of Southern California. He taught as a university professor for several years in California and Arizona, and he has written many articles and books on teaching English.

Will Pearson: London Panoramic Photographer

Will Pearson is a London-based panoramic photographer. He has been taking panoramic photographs, stereographic images and virtual tours for more than a decade - both in London and around the world. His photography encompasses architectural shots showcasing sculpted lines and dynamic buildings to the wild landscapes of Andalucía and windswept Cornish beaches. His panoramas and virtual tours have been showcased in the press, and the stills have been exhibited in various spaces in London. He is frequently commissioned to take panoramic photographs to be reproduced at large-scale, often more than 2 or 3 metres long. You can see examples of Will's panoramas, full-screen virtual tours and stereographic images by clicking on his online gallery. Although panoramas naturally lend themselves to architectural projects and landscape, Will Pearson has always tried to push the medium further. His portfolio includes fashion shoots showcasing a collection of fetish wear and reportage style shots taking panoramas of the anti-war demonstrations in London.

Hell Explained :)

The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid-term exam. The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well.

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)? Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.
One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So, we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving.

As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell.

With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.
2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, "it will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you", and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that, since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is, therefore, extinct... leaving only Heaven... thereby proving the existence of a divine being, which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting "Oh, my God!"

THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY "A"

Censored: One cheeky Venus

Louis Wise The Guardian February 14, 2008 If you're wondering what the Royal Academy's next show is, you may have to search harder than usual. That's because the RA's forthcoming Cranach exhibition - showcasing the work of Lucas Cranach the Elder, key German Renaissance painter and friend to Martin Luther - has had its posters vetoed by the London Underground authorities. The reason? The painting being used represents Venus, goddess of love. Naked.

And she's not just slightly undressed: strange as this is to say about an early Renaissance painting, Cranach's Venus is "full frontal", happily standing face-on with a wispy see-through veil as her only covering. But that's as much as you can use today's porn-tinged vocabulary to describe what's going on here - since if she looks cheeky, alluring, you'd have to be quite eager to describe her as indecent. Still, it's enough for the Underground authorities to ban her.

Apparently, in order to not offend customers, Tube advertising must not "depict men, women or children in a sexual manner, or display nude or semi-nude figures in an overtly sexual context". I never quite believe it when I hear that we are living in a more retrograde, conservative age, despite various "Nipplegates" suggesting it; but this does seem to take the biscuit. Since when does nudity automatically mean impropriety?

Assuming, of course, that sexual matter is immediately inappropriate; but I can accept that some sexual content can be too much for your average commuter, especially the very young ones. In other words, if this had been one of Egon Schiele's more explicit nudes, or some vintage Robert Mapplethorpe , I could maybe understand it, though it would make me a little sad; but this vetoing of what is a delicate, intelligent, sensuous picture, by no means abrasive, seems a real shame. It's the equivalent of Victorians painting fig leaves over those Adams and Eves they couldn't quite stomach. And if Cranach's nudes didn't prevent his friendship with Martin Luther - hardly a slouch in the morality department, what with the Reformation and all - you wonder if they are really, truly, inappropriate now.

It's also sad because this Venus would be a dose of fresh air for London's travellers. London Underground may like to consider that as its clients enjoy its vetted posters, they will still be bombarded by all kinds of adverts and freesheets promising perfect bodies, or disparaging the imperfect ones, as they go about their day. They'll have probably encountered nudity - or more importantly here, sexual imagery - by the time they reach the bottom of the escalator, let alone get onto the platform.

Cranach's Venus, with her curvy tummy, small breasts, and pinched face, represents a different ideal of beauty to the one we are subjected to today - and if you can't necessarily claim one is more "natural" than the other (painters, after all, have always tended towards some unrealistic kind of female beauty, be it pneumatic or not), it's nice to get a different perspective. I have no doubt that a little bit of a frisson was at the back of the RA's mind when they chose this picture for the poster - which museum can afford to ignore sex appeal these days? - but really, in what kind of a society does a frisson require censorship?

Si no hubiera cine español

ICÍAR BOLLAÍN

A tenor de los últimos artículos publicados, parece que este diario también ha decidido sumarse a este pimpampum contra el cine español tan recurrente. Ya estamos acostumbrados a las diatribas [de algún periódico] contra los proetarras del cine, al señor de la radio episcopal y su boicot a los "titiriteros-pancarteros-rojerío-millonario", a ese autor de best sellers que nos describe siempre que puede como envidiosos, insolidarios y cutres, o a esos programas de televisión "informativos" que nunca hablan de cine sino de subvenciones, sin llegar a explicar nunca en qué consisten. Ahora hemos leído también en este periódico un malintencionado editorial (El Acento, hace unos días) en el que, por criticar, se criticaba incluso que la película por la que Bardem está nominado al Oscar no es española... Dentro de nada a Bardem lo habrán descubierto los Coen.

Pero de nuevo se insiste en otro artículo aparecido el viernes 1 de febrero en la recaudación de las películas para volver, por millonésima vez, a hacer un retrato triste y deprimente del cine español. Otra vez, un mal año significa un mal cine. En cambio, se olvidan de mencionar que también ha sido un año de incertidumbre en el que se ha debatido encarnizadamente la ley de cine, un año en el que las televisiones no han escatimado críticas, insultos y amenazas para defender su derecho a saltarse la directiva comunitaria que las obliga a invertir en cine el 5% de sus ingresos.

A los del cine se nos exige, entre otras cosas, autocrítica. ¿Podemos hacerlo mejor? Por supuesto que sí. Muchísimo mejor. Y también podemos incluso dejar de hacerlo. Porque entre unos y otros se va allanando el camino para que el cine español deje, definitivamente, de estorbar. ¿Pero a quién? ¿Qué se ganaría si desaparece? El espectador, ese 13 o 14% que ve nuestro cine, perdería. No más Volver, no más La comunidad, no más Lunes al sol, ni tantas otras películas. El que va esporádicamente, también. No habría, por ejemplo, un orfanato, ni un Los otros.

El contribuyente, ese que pone de su dinero para que los vagos del cine hagamos churros, no se enteraría, en su bolsillo no sonaría ni un céntimo más. Se perdería, eso sí, un escaparate de nuestra cultura, de nuestra lengua, de nuestra forma de ver el mundo. Se perdería la ocasión de hacerlo mejor, de que se incorporen más mujeres, nuevos talentos, nuevos guionistas. Se perderían cientos de miles de puestos de trabajo y se ganarían pantallas para el cine de fuera.

El cine y la forma de acceder a él están cambiando. Películas medianas que hace unos años encontraban su público, ya no lo tienen. Las Mujeres en el parque, de Felipe Vega, 53 días de invierno, Yo, y otros títulos interesantes de este año apenas encuentran eco. Vemos el cine en la tele, en el móvil, en el ordenador. En este río revuelto, si el cine español dejara de hacerse sólo ganarían las televisiones, que ya no tendrían que invertir ese 5% que tanto les duele. Y nos quedaríamos, además de huérfanos de Fernán-Gómez, sin descendencia cinematográfica. Y tendríamos a Medem, Querejeta o Trueba dirigiendo las voces de Blanca Portillo o Belén Rueda en el doblaje de mediocridades norteamericanas escritas y dirigidas por gente que poco o nada tiene que ver con nosotros.

Si queremos que siga existiendo una cinematografía nacional construyamos, no destruyamos. Déjennos trabajar sin estar constantemente bajo sospecha, bajo la lupa y bajo el peso de un desprestigio que apoyado a menudo en la desinformación va calando en forma de prejuicio como un chirimiri en el espectador.
(El País, 07/02/2008)

Dictations online

Native speaker dictations, FREE online at dictationsonline.com!
Choose your English dictation from a large selection. You'll hear it read four times: first, the whole passage is read at normal speed for you to listen for gist; second, each phrase is read slowly twice, with punctuation, as you write; then the whole passage is read again for you to check your work; finally, the written text is shown - count your mistakes. This is good practice for your exam.
Also, here are some other links to web pages where you might find some good listening practice:
http://www.educa.madrid.org/web/eoi.jesusmaestro.madrid/inglesnet.htm
http://cla.univ-fcomte.fr/english/dictations/realenglish/realindex.htm
http://www.real-english.com/

Actor Heath Ledger Dies at 28

An autopsy conducted on the actor Heath Ledger was inconclusive, New York medical examiners said today, and it will take almost two weeks for a cause of death to be determined.
Ledger, 28, was found dead in a New York apartment yesterday afternoon, his naked body lying face down at the foot of the bed.
Authorities moved today to correct earlier reports that pills had been strewn around the room. Sources said that the medication found in the apartment was in containers on a bedside table and in a bathroom cabinet.
Ledger's family had earlier contacted an American news website to deny its report that the 28-year-old had committed suicide.
"The autopsy was finished and the cause of death for Mr Ledger will be pending further study. We have to do additional testing and investigation. It's going to be about 10 days to two weeks," said Ellen Borakove, spokeswoman for the office of chief medical examiner.
Speaking in Perth, Australia, Ledger's father, Kim, said the family could "confirm the very tragic, untimely and accidental passing of our dearly loved son, brother and doting father of Matilda".
Ang Lee, the Taiwanese director whose 2006 film Brokeback Mountain earned Ledger an Oscar nomination for his depiction of brooding gay cowboy Ennis Del Mar said working with the actor had been "one of the purest joys of my life".
"He brought to the role of Ennis more than any of us could have imagined - a thirst for life, for love, and for truth, and a vulnerability that made everyone who knew him love him. His death is heartbreaking," Lee said in an email to media.
Fellow Australian actor Cate Blanchett, who heard yesterday that she was nominated for two Oscars, said the news of Ledger's death overshadowed the announcement.
Nicole Kidman and Mel Gibson were among a host of other film industry people who expressed their shock and sadness at the news.
Ledger's death cut off at its prime an acting career that saw a young man emerge from Perth, Western Australia and rise to become one of the most sought after and accomplished actors of his generation.
He started out in small roles in little known Australian independent movies, but reached wider attention in 1999 when he played a school heart-throb in 10 Things I Hate About You.
Lead roles in The Patriot and A Knight's Tale followed, and he played the suicidal son of Billy Bob Thornton in Monster's Ball. But it was Brokeback Mountain, based on an E Annie Proulx short story about two teenage cowboys who fall in love one heady summer, that propelled him to stardom.
Ledger played the initially reluctant partner, alongside Jake Gyllenhall's more extrovert and sexually confident Jack Twist.
The film received ecstatic reviews and Ledger was nominated for the best actor category at the 2006 Oscars. The award eventually went to Philip Seymour Hoffman for his characterisation of Truman Capote, but Ledger claimed the best actor title from both the New York and San Francisco film critics' circles.
New York magazine opined that "great joy can be taken in witnessing the small-miracle performances of Ledger (so eloquent in his mute despair)".
Rolling Stone was even more effusive, saying: "Ledger's magnificent performance is an acting miracle. He seems to tear it from his insides," it said.
Ledger looks destined to be most remembered for his devastating performance in Brokeback Mountain, starring as a taciturn ranch-hand who 'ain't queer' but who neverthless falls in love with Jake Gyllenhaal's wannabe rodeo star. It was a role that captured the public imagination, brought an Oscar nomination and prompted director Ang Lee to compare the by then 26-year-old actor to the young Marlon Brando.
It was during the filming of Brokeback Mountain that Ledger began a relationship with the actor Michelle Williams. They set up home together in Brooklyn and had a daughter, Matilda Rose, who is now two.
At the time, Ledger spoke of the happiness they found in Brooklyn, away from the glare of Manhattan media attention.
"I walk my laundry down to the laundromat, I get my groceries and carry them back; photographers don't live out there, and local people don't care," he said.
But the happiness did not last for long. The couple split up last year and Ledger moved back to Manhattan.
He rarely alluded to his private life, but there was clearly a troubled streak. He regularly complained about the attention of paparazzi, and he was hypercritical of his own acting performances.
In November he told the New York Times he had been unable to sleep while making I'm Not There, Todd Haynes's film in which Ledger plays one of six versions of Bob Dylan.
"I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going," Ledger said. He confided to the reporter that he took a prescription sleeping pill and, when that failed, took another.
The actor had been travelling between New York and London where he was filming, as recently as last weekend, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus directed by Terry Gilliam. He will also appear later this year as the Joker in the next Batman movie, The Dark Knight.
Ledger had last been home to Australia over the Christmas period, which he spent with his family in Perth.
He had had a difficult relationship with the local paparazzi, but he left a long and rambling phone message for West Australian newspaper's film editor, Mark Naglazas, to thank the media for leaving him alone during his stay.
"I don't know whether it's a conscious thing or an unconscious thing, giving me space and respecting my privacy," he said. "It's just been awesome. It's really enabled me to be a boy again from home and feel like I'd never left." (The Guardian)

Photographer Peter Williams_1940-2008

What the Flag of the European Union Should Have Been :)

Dutch architect Rem Koolhass proposed this cool design for the flag of the European Union. The barcode look and stripes of color are brilliant, creating a look of unity as creating and celebrating the diversity of European Union nations. It reminds me a lot of the lateral view of the central flag cone from the Expo 92 display at the Avenida de Europa on the Cartuja Island in Seville.