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ON MONDAY
ESL Podcast 894 – Understanding Modern Art
In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “abstract” and “to be cut out for.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Pop Art.”
““Pop art” describes a style of art that “emerged” (began to appear) in the 1950s. It uses many images from popular culture…”
– READ MORE in the Learning Guide
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ON WEDNESDAY
English Cafe 398
Topics: American Authors – Ayn Rand; Adirondack Park; to get versus to gain versus to obtain; to have (someone) do (something) versus to get (someone) to do (something); giving an apple to a teacher
In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear).
In “What Insiders Know,” you will read about “Famous Immigrant Writers.”
“At the age of 20, Ayn Rand arrived in the United States for a visit and decided that she wanted to stay in the U.S….” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
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ON FRIDAY
ESL Podcast 895 – Government Reactions to Protests
In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “to clash” and “to fire into the crowd.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about the “Kent State Shootings.”
“The Kent State Shootings, sometimes called the Kent State “Massacre” (an incident where many people are killed), happened at…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
Good morning, a nice Sunday for every one of us.
Sunday, for us Latinos it is the seventh day of the week intead of the first.
Was Rome’s first Christian Emperor (see Constantine I and Christianity), decreed that Sunday would be observed as the Roman day of rest, with this decree:
On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country, however, persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits; because it often happens that another day is not so suitable for grain-sowing or vine-planting; lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost.
When I was a child it was said that Sunday was the day dedicated to GOD, so we went to mass and pray. I was forbidden to work at least it was absolutely necessary and every one did it under mortal sin.
Now every thing is changing and despite several people go to mass there is nothing said about working or not working along Sundays.
So, here are some gatufo´s work to be read if you like to.
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“Frequently I think the cat is inside my mind or emiliano is inside the cat´s mind. Why?.
It is just like Gatufo could understand my inner thoughts either my feelings, if I am sad, happy or worried.
Some how as gatufo has a radar who read all what happens round him.
I would say like he is my soul matter now as I look through things with his inteligent eyes.
Life is so simple for him, that makes me think how we like to complicate our own lifes.
Money means nothing for a cat, ambition, power, jealous, mean nothing for a cat.
Have lot of things means nothing for a cat. Even tomorrow´s life means nothing for a cat.
Gatufo lives his moment, just now lives this second on my lap, nothing cares him only to
be close near emiliano.
That´s all for him, being there he is happy. Close his eyes and make a nap.
How many naps?…..Ten, fifteen, or even more along the day, nothing care him to sleep.
We think humans are intelligent souls?
Let me doubt about that.
I think we are not, we are the worst creature under the sky, the creature that suffers more, that makes more devil things on the globe.
Reading the papers we could see that, despite we are also the great souls who could make such good things as given our life if it could
be necessary. Going far away to serve other people that have nothing. This kind of news never appear on the papers. They don´t sell
copies.
Talking about the monster of Cleveland papers are better sold.
Look round you, what is happening just now?, what have happened years before.
What have happened along thousand of years?….the most inteligent creatures of the world?.
Sorry, I don´t think so. Never I have think so, and now looking my cat even less.
I could swear he is a happy creature uneble to do any devil, like all other criatures like him.
Enjoy like Gatufo does.”
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That´s all for the momento, next Sunday another short story.
Thanks to all who has read me today.
emiliano
Todactor had died one of the best voices of Spain.
May be the best of all time.
He was an actor, speaker, showman and lot of different kind of works.
His life doubling the voices of other actors who speak English or other
laguages to Spanish.
He doubles Sean Connery´s voice, also Clint Eastwood, Arnold Schwarzenneger, Roger Moore
and Darth Vader of “Star Wars”, a great man and actor with the best voice
in Spanish I ever Heard.
(In Englis is Jeff´s voice, of course).
One of his senteces was: “The past does not exist, the future is uncertain, the fleeting
present and love, when it just ends…ends”.
Be in peace dear Constantino Romero, your voice has been with us for long and
it will be for ever.
emiliano
Sorry, this pc. is a disaster…
I want to say: “Today has died one of the first voices of Spain
in Castellano” in fact the best.
Sorry dear Constantino.
More about Constantino Romero….”The Castellano´s Voice”
Clint Eastwood: if there is an actor intimately linked to Constantino Romero, that is Clint Eastwood. Not surprisingly, of the more than sixty films has doubled, 32 belong to the San Francisco filmmaker. The warm voice and tone somewhat intimidating Romero could perfectly congenial hard attitude ‘Harry’ on the big screen. So much so that Eastwood himself was delighted when he heard the Spanish version. Romero’s latest work in film it was in ‘Hit Effect’ (2012), starring American. Does your favorite? ‘The Bridges of Madison’.
Darth Vader from ‘The Wars’: is one of the jobs that will be remembered forever but Romero has always said it was not easy. The fact that Darth Vader mask always take, was a major obstacle. “Besides sincronizarme with actor’s lips I notice much in the eyes, are the ones who set the tone with the speaker. Was a lack” exposed. What’s more, the Albacete breathing should also respect the original metal.
Yes, I like this great actor.
emiliano
Hi! As I did not have a religious education during my childhood I know not too much , I mean precisely on this topic.
But I have this religious feeling and I go to the church from time to time.
And we know all these religious hymns, all these masterpieces of the humanity:
– Amazing Grace;
– God Bless America;
– Glory, Glory Hallelujah (U.S. Battle Hymn Of The Republic);
– Hallelujah by Handel.
And to me, a special note is “Holly Night”.
But I do not know the story of every song mentioned.
Thank you for your attractive way telling and singing these masterpieces.
Hi!
We use similar words: [imn] for “hymn”, [glorie] for “glory”, [aleluia] for “Hallelujah”, [religios] for “religious”,[republica] for “Republic”.
I feel such a painful as we have many, many similar words with the English words and still I do not know this language very well.
Hi! Dear Jeff, thank you for mentioning about John Steinbeck (1902 – 1968), an American writer who received Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.
Reading about him on Wikipedia, I have remembered that I know his works.
I have read “East of Eden”, I have seen the movies “The Grapes of Wrath” (we translated it “The Fruits of Wrath”) and “Viva Zapata”.
But most of all, I like his play “Of Mice and Men”. I saw it at the theatre performed by actors from our capital.
I was so impressed…that I still see in my mind the scene when Lennie (stroking the woman’ hair) becomes frightened , and unintentionally breaks the Curley’s wife neck.
I now know the meaning of the title “Of Mice and Men”: the victory of the strong over the weak.
Hi!
May I write the Steinbeck’s themes and the symbols from “Of Mice and Men”? (information source: Wikipedia)
Themes:
– strength and weakness;
– loneliness and isolation;
– fraternity and the idealized male friendship;
– the impossibility of the American dream: such paradises of freedom , contentment, and safety are not to be found in this world.
Symbols:
– to believe in the possibility of the free, idylic life. A paradise for men who want to be masters of their own lives, the farm representing the possibility of freedom,
the protection from the cruelties of the world.
– the victory of the strong (the strong man) over the weak (the weak man).
Yes! I like very much “Of Mice and Men”. Even and the title…
Thank you.
Hi!
Quotes by John Steinbeck:
“Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.”
“Don’t make everyone know about your sadness.”
“You can only understand people if you feel them in yourself.”
“When two people meet, each one is changed by the other so you’ve got two new people.”
All the best to you all,
Tania
Hi! dear Emiliano, I read your posts with great pleasure.
Thank you. And go on with gatufo’s works.
Thank you Tania, you always have nice and kind words to me.
That gives me the best any one who makes a work could receive.
My best dear friend. emiliano
Hello eslpod buffs 🙂
It is around 5:50 Am local time. I can’t sleep. I m guessing ,i habe some sort if insomnia. I m totally restless.
U know , it is weired rather strange. Every time I m restless, it happens a lot , It reminds me of Newyork city.
Have you ever been in Manhatan. Man ,last time I was there. I changed the name of the Newyork city to the restless city.
The first thing you notice when you first go there is that the city is in a rush. In Newyork ,nobody drives. People walk rather scurry from one place to another. People look concerned; so deep into their thoughts that they are totally unaware of their surroundings. It is so common that it has become the character of the city. In fact theyade an expression of it-that is- ” Newyork mimute .”
You can sense it. You can feel the hurry in the air.
It is like prople are always behind schedule. I was over there for three weeks. And , literally , everyday I got shoveled by passerbys two or three times. you know , it was more of a brush than a shovel. They hit you side ways 🙂 and don’t even have the curtesy to stop and apologize. They shouoder you and continue on. Perhaps ,not having a curtesy us a bit harsh. It is not like that they are impolit or rude. As a matter of fact they are very civil.
It is all because they are in a hurry so they don’t even realize it.
You know , I get around. I tell you , there is sth different about the Newyork city. Some quality rather feature that you can not find in any other places.
I don’t know how to phrase it. I mean , it is sth that you should experience on your own.
It is different.
The city is anxious , agitated and restless still I love Newyork and everything about it.
Yours
Thanks Peter, that was interesting.