English in Madrid

Source: Geoffrey Moffett en Unsplash Source: You Tube (AwardsShowNetwork)  Key Words: Winslet Golden Globes 2009 I found this a bit embarrassing to watch. Do you ever feel embarrassed for anyone? Can you think of an example? What do they want her to do when they ask her to " wrap up "? Kate is up against Penelope Cruz for Best Supporting Actress at the upcoming Oscars. Kate beat Pe at these Golden Globes but might Pe win at the Oscars.  Have you seen either film? What do you think of their performances?

Young matador, 11, slaughters six bulls to claim a controversial place in history A child matador has infuriated animal rights activists by killing six young bulls in a bid to have his name entered in the Guinness Book of Records. Michelito Lagravere, who is just 11, believes he should hold the world record for his controversial feat . The youngster, whose father is former French bullfighter Michel Lagravere, slaughtered the animals in a ring in Merida, Mexico.  A judge gave the go-ahead for the child to fight six calves aged from one to two years after reviewing licences submitted by Mr Lagravere.  Animal rights groups and child protection officials had pleaded with authorities to suspend the event.  But now a video of the fight will be sent to Guinness for consideration for a world record - for the number of bulls killed and the age of the bullfighter.  Some 3,500 people, including many young children, gathered at the ring to witness the bullfight.  ...

Source: Wikipedia   'Polite' Britons died on Titanic More British passengers died on the Titanic because they queued politely for lifeboats, researchers believe. A behavioural economist says data suggests Britons in that era were more inclined to be "gentlemanly" while Americans were more "individualist". Women with children had a 70% better chance of survival than men in such an environment, he told the BBC. The Titanic sank during its maiden voyage in 1912 after hitting an iceberg, with the loss of 1,500 lives. David Savage, from Queensland University of Technology, studied the disaster to look at how people react in life and death situations. He said that in testimonies from inquiries in America and Britain just after the event, there were a lot of statements from women saying their husbands put them on lifeboats. They then "went to the back of the boat to have a cigar, to stand around and be chummy, while basically the boat went down...

Source:  Lubo Minar on Unsplash Obama is sworn in for second time Barack Obama has been sworn in as US president for the second time in two days, because one word was given out of order during Tuesday's ceremony. The Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, John Roberts, administered the oath again at the White House. The decision to repeat the oath was taken out of an abundance of caution, an official said. But Mr Obama joked: "We decided it was so much fun...." before adding: "We're going to do it very slowly." In contrast to the first oath-taking, Mr Obama did not swear on a Bible and his wife Michelle was not at his side. And instead of an audience of millions, only a few close aides saw the second attempt, with even journalists excluded from the Map Room of the White House. Tuesday's stumble went largely unnoticed at the time. In the oath, as set out in the US Constitution, the new incumbent swears to " faithfully exe...

Source: You Tube (Eagle Rock) Key Words: Frank My Way And now, the end is near; And so I face the final curtain . My friend, I'll say it clear, I'll state my case, of which I'm certain. I've lived a life that's full. I've travelled each and every highway ; And more, much more than this, I did it my way. Regrets , I've had a few; But * then again , too few to mention. I did what I had to do And saw it through without exemption. I planned each charted course; Each careful step along the byway , But more, much more than this, I did it my way. Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew When I * bit off more than I could chew . But through it all, when there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out. I faced it all and I stood tall; And did it my way. I've loved, I've laughed and cried. I've had my fill ; my share of losing. And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing . To think I did all that; And may I ...

Source: David Monniaux - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,  Spain's barefoot nuns put faith in YouTube to find new convent recruits For the 11 remaining "Barefoot Carmelite" nuns at the San Jose convent in Ecija, near the southern Spanish city of Seville, the future looked grim . No young novices had joined the convent for three years and, as is happening in convents all over Spain, their numbers were dwindling so fast as the elder ones died that it looked as though it may have to close after almost 400 years. Now the nuns have found salvation by breaking out of their cloistered world with the help of internet video site You Tube . The convent's mother superior, Mother Isabel, was persuaded by friends that the best way to recruit new nuns would be to put up a video on YouTube to show how life was lived inside Ecija's 14th-century Mudéjar palace-turned-convent. Thousands of YouTube visits later, not only has the phone been ringing almost continuously, but the first...

Swearing ' banned ' in city centre Council bosses are trying to stamp out swearing in a city centre as part of a campaign against anti-social behaviour. Signs and banners have been put up across Preston pointing out "Rules 'Round Town" such as "No 'Effin and 'Jeffin" and "No Aggro". The posters are part of the Respect Our City campaign, designed to reduce anti-social behaviour such as swearing, spitting and litter dropping . The rules will be enforced by police and council officers. Police can give out fixed penalty notices of up to £80 for various public order offences while council officers can impose £75 on-the-spot fines for litter offences. Posters have been put up in shops, restaurants and takeaways in the city centre and stickers will be used on beer mats in pubs and clubs. 'Respect your city' Later this week, 10ft (3m) banners will be displayed on the sides of buses. Other   reminder ...

Source: Wikipedia (Dan Etherington )  Man refuses to drive 'No God' bus A Christian bus driver has refused to drive a bus with an atheist slogan proclaiming "There's probably no God". Ron Heather, from Southampton, Hampshire, responded with "shock" and "horror" at the message and walked out of his shift on Saturday in protest. First Bus said it would do everything in its power to ensure Mr Heather does not have to drive the buses. Buses across Britain started display ing atheist messages in an advertising campaign launched earlier this month. Mr Heather told BBC Radio Solent: "I was just about to board and there it was staring me in the face , my first reaction was shock horror. "I felt that I could not drive that bus, I told my managers and they said they haven't got another one and I thought I better go home, so I did. "I think it was the starkness of this advert which implied there was no God....

Source: JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash Have you made any resolutions for 2009? Have you ever made one and broken it within a matter of days? I haven't even bothered to make any these last few years, because experience tells me that I will soon break them. But this year is going to be different..... I haven't been to the gym since last summer. Once you stop going, it requires a big effort to get back into the routine . I am going to start going again and I 'll try to go at least three times a week. I haven't decided whether to go back to the same one or not . I have to improve my Spanish this year. I haven't studied for ages and my level has been the same for too long . Actually, I sometimes think it' s worse than some years ago. So I am going to make a great effort between now and the summer; and hopefully, people will notice the difference . I might even do an exam to have clear evidence of improvement. I think I only went to the cinema ...