Enjoy it!

New Jornal Mural

2008-09-08T15:27:00.002-04:00

Our Enjoy it! is host in a new web address. Now it is together with CACS websystem. Check it out!

New Enjoy it!

.

Updated

2008-06-26T16:41:00.007-04:00

Ballad Of The Skeletons (written by: Allen Ginsberg)

See the video by clicking:

Allen Ginsberg & Paul McCartney_The Ballad Of The Skeletons

Said the Presidential Skeleton I won't sign the bill Said the Speaker skeleton Yes you will

Said the Representative Skeleton I object Said the Supreme Court skeleton Whaddya expect

Said the Miltary skeleton Buy Star Bombs Said the Upperclass Skeleton Starve unmarried moms

Said the Yahoo Skeleton Stop dirty art Said the Right Wing skeleton Forget about yr heart

Said the Gnostic Skeleton The Human Form's divine Said the Moral Majority skeleton No it's not it's mine

Said the Buddha Skeleton Compassion is wealth Said the Corporate skeleton It's bad for your health

Said the Old Christ skeleton Care for the Poor Said the Son of God skeleton AIDS needs cure

Said the Homophobe skeleton Gay folk suck Said the Heritage Policy skeleton Blacks're outa luck

Said the Macho skeleton Women in their place Said the Fundamentalist skeleton Increase human race

Said the Right-to-Life skeleton Foetus has a soul Said Pro Choice skeleton Shove it up your hole

Said the Downsized skeleton Robots got my job Said the Tough-on-Crime skeleton Tear gas the mob

Said the Governor skeleton Cut school lunch Said the Mayor skeleton Eat the budget crunch

Said the Neo Conservative skeleton Homeless off the street! Said the Free Market skeleton Use 'em up for meat

Said the Think Tank skeleton Free Market's the way Said the Saving & Loan skeleton Make the State pay

Said the Chrysler skeleton Pay for you & me Said the Nuke Power skeleton & me & me & me

Said the Ecologic skeleton Keep Skies blue Said the Multinational skeleton What's it worth to you?

Said the NAFTA skeleton Get rich, Free Trade, Said the Maquiladora skeleton Sweat shops, low paid

Said the rich GATT skeleton One world, high tech Said the Underclass skeleton Get it in the neck

Said the World Bank skeleton Cut down your trees Said the I.M.F. skeleton Buy American cheese

Said the Underdeveloped skeleton We want rice Said Developed Nations' skeleton Sell your bones for dice

Said the Ayatollah skeleton Die writer die Said Joe Stalin's skeleton That's no lie

Said the Middle Kingdom skeleton We swallowed Tibet Said the Dalai Lama skeleton Indigestion's whatcha get

Said the World Chorus skeleton That's their fate Said the U.S.A. skeleton Gotta save Kuwait

Said the Petrochemical skeleton Roar Bombers roar! Said the Psychedelic skeleton Smoke a dinosaur

Said Nancy's skeleton Just say No Said the Rasta skeleton Blow Nancy Blow

Said Demagogue skeleton Don't smoke Pot Said Alcoholic skeleton Let your liver rot

Said the Junkie skeleton Can't we get a fix? Said the Big Brother skeleton Jail the dirty pricks

Said the Mirror skeleton Hey good looking Said the Electric Chair skeleton Hey what's cooking?

Said the Talkshow skeleton Fuck you in the face Said the Family Values skeleton My family values mace

Said the NY Times skeleton That's not fit to print Said the CIA skeleton Cantcha take a hint?

Said the Network skeleton Believe my lies Said the Advertising skeleton Don't get wise!

Said the Media skeleton Believe you me Said the Couch-potato skeleton What me worry?

Said the TV skeleton Eat sound bites Said the Newscast skeleton That's all Goodnight

Student's room

2008-06-26T16:37:00.002-04:00

Colonialism

Some moments in the History written by the West World happened centuries ago, like wars, new systems in a country, the industrial revolution and colonialism. But… has Colonialism as a system of, politically and economically, ruling a country all gone? Probably no, as you may think.

Have you ever thought about the context of these words? Link the word to a possible definition:
Some moments in the History written by the West World happened centuries ago, like wars, new systems in a country, the industrial revolution and colonialism. But… has Colonialism as a system of, politically and economically, ruling a country all gone? Probably no, as you may think.
Colonies (n.)
Administration (n.)
Corruption (n.)
Gold (n.)
Sovereign (adj.)
Settlement (n.)
Colonial period

And what about the modern colonialism? How does Modern Colonialism take place? Read the opinion of an expert.
“The great stream of corruption flows from the North to the South. The Western world has placed a straw into the resources of the Third World. Today’s system of corruption has definite characteristics that resemble a modern form of colonialism and constitutes one of the biggest obstacles for development in the Third World”, says corruption hunter and special advisor, Eva Joly, to Norwatch.”

The geography of it has changed a lot, but a form of colonialism is still taking place on earth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonialism
http://www.norwatch.no/index.php?artikkelid=1436&back=1
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/History/British/BrIndia2im.html
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/History/Gandhi/gandhi.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_imperialism.

Take my word for it !!

2008-06-26T16:35:00.001-04:00

A PASSAGE TO INDIA

SUBJECTS --- World/India & England; Literature;SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING --- Friendship; MORAL-ETHICAL EMPHASIS --- Trustworthiness; Respect. Age: 12+; MPAA Rating: PG; Drama; 1984; 163 minutes; Color.

A Passage to India is the beautiful story of several individuals, some British and others Indian, who try to become friends during the British colonial occupation of India. The movie is closely based on the classic novel by E.M. Forster and is an excellent way to re-experience the book if it has already been read. If a child loves the film but did not read the book, TeachWithMovies.com suggests that he or she be encouraged to read the book. A parent or a teacher can truthfully say that, as wonderful as the movie is, the book is better. It contains detailed descriptions and insights that could not possibly be put in any film.

http://www.teachwithmovies.org/guides/passage-to-india.html

Travel with English

2008-06-26T16:28:00.002-04:00

English in India

Officially English has a status of assistant language, but in fact it is the most important language of India. After Hindi it is the most commonly spoken language in India and probably the most read and written language in India. Indians who know English will always try to show that they know English. English symbolizes in Indians minds, better education, better culture and higher intellect. Indians who know English often mingle it with Indian languages in their conversations. It is also usual among Indians to abruptly move to speak fluent English in the middle of their conversations. English also serves as the communicator among Indians who speak different language. English is very important in some systems – legal, financial, educational, business – in India. Until the beginning of 1990s, foreign movies in India weren’t translated or dubbed in Indian languages, but were broadcast in English and were meant for English speakers only. The reason Indians give such importance to English is related to the fact that India was a British colony (see Europeans in India).

When the British started ruling India, they searched for Indian mediators who could help them to administer India. The British turned to high caste Indians to work for them. Many high caste Indians, especially the Brahmans worked for them. The British policy was to create an Indian class who should think like the British, or as it was said then in Britain “Indians in blood and color but English in taste, in opinions and morals and intellect”. The British also established in India universities based on British models with emphasis on English. These Indians also got their education in British universities. The English Christian missionaries came to India from 1813 and they also built schools at primary level for Indians in which the language of instruction was local language. Later on the missionaries built high schools with English as the language of instruction which obliged the Indians who wanted to study to have a good knowledge of English. The British rulers began building their universities in India from 1857. English became the first language in Indian education. The ‘modern’ leaders of that era in India also supported English language and claimed it to be the main key towards success. Indians who knew good English were seen as the new elite of India. Many new schools were established in which the language of instruction was English. According to the British laws the language of instruction at university level was English and therefore schools that emphasized English were preferred by ambitious Indians. Even after India’s independence, English remained the main language of India. Officially it was given a status of an assistant language and was supposed to terminate officially after 15 years of India’s independence, but it still remains the important language of India.
Even today schools in India that emphasis English are considered better schools and the same is the case at university levels, even though there is a trend towards Indianization. In the 1970s and 1980s about one third of the Indian schools had English as their first language. For most of these students, English is their first language and it is easier for them to communicate, read and write in English than in Indian languages, including their mother tongues.
Just like the Americans, Australians or even the British who have their unique English words and phrases, the Indians also have their own unique English. The Indians and the Indian English language press uses many words derived from Indian languages, especially from Hindi. Other than that, the Indian accent is sometimes difficult for non-Indians to understand. There are some Indian pronunciations that don’t exist in non Indian languages. The British also had problems with that and they caused some changes in Indian words so that they could pronounce them. Even the Indians started using these changed words and made them part of their English. Two examples of such changed words are currey and sari.

http://adaniel.tripod.com/Languages3.htm

Tips

2008-06-26T16:22:00.001-04:00

Comics

2008-06-26T16:19:00.002-04:00

Updated

2008-06-04T19:30:00.007-04:00

The University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees at all levels (associate, bachelor, master, and doctorate) in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education.
In medieval Europe, there were only four faculties in a university: Theology, Medicine, Canon Law and Liberal Arts (Arts), with the last one having a somewhat lower status. In the early 20th century, new disciplines such as education, sociology, and psychology were added. In the 1970s and 1980s, there was an explosion of new disciplines focusing on specific themes, such as media studies, women's studies, and Black studies.
Many disciplines designed as preparation for careers and professions, such as nursing, hospitality management, and corrections also emerged in the universities. Finally, the visibility of such interdisciplinary scientific fields as biochemistry and geophysics increased, as their contribution to knowledge became widely recognized.
In academia today, it is a growing practice to incorporate fields of study that are created by extending the ideas, theories, and methods of more traditional disciplines. Also, new times and revolutionary thinkers can enhance or renew existing disciplines, or even create new disciplines altogether. For example, it can be argued that Freud created a new sub-field of psychology with his new perspective of psychoanalysis.

This issue is by Gabby and Marcone

Student’s Room

2008-06-04T19:23:00.004-04:00

U.S. Academic Levels, Definitions and Expected Durations

Short-Term Certificate or Non-Credit: Courses offered which usually do not qualify for regular college credit, and which may or may not be used to meet the requirements for a degree or diploma awarded by an academic institution. Each short-term or non-credit course may last from a few weeks to several months, but typically less than one year.

Associate: The credit-hour requirement for most associate degrees is approximately 60 credit hours, typically completed in two academic years. Often abbreviated AA (for Associate Degree of Art) or AS (Associate Degree of Science), associate's degrees are usually earned at a community or junior college. The course-work for an associate's degree can usually be transferred to a four-year college or university, and applied towards the requirements for a bachelor's degree. Dual enrollment programs, where students may enroll simultaneously at a U.S. high school and a community college, or at a community college and a university, are gaining popularity throughout the United States.

Bachelor: Institutions offering Bachelors Degrees are primarily undergraduate colleges or universities with major emphasis on baccalaureate programs. The traditional definition refers to the lowest degree conferred by a four-year college or university. However, an increasing number of U.S. colleges and institutions are beginning to offer a wider variety of degrees, including Associate and Certificate Programs.

Master: Institutions offering Masters Degrees typically offer a wide range of baccalaureate programs, and they are committed to graduate education through the Masters Degree. A master is a person holding an academic degree higher than a bachelors but lower than a doctors. An intensive masters degree may be completed in one year, though the average duration is between two and three academic years.

Doctoral / Research: The Carnegie Classification states that these institutions typically offer a wide range of baccalaureate programs, and they are committed to graduate education through the doctorate. A doctor is a person holding one of the highest academic degrees (as a PhD) conferred by a university. The duration for a doctorate varies widely, from just a few years to decades.

Group Programs for Professionals: These inquiries were originally included under the heading of Short-Term Training Sessions or Non-Credit / Certificate Programs. We distinguished the individuals from the groups due to increased demand by both sides -- international professionals and U.S. campuses. Descriptions of group courses vary greatly; some qualify for regular college credit, and may or may not be used to meet the requirements for a degree or diploma awarded by an academic institution. Each course may last from a few weeks to several months, but typically less than one year. Group inquiries tend to originate from a central source such as a corporate environment or a government-sponsored entity.

Internships: The term is technically defined as a period of time in which a student or recent graduate gains supervised practical experience. Another less formal explanation may be borrowed from Michael Landes' Backdoor Guide to Short-Term Job Adventures: An internship is simply about discovering life's options and finding your place in the world. It's a time to explore, dream and discover -- and turn your dreams into reality.

Summer Programs: Classes held generally between the months of early June and late August. Summer School Students may access many of the same amenities as their full-time counterparts, including on-campus and off-campus housing, library systems, computer labs, athletic facilities, and performances of the arts. The selection of academic courses during summer sessions appears to be growing across the United States, as campus administrators recognize the potential of short-term enrollees evolving into long-term enrollees. College credit is often available during Summer School, though conditions vary widely.

Youth / High School: Academic programs specifically designed for students between the ages of 12 and 17 years old. Academic disciplines vary, though most programs focus on the Liberal Arts (studies such as language, philosophy, history, literature, or abstract science, intended to provide general knowledge and to develop general intellectual capacities). Duration generally lasts from a few weeks to 12 weeks. College credit may be available to qualified students.

Distance Learning: Wikipedia defines distance education, or distance learning, as a field of education that focuses on delivering education to students who are not physically on site to receive their education. Instead, teachers and students may communicate asynchronously (at times of their own choosing) by exchanging printed or electronic media, or through technology that allows them to communicate in real time (synchronously). Distance education courses that require a physical on-site presence for any reason including the taking of examinations is considered to be a hybrid or blended course or program.

Take my word for it !!

2008-06-04T19:16:00.008-04:00

International

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognizes seven levels of education in its International Standard Classification of Education system (ISCED). These range from Level 0 (pre-primary education) to Level 6 (second stage of tertiary education). UNESCO's International Bureau of Education maintains a database of country-specific education systems and their stages
Brazilian universities
Undergraduate students in Brazilian universities normally graduate either with a Bacharel degree (equivalent to an American B.S. or B.A.) or with a professional degree (roughly modeled on the old German Diploma).

United States and Canada
In Canada and the United States the grades traditionally begin at 1 and run to 12 (or 11 or 13 in some areas); in the US they are referred to by ordinal number (e.g. "third grade"), while in Canada the cardinal number is used (e.g. "grade 3"). An additional preceding level called Kindergarten is now standard in most areas, and a further preceding level called Preschool or Nursery school is not uncommon. In the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, as well as some parts of the state of Wisconsin, kindergarten is split further into junior and senior kindergarten.
At the secondary school level, grades 9–12 are also known as freshman (or "first-year"), sophomore, junior, and senior, especially in the United States. At the post-secondary level (college or university), these terms are used almost exclusively to refer to what would otherwise be grades 13–16, also mainly in the United States. However, at the post-secondary level in Canada, freshman is often called first-year, sophomore as second-year, and so on.
These tables outline the ages, in years, of each grade level. However, students are sometimes older because of grade retention or younger because of grade skipping.
Elementary school: (sometimes includes 5th or 6th grade, and sometimes goes up to 8th grade)

U.S. Grade Ages Canadian Grade

kindergarten 5–6 kindergarten
first grade 6–7 grade one
second grade 7–8 grade two
third grade 8–9 grade three
fourth grade 9–10 grade four
fifth grade 10–11 grade five

Middle school:

(variations: grade 5–6, grade 6–8, grade 5–8, grade 5–9, grade 6–9, grade 7–8)

U.S. Grade Ages Canadian Grade

sixth grade 11–12 grade six
seventh grade 12–13 grade seven
eighth grade 13–14 grade eight

High school:

U.S. Grade Ages Canadian Grade

ninth grade, freshman 14–15 grade nine
tenth grade, sophomore 15–16 grade ten
eleventh grade, junior 16–17 grade eleven
twelfth grade, senior 17–18 grade twelve

Children typically start school at age five, but may turn six during the school year. This accounts for age differences within the same grade. Different school districts have different entrance requirements, with some using age on the first day of school, and others using age on a specified date. Also, some areas use junior high school, typically grades 7–8 or 9, instead of middle school. The grade configurations vary from school to school and district to district in the USA and Canada.

Universities with the Best Free Online Courses

No tuition money? No problem! There are many top universities that offer free courses online. This list ranks several of the best free university courses available for people who want to enhance their personal knowledge or advance in their current field.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (mit.edu)
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm

If you are looking for a wide range of free courses offered online, MIT is your best option. More than 1,800 free courses are offered through the school's OpenCourseWare project. Courses are in text, audio and video formats and translated into a number of different languages. Students all over the world use OpenCourseWare and 96 percent of visitors to this site say they would recommend it to someone else.

2. Open University (open.ac.uk)
http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/

The Open University is the UK's largest academic institution. The school's OpenLearn website gives everyone free access to both undergraduate and graduate-level course materials from The Open University. Courses cover a wide range of topics, such as the arts, history, business, education, IT and computing, mathematics and statistics, science, health and technology.

3. Carnegie Mellon University (cmu.edu)
http://www.cmu.edu/oli/

Carnegie Mellon University offers a number of free online courses and materials through a program called Open Learning Initiative. OLI courses are intended to allow anyone at an introductory college level to learn about a particular subject without formal instruction. Course options include such offerings as statistics, biology, chemistry, economics, French and physics.

4. Tufts University (tufts.edu)
http://ocw.tufts.edu/

Like MIT, Tufts has OpenCourseWare that is available free to everyone. Courses are sorted by school (i.e. School of Arts and Sciences, School of Medicine, etc.) and include assignments, lecture notes and other supplementary materials.

5. Stanford (stanford.edu)
http://itunes.stanford.edu/

Stanford University, one of the world's leading academic institutions, has joined forces with iTunes U in providing access to Stanford courses, lectures and interviews. These courses can be downloaded and played on iPods, PCs, and Macs and can also be burned to CDs. If you don't have iTunes, you can download it here for free: http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

6. University of California, Berkeley (berkeley.edu)
http://webcast.berkeley.edu/courses.php

UC Berkley has been offering live and on-demand webcasts of certain courses since 2001. Hundreds of UC Berkley courses, both current and archived, are now available as podcasts and webcasts. Courses cover a range of subjects, including astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer programming, engineering, psychology, legal studies and philosophy.

7. Utah State University (usu.edu)
http://ocw.usu.edu/

Utah State University also provides access to free online courses. Study options include everything from anthropology to physics and theatre arts. These comprehensive text-based courses can be downloaded as zip files or viewed directly on the site.

8. Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (kutztownsbdc.org)
http://www.kutztownsbdc.org/course_listing.asp

Kutztown University's Small Business Development Center offers the largest collection of free business courses available on the web. Course topics include accounting, finance, government, business law, marketing and sales. Comprehensive text, interactive case studies, slides, graphics and streaming audio help to demonstrate the concepts presented in each course.

9. University of Southern Queensland (usq.edu.au)
http://ocw.usq.edu.au/

The University of Southern Queensland in Australia provides free online access to a number of different courses through yet another OpenCourseWare initiative. Courses from each of the five faculties are available, covering a broad range of topics, including communication, science, career planning, technology, teaching and multimedia creation.

10. University of California, Irvine (uci.edu)
http://ocw.uci.edu/

UC Irvine recently joined the OCW Consortium and began providing free university level courses online. Right now, there are only a handful of options to choose from, but this list is growing. Current courses cover topics like financial planning, human resources, capital markets and e-marketing. Course materials include syllabi, lecture notes, assignments and exams.

Travel with English

2008-06-04T19:10:00.002-04:00

Hazing Still Widespread at Colleges, Survey Finds

11,000 students respond; most don't think of their behavior as hazing

PORTLAND, Maine - Virtually every college bans hazing, but more than half of college students belonging to campus organizations say they have experienced it in places from the glee club to the fraternity house, according to a new study. Academic clubs and social and cultural organizations all haze new members, students told professors Elizabeth Allan and Mary Madden from the University of Maine's College of Education and Human Development. "It's far more widespread than many people would've assumed," Allan said.

How to define hazing?

Gary Powell, a hazing expert in Cincinnati, said defining hazing is a potential problem with any study. Drinking to excess and physical abuse clearly are hazing, but the line is blurry for activities that don't put people at risk of injury, he said. Many people define hazing the way Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart famously defined pornography: '"I know it when I see it,"' said Powell, who dealt with liability issues while working for a law firm that represents fraternities and sororities.
Allan and Madden didn't try to recommend solutions, but Madden said it's clear there's plenty of work to be done when a strong majority of students who are hazed don't realize it.
"They'll call it something else, team-building, or say 'I gave my permission to be treated this way.' It's a challenge for college administrators," Pollard said.

Tips

2008-06-04T19:08:00.002-04:00

Twisted College Vocabulary

ABSENT: (n) The notation generally following your name in a class record.

ADMISSIONS OFFICE: (n) Where they take you to get you to admit you've mooned the keynote speaker during "new student weekend."

ANATOMY: (n) One of those classes that sounds vaguely risqué until you find out what it REALLY involves.

BIOLOGY: (n) A class located suspiciously near the cafeteria.

BOOK: (n) A depository of knowledge which a student will try to stay awake long enough to read the night before finals.

BOOKBAG: (n) A large container in which students store candy bars, gum, combs, little slips of paper with phone numbers on them, yo-yos, sunglasses, student I.D.s, loose change, magazines, & (occasionally) books.

CAFETERIA: (n) from Latin "cafe" ("place to eat") and "teria" ("to wretch").

CAFFEINE: (n) One of the four basic food groups.

CALL: (v) What you can't do because your stupid roommate has to go over every stupid detail of every stupid day with their stupid hometown sweetheart.

D-MINUS: (n) A pretty good grade.

DORM: (n) Student residence located only a few convenient miles from 8 a.m. classes. DORMROOM: (n) A small closet-like area inhabited by a pair of incompatible people. EDUCATION BUDGET: (n) Money you allocate each month for movies and magazines.

EXTRA CREDIT: (n) What you wish you had on your credit card. F: (n) A grade that can usually be altered to look like a "B" on a test paper.

JUNIOR VARSITY: (n) The team that everybody supports, but nobody goes to watch.

KLUTZ: (n) What you discover your lab partner is when you ask him to slowly pour the sulfuric acid into the beaker you're holding.

LAB: (n) A room full of icky, funny-looking creatures and the dead frogs they dissect. LETTERMEN: (n) Scholarship athletes who proudly wear letter sweaters proclaiming the vowel or consonant they have mastered.

LIBERAL ARTS: (n) See: "Would you like fries with that?"

LOUNGE: (n) Any area in a dorm, union or classroom building where the only furniture that isn't soiled, ripped or scarred is immediately stolen.

MAJOR: (n) Area of study that no longer interests you.

MIDNIGHT OIL: (n) What you make popcorn in.

MISERY: (n) The sinking feeling you get when introduced to the person your roomie fixed you up with because "the two of you are so much alike."

NICKNAME: (n) Generally, your own name with the suffix "ster" attached in a forced awkward attempt at familiarity. E.g. "Bobster," "Hankster" or "Georgester."

OFF-CAMPUS PARKING: (n) Ample extra parking usually found in an adjoining county.

OUT: (n) Where your roommate always is when one of the 35 clubs she belongs to calls with a very important message.

PAPER: (n) Your version of Cliff Notes.

POSTER: (n) An inexpensive way to decorate a dorm room while making people think you've been to foreign lands and done things you never have.

PRE-LAW: (n) The major of a person who will end up in sales.

VICE SQUAD: (n) A group of uniformed officers who seem to be under the impression that they were invited to your dorm party.

VENDING MACHINE: (n) A coin operated device for dispensing breakfast, lunch, and dinner. VICTOR: (n) Your football team's weekly opponent.

VICTORY: (n) A rarity; a three syllable word that cheerleaders CAN spell.

WEEKEND: (n) Two day period during which your growling stomach makes you really wish you'd signed up for a seven day meal plan.

WINTER: (n) When the air conditioning in your dorm finally kicks in.

WORK-STUDY: (n) Two things not done by a majority of students.

WRISTWATCH: (n) That device on your arm that lets you know which class you're currently late for.

X-RAY: (n) A medical technique that will display cafeteria meatballs up to ten years after they're eaten.

YALE: 1) (n) A well known ivy league university. 2) (v) What southern cheerleaders do. YEARBOOK: (n) A book containing student pictures that will keep getting nerdier as the years go by.

YESTERDAY: (n) When the 12 page paper you started tonight was due.

YIELD SIGN: (n) Dormitory wall decoration you "purchased" around 3 in the morning with the help of two buddies and a hammer.

ZEPPELIN: 1) (n) A large blimp. 2) (n) Still the best band for playing air guitar in one's underwear.

ZERO: (n) The number of times you've gotten to eat most of the pizza you ordered.

ZOO: (n) What dorms would look like if they were a little neater.

ZOOLOGY: (n) The study of animal life (See: "Frat boys at Homecoming")

Comics

2008-06-04T19:03:00.001-04:00

Updated

2008-05-20T16:53:00.004-04:00

A superficial propaganda

The short text below was written by a 20-year-old student from The University of Chicago.

“The stance that marijuana is a dangerous drug of abuse is a superficial propaganda for the masses. Marijuana was made illicit in 1937 to remove a threat to the new synthetic fibers made by the Dupont Company. The useful hemp fibers can grow to lengths of 6 meters, are very strong and were a threat to the success of Dupont. If we are to consider health factors, then why do we legalize dangerous drugs such as alcohol and tobacco, both of which are very lethal. We can’t make people stop using things they want to use just by passing a law. (Look what happened during 'Prohibition').
The drug "trade" is now the single largest money operation in the U.S. economy and the money it generates is used to see that the laws will not change. I was recently told by a professor that the current value of the U.S. drug trade is estimated at around $600 billion dollars. The only real function making a drug illegal is to create a “black market”, otherwise known as 'money-for-nothing'.

Marijuana isn't even important to those in the 'big money drug trade', except for maintaining the 'wall of prohibition'. It isn't a question of what's good for you or what's bad for you. Alcohol gives us a perfect example of this hypocrisy. I’ve seen more college students in an alcohol induced stupor than any from marijuana - which appears to just mellow people out (and both are very available on campus).
The money paid for drugs is not based on the real value of the drugs themselves, but on the risk of transport, which in turn is the result of the law. This present us with an economic crisis of enormous impact, as a person with no skills or education can have a tax-free income greater than that of the highest paid individual in the entire industrial world. Such a situation destroys the basis of modern society, which is the assumption that a person is rewarded in direct relation to their contribution to the economic whole. The “war” on some drugs is not about drugs at all, but about money and the continued centralization of economic and political control.” Matt W., University of Chicago, USA, Age 20.

this issue is by Emerson and Priscilla

Student's room

2008-05-20T16:48:00.005-04:00

The history behind the story

Find supporting information to stand for your opinion about these matters with your teacher in the classroom:
Some say they are against pot legalization due to mental health factors. But, we’ve seen more college students in an alcohol induced stupor than from pot. Not mentioning the use of legal drugs like amphetamines and lexotan which little by little numbs society in a way weed wouldn’t ever. These substances happen to be more lethal than marijuana.
Ø Why should marijuana be illicit while dangerous drugs such as alcohol and tobacco and others are legalized?

Some say ‘the law is to be followed’. There is no need for a law to have a meaning. No need for a satisfying reason for the illicitness of marijuana use and dealing. ‘If that’s law, it shall be done’.
Ø Should we comply with the law never minding its function? Have hemp prohibition cut off the use of it at anytime?

Kimberly Clark (on the Fortune 500) has a mill in France which produces hemp paper preferred for bibles because it lasts a very long time and doesn't yellow.
http://www.naihc.org/hemp_information/hemp_facts.htm
Hemp is also hemp fibers are longer, stronger and more absorbent than cotton. Bibles are also made of these fibers. So the hemp industry is but it happens in the black market.
Ø Is society gaining or at least maintaining a social peace with the illicitness of marijuana? Is there any connection between the violence shown in ‘Tropa de elite’ and this law?

Health Canada grants access to marihuana for medical use to those who are suffering from grave and debilitating illnesses. It is important to note that the Marihuana Medical Access Regulations deal exclusively with the medical use of marihuana.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/marihuana/index_e.html
What happens then is that the people who need marijuana for medical cares are the only ones who don’t have access to hemp once it’s very easy to get it from the black market.

Ø Do you agree with the affirmative bellow?
Ø Shouldn’t we invest in the hemp industry in order to have a medical benefit?

Some say ‘the body is a holly temple where the holly ghost inhabits’. The religious matter is contradictive. If we consider our body the holly spirit temple why should we intoxicate it with fast food and stress which aren’t providing any nutrition to the body, moreover as scientifically proved this kind of nourishment and rhythm of life develop cancers and other diseases. So we live under stress, we eat junk food , we take strong chemical substances called legal drugs, we inhale polluted but…
Ø …if we smoke pot we’ll be harming the spirit?

Take my word for it !!

2008-05-20T16:41:00.001-04:00

Travel (no puns intended) with English

2008-05-20T16:38:00.004-04:00

INDUSTRY FACTS*

Henry Ford experimented with hemp to build car bodies. He wanted to build and fuel cars from farm products. *BMW is experimenting with hemp materials in automobiles as part of an effort to make cars more recyclable. *Much of the bird seed sold in the US has hemp seed (it's sterilized before importation), the hulls of which contain about 25% protein. *The pulp (hurd) of the hemp plant can be burned as is or processed into charcoal, methanol, methane, or gasoline.The process for doing this is called destructive distillation, or `pyrolysis.' Fuels made out of plants like this are called `biomass' fuels. Methanol makes a good automobile fuel, in fact it is used in professional automobile races. It may someday replace gasoline.

Tips

2008-05-20T16:31:00.004-04:00

· Marihuana: The Forbidden Medicine by Lester Grinspoon , James B. Bakalar

· Weed Science: Principles and Applications by Wood Powell Anderson

· Why Marijuana Should Be Legalby Ed Rosenthal, Steve Kubby ,S. Newhart

· The Benefits of Marijuana: Physical, Psychological & Spiritual by Joan Bello

Comics

2008-05-20T16:21:00.002-04:00

Updated

2008-04-29T14:16:00.004-04:00

Is your personality ruining your relationship?

Dr. Laura Berman identifies traits that could be sabotaging your love

By Dr. Laura Berman
TODAYShow.com contributor

What guarantees the success of a marriage? Is it physical attraction, fidelity, trust, humor and mutual respect? On the other hand, are there behaviors or personality traits that can predict the failure of a marriage? Dr. John Gottman, author of “Why Marriages Succeed or Fail,” has done plenty of research in this area and his findings suggest that there are indeed some personality traits that can doom a marriage to failure. Coupled with my own research and experience with couples’ therapy, here are the personality traits that might signal possible roadblocks on the path to martial bliss. Does one of these personalities sound like you?
The Pleaser The Pleaser puts “we” before “me,” and has a “what’s mine is yours” philosophy with her spouse. The Pleaser does not need much alone time or privacy, and is happy spending plenty of quality time with her spouse. Pleasers often like to play by the rules — rules which may or may not be applicable at all times in a relationship. For instance, a Pleaser might strongly adhere to gender roles or certain routines, and may be unwilling to think outside the box or try new things within the relationship. However, marriage and family life do not always follow a set routine, and Pleasers might have a hard time adjusting to these changes. Furthermore, her motto of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” can lead to staleness within the marriage … but it also means that she is a dependable and loyal partner.
The One-Upper The One-Upper is so named because she always takes an argument to the next level. Instead of trying to empathize with her partner’s point of view, she skips right to the “persuasion” stage, where she tries to convince her partner that she is right. One-Uppers rarely argue without becoming very impassioned. However, it is possible for One-Uppers to resolve conflicts, since they are open about their feelings, both positive and negative. They also tend to be analytical and honest (if sometimes brutally so), which can help keep the relationship moving forward. But watch out: One-Uppers do get stuck in conflict mode, which can lead to constant fighting.

The AvoiderAvoiders tend to deny the existence of problems within their relationships, or they admit the existence of problems but only work on them on a surface level. Rather than truly addressing the issue at hand, Avoiders often want to “agree to disagree.” Conversations with them often end in standoffs and no resolution can be reached. Avoiders treasure alone time and autonomy, and they will often go to any lengths to avoid conflict, as they prefer calm and pleasant environments. Relationships with Avoiders are not doomed to fail, as Avoiders have a high level of respect for their loved ones. However, there is a low level of companionship with Avoiders as they never share their true feelings. Moreover, if the Avoider's relationship was ever to encounter a serious issue that simply could not be avoided, she would not know how to manage the conflict effectively and the marriage would certainly suffer or even end.
The Catastrophizer The Catastrophizer tends to attribute all of her feelings and behaviors to her spouse, and she often refuses to take blame for anything. When the Catastrophizer is upset, she attacks her spouse with phrases that begin with “You always __” or “You never __,” and she generally uses negative facial expressions and a whining or mocking tone of voice. Catastrophizers take a negative situation (such as their spouse being late for dinner) and escalate the situation with catastrophic thinking. For example, the Catastrophizer first thinks, “He’s late every night for dinner and I’m sick of waiting for him.” Then she thinks, “In fact, he doesn’t care about how much work I put into making healthy meals or grocery shopping.” Finally, she thinks, “In fact, he really doesn’t see me at all or care about my feelings … Now that I think about it … he’s never cared about me. He’s selfish and self-absorbed. I don’t know why I’m even in this relationship!” As these thoughts continue, they see their partner through this lens and unpleasant and angry feelings escalate.
If you or your partner exhibits any of the above behaviors, take heed because your marriage is going to be unfulfilling unless you work on these unhealthy habits. The healthiest relationships are those in which both partners feel free to be themselves and honest, authentic and respectful communication is valued above all else.
Dr. Laura Berman is the director of the Berman Center in Chicago, a specialized health care facility dedicated to helping women and couples find fulfilling sex lives and enriched relationships. She is also an assistant clinical professor of OB-GYN and psychiatry at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. She has been working as a sex educator, researcher and therapist for 18 years.

Students' room

2008-04-29T14:13:00.003-04:00

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE PEOPLE WHO WROTE THE LETTERS BELOW? WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO HELP THEM SOLVE THEIR RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS?

LETTER 1

CAN COLLEGE STUDENTS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX JUST BE "FRIENDS"?

Dear _____________

As soon as college started in September I became chums with this guy who is in my dorm. As far as I was concerned we were only friends. Though we'd go out together a lot to bars or concerts, I always paid my own way so I thought everything was cool. Then the other day, out of the blue, he put a move on me, which I rejected and now we're both pretty much staying away from each other. In your opinion, can women and men really be friends, or is there always a sexual element or overtone in their relationship?

LETTER 2

MY HUSBAND GOES TO STRIP JOINTS

Dear Alice_____________
How do you tell your husband that talking about going to topless bars bothers you and that it hurts you? My husband Bill keeps talking lately about going to these places and it hurts my feelings very much that I cry. I know it is man's nature to admire women but I feel these places are for guys that have no respect for themselves or their mates. We have a good sex life and get along great. He thinks he's teasing me but it really hurts to hear him talk this way. I would never do it to him, to go to a male strip bar. What can you tell me to say to turn him away from these thoughts?

LETTER 3

SPICE UP SEX LIFE?

Dear _____________,

My boyfriend and I have been dating off and on for two years. We have been having sex for about a year now. The problem is I want to spice up our sex life but I don't have any imagination. He says he's willing to try anything but he won't give ideas. We've done it in different positions, used sex toys but I can't think of anything fun to try. Please help, give me some suggestions.

Take my word for it

2008-04-29T14:10:00.003-04:00

WHAT DO THE WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS BELOW MEAN?

SOULMATE – Someone who will make you happy in a relationship because you “share” the souls.

GROOM – a man at the time he gets married. (opposite: bride)

MATCHMAKER – someone who tries to find a suitable partner for someone to marry.

FIANCÉ – the man you are engaged to. (opposite: Fiancée)

BLIND DATE – a romantic meeting with someone you have never seen before.

STUD – a guy who has many sexual partners.

Travel with English

2008-04-29T14:07:00.002-04:00

TRADITIONAL PARTIES RELATED TO RELATIONSHIPS

Tips

2008-04-29T14:05:00.004-04:00

Knocked Up (2007)

You could throw a rock at a video shop and hit a movie about the joys of parenting, but very few of those gooey family flicks deal with the actual business of making the baby. That's where Knocked Up comes in. Delving fearlessly beneath the duvet of taboo, Judd Apatow's superb comedy follows the relationship between slobby stoner Ben (Seth Rogen) and go-getting TV exec Alison (Katharine Heigl) from a drunken one-night-stand to nursery shopping and labour pains.
Apatow is best known for his rollicking sex farce The 40 Year Old Virgin, but Knocked Up is pitched at a considerably lower key. While the subject matter is bawdy and the language extremely saucy, most of the laughs (and there are lots of them) spring from conversations rather than gross-out set pieces. Rogen's likeable slacker and his no-hoper pals can discuss the finer points of celebrity nudity until your eyes are watering, while on the other side of the partnership, Alison's sister (Leslie Mann) and her husband (Paul Rudd) provide a spot-on portrait of an arid marriage.

"YOU'LL BE SNORTING POPCORN OUT OF YOUR NOSE"

Like its central character's life, Knocked Up has a messy story, but one imbued with such sweetness that it's impossible not to love. It's a romance with the cutest of twists - imagine if Romeo and Juliet had nine months to fall in love before Julie Jr arrived - told with the laconic charm of a good stand-up routine and laced with moments of genuine insight. It's an adult comedy - not smutty (well OK, it is kinda smutty) but a comedy for and about adults. Most importantly, it's so funny that you'll be snorting popcorn out of your nose before the end.
Knocked Up is out in the UK on 24th August 2007.
Director: Judd Apatow
Stars: Seth Rogen, Katharine Heigl, Leslie Mann, Paul Rudd,
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Length: 129 minutes
Country: USA

bbc.co.uk

Comics

2008-04-29T13:55:00.002-04:00

WHAT IS LOVE?

A TEMPORARY INSANITY CURABLE BY MARRIAGE!

Cultural Friday

2008-04-12T10:28:00.006-04:00

Time is Money!

Is it really true?

Money is a headache and money is the cure - a focus on vocabulary, listening and speaking

Como você diria em inglês: “fazer vaquinha”, “custar os olhos da cara”, “pagar a prazo”, “dar cheque sem fundos”, “estar no vermelho” etc? Venha aprender ou aprofundar seus conhecimentos sobre esse tema na Sexta-feira Cultural com o Professor Wesley Costa.

DATA: 25/04/08 das 17h às 19h - LOCAL: FAFICH

Público-Alvo: estudantes e professores de inglês e demais interessados na cultura em língua Inglesa.
Pré-requisito: O workshop será realizado em Inglês.

Haverá sorteios de brindes!!!

Inscrições até 24/04 na secretaria do CACS (sala 3086 - FAFICH)
Carentes I e II da FUMP são isentos, desde que apresentem carteirinha!!

Valor: R$5,00 (material incluído)
Vagas limitadas às capacidades dos auditórios

Contato: 3441-4603 – cacs_ufmg@yahoo.com.br

Updated

2008-04-12T08:00:00.008-04:00

Mobile Phones – A New language

A group of students from Chesterfield College unearthed some interesting findings when they conducted research into the way people across different age groups use their mobile phones.
The A level English Language students, currently studying in their final year, conducted the research as part of their investigation into the changes in Language and Technology.
In the last 10 years the mobile phone has become a very important addition to society with 75% of the UKs population owning at least one. An even bigger surprise is that due to a combination of parents’ piece of mind and the latest in fashionable handsets, 25% of primary school children have a phone of their own.
The students involved in the study focussed their investigation on the Short Messaging Service (SMS) and how users communicate using ‘text talk’.
Mandy Brooks, an English lecturer at the College said, “We wanted to dig below the surface description of text talk to see what kind of social functions might drive the popular demand for mobile phones.”
Originally designed for business use, text messaging really took off in the late 90’s and early 00’s as a way for friends, parents and partners to stay in touch. SMS messaging forced users to become creative with language to condense a question or statement into a limited number of character spaces. Mandy Brooks whose article on the subject was published in the December 2006 issue of Emagazine, a national publication for A Level English and Media, commented, “Lexical differences in text talk are easy to spot, and research has mapped such changes as the phonetic spelling of words, the use of emoticons to express mood :-), and number phonemes in abbreviated forms like CUL8R (see you later).”
As part of their investigation, the students looked at the way the older generation use the technology. The study found that many are abandoning the traditional methods of grammatically correct sentences in favour of non-standard spelling, going against everything they were taught as children and in effect, breaking the rules of English.
In youngsters, the students found that the text message had opened a door to new ways of flirting to avoid face-to-face contact and embarrassment. In a separate part of the survey, 80% of those questioned believe that texting saves time compared to calling somebody, but because of the speed and ease of sending a text message, 60% agreed that the service does not save them any money. For the traditionalists, it may be refreshing to know that despite world domination of the mobile phone, 80% of those who took part would still favour a spoken conversation over text message.
The study raised many other questions about the future of communication, avenues which many of the students plan to explore further within future projects.

http://www.chesterfield.ac.uk/chesterfield-college/news/2a.htm

Student's room

2008-04-12T07:54:00.009-04:00

SMS language (also known as chatspeak, txt, txtspk, texting language or txt talk) is the English language slang used in mobile phone SMS. It is an abbreviated form of English similar to a rebus.
SMS has evolved from the shorthand use in Internet chatrooms to accommodate the small number of characters allowed and as a convenient language for the small keyboards on mobile phones.
Punctuation and grammar are largely ignored.

Here are some examples:

sorry = sry or soz
text = txt
with = wit or wiv
something = sth
what = wat
please = plz
later = l8r
forever = 4eva
homework = hw
whatever = w/e
of course = ov cors or ofc
because = cuz, bcuz or bcz or bcos
cutie = qt
hugs and kisses = xoxo

face to face = f2f
I see = ic
at the moment = atm
talk to you later = ttyl
laugh out loud = lol
I don’t know = idk
got to go = g2g or gtg
text back = txt bck or tb
be right back = brb
I love you = ily or luv u
oh my god = omg
just kidding = jk
shame on you = soy
rolling on the floor laughing = rofl
Hi, mate. = hi m8
Are you okay? = ru ok?
What’s up? = sup?
Are you going to the pub tonight? = goin pub 2nyt?

Some emoticons (symbols used to display feeling):

:-) or =] or :) or =) or :] Smile or happy
:D or =D Wide grin, happy smile
:( or =( or D: or D= Frown or sad
xP or XP Straining, disgust, bad joke, dead, dead from laughing, silliness
xD or XD Laughing hard
:S or :s or =S or =s Confused
;) or ;] Wink
BD or 8D Laughing while wearing cool glasses, comedian
:P or :p or =P or =p or :- tongue tongue sticking out, used to convey a joke, light-hearted sarcasm, inappropriateness, relief, mild resignation, humorous resignation
B) Wearing cool glasses (often sunglasses). Indicates pride in something
>:O Angry / Yelling
:*) or -^o^- I am blushing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_common_emoticons

Take my word for it !!

2008-04-12T07:52:00.002-04:00

Try it yourself ! Are you able to translate the text messages below?

1) “My smmr hols. B4, we usd 2 go 2 NY 2C my bro & his :-@ kids. ILNY, its gr8…”
(part of a text speak – txtspk - essay written by a Scottish schoolgirl who shocked teachers with it)

2) “txtin iz messin mi head ‘n’ me englis…”
(the Guardian newspaper’s text message poetry competition won by Hetty Hughes with her poem)

3) soz 4gt 2 cl u lst nyt.

Difficult? Easy? Let’s see… :-)

Translation:

1) “My summer holidays. Before, we used to go to New York to see my brother and his three screaming kids. I love New York, it’s great….”

2) “Texting is messing up my head and my English…”

3) I am sorry that I forgot to call you last night.

Travel with English

2008-04-12T07:46:00.005-04:00

US gets disaster warnings by SMS

What do people do during disasters? Turn to their mobiles, of course. The Federal Communications Commission has adopted a plan that will see mobile networks used to transmit alerts during disasters or emergencies.
The system, called the Commercial Mobile Alert Systems, will see texts sent to mobile users including, presidential alerts, imminent threat alerts and child abduction alerts and possibly in the future, video and audio messages. The system will also be set up to deliver the messages to the blind and deaf. There are two questions here: during disasters, will the network hold up? Anyone who was in London during the 7/7 bombings will attest how impossible it was to use the network for calls, texts or anything else. So does that mean there will be a priority system set up to ensure these messages get through? And secondly, the system delivering presidential alerts. During a crisis, surely the last thing people want to see is a George Bush’s gurning mug on their mobiles?

http://www.smstextnews.com/2008/04/us_gets_disaster_warnings_by_sms.html

Tips

2008-04-12T07:43:00.003-04:00

Want to learn more about SMS language?

Take a look at the following sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_language

There you can find some information about SMS language and some txt devices. Try to use them as much as you can and have fun with this new language.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_common_emoticons

There you can find a list with the most common emoticons to use while sending a txt message to someone. At the bottom of the page there are some graphic emoticons and also some animated ones. Those who like using MSN can add them.

By Thaisa Passos

Comics

2008-04-12T07:38:00.004-04:00

Let´s have fun!!

http://www.cartoonstock.com/

by Thaísa Passos & Fabrício Falqueto

Welcome to Enjoy it! 2008

2008-04-02T14:30:00.000-04:00

Dear students, we all at CACS are very enthusiastic with this semester and we would like to present you with our new Jornal Mural On line - ENJOY IT!

Here you'll find many articles and clues to help you understand English better and so to make it more interesting for you. From now on the whole ENJOY IT! is going to be based on a main subject that it displayed on UPDATED.

We truly hope you enjoy it and have fun learning "the beautiful language".

Flávio Martins - English Coordinator

Updated

2008-04-02T14:12:00.001-04:00

Hollywoodese: A Second Language

When glancing through "Variety" for the first time, it's easy to get lost. That's because this industry is self-absorbed enough to have created its own vocabulary. See if you are entertainment-saavy enough to understand the following expressions (Call it my Hollywood Trades Obstacle Course). Look at this small glossary of terms, below:

LAFFER: A comedy show that makes you laff.

TALKER: Talk show.

TUNER: Musical. “Canned Tuner” would be a cancelled musical, not fish product.

PIC: Picture or movie. When plural, use "PIX", as taking the time to spell "PICS" would be inefficient.

PREEM: Premiere. Preemie Preem: Premiering a film about premature babies.

NOM: Nomination

MOUSE HOUSE: Disney. Isn't that cute?

PAR: Paramount (TV or Studio). Except in golf.

U: Universal. The laziest nickname so far.

LION: MGM

FROG: WB

PEACOCK: NBC

EYE: CBS... see the pattern?

http://coryscuriosities.blogspot.com/2006/04/hollywoodese-second-language.html

Comics

2008-04-02T13:53:00.000-04:00

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH

http://www.cartoonistgroup.com/search/cardimage.php

Take my word for it

2008-04-02T13:50:00.000-04:00

WATCH IT! “PAY IT FORWARD”

SUBJECTS --- U.S./1991 to Present & Nevada;SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING --- Alcohol and Drug Abuse; MORAL-ETHICAL EMPHASIS --- Responsibility; Caring; Citizenship. Age: 13+; Rated MPAA Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic elements including substance abuse/recovery, some sexual situations, language and brief violence; Drama; 2000; 123 minutes; Color.

Like some other kids, 12-year-old Trevor McKinney believed in the goodness of human nature. Like many other kids, he was determined to change the world for the better. Unlike most other kids, he succeeded. With Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment, this drama was based on a book with the same name by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

http://www.teachwithmovies.org/guides/pay-it-forward-DVDcover.jpg

Travel with English

2008-04-02T12:50:00.002-04:00

TRAVEL WITH ENGLISH

taken from http://quiz.ivillage.com/entertainment/tests/oscarhistory.htm

1. Anything won or awarded as a token or evidence of skill, valor, victory, etc. (noun)Root TROPAIOS = things of a defeat

T __ __ __ __ __

2. The written text of a play, motion picture, television broadcast or the like (noun) Root Scribere = to write

S __ __ __ __ __

3. Any award, honor or laudatory notice; an expression of praise (noun)Root COLLUM = neck

A __ __ __ __ __ __ __

4. An entertainment or an individual action presented before an audience (noun) Roots PER & FOURN = throughout & furnish,

P __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

1. The _____, 10 inches high and weighing seven pounds, is made of bronze and covered with gold plate.

2. The actress had studied the 440 page _____ for weeks and memorized her lines in time for rehearsal.

3. Recognition at the Academy Awards is a treasured _____ for achievement in filmmaking and acting.

4. The young actress gave a stunning _____ when she portrayed the grief of the widow.

Answers: 1-trophy, 2-script, 3-accolade, 4-performance

Student's Room

2008-04-02T12:31:00.000-04:00

LOOKING FOR A COURSE ON CINEMA? TAKE A LOOK AT THESE TIPS!

http://www.nyfa.com/index.php

Oficial web site of one of the best cinema schools in the whole world – New York film academy: film school and acting school. the website brings general information about the courses and you can also find available films made by students.

http://www.roteirosonline.com.br/fgv.htm

Can’t you go abroad to study cinema? no problem! São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are nearer and Fundação Getúlio Vargas offers excellent courses, too. visit the web site and find out the courses offered, schedule and the e-mail addresses to get in touch with the school, teachers and coordinators.

by Andrea Viola

Updated

2007-11-12T21:19:00.000-03:00

Brazil is known around the world for the beaches of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Tourists prefer these cities because of their coastlines and great tourist attractions, like Christ Redeemer. But Belo Horizonte is becoming Brazil’s third largest city and is unknown to the outside world. A question that could be done is: What is the reason for the international anonymity of this great city? The answer was published in one of the most famous newspaper in the world: The New York Times.

Last week The New York Times published news showing that BH is as attractive as RJ or SP. Of course the attractions are completely different, but they stand out just the same. According to them, BH is not famous because it has no beaches, no big Carnival, and no remarkable attractions, apart from some buildings designed by Oscar Niemeyer. Some tourists treat it as a simple refueling shop as they go toward picturesque colonial-era mining towns like Ouro Preto or Diamantina.

However, the capital of Minas Gerais is claiming its fame as the bar capital of Brazil. Not bars as in slick hotel lounges or boozy meat markets, but bars as in botecos, informal sit-down spots where multiple generations socialize, drink beer and often have an informal meal. It is almost unbelievable, but there are about 12,000 bars in the city, more per capita than anywhere else in the country. The reason for so many bars nobody knows, but one theory has turned into a popular saying: “There are no seas, thus there are bars.”

The best time to know its bars is in the annual Comida di Buteco competition, when some 40 top bars square off in categories like hygiene, beer frigidity, service and most importantly, best appetizer. The bars typically have yellow plastic tables and serve beer in bottles of 0.6L, but it is not difficult to find those that look like restaurant with green and white tablecloth, uniformed waiters, and wall of cachaça. There is one with an interesting theme; its name is Bar do Caixote (Nogueira da Gama Street, 189, João Pinheiro). Its chairs and tables are literaturely wooden crates, and it is a place where friends can have an informal talk, drink beer and have a tasteful appetizer. Another one which is a regular participant of Comida di Buteco is Mercearia Lili (São João Evangelista Street, 696, Santo Antônio). It stands at a steep hill that requires superhuman parallel parking skills or taxi service.

When you need a bar break, take a trip to the Pampulha neighborhood, where you can find some Niemeyer buildings, like his famous Church of São Francisco de Assis. The Belo Horizonte’s most famous restaurant, Xapuri (Mandacaru Street, 260, Pampulha) stands in this beautiful side of the city. It is one of the best place to try the traditionally cuisine of Minas Gerais. Besides the bars you can also find unusual gifts at the Hippie Fair (Afonso Pena’s Art fair), two long blocks on Afonso Pena Avenue full of clothes, jewelry, household goods and crafts. When you’re done, stop at food stalls at either end for fried fish or coconut sweets, or pop into the beautifully landscaped Municipal Park park just below the fair to relax. In either place, you won’t be far from a vendor ready to crack you open a can of Skol. In Belo Horizonte, the world’s a bar.

Adapted from: http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/travel/28next.html

by Maycon da Costa – Intermediate I -Teacher: Gabby

Comics

2007-11-12T21:12:00.001-03:00

Take my word from it

2007-11-12T21:00:00.003-03:00

BH and the Trance Movement

Trance is one of the most important types of electronic music.
This music style, developed in the 1990s in Germany by Jam el Mar and DJ Dag (Dance 2 Trance), is generally characterized between 130 and 160 beats per minute, repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and down throughout a track.

Other important names for the Trance society are Tiesto, Paul Van Dyk, Judge Jules, Markus Schulz, Gabe and so on.

What about Belo Horizonte?

If you want to talk about the beginning of electronic music in BH, you have to talk about the Noise Family. This famous name for electronic music began its “career” at the end of the 1990s playing at small parties and in clubs like Brodway in Santa Tereza, and others in Santa Efigênia and Savassi. The first local festival was the “Eletronika” in 1999. It brought only 3000 people to Serraria Souza Pinto.

Since then the festival has been growing more and more. In fact, last year the event involved 15000 people over the course of three days. Meanwhile, night clubs, parties and important events have made BH an important place for the trance movement.

On November 30, 2007 the most important electronic party in BH will take place: the British festival Creamfields. Lasting for more than 12 hours, the festival will bring famous names like Infected Mushroom, Benny Benassi, Shant, Anderson Noise and others. Besides that, events like XXXperience, Flowers, Tribe, Enigma and other not so significant acts have been turning BH into an electronic city.

Therefore, the trance movement has attracted much attention to BH. The lovers of trance believe that it is more than a type of music; the electronic music brings freedom, meditation and a complete harmony between body, mind and soul.

Written by Suzana Almeida Gontijo – Intermediate I – Teacher: Gabby

Travel with English

2007-11-12T20:23:00.000-03:00

Greece in Belo Horizonte

If you can’t go to The Louvre in Paris, France, don’t worry. Liberdade Square has received a visit of four Greek sculptures. The exhibit goes on until November 15th and you don’t need to pay anything to see them! The sculptures are authentic perfect replicas of “Venus de Milo”, which represents Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. It was found in 1820, next to the ruin² of an old Greek theatre on the island of Milo. You can see “Venus Genitrix” too, which represents the mother of all the gods, the universal mother. It was made approximately in 450 B.C. There is the “Discobolus of Myron”, which was carved by Master Myron, between 460 and 450 B.C. The statue is of an athlete throwing a disk. The last one is “Winged Victory of Samothrace”, also known as “Nike of Samothrace”. It was discovered in 1863 on the island of Samothrace. It is an ornament of the entrance of the sanctuary dedicated to the protectors of the seafarers³.

The objective of the exposition is the diffusion of knowledge about the significant contribution of the Greek civilization for modern society. Liberdade Square, which was inspired in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, also in France, was the setting chosen to inspire in the public the respect and admiration by the historical values.

¹ Carved (to carve): it’s what some artists do in rocks; they “design” faces, bodies, objects, animals, etc in rocks. With this job, the artists produce some statues.

² Ruin: it’s an old place which was not preserved very well. (Ex.: Coliseum, Italy.)

³ Seafarers: it’s a man who works and sometimes lives in a boat or ship (Ex.: Cristóvão Colombo)

Written by Thaísa Santos Faria – Intermediate I – Teacher: Gabby

Students room

2007-11-12T19:43:00.000-03:00

Mineirês - The new culture

Belo Horizonte is a crazy city

Sometimes it even seems silly

Because it has its own tongue

You never know if you are wrong

And if you do not understand

Don’t think that you’re alone in a land

Now I’ll teach you a thing or two

To recognize the “UAI” we do

You can be Brazilian or British

You can speak Portuguese or English

Even if you don’t know why

You can always say “UAI”

From fleas to big bears

No one actually cares

I don’t know how to explain

But everything is a “TREM”

Finally, when you wan to go out

It doesn’t matter what it’s about

It is better not to go by car

Since you’ll probably end up in a bar!

Written by Simone Cristina Valentim Fogliene – Intermediate I – Teacher: Gabby

Welcome / Bienvenido / Alle - First Edition - # 01

2007-10-30T22:00:00.000-03:00

Rock n’ roll over

“When the music is over, turn out the lights.” Jim Morrison

It doesnt take much to be “rock” these days. Once upon a time it had an idea of being on the edge to be a rock n’ roll fan. Parents hated it, relatives hated it, school hated it and obviously churches hated it too. However, nowadays a captivating stage persona, having many screams from the audience, overcrowded concerts and slamming a guitar can’t definitely be considered rock n’ roll. Is the concept changing or is rock n’ roll condemned to disappear?

So should we be worried that rock is less a way of life these days than an adjective – are we devaluing something that should be our lifeblood by spreading it around thinly ? What is rock? What does it mean to you ? Did rock n’ roll really die?

Here are some answers collected from CACS “rock” student through the last 3 semesters:

“The day MTV considered Britney Spears doing “I love rock n’ roll” a piece of rock was astonishing bad. That’s the day music died...”

“No way man! The music died in 1971 with Morrison. Then it got ressurected and died again in 1980 when Lennon died. Theeeen it ressurected AGAIN and died in 1994 at the hands of some smack and a shotgun. Music today sucks, doesn’t it? Having one song that’s slightly feminist and pretending to play the guitar and having fake tatoos in a music clip does not constitute rock. It sucks.”

“Rock is a state of mind, not a state of fashion as is shown nowadays. It’s more about your attitude than about what you decide to wear on stage.”

“Well, I’ hope that’s what it’s all about, ROCK, but obviously it’s not. These pop chicks and these new “boy-bands-that-want-to-be-rock-n-roll-like” think that twisting or wearing a pair of leather pants make them ROCKERS. Definitely, they’re all going mad.”

“Rock is not dead, it’s out there and you just have to get off your butt and find it. If you sit back and expect it to be delivered to you via radio or TV, then you’ll be surely disappointed.”

“If your children like that popular music that is on fashion (including Brazilian) and they don’t develop a taste for real music that was written before their birth by the time they hit 13, then pure and simply, you have stupid children.”

“Music and rock are not dead anyways. People just don’t seem to look hard enough . I’ve been listening to some great music like The Doors, Led, Sabbath, Satriani and Metallica. They are pretty “rock”, aren’t they? You just have to get in touch with those legends and when you do so, you’ll realize there’s a world of exciting music coming out. The better the oldies are, the worse music gets on the radio and seems that rock n’ roll is going underground, not literally.”

Rock fans and singers have always been said to be Satan worshipers. Religion, politicians and other music style fans have helped this idea to grow and have spread this point along the last 50 years all over the planet. Since Rock ‘n Roll began people have had different approaches regarding it. For some people it is much more than a music style; it is a way of living. Thus, after reflecting upon all these ideas and getting a tip from the answers students gave, I challenge all you rock fans to write a note telling us about you “rocky” experience and to answer the following question:

Is rock n’ roll a devilish issue or sort of a thing that connects its followers to the Hellian kingdom ???

We’re looking forward to receiving your souls, I mean, your answers.

By Flávio Martins (flaviolin@ufmg.br)