Whisling in the Wind

I was leafing through the "Encyclopedia of Taboos" and found an interesting article about whistling.
Now, it seems that you can whistle in the dark or become a whistle-blower, not to mention the wolf-whistle that some men use to show the animal within, but still, it is useful to know that in the Islam world, whistling is forbidden because of its association with sorcery and the casting of spells in pre-Islamic times. Whistling is also a means of “communication with the Jinn”. The Jinn (from which the English word “genie” derives) inhabit the immaterial world. In the Koran it is stated that the jinn were created from “smokeless fire” while man was made of clay and angels were formed from light.



Moreover, the French anthropologist, Claude Lévi-Strauss, has uncovered a link between whistling and sorcery in ancient tribes, fact described in his book "From Honey to Ashes: Introduction to a Science of Mythology".
If you also happen to travel at sea, mind that you could easily be thrown overboard if you attempt to communicate with the jinn, simply because whistling at sea is deemed unlucky.

It's All about the Clothes

~ all mouth and trousers
blustering and boastful, showing off without
having the qualities to justify it.

~ pull up one's socks
try harder

~ keep one's shirt on
try to stay calm



~ buckle down
to give one's complete attention or effort to do something

~ feather in one`s cap
something to be proud of, an honor

~ talk through one`s hat
to say something without knowing or understanding the facts

Fabulous Madonna

Madonna turns 52 today and I can't stop marvelling about her power and determination to change the world while also having fun :)
Happy Bday, Queen of Hearts! :)

Sacred Hearts

I really enjoyed reading Sarah Dunant's previous books, whether they were thrillers - "Transgressions" - or historical fiction - "In the Company of the Courtesan" or "The Birth of Venus", so I was glad to emerge into a new reading of hers.

SACRED HEARTS is a novel that belongs to the genre of religious fiction and thus, it represented a premiere amongst my readings, which at first made me reconsider it, thinking it would be tedious, but once you get past the first 200 pages (lol) (out of its 460), it totally grips you.

"She is only a young woman who did not want to become a nun. The world is full of them."



As the world of the Santa Caterina nunnery during Renaissance is set, you experience an eagerness to get to the last page and see if Serafina, a sixteen year old novice, will run away from the nunnery and reunite with her lover/music teacher or she will benevolently succumb to the life of the nunnery where Sora Zuana plays an indispensable part.

If Serafina manages to escape her destiny or remain its prisoner is for you to find out in this weave of devotion, rebellion and the worlds between them.

Literacy

Vocabulary and adolescent literacy for resa

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Teachers

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” William A. Ward

Why Would I Go to Paris?

Once you've been to Paris, it becomes quite difficult to describe it because there's nothing that compares to it, even a few previous visits...
So, "La Femme de Trente Ans" will go to Paris because it's the one and only city where love can actually be felt in the air, where one can indulge in the sheer beauty of the Sacre Coeur, stroll in "Jardin de Luxembourg" with no care in the world, be overwhelmed by what true art really means in Le Louvre, touch the dreamy sky while up in La Tour Eiffel, allow oneself to be swept away by the gentle breeze while enjoying a ride in a "bateau mouche", chuckle about some "dubious" artifact while in Le Musee de l'Erotisme et refaire le parcours d'Amelie, comme une petite folle de ce film :)
How much Paris can one squeeze into two weeks? I will let you know when I return, now I almost feel like I am living a life of pure debauchery :))

One of My Gods

A Single Man

"A Single Man" has easily crept among my all time favorite movies, for a simple reason: it is STUNNING! The actors, Julienne Moore and Colin Firth need no introduction, and Tom Ford, the director, writer and producer, is at his first but worthy attempt in the vast field of Hollywood movies.
This perfect film combines 3 unfinished love stories and the sadness and desperation that they bring along. It is love that turns the main character into a suicidal one, and it is also love that rescues him. But not for long, as fatality strikes...



The haunting music reminded me of "In the mood for love" and I wasn't wrong. The music composer, Shigeru Umebayashi, wrote the music for "In the mood ..." but also for its sequel, "2046".

The Hump Effect

The Hump Effect is related to the idea that Wednesdays are considered days of hard work and making it through to the middle of the work week is just as getting "over the hump."



The Hump Effect, mentioned in Edward de Bono's book "The Happiness Purpose", is explained as getting people to do things which seem to go against their best interests at the moment. It may be a matter of preventing someone from doing something which is tempting, or making someone do something which is unpleasant, but eventually, this less attractive 'road" opens out into a wider one, with more, beneficial opportunities. A simple example would be the one about going to the gym. It may seem hard and/or boring, but if you succeed in constantly going, it will better your health and looks, which may prove exactly what you wanted for yourself in the beginning.

Spelling Bee

If you think you're good at spelling, try this preliminary test. I scored 17 and missed 3 because I didn't check the words at the end, so make sure you do that!

The Hole in the Elephant's Bottom

The funniest thing you may have heard :)



Jeremy Irons - The Hole in the Elephant's Bottom

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Proficient in English

If you are able to correctly solve this word - formation exercise, then your English has reached a proficiency level :)

For many people Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is the most (0) influential (INFLUENCE) figure in the history of western classical music. His (1) ..... (ORDINARY) talent was already clearly evident as a young man, (2) ..... (MERCY) surviving a somewhat unconventional(3) ..... (BRING) during which his eccentric father would often force him to take music lessons in the middle of the night.

The young Beethoven's ability won him the admiration of the leading contemporary musical figures. Throughout the 1790s he worked hard to secure the interest of wealthy patrons. Such patronage (4) .....(ABLE) him to concentrate on becoming a successful composer.

Whatever his awe-inspiring musical (5) .....(ACHIEVE), however, his personal life was something of a disaster. His day-to-day (6) ..... (RELATE)with people invariably turned out to be rather turbulent. Although he apparently fell in love with a number of society women, the identity of the girl who lay closest to his heart remains (7) ..... (ELUDE)to this day.

However, just at the point when Beethoven was beginning to reap the rewards of his early endeavours, he had to come to terms with the crushing (8) ..... (REALISE)that his increasing deafness was (9) ..... .(CURE) From that point on, his music displayed a (10) ..... (STRIKE) change in style, becoming both heavier in tone and larger in scale.

Nothing Really Matters

I still can't believe this video wasn't included on CELEBRATION :(

Here's a remix I simply and totally LOVE.

Madonna - Nothing Really Matters Lukesavant New Beginnings Mix

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Le Premier Jour du Reste de Ma Vie

Friendship

"Friendship is like peeing on yourself: everyone can see it, but only you get the warm feeling that it brings." (via Internet)

To Die For ...

MORE SMOKING HOT PICS HERE.

In a Nutshell...

Click on the pic to see a bigger size...


Sorry, I thought you were an American :))

Liquid Love

Madonna - Liquid Love David Guetta Remix Edit

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Somewhere in Moldova