CHANGELING

Changeling, Clint Eastwood's next-to-latest movie, opens in Spain this week. We'll have to wait until February to see his latest one, Gran Torino. Two movies in one year, not bad for a 78 year old. Both movies have had mostly great reviews in the USA.


Starring Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich, and set in 1920's Los Angeles, it tells the story of a woman whose son disappears and is later returned by the police. There's one problem, though: the boy is not her son. In order to save face, the police will discredit the mother and she'll be thrown into a mental institution. It could be a novel, but it is actually based on a true story: reality is stranger than fiction.

The title comes from European folklore; a "changeling" was the offspring of a fairy or troll secretly swapped for a human child. The ending -ling appears in several words with a diminutive meaning, indicating origin or the young of animals, such as duckling or earthling.

You can see the trailer and other film clips by visiting the official webpage.

Watch this video review by Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times.



You can also read his review by clicking here.

The story was published in the Los Angeles Times, which as part of the promotional campaign set up a webpage with clippings of the original articles, like this one. Click on the image to visit the page.


From a journalistic point of view, they also published this article on the story. Be careful, though, it contains spoilers (that is, details about the plot).

If you're really a film buff, you'll enjoy this other material from The Guardian with a more cynical perspective. You will find another video review, two written reviews, video interviews and a curious blog posting entitled 'Hollywood and the myth of mother courage'.

Finally, here's a funny slide show starring Angelina Jolie's lips:

TASTELESS MARKETING?

Do you like fast food? Burgers? Do you prefer McDonalds or Burger King? These are the big two in the USA, but there are more: Carl's Jr, In'N'Out, Jack in the Box, Wendy's, Red Robin, etc.

Burger King recently launched a new campaign called 'Whopper Virgins' . Here's one of the ads:



This kind of ad is called a teaser: it's short and leaves you wanting more information. As you can see, the idea is to have people from remote places, who haven't a clue what a burger is, to taste-test a Whopper versus a Big Mac, as explained in this promotional video:



Smart? Well, the campaign has stirred a lot of controversy. Many people have criticised Burger King for making fun of developing countries . Others think this is precisely what Burger King wants: controversy. Check out these articles:

• A taste of controversy over 'Whopper Virgins (Miami Herald)
• Controversy is just what BK's 'Whopper Virgins' is after (Advertising Age)
  

Also, watch this segment from Fox News, which comes with a transcript:


It seems burgers have a history of tasteless marketing. Paris Hilton's ad for Carl's Jr reached new heights:



Or maybe not. As far as taste goes, 'It takes all sorts (to make a world)'.

Finally, if you're addicted to burgers, you'll be happy to learn about the world's biggest, unhealthiest one:


The Quad Burger is available in Australia at Hungry Jack's restaurants, and your taste buds will start watering once you see what's included in this thousand calorie monster.

• 4 beef patties
• 4 slices of cheese
  
• 8 strips of bacon
  
• A swath of sweet, sassy BBQ sauce

AIDS DAY

World Aids Day is celebrated on December 1. Here are some videos and links about the syndrome.

Click on the banner to visit this excellent webpage. The link takes you to a game to test your knowledge but you can also find loads of information, videos and quizzes.

Watch this video from Worldvision, a humanitarian organization.

You might like to visit this magazine which covers HIV and AIDS. POZ is an abbreviation of pozitive, which means HIV positive. The guide will take you to a practical guide for HIV rookies.

You can also visit this very interesting webpage on The Age of Aids, a 2006 special of TV program FRONTLINE. Everything's good about it, especially the opportunity to watch the whole program online in very good quality - you can even download the transcript. (The program is 240 minutes long, but you can watch it in 10-minute segments)

There is so much more material on the web. The one I included can keep you busy for weeks. I hope you enjoy the selection.

ANIMAL CRACKERS

People love their pets. After all, they are part of the family: they grow with you and, when they are gone, it feels like a part of you is missing (well, not fish or hamsters, perhaps; I'm thinking about cats and dogs, mainly). Pets are good for your health: they lower your blood pressure, cholesterol and trygliceride levels; they keep you company and can increase your opportunities to go out, exercise and socialise. According to studies, pet owners have better health than non pet owners. Pet is even a term of affection, just like honey, or darling.

It's no wonder, then, that people pamper their pets and try to give them the best they can afford. Sometimes this pampering is excessive, though. You have probably heard about Leona Helmsley, who left $12 million to her dog when she died... and nothing to two of her grandchildren . According to an article in Business Week, Americans spend $41 billion a year on their pets —more than the gross domestic product of all but 64 countries in the world. That's more than what they spend on the movies ($10.8 billion), playing video games ($11.6 billion), and listening to recorded music ($10.6 billion) combined. I don't have information about other countries in the first world, but I have the impression that it's not just Americans who spend so much.

Click on the dog to see a slide show with sound, giving you the main facts of the article; read the whole article (only for the bravest! - advanced level); or download this associated mp3 file (self-extracting zip file, 9 MB, 16 minutes long).

There's a wide range of services available to pet owners, apart from food. Veterinary care can be very expensive, so why not take out an insurance policy? It can save you lots of money. If you want your pet to look extra cool or give them a special present, click on the pooch to find plenty of ideas, including classical music.

Is your pet misbehaving? You might need a pet psychologist, or rather, a 'companion animal behaviour counsellor' (not to be confused with just a pet trainer: you need a university degree to become one). Click on the picture to learn about Dr Mugford's job.

Sadly, your pet has passed away. You can ease your loss with a virtual memorial to honor the memory of your pet, complete with tributes, pictures and condolences from other owners. Immortal pets is a good example, and it happens to host a celebrity.

Finally, an example of why people love their pets. Click on Fergus and discover his unique skill.

ELECTORAL HIGHLIGHTS

The USA elections are now over. We all know who won, we got to know the contenders, but what about third parties? The media don't care much about them, but they exist: the Constitution Party, the Green Party, the Libertarian Party are the biggest and they also had presidential candidates, but there are also such parties as the Prohibition Party or the US Marijuana Party. You can learn more here, and take a look at the candidates here.

There are also non-partisan, independent candidates who just decided to run for President. Even Paris Hilton presented her (fake) candidacy! A MacCain campaign ad critisiced Obama's leadership by comparing him to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton: "He's the biggest celebrity in the world. But is he ready to lead?" (were they calling him an airhead?). Paris responded with another ad: "Hey America, I'm Paris Hilton and I'm a celebrity too. Only I'm not from the olden days and I'm not promising change like that other guy. I'm just hot!"



Is she dull or is it my imagination?

Both candidates were endorsed by politicians and celebrities. One endorsement in particular made The Obama Girl famous. She caused a sensation by singing 'I got a crush... on Obama' (actually, she lip-synched). Obama's daughters found the video disturbing.




A star was born when MacCain picked his Vice-Presidential candidate: Sarah Palin. Comedians had a field day with her. Here are some samples:

• "Political experts are saying that to succeed in the vice presidential debate, Sarah Palin needs to show that she has the same concerns as everyday Americans. For instance, Palin planned to start the debate by saying she's really troubled by John McCain's choice for vice president."-Conan O'Brien

• "Have you been watching the Sarah Palin interview with Katie Couric on the 'CBS Evening News'? Pretty interesting. Sarah Palin could not remember the name of a newspaper or a magazine that she reads. And I was thinking, wow, we could possibly have a leader of the country who doesn't read. And then I thought, well, hell it's worked pretty good for George Bush."--David Letterman

• "Earlier today, Governor Sarah Palin held a meeting with several leaders from other countries to showcase her foreign policy expertise. That's right, yeah. Experts say the meeting took 90 seconds." --Conan O'Brien

Finally, see this celebrity-packed ad promoting... absentism!?

GRAMMAR POINTS

I have grouped together several grammar points in this post. Click on them to open the document (you will need Adobe Reader).

• whom
• whether
• so that (purpose)
• what clauses (emphasis)
• both, either, neither

Download Adobe Reader

HALLOWEEN

Halloween is coming! Surely you know something about this festival: carved pumpkins, costumes, trick or treating... If you want to know more, visit this very interesting Wikipedia page. These are the basic facts:

• It has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, the celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture. Irish immigrants took the tradition to the USA.
  
• The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31 the boundary between the alive and the deceased dissolved, and the dead became dangerous for the living.
• Costumes and masks were worn in order to placate the evil spirits.
• The term Halloween derives from All Hallows' Even, as it is the eve of All Hallows Day (All Saints Day).
• The carved pumpkin is commonly called a jack-o'-lantern (see why in the Wikepedia article).

Some carvings are truly artistic. Check out this curious photo gallery.









You know which is the hottest mask this year? Forget about monsters: it's Sarah Palin, the vice-presidential candidate. They are selling like hot pancakes.

JFK

Specially for my intermediate students, more information on the death of President Kennedy.

Check out this BBC webpage, where you'll find audio and video. Don't miss 'Kennedy memories: Where you were when the president died'.

The webpage allows you to find out what happened on any date of the year (for example, your birthday).

WRONGLY CONVICTED

This man spent 19 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. He later became a millionaire. Read his story here.

CRISIS? WHAT CRISIS?

This is the title of an old Supertramp album. Not everyone goes bankrupt during a crisis, some companies even make more profits. Among them, lipstick makers. It seems that sales increase sharply in times of financial trouble. According to some experts, people adapt their shopping habits and make do with what they can afford: couples won't go out for dinner but they'll order pizza; men will buy a tie instead of a suit; women will settle for lipstick rather than perfume. So, is this true for you?

Listen to this short segment on the topic: Economy's down, lipstick's up

If you're wondering what the crisis is about, check out this simple explanation:

Firms' Soaring Credit Debt Prompted Federal Rescue

You can read the transcript, see the video (click on 'Streaming video') or just listen to the audio (click on 'Download').

There are a couple of expressions you need to know:
IOU (initials of 'I Owe You'): pagaré
bargain-basement props: my guess is 'cheap investments' (bargain basement: sección de saldos en los grandes almacenes, o tienda de saldos; props: en cine o teatro, objetos de atrezzo)

TREKKIES WITH A MISSION

This is for my advanced students.

In unit 1A we read about people with peculiar hobbies. One of them was a trekkie. I found two stories about committed trekkies. One of them had to do jury duty in a case involving President Clinton. The other one runs a very special dental office. Watch the videos and enjoy!

PS.- Don't expect me to come to class dressed like this!

TREKKIE JUROR

Also, read the story here.

STARBASE DENTAL

Welcome students!

Hi! I have embarked on a new adventure: e-learning. Creating this blog was easy, but updating it will be a different story. I'll try to post interesting news, audio, videos as an extra to our classes, as well as materials we use so that you can download them - if I work out how! I hope you'll find it useful or entertaining. So, let's get busy.

My first post is about John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate in the USA. What do McCain and Spain have in common? Well, for a start they rhyme. Silly but true - or truly silly. Seriously, you may have heard he was recently interviewed by a Spanish-speaking radio station. He was asked about our Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, and he avoided the subject as best he could. The thing is, the interview has created quite a stir not only in Spain, but also in the USA: many people think he didn't have a clue who he was talking about. Judge for yourself:

'I have a clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere that are friends with us and standing up to those who are not and that's judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin-America and the entire region.'

'I am willing to meet with any leader who is dedicated to the same principles and philosophy that we are, for human rights, democracy and freedom, and I will stand up to those that do not.'

If you want to know more, follow these links:

Read these articles in The Washington Post or The Boston Globe (you may need to register, but it's free).

You can also listen to the whole interview in English (it's very short!)

PS.- A few days later the other contender, Barack Obama, was also interview by the same radio station. Of course, he'd had time to prepare. Listen to the whole interview in English. Who's easier to understand?