IMAGE OF THE DAY

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HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN

Halloween is celebrated annually. But just how and when did this peculiar custom originate? Is it, as some claim, a kind of demon worship? Or is it just a harmless vestige of some ancient pagan ritual? The word itself, "Halloween," actually has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1, "All Hollows Day" or "All Saints Day", is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints. But, in the 5th century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31.

The custom of Halloween was brought to America in the 1840's by Irish immigrants and the Jack-o-Lantern custom probably comes from Irish folklore. Nowadays, Halloween is celebrated as a holiday when young costumed children go from home to home “trick or treating”. It is customary to give them some kind of candy or snack. This is called a “treat”. “Tricks” or jokes can be played on others on Halloween evening. Most tricks are not harmful, but sometimes they can be quite damaging to people as well as to property.

References: Charles Panati, Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things, 1987; and Dr. Joseph Gahagan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Personal Letter, 1997.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Well done is better than well said."
Benjamin Franklin

WORD OF THE DAY

woozy

Function: adjective

Comparative and superlative forms: woozier; wooziest also more woozy; most woozy

Meaning:

slightly dizzy, sick, or weak

e.g.
She was already feeling woozy after her first drink.
woozy from fatigue

Derived form:
wooziness noun (noncount)

Teaching Tips & Ideas

PREPOSITIONS

BESIDE - Ao lado de. Junto.
e.g. - She always sat beside me.
Our house was located beside the river.


BESIDES - Além de. Indica também “More Than”. “Over and Above”.
e.g. - Besides, I have no desire to go there.
She told me many other things besides.
I have three other books besides this one.


BETWEEN - Entre. Indica que o objeto está entre duas coisas ou duas pessoas.
e.g. - He sat between my father and myself.
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.
I shall go to France between May and July.

LAUGHTER'S THE BEST MEDICINE

The Cabbie and the Nun

A cabbie picks up a Nun. She gets into the cab, and notices that the VERY handsome Cab driver won't stop staring at her.

She asks him why he is staring at her.

He replies: - "I have a question to ask you but I don't want to offend you."

She answers, - "My son, you cannot offend me. When you've been a nun as long as I have, you get a chance to see and hear just about everything. I'm sure that there's nothing you could say or ask that I would find offensive."

- "Well, I've always had a fantasy to have a nun kiss me."

She responds,

- "Well, let's see what we can do about that:
First, you have to be single and
Second, you must be a Catholic."

The cab driver is very excited and says,

- "Yes, I'm single and Catholic!"

- "OK" the nun says. "Pull into the next alley."

The nun fulfills his fantasy, with a kiss that would make the world go 'round. But when they get back on the road, the cab driver starts crying.

- "My dear child," says the nun, "why are you crying?"

- "Forgive me but I've sinned. I lied and I must confess, I'm married and I'm Jewish."

The nun says,

- "That's OK. My name is Kevin and I'm going to a Halloween Party."

IMAGE OF THE DAY

... and now the end is near... and so I face the final curtain...

Teaching Tips & Ideas

POSITION OF ADVERBS II

We usually place definite adverbs of time (yesterday, last week, Monday) at the end of a sentence.

e.g. I saw Miss Kelly yesterday
I intend to go to Tokio next week
I met her there last Sunday

We usually place adverbs of frequency before the main verb, except To Be. The following are adverbs of frequency: often, usually, generally, never, seldom, always, rarely.

e.g. Mary never studies her lesson.
Peter and Paul always come to their lesson late.
BUT:
You are often late for your classes

If the sentence contains an auxiliary verb, the adverb still goes before the main verb.

e.g. Dick has always been a very good student
She doesn’t usualy eat in the restaurant

In the sentences below place the adverb in its proper position in the sentence.

1.I see Jane in the cafeteria.(never)_____________________________________

2. Jack has been a very diligent student.(usually)______________________________

3. He goes to Paris on business trips.(often)__________________________________

4. She prepares her lesson.(rarely)__________________________________________

5.He is planning to visit me at my place.(always)_____________________________

6.She has spoken to her neighbor .(rarely)___________________________________

7.He goes for a walk in the park in the morning.(often)________________________________

8.Have you gone to Bahia?(ever)_________________________________________

9.He has been late for his classes.(never)___________________________________

10.She has been negligent about her appearance.(always)________________________

LAUGHTER'S THE BEST MEDICINE

ON THE WAY TO THE HOLY LAND

All the good knights were leaving for the Crusades. One knight told his best friend: "My bride is without doubt one of the most beautiful women in the world. It would be a terrible waste if no man could have her. Therefore, as my best and most trusted friend, I am leaving you the key to her chastity belt to use should I not return from the Crusade."

The company of knights were only a mile or so out of town when they noticed a cloud of dust approaching. Thinking it might be an important message from the town the column halted.

A horseman approached. It was the knight's best friend. He said:

"Hey, you gave me the wrong key!!"

GOD’S WORK

RIYADH - The leading executioner in Saudi Arabia, which implements strict Islamic sharia law, has no compunction about beheading convicts because it is "God's work".

"I sleep very well," Arab News daily quoted executioner Mohammed Saad al-Beshi as saying on Thursday in a rare interview that offered an insight into a job that is much-criticized in the West and by human rights groups. "It doesn't matter to me: two, four, 10. As long as I'm doing God's work, it doesn't matter how many people I execute."

Beshi's job is of prime importance in a kingdom that executes rapists, murderers, drug and alcohol smugglers, usually by beheading, and amputates the limbs of robbers. So far this year, Saudi Arabia has executed at least seven people. At least 45 people were put to death in 2002, 75 people in 2001 and 121 people in 2000.

Arab News said the 42-year-old Saudi national started working in1998 in the Red Sea city of Jeddah and would not reveal how much he gets paid or how many people he has executed so far.

Beshi is also proud of his sword, a gift from the government that he keeps razor sharp and cleans regularly from the bloodstains. For amputations, he uses a special knife.

"People are amazed at how fast it can separate the head from the body," the father of seven boasted. "Sometimes they (his children) help me clean my sword."

Beshi is also entrusted with training executioners and has already started with his 22-year-old son. Asked if he thinks people are afraid of him, Beshi said: "No one is afraid of me. I have lots of relatives and many friends and I live a normal life. There are no drawbacks to my social life."

QUOTE OF THE DAY

We shall show mercy, but we shall not ask for it.
Sir Winston Churchill, (1874-1965), speech in the House of Commons, July 14, 1940.

WORD OF THE DAY

Q and A

Function: noun (count)

Plural: Q and A’s

Meaning:

A period of time or an occasion when someone answers questions that are asked by a reporter, by the people in an audience, etc.

e.g.

There will be a brief Q and A following the speech.

Note: Q and A is often used before another noun.

e.g.

a Q and A session

IMAGE OF THE DAY

Gentlemen
The crisis is about this big!

LAUGHTER'S THE BEST MEDICINE

THE WRONG DOOR

The air hostess is at the back of the airplane preparing the trays for lunch. A little old lady comes in and speaks to her: “Where’s the ladies’ toilet ?”
“It’s right at the other end of the airplane – at the front!”
She walks to the front of the airplane and opens the door. She sees the captain and the other officers. They are all busy. They don’t see her. Then she returns to the air hostess.
“Is everything O.K.?” the girl asks the lady.
“Yes, but there are four men in the ladies’ toilet watching TV!”

MEDICAL ADVICE

By Dr. Samuel Quinn

Question - Dear Dr. Quinn: I seem to get colds all the time. Is there anything I can do to prevent them? What should I do after I’ve caught one? FRUSTRATED:

ANSWER

DEAR FRUSTRATED: The common cold is the most frequent of all illnesses. At any given moment, about one out of every eight people has one. Most people get colds by touching things that a person with a cold has used. You can even catch a cold by shaking hands. So if someone you know has a cold, you should not use the same cups, glasses, dishes, or telephone.

Although there is no permanent cure for the cold, doctors believe that vitamins can help prevent one. Many doctors recommend vitamin C to prevent colds, and some doctors suggest that you take large amounts when you begin to get sick. Yet it is not really known whether vitamin C is truly helpful.

The body needs healthy food to fight a cold. If you have a cold, you should eat well, but not overeat, and you should drink lots of liquids, especially juices. Also be sure to get enough rest and stay warm. If your body aches, you can take one or two aspirins every four hours. Some research shows, however, that taking aspirin can make your cold last longer.

When you have a cold, you should also try to protect other people. Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. Put all your used tissues in a paper bag, and throw the bag yourself so that no one else will have to touch it. Wash all objects that you touch with very hot water before anyone else uses them.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Never in the field of human conflicts was so much owed by so many to so few."

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill - referring to the pilots of the Royal Air Force during The Battle of Britain.)

WORD OF THE DAY

LOLL
Function: verb

Inflected forms:
lolls; lolled; lolling

Meanings:
1 : to hang or bend loosely
e.g. a dog with its tongue lolling out
Her head was lolling to one side.

2 : to lie or sit in a relaxed or lazy manner
e.g. She was lolling by the pool.
He lolled about/around in his pajamas all day.

Note: Loll is always followed by an adverb or preposition.

Teaching Tips & Ideas

POLITE FORMS IN ENGLISH

There are many ways of asking people to do things. You can order people: “Stand up!” “Go to bed!” These are all right in military situations, but orders or commands like these are not usually very polite in ordinary conversation.

In everyday conversation, you request people to do things, not “order” them: “Stand up, please”. “Sit down, please”. “Go to bed, please”. And to be more polite, you ask people if they will do things. “Will you bring me a cup of coffee, please?” “Would you sit down, please?”

In general, direct commands or requests are not as polite as less direct ones. A direct order or request is “harsh”, and you can “soften” it with “Please…. “Will you….?” Or “Would you….?” In other words, you can soften it by making it less direct. The more you soften a request, the more polite it becomes.

Compare “Be quiet!” and “Would you please be quiet for just a few minutes?” Actually, the expression “be quiet” is a little bit harsh in meaning, and you can soften it by using “quiet down,” “lower your voice,” or …. not talk for a few minutes.”

In learning a language, it is very important to find out how speakers of that language show politeness. In English, people show politeness (or rudeness) by the use of three important features:

1 – Sentence structure Will you...please? Would you mind?

2 – Choice of words be quiet or quiet down, instead of the rude form shut up

3 – Intonation of the voice in general, final rise for politeness, instead of final fall.

LAUGHTER'S THE BEST MEDICINE

WHY A DOG IS BETTER THAN A WOMAN

A dog's parents will never visit you.
A dog limits its time in the bathroom to a quick drink.
A dog will not get mad at you if you forget its birthday.
A dog does not laugh about the previous dogs in your life.
A dog never expects flowers.
The later you are, the happier a dog is to see you.
And last but not the least...
A dog does not shop.

Jake and the Mule

Farmer Jake had a nagging wife who made his life miserable. The only real peace that he got was when he was out in the field plowing. One day when he was out in the field, Jake's wife brought his lunch to him.

Then she stayed while he quietly ate and berated him with a constant stream of nagging and complaining. Suddenly, Jake's old mule kicked up his back legs, striking the wife in the head, and killing her instantly.

At the wake, Jake's minister noticed that when the women offered their sympathy to Jake he would nod his head up and down, but when the men came up and spoke quietly to him, he would shake his head from side to side.

When the wake was over and all the mourners had left, the minister approached Jake and asked, "Why was it that you nodded your head up and down to all the women and shook your head from side to side to all the men?"

"Well," Jake replied, "The women all said how nice she looked, and her dress was so pretty, so I agreed by nodding my head up and down. The men all asked, 'Is that mule for sale?' and I shook my head, no."

Man Travels 500 Miles for Haircut

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW BLOOMFIELD, Pa. (AP)
Dave Gaskell is so finicky about how his hair is cut that he commutes 500 miles to his barber. About once a month since he started working for US Airways in September, Gaskell boards a plane in Cincinnati, rents a car and gets a haircut from Donald Stoops Jr. in New Bloomfield in central Pennsylvania.

"Why not?" said Gaskell, 54. "He gives a great haircut. I'm kind of particular about haircuts."

Gaskell, who retired from a 30 year teaching (no kidding) career last year, left Cincinnati around 6 a.m. Tuesday. Four hours later, his gray locks were being snipped at Stoops Barber Shop. He's been going to Stoops for decades. Stoops' father, Donald Sr., cut Gaskell's hair when Gaskell was a cadet at Carson Long Military Institute in New Bloomfield.

"I have yet to find another place that cuts hair like I like it," said Gaskell, who served 17 years in the military and likes his hair cropped just a certain way. As a US Airways ramp agent, Gaskell's plane travel is cheap - he pays just $80 a year for unlimited flights. He said he's flown to Orlando, Fla., and Seattle just for lunch.

To Stoops, who has been cutting hair since 1955, Gaskell's trips aren't unusual. Customers return from South Carolina and California for haircuts and good conversation and all for $5, he said.

"You'd be surprised where people come from," Stoops said.

IMAGE OF THE DAY

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