Should the same laws which prohibit the sale and comsumption of heroin be applied to tobacco?

Claudio Caldas Mattos

Firstly, it is important to understand how harmful these two drugs are to humankind. You may think a cigarette cannot kill a person, or it is a harmless drug, or even it is not a “hard” drug like cocaine and heroin. However this is untrue. Tobacco is the common name given to plants from which we extract a substance called nicotin. This name derives from Jean Nicot, a French doctor who, as indian people from South America, back in the sixteenth century, believed that tobacco had healing powers, and used it as medicine back then. Years later, already in the seventeenth century, scientists started to discover the evil deeds provoked to human’s health through tobacco, as well as how nicotin could addict the user. Since then, concerned goverments put restrictions to its use.

Moreover, years ago advertisements on televison used to show a man ridding a horse, happly smoking a cigarette as a symbol of virility, and power. Today there are no ads on tv about tobacco, however after that people thought smoking was a good thing. Being this also, the main reason why kids and young teenagers started to smoke feeling themselves safe and powerful. Unfortunately, many users of tobacco do not understand the risks associated with its use, especially young users. Depending on how much the person smokes, and the time he or she have been using it, the risks can raise, often leading to cancer in the mouth, larynx and lungs as well as heart problems.

In addition, diseases related to tobacco have killed about 440.000 American citizens per year, around 1.205 a day. Meaning that tobacco smoking is qualified as the major cause of death which could be prevented in the world. Scientific researches around the globe have shown that over 16% of the Brazilian citizens are smokers.

These researches also pointed out that even in developed countries; tobacco is the cause of death on man (26%) and on woman (9%).
So, why is tobacco legal? If it jeopardizes the user’s health and people around him or her (passive smokers), why keeping the drug legal? The answer is simple, and yet frustrating. A lot of countries make huge quantities of money charging taxes over the sale of cigarettes. Living in a capitalist universe, the society should already expect this kind of action towards them. However it is not a question of prohibiting or legalizing, because the sale and comsumption of any drug is not going to be restrained by some laws. A more efficient way is to better educate people, to warn them about the consequences, as making a wrong decision at any age could have deadly consequences.

cacaldas2005@gmail.com

WORD OF THE DAY

verify

Pronounced: click here

Function: verb [with object]

Inflected forms:
verifies; verified; verifying

Meaning:
: to prove (something) is true or correct : confirm
Examples:
We could not verify the rumor.
She verified her flight number.

Note: Verify is often followed by that or whether.
Examples:
He verified that the item was in stock.
Can you verify whether I am scheduled to work or not?

Derived forms:
verifiable adjective
Example:
a verifiable claim

verification
Examples:
the verification of her password
He received verification of the deposit from the bank.

TRICK OR TREAT

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 Hallows 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

THE PRICE OF GREATNESS IS RESPONSIBILITY.
Sir Winston Churchill

LAUGHTER'S THE BEST MEDICINE

A BLUNDER

Upon finishing examining his cute new patient thoroughly, the obstetrician smiles and says:

- "I've got good news for you, Mrs. Green." The young lady interrupted:

-"Pardon me, it's MISS Green."

- "I see, gulped the doctor, well, Miss Green, I've got bad news for you."

Teaching Tips & Ideas

MAKE GOOD USE OF "ONLY"

Watch These Examples:

ONLY the barber broke his leg.
The ONLY barber broke his leg.
The barber ONLY broke his leg.
The barber broke his ONLY leg.
The barber boke his leg ONLY.

What conclusion can we draw?

We drew the conclusion that, depending on the position of ONLY
in the sentence, it can alter the meaning completely.

SEE OTHER USAGES OF "ONLY:"
1 - Tomara, Oxalá - "If Only"
e.g. "If only I could bear a child," sighed the sterile woman.
"If only it would rain on my kitchen garden," wished the boy.

2 - Quando nada
e.g. I'll take it. I accept the challenge, "if only to retaliate."
She said she was going to gamble again, "if only to try to get her money back.

WORD OF THE DAY

OPPORTUNE

Function: adjective

Comparative and superlative forms: more opportune; most opportune

Meanings:

1 : fit or right for a purpose
Examples:

She was waiting for an opportune [appropriate, suitable] moment to ask for money.
There isn’t a more opportune time to invest in the stock market
an opportune location for the store

2 : done or happening at the right time

Example:
The book’s publication is opportune.[timely]

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I DON'T DO THE GOOD I WANT, BUT THE EVIL I DON'T WANT IS WHAT I DO!"
Saint Paul

FABULOUS FABLES

THE FOX AND THE GRAPES

A hungry fox was, one day, passing a garden wall, over which hung some very fine, ripe grapes.

- How good those grapes look! They make my mouth water! I'll have some.

Nonetheless, the grapes were so high that the fox couldn't reach them.

She began to jump, but even then, she couldn't reach the grapes. She jumped and jumped, and still, couldn't make it. At last, she had a fall.

Then, she ran away and said:

- Those grapes don't look ripe to me. I don't care. They must be sour. I don't like sour grapes, anyway

Teaching Tips & Ideas

PREPOSITIONS

BEFORE – Antes de. Perante. Diante. Ante. Indica posição em frente a um objeto. Indica também prioridade, precedência em classe, ordem ou sucessão.

e.g.: - I shall be there before 6 o’clock.

The holiday season starts a fortnight before May 1st.

You must mail this letter before that package.

“I’ll have these players play something like the murder of my father before mine uncle”. (Hamlet, Act II. Scene II.)


BEHIND – Atrás. Indica a posição do objeto atrás do outro ou seguindo um outro. Indica que um objeto fica após a remoção de um outro.

e.g.: - He died leaving a glorious name behind him.
I keep leaving my umbrella behind me.


BELOW - Abaixo de. Indica inferioridade de classe, de dignidade etc.

e.g.: - When the Sun sets it goes below the horizon.
An Earl is below a Marquis in rank.
Should I sign my name below the dotted line ?
The city of Recife, people say, is below the sea level.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Never be afraid to try something new just remember that a lone amateur built the Ark and a large group of professionals built the Titanic.

19 POINTS THAT TOOK ME ALMOST 50 YEARS TO LEARN

WHO'S WHO?

David Barry, Jr. (born July 3, 1947) is a bestselling American author and Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist who wrote a nationally syndicated column for the The Miami Herald from 1983 to 2005.

Barry was born in Armonk, New York. He was educated at Pleasantville High School where he was elected class clown in 1965. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Haverford College in 1969.

As the son of a minister and an alumnus of a Quaker-affiliated college, Barry avoided military service during the Vietnam War by registering as a religious conscientious objector.

19 POINTS THAT TOOK ME ALMOST 50 YEARS ...


By DAVE BARRY

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

2. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."

3. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."

4. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

5. And when God, who created the entire universe with all of its glories, decides to deliver a message to humanity, HE WILL NOT use, as His messenger, a person on cable TV with a bad hairstyle.

6. You should not confuse your career with your life.

7. No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too
seriously.

8. When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy.

9. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

10. Never lick a steak knife.

11. Take out the fortune before you eat the cookie.

12. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.

13. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.

14. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

15. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age eleven.

16. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.

17. The main accomplishment of almost all organized protests is to annoy people who are not in them.

18. A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)

19. Your friends love you anyway.

Congo Fighting Threatens Mountain Gorillas

Fierce fighting around the Congo's Virunga National Park has increased concerns for the safety of the park's rare mountain gorillas.

There are an estimated 700 wild mountain gorillas remaining worldwide, with 150 living in the park. 9 gorillas living in the troubled park have been killed this year.

Last week, the gorillas were left unprotected as rangers were forced to evacuate their posts due to the fighting. People fleeing from the conflict are now setting up camps inside or next to the park, placing the gorillas under further pressure. The situation is critical. You can help the gorillas if you act today

excerpet from WWF

Teaching Tips & Ideas

All right everyboby. I have just received the message below. Somebody asks me to send it ahead. That's what I'm doing. H.C.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ana Falcon
Date: 07/09/2007 12:55
Subject: [braztesolpe] September Teaching Sparklers: 21/09/2007 - ELC
To: BRAZTESOLPE


Dear All. Please find below information about September Teaching Sparklers.
We would be grateful if you could forward this message onto your colleagues.
Thank you. And hope to see you there!

BRAZTESOL Team
btesolpe@gmail.com

Poster available from http://groups.yahoo.com/group/braztesolpe/ under FILES > Teaching Sparklers posters
--------------
21 September 2007

1400 1430 | Welcome comments
1430-1530 | Workshop I: How to maximise the use of English in class and still keep our students at ease
1530-1600 | Coffee break
1600-1700 | Workshop II: Differentiated instruction in the English Language classroom

FEES: R$5 (members) $10 (non-members)

ELC | Rua Sá e Souza 655
Boa Viagem Setubal
(opp. the American School)
Tel 3341-0888

How to maximise the use of English in class and still keep our students at ease
PRESENTER | Najin Lima
ABSTRACT | Why do our students fall back on Portuguese? Is it simply laziness? To what extent are we, teachers, responsible for the use of mother tongue in class? Is that legitimate at all? During this workshop we'll try to come up with some answers
for these questions, drawing from research as well as teachers' experience. The aim is to show that simple actions taken in class can give students the support they need to maximise their use of English in class without frustration. If a word were to be chosen to summarise this workshop, that would be strategies! Your own experience in class is more than welcome, therefore join us!
BIODATA | After graduating in languages (Portuguese/English) from UFPE, Najin Lima took CPE. He then took a Master's in Linguistics. He has taught English for 13 years. He worked for Culturas Inglesas in Recife teaching different groups of all ages and levels including Cambridge preparation courses. He has also taught ESP in colleges. He currently works for Pearson Longman as an ELT academic consultant

Differentiated instruction in the English Language classroom
PRESENTERS | Scott Heald and Virginia Sivini
ABSTRACT | This presentation examines the use of differentiated instruction in the classroom as a recognition of the variety of students' needs, abilities or prior knowledge. It is important to understand and apply the principles and practices
of differentiated instruction where students work toward the same ends, but use differentiated content, processes and products to get there.
BIODATA | Virginia is an EFL teacher. She is experienced in teaching young learners. She holds a post-graduate degree in Applied Linguistics.
BIODATA | Scott is a native English speaker with four years of teaching experience in the EFL field. Both teach at ELC and are working on a Master's Degree in International Education. (Framingham State University)

This kind of misdeed can happen to the most respectable families

LAUGHTER'S THE BEST MEDICINE

CLICK GREAT MOMENTS IN PRESIDENTIAL SPEECHES

LAUGHTER'S THE BEST MEDICINE - PART TWO

DEFINITIONS

ACCIDENT: Where presence of mind is good but absence of body is better!

ADAM: A self-maid man!

ALTRUISM: The art of doing unselfish things for selfish reasons!

ALIMONY: The high cost of loving!

AGITATOR: A man who spouts about Capital & Labor but who never has any capital and never does any labor!

JAIL: The best place to find men with convictions!

JOKEBOOK: A jest seller!

JUDGE: A lawyer who knew a politician!

JANITOR: The only man who can make a quick clean-up in Wall Street and get away with it!

TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR: A misprint that can turn a hat into a cat and a baby sitter into a baby sister!

PRAYER: A message to Heaven, usually sent at night to get the low rate!

ADDRESSEE: The last person to read a post-card!

ALARM-CLOCK: An invention used to awake adults who have no babies!

- From Evan Esar's Comic Dictionary, Bramhall House, New York, 1960 -

This kind of mischief can happen to the most respectable families

AP Associated Press

Sen. CRAIG RESIGNS OVER SEX STING

By JOHN MILLER, Associated Press Sun Sep 2, 6:17 AM ET BOISE, Idaho - USA

- In a subdued ending to a week of startling political theater, Sen. Larry Craig announced his resignation Saturday, bowing to pressure from fellow Republicans worried about damage from his arrest and guilty plea in a gay sex sting.

"I apologize for what I have caused," Craig said, his wife Suzanne and two of their three children at his side with a historic Boise train station as backdrop. "I am deeply sorry."
Craig, 62, said he would resign effective Sept. 30, ending a career in Congress spanning a quarter-century.

Teaching Tips & Ideas

PRONUNCIATION OF VOWEL CLUSTERS

1 - OU

AU - Sour - Azedo
AU - Mount - Montanha
AU - County - Municipio, Condado

à - Journalist - Jornalista
à - Country - Campo, País
à - Harbour - Porto

U - Group - Grupo
U - Youth - Juventude
U - Rouge - Ruge

OU - Soul - Alma
OU - Although - Embora
OU - Dough-nut - Rosquinha

ÓA - Pour - Despejar, Entornar
ÓA - Court - Quadra, Corte

2 - OO

à - Flood - Inundação
à - Blood - Sangue

ÓA - Door - Porta
ÓA - Floor - Assoalho, andar

U - Shoot - Atirar
U - Booth - Cabine telefônica

UA - Poor - Pobre
UA - Moor - Mouro, ancorar

OU - Brooch - Broche

3 - EA

ÉA - Pear - Pera
ÉA - Bear - Urso

IA - Idea - Ideia
IA - Fear - Medo, temor

I - Neat - Limpo, impecável
I - Retreat - Retirar

EI - Steak - Bife, filé
EI - Break - Quebrar, romper

à - Pearl - Pérola
à - Early - Cedo

GREAT LIFE TRUTHS

GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:

1) No matter how hard you try, you can't baptise cats.
2) When your Mum is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair.
3) If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.
4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can't trust dogs to watch your food.
6) Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
8) You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10) The best place to be when you're sad is Grandpa's lap.

STUPID QUOTES OF THE DAY

“It’s no exaggeration to say that the undecided could go one way or another.”

“I have opinions of my own – strong opinions – but I don’t always agree with them.”



George Bush, US President

HERE'S THE DEAL

We would particularly like to acknowledge the valuable contribution sent by
Prof. Roberto Lamenha.

"Following you will find a few easy sentences for you to "Check Your English". Answers will be given somewhere in this issue."

1 - A bebida é por conta da casa. _____________________________________
2 - A blusa combina com a saia. ______________________________________
3 - De nada adiantará. _____________________________________________
4 - Dei uma indireta. ______________________________________________
5 - Desculpe-me a franqueza. ________________________________________
6 - É ele mesmo (apontando). _______________________________________
7 - Ele substituiu um colega doente. ___________________________________
8 - Ele substituiu o professor efetivo. __________________________________
9 - Li por alto. ___________________________________________________

10 - Mas, claro. _________________________________________________

11 - Não é bem isso o que eu quis dizer. _______________________________

JOKES OF THE DAY

PNEUMONIA
A man went to see his doctor because he was suffering from a miserable cold. His doctor prescribed some pills, but they didn't help. On his next visit the doctor gave him a shot, but that didn't do any good. On his third visit the doctor told the man to go home and take a hot bath. As soon as he was finished bathing he was to throw open all the windows and stand in the draft.
"But doc," protested the patient, "if I do that, I'll get pneumonia."
"Well, I can cure pneumonia."

THE DIET
A woman was terribly overweight, so her doctor put her on a diet. "I want you to eat regularly for 2 days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure for 2 weeks. The next time I see you, you'll have lost at least 5 pounds.

"When the woman returned, she shocked the doctor by losing nearly 20 pounds.
"Why, that's amazing!" the doctor said, "Did you follow my instructions?" The woman nodded. "I'll tell you, I thought I was going to drop dead that third day." "From hunger, you mean?"
"No, from skipping

IT DOESN’T PAY…
A good man passed away and went to heaven. He was greeted by St. Peter, who congratulated him and said he could have anything he wished. The fellow requested something to eat and a telescope so that he could look around. While eating the sandwich he peered through the telescope down at the folks in hell and saw that they were feasting on lobster, filet mignon and caviar. “How come people down there are eating gourmet food?” he asked St. Peter.

“I earned a place in heaven, but you gave me only a tuna-fish sandwich!
”Well, replied St Peter, “it doesn’t pay to cook for just the two of us.”

RULES OF THUMB

The word "thankful" comes from the noun "thanks."
- I'd like to say thank you.
- I'm am very thankful.

Here are some more adjectives that end in FUL:

helpful - someone who helps others
cheerful - someone who feels happy, or full of cheer
tearful - someone who is sad or their eyes are full of tears
powerful - having a lot of power
painful - causing pain
colorful - having many colors; full of colors

ANSWERS TO THE PUZZLE:

1 - The drinks are on the house.
2 - The blouse and the skirt go together.
3 - It won't do any good.
4 - I hinted at it.
5 - Forgive me for saying so.
6 - It's him all right.
7 - He filled in for a sick colleague.
8 - He substituted for the regular teacher.
9 - I glanced over it.
10 - Why, of course!
11 - That's not quite what I meant.

VARIATIONS ON MURPHY'S LAW

1. Law of Mechanical Repair: After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch or you'll have to pee.

2. Law of the Workshop: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

3. Law of Probability: The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

This kind of misdeed can happen to the most respectable families

A YANKEE IN QUEEN ELIZABETH'S COURT

The Air Force One arrives at Heathrow Airport and President Bush strides to a warm and dignified reception from the Queen.

They are driven in a 1934 Bentley to the edge of central London where they change to a magnificent 17th century carriage hitched to six white horses.

They continue on towards Buckingham Palace waving to the thousands of cheering Britons; all is going well.

Suddenly the right rear horse lets fly with the most horrendous earth shattering fart ever heard in the British Empire. The smell is atrocious and both passengers in the carriage must use handkerchiefs over their noses.

The fart shakes the coach, but the two dignitaries of State do their best to ignore the incident.

The Queen turns to President Bush, "Mr. President please accept my regrets... I am sure you understand there are some things that even a Queen cannot control."

George Bush, always trying to be "Presidential," replied: "Your Majesty, do not give the matter another thought... Until you mentioned it, I thought it was one of the horses."

QUOTE OF THE DAY

When they call the roll in the Senate, the Senators do not know whether to answer "Present" or "Not guilty." Theodore Roosevelt 26th president of US (1858 - 1919)




Editor's Note:
That reminds me of...... forget it!
H.C.

LAUGHTER'S THE BEST MEDICINE

PARROTS...

A lady goes to her priest one day and tells him,

- Father, I have a problem. I have two female parrots, but they only know how to say one thing.

- What do they say? the priest inquired.

- They say, "Hi, we're hookers! Do you want to have some fun?"

- That's obscene! the priest exclaimed. Then he thought for a moment.

- You know, he said, I may have a solution to your problem. I have two male talking parrots, which I have taught to pray and read the Bible. Bring your two parrots over to my house, and we'll put them in the cage with Francis and Peter. My parrots can teach your parrots to pray and worship!

Thank you, the woman responded, this may very well be the solution.

The next day, she brought her female parrots to the priest's house. As he ushered her in, she saw that his two male parrots were inside their cage holding rosary beads and praying. Impressed, she walked over and placed her parrots in with them. After a few minutes, the female parrots cried out in unison...

- "Hi, we're hookers! Do you want to have some fun?"

There was a stunned silence. Shocked, one male parrot looked over at the other male parrot and exclaimed,

-"Put the beads away, Frank. Our prayers have been answered."

UNDERSTANDING ALL THAT PROGRESS

Computers are unquestionably part of everyday life and the Internet has, since the middle of the 1990s, revolutionized communication. Computer technology is becoming cheaper and more available around the world. However, due to the fact that this technology is relatively new and changes rapidly you ought to be familiar with the equipment and its possibilities. The Internet along with the Computer are becoming part of everybody’s lives and here’s some vocabulary that may come in handy as you navigate the World of the Wide Web. H.C.


dot com - a website company
site – website a place to go on the
world wide web
e-commerce - shopping on the web
online - on the Internet
search engine - helps you look for
different websites on the web
web browser - helps you “browse”
or look around the web
www– world wide web

some “e-breviations”
e-mail – electronic mail
e-card – electronic greeting card
e-ticket – electronic airline ticket
BTW – used in e-mail – means “by the way”
FAQ – “frequently asked questions”
HTML – the standard language for writing
documents on the web
URL – a web address, like www.bixiguento.com
ISP – internet service provider, the company that
gives you internet service.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

I DIDN'T ATTEND THE FUNERAL, BUT I SENT A NICE LETTER SAYING THAT I APPROVED OF IT. Mark Twain. American humorist, satirist, writer, and lecturer.

LAUGHTER'S THE BEST MEDICINE

Golfing with the Wife

A man staggered into a hospital with a concussion, multiple bruises, two black eyes, and a five iron wrapped tightly around his throat.

Naturally the doctor asked him, "What happened to you?"

"Well, I was having a quiet round of golf with my wife, when at a difficult hole, we both sliced our balls into a cow pasture."

We went to look for them and while I was looking around I noticed one of the cows had something white at its rear end."

"I walked over, lifted its tail, and sure enough, there was a golf ball with my wife's monogram on it - stuck right in the middle of the cow's butt."

Still holding the cow's tail up, I yelled to my wife,
"Hey, this looks like yours!"

"I don't quite remember much after that..."

PONDER THESE

THE WORK OF STEVEN WRIGHT

If you're not familiar with the work of Steven Wright, he's the guy who once said "I woke up one morning and all of my stuff had been stolen...and replaced by exact duplicates".

Steven Alexander Wright is an Academy Award-winning American stand-up comedian, actor writer from Burlington, Massachusetts. He is known for his slow, deadpan, monotone delivery of ironic, witty, deeply philosophical and sometimes confusing jokes and one-liners with overly contrived situations.

Here are some more of his gems:

I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Borrow money from pessimists - they don't expect it back.

Half the people you know are below average.

99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.

42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.

A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.

All those who believe in psychokinesis, raise my hand.

The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

I almost had a psychic girlfriend but she left me before we met.

If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.

Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy.

Hard work pays off in the future, laziness pays off now.

I intend to live forever - so far, so good.

If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?

Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

What happens if you get scared half to death twice?

My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."

Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?

If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.

A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread.

To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.

The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.

The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.

The colder the x-ray table, the more of your body is required to be on it.

Teaching Tips & Ideas

IDIOMS

É de fundamental importância o aspecto idiomático quando duas línguas são comparadas na equivalência do vocabulário. Em Português, por exemplo, a saudação matinal mais comum é Bom dia, a qual traduzida (aliás, eu implico com a palavra TRADUÇÃO) ao pé da letra para o Inglês, resultaria num insólito Good day, em vez do correto e usual Good morning. Existe uma correspondência perfeita de idéias, mas não uma regra geral de formas usadas para representar essas idéias. Certas expressões idiomáticas freqüentemente citadas não são na verdade muito importantes, porque as idéias que elas representam podem ser facilmente colocadas de outra forma. Outras, entretanto, desempenham um papel bastante importante pelo fato de dificilmente poderem ser substituídas, bem como pelo alto grau de cotidianidade e pela freqüência com que ocorrem no inglês dos native speakers. A maioria das expressões aqui relacionadas são indispensáveis para quem deseja expressar-se de forma adequada em inglês. H.C.

CONVENCIONALIDADES - EXPRESSIONS OF POLITENESS

Prazer em conhecê-lo. - Nice to meet you. / I'm glad to know you. / It's a pleasure to know you. /How do you do.

O prazer é meu. - Nice to meet you too.

Como vai? - How are you? / How are you doing? / How is it going?

Há quanto tempo! - It's been a long time.

De nada. / Não há de que. / Disponha. / Tudo bem. / Que é isso! / - You're welcome. That's OK. / Not at all. / Don't mention it. / It's my pleasure.

Igualmente. - The same to you. / You too.

Com licença. / Dá licença. - Excuse me. Como? / O que? (quando não se entende o que o interlocutor disse) - Excuse me? / Pardon? / Beg your pardon? / What? (less polite)

Eu já volto. - I'll be right back.

Até logo. / Até amanhã. - I'll (I will) see you later (tomorrow). / See you.

Como é que você passou o fim de semana? - How did you spend the weekend? / Parece que vai chover. - It looks like it's going to rain. / It looks like rain.

Será que vai chover neste fim de semana? - I wonder if it's going to rain this weekend.

Tomara que não chova. - I hope it doesn't rain.

Faça-os entrar. - Show them in.

Fique à vontade. / Esteja à vontade. / Faça de conta que está em casa. / Esteja a gosto. - Make yourself at home. / Make yourself comfortable.

Sirva-se. - Help yourself. / Be my guest. / Go ahead. (informal)

Você está se divertindo? - Are you having a good time? / Are you enjoying yourself? Are you having fun?

O que você achou da festa? - How did you like the party? / What did you think of the party?

Não, obrigado; estou satisfeito. / Estou servido. - No, thanks. I'm full. / I've had enough.

Saúde! (Quando alguém espirra) - God bless you. / Bless you.

Saúde! (Brinde) - Cheers!

Pois não? / Que deseja? - May I help you? / Can I help you? / What can I do for you? / What can I get for you?

Você é que resolve. / Você que sabe. - It's up to you.

Por mim, tudo bem. - It's OK with me.

Vamos dar uma volta? - Let's go for a walk. / Let's take a walk. / Do you want to go for a walk? Let's go for a drive. / Would you like to go for a drive?

Qualquer um; tanto faz. - Either one. / Whatever. / It doesn't matter. / It doesn't make any difference. / It makes no difference.

Me avisa se mudares de idéia. - Let me know if you change your mind.

Lembranças. / Abraços. - Regards. / Give my best.

Vamos manter contato. - Let's keep in touch.

Boa viagem! - Have a nice trip!

LAUGHTER’S THE BEST MEDICINE

For those of you who haven't seen it before...

The Wish

A man was riding his Harley along a California beach when suddenly the sky clouded above his head and, in a booming voice, the Lord said, "Because you have tried to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish."

The biker pulled over and said, "Thank you, Lord. Please build a bridge to Hawaii so I can ride over anytime I want." The Lord said,

Your request is materialistic. Think of the enormous undertaking; the supports required to reach the bottom of the Pacific, and the concrete and steel it would take! It will nearly exhaust several natural resources. I can do it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things. Take a little more time and think of something that could possibly help mankind.

The biker thought about it for a long time. Finally, he said, "Lord, I wish that I, and all men, could understand our wives; I want to know how she feels inside, what she's thinking when she gives me the silent treatment, why she cries, what she really means when she says nothing's wrong, and how I can make a woman truly happy."

The Lord replied, "You want two lanes, or four lanes on that bridge?"

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"A quote a day keeps the doctor away"! - Or is it an apple!!??

As the poet said, "Only God can make a tree" - probably because it's so hard to figure out how to get the bark on. Woody Allen

THE SIGN OF THE CROSS

I assure you all that the story below was told to me on the the very first day of my very first English lesson in the ides of... forget it!. Just read it! "Relax and enjoy"! H.C.

Pierre Gustave Toutant de Beauregard, (photo) was a Louisiana-born general for the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. General Beauregard was known as one of the most devout catholics during the hostilities. It was practically a rule for him to use passages of the Holy Bible as passwords for his men. A prayer, a gesture, a sentence, the names of Saints or a drawing of a fish on the sand would serve as password. No one was to be allowed to the army facilities if he didn't know the password.

One night a faithful soldier, who has been absent in a three week leave was returning to the camp and obviously could not know what would be the password for that night. As he approaches the entrance gates the sentinel stops him raises his gun and asks for the password.

- Stop! Identify yourself! Tell me the password!
- James E. Hunter - Corporal - 1st Regiment - Georgia Volunteers
- All right, now say the password.

The poor man did not say anything.
The guard insisted and raised his gun again.

- The password... or I'll shoot you down...

The soldier (also a catholic) realizing that he would be killed, immediately made the Sign of The Cross. Then the sentinel put down his gun and run at him saying...

- You're saved because The Sign Of The Cross is the password tonight.

Teaching Tips & Ideas

O'CLOCK

Function: adverb

Meanings:

1 - O'clock is used when the time is a particular hour and zero minutes.

e.g. It's three o'clock in the afternoon. (it's three p.m.)
e.g. She was ten minutes late for her eight o'clock appointment.
e.g. I asked you to be here at nine o'clock, not at nine fifteen.

2 - O'clock is also used to give the location of something as if the speaker were facing a clock.

e.g. There's an airplane coming towards us at eleven o'clock.
e.g. Look over there at three o'clock. (look straight to your right) Do you see him?

O CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN

CLAUDIO MATTOS

In my list of the “Twenty Movies You Can’t Die Without Watching,” “Dead Poets Society” is the first one. This movie tells the story of some boys who study in a school called Welton, which has traditional and strict rules. However, a group of friends started to attend classes with a new teacher called Mr. John Keating (Robin Willams), who teaches with a method a bit more unorthodox than the tradition of the school, and this man gave them the opportunity to be free thinkers, and learn how to “seize the day”.

In all of his classes he taught something precious, he told the boys that they had to believe in their work, thoughts, even when everybody thinks they are wrong. He told them that they had to look constantly at things in a different way, especially when they are sure about something. He inspired those kids to think for themselves and learn the meaning of “Carpe Diem,” Seize the day,” and “Suck the marrow of life.” He was a great teacher, for them he was their “Captain”.

Being a huge fan of Robin Willams’ work, I rented this movie for the first time some years ago; because I knew he would be performing again one of those characters that I love. In fact, I did. I thought it was one of the best movies I have ever seen. But even though I thought it was great, and indeed it meant a lot to me, the kid’s death seemed to be a total loss. After some while, I kept trying to find if there was any other solution to his problems.

By the second time, a few years later, I got the message differently, and it meant even more to me. Also by this time I realized and accepted that “Neil,” because of the pressure he suffered from his family, had no choice...Unfortunately...

Finally the last time I had the opportunity to rewatch it, I got to another conclusion of it. People that were in this movie, helping, directing, or acting, should be proud of themselves, because it helps other people to think it over about living their lives. “You must strive to find your own voice, because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it all. Live and “suck the marrow” of the greatest gift.


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WHERE'S MADELEINE?

I have just received this message and as it seems to be an humanitary act I am passing it on. Please read the message below and forward it to everybody in your address book. H.C.


... As you are aware my niece, Madeleine, is still missing and I am asking everyone I know to send this as a chain letter i.e. you send it to everyone you know and ask them to do the same, as the story is only being covered in Britain, Eire and Portugal. We don't believe that she is in Portugal anymore and need to get her picture and the story across Europe as quickly as possible.
Suggestions are welcome...

Phil McCann

THE COURAGE TO TEACH

PARKER J. PALMER

Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life, Jossey-Bass Inc, San Francisco, 1998.

"I am a teacher at heart, and there are moments in the classroom when I can hardly hold the joy. When my students and I discover uncharted territory to explore, when the pathway out of a thicket opens up before us, when our experience is illuminated by the lightning-life of the mind then teaching is the finest work I know.

But at other moments, the classroom is so lifeless or painful or confused and I am so powerless to do anything about it that my claim to be a teacher seems a transparent sham. Then the enemy is everywhere: in those students from some alien planet, in that subject I thought I knew, and in the personal pathology that keeps me earning my living this way. What a fool I was to imagine that I had mastered this occult art harder to divine than tea leaves and impossible for mortals to do even passably well!

If you are a teacher who never has bad days, or who has them but does not care, this book is not for you. This book is for teachers who have good days and bad, and whose bad days bring the suffering that comes only from something one loves. It is for teachers who refuse to harden their hearts because they love learners, learning, and the teaching life.

When you love your work that much and many teachers do the only way to get out of trouble is to go deeper in. We must enter, not evade, the tangles of teaching so we can understand them better and negotiate them with more grace, not only to guard our own spirits, but also to serve our students well.

Those tangles have three important sources. The first two are commonplace, but the third and most fundamental is rarely given its due. First, the subjects we teach are as large and complex as life, so our knowledge of them is always flawed and partial. Second, the students we teach are larger than life and even more complex. To see them clearly and see them whole, and respond to them wisely in the moment, requires a fusion of Freud and Solomon that few of us achieve.

If students and subjects accounted for all the complexities of teaching, our standard ways of coping would keep up with our fields as best we can and learn enough techniques to stay ahead of the student psyche. But there is another reason for these complexities: we teach who we are.

Teaching like any truly human activity, emerges from one's inwardness, for better or worse. As I teach, I project the condition of my soul onto my students, my subject, and our way of being together. The entanglements I experience in the classroom are often no more or less that the convolutions of my inner life. Viewed from this angle, teaching holds a mirror to the soul. If I am willing to look in that mirror and not run from what I see, I have a chance to gain self-knowledge…and good teaching requires self-knowledge: it is a secret hidden in plain sight.

This book explores the teacher’s inner life, but it also raises a question that goes beyond the solitude of the teacher’s soul: How can the teacher’s selfhood become a legitimate topic in education and in our public dialogues on educational reform?"

... Parker J. Palmer (photo above) was born 1939 in Chicago, Illinois is an author, educator, and activist who focuses on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality and social change. Palmer served for fifteen years as Senior Associate of the American Association of Higher Education, and now serves as Senior Advisor to the Fetzer Institute.

LAUGHTER’S THE BEST MEDICINE

LAST REQUEST

Let's see if I understand how the world works lately...

If a man cuts his finger off while slicing salami at work, he blames the restaurant...

If you smoke three packs a day for 40 years and die of lung cancer, your family blames the tobacco company...

If your neighbor crashes into a tree while driving home drunk, he blames the bartender...

If your grandchildren are brats without manners, you blame television...

If your friend is shot by a deranged madman, you blame the gun manufacturer...

And if a crazed person breaks into the cockpit and tries to kill the pilot at 35,000 feet, and the passengers kill him instead, the mother of the crazed deceased blames the airline...

I must have lived too long to understand the world anymore...

So, if I die while my old, wrinkled butt is parked in front of this computer, I want all of you to blame Bill Gates...okay? Oh yeah, and don't forget to sue him...!

HERE IS THE PUZZLE

Are you smart enough?
This puzzle is called Lateral Thinking.
Think like a wizard . . .


ground
-------------------------
feet feet feet feet feet feet


WHAT IS IT???

OK! HERE'S THE ANSWER TO THE ABOVE PUZZLE!

" 6 FEET UNDERGROUND"

LAUGHTER'S THE BEST MEDICINE

THE CHAUFFEUR

Mrs. Winterly was a very rich woman. Her husband was a multi-millionaire. She was quite young and he was quite old. She was twenty-eight and he was fifty-eight. They lived in a very large house in England. Mrs. Winterly never cooked or cleaned the house. She never worked and she never drove a car. When she wanted to go anywhere she would call Charles. Charles was her chauffeur. Mr. Winterly travelled a lot. He flew to many countries to do business. Mrs. Winterly did not like to fly so she often stayed at home. Once Mr. Winterly went to America for a week. Mrs. Winterly decided to go shopping so she walked to the garage to find Charles. She found him in his room above the garage.

Mrs. Winterly looked at him and said in a whisper,

“Charles, take off my hat”
“Certainly, madam,” Charles replied.

Then he took off Mrs. Winterly’s hat.

“Charles, take off my coat.”
“Certainly, madam,” Charles replied.

Then he took off Mrs. Winterly’s coat.

“Charles, take off my shoes.”
“Certainly, madam,” Charles replied.

Then he took off Mrs. Winterly’s shoes.

“Charles, take off my dress.”
“Certainly, madam,” Charles replied.

Then he took off Mrs. Winterly’s dress.

Then, Mrs. Winterly looked deep into the eyes of the chauffeur and said,

…“AND DON’T YOU DARE TO WEAR MY CLOTHES AGAIN!”…

(extracted from Lessons With Laughter – London 1996)

10 WISE QUESTIONS

I've found these questions interesting among friends. It's amazing what the simple answers to these questions reveal about a person's thoughts, feelings and beliefs. These 10 questions originally came from a French TV series, "Bouillon de Culture" hosted by Bernard Pivot. It is probably more familiar to many as the questions James Lipton (photo) asks at the end of the American TV series "Inside the Actor's Studio." Try to exercise them with your students and friends. H.C.


01. What is your favorite word?

02. What is your least favorite word?

03. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

04. What turns you off?

05. What is your favorite curse word?

06. What sound or noise do you love?

07. What sound or noise do you hate?

08. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

09. What profession would you not like to participate?

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

"BRITALIAN FOOD"

CLAUDIO HENRIQUE CALDAS MATTOS

I was reading an article the other day about “Britalian Food”, which is the Italian food sold in British supermarkets that doesn’t follow the original recipe and tastes differently. And it highlights the fact that British are taking advantage of Italian’s food popularity putting the authetic ingredients behind and changing it in order to satisfy the costumers.


I thought it might be outstanding because it is important to focus on keeping authenticity not only in Italian food but all of the other kinds of popular food, around the globe, like Thai, Chinese and Indian.

Basically, what it introduces is that quality has been compromised, in favor of low costs reaching popularity. The great supermarkets have such a large share of the market these days, that they can easily drive down prices and also they can shop around for the cheapest products, which is not the same as the best original ones.

What surprised me the most was the fact that if the supermarkets and companies did 100 per cent authentic produce and recipes, the customers would not be ready for using it with great satisfaction. I agree with it when it claims a balance, that means you can’t follow the recipe totally otherwise it will not make sucess, but also you can’t lose the original culture.

cacaldas2005@gmail.com
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supertextosclaudio.blogspot.com

WHY CAN'T THE REST OF THE WORLD GET ALONG!?

MOTHER TIGER

In a zoo in California , a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately, due to complications in the pregnancy, the cubs were born prematurely and due to their tiny size, they died shortly after birth.

The mother tiger after recovering from the delivery, suddenly started to decline in health, although physically she was fine. The veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress to fall into a depression. The doctors decided that if the tigress could surrogate another mother's cubs, perhaps she would improve.

After checking with many other zoos across the country, the depressing news was that there were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to the mourning mother. The veterinarians decided to try something that had never been tried in a zoo environment.

Sometimes a mother of one species will take on the care of a different species. The only "orphans" that could be found quickly, were a litter of weanling pigs. The zoo keepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed the babies around the mother tiger. Would they become cubs or pork chops? Take a look, you won't believe your eyes!!

Now, please tell me ..........why can't the rest of the world get along?

Editor's Note:
The text above was supplied by Ana Ligia Almeida a friend and a very good English teacher.

WORD OF THE DAY

Dilly-Dally

Function: verb (no object)

Inflected forms:
dilly-dallies; dilly-dallied; dilly-dallying

Status: informal

Meaning: to waste time
e.g. "We need to stop dilly-dallying (dawdling, fooling around) and get to work."

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"The first draught a man drinks ought to be for thirst, the second for nourishment, the third for pleasure, the fourth for madness."
William Shakespeare - Greatest English dramatist & poet (1564 - 1616)

LAUGHTER'S THE BEST MEDICINE

NAVAJO CULTURE

Sally was driving home from one of her business trips in Northern Arizona
when she saw an elderly Navajo woman walking on the side of the road.

As the trip was a long and quiet one, she stopped the car and asked the Navajo woman if she would like a ride.

After a bit of small talk while resuming the journey, the Navajo woman noticed a brown bag on the seat next to Sally.

"What's in the bag?" asked the woman.
Sally looked down at the brown bag and said, "It's a bottle of wine. I got it for my husband."

The Navajo woman was silent for a moment, then speaking with the quiet wisdom of an elder said, "Good trade."

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.