All Around Languages

Sunday, 8 January 2012

January 8 – 2011 Tucson shooting

The 2011 Tucson shooting was an incident in which U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords and eighteen other people were shot during a public meeting; six of those shot died, including Arizona Chief Judge John Roll and one of Rep. Giffords' staffers. The mass shooting occurred in a Safeway supermarket parking lot in Casas Adobes near Tucson, Arizona USA, on 8 January 2011. Giffords was holding a constituent (= person who elects someone to represent it in the governement) meeting called "Congress on Your Corner" in the parking lot when Jared Lee Loughner drew (= took out) a pistol and shot Giffords in the head, before firing on other people.

According to court records, Loughner had two previous offenses (= crimes), one of which was for drug possession. U.S. Army officials said that Loughner had attempted to enlist, but his application had been rejected as "unqualified" for service in 2008. They declined further disclosure due to confidentiality rules, although an administration official indicated to the media that this was due to a failed drug test.

Police reports reveal he had purchased a Glock pistol at a Sportsman's Warehouse store less than six weeks before and attempted to buy additional ammunition for the pistol at a Walmart on the morning of the shooting.

> Giffford’s political position about gun rights and gun control measures

Friday, 6 January 2012

Super Bowl XLVI Winner

Super Bowl XLVI Winner

1. +175 Green Bay Packers
2. +400 New England Patriots
3. +500 New Orleans Saints
4. +700 Baltimore Ravens

The 2011–12 NFL playoffs following the 2011 regular season will begin on January 7, 2012, and end with Super Bowl XLVI on February 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

This will be the second postseason that the modified playoff overtime rules will be in effect. Under these rules, instead of a straight sudden death, the game will not immediately end if the team that wins the coin toss only scores a field goal on its first possession (the game will end if they score a touchdown). Instead, the other team gets a possession. If the coin toss loser then scores a touchdown, it is declared the winner. If the score is tied after both teams had a possession, then it goes back to sudden death. It will be the first playoff appearance in the Houston Texans' history.

The Green Bay Packers currently hold the title as Super Bowl Champions after their 31–25 victory in Super Bowl XLV over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Thursday, 5 January 2012

BBC Learning Excercises - January

Wednesday, 4 January 2012

January... Cartoons!!

Tuesday, 3 January 2012

New York, New York!

"Theme from New York, New York" (or "New York, New York") is the theme song from the Martin Scorsese film New York, New York (1977), composed by John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb. It was written for and performed in the film by Liza Minnelli:

From New York, New York film (1977):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLeC9RvrKrU

In 1979, it was recorded by Frank Sinatra, for his album Trilogy: Past Present Future (1980), and has since become closely associated with him. He occasionally performed it live with Minnelli as a duet. Sinatra made two more studio recordings of the song in 1981 (for his NBC TV special The Man and His Music) and 1993 (for Capitol Records).

With lyrics:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-ZUXQuFcnw

NBC TV special The Man and His Music (1981):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV02nP9PLnQ

Monday, 2 January 2012

A Year of Global Uprisings

Year of Global Uprisings, from the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street: A Special Look Back at 2011
- Democracy Now!, January 02, 2012

- http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/2/year_of_global_uprisings_from_the

Sunday, 1 January 2012

Theme of New York, New York Lyrics

Start spreadin' (= communicating) the news, I'm leavin' today
I want to be a part of it
New York, New York
These vagabond (= that travel from place to place) shoes, are longing (= want very much) to stray (= move away from the place you should be)
Right through the very heart of it
New York, New York

I want to wake up in a city that doesn’t sleep
And find I'm king of the hill
Top of the heap (= a pile of things)

These little town blues, are melting away (= disappearing)
I'll make a brand (= completely) new start of it
In old New York
If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere
It's up to you, New York, New York!

New York, New York
I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps
And find I'm A number one, top of the list
King of the hill, A number one

These little town blues…