THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN / EL CARTEL DE HOLLYWOOD

Hi my dear friends. I think everybody knows The Hollywood Sign. It is so famous that people recognize it at once. Today we are going to know a bit more about this iconic symbol. I hope you'll like it!

Hola mis queridos amigos. Creo que todo el mundo conoce El Cartel de Hollywood. Es tan famoso que la gente lo reconoce enseguida. Hoy vamos a saber un poquito más sobre este icónico símbolo. ¡Espero que os guste!

Info: Speak Up magazine.

Photos: hollywoodsign.org  /  siempreconcectados.es  /  20minutos.es

AN ICONIC SYMBOL      /     THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN

Nothing says Hollywood better than the Hollywwod sign.  This iconic landmark is a symbol of fame and glamour. But believe ir or not, the concept behind the Hollywood sign wasn't to represent the Los Angeles film industry.

REAL ESTATE

The original sign was erected in 1923 to promote a new housing development in the Hollywood Hills.  It said "Hollywoodland", the name of the housing development, in gigantic letters.

The letters were fifty feet high and thirty feet wide, and had more than four thousand light bulbs that illuminated the sign at night.

THE END OF H

The developers wanted to remove the sign after eighteen months, but people loved it so much that they left it there. The letters soon began to deteriorate, and in the early 1940s, the sign's custodian, Albert Kothe, got drunk one night and drove his car into the letter H, destroying it.

SAVED BY THE PEOPLE

This could have been the beginning of the end of the sign.  The city then bought the land it was on and planned to remove it. But because of public pressure to save it, they only removed the "land" section, so it now read simply "Hollywood", and restored the remaining letters.

PLAYBOY CAMPAIGN

And then history repeated itself!  The sign again deteriorated, and by the 1960s, the first O was damaged, so it looked like a U and the last O had fallen over -so the sign now said "Hullywo d'!  This time, it was celebrities who saved the day, in particular the founder of Playboy magazine, Hugh Hefner, who organized a campaign to save it.

ONE LETTER EACH

Nine celebrities, including Hefner, rock star Alice Cooper and Italian movie producer Gianni Mazza, donated nearly $28,000 to replace one letter each.  And in 1978 the city revealed the sign that we see today, which has white metal letters on a concrete foundation.

SIGN OF THE TIMES

Today, the sign is protected by an advanced security system, but it's often been vandalised over the years. In 2017, firemen had to remove banners from two letters of the sign as a prankster had altered it to read "HOLLYWEED".

You can see the Hollywood Sign from various places in Los Angeles, and if you're feeling energetic, you can hike almost two miles and stand near it, for the perfect Hollywood selfie!

VOCABULARY 

-LANDMARK:  atracción.

-REAL ESTATE: inmobiliaria.

-HOUSING DEVELOPMENT:  complejo residencial.

-LIGHT BULBS:  bombillas.

-REMOVE:  retirar.

-SAVED THE DAY;  llegó al rescate.

-CONCRETE FOUNDATION:  cimientos de hormigón.

-TO HIKE:  hacer senderismo.

-PRANKSTER:  bromista.

SEE YOU MY FRIENDS!!!  KEEP SAFE AND HEALTHY!!!!

SPORT / VERTICAL RUNNING - DEPORTE / CARRERA VERTICAL.

Hi my dear friends, have you ever practiced vertical running ? It consists of a race but always up, the only way is up and Chicago (USA) is the capital of stair climbing or tower racing. This year this race has to be virtual because of the situation we are suffering but people can also participate from home as well.

Hola mis queridos amigos, ¿habéis practicado alguna vez carrera vertical? Consiste en una carrera pero siempre hacia arriba, el único camino es hacia arriba y Chicago en los Estados Unidos es la capital del ascenso por escaleras o carreras en diferentes torres. Este año esta carrera tiene que ser virtual a causa de la situación que estamos sufriendo pero la gente puede participar también desde casa igualmente.

Info:  from Speak Up magazine.

Photos: mprnews.org  /  givebackonmyfeet.org/  dailymail.org   /  skyrisechicago.org

VERTICAL RUNNING   -   THE ONLY WAY IS UP

Remember Sylvester Stallone up the steps outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the first Rocky film in 1976?  This iconic image was repeated in later Rocky movies. The way to go is up.

Stair climbing as a sport is relatively recent. It was initiated by runners' clubs whose members lived in big cities with big buildings.

TOWER RACING

Towe running is very powerful exercise and burns a lot of calories. Stairs are very steep, so the body has to contend with gravity. Running up stairs activates muscles that are not used in regular runs. Stair runners love to tell stories about marathon runners who couldn't handle the pace of a vertical race. In any case, vertical races are often held for charity so the pain is for a good cause. So how do you train for these races? With difficulty, as the high buildings are usually private.

CHICAGO, CHICAGO!

Chicago has a great selection of skyscrapers, best seen from the river on an architectural boat tour.  The city's impressive John Hancock Tower is climbed for the "Hustle up the Hancock" charity race. 

Another big event in the tower running calendar is the "SkyRise" race up the Willis Tower in November.

The Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower), is the second of the tallest building in the US, and one of the tallest in the world.  Its 110 stories occupy so much space -over 100 football fields- that the Tower has its own zip code.  With its characteristic antenna tip, the Willis Tower is 527 metres high.

SkyRise runners finish the race at 412 metres, on the glass decks of the "Skydeck" on the 103rd floor.

IN TOP PHYSICAL CONDITION

A tower racer is an athlete who specializes in running up the stairs of very tall buildings.  The altitude starts to play a factor because the atmosphere and the air level change.  For the most part of the race it is an enclosed stairway so you get a lot of  stale air cause there are a lot of people doing it too.

There are thousands of people running up and down, sweating and breathing and the temperature of the body gets warmer. 

The attraction of this sport is the thrill itself. It is something new and not comercialized. It is very competitive. If you really get at it, 13, 14 minutes, but your heart is racing that whole time, like that's a full-body exertion, it's a lot more aggressive than a natural run. Like just about any athlete of any kind runs but not many of them run stairs. 

You must be in top physical condition because it is a vigorous and treacherous route but you get that thrill of overexertion, full exertion!

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VOCABULARY

-TO CONTEND WITH:  luchar contra.

-TO HANDLE: manejar.

-PACE: ritmo.

-CHARITY: organización benéfica.

-TO HUSTLE UP: subir deprisa.

-STALE AIR:  aire viciado.

-TO SWEAT:  sudar.

-THRILL:  emoción.

-IF YOU REALLY GET AT IT:  si lo hace a tope.

-EXERTION:  esfuerzo.

EXERCISE.

Write the correct word in the gaps.  The first letter and a description are given in brackets to help you.

a) Tower running involves racing to the top of  s_____________(high-rise buildings)

b) It takes place in an enclosed   s____________(stairway) so the air can get stale.

c) It is a very  v_____________(energetic)  sport that raises body temperatures.

d) Tower running gets your heart  r__________(beating fast)  the whole time.

e)   It follows a more  t__________(hazardous)  route than a normal, natural run.

TOWER RUNNING AROUND THE WORLD

**The international website  www.towerrunning.com  has a list of all upcoming races in the world.

** www.stairsport.com  is the main United States site, with a corresponding facebook group.

** www.towerrunninguk.com  is the United Kingdom equivalent.

                        

SOLUTION TO THE EXERCISE.

a) skyscrapers   b) stairwell  c) vigorous  d) racing  e) treacherous

SEE YOU!!!

LIFESTYLES / SLOGANS - ESTILOS DE VIDA / ESLOGANS - WORLD / EL MUNDO.

Hi my dear friends, today we are going to see different curious and common things that we usually do or see or read and we don't realize at a first sight.  It is a mix of things!I hope you'll like the post!

Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy vamos a ver cosas curiosas y comunes que solemos hacer, ver o leer y de las que no nos damos cuenta a primera vista.  Es una mezcla de cosas ¡Espero que os guste la publicación!

Info: Speak Up magazine.

Photos: elcomercio.es  /  psiconet.es  /  petardosgranada.es  /  elnortedecastilla.es

WORLD  /  LIFESTYLES

Smartphone technology has removed the pleasure of boredom and the gift of patience. Even if we want to, it is no longer possible to get bored, not even if we are standing in a queue.  All you need to do is taken out your smartphone and check your email, go on Facebook, or some other website, or play some unbelievably pointless game.  Carolyn Gregoire of the Huffington Post has drawn up a list of nine alternative things for us to do in a queue...WITHOUT OUR SMARTPHONES.

1 Smile at a stranger.

2 Practise meditation, clearing your thoughts and directing your full awareness to the visual and auditory stimuli in your present environment.

3 Let someone who's in a rush cut in front of you.

4 Make a mental list of things you're grateful for.

5 Take some deep breaths.

6 Silently repeat a mantra for inner peace.

7 Daydream.

8 Send a kind thought to someone you love.

9 Read a book.

VOCABULARY

-BOREDOM: aburrimiento.

-GIFT: regalo, don.

-POINTLESS: sin sentido.

-TO DRAW UP: elaborar.

-AWARENESS: conciencia.

-IN A RUSH: con prisa.

-CUT IN FRONT OF YOU: pasar delante de ti.

-INNER: interior.

-TO DAYDREAM: soñar despierto.

ADVERTISING  /  HONEST SLOGANS

And what if the slogans of famous brands were honest?  It would be a disaster for their manufacturers!

According to the Internet, the best slogan for Lego would be:  "The bane of your foot's existence."

This is because parents (and children) constantly step on little Lego pieces... and it hurst!!! 

VOCABULARY

-THE BANE:  el calvario.

-TO HURT: doler.

                      

                                          

HUMOUR  /  CHRISTMAS CRACKERS

The British are great fans of Christmas crackers. An important part of pulling the cracker is discovering the joke inside, which is usually both short and bad!  Here are some examples:

1 How do snowmen get around?   They ride an icicle! (rima con bicycle)

2 What did Santa say to his wife when he looked outside?  Looks like reindeer! (se parece a rain dear)

3 What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?  Frostbite! 

4 What do English teachers call Santa's helpers?  Subordinate Clauses!

VOCABULARY

-CRACKER: petardo.

-TO PULL:  tirar

-ICICLE: carámbano.

-REINDEER: reno

-FROSTBITE: congelación.

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Now, are you good at crosswords?  Here you can read the definitions and you have to guess the word.

1 Man who has never been married. Also a degree ________

2 Farming event celebrated in the US at Thanksgiving ________

3 Acronym signifying "to be arranged" or "to be agreed" ________

4 Adverb/interjection used in polite requests _________

5 "Planet of the ____" popular 1968 film remade in 2001 ________

6 Adjective meaning the opposite of closed  ________

7 Time of the day when the sun falls below the horizon  _______

8 Old-fashioned way of saying "yes"   _________

9 Cornmeal slow-cooked into a creamy porridge  __________

10 Adjective meaning "possessing a higher education" __________

11 Cephalopod with a soft body and eight tentacles _______

12 "Bohemian ________" 1975 hit single by rock band Queen.

13 Breed of shepherd dog used in police work  _________

14 Gemstone and nickname for Ireland ____________

15 Discount retail store of out-of-season brands ____________

16 Organization of Petroleum-Exporting Countries __________

17 Verb: lower and raise the head in agreement ___________.

18 Place where drinks are served over a counter _______

19 Soft or solid dairy product, made from milk curd _______

20 Electronic System for TRavel Authorization _________

NEWS THAT INSPIRES

**Imagining what is is like to be someone other than yourself at the core of our humanity.  It is the essence of compassion, and it is the beginning of morality.  (Ian McEwan)

**In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it   (Marianne Williamson)

VOCABULARY

-CORE: núcleo, centro.

-WOUND: herida.

-TO HEAL: curar.

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SOLUTIONS TO THE DEFINITIONS.

1 bachelor   2 harvest   3 TBA   4 please   5 apes   6 open   7 sunset   8 yea   9 polenta   10 educated

11 octopus   12 rhapsody   13 alsatian   14 emerald   15 outlet   16 OPEC   17 nod   18 bar   19 cheese

20 ESTA

HAVE A NICE DAY!

BRITISH HUMOUR - JOKES / HUMOR BRITÁNICO - CHISTES.

Hi my dear friends, today we are going to speak about jokes, British jokes, dark humour, etc. Humour is not the same everywhere and the way of understanding it,  it's not the same as well.

Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy vamos a hablar de chistes, chistes británicos, humor negro, etc.  El humor no es el mismo en todas partes y la forma de entenderlo tampoco es igual. 

Info: from Speak up magazine.

Photos: dailymail.co.uk / teacherluke.co.uk / tvtropes.org / pinterest.es / britjokes.altervista.org

                                        

HUMOUR  -  DARK HUMOUR  -  BRITISH HUMOUR

Experts say that laughing is an ability that is specific to human beings.  No other aninal does it.  So why do we?

THE PURPOSE OF LAUGHTER

For most people. laughing is a way of showing we are happy, we usually laugh with other people present, and it helps relax the atmosphere.  Antoher reason for laughter is that it helps us deal with the sensitive area of social morality, or situations which are normally serious, like death, disease or war. This is where humour sometimes gets "dark".

THE ORIGINIS OF DARK HUMOUR

Dark humour is probably as old as human communication itself. One of the first modern examples in English is in the writings of Jonathan Swift.  In "A Modest Proposal" (1729) Swift suggests that poor people sell their children as food to the rich. His intention was to make fun of simple suggestions for solving problems such as poverty or overpopulation.

INDIVIDUAL EXAMPLES

There are several individuals who decided to use humour when faced with their own death. Murderer William Palmer looked at the door under the gallows before his execution in 1855 and asked, "Are you sure that's safe?"  Writer Oscar Wilde's last words, as he was dying in a cheap hotel, were "Either that wallpaper goes or I will".  Humourist Spike Milligan had the words "I told you I was ill" (in Irish) written on his gravestone.

ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTIONS

It is a mystery where some dark humour comes from. Nobody knows who wrote this: "We are born naked, wet and hungry. Then things get worse. "Or how about this piece of graffiti to make you feel depressed: "Life is a sexually transmitted disease, and it's 100 per cent fatal."

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL?

Surprisingly, dark humour can sometimes provide a more positive conclusion to a grim topic. This is what Dorothy Parker wrote in 1925 on the subject of suicide:

Razors pain you;

rivers are damp;

acids stain you;

and drugs cause cramp;

nooses give;

gas smells awful;

you might as well live.

SOME OTHER JOKES!!

THE HUNTERS

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing. The other man takes out his phone and calls the emergency services. He says: "My friend is dead! What can I do?"  The operator says: "Calm down. I can help. First, make sure he's dead."  There is a silence, then a gunshot is heard. Back on the phone, the man says, "OK, now what?"

BLOOD TEST

Two children, Johnny and Alex, were sitting outside a clinic. Alex was crying.

Johnny: "Why are you crying?"

Alex: "I came here for a blood test"

Johnny: "So? Are you afraid?"

Alex: "No, but for the blood test, they cut my finger!"

After hearing this, Johnny started crying, making Alex feel surprised as well as curious, and Alex asked: "Why are you crying now?"

Johnny: "I came for an urine test!"

THE FUNERAL

A funeral service is held for a woman who just passed away. As the pallbearers carry the casket out, they accidentally bump into a wall. They hear a faint moan. They open the casket and find that the woman is still alive. She lives for 10 more years and then dies. At the end of the service, the pallbearers carry out the casket. As they ar walking, the husband cries out, "Watch out for the wall!"

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VOCABULARY WORDS

-COFFIN: féretro, ataud.

-TO LAUGH: reir.

-SENSITIVE: delicado.

-DISEASE: enfermedad.

-FALLOWS: patíbulo.

-WALLPAPER: papel pintado.

-GRAVESTONE: lápida.

-GRIM: triste.

-RAZOR: navaja.

-DAMP: húmedo.

-TO STAIN: manchar.

-CRAMP: rampa-

-LAWFUL: legal.

-NOOSES FIVE;  se desatan los lazos.

-AWFUL: horrible.

-TO COLLAPSE:  desplomarse.

-PALLBEARER:  portador del féretro.

-CASKET: féretro.

-FAINT: débil.

-MOAN:  gemido.

WATCH OUT:  ¡cuidado!

SEE YOU MY FRIENDS!