The 85th Academy Awards

The most important annual celebrity event in Show Biz takes place in Los Angeles. It's Oscar Night, that dazzling evening when the prestigious Academy Awards are presented for the best achievements of the year in motion pictures. The 85th Annual Academy Awards was presented yesterday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre, in Hollywood, California, formely known as the Kodak Theatre. The host was Seth MacFarlane.

The first Academy Awards were held on May 16, 1929 at Hollywood's Roosevelt Hotel.

The Chinese Theatre which is rich in movie tradition, with its cement handprints and footprints in the forecourt, opened in 1927 and hosted the ceremony of the Oscars from 1944 to 1946. 

After moving the ceremony to many different places, a new, permanent home for the Oscars was built, and it returned the Oscars to downtown Hollywood where they started. Since its opening, the Kodak Theatre has been the home of the annual Academy Awards Ceremonies since 2002. Kodak paid a large amount of money for the naming of the theatre but since it went bankrupt in January 2012, the Group who owns the building renamed it ‘Hollywood & Highland Center’ during last year’s Academy Awards.

 

The Oscar was named by Margaret Herrick, the Academy librarian, who remarked in 1931 (upon seeing the statuettes), "Why it looks like my Uncle Oscar!" Her uncle's full name, by the way, was Oscar Pierce.

"Titanic" and "All About Eve" are the two most nominated films in Oscar history with 14 nominations each. 'Titanic' went on to win 11 of those awards.
The three movies that won the most Oscars were:


Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003), Titanic (1997) and Ben-Hur (1959). All three movies won 11 statuettes.


Second place is held by West Side Story, which won ten Oscars.

The actress with the most Academy Awards for Best Actress is Katharine Hepburn, who won four of the golden statuettes in 1932, 1967, 1968 and 1981.
The title for the most Best Actor awards, though, is shared by seven different actors: Spencer Tracy, Gary Cooper, Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Fredric March, Dustin Hoffman and Tom Hanks who each won two Oscars.





The actor with the most total Oscar nominations is Jack Nicholson, who was nominated 12 times (winning three times - twice for Best Actor and once for Best Supporting Actor.)

Meryl Streep holds the record for the most total Oscar nominations, with 16 nominations and winning twice.

The 85th Academy Awards

Best Picture

Argo

Actor in a Leading Role

Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln

Actor in a Supporting 

Christoph Walz in Django Unchained

Actress in a Leading Role

Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook

Actress in a Supporting Role

Anne Hathaway in Les Misérables

Best Director

Ang Lee in Life of Pi


Best Original Song
Adele in Skyfall

Idioms (2)

www.clever-pants.com

e-mail: portugal@clever-pants.com

This month’s idioms are based on some of our favourite foods. How many do you know?

idiom (n): an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made

Pie 

It's as easy as pie

If something is as easy as pie, it is very, very easy!

"Learning how to ride a bike is as easy as pie!"

To have a finger in many pies

If you have a finger in many pies, you are involved in a lot of different things.

"He's always busy doing something. He has his fingers in many pies."

Tea

It's not my cup of tea

If something isn't your cup of tea, it's something you don't like or aren't interested in.

"I know opera is very popular, but it's really not my cup of tea."

It's as useful as a chocolate teapot

If something is as useful as a chocolate teapot, it is totally useless!

"At the beach this summer we only had factor 5 suncream, which was about as useful as a chocolate teapot!"

Beans

To be full of beans

If you are full of beans, you have lots of energy.

"The children are full of beans in the morning, but they always need a little sleep by the middle of the afternoon."

To spill the beans

To spill the beans is to tell someone about something, especially something you shouldn't tell someone about.

"We spent ages planning Kate's surprise party, but John spilled the beans and mentioned it to her the day before!"

Fruit

To go bananas

To go bananas is to go completely crazy.

"When they told the children about the JustinBieber concert, they went bananas!"

It's a case of sour grapes 

A case of sour grapes is when someone reacts to someone else's good news in a jealous way.

"Jennifer thinks she didn't get the job because she's a woman, but I think it's just a case of sourgrapes."

© Clever Pants 2012

www.clever-pants.com

Quotes with humor

Air Force One

No dia 18 de fevereiro celebra-se o dia dos presidentes nos EUA.

Lê aqui sobre alguns presidentes americanos.

Informa-te mais sobre este dia.

Air Force One

Air Force One é o nome de código dado a qualquer avião, que transporte o presidente dos Estados Unidos. No entanto, a maioria das pessoas liga aquela denominação ao símbolo do poder e prestígio americanos, assim como a Casa Branca ou a Estátua da Liberdade. 

O primeiro presidente a usar um avião especial e privado nos atos presidenciais foi Franklin D. Roosevelt, em 1943. Depois, o Boeing 707, que serviu os presidentes Dwight Eisenhower a George H. W. Bush foi substituído pelo Boeing 747, em 1990. No entanto, tem muitas transformações, tornando-o bastante diferente dos aviões comerciais, por exemplo: pode ser reabastecido no ar e tem mais autonomia, podendo voar directamente de Washington a Tóquio; e existem cerca de 87 telefones a bordo, que podem por o presidente em ligação com qualquer pessoa no mundo. Transporta 26 membros de tripulação e 76 passageiros. A suite presidencial tem casa de banho com duche e ao lado uma mini clínica com tudo o que é essencial para fazer face a casos de emergência. Perto desta área fica o escritório do presidente, o compartimento do pessoal que trabalha diretamente com ele, uma sala de conferências, sala de trabalho com computadores e o gabinete dos serviços secretos. 

Foi o presidente Kennedy, quem autorizou que o nome Air Force One (usado pelos serviços secretos encarregados de proteger os presidentes), fosse tornado público. Custa mais de 40,000 dólares por hora viajar neste avião especial. 

A ocasião mais dramática vivida a bordo do Air Force One foi o momento em que o presidente Lyndon Johnson fez o juramento de tomada de posse como Presidente da República, ao lado da viúva do Presidente Kennedy, após o assassinato deste último no Texas (1963), durante a viagem de regresso a Washington.

Outro momento dramático registou-se em 11 de Setembro de 2001, o dia dos atentados terroristas em Nova Iorque, quando o presidente George W. Bush foi obrigado a utilizar o Air Force One, como refúgio e centro mais importante da presidência, para manter as comunicações com a capital entre a Florida ( região que visitava naquela data) e o estado do Louisiana, onde existia uma base aérea bem equipada, porque a residência oficial, a famosa Casa Branca poderia ser alvo de ataque terrorista. 

Referência:

Walsh, Kenneth T. Air Force One. A History of The Presidents and Their Planes. 1st edition. New York, Hyperion, 2003


Take a look at President Obama's plane in pictures - Air Force One: The Traveling White House.

Valentine´s Day Cake

1 scant cup sugar

6 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 large egg whites

1 1/8 cups all purpose flour, sifted

Butter for the pan

Beat the sugar and the egg yolks together until they are very pale in colour; mix in the vanilla. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Delicately fold them into the egg mixture, turning it over from the bottom to the top. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture. When it is incorporated pour the batter into the heart-shaped pan. Bake until the cake is golden and has begun to pull away from the sides of the pan. When it is cold cover with a custard sauce:

2 cups milk

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

6 egg yolks

1 scant cup sugar

4 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour.

Bring the milk to the boiling point, add the vanilla and remove from the heat. In a large bowl beat the egg yolks together with the sugar until the mixture is pale, then add the flour. Very slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and stir constantly- do not let it boil. Remove from the heat and let it cool. Drop it over the cake and decorate with raspberries.

Note: You can cook the cake in two pans and use the cream and raspberries in the middle, too.

Don´t forget to butter and flour the pan in advance.

Bon appetit!

The first time I tried this recipe

Can you guess how cold it was outside?

This cold

and now a Valentine´s Day dinner table

Happy Valentine´s Day!

Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras is the French word for Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday.

Wearing masks and costumes, dancing and participating in parades are all part of the Mardi Gras tradition. In England this day is also called Pancake Day. 

Mardi Gras arrived in the USA as a French tradition in the 17th century. In New Orleans, the capital of Louisiana, this tradition expanded to the point of becoming one of the city´s major attractions. In the other states Mardi Gras (also referred to as Carnival) is not usually celebrated.

Charleston Time

Back in 1976 when I won first prize at Sheraton Hotel Funchal 

(Charleston Time)

Gun salutes mark Queen's 61-year rule

Members of The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, fire a gun salute in Hyde Park, London, to mark the 61st anniversary of The Queen's Accession on 6th  February 2013.

Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) uma das mais importantes personalidades políticas mundiais do século XX, liderou as campanhas de contestação política e social de não violência, que levaram à independência da Índia do domínio britânico e inspiraram ativistas em todo o mundo como Martin Luther King (1929-1968) e Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) 

Nasceu no seio de uma família hindu, na cidade de Portbandar, do estado indiano de Gujarat, situado no noroeste da Índia. Recebeu o nome de Mohandas Karamchand Ghandi. Ali passou a infância e foi à escola pela primeira vez. Aos sete anos a família mudou-se para Rajkot, situada naquela mesma região, pois o pai fazia parte da corte local. Teve então as primeiras noções de tolerância, face ao convívio das duas principais religiões do subcontinente indiano: a hindu e a muçulmana. Aos treze anos arranjaram-lhe noiva e casou como era costume na sua comunidade. 

Na escola secundária, influenciado por um amigo, que lhe dizia que os indianos eram um povo fraco, pois não se alimentavam de carne, exemplificando que os ingleses eram fortes e capazes de os governar porque a comiam, Gandhi decidiu provar alguns petiscos com aquele alimento. Apesar de ter gostado, o remorso de estar a mentir aos pais levou-o a abandonar esta tentação. 

Com o consentimento da mãe, a qual acreditava que os jovens perdiam a moralidade em Inglaterra e, após prometer-lhe nunca tocar em carne ou vinho, inscreveu-se, em 1888, no curso de Direito em Londres, deixando a mulher e um filho ainda bébé. Gandhi transforma-se num verdadeiro “gentleman” usando fatos à moda ocidental e chapéu. Aprendeu também a dançar, a tocar piano e teve lições de dicção.

Em 1891, regressou à India e em Bombaim familiarizou-se com as leis indianas, regressando a Rajkot onde tentou trabalhar como advogado. Em 1893, recebeu uma oferta de emprego na África do Sul e aceitou-a. Aqui conheceu o racismo, num episódio que descreve na sua autobiografia ”A minha vida”, quando lhe é recusado o lugar na 1ª classe do comboio onde viajava e mais tarde num hotel em Johannesburg. Contudo, os seus negócios continuaram a prosperar. Apesar de tanto na guerra dos Boers (1899) como na insurreição dos Zulus (1906) Gandhi ter demonstrado lealdade ao Império Britânico ao formar uma unidade de paramédicos indianos, era visto no seu país natal como porta-voz da minoria indiana na Àfrica do Sul. Mahatma Ghandi viveu 21 anos neste país africano, onde as suas ideias políticas e sociais amadureceram e, pela primeira vez, se expressaram publicamente na contestação ao racismo, já então prevalecente no governo e na administração sul-africanas. 

Iniciou um regime alimentar sem sal e sem farináceos pois acreditava que a renúncia voluntária era boa para a alma e para se empenhar ao serviço da comunidade teria de libertar-se de tudo o que fosse supérfluo, decidindo ter uma vida pobre e casta. 

Gandhi começou a designar o movimento indiano por Satyagraha, que significa “a força que emerge da verdade, do amor e da não-violência.” Em 1907, foi preso por ter organizado um boicote contra o registo de indianos, pois este previa que de futuro quem não fosse portador de uma certidão de registo poderia ser preso e extraditado.

No Verão de 1914, depois de mais de duas décadas na África do Sul, regressa à Índia. Trata-se já de uma personalidade muito conhecida e respeitada pela forma como liderou as lutas políticas e sociais indianas naquele país africano.

 Recebeu o apoio de muitos simpatizantes, incluindo a do poeta Rabindranath Tagore (galardoado com o prémio Nobel da literatura em 1913). Adere ao Partido do Congresso, que lutava pela independência do seu país do jugo britânico. 

A primeira atitude política de desobediência civil por parte de Gandhi e dos seus adeptos, ocorre em 1930, quando se opõe à lei da gabela, imposto muito impopular, que dá ao governo um lucro exorbitante sobre a produção de sal, iniciando ele próprio o fabrico de sal com a água do mar, após uma longa marcha. 

Promoveu a velha indústria doméstica do chakhra (roca), que costumava empregar milhares de tecelões, os quais ficaram sem trabalho devido à concorrência dos tecidos fabricados em Manchester, Inglaterra.

Assim, prometeu só usar roupa fiada manualmente (Khadi). Lutou até ao fim pela independência da Índia, alcançada no dia 15 de agosto de 1947. 


No ano seguinte em 30 de Janeiro, enquanto se preparava para dirigir as orações, Ghandi foi assassinado por um fanático hindu. 

Referências:

Arp, Susmita. Mahatma Gandhi. Expresso 2011

Gandhi, Mahatma. História da minha vida (ou as minhas experiências com a Verdade). Atlante. Lisboa 1943

Fado Singers in the 21st Century. Fado Revisited in Several Biographies

Just a year after FADO was recognized as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, Rui Martins Ferreira published a new book: Fadistas no século XXI. O Fado Revisitado em Biografias Várias (Fado Singers in the 21^st  Century. Fado Revisited in Several Biographies). In addition to many interesting sketches on Fado, the new book is also richly illustrated by a number of photographs taken by João Vasco, who is also a teacher.

Rui Ferreira, besides being a writer and a teacher of Portuguese, is also a talented fado singer and so it was great to see him discuss that wonderful genre on January 31 as he and João Vasco presented their new book at EB 2, 3 Paula Vicente.

Fado is that unique style of music that is very much part of   Portuguese identity. For years it has helped promoting our culture abroad, such as our instruments, talented musicians and beautiful poetry. Fado and the new wave of singers - without of course forgetting the great contribution of Amália Rodrigues - were all depicted in Rui’s exciting presentation.

Afterwards, we heard fado… It was indeed a great moment to listen to Rui’s powerful voice, singing a wonderful repertoire of many well known songs. However, there was surprise reserved as he sang “Medo” for the first time, as he promised the singers, Anabela and Vanessa, (from La Féria´s Musical “ Uma noite em casa de Amália”-An evening at Amalia´s place) that he would sing it at our school. The concert then ended with one of my favourite fados, Barco Negro!

After such a good time, I must admit that it was fantastic to witness our library become a fado venue. The authors signed several copies of their books and the audience could not help to try some of the other popular delicacies that go so well with a fado tune: delicious cod cakes! Overall, it is moments like these that make me so proud of our wonderfully unique culture.

Thanks, Rui!

Lisboa vista por Elizabeth McGovern

A atriz, que desempenha o papel de Cora na série Downton Abbey gostou muito de Lisboa e fez um mini-roteiro para o Telegraph sobre a nossa cidade.

in Time Out Lisboa, 31.01.13

Is English hard to learn?

Pride and Prejudice: 200th anniversary

The novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen was first published on 28th January 1813.

According to the BBC, only in the UK, 50 000 copies of the novel are sold annually. The success story of the novel, which is set in rural England at the beginning of the XIX century, is undoubtedly due to its strong characters, like proud Mr Darcy and romantic Elizabeth Bennet… 

The novel was adapted several times to cinema and TV. In 1995, the BBC’s adaptation which was enacted by Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle did also much to popularize Pride and Prejudice.

Jane Austen (1775 - 1817)

Jane Austen was an English novelist whose books, set among the English middle and upper classes, are notable for their wit, social observation and insights into the lives of early 19th century women.


Jane Austen was born on 16 December 1775 in the village of Steventon in Hampshire. She was one of eight children of a clergyman and grew up in a close-knit family. She began to write as a teenager. In 1801 the family moved to Bath. After the death of Jane's father in 1805 Jane, her sister Cassandra and their mother moved several times eventually settling in Chawton, near Steventon.


Jane's brother Henry helped her negotiate with a publisher and her first novel, 'Sense and Sensibility', appeared in 1811. Her next novel 'Pride and Prejudice', which she described as her "own darling child" received highly favourable reviews. 'Mansfield Park' was published in 1814, then 'Emma' in 1816. 'Emma' was dedicated to the prince regent, an admirer of her work. All of Jane Austen's novels were published anonymously.


In 1816, Jane began to suffer from ill-health, probably due to Addison's disease. She travelled to Winchester to receive treatment, and died there on 18 July 1817. Two more novels, 'Persuasion' and 'Northanger Abbey' were published posthumously and a final novel was left incomplete.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/austen_jane.shtml

Australia

Australia is the biggest island in the world. It is is not included in the list of the largest islands because it  is defined as a continent rather than an island (then the answer would be Greenland). It is both a country and a continent that is low and flat (only 5% of the land is above 600 metres). Most of the country is hot and dry, especially in the centre that is called outback. In some parts it sometimes doesn´t rain for years. Few people live in these areas, but there are large sheep and cattle farms called stations (Australia produces 25 % of the world´s wool – there are around 10 sheep per person). Alice Springs is the largest outback town. Most people live in the south and south-east parts of the country, in the large cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, where the summers are warm and the winters not too cold.

The capital is Canberra- an Aboriginal word meaning “meeting place”. It is the newest city of all.
Although Australia is a big country, almost as big as the USA, the population of Australia is only about 17 million.

The Aborigines

The first people in Australia were the Aborigines, a name given by British to people they found there, when captain James Cook landed on the east coast in 1770. They also demanded the land for Britain and soon began sending convicts to the new country.

Australia Day is on 26 January. It is an official holiday  celebrating national pride and culture.

Strange and beautiful

Uluru or Ayres Rock

It is an enormous rock (3 km long and 348 metres high) 600 million years old. The best time to see it is at the end of the day, when its colour changes from yellow to gold, red and then purple.

The Great Barrier Reef

It is the world´s longest coral reef.

  

Alice Springs Boat Race

The “boatsmen” stand inside the boats and carry them as they run along the dry river.

 Animals

The kangaroo is one Australian animal that everybody knows. It can jump more than 4 metres and travel at 70km an hour.

Koalas drink almost nothing. The word itself means “no water”. They live in eucalyptus trees, sleep for 18 hours, and eat one kilo of leaves every day.

In the seas and rivers of northern Australia we can find crocodiles that are 6 metres long. They eat fish, kangaroos…and sometimes people.

Idioms (1)

idiom (n): an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made

  

There’s no business like show business...

Idioms related to the world of theatre…

The show must go on!

Something you say when everything is going wrong but you have to carry on regardless.

“Our lunch guests arrived and we had burnt the food and dropped the bottle of wine. But hey, the show must go on! We made some sandwiches

and turned it into a picnic!”

Break a leg!

Saying “good luck” to somebody before they perform on stage is considered bad luck! Instead we say “break a leg!”.

“I hope your performance in Romeo and Juliet goes well. Break a leg!”

The show isn’t over until the fat lady sings!

Something you say when something seems like it is going to happen one way, but there’s still a small possibility of it happening differently.

“There are only ten minutes left to go in the game,and Chelsea are winning 2-1, but the show isn’t over until the fat lady sings! Anything could happen!”

Set the stage (for something)

When one thing provides context or prepares you for something else, we say that it sets the stage.

“The first meeting really set the stage for the discussions we had at the last meeting.”

Be/Take centre stage

If something or somebody takes centre stage they become the main focus of attention.

“A new collection of electric cars will take centre stage at next month’s exhibition of new technology.”

(to be) In the spotlight

To be the centre of attention.

“Celebrities complain about the disadvantages of fame and their lack of privacy, but I think they just love being in the spotlight!”

A drama queen!

If someone is a drama queen, they love making a mountain out of a molehill and being the one in the spotlight.

 “She wouldn’t leave the house just because it was raining a little. She’s such a drama queen!”.

References:

information taken from

Clever-Pants Newsletter January 2013

translate them into

Marco Cianfanelli´s monument to Mandela

South african artist Marco Cianfanelli, who was born in 1970, in Johannesburg, has constructed a monument to recognize the 50 year anniversary of peace activist and politician Nelson Mandela's capture by the apartheid police in 1962. The sculpture consists of 50 steel columns which represent the 50 years since his capture, but they also suggest the idea of many making the whole.The shape and form of the sculpture are also representative of the leader's 27 years behind bars for his efforts to bring equal rights and governmental representation to the once racially divided nation. The front of the sculpture is a portrait of Mandela. 

The statue was erected in the countryside , in Howick, a town located 90 kilometers south from the city of Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

President Obama: Swearing-in Ceremony

Barack Obama took the Oath of Office for his second term as President of the United States 

President Barack Obama issued a call to unity in his second inaugural address, urging the nation to move past the divisions that marked the last four years in politics and told the thousands of people attending the ceremony that “our journey is not complete” .

Today's ceremonies coincided with the federal holiday honouring Martin Luther King, Jr. Obama used one of King's Bibles during today's inauguration.

Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) foi um dos mais importantes ativistas do movimento dos direitos civis dos negros nos Estados Unidos da América (EUA). Constitui uma figura muito relevante na história do seu país e um símbolo mundial contra o racismo e da igualdade de direitos.

Em 1947, foi ordenado pastor batista. No início da sua carreira, em 1955, liderou o boicote aos autocarros de Montgomery (cidade do estado do Alabama, no sul dos EUA) para protestar contra a segregação racial existente nos transportes públicos, conseguindo alcançar projecção nacional para um incidente, que se registara naquela localidade. Tudo começara quando Rosa Parks, uma costureira negra de 42 anos, se recusou a ceder o seu lugar no autocarro a um passageiro branco: “estou cansada e doem-me os pés” disse ao motorista, o qual chamou a polícia, que a levou presa. Imediatamente a notícia percorreu a cidade. O boicote, que durou de 1 de dezembro de 1955 a 21 de dezembro de 1956, foi um sucesso. King salientou, de forma enfática junto da opinião pública americana, que nenhum negro entrou num autocarro. Conseguiu sair vitorioso, ao ser decretada a ilegalidade da segregação racial nos transportes. Contudo, a sua vida foi ameaçada diversas vezes e a sua casa atacada. 

Em 1957, fundou a SCLP (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) composta essencialmente por comunidades negras ligadas a igrejas batistas e tornou-se o seu primeiro presidente. Era apologista dos ideais pacifistas do grande patriota indiano Mahatma Gandhi, cuja enorme capacidade de mobilização das populações em manifestações e protestos pacíficos muito contribuíram para a independência da Índia. Em 1963, organiza uma grande manifestação em Washington (conhecida como March on Washington), durante a qual profere o seu célebre discurso “I have a dream”, a partir do monumento à memória do Presidente Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), perante uma enorme multidão. Em 1963, recebe o Prémio Nobel da Paz pelo combate à desigualdade racial através da não-violência.

Man of the year 1964

Muitos dos seus ideais como a igualdade dos direitos civis e o combate à pobreza das populações negras americanas foram alcançados durante o mandato do presidente Lyndon Johnson (1963-69). Todavia, continuou a contestar a participação dos EUA na guerra do Vietnam.

Martin Luther King foi assassinado em 4 de abril de 1968, em Memphis, Tennessee. 

O dia do nascimento de Martin Luther King, Jr. foi declarado feriado nacional pelo Congresso dos EUA e celebrou-se pela primeira vez em 1986. Hoje em dia, comemora-se na terceira segunda-feira de janeiro.