Amelia and the animals

Yep. I've chosen again an article that talks about photography. And also, I really love animals. So I found it, and I couldn't miss that. I needed to show this immediately. 

This article talks about the story of Robin Schwartz, one special photographer. She took her first photograph of an animal at ten years old. She really like animal's world. She cannot survive without animals. 

Her assistant on the shoots is her thirteen-year-old daughter, Amelia, who is also the subject of Schwartz’s body of work “Amelia’s World,” a magical portrait stretching over eleven years, where Amelia appears with a lot of different animals—the largest is an elephant and the smallest is a Cotton-Top Tamarin. Schwartz is a professor of photography at William Paterson University, in New Jersey. In this article, she answers an interview, so there is a lot of information reallly interesting.

My favorite ones:

New words:

• Brief
• Motherhood
• Fleeting

Annie Leibovitz's celebrity Disney dream portraits

As you may know, I'm in love with photography. It's not just capturing pictures what I like... I really love editing that shots with my PC. So the editing work with this amazing photographs, taken by Annie Leibovitz, and her original ideas just attracted my attention.

Well, that short article talks about Annie Leibovitz's photos. She has been capturing pictures of some celebrities representing some Disney characters, as a part of her collection of Disney Dream Portraits. A photo of Jessica Chastain as the princess Merida from the film “Brave” has been her latest addition to her original collection. Along the article, it explains more curiosities about her work.

My favorite pics are:

Taylor Swift as Rapunzel

Russell Brand as Captain Hook

New words:

• Slippers
•  Renditions

Russia turns blind eye to homophobic violence

That piece of news talk about the fact that Russia turns blind eye to homophobic violence. So that doesn't complains with many human rights; The freedom and equality right, the legal recognition right, the legal equality right and the social security right. Along the video, some victims of different homophobic crimes explain their horrible experiences. It's awful, and the images are so hard and disturbing. The existence of that type of people, which humiliate and torture lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and activists, is not the worst. The worst of all, is that the Russian government are not doing nothing about it, and that it's laws are so homophobic.

Well, Spain turns blind eye to homophobia too. Not at that level, but there is also too much homophobia in our country. Mostly at the little towns.

All that homophobia should be stopped. Immediately. 

New words:

• Bruises
• Rape
• Swelling

Disney Princesses with Realistic Hair

I know that maybe this article is too short, but I think that's worth it. It talks about an artist that re-imagined Disney Princesses with realistic hair.

 I remember that when I was little, my mother took some photos of me at the beach. I was really excited, because in my mind, I was like the Little Mermaid Ariel. With my hair roughed by the air. Well... few weeks after coming back from our holidays at the beach, my mother developed the photos. And yes, I was there, with a perfect mermaid position at the beach, but covered by the sand, and with my wet hair fixed against my cheeks. It was so disappointing.

So, when I found this article, I decided to talk about it in my blog. My favorite one is the Little Mermaid with her wet hair. But also, I really liked the Snow-white's one. I've got curly hair, so I perfectly understand her situation. 

Finding Peace in Nature

This article talks about the photographer Elizabeth Gadd who captures the beauty of getting lost in nature. Moreover it's an interview where the young lady explains what inspires her work, how does shooting in nature affect her photos or even what she hopes viewers take away from her photographs.

I think that's a really interesting interview, because it's a new type of photography, a new style which is amazing and which results are really awesome, and it could be interesting for anybody, even if you aren't interested on photography. Her photos are magical, special.

It's not one woman more taking photos to anyone else. Is the connection between the nature and the photographer what infects the pics with magic. That's what makes special Elizabeth Gadd.

I've chosen this piece of news because, as you might know, I do love photography. Elizabeth’s photos really shocked me, and I just wanted to know more about that special photographer. 

Here some Elizabeth photos:

• swirl
• awe-inspiring 

A Pause in the City That Never Sleeps

That piece of news explains the brilliant idea of showing the face of a man yawning in Times Square, in the city that never sleeps. So each January's night, at 11:57pm until midnight, Times Square's electronic billboards will show a continuous yawn. Every person that saws it, will be infected and will need to yaw. He/she will infect another person and that's a way to spread this moment of pause trough the city.

So the beauty of Sebastian Errazuriz's piece is it attempt to induce a contagious moment of calm and pause above all the city. 

To conclude, I'm in love with the idea and ,obviously, just watching the pics when I was chosen the perfect one for my post, I yawned. 

• yawned
• bustling
• throughout

Taylor Swift's genius new tactic for avoiding the paparazzi

That piece of news talks about Taylor Swift's new tactic for avoiding the Paparazzi.

It's a simple tactic that consists on walking backward with the help of her bodyguard for avoiding the photographers that were waiting outside for her to emerge from her friend's house in LA. That hilarious new tactic stump the paps, and besides: ¡It worked pretty well! The photographers were left only with pics of Taylor's backside, which are useless.

Moreover it explains another tactics by other famous people to avoid the paps. My favorite one, is Daniel Radcliffe's tactic. He wore the same outfit for five whole months. The paps get annoyed and stopped taking photos of him.

I've chosen that piece of news because it's so hilarious. I found it by twitter and It really made me laugh.

• stump
• partner-in-crime
• stunt

People are more than their disabilities.

This piece of news talks about a woman with rare muscle disorder that stood up to a rude restaurant employer. Brittany Adler, who has a condition called Dystonia (she has abnormal muscle contractions), was ordering at a restaurant with a friend. Because of her disease the cashier couldn't understand her order and instead of asking her again, he walked away.

After that situation, Brittany and her friend left the restaurant really confused and just went to another restaurant. There, Brittany wrote a letter, which one she took back to the first restaurant where she had been ignored. Then, the cashier apologized.

As a conclusion I've chosen this piece of news because I think that there are too much intolerant people who should change it's mind, because people are more than their disabilities. Brittany is a beautiful girl worthy of admiration. 

• inner-city
• Brussels sprout
• Despite

Willow and Jaden Smith

I've chosen this piece of news because Will Smith's children really impressed the world with that interview. I read about it in twitter, so I wanted to know what happened with this two amazing siblings.

Well, along the interview, they talk about really interesting things. For example, they talk about their experience of time. They think that how the time moves depends on your awareness and your self-confidence. Moreover they talk about the themes they recur in their music work, like the melancholiness of the ocean. Also, they talk about how they have gotten better by caring less what everybody thinks, sometimes even caring less about what your own mind thinks about yourself. Besides, they talk about their process writting songs and about Prana energy. 

My opinion:

It freaks me out. They are two kids, but they talk like if they were adults. I really enjoyed the interview, and I think that this two kids are really special. 
My favorite moments:

JADEN: "That’s another thing: What’s your job, what’s your career? Nah, I am. I’m going to imprint myself on everything in this world."

WILLOW: "That’s what art is, shocking people. Sometimes shocking yourself."

New words:

• ennui
• heady
• be suffused

Cool deep T-shirts

I wanted to do something a little bit more different with  my last "news" post.  Firstly, I'm going to write without looking for some words in the dictionary, and without Internet's help. Well.. this article is really short, but the writer uses idioms and also it's really funny. So I hope you enjoy it.

My favourite one. 

Thisarticle talks about the Japanese clothes, made to replicate American clothes. But as the writer says, some languages just weren't meant for each other. This article gathers some clothes found in the Japanese shops. The T-shirts have a lot of mistakes, or just say nonsenses.

I've chosen this article because it reminds me to Sonia, because she takes a photo of cool T-shirts with beautiful messages. If she saw this, she would laugh at this not pretty cool T-shirts.

• Hit the nail on the head: Dar en el clavo
• Replicate: Copiar
• Sail: Tierra

Photoshopped Sandro Botticelli's Birth of Venus

In the matter of the beauty topic that we're doing in class, I've found this article in a website called aplus that really attracted my attention. It's about the odd idea that a professional photo editor had.

Lauren Wade, the editor, have photo-shopped versions of iconic paintings to capture how much the beauty standards have changed. He applied the current beauty ideals to the famous paintings from the Renaissance.

The results prove the contrast, and reveal our warped beauty standards.

I've chosen this article because it really attracted my attention with the funny fact that the writer uses the expression “all about that bass” we worked some weeks ago with the song.

Slim down: Adelgazar

Shrinks: Reducir

Warped: Retorcida

Japan Is Back in the Hunt for Whales

This pieceof news from the New York Times is an opinion article about the Hunt for whales by the hands of Japan. As far as we can see, Japan's political leaders claims “scientific” motives to resume the whale hunting, despite the International Court of Justice banned against commercial whaling off Antarctica.

So, to keep the adherence to the treaty, the government announced that it would resume the hunt, but reducing the kill to 333 minke whales (1/3 from the recent hunts).

But the worst of all is that they try to prove the whale-hunting with arguments like:

- Whaling for scientific research.

- Whaling as a definitive part of Japanese culture.

So, the court has no power to enforce it's ruling, and everything is in the Japan's government hands. 

I've chosen this article because the whale-hunting it's a topic that really upsets me. I'm an ocean lover, and I love all the ocean's wildlife. So the fact that a government resumes with that awful murders, breaks my heart. The whale-hunting must be stopped.

• Minke/Humpback/fin whales: Different types of whales
• Resume: Continuar
• Slain: Asesinado
• Ruling: Resolución
• Despite: a pesar de
• A third the number: un tercio del nombre

Photoshopping Real Women Into Cover Models

Well, as I think that my reading comprehension it's pretty good, I wanted to try with my listening comprehension. So that's why I've chosen this beautiful video that it's connected to the topic we are doing in class.

This video is about an experiment with some women that are not happy with their bodies. They say that it's because their bodies will never resemble to the cover models ones. It's a very simple experiment, with a beautiful reflection behind. A professional photographer take some photos to those women, and then he phosothops them. Then, they show to the participants the results, and the women hate the results.

I've chosen this video because I loved the message that it gives to the world. Well... in particular to the woman of the world. You don't have to hate your body, because it's not like the perfect bodies from the covers. Nobody is perfect, not even the cover models. And these imperfections makes ourselves unique. So love every inch of you. 

• Ads: Anuncios
• Cover models: Modelos de portada.
• Flawless:Perfecto
• Pretty: Más bien

When Should You Shop? Right After Black Friday

Following the advice of one friend, as I didn't had any idea of what I could  write about, I googled Black Friday. Among all the consumerism stuff, the excesses and the  fake sales, I've finally  find out an interesting article. It talks about the truth hidden behind the Black Friday deals. 

The article explains that the best time to get the best deals on electronics products is in the two to three days after Black Friday. Why? Because it's when the prices tend to bottom out. So the best moment to drop, it's when the older models of goods had fallen in price over the weekend after Black Friday, when the newest models are introduced to the market because of the Christmas season.

Therefore, if you stay at home on Friday and you wait few days to shop online, you will truly get the best deals.

Moreover, it reminds us that the prices can be different in the brick-and-mortar stores and online, and that the sales patterns for other products can be different. It gives to us the example of the toys prices that don't bottom out until two weeks before Christmas, more or less.

And finally, it ends with the advice that we wouldn't buy items if we don't really want to. 

I've chosen this article because I absolutely disagree with Black Friday, because I think that it's just a trick to promote the consumerism, like valentine's day.

• Deal: Ganga
• Caveat: Advertencias
• Brick-and-morter stores: Tiendas tradicionales (no vía Internet)
• Bottom out: Tocar fondo
• Sales patterns: Patrones de venda.

Would you sleep here?

This piece of news talks about the annual International High-line Meeting in the Italian Alps, where some thrill-seekers, a group of extreme athletes, gather in Monte Piana, Italy, to spend together a week practicing their sport.

This meeting is not a competition. They just get the best out of this special sport in group. And also they enjoy the amazing view, the nature and the company.

Moreover it explains when started the International high-line meeting and also, in who can it be inspired. 

Well... I've chosen this piece of news because the pictures attracted my attention. It's really odd to see some people lying in a hammock  at hundreds of feet above the ground, relaxed and playing the guitar. I'm a trhill-seeker person, so I think that I would do this. The height, the feeling... But I think that would be impossible to me to sleep without moving a finger. 

What about you? It's not for the faint of heart.

• Thrill-seekers: Amantes de la adrenalina.
• Tightrope-walker: Funambulista, acróbata sobre cuerda floja. (HIGH-WIRE)
• Hammock: Hamaca.
• Daredevil: Temerario.
• "Not for the faint of heart": No apto para cardíacos.

Cancer child's secret message on back of her mirror found by dad after she died.

Thispiece of news, talks about the story of a young girl who left a 3,000-word message hidden on the back of her mirror  she died of cancer. Some days after her death, her dad Dean discovered the long note written in marker pen behind the mirror where she wrote her thoughts on life and approaching death. 

Moreover, in this article we can found some sentences that appears in the message behind the mirror, and also her story with a lot of details.

I've chosen this article because when I found it, the strength of this 12 years old girl surprised me. It's awesome how this young girl can taught to us this lesson. So my favorite sentences from his message, are:

“Happiness depends upon ourselves."

“Maybe it’s not about the happy ending, maybe it’s about the story."

“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra."

"Happiness is a direction not a destination."

“Every day is special, so make the most of it. You could get a life-ending illness tomorrow so make the most of every day."

Rest in peace, dear Athena. Wherever you are, I would like to tell you that I admire you. I'm sure that I'm not the only one.  

• Wig: Peluca
• Clever: Ingenioso, inteligente
• Blow away: meterse en el bolsillo a alguien. 

Thai army prohibits greetings from Hunger Games.

 This piece of news published 4th of june of 2014 in the news web 2014live.com, explains that the Thai army have prohibited the greeting from the movie "The Hunger Games", which is performed with three fingers, because it has become a symbol of the opposition after the coup of the army on May. 

In the movies and books, the greeting is used as a protest against a totalitarian regime,  but the Thai protesters gave their own meaning. Some people says that the three fingers stand Liberty, equality and fraternity. Another people says that the three fingers stand freedom, elections and democracy. 

I've chosen this piece of new, because I love this books. It's really shocking how the rebel greeting can be caught from the fiction, to become part of the reality. 

• Greeting: Saludo
• Coup: Golpe de estado
• Farewell: Adiós, despedida

EBOLA.

Well, I'm going to talk about something that scares me a little bit. Because of that, I've choosen it. 

This piece of news from the BBC news web, talks about the outbreak of Ebola, one of the most dangerous virus wich causes an extremely severe illness in humans, the Ebola hemorrhagic fever.

So, this piece of news says that Mali is on alert after tree suspected cases of Ebola deaths, all reported near the border with Guinea. Because of this, there are tight controls on people entering the capital from the border area, and tight controls on ill people around the world, to prevent a pandemic.

Besides, in this piece of new explain some cases of people feared to have Ebola, and that them have been isolated.

It scares me, because there's no cure or vaccine for Ebola, and this tropical virus leads to hemorrhagic fever, causing muscle pain, weakness, vomits, diarrhea and organ failure and unstoppable bleeding.

But the worst of all, is that news programs don't talk about this problem. It's really shocking because a lot of people have died already, and we live in a globalized world, where is too easy to happen the infection. Yes, maybe they don't want to tell this to us, because they don't want alarm the whole population. But equally, I think that we have the right to know the risks. For example, my mother didn't know that there's no vaccine or cure for Ebola. 

How we can protect ourselves against something we don't know?

• Screening: Revisión
• Spread: Extenderse
• Crew: Tripulación  

The world around us

This article talks about the National Geographic photography competition in 2012.

The organization are calling professional and amateur photographers from all around the world, to send their best photos, that will be classified in 3 categories: people, places and nature. The most breath-taking photo, The one that takes first prize will be rewarded with $10,000 and a trip to National Geographic headquarters, to participate in the annual national geographic photography seminar.

I'd chosen this piece of news, because I’m in love with photography, and one of my dreams, it would be become a famous photographer of the National Geographic. Moreover, I've felt in love with the photos of this contest. 

Who's gonna win the contest? Well, my favorite photos are:

Vocabulary: *prize: premio

                 *headquarters: oficina central, sede.

New style of portraiture.

This article talks about Sebastien Del Grosso, the French artist who combines his two passions, the photography and drawing, to create a new-style of portraiture that is out of the ordinary.

He uses an special effect to create brush strokes making his photographs look like a painting. He thinks that this way, he introduce an imaginative element to the photo, making his artwork more pleasant to the eye.

He had created two different series of his work:

• The first, “The sketch of life”, illustrates Sebastien's daily life, from an humorous point of view.
• The second one, “Friend sketch” contains some portraits of his photography team, where he shows the process of some of his pictures.

I've chosen this piece of news because I love photography and this original type of portraits, attract my attention. I thing hat it's really beautiful, and I love the idea. It's really out of the ordinary.

Vocabulary:     *brush: brocha (tipo de pincel)
                     *strokes: Pinceladas