You Can't Be Serious

One of my favorite shows from my childhood is Animaniacs. I've recently been re-watching clips of this show, and I've realized just how much of it is intended for adults.

Many of the characters that appear in the skits on the show are caricatures of entertainers who were popular before I was born. I can't believe that these were put in to make children laugh. If you look carefully, you can find images of Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Deforest Kelley, Jerry Lewis, and others. If these names don't sound familiar to you, it's because they are from a previous era.

Many of the characters in the cartoon were also aware that they were cartoons, and would often interact with the television show's audience (whoever happens to be watching it). This is called breaking the fourth wall. There was even a character, Slappy Squirrel, who was training her nephew on how to be a better cartoon character.

Perhaps the most famous characters ever to come from Animaniacs are Pinky and the Brain. Pinky and the Brain were two lab mice who wanted to take over the world. Brain was a genius who had the mental power to create wild inventions that might help him take over the world. However, his plans were foiled by Pinky, a much less intelligent mouse, who was always more concerned with what was on television or what random thoughts popped into his head. They aren't ever successful in their task, but the adventure makes a great cartoon.

If you want to watch a cartoon that is old but still brilliant, Animaniacs is for you.

Vocabulary

I've - I have
intended - to have something planned for a certain purpose
skits - short, often funny, segments of a variety show
caricatures - exaggerated images of famous people
can't - can not
don't - do not
fourth wall - the imaginary wall separating the audience from what they're watching (television, film, and theater)
aren't - are not

Vocabulary Activity

A ________ of Angelina Jolie might show her with enormous lips, narrow eyes, and carrying twelve children.
If you ______ take the heat, get out of the kitchen!
I ________ think we can pass our test without studying.
The film was supposed to be a comedy, but it did not make people laugh as ________.
______ you going to go to the store?
I enjoy the funny ________ when I watch Saturday Night Live.
_______ almost finished my project and I think it will be good.
When the actress talks to you during the play, she is breaking the ________.

Grammar Point

Contractions shortened forms of other words that we use on a regular basis. Words like "don't," "aren't," and "I've" are some contractions I use often. If you pay attention, you'll find that people use contractions in speech, even when they don't realize it. Why don't you try and write with contractions?

For more contractions, click here.

Journey into New Jersey

Continued from last post...

When Sunday came, I was woefully unprepared for what I would encounter while driving into New Jersey. My non WoW friends warned me that driving in New Jersey is like driving in a different country. The rules, and the drivers, are different. One friend also told me that they will close down highways in New Jersey for no reason. I have discovered that this is the truth.

After I picked up my two friends, our goal was to drive an hour to North Jersey, where the party was taking place. My GPS system led me to a number of major highways. I discovered, much to my chagrin, that these highways were blocked off by police. One of my friends noticed that the road flares the police had used were burned down to the ground, and they were lighting new ones. "This means they've been blocking this route for a long time," he said. The radio provided no news as to why these roads were closed.

My GPS "recalculated" new routes, each of them taking me towards different entrances on the same highway. After finding three closed ramps, we finally found a way onto the highway. We drove seven miles through traffic only to find that the police had put out road cones as a detour to get everyone off of the highway and back on... in the other direction!

After backtracking for six miles, we exited the highway at the first opportunity and used local roads to work our way further north. By now, I had been driving for three and a half hours. After some time, we managed to find the last highway that would lead us directly to the party. The only problem was that the road was full of ice, and the hills on this road became dangerous.

It took us another hour before we finally made it to our friend's house in northern New Jersey. A two hour trip ended up being four and a half hours total, but it was worth it. I had a great time meeting friends I had only spoken to via computer, and the drive home was easier and more painless.

I don't think I will be afraid to make such long journeys in the future, but I will always be wary of road closings if I'm ever going to drive in New Jersey again.

Vocabulary

woefully - lamentably bad or serious
highways - roads with a high speed limit that allow drivers to drive great distances in short amounts of time
chagrin - dismay, distress
road flares - sticks that are designed to keep a flame lit for a period of time, often used by police to divert traffic
detour - a change in route or course
local roads - roads with a low speed limit, where one might find houses or small businesses
wary - to be aware, to know

Vocabulary Exercise

There was an accident on the ________ which had us caught in traffic for hours.
My final exam was difficult, much to my ________.
Always be ________ of your personal belongings when you travel.
The police used ________ to signal to us that we had to go a different way.
As much as I like highways, sometimes I prefer to take ________ to get a better view of the neighborhood.
I took an unusual ________ and wound up in another state!
"I think we're lost," he said ________, with a frown.

Grammar Point

There are three articles that we use on a regular basis: a, an, & the. We use 'a' & 'an' when we're introducing new information, such as "a detour" or "an hour." These are called indefinite articles. We use 'the' to introduce information that is known, such as "the party" that I wrote about in my previous entry. This is using a definite article. Want to know more about using articles? Check out this site: http://www.johnsesl.com/templates/grammar/articles.php

The Nervous Driver

I have always been a nervous driver. I almost always drive very slow, and I never try to rush through traffic lights before they turn red. I am usually extremely careful when switching lanes and almost always stay in the right lane, because it is the slowest lane. I seldom venture far from my predetermined route.

On Sunday, however, all of that changed. I went on a short road trip, and I was driving.

As some of you may know, I play lots of video games. I am particularly fond of a game known as World of Warcraft. Because "WoW" is a very social game, it is easy to make friends with your guild members and form strong bonds. WoW players often make at least one good friend within the game. However, these friends rarely live near each other. Many of mine, however, are close enough to Long Island to visit.

Chris, one of my Warcraft friends, recently purchased a new house with his girlfriend. To celebrate, he invited all of his WoW friends in the New York/New Jersey area. Most people don't usually invite internet friends to their homes, but Chris was confident that we would all be respectful. I decided I wanted to go, even though I have never driven to New Jersey before. Two of our other friends wanted to go, but they were unable to drive. I resolved to pick them up because both were (kind of) on my way.

What followed was an adventure, the likes of which I had hardly ever experienced before.

To be continued...

Vocabulary

seldom - a word used to signify that something doesn't happen very often
venture - the verb form of adventure
road trip - a sort of "American" tradition, where friends or family pile into a car and drive a long distance
particularly - similarly to "specifically," or "in particular"
guild - an organization of people with similar interests or pursuits
confident - having self-assurance

Vocabulary Activity

My father used to take myself and my brothers on a ________ down to Pennsylvania.
The Writer's _______ of America is a group of writers who are bonded together by their profession.
I am ________ that you will become adept at English.
Even though I love cake, I ________ eat it, because it is bad for you.
The drive to New Jersey was a difficult ________, but I was able to succeed in getting to my location.
I am ________ fond of chocolate donuts, because other flavors aren't as delicious.

About road trips:

Road trips appear to be a type of American tradition. Families take road trips often because they are less expensive than flying and they allow you to visit other fun locations on the way to your destination. Groups of friends also take trips together because they are inexpensive and provide opportunities for adventure. Visit http://www.roadtripamerica.com/ for road trip ideas!

Some of the most famous films in history were about road trips. Here are some film suggestions:
National Lampoon's Vacation
Little Miss Sunshine
Tommy Boy
Sideways
Harold and Kumar go to White Castle
The Hangover
Beware, not all of these movies are 100% family friendly!

Grammar Point

We use adverbs of frequency to describe how often something happens. As you have read, I am a very safe driver, who rarely makes unsafe decisions on the road. Practice using adverbs of frequency by describing things that you do, whether they be always, never, or somewhere in between.

Philadelphia

Philadelphia is beautiful. It is a full of historical monuments, but it also has a hot nightlife scene. The city is visited by thousands of families every week for it's incredible monuments to American history and its beautiful art museums.

Visitors to Philadelphia can take tours of the city by "Riding the Duck," a tour bus that converts into a boat to take visitors into the nearby Delaware River. The bus passes by the Liberty Bell, the Independance Hall, and dozens of other historical and artistic locations. It also passes by Will Smith's childhood home, but he only visits occasionally. After your Ride the Duck tour, you can visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This is where Rocky Balboa ran up the steps and celebrated his successful training regime, the most memorable scene from Rocky. There is a statue at the museum comemmorating the film.

If you want to experience the nightlife in Philly, you can go to any number of bars and clubs around the city. I prefer to spend my time on South Street, a section of the city similar to New York City's Greenwich Village. South street is also home to many shops. There are bookstores, art shops, and stores full of housewares created by independant designers. My favorite store that calls South Street home is South Street Hats, but the hats in there are often expensive.

Philadelphia is an artist's city. The entire city is painted with mosaics and murals. Many of them are designed by Isaiah Zagar. Zagar uses various recycled materials to create the tile patterns seen on the buildings in the city. His art expresses love of life and a connection with protecting our planet. His museum, The Magic Garden, is also located on South Street.

I visit Philadelphia nearly every year. It is one of the most fun and inexpensive vacations you can take!

Want to know more about Philadelphia?

Visit http://www.gophila.com/ for information about what the city offers.

Interested in The Magic Garden? Go to http://www.philadelphiasmagicgardens.org/.


Grammar Point: Sentence Types

Did you notice that there are four types of sentences used in this blog post? Check this out:

Simple Sentence: "Philadelphia is beautiful."

Compound Sentence: "It is full of historical monuments, but it also has a hot nightlife scene."

Complex Sentence: "I prefer to spend my time on South Street, a section of the city similar to New York City's Greenwich Village."

Compound-Complex Sentence: "This is where Rocky Balboa ran up the steps and celebrated his successful training regime, the most memorable scene from Rocky."


You can learn about sentence types and how to use them here:
http://www.ucmo.edu/ae/writing/documents/TYPESOFSENTENCES.pdf

Flying through space

I have been watching Star Trek: The Next Generation over the last several weeks. This is a show I loved very much as a child, but over the years my memory faded. Before I chose to watch the show again, my memories were only vignettes of episodes I loved very much. Now, I have a more complete idea of what those images were, and an understanding of what the creator, Gene Roddenberry, wanted to to tell us in the seven years that the show was made.

Roddenberry's idea of the future of Earth is a utopia. In the future, there will be no poverty, no hunger, and no war on Earth. All of the world's countries will be united into a single stable government. People will think of others before themselves, and use their intelligence and craftsmanship to improve our planet and our way of life. There will be no need for money on our planet. Work will be done to better ourselves and the lives of those around us.

In the future, we will travel through our galaxy, exploring the wonders of space. We might meet new races and share our cultures to form new bonds. We can continue our exploration with them as a unified group. We will watch new societies evolve. We will cure diseases that threaten entire populations. We will enjoy the music and art and food of a multitude of different peoples. We will learn more about what it means to be human through the eyes of pointy-eared comrades and yellow-eyed androids than we could ever learn alone.

I think the future will be a wonderful place.


Vocabulary:

faded - to lose color or clarity (past tense)
vignette - a brief image or scene that fades
utopia - a place where society and government have achieved a state of perfection
unite - to form one whole thing from many smaller things
crafsmanship - showing advanced ability to create things by hand
unified - to come together into a whole (past tense)
evolve - a change that occurs over time, specifically to living things
comrades - close friends or associates
androids - a mobile robot with human form


Activity:

I believe Earth will become a ________, free of war and human suffering.

Scientists believe that all life will ________ into more advanced forms.

C3PO is a famous ________, a human-like robot, from Star Wars.

I saw a dozen small ________ in an art museum, some of which became larger and more elaborate paintings.

None of us could move the heavy boulder alone, but when we became a ________ force, we could move it together.

My jeans ________ in the washing machine.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has many pieces showing incredible ________ from ancient cultures.

My ________ and I were in the Army together, and now share a special bond of friendship.

I believe that in the future all cultures will ________ and we will experience everlasting peace.


Grammar Point

Talking about the future is easy! Using the word "will" before a verb indicates that the action will happen in the future, and is one way to express simple future tense.

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/simplefuture.html

Want to watch Star Trek? You can, free, on the internet!

http://www.startrekstreaming.info/

Can you feel the chill?

I love autumn and winter. There is no feeling like walking out of your door into a crisp, chilly morning. The leaves are golden brown and seem to dance in the cold breeze. Lawns are often covered with a delicate layer of crunchy leaves, creating music under your moving feet.

Around this time, people are preparing for the gloomy holiday of Halloween. On many suburban stoops, you can find large pumpkins, sometimes carved into jack-o'-lanterns. A lot of people become very creative with their pumpkin carving, leading to frightening and funny results.

Stores are prepared for Halloween as well. Many have a wide variety of delicious candies on sale for bargain prices. It is important to stock up on candy for Halloween. Children, dressed in costumes that are both monstrous and adorable, travel house to house to ask for candy. They usually say "Trick or Treat!" Occasionally, some community members will trick the children rather than provide candy. Usually they will play a fun prank on the children. It is all in good fun.

My favorite thing about autumn in that I can use my favorite blanket. It is a dark blue, thermal blanket designed to keep me warm at night. It is incredibly soft. There is nothing like curling up under your favorite blanket after a spending a day in the cool weather.

Vocabulary:

crisp - (weather only) fresh or invigorating

breeze - a soft wind

gloomy - melancholy or dark

stoop - a porch, platform, or other raised entrance into a house

jack-o'-lantern - a pumpkin that is carved into a face or character with a lit candle inside

stock up - to obtain large amounts of an item in preparation for it's use

trick or treat - a phrase asked by children when traveling door to door, asking for candy or for a prank to be played on them

thermal - designed to prevent the loss of heat

Activity:

1: I sat on my ________, waiting for my friend to arrive at my house

2: The weather man said a huge blizzard was coming, so I traveled to the supermarket to ________ on items I needed.

3: My ________ coat keeps me warm even in the harshest weather.

4: The ________ wind against my face woke me and gave me energy.

5: When I was a child, I used to ________ at my neighbors' houses during Halloween.

6: I watched the tree branches wave while the soft ________ blew.

7: The forest was dark and ________, and I was afraid to enter it.

8: I found an enormous pumpkin at the farm, and I will be carving it into a ________

Grammar Point:

An adjective is a word used to describe a noun. Adjectives bring life to sentences by setting their tone. In daily life, adjectives are necessary to specify how one thing may differ from another.

Grammar Activity:

What is your favorite season? Write about your favorite season using 10 adjectives.

More information on Adjectives:

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/adjectives.htm

More about the history of Halloween:

http://www.history.com/content/halloween

Morning Routines

Morning Routines

Do you ever find yourself at school wondering where your morning went? Sometimes we take for granted the little things that make us fresh and ready to learn in for school. This morning, while pondering the way we automatically move through our daily routines, I decided to mentally narrate my morning schedule.

"I am brewing a pot of coffee. I love coffee. It tastes delicious. I am admiring the flowers in my yard while I drink it. Next, I am showering. I am enjoying the fruity scent of my favorite soap. Now I am drying off. While I am dressing, I am thinking about another cup of coffee. Next, I am brushing my teeth.

"At this moment, I realize I am running late. I am rapidly combing my hair and tying it into a bun. I am making toast while I prepare a second cup of coffee. After quaffing the coffee, I am putting on a pair of flats. I am grabbing my keys and darting for the door."

This is not the first time I've narrated my routine while performing these tasks. Sometimes, after a night dealing with insomnia, I find myself narrating my morning in my head to remind myself what comes next. It keeps me alert before the caffeine in my coffee begins working. Being exhausted has that kind of effect on me.

About Present Progressives

Watch this video to learn the basics behind using present progressives.

Why don't you try this activity to practice using present progressives?

Vocabulary:

pondering (to ponder): to think about something in a dreamy way

automatically: to do something without the need to think about it (i.e. something you do all the time, like make coffee)

mentally: inside your own mind

narrate: to speak about yours or someone else's actions, like a story teller

admiring (to admire): to look at something with affection

scent: an odor or aroma, usually one that is pleasing

rapidly: quickly, fast

quaffing: to drink a beverage deeply

darting (to dart): to run quickly

insomnia: the inability to sleep

exhausted: very tired

Activity:

1: The late train was moving ________ to get to it's next stop on time.

2: I listened to my teacher ________ the fairy tale out loud to the class.

3: Her perfume's ________ smelled delightful.

4: After I spent ten hours moving furniture, I was ________.

5: Seth's friends watch him ________ for the bank door so he can get inside before they closed.

6: I never look for a price tag while I am ________ pretty clothes.

7: I ________ took note of an idea I had so I could write it down later.

8: I am watching a man ________ his soda, and wondering if it will make him burp.

9: I have ________, so sometimes I cannot get to sleep at night.

10: I suddenly realized I was cooking spaghetti at eight in the morning. Without realizing the time, I must've ________ started to cook dinner.