AT THE SUPERMARKET

JONATHAN LIVINGSTONE SEAGULL, by Richard Bach

READ THE BOOK HERE

PERFECT DAY, by Lou Reed

CONNECTORS

BUNGHOLE OF THE WEEK: KANGAROO COURT

Strangely, the term kangaroo court is not Australian in origin. The term refers to an improperly constituted and illegitimate court, especially one constituted by people who are otherwise outside the law, prisoners, mutineers, etc. What kangaroos have to do with it is not known for certain. There are plenty of guesses, but no strong evidence. 

What we do know is that the phrase arose on the American frontier, attested to as early as 1841 in reference to Natchez, Mississippi. Various suggestions have been proffered, none with any solid evidence behind them. The best is Barry Popik’s suggestion that the term may come from the Kangaroo district of Vicksburg, Mississippi, a rather notorious section of town known for its gambling dens and brothels that flourished in the 1820s and early 1830s. The name Kangaroo comes from the name of brothel in that district. Popik’s explanation fits the time and place, but to date no specific links between kangaroo court and this district have been found. Until someone finds a connection between the Vicksburg district and some account of mock or impromptu justice, Popik’s explanation must remain tentative.

Other suggestions include that such courts defy the law, just as strange creatures, like the kangaroo, seem to defy the laws of nature, or that the name comes from speed by which one jumps from the courtroom into prison. A third hypothesis that is frequently proffered is that it comes from informal prosecutions of claim jumpers during the California gold rush. The lexical evidence indicates that the phrase did not originate in Australia, so any actual connection with the land down under is incorrect.

Such courts were also known as mustang or mestang courts, in reference to a wild and uncontrollable horse. Not as exotic as a kangaroo, but a wild animal nonetheless.

The first known use of kangaroo court is from the 24 August 1841 New Orleans Daily Picayune (2):

The Concordia Intelligencer says “several loafers were lynched in Natchez last week upon various charges instituted by the Kangaroo court. The times grow warm; we can see another storm coming, not unlike that which prevailed in the days of the Murrel excitement. In Natchez, as in New Orleans, they are driving away all of the free negroes.” What is a Kangaroo court, neighbor?

Source: http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/site/comments/kangaroo_court/

PROCRASTINATION

Procrastination from Johnny Kelly on Vimeo.

Procrastination is avoiding doing something

Procrastination is not being able to get started

It's reading a book

It's descaling a kettle

It's colour-coordinating your shelves

It's sharpening your pencil

Procrastination is spending thirty minutes looking for the right pen

It's spending ten minutes getting the right pen to work

Procrastination is making a cup of tea

Procrastination is finding the most difficult way of doing something

It's jumping from one idea...

to another...

to another

It's checking your e-mails...

writing your e-mails

Procrastination is thesaurisizing words in your e-mails

Procrastination is making a cup of tea

Procrastination is staring at the window, it's...

watching the neighbours

It's watching television

It's being unable to stop watching television

It's smoking a cigarette

It's doing the dishes

Procrastination is tidying your desk

It's creating...a fire-escape plan

Procrastination is rearranging your furniture

It's playing computer games

It's playing imaginary computer games with your furniture

Procrastination is pairing up your socks

It's writing thank you letters,

it's not writing thank you letters

Procrastination... is daydreaming

Procrastination is petting something

It's watering a plant

It's doodling

Procrastination is trying to grow a moustache

It's chasing a fly

It's chopping your pencil

It's doing eight things at once and not getting one done

Procrastination is taking a nap

Procrastination is getting drunk

It's scratching yourself

It's making a cup of tea

It's cutting your finger

It's oiling the bike

It is picking your nose

It's waiting for the postman

It's trying to avoid the inevitable

Procrastination is writing lists

It's not being able to decide what way to do something

It's overcomplicating things for yourself

It's being afraid to finish something

It's not knowing when to finish something

It's not knowing how to finish something

THE FALSE GRANDMOTHER, by Italo Calvino

YOU CAN READ IT HERE

AMY KROUSE ROSENTHAL'S THOUGHT BUBBLE: KINDNESS

Amy Krouse Rosenthal's Thought Bubble: Kindness from Thought Café on Vimeo.

BUNGHOLE OF THE WEEK: SMITHEREENS

'Smithereens' is an Irish word. It derives from, or is possibly the source of, the modern Irish 'smidirín', which means 'small fragments'. There is a town near Baltimore, close to the south-west coast of Ireland, calledSkibbereen. The name means 'little boat harbour' and it is tempting to imagine sailing ships arriving there from the wild Atlantic by being 'blown to Skibbereen'. The more recent 'Troubles' also bring up images of property/people being dynamited and 'blown to Skibbereen' from all over Ireland. There's no record of any such phrase however, and the similarity between 'Skibbereen' and 'smithereens' seems to be no more than co-incidence.

Another enticing notion as to the source of 'smithereens' is that it refers to the shards of metal formed when iron is forged and hammered in a smithy. Again, there's nothing but wishful thinking to support that idea. The actual origin is more prosaic. 'Smiodar' means fragments in Irish Gaelic. 'Een' is a commonplace diminutive ending, as in colleen (girl), that is, Caile (country woman) + een. Similarly, smiodar + een lead us to smithereen. As with many words that are inherited from other languages, it took some time for the English spelling to become stable. Both 'smiddereens' and 'shivereens' are recorded in the mid 19th century.

The notion of things being 'broken/smashed/blown to smithereens' dates from at least the turn of the 19th century. Francis Plowden, in The History of Ireland, 1801, records a threat made against a Mr. Pounden by a group of Orangemen:

"If you don't be off directly, by the ghost of William, our deliverer, and by the orange we wear, we will break your carriage in smithereens, and hough your cattle and burn your house."

['Hough' is a variant of 'hock' - to disable by cutting the tendons]

'Smithereens' is one of those unusual nouns that, like 'suds' and 'secateurs', never venture out by themselves - the word is always plural.

Source: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/blown-to-smithereens.html

IGGY POP - THE TELL-TALE HEART (EDGAR ALLAN POE)

READ THE TALE HERE

IDIOM ORIGINS

HOW TO BE AN ALIEN, by George Mikes

CLICK HERE TO READ THE BOOK (Pre-intermediate level)

HOWL, by Allen Ginsberg

WHY ENGLISH IS HARD TO LEARN

LONDON: 5 GREAT ATTRACTIONS

london map

London: 5 Great Attractions

London: 5 Great Attractions. Sharks, Ferris wheels, boat rides, wax celebrities, theatres and more - there are many things to do in London. Here are five of the best.

London is over 2000 years old and as you might expect there's a lot to see and do there. These are 5 of its greatest attractions.

Step 1: The London Eye

This is the biggest ferries wheel in the world, and it's on the South bank of the River Thames, opposite the Houses of Parliament. It's one and a half times as high as the Statue of Liberty. A ride, or 'flight' as it's called, takes 30 minutes and gives you an amazing overview of London and its layout. On a clear day you can see 40 km in all directions.

The Eye opened in 2000 to celebrate the Millennium, and was originally intended to be temporary. However, it is now the UK's most popular attraction, visited by over 3 and a half million people every year. It's scheduled to stay put until at least 2025.

Step 2: The London Aquarium

Who would have thought that there were sharks in central London? The Aquarium is in County Hall, next to the London Eye, on the South bank of the River Thames.

It's got 350 species of fish in over 2 million litres of water. Each of the world's oceans is represented. There's a Pacific tank containing 4 different types of shark, tuna and sting rays. There's an Atlantic tank with eels, plaice and trout. Clownfish from the Indian Ocean float over a coral reef. There are red-eared terrapins from North America, red bellied piranhas from the rainforests of South America, and jellyfish - both real and fake. There's even a touch pool where you can stroke the rays.

Step 3: The Thames

London looks very different when viewed from the water, and you get a great sense of its history from the very different buildings crowded along the riverbank.

Many companies offer boat rides up and down the Thames, or across it. The most popular stretch runs between Westminster Pier and Tower Hill, but boats leave at regular intervals from both sides of the river. They can go all the way to Greenwich and pass the Houses of Parliament, London Eye, Oxo Tower, St Paul's Cathedral, Globe Theatre, Tate Modern, Tower Bridge, and Canary Wharf along the way.

Step 4: Shakespeare's Globe

This is the place to come if you want to see Shakespeare as it was first performed. It's a faithful reconstruction of the original 16th century theatre. From thatched roof to open air pit - where the audience can stand to watch a play, just as they could over 400 years ago.

Plays run from May to October, and not just Shakespeare but the work of his contemporaries and modern playwrights too. Educational events, tours and an exhibition on Shakespeare's London, Elizabethan theatre and the building of the new Globe are open all year round.

Step 5: Madame Tussauds

Only at Madame Tussauds could you find Brad Pitt, Arnie and Kylie Minogue in the same room, find Albert Einstein within spitting distance of the Queen of England, and Hitler and look up Marilyn Monroe's skirt. You can also have your photograph taken with your favourite celebrity, take a ride through London's history or scare yourself silly in the Chamber of Horrors.

Madame Tussauds has been going for over 200 years and is the world's oldest wax museum. 2 and a half million people visit each year.

Step 6: Further information

To find out more about these attractions watch our longer films about each one, or check out their websites -
www.londoneye.com
www.londonaquarium.co.uk
www.thamesclippers.com
www.shakespeares-globe.org
www.madame-tussauds.co.uk

From: http://www.videojug.com/film/london-5-great-attractions