Where will we go in the end? Blackberries are green when they are red

Lord Caversham:

 I don't know how you stand society.

A lot of damned nobodies talking about nothing.

Lord Arthur Goring:

 I love talking about nothing, Father.

It's the only thing I know anything about.

Lord Caversham:

 That is a paradox, sir. I hate paradoxes.

• (Oscar Wilde, An Ideal Husband, 1999)

"There is nothing that fails like success."

• (G.K. Chesterton, Heretics, 1905)

 "blackberries are green when they are red."

Does that rock look any lighter to you? 

 “Today the problem is solved”

is it? Read these paradoxes by G Carlin


Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, 


but by the moments that take our breath away.

The paradox of our time in history is that 

we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, 

wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.

We spend more, but have less, 

we buy more, but enjoy less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families, 

more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense,

more knowledge, but less judgment,

more experts, yet more problems,

more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much,  and laugh too little, 

 get too angry, stay up too late, but read too little, 

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life.

We’ve added years to life not life to years.

We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less.

We plan more, but accomplish less.

 We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait.

We build more computers to hold more information, 

to produce more copies than ever, 

but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, 

big men and small character, 

steep profits and shallow relationships.

UMBERTO ECO SAYS:
One of the typical signs the end of times is at hand is the fact that the world has gone to ruin. 
ONE - at one time the rich lived in the center of Rome in luxurious palaces and the poor on the desolate peripheries; 
today it seems the palaces that face the Colosseum are like prostitutes, with toilets on the balcony that you can enter for four bucks. --corrupt politicians go to live outside the imperial walls.

TWO -Yesterday the poor travelled in trains and only the rich were permitted airplanes; 
today the airlines cost forty cash, (those with the best price resemble cattle carriers in a time of war), while the trains become ever more expensive and luxurious, with bars reserved only for the hegemonic classes. 


THREE - At one time, the rich went to sea-side (Cote d'azur, Rimini, Costa blanca -Lloret) ,
 while in the islands of the Indian Ocean there lived a miserable population as well as those deported there for life imprisonment. 
Today, it is only politicians of rank who go to the Maldives, 
and in Costa Blanca o lloret, Rimini, Cote d'azur) on the other hand, you will find mostly lower-class tourists (Russians or otherwise) barely removed from the slavery of the soil.
Where will we go in the end?

Eco -italiano 

Double here: Eco -english 
Eco -español 

IF HIGH CHOLESTEROL CAUSES HEART DISEASES....
If high cholesterol causes heart disease, then countries where more people have high cholesterol should experience a higher rate of heart disease and vice-versa.

However, facts paint a completely different picture.

We have all heard that heart disease is rare in France, a country where high cholesterol is rampant. This apparent contradiction led researchers years ago to talk about a “French Paradox,” explaining that it occurred because the French drink red wine, which supposedly protects from heart disease – a theory that was never proven but that I am sure the wine industry loves.

But if there is an uncovered  Swiss paradox: Switzerland actually has an even greater incidence of high cholesterol among its population and an even lower rate of heart disease than France.

At the other end of the spectrum,  a Russian paradox: since Russia has the highest rate of heart disease of all the countries analyzed but the third-lowest rate of high cholesterol.

FACTS:  both high cholesterol and low cholesterol are equally compatible with high and low rates of heart disease.

EXTRA BONUS TRACK-1: MODERN TOURISM 

Where will we go in the end?

Read a list of everybody's favorite Murphy's Laws.
Change them into second conditional, the day after!

1. If something wrong can happen, it will.
2. If there is a worse time for something to go wrong, it will happen then.
3. If everything seems to be going well, we are obviously overlooking something.
4. Whenever you start to do something, something else has to be done first.
5. You know that every solution will bring new problems.
6. Enough research will tend to support your theory.
7. I have to smile today... tomorrow will be worse.
8. If your advance is going well, you will walk into an ambush.
9. An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less until he will  know absolutely everything about nothing.

Second conditional, 

YESTERDAY:

1. If something wrong COULD happen, it WOULD.
2. If there WAS a worse time for something to go wrong, it WOULD happen then.
3. If everything SEEMED to be going well, we WERE obviously overlooking something.
4. Whenever you STARTED to do something, something else WOULD HAVE to be done first.
5. You KNEW that every solution WOULD bring new problems.
6. I HAD to smile YESTERDAY...  THE DAY AFTER  WOULD be worse.
7. If your advance WAS going well, you WOULD walk into an ambush.
8. An expert WAS one who KNEW more and more about less and less until he WOULD KNOW absolutely everything about nothing.

=========Full list below:

• If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong.
  
• If there is a worse time for something to go wrong, it will happen then.
  
• If you perceive that there are four possible ways in which a procedure can go wrong, and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, will promptly develop.
  
• If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
  
• Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
  
• Whenever you set out to do something, something else must be done first.
  
• Every solution breeds new problems.
  
• Enough research will tend to support your theory.
  
• When there is a very long road upon which there is a one-way bridge placed at random, and there are only two cars on that road, it follows that: (1) the two cars are going in opposite directions, and (2) they will always meet at the bridge.
  
• Smile... tomorrow will be worse.
  
• Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse.
  
• You never run out of things that can go wrong.
  
• No battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy.
  
• If your advance is going well, you are walking into an ambush.
  
• The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming friendly fire.
  
• Logic is a systematic method of coming to the wrong conclusion with confidence.
  
• If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker that came along would destroy civilization.
  
• An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less until he knows absolutely everything about nothing.

Standing up on the wrong foot -Murphy was ambi-clumsy

   It's not in an easy task, (Guardiola minds you), 


TO SCORE A GOAL.


1.- Liverpool unlucky Arsenal not to beat: 2-1 

Two-goal hero Robin van Persie admitted that after a thrilling match at Anfield.

Liverpool hit the post twice and missed a penalty in the first-half.

The home side had a penalty - and the resulting rebound - saved and hit the post twice in a dominant first half display but left with nothing after  a 2-1 victory for the Gunners.

REMEMBER, Murphy's law always comes into play

2.- Playing against the CPU on career mode and they break in my 18 yard box but their shot manages to hit the post twice and come back out to my keeper.

3.- From bad to worse: A major fail in soccer... possibly one of the worst ones that have occurred... The mans name is kept anonymous..... Judge FOR yourself:

       Funniest miss in history.  Worst striker against worst goalkeeper!

4.- Unlucky days are universal, also in SERIE A.... in Italy

         AC Milan vs Lazio 0-0 

  Zlatan Ibrahimovic Hits the Post Twice!
  

5.- Queens Park Rangers 1 - 1 Everton

(Saturday 3^rd March 2012 ) -Premiere League

N1) At minute 43 Rangers hit the post twice in quick succession through Adel Taarabt and Akos Buzsaky.

N2) With half time fast approaching Rangers went within a whisker of claiming the lead, Adil Taarabt hitting the post before Zamora pulled the ball back from the rebound for Buzsaky, the Hungarian slamming the ball against the upright from close range.

ADDENDA:  


For a list: the worst football miss ever is number.... X.
Difficult to decide (mine was n. 3).   Videos here
               

bits for pronunciation: BLACKBERRY is not working

Selected bits for pronunciation: 
BLACKBERRY  is not working
   See the sketch and full transcript here

PRON TASK2. ADAPT these 17 bits in the script and repeat them WITH the sound ADDING new complements.

A1– I bought something from you last week, and I'm very disappointed.

B3– Oh, yeah, I can see that. I tell you what: let's try it on orange.

A5 Well, is there anything I can do to get my blackberry working?

B6– Well, you could try using a mouse to drag the blackberry to the trash.  Then after you've done that, you might wanna launch the blackberry from the desktop.

A7– Well, I've already tried that a few times. I mean, all it did was mess up windows.

B9– Anything else I can help you with?

A10– Yes, yes. I've also got a problem, to be honest, with my apple.

B12– Last week? They've brought out two new apples since then!

A14 – Well, I don't know much about these things, but my wife's seen a few dongles in her time... and she says a little bit on the small side.

B14– Well, I'm afraid there's not a lot I can do

Anything else I can help you with?

A16– Now, he's already got an apple and a blackberry. I mean, have you got anything else that he might just like?

B16– Well, we're doing a special offer on these. I mean, I can't make head or tail of them, but the kids seem to like them.

A1– I bought something from you last week, and I'm very disappointed.B3– Oh, yeah, I can see that. I tell you what: let's try it     (on/with) ……………… .
A5 Well, is there anything I can do to get my ……………… working?B6– Well, you could try using a ……………… to (DO sth.)  Then after you've done that, you might want to ………………
A7– Well, I've already tried that a few times. I mean, all it did was ………………………. (sth problematic)

B9– Anything else I can help you with?A10– Yes, yes. I've also got a problem, to be honest, with my ……………….B12– Last week? They've brought out two new ………………  since then!
A14 – Well, I don't know much about these things, but my wife's seen a few ………………... and she says a little bit on the small side.B14– Well, I'm afraid there's not a lot I can do.

        Anything else I can help you with?A16– Now, he's already got ……………… and ………………. I mean, have you got anything else that he might just like?B16– Well, we're doing a special offer on these. I mean, I can't make head or tail of them, but the kids seem to like them.