Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Yes, Prime Minister : 55 seconds of Oral Comprehension

Watch from 13mn.50sec. to 14'35'' Use the settings'playback speed as well as the script below after a minimum of three careful listening of those 55''. - Prime Minister (PM) : Anything else ? - XXX : Prime Minister, there are some other vital points to bear in mind. A lot of people, eminent people, influential people have argued that such legislation would be a blow against freedom of choice. - PM : Oh Rubbish. I’m not banning smoking itself. Does every tax rise represent a blow against freedom ? - XXX : It depends on how big the tax rises - PM : It’s fascinating. Does 20 pence represent a blow against freedom ? - XXX : Oh Prime Minister - PM : 25 pence ? 30 pence ? 31 pence ? Is something a blow against freedom simply because it can seriously damage your wealth ? - XXX : Prime Minister I must warn you of the difficulties. I foresee all sorts of unforeseen problems - PM : Such as ? - XXX : If I could foresee them, they wouldn’t be unforeseen

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

The AI Effect on music

A New Era in Music and Its Unintended Consequences. Just to get an idea if you're in a rush, go straight to 2'50'' Rick Beato and his youtube channel, musician and musicologist praised by Pat Metheny.

video in French

Peut-on vraiment ĂȘtre BILINGUE ? Kudos and keep up the good job linguisticae https://www.youtube.com/@Linguisticae

Thursday, April 13, 2023

(2) Ruby Bridges- Short film

And a fictional short about her. Few demonstrators but extras are expensive for a low budget film.

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Ruby Bridges

After passing the very difficult exam reserved for black kids in New Orleans, Louisiana,(6 had succeeded but five declined, the parents I mean.), Ruby was the only one to attend. Click to enlarge the picture by Norman Rockwell. A painting he did three years later: "The Problem We All Live With (1963)" It says it all. Watch the video below too!
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ruby-Bridges

Wednesday, March 08, 2023

Wednesday, March 01, 2023

Supertramp - School

Third studio album from the English rock band, Supertramp. Here are the lyrics for the song "School" [Intro] [Verse 1] I can see you in the morning when you go to school Don't forget your books, you know you've gotta learn the golden rule Teacher tells you stop your playing and get on with your work And be like Johnnie-Too-Good, don't you know he never shirks He's coming along [Verse 2] After school is over, you're playing in the park But don't be out too late, don't let it get too dark They tell you not to hang around and learn what life's about And grow up just like them, won't let you work it out And you're full of doubt [Instrumental] [Bridge] Don't do this and don't do that What are they trying to do? (Make a good boy of you) And do they know where it's at? But don't criticize, they're old and wise Do as they tell you to, don't want the devil to Come and put out your eyes [Verse 3] Maybe I'm mistaken expecting you to fight Or maybe I'm just crazy, I don't know wrong from right But while I am still living, I've just got this to say It's always up to you if you wanna be that Wanna see that, wanna see it that way You're coming along Roger Hodgson who co-authored it stated the song is "basically saying that what they teach us in schools is all very fine, but it’s what they don’t teach us in schools that creates so much confusion in our being. They don’t really prepare us for life in terms of teaching us who we are on the inside. They teach us how to function on the outside and to be very intellectual, but they don’t tell us how to act with our intuition or our heart or really give us a real plausible explanation of what life’s about."

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Thursday, February 09, 2023

The voiceless majority speaks.

Roger Waters calls for peace in Ukraine at UN Security Council

Wednesday, February 08, 2023

Still Marching

There will be a carnival in London this saturday 11th/2/2023 With the puppet Lady Justice leading the march to free Julian Assange. Another march in London.

Wednesday, February 01, 2023

1968 Olympics

Black Power Salute Rocks 1968 Olympics - ABC News - October 17, 1968 ABC News - October 17, 1968

Friday, December 16, 2022

Freedom of Speech - ASSANGE -

START AT 1'45'' to go straight to the English part with Stella Assange, wife of Julian Assange, mother of their two sons. Mrs Assange is probably the reason why he hasn't committed suicide. Julian Assange hasn't been free for twelve years, has been spending the last three and a half year in Belmarsh,a UK prison and is facing extradition to the United States ... Stella Assange got married with Julian in Belmarsh. Their children Gabriel and Max are about 6 and 4. Read here if you will: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-52262075 Extract from the video below: "Now how can it possibly be that Julian (Assange) is having to fight not to be extradited to the very country that was planning his assassination. The whole situation is completely absurd, makes no sense whatsoever. It is the United States government that has taken revenge on a publisher because he embarrassed them."

Monday, November 28, 2022

Vocabulary...Reality

You'll find Word Reference in the 6th label in the column among many other links. I do hope you'll keep this blog in mind. It might be useful, keep learning! Now, talking about vocabulary,HAVE A LOOK at all the meanings of shocking: https://www.wordreference.com/enfr/shocking

Monday, November 14, 2022

Saturday, November 12, 2022

Bigger than us

A film by Flore Vasseur with Melati Wijsen, who created Byebyeplasticbags.org and now Youthtopia https://www.youthtopia.world/ See Melati here after watching "Bigger than us" trailer. https://www.brut.media/fr/nature/une-vie-melati-wijsen-fa59f046-e232-46d1-be2f-aa3cd6db9f2d https://biggerthanus.film/

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

UAPs aka UFOs

The Phenomenon (2020) | Trailer Really, I could never believe we were alone in the Universe. Do you? Any comment in class will be deeply appreciated! E.B.

Thursday, September 08, 2022

As a child...

Queen Elizabeth the second

Thursday, June 16, 2022

HEC Paris graduation day.

Anne-Fleur is the new Great (sic) An HEC alum (Hautes Études Commerciales or sth like that)... so an HEC alum takes a stand. Of course we remember Greta Thunberg but she's much older than Greta some time ago. Tell me what you think of Anne-fleur Goll in the comments.

Wednesday, June 08, 2022

Don't extradite Assange

And that's Priti Patel and the CPs, the Crown Prosecution services. She could refuse the extradition of Julian Assange or she could have Julian Assange extradited to the U.S. Freedom of the press and freedom of thought are at stake. I sincerely hope Assange will not be extradited to the U.S., that he will walk free out of Belmarsh to find his wife Stella Assange and her two kids, Max and Gabriel. On June 2012, after being given political asylum into the Ecuadorian Embassy in London where Assange fathered secretly Stella's children. She was one of his lawyers. After spending 7 years in this embassy (40m²...) in April 2019, he was evicted from the Ecuadorian apartment after a change of government in Ecuador and was immediately sent to Belmarsh prison, built after 9/11, a prison for ...terrorists... That's where the founder of Wikileaks who revealed war crimes is rotting while he should be free and leading the truth-seekers of the world. So here is Priti Patel. Please Ma'am, free Julian Assange, hear our plea. We're fighting for freedom.

Tuesday, June 07, 2022

Thursday, May 26, 2022

"Stay hungry. Stay foolish."

I chose this video since the subtitles will be welcomed by English learners. This is the commencement address given by Steve Jobs on June 12, 2005 to the newly arrived students in Stanford, the prestigious American university. Steve Jobs, who had created Apple died on October 5th, 2011, at 56 Read the commencement address here on Stanford's site here: https://news.stanford.edu/2005/06/14/jobs-061505/ A fabulously intellectually inspiring speech to listen to and to read.

Monday, May 16, 2022

Monday, April 25, 2022

3 Tips to Reduce Phone Usage

Thank you Tim Kendall

The Social Dilemma

...The Dark Side of the Social Media... Dark but inspiring.

Friday, April 22, 2022

Algorithms! Pretty easy, huh?

And some related music and the algorithms themselves

Thursday, April 07, 2022

U.S. Opioid crisis

https://ourworldindata.org/us-life-expectancy-low Our world in data DOT Org ourworldindata.org Isn't the web fantastic? Be an informed citizen! As an example: The opioid crisis in the U.S. Opioid overdoses. Frightful figures. BigPharma is involved. Go figure

Saturday, March 19, 2022

RIP Mr Charlot

Dreadful News, we're mourning. Our headmaster, Mr Charlot died today at 12 pm from a heart attack. We are deeply saddened by this terrible news and I can’t think of anything to say apart from the fact that he was a great headmaster whose memory we will always cherish. Of course, we think of his family and offer them our most sincere condolences. We want them to know that he was deeply respected by all the members Arago: teachers, workers and students. Chaleureux, Humble, AttentionnĂ©, Respectueux, Lucide, Ouvert, TolĂ©rant. Ça j’ai eu envie de le faire en français. Pour le RIP, j'ai toujours pensĂ© que les gens que j''apprĂ©ciais et que j'avais le grand chagrin de voir partir mĂ©ritaient beaucoup mieux que du repos et pour moi, Revel In Peace est un voeu plus fort et plus rĂ©confortant. Je vois mal Mr Charlot se reposer mais je le vois plus se rĂ©jouir de savoir qu'il reverra ceux qu'il a aimĂ©s.

Thursday, March 17, 2022

French in plain sight > Learning is great!

As you've seen below, the youtube channel "French in plain sight" is worthy of our attention This English youtuber is really focused on learning French. Well if you're keen on learning English, try listening to the first 3 mn of this video. I'm certain it can help you improve. And check out the channel and this very blog!... Speak English with confidence. Learning languages is great.

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Hank the tank ...#hankthetank

500-pound bear is making headlines in the U.S. No comment, but really, I advise you to follow this link and watch the video in this CBS news footage. Quite impressive, especially the young woman. Wasn't she incredibly courageous? And aren't bears impressive? Teddy bears are cute. Bears are beautiful. https://www.today.com/video/500-pound-bear-on-the-run-after-ransacking-california-homes-133740613658

Saturday, January 29, 2022

Due process violations

LISTEN here https://omny.fm/shows/the-take/the-trial-of-julian-assange#sharing Interview of Nils Melzer United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment The level to which we are deceived in Julian Assange’s case is just staggering

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Into Eternity

Onkalo (Finland) Spent Nuclear Fuel Repository A must-see. As Marco Kaltofen says, "Dry-casking is a big improvement over vulnerable fuel pools; but it's a temporary solution and subject to build-up of dangerous daughter isotopes over time. Our descendants will eventually build a geologic repository for our stuff, but they won't be happy about it."

Wednesday, January 05, 2022

Happy New year!

"I'm singin' in the rain" starring Gene Kelly. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singin%27_in_the_Rain

Sunday, December 12, 2021

Jane Goodall about Cyril Dion's movie

See the Animal trailer below! http://bilien.blogspot.com/2021/10/animal-bande-annonce-2021-film.html

Jane Goodall with Wounda, the chimpanzee

Posted by the Institut Jane Goodall France's YT channel. The gist of it is here but you can watch it all 1'40'' - 3'30'' Jane Goodall and Wounda's loving hug. https://www.chathamhouse.org/2021/11/jane-goodall-life-woman-defending-wild

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Metaverse, Meta, marketing, business... as usual.

Parler CEO: George Farmer believes Facebook's rebranding to Meta is 'terrifying'(SIC) Tell me what you think in the comments below. Your initials and class too please

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Why Millions Of Workers Are Quitting

The Great Resignation aka the big quit

Saturday, October 09, 2021

Chess in Arago

Our highschool has a chess club every Thursday from 5 to 6 in C003. Come and play with boards and pawns. We were 4 teachers last Thursday. Beginners and players are most welcome. Thanks to Laurent Defrance for setting it up and hosting it.

ANIMAL Bande Annonce (2021) Film Documentaire

Sunday, September 05, 2021

Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Heat dome breaking all-time-records

Watch the video below in the previous post.

Pacific North-West

The Celsius we know and the Fahrenheit used in the US:

0° C = 32° F

37,777° C = 100° F

Multiple states hit with record high heat

Thursday, June 03, 2021

The Tulsa Race Massacre: Why We Don't Understand Racism | Elaine A. Gran...

SEE QUESTIONS BELOW

TULSA RACE RIOTS - 1921

 Watch this video above and as an exercise, tell the story of Venice Sims. To help you, here are the moments when you hear about her: 

3'24'' & 11'19''


One hundred years ago in Tulsa,OK

10’12'' Exposing the secrets of ourr shared history can change the world an dit can change our relationship with each other. But, secrets die hard.


Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Israelites

 

 
Have the lyrics ready. Special thanks to France Inter for a reggae night.
 


Rekaxing lockdown measures in the UK

Face masks no longer required on classrooms

When you read the article, you understand there is a debate about that.

 

Monday, May 10, 2021

The absent father

Great audio for those who care to listen.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000qx12

The poet Anthony Joseph has been writing a new collection that addresses a key relationship in his life. 

 His father, Albert was many things - a sharp dresser, an orator, a builder but he was only an intermittent figure in Anthony's childhood. And it is this absence which made him powerfully present in Joseph's imagination. 

Anthony reveals some of his writing process and his form of 'calypso sonnet', a politically invested line length that, he says, "enforces a melodic rhythm which reminds me of my father" and favours a decidedly Afro-Caribbean approach. 

In this programme, Anthony explores ideas around fatherhood, masculinity, absence and loss, as he talks to other artists whose art has become a space for interrogating the memory of their father. 

We hear from fellow poet Raymond Antrobus, the singer Gregory Porter and the Trinidadian film-maker Mariel Brown.

Thursday, April 22, 2021

Monday, March 29, 2021

References

 About the previous post: 

This window on zoom is a rewriting of Pink Floyd's world-famous song:

"Another Brick in the wall." whose lyrics were short too. 

The video is like a movie. It lasts 6 minutes. You'll easily find it!

You had heard of Pink Floyd, hadn't you?

Another Window on Zoom

Monday, March 22, 2021

Tuesday, March 09, 2021

Still a few hours in America for Women's day.


2’09’’

Women garment workers worlwide deserve to earn a living wage and to work in safe conditions.


Friday, January 22, 2021

Amanda Gorman delivers at Joe Biden's inauguration

Watch Amanda Gorman deliver her poem.

Then, you can watch  Anderson Cooper, a well-known American TV journalist with Amanda Gorman.

https://twitter.com/AC360/status/1352117969271328768

Don't you like the sound of  it too? (a 10/10 for any of my pupils who will tell me what she refers to.

#keeptrying) I do.

Monday, January 11, 2021