Lynne Davis
A former teacher of English as a Second Language both in the United States and in South Korea, Lynne writes about teaching and learning languages, travel, classical music and good fiction, among other things.
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Displaying Results 1 - 128 (of 128) for All Content
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The 2012 Orchid Show at the Missouri Botanical Garden: Beautiful Blooms in FebruaryThe 2012 Orchid Show at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, has so much to offer--all the varieties of orchids, the colorful Chinese lanterns, the Moon Gate, and the rock-encircled pond. Bring a camera!
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Jeremy Sams' Opera the Enchanted Island is a Delightful Movie!I wasn't expecting much when I went to see The Enchanted Island at my local movie theater-- partly because the opera was called a "pastiche," and I didn't like that word. Also, the music was Baroque--not usually my favorite. But I was surprised!
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Good Teachers Count to Ten, Have Examples ReadyCount to ten before asking questions. Prepare your examples in advance. Simple to do, but easy to forget. In my experience as an ESL teacher and working with young people, I've found these two techniques to be essential. -
Bachelor Ben Flajnik Looks Great on First Episode!Ben Flajnik, the wine maker from Sonoma who was rejected by Ashley H. at the end of the last Bachelorette season, is the new Bachelor. He was handsome, classy and witty as he met his twenty-five women last night. -
I Can't Wait for the Movie Version of Snow Flower and the Secret FanI am looking forward to seeing the film version of Lisa See's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. In spite of negative reviews, I expect the movie to illustrate aspects of the book including the fan, embroidered costumes, and women's language.
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Best-Selling Novelist Nancy Thayer's an Act of Love is Richly DescriptiveI recently read An Act of Love by Nancy Thayer and was impressed, as always, with her ability to write scenes that please the reader's sense with their accumulation of specific detail. I wish I could write like that. I could, if I used her as a model!
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Coming Soon to a Movie Theater Near You: Donizetti's Anna BolenaOn Saturday, October 15, 2011, at 12:55 pm Eastern Time, the Met Live in HD season begins at movie theaters with Donizetti's Anna Bolena. -
Jennifer Aniston's Beau Justin Theroux More Than Just a "Bad Boy"Justin Theroux is mostly seen these days in the tabloids next to his girlfriend Jennifer Aniston. But Theroux is from a family of accomplished writers; his uncle is novelist and travel writer Paul Theroux.
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Whether It's Arthritis, a Zumba Injury, or Flexibility, Yoga Works!An injury I got in a zumba class sent me back to a simple yoga practice, based on Rodney Yee's am and pm yoga dvd. It's so easy; I do it every day. It has really helped my leg, and back, and overall well-being.
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Postcard to My Out-of-Town SisterMy sister is often out of town when her tulip tree blooms in early spring, and a slight wind or rainstorm finishes it off quickly. Hence this note. -
An Enchanted Evening with the St. Louis Symphony in Forest ParkThe St. Louis Symphony presented a wonderful free concert of classical and popular orchestral pieces to an enthusiastic audience on Art Hill in front of the St. Louis Art Museum on Thursday, September 8, 2011. We made the two-hour trip and were glad. -
ABC's New Bachelor is Ben from Ashley's SeasonABC has announced the Bachelor for its 16th season will be Ben Flajnik, the California winemaker who lost to J.P. Rosenbaum in the quest for Ashley Hebert's heart. It will be good to get to know Ben better.
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Cookies and Car Races at the Du Quoin State Fair in Du Quoin, IllinoisA friend and I went to the Du Quoin (IL) State Fair on the second Sunday, this year, in the evening on a cool day. We attended the cookie contest and got samples of all the cookies (FREE Fair Food!), then went to the car races. -
One Season of My Plum TreeI wrote a haiku every day one spring-summer about the plum tree in my back yard as it bloomed, got leaves, and bore fruit which was mostly stolen by squirrels and birds. Here are some of the fruits of my efforts.
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SIUC Theater Department Announces Exciting 2011-2012 SeasonThe theater department at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale will present two musicals and two dramas at McLeod Theater during its 2011-2012, along with a special performance in the C.H. Moe Theater of Crave, and various free student plays. -
Late AutumnThis poem gives a picture of a tree in late November, almost bare, beautiful in its way.
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Donizetti's Anna Bolena Opens 2011-2012 Season of the Metropolitan Opera Live in HDOn October 15, 2011, the first opera in the Metropolitan Opera Live in HD season, Donizetti's Anna Bolena, will be screened at movie theaters throughout the world. Check your local listings! -
Red Underwear and a Big Package on Bachelor PadEpisode 3 of this season's Bachelor Pad featured gratuitous sex, bickering and gossip, and emotional excesses, mostly from Vienna.
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Alateen Meeting Coming to Carbondale, Illinois, September 11, 2011A new Alateen meeting begins September 11, 2011, in Carbondale, Illinois, on Sunday, September 11, 2011, at the St. Francis Xavier Church Annex on the corner of Walnut and Poplar, 7:00 to 8:00 pm, concurrently with the Al-Anon meeting next door.
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Home Alone DVD Listening Exercise for Beginning-Level ESL ClassThis listening exercise is based on an early scene from the movie Home Alone. Your beginning- and even intermediate-level students of English as a second language will enjoy it! -
Mindful Deviled EggsPreparing deviled eggs, the popular picnic food, can be a meditative experience if you take your time.
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Bachelorette Ashley Can't See the Real Bentley, Even Though He's Not the One with the MaskOn Ashley's Bachelorette season, Episode 2, William and Mickey have romantic one-on-one dates with the Bachelorette in Las Vegas; a group date results in a dance performance, the mask stays on, and Ashley doesn't see through Bentley's facade.
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Ashley's Bachelorette Season Starts with a Drunk, a Masked Man, and a LiarOn her first Bachelorette episode, Ashley H sends a drunk home, is intrigued by a masked man, and falls head over heels for a liar named Bentley.
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Don't Miss the Seventh Annual Southern Illinois Music Festival, June 5 to June 25, 2011, from Carbondale to Cairo and in BetweenThe seventh Southern Illinois Music Festival is something to look forward to, with performances of classical and jazz music, opera and ballet, in comfortable settings throughout Southern Illinois at affordable prices.
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One Lady's SestinaOne Lady's Sestina follows the traditional sestina form as a way to express a woman's joy and her longing.
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Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Musical Theater Professor Tim Fink Talks About Integrating Music and TheaterTim Fink, twenty-year Artistic Director of the Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Summer Theater and Professor in the Musical Theater Department, gave a lively talk, "Music Versus Theater: War of the Roses."
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Power Smart Pricing Presentation at SIU-Carbondale Gave Useful Money-Saving InformationOn May 9, 2011, the Power Smart Pricing Program available to Ameren customers was explained at SIU-C by a representative of the non-profit CNT Energy. If you missed this worthwhile program, information is available online.
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Richard Strauss's Capriccio Live in HD is Not Very LivelyThe opera Capriccio by Richard Strauss and starring Renee Fleming, "the people's diva," is a boring opera without pretty arias or much of a plot.
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Top Ten Ways to Save Energy--and Money--in Your HomeTen tips for saving energy in your home and lowering the electric bills: most of these are common-sense suggestions. If you follow them all, your bills will decrease.
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Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Student Tyler Hohmann Fails to Solve Any Puzzles on Wheel of FortuneSouthern Illinois University-Carbondale cinematography student Tyler Hohmann competed against two teachers on Wheel of Fortune on Friday, April 30, 2011, and came out on the bottom--but he made a good appearance.
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John A. Logan College Presents Cole Porter's Anything GoesOn April 29, and April 30, at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, May 1, at 2:00 p.m., Cole Porter's ever-popular musical Anything Goes plays at John A. Logan College in Carterville, Illinois. It's delightful, delicious, and de-lovely!
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Love?Sometimes, when love sweeps you off your feet, it's uncomfortable. Maybe it's better to be grounded in oneself first.
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Don't Cancel NBC's Comedy Outsourced!The NBC comedy show Outsourced, about the Mid-America Novelties call center in India, starring Ben Rappaport, is edging closer to the chopping block. Don't cancel this show! Let me count the ways I love it.
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Alice Hoffman's Blue Diary Begins with a Gorgeous Love Scene--But Hints of TroubleThe novel Blue Diary, by Alice Hoffman, begins with a gorgeous love scene between a married couple on a gorgeous early summer morning. But there are seeds of danger in the lush description of their passion.
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See Paul Festa's Apparition of the Eternal Church and the Glitter Emergency in ChicagoOn Thursday, April 14, 2011, 7:30 pm, Paul Festa's documentary Apparition of the Eternal Church and silent film The Glitter Emergency will be screened at the Wicker Park Art Center on W. North Avenue in Chicago. These are must-see films!
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The Met Live in HD Presents Rossini's Le Comte Ory on Saturday, April 9, 2011, and Again on April 27Tenor Juan DIego Florez plays is a handsome Comte Ory in Rossini's delightful comic opera of love, lust, manipulation and disguise. All singers are superb in their roles. Don't miss this one!
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Music: a Great Parenting ToolI found music to be an excellent tool for calming my child when she was small, as well as an excellent way to prevent the need for discipline.
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Southern Illinois Symphony's Last Concert Includes St. Louis Symphony's David Halen, Southeast Missouri SymphonyOn Tuesday, March 29, 2011, the Southern Illinois Symphony presents its last concert of the 2010-2011 season, featuring David Halen of the St. Louis Symphony and a collaboration with the Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra.
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Will Brad and Emily from "The Bachelor" Stay Together?Brad Womack on The Bachelor chose Emily Maynard as the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with. Will that happen? Time will tell.
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Correct Spelling: is it Important?Do you know the difference between you're and your? A rant about the lack of correct English spelling today.
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Retirement SpringThis is a haiku celebrating spring in retirement--watching the dogwoods come into bloom.
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In Just-Spring or ThereaboutsThis is a poem about springtime on a university campus.
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Live in HD at the Met: Natalie Dessay in Lucia Di LammermoorOn Saturday, March 19, 2011, at 1:00 pm Eastern time, Natalie Dessay gives a magical performance in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor--Live in HD at the Metropolitan Opera, in a movie theater near you. Don't miss it!
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Thinking About Purchasing a Time-Share-Promotion Vacation?Charles Dickens' line, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," is a pretty good description of my recent time-share vacation cruise and hotel stay in the Bahamas.
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Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Cicely Tyson, Octavia Spencer and Sissy Spacek to Star in "The Help"The film version of Kathryn Stockett's bestselling novel, The Help, opens in 2011 with a great cast: Emily Stone, Viola Davis, Cicely Tyson, Octavia Spencer and Sissy Spacek--and the city of Jackson, Mississippi.
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On the Bachelor: Michelle in Tears? Give Me a Break!Last night's Bachelor episode was the pause before the finale, the "Tell All" show in which the rejected women come back to talk. Michelle Money was the target of a lot of anger.
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"Reality Steve" Changes His Mind About "Bachelor" FinaleBefore this Bachelor season began, blogger Steve Carbone ("Reality Steve") posted a spoiler saying Brad Womack's choice would be Chantal O'Brien. But now he says he was wrong; it's Emily Maynard. How do we know he's right?
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On the Island of Anguilla, Bachelor Brad Sends Michelle and Britt HomeOn the Bachelor, the six remaining women go with Brad to the island of Anguilla and take sexy photos for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Brad sends Michelle--it's all sex--and Britt--there's no romance--home.
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On Outsourced, Valentine's Day is Celebrated in a Variety of Ways--Good Show!The February 10 episode of Outsourced, "Have a Heart," is the Valentine's Day or, in India, Sweethearts' Day episode. Rajiv gets flowers, Manmeet has two dates at once, and Todd gets tough with Gupta, then helps him out.
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On Outsourced, Todd's Team-Building Plan Falls FlatOn NBC's Outsourced last Thursday, the third show of the second season, everything seemed to fall flat. Is it the winter doldrums in India too?
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Savvy Travelers in New OrleansA poem about a fun getaway to New Orleans my daughter and I got in exchange for listening to a condo presentation there. I heard about it on the phone.
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On the Bachelor, Brad Comes to Life During Embalming ConversationBrad loosened up a bit last night on The Bachelor. The usually in-control-of-himself bachelor was suppressing laughter with Funeral Director Shawntel, then going off into another world when Michelle got her hands on him.
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Outsourced January 27: "Sari Charlie" is a Sorry EpisodeI was disappointed in Oursourced last night. The writers are depending on broad humor and blatant sexual references. The real humor is in the comments and acting of characters like Rajiv and Gupta.
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Bachelor Brad #4: Michelle Has Two FacesOn the fourth episode of Brad Womack's new Bachelor season, Chantal, Britt, and Michelle get roses. Brad somehow hasn't noticed Michelle's real personality. He sends Meghan, Stacy, and Lindsey home.
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Outsourced Starts Season with Bollywood-Type ShowOutsourced started the season in a later time slot. Gupta enters a talent show, but Madhuri is the real singer. Bollywood-style ensemble numbers begin and end the show.
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The Bachelor Episode 3: Brad Gets Some Therapy, and the Vampire LeavesOn the third show of this Bachelor season, Brad's therapist appears for a reassuring chat, and Madison of the Vampire teeth decides to go home. Michelle ramps up the aggressiveness, which Brad doesn't seem to mind.
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After the Tragedy in Tucson, Will Our Denial About Guns Continue?After the shootings in Tucson, the mourning and the analysis, will anything be done to prevent another occurrence like this in the United States? Or are we still in denial about the role of guns in the deaths of so many innocent people?
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Bachelor Brad, Second Show: Three Sent Home, Including Rockette KeltieOn the second show of Brad's second time around, he has two one-on-one dates and one group date. Birthday-girl Michelle fights for time with Brad. Gwyneth Paltrow look-alike Melissa fights with Raichel. Ali and Roberto break it up.
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Kudos to Natalie Portman for Her Lovely Dancing in Black SwanI expected to see ballet dancing and a good character study when I went to see Black Swan. I didn't know it was billed as a thriller. I soon realized that in spite of Natalie Portman, the movie was a cheap-thrills horror flick.
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ABC's the Bachelor Returns, with a Nervous Brad WomackLast night's kickoff of The Bachelor Season 11 had returning Bachelor Brad Womack falling all over apologizing for his 2007 appearance on the show, when he didn't give the Final Rose to anyone.
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Cool Things to Do in Florida when It's ColdThis winter the weather in Florida has been particularly cold, but don't let that spoil your attitude and your vacation. There are plenty of fun things to do besides swimming and sunbathing.
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This Year's Gingerbread Display in Belleville, Illinois Ends on January 3, 2011This year marks the 21st annual Gingerbread Contest in Belleville, Illinois. Make sure to get there before Monday, January 3, if you haven't seen the beautiful and charming gingerbread creations in the shop windows.
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Bachelor Brad Returns Monday, January 3, 2011Some fans are disappointed that 38-year-old Brad Womack, from a 2007 Bachelor season, is coming back this January. But this is a new Brad, with a new crop of beautiful Bachelorettes!
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Verdi's Don Carlo at the Met in HD is Nothing Short of MagnificentVerdi's Don Carlo is the current Live in HD at the Metropolitan Opera production, playing at movie theaters everywhere. It is a magnificent, not to be missed portrayal of human emotion through the beautiful, timeless music of Giuseppe Verdi.
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Fifty Free Card, Discounts and Free Performances Make the St. Louis Symphony Accessible to AllMany people don't go to classical concerts because they think they are too expensive. But the St. Louis Symphony has discounts and free programs that make their exceptional musical programs accessible to all.
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Todd Gets Homesick for Barbecue and Tailgates, Sick from Indian Street FoodAlready homesick, Todd eats some street food and gets sick, too sick to watch his beloved Kansas City Chiefs. Rajiv handles things at the office; Todd's workers come through for him.
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How to Scream for Help in FrenchI was in Paris when I was twenty-one. I had studied French for many years but found so many of the real expressions there to be different from what I had learned. When I was molested on the subway, I didn't know what to do--or say.
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The Patter Song, from Don Pasquale to Gilbert and Sullivan to Bo BurnhamThe patter songs in the operas of Mozart, Rossini and Donizetti started a tradition in western music that came into full bloom with Gilbert and Sullivan, then continued in Broadway musicals and even popular songs of R.E.M., Bo Burnham and Bob Dylan.
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On November 22, 1963, President Kennedy Was ShotIt was 47 years ago today that one of my heroes, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. I remember where I was when I heard the news. I remember the idealism he inspired in us.
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Outsourced Episode 10 is Funny If at Times CrudeOn Outsourced Episode 10, Todd Dempsey, American manager of an Indian call center, has trouble reaching his sales goal when the lights go out due to a Monsoon.
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Studying a Foreign Language Abroad? Take Advantage of Every OpportunityIf you are lucky enough to go to a foreign country to study their language, you have the chance to get a lot more fluent than your classmates at home. Use these suggestions to make the most of your time.
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Veronica LakeI had a friend whose hairstyle and sexy ways reminded me of Veronica Lake, the forties-fifties movie star, so I wrote this poem.
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President Obama Makes Good Sense on 60 MinutesPresident Barack Obama answered some hard questions in an interview with Steve Kroft on 60 Minutes, two years to the day after he was elected President.
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Outsourced Episode 7 Teaches Indian CultureOn Episode 7 of the TV sitcom Outsourced ("Truly, Madly, Pradeeply"), two aspects of Indian culture, arranged marriage and addiction to "paan," or smokeless tobacco, are woven into the plot.
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It's the 21st Annual Downtown Belleville, Illinois, Gingerbread ContestThe Gingerbread Contest in Belleville, Illinois, is in its 21st year, and as usual, bakers--especially creative ones--are invited to submit their creations. Cash prizes totalling $2500 make it even more delectable.
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Alvin Ailey II Rocks Shryock Auditorium at SIU CarbondaleOn Tuesday, November 2, the Alvin Ailey II dance company performed at Shryock Auditorium, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, to a diverse audience of delighted community members.
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World Series 2010 HaikuWorld Series 2010 is a haiku poem, a tribute to the San Francisco Giants and to the city of San Francisco.
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Don Pasquale is Live in HD at Movie Theaters on November 13, Encore December 1, 2010The Met: Live in HD's third performance this season, Donizetti's Don Pasquale, will be at movie theaters everywhere on November 13. Encore performance is on Wednesday, December 1, in the evening.
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Many Characters on Outsourced Are Indian, but Not India-bornOutsourced is a TV sitcom about an American manager of an Indian call center in Mumbai. Most of the characters on the show are of Indian ancestry but were not born in India.
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You've Got Mail for ESL Classes #6--Scenes, Vocabulary, and Matching ExerciseThis is the last of six scene lists with vocabulary for ESL students and teachers from the romantic comedy You've Got Mail. It includes a matching exercise--characters and what they said.
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More Scenes (#5) for ESL Classes from You've Got Mail, with Vocabulary and ExercisesLet your ESL students enjoy English! This is #5 in a series of six lists of scenes with vocabulary and idioms from You've Got Mail, including two exercises to give students.
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Use These You've Got Mail Scenes, Idioms, and Exercises for a Fun ESL LessonHave fun in your ESL or EFL class with these scenes from You've Got Mail. This set includes excercises and a discussion question, along with scene descriptions and vocabulary.
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De Soto, Illinois, Kindergarten Teacher Shows Class on Wheel of FortuneDe Soto, Illinois, kindergarten teacher Julie Moore made things very exciting for the first half of Wheel of Fortune on October 19, then showed class as she cheered for her fellow contestants.
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Julie Moore of De Soto, Illinois, on Wheel of Fortune Tuesday, October 19!When she was interviewed by the Southern Illinoisan recently, De Soto kindergarten teacher Julie Moore talked about being on Wheel of Fortune, but wouldn't disclose the outcome. Find out tonight at 6:30 on channel 6.
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Red Delicious, Golden Delicious--Not Delicious!A reader suggested I confine my writing to two topics: baseball and apple pie. Thanks to his suggestion, I've written October, USA, about baseball, and now this heartfelt ode to apples, which does mention pie!
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October, USA Baseball HaikuA haiku poem about the playoffs, inspired by suggestion that I stick to baseball and apple pie in my writing.
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"New" Bachelor is "Old" Brad, Coming in JanuaryWhen The Bachelor returns to ABC in January, you might remember the face of the "new" bachelor. Brad has been the Bachelor before, in 2007. Last time he didn't choose anyone. We hope this time will be different.
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Clutter Rivals Abdominal Fat as the #1 Problem for WomenI found some excellent suggestions to help me get rid of the extra stuff that is cluttering up my home and my mind in a funny little book about moods.
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Teaching English in South Korea--Be Prepared!Here are some suggestions from my experience teaching English in South Korea--things you might want to know before you go.
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I Miss the Bachelor and Bachelorette!I miss the Bachelor and Bachelorette shows. They fill so many needs for me as a woman that I have to confess I'm addicted to the silly shows!
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Use These Scenes from You've Got Mail to Perk Up Your ESL ClassUsing the popular film You've Got Mail with attractive actors Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, improve ESL listening and vocabulary.
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Scenes from You've Got Mail for Your ESL Class, #2This is the second of six lists describing scenes from You've Got Mail and including vocabulary, idioms, and key phrases that occur in those scenes. The lists work as study guides for listening and pronunciation.
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Going to Work in South Korea? Lose Ten Pounds!If you're going to teach or do other work in South Korea, you might find these small things I can share about living there useful.
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Outsourced is Funny and Refreshing, Not RacistThe new sitcom Outsourced has been called racist by some--but it's refreshing to see a show populated mostly by dark-skinned people, with a sense of humor about cultural differences.
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These Scenes from the Movie You've Got Mail Will Make a Fun Lesson for Your ESL ClassHere is a list of the first scenes from You've Got Mail, along with some of the idioms I picked out to teach my college-level ESL class. Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks make excellent pronunciation models, and students can listen over and over.
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Carbondale, Illinois, Boy's Dream of a Water Spray Park Becomes Reality at Attucks ParkThe new water spray park that was dedicated in Carbondale, Illinois, on September 12, 2010, at Attucks Park, was the brainchild of a young boy. His parents financed the park.
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Four World Hotspots that We Can Easily Help, According to CAREIn its latest World Report, CARE identifies the causes of hunger in the world and some of the solutions it is implementing with money received as donations from people like you and me.
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How an Opera Hater Became an Opera FanI used to hate opera because it sounded screechy and was sung in foreign languages. But when I started listening to opera in movies and on TV, I began to like it!
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Bachelor Pad Finale: David and Natalie Take the $250,000On last night's Bachelor Pad finale, Tenley and Kiptyn, the lovebirds, won the dance competition--but Natalie and David, the hot-and-sexy couple, won the money.
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Are You Sure You Wish You Were in Love Again?The song, "I Wish I Were in Love Again," by Rogers and Hart, describes the longing for love and also the pitfalls of being in it.
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Bachelor Pad Finale: My Favorite CouplesTonight's finale of The Bachelor Pad will produce a winner of the $250,000 and reunite people who were voted off the show. I have three favorite couples I'd like to talk about.
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Mary Karr's Lit: A Memoir is a Classic Example of the AA StoryMary Karr's Lit: A Memoir tells her story as a poet, wife, mother, and finally, an alcoholic in recovery. It follows the three-part format of the typical AA story.
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The Bachelor Pad: Couple Vs. CoupleBachelor Pad once again took a surprising turn when Nikki, Gwen and Ashley went home, leaving four couples to battle it out.
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Coming Soon to a Movie Theater Near You: the Metropolitan OperaBeginning October 9, the Metropolitan Opera presents its Live in HD simulcasts in movie theaters all over the United States and the world. Listen to beautiful music while sipping a Coke and munching on popcorn.
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Sample Eve's Treats This Week at the DuQuoin State Fair in DuQuoin, IllinoisEve's Treats, delicious baked goods created by Evelyn Love of Carbondale, Illinois, are available this week in the Exhibition Hall at the DuQuoin State Fair in DuQuoin, Illinois.
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The Bachelor Pad--Who Will Go Home Tonight?On the Bachelor Pad tonight, one male and one female will be voted off, after an emotional game in which everybody gets hurt.
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Seniors Have Two Great Options for Continuing Education in the Carbondale, Illinois, AreaFor seniors living in or near Carbondale, Illinois, Southern Illinois University Division of Continuing Education and John A. Logan College offer a wide variety of affordable classes and programs.
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Eight Fun Ways to Learn Vocabulary in a Foreign LanguageIf you want to learn to speak a foreign language, there are a lot of programs for sale that will help you. But when it comes to getting the words down, there's no substitute for memorizing. It doesn't have to be painful, though.
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Did Ali and Roberto Go on the Bachelorette for the "Right Reasons"?Did Ali and Roberto want to find true love, or celebrity? I hope they both went on The Bachelorette for the "right reasons."
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Simple Ways to Save MoneyA cheapskate shares her secrets. By changing some spending habits, and putting a small amount of money in the bank regularly, you can have money when you need it.
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Julia Roberts in Eat, Pray, Love, and Joan Allen in Georgia O'Keefe Both Express Women's StrugglesEat, Pray, Love and Georgia O'Keefe are two recent films about women trying to find a balance between love and personal fulfillment. Both movies are enjoyable, visually pleasing and thought-provoking.
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The # 1 Way to Save MoneyOn the evening news, a 9-year-old boy shopping with his Mom for school supplies was asked if he had any strategies for saving money. Mom and the interviewer laughed at his answer--but he was absolutely right!
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How to Get Good Grades in CollegeHere are ten simple ways college students can get good grades and maximize your chances of being successful at what you came to college for--learning!
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Nicole Kidman to Star in and Produce Little BeeNicole Kidman will produce and play one of the lead characters in the movie version of Chris Cleave's bestselling novel Little Bee (published in the UK as The Other Hand).
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TV Shows I Watched with My Daughter when She was Growing UpI used to worry that TV would corrupt my daughter, so I tried to steer her away from TV as much as possible--except educational PBS shows. I didn't realize that joining her in watching the shows she liked could be a great experience for us both.
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I'm Glad I'm Not Married to David LettermanOn the Late Show last night, David Letterman fawned over Julia Roberts to a disgusting degree.
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Bachelorette Ali Chooses Romantic RobertoIn the finale to this season's Bachelorette, Ali gives Roberto the final rose, telling us both guys were great, but it was friendship with Chris and romance with Roberto.
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Rent a Vacation Apartment in Rome!When I went with relatives to Rome, we rented a lovely apartment close to everything, ancient and modern. We saved money and enjoyed the ambience.
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Men Are from ESPN, Women Are from Bloomingdale'sWe know that many men talk to each other about sports teams in social situations; do women have any conversational gambit that is similar? I think that women use clothes in the same way men use sports, to bond.
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"Final Rose Ceremony is Our Superbowl," Bachelorette Staffer SaysOn last night's marathon Bachelorette: Guys Tell All followed by the 20/20 show about The Bachelor and Bachelorette shows' histories, didn't you get the impression they were setting us up for a 0-0 score?
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Aussie Designer Lisa Blue Shows Sexy, Exotic Swimsuits at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week: SWIMLisa Blue showed Renaissance and Aboriginal-print swimsuits at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week: SWIM. Models wore feather and bead accessories and body paint designs with the suits. Twenty-five percent of profits go to whale Conservation.
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Frank Turns the Tables on Bachelorette AliOn The Bachelorette last night, Frank let Ali know she's not the only one who can choose or reject potential mates on the show when he went back to his ex-girlfriend Nicole, leaving Ali--and the show--deflated.
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Five Free Things to Do in FlorenceYou don't have to spend a lot of money to have a good time in the beautiful city of Florence, Italy. Here are five enjoyable things you can do there for free.
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Bachelorette Ali Could Use a Vocabulary MakeoverCurrent Bachelorette Ali, like all of us who get stuck on certain words, needs to work on vocabulary development! She uses the word "amazing" too much!
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Take a Boat Ride at Campus Lake in Carbondale, IllinoisIn the middle of the Southern Illinois University campus in Carbondale, Illinois, you'll find Campus Lake, a pretty place to walk, go fishing, or play Frisbee golf. And did you know you can rent a boat there for free?
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Purple HaikuThis is my entry into the Purple Haiku contest.
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Purple Haiku?My third entry into the Purple Haiku contest.
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Key WestThis is my second entry into the Purple Haiku contest. Wish me luck!
