The Royal Soap Opera, Part 5

After the repressive rule of Oliver Cromwell, the Parliamentarian leader, people longed for the monarchy. As a result, Charles I’s son, Charles II, became King in 1660. He was known as The Merry [1] Monarch because of his extravagant lifestyle! The people loved him, but his brother, who became James II, was not as popular because he was a Catholic. In 1689 the English asked William of Orange, James’ son-in-law [2],  to come from Holland to be their king. This is called The Glorious Revolution.

Charles II, James II, William and Anne

William and his wife Mary were followed by Queen Anne, Mary's sister, but she died in 1714 and she had no children. Her nearest Protestant relative was her cousin, George, from Hanover in Germany. He became George I, but he couldn’t speak English! After George I came George II and finally George III, under whose reign the English colonies in America became independent.

George I, II and III

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[1] alegre, [2] yerno

Jokes About Penguins !!

"Now do you believe in Global Warming ?  "

Penguins have been the subject of many books and films and also an endless source of jokes. Here are a few of my favourite.  I hope you enjoy them !

One day a policeman was walking in the park when he saw a man. The man was holding a penguin. The man said to the policeman :  " I found this penguin this morning.What shall I do with it ? " "Take it to the zoo" said the policeman.The next day the policeman saw the man again.he was still holding the penguin.The policeman said. "Why didn't you take the penguin to the zoo ? ". "I did" , said the man."I took him to the zoo yesterday.Today I'm taking him to the cinema".

Q: Why don´t you see Penguins in Britain?

A: Because they´re afraid of Wales. ( Wales = gales  , a whale =  una ballena. Se pronuncian igual .  ) 

Q:Why are penguins the best dancers?

A: Because they have some cool moves! ( cool= fresco y también guay.  ) 

Q:What’s black and white and jumps a lot?

A :A penguin with hiccups! ( hipo) 

Q.What's a penguin's favorite salad?

A:Iceberg lettuce!

Q:Who's the penguin's favorite Aunt?

A:Aunt-Arctic!

Q:What's black and white, black and white, and black and white?

A:A penguin rolling down a hill!

And  finally one of the worst but probably the most well known :

Two penguins were walking across an iceberg.One penguin turned to the second penguin and said:

"You look like you're wearing a tuxedo ( esmoquin ) ." And the second penguin said, "What makes you think I 'm not ? "

The Royal Soap Opera, Part 4

Well, Elizabeth had no children and so when she died in 1603 her closest relative,[1] James Stuart, the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, became James I of England and James VI of Scotland. The two crowns were united and so the first English settlement [2] established in America in 1607, Jamestown, received its name in his honor.

James I

James was a good king but his son, Charles I, was not so lucky. He thought that, as king, he could do anything he wanted to, but Parliament thought differently. Their conflict came to a climax in 1640 when a civil war started between the Royalists (the King’s supporters [3]) and the Parliamentarians.

Charles I

Eventually the Parliamentarians won the war. Charles was deposed [4] and then beheaded.[5] Oliver Cromwell, the Parliamentarian leader, became ruler [6] of England. He was a strong ruler and made England strong, but his rule was very strict. After he died, people wanted to return to a monarchy.

Oliver Cromwell

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[1] pariente más cercano, [2] asentamiento, [3] seguidor, [4] deponer, [5] decapitado, [6] gobernante

Have You Ever Wondered...?

12-year old Victoria Grant explains why her homeland, Canada, and most of the world, is in debt. Grant gave this  rehearsed speech (discurso ensayado) on April 27, 2012 at the Public Banking*  in America Conference, Philadelphia, PA. 

Basically, her message was that  Canadian taxpayers are being ripped off (robados, timados) by the banks and the government because elected officials are unnecessarily borrowing  money (pidiendo dinero a crédito) from the private banks at commercial interest rates (tasa de interés)  .  If governments borrowed from their own banks, they could keep the interest and save a lot of money for the taxpayers (contribuyente). 

*The Public Banking Institute (PBI) was formed in January 2011 as an educational non-profit organization. Its mission is to increase the understanding, explore the possibilities, and facilitate the implementation of public banking at all levels -- local, regional, state, and national.