Quick Goran references and minor articles

[AzizalSaqr]

From: http://popgoesthenews.blogspot.com/2008 ... tt-to.html

Thursday, May 8, 2008
'Stargate Atlantis' star David Hewlett to wed in England

TORONTO (PGN) Actor David Hewlett will tie the knot next month at a mediaeval castle in England.

The 40-year-old, who plays Dr. Rodney McKay on the sci-fi series Stargate Atlantis, will marry Jane Loughman at Warwick Castle, located about eight miles from Stratford, on June 27. The two were engaged on Christmas Day in 2006 and welcomed their first child together, Sebastian Flynn, last October.

This will be the second marriage for Hewlett, who divorced Soo Garay in 2004 after less than four years.

Though born in Surrey, England, Hewlett has lived and worked in Canada for most of his life. His credits include homegrown series like Traders and Street Legal and he formerly ran a Toronto-based Internet company.

Hewlett recently wrapped the feature film Helen with Ashley Judd and Goran Visnjic in Vancouver, where Stargate Atlantis is produced.

[AzizalSaqr]

From: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/05/15/entertainment/e052405D29.DTL

Wrap-up of entertainment quotes from The Associated Press
By The Associated Press

Thursday, May 15, 2008

"With me and Goran (Visnjic) ... we have this eight-year history, as humans and as characters. But it's sort of time." — Maura Tierney, on her upcoming departure from the long-running medical drama "ER."

[AzizalSaqr]

From: http://peppersherman.blogspot.com/2008/06/dont-mind-if-i-fondue.html

Don't mind if I fondue

The Melting Pot opened a restaurant on the west side last week. I've been talking about it for months and Brad promised to take me there ASAP.

It was really, really tasty. As an added bonus, our waiter looked a lot like Goran Visnjic. I want to go back every day, OK Brad? Brad? OK?

We ordered the "Big Night Out" combo which included a pot of cheese, two salads, a shared entree and a pot of dessert fondue.

We had the Caribbean Cheese. I really loved the garlicy-ness of it. And it wasn't nearly as sharp as the stuff that Brad has made at home in the past. Less sharpness is a good thing, even he admits that. For the salads, we both had the caesar. It was OK, kind of small and had a lot of dressing on it. There was some kind of honey-roasted nut in the salad that was really good. Our entree was the Fondue Fusion in Court Bouillon. I personally didn't care for the marinated pork or the jerk-seasoned sirloin, and I'm just not a lobster person, but everything else (especially the filet mignon) was tasty, tasty. Dessert was the Chocolate S'mores. You just can't go wrong there. My favorite was the Rice Krispies dippers, they added more marshmallowy goodness.
Posted by leah at 10:27 PM

[SAN]

I want to go back every day, OK Brad? Brad? OK?

Another long-suffering husband, lol. :twisted:

[AzizalSaqr]

From: http://drforgot.blogspot.com/2008/06/quintessence-of-athletic-atrocity.html

Mighty Croatia Scores Another Upset: I love Croatia. That country with a coastline every bit as dazzling as California’s is the place to be among Europeans. For its size Croatia produces massive numbers of sports heroes. From BYU star Kresimir Cosic and All NBA Toni Kukoc (Basketball) to Goran Ivanisevic and Jelena Pandzic (tennis), and even major stud actor Goran Visnjic, Croatia is in a constant state of overachievement. Their names might be hard to pronounce but their deeds are legendary. So as not to destroy that image Croatia’s soccer team just defeated the vaunted German team in the Euro 2008 European Soccer Competition. Let’s all raise a glass of slivovica, the Croatian plum brandy that will put hair on your chest, to honor the victory.

[AzizalSaqr]

From: http://members5.boardhost.com/prego/msg/1213135199.html

Oh Alexandra.....Goran Visnjic sighting!!!!!!
Posted by kim in az on 6/10/2008, 5:59 pm
12.10.219.X

I know that I haven't posted here in forever but I had to check in to tell you what happened to me last week. I was in Vegas for business staying at Mandalay Bay. We were walking to the Luxor which is attached to Mandalay Bay when a friend of mine says "Isn't that one of the doctors from ER?" AND IT WAS!!! AND he is even better looking in person!

and he had his head down like "please don't recognize me, please don't recognize me". But, boy howdy, is he gorgeous in person!!!! And the kicker is that I was all dressed up so it would have been perfect picture opportunity - darn it!

[Mrs Eyre]

His being even better looking in person is a recurring theme isn't it? Hard to see how it's possible, but it does make me envious of those who have seen him!

[AzizalSaqr]

From The Linguist Blogger: http://thelinguistblogger.wordpress.com/2008/06/19/celebrities-speaking-english-at-different-levels/

Celebrities Speaking English at Different Levels
Posted on June 19, 2008 by portunhol27
I have spoken several times about the US Government’s five point rating of a person’s mastery of a language. Instead of writing more about it in great detail, I thought it would be fun to give examples of what these levels of foreign language mastery sound like. Please understand that this is my own interpretation of what people sound like at levels one through five based on what I have read. I would also like to point out that these examples only have to do with spoken language and not any other aspect like reading or writing. I have tried diligently to post sound files but have not found a good way to do that. Any suggestions would be welcome. In the meantime, I’m going to use youtube videos to illustrate my points.

Tom Hanks Has a Hard Time with English

In this clip from the movie Terminal, Tom Hanks portrays a Slavic tourist who is, at the beginning of the movie, a great example of someone who has a level 1 mastery of a language.

(link to video at original article wouldn't transfer)

Paz Vega Gets Her Point Across

This clip comes from the movie Spanglish. The Spanish actress Paz Vega plays a Mexican immigrant to the USA who decides to learn English so as not to need her daughter to act as an interpreter for her. This conversation with her boss (played by Adam Sandler) is a good example of someone speaking a foreign language at a level 2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGk0AtMVMis&eurl=http://thelinguistblogger.wordpress.com/2008/06/19/celebrities-speaking-english-at-different-levels/

Her English is pretty authentic here. At the time of filming, Paz Vega was conversational in English but not much more than that so the studio hired an escort interpreter to follow her around the set to make sure nothing was lost in translation.

Gaspar Ulliel Is Very Good But Still Sounds French

In this recording Gaspar Ulliel is being interviewed about his role in the movie Hannibal Rising.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amta5qpAl0M&eurl=http://thelinguistblogger.wordpress.com/2008/06/19/celebrities-speaking-english-at-different-levels/

Notice that he says some words perfectly, with no accent at all! Then he mispronounces the words youth and events and uses expressions that sound a little weird in English. This is a good example of a level 3 mastery. He’s confident enough to act and be interviewed in English, just as long as we are patient with his accent.

A Croatian with Very Impressive English

This is another interview but with actor Goran Visnjic who plays a doctor on the hospital drama E.R. If his name didn’t sound foreign (to Americans) and if I weren’t including him in this list you might not pick up on his accent. This is amazing because he didn’t get serious about learning English until his twenties and said that he was uninterested in and was bad at English in school. His English is a good example of level 4.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se8ZfF4v4t0&eurl=http://thelinguistblogger.wordpress.com/2008/06/19/celebrities-speaking-english-at-different-levels/

How Does Hauer Rutger Do It?

This Dutch actor speaks perfect English. He could, and probably does, pass for an American and probably even a British person. This, in and of itself, is amazing but what is even more amazing is that I don’t believe he had any big advantage in learning English. He was a horrible student who dropped out of school early and did a stint in the Dutch military at a young age. Both of his parents were Dutch so I don’t think that he was raised in a bilingual home. It seems that, at the age of an adult and with a poor academic record, Hauer was able to learn to speak English with a perfect British accent and a perfect American accent! He is one of the few people I know of to attain a level 5 in adulthood.

This first clip is from his famous monologue in the movie Blade Runner where I always thought that he was a British actor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbxD758Y4PY&eurl=http://thelinguistblogger.wordpress.com/2008/06/19/celebrities-speaking-english-at-different-levels/

The next clip is several decades later when he was being interviewed about his role in Blade Runner, but this time with an American accent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laKYg7gy6U8&eurl=http://thelinguistblogger.wordpress.com/2008/06/19/celebrities-speaking-english-at-different-levels/

[AzizalSaqr]

From: http://activerain.com/blogsview/571006/If-it-Wasn-t

The video clip in this blog is wonderful, and all the trivia will leave you going, "I didn't know that," more than a few times.

[SAN]

That was great, JD! Thanks for posting it.

[zelda]

Totally wonderful, JD.........Thank you.

It looks like Greece very much........the light is unique. Can't explain it , but it is fascinating .

[AzizalSaqr]

From: http://emlocke.com/emlocke/?p=560

Karaoke on a school night

Syndicated television will unite the masses

When I stay at work so late that the cleaning service bustles through, I never know what to say to the woman who collects our trash and dusts over the office. Her name ends with “-rina,” I think, but starts with something I couldn’t understand when she told me one evening last year. After she discovered me at my desk after hours a few nights in a row when I introduced myself officially.

Now, we have the same rudimentary small talk whenever we meet. “How was your weekend?” “It’s so hot.” “Your desk, it’s clear! And the floor! I will vaccum!” “No, no! It’s Friday! Let’s both get out of here!” We often
exchange fatigued sighs and empathetic smiles. “It’s been one of those days,” I told her tonight, blotting perspiration from my temple, an effect of the heat and of the long day itself. She chuckled and said, “for me, too. What a day.” She snapped open a fresh garbage bag and her bangs puffed up in the air it expelled.

Gloria was the housekeeper in my dorm my senior year at Mount Holyoke. She put a name tag and a collage on the door of the supply closet on the first floor, the same we tacked photos and postcards outside our rooms. She had pictures of kittens torn out of a calendar, macaroni art by her daughter, a Pennsylvania Dutch hex sign.

We used to watch ER re-runs on Tuesdays and Thursday mornings. The show started at 10, so I usually got back from my 8:30 class as the opening credits were rolling. Gloria took her break in the common room, watching Luka (I liked the Dr. Ross episodes) and eating Ritz crackers and peanut butter out of an insulated lunch bag. I invited myself to join her a few weeks into the semester. While we watched, I’d finish my second cup of coffee and skim my Indian Art reading. During commercials, she would dust here and there or make a phone call.

Except for a stray remark about an absurd medical condition and the occasional question about the plot or “wait, what did she say?” we didn’t speak much. She knew where I grew up and what I majored in. She told me a few basic biographical facts about her daughter and showed me a picture from her First Communion.

I wish I’d thought to put up a picture of Goran Visnjic on Gloria’s door. And I wish “-rina” could take an ER break with me.

[AzizalSaqr]

From: http://ficklefeline.blogspot.com/2008/07/my-laminated-card.html

Tuesday, July 29, 2008
My Laminated Card.

Gosh, who knew that blogging about one's sex dreams would get so many comments? If that's what the people want, that's what I'll give 'em! Apparently I will do almost anything for traffic.

Years ago (and I am likely dating myself here) there was an episode of Friends where Ross meets Isabella Rossellini and tells her that she is on his "laminated card". The laminated card has a list of five people, and the rule is, if you meet any of these people, you are allowed to sleep with them (assuming you can talk them into it).

This episode led to many discussions in my home. Scott and decided that five was too few people, and that ten would give us better odds of actually meeting one of these people. Another rule is that the people on the list cannot be friends, because, well, that's just to easy and could really lead to some problems. Being quite fickle, I have never committed to a list in writing. I just decided ad hoc who should be on the card and discard those that have for whatever reason lost their appeal (Marat Safin, I'm looking at you).

Last night I decided, it's time to commit. So, here is my list, in no particular order (ranking will require another post altogether).



Jon Stewart (it's a good thing we don't live in NYC)
Tim Daly (specifically on Private Practice)
Chris Garver (I may have to fight Jennifer in the street for him)
Seal (have you seen this man in leather pants?)
Justin Timberlake (you can shut up, he is fiiiiiiiiiiiiine)
Goran Visnjic (what will I when ER is done after this season?)
Hugh Laurie (for obvious reasons recently discovered)
Mekhi Phifer (I like a man in a uniform)
Christian Bale (The Dark Knight put him over the top)
Dominic Purcell (the beefy bro on Prison Break)

Honourable mentions go to Sam Roberts (specifically in the "Brother Down" video, and Matt Damon (specifically his shoulders in the Bourne movies).

Who is on your laminated card???

[AzizalSaqr]

From: http://whomadethismess.com/?p=197

Eight Things I Want to do Before I Die.

1. I’m gonna break out the easy answer here and get it over with. And that is…drumroll please….finish school!

2. Sometimes I think I’d like to learn to speak Cherokee. But then I think about how much work that sounds like, and it get’s pushed a little further back on the timeline.

3. I would like to have a vegetable garden that is totally organic. I don’t know about all that canning and other work type stuff that Hot mentioned, but if I could invent a box that would keep my veggies fresh for months, that would be awesome.

4. As of this exact moment in time, I really really really want to not kill my kids before they finish passing through puberty.

Phew, we’re halfway through. But I’m out of ideas. So either this is going to take longer than I thought, or I’m gonna have to start making stuff up.

5. I want to learn how to play the stock market. And then be successful at it. But not on a full time basis. Because that would be work. And if you haven’t caught onto the pattern yet, I don’t really want to have any more work than I do now. Lol.

6. I used to want to visit Greece and see all the ruins there. But over the last few years that has become a fleeting interest.

7. I would like to move back to Texas. My whole family (except my parents) live there and it would be great if the kids could be closer to their cousins like I was with mine.

8. I’d like to meet Goran Visnjic aka Dr. Luka Kovac on ER. My gawd that man is yummy. The only problem is, is that I would have no idea what to say to him. I don’t think me asking to be alone with him would really be appropriate. Not to mention what my husband would say. Goran is definately on my “list”.

So there you go, the lamest Meme eva! To all my victims, remember to go thank Hot!

[AzizalSaqr]

From: http://www.tennisweek.com/news/fullstory.sps?inewsid=6615438

Goran Is No. 1
By Tennis Week
Tuesday, August 05, 2008

It's been seven years since Goran Ivanisevic edged Patrick Rafter to win the memorable "People's Monday" final at Wimbledon, but the four-time Wimbledon finalist has risen to No. 1 in Croatia.

The 36-year-old Ivanisevic has been voted the most well-known Croat in the world, eclipsing the president, a film star and the national soccer coach to reach the top spot.

In an international poll conducted by the Croatian Times web site, the 2001 Wimbledon champion received 32.4 percent of the votes.

It put him ahead of the Croatian national soccer team coach Slaven Bilic (27.2 percent), Hollywood star Goran Visnjic (13.9 percent) and Croatian President Stjepan Mesic (6.4 percent).

Ivanisevic is popular wherever he goes on the BlackRock Tour of Champions, and is scheduled to play in Portugal for the first time this week.

Two-time French Open winner Sergi Bruguera begins the defense of his Vale do Lobo Grand Champions CGD title on Tuesday as the BlackRock Tour of Champions continues in the Algarve, Portugal this week.

Bruguera takes on Brazilian Wild Card Fernando Meligeni in his opening match in the Vale do Lobo group in what will be a repeat of last year’s final, which the Spaniard won in straight sets.

"It is a fantastic event here at the Vale do Lobo Tennis Acadamy, and I’m really looking forward to defending my title here," said Bruguera. "We have some great players here again this year, so I know it’s going to be tough."

Bruguera is in a group alongside 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, 1988 French Open finalist Henri Leconte as well as Meligeni, who reached the BlackRock Tour final in Istanbul last month.

Former World No. 1 Marcelo Rios heads the Caixa Geral Depósitos Group, and the Chilean begins his quest for the title against local favourite Joao Cunha e Silva in the opening match of the tournament.

Meanwhile, Thomas Muster, who pulled his right abductor muscle during the semifinal in Graz last week, has had to withdraw from Tuesday’s encounter with Argentine legend Gullermo Vilas and has been replaced by Britain’s Chris Wilkinson.

The winners of each group will go through to Friday’s final, with the runners-up meeting in a third-place playoff prior to the final.