Thomas Beatie was born female, and his original name was Tracy Lagondino. He has been in the process of changing his gender* for many years.
His breasts have been reduced,* he has been taking testosterone (the male hormone) and is legally recognized* in the state of Oregon, USA, as a male.
However, he still has a vagina. “I opted* not to do anything with my reproductive organs because I wanted to have a child one day,” he said.
About 7 months ago (his due* date is July 3rd), his wife of 5 years, Nancy, artificially inseminated* him with sperm from a sperm bank.
“It’s not a male or female desire* to have a child. It’s a human desire,” Beatie said.
Not everyone sees things the same way. Some doctors have refused* to take Thomas as a patient, due to their religious or personal beliefs, and the Beaties claim* they have been treated* rudely* and laughed at by nurses and hospital receptionists.
“I am so lucky to have such a loving, supportive* wife,” Beatie said. “ I will be my daughter’s father, and Nancy will be her mother. We will be a family.” he said.
He also gets support from his current* obstetrician, * who said “This baby is totally healthy. This is a normal pregnancy.”
Some people claim that, if Beatie is pregnant, then he doesn’t qualify as a man.
A commenter in one internet discussion group wrote “You can staple* feathers* to a dog, but that doesn’t mean it’s a chicken.”
Vocabulary:
gender
be recognized as
opt
due date
artificially inseminate
desire
refuse
be treated
rudely
supportive
current
obstetrician
staple
feather
Question for discussion:
Will he be a good parent?

Thomas Beatie Shows Off His Stom­ach

Officials in Turin, Italy, felt they were paying too much to keep the lawns in the city parks mowed,* so they found a clever solution. Sheep. Federico Tompolato, manager of the project, said: “Using sheep is not only cheaper and more environmentally friendly,* but we can also sell them at the end of the process to raise more money.*”
However, not everyone agrees that the plan has been a success. There are traffic problems as the city’s flock* of 700 sheep is herded* from park to park, and many residents* complain* that the lawns, which were pleasant places to sit, are now covered* in sheep poop.
Vocabulary:
trim
lawn
mowed
environmentally friendly
raise money
flock
be herded
resident
complain
covered
Question for discussion:
Was this a good idea?

A luxury hotel in Shanghai has attracted a lot of attention* by dressing their window cleaners as Spiderman.
A spokesman for the Shanghai Sheraton said: “Nobody wants to see a person suddenly appear* outside their window, so we thought of dressing them as movie characters, which would be fun and harmless.*”
Apparently,* the guests like the idea and many want to have their pictures taken with the window washers.
Vocabulary:
attention
appear
harmless
apparently
Question for discussion:
How many of the Spiderman movies have you seen?

“Truck Nuts”* are plastic testicles that some Americans like to hang underneath their trucks, as a humorous decoration. Now, some politicians in the state of Florida are offended* and want them removed.*
Republican State Senator Cary Baker has proposed* a bill* that would ban the decorations, and would like to fine* drivers $60 if they have them on their trucks.
Opponents of the ban say it is a limitation on freedom of speech. One of them, Republican Jim King, actually had a pair of them on his own truck until his wife objected.*
Even the bill’s sponsor does not think he will succeed.* “It’s probably not going to make it through the process,” Baker said. “It won’t be much of a story in a few days.”
Vocabulary:
ban
fake
testicles
nuts
be offended
removed
propose
bill
fine
object
succeed
Question for discussion:
Are these funny or offensive?

A Very Manly Vehicle

Absolut Vodka, a Swedish company, recently put an advertisement on billboards throughout Mexico which angered many U.S. citizens.
The slogan of the ad is “In An Absolut World,” implying that that would be an ideal world. The ad showed a map of Mexico including parts of the U.S. which were taken from Mexico after a war in 1848.
Right wing* blogger and anti-immigration fanatic Michelle Malkin wrote about the ad in her column,* and the makers of Absolut received thousands of angry e-mails and phone calls.
They have since removed* the ad.
Vocabulary:
anger
right wing
column
remove
Question for dis­cussion:
Why don’t Americans have a sense of humor?

Things Would Be Different

Wesley Snipes, star of the “Blade” movies, “White Men Can’t Jump” and “Jungle Fever” has been sentenced to* 3 years in prison for tax evasion.
Snipes, who earned $38 million between 1998 and 2004, refused* to file* any income* tax forms during that time. He claimed* that the government had no legal right to make people pay taxes.
“I am an idealistic, naive, passionate, truth-seeking, spiritually motivated artist, unschooled in the science of law and finance,” Snipes said.
In addition to the 3 years in prison, Snipes will have to pay $17 million in taxes and fines.*
It’s not the first time that Snipes has gotten himself into trouble unnecessarily. In his life, he has been convicted of* carrying a loaded weapon,* reckless* driving after he crashed his motorcycle while running from the police, and trying to travel with a fake* South African passport even though he had a valid American passport with him.
Vocabulary:
jail
tax evasion
be sentenced to
refuse
file
income
claim
fine
be convicted of
loaded weapon
reckless
fake
Question for discussion:
Are you a fan of Wesley Snipes?

Snipes Greets Fans Outside Court

Police in Kinshasa, Congo have arrested* 13 suspected sorcerers* accused of using black magic to steal or shrink men’s penises after a wave of panic and attempted* lynchings .
To stop the violence, police detained* not only the alleged* sorcerers, but also 14 of their “victims,” who said the sorcerers only had to touch them for their penises to disappear.*
“I’m tempted* to say it’s one huge joke,” Kinshasa police chief Jean-Dieudonne Oleko said. “But when you try to tell the victims that their penises are still there, they say that it’s become tiny or that they’ve become impotent.
Vocabulary:
arrest
suspected
sorcerer
accused of
shrink
attempted
detain
alleged
disappear
be tempted
Question for discussion:
Can black magic hurt you

Pierre, a 25 year old penguin at the California Academy of Sciences, was losing his feathers,* which left his pink bottom exposed.* But embarrassment* was not his problem.
“He was cold. He would shake,*” aquatic biologist Pam Schaller said. Also, he didn’t want to go into the water.
Pierre’s species* is called the Jackass* penguin, because they make a sound something like a donkey. They usually only live to 20.
At first, Schaller tried to keep Pierre warm with a heat lamp, but then she had a better idea. If wetsuits can help humans dive* in cold water, why not make one for Pierre?
Biologists were worried that the other 19 penguins might not accept Pierre with the new suit, but they did. He now swims with his friends and has even regrown* some of the lost feathers.
Schaller is uncertain if that’s a direct result* of the wetsuit but, she says, “Certainly we were able to keep him comfortable during a period of time that would have been very difficult for him to stay comfortable.”
Vocabulary:
feathers
exposed
embarrassment
shake
species
jackass
dive
regrow
result
Question for discussion:
Would you like to be a penguin?

Pierre Shows Off His New Suit

Supermodel Rachel Hunter has spent approximately $50,000 on a house for her dog!
The model (who was once married to Rod Stewart) hired* La Petite Maison, a company which originally made playhouses for children but has found a more lucrative market building homes for wealthy people’s pets,* to build the home, which includes* tiled* floors and wrought* iron* balconies.
“Many of our clients have pets but don’t have children,” said designer Michelle Pollak, “so they’re treated* just as well as kids would be.”
Vocabulary:
hire
pet
include
tiled
wrought iron
be treated
Question for discussion:
What would you do with $50,000?

Home Sweet Home

Connor Cruise, the 13 year old adopted son of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, will have a small role in the upcoming* Will Smith film “Seven Pounds.” Cruise will play Will Smith’s character as a child, seen in flashbacks.*
Despite* having Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as parents, Connor still had to audition* for the role, and one source* said “Tom is so proud of Connor, he’s proud of him for really doing this on his own.
Cruise and Kidman, who divorced in 2001, also have an adopted 15 year old daughter, Isabella.
Cruise has one child, a daughter named Suri who is now 2 years old, with his current* wife, Katie Holmes.
Kidman and her husband, country music singer Keith Urban, are currently expecting* their first child, who is due* to be born in July.
Vocabulary:
upcoming
flashback
despite
audition
source
current
expect
is due to be born
Question for dis­cussion:
What makes a great actor?

Tom Cruise And His Son Connor

Police in Texas raided* the “Yearning for Zion” ranch early in April, after a phone call from a 16 year old girl who claimed* she had been raped* and abused* by her 50 year old husband.
Although the girl who made the phone call has not been found or identified, police arrested all of the adults and took all 437 children into custody.* Now, authorities* have several problems.
They have only found alternate homes for 138 of the children, who range* in age from infants to teenagers. Many of the mothers say that the children were not abused, even though the rules* of their religious sect seem abusive to most of society.
Women in the sect are married as young as 13, their religion states that the way for a woman to get into heaven is to obey* her husband, and men are taught that they must have at least 3 wives to get in.
Vocabulary:
arrest
raid
claim
be raped
abuse
custody
authorities
range
rule
obey
Question for discussion:
What should happen with the children?

Women And Children Leaving The Ranch

Luke Pittard, and his girlfriend Emma Cox, won 1.3 million British pounds (2.6 million CHF) in the national lottery a year and a half ago.
So, they left their jobs at a McDonald’s restaurant in Cardiff, Wales, got married, bought a home for 230,000 pounds (460 CHF), and prepared to live the good life.
Pittard, 25, and Cox, 29, have a 3 year old daughter, Chloe.
But Luke quickly grew bored* and missed his friends from work so he reapplied for* his old job, as staff trainer.*
“Everyone thinks I’m mad but I tell them there’s more to life than money. I loved working at McDonald’s before I became a millionaire and I’m really enjoying being back there again.”
His wages* at McDonald’s are less than the interest* from their winnings.
Luke’s manager, Katherine Jones, said “We love having him here. It’s as if he never went away.”
Vocaulary:
bored
reapply for
staff trainer
wages
interest
Question for dis­cussion:
Do you work for fun or for money?

Cox and Pittard Celebrate Their Win

Tania Derveaux wants to save* the internet, and she’s willing* to do a lot for her cause.
“I will make love with every virgin* who defends* the internet,” the spokeswoman for I Power, a group which is working for Net Neutrality writes on their website.
The sex, most likely,* will not be physical and in person, but it is still an effective strategy.
“In history, man has always waged* war for freedom. Now it’s time to obtain* our freedom with love,” she said.
Net neutrality means that the internet should be free of regulation by governments* or corporations.
Vocabulary:
cause
save
be willing
virgin
defend
likely
wage
obtain
government
Question for discussion:
How do you feel about net neutrality?

Tania Derveaux Makes A Heavenly Offer

Japan’s space agency, JAXA, plans to launch* a paper airplane from space and observe* its flight back to earth.*
“It sounded like a simply impossible, crazy idea,” said Shinji Suzuki, a professor of Aeronautics who had the idea ten years ago. “But it could very well survive if it comes down very slowly.”
A prototype has survived a simulation in a wind tunnel, but tests are continuing. A special type of paper, made from sugar fibers,* is being used, but no tape, staples or anything else is allowed.*
Although the experiment may give valuable* scientific data, there is one problem. Nobody knows yet how to track* the flight.
Vocabulary:
space
launch
observe
earth
fiber
be allowed
valuable
track
stunt
Question for discussion:
Is this an important experiment, or just a stunt?*

Origami Master Takuo Toda Holds Plane

Film star Halle Berry, 41, gave birth to* a baby girl on March 16th. The baby’s name is Nahla Ariela Aubry.
Nahla is Arabic for honeybee. This is the first child for both her and the baby’s father.
The father is Berry’s boyfriend, French-Canadian model Gabriel Aubry, 32. Berry says that she and Aubry don’t plan to get married, but they are “very devoted* to each other.”
They met each other at a photo shoot* for Versace in November of 2005, and began dating immediately.
Berry is apparently not worried about the difference in their ages.
“I just think he‘s a wonderful person and I‘m happy to have found someone so special,” she said.
She has been married twice before. Her first husband was baseball player David Justice, and her second was musician Eric Benet. She once said that after her divorce from Justice, she was so depressed
that she considered* suicide.*
Berry is the first actress to win both a best actress Oscar (for her role as an executed* murderer’s* widow* in “Monster’s Ball” in 2001, and a Razzie* award as worst actress of the year in 2005, for “Catwoman.”
Usually, people who win the Razzie awards do not acknowledge* the prize, but she surprised both organizers and fans by showing up* to accept the Razzie, and giving a good humored acceptance* speech.
Vocabulary:
give birth to
devoted
photo shoot
consider
suicide
executed
murderer
widow
Razzie
acknowledge
show up
acceptance
Question for discussion:
Is Nahla a nice name?

Aubry and Berry, The Proud Par­ents

The mayor of Sarpourenx, France, Gerard Lalanne, has made dying illegal. It’s not that he’s against death. It’s just that there’s no more room in the town’s cemetery.
“This may be a laughing matter* for some, but not for me,” the 70 year old politician said.
He put up a notice in the town hall, advising the towns 260 residents that “all persons not having a plot* in the cemetery and wishing to be buried* in Sarpourenx are forbidden from dying in the parish.*”
At the end of the document it was written “offenders* will be severely punished.*”
Vocabulary:
mayor
outlaw
matter
plot
be buried
parish
offender
be punished
dispose of
Question for discussion:
What is the best way to dispose of* the dead?

Swedish artist Mikael Genberg, 44, wants to put a house on the moon. It sounds a bit crazy, but he has the support of the Swedish government.
“If we manage* to do this Sweden will be the third country to stake* a claim* on the moon,” Frederik von Scheele, as spokesman for the Swedish space* agency, said.
“It’s going to be an unmanned* landing, and the house has to be very light, but it will also have to be sturdy* enough to remain* standing for thousands of years once it’s up there,” Genberg said. The house will only be 10 square meters.
Vocabulary:
manage
stake claim
space
unmanned
sturdy
remain
Question for discussion:
Does the moon need art?

Actress Drew Barrymore (ET, 50 First Dates) has donated* $1 million to the World Food Program in order to help feed* children in Africa.
“I have seen with my own eyes what a difference a simple cup of nutritious* porridge* can make in a child’s life,” she said. Barrymore, 33, has worked with the charity since 2005. She has visited Kenya twice to see the organization’s work for herself.
Barrymore made the announcement* on the “Oprah Winfrey Show,” on American television. Oprah Winfrey is famous for her charity acts,* and once gave everybody in her studio audience* a new car.
Vocabulary:
donate
feed
nutritious
porridge
announcement
charity act
audience - obecenstvo
deed - skutek
Question for discussion:
What is your favorite Drew Barrymore film?

Drew Does A Good Deed*

Jessie Vigil, 35, wanted to do something special for his 7 year old son. His son enjoyed* the film “Transformers” so Vigil painted his car to look like the police car in the film.
First, he called the police to see if it was legal. Even the police weren’t sure, but they told him he could do it. “I don’t think this guy has any intent* to mimic a state police officer,” District Attorney* Joe Ulibarri said.
He’s probably right. Most American police cars have the motto “To Protect and Serve” painted on their doors, Vigil’s car has “ To Punish* and Enslave.*” Regular police cars have “Dial* 911 for Emergencies” but Vigil’s car, a Ford Mustang, has “Dial 411 for Theater Information.”
Vocabulary:
enjoy
intent
attorney
punish
enslave
dial
Question for discussion:
What’s the craziest car you’ve ever seen?

Papa’s Police Car

Actress Pamela Anderson (Baywatch) and her husband of two months, Rick Salomon, have agreed to have their marriage annulled.
Both partners are accusing* the other of fraud, although no details have been made public. Also, they have both agreed that there will be no financial settlement.*
Salomon appears to be* a specialist in short term relationships with celebrities. He was married to Shannon Doherty (Beverly Hills 90210) for 9 months but she divorced him because she disapproved of* his relationship with Paris Hilton, with whom he made a sex tape.
Anderson’s two previous* marriages were to singer Kid Rock and Motley Crue drummer* Tommy Lee.
Vocabulary:
charge
fraud
accuse
settlement
appear to be
disapprove od
previous
drummer
fail
Question for discussion:
Why do so many celebrity marriages fail?*

Splitting Up