In the U.S., when an important person in government dies, flags are flown (displayed) at half-mast* or half-staff* (both terms are commonly used). Both of these terms mean for a flag to be flown lower on the flagpole (tall outdoor metal pole on which a flag is attached and shown).

The President of the United States can issue an executive order (command of the President) for a flag to be flown at half-staff to show respect for the person who has died.  When the President issues an executive order, all government buildings, including public schools, government offices, and military bases (where soldiers live and train) fly their flags at half-mast.  A governor (highest level leader of a state) can also order that flags be flown at half-mast, but the order only affects his or her state.

The number of days a flag is flown at half-staff depends on the position the person held.  For example, for a current or former president, that period is 30 days.  For a vice president or a chief justice (leader of the highest court in the country), the period is 10 days.  For a member of Congress (officials representing the states), the flag is flown at half-staff on the day of the death and the following (next) day.

Last month, a hotel in Ohio got into some hot water (got in trouble) when it had mechanical (related to the working parts of a machine) problems.  On May 1, Osama Bin Laden was killed.  Two days before, the American flag flown outside of the hotel got stuck (could not be moved)–the workers could only get the flag down half-way (to the middle).  Because of continuing rains for two weeks, the workers could not repair the flagpole and get the flag down.  People driving by and seeing the flag misinterpreted (had the mistaken idea) that the hotel was honoring (recognizing with respect) Bin Laden.  The hotel received a deluge (in very large numbers) of phone calls, including threats (statement that someone plans to do injury or harm), and people even called the police. The hotel manager finally got the flag down, but he and his employees had a very unpleasant few days.

When an important person in government dies, is the flag flown at half-staff where you live?

~ Lucy

* A “staff” is a very long stick that people sometimes use while walking.  It is not the same as a “cane,” which is much shorter, about the length of a person’s leg, and often with a curve at the end.

** A “mast” is a tall post (long stick) on a boat or ship that holds up the sails, the pieces of fabric used to catch the wind and to move the boat or ship.

Photo Credit: U.S. Half-Staff Sunset from Wikipedia

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ON MONDAY
ESL Podcast 690 – Types of Views

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “steep” and “upper.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Special Hotel Requests.”
“When “booking” (reserving) a hotel room, the “reservations agent” (the person whose job is to process reservation requests) needs to know how large of a room is needed and when. But callers can make many other requests, too…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
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ON WEDNESDAY
English Cafe 296
Topics: Ask an American: driving while texting; ground versus soil versus land; as such; pupil versus people

In the Learning Guide:  Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear).
In “What Insiders Know,” you will read about “Common Texting Terms.”
“Most cell phones and other “mobile devices” (small, hand-held electronic devices that connect the Internet and/or a phone network) have very small “keyboards” (a set of buttons with letters, numbers, and punctuation marks, used for typing), so it can be difficult to type long messages…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON FRIDAY
ESL Podcast 691 – Dangerous Freeway Driving

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “to get old” and “to pass.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Seatbelt Laws – “Click it or Ticket.”
“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was created by the Highway Safety Act of 1970. It tries to make people safer by “preventing” (not letting something happen) “crashes” (car accidents). One of its most successful programs is…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide

If you know Charlie Brown, you know “Good grief!” Charlie Brown was the main character – a little boy that never grew up (got older) – in the Peanuts comic strip (picture stories that appear in newspapers). Even if you didn’t see the comic strips in a newspaper, you might have seen the Peanuts comic books, television programs, or movies.

When Charlie Brown said, “Good grief!” he was using it as an exclamation, a sound, word, or short sentence that you say suddenly, and sometimes loudly, because you are surprised, angry, or excited. Charlie usually said it because he was both surprised and annoyed (a little angry).

Some people might call “good grief” an oxymoron. An oxymoron is a combination of two words that seem to mean the opposite of each other. Here are some examples I found online: seriously funny, pretty ugly, old news, and Microsoft Works. Some say “intelligent blonde” (a person with pale yellow hair) is an oxymoron, but I might disagree: I married one!

The reason some people might call “good grief” an oxymoron is because grief is the extreme sadness we feel when someone we love has died. Not many people would call that good.

My brother, sisters, and I felt a lot of grief when our mom passed away (died). It was a difficult time, but we discovered that remembering and telling stories about Mom helped reduce (make less) our grief. Mom was a hard-working, warm (friendly and relaxed), loving, funny, and creative woman. And many of the stories we told were about her humor (ability to think that things are funny) and creativity. Let me tell you a few.

When I was young, Dad didn’t receive a large salary (monthly payment from work). As a result, we often had to scrimp (save as much money as you can). One Christmas, Mom didn’t want to spend money on a Christmas tree, so she found a tumbleweed, which was easy where we lived. A tumbleweed is a round weed (undesirable plant) that grows quickly, dies quickly, and after it dies, tumbles (rolls in an uncontrolled way) across the ground wherever the wind blows. She brought the tumbleweed into the house, flocked it (covered it with a white powder) and turned it into a Christmas tree. No one had a Christmas tree like ours that year!

My second story comes from a photo we found of a snowman sitting in a chair at a snow-covered table on Mom’s deck (wooden floor behind the house). He was wearing a cap and enjoying a plate of peppernuts (I wrote about these in The Wanderers) – one of our favorite Christmas treats. What’s interesting about this is she did it for her own enjoyment. It doesn’t get very cold where she lived, and I’m sure that this scene disappeared a short time after she took the picture when the sun came out and melted the snow. She didn’t care! She was just enjoying herself in a creative way. And I imagine she probably chuckled (laughed quietly) to herself while she did it.

Finally, the story of the bear in the picture at the top of the page. Several years ago Mom called to say that she had been cleaning out the closets (small room where clothes are stored). She said she had found some things of mine and had sent them to me in a box. She told me that I could keep them or throw them away, whichever I wanted to do. When the box came, I opened it and found a quilted, stuffed bear wearing my first pair of overalls (pants held up by cloth straps that go over your shoulders). A quilt is a blanket made from pieces of cloth. The pieces of cloth Mom used to make this quilt had come from shirts and dresses she had made for us when we were young. One of the pieces even came from the dress she wore to the hospital when I was born! I discovered later that she had made five of these bears, one for each of us children.

Good grief! Not fun, certainly, but good for us because it gave my brother, sisters, and me a reason and opportunity to remember a wonderful woman and mother.

~ Warren Ediger – creator of Successful English, where you can find clear explanations and practical suggestions for better English.

Photo by W. Ediger.

Like a lot of other smartphones nowadays, my phone has a camera. When I take a picture, there is a sound that is made that is just like the sound the cameras of my youth (when I was young)  made – a long clicking sound.  In the old days, before the explosion (rapid increase) of electronic devices (small machines), there were lots of sounds made by the physical movement of a machine’s parts.  When you took a picture, there was a sound made by the shutter (an internal part of the camera) as it opened and closed rapidly.  It wasn’t something added to the camera; it wasn’t extra.  It was just a sound the machine made due to (because of) the way it was built.

Digital cameras don’t make any sound, or at least, they don’t need to.  But the makers of digital cameras add the sound you used to hear.  Why?  Mostly because that is what people are used to hearing, what they associate with taking a picture. And we are slow to change.  We want to feel comfortable with the new technology, so keeping some of the old sounds, shapes, and the “look” of previous technology has become quite common.  When you move from one page to another on an iPad, you see something that looks like a paper page turning.  For most of us, that’s what reading a book feels like, and we want to keep that experience even when it is no longer necessary.

This process of keeping some of the old to help people transition (move from one place to another) to new technology is itself old.  When we moved from a system of transportation provided by horses to the steam engines of the 19th century, the amount of power was called “horsepower,” since that was what people were familiar with.  And we continue to use that term in English, even though most of us have probably never ridden a horse and have no idea how much power could be provided by, say (for example), 140 horses.

There are many examples of this way of designing technology – think of “folders” on your computer, or putting things in the “trash” to delete them.  Can you think of others?  Are there sounds that you don’t hear anymore that you wish you did?

~Jeff

Photo credit: Canon PowerShot A95, Wikipedia CC

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…………

ON MONDAY
ESL Podcast 688 – Ending a Business Relationship

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “to be up” and “to let (someone) down.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Common Legal Clauses.”
“Legal contracts contain many common “clauses” (sections of a legal contract dealing with one particular part of the law) that are seen “over and over again” (many times). Often these clauses are just copied and pasted…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON WEDNESDAY
English Cafe 295
Topics: Movie: 2001: A Space Odyssey; Joshua Tree National Park; kind of versus so-so versus more or less; firm versus company; to get + participle

In the Learning Guide:  Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear).
In “What Insiders Know,” you will read about “Watson and the TV Show Jeopardy!”
“For many years, the computer company IBM has been working on a computer that could think like humans.  In 2011, they “unveiled” (made public) a computer they call “Watson”…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON FRIDAY
ESL Podcast 689 – Listening to a Political Speech

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “to cut” and “to sit back.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Political Debates.”
“In the United States, many political “candidates” (people who are running for office) participate in “debates,” which are official opportunities for people to present their differing opinions on one or more issues…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide

If you visit Disney World in Orlando, Florida, you would expect to see Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, and Daffy Duck. If you visit Disney World the first week of June (May 31 to June 6) this year, you will see something else: A lot of people showing their gay pride.

Gay pride events are public events where gays (men who like men romantically) and lesbians (women who like women romantically) can show their support for those in the gay and lesbian community.  Most often, we see gay-pride parades, which is when people gather and march or walk through the streets together in celebration, often with music and costumes.

The “Gay Days” at Disney World is not an official Disney World event, but Disney World welcomes this one week each year when gays and lesbians gather and bring their families.  You’ll know who these participants are because they wear red shirts so others will know who they are.  Last year, about 150,000 people attended this six-day event, which included special pool parties, a film festival, after-hour (after closing time) visits to certain parts of Disney World, special gatherings and events for kids, and more.

The “Gay Days” started in 1991 as just one “Gay Day” with 3,000 gays and lesbians in Florida gathering for the purpose of becoming more visible (easy to see; easy to identify).  For gays and lesbians who had a difficult time in their childhood or adolescence (teenage years; between 13-19 years old), gathering at Disney World is a positive experience and, they say, a way to recapture (experience again) those early years with fun and joy, instead of taunts (remarks made in anger and to make other people react negatively) and being laughed at.  By 1995, about 10,000 traveled to Disney for the day.

Today, the Gay Days span (last) six days at Disney World and rival (is about the same as) in size the famous gay pride parades in New York City and San Francisco.  Several religious groups of Jews and Christians have complained to Disney about Gay Days, asking them to move the event to after-hours only.  But the Gay Days are not officially-sanction (officially approved and supported) by the company.  Gays and lesbians simply show up (arrive) wearing red shirts and enjoy the park along with other visitors.

Are there gay pride events where you live?

~ Lucy

Photo Credit: “Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom – Gay Day – 2007″ from Wikipedia

When two people arrive at a door at the same time, the expression we use in the U.S. to tell the other person to go first (in front of you) is “After you!” It is of course considered polite to let the other person go first.  But what about when we’re driving?  I’m afraid we are not nearly as polite as we are when we are walking.

One recent study looked at how polite drivers were by examining whether they let other drivers go first when given the chance (opportunity).  The researchers observed (watched) drivers at three T-shaped intersections. An intersection is where two roads meet or cross each other. A T-shaped intersection is where one road ends in another forming a shape that looks like a capital T.  Those on the road that ends must stop and wait either for there to be no cars on the crossing road or for a driver on the other road to slow down and let them in (let them go before them).  The researchers recorded who in fact gave way to the other driver (allowed the other person to go first), the kind of car they were driving, whether it was a man or woman driving, and whether the person was alone in the car.  Here’s what they found after about a thousand pairs of cars went through the intersections:

• In general (overall; on average), men and women acted altruistically (politely; giving something to another without expecting anything in return) at about the same rate.  40% of the drivers slowed down to let the stopped driver in.
• Men were more likely to let women drivers in than other men drivers, proving that men still can act like gentlemen (kind and courteous, especially to a woman).
• Drivers of high-status cars (expensive cars such as BMWs, Mercedes) slowed down only 38% of the time, compared to the drivers of “average-status” cars, who slowed down 47% of the time.  But low-status cars (cheap or inexpensive cars) slowed down the least – only 32% of the time, so it was not a simple relationship of more money equaling less politeness.
• People slowed down more often for people of the same status car as the one they were driving – that is, high-status cars slowed down more for high-status cars, low-status for other low-status cars, and so forth. Perhaps we like to be more polite to those with whom we share some bond (connection; common characteristic)?
• Drivers who looked over 45 years old slowed down more than younger drivers.
• Drivers who had a passenger (another person in the car) slowed down much more often than those who were driving alone. We behave (act) better when someone we know is watching us.

By the way, the study took place in Brisbane, Australia, not in the U.S., so things may be different here.  There was also no comparison of big cities versus (compared to) small cities, which may also have made a difference.  Living in Los Angeles, I don’t think these percentages on general politeness would be as high if they did the study here (or at least, in my neighborhood!).

What do you make of these figures (numbers; statistics)?  In other words, what do you think these statistics mean?  Would they be the same where you live?

~Jeff

Photo Credit: “Nice Guy,” TVTropes.com, CC

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If you enjoy our podcasts, please consider supporting ESL Podcast by becoming a Basic or Premium Member.
…………

ON MONDAY
ESL Podcast 686 – Roles Within a Family

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “to let on” and “baby”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “The Ideal Family and the White Picket Fence.”
“What’s the “ideal” (best; what one wants to have) American family? In the past, many people would answer that question by talking about a “middle-class” (average, not rich or poor) house with a “white picket fence”…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON WEDNESDAY
English Cafe 294
Topics: American Presidents: Abraham Lincoln; to rise versus to raise versus to arise; rather than versus prefer; to tender (one’s) resignation

In the Learning Guide:  Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear).
In “What Insiders Know,” you will read about “Commemorating President Lincoln.”
“Abraham Lincoln is one of the most respected past presidents of the United States.  For this reason, he is “commemorated” (remembered and shown respect) in many ways…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON FRIDAY
ESL Podcast 687 – Shopping for a Television

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “picture” and “to take up.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “The TV Show The Honeymooners.”
“The Honeymooners was a popular “sitcom” (situation comedy; a humorous television show with the same main characters in each episode) in the mid-1950s…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide

From 2006 until 2009, many of us enjoyed the Get a Mac television advertisements from Apple Computers. Well, at least those of us who use Macs enjoyed them!

The ads featured cool, casual (relaxed) Justin Long as a Mac and stodgy (dull; uninteresting), stuffy (not open to new ideas) John Hodgman as a PC (a computer that uses Microsoft Windows). Let me give you a couple of samples from the early years, using in part  the descriptions provided by AdWeek:

In one of the first ads, PC is seen rocking out (obviously enjoying himself) to an iPod and praising (saying good things about) iTunes. Mac replies that the rest of the iLife suite (a group of computer applications) works just as well and comes on every Mac. PC gets defensive (acting in a way that shows you think someone is criticizing you) and begins to list the cool apps (applications) that he comes with. Unfortunately he can only think of Calculator and Clock.

In another ad, Mac and PC hold hands to demonstrate (show) their ability to network (connect) with each other. They are joined by a Japanese woman who represents a new digital camera. Mac and the camera speak to each other fluently, but PC, who doesn’t have the proper driver (small app needed to do something), gets confused and can’t communicate.

If you want, you can view all 66 ads at the Adweek website. We Mac users think they’re very funny!

Not too long ago, Hunch.com carried out (did) an unscientific survey (research study) to see if Mac users really were like Long and PC users like Hodgman. You can see the results here in an interesting infographic (information shown as a graphic design).

The survey reinforced (supported) many of the ideas about the people who use Macs and PCs, but it also shed light on (showed, revealed) some interesting differences. Nearly 400,000 responded to (answered) the survey. About 50% identified themselves as PC people and 25% called themselves Mac people.

In general, Mac saw themselves as hip (fashionable), liberal (open to new ideas), verbally-oriented (good with words), more adventurous, and more creative. PC people see themselves as very mainstream (part of the majority in society), conservative (not liking change or new ideas), math-oriented, and less comfortable, in general, with computers and technology.

One of the interesting things is how PC users view (think about) Mac users and vice versa (the opposite: how Mac users view PC users). PC users think Mac users seem trendy (always follow new fashions), shallow (not interested in serious ideas), or pretentious (think they’re more important than they are). On the other hand, Mac users see PC users as being rigid (unwilling to change), conformist (doing the same as everyone else) and boring.

What kind of person are you – Mac or PC? Remember, this is about the kind of person you are, not the kind of computer you use. Take a look a the infographic and see which one you are. Remember, it’s possible for a PC person to use a Mac or a Mac person to use a PC! And, I suppose (think or believe), it’s possible to be a little bit of both.

~Warren Ediger – creator of Successful English, where you can find clear explanations and practical suggestions for better English and something to read during May.

Photograph “I’m Mac user” by Abdulrahman used under Creative Commons license.

Economics is the study of how we produce (make), consume (use), and transfer (give to someone else) various kinds of goods (physical things) and services (actions). In recent years, there have been several books in which economists use the methods of economic analysis to explain the way society (our culture or social structure) works.  The best known of these was the 2005 book, Freakonomics, which tried to explain different aspects of modern culture and living using economics.  (A freak is a strange or unusual person, and the term (word) is usually considered an insult).  Of course, “freakonomics” isn’t a real word in English; it is a new word created from “freak” and “economics.”

Now we have a new book in this same spirit (using this same idea or same approach) called Spousonomics, which tries to understand married people and their relationships through economic analysis. (Your spouse is the person you are married to.) Part of the book includes the results of a national poll (survey; questionnaire) of married couples and their opinions on various topics. Here are some of the results:

• 36% said that having children has brought them closer together, while 7% said it has driven them apart (separated them more).
• 45% agreed with the statement, “There are a few things [about my spouse ] I used to find appealing (attractive; making me like someone more) and now I don’t.”
• 56% said they had gained weight (got fatter) since getting married; 62% said that their spouse had gained weight.
• 57% said that a typical (normal) argument lasts 15 minutes or less; 4% said it lasts more than a day.
• 77% said that the amount of sex they have has diminished (become less and less) as they get older; 76% wish that it would not diminish.
• 35% said that they watch (pay attention to) their spouse’s spending, while 40% said that they don’t watch it.
• 58% had “full confidence” (were very sure) that their spouse would not cheat on them (not have a sexual relationship with someone else).

If you are married, you might want to compare your answers with what U.S. couples reported (said).  My answers are (in order): Not applicable (I can’t answer since I don’t have children), disagree, I’ve gained weight and my wife has lost weight, two hours, none of your business (you have no right to know), never, full confidence.

Finally, my favorite result: 55% said that marriage is more work than they expected before getting married. In other words (to say the same thing another way), 45% of the people were lying.

~Jeff

Photo Credit: Anillos (Rings) by Musoromana, Wikipedia CC