Last year I experimented with the idea of taking a news headline (the title of a newspaper story) and explaining both the words of the headline and the background of the story.  Today I’ll give it another try, this time for a story that appears on today’s New York Times website.

“Obama Calls for ‘Up or Down Vote’ on Health Care Bill”

President Obama announced yesterday that he wants the U.S. Congress (our national legislature, consisting of Senators and Representatives) to have an “up or down vote” on health care.  To vote means to say yes or no about some issue in an election or group decision.  A bill is a proposal for a law that needs to be approved by the two houses or parts of Congress, the Senate (100 people) and the House of Representatives (435 people), and then signed by the president to become a law.  For most things, a simple majority (50% + 1) is enough to pass or approve a bill.  But in the U.S. Senate, there is a way to prevent a vote on any bill by, basically, refusing to stop talking.  This procedure, known as a filibuster, can only be stopped by a super-majority (more than 50% + 1) of 60%.

President Obama is asking the Congress (specifically, the Senate) to avoid any filibusters and simply vote on the proposed bill for health care (taking care of people who are sick).   This is what he means by an up and down vote – no filibusters, just a simple majority vote of yes (“up”) or no (“down”).  While the president’s political party, the Democrats, has a simple majority in both houses of Congress, it does not have a super-majority in the Senate, so it cannot stop the opposing party, the Republicans, from filibustering.  Hence (therefore), the president is asking Republicans to stop preventing a vote on the bill.  If he can do that, the bill has a much better chance of passing.

Unfortunately for the president, the majority of Americans are not in favor of the current health care bill, and many of the Democrats in his own party are afraid to vote for a bill that has become so unpopular, largely due to (because of) the high cost of it.  We’ll have to see if the Senate Republicans take the president’s suggestion to, well, shut up and let the vote proceed (take place, happen).  Even if they do, it is still possible that the bill will fail to pass with a simple majority.

~Jeff

P.S. Feel free to comment on whether you think this sort of blog post – about headlines – is useful.

Just wanted to write you all a quick note to announce that, contrary to (the opposite of) what some of you may be thinking, I will not – repeat, not – be participating in the 2010 Olympic Games that begin tomorrow in Vancouver, Canada (a little country north of the U.S., I think).  It was a difficult decision, but I decided that since I cannot skate, ski, snowboard, bobsled, luge, “skeleton” sled, curl, play hockey, or shoot a gun (it’s part of the biathalon…seriously!), there was no point (no need, it didn’t make sense) for me to try to represent the U.S. of A. in Vancouver this year.

Perhaps next time they’ll have a sport I can participate in…like watching the Olympics on TV.

~Jeff

When I moved to Los Angeles back in the early 1990s, it was one of the most dangerous cities in the United States.  One year, there were more than 1,000 homicides (murders) in the city of Los Angeles itself.  Even worse for me, when I first moved here I was living in one of the most dangerous parts of town (Echo Park) and going to a school (the University of Southern California) in a mostly unsafe neighborhood (South Central Los Angeles).  But in the almost 20 years since I’ve lived in Southern California, violent crime, such as murder, rape (sexual assault), and burglary (theft) have all decreased dramatically.  In fact, 2009 was one of the safest years in the city of Los Angeles in the past 50 years.  Last year, there were a little more than 300 homicides, the lowest number of killings since 1967.  This drop (decrease) in violent crime is not unique to Los Angeles, however.  Almost every major city in the United States, including New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Dallas, has seen a significant decrease in the number of violent crimes in the past 20 years.  The big question is: What happened?

We may not be sure of what’s right (correct), but we definitely know what’s wrong, including the popular idea that increasing poverty causes an increase in crime.  Last year was one of the worst years in the U.S. economy in several decades (decade equals 10 years), yet violent crime continued to drop.

There are at least three possible explanations why America is much safer now than it was 20 years ago, and all three might have contributed (had an influence, had an impact) to lower crime rates:

• Fewer young people.  Statistically (numerically), most violent crime is committed by adolescent and young adult males.  As the population gets older, there are fewer and fewer young people to commit (to do) crimes.  As one researcher noted in an article in today’s Wall Street Journal, “The largest and fastest-growing segment (part) of the population is people over 50.  People over 50 also happen to be the age group that is least likely to commit crimes.”  The more old people there are, the safer the world is.  (I guess that means that I am a “young” person, since I am not yet 50.  But that also means that I am more likely to commit crimes, so be careful!)

• More prisons.  The United States incarcerates (puts in jail or prison) more than seven million people, which is about the size of the population of the country of Jordan.  One out of every 31 adults in the US is behind bars (in prison).  Some people argue that putting more violent criminals in prison will logically lead to fewer crimes.

• Better policing.  Police forces in major American cities have changed their tactics (approaches, ways of doing things) in the past 20 years, including what is called data-driven policing.  Data is just another word for information, facts, or statistics.  Something that is data-driven is something that is influenced or controlled by the information collected, rather than by some theory.  The idea is that the police use computers to analyze, for example, where the most dangerous parts of town are and send more police to those areas.  Police also make sure that petty (less serious) criminals (people who commit crimes) are punished more frequently, ensuring (making sure) that small crimes don’t lead to big ones.

It may be, of course, that there are other reasons to explain this decrease in crime in the U.S.  Whatever the reason, it should be good news for those who want to visit the United States but are worried about their safety.  So come to Los Angeles, and I promise that you (probably) won’t be killed!

~Jeff

I was born in what we sometimes refer to in English as the sixties, that is, the 1960s. I went to grade (elementary) school and high school in the seventies, went to college in the eighties, and worked and went back to college in the nineties.  All that is easy to explain.  But what do Americans call the next decade (ten years), from 2000 to 2009, that ends today?  How do I say, for example, I began working on a podcast during this time period?

This question was often asked ten years ago, in 1999, and various words were suggested then.  One idea was to call this decade the “aughts,” since aught is a British English term for zero.  But Americans almost never use this word, and it did not catch on (become popular).  Other solutions include “the two thousands,” “the double ohs” (oh means zero), and “the double zeros.”  Again, none of these became popular.  The truth is that, at least in the United States, there is no commonly accepted term to refer to the decade that ends today.

In Britain, where “aught” is actually used as a word for zero, the term “noughties” has become popular to describe this decade.  “Noughties” sounds like “naughty,” which is a word you might use with a young child to describe something bad or wrong (for an adult, it is also an informal, somewhat humorous term for something that is related to sex).  No doubt (probably) the British think they are being rather clever (smart) in choosing that term.  But Americans have not adopted it.  Right now people just avoid referring to this decade with a single name.

Another solution would be to see what we called the last “00″ decade, 1900-1909.  Unfortunately, Americans one hundred years ago had the same problem we have today, and they never really came up with (invented) a good term!   And what about previous centuries – say, 1800-1809 or 1500-1509?  Apparently, it was not common to use a single term to refer to a decade before the 19th century, so the question never came up (was never asked).

I therefore propose we call the years 2000 to 2009 “the Whatchamacallit Decade.”  Whatchamacallit is an very informal term we use for something that we can’t think of or don’t know the name of.  It probably comes from the expression “what you may call it,” and is sometimes used humorously (as a joke).  You might say, “Give me that whatchamacallit sitting on the table there” to refer to something on the table.  It can be used with any object.  Since we don’t really know what to call this decade, whatchamacallit seems as good a choice as any (as good as any other choice).

There! I’ve solved the problem of the decade – you know, the Whatchamacallit Decade.  (You’re welcome, America.)

May you and everyone you know have a happy and peaceful New Year!

~Jeff

Over the weekend, one of the major news stories was about “balloon boy,” a six-year-old boy who was believed to have gone up in a giant hot-air balloon shaped like a UFO (unidentified flying object; spaceship) that his father had built in the backyard.  The boy’s parents called the police and told them that they thought six-year-old Falcon was in the balloon.  When the balloon finally landed (came down to the ground), the boy was not on board (inside).  It turns out that Falcon was in the attic (room below the roof) the entire time.

As more and more information becomes available, this entire episode (event) may have been a hoax (fraud; deception).  When the family was interviewed on one of the many TV news shows, the boy Falcon was asked why he hadn’t come out of the attic sooner and he responded, “You guys said we did this for the show,” which seemed to signal (give the indication) that this was staged (prepared; planned).

At the same time, more information became available about his parents.  The family had been on a reality TV show called “Wife Swap,” in which the wife/mother of two very different families exchange places for a short time.  Falcon’s parents had also pitched (proposed) a reality show to one of the cable networks (set of TV stations) for a show about their wacky (unusual and funny) family, which the network had passed on (rejected).  It now appears that this may have all been a publicity stunt (action to get public attention) and the police are considering filing charges (officially saying that someone has broken the law) against these parents.

Turning children into entertainers is nothing new.  There have been child actors, performers, singers, etc., since the beginning of time.  With the rise of (increasing popularity of) reality TV shows, however, there are more and more families putting their lives in front of the camera.  A recent example is the show “Jon and Kate Plus Eight,” about a family with eight young children, whose parents in recent months have split up (separated; divorced) and have been publicly feuding (fighting; arguing).

Is this “family reality TV” trend taking place in other countries and what do you think of it?

~ Lucy

Many actors dream of coming to “Hollywood” to make it big (to be a big success), and a few are probably surprised to learn that there is no city of Hollywood in California. Hollywood is actually just a neighborhood of Los Angeles.  Moreover (in addition), many of the film studios (places where movies and TV shows are made) are not even in that neighborhood, so the term “Hollywood” really describes the larger entertainment industry (business) in this city.  Now comes a new surprise: Most movies and TV shows aren’t even made in Hollywood/Los Angeles anymore!

According to a recent Los Angeles Times article, only about 30% of movies are now filmed (made) in California, down from (decreasing from) more than 60% just five years ago.  Only 57% of all TV shows’ first episodes (called pilots) are filmed in Los Angeles, down from more than 80% in 2004.

So why is everyone leaving?  The reason is simple: Other cities and states are giving filmmakers incentives to film in their locations.  Incentives are things you are given to motivate you to want to do something.  These incentives are mostly financial (related to money), including lower taxes and fees for filming.  Los Angeles, however, doesn’t have any organized program of incentives, and has therefore been losing jobs to other cities and states, such as New York, Connecticut, and elsewhere (other places).

Los Angeles is trying to create its own incentive plan to keep the studios from moving their business to other states.  But some think it may be too late.  Soon, instead of actors dreaming of coming to Los Angeles, perhaps they’ll flock (go in large numbers) to Vancouver, Hartford, and Dallas instead.

~Jeff

First, I want to thank everyone who wished me a happy birthday last week. I appreciate all the kind comments.  Some people asked if I was “really” 29.  The answer is yes.  I am 29 mentally, but 46 physically.   Actually, some people say I am nine mentally, but that is another story (that’s a different question or issue)!

Today’s post is called potpourri, which means a mixture of different things, sometimes used in talking about music or literature, but more generally about a set of topics that are not necessarily related to each other.  This post is a potpourri, since the paragraphs do not related to one another very well – it’s a mix of ideas.  I confess that it has been a really busy week for me, so I’m going to talk about some recent headlines in the news for today’s post, mostly for some of the difficult vocabulary that sometimes appears in newspaper headlines (story titles).  All of these are from today’s New York Times online edition.  Here goes (here we go, now we will begin):

Bernanke, in Nod to Critics, Suggests Board of Regulators

Bernanke refers to Ben Bernanke, who is head (leader) of the Federal Reserve, sort of like our national bank (or at least, it has become one in recent months).  To nod means to acknowledge someone else’s idea by agreeing to do it, even though you didn’t like the idea initially (at the beginning).  Often the verb is used to show that the person is trying to make his critics happy by doing something they suggest.  Bernanke is “nodding” to his critics by taking up one of their suggestions: That there be a board of regulators (government officials who make sure companies are following the law) for the control of US banks and financial institutions.

Fossil Skeleton From Africa Predates Lucy

Fossils are the remains of some animal or human body part that are found in rock, usually hundreds of thousands of years old.  A skeleton refers to the bones of a human or animal.  To predate means to come before.  Lucy is not our own Dr. Lucy Tse; it refers to a famous skeleton found many years ago named Lucy.  The story is that scientists have dated (determined the age of)* a skeleton that is 4.4 million years old, older than the skeleton named Lucy, which is “only” 3.2 million years old.  This new skeleton is being called Ardi (which is short for the technical name, Ardipithecus ramidus).  It is considered the oldest skeleton from the human “branch” or part of the primate family (which includes apes, monkeys, and my neighbor).

Curling Up With Hybrid Books, Videos Included

To curl up means to sit with your legs up against you for warmth or comfort, sort of like a ball.  There is an expression “to curl up into a ball” for this reason.  To curl up with a book means to sit down to read a book in a comfortable chair.  A hybrid is a mixture of two different things.  We now have hybrid cars that use both electricity and gasoline for power, for example.  Here is what this headline is all about: With the changes in technology (iPhones, Kindles, e-book readers), some publishers are now starting to include videos with the books they are releasing in electronic format (such as for the iPhone).  “Readers” will read the text and can also watch videos in some chapters of the book that are related to the story.  These “vooks” (video + book) are still very new, but many think that these multimedia (more than one media, such as sound, text, video) “vooks” will become more and more popular.

This post does not include any videos, sorry.

~Jeff

* = To date can also mean to go somewhere romantic with your girl/boyfriend or spouse.  Scientists did not actually go to dinner with the skeleton, however, since it appeared to be rather hungry and they didn’t want to pay for a big meal (scientists can be rather cheap (unwilling to spend money), I guess).

Cocaine is a very addictive (something that you can’t stop doing or consuming once you start because it is so pleasurable) drug that became popular in the 1970s and 1980s and still is used by many today (I am told).  It is usually ingested (taken into the body) via (through) the nose in an action called snorting.  Sometimes (I’ve seen in the movies, at least) people take dollar bills (US paper money) and roll them up into a small circle, then place one end of the roll in their nose and the other to snort up (to draw into your nose by breathing in) the cocaine, much like a vacuum cleaner.   (A type of cocaine, called crack cocaine, or simply “crack,” is smoked instead of snorted.  Cocaine can also be injected with a needle, like other drugs, directly into your blood.)

The US is a major importer (a country that buys a product from another country) of this illegal drug, which has been the cause of so many problems in Latin American and the US.  A recent study reported in the New York Times found that 90% of all US banknotes (paper money) contains small amounts of cocaine.   The amount is very small, which we would call trace amounts.   Two years ago, a study found that 67% of banknotes in the US had traces of cocaine, so the amount has increased.

The researchers collected 230 bills from 17 different cities.  Washington, D.C. had the highest percentage of bills with cocaine among the cities surveyed.  For some reason, $5, $10, and $50 bills had more cocaine on average than $1 and $100 bills.

The US is not unique when it comes to (concerning) cocaine on banknotes.  Eighty percent of Brazilian bills have traces of cocaine, and about 20% of Chinese bills.

The researchers noted that there was not enough cocaine to cause any health concerns, and certainly not enough to get high (intoxicated, affected by the drug).   Nor does it mean that 9 out of every 10 bills in the US is being used to snort cocaine!  Cocaine is snorted as a fine powder (very small particles or pieces, like flour), and spreads easily from bill to bill in bill counting machines (machines banks used to count the number of bills quickly).

The New York Times headline for the article online was “Those Hamiltons and Jacksons Carry Some Cocaine.”   What is this all about?  More on that in my next blog post.

~Jeff

Last week, Les Paul, the inventor of the modern electric guitar passed away (died) at the age of 94.  Inventors are people who create or make things that didn’t exist before, and Les Paul is credited with (recognized as) inventing some of the devices (electronic things) and techniques (ways of doing something or performing) that gave rock music its sound.

In 1939, he invented the first solid-body electric guitar (see photo). His prototype (the first model) was called “The Log.”  It was called “The Log” (a short piece of round wood) because it was actually a piece of wood with a neck and strings attached to it!  He later partnered with Gibson, the large American guitar-maker, to mass produce (make a lot of for sale) the electric guitar.  The Gibson Les Paul guitar has been and continues to be played by some of the best and most well-known guitarists, including Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and Slash.

Les Paul was also the inventor of overdubbing and multitrack recording, two things that make the ESL Podcast recordings sound the way they do.  Overdubbing is putting sound over sound, such as adding music or sound effects (noises that make a recording sound more realistic or interesting) to something that has already been recorded.  We also use multitrack recording, which is when voices, music, noises, and other sounds are recorded on different tracks (single recordings) and are later put together to create the final recording.

So we salute (recognize) Les Paul for his many innovations (creation of new ways of doing things). ESL Podcast wouldn’t be ESL Podcast without his contributions.

~ Lucy

Every once in a while, circumstances come together (occur, happen at the same time) in a sporting game that provide drama, excitement, and even a bit of poetry.  Last night was such a night here in Los Angeles, when my beloved (an old or poetic way of saying “much loved”) Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team and the city of Los Angeles witnessed a special moment.

In baseball, the object (goal, aim) is for the batter (the person holding a long stick called a bat) to hit a ball thrown by a member of the other team called the pitcher.  After hitting the ball successfully, the batter (now called a runner since he begins to run) must then run 90 feet to a small white area called 1st base.  He can continue running to 2nd and 3rd base and all the way back to where he started, to home plate (home “base”) to score a point (in baseball, a run), as long as he is not stopped by the other team (I’m simplifying the rules here, of course).  If he hits the ball outside of the playing field in front of him – such as to the seats where the fans are sitting, he and all the other runners on base (standing on either 1st, 2nd, or 3rd base) get to score a run by touching home plate.  This is called a home run.  If, however, there are already three men on base, then this home run is given a special name, a grand slam (to slam something is to hit it very hard).

The game last night against the Cincinnati Reds was tied 2-2.  (Cincinnati is a city in Ohio, in the eastern part of the US.) It was in the middle of the game, the Dodgers were batting, and the bases were loaded (there was a man on all three bases).  The best player for the Dodgers, Manny Ramirez, wasn’t playing in the game because he had hurt his hand in Tuesday night’s game.  But since he is the best hitter on the team, the manager (the main coach) asked him to enter the game and try to hit.  Ramirez had had 20 grand slams in his 17 year career (time playing baseball), but was considered a very poor pinch hitter.  (A pinch hitter is a player who enters in the middle of the game to take the place of another hitter.)  He had never hit a pinch-hit home run in his life.

It was a special night for Ramirez another reason.  It was Manny Ramirez Bobblehead Night, a special game where all of the fans received a toy doll called a bobblehead of Ramirez (see photo).   Every year, professional baseball teams create these special dolls or figures for the most popular players.

Ramirez walks up to the plate (home plate).  The crowd (the fans, people watching the game) goes wild.  The stadium (where the game is played) is sold out (no seats are remaining or unfilled.)  Everyone is on their feet (standing), cheering and yelling.  The pitcher throws his first pitch (ball) to Ramirez.  Ramirez swings (moves the bat quickly) and hits the ball.  It goes high into the air, deep into the night sky.  Going.  Going.  Gone.  A grand slam.

You could hear the Dodger fans yelling all the way back in Cincinnati, it was so loud.

And where did Ramirez hit his grand slam ball?  Well, there’s a special section out near the place where Ramirez stands when the Dodgers play defense (when they pitch against the other team) in the stands (seats in a stadium) called “Mannywood.”  Manny is so popular that they named a special part of the baseball stadium Mannywood (a play on the word “Hollywood”).  Of course, the ball was hit right into Mannywood.

You can’t write a Hollywood movie with an ending better than that.

Yes, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of man walking on the moon this week.  Yes, the world just experienced the longest solar eclipse (when the moon blocks out the sun) in the 21st century.  But for a brief moment last night, the most important event here in LA was when a man named Manny hit a ball to a placed called Mannywood.

~Jeff

PS  You can learn more about America’s most popular sport in English Cafe #50.