The president of the United States has his own special security protection, special police officers who are responsible primarily for protecting the president and the vice president from any danger.  This security team is called the Secret Service, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, although for many years it was part of the U.S. Treasury Department.  They normally wear formal business suits, not police uniforms (clothing).

The Secret Service protects all current and former presidents for life, meaning that even after a president leaves his or her position, both ex-president and spouse (husband or wife) continue to have special protection until the day they die. The Secret Service also protect the children of the current president, and the main candidates for president during most of the election year.  Finally, the Secret Service protects the president-elect and vice president-elect before they take office (officially becomes president and vice president) in January.  So President-elect Obama has Secret Service protection 24 hours day now, as does his wife, Michelle, and two daughters, Malia and Sasha.

The Secret Service provides certain code names or special names to the people they protect that they use for communication instead of the person’s real name.  The names don’t necessarily have anything to do with the person, although people often try to figure out why they were given that name.   (The president does not get to choose his own code name.)  For example, President Bush’s code name is Tumbler, which is a glass often associated with making drinks with alcohol.  Former President Clinton’s name was Eagle, a kind of bird.

So what about the new occupants (residents) of the White House (the house where the president lives, sometimes referred to by its street address, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue)?  President-elect Obama is called Renegade, which is a person who does things differently, who doesn’t follow the official rules or organization.   Future First Lady (what we call the wife of the president) Michelle Obama is Renaissance, referring to the period of European history when there was a growth in art and learning after the Middle Ages (from the French for “rebirth”).  The Obama children will be called Radiance (for Malia) and Rosebud (for Sasha).  Radiance means shining brightly, like the sun or a bright light.  Rosebud is what we call the flower rose before it opens.  Rosebud can be seen as a symbol of innocence and childhood, as it was in the famous movie Citizen Kane many years ago.

Vice President-elect Joseph Biden’s code name is Celtic, perhaps because the word Celtic is associated with the Irish, and Biden is himself an Irish American.

~Jeff

QUESTION:
Raul from Mexico wants to know what the difference is among these phrases:

What happened? / What’s up? / What’s the matter? / What’s going on?

ANSWER:
“What’s up?” can be used in two ways. One common way is as an informal greeting to mean “hello” or “how are you?” We use this with friends or people we know well in daily situations.

Jeff: What’s up?
Lucy: Not much. How about you?

We also use “What’s up?” when we ask what the situation is at a specific time. We use “What’s going on?” for the same purpose. For example, if you return home and there are police cars in front of your neighbor’s house, you may ask your husband or wife, “What’s up?” or “What’s going on?” You want to get information about this specific situation.

“What’s the matter?” and “What happened?” are also used to ask for information about a specific situation. However, these two questions are normally used for a situation where something bad or negative has happened or may have happened. For example, when your 6-year-old daughter starts crying, you may ask her, “What’s the matter?” and/or “What happened?” If your co-worker walks into your office with an angry look on her face, you may ask, “What’s the matter?” and/or “What happened?”

You can also use “What happened?” to ask about the result of something.  If you know your co-worker asked your boss for a raise (higher pay or salary) and you see your co-worker the next day, you may ask, “What happened?” to find out the result.

Thanks for the question, Raul, and I hope this is helpful.

~ Lucy

The car has always been an important part of American culture, especially of youth culture.  America is a big country with many cities that do not have good public transportation systems, so the car has become a necessity (something you must have) for most American families.  Among teenagers and young adults, having a car is a sign of independence and freedom.  In most states, you can get a driver license (legal permission to drive a car) at the age of 16, which means that many high school students drive and, if their parents are wealthy (rich), have their own cars in high school and college.

But there’s a price to pay (a cost, something that you must give up) for having so many teenage drivers in the United States.  Teenagers are among the most dangerous drivers in the country, perhaps because they are inexperienced at driving, perhaps because they are not yet as mature as other older drivers.  Most statistics show that teenage drivers have many more accidents and cause many more deaths than drivers who are older.

Some states have tried to solve this problem by placing restrictions (rules on things you cannot do) on teenage drivers.  For example, here in California, teenage drivers cannot drive between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. for the first 12 months they have a license.  In part this is because many accidents are caused late at night, during these hours.  Also, teenage drivers cannot have another teenage passenger (someone who is riding in the car but not driving) during the first 12 months of their license unless there is someone over 25 in the car .  This means that a group of teenagers cannot go out on a Friday night driving unless there is an adult over 25 in the car with them.

Teenagers, of course, are not very happy about this law.  But most adults here in California are very happy that the government is doing something to stop teen drivers from causing so many accidents and deaths, including their own.

~Jeff

In these economic times, you may be wondering what Americans earn. A recent CNN article gave information about the 10 most common majors (areas of study) and how much graduates might expect to earn when they enter the market (start working; get their first job). This is not based on a scientific study, but on people’s own reported salaries, but it may still be interesting. Of course, salaries vary greatly depending on where people live in the U.S., with higher salaries in larger cities.

Excerpted from the article, “10 Most Popular Majors and What They Pay.”
….

Business administration and management
Business administration is one of the more lucrative (money making) majors in terms of starting salary. Graduates with a degree in business administration and management are often on track to (on the path to; on the way to) eventually assume (take power and responsibility for) leadership roles…

Beginning salary: $57,132.
….

Computer science (study and design of computer-related things)

A computer science degree can be used in a number of careers because of the variety of skills that graduates learn. Those skills range from developing software (programs and other computer information) and analyzing systems to more advanced skills like working with language recognition programs and other types of artificial intelligence (using machines to do the thinking and work of humans).

Beginning salary: $46,849.
….

Criminal justice (working as police and in other law enforcement jobs)

Graduates with a degree in criminal justice have a number of options for their career path. One initial (first) choice is becoming a police officer. Graduates can also join state or federal police agencies.

They can also become involved with other related areas like law, work as a legal assistant or court administrator, or work for a government agency like the FBI, CIA or Homeland Security.

Beginning salary: $38,182.
…

Elementary education (teaching children from kindergarten (ages 5, 6) to eighth grade (ages 11/12)

Education continues to be a popular major and teachers continue to be sought after (in demand; with many people wanting to hire them) throughout the country, which explains why it is one of the few industries to add workers in 2008.

Despite the importance of the role that an elementary teacher has in a child’s education, the beginning salary for a new teacher is the lowest of the 10 most popular majors.

Beginning salary: $29,414.
…

Nursing (working in hospitals and with doctors to help injured or sick people)

Nursing is the largest industry in health care, with 25 million workers, and is another industry that is adding workers in 2008. Nurses are in high demand nearly everywhere in the country. Registered nurses, who provide a range of general care, are always in demand.

Graduates have a wide range of choices as to what kind of care they wish to provide. There are also jobs in home health care (taking care of sick or injured people in their own home), as well as jobs where nurses can be educators and patient advocates (helping people get the care they need and making sure that doctors and hospitals follow laws and rules).

Beginning salary: $41,173.
…..

To read about the other majors, see the article here.

~ Lucy

On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama will become the first minority (non-white) American to be the president of the United States. If you had asked me two years ago–or even a year ago–whether I thought an African American could get elected to the highest office (public job) of this country, I would have been doubtful (not sure).

I would have been uncertain, like many Americans, not because we doubted the ability of Barack Obama, but because race continues to be an issue that divides (makes into separate parts) the United States. Despite what some pundits (people who give their political opinion on TV, radio, newspapers and other media) say, racial bias is still a part of the culture in the U.S.

However, Barack Obama did not lose because he is African American. He did not win because he is African American. He won because he was judged by the content of his character to be the best person for the job by a majority (52%) of Americans. That, many would agree, is progress.

~ Lucy

Today is Election Day in the United States.  Normally, the first Tuesday of November is an election day every year for different political offices (positions) at the state and local level.  Every four years, however, we have a national election for president.  This year, you probably know, the two main candidates are Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain.  Obama is leading (is in first place) in the polls (opinion surveys about how people will vote) and is considered a favorite to win (someone who is expected to win).

Although the election of the president is the most important part of today’s election, there are also many other elections taking place.  All 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives are being elected today, and about one-third of the 100 U.S. Senators.  In addition, there are many state and local elections, including votes on certain specific political issues or laws (called propositions) that people will decide directly.

Who will win?  We’ll find out by tomorrow morning, unless the vote is very close.  However, it is important to note that the U.S. presidential election is determined by a somewhat complicated system and is not just the candidate who gets the most votes nationally, although usually this is what happens.  If you want more information on how we elect the president, listen to our English Cafe #118 where I explain it in more detail.

~Jeff

If you want to come to the United States and meet a handsome (attractive, good looking) single (unmarried) man or beautiful single woman, where should you go?

Recently someone looked at the number of single men versus single women who live in large cities in the United States.  In some cities, there are many more single women than single men, meaning these would be better places for a man to meet a single woman.  In other cities, there are far more single men than there are women, meaning that these would be  good places if you want to meet a man (and a bad place if you want to meet a woman!).

According to the Boston Globe newspaper, here are some of the best places to meet single women (or at least, the cities that have a lot more single women than single men):

• New York City
• Philadelphia
• Detroit
• Chicago

In general, large cities in East and Midwest tend to have more women than men.  The exception to this rule seems to be the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, where I grew up.  Perhaps it is a good thing that I left there!

The following cities would be the best ones for a woman to meet a man (or the worst places for a man to meet a woman):

• Los Angeles
• San Francisco
• Phoenix
• Seattle
• San Francisco
• Las Vegas

Large cities in the West and Southwest have more single men than single women.  So although many men come to Los Angeles to become famous in the movies or on television, it’s not the best place to meet your future girlfriend.

What explains this difference in the number of single men and women in different cities?  One theory is that men are more likely to leave their hometown (the place where they were born or grew up) and move to another city that has more job opportunities.  In the last 30 years, many of the new jobs have been created in places such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, and other large cities in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest (in states such as Washington and Oregon).   States in the East and Midwest have lost many jobs, and since women are less likely than men to move to find a new job, you find more single women in eastern cities than in western cities.

What city can you go to where there is an almost equal number of single men and single women?  The answer is Boston, Massachusetts, although no one understands why that is.

~Jeff

It’s difficult to think of classic American rock without thinking of the Eagles. The Eagles formed in the early 1970s in Los Angeles and broke up (stop working together) in 1980. They were one of the most successful rock groups and had two of the best-selling albums (recording with many songs) of all time.

In 1994, they reunited (became a group again) to go on a tour (performing in many cities) called “Hell Freezes Over.” We use the expression, “when hell freezes over,” when we want to say very forcefully that we don’t intend for something to happen again. For example, if your wife or girlfriend asks you every week if you will take her dancing, but you hate to dance, you may get angry at her and say, “I’ll take you dancing when hell freezes over!” (That’s not a very nice thing to say, but you get the point.) To freeze over means for a liquid (something wet) to get so cold that it becomes solid or hard. Hell is the very hot and horrible place that Christians believe bad people go to after they die. So by naming their tour “Hell Freezes Over,” the Eagles is saying they they had never intended to get back together and to tour; this is something very unexpected.

The title of this song is “Desperado.” A desperado is someone who is reckless or who doesn’t think of what will happen before doing something. Desperado can also refer to a criminal or someone who does not follow the law or society’s rules.

~ Lucy

“Desperado”
by the Eagles

Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses (think clearly; act sensibly)?
You been out riding fences (sitting on the divisions or barriers between two properties or two options) for so long now
Oh, you’re a hard one
I know that you got your reasons
These things that are pleasing you
Can hurt you somehow

Don’t you draw (get a card in a card game) the queen of diamonds, boy
She’ll beat you if she’s able
The queen of heats is always your best bet (something that gives you the best chance for success)
Now it seems to me, some fine things
Have been laid (put carefully) upon your table
But you only want the ones that you can’t get

Desperado, oh, you ain’t getting no younger
Your pain and your hunger, they’re driving you home
And freedom, oh freedom, well, that’s just some people talking
Your prison (jail) is walking through this world all alone

Don’t your feet get cold in the wintertime?
The sky won’t snow and the sun won’t shine
It’s hard to tell the nighttime from the day
You’re loosing all your highs and lows
Ain’t it funny how the feeling goes away?

Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences, open the gate (door in a wooden barrier or fence)
It may be raining, but there’s a rainbow (an arch of many colors in the sky) above you
You better let somebody love you,
You better let somebody love you, before it’s too late

When most Americans think of a Californian (someone who lives in California), they think of someone who is very relaxed, someone who is laid-back.  A New Yorker (someone from the state of New York) is often seen as having the opposite personality, someone who is stressed out (feeling very anxious, under a lot of stress).  These are very popular images, but are they true?

Some psychologists have begun to test the residents (people who live in a certain place) of different states to see if they have certain personality traits.  A trait is a characteristic, something that is stable over time.  These psychologists gave a 44-question personality test that looked at five different personality traits: extraversion (how much you like to talk to other people), agreeableness, conscientiousness (how careful you are or how carefully you follow the rules), openness (whether you are open to new ideas and experiences), and neuroticism (having a mild mental disease usually related to stress and anxiety).

What did they find?  The most open people tend to live on the West Coast and western US, including the states of California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.  People who live in New York and Massachusetts were also very high in openness.  This may or may not explain why these states tend to be more politically liberal than others.  The most extroverted people tend to live in the upper Midwest, which includes the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota.  These are states where people are more likely to talk to people they don’t know and to interact with other people.  Certainly this is true of me, having grown up in Minnesota.

People in the upper Midwest also tend to be the most agreeable, meaning they tend to be perceived as being nice to other people.  The state of New York is the opposite, with people who are considered very disagreeable in terms of their personality test results.  People who live in the central part of the United States tend to be the most conscientious.  This would include the states of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri.

What about neurotics?  Well, not surprisingly (to me), these people tend to live in the eastern part of the United States, including the states of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Ohio, although people who live in the south-central part of the US, in places such as Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, also score high on the neurotic test.

Not all psychologists agree that these tests really show people have these different personality traits in different states or regions of the country, and many people who live in some of the states I’ve mentioned aren’t very happy about these results.  They don’t want to be seen, for example, as being disagreeable or neurotic.  Being a Californian, of course, I tend to think that there is some truth in these results, especially when it comes to the people of New York.  (I should point out that there has always been a competition between people who live in Los Angeles and people who live in New York City as to which city is the most important or the best to live in.  You can guess which city I selected.)

The more important question is: Why are people different in these places?  What is it about California that causes people to be more laid-back?  Is it the nice weather?  We don’t really know.  Perhaps it is because California is the home of ESL Podcast!

Jeff

We get a lot of everyday expressions from TV and the television industry. One term that you may hear is to jump the shark. We use this term to talk about something that was once (at one time) good or well-respected taking a swan-dive (going down very quickly) in quality.

The phrase comes from an old TV show called “Happy Days.” The show was on the air (shown) for many years and it was well-liked. However, in one of the last seasons, one of the main characters has to water-ski (wear metal sticks on his feet to ride on the water while a boat is pulling him) and jump over some sharks, some very big and dangerous fish. Most people watching thought it was ridiculous (silly) and a sure sign (indication) of a good TV show taking a swan-dive. That’s why this phenomenon (type of thing) is called “jumping the shark.”

We can use this phrase in other situations, too. For example, an old and respected company that is failing and is trying desperately to get new customers might jump the shark by using a tasteless (using poor judgment; offensive) advertising campaign.

I hope we never jump the shark at ESL Podcast…or have we already?

~ Lucy