Playing for Change

Posted on Thursday - June 9, 2011 by Warren Ediger

The other street musicians on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California, often call Roger Ridley “the voice of God.” Ridley is one of the world’s many musicians who come to the Promenade and locations like it around the world where there is a lot of pedestrian traffic (people walking). They stake their claim to a space (say the space belongs to them for a time) and play for donations (money gifts from listeners).

Every Saturday Ridley travels from his home in Las Vegas, Nevada – almost 300 miles – to perform at the Promenade and returns home when he finishes. One Saturday, while walking down the Promenade, Mark Johnson heard Roger singing Stand by Me in the distance and ran to where he could hear better. He was moved (had strong feelings) by Roger’s music and decided it needed to be shared with the world. At that moment Playing for Change was born.

Mark Johnson is an award-winning audio producer/engineer (someone who plans and makes music recordings) and film director. He has worked with some of the best musicians and producers in music, film, and television. As the co-founder (person who begins something with someone else) of Playing for Change, Mark has created a technique (method) for recording musicians all around the world in their natural environment (where they live), usually outside, and combining (putting together) the recordings to create Songs Around the World.

Playing for Change, the organization Mark founded, is a “multimedia (sound, video, etc.) movement (group of people with the same ideas) created to inspire (encourage), connect, and bring peace to the world through music.” He believes that music can “break down boundaries (things that keep people apart) and overcome distances between people.” It has the “power to transcend (go beyond usual limits) and unite us as one human race” in spite of geographic, political, economic, religious, or ideological (philosophical) backgrounds.

In 2007, Mark and his supporters created the Playing for Change Foundation to help the musicians and communities that had shared their music with the rest of the world. Through the support of the foundation, the musicians are “brought together to perform benefit concerts (concerts to make money to help someone) that help build music and art schools in communities” that need help. Thousands of people have been touched (feel happy and thankful) by these concerts and other Playing for Change activities. By them the world is being connected (brought together) through music!

You can experience Playing for Change in several ways. First, you can explore the Playing for Change web site. You can listen to all the music and learn all about the musicians who have helped create it.

The latest Song Around the World is Gimme Shelter (give me protection). It “expresses the urgency (immediate importance) we all face to unite together as a planet with the words ‘War, children, it’s just a shot away… Love, sister, it’s just a kiss away.’”

 

Gimme Shelter | Playing For Change from Playing For Change on Vimeo.

 

I’d strongly encourage you to take time to listen to some of the original recordings, especially these:

Like me, I’m sure you’ll be moved by the music.

~ Warren Ediger, creator of Successful English, where you can find Something to read during June in addition to clear explanations and practical suggestions for better English.

Playing for Change logo courtesy of the Wikipedia Commons.

 

Posted in Life in the United States | 30 Comments

SoCal Slang Is Coo

Posted on Tuesday - June 7, 2011 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

There’s an old saying that “all politics is local,” meaning that all political elections, even for president, depend on the conditions in the city or area where you are living. If the economy is bad in your city, it doesn’t matter that it is good in other cities – you only care about your city, your local conditions, and you will vote accordingly (following that logic or reasoning).

We could also say that “all language is local.”  Most Americans speak English, but the kind or variety of English depends on where you live.  We all know this, I think, but sometimes it is good to remind ourselves that what we say in our city may not be the same as in other cities, even when we speak the same language.

Slang – informal language used by a particular (specific; certain) group or in a particular context (situation) – is also local, and changes depending on where you live.  Researchers have recently studied the kind of language people use in text messages and tweets, or messages on the Internet service Twitter.  They analyzed tweets in the U.S. that were geotagged, meaning the person who sent the tweet also indicated their location on their iPhone or Blackberry.  They then looked to see how people used language in one area versus (compared to) another.

Using some powerful statistical techniques, the scientists were able to predict the general area where a person lived just by looking at the kind of slang they used.  They also gave examples of slang associated with certain cities:

  • In Northern California (San Francisco, the Silicon Valley), the word “hella” is very popular in tweets.  Hella is an expression of enthusiasm.  According to the Urban Dictionary, it can mean “very,” “a lot of,” or “something really good or great.”  For example: “People in San Francisco think they are hella (much; a lot) smarter than people in SoCal (Southern California, which includes Los Angeles).”  Hella is apparently (it seems) very popular in San Francisco, but not in Los Angeles.  (I’ve never used it before writing this blog post, for example.)
  • In Southern California, people use an abbreviated (shortened) form of the word “cool” (meaning good, popular, hip), “coo.”  In Northern California, they tweet “koo” for “cool,” perhaps using a “k” instead of a “c” due to (because of) their lower level of education (that’s a joke!).
  • Southern Californians tweet “fasho” to mean “for sure,” when they are expressing agreement with something.
  • New Yorkers use the letters “nm” to mean “not much” in tweets and texts, while people in Boston write “suttin” to mean “something.”

There’s nothing really new in this research, but it does confirm (verify; show again that it is true) that what we say depends on where we live. Every language in every country has similar differences, even if you are not aware of them.

~Jeff

P.S. The scientific article is available here in PDF format.

P.P.S.  ESL Podcast has been on Twitter nearly (almost) since the very beginning of the service, back in 2006.  You can follow us @eslpod.

Image Credit: Twitter logo (low resolution), Wikipedia PD

Posted in Language & Terms | 13 Comments

Podcasts This Week (June 6, 2011)

Posted on Monday - June 6, 2011 by Dr. Lucy Tse

At ESL Podcast, we are very lucky to have you as a listener. Thank you for listening!

If you enjoy our podcasts, please consider supporting ESL Podcast by becoming a Basic or Premium Member.  We can’t do it without your help!
…………

ON MONDAY
ESL Podcast 692 – Recommending Someone for a Job

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 stop by” and “sharp.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Acting as an Employment Reference.”
“Many job applications ask the “applicant” (the person asking for a job) to submit a list of three “professional” (related to work, not personal life) “references,” or people whom they can speak with to learn additional information about the applicant…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON WEDNESDAY
English Cafe 297
Topics: The Lewis and Clark Expedition; Famous Authors: Anne Rice; to generate versus to create versus to make; a tad off target; run-on sentence

In the Learning Guide:  Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear).
In “What Insiders Know,” you will read about the famous Dracula actor “Béla Lugosi.”
“With so much interest in vampires in television and movies these days, it is easy to forget one of the first “on-screen” (on TV or in movies) vampires: Dracula.  Many movies have been made about the character of Dracula, based on the 1897 novel, also called Dracula, written by Irish author Bram Stoker…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON FRIDAY
ESL Podcast 693 – Following a Dress Code

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 pack” and “catch.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Dressing for Business.”
“In general, American workplaces are much less formal than they used to be, but there are still “expectations” (what people believe should happen) for how people should dress…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide

Posted in Announcements | 19 Comments

Harvard, Prison, or McDonald’s: Which is Harder to Get Into?

Posted on Thursday - June 2, 2011 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

I came across (saw something I wasn’t looking for at the time) a couple of statistics recently, although I’m not sure exactly what they mean. The first comes from an article in the Wall Street Journal about the California Prison Academy, which is the place where people who want to become prison guards go to get training (education).  Prison guards are like the police at a jail or prison – they make sure the prisoners (criminals) don’t escape (leave without permission). California has one of the largest prison systems in the world, and the prison guard union (group of workers who join together to protect their jobs and salaries) is very powerful in California politics.  Because of that power, prison guards get paid a lot of money – between $45,000 and $65,000 for their first year – relative to (compared to; considering) their level of education (you only need to be a high school graduate to be a prison guard).

Over (more than) 120,000 people apply (asked to be admitted) to the California Prison Academy each year, but the Academy enrolls (takes as students) only 900 people.  That means that only about 1% of the people who apply get in (get accepted; are able to study there).  Compare this to America’s best university, Harvard.  Harvard accepts 6.2% of the people who apply to be students there.  In other words, it is tougher (more difficult) to get into the program for prison guard training in California than the country’s best university!

Here’s one more for you: McDonald’s, the restaurant chain (group of stores or restaurants that all belong to the same company), recently hired 62,000 new workers in the U.S. after about one million people applied.  So doing the math (calculating), we find that the job acceptance rate (percentage of people who are accepted) at McDonald’s this year was 6.2% – precisely (exactly) the same as Harvard University.  (And remember: when you go to Harvard, you don’t get free hamburgers and French fries.) It’s even worse in other countries: Bloomberg News reported that getting into the McDonald’s training program in China was actually harder (more difficult) than getting into Harvard.

What does it all mean?  I’m not sure.  I didn’t go to Harvard, have never been a prison guard, and haven’t worked at McDonald’s, but I’m pretty sure there is something wrong with this picture (some problem with this situation).

~Jeff

Image Credit: McDonald’s logo, Wikipedia

 

Posted in News and Current Events | 39 Comments

Podcasts This Week (May 30, 2011)

Posted on Monday - May 30, 2011 by Dr. Lucy Tse

You are the reason we can continue producing ESL Podcast. Thank you very much!

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

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
…

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

Posted in Announcements | 10 Comments

Good Grief!

Posted on Thursday - May 26, 2011 by Warren Ediger

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.

 

Posted in Life in the United States | 23 Comments

Why Does My Digital Camera Have a Clicking Sound?

Posted on Tuesday - May 24, 2011 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

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

Posted in Technology | 23 Comments

Podcasts This Week (May 23, 2011)

Posted on Monday - May 23, 2011 by Dr. Lucy Tse

It’s a pleasure and privilege to produce ESL Podcasts for our listeners all over the world!

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

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

Posted in Announcements | 11 Comments

Gay Days at Disney World

Posted on Thursday - May 19, 2011 by Dr. Lucy Tse

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

Posted in Life in the United States | 35 Comments

Podcasts This Week (May 16, 2011)

Posted on Monday - May 16, 2011 by Dr. Lucy Tse

We can’t do it without you, our fantastic listeners!

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

Posted in Announcements | Comments Off on Podcasts This Week (May 16, 2011)