Week 2 Day 2

I'm on week 2 of my 100 push up challenge. I have not given up yet!

Part 1:



And Part 2:

100 Push Ups Week 1 Day 2 Part ONE

My second day of push ups. Part One. I have part two which I will post tomorrow.


Michael

100 Push Ups Week 1 Day 1

Oh my gosh! I am killing myself and it's only the first day!

Michael

The World Celebrates President-Elect Obama

How are people reacting to the Obama victory? Check it out here!

Michael

What a crazy fountain!

I found this on YouTube and had to share it with everyone. I think this is a fountain in Japan somewhere. How amazing is that? Wow! I want to see this at my local mall. Very entertaining.

Michael

Political Satirist is a fun job during an election!

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

The 2008 election is getting closer (thank God!) and the political satirist are out in force. A satirist is a humorist who uses ridicule, irony and sarcasm. A popular satirist in America is a website called Jib Jab. They create a lot of funny videos like the one above. At some point I think you should see my head!

I'm having a heck of time trying to get my new laptop to record audio. Once I get that fixed I should be able to podcast again. Enjoy the video and the weekend.

Michael

Summer Fashion for men

Does this look like fashion men in your town would wear? Not me! Check out the article on Los Angeles Times. I hear a lot more clothes when I am on the beach, but I don't have as good of body either!

I am busy as heck here in Washington D.C. and getting ready for the 4th of July weekend. I will try to make a new podcast this weekend.

Talk to you soon!

Michael

Some good food in Bogotá, Colombia

Check out some of the muy delicioso food I had while on vacation in Colombia.

Michael

Summer Vacation Starts Tomorrow!

Hello from Washington D.C. I am getting ready for my summer vacation and will leave for Colombia tomorrow. I have never been to South America before so this is very exciting for me. I will try to post pictures to this website while I am there.

I have a few new expressions that I would like to share.

Preaching to the choir: When making an argument to someone that already agrees with you. "I was telling Frank why I think Obama should be the next president when he told me I was preaching to the choir. He was going to vote for Obama as well."

Pretty [adjective]: When you add pretty in front of an adjective it means "very." For example. "The tornado was pretty scary", means the same as "The tornado was very scary."

Tunred the page: To go from one stage of life to the next. "Sarah looked like she has finally turned the page and gotten on with her life after the divorce."

2008 Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival)

I had a long day at the Washington D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival. I was in charge of the Children's Corner where we had games and activities for all the kids. There were thousands of kids! Wow!

Michael

Who are you calling a brat?

Someone asked me about this picture on my Flickr account. This is a slide that my father found in a box of old pictures. The picture is of my mother, her brother (my uncle Willy) and their parents. (my grandparents) They were on a trans-Atlantic boat ride from Germany to America. You can hear more about it if you listen to the podcast.

I talk about the U.S. election that is going on right now in the US and a little bit about my opinions on who I think should be the next president.

As always, please feel free to email me if you have any ESL questions.

Here are some of the new vocabulary words I introduced this podcast:

neck and neck - even or very close; indeterminate as to the outcome: They were coming toward the finish line neck and neck.

primary - a preliminary election in which voters of each party nominate candidates for office, party officers, etc. Barack Obama beat Hillary Clinton in the Washington D.C. Democratic Primary.

army brat - the child of an army officer or enlisted person, especially one who has grown up on army bases or in military communities. Mark and Mary were both army brats who grew up moving from one country to the next.

Michael
Have a facebook account? You can find me here!

Saffle Says Podcast #001

Long time no radio show! Man, has it been a long time since I was on the air. I have no excuse, I have simply been too busy. I am happy to start 2008 with a new podcast. I am picking out some of my most recent idioms, vocabulary words and expressions that I have taught my Manabi students.

I'm looking for people to send me email to my new address: michael.saffle@gmail.com and ask me your tough English questions.

hang over: after a night of drinking the next day you can have headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise.

make or break: when you are are some point where what you do will either end in success or failure. "The right draft pick can make or break a good baseball team."

ducks in a row: where you have to be organized and do a series of things before you can achieve your goal. "Before I can buy my first house, I will need to get all my ducks in a row and talk to an agent."

up and comer: someone who is doing well and rising to the top of their field. It could be music, business or any other type of occupation.
Example, "I remember cheering for Asashyoryu back in 2001 when he was an up and commer in the Juro division."

welcome wagon: is a committee of neighbors who bring over a gift to families who move into the area. This is something that is very rare these days and I don't think it has ever happened to my family!

RV - recreational vehicle - A vehicle, such as a camper or motor home, used for traveling and recreational activities.
"The annual Burning Man Concert is a week long affair that most people drive to in their RVs."

prognosticate: to forecast or predict(something in the future) from present indications or signs. Example sentence: "Mark was renowned in the business community for his prognosticating skills when it comes to the market trends."

renaissance man: is a cultured man of the Renaissance who was knowledgeable, educated, or proficient in a wide range of fields. I fancy myself as a renaissance man but I need to do more studying!

Nice Weather We're Having.

What is one of the first things you learn how to say in English? I bet it's "How is the weather today?" Well, let's expand on that and give you some more helpful idioms and expressions that Americans use when talking about the weather.
This is also a good form of small talk which you can use with friends or people you meet for the first time. Try them out the next time you go to an English class or talk to a English speaking person you know.






Indian summer: A warm and pleasant autumn.
"I was really not expecting an Indian summer in the middle of November. I might get my shorts out of the closet!"


Raining cats and dogs: I think most Japanese know this idiom, but it means when it is raining very hard.
"Hey Frank, you better go roll up you car windows, it's raining cats and dogs!"

Brass Monkey Weather: In the UK you might here this expression. It means very cold weather.
"It's brass monkey weather isn't it?"

Now here are a couple of idioms that sound like they might have something to do with the weather but in actuality they mean something entirely different.

Feeling under the weather: When you are feeling sick, or not very good.
"Hey Chuck, are you going to the party tonight? No man, I'm feeling under the weather."
"I think I'm going to call it a night and go straight home after work."

Fair-weather friend: In this case fair-weather means a friend who is only there for you when things are going well. That's the fair-weather, good times. When things are going bad and you need a real friend, a fair-weather friend is no where to be found.
"I am sick of fair-weather friends who are never around when I need help."

A snowball's chance in Hell: I think this is my favorite one. If you say someone doesn't have a snowball's chance in Hell then you are saying there is no chance. 0% Not going to happen! The expression is a combination of snow which is cold and Hell which is thought to be very hot. How long can a snowball last in Hell? Not very long!
"The peace talk in Annapolis have a snowball's chance in Hell of brining lasting peace to the Middle East."