Wadjasay? American English Pronunciation Practice

Syncope (loss of unstressed vowels after a stressed syllable.) Example “chocolate” [CHAWK-uh-luht] becomes [CHAW-kluht] 1- I like to eat chocolate. [CHAW-kluht] 2- She visits her mother every weekend. [EV-ree] 3- He bought a new camera. [KAM-ruh] 4- We go for a walk in the evening. [EEV-niŋ] 6- Are you interested in ancient history? [HIS-tree] 7- We have a vegetable garden. [VEJ-tuh-buhl] 8- Those two ideas are not comparable. [KOM-pruh-buhl] 9- She works in a laboratory. [LAB-ruh-tor-ee] 10- What an interesting person he is. [IN-truhs-tiŋ] 11- I got the flu last week. I felt so miserable. [MIZ-ruh-buhl] 12- Generally I only drink coffee in the morning. [JEN-ruh-lee] 13- I have a headache. I’m going to take an aspirin. 14- Mexican Spanish is different from Argentinian Spanish. 15- What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? 16- Let’s go to a restaurant for dinner. 17- Is coffee your beverage of choice? 18- I’d like to introduce you to my family. 19- That seems like a reasonable solution to our problem. 20- Ireland is nicknamed the “Emerald” Isle. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

One of the science podcasts I listen to regularly is Astronomy Cast hosted by Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela Gay. In today’s lesson, you’ll hear a short excerpt from Episode 705: Water Worlds - Looking for Life Beyond Earth. First you’ll hear a clip from their podcast, and then I’ll break their speech into shorter fragments so you can listen and repeat. You’ll hear that Fraser Cain in particular speaks quite rapidly. It would be hard to repeat at his speed! 1- Wherever we find liquid water on Earth, we find life. 2- So it makes sense to search for water across the universe, and hopefully, we can find evidence of life. 3- But what about worlds which are completely covered in water? 4- Oceans, hundreds of kilometers deep. Can there be too much water? 5- So this idea of water worlds, I mean, we learned everything we needed to know from that Kevin Costner movie, right? 6- No, no, one of the things that I was thinking about preparing for this show 7- is just how magnificently wrong in pretty much every way that movie appears to have been, 8- except from a climate change perspective. 9- And really, if you want one thing to be wrong, you want it to be the climate change part that's wrong. 10- Yeah, but climate change causes sea levels to rise by a couple of hundred feet in the worst case scenario. Let's listen to the original podcast excerpt again. 11- Right, no, that's true. It won't eat the entire planet. There will still be soil. 12- The coastlines will be roughly where they were, especially in places that are very mountainous. 13- So it won't be hard where you're trying to find evidence of islands. 14- No, no. But this idea of water worlds, we know they exist here in the solar system, and so we assume that they're out there. 15- So give us sort of like an idea, what is the quintessential water world here in the solar system? You've listened to the original speakers, you've listened to me, and you've had a chance to listen and repeat. Now listen to the original one more time. Remember: you can't listen too much when you're studying a new language! Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

The phone rings and it's a stranger trying to sell you something. This is part one of a multi-podcast series based on a real script. Have fun! Hi, this is Barry calling from Scam-O-Rama Car Services. I’m calling regarding your 2016 Chevrolet Survivor. How is your 2016 Chevy Survivor running? Do you know the approximate current mileage? Great! I’m calling because the original factory warranty that was on your vehicle has expired. We're running a promotion today for reinstating your original factory coverage. We're going to add 12 months of service at no additional cost. You can take your vehicle to the DownTown HotShot dealership. Are you familiar with them? Do you know where they're located? For the next 12 months you'll take your vehicle there for all your service needs, all your oil changes, tire rotations, and they will also provide you with roadside assistance. 1- Hi, this is Barry calling from Scam-O-Rama Car Services. 2- I’m calling regarding your 2016 Chevrolet Survivor. 3- How is your 2016 Chevy Survivor running? 4- Do you know the approximate current mileage? Great! 5- I’m calling because the original factory warranty that was on your vehicle has expired. 6- We're running a promotion today for reinstating your original factory coverage. 7- We're going to add 12 months of service at no additional cost. 8- You can take your vehicle to the DownTown HotShot dealership. 9- Are you familiar with them? Do you know where they're located? 10- For the next 12 months you'll take your vehicle there for all your service needs, all your oil changes, tire rotations, and they will also provide you with roadside assistance. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

This is the first in a series of lessons about connected speech. One of the ways in which we link syllables and words together is with "glides" -- for example a Y sound is added between "be" and "able" so it sounds like "bee yable". Listen to the sentences and you'll get the idea of these glides. Y glides: /iy/ 1) I would like to be able to speak fluent English. 2) Will you be able to come? 3) She likes to create small sculptures. 4) Let’s create something new. 5) My dog loves being in the house. 6) Mary is seeing her French cousin for the first time. /ey/ 5) Please say it again. 6) Lay it down over there. 7) He’s paying for the new table. 8) We’ll be staying at a hotel. 9) Don’t stay up too late. 10) She’s praying for her father. /ai/ 11) She’s in her room crying. 12) I can hear him sighing. 13) My son is trying out for the basketball team. 14) She is very naive. 15) I will bring my own soup. 16) He will be flying here from Naples. 17) The cat is eyeing my dinner. It’s fish. /ɔy/ 18) He has a new toy airplane. 19) The cat was toying with the mouse. 20) His name is Roy Adams. 21) He has a boyish face. 22) My sister is annoying me. ========================== W glides: 23) His car is a bluish color. 24) Where are you going? 25) However, she does speak Hungarian. 26) You should do it now. 27) I wish that dog would go away. 28) Now is the time for us to leave. /uw/ 29) I’ll sign my name in blue ink. 30) Are you in the kitchen? 31) His name is Stuart. /ow/ 32) There’s no art in that room. 33) The word “Noel” is often heard in Christmas songs. 34) No one is listening to us. /aw/ 35) How is it going? 36) We need some more flour. 37) How’re you doing? Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Here are some sentences with six-syllable words. 1- In the 1960s people experimented with hallucinogenic drugs. 2- Covid 19 has resulted in the hospitalization of too many people. 3- Please do NOT eat mushrooms which are not identifiable as safe and harmless. 4- Alien organisms might not be easily categorizable. 5- After lengthy reconsideration of your proposal, my answer is still NO. 6- I was the beneficiary of my late uncle’s largesse. He was a generous man. 7- I would like to study extraterrestrial biodiversity. 8- She is planning to write a lengthy autobiography. 9- Please show us your identification. 10- Is it possible to be a humanitarian revolutionary? 11- Deep sea creatures often exhibit bioluminescence. 12- Sometimes people overgeneralize when they telecommunicate. 13- I am studying the electromagnetic spectrum. 14- Lack of precipitation is leading to the desertification of the American southwest. 15- She was easily identifiable by her short purple hair and long pointy nose. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Crazy English. We pronounce "ough" in too many ways... I thought microbiology was a tough course, but my professor was a thorough teacher. I studied hard throughout, and in the end I learned what he taught even though it was a challenge. 1- I thought microbiology was a tough course… 2…but my professor was a thorough teacher. 3- I studied hard throughout… 4…and in the end I learned what he taught… 5…even though it was a challenge. You did it! Good job. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

1- Do you think you know what a parachute looks like? 2- Guess what: There are tons of parachute types out there, and you probably don’t know ’em all! 3- Here’s a rundown of several of the normal and not-so-normal types of parachutes… 3a- …that help skydivers (and far-flung cargo) make their way softly back down to terra firma. 4- Round parachutes were the first tools for fabric descent. 5- If your mental image of a parachute involves a big, inverted pouch of fabric… 5a-…suspended over a helpless jumper, then it’s a round parachute you’re thinking of. 6- Round parachutes served a purpose for a very long time (and still do, in some very specific circumstances)… 7-…but there were a few issues with this design that caused them to eventually fade from regular use. Commercial break ! Do you ever wonder what it costs to produce and share a podcast like wadjasay? Let me tell you. Putting my podcasts online so you can listen and download them costs $12 per month for up to 3 hours. If I want to go over 3 hours, It costs more. The software I use for recording and editing costs about $16 per month. So my current cash out-of-pocket expenses total $28 dollars per month. Then there’s my time. Each recorded hour of the podcast requires on average two to three hours of time for research, preparation, recording, editing, and uploading the finished podcast. So if I upload three hours of podcasts each month, and pay myself an imaginary $20 per hour, and I’m very efficient so it only takes me 6 hours to make the 3 hours of podcasts, I owe myself $120 per month. So the grand total? I’m investing at least $150 per month in cash and my time to keep wadjasay running. In the first week after I upload a new podcast, it is usually downloaded between 50 and 100 times. I am recording this on March 16th, and I presently have two monthly subscribers to wadjasay. (Thank you, and thank you!) But what about everyone else? If you take the time to download the podcast, I can only conclude that you find it helpful. If that’s true, please help support it. A few dollars a month would tell me that I’m not wasting my time and that my efforts are worth continuing. Thank you! Now back to practicing English. 8- First off: They’re (gulp!) unsteerable. Secondly, they’re (double gulp!) not super-likely to land lightly. 9- Cruciform parachutes can be seen as kinda-sorta a subset of round parachutes. 10- They’re not round, per se, but they’re certainly not the square modern parachutes we use for most purposes today. 11- The difference is this: their squared-off profile decreases oscillation 12- …and ends up resulting in fewer landing injury rates for the jumpers and cargo that dangle helplessly below. 13- The bump at the end is about 25% softer than the cruciform’s rounder cousin, 14-…but it’s still nowhere near as good an idea as the modern skydiving parachute, so this one also stays firmly in the military world. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

What parachute types are there? Do you think you know what a parachute looks like? Guess what: There are tons of parachute types out there, and you probably don’t know ’em all! Here’s a rundown of several of the normal and not-so-normal types of parachutes that help skydivers (and far-flung cargo) make their way softly back down to terra firma. 1. ROUND PARACHUTES Round parachutes were the first tools for fabric descent. If your mental image of a parachute involves a big, inverted pouch of fabric suspended over a helpless jumper, then it’s a round parachute you’re thinking of. Round parachutes served a purpose for a very long time (and still do, in some very specific circumstances), but there were a few issues with this design that caused them to eventually fade from regular use. First off: They’re (gulp!) unsteerable. Secondly, they’re (double gulp!) not super-likely to land lightly. 2. CRUCIFORM PARACHUTES Cruciform parachutes can be seen as kinda-sorta a subset of round parachutes. They’re not round, per se, but they’re certainly not the square modern parachutes we use for most purposes today. The difference is this: their squared-off profile decreases oscillation and ends up resulting in fewer landing injury rates for the jumpers and cargo that dangle helplessly below. The bump at the end is about 25% softer than the cruciform’s rounder cousin, but it’s still nowhere near as good an idea as the modern skydiving parachute, so this one also stays firmly in the military world. 3. ROGALLO WINGS You’ll pretty much never see a rogallo parachute in the sport skydiving world — but you just might see one in paragliding, where they’re commonly used as rescue parachutes. The wing design is highly recognizable: two partial conic surfaces with both cones pointing forward, vaguely triangular or hang-glidery in appearance. Springy and flexible, the Rogallo wing is most often seen in toy kites, but has been used to construct descent parachutes for spacecraft, as well as provide an airfoil for ultralight powered aircraft like trikes. 4. RAM AIR PARACHUTES So what are you most likely to see on a skydiving dropzone? Far and away, you’ll be looking at the venerable ram air parachute. As a matter of fact, just about everyone in the sky today uses ram air canopies to get down. You’ll recognize them instantly: a square or rectangular fabric wing, wherein a top and bottom sheet of nylon are attached by a set of fabric ribs between them. That’s the magic, right there: The ribs divide the parachute into a set of individual cells that inflate when fast-moving air is pushed in through the front, and inflates the parachute all the way to the back. When that inflation happens, the wing inflates to the point that it becomes a steerable airfoil. Bingo! A stable flying machine that slows you down, steers like a dream and “flares” to land you as softly as a pretty little fairy princess. My thanks to the folks at Long Island Skydiving for permission to share this information. To learn more about skydiving, please visit their website. To see the page on their blog about parachute types, click here. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

1 - Gymnasts have broad, muscular backs. 2 - I worked in the garden all morning and now my back aches. 3 - He broke his back in a terrible car accident. 4 - Have you ever read The Hunchback of Notre Dame? 5 - My dog always stretches his back and yawns when he wakes up. 6 - My cat arched his back and hissed loudly at the neighbor’s dog. 7 - She leaned her back against the door and looked at me suspiciously. 8 - He patted and scratched his dog’s back affectionately. 9 - Tall people are prone to back trouble. 10 - I need an office chair with good back support. 11 - If there’s a problem, please tell me to my face. Don’t go behind my back. 12 - He got a bad case of Covid and was flat on his back for weeks. 13 - What are you carrying on your back? 14 - She stood with her back to the fire, sipping hot chocolate. 15 - Watch your back—there are people who would like to get you fired. 16 - The boss gave me a slap on the back and told me I was going to get a raise soon. 17 - The children were sitting back to back in a large cardboard box. 18 - We could only get seats at the back of the stadium for the Taylor Swift concert. 19 - I prefer to sit near the front of the bus, not at the back. 20 - The dog wasn’t out front, so we went around back and looked for him there. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

There are some words in English which change their meaning when you change the stress. Here’s an example: Perfect - free of mistakes, problems, errors. 1 - The teacher said my homework was perfect. (PER-fect) 2 - She got a perfect score on the exam. 3 - Your pronunciation is perfect. 4 - It’s hard to be perfect all the time. 5 - That painting looks just like my grandmother. It’s a perfect likeness. 6 - The forger copied my signature perfectly. Uh oh! 7 - What a smile! She has perfect teeth. 8 - The criminal had a perfect alibi. 9 - The doctor said I was in perfect health. 10 - This is the perfect place to begin our discussion of aliens. To perfect something: per-FECT - to make something or do something as well as you can 11 - It took her years of practice to perfect her violin technique. 12 - I have tried for years to perfect my pronunciation of French. 13 - The car company is trying to perfect a new type of engine. 14 - The chef has perfected his recipe for chicken Kiev. 15 - My wife goes ice skating every day, but she has not yet perfected her jumps. Support the show Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

1 - I enjoyed myself when I visited Mexico. 2 - She hurt herself playing basketball. 3 - You’re working too hard. Don’t kill yourself! 4 - John is going to make himself a sandwich. 5 - We encourage ourselves to practice English every day. 6 - I own my own small company. I pay myself four thousand dollars per month. 7 - It is important for children to learn to behave themselves. 8 - If you get hungry please help yourself to anything in the refrigerator. 9 - He entertained himself by playing chess against a computer. 10 - She likes to do things herself and not ask other people for help. 11 - The cat scratched itself and then ran away. 12 - My dog looked in the mirror and barked at itself. 13 - The food was delicious so we helped ourselves to more. 14 - I was chopping carrots in the kitchen when I cut myself. 15 - When you play violin, you have to listen carefully to yourself. Some sentences with “yourself” Before you buy a new car, ask yourself if you really need it. When you go to a job interview, just be yourself. Did you cook dinner all by yourself? The accident wasn’t your fault, so don’t blame yourself. So a flying saucer landed in front of your house? I think I need to see that for myself. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

The full text of this podcast along with additional information about job scams can be found on the US Federal Trade Commission website. Here are some sentences to use for pronunciation practice. They are at the end of the podcast. 1- Scammers advertise jobs the same way honest employers do — online (in ads, on job sites, and social media), in newspapers, and sometimes on TV and radio. 2- They promise you a job, but what they want is your money and your personal information. 3- Here are some examples of jobs scams and advice on how to avoid them. 4- Scammers place ads, often online, claiming that they have jobs where you can make thousands of dollars a month working from home with little time and effort. 5 - Sometimes the scammers try to get you interested by saying that you can be your own boss, start your own business, or set your own schedule. 6 - But instead of making money, you end up paying for starter kits, so-called training, or certifications that are useless. 7 - You might also find that your credit card is charged without your permission. 8 - Or you get caught up in a fake check scam, where you deposit a check from your new employer. 9 - The employer then asks you to send some money back due to “overpayment,” but the check will ultimately bounce, and the bank will want you to repay the full amount of the fake check, while the scammers keep the real money you sent them. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

There are many collocations in English using the word “pain”. Here are a few to practice with. 1) He immersed himself in the music and for a little while forgot the pain of losing his father. 2) She took medications for a few days to ease the pain in her leg. 3) It took me a long time to get over the pain of getting divorced. 4) We shared both the joy and pain of raising our children. 5) Her husband is a soldier. She knows the pain of separation. 6) Her addiction to drugs caused her family a lot of pain. 7) I would like to spare you the pain of getting fired. 8) He tried to conceal the pain in his foot. 9) My boss is a huge pain in the neck. And HIS boss is a pain in the ass. 10) Dr. Jones specializes in medications to manage pain. 11) I have a high tolerance for pain. 12) On a scale of one to ten, what is the level of your pain? 13) A sharp pain shot up my arm. 14) The pain increases when I try to lift something heavy. 15) The pain goes away after I take a hot shower. 16) She groaned with pain and pushed the baby out. 17) I ignore the pain in my knees when I go for a walk. 18) She wants to learn guitar so she puts up with sore fingers. 19) My father was rushed to the hospital suffering from severe pains in his lower abdomen. 20) Sitting all day makes the pain in my back worse. 21) He stayed in bed all day with back pain. 22) The bee stings caused my sister extreme pain. 23) The soldier feels phantom pain in his missing leg. 24) I have read that snow blindness can cause excruciating pain. 25) The cause of my mother’s intermittent pain is a mystery. [I like DeepL for translations.] And a thank you to my supporters who help me pay the costs of running this podcast. Every penny helps! Buy me a coffee for a one-time donation or use the support link below: Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Once upon a time there was a little girl who lived with her mother in a small house at the edge of a big forest. The girl had a bright red cape with a hood and it was so striking that everyone called her Little Red Riding Hood. One day her mother said, "Sweetie, I'm preparing a basket of treats for your dear grandmother. She's not feeling well and a visit from you would cheer her up.” Soon the basket of treats was ready. Little Red Riding Hood put on her cape and her mother gave her final instructions. "Sweetie, remember, follow the path through the woods until you reach your grandmother's house. And remember, do not stop along the way and do not talk to strangers. Stay on the path. Do not wander in the woods. Do not stop and pick flowers. Stay out of trouble, please.” "Yeah, yeah,” said Little Red Riding Hood. "No problem.” Please see the transcript for the rest of the story. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

1) Our teacher gave us some grammar exercises for homework. 2) The translation exercises were difficult. 3) I do yoga exercises every morning. 4) His doctor recommended some exercises to strengthen his back. 5) Learning a new language is a good mental exercise. 6) Mary does daily breathing, stretching, and relaxation exercises. 7) I like to listen to rock and roll music during exercise. 8) My wife gave me an exercise video for my birthday. 9) I don’t have any exercise equipment at home. 10) My uncle doesn’t get enough exercise. 11) I prefer outdoor exercise like running with my dog. 12) The doctor said I needed more cardiovascular exercise. 13) Has your company ever run team-building exercises? 14) In the end the entire discussion went nowhere. It was an empty exercise. 15) The US soldiers took part in joint exercises with NATO troops. 16) Please exercise discretion and keep this secret from your grandmother. 17) Preparing for the next pandemic is not just a theoretical exercise. 18) We have conducted emergency training exercises in every part of the country. 19) I’ll record some listening comprehension exercises for you. 20) I hope this podcast has given your brain some exercise. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

1) We go to dinner at a fancy restaurant when we’re feeling extravagant. 2) Spending $200 on a pair of shoes seems extravagant to me. 3) She’s only extravagant when she’s on vacation and then she throws caution to the winds. 4) After winning the lottery, he became the most extravagant person I know. He spent millions on his new house. 5) The lifestyles of the rich and famous are often wildly extravagant. 6) Mr. Jones is a conservative man, but his wife is very extravagant. 7) He’s cautious with money at home, but at the casino he’s rather extravagant. 8) I’m slightly extravagant when choosing birthday gifts for my children. 9) Lucy is tight-fisted with her own money, but quite extravagant with mine. 10) Politicians make extravagant claims when running for re-election. 11) My boss praised me extravagantly last month. A few weeks later, our company went bankrupt. 12) There are dangers in an extravagant lifestyle. 13) He’s a connoisseur of fine wines, and he praised my collection extravagantly. 14) His taste in cars is extravagant. He owns a Ferrari and a Porsche. 15) I’d rather own ten good books than an expensive car. I’m not what you’d call extravagant. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Some sentences with "happy": 1) He has a successful business with many happy customers. 2) Meeting you here in the airport was a happy accident. 3) The boy was whistling a happy tune. 4) That movie had a happy ending. 5) Alex and Joanna are a very happy couple. 6) My grandson has had a happy childhood. 7) I have happy memories of my first trip to Europe. 8) She had a productive day at work so she’s in a happy mood. 9) This restaurant has a happy atmosphere. 10) You have a happy face and a happy smile. This will probably be my last podcast of 2023. Thank you for listening. I hope you find these podcasts useful and if you're not a supporter, please consider a small donation to help me with the cost of keeping wadjasay available. Happy New Year to everyone! Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Betty Botta bought some butter; “But,” said she, “this butter’s bitter! If I put it in my batter It will make my batter bitter. But a bit o’ better butter Will but make my batter better.” Then she bought a bit o’ butter Better than the bitter butter, Made her bitter batter better. So ’twas better Betty Botta Bought a bit o’ better butter. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

Where's Molly? The cat? I don't know. Where have you looked? Did you check the bedroom? She's not in the bedroom. Did you look in the fridge? How would a cat get into the fridge? I don't know. How about the washing machine? I just put laundry in the washer. She's not in there. Did you look outside? She's not in the front yard and she's not in the backyard. Did you look in the car? Molly hates the car. I'm sure she's not in the car. Did you check the box? What box? Schrödinger's box. The famous one. What are you talking about? If she's in Schrödinger's box, she's dead and alive. Both. (phone rings) Hello? Hi, Joanna. What? Molly's at your house? In the living room watching a bird show on TV? Okay, thanks. I'll be right over to get her. ------------------- If you're not familiar with Schrödinger's famous paradox, here's a link to wikipedia. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!

If you're not familiar with the word auction, A-U-C-T-I-O-N, I want you to stop this podcast, look at the notes, and go watch two parts of videos on YouTube. The first one is an example of an auction competition and the second one is a woman auctioneer talking about her patter, which is the way people talk during auctions. STOP! Please watch these videos: 1) An auction competition 2) Auction patter demonstration In the United States, auctions can be for horses, cows, antiques, furniture, almost anything. And the auctioneers have a special way of speaking, what we call a patter, that goes very fast. I cannot demonstrate it, I've never practiced it. But watch the videos first and then come back to the sentence practice. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show You can now support my podcasts and classes: Help Barry pay for podcast expenses--thank you!