Show 885 Thursday 13 November
Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.
Hi, I’m Sarah. Welcome to The Daily English Show.
The video I recommend today is about same-sex marriage – that’s an issue which a lot of people seem to be talking about right now in the United States.
In the US they just had an election to decide who would be the president and other politicians … and at the same time in different states they voted on other things - laws or measures or amendments to constitutions. For example, in this election there were votes about marijuana, alcohol, sex, suicide …
And in California there was a vote about an amendment to the state constitution. This was called Proposition 8, or Prop 8 for short, and the proposition was to add this to the constitution: Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.
And there were huge campaigns for and against the proposition. But in the end people voted for it – which means that the majority of people don’t want people of the same sex to get married.
So, people who support same-sex marriage are now unhappy about this. And one of the videos that has been popular on YouTube recently is from a TV show called Countdown with Keith Olbermann which is a news and commentary program.
Keith talked about the issue on his show and he isn’t happy with the result and he said: If you voted for this proposition or support those who did or the sentiment they expressed, I have some questions, because, truly, I do not understand. Why does this matter to you? What is it to you?
* Read the transcript here.
The Acadia Report
Acadia University is in a beautiful little town called Wolfville. One of the things I loved about staying in Wolfville was the view down by the mudflats in the evenings.
Word of the Day
Today’s word is barren, which means bleak and lifeless.
So what does bleak mean?
A bleak situation is: not hopeful or encouraging.
Bleak weather is: cold and unpleasant.
A bleak place is: bare, empty or with no pleasant features.
This is part of what Keith said about the same-sex marriage issue:
What is this, to you? Nobody is asking you to embrace their expression of love. But don’t you, as human beings, have to embrace . . . that love? The world is barren enough.
STICK NEWS
Kia Ora in Stick News today Canadian prison authorities have released a prisoner early because he was too large for his cell.
The 37-year-old man was arrested in September 2006. In May this year he was sentenced to 5 years in prison. But Reuters reported he was released this week because he was too fat for the cell. He weighed 205 kg. Apparently he couldn’t fit on the chair in the prison cell and when he went to bed his body protruded six inches either side. Authorities said prison conditions were difficult because of his health and that two other facilities had refused to accept him. He was freed on Tuesday and outside the prison he said to media: "I'm going to have a proper bed and finally have a chair I can sit on”.
And that was Stick News for Thursday the 13th of November.
Kia Ora.
conversations with sarah
#551 Can same-sex couples get married in New Zealand?
Step 1: Repeat Tommy’s lines.
Step 2: Read Tommy’s lines and talk to Sarah.
Tommy Can same-sex couples get married in New Zealand?
Sarah They can get civil unioned … if that’s a verb, which I don’t it is …
Tommy What’s the difference between a civil union and a marriage?
Sarah It depends on the country, but in New Zealand don’t think there is a difference – it’s just the name.
Tommy Do many same-sex couples have civil unions?
Sarah Yeah, I think so, and heterosexual couples too.
Tommy Why do heterosexual couples have civil unions?
Sarah I don’t really know. Maybe they want the legal benefits, but they don’t like the idea of marriage because it’s associated with religion.
Tommy Oh, OK.
Sarah Then again, right after they made the civil union law, I think they made another law which pretty much gave all couples the same legal rights as married couples … so I don’t know what the point is.
links
today's news
today's STICK NEWS pictures
Keith Olbermann - Wikipedia
Video
Transcript
Site for campaign against Prop 8
Site for campaign supporting Prop 8
Video for campaign supporting Prop 8
Acadia University
Study English at Acadia University, Canada
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artist: Boom Tschak
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