The English Blog

Cartoon: Bad Egg

In a nod to Easter, this cartoon by Adams from The Telegraph portrays North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as a boiled egg. The title of the cartoon "Bad Egg" is a play on words since a bad egg is someone who behaves in a bad or dishonest way. • He's a bad egg - don't believe anything he says. 

BACKGROUND
US military drills in South Korea have prompted a fresh round of threats from North Korea in the past week, with leader Kim Jong-un ordering that the military be on standby to hit the US mainland with missiles. The isolated communist state stepped up its pugnacious rhetoric still further yesterday by warning Seoul that the Korean Peninsula was entering "a state of war". 

COMMENTARY
The green mushroom cloud emanating from the top of the cracked egg is a reference to North Korea's threats of an "all-out nuclear war". The cloud is green because the egg is bad.

VOCABULARY
A boiled egg is usually served in an egg cup. 

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Reuters Video: Chocolate Easter egg fetches big bucks

A chocolate Easter egg standing 3-feet (0.91 meters) tall sells for $1,000 in New York. Sharon Reich reports.

TRANSCRIPT
REPORTER: This is one grand Easter egg. The 3-foot-tall Angry Birds-inspired confection is on sale at a New York chocolatier for one thousand dollars. Sugar and Plumm owner Lamia Jacobs.
LAMIA JACOBS: "The work itself, to prepare the leaves, and the little birds, and the tree. I mean, all these things, that's what they do. It takes about four days to work on that, two people."
REPORTER: And that's not surprising, considering the egg weighs 22 pounds. Crafted of dark Venezuelan chocolate, it's a delight that is catching the eyes of passers-by.
LAMIA JACOBS: "The children, have you seen how each one walks in, and say, 'Oh my God, I want that egg'? So it just makes us happy to see that it appeals to them, and the parents too look happy."
REPORTER: Believe it or not, some people are willing to spend one thousand dollars on the giant piece of chocolate. Sugar and Plumm have already sold two of the Angry Bird eggs.

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Cartoon: Cyprus Nest Egg

Cartoon: Cyprus Nest Eggs

This cartoon by Rick McKee from The Augusta Chronicle draws a parallel between the tradition of the Easter Bunny hiding Easter eggs for children to find, and the situation in Cyprus, where savers are hiding their nest eggs to protect them from the cash-strapped Cypriot government, which carried out a raid on bank deposits last week to help fund an EU-backed bailout.

An Easter bunny is hiding eggs beneath a bush. Meanwhile, a Cypriot man is digging a hole in the ground with a spade in which to hide his nest egg (a jar full of euros).

VOCABULARY
A nest egg is a sum of money that you are saving for a particular purpose. • They have a little nest egg tucked away somewhere for a rainy day. According to The Phrase Finder, the allusion is to putting a real or china egg into a hen's nest to encourage her to lay. The connection between this and the 'savings' meaning isn't exactly clear. It may be that the idea was that the egg that was put into the nest could be later retrieved, after the hen had laid.

MORE EASTER CARTOONS
• The Cagle Post

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Reuters Video: Good Friday around the world

Christian worshipers mark Good Friday around the world with services and processions. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.

TRANSCRIPT
Christians mark Good Friday around the world. At the Vatican the new Pontiff Pope Francis threw himself on the floor of St. Peter's Basically in prayer. In Southern Germany thousands watch the re-enactment of Jesus' walk to his death. Later they stand witness as Christ is nailed to a cross. Good Friday signifies the official beginning of Easter, which symbolizes the central Christian belief that death does not signify the end but a new beginning. In New York thousands of worshipers observe Good Friday with a procession over the Brooklyn Bridge. In Jerusalem, members of the clergy carry a statue of Jesus Christ. They hold a service at the place where they believe Christ was buried. In Mexico crowds of Roman Catholics gather to watch the annual Processions of the Flagellants and the Crucified. The faithful show their piety by hitting themselves -- its a way to share the pain that Jesus suffered on the cross.

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Cartoon: Easter 2013

This cartoon by Adams from The Telegraph relates to the prolonged cold snap in the UK, which has left many parts of the country covered in snow, playing havoc with travel plans, sports fixtures and power supplies (see previous post).

COMMENTARY
Easter is only a week away, and the cartoonist imagines what things will be like if the snowy weather continues. Instead of the usual Easter chicken chicks, there will be penguin chicks. The Easter daffodils will be buried in snow. The Easter bunny will be replaced by a polar bear. And the traditional Easter egg hunt will be ruined by all that white stuff.

For more information on Easter customs and traditions see Wikipedia and Woodlands Junior School.

COMMENT
I'm dreaming of a White Easter ... 

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Saint Patrick's Day Cartoon

Today, March 17th, is Saint Patrick's Day, and to mark the occasion we have a cartoon by Rick McKee, the staff cartoonist at The Augusta Chronicle.

The cartoon shows a leprechaun peering into a pot at the end of a rainbow. The pot is empty but there are a few gold coins lying on the ground, and a note from President Obama which says, "Thanks for paying your fair share!"

EXPLANATION
Legend has it that leprechauns store away all their coins in a hidden pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and President Obama has done a lot of talking over last year about Americans paying their fair share of taxes (especially the top 1%). The cartoon connects these two ideas.

ALSO SEE
1. The Cagle Post for more Saint Patrick's Day cartoons.
2. The English Blog's St Patrick's Day posts from previous years.
3. St Patrick's Day celebrated around the world – in pictures (Guardian)
4. Why do we celebrate St. Patrick's Day (BrianPOP) 

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Reuters Video: A mother fights to educate her daughters

A woman in Pakistan exemplifies the hardworking spirit of women around the world ahead of International Women's Day. Julie Noce reports.

TRANSCRIPT
REPORTER: In a small Pakistani village, 44 year old Nabeela Bano walks home with her buffalo. The money she earns selling it's milk helps put her four daughters through school. Eight years ago she was widowed, and has fought everyday since to provide the kind of life for her family she never had. Strong taboos still exist in Pakistan against women. In the capital Islamabad, female members of parliament praise the progress of women's rights saying a substantial amount of funding has been allocated for girls' schools. But in Bano's village, those schools remain to be seen. Her daughters walk to another village everyday to attend class as there are no schools for girls here. Bano's decision to continue her daughters' education has drawn criticism from villagers, but praise and respect from her daughters.
JAVAIRIA BIBI, DAUGHTER OF NABEELA BANO: "He said, 'do not send the girls to school anymore.' But my mother said, 'I could not study myself, and if I were to stop my daughters from getting educated, it will be too bad. Look at my plight. If I was educated, I would have been able to do something better today. My daughters are going to study.' My mother stands up like a rock in front of everyone (who does not want us to go to school)."
REPORTER: International Women's Day, March 8th, is held every year to help nations worldwide promote and protect women's rights. And to honour women like Bano who fights daily to improve the life of her daughters. "I am doing all this only for my children", she said. "If I do not, who will? There is no one else."

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Reuters Video: Take my heart and throw away the key

City officials lock horns with couples over padlocks in Paris. Sharon Reich reports.

TRANSCRIPT
REPORTER: It's Valentine's Day and it may be chilly ... but romance is in the air. As a symbol of their devotion, hundreds of lovestruck couples attach locks on the Ponts Des Arts bridge tossing away the keys into the River Seine. The locks are adorned with messages of love, but it seems they are causing heartache for Parisian officials who are working to have them removed . The reason they say, is that the metal appeals to thieves who use wire cutters to remove them and in the process destabilize the structure. But a little sawing, can't stop love. British tourist Dan Murphy even took advantage of the spot to propose to his now fiancee Lauren Price.
LAUREN PRICE: "It just shows it's the most romantic city in the world."
REPORTER: French couple Vincent Durier and Aurelie Flamand sealed their love here too.
VINCENT DURIER: "We came because it symbolises Saint Valentine. We were in Paris and said to ourselves, why not come here? We saw online that it was famous for lovers. So we're taking part in the custom."
REPORTER: While they may be locking horns with lovers, Parisian officials still have a soft spot for Cupid -- they have put up electronic billboards around the city where couples can broadcast short love notes.

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Infographic for Valentine’s Day: Love Idioms

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Reuters Video: Creepy or cute? Valentine's chocolates in the shape of your face

Forget hearts on February 14th, now you can give your sweetie a chocolate treat with your mug on it. Sharon Reich reports.

TRANSCRIPT
REPORTER: It might be the ultimate in personalized Valentine's Day Gifts. Chocolates that mirror your image. Mariya Kawae plans to give her lollipop look-a-like to her husband on February 14th.
MARIYA KAWAE: "I didn't think it would look so much like me. So I'm a bit surprised."
REPORTER: To make the sweet treat Mariya's image was scanned at the KS Design Lab. Then, using a 3D printer a silicon mould of her face was created. Kana Yuasa helped her four-year-old daughter Hisoka fill a mould of her likeness with chocolaty goodness.
KANA YAUAS: "I thought that people might find it somewhat odd. So I had her make them instead. I wanted her to give it to her dad, but apparently she's going to give it to a friend."
REPORTER: In Japan, women traditionally give chocolates to men on February 14th. But in this case, it looks like Hisoka wants to keep her chocolatey image, all to herself.

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Cartoon: Valentine's Day Dinner

Cartoon: Valentine's Day Dinner

It's Valentine's Day on Thursday, but if you're planning to go out for a special meal, you might have trouble getting a table, as in this cartoon by Modern Toss from The Guardian.

COMMENTARY
As this article from MailOnline explains, a growing number of restaurants are trying to get rid of delays by imposing time limits on diners. Even the most expensive restaurants are now telling customers they have two hours from arrival until they have to leave. So while a 15-minute slot is something of an exaggeration, it does reflect an increasing trend.

VOCABULARY
A starter is a small amount of food eaten at the start of a meal before the main part [= appetizer in American English]. • We had soup as a starter, followed by steak.

ALSO SEE
• How to get a table in a restaurant (The Guardian)
• When it comes to reservations, time is money (New York Times)
• Dialogue: reserving a table (Focus English) 
• Booking a table (EnglishSocialNetwork)

Reuters Video: World Welcomes 2013

Revellers around the globe welcome the arrival of the New Year. Paul Chapman reports.

TRANSCRIPT
REPORTER: Auckland in New Zealand was the first major city in the world to kick off the New Year celebrations. As 2013 made its way across Asia Shanghai joined in with the party atmosphere. In Myanmar thousands turned out for the first public outdoor festivities since a ban on such gatherings under the formerly military-ruled nation was lifted. North Korea lit the touch paper on a firework display in Pyongyang - then added to the occasion with the first New Year's speech by its leader in 19 years. London rang in 2013 to the chimes of Big Ben, completing what the city's Mayor described as an amazing end to an incredible year following the Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. In Berlin more than a million crowded around the landmark Brandenburg Gate to see in 2013 in style and launch a wealth of New Year's resolutions.
REVELLER 1: "To work harder and play harder."
REVELLER 2: "I just want to be a nicer person for everyone."
REPORTER: Dubai used the world's tallest tower, the 828-metre Burj Khalifa, as the stage for its firework show. In South Africa revellers in Cape Town celebrated what some hoped would be a more peaceful year to come.
REVELLER 3: "I hope that it's a wonderful year full of joy, full of love."
REPORTER: Throngs of people packed Times Square in New York for the city's traditional celebration. Copacabana Beach in Rio was the big venue for Brazil's hello to 2013, drawing an estimated crowd of two million for the start of what's likely to a bumpy year for economies around the globe.

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Reuters Video: Touchnote's appy Christmas cards

UK startup firm Touchnote has launched a new application for Apple and Android devices that allows people to create personalized Christmas cards using a novel Facebook integration. Hayley Platt reports.

TRANSCRIPT
REPORTER: It's a tradition which began in Britain in the 1840's. However in recent years many have chosen to send e cards instead. Now a new app which combines technology and printing could help reverse the declining trend. Mike and Linda Thomson are using Touchnote to send family abroad a photo card - made of real paper. Within seconds of taking a snap it's re-designed as a greeting card. The following day it's printed and sent on its way.
MIKE THOMSON, TOUCHNOTE CUSTOMER: "It shows that you care a bit more, it's just a bit more personable. It's something that family members will stick up on their firesides, put up on the wall and refer back to and appreciate rather than something that's stuck away on a laptop that they never see or never open."
REPORTER: A recent survey by Royal Mail showed that 80 percent of people prefer traditional cards to e cards. And 25 percent said they would be making a bigger effort to send them this Christmas. Touchnote hopes to sell a record number of cards this year - Raam Thakrar is its co-founder.
RAAM THAKRAR: "We communicate in a very digital way but the problem with that is there's a slight lack of substance to it. We don't have things that we can hold, we don't have things that last forever. What we're doing is bringing something back that does last forever."
REPORTER: Each greeting costs £1.49 and you don't even have to provide an address. Using Facebook, the App will notify your friends that you wish to send them a card and prompts them for their address. With more and more people complaining social media is isolating them rather than uniting them, Touchnote believes there'll be signficant demand for this new take on a time-honoured tradition.

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Cartoon: What they want for Christmas

This cartoon by Schrank from The Independent is a comment on U.S. gun culture in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings.

The first three scenes show children in various war zones (Afghanistan, Africa, and Syria?) who all want the same thing for Christmas—an end to violence. Below them, we can see an NRA member sitting by the fireside surrounded by guns. He wants more guns for Christmas (the NRA's response to the latest shooting was to call for all US schools to have armed guards).

ALSO SEE
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