Saturday, July 31, 2010

100th Anniv. Celebration of the Angel Island Immigration Station


AssociatedPress January 27, 2009 : The Angel Island Immigration Station, once known as the "Ellis Island of the West," is reopening after a multimillion-dollar restoration of the historical landmark.

100th Anniversary of the Angel Island Immigration Station on July 31

Join Friends of Angel Island on Saturday, July 31 at Angel Island State Park for a spectacular array of speakers, cultural performers, and free self-guided tours of the Immigration Station. Several new exhibits were installed in May including the granite Interrogation Table, audio kiosks which allow the visitor to hear several of the poems in English and Cantonese, and new photographic displays. It’s truly a brand-new look at the Angel Island immigration experience.

KPIX Raw Video: SF Naturalization Honors Angel Island

Friday, July 30, 2010

Debt and Deficits



VOAVideo: Debt and Deficits

The United States has a massive government debt. It owes trillions of dollars mostly by selling investors treasury securities called t-bills, t-notes and t-bonds.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Unemployed Professionals Grapple with New Job-hunting Techniques



VOAVideo: Unemployed Professionals Grapple with New Job-hunting Techniques

President Obama signed a bill last week extending unemployment benefits to 99 weeks. The extension will affect 1.4 million unemployed Americans and help ease the longest bout of joblessness since the great Depression. VOA's Jeff Swicord visited a career counseling center outside Washington D.C. to get a feel for what job seekers are going through.

Monday, July 26, 2010

The Jim and Jen Show, Episode 3



Episode 3: Giving advice

Jennifer experiences problems with her computer. Jim suggests ways to handle the situation and offers advice for the future. Learn expressions for giving advice and some useful words related to computers


ESLCafe on YouTube: The Jim and Jen Show

JenniferESL and EnglishCafe are proud to present a new series: "The Jim and Jen Show." The videos in this series will help intermediate and advanced learners develop listening and speaking skills for academic and professional situations. Watch the video and then take advantage of the additional exercises being offered on EnglishCafe.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Condo Sales Up in US Despite Volatility in Housing Market



VOAVideo: Condo Sales Up in US Despite Volatility in Housing Market

Sales of condominiums in the United States are rising, despite ongoing volatility in the nation's housing market. Real estate industry leaders say condo sales rose more than 30 percent over the past year ending in May. And as Steve Mort reports, a surge in purchases in Miami is being led by overseas investors.

VOANews: Condo Sales Up in US Despite Volatility in Housing Market

International buyers boost sales, many pay in cash

SJMercury: Mortgage rates hit a new record low: 4.56 percent for 30-year fixed loans

The average rate for 30-year fixed loans this week was 4.56 percent, down from 4.57 last week, mortgage company Freddie Mac said Thursday. That's the lowest since Freddie Mac began tracking rates in 1971.

The last time home loan rates were lower was during the 1950s, when most mortgages lasted just 20 or 25 years.

Friday, July 23, 2010

HAPPY 5TH ANNIVERSARY, ESLPOD!



ESL Podcast's Fifth Anniversary Video Podcast

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast's Fifth Anniversary Video. You know, a lot of people ask me what I do for a living, and I tell them I'm a podcaster. And they say, "But, Jeff, what do you actually do all day?" This video will answer that question. (Read more)

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Chinese Migrant Workers Walled Off From Society

VOANews: Chinese Migrant Workers Walled Off From Society

Struggling to keep a swelling urban population in check, Beijing authorities believe they have a solution: walled communities. It's a new strategy to safeguard communities affected by overcrowding and rising crimes rates.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

What Wall Street Reform Means for You



WH.gov: What Wall Street Reform Means for You

A quick and simple animated explanation of how Wall Street Reform will work and what the strongest consumer protections in history will mean for you and your family.

VOAVideo: Obama Signs Financial Reform Into Law

The most sweeping changes to the U.S. financial system since the 1930's officially became law on Wednesday. President Barack Obama declared the newly-passed financial reform bill a major victory for consumers, saying American taxpayers will never again have to foot the bill for risky bets made by large financial firms. But others argue the new law is too far-reaching and could hurt rather than help American consumers and businesses. Mil Arcega has more.

VOANews: Financial Reform Law Aims to Change Some Ways of Wall Street

A new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is at the heart of the bill signed by President Obama

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Monday, July 19, 2010

The Jim and Jen Show, Episode 2



http://bit.ly/jimjen2 - This is a commercial promoting the second episode of "The Jim and Jen Show."

ESLCafe: The Jim and Jen Show, Episode 2 (full lesson)

Jim and Jennifer disagree. Will they learn to cooperate? Watch the full video and complete the exercises.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

China Expands Media Reach with English Language News Channel, Digital Media Push

VOAVideo: China Expands Media Reach with English Language News Channel, Digital Media Push

Chinese news is expanding. Xinhua News Agency recently launched a 24-hour English-language news channel for broadcast worldwide. And China's largest state-run broadcaster, CCTV, is expanding its global broadcasts in several languages. Beijing has long complained that Western media coverage is biased against China. Media watchers here in the United States view China's state controlled media as propaganda. VOA's Laurel Bowman met the owners of a Washington-based company that is helping China reach a more Western audience.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Welcome Home, Mr Lin!

Mr Lin has just got back from Taiwan

VOANews: An Introduction to the World of Greetings in the US

"We only use 'how do you do?' the first time we meet," says teacher Lida Baker.

Monday, July 12, 2010

The Jim & Jen Show Episode 1



EnglishCafeDotCom: Learn English with The Jim and Jen Show - Episode #1

The Jim & Jen Show is sponsored and hosted by EnglishCafe.com. The series aims to help intermediate and advanced English language learners develop listening and speaking skills for academic and professional situations. My co-star Jim Stroud is the Social Media Development Manager at EnglishCafe.

Episode 1: Series debut

Jim and Jennifer become acquainted over the phone and talk about working together. Learn useful expressions for phone conversations.
View show only Take EC lesson

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Friday, July 9, 2010

China Renews Google's License



Google says China has renewed its operating license following months of contention over Google's refusal to accept Chinese government censoring of its content.

中国延长谷歌营运执照 谷歌股价突涨
谷歌说,谷歌在中国的营运执照被延长。总部设在美国的互联网公司谷歌星期五发布了一份简短声明,结束了几星期来各方对它是否能获准继续服务中国这个世界最大网络社区的猜测。详细报道 评论

Related articles:

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Study Links Bedtime Rules to Better Skills in Preschool Children



Study Links Bedtime Rules to Better Skills in Preschool Children

This is the VOA Special English Health Report, from http://voaspecialenglish.com
Parents know a nightly bedtime is not always easy to enforce. But researchers say bedtime rules may improve a child's development. A new study found better results in four-year-olds who go to bed around the same time every night and sleep at least eleven hours. Getting less than that was linked to lower abilities in language, reading and early math skills.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Milpitas Fourth of July Firework Finale



Milpitas Fourth of July Firework Finale

HUGE crowd--everyone was peaceful and proud. I love Milpitas!

Milpitas 4th of July Concert, Pool Party, & Fireworks


Milpitas 4th of July Concert, Pool Party, & Fireworks

Come join us as Milpitas celebrates our country’s Independence Day with a day full of water fun and an evening of ground fireworks.

1:00-4:00 pm “Waving the Red, White & Blue” Pool Party at the Sports Center: Music, games, fun and much more! Please Note: Space may be limited at times due to pool capacity.

1:00-3:00 pm Milpitas Firefighters Local 1699 Hot Dog Lunch at the Pool Party ($2.00 nominal fee for hot dog, chips & drink.)

7:30 pm (Gates Open at 7:00 pm) Concert with JamFunkShus

9:30 pm “Red, White & Boom” Fireworks Display at the Sports Center.
Come enjoy an evening of music and exciting fireworks. Bring a picnic dinner and enjoy the celebration Some food will be available for purchase at the event from the Milpitas Parks & Recreation Foundation. Come early to find parking.

Please Note: There are no “in and out” privileges. No alcohol, glass bottles or dogs/animals allowed at the event. No barbecuing/tailgating in the parking lot. Fireworks are illegal in the City of Milpitas.

For more July 4th celebrations, see:

2010 Fireworks & 4th of July Events Guide San Francisco Bay Area

Thursday, July 1, 2010

China Manufacturers Moving Inland



VOAVideo: Economists say China's decision to allow more latitude in the value of the yuan will not have an immediate impact on global trade or the U.S. trade deficit with China. But growing demand for higher wages in China's coastal manufacturing hubs, combined with the inevitable appreciation of the undervalued Chinese currency, could permanently alter the Chinese manufacturing landscape. Mil Arcega has more.