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 #2 (permalink) Thu Mar 19, 2009 14:14 pm Obama's sense of humor |
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Hi David, I learned something new from you post. i.e. 'funny bone' means 'sense of humor'. Thank you. I read Obama's presidential victory speech text sometime ago, but now I can't remember any of his words except for(other than?) 'Yes, we can'.
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 Infin1ty
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| #3 (permalink) Thu Mar 19, 2009 17:20 pm Obama's sense of humor |
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You're welcome.
| Infin1ty wrote: | | 'funny bone' means 'sense of humor'. |
Yes. Literally, the phrase relates to the ulnar nerve by the humerus bone, but, as you can see, the term has morphed.
| Infin1ty wrote: | | 'I read Obama's presidential victory speech text sometime ago, but now I can't remember any of his words except for(other than?) 'Yes, we can'. |
Heh; political speeches tend to communicate feeling over actual meaning, so in that sense, he would appear to have been successful. 
I'm sure you can find the speech on YouTube, or on his own website, for that matter.
Either phrase is correct; I personally favor "other than", and I'm not sure why.
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| #4 (permalink) Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:38 pm Obama's sense of humor |
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| Infin1ty wrote: | | Hi David, I learned something new from you post. i.e. 'funny bone' means 'sense of humor'. Thank you. I read Obama's presidential victory speech text sometime ago, but now I can't remember any of his words except for(other than?) 'Yes, we can'. |
Obama reminds me very much of a character in a famous novel called It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis. The character was a wildly popular presidential candidate, and his speeches elicited wild enthusiasm and admiration in people, but after the speech was over, people could never tell you what he'd said.
Some things that Obama says are kind of nonsensical, and Obama himself has said in the past that he functions as a mirror that each individual sees his own wishes in. During his campaign, all most people remembered of his speeches was "Hope", "Change", and "Yes, we can." Now people are making fun of this, as you can see from these two cartoons.
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Jamie (K)
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| #5 (permalink) Fri Mar 20, 2009 15:04 pm Obama's sense of humor |
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To David:
Thank you for your detailed explanation, David. You are a good ESL teacher, or rather, a good friend that our learners are willing to learn with. May your 'English With David' success.
To Jamie:
Thank you for your message, Jamie. I learned alot from you. Frankly, I'm not that foud of political issues because they are too complicated to me, and are far beyond my grasp. As you said before(long long time ago..), 'wars are ugly, and the reason behind wars are complicated.' I think what you said also applies to politics. Perhaps politicans put forward a catchword merely because of political goals.(blah...blah...) I read another of Obama's speech, which was about the 'American Dream'. But I can't remember exactly what it was. Maybe he said that for giving Americans hope to get though the economic crisis? I'm sorry for my broken English(hope you won't suffer much when you are reading). I'm trying to improve it in order to be able to express myself better and discuss with you. You said I should read alot of material and absorb many natural English, so I'm doing it now.
Wish you a nice day, both David and Jamie and others who happen to read this post.
P.S. I like this sentence in Bush's farewell address: "You may not agree with some tough decisions I have made. But I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions."
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| #6 (permalink) Fri Mar 20, 2009 15:06 pm Obama's sense of humor |
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In addition to my last post, please correct me if you find any mistake in my messages. Many thanks.
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| #7 (permalink) Fri Mar 20, 2009 15:10 pm Obama's sense of humor |
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| Infin1ty, there is an old American saying about politics: There are two things you don't want to watch being made -- sausage and the law. |
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| #8 (permalink) Fri Mar 20, 2009 15:23 pm Obama's sense of humor |
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Dear Jamie, even though I could understand it literally, but I'm not sure I get what it implies.
P.S. The deepest impression that Americans gave to me is that you have a American sense of humour and are good at summary.
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| #9 (permalink) Fri Mar 20, 2009 15:26 pm Obama's sense of humor |
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| Infin1ty wrote: | | I think what you said also applies to politics. Perhaps politicans put forward a catchword merely because of political goals.(blah...blah...) I read another of Obama's speech, which was about the 'American Dream'. But I can't remember exactly what it was. |
Although the terms exist, I don't think that you can classify people as 'politicians' and goals as 'political'. What sets 'politicians' apart from the rest of the people is their level of self-discipline and self-control. Politicians are people who excel in making decisions. The vast majority of all people have decided for themselves that they are struggling with making decisions for their own private affairs. As a result they have no interest or willingness to make decisions that affect larger parts of the population. Basically, parents are politicians because they make some decisions for their children or at least try to help their children make decisions. The same principle applies to politics. Most people don't like or trust politicians because most people don't trust their own ability to make decisions, especially in countries with little or no democracy.
As for 'catchwords' -- there are always at least two parties involved in this process: Those who create and spread them and those who absorb and believe in them.
If somebody complains about politicians it is almost always because that person doesn't have their own solution or lacks the power and perseverance to see that solution through.
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| #11 (permalink) Fri Mar 20, 2009 15:50 pm Obama's sense of humor |
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Torsten, your idea of politicians and what their job is can be characterized as typically German, or French or Swedish...
| Torsten wrote: | | What sets 'politicians' apart from the rest of the people is their level of self-discipline and self-control. |
Politicians are NOT known for their self-control. This is one reason that government tends to swell and get more expensive as time goes on. If they had superior self-control, they would be less corrupt than ordinary people, but they aren't.
| Torsten wrote: | | Politicians are people who excel in making decisions. |
Except when they can't make decisions, which is quite frequently.
| Torsten wrote: | | The vast majority of all people have decided for themselves that they are struggling with making decisions for their own private affairs. As a result they have no interest or willingness to make decisions that affect larger parts of the population. |
That's true in a nanny state, like Germany or France, but I wouldn't say it's true in countries where people have more individual freedom to direct their own lives. Thomas Paine said, "That government is best which governs least." In many places, people want the government to refrain from making decisions on matters that don't require massive organization and coordination. In countries like the US, we call our elected officials "public servants".
The result is that I don't have to have a business license and you do. I'm not forced by law to join the chamber of commerce, and you are.
| Torsten wrote: | | If somebody complains about politicians it is almost always because that person doesn't have their own solution or lacks the power and perseverance to see that solution through. |
It's most often that he lacks the power. Complaining is part of debating, and debating is how you get better government -- or at least government that's less bad than you would have gotten without keeping the heat on under the politicians. |
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| #12 (permalink) Fri Mar 20, 2009 16:11 pm Obama's sense of humor |
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| Jamie (K) wrote: | | That's true in a nanny state, like Germany or France, but I wouldn't say it's true in countries where people have more individual freedom to direct their own lives. Thomas Paine said, "That government is best which governs least." In many places, people want the government to refrain from making decisions on matters that don't require massive organization and coordination. In countries like the US, we call our elected officials "public servants". |
Even in your country any politician's decision has an impact on a larger number of people than any individual's decision. It doesn't matter what you call your elected officials or what you call your country. The fact remains: Any of your 'elected officials' was elected because all the other people who elected him/her didn't want to or coulnd't the job themselves. They wanted somebody who makes decisions for them. Let's take the PTA of a US school. Why exactly does it exist? Because the majority of the parents want a few representatives to make decisions that affect a larger number of people. So that's the principle: A smaller number of people make decisions that affect a larger number of people. It's not an issue of a 'nanny state', it's just a question of effectiveness. But it's also true that most of the parents who elect the PTA members don't want to be elected themselves because they are too preoccupied with other things.
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| #13 (permalink) Fri Mar 20, 2009 16:21 pm Obama's sense of humor |
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| I think the confusion here is your use of the phrase "make decisions for them". That means telling people what to do, or pushing them around. A parent is not like a politician, because a he tells a child what to do. In a free country, we're talking primarily decisions made on behalf of the people, and not really about decisions made for the people, although that's often an unfortunate side consequence. |
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| #14 (permalink) Fri Mar 20, 2009 16:22 pm Obama's sense of humor |
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| Jamie (K) wrote: | | Politicians are NOT known for their self-control. This is one reason that government tends to swell and get more expensive as time goes on. If they had superior self-control, they would be less corrupt than ordinary people, but they aren't. |
I truely believe that any nation has exactly the government it deserves. If a country is governed by corrupt people than the rest of the people are as corrupt as the few government officials. Only they are corrupt in a different way.
| Jamie (K) wrote: | | The result is that I don't have to have a business license and you do. I'm not forced by law to join the chamber of commerce, and you are. |
Jamie, you make it sound as if you were the only person in the US who isn't forced to join the chamber of commerce. I guess to achieve that took a collective effort or was it your individual achievement?
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| #15 (permalink) Fri Mar 20, 2009 16:25 pm Obama's sense of humor |
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| Jamie (K) wrote: | | In a free country, we're talking primarily decisions made on behalf of the people, and not really about decisions made for the people, although that's often an unfortunate side consequence. |
This is true only for a limited number of decision for a limited number of people.
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| What kind of disease/ill ness is this? | my dificulities in grammar |
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about the government.