English, baby! Daily Podcasts

We live in a world with amazing new technology! It’s possible to learn more about ourselves than ever before. But is this information good for us? For example, the company 23andMe can create a genetic report for you. With just a small amount of DNA, they can tell you if you have specific preexisting issues. This information could help you with preventative care. However, some people do not want to know this much about their health. They don’t want to deal with the stress of knowing these future possibilities. Someone who feels this way might be afraid of becoming a hypochondriac. They might panic and spend hours doing research on WebMD. No matter how you feel about 23andMe, it is an interesting example of modern technology. Romeo thinks that knowledge is power and wants to get a report from 23andMe. Listen to today’s English lesson to find out how Andy feels. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

“There were times when tears came out of me, and I went, ‘OK, John, this is not about an on-again, off-again relationship. This is something more profound.’” —Singer John Mayer, speaking about the songs on his new album. (Buzzfeed.com) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Do you have a dog? Many people have dogs at home. Dogs are fun, and they make us happy. But it’s also a lot of work to take care of a dog. And, as any dog owner knows, it’s a problem when you need to travel. Who will watch your dog? Don’t worry. If you don’t have a friend or neighbor to watch your dog, there’s another option. You can drop off your dog at a dog hotel. A dog hotel is a special place just for dogs. The hotel staff will make sure your dog gets daily interaction. Soon, your dog will be bonding with other dogs and even forget you’re gone! Dominique’s dog lives in an extravagant suite when Dominique is out of town. Listen to today’s English lesson to find out if Jessica’s dog also gets this special treatment. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Sometimes, life is wonderful. Everyone and everything is great. Other times, life can make you upset. For example, you studied really hard for a test and you still failed it. Maybe, you were driving slowly but the police officer gave you a speeding ticket anyway. Perhaps, you were happily asleep when your roommates decided to have a loud party in the living room. Or what if you gave your friend a bunch of money and now she won’t pay you back. When these kinds of things like happen, it’s easy to get bent out of shape. When you’re bent out of shape, you’re angry or you’re upset. It could take awhile for you to start feeling calmer. On the other hand, you might be a very patient person. You might rarely feel bent out of shape, even if you get an unfair speeding ticket or fail a test. No matter what your problems are right now in life, hopefully you can manage them without getting too bent out of shape. Jordin is still feeling awkward about what happened with Andy. Will she come to Sheila’s party? Watch this English soap opera to find out. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Sugar is everywhere. Seriously, everywhere. We add it to coffee and tea. We add it to cookies, cakes, and jam. You might try to use it in moderation. Maybe, you’ll drink a black coffee today or resist that cookie after lunch. But cutting it out completely is almost impossible. Why? Because of all the hidden sugar in foods. What? Hidden sugar? That’s right. There’s sugar in ketchup, in bread, in yogurt, and in salad dressing. Many healthy products actually have sugar in them. Because of this, sugar overconsumption is a problem. Eating too much sugar has side effects like weight gain and bad health. All these things put sugar in the crosshairs nowadays. Jessica is worried about the risks of eating too much sugar. Can Andy make her think twice about her fears? Listen to today’s English lesson to find out. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Do you love social media? Many people do. However, it can be easy to become addicted to social media and feel anxiety when you can’t see every post. One popular example is Pinterest. This social media site allows people to pin their favorite pictures from almost anywhere on the internet. Posting to Pinterest is so easy that many people start pinning all of their ideas there. On Pinterest, you can keep vision boards that help you organize your thoughts. This is helpful for both work and personal life. You can keep DIY ideas there and even begin bookmarking your favorite memes. However, this can be too addicting for some people, and they might need to let it go. The important thing is to use this tool and not let it use you. Dominique had to let Pinterest go. Find out why she needed a break when she talks to Gary in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

“I call dibs on starring in a ‘Double Jeopardy’ remake. And ‘dibs’ on Twitter is legally binding.”—Actress Anna Kendrick, speaking about future movie plans (Twitter) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Are you a dog person or a cat person? For those of us who are cat people, there is nothing more entertaining than playing with our cats. Cats usually love games, and they also love catnip. If you give a cat catnip and then play games with them, they will probably start going nuts. They will get very hyper and chase things. After spazzing out, cats often become relaxed. Catnip can be very soothing and even act like a sleep aid. Of course, some cats don’t react to this interesting plant. These cats might prefer cat grass instead. This simple grass helps cats to be heathy and is good for their fur. Whether your cat is obsessed with catnip or cat grass, they will thank you for sharing a treat with them. Gary is laughing about the way his cat acted after eating catnip. Listen as he tells Jessica about this in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

What would you do if you just remembered that you have a huge report due tomorrow morning? You need to write 15 pages in just a few hours! Would you feel stressed out? Would you panic? Or would you make a big cup of coffee, open your computer, and start writing? Would you stay up all night to come up with a great report? Could you pull this off? Sometimes, it’s not easy to pull something off. You might have problems with time or money. You might lose interest in what you’re doing. But when you pull something off, you succeed in doing it. You make it happen. You don’t let anything stop you from your goal. You ask friends for help, you buy supplies, you do whatever you must do to succeed. And, by the way, if you can pull off a 15-page report in just one night, congratulations! You’re pretty amazing. Andy, Dominique, and Kelsey are trying to come up with a great party for Sheila, but they need to have everything ready by tomorrow. Can they pull it off? Watch today’s soap opera to find out! -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

What does being thrifty mean? If you go on a shopping spree at the mall every weekend, you’re not being thrifty. If you buy only the most expensive brands, you’re not being thrifty. If you eat at restaurants instead of buying groceries, you’re not being thrifty. Being thrifty means being smart with your money. You might want to save money for school, for a car, or for your rainy day fund. To do this, you will need to pinch pennies and be thrifty. Buy used clothes instead of new clothes. Cook meals at home. Take the bus instead of a taxi. It’s not always fun, but being thrifty today can help you have a better life tomorrow. Andy break the bank. Jessica has some ideas to help him be more thrifty. Listen to today’s English lesson to hear her ideas. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Game of Thrones has made many people famous. Emilia Clarke, a British actress, became very well known after starring in the show. Viewers find her amazing in the role of Daenerys Targaryen, a blonde warrior queen known as Mother of Dragons. The show already has six seasons, and many people hope that Emilia will continue her role as Daenerys in future seasons. After her success with Game of Thrones, Emilia has acted in several other Hollywood movies and shows. In 2015, she starred with Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator Genisys. In 2016, she starred in a sweet romantic comedy called Me Before You. In 2018, she will even star in a new Star Wars film! When not filming, Emilia spends her time in London and Los Angeles. Marni thinks that Emilia Clarke’s acting is a little bit… meh. Jordin, however, is a true fan. Can they come to agreement? Listen to this English lesson to find out! -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

How do you feel when you check your email? Sometimes, you might let your email pile up. This makes you feel deluged. There might be dozens, or even hundreds, of emails in your inbox. Messages from friends, weekly sales at your favorite stores, social media notices, and spam. How can a person deal with so many emails every day? First, keep a calm mindset. Then, try Inbox Zero. In Inbox Zero, you commit to having an inbox with zero emails. Many people think this is unattainable, but it’s not a pipe dream. For Inbox Zero to work, you can’t procrastinate. Every day, you must do things like delete unimportant emails and delegate emailed tasks to other people. Marni has too many emails. She needs a hack to help her deal with them. Listen to today’s English lesson to find out if Andy has the answer. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

People love to talk about their country’s leaders. In the US, the POTUS is always a popular topic. People love talking about the President’s hobbies, friends, and life, but they do not always talk about the Vice President as much as the President. However, when President Obama left the White House, people began talking a lot about the bromance between Barack Obama and his VP, Joe Biden. In fact, the internet became full of memes about the BROTUS. These pictures showed Obama and Biden having friendly conversations and telling jokes to each other. Then, people began writing funny things under the pictures. Because there was such a big change in US politics, many of these BROTUS memes were poking fun at President Trump. Andy doesn’t know about BROTUS. Listen to today’s English lesson to hear Gary fill him in on the details. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

“The jersey, I put it in my bag, and I came out, and it wasn’t there anymore. That’s a nice piece of memorabilia. So, if it shows up on eBay somewhere, someone let me know.” —US Football Player Tom Brady, speaking about losing his shirt after Super Bowl 2017 (Us Weekly) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Do you know someone who is getting married soon? Many people want to get married and live happily every after. But sometimes, things don’t work out. Sometimes, people divorce and need to split everything. If it will come to that, who gets the car? Who gets the couch? Who gets the dog? Will you and your partner be on the same page? In the US, some people sign a prenup, or prenuptial agreement, before marriage. The prenup is a piece of paper that says who gets what after a divorce. Of course, people hope not to divorce, but they don’t want things to get ugly if they do. Although no one wants to think about the heavy stuff, covering your bases is always a good idea. Prenups are coming back. Listen to today’s English lesson to hear what Romeo and Marni think about these agreements. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com