DB#310 – Pirates, Whales and Cucumbers
Today: Whales in the news: is it ‘Cucumber Season’ already? High season or low season for movie theaters? The Pirates of the Caribbean – At World’s End premiere; the 2007 Catholic Media Convention; SQPN, PR and marketing; the team of the ‘On the U College Catholic Podcast’ visits Br. Giles in Spain; US English and UK English; Secrets of Star Wars, Harry Potter, Pirates and the Lord of the Rings; St. Theresa of Avila and gardening.
Link: On the U – College Catholic Podcast
Download or listen: Today’s Show
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Hi Fr. Roderick
Just emailing to say I love your show and that your vocation story has been my favorite part so far. I want to suggest that you compile your story into one MP3 file and post as it’s own podcast. I think it would make great listening as one uninterrupted story. It might also make a great way for new subscribers to “get to know Fr. Roderick.”
Keep up the work,
Paul Lundin from Fredonia, Wisconsin, USA
Father:
))
“until now” implies an ending or a change.Sort of like “Before this”.
On a different, more interesting, subject:
I hope you got the link to the LOST game that’s now out for iPods
And about advertising: someone is still working on a handout brochure for the parishes? I hope.
Hi Fr. Roderick
I do not know if this comment fits to this place. But I have discovered a so incredible service today. I would like to share with you. There is a page which help you to schedule meetings. Or maybe the perfect time for your new international broadcast with ustream.tv.
Please try a href=”http://www.doodle.ch/index.php.en” title=”doodle.ch”>
Best regards
Martin
Hi! I love your ustream.tv idea! I’d love to hear you talk a bunch of different languages. I am a language geek myself, just as you, though I don’t speak nearly as many languages as you, Father. And it would be great to hear all those languages and try to understand what is being said.
I also want to mention that I mailed you a piece of voice feedback just now. I hope the sound quality is good enough to play on your show. I recorded it with my headset instead of my ordinary microphone, which I use when podcasting, myself.
+ pilot call
+ pirates of the caribbean trailer
- first call on “until now” … this is not that complex? In America, “Until now” implies that whatever you’re talking about no longer occurs or applies.
Hello father Roderick,
I just wanted to thank you so much for the Daily Breakfast show! I heard about it three weeks ago in a radio program on the Norwegian Broadcasting Corp.-channel. They were discussing the future of radio and other media, and sent a clip from your show as an example of good podcasting!
Your show, especially your vocation story, is a daily inspiration for my prayer life and my efforts and deep wish to live closer to God.
So – thank you for all your work. Best wishes and “God bless!”
Aase
Fr. Roderick,
It is simply incorrect to say that ‘until now’ necessitates an end or even has a strong implication of an end or significant change. I could, for instance, say quite correctly that ‘I have been breathing all of my life until now’, or I could say that ‘I have been getting older until now’, to choose two obvious counter examples, and neither has any implication of an end or change. Those who tell you that an end or significant change are taking too narrow a view of the meaning of the phrase.
That being said, it is possible to have the implication of an ending or change, but that has to be taken from the context, typically along the lines I mentioned. If that context isn’t available or isn’t clear, one risks misunderstanding what has been said, perhaps to their own detriment.
I suppose the confusion arises because many people think that the word ‘until’ necessarily implies an ending, which is also not the case. I could say, for instance, that ‘until I was 5, my name was Hans.’
So far as I can tell, it makes no difference which side of the Atlantic one is speaking, though there may be local preferences.
I’m sorry to have to revisit this issue, as I’ve done so several times before now (including giving a number of counter examples in the forums), but I will continue as needed. I suppose the lesson here is that sometimes people will tell you that you’ve said something incorrectly when you haven’t. This instance is one of those cases.
That being said, you can make your already-excellent English sound even more like a native (if you want) by mixing in a few of the options that have been suggested heretofore.
Still breathing.
Still aging.
Still Hans.
On ‘Until Now….’ and across-the-pond differences…
I may be wrong but I don’t think we Brits ever really say ‘until now’. It wouldn’t be incorrect, but it certainly doesn’t roll of the tongue. I think it would more likely be used in written English than spoken, in any case.
I would say ’so far’ or ‘up to now’ instead.
Fr. Roderick, thank you for the very *nice* compliment re: my presentation @ the Catholic Media Convention.
I *do* believe there are ways for Catholics, as individuals and as Catholic media organizations, to be involved with the various social networking sites. We offer the greatest social change agent of all time: Jesus Christ and his good news.
Keep up the great work you do for Him @ SQPN!
I agree that “until now” implies that the condition is ending. I could only find one reference for my position, this English for International Students site:
http://www.eisu.bham.ac.uk/Webmaterials/Kibbitzers/kibbitzer68.htm
Perhaps this is one of those cases where common usage is more limited than the official definitions.
BTW – My husband and I especially love the “That is Incorrect” segment and often imitate the bumper to correct each other