ABSTRACT NOUNS

WEIRD, OR JUST DIFFERENT?

EMPATHY vs SYMPATHY

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

SUELO: THE MAN WHO QUIT MONEY

CASSETTE BOY vs THE NEWS

[Cassetteboy Vs The News]
Okay, hello. The BBC has won a high court battle for the right to broadcast child pornography. And there could be more bad news on the way.

Good evening welcome to the BBC News taken out of context. Our top story tonight.

The battle of our bonuses is far over, hundreds of city traders and bankers wearing Balaclavas ambushed the Royal Bank of Scotland today. Business Tycoons carrying sledgehammers smashed British biggest bank shoplifting their multi-million pound bonuses. Police have described the high flying bosses as dangerous.

But first tonight the celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson has delivered an defying speech at his local branch of Tesco. He promised to use an iron fist to deal with protests against his T.V. programs.

When it comes to alcohol, how much is too much? The court in Paris said it’s up to Scotland to decide. They say you should have 300 units every 45 minutes and stop off for a beer on the way home. That’s already a guideline in Scotland.

Our correspondent Jeremy Cook has been focusing on the market town of Hereford,

[Jeremy Cook]
Hereford, Hereford, Hereford. Jeremy Cook BBC News Hereford,

[Cassetteboy Vs The News]
A reminder tonight of salacious gossip. There’s been a shock response around the world the video footage appearing to show US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urinating on Boris Johnson, for an ITV program. It was deplorable behavior.

The labor leader Ed Miliband has told BBC that his cocks have remained untouched for thousands of years and maybe just maybe the longest on record for a British Citizen. Thousands of women remain confused and worried.

The government says it has not plans to get the economy moving again, but David Cameron said the Olympic Games in the Queens Diamond Jubilee would provide opportunities to showcase the countries struggling to pay the bills.

In the meantime, there are still plenty of people who want to kill off David Cameron, but today there was a rare display of unity in the common as David Cameron and the labor leader Ed Miliband both decided that they should be allowed to end their own lives.

And Nick is in Westminister for us: What is David Cameron really up to?

[Nick Robinson]
The British Prime Minister is a posh English Queen, he has his own dick up his ass.

[Cassetteboy Vs The News]
Nick thanks very much. Goodbye.

ROUNDABOUTS

AT THE AIRPORT

BUNGHOLE OF THE WEEK: TOP BRASS

Many reporters just love this expression; they use it all the time. Any time the top people of an organisation are present during a press conference, the reporter says/writes that it was attended by the `top brass'. The expression is considered to be informal, and is mostly used in British English.

*The minister has said that there will be a reshuffle of the army's top brass.

The expression `top brass' was first used in the Army. `Brass' referred to the gold braid found on the hats of military officers — it indicated the individual's rank. The word `brass' is actually a shortened form of `brass hat', and this was the term used by enlisted men in the late 19th century to refer to their commanding officers. It was during World War II that `brass hat' became `top brass'. As time went by, the expression began to be used in non-military contexts; important individuals of an organisation began to be called `top brass'. The term `the brass' can also be used to refer to such people.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/edu/2006/07/10/stories/2006071000851500.htm

HOUSEHOLD CLEANING AND LAUNDRY

WORDS + PREPOSITIONS

HIDDEN WOODS, a poem by Hollie McNish

AT THE SUPERMARKET

JONATHAN LIVINGSTONE SEAGULL, by Richard Bach

READ THE BOOK HERE

PERFECT DAY, by Lou Reed

CONNECTORS

BUNGHOLE OF THE WEEK: KANGAROO COURT

Strangely, the term kangaroo court is not Australian in origin. The term refers to an improperly constituted and illegitimate court, especially one constituted by people who are otherwise outside the law, prisoners, mutineers, etc. What kangaroos have to do with it is not known for certain. There are plenty of guesses, but no strong evidence. 

What we do know is that the phrase arose on the American frontier, attested to as early as 1841 in reference to Natchez, Mississippi. Various suggestions have been proffered, none with any solid evidence behind them. The best is Barry Popik’s suggestion that the term may come from the Kangaroo district of Vicksburg, Mississippi, a rather notorious section of town known for its gambling dens and brothels that flourished in the 1820s and early 1830s. The name Kangaroo comes from the name of brothel in that district. Popik’s explanation fits the time and place, but to date no specific links between kangaroo court and this district have been found. Until someone finds a connection between the Vicksburg district and some account of mock or impromptu justice, Popik’s explanation must remain tentative.

Other suggestions include that such courts defy the law, just as strange creatures, like the kangaroo, seem to defy the laws of nature, or that the name comes from speed by which one jumps from the courtroom into prison. A third hypothesis that is frequently proffered is that it comes from informal prosecutions of claim jumpers during the California gold rush. The lexical evidence indicates that the phrase did not originate in Australia, so any actual connection with the land down under is incorrect.

Such courts were also known as mustang or mestang courts, in reference to a wild and uncontrollable horse. Not as exotic as a kangaroo, but a wild animal nonetheless.

The first known use of kangaroo court is from the 24 August 1841 New Orleans Daily Picayune (2):

The Concordia Intelligencer says “several loafers were lynched in Natchez last week upon various charges instituted by the Kangaroo court. The times grow warm; we can see another storm coming, not unlike that which prevailed in the days of the Murrel excitement. In Natchez, as in New Orleans, they are driving away all of the free negroes.” What is a Kangaroo court, neighbor?

Source: http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/site/comments/kangaroo_court/

PROCRASTINATION

Procrastination from Johnny Kelly on Vimeo.

Procrastination is avoiding doing something

Procrastination is not being able to get started

It's reading a book

It's descaling a kettle

It's colour-coordinating your shelves

It's sharpening your pencil

Procrastination is spending thirty minutes looking for the right pen

It's spending ten minutes getting the right pen to work

Procrastination is making a cup of tea

Procrastination is finding the most difficult way of doing something

It's jumping from one idea...

to another...

to another

It's checking your e-mails...

writing your e-mails

Procrastination is thesaurisizing words in your e-mails

Procrastination is making a cup of tea

Procrastination is staring at the window, it's...

watching the neighbours

It's watching television

It's being unable to stop watching television

It's smoking a cigarette

It's doing the dishes

Procrastination is tidying your desk

It's creating...a fire-escape plan

Procrastination is rearranging your furniture

It's playing computer games

It's playing imaginary computer games with your furniture

Procrastination is pairing up your socks

It's writing thank you letters,

it's not writing thank you letters

Procrastination... is daydreaming

Procrastination is petting something

It's watering a plant

It's doodling

Procrastination is trying to grow a moustache

It's chasing a fly

It's chopping your pencil

It's doing eight things at once and not getting one done

Procrastination is taking a nap

Procrastination is getting drunk

It's scratching yourself

It's making a cup of tea

It's cutting your finger

It's oiling the bike

It is picking your nose

It's waiting for the postman

It's trying to avoid the inevitable

Procrastination is writing lists

It's not being able to decide what way to do something

It's overcomplicating things for yourself

It's being afraid to finish something

It's not knowing when to finish something

It's not knowing how to finish something

THE FALSE GRANDMOTHER, by Italo Calvino

YOU CAN READ IT HERE

AMY KROUSE ROSENTHAL'S THOUGHT BUBBLE: KINDNESS

Amy Krouse Rosenthal's Thought Bubble: Kindness from Thought Café on Vimeo.

BUNGHOLE OF THE WEEK: SMITHEREENS

'Smithereens' is an Irish word. It derives from, or is possibly the source of, the modern Irish 'smidirín', which means 'small fragments'. There is a town near Baltimore, close to the south-west coast of Ireland, calledSkibbereen. The name means 'little boat harbour' and it is tempting to imagine sailing ships arriving there from the wild Atlantic by being 'blown to Skibbereen'. The more recent 'Troubles' also bring up images of property/people being dynamited and 'blown to Skibbereen' from all over Ireland. There's no record of any such phrase however, and the similarity between 'Skibbereen' and 'smithereens' seems to be no more than co-incidence.

Another enticing notion as to the source of 'smithereens' is that it refers to the shards of metal formed when iron is forged and hammered in a smithy. Again, there's nothing but wishful thinking to support that idea. The actual origin is more prosaic. 'Smiodar' means fragments in Irish Gaelic. 'Een' is a commonplace diminutive ending, as in colleen (girl), that is, Caile (country woman) + een. Similarly, smiodar + een lead us to smithereen. As with many words that are inherited from other languages, it took some time for the English spelling to become stable. Both 'smiddereens' and 'shivereens' are recorded in the mid 19th century.

The notion of things being 'broken/smashed/blown to smithereens' dates from at least the turn of the 19th century. Francis Plowden, in The History of Ireland, 1801, records a threat made against a Mr. Pounden by a group of Orangemen:

"If you don't be off directly, by the ghost of William, our deliverer, and by the orange we wear, we will break your carriage in smithereens, and hough your cattle and burn your house."

['Hough' is a variant of 'hock' - to disable by cutting the tendons]

'Smithereens' is one of those unusual nouns that, like 'suds' and 'secateurs', never venture out by themselves - the word is always plural.

Source: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/blown-to-smithereens.html

IGGY POP - THE TELL-TALE HEART (EDGAR ALLAN POE)

READ THE TALE HERE

IDIOM ORIGINS

HOW TO BE AN ALIEN, by George Mikes

CLICK HERE TO READ THE BOOK (Pre-intermediate level)

HOWL, by Allen Ginsberg

WHY ENGLISH IS HARD TO LEARN

LONDON: 5 GREAT ATTRACTIONS

london map

London: 5 Great Attractions

London: 5 Great Attractions. Sharks, Ferris wheels, boat rides, wax celebrities, theatres and more - there are many things to do in London. Here are five of the best.

London is over 2000 years old and as you might expect there's a lot to see and do there. These are 5 of its greatest attractions.

Step 1: The London Eye

This is the biggest ferries wheel in the world, and it's on the South bank of the River Thames, opposite the Houses of Parliament. It's one and a half times as high as the Statue of Liberty. A ride, or 'flight' as it's called, takes 30 minutes and gives you an amazing overview of London and its layout. On a clear day you can see 40 km in all directions.

The Eye opened in 2000 to celebrate the Millennium, and was originally intended to be temporary. However, it is now the UK's most popular attraction, visited by over 3 and a half million people every year. It's scheduled to stay put until at least 2025.

Step 2: The London Aquarium

Who would have thought that there were sharks in central London? The Aquarium is in County Hall, next to the London Eye, on the South bank of the River Thames.

It's got 350 species of fish in over 2 million litres of water. Each of the world's oceans is represented. There's a Pacific tank containing 4 different types of shark, tuna and sting rays. There's an Atlantic tank with eels, plaice and trout. Clownfish from the Indian Ocean float over a coral reef. There are red-eared terrapins from North America, red bellied piranhas from the rainforests of South America, and jellyfish - both real and fake. There's even a touch pool where you can stroke the rays.

Step 3: The Thames

London looks very different when viewed from the water, and you get a great sense of its history from the very different buildings crowded along the riverbank.

Many companies offer boat rides up and down the Thames, or across it. The most popular stretch runs between Westminster Pier and Tower Hill, but boats leave at regular intervals from both sides of the river. They can go all the way to Greenwich and pass the Houses of Parliament, London Eye, Oxo Tower, St Paul's Cathedral, Globe Theatre, Tate Modern, Tower Bridge, and Canary Wharf along the way.

Step 4: Shakespeare's Globe

This is the place to come if you want to see Shakespeare as it was first performed. It's a faithful reconstruction of the original 16th century theatre. From thatched roof to open air pit - where the audience can stand to watch a play, just as they could over 400 years ago.

Plays run from May to October, and not just Shakespeare but the work of his contemporaries and modern playwrights too. Educational events, tours and an exhibition on Shakespeare's London, Elizabethan theatre and the building of the new Globe are open all year round.

Step 5: Madame Tussauds

Only at Madame Tussauds could you find Brad Pitt, Arnie and Kylie Minogue in the same room, find Albert Einstein within spitting distance of the Queen of England, and Hitler and look up Marilyn Monroe's skirt. You can also have your photograph taken with your favourite celebrity, take a ride through London's history or scare yourself silly in the Chamber of Horrors.

Madame Tussauds has been going for over 200 years and is the world's oldest wax museum. 2 and a half million people visit each year.

Step 6: Further information

To find out more about these attractions watch our longer films about each one, or check out their websites -
www.londoneye.com
www.londonaquarium.co.uk
www.thamesclippers.com
www.shakespeares-globe.org
www.madame-tussauds.co.uk

From: http://www.videojug.com/film/london-5-great-attractions

INNUENDO, by Queen

INNUENDO

Noun: a comment or remark which hints at an accusation or suggestion, without saying it directly.

Example

“The teacher said that all students needed to be on time for class, which was innuendo aimed at Dave, who had been late twice that week.”

Another good example is from gangster films, where a gangster is making a shop owner pay money to prevent the gang from destroying his shop. The gangster will say something like, “This is a nice shop. It would be a shame if anything happened to it.” The innuendo here is that if the owner doesn’t pay up, the gang will destroy his shop.

Innuendo is one of those things about any language that make it more difficult for non-native speakers to understand what you are speaking about – much like idioms and metaphors. This is because the thing you are talking about is not mentioned, but you “talk around” the subject. By definition innuendo means “to point” to something, without saying it out loud.

This can be done by talking generally about a subject that applies to only one person, by using figures of speech like puns and metaphors, or referring to a phrase from a film or book that everyone knows. Innuendo can also be used to suggest something that it might not be polite to talk about in public. This only works if both speakers understand the innuendo being made.

When a phrase can have both an innocent and a not-so-innocent meaning, it is called a double entendre, (from French) or “double meaning”.

Origin

The word “innuendo” comes from the Latin word meaning “to point”.

FROM: http://kaplaninternational.com/blog/definition-innuendo/

Ooh ooh

While the sun hangs in the sky and the desert has sand
While the waves crash in the sea and meet the land
While there's a wind and the stars and the rainbow
Till the mountains crumble into the plain

Oh yes, we'll keep on trying
Tread that fine line
Oh, we'll keep on trying
Yeah
Just passing our time

Ooh ooh

While we live according to race, colour or creed
While we rule by blind madness and pure greed
Our lives dictated by tradition, superstition, false religion
Through the eons and on and on

Oh, yes, we'll keep on trying, yeah
We'll tread that fine line
Oh oh we'll keep on trying
Till the end of time
Till the end of time

Through the sorrow all through our splendor
Don't take offence at my innuendo

Duh duh duh duh duh duh duh
Duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh

You can be anything you want to be
Just turn yourself into anything you think that you could ever be
Be free with your tempo, be free, be free
Surrender your ego - be free, be free to yourself

Ooh ooh, yeah

If there's a God or any kind of justice under the sky
If there's a point, if there's a reason to live or die
Ha, if there's an answer to the questions we feel bound to ask
Show yourself - destroy our fears - release your mask
Oh yes, we'll keep on trying
Hey, tread that fine line
(Yeah) yeah
We'll keep on smiling, yeah
(Yeah) (yeah) (yeah)
And whatever will be - will be
We'll just keep on trying
We'll just keep on trying
Till the end of time
Till the end of time
Till the end of time

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?

BUNGHOLE OF THE WEEK: POINT BLANK

Point blank range is a range so close to the target that one cannot miss. The original sense, however, is slightly different. It refers to the range close enough that one can aim an artillery piece directly at its target without adjusting for the fall of the shot. (Gravity causes the shot to start falling in a parabolic arc the moment it exits the barrel of a gun, but at very close, i.e., point blank, ranges the fall is negligible.) The English term probably comes from the Middle French de pointe en blanc, which appears in 1569. English usage appears only a couple of years after this. From Leonard Digges’ 1571 A Geometrical Practise Named Pantometria:

Hauing a table of Randons made, mounting your peeces accordingly, no vessel can passe by your platfourme (though it be without poynte blancke) but you may with your ordinaunce at the first bouge hir and neuer bestow vayne shotte.

The words point, meaning small bit or degree, and blank, meaning void or nothing, were probably chosen because the amount of adjustment needed to hit the target at such ranges is negligible. The phrase is often construed to refer to point, to aim, and blank, the white bullseye. This does not comport either with what we know of the early uses of the phrase, nor with how verb-noun phrases are formed in English. In almost all cases, the nouns are the direct objects of the verb, as in cut-throat or stop-gap. This is not the case with point blank.

From: http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/site/point_blank/

PAPERWORK EXPLOSION

THE TWITS, by Roald Dahl

THE TWITS, by Roald Dahl

IDIOMS WITH PARTS OF THE BODY

· Arm, back, blood and bone

- To give one´s right arm to … (Dar lo que fuera por...)
I´d give my right arm to have that wonderful job.

- To keep someone at arm´s length (Mantenerse alejado de alguien)
He´s a weird man. You´d better keep him at arm´s length.

- With open arms (Con los brazos abiertos)
They welcomed her with open arms.

- Behind someone´s back (Sin conocimiento de alguien)
He was furious when he discovered they had insulted him behind his back.

- To see the back of something (Ver algo terminado).
I´m looking forward to finishing all this work. I´ll be glad to see the back of it.

- To get someone´s blood up (Ponerse de los nervios, odiar algo)
It gets my blood up to see how bad behaved those children are.

- To be in someone´s blood (Llevar algo en la sangre)
She´s really good at dancing. It must be in her blood.

- To make no bones about something (Decir algo que puede ser desagradable directamente y sin rodeos)
He didn´t make any bones about it and told his wife he had met another woman.

- To have a bone to pick with someone.(Tener una cuenta pendiente con alguien)
He´s got a bone to pick with her since she refused to help him with the report.

· Brain, chest, ear and elbow

- To be wet behind the ears (No tener experiencia)
He´s just finished his degree and is still wet behind the ears.

- To go in one ear and come out the other (Entrar por un oido y salir por el otro)
I´ve told him a million times but it goes in one ear and comes out the other.

- To keep one´s ear to the ground (Mantenerse atento)
I´ve heard they´re selling that house very cheap, so keep your ears to the ground.

- To be up to one´s ears (also eyes or neck) (Estar hasta arriba de …)
I´m up to my ears in all this work.

- To play something by ear (improvisar)
I haven´t planned anything for the weekend. Let´s play it by ear.

- To get something off someone´s chest (quitarse algo de encima, confesar)
I´ve been worried since we argued, so I´ll tell her the truth and get it off my chest.

- To rack one´s brains (devanarse el cerebro)
I´ve been racking my brains for hours but at last I´ve come up with a solution.

·Eyes and fingers

- To be up to the eyes in something (estar hasta el cuello de…)
I´m up to the eyes in work today.

- To catch someone´s eye (atraer la atención de alguien)
She fancies him and keeps on trying to catch his eye.

- To turn a blind eye to something (ignorar algo)
He prefers turning a blind eye to his debts and not worrying about them.

- To keep one´s fingers crossed (cruzar los dedos)
I´m taking my driving test for the fourth time. So, fingers crossed!

- To have a finger in every pie (estar involucrado en muchas actividades)
She has a finger in every pie: she does yoga, heads several associations…

- To be all fingers and thumbs (tener poca habilidad con las manos)
I broke three glasses and two plates today. I´m all fingers and thumbs!

· Neck, nose and shoulder

- To be neck and neck (estar a la misma altura)
The cyclists were neck and neck up to the last minute.

- To be up to the neck in something (estar hasta el cuello)
They´re up to the neck in housework.

- To pay through the nose for something (pagar demasiado por algo)
They paid 500 euros for an old TV set. Definitely, they paid through the nose!

- To give someone the cold shoulder (ignorar a alguien, dejar de hablarle)
After they argued, she´s been giving him the cold shoulder.

- To rub shoulders with someone (codearse con alguien)
Now that she is managing director she rubs shoulders with important people.

- To breathe down someone´s neck (observar/leer por encima del hombro de alguien)
I wish she´d stop breathing down my neck when I´m reading.

· Tongue and tooth

- To have a sweet tooth (ser goloso)
Children usually have a sweet tooth. They love sweets.

- To hold one´s tongue (callarse algo)
I thought her outfit was awful but I hold my tongue.

- To have something on the tip of one´s tongue (tener algo en la punta de la lengua)
I had the word on the tip of my tongue but couldn´t remember it.

- To bite one´s tongue off (morderse la lengua)
I knew he was lying and I wanted to tell the others, but I bit my tongue off

MORE BODY IDIOMS AT YOUTUBE

THE MOST COMMON MISTAKES IN ENGLISH

THE MINDSCAPE OF ALAN MOORE (2003)

ENRICH YOUR VOCABULARY (I)

ENGLISH TENSES CHART (click on the image)

MISSING U

This is the tale of the letter named i, a
lonely author who lived life with a sigh
Typing her treatise on the common green pea
i encountered a problem while pressing one
key
The harder she pushed, the worst was still
true
i declared to herself “I’m missing my _”
A panic seized i and she looked to the sky
Confirming her fear that all was awry
i dashed through the city and away from the
crowds
Fleeing the streets and all that was loud
Climbing a cliff overlooking the sea
i searched for a sign that would answer her
plea
“My writing is hindered, my home life is
stark.
_pon a jo_rney for _. I m_st now embark.”
She hopped on a ship and it sailed double
quick
Clutching her side, i felt quite seasick
She arrived at a jungle all filled with
suspense The lump in her throat said she’d moved well
past tense
The bees they were buzzing, the blue jays
flew near
But i gathered her courage and slashed past
her fear
She burst through to a vista all cloaked in
blue
And i’s eyes slowly widened as they took in
the view.
Umbrellas, ukuleles and UFOs too,
All could be found in this haven of u.
“You’re welcome to stay, but you won’t see
much here.
When the b_rds flew away so went the cheer.
The f_sh are long gone, no Key l_me p_e,
There’s plenty of sorry, but not even one
i.”
She peered at his face: kind, handsome and
true.
“I am none but i. U is that you?”
u looked at me then like I will never forget
and I took your hand on the day that we met.
So that is the story according to me
Of how i found u and they became we.

THE PROS AND CONS OF HITCH HIKING, by Roger Waters

An angel on a Harley Pulls across to greet a fellow rolling stone Puts his bike up on its stand Leans back and then extends A scarred and greasy hand...he said Hells Angel :"How ya doin' bro?...where ya been?...where ya goin'?" Then he takes your hand In some strange Californian handshake And breaks the bone Angels Moll :"Have a nice day" A housewife from Encino Whose husband's on the golf course With his book of rules Breaks and makes a 'U' and idles back To take a second look at you You flex your rod Fish takes the hook Sweet vodka and tobacco in her breath Another number in your little black book These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking Oh babe, I must be dreaming I'm standing on the leading edge The Eastern seaboard spread before my eyes "Jump" says Yoko "Oh No! I'm too scared and too good looking" I cried "Go on",she says "Why don't you give it a try? Why prolong the agony all men must die" Do you remember Dick Tracy? Do you remember Shane? Joey :"And mother wants you" Could you see him selling tickets Where the buzzard circles over Joey :"Shane" The body on the plain Did you understand the music Yoko Or was it all in vain? Joey :"Shane" The bitch said something mystical "Herro" So I stepped back on the kerb again These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking Oh babe, I must be dreaming again These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking

YOU MAY WANT TO WATCH IN THE FLESH

HOW TO PRONOUNCE -ED ENDINGS

AUDIO

The past simple tense and past participle of all regular verbs end in -ed. For example:

base verb (v1)	past simple (v2)	past participle (v3)
work	worked	worked

In addition, many adjectives are made from the past participle and so end in -ed. For example:

• I like painted furniture.

The question is: How do we pronounce the -ed?

The answer is: In 3 ways - / Id/ or / t/ or / d/

If the base verb ends in one of thesesounds:		example base verb*:	example with -ed:	pronounce the -ed:	extra syllable?
unvoiced	/t/	want	wanted	/ Id/	yes
voiced	/d/	end	ended
unvoiced	/p/	hope	hoped	/ t/	no
	/f/	laugh	laughed
	/s/	fax	faxed
	/S/	wash	washed
	/tS/	watch	watched
	/k/	like	liked
voiced	all other sounds, for example...	play	played	/ d/
		allow	allowed
		beg	begged

* note that it is the sound that is important, not the letter or spelling. For example, "fax" ends in the letter "x" but the sound /s/; "like" ends in the letter "e" but the sound /k/.

Exceptions

The following -ed words used as adjectives are pronounced with /Id/:

aged blessed crooked

dogged learned naked

ragged wicked wretched

So we say:

• an aged man /Id/
• a blessed nuisance /Id/
• a dogged persistence /Id/
• a learned professor - the professor, who was truly learned /Id/
• a wretched beggar - the beggar was wretched /Id/

But when used as real verbs (past simple and past participle), the normal rules apply and we say:

• he aged quickly /d/
• he blessed me /t/
• they dogged him /d/
• he has learned well /d/ or /t/

FROM: http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/-ed.htm

THE ADVENTURE OF ENGLISH

WHAT IF YOU WERE BORN IN SPACE?

TYPICAL CONVERSATION WITH MY MOM

HOW TO PRONOUNCE THE TH- SOUND

CHEAP AND EASY DIY GADGETS

TRANSCRIPT 
I’m not lazy, just selective. I’m not willing to make something unless it’s easy, cheap, and super-useful. So in this episode of Upgrade Your Life, handy gizmos you can make for under a buck. Starting with — eeuuww —toothpaste mess in the bathroom. Cheap and easy solution — clean out a pump bottle. Fill it with toothpaste. It holds multiple tubes, which is nice, and now no caps to deal with, no dribble from the tubes … neat and tidy. One note — make sure you clean out that pump bottle well.

Staying with cleanliness, the back of your desk is a mess. Sure, you can buy fancy organizers for cords, but the cheapest way to do this: binder clips. Clip on the desk, thread the cords, you can even flip the handle to lock them in place. Genius!

Next, listening to music on your phone, but the speakers just aren’t loud enough. Solution — keg cup. Classy, right? Cut a slice out, place the device inside and it’s louder. How much louder? Well, as a tech reporter, I always have my decibel meter on hand. And the keg cup makes it ten to twelve decibels louder. This is great for music, speakerphone calls, and it also works with your iPad if you’re watching video.

Now the whole touchscreen thing is great, but sometimes you just want a stylus, the feel of a pen. Of course, you can go out and buy one but you can also make one using just a pencil, some cotton, tape, and a candy bar wrapper. Cut the candy wrapper, wrap the pencil, put the tape up high so your fingers will directly touch the wrapper. This totally works in a pinch, but if you’re gonna be doing a lot of fine work on a touch screen, spending eleven dollars for a real stylus is probably a good idea.

If you’ve ever had kids, or a geeky boyfriend, you got a tub of this stuff lying around. How about making a key-holder system? Drill hole, insert key-ring, attach to base, and voilà. Also cool, adding personalized little figures to watch over your keys.

Finally, every once in a while, you have a half a bag of chocolate chips left over. Solution — take a plastic bottle with a wide mouth, cut it, thread the bag through the neck, and now you’ve got a screw top for the occasional chocolate chip indiscretion. Thanks for watching. For Yahoo! News, I’m Becky Worley.