My Tandem party will start in 10-15 minutes. I have to take care of some dogs before I can start the party, sorry.

Starting shortly. Here's a poem of dubious poetic value...

ING
A poem by Barry Kahn
© 2026

Would you rather be napping
Or washing, or playing?
Fishing or hunting,
Swinging or swaying?
Running or reading,
Beading or eating?
Giving or taking,
Watching or seeing?

Would you rather be saving,
Or shopping and spending?
Starting a book or
Reaching the ending?
Practicing singing or
Sobbing and sighing?
The answer escapes me:
I’ll just keep on trying.

Hey, I’m inviting you to a Language Party on Tandem! 🎉 Join "Pronunciation practice with Barry. " with me before it ends!

https://go.tandem.net/party?party_id=-Ov0XXjZx_6B46wCbbTs

tacoma narrows bridge and swaying

I will be hosting a Telegram party at 11am New York time today. The topic will be "code switching".
Note that if you search for "code switching" online, you will find a variety of definitions. Here's one explanation:
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-code-switching-5270156

At its simplest, code switching can be, for example, speaking one language at home and a different language at work or school or in the local community. Immigrants commonly experience code switching.

See you at 11am (my time). 17h in western Europe.

More info about code switching:
https://altalang.com/beyond-words/what-is-code-switching-in-language/

Trust AI? Seriously?
https://mastodon.social/@VeroniqueB99/116750797753421809

A German court is not happy with Google's lying, inaccurate, false AI Overview:

https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/@lauren/116760310025944827

How we talk about "artificial intelligence" matters.

https://buttondown.com/maiht3k/archive/how-to-talk-about-ai-without-adding-to-the/

Some excellent soccer (football) from Japan: 100 school kids against 3 pro players. 😂

https://retro.pizza/@mighty_orbot/116824761411116256

A brave American:

https://deanblundell.substack.com/p/breaking-an-active-duty-us-major

In today's Tandem party we will practice pronouncing the past tense forms of some of these verbs:

1. jog
2. join
3. whirl
4. whisper
5. whistle
6. wink
7. wipe
8. wish
9. wobble
10. wonder
11. fetch
12. file
13. fill
14. film
15. fire
16. fit
17. fix
18. flap
19. knot
20. obtain
21. occur
22. offend
23. jail
24. jam
25. joke
26. judge
27. excite
28. excuse
29. exercise
30. exist
31. expand
32. expect
33. matter
34. measure
35. meddle
36. melt
37. memorise
38. mend
39. mess up
40. deliver
41. depend
42. describe
43. desert
44. deserve
45. destroy
46. detect
47. develop
48. disagree
49. disappear
50. grin

Our party will start around 11am New York time.

This link will not improve your English. Seal Island off the the coast of Maine. A puffin cam! It includes the wind, the sound of the Atlantic Ocean, and noisy birds. Enjoy—guaranteed no AI.
https://explore.org/livecams/puffins/puffin-loafing-ledge-cam

Desalination:

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/solar-tech-makes-desalinating-seawater-cheaper-than-producing-bottled-water/

Are you a reader? If so, you may be part of a vanishing group.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/08/reading-crisis-postliterate-age/687618/?gift=jDw299G8PAYpd8-JGed7USlFsZODju5QnE8zhyHhleE&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share