Author Archives: Dr. Jeff McQuillan

If you ask an Angeleno (a person living in Los Angeles) the distance between two places, you’re more likely to get an answer in minutes, not miles. That’s because there’s one thing all Angelenos have to contend with (deal with; … Continue reading →

When I moved to Los Angeles from Minnesota, I thought I was saying good-bye to snow for good (forever) because it never snows in L.A., right? Well, not quite. Although it’s true that it hasn’t snowed since I moved here … Continue reading →

We had a lot of deadly (killing someone) forest fires in California in the past few months, so it’s a good time to talk about Smokey the Bear. “Smokey Bear,” often called “Smokey the Bear,” is a mascot (a cartoon … Continue reading →

Nothing brings Los Angeles to a standstill like rain. A standstill is a situation where all movement or action has stopped. You can bring a basketball game to a standstill by losing the ball. Or you can bring conversation to … Continue reading →

Lucy, the ESLPod Team, and I want to wish all of you happy holidays! If you celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas! If you celebrated Hanukah, Happy Hanukah! If you celebrate nothing this time of year . . . um, well, Happy … Continue reading →

Do you want a new ball? Write to Santa. A new doll? Drop Santa a line (write him a message). Before Christmas each year, there’s a tradition here in the U.S., where young children to write to Santa asking for … Continue reading →

Most Americans get a vacation over the holidays (Christmas and Hanukah), anywhere from a few days to two weeks. So with extra time on their hands (extra time with nothing to do), many of us go to the movie theaters … Continue reading →