⭐ Feature: The Incredible Flight of "Lawn Chair" Larry
In today's episode, you’ll hear the incredible story of a man named Larry Walters, or "Lawn Chair" Larry, who bought over 40 weather balloons, attached them to a lawn chair in his backyard and flew 16,000 feet up in the air.
The story is weird and funny, and it gives way to a larger discussion about “Cluster Ballooning.” I’ll explain challenging words and phrases as I go along!*****Premium Content: This episode is part of By purchasing Season 3 transcripts, you'll be able to access the full episodes, the full PDF transcripts for episodes 101 - 150, an Mp3 download and the premium podcast player to work on your pronunciation.
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Season 3
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196.2 - Invasion of Burmese Pythons in South Florida
In this wild episode, we dive deep into the Burmese python invasion in Florida’s Everglades, which is one of the most unexpected and dramatic ecological crises in U.S. history.
It all started with exotic pet owners, relaxed laws in the '80s and '90s, and one catastrophic storm: Hurricane Andrew. From there, things spiraled. Thousands of snakes were released, some intentionally, others by accident, and they found paradise in the Everglades. Warm weather, endless food, no predators? That’s a snake's dream vacation... permanently.
We’ll talk about:
00:58 - Introduction: Bears, Neighbors & the Python Cowboy
03:23 - The Everglades: An important ecosystem for Florida
05:53 - How Burmese Pythons got to South Florida
06:00 - The rise of python ownership as a trendy, edgy status symbol; Exotic Pets & Loose Laws
09:09 - From Pet to Predator: The Rise of the Python Population
11:17 - Hurricane Andrew & the Reptile Escape
18:25 - How Many Are Out There? Estimating the Python Population
19:59 - Are Pythons Dangerous to Humans?
22:01 - The Python Elimination Program (Paid Hunting)
24:17 - The Florida Python Challenge Explained
25:46 - What Happens to the Snakes After They’re Caught
28:11 - Can We Ever Win? An Uphill Battle
29:44 - Shana’s Creative Snake Solutions
30:22 - High-Tech Tools: Judas Snakes & eDNA
30:58 - Robo-Bunnies and Future Innovations
By the end, you’ll see just how complex, challenging, and Florida this whole saga is.
//SPONSORS
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Mentioned in this Episode
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Local Legends Video by Brad Leone (as heard in intro)
Cowboy Python Interview with Joe Rogan (most popular segment)
All Creatures: A Giant, The Burmese Python (learn more about the snake)
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196 - Expression: To Have a Hissy Fit
Ever heard someone say, “Don’t have a hissy fit”? In this episode, we break down this funny, very Southern expression that describes a dramatic overreaction (think tantrum, or an overreaction). You’ll hear real-life examples—from picky eaters at restaurants to Wi‑Fi meltdowns—and find out how “hissy fit” made its way into American English.
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195 - The Goose & The Golden Egg (+10 Advanced Adjectives)
Yesterday at the library with my girls, a lightbulb went off in my head 💡—fables aren’t just great for kids... they’re perfect for English learners too!
This week on the podcast, we’re diving into one of Aesop’s most famous tales: The Goose & The Golden Egg (or The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs). 🪿✨ It’s short, memorable, and it teaches a timeless lesson about greed—a perfect jumping-off point to learn advanced adjectives like:
- Greedy
- Selfish
- Inconsiderate
- Ungrateful
- Spoiled
- Entitled
- Gluttonous
- Materialistic
- Impatient
- Insatiable
Whether you want to describe people more accurately, express opinions more clearly, or just sound more natural when speaking English, this episode is packed with real-life vocabulary and pop culture examples (yes, Veruca Salt and Augustus Gloop make an appearance).
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194 - Discover Iowa with Bethany
Brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at better help.com/AMERICANENGLISH and get on your way to being your best self.
Ever wondered what life is like in the middle of the U.S.? Tune in to this week’s episode with Bethany Anderson and discover tornado drills, taco pizza, sweet corn, Amish visits, and small towns bursting with culture. You’ll get fun expressions, new vocab, and a fresh view of Iowa you won’t find on any map! 🌟
About Our Guest
Bethany Anderson grew up in Iowa and she currently lives in the town of West Liberty. She owns Anderson Language Center where she teaches English to Spanish speakers living in the U.S. You can contact her through her website, andersonlanguage.com or follow her on Facebook or Instagram.
Improve your English with the AE Podcast
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The American English Podcast teaches the language and culture of the United States. Through common expressions, pronunciation tips and interesting cultural snippets or stories, I hope to keep this fun, useful and interesting! All bonus material can be accessed at http://americanenglishpodcast.com/
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