Alacrity & Dispatch

Warm Bodies was perf 10/10 would recommend

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 00:52:15 -0500

Warm Bodies was perf 10/10 would recommend

Once a boy told me he thought my eyes were prettier than his future wife’s.

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 23:46:25 -0500

Once a boy told me he thought my eyes were prettier than his future wife’s.

Can anyone give me an unbiased opinion of John Green books?

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:13:23 -0500

fishingboatproceeds:

bookbending:

Maybe opinion isn’t the best word to go with unbiased. Style overview, maybe?

Teens don’t sound like that; we get that road trips are a metaphor for adolescence; manic pixie dream girls (or boy); they’re all the same; teenagers aren’t as smart as he makes them seem; people only like his books because the Internet.

I HATE when people criticize John Green books by saying “teens don’t talk like that.” Maybe YOU don’t talk like that. Please don’t lump me into your nostalgic recollections of what it’s like to be a teen, plzkaythx. As if John Green doesn’t hang out with enough teenagers to know what they talk like.

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Mon, 28 Jan 2013 02:00:10 -0500

"So I was going to do all of the things, but then I ended up only doing some of the things."

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 21:59:21 -0500

“So I was going to do all of the things, but then I ended up only doing some of the things.”

- My sister inadvertently defined my entire existence today.

thepoundcakeofthebakervilles: 75 Free Language Learning Resources...

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 22:25:31 -0500

thepoundcakeofthebakervilles:

75 Free Language Learning Resources Online

cokekitty:

russiangrammar:

(Source: http://www.zencollegelife.com/75-free-language-learning-resources-online/)

Whether you’re trying to learn English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, Italian –you get the picture – it’s good to get free help along the way. Luckily, there are tons of free online resources out there.

Here are 75 to get you started …

1. 101Languages.net – Learn basics like vowels, consonants, phrases and vocabulary for various languages like Arabic, Bambara, Cebuano, Estonian, Icelandic, Latvian and Serbian.

2. 123TeachMe.com – 123TeachMe offers free learning materials, including games, quizzes, vocabulary builders, mp3 study lists, RSS vocabulary lists and more for adults and children.

3. About.com – About.com offers access to various free language resources for French, Spanish and English.

4. AKTub.com – This site offers a free web-based Arabic typing tutor with a ton of cool features.

5. Apples4theTeacher.com–Free foreign language and American Sign Language resource for children.

6. AskOxford.com – Free language learning resources for French, German and Spanish are available including interactive exercises, sample material from dictionaries and more.

7. BabelNation.com – Free site that offers online language courses in Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese.

8. BBC.co.uk – BBC offers free audio and video courses in French, German, Spanish, Greek, Chinese and more, as well as beginner’s courses.

9.  BellEnglish.com – Free language-learning activities and games with a no-fee registration.

10.  Byki.com – The site allows you to download free language-learning software to help you with over 70 languages right on your desktop.

11.  Chinese-Outpost.com – Take free Chinese courses, find tutorials and utilize additional directories to learn the Chinese language.

12.  DigitalDialects.com – Digital Dialects offers free use of interactive games to help learn nearly 60 languages.

13.  Edufind.com – Resource for free access to language courses, online tests, software and language blogs.Videos

14.  EFLWorksheets.com – This English language-learning tool offers free worksheets and online exercises.

15.  EffectiveLanguageLearning.com – A ton of free language lessons (tips and strategies) for Chinese, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

16.  eLanguage.com – While the site isn’t completely free, it does offer free resources for various languages, including grammar guides.

17.  eLanguageSchool.net – A huge resource for learning multiple languages, including Dutch, French, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Korean and German.

18.  EnglishBanana.com – Games, quizzes and additional links to help learn the English language.

19.  Engoi.com – This site offers free exercises, games and online instruction to increase vocabulary retention.

20.  ESLGold.com – ESLGold.com helps you practice the English language via their vocabulary pages, exercises, examples, quizzes, and even a few study buddies.

21.  ESLMonkeys.com – Tools for those learning English as a second language, including free lessons, books, videos, quizzes, flash cards and interactive programs.

22.  ExamEnglish.com – You can test your English language skills if you’re learning the language or studying for tests like the IELTS, TOEFL, CPE, CAE, FCE or PET.

23.  Fonetiks.org – Find online pronunciation guides to varieties of the English language and nine other languages.

24.  Forvo.com – A word pronunciation dictionary that offers words as pronounced by their native speakers.

25.  FreeLang.net – Take advantage of free dictionaries, human translation and other useful resources to help you learn a number of languages.

26.  FreeLanguage.org – This site offers videos, podcasts, written tutorials and more to learn over 30 languages, including Luxembourgish, Mandarin, Polish, Tagalog and Swahili.

27.  Goethe-Verlag.com – Goethe-Verlag offers free language tests for such languages as Estonian, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Swedish, Czech, Croatian, Turkish, Arabic and Dutch.

28.  Google Language Tools – While these tools don’t teach a language like the other sites, it does provide very handy translation options.

29.  GuidetoJapanese.com – Basic guides to teach Japanese language grammar.

30.  1-Language.com – Free access to materials and resources that help learn the English language like flash games, word searches, language courses and a reading library.

31.  ILUSS.it – Offers access to free online courses and resources for the self-learner who wants to study the Italian language.

32.  InternetPolyglot.com – Tutorial slide shows, lessons by pictures and sounds, word translation assistance and games to help learn languages.

33.  iTalki.com – Offers access to language teachers, language-exchange partners, discussion groups and other free resources for several languages, including English, Chinese, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian and Hindi.

34.  JapaneseLinks.net – List of mostly free links to websites that teach the Japanese language.

35.  Languageguide.org – Free sound integrated resources to learn language basics like numbers, time, greetings and more.

36.  Language-Learning-Advisor.com – This language-learning guide offers access to resources for dozens of languages, as wells aids, books, movies, music and more.

37.  LanguageLearningLibrary.org – This site offers lessons for basics like grammar, common phrases, numbers, time and more in a number of languages.

38.  LanguagesHome.com – This is a resource of translations from English to dozens of languages.

39.  LearnEnglish.org.uk – Great site for both adults and kids to learn the English language through games and theme-based activities.

40.  Learn-Korean.net – Learn the Korean language via free learning tools to help you speak and write.

41.  LearningThai.com- Tons of free lessons and additional resources to help you learn the Thai language.

42.  LingQ.com – This site offers free access to downloads, vocabulary assistance, a personal tutor and a live community. Must sign up for free account.

43.  Linguanaut.com – Take advantage of free videos, phrases, alphabet and more for over 50 languages.

44.  LiveandLearnLanguages.com – Podcasts, audio lessons, courses and dictionary reviews are available free of charge for dozens of languages.

45.  LiveMocha.com – This site includes courses in 30 languages (over 160 lessons for each), helpful tips from native speakers and conversational learning lessons.

46.  MangoLanguages.com – Mango is a free resource that teaches actual conversation skills for 12 different languages.

47.  MultilingualBooks.com – This site offers free access to a variety of online courses and lessons for languages like Russian, Arabic, Dutch, Dari, Korean and Portuguese.

48.  MyHappyPlanet.com – My Happy Planet connects users from around the world and allows them to send and receive messages to help learn respective languages from native tongues.

49.  MyLanguageExchange.com – Find a partner within this online community to help you practice your second language with a native speaker who is learning your language.

50.  NativLang.com – Learn to read and write English, Greek, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Latin and more.

51.  Omniglot.com – This is a free language-learning resource that offers help with grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, writing skills, phrases and more.

52.  OnlineFreeSpanish.com – Free games, music, activities and lessons to help learn the Spanish language.

53.  OpenCulture.com – Free language resources, including lessons you can download to your mp3 player offered for 37 languages.

54.  Parlo.com – While the site isn’t entirely free, it does offer one or two free courses each month at no cost.

55.  Phrasebase.com – This is a free social networking site offering access to international language exchange partners.

56.  Single-Serving.com – Learn essential phrases and words for travel, print them and even store them in an mp3 player to listen to them anywhere.

57.  SinoSplice.com – This site teaches Mandarin Chinese language and offers correct pronunciation, vocabulary lists and more.

58.  SpanishPrograms.com – Gain access to several free Spanish lessons and tutorials.

59.  SpanishUnlimited.com – Learn Spanish then test your level with the language test divided into levels for those ranging from beginners to advanced.

60.  SpeakOz.com– Learn the English language through a number of podcasts, videos, ebooks, dictionaries and articles.

61.  StudySpanish.com- Free Spanish tutorials offered to help with vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and verbs. Travel guides and cultural notes also available.

62.  TalkEnglish.com – Helps develop spoken English for business, travel and interviewing purposes.

63.  TextKit.com – This site offers free resources to help you learn Ancient Greek and Latin.

64.  Transcon.info – This site offers free text and audio content for current phrases in Africa, Iraq and other areas of the Middle East.

65.  Transparent.com – Transparent offers a number of language-learning products, including free software to download, articles, games and a language-learning community you can join.

66.  UniLang.org – UniLang offers tons of free resources, including language courses, videos, audio and podcasts, phrasebooks, stories, games, articles and other exercises.

67.  UniversitiesandColleges.org – This free language resource offers podcasts, online college courses, iPhone/iPod Touch applications, and access to general language-learning sites.

68.  VerbaLearn.com – Verba Learn helps people who want to improve their English vocabulary.

69.  VistaWide.com – Free online dictionaries, translators, verb conjugators, lessons, courses and practical applications for those wanting to learn numerous languages.

70.  Vocabulary.co.il – Fun games and activities to help build your English language vocabulary.

71.  Vocabulix.com – This free tool offers over 90 predefined vocabulary lessons and allows you to create your own foreign language lessons to share with others.

72.  WebGerman.com – Access to free online television from around the world as well as language picture dictionaries, language-learning libraries and more.

73.  WomenLearnThai.com – Thai language learning courses, as well as other resources to help learn the language.

74.  Word2Word.com – Word2Word.com is a free resources that offers access to help with over 115 languages, including links to online courses and other resources.

75.  World-English.org – This site offers tons of resources for learning the English language, including tests, top English words, slang, fun facts, games and vocabulary.

Now that I have my own bedroom, it seems to have its own life cycle. First it’s clean. Then...

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:48:03 -0500

Now that I have my own bedroom, it seems to have its own life cycle.

First it’s clean.

Then there are small piles, things I’m using or don’t know where to put, clothes I decided not to where.

These progress into bigger and bigger piles …

Until there are only pathways between major furniture.

And I’m fine with it.

But one day I walk in and BAM! I need to clean my room right now it’s so awful how do I live like this I can’t even get to my bed who is this person why do I own so many things?!?!?

And then it’s clean again.

oldblueeyes: Alan Watts: What if money was no object? (x)

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 23:39:52 -0500

oldblueeyes:

Alan Watts: What if money was no object? (x)

My character development through my college years represented in...

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 03:45:18 -0500

My character development through my college years represented in GPOYs

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Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:26:00 -0500

nprfreshair: This is what time passing looks like. Autumn in...

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 16:37:11 -0500

nprfreshair:

This is what time passing looks like. Autumn in Central Park, time-lapse photography-style. (via The Morning News)

nprfreshair: (via Yawning Fetuses Are Already Over It - The...

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 11:32:32 -0500

nprfreshair:

(via Yawning Fetuses Are Already Over It - The Atlantic)

One of these ultrasound images show a fetus yawning, while in the other, it’s simply opening its mouth. But from static images like this, it’s next to impossible to tell which is which.

Using 4D scans, researchers at Durham and Lancaster Universities announced that were able to clearly differentiate mouth stretches from yawns. With yawns, according to new metrics that they’ve developed, it takes longer for the fetus to stretch its mouth to its fullest:

The yawn’s climax, so to speak, occurs seven frames in.

The jury’s still out on what business an unborn baby has yawning in the first place. Yawning doesn’t become contagious until around the age of five, and they’re pretty isolated in their amniotic bubble, so they’re probably not trying to communicate. It’s also unlikely that they’re expressing sleepiness.

[Read more here]

Photo credit: PLoS One

checkthebulb: An Evening with RUSH @ MGM Grand Las...

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 06:54:41 -0500

checkthebulb:

An Evening with RUSH @ MGM Grand Las Vegas

11/23/12

My mom got her endowments here too, before her mission....

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 08:14:55 -0500

My mom got her endowments here too, before her mission. It’s almost as good as her being there.

Jordan River Temple, South Jordan, Utah

Unusual Date Ideas

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 06:31:35 -0500

innocence-is-key:

coyote—with—sunglasses:

dopamineuphoria:

someone date me

oh my god please

nuestrahermana: Dia De Los Muertos Is Not Your Halloween by...

Sat, 03 Nov 2012 03:45:40 -0400

nuestrahermana:

Dia De Los Muertos Is Not Your Halloween by Nuestra Hermana

As we all know, Halloween in America is right around the corner. Kids & adults alike will be dressed up in costumes, consuming candy, attending parties, navigating through haunted houses and thoroughly enjoying their night. Think about your last Halloween and look at the images above.

These are still shots of Dia De Los Muertos in Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, California & Arizona. They are small snippets of a vibrant, important and REAL holiday for Latin@s. This is not your Halloween.

Dia De Los Muertos developed out of over 2,500 years of indigenous ritual celebrating death and paying respects to loved ones who have passed away. Scholars state that the Aztecs originally held a month long festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, the ruler of the afterlife.

After Spanish colonization and many attempts to eradicate the rituals & festival, a new merging with the Catholic holidays All Souls Day & All Saints Day developed over time to what is now Dia De Los Muertos.

Dia De Los Muertos is celebrated November 1st & 2nd (in alignment with All Saints Day & All Souls Day respectively). It is NOT celebrated on October 31st, it is not tied in with Halloween in America at all.

In Mexico, November 1st is dedicated as Dia De Los Inocentes, a day to honor and respect the innocents, children & infants to be more specific. November 2nd is Dia De Los Muertos, the day to honor deceased adults.

On these days, altars are made in honor of them. People build them on their loved ones graves, at home or anywhere they find rightful to honor their loved ones. They make ofrendas (offerings) to the dead of their favorite foods, toys (for children), pictures, pan de muertos, sugar skulls and many other things that help guide the spirits of the dead safely to the altars. Marigolds, known as the flowers of the dead, are usually prominent in the altars.

In Mexico, many people sleep overnight at the graves. Every ritual & altar is not the same everywhere. Many places have their own traditions and ways of honoring the dead. One thing is for sure, Dia De Los Muertos is not Halloween. It is a sacred time and holiday for Latinos everywhere.

So, when you’re dressing up for Halloween remember: doing this, this, this or this is not only disrespectful but it is also a erasure of someone’s real life culture. Think before you walk out of that door.

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Fri, 02 Nov 2012 09:02:11 -0400

Today, Paula brought a stray home! At first I was like...

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 01:35:42 -0400

Today, Paula brought a stray home! At first I was like “Why is there a dog in my house get out right now” but look at this dog, it’s so cute! I ended up playing with him on the floor while Ammon googled dog shelters. :( I seriously wanted t

o keep him. I named him Ralph. And then he sat curled up in my lap the entire way to the shelter, kind of wheezing when he breathed! We gave he to a nice policeman who said if his owners didn’t come looking he’d get adopted really quickly because he’s so cute. I miss him already!

FANDOM SURVEY! TELL YOUR FRIENDS!

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 20:04:17 -0400

FANDOM SURVEY! TELL YOUR FRIENDS!:

scifigrl47:

carriecmoney:

Hey tumblr! I have a giant favor to ask! I have a research project I’m doing for a class on fandom in today’s society, and as part of it I need as many people from as many different backgrounds to fill out this survey for me. Don’t limit who you tell this to! I want different languages, different fandoms, different social media platforms, even people who don’t know what a fandom is! Reblog this and spread it around and be a sweetheart.

Help a scholar out, folks!

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Fri, 26 Oct 2012 22:38:48 -0400