Some great study aids

Need to memorize a whole bunch of stuff in a few days because finals are coming up and you're freaking out? Try these links:

http://quizlet.com/  - build your own flashcards or use other people's collections.
http://spacefem.com/mnemonics/ - mnemonic generator for when you're not creative enough to come up with your own.
http://ichi2.net/anki/ - open-source flashcards with spaced repetition, supports images, audio and LaTeX.

Return of Sneakywords

Yes, we're back! A short summer vacation is coming up so I'll finally be able to post in here again. So what was I doing all this time? Mainly filling out piles upon piles of worksheets and stressing out about my evil Spanish exams.

A few things will change. I decided I'm not going to go through grammar rules and stuff like that, because a) it can already be found elsewhere on the internet and b) it's boring as hell to write about. So, a big sorry goes out to any grammar-loving dorks* out there who actually read those entries. I'll try to organize things a bit better, maybe do themed articles on certain days and so on.
Anyhow, looking forward to writing more here! Cheers!

*Disclaimer: By dorks I mean my smartest readers. And of course, grammar is very important. It's just not too exciti- It is very exciting. Please don't hurt me, team of burly Grammar Nazis.

Gibberish or not?

Here's an interesting experiment: try listening to this video and see if you can make out anything.




Then, try watching the one below while reading the lyrics. Do you hear words now?



Are you SURE you heard them? Yes? Me too. But guess what - they weren't real. The entire song is just nonsensical syllables. Seeing the words is what prompted us to hear them.

Weird French idiom of the day

"Devenir chêvre"
Literal translation: Become a goat
Meaning: To become very angry.

I've never seen an angry goat, but in Russia to call someone a goat (Kozel) is an insult too. It means something along the lines of "rude asshole."
We also have a proverb that all men are goats! (It's true.)

If you can read this, consider yourself lucky.

From an article on illiterate Canadians found here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/education/canada-shame.html

"When you think of literacy in Canada now, at the beginning of the 21st century, you probably expect to see a rate of close to 100 per cent. That would be wrong. The actual numbers are nowhere near that and should embarrass us all.

• Nearly 15 per cent of Canadians can't understand the writing on simple medicine labels such as on an Aspirin bottle, a failing that could seriously limit the ability of a parent, for example, to determine the dangers for a child.
• An additional 27 per cent can't figure out simple information like the warnings on a hazardous materials sheet, the kinds of warning that set out workplace dangers such as risks to the eyes and skin.

In total, 42 per cent of Canadians are semi-illiterate."

42%??? That's insane. I can't imagine not being able to read. Being semi-literate might be even worse than being fully illiterate - what if you saw a bottle that said "POISON! DO NOT EAT!" and all you could read was "EAT"? If you live in Canada and you'd like to help others learn to read, here are some organizations that are looking for volunteers:

Toronto:

http://www.mtml.ca

http://parkdaleprojectread.org/

http://www.worldlit.ca/

Literacy through Hip Hop - http://www.lthh.org/

Montreal:

http://tleliteracy.com/

http://bluemetropolis.org/index.php?id=66

http://cabm.net/en/node/717693

http://www.frontiercollege.ca/english_literacy.html

http://cabm.net/en/node/717866

Vancouver:

http://www.literacybc.ca/

http://www2.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/DBs/Redbook/orgPgs/1/11961.html

http://www.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/find/details/adult_learning_centre

http://www.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/find/details/literacy_resources

Ottawa:

http://www.occl.ca/

http://www.frontiercollege.ca/english/literacy/ottawa.html

Edmonton:

http://www.famlit.ca/

http://www.literacyday.ca/

http://www.cent4lit.com/

http://www.informedmonton.com/public/agency/0988.htm