iphone is officially ready to start taking pre-orders so if you really want one, you better pre-order soon!
That's the Scoop.
<3 blogasaurus
order here
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Cool lake in Antarcica
"Lake Vostok, an unfrozen body of freshwater the size of Lake Ontario cut off from the world for millennia beneath two miles of Antarctic ice."
Perhaps this hidden fresh water lake holds new life forms, or signs of our climates past?
<3 blogasaurus
popular science
Perhaps this hidden fresh water lake holds new life forms, or signs of our climates past?
<3 blogasaurus
popular science
$4500 from the government to buy a new car
Legislation passed on tuesday, 298 to 119 votes, passd in the house. The bill calls for 4 billion dollars to be allocated to the purchasing of about 1 million new vehicles.
The deal is, trade in your old car and buy a new one with better fuel efficiency and you are eligible to receive 4500 bucks from the U.S. government!
The hope is that the purchasing of a million new vehicles will help jumpstart the decaying U.S. auto industry. It will produce jobs and reduce layoffs, as well as save an estimated 250+ million gallons of gasoline.
The bill would also have to pass through the Senate, and then be approved by President Obama in order to take effect.
That's the Scoop.
<3 blogasaurus
yahoo-news ... complete rules.
The deal is, trade in your old car and buy a new one with better fuel efficiency and you are eligible to receive 4500 bucks from the U.S. government!
The hope is that the purchasing of a million new vehicles will help jumpstart the decaying U.S. auto industry. It will produce jobs and reduce layoffs, as well as save an estimated 250+ million gallons of gasoline.
The bill would also have to pass through the Senate, and then be approved by President Obama in order to take effect.
That's the Scoop.
<3 blogasaurus
yahoo-news ... complete rules.
Quantum Entanglement
Einstein called it 'spooky action at a distance," quantum entanglement is really cool. Scientists were able to seperate entangled ions a quarter of millimeter apart. This is a huge distance in the atomic world, the example given is if the ions were the size of soccerballs they would be 5 kilometers away from each other.
So quantum entanglement is cool because it ties to atoms or electrons or some particle together so that even when seperated, by manipulating one of the particle the other responds in the same way. They share some kind of mystical almost magical bond.
Now the application of this technology is really endless, but still in its infancy. The first goal would be quantum computers, this means calculations that are instant and beyond anything we could possibly develop today.
This is because quantum entanglement breaks the rules so to say, it doesn't obey the standard classical physics that governs our modern world and modern technology.
The fun, dream application would be building things out of entangled particles and say manipulating them on the moon from earth instantaneously...
A really cool concept that is now given a new breath of air thanks to the scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
That's the Scoop.
<3 blogasaurus
post.script. pop sci
So quantum entanglement is cool because it ties to atoms or electrons or some particle together so that even when seperated, by manipulating one of the particle the other responds in the same way. They share some kind of mystical almost magical bond.
Now the application of this technology is really endless, but still in its infancy. The first goal would be quantum computers, this means calculations that are instant and beyond anything we could possibly develop today.
This is because quantum entanglement breaks the rules so to say, it doesn't obey the standard classical physics that governs our modern world and modern technology.
The fun, dream application would be building things out of entangled particles and say manipulating them on the moon from earth instantaneously...
A really cool concept that is now given a new breath of air thanks to the scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
That's the Scoop.
<3 blogasaurus
post.script. pop sci
Friday, June 5, 2009
Crafty Picture Frame
How crafty is this... a glass frame that wraps around corners...
It's going to cost you a hundred bucks, but you'll be the only person I know who has pictures framed on the corner of their walls.
That's the Scoop.
<3 blogasaurus
Monday, June 1, 2009
Phish concert
Well, i have to be up at 5am, to work by 7am, which goes until 4pm. Then i gotta get home, work out, get bathed, and then.... booya!!! its Phish concert time...
I am so pumped, it is only their second show back after 5 years retirement... its gonna be great! That's the Scoop yo.
<3 blogasaurus.
I am so pumped, it is only their second show back after 5 years retirement... its gonna be great! That's the Scoop yo.
<3 blogasaurus.
Joba Chamberlain
Lame sorry they removed this!! I'll try to find the video and put it up again.
What an amazing play by Joba... here's the only recorded footage i could find of it thanks sportsrus101... That's the Scoop!
What an amazing play by Joba... here's the only recorded footage i could find of it thanks sportsrus101... That's the Scoop!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Woman mauled by polar bear at the zoo
polar bear attack or womans own stupidity?
Whats the most outrageous about this story is that the woman jumped into the polar bears habitat during feeding time, and swam towards the hungry bears. The clip is the result. No blood and gore but an obvious bite.
But how can we even feel an ounce of remorse, she jumped in. Some people are not very bright. That's the Scoop
<3 blogasaurus
Whats the most outrageous about this story is that the woman jumped into the polar bears habitat during feeding time, and swam towards the hungry bears. The clip is the result. No blood and gore but an obvious bite.
But how can we even feel an ounce of remorse, she jumped in. Some people are not very bright. That's the Scoop
<3 blogasaurus
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
gay protest
Wow thank you sumfight... this is by far the best gay protest sign I have ever seen lol.
<3 blogasaurusMonday, May 18, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Ricky Hatton vs. Manny Pacquiao
May 2, 2009 - 9pm - MGM Grand Hotel's Garden Arena - Las Vegas
Second round K.O. courtesy of Manny Pacquiao. Round one, the Pac-Man clearly dominates as he puts Hatton on the canvas twice in the first round.
Pacquiao(right) scores a hook to Hatton's(left) face in the first round.
Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton comes out strong the despite clearly losing the first round with a score 10-8. Almost immediately Pacquaio answers by accurately landing punches. With a quick left, Hatton is flat on the matt.
Manny Pacquiao(left) at the age of 30 clearly takes down opponent Ricky Hatton (right)
Floyd Mayweather Jr. has decided to come out of retirement and fight the winner of this bout. After the clear victory by Manny Pacquiao, we (boxing Fans) anxiously await the battle between Pacquiao and Mayweather for the informal title of best pound for pound boxer in the world.
Thats the Scoop.
pictures, round by round
Second round K.O. courtesy of Manny Pacquiao. Round one, the Pac-Man clearly dominates as he puts Hatton on the canvas twice in the first round.
Pacquiao(right) scores a hook to Hatton's(left) face in the first round.
Manny Pacquiao(left) at the age of 30 clearly takes down opponent Ricky Hatton (right)Thats the Scoop.
pictures, round by round
mini robots in our blood??!?!?!?!
This tiny .14 inch motor is the future of miniature robotics. Imagine tiny robots capable of navigating your blood stream and destroying virus's or clearing up clotted arteries that may lead to a stroke or heart attack...
(Caution Science Zone)
The motor to the right of the tip of a ball point pin works uses reverse piezoelectricity. Piezoelectricity is what allows barbecue grill lighters to work. The little red button that shoots a spark is made up of a little hammer that hits a small piece of crystal, usually quartz. This creates a very high voltage and sparks your grill burners.Anyway by adding electricity, a small ceramic piston is made to oscillate, eventually turning the ball on the top. This of course can be used to propel the robot forward inside your blood stream.
The hope is to make these even smaller, attach them to robots and begin testing in model blood vessels. The research team of Monash University is confident they can produce even smaller motors, but as Brett Watson, a lead scientist on the team, said, "It's really hard to put the darn thing together."
How do you feel about motor driven robots in your blood stream? Is this a genius invention or a scientific catastrophe?
o yeah here's the original article and image source.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Frozen baby Mammoth!
Well this is quite possibly the coolest thing I have ever seen. A nearly perfectly preserved baby mammoth was discovered in Siberia... A local reindeer herder named Yuri Khudi and his three sons found the oddly well preserved corpse...
The only question that remains now is... will Mammoths walk again? It seems with increasing technologies and research in stem cells perhaps this is a possibility. Either way its an amazing discovering...
The article will be featured in the May 2009 National Geographic Magazine. Here's a link to see the full story and more pictures at the National Geographic site. That's the Scoop.
Superheroes in cincinnati! Shadow Hare?
This is a gem. These guys and gal dressed in costumes that are laughable for even Halloween, patrol the streets of Cincinnati in hopes of fighting crime. Shadow Hare is not alone. He rolls with his gang of superheroes who call themselves the Allegiance of Heroes. Fast forward to a minute for pure comedic joy.
And its not just Cincinnati... There is a World Superhero Registry website, where heroes across the globe can register online. Here is a quote from the hero Master Legend (one shown in the video clip) that is posted with his picture on the World Superhero Registry or what I like to call the WSR for short... "I am a real life super hero born with powers of the veil and voodoo teachings. I have studied psychology all my life and use my abilities to defend the helpless and help the desperate as a specially trained fighter in many forms that I have developed my own . It is the secret of the diamond spirit. It is my duty and my life." This sort of thing, besides scaring me, raises some important questions. Questions like, what is the Justice Force that he is a member of... or more importantly, what is the diamond spirit...? Questions, I am sure no one knows the answers too.
That's the Scoop
for even more superhero fun check out Shadow Hare's myspace page, no login necessary!
And its not just Cincinnati... There is a World Superhero Registry website, where heroes across the globe can register online. Here is a quote from the hero Master Legend (one shown in the video clip) that is posted with his picture on the World Superhero Registry or what I like to call the WSR for short... "I am a real life super hero born with powers of the veil and voodoo teachings. I have studied psychology all my life and use my abilities to defend the helpless and help the desperate as a specially trained fighter in many forms that I have developed my own . It is the secret of the diamond spirit. It is my duty and my life." This sort of thing, besides scaring me, raises some important questions. Questions like, what is the Justice Force that he is a member of... or more importantly, what is the diamond spirit...? Questions, I am sure no one knows the answers too.
That's the Scoop
for even more superhero fun check out Shadow Hare's myspace page, no login necessary!
Largest Model Rocket Ever
This is a fun one. I had stumbled upon this story recently and am excited to see the results. Steve Eves launched his model rocket, a 1:10 scaled version of the Saturn V rocket on Saturday.
The original Saturn V (five) was the the engine used to take us to the moon in 1969, and several following lunar missions including the infamous Apollo 13 lunar mission which was made famous by the film Apollo 13.
The Saturn V engine was hailed for its incredible payload capacity and is still the most powerful launch vehicle ever brought into operation with respect to its size weight and payload. Upon its first flight, the rocket propelled astronauts 45 miles into the atmosphere in just two and a half minutes reaching a velocity of 6,164 miles per hour and burning approximately 4,400,000 pounds of fuel. All that in just its first stage!
Eventually it would take the ship well above the earths escape velocity as Buzz Aldrin would note that they were cruising at a comfortable velocity 35,579 feet per second! Well anyway, Steve Eves decided to pay homage to this incredible feat of human ingenuity...
p.s. thanks wikipedia and some nasa page for the statistics.
The original Saturn V (five) was the the engine used to take us to the moon in 1969, and several following lunar missions including the infamous Apollo 13 lunar mission which was made famous by the film Apollo 13.
The Saturn V engine was hailed for its incredible payload capacity and is still the most powerful launch vehicle ever brought into operation with respect to its size weight and payload. Upon its first flight, the rocket propelled astronauts 45 miles into the atmosphere in just two and a half minutes reaching a velocity of 6,164 miles per hour and burning approximately 4,400,000 pounds of fuel. All that in just its first stage!
Eventually it would take the ship well above the earths escape velocity as Buzz Aldrin would note that they were cruising at a comfortable velocity 35,579 feet per second! Well anyway, Steve Eves decided to pay homage to this incredible feat of human ingenuity...
Beginning is all rocket information, height, weight, thrust... luanch is at a minute.
Standing 36 feet tall, this giant model rocket set a record for the largest model rocket ever launched... Congrats Steve Eves...
That's the Scoop!
p.s. thanks wikipedia and some nasa page for the statistics.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Lots of visitors!
Just started this but already over a 100 visitors from over 20 states! thanks for reading, check back everyday, even more than once a day if you can, and ill keep the stories coming!
I think tomorrow im going to set up an entire section for technology developments because i love those, and an entire section for other worldly news which i also love. Don't be afraid to leave comments!
That's the scoop yo
-Josh!
I think tomorrow im going to set up an entire section for technology developments because i love those, and an entire section for other worldly news which i also love. Don't be afraid to leave comments!
That's the scoop yo
-Josh!
Yankees reduce ticket prices
For all you Yankee fans out there hoping to catch a glimpse of the new stadium from inside its new 1.5 billion dollar walls, there may be some relief... Hal and the Yankees announced there will be some price cuts on select seats. While hacking the absurd $2,500 tickets in half to the still insane $1,250, its progress. Other front row and close seats have been reduced by up to 40 percent. These cuts apply to roughly 375 seats which is just not good enough. "It's the public that built Yankee Stadium, and even at these prices, the public has been excluded from the very stadium they built," said Richard Brodsky, assemblyman of Westchester...
In hopes of filling those painfully empty seats, Yankees are also offering deals on season tickets. If you buy certain season tickets you get a certain amount of free games in seats of a specific price range.
For example.... The Associated Press said, "Among the $325 non-premium seats between the bases, the Yankees said fans who bought two or three season tickets will receive two free tickets for every other game starting with Thursday or Friday. Those who bought four or five season tickets will get two free seats for every game." The AP also released other details about exact pricing and ticket info... check the full report at espn for more ticket prices. Yankees have also said that these deals are for this season only.
It may not be enough but it is certainly a start, and that's the Scoop.
p.s. Go Yanks!
In hopes of filling those painfully empty seats, Yankees are also offering deals on season tickets. If you buy certain season tickets you get a certain amount of free games in seats of a specific price range.
For example.... The Associated Press said, "Among the $325 non-premium seats between the bases, the Yankees said fans who bought two or three season tickets will receive two free tickets for every other game starting with Thursday or Friday. Those who bought four or five season tickets will get two free seats for every game." The AP also released other details about exact pricing and ticket info... check the full report at espn for more ticket prices. Yankees have also said that these deals are for this season only.
It may not be enough but it is certainly a start, and that's the Scoop.
p.s. Go Yanks!
Message in a Bottle: Auschwitz
The handwritten letter... (this image from bbc news and the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum)
Some builders stumbled across a message in a bottle while removing a layer of concrete from a wall in Auschwitz. The letter, dated September 9, 1944, was checked for its authenticity and has been confirmed by the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. Written in pencil, stuffed into a bottle, and buried in a concrete wall, the message is simply the names of 7 young Europeans trapped in Auschwitz. The wall was apparently created to reinforce school walls, which were actually used as Nazi warehouses. The Nazi's were afraid of air raid damage and had the camp prisoners reinforce the walls. The 7 men, Bronislaw Jankowiak, Stanislaw Dubla, Jan Jasik, Waclaw Sobczak, Karol Czekalski, Waldemar Bialobrzeski and Albert Veissid, were simply trying to leave proof of their existance. A sad but all to common truth of the period. Of the 7, Albert Veissid is the only survivor whos where abouts are known today. Karol Czekalski and Wachaw Sobczak are know to have difinitively survived the camp, but there where abouts are unknown. The other four, are lost to history, perhaps they died in Auschwitz, or were transferred and died else where, no one knows...
That's the Scoop
check out the bbc news article for a few more details.
APPLE is the shizzle.
So there are a lot of rumors going around... Firstly, snow leopard. The next OS from apple, after the successful release of Windows 7 apple has been hard at work on this puppy. I can only imagine what the new OS will be able to do. I briefly saw some mention of monitor recording, meaning a video screenshot. and example I saw in someones blog was, say your tired of showing you grandpa how to clear his fireox cache, well you can record the process and he can watch it whenever he needs too.
There has also been some adium chat referencing a macbookmini, perhaps a cheaper sub $1000 laptop get a piece of the mini market. Not to mention a more affordable mac laptop, even though the current macbook white starts at 999.00 without any extras or applecare... While this is just chatter, the last time something was mentioned was the macbook air... now that is certainly a real thing... So perhaps this isn't wildly off base and false. I am excited to see Snow Leopard, I wonder what they will add?
Also what will the new iphone be like? The rumors of an iphone or iphone lite being released under verizons services have been increasing. The main problem with this is that verizon uses a network that only really operates in the U.S., (CDMA)... Apple (steve jobs) has had the attitude that they are a world phone. They want to have one phone for the whole world, and in producing a phone for Verizon would obviously contradict that notion. However, more recently talk of a phone similar to an ipod touch, but with calling capabilities has surfaced. Meaning a phone that works on wifi... Many are calling a verizon iphone "wishful thinking" but with increasing rumors of Verizon and Apple talking this wishful thinking is sounding pretty good to me... Wishful thinking or not, APPLE's exclusive contract with AT&T is not up until 2010, so we will have to wait a little longer to see.
Thats the Scoop.
There has also been some adium chat referencing a macbookmini, perhaps a cheaper sub $1000 laptop get a piece of the mini market. Not to mention a more affordable mac laptop, even though the current macbook white starts at 999.00 without any extras or applecare... While this is just chatter, the last time something was mentioned was the macbook air... now that is certainly a real thing... So perhaps this isn't wildly off base and false. I am excited to see Snow Leopard, I wonder what they will add?
Also what will the new iphone be like? The rumors of an iphone or iphone lite being released under verizons services have been increasing. The main problem with this is that verizon uses a network that only really operates in the U.S., (CDMA)... Apple (steve jobs) has had the attitude that they are a world phone. They want to have one phone for the whole world, and in producing a phone for Verizon would obviously contradict that notion. However, more recently talk of a phone similar to an ipod touch, but with calling capabilities has surfaced. Meaning a phone that works on wifi... Many are calling a verizon iphone "wishful thinking" but with increasing rumors of Verizon and Apple talking this wishful thinking is sounding pretty good to me... Wishful thinking or not, APPLE's exclusive contract with AT&T is not up until 2010, so we will have to wait a little longer to see.
Thats the Scoop.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Woman fired for checking her facebook ... on a sick day.
Thanks Geek.com for this one...
In recent news a woman lost her job... the players... a Swiss woman in her early 30's, the swiss company Nationale Suisse, a hard-ass for a boss, and Facebook.
The gist of this particular case, is that woman decided to take a sick day. A coworker saw that her status was available on facebook, meaning she had signed in at home during her sick day... Personally I have no problem with this, even if she says she had a migraine... I get migraines and I assure you they hurt, but I can still check my Facebook. Her employer claims if she is well enough to check her facebook and access a computer to do it, she should be at work... She was fired from her job for checking her facebook on a sick day... Now she is angry and claiming she was being stalked illegally and that is the issue now. Where should employers draw the line with Facebook and other social networks... Background checks, and now sick day monitoring??? This case may change the employers ability to check us out on social networks, and I think there has to be some kind of limit as to what they are allowed to do. At what point is it an invasion of privacy and not just a harmless background check? The line is thin... and thats The Scoop.
In recent news a woman lost her job... the players... a Swiss woman in her early 30's, the swiss company Nationale Suisse, a hard-ass for a boss, and Facebook.
The gist of this particular case, is that woman decided to take a sick day. A coworker saw that her status was available on facebook, meaning she had signed in at home during her sick day... Personally I have no problem with this, even if she says she had a migraine... I get migraines and I assure you they hurt, but I can still check my Facebook. Her employer claims if she is well enough to check her facebook and access a computer to do it, she should be at work... She was fired from her job for checking her facebook on a sick day... Now she is angry and claiming she was being stalked illegally and that is the issue now. Where should employers draw the line with Facebook and other social networks... Background checks, and now sick day monitoring??? This case may change the employers ability to check us out on social networks, and I think there has to be some kind of limit as to what they are allowed to do. At what point is it an invasion of privacy and not just a harmless background check? The line is thin... and thats The Scoop.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Jazz Robot?
Since forever a major difference between humans and robots has been the ability to improvise. How about a robot that can play jazz music? That's right the robot known as Shimon, plays the marimba. It doesn't just mimic, it listens, and without any delay analyzes the musical pattern and spits out musical genius. Amazing. Shimon is the brainchild of Guy Hoffman, Gil Weinberg, and Roberto Aimi. heres a video...
shimon playing...
speaking of cool robots anyone familiar with Boston Dynamic's Big Dog? Quite possibly the coolest application of robotics so far. Basically a pack mule for small military squads and what not, it can walk across ice and snow and responds very nicely to external forces and bumpy terrain... Check out the clip around :40 seconds and 2:30 respectively to see exactly what i mean. The ice part is my favorite though. Very impressive robotics
Big Dog
That's the Scoop!
shimon playing...
speaking of cool robots anyone familiar with Boston Dynamic's Big Dog? Quite possibly the coolest application of robotics so far. Basically a pack mule for small military squads and what not, it can walk across ice and snow and responds very nicely to external forces and bumpy terrain... Check out the clip around :40 seconds and 2:30 respectively to see exactly what i mean. The ice part is my favorite though. Very impressive robotics
Big Dog
That's the Scoop!
Want to learn Italian?
As a college student I have many resources available to me that many do not... For example Italian classes each semester. I have always wanted to learn how to speak Italian and after my adventure through Italy last summer I can only say my need to learn it is only growing.
There are many free sites and gimmick products out there, but from my experience the only real way to learn is not going to be quick and easy. I have only taking Italian for two semesters now but feel increasingly confident in my abilities to use the language. I find myself practicing more because I am understanding more. I have started to think about things in Italian, and even when i say things in English I think about how I would say them in Italian.
For me this means I am constantly learning new words. Fortunately for me, being on a college campus means wifi everywhere, and with the abilities of my magical ipod touch, I am able to look up words whenever I want. I have found the best way to learn is through practice. I think the text book I am currently using is great. Just by reading through the chapters, taking your time and practicing the vocab I guarantee you will be able to learn enough to survive an Italian conversation with a native. Here's the book info in case you are interested. Here's the Google shopping results...
Parliamo Italiano
As you can see, the price is not al that intimidating, and if your considering buying Rosetta Stone, this may be a MUCH cheaper and way more successful start. My brother recieved Rosetta Stone as a gift, and I tried it... I was having a blast thinking I was learning Italian, but I realized each time i went back to pick up where I started I realized I didnt really remember it and needed to start over which is frustrating, but also maybe I didn't give it a good enough try. However, for me and the way I learn, having a textbook that explains grammar and how things are used, lists of vocab words to study with flashcards and whatnot has been much more successful for me.
The textbook is actually not only about grammar. It is titled Parliamo Italiano a communicative approach. Sure it will teach you rules and grammar, but I think the focus is vocabulary, and getting your point across in conversation. The book provides little sections in each chapter entitled "In oltre parole" which means in other words... here they give you common slang phrases and terms commonly used in Italy. I think this book does a great job and if you have questions you can always find a forum or some website to help you. I also suggest Italian-Verbs.com.... This is a great tool to help you with your verb usage. Also in terms of free translators, i think Google's translator is by far the easiest and best one out there. Its simple and pretty accurate. It also understands some slang stuff, and doesn't just translate each word like many translators do. It organizes the words into proper Italian. a Nice tool... I think i will start posting some free Italian lessons here and even quote the book... But if you are serious about learning Italian I definitely suggest this Parliamo Italiano.
Also, another good thing i have discovered is pen pals. My Italian teacher set us up with some friends of his from Italy, now I am guessing most people don't have friends in Italy, but I am sure if you look around you could find some... For example our pen pals were set up through Facebook, this may be a good outlet to browse and find Native speakers. I would also suggest contacting pretty much any university who offers foreign language, even a high school or middle school who offers Italian. I'm sure teachers and professors would have no problem emailing with you and helping you learn Italian. This has been an invaluable source to me as it has also been a place to ask questions. Which means for those of you not on a school campus it maybe be a big help in answering questions.
Va bene... beh, spero che io sia utile a te e tu puoi imparare Italiano. In bocca di lupo! Means okay, well i hope i am helpful to you, and that you can learn italian. In the mouth of the wolf... Italians use that phrase instead of saying good luck. Its like break a leg. The proper response is Crepi! meaning I hope he (the wolf) dies.
There are many free sites and gimmick products out there, but from my experience the only real way to learn is not going to be quick and easy. I have only taking Italian for two semesters now but feel increasingly confident in my abilities to use the language. I find myself practicing more because I am understanding more. I have started to think about things in Italian, and even when i say things in English I think about how I would say them in Italian.
For me this means I am constantly learning new words. Fortunately for me, being on a college campus means wifi everywhere, and with the abilities of my magical ipod touch, I am able to look up words whenever I want. I have found the best way to learn is through practice. I think the text book I am currently using is great. Just by reading through the chapters, taking your time and practicing the vocab I guarantee you will be able to learn enough to survive an Italian conversation with a native. Here's the book info in case you are interested. Here's the Google shopping results...
Parliamo Italiano
As you can see, the price is not al that intimidating, and if your considering buying Rosetta Stone, this may be a MUCH cheaper and way more successful start. My brother recieved Rosetta Stone as a gift, and I tried it... I was having a blast thinking I was learning Italian, but I realized each time i went back to pick up where I started I realized I didnt really remember it and needed to start over which is frustrating, but also maybe I didn't give it a good enough try. However, for me and the way I learn, having a textbook that explains grammar and how things are used, lists of vocab words to study with flashcards and whatnot has been much more successful for me.
The textbook is actually not only about grammar. It is titled Parliamo Italiano a communicative approach. Sure it will teach you rules and grammar, but I think the focus is vocabulary, and getting your point across in conversation. The book provides little sections in each chapter entitled "In oltre parole" which means in other words... here they give you common slang phrases and terms commonly used in Italy. I think this book does a great job and if you have questions you can always find a forum or some website to help you. I also suggest Italian-Verbs.com.... This is a great tool to help you with your verb usage. Also in terms of free translators, i think Google's translator is by far the easiest and best one out there. Its simple and pretty accurate. It also understands some slang stuff, and doesn't just translate each word like many translators do. It organizes the words into proper Italian. a Nice tool... I think i will start posting some free Italian lessons here and even quote the book... But if you are serious about learning Italian I definitely suggest this Parliamo Italiano.
Also, another good thing i have discovered is pen pals. My Italian teacher set us up with some friends of his from Italy, now I am guessing most people don't have friends in Italy, but I am sure if you look around you could find some... For example our pen pals were set up through Facebook, this may be a good outlet to browse and find Native speakers. I would also suggest contacting pretty much any university who offers foreign language, even a high school or middle school who offers Italian. I'm sure teachers and professors would have no problem emailing with you and helping you learn Italian. This has been an invaluable source to me as it has also been a place to ask questions. Which means for those of you not on a school campus it maybe be a big help in answering questions.
Va bene... beh, spero che io sia utile a te e tu puoi imparare Italiano. In bocca di lupo! Means okay, well i hope i am helpful to you, and that you can learn italian. In the mouth of the wolf... Italians use that phrase instead of saying good luck. Its like break a leg. The proper response is Crepi! meaning I hope he (the wolf) dies.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Now playing
You can be a wesley... Elephants in Rabbit holes...
Matt Costa... let it be sung...
check out Mr. pitiful as well... That's the scoop yo.
Matt Costa... let it be sung...
check out Mr. pitiful as well... That's the scoop yo.
funny new word
I actually haven't checked with urban dictionary to check on how original this word is but.... At my school in the daily paper there is a section called the instant daily... Here students can instant message a screename and get their comments posted in the paper... whether its just a silly comment or somethign you have noticed on campus you can im it to the screename and possibly have it printed.
Anyway someone said this; "Proscrasterbate: you have a lot of work to do, but your roomates arent there..." lol anyway thoguht it was good humor. Thats the scoop yo.
Anyway someone said this; "Proscrasterbate: you have a lot of work to do, but your roomates arent there..." lol anyway thoguht it was good humor. Thats the scoop yo.
New gen Iphone
As an owner of a lame g'zone type s cellphone and an awesome ipod touch i cant wait for the new iphones to come out!!! From what ive read it looks like it might come out in June... right around when my verizzon contract ends. Perfect... Check out wired's article, they summarize our best guesses as to what it will include pretty well... that or just google it.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Pirates...
Well its been in the news so 'Let Us Talk' ...
I think the moral of the story is pirates make for good navy seal target practice. For those of you unfamiliar with whats going on in the world let me catch you up.
Last week an American cargo ship by the name of the Maersk Alabama, was headed towards Kenya hijacked by Somali pirates...
Now im not sure if everyone knows this but piracy is common, and its a multimillion dollar 'business' ... Generally, the way things work requires an inside guy. Someone aware of a particular ships destination and traveling route informs someone who hires pirates. They procede to intercept these ships, hold them hostage, and negotiate ransom terms with the owners and insurers, which is usually in the neighborhood of a million dollars.
So this time, these four rather unlucky pirates hijacked an American ship... After several days of wondering when this would end, one pirate finally surrendered. The remaining three were subsequently sniped by Navy Seals who had parachuted in a few nights before.
Now it was assumed they were between the ages of 16-20, so not surprisingly these four Somali pirates were around 18 years old... Just kids... The one who surrendered is currently in U.S. custody, but the question remains; what do we do with him?
The options are deliver him to Kenyan government and let them deal with him, or try him in a United States courtroom. (caution rant ahead)
Now this is the amazing part, if he is brought to the states, we, meaning the United States and its taxpayers, will probably have to pay for his lawyer. Well probably also have to pay for his whole family to come over here so he can be tried. Ha, just imagine, they end up residing here as illegal aliens. Then once he is thrown in a United States prison our tax dollars will pay for that as well.
So the 3/4 of the pirates are dead, one is in our custody, the ships captain who was being heled hostage has returned safely home, and thats 'The Scoop!'
I think the moral of the story is pirates make for good navy seal target practice. For those of you unfamiliar with whats going on in the world let me catch you up.
Last week an American cargo ship by the name of the Maersk Alabama, was headed towards Kenya hijacked by Somali pirates...
Now im not sure if everyone knows this but piracy is common, and its a multimillion dollar 'business' ... Generally, the way things work requires an inside guy. Someone aware of a particular ships destination and traveling route informs someone who hires pirates. They procede to intercept these ships, hold them hostage, and negotiate ransom terms with the owners and insurers, which is usually in the neighborhood of a million dollars.
So this time, these four rather unlucky pirates hijacked an American ship... After several days of wondering when this would end, one pirate finally surrendered. The remaining three were subsequently sniped by Navy Seals who had parachuted in a few nights before.
Now it was assumed they were between the ages of 16-20, so not surprisingly these four Somali pirates were around 18 years old... Just kids... The one who surrendered is currently in U.S. custody, but the question remains; what do we do with him?
The options are deliver him to Kenyan government and let them deal with him, or try him in a United States courtroom. (caution rant ahead)
Now this is the amazing part, if he is brought to the states, we, meaning the United States and its taxpayers, will probably have to pay for his lawyer. Well probably also have to pay for his whole family to come over here so he can be tried. Ha, just imagine, they end up residing here as illegal aliens. Then once he is thrown in a United States prison our tax dollars will pay for that as well.
So the 3/4 of the pirates are dead, one is in our custody, the ships captain who was being heled hostage has returned safely home, and thats 'The Scoop!'
Hello everyone!
Welcome to my blog... Ill pretty much be discussing everything here, from science, politics and news to food, travel, and college! Hope you I can provide some good reading... feel free to post and spread, and that's "The Scoop!"
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