Greetings On Over 800 Languages

Yongámo, CTCN readers, Kiel vi fartas?

For the uninitiated, the previous sentence combines three languages.

Yongámo means good morning as spoken in the Enga language of Papua New Guinea.

The middle bit, spoken in English, refers to you, the CTCN readers.

The third, Kiel vi fartas, is the international use of the Esperanto language means how are you.

Before you accuse me of becoming uncommunicative and elitist, you can head over to this site which gives you the ability to utter various greetings in over 800 languages.

You can learn to say hello, how are you, goodbye, please, thank you and do you speak English.

The question becomes; with so many greetings from which to choose, how will you say hello today?

How Well Do You Know Your Geography?

Media stories continually pop up decrying the average American's lack of geographic knowledge. It's true, we send our youth across the the world to fight in countries most people couldn't point out on a map. Here's your chance to test your knowledge and prove the pundits wrong...or right.
Either way, you'll improve your geographic knowledge and impress the hell out of your circle of friends.

How good is your geographic knowledge of the USA? You can find out by testing yourself at David in Cyberspace.

When you've completed the 25 cities of the USA, try your skill at the state capitals of the USA.

How are you doing so far?

Let's make this test tough. Since our country has been embroiled in conflicts throughout Asia for numerous years, see how well you know the countries of Asia.

Earn Good Test Score; Go Shopping

Good grades used to earn students a hearty "atta boy/girl" or a sneering "that's what's expected of you" from many parents.

In Coshocton grade schools, pass the state standardized tests and you can receive $100.

When my son told me about the program, he could barely contain his enthusiasm. Visions of new video games were dancing in his head. His class won in the lottery drawing and he attends an after school test preparation (which keeps him in school an extra hour). The jaw dropper: he likes it!

The school district and donor Bob Simpson deserve a thumbs up for trying to improve the system.

Regardless of the test results, which I'm certain will be positive, kids are learning.

What are your thoughts on the program?

The Most Underused English Phrase

While we're on the topis of lists, I'll throw this one into the mix.

Enjoy this list of the most underused phrase in the English language. Not only do you get the phrase in English, but you'll get it in mutiple languages. Spread the list around Coshocton. Practice, use, repeat.

By the way, blagodaria.

My Favorite Word

What's your favorite word? Gossamer? Breeze? Beautiful? Mystery?

The web site, My Favorite Word, encourages you to write and explain your favorite word. It's a great way to improve or beautify your language while increasing your vocabulary.

Take a look at the site and feel free to share your word with CTCN readers by posting it in comments.

My favorite word? Ethereal.

100 Most Often Mispronounced Words and Phrases in English

Occassionally, as I flit about the community and listen to everyday conversation, I detect numerous word mispronunciations. Often, I've thought, short of teaching English as a second language, "How can I help?"

In an effort to help scrub up the community locution, I submit to "you uns", the readers of CTCN, a list of 100 most often mispronounced words in English.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not an elitist. As I perused the list, I was horrified to see a handful of words of which I verbally slaughter.

So, today I'll study and practice these 100 words. For CTCN readers, feel free to print off the list and share it with a significant other, friend, or neighbor.

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By the way, once you've completed the above list, you can head over to the 100 most often misspelled words in English. I can hear you grumbling, "I want to be entertained...not go to school." There's plenty of time for news and entertainment. Read the list and I promise to post a funny video for you later today.

Top 10 Websites For Students

I have quite a few college students traipsing through the old homestead and I thought they may find this top 10 list useful.

Either they'll find it useful or they'll make fun of me. Been there. Done that.

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How Popular is YOUR Last Name?

Ever wondered how many of your clan exists in the USA? You can find out by entering your name into a searchable database of more than 50,000 surnames culled from the Social Security Index.

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Can You Pass An 8th Grade Science Test?

I hope that my results are graded on a curve. It's amazing how much you forget about 8th grade science when you didn't pay attention anyway.

Now, you can test your 8th grade science knowledge. It's a quick test. Remember, if you cheat, you're only cheating yourself.

One more thing. Feel free to post your results in the comment section. I won't make fun of you, but you can make fun of me. I failed.

How to Stop Saying "Um" and "Ah" During a Speech

Ummm, yeah, did you get that memo on how to, ah, fix those uncomfortable pauses while you talk?

Ummm, I listened to Condoleeza Rice this, ah, morning and, she's, ummm, educated, but she could use some "um" and "aw" coaching. You know what I mean? You know? You know what I mean? Like, it's annoying when the like Secretary of ,ummm, the United States of, ah, merica, can't seem to like spit out the, ummm, segue.

Annoyed, yet? All good executives go to heaven. Save yourself. Read the article.

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How to Improve Your Memory Coshocton

I've been meaning to post this story, but up to this moment, have forgotten.

We all need to bone up on our memory sharpening skills. We need to move our mind beyond television "blinks" and remember what the politicians said last week, last month, and last year. Once you remember what politicians said, then you can remember spousal conversations.

Some quick tips and exercises on how to improve your memory.

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