Recently in Links Category

Recently, I met a Colombian, we met each other through chat at first, and we continued speaking for a while, and eventually I showed him a video of me speaking Spanish, and we has impressed by my abilities and near mastery of the accent. He was also wondering what I thought of his English accent. So we exchanged some clips and I was surprised by the very good accent he had in English, but later he started speaking again in Spanish and I was astounded by the very neutral sound of his accent. It seems that where this speaker lives the Spanish spoken there had a very neutral sound, which makes it easy for speakers to develop an almost natural sounding English accent. This particular speaker was from Santa Marta and as far as I can tell the accent there is quite neutral, which would be a definite plus for leaners of Spanish who would prefer a neutral and less thick way to develop listening skills, while later  making your way through the more thick accents.  

I'm planning on learning Russian during the winter break, and then continuing during the summer through formal classes. I really don't know why, but I'm going to anyway. I also hope to continue with my Portuguese. I've learned quite a lot. Still so much to learn, but the university setting has really been very slow. Although I've been under a lot of stress lately despite it all. Nevertheless, there is still so much to learn, and especially for a language like Russian formal instruction is something I will benefit from.

Russian has a lot of interesting features. Of course, because the language still includes declension makes it quite a challenge, but one I'm ready for.

I've been very interested in the culture phenomena of the internet, particularly the community aspects that have been created through the web, and the implications it has for the world and people in general. Why it allows us to be have a degree of freedom unseen before in social expression, but also to remove social constraints of appearance, color, manner of speech, and even language and geographical barriers. It is the subject of so much development linking everyone with a computer to the digital revolution that has given us so much to look forward to.

I present a very interesting lecture from an anthropology professor and the work he has done. I was impressed with the video that he created before addressing digital text etc., and I'm quite happy to see that he had a whole lot more to say on the subject. It's such a fascinating subject. Do I see a video blog in my future? Probably not...

According to a recent article in Science Daily Circadian Rhythms may be important in remembering what you learn.

I'm strapped for time but you ca read the whole article over at Science Daily.  Maybe you'll find it interesting. I'll try to write more when I've got some spare time. 

If you were ever looking for a cool map to print out maps and customize them, highlight features, etc, then I've found a really awesome site to do such a thing.

The FreeMap website is a really cool place to check out to freshen up on your geography, or maybe just to get a map that you really need for a report out and on paper. This is a really useful tool that is well worth keeping stores in your bookmarks just in case you ever need it.

It seems that my video posts never came to much fruition, but perhaps as most things seem to be now on this blog - in the future- and maybe when I get a nice break going to write some more interesting tidbits.

As I was speaking about yesterday my friend from Iran introduced me to the Iranian author Ferdowsi who wrote the very famous Shanameh know in English as the Epic of Kings.

Ferdowsi was a Persian poet renowned for his works, as well as a peculiar non-affinity to Islam, although he was a Muslim.

You can read the translation here at the Epic of Kings. Also, a bit more about Ferdowsi can be found at Wikipedia, as well as some additional information about the Shanmeh.

While browsing the interesting do it yourself website Instructables I found an inspiring and very unique tutorial filled with personal experiences. I found that there were lots of useful tips to consider. Managing money being among some of the most useful tips. Like most travelers money is something that needs to be guarded carefully since tourists are prime targets for being ripped off. Some other thoughts on really how to have an adventure. Couch surfing being among one of the most interesting and captivating methods of travel I've come upon.

You can visit the Handy Tricks World Traveler Edition right on over at the link I put in this sentence.

(Image courtesy  jrayfarm1980)

I've encountered another friend from Iran in the past days. So I decided to post a link to the blog my friend is using in order to learn English.

You can find him at his blog the English Village. A small blog still, but full of potential.

We had a nice conversation about some history of Iran and the history of my city in the USA a lot of interesting thoughts. People from Iran are incredibly open and friendly despite the terrible propaganda that you might hear about Iran.


Image courtesy rosemanios the details of the image:

Front:
Vessel terminating in the forepart of a fantastic leonine creature, Achaemenid;
5th century B.C. Iran Gold; H. 17 cm
Fletcher Fund, 1954 (54.3.3)

Horn-shaped vessels ending in an animal's head have a long history in the Near East as well as in Greece and Italy. Early Iranian examples are straight, with the cup and animal head in the same plane. Later, in the Achaemenid period, the head, or animal protome, was often placed at a right angle to the cup, as in this piece. In the manufacture of this gold vessel, several parts were invisibly joined by brazing, which demonstrates superb technical skill. One hundred and thirty-six feet of twisted wire decorate the upper band of the vessel in forty-four even rows, and the roof of the lion's mouth is raised in tiny ribs. Typical of Achaemenid style, the ferocity of the snarling lion has been tempered and restrained by decorative convention. The lion has a crest running down his back; his mane has the disciplined appearance of a woven material; and his flanks are covered by an ostrich plume. The inclusion of the plume, a departure from convention, suggests that this lion is winged and has some supernatural significance.

Back:
Fluted bowl, Achaemenid, Darius I or II; 522-486 B.C. or 432-405 B.C.
Iran Gold; H. 11.1 cm
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1954 (54.3.1)

In the sixth century B.C., under the leadership of Cyrus the Great (r. 538-530 B.C.), the Achaemenid Persian dynasty overthrew Median kings and established an empire that would eventually extend from eastern Europe and Egypt to India. Achaemenid rulers included such famed kings as Cyrus, Darius I (r. 521-486 B.C.), and Xerxes I (r. 485-465 B.C.). They built palaces and ceremonial centers at Pasargadae, Persepolis, Susa, and Babylon. The Achaemenid Dynasty lasted for two centuries and was ended by the sweeping conquests of Alexander the Great, who destroyed Persepolis in 331 B.C. The Achaemenid period is well documented by the descriptions of Greek and Old Testament writers as well as by abundant archaeological remains.

Fluted bowls and plates of the Achaemenid period continue a tradition begun in the Assyrian Empire. While they were given as royal gifts, it seems that they were also valued and exchanged simply for the weight of the precious metals from which they were made.

This is a video I found recently thanks to one of my friends in Portugal a very touching video and something I had to share. The music illuminates each dimension of the painting both in a literal figurative manner. Demonstrating the complete horror of the the Civil War in Spain. All credit to lena gieske

You can watch this video at the link above. Unfortunately, it was too difficult to include right here on the blog.