Saturday, August 31, 2024
Most-Spoken Languages Besides English And Spanish
An excerpt from Mental Floss -
The Most-Spoken Language Besides English and Spanish in Every State, Mapped
The analysis from WordFinderX took a deep dive into the languages of the United States—and revealed some fascinating trends along the way.
By Paul Anthony Jones
The United States is, famously, a linguistic melting pot, with estimates ranging from 350 to as many as 430 different languages being used across the country.
Out of all those, English understandably comes out on top nationwide. Almost four-fifths of Americans reported in the last census that they only speak English at home, making English America’s de facto official language (though, oddly, no de jure official language has ever been legally or formally recognized in the United States). After that, Spanish is America’s second most widely-spoken language, used in 62 percent of non-English speaking households, and giving America the world’s second-largest Spanish-speaking population, after Mexico.
But what would happen if we were to take English and Spanish off the table, and look instead at how the other 400 or so languages of the United States are used? A fascinating new analysis has done precisely that.
Language blog WordFinderX took household population data from the last census to discover the most spoken languages—outside of English and Spanish—across the United States. Breaking down the Census Bureau data by regions, states, major cities, and even individual districts and neighborhoods showed just how linguistically diverse American households truly are, and revealed some surprising geographic and linguistic trends in the process.
Let's Give Our Girls a Heads Up
An excerpt from YourTango -
12 Lessons Most Women Learn Too Late In Life
We all want to better ourselves, but learning how isn't always easy.
By Marielisa Reyes
Here are 12 lessons most women learn too late in life
1. You're responsible for how people treat you
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We've all been disrespected or undermined, and in the moment we might feel like nobody respects us or people don't know how to treat us right. But the reality of the situation is this: you are responsible for how people treat you.
You set the limits and you set the boundaries. And if someone treats you with disrespect, you step away from them. Because if you don't, this will only lead to more disrespect later down the road.
In fact, one study found that those who are disrespected have cynical views about human nature. This, in turn, leads to treating yourself and others with disrespect, and losing the respect of people around you.
2. Attitude is everything
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Whether we had a bad morning or a raging headache, most of us struggle to keep a positive mindset. Even more, most of us learn far too late what a change in mindset can accomplish.
For instance, multiple studies have shown that a change in mindset leads to greater motivation and academic success among students. According to an additional study, "Positive thinking and interventions can increase older adults' resilience, and thereby improve their quality of life. High quality of life can lead to greater life satisfaction."
So, even when it's hard, find things to be grateful for each and every day. Focus on the positives throughout your day and keep yourself in high spirits — your overall health depends on it.
4. Actions speak louder than words
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| New Africa | Shutterstock |
According to licensed counselor Lee Wichman, "The unconscious is incredibly powerful and one's behaviors cannot help but betray one's true sentiments." This means that if a friend or partner says, "I care about you," but their actions don't align, they likely don't care or value you.
It's a tough pill to swallow for most, but it's important to truly understand the meaning of that phrase. Because if we don't, we might find ourselves in relationships that drain us instead of inspire us.
https://www.yourtango.com/self/lessons-most-women-learn-too-late-life
Thursday, August 29, 2024
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Why "Windy City?"
An excerpt from Readers' Digest -
The Surprising Reason Why Chicago Is Called the "Windy City"
It's got nothing to do with the weather.
By Meghan Jones
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| Grey Tree Studios/Shutterstock |
When you hear someone mention the “Windy City,” you immediately know they’re talking about Chicago, as surely as the “Big Apple” means New York and “Sin City” refers to Las Vegas. Knowing this, you might make sure to pack your best windbreaker for your first trip to Illinois’ biggest city. But it turns out that, while Chicago is as prone to a blustery day as any other metropolis, its wind isn’t particularly exceptional. How did the city get this nickname?
| Well, when the nickname came to be, the “Windy City” meaning wasn’t describing the weather but the people. (Don’t worry, not that kind of wind.) Nineteenth-century journalists first gave Chicago this designation when criticizing the city’s elite as “full of hot air.” In the Chicago Daily Tribune, a reporter wrote in 1858 that “[a] hundred militia officers, from corporal to commander … air their vanity … in this windy city.” Another reporter, a proud citizen of Milwaukee, boasted that his own city was the better of the two: “We are proud of Milwaukee because she is not overrun with a lazy police force as is Chicago—because her morals are better … than Chicago, the windy city of the West.” They meant that the city was full of “windbags,” people with inflated egos who cared about nothing but profit. (Learn these 12 signs someone has a massive ego.) https://www.rd.com/article/chicago-windy-city/ |
Monday, August 26, 2024
Saturday, August 24, 2024
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Monday, August 19, 2024
21 Clever Memory Tools
An excerpt from Buzzfeed -
21 Clever Mnemonic Devices That Will Help You Remember Almost Everything
Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.
By Sarah Aspler, BuzzFeed Staff, Canada
1. The order of planets from the sun:
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| BuzzFeed / Getty |
4. The order of mathematical operations:
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| BuzzFeed / Getty |
5. When to use "affect" or "effect":
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| BuzzFeed / Getty |
7. How to remember who is on which bill:
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| Buzzfeed / Getty |
14. How to set the table:
A Freshman at Georgia Tech at 13
An excerpt from CBS Evening News -
He was reading at 1 and doing fractions by 2. At 13 years old, he's majoring in aerospace engineering at Georgia Tech.
By Mark Strassmann
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