Okay, time for another silly dictation test

Ready with a half-sheet of paper?

Here goes ... listen to the following question as many times as you wish, and write out what it says.

Then post your dictated question under Comments below.

Canadawide Jobs with Target

Target stores are taking over what used to be Zellers in Canada.

Those of you interested in retail and supply-chain management jobs should definitely check out Target's entry to Canada.


According to a Facebook ad, they're hiring!


Click here to look at the jobs offered.

Should my new password be 24awtewLNCSTDY3?

Or, should my password be "password"?

If your password is iloveyou, trustno1, letmein, monkey, dragon, or jesus, you've got one of the 25 worst passwords of this year! Passwords are important, especially for online banking, email, and blogging, and it's frightening to know that someone might be able to get into your data and mess with it.

It's also embarrassing to find out your password is on that list. But what's worse is when you forget your lousy password.

So you really want to make sure that your password is a good one and that you have good security habits to keep yourself and your messaging safe.

Following is a list of secrets to create a strong yet manageable password. Please comment on their ideas. Then enjoy the following video:

Where's the language going in Canada?

The National Post has an interesting article today tracing where language is going in Canada.

Can you answer the following questions?

1. Which of the 25 top immigrant languages most spoken at home is growing the fastest in Canada?
1. Arabic
2. Hindi
3. Mandarin
4. Tagalog
2. Which are the top 5 immigrant languages spoken at home in Toronto?
1. Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, Spanish, and Russian
2. Arabic, Farsi, Russian, Chinese, and Vietnamese
3. Cantonese, Punjabi, Chinese, Urdu, and Tamil
4. Italian, Portuguese, Cantonese, Tamil, and Tagalog

Answers below:

Congratulations, Mister Felix Baumgartner!

One small step, one giant leap for mankind--you Armstronged it for us, literally!

What an exciting Sunday afternoon it was, watching Felix Baumgartner rising in his balloon-borne capsule, stepping out of it, and jumping down through the sound barrier on his way home!

What went through his mind when he was about to jump? He must have been terrified. I would have been, as most people would. That was the question a reporter posed in the news conference that followed.

Check out the video (below) and see if you can write out the transcript for 14:49 - 15:02, beginning with "What went through your head ...."

Post your transcript on your blog and check it with a partner or with the words below.

Really? That's a Rejoinder?

Mahshallah!

Moming qimiao!

Good grief!

Vous plaisantez!

Itu bagus sekali!

Hē im.

Here are some words in different languages used to show emotions--sometimes indicating surprise, sometimes following, or sometimes happiness or sorrow--depending on the situation.

If you watch a movie and see a car crash, what do you say? "Really?" "That's great!" "Oh no!" or "Uh huh." Most people may think the answer is "Oh no!" but the expression you use--called a rejoinder--really depends on what one sees and feels before the car crash. What might you have said if the car crash happened after a building collapsed, a bomb went off, a truck plowed into a busy sidewalk, and a hundred other mishaps?


Check out the this Liveleak Freaks website and see if you can find any rejoinders. A number of those spectacular video clips have gone viral; so enjoy them. Feel free to respond by posting your Comments there, whether you agree, disagree, or have something to say!

God Keep Our Land

As crazy things happen around the world this week--riots, lynchings, assassinations, etc.--it's a blessing that we in Canada have not been affected by the violence instigated in the name of religion or politics.
But this freedom comes at a price, that of our men and women in the Canadian Forces protecting our values and our liberties half a world away.

This post salutes the good work they're doing and wishes them every success in keeping our enemies at bay.