Livemocha

After reading a great article on CNN about computer based language learning, I tried out one of the top picks: Livemocha. This site takes online language learning to a new level and is completely free. I am currently learning Russian, and was able to quickly set up an account and get started. They also offer many other languages, just about anything you would want to learn.

The main benefit to using Livemocha is that it is a community, who helps each other learn languages. So when I submit a voice sample in Russian, a native Russian speaker will rate it and provide me with feedback. I do the same for others who are learning English. It is also possible to engage in chats with users, and of course there are the lessons which are pretty good.

I have to admit, I'm surprised how good this site is. I also have Rosetta Stone, which is great and helps a lot, but one thing it does not provide is feedback from native speakers which is obviously helpful.

While I don't think that you can learn a language from one source alone, Livemocha is a perfect complement to other options out there, like Rosetta Stone.

Anti-vax crowd is killing the children

Here is a great, highly recommended article from this month's Wired. The subject is controversial, because as always the anti-science folks (and these ones are not necessarily basing any arguments on religion) are back. And this time they are harming the youth of America.

In this battle, there are many who claim that vaccinating children is harmful, somewhat forgetting to say that polio, rubella, and measles are much worse. Wired has a full arsenal debunking various myths and even calling out these grade A assholes.

The main issue at stake is that some people believe vaccinations cause autism. This is simple correlation and no study has ever proven causation. Autism tends to set in at a certain age, the same age that kids are getting vaccines; however much of the increasing rate is better diagnosis of autism, not evil vaccines.

Evil is when a parent subjects their child to an array of diseases that have been eradicated.