maithreyi shankar

theworldwelivein:

Stand Out | Zabriskie Point, Death Valley NP, California
© Ellie Stone

whothehellisbonnybear:differentrealms:dressedforthehbomb:

kellyegan:

Americans in 1776 did have British accents in that American and British accents hadn’t yet diverged. That’s not too surprising.

What’s surprising, though, is that those accents were much closer to today’s American accents than to today’s British accents. While both have changed over time, it’s actually British accents that have changed much more drastically since then.

First, let’s be clear: the terms “British accent” and “American accent” are oversimplifications; there were, and still are, innumerable constantly-evolving regional British and American accents. What most Americans think of as “the British accent” is the standardized Received Pronunciation, also known as “BBC English.”

While there are many differences between today’s British accents and today’s American accents, perhaps the most noticeable difference is rhotacism. While most American accents are rhotic, the standard British accent is non-rhotic. (Rhotic speakers pronounce the ‘R’ sound in the word “hard.” Non-rhotic speakers do not.)

So, what happened?

In 1776, both American accents and British accents were largely rhotic. It was around this time that non-rhotic speech took off in southern England, especially among the upper class. This “prestige” non-rhotic speech was standardized, and has been spreading in Britain ever since.

Most American accents, however, remained rhotic.

Cambridge History of the 

DID EVERYONE ELSE NOT KNOW THIS

My mind has been fucked

melanchali:

and now, ladies and gentlemen, your moment of zen.

two of my favorite things: badass president & dunks! :) 

meghantonjes:

trollonasan:

Cheesey Mushroom Pull Apart Bread

For the Mushrooms

• 12 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme

For the Bread

• 1 unsliced loaf sourdough bread
• 12 ounces Provolone cheese, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup finely diced green onion
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Oh lordy.

WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT

NOMSSSSSSSSSSSS

thedailywhat:

War Is Over of the Day: After nearly nine years of bloodshed, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta declared the US war in Iraq to be over.

The announcement was made during a symbolic ceremony which saw the lowing of the American flag in Baghdad.

“After a lot of blood spilled by Iraqis and Americans, the mission of an Iraq that could govern and secure itself has become real,” Panetta said. “To be sure, the cost was high — in blood and treasure for the United States, and for the Iraqi people. Those lives were not lost in vain.”

Of the 1.5 million US troops who served in Iraq over the years, just under 4,500 were killed in action. As many as 30,000 were wounded. Scores of soldiers from other coalition countries lost their lives as well.

On the Iraqi side, over 16,000 members of the Iraqi Security Forces died. Tens of thousands more were wounded.

The exact number of Iraqi civilians killed or wounded during the war may never be known, but is believed extremely high.

Though December 15th will be henceforth mark the end of the Iraq War, some 15,000 people will remain behind to operate the US embassy, making it the largest of its kind in the world.

[msnbc / wapo / theatlantic / photo: csmonitor.]

awesome! only TEN YEARS in the making. 

need more sessions at Urth Caffe next semester! #lonelytime

lacedinweddings:

Mehndi, also known as henna, is used to adorn brides prior to the ceremony in South Asia,  Middle East, and North African countries. I have seen Mehndi in many lovely and intricate designs but never have I seen it in white as it is on this brides arm. What an equally elegant alternative to the deep reddish brown colors often used. Beautiful! What do you think?

…. white is NOT mehndi because it isn’t the same plant.
but overlooking that, it’s pretty :) 

heartfelt letters & hugs can speak louder than presents. 

italktosnakes:

Oooh this is my kind of Christmas tree.

I LOVE THIS. 

IDEAL SITUATION. 

#shouldvebeenalitmajor #OMGBOOKS

lysergiocacid:

This is why everyone should devote their lives to Love.

Your house and your cars and all your belongings don’t matter. What will have a lasting impression in the universe is how you treat others.

measure your life in LOVE. 
this is beautiful in that in highlights just how SMALL we truly are in the grand scheme.

in Hinduism, the belief is that this entire “material world” is all illusion and the only truth is the absolute, which you join through living purely and selflessly. Understanding that is half the battle, but it is so easy to lose that understanding in the sea of individualism. It is too easy to forget that living selflessly and with pure intentions is more meaningful than “being successful” and “being the best”. 

rozmurph:

Stop comparing yourself.

Stop comparing your front lawn, your high school, the number of meaningless boyfriends you had and the number of college applications you submitted.

Stop wishing you had your teammate’s opportunities, your roommate’s peers and your classmate’s Montessori training.

Stop imagining scenarios in which your mom stayed at home or your dad paid for your gas.

Stop defining yourself by your resumé, your passport and your bank account.

Yes, those things shaped you, they still affect you and they’ll probably influence you forever. But they’re over. Stop using them to justify your actions or fuel your grudges.

You are really, phenomenally blessed.

Don’t let anyone diminish the value of the things you’ve seen, the people you’ve met, the songs you love.

Let your work precede you. When people meet you, let them expect that you’re the best in your field and come from wherever you think you should come from. Let your real, stronger roots make you distinctive.

You are exactly where you’re supposed to be. So is everyone around you. Play that part as well as you can, because you alone are suited for it.

Stop comparing yourself to other people, because to do so means you’re not thankful for what you have and where you are -

and what you have is perfect.

Finally finished with finals Fall 2011! 
heading to the airport with my kindle filled with books & a mind reeling with thoughts. 
I had an incredible semester rife with good and bad events, and now is the time to plan and reflect on it. 

eddplant:

vondell-swain:

good times

Wow Mitt

You uh, you really don’t know what’s going on right now do you?

WTF. is 2012 even a real presidential election? I know people were asking whether Obama deserves a second term, but if these are his opponents, he’s the only logical choice. 

dontstopthefrizz:

andrewgraham:

Still wondering what Occupy Wall Street is protesting? The common thread is institutional inequality. Here are some infographics. (Images via.)