Fun Friday Resources

You have to love an online dictionary that has as its latest addition the word “whumpf,” and the second entry of which is “aaugh!” Check out the Written Sound Onomatopoeia Dictionary. (I don’t know about you, but I giggle internally every time I say ‘onomatopoeia.’)

India Foxtrot (space) Yankee Oscar Uniform (space) Charlie Alfa November (space) Romeo Echo Alfa Delta (space) Tango Hotel India Sierra… This one might actually be useful if, like me, you’ve ever had to spell your name over the phone or even in person. (DALE? Really? Trust me, I just got an email of thank you notes from some grad students in Iowa, and half of them called me Dave or Dan.) It’s the NATO Phonetic Alphabet Converter. Super simple to use.

Looking for something meaningful to do, to support civilization before it collapses around us? Would it help if you didn’t have to leave home to do it? Go volunteer at the National Archives to transcribe Revolutionary War Pension Files! (A couple of summers at the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program, I had a social studies teacher whose PhD involved the Irish Brigade of the U.S. Army in the Civil War, and he had students pick a soldier, go over their records, do some research, and determine if the file’s claims for a pension were legit or not.)

If you’re twiddling your thumbs and think it’s time for you to learn something new, head over to Class Central, where you’ll soon find yourself deep in a morass of thousands of courses, some free, some with fees, but all at your fingertips. Good luck!