Life is an Illusion

 How about testing you skills with a few optical illusions to pass the time? 

Find the hidden animal.

Find 5 hidden microphones

Spot the sewing machine

Parental Hijacking

Knowing how parents of today are sending their kids off to college goes a long way in explaining why when those same kids get out of school think they should start out as a CEO instead of gaining work experience. What's going on is that instead of letting their children figure out how to furnish/decorate their own dorm rooms the parents are stepping in and doing it for them which also tends to make the kids both less appreciative of what they have and less likely to take care of it. The same can be said for helping with first homes, let the young ones find their own way so they are better suited to getting by in real life. Separation can be hard on the parents but it isn't really about the parents, if they've done their job their kids will make it just like the parents did when they left home.  

Say What?

 Today's post looks at the most difficult town names to pronounce state by state. The data was compiled from a number of sources and research. Many of the town names come from native languages like Alabama's Loachapoka (which means "turtle sitting place" in Muskogee, and Wayzata in Minnesota is derived from a Sioux word meaning "north". Other names may seem familiar though they are pronounced differently like Cairo sounds more like Karo than the Egyptian capital and Milan isn't the same as Milan, Italy as it is said MY-linn. Still other names have no clear origin. 

Alabama	Loachapoka	LOW-cha-POH-kah
Alaska	Nunathloogagamiutbingoi Dunes	Unknown. Phonetic approximation: Noo-nath-loo-ga-ga-mee-oot-bin-go-ee
Arizona	Sonoita	suh-NOY-tuh
Arkansas	Ouachita	WASH-ee-tah
California	Zzyzx	ZY-ziks
Colorado	Crested Butte	Crested BEWT
Connecticut	Berlin	BURR-lin
Delaware	Newark	New-ARK
Florida	Ocoee	oh-KOH-ee
Georgia	Buena Vista	BEW-na VISS-tuh
Hawaii	Kaumalapau	kah-OO-mah-LAH-pah-OO
Idaho	Coeur d’Alene	KORE-duh-LANE
Illinois	Benld	Ben-ELD
Indiana	Loogootee	Luh-GO-tee
Iowa	Ocheyedan	oh-CHEE-den
Kansas	Osawatomie	oh-so-WAH-tah-mee
Kentucky	Tyewhoppety	tih-WAH-pih-tee
Louisiana	Natchitoches	NAH-code-ish
Maine	Seboeis	Seh-BOW-iss
Maryland	Glenelg	GLEN-el
Massachussetts	Worcester	WOO-ster
Michigan	Sault Ste. Marie	SOO Saint ma-REE
Minnesota	Wayzata	WHY-ZET-uh
Mississippi	Louisville	LOO-iss-vill
Missouri	Qulin	Q-lin
Montana	Ekalaka	EE-ka-LAH-kah
Nebraska	Cairo	CAY-row
Nevada	Winnemucca	WIN-eh-MUCK-uh
New Hampshire	Milan	MY-linn
New Jersey	Greenwich Township	GREEN-which
New Mexico	Abiquiú	AB-ick-you
New York	Schenectady	skin-ECK-tah-dee
North Carolina	Schley	SLY
North Dakota	Palermo	PAL-er-mo
Ohio	Gnadenhutten	ji-NAY-dun-huh-tehn
Oklahoma	Pawhuska	paw-HUS-kuh
Oregon	Yachats	YA-hahts
Pennsylvania	Shickshinny	shick-SHIN-ee
Rhode Island	Quonochontaug	KWAHN-ah-kahn-tawg
South Carolina	Chechessee River	chu-CHES-see
South Dakota	Pukwana	PUCK-wah-nah
Tennessee	Ooltewah	OO-da-wah
Texas	Nacogdoches	NAH-coh-DOE-chess
Utah	Duchesne	doo-SHAYN
Vermont	Montpelier	mont-PEEL-yər
Virginia	McGaheysville	muh-GAK-eez
Washington	Puyallup	PYOO-uhl-up
West Virginia	Iaeger	YAY-gər
Wisconsin	Oconomowoc	oh-KON-oh-moh-wok
Wyoming	Kemmerer	KEM-er-er