The 'Great Letters' of the Korean writing system

Korean writing is an alphabet, a syllabary and logographs all at once. Each word is made from alphabet letters that combine into syllables,which are combined into a compact character block.

The remarkable Korean writing system, Hangul, is little known outside Korea, and conflicting statements may be read about it.

The changeover from Chinese-origin hanja characters to the versatile hangul at the end of half a century of Japanese occupation facilitated Korea's explosion of literacy from 1945 on. It could well be a major factor in Korea's massive leap in thirty years from being the backward, semi-medieval, war-torn country that I knew in 1950 to one of the most industrialised and fastest growing economies in the world.

The hangul script, literally, the 'Great Letters', sometimes called Onmun, shows the ingenuity possible when an orthography is carefully designed to be frendly to its users at every point. Letter names signify their sounds, and the shape of each symbol was supposedly designed to represent its phonetic articulation (although others claim anecdotally that the shapes were taken fortuitously from the design of a lattice that happened to be around.)

The simple 24 letters of the script represent the phonemes of the language. They build up logically to make about 120 very common syllables and nearly 400 in common use, making around 2000 altogether of mostly square-framed syllable blocks, by stacking the geometric shapes of the consonants on to the bar shapes of the vowels, either horizontally or vertically, The blocks have the memorable visual qualities of gestalts, like simple Chinese characters, but with very different constituents.

This orthography suits the Korean language, which is composed mostly of polysyllabic morphemes, with an elaborate inflexional system based on suffixes. I. Taylor (1980) found that the three levels of complexity in hangul characters were better for discriminating and recognising syllable blocks than single levels. The syllables then string into words, with wider spacing between the words, and this facilitates word recognition within the sentences. Logical distinctions reduce homographs. Western scholars have admired its phonetic accuracy, perfect match to the language, internal structure and its 'sheer creativeness'. Dictionaries are not needed for spelling.

A language with thousands of syllables (like English) could be represented in this syllabic writing, because it is built up alphabetically. The next stage of building up syllables reduces sequencing errors, and simplifies parsing. For example, the notorious English word 'antidisestablishmentarianism', which is 28 letters in English, would be condensed into ten syllable-blocks if in hangul. Unfamiliar words can be decoded at any of its three levels of sound, syllable and whole-word character, and by either visual or auditory perceptual mode. The different levels of present English spelling, however, operate to make it 'a psycholinguistic guessing game' (Goodman, 1976).

In South but not in North Korea, the visually distinctive Chinese hanja characters are also often still used as a useful discriminant in mixed text, to represent traditional Chinese loan words. They continue links with Chinese and Japanese culture, as well as being a status symbol of better education. In 1956 Gray's Korean subjects read this type of mixed script faster than the pure phonetic hangul, but 20 years later, Noh Hwang Park & Kim (1977, cited by Taylor & Taylor, 1983: 90) found that hangul was read faster - a difference which may be due to the decreasing familiarity of hanja.

Korean keyboards of mechanical typewriters have been cumbersome, since consonants can be in both top and bottom positions in syllables, but electronic word-processing is simple. Symbols are simply typed in alphabetically, and automatically packaged and adjusted into high letter-quality syllable blocks.

Blood Trivia!

Q. What common chemical added to blood keeps it from clotting until it is ready to be transfused to a patient?

A. Salt

Q. What common chemical added to blood greatly increases its storage time without adversely affecting the quality?

A. Sugar

Q. When and how was the first administration of blood given?

A. The early Egyptians and Romans prescribed it orally as a life-giving tonic and to transmit youth from donor to recipient.

Q. What was the nickname of the Queen of England and Ireland who resigned from 1553-1558?

A. Bloody Mary (Mary Tudor)

Q. Which ancient culture, believing that blood had magical powers, painted their bodies with it and bathed their kings in it as part of their tribal ritual to appease the gods?

A. Aztecs

Q. In ancient times, what profession became known by the name of an animal they frequently employed in their work?

A. Doctors used leeches to remove blood (which supposedly removed demons which were thought to be the cause of illness). Soon their patients started referring to physicians as "leeches."

Q. When were the four blood types identified in humans?

A. Blood transfusions were first attempted around 1600 by transfusing animal blood into humans - with disastrous results. Then, in the early 1800s an English obstetrician, James Blundell, came up with the idea of human blood for human beings. The results were better, but still some patients inexplicably died. Finally, in 1920, Karl Landsteiner identified the four basic blood types, and subsequently, the success of blood transfusions was significantly increased when patients were transfused with their same type.

Q. Which RH factor is most needed, RH+ or RH- ?

A. Both. A greater percentage of people have RH+, so this means more RH+ blood donors are needed. Fewer people have RH- blood so there are fewer donors to provide this type when needed.

Q. What is the origin of the red & white striped pole designating a barber shop?

A. In the Middle Ages, bloodletting was a popular cure for many ills, and barbers became known as professional bloodletters. Red & white barber poles symbolize the practice of hanging bloodstained bandages outside their shops.

Q. What English aristocrat believed that bathing in blood would keep her young (which may have contributed to the beginning of the vampire legend)?

A. Mary Bathory

Q. What blood type did Mr. Spock of Star Trek have?

A. His blood type was T-negative (and colored green because of the copper content)

Q. What nation has popularized the belief that blood type is an indicator of personality traits?

A. Japan

Q. What percentage of a person's body weight is blood?

A. 7%

Q. What percentage of Chinese people have RH+ blood?

A. 100%

Q. Which blood type must receive only their own specific type, even in an emergency?

A. O-

Q. How many blood types do cats have?

A. Four

Q. How many blood types do cows have?

A. Over 800

funny sms :)

☻We will now upgrade your brain, please wait....Searching....searching...still searching....sorry,NO BRAIN found...!

☻I'M AN ALIEN. I HAVE JUST TRANSFORMED MYSELF INTO THIS TEST. AS YOU ARE READING I'M HAVING SEX WITH YOUR EYEBALLS. I KNOW THAT YOU LIKE IT BECAUSE YOU ARE SMILING

☻All the love that history knows is said to be in every rose!Yet all the love that could be found in two, is less than what I feel for you.

☻If you think there is good in everybody, you haven't met everybody.

☻When a man talks dirty to a woman, it's sexual harassment. When a woman talks dirty to a man, it's $3.95 per minute.

☻Conserve toilet paper, use both sides.

☻I get enough exercise just pushing my luck!

☻Sorry, I don't date outside my species.

☻Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off NOW!

☻First the engagement ring, then the wedding ring, then the suffering.

☻Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else.

☻Dad, what vagina looks like? Before sex: a pink rose with soft lovely pelats and perfum aroma. And after sex? boy, have you ever seen a bulldog eating mayonnaise!

☻Kiss my ass, and do it fast,suck my dick and do it quick.

☻Bad sex is better then a good day in school.

☻Never let a man's mind wander, it's too little to be out on it's own!!!!

☻Sex is like programing; One mistake, and YOU WILL HAVE TO SUPPORT IT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE…

☻Their are moments in life when you really miss someone. And you wish you could just pluck them from your dreams......

☻My girl and me, we are so perfect, she loves me, and I love myself too...

☻Hi, do you want to have my children? No.?? ...Okay, then can we just practice?

☻I took an IQ test and the results were negative.

☻Jesus loves you... everyone else thinks your an asshole…

☻If you wanna be a hipi, put you flower in your pipi…

☻Don`t drink water, because fish fuck in it!

☻Hi! Please stand by while this program enlarges your penis...........................ERROR: Your penis was not found! Sorry..............

☻Never let a man's mind wander, it's too little to be out on it's own!!!!

☻It is good for girl to meet boy in park, but better for boy to park meat in girl.

☻News: 3 Chimps escaped from the zoo... 1 was caught watching tv... another playing football and the third one was caught reading this txt message

☻God made man and then rested. God made women and then no one rested

☻The longest sentence known to man: "I do."

☻CNN News. Bush orders 15,000 FBI trained dogs to track down Osama. FBI awaiting further orders as one of the dogs is reading this

☻Crime doesn't pay...Does that mean my job is a crime?

☻This dog, is dog, a dog, good dog, way dog, to dog, keep dog, an dog, idiot dog, busy dog, for dog, 20 dog, seconds dog! ... Now read without the word dog.

☻Why were males created before females?
Cos you always need a rough draft before the final copy.

☻I want to suck you... lick you... wanna move my tongue all over you...wanna feel you in my mouth...yep, tat's how u...eat an ice cream!

☻ALGEBRA: A weapon of math destruction.

☻Don't spend $2 to dry-clean a shirt. Donate it to the Salvation Army instead. They'll clean it, put it on a hanger. Next morn buy it back for 50p.

☻Do you ever notice that when you're driving, anyone going slower than you is an idiot and everyone driving faster than you is a maniac?

☻Q:What is the difference between a wife and a girlfriend?
A:About 45 pounds!!

☻Q: What is the difference between a smart blonde and a UFO?

A: There have been sightings of UFOs.

☻I think drinking and driving is terrible. You always spill it when you change gears...

☻There was this Eskimo chick who spent the night with her boyfriend. Next morning she found out she was 6 months pregnant.

☻What did the elephant say to the naked man?
How do you breathe through that thing?

☻What happened when the Pope went to Mount Olive?
Popeye beat the crap outta him.

☻I've used up all my sick days, so I'm calling in dead.

☻A 3-legged dog walks into a saloon in the Old West. He slides up to the bar and says:
"I'm looking for the man who shot my paw."

☻Boss: (to employee) - Experts say humor on the job relieves tension in this time of down-sizing, Knock, Knock.
Employee: Who's there?
Boss: Not you anymore.

☻What's the diff between a Rottwieler and a Poodle?
If Rotty starts humping your leg, let it finish.

☻Aim for the stars. But first, aim for their bodyguards.

☻Two goldfish are in a tank. One says to the other, "Do you know how to drive this thing?"

☻What is the difference between a woman and a magnet?
Magnets have a positive side!

☻The probability of someone watching you is proportional to the stupidity of your action.

☻Q: What does a blonde owl say?

A: What, what?

☻WOMAN: The most efficient money reducing agent known to man-kind!

☻What do you call a blonde hiding in a closet?
The 1977 World Hide and Seek Champion.

☻Why was Phillip's girlfriend annoyed?
Coz she found out that Phillips 24 inch was a TV.

☻Why did Tigger stick his head in the toilet?
He was looking for Pooh!

☻What do you say to a woman with 2 black eyes?
You don't, you've told her twice already!

☻What's the difference between Margaret Thatcher and Edwina Currie?
One screwd the miners, the other screwed Majors

☻Q: What happens when a blonde gets Alzheimers disease?

A: Her IQ goes up.

☻Jesus saves, he shoots, HE SCORES!!

☻Any woman that thinks the way to a mans heart is through his stomach is aiming just a little too high.

☻I'm late for work because the train driver had an out of body experience and didn't come back for a day and a half.

☻I like Kids. But I don't think I could eat a whole one.

☻How many men do you need for a mafia funeral?
Only one. To slam the car boot shut.

☻For sale : Twin beds, one hardly used.

☻What do you call a Lada/Skoda at the top of a hill? A miracle.

☻Whats the definitoin of suspicion? A nun doing pressups in a cucumber field.

☻Why doesn't Jesus eat M and M's? Cos they fall through his hands.

☻Whits pink, wrinkled and hangs oot yer trousers??? Yer Gran!

☻What are 3 words you never wanna hear whilst making love? Honey, I'm home!

☻What do you get when you cross ESP with PMS? A bitch who knows everything.

☻How do you save a man from drowning? Take yer foot of his head.

☻Q: How many men does it take to change a toilet roll?

A: We don't know. Never happens.

☻Q: Why was the leper caught speeding?

A: He couldn't take his foot of the accelerator.

☻Q: What do you get when you cross a computer with a whore?

A: An f****ing know it all.

☻ A chicken sandwidch walked into the bar, ordered some food and beer. The bartender says: "Sorry, we don't serve food here".

A: Because people keep hitting them with dictionaries.

☻ Why do farts smell? For benefit of the deaf.

☻ I've got the ship, you've got the harbor ... what say we tie up for the night?

☻If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put U and I together.

☻ Why'd the couple stop after 3 children? Cos they heard every fourth child born is chinese.

☻ What did the drummer get on his IQ test? Drool...

☻I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't looking good either.

☻ It's no accident that stressed spelled backwards is desserts.

☻ I wonder if you choke a smurf, what color does it turn?

☻ Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they're NOT out to get you.

☻ You're slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter.

☻ I'd explain it to you, but your brain would explode.

☻ My Reality Check bounced.

☻ Minds are like Parachutes. They work best when open.

☻ Do not meddle in the affairs of cats, for they are subtle and will whiz on your computer.

☻ Lightyears ahead! Just a phonecall away!

☻Very funny Scotty. Now beam up my clothes.

☻Do chickens think rubber humans are funny?

☻There cannot be a crisis today; my schedule is already full.

☻Borrow money from pessimists--they don't expect it back

☻As a computer, I find your faith in technology amusing

☻Nothing in the known universe travels faster than a bad check.

☻What do you call a handcuffed man?
- Trustworthy.

☻What's the quietest place in the world? The complaint department at the parachute packing plant

☻Q: What do you do when a blonde throws a pin at you?

☻A: Run like hell....she's got a hand grenade in her mouth.

☻Why don't men often show their true feelings?
- Because they don't have any. 1

☻What's the difference between a man and E.T.?
- E.T. phoned home.

☻What is the thinnest book in the world?
What Men Know About Women.

☻A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.

☻Marriage is a three ring circus: an engagement ring, a wedding ring, and suffering

☻How Dogs and Women are alike.....
Neither believe that silence is golden.
Neither can balance a checkbook.
Both put too much value on kissing.

☻Marriage is the process of finding out what kind of man your wife would have preferred.

☻If you jogged backward ... would you gain weight?

☻Did you hear about the new Chinese Cookbook being sold only at pet stores?
"101 Ways to Wok Your Dog"

☻If you can't change your mind, are you sure you still have one?

☻Did you ever walk into a room and and forget why you walked in? that's how dogs spend their lives.

☻I'm not into working out. My philosophy: No pain. No pain.

☻I only use de-oudourant under one arm, so I know what I would have smelled of.

☻Did you hear about the idiot who walked around the world? He drowned.

☻A woman walked into a fancy cocktail bar and asked the barman for a "double entendre" - so he gave her one!

☻Four fonts walk into a bar. The barman says "Oi - get out! We don't want your type in here"

☻A priest, a rabbi and a vicar walk into a bar. The barman says, "Is this some kind of joke?"

☻A sandwich walks into a bar. The barman says "Sorry we don't serve food in here"

☻A dyslexic man walks into a bra

☻A man walks into a bar with a roll of tarmac under his arm and says: "Pint please, and one for the road."

☻A three-legged dog walks into a saloon in the Old West. He slides up to the bar and announces: "I'm looking for the man who shot my paw."

☻Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused his dentist's Novocain during root canal work? He wanted to transcend dental medication.

☻I met a Dutch girl with inflatable shoes last week, phoned her up to arrange a date but unfortunately she'd popped her clogs.

☻Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly; but when they lit a fire in the craft, it sank, proving once and for all that you can't have your kayak and heat it.

☻News: 3 Chimps escaped from the zoo... 1 was caught watching tv.. another playing football and the third one was caught reading this txt message

☻God made man and then rested. God made women and then no one rested

☻The longest sentence known to man: "I do."

☻CNN News. Bush orders 15,000 FBI trained dogs to track down Osama. FBI awaiting further orders as one of the dogs is reading this

☻Crime doesn't pay...Does that mean my job is a crime?

☻This dog, is dog, a dog, good dog, way dog, to dog, keep dog, an dog, idiot dog, busy dog, for dog, 20 dog, seconds dog! ... Now read without the word dog.

☻Why were males created before females?
Cos you always need a rough draft before the final copy.

☻I want to suck you.. lick you.. wanna move my tongue all over you...wanna feel you in my mouth...yep, tat's how u...eat an ice cream!

☻ALGEBRA: A weapon of math destruction.

☻Don't spend £2 to dry-clean a shirt. Donate it to the Salvation Army instead. They'll clean it, put it on a hanger. Next morn buy it back for 50p.

☻Do you ever notice that when you're driving, anyone going slower than you is an idiot and everyone driving faster than you is a maniac?

☻Q:What is the difference between a wife and a girlfriend?
A:About 45 pounds!!

☻Q: What is the difference between a smart blonde and a UFO?

A: There have been sightings of UFOs.

☻I think drinking and driving is terrible. You always spill it when you change gears...

☻There was this Eskimo chick who spent the night with her boyfriend. Next morning she found out she was 6 months pregnant.

☻What did the elephant say to the naked man?
How do you breathe through that thing?

☻What happened when the Pope went to Mount Olive?
Popeye beat the crap outta him.

☻I've used up all my sick days, so I'm calling in dead.

☻A 3-legged dog walks into a saloon in the Old West. He slides up to the bar and says:
"I'm looking for the man who shot my paw."

☻Boss: (to employee) - Experts say humor on the job relieves tension in this time of down-sizing, Knock, Knock.
Employee: Who's there?
Boss: Not you anymore.

☻What's the diff between a Rottwieler and a Poodle?
If Rotty starts humping your leg, let it finish.

☻Aim for the stars. But first, aim for their bodyguards.

☻Two goldfish are in a tank. One says to the other, "Do you know how to drive this thing?"

☻What is the difference between a woman and a magnet?
Magnets have a positive side!

☻The probability of someone watching you is proportional to the stupidity of your action.

☻Q: What does a blonde owl say?

A: What, what?

☻WOMAN: The most efficient money reducing agent known to man-kind!

☻What do you call a blonde hiding in a closet?
The 1977 World Hide and Seek Champion.

☻Why was Phillip's girlfriend annoyed?
Coz she found out that Phillips 24 inch was a TV.

☻What do Germans use for birth control?
Their personalities!

☻Why did Tigger stick his head in the toilet?
He was looking for Pooh!

☻What do you say to a woman with 2 black eyes?
You don't, you've told her twice already!

☻What's the difference between Margaret Thatcher and Edwina Currie?
One fucked the miners, the other fucked the Majors

☻Q: What happens when a blonde gets Alzheimer's disease?

A: Her IQ goes up.

☻Jesus saves, he shoots, HE SCORES!!

☻Any woman that thinks the way to a mans heart is through his stomach is aiming just a little too high.

☻I'm late for work because the train driver had an out of body experience and didn't come back for a day and a half.

☻What do you get if you cross an Irishman with a German?
A man who's too drunk to follow orders.

☻I like Kids. But I don't think I could eat a whole one.

☻How many men do you need for a mafia funeral?
Only one. To slam the car boot shut.

☻For sale : Air Bags, Used once.

☻What do you call a Lada/Skoda at the top of a hill? A miracle.

☻What's the definition of suspicion? A nun doing pressups in a cucumber field.

☻Why doesn't Jesus eat M and M's? Cos they fall through his hands.

☻What's pink, wrinkled and hangs oot yer trousers??? Yer Gran!

☻What are 3 words you never wanna hear whilst making love? Honey, I'm home!

What do you get when you cross ESP with PMS? A bitch who knows everything.

☻How do you save a man from drowning? Take yer foot of his head.

☻Q: How many men does it take to change a toilet roll?

A: We don't know. Never happens.

☻Q: Why was the leper caught speeding?

A: He couldn't take his foot of the accelerator.

☻Q: What do you get when you cross a computer with a whore?

A: An fucking know it all.

☻A chicken sandwich walked into the bar, ordered some food and beer. The bartender says: "Sorry, we don't serve food here".

☻Because people keep hitting them with dictionaries.

☻Why do farts smell? For benefit of the deaf.

☻I've got the ship, you've got the harbor ... what say we tie up for the night?

☻If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put U and I together.

☻Why'd the couple stop after 3 children? Cos they heard every fourth child born is chinese.

☻What did the drummer get on his IQ test? Drool...

☻Q: How did the Pollack burn his face?

A: Bobbing for french fries.

☻Q: What's difference between Yogurt and Australia?

A: One has a real live culture.

☻Q: What's diff between Michael Jackson and grocery bag?
A: Ones white, made outta plastic and dangerous for kids to play with. The other you carry groceries in.

☻Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Fanny.
Fanny who?
Fanny the way you keep saying 'Who's there? Every time I knock.

☻Knock! Knock!
Who's There?
A midget who cant reach the doorbell.

☻Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Harry.
Harry who?
Harry up and let me in!

☻Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Harry, Butch, and Jimmy.
Harry, Butch and Jimmy who?
Harry up, Butch your arms around me, and Jimmy a kiss.

☻Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Olive.
Olive who?
Olive across the road.

☻Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Mummy.
Mummy who?
Mummeasles are better so can I come in?

☻Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Boo.
Boo who?
There's no need to cry, it's only a joke.

☻Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Madam.
Madam who?
Madam key broke in the lock.

☻Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you glad I called by?

☻Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Atch.
Atch who?
Bless you.

☻Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Mister.
Mister who?
Mister last bus home.

☻Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Ivor.
Ivor who?
Ivor sore hand from knocking so much.

☻Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
York.
York who?
York coming over to my place tonight?

☻Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Isabel.
Isabel who?
Isabel broken? I had to knock.

☻Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Lettuce.
Lettuce who?
Lettuce in, it's cold out here.

☻Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Grandma. Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Grandma. Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Grandma. Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Aunt.
Aunt who?
Aunt you glad Grandma's gone?

☻Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Doris.
Doris who?
Doris locked - that's why I knocked.

☻friendship is like peeing in your pants. every1 can c it but only u can feel its true warmth.thank u 4 being the pee in my pants xxxx

☻(_!_)An arse (__!__)Fat arse (!)Tight arse (_?_)Dumb arse (_*_)Sore arse (_zzz_)Tired arse (_E=mc2_)Smart arse (_x_)Kiss my arse!!

☻He met a lady while browsing. She unzipped his dotcom when downloading. Since he was virus free he slotted his floppydisk into her hotmail she screamed yahoo!

☻Today its cool to have small cars and small computers.Soon it will be cool to have a small penis too.then you my friend will be THE MAN!!

☻Viagra now available in eye drops, you don't get an erection but you look hard!

☻T-MOBILE regrets 2 inform u that the network has gone down on everyone except u.We regret 2 inform u that no one would go down on u.not even a network

☻I only have SEX on days that begin with T: Thanksgiving. Tuesday. Thursday. Today. Tomorrow. Thaturday. thunday.. Tevery day

Blackjack Wonder: "I won't quit 'till the chips hit my chin."

The man wasn't at my table. But I wish he had been!
Just one table down, a rather inebriated gentleman of about 40 years old was playing high-stakes Blackjack out of an 8 deck shoe, courtesy of a somewhat nervous dealer. There must have been over $35,000. where he sat at his center spot, as I coming on for my evening graveyard shift. And believe me, all the floor managers were quite attentive to his action. Even the shift Pit Boss saundered over to make sure things were OK.
The guy kept betting "limit up", which is to say, he bet the table maximum on every hand. Many times, on several spots at a time, too. As is usual with tipsy players, they usually start pressing too hard, and lose whatever stake they had created. Quick to make a buck, but quick to lose it , too. But this guy was different. It seemed like his stacks had force fields around them. Over 10 slightly wobbly piles of black chips, growing higher and higher with every turn of the card. He also kept one of the cocktail girls very busy (and very happy) with a one-hundred dollar drink tips.

Usually, a crowd would form on the elbow of a high flying player like him, and cheers would go up on every win. But it was a bit unusual on this Tuesday night; not a single kibitzer was around. Even as folks walked by, they scarcely gave him a nod. Very unusual. As time wore on, the drunker he got. "More scotch!" he ordered. "Lemme have another ca-card!" he mumbled to the dealer. "I ca-can't q-quit now!" he announced.

"In fact... I won't quit 'till the ch-chips hit my chin!" he shouted, for the whole pit to hear.

In nearly two hours of later action, the piles finally did "hit his chin!"

This unnamed gentleman "colored-up" about $70,000. Too drunk to walk properly, the floor supervisor had to help him over to the cage, because he had so many purple ($500.) chips. Uniformed security guards were there, too, to make sure the occasional purple chips he dropped didn't make it into the wrong hands. I often look back in wonder about this super-lucky player. I later found out from the dealer that his buy-in was only $200. An impressive run-up, and the luckiest streak I ever saw that year.

Poe Coincidence

In the 19th century, the famous horror writer, Egdar Allan Poe, wrote a book called ‘The narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym’. It was about four survivors of a shipwreck who were in an open boat for many days before they decided to kill and eat the cabin boy whose name was Richard Parker. Some years later, in 1884, the yawl, Mignonette, foundered, with only four survivors, who were in an open boat for many days. Eventually the three senior members of the crew killed and ate the cabin boy. The name of the cabin boy was Richard Parker.

bugs

Nothing puts a damper on summertime activities quite like an infestation of pests. The warm weather brings out all kinds of creepy-crawlies, and getting the upper hand on them is no easy task. There are plenty of traditional methods of handling the situation, but they all lack one key element—fun. Indeed, a twisted type of pleasure can be derived from exterminating these pests if you have the right tools. So arm yourself with the following gadgets and enjoy some sick summertime fun.
Electronic Venus Fly Trap: Bait is hidden inside the mouth of the trap, which is fitted with two sensors that quickly snap the jaws shut when a fly is detected. After the deed is done, the jaws reopen and the trap emits a satisfied burp. Available for around $40.

ive architecture: Grow your own home

Tolkien's hobbits would feel right at home in new dwellings made out of living tree roots and designed to protect inhabitants from earthquakes. The homegrown architecture is just one of many eco-structures a new company hopes to roll out worldwide.

The concept of coaxing living trees into useful objects, sometimes called tree shaping, arborsculpture, living art or eco-architecture, isn’t new. But now engineers and plant scientists from Tel Aviv University have taken their leafy designs to the next, and more practical and playful, level.

Pilot projects under way in the United States, Australia and Israel include streetlamps, gates and playground structures made entirely from trees, as well as hospital park benches that grow their own foliage for shade.
"Instead of using plant branches, this patented approach takes malleable roots and shapes them into useful objects for indoors and out," said Amram Eshel of Tel Aviv University in Israel.

Image: This leafy bench sits on the grounds of Israel's Tel Hashomer Hospital. The foliage provides natural shading to visitors.
TAU/Plantware
This leafy bench sits on the grounds of Israel's Tel Hashomer Hospital. The foliage provides natural shading to visitors.
A home built from trees, the researchers said, would be a natural storm protector. "After earthquakes and after tsunamis the only structures that still survive are trees," said Yaniv Naftaly, director of operations at Plantware, a company founded in 2002. Naftaly told LiveScience the same sturdiness should apply to tree-made homes.

Eshel and TAU colleague Yoav Waisel are working with Plantware to commercialize the leafy designs. The team found that certain tree species grown aeroponically (in air instead of soil and water) have roots that don't harden. Once the malleable, so-called soft roots grow long enough in the lab, they are molded around metal frames in the shape of a playground or park bench.

Then the root tips get tucked into the ground, a process that triggers so-called lignification in which the roots start to harden and grow thicker and thicker. The leafy buds supported by the roots begin to grow taller and bushier.

In the near future, they say, entire homes will be constructed with the eco-friendly technology. An engineer by trade, Plantware's CEO Gordon Glazer hopes the first home prototype will be ready in about a decade. The first playground could take root as early as next year.

Top 10 Worst Pickup Lines

In general, most pickup lines are lame. But some are a lot worst than others. As a result, we've assembled the Top 10 Worst Pickup Lines of All Time. Starting from number 10:

10... You remind me so much of Pokemon that I just want to pick-at-choo.

9... I’m new in town. Can I have directions to your house?

8... I misplaced my Teddy Bear. Will you sleep with me?

7... Wow, your legs must be really tired because you have been running through my mind all night!

6... What's that in your eye? Oh, it must be a twinkle from when our eyes met!

5... Did you clean your pants with Windex, because I can totally see myself in them.

4... Those must be space pants, because your legs are outta this world.

3... Hi, my name is Justin… Justin Credible.

2... I may not be Fred Flinstone, but can still make your Bedrock.

And now for the worst pickup line of all time:

1... Is your name Visa, because you’re everywhere I want to be.

mafiozo :)

Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE, (born 31 December 1941 in Govan, Glasgow) is a Scottish football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United F.C., where he has been in charge since 1986. Considered to be one of the best football managers in the history of world football,[1] he has also won more trophies than any other manager in the history of English football.

With 22 years as manager of Manchester United, he is the second-longest serving manager in their history after Sir Matt Busby, while his tenure is the longest of all the current League managers. During this time, Ferguson has won a slew of awards and holds many records including winning Manager of the Year most times in British football history.

He was an inaugural inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame for his great services to the English game, was knighted in 1999 by Queen Elizabeth II and currently holds the Freedom of the City of Aberdeen for his services to the city, having managed the city's football club to a host of major trophies in the early to mid 1980s.

Sir Alex Ferguson - one of the most successful managers in footballing history, SAF has had 20 years at the top, and what contrasting times they have been - turning the team around in the late 80s before launching an assault on the new Premiership that has led Manchester United to 9 league titles (so far).

Ferguson should be remembered for the collective style his teams employ, attacking and defending in droves and staying disciplined without sacrificing creativity. He will also be remembered for his bustups with some of his best players - it’s a heavy price to pay for greatness, but it’s a price any Manchester United fan would pay.

http://www.tamiltubevid.com/

http://www.tamiltubevid.com/

interesting youtube chanel ;)

Deset zanimljivosti o inauguracijama američkih predsednika

Na drugom inauguracionom balu Julisiza Granta bilo je toliko hladno da se zamrzla hrana, gosti su plesali u kaputima, a specijalno doneti kanarinci pomrli. Tela otrovanih golubova popadala su po putu kojim je trebalo da prođe parada tokom zakletve Ričarda Niksona, koji je pride položio ruke na dve Biblije.

"Blic online" vam prenosi "Telegrafovu" listu deset zanimljivosti vezanih za inauguracije američkih predsednika.

1. Novoizabrani američki predsednik Barak Obama koristiće inauguracionu Bibliju Abrahama Linkolna, 16. predsednika SAD, da položi zakletvu.

2. Paradu nakon polaganja zakletve Dvajta Ajzenhauera, 34. predsednika, pratila je novinarka "Vašington Tajms-Heralda" Žaklin Buvije, koja je kasnije poslata Džeki Kenedi.

3. Najkraći inauguracioni govor od 133 reči održao je Džordž Vašington (prvi američki predsednik) 1793, a najduži Vilijem Herison, deveti predsednik SAD, koji je 1841. pričao skoro dva sata. Govor se sastojao od 10.000 reči. Dan je bio veoma hladan, a Herison nije nosio ni kaput ni šešir, pa je nakon mesec dana u Beloj kući umro od upale pluća.

4. Karte za prvi inauguracioni bal, koji je održan 1809. kada je Džejms Medison posao četvrti predsednik SAD, koštale su četiri dolara. Za istu sumu novca danas jedva da možete kupiti piće u Americi.

5. Lindon Džonson, 36. po redu lider države, jedini je predsednik koji je položio zakletvu pred ženom, federalnim okružnim sudijom Sarom Hjudžis. Takođe je bio jedini predsednik koji je inaugurisan u avionu – preuzeo je funkciju odmah nakon ubistva Džona Kenedija.

6. Drvena struktura napravljena za drugi inauguracioni bal 18. predsednika SAD Julisiza Granta pretvorila se u "ledaru" zbog hladnog vremena. Hrana se zamrzla, gosti su plesali u kaputima, pucale su žice na violinama, a 100 kanarinaca, koji su specijalno doneti da pevanjem upriliče događaj, umrlo je od hladnoće.

7. Valjda se Džordžu Bušu neće desiti što i odlazećem 14. predsedniku SAD Frenklinu Pirsu, koji je zakasnio na inauguraciju svog naslednika 20 minuta. Polaganje zakletve je odloženo jer su zvaničnici zaboravili da dođu po odlazećeg predsednika u hotel, pa su morali da se vraćaju.

8. Pokušaj da se rasteraju golubovi sa svoje "maršute" 1973, pre inauguracione parade 37. lidera države Ričarda Niksona, prošao je katastrofično. Na drveće je posuta hemikalija koja je trebalo da natera ptice da osećaju svrab u nogama i odlete sa drveća. Umesto toga, ptice su pojele hemikaliju, otrovale se i tela umirućih ptica prekrila su prestižnu Aveniju Pensilvanija. Zvaničnici su morali brzo da raščiste put.

9. Veliki pesnik Robert Frost, koji je 1961. na inauguraciji 35. predsednika SAD Džona Kenedija imao 86 godina, trebalo je da pročita novu pesmu napisanu specijalno za događaj. On je, međutim, bio zaslepljen jakim suncem i umesto nove, izrecitovao je pesmu koju je napisao godinama unazad i, srećom, zapamtio.

10. Ričard Nikson dao je zakletvu sa rukama položenim na dve Biblije, dok Teodor Ruzvelt, 26. predsednik, nije položio ruke ni na šta.