curious about the world

clipped from www.dailymail.co.uk How the world really shapes up Rather than defining each country by size, these computer-generated modified maps - or cartograms - redraw the globe with each country's size proportionate to its strengths, or weaknesses, in a whole series of categories. For instance, when it comes to military spending, the U.S. appears bloated, but Africa is huge when HIV prevalence is mapped. The cartograms were produced in a unique collaboration between the universities of Michigan in the U.S. and Sheffield. Here are images and more details on some of the most fascinating... Alcohol Consumption (2001) HIV Prevalence House Prices Military Spending War and death Toy Imports Toy Exports Wealth of Nations (1500) Wealth of Nations (2002)

sus in deal, e-o casa?

clipped from www.2spare.com

I just found out how I am going to die..

How Will I Die Quiz You will die at the age of 85 You will be killed by Mars aliens as they invade earth Find out how you will die at Quizopolis.com

I can finally relax now..I have plenty of time, I don't have to worry about anything wrong that can happen to me, I've hit rock bottom :)

so why don't YOU just LIVE your life, not caring too much for bullshits?

With or without you..

With or without you
Originally uploaded by Marine♥.

See the stone set in your eyes
See the thorn twist in your side
I wait for you

Sleight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails she makes me wait
And I wait without you

With or without you..

Through the storm we reach the shore
You give it all but I want more
And Im waiting for you

With or without you
I cant live
With or without you

Gri.M. - a gringo!

How did the term "gringo" originate?

I had always assumed that it was simply a Spanish word meaning "a pesky European settler," but once I looked into the matter, it turned out that things weren't quite so cut and dried.

After entering the phrase "gringo origin" into the Google search box and clicking on some of the web page matches, I uncovered a controversy over the word's history.

It seems that many amateur etymologists believe the term comes from a song sung by American frontiersmen ("Green Grow the Rushes" or possibly "Green Grow the Lilacs") during the Mexican-American War.

A second theory postulates that American troops, during that same war, wore green uniforms and were taunted with cries of "Green go!" Frankly, I found that one hard to swallow. Thankfully, most of the sites I consulted viewed this idea with a healthy dose of skepticism.

The Word Detective, offers a more compelling explanation of "gringo" and its origin. The detective says, "The most likely source of 'gringo' is the Spanish word 'gringo' itself, which means 'foreigner' or 'unintelligible gibberish.' The root of 'gringo,' in turn, is thought to have been 'griego,' Spanish for 'Greek,' often applied as slang to any foreigner."

Further research led me to conclude that this last theory is the most likely. The Word Wizard concurs wholeheartedly with the Word Detective, offering "griego" as the immediate root of "gringo."

Finally, I located a comprehensive article from Honduras This Week that outlines the long history of the term predating the Mexican-Amercian conflict. As far as I am concerned, it firmly places the far-fetched theories of overheard singing and anti-American sloganeering into the category of "urban myth," where they surely belong.

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