How Many Time Did You Take Your Driving Written Exam?

Well, this lady took it many times for four years and finally succeed at her 950th try!! I don't understand how anyone can fail to take a driving exam test after 950 tries?! You'd end up memorizing it. After 950 tries I wouldn't even need to read it. I'd do it with in my sleep.

This lady is sure a determined person. She said she needs the license for her vegetable business. She is a 68 years Korean old woman from Seoul, Korea. She spent $ 4,200 on the application fees. You could buy a big HD tv with that money here in the US. Wow! (that's more than 5 million won in Korean money)I wonder if it's harder to pass the test in Korea. It took me only one exam which I did when i was in high school many years ago here in California. Had only one mistake on the driving part. I can't imagine taking that test every day, for 4 and half years, and always failing it. Something ain't right here. Her first effort was in April 2005 and finally passed it now. She still has one more exam to pass though. There is no explanation as to why she has failed so many time. So that remains a mystery.

Now I am curious to see what kind of questions the Korean driving exams have.

Article: SKorean woman passes driver's exam on 950th try
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091106/ap_on_fe_st/as_odd_skorea_aspiring_driver

A Dental Visit To The Chair

It was hard to find a site that had a display of old and historical dental chairs. Most sites had maybe 1 or 2 photographs of dental chairs. This is the best site that I've seen regarding the history of the dental chair. There good pictures of old dental chairs and other notes. The dental history here is from Ritter Dental Company that was founded by Frank Ritter who was a cabinet maker from Germany who came to NY on August 1870. The link below starts with his life and his dental chair achievements.

The images above are the first 1888 Stuck Chair which was the first chair that had a disc base unlike the other chairs of those days which had four legs. The ad is for a Model F X-Ray from the 1950's.

Ritter Dental History
http://www.ritterdental.com/Story/TheEarlyYears.htm

The Kirkbride Plan

The Kirbride buildings founded by Dr Thomas Story Kirkbride from the Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institutions for the Insane (AMSAII). He wanted better methods and treatments for the mentally ill in the 19th century. He had a special construction designs for these asylums in mind. They were referred as the Kirkbride Plan. He believed that the mentally ill are human beings like everybody else who also have the ability to contribute to the world and integrate with the community..

An excerpt from the history section about Dr. Kirkbride's plans ( I hope I am not committing a plagiarism here): "Dr. Kirkbride envisioned an asylum with a central administration building flanked by two wings comprised of tiered wards. This "linear plan" facilitated a hierarchical segregation of residents according to sex and symptoms of illness. Male patients were housed in one wing, female patients in the other. Each wing was sub-divided by ward with the more "excited" patients placed on the lower floors, farthest from the central administrative structure, and the better-behaved, more rational patients situated in the upper floors and closer to the administrative center. Ideally, this arrangement would make patients' asylum experience more comfortable and productive by isolating them from other patients with illnesses antagonistic to their own while still allowing fresh air, natural light, and views of the asylum grounds from all sides of each ward."

The reading is great. There is more fascinating information to learn about. The text is easy read and fluid. The pictures are good too, but beware, it might be disturbing for some people. They pictures are basically of the exterior and interior of these buildings who are no longer in use. There were a few that were closed in early 21st century. The over population and lack of space, has contributed to the decline of these hospital. The original values and goals were no longer employed. They were no longer part of Dr. Kirkbride vision of the ideal asylum for the mentally ill. Some of these asylum no longer exist. They were either demolished or are neglected. These buildings are good looking. Some of them don't even look like hospitals.

Be sure to click on the small hospital photographs on the "Buildings" page to see more exterior and interior photographs of the hospital.

Kirkbride Buildings
http://www.kirkbridebuildings.com/index.html/

Ten Strange Facts About Albert Einstein

Nicely written article with facts about Albert Einstein's life. There were many things that I didn't know about him. A few examples, I didn't realized that he had a mean streak toward women in him. That had an Illegitimate daughter by his ex-wife a year before they got married. After divorcing his wife he married his cousin. At first he actually thought of marrying his cousin's daughter from the cousin's first marriage (think Woody Allen) but she demurred.

I am surprised that some facts weren't included. One fact that he (and Isaac Newton) had signs of autism and Asperger's Syndrome so he might have been autistic.

The photo above is of Albert Einstein and his second wife-cousin Elsa.

Ten Strange Facts About Albert Einstein
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977581069