Thursday, September 28, 2006

Fucking, Austria


Fucking (IPA: /ˈfʊkɪŋ/—the "u" is pronounced like the "u" in English "put") is a small settlement (population c. 150), part of the municipality of Tarsdorf, in the Innviertel region of western Upper Austria, located at 48°02′59″N, 12°50′59″E, bordering Bavaria. [2] It is near the city of Salzburg. The village is known to have existed as “Fucking” since at least 1070 and is named after a man from the 6th century called Focko. “Ing” is an old Germanic suffix meaning “people”; thus Fucking, in this case, means “place of Focko’s people”. [3]

The name, spelled identically to the gerund form of the often-used English profanityfuck,” is often found amusing by Anglophones. In German the name has no obvious associations, amusing or otherwise, although most German speakers are aware of the English word. The German equivalent of “to fuck,” regarded as equally vulgar to the English word, is ficken (IPA [ˈfɪkən]).

The settlement’s most famous feature is a traffic sign with its name on it beside which English-speaking tourists often stop to have their photograph taken. The sign is the most commonly stolen street sign in Austria.[4] Significant amounts of public funds are spent on replacing the stolen signs. In August 2005 the road signs were replaced with theft-proof signs welded to steel and secured in concrete to make the signs harder to take. [5]

On some photographs that can also be found through the Internet, below the sign with the name "Fucking" there is another sign with a picture of two children and the words "Bitte — nicht so schnell!" meaning "Please — not so fast!" Apparently this type of sign is a common reminder around the area for drivers to keep their speed down for the saftey of children, but the double meaning was found humorous to many of the german-speaking tourists. [6]

In 2004, owing to the stolen signs and embarrassment over the name, a vote was held on changing the name, but the residents voted against doing so.

Coincidentally there is a small municipality just over the border in Bavaria, Germany called Petting, which is a loanword meaning Foreplay in German.

To All My Fellow Bloggers

Thank you so much for taking time to read my silly posts hehehe.... I really appreciate it. I want you guys to know that I also browse and read your thoughts but it's just a shame that I can't post any comments since I'm already on the Beta version of blogger and I can't revert to my old account huhuhu... The beta version is cool but I hope they get to finish the renovations to this beta stuff soon hehehe....

Take care you guys! Hey I saw Dara this afternoon! I'm really glad that she's already back. Anyhow... have to do homework so 'till next time... :)

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Metabolise! (Biochemistry Song)

Metabolise!

Music: Breaking Free (Zac Efron & Vanessa Hudgens)

Rendition of: Edgar Vincent Peñano Bautista

Troy:
We’re thirsty, hungry
Our cells are dying
And there’s no energy

Gabriella:
If we’re lucky
We can make it tomorrow

Troy:
I know what we really need

Food rich with carbohydrates


Gabriella:
And with all those sugar
We’ll have ATP


Both:
But there are still bonds to break

Glycosidic Bonds


Chorus #1
Troy:
Metabolise!
Gabriella:
Sucrose
Troy:
No! Glucose
Both:
Glucose is known as an aldohexose
Troy:
If we need it
Both:
Use glycolysis.
Troy:
To release energy.
Gabriella:
Ohhhh
Troy:
Wait we’re forgetting something
We need other macromolecules

Gabriella:
Oh yes I forgot about
Proteins and Enzymes

Both:
Eating different kinds of food

So we can be healthy

Chorus #2
Troy: Metabolise!
Gabriella: We’re eating’
Troy: Yeah eating!
Both:
Eat lots of protein for our cell’s functions.
Troy:
And for enzymes
and antibodies

Gabriella:
Proteins

Troy:
Yeah proteins
The body’s proteins
Both:
Consists of amino acids
Troy:
There are twenty
Both:
Linked with peptide bonds

Troy:
Let’s name some
Gabriella:
Essential Amino Acids

Troy:
Histamine
Arginine
Gabriella:
Tryptophan
Threonine
Isoleucine

Both:
Methionine

Troy:
Leucine

Lysine
Gabriella:
Valine, what else?

Both:
Phenylalanine!


Chorus #3
Gabriella: DNA
Troy: RNA
Both:
They’re made of phosphate and nitrogenous bases

Pentose Sugar

Troy: Deoxyribose for DNA
Gabriella:
Ribose for RNA
Water In
Troy:
Water Out
Both:
You can change them
By synthesis and hydrolysis
Biochem is fun!
Troy: But it’s already time…
Gabriella: we’re breaking free
Troy: we’re breaking free

Both:
You must know your Biochem
To truly understand… us…