CasinoMan Blog - Category Articles: other interests

What are your lucky numbers?

27 August 2008

As soon as man stood up and walked, he started to count. Before the idea of “numbers” became part of our basic logic set, objects were just objects. It’s a little hard to imagine that if you had two rocks in front of you, you wouldn’t refer to them as “two rocks.” The two had no significance. But numberless life didn’t last for long. As soon as humans got a handle on numbers, they started to give them significant meanings.

Over time, numbers evolved to something more than a counting table. Numbers became mystical. The ancient Chinese are thought to be among the first to give numbers the label of “lucky.” In Chinese culture, some numbers are believed to be fortunate or unfortunate. Primarily, odd numbers are thought to be unlucky in Chinese culture, leaving the even numbers to be the luckier. The Chinese believe that good luck comes in pairs.

Almost every culture holds some numbers to a lucky standard. The number 7 has been considered to be lucky for centuries. Though its origins are up for debate, there are many instances throughout history that reference the number 7 and its lucky nature. The Pythagoreans referred to 7 as the “perfect number,” stating that 3 and 4, the triangle and the square, were the perfect figures.

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Tags: lucky numbers, lucky, valhalla, agatha christie, loki, romans, pythagoreans, the thirteen problems,
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How diamonds are mined

25 August 2008

Diamonds are forever, a girls best friend, and downright expensive. In order to put that diamond ring on your finger, someone has to mine, ship, process, inspect, polish, set, and ultimately sell that diamond. With all of these various steps, it’s no wonder why diamonds are among the world’s most expensive items. Of every diamond mined throughout the world every year, far less than half will be gem quality. What happens to the rest of the diamonds?

They’re put into two other categories: Near-gem quality, and industrial quality. In order to be stamped as gem quality, diamonds must display the highest standard of excellence. Trained eyes painstakingly seek out any flaws. If a diamond isn’t up to par, it never will be. It’s hit or miss in the diamond industry. But before they can be professionally graded, the diamonds must be mined.

Diamonds are mined throughout the world, most notably in Africa where the diamond trade has been the root of many evils. In order to mine the gems, two methods are used: Pipe mining or alluvial mining. The first, pipe mining, refers to the extraction of diamonds from volcanic pipes. This is a lengthy process which covers tremendous ground. On average, 250 tons of ore must be mined before a one-carat gem quality diamond is produced.

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Tags: diamond mine, kimberlite, alluvial mining, pipe mining, diamonds,
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So where did the traditional tuxedo originate from

09 July 2008

The tuxedo is perhaps the most elegant form of fashion for a man. It can be semi, or full-on formal as with black tie events, and is a favorite way to dress for millions of men worldwide. A traditional tuxedo jacket is woolen and single-breasted.

The jacket has peaked, shawl, notch, or trick lapels, traditionally covered with satin, and modern styles are trimmed in grosgrain or wool. The tuxedo is worn when black tie attire is specified. In recent years, the American tuxedo has distanced itself from the English dinner jacket and other black tie conventions.

Various styles of tuxedos exist now, and they’re popular among men from all walks of life. The easy-to-make style ensures that a tux will be available for any size, and in any fashion.

A man dressing up for formal affairs is nothing new. In fact, the European opera houses of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries wouldn’t let a man in unless he was appropriately dressed.

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