Friday, April 17, 2009

The Fascinating History Of Backgammon

Backgammon has a long fascinating history of more than 5000 years, making it one of the oldest games in civilization. The earliest backgammon board, from an early version of the game, was found circa 3000 B.C. in the royal cemetery in Ur of the Chaldees in southern Mesopotamia(now called Iraq), the birthplace of Abraham.

The game has been played around the world and throughout recorded history. A form of the game was enjoyed by the Egyptian Pharoahs; boards dating from 1500 B.C. were found in King Tut's tomb. Wall paintingsin many Egyptian tombs portray people playing the game, indicating that it was played by the common people as well as the Pharaohs. A thousand years later, the Greeks were playing a form of the game. Homer, Sophocles, and Plato mention the game in their works. In Rome, the game long remained one of the most popular among the patricians. Emperor Claudius reportedly wrote a book on backgammon.

The excavators of Pompeii found a backgammon table in the courtyard of almost every villa. Various early versions of the game were popular in Britain, dating from the Crusades. It has always been a favourite game of the English. It is believed that the current form of the game evolved in the tenth century. Backgammon has been played in the United States since the seventeenth century.

However, the doubling cube was only introduced to the game in the early 1920s by an anonymous genius. This greatly enhanced the quality of backgammon and increased its popularity in the United States. The game had another surge of interest in the 1970s, but has waned in popularity in recent years due primarily to the advent of video and computer games.

When backgammon is played with the right people and strategy, it can be a very fascinating and addictive game for everybody. Hopefully, interest in this ancient game will increase in the near future. Perhaps, if more people discover the real game of backgammon, it will regain the popularity that it deserves.

For more information on the playing backgammon online, learning backgammon rules or getting backgammon board, please visit the following website: Backgammon Guide

Skyjoe. All rights reserved. This article may be freely distributed as long as it remains unaltered and the copyright notice is intact. No alteration is allowed without express written permission from the author.

cg
3d news

Plasma Or LCD? - A Comprehensive Review

When we talk about the size, plasma TVs would earn points. At present, they are larger but it is still important to note that LCDs are close behind and size difference varies only by a few inches. LCD TVs are now catching up and have introduced their 63 inch units. Panasonic had even produced a 103-inch television but unfortunately it has not been introduced for consumer use.

When we talk about viewing angles, LCD TVs earn the points. But then again, their difference can be very little and can be considered immaterial. Plasma televisions have up to 160 degrees viewing angle while LCD televisions have up to 175 degrees viewing angles.

Another point of comparison is screen refresh rates. Both television styles vary slightly in the screen refresh rate. Plasma screen technology displays refresh and controls rapid movements in video similar to the cathode ray tube type of television. LCDs, on the other hand, have an improved refresh rate because the screen technology is designed for data display.

When weight is of the matter, LCDs are comparatively lighter, more portable, and less expensive to ship. LCDs are observed to be less fragile and have a more durable screen than the plasma TV. Plasma TVs are known to be very fragile and are quite hard to ship. Likewise, installation for Plasma TVs should be administered by a professional. This is not the case for the LCD TV.

However, product lifespan may be hard to compare. Plasma TVs usually have half the lifespan of an LCD TV, which is 30,000 to 60,000 hours. The traditional CRT television has a reported half life of 25,000 hours. Therefore, comparing them in this category may clearly define who the winner is.

Discounts from 35%-65% on all Plasma and LCD TV. Top offer this month is a 50 Inch SAMSUNG Plasma HDTV.

Get your LCD or Plasma TV and Free Shipping!

Viewsonic N3760w
Nikon Dslr

Followers

  ©Christmas Shopping. Template by Dicas Blogger.

TOPO