The Virtue of Adversity--You Know You're an American If...

In America, we grow people who excel in adversity. So after some two centuries, there only people who can work under severe adversarial situations. And the consequence is that organizations are built to provide adversity. Organizations are not designed for efficiency of operation for the precise reason that everybody only work when they're poked and prodded. Americans are only able to function when they're an army of one at war. Americans only behave when they're constantly watched. Americans only apologize when they are caught doing something atrocious. Americans only feel comfortable if there are residual and lasting problems in their product.

You may say that you are religious, and perform according to God's commands and rules, but you know just as well as I that you are an American.

So, you know you're an American if you fit the above descriptions.

Shi

Read an interesting article about a piece of Chinese composition today. The piece is written with the same sounding words in Chinese

《石室诗士施氏》
石室诗士施氏，嗜狮，誓食十狮。施氏时时适市视狮。十时，适十狮适市。是时，适施氏适市。氏视是十狮，恃矢势，使是十狮逝世。氏拾是十狮尸，适石室。石室湿，氏使侍拭石室。石室拭，氏始试食是十狮尸。食时，始识是十狮尸，实十石狮尸。试释是事.

All words sound like "shi" but with a different tone. The poem is about a person eating his favorite which is lions. There, I just read it to myself. can't help but giggle a bit. Here's another one:

《羿裔熠邑彝》
羿裔熠，邑彝，义医，艺诣。熠姨遗一裔伊，伊仪迤，衣旖，异奕矣。　　熠意伊矣，易衣以贻伊，伊遗衣，衣异衣以意异熠，熠抑矣。伊驿邑，弋一翳，弈毅。毅仪奕，诣弈，衣异，意逸。毅诣伊，益伊，伊怡，已臆毅矣，毅亦怡伊。翌，伊亦弈毅。毅以蜴贻伊，伊亦贻衣以毅。伊疫，呓毅，癔异矣，倚椅咿咿，毅亦咿咿。　　毅诣熠，意以熠，议熠医伊，熠懿毅，意役毅逸。毅以熠宜伊，翼逸。熠驿邑以医伊，疑伊胰痍，以蚁医伊，伊遗异，溢，伊咦。熠移伊，刈薏以医，伊益矣。伊忆毅，亦呓毅矣，熠意伊毅已逸，熠意役伊。伊异，噫，缢。熠癔，亦缢。

The whole thing is pronounced "yi". The story is about a direct descendant of a mythical ancestor who lived when the earth was still forming and there were 10 suns. This mythical ancestor shot down 9 of them so that earth is inhabitable by his descendants.

Here's a copula more:

《熙戏犀》

西溪犀，喜嬉戏。席熙夕夕携犀徙，席熙细细习洗犀。犀吸溪，戏袭熙。席熙嘻嘻希息戏。惜犀嘶嘶喜袭熙。

《饥鸡集矶记》

唧唧鸡，鸡唧唧。几鸡挤挤集矶脊。机极疾，鸡饥极，鸡冀己技击及鲫。机既济蓟畿，鸡计疾机激几鲫。机疾极，鲫极悸，急急挤集矶级际。继即鲫迹极寂寂，继即几鸡既饥，即唧唧

《季姬击鸡记》

季姬寂，集鸡，鸡即棘鸡。棘鸡饥叽，季姬及箕稷济鸡。鸡既济，跻姬笈，季姬忌，急咭鸡，鸡急，继圾几，季姬急，即籍箕击鸡，箕疾击几伎，伎即齑，鸡叽集几基，季姬急极屐击鸡，鸡既殛，季姬激，即记《季姬击鸡记》

《于瑜与余欲渔遇雨》

于瑜欲渔，遇余于寓。语余：“余欲渔于渝淤，与余渔渝欤？”余语与瑜：“余欲鬻玉，俞禹欲玉，余欲遇俞于俞寓。”余与于瑜遇俞禹于俞寓，逾 俞隅，欲鬻玉于俞，遇雨，雨逾俞宇。余语于瑜：“余欲渔于渝淤，遇雨俞寓，雨逾俞宇，欲渔欤？鬻玉欤？”于瑜与余御雨于俞寓，俞鬻玉于余禹，雨愈，余与于 瑜踽踽逾俞宇，渔于渝淤。

《易姨医胰》

易姨悒悒，依议诣夷医。医疑胰疫，遗意易姨倚椅，以异仪移姨胰，弋异蚁一亿，胰液溢，蚁殪，胰以医。易胰怡怡，贻医一夷衣。医衣夷衣，怡怡奕奕。噫！以蚁医胰，异矣！以夷衣贻夷医亦宜矣！

《遗镒疑医》

伊姨殪，遗亿镒。伊诣邑，意医姨疫，一医医伊姨。翌，亿镒遗，疑医，以议医。医以伊疑，缢，以移伊疑。伊倚椅以忆，忆以亿镒遗，以议伊医，亦缢。噫！亦异矣！

《芝芷》

芝芷陟沚殖彘，芝致帙智，芷致枳痣。芷忮芝智，芝知芷忮，稚之，挚止之。值芝芷之峙，芷执芝至枳絷芝，制桎桎之，芝之桎，蛭豸致芝肢痣。芝智智，咫纸旨侄至，至治芝肢，肢痣治。智芝支侄制芷。芝侄置雉炙彘，脂汁吱吱。芷至，执卮直致之。炙彘之脂汁致窒，芝掷帙质之，指芷之忮。芷知芷至至鸷，纸志之。芷贽芝栉，芝芷黹帜，识之

芝之稚侄郅,至智,知制纸,知织帜,芝痔炙痔,侄至芝址,知之知芷汁治痔,至芷址,执芷枝,蜘至,踯侄,执直枝掷之,蜘止,侄执芷枝至芝,芝执芷治痔,痔止.

These are apparently known on the net as 同音文, or单音文, or univocalic:

　　上联：齐妻起棋，齐欺妻气，妻弃七棋。

　　下联：伊姨移椅，伊倚姨疑，姨遗一椅。

More:

【吏李立莅】吏李立莅，赲逦屴岦峛沥俚黎，立艃漓里叕鲤礼黎，罹沴厉离，俚黎蛎鹂历呖

Anyways, I'm off to find a book on this subject, (here's one ISBN:9787500470199同音文海宝韵合编整理与研究) And apparently there are English one's as well, tho less tongue twisty than Chinese versions:

No cool monsoons blow soft on Oxford dons, Orthodox, jog-trot, book-worm Solomons

is an example of English univocalic composition.