English spelling [was Re: World?s top supercomputer from ?09 is now obsolete, will be dismantled]

On Thu, Apr 4, 2013 at 8:51 PM, Mouse <mouse at rodents-montreal.org>

I'm fond of this poem by Rosemary Chen, I guess what's true for Asians is also true for the Dutch: Enough Is Enough Four letters cause me disillusion OUGH makes phonetic confusion Four simple letters with four pronunciations Make learning English tough for Asians. OUGH has no logic, no rule Or rhyme or rhythm; it will fool All who struggle to master expression English may cause thorough depression. I pour some water in a trough I sneeze and splutter, then I cough. And with a rough hewn bough My muddy paddy fields I plough. Loaves of warm bread in a row Crispy crusts and doughy dough. Now, my final duty to do And then my chores will all be through. My lament is finished, even though Learning this word game is really slow. It is so difficult, it's very rough Learning English is really tough. If a trough was a truff And a plough was a pluff If dough was duff And though was thuff If cough was cuff And through was thruff I would not pretend, or try to bluff, But of OUGH I've had enough