Jessen Chow's Blog

Incredible Images of Waves

2010-01-07T18:27:00.000-08:00

These incredible images of waves were taken by the number 1 photographer of surf: Clark Little. He has dedicated his life to photographing the waves and has published a selection of the the best images of his career. He captures magical moments inside the "tube", as surfers say.

Proton's Funny Video Ad

2009-06-16T19:16:00.000-07:00

Check out this funny video ad from Proton car malaysia!

Video of Little Girl Riding Scooter

2009-06-02T04:01:00.000-07:00

Have you ever watched a little girl riding scooter? check out this video that will shock you!

Funny Video Of Global Warming

2009-05-31T18:41:00.000-07:00

Enjoy this global warming funny video!

Great Word Paintings

2008-12-20T22:37:00.000-08:00

I got these pictures from email with no info of the origin website, so if you think you know the origin of these pictures please let me know by putting it in the comment :)

Animal's Funny Video - The Mask

2008-12-19T23:00:00.000-08:00

Refresh your day by watching this animal's funny video - the mask

Great Food Art

2008-12-17T18:42:00.000-08:00

I got these pictures from email with no info of the origin website, so if you think you know the origin of these pictures please let me know by putting it in the comment :)

These are made from food

Video of Horrible Motorcycle Accident

2008-11-21T02:42:00.000-08:00

This Video of Horrible Motorcycle Accident shows a very tragic and very horrible motorcycle accident, I warn you not to watch this video if you could not bear to see horrible things !

Marriage

2008-11-20T05:31:00.000-08:00

You have two choices in life:
You can stay single and be miserable,
or get married and wish you were dead.

At a cocktail party, one woman said to another,
'Aren't you wearing your wedding ring on the wrong finger?'
'Yes, I am. I married the wrong man.'

A lady inserted an ad in the classifieds:
'Husband Wanted'.
Next day she received a hundred letters.
They all said the same thing:
'You can have mine.'

When a woman steals your husband,
there is no better revenge than to let her keep him.

A woman is incomplete until she is married. Then she is finished

A little boy asked his father,
'Daddy, how much does it cost to get married?'
Father replied, 'I don't know son, I'm still paying.'

A young son asked,
'Is it true Dad, that in some parts of Africa
a man doesn't know his wife until he marries her?'
Dad replied, 'That happens in every country, son.'

Then there was a woman who said,
'I never knew what real happiness was until I got married,
and by then, it was too late.'

Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.

Video of Japan's Commuter Train

2008-11-17T00:07:00.000-08:00

Watch this amazing Video of Japan's Commuter Train :-)

Folding T Shirt Vidoe

2008-11-12T01:22:00.000-08:00

Watch this folding T shirt video from Japan and learn the japanese way of folding T shirt!

Funny video ad from Diax

2008-11-10T20:32:00.000-08:00

Enjoy this funny video ad from Diax mobile phone network :-D

Video of seeing ghost

2008-11-03T04:43:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen ghost before? watch this video of seeing ghost!
Is it real or just some high tech visual effect? you figure it out!

Funny video ad from bic

2008-10-29T01:53:00.000-07:00

This funny video ad from bic comfort twins shows why men shave :-D

Manuel Uribe The world's heaviest man

2008-10-28T06:42:00.000-07:00

Manuel Uribe was a chubby kid, weighing more than 250 pounds as an adolescent. Starting in 1992, his weight began ballooning further. Since the summer of 2002, Uribe has been bedridden, relying on his mother and friends to feed and clean him.

He keeps a television and a computer he uses to update his Web site near his iron bed."People think that I can eat a whole cow but it's not just overeating, it's also a hormonal problem," Uribe said.

Manuel Uribe, the 43-year-old mechanic in the northern industrial city of Monterrey who was once certified by doctors as weighing 1,235 pounds (560kg) in 2006 earning him the Guinness World Record as the world's heaviest man. Uribe has lost 550 pounds (250kg) since February 2006 following the high-protein diet.

Manuel Uribe, who hasn't left his bed in six years, now married his longtime girlfriend whom he met four years ago, Claudia Solis Sunday in northern Mexico.

Wearing a white silk shirt with a sheet wrapped around his legs, Uribe smiled as Solis, 38, walked down a flight of stairs wearing a strapless ivory dress, a tiara and hot-pink lipstick.

"I have a wife and will form a new family and live a happy life," Uribe told hordes of reporters earlier as they followed him through the streets of Monterrey.

Cool Special Effect Video

2008-10-24T03:09:00.000-07:00

Watch this video and you will find a simple but cool special effect!

Aiola Island Austria

2008-10-23T02:28:00.000-07:00

The Aiola Island is an amazing getaway located right in the center of the Mur River in Graz, Austria. It is a man-made structure that bridges the banks of the Mur River, this exotic island looks like a big round Lego piece beautifully wrapped with plastic around it.

It comprises of a sunbathing area, a coffee house and a trendy bar, allowing travelers a chance to go from one side of the river to the other, while stopping for a drink at the coffee shop or bar or the sunbathing area, this amazing structure is certainly worth seeing.

It was designed by New York architect Vito Acconci, Opened in 2003 and immediately developed itself as a popular attraction.

Dumb Stunt Video

2008-10-22T23:42:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a small mistake can be fatal and this dumb stunt video is a perfect example :-|

Dede the Indonesian Tree man

2008-10-22T03:11:00.000-07:00

Dede Koswara born in 1971, lives in a small village in Indonesia. Dede is a former fisherman who lives with his two children, trying to take care of them. His wife left him because of his freak skin condition and unable to work.

He has an extraordinary skin condition. He has root like structure that have grown out of his body and the branches can grow up to 5cm a year. This growth protrudes from his hands and feet and welts covering his whole body. He looks like a Half Man Half Tree. He is locally known as Tree Man. His condition baffled local doctors when warty roots began growing out of his arms and feet after he cut his knee in a teenage accident.

In an attempt to earn a living to support his family, he is part of a circus troupe, displaying his Tree Man limbs along with others afflicted with skin deformities in ‘freak’ shows.

The disorder is caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), a fairly common infection that usually causes only small warts to develop. Dede suffers from the immune deficiency Epidermodysplasia verruciformis which renders him unable to stop the parasitic wart growth.

He is currently being treated by Indonesian doctors alongside American dermatology expert Dr Anthony Gaspari. On August 26, 2008, MSNBC reported that Dede had returned home following surgery to remove thirteen pounds (5.8 kilo) of warts from his body. In all, 95% of the warts were removed.

Funny and creative video ad from axe

2008-10-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

funny and creative video ad from axe...

Pornography on the web

2008-10-13T02:25:00.000-07:00

This is a good article on Yahoo Tech

Measuring Porn on the Web?
by Robin Raskin

Measuring anything on the web is part art and part science. Measuring how much pornography is on the web taxes the art of both. In part, that's because pornography is, at best, loosely defined and subject to local standards. In part, it's because some part of the pornography that's found on the web is not found in the places you might normally measure.

And yet, a U.S. government-commissioned study just identified the percentage of pornography on the web. The study says that about 1 percent of the web contains sexually explicit content.

What is 1 percent of the web? Tough to say. If you do a search on the letter a, the most common letter in the English language, you get 18.5 billion pages. Search on the word porn and you get 88 million pages. Search on porn or xxx and you get 186 million. Roughly 1 percent. If you add the word sex and search for porn or xxx or sex you get something more like 4.4 percent. The first probably undercounts and the second probably overcounts; the truth is probably in the middle. Not a trivial number of pages, but sexually explicit material probably comprises only a small percentage of the entire web.

But that's not the only problem with the study. I can't help but think that if 1 percent of indexed web pages contains sexually explicit content, it's either a very "in your face" 1 percent or that the study might have missed major sources of explicit material.

What sorts of "others" should they factor in? Ads, for one. As I was researching this column for news stories, the ad search results on Google displayed an ever-changing array of ads for pornographic material. Peer-to-peer networks, for another. Sexually explicit images are readily available on many of these networks. Social networking sites like MySpace pages, which also wouldn't show up in an indexed search, might also contain sexually explicit images. A recent survey done at Fresno State that looked at 700 MySpace pages found that 59 percent of the individual pages included risqué/sexual poses, 9 percent included links to pornographic sites, and 6 percent had full frontal nudity of females.

There are plenty of other reasons for materials not to be indexed as pages: eBay-like sites that compile a set of products for you and are indexed differently. Finally, sites can simply ask that their pages not be indexed by a search engine. I'm sure that others can add to my list.

The study was introduced in court this week as evidence in a complicated ongoing case where the Justice Department is hoping to revive the 1998 Child Online Protection Act. The Act would have required commercial web sites to collect a credit card number or other proof of age before allowing Internet users to view material deemed "harmful to minors." The law was blocked by the Supreme Court in 2004, when it ruled that free speech rights of adults would be hurt and that technologies like filtering software might work better than any legislation.

While the study offers a data point, it needs to be taken within the larger context of how people really see what they see on the Internet. I don't know about you, but if 99 percent of the web is free of sexually explicit material I must be hanging out in the wrong percent.

Amazing video from japan

2008-10-10T23:19:00.000-07:00

Check out this video of a japanese with amazing abilities!

Vipassana Meditation

2008-10-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

Recently I took a ten days course of vipassana meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka
in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin.

I want to share this great technique of vipassana meditation, this technique goes into the depth of the mind to change the bad habit pattern of the unconscious mind and purify it. When significant amount of negativity of the mind has been purified, gradually the mind will become free of defilements, becomes pure. A pure mind is always full of love—selfless love for all others, full of compassion for the failings and sufferings of others, full of joy at their success and happiness, full of equanimity in the face of any situation.

This great meditation technique has benefited thousands of people all over the world.
I highly recommend you to try this great technique and get the great benefit from it.

For more information Visit the website at http://www.dhamma.org

Amazing and Funny Video Ad

2008-09-26T01:24:00.000-07:00

This video ad from miller beer is amazing and funny...enjoy!

Funny video ad

2008-09-25T01:24:00.000-07:00

watch this funny video ad of snack

The First Google Phone T-Mobile G1

2008-09-24T01:27:00.000-07:00

source : www.nytimes.com

Google Introduces a Phone With PC Features

In the latest of a string of challenges to Apple’s popular iPhone, Google and T-Mobile on Tuesday introduced the first mobile phone powered by Google’s Android software, which they hope will bring PC-like features to millions of cellphone users.

The $179 T-Mobile G1, as the device is known, has a large color touch screen that slides out to expose a full keyboard, as well as a 3-megapixel camera. The phone’s software provides an Internet browser and easy access to many of Google’s services, including search, Gmail and YouTube. Although several applications come preloaded on the phone, the G1 is also designed to encourage third-party developers to create programs to run on it.

The G1, which is manufactured by HTC of Taiwan, will be available in the United States on Oct. 22 and in Britain in early November, the companies said. It will be available in other T-Mobile markets in Europe early next year.

“This is as good a computer as you had a few years ago,” said Google’s co-founder Larry Page, who along with the company’s other co-founder, Sergey Brin, arrived on roller blades at the New York stage where the companies held a news conference.

Google has invested tens of millions of dollars in developing the Android operating software and is giving it away for free to cellphone makers and carriers. The company hopes that many companies will build phones based on Android.

Android is one of several efforts by Google to extend its dominance from the PC-Web to the mobile Web. The software is its effort to ensure that its consumer services — as well as its advertising systems — are widely available on mobile phones..

T-Mobile, the No. 4 wireless carrier in the United States, is hoping that the G1 will help it compete more effectively against larger carriers like AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint. The company said that the G1 was primarily aimed at the consumer market, but expected that business users would also find the device compelling.

“I think frankly this device will have mass appeal,” said Cole Brodman, chief technology and innovation officer of T-Mobile USA.

The G1, which will run on both high-speed 3G networks and older cellular networks, also has Wi-Fi access, GPS navigation and Bluetooth connections. T-Mobile said the batteries will support five hours of talk time and 130 hours of standby time.

Much like Apple has done with the iPhone, Google and T-Mobile plan to offer a store where users can download applications, which they are calling the Android market. Access to Amazon.com’s MP3 store will be preloaded on the device.

The $179 price in the United States requires a two-year voice and data plan and is $20 cheaper than the iPhone. Data plans ranged from $25 to $35 a month, T-Mobile said. Pricing for Europe was not immediately known.

The LCH (Large Hadron Collider) Research Project

2008-09-23T23:13:00.000-07:00

source : http://www.lhc.ac.uk & http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com

The LHC (large hadron collider) research project is an international research project based at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, where scientists, engineers and support staff from 111 nations are combining state-of-the-art science and engineering in one of the largest scientific experiments ever conducted.

The LHC is the latest and most powerful in a series of particle accelerators that, over the last 70 years, have allowed us to penetrate deeper and deeper into the heart of matter and further and further back in time. The next steps in the journey will bring new knowledge about the beginning of our Universe and how it works, as the LHC recreates, on a microscale, conditions that existed billionths of a second after the birth of our Universe.

The LHC is exactly what its name suggests - a large collider of hadrons. Strictly, LHC refers to the collider; a machine that deserves to be labelled ‘large’, it not only weighs more than 38,000 tonnes, but runs for 27km (16.5m) in a circular tunnel 100 metres beneath the Swiss/French border at Geneva.

The LHC’s 27km loop in a sense encircles the globe, because the LHC project is supported by an enormous international community of scientists and engineers. Working in multinational teams, at CERN and around the world, they are building and testing LHC equipment and software, participating in experiments and analysing data. The UK has a major role in leading the project and has scientists and engineers working on all the main experiments.

What are Hadrons and Protons?
Hadrons are atomic particles made of quarks. One example of a hadron is the proton, a particle found in every atomic nucleus. Protons contain 3 quarks of two different types (2 ‘up’ quarks and 1 ‘down’ quark). The neutron is the other particle commonly found in atomic nuclei, these are also hadrons and are made up of 1 ‘up’ and 2 ‘down’ quarks.

Protons have a positive electric charge and consequently are affected by magnetic fields. This means that beams of protons can be ‘steered’ around the LHC using powerful superconducting electromagnets. The first step in creating high energy collisions in the LHC is to strip away the electrons from ordinary hydrogen atoms, which consist of a proton and electron, to provide protons to feed into the accelerators.

The LHC will allow scientists to probe deeper into the heart of matter and further back in time than has been possible using previous colliders.

Researchers think that the Universe originated in the Big Bang (an unimaginably violent explosion) and since then the Universe has been cooling down and becoming less energetic. Very early in the cooling process the matter and forces that make up our world ‘condensed’ out of this ball of energy.

The LHC will produce tiny patches of very high energy by colliding together atomic particles that are travelling at very high speed. The more energy produced in the collisions the further back we can look towards the very high energies that existed early in the evolution of the Universe. Collisions in the LHC will have up to 7x the energy of those produced in previous machines; recreating energies and conditions that existed billionths of a second after the start of the Big Bang.

The results from the LHC are not completely predictable as the experiments are testing ideas that are at the frontiers of our knowledge and understanding. Researchers expect to confirm predictions made on the basis of what we know from previous experiments and theories. However, part of the excitement of the LHC project is that it may uncover new facts about matter and the origins of the Universe.

One of the most interesting theories the LHC will test was put forward by the UK physicist Professor Peter Higgs and others. The different types of fundamental particle that make up matter have very different masses, while the particles that make up light (photons) have no mass at all. Peter’s theory is one explanation of why this is so and the LHC will allow us to test the theory. More of the Big Questions about the universe that the LHC may help us answer can be found here.

How does the LHC work?
The LHC accelerates two beams of atomic particles in opposite directions around the 27km collider. When the particle beams reach their maximum speed the LHC allows them to ‘collide’ at 4 points on their circular journey.

Thousands of new particles are produced when particles collide and detectors, placed around the collision points, allow scientists to identify these new particles by tracking their behaviour.

The detectors are able to follow the millions of collisions and new particles produced every second and identify the distinctive behaviour of interesting new particles from among the many thousands that are of little interest.

As the energy produced in the collisions increases researchers are able to peer deeper into the fundamental structure of the Universe and further back in its history. In these extreme conditions unknown atomic particles may appear.

Amazing Photos of Hurricane Katrina

2008-09-23T07:13:00.000-07:00

Check out these photos of hurricane katrina! Amazing...

Funny Video of Employee

2008-09-23T01:47:00.000-07:00

This video shows a small mistake can be devastating.

Lessons of working life

2008-09-23T00:47:00.000-07:00

Lesson #1
A junior manager, a senior manager and their boss are on their way to a meeting. On their way through a park, they come across a wonder lamp. They rub the lamp and a ghost appears. The ghost says, "Normally, one is granted three wishes but as you are three, I will allow one wish each".

So the eager senior manager shouted, "I want the first wish. I want to be in the Bahamas, on a fast boat and have no worries." Pfufffff and he was gone.

Now the junior manager could not keep quiet and shouted "I want to be In Florida with beautiful girls, plenty of food and cocktails." Pfufffff and he was also gone.

The boss calmly said, "I want these two idiots back in the office afterlunch at 12:55pm."

Moral of the story : "ALWAYS ALLOW THE BOSS TO SPEAK FIRST"

Lesson #2
Standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand, "Listen," said the CEO, "this is a very sensitive and important document, and my secretary has left. Can you make this thing work?" "Certainly," said the young executive. He turned the machine on, inserted the paper, and pressed the start button.

"Excellent, excellent!" said the CEO as his paper disappeared inside the shredder machine. "I just need one copy."

Moral of the story : "NEVER, NEVER ASSUME THAT YOUR BOSS KNOWS EVERYTHING"

Lesson #3
An American and a Japanese were sitting on the plane on the way to LA, when the American turned to the Japanese and asked, "What kind of -ese are you?" The Japanese confused, replied, "Sorry but I don't understand what you mean." The American repeated, "What kind of -ese are you?" Again, the Japanese was confused over he question.

The American, now irritated, then yelled, "What kind of -ese are you...Are you a Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese!, etc......??? "The Japanese then replied, "Oh, I am a Japanese."

A while later the Japanese turned to the American and asked what kind of kee was he. The American, frustrated, yelled, "What do you mean what kind of -kee am I ?!"

The Japanese said, "Are you a Yankee, donkee, or monkee?"

Moral of the story : "NEVER INSULT ANYONE"

Lesson #4
There were these 4 guys, a Russian, a German, an American and a French,who found this small genie bottle. When they rubbed the bottle, a genie appeared. Thankful that the 4 guys had released him out of the bottle, he said, "Next to you all are 4 swimming pools, I will give each of you a wish. When you run towards the pool and jump, you shout what you want the pool of water to become, then your wish will come true."

The French wanted to start. He ran towards the pool, jumped and shouted, "WINE". The pool immediately changed into a pool of wine. The Frenchman was so happy swimming and drinking from the pool. Next is the Russian's turn, he did the same and shouted, "VODKA" and immersed himself into a pool of vodka. The German was next and he jumped and shouted, "BEER". He was so contented with his beer pool.

The last is the American. He was running towards the pool when suddenly he steps on a banana peel. He slipped towards the pool and shouted, "SHIT!!!!!!!"

Moral of the story : "THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU SAY SOMETHING, BECAUSE SOMETIMES ACCIDENTS DO HAPPEN"

Lesson #5
The organs of the body were having a meeting, trying to decide who was in-charge. Each organ took a turn to speak up:

Brain..... I should be in-charge because I run all body functions.
Blood..... I should be in-charge because I circulate oxygen for the brain.
Stomach... I should be in-charge because I process food to the brain.
Legs...... I should be in-charge because I take the brain where it wants to go.
Eyes...... I should be in-charge because I let the brain see where it's going.
Asshole... I should be in-charge because I get rid of your waste.

All the other parts laughed so hard and this made the asshole very
mad. To prove his point, the asshole immediately slammed tightly closed and
stayed that way for 6 days, refusing to rid the body of any waste whatsoever.

Day 1: Brain got a terrible headache and cried out for relief
Day 2: Stomach got bloated and began to ache terribly
Day 3: Legs got cramps and became unstable
Day 4: Eyes became watery and vision became blurred
Day 5: Blood became toxic and poisoned the body
Day 6: The other organs agreed to let the asshole be in-charge.

Moral of the story :"NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, OR HOW IMPORTANT YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU WILL FIND THAT IT IS ALWAYS THE ASSHOLE THAT IS IN-CHARGE"

The Valuable Things

2008-09-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

To realize
The value of a sister
Ask someone
Who doesn't have one.

To realize
The value of ten years:
Ask a newly
Divorced couple.

To realize
The value of four years:
Ask a graduate.

To realize
The value of one year:
Ask a student who
Has failed a final exam.

To realize
The value of nine months:
Ask a mother
Who gave birth to a still born.

To realize
The value of one month:
Ask a mother
Who has given birth to a premature baby.

To realize
The value of one week:
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize
The value of one hour:
Ask the lovers
Who are waiting to Meet.

To realize
The value of one minute:
Ask a person
Who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize
The value of one-second:
Ask a person
Who has survived an accident...

To realize
The value of one millisecond:
Ask the person
Who has won a silver medal in the Olympics

Time waits for no one.

Treasure every moment you have.
You will treasure it even more when
you can share it with someone special.

To realize the value of a friend:
Lose one.

Container Accident

2008-09-22T06:18:00.000-07:00

These photos is the reason why you must avoid driving near container!

Love and Friendship

2008-09-22T05:42:00.000-07:00

Nobody is perfect until you fall in love with them.

Love starts with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a tear.

Don't cry over anyone who won't cry over you.

What do you do when the only person who can make you stop crying is the person who made you cry?

If love isn't a game, why are there so many players?

Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget.

You can only go as far as you push!

Actions speak louder than words.

The hardest thing to do is watch the one you love, love somebody else.

Don't let the past hold you back, you're missing the good stuff.

Life's short. If you don't look around once in a while you might miss it.

A best friend is like a four leaf clover, hard to find and lucky to have.

Some people make the world special by just being in it.

Best friends are the siblings God forgot to give us.

When it hurts to look back, and you're scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your best friend will be there.

True friendship never ends.

Friends are forever.

Good friends are like stars....you don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

Don't frown, you never know who is falling in love with your smile.

Everything is okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end.

Most people walk in and out of your life, but only friends leave footprints in your heart.

If u love something...let it go.
If it comes back to you its yours....
If it doesn't then it never was.

A kiss is just a kiss until u find the one you love. A hug is just a hug until its from the one ur thinking of. A dream is just a dream until u make it come tru. LOVE is just a word until its proven 2 u.

Funny video ad from blaupunkt

2008-09-22T00:53:00.000-07:00

Watch this funny video ad from blaupunkt!

Ancient Masterpiece of Art

2008-09-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

These are the photos of ancient masterpiece of art...

True Touching Story from Australia

2008-09-19T22:42:00.000-07:00

A very touching story from Brisbane-Australia.

I was walking around in a Target store (is a store in Australia), when I saw a Cashier hand this little boy some money back.

The boy couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 years old.

The Cashier said, 'I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll.'

Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him: ''Granny,

Are you sure I don't have enough money?''

The old lady replied: ''You know that you don't have enough money to buy this doll, my dear.''

Then she asked him to stay there for just 5 minutes while she went to look a round. She left quickly.

The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand.

Finally, I walked toward him and I asked him who he wished to give this doll to.

'It's the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for Christmas

She was sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her.'

I replied to him that maybe Santa Claus would bring it to her after all, and not to worry.

But he replied to me sadly. 'No, Santa Claus can't bring it to her where she is now. I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there.'

His eyes were so sad while saying this. 'My Sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister.''

My heart nearly stopped.

The little boy looked up at me and said: 'I told daddy to tell mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from the mall.'

Then he showed me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing. He then told me 'I want mommy to take my picture with her so she won't forget me.'

'I love my mommy and I wish she doesn't have to leave me, but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister.'

Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly.

I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy. 'Suppose we check again, just in case you do have enough money for the doll?''

'OK' he said, 'I hope I do have enough.' I added some of my money to his with out him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll and even some spare money.

The little boy said: 'Thank you God for giving me enough money!'

Then he looked at me and added, 'I asked last night before I went to sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that mommy could give It to my sister. He heard me!''
'I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask God for too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose.''

'My mommy loves white roses.'

A few minutes later, the old lady returned and I left with my basket.

I finished my shopping in a totally different state from when I started.

I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind.

Then I remembered a local news paper article two days ago, which mentioned a drunk man in a truck, who hit a car occupied by a young woman and a little girl.

The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-sustaining machine, because the young woman would not be able to recover from the coma.

Was this the family of the little boy?

Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the news paper that the young woman had passed away.
I couldn't stop myself as I bought a bunch of white roses and I went to the funeral home where the body of the young woman was exposed for people to see and make last wishes before her burial.

She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest.

I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling that my life had been changed for ever.. The love that the little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine.

And in a fraction of a second, a drunk driver had taken all this away from him.

Will you think again before you drink drive??????

Short and Happy Life

2008-09-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

news from www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk
I don't know what to say, it's a sad news yet it's a great one !

Battling Reece Fleming, 8, clung to life just long enough to 'marry' sweetheart
Monday, July 21, 2008, 07:30

AN eight-year-old leukaemia victim “married” his eight-year-old sweetheart the day before he died. The family of Reece Fleming believe he clung to life just long enough for his mock wedding to Elleanor Pursglove because he had always said he wanted to marry her. The emotional event took place at the family's home in Mackworth, where the youngsters even exchanged rings.

Reece's mother, Lorraine Fleming, 28, said: "They have been good friends for years. He had asked her a few times before and she decided to accept. It is something he had his heart set on.
It may seem like a strange thing to do but their friendship was very strong. It was emotional, you can't really describe in words what it was like. They were both very quiet but there was a lot of feeling in the room."

Elleanor's mother, Hannah, said: “She is missing him a lot now. It was very special, he just kept smiling at her. They were both just really pleased.”

Reece, a pupil at Brackensdale Junior School, was diagnosed with leukaemia in July 2004.
At first, Lorraine thought her four-year-old son had a virus and took him to a GP but his symptoms worsened.

She said: “One day he crawled past me on his hands and knees and said, 'Mum, my legs are really hurting'. I knew something was not right and took him to hospital.”

Reece underwent several cycles of chemotherapy and one cycle of radiotherapy but, in May, doctors at Nottingham's Queens Medical Centre said there was nothing more to do. They told Lorraine and Reece's stepfather, Mick Thompson, 28, that the youngster had three weeks to live. The couple decided to take Reece home where, with the help of a nurse, they cared for him until his death on July 5.

Lorraine said: “He was such a battler. He kept going for another five weeks. He did really well. Through- out his treatment he was really brave. He loved going to school and went when he was clearly not well enough. He had a high threshold of pain and for him to show it meant that he was suffering.”

In the weeks leading up to his death, Reece's family and friends organised a series of treats for the schoolboy.

“We wanted to do as much as we could for him,” said Lorraine.

The youngster, who loved pirates and cars, was treated to a ride in a Ferrari and a Porsche, organised by family friend Sandra Sheldon.

“Going in the Ferrari was his favourite,” said Lorraine.

A pirate-themed party was also organised for him and his school chums and he was invited to spend a day at Kingsway fire station, where he went for a ride on the engine.

“He loved that day,” said Lorraine. “They were great with him.”

Lorraine said the wedding, which took place on July 4, was special for Reece.

“After he got married and Elleanor left, he just lay on the bed. It was like that was what he had been waiting for.

“He looked so much better and at peace.”

Lorraine said she missed her son every day.

“I have lost my son but he was robbed of a lot more than that.

“We are upset and will always miss him but we have a sense of peace for him now.

“For four years he has been imprisoned by a hospital bed or his bed at home but he is not in pain any more.”

Mick said: “He made a big impact on a lot of people.

“He was a ladies' man and he had a great personality. If he was in the room everyone knew he was there.”

Photos of Polar Bear's Baby

2008-09-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of polar bear's baby sent by friend of mine.
Oh, he is so cute...

Crazy Bungee Jump video

2008-09-17T19:15:00.001-07:00

Watch this crazy bungee jump video...

Airforce one of Brunei

2008-09-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

This airplane was brand new and cost roughly USD 100M. It was flown to Waco, Texas where it was retrofitted with USD 120M worth of modification, both interior and exterior. It includes solid gold and laliques crystal sinks.
The airplane is owned by SULTAN OF BRUNEI.

China Sichuan earthquake May 2008

2008-09-16T23:05:00.000-07:00

A friend forwarded this email to me, I think this is a great article and people should know about it so I decided to post it in my blog.

Heroes
Dedicated to the brave people in Sichuan-China Earthquake, May 2008

An earthquake, magnitude 8.0, struck Sichuan province of China at 2:28PM, May 12, 2008. The epicenter of the earthquake, Wenchuan, is about 90 miles from Chengdu. The earthquake released more energy than 500 atomic bombs, 30 times more than the Kobe earthquake in Japan, 1995. By May 19, there are more than 32,000 confirmed dead, more than 20,000 still missing, and more than 4.7 million houses collapsed or heavily damaged.

Cities close to the epicenter are flattened; whole mountains collapsed.

Devastation

Millions of people lost their beloved ones, their homes, their belongings. Yet there is no looting, no complaints, just people helping each other (CNN).

Within hours, people rushed to rescue. Blood donation lines run for 100 yards, and people waited hours to donate blood; within 24 hours, all major blood banks ran out storage space. The highway to the earthquake struck city Dujianyang (20 mile from Chengdu) was almost jammed one hour after the earthquake, not by people fleeing the aftershocks, but by volunteers, led by over 1,000 taxi drivers, came from Chengdu to rescue.

Chen Guangbiao, owner of a big construction company 1,500 miles from the disaster area, just 2 hour 30 minutes after the earthquake, started transporting 60 construction machineries and led 120 volunteers to rescue. They arrived at the disaster area 24 hours later, almost the same time as Army Engineering Corp.

Medical workers provided care under extreme conditions; they even delivered many new born babies on the parking lot.

Wen Jiabao, 66, Chinese Prime Minister, boarded on a plane 30 minutes after the earthquake, and arrived in disaster area in 2 hours. He has been the chief of the rescue operation since then, working almost around clock at the frontline with rescue workers.

1,1000 paratroopers started boarding airplanes 2 hours after earthquake. Despite heavy rain, high wind and thick cloud, they jumped from over 20,000 foot high to remote mountain areas where they did not even know if there would be a place for them to land. The first jumped off plane was Senior Colonel Li Zhenbo, 51.

With roads buried by landslide and bad weather hammering airborne operations, a group of 600 soldiers and medical teams, let by Major General Xia Guofu, 57, Commander in Chief of Sichuan Military District, walked 21 hours straight on foot in mountain area, carrying heavy relief supplies, risking landslide and falling rocks. They became the first group to arrive at the epicenter of the earthquake.

Soldiers and rescue workers working around clock to rescue people still buried. Unable to transport heavy machineries to the remote areas since roads are buried by landslides, they often have to use hands to move tons of concrete.

People are rushing to donate money. Many rich people donated in millions, but no one can match Xu Chao, 60. He is a homeless in Nanjing, 1000 miles from the disaster area. He saw the news and went to donate 5 Yuan in the morning. He said people in the disaster area were worse off than him because their lives were threatened. He came back in the afternoon, donated another 100 Yuan ($14). He explained that all he had were pennies and dimes, and he didn’t want to waste volunteer workers’ time to count them, so he went to the bank to change everything he had into one big bill. This is from a man who doesn’t have money to buy food for himself.

Song Xinying, 3, pulled out from rubble after being buried for 2 days. She was in critical condition and lost a leg, but survived. Her parents hold each other’s hands and shoulders face to face to make an arch to shield her from the falling building. Her parents did not make it out.

A 5 year old boy was rescued after being buried under rubbles for 24 hours. His left hand was broken, but he smiled and saluted to his rescuers. His smile made everybody cry.

Zhang Jiwang, 11, carrying his sister Zhang Han, 3. Walked 12 hours straight to flee the disaster center.

Yuan Wentin, 26, first grade teacher. When the earthquake struck, she rushed to carry her stunned students from classroom on the 3rd floor to the ground. She managed to pull out most of her students, but the building collapsed when she was trying to pull out the last few. At the last moment of her life, she was trying to use her body to shield the students from falling concrete.
Many teachers did the same thing. They are......

This high school student was rescued from the collapsed building. She lost both legs, and her both hands are broken. The rescue workers were all in tears when they saw this. She smiled to them: “Be Brave!”

This baby, after being buried over 24 hours, miraculously, was rescued unscratched. He is about 3-4 months old, and his mother kneeled down, pinned her head and hands on the ground to shielded him from the falling concrete, and milked him. His mother did not make it out. A rescue worker found his mom’s cell phone in his wrapper. It had a text message left by his mother: “Dear child, if you survive, please remember, Mom loves you forever…”

Fantastic Photos

2008-09-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some fantastic photos I got from email...

1. What is this? a teletuby?

2. The face of a man. We can clearly see his nose, mouth and beard…

3. Iceberg - A horse trying to jump out of the water!

4. A gas nuzzle?

5. Human head

6. A cat

7. A crab

8. Astronomical photo. The face is clearly visible. It makes you wonder!

9. A lady resting, leg bent.

10. Another lady resting, watching the sea?

11. Giant human scull

12. Human head

13. Giant nature puzzle

14. Arial photo of a dolphin

15. During 911 A CNN Photographer captures this photo. We can clearly see the face and body of SATAN between the fires of the towers.

Honda Fuel Cell Sedan FCX Clarity

2008-09-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

The Zero-Emission Sedan of the Future. A Reality Today.

Hydrogen Power

Zero emissions
Domestic fuel
Helps slow increase in greenhouse gases

Performance

Fun to drive
Smooth and powerful
Groundbreaking new fuel cell stack

Safety

Six airbags
Vehicle Stability Assist ™ (VSA®)
Collision Mitigation Braking System ™ (CMBS™)

PERFORMANCE
From the start, Honda engineers designed this car to be tons of fun to drive. Acceleration in the FCX Clarity is smooth and powerful for a great overall driving experience.
Information gleaned from multiple generations of Honda fuel cell vehicles pays off right now. Compared to the previous model, the powertrain on this next-generation FCX Clarity:

Is over 397 pounds lighter
Has 120% better power-to-weight ratio
Is 20% more fuel efficient
Has a powertrain that is 45% more compact and 10% more energy-efficient

Free and Clear
First, the basics: a fuel cell vehicle is powered by an electric motor running on electricity generated by a hydrogen-powered fuel cell stack. The Honda E-Drive electric motor lets you drive with peace of mind knowing that you are helping to reduce the amount of CO2 being released in our atmosphere. The compact coaxial motor is quieter and works at higher rpm, for greater efficiency and speed.

Get Vertical
The Vertical Flow (V Flow) fuel cell stack is one of Honda’s greatest breakthroughs in this area. The new design is smaller, allowing for better packaging efficiency. With a smaller stack, there’s room for more people. This ingenious design allows higher cell voltage stability and reduces the amount of heat generated. Gravity also helps with drainage of the excess water.
Added Power
The compact, high-efficiency lithium-ion battery pack is used as a supplemental power source capturing lost energy during deceleration and braking. The new lithium-ion battery delivers improved performance and energy recovery in a more lightweight, compact package. The new battery is significantly lighter and smaller than the ultra-capacitor of the 2005 FCX, allowing it to be stowed under the rear seat. This gives the car more passenger space and a bigger trunk.
Low Profile
Stylish? Definitely. It’s time to take another look at the FCX. This new model has a lower floor and sleeker overall design thanks to integration of the more compact stack and smaller powertrain. Thin A-pillars allow better visibility. A flat-bottom underbody reduces aerodynamic drag and increases efficiency.

SAFETY
We believe high safety standards can apply to all vehicles—even the groundbreaking ones. Six airbags are standard. Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) and Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) systems are standard. Even a Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™) is present and accounted for.

And the FCX Clarity passed all the same rigorous tests required by U.S. safety standards that other Honda models have endured. So you can drive the FCX Clarity with confidence.
Unique Protection
Omni-directional crash protection is in place to help protect the hydrogen and electrical devices in the event of a collision.
Next Best Thing to a Co-Pilot
Honda Motor Co., LTD introduced the Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™) in 2003, and we have now added it to the FCX Clarity. CMBS™ can help detect certain potential collisions and, through the use of visual and audio alerts plus an automatic tug of the seat belt, it can alert the driver to take action. If a collision cannot be avoided, front seat belts are automatically retracted and braking force reduces the vehicle's speed to help lessen the force of the collision.

Tips for badminton players

2008-09-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

Whether you're an absolute badminton beginner or have played this popular racket sport before, there are a number of top tips that could improve your badminton performance. Here's the realbuzz top ten hints that may point you on the way towards badminton success. From cross-training through to mental awareness, it should help with your future game plans.

Warm-up for badminton
Ensure your body is properly prepared for the badminton game ahead. As badminton involves both stamina and agility you need to concentrate on these areas in your warm-up. Ideally you could start with a gentle jog around the court or some skipping. Once your pulse is raised and you body is feeling warmer, stretch the major muscle groups, particularly focusing on legs, back and shoulders to get fully prepared for all the lunges ahead.

The grip for badminton playing
Choosing a racket the grip is crucial. Small grips are best for small hands and large grips for large hands. When holding the racket, don’t grasp it tightly, have a relaxed grip. Having a flexible wrist will help you to perfect both your forehand and backhand shots.

Shuttle flight during badminton games
Beware of shuttles which 'wobble' in flight. A wobbly shuttle indicates that it is on its way out or it is of poor quality or faulty and should be returned or chucked away.

Base position in badminton
It is good advice after playing a shot to return to a central base position. By sneaking back to the middle of your area of play you are more likely to reach all possible opposing shots.

Playing badminton indoors
If it is more that a garden knockabout you are looking for, find a proper court to play on. The shuttlecock is designed to be lightweight and the slightest breeze can whisk it away. So if you want to avoid forever retrieving your shuttle, find a place to play indoors.

Be prepared for any badminton outcome
As badminton is a fast-paced unpredictable game you must be prepared to move in any direction at any given time. So it is important to know your body’s limits. You don’t want to reach for that all important shot only to find yourself on the floor with a painful injury.

Game planning for badminton matches
Just because you are a beginner, it does not mean you can’t incorporate some strategies into your game. When starting out with minimal skill, the best game plan to follow is to discover your opponent’s weakness and play to it as much as possible! Cruel – but affective!

Cross-train around badminton
As badminton requires stamina and agility it is good advice to get involved in other activities that can benefit your game. Brisk walking and jogging are ideal for providing good all-round knee strength, allowing your knees to cope with the impact during a fast paced badminton game. Also, an effort to increase your flexibility and range of motion through other flexibility-focused activities such as yoga will also benefit your game.

Use your head when playing badminton
Don’t be fooled by badminton, it is quite a workout for the mind. The game requires constant thinking and planning, but as a novice these things may take a while to develop. So when starting out, the best way to develop these skills is to make sure every shot has a purpose and try to keep an eye on as much of the court as possible at all times. Soon your strategy will fall into place.

Cool-down after playing badminton
As with any exercise or physical activity, make sure you round off your game with a period of cool-down. Finish as you began, but this time with a gentle walk around court. You can then focus on some light stretching. Focus on the major muscle groups but you may wish to concentrate on some more others depending on how the game went! Hold your stretches for around 30 seconds (a little longer than in the warm-up) to ensure a really deep stretch.

Fast-Food Ice Dirtier Than Toilet Water

2008-09-15T00:18:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting news and I think it's also important.
I got this news from http://abcnews.go.com

Fast-Food Ice Dirtier Than Toilet Water
Seventh-Grader's Science Project Turns Up Some Disturbing Results
Feb. 20, 2006

Jasmine Roberts never expected her award-winning middle school science project to get so much attention. But the project produced some disturbing results: 70 percent of the time, ice from fast food restaurants was dirtier than toilet water.

The 12-year-old collected ice samples from five restaurants in South Florida -- from both self-serve machines inside the restaurant and from drive-thru windows. She then collected toilet water samples from the same restaurants and tested all of them for bacteria at the University of South Florida.

In several cases, the ice tested positive for E. coli bacteria, which comes from human waste and has been linked to several illness outbreaks across the country.

"These [bacteria] don't belong there," said Dr. David Katz, medical contributor to "Good Morning America." "It's not cause for panic, although it is alarming because what she found is nothing new. You're not more likely to get sick now. But she's done us a favor by sounding the alarm."

Both Roberts and Katz said that the ice is likely dirtier because machines aren't cleaned and people use unwashed hands to scoop ice. Toilet water is also surprisingly bacteria-free, because it comes from sanitized city water supplies.

Roberts got interested in the project after reading a newspaper article about bacteria in airplane water and decided to do something similar. Plus, she said, all of her friends chew on ice, and it drives her crazy.

"I just picked the not-obvious choice," the seventh-grader said of her project.

Her 18-year-old brother, Justus, is also an award-winning science fair veteran who said he has encouraged his little sister's interest in science.

Justus said when Jasmine told him her idea for this project, "I gave her a high five, then said, 'You're a strange little kid.' But I supported her all the way."

The restaurants also have taken notice of Roberts' project. Two began new sanitary policies and have asked her to come back and do her tests again.

"First they appreciated the project," she said. "And one location even asked me to come back and test the temperature of their food."

Funny video of Japanese kid

2008-09-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

Funny video about japanese kid with the spirit of "no matter what the show must go on"

Funny video ad from goodyear

2008-09-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

This funny video ad shows what happen when a woman tries to change tire :-)

Funny pepsi's video ad

2008-09-14T18:57:00.000-07:00

This funny video ad shows the spirit of competition between coca-cola and pepsi!

Crushing drinking can with breast

2008-09-12T22:53:00.000-07:00

This video is unbelievable...shocking...and amazing.
Can you imagine that a woman crushing drinking can with her breast.
Oh my god!

Honda Asimo

2008-09-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

Asimo is the world's most advanced humanoid robot.
Building ASIMO was an incredible challenge for Honda engineers. In addition to powerful computers and sophisticated software, ASIMO represents years of research in many scientific fields like Mathematics, Physics - the study of motion - and Anatomy - the study of the human body structure - just to name a few.

Honda engineers created ASIMO with 34 Degrees of Freedom that help it walk and perform tasks much like a human. One Degree of Freedom is the ability to move right and left or up and down. These degrees of freedom act much like human joints for optimum movement and flexibility. Lightweight materials, like a magnesium alloy structure, combined with powerful computers and 34 servo motors throughout its body help ASIMO move smoothly with ease.

ASIMO is designed to operate in the real world, where people need to reach for things, pick things up, navigate along floors, sidewalks, and even climb stairs. ASIMO's abilities to run, walk smoothly, climb stairs, communicate, and recognize people's voices and faces will enable ASIMO to easily function in our world and truly assist humans.

Running
Through proactive control of ASIMO’s posture while both feet are off the ground, the running speed can achieve nearly 4 mph (6km/hour). ASIMO is able to run in a circular pattern at high speeds because the center of gravity of ASIMO’s body is tilted inside of the circle to maintain balance with the amount of centrifugal force experienced.

i-walk
i-WALK = Intelligent, Real-Time, Flexible Walking i-WALK features a predicted movement control added to the walking control technology of earlier models. With i-WALK, ASIMO creates walking patterns in real time and can change foot placement and turning angle at will. This advanced, two-legged walking technology permits more flexible walking by allowing ASIMO to walk continuously while changing directions and by giving ASIMO even more stability in response to sudden movements. In addition, the speed and stride of ASIMO’s steps can be changed freely, making ASIMO’s movements much more smooth and natural.

Using stairs
Climbing/Descending Stairs A 6-axis force sensor in each foot detects stable foot placement on each step. Combined with data from its torso-mounted gyroscope and accelerometer, ASIMO utilizes unique mathematical algorithms that allow it to negotiate stairs, successfully climbing and descending with ease.

Voice Recognition
ASIMO can comprehend and carry out tasks based on simple voice commands given in English that have been preprogrammed into its onboard memory. The number of commands that can be programmed is basically unlimited. Individual voices can also be registered to increase the performance of the voice recognition function.

Face Recognition
ASIMO has the ability to recognize unique faces that have been stored in its memory. ASIMO relies on facial mapping, recording the topographical features of a person’s face and electronically storing the data in its internal memory. When ASIMO sees a face, it compares what it sees with the data in its memory to try to identify a match. If a match is found, ASIMO will respond with a unique greeting for that person.

Communication
ASIMO incorporates the capability to interface with an IC Communication card so ASIMO is no longer limited to relying only on front vision obtained via a visual sensor. ASIMO can exchange information with an IC card, enabling ASIMO to recognize the position of the person with the card in a 360-degree angle. By having a person hold or wear this card, ASIMO can interact better since the card can be programmed to include a name, affiliation and ID number.

ASIMO at the Kennedy Center
Running at the Japan! Culture + Hyperculture Event in Washington D.C.

I play badminton

2008-09-11T23:30:00.000-07:00

Badminton is also one of my favorite sport that I played regularly, and I want to share the brief introduction of Badminton.

It is necessary to understand badminton rules to play fairly and get the most enjoyment out of the game. Badminton is a sport played in singles and doubles and its rules have some similarities to tennis. Badminton rules for both singles and doubles underwent a complete overhaul in 2006. Under the new system players must reach 21 points. Whoever wins each rally wins the point. If players are tied at 20-all, whoever has the first two-point lead wins. If the scores goes to 29, the player reaching 30 first wins. The match is won by the best two out of three games played.

Every game of badminton is started with a coin toss. The winner can choose whether to serve first or not and can choose on which side of the court to begin the game. As in most racquet sports, the score begins at 0-0 (called love-all). The players stand on opposite sides of the court, diagonally opposite. The game begins with the server on the right side. This is always the case when the score is even and when it is odd the server serves from the left court. The serve is underhand and does not bounce. The goal is to hit a shuttlecock over the net and onto the floor within the court boundaries to win a point. The opponent does his best to keep that from happening by returning the shuttlecock back over the net as many times as possible.

If the shuttlecock doesn’t get over the net or goes out of the marked boundaries, it’s a fault and the point is lost. Then the next serve goes to the opponent. A let is a serve that doesn’t count either because the shuttlecock hit the net, it fell apart, or the umpire couldn’t determine if the shot was in or out of bounds. Badminton rules allow for two minutes between games as the players change ends. When players are in the third game and the score reaches 11, they change sides of the court.

The badminton rules for doubles are much the same. The server first serves from the right side of the court. The receiver serves next--then the receiver’s partner, then service finally will go back to the initial server’s partner. As in singles you would serve or receive on the right side of the court when the score is even and from the left side when the score is an odd number. According to badminton rules, your partner does the reverse.

I fond of Wushu

2008-09-11T23:26:00.000-07:00

source : wikipedia.org

Kungfu and wushu are popular terms that have become synonymous with Chinese martial arts. However the Chinese terms kungfu and wushu have very different meanings. Wushu can describe greatly varying martial arts traditions. Kungfu can be used in a context without any martial arts whatsoever. Colloquially, kungfu (or gungfu) alludes to any individual accomplishment or cultivated skill obtained by long and hard work. In contrast, wushu is a more precise term that refers to general martial activities. The term wushu has also become the name for a modern sport similar to gymnastics involving the performance of adapted Chinese bare-handed and weapons forms (tàolù) judged to a set of contemporary aesthetic criteria for points.

Wushu, also known as modern wushu or contemporary wushu, is both an exhibition and a full-contact sport derived from traditional Chinese martial arts. It was created in the People's Republic of China after 1949, in an attempt to nationalize the practice of traditional Chinese martial arts. In contemporary times, wushu has become a truly international sport through the International Wushu Federation (IWUF), which holds the World Wushu Championships every two years; the first World Championships were held in 1991 in Beijing.

Modern wushu is composed of two disciplines: taolu (forms) and sanda (sparring). Taolu forms are similar to gymnastics and involve martial art patterns and maneuvers for which competitors are judged and given points according to specific rules. The forms comprise basic movements (stances, kicks, punches, balances, jumps, sweeps and throws) based on aggregate categories traditional Chinese martial art style and can be changed for competitions to highlight one's strengths. Competitive forms have time limits that can range from 1 minute, 20 seconds for the some external styles to over five minutes for internal styles. Modern wushu competitors are increasingly training in aerial techniques such as 540 and 720 degree jumps and kicks to add more difficulty and style to their forms.

Sanda (sometimes called sanshou or Lei Tai) is a modern fighting method and sport influenced by traditional Chinese boxing, Chinese wrestling methods called Shuai Chiao and other Chinese grappling techniques such as Qin Na. It has all the combat aspects of wushu. Sanda appears much like kickboxing or Muay Thai, but includes many more grappling techniques. Sanda fighting competitions are often held alongside taolu or form competitions.

Events
* Barehanded

Changquan (Long Fist)
Nanquan (Southern Fist)
Taijiquan (Taiji Fist)

* Short Weapons

Dao (single-edged sword)
Jian (double-edged sword)
Taijijian (Taiji double-edged sword)
Nandao (Southern single-edged sword)

* Long Weapons

Gun (Staff)
Qiang (Spear)
Nangun (Southern Staff)

Most events were first set up in 1958. These events are performed using compulsory or individual routines in competition. Compulsory routines are those routines that have been already created for the athlete, resulting in each athlete performing basically the same set. Individual routines are routines that an athlete creates with the aid of his/her coach, while following certain rules for difficulty, number of acrobatics, etc.

In addition to events for individual routines, some wushu competitions also feature dual and group events. The dual event, also called duilian, is an event in which there is some form of sparring with weapons, or without weapons or even using bare hands against weapons. The dual event is usually spectacular and actions are choreographed before hand. The group event, also known as jiti, requires a group of people to perform together and smooth synchronization of actions are crucial. Usually, the group event also allows instrumental music to accompany the choreography during the performance. The carpet used for the group event is also larger than the one used for individual routines.

Previously, international wushu competitions most often used compulsory routines, while high-level competitions in China most often used individual routines. However, after the 2003 Wushu World Games in Macau it was decided to opt for individual routines in international competition with nandu (difficulty movements) added for additional point bonuses.

There is some controversy concerning the inclusion of nandu in wushu because many of the movements created for the specific events are not originally movements used in those styles. In addition the number of injuries which have resulted from the inclusion of these nandu have caused many people to question their inclusion.

Those who support the new difficulty requirements follow the assertion that they help to progress the sport and improve the overall physical quality of the athletes.

Main Events
Changquan refers to long-range extended wushu styles like Chaquan, Huaquan, Hongquan ("flood fist"), and Shaolinquan, but this wushu form is a modernized style derived from movements of these and other traditional styles. Changquan is the most widely-seen of the wushu forms, and includes whirling, running, leaping, and acrobatics. Changquan is difficult to perform, requiring great flexibility and athleticism, and is often practised from a young age.

Nanquan refers to wushu styles originating in south China (i.e., south of the Yangtze River, including Hongjiaquan, Cailifoquan, and Yongchunquan. Many are known for vigorous, athletic movements with very stable, low stances and intricate hand movements. This wushu form is a modern style derived from movements of these and other traditional southern styles. Nanquan typically requires less flexibility and has fewer acrobatics than Changquan, but it also requires greater leg stability and power generation through leg and hip coordination. This event was created in 1960.

Taijiquan is a wushu style famous for slow, relaxed movements, and often seen as an exercise method for the elderly. This wushu form is a modern recompilation based on the Yang style of Taijiquan, but also including movements of the Chen, Wu, Wu, and Sun styles.

Dao refers to any curved, one-sided sword/blade, but this wushu form is a Changquan method of using a medium-sized willow-leaf-shaped dao.

Jian refers to any double-edged straight sword/blade, but this wushu form is a Changquan method of using the jian.

Gun refers to a long staff (wooden, not made of bamboo as it will split) as tall as the wrist of a person standing with his/her arms stretched upwards, but this wushu form is a Changquan method of using the gun.

Qiang refers to a flexible spear with red hair attached to the spearhead, but this wushu form is a Changquan method of using the qiang.

Taijijian is an event using the jian based on traditional Taijiquan jian methods.

Nandao is a weapon that appears to be based on the butterfly swords of Yongchunquan, but has been lengthened and changed so that only one is used (as opposed to a pair). This event is a Nanquan method, and was created in 1992.

Nangun is a Nanquan method of using the gun (Chinese word meaning staff, not to be confused with handgun). This event was created in 1992.

Competitions
List of major international and regional competitions featuring wushu:

World Wushu Championships
World Junior Wushu Championships
Asian Games
National Games of the People's Republic of China
East Asian Games
Southeast Asian Games
European Wushu Championships, organised by the European Wushu Federation

Notable practitioners

Jet Li - possibly the most famous wushu practitioner in the world. He started wushu as a competition sport and gained fame as he took the National Wushu Champion of China title five times as an original member of the Beijing Wushu Team, he was later selected to demonstrate his wushu on the silver screen in the worldwide hit film Shaolin Temple. Many of his old teammates have also appeared on-screen with him, especially in his older movies.

Wu Jing - Chinese actor who was sent to the Beijing Sports Institute at Shichahai in Beijing when he was 6 years old. Like Jet Li he competed as a member of the Beijing Wushu Team in national level wushu competitions in China. Both his father and grandfather were also martial artists

Ray Park - Showcased his skills in wushu in several major films, including his portrayal of Darth Maul in 1999's Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, as well as Toad in the film X-Men (2000) and as stunt-double for Robin Shou and James Remar in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. He also heavily retrained prior to filming G.I. Joe., in which he will portray the martial arts expert Snake-Eyes.

Voice actor Yuri Lowenthal is a practitioner of Wu Shu.

Wushu as an Olympic event
The IWUF placed a bid to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to have wushu included in future Olympic Games, but so far did not meet with success. However, the IOC has allowed China to organize an international wushu event during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, but this event is not one of the 28 official Olympic sports, nor is it a demonstration event. Instead, it will be called the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Wushu Tournament.

Swimming is one of my favorite sport

2008-09-11T23:21:00.000-07:00

Swimming is one of the best exercises for weight loss and over all development of the body. With a fast-paced and hectic life style now days, swimming helps you relax and is an ultimate stress buster. If you are suffering from a low self-esteem, swimming helps you to build up the confidence you require to face every day life. With so many advantages to swimming, no wonder then it is becoming a very popular sport not only among the athletes but also everyone else.

If you are very keen on learning swimming, then you will need to keep certain things in mind. Following is a list, if taken seriously will only benefit you.

Overtraining & Burnout: This is a very common problem, which many of you do not even realise it. It's important to train and swim hard but it is equally important not to over do it. The symptoms of over training and burnouts are extreme fatigue and sleepless nights. To avoid burnouts taking regular breaks in your swimming program is very essential.

Set a Goal: If you do not have any inclination of learning swimming and are just doing it for the heck of it, then it can often lead to boredom and eventually losing interest in the sport. To avoid this, it is very important that you set a goal as to why you are swimming? For weight loss, fitness, or just an exercise.

Avoid Illness and Injuries: It is not a very good idea to swim when you are not feeling too good or are injured. The injury may be due to the wrong swimming techniques; hence, it is vital that you take advice of a professional before taking a dip in the pool.

Avoiding Pressures: When beginning to train in swimming, it is of vital significance that you have all the support you require from your family and also friends. Learning to swim can be very pressurising especially if you are not able to live up to people's expectations. Hence, the encouragement is much required.

Swimming Kit: Though swimming may seem like a sport that requires minimum kit, but it is essential that you get them right. Getting a decent swim suit is not at all difficult. All you need to do is look out for a swim suit with a high amount of PBT, which sustains in chlorine water, salt water and alkalis. You will also require goggles and swimming caps that will protect your eyes and head from chlorine water. Of course, you will need a towel to dry your self after a great swim and a good shower. It could be a miserable thing to realise that you have no towel with you. It is always better to carry a plastic container so that you can dump all your wet things in that rather than a sports bag.