I still remember watching Katarina Witt performance on TV at the Calgary Winter Olympics closing ceremony in 1988… I started iceskating one year before, and her performance, even if not really technical, will stay in all skaters memories as it was is unusual to hear such kind of music with this style of choregraphy during a figure skating contest.
If the video is too long to load, and if you’re not in China, you can access it on Youtube.
For those who don’t know Katarina Witt, here is her long program, on Carmen, at the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988, achieving a Gold medal: (更多。。。- More…)
Samsung announced its first solar powered mobile phone, the “Crest Solar” (E1107). The new handset enables its users to charge the battery anywhere the sun is shining when electricity is unavailable.
“The Crest Solar represents our effort and commitment to strengthen our leadership in the solar panel mobile market,” said Executive Vice President JK Shin, head of the Mobile Communication Division at Samsung Electronics.
The Crest Solar will be available in numerous markets including India, Europe, Southeast Asia, Southwest Asia, and Latin America from June 2009.
With an extended solar powered battery, the Samsung Crest Solar solves the problem of unavailable or unstable electrical outlets, particularly in rural areas. The phone has the capacity to provide around 5~10 minutes of talk time with one hour of solar charging.* Moreover, the solar panel charging allows its users to save money and energy consumption on traditional electrical charging.
* Measured when the phone is turned-off under the sun light of 80,000 Lux. (更多。。。- More…)
March 30, 2009 Already an old news, but still worrying…
Proscribing the defamation of religions, as the United Nations Human Rights Council would have the world do, is a chilling idea, in more than one sense. Islam in particular and religion in general would be treated as if beyond criticism. Really, it is a way to dress up the suppression of speech in human-rights garb.
The UN resolution has no legal force, but its symbolism is disturbing. Any Islamic government that legislates against an "insult to Islam," which can cover nearly anything, has just been given a pat on the back. Anyone anywhere who finds something objectionable - a depiction of the Prophet Mohammed in an editorial cartoon in Denmark, or a novel set in India, or a mention of the Prophet Mohammed in connection with a beauty pageant in Nigeria - has been handed a moral justification for protest. This, in a world in which such protests have often taken deadly forms.
The notion of defamation of religion is vague to the point of meaninglessness. What is its reach? The text of the Human Rights Council’s resolution says, "Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human-rights violations and terrorism." That suggests a vast range of discussion is off-limits. The UN itself has overseen several reports outlining how Arab societies (both secular and religious) have fallen into decay. "Why do Arabs enjoy so little freedom?" the authors, 40 Arab intellectuals, asked. (If defamation of religion is wrong, is defamation of ethnic groups allowed? Is there now a hierarchy of protected groups?) Islam can co-exist with modernity, they say, implying that it does not do so now. Did the UN defame Islam, then?
Thanks to killythefrog, I’ve discovered an interesting & funny Chinese cartoon: 哐哐哐 (kuāng kuāng kuāng). 哐 is just an an onomatopoetic word, like "bang", "clang" or something like that. Maybe there is an underlying meaning… Dunno…
哐哐哐 is a nice Flash anime, but the humor they use is a little bit surprising for a Chinese production… Violence, blood, caricature of the educational system, and even… sex! Moreover, the official website is: http://hutoon.comic.gov.cn It means that it’s linked to Chinese Government… Weird! But, should we be still surprised about anything in China??? Ok, just watch the first on, you’ll understand: 情人节 (qíng rén jié) / Valentine’s Day
哐哐哐 writes "口交" (kǒu jiāo) on the blackboard. 口 means mouth, oral. 交 stands for relationship. So, put together it should mean kiss the mouth… but actually 口交 also means "blow job" In the end, it’s written: 口交你爱的人 / Do some oral sex with your lover 情人节快乐!/ Happy Valentine’s Day! CCP gives some good advice sometimes! (更多。。。- More…)