Chinese set new world record for human dominoes

More than 10,000 people have set a new Guinness World record for "human dominoes" in China's Inner Mongolia, toppling a record set a decade earlier in Singapore by more than several hundred.

The 10,276, mostly students seated cross-legged and falling backwards in a line that snaked across an enormous square, took 1 hour and 20 minutes to set the new record on Thursday.

"The human dominoes were a success. The new record is 10,267 people. This is a new Guinness World record," Guinness' official Wu Shaohong said, in images broadcast on state television.

The ceremony in the Inner Mongolian city of Ordos kicked off with Chinese basketball star and former NBA player Mengke Bateer passing a basketball to the first domino in line, who then all fell backward in turn.


The participants trained more than four hours each for three days in preparation for the event, China's official Xinhua news agency said.

Previously, the human domino record was held by 9,234 students in Singapore in 2000.

Ishikawa fires a 58!

Source: PGATour

Ryo Ishikawa shot a 12-under 58 -- the lowest score ever on a major tour -- to win The Crowns on Sunday for his seventh Japan Tour title.

The 18-year-old Ishikawa tapped in for par on the par-4 18th after his 15-foot birdie try slid inches by the cup. He had 12 birdies in his bogey-free round on the 6,545-yard Nagoya Golf Club course.

"I always dreamed of getting a score like this but didn't think I would do it so fast," Ishikawa said. "It hasn't really sunk in yet, but I'm sure it will after a few days."

Wow! 58 is amazing on any professional tour. Especially frmo an 18 year old.
Here's an additional article about how he's saving golf in Japan as people have someone to really watch now instead of a bunch of nobodies.

Cash cow Ishikawa saved Japan tour: Director

Every sports needs a star, a reason for people to pay money and watch. People pay to watch Tiger Woods which made the PGATour huge. The LPGA has a problem now and is facing bankrupcy because there is no star on that tour.

Lorry driver builds himself a Lamborghini

Source: Orange

A Chinese lorry driver has built himself a Lamborghini supercar in his spare time - for just £2,000.

It took Chen Jinmiao, 25, of Binzhou, Hunan province, a year to build the replica sportscar, reports the Red Net.

"I downloaded the drawings from the internet, and then bought materials from the market," he said.

Chen, who has only a basic school education, had always dreamt of owning a Lamborghini but knew he would never be able to afford a real one.

It is a fully working car - and even has the famous wing doors - but its top speed is a little over 50mph, compared to a real Lamborghini's 200mph-plus.

Chen said his family and friends tried to discourage him from building the car.

"But they couldn't stop me, as I did it all with my own savings," he explained.

He is now waiting to see whether traffic officials will give him permission to drive the car on the road.

"If they don't, I can have it for my collection at home," he added.

Holy crap, £2,000 is alot of money that he's been saving up. A whole year!
That's a really cool project but there's not way he can really drive that thing very far. Just around the neighbourhood? It looks great but doesn't look safe, no bumper, bad wheels. Can it even break at high speeds? I like his attitude though, that's a wonderful lifetime collection to have :)

Iraqi female wrestlers

Every Olympic cycle you hear "Why is this athlete allowed to compete if they finish so far back dead last" or "Why go if you can't win a medal, it's pointless".

So here is a story well in advance. If you ever see an Iraqi female wrestler in the Summer Olympics of 2012, 2016 or later, even if she finishes dead last, you will understand this wonderful achievement and the barriers she had to breakdown to get there.

Stunning Rice Paddy Art In Japan

Source: TheWondrous.com

Rice paddy art also called as rice field art has become very famous in all across the Japan. The largest and finest work is grown in the Aomori prefecture village of Inakadate, which has earned a reputation for its agricultural artistry. Farmers create the murals by planting different colors of rice plant

That's amazing! How can they calculate that. When I watch baseball games and see the grass designed to fit a teams logo it looks great already. This is 100 times that much.

See all the photos here.

Stick Your Finger Up A Melon

Source: Yahoo!

A kung fu master has jabbed his way into the Malaysian records book after piercing four coconuts with his index finger in a little over 30 seconds, according to a newspaper report.

Ho Eng Hui, 55, made it into the Malaysia Book of Records for coconut opening with his 30.81 second feat, the New Straits Times reported Monday.

"Now, I will start preparing myself to get into the Guinness Book of World Records," Master Ho told the newspaper.

"This is not an illusion or black magic. I am able to do this after mastering the Chinese martial art technique of using the strength of my finger, from a martial arts master in Singapore."

Hundreds of people, many of them tourists, witnessed the record breaking coconut piercing in Malacca on Saturday.

Master Ho smashed his previous record of breaking three coconuts in 70 seconds.

Youtube Link


OW!

Man, 96, graduates on same day as grandson

Source: Ananova

A 96-year-old Taiwanese man who enrolled for university to set an example for his grandson has graduated with a master's degree.

Chao Muhe, 96, and grandson Zhao Shuangzhan, 32, graduated on the same day, reports IC Media.

Chao, a retired university teacher, said he started his university studies again six years ago when his grandson was set to enroll for university.

"He didn’t work hard at all. So to set a good example for him, I told him I am to apply for university studies with him," said Chao.

He received his master’s degree in philosophy from the University of South China in southern Taiwan, while his grandson graduated from Chung Hua University.

Chao, better known to his classmates as Grandpa Chao, said he had also needed a new interest after being told he was too old to continue as a volunteer at a local hospital.

And he never missed a class - despite needing to get up at 5am each day to catch several buses to get to university.

And although he was more than 70 years older than his classmates, he says he did not feel out of place.

"We are good friends," said Chao, but added that he often had to study until 2am or even 3am to keep up with his younger classmates.

Grandpa Chao’s thesis tutor, Chen Dezhi, said his thirst for knowledge was an inspiration to the other students.

That's really cool. However it's much easier to study and graduate when you're 96 cause there's no pressure! For everyone else who's 18 there's alot of pressure. You whole future depends on graduating. If I don't graduate i'll never get a good job, parents want me to get straight A's, I'm dating this great guy and if I don't graduate he'll dump me cause I'm dumb etc....very stressful!

At 96 if he doesn't graduate then... nothing, he just goes back to being 96. He's already accomplished everything. It's easier to succeed when nothing is on the line.

But he's really nice for him to help his grandson. Graduate at 32? He must have been slacking off all those years.

Japan's earthquake rescue robot

Source: BBC

Earthquakes are a fact of life in Japan and so is a fascination with robotics.

At the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Professor Shigeo Hirose is developing a robot that could help rescue survivors after an earthquake.

The BBC's Richard Black took the opportunity to take a look at the robot and some of the professor's other creations.

This would be very cool. The saddest things I hear during earthquakes are victims who aer buried alive and aren't saved for 4-5 days! Having these little snake-like robots would help rescuers alot! Especially since they are often afraid to go deep into the rubble for fear more could collapse!

Cannes: C'est Fini!

Source: Cannes Official Site, Yahoo!

It's all over in Cannes. Asian films picked up a couple of prizes.

Chinese director Lou Ye won for best screenplay for his tale of a women suspecious that her husband is having an affair with a gay lover.

Related: Cannes challenges Beijing film censors

Best Screenplay: Lou Ye for "Spring Fever"

Korean director Park Chan-Wook shared the jury prize, for Thirst

Despite a rousing standing ovation, Ang Lee's film Taking Woodstock won nothing.

The winner of the Palme D'or was an Austrian film called The White Ribbon. A black and white film about a children's choir in a village in northern Germany soon before World War I.


Youtube Link

Masturbate-A-Thon 2009 Champion Masanobu Sato Speaks

Smoooooooooth!

Source: SF Weekly

Well, it's been a week since Masanobu Sato blew away his own masturbating world record at the 9th Annual Masturbate-a-thon, held by the Center for Sex & Culture last Saturday. This guy was a pro, bringing an arsenal of masturbating aids from the Japanese sex product company he works for.

Last year he set the record with 9 hours and 33 minutes, but this time he held on til 9 hours and 58 minutes. He's now back in Japan and exhausted, but was nice enough to answer some of our questions about his victory by e-mail. Behold the master.

.....more

Seriously? 10 hours? Glad to see Japanese porn is good for something! A whole lot of training must have gone into this achievement!

China Navy celebrates 60th anniversary

Source: CCTV

Some videos of today's 60th anniversary of China's Navy.


Youtube Link


Youtube Link


Youtube Link

If China ever wanted to gobble up Taiwan, now would be a good time. Nobody's paying attention!

60th anniversary parade, Warcraft-style

Someone on Warcraft did a parade that will happen later this year on October 6!

Tried to embed but doesn't work.
Youku Link

Ip Man Tops Bill at HK Film Awards

Hong Kong director Raymond Wong (left front) and actor Donnie Yen (right front) celebrate with the trophy after winning the Best Film award for movie "Ip Man" at the Hong Kong Film Awards on Sunday, April 19, 2009.

Source: CriEnglish

A Biopic of Bruce Lee's kung fu master won best picture at the 28th Hong Kong Film Awards Sunday, but a documentary-like film about a working-class neighborhood dominated the other top prizes.

"Ip Man," a profile of the martial arts teacher of the same name starring Donnie Yen, took top honors at the annual awards ceremony, but the low-budget "The Way We Are" took home prizes for best director Ann Hui, best actress Paw Hee Ching, and best supporting actress for Chan Lai-wun.

Best actor went to Nick Cheung, who portrayed a kidnapper who struggles to care for his wife in the action thriller "The Beast Stalker." Liu Kai-chi took home a best supporting actor award for his work in the same film.

The action-filled "Ip Man" describes how the kung fu master resisted Japanese rule in his southern Chinese hometown during the World War II era. Ip's most famous disciple was Lee, who studied with him for five years starting at age 13.

Producer Raymond Wong said he felt bad that Yen and director Wilson Yip lost in their categories but was pleased with the best film award because it "honors everyone involved in the movie."

But the sentimental favorite of the night was "The Way We Are," a rare, locally flavored film at a time when the Hong Kong industry is increasingly catering to the booming Chinese mainland market with historical and kung fu epics.

Its competitors were mainly expensive blockbusters, including John Woo's US$80 million "Red Cliff."

Paw - who in the film played a single mother raising a teenage son in Hong Kong's suburban Tin Shui Wai district - recalled how director Hui struggled to find funding.

"Such a great director faced so much pressure. She didn't have money or a big cast, but she used great passion and a serious attitude to make this movie," Paw said after collecting her best actress trophy.

She said expectations were low for the film, "we all just wanted to help Ann make a meaningful movie."

Picking up her best director award, Hui said: "When I was a student, I thought winning a prize at Cannes was the best thing. But I've matured. Now I realize that receiving an award from your own people makes me the happiest."

Woo's "Red Cliff," about an ancient Chinese battle, missed out on the major prizes but collected a slew of technical awards, including best visual effects and two art awards for art director Tim Yip.

Woo was seen chuckling after organizers showed a parody of his classic 1986 gangster film "A Better Tomorrow" that portrayed its iconic trench-coat wearing character using duck heads instead of guns to fire at his enemies. The parody was part of a lighthearted tribute to "Stealing a Roasted Duck," a short from 1909 that was the first Hong Kong-made film.

Director Wong Kar-wai presented a lifetime achievement award to veteran actress Josephine Siao, a best actress winner at the Berlin Film Festival for the 1995 film "Summer Snow."

I still haven't seen Ip Man yet. Now would probably be a good time to see it since I know it's won the Best Picture Award :)

Also: 28th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards Nominations

Chinese American Heroines: Amy Yuen-Yee Chow

Source: Asianweek

Chinese women have made tremendous contributions ever since Chinese men stopped binding their feet and our young daughters could attain as much education as their brains allowed. There are now over 2,000 Chinese Americans in local government across the nation and most of these community minded citizens are women. Among over 1,000 Asian American/Chinese American non-profits, the Executive Directors are usually Chinese ladies. They have come a long way, baby - and our Congratulations to all of them.

Our first fabulous lady is Amy Chow. Guess what she did?

Today’s Chinese American Heroine: First Chinese American Olympic Medal Gymnast

Name in English: Amy Yuen-Yee Chow
Name in Chinese: [周婉儀]
Name in Pinyin: Zhōu Wǎnyí
Gender: Female
Birth Year: 1978
Birth Place: San Jose, California
Current location: Palo Alto
Profession (s): Olympic Gymnast, Pediatrics Resident

Education: B.S., Biology, 2002, Stanford University; M.D., 2007, Stanford University

Award (s): 1994, U.S. Team Silver Medal, World Team Championships; 1995, Individual Gold Medal - Vault, Pan American Games; 1995, Individual Silver Medal - Uneven Bars, Pan American Games; 1995, Individual Bronze Medal - All-around, Pan American Games; 1996, Individual Silver Medal - Uneven Bars, Atlanta Olympics; 1996, U.S. Team Gold Medal, Atlanta Olympics; 2005, USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame, USA Gymnastics; 2008, U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, U.S. Olympic Committee

Contribution (s): Despite losing her grip and slamming her head on the balance beam during gymnastics trials, Amy Yuen-Yee Chow soldiered on with an ugly red welt above her right eye and went on to win a silver medal on the uneven bars in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She was just 18 years old, the first Chinese and Asian American woman to win an Olympic medal in gymnastics. Chow also helped her team, the 1996 Women’s Gymnastics Team, win the first gold medal for the U.S. in the Women’s Team Competition, earning the famous nickname of the Magnificent Seven for its members.

Here is her Individual Silver Medal Routine on the Uneven Bars


Youtube Link

And more importantly! Here's her Coke commercial! (sorry can't embed)

PhD in India, security guard here, made right move

Source: Toronto Star

A university professor from India, Vijay Bhosekar never thought he would don a security guard uniform and walk his beat in malls and condo buildings in Toronto.

But that's what the gregarious 49-year-old agricultural scientist has been doing since he arrived here in April 2005.

The pay, just above $10 an hour, is meagre but Bhosekar is taking it in stride while enrolled in courses to upgrade his skills and acquire credentials to be a certified environmental practitioner and earn a professional designation in agrology.

"My view is, relative to other survival jobs, this job can give me better exposure and networking opportunity to meet different people," said Bhosekar, who had taught at his alma mater, the University of Agricultural Sciences, Hyderabad, for years. "The job is quite interesting. The thing about Canada is, I don't feel I lose my dignity. People respect me for what I do."

Bhosekar and his wife, Vaishali, an elementary school teacher, came to Canada so their only daughter, Meghana, 19, could get the best education. She now majors in environmental science at York University.

"I felt I was well qualified for a lot of jobs with my line of work and expertise," he said. "But it was a horrifying reality when we got here."

It is unfortunate that people from other countries come to Canada and cannot qualify for the same jobs as in their homeland, mostly because of skill set and language. However this is the right attitude because the parents came to Canada for their daughter, not for themselves. Being a security guard in Canada may have a higher wages than a doctor in alot of other places. The goal is to work hard and get by so that the daughter has all the opportunities possible in Canada that she would not have in India.

Best Foreign Language Film Oscar Winners

Here is a montage of all the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.

I'm sure you all have seen many of these great classics and it will bring back some nice memories.


Youtube Link

Missing in the video is the latest winner Departures from Japan.

“Most Beautiful Police Flower” Saves Suicide Jumper Girl

Source: chinaSMACK

Yesterday at 1pm, a young female climbed atop a building at Tongzhi Street and Qinghua Road in Changchun City wanting to commit suicide. Firefighters and local police tried to persuade her but she refused to come down.

At a crucial moment, a female police officer who was driving by volunteered to climb onto the building’s roof and find a way to get close to the female. Over one hour later, this female flipped over the side of the building, and at the critical moment, the female police officer reached out and grabbed her firmly.

However, after saving this life, this female police officer consistently refused to disclose her name, and there were many opinions amongst the onlookers regarding this female police officer’s identity. Just who is this female police flower? Presently there are no detailed information, but we believe a follow-up report will bring the people this good result. Police, a position/identity that has become estranged and distant from the people in recent years, has once again earned some warmth through this beautiful police flower.

As a police officer “passing by”, she could have pretended that nothing was happening like many other people, even like many other police officers. However, due to her care for life and respect for her occupation, she still had the courage to stand forward and while risking her own safety save this young female. This is the kind of police that is in the hearts of the people!

The one thing worth our satisfaction is that the journalist recorded this female police flower’s beautiful appearance and her life-saving actions. In the midst of netizen discussions, the one thing that has not changed is what this female police flower has been called: most beautiful police flower! Now let us keep in mind the respect we have for this female police flower while we view the thrilling life and death pictures of what happened!

It's amazing how suicides and suicide attempts are not allowed to be reported in Canada but are always shown in China. There was even video of a suicide last month. The pictures shown are amazing how detailed they can get of a suicide attempt.

Imagine being a photographer pointing your camera up and waiting for something to happen. If the girl did jump, would you take a picture of the aftermath too?

Calgarian tackles barriers between people

Source: Calgary Herald
Thanks: @thebrilliantgod

In a previous post, I had talked about Young Global Leaders

I omitted a very important Calgarian!

Salima Ebrahim: Issue Strategist, Community And Protective Services, City Of Calgary

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Salima Ebrahim dreams big, and considering what she's accomplished in her life, one can't help but believe she has the wherewithal to rise to any challenge.

She only wishes women all over the world could have that same opportunity.

"It does come down to this notion: Are women treated with the right level of dignity?'' she asked. "In some countries, they're almost an afterthought.''

The plight of women and children and human rights in general is something Ebrahim--currently an issue strategist with community and protective services with the City of Calgary--has focused on for years.

Young Global Leaders

The World Economic Forum has released it's annual World Global Leader Honorees list for 2009

Some familiar names include:

Sachin Tendulkar (India)
Kelly Chen (HK)
Tiger Woods (USA)
Jessica Biel (USA)
Zhang Ziyi (China)
Kazutoshi Sakurai (Japan)
Chris Martin, Coldplay (UK)

Check out the list and see who you recognize.

Nine-year old girl is youngest person to become Microsoft Certified Professional

Source: Engadget

A nine year-old girl in India named M. Lavinashree has passed the Microsoft Certified Professional Exam, becoming the youngest person to ever pull it off (smashing the record previously held by a 10 year-old Pakistani girl). The youngster has a long history of making records in her short life -- including reciting all 1,300 couplets of a 2,000 year-old Tamil epic at the age of three -- and now she's now cramming for the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer Exam.

Everytime I see a story like this of a young person passing a test or graduating collage, I think back to the story of reincarnation. A person is to eat porridge upon reincarnating in order to wipe out his/her mind of the previous life.

I think cases like this show that this person skipped the line and didn't eat the porridge.