--Teacher's Day 2012--

--Sooner Or Later--

--Japan Mar 11th 2011--

--二郎神~杨戬--

Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with a third truth-seeing eye in the middle of his forehead.

Er-lang Shen may be a deified version of several semi-mythical folk heroes who help regulate China's torrential floods, dating variously from the Qin, Sui and Jin dynasties. A later Buddhist source identify him as the second son of the Northern Heavenly King Vaishravana.

In the Ming semi-mythical novels Creation of the Gods and Journey to the West Erlang Shen is the nephew of the Jade Emperor. In the former he assisted the Zhou army in defeating the Shang. In the latter, he is the offspring of a mortal and the Jade Emperor's sister.

~

二郎神~杨戬，道教俗神，天庭大将，玉帝的外甥，阐教元始天尊门下徒孙，玉鼎真人的大弟子，变化无穷，神通广大，肉身成圣；早年劈桃山救母，视天界兵将如无 物受封清源妙道真君；又助武王伐纣，再封昭惠显圣仁佑王。王母甚为疼爱，但因与舅舅玉帝不和，故不愿住在天界，而在下界守人间香火，率领梅山七怪七位结义 兄弟和麾下1200草头神驻扎灌江口，与玉帝立约“听调不听宣”意思是：我服从你调谴我去打仗除妖的军令，要是以君主或者舅舅的身份叫我和你见面，那就免 开尊口。刚直公正，显圣护民，凡人间生灵危难，呼其尊号必往救。

~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erlang_Shen
~
~http://baike.baidu.com/view/26073.htm

--Zimbabwean dollar--

The Zimbabwean dollar ($, or Z$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies) was the official currency of Zimbabwe between 1980 and 12 April 2009. ~ Although the dollar was considered to be among the highest valued currency units when it was first introduced in 1980 to replace the Rhodesian dollar at a ratio of 1:1, political turmoil and hyperinflation rapidly eroded the value of the Zimbabwe dollar to eventually become one of the least valued currency units in the world, undergoing three redenominations, and banknote denominations being issued for as high as $100 trillion.
^~
Despite attempts to control inflation by legislation and three separate redenominations in 2006, 2008 and 2009, the use of the dollar as an official currency was effectively abandoned on 12 April 2009 as a result of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe legalising the use of foreign currencies for transactions in January 2009.
^~
Foreign currencies such as the South African Rand, Botswana Pula, Pound Sterling and the United States Dollar are now used instead for all transactions in Zimbabwe, and the current policy of the government of Zimbabwe has insisted that any attempts to reintroduce Zimbabwean currency should only be considered if the industrial output improves.
^~
~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwean_dollar
~
~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwe
~
~http://www.cato.org/zimbabwe
~
~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Zimbabwe.svg
~
~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Zimbabwe.svg

--Osama bin Laden to Guantánamo?--

By David S. Cloud and Brian Bennett / Tribune Washington Bureau Thursday, February 17, 2011
~
WASHINGTON — If the U.S. captured Osama bin Laden or other senior al-Qaida leaders, they would be probably be imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay, CIA Director Leon Panetta said in his first public acknowledgment that the controversial U.S. military prison in Cuba might be used to hold future detainees. ~ Bin Laden and al-Qaida No. 2 leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, both of whom are believed to be hiding in Pakistan, would likely be moved quickly to the U.S. airbase at Bagram, Afghanistan, for questioning and eventually moved, "probably to Guantanamo," Panetta told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday. ~ Most U.S. officials consider it unlikely that bin Laden or al-Zawahiri will be captured alive, but Panetta’s comments appeared to describe a scenario the administration is considering in the event they or other senior al-Qaida leaders are taken into custody. ~
~http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/general/view/20110216cia_chief_hints_that_guantanamo_prison_might_stay_open/
~
~http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/02/16/2070857/close-camps-cia-chief-would-ship.html
~
~http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_17408414?source=rss
~
~http://www.wral.com/news/national_world/national/story/9122538/
~
~http://www.statesman.com/news/world/cia-chief-if-captured-bin-laden-would-go-1260428.html
~
~https://www.cia.gov/
~
~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Qaeda

--Shaolin Poem--

--Valentine 2011--

On Valentine's Day we think of those
Who make our lives worthwhile,
Those gracious, friendly people who
We think of with a smile. I am fortunate to know you,
That's why I want to say,
To a rare and special person:
Happy Valentine's Day!

--Planet "X" Nibiru 2012--

The Nibiru collision is a supposed disastrous encounter between the Earth and a large planetary object (either a collision or a near-miss) which certain groups believe will take place in the early 21st century. Believers in this doomsday event usually refer to this object as Planet X or Nibiru. The idea that a planet-sized object could possibly collide with or pass by Earth in the near future is not supported by any scientific evidence and has been rejected as pseudoscience by astronomers and planetary scientists.
~
The idea was first proposed in 1995 by Nancy Lieder, founder of the website ZetaTalk. Lieder describes herself as a contactee with the ability to receive messages from extra-terrestrials from the Zeta Reticuli star system through an implant in her brain. She states that she was chosen to warn mankind that the object would sweep through the inner Solar System in May 2003 (though that date was later abandoned) causing Earth to undergo a pole shift that would destroy most of humanity. The predicted collision has subsequently spread beyond Lieder's website and has been embraced by numerous internet doomsday groups, most of which link the event to the 2012 phenomenon. Although the name "Nibiru" is derived from the works of ancient astronaut writer Zecharia Sitchin and his interpretations of Babylonian and Sumerian mythology, Sitchin himself denied any connection between his work and various claims of a coming apocalypse.
~
~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nibiru_collision
~
~http://xfacts.com/x2.htm
~
~http://planetnibiru.org/

--Egypt 1981~2011--

--红鸡蛋--

在中国民间流传着这样一首民谣：“红鸡蛋，满脸串，今年吃你的喜馍馍，明年吃你的红鸡蛋。”喜馍馍是一种婚庆吉祥的风俗食品，俗传：喜馍馍带回去，亲人吃了得吉利。因此，这句歌谣属于祝福的吉语， 再从字面上理解，此句开头和结尾的两处红鸡蛋代表的含义并不相同，前一个“红鸡蛋”是作为一种圣物出现，有祈子赐福之功；而后一个“红鸡蛋”则成为了孩子 降生的报喜标志，也是一种起宣告作用的物体。向亲友分发用颜料染红的鸡蛋，是通行于全国各地的一种表达喜庆的方式，常用于结婚、生育、做“满月”等各种喜 庆场合，以示庆贺并图吉祥。
~
~
~http://baike.baidu.com/view/10466.htm

--楊家將--

楊家將是一部英雄傳奇系列故事，以話本、戲劇等形式在中國民間廣為流傳。它對北宋前期的一些人物和事件加以演義，講述了楊家四代人戍守北疆、精忠報國的動人事迹。
~
楊業原是北漢名將，官至建雄軍節度使，驍勇善戰，國人號為「無敵」。北漢降宋，楊業得到宋太宗趙光義信任，繼續戍邊防備契丹。他曾在雁門以奇兵數千騎大敗契丹，自此令契丹望風而遁，但也受到上級猜忌。986年（宋太宗雍熙三年），宋軍北伐，潘美一路，楊業副之，克雲、應、寰、朔四州。曹彬軍敗績，潘美、楊業所部護送四州民眾內遷。途中遭遇契丹主力，潘美等強令楊業出戰。楊業率部血戰陳家谷，其子楊延玉戰死，楊業為契丹所擒，絕食三日而死。
~
在楊業的兒子中，以楊延昭最為出色，楊業說：「此兒類我。」楊延昭本名楊延朗，在邊防二十餘年，契丹頗為忌憚，目為楊六郎。1004年（宋真宗景德元年），遼軍深入宋境，楊延昭率部突入遼境，擊破古城。
~
楊延昭有三子，《宋史》僅載第三位楊將文廣之事跡。延昭長子傳永，次子德政，名字獨見於曾鞏《隆平集》。楊延昭的第三子楊文廣，字仲容，青年時代得到范仲淹的賞識，置於麾下；曾從狄青南征。楊文廣在西邊防禦西夏，而不忘燕雲。遼宋爭代州地界，楊文廣獻上陣圖及進取幽燕的方略，但不久就去世了。
~
Yangjia Jiang (Chinese: 杨家将; lit. Generals of the Yang Clan) is a series of novels and plays which detail the exploits of the Yang military family over four generations of peace and turmoil during the Song Dynasty. Set during the later years of the Northern Song empire, the stories recount the unflinching loyalty (尽忠报国) of the Yang family heirs, even though most are deviating from the actual accounts.


~
~http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/ 杨家将
~
~http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Shao_Nian_Yang_Jia_Jiang
~
~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangjia_Jiang

--Malaysia 2 - 0 Hong Kong--

--人日 2011--

Renri (Chinese:人日, literally Human Day) refers specially to the 7th day of zhengyue (正月, the first month in the Chinese calendar). According to Chinese customs, renri was the day human beings were created. It is celebrated not only in China, but also other regions influenced by Chinese culture.
~
“人日”亦称“人胜节”、“人庆节”、“人口日”、“人七日”等。传说女蜗初创世，在造出了鸡狗猪牛马等动物后，于第七天造出了人，所以这一天是人类的生 日。汉朝开始有人日节俗，魏晋后开始重视。古代人日有戴“人胜”的习俗，人胜是一种头饰，又叫彩胜，华胜，从晋朝开始有剪彩为花、剪彩为人，或镂金箔为人 来贴屏风，也戴在头发上。此外还有登高赋诗的习俗。唐代之后，更重视这个节日。每至人日，皇帝赐群臣彩缕人胜，又登高大宴群臣。如果正月初七天气晴朗，则 主一年人口平安，出入顺利。
~
~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renri
~
~http://baike.baidu.com/view/6472.htm
~
~http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-02/12/content_7592494.htm
~
~

--We Are The World Foundation--

The recording of ‘We Are The World 25 For Haiti’ embodies the same enthusiasm, sense of purpose and generosity as the original recording 25 years ago. Through the contributions of the new voices to this rendition of ‘We Are The World,’ and with the help of our partners, the We Are The World Foundation will be committed to transparency and will help further the spirit of activism that was at the heart of the original song and movement.

We are developing mechanisms to permit our donors and members of the community to monitor the funds raised, the expenses paid, and the charitable grants funded by the We Are The World Foundation, a newly created not-for-profit organization founded by Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie who have invited Wyclef Jean, Paul Haggis, Randy Phillips, Peter Tortorici and Ambassador Luis Moreno of the Inter-American Development Bank to join them on the board. The Foundation is dedicated to raising money and to making grants to charitable organizations with meaningful and efficient relief and development programs that are responding to the continuing crisis in Haiti.

~

~http://wearetheworldfoundation.org/

--祖冲之--

The Han Dynasty lasted for 427 years from 206 BC to 220 AD. When it fell, the Three Kingdoms period took its place as local power centers established their own dynasties. They were reunited to form the Jin Dynasty (晋 264 to 420) which lasted 157 years in various forms. The Jin Dynasty was under constant attack from the north as the Xiongnu culture of the northern plains moved south followed by the Jie and the Xianbei. Each were distinct cultures that brought not only war and destruction but new ideas and practices.
~ During and after the Jin Dynasty there was a massive movement of population to the south of the Yangtse River for safety. The Jin Dynasty broke up into small kingdoms. This is called the Sixteen Kingdoms period (五 胡 十 六 国 (304 to 439) and overlaps the establishment of the five Northern and four Southern Dynasties (南 北 朝 386 to 589). The Southern Dynasties had their capitals south of the Yangtse River in Nanjing. The four Southern Dynasties were: Liú-Sòng 刘宋 420-479, Southern Qí 南齐 479-502, Liáng 南梁 502-557, and Chén 南陳 557-589.
~
~
~
~http://hua.umf.maine.edu/China/astronomy/tianpage/0014ZuChongzhi9296bw.html
~
~

--Gong Xi Fa Cai

Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. Despite its winter occurrence, in China it is known as "Spring Festival," the literal translation of the Chinese name 春节 (Pinyin: Chūn Jié), owing to the difference between Western and traditional Chinese methods for computing the seasons. The festival begins on the first day of the first month (Chinese: 正月; pinyin: Zhēng Yuè) in the traditional Chinese calendar and ends with Lantern Festival which is on the 15th day. Chinese New Year's Eve, a day where Chinese families gather for their annual reunion dinner, is known as Chú Xī (除夕) or "Eve of the Passing Year."
~
~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gong_Xi_Fa_Cai#Greetings
~
~http://goodcharacters.com/newsletters/gong-xi-fa-cai.html
~
~http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Gong+Xi+Fa+Chai&defid=441970
~
~http://mangaweekend.wordpress.com/2011/02/03/%E6%81%AD%E7%A6%A7%E5%8F%91%E8%B4%A2-gong-xi-fa-cai/

--Nian~~年獸--

In Chinese mythology, a Nian (simplified Chinese: 年兽; traditional Chinese: 年獸; pinyin: nián shòu) is a beast that lives under the sea or in the mountains. Once each spring, on or around Chinese New Year, it comes out of hiding to attack people, especially children. The Nian is sensitive to loud noises and is afraid of the color red. The Chinese Lion Dance is known to have originated from the legend of the Nian. The tradition began when a Nian attacked a village. After the attack, the villagers discussed how to make the Nian leave them alone. Eventually they came up with a plan where drums, plates and empty bowls were hit, red robes were worn, and firecrackers were thrown, causing loud banging sounds that would scare off the Nian. This scared the Nian, and since that time, the Nian has not appeared in the village again. The Nian is still believed to exist, but that it is scattered about the jungle and mountains, never to appear in front of a human again.
~
年獸是一種傳說生物。相傳在遠古時代，有一種頭如獅子身如壯牛的兇惡怪獸叫「年」，一年四季都在深海裡，但逢新舊歲之交，便出來糟蹋莊稼，傷害人畜，百姓叫苦連天。有一次它又跑到村莊裡為非作歹，被一家門口晾的大紅衣服嚇跑了。到了另一處，又被燈光嚇得抱頭鼠竄。於是人們掌握了「年」怕聲音、怕紅色、怕火光的弱點。每至年末歲首，人們就在家門口貼紅聯、放鞭炮、掛紅燈，院子里燒柴禾、攏旺火，用菜刀剁菜肉，發出聲音，把「年」嚇得逃回海裡，不再危害人們。人們得以安全。
~
據說被鴻鈞老祖收服，成為其坐騎。
~
~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nian
~
~http://www.monstropedia.org/index.php?title=Nian
~
~http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/年獸

--Apollo 11 30th anniversary 1969~1999 --

Apollo 11 is the designation of the space flight that landed the first humans on Earth's Moon on July 20, 1969. The mission, carried out by the United States, is considered a major accomplishment in the history of exploration and represented a victory for the U.S. in the Cold War Space Race with the Soviet Union.
~
Launched from Florida on July 16, the third lunar mission of NASA's Apollo program (and the only G-type mission) was crewed by Commander Neil Alden Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr. On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin landed in the Sea of Tranquility and on July 21 became the first humans to walk on the Moon. Their landing craft, Eagle, spent 21 hours and 31 minutes on the lunar surface while Collins orbited above in the command ship, Columbia. The three astronauts returned to Earth with 47.5 pounds (21.5 kg) of lunar rocks and landed in the Pacific Ocean on July 24.
~

Apollo 11 fulfilled U.S. President John F. Kennedy's goal of reaching the moon before the Soviet Union by the end of the 1960s, which he had expressed during a 1961 mission statement before the United States Congress: "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth."

Five additional Apollo missions landed on the Moon from 1969–1972.

~

~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11
~
~http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo_11_30th.html

--25 years later....The Challenger....1986...and The "Journey Continues........" A Challenger's"..--

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — For many, no single word evokes as much pain.
~
Challenger.
~

A quarter-century later, images of the exploding space shuttle still signify all that can go wrong with technology and the sharpest minds. The accident on Jan. 28, 1986 — a scant 73 seconds into flight, nine miles above the Atlantic for all to see — remains NASA's most visible failure.

It was the world's first high-tech catastrophe to unfold on live TV. Adding to the anguish was the young audience: Schoolchildren everywhere tuned in that morning to watch the launch of the first schoolteacher and ordinary citizen bound for space, Christa McAuliffe.

She never made it.

McAuliffe and six others on board perished as the cameras rolled, victims of stiff O-ring seals and feeble bureaucratic decisions.

It was, as one grief and trauma expert recalls, "the beginning of the age when the whole world knew what happened as it happened."....

~

~http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41296542?GT1=43001

~

~http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JKIZ7j20EA&feature=related

~

~http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hQL0NWS1Rc&feature=related