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![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) aiyatheydidnt
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) lem0nlight | |
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 ★RULES!
NO spam
NO porn
NO more than 5 pics/3 gifs per comment (we want pages to load)
NO huge pics (that will make everyone scroll sideways)
NO advertising
NO fighting
NO lurking (c'mon post!)
This is the weekly off-topic/random post. It's a great place to meet other members and ask for recs if you're new to the scene or just need something new. Feel free to talk about the week's news, music, movies/dramas you're watching, share a few pics or vids, introduce yourself, WHATEVER. You can even talk about something other than Chinese stuff, IF you want. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ANNOUNCEMENTS!
★ We now have 1083 members, which is 40 more than last week, and 1176 watchers. Lurkers come on out and say hi! :D★ We have both a Twitter and a Last FM group. Go follow or join. Especially the Last FM group, lol. Even though, yes, I know, no one knows the actual point of said groups.
★ Happy Birthday to Ah Sa who turned 27 this week. 
★ This is now the official FFA time. The times are also in the sidebar for easy reference. For those new to the comm, our FFAs are generally slow, so you're pretty much never late. Just c'mon in! :D
★ A new rule posted about HERE is now in effect and designed to help foster more discussion as well as help those new to Chinese Ent. find their way around. NO, this doesn't mean deleted/rejected posts, but I will probably start commenting on new posts if you forget to add the required links. ;)
 Tags: !ffa
Current Mood: awake
Current Music: スガ シカオ - はじまりの日 feat.Mummy-D | Powered by Last.fm
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aiyatheydidnt
julietbunny | |
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Cyndi Wang having insomnia and gaining weight; Paper Girl going on diet  The stress of filming an idol drama while releasing her new album is getting to Cyndi Wang Xin Lin, causing her to have 2 weeks insomnia, worse than when she breaks up with her boyfriend. Everyday, she'll have her eyes open till the morning and even though she's already facing lymph swelling and a stop in her period, she still gain 3kg of weight to hit 43.5. Her breast has became bigger and is starting to "bulge" out. Her current weight is the heaviest she has ever reached. The "Paper Girl" Cyndi is starting on her first ever diet and that's causing even more stress.Cyndi hasn't had an album out in 2 years and the "Music Charts" are her top concern. Recently, her ex-contract company released a "New + Best Selection" album though and when she went onto "100% Entertainment' for promotion, Show Luo actually thought that she came out with a new album. Such a situation is a huge shock and worry to Cyndi. The intensive number of variety show that Cyndi has to take part in is also causing her great pain, due to her slow to open up character. "I'm not the variety show artiste kind of people. Once I leave the filming set, my manager will sms me to be more outgoing. But I really can't do it. Every night, I'll be thinking about what I can do for the recordings tomorrow." Thus, Cyndi has been having insomnia and is starting to take advantage of her traveling time to salons etc to have a short nap. source: minivicki@af---- Yes, obviously this stressed, sick, 5'3" 96lb woman with insomnia needs to diet.
...WHAT IS THIS I DON'T EVEN.Tags: taiwan
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aiyatheydidnt
yunsias | |
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 CASH Golden Sail Music Awards Best Female Singer Interpretation: Kay Tse (<Song Of the Year> 年度之歌) Best Male Singer Interpretation: Eason Chan (<700 Years Later> 七百年後) Best Band Interpretation: Mr. (<If I Was Eason Chan> 如果我是陳奕迅) Best Group Interpretation: Swing (<I Have Inventory> 我有貨) Best Lyrics: Riley Lee (Eason Chan <700 Years Later> 七百年後) Best Melody: Ivana Wong (Ivana Wong <Moon Said> 月亮說) CASH Best Song Award: Eason Chan <700 Years Later> Best Classical Music: <Rock Hard> 石堅 CASH Golden Sail Performed Awards Best Cantonese Pop Works: Various Artistes < We Are Ready> Best Mandarin Pop Works: Eason Chan (<The Road Has Been...> 路一直都在...) Best English Pop Works: <4 Minutes> Digital Song: Kay Tse (<Wedding Street Invitation> 囍帖街) Drama Song: <Twelve Beauties> (十二欄杆十二釵) Best Local Music Composed Works: 畿內亞舞曲 Greatest Number of new works by an indivdual Composer: Mark Lui and Lam Chik CASH Music Achievement Award 2009: Yip Shiu-Tak (葉紹德) Credit: On.cc, Mingpao (image) Translated by: aZnangel @ http://asianuniverse.net/forums/ Source
Added links for the songs so that you guys can listen and more people will be converted to Cantopop
Seriously, Kay Tse?! O_o That song is boring. And I prefer 于心有愧 than 七百年後
Very very very happy for 如果我是陳奕迅, it's an awesome song, everyone should listen to it.
Seems very Universal biasedTags: awards, eason chan, kay tse
Current Music: 张敬轩 - 披星戴月 | Powered by Last.fm
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ynotswim | |
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I probably never understand why people want to camp out a store on Thanksgiving night waiting for the store to open on Friday morning, sometimes even risking their lives. That's okay. There are so many things that I don't understand in this world anyway. This might be the least important items on a very long list.
To better understand the world, I have been reading a The Straight Dope book, that I checked out from the library. It gives me a few chuckles when I am on an elliptical machine in the gym. So far, I have not fall off a machine yet, but I did learn a thing or two. For example, I have learned the answers for questions like:
- If you burp, fart, and sneeze at the same time, will you die?
- Which end of the egg comes out of the chicken first?
- How did "gay" come to mean "homosexual?"
- What is the term for people who lack the sense of taste? Tasteless?
- ......
However, I am not sure if my question gets asked or answered yet: Can somebody sneeze or fart in his sleep?
I will sleep on that tonight.
I spent the Thanksgiving at Tony's (another Tony), overlooking the foggy city from Twin Peaks. I had a lot fun. At one point, I said to Calvin:
"When I touch mine, it is fun. But when I couch yours, or touch my friends', there always a problem."
People started to laugh, because they didn't realize that I was talking about the touch screen input on my phone and on their iPhones. I will keep my hands to myself.
I had plenty to drink and eat at Tony's, even I didn't cook on Thanksgiving Day at all. I thought about making mash potato, but then I changed my mind. Because if I carried the mash potato over, it would be cold. Reheated mash potato is just not the same as the freshly made. I want to retain my reputation. Scratch that. I was lazy and didn't want to make things complicated.
However, that doesn't mean that I have not been cooking. Even I almost going to movies every night, I still manage to make some kimchi the other night. All from scratch, inspired by a recipe.
Being myself, I can never really follow a recipe entirely. So, this is MY version of kimchi.
I blend garlic, ginger root, onion etc in a food processor.
Then add chili powder, sweet rice paste, and chop all the vegetables such as cucumber, turnip, chive, and kohlrabi.
Mix together, and put in the big jar. There I have it. Next to my kimchi is a big jar of salty eggs I made couple days earlier.
Now I am like a squirrel, stock up all the goodies and ready for the winter.
However, one disappointment I have is that the kimchi I made (on the left) doesn't seem as red as the kimchi I bought from a store (the right). It's either the chili powder I got is not red enough, or the one I bought has added food color.
Luckily, they all taste delicious and very spicy.
This morning, when everybody else going crazy shopping, I was sleeping and got up really late. That's what I call a day off. I didn't do much either except going to the gym and shopping for groceries. I love it. At night, I made some chicken wings I marinated last night. It was delicious.
It's great that after two days off, the weekend just started. I hope that it will be warm and clear on Sunday so I can hike in Marin Headlands and lie down on the beach before I head to the screening of "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (staring late Heath Ledger as Tony) in the evening.
Time for some action.
Almost every Chinese has heard, if not read, the classic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国演义) which was written in the 14th century. The novel is about the civil war among three war lords that took place more than a thousand year ago—at the end of the Han Dynasty (汉朝 206 BC - 220 AD). After the novel, those historical figures become household names, such as intelligent Zhuge Liang (诸葛亮), boorish Zhang Fei (张飞), sensitive Liu Bei (刘备), devoted Guan Yu (关羽), bright Zhou Yu (周瑜), and arrogant Cao Cao (曹操). They have appeared in numerous plays and literatures for hundreds of years, and everybody seems have his own images in mind about them. If the novel is made into a motion picture, anything short of a grand epic is unjustified.
Legendary director John Woo's (吴宇森) "Red Cliff" (赤壁 | China 2009 | in Chinese | 148 min.) takes up the challenge and tells the thousand-year-old story to the world audience. With a budget more than $80 million, this is the most expensive film ever made in Asian.
It is impossible for one feature film to tell all the stories in Romance of the Three Kingdoms (CCTV's TV serial has 84-episode). John Woo chooses the best known Battle of Red Cliffs (赤壁之战) to make his film. Actually, he made two films: "Red Cliff" (赤壁 | China 2008 | 140 min.) and "Red Cliff: Part II" (赤壁 : 决战天下 | China 2009 | 142 min.).
However, John Woo wants to tell the story to audiences in the entire world, even they are not familiar with that period of Chinese history and with those war warriors. Therefore, for the Western world, including the US, he combines these two films into one "Red Cliff" to be released, cutting the running time into half.
The combine version is faster paced and the story line is easier to follow, without losing any spectacular battle scene.
In 208 A.D., ambitious Cao Cao (Zhang Fengyi), the Primary Minister of Eastern Han Dynasty, leads millions of well-equipped soldiers to invade much weaker warlords Sun Quan (Chang Chen) and Liu Bei (You Yong). In order to fight Cao Cao, Liu Bei sends his chief advisor Zhuge Liang (Takeshi Kaneshiro) to convince Sun Quan that making an alliance is the only way to confront Cao Cao. Relying on intelligence, opportunities, the higher morale, and the art of war, even with smaller army, the alliance defeats Cao Cao in this historical battle.
John Woo is a master of choreographing splendid fighting sequence, even in the most chaotic settings. Although Battle of Red Cliffs is a great story to begin with, John Woo magically brings that piece of history to the modern world one more time with fantastic art design and vivid imagination. One should see this film only on a big screen to fully appreciate its magnificent scale. (In that regard, playing any film on a tiny screen in an aircraft should be a crime.)
"Red Cliff" opens on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 at Bay Area theaters.
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buddhists
owl_clan | |
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It's no secret that I love Commonweal Magazine, an online Magazine review of religion, politics, and culture. Their articles are always delicious, and from my perspective, well-balanced. Two of their articles I read recently merit special attention, and I thought I'd share them with you all. Please, discuss what really impressed you about these articles, if anything! Cross Examination:
Why Is Rome Investigating U.S. Nuns?Link to the Article: http://www.commonwealmagazine.org/article.php3?id_article=2658This first article is a letter written by a Roman Catholic Nun- written anonymously for fear of reprisal from the Church- detailing how the current Vatican administration is bullying Religious sisters and their orders, and touching on some very deep, very emotional, and very outrageous issues facing the Church and its relationship to women and to women in consecrated life. This nun is very brave, and very sharp in her writing! What she writes here is almost a manifesto of emerging themes regarding women's spirituality which the Church is threatened by, and trying to inquisitorially squelch- and by so doing, attacking some of the most loyal, effective, and faithful of church members. This letter is lengthy, but give it a full read- the description of the funeral of one of her fellow sisters at the end, and the events surrounding it, gave me goose-bumps. The War We Can’t Win
Afghanistan & the Limits of American PowerLink to the Article: http://www.commonwealmagazine.org/article.php3?id_article=2609This article is written by a very sharp professor of history and international relations from Boston University. It is the first educated criticism of the Obama administration that I've ever read, and a criticism from a man who is clearly more liberal than not, but very balanced in his perspectives. He reveals in this article why we can't win the so-called "War in Afghanistan", and why even trying to fight a war in Afghanistan is absurd. He brings up many other fine points of common sense regarding America and our role in the world, and why Obama is making some egregious errors of judgment. He also establishes what I agree is the only effective policy for really protecting America from terrorists.
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buddhists
ocha_no_hanashi | |
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I've heard Buddhist Jataka Tales described as ancient Buddhist Disney stories. I think it might be an appropriate way of describing them. Here is a short one.
THE MONKEY AND THE CROCODILE
PART I
A MONKEY lived in a great tree on a river bank.
In the river there were many Crocodiles. A Crocodile watched the Monkeys for a long time, and one day she said to her son: "My son, get one of those Monkeys for me. I want the heart of a Monkey to eat."
"How am I to catch a Monkey?" asked the little Crocodile. "I do not travel on land, and the Monkey does not go into the water."
"Put your wits to work, and you'll find a way," said the mother.
And the little Crocodile thought and thought.
At last he said to himself: "I know what I'll do. I'll get that Monkey that lives in a big tree on the river bank. He wishes to go across the river to the island where the fruit is so ripe."
So the Crocodile swam to the tree where the Monkey lived. But he was a stupid Crocodile.
"Oh, Monkey," he called, "come with me over to the island where the fruit is so ripe."
"How can I go with you?" asked the Monkey. "I do not swim."
"No--but I do. I will take you over on my back," said the Crocodile.
The Monkey was greedy, and wanted the ripe fruit, so he jumped down on the Crocodile's back.
"Off we go!" said the Crocodile.
"This is a fine ride you are giving me!" said the Monkey.
"Do you think so? Well, how do you like this?" asked the Crocodile, diving.
"Oh, don't!" cried the Monkey, as he went under the water. He was afraid to let go, and he did not know what to do under the water.
When the Crocodile came up, the Monkey sputtered and choked. "Why did you take me under water, Crocodile?" he asked.
"I am going to kill you by keeping you under water," answered the Crocodile. "My mother wants Monkey-heart to eat, and I'm going to take yours to her."
"I wish you had told me you wanted my heart," said the Monkey, "then I might have brought it with me."
"How queer!" said the stupid Crocodile. "Do you mean to say that you left your heart back there in the tree?"
"That is what I mean," said the Monkey. "If you want my heart, we must go back to the tree and get it. But we are so near the island where the ripe fruit is, please take me there first."
"No, Monkey," said the Crocodile, "I'll take you straight back to your tree. Never mind the ripe fruit. Get your heart and bring it to me at once. Then we'll see about going to the island."
"Very well," said the Monkey.
But no sooner had he jumped onto the bank of the river than--whisk! up he ran into the tree.
From the topmost branches he called down to the Crocodile in the water below:
"My heart is way up here! If you want it, come for it, come for it!"
PART II
THE Monkey soon moved away from that tree. He wanted to get away from the Crocodile, so that he might live in peace.
But the Crocodile found him, far down the river, living in another tree.
In the middle of the river was an island covered with fruit-trees.
Half-way between the bank of the river and the island, a large rock rose out of the water. The Monkey could jump to the rock, and then to the island. The Crocodile watched the Monkey crossing from the bank of the river to the rock, and then to the island.
He thought to himself, "The Monkey will stay on the island all day, and I'll catch him on his way home at night."
The Monkey had a fine feast, while the Crocodile swam about, watching him all day.
Toward night the Crocodile crawled out of the water and lay on the rock, perfectly still.
When it grew dark among the trees, the Monkey started for home. He ran down to the river bank, and there he stopped.
"What is the matter with the rock?" the Monkey thought to himself. "I never saw it so high before. The Crocodile is lying on it!"
But he went to the edge of the water and called: "Hello, Rock!"
No answer.
Then he called again: "Hello, Rock!"
Three times the Monkey called, and then he said: "Why is it, Friend Rock, that you do not answer me to-night?"
"Oh," said the stupid Crocodile to himself, "the rock answers the Monkey at night. I'll have to answer for the rock this time."
So he answered: "Yes, Monkey! What is it?"
The Monkey laughed, and said: "Oh, it's you, Crocodile, is it?"
"Yes," said the Crocodile. "I am waiting here for you. I am going to eat you."
"You have caught me in a trap this time," said the Monkey. "There is no other way for me to go home. Open your mouth wide so I can jump right into it."
Now the Monkey well knew that when Crocodiles open their mouths wide, they shut their eyes.
While the Crocodile lay on the rock with his mouth wide open and his eyes shut, the Monkey jumped.
But not into his mouth! Oh, no! He landed on the top of the Crocodile's head, and then sprang quickly to the bank. Up he whisked into his tree.
When the Crocodile saw the trick the Monkey had played on him, he said: "Monkey, you have great cunning. You know no fear. I'll let you alone after this."
"Thank you, Crocodile, but I shall be on the watch for you just the same," said the Monkey.
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