ASIAN AIR POLLUTION BLOWING OVER TO THE UNITED STATES

Is anyone actually surprised that the disgusting air pollution in Asia is actually being carried by the winds to places like the United States?

The world is an organic thing and naturally what happens in one part of the world is going to impact another part of the world. People have to be more vocal in protesting what happens in other parts of the world. Otherwise, their own little paradise will be damaged by the acts of the irresponsible others.
















Well, Yahoo has a report on this and there is prove that this is happening.
(http://news.yahoo.com/story//mcclatchy/20080831/sc_mcclatchy/3031567)

AUDREY TAUTOU TO PLAY COCO CHANEL

Pretty French actress Audrey Tautou, who became world famous through the delightfully quirky Jean-Pierre Jeunet directed movie "Amelie" (2001) is slated to star as legendary French women's wear fashion designer Coco Chanel in a biopic. Good choice, we say!







Photos:
1. Audrey Tautou photo from http://www.celebrityshack.com/images/stories/female-celebrities/audrey-tautou/thumb.jpg
2. Coco Chanel photo from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/graphics/2007/07/29/st_chanel1.jpg

DAVID DUCHOVNY'S HAPPY ADDICTION

It is an addiction men usually don't mind having but David Duchovny has signed up into rehab for sex addiction. Duchovny is famous for his role in television hit show X-Files. It was a great series and became a worldwide smash, making Duchovny a household name around the world.

Details are sketchy about his sex addiction (kinkyness? frequency?) but his wife Tea Leoni has come out in support of her husband.

Photos:
1. Tea Leoni from Entertainment Weekly

2. David Duchovny driving from: http://www.kultx.cz/wp-content/uploads/david_duchovny_californication_c.jpg

HENRY CEJUDO ON JAY LENO... BRILLIANT YOUNG MAN!

In a recent episode of Jay Leno, impressive Henry Cejudo made an appearance. This endearing young man, 21 years old, won a gold medal at the recent Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

What was most excellent about Henry's appearance was how likable he was. He was very relaxed and had a lovable sense of humor and Leno's studio audience -- like the audience watching Jay Leno at home -- expressed their fondness for his honesty and disarming frankness in a big way.

Cejudo spoke of the hardship and the poverty of his youth and through it all, his effervescent spirit came through. Is it any surprise then that he won the gold medal in the 55kg category in his event (wrestling) at Beijing?

Photos:
Henry Cejudo and his mom (this picture from:http://www.themat.com/section.php?section_id=3&page=showarticle&ArticleID=19472)
Henry Cejudo victorious at the Olympics

LIZ LEMON.... IS THAT YOU? A VP??????

John McCain's choice of candidate as vice-president would make or break his presidency bid, I'd thought. And when I saw his choice -- LIZ LEMON!!!!!! -- I thought Obama was doomed. Who on Earth could counter the brilliant choice of Liz Lemon as a vice-president candidate. It was an inspired choice, I thought.

Then I realized that it was NOT ACTUALLY the lovable Liz Lemon (the brilliant alter-ego created by Tina Fey for her superb television comedy series, 30 Rock), but someone called Sarah Palin.

I don't know who Palin is, and frankly, because don't care. I don't think a country like the United States can afford to risk having a woman as President. McCain is 72, and the chance is there that if anything happens to him, the most powerful country in the world would fall onto the lap of a 44-year old woman. It is a risk no American should be willing to take, I think.

(Don't take me wrong, I think Germany's Angela Merkel is a brilliant leader. But that is because Germany is a country with a superb due-process system in place and so Merkel only had to oversee Deutschland. But running a country like the US would, to a large part, be dependent on the personality of its leader. And the emotions of its leader. And a woman at the top spells trouble.)

Pictures of:
1. Sarah Palin and John McCain
2. The incomparable Tina Fey

SONG OF THE YEAR... JONAS BROTHERS' WHEN YOU LOOK ME IN THE EYES

OK, last year I predicted that Amy Winehouse would be the blockbuster star of 2007 with the stupendous hit song, Rehab. And I was right!

This year, I predict that the Jonas Brothers' When You Look Me In the Eyes" will be a monster hit and win them loads of awards at music shows in the months to come and at next year's major music awards show like the Grammy's.

It is a catchy song and the black & white music video is a classic. The video is brilliantly crafted as if the young lads have been at it singing on stage for years!
Catch the music video and see for yourself! (CLICK ON THE HEADLINE FOR THIS ENTRY TO SEE THE VIDEO)

Picture is from this website: http://www.clubjonas.com/page/2/

(Oh, ok, I said Duffy had something of the song of the year with "Mercy" -- but, although her song is great, the music video is kind of crap, with its fire effects. That's why she is not at the top of my list anymore.)

NEVER, EVER DISHONOR THE MALAYSIAN FLAG

IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT SOME MISGUIDED SOULS ARE URGING MALAYSIANS TO PUT UP OUR BELOVED FLAG UPSIDE DOWN. THIS CANNOT BE ALLOWED OR TOLERATED.

JALUR GEMILANG IS A SACRED PART OF ALL MALAYSIANS AND IT REPRESENTS HONOR AND GREATNESS. ANYONE WHO DISRESPECTS THE FLAG MUST NEVER BE LET OFF THE HOOK.

AS IT IS, THE FACT THAT THE CULPRITS WHO HAVE SUGGESTED SUCH AN ATROCIOUS AND UNFORGIVABLE THING ARE FREE MEN AND WOMEN SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE FREEDOM ENJOYED BY THE PEOPLE OF THIS GREAT COUNTRY. AND IT IS TO DATUK SERI ABDULLAH AHMAD BADAWI'S CREDIT THAT PEOPLE HAVE SO MUCH FREEDOM TO EXPRESS THEIR DISSATISFACTION AFTER A PARTICULARLY OPPRESSIVE PERIOD IN MALAYSIAN HISTORY. BUT AS EVEN THE PRESENT PM MIGHT SAY, "DON'T PUSH YOUR LUCK!"

RESPECT THE FLAG!

USAIN BOLT -- THE FASTEST MAN ON EARTH!

WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAS SOMETHING ELSE ALTOGETHER INDEED IN THIS MODERN ERA -- IT'S THE BEIJING OLYMPICS, WITH MORE THAN A BILLION PEOPLE INTENTLY WATCHING THEIR TELEVISION SCREENS TO SEE HOW USAIN BOLT WILL DO IN THE 200M RACE.

HE'D ALREADY CLINCHED THE 100M RACE WITH A RECORD-SHATTERING TIME OF 9.69 SECONDS.

TONIGHT, USAIN IS HIS USUAL JOVIAL SELF, FOOLING AROUND WITH THE TELEVISION CAMERAS AND WITH THE AUDIENCE HE KNOWS ARE WATCHING HIM CLOSELY INTHE STADIUM AND ALL AROUND THE WORLD.


THEN, WHEN THE 200M RACE STARTED... IT WAS QUITE A SPECTACULAR SIGHT INDEED SEEING USAIN BOLT OF JAMAICA AGAIN SHATTER THE WORLD 200M RECORD BY CLOCKING IN 19.30 SECONDS AT THE GLORIOUS BIRD'S NEST STADIUM IN BEIJING.
(THE BIRDS NEST IS GORGEOUS AND IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL STADIUM IN THE WOLRD WITH THE CAPACITY TO SEAT MORE THAN 90,000 FANS -- OH, AND THE CHINESE MUST BE CREDITED AS BEING THE BEST OLYMPICS GAMES AUDIENCE EVER... THEY TRULY KNOW HOW TO SPOT AND SUPPORT TALENT!)

ANYWAY, AGAIN, USAIN BOLT WAS HEAD AND SHOULDERS AND ARMS AND LEGS AND TORSO AHEAD OF EVERYONE ELSE. GENETICALLY, THIS FASTEST MAN ON EARTH HAS TO BE AS CLOSE TO PERFECTION AS A MAN POSSIBLY CAN BE.

THEN, FITTINGLY, AFTER HE'D CONQUERED THE 200M RACE, THE CAMERAS FLIRTED WITH HIM AS HE ALSO, IN TURN, FLIRTED WITH THE AUDIENCE BOTH IN THE STADIUM AND THOSE WHO'D BEEN WATCHING HIS FEAT ON TV AT HOME. THROUGHOUT, THE ROAR OF THE CROWD IN THE STADIUM WAS THUNDEROUS. (CROWD THEN SPORTINGLY SANG THE "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" SONG FOR USAIN WHO IS CELEBRATING HIS BIRTHDAY THE NEXT DAY.)

PRIOR TO THE START OF THE 200M RACE, I WAS WONDERING HOW USAIN BOLT WOULD COPE WITH SO MUCH PRESSURE BEARING DOWN HIS BACK AS EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN FOLLOWING THE OLYMPICS GAMES IN BEIJING HAD HIGH HOPES FOR HIM TO OUTDO THE WORLD RECORD. SURPRISINGLY, HE WAS CHARMING AND COOL AS A CUCUMBER AND LAPPED UP ALL THE ATTENTION EVERYONE WAS SHOWERING ON HIM!

TOMORROW, USAIN BOLT OF JAMAICA TURNS 22 AND WINNING THE 200M IN GREAT STYLE IS A GREAT WAY TO START HIS BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS.

THESE EXCELLENT PICTURES ARE FROM NEW YORK TIMES. SEE THE NYT WEBSITE (WWW.NYTIMES.COM) FOR THE WORLD'S BEST COVERAGE OF THE BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS IN CHINA.

BEIJING 2008 -- ON 08-08-2008 AND MICHAEL PHELPS WINS 8 GOLD MEDALS TO BECOME AN OLYMPIC LEGEND

BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE AUSPICIOUS NUMBER 8

THE NUMBER "8" IN CANTONESE MEANS "PROSPERITY" OR "TO PROSPER". AND WHAT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER IT HAS TURNED OUT TO BE FOR GIFTED AMERICAN SWIMMER MICHAEL PHELPS WHO WON 8 OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALS TO BECOME THE GREATEST OLYMPIAN EVER!

JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT THE CHINESE WERE RIGHT IN CHOOSING SUCH AN AUSPICIOUS DATE FOR OPENING THE BEIJING 2008 GAMES AND HAVING IT BE ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL OLYMPIC GAMES EVER!

THE WORLD AUDIENCE IS MORE MEDIA AND INTERNET SAVVY THAN EVER BEFORE AND THE AWARENESS OF THE OLYMPICS GAMES IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH. THE WORLD IS TRULY MORE GLOBALIZED THAN ANYONE THOUGHT IT EVER WAS!

BEIJING 2008 -- THE TRUE OLYMPIANS ARE ENTERING THE STADIUM!

TRACK AND FIELD -- THAT'S WHEN THE POWER OF THE OLYMPICS IS UNLEASHED!

THE TRUE DISPLAY OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT AND SHEER POWER OF THE HUMAN BODY NOW COME INTO PLAY IN THE MOST HIGH PROFILE SEGMENTS OF THE OLYMPICS GAMES: ATHLETICS. (YES, PHELPS HAS DONE AN AMAZING THING IN BRINGING SWIMMING TO THE FOREFRONT OF THE PUBLIC EYE -- BUT IT IS STILL THE ATHLETES IN TRACK AND FIELD EVENTS WHO CAPTURE THE BULK OF IMAGINATION OF THE GLOBAL MASSES.)

USAIN BOLT OF JAMAICA HAS ALREADY SET THE MINDS OF PEOPLE REELING WITH HIS SPECTACULAR SPEED AND NOW RUSSIAN POLE VAULTER YELENA ISINBAYEVA HAS BROKEN HER OWN RECORD AND, IMPRESSIVELY, IN DOING SO KEPT THE ENTIRE STADIUM OF PEOPLE BACK JUST TO WATCH HER BREAK THE POLE VAULTING RECORD!

PICTURE IS OF USAIN BOLT (2ND FROM LEFT), MAKING WINNING THE 100M DASH LOOK LIKE A BREEZE. PICTURE FROM NEW YORK TIMES.

LIU XIANG'S SAD DEPARTURE

IF EVER CHINA HAD AN AFFABLE AND LIKABLE EVERYMAN ATHLETE, THEN LIU XIANG IS THE MAN. IT IS MOST UNFORTUNATE THAT LIU HAS HAD TO PULL OUT OF THE 110M HURDLES DUE TO INJURY.

ONE CAN ONLY SYMPATHIZE WITH LIU ON THE TREMENDOUS PRESSURE HE HAS BEEN UNDER WITH CHINA BEING THE HOST OF THE OLYMPICS GAMES 2008 AND THE GREAT BLOW IT HAS BEEN TO HIM AND THE CHINESE SPORTS FANS WHEN HE HAD TO PULL OUT OF THE RACE.

MAY HE RECOVER AND SHINE LIKE THE STAR HE IS MEANT TO BE FOR CHINA IN THE NEAR FUTURE AGAIN! SPEEDY RECOVERY LIU!!!

PICTURES FROM NEW YORK TIMES.

LIN DAN -- A TRUE ROCK STAR OF THE BADMINTON COURT

LIN DAN RULES THE BADMINTON COURT

AS FAR AS EFFORTLESS TALENT, COCKY CONFIDENCE AND COOL-AS-A-CUCUMBER GAMEPLAY GO, CHINA'S BADMINTON SUPERSTAR LIN DAN TRULY HAS THE DEMEANOR OF A ROCK STAR!

PICTURE FROM IHT ONLINE.

BEIJING HAZE -- PERHAPS CHINA SHOULD REALIZE INDONESIA MIGHT BE EXACERBATING THE PROBLEM...

ONE THING I HAVE TO ADMIT IS THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS PUT IN AN IMPRESSIVE AND ADMIRABLE EFFORT TO MINIMIZE THE POLLUTION THAT HAS AFFECTED BEIJING FOR SO LONG SO THAT THE AIR WILL BE BETTER DURING THE BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS GAMES.

CHINA DESERVES PRAISE FOR ITS GREAT AND MIGHTY EFFORTS.

BUT PERHAPS, JUST PERHAPS, IT SHOULD HAVE GIVEN SOUTH EAST ASIA A KEENER GLANCE AS ONE OF THE FACTORS AND CULPRITS AGGRAVATING CHINA'S HAZE PROBLEM. THE CALLOUS BURNING OF FORESTS IN INDONESIA, ESPECIALLY, MIGHT HAVE CAUSED THE BEIJING HAZE TO LINGER LONGER THAN IT SHOULD HAVE. IN FACT IT IS STILL LINGERING IN BEIJING AND CHINA SHOULD PUT ITS FOOT DOWN HARD AND MAKE IT CLEAR THAT ENVIRONMENTALLY DEGRADING ACTS BY OTHER INSIGNIFICANT COUNTRIES THAT AFFECT BEIJING'S AIR QUALITY WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

CHINA'S FAKERY EXPERTISE

GOSH, PEOPLE ALWAYS SAY CHINA IS THE CAPITAL OF FAKE PRODUCTS IN THE WORLD -- BUT TO SO BLATANTLY SHOWCASE ITS EXPERTISE IN FAKERY BY HAVING ONE GIRL PRETEND TO SING A SPECIALLY COMPOSED OLYMPICS WELCOMING SONG WHILE THE REAL BUT LESS ATTRACTIVE CHILD SANG IT REALLY TAKES THE CAKE.

PIRACY HAS TAKEN A BIZARRE TWIST HERE AND THIS EXAGGERATED ACT OF SAVING FACE RUBBISH BY WANTING TO HAVE A PRETTY CHILD AS A FRONT IS JUST NOT RIGHT.

JAMAICAN THUNDER-BOLT!!!!!!!

A GOD AMONGST MEN

ONE CAN ONLY IMAGINE THAT IF LIL RICHARD HAD BEEN WATCHING THE 100 METERS ATHLETICS OF THE BEIJING 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES, HE WOULD HAVE JUMPED OUT OF HIS CHAIR AND SCREAMED "GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY!" AT THE SUPERHUMAN FEAT OF USAIN BOLT OF JAMAICA WHO SPED TO THE FINISH LINE IN FANTASTIC TIME!

I KNOW WE ALL DID - JUMP OUT OF OUR SEATS IN AMAZEMENT AT THIS SUPERMAN'S SPEED! USAIN IS SPLENDID AND DESERVES THE TAG FASTEST MAN ON EARTH! BRAVO!

FOR FACT FANS, HERE'RE THE DETAILS: USAIN FINISHED THE 100M DASH IN 9.69 SECONDS (STRIDE RATE, ACCORDING TO THE UK'S THE INDEPENDENT: 41 OVER 100M!!!!!!!!!!) -- BREAKING THE WORLD RECORD, WHICH HE HIMSELF SET EARLIER.

THE THING THAT IS GOING THROUGH EVERYONE'S MIND NOW IS THAT IF USAIN DID NOT SLOW DOWN AS HE REACHED NEAR THE FINISH LINE, WHAT WOULD HIS TIME HAVE BEEN?

AS THEY WOULD BE SAYING IN JAMAICA NOW: THAT IS FANTASTIC MON!

ALL PHOTOS FROM NEW YORK TIMES.

LEBRON JAMES AND KOBE BRYANT SUPPORT PHELPS

BASKETBALL GREATS LEBRON JAMES AND KOBE BRYANT WERE IN THE CROWD TO SUPPORT THEIR FAVOURITE SWIMMER MICHAEL PHELPS AS PHELPS BATTLED IT OUT FOR HIS 8TH GOLD MEDAL IN SWIMMING AT THE BEIJING 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES.

PHOTOS FROM NEW YORK TIMES.

MICHAEL PHELPS' 8TH CROWNING OLYMPIC GOLD

HERE ARE SOME MORE PHOTOS OF MICHAEL PHELPS ON HIS JOURNEY TOWARDS HIS 8TH OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL IN A SINGLE OLYMPIC GAMES.

PICTURES ARE FROM NEW YORK TIMES.

AMERICA'S NEW SWEETHEART

THE FACE OF A NEW POWER GENERATION

MICHAEL PHELPS BIO (FROM THE EVER-RELIABLE WIKIPEDIA)

PHELPS WAS BORN IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, UNITED STATES ON JUNE 30TH 1985. HE IS NOW 6'4" TALL AND WEIGHS 91KG.
HE STARTED SWIMMING WHEN HE WAS SEVEN. HE, POSSIBLY, HAS THE BEST BODY AMONGST SWIMMERS. CHINA FINALLY GOT A GLIMPSE OF WHAT AN OLYMPICS SUPERSTAR LOOKS LIKE! FOR MORE DETAILS ON PHELPS, JUST CLICK ON THE HEADLINE, "AMERICA'S NEW SWEETHEART" TO GO TO THE WIKI PAGE.

THE PHOTO HERE IS FROM BBC.

MICHAEL PHELPS' DIFFERENT STROKES

IN WHATEVER CATEGORY HE SWAM, IT WAS ALWAYS THE MASTERSTROKE FROM MICHAEL PHELPS!

PICTURES FROM NEW YORK TIMES.

OLYMPIAN MICHAEL PHELPS

MICHAEL PHELPS -- PICTURES ARE FROM NEW YORK TIMES.

BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS' MAN OF THE MOMENT - MICHAEL PHELPS

HERE ARE SOME SPECTACULAR PHOTOS OF MICHAEL PHELPS, THE MAN WHO HAS CAPTURED THE IMAGINATION OF THE WORLD WITH HIS TRULY OLYMPIAN FEAT -- WINNING EIGHT GOLD MEDALS IN AN OLYMPICS GAME. PICTURES ARE FROM THE VENERABLE NEW YORK TIMES.

NEW YORK TIMES PICTURES OF THE OPENING OF BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS