Celtics in the Finals!

Celtics beat Pistons by 4-2 and win the Eastern Conference Champion! We are going to knock Lakers down and take the NBA Final Champion home!

Paul Pierce started his NBA career at Celtics. Ten years have passed and he finally brought Celtics into NBA Finals along with the best line-up of all NBA teams. He yelled at the microphone of a reporter, "10 years! 10 years we are in the Finals!"

Celtics played very calmly tonight at Detroit - they never shot in a rush; they didn't try to knock people off to slam the ball in quick turn-overs; and Paul Pierce didn't even protest on a faulty call on him. They came back from a 10-point loss to a 7-point lead in the first 8 minutes of the 4th quarter, and grabbed the ticket to NBA Finals.

Kelvin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce. It will be the first NBA Finals for these great players.

Head couch Doc Rivers was all tensed throughout the game (so was I). He didn't even put up a tiny grin after Celtics won the game. When the players were cheering in the court, he walked to Paul Pierce and hugged him, still tensed-face. Only after they exchanged a few words and padding on shoulders did he grin. This was the most touching moment of the game.

Every player in Celtics can shoot. Every one of them can defend. Celtics play as a team. Go get the one-man team!
________________________

From wikipedia:

The Boston Celtics have a long-standing rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers, which is widely regarded as the league's greatest rivalry, as these two teams have faced each other 10 times in the NBA Finals, and will face each other in the 2008 NBA Finals. Both teams will have won a combined 31 NBA championships. In the 1960s, the Celtics faced and defeated the Lakers six times in the NBA Finals, despite the efforts of Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. The rivalry was renewed in the 1980s, when the Lakers and Celtics won 8 of the 9 NBA Championships awarded from 1980–1988 (the Lakers won 5 while the Celtics won 3), and played each other in the NBA Finals on 3 occasions. The rivalry cooled off as the Celtics slipped into mediocrity in the mid- and late-'90s up until they meet in the 2008 Finals.

Addicted?

After watching these folks at work played in a ping pong tournament to raise money for the earthquake victims in Sichuan, I felt so eager to get back to the squash court. So I played Joe today.

I used his brace to support my sprained ankle because he said the one I bought was only a rubber band. I still couldn't turn and sprint as fast as before, but it felt so good to see the ball went as I put it.

After playing for a hour, I told Joe that I thought I was addicted to squash. He said, "You got trembling hands and stuff?" I said, "Just watery eyes and running nose... nah.. that was actually allergy."

主 場 優 勢

From today's Appledaily:


吳 伯 雄 與 胡 錦 濤 在 舉 行 閉 門 會 談 後 ， 吳 稱 ， 他 向 胡 祝 福 奧 運 順 利 成 功 ， 因 這 代 表 一 百 多 年 前 被 認 為 東 亞 病 夫 的 中 華 民 族 能 成 功 辦 奧 運 ， 意 義 重 大 ， 他 本 要 組 織 啦 啦 隊 ， 屆 時 到 北 京 幫 台 灣 選 手 加 油 ， 但 胡 告 訴 他 ： 「 你 們 不 要 組 啦 啦 隊 ， 這 裡 老 百 姓 會 做 你 們 的 啦 啦 隊 ， 你 們 有 主 場 優 勢 。 」

I can see how Wu Jintao managed to come by the President of PRC and of the Communist Party. Even in a casual chat like this, he smells the tiny implication of Taiwan's sovereignty and reminds another president Wu nicely but obviously enough that Taiwan is part of China.

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?

BARACK OBAMA:
The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE!

JOHN MCCAIN:
My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON:
When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure -- right from Day One! -- that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.......

BILL CLINTON:
I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

DICK CHENEY:
Where's my gun?

ALBERT EINSTEIN:
Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?
..........................................................

GRANDPA:
In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

From http://rootsgpk.blogspot.com/

Quake down to the souls

The three-day national mourning for the dead in the Sichuan earthquake has ended. It was a great step of the authoritarian Chinese government to lower the flag and call for a 3-minute silence at the moment the earthquake hit 7 days ago. The whole nation stands still with cars and boats blowing their horns. It was touching.

The Communist Party had claimed "men are more mighty than the nature." They seem to acknowledge the power of the nature at last.

People from wealthy cities are giving money and many even go and volunteer help.

If this earthquake can bring fundamental change to the mentality of people in China, those who died can rest in peace.
_______________________

The Chinese government has just disclosed corporation donations. The 2 biggest donors have each given RMB 100 million. One of them is from Taiwan, the other is from Hong Kong.

Our company is going to give US$50,000, in addition to the matching of employee's personal donation.

A day many cannot forget

I need to visit my orthodontist every other week. He took my bottom braces off last Wednesday and told me to come back in a couple of weeks. At the front desk, the lady asked me if June 4 was good for my next visit. I hesitated. I thought I had something to do on June 4. Well.. I don't in fact. This date has just burnt into my brain.

When you get a chance, pay more attention to cell phone numbers of your friends. They may have chosen one with 8964 embedded. A friend of mine has one.

Spring

I got back on my bike today.

I stopped riding my bike last week because I had a very bad allergy from the pollens. These days my allergy seems residing and the weather just keeps getting warmer. I think I got depressed in the last couple of days because I had not done any exercise for a whole week: no biking because of my allergy and no squash with my sprained ankle.

After the chilling, black-and-white winter that lasts almost 6 months, you can feel seriously depressed when you see the bright green trees and the cloudless sky and stuck indoor.

I am looking forward to my hiking trip to Yosemite.

I caught a deer on my camera in the spring 2 years back. It was staring at me across the lake in front of our main building.

US car dealer in free gun offer

From BBC news

A car dealership in the United States is offering a free handgun with every vehicle sold.

Max Motors in Butler, Missouri, says sales have quadrupled since the start of the offer. Customers can choose between a gun or a $250 (£125) gas card, but most so far have chosen the gun.

Owner Mark Muller said: "We're just damn glad to live in a free country where you can have a gun if you want to."

The dealership sells new and old vehicles, including General Motors and Ford cars and trucks, and its logo shows a cowboy holding a pistol. It has sold more than 30 cars and trucks in the past three days, an increase which the owners put down to their promotional offer.

Inspiration from Obama

Mr Muller said that every buyer so far "except one guy from Canada and one old guy" chose the gun, rather than the gas card.

He recommends a Kel-Tec .380 pistol, which he describes as "a nice little handgun that fits in your pocket".

He added that the promotion was inspired by recent comments from one of the Democratic nominees for the presidential election, saying: "We did it because of Barack Obama.

"He said all those people in the Midwest, you've got to have compassion for them because they're clinging to their guns and their Bibles. I found that quite offensive. We all go to church on Sunday and we all carry guns."

The website advertisement for the offer, which continues until the end of the month, mentions that an approved background check on gun ownership is required.
_________________________

I don't understand. If people in the mid-west do carry guns and go to church on Sunday, why do they feel offended when Barack Obama points that out? Do they secretly think that either or both doings are negative? From Obama's words, he is telling people to pay respect to those who cling on their guns and their Bibles!

Bluebirds

Folks at work put bird houses around for bluebirds. These bird houses do work and attract a few couples of them breeding here every spring.

There is a bird house on the pitch outside my pod. The bluebirds would hang out on the two big trees right outside my window, hunting for worms for their chicks. These bluebirds are really pretty. They have bright blue feather and white bellies. The males get bright orange chests while the females have brownish ones.

I am very grateful for having a nice view outside the window that I can stare out of amid busy days.

Ronald McDonald vs Colonel Sander

The Street Fighters

Devastation

From Appledaily

5 月 12 日 晚 上 10 時 許 ， 溫 家 寶 抵 災 區 後 即 到 都 江 堰 市 中 醫 院 ， 那 一 棟 5 層 高 舊 樓 倒 塌 ， 100 多 人 被 埋 。 溫 爬 上 斷 牆 ， 拿 大 聲 公 ， 用 哽 咽 的 嗓 音 對 廢 墟 下 喊 話 ： 「 大 家 再 堅 持 一 下 ， 部 隊 正 在 搶 救 你 們 ！ 」

Being able to make a person good in nature the prime minister, there is still hope for China.

Jedi Ginsu Commercial

But where can I get that cutting pad that can't be cut by the Ginsu?

NES controller-coffee table

Dude! This guy has built a WORKING NES controller doubled as a coffee table out of wood! That's awesome!


He has put up a video of the progress shot in his blog.



He's got a nice artwork of the sinister space invaders!

Earthquake in Sichuan

From BBC news

Troops have arrived in Wenchuan county at the epicentre, which was largely cut off by the quake - but heavy rain is hampering rescue operations.

Elsewhere in Sichuan province, frantic efforts are being made to reach thousands of people under the rubble.

The death toll is now more than 12,000, officials say, and looks set to rise.

The quake - now upgraded to 7.9 magnitude - struck on Monday at 1428 local time (0628 GMT) and was felt as far away as Beijing and the Thai capital, Bangkok.


In one city, Mianyang, near the epicentre, more than 18,000 people are said to be buried under the rubble and 3,629 have been confirmed dead, state news agency Xinhua reports.

Beijing has deployed 50,000 troops to help with relief efforts, but they have not yet all arrived.

About 1,300 rescue troops and medics have reached Wenchuan county and immediately started searching for survivors and treating the injured, Xinhua reported.

More than 150 people were killed in the provinces of Gansu and Shaanxi, and in Chongqing municipality, Xinhua said.

And there are fears for the safety of staff, tourists - including a group of 15 British visitors - and the panda population at a giant panda research centre at Wolong in Wenchuan, which has not yet been contacted.

But 60 pandas at another breeding centre - in Chengdu - are reportedly safe.

China's Olympic Games organisers say they will scale down the route of the torch through the country and there will be a minute's silence when the next leg starts in the south-eastern city of Ruijin on Wednesday.

US President George W Bush expressed condolences to victims' families, while the US, UK, the European Union, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan reportedly offered aid.

China said it would accept international help to cope with the quake - the worst since 1976 when 242,000 people were killed in Tangshan - and offered its thanks.

The government response was praised as "swift and very efficient" by Francis Marcus of the International Federation of the Red Cross in Beijing.

But he added the scale of the disaster was such that "we can't expect that the government can do everything and handle every aspect of the needs".

The BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Beijing says this is one of the most open and speedy responses to an emergency he has ever seen from Chinese state media.

Aussie straps in beer, not child

From BBC news

The car was pulled over on the Ross Highway, south of Alice Springs

A car driver in Australia has been fined for strapping down his beer rather than his young child.

Police said they were "shocked and appalled" when they pulled over the car south of Alice Springs in Australia's Northern Territory.

They said the 30-can pack of beer was strapped down between two adults in the back, with the five-year-old child unrestrained on the floor.

The driver was handed a fine of A$750 (US$709; £362).

The fine was for failing to ensure a child was wearing a seatbelt as well as driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle.

'Blank' look

The car was pulled over on the Ross Highway last Friday.

Constable Wayne Burnett said: "I haven't ever seen something like this before.

"This is the first time that the beer has taken priority over a child... The child was sitting in the lump in the centre, unrestrained."

When Constable Burnett handed over the fine he said the driver "just looked at me blankly".

"He didn't get it," Constable Burnett said.

"I asked him about the fact the child was unrestrained and the beer was, and he said he didn't know anything about it."

Superintendent Sean Parnell of Alice Springs police said the incident was a "timely reminder" to ensure "all passengers are secured".

Sprained ankle

Damn it! I sprained my ankle playing squash! Gotta stay out of the sport for a while.

To the animal I killed last night

Last night I worked up to 12:30. I was driving home. I drove pass a right bend onto the bridge over the swamp and saw an animal as big as a dog crawling unusually slowly only less than 20 feet away on my side of the street. It was too late to stop, and I would risk running into the swamp if I turned my wheel. So I ran over the animal. I howled to myself. I kept going with my mind blank until I reckoned I should go back and check on the animal. I did but I didn't get out of the car. I looked at it through the window. I didn't know what kind of animal it was. It has a relatively short tail and a big body. I said sorry to it. Yes I am very sorry.

News of today

The good warm weather outside the window just put me off from working long hours these days. I came home after squash games and it was only 6:30. I cooked and watched BBC news on TV. There were a few news that caught my eyes.

1. The Italian tax authority published every tax-payers' tax declare on the web for the sake of transparency, outraging people. It finally closed the website upon a formal complaint from one of the country's privacy watchdogs.

2. The traffic of the whole Israel stalked, everyone stood with their heads bowed at the siren that marked the remembrance of the 6 million Jews died in the holocaust. BBC interviewed a survivor in Schindler's list, who is now 85 years old. Oskar Schindler had saved about 1200 Jews from concentration camps, but had gone bankruptcy after drifting from one failed business to another. Later in his life the Jews whom he saved gave him monthly pensions. A German news web reported this national memorial of the Jews. When will a Japanese news agency reports the sirens in Nanjing that remembers the Nanking Massacre, or the Chinese Government acknowledge the mass murder at Tienanmen Square? So many Chinese people are proud of hosting the Olympic games in Beijing. I will only be proud of being Chinese when we have a national memorial day on every June 4. Everybody makes mistakes. Only people who remorse and correct their own mistakes will make a great country.

3. The Olympic torch relay arrives Hong Kong. Can it be taken any more seriously than cat-walks of power-lusting blokes smirking for their achievements? I feel sorry for the athletes who made it to the relay. It could have been an worldly acknowledgment for their hard work and sacrifice, but only winds down to a display of filthy cronyism.