Shaolin Kungfu (Shaolin Martial Art) is one of the most influential genres of Chinese martial arts, and it's named after where it originated -- the Shaolin Temple, founded in 495 AD on the Songshan Mountain in Dengfeng County, Henan Province in Central China. The monks in the Shaolin Temple began to study martial arts during the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-581) and this tradition prevailed during the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907).
Shaolin Kungfu is famous both at home and abroad as a highly-effective method of self-defense and building health. It has quiet internal side and a mighty external side. Combining external and internal, "hard" and "soft" exercises, Shaolin Kungfu involves various methods of fighting techniques, consisting of barehanded boxing and weaponry combat.
...
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[+/-] : Classical Gardens of Suzhou (china)
As outstanding examples of southern China's private gardens, Suzhou's classical gardens are noted for their exquisite design and layout. Landscape and buildings are perfectly integrated, to create a great harmony between man and nature. 
Thanks to careful protection and good management, several of the gardens have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, including Zhuozhen Garden(Humble Administrator's Garden), Wangshi Garden(Master-of-Nets Garden), Liuyuan Garden(Lingering Garden), Huanxiu Villa(Villa with Embraced Beauty) , Canglangting Garden(Surging Waves Pavilion), Shizilin Garden(Lion Forest Garden), Ouyuan Garden (Double Courtyard), Yipu Garden (Art Garden) and Tuisi Garden(Retreat and Reflection Garden). These gardens demonstrate the typical features of Suzhou's classical gardens in layout, structure, design, style, use of color, decoration and furniture.
Suzhou's classical gardens occupy a unique and irreplaceable position in the history of world landscape gardening, and have high value for the study of Chinese landscape gardening, architecture, culture, aesthetics, philosophy and folklore.
Thanks to careful protection and good management, several of the gardens have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, including Zhuozhen Garden(Humble Administrator's Garden), Wangshi Garden(Master-of-Nets Garden), Liuyuan Garden(Lingering Garden), Huanxiu Villa(Villa with Embraced Beauty) , Canglangting Garden(Surging Waves Pavilion), Shizilin Garden(Lion Forest Garden), Ouyuan Garden (Double Courtyard), Yipu Garden (Art Garden) and Tuisi Garden(Retreat and Reflection Garden). These gardens demonstrate the typical features of Suzhou's classical gardens in layout, structure, design, style, use of color, decoration and furniture.
Suzhou's classical gardens occupy a unique and irreplaceable position in the history of world landscape gardening, and have high value for the study of Chinese landscape gardening, architecture, culture, aesthetics, philosophy and folklore.
Canglangting Garden (Surging Waves Pavilion)
Canglangting Garden has the longest history among all the existing classical gardens in Suzhou. Naturally laid out and well designed, it is called one of the four best gardens in Suzhou---the other three are Shizilin, Zhuozhen and Liuyuan.The garden looks simple but natural. Without contrived decorations, it combines buildings with scenery so perfectly that the whole garden appears to be naturally endowed. The garden is built along a small pond. In front of its north gate, there is a stone bridge. Entering the garden, you can see a yellow rockery. Behind it, there is an artificial hill made of stone and earth. Vigorous is naturally made, properly arranged, and appears steep and magnificent. Since there is a courtyard on each side of the garden, it is named Ouyuan, meaning double courtyard.
Yipu Garden (Art Garden)
This garden has an expansive view and a simple style. Since many of the original features of the garden have been preserved, the garden has a high historical and artistic value.
Occupying an area of five mu (one mu equals 0.07 ha), the garden is built around a pond with stone bridges over it. Most of the buildings are constructed in the north, among which the Buoya Hall is the main hall of the garden. To its south there is a small courtyard with a rock terrace in a pond. To the south of the courtyard are built five water pavilions. And to the south of the pond there is an artificial hill. The side of the hill along the pond is steep, with precipitous paths. To the south of the pond there is the Ruyou Pavilion, dating from the Ming Dynasty, which is connected with the outside by paths. To the west of the pond is located Qinlu Courtyard, which is entered by a round moon gate. Inside the courtyard there is a small pond linked with the main pond outside. Such a design is unique among Suzhou's classical gardens.
Tuisi Garden (Retreat and Reflection Garden)
Built between 1885 and 1887, the garden looks delicate, simple and elegant. It is a masterpiece among southern China's private gardens.
c. Suzhou-style Bonsai
As one of China's major schools of miniature trees, Suzhou-style bonsai is famous for its long history, unique design and distinctive style.
Thanks to favorable natural conditions, skilled artisans have long since created bonsai masterpieces to record natural scenery in tiny pots. In addition, the rich culture of the city adds special flavor and a unique style to Suzhou-style bonsai.
Suzhou bonsai is noted for its plainness and elegance. Old twigs aged 40, 60 or even 100 years are planted in a small plate and presented in different shapes -- drooping, prostrate, looking up or bending down.
...Canglangting Garden has the longest history among all the existing classical gardens in Suzhou. Naturally laid out and well designed, it is called one of the four best gardens in Suzhou---the other three are Shizilin, Zhuozhen and Liuyuan.The garden looks simple but natural. Without contrived decorations, it combines buildings with scenery so perfectly that the whole garden appears to be naturally endowed. The garden is built along a small pond. In front of its north gate, there is a stone bridge. Entering the garden, you can see a yellow rockery. Behind it, there is an artificial hill made of stone and earth. Vigorous is naturally made, properly arranged, and appears steep and magnificent. Since there is a courtyard on each side of the garden, it is named Ouyuan, meaning double courtyard.
Yipu Garden (Art Garden)
This garden has an expansive view and a simple style. Since many of the original features of the garden have been preserved, the garden has a high historical and artistic value.
Occupying an area of five mu (one mu equals 0.07 ha), the garden is built around a pond with stone bridges over it. Most of the buildings are constructed in the north, among which the Buoya Hall is the main hall of the garden. To its south there is a small courtyard with a rock terrace in a pond. To the south of the courtyard are built five water pavilions. And to the south of the pond there is an artificial hill. The side of the hill along the pond is steep, with precipitous paths. To the south of the pond there is the Ruyou Pavilion, dating from the Ming Dynasty, which is connected with the outside by paths. To the west of the pond is located Qinlu Courtyard, which is entered by a round moon gate. Inside the courtyard there is a small pond linked with the main pond outside. Such a design is unique among Suzhou's classical gardens.
Tuisi Garden (Retreat and Reflection Garden)
Built between 1885 and 1887, the garden looks delicate, simple and elegant. It is a masterpiece among southern China's private gardens.
c. Suzhou-style Bonsai
As one of China's major schools of miniature trees, Suzhou-style bonsai is famous for its long history, unique design and distinctive style.
Thanks to favorable natural conditions, skilled artisans have long since created bonsai masterpieces to record natural scenery in tiny pots. In addition, the rich culture of the city adds special flavor and a unique style to Suzhou-style bonsai.
Suzhou bonsai is noted for its plainness and elegance. Old twigs aged 40, 60 or even 100 years are planted in a small plate and presented in different shapes -- drooping, prostrate, looking up or bending down.
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[+/-] : panda twins
A Newly-born giant panda cubs lie in an incubator at the Giant Panda Breeding Center in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, August 20, 2007. Names are being sought from the public for the pair, now 100-day old.
A pair of 100-day old panda twins, a male and a female, are seen at the Giant Panda Breeding Center in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, November 23, 2007. Names are being sought from the public for the pair.
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A pair of 100-day old panda twins, a male and a female, are seen at the Giant Panda Breeding Center in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, November 23, 2007. Names are being sought from the public for the pair.
...
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[+/-] : The Lotus Pool By Moonlight
The last few days have found me very restless. This evening as I sat in the yard to enjoy the cool, it struck me how different the lotus pool I pass every day must look under a full moon. The moon was sailing higher and higher up the heavens, the sound of childish laughter had died away from the lane beyond our wall, and my wife was in the house patting Juner and humming a lullaby to him. I quietly slipped on a long gown, and walked out leaving the door on the latch.
A cinder - path winds along by the side of the pool. It is off the beaten track and few pass this way even by day, so at night it is still more quiet. Trees grow thick and bosky all around the pool, with willows and other trees I cannot name by the path. On nights when there is no moon the track is almost terrifyingly dark, but tonight it was quite clear, though the moonlight was pale.
Strolling alone down the path, hands behind my back, I felt as if the whole earth and sky were mine and I had stepped outside my usual self into another world. I like both excitement and stillness, under the full moon, I could think of whatever I pleased or of nothing at all, and that gave me a sense of freedom. All daytime duties could be disregarded. That was the advantage of solitude: I could savour to the full that expanse of fragrant lotus and the moonlight.
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[+/-] : Everyday is A Gift
My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau and lifted out a tissue-wrapped package. "This", he said, "is not a slip. This is lingerie." He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip.
It was exquisite, silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb of lace. The price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still attached.
"Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion.
Well, I guess this is the occasion.
He took the slip from me and put it on the bed, with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician. His hands lingered on the soft material for a moment, then he slammed the drawer shut and turned to me, "Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you' re alive is a special occasion."
I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores that follow an unexpected death. I thought about them on the plane returning to California from the midwestern town where my sister's family lives. I thought about all the things that she hadn't seen or heard or done. I thought about the things that she had done without realizing that they were special....
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It was exquisite, silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb of lace. The price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still attached.
"Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion.
Well, I guess this is the occasion.
He took the slip from me and put it on the bed, with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician. His hands lingered on the soft material for a moment, then he slammed the drawer shut and turned to me, "Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you' re alive is a special occasion."
I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores that follow an unexpected death. I thought about them on the plane returning to California from the midwestern town where my sister's family lives. I thought about all the things that she hadn't seen or heard or done. I thought about the things that she had done without realizing that they were special....
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[+/-] : China's Growing Pains
Wrenching environmental problems are plaguing the world's newest industrial powerhouse. Can China clean up its act?
Ads for the latest electronic tools and toys at the COMDEX technology trade fair in Beijing reflectChina's roaring economy and its move toward a consumer society China's appetite for high-tech goods is enormous: The government recently reported that there are more than 260 million cell phone users—so many that they are believed to outnumber subscribers to conventional phone service.
This house in Yuan Pu, a remote village in China's northern Qinghai Province, has electricity, though about half the homes in the area do not—yet. The government of China is spending billions of dollars building and upgrading rural electricity networks. Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power are playing a part in this electrification effort, and the U.S. Department of Energy provides assistance through partnerships with its National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Toxic sulfur dioxide and other pollutants billow into China's atmosphere from plants such as this coal-powered ironworks in Pianguan. For the bulk of its energy China relies on coal, a leading source of acid rain and pollution. Indoor and outdoor air quality is so bad that the World Bank estimates that more than a quarter of a million deaths each year could be avoided if China succeeded in its pollution control efforts.
A flat tire slows the transport of a bok choy tower through the streets of Kunming in Yunnan Province. Such vegetables—eaten with rice and fish—have traditionally formed the bulk of the Chinese diet. But more demand for meat from people with rising incomes, particularly in urban areas, has resulted in increased livestock farming and livestock feed production. Runoff of untreated livestock waste adds to pollution in rivers and lakes. Medical researchers are concerned that eating more meat will result in an increase in heart disease and stroke....
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Ads for the latest electronic tools and toys at the COMDEX technology trade fair in Beijing reflectChina's roaring economy and its move toward a consumer society China's appetite for high-tech goods is enormous: The government recently reported that there are more than 260 million cell phone users—so many that they are believed to outnumber subscribers to conventional phone service.
This house in Yuan Pu, a remote village in China's northern Qinghai Province, has electricity, though about half the homes in the area do not—yet. The government of China is spending billions of dollars building and upgrading rural electricity networks. Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power are playing a part in this electrification effort, and the U.S. Department of Energy provides assistance through partnerships with its National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Toxic sulfur dioxide and other pollutants billow into China's atmosphere from plants such as this coal-powered ironworks in Pianguan. For the bulk of its energy China relies on coal, a leading source of acid rain and pollution. Indoor and outdoor air quality is so bad that the World Bank estimates that more than a quarter of a million deaths each year could be avoided if China succeeded in its pollution control efforts.
A flat tire slows the transport of a bok choy tower through the streets of Kunming in Yunnan Province. Such vegetables—eaten with rice and fish—have traditionally formed the bulk of the Chinese diet. But more demand for meat from people with rising incomes, particularly in urban areas, has resulted in increased livestock farming and livestock feed production. Runoff of untreated livestock waste adds to pollution in rivers and lakes. Medical researchers are concerned that eating more meat will result in an increase in heart disease and stroke....
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[+/-] : what''s rss
RSS 文件是标准的基于 XML 的文件，为联合和聚集 Web 内容提供了一种方法。本页面向您介绍 RSS，并提供 RSS 阅读器的链接。这些文件包含元数据，元数据通常用于提供关于数据的内容、上下文和特征的描述性信息。使用 RSS 文件，可以创建数据提要（feed），其中提供有标题行、链接和来自 Web 站点的文章摘要。这些文件描述一连串信息，这些信息中可以包含一个徽标、一个站点链接、一个输入框和多个新闻条目。其他 Web 站点可以自动将这些信息合并到其自己的页面中，或者使用 feed 为一个站点提供当前的新闻标题行。这些技术可以为任何给定 Web 站点分发最新信息。
随处可见的那些橙色的 RSS 和 XML 小按钮是什么？为什么单击它们时会看到代码？如果您对这些问题的答案感兴趣，请继续阅读以了解聚合的世界。
RSS 具有许多含义，从 “RDF Site Summary” 到 “Rich Site Summary” 到 “Really Simple Syndication”。我最喜欢最后这个术语，因为我认为它最好地将 RSS 描述为服务。RSS 可以仅仅被称为 XML 聚合，因为它是基于 XML 语言的。根据本文的目的，术语 RSS 指的是聚合的概念，它包括我随后会讨论到的其他 XML 技术（如 Atom）。
您可以简单地将内容放入（RSS 允许将内容从表示层分离出来）或聚合到一个 RSS 阅读器中。使用 RSS 阅读器或 提要阅读器，可以将所有的新闻源和其他内容聚合进一个程序，从而创建此信息的单一视图。这就像是能够创建自己的报纸，它可以包括来自许多来源（如 New York Times、BBC、Wall Street Journal 和 Washington Post）的文章，而且还能够选择阅读来自每个来源的主题。
RSS 将元数据（关于数据的信息）封装在内容周围。元数据允许 RSS 阅读器了解诸如内容类型（文本还是多媒体）、出版日期之类的信息。
RSS 为何如此流行，它们的好处是什么？
在当今世界中，您常常必须在数以百计的电子邮件和数十个 Web 站点中挑选以找到您想要的信息。RSS 阅读器通过将这些不同的数据源放入一个视图中，简化了此项任务。
RSS 阅读器允许在单一应用程序或 Web 站点中阅读新闻源或 blog。此阅读器将聚合所有您选择的提要并以易于阅读的方式将它们列出。在单一位置阅读新闻和信息内容的好处是很多的，如：
可以访问更少的 Web 站点
新闻是随需应变的 － 在需要的时候是就绪的且处于待命状态。如果您几天没使用它，所有新闻仍会为您保留（不像传统站点那样首页新闻每天变化）。
没有塞满您邮箱的电子邮件时事通讯。使用 RSS 选择进出的信息更容易；在 RSS 环境中是很难想像垃圾邮件的。
可以自定义发给您的新闻和内容。不需要在 Wired.com 上的所有文章中挑选，可以让各个主题 “送到门口”，减少电子邮件时事通讯的骚扰。
可以忽略您不感兴趣的文章或频道。
可以始终了解最新的按标题、行业或主题领域分类的新闻。
不需要核对新闻站点上的新记录。RSS 阅读器会自动将新内容交付给您。
现在，互联网上的内容交付有了新的形式。当今大多数人要面对不计其数的信息源。每个人可能为了获得新闻、股票行情、安全警告、行业分析、产品评论等而访问不同的门户。传统上，此过程非常消耗用户的时间，因为他们要访问每个 Web 站点到处寻找新信息，然后再移动到下一个 Web 站点。数以百万计的人订阅了一天数次轰炸收件箱（有时候每小时一次）的电子邮件时事通讯；这种 通过电子邮件的方法没有效率，需要耗费时间来进行分类和过滤。
RSS 阅读器将所有这些内容聚合到一个简单、易于查看的应用程序中，且不会骚扰您的生产力工具（如 电子邮件）。大多数阅读器具有和电子邮件应用程序或新闻组阅读器相同的外观，其文件夹在左侧而内容在右侧。左侧的文件夹可能代表不同的 Web 站点或不同的新闻频道。如果您是位积极的 blog 阅读者，则这些文件夹可以代表每个 blog。RSS 的流行主要来自于 blogosphere 领域，就是因为一周多次重复访问一个 blog 站点来找出作者何时发布了新内容是没有效率的；最好让此内容被发送给您。相同的原理适用于新闻组和社区论坛。...
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随处可见的那些橙色的 RSS 和 XML 小按钮是什么？为什么单击它们时会看到代码？如果您对这些问题的答案感兴趣，请继续阅读以了解聚合的世界。
RSS 具有许多含义，从 “RDF Site Summary” 到 “Rich Site Summary” 到 “Really Simple Syndication”。我最喜欢最后这个术语，因为我认为它最好地将 RSS 描述为服务。RSS 可以仅仅被称为 XML 聚合，因为它是基于 XML 语言的。根据本文的目的，术语 RSS 指的是聚合的概念，它包括我随后会讨论到的其他 XML 技术（如 Atom）。
您可以简单地将内容放入（RSS 允许将内容从表示层分离出来）或聚合到一个 RSS 阅读器中。使用 RSS 阅读器或 提要阅读器，可以将所有的新闻源和其他内容聚合进一个程序，从而创建此信息的单一视图。这就像是能够创建自己的报纸，它可以包括来自许多来源（如 New York Times、BBC、Wall Street Journal 和 Washington Post）的文章，而且还能够选择阅读来自每个来源的主题。
RSS 将元数据（关于数据的信息）封装在内容周围。元数据允许 RSS 阅读器了解诸如内容类型（文本还是多媒体）、出版日期之类的信息。
RSS 为何如此流行，它们的好处是什么？
在当今世界中，您常常必须在数以百计的电子邮件和数十个 Web 站点中挑选以找到您想要的信息。RSS 阅读器通过将这些不同的数据源放入一个视图中，简化了此项任务。
RSS 阅读器允许在单一应用程序或 Web 站点中阅读新闻源或 blog。此阅读器将聚合所有您选择的提要并以易于阅读的方式将它们列出。在单一位置阅读新闻和信息内容的好处是很多的，如：
可以访问更少的 Web 站点
新闻是随需应变的 － 在需要的时候是就绪的且处于待命状态。如果您几天没使用它，所有新闻仍会为您保留（不像传统站点那样首页新闻每天变化）。
没有塞满您邮箱的电子邮件时事通讯。使用 RSS 选择进出的信息更容易；在 RSS 环境中是很难想像垃圾邮件的。
可以自定义发给您的新闻和内容。不需要在 Wired.com 上的所有文章中挑选，可以让各个主题 “送到门口”，减少电子邮件时事通讯的骚扰。
可以忽略您不感兴趣的文章或频道。
可以始终了解最新的按标题、行业或主题领域分类的新闻。
不需要核对新闻站点上的新记录。RSS 阅读器会自动将新内容交付给您。
现在，互联网上的内容交付有了新的形式。当今大多数人要面对不计其数的信息源。每个人可能为了获得新闻、股票行情、安全警告、行业分析、产品评论等而访问不同的门户。传统上，此过程非常消耗用户的时间，因为他们要访问每个 Web 站点到处寻找新信息，然后再移动到下一个 Web 站点。数以百万计的人订阅了一天数次轰炸收件箱（有时候每小时一次）的电子邮件时事通讯；这种 通过电子邮件的方法没有效率，需要耗费时间来进行分类和过滤。
RSS 阅读器将所有这些内容聚合到一个简单、易于查看的应用程序中，且不会骚扰您的生产力工具（如 电子邮件）。大多数阅读器具有和电子邮件应用程序或新闻组阅读器相同的外观，其文件夹在左侧而内容在右侧。左侧的文件夹可能代表不同的 Web 站点或不同的新闻频道。如果您是位积极的 blog 阅读者，则这些文件夹可以代表每个 blog。RSS 的流行主要来自于 blogosphere 领域，就是因为一周多次重复访问一个 blog 站点来找出作者何时发布了新内容是没有效率的；最好让此内容被发送给您。相同的原理适用于新闻组和社区论坛。...
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[+/-] : color Psychology
Like death and taxes, there is no escaping color. It is ubiquitous. Yet what does it all mean? Why are people more relaxed in green rooms? Why do weightlifters do their best in blue gyms?
Colors often have different meanings in various cultures. And even in Western societies, the meanings of various colors have changed over the years. But today in the U.S., researchers have generally found the following to be accurate.
Black
Black is the color of authority and power. It is popular in fashion because it makes people appear thinner. It is also stylish and timeless. Black also implies submission. Priests wear black to signify submission to God. Some fashion experts say a woman wearing black implies submission to men. Black outfits can also be overpowering, or make the wearer seem aloof or evil. Villains, such as Dracula, often wear black.
White
Brides wear white to symbolize innocence and purity. White reflects light and is considered a summer color. White is popular in decorating and in fashion because it is light, neutral, and goes with everything. However, white shows dirt and is therefore more difficult to keep clean than other colors. Doctors and nurses wear white to imply sterility.
Red
The most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. It is also the color of love. Red clothing gets noticed and makes the wearer appear heavier. Since it is an extreme color, red clothing might not help people in negotiations or confrontations. Red cars are popular targets for thieves. In decorating, red is usually used as an accent. Decorators say that red furniture should be perfect since it will attract attention.
The most romantic color, pink, is more tranquilizing. Sports teams sometimes paint the locker rooms used by opposing teams bright pink so their opponents will lose energy.
Blue
The color of the sky and the ocean, blue is one of the most popular colors. It causes the opposite reaction as red. Peaceful, tranquil blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals, so it is often used in bedrooms. Blue can also be cold and depressing. Fashion consultants recommend wearing blue to job interviews because it symbolizes loyalty. People are more productive in blue rooms. Studies show weightlifters are able to handle heavier weights in blue gyms.
Green
Currently the most popular decorating color, green symbolizes nature. It is the easiest color on the eye and can improve vision. It is a calming, refreshing color. People waiting to appear on TV sit in "green rooms" to relax. Hospitals often use green because it relaxes patients. Brides in the Middle Ages wore green to symbolize fertility. Dark green is masculine, conservative, and implies wealth. However, seamstresses often refuse to use green thread on the eve of a fashion show for fear it will bring bad luck.
Yellow
Cheerful sunny yellow is an attention getter. While it is considered an optimistic color, people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms, and babies will cry more. It is the most difficult color for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused. Yellow enhances concentration, hence its use for legal pads. It also speeds metabolism.
Purple
The color of royalty, purple connotes luxury, wealth, and sophistication. It is also feminine and romantic. However, because it is rare in nature, purple can appear artificial.
Brown
Solid, reliable brown is the color of earth and is abundant in nature. Light brown implies genuineness while dark brown is similar to wood or leather. Brown can also be sad and wistful. Men are more apt to say brown is one of their favorite colors.
Colors of the Flag
In the U.S. flag, white stands for purity and innocence. Red represents valor and hardiness, while blue signifies justice, perseverance, and vigilance. The stars represent the heavens and all the good that people strive for, while the stripes emulate the sun's rays.
Food for Thought
While blue is one of the most popular colors it is one of the least appetizing. Blue food is rare in nature. Food researchers say that when humans searched for food, they learned to avoid toxic or spoiled objects, which were often blue, black, or purple. When food dyed blue is served to study subjects, they lose appetite.
Green, brown, and red are the most popular food colors. Red is often used in restaurant decorating schemes because it is an appetite stimulant....
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消息來源
Colors often have different meanings in various cultures. And even in Western societies, the meanings of various colors have changed over the years. But today in the U.S., researchers have generally found the following to be accurate.
Black
Black is the color of authority and power. It is popular in fashion because it makes people appear thinner. It is also stylish and timeless. Black also implies submission. Priests wear black to signify submission to God. Some fashion experts say a woman wearing black implies submission to men. Black outfits can also be overpowering, or make the wearer seem aloof or evil. Villains, such as Dracula, often wear black.
White
Brides wear white to symbolize innocence and purity. White reflects light and is considered a summer color. White is popular in decorating and in fashion because it is light, neutral, and goes with everything. However, white shows dirt and is therefore more difficult to keep clean than other colors. Doctors and nurses wear white to imply sterility.
Red
The most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. It is also the color of love. Red clothing gets noticed and makes the wearer appear heavier. Since it is an extreme color, red clothing might not help people in negotiations or confrontations. Red cars are popular targets for thieves. In decorating, red is usually used as an accent. Decorators say that red furniture should be perfect since it will attract attention.
The most romantic color, pink, is more tranquilizing. Sports teams sometimes paint the locker rooms used by opposing teams bright pink so their opponents will lose energy.
Blue
The color of the sky and the ocean, blue is one of the most popular colors. It causes the opposite reaction as red. Peaceful, tranquil blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals, so it is often used in bedrooms. Blue can also be cold and depressing. Fashion consultants recommend wearing blue to job interviews because it symbolizes loyalty. People are more productive in blue rooms. Studies show weightlifters are able to handle heavier weights in blue gyms.
Green
Currently the most popular decorating color, green symbolizes nature. It is the easiest color on the eye and can improve vision. It is a calming, refreshing color. People waiting to appear on TV sit in "green rooms" to relax. Hospitals often use green because it relaxes patients. Brides in the Middle Ages wore green to symbolize fertility. Dark green is masculine, conservative, and implies wealth. However, seamstresses often refuse to use green thread on the eve of a fashion show for fear it will bring bad luck.
Yellow
Cheerful sunny yellow is an attention getter. While it is considered an optimistic color, people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms, and babies will cry more. It is the most difficult color for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused. Yellow enhances concentration, hence its use for legal pads. It also speeds metabolism.
Purple
The color of royalty, purple connotes luxury, wealth, and sophistication. It is also feminine and romantic. However, because it is rare in nature, purple can appear artificial.
Brown
Solid, reliable brown is the color of earth and is abundant in nature. Light brown implies genuineness while dark brown is similar to wood or leather. Brown can also be sad and wistful. Men are more apt to say brown is one of their favorite colors.
Colors of the Flag
In the U.S. flag, white stands for purity and innocence. Red represents valor and hardiness, while blue signifies justice, perseverance, and vigilance. The stars represent the heavens and all the good that people strive for, while the stripes emulate the sun's rays.
Food for Thought
While blue is one of the most popular colors it is one of the least appetizing. Blue food is rare in nature. Food researchers say that when humans searched for food, they learned to avoid toxic or spoiled objects, which were often blue, black, or purple. When food dyed blue is served to study subjects, they lose appetite.
Green, brown, and red are the most popular food colors. Red is often used in restaurant decorating schemes because it is an appetite stimulant....
read more
消息來源
[+/-] : 3,000 years old: the face of Tutankhamun
The true face of ancient Egypt went on public display for the first time yesterday, as archaeologists unveiled the mummy of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun.
The golden death mask of the young king, which covered the mummy, has been a familiar image around the world ever since the British treasure-seeker Howard Carter located the tomb in 1922. But, 85 years to the day since Carter's discovery, the actual face of the 19-year-old monarch was put on view in his underground tomb at Luxor, when the linen-wrapped mummy was removed from its stone sarcophagus for display in a climate-controlled glass box.
Naturally, the face the world can now see is a lot less idealised than the lustrous and splendid golden mask. It is shrivelled and leather-like from the embalming process. But, if less idealised, it is a lot more human and exhibits one very human characteristic in particular: he might have been the lord of all he saw, but young King Tut had buck teeth. The mummified face clearly display the "overbite" which was characteristic of the Thurmosid royal line to which Tutankhamun belonged.
Yesterday's display comes at the end of a two-year restoration of the mummy itself, which was badly damaged by Carter and his staff when they removed the death mask and other jewels decorating the body. It was cut into 18 separate pieces in the process. The restoration, supervised by Egypt's head of antiquities, Zahi Hawass, is intended to protect the mummy for the future as there are fears that its condition is deteriorating with mass tourism and the large number of visitors to the tomb.
"The humidity and heat caused by people entering the tomb and their breathing will change the mummy to a powder," said Dr Hawass. "The only good thing [left] in this mummy is the face. We need to preserve the face."
In recent years, many archaeologists have addressed the lingering questions over how Tutankhamun died and his precise royal lineage. Several books and documentaries dedicated to the young pharaoh, who is believed to have been the 12th ruler of ancient Egypt's 18th dynasty and ascended to the throne at about the age of eight, are popular around the world.
Two years ago, scientists removed the mummy from the tomb and placed it into a portable CT scanner for 15 minutes to obtain a three-dimensional image. The results appeared to rule out a violent murder but stopped short of definitively concluding how the young king died in about 1323BC. He did appear to have a fractured left thigh, perhaps caused by a fall from a chariot, and it was thought that he might have died from a subsequent infection, such as gangrene. The CT scan gave many other personal details about him showing that he was well-fed, healthy, yet slightly built, standing at 5ft 6ins at the time of his death.
Dr Hawass said that, along with putting Tutankhamun on display, experts will begin another project trying to determine the pharaoh's precise royal lineage. It is unclear if he is the son or a half brother of Akhenaten, the "heretic" pharaoh who introduced a revolutionary form of monotheism to ancient Egypt and was the son of Amenhotep III.
The mummy will remain in the tomb indefinitely – unlike other Egyptian royal mummies, which are displayed in museums – and tourists will begin viewing the mummy today. The Egyptian tourism industry is hoping to capitalise on the interest and draw tourists to Luxor to see something they couldn't find elsewhere. More than nine million tourists visited Egypt last year – up from 8.7 million the previous year, the Egyptian Tourist Authority said.
"The golden boy has magic and mystery," Dr Hawass told reporters at Luxor yesterday. "Therefore every person all over the world will see what Egypt is doing to preserve the golden boy, and all of them I am sure will come to see him."
Some tourists agreed yesterday. Canadian Bryan Wadson said he and his wife would try to make it back to the Valley of the Kings for the second time today because they missed the unveiling yesterday. But not all tourists agreed. "I really think he should be left alone in quiet, in peace," said Bob Philpotts, a British tourist. "This is his resting place, and he should be left."
John Taylor, an assistant keeper at the British Museum's department of ancient Egypt and Sudan, said tourists would not be the only ones to benefit from putting the mummy on display in a climate-controlled case. "In some ways, it could be advantageous to monitor the condition to see if the mummy is stable," he said.
But Dr Hawass is seeing the whole thing from the public's point of view. "Everyone is dreaming of what he looks like. The face of Tutankhamun is different from any king in the Cairo museum. With his beautiful buck teeth, the tourists will see a little bit of the smile from the face of the golden boy," he said....
read more
The golden death mask of the young king, which covered the mummy, has been a familiar image around the world ever since the British treasure-seeker Howard Carter located the tomb in 1922. But, 85 years to the day since Carter's discovery, the actual face of the 19-year-old monarch was put on view in his underground tomb at Luxor, when the linen-wrapped mummy was removed from its stone sarcophagus for display in a climate-controlled glass box.
Naturally, the face the world can now see is a lot less idealised than the lustrous and splendid golden mask. It is shrivelled and leather-like from the embalming process. But, if less idealised, it is a lot more human and exhibits one very human characteristic in particular: he might have been the lord of all he saw, but young King Tut had buck teeth. The mummified face clearly display the "overbite" which was characteristic of the Thurmosid royal line to which Tutankhamun belonged.
Yesterday's display comes at the end of a two-year restoration of the mummy itself, which was badly damaged by Carter and his staff when they removed the death mask and other jewels decorating the body. It was cut into 18 separate pieces in the process. The restoration, supervised by Egypt's head of antiquities, Zahi Hawass, is intended to protect the mummy for the future as there are fears that its condition is deteriorating with mass tourism and the large number of visitors to the tomb.
"The humidity and heat caused by people entering the tomb and their breathing will change the mummy to a powder," said Dr Hawass. "The only good thing [left] in this mummy is the face. We need to preserve the face."
In recent years, many archaeologists have addressed the lingering questions over how Tutankhamun died and his precise royal lineage. Several books and documentaries dedicated to the young pharaoh, who is believed to have been the 12th ruler of ancient Egypt's 18th dynasty and ascended to the throne at about the age of eight, are popular around the world.
Two years ago, scientists removed the mummy from the tomb and placed it into a portable CT scanner for 15 minutes to obtain a three-dimensional image. The results appeared to rule out a violent murder but stopped short of definitively concluding how the young king died in about 1323BC. He did appear to have a fractured left thigh, perhaps caused by a fall from a chariot, and it was thought that he might have died from a subsequent infection, such as gangrene. The CT scan gave many other personal details about him showing that he was well-fed, healthy, yet slightly built, standing at 5ft 6ins at the time of his death.
Dr Hawass said that, along with putting Tutankhamun on display, experts will begin another project trying to determine the pharaoh's precise royal lineage. It is unclear if he is the son or a half brother of Akhenaten, the "heretic" pharaoh who introduced a revolutionary form of monotheism to ancient Egypt and was the son of Amenhotep III.
The mummy will remain in the tomb indefinitely – unlike other Egyptian royal mummies, which are displayed in museums – and tourists will begin viewing the mummy today. The Egyptian tourism industry is hoping to capitalise on the interest and draw tourists to Luxor to see something they couldn't find elsewhere. More than nine million tourists visited Egypt last year – up from 8.7 million the previous year, the Egyptian Tourist Authority said.
"The golden boy has magic and mystery," Dr Hawass told reporters at Luxor yesterday. "Therefore every person all over the world will see what Egypt is doing to preserve the golden boy, and all of them I am sure will come to see him."
Some tourists agreed yesterday. Canadian Bryan Wadson said he and his wife would try to make it back to the Valley of the Kings for the second time today because they missed the unveiling yesterday. But not all tourists agreed. "I really think he should be left alone in quiet, in peace," said Bob Philpotts, a British tourist. "This is his resting place, and he should be left."
John Taylor, an assistant keeper at the British Museum's department of ancient Egypt and Sudan, said tourists would not be the only ones to benefit from putting the mummy on display in a climate-controlled case. "In some ways, it could be advantageous to monitor the condition to see if the mummy is stable," he said.
But Dr Hawass is seeing the whole thing from the public's point of view. "Everyone is dreaming of what he looks like. The face of Tutankhamun is different from any king in the Cairo museum. With his beautiful buck teeth, the tourists will see a little bit of the smile from the face of the golden boy," he said....
read more
[+/-] : Sister Margaret's
Sister Margaret's been here many yearsIn service to the children and the Lord.She is one lovely note within a chordToo vast and beautiful for human ears.Even those who've carved out bright careersRemember long and fondly one who pouredMore love into their hearts than they could hoard,A river sweeping through their childhood tears;Remember, too, the beauty of a lifeGiven as an act of charity,All of it, not one desire held back.Ruled by need, they pause in harmony,Even in the midst of daily strife,To see in her a passion that they lack...
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[+/-] : I'm Your Christmas Tree
I'm your Christmas tree, all brightly lit,Hung with angels, colored balls, and elves.Underneath my boughs your presents sit,If you've behaved yourselves.
Why must we wait till early Christmas mornTo open up our brand-new games and toys?Why gifts for us the day that Christ was bornIf we're good girls and boys?
Now listen to your Christmas tree: I'm wiseIn all the ways of faith that you must know.I'm here because of what I symbolize:Green through ice and snow.
There is a world beyond what we can seeWhere, by grace of God, we can receiveGod's greatest gift: to live eternally,If only we believe.
Eternal life is what God gave to youIn sending down His son to live on Earth.This was His gift, so Santa brings gifts, too,To celebrate Christ's birth.
The baby Jesus got gifts on this dayBecause, like any child, He loved to play.And so God wants to share this special joyWith every girl and boy.
Believe God loves you as your parents do,And takes great joy in giving gifts to you.Live well and love, and evergreen like me,You'll live eternally....
read more
Why must we wait till early Christmas mornTo open up our brand-new games and toys?Why gifts for us the day that Christ was bornIf we're good girls and boys?
Now listen to your Christmas tree: I'm wiseIn all the ways of faith that you must know.I'm here because of what I symbolize:Green through ice and snow.
There is a world beyond what we can seeWhere, by grace of God, we can receiveGod's greatest gift: to live eternally,If only we believe.
Eternal life is what God gave to youIn sending down His son to live on Earth.This was His gift, so Santa brings gifts, too,To celebrate Christ's birth.
The baby Jesus got gifts on this dayBecause, like any child, He loved to play.And so God wants to share this special joyWith every girl and boy.
Believe God loves you as your parents do,And takes great joy in giving gifts to you.Live well and love, and evergreen like me,You'll live eternally....
read more
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