"I felt distanced from my family and friends..."

Zheng Xiaoyan and her friends, exchange New Year greetings every year, games and even electronic fireworks during Spring Festival, through a Beijing based online community that they created.

"I felt distanced from my family and friends in Hainan Province before the community was built," said Zheng who works at a 7-11 and not able to go home for the holiday.

Young people gather at the virtual community to share New Year pictures, take lantern riddle quizzes, participate in online temple fairs and chat.

More here from China View

Year Of Ox---Good For The World

A little boy touching the lucky lion statue at Chenghuang Temple in Shanghai yesterday during Spring Festival---the 5th day of Chinese Lunar New Year, celebrates as the day of wealth.

A young Woman is carried in a sedan chair at the Alter of the
Earth Fair in Beijing.

Burning joss sticks to pay homage to the God of Wealth outside
of Buddhist Temples---yesterday a young Woman in Wuhan, Hubei Province at the Guiyuan Buddhist Temple.

More here The Year of the Ox Bodes Well for the World, from
Taiwan News Online

Google: This Site May Harm Your Computer

If one performed a Google Search this morning between 6:30 am and 7:25 am PST users received a Google Warning with every search---This Site May Harm Your Computer.

Google promises the snafu has been corrected and has apologized for any inconvenience, apology accepted.

More here from Google

H/T: Associated Press

China Hangzhou Kids "Career Day"

Kid's try to be Hair Stylists at a career experiencing center for children in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province yesterday.

Many children visit here during Spring Festival to try different jobs such as Firefighters, Astronauts, Journalists, Doctors, etc. to gain practical and social experiences. Xinhua Photos

Looks like fun, children in the United States would benefit by engaging in similar experiences.

Beijing 2008 Birds Nest To Become Mega Entertainment & Shopping Center

Via China.org

Lights illuminate the Birds Nest during the closing ceremony of Beijing 2008 on the 24 August---Citic Group said yesterday, that they will turn the National Stadium into an Entertainment and Shopping Center in 3 to 5 years.

The Birds Nest will continue to hold sporting events, cultural and entertainment performances.

What a sight to visit and go shopping, that will be a major tourist attraction when completed.

Columbia Gas: Are you a good neighbor?

Columbia Gas are you a good neighbor? Whats up with the complaints?

Yesterday a consumer wanted to establish an account with the natural gas giant and among other things that Columbia Gas requested from an American Citizen with a Chinese surname was "citizenship papers" OMG, whats up with that ?

Their rational for requesting the information was, "...you are being billed for gas service after the gas has already been used, we are extending you credit." Then why do you require a security deposit ?

This is from a company that in 1995 filed a Bankruptcy reorganization plan which paid their creditors $7.5 Billion dollars after the Court allowed Columbia Gas in 1991 to break more than 4,000 contracts
with producers.

Columbia Gas doesn't seem to care how they are viewed?

In February, 2006 Keith Baker writes about his complaints regarding Columbia Gas automatic payment system.

In June, 2006 Mrs. Ohio 2004 writes in her Blog about her bad experience with this public utility.

In July, 2007 another customer of Columbia Gas from Chillicothe, Ohio writes about how the public utility continued charging him money after he had discontinued his service with them.

Why would anyone expect anything better from this natural gas company when they treat their own employees so poorly.

In Kentucky James Wells had been a loyal employee of Columbia Gas for 40 years, as he neared retirement age, he was terminated by the company. Subsequently Mr. Wells, filed suit against his former long time employer for violations of his civil rights following a jury trial, Mr. Wells prevailed and Columbia Gas was Ordered to compensate
the Plaintiff in the amount of $165,377 including $50,000 in Punitive Damages.

Upon Appeal in 2001 the Court of Appeals affirmed the jury verdict including the Order that Columbia Gas pay for the Plaintiff's Attorneys fees and Court costs.

One should not expect much from this corporate giant which treats their customers so badly and treats their long time employees worse.

Bloggers Reign Of Terror

More people are turning away from the MSM and are turning to Blogs and the Internet for a majority of their news and information.

In China the censors are blocking free access to news and information because PRC authorities fear political dissent. This week I wrote here that PRC claims they are restricting access to websites "to create a healthy Internet environment."

Chinese Bloggers Respond To Internet Crackdown

Internet Censorship Official Targeted By Chinese Netizens

Free speech is essential in the pursuit of learning, every thought or idea is not an avenue of incitement, censorship only results in the pursuit of finding cracks in the Great Firewall of China.

Beichuan Mourners Crowd Earthquake Site

Mourners from Beichuan, China crowd earthquake site in Sichuan Province, paying their respects to loved ones that perished in the catastrophic 12 May, 8.0 earthquake.

About 40,000 people returned to Beichuan County during the first two days of Chinese Lunar New Year to remember their family, friends and lived ones.

More here from Shanghai Daily

Bibles For Beijing

Via The China Beat

A good post by Pierre Fuller

A worker at the Amity Printing Company in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, prints bibles in Chinese and several other languages.

Related: Chinese Printer Celebrates 50 Million Bibles

Chinese Celebrate Spring Festival 2009

A Woman ties a New Year wish on a wishing tree as part of the traditional Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations in Beijing yesterday.

A man ties his wish to a wishing tree at the Taoist White Cloud Temple in Beijing today.

A child beautifully dressed in a traditional costume tides hair at the Beijing Dongyue Temple while performers dressed in traditional costumes dance at the Dongyue Temple. Millions across China,
have been celebrating the arrival Chinese Lunar New Year.

More photos here Chinese Celebrate Spring Festival, from China Daily

China Stifling Speech In Support Of Decency?

A young Woman using a computer at a Chinese Internet cafe in Fuyang, Anhui Province---China shuts down 55 more websites claiming that they contain porn or lewd contents.

Porn or Lewd content in China? Translation stifling free speech the crackdown is "aimed at creating a healthy Internet environment...to stifle dissent in a year sensitive to anniversaries including the 20th anniversary of the crackdown of the pro-democracy Tiananmen Square protests."

Earlier this month China's blogging platform Bullog.cn was shut down by Chinese censors.

On the 06 January, I wrote here that China plans new crackdown on Google.

On the 21 December, I wrote here that China was blocking access to the NY Times website, in their growing effort to stifle free speech and restrict press freedom.

Free speech is essential in the pursuit of learning, every idea or thought is not an avenue of incitement, censorship only results
in the pursuit of finding cracks in the Great Firewall of China.

More here from Associated Press

Obama To Fund China's One Child Policy

President Obama, has promised to fund China's Coercive One Child Policy which will receive U.S. taxpayers dollars.

President Bush had halted the funding when it was discovered that China required Woman to have forced abortions and sterilizations.

Last year after the elections, then President-elect Obama promised to restore money to the policy which funds forced population control in China.

More here from Catholic Fire

China's Littlest Beggar

Via Sina.com

Beggars are everywhere, this is definitely a human rights tragedy which China should be ashamed of.

H/T: Xiexie Mei-Mee

Chinese Lunar New Year Celebrations

Children wearing costumes for Chinese Lunar New Year in Kunming, Yunnan Province yesterday. Children wearing Qiang traditional costumes Sichuan Province on the first day of the Spring Festival.

Wearing traditional Chinese costumes, people in Kunming show off the colors and festive spirit during the first day of Spring Festival.

A giant statue of the Ox made of porcelain dishes in the street in Jingdezhen City---the porcelain capital, Jiangxi Province.

Members of the Lion Dance Troupe, performing at a temple fair in Beijing on Monday, the first day of Chinese Lunar New Year.

Members of the Dragon Dance Troupe performing in Bao'an District, Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province.

Chinese folk artists performed at Temple Fairs in Huaibei, Anhui Province yesterday, tens of millions are celebrating Chinese Lunar
New Year around the world.

Qingdao Chinese Symphony Orchestra is currently performing in cities throughout the USA. Making its debut performance on Friday, at the Sanders Theater at Harvard University, Qingdao Orchestra will perform at Kean University, Wilkens Theater, Union, NJ on the 30 January, contact Kean Stage for ticket information.

Their final performance will be on the 01 February at the Kennedy Center, Washington, DC contact the Kennedy Center for more information, ticket prices range from $15 to $60.00

NYC 302,000 strong Chinese community braved freezing cold yesterday to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, enjoying lion dances, firecrackers and red lanterns which filled the streets in
NYC Chinatown during the first day of Spring Festival.

More here Chinese New Year---Spring Festival from China Daily

Chinese New Year Goals: Find Job & Husband

Via TT Mop.com

Around the doors of many Chinese homes one finds Chinese calligraphy scrolls but here is one that is unusual.

Outside the door of a Woman soon to be graduating she advertises "find job find good job" the second line "find husband find good husband."

The horizontal line across the top of door "Oh Yes."

Sichuan Celebrates Chinese Lunar New Year

Children from Chengdu, China dressed as historical figure
Zhuge Liang, attend a worship ceremony to pray for good luck
at the Wuhou Temple. Performers dressed as historical figures from the Three Kingdoms Period during a ceremony to pray for good luck today.

Burning incense and praying for good luck is traditional during Spring Festival.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, having dinner last night with a Sichuan Earthquake family---the Premier this last weekend visited Qiang Villagers near Beichuan County, the epicenter of last years devastating earthquake.

More here Chinese celebrate Lunar New Year, hope for better 2009

Beichuan Middle School Parents & Classmates Mourn Ahead Of Chinese Lunar New Year

Parents mourn their children who perished on May 12 at Beichuan Middle School as they prepared yesterday to celebrate their first
Spring Festival since the devastating tragedy.

Student's mourning their classmates that perished at Beichuan Middle School---God Have Mercy. On the 21 November, I wrote here that the catastrophic Sichuan 8.0 earthquake claimed more than 19,000 children.

On 03 June, I published photos here of students at Beichuan Middle School, were enjoying a day of fun and excitement together, just
24 hours before the destructive Sichuan Earthquakes resulted in horrific disaster.

May the victims of Sichuan Earthquake Rest in Peace and may Almighty God, provide continuing comfort to the Sichuan Earthquake Survivors. May they each realize new hope during Chinese Lunar New Year and everyday. I pray for you often.