Chinese/Japanese Maritime Collision Dispute
On September 7, 2010, a Chinese fishing trawler collided with two Japan Coast Guard patrol vessels near the Diaoyu Islands located in the East China Sea setting off a diplomatic dispute between the two countries. Joint undersea gas field development plans and a rare earth export agreement were immediately cancelled by China.
China’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu issued a statement protesting the detaining of the trawler’s captain and refused to cooperate with a Japanese reenactment of the Ishigaki Island trawler incident. Yu called Japan’s inquest into the incident illegal and vain and demanded an apology. Also speaking were Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Japanese ambassador to China Uichiro Niwa.
Days later, the trawler and crew were released and returned home. Japanese authorities detained the captain of the Chinese trawler for alleged obstruction of public duties but was released days later. A fishery law enforcement ship was immediately dispatched to the area in addition to increased security.
China claims Japan entered their territory, chased down and boarded the trawler. The captain was placed under arrest. The Diaoyu Islands have a been part of Chinese territory since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and within their maritime borders. In 1895, Japan erroneously claimed the islands as belonging to them.
Following an after dinner meeting in Brussels attended by the Chinese and Japanese prime ministers, a tentative agreement was reached and both will resume relations. The Chinese Foreign Ministry reiterated this but added the uninhabited Diaoyu Islands are the sole possession of China. The Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara claimed the islands are their possession.
Tokyo’s Jiji press reported on October 11th the meeting of Defense Ministers Toshimi Kitazawa of Japan and Liang Guanglie of China where they announced a liaison system to avert future maritime disputes as they seek to begin repairing damaged relations although possession of the islands is still disputed. This was the first meeting of the two countries since China discontinued contact with Japan. This was one of the worst conflicts between the two countries in years.
Further discussions are scheduled later in the month at the East Asia Summit in Vietnam and in November at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Yokohama. Attending will be Hu Jintao, President and Paramount Leader of the People’s Republic of China.
All About Olympic Table Tennis
Today’s high intensity sport of table tennis had its humble beginnings as “Wiff-Waff”, a popular after dinner activity among the British upper class in the mid 1800’s. The game evolved over the years and was eventually introduced as an Olympic sport at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. It has quickly become one of the most popular events. The ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) is the worldwide governing body of Table Tennis.
Scoring in Olympic Table Tennis is broken down into three sections; point, game and match. A point is scored when the opponent fails to return a ball over the net. The game is played to 11 and in the case of a 10-10 tie, the winner is the first player ahead by two points. A match is won in singles competition by winning the best of seven games. In team competition (replacing doubles at the London 2012 Olympics), a match is won by winning the best of five games. Each player serves twice and alternate back and forth. In a 10-10 tie situation, each player serves once and alternate back and forth. Players must switch sides when reaching five during the final game of a match.
Players grip the Table Tennis racket in either the Penhold grip or the Shakehand grip. As you might expect, the Penhold grip holds the racket in the way one might hold a pen. Only one side of the racket is used however in the 1990’s, the Chinese introduced the Reverse Penhold backhand grip which utilizes both sides of the racket and creates extreme topspin. With the ever increasing speed of the game, players the world over are using the Shakehand grip which grips the handle in the way one might shake hands. This grip allows the player to consistently play at top speed and consistency.
The Table Tennis racket must adhere to strict requirements set down by the ITTF. One side of the racket must be black and the other side red. The logo of the ITTF and rubber manufacturer must be visible and usually appears just above the handle.
The ITTF created the Table Tennis Hall of Fame in 1993 to pay tribute to players who have made exceptional contributions to the sport. To achieve such recognition, a player must be a five time Gold Medal winner in World Championship play or the Olympic Games. China’s Wang Nan, Zhang Yining and Deng Yaping are among the 46 Hall of Fame recipients who hold this distinguished honour.
Since its introduction as an Olympic sport in 1988, Table Tennis has been dominated by China and to date have won 46 gold medals; more than all other countries combined. Ma Lin, Wang Nan, Kong Linghui, Zhang Yining and Deng Yaping are but a few of the past Chinese Olympic gold medal winners. With 17 Table Tennis gold medals overall, South Korea places a strong second led by Yoo Nam-Kyu and Hyun Jung-Hwa. These exceptional players will no doubt dominate the upcoming London 2012 Olympics.
Top Features of the Samsung Galaxy Tab
The Samsung Galaxy Tab (GT-P1000) is their soon to be released, 7 inch tablet computer, tentatively scheduled for a mid-November 2010 United States release. The device has been available since September 2, 2010 in Germany. Look for AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile versions of the Tab in the near future. Pricing is expected to be $399.00 with a contract.
Features include Google’s Android 2.2 Froyo operating system upgradeable to 3.0, a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 “Hummingbird” processor with 512 MB RAM, Swype touchscreen input, 7 inch LCD TFT customizable touchscreen display with WSVGA 1024 x 600 pixel resolution, Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11n Wi-Fi, 32 GB internal storage via a microSD card, 3.2 megapixel DVD quality auto focus rear oriented camera/camcorder and a 1.3 megapixel front oriented camera for video calls over Wi-Fi. Samsung has announced the Tab will support Adobe Flash 10.1. HD video content is supported via DivX, XviD, MPEG4, H.263 and H.264. This “always on” tablet weighs just under one pound (.84 lb.) due in part to its plastic body construction.
Get the most out of your web experience with Samsung’s full HTML web browser. The Samsung Galaxy Tab features 3G connectivity via HSPA/HSUPA networks and includes GPS. Battery life is estimated between 7 and 10 hours depending on the type of application. Calendar, corporate email using Exchange Active Sync and instant messaging applications are included as is voice activated search, Google Goggles and Google Maps™. Google Goggles searches the web using photographs of buildings or artwork taken with your Galaxy Tab camera. Whether surfing the web, texting or watching a video, the compact 7 inch Samsung Galaxy Tab is easy to hold with one hand. Choose from over 80,000 applications at Media Hub, Samsung’s online content store. Included applications feature V CAST Video on Demand, V CAST Song ID, V CAST Music with Rhapsody and the VZ Navigator. Games include “Let’s Golf and “N.O.V.A.” A smooth gaming experience is produced with Samsung’s six axis motion sensor and accelerometer. Sharing your purchased applications across five devices is permitted at no charge. Samsung Galaxy Tab accessories are numerous and include a hands free Bluetooth car kit, high quality ear buds, Bluetooth wireless or wired mono/stereo headphones, headsets and speakers and Wi-Fi networking adaptors.
The Parrot MKi9200 Bluetooth hands-free kit allows control of high quality phone calls and music from a wheel or dash mounted remote. It features a 2.4-inch TFT high-resolution color display. Additional features include a phonebook, voice recognition, caller ID, music playlists including artist and title and a SD card slot for memory expansion. Samsung Galaxy Tab cases are available in leather and Samsung Galaxy Tab screen protectors featuring Amzer® Silicon provide lightweight display protection. This screen protector forms a sure grip around your Galaxy Tab and offers protection from bumps, scratches and sliding accidents. It is made from one piece 100% premium grade silicon.
Weber Barbeque Grill Introduction
The Weber Barbeque Grill is the creation of George Stephen, a welder working for Weber Brothers Metal Works near Chicago and professed grilling fanatic. In 1951 while welding two buoy halves together at work, it dawned on George that the bottom half of the buoy would make a terrific grill and the top half, the lid. He added a handle and legs and the Weber Barbeque Grill was born.
Today, Weber manufactures top of the line gas, charcoal and electric barbeque grills in addition to smokers and fireplaces. Weber's Spirit® Series is an entry level barbeque that comes in three models. The Spirit® E-210™ is a two burner barbeque with a 458 square inch cooking area, a warming rack and porcelain enameled grates. The Spirit® E-310™ and E-320™ offer three burners, more grilling space and up to 36,000 BTU per hour input.
The Genesis® Series offers the seasoned cook an efficient, spacious cooking area with up to 637 square inches of cooking space. It is available in stunning green, black or copper. The top of the line Genesis® S-310™ is offered in stainless steel with 42,000 BTU per hour input and stainless steel cooking grates.
The Summit® Series from Weber is the pinnacle of precision, fuel efficient barbeque grills. The Summit® E-460™ built-in barbeque grill incorporates a stainless steel smoker box, lights and a rotisserie attachment with a powerful motor and a 48,800 BTU per hour input main burner.
A full line of grill accessories, cookbooks and apparel are available in addition to Weber's On the Grill™ iPhone application featuring 250 of the best marinade, rub and sauce recipes. It features a grocery list creator, timer, video tutorials and hundreds of grilling tips.
More examples available by request.
Ira Hirschel
(310) 498-5535
clickmomentum@yahoo.com