Prisons without Walls

Before we can break out of the prison, we must first realize that we are imprisoned. Knowledge and action may set us free…

When Nelson Mandela was in jail (from 1962 through 1990) , his heart and his mind were not confined by the prison walls, because sometimes human thoughts and ideas can be boundless, and he was definitely one of those people.

After Mandela got out of jail, he forgave those people who locked him up for a crime that he didn’t commit. He didn’t kill anyone but just advocated freedom and democracy.What's wrong with that? Yet he got 27 years of imprisonment! That equaled to the punishment for a homicide criminal! Yet he forgave them. Isn’t he a broad-minded inspirational politician ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela

Countries ruled by dictators, e.g. Libya, North Korea, are like big prisons with invisible walls. It is just that people there are not aware of their imprisonment because the government keeps telling them that they live in paradise. They need to wake up, set their eyes and minds free and look at the outside world.

As peace loving people, if we could win the hearts and minds of our enemies (most of whom are just misled by militant leaders), perhaps less force is needed and peace will prevail. Sometimes words could be more powerful than armies. If we could reveal the truth to people ruled by dictators, we might set them free and bring them democracy.

In this sense, President Mandela was not imprisoned, because his mind was not limited by the prison walls. The people who were imprisoned were the guards and their leaders. Back then, their minds were confined by their bias and their lack of imagination and vision.

Justin Bieber’s Concert

My 16-year old cousin went to Justin Bieber’s concert last month. When she got back, she complained:“Throughout the whole concert, JB only greeted me once…” Then she continued: “He waved to me and said “ how are you doing, those people in the back?”


BTW,I was amazed at the oriental cultural elements in this song!
The inspiring teen sensation Justin Bieber - "I Just Need Somebody to Love"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOI4OF7iIr4&feature=fvsr

How to Stop Procrastinating? -- Ten Useful Tips

The best way to commit suicide is to intoxicate oneself with blind love, and kill oneself gradually with the years of procrastination.

Procrastination is a bad habit. Just take myself as an example. If I have one week to write a term paper, I always spend the first four days procrastinating. Previously, I even designated "two months" for procrastination on my dissertation timeline and it seemed to work. :) But then after writing for a while, I started to procrastinate again. So I made up my mind: I have got to stop procrastinating ... tomorrow... :-D

OK, just kidding. In fact, I always try to break the habit of procrastination and it works for me. Below are ten effective tips of mine that I would like to share with you:

1. I try to reply new email messages right away instead of waiting for a few days when I have already forgotten them.

2. I usually have a monthly plan, a weekly plan, and a daily plan for what I need to accomplish. I think the most important one is the daily plan where I list manageable, realistic tasks for each day, e.g. to grade 10 student essays or write six pages of my paper. No matter what your ambition or dream is, be it flying to the moon or losing 50 pounds, ultimately it is the constant successful execution of your daily plan that takes you closer to your goals bit by bit. The key to successful execution of daily plans is being persistent, realistic, and flexible.

3. I do create break time, fun time, and rewards for my hard work.

4. I try not to stay up late coz that is the first thing for self control.

5. I try not to get addicted to anything, such as PC games, twitter, facebook, BBS, online chatting...and so forth. Hahaha...

6. Take actions,right now, right here. A simple action will lead to positive chain effects. Well begun, half done. The first step is crucial.

7. Break down a daunting task (e.g. writing a 30-page term paper or work report) into manageable chunks (e.g. writing an outline, an introductory paragraph or even a few key words) to start with.

8. Keep track of your progress on a daily and weekly basis. Persistence matters. If you skip one day's work, try to make it up the next day.

9. Find a partner who can keep an eye on your progress and provide moral support for each other. Let peer pressure work positively for you.

10. Do not expect too much too soon. Perfectionism can be the reason keeping you from starting your work because you are expecting a perfect product. It is OK to work through multiple drafts before your final product.

11. ...

The list goes on and on...

BTW, previously I had a rough draft of this essay with only 5 tips. Then today I thought about it and added 5 more tips to it and polished the language. I always work draft after draft like that and I enjoy the process of writing.:) If you would like to leave comments on my blog, you may log on to your own blogger account and visit my blog entries from there. Then stroll down to a box called " post a comment" and type your response in the box. Thank you!

笑话 “早蟹”

某WS男在床上 “一触即发”，女友很不满：“怎么你每次都那么短？“
怎么办？他很苦恼。找遍北美的书店，没一本书看的懂。英文的啊，他的词汇量不行，阅读速度更不行，又不愿意学英文。于是打电话哭诉给他爹。他爹给他寄来一本 良方。 打开一看--- 是毛爷爷著名的“论持久战”。不愧是当兵的革命家庭。好啊，中文的终于来了。鸡冻之下，他赶紧苦读毛爷爷大作。神马诗句“天生一个仙人洞” “无尽风光在险峰”，看的他连连点头。后来 邓爷爷的书也寄来了：“抓大放小，两手一起抓，两手都要硬”。 “问题是，底下不硬啊”他说。

Chris Rock's Stand-up Comedy on Love , Hilarious!

A Cover of the Song"An Encounter in the Rain"

It was raining today,so I stayed home and listened to music.
This is a cover of the song"An encounter in the rain".
I hope you will like it! :)

歌名：相逢在雨中


 紛飛小雨中　跟你再相逢
 在腦內又再現擁有過的夢
 此刻裝做出　我一切也從容
 其實眼眸裏早已有點紅

 共你在風中　願再度相擁
 過去與你情濃如美夢
 共你在風中　願再度相擁
 你卻冷冷說句好嗎　叫我心冰凍

 當天真心溫馨的相愛　痴心一縷
 你那會知我今天仍等候
 此際我心裡　灑滿你溫柔
 暗暗看你那兩眼多麼冰冷
 誰人能猜透　OH OOH
 今天跟你分手　他朝不再擁有