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Over the past 20 years the pace and scale of urbanization in Asia has been unprecedented,” says Jonathan D. Solomon, the curator of Practical Utopias: Global Urbanism in Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo, an exhibition at AIA New York’s Center for Architecture. “Asia today is a vast experiment in what makes a city,” says Solomon, associate dean at the Syracuse University School of Architecture, who lived in Hong Kong for six years before recently returning to the U.S.

An Iranian court sentenced a Korean to seven years in prison for taking photos of security facilities. The Iranian government notified the Korean Foreign Ministry two months after the arrest. Democratic Party lawmaker Park Byeong-seog on Monday said the 44-year-old man identified as Kim was arrested in October last year and sentenced to seven years in jail in September this year. He was found guilty of spying on security facilities by taking photos of police stations, foreign embassies, military facilities, and border signs with the alleged purpose of delivering them to a foreign government. The court did not specify which...

Truth is, Norway has never won the 'Miss World' crown- while fellow Nordics in Sweden can boast of three winners, as can Iceland. Along with Denmark, Norway has not fared too well at Miss World... so could perhaps Miss Backstrom change that a bit? More at Reaganite Republican...

More shooting and showing the cool little XDs in 9mm, as well as a reminder about the recall. I'm anxious to get this pistol back from Springfield, as it is definitely a fine shooter.http://www.springfield-armory.comhttp://www.springfieldrecall.com

Photo taken on September 23rd, 2013 shows a villa with a more than 200-square-meter underground palace, where large-scale demolition will be carried out, in Xiwang Community in Nanjing, the capital of east China's Jiangsu province. The villa owner, who is reportedly the deputy head of a local police station, is suspected of hiring workers to dig the underground palace beneath his villa in order to cheat for relocation compensation.

North Korean Central TV on Monday aired more performances by the newly-created Moranbong troupe attended by leader Kim Jong-un. The show featured various groups of female singers and instrumentalists in their early to mid-20s dressed in mini-skirts, high-heeled shoes or off-the-shoulder tops. The troupe enjoyed a brief moment in the international spotlight by dressing up as Disney characters in one performance, another first for the staunchly anti-imperialist nation.

QINGDAO, China – China's Wanda Group has unwrapped an $8.2 billion film investment plan to transform the country's movie industry into the world's biggest within five years, and group chairman Wang Jianlin said the company, which bought the AMC theater chain last year, is just starting to expand globally. Hollywood A-listers turned out in force in searing sunshine in Qingdao, northeastern China, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Nicole Kidman and Harvey Weinstein there to show moral support for the Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis complex, which is slated to open in 2017 in the eastern Chinese port city. The facility will include a...

Agneta Myhrman Lilliesköld is an up-and-coming Swedish beauty recently crowned 'Miss World Sweden'- she's now set to represent Sweden at Miss World 2013 in Jakarta, Indonesia...   More at Reaganite Republican...  

Image SourceWorld War II had a huge impact on the daily lives of the people of Britain, but soldiers and grieving widows werenÂ’t the only ones whose lives were irrevocably altered by the war. Young schoolchildren in cities across Britain found themselves evacuated to the relative safety of the countryside, separated from their families and identified by nothing more than a brown paper tag. They learned how to operate gas masks and were schooled huddled together in underground air raid shelters. Understandably, education sometimes took a backseat to simple survival. Read on for a closer look at school life...

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Japan is to lodge a formal complaint with French weekly Le Canard Enchaîné after it published a cartoon showing sumo wrestlers with extra arms in reference to Tokyo hosting the 2020 Olympic Games, despite the ongoing Fukushima nuclear crisis. Japan reacted angrily Thursday to cartoons published in a French newspaper that mocked the decision to award the 2020 Olympic Games to Tokyo despite the ongoing Fukushima nuclear crisis. Published by the satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaîné in its Wednesday, September 11 edition, one of the cartoons depicts two emaciated sumo wrestlers sporting extra limbs with the stricken Fukushima nuclear power...

Journalists say CCTV-owned outlets censor reports across the continent When one of South Africa's biggest newspaper chains was sold last month, an odd name was buried in the list of new owners: China International Television Corp. A major stake in a South African newspaper group might seem an unusual acquisition for Chinese state television, but it was no mystery to anyone who has watched the rapid expansion of China's media empire across Africa. From newspapers and magazines to satellite television and radio stations, China is investing heavily in African media. It's part of a long-term campaign to bolster Beijing's "soft...

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Twenty years ago tonight, I sat down on the couch in my little apartment in Ogden, KS, and flipped on the TV to watch the debut of a new show. The promotion blitz for the show had been dark and mysterious, and apart from some vague references to UFOs and the FBI, gave little idea as to what the show was actually going to be about. It had piqued my interest, as it was no doubt intended to do, and I figured with much of my life still ahead of me, I could spare an hour to check it...

AFP - South Korea's film community reacted angrily Monday to a major cinema chain's decision to stop screening a documentary that questions whether North Korea was really behind the 2010 sinking of the warship Cheonan. Megabox withdrew the movie "Project Cheonan" from 27 of its theatres on Saturday, citing customer safety concerns after unidentified conservative activists threatened to stage protest rallies outside the multiplexes. The Megabox move "does serious violence to our cultural vitality which prospers on the basis of diversity and the freedom of expression," the representatives of 11 film industry groups, including directors, producers, critics and others said...

A rare picture of a double rainbow, photographed by my wife looking East from Hwy 243 just South of Banning, California. This is the area of the recent Silver Fire that consumed over 20,000 acres and destroyed more than 40 structures.

Our usual contenders for Jerk of the Week honors here at RightWingPatriot.com are those who stand upon the national stage, seeking to destroy our culture and way of life. There are time when we are reminded that we have to keep our eyes focused not only upon national discourse, but also closer to home. Our winner this week is an art teacher at the McCracken County High School in Kentucky who chose to desecrate the American flag, Old Glory. Shand Stamper, an art teacher at the high school, set up the display that recreated a controversial exhibit at the Chicago...

Faces -sometimes known as The Faces- were an English rock band formed in by residual members of the legendary Small Faces when Steve Marriott left that group to form Humble Pie with Peter Frampton et. al. in 1969..  The name derived from English 'mod' slang of the era, where 'happening' or socially-known people within the mod scene were known as 'faces'- along with the fact that all five band members were somewhat vertically-challenged. After the highly-successful Small Faces broke-up, the remaining band members - Ronnie Lane (bass guitar), Ian McLagan (keyboards) and Kenney Jones (drums) - were joined by two (taller) blokes,...

The 20-year-old Östergötland, Sweden (literally God's Country- and she looks it!) native is currently travelling and doing some modeling, as well as competing in this year's 'Miss Universe Sweden' pageant, the winner of which goes on to Moscow for the Miss Universe 2013 contest in December... Likes to party! More at Reaganite Republican... (SFW) ________________________________________________________ facebook

In the image - which the main French news agency AFP attempted to withdraw from circulation - the French president looks gormless as he grins in front of a blackboard on which is written: "Today, it's back to school". The photograph was taken on Tuesday during Mr Hollande's visit to a school in Denain, northern France, to coincide with the start of term for hundreds of thousands of French pupils. It appears he was pulling a funny face to make the pupils laugh. The original image came with the caption: "During a visit to the school Denain Michelet, September 3,...

<p>LONDON (AP) — Call them relics of the 1960s or hippy home accessories, lava lamps have been casting their dim but groovy light on interiors for a half-century, having hit British shelves 50 years ago on Tuesday.</p> <p>A British company began marketing their original creation as an “exotic conversation piece” in 1963. Since then, millions of models of the much-copied invention have been sold worldwide.</p>

Why are Thrillers named such? That’s largely up to the talent of the writer. They have to grab us and not let go for hundreds of pages. The best of them draw many details from the real world. Even in all the action and far-from-our-own-life-as-possible events happening to the characters, it’s those truths that hook you even further. They draw you in, get you thinking or upset you. Tom Clancy is known for coming up with details in his techno-thrillers that seem almost too real. Sometimes prophetically so. They have even caught the attention of the military, wondering how he...

Many wealthy Chinese today drape themselves in European luxury-brand jewelry made of gold, platinum, diamonds and other glittering gemstones. By contrast, ancient Chinese of means and taste often preferred creamy white hard jade that did not advertise wealth but symbolized beauty, purity, nobility, perfection, constancy, durability, power and immortality. Jade was the ultimate understated symbol of luxury. It is said by Chinese that "gold has value but jade is invaluable." The medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics were set in white jade mined in the Kunlun Mountains of Qinghai Province. Hard jade (jadeite) is difficult to carve and chisel and...

Silk figurine is an art form of soft sculpture that originated in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Making one of the figurines requires the use of iron wire, cotton, gauze as well as satin and natural silk. The dolls are typically fashioned after characters from popular Chinese folk stories and legends. The art form was added to the list of crafts under Beijing's Municipal Level Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009. Craftsman Hua Shulin was chosen to be the inheritor for silk figurines in Beijing. A source of inspiration Born in 1950, Hua had been working as a technical director...

Today we saw another Met Live in HD opera presentation. It was Thomas Ades's The Tempest, based on the Shakespeare play of the same name. The music is very modernist and the libretto has been modernized, with but a few of The Bard's most famous lines surviving. ("Those are pearls that were his eyes.") One character observes that "fortune, 'tis said, favors the bold." Certainly, as tomorrow is Veterans Day, we honor the boldest among us, a boldness motivated by love. The Tempest is an odd story of revenge, forgiveness and release. Prospero, a magician of fading powers, was Duke...

Today we saw The Great Gatsby. It’s an excellent adaptation of the classic Fitzgerald novel. The Great Gatsby is about striving, dreaming, and trying to restore what was. Jay Gatsby is a man who has remade himself from a penniless war veteran into a millionaire, all in pursuit of his lost love, Daisy, who is now married to Tom Buchanan. Tom is old money. The green light at the Buchanans’ residence across the harbor represents the dream that is just out of reach for Gatsby. At one point, he’s talking to his friend Nick, the narrator (and most likely Fitzgerald’s...

A girl poses for a photo at a 3D painting exhibition in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Aug. 29, 2013. Some 40 pieces of 3D work were displayed in the exhibition which will last till Oct. 22. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)

ST. PETERSBURG — Police seized a painting of Russia's president and prime minister in women's underwear from a gallery in St. Petersburg, prompting the artist to flee the country. The artist, Konstanin Altunin, headed to France to request asylum,Tatyana Titova, the director of the museum that hosted the paintings, told The Associated Press. Police said they had taken the paintings from the “Museum of Power” gallery late Monday after receiving reports they were illegal. The officers also removed a picture of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, his torso covered in tattoos, and two others poking fun at lawmakers...

why More at Reaganite Republican...

More at Reaganite Republican...

Somehow she managed to avoid Senator Menedez... should win an award just for that Something tells me you might be seeing this one advance to the finals  at Miss Universe 2013 in Moscow this December...  cute as a button! Born Yaritza Miguelina Reyes in 1994, she beat-out 28 other Dominican girls for the right to represent the country at Miss Universe. Bio says she's already a model, singer, actress, English teacher, and nurse- and is majoring in communications at the University of Santo Domingo to boot... More at Reaganite Republican... ___________________________________________

Staff members of a vacation resort show how to fight on the water with wires in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, Aug. 19, 2013. A project providing customers with the chance to experience the feeling of flying, which people can only see in swordsman plays, was opened to the public here in recent days. (Xinhua/Hao Yaxin)

JOHOR BARU: Despite the Chinese belief that it is a bad time to travel during the Hungry Ghost month, many young travellers from China still flock here, keeping the state government’s target to increase tourists from there on track. “The target to increase the num­ber of Chinese tourists in the state this year is very much on track, as tou­rists are still thronging destina­­- tions around the state,” said Johor Domestic Trade, Tourism and Con­sumer Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong. He said the state government had been focusing to tap China’s gro­wing tourist market as Johor received about...

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More pictures here, unfortunately without me-  I do hope the poor thing's coping, somehow... See the attitude I had to deal with? More at Reaganite Republican...

Snow hits Xinjiang in Aug. as heatwave scorches many parts of China

The Diders are one of the most exciting punk rock trios you will ever see. Bursting with attitude and ferocious energy, we could barely keep them on the stage during their explosive performance. Two boys with a girl drummer, these snotty young punks are everything that punk music is supposed to be - nothing more and nothing less.

This week we'll be looking at "Kung Fu Hero", a Chinese action film starring Tiger Chen and French actor Arman Darbo. Then Rob will sit down with Arman for a jolly chat about his role in the movie.

“I used to think wearing even just lip balm was too feminine,” said Choi Jung-hwan, 24, as he pulled a tube of gloss from his bag and smeared it across his lips. He replaced the cap, smacked his lips together and smiled. “Primping has become a necessity for men,” he continued. “It’s a testament to how much a man would do to win over a girl.” Grooming is no longer just for women. Members of K-pop boy bands Infinite and BEAST are rarely seen on stage without a little eye shadow and liner. In a survey of 2,880 Clio makeup...

Chinese armoured vehicles attend a live ammunition exercise during the China-Russia joint drill in Chelyabinsk in Russia's Ural Mountainous region, Aug. 12, 2013. (Xinhua/Tang Changjun)

Although its application in the technology sector has given 3-D printing a high profile, a number of Chinese entrepreneurs and investors have expressed a pessimistic view of its likely development in the near future. "Some people have said that 3-D printing will bring about a manufacturing revolution, but that's an exaggeration," said Ru Fangjun, founder of HangZhou Xundian Technology Co, which deals in 3-D printing devices in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. Ru has been keeping an eye on the prospects for 3-D printing for two years. In 2011, he opened a 3-D photo studio in Hangzhou, producing models for clients at...

Good Evening, We just picked up a Fender Blue Deluxe guitar amp. I've been reading limited but mixed reviews. For your musician friends our there, what say you? You feedback and experience is appreciated. Thanks, TJI

A growing number of Chinese couples are choosing to go to South Korea for their wedding photo shoot. The bride sits patiently as her makeup is applied and her tiara fixed in place. After choosing the South Korean company to shoot their pre-wedding photo online, Yang Candi and her fiance have travelled to Seoul from their home in China. "In China, the photo shoots are more likely to be in traditional Chinese style or European style. Compared to those, South Korean photo studios are very simple and express their own stories. So it was unique." These photo shoots are big...

Neighbors of rocky villa claim the construction was illegal and could cause a building collapse. Until then, mountain views are an elevator ride away for Professor Zhang Lin. Top this one, Trump. A Chinese professor built a mountaintop getaway on top of a towering apartment building in Beijing. Professor Zhang Lin’s rock-covered villa had the height right — it sits 26 floors up — but the home is dispensed with the rest of the mountain, Yahoo! News reported. Neighbors say their building is crumbling beneath a man-made mountain in Beijing. The tower residents left to hold up their ambitious neighbor’s...

Doug E. Fresh, Matisyahu and more hip-hop stars are hoping their vocals can get kids moving. The artists join Michelle Obama’s Partnership for a Healthier America and Hip Hop Public Health to create an album focused on getting kids to stay active and be healthy. MTV RapFix reports the ‘Songs for a Healthier America’ LP features voices from other rap stars like Run-DMC and singers like Jordin Sparks, Ashanti and Ariana Grande. Even health experts like TV doc Doctor Oz join in on the rapping fun. “So many kids listen to Hip Hop so why not give these messages to...

More at Reaganite Republican...

More at Reaganite Republican...

Hello friends, conservatives and fellow patriots! I cordially invite you to learn about our latest venture entitled, “Washington’s Axe”, a feature-length motion picture slated for nationwide release in the fall of 2014. America is badly broken, spiritually sick, beyond bankrupt and in serious need of reform. Many citizens are near the breaking point. Those of us desperate to “do something” find most political options futile. How do we positively influence our culture? Our answer is to reawaken our nation’s spirit through the power of entertainment. To reintroduce the magic of personal freedom, the romance of liberty and the noble principles...

Here are some really good photos of the crashed Boeing 777 known as Asiana Flight 214.These include pics of the interior, exterior, landing gear, engines, and removal and loading process.