Magic Johnson: More Than a Basketball Player

Many of you may have heard about “Magic Johnson", although you are not a big fan of basketball because he’s not only known for his athletic fame but also for his story of life.

Magic Johnson’s former name is Earvin Johnson Jr. He’s considered to be the greatest African American basketball player of 1980s. He earned his nickname “Magic” for his creative and entertaining ball handling.

Johnson was also honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, and was in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. He was rated the greatest NBA point guard of all time by ESPN in 2007.

Fifteen years ago today, Earvin "Magic" Johnson held a press conference announcing that he had contracted HIV/AIDS. This news shocked the world. Johnson admitted that his lifestyle as a sports celebrity included many sexual encounters.

"Sometimes we think only gay people can get it [HIV], or that it's not going to happen to me. Here I am. And I'm saying it can happen to anybody, even Magic Johnson." Johnson told People Magazine (source: www.notablebiographies.com)

Even though Johnson took a step down from the basketball, everything in his life, He became something better. He became a man. Since his retirement, Johnson has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex, as well as a philanthropist

Ever since that day 15 years ago, Johnson has been smiling and appreciating each and every moment. And he has been sharing his happiness of remaining life since he has done numerous things to enrich many people's lives.

He is a great example of a person who is fighting with the vital sickness with courage and hope. Although he will never get over HIV, but he will be remembered as a man who fights against it bravely.

Life is beautiful

Chicaholic

Nobody's Perfect

Imagine that if you were born without two legs and two arms .What can you do? How do you live like normal people?

Hirotada Ototake, born April,6 1976 Japanese man who was born without arms and legs but he has a big smile on his face.

Mr.Hirotada Ototake never thinks that he is the weak of the society but he is very proud of himself. He always gives a comfort to many people, especially the disabled.

"In Japan, everyone just assumes that the disabled are people you feel sorry for," says Ototake, "but I'm not pitiful. I enjoy my life, and I want to tell people that."

Ototake, who have just head and body, was born in lovely family which loves and takes care of him like normal children. His parent sent him to study in common school to let him learn the lifestyle of normal children. It’s very surprise that a person who has no legs and arms like him can play basketball and baseball with friends in happiness.

After graduated, Ototake became a successful sports journalist and, as of 2007, a primary teacher in Suginami Ward, Tokyo.

Ototake's biography, which translated into English with the title of "Nobody's Perfect” was released in mid-1998 and has been a phenomenal success and his book has selling over 4.5 million copies to date and it was the best seller in Japan. It's a frank account of Otatake's childhood, schooldays and college life and has succeeded mainly because of its author's unfailing optimism.

The story of Ototake should be an inspiration for everyone who ever have a disappointment or grieve. It reminds us to stand up again and walk to the real world in stronger heart. Many beautiful things are waiting for you.

"Life is beautiful in its own way."

Chicaholic

True Compass of One's Life

Buddhist principles have been widely adopted by many people, especially the Buddhist, as a beacon while their lives are in storm of crisis or when they find no way out of besetting trouble.

Today, I have one person who is a great example of this case. This woman was through all the gigantic storm of her life by performing meditation, one of the most famous Buddhist practices.

Thitinart Na Pattalung, a writer of best-seller book “Kem-Tid-Chee-Wit” or the Compass of Life I and II, is one of my idols. She is not only a writer of a book, but also the one who encourage and guide millions of her readers to the light in their lives.

Thitinart graduated bachelor degree when she was 18 and graduated MBA from University of London. When she was 25, she established her own jewelry business, Working Diamond, and two years later she’d faced the crisis. Her husband passed away and left over 100 millions baht debt. She’s become a single mom and had to pay those debts by herself.

During the rough time, she had a chance to practice Buddhist meditation and she soon realized that misery was in one’s mind and if we did not take it to heart, it would not bother us at all and we would finally find a way out.

And that was a breakpoint in her life. She followed the Buddhist principles in her living and doing business. Within three years, she could clear off all 100-million debts. But nobody expected that she would sell all of her business, and early retired herself.

Thitinart reasoned that she did not want to cling to anything worldly and she believed in “sufficiency in life”. She’s saved some money that she believes it is enough to support her son and herself. After quitting business, she’s become a dharma lecturer in the government and private organizations and also in the dharma retreats.

She is now happy with her peaceful way of life, and her honorable job.

“Living with sufficiency is very important for our inside growth. A friend of mine told me a story. She’s got a gift from her husband which was a thumb-size diamond with inestimable price, but eventually it became her burden. Whenever she left home she must be worried about it……. she lost time in her life with that diamond. Finally she realized that a treasure was an unreal happiness, but a true burden and misery in life.”

Her first and second books,

I believe many people are struggling to find the way out from trouble in our lives, and I also believe that we will be able to simply figure it out. Just being wise and being in our right mind.

Wish you all can find a true compass of life.

Chicaholic

Behind The Best Selling Gossip Story

Walking by the bookstore, turning on the television or reading incoming messages from a cell phone, people are spending more and more time on reading about other people’s private lives. It started with the influence from the western countries such as paparazzi, gossip, and reality show. Curiosity became a significant issue for everyone including normal people. It began with the reality show fever recorded without a script which is similar to a documentary program.

The reality show can be divided into two types. Firstly, the program that allows a group of people to stay together in the same roof and show their reactions, relationships, their lifestyles, or behaviors live time all day long such as Big Brother, Academy Fantasia and Survivor. Secondly, the program that follows a person or family (the owner of the program normally choose popular people at the time of production) all day to observe their lifestyle such as Nick and Jessica Simpson in newlywed.

Sometimes, the producer show inappropriate pictures to the audience. Moreover, the gossip TV programs and magazines were usually created to satisfy audience interest and draw attention from the audience. In addition, the gossip businesses have been encouraging people to follow and take a photo of superstar by rewarding them immensely for an exclusive picture of superstars. Furthermore, this reward encourages people to peek at other people, such as under overcrossing or hidden camera in the restroom. Curiosity of people promotes habit of gossip photographers. Taking a picture while superstar is bending forward or getting off the car in short skirt are threatening signs of paparazzi.

“If they want to be a superstar then they have to accept it” Those superstars cannot charge any photographer because it is the way of entertainment industry. Photographer publishes pictures for business and superstar gain attention from people. Unfortunately, pictures can give both reputation and defamation.

On the other hand, “ I know it is their job as a paparazzi to take the most exclusive picture, but sometime they should have more ethics in their work,” The reason that they do not say anything is because they have to accept it. Sometimes, they are very hurt by the picture, but they cannot do anything about it. Photographer can only apologize to the victim and then the result is the same. They still have the same habit and always try to take exclusive picture over and over again.


With plain curiosity photographers might not know that it is against the law of human right. According to the human right laws, the photographer could be accused of Public Disclosure of Private Facts; publishing information without permission from the owner, Intrusion of Privacy; disconcerting people’s privacy or damage people’s reputation, False Light; using picture with a wrong tendency. Moreover, if a photographer publishes the image on the internet, that he could be accused of section16 “ Any person inputs into a computer system, that is available to public, photographs of another person and such photographs are developed, edited, added or altered by electronic or any other means in a manner that is likely to impair the reputation of that other person, to expose that other person to hatred, contempt or humiliation, shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to a fine not exceeding sixty thousand baht or to both respecting from Computer-Related Crime Act.2008. In addition, the civil law of human right Article 420 said that photographers can be fine of acting without any right or permission.

This issue is getting bigger and bigger. There has been a case of paying over one hundred thousand baht to record a video clip of a superstar. For example, the Four-Mod video clip that was taken when they were in a shower has been published in many websites and even on DVDs for sale. The only thing Four- Mod can do is to fine the wrongdoers and telling people to stop forwarding it, and hoping that one day everyone will forget about it. Furthermore, it is not only a big issue among superstar, but also among normal people. The picture and video can be taken by the hidden camera or spy camera hidden in the dressing rooms, restrooms, or motels. Those pictures and video can be published on the internet easily because nowadays there were a lot of websites that support and allow people to upload and watch this kind of Video clip online.

This issue cannot be ended because of the loose policies, officers and webmasters. Nowadays, police cannot take control over the pornography website and pornography DVD business; therefore there are still tons of places where photographers can sell and gain benefit from these pictures. In addition, some webmasters do not strict on their works because they do not take care of the uploaded video clips.

Lily Allen steps from MySpace to be the superstar!

Lily Allen, a British singer and a songwriter who is well-known in British music and worldwide. In the first album, she became well known from the songs “Smile”, “LDN”, “Littlest Things” and “The Fear”. Two years ago, her single “Smile” reached the No.1 in the UK Singles Chart. And a few months later, her debut album “Alright, Still” was voted the third best album of the year! And it has sold over 2600000 copies in worldwide.

Allen is a talented girl, known as a singer who uses Internet to market her music. She let people accessing her MySpace page and enjoys her songs. Just only a night, her MySpace page was entered by 40,000 internet users and they all became her big fans. Her pages become the most popular viewed in a week! Mostly, Allen’s fan came from the people who followed her writing which has a unique and attractive style.

Anyway, for now she’s not a no-name singer who sings strange pop music anymore. Allen becomes the most influential pop singer who started from a little page in MySpace to the front page of the Tabloid! It makes people realize how powerful internet is and use this way to convey whatever they want through MySpace. Allen’s as an example for the turning of new face singer which uploads the songs on internet. At least, her success can inspire others who love music and one day they might get the same chance as her.

Allen brought the opportunity into her life and she did it by herself. Nothing will come to you easily if you do not try and looking for chances. As Allen, she has ever been through a rough path so many times, including drugs problems. But finally, she could pass that hard time with the new way of thinking. Allen is a girl who is considered to be very independent person. She is unpredictable and unexpected. She might dumps boyfriends for songwriting inspiration or wearing a sweet dress with canvas shoes. Many teenagers think of her as their idol. Her songs break the old style of pop music because her style could be unidentified. Allen’s song give the alternative options for new face singer that it’s no need to following the rules all the time.

 

*No one knows. You might be a superstar in one day. Just step forward and say it out loud via internet !!!!! Do not fear if you’re not beautiful like others. This little girl showed us the value of being human which has a right to do whatever we want. Come on and show yourself. Try to pulling your ability and personality out. It might be work out!!

http://www.myspace.com/lilymusic *Lily’s MySpace

http://www.lilyallenmusic.com/lily/  * Lily’s website

The dormitory boys: What is made them to be famous around the world?

Have you ever watched a duo Chinese boys lips sync video on the internet? They received a mainstream media attentions more than a million viewers on each video through the United State of America.

The two Chinese boys name; Wei Wei and Huang Yixin, both are native speaking Chinese who had started to lips sync to songs by many pop-stars when they were a student at the Guangzhou Arts Institute . Three years ago when they were at college, they captured the first video just for having fun to show their friends. Then, they tried to generate something that was parallel for the whole songs. They had trialed and error for many time by a low quality of Web Cam in their dome. After the final one, they uploaded the complete one on the local network at their college. Many students like it so much and spread it out to other students. Their lip sync video can be seen on Youtube.com and more than 5 million internet users in both China in other countries around the world have viewed it.

They have showed their fantastic talents and amazing appearances to the world. Specially, they were successful to lip sync the song "Don't Lie" by the Black Eyed Peas and this song hit the most popular in the website YouTube. Since that time, they were lightening to be famous in the site according to their funny personality and incredible abilities. They are very interesting and funny. Every song they lips sync, they created the good compositions, visual effects, and lighting in their videos to make it more completed.

The back dome boys built their own Studio Video and Multimedia Arts in Beijing after they graduation. They are successful now. They signed a 5-year contact with Taihe Rye, a talent management company in Beijing, to continue making lip sync videos.

The most popular lips sync video of the back dome boys has risen to 10 millions views because of their creative and humor, also the media that give them an opportunity to become well-known or even earning money from their own homemade lips sync video.

You can read more information about The Back Dorm Boys at http://twochineseboys.blogspot.com/

Here is one of the most lips sync video that can remind everyone about "The Back Dorm Boys"

Susan Boyle: a Beautiful Butterfly Coming Out of a Cocoon

I believe many of you have watched this video of Susan Boyle, a contestant from the famous TV show, Britain's Got Talent 2009.

Susan Boyle, 47 years old Scottist woman, stunned the audience and the three judges with her dramatic melodious voice when she sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical, Les Miserables which made her got all the three YES from Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Piers Morgan who said it's the biggest YES in the three seasons he ever gave to anyone.

She then becomes a phenomenon worldwide overnight, as the video when she was on stage was published on YouTube and got over 40 millions views by a week. She was interviewed by many world-top media - CNN, BBC, the Guardian, and about to make her appearance on the Ophra Winfrey show-.

But what make her become the press darling was not actually her impressive voice, but it was a seven-minute story happening when she was on stage.

At first, everyone in the hall judged her because of her unattractive appearance, and because she is an unemployed and unmarried old woman.

The audience laughed at her and the judges raised eyebrows as she told them she wanted to be a singer as successful as Elaine Paige.

But when she started to sing the crowd stood up and gave her a long applaud and the judges were stunned.

“ Modern society is too quick to judge people on their appearances. … There is not much you can do about it; it is the way they think; it is the way they are. But maybe this could teach them a lesson, or set an example. ”
—Susan Boyle, The Washington Post

This story teaches remarkable lesson. Of course she's an underdog but I prefer calling her a cocoon who finally hatched out to be a beautiful butterfly. She made through all the cynicism and proved her ability in front of the world.

As Susan said people nowadays quickly judge each other. Don't you think this is one of the causes that heat and conflict existing in our world? When you judge someone who you don't know about, it's not fair to him/her and even not healthy for you. If you meet someone at workplace and you "think" she must not be a pleasant person just because she's fat and frumpy. You may miss one chance in your life to know your true friend.

Then why aren't we being open-minded and rather smile than put ourselves on airs. Our world will be a better place all at once.

,Chicaholic 008


CLICK TO WATCH SUSAN BOYLE ON BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT

Here is a link from YouTube (over 40 millions viewers)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

or click play on a video with Chinese subtitle below.