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ORIGIN OF THE CELEBRATION Section: Festival The start of the New Year has been celebrated in China for more than 3,000 years. New Year was a time when the farmers gave thanks for the harvest and prayed to the gods for a good harvest in the coming year. This was the one period in the busy farming year when there was time to have a celebration and when the family could get together, relax, and be merry. Chinese New Year begins with a New Moon. The Lunar Year is calculated from the time it takes for the Moon to travel around the Earth, while the Western (Gregorian) calendar is based on the time it takes for the Earth to circle the Sun. The orbits of the Moon bear no relation to the time it takes for the Earth to go around the Sun, which is why the Chinese Lunar New Year is celebrated on a different date each year. In China the New Year was renamed the Spring Festival, in 1911, when the Western calendar was officially accepted in China. However, it is still commonly known around the world as the Chinese New Year. Chinese years are named after one of twelve animals. These have been used in the same order to name the years since the sixth century A.D. Each animal is said to have its own personality and emotions, which are present in people born within its year. ~~~~~~~~By Sarah Moyse This article is copyrighted. All rights reserved.Source: Chinese New Year (0-7613-0374-X)

RELIGIONS AND RITUALS Section: Festival Although the New Year celebration is not mainly a religious one, many Chinese will visit a temple at this time of the year to make an offering to the Buddha or to the gods in the hope of making the New Year a good one. Ancestors and gods are honored with ceremonies in the home around a family altar decorated with flowers. Incense and candles are burned at the altar. At important family banquets the ancestors may be recognized as "spiritual guests" and first offered food that is afterward eaten with the meal. The Chinese have three main systems of ideas that are important to them: Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Although these systems are very different, many Chinese follow some or all of the rituals associated with them just to be safe. Confucius lived in the fifth century B.C. and spoke about the value of good behavior in private life and in government. He said that politeness, honesty, courage, and loyalty were what made good people. He believed in self-development through education and thought that people gain in wisdom as they grow older. It is part of the Confucian tradition to honor parents and ancestors.

Daoism comes from the teachings of Laozi, who lived at the same time as Confucius. His book, the Dao De Jing (The Way and Its Power), describes the way (dao means "way") to live at peace with nature so as not to upset natural balances. The Way involves balance between opposite forces. They are called yin and yang. While yin is dark and female, yang is the opposite, being light and male. When yin and yang are balanced, there is perfect harmony with nature. Unlike Confucianism and Daoism, which started in China, Buddhism came from India and is based on the teachings of the Buddha -- a holy man. Buddha taught that people need to let go of earthly desires and become fully aware of what they are doing in the present. Buddhists believe that after death each soul moves on to another body, which may be animal or human. What one is chosen for in the next life depends on how good or bad the person has been in this life. The Chinese also pray to other gods, holding the view that the more gods who can look after them the better. The important ones are the Kitchen God, who watches the family in the home, the Jade Emperor, who is the most important god in heaven, the God of Wealth, who determines how wealthy people are, and the Door Gods. ~~~~~~~~By Sarah Moyse This article is copyrighted. All rights reserved.Source: Chinese New Year (0-7613-0374-X)

Most dogs want to please their owners

Well-trained dogs are happier and healthier - and so are their owners. Here are some guidelines to enacting an obedience training program for your dog.

Eventually, successful training will be achieved with patience and consistency.

Bats are often thought of as flying mice,but they are more closely related to primates, including humans, than they are to mice.

the bat's body is covered by hair, with the exception of its wings.

Vampire bats don't suck blood. They make a small incision and lap up the blood of their hosts.

A deadly toxin, arsenic is known for its ability to end life.

Since the 1990s, scientists have discovered about 20 species of bizarre bacteria that "breathe" arsenic.

They are typically found in environments where oxygen is scarce and have been forced to survive on whatever strange substance is easily available.

While bats have called Austin home for many years, it was after renovations to the Congress Avenue bridge over Town Lake in 1980 that they found their favorite hang out.

1. Tokyo-Yokohama, Japan - 33,200,000 2. New York, United States - 17,800,000

All population figures for the world's largest urban areas are simply estimates. There's no way to know the exact population of such a large place.

1. Tokyo, Japan - 34,100,000 2. Mexico City, Mexico - 22,650,000

fine piece of engineering and craftsmanship.

smooth rides.

makes a statement about its owner,

Mercedes-Benz Formula Zero luxury racer concept

Million Euro Mini Limo is World’s Most Pimped Ride

The Iconic GTR Roadster, great performance and unique style.

Cats love to chase (and sometimes kill) mice. That's a given, and something that most people do not find too alarming. In fact, people in many countries still utilize "barn cats" to dispatch unwanted rodents - a win-win situation for all parties (except the rodents). The cats have plenty of food available, and the farmer is assured of grain bins undisturbed by hungry mice.

The round-Snouted head and neck are usually darker than he body (glossy black in winter, dark brown in summer). The eye is of average size with a blackish brown iris.

The back, sides and tail may be buff-grey to greyish brown, buff-brown, brown or reddish dark brown

shelters in rat burrows

Hong Kong has one of the highest population densities in the world—more than 6,350 persons per km2 (more than 16,400 per mi2). Roughly 98% of the population of 6,940,432 (2006 est.) are Chinese; the majority of them have their family origins in Guangdong province. There are also significant numbers of Europeans and Americans, Filipinos (mostly domestic servants), and Indians and Pakistanis. About 60,000 Hong Kong residents emigrate each year, mainly to North America or Australia. This outflow is more than counterbalanced by legal and illegal immigration from China.

The leading religious affiliations among the Chinese are Buddhism, Daoism (Taoism), and traditional sects, followed by Christianity and Islam. English and Chinese are the languages of government. The Cantonese dialect is the usual medium of communication, although Mandarin has been promoted since the reversion to Chinese sovereignty.

Cogito ergo sum (I think therefore I am)

reasoning and problem solving

deductive, inductive or abductive

he brain is composed of: A.         The cerebrum, which is divided into two cerebral hemispheres. The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain and is divided into lobes where discrete functions occur. Higher reasoning takes place in the cerebrum. B.         The cerebellum, or little brain, located beneath the cerebrum. The cerebellum controls coordination and balance. C.         The brain stem, which is the lowest portion of the brain and connects to the spinal cord, controls involuntary functions essential for life, such as the beating of the heart and breathing. D.         The meninges, membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. There are three meninges.

Carbon dioxide contributes about twelve percent of the greenhouse effect, while water vapor contributes thirty six percent of the greenhouse effect. Methane causes five to ten percent of Global Warming, while Ozone makes around three to seven percent of the greenhouse effect possible.

sixty years