Latest Forum Topics

Is Tony Hawk a good role model after dumping 3rd wife?

TeenSkate — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 12:37:19 +0000

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk divorced his third wife, Lhotse Merriam, for his best friend and business partner Matt Goodman's wife, Cathy, the New York Post reported Tuesday citing sources.

Merriam found out about her action sports star husband's new relationship in December after she discovered a plane ticket for Cathy that Hawk had booked for her to join him in San Francisco -- despite his being lifelong friends with Matt Goodman.

China's abuse of Human Rights getting worse.

Linda — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 10:59:54 +0000

Human rights violations in the People's Republic of China (PRC) remain systematic and widespread. The Chinese government continues to suppress dissenting opinions and maintains political control over the legal system, resulting in an arbitrary and sometimes abusive judicial regime. The lack of accountability of the government and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) means that abuses by officials often go unchecked. This fact sheet identifies the most common types of abuses, including arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment of prisoners, severe restrictions on freedom of expression and association and violations specific to women.

On a street in downtown Shanghai, I went into a building of the 20 towers to admire the interior. Inside was a scene that would shock those who had been here five years ago. On the ground floor of the building had become a stock brokerage firm, and hundreds of Chinese citizens were furiously betting on the local bourse.
But this scene, similar to everyday life in the financial capital like New York or Tokyo, it's just a reflection of the freedoms enjoyed by individuals in China. In recent years, multinational companies have flocked to urban areas of China, the country entered the World Trade Organization, and Beijing has hired foreign specialists for packaging public relations image of the country before the Olympic Games 2008. But along with economic liberalization, human rights have deteriorated. religious revivals, labor protests and Internet chat rooms-in fact, anything the government perceives as a threat to the authority, all have unleashed a wave of often brutal repression.
On the surface, China appears to be a rapidly changing, especially foreigners who spend their time in this thriving cities like Shanghai. The home of less than one fifth of the population of China, these cities contain the majority of Starbucks in the country, mobile phone kiosks and stock exchanges. They seem full of young Chinese pushing social boundaries. "There's definitely a public image of eastern China, which could be very attractive, particularly to foreign companies, those who do not dig deeper," says Mike Jendryzcek of Human Rights Watch in Washington.
Thirteen years after the uprising in Tiananmen Square, the world's attention has shifted away from the abuses in China. Many former dissidents have returned, not to speak of his past, a 1989 of the leading protesters, Ya-Qin Zhang, who now heads the Microsoft research center in China. During the past decade, China's secret police have broken the network of dissidents who provided information to the West, and today the best source of information on human rights in China is a man, Frank Lu Siqing, who runs a watchdog of his small apartment in Hong Kong.
The current group of Chinese leaders, experts in human rights for example, is less tolerant than the previous generation led by Deng Xiaoping, and for a time, Zhao Ziyang, a reformer placed under house arrest after the slaughter of Tiananmen 1989. (Zhao continues to be imprisoned for fear it could emerge as a rallying point for reformers. ) As I Qinglian, a prominent Chinese journalist, this current generation of leaders, headed by President Jiang Zemin, reduce their political teeth m 1989, when they were surprised at how quickly joined the protest into a national movement against the government. As a result, Jiang and his followers have developed an almost irrational fear of groups seeking to create a national membership. Not surprisingly, Jiang has allowed the People's Liberation Army, China's ultimate weapon against the protests, to exert more influence in domestic affairs. Jiang has also increased the size of the paramilitary People's Armed Police.
In fact, some experts doubt that the next generation of Communist Party leaders will come to the fore. As Jiang prepares to visit U.S. in October, speculation is running high in Beijing that the president of 76 years is not yet ready to renounce his title as party leader and the military. Jiang claimed to have been its position in the party supporters who elected for another term as army chief, even as a likely successor to Hu Jintao, is being touted as Jiang's heir.
government's war on Falun Gong, a spiritual sect devoted to meditation and breathing exercises, has been well publicized. But rarely is mentioned is the fact that Beijing's security services have routinely tortured and murdered Falun Gong practitioners. The Chinese authorities have blocked the reports, hundreds of followers of Falun Gong in psychiatric hospitals and force fed drugs; imprisoned thousands more in the larger world system of labor camps, and silently executed several Falun Gong practitioners.

Details of executions in China are impressive: According to Wang Guoqi, a pathologist and former employee of a Chinese military hospital, doctors often organ harvesting from executed prisoners, none of which accepted the donation of organs. He talks to a doctor to remove a kidney from a prisoner still breathing who had survived the initial shooting. After the body was removed, the prisoner was left to die.

China has taken the battle against Falun Gong practitioners outside their borders. Beijing confident of Cambodia to deport two Falun Gong practitioners who had fled to Phnom Penh and has used its consulates in the U.S. to harass Falun Gong practitioners. A follower of Falun Gong on U.S. demands that Chinese agents have recorded their private conversations and then to the left of the recordings on the answering machine to intimidate. Beijing also may have influenced the government's position of Hong Kong and the media to Falun Gong. In April, the South China Morning Post, which takes Hong Kong's English language newspaper, suddenly dismissed its head office in Beijing, Jasper Becker, who had written several stories about Falun Gong probe. Then in August a court in Hong Kong who are the followers of Falun Gong, which is not illegal in the country, guilty of "causing a public obstruction" for protesting outside the Chinese government's main office in that country.

Beijing also has shrewdly exploited post-9/11 fears of Islamic terrorism to launch a "tough" campaign against the Muslim "separatists", groups of Uighurs living in the western province of Xinjiang, the site of violent separatist movements diffuse but in the past. However, according to Dru Gladney, an expert on Chinese Muslims at the University of Hawaii, the majority of Uighurs have become less enamored of separation, as they have seen the chaos enveloping his independent neighbors, post-Soviet Central Asia . Uighurs even advocating greater autonomy over all desire more freedom to explore and utilize the Uighur language and stop the flood of Han Chinese province. (There were about 300,000 Han in Xinjiang in 1949, today there are more than 6.4 million.)

However, the "iron fist" campaign has been unusually broad, perhaps reflecting Beijing's fear that some could be linked to Uighur activists and other ethnic minorities Tlbetans unhappy. Vocally linking its offensive to the international war against terrorism (Beijing says al-Qaeda terrorists hiding in Xinjiang), Chinese authorities have deployed 40,000 soldiers new to the province, burned books celebrated in Uighur language "political education" for 8,000 magnets. These campaigns are a disturbing reminder of the brutal Cultural Revolution "education" brainwashing sessions. Meanwhile, security forces have detained thousands of Uighurs and executed several suspected separatists. As Craig Smith, the New York Times said after seeing a man sentenced to death, Xinjiang is "the only place in the country where people are regularly put to death for political crimes."

Despite the vicious campaign against Falun Gong and the Muslim Uighurs, Beijing, probably most of the fears of rural evangelical Christian groups as evangelical surveys helped topple the governments of several pre-communist. "The number of Christians in China is growing strongly and the government knows and cares," said Joseph Kung, president of the Cardinal Kung Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Connecticut that promotes the Catholic Church in China.

In the past three years, public safety officials have targeted prominent sects such as the ray and the Church of God, and underground Catholics loyal to the Vatican. (Beijing officially atheist state sponsors of the Catholic Church does not recognize the Pope. ) Beijing has increasingly pitted against the current charismatic Christian evangelical groups, allowing some Protestant groups to worship in silence if they cooperate with security forces to root out the other sects. Moreover, a series of government's own documents issued between 1999 and 2001 (and smuggled out of the country) reveal systematic efforts to arrest and kill members of evangelical churches. (In the documents, one of the rebels 'crimes' made in the Gospel is "pray for world peace.") In fact, followers of the underground sects have told human rights groups, security forces beat them with bars and electrically shocking genitals.

Another major aim of the government crackdown has been the emerging rights of peasants and labor organizations. According to He Qinglian, at least 150 million farmers have lost their jobs during the last decade. By joining the WTO last winter, Beijing pledged to reduce subsidies to state enterprises, reforms that is likely to make at least 50 million people out of work. Already, state workers are rarely paid, and that many state enterprises have no income and assets have been stripped of their directors. In cities across northeastern China "rust belt, home to many companies that previously subsidized by the state, thousands of unemployed roam the streets, sleeping on benches, selling their bodies for sex, and begging for scraps of food. China expert manpower estimate the rate of unemployment in the rust belt more than 20 percent, and many dismissed workers will never find another job because their skills are best suited for an open economy.

Chinese farmers, who still represent over 50 percent of the population, are also in a precarious position. Most farms in China are less than two acres and will be unable to compete with foreign agribusiness giants now entering China. The per capita income of rural residents is less than $ 300, compared with per capita income of over $ 4,000 in Shanghai. At the same time, farmers actually pay higher taxes than urban Chinese as cough up both the national and local taxes "excise" collected by officials of rural areas. To make matters worse, developers often confiscate land from farmers to build houses for China's expanding cities, often paying no compensation for the property, as most farmers are not technically own their land. Even China, state news agency recently acknowledged that 12 million farmers losing land * of urbanization in the next decade, a figure probably too low by half.
Many farmers and workers have begun to express their anger in their bleak situation. The number of peasant protests and work is increasing and it is likely that some 3 million people. During the course of this protest, 78 police and government employees were killed. In 2000, the latest year for which statistics are available, labor disputes increased by 12 percent, as workers in several cities in the rust belt besieged their factory and won some of the unemployment benefits, encouraging others redundant workers to protest.

In some cases, local governments and state enterprises have tolerated protests have limited or purchased from the farmers and workers with a minimum of unemployment benefits. But if the protests continue over several days, or threaten to spread to other areas, officials show no mercy. State security agents arrested the complainant in the rust-belt province of Liaoning, which exposed corruption in state enterprises, as well as Chinese journalists who reported on peasant protests. Protest leaders were arrested and brutally tortured, their cases widely publicized as a message to other workers.

Foreign companies have been complicit in human rights repression in China. Although the international media have welcomed the Internet as a potential force of liberalization, Beijing recently reverted to Internet freedom. Many Internet cafes have been closed, chat rooms are closely monitored by a force of 40,000 agents of Internet security, and Beijing is building a control system for all Internet users. China has also used the Internet firewall to block hundreds of foreign Web sites as the BBC and practitioners of Falun Gong, the New York Times won a reprieve just when its editor made a personal appeal to Jiang Zemin. Other Chinese who helped found the firewalls have been imprisoned.

In July, Yahoo signed a voluntary commitment in writing self-censorship by Beijing. " Social stability "portals that are not committed to sign a promise to send any information that the Chinese government considers a threat to" state security "or according to Human Rights Watch, an internal note in recent America Online recommended that staff to meet potential Chinese government demands for information on political dissidents. Meanwhile, Rupert Murdoch's son James, a senior manager of global media conglomerate News Corp., has made public echoed the condemnation of Beijing Falun Gong, a group called "doomsday cult."
Beijing has allowed local and foreign journalists freedom to report some problems in the country's business sector. Beijing tolerates more dynamic business publications, because the government realizes an open financial press helps to convince investors that China is becoming more transparent. However, aggressive reporting, even in the business and financial sectors, can be punished if it involves senior officials. Over the past year, many Chinese companies have used the judiciary plays in the country, which convicts about 99 percent of the defendants, and files suits for defamation win-business reporters.

Today's China is a paradox. No longer the Maoist totalitarian state that has not become liberal society many foreign observers expected. It has opened its economy rapidly, and urban Chinese have adopted many of the practices of industrialized economies with remarkable speed. Urban youth of today can dress as they like, see a number of foreign television programs, even fly to a remote province to enjoy their own "Chinese Woodstock" rock festival. But those who praise Beijing to reform its economy and allow some of its citizens to improve their living standards have overlooked an unseemly fact: China is becoming more repressive, more stifling civil society and potentially more fuel.

Even some Chinese scholars sponsored by the state have begun to predict that if workers inequality among urban residents, peasants sacked and continues to increase, and if the government does little to make room for civil society and tolerate dissent People's Republic could face a social explosion or other national protest movement similar to that of 1989. "There are hundreds of little fires burning," said David Zweig, an expert on rural China at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. "Will they become a fire?"

Your opinion on Baltimore police officer who berated skateboarder getting fired

TeenSkate — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 15:14:39 +0000

What do you think? are you finally glad justice was served? Baltimore police officer who berated skateboarder fired?

Funny Joke

TeenSkate — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:15:22 +0000

A guy breaks into a house to look for money and guns and finds a young couple in bed. He orders the guy out of bed and ties him to a chair, while tying the girl to the bed he gets on top of her, kisses her neck, then gets up and goes into the bathroom. While he's in there, the husband tells his wife: "Listen, this guy's an escaped convict, look at his clothes! He probably spent lots of time in jail and hasn't seen a woman in years. I saw how he kissed your neck. If he wants sex, don't resist, don't complain, do whatever he tells you. Satisfy him no matter how much he nauseates you. This guy is probably very dangerous. If he gets angry, he'll kill us. Be strong, honey. I love you." To which his wife responds: "He wasn't kissing my neck. He was whispering in my ear. He told me he was gay, thought you were cute, and asked me if we had any Vaseline. I told him it was in the bathroom. Be strong honey. I love you too!!"

I need a new board!

Ryan — Fri, 28 May 2010 11:30:45 +0000

I need a new board! Any suggestions on what brand? what do you like?

Schools out for summer!

Ryan — Sat, 22 May 2010 12:51:35 +0000

So, Now that school is coming to a close for the summer, What are your plans for the summer?

OLYMPICS: Shawn White soaking in the golden aftermath

TeenSkate — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:32:08 +0000

Shaun White hates being away from his second gold medal. The Carlsbad native takes it everywhere, from family gatherings to talk shows to hamburger stands.

Separation anxiety took hold quickly during the time following his victory in Wednesday's men's snowboard halfpipe competition of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. He felt naked during the hours between his final run and the medal presentation. He didn't like it when he had to leave it in the hotel room or put it in a bag while traveling.

Read the rest here. http://www.nctimes.com/sports/olympics/article_b5cf14a4-9b9e-5a50-882a-304c74fc0d4d.html

Widow of motorcyclist killed in accident sues skateboarder who stepped into road

TeenSkate — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:23:25 +0000

Sad story.
Read it here.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/7265159/Widow-of-motorcyclist-killed-in-accident-sues-skateboarder-who-stepped-into-road.html

PsycoSpaz

Jeff — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:59:36 +0000

This is a genre called TechCore.
Here is a link to the sound.

http://www.osjam.com/audio/3/friday-13

Online Skate Jam

Jeff — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:36:43 +0000

This is an online contest that awards prizes each month. Skaters upload videos of themselves skating and industry representatives rate the videos. Companies, Professional Skaters, Shop owners, Team Managers and Others in the industry have agreed to help judge this ongoing contest.

Each person can also create photo albums, upload music, blog about skateboarding and browse the videos.

No matter what your skill level, you could win. Some skaters will even be offered sponsorship based on what is uploaded.
Not everyone will win, not everyone will get sponsored, but everyone has equal chance.

What do you have to lose? You enter a FREE contest. If you win something, Great! If not, you still got to show your best skating.

Enter the Online Skate Jam NOW!

http://www.osjam.com

Gravis Footwear newest skate shoe

Ryan — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:26:42 +0000

Gravis Footwear has announced that on February 6th and 7th, they will be hitting the streets of Southern California to promote the launch of Arto Saari’s newest skate shoe, the Arto and Arto LX. The Gravis team including Arto Saari, Dylan Rieder, Sammy Winter, and Steve Forstner will be in the mix to shred and hit up shops and skateparks along the way.

This effort begins February 6th in San Diego and works its way up through the OC to the greater LA area. The tour ends February 7th with a BBQ and skate jam in Los Angeles, which should prove to be an absolute epic time.

Along the way you can follow the team’s movements via Twitter to catch up with them at the different shops and skateparks and perhaps score yourself some free product or autographed posters, and witness their skateboarding skills live and in
person.

CHENgAworld Brookpark

beckyslink — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:00:26 +0000

The boy's really like this park, it is a one hour drive for us, so we don't get to go very often. I like the set up, there are so many different ramp styles to choose from, and plenty of room to move around. I recommend this indoor skatepark for anyone.

CHENgAworld Brookpark

beckyslink — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:00:22 +0000

Links to some Skateboard Ramp Plans

Ryan — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:43:40 +0000

Ramp Plans Dot Org

Site featuring free ramp plans and ramp building information.

Skateboard Ramp Plans

Free skateboard ramp plans including banks, funboxes, halfpipes, quarter
pipes, rails, pyramids, .

Heckler Ramp Plans!

Homemade, portable wooden ramps are relatively inexpensive and easy to build.

Halfpipe

These plans are for a beginners half pipe and were designed to take the best
advantage of the dimensions of 4'x8' plywood and 2\"x4\"x8' studs and have
little waste.

Mini
Ramp

Photos and step by step instructions for a mini ramp.

Ramp Plans

blueprints

BMX Ramp
Plans

Funbox, pyramid, quarter pipe, halfpipe, launch, drop in, pyramid, transition
and coping ramp plans.

Vert
Halfpipe Plans

These are plans to make an 8 foot high and 16 foot wide halfpipe

Skateboard Ramp Plans

A skateboard ramp is a project

Skateboard Ramp Pattern Sheet

Complete with grind rail

Warren Ohio Skatepark

TeenSkate — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:45:57 +0000

Location: Packard Park
1443 Mahoning Ave.
Warren, Ohio 44481
Opened: Fall 2009

A prefabricated steel park on a concrete slab 40 feet by 80 feet. It has quarter pipes on each end, a grind rail and a miniramp. Around it is fence to keep people out when the park closes