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8 Scary Japanese Urban Legends

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8 Scary Japanese Urban Legends:

8): The Snake Woman (Nure-Onna)

Do you enjoy a nice, cool swim on a hot day? Perhaps you are particularly averse to receiving a cooling dose of urine at the local swimming pool? Maybe you just like the sand beneath your toes as you walk the beaches, choosing a nice, quiet, isolated spot from the rest of the city plebs.
You put down your towel, throw off the constricting second skin that is your clothing, and head toward the waves.
But hark! You spot a woman in the water; long black hair flowing around her alabaster skin as she flails weakly. With speed and grace to rival the very best studs of the Baywatch era, you fling yourself into the oddly calm waters and swim her way.
You swim toward the endangered beauty, your eyes meeting as you work desperately to save your drowning Ophelia.
...except that now you seem to be paralyzed. Also, Ariel now appears to be using her long, prehensile snake-body to gracefully close the romantic distance between you. Perhaps, you consider, she simply wishes to save you from this terminal case of leg cramps? Perhaps the piercing of your tender man-flesh by her snake-like tongue is some odd form of mermaid CPR? No, you are now being slowly digested by the Snake Woman, or, "Nure-Onna".
The moral of the story should be fairly obvious: Don't try to save a drowning woman. She could be a snake-monster in disguise!

7): Human Pillars (Hitobashira)

If Soylent Green taught us anything, it's that there are a great many practical uses for the human body. Japan reminds us just how practical they can be by presenting the Hitobashira, or, "Human Pillars". Seeing as the country is already one at the technological forefront, we have to assume that if Japan tells us, "hey, it's okay to seal living people inside walls and foundations, it'll make that shit more durable!", it has to be true! Right? Right? Because fuck cement!
Dating as far back as the 17th century, the story goes that as an offering to the gods, living people could be sealed into buildings as sacrifices, which would apparently please the great LEGO gods and ensure stability and longevity to the construct in question.
Bones and other remains have been found on-site of several different locations, lending at least some possibility that human sacrifice may have been involved in the making of these buildings. One such location is Jomon tunnel, located on the Sekihoku Main Line. In 1968, in the aftermath of an earthquake (or possibly due to pissed off ghosts) a number of skeletons were discovered sealed into the walls of the tunnel, standing upright. But then, maybe Japan just gets really uptight if you abuse your smoke breaks one time too many.
Seeing as many of these structures stand today, perhaps modern workers should take note: Just how dedicated are you to your job?

6): Hanako-San of the Toilet

Because Japan just loves to punish you for basic bodily functions, this urban legend takes place in a washroom: specifically the third stall from the end of any elementary school washroom (in some variations, it's on the third floor). Unlike the previous urban legends, where the creatures will come at you unprovoked, Hanako needs to be summoned. Though the idea of luring a ghostly little girl into an empty bathroom falls further from "scary urban legend" and closer to "that paedophile on the news last week" than we'd like.
In order to call Hanako, you need to do the polite thing and knock three times on her stall door. This is usually accompanied by calling out, "Are you there, Hanako-san?"
If you are greeted with a reply, "Yes, I'm here!", apart from pissing your pants in terror, you can push open the stall door to reveal Hanako. Said to be a little girl with bobbed black hair and a red skirt, the outcome of your courage (or dumbfounding retardation) differs: Hanako-san will vanish or, for the more shit out of luck (in every sense of the word), you will be pulled into the toilet and killed.
If you knock on her stall and receive a reply (and assuming you don't immediately break the laws of physics during your escape), you still have the opportunity to walk away if you do not open the door. If, however, you insist on cornering little girls in toilet stalls, you may have just enough time after seeing Hanako to make a break for the exit and escape.

5): Cow Head

Everyone loves a good scary story; that false sense of fear that fills you with adrenaline if you happen to be short of cocaine that particular day. Of course, once the story is over and you've succeeded in giving your younger sibling bed-wetting night terrors, everything should go back to normal. Unless it doesn't because you've apparently died of fucking fright.
The story of Cow Head is apparently so terrifying, so horrific, so psychologically soul-wrecking, that the exact details of the tale have long since been lost. To hear it would leave you a violently trembling mess for days until you eventually died of fright (much like the effects of Stephanie Meyer's writing on most of the general public). However, due to what Cracked assumes must be its Ringu-like superpowers, no full variation is known today, though mention of it can be found in various written accounts dating back to the 17th century. We must assume it is hard to recount a story to anyone if you're...you know...dead.
As the story itself remains largely unknown, there is little threat that you will hear Cow Head being passed around your cub-scout campfire any time soon.

4): Giant Skeleton (Gashadokuro)

Source: www.derrickdent.com/2008/08/gashadokuro.html
If you are visiting Japan and find yourself staying out a bit too late into the night, you might re-consider taking that short route through the quiet streets in favour of booking a nearby motel. Not for fear of anything practical like street crime or the aforementioned perverts...
...but rather for the 90 foot cannibal skeleton tailing you home. You're likely to hear this oversized Halloween decoration before you spot it, as it announces itself by the sound it makes with its gnashing teeth and an odd ringing sensation in your ears (caused by what we presume to be your sonic-like shriek at the sight of a skeleton the size of a building hovering over you).
Moving with the quiet grace of a towering ballerina, the Gashadokuro will catch you unawares and deftly pluck you from where you stand. Cleanly removing your head like a Ken doll, it will sate its otherworldly thirst and anger by swigging your lifeblood like a delicious smoothy.
Seeing as the Gashadokuro is made from the skeletal remains of starvation victims, buying the thing a cheeseburger might not be a bad idea.

3): Red Cloak/Red Mantle (Aka Manto)

Let's assume for a moment that you, like many, enjoy the basic human function of going to the bathroom. Perhaps you've had a few too many servings of sake and make a mad dash for the ladies toilets closest to you. This article assumes you are either a lady yourself or one of those beloved perverts so popular to the Japanese culture.
As you enter the bathroom and try to avoid physical contact between your ass and the scurvy-infested toilet sear, you suddenly hear a voice.
"Do you like the red cloak or do you like the blue cloak?"
After sitting uncomfortably for a few seconds, wondering what possessed someone to break the cardinal rule of keeping their mouths shut during toilet-time, you answer with hesitation:
"The Red Cloak!"
According to your answer, there are a variety of hilarious outcomes: If you answered "Red Cloak", you will be sliced apart like a steakhouse special. According to who is telling the story, your throat may be cut, your hands chopped off, or you will simply be cut into pieces until the blood flowing down your fricasseed remains resembles a "red cloak".
Well Shit! You may be thinking, I'll just answer "blue cloak" then!
Good idea, captain. Now take a deep breath! You're going to need it when the life is being slowly strangled out of you. The result leaves your humorously tongue-lolled face a strong blue. Thus, the "blue cloak".
Sitting in your stall and ruminating on your options, you may be wondering which of these two you prefer? Well fear not, intrepid Cracked reader! Due to the foresight of reading this article, you are well prepared! According to some variations of this legend, choosing a third color or choosing "neither" will spare you a gruesome death...or cause the very earth to open under you and swallow you alive.

2): Teke-Teke

Japan is to suicide what America is to apple pie. Nowhere is the theme more prevalent, as the locals will check out for any reason: from bad relationships to poor grades. Ghost stories are no different, as the majority of urban legends involving spirits usually stem from the unhappy Casper jumping headlong into the path of an oncoming train or stringing himself up from the closest available chandelier.
The Teke-Teke is said to have been a woman who either jumped or fell in the path of an oncoming subway train and was severed in half. Seeing as being cut in half can sort of ruin your day, her anguish and anger gave rise to the Teke-Teke. Now, she roams throughout Japan in the form of a torso, dragging herself along with her claw-like hands. The sound she makes while moving is described as a "teke-teke-teke" sound as she propels herself using her elbows to frightening speeds (why is there no F1 circuit for this sort of thing?)
Assuming you haven't already left a trail of dust and piss in your wake, the Teke-Teke will launch herself toward you like the world's angriest sideshow attraction, produce a scythe, and cut your slow ass in half. Teke-Teke produce more Teke-Teke this way, as you are doomed to become one yourself if caught.
Told mostly as a cautionary tale to keep children from staying out past dusk, we suggest you listen to your overbearing mothers and not stay out too late.

1): Split Mouth Woman (Kuchisake-Onna)

Source: my.opera.com/alzheimer13/blog/kuchisake-onna-warning
The moral of most Japanese urban legends seem to consist of "don't go anywhere by yourself. Ever." The story of the Kuchisake-Onna, or "Split Mouth Woman" is no different. Except that you are doubly unfortunate if you happen to be a child (We assume your legs are stubby and slow and we can thusly outrun you).
If you happen to be a snotty pubescent walking alone one day, you might consider taking a different route if you are suddenly approached by a female figure in a trench-coat. Now, before you assume that this will be a harmless display of kibbles and bits, rest assured: You will be shown something. Unfortunately, it will not be the coveted boobies.
The Kuchisake-Onna will appear as a tall woman in a trench-coat with long, black hair. Her most telling feature is the surgical mask covering the bottom half of her face.
She will approach you and ask you a question: "Am I beautiful?"
If you reply, "No!" Your troubles are over. Mainly because she will produce a comically oversized pair of scissors and remove your head. Ah! You're thinking, So I'll answer "yes!" In which case she will remove her mask to reveal her grotesquely mutilated face, her smile sliced from ear to ear. "Am I still beautiful?" She will ask again.
If you have some kind of twisted Joker fetish and reply, "yes", she will take the aforementioned scissors, chase you down, and slice you in half. If you reply "no", she'll do it anyway. Some people just can't be satisfied.
If you don't fancy a haircut with too much off the top, your best bet is a neutral reply, such as "You're so-so", or "average". This will confuse the Split Mouth Woman, giving you just enough time to run like all the hounds of hell are at your heels (or in this case, a crazy bitch with a giant pair of scissors).

From: http://www.cracked.com/funny-7186-8-scary-japanese-urban-legends/
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10 Keanehan yang Belum Terpecahkan di Dunia

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10 Keanehan Yang Belum Terpecahkan

1. PENCIPTAAN MANUSIA :
Dari manakah manusia berasal? Jika menilik dari Injil dan Kitab Suci, memang sangat jelas dikatakan bahwa Tuhanlah pencipta manusia (Kitab Kejadian Pasal 1). Tapi bagaimana proses penciptaan itu sebenarnya?
Charles Darwin pernah menawarkan teori bahwa manusia adalah hasil evolusi dari kera. Jika demikian halnya, maka “seharusnya” manusia akan terus berevolusi menjadi mahluk yang lebih baik. Namun faktanya, sudah lebih dari 2000 tahun, tidak ada perubahan pada manusia. Apakah itu berarti evolusi berhenti?
Teori lain mengatakan bahwa manusia berasal dari Mahluk ruang Angkasa. Jika demikian, maka pertanyaan menjadi : dari mana mahluk itu berasal?

2. JALAN BIMINI :

Para diver (penyelam) yang tentu pernah melihat sebentuk jalan setapak di bawah laut utara Pulau Bimini di Kepulauan Bahama. Banyak orang berpendapat jalan setapak itu dibuat oleh alam. Namun penataan batu jalan itu menimbulkan pertanyaan lanjutan karena terlalu “rapi”. Beberapa ahli menduga jalan itu adalah bagian dari Kota Atlantis (seperti yang ditulis oleh Plato beberapa abad silam). Tapi hingga hari ini belum ada bukti tambahan mengenai keberadaan “kota yang hilang” itu. Dan Jalan Bimini masih menjadi pertanyaan : apakah jalan itu dibuat alam atau manusia? Siapa pembuatnya?

3. BOLA CAHAYA MARFA :

Disebut juga “Bola Cahaya Hantu”. Pertama kali terlihat tahun 1880 di sebelah Barat kota Marfa, Texas. Cahaya itu dideskripsikan sebesar bola basket, melayang dengan ketinggian pundak manusia. Biasanya berwarna putih, kuning, orange, merah, dan kadang-kadang biru atau hijau. Bola-bola itu biasa terbang mengelilingi daerah tertentu, kemudian menghilang dengan sendirinya. Hingga hari ini, cahaya itu masih sering tampak. Tidak ada penjelasan, apa sebenarnya cahaya-cahaya itu.

4. MISTERI HILANGNYA JIMMY HOFFA :

Dikenal sebagai Pimpinan Buruh Amerika yang paling berpengaruh di tahun 1950 - 1960, Jimmy Hoffa adalah figur yang telah mengubah wajah dunia perburuhan Amerika. Tanggal 30 Juli 1975, Hoffa menghilang di tempat parkir Detroit dan tidak pernah ditemukan lagi. Salah satu teori yang diyakini adalah Hoffa dibunuh oleh Anthony Jack Giacalone, seorang pimpinan geng New Jersey. Mayat Hoffa disebutkan dikubur di bawah fondasi stadion The Giants, Detroit. Ketika dilakukan penggalian di fondasi stadion tersebut, mayat Hoffa tidak ditemukan.

5. MOTHMAN :


Mothman adalah salah satu urban legend yang cukup terkenal di daerah Virginia. Mothman digambarkan adalah mahluk bersayap dan setinggi manusia, bermata merah, kadang muncul tanpa kepala dan mata merahnya ada di dada. Pertama kali ditemukan di daerah perkuburan di Virginia tahun 1926. Hingga hari ini, polisi masih menerima laporan mengenai kemunculan Mothman. Siapa dia? Tidak seorang pun yang tahu. Secara umum, tidak pernah ada laporan ada orang yang diserang Mothman.

6. JACK THE RIPPER :
Terkenal sebagai pembunuh misterius di tahun 1888, identitas Jack The Ripper hingga hari ini tidak pernah terungkap. Korbannya adalah wanita tuna susila yang dibunuh dengan cara mutilasi yang cukup handal dan sempurna, membuat para polisi berpikir Jack adalah seorang dokter bedah. Walau sudah banyak buku, film, dan teori yang dipublikasikan, identitas Jack The Ripper tetap misterius dan belum ada satu pun bukti yang bisa menjelaskan jati diri sebenarnya.

7. THE BABUSHKA LADY :

Jika Anda pernah menyaksikan rekaman pembunuhan Presiden John F. Kennedy di Dallas tahun 1963, perhatikan di sudut kanan rekaman itu. Ada seorang wanita berkerudung babushka (selendang buatan Rusia) yang tampak merekam kejadian. Wanita itu diyakini sebagai orang yang punya peranan penting dalam mengungkap kasus pembunuhan John F. Kennedy karena dia berada pada posisi yang sangat dekat dengan korban saat kejadian itu terjadi. Dalam rekaman itu, terlihat wanita tersebut memegang kamera, dan merekam kejadian.
Anehnya, wanita itu tidak pernah ditemukan. Pihak FBI telah meminta wanita itu untuk menyerahkan rekaman itu demi membantu FBI menemukan pembunuh Presiden Amerika. Namun wanita itu tidak pernah muncul. Siapakah dia? Bagaimana dia bisa berdiri begitu dekat dengan mobil Presiden? Tidak ada orang yang tahu hingga hari ini.

8. ZODIAC KILLER :


Salah satu pembunuh paling cerdas yang tidak pernah tertangkap hingga hari ini adalah Zodiac Killer. Tahun 1960, Zodiac Killer melakukan usaha pembunuhan terhadap 7 orang di California Utara. Lima korbannya meninggal, dan dua terluka parah. Awalnya, polisi kesulitan mencari jati diri pembunuh. Sebulan setelah pembunuhan pertama, sang pembunuh mengirimkan surat kepada polisi dan mengklaim dirinya bernama Zodiac Killer, serta menantang polisi untuk menangkapnya.
Setelah aksi pembunuhan ke-7, Zodiac Killer tiba-tiba lenyap. Apakah dia telah terbunuh? Dan siapa dia sebenarnya? Tidak ada orang yang bisa menjelaskan.

9. OGOPOGO :

Jika mahluk Danau Loch Ness bernama Nessy sudah terbukti adalah palsu, maka lain halnya dengan Ogopogo. Mahluk yang mirip dengan Nessy (berleher panjang, bertubuh besar, dan berkepala seperti kadal) ini adalah mahluk misterius yang muncul di Sungai Okanagan, Canada. Banyak saksi yang berhasil merekam foto mahluk ini. Namun tidak seorang pun yang berhasil menangkapnya. Mahluk yang juga dikenal dengan nama Naitaka ini kini menjadi maskot Taman Kelowna, Canada. Apakah Ogopogo benar-benar ada? Benarkah dia adalah reptil purbakala yang masih hidup? Tidak ada bukti kongkret yang bisa menjelaskan keberadaannya hingga hari ini.

10. SHAG HARBOUR INCIDENT :


Adalah sebuah insiden ledakan misterius yang terjadi di Pelabuhan Shag, Nova Scotia, tanggal 4 Oktober 1967. Sebuah benda menghantam Pelabuhan Shag pukul 11.20 malam, menimbulkan ledakan hebat. Tidak ada korban jiwa. Para saksi melihat benda itu seperti “piring terbang”. Tidak lama kemudian, tempat itu segera ditutup. Pihak militer Canada segera berdatangan. Dalam waktu sekejap, tempat itu dibersihkan dan puing2 segera diangkut. Insiden itu terkesan sangat ditutup-tutupi. Apa sebenarnya yang terjadi? Benarkah piring terbang yang jatuh? Pemerintah Canada tidak pernah mengeluarkan statement apapun mengenai hal ini. Dan hingga hari ini, misteri ini tidak pernah diungkapkan.
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Biography Of Michael Jordan

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Synopsis

Professional basketball player Michael Jordan was born February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn. Jordan left college after his junior year to join the NBA. Drafted by the Chicago Bulls, he helped the team make it to the playoffs. For his efforts there, he received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. With five regular-season MVPs and three All-Star MVPs, Jordan became the most decorated player in the NBA.

Early Life

Professional basketball player, Olympic athlete, businessperson, actor. Born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York. Considered one of the best basketball players ever, Michael Jordan dominated the sport from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. He led the Chicago Bulls to six national championships as well as earned the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Most Valuable Player Award five times.
Growing up in Wilmington, North Carolina, Jordan developed a competitive edge at an early age. He wanted to win every game he played. As his father James later noted, "What he does have is a competition problem. He was born with that...The person he tries to outdo most of the time is himself."
Jordan enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1981 and soon became an important member of the school's basketball team. His team won the NCAA Division I championships in 1982 with Jordan scoring the final basket needed to defeat Georgetown University. He was also singled out as the NCAA College Player of the Year in 1983 and in 1984. During the summer of 1984, Jordan made his first appearance in the Olympics as a member of the U.S. basketball team, which won the gold at the games held in Los Angeles. Later Jordan helped the United States bring home the gold at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.

NBA Superstar

Jordan left college after his junior year to join the NBA. Drafted by the Chicago Bulls, he soon proved himself on the court. He helped the team make it to the playoffs and scored an average of 28.2 points per game that season. For his efforts, Jordan received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award and was selected for the All-Star Game.
In 1985, he finished his bachelor's degree in geography and continued to play basketball professionally. While his second season was marred by injury, Jordan was breaking new ground on the court during the 1986-1987 season. He became the first player since Wilt Chamberlin to score more than 3,000 points in a single season. The following season, Jordan received his first Most Valuable Player Award from NBA—an honor he would earn four more times in 1991, 1992, 1996, and 1998.
By the late 1980s, the Chicago Bulls was quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with, and Jordan was an instrumental part of the team's success. The Bulls made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1990 and won their first NBA championship the following year by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers. A rising NBA superstar, Jordan became known for his power and agility on the court as well as for his leadership abilities. He eventually landed several endorsement deals with such companies as Nike, which further pushed him into the spotlight.
In 1992, the Chicago Bulls beat the Portland Trail Blazers to win their second NBA championship title. The team took their third championship the following year, dominating in the basketball world. Jordan, however, had other things on his mind. He lost his father, James, to an act of violence after the end of the 1992-1993 season. Two teenagers shot James Jordan during an apparent robbery and were later convicted of the crime. In a move that shocked many, Michael Jordan decided to retire from basketball to pursue baseball. He played for a minor league team, the Birmingham Barons, as an outfielder for a year.

Back on the Court

In March 1995, however, Jordan returned to the basketball court. He rejoined the Chicago Bulls and eventually helped them win the championship against the Seattle Sonics in the 1995-1996 season. That same year, Jordan made a big splash in another arena—film—as the star of Space Jam (1996). The film mixed live action and animation and paired Jordan with cartoon legends Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck on screen.
Thefollowing  season Jordan came back even stronger, averaging 30.4 points per game. Starting all 82 games that season, he helped the team finish the regular season with 72 wins and clinch a win in the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz. The two teams faced each other again for the championships in 1998, and Jordan helped the Bulls beat them for the second year in a row.
Retiring after the 1997-1998 season, Jordan did not stray from the sport for too long. He joined the Washington Wizards as a part owner and as president of basketball operations. In the fall of 2001, Jordan relinquished these roles to return the court once more. He played for the Wizards for two seasons before hanging up his jersey for good in 2003.

Personal Life and Legacy

In 2006, Jordan bought a share of the Charlotte Bobcats and joined the team's executive ranks as its managing member of basketball operations. He experienced some personal changes that same year, ending his 17-year marriage to his wife Juanita. The couple divorced in December 2006. They had three children together during the course of their marriage—Jeffrey, Marcus, and Jasmine.
The following year, Michael Jordan made news—this time as the father of an up-and-coming college basketball player. His eldest son, Jeffrey Jordan, made the team at the University of Illinois. Both Michael Jordan and his ex-wife Juanita have supported their son and tried to help him deal with playing in the shadow of a NBA legend. "He wants to be a basketball player, but he wants to do it on his own terms...The thing that we have tried to tell Jeff is that you set your own expectations. By no means in this world can you ever live up someone else's expectations of who you are," Michael Jordan said during an appearance on the Today show.
In April 2009, Jordan received one of basketball's greatest honors: He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Attending the induction ceremony was a bittersweet affair for Jordan because being at the event meant "your basketball career is completely over," he explained.
Outside of his work with the Charlotte Bobcats, Jordan is also involved in a number of business ventures, including several restaurants. He currently resides in Highland Park, Illinois.

From: http://www.biography.com/people/michael-jordan-9358066?page=2

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How to Jump Higher

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Jumping is an important skill for many athletes. This article will cover ways in which you can improve your vertical jumping ability. (For information on how to improve your general jumping technique, see How to Jump.)

Steps:
  1. Build your base strength. Jumping is a demanding activity and your ability to do it will improve if your muscles are stronger. Some relevant exercises, in order of importance, are:

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  2. 2
    Improve your flexibility. If you're jumping over a hurdle, it helps to be able to swing your leading leg wherever you want it to go so that you can maximize the momentum of your jump. If you can bring your leg a little higher than the person next to you, you've got an advantage. If you're not flexible, moreover, you will tend to develop an imbalance of strength that will limit your ability to jump. [1]

  3. 3
    Improve the explosiveness of your jumping with plyometrics. The goal of plyometrics is to decrease the length of time it takes you to go from rest to maximum force. If for example, you hold weights while jumping to increase your vertical leap, a plyometric approach would have hold about one-third of the weight that you normally lift and then jump explosively, doing as many reps as you can.[2]

  4. 4
    Get into jumping position. Your hips should be flexed 30 degrees, knees bent 60 degrees, and ankles flexed 25 degrees in order to generate the most power without injuring your knees.[3]

    • Be careful that your knees don't point inwards in a "knock knee" position; they should be positioned over the second toe.[3] Have your arms at your sides.
  5. 5
    Take one or two preliminary steps before jumping. The energy developed in those steps can help generate additional upward momentum.[1]

  6. 6
    Jump. To maximize your effectiveness, there are several things you should be doing at once:

    • Push your body up with your legs, springing off the balls of your feet.
    • Swing your hands up into the air, towards the ceiling, for additional momentum.
    • Breathe out when you're doing the motion (like when you lift weights).
  7. 7
    Land on the balls of your feet, bend your knees, and "roll" onto your heels in one fluid motion. This will absorb the shock of hitting the ground.

 TIPS:
  • Unless you have other fitness goals involving the lower muscles, your strength-building exercises should use weights very close to your personal limit, with few repetitions.
  • Visualize by closing your eyes and imagining yourself exploding upwards. Visualize yourself with large leg muscles that are tightened like springs, ready to blast you up into the air. Say to yourself, "I feel myself getting more powerful and much lighter." Then jump again. You should observe a noticeable increase in your vertical jump.
  • Get a knowledgeable coach to check your form, especially in regards to running jumps. It is a very overlooked aspect of jumping.
  • Some popular plyometric exercises include ankle bounces, box jumps, jump rope, standing broad jumps, and squat jumps. These can all be found with quick online searches.
  • Another great exercise to do is to take a dumbbell in each hand and push up with your ankle and toes. Do this 4-5 times a week, starting with the 10 reps and gradually working up to 50 reps.
Warnings:
  • Be wary of advertised “jump programs.” Do your research before buying anything.
  • Don't over-do workouts. Jump training is about short, high-quality efforts rather than long, low intensity work.
  • Don't push yourself beyond the limit of safety. Pain is your body telling you to stop and you need to listen. If you're sore from a workout, that means you went beyond what your body's used to. When you're sore, you shouldn't push yourself. If the pain is severe, go to the doctor. You may have pulled a muscle or sprained something.
  • Also look before you leap; you can jump into someone or something dangerous.

From: http://www.wikihow.com/Jump-Higher
 
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The Best Day Recipe

Posted by Baim's Blogger - - 0 komentar

An ordinary morning. You are starting your ordinary day.
Do you want it to be ordinary?
Ask yourself a question: "What would I do if today was the last day of my life?"
I think your answer will be: "I would like it to be the best day of my life."
I don't want to upset you, but nobody can ever find out what day is going to be the last.
And so it's better to live each day of your life as if it is the last.
I'm not telling you to quit your job and spend all you money on traveling:)
But you can live your life to its fullest by adding some simple things to each day.
It doesn't matter what is going on, but it does matter how you feel about it.
Do not forget that life is too short to be unhappy!
Here is my recipe for the best day on Earth!

Photo by Patric Shaw


Ingredients

1. A Handful of Happiness
Photo by Tracy Raver

Where can you find it? Take a look inside of you! Happiness doesn't come from the outside, it is within you. Each moment your life gives you a lot of opportunities to be happy. If you want to see them, you will. If you don't, it's up to you.

Photo credit: Women Are Like Nature!


2. A Handful of Love
Photo by Dani Brubaker

Love is the harmony of your soul. A little love can make a big difference to the whole world. We are one. Everyone and everything deserve your love as well as you do.
"You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection."



3. A Handful of Gratitude
Photo credit: Cute Little Cats

Gratitude is one of the strongest positive feelings. We all have something to be grateful for. If you are grateful for everything that you have, you will get more things to feel gratitude for. And this feeling makes you feel good.
"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful."

Photo by I Dani


4. A Handful of Dreams

Feel free to dream big dreams and make small steps towards them. You are the creator of your life. Every time you are doing something to achieve your goals you are growing.
"To dream anything that you want to dream. That's the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed."

Photo credit: DesktopWallpapers.ru


5. A Handful of Freedom

Feel free to do whatever you want to do! Do everything that makes you happy! Push the limits! Do you remeber "Yes Man" movie with Jim Carrey? Always say "Yes" if you feel that it is the right thing to do right now, this can be the way to your dreams.



6. A Handful of Creativity
Photo credit: Fine Glass Objects

Try to be creative in everything you do. Try to do your best every time you are doing something. Do not be afraid to use your imagination. It's such a pleasure to do something new. Feel the joy of creation!

Photo by Jamie Nelson


7. A Handful of Laughter

It's difficult to overestimate the role of laughter. It makes us feel good and unites us. In addition it is the best medicine! And it certainly can make any day brighter.

Photo credit: Amusing Animal World


8. A Game
Photo by Dani Brubaker

Life is a game. Don't take it seriously. Do you like to play games? Why not to play every day? Don't be afraid to lose, everybody can lose. One day you will be the winner!
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall."

Photo credit: It's a Colorful World!


9. A Handful of Magic
Photo by Annie Leibovitz

Do you believe in magic? Well, you should. Life is full of miracles. In fact, life itself is a big miracle. There are so many things that are beyond our understanding.
"There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle."

Photo credit: Desktop Wallpapers

10. A Holiday
Photo credit: It's a Colorful World!





Celebrate every day of your life! Let the spirit of holiday fill each corner of your heart. Why not? You live your life to its fullest and move towards your dreams!




Directions
Mix the ingredients and start the best day of your life! And do not forget to add some spice to make it spicy:)

 
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The Secret of Effortless Happiness

Posted by Baim's Blogger - - 0 komentar

Have you ever noticed just how unhappy you can get over the fact you are not happy? Unexamined, this behavior seems to make sense. But a closer look at it will reveal that being unhappy over being unhappy is like throwing gasoline on a fire to put it out. You get lots of fire and smoke - even a strange excitement - but in the end all you are left with is ashes. This is why you must understand this next amazing fact.



You can make yourself miserable but you can't make yourself happy.
 
This shouldn't be too much of a surprise as we begin to learn that we have been unconscious conspirators in our own unhappy lives. Even if it wasn't being pointed out, most of us can admit that at times we do make ourselves miserable. But there is nothing good about feeling bad. There is never a justification for tolerating self-misery because what is self-induced can be self-reduced and ultimately eliminated if you are willing to understand the underlying causes. This is why we must look at why it is impossible to make ourselves happy if we ever want to come upon authentic happiness.
 
 
 
 
Outside of drugs and alcohol, which are obviously not the way to happiness, whenever you want to make yourself happy, you must put forth an effort of some kind. Effort implies the application of force in a specific direction. We can see that this is good and necessary in following preconceived plans for construction projects, business concerns or cooking, for example. You can also make an effort to imagine or visualize new shapes and ideas to help in the creative process. But when it comes to being happy, any effort is the wrong one. Let's see if this is true. If it is, then we are on the verge of an even higher discovery: Real happiness is effortless. Let's find out more about this new possibility.
 
As we described, where there is an effort, there is, whether known or not, always a plan. All plans by definition are to build something; in this instance your plans are to build happiness. With this preconceived plan, this picture of happiness firmly fixed in your mind, you meet each of life's events looking for your picture instead of experiencing what life has brought to you. This painful and stress-producing process of comparison goes on unknowingly and it ruins everything it touches. Life becomes a series of disappointments instead of a series of happy adventures. Please ponder this next point. You could never be unhappy with anything you found in this life if you didn't already have it fixed in your mind what you were looking for.
 
 
Image by VladStudio
 
 
Hopefully, we can learn from this that our ideas about happiness are more often than not the very root of our unhappiness. The point here is that happiness cannot be made. It is not the result of anything. Happiness comes to those who understand that you can't seek it any more than you seek the air you breathe. It is a part of life to be found within living. The excitement of anticipation is not happiness, any more than smelling freshly-baked bread nourishes a hungry body. All pursuit of happiness is based upon the false assumption that happiness can be possessed. It cannot. Happiness is the natural expression of a stress-free life, just as sunlight naturally warms the earth after dark clouds disappear.
 
 
 
 
 
About the Author
 
Guy Finley is the acclaimed author of more than 30 books and audio programs on the subject of self-realization, several of which have become international best sellers. His popular works, published in 16 languages, are widely endorsed by doctors, professionals, and religious leaders of all denominations. Among many others, his popular titles include: The Secret of Letting Go, Design Your Destiny, The Lost Secrets of Prayer, Apprentice of the Heart, Let Go and Live in the Now, and The Essential Laws of Fearless Living. Finley is the founder and director of Life of Learning Foundation, a nonprofit center for self-study located in Southern Oregon where he gives talks four times each week. Visit http://www.guyfinley.org for a wealth of free helpful information, free audio and video downloads, and to request your free Self-Improvement Starter Kit.

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