So.. people really can live without hearts

I mean.. check this out: Teen without a heart.


Of course, don't forget to watch your daily Ninjai Chapter

Doggy luvz

I'm not feeling all too good yet. Still soggy brained, but bit better.
Here's some shitz to laugh over

CrossFit: The Fast, Furious Workout Craze
Can CrossFit whip you into shape in just 15 minutes a session—safely?
By Sally Wadyka for MSN Health & Fitness
Fitness for All // CrossFit (C) Ben Kerns

If your gym suddenly looks like a cross between a gymnastics studio and a Marine Corps boot camp, chances are it's offering CrossFit classes. This fitness craze that's swept the nation in recent years was developed by a former gymnast in Santa Cruz, California, named Greg Glassman. The grassroots movement started with Glassman's rudimentary Web site on which he posted a daily workout routine (officially known as the "workout of the day" or simply the "WOD"). A dedicated following of police officers, firefighters and military types soon discovered the workouts, and from there, the wave just kept growing. Now, CrossFitters (as devotees are called) number in the thousands, and gyms across the country are offering this intense workout program.

"The workouts include elements of Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, and track and field done in combinations that increase core strength and conditioning," explains Jake Platt, owner of Northwest CrossFit in Seattle. There are about 50 basic exercises that are mixed and matched to create the "WOD," and every day is different. "Routine is the enemy," says Platt, an N.A.S.M. Certified Personal Trainer. "We want to keep your body guessing and make sure that no adaption is happening that will lead you to plateau and stop seeing progress."

That variety is one of the biggest selling points of the program. "I had been going to the gym for about six months, and I was just bored with it," says Roger Parks, a software engineer in Seattle who discovered CrossFit four months ago. He has now traded his hour of treadmill time for a high-intensity CrossFit session four to five days a week. "Now I crank through my workout in 20 minutes and then I'm done for the day," says Parks. He also supplements his workouts with biking and running, and has seen his flag football and soccer playing improve thanks to the strength and stamina he's gained doing CrossFit.

Efficiency, intensity—and safety concerns

CrossFit workouts are modeled on full-body functional movements—like lifting, pulling, twisting, running, crawling and pushing. And because every move is designed to incorporate the entire body, a full workout can be accomplished in an efficient 15- to 20-minute session. The other trademark of the sessions is their intensity. "We're looking to get people to move as quickly as they possibly can through the entire workout," says Platt.

Critics of the workouts (and even some CrossFitters themselves) worry about the high intensity of the moves. "You're doing things fast with a bunch a weight, and I can see how that could be dangerous if it's done wrong," admits Parks. To avoid any potential risk, Parks started slowly. At the CrossFit gym he attends, the "WOD" comes in two versions—the prescribed routine and a modified version of it. Trainer Jake Platt agrees that there could be potential for injury if the moves aren't done perfectly. "Safety is our number-one concern, so in the beginning we work on very basic exercises and make sure people are learning perfect form and movement," he says. That's especially important considering the weights that are used in the exercises (for example, a 20-pound "wall ball" for men and a 12-pound one for women, or a 75-pound Olympic bar for men and 50-pound one for women).

Click here to read more

As always, don't forget to watch your Ninjai Chapter

Good luck, presidentials

And may the best one win.


more animals

more animals

more animals

And of course, don't forget to watch your daily Ninjai Chapter

Australia: No residency for boy with Down syndrome

YDNEY, Australia – A German doctor hoping to gain permanent residency in Australia said Friday he will fight an immigration department decision denying his application because his son has Down syndrome. Bernhard Moeller came to Australia with his family two years ago to help fill a doctor shortage in a rural area of Victoria state.

His temporary work visa is valid until 2010, but his application for permanent residency was rejected this week. The immigration department said Moeller's 13-year-old son, Lukas, "did not meet the health requirement."

"A medical officer of the Commonwealth assessed that his son's existing medical condition was likely to result in a significant and ongoing cost to the Australian community," a departmental spokesman said in a statement issued Thursday by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

"This is not discrimination. A disability in itself is not grounds for failing the health requirement — it is a question of the cost implications to the community," the statement said.

Moeller said he would appeal the decision.

"We like to live here, we have settled in well, we are welcomed by the community here and we don't want to give up just because the federal government doesn't welcome my son," he told reporters.

Moeller has powerful supporters. Victorian Premier John Brumby has pledged to support the family's appeal, and federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon said Friday she would speak to the immigration minister about the case.

Roxon said the case must go through proper channels — an appeal to the Migration Review Tribunal and then the immigration minister — but that "there is a valid reason for this doctor and his family to be eligible to stay here in Australia."

"As a government, we understand the importance of having doctors working in our rural and regional communities and we support them in many ways and continue to do this," Roxon said.

Don McRae, director of clinical services at Wimmera Health Care Group, said the hospital had invested a lot of time and energy in recruiting the German specialist to Horsham, about 100 miles northwest of Melbourne.

"We were very surprised by the decision," he said of the immigration department's rejection. "It's distressing for Dr. Moeller's family and distressing for the community who have welcomed him and relied on his medical services."

Immigration Minister Chris Evans has no power to intervene in the case until the review tribunal or a court upholds the department's decision.

David Tolleson, executive director of the Atlanta-based National Down Syndrome Congress, said he was disappointed by the decision.

"What is the cost implication to the community of a doctor shortage?" Tolleson asked. "I assume the son had the same costs for the last two years and they were happy to have the family and use the dad as a doctor."

Down syndrome, caused by an extra chromosome, is characterized by mental retardation of varying degrees. Those with Down syndrome also can have other problems: Nearly half will have a heart defect, some serious enough to require surgery soon after birth.

Tolleson said that people with Down syndrome have a spectrum of abilities.

"Some need more support, some go on to graduate from college with a four-year degree, and most are somewhere in between," he said.

The immigration department said it appreciates Moeller's contribution to the community but said it must follow the relevant laws in considering residency applications.

"If we did not have a health requirement, the costs to the community and health system would not be sustainable," the statement said.

More than 150,000 migrants settled in Australia in 2007-08, the department said.

Shortages of medical practitioners in rural parts of Australia have led a number of recent government initiatives to boost the numbers of doctors and nurses nationwide.

from: Yahoo News

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Karma Kula and Ninjai - a Ninjai Gang interview

Q: Is KarmaKula Flash animation like Ninjai?

A. No. It’s a unique style of storytelling which you’ll just have to see! KarmaKula is its own thing and we hope that you will judge it without reference to how great Ninjai is. We feel that Ninjai is great and we hope you feel the same. We feel that KarmaKula is great and we hope you like it as much.

Q: Is work on KarmaKula interfering with or impeding work on Ninjai in any way?

A. Not at all. We are still working on Ninjai Chapters 11, 12 and 13, but we’re slowed up a bit because we’re simultaneously working on the story for a Ninjai movie as well as potential television episodes. We’re doing this work on Ninjai, so that’s why it’s taking a long time. We want to thank everyone again for their patience.

Questions about the Ninjai Gang

So... Want to know how much the Ninjai Gang earns? Damn that's hardly anything. :(

Are the Ninjai Gang people still looking for artists?

The Ninjai Gang seeks experienced animators (2D, Traditional, Flash)...

Job description: The Ninjai Gang seeks experienced animators (2D, Traditional, Flash) to work on our popular animated series Ninjai: the Little Ninja.

Requirements/skills: 3-5 years working experience. Strong traditional animation and drawing background a must, preferably Flash 5 experience; ability to draw and animate Ninjai-style a must. Must be production minded, hard-working, creative, responsible, flexible, and have good communication skills.

We?re looking for animators to work on-site at any of the following 3 locations - Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand. Applicants who don't already reside at any of these 3 locations need not apply.

To upload your resume, samples of your work, and/or a link to your website please visit http://www.ninjai.com/support/jobpre.php -- (we can only review applications made using our job page).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Location of work: Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand

Job starting date: June, 2003

Type of contract: Full-time

Duration of job: Permanent, contract

Wages: will be negotiated based on experience and talent.

Benefits: The opportunity to work with a fun group of individuals on a variety of unique and exciting projects.

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Company name: Ninjai Gang
Company description: Multimedia Entertainment Production Company
Web Site: http://www.ninjai.com
Contact: Shalie
fax: 501-423-1129
email: jobs@ninjai.com

Related news:
11/10/2002 @108 Chapter 10 of Ninjai is out (2)
08/02/2002 @776 Ninjai Chapter 5 and Contest (0)
06/17/2002 @142 Chapter 2 of Ninjai (2)

If I were an artist I would totally love to work for them... but... well.. I'm not. :(