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A Dutch and an Argentinian fan cheer before the semi-final football match between Netherlands and Argentina of the FIFA World Cup at The Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo on July 9, 2014. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNISADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

FILE - In this June 18, 2014 file photo, Dutch King Willem-Alexander and his wife, Argentine-born Maxima, sing the national anthem before the start of the World Cup football match between Australia and the Netherlands at the Estadio Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The World Cup semifinal between the Netherlands and Argentina on Wednesday, July 9, 2014 could produce some split loyalties in the House of Orange. Photo: AP

at least, they both wore the dutch orange football "emblem".

The agony and ecstasy is instantly visible as Cillessen is distraught and Argentina's players mob Rodriguez

Argentina's fans will travel to the Maracana where their country will meet Germany in Sunday's final

Argentina & Netherlands’ Roads To The Semifinals

This was a seriously marquee matchup â€" one of the best in Europe going up against one of the best in South America. Both teams had proven themselves leading up to the semifinal. On the back of a historic performance by Lionel Messi, Argentina won all three of their group stage matches, and then won close games against Switzerland and Belgium in the knockout phase.

The Netherlands also won all three of their group matches, though their run in the knockout stage was a little more shaky. The Oranje was just minutes away from being knocked out in the Round of 16 by Mexico before a Wesley Sneijder goal tied the match, and a late penalty kick shockingly won it. The Dutch then lumbered through their quarterfinal match against Costa Rica before winning it in penalty kicks.

Someone had to lose eventually â€" it just wasn’t the Netherlands’ day. Now Argentina will go up against the intimidating Team Germany on July 13 for the World Cup final. It is the team’s first appearance in the final since they won the tournament in 1986.

â€" article by Andrew Gruttadaro
images from various online sources

Argentina Wins World Cup Semifinal In Penalty Kicks

Both teams didn’t make too much of an effort to take risks in the first half (anyone who’s watched the Netherlands in the knockout phase likely recognized this style of play), with both teams making feeble crosses into the box but never really threatening goal.

The scoreless bout continued into the second half, and though both teams pushed a little harder â€" Argentina’s Gonzalo Higuain actually appeared to score a goal, but the ball went just wide â€" neither could score by the time 90 minutes was up. With the score still 0-0, the game went into extra time.

It was more of the same for most of extra time â€" chances that fizzled out into nothing â€" and with neither team being able to score, penalty kicks were required. Talk about intense.

With a trip to the World Cup final on the line, Argentina was simply just a tad better â€" Lionel Messi, Ezequiel Garay, Sergio Aguero, and Maxi Rodriguez all scored, and goalkeeper Sergio Romero made enough saves, two, to lead the team to victory.

Argentina Beats Netherlands On PKs 4-2 In World Cup Semifinal

Wed, July 9, 2014 6:48pm EDT
by Andrew Gruttadaro





The final is set! After Germany stomped Brazil yesterday, Argentina put forth a valiant effort on July 9 to defeat the Netherlands 4-2 on penalty kicks and advance to the World Cup final.

After Germany blew out Brazil 7-1 in the first semifinal on July 8, it was almost a guarantee that the other match between Netherlands and Argentina would be closer, and sure enough, it was a nail-biter. It came down to the wire, with Argentina thrillingly pulling past the Netherlands to win the match on penalty kicks, 4-2.

Semi-Finals

wednesday, july 9


Argentina - 0 (4)
Netherlands - 0 (2)
fulltime (penalties)

hinaot unta bai hubag nga naa niy follow-up story nga imong ma-post.  there is more to this suicide or murder than the humiliated brazil team.

how sad.  i'll never believe that the world cup result is the only reason.  some nepalese tabloid reporter who's a football fan must have made this story up prior to a formal investigation into the young girl's suicide or murder. 

my choice.

Quote from: hubag bohol on July 09, 2014, 09:38:52 PM

just look at the donated currency.

the better to bite enemies.

and from a philippines newspaper...

World Cup: Germany delighted, astonished by Brazil rout

3:34 pm | Wednesday, July 9th, 2014



German soccer fans celebrate after their team won the Brazil World Cup semi final being played in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, between Germany and Brazil at a public viewing event called ‘Fan Mile’ in Berlin, Tuesday, July 8, 2014. AP

BERLIN â€" Germans awoke on Wednesday to discover the 7-1 demolition of Brazil in their World Cup semifinal was not a delightful dream but a scarcely-believable reality.

The front-page headline in the country’s biggest-selling newspaper, Bild, read simply: “7-1. No words for it!”

The paper dedicated its first six pages to pictures of the Germany players scoring and celebrating. And when it finally got to words, it declared the team “immortal” and wrote: “This 7-1 is worth as much as a title.”

Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup as both player and coach, tweeted: “What was that? Hard to believe.”

Thousands watched the match at Berlin’s outdoor fan mile despite wet weather. Germany fan Tamara Beck said: “It’s the best that can ever happen, that Germany scored seven times.”

http://sports.inquirer.net/

netherlands vs argentina
july 9 2014


King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands



the king is of course dutch who chose as his queen an argentine.

will they fight after the semi-final game between their two countries?  let's ask david...

Italian sport paper Corrierre dello Sport highlights the number that really matters

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Paraguayan paper Ultima Hora says 'sadness has no end'

Spanish paper Sport splashes on 'Brazil's historic humiliation - incredible failure'

Italian sport paper Gazzetta dello Sport leads with sad Brazil fans and happy German players

Mexican sport paper Estadio also compares the defeat to the 'Maracanazo', also known as 'the day Brazil cried'

Spanish sport newspaper Marca compares the result to the 'Maracanazo' - the 2-1 defeat of Brazil at Uruguay's hands in the 1950 World Cup final, meant to be the greatest upset in World Cup history

High-end paper Brasil Economico leads with an incredible image that needs no translation

'An embarrasment for eternity' proclaims Correio Brazil with a suitably scroll-like design

This week's edition of German magazine Der Spiegel technically came out two days ago, but the cover is going to look so good on newstands

Germany's Hamburger Morgen-Post celebrates with the players. 'Germany dances' they write, 'Brazil gets dizzy'

The lights have gone out for Brazilian paper Folha de S. Paulo

The world's newspapers react to Brazil's annihilation



Peruvian daily El Comercio leads with sure to become an iconic image of Brazil's star midfielder David Luiz in tears

Most goals scored in a World Cup semi-final

No other team has ever scored seven goals in the semi-finals of the World Cup, and may never do so again.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/

Germany's highest half-time lead

After their opening blitz, Germany achieved their highest half-time lead in a World Cup game. Their previous best was 4-0 against Saudi Arabia at the 2002 tournament, which eventually saw them record their greatest win with an 8-0 victory.

Only three teams have previously trailed by five goals at half-time: Zaire (1974), Haiti (1974)... and Brazil (1938).

Fastest four goals scored in World Cup history

Joachim Low's side scored four goals in the space of six minutes (from 23 to 29). That has never been done in World Cup history.

Brazil's second heaviest defeat was probably the only other match that could compare in the misery stakes, despite it being a friendly, since it came against arch rivals during a 6-1 hammering in 1940.

Fastest brace in World Cup history

Toni Kroos' first-half double, which came in just 69 seconds, was the fastest brace in the history of the competition.

Muller scores Germany's 2,000th goal

Thomas Müller could yet take home the Golden Boot after moving to within a goal of Colombia's James Rodriguez when he scored the opener for his his fifth strike, which also happened to be Germany's 2,000 in history of Die Mannschaft.

Müller is the third player (after Cubillas and Klose) in history to score five or more goals in two different World Cups - he has scored 10 goals and provided six assists in just 12 World Cup matches.

All-time record goalscorer at World Cup

Miroslav Klose added salt to Brazilian wounds by netting his 16th goal at the World Cup finals to move clear of Ronaldo as the competition's all-time leading scorer.

And, Germany have NEVER lost a match where their talisman Klose has scored the first goal.


Standing alone: Miroslav Klose became the tournament's leading scorer with 16 goals

Most goals scored against the World Cup host nation

Brazil is the SECOND host team to let in seven goals in a World Cup match, following Switzerland's 5-7 defeat to Austria in 1954.

The next highest was Brazil who managed to score five against hosts Sweden in 1958 during a 5-2 victory.

Most goals conceded by Brazil at World Cup

It was also the first time that Brazil had conceded more than five World Cup goals since 1938, although on that occasion they managed to comeback to beat Poland 6-5 after extra-time.

Furthermore, Brazil have not let in seven goals at home... ever!

Brazil have conceded eight in a game before during a 8-4 friendly defeat to Yugoslavia on 3 June 1934.

Heaviest World Cup semi-final defeat

No other team has ever scored seven goals in the semi-finals of the World Cup.

Germany's six goal victory was the heaviest semi-final defeat in the tournament's history, ahead of West Germany's 6-1 defeat of Austria in 1954 and Uruguay's win by the same scoreline against Yugoslavia in 1930.

Germany netted as many goals in this semi-final as they had in their previous six World Cup semi-finals (1982-2010).

It is the first time since 1938 that Brazil have lost a World Cup semi-final, they had progressed in their previous six.

Most World Cup goals

Germany have now scored 221 World Cup goals, to move one ahead of their hapless opponents as the tournament's highest ever scorers.

Germany (10) only had two more shots on target than Brazil ( 8 ) in this match.

Germany scored two more goals tonight than England have in their past two World Cup campaigns combined.

Worst loss in Brazil history

The 7-1 scoreline was equal to the worse defeat in the history of Brazilian football.

The Selecao were beaten by 6-0 by fellow South Americans Uruguay in 1920 - nearly a century ago.

This was also Brazil's heaviest World Cup defeat, the next being their 3-0 loss to France in the 1998 Final.

By contrast, Spain only scored eight goals during the entire tournament to win the 2010 World Cup.

THE REWRITTEN RECORD BOOKS


Germany's 7-1 humiliation of World Cup hosts Brazil sees the record books rewritten

By Richard Arrowsmith
04:49 GMT, 9 July 2014


Germany's 7-1 humiliation of hosts Brazil in the semi-finals of the World Cup had statisticians rewriting history practically every time Joachim Low's side touched the ball.


Seventh heaven: The Germans dished out the heaviest defeat in Brazil's history

Brazil's dreams of winning the tournament in their home country were effectively ended by a first-half masterclass that saw the Germans score five goals in the opening 29 minutes - the fastest time it has ever taken a team to reach that figure in World Cup history.

But, that wasn't the only record to fall on an astonishing night in Belo Horizonte...

Khedira (29 minutes)

http://www.independent.co.uk/

Kroos (26 minutes)

Kroos (24 minutes)

Klose (23 minutes)

Muller (11 minutes)

Brazil vs Germany World Cup 2014: 45 minutes that destroyed Brazil's dream of winning the World Cup on home soil


Germans devastate hosts in first-half mauling

Simon Rice
Tuesday 08 July 2014
      
   
Conceding an early goal is never a good thing, but that's exactly what Brazil did against Germany.

And then they fell apart.

Thomas Muller got the German party started when he was left unmarked to bundle in a Toni Kroos corner after 11 minutes.

But it was Miroslav Klose's goal after 23 minutes that opened the flood gates. Some fine passing ended with the striker overtaking Ronaldo as the leading all-time goalscorer.

Kroos made it 3-0 just a minute later, rifling it in just inside the box.

Kroos then scored again on 26 minutes after a one-two with Khedira to make it 4-0.

On 29 minutes Sami Khedira  made it 5-0 after a lovely pull-back by Mesut Ozil.

Quote from: islander on July 09, 2014, 01:08:02 PM
FULL TIME BRAZIL 1 GERMANY 7 Astonishing. You would have to be a heartless swine not to feel sad and sorry for Brazil. The huge pressure, the crazed expectancy, all the nation's mania and hysteria heaped on the shoulders of a passionate and useful but ultimately limited football team. They cracked under the strain, no doubt, but there was more to this than just pressure, or bad tactics and team selection, or hopeless positional play, or an excellent German side packed with sharp passers and cool finishers. It was all of those things, and yet more.

oh, please, author tyers.  i take offense at your metaphor.  swines have more heart than some humans, i must say.

David Luiz at the end of the match

Søren H. Assmann: "Germany is still in shock. Shock and awe. I still wish to hug all those crying Brazilian fans, they can't help it that their team just went tactically for all-out offense against the best counter break team on this planet. Some records: Klose's 16th World Cup goal, all-time record. Germany 222 World Cup goals, now two ahead of Brazil for most goals at World Cups. The 1:0 by Müller was the 2000th goal of the Deutscher Fussball-Bund (DFB) international football game history. And if the scoreline stands, it's the highest defeat of any team in a World Cup semifinal. And the highest defeat for Brazil ever."

Karla:  "Oh my god. This is unbelievable! As a German myself I should probably be more happy about my team winning this game... but.. I'm utterly gobsmacked -- a win really shouldn't feel this bad, should it? This is like watching a train wreck. But well. We're winning...so. I guess: Yay? Hm.."

more at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/10951334/Brazil-vs-Germany-World-Cup-2014-as-it-happened.html

some comments:

Alan Hansen: "I am distraught, I have been watching football for 50 years, and this is a low point. To come to Brazil and watch this."

Alan Shearer: "I genuinely worry whether some of these players will recover from this."

Henry Winter's match report: "This was an embarrassment to a famous shirt, a point their furious supporters made splenetically."

Paul Hayward: "The indignity of this night will haunt Brazilian football for generations."

Brazil vs Germany, World Cup 2014: as it happened


Dumped out: Brazil conceded four goals in the space of just six first-half minutes Photo: AFP

By Alan Tyers
12:15AM BST 09 Jul 2014


FULL TIME BRAZIL 1 GERMANY 7 Astonishing. You would have to be a heartless swine not to feel sad and sorry for Brazil. The huge pressure, the crazed expectancy, all the nation's mania and hysteria heaped on the shoulders of a passionate and useful but ultimately limited football team. They cracked under the strain, no doubt, but there was more to this than just pressure, or bad tactics and team selection, or hopeless positional play, or an excellent German side packed with sharp passers and cool finishers. It was all of those things, and yet more.

It felt before the game that defeat would be a disaster for the players and people of Brazil. But this was not just a defeat. I honestly haven't really seen anything like this, I don't think anybody has. Read on for reactions from pundits and readers. I will sign off, just hopeful that the people of Brazil can get over this defeat and remember that, horrible though this feels, the players and the coach did their best. Glib and empty though it feels to say, it is only sport, and there has to be a winner and a loser. Sometimes defeat is unlucky, sometimes it is undeserved, sometimes it is humbling and horrible and heart-breaking and humiliating. But it is only sport. Goodnight.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

7-1!

is this true?  unglaublich!

Prost, Deutsch Mannschaft!


Semifinals

tuesday, july 8


Germany - 7
Brazil - 1
fulltime

top that with the best way to iron...

Photo By Dario Lopez-Mills/Associated Press

Dejected fans of the Brazilian national soccer team watch their team play Germany.

http://www.sfgate.com/

Photo By Leo Correa/Associated Press

Brazil soccer fans watch their team play a World Cup semifinal match against Germany via live telecast inside the FIFA Fan Fest area on Copacabana beach in Rio.

Photo By Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

A fan of Brazil reacts during the semi-final football match between Brazil and Germany at The Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte.

Photo By Themba Hadebe/Associated Press

Two children in Brazil jerseys stand on their seats during the World Cup semifinal.

Photo By Leo Correa/Associated Press

Brazil soccer fans cry as they watch their team play a World Cup semifinal match against Germany on a live telecast inside the FIFA Fan Fest area on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro.

Photo By Miguel Schincariol/AFP/Getty Images

A fan of Brazil kneels in dejection as he watches the FIFA World Cup semi-final.

Photo By Rodrigo Abd/Associated Press

Brazil soccer fans embrace as they watch their team lose to Germany.

Photo By Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

Brazil's defender Thiago Silva (R) comforts David Luiz after their 7-1 loss to Germany.

Photo By Miguel Schincariol/AFP/Getty Images

One little girl sums up the nation: Don't even look.

Photo By Michael Steele/Getty Images

A Germany fan reacts while surrounded by dejected Brazil fans after Germany's 7-1 win.

Photo By Mario Tama/Getty Images

Brazil fans are devastated while watching the first half on Copacabana Beach.

Photo By Miguel Schincariol/AFP/Getty Images

A fan of Brazil cries at the Fan Fest public viewing event in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Photo By Silvia Izquierdo/Associated Press

Brazil soccer fans cry after their team lost the World Cup semi-final match against Germany.

Photo By Miguel Schincariol/AFP/Getty Images

A fan of Brazil kneels in dejection as he watches the FIFA World Cup semi-final football match between Brazil and Germany.

Photo By Dario Lopez-Mills/Associated Press

A fan of Brazil weeps as she watches her team lose to Germany in a semi-final match.

So much crying: Brazil fans weep after World Cup thrashing by Germany

July 8, 2014



Photo By Leo Correa/Associated Press

A Brazil soccer fan cries as he watches his team during a live telecast of the semi-finals World Cup soccer match between Brazil and Germany, inside the FIFA Fan Fest area on Copacabana beach.

i just told the banana republic this good news.  his answer: 'civilization develops in small steps.'

Alex Hofford, Wild Life Risk director, in the report said that they are “delighted” of PAL’s new actions.

“Obviously we’re delighted that Philippine Airlines has seen fit to turn its back on the dirty shark fin trade by joining a growing family of airlines that take their corporate social responsibilities seriously,” he said.

PAL said in its statement that it would formalize a policy to stop the shipping operations of the marine resource.

“PAL takes the issue on protection and conservation of endangered marine life seriously, recognizing that the company’s long-term interest is and should be consistent with sustainable and responsible business practices.”

http://business.inquirer.net/

Philippine Airlines to stop shipment of shark fins

By Bong Lozada |INQUIRER.net
Thursday, April 24th, 2014


FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippinesâ€"After environment groups lambasted the Philippines’ flag-bearer in the aviation industry, the Philippine Airlines on Wednesday evening has vowed to stop its shipping operations of shark fins.

According to a report from the South China Morning Post, conservation group Wild Life Risk and ocean advocacy group Fins Attached discovered PAL of delivering 136 bags each containing 50 kilograms of dried shark fins on April 16.

“It’s a total stop,” PAL spokeswoman Cielo Villaluna said. “We are stopping the shipment on all fronts…not just to Hong Kong.”

“PAL takes the issue of protection and conservation of endangered marine life seriously,” the airline said in a statement.

“Cebu Pacific values biodiversity and marine life sustainability. We are banning shark fin carriage effective immediately as we learned that unsustainable shark fishing and our carriage of shark fin is not aligned with Cebu Pacific position on sustainable development,” Jorenz Tañada, Cebu Pacific vice president for Corporate Affairs, said in a statement.

“We have been working closely with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in our efforts to address some of the most pressing environmental concerns including climate change and marine life preservation,” Tañada added.

WWF-Philippines vice chairman and CEO Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan, in the same statement, welcomed the development.

“For several years now, Cebu Pacific passengers have helped fund WWF’s conservation efforts in our two great Philippine reefsâ€"Tubbataha in Palawan and Apo in Mindoro. Cebu Pacific’s … gesture in support of the conservation of Philippine sharks will most certainly help disrupt the transport chains that fuel this highly destructive trade,” he said.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/

Cebu Pacific bans shark fin on flights

By Miguel R. Camus |Philippine Daily Inquirer   
Tuesday, July 8th, 2014

MANILA, Philippines â€" Whether on meal trays or in freight, shark fin will no longer be allowed on board any Cebu Pacific flight.

The country’s biggest budget carrier has formalized a freight policy for immediate implementation and strict compliance across Cebu Pacific stations, the airline announced.

The move also follows Philippine Airline’s decision last April to also stop accepting the carriage of shark fin.

Also, Cebu Pacific will no longer serve shark’s fin soup in-flight, during corporate events or in any gathering organized and hosted by the airline.

makasuya nang dilaa uy.  mag-aso ang kontra, di makatarong ug strategy, mapildig ahat, hehe.

aguy intawon, day.  asa man imong ginikanan nga sa edad nimong 17 anyos nagmasahe na man intawon ka. 

hinoon, kun di ni catholic sa pinas, ingnon na lang natog some countries somewhere in south asia and the middle east, di lang baba ang weapon of mass destruction ang gigamit.  posibleng batohon hangtod mamatay tawon ang single mother, kana kun di unhan ug patay sa amahan ug mga paryenteng lalaki.  this hurt-by-verbal-tirade single mom can count her blessings and move on.

Source: Tara West

Hangover Mask
Made up of ice cubes to cool the face, this mask was said to help poor souls of the world handle their hangovers. It was coined by Max Factor in the USA in 1947 The best way to deal with them, though, is not through masks or iceâ€"but just to, you know, drink less.

http://all-that-is-interesting.com/

Source: Viral Stuff Blog

Ear Enhancers
Invented in Japan, this aesthetically-challenged device is said to enhance the range of hearing for the wearer.
Image name: strange-inventions-ice-mask
Image source: http://www.tarawest.co.uk

http://cdn.all-that-is-interesting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/strange-inventions-shreddies.jpg
censored by islander kay morag luod.  that's the link, anyway.

Odor-blocking Underwear
Invented by Buck Weimer for a US underwear manufacturer, “Shreddies” claim to neutralize the smell of farts. To filter flatulence’s deleterious effects, the underwear’s air-tight fabric is sealed with elastic around the waistband and legs. If you want to buy a pair (or perhaps a pair for your stinky significant other), you can visit the online store: myshreddies.com

Source: Listverse

Rolling Bridge
The Rolling Bridge was a British invention that emerged during the Victorian eraâ€"a time when the impractical and unnatural was truly en vogue. The invention served as an alternative to the traditional bridge, and enabled the user to move across the water on a rolling platform that was attached to rails. It didn’t remain in use for very long due to, you guessed it, impracticality.

Source: Neatorama

A Piano For The Bed-Ridden
Perhaps a bit more effective than the French shovel car, this 1935 British invention sought to bring aid to those in need rather than catch them in it. Though this invention never really took off and always remained in prototype stage, it was designed to enable the ill, disabled and bed-ridden to play the piano.

Source: We Heart Vintage

Wooden Bathing Suits
Invented in Washington in 1929 and much like the tire swimming aids, these barrel-like wooden bathing suits were created to make swimming easier. They were also adopted as a (not so flattering) fashion statement.

Source: Wall To Watch

The Shovel Car
Is this car the mark of benevolent innovation? The 1934-invented car featured a shovel in front to prevent casualties on the hectic Parisian streets. The shovel would catchâ€"instead of maimâ€"stray pedestrians.

Source: The Daily Mail

The Cyclomer
You like the ocean, except for the whole “having to abandon your bike to enter it” bit? The Cyclomer is just for you. Invented in Paris in 1932, the bike worked on land and sea, and could carry a load of up to 120 pounds.

Source: Filmmaker IQ

Straw Hat Radio
Invented by an American in 1931, this is a portable radio stored in a straw hat. It never did make waves. You might blame a massive depression; we blame the choice in material.

Source: The Daily Mail

Ice Age-Resistant Boats
Irrationally afraid of an impending ice age? Live in Holland in the year 1600? Fear no more. This boat, which was designed in Holland, had (as the inventors believed) the capacity to transport goods over frozen rivers and lakes.

Source: The Daily Mail 

Swimming Aid
Invented in 1925 by Italian M. Goventosa de Udine, these swimming aids were made from bike tires and allowed the wearer to move at speeds of up to 93 mph. And while they’re a far cry from being fashionableâ€"or even remotely comfortableâ€"at least you could move faster than a running cheetah. Right?

The Pentagon is also improving the Virginia design, adding undersea-launched drones, extra missile capacity, and potentially a new anti-ship missile.

Given China's place in the world, its underlying national trends and America's pointed advantage in just that aspect of military power that's especially damaging to Chinese plans, it seems optimistic for PLA officers to assume they can launch an attack on China's neighbors without first knocking out U.S. forces.

Not that a preemptive strike would make any difference, as the only American forces that truly matter for containing China are the very ones that China cannot reach.

For they are deep underwater.

http://theweek.com/

"The economic model that propelled China through three decades of meteoric growth appears unsustainable," Andrew Erickson, a Naval War College analyst, told the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

What Erickson described as China's "pent-up national potential" could begin expiring as early as 2030, by which point "China will have world's highest proportion of people over 65," he predicted. "An aging society with rising expectations, burdened with rates of chronic diseases exacerbated by sedentary lifestyles, will probably divert spending from both military development and the economic growth that sustains it."

Wisely, American political and military leaders have made the investments necessary to sustain U.S. undersea power for at least that long. After a worrying dip in submarine production, starting in 2012 the Pentagon asked for â€" and Congress funded â€" the acquisition of two Virginia-class submarines per year for around $2.5 billion apiece, a purchase rate adequate to maintain the world's biggest nuclear submarine fleet indefinitely.

Waiting out the Chinese decline

If American subs can hold the line for another 20 years, China might age right out of its current, aggressive posture without ever having attacked anyone. That's because economic and demographic trends in China point towards a rapidly aging population, flattening economic growth, and fewer resources available for military modernization.

To be fair, almost all developed countries are also experiencing this aging, slowing and increasing peacefulness. But China's trends are pronounced owing to a particularly steep drop in the birth rate traceable back to the Chinese Communist Party's one-child policy.

Another factor is the unusual speed with which the Chinese economy has expanded to its true potential, thanks to the focused investment made possible by an authoritarian government… and also thanks to that government's utter disregard for the natural environment and for the rights of everyday Chinese people.

(Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Adam K. Thomas/U.S Navy via Getty Images)

"We won't invade China, so ground forces don't play," pointed out Wayne Hughes, a professor at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. "We won't conduct a first nuclear strike. We should not adopt an air-sea strike plan against the mainland, because that is a sure way to start World War IV."

Rather, America must deny the Chinese free access to their near waters. "We need only enough access to threaten a war at sea," Hughes said. In his view, a fleet optimized for countering China would have large numbers of small surface ships for enforcing a trade blockade. But the main combatants would be submarines, "to threaten destruction of all Chinese warships and commercial vessels in the China Seas."

Cliff estimated that in wartime, each American submarine would be able to get off "a few torpedo shots" before needing to "withdraw for self-preservation." But assuming eight subs each fire three torpedoes, and just half those torpedoes hit, the American attack boats could destroy all of China's major amphibious ships â€" and with them, Beijing's capacity for invading Taiwan or seizing a disputed island.

So it almost doesn't matter that a modernized PLA thinks it possesses the means to fight America above the waves, on land, and in the air. If it can't safely sail an invasion fleet as part of its territorial ambitions, it can't achieve its strategic goals â€" capturing Taiwan and or some island also claimed by a neighboring country â€" through overtly military means.

That reality should inform Washington's own strategy. As the United States has already largely achieved the world order it struggled for over the last century, it need only preserve and defend this order. In other words, America has the strategic high ground against China, as the latter must attack and alter the world in order to get what it wants.

In practical military terms, that means the Pentagon can more or less ignore most of China's military capabilities, including those that appear to threaten traditional U.S. advantages in nukes, air warfare, mechanized ground operations, and surface naval maneuvers.

U.S. subs are, on average, bigger, faster, quieter, and more powerful than the rest of the world's subs. And there are more of them. The U.K. is building just seven new Astute attack boats. Russia aims to maintain around 12 modern attack subs. China is struggling to deploy a handful of rudimentary nuclear boats.

Able to lurk silently under the waves and strike suddenly with torpedoes and missiles, submarines have tactical and strategic effect greatly disproportionate to their relatively small numbers. During the 1982 Falklands War, the British sub Conqueror torpedoed and sank the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano, killing 323 men. The sinking kept the rest of the Argentine fleet bottled up for the duration of the conflict.

America's eight-at-a-time submarine picket in or near Chinese waters could be equally destructive to Chinese military plans, especially considering the PLA's limited anti-submarine skills. "Although China might control the surface of the sea around Taiwan, its ability to find and sink U.S. submarines will be extremely limited for the foreseeable future," Cliff testified. "Those submarines would likely be able to intercept and sink Chinese amphibious transports as they transited toward Taiwan."

Thirty-three of the attack and missile boats belong to the Pacific Fleet, with major bases in Washington State, California, Hawaii, and Guam. Deploying for six months or so roughly every year and a half, America's Pacific subs frequently stop over in Japan and South Korea and occasionally even venture under the Arctic ice.

According to Adm. Cecil Haney, the former commander of Pacific Fleet subs, on any given day 17 boats are underway and eight are "forward-deployed," meaning they are on station in a potential combat zone. To the Pacific Fleet, that pretty much means waters near China.

America has several submarine types. The numerous Los Angeles-class attack boats are Cold War stalwarts that are steadily being replaced by newer Virginia-class boats with improved stealth and sensors. The secretive Seawolfs, numbering just three â€" all of them in the Pacific â€" are big, fast, and more heavily armed than other subs. The Ohio-class missile submarines are former ballistic missile boats each packing 154 cruise missile.

The Silent Service

It's not surprising that Beijing would overlook America's subs. Most Americans overlook their own undersea fleet â€" and that's not entirely their own fault. The U.S. sub force takes pains to avoid media coverage in order to maximize its secrecy and stealth. "The submarine cruises the world's oceans unseen," the Navy stated on its Website.

Unseen and unheard. That why the sub force calls itself the "Silent Service."

The Navy has 74 submarines, 60 of which are attack or missile submarines optimized for finding and sinking other ships or blasting land targets. The balance is ballistic-missile boats that carry nuclear missiles and would not routinely participate in military campaigns short of an atomic World War III.

(Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Adam K. Thomas/U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

The knock-on effects of deterring America could be world-changing. "Backing away from our commitments to protect Taiwan, Japan, or the Philippines would be tantamount to ceding East Asia to China's domination," Roger Cliff, a fellow at the Atlantic Council, said at the same U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission hearing on Jan. 30.

Worse, the world's liberal economic order â€" and indeed, the whole notion of democracy â€" could suffer irreparable harm. "The United States has both a moral and a material interest in a world in which democratic nations can survive and thrive," Cliff asserted.

Fortunately for that liberal order, America possesses by far the world's most powerful submarine force â€" one poised to quickly sink any Chinese invasion fleet. In announcing its readiness to hold off the U.S. military, the PLA seems to have ignored Washington's huge undersea advantage.

But if China failed to disable American forces with a surprise attack, Beijing could find itself fighting a full-scale war on at least two fronts: against the country it was invading plus the full might of U.S. Pacific Command, fully mobilized and probably strongly backed by the rest of the world.

That was then. But after two decades of sustained military modernization, the Chinese military has fundamentally changed its strategy in just the last year or so. According to Fuell, recent writings by PLA officers indicate "a growing confidence within the PLA that they can more-readily withstand U.S. involvement."

The preemptive strike is off the table â€" and with it, the risk of a full-scale American counterattack. Instead, Beijing believes it can attack Taiwan or another neighbor while also bloodlessly deterring U.S. intervention. It would do so by deploying such overwhelmingly strong military forces â€" ballistic missiles, aircraft carriers, jet fighters, and the like â€" that Washington dare not get involved.

How China wins

The bad news came from Lee Fuell, from the U.S. Air Force's National Air and Space Intelligence Center, during Fuell's testimony before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 30.

For years, Chinese military planning assumed that any attack by the People's Liberation Army on Taiwan or a disputed island would have to begin with a Pearl Harbor-style preemptive missile strike by China against U.S. forces in Japan and Guam. The PLA was so afraid of overwhelming American intervention that it genuinely believed it could not win unless the Americans were removed from the battlefield before the main campaign even began.

A preemptive strike was, needless to say, a highly risky proposition. If it worked, the PLA just might secure enough space and time to defeat defending troops, seize territory, and position itself for a favorable post-war settlement.

China thinks it can defeat America in battle

But it overlooks one decisive factor

By David Axe
War is Boring
July 7, 2014   



The bad news first. The People's Republic of China now believes it can successfully prevent the United States from intervening in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan or some other military assault by Beijing.

Now the good news. China is wrong â€" and for one major reason. It apparently disregards the decisive power of America's nuclear-powered submarines.


Sorry, China, but the U.S. still has the upper hand. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jared Hill/U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

Moreover, for economic and demographic reasons Beijing has a narrow historical window in which to use its military to alter the world's power structure. If China doesn't make a major military move in the next couple decades, it probably never will.

The U.S. Navy's submarines â€" the unsung main defenders of the current world order â€" must hold the line against China for another 20 years. After that, America can declare a sort of quiet victory in the increasingly chilly Cold War with China.

More Do's and Don'ts

    Exercise! Staying active can cut your risk of developing gallstones in half.

    Lose some weight. Being overweight, even as little as 10 pounds, can double your risk of getting gallstones.

    Diet sensibly. If you are overweight, plan on shedding pounds slowly. Losing weight too fast can increase your chances of developing gallstones.

    Reduce your saturated fat intake. Too much fat in the diet increases your risk of gallstones. But don't cut back too drastically. You need some fat to give the gallbladder the message to empty bile. If you're trying to lose weight, don't go below 20 percent calories from fat.

    Eat a low fat, low-cholesterol, high-fiber diet. Multiple studies show this is your best bet for a healthy body and a healthy gallbladder.

Now that you understand how the gallbladder works and the home remedies you can use to keep it healthy, you're on your way to looking and feeling better.

http://health.howstuffworks.com/

Home Remedies from the Refrigerator

Red bell pepper. Getting loads of vitamin C in your diet can help you avoid gallstones, and one red bell pepper has 95 mg of the helpful vitamin -- more than the 60 mg a day the government recommends for men and women over age 15. A recent study found that people who had more vitamin C in their blood were less likely to get the painful stones.

Salmon. Research is finding that omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish such as salmon, may help prevent gallstones.

Vegetables. Eating your veggies is a good way to ward off gallstones. One study found that vegetarian women were only half as likely to have gallstones as their carnivore counterparts. Researchers aren't sure exactly how vegetables counteract gallstones, but they believe vegetables help reduce the amount of cholesterol in bile.

Wine. Half a glass of wine a day can avert gallstone attacks. Scientists discovered that drinking half a glass of wine or beer cut the number of gallstone attacks by 40 percent. But don't go overboard. The study didn't find that drinking more than half a glass would offer any more protection.