Zazzle Shop

Screen printing

Friday, July 24, 2009

VIDEO: Alice In Wonderland Trailer Released


Tim Burton’s twisted take on the classic childrens’ story Alice in Wonderland doesn’t hit theaters until next year, but the trailer has just been released --and RadarOnline.com can show it to you!

The movie –in 3D no less--stars the always amazing Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, and Mia Wasikowska as Alice.

See photos of the cast of Alice In Wonderland
.

Burton will be making his first appearance in thirty years at Comic-Con in San Diego this week and is bringing with him footage from “Alice” as well as clips from his upcoming post-apocalyptic animated film, 9, which he produced.

Alice In Wonderland is scheduled to be released March 5, 2010.

X-ray GIF of a human speaking

C h r i s t i n e
E r i c s d o t t e r

Ph.D.


This is me (female subject) saying "både" ("both"). The sequence is an excerpt from a 20 second X-Ray film registred at the Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm in March 1997. Also watch a male subject saying "pion" and my big mouth



X-RAY ANALYSES OF SPEECH

PROJECT PARTICIPANTS
Peter Branderud, Hassan Djamshidpey, Christine Ericsdotter Bresin, Diana Krull, Catharina Kylander, Jaroslava Lander, Björn Lindblom, Hans-Jerker Lundberg, Johan Stark, Johan Sundberg, Ivar Wäneland

SPONSOR
HSFR (Röntgenanalyser av tal, head: Björn Lindblom)

ABSTRACT
The goal of this project is to investigate 12 speakers with the x-ray equipment at Danderyd Hospital, that is especially calibrated for synchronous registration of articulatory movements and sound [1]. Each subject is recorded for 20 seconds at 50 images per second. The x-ray films are of high quality, which facilitates the phonetic interpretation. The analysis is made frame by frame by tracing the speaker's vocal tract profile and by feeding the information from the different parts of the vocal tract profile (jaw, mandible, pharynx, tongue contour and lips) into the APEX model. At present, we are investigating how the movement of the tongue is modified when the tongue blade gestures for dental and retroflex stops interact with the tongue body motion for various VCV contexts [2, 3].

REFERENCES
[1] Branderud P, Lundberg H-J, Lander J, Djamshidpey H, Wäneland I, Krull D & Lindblom B (1998): "X-ray analyses of speech: Methodological aspects", FONETIK 98, Papers presented at the annual Swedish phonetics conference, Dept of Linguistics, Stockholm University, May 1998.

[2] Ericsdotter, C., Stark, J. & Lindblom, B. (1999): "Articulatory coordination in coronal stops: Implications for theories of coarticulation." Proceedings from the XIVth ICPhS, San Francisco, California, 1-7 August 1999.

[3] Ericsdotter, C. (1999): Modeling lingual coarticulation in coronal stops. Master Thesis in Phonetics, Department of Linguistics, Stockholm University & Deparment of Speech, Music and Hearing, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Spring 1999.

The most WTF pic/vid...Funky forest, go for a drink?



img238.imageshack.us Ever seen a picture/video where you can't really tell if it's NSFW or not? I don't think this is, but my brain's too busy 'splodin' to figure it out.


James Cameron teasing 'Avatar' for free on Imax, 3D screens

By Steven Zeitchik and Borys Kit

Zoe_avatar_sdcc_300 James Cameron and Fox took the wraps off their pricey, visually splashy 3D movie at the San Diego Convention Center's Hall H on Thursday, to a deeply enthusiastic, if not over-the-top hysterical, crowd on Thursday afternoon.

Cameron warmed up the sci-fi-minded crowd by asking, "Who wants to go to another planet?" before rolling nearly 25 minutes of scenes from his otherworldly tale, which is set on the fictional planet of Pandorum. (The news came on a panel where Cameron announced that on Aug. 21, Fox will take over as many Imax and 3D screens as it can to show, free of charge, 15 minutes of promotional footage from "Avatar" to anyone who wants to see it.)

At the panel, a few expositional scenes showing main character Sam Worthington becoming an avatar (a blue-skinned human-alien hybrid) segued into a series of jungle battle scenes -- many of them of striking color and scope -- in which Worthington and co-star Zoe Saldana fight with prehistoric-looking creatures. The footage showed a vividly original world complete with its own language and ecology.

"Everybody always asks, where have you been? Well, that's where I've been: Pandorum," said Cameron, who hasn't directed a narrative feature since 1997's "Titanic."

The footage overlapped with but was not identical to the slightly shorter material that Fox showed at Cinema Expo in Amsterdam last month, the studio said.

The stakes are high for Fox, which has made the Dec. 18 film the cornerstone of its fall slate. The film is important enough to the studio that it was introduced by Fox Filmed Entertainment co-chairman Tom Rothman, who noted that "moments likes these are rare for a movie company."

At a news conference after the panel, Cameron acknowledged the studio's support, saying: "They wrote us a big check and were with us right down the line."

How big a check has become one of the bigger Hollywood mysteries of the season. While some estimates have pegged the budget for "Avatar" in the $300 million range, Fox has stuck to a figure much closer to $230 million.

Cameron has faced a lot of talk about budgets ever since "Titanic," which went on to become the biggest worldwide grosser in history with $1.8 billion, was released.

If the "Avatar" footage didn't elicit the hysterical reactions of the "New Moon" and "Alice in Wonderland" panels earlier in the day from the Comic-Con faithful, that was understandable. The "Avatar" unspooling marks one of the rare times in recent Comic-Con memory that a film of this scale has not been based on a pre-existing property.

That the film is an unknown quantity poses both an advantage and a disadvantage for Fox: While the movie comes without the benefit of prior awareness (and thus makes it a harder sell in the short run), it gives the studio a chance to shape perception in a way that remakes and sequels don't allow.

The need to build awareness was behind Cameron's surprise announcement about screening footage for free in theaters in August.

While the unusual move to give moviegoers a deeper look at the upcoming movie is an expensive gambit for the studio's marketing department, Fox clearly hopes it will show people what cannot simply be translated in a 2D trailer or in TV spots.

Avatar’s orignality was a topic of conversation during the Q&A, when a questioner thanked Cameron for "making something origninal, that’s not a remake of a sequel.” The statement was met with a loud ovation from the audience.

Asked about the message of his opus, Cameron said he something larger on his mind than simple entertainment. His intent, he said, was to "make something that has the spoonful of sugar of action and adventure, but also that has a conscience," and that in the process of viewing it, audiences would "think about how you interact with nature and your fellow man."

Read more about the "Avatar" panel at THR's Comic-Con blog

Philly rolls out solar-powered trash cans downtown

A solar-powered trash compactor is demonstrated at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 2007 in New York.
By Mark Lennihan, AP
A solar-powered trash compactor is demonstrated at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 2007 in New York.
PHILADELPHIA — Is it any surprise that a city known for its love of cheesesteaks, soft pretzels and cannolis would embrace a solar-powered trash compactor called a BigBelly?

Philadelphia has replaced 700 public trash receptacles downtown with 500 of the high-tech compactors, which use solar energy to condense trash — cutting collection trips by 75%.

Facing a $1.4 billion, five-year budget deficit, the city estimates it will save $875,000 a year with the compactors, bought with state grant money. Cities from Vienna to Boston to Vancouver have tried the devices in smaller numbers; Philadelphia put them along four collection routes downtown.

Streets Commissioner Clarena Tolson says the new compactors, the last of which was installed this month, need to be emptied about five times a week — vs. 19 times for a regular trash bin. The change frees up 25 streets department employees, who are now filling vacancies on trucks that collect household recycling.

"We now can go all day," Tolson said of the 32-gallon compactors, which can hold 150 to 200 gallons of trash.

The devices are being tried by governments and others in 40 states and 20 countries, but no other group is trying an approach as comprehensive as Philadelphia, says Richard Kennelly, vice president of marketing for BigBelly Solar, based in Needham, Mass.

The BigBelly is powered by light, but it does not need direct light, Kennelly said. When trash gets to the top of the bin, it breaks an electronic beam that triggers a motor that pushes it down. As trash gets more densely packed, the machine senses the resistance and changes a light on the front of the bin from green to yellow.

In Philadelphia, the cans also have a wireless monitoring system that notifies the city when they're full. In addition, the city is introducing curbside recycling containers next to many of the compactors.

Boston first got the solar-powered compactors in 2006 and now has 160, using them everywhere from historic Faneuil Hall to Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.

"Our problem with them right now is we don't have them concentrated, we've got them spread," said Dennis Royer, Boston's chief of public works and transportation, who estimates the compactors pay for themselves in 18 months.

Royer said he would love to replace more of his 1,595 trash cans with the BigBelly. The city has also gotten businesses to buy 20 or 30 of the compactors, which cost from $3,195 to $3,995 apiece.

About 100 BigBelly compactors are being used by various entities in New York, including the Bronx Zoo. Chicago has 90. There are about 30 in Vancouver. Overseas, Vienna has 60 and they are also being used in parts of Australia, Israel and France.

But Philadelphia is the first to use them in such big numbers, along whole collection routes.

"They really moved forward on this, primarily because of the cost savings," Kennelly said.

In a city once dubbed the nation's fattest, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter initially did a double-take when an aide told him about the devices.

"What? Who's got a big belly?" he recalled asking.

But when he saw how they could save money and when the city came up with grant money to buy them, he said, he warmed quickly. The city tested three last year and began adding them by the hundreds this year.

The targeted approach is also being tested in Somerville, Mass., where officials have focused them in busy areas.

Somerville has saturated its main square and several other areas, freeing up several streets department workers to repair potholes, trim trees and fix playground equipment, said Michael Lambert, director of transportation and infrastructure.

One lesson Royer learned in Boston is that workers needed to keep the cans clean so people didn't shy away from them.

And even though they need to be emptied less often, he said, their fullness needs to be carefully monitored — especially during big events.

"You don't want anything to discourage people from using them," he said.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Scientists Make LED Bulbs From Salmon DNA

BY Ariel Schwartz


dna lightbulbs

Where can science fiction possibly go when real-life headlines proclaim that researchers have created LED lightbulbs from salmon DNA? University of Connecticut researchers have added fluorescent dye to salmon DNA and spun the DNA strands into nanofibers to create a brand new material that gives off a bright white light. A LED light is coated with the DNA nanofibers, and voila, a salmon DNA lightbulb is born.

While other scientists have experimented with materials like silica nanoparticles and block copolymers to alter the color of light given off by a LED bulb, salmon DNA has proven most successful. Tuning the light quality from cool white to warm white is just a matter of tweaking the ratio of dyes because, according to researchers, "the DNA fibers orient the dyes in an optimum way for efficient [fluorescence energy transfer] to occur." So salmon DNA bulbs could overcome at least one hurdle for LEDs--complaints about brightness.

But despite advances in color tuning, University of Connecticut scientists don't know if their LED bulbs will be cheaper or more energy-efficient than current LED bulbs, which are already more efficient than CFLs and incandescents. And with high-end LED bulbs selling for as much as $80, price will ultimately be the barrier that makes or breaks the success of LEDs in the market.

IGN: SDCC 09: IGN's Comic-Con Preview


IGN: SDCC 09: IGN's Comic-Con Preview

Shared via AddThis

Derek Fisher Hits Amazing 33-Foot Shot From Above

July 23, 2009

derek-fisher-hits-amazing-33-foot-shot-from-above


Total Pro Sports - Throughout last season's NBA playoffs we were treated to some great shooting from several different players. While LeBron James was busy draining buckets off the court, Derek Fisher was doing so on it. Now with the season over, he has one-upped James in the trick shot department.

In Los Angeles to promote an upcoming 3 on 3 tournament, Fisher attempted to hit a bucket from 33-feet away. Doesn't seem like much, but when you add the fact that he was up on the balcony at the Nokia Plaza, his accomplishment becomes that much more impressive. Take that LeBron!

This was not necessarily intended to be an "in your face" type of thing directed towards King James, but we are making it into such. After he tried to prevent us from seeing Jordan Crawford dunk all over him, we are in the mood to keep this anit-LeBron James theme going. Gotta pass time some how until the season starts again!



Submarines for Everyone!

By Lisa
Maltese Falcon.
The Deep Flight Super Falcon from Hawkes Ocean Technologies is launched from Tom Perkins' yacht, the Maltese Falcon.
Photo: Hawkes Ocean Technologies

Fish swam over my head and a landscape of rocks, trees and debris appeared between my feet. In the depths I saw the roots of a Jefferson pine some 2,000 years old.

"Welcome to my office," Capt. Scott Cassell said as he used a joystick to guide the helicopter-like Seamagine submersible ever deeper into Fallen Leaf Lake, not far from Lake Tahoe in northern California.

Seventy-one percent of the Earth's surface is water, and the realms below it offer enormous possibilities for exploration, recreation and education. Yet those depths remain inaccessible to most people. A growing number of explorers and entrepreneurs hope to change that with personal submersibles, an emerging type of watercraft that carry two or three people and fly through our underwater world.

Three companies have shown their craft in California, promising a new era of underwater exploration. Hawkes Ocean Technologies unveiled its latest winged sub and is offering "flights" in Monterey Bay this month. Super Aviator Systems and Seamagine recently demonstrated their watercraft in Lake Tahoe.

These companies push submersibles in a new direction. Most submersibles work like hot air balloons, diving and rising or moving forward and back. Persubs move more like airplanes -- or, in the case of the Seamagine, a helicopter. They bring the dynamics of flight to the sea. The technologies could open new avenues of discovery and change how we interact with our endangered seas and lakes.

"A new transport technology always gives new access, and with access comes understanding,” said William Koehan, president of SeaMagine and chairman of the Manned Underwater Vehicle committee for the Marine Technology Society. "Once you understand, you can care. We need a human connection to the ocean."

Persubs offer the portability of a ski boat, while diving deeper and staying submerged longer than scuba divers. Passengers sit in a pressurized cabin, allowing them to focus on the wonders around them instead of things like decompression rates. Persubs also are cheaper than conventional submarines and offer greater maneuverability. They're electric and relatively silent, allowing you to get unusually close to marine life.

Like airplanes, persubs require training, careful maintenance and, depending upon the country, different levels of registration and insurance. The companies selling the craft offer varying levels of support navigating these issues. Their vessels cost between $1.3 million and $2.19 million, but the companies believe costs will come down as production ramps up.

Are persubs the ultimate yachting accessory? A tool for filmmakers, surveyors and scientists? A vehicle for poets and politicians who will change our view of, and policies regarding, the ocean?

Recent activities provide some clues.

The Super Aviator exploring Lake Tahoe in May. Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders was among those who got a ride, and he said the craft is fun to fly and "opens all kinds of possibilities for underwater fun and observation."
Photo: Stephen Frink

Sub Aviator Systems Soars

The 22-foot long, white-winged Super Aviator submersible from Sub Aviator Systems looked a bit like a jet as it cruised the depths of Lake Tahoe last spring. Record-setting submariner Don Walsh and Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders were among the luminaries enjoying the "flights." Anders said the craft is "both fun to fly and opens all kinds of possibilities to underwater fun and observation."

Scientists from the Monterey Research Institute and Scripps Oceanography also spent time in it. Jim Delgado, president and CEO of the Institute of Underwater Archeology, was impressed enough to consider using it in the Bikini Atoll.

"Envision how spectacular it would be, as well as symbolic, to also land and take off with a Super Aviator from the sunken flight deck of the carrier USS Saratoga, which rests in 180 feet of water," he said.

Super Aviator pilots John Jo Lewis and Capt. Alfred McLaren met at the world’s first underwater flight school, which inventor Graham Hawkes and his wife Karen launched in the Bahamas in 2003. I was there, too, for National Geographic Television, and after soaring undersea I wondered how long it might be before underwater flight caught on.

The Super Aviator from Sub Aviator Systems on shore before deployment in Lake Tahoe in May. The two-person submersible is 22 feet long and was designed with help from renowned submersible designer and engineer Dr. Phil Nuytten.
Photo: Alfred McLaren

Six years later, Lewis, who is also managing director of SAS, and McLaren believe its time has come. They've worked with Dr. Phil Nuytten, the renowned submersible designer and pilot known for his Deep Worker submersibles. Together they changed the buoyancy of the aviator to make it neutral, something they say makes the safer and easier to control. Without the tendency to ascend when moving at slow speeds, the pilot can creep along and even hover, which McLaren said is great for observing marine life.

That's exactly what the craft will do in February, McLaren said, when researchers use it to study humpback whales off the coast of Maui. McLaren hopes to use the craft to search the continental shelves for remnants of pre-Columbian explorers to the Americas.

SAS is eager to build its first Super OrcaSubs, which will incorporate the improvements developed with Nuytten to meet the safety requirements of insurer Lloyd's of London. SAS says the craft will be able to cover 20 miles a day and dive to depths of 2,000 feet. The pilot can control movement on five axes -- pitch, roll, yaw, lateral and vertical -- using fly-by-wire controls. A loaded Super Orca will cost $2.19 million, a price that includes training for two pilots and a crewmember.

The Deep Flight Super Falcon from Hawkes Ocean Technologies explores the sea.
Photo: Graham Walters

The Hawkes & The Falcons

Hawkes Ocean Technologies is known for innovating remote and manned underwater exploration vehicles. In May, the company unveiled the newest version of its personal submersible in San Francisco. Graham Hawkes said the Deep Flight Super Falcon represents his 20-year pursuit to bring flight to the sea just as the Wright brothers brought it to the sky. The goal, he said, was to create a vessel that moves like a dolphin or a shark, not a crab, and free it from the cumbersome infrastructure required to use the Mir and Alvin submersibles.

His first winged watercraft, Deep Flight One, carried one person. It was a breakthrough when it was launched in 1996. His second, Deep Flight Aviator, carried two people and proved itself in the first underwater flying school in the Bahamas six years ago. I had the opportunity to "fly" in it with Hawkes around shipwrecks.

But Hawkes aspired to greater depths and spent years working on Deep Flight Challenger, a solo vessel commissioned by adventurer Steve Fossett. Fosset wanted to set records exploring the Marianas Trench, which at more than 36,000 feet is the deepest point in the sea. Fossett died before that could happen, but the design work contributed to Super Falcon.

The first Super Falcon that Hawkes built went to Tom Perkins, who put it aboard his mega-yacht, the Maltese Falcon. Chris Carter, the yacht's captain, says the submersible has made more than 50 dives and moves through the water like a jet through the sky.

"We have been flying with giant manta rays, a pod of dolphin 30 strong, and all sorts of sharks," he said, adding that it seems the craft attracts marine life. "It’s just incredible!"

Technicians at Chase Boats work on the Deep Flight Super Falcon hull.
Photo: Hawkes Ocean Technologies

The second Super Falcon went to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary after its unveiling in San Francisco. It is being used in an invitation-only flight school and a "VIP of the Seas" project with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"We are hoping this program will raise awareness of the importance of marine sanctuaries when people can experience the underwater part of the ocean for the first time," said William Douros, West Coast regional director of the agency's National Marine Sanctuary Program. "Any time we see innovation that might help the seas, we are curious and want to help."

Todd Lueders, head of the Community Foundation for Monterey County, was among those who took a flight. "It was the opposite of the images of Jacques Cousteau sinking heavy in a bathysphere," he said. "I see incredible eye-opening potential for opinion leaders and scientists."

The Super Falcon uses fly-by-wire controls. It cruises at 2 to 6 knots and can dive to 1,000 feet. The Hawkes hope to begin producing it soon and say it will cost about $1.5 million, which includes the training to operate it.

Seamagine President Will Kohnen uses external controls to pilot the Seamobile submersible to a boat dock in Fallen Leaf Lake in Northern California before picking up passengers.
Photo: Lisa TE Sonne

Seamagine Hydrospace

When it comes to persubs, no one beats William Kohnen and Seamagine Hydrospace for time in the water. The company claims to have made more than 10,000 dives around the world since 1995 and is currently building crafts No. 8 and 9. But Kohnen took a different approach to underwater flight.

"Back in 1991-92, I had the idea of an underwater helicopter with a forward cockpit for clearer vision in all directions," he said. "To achieve balance for the submersible, we pushed the center of gravity back and used a tail for lift."

Seamagine builds two models, the two-person Pearl and the three-person Triumph. It also is ready to begin taking orders for the Seamobile, which dives to 500 feet and costs $1.3 million. It can be designed to reach depths as great as 3,000 feet, but you'll pay more for a vehicle that will go that deep. The sticker price includes American Bureau of Shipping classification and flight training.

"It's a perfect device to explore wrecks," said archaeologist George Bass, who first used a Seamagine sub named Carolyn in 2000 in Turkey after considering several other submersibles.

The Seamobile looks more like a Volkswagen than a Ferrari, and with a top speed of just 2 knots it won't win any races. But its adherents will tell you the helicopter design is superior to winged craft because it is roomier with better hovering capability and superior visibility since you sit in an acrylic sphere. You can also get in and out of it faster because it is taller and more stable on the surface than winged submersibles, which must be hauled out of the water to change passengers.

Much like the world they are designed to explore, persubs are a new frontier. They are not regulated like aircraft, nor are their operators licensed like pilots. Regulations, registration and insurance vary by country. Some worry that increased oversight would impede innovation and drive up costs. But others worry builders may not effectively self-regulate to ensure safety, something that could damage the emerging field.

As the committee chairman for Manned Underwater Vehicles of Marine Technology Society, Kohnen hosts an annual discussion of such issues. He wants to ensure the field advances safely and thoughtfully and plans to establish his own benchmarks in future dives off the California coast.

He also dispatched a Seamobile to the month-long Tahoe Expedition in May. My pilot, Capt. Cassell, was there to test the vehicle for possible use in his nonprofit Undersea Voyager project, which aims to circumnavigate the world underwater. Several novices explored the lake, including a group of teens interested in science and exploration. Many of the scientists and adventurers who took dives shared their experiences with a packed audience at the local community college.

We were well into my dive and about 110 feet beneath the surface when Cassell said, "I have a surprise for you now." He brought the Seamobile up like a helicopter to within inches of billowy algae growing on the trunks of ancient trees. Soon we spotted small transparent spheres, which scientists on previous dives suggested might be protists, the fourth phylum of the living kingdom. They aren't animals, or plants, or algae but have characteristics of each. We are still learning about them.

Like protists, personal submersibles occupy their own category. They are a tool, a toy, a business and a portal waiting to be better understood and used.

Tron 2 Titled Tron Legacy, First Image!

The first big panel of Comic Con, Walt Disney’s 3D presentation in Hall H, has just finished. If you were following Katey’s Live Blog then you know that Tron 2 finally has a title. It’s called Tron: Legacy and Disney has just sent us the first ever title treatment for the film.

Official Synopsis- Tron: Legacy is a 3D high-tech adventure set in a digital world that’s unlike anything ever captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (GARRETT HEDLUND), the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn (JEFF BRIDGES), looks into his father’s disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same world of fierce programs and gladiatorial games where his father has been living for 25 years. Along with Kevin’s loyal confidant (OLIVIA WILDE), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous.

Watch the movie’s title float about the game grid in high-res below:

tron: legacy image


UPDATE! In addition to the title image, Katey has started sending in some really incredible concept art shown at the panel for Tron: Legacy. Take a look:



















Keep checking back, we'll be updating this page throughout the day with more incredible Tron: Legacy images as we get them.

Which Countries Have The Hottest Cheerleaders?


Thank god cheerleading started off at a college and not a convent. Who knows where the sport would be if that was the case? Cheerleading is widley held to have began by a group of coeds at Princeton University in 1884. And throughout the 20th century, America has successfully exported this sexy sport/show all over the world. Because of this, fans from soccer to cricket to rugby, are able to enjoy the world’s most talented and beautiful women dancing half naked. But the question remains, which country has the best looking participants. Leave us a comment with your thoughts. Not to sway the voting, my favorite, is a tie between Latvia and Mexico:

Argentina

Source

Typically, when Americans show their asses, it’s to mock their opponents. Apparently, Argentinean futbol cheerleaders show their asses to get a crowd fired up. This type of behavior is not uncommon for Argentinean cheerleading squads to display. As a result, the worst team in the premiere league can still sell out a stadium. Argentinean futbol fans can always be confident that, even if their team doesn’t win, they can expect to see some hot ass.

Australia

Source

Most men have always fantasized about holding up a hot cheerleader like these Australian Rugby cheerleaders are doing. But if we are honest with ourselves, this takes athleticism and skill most of us guys don’t posses. Sure, we are strong enough to hold up a cheerleader, but are we able to do it without wanting to cop a feel or starting a chubby?

Brazil

Source

From the rain forests to the Brazilian waxings, Brazil has blessed this world with so much. These beautiful, bronzed women performed a routine at the Men’s Beach Volleyball Final at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Though Brazil ended up losing to the gold medal to the USA, the Americans conceded that Brazil had the most beautiful cheerleaders. When the Americans made this concession, the Brazilian Team never looked more proud. The Brazilians then looked up into the cheering crowd and said, “You’re Welcome!”

Chile

Source

For most people, Chile is an obscure, skinny little country, found somewhere in South America. Though this is the case, Chile has a nearly 115 year professional soccer history. The Chilean Professional Futbol League was established in 1895, and is the second oldest league in South America. Chilean cheerleaders are known for being tenacious and very athletic. This picture was taken during the half time break of the 2008 South American Beach Soccer Championship qualifier.

China

Source

Way to go China! Not only did you impress us with your opening ceremony at the Olympics, but with your beautiful women as well. Nearly every sport had a specific cheer squad assigned to them. I guess this is possible when you’re the most populous nation in the world. China’s most scantly clad cheerleaders were found at the beach sports complex. Thankfully the weather was always hot, so the cheerleaders were always in their bikinis doing their best to keep the crowds excited.

England

Source

Who knew England had a basketball league, let alone that English people knew what a basketball was? And for that matter, who knew England had enough pretty women to be cheerleaders? Judging from this picture above, I have underestimated our oldest ally. Not only is this cheerleader hot, but there are actual fans in the stands. Food for thought: If England would allow cheerleaders to cheer for their football clubs, more Americans might become soccer (football) fans.

France

Source

Arguably, one of the most beautiful women in the world is pictured here. She performed a routine with her cheer squad at the 2008 Beach Soccer World Cup in Marsille, France. Their hot dance routines and small bikini’s have made these beach bikini dancers popular around the world. Thankfully we don’t have to wait every four years for this tournament to come around because it is held once a year. Let’s just hope the future host countries can continue to produce really hot beach bikini dancers for the world to enjoy.

Greece

Source

Most cheerleaders in the world are talented, but what these Greek cheerleaders can do is exceptional. These girls are part of a basketball cheer squad that is known for pulling male fans out of the crowd and giving them lap dances. I just found another reason why I should visit Greece this summer.

India

Source

Cheerleaders are a recent phenomena in India. Due to centuries-old modesty standards, it took a new upstart Cricket League to even consider the notion. In order to sell the entire league on the importance of cheerleaders, league organizers invited American football cheerleaders to perform. These American cheerleaders were also hired to mentor Indian women in the art of making a boring game like cricket exciting. It’s a good thing cheerleaders are in high demand in America, because if not, I am sure their jobs may be outsourced too.

Japan

Source

As apart of the American Pro Bowl weekend festivities in Hawaii, Japan sends over a beautiful cheerleading squad to excite fans. One can only assume this is the NFL’s attempt to attract Japanese tourist support for yet another American pastime. Too bad these cheerleaders haven’t heard of our other popular American past time, breast implants.

Latvia

Source

This beach volleyball cheer squad consists of some very hot Latvian women. Not only is Latvia known for having killer beach volleyball players, but killer looking women as well. Thankfully, the country became independent from the Soviet Union in 1989, thus allowing the Latvians to make a name for themselves on the world’s stage. After watching these women perform, crowds are known to roar with excitement and purchase mass amounts of Nestea.

Mexico

Source

Ah, yes, the high leg kick. Whoever invented this move should have the cheerleading hall of fame named after them. Mexico’s Cruz Azul Cheerleaders have been performing this move to sold out crowds for years. This squad is known for their athletic skill and ability to remain in sync. The world holds up its proverbial bottle of Corona, and tips its sombrero in admiration of Cruz Azul’s high leg kicking ability.

New Zealand

>

Source

With cheerleaders like these, New Zealand will soon be known for a lot more than Flight of the Conchords. These rugby cheerleaders keep fans engaged in one of the most brutal team sports on the planet. Even though the blond cheerleader in the background looks like she is from Whoville, New Zealand has been known to produce very beautiful women. There is nothing like bare-stomached cheerleaders juxtaposed on the backdrop of a professional rugby field.

Poland

Source

Former communist countries either have very manish looking women, or very beautiful women - not a whole lot of in-between. Thankfully Poland has a lot of the latter. Polish Basketball cheerleaders routinely perform at games throughout their season. These cheerleaders are known to incorporate modern hip-hop moves with traditional polish dances. This combination proves to be very unique in comparison to what the cheerleading world has to offer.

Russia

Source

Ever since I can remember, I have always had a crush on Russian gymnasts. I think it had something to do with the cold war thing. Anyway, when I see Russian basketball cheerleaders I get the same feeling I used to have when I would watch the Russian gymnasts back in 1992. Russian cheerleaders are graceful and very strong, not to mention most of them are natural blondes. Which is something most American cheerleaders envy.

South Africa

Source

Although South Africa is famous for its savage rugby league, it also boasts some of the most beautiful cheerleaders in the world. The cheerleaders in the South African league are known to rival American Football cheerleaders in beauty and skill. Hopefully when the world cup goes to South Africa in 2010, FIFA will allow these girls to cheer on the world as they play soccer.

South Korea

Source

South Korea gets the award for having the most adorable cheerleaders - not the hottest, but the most adorable. Anytime these cheerleaders perform, they are able to get the crowd roaring loud and thunder sticks roaring even louder. Maybe American baseball should take a cue form South Korea and adopt cheerleaders instead of mascots. If this was the case, then most baseball fans might actually show up at the beginning of the game and stay until the end.

Spain

Source

The Spanish girls on this beach volleyball cheer squad deserve a standing ovation. Not only do they perform sexy dance routines, but they do it in the sand and in the hot sun. Most people understand that sand ends up in the most unlikely of places. Regardless of these tough conditions, these Spanish cheerleaders persevere and provide the highest quality entertainment. Oh, and by the way, most would agree that American beaches should make these bikini bottoms mandatory.Wonderful.

Ukraine

Source

The excitement on these girls’ faces when they perform is priceless. These Ukrainian basketball cheerleaders are very flexible, and as you can see, they don’t mind doing sexy chair dances in the middle of their half time shows. Furthermore, Ukrainian cheer routines often include the stripping off of clothes.

Venezuela

Source

Professional baseball has been played in Venezuela since 1945, and some of the best Major League Baseball players have come from this country. One distinguishing factor about Venezuelan Baseball is their use of cheerleaders in between, and during innings. Their routines have been known to incorporate nationalistic themes and Latin rhythms. Hopefully, Venezuela will soon start importing its baseball cheerleaders, as well as, its best baseball talent.