Aug 11

(转载 - just like CA a few years, most people buying house not because they need, or because they think the house worth the money, they bought the house thinking the price will double in 2 years, yak)

北京8月12日电(评论员 张沐)当前,中国尚未摆脱国际金融危机的影响,广大居民的购买力仍处于低谷,然而房地产市场却是一片火爆喧闹,房价逆势上扬,节节攀升。其中,不乏业内外相互勾连的恶性炒作、一些专业人士偏执的煽风点火。有权威文章称,全国房市“迎来一场猛烈的投机性涨价风潮”,各地必须迅速遏制此风。新近,中国央行、银监会、国土资源部、国家发改委、国家统计局、国家税务总局等六部门先后对房地产市场发出了加强监管的信号。所谓殷鉴不远,去岁以来的世界金融海啸,正是美国国内不断炒热楼市,燃点引信,导致大规模次贷危机的爆发,而后相应蔓延到金融乃至实体经济,造成一系列的连锁效应,而形成全球规模的严重经济危机。中国当局深知这是很真切实在的教训,绝不会重蹈覆辙。

  由于2008年北京举办奥运会,加以中国经济高速增长,一时间推高了房价的一路飙升。随着国际金融危机影响的到来,房市开始走低,新楼盘空置率剧增,令业内人士叫苦不迭。怎奈世事难料,泡沫消停不到一年,今年开春后出人预料地不断冲高。严格地说,自2007年10月之后,新开工楼盘开始下降,2008年起投资从高向低一路下滑,直到今年上半年的投资并未明显恢复,且上半年的投资增长中大部分是在原有项目的复建与安装上,而新开工楼盘、购置土地都还是下降的。这长达一年多的新开工与投资的下滑决定着未来供给量的下滑。而去年以来的巨大库存在4至6月份的销售高速增长中,居然神话般被迅速消化了。房价接连爆炒上翻,地产业全面火爆。国家统计局的数据显示,整个今年上半年的房地产销售面积同比增加了31%,销售额同比增长53%。

 
房地产市场一片火爆喧闹,房价逆势上扬,节节攀升。
  尤其自6月以来,全国70个大中城市房价同比首次止跌回升,南京房价环比则已连涨4个月,该市还出现市排长龙抢购楼房的现象,其高端住宅仁恒江湾城3天半就热销了10多亿元。广州一官员称,现在广州房地产市场价格已经上涨70%至80%。随着部分城市出现新的地王,有的城市房价已提前进入“3 万元时代”,有的城市“一个电话涨一千”,开发商捂盘惜售,集体狂欢,普通百姓心急如焚,望楼扼腕叹息。部分城市房价再度狂涨暴升,高到近乎荒唐的地步。中央党校研究室副主任周天勇认为,“至少有80%的人是买不起房的!房价泡沫很严重。”

  房价收入比,是全世界很多城市判断房价正常与否的一个重要指标。但一些房地产开发利益群体断言这个指标根本没意义,原因是“隐形收入不计算在内,无法统计”。甚至认为,房价的涨幅与国民收入的增幅相比仍比较低,以此来证明房价不高、房子不贵。更有房产大亨侃侃而谈“中国有钱人太多了,房价太便宜了”,甚至公然宣扬“离婚买房也是拉动内需”、“只为富人盖房”等主张。北京市房地产交易管理网和多家机构的数据显示,高档公寓、别墅类项目占到了5月份以来新开盘项目总量的40%。

  现实的状况是,今年上半年全国城镇单位在岗职工平均工资收入14638元,与上年同期相比,增加了1674元,增长12.9%。不过,央行最新问卷调查显示,城镇居民收入感受下降至1999年以来的最低水平。有关专家称,制约公众工资增长和消费“感觉”的,不单是收入和消费的绝对增长幅度,还有住房、养老、医疗、教育等公共产品供给与保障。普通工薪阶层是社会的大众,能有多少隐形收入呢?而完全漠视房价收入比的房价,纯粹是漠视住房的民生需要。

  着有畅销书《次贷危机》的中国建设银行高级经济师孙兆东指出,在金融危局之下,全球房地产价格衰落,全球经济也步入周期性调整及衰退。然而,中国的房地产以及中国的房价却一枝独秀,逆势坚挺,尤其是近期中国的局部房地产价格快速拉升,成为人们难以读得懂的房价迷局。

  要知道,房地产业是生机勃勃的朝阳产业,也是国家重要的经济支柱。尤其在中国,自1998年取消福利分房,施行住房货币化分配的改革,由此带动了十余年的中国房地产振兴,对国民经济的快速发展产生了重要的拉动效应。同时,城市化率是考验中国长期经济发展进程的重要因素,中国要达到发达国家平均 70%以上的城市化率还要许多年,这就决定了这个产业的朝阳性。随着城市化进程的不断加快,房地产业的兴旺发达更呈势不可挡的气势。而土地收入是政府次于税收的第二财政,也决定着当政府被捆在土地财政的马车上时,就必须让这个朝阳行业不但尽可能地延长产业的生命周期,还要尽可能的保证其发展的平稳,至少减少其大起大落的波动,缩短其波动期间。

  北京师范大学房地产研究中心主任董藩认为,在中国,“房地产不仅是主导产业和支柱产业,还是先导产业,直接间接拉动了1/4的GDP。首先,房地产业在给其他行业制造需求,如果没有房地产和工业地产的发展,就不会带动钢材、水泥等生产资料的需求;其次,房地产本身还是投入品,投入到其他行业中,比如发展商贸中心、金融中心和旅游中心,都是需要以房地产为先决条件的,需要房地产提供生产资料和载体。”董藩说,“房地产是我们提供内需的重点。没有房地产业,其他行业根本就没法发展。当年亚洲金融危机的时候是房地产业救了中国经济,现在也是一样。房地产业不管出现多少磨难,客观上它还是起到了拯救中国的责任。”“现在除了房地产和汽车业,其他产业都是相对过剩的。房地产依然是最保值的投资产品,而且直接和间接拉动了经济的增长,所以说房地产正在拯救中国。”

  据认为,2008年的房地产市场并不是受经济危机影响而萧条的,主要是受国家宏观政策调控的影响。进入2009年,在国家和地方多重救市举措之下,各个城市的房地产市场先后出现回暖迹象。分析中国的大行业状况可以发现,除了房地产和汽车业之外,其他行业都或多或少存在生产力过剩的现象,所以在这轮经济危机中,房地产和汽车业受冲击较小,并提前复苏是很正常的。当前因房地产销售火爆,北京、上海、杭州、南京等地不少银行收紧二套房政策,人们猜测是不是国家政策调控要变风向?其实这是为了打击楼市倒卖的炒作之风,基本政策不会变。业界认为市场依然走稳。整体i市场趋向恢复是正常的。买房者2008 年很多人在等,一直等到2009年,终究要出手。到6月份为止,全国房地产销售增长了31.7%,而新开工项目和去年同比下降了10.4%,这意味着土地供应总量大幅下降。如果打压只能带来市场进一步震荡,市场的需求是真实的,越打压反而会带来投资性需求。对于国家而言,房地产垮了,国民经济一定会到很大的拖累,这是密切相关的大事情。

  问题在于,面对中国房地产市场正经历新一轮的涨价行情。在很多地区,二套房贷款政策执行滞后或不严格,助长了炒房风。另外,一些地方的垄断企业、银行甚至政府部门趁机掀起“团购风”,以大大低于市场的价格将一些热点楼盘抢购一空。这些购房者往往积存多套房子,这种购房形式基本属于投机炒房,将房子迅速流入市场转卖,变相抬高房价。在北京市场,就有银行和大国企在低价团购热点楼盘,名义上是为员工购房,但据了解,这些低价团购来的楼盘,却很少用作自住。据了解,一直以来开发商就格外青睐银行以及政府公务员,一些大房产商曾经对银行员工发起过“团购”活动,降价幅度高达30%以上。

  今年的“地王”争夺战中还出了更多国企甚至央企的身影,近两个月间,北京已有6块土地被央企拍走。这一波使北京出让溢价率超过100%的地块比重在短短一个月内由17%蹿升至56%。虽然这些央企普遍在房地产行业涉足未深,但决策的果断性和出手之大手方被业内视为“十余年罕见”。应该注意的是,不少央企扮演着房地产“行业新兵”角色,但参加“土地争夺战”很大程度并不是为了业务延续,而是开拓。这种开拓行为至少能反映出房地产领域的确是令人眼红很赚钱的行业;同时也折射出目前实体经济环境仍不容乐观。所以,即使从来就没有经营过房地产,国有资本也急于于向房地产领域流动。尽管未必是在搞开发,却已经加入了炒房大军。在这种市场环境下,新地王的诞生对周边房价的拉高效用越来越明显。这种脱离实际价值的价格虚涨无疑蕴含着巨大的泡沫成分,央企 “不计成本、只管举牌”扫荡式土地采购无疑在为这种泡沫推波助澜。但泡沫越大,未来需要的支撑也就越大。一旦政策效能消退,楼市将被迫进入自我调整,不仅会杀伤金融系统,更会给整个国民经济带来严重冲击。如果缺少有效的管控,恣意释放的后果往往是灾难性的。

  业内分析家认为,这一轮房价上涨很大程度上反映为一种投机心理,并不能真实反映百姓实际购买力,目前的房价依然远远超出百姓的承受能力。各地政府、银行等应该合力使房市驶入健康轨道,而不是放任投机性炒作毁了房市回暖、挤掉泡沫的大好契机。国家发展改革委副主任彭森强调,在当前国际金融危机的背景下,一些长期制约经济社会健康发展的体制机制矛盾更加凸显,改革必要性和紧迫性更为突出。因此,要推进民生价格监管方式改革,继续加大清费治乱减负工作力度,完善粮食、生猪等主要农产品价格形成机制和调控体系。进一步加强和改进垄断行业价格监管,促进形成合理的收入分配机制。抓紧推进医疗价格改革,改进房地产价格和收费监管。

  今年8月4日,国家统计局撰文提醒政府必须警惕房价高涨,称高房价已成制约消费启动的最大阻力;一旦房价大幅下降,地产金融危机不可避免。此前,银监会、国土资源部和国家发改委先后发过相关房地产市场的通知。先是银监会收紧二套房贷政策,然后国土资源部开始严肃土地政策,连国家发改委也出来说房价上涨压力显现,要加强房地产价格和收费监管。8月5日,国家税务总局称,将把房地产业的税收作为监管重点。要求各地税务机关加强房地产业等领域的税收征管。将房地产项目开发经营链条所有环节涉税行为,都纳入控管范围,重点审核房地产开发成本费用,并严格监管二手房交易。

  显然,针对房地产的宏观调控应当借鉴国内外经验与教训,从货币政策、财政手段和资本调控方面综合考量,努力做出一个合理有效的调控,加强监管力度,使房地产行业能够科学发展,保障国民经济的健康可持续发展。

Jul 23

this is a real story, residents in a villege in china find themselves millions overnight when they found out the stocks they were forced to buy a few years ago soured 600 times!

they are confused, besides felt happy this is like a fairy tale that they never imagined before. many never saw so much money before.

something like this happens, but rarely. do u bet all your money on those things? never. do you ignore those things, debatable. i feel it is the best to distribute your investment and if there is a risky but rewardable point of interest, may not be a bad idea to look into it. life is a venture itself so once you know what you are doing, it is not a bad idea to take some risk. but that risk should be what you can afford.

life is like a game, good players maximize their opportunity, taking calculated risk, they are the ones that go further. like is like a game, play it, enjoy it.

life will always go on, and it will be better for ones having the positive attitude.

Jul 9

this book by cherie carter-scott is a good read, some notes:

Creating agreements:
begin by sitting down together and discussing what your shared intention is for your union. start by addressing a few basic questions, like what is the purpose of your union, what you intend to do to each other, and how you will care for your relationshisp establish rules and responsiblilities.
 
each raises questions or concerns about what are the primary concerns for our union and discuss them openly to find a common ground. a good relationship should be fully trusted, open hearted and love,love each other as a person, give each other rooms to grow, communicate well for any issues, enjoy life together…
 
neither person in a relationship arries perfect. every individual is on a path of continous improment, and one of the main benefits of having a loving partner is the support that she offeers as you make your way along your path. two whole perple supporting each other is a powerful combination that can ultimately help you both in yoru personal growth processes.
 
express appreciation,a few word of appreciation can have a impact deep inside one’s heart for many years. a little gratitude goes a long way in love relationship.
 
without clear communication, there is no means through which partners cna bridge their inner realities. they remain two single people engaged in a paired dynamic, which looks like a partnership from teh outside but lacks the invisible webbing that connects their hearts and souls. they may experience feelings of isolation and loneliness despite the presence of their partner in their life, for nothing creates a more poignant ache than being in close proximity yet emotionally distance. 
 
A bent, withheld, or broken truth is on eof the surest ways to erode communication and trust. if one person is caught in a mistruth, then mistrust arises and a wall is built between the partners. even if the mistruth is not rrevealed, unspoken barriades are erected out of the energy created by withheld secrets. either way there is a glitch tin the communication flow that leads to division rather than union.

your partner is not a mind reader, and no matter how close you are, she can never really know exactly what is going on in your mind and what you are feeling at every moment. it is up to you to tell her what you are feeling, what you wnat her to know, and to ask for what it is that you want from her.

No stone in the basket: we each carry a small, invisible basket around in our minds. in order to operate at maximum effectiveness as a human, it is best for theat basket to remain empty and light, so as not to weigh us down, much like the buddhists’ ideal of a “Zen Mind”. occasionally we might hold on to a feeling of resentment, anger, annoyance, or any other negative reaction, neglecting, or refusing to release it to the person for whom it is intended, and that feeling turns into a stone. each sone gets placed into the basket in our mind and remains there until we consciously choose to root it out and discard it. The problem comes when people with heavily weighted baskets (and hence minds) try to pretend that all is just fine. No matter how hard they try, the rattling of those stones in the basket will distract them and clutter their thoughts. the weight of the stones will press down oon them like a heavy burden, keeping them from optimal mobility. hence the goal is to keep your basket free of stones so that you can function without the handicap of a head full of rocks. The goal in authentic unions is to toss out stones as quickly as possible when they appear. keep them around for any reason will do nothing but weigh down you and your relationship.

Working through impasses: couples disagree. this is as certain as saying the sky is blue. all coouples, at one time or another, will have to grapple with opposing opinions, desires, or needs. what differentiates an authentic couple, however is that they endeavor to sort out their differences and avoid letting their disagreements escalate into arguments. An argument is similar to a disagreement in content but vastly different in intent. An argument is like investing energy into winning the other person over to your opinion.

Jul 5

kevin is having a good time in shanghai. one thing he likes is the subway station. today is the first day the line 8 opens its second phase stations. it goes all the way to the aerospace museum. we decided to take kevin for a ride. it goes from underground to ground (so called 轻轨) at the last few stations. kevin had a good time. we then toured the famous yuyuan. kevin is like a little photographer shooting pictures like crazy. there are quite some good pics and i plan to create a album for pics taken by kevin.

[tba: pics]

Jul 5

I got a book about brain training in harvard which is said to help kids develop their analytical and emperical thinking. i asked kevin about one question, it is like this:

x
x
x
x x x x x

there are eight coins above, the vertical row has 4 coins and the horizontal row has 5 coins. you can only move one coin to make both rows to have 5 coins. kevin spent some time but he finally got it after i gave him some hint.

the next one i ask him is a brain teaser, 一只狼在追一个男孩,碰到一条河,男孩不会游泳,也没有船,但是男孩却过去了,为十么?

kevin kept coming with ideas, jump over the river, drink a lot of water to float over, driving a plane, etc, the one a like most is: give the wolf a candie. the answer? 他昏过去了, but i like kevin’s answer better.

Jun 8

these are the three factors that affects a project:

a product with fast delivery and minimum cost but no contents = a cheap toy

a product with fast delivery and rich content but spent too much money = where is my next meal?

a product with minimum cost and rich content but take a long time to deliver = nobody needs it anymore when it is done

this also applies to daily work. a good decision is based on many trade offs, there is se ldon a case that is as simple as 123. when we are making decision, the time, cost and contents are the three key considerations. you may have to less the desire on one to favor the other two, as far as you can control that to an extent that it does not have a huge impact. nothing is perfect and we all live in a world that is filled with lots of variables, make the best decision you can and move on…

May 11

1、一个人炫耀什么,说明内心缺少什么。
2、一个人越在意的地方,就是最令他自卑的地方。
3、人都有以第一印象定好坏的习惯,认为一个人好时,就会爱屋及乌,认为一个人不好时,就会全盘否认。
4、人越是得意的事情,越爱隐藏,越是痛苦的事情越爱小题大作。
5、这个世界既不是有钱人的世界,也不是有权人的世界,它是有心人的世界。
6、婚姻的杀手有时不是外遇,而是时间。
7、当你再也没有什么可以失去的时候,就是你开始得到的时候。
8、学习要加,骄傲要减,机会要乘,懒惰要除。
9、童年的无知可爱,少年的无知可笑;青年的无知可怜;中年的无知可叹,老年的无知可悲。
10人允许一个陌生人的发迹,却不能容忍一个身边人的晋升。因为同一层次的人之间存在着对比、利益的冲突,而与陌生人不存在这方面的问题。
11、一个女人喜欢一个男人时,她希望听到谎言;当一个女人厌恶一个男人时,她希望听到真理。
12、如果你借太多的钱给一个人,你会令此人变成坏人。
13、现代的婚姻是情感的产物,更是竞争的结晶。
14、敌人变成战友多半是为了生存,战友变成敌人多半是为了金钱。
15、有所得是低级快乐,有所求是高级快乐。
16、天才失败了就是蠢才!
17、世界上1%的人是吃小亏而占大便宜,而99%的人是占小便宜吃大亏。大多数成功人士都源于1%

18、人如果靠吃饭活着,那饭不叫饭,叫饲料。
19、中国人学美国人容易,中国人学中国人难。
20、一个人幸运的前提,其实是他有能力改变自己。
21、人的成长要接受四个方面的教育:父母、老师、书籍,社会。有趣的是,后者似乎总是与前面三种背道而驰。
22、经营自己的长处,能使你人生增值;经营你的短处,能使你人生贬值。
23、生命犹如一片绿叶,随着时间的流逝,慢慢变的枯黄,但他的叶脉还是那么清晰可见。
24、把事情变复杂很简单,把事情变简单很复杂。
25、如果是棵小草,即使在最好的企业里,你也长不成大树。果真如此,不如历经风雨,把自己培养成名贵花卉。
26、二十一世纪工作生存法则就是:建立个人品牌,把你的名字变成钱。
27、怕爹是孝顺,怕老婆是爱情。
28、没有不合格的学生,只有不合格的家长。
29、地球是运动的,一个人不会永远处在倒霉的位置。
30、我们可以躲开大家,却躲不开一只苍蝇。生活中使我们不快乐的常是一些芝麻小事。

31、有一种人只做两件事:你成功了,他妒嫉你;你失败了,他笑话你。
  32、笨男人 笨女人=结婚;笨男人 聪明女人=离婚;聪明男人 笨女人=婚外情;聪明男人 聪明女人=浪漫爱情。
33、任何一个傻瓜都会引诱一个姑娘;但是知道怎样离开她只有成熟男人才能做到。
34、人有两只眼睛,全是平行的,所以应当平等看人;人的两只耳朵是分在两边的,所以不可偏听一面之词;人虽只有一颗心,然而有左右两个心房,所以做事不但要为自己想,也要为别人想。
35、企业一定要有偷不去、买不来、拆不开、带不走,溜不掉的独特资源。
36、失言就是一不小心说了实话。
37、真诚并不意味着要指责别人的缺点,但意味着一定不恭维别人的缺点。
38、人的本性就是贪婪,但没有贪婪社会就不会进步。
39、恋爱是想一个人的心,婚姻是拴一个人的心,爱情是吞一个人的心。
40、最好的进攻就是进攻自己。
41、人生的意义不在于拿一手好牌,而在于打好一手坏牌。
42、成功是一种观念,致富是一种义务,快乐是一种权利。
43、竞争,其实就是一种友谊,在对手的帮助下提高你的聪明度,害怕竞争的人已经输给了对手。
44、钱可以帮穷人解决问题,却帮富人制造问题。
45、把爱情投资在一个人身上,冒险;把爱情投资在许多人身上,危险。
46、世界上只有想不通的人,没有走不通的路。
47、真正的财富是一种思维方式,而不是一个月收入数字。
48、一个人想平庸,阻拦者很少;一个人想出众,阻拦者很多。不少平庸者与周围人关系融洽,不少出众者与周围人关系紧张。
49、婚后的男女莫不喜出“”望外
50、三流的化妆是脸上的化妆;二流的化妆是精神的化妆;一流的化妆是生命的化妆。

 51危机两个字,一个意味着危险,另外一个意味着机会,不要放弃任何一次努力。
 52、是英雄表现出来,是人才体现出来,是蠢才显现出来。
 53要为爱人着想,得起爱人唠叨,应对爱人谦让,男人应当总经理
 54、三人行,必有我师,三剑客,必有一强,三角恋,必有一伤。
May 5

this is a timeless and priceless sound, always give us something to remember in the past and something to look for in the future…

May 5

this is an article from Yahoo! Sports about last night’s Rockets win over Lakers in the first game of the second round of NBA final, a good read…

LOS ANGELES – Yao Ming crumpled to the court, grabbed his right knee and, well, no one needed to tell Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey how this was going to end. They all knew. Rockets coach Rick Adelman rubbed his hand over his forehead and sighed. Les Alexander, the franchise’s owner, watched anxiously from his baseline seat.

The worry on their faces said enough: Not again.

“I feared the worst,” Morey would later say, and why wouldn’t he? These Rockets were built on a shaky foundation. Yao’s brittle feet. Tracy McGrady’s weak back and sore knees. Whenever the Rockets looked ready to stand among the NBA’s elite, someone had to be wheeled back into the doctor’s office.

So as Yao lay on the court late Monday, his face filling with pain, his Rockets only five minutes from beating the Los Angeles Lakers for the biggest upset of these playoffs, Morey had reason to fear the worst. They all did, and that’s why what happened next says something about these Rockets, too.

This time, they didn’t stay down.

These aren’t T-Mac’s Rockets anymore. They know how to take a punch, and Monday night’s 100-92 series-opening victory over the Lakers proved that more than ever.

Having finally escaped the first round for the first time in a dozen years, supposedly just happy to be in the Western Conference semifinals, the Rockets outplayed the heavily favored Lakers through three quarters. After L.A. rallied to take the lead with about eight minutes left in the game, the Rockets answered with their own run – only to watch Yao collapse in a collision with Kobe Bryant.

“There were a lot of people gasping – 4 billion people gasping,” said Rockets guard Brent Barry. “I think it took a lot of oxygen out of the whole nation of China.”

Yao stayed on the floor for a few minutes before being helped to his feet. He took one step, nearly collapsed, took another, and nearly went down again before finally limping off the court toward the locker room. He never made it.

Yao stopped in the tunnel, squatted to flex his knee, then pushed himself against the wall to stretch some more. Within a few minutes, the Rockets looked up to see their giant center walking back toward them.

“It was like Rocky coming back out there,” Adelman said.

Yao promptly floored the Lakers with a 20-foot jump shot. He would go on to add six more free throws, scoring eight of his 28 points in the final 3½ minutes to keep the Lakers at bay.

Afterward, Yao sounded embarrassed about the scare he gave the Rockets, refusing to call his sore knee an injury. Bryant had collided with him, banging knee on knee hard enough that Yao told the team’s medical staff it felt like a hammer hitting him. But he also knew he wasn’t seriously hurt. Once the Rockets – Morey included – saw the replay on the overhead scoreboard, their own fears melted.

“Nothing to worry about,” Yao said.

With the Rockets, there’s always reason to worry. Nothing has ever been simple for them. Midway through last season, they looked like the West’s top challenger to the Lakers but then lost Yao to a stress fracture in his left foot. Two seasons ago, Yao missed six weeks after fracturing the bone under the same knee he hurt Monday.

Yao held up well this season, missing only five games, but his teammates couldn’t say the same. Shane Battier was out for the season’s first month. McGrady and Ron Artest seemingly traded games; when one played, the other couldn’t or wouldn’t. T-Mac finally shut himself down in February to undergo microfracture surgery on his left knee.

McGrady’s will-he-will-he-not routine had worn on teammates and coaches alike, and his departure – coupled with Rafer Alston’s trade to Orlando – helped the Rockets settle into their roles. With McGrady as their guide, the Rockets were never more than frontrunners. When the going got tough, T-Mac usually got his vacation itinerary.

Once McGrady declared himself done, Adelman made sure of this much: The Rockets would grow around Yao. He knew they would miss McGrady’s playmaking skills in the fourth quarter, as they have at times. But he also knew these young Rockets would defend and play hard.

“Every night, I knew we were going to get an effort,” Adelman said. “I never, ever thought we weren’t going to get an effort. We may not play well, but we were going to get an effort.”

The Rockets delivered another on Monday. Aaron Brooks helped splinter the Lakers’ defense. Artest shot well enough to score 21 points. Battier hounded Bryant long enough, Barry said, to know “what flavor of gum he was chewing.” Bryant scored 32 points but needed 31 shots to get them.

Battier sets the tone for these Rockets, as much in the locker room as on the court. After Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic cracked him with an elbow, Battier walked off the floor with blood streaming down his face. He needed four stitches to close the gash over his eye. Earlier, Bryant had tried to hogtie him during a scramble for the ball.

The Rockets had lost all four of their previous games with the Lakers this season, collapsing in the final quarter of the past three. After Monday, however, it was the Lakers who were answering questions about their toughness. Andrew Bynum played only six minutes in the first half because of foul trouble. Pau Gasol delivered an uninspired game that looked like it had come straight from last season’s NBA Finals.

“I don’t know if we can play much worse, to be honest with you,” said Lakers coach Phil Jackson.

Jackson didn’t seem all that worried about his team’s performance. Neither did Bryant. The Lakers remain the deeper, more talented team in the series. Maybe Bryant, who had missed practice on Sunday with a sore throat, feels better in Game 2. Maybe Bynum stays out of foul trouble. Maybe the Lakers simply used Game 1 to shake off their week’s worth of rust.

“I don’t think you’ll see that tentativeness there Wednesday,” Bryant said.

They better hope so. The Rockets walked into their building and beat them, playing like they belonged on this stage, like they didn’t know they aren’t supposed to win this series.

“ ‘Underdog,’ that’s a word I just learned a couple days ago,” Yao said.

He smiled.

“It’s like NBA say: ‘Where amazing happens.’ ”

For one night, at least, amazing happened. Yao limped back into the game and into the series. Maybe these Rockets aren’t so fragile anymore.

And maybe everyone should feel a little less certain how this is going to end.

May 5

it was a great game and Rockets out lasted the lakers in the second round match up. not many people think Rockets will win but it just happened.

100-92!

Yao ming scared every rockets fans with a late game knee knock down by kb. but he came back to the game and scored 8 points in the last few minutes and contribute big to the win.

After the game, kevin and chris all had a good idea about the tall guy with the number 11 on his back and start to chanting, go-yao-yakee-go

The post game interview by Yao ming is pretty fun too:

-Q: Did you think your team is underdog before the game?
-A: I dont know. I just learned that word couple of days ago.

-Q: How do you feel of the win?
-A: NBA says everything is possible.

哈哈

« Previous Entries