How to Play Table-Tennis

Don't know how to play table tennis (also known as ping-pong)? Then this is for you.

1. Find someone to play with. Begin by playing someone who is at about your skill level or a tad better so that you can have fun by learning how to play. You can play 1 v 1, or you can play with two teams of two, which is known as doubles. And you want someone who has ping pong balls, paddles, and a table if you don't have the materials!

2. Start playing by serving the ball.
Hit the ball with the paddle so that it hits your side of the table and then goes over the net and hits your opponent's side. The serve switches sides every two points. After two points have been awarded (to you or your opponent), your opponent then gets to serve. After another two more points are awarded, the original server then serves.

(A table tennis match in Rio de Janeiro, 2007)

3. Return the ball. After a serve or return, the ball may be returned over or around the net to the opponent's side of the table. The ball must be returned after it bounces once on your side, but before it bounces twice or hits the floor or any object off the table. If the ball hits the net on a return, but still goes over the net and lands on your opponent's side, the ball is still in play, and your opponent must return it or you get a point.

4. Score points. Points are awarded for each rally, and either person can score a point. 
Here's how your opponent can score:

1. If your serve goes into the net or goes off the table without hitting the opponent's side, the receiving opponent or team scores a point.
2. If you do not make a legal return, a point is awarded to your opponent.
3. If you receive a legal serve or return and hit the ball more than once with your paddle or touch the ball with your body, a point is awarded to your opponent.

Tips to score for yourself:

1. Get your opponent moving. Hit to the left and hit to the right, not just to one side or up the middle.
2. Smack the ball hard and fast so that your opponent has only a split reaction to hit the ball back in time.
3. Work on positioning yourself. There are times where your opponent hits a high and weak shot. Get yourself to hitting the ball to the edge or corner.

5. Win the game. Usually the game to 21 or 15 (alternating server every 5 points). The official rules, however, is to 11 points (alternating server every 2 points). In order to win, one must be ahead by two points. So if the players are tied at 10-10 or 20-20, for example, it is called deuce, and the serve alternates sides after every points instead of after every two points.

Soccerguy77's fact: I played Wii Sports Resort when I was younger, and I remember playing table tennis, but I only played up to 6. Never knew the official rules were up to 11 until I watched real table tennis.

EXTRA VIDEOS: Click play for an epic table tennis rally, and the one below it for a Wii Sports Resort game (PS- The Wii Sports Resort game was not done by me).

Snapshots/Photos With Captions. #8 is Special

Well, the past week has been busy for me, here are some interesting pictures from last week. Just sharing for pure fun.

"This looks like a potato."

"Oh well."

"Sorry Michaela!"

"Ooh! Cool!" (at Walmart)

"Why is this in California?"

"Yay, Alex Whitney is back!" (She's the one taking a selfie)

"Never sleep with a guy with a toupee."

"I got my milkshake!"

Funny Hank Hill Video

I found this video from watching a Twitch live stream. Someone tipped the streamer 3 dollars and linked a video, which is the one above to show the streamers and us viewers. It's funny hearing it the first time, and if you hear it again and again more it can get stuck in your head.

Milk Shake Fiasco

What the heck?!? McDonald's got my order wrong! Before I arrived at home, I stopped by my local McDonald's to buy a Vanilla Milkshake because theirs is sooo yummy.

I ask the cashier for one, and he says $1.90. I first thought in my head "What? That cheap? Is it on sale? It's usually around $3 dollars for a medium one." So I gave him a toonie, and a minute later, I get my drink. But it looked like this:

What is this? This is an iced coffee! I asked for a shake, and they give me iced coffee! This is BS. When I was walking home I talked to myself saying "How did they mix up my order?? Does this look like a shake at all? NO!" This is a vanilla milkshake:

And this is an iced coffee:

I drank a bit of it, and it's OK, but not as great. I'm never gonna order drinks from them again, rather bus to another McDonald's or to Burger King.

Survivor Game Changers Power Rankings Week 5

"And the queen stays queen, adios." I think that will be the last time I'll hear that phrase. After 94 days, Sandra gets eliminated from Survivor. After an interesting tribe swap, some people get moved higher and some lower. Let's see who comes out on top this week.

Don't forget the higher the position, the less likely the person gets eliminated from the standings. And I want Zeke and Andrea to win! Here are the standings.

1. Brad Culpepper (0)
2. Troyzan Robertson (+2)
3. Sierra Thomas (-1)

The tribe swap sparked very different feelings for the Brad/Sierra duo and Troyzan, but resulted in what just may be an alliance of three that lasts to the end of the game. For Brad and Sierra. the swap could have erased the power they had acquired at Mana. For Troyzan, it was a chance to escape being the odd man out at Tavua. Brad and Sierra may have lost some power, but the alliance between Brad and Troyzan holds enough promise to make up that difference. Finally, Troyzan has an idol and Sierra has the legacy advantage, which keeps them up here.

4. Zeke Smith (+4)
T-5. Sarah Lacina (0)
T-5. Andrea Boehlke (+4)

At Nuku, it’s Sarah, Zeke and Andrea that came out of the swap in the best position. The three, along with Ozzy, have been on the same tribe through both swaps and in their first tribal council appearance are credited to successfully eliminate Sandra. Most of that credit goes to Zeke who directed the plan to distract Sandra with Tai and also built a foundation of trust with Jeff that can come in handy down the road. Sarah and Andrea took a backseat this week, but are still doing quite well in the game.

7. Hali Ford (+6)
8. Jeff Varner (+3)

Hali and Jeff are now playing without allies in a game that ultimately requires them. Hali is in a good position going forward because she’s the likeliest to be drawn into the Brad/Sierra/Troyzan alliance as the fourth vote they need in a tribe of seven. She must be thanking the Survivor gods that there was a tribal swap. Similarly, Jeff is an easy swing vote for Zeke/Sarah/Andrea to pull in at Nuku once they realize that they have enough numbers to take out the big threats, Tai and Ozzy.

9. Ozzy Lusth (-2)

I have Ozzy down here only because I think he is the bottom of his former Tavua tribe. He has always been a big threat and was lucky that there were bigger threats in his new tribe. If Tai doesn't start a "get rid of Ozzy" alliance, he'll makes the merge, and he might be a good swing vote for an alliance.

10. Debbie Wanner (+5)
11. Aubry Bracco (+3)

Debbie and Aubry in a wild card position. If Mana loses immunity, Aubry’s best chance will be to throw Michaela under the bus before it happens to her, which would be risky. Meanwhile, Debbie just came from Exile Island (Or Exile Ship, as I would call it). She gained an extra vote she can use in tribal council and got some tips from Caramoan winner John Cochran (I'm watching the Caramoan season right now!). She has a fresh start right now, maybe to make some new allies next episode?

T-12. Cirie Fields (-6)
T-12. Michaela Bradshaw (0)

So far, Cirie and Michaela have been "meh" this season. Cirie is the only player in the game who hasn’t attended tribal council yet, which is quite lucky. The downside of that is that Cirie hasn’t had a chance to solidify bonds through the trust of voting the same with a group of people. No one knows where Cirie stands with them until she’s given the chance to vote with them. On the other hand, Michaela has attended a few tribals and almost went home on one. She has little power in terms of an alliance, but will always be a threat because she is physical in challenges and her questionable ability to gel with her tribes in the day-to-day living at camp.

14. Tai Trang (-11)

The biggest loser this week is Tai, despite the fact that he swapped into a majority alliance, successfully voted out Sandra and found two hidden idols. All of that good luck doesn’t matter when your entire tribe sees you each as huge threats in the game. Tai’s attempt to deflect attention away from him and on to Ozzy is going to backfire on one of the two. My best guess is that they continue to target one another and that the rest of the tribe to choose a side at their next tribal. The threat of Tai having or not having an idol to use will probably be enough to convince Nuku to take out Ozzy first, though.

And here is Sandra's interview after being eliminated:

Coca-Cola vs Pepsi: Which is Better?

Since the 1900s, soda drinks have been sold around the world. But the two drinks that have dominated the soda industry are Coca-Cola and Pepsi. There has been lots of discussion on which is better to drink. Which is better, Coke or Pepsi? I personally think Coke is better, but here are the bottom-line facts.

Per 7.5 oz:

• Pepsi has more caffeine: 24 mg vs. 21 mg in Coke.
• Coke has fewer calories: 90 calories vs. 100 calories in Pepsi.
• Pepsi has less sodium: 20 mg vs. 30 mg in Coke. Pepsi seems especially proud about this, and markets “very low sodium.”
• Coke has less sugar: 25 g vs. 26 g in Pepsi.

Extra Facts

• Coke has more of a vanilla/caramel taste and goes down “smoother.”
• Pepsi has more of a citrus flavor. If you look at the ingredients, Pepsi lists “citric acid,” while Coke does not. However, both list “natural flavors.”
• Coke and Pepsi were both created before 1900. Coke was invented in Atlanta by pharmacist John Pemberton in 1886. Pepsi also was created by a pharmacist named Caleb Bradham from New Bern, North Carolina, in 1898.
• Coca-Cola contained coca leaves and kola nuts, known to promote energy. Coca leaves, from which cocaine derives, was a primary ingredient but were fully removed from the formula by 1929.
• Pepsi was originally coined “Brad’s Drink” in honor of its creator. The premise of the original formula is the ingredients emulated Pepsin and digestion aid. It did not contain kola nut.
• Over the years Pepsi has gotten more popular with its (funny) emojis, but Coca-Cola had Santa on their cans for years now, and even have special limited edition cans, like in the Olympics.

At the end, I've drunk more Coke than Pepsi, and it's slightly better with the nutrition facts. It's tastier and their ads on TV are fun to watch. I've even tried both Slurpees of Coke and Pepsi, and Pepsi has a less sweet taste to it. But everyone has their opinions, so maybe comment below on which drink is better. Till next time. But don't forget Coke is more popular!

Survivor Game Changers Power Rankings Week 4

Well, last week's episode was fun to watch. Sandra eating the sugar, Debbie going full rage mode, and some new mini-alliances are formed. Let's see who made good moves in the power rankings.

Don't forget, the higher the position, the less likely the person will be eliminated. And I like Zeke and Andrea to win the game! Here are the standings.

1. Brad Culpepper (0)

2. Sierra Thomas (0)

3. Tai Trang (+7)

Because of a dominant performance at the immunity challenge this week, the Mana tribe escaped going to tribal council for this first time this season. Managing Debbie Wanner‘s outbursts may actually have been more stressful than voting someone out. The Brad/Sierra/Tai alliance is undoubtedly the strongest in the game so far, mostly because it’s been tested more often than any other and they’ve showed a willingness to stick together.The tribe swap coming up could threaten it though.

4. Troyzan Robertson (0)

5. Sarah Lacina (+3)

After a third straight week of very little action at the Tavua camp due to their challenge domination, Troyzan makes a small bond with Sarah. We’ve now seen only a few bits of Sarah this season and both have been about her new approach to the game as a criminal rather than a cop. This week she approached Troyzan, knowing he’s at the bottom of that tribe, to prepare for the eventual moment when she can use him to take out a bigger threat. And Troyzan knows that the longer he keeps that idol and the longer it stays a secret then the more power he has.

6. Cirie Fields (-1)

7. Ozzy Lusth (-4)

8. Andrea Boehlke (-2)

9. Zeke Smith (-2)

By being virtue of being on the Tavua tribe, these 4 have avoided tribal council AGAIN. They've done well in challenges and continue to be allied to one another. Unfortunately, we have not seen a ton of game action last episode, and that's why they take a small hit in the standings. As long as they will not be outcasts come the tribe swap, they should be OK.

10. Sandra Diaz-Twine (+4)

Sandra is a two-time winner playing for her third time and has now attended four out of five tribal councils, but has yet to receive a single vote cast against her for elimination. She's playing harder than anyone out there and she’s taken out the other former winners in the game, J.T. and Tony. There is still no chance that Sandra wins this season, but the fact that she’s gotten this far by making great moves is nothing short that she is one of the greatest player in Survivor. Can she last much longer?

11. Jeff Varner (-2)
12. Michaela Bradshaw (0)

Jeff and Michaela were on the right side of the vote this week. Michaela’s name was on the chopping block and Jeff could have easily voted against her, but didn’t. Keeping Michaela and Sandra in the game probably benefits Jeff because they’re bigger liabilities than he is. Let's see if they can maybe make new alliances at the new tribe swap next episode.

13. Hali Ford (+2)
14. Aubry Bracco (-2)

Hali and Aubry are now the last remaining outcast on each of their tribes. Hali gets the edge here because from what I remember of her time at original Mana is that she was one of Sandra’s allies, a group that has fared well so far in the game. I also think she’s managed to work her way ahead of Debbie in the new Mana alliance of Brad, Tai, and Sierra. Aubry on the other hand is fresh out of luck after back-to-back eliminations of Malcolm and J.T., her closest allies.

15. Debbie Wanner (-2)

No one has have plummeted quite as quickly as Debbie’s this season. Her outbursts this week were crazy. It’s hard to imagine that Brad, Tai, and Sierra will be eager to work with her at all anymore considering how unreliable she’s become. She didn’t manage to keep those outbursts contained to the Mana camp either, screaming loudly while the immunity challenge was still in progress means the other tribes are now also aware of her lunacy. Now she's a huge liability to any alliance.

And here is JT's interview after being eliminated:

PS- I saw the like/dislike ratio; 86 likes to 68 dislikes (As of April 3, 2017). Looks like the people don't like JT that much.

Bike Safety

Do you bike a lot? Well, if you don't, here are some quick and easy bike tips to be successful in biking.

Bike Safety Tip 1: Always Wear a Helmet

Before you start biking, you strap a helmet on because if you fall in a tree, post, or any hard object, you have a cushion to support you. Thick plastic foam inside the hard outer shell of a helmet cushions the blow; the helmet actually absorbs the energy that would reach our head.

Extra fact: It’s the law to wear a helmet. Last week I saw someone got ticketed for not wearing a helmet.

Bike Safety Tip 2: Use Hand Signals

When taking a turn, you should use your hand to turn left or right. To turn left, raise your left hand to the left. When turning to the right, there are 2 ways to use your hand. You can raise your right hand straight ahead or to the right. To stop put your hand down.

Extra fact: you can also use eye contact to turn, but it depends on the situation.

Bike Safety Tip 3: Use Light/Reflection Gear in the Dark

If you usually bike in the dark, make sure your bike lights are working and using light, yellow, or reflective clothing is a good way in order to be seen in the dark.

Bike Safety Tip 4: Always Stop at a Stop Sign

Just like cars, bicycles have to stop at a stop sign. The reason is because bikes are treated like cars at stop signs and traffic lights. If bikers don’t stop at a stop sign, cars might crash into the bikes.

Extra fact: the same amount of a car being fined at stop signs is about the same amount of a bike being fined ($167).

Bike Safety Tip 5: Plan Your Route

When going to a new place, you should plan a route just in case you go the wrong way or get lost. Maybe you can use a map to plan your route.

Extra fact: Look up on the street signs on the way to check if you are on the right route.