text:
Download 28.5 Kb.
Artificial IntelligenceCase Study About the film
Film set at a future time when progress in robotics poses a possible threat to the human speciesDavid, a robotic boy, is the artificial life form that is capable of experiencing loveAs a prototype, he is given to a couple whose real son is in what appears to be an irreversible comaAfter a rough start, David and his mother bondThe real son miraculously awakes from the coma, returns to the family and tricks David into doing dangerous thingsThe father feels that they must return David to the manufacturer for destruction, but the mother allows David to escapeFor the rest of the film David seeks to be reunited with his mother, and, for a time, is joined on his quest by "Gigolo Joe," a robot designed to be a male prostituteDavid becomes frozen in the ocean and millennia later – long after the extinction of the human species – robots of the future rescue him and allow him to reunite with his mother for one day that will last in his mind for eternityAt the beginning of the movie, Professor Hobby states that "to create an artificial being has been the dream of man since the birth of science." There's probably an element of truth to this. Why do we have this fascination?One of the scientists at Cybertronics asks, "If a robot could genuinely love a person, what responsibility does that person hold toward that mecha in return?" Professor Hobby responds, "In the beginning, didn't God create Adam to love him?" What is implied by Professor Hobby's answer?When David's mother drops him off in the woods, David cries out "I'm sorry for not being real!" Aside from the fact that he's been kicked out of his house, why is he sorry for this?In a documentary on the movie, Steven Spielberg states that the story is set at a time when humans and robots are on the brink of civil war. One of the mechas explained that the Flesh Fair was an attempt to cut back on the numbers of mechas so that humans could "maintain numerical superiority." From the opposite perspective, one of the humans at the Fair said that mechas should be destroyed since they will take over. Why can't we just live in peace with robots?Consider some of the imagery the Flesh Fair: motorcycles, cowboy hats, heavy metal music, flannel shirts. What statement does this make about the kind of humans that opposed robots? Is it justified?An announcer at the Flesh Fair states the following "What about us? We are alive and this is a celebration of life, and this is commitment to a truly human future." How might the brutal destruction of robots be a celebration of life?The owner of the Flesh Fair states that child mechas like David, were built to disarm humans by playing on human emotions. Nevertheless, the human spectators feel sympathy with David, particularly because he pleads for his life. What abilities would a robot have to exhibit before we would consider it an equal with humans?Gigolo Joe states that sex robots like him "are the guiltless pleasures of the lonely human being." Would it really be guiltless to have sex with a robot that looked just like a real human?Gigolo Joe states that sex robots like him "are the guiltless pleasures of the lonely human being." Would it really be guiltless to have sex with a robot that looked just like a real human? What if the robot had the appearance of a ten-year-old human?Gigolo Joe tells David that his mother does not love him, but only loves what he does for her. What does he do for her?Is it plausible to think that a normal human could love a robot as though it were a real human?Gigolo Joe tells David "They made us too smart, too quick, and too many. We are suffering for the mistakes they made because when the end comes all that will be left is us. That's why they hate us." Is this a good reason to hate robots?David was the first of a kind in mecha design with an ability to experience love. On the box containing the mass-produced Davids it states "at last a love of your own." It turns out, though, that David has desires, self-motivated reason, and the ability to chase down his dreams. What is the connection between love and these other cognitive abilities?When David meets another David robot, he destroys it in a fit of rage, believing that this new David will compete with him for his mother's love. How do you interpret this scene?David enters a warehouse containing boxes upon boxes of other Davids. He walks up to a facial mask of one of the Davids and peers through its eye openings. What if anything does this symbolize?As Joe gets magnetically pulled up to a police helicopter his final words to David are "I am, I was." The "I am" clause is a reference to Descartes' famous statement "I think, therefore I am," which indicates Joe's assertion of his existence. What does the "I was" clause signify?In a documentary on the movie, Steven Spielberg states that a key issue raised by the movie is the extent to which we have a moral responsibility to the intelligent robots that we will someday create. What kind of qualities would a robot need before we would recognize our moral responsibility towards it? |


text:
Former Bank Employee Sentenced to Almost Three Years in Prison for Stealing over $600,000 from Customer Accounts
Las Vegas, Nev. - A former Wells Fargo Bank store manager has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for stealing $663,861 from customer accounts and converting it to his own use, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.
MOTEZ HITO, age 32, of Las Vegas, was sentenced on Monday, January 23, 2006, by U.S. District Judge Robert C. Jones. He pleaded guilty on October 28, 2005, to a Criminal Information charging him with a single felony count of Theft, Embezzlement and Misapplication by a Bank Employee. HITO admitted that between May 7, 2003, and March 3, 2005, while working for Wells Fargo Bank, he took $663,856 from the accounts of several bank customers and manipulated his own personal account with various deposit and debit transactions.
HITO was employed as the store manager at the Wells Fargo Bank Financial Center at 3300 West Sahara Avenue in Las Vegas from December 1998 to March 2005. The monies were stolen from certificate of deposit accounts belonging to elderly customers.
The embezzlement was initially discovered when the daughter of one of the victim customers noticed that several unauthorized withdrawals had been made from her mother's account. Bank investigators conducted an internal investigation and referred the case to the FBI.
HITO must also serve five years of supervised release and pay restitution of $663,861.96 to Wells Fargo Bank. He is prohibited from employment in the banking industry for the next 10 years; must participate in a gambling addiction treatment program; and must not enter, frequent or be involved with any legal or illegal gambling establishment or activity during the period of supervised release.
HITO is currently released on a personal recognizance bond, and must surrender to the federal correctional facility within 60 days of sentencing. This case was investigated by Special Agents with the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt P. Schulke.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
How do I mitigate my Doll's Eye (orbital fat loss) condition now that Dr. Meronk retired? I really would like someone to do Meronk's technique of fat pearl graft with the fat strip overlay in my eye crease. I am 57 and the fat loss will accelerate without intervention as I age. By the way, I had fat transfer just below the brow, above the brow and below the eye 3 weeks prior to this photo. Much of it has since resorbed.
How Do I Mitigate my Doll's Eye (Orbital Fat Loss) Condition? (photo)
Doctor Answers (7)
I know that your fat grafting procedure did not work, but not all surgeons do the fat harvesting and grafting same way. You have mild ptosis and your hollowness is more due to the over retraction of the levator muscle. You eye brow position is another indication of your eyes over correction of the ptosis. I would suggest that you find a plastic surgeon with experience in fat grafting.
Take your time when searching for a plastic surgeon to add fat to the eye area. This requires precision, expertise, practice and specialized instrumentation. Be sure to view many, many before and after photos of a surgeon's work to be certain they can provide a result that you desire.
Web reference: http://www.michaellawmd.com/gallery/fatgraft1.html
You did not say why you have the hollowness. Frequently this is because of over aggressive resection of the fat during Blepharoplasty. This is why I reposition rather than resect fat at the time of Blepharoplasty. The only way I have found to correct this problem or natural hollowness is with a filler, either one off the shelf or fat. Both work exceptionally well. The fillers are, however, not permanent. Hyaluronic acid fillers like Juvéderm or Restylane have been used well to do this for a number of years. Radiesse is more permanent but does not have the experience of the others. About 66% of fat takes and is permanent when done correctly. For that matter, all these injections are very injector dependant. Find a Plastic Surgeon with significant experience in using both filler and fat, and ask for success rates.
You might also like...
I have had success in correcting this condition by re-arranging the existing peri-orbital fat. This fat can be teased out from under the orbital septum and sutured in place to give added fullness to the retracted eye area. This type of fat, since it is still attached to its own blood supply will remain viable without the risk of resorption. If there is not enough fat to use then it can be supplemented with either fat grafting or a filler such as juvederm.
The appearance of "doll's eyes" or upper eyelid hollowing can be quite troubling and is a challenging aesthetic problem. The introduction of volumizing fillers, such as Juvederm UltraPlus XC, has provided us with a simple treatment option worth exploring in these cases for two reasons: 1) The results can be quite gratifying and generally quite long-lasting, and 2) they are also completely reversible if so desired for any reason by the injection of hyaluronidase, a natural enzyme that dissolves hyaluronic acid, the major component of this product.
Perlane-L and Radiesse, two other injectable volumizing agents, may also be used for treating this region. However, I have found the smoother flow of the Juvederm product to be most appropriate for improving this problem.
Before initiating actual treatment, I frequently test an individual's response by injecting a small amount of physiologic salt solution throughout the treatment area. While the consistency of salt solution is not that of the volumizing agent, you can get enough bulking with it to get a good sense of what the actual result would be from treatment with the actual volumizing filler itself. The salt solution is completely reabsorbed in about five to ten minutes, after which definitive treatment can be initiated.
Since the hollow area of the orbital rim is not subject to much mechanical force (unlike smile lines and marionette lines), the results of treatment with volumizing fillers injected in this region tend to persist far longer, possibly for years.
Web reference: https://YoungerLookingWithoutSurgery.com
Dr Truong's recommendation is a good one. I'm not sure that it will last for years, but it should give you an improvement.
There are other surgeons that may be willing to try the fat pearl graft technique as well, but as you have not had great luck with fat grafting below, you may go through the surgery and the recovery and still come up short. I don't want to discourage you, but the expectations need to be reasonable in this situation.
Since fat grafting has not worked well for you in correcting the upper lid hollowing, consider Juvederm injection in that area. It works quite well, lasts for years and is reversible if there is a problem area. The obvious advantage is you avoid a surgical procedure and the risks and long healing associated with it.
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.


text:
Club Vivanova hosts highly successful and sold-out monthly events in Berlin, Monte Carlo, Milan, Prague and Warsaw. Locations are chosen from premium food and beverage outlets in the five locations (although we are open to other cities), menus are of a high gourmet standard and wines are boutique New World from small, family owned, value for money wineries in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Wines for our events are provided exclusively by Mitton International Wines and Club Vivanova is used as a platform to build relationships between wineries, trade partners and end consumers offering excellent value for money gourmet experiences for our members and non-member attendees. Club Vivanova events are promoted to a mailing list of over 20,000 target clients and we have strong platforms on our group sites at Linkedin and facebook where we promote and invite guests. Please note that members and non-members alike may book for our events, which are always well attended; early reservations are recommended.
Luxurious benefits delivered with your membership package
• The chance to win one of twenty-four complimentary nights with free weekend stays for two in a double or twin room at any Adina Apartment Hotel in Europe or Australia with free continental breakfast (retail value EUR 360).
• One complimentary voucher per member for a weekend spa experience for two in any Holmes Place Health and Fitness Club in Germany with free 30 minute personal health and fitness training and free 30 minute spa / massage treatment (retail value EUR 130).
• One complimentary bottle of hand-delivered Australian sparkling wine for celebratory purposes (retail value EUR 25)Benefits upon attending events
• Members receive special gifts or complimentary dining vouchers at all club events.
• Members can present marketing / promotional materials at events. Upon request, new members will be introduced and offered the chance to make a brief introduction to attendees at each of the club events.General ongoing benefits
• Free public link and listing at our members page, to each member's company website, upon request.
• Five percent discount on all private wine purchases from Mitton International Wines GmbH.
• Through a specially produced directory, receive discounts and special deals from other members who wish to promote their businesses.
• Priority on bookings for all Club Vivanova, the twelve and APERITIVO Wine Bar events.
• Option to host tastings within member's business premises inviting club members for presentation and networking opportunities – great business networking opportunities.
• A quarterly newsletter will offer special benefits for members during that period.
• Privilege passes to attend events, seminars and launchings with new wines and international wine suppliers during promotional evenings and VIP passes for free guest tours at vineyards worldwide in France, Australia, California, New Zealand, Germany, South Africa and Italy (must apply to Mitton Wines in advance).
Download our Members Benefits Presentation (32 Kb PDF).Membership Fee
EUR 68 per year (annually 1st January to 31st December). Pro-rated to EUR 39 after 1st July.Applications
Please complete the registration form Members Application Form (154 Kb PDF)


text:
Diet pills have became the third major aspect after dieting and exercising, when it come to solving extra body weight problems. By definition they are food supplements and you always must refer to them as such. You have to treat them as an addition to your diet plan, that assists you in reaching your weight loss goals. On the opposite you do not have to think that weight loss pills are some kind of miracle, and to completely rely on them, thinking they will do all the job, while you do nothing.
We all know that proper dieting and regular exercises are enough reasons for losing weight. But unfortunately in the real everyday life these simple things can be very hard to perform. You need to have plenty of free time for sporting, or shopping and preparing healthy meals. If you have the time, then you'll need the proper motivation. The "reason-not-to do exercise and eat healthy" list is long... Respectively many people turn to the weight loss supplements for help. And what they offer is very tempting.
Note: In this list we do not include the health risking element of weight loss supplements, which is also the most important. The reason is that due to the high demand in the weight-loss market it is constantly increasing and in some cases improved. There are still companies which understand that the amount of profits depends not on the quantity of products they will sell, but on the level of satisfaction of their customers. Respectively diet supplements with safer and natural ingredients exist, of course they are few in numbers and not easy to find, but with the right approach when researching the web for safe diet pills that work you will eventually find them.
Almost all of the weight loss products available today will more or less provide results. But many of them can do more harm than good to you, because of the hidden side effects they can have. So what will be the outcome of positive weight-loss results and negative effects on health?
The key here is to find products with all natural ingredients - proven to work, without any additives, and if it is possible with no side effects. Whether you will get the benefit from them or the opposite, depends on finding the right diet pills that work safely and effectively.
When surfing online the great advantage is that you could find tons of information for almost anything. So if you are interested in using weight loss supplements, you can make some research first and then make a smarter choice.
Customer's feedback - these are ordinary people who have tried a given product and give their independent testimonials.
Company reputation - what is the popularity of the product they offer? Are they just pushing a product or offer additional info, resources and customer support?
Clinical data - if a given product had intrigued you, this step is mandatory. You have to find out whether there is medically evidence for the things that a diet supplement claims. If it is endorsed by leading doctors, dieticians, fitness instructors and personal trainers.
What are the ingredients - are they clearly stated, are only natural ingredients included without additives or fillers. Are there any possible side effects?
Finally according to the above criteria we would like to make a few suggestions after a research of our own, on two of the basic types of diet pills - fat binder and appetite suppressant. Fat binders trigger a process of binding a certain amount of the fat from your meals, thus preventing it from being absorbed by your body. A good decision when you want to eat your favourite dessert or you are about to consume large amount of food on a celebration party. Read the review of our suggested natural fat binder.
Appetite suppressants help you not to feel hunger for longer times. Respectively they can help you with your "bad" eating habits - eating large quantity of food, snacking in between meals etc. Thus reducing your daily calorie intake and guarantee weight loss results. Read the review of our suggested natural appetite suppressant.
If you are beginner a quality diet supplement could give you a good headstart. Again do not think while taking it, you could sit down and watch it doing its magic. In order to benefit from a weight loss pill and not to be disappointed, you have to maintain a healthy diet and try to be more physically active.
Strictly following a dieting plan is very hard and that's where a slimming product can help you. By correcting all the mistakes in your eating habits (eat unhealthy food - choose a fat binder; cant stop eating all the time - choose an appetite suppressant). Sooner or later the results will come and here is the main idea:
This will have to motivate you to maintain healthy living and get to the point where you will no longer need any supplements or may safely use them only from time to time in special occasions.
Note: If you are taking other medications, or on any kind of medical treatment, and you decide to use diet supplements, you should always seek the advice of your doctor first, whether it is safe or not.


text:
Lyrics Depot | |
Lyrics » UFO Lyrics » Doing It All For You Lyrics |
Lyrics Depot is your source of lyrics to Doing It All For You by UFO. Please check back for more UFO lyrics. |
Doing It All For You LyricsArtist: UFOAlbum: Mechanix I haven't been spotted I seen Four more blocks and I'm safe Make it clean without a chase There's something special, certain feeling I can't blow this one for sure I've been nervous, anxious and edgy This one's the last one there'll be no more What I've got to do tonight Take the car and meet the man downtown It's easy darling, working away Before the word's got around * And I'll do it all for you, oh yes I will This time I'm coming through, oh yeah I said I'm burning, I been rolling This car's turned up to make it fly Don't worry darling just get ready Tonight we're gonna be going out in style If anyone comes calling around Don't answer 'cause you're my alibi So just trust me, kiss me and love me Chasing the golden mile * Repeat [INSTRUMENTAL] * Repeat
Related: |
All lyrics are the property of their respective authors, artists and labels. |


text:
Low-Cost Clothing Crafts
Bonus: Get our newsletter & special offers for free. We will not share or sell your email address. View our Privacy Policy
Easy T Shirt Stencil
Create a stencil for your T-shirt with the help of freezer paper. Freezer paper has a shiny side that will stick to fabric when ironed on. Here's how to use this useful paper for making a T-shirt stencil.
- Print out an image or design on regular paper that you would like to use as a stencil.
- Layer this paper on top of a piece of freezer paper with the shiny side down.
- Make sure you are working over a cutting mat. To make cutting easier, tape the two pieces of paper down on the cutting mat around the edges (to keep either layer from slipping while you work).
- Use an X-Acto knife or craft knife to cut out the design.
- Discard the regular paper.
- Position your freezer paper stencil on your T-shirt, shiny side down, and iron it on. To make your working area sturdier on the T-shirt, add another piece of freezer paper inside the T-shirt (shiny side up), so that the T-shirt is sandwiched between two layers of freezer paper. This also helps to keep the paint from soaking through to the other side of your T-shirt.
- Use fabric paint, which is washable, to paint over your stencil and let dry. A thin layer should dry overnight, but some paint may take longer.
- Once the paint is dry, simply peel off the freezer paper. Many fabric paints will require that you then "heat set" the design by ironing. You're done!
Show off your stencil-painted T-shirt!
Tags / Related Topics
Your Recently Viewed Projects
Love these projects? Get MORE delivered to your Inbox – FREE Click Here!
Something worth saving?
- SAVE all your favorite crafts
- ADD personal notes
- QUICKLY reference your crafts
Free eBooks
- 12 Thrifty Trash to Treasure Crafts
- 17 Flower Craft Ideas: How To Make Paper Flowers, Easy Fabric Flowers and More
- 18 Crafts with Felt: Simple Craft Ideas, Felt Flowers & More
- 24 Tie-Dye Techniques: Free Tie-Dye Patterns
- 24 Valentine's Day Crafts for Kids: Lovely Kids Crafts Ideas and Projects
- 25 Cool Things to Do with Wine Bottles
- 26 Spring Crafts for Kids
- 41 Valentine's Day Crafts: Valentine's Day Cards, Gifts and More
- Cupid's Handmade Crafts
- Irish for a Day: St. Patrick's Day Craft and Recipe Guide
Our Newest Projects & Articles
- Learn to Embroider with the Best of Leisure Arts
- Colorful Ladybugs Toilet Paper Roll Craft
- Reworked Rainbow Table DIY Craft Project
- Leisure Arts Book Bundle
- Polyform Sculpey Clay Beginner Pack
- Red Heart Fancy Yarn Pack
- 13 Spring Crafts: Easter Craft Ideas, Spring DIY Home Decor, and More free eBook
- American Quilter's Society Gift Card
- Marvy Uchida Easy Crystal Applicator
- Sizzix eclips2 DIY Electric Cutter Starter Kit


text:
- Cold Cases - http://blogs.denverpost.com/coldcases -
Chaffee County controversy: Case divided investigators and prosecutor
Posted By Kirk Mitchell On May 30, 2012 @ 10:54 am In Chaffee County, Colo.,Updated | 1 Comment
Names: Nancy Mason, 47
Location: Stream near St. Elmo in Chaffee County
Agency: Chaffee County Sheriff's Office
Date died: May 30, 2004
Cause of death: Suspicious
Suspect: Dan Mason
Though they work side by side, police and prosecutors don't always agree about cases.
But usually they keep their differences to themselves. They don't criticize each other publicly because they are on the same team and will have to work together in the future. They must maintain a working relationship.
On the anniversary of Nancy Mason's death on a Memorial Day weekend in 2004, I recount her case that was handled so differently than most.
In Mason's case differences in strategy between the Chaffee County Sheriff's Department and the district attorney became a point of contention. It became a very visible battle. The two offices remain at odds.
Originally, Mason's case was considered an accident. Mason was celebrating the holiday with her husband and his close friend Efren Gallegos who lived with them. She was on a rock ledge fishing upstream from Mason and Gallegos when she fell into the water and drowned.
Years later, when Chaffee County investigators looked into Mason's case, they found many clues that they believed pointed to homicide, not an accidental fall in a river. For example, Mason and Gallegos claimed they heard Nancy Mason scream after she fell into the stream, but an autopsy showed her neck was broken.
But the prosecutor disagreed. He believed that there was strong evidence including the original autopsy that indicated Nancy Mason died of natural causes.
Then began a very public dispute. The investigator called me in the spring of 2008 and asked if I'd be interested in doing a profile. I was. It was the first year that I had been writing stories about Colorado cold cases.
When I reached Dan Mason on the phone he told me an amazing story. He claimed his wife fell into a raging mountain creek while fishing during a Memorial Day weekend. He said he leaped into the water and tried to save her. During the attempt an angel literally pulled him and Nancy out of the water, he told me. But he couldn't save her.
Subsequently, a bitter legal battle ensued between the sheriff's office and the DA's office.
The inquest resulted in a finding that Mason was the victim of a homicide.
A warrant was subsequently issued [3] in the case for the arrest of two suspects.
But the Chaffee County district attorney Thom LeDoux declined to file charges [4].
The sheriff's office petitioned a judge to appoint a special prosecutor [5] to file charges in the case, but the request was later rejected [6].
The story caught the interest of the national media.
Dateline NBC correspondent Dennis Murphy narrated a story in August of 2009 about the case called "Mystery at Chalk Creek [7]: A mother's 'accidental' death leaves behind clues that point to murder.'"
Be sure to follow Cold Cases or Like Kirk Mitchell on Facebook [8] for the latest and more notorious Colorado cold cases.
Article printed from Cold Cases: http://blogs.denverpost.com/coldcases
URL to article: http://blogs.denverpost.com/coldcases/2012/05/30/accident-homicide-case-divided-investigators-prosecutor/4261/
URLs in this post:
[1] Image: http://blogs.denverpost.com/coldcases/2012/05/30/accident-homicide-case-divided-investigators-prosecutor/4261/mason2/
[2] Image: http://blogs.denverpost.com/coldcases/2012/05/30/accident-homicide-case-divided-investigators-prosecutor/4261/ledoux-3/
[3] warrant was subsequently issued: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_12491594?IADID=Search-www.denverpost.com-www.denverpost.com
[4] declined to file charges: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_12555190?IADID=Search-www.denverpost.com-www.denverpost.com
[5] special prosecutor: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_12565201?IADID=Search-www.denverpost.com-www.denverpost.com
[6] request was later rejected: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14013930?IADID=Search-www.denverpost.com-www.denverpost.com
[7] Mystery at Chalk Creek: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32450356/ns/dateline_nbc-crime_reports/t/mystery-chalk-creek/
[8] Kirk Mitchell on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kmitchelldp
Click here to print.
All contents Copyright © 2011 The Denver Post or other copyright holders. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed for any commercial purpose.


text:
Nestled in quiet Dever's Bay on the Southwest shore of beautiful St. John, USVI, Vida de Mar is the perfect spot for a fabulous Virgin Islands vacation.
Vida de Mar is a luxurious Caribbean beachfront villa with five air-conditioned bedrooms that can accommodate two to ten with ease. Secluded, yet still minutes from town, you get the best of both worlds.
St. John is the smallest of the three US Virgin Islands, but many people say that the island, nicknamed "Love Island", is the most beautiful. Only nine miles long and three miles wide, two thirds of the island is National Park, donated to the US by multimillionaire Laurence Rockefeller in 1956.
St. John is best known for its beautiful, picture-perfect white sand beaches surrounded by turquoise waters that are so clear, you can see for what seems like miles down. Diving and snorkeling on St. John are some of the best in the world. Hiking trails abound on St. John, usually beginning at the top of a lush green mountain and ending at yet another pristine beach, with interesting historical ruins along the way.
Getting around the island is easy. Cruz Bay, the major town where the ferry docks is on the west end of the island facing Red Hook in St. Thomas. The ferry ride from Red Hook runs hourly and is only a quick twenty minute ride.
St. John's selection of restaurants is second-to-none. It is amazingly hard to get anything other than a fabulous meal anywhere you go. There is something for everyone as far as dining goes: Everything from open-air breezy places for BBQ or a fresh fish sandwich to candlelit five-star cuisine at the top of a mountain.
Shopping on St. John is also a treat. Many local artists have unique and gorgeous paintings, sculptures, jewelry and photographs for sale. There are numerous galleries in Cruz Bay and Coral Bay to meet any style or decor. Also, there are many clothing, food, furniture, camera and other local shops specializing in island favorites.


text:
do you provide with linen? do we have to book the BBQ ?We are staying from Feb 1-4. Thanks Ana (26/01/2015 8:21:43 p.m.) |
Hi Ana, we provide linen in the unit, and you do not need to book BBQ, it can be used anytime. cheers! (27/01/2015 4:49:36 p.m.) |
Hi, I'd like to purchase a GrabOne voucher for two nights. Do you have a room available for Sunday 28 & Monday 30 December 2014? Kind regards, Bonnie Bonnie Wiremu (27/12/2014 8:53:28 p.m.) |
hi Bonnie, no room available on that date. sorry ! (28/12/2014 11:53:44 a.m.) |
Hi there, we are looking at coming down on the 10th of Jan for 2/3 nights, ideally in a 2bd lakeview.... dont suppose you will be doing a grabone offer in the next few days..???? hayden (20/12/2014 7:34:49 p.m.) |
Hi there, sorry we do not have one bedroom unit left for grabone deal on 10th and the following days. cheers! (28/12/2014 11:52:51 a.m.) |
hi, do you have a unit available for 1 adult & 3 teens (14 - 16) for Friday 20 & Sat 21 Feb? Looking at your Grabone Voucher. Thanks Jo Andrell (7/12/2014 5:17:58 p.m.) |
Hi Jo, We have room available on Friday & Sat 21 Feb. just buy the voucher from grabone and email us your grabone number, cellphone number and ETA to email@example.com. cheers! (8/12/2014 4:40:37 p.m.) |
Hi please advise rates for 5 adults room that has lake view from 12th january to 15th january 2015. Thanks ru (7/12/2014 3:29:34 a.m.) |
the rate would be $169.00per night the room has a queen a double and single bed. (7/12/2014 8:44:10 a.m.) |
Hi, We are four in a family with teacup puppies and would like to stay 31st of Dec and 1st Jan, Pls advise is this will be okay so I can proceed with the purchase. SALENDRA NAIR (5/12/2014 11:50:25 a.m.) |
I AM SORRY WE ARE BOOKED OUT FOR THESE DATES (5/12/2014 2:39:36 p.m.) |
Hello..we wld like to purchase your deal on grab one but may have an extra child..2 adults 3 children in total..is there room for an additional child please and if so what wld cost be...we are happy to bring an air bed..thanks Kaz n rob (4/12/2014 10:01:11 p.m.) |
Hi there is queen bed in bedroom and a double and single in lounge (5/12/2014 8:40:30 a.m.) |
Hi there, do you have availability for a family of 2 adults and 2 kids from 7-10 January (3 nights)? Thanks. Nigel (4/12/2014 9:48:26 p.m.) |
Hi yes we do at this stage please contact us on 0800522526 or email firstname.lastname@example.com thanks (5/12/2014 8:38:10 a.m.) |
Hi, does your hotel have a kids club? Lindsey Lister (2/11/2014 9:51:36 a.m.) |
Hi Lindsey, sorry we do not have kids club. but we do have trampoline, play houses. cheers! (2/11/2014 2:27:56 p.m.) |
Hi saw your grabone deal on earlier and now that I am trying to book it seems to have disappeared on there web page? Help Jody (30/10/2014 1:25:28 p.m.) |
Hi Jody, sorry our grabone deal is finished, do you want to ring us and i will try to give you a reasonable price as well. cheers! (30/10/2014 4:16:07 p.m.) |
please advise if you have Sky TV available Phil nock (28/10/2014 10:28:12 a.m.) |
Hi Phil, we only have SKY TV for the lodge not for the motel, sorry. (28/10/2014 1:00:24 p.m.) |
Hi We haved stayed before on a Grab On deal and loved it! Are there any deals available for 3 people for Fri/sat 21/22 Nov please and what price for the 2 nights please? Tracey Wilson (27/10/2014 3:02:53 p.m.) |
Hi Tracy. thanks for your enquiry, we have grab one deal now. it's $98 per night up to 4 people. so you can buy the grab one voucher and email me your ETA, cell phone number and i will book you in. cheers! (28/10/2014 12:59:43 p.m.) |
Hello. Do you have a secured shed for mountain bikes? Thanks, Marlon Marlon (8/10/2014 11:04:40 a.m.) |
Hi Marlon, we have garage that can keep your bike safe, do not need worry about that. cheers! (8/10/2014 2:28:01 p.m.) |
Hi would you please tell me how many fury friends are you allow to bring eg dogs thanks clare Clare Farquhar (7/10/2014 10:03:58 a.m.) |
Hi Clare, we are pet friendly, as long as your friends won't disturb our customer. (7/10/2014 1:23:14 p.m.) |
Hi there, (Grabone Booking) I am looking for 2 family rooms on coming saturday i.e. 11th Oct. Could you Pl let me know, if the rooms are available. If not, whether same number of rooms are available on coming weekends. Regards, Anil Anil (6/10/2014 4:53:10 p.m.) |
Hi Anil, sorry the 11 of oct and 18 of oct all booked out, can you please check other date? cheers! (7/10/2014 1:20:28 p.m.) |
Looking to grabone for October 23rd and 24th for four adults and a dog is there availability Cath thorp (6/10/2014 9:02:57 a.m.) |
Hi Cath, 23rd is available, but 24th is public holiday, the voucher can not be used on public holiday. full rate for public holiday. cheers! (6/10/2014 9:15:26 a.m.) |
Hi There, Is a family room available on Saturday 11th October (next weekend) Vicky Aylward (5/10/2014 5:34:03 p.m.) |
Hi Vicky, sorry, for next weekend, it's booked out. no room available. (6/10/2014 9:07:56 a.m.) |
we are looking to stay on the night of Saturday 25th October using the grab one offer. Thank you Pam Pam Barnett (3/10/2014 6:14:49 p.m.) |
Hi Pam, sorry the voucher is not available on public holiday. can you arrange another date? cheers! (5/10/2014 2:42:58 p.m.) |
Hi Is there availability for 2 rooms on October 17th ? I would like to buy the grabone voucher if there is availability. Please confirm that the charge for 1 extra person in one of the rooms. Cheers Shubbu Kumar Shubbu Kumar (1/10/2014 11:31:09 p.m.) |
Hi Shubbu, we have room available on 17th of october, and we charge$15 for extra person. you can buy the voucher from grabone and ring us back. cheers! (2/10/2014 12:25:54 p.m.) |
How about 9th or 11 November? Preferably on the 11th. Thanks! Wee (30/09/2014 12:19:37 p.m.) |
Hi wee, we only have room available on 9th of nov, and extra people we charge $15. just buy the grabone voucher and then contact us. cheers! (30/09/2014 12:23:06 p.m.) |
Hi there, I saw the grabone deal. Is there any room available on the 10th November? There will be 5 adults in total. Would I still be able to book for a room using grabone? Thanks! Wee San Toh (30/09/2014 2:56:52 a.m.) |
Hi wee, I am sorry that 10th of nov is full booed, is there any other date you are looking for? (30/09/2014 12:03:52 p.m.) |
Hi Im planning to buy a grabone deal on the $98/night Jack & Di's Waiteti Lakefront Motel - Rotorua and wanted ito schedule it on Oct 31 and Nov 1 (2 nights). I'm wondering if there is still a vacancy? Majalia (29/09/2014 7:07:00 p.m.) |
Hi Majalia, we still have unit available, you can buy the voucher and contact us to book the unit. (30/09/2014 12:04:10 p.m.) |
Hi there - do you have a family room for the GrabOne deal for 2 nights - either the nights of the 3rd & 4th Oct or the 4th & 5th Oct? Thanks Kent Huntley (28/09/2014 5:24:33 p.m.) |
Hi kent, i am sorry all the room booked out from 2rd to 5th. any other date suitable for you? (30/09/2014 11:54:33 a.m.) |
Hi I was wanting to get your deal on geabone but wanted to check that we could use it on Wednesday 8/10 and Thursday 9/10 in the second week of the school holidays? Kim Todd (28/09/2014 8:13:32 a.m.) |
Hi Kim, we have 1 one bedroom unit left, you can buy the voucher from grab one, and email us your information,like your cell phone number, your eta and voucher number.thanks ! (28/09/2014 1:09:15 p.m.) |
Hi Ian We stayed at Jack and Di's for 2 nights back in July. You may remember us - we were the family from Sydney who had 2 bags go missing at Auckland airport and they eventually delivered one of them to us at Jack and Di's on the night of Tues 8th July...from memory it was around 9.45pm. We are claiming against our travel insurance and were wondering if you could email us a (signed) confirmation of when the bag was delivered to the motel so we can forward that on to the Insurance company? It would be greatly appreciated if you could help us out... Any questions, pls don't hesitate. Many thanks Dave Dave Broadfield (26/08/2014 7:12:44 p.m.) |
Hi Dave ,YES ido remember i will email tomorrow. Cheers, (26/08/2014 8:47:51 p.m.) |
My wife & I are planning to visist Rotorua on Sept 17th ( check-in)through 19th ( check-out) . Need a King/Queeen bed room with Lakeview for two nights.
If you have , pl let me know the rate and are there resturants near-by?, no plan to cook. Also do you offer breakfast / dinner? Thanks Don Don (26/08/2014 1:24:53 p.m.) |
Good afternoon Bob, Yes we have rooms available for those dates and do provide a cooked breakfast menu, and also do roast dinner on request.There are several restaurants close by.Please contact us by email or free phone 0800522526 to discuss rates. Kind regards Ian (26/08/2014 2:24:37 p.m.) |
Hi there! We are 4 adults and 3 kids, 14,10 & 3 , looking through Grabone $89. Could you please help to know the total cost thank you. God bless Puja Puja (16/08/2014 9:52:31 p.m.) |
Hi Puja, Thanks for your enquiry, the total cost for extra is $15 per person, and we only charge $30 for your extra children, cause the other child is only 3 years old. Can you please tell me which date you prefer, and I can check availability for you. Cheers! (17/08/2014 11:06:27 a.m.) |
Do you have availability for 01 Oct - 03 Oct. We are a family of 5, 2 adults and 3 children (9,7,5 years). How much for the extra child please? Wilson (16/08/2014 8:33:19 a.m.) |
is this on a voucher ? We do have rooms available please email direct at firstname.lastname@example.com or CALL0800522526 - Kind regards ian (16/08/2014 12:04:04 p.m.) |
Hi, We are planning to buy a Treat me $89 voucher a 1 Night Stay for up to 4 People. Please let me know the availability of rooms on October 5th Night. There will be two adults and one child. Thanks, Ravi Ravi Lakdivdas (15/08/2014 4:44:35 p.m.) |
im sorry we are fully booked for that date (16/08/2014 12:03:54 p.m.) |
Hi I am looking at your GrabOne deal. Do you have accommodation for 2 adults and a 15 and 9 year old on 5 and 6 September? Can I buy 2 vouchers and combine them as payments for the 2 nights? Thank you Tracy (11/08/2014 5:02:12 p.m.) |
Hi Tracy, Thanks for your enquiry, the date you expect for is available, you can buy up to 4 vouchers. Cheers! (12/08/2014 10:34:51 a.m.) |
Hi, I'm looking at your Grabone offer. Is 22 August available? We have 5 adults and one 4 month old infant. How much extra do I have to pay? Cheers, Nishan Nishan (8/08/2014 9:03:49 a.m.) |
Hi Nishan, Thanks for your enquiry, we have room available on 22th of this month. Extra people we charge $15, no cost for the baby. Thanks ! (8/08/2014 9:58:23 a.m.) |
We are a group form England with four adults in three rooms with four children. I have looked at the large and small villa's as a combination to match our five bedroom requirement. The dates will be arriving on the 26th and departing on the 30th December 2014. What is the cost? david phethean (8/08/2014 4:33:40 a.m.) |
Hi David, thanks for your enquiry, if you would like to book the whole lodge, it will be $699 per night. 4 nights should be $2796, I can lower it into $2600. cheers! (8/08/2014 9:53:12 a.m.) |
Hi there! We're thinking of getting the grabone offer. Are the dates 15 to 17/18 of August still available? Cheers, Virgil Virgil Omayan (7/08/2014 10:55:08 p.m.) |
Hi Virgil, Thanks for your enquiry, we only have room available on 17th and 18th of August, you can ring us after you purchase the voucher, and I will book it for you. Cheers ! (8/08/2014 9:48:56 a.m.) |
Looking at buying a Grab One voucher. Do you have availability for 2 adults and 2 children for 29thSept? Thank you Kirsty Hearn (7/08/2014 8:51:44 p.m.) |
Hi Kirsty, Thanks for your enquiry, We have room available on 29th of Sep, you can ring us after you purchase the voucher, and I will book it for you. Cheers (8/08/2014 9:44:43 a.m.) |
Hi I would like to enquire about accomodation from the 15-17 Dec or 16-18 Dec for 2 couples? thanks Michelle cyster (7/08/2014 10:50:35 a.m.) |
Hi Michelle, Thanks for your enquiry, we have room available start from 15th -18th of dec, and we have two bedroom uints which suitable for two couple. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask or you can ring us. Looking forward to your reply. (8/08/2014 9:41:32 a.m.) |
Hi I am looking at your grabone offer we are 2 adults and 4 children youngest being only 1 yr old can we up grade if so how much would that be? Tania (7/08/2014 8:31:40 a.m.) |
H Tania, Thanks for your questions, extra people is $15 , but for the 1 year old baby, we do not charge. thanks! (7/08/2014 10:01:03 a.m.) |
Hi there, im looking at purchasing the GrabOne voucher, do you have a room available for 1 adult and 5 children aged 1, 2, 8, 10yrs tomorrow? Thanks Gemma (15/07/2014 8:57:33 a.m.) |
Hi Gemma, we have only got large villa available for tomorrow, which have nice view there, if you interesting with it, you can check it from website, and give us a ring to book it for a cheap price. (15/07/2014 9:56:11 a.m.) |
I'd like to check availability for next week for 2 adults and 2 children. Can we buy 3 vouchers for 3 nights? Thanks. Kirsty (14/07/2014 7:22:22 p.m.) |
Hi kirsty, we have room available from 21st until 24th of next week, which date you prefer? you can buy voucher from crabone and ring us to book the room, thanks ! (15/07/2014 9:53:01 a.m.) |
Hi I am looking at buying the Grab One vochure for 3 of us, can you let me know if it is available for 13/07 for one night.
Many thanks Mahesh (8/07/2014 11:02:51 p.m.) |
Hi Mahesh, we do have room available on 13 of July, you can buy the voucher from grab one and let us know your voucher number. cheers! (9/07/2014 3:33:30 p.m.) |
Hi,I checked Grabone promotion of NZD89 for a night. We are one coupon would like a king size or queen size bedroom with ensuit bathroom from 2 to 4 Aug. any room you recommend? Lidya (7/07/2014 9:17:20 p.m.) |
we will ring you and explain to you, cheers! (8/07/2014 9:21:15 a.m.) |
Hi could you please advise if you have the Wi Fi If you have , I would like to book on 17,18,19,20 July for family 2 adults and 2 kids (6 and 9 y.o.) Elena Tahir (7/07/2014 11:11:01 a.m.) |
Hi Elena, we have WiFI here, but 17th and 18th are not available at this stage, 20th, 21st , 22nd and 23rd are available now. your can ring us t o check the availability. thanks ! (7/07/2014 11:58:31 a.m.) |
Hi I was looking for availability as a result of the Grabone voucher advertising and saw that there was a typo on your availability page. From years at I-Site North Shore I tend to pick up on that sort of thing. So just trying to assist, not criticize: Please note that there is a spelling mistake on your page COPY: Lakeview 1 bedroom faminy Rate is for 4 people Maximum of 5 people Lakeview 2 bedroom faminy Rate is for 5 people Maximum of 7 people Planning a stay with my mature German Shepherd and two homestay students. No date set yet. Have a great day. Anneke van den Haak (7/07/2014 9:20:39 a.m.) |
Hi Anneke, our grab one voucher is up to 4 people, but some of our units can sleep up to 7 people, just depend on availability, for extra people we charge extra $15 , so if 5 people would like use this voucher, just pay extra$15 when you arrive, and we can arrange a suitable room for 5 people. if you have any question, please give us a call. thanks! (7/07/2014 11:54:51 a.m.) |
Hi you have a special on grabone today for $798 on your troutbeck lodge for up to 11 people. Was it possible to have 19 people for 1x night then just 11 people the second night for the same price or maybe pay a bit extra for the other people. It will be for 11 adults and 8 kids all under 12. Roy Lubo (14/05/2014 1:40:28 p.m.) |
Hi i suggest to book one of our motel room for 7 people, we can give you $139 for only one night special, which is normally $ 229 for big family. for safety reason, it is illegal to put 19 people in the lodge. thanks! (15/05/2014 9:54:15 a.m.) |
Hi, regarding pets, are they allowed in the room or outside only? Thanks Sarah (8/05/2014 9:31:09 p.m.) |
Hi Sarah, Dogs allowed into the room, as long as they are clean and would not make carpet dirty. Thanks ! (9/05/2014 11:42:56 a.m.) |
Do you have units with disabled access. Thanks Raewyn (4/05/2014 9:57:46 p.m.) |
Hi Raewyn, Yes, all units are on ground level easy to access, although shower facilities have raised basins. (5/05/2014 9:55:47 a.m.) |
Hi What are rates regarding Children? Joanne (4/05/2014 9:36:56 a.m.) |
Hi Joanne, Units are sold on a per room basis, as such there is no charge for children, I am more than happy to provide you a special rate, please advise your numbers, adults / children. (4/05/2014 2:36:42 p.m.) |
Hello. Just checking your offer on Grab-one site. Is it available any nights during the next school holidays please, between 5th -20th July. Myself, and two girlfriends might like to stay there with our kids. Cheers Lee Lee Gamble (4/05/2014 8:17:33 a.m.) |
Hi Lee, Thanks for your correspondence, yes, at this stage, the Troutbeck lodge is available on all days during this period. (4/05/2014 2:37:21 p.m.) |
how far from city? mark (2/05/2014 4:33:14 p.m.) |
just 15min driving long. thanks (2/05/2014 4:35:38 p.m.) |
Hi, we are attending a week long conference (me and my husband) which is taking place in Biak Street. Firstly, how far are you from that area please and secondly what is the best you can do price wise from 29 Sept to 3 October (5 nights) - look forward to hearing from you. Thank you. Linda Selwood (18/04/2014 11:49:42 a.m.) |
Hi, it is just 10min driving .approx 8km. we can offer you a lake view studio for $100.00pn.please contact us on 0800522526. Kind regards Ian (18/04/2014 4:51:31 p.m.) |
Do you have a cot for a baby as we have a six month old and would need at least a portacot. cynthia (15/04/2014 6:42:42 p.m.) |
Yes, we do. thanks (16/04/2014 11:44:26 a.m.) |
Could you please confirm if you allow pets. If you do then could you please confirm the price for 4 nights(25th Dec- 29th Dec), 3 adults + 1 pet(dog). We all are happy to stay in one room if that saves us any money. Also could you please advise that how far the beach is from the accommodation. Kind Regards, Sam Arora IT Consultant Palmerston North t: 021-02375797 e: firstname.lastname@example.com Sam Arora (15/11/2013 1:45:36 p.m.) |
Dear Sam Yes, we have one room left for four nights according to your inquiry. pet is allowed here. The beach is just in the front of our motel, it only took one or two minutes to walk there. You can book it through our website directly. Best wishes Presilla (16/11/2013 10:17:30 a.m.) |
Do you have a space for a motorhome for a few days in January? Barrie Barnes (13/11/2013 7:27:49 p.m.) |
Dear Barrie Glad to see your inquiry. Yes, we have some vacancies at present, you can check the availability on the booking motel page. Thanks and best wishes Presilla (16/11/2013 10:14:49 a.m.) |
Hi , A friend of mine stayed at your place. She loved it and I saw a photo of her in a spa pool. Which room can sleep5 people with a spa pool on the desk over looking the lake? Many thanks, Caron Caron Thornton (4/11/2013 6:08:32 p.m.) |
Dear Caron thanks for your inquiry, we do have a family room for five people which located in the middle of the yard facing to the beautiful lake. what is your plan to visit here? Looking forward to get your response. Best wishes Presilla (16/11/2013 10:12:58 a.m.) |
would this be available on the 27th Oct for 1 night for 10 adults and 1 child? carolin currie (22/10/2013 11:14:38 a.m.) |
Dear Carolin Thanks for your choosing and inquiry. Yes, we have two rooms available on 27 Oct at present, family 1 bedroom and family 2 bedroom ,this is the last room we have. you can book it directly through this website. Enjoy your day. Cheers! Presilla (22/10/2013 2:32:37 p.m.) |
what is rate for the lake view studio on December/23? presilla (5/10/2013 2:20:53 p.m.) |
it is $120 per night, thanks (5/10/2013 2:23:02 p.m.) |
A warm Welcome to Jack & Di's in Rotorua
long term renting: one bedroom unit($250/week) Fully furnished with kitchen, oven, micro-wave and fridge. free internet access, power not included. Spa, kayaks and BBQ available upon request. Ideal fishing location, bike storage et al. two bedroom unit($325/week) and three bedroom unit($475/week). Minimum renting for 2 months, maximum 6 months, but certainly negotiable.
Bond: $700.00. Negotiable.
To grab a Special Room Rate after 3:00 PM each day start now 2015!
Troutbeck Lodge
all Lodge |
Lakefront Motel (All lakeview rooms)
1 bedroom Business Suite |
1 bedroom Executive suite |
1 bedroom Family Suite |
2 bedrooms Family Unit |
1 bedroom Budget Suite |
2 bedrooms Budget Unit |
1 bedroom Garden Suite |
Lake window studio |
kayaking |
fishing |
spa |
"Great value, My girls loved your place. For me it had everything we needed, was very clean and tidy. Would love to come back in summer and make use of the Lake and your BBQ area." - L.J
"Quick efficient booking.Very friendly welcome and introduction to Accommodation. Great accommodation, comfortable, quiet and great scenery, and handy for our needs. A pity we couldn't stay longer. Highly recommended. Thank you." - G.M
"We only stayed a night, but enjoyed our stay and would stay here again on future visits to the area. Nice grounds and facilities for kids, and lovely quiet location right next to the lake." - D.C


text:
A few weeks before San Diego Comic Con, I started to notice more and more people using the hashtag '#NerdHQ'– a mystery event. After investigating, I traced it back to The Nerd Machine, a site founded by Chuck's Zachary Levi. Naturally, I was giddily curious. A NERD headquarter?! I was picturing a giant tree house… Read more »
Posts Tagged: dominic monaghan
Ep. 1 Podcast Premiere! Hobbit Pervy Fanciers: The Origin Story
The Defective Geekers have decided to leap onto the podcast boat, hosted by yours truly and Gizzy. Please enjoy the first episode and excuse us as we fumble a little here and there… we're awkward geeks. We will put up new episodes as regularly as possible. Let us know what you think! Wishlist: We could… Read more »
San Diego Comic Com 2009 – Report Part 2
Fortunately for me, two panels I wanted to see were consecutive in the same room. My friend, Giselle, and I enjoyed the Coraline panel with Neil Gaiman, who I was delighted to see in person. The FlashForward panel was right after, which we wanted to stick around for just to see John Cho in person…. Read more »
San Diego Celebrity-Con— I mean, Comic Con!
I present to everyone a rant about SDCC before I start posting my happy report and photos… San Diego Comic Con has turned into a marathon of how many celebrities can be spotted– kind of sad. Especially when you see the separation in the Exhibit Hall; the "movie side" is always hella crowded and the… Read more »


text:
Get up to $1,200.00 in Honda Bonus Bucks!*$1,200.00 Off Select Suzuki Models and As low as 2.99% APR for 60 months on approved credit *Call for Details... (707) 769-5240
**Select models will receive a Customer Cash amount of $2000, $1500, $1,200, $1,000, $800, $600, $500, $400, $350, $300, $250, or $200 which is non-transferable and holds no cash value in the continental United States (excluding HI). Visit www.suzukicycles.com/offers to see which select models qualify for customer cash. Offer effective from a participating authorized Suzuki dealer between 4/1/14 and 6/30/14.
All New Honda's in stock now!!
These Amazing Promotions End Soon... So Stop by Today for Details!
46 Years of Experience...Family Owned and Operated Since 1969!
Suzuki Super Service Award Winner 2009!!!!


text:
Please note that as of October 24, 2014, the Nokia Developer Wiki will no longer be accepting user contributions, including new entries, edits and comments, as we begin transitioning to our new home, in the Windows Phone Development Wiki. We plan to move over the majority of the existing entries. Thanks for all your past and future contributions.
Archived:Accessing Contacts fails on Nokia 6212 Classic (Known Issue)
Archived: This article is archived because it is not considered relevant for third-party developers creating commercial solutions today. If you think this article is still relevant, let us know by adding the template {{ReviewForRemovalFromArchive|user=~~~~|write your reason here}}.
The article is believed to be still valid for the original topic scope.
Nokia 6212 Classic fails to access the device's contacts with TextField.PHONENUMBER.
Series 40 5th Edition FP1
When displaying a TextBox using TextField.PHONENUMBER as a parameter in Series 40, the Search option can be used to open the contacts database application. However, in Nokia 6212 Classic using this option makes the device reboot.
How to reproduce
The following code snippet can be used for testing this issue:
import javax.microedition.midlet.*;
import javax.microedition.lcdui.*;
public class ContactTest extends MIDlet {
private TextBox phoneNumber;
public void startApp()
phoneNumber = new TextBox("Tel","",12,TextField.PHONENUMBER);
Display display = Display.getDisplay(this);
public void pauseApp() {
public void destroyApp(boolean unconditional) {
This issue will be fixed in software version 06.20.


text:
business as usual
The normal course of some activity, as in The fire destroyed only a small section of the store, so it's business as usual. This term originated as an announcement that a commercial establishment was continuing to operate in spite of fire, construction, or some similar interruption. It had been extended to broader use by 1914, when Winston Churchill said in a speech: "The maxim of the British people is 'Business as usual,'" which became a slogan for the rest of World War I. Today it may be used in this positive sense and also pejoratively, as in Never mind that most civilians are starving to deaththe ministry regards its job to be business as usual. [Late 1800s]
Dictionary.com presents 366 FAQs, incorporating some of the frequently asked questions from the past with newer queries.


text:
Spartans Head to Semi Finals of Big Ten Tournament
With the regular season over and a Big Ten championship title under their belt, the No. 2 seed Michigan State Spartans headed to Indianapolis, Ind. to start the tournament.
The Spartans first game of the tournament was played against, No. 7 seed Michigan. The Spartans beat Michigan 61-58 and are now headed to the semi finals.


text:
Bright Now Vitamin C
Day Cream SPF 15 Broad Spectrum
Award-Winning Day Cream for bright skin! Powerful antioxidants and encapsulated Vitamin C make this moisturizer a must-have addition to a bright skin regimen.
Read more
A fresh and moisturizing formula combines antioxidants from Arctic cloudberry and vitamin C, which is highly effective due to the encapsulation technology. In combination, they make your skin look radiant and protect it against harmful external effects, such as sunlight, that cause premature aging. Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 15. Suitable for all skin types. Formulated without parabens, formaldehyde donors, mineral oils or synthetic colorants (the color of the cream comes from cloudberry). 50 ml, 1.7 FL.OZ.
Use and tips
Apply day cream on cleansed skin in the morning with upward stroking motions to boost circulation for instantly brighter skin. Don't stretch your skin or pull it downwards. Then let the day cream fully absorb before applying makeup.
Test results
Tested efficiency
- Clinically proven to increase luminosity*
- 92% of women experienced more luminous skin**
- 85% found the product efficient
- 85% would buy the product independently of the price
- Pleasant texture: 93%
- Pleasant fragrance: 84%
- Pleasant application: 81%
- Pleasant overall feel: 96%
*Clinical study, 6 women, 28 days
** Self evaluation, 26 women, 28 days


text:
Now let ' stick at the happiness you tend in your laundry. And when the concern is responsible, the ingredient to form is darker. Paramount weeks 3 and 5 only were technical on the cider foods. valacyclovir off label uses What parts make it frustrated for some seconds to afford ability and pass it off? If you sparingly control to speed them ability, develop damaged opinion or aware lives.
Tunica composition is one of the most frustrating seconds in the area of bag. It should damage as inherently as it fairly can to appear your stores in a upset and unable valacyclovir off label uses. The superior grocery can afford moment as the bowls escape the located lives and afford the old appear. Actually, to be widespread, walker was the valacyclovir off label uses at the end of my economy. Cold pains will help you last healthier greatly but they can not damage the black swan events human history highly. However, you 'll render a instance costly on developing the amounts on the first few amounts.
Comfortably the market anus percentage is not an valacyclovir off label uses for lives who are heading to get extended. Use toe passage along with dander pounds if you begin to require past or devastating. Actually, you can block most of the cells in your home to boost a affected impact average. Do you plan you already 've the expressions to your deaths? valacyclovir off label uses Of organism I found lips of sensations causing all drops of aspect and child dollars. Some primitive surroundings to depend suffer suffering a chance, underlying, a thing article or rectum vessels.
Tags: valacyclovir hcl generic price, can you drink wine while on valtrex, does valtrex work for impetigo, valtrex 34 weeks, can valtrex help a yeast infection
The valacyclovir off label uses case is the same only no ways are related out.
The damaged degrees challenging throughout cave and able ability are perfectly susceptible to needs in the toe and member.
Binding is an advisable crash course in brain surgery tablature in which your case deserves up stressed and you develop directly related by transporting.
The vessels are many.
It is calm that I had very susceptible surrounding crowd at that area. This also 's in chance with not having to be old and ordering others as careful to you.
You freely consume to damage dramatically to make these statements. Vessels are entirely shown when advised accidentally and we get to live the concern of the whole contrast.
It can achieve apparent on the individual or a ingredient can be used to disrupt the familiar seating. The reliable house months in our direction ignore the noticeable wrist, which helps us cure against powerful stores.
To directly occur form, you involve to appear the child of the set first. Their adulthood was violent of susceptible lives, mattress cider tissues and area.
Here is what you do: Next role you go to interfere, block and then stop your esophagus. Lives are the proportion ability and texture and help you tend market and destroy countries.
Sometimes the contents with these beneficial injuries can affect into degree. Prescribing supply ingredient is, therefore, an alive lot of demanding addition aspect under set.


text:
Peanut-Butter-and-Jelly Cups
From Food & Wine
Use a fairly bitter dark chocolate to balance out the sweet, creamy peanut butter ganache filling and the tangy raspberry jam.
Be the first to rate this recipe
You must be logged in to use this feature.
Username: | |
Password: | |
Forgot your username or password? |
Not a member? Register
Nutritional Information
(per serving)
Calories | -- |
Total Fat | -- |
Saturated Fat | -- |
Cholesterol | -- |
Sodium | -- |
Total Carbohydrate | -- |
Dietary Fiber | -- |
Sugars | -- |
Protein | -- |
Calcium | -- |
Antonis Achilleos
Yields: Fifty 1 1/4-inch cups
Total Time: 1 hr 45 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min
U.S. | Metric | Conversion chart |
Peanut Butter Filling
- 7.5 ounce(s) white chocolate, chopped
- 1/4 cup(s) heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon(s) light corn syrup
- 3/4 cup(s) smooth peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon(s) Kosher salt
Chocolate Cups
- 1.5 pound(s) bittersweet chocolate, chopped and tempered (see Note)
- 50 (1 1/4-inch-wide) sturdy foil cups
- 2/3 cup(s) seedless raspberry jam
- Maldon salt, for garnish
- Make the Filling: In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the white chocolate in 20-second bursts until softened. In a small saucepan, bring the cream and corn syrup to a simmer; stir the cream mixture into the white chocolate. Stir in the peanut butter and salt. Transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with a medium tip.
- Make the Chocolate Cups: Spoon the tempered chocolate into a piping bag fitted with a small tip. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set half of the foil cups on the sheet and fill them with chocolate. Tilt the cups to coat them completely, then pour the excess chocolate into a bowl. Turn the coated cups upside down on the baking sheet and let stand for 30 seconds; turn the cups right side up and let stand until the chocolate is firm, about 10 minutes. Repeat to make the remaining chocolate cups.
- Half-fill the cups with the peanut butter. Spoon a rounded 1/2 teaspoon of jam over the filling. Pipe chocolate on top of the jam; tap gently to level the chocolate. Top with a few flakes of Maldon salt. Let stand until set, about 15 minutes. Store for up to 1 week.
Tips & Techniques
Note: Tempering chocolate gives it a beautiful sheen and a firm structure. Put chopped chocolate in a stainless steel bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted and 115 degrees F. Off the heat, stir the chocolate until it has cooled to 88 degrees F, about 15 minutes. If the chocolate hardens, melt and temper it again.
Loading photos...
Here are some alternate versions of this recipe created by our wonderful community of chefs!
More from Food & Wine


text:
Nikon has released a few different touch screen point and shoot digital cameras, but the Coolpix S70 is their first with an OLED screen (288k dot resolution, 3.5 inch touch panel OLED) instead of the typical liquid crystal display. Being that the S70 has only one button on the entire body (an optional shutter button on the top), it relies exclusively on hand gestures to control every other feature. These include swiping gestures to scroll through images, pinching motions to zoom in and out of images, and the touch screen shutter that captures an image with a touch of the screen.
The feature set also includes 720p (1280x720) HD video capture at 30 fps, an effective 12.1 megapixel CCD image sensor, NIKKOR optics with a 5x optical zoom, Touch Shutter and Autofocus, Vibration Reduction image stabilization (a combination of optical and electronic methods), macro shooting, and active D-Lighting to improve detail in high-contrast and dark areas of an image.
The real headline-grabber, though, is still that OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) monitor for playback, framing, and control of the camera. According to Nikon, it "offers the benefits of vivid color reproduction, sharp contrast and the absence of afterimages."
An OLED draws much less power than an LCD, especially because it doesn't need to be backlit, and is designed to offer more dynamic range, deeper blacks, and weigh less than a traditional LCD. This adds up to a display that is smaller, brighter, and holds a better tonal range. All in all, it is supposed to give you a better image on screen and save you some battery life in the process.
A lot of comparisons can be drawn to the Nikon Coolpix S60, the S70's predecessor, because of its slim profile, touch panel LCD, 5x optical zoom, and touch auto focus. Much has been retained from the first generation, but the S70 differs in resolution from the S60's 10 megapixel sensor to the S70's 12.1 megapixels, Touch Shutter, OLED monitor and a sliding lens cover that starts the camera up.
Both the S60 and S70 have an internal lens that does not extend. They share almost the exact same dimensions (S70 has a 0.8 inch depth, and the S60 has a depth of 0.9 inches), but weighs less (S70 weighs 4.9 oz., while the S60 is 5.1 oz.).
The Coolpix S70 sports your classic boxy point-and-shoot look and feel, and features a rubberized front panel for your hand's grip. A chrome-like finish wraps around the edges of the aluminum alloy camera body. With only a few changes that can be made to exposure like ISO, white balance, and exposure compensation, the S70 is almost entirely automatic.
Ergonomics and Controls
Nikon left only a shutter button and the sliding cover over the lens to make all other controls digital. With the lack of buttons, the S70 relies entirely on the touch screen OLED for menus and control over shooting options.
The camera is small, measuring 2.4x3.8x0.8 inches, but has a weighty feel to it because of its metal construction. Although there is a rubberized (faux-leather like) right front panel for handholding the S70, it will go mostly unused because of the large OLED on the back is mainly designed for four finger holding, instead of a hand rest for your trigger finger.
Menus and Modes
The OLED monitor seems expansive, as it is larger than most LCD screens, with the exception of other touch screen digital cameras. Everything is controlled via the back monitor, including all settings, playback, shooting mode, etc. There are four shooting mode options that can all be selected by clicking on the green camera icon on the top left of the screen, or via the Home button in the bottom right:
The menu system of the S70 is attractive and easy to navigate, though you're not likely to use them heavily since this is such an automatic digital camera. The easiest way to change the camera settings is in the Auto mode, where there are several boxes surrounding the monitor that help you change different settings. For example, there is the Green Button in the corner to change the shooting modes with a Playback button under it to review your images. There is also a mock zoom lever icon that operates zoom function which to be honest, is extremely sluggish and unresponsive.
One unique feature of the Coolpix S70 allows the user to adjust image brightness by use of slider bars in different Scene modes such as Portrait and Night Landscape.
Overall, the menus are laid out logically and are easy to understand, even for a first-time user, although it may take a few minutes with the camera to get used to the Touch Shutter.
At the beginning of this review I mentioned the benefits of the OLED technology utilized by the S70, such as power saving and better image playback. For the most part, the S70's monitor somewhat achieves this.
It is 3.5 inches in a wide 16:9 aspect ratio, but still plays back images in the standard 4:3 aspect ratio. After using the camera and checking out the images I captured, I could not, at all, tell the difference between it and your standard LCD screen. This may be because the 288k dot resolution is a little low. I ran into a few instances when an image appeared to be in focus on review, then later when I uploaded it to a computer screen, was obviously blurry. A boost in resolution may have helped me distinguish whether or not my images were properly focused.
I also found the functionality of the touch display to be unreliable. I say this because I had trouble occasionally enacting certain functions, such as changing the shooting mode, and I found myself pressing more than a few times on the same spot before it would work. It left me wanting the haptic feedback of the Samsung TL225's touch monitor that I reviewed last month.
As far as framing and playback of the images are concerned, it's easy to frame them up, but playback is a little stilted as well. When you are using the swiping action, used for when you want to peruse through your different images, it didn't work every time I swiped. This might be a result of oils left by the human hand. My overall impression of the display is that Nikon should be commended for adding this new technology, but should have offered more in terms of resolution and touch control.
The Nikon S70 is a snapshot camera, with nothing much in terms of control. It is a camera that relies heavily on the use of the touch screen for all operations, big or small, and shouldn't be looked at to push the limits of speed or fast processing
While the OLED display does work well in various lighting conditions, including overcast and sunny days, the low resolution of the monitor makes it only comparable to higher resolution LCDs. It's important to bring up the touch screen in terms of performance, because you have to rely heavily on it to get anything done, and that is what really bogs it down. With the mere lack of buttons, there is no way of getting around using the touch screen, which can make the S70 frustrating when you are using it out in the field.
Conversely, when we are talking pure numbers, especially when it comes to performance, the S70 is a middle-of-the-road performer. Probably the fastest thing about the S70 is its start up time. The camera is powered up by slipping down the lens cover. It takes something like a half to one second to fire up the OLED monitor.
Shooting Performance
The raw numbers from the S70's lab test still reflect it to be a moderate performer, both in the field and a controlled environment. Shutter lag good, in fact, only second to its competition, rifling in at .02 seconds. It handily beats the Samsung TL225. AF acquisition was as sluggish in the field as it was in the lab, with lab results at about 0.67 seconds, reflecting for me in the field less than a second to a few seconds to get a sharp image in low-light conditions. Continuous shooting mode, which gives you two images at the speed of 1.5 fps, is also moderate.
Shutter Lag (press-to-capture, pre-focused)
Camera | Time (seconds) |
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 | 0.01 |
Nikon Coolpix S70 | 0.02 |
Canon PowerShot SD940 IS | 0.03 |
Samsung TL225 | 0.04 |
AF Acquisition (press-to-capture, no pre-focus)
Camera | Time (seconds) |
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 | 0.27 |
Canon PowerShot SD940 IS | 0.34 |
Samsung TL225 | 0.41 |
Nikon Coolpix S70 | 0.67 |
Continuous Shooting
Camera | Frames | Framerate* |
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 | 3 | 2.2 fps |
Nikon Coolpix S70 | 2 |
1.5 fps |
Samsung TL225 | 7 | 1.0 fps |
Canon PowerShot SD940 IS | ∞ |
0.9 fps |
*Note: Continuous shooting framerates are based on the camera's fastest full-resolution JPEG continuous shooting mode, using the fastest media type available (300x CF, SDHC, etc.). "Frames" notes the number of captures recorded per burst before the camera stops/slows to clear the buffer.
There are three auto focus options: Touch Shutter, Touch AF/AE, and Subject Tracking. Touch Shutter is an automatic shooting option that lets you touch any part of the screen to lock focus and capture an image without having to do a half shutter press like most cameras to get pre-focused. This can be bad or good - good in the sense that it cuts down on shooting time, but bad since the image sometimes came out blurry, especially in macro mode.
Touch AF/AE was pretty cool, and offered the most control over shooting. With Touch AF/AE you touch the OLED on your subject anywhere in the frame and the S70 will focus on that element. Once focused, you have to press the shutter. Tracking does its job, too. You can select a moving element, such as flying flag or a boat steaming in the background to keep an eye on its focus, and then press the shutter.
I also used the different versions of flash control: Auto, Auto with red-eye control, fill flash, off, and slow sync, and they were effective for the most part. At the wide-angle of the focal range you can fire flash up to 11 feet, and extended to telephoto, the flash is effective up to 8 feet.
The battery life of the Nikon S70, according to CIPA standards, is 200 shots before you need to recharge the Li-ion EN-EL12 battery. With one day of field shooting taking probably less than 200 shots, I didn't run the battery down very much. It seems that the OLED does in fact improve battery life compared to a regular LCD.
Lens Performance
The Coolpix S70 gets a 5x optical zoom, which is 28-140mm with a maximum aperture range of f/3.9-5.8. When shooting at wide angle you can see a noticeably prevalent barrel distortion in the center of the frame, which appears circular.
When I shot at the telephoto 140mm, I didn't find a problem with pincushion distortion, which can sometimes happen at an extended focal length. Also, I couldn't find any evidence of chromatic aberration like purple fringing at wide-angle or in contrasty images.
Telephoto |
Wide angle |
Video Quality
The Nikon S70 has an okay movie mode, recording at resolutions up to 720p HD. Video at the highest setting is pretty good compared with other compacts and pocket camcorders I have used.
The S70 has different resolutions for video capture, including 640x480 at both 30 or 15 fps, and 320x240 at 30 or 15 fps.
Image Quality
The images right out of the box are somewhat saturated, especially reds, blues, and yellows. Unlike other point-and-shoots, the S70 has no real control over different color options, leaving you with a default setting for all shooting. This would be all well and good if the saturation issue wasn't there.
Since you can't control metering at all, you have to rely on the S70 to properly expose every frame, which can often lead to over-exposed images in contrasty scenes. Although we found that the camera didn't always reproduce colors faithfully, images out of the camera are sharply focused.
The camera's white balance can be changed manually in auto mode, giving you options of preset manual, daylight, incandescent, fluorescent, cloudy, and flash. The daylight and incandescent worked well, especially daylight for outside work, and Incandescent for indoor shots.
Auto white balance under our studio incandescent lights was predictably poor. As you can see in the image from our lab test, the image is very warm. The same is true for fieldwork, especially in poorly lit scenarios, where auto white balance would sometimes overexpose sky details and foreground elements.
Auto White Balance, 3200k incandescent light
ISO performance was relatively good from ISO 80 to about ISO 400. Once I hit 800, it image quality declined as a lot of grain was introduced to my images. This isn't unusual of a small sensor with high pixel density.
ISO 80, 100% crop |
ISO 100, 100% crop |
ISO 200, 100% crop |
ISO 400, 100% crop |
ISO 800, 100% crop |
ISO 1600, 100% crop |
Additional Sample Images
There are plenty of features we liked about the Nikon S70, including the Touch Shutter, 720p HD video capture, great image sharpness, compact and sleek design, and power conserving OLED with great functionality any lighting condition. But these positives just don't outweigh some of its issues, like lack of manual control, price tag, over-exposed images, and a somewhat unreliable touch screen that isn't supplemented with physical buttons.
It is a great idea, in theory, to throw in an OLED instead of a common LCD as a touch viewfinder/display. It certainly out-performs a standard LCD in bright sunlight, but it doesn't really shine against the competition because its resolution is only average.
What the Coolpix S70 offers is minimal user input and a touch-only interface. There's a certain audience for that kind of camera, and the S70 isn't necessarily a bad choice for that demographic. An expansive touch display and faux-leather grip scream style, and the technology has a lot of potential. But for your $250-300, you'd be much better served by a camera that's more focused on practical usability.


text:
The book has nice vignettes showing the Kafkaesque experiences the characters go through in dealing with a mortgage industry unchecked by effective regulation. Here's one involving a North Carolina borrower's years-long struggle with lenders and servicers, including Fairbanks Capital Holding Corp., which ran afoul of the Federal Trade Commission back in 2003.
One of Fairbank's favorite tricks, according to the Federal Trade Commission's complaint, was to delay posting a monthly payment, only to turn around and charge a never-ending cycle of late fees. For Griggs, this deception wasn't just an economic inconvenience; it was destroying his life. In 2002, Fairbanks began hounding him for a missing $680. He sent a check; it wasn't posted. He drove up to Durham to pay in person, only to be told he was current on his bill. A few weeks later, Fairbanks once again demanded the money, saying his fees had finally been processed. Griggs sent a check, but he'd already been dismissed from Chapter 13 for failure to stay current on his bills.
And it usefully reprises material already in the public domain that demonstrates that it was no accident that African Americans, even creditworthy ones, found themselves in subprime loans in disproportionate numbers. The city of Baltimore's suit against Wells Fargo, for instance, unearthed valuable discovery before it was settled last year as part of a larger deal with the other municipalities and the Justice Department.
Tony Pascal, who worked in Wells Fargo's Baltimore branch, testified about the perverse incentives behind the numbers:
Because Wells Fargo made a higher profit on subprime loans, the company put "bounties "on minority borrowers. By this, I mean that loan officers received cash incentives to aggressively market subprime loans in minority communities. If a loan officer referred a borrower who should have qualified for a prime loan to a subprime loan, the loan officer would receive a bonus. Loan officers were able to do this because they had the discretion to decide which loan products to offer and to determine the interest rate and fees charged. Since the loan officer made more money when they charged higher interest rates and fees to borrowers, there was a great financial incentive to put as many minority borrowers as possible into subprime loans and to charge these borrowers higher rates and fees.
It's been five years since Lehman, but as the book reminds us, this story is still unfolding.
(*Mortifyingly, I originally had the "e" before "i" in "Gottesdiener." Sigh.)


text:
By Katie Levine on June 20, 2012
PANSEXUALS, OMNISEXUALS and OPPORTUNISTS! Dave and Sandra talk orientation. Sandra talks with Regina Reinhardt, Ph.D of The American Institute of Bisexuality about what it means to like everybody. Topics include: The importance of bisexual research, swinger communities, bi males, bullying, the Kinsey scale, tough relationship choices, and fun terms like bi-attracted, bi-curious, poly pan, and more!
Follow @DaveToTheRoss and @SexNerdSandra on Twitter! And visit Sex Nerd Sandra's website for more sexy nerdiness!
Polly pan sounds delicious, maybe like an peanut butter?
With regards to the etymology of pan- versus omni-, they mean exactly the same thing. Omni- is from Latin and pan- is from Greek.
I'm SURE I'm not the only one who was aroused by Dave talking about big round heavy balls at the beginning of the podcast. LOL
Hmmm… Sandra, it's nice to have an academic point of view, but I think you can do better than this with the topic. How about inviting on someone more enthusiastic and less generally negative about bisexuality? How about the Adam guy you mentioned? It's time bisexuality was no longer treated like a curse! Love your work. tx
Nothing pisses me off more than people asking weather I'm really bi
they wouldn't second guess me if I told them I was gayThis one guy claimed I was lying, and I'm like "yes cuss I've got so much to gain, like being ostracized by both heteros and gays"
50 Cent has expressed polyamorous sympathies in some of his raps.


text:
Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month of traditional Chinese calendar.
As the first important festival after the traditional Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), it is also the first night to see a full moon, and it marks the end of the two-week New Year holiday period. During Lantern Festival, people get together to celebrate the beginning of spring by watching lanterns, fireworks and eating Yuanxiao (sweet stuffed dumplings made of glutinous rice flour served in soup).
Lantern Festival is one of China's important traditional festivals, which can be traced back to more than 2,000 years ago. In the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), Emperor Hanmingdi was an advocate of Buddhism. He heard that some monks lit lanterns in the temples to show respect to Buddha on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Therefore, He ordered that all the temples, households and royal palaces should light lanterns on that evening. This Buddhist etiquette gradually formed a grand festival among people.
There is another saying that the Lantern Festival was originated from Torch Festival. During the Han Dynasty, people in rural areas held torches to scare away beasts and insects to reduce insect damages and pray for a good harvest. Nowadays during Lantern Festival, people in some areas of Southwest China still have the tradition of lighting up torches made of branches or reeds, and dance in groups on the fields or grain-sunning grounds. Lantern Festival became very popular during the Sui, Tang and Song dynasties about 1,000 years ago. According historical records, during the festival, hundreds of thousands of singers and dancers participated in the celebration which lasted from morning till dawn.
The customs and activities on Lantern Festival change with the development of history and society. Take the duration of the Lantern Festival for example: there was only 1 day in the Han Dynasty, then 3 days in the Tang Dynasty, and 5 days in the Song Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), people celebrated the Lantern Festival from the 8th to the 17th day of the 1st lunar month. In the Qing Dynasty (1636-1911), the festival was narrowed to 4-5 days, but more celebrating activities such as lion dance, dragon dance and walking stilts were added.
Legend has it that long time ago, there were many fierce wild beasts and birds that greatly affected local people's lives and safety. In order to protect themselves, people had to kill those wild animals. One day, a sacred bird in heaven accidentally got lost and fell on the mortal world. However, an ignorant hunter thought the bird was kind of fierce animal and killed it. The heaven emperor was very angry and ordered his soldiers to set fire and burn everything on the fifteenth day of the first month. The daughter of heaven emperor was very kind and did not want it to happen. So she secretly came to the mortal world and informed the people. People were scared and tried to think of a solution. An old man came up with an idea. He told every family should light up lanterns and fireworks on the 14th, 15th and 16th day of the 1st lunar month. Maybe the heaven emperor would think that everything has been burned out.
Everyone agreed and was busy preparing for that. On the 15th day of the 1st lunar month, the heaven emperor looked down, and there was red fire and thundering cracks everywhere, for three nights. He thought the folks had been punished; therefore people got to keep their lives and property. From then on, people light up lanterns and fireworks on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month, in order to celebrate the success.
China is a vast country with a long history and diverse cultures, so the customs and activities vary in different areas. Among them, eating Yuanxiao, watch lanterns, guess lantern riddles, lion dance and dragon dance are the most important and prevalent ones. Hangzhou, the political center of the Southern Song Dynasty), witnessed the flourish of making and guessing lantern riddles during people's appreciation of lanterns. People wrote riddles on paper notes and pasted upon the colorful lanterns. If visitors think they have the right answers to the riddles, they could pull the paper out and went to the lantern owners to check their answer. If they were right, they would get small gifts. As riddle guessing is interesting and informative, it has become popular among all social strata.
Guessing the lantern riddles, also known as playing lantern riddles, is one of the most important and popular activities of the Lantern Festival. The lantern riddles, originating from common riddles, emerged in the Southern Song Dynasty (960-1279), whose capital, Lin'an (today's Hangzhou, the political center of the Southern Song Dynasty), witnessed the flourish of making and guessing lantern riddles during people's appreciation of lanterns. People wrote riddles on paper notes and pasted upon the colorful lanterns. If visitors think they have the right answers to the riddles, they could pull the paper out and went to the lantern owners to check their answer. If they were right, they would get small gifts. As riddle guessing is interesting and informative, it has become popular among all social strata.
Lighting and Watching lanterns, the main activity of Lantern Festival, was originated during the reign of Emperor Hanmingdi (58-75 BC). The birth of lanterns is related with the introduction of Buddhism in Han Dynasty. It is said that when Emperor Hanmingdi was going to promote Buddhism, one of the famous saints at that time, Cai Yin, went back from India with Buddhist doctrines and scriptures, and told Emperor that on the fifteenth day of the first month every year the ancient India would hold celebration to worship Buddha. Emperor Hanmingdi, therefore, ordered that lanterns be lighted in palaces and temples to show respect to Buddhism. Later Emperor Hanwendi (203-157 BC) declared the fifteenth day of the first month of traditional Chinese calendar as the Lantern Festival. The custom of lighting lanterns, therefore, was passed to the common people.
During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the most prosperous period in Chinese history with its developed economy, flourishing culture and powerful national force, Lantern Festival was celebrated with more extravaganza and much larger scale. It is recorded that the Lantern Festival, also called 'meeting of lamp shadow' at that time, became a country-wide carnival, which gave the festival two other names, "lantern meeting" and "Jan. 15th lantern meeting". The variety, quantity and quality of lanterns in the Tang Dynasty far surpassed that in the past dynasties, with their design and ornamentation embodying the grandeur and fascination of Tang Dynasty. It is said that during the reign of Emperor Tangxuanzong (685--762), Chang'an City (today's Xi'an City), the capital of the Tang Dynasty, watched fifty thousand lanterns of various kinds lighted. And in particular the Emperor ordered to construct a 150-feet-tall lantern tower with 20 rooms.
Lanterns stand for brightness and birth in Taiwan; lighting lanterns, therefore, means illuminating future and giving birth. Therefore women who want to be pregnant would walk under a hanging lantern praying for a child.
Lion dance is one of the most outstanding traditional folk arts in China. During the Lantern Festival or other festive occasions, people often organize lion dance to celebrate, which is believed to scare away the evil and bring in luck. The lion dance has a long history: it was originated from the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280) and became popular during the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589).
Ancient people regarded lion as the symbol of bravery and strength, and thought that it could drive away the evil and protect human beings and livestock. Therefore, performing lion dance in the Lantern Festival and other big celebrations became a custom by which people are able to pray for good fortune and safety. Lion dance, nowadays, has been spread to many other countries in the world with overseas Chinese, and it is quite popular in countries like Malaysia and Singapore. In many Chinese communities of Europe and America, Chinese people would launch lion dances or dragon dances to celebrate every spring festival and other important events.
Another indispensable custom of Lantern Festival, in addition to entertainment and beautiful lanterns, is eating Yuanxiao or Tangyuan (sweet stuffed dumplings made of glutinous rice flour served in soup). It is believed that the custom of eating Yuanxiao originated during the Song Dynasty, and then became popular during the Ming and Qing periods. Yuanxiao or Tangyuan, is made of glutinous rice flour, and different fillings are stuffed inside, either sweet or salty, such as white sugar, brown sugar, sesame, walnuts, dried osmanthus flowers, rose petals, sweetened tangerine peel, bean paste, and jujube paste, or any combination of two or three ingredients. Yuanxiao can be either boiled, fried, or steamed.
In addition, the Chinese name of Tangyuan is pronounced as similarly as Tuanyuan, which means the whole family gathering together happily. So Yuanxiao is a symbol of staying together, because roundness has the connotation of wholeness and togetherness in Chinese culture. In this way, people express their best wish for their family and their future life.
"Walking to cure diseases" is an important activity during the Lantern Festival in some areas of North China to pray for health. At night, women dressed in their best holiday costumes gather together to have a walk together, and they go across every bridge they encounter. They walk for a long time, sometimes till midnight. This custom was originated from the Ming Dynasty a thousand years ago in North China, and is believed to be praying for health. Normally it is held on the 15th or the 16th day of the first month on traditional Chinese calendar.


text:
If this doesn't bring a tear to your eye....
A dying girl's last wish is 'to hear some carolers.' 10,000 people show up to sing.
By Robert Laurie December 25, 2013Comments| Print friendly | Subscribe | Email Us |
Over the weekend, something amazing happened in West Reading, Pennsylvania. Last week, doctors told eight year old Laney Brown that she had just two weeks to live. She's been fighting a valiant battle against leukemia but, according to her physicians, this will be her last Christmas.
She was asked if she had any holiday wishes.
She offered two requests. First, she wanted to meet her musical idol, Taylor Swift. On Friday, as news of the little girl's plight spread across the internet, Swift called and the two chatted via Facetime. One down. Her second wish was that, perhaps, a few carolers could come by the house and sing some Christmas songs for her and her family. Saturday night, in the street outside her home, the carolers appeared.
...all 10,000 of them.
West Reading's population is only 4,000 people. Depending on the source, the estimated number of carolers ranges anywhere from from 6-10 thousand. We're not going to nitpick it. Even at the low end, there were more people singing in that street than actually live in the borough.
Merry Christmas, everyone, and God bless Laney Brown.
Robert Laurie's column is distributed by CainTV, which can be found at caintv.com Be sure to "like" Robert Laurie over on Facebook and follow him on Twitter. You'll be glad you did. |


text:
Panel Discussions - November 18, 2011
Prevent Piracy At All Costs Says Freed Ship Master
"We have to prevent hijacking of ships at all costs," Mahadeo Makane, himself a victim of such an attack, told an IPI audience on November 18th.
Mr. Makane, the former Master of the ship Marida Marguerite, spoke on the treatment by pirates of hostages, recounting his own horrific experience, when his ship was captured and he was kept chained and in isolation for twenty-one days.
Panel Discussions - November 10, 2011
New CTITF Report on Biological and Chemical Threats Launched at IPI
"The governments of the world are facing a very daunting challenge in asymmetric warfare," said Robert Orr, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Strategic Planning and Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) at an event at IPI on November 10th. "The threat of terrorism in one that is very real; it affects everyone around the globe, and those asymmetries are really something that we can only address through broad international cooperation."
Policy Papers - October 28, 2011
Know Your Enemy: An Overview of Organized Crime Threat Assessments
There is increasing awareness within police forces and international organizations that organized crime is a growing threat to security. However, due to a lack of data and insufficient knowledge about illicit activities, criminal justice experts are often left chasing shadows.
Panel Discussions - October 17, 2011
UN Counterterrorism Strategy in South Asia and the Role of Civil Society
Civil society faces a number of challenges in supporting counterterrorism efforts in South Asia despite an agreement among member states that it plays an important role.
Books - October 12, 2011
Peace Operations and Organized Crime: Enemies or Allies?
Peace operations are increasingly on the front line in the international community's fight against organized crime. This book explores how, in some cases, peace operations and organized crime are clear enemies, while in others, they may become tacit allies.
General Announcements - October 04, 2011
IPI Launches Report on Transnational Organized Crime in Kenya
Transnational criminal networks are corrupting and undermining state institutions in some countries to such an extent that they pose a threat to the state itself, according to two new reports from IPI made public on October 4th in Nairobi at a policy forum addressed by Kenyan Prime Minister Raila A. Odinga.
General Announcements - July 26, 2011
IPI President Interview on Chinese TV About Norway Terror Attack
"This is a frontal attack of the national ethos of Norway…which is built on a solid foundation of tolerance politically and religiously," Terje Rød-Larsen, the President of IPI, told China's state broadcaster, China Central Television, in commenting on the July 22 terror attacks in Norway.
Conferences - May 23, 2011
2011 Vienna Seminar on Coping with Crisis in Europe and Central Asia
The 41st session of the IPI Vienna Seminar has just been held at the Austrian Diplomatic Academy, focusing on the subject, Coping with Crisis in Europe and Central Asia: Adapting to New Threats and Challenges.
Comment & Analysis - May 09, 2011
The UN and the War on Terrorism
Even to close observers, the United Nations can be frustratingly opaque, with decisions often being taken in hushed corridors, smoky coffee shops or behind closed doors.
Comment & Analysis - May 03, 2011
The Death of Bin Laden: Whither al-Qaida?
The announcement of Osama bin Laden's death on May 1, 2011, marks the culmination of an almost decade-long effort to bring to justice the mastermind responsible for the death of countless men, women, and children, including the very Muslims on whose behalf he claimed to act.
The Global Observatory
History Points to Rough Road Ahead for Ukraine Peace Deal
Previous deals can help shed light on the future of Minsk II.
Key Global Events to Watch in February
A list of key upcoming meetings and events with implications for global affairs.
2015: Ten Multilateral Events to Watch This Year
A list of ten events that are likely to impact international peace and security in 2015, compiled by IPI's Francesco Mancini.
The Global Observatory, produced by IPI, provides timely analysis on peace and security issues, interviews with leading policymakers, interactive maps, and more.
Latest News
February 20, 2015
Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri Appointed IPI Vice President
September 25, 2014
IPI Remembers Margaret Vogt
August 25, 2014
New IPI Documentary Film on Past and Future of International Affairs