First $1 million find for U.S. Antiques Roadshow

(MILLION, APPRAISAL, ANTIQUES, ROADSHOW, RECORD, STATEMENT)

By Claudia Parsons
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A woman who inherited some Chinese carved jade from her father has scored the first $1 million appraisal from experts on the U.S. television program "Antiques Roadshow," the producers said on Monday.
In a record for the show, four pieces of Chinese carved jade and celadon from the Chien Lung Dynasty (1736-1795), including a large bowl crafted for the Emperor, were given a conservative auction estimate of up to $1.07 million.
"For 13 years, we`ve been hoping to feature a million-dollar appraisal on `Antiques Roadshow;` it`s been our `Great White Whale,`" executive producer Marsha Bemko said.
"We`re thrilled that, despite this year`s slow economy, `Roadshow` finally captured this elusive trophy," she said in a statement released by Boston-based production company WGBH, which licensed the format from the British show of the same name produced by the BBC.
On both shows, members of the public bring in items to be appraised by professionals in the hope of discovering that junk from the attic is actually a valuable treasure.
A spokeswoman said the appraisal was a record for the U.S. show, which is not affiliated with the BBC original. According to British media, the BBC`s version had its first million pound appraisal ($1.655 million) last November -- a scale model of Anthony Gormley`s artwork, "The Angel of the North."
The statement said the owner of the jade inherited the collection from her father, who bought the objects in the 1930s and 1940s, while stationed in China as a military liaison.
She brought them to an "Antiques Roadshow" event in Raleigh, North Carolina on Saturday.
Asian arts appraiser James Callahan said the fine quality of the pieces indicated they were not made for tourists.
"He was rewarded by finding a mark on the bottom of the jade bowl that translates as `by Imperial order,`" the statement said.
The previous highest appraisal on the show was a 1937 painting by American Abstract Expressionist artist Clyfford Still, found in Palm Springs, California, in 2008. The painting had been given a retail estimate of $500,000.
The appraisal of the jade items will be shown in the next series of "Antiques Roadshow" starting January 4 on PBS, the producers said.
Original article

Rockers go green at Denmark`s Roskilde festival

(ROSKILDE, FESTIVAL, CAMPSITE, CLIMATE, COMMUNITY, GREEN)

By Henriette Jacobsen
ROSKILDE (Reuters Life!) - Music and partying are the main ingredients to a good rock festival, but Denmark`s Roskilde Festival also aims to encourage guests to save the planet.
One of Europe`s largest rock music extravaganzas has created an environmentally friendly campsite for this year`s event which starts on Thursday and comes six months before the United Nations` climate conference in the Danish capital Copenhagen.
"We have created this Climate Community because we want our visitors to take a stand on climate changes and especially the consequences of the changes in the third world countries," spokesman Esben Danielsen told Reuters.
Campers are encouraged to recycle their garbage, and to hop on wired exercise bikes to generate electricity to recharge their mobile phones or iPods.
Only low-energy LED lighting and recycled materials are being used at the campsite.
To join Climate Community guests need to create profiles on a festival website and prove they have taken "green footsteps," such as throwing a green Roskilde pre-party, making a green dinner, riding a bike or public transport to the festival.
Visitors who have got three footsteps out of 10 choices will get special bracelets entitling them to reserve a spot at the campsite and take part in activities at the camp.
The activities include CO2 limbo dancing, where the bar is low for low-carbon nations and high for the industrial West, and a silent disco where dancing makes the dance floor light up.
Spokespeople from various non-governmental organizations and climate scientists will give lectures on climate change.
"It`s important to combine fun and serious elements," the festival`s spokesman said.
To be a climate role model the festival has bought its own wind turbine, bought carbon dioxide emissions quotas and made a deal with an energy company to get most of its electricity from wind turbines.
The organizers hope that 65,000 people will visit the festival this year and that more than a thousand of them will stay at the Climate Community camp.
(Editing by Paul Casciato)
Original article

Koons, with eye for pop, brings Popeye show to UK

(KOONS, SERIES, POPEYE, SYMBOL, INFLATABLE, THROUGH)

By Mike Collett-White
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Artist Jeff Koons has presented a series of Popeye paintings in London, saying the cartoon hero born of the 1929 Depression was a symbol of self confidence, before adding enigmatically: "May be art is the spinach."
The 54-year-old American, one of the world`s most successful artists dubbed the "king of kitsch" for his shiny, balloon-like creations and references to pop culture, is marking the first major survey of his work to be held in a public English gallery.
"Jeff Koons: Popeye Series" opens at the Serpentine Gallery in London on July 2 and runs until September 13.
As well as the Popeye canvases, it features a series of Koons`s trademark casts of inflatable toys in the shape of lobsters, walruses, turtles and monkeys.
Some of them appear to be pushing through wire fencing or garden chairs in what some critics see as a symbol of people determined to get through the recession.
"I always see a little bit of my father in Popeye," Koons told reporters at a preview of the show.
"But something that`s not so personal is that it`s `I yam what I yam`, and it`s this self-acceptance.
"And for art to function ... you first have to trust in yourself and when you trust in yourself you can follow your interests and follow them on a profound level."
Speaking of his fascination for inflatable animals, which he reproduces in minute detail using aluminum and paint, he added:
"In our own life we`re inflatables. We take a breath as a symbol of optimism, we exhale and it`s a symbol of death. We`re in a permanent state of being optimistic."
"FEEL-GOOD ART"
Koons said he wanted his art to make the viewer feel good about life.
"Art`s this vehicle that connects you with human history and that`s what these works are about. I want the viewer to come into contact with the work and to feel that everything about their life to that moment is perfect, absolutely perfect."
Another recurring theme in the show is the inflatable lobster, a reference to surrealist Salvador Dali`s use of the animal in his art as well as his elongated mustache.
In the 2003 canvas "Elvis," the creature is painted over two images of a semi-naked woman staring voluptuously at the viewer, a sexual reference that also runs through Koons` art.  Continued...
Original article

Jewish museum to be built on site of Warsaw Ghetto

(WARSAW, POLES, MUSEUM, POLAND, JEWISH, TRUTH)

By Gareth Jones
WARSAW (Reuters Life!) - With psalms, poems and popular Yiddish songs, Poles and Jews celebrated on Tuesday the start of construction of a new museum that will chronicle Poland`s rich and colorful Jewish heritage.
The Museum of the History of Polish Jews, set for completion in 2011, is being built on the site of the Warsaw Ghetto, razed by the Nazis in 1943 after an abortive Jewish uprising.
"This is going to be a living museum located in a place scarred by death," Warsaw`s mayor, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, said at a ground-breaking ceremony also attended by Poland`s culture minister, foreign ambassadors and U.S. Jewish groups.
For centuries, Poland was home to one of the world`s largest Jewish communities, providing a climate of relative tolerance for Jews fleeing persecution elsewhere in Europe.
Most of Poland`s 3.5 million Jews were murdered by the Nazis during World War Two.
Organizers say the five-storey, multi-media museum, which will include a library, a cinema, a concert hall and cafes, is intended to document a millennium of Jewish life in Poland. Only a relatively small section will cover the time of the Holocaust.
"There are already a number of museums devoted to the Holocaust. But this museum is going to show the civilization and culture that the Holocaust destroyed," said Marcin Swiecicki, chairman of the Polish committee supporting the museum.
"This museum aims to show the importance of pluralism as well as allowing visitors to see how their ancestors lived."
The museum will tap into a revival of interest among Poles in their Jewish heritage, providing "virtual journeys" through time that will explore how Jews, Poles and other ethnic and religious groups lived together and interacted.
SEEKING TRUTH
Organizers said the museum would also encourage discussion and debate and not lay down a single view of the past.
"This museum will show the truth about how Jewish life flourished here, the truth also about how there were problems here," Michael Schudrich, chief rabbi of Poland, told Reuters, adding that he would welcome lively debate.
"The point about dialogue is understanding what causes pain to the other side. As long as we remember that, there is a chance we can get closer to the truth... A nation that does not have truth can`t really know its past or build for its future,"
After the ground-breaking ceremony, cantors -- singers of liturgical chants at Jewish religious services -- gave a performance next to the monument to the victims of the Warsaw Ghetto.
Here, in 1970, West German Chancellor Willy Brandt famously kneeled during a visit to then-communist Poland in an act of silent repentance and apology for the atrocities committed by his countrymen against Jews and Poles.  Continued...
Original article

EU health chief proposes stricter laws on smoking

(SMOKING, PUBLIC, WORKPLACES, TOBACCO, SMOKE, VASSILIOU)

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union`s health chief proposed on Tuesday that uniform laws be drafted for all 27 countries in the bloc to regulate smoking more strictly in public areas and workplaces.
Many EU countries have laws limiting exposure to second-hand, or passive, smoking. The rules are strictest in Britain and Ireland, where smoking is banned in enclosed public places, public transport and workplaces, including restaurants and bars.
"Each and every European should be entitled to full protection from tobacco smoke," EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou told a news conference.
The recommendation calls on all member states to implement laws that will limit exposure to tobacco smoke in public places, workplaces and public transport, and aims to protect children.
"We have come a long way from the days when smoking was considered glamorous," Vassiliou said.
She said in countries with looser regulations on smoking, nearly one in five people were exposed to tobacco smoke in the workplace.
Second-hand, or passive, smoke has been linked to heart disease and lung cancer. According to estimates given by Vassiliou, 19,000 non-smokers in the EU died due to second-hand smoke at home and in workplaces in 2002.
Member states decide the level of their smoking restrictions. In Belgium, for example, smoking is allowed in restaurants in separate rooms where no food is served, and smoking is banned in all enclosed workplaces.
Greece, Europe`s heaviest smoking nation, is to introduce a ban on tobacco in indoor public places from Wednesday. The country breaks all European records, with more than 40 percent of the population smoking and six out of 10 being exposed to smoking at work, according to an EU poll.
Only 10 member states have comprehensive laws, Vassiliou said.
A poll last year by EU survey group Eurobarometer said 84 percent of respondents supported smoke-free offices and other indoor workplaces, 77 percent were in favor of smoke-free restaurants, and 61 percent supported smoke-free bars and pubs.
(Reporting by Caroline Linton, editing by Mark Trevelyan)
Original article

Faulty British coins a cash bonanza for finders

(POUNDS, BRITISH, PENCE, WHICH, BATCH, CIRCULATION)

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - A specialist coin dealing firm has offered to pay 50 pounds ($82.93) to finders of faulty British 20 pence coins, sending people scrambling.
However, other coin dealers have advised people who find one of the approximately 50,000 undated coins to hold on, because they may be worth as much as 300 pounds in the next decade.
Specialist coin company the London Mint Office made its offer for 20 pence pieces which had been cast with a new design that resulted in a batch of coins with no date on them.
The letters "F.D." have been printed where the date "2008" should have been.
A coin with mismatched sides is known as a "mule" and they are extremely rare. The last time one appeared in circulation was during the reign of Charles II more than 300 years ago.
The 20 pence coins first appeared at the end of 2008, after a batch which included between 50,000 and 200,000 of the faulty 20 pence coins entered circulation.
The last time a mistake was made on the casting of a coin was in 1983, when a batch of 2 pence coins went into circulation with the words "New Pence" rather than "Two Pence" on the reverse side. These coins fetched up to 650 pounds in top condition.
The Royal Mint, which produces Britain`s coin, has stated that the coins are legal tender, but has not made any further comment on their current or potential value.
Modern-day British currency includes coins for one pence, two pence, five pence, 10 pence, 20 pence, 50 pence, one pound and two pounds. 100 pence make up 1 British pound.
(Reporting by Nat Arkwright; Editing by Stefano Ambrogi and Paul Casciato)
Original article

French restaurants prepare for VAT cut

(RESTAURANTS, PRICES, LOWER, PARTNERS, WHICH, WOULD)

By James Mackenzie
PARIS (Reuters) - French restaurants prepared to cut prices on meals and soft drinks ahead of a new lower sales tax rate that comes into effect on Wednesday after years of lobbying European partners by successive governments.
Value added tax on restaurants and cafes will fall to 5.5 percent from July 1 from 19.6 percent previously after a deal hammered out with European Union partners in March following a 7 year-long campaign by Paris.
As part of the deal, restaurant trade bodies signed up to a so-called "contract for the future" under which they agreed to step up hiring and create 40,000 new jobs over the next two years including 20,000 apprentice positions.
They also pledged to cut prices of many items from a cup of coffee to entrees, "plats du jours" (daily specials), desserts and soft drinks, by 11.8 percent.
"This contract is based on confidence and the responsibility that restaurants are assuming in price, employment and the quality of service," Economy Minister Christine Lagarde told reporters on Tuesday.
The lower VAT rate comes as a welcome boost to the restaurant sector, which has complained of falling sales and the impact of a ban on smoking that came into effect at the beginning of last year.
"We`ve already seen a strong rise in sales," said Barbara Cohen, owner of "La Grange aux Dimes," a restaurant in Wissous, south of Paris where she cut prices earlier this month ahead of the official start of the new rates.
"We`ve been seeing clients who would come four or five times a month now coming seven times a month. It`s really impressive."
LONG BATTLE
France`s rich culinary tradition has made the issue of restaurant VAT particularly symbolic but the sector is also one of the country`s big employers.
According to government figures, France has a total of some 180,000 restaurants and cafes of all types and more than 80,000 canteens and employs some 680,000 people.
"This is a unique opportunity for the sector to play its part as an industrial jobs motor," said Dominique Giraudier, head of Groupe Flo, one of France`s biggest restaurant operators, which employs more than 5,200 people.
Lagarde said government inspectors would be monitoring price announcements to ensure that restaurants which advertised reduced prices really offered them but she said people would naturally avoid restaurants that did not pass on lower costs.
"The customer will be the best judge," she said. "The state will be vigilant but customers will be the ones that make the difference."
Former French President Jacques Chirac pushed hard for the cut but was blocked by EU partners including Germany, which feared it would lose out in cross-border trade to French restaurants and was reluctant to match the proposed cuts because of budget ramifications.  Continued...
Original article

Anxious Japan new hires opt for overtime over dates

(OVERTIME, SURVEY, SHOWED, ABOUT, PERCENT, EMPLOYEES)

TOKYO (Reuters Life!) - Most newly hired Japanese would opt for overtime rather than a date, a survey showed, reflecting growing anxiety about employment in the country`s recession-hit economy.
Japan`s jobless rate rose to 5.2 percent, the highest since September 2003, data released on Tuesday showed, while the jobs-to-applicants ratio slid to 0.44, meaning only about four jobs were available for every nine applicants. That ratio was the lowest since the data started in 1963.
A survey by the Japan Productivity Center, a private think tank, showed that more than 80 per cent of newly recruited employees would choose overtime over a date.
"The financial and economic recession and fears of corporate restructuring and bankruptcy are motivating new employees to prioritize work over private life," Tetsu Takano, an official at the think tank told Reuters.
The trend was more pronounced among women, of whom 88 percent favored overtime over romance, compared to 78 percent for men.
Eighty-four per cent of respondents agreed with the statement "the era of lifetime employment is over. I cannot depend on my company," and 46 percent expressed worry about future lay-offs.
The survey covered about 3,200 new recruits, of which 40 percent work for large corporations with more than 5,000 employees.
(Reporting by Yumi Otagaki, editing by Miral Fahmy)
Original article

Related articles:
Downturn creates more working mothers in Asia

Bendy cucumbers, strange leeks return to EU shops

(SHAPE, THOSE, FRUIT, VEGETABLES, RULES, STANDARDS)

By Jeremy Smith
BRUSSELS (Reuters Life!) - Bendy cucumbers, strangely shaped turnips and carrots. The stuff of EU myth and legend returns to real shops this week. All those wonky fruit and curiously sized vegetables will be back on supermarket shelves from July 1 after the European Union scrapped longstanding rules that control minimum size and shape standards for household fruit and vegetables.
EU marketing standards are standard fodder for one of the most popular jibes about EU over-regulation, where desk-bound European Commission bureaucrats are portrayed as zealous to set permitted sizes, lengths and "bendiness" for farm produce.
Now, the Commission has sliced through the red tape to get rid of what it calls "unnecessary marketing standards."
"July 1st marks the return to our shelves of the curved cucumber and the knobbly carrot," EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel said.
"More seriously, this is a concrete example of our drive to cut unnecessary red tape. We don`t need to regulate this sort of thing at EU level ... It makes no sense to throw perfectly good products away just because they are the `wrong` size and shape."
EU rules defining minimum shapes and sizes will be repealed for 26 fruits and vegetables -- including apricots, aubergines, cherries, garlic, leeks, peas, spinach and watermelons.
Ten standards will remain, including those for apples, citrus fruit, kiwi, peaches, pears, table grapes and tomatoes. Those 10 account for three-quarters of the value of EU cross-border fruit and vegetable trade. But even for these 10 categories, countries will be able to allow shops -- for the first time -- to sell products that do not meet the EU standards, provided they are labeled to set them apart from `extra`, `class I` and `class II` fruit.
"In other words, the new rules will allow national authorities to permit the sale of all fruit and vegetables, regardless of their size and shape," the Commission said.
(Editing by Paul Casciato)
Original article

Corsican wines fight their corner for survival

(CORSICAN, ISLAND, PRODUCTION, HECTOLITERS, PERCENT, THERE)

By Marcel Michelson
BORDEAUX (Reuters Life!) - Corsican wine growers are seeking recognition beyond their faithful band of followers as European Union uprooting plans and high transport costs in crisis times threaten to sound a death knell for the sector.
Corsica is the third wine producing island in the Mediterranean, behind Sicily and Sardinia of Italy and its production of some 350,000 hectoliters (9 million U.S. gallons) of wines make up just a few percentages of the total French production. But the sector is the biggest export activity in value and volume of the island and, together with the tourism sector, one of the pillars of an insular economy.
According to Bernard Sonnet, the director of the Corsican winemakers organization CIV Corse, demand for Corsican wines tops at least 500,000 hectoliters a year, but prices are relatively low -- most are below 10 euros ($14) a bottle, many below 5 euros.
That is partly the fault of the Corsicans themselves.
In the 1960s, Algerian independence saw many Corsicans flock back to the island, where a race to production ensued and the island made some two million hectoliters of wines a year. Not all of it was of good quality.
More recently, however, there has been a lot of attention to quality and there are now nine AOC wines (appelation d`origine controllee) that have to adhere to quality guidelines.
The production of the year 2007-2008, at 340,340 hectoliters, was for one third in AOC and two thirds in vins de pays and vins de cepages.
"There is too much wine in Europe and France and the decision by the European Union to impose uprooting campaigns has reduced our production," Sonnet said, adding that another 10 percent of the wine growing area was set to be cleared.
And there lies a danger -- the average production of the past five years was 370,000 hectoliters which comes down to 54 hectoliters per 1 hectare (2.5 acres) of vines and that, according to CIV Corse, is the absolute critical economic floor below they should not descend.
"My biggest challenge is to make the wines of Corsica known," said CIV Corse president Jean-Marc Venturi told Reuters at Vinexpo -- the big wine and spirits industry fair held every two years in Bordeaux.
The Corsicans were out in force at the fair with a big tented restaurant where star Corsican chefs prepared meals and guests could taste the many different Corsican wines.
The people from the island claim they have been making wines for at least 20 centuries, with a specific climate of high and snowy peaks and a record sunny hours for France, at 2,885 hours per year.
There are 950 wine growers, often still family-owned operations as specific tax exemptions given by Napoleon to his birth island mean that the land owners do not pay death tax. Some 1,500 people work in the sector that has annual sales of 120 million euros.
The Corsicans drink about half of their wine themselves, at 44 percent, another 28 percent goes to the rest of France and there remains 28 percent for export to countries such as Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
Of the AOC wines, 56 percent is rose and the rose wines are experiencing a bit of a trend at the moment. The reds make up 33 percent and the whites 11 percent.  Continued...
Original article

Finland`s Saariaho: "Music is mystery - like love"

(COMPOSER, MUSIC, OPERA, ABOUT, THERE, BECAUSE)

By Michael Roddy
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho`s music has taken the opera houses, concert halls and audiences of the world by storm. Just don`t ask her why.
"I think music is really one of the big mysteries in our life and for me it`s in the same category as love," Saariaho, who is 56 and whose music has been described as "dreamlike" and haunting, told Reuters in an interview.
"Music has enormous powers and it`s part of everybody`s life in some form -- so I cannot answer that question, really."
The slender, bright-eyed, elfin Saariaho spoke on the eve of the London premiere of "L`Amour de Loin" (Love from afar), an opera for three singers and chorus based on a true story about an unconsummated "courtly" love affair between the pining troubadour Jaufre Rudel from France and Clemence, the Countess of Tripoli, in whose arms he dies after a voyage to see her.
The opera had its premiere in Salzburg in 2000 and has had many productions since, but the version at the English National Opera is one Saariaho admits she would not have permitted nine years ago. It will be sung in English, instead of the original French, and will have acrobats from Cirque du Soleil on stage.
"Well, yes, there seem to be people who are quite acrobatic...but this thing about the director`s view, I`ve gotten used to it because this is the seventh production so there have been...very different kinds of `L`Amour de Loins`.
"It is living its own life so I told myself, `Why not?`" Here`s what else she had to say about her music, her influences, and why living in France is good therapy for a Finn.
Q: Your music is described as a "dreamscape" or as having an "icy beauty." Would you subscribe to any of that?
A: "When one says `dreamlike` it`s often like `dreamy` and if that`s a description I don`t like it because there is so much more. If you think about your dreams, they can be very violent and they can be very sweet and they can be painful and if you think about all these characteristics and you say, `Your music is like that`, then I like it. It depends on definitions."
Q: You once said you would never write an opera but there will be three soon -- or four, if you count your oratorio about the French Jewish philosopher Simone Weil. Do you see yourself as an opera composer, and if so, with a feminist viewpoint?
A: "Why not? I`m a woman and of course I choose the subjects that interest me...and I pick different things than some of my male colleagues. But no, I don`t consider myself to be an opera composer, I love to do different kinds of things. But opera is interesting because...it`s like a meeting point with other artists. Plus the other thing is that the musicians must stay with your music a long time and the singers need to learn the music by heart, so it takes the music to another level."
Q: You`ve said of "L`Amour de Loin" that the writing of it somehow allowed you to reconcile being a woman with being a composer -- that you joined two parts. How so?
A: "At one point I understood why I was so intrigued by this story because there is (the troubadour) and the lady Clemence who has left her country and there is the destiny of the pilgrim who wants to bring them together and I had a feeling that I was drawn into that story because I wanted to be both -- I wanted to bring them together too."
Q: When you were young and realised what Mozart had done by the time he was your age, you almost gave up -- but you didn`t. What are the big influences on your musical palette?
A: "Mozart, Debussy, Messiaen`s (opera) `St. Francois d`Assise` -- that and one billion other pieces. Stravinsky, Sibelius, Berlioz...Jimi Hendrix, Billie Holiday...There is Bach...Is there any composer or musician who doesn`t love Bach? It`s unfair to pick out one or two because there`s so much."  Continued...
Original article

El Bulli chef branches out into the art world

(RESTAURANT, ADRIA, BOOKING, BULLI, TABLE, WOULD)

By Tim Castle
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Reservations are so tight at the world`s best restaurant that even head chef Ferran Adria is unable to get a booking for friends at short notice.
Only open for half the year, Spain`s El Bulli restaurant on the Barcelona coast is fully booked for months in advance, even at the 300 euros ($415) per person cost of its 30-40 course menu.
Adria says that even if a Nobel Peace Prize winner called for a table he could only make room in the 50-head establishment if there was a cancellation. And those are few and far between.
"If you had a booking and you couldn`t come, what would you do?" Adria, 46, told Reuters in an interview.
"You would ring a friend of yours and you would say, `I have a booking at El Bulli`. So this is what happens, we have no cancellations."
Voted best restaurant in the world four times in a row by Restaurant Magazine, El Bulli serves its guests a stream of micro-sized dishes, each exquisitely presented and the result of months of culinary experimentation. Some call it molecular gastronomy.
Adria and his team of 70 staff use tools such as liquid nitrogen, centrifuges and precision scales to create hot jellies, grilled fruit and novelties such as melon caviar.
The dishes are designed to entertain as much as to nourish, while some are deliberately provocative.
An innocent-looking wafer called "Electric Milk," made from the flower of a Sichuan pepper, delivers a numbing shock to the tongue akin to licking the two poles of a battery.
"Never in your life have you had that sensation in your palate," said Adria.
A new book recording the experiences of diners at El Bulli reveals that some found the provocation too much.
In "Food for Thought, Thought for Food," American journalist Bill Buford said his wife had almost walked out after the unexpected blast delivered by the Sichuan dish.
"That thing had just incinerated her tongue," he told a round table discussion of critics who had been invited to eat at El Bulli.
The book details how El Bulli became for 100 days in 2007 an official outpost of the international art festival "documenta" held every five years in Kassel, Germany.
Each day two people were chosen at random from the exhibition halls and flown to El Bulli for their evening meal.  Continued...
Original article

India`s "silent" village of deaf-mutes

(INDIA, VILLAGE, BIRTH, CHILD, THERE, HEALTH)

By Sunil Kataria
DADHKAI, India (Reuters Life!) - Silence reigns in the sleepy village of Dadhkai, nestled high up in the Himalayan mountains in northern India and where the majority of residents are either deaf or mute.
Each of the 47 families in this village in Jammu and Kashmir state have a least one member who can neither hear nor speak. The first reported case dates back to 1931 and now the numbers have swelled to 82.
"The birth of a child is a very happy occasion, meant to be celebrated. But here the birth of a child leads to harassment not only for the parents but for the entire village," said Hashmiddin, a village elder who only goes by one name.
"A deaf and mute child only aggravates problems and increases miseries," he told Reuters Television.
The village with a picture-postcard setting stands in isolation from the rest of the region, as there are no roads, and no transport connecting it to the outside world. A river cuts it from the neighboring region.
Three years ago, a team of scientists and doctors came from an Indian health institute to study the village`s case, but no conclusive findings have been made public so far.
Some villagers blame it on pollution in the water or air, while others believe they could be cursed, as adjoining villages have not reported any similar disorders.
But an age-old custom of marrying within the community, coupled with lack of access to medical facilities and immunization, probably led to the large number of deaf and mute cases, says Jan Mohammed, an instructor for the deaf.
"I think it is because of a genetic problem," Mohammed said. "Close relatives marry here. In the past there was no immunization given and also there is a lack of iodine and salt."
Lack of education, and hearing aids, has left many locals disillusioned about the future.
"These days it is so difficult to find matches for well educated normal girls, how will I get my deaf and dumb daughters married," says Lal Hussain, who has two daughters.
But there have been a lucky few.
Bano Begum, who is not hearing impaired, was married to a deaf and mute man and said their relationship was initially a huge struggle as they could not communicated with each other.
But the couple gave birth to three normal children and learnt to communicate with each other through sign language.
Some experts say the locals should be forced to marry outside their village, which the community rejects. India`s Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad recently said another health team would be sent to the village soon.
(Editing by Bappa Majumdar and Miral Fahmy)
Original article

Green triumphs over mean in global car choice survey

(GREEN, SURVEY, PEOPLE, WOULD, RESPONDENTS, PERCENT)

By Miral Fahmy
SINGAPORE (Reuters Life!) - Is green becoming mainstream? A new global survey shows nearly six in 10 people would choose an environment-friendly car over a petrol-powered one, even if they had all the money in the world.
The survey of 13,500 city dwellers in 18 countries, by market research firm Synovate, also showed that over a third of respondents said they would either use public transport, walk, or cycle more often this year, partly to save on fuel costs but also for the sake of the environment.
"More and more, owning a car may not be viewed as that responsible," said Scott Miller, CEO of Synovate Motoresearch. "But car makers are producing more and more options that will appeal to this fast-growing group of green-inclined people.
"Cars are freedom, and people value freedom. If they continue to enjoy guilt-free freedom, the car will stay a large part of daily lives for many people," he said in a statement.
The survey asked respondents to forget about cost and choose between "green" or "dream" -- that is an electric or hybrid car versus a luxury, powerful sports car.
The survey, conducted in March, included the world`s top passenger car markets, China and the United States.
Even with money being no object, nearly 40 percent of respondents said green would be their preferred purchase. An additional 20 percent said green cars were their "dream" car.
More than 70 percent of Chinese said they would buy a green car, compared with 42 percent of Americans, the survey showed.
Chinese, at nearly 40 percent, were also the people most likely to take public transport more often in the next year, while Americans -- at 2 percent -- were among the least.
The nation most likely to choose green cars over petrol-powered ones, regardless, was Germany, with nearly two-thirds choosing the environment over their dream cars.
The environment, however, meant little to a third of all respondents, which the survey showed would choose the car they desired the most, green-be-damned.
The majority of these buyers were in South Africa and India, where cars are regarded as a status symbol, Synovate said.
Overall, 15 percent of respondents said they would buy a new car in the next 12 months, despite the economic downturn.
The new car would-be buyers were topped by India, Egypt and Turkey, which Synovate said showed developing countries presented a good opportunity for car manufacturers.
Least likely to be buying a new car were Australians and Germans, while 6 percent of overall respondents say they would buy a used car in the next year.  Continued...
Original article

Urban hunters kill, grill shrimp in Taipei

(TAIPEI, SHRIMP, FISHING, WHICH, PEOPLE, HUNTING)

By Ralph Jennings
TAIPEI (Reuters Life!) - America`s Wild West motto of "you kill it, we grill it" has come to life in the densely populated east Asian capital of Taiwan. The prey? Shrimp.
About 50 largely indoor fishing ranges in and around Taipei give customers rods and bait to catch live shrimp that is bred in shallow pools, and then roasted on site, often with beers.
Fishing is a pastime many aspire to, but few have time for, in fast-paced Taipei, which makes these city ranges very convenient for wannabe fishermen -- or hunters.
There is also a website dedicated to this sort of shrimp fishing, fish.esheng.com.tw/, which has logged nearly 2 million visits mainly from people asking for hunting buddies.
The tradition began in fishing-intensive southern Taiwan more than 20 years ago, and worked its way indoors, with shrimp replacing harder-to-get fish to satisfy time-poor urbanites.
"It`s cheap, there`s some fun and something to eat. It`s nicer than a roadside restaurant," said Liu Wen-chung, 41, who runs an advertising firm and takes some of his clients shrimp hunting at a poolside in central Taipei.
"You don`t have to go out and get sun-burned," he said.
And even though its contrived, hunters like Liu can still experience the thrill of the chase: although shrimp carpet the pool bottom, they can`t always see bait, so the line must be jostled periodically to get their attention.
When the bob suddenly sinks, it means a shrimp has bitten, and some claw back with the strength of a small fish.
Shrimp farms usually charge the equivalent of $6 to $9 per hour, and it`s all-you-can catch. Grills are provided for free at the dingy but spacious grounds, some of which have outdoor areas, and most stay open till 2 a.m. -- if they close at all.
Some Taiwanese say shrimp hunting peaked five years ago and call it a low-class sport associated with excessive drinking. But it remains popular, with several farms seeing good business.
At Chuan Chia Leh, a 19-year-old downtown Taipei shrimp range, owner Tsai Yao-cheng said all kinds of people have come through to try their luck.
"Taiwanese people like to fish, but it can be problem to go to the coast for fishing," Tsai said. The coast is an hour away.
The Bamboo Shoot Shrimp Farm outside Taipei sees a few dozen customers per day, mostly younger people just off work, said a manager surnamed Lin. "The coast is more remote," she said.
(Editing by Miral Fahmy)
Original article

In U.S. scandals, wives don`t stand by their men

(WOMEN, PUBLIC, HUSBAND, AFFAIR, ABOUT, EDWARDS)

By Tabassum Zakaria
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Standing by your man suddenly seems to be going out of fashion for some American women in the public eye.
This month, the wives of at least two famous men caught cheating -- sexually and financially -- very openly declared that their spouses` behavior was actually quite scandalous.
Ruth Madoff, reacting to her husband Bernard being sentenced to 150 years in prison for bilking investors with a massive Ponzi scheme, said she felt "embarrassed," "ashamed" and "betrayed" by a man she had known for half a century.
"The man who committed this horrible fraud is not the man whom I have known for all these years," she said in a statement shortly after her husband`s sentencing on Monday.
Last week, after South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford tearfully admitted to an affair with a woman in Argentina, his wife Jenny -- who was not by his side at his public confession -- left little doubt about her feelings.
"His career is not a concern of mine," she told reporters at a vacation home. "He`s going to have to worry about that. I`m worried about my family and the character of my children."
Political analysts said the new attitude reflects generational and social change -- at least for some women in the United States.
"The old model didn`t work," said Karlyn Bowman, an analyst of U.S. public opinion at the American Enterprise Institute.
The image of the tearful wife, hiding behind sunglasses, next to her husband while he unloaded his sins to the world, was "intensely embarrassing" and some women are deciding they do not have to follow that path, she said.
"It may be that women just feel that they can do whatever they want," Bowman said.
Of course, the quiet, supportive wife remains a public pillar for many scandal-hit men -- just look at former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer`s wife Silda, whose wordless turn at his side last year when he admitted visiting prostitutes drew some sharp commentary.
And it wasn`t that long ago when Hillary Clinton, then first lady, weathered the storm beside her husband, President Bill Clinton, over his affair with intern Monica Lewinsky in the White House in the late 1990s.
More recently, Elizabeth Edwards, whose husband John Edwards ran for president as a Democrat last year, publicly spoke out about his infidelity while promoting her memoir "Resilience."
Edwards, who is battling cancer, told talk show host Oprah Winfrey of her shock at hearing from her husband that he had continued an affair with campaign worker Rielle Hunter after telling her in December 2006 he had slept with another woman.
"All the work we`d done, all the trust we had tried to build in the past year-plus, all thrown out the window," she said.
(Editing by John O`Callaghan)
Original article

Police question Michael Jackson`s doctor

(MICHAEL, JACKSON, ANGELES, POLICE, DEATH, MURRAY)

Michael Jackson, the King of pop
Michael Jackson - pop music legend
Russia had special romance with Michael Jackson - expert
Fans sing Michael Jackson’s songs on Los Angeles streets
MOSCOW, June 28 (RIA Novosti) - Los Angeles police have held an "extensive interview" with the cardiologist who tried to resuscitate Michael Jackson before his death, amid uncertainty over the causes of the pop legend`s cardiac arrest.
Dr Conrad Murray reportedly disappeared several hours after Jackson`s death at the age of 50 on Thursday, and failed to sign a death certificate.
"Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician who was with Michael Jackson at the time of his collapse, voluntarily contacted the Los Angeles Police Department," a police statement released on Saturday night said.
Detectives "met with Dr. Murray and conducted an extensive interview. Dr. Murray was cooperative and provided information which will aid the investigation."
The death of the `King of Pop` has dominated the global media over the past three days, and social networking and video sites have been flooded with tributes. While grieving fans have been celebrating Jackson`s musical legacy, several questions have arisen over the circumstances of his death.
The Rev Jesse Jackson, a long-serving politician who has been maintaining close contact with Michael Jackson`s family, told reporters that the doctor had failed to speak to relatives after the death, and that many questions remained unanswered.
"When did the doctor come? What did he do? Did he inject him? If so, with what? Was he on the scene twice? Did he use the Demerol? It`s a very powerful drug. Was he injected once? Was he injected twice?"
However, a lawyer for Murray insisted that his client was not being treated as a suspect in Jackson`s death.
"It`s a human tragedy and he`s upset obviously over the loss of Mr. Jackson. But he is not a suspect in the death of Mr. Jackson," Matthew Alford said
 
Original article

Lightning kills 2 after graduation ball in Russia`s Far East

(STUDENTS, GRADUATION, LIGHTNING, POLICE, PRIMORYE, OFFICER)

VLADIVOSTOK, June 27 (RIA Novosti) - Two students celebrating their high school graduation died early on Saturday morning in Russia`s Far East when they were struck by lightning, local police said.
One boy and one girl were killed in the lightning strike in the village of Zarubino in the Primorye Territory`s Khasansky region, while another girl and a policeman suffered burns and were taken to a local hospital.
"The tragedy occurred on Saturday at 5 a.m. Vladivostok time [19:00 GMT on Friday]. After a graduation ball 15 students went to the beach to watch the sun rise. They were accompanied by a police officer, who was keeping order," a Primorye police source told RIA Novosti.
"A loud rumble of thunder was heard, and lightning flashed. Two students - a boy and a girl - died at the scene. Another girl and the police officer were hospitalized with burns," he added.
The source said the lightning struck as the group passed near overhead electric power lines.
He added that several other graduation balls in area passed without incident, and all had police officers present to ensure order.
 
Original article

Police in west Urals search for security guard who stole $8 mln

(POLICE, GUARD, MILLION, RUSSIA, LARGEST, SHURMAN)

NIZHNY NOVGORD, June 26 (RIA Novosti) - Police in the west Urals are searching for a security guard who stole 250 million rubles ($8 million), a local police spokesman said on Friday.
The theft, one of Russia`s largest, took place at about 12:00 p.m. local time (06:00 GMT) on Thursday. Alexander Shurman, 36, was one of three guards carrying cash for Russia`s largest bank Sberbank.
Threatening to shoot his colleagues, he forced them to stop the vehicle in a forest, and transferred the money to another vehicle driven by accomplices.
"A search is underway," the spokesman said.
A $10,000 reward has been announced for any information leading to Shurman`s arrest, and an investigation has been launched. Over 50 police investigators are involved in the hunt.
A police source told the Komsomolskaya Pravda tabloid that Sberbank security guards had had their wages cut last month.
"Carrying huge sums daily and hardly making ends meet - anyone would go nuts," the source said.
Neighbors said Shurman, who has two children, one with a second wife, did not drink or smoke and played tennis and went running every morning.
 
Original article

Russian authorities order Stalin billboards removed

(BILLBOARDS, STALIN, PAPER, COMMUNIST, ADVERTISING, GREAT)

MOSCOW, June 25 (RIA Novosti) - Authorities in the central Russian city of Voronezh have ordered the removal of billboards bearing the image of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, a paper said on Thursday.
The authorities said the billboards, which were put up by the Communist Party and show Stalin wearing a military uniform next to the slogan "Victory will be ours!", violated advertising laws, Kommersant reported.
The city`s chief advertising official said on Wednesday billboards should be used for advertising purposes only, including "social" advertising.
And Vadim Nechui-Veter, a lawyer specializing in advertising, told the paper: "Adverts should portray objects - goods or services, i.e. something that can be sold." He added that politicians could only be shown on billboards during election campaigns.
The Communist Party countered that in this case images of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Voronezh`s mayor should also be removed from the city`s streets, the paper said.
The billboards were to commemorate the start on June 22 of the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War, the term Russia and other ex-Soviet states use to call WWII. This year also marks the 130th anniversary of Stalin`s birth.
The leader of Voronezh`s Communists said, as quoted by Russian media, that some advertising agencies in the city had refused to take the order for the ten Stalin billboards.
"We made preparations for June 22, the start of the war, where Stalin played an important role," Sergei Rudakov said.
"We wanted to underline, with the help of the billboards, that we support reforms, but we can only move forward with the positive things we had in Stalin`s time before and after the war...when the country became a great power," Rudakov said.
While Stalin`s personality cult and his purges have been officially condemned in Russia, many Russians still view the dictator as a great statesman.
The exact number of those killed or imprisoned during Stalin`s purges is not known, although estimates are as high as 20 million.
 
Original article

Deluxe hotel beckons on Shanghai`s Bund in downturn

(LUXURY, SHANGHAI, TRAVELERS, PENINSULA, FIRST, WHICH)

By Miral Fahmy
SINGAPORE (Reuters Life!) - Luxury may be taboo these days, but it`s a choice The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd group wants travelers to have, despite the downturn, when it opens a Peninsula hotel in Shanghai this year.
The Peninsula Shanghai`s 3 billion yuan ($439 million) complex includes a 235-room deluxe hotel, a shopping arcade, a residential tower -- and is the first building to rise on the city`s historic Bund waterfront in 60 years.
The hotel, due to open in October, is the ninth property in the portfolio of a group renowned for its bespoke fleet of Rolls-Royce limousines and unabashed dedication to the good life: the Peninsula has a team of engineers that develop guest-friendly gadgets and tests the features in each room before it is built.
General Manager Paul Tchen said that while the financial crisis would probably keep high-end leisure and business travelers away for now, the downturn would not last forever, and the hotel was built with the future in mind.
"Unfortunately, in today`s economy, luxury hotels are not very fashionable," Tchen told Reuters.
"But we open hotels for the next generation, we are cautious about what we invest in, and during these times, we can stand the pain more than other companies," he said during a visit to Singapore to promote the new hotel.
Asia`s multi-billion dollar tourism business has been hit hard by the shortage of well-heeled tourists and corporate travelers due to the slowdown, with hotel room rates falling this year for the first time in years and airlines suffering.
Average hotel room revenues across Asia and Australia fell by a third in the first quarter of this year from a year earlier, according to Deloitte, which also said that occupancy levels across the region dropped by 15 percent. In Shanghai, hotel room revenues have fallen by almost 40 percent.
Tchen said the hotel was, for now, marketing itself within China, which has been affected, but not too much, by the economic downturn, as well as in other parts of Asia where there is still an appetite for luxury.
Room rates have also been discounted for the first few months after opening, and now start at 2,009 yuan ($294) a night, including breakfast and airport transfers, compared to the rack rate of 3,200 yuan ($468).
"We`re heavily targeting the one market that`s not so badly affected, and that`s our domestic market. We want to bring back the fun, the excitement of staying at a luxury hotel, turn the experience into an escape for locals and for other business travelers from the region," Tchen said.
In homage to Shanghai`s colonial heyday in the 1920s and 1930s, when it was dubbed the Paris of the East, the Peninsula Shanghai is designed in an art deco style, but with high-tech, modern facilities and luxurious fittings.
The hotel has sweeping terraces, and views, of the city and it also plans to host ballroom dancing afternoon tea events.
Shanghai, which is hosting the 2010 World Expo, is spending more than $700 million to spruce up the Bund -- whose name comes from an Anglo-Indian term for a river embankment -- and turn the area into a pedestrian-only zone.
The 2-km (1.24-mile) strip is famous for its art deco buildings, many of which have been restored to their former glory after having been allowed to fall into disrepair when the Communists came to power in 1949.  Continued...
Original article

Power struggle impedes New York gay marriage vote

(NEW, STATE, YORK, MARRIAGE, RIGHTS, DEMOCRATS, PARADE)

By Edith Honan
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York`s annual Gay Pride parade was a colorful celebration of 40 years of progress toward civil rights for gays, but once the dust settled, gay couples who wish to marry in New York state remain thwarted.
A bill to legalize gay marriage in the state that saw the dawn of the gay rights movement is mired in political stalemate in the state capital Albany, where Democrats and Republicans are battling over control of the state Senate.
"I had hoped today`s march would have been a bit of a wedding march. It`s not," Christine Quinn, the gay speaker of the New York City Council, said at Sunday`s Gay Pride parade. Held annually, this year`s event marked the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York`s Greenwich Village, which triggered the modern U.S. gay rights movement.
"We are disappointed. ... But I know there have been other times our community has been disappointed and you need to keep fighting," Quinn said at the start of the parade, which organizers said drew more than a million people.
Gay couples can marry in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa and will be allowed marry in Vermont starting in September and in New Hampshire from January. Other states offer same-sex unions that grant many of the same rights as marriage.
Forty-two U.S. states explicitly prohibit gay marriage, including 29 with constitutional amendments, according to Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights advocacy group.
In May, the New York state Assembly, where Democrats hold a majority, voted by a wide margin to legalize gay marriage.
On June 8, state Senate Republicans engineered a coup by getting two Democrats to switch allegiance and vote in a new leadership, effectively erasing the slim 32-30 majority the Democrats won in the November 2008 election.
But Democrats have refused to recognize the leadership vote and one of the senators has since rejoined the Democrats, creating an even 31-31 split in the chamber.
New York Governor David Paterson has vowed to bring gay marriage to a state Senate vote before the end of the current legislative session -- which has already been extended due to the deadlock. But Paterson can not force a vote, and it is not clear if it would pass, or even if such a vote would be legal.
Even the state`s main gay rights organization has called on the Senate to resolve the leadership dispute first and not treat gay marriage as "a political football." With no immediate prospect of a resolution to the crisis, supporters of the bill are left wondering if it will come to a vote this year.
"There certainly have been moments of high adrenaline and great disappointment ... but I`m always optimistic," said Senator Tom Duane, the bill`s sponsor, at Sunday`s parade.
Many at Sunday`s parade said they thought gay marriage was inevitable in New York.
"I think every year we see great advances. I mean, this year New Hampshire passed gay marriage and Iowa, of all places," said Brent Hayrynen, 63. "We`ll get there."
(Reporting by Edith Honan; editing by Claudia Parsons and Todd Eastham)
Original article

Consumers indulge to lift spirits, food makers say

(MORE, CHOCOLATE, SALES, CHEESE, TRADE, PEOPLE, YOU`RE)

By Ellen Wulfhorst
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Specialty-food makers showcasing wares this week say anxious consumers are consoling themselves, and buoying the gourmet industry, by seeking solace in tasty treats from chocolate sushi to lavender-laced cheese.
Fancy-food makers, more than 2,000 of which were exhibiting at the annual trade show in New York, say consumers may not buy big-ticket items amid the recession but they will allow themselves smaller indulgences.
"People may not be buying flat-screen TVs, but they will buy lobster mac and cheese," said Cal Hancock, whose Maine-based Hancock Gourmet Lobster Co. sells the frozen delicacy. "It`s the ultimate comfort food."
Paul Ioanidis, of Jer`s Handmade Chocolates in Solana Beach, California, said sales are strong. "People will indulge a little bit to feel better, and premium chocolates are a pretty inexpensive way to feel good," he said.
The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, which sponsors the trade show, said the industry had $60 billion in U.S. sales in 2008. Fifty-eight percent of its manufacturers reported a drop in sales last year, due to economic pressures.
The research also found that a downturn in restaurant sales has helped specialty foods as consumers cook more at home. That move away from restaurant dining has been evident in sales trends, several vendors said.
`YOU USE MORE SEASONING`
"If you`re going to save money, you`re not going to eat in restaurants so much. If you`re cooking at home, you use more seasoning," said Joe Walker of Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, based in Ville Platte, Louisiana.
Hoping to woo the more selective, less extravagant consumer with smaller, less expensive products, Chuao Chocolatier of Carlsbad, California, makes versions of its candy, such as dark chocolate with chipotle, that retail for 99 cents.
"This is our answer to the economy," said Brooke Feldman, communications manager. "It`s chocolate for the people."
Some retailers opted for a twist on traditional favorites.
Rogue Creamery of Central Point, Oregon, offered cheddar cheese flavored with lavender, Das Foods of Highwood, Illinois, had lollipops flavored with maple and bacon, and Romanicos Chocolate of Miami offered candies shaped like sushi.
Others are backing basics, such as Woeber Mustard Manufacturing Co of Springfield, Ohio, where horseradish sauce remains the strongest seller.
"We`ve seen high-end products go down, and more basic products increase," said Christopher Woeber, project manager at the 104-year-old family business.
(Editing by Will Dunham)
Original article

Reggaeton fever shakes up Cuba`s culture

(REGGAETON, CUBAN, MUSIC, OFFICIAL, LATIN, CULTURAL, CUBA`S)

By Esteban Israel
HAVANA (Reuters) - To record his next hit El Micha, one of the rising stars of Cuba`s reggaeton music blending reggae, Latin and electronic rhythms, just has to knock on his neighbor`s door.
A microphone plugged into an old computer in an apartment in Havana`s working-class suburb of Reparto Electrico serves as the studio where some of Cuba`s most successful reggaeton songs are recorded.
"Reggaeton is unstoppable because it is recorded at home. It is totally independent," says Michael "El Micha" Sierra, 27, a former basketball player whose bottom row of gold teeth flash when he gives one of his frequent broad smiles.
With little official support or air time on state-controlled radio, the songs Cuban reggaeton artists record in makeshift studios lined with egg cartons for sound insulation are mostly transmitted though homemade CDs and on computer flash memory sticks.
That is how the tropical fever of reggaeton is sweeping communist-ruled Cuba, captivating its youth and enraging a cultural establishment alarmed by the vulgarity of some of its lyrics, which include phrases like "Coge mi tubo" ("Grab my pipe") and "Metela" ("Stick it in").
"Cubans know about music and if they picked reggaeton they have to be respected. The people are the ones who decide," said Sierra.
Reggaeton, a cocktail of reggae, Latin and electronic rhythms, first emerged in Puerto Rico in the mid-1990s and has
spread rapidly though Latin America. In Cuba, it is played on crowded buses, shakes neighborhood windows with its throbbing bass and packs discos night after night.
Its vibrations even seem to be shaking Cuba`s cultural establishment, decades after the island shook the entertainment music world with its native-born mambo and cha cha cha.
Like hip hop, its relative, reggaeton chronicles real life in the streets. But its popularity stems from a catchy, sensual rhythm that is perfectly suited for dance-crazy Cubans.
OFFICIAL ALARM OVER "NEOLIBERAL" MUSIC
"Teachers and family cannot be naive regarding this matter," warned state-controlled TV as it showed 6-year-olds doing covers of Puerto Rican reggaeton megastar Daddy Yankee.
That was the latest sign of official alarm over what the authorities see as a vulgarization of Cuban culture.
The official daily Juventud Rebelde called reggaeton a reflection of "neoliberal thinking" and Culture Minister Abel Prieto said it should be "pushed away."
"In the cultural world there is concern about the excessive popularity of reggaeton," Julian Gonzalez, president of the National Council for Visual Arts, told Reuters.  Continued...
Original article

Queen Elizabeth faces wait for palace repairs

(MILLION, ROYAL, PALACE, POUNDS, GOVERNMENT, BUCKINGHAM, WOULD)

By Tim Castle
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Queen Elizabeth faces a long wait for repairs to the roof of Buckingham Palace unless the government stumps up extra cash, royal accounts showed on Monday.
Her treasurer, Alan Reid, said a backlog of "essential" maintenance would reach 40 million pounds over the next decade if there is no increase in annual funding.
Key projects facing at least a 10-year wait include the 13 million pounds renewal of lead and slate roofs at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, and the 4.5 million pound refurbishment of state rooms at both properties.
Also facing a decade of delays are replacements to the palace`s heating and electricity services, as well as the replacement of aging cast iron and lead Victorian water mains at the castle.
Reid, known as the Keeper of the Privy Purse, said royal officials would continue to negotiate with the government "to improve the assessment of the additional funding required."
The government would have to increase support to 19 million pounds a year from 15 million to avoid the backlog, a senior Buckingham Palace source told Reuters.
But with Britain suffering its most severe economic downturn for 60 years, extra taxpayer funds for the royals may be hard for the government to justify.
A parliamentary committee said earlier this month the queen should open Buckingham Palace more often to tourists to help raise money for repairs, a recommendation royal officials are studying.
The government covers the cost of the royal family`s official duties in return for the queen surrendering the revenue from royal property held by Crown Estate and other hereditary sources, which reached 211 million pounds in 2007.
Royal expenditure rose 1.5 percent to 41.5 million pounds in the last financial year, after allowing for inflation.
Reid said this was equivalent to just 69 pence per person in Britain, a rise of 3 pence over the year before.
But anti-monarchist pressure group Republic said the comparison was meaningless, adding that the published expenditure did not include the cost of security.
"Every year the palace press office tries to justify the cost of the monarchy by dividing the official figure by 60 million," said Republic spokesman Graham Smith.
"With that sort of accounting you can justify pretty much anything."
(Editing by Steve Addison)
Original article

Centenarians show it`s never too late to tweet

(PERCENT, CENTENARIANS, NEW, EVERCARE, THEIR, WOULD, LONGEVITY)

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Celebrities and hip adults aren`t the only people flocking to Twitter, the social-networking site. Even centenarians have learned to tweet.
Three percent of U.S. centenarians questioned in a new survey said they use the service that allows users to send short text messages, or tweets, of up to 140 characters at least once a week to keep in touch with their friends and family.
Another 10 percent sent emails to stay connected, 12 percent shared photos on the Internet and four percent downloaded music from the web.
"They are using new technologies, staying abreast of news and current events, and engaging in social networking -- all of which help to prevent chronic illnesses and contribute to greater longevity," said Dr Mark Leenay, the senior medical director and vice president of clinical affairs at Evercare, said in a statement.
The results of the survey of 100 centenarians commissioned by Evercare, one of the nation`s largest care coordination programs, challenge the stereotypes of aging.
Forget passing the day in a rocking chair. Fifty percent of centenarians keep fit by walking or hiking, eight percent prefer cycling and three percent break into a jog or run. One percent said they have tried Nintendo`s Wii Fit.
More than a quarter said they chatted on a cell phone at least once a week.
To keep their minds as agile as their bodies, 19 percent played a musical instrument or turned to a musical video game for entertainment or a mental workout.
Nearly 65 percent would dine with comedian Bill Cosby if given the opportunity to invite a celebrity to dinner.
If stranded on a desert island, two percent said they would want an iPod with them.
Evercare said the findings support the belief that a person`s longevity is based primarily on a person`s lifestyle rather than genetics.
More than 84,000 centenarians are living in the United States today. The number is expected to increase to 580,000 by 2040, according to figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Original article

Ancient Westminster Abbey may be crowned

(THERE, ABBEY, WHICH, PLANS, CORONATION, QUEEN, GALLERY)

By Stefano Ambrogi
LONDON (Reuters) - Almost every British and English monarch has been crowned there since 1066 and now, if architects have their way, London`s Westminster Abbey could have a crowning glory all of its own.
Radicaldesign plans unveiled Monday by the Dean of the ancient church include building a large crown-shaped structure, or corona, on the roof of the abbey right over the coronation spot in front of the high altar.
Founded in 960 AD by Saint Dunstan, the medieval abbey has seen extensive additions and alterations ever since, but remains in parts unfinished.
The latest proposals, which the Dean of Westminster the Very Reverend John Hall says are dramatic, are the most significant changes to the national monument in some 250 years.
The corona would replace the small plain pyramid roof on top of the "lantern" which was rebuilt in 1958 to repair war damage.
"No one ever got round to doing anything over the lantern. They asked the question; they drew up designs: there was going to be a tower and a spire at one point -- that was Christopher Wren," Hall told BBC Radio.
"There was going to be a sort of great pepper pot -- that was Nicholas Hawksmoor, and George Gilbert Scott in the 19th century had other ideas as well," said Hall who has been in touch with Queen and Buckingham Place over the plans.
"The abbey was never complete -- there is nothing above there apart from a stumpy little tower, which doesn`t do any honor to this extraordinary place," he said.
Hall said he wanted the new architectural feature to reflect the coronation underneath "that would lift the eye and lift the spirits and floodlight down into the space" where kings and queens are crowned.
It is hoped the structure will be ready in time to mark the diamond jubilee of the Queen`s coronation in 2013.
Building proposals also include provision for a lift on the south face of the Abbey outside Poets Corner to give visitors access to the upper gallery for the first time.
The gallery, known as the Triforium, will house a new museum and display many of its unseen treasures and artefacts.
English poet John Betjeman once described the view from there as the best in Europe. T
The British public are being invited to comment on the plans, which are estimated to cost 23 million pounds.
(Editing by Steve Addison)
Original article

Aficionados shop for world`s most exclusive watches

(WATCHES, WATCH, COLLECTORS, FINE, BETHUNE, EXCLUSIVE, LUXURY)

By David Brough
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Collectors gathered on Monday to shop for some of the world`s most unique watches in an event organized by a group of blogging enthusiasts.
Dozens of watch aficionados came from around the world to William & Son, a luxury boutique in London`s elegant Mayfair district, to admire the world`s most exclusive watch specimens, with some on offer at well over 100,000 pounds ($165,000) each.
The typical ultra-wealthy buyer of exclusive brands such as De Bethune, F.P. Journe, Romain Gauthier and Moser, has "graduated" from major watch brands like Rolex and Omega and now seeks something rarer, collectors attending the event said.
"The watches collector has a Bentley in his garage and a Picasso on his wall, but when he walks into the office, he wants to wear something unique, a work of art," said David Witkover, North American agent for Swiss-based De Bethune.
"It is understated elegance."
He showed off the platinum-cased De Bethune Dream Watch 1, featured as "Best of the Best" in the June edition of luxury magazine the Robb Report.
The $123,600 DW1`s balance wheel is made of silicon ringed with platinum, an innovation delivering high performance.
FINE WATCHES, FINE WINES
Nicolas Fondaneche of PuristSPro.com, which showcases blogs on top watches and helped organize the event, said collecting superb watches is similar to connoisseurship of fine wines.
"When you begin to try wine, you may love it, but you can`t tell the difference between a 50-euro wine and a 5,000-euro wine," he said.
The global recession has hit demand for exclusive timepieces, but serious collectors will never lose interest, and it is up to manufacturers to price watches competitively, said Daniel Zimmermann, sales director of H. Moser & Cie.
"The market place has become more difficult," he said.
"The previous two years (of boom) were crazy," he added, in a reference to the spending spree led by finance industry professionals before the banking crisis hit hard.
William Asprey, owner of William & Son, which has emerged in the decade since luxury group Aspreys was sold, demonstrated watches owned by him and his forebears, including a gold Patek Philippe pocket watch, a 1920s Reverso that belonged to his grandfather, and a 1960s Audemars Piguet skeleton watch.
These were not for sale, but caught the collectors` eye.  Continued...
Original article

Giant metal "scribble" fills London`s Tate gallery

(DUVEEN, GALLERIES, FLOOR, WHICH, WOULD, CORNERS, OFFER)

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Last year it was a runner sprinting the length of the neo-Classical Duveen Galleries every minute at London`s Tate Britain museum.
This year`s Duveens Commission, by Irish-born artist Eva Rothschild, takes the form of a giant, 80-meter (263 ft) long tangle of black metal triangles which move across the gallery floor and soars above its stone columns.
Likened variously to a giant spider, bolt of lightning and angular scribble, viewers can walk around, through and under the 26 towering triangles, which barely touch the floor and are connected to each other with minimal contact.
"I wanted to produce something elevated and open that would not block the space, but would offer an alternative experience of these stately galleries," Rothschild said of her biggest work to date, called "Cold Corners."
"I want the piece to have a presence that combines clarity and confusion. It should offer itself to the eye as both whole and disparate, its skinny blackness agitating the architecture with a spidering sense of activity and strength."
Stephen Deuchar, director of Tate Britain, said the work was "monumental in scale, yet light in form" and contrasted with the "solidity" of the Duveen Galleries.
The Duveens Commission, a contemporary sculpture series, is sponsored by auctioneer Sotheby`s. It was launched in 2000 and became an annual event in 2008.
"Cold Corners" will be open to the public for free from June 30 to November29.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
Original article

Confused about fitness regimens? Poll tracks trends

(FITNESS, TRAINING, ACSM, THOMPSON, SURVEY, PROFESSIONALS, ABOUT)

By Dorene Internicola
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) Pilates or yoga? Kettlebells or free weights? Running or spinning?
If you are dizzy from trying to choose among all the fitness regimens out there a new survey of fitness and health experts, who were asked to identity the top trends, may help.
Experienced fitness professionals topped the list while strength training, core work, special fitness programs for older adults, pilates and balance training also made the top ten.
"We give the fitness professional some idea of what they`re going to see," said Dr. Walter Thompson, of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) which conducted the poll.
The ACSM, a nonprofit sports medicine and exercise science organization, tracks trends for the fitness industry and gives the public a heads-up about what they are likely to face at the gym, the doctor`s office and the workplace.
Thompson said 1,540 ACSM-certified fitness professionals from Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa, North America and South America took part in the online survey.
"We really wanted to look at trends," Thompson, a professor of Exercise Science at Georgia State University, explained. "We instructed the respondents to ignore fads, like the devices you see on late-night TV infomercials."
So you won`t discover anything about those contraptions that promise miracle abs for 30 minutes` work a week.
Thompson said it was no surprise that experienced fitness professionals and personal trainers captured the first and third spots in the survey.
"The fitness industry has increased exponentially," Thompson said, but at a price. "There has to be some policing. People are getting hurt by trainers who just don`t have the qualifications."
Personal training, introduced about 10 years ago and once a luxury for movie stars, is now provided by all gyms.
Children and obesity came in second in the poll, thanks largely to the development of more programs to attack the growing problem.
"For the first time in history the next generation of young people may not live as long as their parents or grandparents," the ACSM said in a statement.
Strength training, increasingly a part of most regimens, and core training, which strengthens and conditions the stabilizing muscles of the abdomen and back, rounded out the top five.
The stability ball, which came in at number eight, did not even make the top 20 in an ACSM survey in 2007.  Continued...
Original article

Young, Springsteen give Hyde Park rock masterclass

(YOUNG, SPRINGSTEEN, STAGE, LONDON, PLAYED, VERSION, SONGS)

By Angus MacSwan
LONDON (Reuters) - If Mount Rushmore featured rock `n` rollers instead of U.S. presidents, the faces of Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen would surely be carved there.
The two elder statesmen showed just why they are venerated by fans of all ages at the Hard Rock Calling festival in central London`s Hyde Park this weekend in performances brimming with passion, energy and timeless songs.
To cap it all, Sir Paul McCartney joined Young on stage for his encore, literally bowing at his feet as the Canadian played a feedback-drenched version of the Beatles "A Day in the Life."
Now aged 63 and 59, neither Young nor Springsteen has let up the pace in recent years. Both have released new albums in the past several months which had their moments even if they did not reach the heights of past classics.
They each took prominent positions against former U.S. President George W. Bush and the Iraq War. Springsteen campaigned hard for Barack Obama and played at his presidential inauguration.
Politics was largely absent from the Hyde Park shows though as they focused on entertaining the summer crowds in London, after headlining the Glastonbury Festival earlier in the week.
Young took to the stage on Saturday night looking like an old mountain man seeking shelter from a storm, with his bedraggled, thinning hair, craggy features and muttonchop sideburns. Not known for indulging his audiences, he played a crowd-pleasing set which drew heavily on "Harvest," his best-known album, and the guitar-heavy "Everybody Knows this is Nowhere."
He kicked off in his "Godfather of Grunge" persona with a crunching version of "Hey, Hey, My, My" and its refrain "it`s better to burn out than to fade away." He then stormed though a number of hard rockers, delighting rapturous fans, before switching to a mellow mood with a run of country-flavored numbers including "Heart of Gold" and "Old Man," as night fell on the park.
Young finished with a blazing version of "Rockin` in the Free World," uncharacteristically leading the crowd in a bout of arm-waving and leaving his black guitar wailing feedback, its strings shredded.
McCartney, an old friend, bounded on stage to join Young for the encore of "A Day in the Life," hugging Young and dancing around him. The two were clearly having fun.
Among the crowd was Beth Harley, a 26-year-old archaeologist, who had just arrived from Turkey on Saturday morning to see Young. She said she had grown up listening to his music as her parents played it all the time.
"It`s got a lot of edge. The songs don`t seem to age. It still seems relevant to what`s going on now," she said.
If Young is a willful eccentric, Springsteen is the great showman who delivers every time.
Taking the stage with the mighty, black-clad E. Street band, he launched into The Clash song "London Calling," bellowing its refrain "we live by the river" loud enough to be heard just down the road at Buckingham Palace. He then moved into more familiar territory with "Badlands" and the pace didn`t let up for the next three hours.
Springsteen ran around the stage, danced, and strutted along a special platform to get close to the fans and collect signs with song requests. He sang plenty of old favorites, switching from songs on the dreams and struggles of the working man to joyful sing-alongs.  Continued...
Original article

Rock legends form new band, call it Chickenfoot

(CHICKENFOOT, HAGAR, SMITH, CHART, WE`RE, CHILI, PEPPERS)

By Mike Collett-White
LONDON (Reuters) - Some of the biggest names in rock have banded together to form a new supergroup. They call it Chickenfoot, a name they readily admit is "silly."
While the name may not be to everyone`s taste, Van Halen veterans Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and virtuoso guitarist Joe Satriani rose high in the U.S. charts with their eponymous debut album this month.
"We called ourselves Chickenfoot as a kind of a joke, and people started digging it, and so Chad`s going, `Let`s start a real band`," Hagar said during a boisterous interview with the band in London, where they performed during a European tour.
"Joe had a band called the Squares -- all of a sudden Chickenfoot sounded like a really good name," Hagar joked.
Hagar and Anthony used to jam together at Hagar`s club in Mexico, and when Smith joined them, they gelled. Smith, who still plays for the Chili Peppers, suggested forming a group, and Satriani was invited as the final piece in the jigsaw.
The four members of Chickenfoot have sold tens of millions of records and played thousands of gigs between them over the years, but the childlike enthusiasm for their latest venture comes from starting all over again.
"We`re a new band, even though we`ve got names, we`ve all been in other bands," Hagar told Reuters. "So we have to kind of let the world know who Chickenfoot is, I think."
Bass player Anthony added that he took exception to the term "supergroup."
"For me, when I hear the name supergroup I think of some pre-fab type of thing ... If the chemistry is not there you can be the best musicians, best players there are, it`s not going to come out the way I think this came out.
"This was born out of friendship, it was more organic in that sense."
The band has played a series of small gigs in the United States before flying to Europe for a tour, and returns to North America winding up its travels at the end of September.
"We`re a new band and when you`re a new band you start and play clubs and you play to your fans," said Smith. "We`re not playing stuff from Van Halen, or Joe, or Chili Peppers, we`re just playing Chickenfoot."
CHART SUCCESS
Chickenfoot`s debut album, released earlier in June, opened at No. 4 in the U.S. pop chart and No. 1 in the independent music chart. It maintained its position in the main chart the following week before slipping to No. 7 in the latest list.
"It`s the first time I`ve ever been up in that territory, above the clouds," said Satriani, who is embroiled in a copyright infringement suit with British band Coldplay over its hit single "Viva La Vida."  Continued...
Original article

Downturn creates more working mothers in Asia

(WOMEN, THEIR, FAMILY, MOTHER, HARISH, CHILDREN, SURVEY)

By Miral Fahmy
SINGAPORE (Reuters Life!) - The economic crisis is turning more Asian women into CFOs, or chief family officers, according to a new survey, juggling work and childcare as they try to boost the family income.
Three in four people in Asia believe women are capable of juggling work and family successfully, the massive survey of 33,000 people in 16 countries showed.
Asian women have long been part of the region`s workforce, but the global economic downturn has made having a job a necessity for most, according to the "Eye on Asia" poll by global marketing communications firm Grey Group.
"This, however, has put a lot of pressure on many women, who in addition to having a career, must also take on the role of chief family officer," Charu Harish, regional communications planning director for Grey Group Asia Pacific, told Reuters.
"Because of the traditional attitudes, women feel they must be the picture-perfect wife, mother and employee, which puts them in an unfair, and little recognized, position."
According to the survey, one of the largest snapshots of opinions and trends in the region, nearly 90 percent said it was necessary for mothers to work to contribute to the family income, especially in the current economic climate.
The same survey found that a majority -- 86 percent -- of Asia Pacific respondents worry about their finances and were saving for the future.
Over three-quarters believed women were capable of doing both -- taking care of the family and having a job at the same time -- even though, given a choice, many mothers would prefer to stay at home and watch their children grow up, Harish said.
Some 81 percent of mothers surveyed said they felt so busy these days that they did not spend enough time with their children, which Harish said, led to many mums over-indulging their children to assuage their guilt.
This was particularly the case in the fast-paced economies of Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong, but less so in developing countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam.
"In many ways, women have evolved, while many men still maintain a traditional attitude and do not acknowledge that they need to take part in the child-minding and running the house," Harish said.
Overall, nearly two-thirds of Asians said they felt society supported working mothers, which, in many cases, meant grandparents taking care of the children.
Harish said that while this was the most convenient child-care solution, it was creating tension in families due to the generational gap. "The older generations believe in stronger discipline, while the parents tend to be more liberal, and their children even more so," she explained.
The survey polled 33,000 people in 16 countries: Australia, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. For more details click on www.greyeyeon.asia
(Editing by Valerie Lee)
Original article

Politics bars Dead Sea from World Wonders contest

By Douglas Hamilton and Ali Sawafta
JERICHO, West Bank (Reuters) - The Dead Sea will be eliminated next week from a contest to choose the seven natural wonders of the world, because of a Palestinian boycott over the participation of an Israeli settler council.
Its almost certain exclusion from a competition which it had good chances of winning underline how the bitter politics of the Middle East conflict permeates every aspect of Palestinian life, no matter how harmless or even beneficial it may seem.
The New 7 Wonders of Nature is a global Internet contest under the slogan: "If we want to save anything, we first need to truly appreciate it." In 2007 it chose the new seven man-made wonders of the world.
Its rules state that if a nominee site is located in more than one country, all countries in which it is located must form an Official Supporting Committee (OSC) by July 7.
Israel and Jordan have both done so for the Dead Sea, which they share, but the Palestinian Authority has decided against.
For the Dead Sea, a win would highlight the environmental threat to a unique lake which has shrunk dramatically in the past 30 years due to human exploitation of the Jordan River feed waters and Dead Sea mineral extraction.
"We will not be forming a committee," Palestinian Tourism Minister Khouloud Douaibes told Reuters, because the Israeli committee "has been consulting with settler councilmen on occupied land and this contravenes international law."
"Therefore, we are not interested in the issue," she said reflecting a view that renders the contest and its potential benefits insignificant next to the Palestinians` long struggle against Jewish settlers in their midst.
LAST-MINUTE REVERSAL?
Jordanian officials declined comment. But sources in Amman said the contest had become politicized, in that it could be exploited by Israel to gloss over the settlement issue, on which Jordan sympathizes with the Palestinians.
Unless there is a last-minute rethink by the Palestinians, the decision means the famously buoyant lake at the lowest point on Earth cannot advance to the next stage of the contest.
That is when Internet voters worldwide narrow down the field of 261 to 77, from which the final shortlist of 21 will be chosen ahead of the final vote in 2011, in which N7W predicts one billion electronic votes will be cast.
Jordan benefited handsomely after the ancient ruins at Petra were voted a man-made Wonder of the World in 2007. Visits to Petra have more than doubled since it won the contest.
Live rankings on the contest website www.new7wonders.com list 7 "nature" categories, including islands, mountains, forests and seascapes. The Kalahari Desert, the Galapagos Islands and Lake Titicaca are among current favorites.
"New7Wonders completely understands that political sensitivities about involved settler communities around the Dead Sea may be causing concerns among the Palestinian authorities here, although they have not directly communicated this to us," spokeswoman Tia Viering told Reuters on Sunday.  Continued...
Original article

"One, two, three...": Queen orders count of swans

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Quiet please -- Queen Elizabeth is preparing to have her swans counted.
Buckingham Palace has announced that the annual Swan Upping, a tradition dating back to the 12th century which involves a census of the swan population on the River Thames, will be conducted by the queen`s official Swan Marker from July 20-24.
"With the assistance of the Queen`s Swan Warden, Professor Christopher Perrins of the University of Oxford, the swans and young cygnets are also assessed for any signs of injury or disease," Buckingham Palace said in announcing the count.
The process involves the Swan Marker, David Barber, rowing up the Thames for five days with the Swan Warden in traditional skiffs while wearing special scarlet uniforms and counting, weighing and measuring swans and cygnets.
It may seem eccentric, but it is very important to the queen.
According to custom, Britain`s sovereign owns all unmarked, mute swans in open water, but the queen now exercises the right only on stretches of the Thames and its nearby tributaries.
In medieval times, the Swan Marker would not only travel up the river counting the swans, but would catch as many as possible as they were sought-after for banquets and feasts.
This year, the Swan Marker and the Swan Warden are particularly keen to discover how much damage is being caused to swans and cygnets by attacks from dogs and from discarded fishing tackle.
It is also an important year because the Queen has decided to join her team of Swan Uppers for part of the census.
She will follow them up the river and visit a local school project on the whole subject of swans, cygnets and the Thames.
"Education and conservation are essential to the role of Swan Upping and the involvement of school children is always a rewarding experience," Buckingham Palace said.
(Reporting by Luke Baker)
Original article

Moon-lovers remember Apollo with radio chit-chat

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Radio hams and amateur astronomers around the world spent the weekend bouncing radio conversations off the Moon to one another in commemoration of the Apollo 11 landings 40 years ago, organizers in Australia said Sunday.
Although they had some clear and extensive conversations, they had to be patient. It takes around 2.5 seconds for a radio signal to reach the Moon and bounce back to another part of the Earth, so it took around five seconds to get a reply.
Initiated a few months ago by science buffs in Australia and the United States, `Moonbounce` was just winding up on Sunday Australian time after a 24-hour special event that organizers hope will become annual.
It brought together hundreds of amateur radio hams around the world, event co-founder Robert Brand told Reuters, some armed with their own radio dishes.
It was timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary next month of the Apollo 11 landings on July 20, 1969. But as the Moon does not orbit directly around the Earth`s equator, this was the nearest weekend organizers could arrange for practical reasons.
Among those taking part was Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders, one of the first men to orbit around the Moon, who took a famous photograph of Earth from space now known as "Earthrise."
While most were amateurs, institutions lent equipment to the event, including a 26-meter dish at Mount Pleasant in Tasmania and a 45-meter dish at Stanford University in the United States.
"The signals go up from these dishes in a tight beam to the Moon. They actually hit the ground and at an atomic level `shake` all the atoms on the surface of the Moon," said Brand.
"It is still taking place as we speak."
Around 1,000 people around the world are thought to have the kind of equipment to do this kind of messaging and Brand, who as a 17-year-old played a minor role in the Apollo missions by helping install telecommunications installations used by NASA in Australia, said the results were remarkably clear.
There was "very little difference quality-wise" to some common radios, he said.
Original article