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Maid cafes? On the trail of Tokyo's otak...

zhaoyin1986 — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:13:27 +0200

french maid costume But their spiritual home remains Akihabara, Tokyo's high-wattage neighborhood catering to video games, animeDVDs and other fetishes. It began as a shopping area for teenageboys, and though it is now popular with tourists and women, it isstill a magnet for the socially inept male. You don't go toAkihabara to drink, unless it's for a cup of coffee at one of thecafes where you pay for the privilege of having your sugar spoonedinto your cup by a young Japanese woman dressed as a French maid.This is a place that has much to teach about obsessivebehavior--and it's a perfect way to enter Tokyo's otaku currents. To get a close-up look, I go exploring with Leo Lewis, a journalistfor the Times of London whose fascination with Japanese videogames, anime and manga began when he was a teenager growing up inOxford, England, and eventually enticed him to Japan to live."Akihabara," he says, "is essentially set up to cater to everyobsession." Lewis was a contributing writer for Roland Kelts'"Japanamerica," a book describing how Japan's postmodern popculture has infiltrated the U.S. imagination, but that credentialis almost beside the point. A walk through Akihabara with Lewisreveals his sheer joy that such a mecca of obsession even exists. Akihabara's main street is a canyon of tall buildings where you'llfind one of the world's densest concentrations of electronic goods.But Lewis whisks me away from the cacophony of amplified salespitches and into the back alleys, ushering me past open-front shopsdevoted to retro Japanese pop culture items, such as miniaturecollectible characters from long-extinct anime and manga series. "Now, this is particularly delicious," he says as he takes me intoone of the many shops that sell original versions of old videogames. True otaku are devoted to old games, and many remember Sega's Dreamcast --now relegated to the also-rans in the competition for globalconsole supremacy--as the epitome of gaming. Manufacturers such asNintendo and Sega have discontinued the original consoles on whichthe games were played, and enterprising companies have manufacturednew ones that will bring the old games to life. But Lewis loves theancient consoles. He leads me up stairwells into shops that buy and sell clunkymonitors and joysticks that look as if they were designed to fly alight plane. "It's the physicality that I love," he says. "Justimagine what it would have been like growing up in this old Britishhouse surrounded by heavy, traditional furniture. To see somethinglike this," he says, fingering an old Nintendo joystick displayedon one of the shelves that slice the store into narrow aisles, "wasto be aware that there was an entire other world out there." He made his first visit to Akihabara as a tourist when he was 18. "I thought I was never going to get here," he says. The retro fascination is just part of otaku culture, but it shows the degree to which purists take personalobsession to the deepest levels: ever more specialization, neverreaching fulfillment, never collecting that last collectible."Completing the quest would be problematic for an otaku ," Lewis says. "That would suggest that it was time to do somethingmore serious with your life." So the niches are always getting narrower. Maid cafes have been therage for about four years now, and a true otaku would never be satisfied to go to any old one. There must be afetish about the experience. Perhaps you'd like to put your head onthe maid's lap and let her groom your ears. "Let me show you anextra-special level of nuttiness," Lewis says. He leads me to ashop called Candy Fruit, where a maid cafe once stood. It's now ashop selling glasses to two specific breeds of client: women whowant glasses to wear with their maid uniforms. And men who want tobuy their glasses from a woman in a maid's costume wearing glasses. "The maids never used to wear glasses," Lewis says with an admiringshake of his head. "It's another new twist." Old is the new new Japanese pop culture is full of new twists, and to Americans--whoselate-in-the-day embrace of manga and anime makes them nouveau otaku , if you will--it can seem cool because it ignores history. It'sdisposable culture, perfect for a digital world. But, as the retro obsessives of Akihabara show, the old is there,embedded in the new. Pop artist Takashi Murakami , creator of some of today's most futuristic contemporary art, isnow tapping Japan's Zen Buddhist traditions for inspiration. "Mynew concept is back to history," he told me in an interview lastyear. I go on a second otaku tour of Tokyo, this time with American-born director MichaelArias, who took a step into the city's past for " Tekkon Kinkreet," his recent Japanese animated hit. Arias insists that he's not an otaku , but his passionate 15-year quest to make the film and hisreinvigoration of one of the classic otaku forms make him more than familiar with the turf. Arias' movie, based on a cult-classic manga series from the early1990s, unfolds on the streets of an unspecified Asian metropolis astwo urchins battle to save their patch of urban wasteland fromdevelopers. In creating his imaginary city, Arias drew inspirationfrom his travels in Asia, and in particular from his favorite partsof Tokyo: the rare undisturbed remnants of the Showa era (1926-89),which spans the city's annihilation and rebirth. In a city where development pressures are constant, and nothingmuch is built to last, this "ancient" world endures because of itslocation: the spaces tucked inside the brick foundations thatsupport the elevated railway lines. These neighborhoods under thetracks are where you feel the age and the intimacy of a placefashioned on the fly out of postwar rubble. That mood has hung oneven as developers have thrown up skyscrapers around them and thefuturistic Tokyo known to the rest of the world has crowded in. From sunset to dawn, there is life in these marginal spaces, andit's this atmospheric realm that Arias mined for his movie, a loveletter to the city in which he's lived for 15 years. It's myfavorite part of Tokyo as well, and it's where our tour begins. We meet in the pouring rain in the Yurakucho neighborhood. Squeezedbetween the expanses of Hibiya Park and the swish Ginza shoppingmecca, Yurakucho is defined by the elevated trains that cut throughits heart on their way into Tokyo Station. When we plunge under thetracks, Arias is a bit disoriented and initially leads us in thewrong direction, but the wrong-way tour reveals places I've neverseen before: Japanese i zakaya s (casual restaurants where people gather to eat, drink and talkafter work); bars paying homage to the American West; the TravelCafe, where a video screen behind the bar displays pixilatedvisions of exotic vacation spots.

Jamelia's wedding dress was revealed!

zhaoyin1986 — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:12:58 +0200

white lace dress Jamelia's wedding dress revealed! And the reason I can reveal it, of course, is that unlike certainother people (ahem), pop star Jamelia didn't decide to fund herwedding by selling pictures of it. Yes, Jamelia married her long-term footballer boyfriend (as in,long-term boyfriend. Not just long-term footballer) Darren Byfieldat Eastlands Estate in West Sussex on Saturday - with just closefriends and family present - and as you can see, the bride lookedamazing in a white lace fishtail gown. Jamelia was reportedly offered a six-figure sum by Hello! magazine for coverage of her wedding - but as her agent said: "Shewasn't interested in selling the rights to such an intimate andprivate event to a magazine." Before casually adding: "Jamelia iscurtailing her honeymoon to perform at the London concert tocelebrate Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday." Erm, as you do. See that 's how cool Jamelia is, folks.

Chicken Pot Pie! Crab and Artichoke Flat...

zhaoyin1986 — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:12:43 +0200

Fresh Artichokes Eat In Our Dining Room or Outside on our Patio! Eating on the Run? Call ahead at 594-8882 See our regular menu at www.toastmaine.com Chicken Pot Pie Meal - Chock full of Chicken and Vegetables in aCreamy Sauce topped with a Flakey Crust - No bottom crust on thisone! Served w/ Mashed Potato, Fresh Baked Dinner Roll & Cookie ofyour choice - $5.95 Crab and Avocado Salad - A Fresh Avocado Half is topped with FreshMaine Crabmeat Salad. Served on a bed of Fresh Greens withTomatoes, Cukes, Dressing of your choice & Fresh Baked Dinner Roll- $8.95 Turkey Bacon Avocado Ranch Panini - Avocado Ranch Spread with FreshRoasted Turkey, Crisp Bacon and Sliced Tomato are Panini Grilled onour Fresh Baked Panini Roll. Served with choice of Side - $5.95 Crab & Artichoke Flat - Remember our Artichoke Parmesan Dip? AddCrabmeat and Sharp Cheddar Cheese all Panini Grilled on AuthenticFlatbread ~ Yum! Served with Choice of Side - $6.95

Cooked Vegetable

zhaoyin1986 — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:12:29 +0200

cooked vegetable while clams, oysters and mussels should begrilled until their shells open. Grill masters know how to cool things down too. Always properlychill raw and cooked foods. Refrigerate meat and poultry within twohours of purchase and within two hours of cooking. When it is above90 degrees outside, refrigerate within one hour. Bree Davis is the public health communications specialist with theMcLean County Health Department.

Nokia unveils two new Nokia Eseries devi...

zhaoyin1986 — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:14:17 +0200

Mobile Holder Nokia introduced today the Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 - the latestemail-optimized devices from the Nokia Eseries product range. Thesleek Nokia E71 with full QWERTY keyboard and the stylish,slide-to-open Nokia E66 easily mobilize a broad range of personalor professional messaging needs, including Microsoft Exchange, theworld's most widely adopted corporate email solution. Email made easy: Nokia unveils two new Nokia Eseries devicesoptimized for personal and professional email June 16, 2008 - Slim, stylish Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 multimediacomputers offer easy access to range of email solutions, includingMicrosoft Exchange London, UK - Nokia introduced today the Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 -the latest email-optimized devices from the Nokia Eseries productrange. The sleek Nokia E71 with full QWERTY keyboard and thestylish, slide-to-open Nokia E66 easily mobilize a broad range ofpersonal or professional messaging needs, including MicrosoftExchange, the world's most widely adopted corporate email solution.Both devices are expected to begin shipping in key markets in July.The Nokia E71 and the Nokia E66 are expected to retail at EUR 350,before applicable taxes and subsidies. "The Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 were designed for people who leada mobile lifestyle and want quick and easy access to their personaland work email. With both of these devices, we have responded toconsumer feedback by making calendar and contacts available at thetouch of a button," said S

Chinese phone designs run Linux

zhaoyin1986 — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:08:30 +0200

2000 1X PhoneShenzhen, China-based smartphone design company TranzdaTechnologies is marketing five phone designs that use its NewPlusLinux phone application stack. All five Tranzda designs includeGPS, along with optional features that include WiFi, cameras, andbiometric fingerprint authentication. Tranzda's TFX320, TGP369, TFX326, TGP802 designs Tranzda's phone models include: TGP-369 -- Based on an ARM9-based Samsung S3C2440 clocked at 300-400MHz, with 64MB SDRAM and 64MB flash memory. Thephone supports CDMA 2000 1X (450/800/1900MHz) transmission, as wellas SMS, Color E SMS, and Cai E formats, says Tranzda. The phone hasa 2.8-inch, 240 x 320 QVGA TFT LCD touchscreen, as well as a MiniSDCard slot and a USB port. Major features include WiFi, GPS, and a1.3Mpixel camera. Multimedia support includes WMA, MP3, MIDI, AMR,AAC, and MMF audio playback, and MPEG-1, MPEG-4, DIVX, XVID, andH.23 video. The phone weighs 5.3 ounces (150 grams) and is poweredby a 3.7 Volt rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery. TFX-326 -- Identical to the TGP-369 except that instead of CDMA, itsupports EDGE/Quad-Band GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz). It also offersa RFID (radio frequency ID) expansion option. TGP-802 -- Identical to the TGP-369, but supports GSM/GPRS Tri-Band(900/1800/1900 MHz), and like the TFX-326 supports a RFID option.More notably, it offers biometric fingerprinting, says Tranzda. Tranza TFX-320 -- Supports EDGE/Quad-Band GSM like the TFX-326, butinstead of using the Samsung processor, it is based on an "AV115"processor. Possibly a multi-chip module (MCM), the AV115 is said tocombine ARM9 and ARM7 cores with a DSP (digital signal processor).No RFID option Additionally, GPS module maker Antenova Ltd. , of Cambridge, England, reports that Tranzda used its RadioNovaM10214 GPS subsystem in a fifth design. Tranzda has not yet shareddetails about the "T818" design on its website, but Antenovadescribes it as a tri-band EDGE model that offers GPS, Bluetoothconnectivity, and multimedia functions in a half-inch (13mm) thickdevice. It is also said to run the NewPlus stack. Tranzda's phone designs support its TDA Mobile Linux distributionand NewPlus Mobile Linux stack. Tranzda appears to supply itsdesigns with a development kit, and the NewPlus stack. Tranzda NewPlus architecture The NewPlus stack is said to resemble Trolltech's Qt framework orMicrosoft's Foundation Class libraries. It appears to include amodular set of applications including a WAP 1.0/2.0 browser, PCsynchronization tools for data and music, messaging and emailclients, and PIM (personal information management) software. Tranzda NewPlus interface screens (Click to enlarge) Tranzda used the NewPlus stack earlier, in its PM328 phone design. In addition to Linux, NewPlus is available forWindows, or for porting to RTOSes, Tranzda says. Stated Greg McCray, CEO of Antenova, "China manufactures almosthalf of the world's mobile phones. Many are designed by innovativeIndependent Design Houses (IDHs), such as Tranzda."

Telcordia, Gantek Selected for Establish...

zhaoyin1986 — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:07:25 +0200

Cable Management SystemsJun 16, 2008 (Hugin via COMTEX) ----Team Completes SystemImplementation in Just 120 Days; Telcordia Number PortabilityClearinghouse and Telcordia Number Management System to PowerNumber Portability Nationwide PISCATAWAY, NJ--(Marketwire - June 16, 2008) - Telcordia, a globalleader in the development of IP, wireline and mobiletelecommunication software and services, and Gantek Technologies, aleading provider of information and communication technologies inTurkey and the surrounding region, announced that the Telcordia(R)Number Portability Clearinghouse and Telcordia(R) Number ManagementSystem have been selected by Avea and Vodafone to facilitate numberporting in Turkey. Number portability ordinance is in effect inTurkey, and the selection of Telcordia and Gantek to provide numberportability will enable service providers in the region to turn aregulatory requirement into a fair and competitive environment. In early 2007, Turkey announced plans to implement numberportability for the country's service providers. Avea and Vodafoneissued a request for proposal (RFP) and selected Gantek, whichleverages the Telcordia Number Portability Clearinghouse andTelcordia Number Management System as the main applicationsoftware. Avea and Vodafone then donated the solution to Turkey'stelecommunications regulator to expedite the rollout of numberportability in the region. The Gantek-Telcordia team was selectedbased on Gantek's in-depth experience in the telecommunicationssector and Telcordia's proven number portability implementationsexpertise, customer base and readiness to offer a comprehensivenumber portability central database solution. It was also criticalthat the team be able to meet and adapt to Turkey's unique needsand market conditions, which included the ability to completesystem implementation and testing in just 120 days, which hasalready been accomplished. "We understand the local culture and unique operating environmentin Turkey," said Selda Bagdat Bahadir, General Manager, Gantek."Matching our expertise with Telcordia, which has the deepest andbroadest knowledge base in communications, is a winning combinationthat will ensure a smooth number portability implementation withinthe pre-defined timeframe." Avea and Vodafone's selection highlight the strength of theTelcordia and Gantek relationship, which was created to benefitTurkey's regulator and service providers by providing convenient,local access to Telcordia's market-leading number portabilitysolutions. "Service providers worldwide recognize Telcordia's ability to helpthem use numbering and interconnection to evolve their businessesin an increasingly competitive market," said Richard Jacowleff,President, Interconnection Solutions, Telcordia. "Having the rightpartner is one of the most critical factors to success. Gantekunderstands service providers' business, anticipates and addressestheir needs and, like Telcordia, has the technical expertisenecessary to execute complicated deployments quickly and correctly.With the addition of this selection in Turkey, Telcordia numberportability solutions have now been selected by 12 countries,serving more than 600 million subscribers, reinforcing our positionas the worldwide leader in number portability." The Telcordia market leading number portability solution includesthe Telcordia Number Portability Clearinghouse, which makes it easyfor wireline and mobile service providers to comply with numberportability mandates by serving as a central number database and acentral point for porting all types of numbers. The open, scalableTelcordia Number Management System helps national regulatoryauthorities assign and track numbering resources and enables boththe National Number Administrator and its service providercustomers to access and view numbering and industry-relatedinformation via a web portal. For more information about the Telcordia number portabilitysolution, please visitwww.telcordia.com/services/number_portability/index.html. Generalinformation about Telcordia can be found at www.telcordia.com. Formore information about Gantek visit www.gantek.com. About Telcordia Telcordia Technologies, Inc. is a leading global provider oftelecommunications network software and services for IP, wireline,wireless, and cable. As the industry continuously evolves,Telcordia has the experience and reach to deliver the criticalelements of success to help communication providers worldwidedeploy innovative and profitable new services via any network ordevice while helping carriers aggressively reduce costs and growrevenues. Telcordia is headquartered in Piscataway, N.J., withoffices throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Central and LatinAmerica. (www.telcordia.com) About Gantek Technologies Having started its information technology activities in 1987,Gantek Technologies has become one of the leading information andcommunication technologies (ICT) companies of Turkey to implementnew technologies in Turkey and in the Region concurrently with therest of the world. By making investments in advance in newtechnologies focused on specific fields such as Number Portability,Revenue Management, Telecom Billing, Broadband Service Managementand Information Lifecycle Management and Optimization, the companyimplements these technologies. The company, which has adaptedcorporate management principles, makes long term cooperation withits customers in the areas of focus. Gantek, which offers solutionsand services with ISO 9001 quality, has become the fastest growingtechnology company in Turkey in the "Deloitte Fast 500 ranking"with the professional staff and strategic partnerships. Aiming tocreate a value chain among its customers, business partners andemployees in all its activities, the company has its headquarterslocated in Turkey.

Impact of tornadoes causing problems for...

zhaoyin1986 — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:02:20 +0200

Fiberglass MaterialsLITTLE ROCK - The spring weather has been turbulent, unpredictableand devastating with many areas in Arkansas experiencingdestructive tornadoes. These tornadoes spread all types of debrisacross the countryside. "Much of this material landed on pastures and in hay meadows," saidDr. Tom Troxel, University of Arkansas Extension animal scienceprofessor. Items such as fiberglass insulation, metal and wood are posing aproblem for cattle producers now that the haying season isunderway. It's not practical to pick up every bit of debris and trash thatwas scattered across farmland by the tornadoes. "It's important to pick up all you can because you shouldn't balehay with large pieces of foreign material, and you don't wantcattle to ingest foreign material while grazing," Troxel said."Small amounts of spun-glass insulation will be inadvertently baledup with the hay, but is not likely to cause damage when ingested bycattle." Fiberglass doesn't have toxic chemical properties, but anyindigestible foreign material eaten by cattle can cause blockage inthe digestive system. That means the risk associated withintestinal obstruction would likely be associated with the amountof insulation swallowed. "If cattle consume enough small pieces of insulation in hay," hesaid," it could bind together and create a large mass of insulationthat could block the digestive tract. Producers should do theirbest to pick up as much insulation as possibl." Troxel said another concern is related to nails, wire or otherpieces of metal, which may penetrate the reticulum or other areasof the intestinal tract in cattle. "Cattle commonly ingest foreign objects because they don'tdiscriminate against metal materials in feed and don't completelychew feed before swallowing," Troxel said. This is often called hardware disease. Cattle with hardware diseaseproduce less milk and have physical symptoms such as shallow rapidbreathing and mild temperature. The cow may exhibit an arched backand a reluctance to move. Early medical attention is important, andmay include surgery, Troxel said. Producers should also be observant when feeding hay. Bales shouldbe carefully examined for debris when being moved or fed. For moreinformation about debris in hay or forages, contact a countyextension agent. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the Uof A Division of Agriculture.

For Lancaster girls, lacrosse beats prom

zhaoyin1986 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:36:30 +0200

Girl Formal DressThe tickets were bought, the dresses were picked out andalterations made. The hair and makeup appointments were allarranged. But today, a group of Lancaster girls will be wearing gogglesinstead of makeup and holding lacrosse sticks rather than corsages.They won’t be ducking into a limousine but filing onto a bus. And that’s just fine with them. “Everyone can go to prom,” senior Liz Nagowski said,“but not everyone can go to states.” The Lancaster girls lacrosse team will make history when it playsin the state semifinals at 2:30 p. m. in Cortland, about 30 milessouth of Syracuse, a three-hour drive from Buffalo. The high schoolprom is at 6 p. m. tonight in the Buffalo Niagara ConventionCenter. The spring high school playoff season has historically had itsshare of conflicts with the prom. But the stories often heard areabout teams that are depleted after several members opt for the bignight over the big game. “We knew from the beginning of the season that we would misseither prom or states,” said junior Caitlin Formato. “We’re not going to prom” became a rallying cryfor the team. But many were planning for both, just in case. “People had tickets ready, they had their dress ready, shoes,nail appointment, hair appointment, everything you could think of— everything was done,” said senior Brittany Nagowski,twin sister of Liz. “Just in case we lost.” And odds are, they would lose. In order for prom night to conflictwith game day, Lancaster would have to do something no Section VIgirls lacrosse team had ever done. No local team had beaten the representative from Section V(Rochester area) to make the state final four since regional playbegan in 1996. Buffalo-area teams were a combined 0 for 27 in thosegames. Lancaster, a four-time defending champion of Section VI, hadplayed in the regional the previous three seasons and lost byscores of 21-5, 10-3 and 15-1. Saturday, Lancaster was in the middle of a back-and-forth battlewith Rush-Henrietta — the team that authored the 21-5 lossthree years ago — when the players came in for their halftimehuddle with the score tied at 7-7. “One of them comes in and yells ‘Forget prom!’” Lancaster coach Julie Buccieri said. “They know thatprom is a huge deal in a high school kid’s life, but thatthis would be even better.” Final score: Lancaster 14, Rush-Henrietta 11. “After the game everyone just looked at each other and said,‘We’re going to states,’ ” said BrittanyNagowski. “Everyone was willing to give up everything, andthat shows the commitment and dedication of our entire team.” Lancaster isn’t supposed to win today’s game, either.Their opponent in the Class A semifinal is West Genesee, a schoolwhose boys and girls lacrosse programs have made the Syracusesuburb of Camillus the unofficial state capital of the sport. WestGenesee has won 47 straight games, is the defending state championand was ranked first in the country in laxpower. com’s computer ratings. “They’re ranked fourth, and we’re ranked168th,” Caitlin Formato said of this week’s rankings.“They’re amazing. But I have confidence in us.” Buccieri says that if Lancaster loses, some girls might try to makeit back to Buffalo for the prom, but it hasn’t been a majorissue. Those who had bought prom tickets were allowed to resell them toother students. As for the dresses, they might be used next yearsince most of the members of the team are underclassmen. “Maybe in college I’ll need it sometime,” saidBrittany Nagowski, one of four seniors along with sister Liz,Jessica Rogers and Gina Sanita. “Or I’ll give it to myyounger sister or any of the other girls who need it nextyear.” As long, of course, as the prom and states are on different dates. kmcshea@buffnews.com

Men's wears - Get that stylish look

zhaoyin1986 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:35:32 +0200

Mens Designer WearIn the present age of fashion and style, everyone wants to lookdifferent from others. Whenever one talks about fashion, thepicture of a woman comes in the mind. They are considered to bemore fashion conscious than men. However, a lot of changes havetaken place in men's clothes industry. The stylish and designeroutfits can be seen coming into the markets these days. The trendof "bell bottoms" and "button down" shirts israrely seen and the youths today enjoy the hip-hop kind of outfits.Many other kinds of apparels can be found that excite the maleyouths. The men's wears market has a lot to offer these days and thegarment manufacturing companies are fighting hard to provide thelatest fashion clothes to the men. The youths and adults enjoy theunique and stylish garment items being introduced these days. Someof the very popular items are casual trousers with hip-hop looks,T-shirts with portraits of celebrities printed on them, cargo pantsand many more. The latest fashion trends in men's garments marketscan be well understood by going through the following points. Formal wear: Men like the formal wears for meetings and seminars.These items are given fashionable looks by the companies. Thepleated trousers are the hot choices among the users and are ingreat demand. The shirts with short sleeves, stripes and trousersin skinny designs are also loved by the youths. Casual clothes: These types of clothes give a rough & toughlook to the wearers. The shirts and trousers with sporty looks aregetting huge popularity among the young men. These outfits areperfect choices for parties and informal gatherings. Beach wear: The swimsuits with attractive shades of bright coloursare popular these days. The fabrics used in these items give therequired level of comfort to the person who is wearing them. A lotof brands are available in the markets that manufacture such items. Night wear: The garment items such as shorts and briefs are alsogiven stylish looks. These products are popular among the men ofall ages. Colours: These play an important role in making any kinds ofclothes fashionable. Different types of colours such as pink, blue,purple, red, etc., are used to give the stylish look to the shirtsand T-shirts. The international men's wears industry has seen a tremendous growthin recent times. Unlike earlier, the ready made garments seem to bepopular among the men these days. In fact, people want to imitatewhat celebrities wear and therefore the pre-designed apparels arein great demand. The top notch designers from all over the worldare coming up with their own series of fashionable clothes for men.Apart from the fashionable looks, many other factors like fabrics,cuts and designs are also focused by the garment making companies.The rising popularity of large retail stores and shopping malls hasalso contributed to the success of men's garments industry. Theindustry has become more organised now and hundreds of brands areavailable to the customers. Due to the rising competition, evengood quality designer clothes can be availed at affordable prices. The online shopping portals are also proving to be the popularchoices for the shoppers as these allow the users to get theproducts by just browsing the related websites. The items aredelivered to the customer's place within the specified period oftime. A number of deals and schemes are offered on these sites andthe users can make the most out of them. All the latest andfashionable types of men's wears can be found there. Differentonline contest are also run on these sites and one can win excitinggifts by participating in them. One can also design his choice ofclothes on the portals where such facility is provided. Overall,the men's clothes industry is touching new dimensions and thefuture is looking more promising. About the Author:

Jerry Hall auctions bridal gown

zhaoyin1986 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:35:03 +0200

Wedding Dress GownsFormer model Jerry Hall sold the dress she wore at her wedding toMick Jagger for STG2,200 ($A4,578) at auction in London today toraise funds for a homeless charity. The tight white dress, with a scalloped sweetheart neckline, wasthe star lot among 71 items from Hall's wardrobe auctioned bySotheby's. It had been estimated to fetch a maximum of STG500($A1,040). The total sale was expected to top STG25,000 ($A52,000). Before the sale, Hall, whose marriage to the Rolling Stone wasannulled in 1999, said she did not find it difficult to let go ofthe dress, designed by Antony Price. "I hope someone else has more luck than I did," she said. Lawyers acting for Jagger successfully argued in 1999 that thewedding, which took the form of a Hindu ceremony on Bali nine yearspreviously, was not legally binding. "Yeah that did make it easier (to get rid of the dress). It beingannulled made it a lot easier. It feels great," saidthe 51-year-old American, not without a tinge of bitterness. Jagger and Hall have four grown-up children. The prize lot came with a photograph of the couple on their weddingday. It was bought by the owner of a shop for vintage clothes. Hall also auctioned a Japanese silk wedding kimono given to her byJagger, a jewelled bra from Dolce and Gabbana, a black corset and afox fur full length cape. She said she had not discussed her decision to sell the items withher ex-husband, who lives with American-born model L'Wren Scottnext door to Hall in the affluent London suburb of Richmond. DPA

Wash care fundamentals for silk

zhaoyin1986 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:34:43 +0200

Silk Cotton ShirtIt is well-known that silk apparel is delicate to laundering anddemands scientific approach, appropriate procedure and techniques.Deviation due to ignorance/negligence often leads to loss inaesthetic and functional significance of a silk apparel product, and ultimately results in consumerdissatisfaction. The author attempts to address these issues withthe help of a case study and recommends an ideal wash care method for silk. Textiles get soiled by normal use whether these are made of naturalor synthetic fibres. Built-up dirt can get ground deep into thefabric, making stains difficult to remove and can even damage thefabric. Rubbing causes the stain to move deeper into the fabricthat may be difficult to remove. Further, the heat in the dryer maypermanently set the stain in a fabric. Chlorine bleaching should be avoided which may damage highperformance products made from spandex. Fabrics, linings orinsulations could shrink or otherwise may get damaged due to hightemperature or leaving them in the dryer for long. Apparels madefrom fibres such as acrylic, nylon, polyester, and polyolefin dryquickly. In fact, polyolefin may melt at high temperature in thedryer. The care aspects vary depending on the fibre content,finish, lining, insulation, trims, and embellishments on thegarment. In view of supra, consumers should select the correct techniques torestore the attributes of the textiles. In order to help theconsumers get acquainted about clothing care, care labelling rule requires manufacturers and importers of apparel and certainpiece goods to provide necessary care label instructions giving the consumer accurate care information to extend the usefullife of garments. These labels must be permanently attached, andremain legible for the life of the garment. Sometimes, symbols maybe used in conjunction with words, but will not by themselvessatisfy the requirements explicitly. Care Labels Care labels often are the deciding factors when consumers shop forclothing. While some of them opt for the convenience ofdry-cleaning, others prefer the economy of buying garments whichthey can wash. Some manufacturers try to reach both the marketswith garments that can be cleaned by either method. The care labelrule allows providing more than one set of care instructions, if areasonable basis for each instruction set exists. Though there is relaxation in using only temporary labels forproducts such as totally reversible clothing without pockets andproducts that may be washed, bleached, dried, ironed, ordry-cleaned by the harshest procedures available; interestingly, nocare instruction is required for some of the products sold toinstitutional buyers for commercial use, and products that arecompletely washable. Care label rule requires that manufacturers and importers of textilewearing apparel have a reasonable basis and reliable evidence insupport of care instruction. That is why different verificationtests are involved while determining the care label of a textileproduct. For instance, washing, bleaching, drying, ironing,dry-cleaning are the major processes associated before finalrecommendation. Typical example of a popular export orientedgarment variety such as 100% cotton single jersey T-shirt isdepicted in Table 1. If a garment shrinks more than 3%, the fit property would beobviously disliked by the consumer. Similarly, when apparel iswashed and change in colour of the body or staining of colour ondifferent parts is noticed, the aesthetic value gets diminished. Insuch cases, dry-cleaning is highly recommended which delaysperceivable relaxation shrinkage and inhibits colour loss during agarment's life cycle. This, in turn, ensures consumer satisfaction.

Copper scavengers target buildings

zhaoyin1986 — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:17:13 +0200

mitre saw blade Thieves stole copper pipes from some vacant buildingsand from the high school football locker rooms, according toreports from the Blairsville Borough police. The former Vale Tech campus buildings along West Market Street, nowowned by Michael LaMantia, were stripped of $2,000 worth of pipesand $2,600 worth of specialty power tools between June 1 andMonday. LaMantia said the thieves stole new copper pipes that workersplanned to install, a load of old pipes that were bound forrecycling and some pipes that still were in the walls. Missing tools include a Partner cut saw worth $1,000; a saw bladevalued at $300; a DeWalt sliding miter saw valued at $1,000 andseveral hand tools estimated at $300.

Manatee police briefs: Ice cream vendor...

zhaoyin1986 — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:16:48 +0200

saw palmetto extract The robbery attempt happened about 1:30 p.m. in Oakwood Estates inthe 900 block of 21st Street East, according to Manatee Countysheriff's reports. The victim, a Plant City resident, was selling ice cream from a carwhen two men confronted him, authorities said. Witnesses say themen demanded cash. The victim does not speak English and did not understand thedemands, authorities said. The man with the gun pointed it at theice cream vendor, who fought the robber. Both men ran off. Therewere no injuries. Man faces charge in drive-by shooting BRADENTON -- Police this week arrested a 24-year-old man on anattempted murder charge in connection with a drive-by shooting thatinjured two people. Carlos Jurado is accused in a May 11 shooting in the 400 block of10th Avenue East. Police say Jurado opened fire shortly before 3a.m. The victims, George Gutierrez, 27, and Vanessa Diaz, 22, sustainednonfatal injuries, police said. Gutierrez was shot in his abdomen. A bullet tore into Diaz's shoulder, according to police reports.Gutierrez reportedly identified the shooter, saying he saw theman's face through a car window that was rolled down, according toreports. Deputies arrest man after 6-minute chase PALMETTO -- Sheriff's deputies arrested a 22-year-old man lateMonday following a six-minute pursuit of a stolen vehicle. Authorities said they saw Christopher Owen, 22, driving a stolenBuick sport utility vehicle about 11:15 p.m. The pursuit traveledthroughout Palmetto between 8th Avenue West and U.S. 41. Deputies said the chase ended in the 300 block of 22nd Street Westwhen Owen abandoned the vehicle and ran into a wooded area. Therewere no injuries. Authorities said they found Owen smoking a cigarette in the woods. He was arrested on charges that included grand theft of a vehicleand aggravated fleeing to elude. Sheriff's deputies said Owen doesnot have a valid driver's license. Owen is on conditional release from jail on a theft chargeinvolving the same victim's vehicle, according to sheriff'sreports. Shots fired at house, but no one injured MANATEE COUNTY -- A 62-year-old homeowner was asleep late Mondaywhen someone shot five rounds toward his house, sheriff's deputiessaid. The shooting happened about 9:55 p.m. in the 700 block of 59thAvenue Terrace West.Witnesses told sheriff's deputies that thedriver of a pickup truck shut his truck's lights off and drove downthe street. Someone in the vehicle fired and a bullet pierced thevictim's car. No one was injured.

High cost of produce forcing more to gro...

zhaoyin1986 — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:16:25 +0200

plants and seeds Frustrated with the rising cost of produce at grocery stores andfarmers' markets, more first-time vegetable growers are putting outhome gardens this year. As a consequence, Mike Green of Green's Feed & Seed on PiedmontRoad has been answering a lot of questions. The rookies want to know what to plant, how deep to plant, whatfertilizer to use, how often to water, what seeds grow andgerminate quickly, and what's easy to grow. "I tell them soil preparation is most important and then tryto answer their other questions as best I can," he said. The store sold out of bush beans and several types of sweet cornseeds earlier this spring. Green said they sold more chicks around Easter time than everbefore. "Maybe they didn't want to pay the high prices foreggs," he said. At F.M. Pile Hardware on the West Side to M-M Feed and Seed inClendenin, people have been buying more vegetable plants and seedsthis year than ever before. "We've seen greater sales of seeds and plants this year butyou have to remember that last year was a very dry year," saidSandy Pile, who along with her husband Bill own F.M. Pile Hardware. They sell seeds in packets and in bulk. She said people are buyingboth this season. And she can recognize the first-time growers bythe questions they ask. "They want to know what to do with the seeds and how deep theyshould be planted," she said. "If they give us an idea ofhow much room they have for their garden then that helps us offerthem advice." Sheela Midkiff, one of the owners of M-M Feed and Seed in Clendeninis also seeing more first time vegetable farmers. "We've found that younger people ask a lot of questionsbecause they're planting vegetables for the first time," shesaid. "They're not so sure about the process so we just givethem the best advice that we know." The store has seen more customers than usual this year. "Ithink it's because of the high gasoline prices," she said."They can stop here and buy the vegetable plants and seeds andhardware items they need without having to travel toCharleston." Midkiff said they have also sold more vegetable plants and seeds tothose who plant gardens every year. "As food prices continueto rise, I'm sure those folks are planning ahead and building theirgardens with more and more vegetables this year," she said. At Capitol Market, growers are seeing people buy more vegetableplants than flowers this spring. Romin Fields, who helps out at Ron and Alta Crihfield's stand atthe market, said they are selling to first-time growers, too. "They ask me all sorts of questions. How deep do I plant this?What fertilizer to use. Lot of things," he said. He still has tomato plants, peppers, squash, watermelon plants, anda few greens to put into the ground. The Crihfields' farm is inJackson County. John Crihfield and his family farm 598 acres in Roane County. Their stand at Capitol Market is still selling a variety ofvegetable plants. "I've been selling vegetables for almost 64 years," hesaid. "And I've talked to more first-time growers this yearthan ever before." The people he has spoken to usually ask him what's the easiesttomato variety to grow and take care of and how deep do they needto be planted. People who come into his stall are spending more on vegetableplants this year and his prices are the same as last year. Crihfield suggested that if you don't have a lot of garden space,some of the vegetable plants can be grown in large pots. "You can grow some tomato varieties in pots, as long asthey're not the 50-75 pound yielding varieties," he said."Cherry tomatoes can be grown in pots as can eggplant, peppersand squash." He even advocates growing cucumbers and strawberry plants inhanging baskets. The hot weather has been good for the growing season, he said."Our first sweet corn is starting to tassel and it won't belong until we'll be bringing it to market." While onion sets have sold out, Crihfield may have green onions inby Friday. These Oso and Vadalia varieties can be planted throughJuly, he said, and they sell out as quickly as he can bring them into market.