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Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T77 Review
Main Rivals
Listed below are some of the rivals of the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T77.
Canon Digital IXUS 990 IS
The Canon Digital IXUS 990 IS is the new top-of-the-range IXUS camera, offering 12 megapixels, 5x zoom lens, 3 inch LCD screen, and HD movies. Also known as the PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Elph in North America, this compact model features the DIGIC 4 image processor, Smart AUTO mode for beginners, plus Blink Detection and Face Detection technologies. Read our in-depth review to find out if the IXUS 990 IS / SD970 IS offers enough to justify its $379.99 / £379.00 / €449.00 price tag...
Casio EX-FC100
The new Casio EX-FC100 is the fastest digital camera in town, capable of taking 30 six megapixel images in just a single second. The diminutive, well-built EXFC100 has a wealth of high-speed modes, including pre-recording images before you've even pressed the shutter button, and combining images to help eliminate camera shake in low light conditions. Video is also one of the Casio EX FC100's strong points, with 720p HD footage and 1000fps, super-slow-motion movies on offer. This 9 megapixel model is also a very capable still camera, with a 2.7 inch LCD screen and 5x optical zoom lens. With an official list price of $399.99 / £349.99, the Casio EX-FC100 is an expensive point and shoot - read our in-depth review with sample images, videos and more to find out if it makes the grade.
Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR
The Fujifilm Finepix F200EXR is potentially one of the most revolutionary cameras of 2009. It features Fujifilm's innocuous sounding EXR technology, which rather cleverly turns the Fuji F200 into three cameras in one. The first EXR mode shoots a high-res 12 megapixel picture, the second takes a 6 megapixel photo with less noise, and the third combines two 6 megapixel images taken at different exposures to capture more dynamic range. Does Fujifilm's brave attempt to concentrate on image quality rather than more megapixels pay off? Carry on reading our detailed review to find out...
Nikon Coolpix S60
The Nikon Coolpix S60 is one of the more distinctive compact digital cameras around, with a "wave-surface" design and large 3.5 inch LCD display. Furthermore, the S60 is almost completely controlled via its touch-screen LCD, even including zooming in and out. Other standout features of the Nikon S60 include a 5x zoom lens with Vibration Reduction, Scene Auto Selector for beginners, Smile Timer with blink detection, and and a HDMi output for viewing photos on a HDTV set. The Nikon Coolpix S60 costs around €349 / £299.99 / $349.95.
Ricoh CX1
World Exclusive! The Ricoh CX1 is a new point-and-shoot digital camera that focuses on one key area - image quality. At its heart is a new 9 megapixel CMOS sensor and image processing engine, the combination of which promises expanded dynamic range, lower noise and faster operation. The CX1's new DR shooting mode combines two images shot with different exposures to create one image with more detail in the shadows and highlights, while a fast continuous burst mode of 4fps should ensure that you don't miss the action. There's also an amazing high-resolution LCD screen, 7x optical zoom lens and a veritable wealth of options to keep even the most ardent photographer happy. The Ricoh CX1 is available now for £299 in the UK - we find out if it's the real deal in our latest in-depth review...
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T500
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T500 is a stylish digital camera with a large touch-screen LCD and HD movie recording. The 10 megapixel Sony T500 also features a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with 5x optical zoom and optical image stabiliser. Video is recorded at 1280x720 pixels at 30fps in the MPEG4 AVC/H.264 format. Available in black, silver and red for £289 / $399, Gavin Stoker discovers if the Sony Cyber-shot T500 offers as much substance as style.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Editor's Letter Dear Readers, I did something that I rarely ever do this month; I watched TV. One night my husband and I decided to not work and sat down on the TV in hopes to find something to watch. He settled on Dancing with the Stars so I sat and watched in revelry missing the days […]Continue reading


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A Harvard professor has identified what appears to be a scrap of fourth century Egyptian papyrus that contains the first known explicit reference to Jesus as married, a discovery that could fuel the millennia-old debate about priestly celibacy in the Catholic church.
The fragment, which has been preliminarily authenticated but still must undergo further testing, portrays Jesus as referring to a woman as his legitimate disciple -- most likely his wife, whom the text's author probably believed to be Mary Magdalene.
The text is not evidence Jesus was married, said the professor, Karen L. King, a historian of early Christianity at Harvard Divinity School, who is scheduled to discuss her discovery at an international gathering of Coptic scholars in Rome on Tuesday. But she said it may cast new light on the history of early Christianity, including the formation of Christian views of celibacy and whether women were members of Jesus's inner circle, issues still intensely relevant to the Catholic church, which allows only celibate men to be priests.
"The issue has far from gone away," King said.
The fragment is smaller than a business card, and appears to have been torn from the middle of a page of a codex, or primitive book, written in a southern Egyptian dialect. Its owner, who declines to be identified publicly, does not know where it was found.
It contains just eight broken lines, scrawled in a crude Coptic hand.
The fourth says: "… Jesus said to them, 'My wife…."
The next line reads: "…she will be able to be my disciple."
The text does not prove that Jesus had a wife, King emphasized. Even if it is actually a translation of a second century Greek text, as King theorizes, it would have been composed more than a century after the death of Jesus. The earliest and most reliable information about the historical Jesus is silent on the question of his marital status, King said.
"It's not saying we've got the smoking gun that Jesus is married," she said.
But the fragment -- which King provocatively calls "The Gospel of Jesus's wife" -- does show that some early Christians believed Jesus was married, probably to Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus who the gospels say was the first person to see him after his resurrection.
It contains echoes of other early Christian writings, suggesting to King that it may have been part of a debate about the spiritual importance of celibacy versus marriage.
"The entire question about whether Jesus was married or not first arose only 150 years after Jesus died in the context of Christians discussing ... whether Christians should marry or remain celibate," she said. "And that's interesting."
The fragment appears to underscore the diversity of Christian ideas about Jesus's life when the faith was still in its infancy, before the books of the New Testament had been canonized and religious councils convened to resolve differences over beliefs.
"It helps to remind us that practically everything that later generations told about Jesus was put together and edited by somebody well after his death, and represents the view of Jesus that they were trying to get across," said Roger Bagnall, director of the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World and professor of ancient history at New York University, who helped King authenticate the papyrus.
"It's not going to change history in a dramatic way," he said, "but it does give us a much sharper view of one little corner of Christianity we couldn't see into before."
The notion that Jesus may have been married, considered heretical by the Catholic church, has long captivated artists and conspiracy theorists. The success of Dan Brown's 2003 international best-seller, "The Da Vinci Code," which posits that the Catholic church covered up the marriage and progeny of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, testifies to its potency in the popular imagination.
Aware of the incendiary nature of her finding, and its potential for being dismissed as a forgery or distorted as evidence that Jesus was married, King has treated it a bit like academic dynamite.
Reporters for three publications -- the Globe, the New York Times, and Harvard Magazine -- were invited to a joint interview last week in King's office, a book-lined nook with arched, leaded-glass windows on the top floor of Andover Hall. Each promised not to publish until 1 p.m. Tuesday, when King was scheduled to speak at the Institutum Patristicum Augustinianum, across the street from the Vatican.
The reporters were allowed to contact Bagnall and two other scholars who had helped authenticate and interpret the fragment, AnneMarie Luijendijk, a papyrologist and professor of religion at Princeton University who contributed to King's paper, and Ariel Shisha-Halevy, a Coptic linguist at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Reporters were not allowed to discuss King's finding with other scholars in advance of her presentation at the Coptic Conference, the International Association for Coptic Studies.
Yet King decided to publicize her discovery before completing testing on the composition of the ink on the fragment. Such testing, which she plans to finish before the scheduled publication of her article in the January issue of the Harvard Theological Review, would not definitively date the fragment but could ensure that the chemicals in the ink matched what scribes in southern Egypt would have used in the 4th century.
But because so many people involved in the authentication process have now seen it, King feared word could leak out about its existence in a way that sensationalized its meaning. A more controlled release, she surmised, might raise the level of discussion about it. Major discoveries such as this are often brought forth at the Coptic Conference, she added, which meets once every four years -- this year, by happenstance, in Rome.
And evidence of its authenticity was strong enough to make her think it was time to invite other scholars to weigh in, she said. In any case, she added, she stood to gain little if she was wrong.
"This is not a career maker," said King, a tenured professor at Harvard. "If it's a forgery, it's a career breaker."
* * *
Two of three anonymous scholars tapped by the Harvard Theological Review to review King's 52-page paper cast doubt on the fragment's authenticity, relying on low-resolution images to reach their conclusion. But both recommended that King bring the papyrus to an expert papyrologist. Neither knew King had already done so, having taken it to Bagnall. One of these reviewers also raised some questions about its grammar, but King said she and Shisha-Halevy were able to address those.
"I have no competence at all to decide whether this fragment is authentic or not," Shisha-Halevy said in a phone interview. But, he said, a couple of linguistic constructions pointed to by the reviewer "do not warrant considering this fragment a fake. Even if they are not usual … they are good Coptic."
King said the owner of the papyrus wishes to remain anonymous because he does not want to be hounded by people who wish to buy the papyrus, which he has now offered to give to Harvard as part of a purchase of his collection of Greek, Coptic, and Arabic papyri. Harvard has not decided whether to pursue the offer.
* * *
It was a stranger's e-mail that alerted King to the existence of the fragment. The man wanted to know whether the professor could help translate an ancient Coptic papyrus in his collection.
The man told King he had an inkling from a previous owner that it might say something about Jesus being married. When King looked at the photo he sent, the words leapt out at her immediately.
But was it authentic? Or a fraud?
"In this field, we keep having these things appear," she said. "So I think it's almost a reflex to be suspicious."
King put it aside; she was busy with other projects. Last summer, the owner asked her a second time to take a look.
She stared at the photos again. This time, she spotted textual similarities to two other early Christian writings, the Gospels of Mary and Thomas.
King relented. She would look more closely, she told the owner, if he agreed to allow her to properly authenticate it. She needed to see the actual artifact. In December 2011, the man hand-delivered the papyrus to Harvard.
King needed as much information as possible about its origins, but the owner did not have much. He did not know, he said, where the fragment was found. All he had were a letter and a note, copies of which he e-mailed to King, addressed to the previous owner, an H.U. Laukamp, who had a Berlin address.
The letter to Laukamp, dated July 1982, from Peter Munro, a professor at the Free University of Berlin, states that his colleague, a Professor Fecht, had seen examining Laukamp's papyrus collection.
The note -- undated, unsigned and written in German -- stated that Fecht believed this "small fragment … is the sole example of a text in which Jesus uses direct speech with reference to having a wife."
King sent photos of the papyrus to Bagnall, who showed it to a small group of papyrologists he meets with regularly.
"We put it up on the screen and we all sort of said, 'Eeew,' " said Bagnall, one of the world's leading papyrologists. "We thought it was ugly. And it is ugly. The handwriting is not nice -- thick, badly controlled strokes made by somebody who didn't have a very good pen."
Was it genuine? Bagnall, too, needed to see it.
In March 2012, King tucked the papyrus into her red leather bag along with her iPad and boarded a train to New York, where she and Luijendijk, a former student of King's, met Bagnall at his office. They sat for several hours around a table, looking at the fragment under magnification and different kinds of light, noticing different details and talking through possible scenarios.
The fibrous, dual-layered material was clearly papyrus, an ancient Egyptian precursor to paper made of the pith of a plant that grew along the Nile. It seemed to be ancient; the pith, which makes the smooth writing surface, had worn off, along with the ink, on one side. They could see a spot where a tiny insect appeared to have nibbled at the surface.
Ancient papyrus is available for purchase on the antiquities market, however, so King and her colleagues had to figure out whether the ink was applied in ancient times or by a modern forger.
Infinitesimal details suggested it was genuine: Tiny fibers shredding from the sides of the paper contained almost invisible traces of ink from lost letters. Damage to fibers after they had been inscribed suggested the ink had been laid on the surface long ago, not recently.
The handwriting, workmanlike and laid on with a nubby pen, seemed to date to the 4th century. Its irregular, blocky script is more common in private letters -- and quite unusual for a literary text, Bagnall said. But it is also plausible, he said, that it was the work of an unskilled scribe with a poor pen.
All in all, Bagnall said, "The preponderance of evidence is clearly in favor of authenticity, both because it is so hard to imagine who could have faked it and how, but also because there is nothing inherently suspect about it," Bagnall said. "You've got the physical object, the handwriting, the language, and the content. There's not a single one of those that seems to me suspect."
When King and Luijendijk emerged from Bagnall's office, they headed toward the subway to the train station. King joked: "The fragment gets a cab."
As they drove down Fifth Avenue, King paused.
"Let's stop," she recalls telling Luijendijk, "and just notice this moment."
King, who grew up in rural Montana, and Luijendijk, a Dutch scholar, had begun to believe they had stumbled across something extraordinary.
On the way back to Cambridge, King was a little more careful with her red leather bag.
* * *
King's next task was to determine what the papyrus said -- and what it meant. Because the text has no margins, each line is missing a beginning and ending. King used other ancient Christian texts as guides.
She believes that the context of the eight lines on the front side of the papyrus reflects a discussion Jesus was having with disciples about the "the cost of discipleship," or how becoming a Christian may affect bonds with one's natal family, similar to passages in Matthew and Luke.
This, she said, was a preoccupation of early Christians at a time when becoming a follower of Jesus meant risking persecution, King said.
"Becoming a Christian means joining a new family, and that may mean leaving your natal family behind," she said.
The papyrus contains echoes of several other non-canonical gospels dated to the 2nd century, including the Gospels of Mary, Thomas and, especially, Philip, which also discuss discipleship – and seem to hint that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene.
King said she and other scholars have argued previously that these references were metaphorical, meant to suggest that Jesus had a close spiritual bond with Mary Magdalene.
But the explicit reference to Jesus as married in "The Gospel of Jesus's Wife" suggests to King that the second century writers may not have been speaking figuratively.
The papyrus, together with other writings from the period, suggests that second century Christians were arguing about Jesus's marital status as part of a debate about whether they themselves should marry, and whether one had to be celibate to be a good Christian.
None of this, King said, affects what scholars know about the historical Jesus. The earliest, best information about him, contained in the gospels of the New Testament, says nothing about whether he was married or not. So it is impossible, she says, to know for sure.
If Jesus were married, King said, it is unlikely his wife would have been Mary of Magdala. Although she is portrayed in the gospels as a close follower of Jesus, women during that period were almost always identified by their relationship to a man. That she is always identified by her hometown makes it unlikely that the writers of the early gospels would have failed to mention such a salient fact.
But the issue may still be important to Christians today -- for example, in debates about the celibate, all-male priesthood. King said she believes some may use this discovery "to say this allows us to speak theologically about … marital sexuality in a more positive way."
Luijendijk said the papyrus paints a fuller picture of the variety of beliefs among early Christians, illustrating once again that Orthodox Christianity did not proceed in a neat line from the birth of Jesus Christ to the present day, she said. And theological differences over marriage, asceticism and sexuality had important implications that still resonate today.
"I expect that people will use this new text to bring up those questions again," she said.


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As the More is More Mom®, I'm all about….more ringing in the New Year! It's a night for nibbling, noshing, toasting, remembering and celebrating. The best part for me, however, is for us to be together as a family. It's funny, when the kids were little, they would try so hard to make it 'til midnight. Now, Chuck and I are nodding off, trying desperately to keep our eyeballs open. One way to stay awake is to look forward to a delicious appetizer buffet. I made two of my tastiest treats to share with you today. They are always a hit with my family and friends and will sure to become a favorite of yours as well.
You know my motto is more of everything is always better, which totally applies to appetizers. I made a double batch because if 24 are good, 48 must be better! The measurements listed are for a single batch.
8 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature
¾ grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup for the filling, ½ cup for the crust
1 large egg
¼ cup sour cream
1 tsp orange peel, grated
½ tsp lemon peel, grated
6 tsp chopped chives for the filling, another 2 Tbsp for the crust
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
8 ounces fresh lump crab meat (I love the 16 oz container from CostCo)
1 cup panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs
½ stick butter, melted
Plus extra butter for greasing the mini muffin tins
The filling can be prepared the day before. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate.
Pre-heat oven to 350°
Grease mini muffin tins generously with butter
For the filling:
With an electric mixer, beat;
Cream cheese
Mix until creamy and smooth
Parmesan cheese
Sour cream
Orange peel
Lemon peel
Chopped chives
Cayenne pepper
Beat until well blended and smooth
Gently stir in crabmeat
Set aside
For the crust:
Mix together;
Panko breadcrumbs
Parmesan cheese
Melted butter
Toss until evenly moistened
Press one tablespoon of panko mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup to form the crust
1 tsp crab mixture for each cup
Top each cup with a teaspoon of panko mixture
Bake the mini crab cakes for approximately 30 minutes, until they are a nice, golden brown
Cool for 5 minutes
To remove, slide a knife around the edge of each cup and remove carefully from the pan
Plate and serve
Everybody's Loves 'Em BLT Cups
One batch makes about 36 appetizers. Feel free to double and triple…. I like to make this the night before my event. I go so far as to get the dough in the tin and fill it with the bacon mixture. All that'll be left is to pop them into the oven.
8 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped (approximately ¾ cup)
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped (approximately ¾ cup)
½ small onion, chopped (approximately 2/3 cup)
1 ¼ cup grated Swiss cheese
½ cup mayonnaise
1 ½ Tbsp fresh chopped basil
2 cans of flaky biscuits, such as Hungry Jack
Pre-heat oven to 375°
In a mixing bowl, combine;
Swiss cheese
Stir until well mixed
Separate each flaky biscuit into two
Press a disc into the bottom of the each muffin cup
Fill each cup with a heaping teaspoon of bacon filling
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until a nice warm golden brown
Plate and serve
Your guests will be delighted to ring in the New Year in style!
More tasty morsels, more time together, more celebrations…..


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Prof. Philip S. Gorski
since 2004 Professor, Department of Sociology, Co-Director, Center for Comparative Research, Yale University
2003 - 2004 Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin, Madison
since 2001 Director, Center for Comparative Social Analysis
2001 - 2003 Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin, Madison
2001 Best Article Award, Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (for "Historicizing the Secularization Debate")
1996 - 2001 Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin, Madison
1994 Barrington Moore Prize of the American Sociological Association for Best Article in Comparative-Historical Sociology (for "The Disciplinary Revolution")
1988 - 1996 University of California, Berkeley: Sociology, PhD.
1983 - 1986 Harvard College: Social Studies, B.A.
1981 - 1983 Deep Springs College: General, A.A.
Function within the Center
Alumnus of the Institute for Advanced Study Konstanz (May 2009 until July 2009)
about the Institute for Advanced Study
Research Project "Religious America, Secular Europe? Un/Churching during the Great Transformation"
Selected Publications
The ECPRES Model: A Critical Realist Approach to Causal Mechanisms in the Social Sciences. In Björn Wittrock and Peter Hedström eds., The Frontiers of Sociology, Leiden: Brill, 2008.
(w. Ates Altinordu), After Secularization?, Annual Review of Sociology, April 2008, Vol. 34, p. 55-85.
Premodern Nationalism: An Oxymoron? The Evidence from England. In Gerard Delanty and Krishan Kumar eds., The Sage Handbook of Nations and Nationalism. New York: Russel Sage, 2006, 143-155.
(co-edited with Charles Camic and David Trubek) Max Weber's Economy and Society: A Critical Companion. Stanford University Press, 2005.
The Disciplinary Revolution: Calvinism, Confessionalism and the Growth of State Power in in Early Modern Europe. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003.
Working Papers
Religious America, Secular Europe?
Religious Nationalism: What it is, Why it arises, and When it turns Violent.
Religious Nationalism: A Neo-Weberian Approach.
Beyond the Reproduction of the Reproduction Theorist: Bourdieu as a Theorist of Socio-Historical Change.
Conference Papers and Invited Talks
Formations of the Post-Secular. Conference on "Are We Living in a Post-Secular World?", SSRC, New York City, June, 2007.
Conservative Protestantism in the United States? A Comparative and Historical Perspective. Conference on "Conservative Christians in the United States", Russell Sage Foundation, New York City, May, 2007.
Causal Mechanisms in the Social Sciences: The ECPRES Model. Department of Sociology, Brown University, March 2007.
Religious Nationalism. Department of Sociology, Princeton University, Februrary 2007.
Religious Nationalism. Linz Symposium, Yale University, January 2007.
The Return of the Repressed (under contract at Temple UP).
Bourdieusian Theory and Historical Analysis (under contract at Duke University Press).
Liberalism, Nationalism and Civility: Religion and Politics from Winthrop to Obama (under review at Princeton University Press)


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April 10, 2013
by Bruno Barbey
CHINA in KODACHROME 1973-1980
Exhibit from April 20 to May 30, 2013
118 WUYI road – KUNMING – YUNNAN - CHINA
http://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult_VPage&LBID=2K1H868WJ6RO
Bruno Barbey's "China in Kodachrome 1973-1980"
Bruno Barbey, a 50-year Magnum veteran (*1), is an established figure in photo-journalism, and a highly praised colorist especially for his portrayal of Morocco - his beloved birthplace. When he came to photograph Shanghai's World Expo in 2010, we started looking together at the pictures he took 40 and 30 years ago, when China was still struggling to emerge from the chaos of the Cultural Revolution. Today China has risen to the top echelon of economic power in the world, most Chinese people do not bother to remember where they have come from, twenty or even ten years ago, as they are eager to look up to an ever-better-tomorrow. I find it though pertinent to show what China looked like in the old days, in the eye of a foreigner, the eye of a French photographer who came for the first time to this land.
In September 1973, as an accredited journalist to the presidential press corps, Bruno Barbey joined French President George Pompidou's official visit to China, carrying with him a load of Kodachrome films in his bags. The year 1973 happened to be exactly when Paul Simon released his pop hit "Kodachrome", his line "mama don't take my Kodachrome away" (*2) turned out to be premonitory as Eastman-Kodak in 2009 officially retired Kodachrome after 74 years of glorious existence.
The French presidential visit took place a year after Nixon's famous China trip, for which Pompidou has played a secret facilitating role in Paris. Those were some historical moments Bruno Barbey became a key witness to: such as the intimate friendship between Pompidou and Chou Enlai (*3), the rare portraits of Jiang Qing in self-designed tailored Western dress and Wang Hongwen posing as heir apparent captured for the first time by a Western photographer. Besides the documentary Barbey has indeed composed a colorful photographic album recording the faces and landscape of China of yester-years, along the itinerary of the presidential visit: Beijing, Datong, Yungang, Wuxi, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Shanghai and Nanjing.
After joining Magnum in 1964 Barbey became a full member in 1968, by then some of his illustrious elders have already taken stunning photographs of China: Robert Capa had documented the war of resistance against the invading Japanese in 1938 in Hankou (Wuhan today); Henri Cartier-Bresson had witnessed the change of regime "from one China to another" in 1949 (*4). And in 1957, Marc Riboud made the first of his subsequent twenty two China trips. Each of these early Magnum photographers has approached China in his own personal style. Bruno Barbey became the first one to seriously document China in color, using Kodachrome which he especially loved for its lively "nice bright" colors.
In 1973, what Bruno Barbey saw through his viewfinder was a country living in a strange dichotomy: on the one hand, the revolutionary slogans and wall posters still exhorting the crowd to carry on with the revolutionary fervor, yet on the other hand the common people went about their everyday life in a quiet and casual way. Officially in 1973 the Great Cultural Revolution was not over yet, but most of the Red Guards had been sent "up to the mountains and down to the country". One of the greatest masters of cinematography, Michelangelo Antonioni, visited China in 1972, and in his subsequent documentary "Chung Kuo" we could see a country thrown into some kind of languid aloofness - almost torpor, unimaginable for the outside world still mindful of the chaos of the turbulent sixties. Antonioni's film eventually was projected in China in 1974; it displeased so much Madame Mao that the People's Daily published a virulent critic that became the guideline for official Chinese photography over many years. In that context, Bruno Barbey's realistic photo-reportage in Kodachrome renders the right tone to the special light that was in the air of Beijing and Shanghai at the time, without bringing a rosy view or painting a darker screen over reality. Bruno's careful compositions took advantage of the omnipresent propaganda paintings on the walls, such as those rows of faces dressed in blue worker's uniforms lining underneath a fiery red giant steel mill poster glorifying the production success of Anshan Steels, or the scaffoldings masking the glorious smiling faces of the Worker, the Farmer and the Soldier, the three model classes in Mao's era.
Having never learned Chinese Bruno Barbey's eye was content with unconsciously composing some poetic images like the three men squatting underneath a big Chinese sign that said "Fragrant" (or "smells good") and enjoying their popsicles. Or these children in the kindergarten class each with a facial expression mimicking Chairman Mao's slogan on the wall that read "Be united, be alert, be solemn, be lively". The most significant discovery by Barbey was the photo studio (probably Wang Kai) on Nanjing road in Shanghai, its window in 1973 displaying standard portraits of the Cultural Revolution, but seven years later, he would be welcome inside to document "the making-of" of wedding photography which would soon develop into a booming business all over China.
Indeed by 1980 Bruno Barbey came back to China on assignment for the US edition of GEO magazine, and he stayed on for a month focusing on Shanghai, the Sichuan and Guangxi provinces. Still using Kodachrome he captured the vivid contrast between the modernizing city such as Shanghai and the still under-developed rural life in the province. For instance in the Northern rural area of Chengdu, an elderly woman carried her grandson past a wall painting representing Hua Guofeng (the supposed-to-be successor of Chairman Mao, soon to be taken over by Deng Xiaoping) with the anachronic slogan: "Industry should learn from Daqing" which was a slogan launched back in 1964! While in Shanghai, passers-by looking busy walked past a huge painted advertising poster for trucks made in Japan. The poetry of Bruno Barbey lies in this photo of bicycles passing in front of the statue of the saluting Chairman Mao shrouded in morning mist, in a strange, quiet and fluid choreography, totally indifferent to the Chengdu traffic policeman who stood in the middle. On the red banner a slogan called for the Four Modernizations. The raised arm of Chairman Mao seemed to be paying tribute to the city centres today paralyzed by traffic jams common to thousands of Chinese cities as the country has now become the biggest automobile market in the world.
This "China in Kodachrome" is a precious document generously donated by Bruno Barbey to the history of Chinese photography and to the history of a nation in development.
Jean Loh
Curator – Shanghai
On the eve of China National Day 2012
(*1) The Maison Europeenne de la Photographie has scheduled a 50-Year Retrospective for Bruno Barbey in 2014 (in Paris).
(*2) Lyrics by Paul Simon 1973
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's
a sunny day
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don't take my Kodachrome away
(*3) In spite of the great success of his China trip of September 1973, George Pompidou returned to France only to succumb to illness in April 1974, while Chou Enlai passed away in January 1976.
(*4) Henri Cartier-Bresson « D'une Chine à l'Autre » - Robert Delpire Editeur 1954, with foreword by Jean-Paul Sartre.
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text:
The small town of Milford is home to a number of eccentrics, including a would-be actress; her drunken, estranged husband; their special-needs son; a woman who mentally gives herself titles like "The Foolish Virgin;" her ambitious, cheating husband; and observer and host Ned Trivett. This (often boozy) cast of characters is joined by an enigmatic hustler, a former resident who has returned as an Italian princess, and other visitors, all of whom bring significant changes to the residents lives and relationships.
Although there was a North Carolina community called "Millford" in Vance County in the 1800s, it has since disappeared and the coastal community in this novel is fictional.
Check this title's availability in the UNC Library Catalog.


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Posts Tagged 'Judaism'
The most readily recognizably 'Jewish' day on the Orthodox Christian calendar
March 2, 2009 in Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Tags: Christianity, Eastern Christianity, Eastern Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Greek Orthodox, Greek Orthodoxy, Jewish Orthodoxy, Jewish saints, Judaism, King David, King Solomon, non-Christian saints, Old Testament saints, Orthodox Christianity, Orthodox Church, Orthodox Jewish, orthodoxy, pre-Christian saints, religion, Russian Orthodox, Russian Orthodoxy
…may be December 17!
Pagans, Jews, and the Early Church
June 18, 2008 in Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Tags: agape, Andrew Greeley, apologetics, charity, Christianity, church history, community, conversion, doctrine, dogma, early church, Eastern Christianity, Eastern Orthodoxy, established church, established religion, establishment, evangelism, evangelization, friendship evangelism, Greeks, Hellenism, Hellenistic world, Hellenization, Jewish Christians, Jews, Judaism, Latter Day Saints, LDS Church, love, martyrdom, Mormonism, Mormons, Orthodox Christianity, orthodoxy, paganism, pagans, Providence, religion, religious free market, Rodney Stark, Roman Empire, seminaries, service, social change, sociology, sociology of religion, statistics, theology, urban ministry, urban mission, women's issues
What follows is extracted from this blog post I know nothing else about, which is why I'm giving you what I got out of it here instead of sending you there to try and pinpoint it. The book-author discussed, Rodney Stark, a sociologist (and BTW, according to Wikipedia he's not "a Mormon fanatic" as one of the Commenters over there alleges, FWIW, although we could all learn something from Mormons' sense of mutual aid, as well as, of course, evangelization), AFAIK became big in seminaries in the '90s not only with the book mentioned but also his co-authored one with Roger Finke about how the U.S. is so "religious" because it's a religious free market rather than one with a legally-established faith like most European countries (which fellow socio Andrew Greeley's research also supports, so it must be right! 😉 ).
This extract first caught my attention because of something I read in a letter to the Orthodox Again magazine a few years ago citing pre-Hitler numbers estimating that in the first century of Christianity possibly some 90 percent or more of the world's Jews placed their faith in Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, ie, became Christians. (And as we know from Scripture and Church history, many of them remained identifiably "Jewish" Christians in one way or another for some time afterward.) I didn't know how to take that source, and half-feared it might be some Anti-Semitic (ie, anti-Jewish) screed rather than serious scholarship. But Stark seems to come to a similar conclusion (remembering he's not a historian but a sociologist – counting people is what they major in!). So again, FWIW.
I don't necessarily buy everything in this excerpt, but Big Picture, it suggests alot to me about evangelization in general, as well as other Christian and Orthodox ideals.
Here's the blog text, pasted as is (except Stark is now teaching at Baylor University instead of U-Dub), text coloring added:
Christianity, emerged from Judaism, introducing a set of revealed truths and practices to its adherents. Many of these beliefs and practices differed significantly from what the Greek religions and Judaism had held. In The Rise of Christianity (Princeton University Press, 1996) by Rodney Stark, professor of sociology and comparative religion at the University of Washington, gives us a new perspective on the formative years of Christianity. I mention Stark"s study because he is a scholar without an ax to grind against Christians and his research approaches the subject without any preconceptions. In one of the more startling conclusions from his research, Stark says that contrary to the current wisdom, the mission to the Jews of the early Christians was largely successful and continued right up to the year 300. According to Stark, the some four or five million Jews of the Diaspora had "adjusted to life in the Diaspora in ways that made them very marginal vis-a-vis the Jews of Jerusalem, hence the need as early as the third century for the Torah to be translated into Greek for the Jews outside of Israel (the Septuagint)." For Jews who lived in the Hellenic world, "Christianity offered to retain much of the religious content of both cultures and to resolve the contradictions between them."
It should be noted that most of the new converts to Christianity came from the Hellenized peoples of the East especially the Greeks rather than from Judaism, because Christianity had much more in common with the freedom imposed by the Greek mind than the legality of Judaism. Christianity preached the possibility of a worthwhile and even happy existence for slaves, the weak, the poor, the ugly, even barbarians, people Aristotle and Plato would not have regarded as capable of a happy life and people the Jews would not have regarded as those like themselves chosen by God. During the major upheavals of the fourth century Christianity emerged as the dominant movement. The new faith engaged in both dialogue and conflict with Greco-Roman culture. Christians found themselves in conflict with pagan society and even with themselves. Change, heresy, reformations, compromises, violence, persecutions were characteristics of the fourth century but they did not stop there.
Now was the spread of Christianity a "miracle" or just coincidental based on a combinations of existing facts? Believers like me will lean toward the miraculous. {snip} …I will let Stark offer the conclusions formed by his research. I stress here that historians, even those who can offer us the benefit of their research studies, can't be sure that they have all the right answers. They are making an educated guess. Stark points out that in 165, during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, an epidemic struck that carried away during the course of fifteen years up to a third of the total population of the empire, including Marcus Aurelius himself. In 251 a similar epidemic, most likely of measles, struck again with similar results. Historians generally acknowledge that these epidemics produced a depopulation which led in part to the decline of the Roman empire, more than the normally attributed cause of "moral degeneration." Stark points out that these epidemics favored the rapid rise of Christianity for three reasons. One, that Christianity offered a more satisfactory account of "why bad things happen to good people," based on the centrality of the suffering and Cross of Christ than any form of classical paganism. Second, "Christian values of love and charity, from the beginning, had been translated into norms of social service and community solidarity. When disasters struck, the Christians were better able to cope, and this resulted in substantially higher rates of survival. This meant that in the aftermath of each epidemic, Christians made up a larger and larger percentage of the population even without new converts." Last, these epidemics left large numbers of people without the interpersonal bonds that would have prevented them from becoming Christians, thus encouraging conversion. He says, "in a sense paganism did indeed 'topple over dead' or at least acquired its fatal illness during these epidemics, falling victim to its relative inability to confront these crises socially or spiritually, an inability suddenly revealed by the example of its upstart challenger." His words not mine.
Stark introduces a number of other elements in Christianity's rise to prominence. It was an urban phenomenon based in the teeming cities of the Roman Empire especially in the East. Stark underlines the fact that Christianity brought a new culture capable of making life in Greco-Roman cities more tolerable: "To cities filled with homeless and the impoverished, Christianity offered charity as well as hope. To cities filled with newcomers and strangers, Christianity offered an immediate basis for attachments. To cities filled with orphans and widows, Christianity provided a new and expanded sense of family. To cities torn by violent ethnic strife, Christianity offered a new basis for social solidarity. And to cities faced with epidemics, fires, and earthquakes, Christianity offered effective nursing services." Contrary to popular belief, despite Christianity's drawing power for the poor and slaves, it also attracted the upper and middle classes in appreciable numbers.
"Christianity was unusually appealing to pagan women" because "within the Christian subculture women enjoyed far higher status than did women in the Greco-Roman world at large." He shows that Christianity recognized women as equal to men, children of God with the same supernatural destiny. Moreover the Christian moral code of prohibition against polygamy, divorce, birth control, abortion, and infanticide contributed to the well-being of women, changing their status from powerless serfs in bondage to men, to women with dignity and rights in both the Church and the State. Go to any Church service on any given day and you will understand the importance of women within the body of the Church.
Stark establishes four conclusions based on his study. One, Christianity rapidly produced a substantial surplus of females as a result of Christian prohibitions against infanticide (normally directed against girl infants), abortion (often producing the death of the mother), and the high rate of conversion to Christianity among women. Second, as already pointed out, Christian women enjoyed substantially higher status within Christian society than women did in the world at large, which made Christianity highly attractive to them. Third, the surplus of Christian women and of pagan men produced many marriages that led to the secondary conversions of pagan men to the Faith, a phenomenon that continues today. Finally, the abundance of Christian women resulted in higher birthrates; superior fertility contributed to the rise of Christianity.
Why did Christianity grow then? According to Stark, "It grew because Christians constituted an intense community, able to generate the 'invincible obstinacy' that so offended the younger Pliny but yielded immense religious rewards. And the primary means of its growth was through the united and motivated efforts of the growing numbers of Christian believers, who invited their friends, relatives, and neighbors to share the 'good news'." At the heart of this willingness to share one's faith was the revealed word of God, as taught by the Church. Acceptance of Christian doctrine was based on an article of faith. "Central doctrines of Christianity prompted and sustained attractive, liberating, and effective social relations and organization." The chief doctrine, of course, which was radically new to a pagan world groaning under a host of miseries was that "because God loves humanity, Christians may not please God unless they love one another."
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text: As a loving parent, your child's health comes before everything else. A healthy and active child makes life fun, enjoyable and happy while a sick child can transform a parent or family into a nervous wreck. With health of your child being a number one priority, finding the best pediatric doctor to care for and look out for your child's health should come first. If you're like most and you want your child to receive the very best healthcare possible, Annandale Pediatrics is the place for you. We pride ourselves as giving the best pediatric healthcare in the Annandale VA area. Our office is very kid-friendly and our doctors are amazing. Our close proximity to Annandale VA has made our pediatrics office a place where children like to visit. We welcome everyone with open arms and your child's health is our number one priority. By coming to Annandale Pediatrics you will feel welcomed and know that your child is being treated properly.


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Woah! What a rush! We've been pleasantly surprised at the great response we've received from everybody who's poked their head into a chat and saw what a useful and fun tool it is - even if it is still in beta. We're excited about chat (and the future features and fixes we have planned) and it's awesome that you're all on board too!
We've had many requests to turn chat on many different wikis, ranging from small yet aggressively growing wikis to gigantic gaming wikis, so we created a place where you can nominate your wiki to be a test wiki for chat. Here's how to do it:
- Talk about it on your wiki. Confer with other admins about turning chat on. It is a commitment to host chat and make sure your community can handle the bugs and issues that come with testing a beta product.
- Comment below with your wiki's name and please include a link to the discussion on your site.
While we want everybody to have this feature (which they will eventually) please be aware that we cannot turn it on for every request. We're looking for particular audience sizes and uses, and some wikis at the moment won't fit what we need to test.
Thanks again!
-- Trevor (Ohmyn0)
Addendum 4/29 We've slowed down the rate at which we are putting this on new wikis at the moment so we can focus our efforts on hammering out the new changes to Chat. This should help get it in Labs more quickly. We appreciate your patience!


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Molly Blake will unveil a special guest on Christmas, someone who is an even bigger hero to her daughters than Santa Claus: their dad.
She'll use technology to enable her deployed husband, Marine Corps Lt. Col. Peter Blake, to participate in the morning festivities.
"We'll prop him up on the fireplace on the computer," she explained.
From his fireplace perch, their dad's computer persona, which they've dubbed "Digital Daddy," will be able to watch as his daughters, Leah and Helen, open gifts.
The lieutenant colonel's deployment to the Pacific marks his fifth in the couple's 10-year marriage. Molly, like many military family members, is accustomed to relying on creativity, and a heavy dose of technology, to keep her family connected throughout the holidays.
"He's been gone for more Christmases than he's been home," said Molly, whose family is stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. Her husband is the commander of Marine Attack Squadron 311.
To help speed through this separation, Molly used aluminum foil to fashion a bucket in the shape of a chocolate kiss, which she calls a "kiss jar." The girls counted out one candy kiss for each day of their dad's six-month deployment and loaded them into the jar. They'll eat a kiss each day until he comes home, she explained.
Molly also created a "Daddy Journal" for each of them with their picture on the cover. On a recent night when they went out for sushi, they brought the journals along and wrote about the experience. "When he gets home he can relive some of these things," she said.
Overall, the girls are staying positive. They understand the importance of their dad's mission, she said.
Molly said she, too, is focusing on the positive. Her husband left for his deployment shortly after Thanksgiving. But while he won't be home for Christmas, she said she takes comfort knowing other Marines will. "It takes the sting away when someone else will be able to be with their family," she said.
Cammy Elquist LoRe also is coming to terms with a holiday separation. Her husband, Army Maj. Darren LoRe, has been deployed in Afghanistan since May — his second deployment in four years.
Cammy and her husband rely heavily on technology, such as instant messaging, to keep in touch, she said. She's also created a YouTube channel where she uploads videos of their 4-year-old son, Sendoa, directly from her smart phone. This way, dad's been able to watch his son's first at-bat at T-ball, she added.
The technology will come in particularly handy this weekend, Cammy noted, when phone line connections will be bogged down with families trying to connect with their deployed loved ones. She said she'll upload several videos on Christmas so her husband, when he has a few minutes off duty, can watch their son open gifts and share family time.
Cammy said she hopes the videos will boost his spirits. "[Deployed troops] have to focus on what they need to do and we tug heart strings every time, but I know it's appreciated," she said.
The family also is planning a Christmas encore when Cammy's husband comes home in January for his mid-tour leave. Cammy said she'll save some family gifts and leave the tree and house lights up on display. Along with sharing in the festivities, "he'll get some satisfaction knowing he does the lights better than me," she joked.
Meanwhile, Cammy is trying to insert special holiday memories for her son between a busy schedule of work and child care. Each morning, she wakes up early to take her son sledding or to bake cookies before their day begins. "The challenge is creating time and the mind-space and purposefulness into the day," she said. "I still have to work. Finding that time as a solo parent is my biggest challenge."
Above all, Cammy tries to instill a sense of thankfulness in her son. The holidays can be tough on military families with a deployed loved one, she noted, so it's important to focus on what's important.
Kathy Kling said she's grateful to have her husband home. He missed Thanksgiving this year, but arrived home from his deployment in Kosovo just in time for Christmas with his wife and their 9-year-old daughter, Laurynn. Army Staff Sgt. Jason Kling is a flight medic with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
Kathy said the anticipation of his arrival was nearly unbearable on Thanksgiving. The family Skyped before and after dinner, but acknowledged, "it was still a little rough because it was so close to his coming home."
She said she kept her husband close at hand while he was gone by setting a plate for him at the table — something she does every holiday he's gone.
While he'll be home for this holiday, her husband has missed many others, Kathy noted, and offered some advice to other families dealing with deployments. She cited the importance of maintaining a sense of normalcy around the holidays.
If you're used to being with family on the holidays, she said, then take a trip to see them. This support will prove invaluable if the holiday blues come creeping in.
As a National Guard spouse, more than an hour away from her husband's unit, Kathy can't easily access the support systems active-duty families have on hand on a military installation. So she's created them. She said she makes time to get together with other Guard wives, and they enjoyed a recent outing before the busy holiday season kicked in.
"Family is a great support system, but other wives understand what I'm going through as a military wife," she explained.
Kathy also stressed the importance of communication, especially between husband and wife. They went through a tough time on their first deployment on this regard, but when she opened up, she said things got easier, and "I became happier," she said.
Staying busy also can help, Kathy added. Take a drive and look at lights or participate in a holiday community activity, she suggested. "Separate from the madness and stress of trying to please everyone. Simplify. Make it about appreciating what's going right in your life."
In the midst of the holiday rush, Kathy noted the importance of pausing to appreciate what you have, and to look ahead with a positive outlook.
The holidays aren't just about presents and gatherings, she said, but also about "leaving the year and entering a new year."
"The time may pass by slow, but it passes, Kathy said. "No matter how down in the dumps you might feel, this moment in time and what makes you feel down passes, and then we're on to another moment.
"That day will lead into the next one, and then to the time when your spouse returns to you," she said. "And you'll be back together as a family."


text:
Size: 250 ml
I often feel small pangs of guilt when having to write the odd bad thing about a beer; I mean at the end of the day it's just my opinion right? There is however, a moment every so often, when you come across a beer which is crying out to be slam-dunked in the public forum. I have therefore absolutely no compunction whatsoever in advising every discerning and non-discerning beer drinker to steer well clear of the Mystic Limoen.
Any self-respecting beer aficionado of course wouldn't need me to tell them this but there is clearly a market for the Mystic beers otherwise the brewers Haacht, and the number of other similar purveyors of these alcopops wouldn't pollute the market with them. I would though like to bring to the attention of those who might fancy a brief dalliance with these beers, exactly what goes into them, because it certainly aint just barley, water, hops and yeast. According to the official ingredients you will also find the sinister sounding Acesulfame K among other dubiously unnatural additives.
I remember having a long conversation once with a homeopath about diet drinks and artificial sweeteners. The general view was that chemical additives such as aspartame end up pickling your internal organs if drunk in excess, and I've been cautious ever since. I decided therefore to have a quick look at Ace-K, or Acesulfame Potassium, or Sunett or Sweet-One as it is also more familiarly marketed as in the US. It has been an officially approved sweetener since 1988; approved that is by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA. Remarkably Ace-K is two hundred times sweeter than table sugar and therefore has been widely used in carbonated drinks alongside other high street sweeteners, whereby a combination of both can often reduce the natural bitterness. That is about all the good news.
The bad news is that this is an additive which has barely been properly tested. Although the FDA in the USA and similar bodies in Europe will deny any concerns, Ace-K contains methylene chloride which is generally held to have carcinogenic properties. Aside from cancer, long term exposure to this compound can cause headaches, depression, nausea, mental confusion, liver and kidney dysfunction, and visual disturbances. Tests conducted on rats over three months showed that an administration of acetoacetamide (a breakdown product) caused benign tumours. The FDA argue that further tests have proved inconclusive, in particular a study by the National Toxicology Program where 60 rats were exposed to massively high does of Ace-K and did not contract tumours. Either way, there is clearly some concern over these additives, and it is generally accepted that Ace-K is one of the most under-tested and potentially most dangerous of the artifical sweetener family.
I'm not stating a case either way but one thing is for sure; that sweeteners such as Ace-K have no place in the world of beer, or certainly not the beer world which I want to live in. The Mystic Limoen was a dreadful experience in its own right, but when you consider the potential implications on your health of drinking beverages like this it just further adds to your woe. The irony of potentially poisoning the very punters that keep them in business at least raised something of a smirk; which is at least more than the beer or this story did.


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This post originally appeared in Jeff's Mariners Fan Blog, where you can find more great Mariners posts.
Still reeling from yesterdays bizarre loss, like a lot of you I was disappointed to hear that Jack Zduriencik had decided that for his own good and the future of the team, Felix Hernandez would not be given the ball this Sunday on the final game of the season. This coupled with another humiliating loss tonight by the score of 8-1 to the visiting A's, has convinced me to change my weekend plans.
So instead of going to the game Sunday to watch Felix get a chance to improve his chances for the Cy-Young and possibly prevent the Mariners from suffering a 100-loss season, I have decided that I'm not going to get mad I'm getting even!
Yes that is right, Friday night I will be joining the other irate fans and mustering at 530 in front of the left field gate by the glove to stage a rally and protest against the front office duo of Howard Lincoln and Chuck Armstrong and the apathetic absentee owner Hiroshi Yamauchi. I will be joining forces with the folks from FireNintendo: www.firenintendo.com , and welcome all of my loyal readers to grab a brown bag or a sign and come on down to show that you care enough to stand up and be counted!
The picture above shows a few fans in Pittsburgh using the age-old instrument of choice for disgruntled fans, the Brown Bag Demonstration. It is time for all good shipmates to hit the picket line here in the Port of Seattle!
Remember: "All that is necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing"…..http://jeffsmariners.com
Tagged: Chuck Armstrong, Hiroshi Yamauchi, Howard Lincoln, Mariners Brown Bag Demonstration


text:
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Visit National Poetry Library at Royal Festival Hall and explore the most comprehensive collection of poetry in Britain – for free.
The library has been at the heart of the nation's poetry community since it was founded by the Arts Council in 1953 and opened by poets TS Eliot and Herbert Read.
It's free to join and all you need to bring with you is:
Spanning the world of poetry since 1912, the library has over 200,000 items and is growing all the time. We are the first port of call for everyone with a love of modern poetry in the UK.
We have extensive resources for poets, academics, schools and families as well as a host of engaging events and exhibitions. The library is free to use, open to all and offers an unrivalled journey into poetry across all its forms.
We offer a free postal service of CDs and cassettes to people with sight problems throughout the UK as well as a selection of popular modern poets and anthologies in Braille. Our eloan collection makes ebooks and audio available to all members from the comfort of their own home.
We'll be closed for a while but look forward to welcoming you back soon
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National Poetry Library can be reached step-free by taking the JCB Glass Lift, located on Blue Side of Royal Festival Hall, to Level 5.
The library provides a free postal service of poetry on cassette and CD to people with sight problems throughout the UK.
National Poetry Library also has a selection of popular modern poets and anthologies in Braille.


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IPC - Association Connecting Electronics Industries
IPC-A-600 Acceptability of Printed Circuit Boards
3000 Lakeside Drive, 309 S, Bannockburn IL 60015
The IPC-A-600 Training and Certification Program helps all segments of the electronics interconnection industry improve their understanding of printed board quality issues; greatly enhances communication between PCB manufacturers, their suppliers and their customers; and provides a valuable portable credential to industry professionals as well as recognition for their companies.
Work Experience Required? YesEither training or work experience required, but not both? NoOral or Written Exam Required? Yes Renewal Required? Every 2 Year(s) Renew through Continuing Educational Units(CEU)? YesRenew through Re-Examination? YesDoes applicant have choice of at least two options from above for renewal (CEU, CPD, or exam)? No


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"Summer Celebration" kaftan Top in Peacock Plumage pattern
Note From Designer: This kaftan top builds upon the "summer celebration" kaftan style. I made it to celebrate beauty of summers. It is simple and yet happy, just like a warm sunny day. Not only do I enjoy designing the kaftan tunic tops but also enjoy choosing the fabric as much; for this style I chose Peacock Plumage fabric in Coral which enhance the summery feel of this kaftan top.
Style: Simple drawstring free round-neckline kaftan shirt.
Material: 100% mulmul cotton (fine quality and extremely soft, gets softer with every wash)
Fabric Options: A variety of colors are available in this fabric (Fabric swatches are there in one of the pictures above). If you want the same fabric pictured, just select the Same as Picture option!
Size Guide: Below is our size guide:


text:
More about Lazada:
Lazada voucher guide
Lazada Malaysia is a subsidiary of the Lazada Group, which is a popular e-commerce company in the larger region of South Asia. Lazada Group's other subsidiaries are located in Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore.
Lazada was founded in 2012, by Alexander Samwer, Marc Samwer, Oliver Samwer, and Rocket Internet, with the aim of providing Southeast Asia shoppers with an effortless shopping experience. It is currently owned by the Alibaba Group, which is the largest e-commerce site globally. Lazada's headquarters are in Singapore and its CEO is Peng Lei.
Lazada ships items internationally at no additional costs except where products are subject to custom duties, GST, and inspection fees.
Overview of the shop and available products
Being an e-commerce store, Lazada has its warehouse in Jalan Subang 7. Lazada stocks all kinds of items and brands. Any item from the following categories is available on the platform:-
- Electronic devices and their accessories
- Television and other home appliances
- Health and beauty items
- Babies' items and toys
- Groceries and pets' items
- Home and lifestyle equipment
- Women's and Men's fashion clothing and their accessories
- Sports and travel equipment
- Automotive accessories and motorcycles
Lazada has succeeded through the wooing of customers through adaptive technologies and retaining them through discounts and promotions. Southeast Asia is a peculiar market to penetrate as it comprises of countries with differing cultures and spending habits. Lazada has put all these cultures on a single platform thus enabling people from different countries purchase from them.
How to buy at Lazada?
Before you place an order, Lazada advises you to first create an account as some of their discount codes will only apply if you have signed up for the account.
To sign-up for the account, simply go to their website; https://www.lazada.com.my/ and on the top right corner, you will see a 'Sign-up' tab. Once you click on the tap, a sign-up prompt comes up, and you can either sign-up through Facebook or manually fill in an email address, your full name, and preferred password. You will see that the 'I want to receive exclusive offers and promotions from Lazada' is pre-checked. If you prefer not to be receiving email notifications, uncheck this box, but keep in mind that you will be losing on exclusive deals. Once you click on the 'Sign-up' button, an email will be sent to you with a verification link. Once you verify your email address, you can now start enjoying the one-of-a-kind shopping experience Lazada offers.
To buy items from the site, the following steps are mandatory:-
- Browse through the various items or type in what you're looking for on the 'Search' tab. Clicking on a sub-category will help narrow down your choices. Once you've found what you are looking for, you will be able to view additional details such as its specs, availability, and expected delivery period.
- Add to cart and continue shopping, or proceed to check it out if it's the only thing you're buying.
- You will be prompted to input the email address where your order information will be sent. You can at this point proceed to log in to your account or continue without logging in.
- Enter your delivery address and phone number, and check to see that you're comfortable with shipping fees. Keep in mind that bulkier items call for a surcharge fee.
- Select your preferred payment method and should you have a voucher, you key in its code at this point.
- Once you've confirmed that all your details such as billing and delivery address are correct, you can proceed to click on the 'Place Your Order' button.
- An order confirmation message will be sent to you via text and email. Take note of the tracking number as you will need it should you want to inquire about your package's whereabouts.
What are the payment options?
- You can use you Lazada E-wallet to make purchases on this platform. You will need to create an account, verify your email address, and confirm your mobile phone number through which you will be receiving your one-time e-wallet password. You can top-up your e-wallet through e-banking, debit or credit card, and earn points in Lazada's 7-Eleven retail stores. Paying through the e-wallet is convenient and you're guaranteed of faster and easier refunds.
- Credit and debit cards as well as Mastercards are acceptable payment methods
- Online transactions can be carried out on Maybank, CIMB, Public, Hong Leong Bank, and RHB bank websites
- You can pay either cash on delivery or pay at any of the 7-Eleven Stores within 48 hours of placing your order. Note that for the latter, your order is only shipped once payment is made and it expires if you do not pay within the 48 hours.
- You can transact with Lazada through PayPal
- For Maybank account holders, you can pay through an instalment plan. For this plan, you have to use a Maybank Visa or MasterCard credit card, and you can pay for your purchase over a period of 6-12 months.
Lazada delivery options
The delivery fees are dependent on your package size, location, the option you choose, and from item's origin. Here below are the delivery options available for you:-
- The Economy option takes 5 to 7 days for deliveries within Peninsula Malaysia, while those destined to Sabah & Sarawak take 7 to 10 days.
- The Standard shipping option takes 1-6 days for deliveries within the Metro areas, and 3-10 days otherwise.
- The Express Delivery option is available for specific products. Products eligible for this option will have this indicated on their title. Once you place your order by 12 pm, you will receive your package the same day if you choose this option. Orders placed later than this are delivered by 9 pm on the next working day. Order placed during weekends and holidays are delivered by 9 pm on the next working day.
The different shipping options include BOXIT, NINJA VAN, SKY NET, GDEX, SnT, among others.
Lazada goods return policy
You may decide to return a product you've purchased from Lazada due to the following reasons:
- A defective or damaged product
- Change of mind
- A wrong item was delivered
- It does not fit
- It does not look as advertised
- It has missing parts
- It is expired or you doubt its authenticity
In this case, you should wrap it with the original package along with its accessories and invoices and contact Lazada's Customer Service within 48 hours, particularly if the product was damaged. The parcel can be dropped off at Lazada's courier partners. Goods can be returned within 7 or 14 days depending on the product. However, for damaged, poor packaged goods, or expired items, returning them physically might not be necessary. Instead the client can fill the Online Return Form and contact the Customer Service for the refund process to be initiated.
The returned goods undergo an evaluation process for 2 – 3 working days. After this, the refund process will begin, of which you will be notified by email or text message. You should be able to see it on your bank statement, but should it arrive within 2 months, contact your bank directly.
Lazada customer service
Agents are available to chat on any issue you might have from Monday to Friday, 09:00 am – 09:00 pm, and on weekends and public holidays, from 09:00 am – 06:00 pm. Alternatively, the Lazbot could is available 24/7. You can follow Lazada on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
Customers value merchants that go out of their way to provide an outstanding customer experience. Lazada provides exactly this, making the customers' shopping experience fun and engaging. Besides customer-friendly returns and refund policies, Lazada has a no leniency towards fake goods and guarantees their clients of the goods authenticity at all times. Unlike in other e-commerce sites where anyone can trade, Lazada only allows registered sellers on their platform. Thus, clients will always get goods from dealers that are compliant both with the authorities and market standards.
Lazada Black Friday deals
Lazada marks Black Friday by offering shoppers massive discounts for an outstanding shopping experience. Through the mobile app, buyers are notified of daily discounted deals. In most cases, you will get Black Friday discounts of up to 80% on any or all of your purchases. Whether you need the latest tech items or fashion trends, Lazada has all that you'll need in the biggest sale of the year.
Lazada coupon code & promotion policy
Lazada carries out all year round promotions and discounts. The biggest sale this year so far is the Riang Ria Raya sale, where there will be deals of up to 90%. The sale will take place from 1st to 4th June 2018. There are more than 600 vouchers up for grabs. During this time, you get a cashback of 10% once you activate and top up your Lazada e-wallet. Besides, there will be outstanding Ramadan sales.
Voucher codes are entered during the payment step of your transaction. Vouchers are valid only on the Lazada website and their mobile app. Vouchers are only used once, and you can redeem up to only one voucher in a day. Vouchers may not apply where other discounts and promotions are offered unless otherwise advised. Note that you cannot exchange vouchers for cash. Vouchers are only valid for a limited time. Take note of its expiry as Lazada will not be liable to replace it in case of its loss or expiry.
Lazada also gives its customers a chance to make incredible purchases with special deals for holidays, Lazada birthday sales, Mother's day, Father's day, and so on. For instance, there will be outstanding Ramadan sales during the Riang Ria Raya sale. To get the most out of Lazada, you could just go ahead and load your cart, then be on the lookout for when they roll out vouchers and coupons. Flash sales are also another great way of taking advantage of Lazada sales. Lazada flash sales are simply out of this world, but you have to be quick as they are only a few items so they'll sell out quickly. The Lazada app will notify you when flash sales and other discounts kick off.
Lazada events
Lazada recognizes the need to continuously keep in touch with their sellers as one of their stakeholders. Therefore, they organize events and webinars throughout the year exclusively for their sellers. For instance, Lazada organized the Online Revolution in late 2017, during which time small and medium-sized companies combined efforts with Lazada with the aim of reaching out to more than 560 million buyers in Southeast Asia.
Sellers are empowered with an end-to-end environment by providing them with a platform where they can sell goods, get the best logistics and payment options and thus satisfy customer needs. New sellers are taken through rigorous training to ensure that they understand how they can move their business from brick and mortar and sell effectively online. Through this mentoring, they are able to avoid common pitfalls experienced by small and medium-sized businesses that try their hand in e-commerce.
Lazada awards
Lazada, being the largest e-commerce site in Southeast Asia and competing with the likes of Amazon has won several awards. For instance, they were the Pacific Gold Winners in 2015. They were also honored at the opening of the iPrice E-commerce Merchant Awards (iEMA) in 2016 which were held in Singapore. Thousands of votes were cast by their supporters throughout Southeast Asia. Organized by eTail Asia in conjunction with iPrice Group, the awards were aimed at celebrating top e-commerce merchants and honor their efforts. Lazada Philippines won the popularity award.
Lazada reviews
Lazada is one of its kind and continues to receive positive reviews from all their stakeholders. Their reputation can only be expected to grow due to the seamless shopping experience and friendly return policies. Besides, customers can shop through an e-wallet which offers more convenience. Same day delivery options are available on Lazada. Shoppers can also re-charge their pre-paid mobile phones through Lazada's website and mobile app.
Lazada, just like last year, will be participating in the Black Friday 2019 and Cyber Monday 2019 sales this month. Make sure to check regularly for new deals related to both events!