Arcade Fire Biography

Arcade Fire is an orchestral indie rock band which formed in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 2003. The band consists of Win Butler (vocals, guitar, piano), Régine Chassagne (vocals, accordion, keyboards, hurdy gurdy, drums), Richard Reed Parry (bass, guitar), William Butler (keyboards, guitar), Tim Kingsbury (bass), Sarah Neufeld (violin), and Jeremy Gara (drums). Howard Bilerman, who played drums on the album Funeral, has since moved on to other projects. Montreal percussionist Dane Mills performed on the EP and in early live shows. As of May 2005, the touring band includes horn player Pietro Amato (who is in Bell Orchestre and Torngat) and violinist Owen Pallett. Pallett has also opened for their shows, appearing as the one-man band Final Fantasy.

The band’s trademark fashion is the waistcoat, giving them an air of “frumpiness”. When asked about the rumour that the band’s name refers to a fire in an arcade, Win Butler replied: “It’s not a rumour, it’s based on a story that someone told me. It’s not an actual event, but one that I took to be real. I would say that it’s probably something that the kid made up, but at the time I believed him.” Win Butler and his brother Will grew up in Texas.

Band formation

Arcade Fire formed around the husband and wife duo of Win Butler and Régine Chassagne. Joining together as recently as mid-2003, the current line-up solidified in late 2003/early 2004, when their first full-length album Funeral was recorded. Before this an eponymous EP (often referred to by fans as the Us Kids Know EP) had been sold at early shows. The EP was subsequently remastered and given a full release once the band started becoming more prominent. Arcade Fire are known for their enthralling live performances, as well as its use of a large number of musical instruments. In addition to mainstays guitar, drums, and bass guitar, members play piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, xylophone, keyboard, French horn, accordion, and harp. With several able musicians, the band take most of their instrumental diversity on tour and members switch instrumental duties throughout their shows. The number of instruments, along with a wide set of musical influences has provided a substantial number of resources on which to draw from during the recording process. The promise showed by the band in its live shows allowed it to land a record contract with Chapel Hill-based independent record label Merge Records.

Funeral

Their first full-length album, Funeral, debuted in September 2004 in the USA and in February 2005 in the UK, and was very highly acclaimed by critics. The title of the debut album was chosen because of the deaths of several relatives of band members during recording. These events created a sombre atmosphere which influenced songs such as “Une année sans lumière” (“A Year without Light”), “In the Backseat”, and “Haïti”, Chassagne’s elegy to her lost homeland.

Without a major label backing, the success of the band and the album Funeral has been acclaimed as an Internet phenomenon. After a 9.7 rating from Pitchfork, Merge Records sold out their inventory of Funeral and it became the label’s first album in the Billboard 200 chart. An early tip from David Bowie was also influential. The band booked small clubs for their 2004 tour but growing interest forced many venue changes, far beyond the band’s expectations, and continued internationally into mid-2005 throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and the SummerSonic Festival in Japan. Taking much of the summer of 2005 off, the band made four key festival appearances at the Coachella Music Festival, the Sasquatch Music Festival, the Lowlands Festival and Lollapalooza. Funeral graced several top ten album lists in 2004. This continued in 2005 with the release of Funeral in the UK, Japan and Australia. The MTV2 2005 Review hosted by Zane Lowe named Funeral Album of the Year, and NME named Funeral Number 2 in their list of 2005’s best albums and “Rebellion (Lies)” the best track. By November 2005, Funeral had gone gold in both Canada and the UK and sold in excess of half a million copies worldwide, a phenomenal number for an independent release with minimal television or radio exposure. It has also surpassed Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea as the biggest selling Merge Records album to date.

Arcade Fire were featured on the April 4, 2005 cover of Time Magazine’s Canadian edition, and hailed as a band who “helped put Canadian music on the world map”. On May 1, 2005, the band performed to approximately 15,000 fans at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival; their performance is often viewed as the highlight of Coachella 2005. In May 2005, the band signed a short-term publishing contract with EMI for Funeral and in June, the band released a new single, “Cold Wind”, on Six Feet Under, Vol. 2: Everything Ends, the second soundtrack album to the popular HBO series Six Feet Under. The BBC used the track “Wake Up” on an advertisement for their autumn 2005 season and they are now using the tracks “Rebellion (Lies)” and “Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)” on adverts in January 2006. On September 9, 2005, the band appeared on the UK/US TV special Fashion Rocks, where David Bowie joined them for “Wake Up”. This recording, as well as recordings by the collaboration of Bowie’s “Life On Mars” and “Five Years”, were made available on the iTunes Music Store in a virtual live EP. The same trip to New York City took them to the Late Show with David Letterman and a concert in Central Park. The Central Park Show had a surprise appearance by Bowie, and capped a great touring season for the band. On September 11, 2005, Arcade Fire appeared on the long running BBC music series Top of the Pops, performing “Rebellion (Lies)” - on what was one of the band’s first mainstream UK television appearances. The band also performed to a TV audience in Paris for Canal +, and the show was later screened on UK television channel, Channel 4. The band has scored two Number One songs on MTV2(UK)NME CHART SHOW, with “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)” and a three week run with “Wake Up”. However this followed Rough Trade Records (the label who distributes Arcade Fire’s music in the UK) deciding at the last minute not to release “Wake Up” on CD, and only on 7” vinyl.

Arcade Fire’s song “Wake Up” was played immediately before the Irish rock group U2 opened their concerts on their 2005 Vertigo Tour; the band would subsequently open three shows for that tour, and at the third show, they appeared onstage during U2’s encore to join them in a cover of Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart.

Their album Funeral and their single “Cold Wind” were respectively nominated for Grammys in the best Alternative Rock Album and Best Song Written for Television, Film, or Other Media categories (Six Feet Under, Vol. 2: Everything Ends). On April 2, 2006, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, they received the Juno Award for Songwriters Of The Year for three songs from Funeral: “Wake Up”, “Rebellion (Lies)” and “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)”. The band was nominated for, but not awarded, three Brit Awards: Best International Group, Best International Album and Best International Breakthrough Act.

Arcade Fire have also recently made two appearances on Later with Jools Holland, a live show on the BBC.

On December 27, 2005, Funeral was ranked #1 on MTV2’s “50 Greatest Albums of the Year” in the United Kingdom.

Arcade Fire then planned to begin recording a follow up to Funeral in the winter of 2005-2006, having bought an old church forty minutes from central Montreal which they converted into a studio.

Neon Bible

In mid-December 2006 www.neonbible.com went live containing nothing more than a phone number, 1-866-NEONBIBLE where people can listen to a new track called Intervention. Built in the style of customer support lines, the number has other features including a contest and a chance to talk to a live person at a specific time each week.

Then in January 2007, they finally announced that the new album Neon Bible would be released March 5th in UK, March 6th in US. The announcement was made with a video in the album’s website, with guitarist Richard Reed Parry using a gramophone and a paper mask of Parry’s own face, and sitting on Win Butler´s chair. After the announcement of the album´s release, the website was updated with a streaming version of “Black Mirror”, new art and a few phone messages sounding like the band´s members.

So far, 3 singles have been released: Intervention, Keep the Car Running and No Cars Go.

The band headlined the Latitude Festival in 2007, playing all of the hits and joined by Owen on violins

On December 15, 2008, Arcade Fire released Miroir-Noir, a concert movie that includes live footage from the 2006-07 tours shot by Vincent Moon.

A new song called Lenin appeared on the highly acclaimed compilation “Dark Was The Night”, a release benefiting the Red Hot Organization, among other high tipped indie artists. The song is very straightforward, remembering the pre-Funeral material, and maybe showing direction for future releases.

The band released their third album “The Suburbs” on August 2, 2010 in the UK and August 3, 2010 in the United States. It debuted at #1 in both countries. On February 13, 2011, the album won Album of the Year at the 53rd Grammy Awards.
Edited by IRONICtypo on 14 Feb 2011, 04:46

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Arcade Fire

Montreal, Quebec, Canada (2003 – present)
Arcade Fire is an orchestral indie rock band which formed in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 2003. The band consists of Win Butler (vocals, guitar, piano), Régine Chassagne (vocals, accordion, keyboards, hurdy gurdy, drums), Richard Reed Parry (bass, guitar), William Butler (keyboards, guitar), Tim Kingsbury (bass), Sarah Neufeld (violin), and Jeremy Gara (drums). Howard Bilerman, who played drums on the album Funeral, has since moved on to other projects. Montreal percussionist Dane Mills performed on the EP and in early live shows. As of May 2005, the touring band includes horn player Pietro Amato (who is in Bell Orchestre and Torngat) and violinist Owen Pallett. Pallett has also opened for their shows, appearing as the one-man band Final Fantasy.

The band’s trademark fashion is the waistcoat, giving them an air of “frumpiness”. When asked about the rumour that the band’s name refers to a fire in an arcade, Win Butler replied: “It’s not a rumour, it’s based on a story that someone told me. It’s not an actual event, but one that I took to be real. I would say that it’s probably something that the kid made up, but at the time I believed him.” Win Butler and his brother Will grew up in Texas.

Band formation

Arcade Fire formed around the husband and wife duo of Win Butler and Régine Chassagne.

About That Coachella 2011 Lineup Announcement

Time to start thinking about what lies ahead for the 2011 Coachella lineup, as it's likely due out on Tuesday. There's been lots of lineup rumors, as there are every year, but the word on the digital street is that Tuesday will bring us the real deal. Popular 2011 Coachella headliners include everyone from Arcade Fire to Lady GaGa to Paul McCartney. The announcement is supposed to fly courtesy of Los Angeles radio station KROQ at 5 p.m. Los Angeles time. Check back to Spacelab for a lineup announcement when the details become known.

The Coachella dates for 2011 are April 15 - 17, first announced by the L.A. Times' Pop and Hiss Blog. The Coachella Festival web site later confirmed this as well.

Check out video coverage from last year's Coachella Festival.

Coachella has emerged to be the coolest of summer music festivals in the U.S. Picking up where Lollapalooza left off, Coachella has become the stamp of approval that lets people know that any band that plays there is very talented and worthy of your attention. It's located in sunny Indio California, so how can it be bad?

Check out the Spacelab Festival Guide for more information on the Coachella Festival line up, tickets, and other details.

Barcelona vs Real Madrid: 2011 Copa Del Rey Final Next On The List

Having enjoyed the Real Madrid vs Barcelona fixture in La Liga, fans can now look ahead to the Barcelona vs Real Madrid fixture in the 2011 Copa del Rey final on April 20.

The Barcelona vs Real Madrid match in the 2011 Copa del Rey final will be another Clasico loaded with suspense.
Tags: El Clasico, La Liga, Jose Mourinho, Champions League
April 2011 certainly is a wonderful month for followers of Spanish football, since great progress from Los Cules and Los Blancos in all competitions have added a bunch of Clasicos to their agendas. Beside the upcoming Copa del Rey final, a two-legged encounter in the UEFA Champions League’s semi-finals is also scheduled to follow. In the meantime though, the focus is on what lies just ahead, and coming up next is the moment of truth for both Barcelona and Real Madrid.

El Clasico, which ended in a 1-1 draw on April 16 at the Santiago Bernabeu, was definitely of great importance. However, in view of the huge 8-point gap at the top of La Liga standings which still remains, it is obvious that the clash’s outcome had a massive influence on the psychology of both giants ahead of their Spanish Cup final—more than it had in any other area.

Now then, a 1-1 draw can never be a bad result in any way. Especially for Real, who had to come from a goal down to level the match, there were noticeably some positives to extract from the 90 minutes. At most, it would be the defending Spanish champions who would need to revise their techniques and make sure they wisely profit from every single chance they earn, whenever they are firmly in control.

For Jose Mourinho—now Pep Guardiola’s perfect Clasico record breaker—his chances prior to the imminent 2011 Copa del Rey final are increasingly good. Having gone from a humiliating 5-0 away defeat back on 29 November 2010, to a brave 1-1 home draw on Saturday, the Special One is well aware that a victory could be the reward for his efforts on Wednesday in Valencia’s arena.

Barcelona are currently the Copa del Rey’s most successful club, with 25 trophies in their bag. Their last dominance in the competition was back in 2009, when they thrashed Athletic Bilbao 4-1 in the final at the Mestalla Stadium to win the first of six cups that year. As they were bitterly eliminated last season in an early stage by winners Sevilla, the Catalans will be hoping to shut down their archrivals on April 20 so as to reach success this time.

With both Real Madrid and Barcelona having strong motives to triumph, predicting the winner of this year’s Spanish Cup edition is something hard to do. One thing though is for sure: the winner of the 2011 Copa del Rey final will have a great advantage before Los Clasicos in the UEFA Champions League’s semis.

Biography

People say that stars are born, not made—though it may take a while before it can be really seen. Yet for AJ Perez it took one commercial to eventually tap into his innate potential and become one of the youngest and most sought-after bachelor in tinseltown.

AJ Perez was born Anotonellio Joseph Perez on February 17, 1993. He came from a well-off family, as both his parents are businesspersons in their own right. Nevertheless, he didn’t grow up getting everything he wanted with a flick of a finger. There wasn’t a silver spoon stuck in his mouth.

It was in one of Milo’s commercials that ABS-CBN’s bosses discovered AJ. With his boy-next-door looks, young charm, and hopefully strong acting capability, he became one the members of elite Star Circle Batch 13, along with Victor Basa and Chris Gutierrez. This is a pool of fresh blood who want to prove their worth in the entertainment industry.

His first taste of acting came when he was one of the first regular casts of the youth-oriented show called About Ur Luv, which is now in its third season. He’s only 13 years old. He played the character of Josh, who is supposed to be a fraternal twin of Hillary, played by Empress Schuck, and the more happy-go-lucky and relaxed between the two. He also set his eyes and heart on Nelle, portrayed by Lauren Young . Even at their young age, the chemistry is already undeniable that they are starting to form legions of fans who are carefully awaiting any of their sweet moments in the TV show.

Besides About Ur Luv, AJ also appeared in one of the earliest episodes of Star Magic Presents entitled All about a Girl. He played the role of Egay, alongside Piolo Pascual (Alvin). It revolved around the story of a very shy girl named Lea (Lauren Young) who fell in love with Alvin after she misinterpreted his brotherly concerns. Egay, on the other hand, was secretly in love with Lea.

Despite his rising popularity, however, AJ still tries and manages to keep his life as average as possible. He is currently a student in De La Salle University Greenhills where is he is in Grade 7. With his 5'8" frame, he is one of the best varsity players in their basketball league. He also finds time to squeeze in his studies, where he is getting exemplary marks. AJ hopes that even when he is no longer in show business, he can still pursue his another great love, which is basketball.

In the meantime, he is going to bank on his being a matinee idol material. The offer may come as a big surprise, as he himself didn’t expect that he’ll catch somebody’s attention very soon. Nevertheless, he wishes to make the most out of the opportunity that is given to him. He wants to become of the finest actors in the Philippines. And with the way he develops a certain love affair with the camera, it wouldn’t be too long before his dreams come true.

Star Magic talent AJ Perez, 18, is dead

AJ Perez, or Antonello Joseph Sarte Perez in real life, was pronounced dead at "12:20 a.m."

The cause of his death, according to reports, is "multiple head injuries," which he sustained after his vehicle was hit by a bus and a truck in Moncada, Tarlac.

Here's the official statement of ABS-CBN that was sent by the head of corporate communications Bong Osorio: "Kapamilya talent AJ Perez passed away early this morning after being rushed to a hospital in Tarlac. Together with his father, 2 road managers, a driver and an event marshal, they met a vehicular accident on their way back to Manila after a provincial show. ABS-CBN sympathizes with AJ's family on his untimely demise, and urges everyone to pray for the eternal repose of AJ's soul and for the family and loved ones he left behind."

One of the first few people to give his account of what happened was showbiz reporter Ogie Diaz, who had the chance to talk to the young actor's parents.

On Twitter, he wrote the reaction of Mr. Gerardo Perez (published as is): "Sana, panaginip lang to, Ogie. Si Aj ang buhay namin ng mami nya, bakit sya pa? Sana, ako na lang." 

Mr. Perez was with his son when the accident happened. 

AJ's mom Victoria was still reeling from the shock when she spoke to Ogie in a phone interview. Her words, according to Ogie's Tweet: "Tinanong ko si dadi, bat ang tagal nilang umuwi? Pauwi na raw sila from Dagupan, pero nag-aalala pa rn ako, d ko alam kumbakit balisa ako." 

The Star Magic talent just finished his show in Dagupan, Pangasinan, which celebrated its annual Bangus Festival.

Here's Ogie's report via @ogiediaz:

"Galing ng Dagupan, pauwi na. Tulog lahat sa van. Sa Tarlac, biglang bumangga sa trak. Bago pa nadala si AJ Perez sa ospital, wala nang buhay."

"Sa bus po bumangga ang van sakay si AJ Perez kung saan yung left brain nya ang matinding napuruhan."

"Nasa isang clinic sa Paniqui, Tarlac ang mga labi ni AJ Perez. Kausap ko si Daddy kanina, iyak nang iyak. Ndi ako makakatulog nito."

AJ is set to star in an episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya this April 30. Prior to this, he was one of the male leads in the TV series, Sabel.

About four hours ago, his second to the last tweet @ajperez17 was about the trip: "On the way home already from Dagupan. Long drive ahead... Thanks to everybody who watched..."


AJ's body will be in La Salle Greenhills starting this afternoon until Tuesday lunchtime. 

The little typeface that leaves a big mark

LONDON — Question: What do American Airlines, American Apparel, Comme des Garçons, Evian, Intel, Lufthansa, Nestlé and Toyota have in common?

Answer: They all use the same typeface in their corporate identities - Helvetica. You can also spot that font on the flags fluttering from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' trucks, the album sleeve of John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme," and all of the signage on the New York subway system.

It has now been 50 years since Helvetica was introduced. Even if you've never heard its name before, you would be bound to recognize the typeface, because you'll have seen it so often without knowing. We live in such a bloated visual culture that a typical Western consumer is said to see - as opposed to actually notice - more than 3,000 corporate messages every day, and many of them are printed in Helvetica.

Helvetica plays such an important part in our lives that the Museum of Modern Art in New York is celebrating its 50th anniversary by acquiring a set of the original lead type, making it the first typeface to become part of the museum's collection. MoMA is also opening a "50 Years of Helvetica" exhibition on Friday. And Helvetica is the subject of a feature documentary, which premiered last month at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas.

Why make such a fuss about a typeface? In short, because it does its job so well.

"Helvetica delivers a message quickly and efficiently without imposing itself," said Christian Larsen, curator of the MoMA exhibition. "When reading it, one hardly notices the letter forms, only the meaning, it's that well-designed. It's crisp, clean and sharply legible, yet humanized by round, soft strokes. Many type designers have said that they can not improve on it."

Like all beautifully designed typefaces, Helvetica is a democratic luxury. Great typefaces - like the computer fonts Verdana and Georgia, and the gorgeous 18th-century print lettering of Baskerville and Bodoni - are of the same aesthetic and technical quality as more conventional luxuries, such as Aston Martin sports cars, Andreas Gursky's photographs and haute couture Chanel dresses. The difference is that rather than costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, they're free. You can read a typeface for nothing if a publisher has paid a nominal fee to use it in a book or magazine. And you can choose to read - and send - your e-mails in Helvetica, Verdana or Georgia, because those fonts come free with most computer software packages.

Despite its formal brilliance, Helvetica was not especially successful when it was first introduced in 1957 under its original name, Neue Haas Grotesk. It was conceived by Edouard Hoffmann, director of the Haas Type Foundry in the quiet Swiss town of Münchenstein, as a contemporary version of Akzidenz Grotesk, a late 19th-century sans serif typeface (that's one without decorative squiggles at the ends of the letters) that had become popular with Swiss graphic designers during the mid-1950s. Hoffmann commissioned a little-known typography designer, Max Miedinger, to create the new font. The result was Neue Haas Grotesk, but for several years few people knew about it.

In those days, typefaces were made by carving the shapes of the letters from metal. Anyone wishing to use a particular font had to buy an entire set of letters. This made it so expensive to develop - and to use - new typefaces, that new designs were relatively rare, and many of the most popular fonts were centuries-old, like Baskerville and Bodoni.

Enter the computer. Thanks to technology, typefaces can be designed and distributed so speedily that thousands of new ones are created every year. Their merits and demerits are then debated heatedly on blogs and Web sites. Even we "civilians" - as graphic design geeks call the rest of us - have become amateur typography experts by choosing our favorite styles from the Fonts menus on our computers.

But things were very different in 1961, when the British typography designer Matthew Carter was asked to design a modernized version of Akzidenz Grotesk for the signage in a new terminal at Heathrow Airport. Neue Haas Grotesk had been launched four years before, but he had never heard of it. "If we'd known about it, I'm sure we would have used it, since it's a much better typeface than the one I drew," said Carter, who went on to create Verdana and Georgia. "But the typesetting trade was very conservative then, and new type designs traveled slowly."

During the same year, Haas's parent company, Mergenthaler Linotype, decided to market Neue Haas Grotesk internationally and to change its name to one that would be more memorable in English. As the spruce modernist Swiss Style of graphic design was then very fashionable, they chose Helvetica, as a more accessible and easily pronounceable version of Helvetia, the Latin word for Switzerland.

The rebranding worked. Helvetica proved so popular, especially among U.S. advertising agencies, that it became the default typeface for any 1960s company wishing to project a dynamic, modern image. By the end of the decade, the designers Massimo Vignelli and Bob Noorda had chosen it as the typeface for New York's new subway signs. However, when the cost-conscious Mass Transit Authority discovered that a similar font, Standard Medium, would be cheaper, the early subway signs were printed in that, not Helvetica.

By the late 1980s, Helvetica was ubiquitous. A digital version of the font, Arial, was introduced in 1990. Arial has since proved popular, but design buffs dismiss it as a cheap pastiche. Half a century on, Helvetica looks as compelling as ever, whether it is on Lufthansa's fuselages or American Apparel's advertising.

"Why do some people find it so strange that a typeface should be used for over 50 years?" said Danny van den Dungen of Experimental Jetset, the Dutch graphic design team. "When something is constructed as well as Helvetica, it should last for a couple of hundred years, just like great architecture.

Helvetica®

About this font family

Helvetica is one of the most popular typefaces of all time. It was designed by Max Miedinger in 1957 for the Haas foundry of Switzerland (the name is derived from Helvetia, the Latin name for Switzerland).

The design is based on the grotesques of the late nineteenth century, but new refinements put it in the sans serif sub-category of neo-grotesque. Shortly after its introduction, the Stempel foundry purchased the original Helvetica typeface and developed a full series of weights. In the 1960s Helvetica came to the United States, where alignment standards differed; Mergenthaler Linotype copied the Stempel series and then added several new versions of the design. Helvetica is an all-purpose type design that can deliver practically any message clearly and efficiently. More…

See a typo

1892 - Ithaca, New York:

Photo of Chester C. Platt
From the archives of the National Park Service's Morristown National Historic Park in New Jersey


Ithaca, New York also claims to be the birthplace of the ice cream sundae in 1892. Reportedly, Sunday afternoon, April 3,1892, after services at the Unitarian Church, Reverend John M. Scott paid his usual visit to the Platt & Colt Pharmacy in downtown Ithaca. Shop proprietor, Chester C. Platt (1869-1934), was church treasurer and he met often with Scott for conversation after services. Seeking refreshment for himself and the reverend, Platt asked his fountain clerk, DeForest Christiance, for two bowls of ice cream. But instead of serving the reverend plain vanilla, Platt took the bowls and topped each with cherry syrup and a candied cherry. The finished dish looked delightful and tasted delicious — so much so that the men felt obliged to name the new creation. After some debate, Scott suggested that it be named for the day it was created. Platt concurred and the first "Cherry Sunday" was born.

Ithaca has extensive documentation supporting the sundae's creation in its' town in 1892. The information is so specific, the city can almost pinpoint the exact hour the first ice cream "Sunday" was served. While other cities may claim the sundae, none can support its claim with primary evidence. This gives Ithaca title to the first documented ice cream sundae in the United States.

Two Ithaca high school seniors, Meredith Buchberg and Laura Willemsen, spent 6 months working as Corson Fellow interns at The History Center in Tompkins County in 2007, researching online data bases and physical archives to discover the "Sundae Truth." They researched and uncovered the below information to back up Ithaca's claim as "The Birthplace of the Sundae."


This ad in the Ithaca Daily Journal dates Platt & Colt's "Sunday" back at least to October 5, 1892. This ad in the Ithaca Daily Journal is the oldest known record of an ice cream sundae.

1881 - Two Rivers, Wisconsin:

1881 - Two Rivers, Wisconsin:

Two Rivers, Wisconsin claims that the first ice cream sundae was served by accident in 1881. Druggist Edward Berners (1863-1939), owner of Ed Berners' Ice Cream Parlor was asked by a George Hallauer asked for a ice cream soda. Because it was Sunday, the Sabbath, Mr. Berners compromised and put ice cream in a dish and poured the chocolate syrup on top (chocolate syrup was only used for making flavored ice cream sodas at the time). Ed Berners sampled the dish and liked it enough to begin featuring "ice cream with syrup" in his shop for the same price as a dish of ice cream. This ice cream concoction cost a nickel, and soon everybody wanted some.

The only reference to support Two Rivers' claim is a 1929 Two Rivers Reporter newspaperinterview by Seymour Althen in which Edward Berners recounts his 40-year-old recollection of how the sundae came about.

"One night, Hallauer dropped in and ordered a dish of ice cream. As I was serving it, he spied a bottle of chocolate syrup on the back bar, which I used for making sodas. 'Why don't you put some of that chocolate on the ice cream?'" he asked.

"'You don't want to ruin the flavor of the ice cream,' I protested, but Hallauer answered 'I'll try anything once,' and I poured on the chocolate. Hallauer liked it, and the ice cream sundae was born."

Here is a question: Wisconsin birth records indicate Edward Berners was only 18 years old in 1881. It was unlikely than an 18 year old would have been the owner of a ice cream parlor.

Ed Berners' obituary in the La Crosse Tribune and Leader-Press newspaper on Sunday Morning, July 2, 1939 reads:

Fond du Lac, wis - (AP) - E. C. Berner, 76, of Two Rivers, who claimed to be the originator of the ice cream sundae, died Saturday at the home of a sister, Mrs. Albert Pilon, where he had lived for the last two months.

Edward Berners closed his ice cream parlor in 1927. Today, the Washington House Hotel Museum in Two Rivers includes a replica of Ed Berner's ice cream parlor.

The Wisconsin State Historical Society recognizes Two Rivers, Wisconsin as the birthplace of the sundae and in 1973 erected a historical marker in Two Rivers Central Memorial Park that reads:

ICE CREAM SUNDAE - In 1881, George Hallauer asked Edward C. Berner, the owner of a soda fountain at 1404 - 15th Street, to top a dish of ice cream with chocolate sauce, hitherto used only for ice cream sodas. The concoction cost a nickel and soon became very popular, but was sold only on Sundays. One day a ten year old girl insisted she have a dish of ice cream "with that stuff on top," saying they could "pretend it was Sunday." After that, the confection was sold every day in many flavors. It lost its Sunday only association, to be called ICE CREAM SUNDAE when a glassware salesman placed an order with his company for the long canoe-shaped dishes in which it was served, as "Sundae dishes."

 

In 2006, the town of Two Rivers responded to Ithaca with a resolution demanding that Ithace "cease and desist from it claim.

A little background history:

Two cities lay claim to creating the original ice cream sundae:

A little background history:

Some historians claim, but never proven to be true, that the name "sundae" was created in response to the "Blue Laws" which said that ice cream sodas could not be sold on Sundays because they were to "frilly." For some reason the "righteous" very much against what they called "sucking soda" (especially on the Sabbath and the clergy started preaching against them). The dish has gone by other names at various time, most notably "sundi" and "sondhi." Some accounts have explained all these names as attempts to avoid offending the sensibilities of the devoutly religious, which might take a dim view of a pile of ice cream and syrup being named after the Sabbath.

The biggest rivalry is between Two Rivers, Wisconsin and Ithaca, New York. This dispute dates back from the 1970s with letters and barbs between the mayors of these cities. This is definitely serious business and a matter of pride for these towns. The two cities have sparred in a good-natured "Sundae War" for several decades. 

H. L. Mencken (1880-1956), famed newspaper columnist, political commentator, and essayist, in his 1945 book, The American Language: Supplement 1, while writing on the suffix "DAE" as in sundae, wrote that the "most plausible of their theories ascribes the introduction of the 'sundae' itself to George Hallauer of Marshall, Illinois, and the invention of its name to George Giffy of Manitowoc, Wisconsin." Mencken version was so well received that some sources still cite it as a possible etymological source for the word "sundae." Mencken claimed Wisconsin sundae origins predated all others. Mencken's name and the plausibility of his stories have kept them alive, and still believed by many, to this day. Mencken was just reporting something that had been told in Two Rivers (and elsewhere) for decades prior to his book. 

True or False? Author Michael Turback, who wrote A Month of Sundaes: Ithaca's Gift to the World and More Than a Month of Sundae, says the Two Rivers story, as well as one about Manitowoc, were bandied about by the late journalist H. L. Mencken, who reported on the matter in the first volume of "The American Language," published in 1919, but later admitted it was a hoax. He just said Mencken was known for pulling hoaxes.

Ice Cream Sundae

A CELEBRATION OF AMERICA'S QUINTESSENTIAL DESSERT

If it has anything to do with the Ice Cream Sundae, it has everything to do with us.  We are dedicated to supporting and respecting the convivial traditions of the fountain and celebrating the pleasures of the Ice Cream Sundae in everyday life.

No dessert could be simpler than the Ice Cream Sundae – a scoop of ice cream, a sweet topping, and the ubiquitous whipped cream and cherry at the top. But icons are never really that simple, and, perhaps more than any other dish, the Sundae is an American icon.  Like people, nations are what they eat.  More than any other native dish, the Ice Cream Sundae is an essential reminder of the American genius for invention, passion for indulgence, and reputation for wackiness.  The French may have given refinement to ice cream with their coupes and parfaits, but it took American excess and ingenuity to create the Sundae.  It's as messy and irresistible as democracy itself.

Sundaes are us, and they have been pleasuring our collective senses ever since 1892, when an enterprising Ithaca, New York, soda fountain proprietor accessorized a scoop of ice cream with sweet syrup and candied cherry, then named it after the Sabbath. A sundae is not just any dish, but a dessert that is original, enduring, and authentically American.  For well over a century, the ice cream sundae has been a symbol of our abundance and appetite, our ingenuity, and our never-lost youth.  In their assembly, sundaes provide an unrestrained opportunity to express our essential character.  They acquire personality not only through their combination of ingredients, but through the history that they witness.  During the twists and turns our country has taken over the past hundred or so years, ice cream sundaes have been standing by to lift our spirits.  After the 1929 stock market crash, one of the few luxuries that average folks could afford was the democratically-priced sundae.  During World War II, patriotic "Victory Sundaes" included a Defense Saving Stamp with every purchase, while the Navy commissioned floating ice cream parlors - refrigerated barges with ice cream plants - to boost troop morale.  In wartime and in hard times, home refrigerators were stocked with ice creams that, with a dash of imagination, provided the basis for an irresistible sundae. 

Following the classic model, sundaes are served in footed, tulip-shaped glasses, filled with scoops of ice cream as the foundation for interplays of sauces or syrups, perhaps the crunch of nuts, and often a cloud of whipped cream and signature cherry.  Florence Fabricant of The New York Times called author Michael Turback's A Month of Sundaes (Red Rock Press, 2002) "an admiring portrait of a famous temptation-weaves together sundae history, regional styles, folklore and recipes."  Seven years and many sundaes later, Turback returns to his favorite topic and provides what has got to be the definitive listing of 100 versions of the classic dessert - from humble, forgotten relics to dishes that have become popular standards, arranged in alphabetical order and instantly accessible.  Ice Cream Sundae: 100 Greatest Fountain Formulas is more than just a collection of recipes.  On every page there is a scoop of history, a measure of technique, and a sprinkle of trivia, all in aid of explaining the unique Americaness of the sundae.

Read More About it :

1.little-background-history

2.1881-two-rivers-wisconsin


3.1892-ithaca-new-york

Season summaries

Deutschland sucht den Superstar

Season 1

Main article: Deutschland sucht den Superstar (Season 1)

The first season 2002-2003 of Deutschland sucht den Superstar debuted without much hype in October 2002 on the RTL network. The show's co-hosts were Swiss actress Michelle Hunziker and former soap opera actor Carsten Spengemann, while the jury consisted of music producer Dieter Bohlen, radio host Thomas Bug, British music journalist Shona Fraser, and the former president of BMG Germany, Thomas M. Stein.[1] Through word of mouth generated by the appeal of its contestants and the presence of Bohlen's acid-tongued commentary, the show grew into a phenomenon ending with a finale viewed by an estimated twelve million viewers in March 2003.[2]

Debut season winner Alexander Klaws in 2008.

Winner Alexander Klaws signed a recording contract with BMG, the label in partnership with DSDS. Immediately post-finale, Klaws released three singles, most notably the coronation song "Take Me Tonight" which was written by Bohlen and debuted on top of the German Singles Chart, eventually becoming the second biggest-selling single of 2003 – only losing to "We Have a Dream," the pre-released recording of all ten finalists.[3] Klaws has subsequently had three albums and several hit singles mostly from his more successful first album. While his debut, Take Your Chance (2003), and its follow-up, Here I Am (2004), saw nationwide success and garnered him several ECHO Award nominations, his independent 2006 release, Attention! failed to link on previous sales figures.[4] He has since established a secondary career as an actor on the Sat.1 telenovela Anna und die Liebe and appeared in leading roles on musicals such as Dance of the Vampires and Tarzan.[4]

Besides Klaws, all ten finalists with the exception of then-pregnant Andrea Josten signed record deals with various record companies.[4] Runner-up Juliette Schoppmann also signed with BMG, but in contrast to public expectations she declined working with Bohlen. Instead, she released three singles of which two entered the top ten and a solo album, Unique, which eventually debuted in 2004. Due to moderate sales BMG dropped her shortly after its release.[4] She has since made herself a name as professional songwriter.[4] Third-placed Daniel Küblböck also expanded his nationwide but extremely polarising popularity with a contract with BMG. Until June 2004 he released four major succeeded hit singles and a number-one album, titled Positive Energien (2003). However, further efforts failed on the charts after a controversial participations in the German versions of I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! and Big Brother and the release of his flopped motion picture Daniel – Der Zauberer (2004).[4]

Vanessa Struhler became the protégé of Hip-Hop producer DJ Tomekk and saw solid commercial success with her first album, Ride with Me (2003).[5] Gracia Baur also was signed to BMG, but was dropped after her moderate succeeded rock debut Intoxicated (2003). She then signed with Bros Music and was selected to represented Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song "Run & Hide", where it placed last in a field of 24.[4] Judith Lefeber, Daniel Lopes, and Nektarios Bamiatzis also scored mdeicore to little success after the show with their own releases.[4]

[edit]Season 2

Main article: Deutschland sucht den SuperStar (Season 2)

In the second series of DSDS 2003-2004, co-hosts Hunziker and Spengemann and all four jury members reprised their engagements in the show.[6] Following the success of the first installment, the second season was aired to a higher profile during 2003 fall schedule, including an increased number of episodes, budgets and charges for commercial spots. In contrast to the first season, however, the second soon found its main audience but never reached the overwhelming hype and demand which the first season had captured. This fact was underscored by decreasing phone votes and ratings, which were released after the show's final.[6]

Second season winner Elli Erl in 2009.

This time, teacher Elli Erl emerged as the winner. Though Erl agreed to release the Bohlen-produced coronation song "This Is My Life" in a remixed edition, she declined collaborating with him on her debut album In My Dreams due to musical differences.[7] While the debut single still reached the top three of the German Singles Chart, the album, released in October 2004, reached number thirty-three on the German Albums Chart and spawned another two singles of which none became a commercial hit, making Erl the lowest-selling DSDS winner to date.[7] Her following two albums Moving Out (2007) and Human (2009) failed to chart anywhere.[4]

Unlike in season one, the other finalists hit on major problems when they watched out for record deals. While runner-up Denise Tillmanns never signed a recording contract,[8] third-place finisher Philippe Bühler established himself as a professional songwriter and released two R&B-influenced singles, entitled "Warum?" (2005) and "Ich Kann Dich Lieben" (2006), both of which entered the top forty of the German Singles Chart.[8] Anke Wagner signed with independent label Perleberg, but neither her debut single nor her album magaged to enter any chart.[8] Benjamin Martell was signed to BMG, but was dropped when he demanded to write the album by himself.[8] Fifth-place finisher Gunther Göbbel became part of the R&B duo Lemon Ice, whose cover single "Stand by Me" entered the German top twenty in fall 2006.[8] Lorenzo Woodard participated in several prominent reality shows such as Die Alm and Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus! and has since enjoyed media attention under his transsexual identity "Lorielle London."[8]

[edit]Season 3

Main article: Deutschland sucht den SuperStar (Season 3)

Third season winner Tobias Regner in 2006.

After an absence of one year (2004–2005), the third season 2005-2006 introduced several new elements. Neither Hunziker nor Spengemann were asked back as the show's hosts as the studio wanted a new complexion on the season. They were replaced with Marco Schreyl and Dutch co-host Tooske Ragas. The jury cast also went through radical changes; Dieter Bohlen remained the only original member, and was eventually joined by music producer Sylvia Kollek and former manager Heinz Henn.

[edit]Season 4

Main article: Deutschland sucht den Superstar (Season 4)

Deutschland sucht den Superstar Season 4 is the fourth season of Deutschland sucht den Superstar which aired on RTL network. Mark Medlock, this season's winner, was awarded a contract with Sony-BMG. The judges in this season were Dieter Bohlen, Heinz Henn, Anja Lukaseder. It was hosted by Marco Schreyl and Tooske Ragas. The viewers chose the contestant's fates as they were able to call for their favorite contestant. The voting results were published on May 7.

[edit]Season 5

Main article: Deutschland sucht den Superstar (season 5)

Fifth season winner Thomas Godoj in 2008.

Because of the success of season four RTL decided to create a fifth season in 2008. This was announced just before the fourth season final show was shown on TV. There were several changes: Marco Schreyl became the sole host of the show, without the assistance of Tooske Ragas. Due to some arguments with Dieter Bohlen, Heinz Henn was replaced in the jury by Andreas "Bär" Läsker.[9] Läsker discovered and is the manager of Die Fantastischen Vier (The Fantastic Four), and joined existing jury members Bohlen and Anja Lukaseder. The last substantial change concerns only one semi-final shows ("Top 15 shows") with the name Jetzt oder nie (Now or Never): So far the 10 best candidates had been determined by telephone and SMS voting. Instead the jury selected the Top 10 live in front of 1,000 spectators. The five contestants with the highest number of votes from the public went through to the motto shows. The judges picked five more contestants of the remaining 10 to join them. Later, the candidates enter the final shows with public voting as in the earlier series. With the new rules, the producers hope to increase the excitement and to prevent good candidates from being knocked out too early.

The auditions started in August on Mallorca and for the first time ever on Ibiza. From September on the casting crew toured throughout Germany. The first show ,Now or Never-Jetzt oder Nie, started on March 8.

[edit]Season 6

Main article: Deutschland sucht den Superstar (Season 6)

Deutschland sucht den Superstar Season 6 was the sixth season of Deutschland sucht den Superstar which is airing on the RTL network. This season's winner, Daniel Schuhmacher, was awarded a contract with Sony-BMG. The judges in this season are Dieter Bohlen, Nina Eichinger, and Volker Neumüller. This season is hosted by Marco Schreyl. The viewers chose the contestant's fates as they were able to call for their favorite contestant. As with season 5, the "top 10" was created by the top 5 contestants with the most telephone and SMS voting and the other 5 were selected by the jury.

The sixth season started on 21 January 2009.

[edit]Season 7

Main article: Deutschland sucht den Superstar (Season 7)

Seventh season winner Mehrzad Marashi in 2010.

Deutschland sucht den Superstar Season 7 is the seventh season of the Idol series which aired on RTL Television and started on 6 January 2010. The season marked a new national record with more than 35,000 participants. The final aired on 17 April 2010, and the winner was Mehrzad Marashi.

[edit]Public votes

Mehrzad Marahsi won the show. Second was Menowin Fröhlich and on third place Manuel Hoffmann. Menowin has won every liveshow but lost against Mehrzad who won the final with 56,04 %. Manuel Hoffmann was eliminated in the 5th show, but he came back after Helmut Orosz was expelled from the show. Manuel came back and reached to the semi-final, so that he was the first one who was eliminated and has survived more than one show again. Thomas Karaoglan, who reached the 5th place was known as der Checker and Kim Debkowski has made some advertisement during her video previous her performance with some beauty tips on Kim Gloss Tv.

The live-shows began with the Top-15 show to determine the contestants that would make up the Top 10 in the mottoshows. As done in the previous seasons, the Top 10 were contestants put through from the public vote and the jury's vote. However, 7 (instead of 5) contestants were put through with the public votes and 3 (instead of 5) would be put through by the jury; which ultimately became the contestants that ranked with the next three largest number of votes. In the first live show, Steffi Landerer, whom was known for her sex appeal, was eliminated. Marcel Pluschke, whom was eliminated on the second live-show, did not perceive an excellent audience respect because of his weak voice and country music roots (which was a first in DSDS). Though critizied for his song selection in the third live show, Nelson Sangaré was surprisingly eliminated after ranking as one of the top contestants throughout the first and second live-shows. After being in the bottom groups every week, Ines Redjeb was eventually eliminated in the fourth live-show. Though proving to be a favorite in the competition despite ranking in the bottom half of the voting, Manuel Hoffmann was eliminated in the fifth show against Helmut Orosz. Orosz, whom was a Top 50 contestant in the second season, became criticized for his problems with singing correct texts; immediately after Hoffmann's elimination, the producers of DSDS had found a video of Orosz with a friend using cocaine recently, to which Orosz confessed. Because of this, Orosz was disqualified from the contest and Hoffmann returned to the live-shows surpassing crowd favorite Thomas Karaoglan in the sixth-live show and Kim Debkowski in the seventh live-show. However, Hoffmann's journey ended in the semi-final leaving the finale in the hands of the season's front-runners Menowin Fröhlich and Mehrzad Marashi. Fröhlich, a local DJ, successfully auditioned for the show in the third season making it to the Top-20 live-shows; he later became disqualified due to battery and fraud. Both friends throughout the recall, tensions rose throughout the competition between fans and themselves. After the final vote, Marashi won though only ranking in first place in the Top-15 and the finale as Fröhlich ranked first every week.

[edit]Season 8

Main article: Deutschland sucht den Superstar (Season 8)

Deutschland sucht den Superstar Season 8 is the eighth season of the Idol series in Germany began airing on RTL on January 8, 2011.[10] The winner will get a recording contract with Universal Music Group.[10] 34,956 people auditioned throughout the 35 cities that hosted auditions.[10] Nina Eichinger and Volker Neumüller were removed from the panel.[11][12] Their successors are Swiss singer Patrick Nuo and it-girl Fernanda Brandao.[13] Marco Schreyl will return as the host. DSDS has extended participation privileges to Austria and Switzerland.[10][14] The Top 35 will be going to the Maldives

INDONESIA HOLIDAY

GENERAL Info

Temperature : Live Forecast

Population : 234.89 million Time Zone : GMT/UTC +7 (Sumatra, Java and West& Central Kalim

Driving side : Drivers drive on the left-hand side of the road.

Languages : Bahasa Indonesia English Javanese Sunda

Religion :88% Muslim8% Christian2% Hindu

Emergency # :Police: 110 Ambulance: 118 Fire: 113

TOP DESTINATIONS

Bali - The Balinese do not even have a word for paradise in their language,

but Bali is so picturesque that one could be fooled into thinking it was a painted backdrop. The forests are lush and tropical, the beaches are lapped by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, and volcanoes soar through the clouds. The paradise gloss, however, has been manufactured by the international tourist industry, and it pays scant regard to the political and economical reality of life on Bali.Java - The most developed island in Indonesia. Tranquil rural scenes are broken with streets choked with traffic, there is beautiful open country-sides and filthy cities; all characteristics of an Asian society that is rapidly experiencing transition. Java has a mix of historic influences and religions, producing architectural wonders such as Borobudur and Prambanan, from the Hindu-Buddhist empires that reached their zenith on Java.Lombok - This, mainly-Muslim, island is less developed than Bali. Here you will find better beaches, a bigger volcano and greater variety of landscapes. Because of the slow development and the fact that tourism is less intrusive here than on Bali,

you might find the people of Lombok less blase about tourists and, in some cases, even quite resentful of the new wave of tourism. The spectacular volcano of Gunung Rinjani dominates the tranquil countryside and uncrowded beaches.Sumatra - The island is as tropical as any island can get. Amazon-like rivers move slowly through canopies of natural rainforests, muddy mongrove estuaries, steamy interiors, brilliantly coloured flora and weird fauna. This is the perfect place for a boat trip. The island is struggling with a failing economy, despite its wealth of natural resources and the northern province has been the epicenter of religious violence between Christians and Muslims. The area has also been hit by devastating earthquakes.

WHEN TO GO

The best time to visit is in the dry season between May and October. Travel in the wet season is possible in most parts of the country, but travel on mud-clogged roads in less developed areas can be difficult. It can also be a deterrent to some activities. The main Indonesian holiday period is the end of Ramadan (usually mid-November through to mid-December) This Islamic festival lasts a month and members of this faith fast during daylight hours and only eat and drink once the sun has set and before it rises the following day.Nyepi - Is a festival that marks the beginning of a new lunar year and usually falls during the spring equinox (late March or early April). On this day, everyone in Bali including tourists must remain silent. No one is allowed to work, travel or partake in any indulgences. Visitors are advised to observe this custom and to stay within their lodgings for the day. It may seem like a day is wasted, but the previous night's festivities would have sapped substantial energy and spirit to make up for the day of stillness. It is believed that evil spirits leave the island, thinking that the place is uninhabited due to the complete stillness.Tumpek Landep Day - Devoted to Sanghyang Pasupati, lord of heirlooms, weapons and tools made of metal for war functions and magical powers. The ceremony is held at every compound and temple throughout Bali. Nusa Dua Festival - August/September) Travellers to Bali, will have a special treat when the rich and vibrant local culture is presented during this week-long Nusa Dua Festival. Rice Harvest Festival - Dedicated to the rice god Dewi Sri, is a blessed season for

the villages and the entire island will be repainted and decorated with flags. An atmosphere of happiness pervades. Small straw rice-god dolls are placed throughout the fields and villages as a tribute.

CULTURE

Over time, social and religious duty has been refined to form a code of behaviour called adat or traditional law. Islam is the predominant religion, but it is tempered by elements of Hindu-Buddhism, adat, and animism. Despite the lengthy colonial period, missionaries only succeeded in converting small pockets of the Indonesian population to Christianity. The most notable examples being the Bataks of Sumatra, the Toraks of Sulawesi and 95% of the population of Flores. It is believed that there are hundreds of places where spiritual energy is remarkably concentrated, and that it can be absorbed by followers (especially in Java).More that 300 languages are spoken and most belong to the Malay-Polynesian group, where many regional languages and dialects are spoken. The national language is Bahasa Indonesia, which is almost identical to Malay, using a number of foreign words which indicates the long history of contact between Indonesia and other cultures.Batik (the art of applying wax to cloth and then tie-dying it in colourful and dramatic designs) is produced widely throughout Indonesia. Yogyakarta, in Java, is the centre of this activity. Other forms of popular craft include: ikat (a type of weaving with tie-dyed threads), songket (silk cloth with gold or silver threads woven into it), and kris (artwork decorated with jewels). Popular artistic activities are Javanese wayang (puppet) plays and gamelan (hypnotic music composed mostly of percussive instruments).Indonesian cuisine is greatly influenced by the Chinese, such as Padang food from Sumatra. Throughout Indonesia there is vendors selling snacks such as potatoes, sweet nuts, biscuits or fruit. Rice is basic to each meal, and is often eaten as a soup, or with an assortment of hot & spicy side dishes, salads and pickles. The most common dish is Nasi goreng (fried rice), while sate (skewered meats with a spicy peanut sauce), gado-gado (bean sprouts and veggies in peanut sauce), and seafood are also popular. There is a wide variety of tropical fruits grown in Indonesia and you can expect to find custard apples, durians, guavas, jackfruits, mangoes, papayas, star fruits and rambutans in abundance.

GREAT OUTDOORS

Flores - The traditional whaling village of Lamalera, east of Flores, is a fascinating place to take a walk around the boatsheds and watch men making harpoons. The villagers are whalers by profession and therefore exempt from international whaling bans. The most fantastic attraction of Nusa Tenggara is Kelimutu's tri-coloured lakes. The water in these three volcanic craters have a strange way of changing colour, most recently being turquoise, olive and black. A few years ago, it was green-blue, maroon and black. The phenomena can not be explained, except for different minerals that are dissolved in each lake. Local legend explains the colour changing as the souls of the dead that travels to the lake; young souls supposedly go to the green lake, old souls to the milky turquoise, and souls of thieves and murderers to the black lake.Irian Jaya - Papua is one of the world's last wilderness areas. It's people, the Papuans, live in some of the most rugged terrain on earth: from mangrove swamps abundant with bird and animal life, to snowcapped mountains. Highlights include the Baliem Valley (with its unique culture), Sentani (for boat trips around the magnificent Sentani Lake), and Kota Biak (access to dive sites). There are no roads between major towns and the boats are slow, making air travel the most popular option for traveling. Be aware that permits from local police stations are required for travel to many areas.Kalimantan - Samarinda is the best starting point for fascinating longboat river trips to villages such as Tanjung Isuy, Muara Muntai, Melak and Long Iram. Tanjung Puting National Park (in central Kalimantan) is the home of a wide variety of plant and animal life, including crocodiles, bear cats, orang-utan, monkeys and dolphins. The equatorial river of Pontianak (in west Kalimantan) is lovely seen at sunset. A highlight is the wooden Mesjid Abdurrakham royal mosque. Pasir Panjang has pristine beaches close by, and is a great starting point for boat trips up the Kapuas.Komodo & Rinca - Two small islands between Flores and Sumbawa, in eastern Nusa Tenggara. These islands are famous for being home to the ponderous Komodo dragons. Komodo is a hilly, desolate island and brave visitors can watch organized feeding frenzies or join dragon spotting tours. Rinca's wildlife is fairly abundant. Visitors are sure to see several monkey colonies, deer, bush turkeys, eagles and wild water buffalo.

Visit East Kalimantan, Indonesia - by East Kalimantan, Indonesia from Indonesia - 2007-11-15

Welcome to Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia is the one great outdoors activities for you and your family to explore Culture of Dayak Tribe along the Mahakam Mighty River, Museum of Mulawarman Hinduism Kingdom, Collections of Sultan Mulawarman, Royal Tomb of the family, the Old Mosque of Sabilal Muhtadin, Crocidiel farm, and handmade of traditional Sarung Samarinda, visit Derawan Island, where you may see pristine blue water ocean with alot of kind of flora and fauna in Kalimantan, Indonesia.

MOVING ARUOND

Domestic air service is a popular (and more convenient) choice of traveling, when it comes to getting from one destination to another, in Indonesia. Tickets bought overseas are quoted in US dollars and are about 50% more than if bought in Indonesia in rupiah.The main roads in Indonesia are generally excellently surfaced and the main fare of traveling on road would be the ekonomi buses. Express bus is the next step up and carries the same cargo, but will get to the destination quicker. The luxury air-con buses have all the whistles and bells a coach should have, but can be quite costly if you travel extensively. Rail travel is restricted to Java and Sumatra. It is advisable to buy train tickets well in advance to ensure a seat. Other transportation like cars, motorbikes and bicycles can be rented in the main cities and tourist centres. Ferries travel regularly between the various islands.Local transport includes the ubiquitous bemo (pick-up trucks with rows of seats along each side), opelet (minibuses), bajaj (auto rickshaws), becak (bicycle rickshaws), and dokar (horse-drawn carts), generally at ridiculously low prices. Many towns have taxis, but agree on a fare in advance.

NATIONAL FESTIVAL & HOLIDAY

Greberb Syawal Ceremony - (December/January) expresses praise and gratefulness to God by Moslems after having completed their fasting duty in the sacred month of Ramadhan. The ceremony begins with the parade of the Kraton guards in their colourful uniforms comprising of the Wirobrojo, Daeng, Ketanggung, Jogokaryo, Prawirotomo, Mantrijero troops lead by their commander-in-chief. Marching from the Siti Hinggil, through the Pagelaran to the Northern Square and then the Gunungan procession soon follows.Western New Year - (January 1st) is celebrated at hotels, resorts and within the town itself...any excuse for a party.Garebeg Mulud - Gunungan is the climax of sekaten and starts in the morning with a parade of the Palace Guards and crosses the northern yard of the Sultan's Palace. At 10.00 a.m. the Gunungan leaves the palace preceded by Bugis and Surokarso squads. The mountain-shaped Gunungan, made from vegetables, peanuts, red pepper, eggs and sticky rice, symbolizes the prosperity and the wealth of the Mataram Kingdom.Galungan - Another festival related to religion. It is observed in the eleventh week of the 210th day in the Balinese calendar and celebrates the creation of our world. This is Bali's most significant annual event, locals spend the day visiting family, friends and neighbours decked in their finest and indulge in heavy feasting.New Year's Day - (January 1st) On New Year's Eve street festivals and carnivals are held. Paper trumpets are sold and can be heard blown everywhere. New Year’s day itself tends to be a quiet affair as most people are recovering from the celebrations the night before.Maulud Nabi Muhammad - (July) Celebrates the birth of Mohammad. Festivities start one week before.Independence Day - (August 17th) is when the Republic of Indonesia achieved independence from the Dutch.Ramadan - (Usually mid-November through to mid-December) This Islamic festival lasts a month and members of this faith fast during daylight hours and only eat and drink once the sun has set and before it rises the following day.

HOLIDAY PLACE

For other uses, see Holiday (disambiguation).

The word holiday has related but different meanings in English-speaking countries. A contraction of holy and day, holidays originally represented special religious days. This word has evolved in general usage to mean any special day of rest (as opposed to regular days of rest such as the weekend). In the English-speaking world a holiday can mean a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation (e.g. "I'm going on holiday to Malta next week"); the North American equivalent is "vacation". Canadians often use the terms vacation and holiday interchangeably when referring to a trip away from home or time off work. In Australia, the term can refer to a vacation or gazetted public holiday, but not to a day of commemoration such as Mothers' Day or Halloween.

In all of the English-speaking world, a holiday can be a day set aside by a nation or culture (in some cases, multiple nations and cultures) typically for celebration but sometimes for some other kind of special culture-wide (or national) observance or activity. A holiday can also be a special day on which school and/or offices are closed, such as Labor Day.

When translated into other languages, the meanings of the word "holiday" are sometimes conflated with those of "observance" and "celebration".

Consecutive holidays

Consecutive holidays are a string of holidays taken together without working days in between. They tend to be considered a good chance to take short trips. In late 1990s, the Japanese government passed a law that increased the likelihood of consecutive holidays by moving holidays from fixed days to a relative position in a month, such as the second Monday. Well-known consecutive holidays include:

Beginning in 2000, Spring Festival, Labor Day and National Day are week-long holidays in the People's Republic of China.

In Japan, golden-week lasts roughly a full week. Then, in 2007, the law was amended so that if any 2 public holidays occur both on a weekday and are separated by a day, then that intermediate day shall also be a public holiday, thus creating a 3-day long public holiday.

In Colombia, in the holy week there are consecutive holidays Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday) and Viernes Santo (Holy Friday) with variable dates in March or April.

In Poland during holidays on the 1st May and 3rd May, when taking a few days of leave can result in 9-day-long holidays; this is called The Picnic (or Majówka).

In Ireland, St. Patrick's Day can occasionally occur in Holy Week, the week before Easter; in this case the three holidays (St. Patrick's Day, Good Friday, and Easter Monday) plus three days leave can result in a 10-day break. See Public holidays in the Republic of Ireland.

In Australia, Canada, Poland, Russia and the UK, a public holiday otherwise falling on a Sunday will result in observance of the public holiday on the next available weekday (generally Monday). This arrangement results in a long weekend

The U.S. Congress changed the observance of Memorial Day and Washington's Birthday from fixed dates to certain Mondays in 1968 (effective 1971). Several states had passed similar laws earlier.

In The Netherlands, Queen's day is celebrated on 30th April, Remembrance of the Dead on the 4th May and Liberation day every 5 years on the 5th May. When Queen's day falls on Friday and Liberation Day is celebrated, two days' break can result in a 10-day break Consecutive holidays

Consecutive holidays are a string of holidays taken together without working days in between. They tend to be considered a good chance to take short trips. In late 1990s, the Japanese government passed a law that increased the likelihood of consecutive holidays by moving holidays from fixed days to a relative position in a month, such as the second Monday. Well-known consecutive holidays include:

Beginning in 2000, Spring Festival, Labor Day and National Day are week-long holidays in the People's Republic of China.

In Japan, golden-week lasts roughly a full week. Then, in 2007, the law was amended so that if any 2 public holidays occur both on a weekday and are separated by a day, then that intermediate day shall also be a public holiday, thus creating a 3-day long public holiday.

In Colombia, in the holy week there are consecutive holidays Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday) and Viernes Santo (Holy Friday) with variable dates in March or April.

In Poland during holidays on the 1st May and 3rd May, when taking a few days of leave can result in 9-day-long holidays; this is called The Picnic (or Majówka).

In Ireland, St. Patrick's Day can occasionally occur in Holy Week, the week before Easter; in this case the three holidays (St. Patrick's Day, Good Friday, and Easter Monday) plus three days leave can result in a 10-day break. See Public holidays in the Republic of Ireland.

In Australia, Canada, Poland, Russia and the UK, a public holiday otherwise falling on a Sunday will result in observance of the public holiday on the next available weekday (generally Monday). This arrangement results in a long weekend

The U.S. Congress changed the observance of Memorial Day and Washington's Birthday from fixed dates to certain Mondays in 1968 (effective 1971). Several states had passed similar laws earlier.

In The Netherlands, Queen's day is celebrated on 30th April, Remembrance of the Dead on the 4th May and Liberation day every 5 years on the 5th May. When Queen's day falls on Friday and Liberation Day is celebrated, two days' break can result in a 10-day break.

Holidays traditionally considered part of the winter holiday season

Further information: List of winter festivals

Thanksgiving - (fourth Thursday in November in United States) — Holiday generally observed as an expression of gratitude, traditionally to God, for the autumn harvest. It is traditionally celebrated with a meal shared among friends and family in which turkey is eaten. It is celebrated by many as a secular holiday, and in the USA marks the beginning of the "holiday season".

Black Friday - (Day after Thanksgiving in United States) — Day after Thanksgiving. It is generally viewed as the first day of the Christmas shopping season. Stores generally give sales and discounts to attract customers.

Winter Solstice, Yule - (Winter solstice, around 21-22 December in the northern hemisphere and 21-22 June in the southern hemisphere) — The celebrations on the winter solstice, the longest night and shortest day of the year, are traditionally marked with anything that symbolizes or encourages life. Decorations of evergreens, bright objects and lights; singing songs, giving gifts, feasting and romantic events are often included. For Neopagans this is the celebration of the death and rebirth of the sun and is one of the eight sabbats on the wheel of the year.

Hanukkah - (26 Kislev - 2/3 Tevet - almost always in December) — Jewish holiday celebrating the defeat of Seleucid forces who had tried to prevent Israel from practising Judaism, and also celebrating the miracle of the Menorah lights burning for eight days with only enough (olive) oil for one day.

Christmas Eve - (24 December) — Day before Christmas. Observances usually include big feasts at night to celebrate the day to come. It is the supposed night that Santa Claus delivers presents to all the good children of the world.

Christmas Day - (25 December) — Christian holiday commemorating the traditional birth-date of Jesus. Observances include gift-giving, the decoration of trees and houses, and Santa Clausfolktales.

Kwanzaa (USA) - (26 December - 1 January) — A modern American invention held from December 26 to January 1 honoring African-American heritage, primarily in the United States. It was invented in 1966 by black activist and marxist Ron Karenga.

St Stephen's Day or Second Day of Christmas (26 December) — Holiday observed in many European countries.

Boxing Day (26 December or 27 December) — Holiday observed in many Commonwealth countries on the first non-Sunday after Christmas.

New Year's Eve - (31 December) — Night before New Year's Day. Usually observed with celebrations and festivities in anticipation of the new year.

New Year's Day - (1 January) — Holiday observing the first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar.

A secular name for these holidays is a winter holiday. iTunes classifies "Christmas Music" as "Holiday Music" which can cause confusion for the English speaking world outside of the US, for whom "Holidays" are the same as "Vacations" - Annual Holidays, Easter Holidays, School Holidays, Summer Holidays, Skiing Holidays, Public Holidays etc.