Millions around World Celebrate Saint Valentine's Day

14 February 2009, Saturday

Millions of people around the world mark this Saturday Saint Valentine's Day, a holiday celebrated on February 14. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency | buy photo |

Millions of people around the orld mark this Saturday Saint Valentine's Day, a holiday celebrated on February 14.

In the West, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, chocolates and other gifts.

Saint Valentine's Day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of "valentines." Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards. The sending of Valentines was a fashion in nineteenth-century Great Britain. In the United States, the first mass-produced valentines of embossed paper lace were made and sold shortly after 1847 by Esther Howland of Worcester, Massachusetts.

The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association estimates that, in the US, men spend in average twice as much money as women.

In Bulgaria Saint Valentine's Day was unknown during the Communism, but in recent years acquired greater and greater popularity. The holiday coincides with Trifon Zarezan, or the Day of Saint Trifon, patron of vine-growers, wine-producers and tavern-keepers. According to the Gregorian calendar, the Day of Saint Trifon falls on February 1, but many Bulgarians still continue to celebrate Trifon Zarezan on February 14 - one of the very few holidays to be honored according to the old calendar.

There are numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine. Until 1969, the Catholic Church formally recognized eleven Valentine's Days. However, it is largely believed that the day was named after a priest, Valentine of Rome, who suffered martyrdom about AD 269 and was killed by Emperor Claudius. The legend says that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard and left her a love note signed "from your Valentine."

Another theory claims that the holiday had its roots in Ancient Rome, where the Lupercalia festival was observed February 13 through 15. The celebration was an archaic rite connected to fertility. Lupercalia was a festival local to the city of Rome. The more general Festival of Juno Februa, meaning "Juno the purifier "or "the chaste Juno," was celebrated on February 13-14. Pope Gelasius I (492-496) abolished Lupercalia.

Some historians claim the first recorded association of Valentine's Day with romantic love is in Parlement of Foules (1382) by Geoffrey Chaucer.

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"Guitar Hero" fails to save Activision

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By Paul Bond

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The economy is so bad that even the company behind "Guitar Hero," the hottest video game franchise in the world, couldn't muster a profit in the holiday quarter.

Activision Blizzard on Wednesday posted a $72 million net loss in the fourth quarter, compared with an $86 million profit last year. It was the first full quarter for the company since its merger with Vivendi's game unit, so the comparison isn't perfect.

Excluding deferred revenue and some charges, the company would have earned $429 million on net revenue of $1.64 billion. Those numbers beat Wall Street forecasts, but Activision Blizzard offered gloomy 2009 guidance, causing the stock to fall 4% in after-hours trading after rising 1% to $9.48 in the regular session.

Activision Blizzard predicted revenue this year of $4.7 billion, about $500 million shy of what analysts were estimating.

The recession, though, could provide acquisition opportunities in the near future, executives said on a conference call with analysts Wednesday. Video game stocks have been pummeled along with the rest of the market in the past six months: The biggest, Electronic Arts, is down 65%, and THQ is off 81%.

Activision Blizzard CEO Robert Kotick noted that in 2008 "we had four of the top 10 best-selling games worldwide."

With "Guitar Hero," Activision Blizzard spawned the music genre for video games, which accounts for about 11% of the industry's software sales.

Last year, "Guitar Hero" was the world's biggest-selling franchise, and "Guitar Hero World Tour" was the best-selling video game globally over the Christmas holiday. Continued...

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Pull Wii Games Off Shelves, Says Radio Pundit

Matt Peckham

Feb 11, 2009 6:42 pm

Michael Torchia wants Nintendo to yank Wii games from store shelves until the company makes "important changes" to its products, according to News Blaze. Torchia claims the games, which occasionally require wide-ranging physical motion, are "potentially dangerous."

Err...Michael who-huh?

You know. Michael "that radio talk show guy" Torchia. Operation Fitness? Motivational speaker? Children's Fitness Academy? Clientele like Matt Damon, Al Pacino, and Kevin Spacey?

Not ringing any bells?

I'd never heard of him either, but apparently he's taken it upon himself to warn us of the Wii's flaws and foibles. Nintendo can only remedy this, says Torchia, by slapping warning stickers on products, adding that "through slick advertising campaigns and product placements on popular television shows, children and adults are being brainwashed that Wii games are safe and effective ways to become physically fit."

"On the contrary, Nintendo is contributing to the epidemic of obesity. Young and old are putting away their gym clothes and shying away from going outdoors to play sports, because the addictive appeal to the Wii game products. Just as the tobacco companies created such a false image of their products and hid the potential dangers, so is Nintendo," says Torchia.

Let's see...so following Torchia's metaphor, Nintendo is like the tobacco companies, and the Wii is like cigarettes. Mm-hmm.

Torchia claims that "up to ten people a week are being hospitalized with injuries caused by playing Nintendo Wii games." I'm not sure where that's been scientifically documented, but the news appears to have sprung from Rupert Murdoch's The Sun, a tabloid daily published in the UK and Ireland known for its splashy, controversial headlines.

So...improper form while exercising can lead to injury. Who knew?

Just yesterday, I went running along a footpath covered in ice from all the recent snow here, which threw off my strides, in turn causing pain in my knees.

Whose fault's that? New Balance's? Because I was wearing their running shoes? Shoes without a catch-all "you might injure yourself if you run like a dope" safety warning?

Should Nintendo really pull its Wii games off shelves because players aren't adhering to the safety guidelines Nintendo already publishes?

And do we really need another class action lawsuit, like the one Torchia's reportedly preparing?

Matt Peckham exercises outdoors routinely and still breaks a sweat playing Dancing With the Stars. He's foxtrotting with two left feet at twitter.com/game_on.

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Artist tells dream stories at new exhibition

Artist tells dream stories at new exhibition

Painter Tran Thanh Canh’s Khu vuon bo quen (Forgotten garden) displayed at an exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City An exhibition of 36 paintings by student painter Tran Thanh Canh opened in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday.

Titled Nhung cau chuyen cua giac mo (Stories of the dream), the works are a combination of abstract style and modern digital printing techniques on do paper (traditional hand-made paper from northern Vietnam). With illusory names including Con ngua co tich (The horse from fairy tales), Khu vuon bo quen (Forgotten garden) and Hoa hong cho tinh yeu kiep truoc (Rose of love from a previous incarnation), the pictures are inspired by images and details taken from the artist’s dreams. Canh, who is a student of the HCMC University of Fine Arts, said he always expects to dream every time he goes to sleep. “A dream can be an embodiment of our memories, a sign or a message from the future,” Canh said. The event will continue until December 18 at the Van Gallery, located at 2B Chu Manh Trinh Street, District 1. Reported by Nghia Pham

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A different kind of flying

A different kind of flying

Singer Thuy Vu is flying an RC Helicopter he designed and built himself. He hopes to open a company to produce and sell the crafts soon. After making the smooth transition many famous Vietnamese singers make - from music to acting - Thuy Vu then became a pilot... well, sort of.

Singer Thuy Vu of Vietnam’s biggest boyband, AC&M, says his remote-controlled helicopter hobby isn’t all that different from performing. “Both make me fly,” says the handsome baritone. The public first became aware of Vu’s helicopter obsession when he flew one of his remote-control (RC) copters on the TV show Acapella last May. He says that while he only started flying RC helicopters a year ago, his fascination with aviation began as a child. “I built my first model airplane when I was six. It was made of ball-point pens and rubber bands.” Now, when he’s not performing or rehearsing, the 31-year-old heartthrob spends all his free time building and flying helicopters. “Flying RC helicopters outside makes me more tanned than other members of the band, so the spotlight has to focus more on me,” Vu jokes. Thinking big Vu now dreams of building, marketing and selling the first Made-inVietnam brand of RC helicopter. But he knows it won’t be easy. “An RC copter is not a toy. It’s a true aircraft that flies and operates by the same principles as a full scale aircraft,” he says. “The only difference is the size and weight.” “To fly them, you’ve got to learn to be a mechanic and pilot.” He says designing an aircraft takes skills that only apply to the aviation industry. “I had to spend a lot of time studying before I learned to fly... but seeing something built with my own hands flying through the air is the pinnacle of success,” Vu said. It took the singer-turned-actor a lot of time and money to build helicopters he’s proud of. Vu says that after performances, he often goes home and works on his helicopters until 3 a.m. “Most people would think it’s a mechanic’s house, not a singer's, because of all the noise made by machines,” he says. “This success is quite different from having a hit song.” He said that art was subjective and you could be successful by accident, whereas RC flying is different: your helicopter either soars or it doesn’t. “I’ve gained a lot more confidence since I began flying RC copters,” Vu says. He says that many who fly RC helicopters focus too much on the way the helicopter looks and their own flying skills, rather than on building a superior aircraft, which is his main goal. “The more I learn about flying, the deeper my passion becomes.” Vu says his Vietnamese RC helicopters are just as good as those made by leading producers from Taiwan, China and Japan. He’s sold a few to fanatics already, but hopes to export and supply to the wider domestic market soon. He reckons there are thousands of buyers in Vietnam alone. “The journey has just begun,” he says. Reported by Phuong Anh

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10 things we didn't know last week

• Posted on Friday at 16:40 UK time

Snippets from the week's news, sliced, diced and processed for your convenience.

1. The first trunk call made in the UK was by the Queen.
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2. Claims worth £40m are made each year to the Bank of England in relation to damaged banknotes.
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3. And two serial numbers must be legible for a damaged note to be exchanged at the bank.
(Ibid)

4. A street light costs about 15p a night to keep lit.
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5. The world's timekeeping is monitored by one man.
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6. And December 2008 will last one second longer than December 2007.

7. Motorways are five times safer than single-lane roads, according to the AA.
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8. The Sydney Opera House was inspired by a peeled orange.
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9. Shakespeare probably lost his sight.
More details (Daily Telegraph)

10. Spanish has overtaken German as the second most popular language taught in schools.
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Seen 10 things? Send us a picture to use next week. Thanks to Douglas Yates for this week's picture of 10 kittens with their foster mother.

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Warning over internet painkillers

By Emma Wilkinson Health reporter, BBC News

Celecoxib was one of the drugs found to be available online

UK experts have warned of the dangers of purchasing drugs online after a study showed wide availability of strong painkillers over the internet.

A team at Edinburgh University found 35 websites selling prescription-only pain drugs to UK customers without requiring a prescription.

Government regulators warned that buying medicines online could have "deadly" consequences.

The results appear in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.

By trawling for online pharmacy sites through Google and Yahoo search engines, the researchers found almost 100 selling medicines to UK consumers.

Almost half of those sold prescription-only painkillers but 76% did not require the customer to provide a valid prescription.

Six asked for a prescription but accepted a fax or email copy which the researchers said could be forged or modified.

Side-effects

The drugs available included opioids such as tramadol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, such as naproxen and celecoxib, commonly prescribed for conditions such as arthritis.

They can have severe side-effects and some should not be taken in conjunction with other medicines or in people with certain conditions, the researchers said.

At best you will be wasting your money and at worst they could be deadly Spokeswoman, MHRA

Co-proxamol - a drug which has been removed from the market in the UK due to concerns over the risk of overdose - was available from three websites.

The researchers did not take the final step of actually buying the medicines as they felt it would not be ethical.

Study author Professor David Webb, an expert in clinical pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh, said these were drugs that people should not be taking without advice from a doctor, but they were available with a couple of clicks of the mouse.

"We were surprised at how many sites you could go to and find, in some cases, quite potent painkillers that have addictive potential and that you could get them without prescription."

He added: "The regulators are very aware of this problem and it is not one they can easily manage.

"But there certainly needs to be some sort of international agreement."

Illegal sales

A spokeswoman for the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, said although the sale of prescription only medicines without a proper patient consultation was illegal it was not illegal to buy medicines online.

"But we strongly advise people that buying drugs or slimming products from the internet is not a good idea, unless buying from a website that has a Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) internet pharmacy logo.

"At best you will be wasting your money and at worst they could be deadly.

"You don't know what these products contain and you don't know in what conditions they have been made."

The RPSGB launched their logo scheme for bone fide pharmacy websites at the beginning of 2008.

Priya Sejpal, RPSGB head of professional ethics, said: "Internet pharmacy undoubtedly offers patients easy access and choice, but it also brings increased risk.

"There are a growing number of unregulated suppliers operating online with no professional qualifications or healthcare expertise.

"In many cases, medicines purchased from such suppliers are counterfeit, substandard or unapproved new drugs."

Dr Joan Hester, consultant in pain medicine at King's College Hospital in London and president of the British Pain Society said she had not heard of patients buying painkillers on the internet but they were clearly widely available online.

She warned that long-term use of opioids could lead to addiction and serious side-effects.

"In the right dose at the right time opioid analgesics can undoubtedly improve function and quality of life, but in large constant doses, especially if unmonitored, the effect of them can be disastrous."

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Edward VIII's links to a mystic

Edward VIII pictured in November 1936 shortly before his abdication

Further evidence has emerged that King Edward VIII was seeing a mystic during the abdication crisis, prompting the Archbishop of Canterbury to intervene.

Previously undisclosed archives tell the story of a king in the grip of a man known as "The Yorkshire Yogi".

Dr Alexander Cannon trained as a medic, and dabbled in alternative treatments, mystic techniques and black magic.

Lambeth Palace was tipped off that the King was receiving hypnotic treatment from Dr Cannon for a drink problem.

The new archive evidence is examined by reporter Sean Stowell in BBC Radio 4's The Archive Hour.

Would you kindly tell me whether you think this Dr Cannon is a really trustworthy person? Dr Cosmo Laing, Archbishop of Canterbury

Edward VIII reigned for only 11 months, abdicating in December 1936 so that he could marry the American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

The marriage was opposed by politicians of the day and would have caused a constitutional crisis if he had remained on the throne.

Archbishop's concerns

The allegation about the King's contact at that time with Dr Cannon was made in a letter from a country vicar to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Cosmo Laing.

The Archbishop began an investigation into the claims and alerted the prime minister about his concerns.

In a letter dated 9 December 1936, Dr Laing wrote to William Brown, a Harley Street doctor, that he had been "informed by a credible person that a certain Dr Cannon... has been recently attending the King…

"Would you kindly tell me whether you think this Dr Cannon is a really trustworthy person? He seems from the accounts I have received to be one who encourages somewhat dangerous methods of treatment."

Dr Alexander Cannon was investigated by the security services

The Lambeth Palace documents have been studied in detail by the programme reporter, Sean Stowell, and Roger Sims, an archivist at the Manx Museum who has led the research into Cannon.

Mr Sims said: "It was believed that Cannon was having an adverse influence on the King, who was at that time under considerable pressure and who was having various treatments for various problems.

"They're very concerned about the influence Cannon is having on the King. He's an unorthodox medical practitioner and is becoming quite close to the King, a confidant."

Exotic remedies

Dr Cannon was the subject of an MI5 investigation and then an establishment cover-up before settling in virtual exile in the Isle of Man, where he put on magic shows and psychic performances.

Taped recordings of Dr Cannon reveal some of his beliefs and theories, from how to be happy to the secret behind magic-carpet journeys across Asia.

They were discovered at the home of an amateur magician on the Isle of Man and are now in the Manx Museum.

He employed two assistants, Joyce and Rhonda Deronda, who helped with performances.

One act involved putting Rhonda into a hypnotic trance to diagnose physical and psychological problems, as she glared at the patient.

The mystery was achieved against the background of exotic music and incense.

Dr Cannon was renowned for prescribing exotic remedies for stress, alcoholism, sex and confidence problems.

Treatments included electrotherapies and Tibetan hypnosis techniques, learned while Dr Cannon was a prison doctor in China.

Joyce Deronda was one of Dr Alexander Cannon's assistants

He lived at the neo Gothic mansion, Ballamore Castle, and his flamboyant lifestyle and love of black, a flowing cape and winged collars led a judge on the island to describe him as "eccentric".

Before he moved to the Isle of Man, Dr Cannon practised in central London, with consulting rooms near Harley Street.

Further evidence of the King's links to Dr Cannon come in a recorded interview with Piers Compton, the former literary editor of The Universe Catholic newspaper.

He said he had been told that King Edward was in the grip of "the leader of black magic in England", who had been called in to treat him for drunkenness.

Mysticism was all the rage in the cocktail set of the 1930s. The rich and famous made Dr Cannon a wealthy man, spending a small fortune on treatments at his consulting rooms.

In another archived interview, a socialite of the day, John Gastor, said the King had been "entrapped and ensnared" by Dr Cannon.

Lambeth Palace was tipped off just as the news broke about the King's relationship with Mrs Simpson.

Eleven days later, the King abdicated.

His biographer Philip Zeigler, said it was probable the King did receive treatment from "the Yorkshire Yogic", but his major influence remained Mrs Simpson and not Dr Cannon.

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Common but delicious

Common but delicious

An appealing feast of bun goi da (rice vermicelli with broth) served in My Xuyen Town of Soc Trang Province Bun goi da (rice vermicelli with broth) is a specialty of the Mekong Delta’s Soc Trang Province.

The local specialty of My Xuyen, a small town about five kilometers northeast of Soc Trang Town, is a delicious dish called bun goi da. Nobody knows when the dish was invented or who named it but locals of My Xuyen often recommend it to visitors. I recently tried bun goi da at a small restaurant in My Xuyen. My friend, a local resident, told me this dish was becoming more popular. He said it is now available in Can Tho City at some bistros on Xo Viet Nghe Tinh and Hai Ba Trung streets, and is even on the menu at the city’s luxury restaurant of Hoang Cung (Royal) near Ninh Kieu Wharf, which serves Asian and European dishes. What makes bun goi da attractive to many diners is its broth with a characteristic sweet taste. Many sellers in Soc Trang say this sweet taste is created by pork and shrimp. A good bowl of bun goi da must have sweet and pure broth. The broth, with white vermicelli, red shrimp, brownish-yellow slices of pork and green spring onion, makes the dish especially eye-catching. Spices also make the dish appealing. Most diners believe a small amount of sour tamarind and salty soybean paste is used for its broth. Almost every restaurant in the Mekong Delta serves it with a small bowl of tamarind paste and peanuts. The peanuts, whole or crushed, increase the fattiness of the broth. Bun goi da should be accompanied only with fresh bean sprouts. The bean sprouts balance the sweet and fatty tastes of the broth, thus making it easier to eat. In My Xuyen, a bowl of bun goi da is sold for VND8,000- 12,000 (US$0.50-0.80). In Can Tho, it is VND18,000-25,000 ($1.10-1.60) a bowl. Reported by Diem Thu

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HCMC tops Asia’s office property market

HCMC tops Asia’s office property market

Ho Chi Minh City was ranked the best market for office properties among big Asian cities, followed by Tokyo, Mumbai, Shanghai and Bangalore, a survey showed Tuesday.

The southern Vietnamese hub was also rated on top for retail and apartment residential property, the survey conducted by US research institute Urban Land Institute and PricewaterhouseCoopers stated. The survey, based on 180 respondents ranging from global investors, property developers and brokers, was conducted between the middle of August to October. Tokyo takes the top spot for next year's real estate investment prospects, with many foreign investors seeking opportunities in Japan's beleaguered property market. Tokyo moved up to the first place after being rated third in the past two years, while Shanghai dropped to fifth from last year's top slot. Source: Reuters

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At midtown restaurant Rouge Tomate, less is more

Tuesday, December 2nd 2008, 4:00 AM

Sunshine for News

The interior of Rouge Tomate.

10 E. 60th St., between Fifth and Madison, (212) 237-8977; Open seven days, noon-4:30 p.m., 5:30-10:30 p.m.; CUISINE: Modern American; VIBE: Glossy culinary spa; OCCASION Midtown lunch, business dinner, detox dining; DON'T MISS DISH: Arctic char, yellowjack crudo, rabbit with chestnut pasta; PRICE: Appetizers $10, entrees $20, desserts $10; RESERVATIONS Accepted in downstairs dining room. Different menu in upstairs cafe; both equally good.

There are 393 calories in the rabbit Fleischnacke at Rouge Tomate. The nutritionist counted. How many restaurants do you know that have a nutritionist?

Fleischnacke is German for minced meat rolled in pasta and cooked in a stock. At Rouge Tomate, this means farm-raised, braised rabbit rolled up in chestnut pasta and sautéed in rabbit jus. None of the ingredients requires quotation marks.

There's not a mock anything anywhere in this dish. Those 393 calories also include a celery root purée, roasted celery root, roasted chestnuts, chestnut foam and a salad of apples, celery leaves and tarragon.

And that's one of the more caloric dishes on the menu.

My favorite appetizer - the celery root and almond panna cotta - is only 155 calories. The panna cotta is made with unhomogenized whole milk and topped with lots of peekytoe crab, grapefruit segments and fresh tarragon. The calories matter, but only because the food is so exceptional.

Usually the thought of self-consciously healthy food makes me depressed - so depressed I get the urge to curl up with a jar of peanut butter and a spoon.

But I don't feel that way at Rouge Tomate, even though they've replaced most of the fats we associate with haute cuisine. Take butter, cheese and cream away from most chefs and they would throw their hands up in despair. But Jeremy Bearman, chef at Rouge Tomate, has had a few good mentors, including Joel Robuchon and Daniel Boulud.

Here's how it works: Take the lobster à la plancha with green fennel risotto. Usually, what binds a risotto together is butter and cheese. Instead, Bearman uses fennel stock, fennel purée, fennel juice and fennel-fronds purée - the quintessence of fennel. He finishes the dish with sauce Americaine, a brandy-spiked lobster stock with a splash of Pernod. These are robust flavors and you never pine for the absent fats.

Rouge Tomate adheres to an 85-page S.P.E. charter - Latin for Sanitas Per Escam. That means health through food, a phrase that comes from Emmanuel Verstraeten, the founder of the original Rouge Tomate in Brussels. What this really means is sourcing, preparation and enhancement. It's the cult of culinary balance - the balance of taste and nutrition - not a bad cult to be in. But it's bigger than that.

Rouge Tomate may be a prototype for a restaurant of the future - a new way of thinking, a new way of eating, a new way of dining out.

Let me just point out some of the highlights of this wonderful menu: squab and slow-roasted faro salad; Arctic char with smoked sea salt and Asian pear sorbet; and yellowtail amberjack crudo with vanilla salt, a mung bean salad, crispy ginger, kaffir lime and fresh tropical fruit.

There's also dessert, which is where you would really mourn the missing calories. Except you don't here. The chocolate and banana tasting is 272 calories - a chocolate and caramelized banana napoleon, roasted baby banana split and a teacup of rich hot cocoa. James Distefano, the pastry chef, makes a terrific parfait with yogurt, fresh huckleberries, candied lemon and a chamomile crisp. In fact, the only dessert that doesn't work is the Hudson Valley apple soup.

I hope Rouge Tomate is going to be here for a long, long time. Especially if Jeremy Bearman stays in the kitchen.

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