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Registering a Domain Name
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Love hotels are still far cheaper than regular hotels. The rate for the average time (3 hours) is 4,500 yen and a one-night stay is 7,500 yen. When it is this cheap and there is a huge bath and amenities, it is a lot better than staying at a regular hotel.
Another trend is that love hotels are no longer just for sex. The room atmosphere is more relaxing. The bathroom is as big as the main bedroom. Saunas, jacuzzis, karaoke, DVDs, plasma TVs, games, massage chairs and food and drink services are now a matter of course. To stay competitive, hotels are continuously adding more value.
Japan has introduced a "New Public Morals Act" intended to regulate love hotels and the sex trade. Hotels which have "facilities not required for the basic purposes of guest lodging" are now categorized as "sex-related businesses" and can only operate in specially designated red light districts such as Shinjuku's Kabuki-cho or the Susukino area of Sapporo. For hotels in the
suburbs, that generally means no more revolving beds, vibrating chairs, or mirrors
larger than one square meter. The hotels have kept up their gaudy facades, but
except for the red light districts, the insides are much plainer now.
The
"New Public Morals Act" came about in large part because the Japanese
government was embarrassed by the amount of foreign media coverage that Japan's
sex trade and child pornography were receiving so they cracked down on both.
Unfortunately, they didn't realise we liked the love hotels.
People who visited a love hotel just five years ago will be surprised how different the experience of today is. Karaoke, DVD libraries that are not just porn (but mostly porn), video game consoles and big screen TV's are now standard equipment. The word 'fukeiki' (recession) was on the lips of every love hotel manager that we visited while writing this story, and they are all trying to outdo each other in terms of providing services and free gifts to the customers. Gang Snowman in Minami Osaka serves complimentary soft ice cream cones to every guest. Most hotels also have member's cards that let frequent users get a discount.
If you've never been to a love hotel before, there are three prices. The first
is for a "rest". In Osaka, the 'rest' price is usually for one hour.
In Tokyo, it's usually for two or three. (Obviously, the sexual stamina of Osakans
is inferior to that of Tokyoites). The more expensive price is for an overnight
"stay". Unfortunately, you can't usually check in until nine or ten
pm. If you want to check in before that, you will have to pay for an extension,
usually 1000-2000 yen per half-hour, which can really add up.
The third price is "Service Time" or "Free Time". Service
time is offered during the day, and the price of a rest is deeply discounted.
Free time is a sort of "Sex hoo dai" (All you can screw) where you
can stay as long as you want for a fixed price. Your "staying power"
will determine whether this is worth the price or not.
Love hotels always seem to end up costing more than you expect. There is usually a mysterious 10% 'service charge' and also 10% surcharges if you are staying on a Friday or Saturday night or national holiday as well as 5% sales tax. Count on the final price being about 25% more than what is listed on the room board if you are staying on a weekend and be careful to check whether you're paying by the hour or not.
There are still a few hotels where a grey, liver-spotted hand reaches out through the curtains to take your money when you enter, but most hotels have gone high-tech and have automated the payment system. After you choose your room at the display board in the lobby (just push the button of the room you want) you'll be given a paper card with the room number on it. When you're ready to leave, you put this card in the slot of the control panel near the door and push the "av" (total) button. Your room charges will be automatically added up and you put your money into another slot in the panel. At hotels using this system, you are often locked into your room until you pay.
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Olive oil has been a part of Mediterranean life for over 3000 years. The Greeks prized it not just as food, but for many other things. In fact, anyone who cut down an olive tree, was punished by death. Olive oil is rich in vitamins E and A and is a great antioxidant.
Today, olive oil is the most essential and basic key to most Sicilian and Italian foods. In Italy, over 93% of the population use it. In the United States, the right olive oil tastes so good, people eat it by dipping bread in it. Others flavor and season it with cracked pepper, hot pepper, basil, garlic and rosemary. The deeper the color of the olive oil, the heavier the taste. You generally want to use lighter oil for frying (as it takes on the taste of the oil) and the extra virgin olive oil for salads, dipping bread and vegetables. No kitchen (Italian or not) should be without it. While it is said that the greatest Italian olive oils come from the region of Tuscany, Sicily can rival many of those with its consistent gold medal winning olive oil from the Radiva Estate.
Italians and the Greeks are not the only great producers of Olive Oil. The Spaniards and even the French have gotten in on the action. And of course, California now rivals Europe and the rest of the world when it comes to olive oil and wine as well.
Keys to Selecting, Buying & Using Olive Oil:
Colors don't always matter (unless it is very very light), oils from different grades, qualities and regions will vary in color
Choose one with a recent date, after a year on the shelf or in your pantry, it will deteriorate. Don't bother to buy an olive oil if its 2 years old unless its a very high quality oil (say $40/bottle) and you can get a great deal on it (something less than $30).
Buy only those in a darker bottle, as sun and light effect the color and quality
Always wipe the neck of the bottle of the olive oil, as the oil left on the neck and exposed to air/light can effect the taste and quality of the rest of the oil in the bottle. If you can find one of those bartender pouring spouts from your local liquor store, this is helpful.
Estate bottled extra olive oil will always be superior to and 'supermarket' or name brand extra virgin olive oil
If you can, buy olive oil from the same region as the dish you are cooking. For example, if you are cooking risotto, use an olive oil from Tuscany. If you are making a Sicilian dish, use olive oil from Sicily. Again, this is not always possible, and you may not have room on your shelf for 25 different olive oils from all the different regions, but its something to consider if you want to buy a small bottle of olive oil from Sicily, and make a nice spread of Sicilian foods for a dinner party and such.
Frying foods: While they often say that you should fry foods in the lightest oil possible, olive oil adds the most flavor, it is also the fat that deteriorates least when frying. ]]>
Tew is reportedly on the verge of launching a second site called Pixelotto. Instead of selling each pixel for $1, he plans to sell each pixel for $2, plus hold some kind of lottery where the winner who clicks the right advertisement will win $1 million.
What he has done this time - the base concept remains the same, Pixelotto has 1,000,000 pixels of ad space, this each pixel sells at $2, instead of $1.
How you can win a million dollar?
The extra $1 will be put into a prize fund for the winner of Pixelotto. A month after all the ad space is sold, one ad is selected at random and a winner is chosen from all those people who clicked that selected ad. A millionaire is made! The winner will also get to nominate a charity of their choice to receive $100,000.
It is actually a really smart idea. Here is why:
1. It is Drop Dead Simple
2. He will get tons of free press since he had the first idea (You just gave him a major boost).
3. He will get traffic and participation because he is holding a “lotto”
4. People with time to kill will be clicking on ads all day trying to win.
5. It is a good value for advertising for businesses trying to reach a wide audience of general internet users.
Seems, Alex is on his way to earn another million.
The only flaw I see in the new idea is that the traffic will not be targeted and people will only click on ads because they will want to win the $1M prize, which means the clicks will most probably not convert to sales…
Good luck Alex, I’ll be sticking around to see what happens.
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"Grappa" is a fragrant grape-based pomace brandy of between 40% and 60% alcohol by volume (80 to 120 proof), of Italian origin. Literally a word for "grape stalk", grappa is made by distilling pomace, grape residue (primarily the skins, but also stems and seeds) left over from winemaking after pressing. It was originally made to prevent wastage by using leftovers at the end of the wine season. It quickly became commercialised, mass-produced, and sold worldwide. The flavour of grappa, like that of wine, depends on the type and quality of the grape used as well the specifics of the distillation process.
In Italy, grappa is primarily served as a "digestivo" or after dinner drink. Its purpose is to aid in the digestion of the heavy Italian meals. Grappa may also be added to espresso coffee to create a caffè corretto. Another variation of this is the "amazza caffè" (literally, "coffee-killer"): the espresso is drunk first, followed by a few ounces of grappa served in its own glass.
Among the most well-known producers of grappa are Nonino (the Nonino family of Friuli produces some of Italy's highest quality grappas), Sibona, Nardini and Jacopo Poli. While these grappas are produced in significant quantities and exported, there are many thousands of smaller local and regional grappas, all with distinct character.
Most grappa is clear, indicating that it is an un-aged distillate, though some may retain very faint pigments from their original fruit pomace. Lately, aged grappas have become more common, and these take on a yellow, or red-brown hue from the barrels in which they are stored.
A grappa that has been aged in oak will have a golden tint. A riserva or stravecchia is aged at least one year, but many grappas are aged for two years or more. Most grappas are blends of different grapes but the monovitigno, one grape-variety, has become popular, true to wine-making tradition in the Piedmont region.
It is best to drink a young grappa lightly chilled in a tall thin glass. Aged varieties are better at room temperature from a brandy snifter. Grappa bottles range in size and many unusual shapes but the color of glass is as crystal clear as the liquor itself.
To many Italians, despite the elegant packaging, grappa remains a folk remedy for toothache, bronchitus, rheumatism and indigestion. When it is done, the spent pomice is pressed into cakes, dried and used as fuel for the still. The ashes are returned to the vineyard as fertilizer and so the natural cycle is completed. ]]>
Italian wines are those produced in Italy, the oldest wine producing region, and are considered to be among the most prestigious wines in the world.
Depending on the vintage, Italy is the world's largest or second largest producer of wine, along with France (each country is generally the source of around 1/5 of the world's overall production). In 2005, Italy was second globally, producing about 20% of the global production of wine compared to France, which produced 22%.
In 2005, Italy's share in dollar value of table wine imports into the U.S. was 32%, Australia's was 24%, and France's was 20%. Italian and Australian share has rapidly increased in recent years (Ewing & McCarthy).
Wine is a popular beverage in Italy. Many Italians drink it with every meal and in-between, and offer it to guests as soon as they arrive. Grapes are grown in almost every part of Italy, with more than 1 million vineyards under cultivation. Each region is proud of its carefully tended, neatly pruned vines. In some places the vines are trained along low supports. In others they climb as slender saplings. The people of each region are also proud of the wine they make from their own grapes.
Most winemaking in Italy is done in modern wineries. But villagers, making wine for their own use, sometimes tread the grapes with their bare feet until the juice is squeezed out. They believe this ancient method still makes the best wine.
As far as generalizations can be made, Italian wines tend to be acidic, dry, light-to-medium bodied, and subdued in flavour and aroma. Because of these characteristics, Italian wines are, in general, a better accompaniment to food than they are beverages to be enjoyed on their own.
From lush, deep red Chiantis to light, fruity Bardolinos, Italy produces some of the world's best red wine. Perfect to add extra luster to Italy's rich cuisine, Italian red wines offer variety, quality, and style.
Italy has very diverse wine-growing regions. The cool, mountainous northern region of Piedmont produces crisp, austere wines, whereas the sunny, temperate central region of Tuscany yields bold, lusty, full-bodied sensations. Italian wines have a complexity and earthiness that reflects the soil, the unique Italian grape varietals, and Italian winemaker craft. Over sixty percent of the wine grown in Italy is red wine. Chianti, Amarone, Barolo, or Barbaresco: Italy offers a myriad of tasty choices.
Major Italian Red Wines: Bold, Full-bodied, and Delicious
Sangiovese - Italy's claim to fame, the pride of Tuscany. Its wines are full of cherry fruit, earth, and cedar. It produces Chianti Classico, Rosso di Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montepulciano, Montefalco Rosso, and many, many others.
Nebbiolo - The most noble of Italy's varietals. The name (meaning "little fog") refers to the autumn fog that blankets most of Piedmont where it is grown, a condition the grape seems to enjoy. It is a somewhat difficult varietal to master, but produces the world renowned Barolo and Barbaresco, along with the lesser-known Sfortzato, Ghemme, and Gattinara. The wines are known for their elegance and bouquet of wild mushroom, truffle, roses, and tar.
Montepulciano - The grape of this name is not to be confused with the Tuscan town of Montepulciano; it is most widely planted on the opposite coast in Abruzzo. Its wines can run the gamut of easy quaffers to world class, with silky plum-like fruit, friendly acidity, and light tannin.
Barbera - The most widely grown red wine grape of Piedmont, most famously around the towns of Alba and Asti. The wines of barbera were once simply "what you drank while waiting for the Barolo to be ready." With a new generation of wine makers, this is no longer the case. The wines are now meticulously vinified, aged in French barrique, and intended for the international market. Expect bright cherry fruit, a very dark color, and a food-friendly acidity.
Corvina - Along with the varietals rondinella and molinara, this is the principal grape which makes the famous wines of the Veneto: Valpolicella and Amarone. In Valpolicella, you will find dark cherry fruit and spicy. After the grapes undergo passito (a drying process), the Amarone they yield is elegant, dark, and full of raisinated fruits. Some Amarones can age for 40+ years.
Nero d'Avola - Nearly unheard of in the international market until recent years, this native varietal of Sicily is gaining attention for its robust, inky wines.
Dolcetto - A grape that grows alongside barbera and nebbiolo in Piedmont, its name means "little sweet one"", referring not to the taste of the wine, but the ease in which it grows and makes great wines, suitable for everyday drinking. Flavors of concord grape, wild blackberries and herbs permeate the wine.
Negroamaro - The name literally means "black and bitter". A widely planted grape with its concentration in the region of Puglia, it is the backbone of the acclaimed Salice Salentino: spicy, toasty, and full of dark red fruits.
Aglianico - Considered the "noble varietal of the south," it is primarily grown in Campania and Basilicata. The name is derived from hellenic, so it is considered a Greek transplant. Thick skinned and spicy, the wines are both rustic and powerful.
Sagrantino - A native to Umbria, it is only planted on 250 hectares, but the wines are world-renowned. Inky purple, with rustic brooding fruit and heavily tannic, these wines can age for many years.
Amarone
Made from air-dried, predominantly Corvina, grapes, Amarone is produced in the northern Veneto region near Venice, using the "recioto" method. This technique involves picking the "ears," or those grapes that protrude at the outside of a cluster and are most exposed to the sun. The result is a bold, full-bodied wine in a style more common to warm growing areas. Once picked, grapes are air-dried for three to four months, causing them to shrivel and further concentrate their flavors. Grapes lose up to a third of their mass, mostly water, during this process causing the resultant wine to have a high (15-16%) alcohol content. Amarones are aged for five years or more before bottling. Some, but not all, are aged in oak barrels. Amarone (the name means big, bitter one) is lush and complex. It has a powerful, concentrated, almost Port-like texture with hints of mocha. Best when paired with food, Amarone is ideal with roasted beef or pork and also with cheeses.
Barolo
A well-made Barolo is one of the world's greatest red wines. Big, powerful and full-bodied with a complex mixture of tastes and textures - wild strawberry, tobacco, chocolate, and vanilla, - Barolo gets better and better with age. Frequently referred to as "the king of wines," Barolo is austere and tannic in its youth and requires many years (three years minimum by law) of aging to soften it. Barolo is improved by decanting. Barolo is made in the Langhe Hills region of Piedmont, entirely of Nebbiolo grapes. Nebbiolo is a difficult grape to grow well. It thrives in the region's clay, limestone, and sandy soil, preferring to be planted on sunny, south-facing hillsides. Barolo is a perfect accompaniment to substantial meats, rich pastas, and creamy risottos.
Chianti
Chianti has come a long way from its image of wicker-wrapped bottles with candle drippings alongside a plate of spaghetti. Once cheaply and hastily made, today's Chiantis are well-crafted. Produced in Tuscany, in central Italy near Florence, Chianti is a government-controlled wine designation. That means all of the wine called Chianti has to be made within the Chianti area. Chianti is produced from primarily Sangiovese grapes, sometimes combined with a little Cabernet Franc, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon. Chianti is subtle and less harsh than a Cabernet Sauvignon and more elegant than a Zinfandel or a Syrah. It has a high acidity and hints of plum and wild cherry. Chianti and any tomato-based sauce are a classic wine and food pairing, but Chianti also goes well with a steak or other grilled meat. Chianti is one of the best well-known Italian wine in the world. It comes from a large area of Tuscany, shared in eight smaller: the best one is Chianti Classico (protected by special laws). This wine is made above all of Sangiovese and (in a little part) of Canaiolo Nero. Normally Chianti has fruity scent and taste dry and soft. The quality of this wine depends, above all, on winery. One of my preferred Chianti was the Ruffino Riserva Ducale Oro. A whine that ages well - so well that for my 40th Birthday I opened a 1958 bottle and it was still good. I am now hoping that the one I will open for my 50th birthday will preserve...
Barbaresco
Barbaresco is Barolo's near neighbor and stylistic soul mate. Barbaresco is also produced from Nebbiolo grapes, but tends to be softer and slightly more graceful. Less than half as much Barbaresco is made each year as Barolo. There are just three, small growing regions for Barbaresco compared to Barolo's eleven. Barbaresco, too, requires aging - a minimum of two years and up to twenty years -to meet its full potential. In general, Barbaresco is drinkable a little sooner than Barolo. It also pairs well with red meat and the rich food of Piedmont.
Bardolino
Bardolino is a light style, fruit-filled wine made in the Veneto region of Italy. Named after the town of Bardolino on Lake Garda, this wine has faint cherry flavors and just a hint of spiciness. Like Amarone, Bardolino is crafted, primarily from Corvina grapes. Sometimes made into a dry, rose, sparkling wine called "chiaretto," Bardolino is best served chilled. Bardolino goes nicely with fish seafood as well as light meat entrees, pasta, and pizza.
Brunello di Montalcino
Montalcino is Tuscany's second most famous wine zone, after Chianti. In terms of quality, however, it is the star. Montalcino is a small, medieval town just outside of the town of Siena. The wine district there is a warm, sunny, hilly area with few extremes in temperature the ideal conditions for grapes to ripen to their fullest. The cool evenings there insure a high acidity. Brunello di Montalcino is created entirely from Sangiovese grapes. Brunello, "the nice, dark one" in local dialect, is Tuscany's most expensive, rarest, and longest-lived wine. By Italian wine law, Brunello must be aged longer than any other wine - a minimum of four years. Brunello is subtle with overtones of blackberry, black cherry, chocolate, sweet vanilla. Drink it with the hearty dishes of Tuscany. Pick up a young Bardolino for dinner or invest in a Brunello to stock away for that special event. Italy's red wines are suitable for all occasions. If you haven't yet tried an Amarone or a Barbaresco, make it a priority. You're in for a pleasant discovery.
Vino nobile di Montepulciano
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Tuscany) comes form Sangiovese grape. It ages about two years (three for "riserva" version) in wood barrels. This red wine taste full bodied.
Other major red varieties are Ciliegolo, Gaplioppo, Lagrein, Lambrusco, Monica, Nerello Mascalese, Pignolo, Refosco, Schiava, Schiopettino, Teroldego, and Uva di Troia.
]]>"In organising Vinitaly Japan, we exploited the experience that VeronaFiere has already gained over many years of operations in the Far East, Russia and the USA to become an integrated promotion system operating 365 a year to serve all companies seeking internationalisation," said Giovanni Mantovani, Director General of VeronaFiere. "This mission in Japan, among other things," Mantovani concluded, "anticipates the 8th edition of Vinitaly China, scheduled in Shanghai next 23-25 November".
In Japan, Italian wines enjoy high positioning and the current increase in consumption must be sustained through wine culture events such as those organised within the scope of Vinitaly Japan that promote the best Italian wines and their history - features that perfectly match Japan's millennial culture. The Japanese, among other things, are well-informed consumers and like to know as much as possible about products.
Naohisa Muto, President of Clio International, a company importing Italian wines by now for 12 years, is convinced of this. "We opted for Italian wines," said Muto, "because they are the best in terms of characteristics, quality level, cost, traditions and the nature of the people who make and promote them".
The Japanese," said Muto, "prefer full-bodied, fruity and sapid wines with a hint of barrique. They generally enjoy wines in restaurants and hotels, that are still the ideal outlets for Italian products, while supermarkets may attract new consumers to different types wine than those currently available".
Commercial prospects are very interesting, since in Japan - which does not boast its own wine-making traditions - more than two thirds of the population over-18 drinks wine. Average annual consumption is currently only 2 litres per capita, although the Japanese who drink wine customarily have consumption levels similar to those in Europe.]]>
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