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Wedding chapels are not just for quick Las Vegas weddings anymore. Busy engaged couples are looking for alternatives to the stressful, time-consuming and often overly expensive traditional wedding. Planning a traditional wedding tends to come with a large headache and even larger price tag. In addition, with the growing trend in destination weddings, it has become a definite advantage to find a full-service wedding chapel that will handle all the details of a couple's wedding in the very location in which they plan to honeymoon. No longer the vanguard of drunken, late night, tacky  Vegas weddings, the wedding chapel has finally become respectable. A couple can have a very nice wedding with the trimmings of their choice for less hassle and a lot less money. Wedding chapels are popping up in many popular tourist locations across the country. For instance, a couple can now be married in a rustic chapel hidden away in the attractive Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Another choice is a quaint beach chapel tucked away in Key West. Even if a couple wants a gorgeous wedding with Hawaii as the backdrop, there are now wedding chapels to make those dreams a reality for the bride and groom.These wedding chapels are similar to those in Vegas in that they offer different wedding packages that include the ceremony, flowers, music, candles, photos, etc. But these wedding chapels go further. For an additional price, a couple can have limo services, cherubic flower girls, sumptuous wedding cakes, bridal wear, invitations and wedding favors. Some will even decorate the chapel in the bride's desired colors. The options are endless and designed to take the wedding chapel experience to a whole new level. This is a great way to have a dream wedding without the all the fuss we associate with a traditional wedding.  Many other services are also provided by these wedding chapels. The wedding chapels will assist the happy couple in obtaining the marriage license for the particular state in which the wedding chapel is located so that when the couple arrives, everything is in order for the ceremony. If a couple desires to have a reception following the service, many wedding chapels have partnered with attractive and affordable locations to host the post-wedding celebration.Wedding chapel owners can be depended upon to suggest a great place to stay, whether ir be a secluded cabin or a romantic B&B. They can tell couples and their wedding guest of excellent places to dine or shop and what attractions in the area are worth seeing.  Wedding chapel owners have realized the importance of being connected for their client's convenience and are capitalizing on the advantage of being able to provide every detail of the perfect wedding. No matter what that may be for each couple, it can be provided at a reasonable price. Memorable weddings can now be had for couples of every type of budget and taste.Some chapels even offer the theme weddings that are so popular in Las Vegas. A couple can have a haunted wedding, a pirate wedding or some other interesting theme. Wedding chapels have come into fashion in a big way. And the good news is that if a couple still has their hearts set on being married by Elvis, there will always be a wedding chapel to accomodate them.    

The joke in the newspaper used to go something like, ‘Man Bites Dog.’ It was meant to be a play on the well-known scenario of the dog chasing the postman or the dog chasing the door-to-door salesman.

Regrettably, the truth is that there are 4.7 million dog bites in the United States reported by victims each year. In fact, 800,000 Americans seek medical assistance following dog bites and 386,000 are treated in hospital emergency rooms due to dog bites. Unbelievably, about a dozen people die annually in the United States as a result of dog bites.

A particularly frightening part of this scenario is that children account for the highest number of victims of dog bites. Children ages five to nine account for the single largest group injured by dogs. As children get older, they report fewer dog bites.

Tragically, nearly two-thirds of the injuries from bites to children four years and younger are to the head and neck regions. Also, statistics show boys are involved in many more of these incidents than girls.

Health organizations throughout the country are working with state and local governments to educate the public about preventing dog bites. An important function of these programs is to nationally tracking trends on dog bites. Also, state and local agencies are being urged to begin reaching out to explain to the public what can be done to prevent this largely preventable public health problem.

There are recommended steps families can take before bringing a dog into your home. Most importantly, consult a veterinarian or dog breeder to try and determine what might be a suitable breed for your home.

Of course, any individual dog with a history of aggression is dangerous to have in a home with children. Also, try to “read” your children to discover whether they are fearful or worried about having a dog in their house. If they seem to be, delay acquiring a dog.

Experts also suggest spending time with a dog prior to purchasing or adopting it. Additionally, use extreme caution when introducing a dog into a home with an infant or toddler.

One of the benefits of spaying or neutering a dog is it seems to reduce aggressive tendencies in the animal. Also, by avoiding playing aggressive games with a dog, such as wrestling and “rough housing,” you may avoid future problems.

All dogs kept in a home need to learn to socialize and accept discipline such as rolling over to expose its abdomen and giving up kitchen food without growling. Also, remember to immediately seek advice from a veterinarian or breeder if a dog suddenly shows signs of aggressive or other inappropriate behavior.

Other do’s and don’ts for a child to be taught about dogs include:
>Do not approach an unfamiliar dog.
>Do not run from a dog and scream.
>Remain motionless (e.g., “be still like a tree”) when approached by an unfamiliar dog.
>If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and lie still (e.g., “be still like a log”).
>Do not play with a dog unless supervised by an adult.
>Immediately report stray dogs or dogs displaying unusual behavior to an adult.
>Avoid direct eye contact with a dog.
>Do not disturb a dog who is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies.
>Do not pet a dog without allowing it to see and sniff you first.
>If bitten, immediately report the bite to an adult.

For many people, their dog is a member of their family. However, keep in mind that a dog is an animal and can never behave in ways which are as predictable or consistent as human beings. Use common sense and caution to keep your loved ones safe around dogs.

Maybe you've thought about starting dreadlocks, a gorgeous hairstyle that is rich in history and speaks to the natural beauty of African hair. Locks can also be formed on non-African hair textures, and provide a unique alternative to more traditional hairstyles.

But they're a major commitment, and sometimes, a commitment you might not be ready to make. So if you're interested in starting locks but aren't quite ready to take the plunge, consider two-strand twists.

Two-strand twists, sometimes called Senegalese twists, are formed by dividing the hair into sections, then taking each section and dividing it in half, leaving two sections of hair you wrap around each other. The end result is a rope-like strand of hair that should stay twisted if you have coarse/curly to tightly coiled hair.
The benefits of twists over dreadlocks are many. While they have a similar look to locks, they are not permanent. They can be removed at any time, whereas dreadlocks, once formed, generally have to be cut off to be removed.

They are also an incredibly easy style to maintain. Once you twist your hair, you basically don't have to do much in the way of styling it until you wash it next. If you wash your hair once a week, that means spending a couple of hours twisting your hair after you wash it, and then doing little to nothing to your hair until its next washing.

Twists also allow some versatility with the styles that can be created while your hair is twisted. Depending on the length of your hair, you can leave your hair down, put in a headband or scarf, pull the sides up while leaving the back down, wear a ponytail or create an elegant updo for more formal events.

Another great thing about two-strand twists is that they stay shiny. Locks, on the other hand, form from matted hair and are naturally more dull unless products are added to them, but even then they don't hold the shine. Twists hold shine easily and with their naturally rope like appearance can end up looking quite beautiful.

A good product I use when forming my twists is Healthy Hair Butter by Carol's Daughter, available at www.carolsdaughter.com. It provides solid hold for my hair, which is curly and coarse but not very tightly coiled, and amazing shine that lasts for weeks after I form the twists. It does form some build-up if not used sparingly, but this is usually held in check with regular washing with a good shampoo. I use Dr. Bronner's peppermint castille soap for my first wash, and Creme of Nature 2-in-1 shampoo and moisturizer for my second wash.

Another benefit of twisting is that it will get you into a routine similar to that of locking your hair. You'll get used to the process of washing your hair, re-twisting it, and wearing it in the same basic twisted style for long periods of time to see if it's something you can manage stylistically and time-wise. It will also give you an idea of whether you miss being able to style your hair a number of ways or are content to keep it in one basic style.

The last benefit of twists is that they are an excellent way to start dreadlocks, if and when you decide to start them, as twists can be kept in until they mat and form dreadlocks. So really, twists might not just be an alternative to your dreadlock journey, but the beginning of it.

The Pittsburgh High Technology Council was formed in 1983 primarily in order to support the growth of southwestern Pennsylvania's technological industry. Various community and technology leaders realized that their city was in dire need of a new industry for the future to replace the heavily relied on collapsed steel industry of the past. The steel industry, which was particularly hard hit by foreign imports and the relocation of domestic mills, caused tens of thousands of union jobs to be lost, causing Pittsburgh’s workforce to drop from 41,500 in 1979 to 19,000 in 1983. When U.S. Steel announced the full or partial closing of 28 facilities in the United States in late 1983, some Pittsburgh areas watched unemployment soar to the double digits. 

The leaders in the communities realized that they needed to act immediately to save their economy. The leaders gathered to promote new tech firms to start their businesses in Pittsburgh and to encourage Pittsburgh’s current tech leaders to stay in the city and expand their operations. The Council moved swiftly and strongly after Governor Dick Thornburgh pioneered a program in 1983 aiming to assist new and expanding businesses, entitled the Ben Franklin Partnership. Throughout their 22-year journey, the Pittsburgh High Technology Council has continued to work towards their initial goal of promoting growth in Pittsburgh’s technological sector, and has enjoyed watching a number of their programs and policies prosper while at the same time keeping their eyes open to obstacles the city of Pittsburgh encounters and implementing programs to help overcome such issues in order to continue striving forward. 

The Council’s formation in 1983, along with the Ben Franklin Partnership, marked the birth of the region's technology sector. The Council, after naming Tim Parks as their first Executive Director, immediately implemented their services to the four core principal regional networks of technology- IT, Biomedical, Environmental, and Advanced Manufacturing. Participating in the Council's networks initially provided members with a variety of beneficial experiences; it provided an opportunity to create a higher profile through word-of-mouth advertising, a chance to meet their peers in their own network sector as well as the other sectors in order to promote free thinking and collaboration, and it allowed for bolstering management skills and industry expertise by attending the monthly and yearly conferences. The Council’s first Membership Directory, published in 1984, featured Pittsburgh’s 140 industry and support members. 

While the Council was initially successful in fostering communication within the industry, the city was still losing many of their skilled employees to other cities. An article from the June 1985 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette argues, “Okay Pittsburgh, We're losing some Pirate and Steeler Fans. Why?” it responds, “Because many electronics technology graduates go someplace else for a job.” (1) The article supports this position by citing a statistic from the recent graduating class from the University of Pittsburgh; of the 28 electronic technicians that graduated from Pitt in 1985, 25 were employed and 20 went somewhere outside of Pittsburgh for their employment (1). The problems pointed out in the article show that Pittsburgh faced two major problems in the mid-1980s. First, the University of Pittsburgh, by far the largest University in the city of Pittsburgh, should be graduating many more than 28 capable electronic technicians. Second, the city of Pittsburgh desperately needed to find a way to incorporate their skilled laborers into their workforce. 

The Pittsburgh High Technology Council realized that their programs needed to expand in order to foster education in technological fields as well as to expand the tech sector in Pittsburgh so that the city does not lose their brain power to other states. It was crucial that they simultaneously enacted these programs. Otherwise, the city would be educating their youth and then losing their brain power to technologically advanced states, including California, Florida, and Texas. The Council, with help from tech pioneer Carnegie Mellon University, responded by developing outreach programs filled with competitions where prizes were awarded to high school students in the area who showed innovative engineering ideas and displayed a proficiency in the high-tech sector. At the same time, the Council gave additional incentives for non-members to join and for members to stay, including insurance coverage as well as tuition discounts. 

These two policies became effective immediately and proved to be a great success over the years. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Pittsburgh Press records from the mid-1980’s show just how great of an impact the technology sector was having in the community. By skimming through the articles we encounter a myriad of optimistic titles about the growth and expansion of the techsector in Pittsburgh. To name just a few, the articles proclaimed, “Pittsburgh's off on a spin as high-tech firms multiply”, “Oakland Rich in High-tech Firms”, “City companies expecting boost in high-tech jobs”, “New Firms cut teeth on tech center's aid”, “Survey finds high-tech sales, jobs here booming”, “High Tech firms lead job growth, study says”, and so on. 

Pittsburgh students previously accustomed to finding employment elsewhere were now considering other options. While the top Universities in Pittsburgh were sponsoring educational workshops, projects, and connecting tech firms with students through job fairs, the high schools took initiative to foster and promote the growth of scientific knowledge by boosting their curriculum with technically advanced classes (2). Students attending Pittsburgh’s schools were now able to pursue their fields of interest much earlier than previously possible. This, in turn, turned students on to the idea that they could indeed attain a valuable higher education in their own city. The cities highly advanced students had the opportunity to attend Pittsburgh’s prestigious Carnegie Mellon University, a national leader in engineering and the sciences. Others had the opportunity for higher education at the University of Pittsburgh, a large, well-respected University which provided a much cheaper education than the private schools. Retaining their students in the city from high school to college opened the door for growth as students became the employees and eventually the entrepreneurial leaders of Pittsburgh. 

In 1985 the Pittsburgh Press reported on a recent University of Pittsburgh graduate specialized in technology to show his decision process in choosing an employer. Dale Mancini graduated in the top of his class and had his options open to where he wanted to work. Dale received three offers from high-tech firms willing to hire Dale immediately upon graduation. However, Dale refused all three offers since they were all from outside areas. When the paper asked why he would refuse all the offers he had, Dale argued, “I really want to stay in the city and be a part of the technology boom. I just hope I didn’t make a mistake”. (3) Dale’s story serves to show the new attitude of Pittsburgh students; rather than leaving and heading for known hot-spots such as the Silicon Valley, the students were expressing a desire to stay and be a part of their cities growth and expansion. The statistics from 1985 show that over the past 2 years, 40,000 new jobs have been created as the high-tech firm count in the city reached an unprecedented count of 415. 

As the Council’s membership numbers soared and as tech firms were blossoming, the need for affiliate organizations became evident. The Southwestern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (SPIRC) was established in 1988 as one of seven Industrial Resource Centers across the state charged with helping small to medium-sized manufacturers improve operations, train their workforce and improve quality. SPIRC became an affiliate organization of the Council, sharing their resources and mixing their top personnel between the two companies. A little more than a year after the formation of SPIRC, the Council established the Pittsburgh Biomedical Development Corporation (PBDC). The PBDC was primarily in charge of providing initial capital needed for regional biotechnology startups. PBDC’s investment activity has played a key role in the advancement of some of the region’s most well-known life science companies. Their success has been growing over the years and returns are consistently amassing, allowing PBDC to continue investing in Pittsburgh’s newest startups.
The roaring 90’s spurred the creation of crucial initiatives by the Council, helping Pittsburgh technology reach a new plateau. The launch of the Council’s first website created a plethora of opportunity for expansion and development. The website, www.pghtech.org, has paved the way for the full integration of all the members with each other and with all the staff on the Council. The site has allowed for a simpler mode of communication between the various business sectors, which has led to increased collaboration. The site has also provided a much simpler route for announcements to be made by the Council and received by the members. Perhaps the most significant feature of the site, though, is that it has become a primary access tool for employers seeking employees and vice-versa. In this way, the website has become the monster.com of the Pittsburgh technology world and has been solely responsible for linking thousands of high tech jobs. 

In addition to the website, the roaring 90’s necessitated the Council’s move to a bigger and more involved location. The Council moved from the isolated location in Oakland to the center of the Pittsburgh Technology Center in Hazelwood. This change of venue assists the Council in further assimilating themselves into the community to promote membership recruitment as well as to facilitate visits from its current members. 

When the PHTC named their second-ever Executive Director Ray Christman as successor to Tim Parks in 1996, they were immediately presented with a novel and exciting idea. Christman proposed the introduction of the “Pittsburgh Technology 50 Awards” in 1996, and the Council supported it so strongly that by 1997 it became a premier event. The Tech 50 Awards honor the 50 fastest-growing and most innovative and successful companies in the IT, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing sectors, as well as honoring rising stars. The most prestigious award, given to only one man annually, is the highly coveted “CEO of the Year”. The Tech 50 Awards helped put the workers behind the tech sector in the public eye, so that rather than ‘riding the tech wave’ of the 90’s, the public is able to actually get into the wave and learn about the individuals making the difference. Christman’s Tech 50 Awards galvanized competition between the companies and the CEO’s to outdo each other. The overall winners from the awards, though, emerging year after year, continues to be the city of Pittsburgh’s economy and its citizens. 

In his four years in office, Christman became a highly-revered leader of the community, being named one of the “Pittsburghers of the Century” by Pittsburgh Magazine in 2000. After a short but successful stint as the director of the PHTC, Christman stepped down to take a job as the President of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta in. His successor Stephen Zylstra, the third official director of the PHTC, was named in March of 2000 and has remained as director of the Council to the present day.
Throughout his five years as the director, Zylstra has enjoyed watching the Council grow to a membership rate of over 1,800. Their continuing expansion has been a direct result from their ever-increasing programs and policies. In early 2000 Zylstra decided to change the name of the Council from the Pittsburgh High Technology Council to the Pittsburgh Technology Council. Zylstra wanted to expand the Council’s membership base and felt that “High Tech” was not inclusive enough.
Zylstra and the Council have recently expanded their entrepreneurial outreach by developing the Entrepreneurs Peer Network. The Network is designed to strengthen professional entrepreneurial relationships and encourage collaboration to produce unique and exciting ideas. The Council feels that entrepreneurial success is a vital component to the future success of the tech industry in Pittsburgh and will focus many of their future initiatives on encouraging new endeavors. 

Zylstra has been focusing on public policy over his last five years in office as it has become a vital concern to the members. The local, state, and federal taxes and the regulatory issues have become burdensome on the tech leaders and the members of the community. The Council has realized that they need to strongly advocate their position to the government if they hope to keep the existing businesses in Pittsburgh and if they expect to encourage businesses to move into Pittsburgh. Thus far, the Council has been successful in eliminating the state computer sales tax as well as the state capital stock and franchise tax. In addition, it has been successful in extending the net operating loss tax credit carry-forward period from 10 to 20 years and has helped in extending Pennsylvania’s research and development tax credit until 2008. Furthermore, the Council has fought to continue state funding for the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority (previously the Ben Franklin Partnership) as well as the Pennsylvania Technology Investment Authority, which invests heavily in technology development. 

Meanwhile, the Council continues to build on the success of the website by improving the existing programs and implementing new user-friendly software. The Career Center continues to have resounding success. It is constantly being filled with open technology positions from within the region and resumes from jobseekers. The site receives, on average, an astounding 2.4 million hits with 253,000 page views each month. 

Workforce education has remained a top priority of the Council over the years. The Council is currently working in collaboration with Catalyst Connection, another Zylstra-led operation whose mission is quite similar to the PHTC’s mission. Simply stated, their mission statement is, “We advance the performance of manufacturing and production companies.” Working with Catalyst Connection, the groups are collaboratively assisting communication between the manufacturing and technology industry and the education and workforce development sectors. They are working together to promote and enhance technical skills in the region for the present and the future.

For those of you tired of the same old breakfast or lunch sandwiches, a delicious alternative awaits you at the unique Russian bakery and restaurant in Crossroads mall, located on NE 8th Street and N 156th Avenue in Bellevue WA. Named after the Russian Piroshky (also spelled Piroshki), the bakery is famous for these pastry pockets stuffed with vegetables or meats. The Piroshky is either baked or fried, and has an overall dry texture, unlike the Greek Spanakopita or the Turkish Bourekas. Think of the Piroshky as a savory pocket of bread filled with seasoned meat, fish or vegetables. Visit the Piroshky slideshow to see the wonderful selection of baked goods in this unique Russian bakery and restaurant.

Try the heavenly Smoked Salmon Pate Piroshky or the Chicken Broccoli Cheese Piroshky. For a vegetarian choice, try the Cabbage Mushroom Piroshky. But don't stop there, this lovely bakery, decorated like a Gypsy's caravan, is filled with other Russian delights.

Sample the home cooked flavors of the Russian lunch entrees, like the cabbage rolls stuffed with rice and ground beef, or the meat loaf and Lula Kebab, which are both served with mashed potatoes. And don't miss out on the Beef Stroganoff.

For a lighter meal try the traditional chicken soap loaded with vitamins, vegetables, chicken and matzo balls, or skip straight to dessert and indulge in a fine selection of Russian pastries, from Strudels and Turnovers to Éclairs and Khvorost flaky cookies. And for a low fat dessert, try the baked apples, with their tangy, crunchy sweetness.

While the food and baked goods at Piroshky taste like delicious, homemade cooking, this is not a place to go for fine dining. Located at the Crossroads Mall food court, Piroshky is very informal, with only a few small tables available for sitting past the Gypsy cart. It is an excellent idea to take your food to go. Many customers prefer it this way, and Piroshky have excellent carry out containers, even for the soups.

The advantage to this informal setting are Piroshky's hard-to-beat prices. Imagine home cooked food at lunch court prices. It's hard to find a better deal. So if you are looking for a delicious meal that you can take home and enjoy, Piroshky is the place for you.

It is best to park next to Half Price Books and enter by the main Crossroads mall entrance, beside Coldstone on NE 8th Street and N 156th Avenue in Bellevue. Take a left turn into the food court and head halfway down. Piroshky is located next to the Mexican restaurant, Toreros, and can be reached at: (425) 401-9870. Piroshky is open Monday through Thursday from 11:00am until 9:00pm, Friday and Saturday from 11:00am until 10:00pm, and Sunday from 11:00am until 6:00pm.

Read more restaurant articles by the Redmond Ethnic Restaurant Examiner

Please note that this review represents the writer's impressions. The writer did not receive any payment, goods or services to write this review, though payment may be received for displaying the article without altering its content in any way.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, its that time to take a look at the top ten comedy movies for 2008. We were tired of listening to top ten lists from critics, so our family put together a top ten comedy movies list for 2008 after Thanksgiving dinner. The movie taste and target audience varies a fair bit since everyone in the family had equal buy-in (4th grade through the grandparents), but we hope you enjoy!

1 - The Bucket List (2008)

Director: Rob Reiner

Movie Plot: Mechanic Carter Chambers and billionaire Edward Cole get thrust together sharing a room at the hospital with both having the same terminal illness. While sharing the room together, they decide to leave and do everything in life that they ever wanted to do before they die (their bucket list). In the process they become best friends.

Rating:PG

Overall: You have to like any movie that has Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman! Good fun, and suitable for the entire family this Holiday season, The Bucket List made it to the top of our Top Ten List this year!

2 - Stepbrother (2008)

Director: Adam McKay

Movie Plot: Will Ferrell plays Brennan Huff who is a little-employed 39 year old who lives with his mother, Nancy. Dale Dobeck is also an unemployed 40 year old who lives with his father Robert. When Robert and Nancy get married, Dale and Brennan have to live with each other and take a while to warm up to each other…eventually becoming friends.

Rating: R

Overall: This is one of the funniest Will Ferrell movies that he has done! Even though it is rated R, I would watch the movie with an older tween or teen.

3- Drillbit Taylor (2008)

Director: Steven Brill

Plot: Three kids that are just starting high school are getting tired of being harassed everyday at school by two bullies. They get the idea to hire a body guard to help them with the bullies. Owen Wilson plays Drillbit Taylor who is hired by the kids to be the body guard.

Rating: PG-13

Overall: If you like Owen Wilson, you'll love this movie! Definitely suitable for tweens to watch with adults in the room and a great comedy to view this Holiday season!

4 - Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Director: Nicholas Stoller

Plot: A heartbroken Peter (Jason Segel) takes a Hawaiian vacation so that he can deal with his recent break-up with his famous ex-girlfriend Sara (Kristen Bell). Unfortunately, he doesn't realize that she is traveling to not only Hawaii but also the same resort that he is going to as well as bringing her boyfriend!

Rating: R

Overall: I don't recommend watching this movie with your tween because of some of the sexual innuendo and content, but for teens and older it is hilarious! Definitely one that you will want to watch twice.

5 - Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)

Director: Eric Darnell

Plot: The highly anticipated sequel to the first movie, in the second round the New York Zoo Animals, Alex the Lion, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the Hippo, and Marty the Zebra, start the leave the island of Madagascar. All of a sudden the animals land in the middle-of-nowhere in the wilderness of Africa.

Rating: PG

Overall: Madagascar 2 is good, family fun! Eric Darnell follows the successful formula that made the first movie a hit, and the sequel does not disappoint!

6 - Baby Mama (2008)

Director: Michael McCullers

Plot: A very successful single business woman has foregone serious relationships to rise to the top in her career-field. Suddenly she realizes that she's getting older and wants to have a baby–only to find out that she's infertile! She hires a blue-collar woman through a clinic-service to be her surrogate mom.

Rating: PG-13

Overall: This is another great comedy from 2008 that you will watch more than once! You may watch with your older tweens depending on your views for exposing them to some adult portions of the movie that deal with sexual overtures.

7 - Hancock (2008)

Director: Peter Berg

Plot: Will Smith plays a superhero named Hancock who has great power, but is very conflicted and misunderstood by the local population because of the damage he does to the community when he saves people and fights crime! PR Executive Ray Embry (played by Jason Bateman) helps the super-hero with his image.

Rating: PG-13

Overall: If you are a Will SMith fan you should check out this movie! A great, action-packed comedy that came out earlier in the year with some fair elements of a good drama mixed into the story-line. PG-13 because of some of the violence and language in the movie, but one I would watch with my tween.

8 - Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Director: John (XI) Stevenson

Movie Plot: This movie has Jack Black featured as Po the Panda who is working as a waiter in a noodle restaurant and also a kung fu fanatic. Po ends up being named as the “Chosen One” to save the day but is a little inept with his Kung Fu skills but has to come up to speed quickly in order to help save the day.

Rating: PG

Overall: Kung Fu Panda is great movie comedy that all ages will enjoy and is our pick for the best comedy of 2008!

9 - Semi-Pro (2008)

Director: Kent Alterman

Plot: Will Ferrell plays Jackie Moon who is the owner coach of the American Basketball Association's Flint Michigan Tropics. The league decides that they need to downsize based on which teams perform worse over the course of the remainder of the season before combining with the NBA. Moon attempts to rally his teammates to help make their dreams (and his) come true.

Rating: R

Overall: If you are a Will Ferrell fan, you will love this movie. Although not quite as good as his performance as Ricky Bobby, definitely a great comedy of 2008 to check out!

10 - Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

Director: Kevin Smith

Plot:

The main plot for this movie revolves about the story of two friends (Elizabeth Banks and Seth Rogan) who are in severe debt and decide to get into the amateur porn business to make money. Once they do so, they realize that they both want to be more than just friends!

Rating: R

Overall: Another hilarious movie that came out in 2008! Another one that I don't recommend watching with your tween children or nieces and nephews, but great for a good laugh!

As befits the city's cultural and societal heritage, Yuletide occupies a place in Hong Kong that is somewhere between its totally commercial nature in most of East Asia and the more traditional notions associated with the season in the West.

Sure, one might argue Xmas has been entirely overwhelmed by mercantile sentiments all over the planet, but still, go up Beijing-way and you'll realize it's more or less of the same value as Halloween is in the US. In other words, just a merry excuse to get hammered and party like it was never 1999. At least most Westerners know why Christmas is celebrated in the first place.

The Hong Kong version of Christmas benefits from a much more open-minded cultural setting and a long history of ties to the West. This has resulted in a larger population adhering to Christian faiths, and naturally church-going is quite commonplace.

Do not get this writer wrong: precisely as anywhere else these days, in HK, too does the holiday equate with rampant shopping bonanzas, and really who's to say that's a bad thing. It helps the economy and makes people feel good, and for that maybe we should count our blessings.

There are nonetheless several places to go in Hong Kong for that non-denominational Xmas vibe, as the city takes on a decidedly festive mood with lots of decorations, caroling, music playing and credit card swiping as needed.

Top Spots

Statue Square

Probably the most obvious choice for Christmas delights in HK would be Statue Square, between the Legislative Council and Prince's Building. Slap bang in the middle of Central and easily accessible from the Central MTR station, Statue Square hosts the annual Santa's Town (apparently upgraded from village). Beautifully set-up and done, the area sparkles at night with lovable characters and the official Hong Kong Christmas tree, albeit this last one no longer has a traditional star on top: it's now a strangely oversized heart.

Perfect for families and kids, this attraction also boasts nightly caroling and a wishing corner for placing your own new year's hopes.

Times Square

Nothing spells shopping in HK like the large Times Square shopping mall in Causeway Bay. Again, easy to get to by taxi or MTR, the place teems with zealous shoppers, particularly on weekends. Prices are reasonably average to exclusive, but for the holidays there are tons of pretty lights strung up and adorable children's choirs singing along to seasonal tunes. Outside the main entrance to the mall is where everyone lines up for photo opps if that's your cup of pudding, but beware the touristy lure of tack.

Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade

At the southern tip of famous Nathan Road and alongside Victoria Harbor is the most noted place for observing HK's striking skyline at night. For the season, special lighting schemes have been assembled on several key towers across the water on the island, and from the promenade is where you're best situated to see them, barring the usual crowds. Tip: head northeast along the water to Hung Hom for a slightly more distant view that's still gorgeous at night, yet with less people around.

Avoid

Stay away from bar district Lan Kwai Fong anywhere between the evening of the 24th and the morning of the 26th unless you're especially partial to crowds and lining up to get into a street. Yes, that's right, there's a line just to enter a street, and for good reason, because this time of year in Lan Kwai Fong put the need for crowd control in a whole new persepective.

At any rate, I'll post more as the holiday nears depending on reaction to this piece.

Meanwhile, enjoy some of the images i took.

Eating as a vegetarian or vegan in Los Angeles is a little less difficult than in many places in the world. A large metropolitan city like Los Angeles has many, many options when it comes to good, tasty vegetarian or vegan food. Still, finding good cheap vegan food in Los Angeles is another story entirely. One favorite place of mine is the Pasadena-secret Oh Happy Days Natural Foods Grocery and Café on N. Lake Ave., in Altadena, just north of Pasadena, CA

Oh Happy Days is home to some of the best and cheap vegan food in Los Angeles, as well as a fully-stocked health food store, home to items essential to good vegan nutrition that you just can't get in most parts of Los Angeles. John Hopkins, the owner and proprietor at Oh Happy Days, has been in the business for many years, and Oh Happy Days Café looks every bit the part like one man's vision of what a small country health food store and vegan restaurant should be.

There are two long, communal tables, where you don't have to ask to sit down with a bowl of John's famous vegan stews, soups and burritos, cheap bargains as vegetarian food goes at around $5. You'll find that when you come to Oh Happy Days, walk in the door and there will be people of all colors and walks of life, chatting and singing, playing musical instruments or sharing health food tips, enjoying each other's company.

In addition to the hot, fresh food counter at Oh Happy Days Café offering nothing but 100% vegan cuisine, everything from burritos to stews, to fried tofu and salads, the premiere destination for cheap health food in the San Gabriel Valley also has a fully-stocked, if small, health food store.

All at bargain prices, the specialties at Oh Happy Days are health-nut bulk items: grains, nuts, teas, and rare herbs and spices. They also have an entire wall devoted to the vitamins, minerals and supplements conducive to a healthy lifestyle. John takes great pains to make sure that those things he sells in his store are part of a healthy lifestyle.

The best part about Oh Happy Days Natural Foods Grocery and Vegan Café is the lack of hippier-than-thou attitude found at many places that offer similar food and groceries. Whether you are a Los Angeles or Pasadena native just starting out in the world of natural foods, or a necktied, uptight businessman stopping in by chance for a late lunch, John and his staff will treat you with the utmost kindness and respect.

The prices on nearly everything at Oh Happy Days, from the fresh vegan cuisine to the bulk items and fresh, hard-to-find natural foods, are some of the best in Los Angeles. It is worth the trip to the Pasadena area from whatever corner of L.A. you reside in to have some healthy food that will fill your belly and warm your heart.

John Hopkins and his employees at Oh Happy Days are not just some part timers who have no idea about anything the store is selling.They are helpful, friendly, and mostly lovers of good, cheap vegetarian food themselves. People from all over Los Angeles come to shop, eat vegan and learn more about a healthy lifestyle from the helpful Oh Happy Days staff and their health food guru.

Veteran rock group Duran Duran has been around since 1981, and is still going strong as they currently continue the US leg of their tour. I’ve been a Duranie since 1985, and kind of faded out in the mid 90’s, but got the opportunity to see all five original members back in action, performing in the summer of 2005 at Chastain Park in Atlanta, Georgia.

I know I’ve been out of the circuit for a while, but I was very surprised to discover just how many albums, singles and videos the band has put forth over their 25 years (side projects included), as well as how many times Duran2 has made the top 5 on either the US charts or the UK charts. Here’s what I’ve found out about the Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes,  John Taylor, Andy Taylor and Rger Taylor, better known as: Duran Duran:

Discography:
Albums:
Duran Duran, 1981, #3 on UK Charts
Rio, 1982, #2 on UK Charts
Seven and the Ragged Tiger, 1983, #1 on UK Charts 
White Feathers by Kajagoogoo, 1983, produced by Nick Rhodes
Arena, 1984, #4 on US Charts
The Power Station, 1985
So Red the Rose (Arcadia), 1985
The Power Station 33 1/3, 1985
Notorious, 1986 
9 1/2 Weeks soundtrack, 1986, JohnTaylor
Playing for Keeos soundtrack, 1986, Arcadia
American Anthem soundtrack, 1986, Andy Taylor
Thunder, 1987, Andy Taylor
Tequila Sunrise soundtrack, 1988, Andy Taylor
Big Thing, 1988
Decade – Greatest Hits, 1989, #5 on UK Charts 
Requiem For The Americas project, 1988, Simon LeBon contributed “Follow in My Footsteps”
Liberty, 1990 
Conversions, Andy Taylor
Duran Duran (the Wedding Album), 1993, #4 on UK Charts
Thank You (Covers), 1995
Living in Fear (Power Station), 1996 
Neurotic Outsiders, 1996, John Taylor
Feelings Are Good (And Other Lies), 1997, John Taylor
Medazzaland, 1997
Greatest (Compilation), 1998, #4 on UK Charts
Night Versions: The Essential Duran Duran (remixes), 1998
Stramge Behaviour (remixes), 1999 
Love Kills soundtrack, 2000, Simon LeBon
Pop Trash, 2000
Singles Box Set 1981 – 1995, 2003
The Best of The Power Station, 2003
Singles Box Set 1986 – 1995, 2004
Astronaut, 2004, #3 on UK Charts
Power Station: 20th Anniversary Edition, 2005

Chart-Topping Singles:
“Girls on Film”, 1981, UK #5
“Hungry Like the Wolf”, 1982, UK #5, US#1
“Save A Prayer”, 1982, UK #2
“Rio” Rio”, 1982, US #5
“Is There Something I Should Know?”, 1983, UK #1, US #3
“Union of the Snake”, 1983, UK #3, US #3
“The Reflex”, 1984, UK #1, US #1
“The Wild Boys”, 1984, UK #2, US #2
“A View to a Kill”, 1985, UK #2, US #1
“Some Like It Hot”, 1985, US #6
“Notorious”, 1986, US #2
“I Don't Want Your Love”, 1988 US #1
“All She Wants Is”, 1988, US #1
“Ordinary World”, 1992, US #2
“(Reach Up For The) Sunrise”, 2004 UK #5, US #1
“What Happens Tomorrow” (Remixes), 2005, US #2

(Album charts are UK and US for Albums )
(Singles charts are UK Singles Chart and the US Charts are either: Hot 100, Modern Rock, Mainstream Rock or Club Play )

Videpgraphy:
Duran Duran (1983) – video compilation
Duran Duran Video 45 (1984) – “video EP”, featuring “Girls On Film” and “Hungry Like The Wolf”
Dancing On The Valentine (1984) – video compilation
Sing Blue Silver (video 1984; DVD 2004) – documentary
Arena (An Absurd Notion) (video 1984; DVD 2004) – concert film
The Making of Arena (video 1984; DVD 2004) – documentary
Three To Get Ready (1987) – black-and-white documentary
short version – 29 minutes
long version – “Collector's Edition” – 75 minutes
Working for the Skin Trade (1988) – concert film
6ix by 3hree (UK, 1988) – video compilation 
The Power Station Video EP (1988)
Decade (1989) – video compilation
Extraordinary World (1993) – documentary & video compilation
Greatest (video 1998; DVD 2004) – video compilation
Live From London (Nov 2005) 

All I can say is “Wow!” This is one band that knows the turmoils of the music industry and still manages to come out pretty much unscathed. Looking forward to another 25 years…

Ratings: Ease of Use, Performance: 23/25, Look & Feel: 22/25, Features & Software 20/25, How much I enjoy 20/25
Total: 85/100

The Lenovo D221 Wide Monitor is a great general purpose and gaming LCD monitor offering some really decent features at a great price for the size of screen. The D221 is a 22 inch monitor that has a maximum resolution size of 1680 x 1050 with some very good looking quality graphics.

The contrast and brightness of the screen right out of the box is fantastic with no problems at all. With the previous model of Lenovo monitor I was having problems with certain screen resolution and frequency settings but I had no such problems with this model.

I was very happy with the screen size and maximum resolution although this model does not offer the larger resolution sizes that some games can be played at. Although I am quite happy to just have a larger screen it would be nice at some times and especially with some games to be able to use some larger screen resolutions.

The Lenovo D221 comes with these features:

22-inch (559-mm) viewable image size
Optimum resolution: 1680 x 1050
Tilt stand for viewing comfort adjustments
Direct access for automatic image setup and brightness for quick and easy monitor setup
16 x 10 aspect ratio
Analog and DVI-D attachment
Internal power
Kensington lock slot compatible for security
Meets 100 mm VESA requirement

The D221 wide monitor is a nice looking screen with all black base and trim. The monitor has an easy to assemble base that snaps into place and comes with two connection cords, one DVI and one Analog and the general power cord. It also comes with a users manual on CD and drivers as well as a manual and quick start guide. The monitor adjusts back and forth for a 30 degree tilt with no height or swivel adjustment.

The D221 monitor is not really a great gaming monitor but it does very well and it is definitely more than sufficient for gaming. I had no problems while using the monitor and playing several games including Battlefield 2142, Halo 2, FEAR and Company of Heroes. I played all these games also testing out a video card on several screen resolutions and quality settings and the monitor handled everything I could throw at it very well.

The Lenovo D221 was exceptional with the DirectX 10 video card and showed the games very well at all the resolutions it could put out natively. I had no screen problems when switching to different resolutions and at different frequencies even though the company does not support higher frequencies than 60 Hertz.

The monitor did well at gaming but is very good at multitasking and using in a multi monitor setup. I really like the wider monitors and this one is the perfect size for doing reviews and having multiple windows open at the same time. You can have a normal page sized window with a word processor on it and to the side a smaller window with another page open such as internet explorer to do work on both without having to close one or the other.

I really enjoy the wider screens and having the multi monitor setup is even nicer using the dual connections of this screen. On my current video card it has both a VGA and a DVI hook up so it is nice having your choice of either on the monitor to connect this and another screen to the same computer. My regular screen currently is a CRT VGA monitor so it is very nice not to have to dig out a VGA to DVI adapter to connect this screen up as a second monitor.

Viewing movies and other video on the Lenovo D221 was very good with a fast respond time giving you great picture quality for DVD viewing. The movies look clear and crisp with no problems and the image quality is really superb. The DVD playback was very sharp and viewing the computer monitor while watching a movie was very good without any distracting lighting coming off the black trim around the screen.

When looking at monitors one thing I like to see is the difference of the movie quality and gaming images but with the Lenovo D221 there was no significant problems with either. I have seen some monitors that handle one very well while the other is a bit lackluster but with the Lenovo D221 both gaming and video quality was fantastic.

Overall the Lenovo D221 is a great monitor for the price, currently about $350 on the internet. Compared to other monitors of the same size it is a very good price for the business oriented monitor with a 5 MS response time. I highly recommend the Lenovo D221 22″ LCD monitor for a very good business or home based business monitor that is great for multi tasking or general computer work.