Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Women find sexual pleasure in exercising - Study

Source Website: http://www.todayonline.com/World/EDC120321-0000145/Women-find-sexual-pleasure-in-exercising--Study
By AGENCIES, Updated 05:23 PM, Mar 21, 2012



PHOTO: Exercise has the potential to enhance women's sex lives as well.
Copyright © MediaCorp Press Ltd, by BLOOMBERG
http://imcmsimages.mediacorp.sg/cmsfileserver/showimageCC.aspx?300&450&f=1715&img=1715_558323.jpg
http://www.todayonline.com/World/EDC120321-0000145/Women-find-sexual-pleasure-in-exercising--Study


LONDON - A growing number of women are finding sexual pleasure from going to the gym or doing yoga, according to new research.

A medical study has described the phenomenon as a "coregasm" after a survey of women found the exercises that associated with sexual pleasure were likely to involve the core abdominal muscles.

According to The Daily Telegraph, the activities included lifting, yoga, spinning and other bikes along with piece of gym equipment called The Captain's Chair, in which the user holds onto the arms while lifting up their legs.



PHOTO: "Coregasm", exercises that associated with sexual pleasure involve the core abdominal muscles.
http://www.free-ab-workout.com/images/Girls-with-abs-5H.jpg
http://www.free-ab-workout.com/girls-with-abs.html


Researchers from the Indiana University interviewed 124 women who had experienced Exercise Induced Orgasms and 246 who had experienced Exercise Induced Sexual Pleasure.

Four in 10 said they had had either an EIO or EISP while exercising on more than 10 occasions while one in five said they had "lost control" in a public place and were self-conscious about exercising in public.

Most said they were not even thinking about sex at the time.



PHOTO: Diverse types of physical exercise were associated with EIO and EISP. Of the EIO group, 51.4 percent reported experiencing an orgasm in connection with abdominal exercises within the previous 90 days. Others reported experiencing orgasm in connection to such exercises as weight lifting (26.5 percent), yoga (20 percent), bicycling (15.8), running (13.2 percent), and walking/hiking (9.6 percent).
http://www.pimplomat.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/exercise.jpg
http://www.pimplomat.com/


Lead researcher Debby Herbenick reported the findings to the specialist journal Sexual and Relational Therapy.

She said: "The most common exercises associated with EIO were abdominal exercises, climbing poles or ropes, biking/spinning and weightlifting.


The most common exercises associated with EIO were abdominal exercises, climbing poles or ropes, biking/spinning and weightlifting.
liberoquotidiano
http://www.liberoquotidiano.it/galleria.jsp?id=730


"The data is interesting because they suggest that orgasm is not necessarily a sexual event.

"It may be that exercise, which is already known to have significant benefits to health and wellbeing, has the potential to enhance women's sex lives as well."
By AGENCIES, Updated 05:23 PM Mar 21, 2012


The data is interesting because they suggest that orgasm is not necessarily a sexual event.
http://rsrc.psychologytoday.com/files/imagecache/article-inline-half/blogs/44387/2010/08/47215-34460.jpg
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/stress-and-sex/201008/work-out-rev



PHOTO: Exercise classes featuring erotic dancing, pole dancing, and belly dancing are often specifically designed to improve your body tone and enhance your sexuality at the same time.
http://latontinedestigresses.fr/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/wendy-traskos-dayne.jpg
http://latontinedestigresses.fr/2011/12/09/le-defi-de-sabrina-jai-teste-pour-vous-la-pole-dance/


Working the coregasm
PHOTO: Working the coregasm
New science sheds light on the unexpected pleasure that some women feel during exercise. When orgasms are being had at the gym and on the track, our notion of female pleasure expands beyond the bedroom. When they occur independent of conventionally defined arousal, sensations characterized as “sexual” work to complicate our understanding of women’s bodies and experiences.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nbU6gTebQQvDzOH3O-2o7PKA7yZ-uoMQ-rfjykZXmoVemMl8X60MLhWe3LUHao4QJlHGL_fvpOP1UFmhiL5R3kGah228_3Egux4pTL4HZMyKTSSHB1dcZK3B92Eaa4ER3yM-QR6ka71Z/s1600/356925704_dcea53315e-b.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/130/356925704_dcea53315e.jpg
http://flickrhivemind.net/User/dandurasana/Interesting
http://www.salon.com/2012/03/27/working_the_coregasm/singleton/ - (Text)


Coregasm Phenomenon Is Confirmed By New Scientific Study.
PHOTO: Coregasm Phenomenon Is Confirmed By New Scientific Study.
The data contributes to a deeper physiological understanding of the female orgasm, a phenomenon historically (when at all) described with mystical language and abounding question marks. The more research done on female orgasms, the more pleasure there is to be had.
By KamenRiderPantsu
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighKc5v-WDaxBfIGMk36aWHLmj2lqtZ8SmXvlKVfWlFRRImxWONf_4xc8D074f_wjVHBIjgWdSOA8eFNzkIHsON812aK2k2ex66amT5_4UShjgcv-3zQ7JmXIxRot3KKTycnoICr57wFa0/s1600/65700c949ea1d2fc17e042597877ee201332293218_full.jpg
http://img1.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spire2/65700c949ea1d2fc17e042597877ee201332293218_full.jpg
http://www.crunchyroll.com/forumtopic-647851/anime-motivational-posters-read-first-post?pg=6375
http://www.salon.com/2012/03/27/working_the_coregasm/singleton/ - (Text)


Exercise such as erotic pole dancing increases blood flow all over the body - including to the genitals. Better circulation means enhanced sexual pleasure and sex lives as well.
PHOTO: Exercise such as erotic pole dancing increases blood flow all over the body - including to the genitals. Better circulation means enhanced sexual pleasure and sex lives as well.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4LLBLD0wgDwcMUr_Ks5EumZyEGp7DM5Ej6E5YcUA7qq9ckktkmSSDqyojg61Pj_Li8yU_uSzwIfmiaDYri3Pc_K-P8pVND90nzEBD98j7KsUZlgSE8R0jsoAB0Elikl_HKt1mTuZiqco/s1600/pole-dancing-dublin.jpg
http://www.strippersdublin.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/pole-dancing-dublin.jpg
http://www.strippersdublin.ie/pole-dancing/pole-dancing-stag-weekend/attachment/pole-dancing-dublin/



Reference

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Hidden Gems: Kuching

Today, Thursday, March 15, 2012, Page T20, Travel
From http://imcmsimages.mediacorp.sg/CMSFileserver/documents/006/PDF/20120315/1503TRP062.pdf
Source Website: http://www.todayonline.com/Travel/EDC120315-0000002/Hidden-Gems--Kuching
By Today, 04:45 AM Mar 15, 2012



PHOTO: Caving in Sarawak
Copyright © MediaCorp Press Ltd
http://imcmsimages.mediacorp.sg/cmsfileserver/showimageCC.aspx?297&450&f=2236&img=2236_556667.jpg
http://www.todayonline.com/Travel/EDC120315-0000002/Hidden-Gems--Kuching

Still waters run deep as a visit to languid Kuching proves

While there are various explanations as to how Kuching got its name - whether it's named after the fruit tree Buah Mata Kuching or a cat - one thing that's clear about the capital of Sarawak is its unmistakable leisurely backwater feel. And that's what makes the city so appealing - an oasis of calm against the lush backdrop of the Borneo forest.


1 Sarawak Orchid Garden

Unknown to many travellers, there's an orchid garden in Kuching City North. Opened just two years ago, the 15-acre garden located next to the Governor's Astana building may not be huge, but it's a pretty compact sanctuary to take in some fresh air and admire the different exquisite Borneo orchid species, especially Sarawak's state flower, the green and purple Orchid Normah. Even better is the fact that the garden is free to the public.



PHOTO: Sarawak Orchid Garden
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0ItCXwyyfsPqZHsOfSfGXhX04PXQZ9mvQx7b7ly7VH3EsdmQlTorLcB-qog-ywujjDyPxFP3qGf7I-NA9y76YEqAGM1-v8l5aDPyjJJipARQ6TS0CYACo_M6hyW3ejIuHMoKnhG_edn_/s1600/5896_1032948884576_1851058170_67417_6995478_n.jpg
http://sarawakorchidgarden.blogspot.com/


2 Serikin Market

For shopping with a difference, take a trip out to Serikin Market. The small town is near the border between Malaysia and Indonesia. As such, you'll find many vendors hawking Indonesian goods at this weekend market.

Colourful silk batik, rattan furniture, handmade homeware, knick-knacks, curios and antiques ... there's plenty for the picking.



PHOTO: Serikin Border Market
Serikin is a tiny little village near the border of Sarawak with the Indonesia. It is takes about 1 ½ hours drive from Kuching City. During the weekends traders from across the border and nearby areas come to offer their wares and produce. They hawk authentic Indonesia sarongs, household items and food ranging from farm produce such as vegetables and fruits to seafood and meats. Along the way are also makeshift roadside markets selling anything from antiques to wild ornamental plants, exotic orchids to equally exotic fruits, local kueh to all types of pulut and fragrant locally grown rice sometimes recently harvested.
http://packages.asiatravel.com/packageImage/Tour/serikin-market.jpg
http://packages.asiatravel.com/PackageBooking/Package.Search.aspx?lan=en-US&pid=1571



PHOTO: Walk along Carpenter Street and Bishopsgate
http://cache.virtualtourist.com/4/4447316.jpg
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Malaysia/State_of_Sarawak/Kuching-1281650/Things_To_Do-Kuching-Carpenter_Street-BR-1.html

3 Sin Min Joo

Now this dingy hole in the wall coffeeshop (at the corner of Carpenter Street and Jalan Bishopgate) may not seem promising, but wait till you see the crowds. This is where you have to be prepared to wait, swelter and jostle with the locals for kolo mee that's reputed to be the best in Kuching. The noodles come with a lip-smackingly satisfying bowl of mixed pork soup. Some say it's divine, others claim it's not worth the long wait ... you be the judge.



PHOTO: Kolo Mee at the Carpenter Street and Jalan Bishopgate junction, it’s at a restaurant called Sin Min Joo
http://static.zooomr.com/images/10064511_e7dd25f8d0.jpg
http://sweatlee.com/2011/09/01/in-love-with-kuching/



PHOTO: Carpenter Street, Kuching's Chinatown
http://cache.virtualtourist.com/4/3631317.jpg
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Malaysia/State_of_Sarawak/Kuching-1281650/Things_To_Do-Kuching-Carpenter_Street-BR-1.html





PHOTO: Rafflesia Flower found in Sarawak
Copyright © MediaCorp Press Ltd
http://imcmsimages.mediacorp.sg/cmsfileserver/showimageCC.aspx?300&450&f=2236&img=2236_556671.jpg
http://www.todayonline.com/Travel/EDC120315-0000002/Hidden-Gems--Kuching



PHOTO: Sarawak Fairy & Wind Cave
Fairy Cave and Wind Cave are about 50 min drives from Kuching City. The Fairy Cave is about 3-storey high. After a quick climb through the cave with torchlight, the cave opens up into a main chamber. Sunlight streams into the chamber, enabling you to view the limestone formation of several types.
http://static.asiawebdirect.com/m/kl/portals/visit-malaysia-com/homepage/sarawak-tours/fairy-wind-cave/tourParagraphs/07/image1/cave001.jpg
http://www.visit-malaysia.com/sarawak-tours/fairy-wind-cave.htm

4 Fairy Caves

Just 50km away from Kuching, it's worth making a trip out to the Fairy Caves just to get in touch with nature. You can easily book a cab (about US$20) to bring you there. While the caves are not as huge as the renowned Mulu Caves in northern Sarawak, they're still an awe-inspiring sight and a real workout once you're done climbing all the stairs. But hey, how many times in your life will you get to see nature at its finest the moment you see the light streaming through the mouth of the caves? Be sure to wear good shoes and pack along a torchlight.



PHOTO: Sarawak Fairy & Wind Cave
The beautiful and some eerie shape of nature creations, the stalactites and stalagmites. There is a formation that has been likened to the Goddess of Mercy which at about 3 meters in height resembles a woman dressed in classical Chinese robes, complete with hat, look down benignly upon worshippers.
http://static.asiawebdirect.com/m/kl/portals/visit-malaysia-com/homepage/sarawak-tours/fairy-wind-cave/tourParagraphs/07/image3/cave003.jpg
http://www.visit-malaysia.com/sarawak-tours/fairy-wind-cave.htm



PHOTO: Taman Negara Mulu (Indonesian) - Mulu National Park
Known for 'The Pinnacles' (Mount Mulu) and a set of 'Sarawak Chamber' of the cellar in the world that can accommodate 40 Boeing 747 airplanes.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-V5-xQ6ixxu0boxlHzHtSwhAAbXsoJwfYtRY-58gPABLrv6Q5VJuqxzOwbVxiYfE3VOof2hYn-CiJiD2wOAEBzNZ_67DHO-7QHgNZ-nXh5AkYcLkjIqbwDjDsKU6Y9FkDIebocCemE_c/s1600/Gunung-Mulu-National-Park_Gunung-Mulu-view_4641.jpg
http://travelog-aiesha.blogspot.com/2011/05/5-destinasi-wajib-dikunjungi-sarawak.html



PHOTO: Sarawak Longhouse
Copyright © MediaCorp Press Ltd
http://imcmsimages.mediacorp.sg/cmsfileserver/showimageCC.aspx?358&450&f=2236&img=2236_556670.jpg
http://www.todayonline.com/Travel/EDC120315-0000002/Hidden-Gems--Kuching

5 Longhouse visit

A trip to Sarawak isn't complete without visiting a longhouse to learn about the way of life for Sarawak's indigenous tribes. The ones in Anah Rais are among the most popular and convenient to visit as they're just an hour away by coach. If you have time, an overnight stay is a must. Check out Borneo Adventure (borneoadventure.com), a company committed to sustainable tourism and helping local communities, which organises day tours as well as overnight stays.



PHOTO: Sarawak Ethnic Tribes
Copyright © MediaCorp Press Ltd
http://imcmsimages.mediacorp.sg/cmsfileserver/showimageCC.aspx?355&450&f=2236&img=2236_556668.jpg
http://www.todayonline.com/Travel/EDC120315-0000002/Hidden-Gems--Kuching



PHOTO: Sarawak Ethnic Tribes
Copyright © MediaCorp Press Ltd
http://imcmsimages.mediacorp.sg/cmsfileserver/showimageCC.aspx?299&450&f=2236&img=2236_556669.jpg
http://www.todayonline.com/Travel/EDC120315-0000002/Hidden-Gems--Kuching


AirAsia flies to Kuching twice daily from Changi Terminal 1. Fares start from S$49 one way.



PHOTO: Air Asia
Copyright © MediaCorp Press Ltd
http://imcmsimages.mediacorp.sg/cmsfileserver/showimageCC.aspx?155&450&f=2236&img=2236_556672.jpg
http://www.todayonline.com/Travel/EDC120315-0000002/Hidden-Gems--Kuching



PHOTO: AirAsia Kuching ad
Copyright © MediaCorp Press Ltd
http://imcmsimages.mediacorp.sg/cmsfileserver/showimageCC.aspx?418&450&f=2236&img=2236_556673.jpg
http://www.todayonline.com/Travel/EDC120315-0000002/Hidden-Gems--Kuching



Danum Valley
PHOTO: Danum Valley
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJFb3N1oa6bSM-7EaN2hg2MHH9BdzWhQNSLgn-NEw0x1yacfAbgn7qwg0-DKzfusGNryEGkYXnf5LOp7y2XGNX1zVU_vzbsp5_1pfOxcRixF4e3HZgxnYI6Rnh8K7Xl0qGA3ivCzIKtCp/s1600/711.jpg
http://static.malaysia.com/r18/gallery/lightbox-size/711.jpg
http://www.malaysia.com/danum-valley-3d2n-tour.html


Sukau
PHOTO: Sukau
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtcA7hwLQ6lEa7a3gtyRZBduoB93W0hLnEpzqfTPmWCtrzguJKCL6dfL-JPadvxqbrYPKfbsOge35hV4NwvM2rOG4WY0feANFBAP44tlUwKo-urNEwzsaBU7ZPh9Zg2kq1jj0ol8jw_QC/s1600/699.jpg
http://static.malaysia.com/r18/gallery/lightbox-size/699.jpg
http://www.malaysia.com/sepilok-sukau-oxbow-lake-3d2n-tour.html


Reference

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Now, you can call an 'angel'

My Paper, Wednesday, March 7, 2012, Page A8, World
From http://epaper.mypaper.sg/cnd/fvxen/fvxp/fvxpress.php?param=2012-03-07
Source Website: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/06/world/europe/a-dutch-churchs-angel-is-in-demand.html
By JOHN TAGLIABUE, Published: March 5, 2012


‘HALO ANGEL:'. The statue of an angel outside St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in 's Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, holds a cellphone, which has two numbers.
PHOTO: "HALO ANGEL":. The statue of an angel outside St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in 's Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, holds a cellphone, which has two numbers.
Dirk-Jan Visser for The New York Times
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWd7mZR6ZW5l2UWSNPyxlpHOHfCBCN-FmViQG2Pa6049DfKZOKxpGU_YpVcy4EXdduxustGlh1PVeNpX3oiPWPFUOGXNlQPYmMPBlfQc4I_f6VHWnDyCasEZxqmBH71pXYgRqIT4ucXKGq/s1600/06HOLLAND1-popup.jpg
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/03/06/world/06HOLLAND1/06HOLLAND1-popup.jpg
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/06/world/europe/a-dutch-churchs-angel-is-in-demand.html


’S HERTOGENBOSCH, the Netherlands — High on the cathedral in this trim Dutch town, amid a phalanx of stone statues of local noblemen, crusaders, saints and angels, one figure stands out. Smiling faintly, with lowered eyelids, one of the angels wears jeans, has a laptop bag slung over one shoulder and is chatting on a cellphone.

The angel gets about 30 calls a day on the phone.


The last angel in the series holds a mobile phone, a bag and wears a nice pair of jeans. 'The phone has just one button, says the artist. - It dials directly to God'. (I would think the phone also needs a button for answering…but maybe it’s an iPhone…)
PHOTO: The last angel in the series holds a mobile phone, a bag and wears a nice pair of jeans. "The phone has just one button, says the artist. - It dials directly to God". (I would think the phone also needs a button for answering…but maybe it’s an iPhone…)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMz1QQMqu7AZQifE5Mzlugsz304Cw_f2GwpqacEkNy3iBGNGLwr_0aUHDM7GUsVM3CyQtNm4ymP9b3sVJmhE3W_U9a_jM0iIfgsyDYP5hN05uuRxDsBoOaXN39iPvqyXjxc763iJvqAwue/s1600/engelmobiel1.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePFwnr75rCp2ADVskagizyIoTRqYOuUvRhzcWIG26Tr8Xgq7GIbFVT4-RvIf6aE73ChIZ5YsAiMfZHAOCYEQQ6ew1az0LRV6Rr0niM5bXmn2mrrWR5g2uGC0sdFeSyAnz19Y3Is52AlSw/s1600/engelmobiel1.jpg
http://flipperdeflap.blogspot.com/2011/05/calling-angelor-tweet-angel.html


That is because, shortly after the statue was unveiled last April, a local couple, the parents of two children, set up a number so people could call the angel. Business cards soon appeared in pubs, restaurants and hotels with a picture of the angel and the number. So successful was the line that the couple opened a Twitter account, @ut_engelke, managed by the husband, which now has about 2,700 followers.


asmijn Aartsen, left, and Roos Verheijen, both 13, called the number on a sign outside St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in 's Hertogenbosch.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/03/06/world/06HOLLAND2/06HOLLAND2-articleLarge.jpg
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/06/world/europe/a-dutch-churchs-angel-is-in-demand.html


The telephone is ringing all day,” said the wife, who like her husband agreed to meet a reporter on the condition that they not be identified. “It was a fairy tale,” she said over beer and snacks. “Now, it’s real.” To identify them, she said, would end it.

What began as a joke continues because the cellphone number has become something of a hot line, dialed by people of all ages, some in need of help, others just because they are lonely.



PHOTO: ’S HERTOGENBOSCH, the Netherlands
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/03/06/world/europe/06holland-map/06holland-map-articleInline-v3.jpg
http://billinmissouri.blogspot.com/


At the holidays, the calls became so frequent and so pressing that the couple was tempted to give up. “Between Christmas and New Year’s, that was an emotional time frame, it was so heartbreaking,” she said. A small girl called begging the angel to pray for a grandmother who had just died; a woman asked help to celebrate her first Christmas without her parents. A widow sought prayers for her dead children.

The statue of the Little Angel arose out of a 1997 competition, won by the Dutch sculptor Ton Mooy, to create 40 statues, including 14 angels, to replace those on the cathedral that time and pollution had ruined. The Little Angel was the only unconventional one.



PHOTO: 40 statues, including 14 angels created by Dutch sculptor Ton Mooy.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhudPuEeqHF9QAu-IO6PysRKnG0sv7gV0Jcvq4QXJ9BS_9BrGd757MLLFiXH7KY_gwQcCtWXCcz8fwLkUBd8MaJoopM6ee9rXYC3bf-QYVUACOgSGOt1FguyuPq3cFEIJDZo62FfZiICjI/s1600/engelen-foto-tonmooy.jpg
http://flipperdeflap.blogspot.com/2011/05/calling-angelor-tweet-angel.html


You can make a phony Gothic statue,” Mr. Mooy, 63, said in his studio in Amersfoort, about an hour north of here. “That’s not what I wanted. It had to fit in with what was always on the church, namely, refinement, emotion.

Angels are there to guide, to protect people, they get messages from above. How do you show that? With a cellphone.

I tell kids, ‘There’s one button on that cellphone,’ ” he said with a chuckle — a direct line to heaven. “So she doesn’t get naughty, calling other angels.



PHOTO: Dutch sculptor Ton Mooy
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/54/125060651_dcdcc4f377.jpg
http://whotalking.com/flickr/Mooy


The cathedral, which dates to 1220, has a centuries-old tradition of unusual, sometimes bawdy, art. One medieval statue is of a bricklayer bending over and baring his bottom. Some is tragic. A stained glass window over the main entrance depicts the apocalypse with a panel showing the Sept. 11 attack on the twin towers.

Catholic Church officials who administer the immense Gothic cathedral, dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, are not entirely amused.Success has many fathers,” said Pieter Kohnen, a cathedral board member. “And maybe exploiters.

The couple do not charge a fee for calls to the Little Angel, and insist they are not profiting from its spreading fame. But in December the church set up an official number for the public to phone the angel — for $1.07 a minute. Now, a sign next to the cathedral invites passers-by to “Call the Angel.” A man’s voice answers, giving the caller several options: “Dial 1, for a history of the church; dial 2, to learn what Christianity is about,” and so forth.



PHOTO: Now, you are our angel! - The couple do not charge a fee for calls to the Little Angel, and insist they are not profiting from its spreading fame.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UpJbd9Tf2oc/T07bNGkZXtI/AAAAAAAAAgA/objllDgVfsc/s1600/Blue-Heart-With-Wings-1.jpg
http://kindergartenlifestyle.blogspot.com/


We chose a male actor, for his trustworthy voice,” explained Mr. Kohnen, noting that the number gets about 100 calls a week. The goal, he said, was, “to promote the gospel, evangelize, but also financial.” About $940,000 a year is required for the cathedral’s upkeep.

Competition has erupted. The Little Angel is a celebrity. Church attendance may be flagging and the Catholic Church’s image tarnished by past child-abuse cases, but the cathedral has become the buzz of the town.

Callers to the earlier number, where they pay only the regular rate for calling a cellphone, never get an answering machine, the woman who provides the angel’s voice explained. “I say, ‘Hello, this is the Little Angel,’ and then various things can happen,” she said.



PHOTO: “Kids under 10 are the best,”. "Are you cold? What about the rain, no umbrella?”.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xRwhvrISGkc/ToxwMG0X8SI/AAAAAAAAEg0/gHOSaA9xz7s/s1600/2011-10-05_100244.jpg
http://frugalshoppingwithjulie.com/2011/10/the-best-birthday-freebies.html


Not all callers are in dire need of help. “Kids under 10 are the best,” she said with a laugh. “What language do I speak? What’s for dinner? Are you cold? What about the rain, no umbrella?

Students seek help with exams, others with driving tests. “My answer’s always the same: I will blow some angel magic to you,” the woman said. Others just want to vent. “They talk about the church, about the abuse scandals, and so forth,” she said.

In most cases there is laughter, but there are callers who have no faith in friends or relatives, so they would like to talk to someone they have some kind of faith in,” she said. A widow in her 80s called from Amsterdam to complain of loneliness — bad weather prevented her going out and there was no one to bring in groceries; moreover, her sink needed repairs for the equivalent of $135.



PHOTO: "I will blow some angel magic to you,” for Students who seek help with exams.
http://api.ning.com/files/5M4gyppIvt2l7BOM4oTJhr4VC7UtHMvPvdfITqCYtoRoSiGF8WLezO0tFIgM4EzKeyZxV5gh8OBFH0JOEnklI1EbNhIsIS8o/81276089856pho.jpg
http://community.humanityhealing.net/profiles/blogs/are-there-angels


She said she’d lost faith in humanity, in her own family,” said the woman who lends the angel a voice. Two weeks later the elderly woman called again, to thank the angel. Things had gotten better.

Albert van Osch, 52, a musician, liked the angel so much he brought his mother and a friend to admire her on a recent rainy afternoon. “These are modern times,” he said. “This is completely modern.

The woman who gives the angel a voice said she tries to impart a message of tolerance. A school class called recently from the southern province of Zeeland. “The kids asked why Catholics eat pork and Muslims don’t,” she said. “I said, ‘Well, Hindus are not allowed to eat cows, so perhaps Catholics are very much in between.



PHOTO: Cherub and Ray of Light
http://www.visualphotos.com/photo/2x2704552/cherub_and_ray_of_light_cb100450.jpg
http://www.visualphotos.com/image/2x2704552/cherub_and_ray_of_light


She does not feel she is deceiving anyone by impersonating the angel. “If someone is serious, I am serious,” she said. “If someone is calling for a prank, I go along with that.

The couple knows that church officials are displeased. “They would like us to stop, though they haven’t told us directly,” the husband said. “We are not getting any money, and we are not competing with the church.

She is not sure how much longer they will do it. “Till I get fed up with it, I guess,” the wife said. “Sometimes it’s hard.


Steve Jobs will soon arrive upstairs — perhaps I’ll get a new model!
http://www.wizards.com/magic/images/cardart/LRW/Vivid_Meadow_640.jpg
http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/arcana/1451


But it is still fun, too. When Steve Jobs died, the phone rang endlessly. The angel, she said, told callers: “Steve Jobs will soon arrive upstairs — perhaps I’ll get a new model!
By JOHN TAGLIABUE, Published: March 5, 2012



HELPDESK
我的字典: Wǒ de zì diǎn


Angels: 天使 - tiān shǐ
Bricklayer: 砖匠 - zhuān jiàng
Hotline: 电话热线 - diàn huà rè xiàn
Answering machine: 电话答录机 - diàn huà dá lù jī


Reference