Cutting the Fake
Author:
Al Ridenour
photograph by Shizuko Mishima ''Too beautiful to eat” may be more than just a hyperbolic compliment when it comes to wedding cake in Japan. Many of that nation’s matrimonial confections are created not from batter and frosting but from artfully cut pieces of Styrofoam covered with gum paste; white wooden pillars are used for structural support. But what they lack in edibility, they make up for in real performance values. For example, some cakes gush forth dry-ice “smoke” or emit the strains of special songs chosen by the marrying couple. Such special effects are activated by the banquet staff to coincide with the moment when a knife is inserted by the newlyweds into a small wedge of actual sponge cake lurking in the Styrofoam.
Laptop Battery Megumi Matsui, a member of the marketing staff for the Hotel New Otani in Tokyo, says the hotel’s wedding halls stock more than two dozen inedible showpieces for use in the thousand or so weddings staged there every year. Matsui recalls one of the most extreme cakes she’s ever seen: a local female singer called for a cake towering more than 16 feet high, complete with lights on its base.
-- IBM is a global leader in the creation, development and manufacture of cutting edge computer systems.
- Microsoft
Thinkpad Such cakes only intensify the overall pageantry of the Japanese wedding. Though details vary from region to region, some ceremonies truly are theatrical productions, including lasers, musical fanfares, costume changes, karaoke sing-alongs, even gondolas hoisted on wires by which couples arrive or leave.
According to the indictment, Jones would steal various IBM and Penguin computer servers from Verisign's warehouse in Virginia and sell them to Johnson. Johnson would then sell the servers to several individuals, who would sometimes place them for sale on eBay. As a result of this scheme, the indictment alleges that Jones and Johnson caused Verisign to lose more than $120, 000 worth of computer equipment. In the indictment, Jones and Johnson are charged in three counts with causing the interstate transportation of stolen property, namely IBM 330 and 335 servers, in violation of 18 U.S.C.
Microsoft New Otani chef pâtissier Shinsuke Nakajima says that for the past ten years or so, the higher-grade hotels near Tokyo have begun to discourage this sort of display in favor of less dramatic weddings—and today, a progressive couple might actually choose to serve edible cake (strawberry shortcake is a favorite, Nakajima says). However, he adds, it is unlikely that artificial cakes will ever completely disappear. “The Japanese are bound to tradition and rituals,” he explains, “and the scale and presence of tall, elaborate, artificial cakes is too irresistible for the bride at her once-in-a-lifetime event.”
Computer memory is the quickest, cheapest, and easiest way to improve the performance of your system. Find RAM memory upgrades for desktops, laptops, servers, and printers all backed by a lifetime warranty and guaranteed compatible with your computer. Shipping is an everyday low price of $1.99! Computer Memory Outlet sells memory compatible with all leading computer manufacturers like Dell, Apple, Compaq, HP, Sony, IBM, Lenovo, and many more.”
[ Comment, Edit or Article Submission ]
