California party shop inspired by visit to Rapa Nui

Get the party started
BY KYLIE MENDONCA
New Times SLO
Thursday, Aug 31, 2006

[Owner] Schinsing came up with the name [Moai Sue] after visiting Easter Island on a post-retirement vacation ... Moai Sue specializes in kitschy retro-ware and supplies for party themes you never knew about.

Click here to read the full article.

QE2's Pacific "Odyssey"

Historic Tandem Transatlantic Crossing And 'First Ever Meeting Of Three Queens' Herald Cunard's 2008 World Cruises
CCN Matthews
AUGUST 31, 2006 - 09:00 ET

[QE2's] 2008 voyage will see her concentrate on South America and the Pacific in a 103-night odyssey that will leave Southampton on 6 January and call at 30 places in 17 countries - a mix of exciting cities and interesting ports. After leaving New York QE2 will head around South America calling at Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, the Falkland Islands and Valparaiso. Cruising into the Pacific she will then circle the world's largest ocean before arriving at Los Angeles on 30 March. Port calls will include Easter Island, Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Honolulu.

Click here to read the full release.

"Monolithic" pop culture references #7

Ever searching for news about Rapa Nui, this blog's administrator comes across many references to Rapa Nui and its famous moai. Often, these references are quite comical and have nothing to do with the island or the culture of Rapa Nui. Other times, they appear to be speculative, based more on misconceptions than reality, or downright bizarre. Here are some of the more recent references:

The Herald:
His series of drawings hang on the wall and seem to be photocopies of discarded socks. A monolithic painting leans against the wall, square, sturdy and black, while a wood sculpture looks down on it, an Easter Island head given a body.

A.V. Club:
The kids were like Easter Island statues. They just stared at us.[Quote by Conan O'Brien]

Click here to read more "monolithic" pop culture references.

"Monolithic" pop culture references #6

Ever searching for news about Rapa Nui, this blog's administrator comes across many references to Rapa Nui and its famous moai. Often, these references are quite comical and have nothing to do with the island or the culture of Rapa Nui. Other times, they appear to be speculative, based more on misconceptions than reality, or downright bizarre. Here are some of the more recent references:

Observer:
Watching the not-very-funny comedy The Break-Up, I'm an Easter Island statue of ill-humour.

Straight.com:
Accustomed as we are to teachers being presented as inspirational figures—flawed by overzealousness, perhaps, but iconic as Easter Island statues in tweed jackets—it takes some time to adjust to a cinematic educator far more screwed up than any of his students.

Click here to read more "monolithic" pop culture references.

New7Wonders campaign to visit Rapa Nui

New7Wonders Campaign to Visit All 21 Candidates

PRNewswire
August 21 2006

Over the next seven months, the New7Wonders World Tour, featuring a huge hot-air balloon and a high-tech airship, will visit the 21 finalist monuments [including Rapa Nui], allowing them to showcase their cultural significance. During the ceremony, an official certificate will be presented to each candidate.

Click here to read the full release.

Luxury ocean "residences" to visit Rapa Nui

The World South Pacific Cruise
by David Stanley
South Pacific Travel Blog
Saturday August 19, 2006

The beginning fare from Tahiti to Easter Island (10 days) for the least expensive studio is US$14,500 double including food, drinks, tips, and port taxes.

Click here to read the full post.

Click here to visit The World online.

Easter Island boardgame released

Gone Cardboard News: Easter Island - Released
Posted by Rick Thornquist
Boardgame News
08/17 at 04:24 PM

Twilight Creations has released Easter Island.

Click here to read the full post.


Click here to visit Twilight Creations webpage for the Easter Island boardgame.

Rethinking Rapa Nui's past

Rethinking the Fall of Easter Island
New evidence points to an alternative explanation for a civilization's collapse
Terry L. Hunt
American Scientist
September-October 2006


Every year, thousands of tourists from around the world take a long flight across the South Pacific to see the famous stone statues of Easter Island. Since 1722, when the first Europeans arrived, these megalithic figures, or moai, have intrigued visitors. Interest in how these artifacts were built and moved led to another puzzling question: What happened to the people who created them?

Click here to read the full article.

More about this article at the below referenced blog:

Attack Of The Easter Island Rats
posted by beajerry
Cosmic Watercooler
Wednesday, August 16, 2006

But that rats were the main cause of deforestation?

Click here to read the full post.

"In the Wake of the Bounty" to visit Rapa Nui

When summer ends, follow the sun
By Arline and Sam Bleecker (Chicago Tribune)
San Jose Mercury News
(MCT)
Posted on Mon, Aug. 14, 2006

Specifically, you can nab free air on a Discovery cruise/tour in February, when the line's 650-passenger ship Discovery will follow the paths of captains Cook and Bligh, making South Pacific calls at Robinson Crusoe Island, an overnight call at Easter Island, and then heading to Raiatea and Bora Bora. The 16-day cruise/tour - dubbed "In the Wake of the Bounty" - departs from Santiago, Chile, Feb. 27. Rates begin at $3,650 per person and include free air and a two-night hotel stay in Santiago.

Click here to read the full article.

How to make a 9 foot inflatable moai

The building of two 9' inflatable Moai for the Tiki Invasion stage.

Posted By: Bif Sterling
Inflatable Moai
(first post) Sat Jul 01, 2006 9:14 pm

Click here for a series of blog posts about the construction of two inflatable moai and their use in a recent event.

More about the inflatable moai at the below referenced article:

HOW TO - Make an inflatable Moai
Posted by Phillip Torrone
Make Blog
Aug 9, 2006 08:17 AM

We converted two Halloween lawn decorations into 9' Moai ...

Click here to read the full post.

"Monolithic" pop cultures references #5

Ever searching for news about Rapa Nui, this blog's administrator comes across many references to Rapa Nui and its famous moai. Often, these references are quite comical and have nothing to do with the island or the culture of Rapa Nui. Other times, they appear to be speculative, based more on misconceptions than reality, or downright bizarre. Here are some of the more recent references:

Yahoo! Sports:
You can count on Brady to play just about 16 games, do it at peak efficiency, lumber around in the pocket like an Easter Island statue, and make relatively few mistakes.

United Rant:
As usual though once the drink started to flow we stayed around Mojo's, talking to William and Shane Davies the later being a Easter Island Head lookalike!

Tonawanda News:
These containers will line up on the streets like Easter Island statues, each a monument to Kenmore’s insistence that solutions precede problems.

Click here to read more "monolithic" pop culture references.

Solo one-armed sailing expedition to visit Rapa Nui

Japanese sailor single-handedly takes on the world
By JULIE JAG, Sentinel staff writer
Santa Cruz Sentinel
August 10, 2006

[One-armed Japanese sailor, Akio Yonago, will] leave Santa Cruz on Aug. 20 for a short jaunt to Monterey. Then he'll continue down the coast, docking often along the way, as he makes his way to Mexico, Easter Island, Chile and Cape Horn. He would like to make a stop in Antarctica before continuing to Africa, Europe and back to Japan.

Click here to read the full article.

New puzzle game features Rapa Nui background

Domino Quake
GameZone
Electronic: 08/08/2006

Every race takes place on the most evocative locations on earth, from the Rapa Nui Island to India, visiting the ruins of the ancient Aztecs and the gold sands of the Sphinx. A fall of fun is waiting for you…

Click here for the rest of the article.

2007 Easter Island Conference at Gotland University

2007 Easter Island Conference
by David Stanley
South Pacific Travel Blog
Posted on Monday August 8, 2006

Gotland University and the Easter Island Foundation are organizing the VII International Conference on Easter Island and the Pacific Islands at Visby on Gotland Island, Sweden, from 20-25 August 2007.

Click here to read the full post.

Click here to visit the Easter Island Foundation's conference webpage.

Click here to visit Gotland University's conference webpage.

Rapanui among representatives of the "liquid continent"

Environment: Sinking States
UNPO.org
2006-08-07

The Indigenous Peoples Pacific Caucus and Hawaii Institute for Human Rights hosted a government representative from Tuvalu to speak to Maori, Aboriginals, Kanaka Maoli and Rapa Nui representatives about the immediate impact of global warming on the liquid continent of the world.

Click here to read the full press release.

"Monolithic" pop culture references #4

Ever searching for news about Rapa Nui, this blog's administrator comes across many references to Rapa Nui and its famous moai. Often, these references are quite comical and have nothing to do with the island or the culture of Rapa Nui. Other times, they appear to be speculative, based more on misconceptions than reality, or downright bizarre. Here are some of the more recent references:

uuworld.org:
Niches and crevices, phalluses and totem poles, Easter Island gods and priestly sentinels stood in rank and file atop sandstone walls pierced here and there with a window or a stone arch.

The Gadflyer:
Kerry has suffered quips about his angular jaw line, including Dennis Miller's description of him as "an Easter Island statue in a power tie."

The Star (South Africa):
Is there perhaps a tribe of one- legged, four-toed, torso-less types lurking? Or does the leg belong to one of those heads over on Easter Island ...

Click here to read more "monolithic" pop culture references.

Rapa Nui delegation "stand out" at Geneva celebration

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples celebration in Palais des Nations
UNPO.org
2006-08-07

Meanwhile the Rapa Nui delegation to the WGIP stood out, painted as they were in white, and singing and dancing to the sounds of a konch shell and guitar.

Click here to read the full press release.

"Monolithic" pop culture references #3

Ever searching for news about Rapa Nui, this blog's administrator comes across many references to Rapa Nui and its famous moai. Often, these references are quite comical and have nothing to do with the island or the culture of Rapa Nui. Other times, they appear to be speculative, based more on misconceptions than reality, or downright bizarre. Here are some of the more recent references:

San Francisco Chronicle:
Ah, but the similarity in tasks ends with the tools. Jose Mendez's labor of love is a tiki garden, complete with thatched bar, soothing waterfalls, koi pond, firefly lights and Easter Island carved pizza oven.

Sunday Times:
On the front bench, Sheridan remained as still and impassive as he was on most of the trial’s 23 days, an Easter Island statue of brooding vigilance.

Toronto Star:
Whether they were meant to represent spirits of the land, to form an alien landing pad, or simply to be used as local wayfinders, the massive, sculpted heads on Easter Island are international icons that fuse the human figure with the land. Lacking a scale reference, the long-faced forms in Bassiri's work, contrasted against the bright green of the grass of his lawn, could well be mistaken for those Easter Island heads (or at least a long-lost cousin).

Toronto Star:
The mini-civilization of Easter Island, for instance, eventually wrecked its whole ecology for the sake of its statue cult. The last tree came down to put up the last colossus. The bare earth then washed or blew away, leaving hunger, war, and death.

Click here to read more "monolithic" pop culture references.

13.9% more Lan Airlines Rapa Nui passengers

FRENCH POLYNESIA: June Produced 11% More Int'l Airline Passengers

Source: Tahitipresse
Pacific Magazine
Friday: August 4, 2006

Lan Airlines flew the same number of Santiago-Easter Island-Papeete-Easter Island-Santiago flights (18) in June as a year ago, but carried 13.9% more passengers who filled an average 54% of the flights, compared with 47.4% last year.

Click here to read the full article.

Rapa Nui port of call for Fred Olsen Cruise

Daily Doc: travelling to New Zealand by sea
'Doc Holiday'
Times Online
August 03, 2006

The ports of call is a mouth-watering list, leaving Dover for Lisbon, Tenerife, St Lucia, Barbados, Curacao, Panama Canal, Lima, Easter Island, Pitcairn Island, Tahiti, Cook Islands, Tonga, and Auckland.

Click here to read the full article.

Visit Fred Oslen Cruise Lines online:
http://www.FredOlsenCruises.co.uk

Santiago-Hanga Roa is important air cargo route

Air passenger traffic record for Chile
Chile’s airline industry set a historic record in June, welcoming more international traffic than any other year at this time, 287.966 passengers.
Mercosur
MercoPress News Agency
Thursday, 03 August

As to domestic cargo traffic, the volume in the first half of the year also dropped 3.3%. The most important volume routes are: Santiago-Iquique, 18.3%; Santiago-Antofagasta 15.1%; Santiago-Punta Arenas 14.4% and Santiago-Easter Island 10.7%.

Click here to read the full article.

Rapa Nui slide show and lecture at Maine museum

Lighthouse Museum lecture series continues Sunday, Aug. 13 with Trip to Easter Island
By Maine Lighthouse Museum

Village Soup
August 2, 2006

The mysteries of Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, in the South Pacific will be the topic of the next Maine Lighthouse Museum lecture on Sunday, August 13, 2006, at 1 p.m. David Zelz, who has traveled extensively throughout the South Pacific, will show slides of the island's landscapes, its people, and the hundreds of huge and mysterious stone statues known as moai that dot Easter Island's coastline.

Click here to read the full article.

Visit the Maine Lighthouse Museum online:
http://www.mainelighthousemuseum.com/

Re-vamped drive-in theatre features moai

Mission Tiki Drive-In is thrivin'
David Allen, Columnist
DailyBulletin.com
Article Launched: 08/02/2006 12:00:00 AM PDT

Ticket booths and the snack bar now resemble grass huts, employees wear Hawaiian shirts and a cluster of Easter Island-like tiki idols greet patrons.

Click here to read the full article.

Visit Mission Tiki Drive-In online:
http://www.missiontiki.com/

Find out about the theatre's upcoming "Tiki-Invasion" special event on August 5:
http://www.myspace.com/missiontiki