Rapa Nui among finalists for New7Wonders

Will wonders ever cease?
By ELIANE ENGELER and ALEXANDER G. HIGGINS Associated Press
Dallas Morning News
12:00 AM CST on Sunday, December 31, 2006

In addition to the Statue of Liberty, Egyptian Pyramids, Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal and Machu Picchu, the finalists are Greece's Acropolis; Turkey's Hagia Sophia; the Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral; the Colosseum; Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle; Stonehenge; Spain's Alhambra; the Great Wall of China; Japan's Kiyomizu Temple; the Sydney Opera House; Cambodia's Angkor Wat; Timbuktu; Petra, Jordan; Brazil's Statue of Christ Redeemer; Easter Island; and Chichén Itzá, Mexico.

Click here for complete article.

"Monolithic" pop culture references #30

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:

Tallahassee.com:
Oh, looky there, it's a tissue dispenser ($19.95) shaped like one of the giant stone heads on Easter Island and the Kleenex comes out of his chiseled nostril.

Australian:
WHATEVER happened to the arch-conservative prime minister who inspired comparisons to Easter Island statues and satirical T-shirts reading "put value back in the pound - vote Malcolm Fraser"?

Santiago jumping-off point for trips to Rapa Nui

PASSPORTS FROM 2006
Randy Curwen, TRAVEL EDITOR
Chicago Tribune
Published December 31, 2006

For most tourists to Chile, Santiago is a jumping-off point for the lakes and wildness of the south, the history and mystery of Easter Island to the west, or the deserts and desolate beauty of the far north.

Click here for complete article.

Rapa Nui's allure part of trip to Chile

Discoveries from Santa Fe to Chile
By Alfred Borcover - Special to the Tribune
Chicago Tribune
Published December 31, 2006

On my final leg, I flew 2,300 miles from Santiago to Easter Island, population 4,000. This 64-square-mile speck in the Pacific is considered the most remote populated spot in the world--2,500 miles from Tahiti and 1,500 miles from the closest inhabited island, Pitcairn. Easter Island's allure will always be its mysterious moai figures, 887 of them.

Click here for complete article.

Moai-shaped BBQ grill

Mr. Rapa Nui tiki-shaped BBQ grill
How Bowers
Tiki Talk
posted on Wednesday, December 27th, 2006 at 7:39 am

The Mr. Rapa Nui mini grill is designed for cooking skewers, but is large enough to hold two New York steaks or four pieces of chicken as well.























Click here for complete post.

Door of London bar framed by moai

Boogie nights
The stink of fake tan, ruthless door bitches and out-of-bounds VIP areas ... When Kate Faithfull set out on a week-long mission to find the best dancefloor in the capital, she didn't expect to end up back at her local kebab shop
Kate Faithfull
The Observer
Sunday December 31, 2006

In search of cheer, I venture to the South London Pacific in Kennington on Wednesday night. It's a tropical oasis along a grim road; Easter Island-style faces frame the door, palm trees grow from the walls, chunky wooden carvings grace every corner, garlands of flowers trail from bamboo poles - this is a beach hut of the coolest order.

Click here for complete article.

"Monolithic" pop culture references #29

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:

Lebanon Daily News:
I do not opt for hideous inflatable or life-size plastic replica elves, carolers or Santas littering the front lawn like a Kmart version of Easter Island, nor those all-the-rage and revolting blow-up bubble domes with fake snow swirling inside. What were these people thinking?

ContaCostaTimes.com:
Meltdown: O.J. Simpson/Judith Regan. One of history's great mysteries, right behind the Easter Island idols, Stonehenge and why we drive in parkways and park in driveways, is the following. WHAT THE HELL WERE THESE TWO THINKING?!!!

Rapa Nui among Phoenix Award recipients

Forks wins high award
Recognized for way site's been preserved and developed
By Heidi Hagenlocher
Winnipeg Free Press Online Edition
Sat Dec 30 2006

"It shows that we've maintained the historic elements of the site... it's a significant award to be recognized by the Society of America Travel Writers because their standards are so high," said Clare MacKay, manager of marketing and communications for The Forks North Portage Partnership, which manages The Forks. Previous winners include Walt Disney World in Florida, Easter Island in Chile and The Municipal Art Society of New York City.

Click here for complete article.

Pacific Encounters book features objects from Rapa Nui

Pacific Encounters: Art and Divinity in Polynesia
By www.tepapa.govt.nz
Huliq
December 30, 2006

The book presents over 250 items with short captions, including sculptures in wood and stone, feather and basketry images, feather cloaks, wood bowls, decorated bark cloths, ornaments and valuables of ivory, shell, bone and nephrite. Objects come from across the Pacific – from the Society Islands (Tahiti), Austral Islands, Cook Islands, Marquesas Islands, Hawaii, Easter Island, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Click here for complete post.

"Must" see Rapa Nui "before you die"

So many things to read, see, hear and do
You'd need 1001 nights and days to make even a dent in this list.
Jane Sullivan
theage.com.au
December 30, 2006

I have some places to visit. They're in 1001 Natural Wonders You Must See Before You Die, edited by Michael Bright. I can start with Uluru, which is relatively close to home, and work my way round to Stromboli, and a few Alaskan glaciers, and Mount Fuji, and Easter Island, and take a quick dip in the Mariana Trench. Oh, but then I've missed Australia's Nude Night Surfing Contest, which turns up in 100 Things To Do Before You Die, by Neil Teplica.

Click here for complete article.

More about the moai in "Night at the Museum"

A stocking full of gags
Taipei Times, Taiwan - Dec 28, 2006
A stone head from Easter Island demands bubble gum. And a cheeky monkey named Dexter steals Larry's keys, tears up his instructions and engages him in a ...

Information for parents deciding which movies are best for kids ...
Kansas City Star, MO - Dec 29, 2006
They should also learn about Sacagawea, Theodore Roosevelt, Easter Island and Attila the Hun. They may enjoy the books and movie versions of Jumanji, ...

Rapa Nui as metaphor for planet

Future grim, despite the festive season
by Sanitsuda Ekachai, Assistant Editor
Bangkok Post
Thursday December 28, 2006

Like Easter Island, our Planet Earth is an isolated island in the universe, says Nidhi. We have nowhere else to go if things go bust.

Click here for complete post.

School project's toy bear visited Rapa Nui

If you go round the world today..
Paddington may have travelled to England from "darkest Peru" but his exploits pale in comparison with the 25 bears at one North Yorkshire school.
BBC News
Last Updated: Wednesday, 27 December 2006, 09:51 GMT

Another bear, Jimbo, took part in a round-the-world jaunt taking in Brazil, Antarctica, Chile and Easter Island among others.

Click here for complete article.

French electricity company compares world to Rapa Nui

French electric company EDF has a new ad campaign, which compares the consumption of energy in the contemporary world to that of the Rapanui during their moai construction period.

Click here to visit the EDF website and to view its Rapa Nui campange publicitaire.

Thanks to Virani for suggesting the content for this post.

Blog post about the Rongorongo

The Other Mystery of Easter Island
Posted by Stephanie Benson
Damn Interesting
December 26th, 2006 at 1:15 pm

Where the moai are fascinating for their unknown purpose and mysterious craftsmen, the island's lost language of Rongorongo is equally perplexing. The unique written language seems to have appeared suddenly in the 1700s, but within just two centuries it was exiled to obscurity.







Click here for complete post.

Thanks to MrBaliHai for suggesting the content for this post.

More "Night at the Museum" articles

'Museum' all-around fun film
Syracuse Post Standard, NY - Dec 25, 2006
... of dad. So, Larry goes to work to learn how to dispatch their tyranny. The Easter Island head is pacified by bubble gum. But the ...

Imagination runs wild during night at museum
Baltimore Sun, United States - Dec 26, 2006
... Ben Stiller as a security guard who, every night, is forced to contend with everything from a bounding Tyrannosaurus to a bubble-gum-chewing Easter Island idol ...

Night at our museum
Baltimore Sun, United States - Dec 26, 2006
... Ben Stiller as a security guard who, every night, is forced to contend with everything from a bounding Tyrannosaurus to a bubble-gum-chewing Easter Island idol ...

Ancient history
Portsmouth Herald News, NH - Dec 27, 2006
... But it doesn't just come to life the way Strawbery Banke says "history comes alive"; this thing makes an Easter Island statue chew gum, turns Attila the Hun ...

Moai in peril

World treasures under attack
Sydney Morning Herald
December 26, 2006 - 11:52AM

While visitors commune with the moais they rarely learn about the serious problems confronting Easter Island and its 4,000 residents.









Click here for complete article.

Crab found near Rapa Nui warrants new family designation

From the ashes comes baby Nessie fossil
Bureau Report
Zee News
December 25, 2006

A new type of crab with a furry appearance, near Easter Island. It was so unusual it warranted a whole new family designation, Kiwaidae, named for Kiwa, the Polynesian goddess of shellfish. Its furry appearance justified its species name, hirsuta, meaning hairy.

Click here for complete article.

Rapa Nui among New7Wonders' current list of finalists

Effort under way to name today's 7 wonders of the world
By Eliane Engeler and Alexander G. Higgins, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Inside Bay Area
Article Last Updated: 12/24/2006 06:28:51 AM PST

-Easter Island. Hundreds of massive stone busts, or Moais, on this island off Chile are all that remain from the prehistoric Rapanui culture. The statues, some more than 70 feet tall, were crafted between 400 and 1,000 years ago to represent deceased ancestors.

Click here for complete article.

Trip to Chile offers Rapa Nui's "remote wonders"

Catch Chile's wine train for tasty reds and a troubled past
The Tren del Vino offers an affordable trip to the rich Colchagua Valley for cabernets and history
DAVID MOLYNEAUX
OregonLive.com
Sunday, December 24, 2006

Travel to Chile offers high adventure into the mighty Andes Mountains, the lakes and glaciers of Patagonia, the remote wonders of Easter Island and the treacherous ice of nearby Antarctica.

Click here for complete article.

Disneyesque moai sets "hokey" tone at Kauai garden

Kauai, the 'Garden Island,' is a lush masterpiece
By Luci Yamamoto
Salt Lake City Tribune
Article Last Updated: 12/23/2006 01:13:46 PM MST

The setting can seem a tad hokey, with a Disneyesque Easter Island figure and trams full of sunburnt tourists wearing matching aloha attire. But don't underestimate the garden's variety of plants, serene ponds and unpretentious appeal.

Click here for complete article.

Get lost in Kauai's lush landscape
The Hawaiian destination has clearly earned the "Garden Island" name
By Luci Yamamoto
ContraCostaTimes.com
Posted on Sun, Dec. 24, 2006

The setting can seem a tad hokey, with a Disneyesque Easter Island figure and trams full of sunburnt tourists wearing matching aloha attire. But don't underestimate the garden's variety of plants, serene ponds and unpretentious appeal.

Click here for complete article.

More "Night at the Museum" articles

Crazy 'Night' of fun
Press-Enterprise (subscription), CA - Dec 21, 2006
... Shawn Levy, director of "The Pink Panther" remake and "Cheaper by the Dozen," fills frames with kid-pleasing moments -- a gray Easter Island head (voiced by ...

Stiller crazy: ‘Night at the Museum’ is family fun
Boston Herald, United States - Dec 21, 2006
... Watch out for the frolicking T.rex skeleton. Here comes Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher) and his barbaric hordes. The Easter Island head demands gum. ...

‘Jumanji’ meets the museum
The State, SC - Dec 21, 2006
... low-brow “The Pink Panther” remake and “Cheaper by the Dozen,” fills frames with kid-pleasing moments — a gray Easter Island head (voiced by gravelly ...

A Child's Dream, a Security Guard's Nightmare
New York Sun, NY - Dec 21, 2006
... An Easter Island head demands gum, the mummy starts pounding on his coffin for a refund, and Attila the Hun stalks the halls looking for the craft services ...

Days of old at 'Museum'
commercialappeal.com (subscription), TN - Dec 21, 2006
... a chaos of prankish monkeys, clumsy Neanderthals ("Quest for fire -- over," says Larry, tossing the trogs a cigarette lighter) and mumbling Easter Island heads ...

What Goes On When The Lights Go Out
Washington Post, United States - Dec 21, 2006
... So Larry finds himself chaperoning the world's most surreal play date, as the dino insists on playing fetch, an Easter Island sculpture asks him for "gum-gum ...

Exhibits come to life at night amid terrific special effects ...
nwitimes.com, IN - Dec 21, 2006
... the unapologetically low brow "The Pink Panther" remake and "Cheaper by the Dozen," fills frames with kid pleasing moments -- a gray Easter Island head (voiced ...

'Museum' Mania
Washington Post, United States - Dec 22, 2006
So Larry finds himself chaperoning the world's most surreal play date, as the dino insists on playing fetch, an Easter Island sculpture asks him for "gum-gum ...

Supernatural history
Kentucky.com, KY - Dec 22, 2006...
Director Shawn Levy fills frames with kid-pleasing moments -- a gray Easter Island head (voiced by Brad Garrett) that likes to pop bubblegum on its stony face ...

Stellar ensemble cast on exhibit during ‘Night at the Museum’ ...
Wilkes Barre Times-Leader, PA - Dec 22, 2006
... lowbrow “The Pink Panther” remake and “Cheaper by the Dozen,” fills frames with kid pleasing moments — a gray Easter Island head (voiced by gravelly ...

Fun erupts at the museum with Ben Stiller
Macon Telegraph, GA - Dec 22, 2006...
Shawn Levy, director of the unapologetically low brow "The Pink Panther" remake, fills frames with kid pleasing moments - a gray Easter Island head (voiced by ...

One wild 'Night'
News & Observer, NC - Dec 22, 2006
... Shortly, Larry encounters an Easter Island head (voiced by "Everybody Loves Raymond's" Brad Garrett) that "Want gum-gum from the dum-dum" (that would be Larry ...

Cliched 'Museum' loses its way after priceless start
Baltimore Sun, United States - Dec 22, 2006
... a bone-fetching Tyrannosaurus, an Attila the Hun with an affinity for rending people's arms, a monkey pickpocket, a gum-chewing Easter Island head, some ...

History lives in 'Night at the Museum'
Detroit Free Press, United States - Dec 22, 2006
... These include the T-Rex dinosaur skeleton in the lobby, an enormous Easter Island head begging for bubble gum and lifelike wax figures of Attila the Hun and ...

Stuff of children's imagination runs wild in 'Night at the Museum'
Boston Globe, United States - Dec 22, 2006
... the beasts of the African veldt (including a capuchin monkey somewhat brighter than the hero), Attila and his Huns, a gum-obsessed Easter Island statue (voiced ...

Stiller's 'Museum' is a mirthless piece of sitcom cheese
New York Daily News, NY - Dec 22, 2006
... gold tablet found with an Egyptian mummy, everything in the museum - the stuffed wildlife, the Roman diorama, the stone head from Easter Island - come alive at ...

MOVIE REVIEW: ‘NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM’
Pueblo Chieftain, CO - Dec 22, 2006
... low-brow ‘‘The Pink Panther’’ remake and ‘‘Cheaper by the Dozen,’’ fills frames with kid pleasing moments - a gray Easter Island head (voiced ...

Ensemble brings 'Museum' to life
Kansas.com, KS - Dec 22, 2006
... the unapologetically lowbrow "The Pink Panther" remake and "Cheaper by the Dozen," fills frames with kid-pleasing moments -- a gray Easter Island head (voiced ...

Night at the Museum
Boston Globe, United States - Dec 22, 2006
... the beasts of the African veldt (including a capuchin monkey somewhat brighter than the hero), Attila and his Huns, a gum-obsessed Easter Island statue (voiced ...

'Night at the Museum' proves far from dead
OCRegister, CA - Dec 22, 2006
... An Easter Island head statute begs for bubble gum, and a bronze figure of Christopher Columbus skulks through the hallways, evidently lost. ...

Moving relics
Buffalo News, United States - December 22, 2006
... So a movie fantasy about museum Easter Island statues that chew bubble gum - and blow bubbles - is so nicely pixilated that it scarcely matters that a two ...

The best holiday movies
Brisbane Courier Mail, Australia - December 22, 2006
... that the museum's exhibits, including a wax Teddy Roosevelt, an Egyptian pharaoh, the Roman emperor Octavius, Attila the Hun, an Easter Island head, and a Wild ...

When lights go out, fun begins in `Museum'
San Jose Mercury News, USA - December 22, 2006
... Director Shawn Levy fills the frames with kid-pleasing moments -- a gray Easter Island head (voiced by Brad Garrett) that likes to pop gum bubbles on its stony ...

Museum of Natural Hijinks
Press-Enterprise (subscription), CA - December 22, 2006
... unapologetically lowbrow The Pink Panther remake and Cheaper by the Dozen, fills frames with kid-pleasing moments, including a gray Easter Island head (voiced ...

Museum Open for Business
Animation Magazine - December 22, 2006
... Steve Coogan, Paul Rudd, Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney, as well as a host of CG-animated oddities including a T-Rex skeleton and an Easter Island stone head ...

The best holiday movies
Brisbane Courier Mail, Australia - Dec 22, 2006
... that the museum's exhibits, including a wax Teddy Roosevelt, an Egyptian pharaoh, the Roman emperor Octavius, Attila the Hun, an Easter Island head, and a Wild ...

When lights go out, fun begins in `Museum'
San Jose Mercury News, USA - Dec 22, 2006
... Director Shawn Levy fills the frames with kid-pleasing moments -- a gray Easter Island head (voiced by Brad Garrett) that likes to pop gum bubbles on its stony ...

Museum Open for Business
Animation Magazine - Dec 22, 2006
... Steve Coogan, Paul Rudd, Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney, as well as a host of CG-animated oddities including a T-Rex skeleton and an Easter Island stone head ...

Night at the Museum Review
411mania.com, TX - Dec 25, 2006
... things he's gaurding, dealing with lions and tigers and rampaging elephants and a brass statue of Christopher Columbus and a talking Easter Island head that ...

Boone County, KY library "Chick Pick" set in Rapa Nui with club meeting Dec 21

Calendar - Boone County
Community Press
Last Updated: 5:18 pm Thursday, December 21, 2006

Chick Picks, 10 a.m. "Easter Island" by Jennifer Vanderbes. Lents Branch Library, 3215 Cougar Path, 859-586-8163; www.bcpl.org. Hebron.

Click here for complete listing.
Click here to visit the Boone County Public Library online.

"Museum" movie features moai

Keep in mind, it's a kid movie
St. Petersburg Times, FL - Dec 21, 2006
After dark, all the exhibits become either computer-animated (the T. Rex, a woolly mammoth and an Easter Island idol) or actor-limited (Robin Williams going ...

'Museum' comes alive
Arizona Daily Star, AZ - Dec 21, 2006
... unapologetically low-brow "The Pink Panther" remake and "Cheaper by the Dozen," fills frames with kid-pleasing moments — a gray Easter Island head (voiced by gravelly Brad Garrett) that likes to pop bubble-gum bubbles on its stony face ...

'Museum' filled with thrills, humor
Bradenton Herald, United States - Dec 21, 2006
... the unapologetically low brow "The Pink Panther" remake and "Cheaper by the Dozen," fills frames with kid pleasing moments - a gray Easter Island head (voiced ...

Only kids will like this 'Night'
Rutland Herald, VT - Dec 21, 2006
... After dark, all the exhibits become either computer-animated (the T. Rex, a woolly mammoth and an Easter Island idol) or actor-limited (Robin Williams going ...

Spend a thrilling night at 'Museum'
Aberdeen American News, SD - Dec 21, 2006
... the unapologetically low brow "The Pink Panther" remake and "Cheaper by the Dozen," fills frames with kid pleasing moments - a gray Easter Island head (voiced ...

Laughs are a lonely business for Gervais in museum nights
Hampstead and Highgate Express, UK - Dec 21, 2006
Of course, an Easter Island of stony-faced, bleary-eyed journos at an early morning screening is not the ideal audience for this season's big family film (it ...

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
Philadelphia citypaper.net, PA - Dec 21, 2006
... but Shawn Levy's movie is more interested in staging bits of funny (or not so) business with a mischievous capuchin monkey and a gum-chewing Easter Island head ...

A Night to remember
Providence Journal, RI - Dec 21, 2006
... The nice thing is that despite its imaginative moments and funny dialogue — who’d have guessed that the massive stone Easter Island head wanted to chew ...

'Night at the Museum' features Stiller at his best
goTriad.com, NC - Dec 21, 2006
... unapologetically low brow "The Pink Panther" remake and "Cheaper by the Dozen," fills frames with kid-pleasing moments — a gray Easter Island head (voiced by ...

Shallow 'Museum' exhibits some appealing qualities
Seattle Post Intelligencer - Dec 21, 2006
... besieged by Lilliputian cowboys, Roman legionnaires and Mayan warriors; and befriended by Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams), Sacajawea and an Easter Island moai ...

North Carolina resident recollects journey to Rapa Nui

Hayesville resident gets a view of the deep South (America)
Smokey Mtn. Sentinel
December 20, 2006

Carol Kutzner, of Hayesville, has recently returned from South America. She traveled alone to Easter Island, which the natives call Rapa Nui, and enjoyed the Polynesian culture — especially their music.









Click here for complete article.

Tiki Farm to market "Mr. Rapa Nui Mini Grills"

Mr. Rapa Nui Mini Grill
posted by MakeDaMug
Tiki Central
Posted: 2006-18-03; 12:45 pm

Very shortly, we will start taking pre-orders for a Spring 2007 arrival of a truckload of our brand new "Mr. Rapa Nui Mini Grills"! We are taking pre-orders as our warehouse is not that big and these little fellows are quite massive... in a little kind of way.

Click here for complete post.

Rapa Nui among world's most remote destinations

World's Most Remote Travel Destinations
Sophia Banay
Forbes.com
12.19.06, 12:01 AM ET

This Polynesian island is volcanic, with lush green fields and an endless panorama of blue sky.

Click here for complete article.

Rapanui students to take Entrance Exams on own soil

240,000 CHILE STUDENTS FACE DAY OF RECKONING
Record Number of High-School Students Sit University Entrance Exams
SOURCE: LA TERCERA, EL MERCURIO, LA NACIÓN
By Cate Setterfield (editor@santiagotimes.cl)
Santiago Times
December 19, 2006

This will also be the first year that pupils on Easter Island can take the test on their own soil, while students on Juan Fernández island will be able to do so in 2007. Moreover, advanced photo-scanning technology will mean that the multiple-choice tests will be marked quickly, so students will not have to wait long for their results.

Click here for complete article.

Pan American trip's final stop is Rapa Nui

Machu Picchu and beyond
By Clair Weaver
News.com.au
Dec 18, 2006

A wild and unspoilt place, dotted with volcanoes and grassy fields, we feel like true adventurers a long way from civilisation.

Click here for complete article.

Book review of Collapse by Jared Diamond

Book Review: Jared Diamond's Collapse - Fodder for Thought
Pramod
Desicritics.org
December 18, 2006

I should also warn you, that some of the chapters are so fascinating and engrossing that you will find yourself looking up airfares to exotic locations like Easter Islands and Iceland, even before you finish the book!

Click here for complete review.

Trip to Rapa Nui yields more questions than answers

Rapa Nui, better known as Easter Island, yields more questions than answers
By Betsa Marsh, Travel Arts Syndicate
Photos by Betsa Marsh, Travel Arts Syndicate
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Sunday, December 17, 2006

Travelers are encouraged to arrive on this little Chilean outpost with their own pet theories about the prehistoric stone colossi that tower over mortals. Because there is no airtight archaeological proof, chances are they'll go home with their own Easter Island "truthiness."














Click here for complete article.

Rapa Nui on top of list for around-the-world dancer

Boogie Boy: Dancin' fool shakes his thang in 39 countries
By Andrea Sachs: THE WASHINGTON POST
Winston-Salem Journal
Friday, December 15, 2006

Antarctica is the kind of place where it's very difficult to go to, and it costs a lot of money, and it takes a lot of time. It was somewhere I figured I'd never have an opportunity to go to, so that was at the top of my list. Also, Easter Island and the South Pacific, Micronesia, the Galapagos Islands.

Click here for complete article.

More about Kiwa hirsuta, the furry crab

Here’s one report that lifts the gloom
Nashua Telegraph (subscription), NH - Dec 13, 2006

World briefs - Dec 13, 2006
The South African Star (subscription), South Africa - Dec 14, 2006

Census reveals extremes of life in the oceans
Block Island Times, USA - Dec 14, 2006

Entel PCS provides service to Rapa Nui

ERICSSON: Ericsson brings first HSPA network in Latin America to ENTEL PCS
Press Release
Kauppalehti Online
13.12.2006 16:52

Entel PCS is the mobile subsidiary of the Entel group, a telecommunications leader in Chile. Since its creation in 1998, the company has been a competitive force in the area of mobile telephony, providing quality service, innovation and wide geographical coverage from areas such as Antarctica and Easter Island. Entel PCS was the first operator in Latin America to introduce GSM and GPRS services. Entel PCS currently has more than 4.8 million subscribers.

Click here for complete press release.

Pinochet related tale mentions Rapa Nui

The Man Who Brought the Spanish Inquisition to Chile
THE MAN WHO BROUGHT THE SPANISH INQUISITION TO CHILE: AUGUSTO PINOCHET, DONALD RUMSFELD, AND TORTURE
By Nick Gier
New West Unfiltered
12-12-06

Our guide on Easter Island was a son of Orlando Letelier, former Chilean ambassador to the U. S., whose car was blown up by DINA agents in Washington, D.C., on September 26, 1976.

Click here for complete article.

"Monolithic" pop culture references #28

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:

Sydney Morning Herald:
Behind us, a giant Boofhead and Olive Oil are as unmoved as Easter Island statues.

MSNBC:
"The glow behind a shuttle forms a sharp-edged cylinder with pulsating sides - a ghostly shape that has reminded some astronaut watchers of the Easter Island statues. 'Should we take photographs of it, or bow down and worship it?' one whispered to a companion at the windows, only half in jest.

NewsAdvance.com:
At Easter Island, a craft and jewelry shop tucked away behind Long John Silver’s on Wards Road, Luis Gonzalez’s observance was more subdued - but every bit as heartfelt.

More Yeti Crab articles

Ocean census continues to surprise scientists with marine life
Rutland Herald, VT - Dec 11, 2006

They may be ugly, but they're really deep
Globe and Mail, Canada - Dec 11, 2006

Scientists discover school of 20M fish, species thought to be ...
Jackson Hole Star-Tribune, WY - Dec 11, 2006

Scientists Marvel at Sea Life Miles Deep
Wyoming News, WY - Dec 11, 2006

Mysteries of deep revealed in census
Toronto Star, Canada - Dec 11, 2006

Census reveals amazing variety of life in the sea
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL - Dec 11, 2006

Earth not the only place to be
Independent Online, South Africa - Dec 11, 2006

World's oceans full of unknown species or those thought extinct ...
Vancouver Sun (subscription), Canada - Dec 11, 2006

Yes, fur -- scientists can't believe what they sea
Chicago Sun-Times, United States - Dec 11, 2006

Unlocking The Mysteries Of The Deep
TheDay, CT - Dec 11, 2006

Ocean census reveals marvels
Cape Cod Times, MA - Dec 11, 2006

Scientists marvel at catch of sea secrets
Atlanta Journal Constitution (subscription), USA - Dec 11, 2006

Marine census reveals life in hottest and coldest climes
Earthtimes.org - Dec 11, 2006

Life thrives at searing sea vent, under ice: report
Scientific American - Dec 11, 2006

Discovery age continues
Courier Mail, Australia - Dec 11, 2006

Extreme degrees of new marine life
The Australian, Australia - Dec 12, 2006

Census of seas reveals amazing forms of life
CNN International - Dec 11, 2006

Scientists study mysterious new creatures living miles deep on ...
PlanetSave.com, ME - Dec 11, 2006

Ocean census reveals 50 million BC Jurassic shrimp
DailyIndia.com, FL - Dec 11, 2006

Scientists schooled on mystery marine life
Atlanta Journal Constitution (subscription), USA - Dec 11, 2006

Scientists discover new creatures in ocean depths
CBC.ca, Canada - Dec 11, 2006

Scientists Unlocking Ocean Mysteries
Sci-Tech Today - Dec 11, 2006

Extreme Life, Marine Style, highlights 2006 Ocean Census
YubaNet, CA - Dec 11, 2006

Seas Alive With New Creatures
The Register-Guard, OR - Dec 11, 2006

Ocean census reveals 50 million BC
Central Chronicle, India - Dec 12, 2006

Ocean depths reveal their mysteries
York Dispatch, PA - Dec 11, 2006

Shellshock as new ocean life revealed
The Standard, Hong Kong - Dec 12, 2006

FEATURES - HEALTH & SCIENCE
Newindpress (subscription), India - Dec 12, 2006

Marine Census Finds Teeming Life in Strange Places
FOX News - Dec 11, 2006

New Species Among Marine Marvels Found in 2006
Environment News Service - Dec 11, 2006

Census reveals amazing variety of sea life
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL - Dec 11, 2006

Life thrives at searing sea vents, under ice
People's Daily Online, China - Dec 12, 2006

Marine life census reveals wealth of mysteries
Taipei Times, Taiwan - Dec 12, 2006

Scientists discover school of 20M fish, species thought to be ...
Jackson Hole Star-Tribune, WY - Dec 12, 2006

More about the furry crab

Census of seas reveals amazing forms of life
CNN - Dec 10, 2006

A shrimp from 50 million BC and other miracles of the sea
Independent, UK - Dec 11, 2006

Jurassic 'shrimp' alive and well
ABC Science Online, Australia - Dec 11, 2006

500 species found in marine life census
Mongabay.com - Dec 11, 2006

Discovered: the self-boiling shrimp and 500 other extreme sea ...
Times Online, UK - Dec 11, 2006

500 species found in census of marine life
Photos of newly discovered marine species
Photography: Ifremer/A. Fifis © 2006
mongabay.com
December 10, 2006










Near Easter Island, Census researchers discovered a crab so unusual it warranted a whole new family designation, Kiwaidae.

Click here for complete article.

Marine scientists seek to unlock mysteries of the deep
Online Athens (subscription), GA - Dec 11, 2006

Survey reveals wonders of deep
Long Beach Press-Telegram, CA - Dec 11, 2006

Sea census stirs up new marine life
Houston Chronicle, United States - Dec 11, 2006

Report shows age of discovery far from over
EiTB, Spain - Dec 11, 2006

Ocean census finds new critters at home
Denver Post, CO - Dec 11, 2006

Marine census delves into deep sea mysteries
The Spokesman Review, WA - Dec 11, 2006

Unlocking mysteries of the sea
Bradenton Herald, United States - Dec 11, 2006

Census finds new marine mysteries
Indianapolis Star, United States - Dec 11, 2006

Ocean census continues to surprise scientists with marine life
Rutland Herald, VT - Dec 11, 2006

Scientists seek to unlock mysteries of the deep
Seattle Times, United States - Dec 11, 2006

"Monolithic" pop culture references #27

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:

Sunday Mail:
We were surrounded by carved poodle totems, bizarre Easter Island-like statues dressed in pink leis standing on faux tapa mats.

Plain Dealer:
Travel to Chile offers high adventure into the mighty Andes Mountains, the lakes and glaciers of Patagonia, the remote wonders of Easter Island and the treacherous ice of nearby Antarctica.

New type of furry crab found near Rapanui

Scientist marvel at sea life miles deep
By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID - AP SCIENCE WRITER
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Sunday, December 10, 2006 · Last updated 9:02 a.m. PT

A new type of crab with a furry appearance, near Easter Island. It was so unusual it warranted a whole new family designation, Kiwaidae, named for Kiwa, the Polynesian goddess of shellfish. Its furry appearance justified its species name, hirsuta, meaning hairy.

Click here for complete article.

Extreme Life, Marine Style, highlights 2006 Ocean Census
Frontiers of marine science stretched by Census experts
Terry Collins
EurekAlert
Public release date: 10-Dec-2006

Near Easter Island, Census researchers discovered a crab so unusual it warranted a whole new family designation, Kiwaidae. Beyond adding a new family to the wealth of known biodiversity, its discovery added a new genus, Kiwa, named for the mythological Polynesian goddess of shellfish. Its furry or hairy appearance justified its species name, hirsuta.

Click here for complete article.

Life thrives at searing sea vent
MARINE creatures are thriving by a record hot volcanic vent in the Atlantic and in dark waters under thick Antarctic ice, boosting theories that planets other than earth are suitable for life, scientists said today.
From correspondents in Oslo
Article from: Reuters
December 11, 2006 03:24am

And a furry crab, also dubbed a Yeti crab, was found off Easter Island.

Click here for complete article.

More New7Wonders articles

Taj Mahal in race for new Seven Wonders of the World shot
DailyIndia.com, FL - Dec 6, 2006

Balloon ad campaign near Taj worries Agra
Economic Times, India - Dec 7, 2006

Controversy hits New7Wonders tour after Taj`s aerial survey
Zee News, India - Dec 8, 2006

World of new wonders
Austin American-Statesman (subscription), TX - Dec 9, 2006

"Monolithic" pop culture references #26

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:

Australian:
But my first success as a verbal cartoonist was more incisive, when in the early 1970s I discovered that Easter Island was covered in Malcolm Frasers.

Guardian Unlimited:
Labour will spend £25bn on a political talisman, a totem pole they all know has little intrinsic worth. But it needs no practical use because it is an icon of self-belief, a symbol of high cultural value in the politics of these islands. Think of Easter Island and the history of its destruction, recounted by Jared Diamond in his book Collapse.

BusinessWeek:
He's not sure where he wants to go yet, perhaps skiing in South America and then to Easter Island or the Galapagos. But one thing is already decided. The Hancocks will travel bespoke.

Orlando Sentinel:
There's also the failed Easter Island enviro-parable Rapa Nui, which Kevin Costner's pal Kevin Reynolds made and nobody saw. NOBODY. A real career-killer for Reynolds, Esai Morales and Jason Scott Lee.

ninemsn:
Some asked him to consider stepping down. The visits and calls continued last week. "But he was like an Easter Island statue. Stone deaf," says an insider.

San Francisco's "plastic-fronded hangout" has "Easter Island nature gods"

In the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room
Matthew Stafford
Examiner
Dec 7, 2006 3:00 AM

Hawaii West — As befits its monicker, this unprepossessing North Beach hideaway is as laid back as an Oahu trade wind. The ambience is pleasantly run-down and noncommittal: a few Easter Island nature gods here, a swatch of leopard skin there, random netting, a Christmas light or two.

Click here for complete article.

Ersatz moai at ITU conference

ITU 06 diary - Wi-fi on 'the beach', what's hot in mobile search and a long tail with legs
Day 3...
By Jo Best
silicon.com
Published: Thursday 7 December 2006

The ITU conference has its own 'coffee break area', modelled on a Pacific Rim beach, complete with fake palm trees and ersatz Easter Island heads. I settle down there on a green plastic bush - a green plastic bush with excellent wi-fi, naturally - before heading off to a session on user generated content, or UGC, if you'd rather.

Click here for complete article.

Letter questions rat theory

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
John Flenley/Paul Bahn (with response by Dr. Terry Hunt)
American Scientist Online
Viewed December 7, 2006

We find it difficult to take seriously the article "Rethinking the Fall of Easter Island" (September-October) in which Terry L. Hunt concludes that rats, not humans, were the main cause of the island's deforestation. We strongly believe that the archaeological and botanical data do point clearly to a scenario of human overexploitation of resources.

Click here to read the letter and a response.

Moai damaged and new penalty system

MINISTER’S FATHER THROWS STONES ON CHILE'S EASTER ISLAND
SOURCES: EL MERCURIO, LA TERCERA
By Laurel Bernstein (editor@santiagotimes.cl)
Santiago Times
(December 7, 2006)

On Easter Island last week, Enrique Schmidt, father of Minister Rommy Schmidt, was demonstrating to his traveling partner how the moais were constructed when he threw a 14 centimeter rock at one of the statues. The display left two small scuff marks on the ancient sculpture and a stain on the reputation of his political daughter ...

... Schmidt had planned to return to Santiago that day, but is now enjoying an extended vacation on the island because a local judge barred him from leaving until his case is settled. Judge Óscar Vargas is planning a trial on Thursday that will be completed that day. Penalties for the crime include jail sentences of 541 days to five years and fines from US$1700 to US$6900.

Click here for complete article.

New book invents Rapanui legend of "Death-in-the-Water"

Book Review: Hunters of the Dark Sea by Mel Odom
Written by Katie McNeill
Blog Critics
Published December 06, 2006

On the Brown-Eyed Sue in another part of the Pacific Ocean Professor Bullock and his daughter Katharine are searching for something that the natives of Easter Island call "Death-in-the-Water." The natives claim that it has the mask of a whale, but is not actually a whale.

Click here to read the complete review.

Santa Fe's El Museo Cultural to host Rapa Nui film and exhibition

In brief, 12/06/2006
Staff and wire reports
Santa Fe New Mexican
December 6, 2006

... "Petroglyphs of Rapanui" is scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. today at the Gran Salon in El Museo Cultural, 1615B Paseo de Peralta ... running parallel to the Santa Fe Film Festival, which is showing the film Being RapaNui, funded partly by a grant from National Geographic All Roads Film Project.

Click here to read the complete article.

Taiwan forum for language group that includes Rapanui

Austronesian forum to take place in Dec.
Source: CNA
China Post
Wednesday, December 06, 2006

The 2006 Austronesian Forum, sponsored by the Cabinet-level Council of Indigenous Peoples, will take place Dec. 12-13 at National Pingtung University of Education's Minsheng campus in southern Taiwan, with nearly 400 people participating ... The Austronesian peoples share many common cultural roots, with their territory stretching from Easter Island to Madagascar and from New Zealand to the northern tip of Taiwan, covering nearly one-third of the globe and representing a population of nearly 300 million.

Click here to read the complete article.

More New7Wonders articles

A world of '7 wonders' vies for new list
Vancouver Sun (subscription), Canada - Dec 5, 2006

Taj Mahal needs your vote to retain Seven Wonder status
Daily News & Analysis, India - Dec 6, 2006

Seven Wonders race: Are you voting for Taj?
Times of India, India - Dec 6, 2006

"Monolithic" pop culture references #25

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:

Lake County News-Chronicle:
When we enter our Exalted Shack Master in a summer parade, across all corners of the North, in Canada and occasionally the Tapati Rapa Nui Festival on Easter Island, it is done in the spirit of representing all deer camps across Lake County, from the nominal to the forlorn.

Whittier Daily News:
Director/designer Douglas Fitch put a campy twist on the classic Grimm Brothers' fairy tale with forest critters right out of "Where the Wild Things Are;" a wicked witch who is a Viennese version of Dame Edna; a Sandman who glides around the stage in a giant salt-cellar sculpted like an Easter Island head; and a Dew Fairy transformed into a singing Christmas tree. No matter, it's a gemutlich holiday confection and an ideal way to introduce youngsters to opera. Performances continue through Dec. 17.

Sydney Morning Herald:
"You have Queensland developing a new coal-fired power station and expanding its Gladstone port [for coal exports] … I think these things are going to look like Easter Island statues - stranded."

Catholic Online:
Of these moral duties we will speak another time. Let us conclude with a memory from a film. There are two big stories about icebergs in the movies. The one is that of the Titanic, which we know well. … The other is narrated in a Kevin Kostner film of several years back, "Rapa Nui." A legend of Easter Island, which is in the Pacific Ocean, tells of an iceberg that, in reality, is a ship and that passes close to the island every century or so. The king or hero can climb aboard and ride toward the kingdom of immortality.

Foto America festival in Rapa Nui

Capturing the Soul of Afghanistan - in Pictures
Daniela Estrada
Inter Press Service News Agency
Nov 30, 2006

Munita's photographic essay is one of the 210 works comprising the "Foto America" festival, which is taking place in every Chilean region, including Isla de Pascua (Easter Island) from Nov. 8 to Dec. 17 ... "Foto América" is a private initiative spearheaded by Chilean photographer Roberto Edwards, and inspired by other Latin American biennial festivals such as "Fotoseptiembre" in Mexico, "Mira Foto" in Perú and "Festival de la Luz" ("Festival of Light") in Argentina.

Click here to read the complete article.

More New7Wonders articles

New7Wonders World Tour to visit Taj Mahal next week
DailyIndia.com, FL - Nov 30, 2006

Don't forget to vote! Don't forget to vote!
Goldsboro News Argus, NC - Nov 30, 2006

If You Liked The Original Seven Wonders Of The World, You'll Love ...
Blogcritics.org, OH - Dec 1, 2006

Do the math: Weed out 14 to get a magnificent 7
Indianapolis Star, United States - Dec 3, 2006

World treasures meet the enemy: It's us
Chicago Tribune, United States - Dec 3, 2006

Wonders' voting not so wonderful
Reading Eagle, PA - Dec 3, 2006

Auckland Museum tells of Polynesian navigation

Following the stars into the unknown
by Angela Gregory
NZ Herald
Saturday December 2, 2006

The exhibition tells how Hawaii, Rapanui (Easter Island) and New Zealand were the last places to be discovered because getting to them involved overcoming enormous physical and technological challenges.

Click here to read the complete article.

Rapa Nui among treasured destinations in peril

World treasures meet the enemy: It's us
By Alfred Borcover - Special to the Tribune
Chicago Tribune
Published December 3, 2006

While visitors commune with the moais they rarely learn about the serious problems confronting Easter Island and its 4,000 residents.

Click here to read the complete article.