A SPAM FILTER

Bodum Assam 4-Cup Tea Press Teapot

The tea pot as art form. Clear borosilicate glass allows you to appreciate the depth of color of your tea as the leaves gently unfurl in the center column. When you've achieved the desired strength push the plunger down and steeping is arrested.

Who knows more about tea than the British? When the British Tea Council asked Bodum to develop a new way of brewing tea, the result was this unique press that's almost as much fun to look at as it is to use. Simply fill the strainer with tea leaves and add boiling water--a slow process, but well worth the time. (You could also use tea bags, but why would you want to?) The clear jug lets you see the tea as it's steeping, allowing you to customize its strength to your taste. When the tea is strong enough, slowly depress the plunger to stop the brewing. You won't have any tea leaves to read at the bottom of your cup, but there's no mess and no need to remove the strainer before you pour. But be forewarned: the Bodum press doesn't retain heat quite as well as a traditional teapot, so you might want to use a tea cozy if you're not drinking the whole pot in one sitting. It's a shame to cover up such a beautiful design, but that's the way the tea leaf tumbles. --Mary Park

The TimesOctober 24, 2006

Chinese Christians feel let down by Archbishop's visit
From Jane Macartney in Beijing


THE Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, was criticised last night by Christians and human rights campaigners for failing to lobby China’s leaders hard on religious freedoms.
Dr Williams ended a two-week visit to China saying that he was encouraged about the future of Christianity in the world’s largest Communist, and officially atheist, state.

He sought to avoid controversy at a pre-departure press conference, ducking opportunities to criticise Beijing’s record on religion and instead praising the easing of controls. But outspoken and high-profile members of China’s underground church said Dr Williams’s experience had been filtered by officials. Yu Jie, an author, said Dr Williams had visited only churches officially sanctioned by the State: “Nor did he see or talk to any real Christians,” he said. “His view of China’s religious conditions is very positive, but this isn’t in accordance with the facts.”

Dr Williams did raise questions about half a dozen arrested Christians, and about Tibet and relations with the Vatican, and said he had gained a clearer understanding of China’s religious culture.

“We’re a long way past the Cultural Revolution — we’re a long way past a situation where there is a systematic attempt to block out or extirpate religion,” he said. The Government’s increased willingness to allow religious groups a role in civil society was encouraging.

Beijing officials say that religious freedom is enshrined in the constitution and citizens are free to attend ceremonies at churches, mosques and temples under state control.

International rights groups have accused China of jailing Catholic priests, as well as Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns, for remaining loyal to the Pope and the Dalai Lama respectively.

Mr Yu, a recent convert to an underground – or home – church, said that he was not optimistic that the Archbishop’s trip would lead to an improvement in circumstances for Christians here.

He said: “Everything was arranged by the Patriotic Church and the Archbishop didn’t go to any home churches. Nor did he see or talk to any real Christians.” The Archbishop did raise the issue of Pastor Cai Zhaohua, sentenced in 2005 to three years in prison for illegally printing Bibles. The only official response was a request for more information.

Mr Yu, who met President Bush at the White House in May, said his American host voiced much tougher criticism of religious persecution in China.

Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said: “The Archbishop should be raising concerns about religious freedoms broadly and publicly and telling the Chinese authorities they have no right to restrict these freedoms.”

China has between 40 and 80 million active Christians, divided between state-run and underground churches.

The number of believers has exploded in recent years. Dr Williams said he had been surprised by how full churches had been and added that relaxing of controls would take time. “You don’t turn the ocean liner around in five minutes,”he added.

I took this image as we drove towards the town of Ping'An in the Longii Rice Terraces. The image was quite bland, especially the background hills and the sky. Both were washed out by the haze in the air and by the strong sunlight. I restored it as best as I could in Lightroom using gradient filters, etc., but it still lacked the colour punch and contrast I was after.

So I exported it to Photoshop CS5 which I am trying to learn and began applying some of its tools like lab colour and blending layers of the image that I had set to different exposure levels, and presto, this is what I got. You be the judge. I will be interested in your thoughts. I also applied these tools to the image I posted yesterday for similar reasons (shown below).

Please Click on the Image or press your "L" key to View Large On Black .

Beautiful? Yes! But, there is more than what meets the eye. Double-wall construction keeps coffee or tea hot and cold drinks cold longer.

By using high-quality 18/10 stainless steel for this French press, Frieling has smartly sidestepped the problem of breakable glass carafes. At the same time, the pot is beautiful, sleek, and sturdy, with a mirror finish and a self-contained design. Plus, with no filters or power cords to mess with, you can brew and serve right at the table. The full-length handle is both comfortable and stable, while the all-steel mesh plunger mechanism can be used with coarse coffee grounds or loose tea leaves. Frieling's double-wall construction keeps hot beverages hot and cold ones cold if you use the pitcher by itself for milk or juice. All parts disassemble to wash by hand or go in the dishwasher. The press holds 33 ounces and stands 9 inches high. --Emily Bedard