Can’t Get Enough of Celebrity Gossip? You Need 4G!

If you are addicted to celebrity gossip, like many people are, there are a lot of ways that you can stay even more connected to the celebrity world than you ever dreamed possible. You probably already have subscriptions to all the hot weekly celebrity magazines like US Weekly and People. If you don’t have a subscription, you can be sure to pick up a copy every time there is a juicy cover story. The best way to keep up on celebrity news and gossips these days is not through magazines, however, it’s through the Internet. Of course, the Internet, which can be updated in an instant and all throughout the day, would be the best place to find all the latest happenings in the celeb world.

There is a way to stay connected to your favorite celebrity gossip sites better than ever before. Now there is a new kind of Internet technology called the 4G network which allows you to access wireless Internet from your laptop anywhere with a small modem, also called a mobile air card. With 4G you have a high speed connection so all those great websites will load in completion and you won’t miss out on a thing. Here are a few of the best celebrity gossip websites to check out if you haven’t already:

Perez Hilton

You might not be a true celebrity gossip fan if you haven’t yet heard of or visited the website of famed blogger Perez Hilton. His blog has practically become a household name and he, himself, has become quite popular in the media from his success. Celebrities themselves seem to either love or hate him. He has developed a friendship with starlet Paris Hilton, but has gained many enemies for posting gossip indiscriminately on his site. This is of course a big reason why his fans adore him. They know that they can be guaranteed the information they want, whether it’s true, false, outrageous, or inappropriate. Perez Hilton is not one to hold back.

CoCo Perez

This is Perez Hilton’s other website that focuses on fashion, celebrity style, models, designers, and beauty. If you are a fan of his original blog and fashion, this is definitely worth checking out.

TMZ.com

TMZ is not only a popular celebrity gossip website, but it also has it’s own television shows that airs Monday through Friday. Although TMZ sometimes seems to report on even the most mundane celebrity news, such as a star going to the supermarket in sweatpants, it has also been the first to report a few of the major breaking celebrity news stories. It was the first celebrity gossip source to report that Mel Gibson had been arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. TMZ has also participated in celebrity reporting that is less than appropriate, such as the time that they released a photograph of a battered Rihanna after the incident with her then boyfriend Chris Brown.

Whatever your celebrity gossip preference is, it can all be found on the Internet. With a 4G connection, you can be guaranteed that you will always have access.

The Best Overwater Resorts In The Tropics

The most exclusive resorts in the world are mainly found in the tropics. We sample some of the coolest, luxurious overwater resorts in Fiji, Tahiti, Bora Bora, Maldives and Turks and Caicos. Enjoy reading.

Likuliku Lagoon Resort

Lukuliku is Fiji’s most unique luxury escape for people seeking to make merry. Visitors to this popular resort are treated to the best of dining experience in a stylish, tranquil and highly orderly environment. The award winning hotel has a total of 45 rooms.

Over-water Bures cost $1600 per night, Deluxe Bures cost $1380 per night, Beachfront Bures cost $1170 and Garden Bures cost $960 per night. All rates are exclusive of tax at 20 per cent. Lukuliku’s exclusive over-water Bures feature traditional architecture and detailed woodwork in native magi magi designs. All Bures feature air conditioning, Wi-Fi, King-size bed, music systems, flat-screen monitors.

Bora Bora Hilton Nui Resort and Spa

Nestled in an idyllic cove of white sand and majestic lava rock, the world-famous Bora Bora Hilton Nui Resort and Spa offers its visitors a combination of Polynesian travel experience. The resort features 122 non-smoking guestrooms, including majestic bungalows built over the water of Bora Bora. Guests can choose to stay in a beach bungalow, lagoon-view bungalow or hillside bungalow. A nice presidential suite here goes for $1180 per night.

Small rooms measure about 969 square feet while large rooms (e.g presidential suites) measure up to 3230 square feet. Charges for rooms and services may rise during occasions such as Christmas and New Year days. All rooms include: blackout curtains, clock radio, desk, window opens, ironing board, magnetic keys, in-room safe and a variety of welcome amenities. Bora Bora Hilton Nui Resort and Spa belongs to the chain of Hilton hotels which has branches in many parts of the world.

Most exclusive overwater resort in Maldives – Anantara Veli Resort and Spa

Want to enjoy a blend of intimacy and classy amenities complemented with breathtaking views? Look no further than the Anantara Veli Resort and Spa Maldives resort. The highly rated resort offers four different categories of accommodation namely: over-water bungalow, deluxe over-water bungalow, ocean pool bungalow (from $875) and deluxe over water pool bungalow (from $1074) accommodation. Special offers of up to 20% are often available to guests who spend a couple of days in this resort.

The resort is highly private and only a few get an opportunity to spend time there especially during the festive seasons. Note that some of these leisure activities are not included in the cost of each room per night.

Le Meridien Tahiti

Le Meridien Tahiti is a luxurious resort offering its visitors the opportunity to awaken each of their sense. The resort prides itself in offering a unique experience at the very edge of a lagoon on one edge of the island’s most beautiful sandy beaches. There are several accommodation options including: Over-water bungalow, junior suites, presidential suite, panoramic rooms, deluxe lagoon rooms, garden rooms and senior suites.

Exclusive rooms with views of the ocean cost as much as $880 per night. An $880 per night room (or XPF 77000) measures 1930 square feet, with spacious terrace with tables and chairs and panoramic ocean views. All rooms have ceiling fan, bathtub, air conditioning, coffee/tea facilities, iPod stations, Radio, mini bar, telephone, In-room safe box, cable TV, DVD/CD player, hair dryer, convenient internet access and shower.

Most exclusive over-water resort in Turks and Caicos – Amanyara Resort

The luxurious Amanyara is part of the luxurious Aman Resort Chain and boasts quite a number of unique features that make it truly unique. Although it doesn’t offer the tradition over-water bungalows like you see in the Maldives or the South Pacific, it does have over-water pavilions that are decently perched over private ponds. The entire resort occupies about half a mile of private beach on Providenciales Island. Each pavilion is designed to blend into the awe-inspiring surroundings.

Rooms measure approximately 1000 square feet and come with a wide array of modern luxury amenities. You can expect to pay between $1450 and $17850 per-night depending on the type of room you want to stay in. Frequent discounts are available to those who book online. These rates are exclusive of 12% government tax and 10% service charge. The minimum length of stay is 4 days.

That’s it for today. Hope you enjoyed reading!

Joining an Accepted Bodybuilding Forum to Gain Best Quality Information

There are several forums on the internet and you could join any of these to find the requisite information and the right group of friends. This is the place wherein you will come across people who have the same mind set and thought process as you. This is the place wherein you will be able to come across people who have the required experience and will be able to guide you along.

You will also be able to exchange views, share ideas and opinions and find out all the information in the most natural of manners. The internet can turn into a meeting ground for body builders from all over the world without any geographical boundaries. There is the right amount of exchange of cultural exchange and diversity and yet being able to bring out the best in the bodybuilding field.

What is important in a natural information exchange that has only one common ground which is the coming together of female bodybuilders? This is the one place wherein you will get to find all the information under one roof. The latest of happenings in the world of body building is to be got out here. You need not spend hours surfing the internet to get to the information that you need. All the products, features and the requisite information are to be got right out here. This is the place wherein you will get a chance to voice your opinions to and hear the voice of others.

To be kept updated:

The female bodybuilder’s forum will allow you to be able to hear of the latest and most up-to-date of information. You will find out the latest products that have been launched and the benefits linked to them. You will also be able to read about what others think about the products and the testimonials. This will be a great sharing ground. There will be times when you need to contact ace body builders regarding an advice that you seek. Veterans can be certainly found on these female bodybuilders forums.

The best place that you will find out all of these things is at a natural bodybuilder’s forum. This is the place wherein you can select to get in depth information about the news that you require. This will be delivered to you right at your doorstep from all around the globe. You will have several peers to help you on your way to achieving success by motivating and informing you accordingly.

Hotels Near Gatwick Airport – A Review Of The 3 Hotels Within The Airport Itself

There are numerous hotels near Gatwick Airport. In this short article we’ll summarise a handful of the closest ones. With a bit of luck this insight can help you next time you might be on the look for hotels near Gatwick Airport in the future. First of all, whilst many hotels are eager to push their apparent close proximity to Gatwick Airport the minority will be able to claim to be at the airport itself. That luxury is reserved for a select few. There are three hotels in reality within the grounds of Gatwick Airport and below we’ll briefly record and talk about the pros and cons of every one.

The Gatwick Hilton

The Gatwick Hilton is located within the South terminal. This four star hotel boasts a covered walkway allowing for direct right of entry to the terminal building. It is possible to select from multiple parking option to fit your preference. These vary from the meet and greet service to offsite parking at one of the dedicated neighboring car parks. It goes without saying, being this near, and let alone a Hilton, this hotel will not be frightened to charge you for the privilege of being this close to Gatwick Airport. Nonetheless, for anyone who is concerned more with convenience than price and are flying from the South Terminal then it doesn’t get better than this.

The Gatwick Sofitel

The Sofitel London Gatwick can state all the key selling points of the Hilton, with the core difference that it’s situated within the North Terminal vs the South. Again, as being a four star hotel with direct, sheltered access to an international airport, it does not come cheap. Likewise though, if you value convenience above price then it is a no brainer. Mix it with meet and greet parking and you will breeze into Gatwick Airport. Get ready to feel about £250 to £300 lighter in peak time of year because of this service packaged up with a double or twin room.

The Courtyard by Mariott

The Courtyard is a comparatively new hotel and that brings with it some clear advantages. Airport hotels are by nature transit hotels and are therefore subject to a high level of wear. This hotel is situated within the grounds of Gatwick’s North Terminal. It’s not linked to the terminal building directly and therefore offers a transfer service of approximately 2 minutes. Walking is possible weather conditions allowing but bear in mind you’ll be hauling your baggage along with you.

Timeshare Travel Discounts Without the Ownership

I have just returned from a great holiday on the white sand beaches of Hilton Head Island, SC. Hilton Head is one of the premier vacation destinations of the southeast; offering wide, sandy beaches and first class golfing. Many timeshare owners vacation on Hilton Head and other tropical hotspots, but most won’t get a one bedroom condo with a full kitchen, on or near the ocean for $398. Instead of timeshare ownership, there is another option that allows for travel discounts to the beaches and golfing areas.

Membership in a luxury travel club with an international renown company allows its members to stay at global luxury resorts, worldwide for $298-798 per week for a one or two bedroom condo. These fully equipped, high-end condos are discounted by the travel club and offer luxury timeshare resorts without having to own and without the fees. A one time membership fee will allow a family to stay in over 5000 global resorts for 30-90% off the retail price when booked through Travelocity or another travel search engine.

A week of golf and beach at discounts not normally available to the general public is a secret worth sharing. No need to own a timeshare with the annual fees to receive rates like $199 per week. It doesn’t stop there, belonging to a discount travel club allows members to receive discounted prices on cruises, airfare and more. The most impressive part of a membership is that you pay only a one time fee and there are never any monthly or annual fees to retain the membership. Lifetime travel memberships offer extraordinary accommodations in condos, luxury cruises and more to its members in high end properties worldwide. Most people pay tens of thousands of dollars to own a timeshare, so that they may travel to these destinations. These timeshares come with blackout dates and annual maintenance fees and usually are very difficult to book and use.

With a global travel membership [joingrnnow.com] you can simply log into the search engine and look for vacation condos, cruises and air from the convenience of your computer. Once you find your resort for the discount price you book and pay right to the club. Membership never leaves its members wondering if they got the best price. The members interviewed for this article are most excited about being able to travel on more than one holiday because of the huge savings. Many members are so satisfied with the discounts that they become affiliates by referring members and work from home earning 6 figure incomes. This membership has helped thousands of families afford vacations across the globe.

Slow Sims 3 Fix – How To Fix Sims 3 If It Is Running Slow

There could be a number of reasons why a computer could be running slow, many of which can be solved very easily however others take a lot more work and effort to work out why it is running really slow. The Sims 3 is a game that has been designed using the latest software and technology in order for the user to get the best experience possible, however people have been reporting that the game appears to be running extremely slow at times often causing the game to fail and crash at some points.

The tutorial below will explain how you can fix the Sims 3 game and make your computer and the game run a lot faster. Firstly you should update Windows completely. This can be done by going into the All Programs list on the start menu and clicking "Windows Update". It is important that you keep Windows updated because some parts of the game might not be able to function correctly with an outdated version of Windows.

Secondly it is recommended that you update the graphics driver on the computer to ensure your PC can process information provided by the game so the user can view it as images. Like with an outdated version of Windows, the game might not be able to function properly. You can update the driver by visiting the manufacturer's website to download the latest updates. Next you should remove any old software or programs that you don't use anymore because they actually aid in clogging up the system and slowing everything down, so your computer has to do a lot more work, which takes time.

Finally you scan the Windows registry with a registry cleaner. This is because the registry is so delicate and prone to corruption, the scan will detect if there is anything wrong with it and it will do what it can to repair the registry. Another benefit of the scan is that when you remove any software or programs, not all the files are removed from your system, some are left behind and slow the processing speed down because yet again the computer has to do a lot more work.

The World’s Most Renowned Hoteliers in the Hotel Industry

Most travelers who have stayed at hotels probably do not even give the hotel owners much thought, much less knew who they were. That is just the way things are; most hotel owners are quite unknown. Still, there are quite a few hoteliers that have managed to be in the spotlight, whether it be willingly or reluctantly. Let us run through some of them.

Perhaps no hotelier has as much fame as Conrad Hilton-both for the things he did and the things his great granddaughter and hotel-chain heiress Paris did. Conrad Hilton started out small, building an inn up with his father. Eventually, he was able to acquire a hotel in Texas. More growth led him to build the state’s first high rise hotel-the Dallas Hilton.

After establishing a chain of hotels in Texas, Hilton was able to expand outside the state and subsequently go international. These hotels formed the Hilton Hotels Corporation, followed by the Hilton International Company a couple of years later.

Although he lost some hotels during the Great Depression, he was able to buy back what he lost-a testament to the savvy of this particular hotelier. Hilton’s accomplishments were credited for fostering American tourism and overseas expansion for business, particularly during the post-war period in the 1950s.

For the contemporary audience, the hotelier with the most recognizable face is perhaps Donald Trump, famous for starring in his own reality show, The Apprentice. The man most commonly known as Mr. Trump also started small, but he already had the kind of background that made him suited for the industry.

After graduating from college, Trump joined The Trump Organization, owned by his father. He started out doing some residential projects, as well as taking the reins in the renovation of The Commodore Hotel, turning it into the Grand Hyatt. He then worked on the Trump Tower in New York City before expanding into several other business ventures, such as the airline industry, gaming (casinos), and real estate.

Today, The Trump Organization owns some of the finest hotels worldwide. A prime example is the 44-story Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York. He also owns other notable hotel establishments domestically and internationally. In addition, his name was also licensed for Trump World in Korea-being paid just so an establishment can be named after him is a good indicator of just how famous he is.

For the last hotelier on our list, we turn to the founder of some of the most famous hotels worldwide: Cesar Ritz. He founded the Hotel Ritz in Paris and also The Ritz Hotel in London.

In what now appears to be a common theme, Ritz also started small. He began his hotel career as a maitre d’hotel at a restaurant, before being a manager of a hotel in Lucerne and then in Monaco. He gained a reputation for his good taste as well as for being able to entice the wealthy patrons.

He opened a restaurant before being invited to manage the Savoy Hotel, which became a big success. After he was dismissed from Savoy due to his alleged role in a wine fiasco, he was able to open the Hotel Ritz in France in 1898 and then The Ritz Hotel in the United Kingdom in 1906.

Just to gauge how famous this hotelier is, we only need to consider the word ritzy, derived of course from his name and the name of his hotels-something mostly associated with being fancy and luxurious.

These three gentlemen are some of the most recognized figures in the hotel industry, in the past and in the present. They have allowed the industry to gain some momentous strides, and their legacy continues on with the culminating success of the global hotel industry.

Web 3.0 & the Power of the Semantic Web

Web 3.0 describes the next evolution of the World Wide Web. The term "Web 3.0" has been floating around for quite a while now, but what does it exactly mean? The true definition of Web 3.0 has been unclear ever since it has been created. When trying to get a hold of the concept it is important to keep in mind that Web 3.0 is rather a buzzword and doesn't clearly define anything.

The semantic web

The term Web 3.0 is very often mentioned together with "the semantic web". Some people refer to the semantic web as an equal to Web 3.0, others consider the semantic web part of Web 3.0. What does "the semantic web" mean though?

A clever example in an attempt to make sense of the semantic web has been made by Peter Berkel. Take the words Paris Hilton; is there actually anybody who's thinking of the Hilton Hotel in Paris? The meaning (semantics) of these two words can be interpreted in multiple ways.

In order to understand semantics on the web we also need to look at the syntax. If we use the sentence "Mike loves Kate", the syntax refers to the composition and structure of the sentence. The semantics indicate that Mike really likes Kate. If we change "loves" into a heart symbol, the syntax will change but the semantics will stay the same.

In the example of Paris Hilton we see a reversed situation, in which there are multiple semantics but only one syntax.

In the communication between computers on the net, the syntax has an important role. When you request a website to show up in your browser, you're actually doing a request to a web server. This server looks up your request and returns this in HTML format. Your browser reads the HTML syntax and translates this into a designed page. The meaning of what's on this page will stay unknown to the computer.

The same thing happens when we search for information on the internet. A search engine searches through billions of pages to find the keywords that you requested. It will then show you a list of pages that include the keywords you were looking for. The search engine knows which keywords are in these pages, but the real content of the pages remains unknown. This could be compared to learning a parrot a couple words, which it will replicate without knowing the actual meaning of the words.

Using this analogy, the current web can be considered as a "web of documents". These documents are all linked to each other in one way or another, but for web applications the content of these documents is undefined. The content however is what's of interest to us. These documents are about people, history, companies, countries, etc. Right now we're not talking about documents anymore, but about "entities" that are inside of these documents. The goal of the semantic web is to let computers understand the entities within these documents.

So the semantic web gives meaning to entities in web pages and relationships between those entities. In contrast to the current web, this would be a web of entities.

The benefits of the semantic web

So now we got to a better understanding of the semantic web, how can we benefit from this? Take the example of Paris Hilton. If a search engine would understand that I'm trying to find a Hilton Hotel in Paris, all results about the celebrity Paris Hilton could be excluded. This brings us to better, more accurate and faster results. This is still a plain and basic example. A next step would be an application that understands Hilton is a hotel in Paris, which can offer me more services. If you are searching for a Hilton Hotel in Paris, a Hilton Hotel could be found, while a flight to Paris could be booked together with a restaurant to eat at. This makes the results on your request a lot more valuable.

Maybe this sounds pretty familiar; when you book a flight you'll be asked if you want to rent a car as well. This question however has been realized through a cooperation of multiple web applications. In the semantic web no cooperations or agreements have to be made since all information is universally available.

The semantic web will have a huge scale availability of information. Roughly, there are two different approaches that will lead to a semantic web: the bottom-up and the top-down approach.

The bottom-up approach implies adding information to all existing documents on the internet and making them understandable for web applications. This 'information' describes the entities in a webpage and all their relations. This can be done through RDF or Microformats.

Supporters of the top-down approach consider the bottom-up approach very unpractical. They don't believe in a fully annotated internet. The top-down approach supports the development of applications that are able to have a better understanding of the data in documents. Think of tracking back the meaning of entities out of the context of a page, but mainly applications that can understand natural / logical language. Hakia (hakia.com) and (powerset.com) are Search Engines that do an attempt on understanding English in the way humans understand it.

Whatever approach will be used, the web will be more meaningful and more valuable. All entities will gather a cloud of attributes and relations. A danger would be an information overload. Ideally we only want to absorb information that raises our interest. The need of 'personally tailored information' will keep on getting more important.

Personal preferences

Personal preferences could be left under the control of the user. The APML (Attention Profile Markup Language) workgroup has been working towards this concept. Your profile in APML can be seen as a file with your personal preferences. Web applications are able to read this file which results in your information being filtered to your own interest.

An even bigger amount of profile information will be outside of the users' control. At this very moment, organizations such as Google, Amazon and Yahoo are registering the clicking behavior of its visitors. In a semantic web this information will become way richer. A lot more is known about the people that visit their websites. Next to that, the web is becoming more pervasive. We are in contact with the internet all the time and will do so more and more; in our browser, our cell phone, our car, home devices, etc. Web applications will be able to register information everywhere. Profiles will be built full with information about yourself, without you noticing it.

Within this new relationship between the Web and its users, marketers will have to 'slip into someone else's conversation'. Brands will have to be relevant to the user's situation, setting and desires. When the semantic web is realized and successful, it will create a huge load of information exchange between organizations and individuals, producing a new level of findability and knowledge sharing.

Other Options to Stay in Orlando

Other incredible options when visiting Orlando & delight luxury, elegance and magnificent service: consider a Suite hotel for you and your family. Here we share with you, three of a multiple alternatives which include: Nickelodeon Suites Resort, Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort and the Meliá Orlando Hotel at Celebration.

  • Nickelodeon Suites Resort: This magical suites resort offers a lot of things to do for the entire family. You can enjoy pools with two water parks, spay jets, nets for climbing and water slides. In addition there is always entertainment at the pool beach. The suites are equipped with TV, cooling fans and a small refrigerator. The suites are very comfortable and family oriented. The one bedroom suites have a kitchenette and a sleeper sofa while the two and three bedroom suites also have Nick themed bedrooms for the children. This is the only Nickelodeon themed resort in the whole world. The prices may vary depending on the type of suites you book and on the season. (you can find great deals from September to December).
  • Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort: It is a great hotel for those who want luxurious amenities. At this hotel you will find quality, luxury and excellent customer service. It is much more expensive than other suites in Orlando, but it really worth every single extra dollar. The suites are elegant and incredibly posh and luxurious. The bath is large and has high quality accessories. There is also a wet bar, mini fridge, dining area and two office areas. Hilton resorts are recognized for their dedication to offering great programs for children. The recreation department has several activities scheduled to keep the children busy and also has adult programs including water aerobics and golf.
  • Meliá Orlando Hotel at Celebration: It is considered the only boutique suite hotel in Orlando. It offers suites with one or two bedrooms, elegant kitchen, LCD TV and wonderful balconies with great landscape. It is located in a privileged area at the celebration, very close to the Walt Disney World Parks. It offers transportation not only to the Celebration Town Center but also to all of the Theme Parks of the area. Great location, great personalized service and magnificent suites. You can have fun and enjoy laying on any of the two pools, or having dinner at a real King or Queen at any of the 2 restaurants available at the resort. During the day you can visit the Bistro bar.

Tip: It is recommended to book in advance, and you will find special discounts.

The Nickelodeon Suites Resort, the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & the Meliá Orlando hotel at Celebration, are only three of the wonderful suites that provide guests with great service at fair prices and you may consider them while planning your travel to Disney!

Seppuku – The Japanese Ritual Suicide

To commit “seppuku,” Japanese ritual suicide, one used a short samurai sword or a dirk-like knife to first make a deep incision into the belly and then cut horizontally across the abdomen to disembowel oneself. This of course was excruciatingly painful, but the victim was soon put out of his misery by his second, or kaishakunin, who delivered the coup de grace by lopping off his head with one deft sweep of his katana sword.

Seppuku was practiced by Japanese samurai for 700 years: from 1180, when the famous Minamoto Yorimasa disemboweled himself in order to avoid being captured by his enemies, until the practice was banned in 1868, when Japan entered its modern era. Before killing himself, Minamoto calmly composed the following death poem:

“Like a fossil tree from which we gather no flowers

Sad has been my life, fated no fruit to produce”

Minamoto’s suicide set three precedents: cutting the belly, where the soul was believed to reside–thereby releasing it; decapitation by a trusted second (in this first case of seppuku, a faithful retainer of Minamoto’s removed his head and sunk it in a river to prevent his enemies from taking his head as a trophy to be displayed on a stake–a common practice all through Japan’s feudal period); and the writing of a death poem (this practice has survived until today. There are books available on the market that provide instruction on how to write a proper death poem).

Seppuku subsequently became highly ritualized (hence the English translation, “ritual suicide”) and elaborate rules of etiquette were developed. By the Edo period, during which Japan experienced 250 years of peace and relative order under the draconian rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate, seppuku was used as a punishment for errant samurai and the higher ranking daimyo, or feudal lords, albeit a more honorable punishment than simple execution.

During the early Edo period–the seventeenth century–seppuku was usually carried out in a Buddhist temple, but from the beginning of the eighteenth century, the custom was to have the condemned perform the ceremony at the palace of a daimyo, either inside the palace or in the garden, depending on the rank of the man who was to disembowel himself. Regardless of whether it was indoors or outside, the place of execution was prepared with tatami mats covered with white cloth of either cotton or silk, with the dirk to be used for the hara-kiri (both seppuku and hara-kiri literally mean “cut the belly”), and a bucket to receive the severed head, placed decorously out of sight behind a screen.

Both decorum and purity were important elements of the ritual. Before killing himself, the accused bathed and changed into new, formal attire. He then went to the place of execution, where the functionaries of the ceremony and the witnesses had already gathered. First, the charges and sentence were solemnly read out, and then the principal retired briefly to change clothes one more time. Once the principal had returned, the execution was carried out forthwith. Sitting on his heels, and exposing his upper body, the principal tucked the upper garments of his kimono tightly under his legs to prevent his body from falling ignominiously backward. He carefully picked up the dirk that rested on a small wooden stand placed in front of him, which he then used as a seat to prop himself up straight and slightly forward, leaving the neck exposed. He composed himself, and then plunged the blade into his abdomen. At that point, his second struck a blow that, if all went well, cleanly severed his head from his body. The skilled kaishakunin would leave the head attached to the body by just a flap of skin, to prevent it from rolling indecorously across the floor.

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