This has to be one of the most obnoxiously cynical sentences I've read in a while:

As consumers continue their search for greater meaning, purpose and balance in life, connecting with and facilitating their spiritual journeys will continue to offer attractive opportunities for marketers.

Yankelovich Think Tank, Topic "A": Spirituality, 2006

First a little house-keeping from my very vague last entry. The lights we went to see were at the Arashiyama Hanatouro - the lantern festival. It really was very pretty and the first indication I got of how seriously a lot of Japanese seem to take their photography. Saw a lot of people with tripods, spending a lot of time on their shots ( Read more... )