text:
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 151 (Friday, August 5, 2011)]
[Pages 47590-47591]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-19863]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health (ABRWH or Advisory
Board), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), and pursuant to the requirements of 42
CFR 83.15(a), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
announces the following meeting of the aforementioned committee:
Board Public Meeting Times and Dates (All times are Pacific
8:15 a.m.-5 p.m., August 23, 2011.
8:15 a.m.-4:45 p.m., August 24, 2011.
8:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m., August 25, 2011.
Public Comment Times and Dates (All times are Pacific Time):
5 p.m.-6 p.m.*, August 23, 2011.
5 p.m.-6:30 p.m.*, August 24, 2011.
*Please note that the public comment periods may end before the
times indicated, following the last call for comments. Members of
the public who wish to provide public comments should plan to attend
public comment sessions at the start times listed.
Place: Courtyard by Marriott, 480 Columbia Point, Richland,
Washington 99352, Telephone: (509) 942-9400, Fax: (509) 942-9401.
Audio Conference Call via FTS Conferencing. The USA toll-free,
dial-in number is 1-866-659-0537 with a pass code of 9933701.
Status: Open to the public, limited only by the space available.
The meeting space accommodates approximately 150 people.
Background: The Advisory Board was established under the Energy
Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 to
advise the President on a variety of policy and technical functions
required to implement and effectively manage the new compensation
program. Key functions of the Advisory Board include providing
advice on the development of probability of causation guidelines
which have been promulgated by the Department of
[[Page 47591]]
Health and Human Services (HHS) as a final rule, advice on methods
of dose reconstruction which have also been promulgated by HHS as a
final rule, advice on the scientific validity and quality of dose
estimation and reconstruction efforts being performed for purposes
of the compensation program, and advice on petitions to add classes
of workers to the Special Exposure Cohort (SEC).
In December 2000, the President delegated responsibility for
funding, staffing, and operating the Advisory Board to HHS, which
subsequently delegated this authority to the CDC. NIOSH implements
this responsibility for CDC. The charter was issued on August 3,
2001, renewed at appropriate intervals, and will expire on August 3,
Purpose: This Advisory Board is charged with (a) providing
advice to the Secretary, HHS, on the development of guidelines under
Executive Order 13179; (b) providing advice to the Secretary, HHS,
on the scientific validity and quality of dose reconstruction
efforts performed for this program; and (c) upon request by the
Secretary, HHS, advise the Secretary on whether there is a class of
employees at any Department of Energy facility who were exposed to
radiation but for whom it is not feasible to estimate their
radiation dose, and on whether there is reasonable likelihood that
such radiation doses may have endangered the health of members of
this class.
Matters To Be Discussed: The agenda for the Advisory Board
meeting includes: NIOSH Program Update and 10-Year Program Review;
Department of Labor (DOL) Program Update; Department of Energy (DOE)
Program Update; Hanford Work Group Update; SEC petitions for: W.R.
Grace (Curtis Bay, Maryland), Piqua Organic Moderated Reactor (1963-
1966), Y-12 (1948-1957), Hangar 481 (Kirtland Air Force Base),
Hooker Electrochemical, Feed Materials Production Center (Fernald,
Ohio), Norton Company, Savannah River Site, Pantex Plant, Vitro
Manufacturing (1959-1965), Ames Laboratory (1942-1970); SEC Petition
Status Updates; Subcommittee and Work Group Reports; and Board Work
The agenda is subject to change as priorities dictate.
In the event an individual cannot attend, written comments may
be submitted in accordance with the redaction policy provided below.
Any written comments received will be provided at the meeting and
should be submitted to the contact person below well in advance of
the meeting.
Policy on Redaction of Board Meeting Transcripts (Public
Comment): (1) If a person making a comment gives his or her name, no
attempt will be made to redact that name. (2) NIOSH will take
reasonable steps to ensure that individuals making public comment
are aware of the fact that their comments (including their name, if
provided) will appear in a transcript of the meeting posted on a
public website. Such reasonable steps include: (a) A statement read
at the start of each public comment period stating that transcripts
will be posted and names of speakers will not be redacted; (b) A
printed copy of the statement mentioned in (a) Above will be
displayed on the table where individuals sign up to make public
comments; (c) A statement such as outlined in (a) Above will also
appear with the agenda for a Board Meeting when it is posted on the
NIOSH Web site; (d) A statement such as in (a) Above will appear in
the Federal Register Notice that announces Board and Subcommittee
meetings. (3) If an individual in making a statement reveals
personal information (e.g., medical information) about themselves
that information will not usually be redacted. The NIOSH FOIA
coordinator will, however, review such revelations in accordance
with the Freedom of Information Act and the Federal Advisory
Committee Act and if deemed appropriate, will redact such
information. (4) All disclosures of information concerning third
parties will be redacted. (5) If it comes to the attention of the
DFO that an individual wishes to share information with the Board
but objects to doing so in a public forum, the DFO will work with
that individual, in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee
Act, to find a way that the Board can hear such comments.
For Further Information Contact: Theodore Katz, M.P.A.,
Executive Secretary, NIOSH, CDC, 1600 Clifton Road, MS E-20, Atlanta
Georgia 30333, Telephone: (513) 533-6800, Toll Free: 1-800-CDC-INFO,
E-mail: [email protected].
The Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, has been
delegated the authority to sign Federal Register notices pertaining
to announcements of meetings and other committee management
activities, for both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Dated: July 29, 2011.
Elaine L. Baker,
Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2011-19863 Filed 8-4-11; 8:45 am]


text:
PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Not good enough.
That was the message delivered by receiver Stevie Johnson after the Buffalo Bills returned to practice Saturday, two days after the offense produced a preseason-opening dud.
"It's only so long where you can be the old Bills getting beat around this conference," Johnson said. "Preseason game, practice, if we want to get to where we want to be."
The high expectations the Bills carried into training camp were dealt a setback after the offense bumbled through a 7-6 loss to the Washington Redskins on Thursday.
Buffalo's starters managed just two first downs and 40 net yards in three possessions. Worse yet, they settled for a field goal on their second drive, which began at the Redskins 21 following a fumble recovery.
Instead of looking like the productive offense that helped the team get off to a 5-2 start last season, the Bills on Thursday resembled more the unit that came unraveled in losing eight of its final nine games.
Johnson refused to use limited playing time or first-game jitters as an excuse.
"We're the ones (starters) so we've got to play like ones," Johnson said. "It's only so long before it's going to be Week 1, when we'll be going out there and playing against the Jets. So let's get it going."
NOTES: WR Nelson returned to practice after missing the preseason game and much of the previous 10 days with a sprained right knee. ... DT Spencer Johnson was held out with what Gailey called a minor injury to his left shoulder. ... Gailey said C Eric Wood (coming off season-ending right knee surgery) is targeted to make his preseason debut in two weeks, when the Bills host Pittsburgh.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

subset: commoncrawl


text: Kashi people square: stands erect high behind the Kashi city people square chairman's podium's silver-gray Chairman Mao giant statue, occupies a commanding position, grand magnificent, the imposing manner is broad, is already a Kashi city sharp scenery, is attracting numerous Chinese and foreign the tourist photography photography, forgets to return. This giant statue is being far away from the capital the western border town to be completed, without doubt has manifested the Kashi various races people to Chairman Mao's deep affection. About in 1967, to express to wool Ze east the president's sentiment of deep love, Kashi's various races cadres and the general decide to imitate inland, constructs a Chairman Mao Zedong in Kashi to make an idol. The address elects in the Kashi city people square, the statue pattern to use Xi'an Train station that "Chairman Mao waves the hand I to go forward" the pattern.


text:
Low-income apartments to make a dent in affordable housing shortage in Macon
What was once a construction scene characterized by luxury, mountainside housing and second-home developments has a newcomer at the table. The latest construction project in Macon County are not mini-mansions in the highlands but a low-income apartment complex in town.
The $7.4 million project, known as the Westgate Terrace Affordable Housing Complex, will bring 60 low-income apartment units to a four-acre site within the town limits of Franklin. The project passed muster with the town board May of this year, following a recommendation by the town's planning board.
But the developer, Flatiron Group, which specializes in low-income housing projects throughout the state, was waiting to see if federal low-income housing tax credits would come through. The tax credits were necessary to make the investment viable and offset the lower rent that would be charged. But, there is a limited pool of tax credits, and competition is stiff.
Hollis Fitch, a developer with the group, said after being awarded the tax credits in August, the development is prepared to move forward.
If the project is executed as planned, and barring any winter weather construction delays, the units will be completed by November 2013, Fitch said. He expects construction to begin November of this year.
The sale of the property still needs to be finalized, and the development still needs a building permit from Macon County and a final land development permit from the town of Franklin. But, the permits are procedural, as the development has been approved in concept by the town board, despite objections from some neighbors about the impact of the development on their community.
Related Items
The 60 units will be a range of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, with a rental price regulated to remain low for the next 30 years as a stipulation under the federal tax credits. For example, a one-bedroom unit in the proposed property will start at about $335 per month without utilities, Fitch said.
But the trade-off is only low-income residents, defined as families making less than 60 percent of the area median income, qualify to rent the apartments.
The Flatiron group reported that about 40 percent of the county's population would meet those criteria. In Macon County, the median income for a family of four is $53,000 so only a family of four making about $31,000 or less would qualify. A single person making less than $22,000 per year would qualify.
Fitch's group has proposed a host of affordable apartment complexes that capitalize on the low-income housing credits across North and South Carolina and Virginia. Some of them get built, but some are rejected by the community where they are proposed, and others don't get the competitive tax credits.
Although some low-income housing companies are not-for-profit, the Flatiron group is.
Shortage of affordable housing
Fitch said he was attracted to Macon County because of research studies indicating there was a strong need for low-income housing here. He said a formula is used to calculate the need, taking into account the demand in the area for low-income housing and the number of units offered. Fitch said he has been looking to develop this type of project in Franklin for the past three years.
Town leaders were also eager to bring the project home. The town board voted unanimously to approve the project earlier this year, and the town offered the development reduced fees for sewer and water, Fitch said.
Franklin Town Planner Derek Roland believes neighbors' concerns about increased traffic stemming from the development can be addressed, and in the end, the project should have a resoundingly positive impact on the community.
"There is an excellent need for this here," Roland said.
He is also excited to see a construction project after witnessing such a slump in construction since the housing crisis. Roland offered several statistics to back his favor of the complex. He pointed toward the 11 percent unemployment rate in Macon County and the decline in the construction industry.
Last year, there were 79 percent fewer building permits issued in Macon County than in 2007 before the market crashed. In a county where the construction sector was once being the driving force behind economy, a low-income housing project may be one of the few bright spots this year.
Tax credit lynchpin
To realize the project, the Flatiron Group's project had to win out in a competitive process for the affordable housing tax credits. Though the tax credits are federal, they are divvied out to each state based that state's population where they are administered through a state agency — here it is the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency.
Fitch said his project was one of several dozen selected from a larger pool of more than 100 applicants vying for the latest round of tax credits.
The Westgate Terrace Affordable Housing Complex was awarded tax credits of just more than $500,000 per year for 10 years. The developers will sell the tax credits to investors to get cash up front for construction. In exchange, the investors get an annual return on their money when the tax credits are paid out.
Selling the tax credits netted $4.4 million toward the project's $7.4 million cost. The remainder of the financing will come from a $2 million dollar state credit loan with zero percent interest and a nearly $1 million dollar loan from Macon Bank. These creative forms of funding, which avoid hefty debt and large mortgage payments, are what allow a low-income housing complex to maintain low rents.
Yet, the winning criteria for this year's housing projects was based on those which could offer a greater number of housing units while requesting a lower number of government tax credits. Fitch said the financial support of the community of Franklin was instrumental in making his application competitive.
"A big thanks goes out to the community up there," Fitch said. "Everyone has been helping out to get this thing on board."


text:
Surprise surprise: SXSW 2009 ruled. It was our first experience in Austin and it was one to remember for sure. Four nights of sleeping on floors and four days of around-the-clock drinking later, our livers are in disrepair and our necks/backs/everything are in need of some serious chiropractic love. We'd planned a big South By rundown but between school starting back again and Marina Diamond's visit to NYC we just haven't had the time. There wasn't much in the way of breakout acts at SXSW this year you hadn't already heard of anyway (save for Local Natives, who we didn't actually get a chance to see at the festival), so we'll save us all some time and just focus on our favorite act of South By '09, the inimitable Mumford & Sons.
Hands down the most pleasant surprise of the week for us, Mumford & Sons' delighted with an incredible string of performances, all of which left us breathless and all hot and bothered at the prospect of a debut LP from the London quartet. We spent quite a bit of time with them in New York and Austin, first tasting their brilliance at two NYC shows leading up to South By and then further indulging at the festival itself. We've long been fans of their Fleet Foxes meets Jeff Buckley take on British folk, but it's their live show that's just un-fucking-believable. EP favorites like "Roll Away Your Stone", "White Blank Page" and "Little Lion Man" didn't disappoint, but it's unreleased set closer "Dust Bowl Dance" that's sounding like the best track we've heard all year. No mp3 available as of yet, but this HD YouTube clip from their March 4th ICA show gives you a good idea of just how unreal this song is. Below is "White Blank Page" to whet your appetite until Mumford & Bros' feel like unleashing "Dust Bowl" on the unsuspecting masses later this year.
MP3: "White Blank Page" - Mumford & Sons
In other news, Passion Pit have gone ahead and lifted the veil on "The Reeling", which will serve as the lead single on Manners, the Neon Gold alums' upcoming debut full length. No mp3 clearance as of yet, but head to the myspace to give it a spin and start getting pumped for Manners' May 19th release date. "The Reeling" is a great track, but it doesn't hold a candle to some of the other jams on the record (holler "Little Secrets" and "Folds In Your Hands"), so trust us when we say it's only the tip of the iceberg. What do we think?
// Steve Hopson //
Monday, March 30, 2009
Posted by Neon Gold at 12:00 PM 8 comments:
Labels: fleet foxes, jeff buckley, mumford + sons, passion pit
Saturday, March 21, 2009
We're currently raging at South By Southwest, hence the silence. Back soon.
Posted by Neon Gold at 12:52 AM 4 comments:
Thursday, March 12, 2009
We love the Body Language kids here at Neon Gold. Good people, talented musicians, not to mention one of them even owns a Goosebumps shirt... What more can you ask for? We recently asked them to have a go at a remix of Marina Diamond's "Obsessions" and the result sounds like a late night jam session with Junior Boys on electronics, Phil Collins on drums and Kate Bush doing her thing on the mic. Eclectic as fuck, but we like it that way.
MP3: "Obsessions" (Body Language Remix) - Marina & The Diamonds
Body Language headline Piano's at midnight this Saturday with amazing support coming from two of the UK's finest in Post War Years and We Have Band. Do. Not. Miss.
MP3: "Obsessions" (Body Language Remix) - Marina & The Diamonds
Body Language headline Piano's at midnight this Saturday with amazing support coming from two of the UK's finest in Post War Years and We Have Band. Do. Not. Miss.
Posted by Neon Gold at 12:00 PM 7 comments:
Labels: body language, junior boys, marina + the diamonds
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Dark and vulnerable, Kurran & The Wolfnotes' songs are emotive accounts of betrayal and deception laid over sparse arrangements and sung in ominous tones that recall everyone from Jesse Lacey to Iron & Wine. Travelling songs for the wronged and the woeful, Kurran's output to date is nothing short of phenomenal and his international upbringing (New York, Switizerland, Dubai, London) lends him a unique voice in the crowded London folk scene. It's still early days for sure, but Kurran & The Wolfnotes are absolutely ones to watch in the months to come.
MP3: "Your Four Limbs" - Kurran & The Wolfnotes
MP3: "Your Four Limbs" - Kurran & The Wolfnotes
Posted by Neon Gold at 12:00 AM 5 comments:
Labels: brand new, iron + wine, kurran + the wolfnotes
Monday, March 9, 2009
Whilst in London for a spell last month we spent some time with teen pop sensation Ellie Goulding, who wasted no time passing along her latest output, a cover of Sam Sparro's #1 hit "Black & Gold" that finds her teaming up with 20 year old Frankmusik protege Starsmith on production duties. The duo has taken to calling themselves Goldsmith for the time being, and you should go ahead and start readying yourselves now for the torrent of pop brilliance these two will be unleashing on you in the months to come.
In the first installment of our hot tips for '09 feature we hinted at some as-yet-unheard amazing new material Ms. Goulding had waiting in the wings and we were referring to "Starry Eyed" (another Starsmith collab), which has since been aired for teasing purposes on YouTube here. We're not even kidding a little bit when we say it's the best song we've heard all year, so keep your eyes on this space for when we're given the go ahead to share it's perfection with the world. In the meantime, here's the duo's ice cold take on "Black & Gold" for all your bliss pop needs.
MP3: "Black & Gold" - Goldsmith
// You Don't Matter //
In the first installment of our hot tips for '09 feature we hinted at some as-yet-unheard amazing new material Ms. Goulding had waiting in the wings and we were referring to "Starry Eyed" (another Starsmith collab), which has since been aired for teasing purposes on YouTube here. We're not even kidding a little bit when we say it's the best song we've heard all year, so keep your eyes on this space for when we're given the go ahead to share it's perfection with the world. In the meantime, here's the duo's ice cold take on "Black & Gold" for all your bliss pop needs.
MP3: "Black & Gold" - Goldsmith
// You Don't Matter //
Posted by Neon Gold at 12:00 AM 3 comments:
Labels: ellie goulding, frankmusik, goldsmith, starsmith
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
We're not quite sold on Little Boots as the second coming that the British media are making her out to be, but we're not gonna front like she's not going to be all kinds of huge in 2009. Between the five massive singles (and counting) she's already got in her arsenal and the sexy math teacher video that's just begging to be made for "Mathematics", expect Ms. Hesketh to be wreaking all kinds of havoc on the charts in the months to come. The next two singles coming down the pike will be "New In Town" and "Every Little Earthquake" (both incredible), and 679 have pulled out all the stops on the remix front, enlisting the services of The Golden Filter, Fred Falke, Drop The Lime and our boys Dekker & Johan with even more mixes supposedly on the way.
MP3: "New In Town" (Fred Falke Remix) - Little Boots
MP3: "Every Little Earthquake" (Dekker & Johan Remix) - Little Boots
// Hendrik Will //
MP3: "New In Town" (Fred Falke Remix) - Little Boots
MP3: "Every Little Earthquake" (Dekker & Johan Remix) - Little Boots
// Hendrik Will //
Posted by Neon Gold at 12:00 AM 9 comments:
Labels: 679, dekker + johan, fred falke, little boots
Monday, March 2, 2009
It's no secret Chess Club have the London folk scene on lock 24/7, so it should come as no surprise to find a band like Ex Lovers sporting their badge in the vinyl section of your favorite independent record store. Wistful sentiments and acoustic meanderings underpinned by playful boy-girl harmonies are the name of the game here, and while these ingredients aren't exactly groundbreaking, we're pretty smitten with the results. The band's debut single "Just A Silhouette" isn't quite breaking news (it dropped last December), but it's the exact kind of wintry pop that felt highly appropriate on our headphones as we braved the frosty abyss and navigated the snowed in ghost town that was downtown Manhattan this morning. We still can't feel our fingers but at least the soundtrack's nice.
MP3: "Just A Silhouette" - Ex Lovers
In other news, "I Am Not A Robot" is one of the more wonderful things you'll hear all week and demands your attention at the Marina & The Diamonds myspace, uh, now. Vocoder? Check. Strings? Check. Actual fucking human heartbeat? Check. New favorite band? Check.
// i.anton //
MP3: "Just A Silhouette" - Ex Lovers
In other news, "I Am Not A Robot" is one of the more wonderful things you'll hear all week and demands your attention at the Marina & The Diamonds myspace, uh, now. Vocoder? Check. Strings? Check. Actual fucking human heartbeat? Check. New favorite band? Check.
// i.anton //
Posted by Neon Gold at 12:00 AM 4 comments:
Labels: chess club, ex lovers, marina + the diamonds
Sunday, March 1, 2009
We've been talking up our hot tips for '09 for a minute now, but we decided it was high time we took action and threw together a proper list. Here are some bands you're going to give a fuck about over the next 12 months.
We've said it once, we'll say it again: Clare Maguire will reign supreme in 2009. Anyone uncertain look no further than her Primary 1-produced demo of "Strangest Thing" and hear the voice that will be dropping jaws all year long.
MP3: "Strangest Thing" (Demo) - Clare Maguire
It's hard to know where to begin with Miss Marina Diamond. She's easily the loveliest person we've come across in our music industry travels, not to mention one of the most promising songwriting talents we've ever heard. Marina's beautiful, charismatic and one of the most brilliant performers we've ever had the pleasure of seeing live, and we've genuinely never met someone so driven and determined to succeed - having turned away countless management offers over the last year, she's managing herself and doing everything on her own terms. Earlier this month she dropped by Radio 1 to perform a four song live session for Huw Stephens and then followed it up with a two song solo performance for Dermot O'Leary on Radio 2 a few weeks back, in which she treated listeners to a stripped down version of "Obsessions" and a special cover of Gwen Stefani's "What You Waiting For". Also be sure to keep an eye out for her in this month's issues of Dazed & Confused and Arena Magazine.
2009's a bit of a crapshoot what with the sheer number of talented girl singers who've secured major label deals in the last six to ten months, but our money's on Marina to rise to the top on the strength of some of the most wonderfully unique pop songs we've ever heard. Sure we're biased, given her debut single "Obsessions" dropped on Neon Gold earlier this month (buy. that. shit.), so we'll just let the songs speak for themselves. To celebrate we're hitting you with a special double drop in the form of the best B-side you'll hear all year (that'd be "Mowgli's Road") and an unreal remix of "Obsessions" courtesy of up-and-coming electro maestro The Aspirins For My Children.
MP3: "Mowgli's Road" - Marina & The Diamonds
MP3: "Obsessions" (The Aspirins For My Children Remix) - Marina & The Diamonds
Your Twenties like the Beatles and care about backing vocals. This is all they choose to make known about themselves on their myspace page, but further digging reveals frontman Gabriel Stebbing's previous endeavors as lead guitarist and backing vocalist in Metronomy. Stebbing has since left Metronomy to focus on Your Twenties full time, and the results have been nothing short of amazing. Debut single "Caught Wheel" dropped last November and wasted no time flying off the shelves, and has just been re-pressed for those who arrived a little too late to the party. "Caught Wheel" comes off as a timeless slice of breezy indie pop fun, recalling The Shins and the Beach Boys in equal parts, and if demos like "Billionaires" and "Gold" on the myspace are any indication, it's only the tip of the iceberg for this bunch. Expect huge things this year.
MP3: "Caught Wheel" - Your Twenties
The cyclical nature of musical styles and trends is no secret in this day and age, and we're pretty sure grunge is just about due to make a comeback. Only time will tell, but Dinosaur Pile Up are doing their best to lead the resurgence, as the demo of "Love Is A Boat And We're Sinking" ably demonstrates. We could be wrong about this whole grunge renaissance, but we stocked up on plaid and stopped bathing weeks ago just in case.
MP3: "Love Is A Boat And We're Sinking" (Demo) - Dinosaur Pile Up
We've been pushing their wares since last autumn, and Little Comets have since wrangled a nice little major label deal for themselves after putting out debut single "One Night In October" with our friends at Lucky Number Music last month. Bursting at the seams with fresh-faced vitality, "October" bounces along on a buoyant rhythm section and clattering percussion, shouty Wombats vocals and sunny guitars converging to make the four-piece out to be something of limey Vampire Weekend. With the lone exception of Pete & The Pirates, UK indie had a bit off an off year in 2008, but with on-the-rise acts like Little Comets and Two Door Cinema Club leading the charge in '09, expect to hear a lot more noise from the long-haired, skinny-jeaned crowd this year.
MP3: "One Night In October" - Little Comets
Previously: Reasons Not To End It All In 2009 Pt. I and Pt. II
Posted by Neon Gold at 12:00 PM 11 comments:
Labels: clare maguire, dinosaur pile up, little comets, marina + the diamonds, metronomy, primary 1, the aspirins for my children, your twenties
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text:
Photographic filter
In photography and videography, a filter is a camera accessory consisting of an optical filter that can be inserted into the optical path. The filter can be of a square or oblong shape and mounted in a holder accessory, or, more commonly, a glass or plastic disk in a metal or plastic ring frame, which can be screwed into the front of or clipped onto the camera lens.
Filters modify the images recorded. Sometimes they are used to make only subtle changes to images; other times the image would simply not be possible without them. In monochrome photography coloured filters affect the relative brightness of different colours; red lipstick may be rendered as anything from almost white to almost black with different filters. Others change the colour balance of images, so that photographs under incandescent lighting show colours as they are perceived, rather than with a reddish tinge. There are filters that distort the image in a desired way, diffusing an otherwise sharp image, adding a starry effect, etc. Linear and circular polarising filters reduce oblique reflections from non-metallic surfaces.
Many filters absorb part of the light available, necessitating longer exposure. As the filter is in the optical path, any imperfections—non-flat or non-parallel surfaces, reflections (minimised by optical coating), scratches, dirt—affect the image.
There is no universal standard naming system for filters. The Wratten numbers adopted in the early twentieth century by Kodak, then a dominant force in film photography, are used by several manufacturers. Colour correction filters are often identified by a code of the form CC50Y—CC for colour correction, 50 for the strength of the filter, Y for yellow.
Optical filters are used in various areas of science, including in particular astronomy; they are essentially the same as photographic filters, but in practice often need far more accurately controlled optical properties and precisely defined transmission curves than filters exclusively for photographic use. Photographic filters sell in larger quantities at correspondingly lower prices than many laboratory filters. The article on optical filters has material relevant to photographic filters.
In digital photography the majority of filters used with film cameras have been rendered redundant by digital filters applied either in-camera or during post processing. Exceptions include the ultraviolet (UV) filter typically used to protect the front surface of the lens, the neutral density (ND) filter, the polarising filter and the infra red (IR) filter. The neutral density filter permits effects requiring wide apertures or long exposures to be applied to brightly lit scenes, while the graduated neutral density filter is useful in situations where the scene's dynamic range exceeds the capability of the sensor. Not using optical filters in front of the lens has the advantage of avoiding the reduction of image quality caused by the presence of an extra optical element in the light path and may be necessary to avoid vignetting when using wide-angle lenses.[1][2]
Uses of filters in photography
Filters in photography can be classified according to their use:
- Clear and ultraviolet
- Color correction
- Color conversion (or light balance)
- Color separation, also called color subtraction
- Contrast enhancement
- Infrared
- Neutral density, including the graduated neutral density filter and solar filter
- Polarizing
- Special effects of various kinds, including
- Graduated color, called color grads
- Cross screen and star diffractors
- Diffusion and contrast reduction
- Spot
- Close-up or macro diopters, and split diopters or split focus
Clear and ultraviolet
Clear filters, also known as window glass filters or optical flats, are transparent and (ideally) perform no filtering of incoming light. The only use of a clear filter is to protect the front of a lens.
UV filters are used to block invisible ultraviolet light, to which most photographic sensors and film are at least slightly sensitive. The UV is typically recorded as if it were blue light, so this non-human UV sensitivity can result in an unwanted exaggeration of the bluish tint of atmospheric haze or, even more unnaturally, of subjects in open shade lit by the ultraviolet-rich sky.
Normally, the glass or plastic of a camera lens is practically opaque to short-wavelength UV, but transparent to long-wavelength (near-visible) UV. A UV filter passes all or nearly all of the visible spectrum but blocks virtually all ultraviolet radiation. (Most spectral manipulation filters are named for the radiation they pass; green and infrared filters pass their named colors, but a UV filter blocks UV.) It can be left on the lens for nearly all shots: UV filters are often used mainly for lens protection in the same way as clear filters. A strong UV filter, such as a Haze-2A or UV17, cuts off some visible light in the violet part of the spectrum, and has a pale yellow color; these strong filters are more effective at cutting haze,[3][4] and can reduce purple fringing in digital cameras.[5] Strong UV filters are also sometimes used for warming color photos taken in shade with daylight-type film.
While in certain cases, such as harsh environments, a protection filter may be necessary, there are also downsides to this practice. Arguments for the use of protection filters include:
- If the lens is dropped, the filter may well suffer scratches or breakage instead of the front lens element.
- The filter can be cleaned frequently without damage to the lens surface or coatings; a filter scratched by cleaning is much less expensive to replace than a lens.
- If there is blowing sand the filter will protect the front of the lens from abrasion and nicks.
- A few lenses, such as some of Canon's L series lenses, require the use of a filter to complete their weather sealing.[6][7][8]
Arguments against their use include:[9]
- Adding another element may degrade image quality if its surfaces are less than perfectly flat and parallel. Filters from reputable makers are very unlikely to cause any problems, but some "bargain" products are optically inferior.
- The two additional reflections at air-glass interfaces inevitably result in some light loss—at least four percent at each interface, if the surfaces are uncoated; they also increase the potential for lens flare problems.[10]
- Low-quality filters may cause problems with autofocus.
- A filter may be incompatible with the use of a lens hood, since not all filters have the required threading for a screw-in hood or will allow a clip-on hood to be attached. Adding a lens hood on top of one or more filters may space the hood away from the lens enough to cause some vignetting.
There is a wide variation in the spectral UV blocking by filters described as ultraviolet.[11]
Color conversion
Appropriate color conversion filters are used to compensate for the effects of lighting not balanced for the film stock's rated color temperature (usually 3200 K for professional tungstens and 5500 K for daylight): e.g., the 80A blue filter used with film for daylight use corrects the perceived orange/reddish cast of incandescent photographic photoflood lighting (for which the usual photographic term is "tungsten lighting"), and significantly improves the stronger cast produced by lower-temperature household incandescent lighting, while the 85B will correct the bluish cast of daylight photographs on tungsten film. Color correction filters are identified by non-standardised numbers which vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. The need for these filters has been greatly reduced by the widespread adoption of digital photography, since color balance may be corrected with camera settings as the image is captured, or by software manipulation afterwards.
Color conversion filters (LB filters) must be distinguished from color correction filters (CC filters), which filter out a particular color cast f.e. caused by Schwarzschild effect etc.
Color subtraction
Color subtraction filters work by absorbing certain colors of light, letting the remaining colors through. They can be used to demonstrate the primary colors that make up an image. They are perhaps most frequently used in the printing industry for color separations, and again, use has diminished as digital solutions have become more advanced and abundant.
Contrast enhancement
Colored filters are commonly used in black and white photography to alter the effect of different colors in the scene, changing contrast recorded in black and white of the different colours. For example, a yellow or, more dramatically, orange or red, filter will enhance the contrast between clouds and sky by darkening the blue sky. A deep green filter will also darken the sky, and additionally lighten green foliage, making it stand out against the sky. A blue filter mimics the effect of older orthochromatic film, or even older film sensitive only to blue light, rendering blue as light and red and green as dark, showing blue skies as overcast with no contrast between sky and clouds, darkening blond hair, making blue eyes nearly white and red lips nearly black. Diffusion filters reduce contrast in addition to softening resolution.
A polarizing filter, used for both color and black-and-white photography, is colourless and does not affect colour balance, but filters out light with a particular direction of polarisation. This reduces oblique reflections from non-metallic surfaces, can darken the sky in colour photography (in monochrome photography colour filters are more effective), and can saturate the image more by eliminating unwanted reflections.
Linear polarising filters, while effective, can interfere with metering and auto-focus mechanisms when mirrors or beam-splitters are in the light path, as in the digital single lens reflex camera; a circular polarizer is also effective, and does not affect metering or auto-focus.[12]
Neutral density
A neutral density filter (ND filter) is a filter of uniform density which attenuates light of all colors equally. It is used to allow a longer exposure (to create blur) or larger aperture (for selective focus) than otherwise required for correct exposure in the prevailing light conditions, without changing the tonal balance of the photograph.
A graduated neutral density filter is a neutral density filter with different attenuation at different points, typically clear in one half shading into a higher density in the other. It can be used, for example, to photograph a scene with part in deep shadow and part brightly lit, where otherwise either the shadows would have no detail or the highlights would be burnt out.
Cross screen
A cross screen filter, also known as a star filter, creates a star pattern, in which lines radiate outward from bright objects. The star pattern is generated by a very fine diffraction grating embedded in the filter, or sometimes by the use of prisms in the filter. The number of stars varies by the construction of the filter, as does the number of points each star has.
A diffusion filter (also called a softening filter) softens subjects and generates a dreamy haze (see photon diffusion). This is most often used for portraits. It also has the effect of reducing contrast, and the filters are designed, labeled, sold, and used for that purpose too. There are many ways of accomplishing this effect, and thus filters from different manufacturers vary significantly. The two primary approaches are to use some form of grid or netting in the filter, or to use something which is transparent but not optically sharp.
Both effects can be achieved in software, which can in principle provide a very precise degree of control of the level of effect, however the "look" may be noticeably different. If there is too much contrast in a scene, the dynamic range of the digital image sensor or film may be exceeded, which post-processing cannot compensate for, so contrast reduction at the time of image capture may be called for.
Close-up and split diopter lenses
While these are not technically filters but accessory lenses, they are sold by filter manufacturers as part of their product lines, using the same holders and attachment systems. A close-up lens is a single or two-element converging lens used for close-up and macro photography, and works in the same way as spectacles used for reading. The insertion of a converging lens in front of the taking lens reduces the focal length of the combination.
Close-up lenses are usually specified by their optical power, the reciprocal of the focal length in meters. Several close-up lenses may be used in combination; the optical power of the combination is the sum of the optical powers of the component lenses; a set of lenses of +1, +2, and +4 diopters can be combined to provide a range from +1 to +7 in steps of one.
A split diopter has just a semicircular half of a close-up lens in a normal filter holder. It can be used to photograph a close object and a much more distant background, with everything in sharp focus; with any non-split lens the depth of field would be far too shallow.
Materials and construction
Photo filters are commonly made from glass, resin plastics similar to those used for eyeglasses (such as CR-39), polyester and polycarbonate; sometimes acetate is used. Historically, filters were often made from gelatin, and color gels. While some filters are still described as gelatin or gel filters, they are no longer actually made from gelatin but from one of the plastics mentioned above.
Sometimes the filter is dyed in the mass, in other cases the filter is a thin sheet of material sandwiched between two pieces of clear glass or plastic.
Certain kinds of filters use other materials inside a glass sandwich; for example, polarizers often use various special films, netting filters have nylon netting, and so forth.
The rings on screw-on filters are often made of aluminum, though in more expensive filters brass is used. Aluminum filter rings are much lighter in weight, but can "bind" to the aluminum lens threads they are screwed in to, requiring the use of a filter wrench to get the filter off of the lens. Aluminum also dents or deforms more easily.
High quality filters are multi-coated,[13] with multiple-layer optical coatings to reduce reflections. Uncoated filters can reflect up to 12% of the light,[14] single-coated filter can reduce this considerably, and multi-coated filters can allow up to 99.8% of the light to pass through (0.2% unwanted reflection); the loss of light is not important, but part of the light is reflected inside the camera, producing flare and reducing the contrast of the image. Manufacturers brand their high-end multi-coated filters with different labels, for example:
- B+W: MRC (Multi Resistant Coating), MRC nano (99.5% transmission, for XS-Pro series)[15]
- Hoya: HMC (Hoya Multi Coating), HD (8-layer coating, 99.35% transmission)[16]
- Heliopan: SH-PMC (8-layer coating, 99.8% transmission)[17]
Filter sizes and mountings
Manufacturers of lenses and filters have standardized on several different sets of sizes over the years.
Threaded round filters
The most common standard filter sizes for circular filters include 30.5 mm, 37 mm, 40.5 mm, 43 mm, 46 mm, 49 mm, 52 mm, 55 mm, 58 mm, 62 mm, 67 mm, 72 mm, 77 mm, 82 mm, 86 mm, 95 mm, 112 mm and 127 mm. Other filter sizes within this range may be hard to find since the filter size may be non-standard or may be rarely used on camera lenses. The specified diameter of the filter in millimeters indicates the diameter of the male threads on the filter housing. The thread pitch is 0.5 mm, 0.75 mm or 1.0 mm, depending on the ring size. A few sizes (e.g. 30.5 mm) come in more than one pitch.
The filter diameter for a particular lens is commonly identified on the lens face by the ⌀ symbol. For example, a lens marking may indicate: "⌀55mm" or "55⌀" meaning it would accept a 55mm filter or lens hood.
Square filters
For square filters, 2" × 2", 3" × 3" and 4" × 4" were historically very common and are still made by some manufacturers. 100 mm × 100 mm is very close to 4" × 4", allowing use of many of the same holders, and is one of the more popular sizes currently (2006) in use; it is virtually a standard in the motion picture industry. 75 mm x 75 mm is very close to 3" × 3" and while less common today, was much in vogue in the 1990s.
The French manufacturer Cokin makes a wide range of filters and holders in three sizes which is collectively known as the Cokin System. "A" (amateur) size is 67 mm wide, "P" (professional) size is 84 mm wide, and "X Pro" is 130 mm wide. Many other manufacturers make filters to fit Cokin holders. Cokin also makes a filter holder for 100 mm filters, which they call the "Z" size. Most of Cokin's filters are made of optical resins such as CR-39. A few round filter elements may be attached to the square/rectangular filter holders, usually polarizers and gradient filters which both need to be rotated and are more expensive to manufacture.
Cokin formerly (1980s through mid-1990s) had competition from Hoya's Hoyarex system (75 mm x 75 mm filters mostly made from resin) and also a range made by Ambico, but both have withdrawn from the market. A small (84 mm) "system" range is still made (as of 2012) by Formatt Hitech.[18] In general, square (and sometimes rectangular) filters from one system could be used in another system's holders if the size was correct, but each made a different system of filter holder which could not be used together. Lee, Tiffen, Formatt Hitech and Singh Ray also make square / rectangular filters in the 100 × 100 and Cokin "P" sizes.
Gel filters are very common in square form, rarely being used in circular form. These are thin flexible sheets of gelatin or plastic which must be held in rigid frames to prevent them from sagging. Gels are made not only for use as photo filters, but also in a wide range of colors for use in lighting applications, particularly for theatrical lighting. Gel holders are available from all of the square "system" makers, but are additionally provided by many camera manufacturers, by manufacturers of gel filters, and by makers of expensive professional camera accessories (particularly those manufacturers which target the movie and television camera markets.
Square filter systems often have lens shades available to attach to the filter holders.
Rectangular filters
Graduated filters of a given width (67 mm, 84 mm, 100 mm, etc.) are often made oblong, rather than square, in order to allow the position of the gradation to be moved up or down in the picture. This allows, for example, the red part of a sunset filter to be placed at the horizon. These are used with the "system" holders described above.
Bayonet round filters
Certain manufacturers, most notably Rollei and Hasselblad, have created their own systems of bayonet mount for filters. Each design comes in several sizes, such as Bay I through Bay VIII for Rollei, and Bay 50 through Bay 104 for Hasselblad.
Series filters
Starting in the 1930s, filters were also made in a sizing system known as a series mount. The filters themselves were round pieces of glass (or occasionally other materials) with no threads. Very early filters had no rims around the glass, but the more common later production filters had the glass mounted in metal rims. To mount the filters on a camera, the filter was placed between two rings; the mount ring either screwed into the lens threads or was slipped over the lens barrel and the retaining ring screws into the mounting ring to hold the filter in place. The series designations are generally written as Roman numerals, I to IX, though there are a few sizes not written that way, such as Series 4.5 and Series 5.5. Most Series filter sizes are now obsolete, production having ceased by the late 1970s. However, Series 9 became a standard of the motion picture industry and Series 9 filters are still produced and sold today, particularly for professional motion picture cinematography.[19]
|Series number
|Filter size
|Adapter ring
|20.6 mm
|23.5 mm
|25.5 mm
|30.2 mm
|33.5 mm
|35.9 mm
|41.3 mm
|44 mm
|50.8 mm
|54.346 mm, 36 tpi thread pitch
|57.0 mm
|63.5 mm
|66.7 mm
|74.8 mm x 5.6 mm
|74.8 mm x 8 mm
|82.6 mm
|87.5 mm
|93 mm
|103 mm
|107 mm
|119 mm
|125 mm
|138 mm
See also
- ↑ Seth Barton (January 9, 2014). "Sony FDR-AX100 review - Hands on with first consumer 4K camcorder".
- ↑ "CAMERA LENS FILTERS". Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ↑ Joseph Meehan (1998). The Photographer's Guide to Using Filters. Watson-Guptill. ISBN 0-8174-5452-7.
- ↑ Tiffen Inc. "Protection & UV Absorbing Filters". Retrieved 2011-04-12.
- ↑ Gary Nugent. "Photoshop Technique: Remove Purple Fringing". Retrieved 2011-04-12.
- ↑ Canon Inc. "Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Instruction Manual" (PDF). Canon Inc. p. ENG-1. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
Since the front element of this lens moves when zooming, you need to attach a Canon PROTECT filter sold separately for adequate dust- and water-resistant performance. Without a filter, the lens is not dust or water resistant.
- ↑ Canon Inc. "Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Instruction Manual" (PDF). Canon Inc. p. ENG-1. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
Since the front element of this lens moves when focusing (zooming), you need to attach a Canon PROTECT filter sold separately for adequate dust- and water-resistant performance. Without a filter, the lens is not dust or water-resistant.
- ↑ Canon Inc. "Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Instruction Manual" (PDF). Canon Inc. p. ENG-1. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
Since the front element of this lens moves when focusing, you need to attach a Canon PROTECT filter sold separately for adequate dust- and water-resistant performance. Without a filter, the lens is not dust or water resistant.
- ↑ Thom Hogan. "Filters by Thom Hogan". Retrieved 2011-04-12.
- ↑ Paul van Walree. "Filter Flare". Retrieved 2011-04-12.
- ↑ Bob Atkins. "UV or not UV?". Retrieved 2007-07-26.
- ↑ Reichmann, Michael. "Polarizers". Retrieved 2011-08-19.
- ↑ Dr. Ching-Kuang Shene. "Coated or Non-Coated?". Retrieved 2011-04-12.
- ↑ Lenstip.com. "UV filters test - Tiffen 72mm UV". Retrieved 2011-04-12.
- ↑ Schneider Optics. "New B+W XS-Pro Digital Filters". Retrieved 2011-04-12.
- ↑ HOYA FILTERS. "filter catalog" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-04-12.
- ↑ Heliopan Lichtfilter. "filter catalog" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-04-12.
- ↑ Formatt Hitech. "Format Hitech Still Filters". Retrieved 2012-09-30.
- ↑ filmtools.com, online catalog retrieved 2011-08-13
External links
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Photographic filters.
- Photography Filters
- UV filters test - Description of the results and summary - Lenstip.com
- Polarizing filters test - Results and summary - Lenstip.com
- Analysis of Camera Filters | Camera Filters.biz


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"One of the biggest problems with Jewish records is that they are held all over the place and one person can have records in multiple locations," FamilySearch research consultant and the collection's manager, Todd Knowles, said. "That means someone just starting to research their Jewish ancestry will have to drive from archive to archive and from synagogue to synagogue to find what they are looking for. What this collection does is put all the records in one location, which is an incredible time and cost savings for patrons."
Knowles started the database in 2007 to help him find his own Jewish ancestry. The collection began with 6,500 records from the British Isles, but has now rapidly expanded into five geographically-based databases with over 115,000 names:
• The Jews of the British Isles (82,000 names)
• The Jews of the Americas (10,300 names)
• The Jews of Europe (18,697 names)
• The Jews of the Caribbean (2,200 names)
• The Jews of Africa and the Orient (367 names)
The Knowles Collection is compiled from over 200 different sources that have been transcribed and combined by volunteers. There is also a complete list of where the original records can be found. The entire collection is now linked electronically as families and fully searchable on FamilySearch's Community Trees project, found at http://histfam.familysearch.org. Researchers can also download GEDCOM versions of each collection from www.familysearch.org.
According to Knowles, much of the growth of the collection is due to the continued donations of family records by people throughout the world.
"We have received donations from families in the British Isles, Germany, Russia, Jamaica, and many places in the United States," Knowles said. "We also have a great collection of synagogue records from Mattersdorf, Hungary, as well as burial records from Charleston, South Carolina, and New Orleans, Louisiana. It seems as word spreads, more and more custodians of these types of records want to be involved by donating copies of their related work to help expand the collection. "
Those interested in donating their Jewish family records to the Knowles Collection can contact Todd Knowles at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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This handcrafted Teal Penannular Shawl Pin combines graceful curves and unique speckled bead for a modern finishing touch. It is perfect for drawing attention to your handmade shawls, cowls, cardigans, scarves, hats, and more-whether you're a knitter, crocheter, weaver, or seamstress. This functional design has been around since the Iron Age. Vikings, Romans, Celts, Scots, and Irish all wore them! Take a journey through history and add timeless fashion to your handmade wardrobe with a Penannular shawl pin from Crafty Flutterby Creations.
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text:
|« Israel
|Israel, Kingdom of
|Issachar »
Israel, Kingdom of
(B.C. 975-B.C. 722). Soon after the death of Solomon, Ahijah's prophecy (1 Kings 11:31-35) was fulfilled, and the kingdom was rent in twain. Rehoboam, the son and successor of Solomon, was scarcely seated on his throne when the old jealousies between Judah and the other tribes broke out anew, and Jeroboam was sent for from Egypt by the malcontents (12:2, 3). Rehoboam insolently refused to lighten the burdensome taxation and services which his father had imposed on his subjects (12:4), and the rebellion became complete. Ephraim and all Israel raised the old cry, "Every man to his tents, O Israel" (2 Sam. 20:1). Rehoboam fled to Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:1-18; 2 Chr. 10), and Jeroboam was proclaimed king over all Israel at Shechem, Judah and Benjamin remaining faithful to Solomon's son. War, with varying success, was carried on between the two kingdoms for about sixty years, till Jehoshaphat entered into an alliance with the house of Ahab.
Extent of the kingdom. In the time of Solomon the area of Palestine, excluding the Phoenician territories on the shore of the Mediterranean, did not much exceed 13,000 square miles. The kingdom of Israel comprehended about 9,375 square miles. Shechem was the first capital of this kingdom (1 Kings 12:25), afterwards Tirza (14:17). Samaria was subsequently chosen as the capital (16:24), and continued to be so till the destruction of the kingdom by the Assyrians (2 Kings 17:5). During the siege of Samaria (which lasted for three years) by the Assyrians, Shalmaneser died and was succeeded by Sargon, who himself thus records the capture of that city: "Samaria I looked at, I captured; 27,280 men who dwelt in it I carried away" (2 Kings 17:6) into Assyria. Thus after a duration of two hundred and fifty-three years the kingdom of the ten tribes came to an end. They were scattered throughout the East. (See CAPTIVITY.)
"Judah held its ground against Assyria for yet one hundred and twenty-three years, and became the rallying-point of the dispersed of every tribe, and eventually gave its name to the whole race. Those of the people who in the last struggle escaped into the territories of Judah or other neighbouring countries naturally looked to Judah as the head and home of their race. And when Judah itself was carried off to Babylon, many of the exiled Israelites joined them from Assyria, and swelled that immense population which made Babylonia a second Palestine."
After the deportation of the ten tribes, the deserted land was colonized by various eastern tribes, whom the king of Assyria sent thither (Ezra 4:2, 10; 2 Kings 17:24-29). (See KINGS.)
In contrast with the kingdom of Judah is that of Israel. (1.) "There was no fixed capital and no religious centre. (2.) The army was often insubordinate. (3.) The succession was constantly interrupted, so that out of nineteen kings there were no less than nine dynasties, each ushered in by a revolution. (4.) The authorized priests left the kingdom in a body, and the priesthood established by Jeroboam had no divine sanction and no promise; it was corrupt at its very source." (Maclean's O. T. Hist.)
|« Israel
|Israel, Kingdom of
|Issachar »


text:
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Three new arrests in Woolwich murder probe
Two men aged 28 an 24 were arrested at a home in southeast London, with police firing a Taser electric stun gun on the older suspect, and on a 21-year-old man they arrested in a street around 1.5 kilometres from the murder scene.
Three men were arrested Saturday on suspicion of conspiracy to murder the British soldier hacked to death in a London street in an Islamist attack.
Two men aged 28 an 24 were arrested at a home in southeast London, with police firing a Taser electric stun gun on the older suspect, and on a 21-year-old man they arrested in a street around 1.5 kilometres from the murder scene.
Britain is dealing with the aftermath of a grisly murder which was the first fatal Islamist terror attack in the kingdom since the 2005 London bombings.
Prime Minister David Cameron is launching a new task force to tackle extremism and radicalisation, his Downing Street office said.
Meanwhile an inter-faith group reported a large spike in anti-Muslim incidents, while up to 2,000 members of the far-right English Defence League (EDL) staged a protest in the northeastern city of Newcastle.
Drummer Lee Rigby, 25, who survived a tour of duty in Afghanistan, was butchered in broad daylight Wednesday outside the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, southeast London.
Michael Adebolajo, 28, and 22-year-old Michael Adebowale remain in a stable condition after being shot by police at the scene of the killing.
They have both been arrested on suspicion of murder and are under armed guard in separate hospitals.
The three men arrested Saturday on suspicion of conspiracy to murder were all held by detectives from the Counter Terrorism Command supported by specialist firearms officers.
Officers were also searching four residential addresses in southeast London.
The new counter-terror task force will include key cabinet ministers and bring in police and security chiefs when needed.
It will focus on radical preachers who target potential recruits in jails, schools, colleges and mosques. It was also to monitor trends in radicalisation and tackle "poisonous narratives".
Downing Street said the group would focus on practical measures rather than getting bogged down in theoretical debates about Britishness and cultural values.
Faith Matters, a state-funded organisation which works to reduce extremism, said it has recorded a huge increase in anti-Muslim incidents reported to its helpline since the attack.
"It's a hugely worrying development," director Fiyaz Mughal told news agency AFP, saying the organisation had been informed of 162 incidents in the past 48 hours, compared to a daily average of four to six.
They were mainly verbal attacks on women wearing the Islamic headscarf in the street, he said, but there were also online attacks and some violence.
A woman in her 50s had been punched unconscious on the outskirts of Oldham, near Rigby's home city of Manchester in northwest England, while two mosques had been attacked in the south of the country.
Up to 2,000 members of the anti-Islam EDL gathered in Newcastle, police said, for a long-planned rally given added impetus by the soldier's murder.
They sang "RIP Lee Rigby" and chanted "Whose streets? Our streets", while some people waved British flags.
Up to 400 of their opponents staged a counter-protest, but the day passed off without major incident.
A small impromptu protest also took place in Manchester, while another demonstration is planned for outside Downing Street on Monday.
A number of people have been charged over malicious comments made on social networking sites.
Britain's intelligence agencies were facing scrutiny following claims that the MI5 domestic security service had tried to recruit one of the two murder suspects.
Both were known to the intelligence services and Adebolajo had links to the banned radical Al-Muhajiroun movement, but ministers and security experts have warned of the difficulty in keeping track of everybody with extreme views.
Both were brought up by Nigerian Christians and converted to Islam in their teens, and recently were seen handing out extremist literature in the streets - to the concern of their families.
Adebowale's mother, Juliet Obasuyi, sought help from friends and an imam after growing increasingly concerned about her son, particularly when he dropped out of university nine months ago.
"He is from a strong Christian family but he is turning to Islam and turning against the family," she was quoted in newspapers as telling a Muslim neighbour.
"He needs spiritual guidance before he radicalises himself."
Meanwhile in Paris, a uniformed French soldier on anti-terror duties was stabbed in the neck in an attack that President Francois Hollande said could not "at this stage" be linked to the London murder.
The attacker fled the scene after stabbing the armed 23-year-old in La Defense business district, which at weekends is packed with shoppers.


text:
Expert's Rating
- Easy to use for 2-D animations
- Useful export features
- Affordable
- Audio, lip sync integration
- Includes great set of e-learning tools
- New stop-motion feature is worth the price
- Over-simplified interface makes getting started a bit daunting
Our Verdict
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Versatile new features
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But let's say you're into traditional animation. You don't have to worry about drawing on transparencies and shooting each image to make a film. Rather, with Toon Boom you can scan in drawings and use the program's rich toolset to bring your drawn animations to life. Add sound, additional drawings, and even publish to the Web. Moreover, you can draw, create, or import various cut out elements to build characters and store them in a personal library. Once imported, you can use those elements with motion paths to create movement and a complete 2-D animation.
Over the years, rotoscoping has grown in popularity, and now with Toon Boom Studio 5, it's easier than ever. Rotoscoping is the art of drawing over or around a photograph, or more commonly a video sequence. The advantage is that you get realistic movements with a hand-drawn, stylized look.
Upon initial launch, the Toon Boom Studio 5 interface seems simplistic. It closely resembles Adobe Flash in many ways with its clean white palettes and array of panels. There are numerous icons that offer up a range of controls, many of which only become active once your project has begun. The Toon Boom Studio interface is not intuitive, but once you go through one or two of the tutorials, the navigation makes more sense.
Additional benefits
The new version of Toon Boom Studio offers annotation layers for better communication with and feedback from clients and colleagues. There is also a new multi-discipline project-based curriculum to help you get up to speed fast. But that's just the beginning. As you would expect from a 2-D animation program, Toon Boom Studio 5 offers onion skinning, letting you see the frames before and after your current frame to assist with timing and movement. There is also a text tool, and OpenGL anti-aliasing, for smooth and clean renders.
Toon Boom Studio 5 offers a new automatic lip chart generation feature direct from voice tracks, as well as automatic mapping of lip charts to lip drawings to provide more accurate syncing.
The program provides a variety of options to share your animation once it's finished: You can export print drawings to flipbooks; export to iTunes, QuickTime, PDF, DV Stream, image sequences, or embed in HTML documents; or post directly to YouTube and Facebook.
Macworld's buying advice
At first glance, Toon Boom Studio 5 looks like a simple, almost kid-like program. But don't be fooled. The new stop-motion feature, annotation layers, and new export functions make this not just a fun program to use, but one rich in sophisticated features that any creative artist would want as part of their digital toolset.
[Dan Ablan is president of AGA Digital Studios in the Chicago area. He has written 13 books on 3-D animation, digital photography, and Photoshop. He is also founder of 3D Garage.com, an online training resource.]


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A must have at every large get together: birthdays, football, holidays – this dip always disappears!
This is my daughter Karina's favorite dip, which she has nicknamed "the stuff". It's easy to prepare and everyone always wants the recipe when they try it. Serve it at your next party with your favorite baked tortilla chips and play around with the toppings – try jalapeños, scallions or avocados.
Skinny Taco Dip
Servings: 24 • Serving Size: 1/24th of dip • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 2 pts
Calories: 59.2 • Fat: 3.6 g • Protein: 2.2 g • Carb: 4.7 g • Fiber: 0.6 g
8 oz 1/3 less fat Philadelphia cream cheese
8 oz reduced fat sour cream
16 oz jar mild salsa
1/2 packet taco seasoning
2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded fine
2 large tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
2.25 oz sliced black olives
In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sour cream, salsa and taco seasoning and mix well with an electric mixer. Spread on the bottom of a large shallow glass dish. Top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese and black olives. Serve with baked tortilla chips.


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Here is your chance to make your case for which MLB club will be the biggest flop and the biggest surprise this year.
Since I'm starting this thread, I'll step to the plate first.
My call for stinking up the joint - the Los Angeles Dodgers. If you listen to the likes of Peter Gammons, the Dodgers are likely set for a run at 90+ wins and could run away with the NL West. This is based on the vetern signings of new GM Ned Coletti and their strong bullpen. This will turn out to be a house of cards. Gagne is still nursing it, Brazoban is hurting, and Baez may have to do things on his own, closing games in a big market for the first time. Their new CF hasn't had 400AB in five seasons. Their RF is top flight when he's healthy, which is rarely ever. Their 1B has a glass groin and they are seriously considering giving the significant playing time at catcher to the soon to be 40 years old Sandy Alomar Jr. IMO - it's a trainwreck just waiting to happen.
As for who will surprise - I'll stick with the same division. My call is that this year's surprise team will be the Colorado Rockies. Before you call me a total quack, in the last 100 star games of the 2005 season the Rockies had the exact same record as the division winning Padres - 46-54 and had a team ERA of 4.80. Nothing earth shattering, but in that poor division, it could be just enough to make things interesting. Especially considering the Padres made a few puzzling subtractions over the offseason. In Jason Jennings, Jeff Francis and Aaron Cook they have three solid, home grown starters who all have respectable track records at Coors. Kim was also quite effective when he was put back in a starting role. Rumors are that the grounds crew is busy making sure the infield at Coors will resemble the rough at the US Open, which will further help for all those sinkerballers. Ryan Shealy could be another nasty bat out in RF this year, along with Matt Holliday who broke out last year, to go with rookies Clint Barmes and Garrett Atkins who both proved to be solid hitters and of course Todd Helton. That's a lineup that could put lots of runs away from Coors as well. The West again will be a dismal hole for winning baseball, and 82 wins again might net you the title. I'm not saying they will win anything of worth, but they could be close enough to .500 to at least be in the race or make things interesting.


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Washington, D.C.'s Contradictory History
Given the location of Washington, DC, the city seemed destined to have a contradictory relationship with its growing African American population. On the one hand, the construction of a new capital attracted thousands of black workers, who eventually made up about 30 percent of the population by 1800. These free blacks formed the foundation of what would affectionately be called in modern times the "Chocolate City"—a predominately African American community that was at the vanguard of black politics and culture. On the other hand, the political compromise that founded the District of Columbia embedded it in the South, creating the spectacle of free black artisans living and working alongside slaves. Moreover, the city's status as a federal entity left it largely under the control of the national government, and many critics of this arrangement have pointed out its glaring racial undertones. Finally, the city's reputation in the 1980s as a failure of urban planning has led to intense debates in the 21st century over school reform and gentrification, which often split along racial lines. Thus, almost inevitably, Washington has become another proving ground for the American experiment in pluralism and representative democracy.
Adding to the irony: among the early contributors to the city was astronomer Benjamin Banneker, who was appointed to survey the land and for the construction of the new district. And yet, despite the growing free population, the notoriety of Washington's slave market rivaled that of New Orleans. The market was located within walking distance of the major landmarks of American democracy. Moreover, Washington was hardly a safe city for any black people, whether they were freeborn, emancipated, or escaped. Slave hunters found the city's inhabitants to be easy targets for false arrest and extradition to the South, with the most famous example being that of Solomon Northrup, author of Twelve Years a Slave. The slave trade lasted there until the Compromise of 1850, though this merely pushed the market outside of the city limits. It was not until the District of Columbia Emancipation Act, signed by President Abraham Lincoln on 16 April 1862, that the three thousand slaves in the city were freed.
From then on, the black population grew rapidly, with Frederick Douglass among the many migrants to the city. And even as the Jim Crow era began, the District nevertheless became an incubator for a black bourgeoisie unlike almost any other major city. From this community emerged a number of leaders who continued working for equality, including Mary Church Terrell and the pioneering founders of Howard University. By the time segregation began to collapse in the 1950s, the demographics of the city had shifted to the point where African American leadership became inevitable. And yet the unique political status of the District often seemed designed to suppress its growing black population. Washingtonians have only one non-voting representative in the U.S. Congress, and the federal government controls the budget and services of the city. Indeed, the recent death of former mayor Marion Barry brought up once again the issue of "home rule" in the District. The controversial Barry, a civil rights activist who derailed his career in the early 1990s with a drug conviction, was reelected several years later to find the mayor's office virtually stripped of power by new federal restrictions.
This lingering debate has always carried with it a racial implication, which has been exacerbated by new changes in the city's demography. In 2003, the District began a campaign to attract 100,000 new residents over the next decade. By 2013, that number came closer to 85,000—enough to radically change some neighborhoods and accelerate both a decline in the African American population and an increase in income inequality. Thus, while the city as a whole may be more viable in terms of tax revenue and economic development, many seem to have been left behind. Nowhere is this more evident than in the contentious battle over school reform, which now seems almost a natural consequence of the gentrification the city has witnessed.
With our latest Community Spotlight, edited by Sharon Harley, we tried to connect these two disparate versions of Washington, showing both the foundational years as well as the modern issues that continue to attract national attention. What comes through in both these articles and primary documents is the sense of Washington as a shared national place that must live up to its ideals if our democracy is to succeed. As Frederick Douglass put it in 1877, as the era of Reconstruction came to an end, "It is our national center. It belongs to us; and whether it is mean or majestic, whether arrayed in glory or covered with shame, we cannot but share its character and its destiny."
Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Editor in Chief Oxford
African American Studies Center
The Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, Harvard University
February 2015
New Subject Articles
African American Federal Government Workers, 1940–1980
Ben's Chili Bowl
Dunbar High School
Ebenezer United Methodist Church (Washington, DC)
Go-Go Music
National Training School for Women and Girls
Washington, D.C., Black Domestics and Migration to
Washington, D.C., Frederick Douglass in
Washington, D.C., Free Black Community in
Washington, D.C., Gentrification and Housing Policies in
Washington, D.C., Negro League Baseball in
Washington, D.C., Walter E. Washington and Home Rule in
New Primary Source Documents
An Excerpt from A Colored Man's Reminiscences of James Madison (1865)
An Eyewitness Account of the Pearl Incident (1855)
Christian Fleetwood Describes a Battle in Petersburg, Virginia (1864)
Citizenship, Its Rights and Duties, a Lecture Delivered by D. Augustus Straker (1874)
Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal Church Lays the Cornerstone for a New Building (1897)
Eleanor Holmes Norton Delivers a Speech on Equal Representation for Washington, DC (2014)
Goals of the American Negro Academy (1896)
James Weldon Johnson Investigates the Washington Riots (1919)
Letter from Jefferson & MacKenzie Concerning the Washington Theater (1833)
Violence Committed Against Black Soldiers in Washington, DC (1863)
Archived Material
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., Riot
Marches on Washington, D.C.


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Wineries on Twitter Washington's Milbrandt Vineyards
The goal of this series is to connect with wineries and wine business that use Social Media (Twitter and Facebook) effectively. These interviews can serve as a catalyst to help other wineries and wine businesses to see the benefits (and pitfalls) of joining the social revolution.
How long have you been using Twitter?
Milbrandt Vineyards has been using Twitter since August 2009. We started off updating the account once a week, now we make sure to update our status daily, sometimes more depending upon newsworthy items we have on a daily basis.
What prompted you to dive in?
We thought Twitter would be a great opportunity to extend the Milbrandt Vineyards experience beyond the tasting room and event pourings. Twitter gives us an opportunity to further develop relationships with consumers, trade and media. We also wanted to see what the rest of the wine industry is up to in real time.
What type of strategy or approach do you use when posting content?
Sometimes we will use twitter as avenue to inform people of special events or sales or maybe what we're pouring in the Tasting Room that particular day. Mostly, it is just used to develop a rapport with fans of Milbrandt Vineyards wine, answer questions and keep our name in front of those enthusiasts.
What have been the benefits of using Twitter/Facebook? (increased traffic, increased brand awareness, customer connection, etc)
Our biggest benefit would be relationship building. We will have people message us through facebook or twitter and describe an experience they had involving Milbrandt Vineyards wine, such as a dinner or specific event. Often, it is first time tasters telling us how much they enjoyed the wine with dinner or at a party with a friend who introduced them to our wine. We think it is great that people who enjoy the wine so much that they want to share the experience with us. Increased awareness is a secondary benefit. It is the enthusiasts of our product who spread the word about us and that is how we are usually introduced to new consumers, by word of mouth.
Is there a single success story that you can point to with using Twitter/Facebook?
Milbrandt Vineyards pours at various events throughout the Pacific Northwest and the country. After maintaining conversations with several individuals, they make a point to stop by the Milbrandt Vineyards tables and will often retweet or repost our messages, further spreading what we have to say. There is no single success story, it is simply the overall shared experience of using social media.
What do you think is the single biggest barrier to why we don't see more wineries actively using Social Media tools?
I see a lot of Washington wineries on twitter and I am sure that more and more are joining everyday. But if there is any single hurdle, I believe it is time. Maintaining a twitter account alone is a large time commitment. Many smaller wineries simply do not have the staff to keep up with daily postings, answering inquiries or just maintaining the page.
What advice would you give to wineries joining the stream or getting back into the stream?
Have a plan and have clear and concise message. Make social media a group effort. People like knowing what is going on with the owners, the winemakers, the tasting room, etc. People like feeling involved.
Briefly tell us about your winery, a new release, or something unique about you?
Butch and Jerry Milbrandt planted their first vineyard in 1997. In the ensuing decade, Milbrandt Vineyards earned a reputation for growing some of Washington State's finest grapes. These grapes have found their way into many of Washington's most sought-after wines and the Milbrandt name and vineyards are featured on many prestigious labels.
In 2006, under the talented direction of winemaker Gordon Hill, we began crafting signature wines using selected grapes from our reputable vineyards. Our first wines were released in June 2007 and have continued to create award-winning wines. The tradition for excellence established in our vineyards is inherent in every bottle of Milbrandt Vineyards wine and we hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
What is your favorite rock band and why?
We are a Frank Sinatra kind of tasting room. We keep it classy.
One comment for "Wineries on Twitter Washington's Milbrandt Vineyards"
Jessica Gualano
We love selling Milbrandt in our shop and I enjoyed reading this post! We, too, are very actve users of social media and I would love to connect with them! However, I couldn't find mention of the twitter handle that Milbrandt uses anywhere in this post…could you enlighten us? Thanks!
Jessica Gualano, owner, The Wine Studio of Asheville
@winestudio & @ashevillewine


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Make a Plan
Following a disaster it is very possible that emergency response personnel may not be able to respond immediately to your needs. With this in mind, you and your family should develop a plan enabling you to be on your own for at least 72 hours following the disaster.
Emergency Preparedness Checklist
Red Cross Disaster Preparation
Preparing for an Emergency
- Designate an out-of-state contact person. You should select someone that is far enough away to not be affected by the same emergency.
- Inform this person of the whereabouts of you and your family, your situation, and ask them to notify friends and other family members.
- Long distance phone service is often restored sooner than local service.
- Duplicate important documents and keep copies off-site, possibly in a safe deposit box or with someone you trust. These documents may include: passports, drivers license, social security card, will, deeds, financial statements, insurance information, and marriage license.
- Make an extra copy of your driver's license, deeds, and property tax receipts and carry them with you should you evacuate. You may need these as proof in order to re-enter your community following a disaster.
- Inventory your valuables in writing and also with photographs or video and keep this information off-site with your other documents.
- Review your insurance polices, are you properly covered, does your homeowners policy cover flood damage?
- Make a household / family plan involving all key family members.
- Make your home safe. Not only do you have to prepare, but you need to prepare your home as well.
- Put together a disaster supply kit. You should have enough supplies for yourself and family for at least 3 days following a disaster.
- Consider special needs of children, seniors, and those disabled. Pets will also require attention and should be included in your plan.
Additional Information
Emergency Preparedness Checklist
Red Cross Disaster Preparation


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Americans United for Life (AUL) filed a brief today in Nebraska v. Health and Human Services, a case initiated by the state of Nebraska and six other states challenging the Obama Administration's "HHS Mandate," which requires that employers provide insurance coverage for all forms of FDA-approved "contraception," including life-ending drugs and devices classified as "emergency contraception."
AUL filed the brief on behalf of the Association of American Physicians & Surgeons and six other national medical organizations, using medical evidence to demonstrate that certain FDA-approved "contraceptives" actually kill an unborn child after fertilization. In fact, the "contraceptive" ella can kill an embryo after it has implanted (i.e., there is an established pregnancy).
So in effect, the Obama Administration is forcing employers not just to pay for "contraception," but to pay for abortion-inducing drugs.
The Nebraska case is one of at least 38 cases that have been filed across the nation, but the only case that has been filed on behalf of a group of states (Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas). Joining the states were several private plaintiffs, including non-profit organizations such as Catholic Social Services.
The states had explained to the lower court that because the mandate offends the beliefs of some religious organizations, those organizations may opt to cease providing health insurance coverage to their employees. For example, Catholic Social Services told the court that it will drop its plan if forced to provide coverage of life-ending drugs.
The states argued that this would cause an immediate and substantial increase in enrollment in state Medicaid programs, further burdening already strained programs and threatening budgetary stability. However, the lower court dismissed the case, claiming that the states did not have standing to sue.
In addition to demonstrating that "emergency contraception" can in fact end the life of an already developing human being, the AUL brief explains that neither the states nor the private plaintiffs in the case are protected by the Obama Administration's "safe harbor"—the one-year time period that Administration has given entities to come into compliance with the "contraceptive" mandate. In other words, employers have one year to abandon their religious beliefs and come into compliance with the Administration's draconian mandate.
AUL's brief, filed on behalf of the Association of American Physicians & Surgeons, American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Christian Medical Association, Catholic Medical Association, the National Catholic Bioethics Center, Physicians for Life, and National Association of Pro Life Nurses, is available here.