text:
A legacy of superior and innovative lens design and manufacture under the Cooke name that continued throughout the 20th century beginning with still portrait, telephoto and process lenses, through the development of acclaimed Cooke cine and television lenses, and continues today by Cooke Optics Limited, with award winning 35mm cine prime and zoom lenses.
Cutaway cross-section of Early Cooke lens of Cooke Triplet design offering critically fine definition right up to the margins of the photographic plates.
The Cooke Triplet
Dennis Taylor was understandably excited about his development, and on 7th September, 1893 wrote a letter to Taylor, Taylor & Hobson, enclosing a photo of York Minster taken with "a trial lens constructed on my new principle, having a equivalent focal length of 7 1/4 inches. The exposure was made on an Edward's Landscape Plate (Slow) and with a stop equal to F/7.7 (by careful measurement)."
He goes on to say: "You will see that the Minster wants a decidedly wide angle to get it all in, consequently I had to raise the rising front by 1 1/2 inches so that the lens is tried more severely than if used centrally opposite a 7 1/2 x 5 plate which size it is manufactured for. On submitting this print (or rather the negative) to an experienced amateur photographer, after looking carefully at it and without my asking, he said that if he had been using a 7 1/4 Ross Portable Symmetrical or other lens of such type, he would not expect to get so good a result without having to stop down to F/32, a conclusion which I had myself independently arrived at."
Having no desire to enter the photographic lens business, T. Cooke & Sons offered the manufacturing rights to Taylor, Taylor & Hobson of Leicester, optical instrument makers who had a reputation for producing quality optical products since 1886 when William Taylor founded the company in Leicester with his brother, Thomas Smithies Taylor. William Taylor's philosophy: "Don't do what everyone else can do; go out for something new," coined in 1886 holds true at Cooke Optics today.
The first Cooke photographic lens was made by TT&H in 1894 based on Dennis Taylor's Cooke Triplet patent of 1893. (There is no familial relationship amongst Dennis Taylor and brothers William and Thomas.). TT&H went on to produce subsequent lens designs by Dennis Taylor through Series V. The licensing agreement stated that the lenses would be sold under the trade name "Cooke". The very first lenses made were brass and included the inscription "H.D. Taylor's patents."
In 1895, the Cooke lens was awarded the only medal of the "Royal Photographic Society given for improvements in lenses within recent times."
The TT&H Cooke lens catalog of 1897 states:
"Lack of sharp definition at the margins, and blackness and lack of detail in the shadows, are among the commonest defects of photographs. The introduction of lenses which, without the use of stops, yield definition uniformly fine throughout their plates, marks quite a new era in photography."
Today, triplets of various kinds are used almost universally for lenses of intermediate aperture sold on smaller still cameras.
This was the beginning of a legacy of superior and innovative lens design and manufacture under the Cooke name that continued throughout the 20th century beginning with still portrait, telephoto and process lenses, through the development of acclaimed Cooke cine and television lenses, and continues today by Cooke Optics Limited, with award-winning 35mm cine prime and zoom lenses.
A photo of the ship Endurance, lodged fast in ice, from the 1921 Cooke lens product catalog. The photo was enclosed with a letter from Sir Ernest Shackleton.
Shackleton Expedition
Their ability to withstand extreme climatic and atmospheric conditions made Cooke lenses the choice for many expeditions beginning with the famous Shackleton Antarctic Expedition.
The expedition's official photographer, Frank Hurley, chose a Graflex camera fitted with a Cooke 12 inch f 3.5 lens and 6 3/4 x 8 1/2 inch and 4 3/4 x 6 1/2 inch glass negatives to capture the day-to-day life endured by the men, according to one source. The Cooke Series VIII lens was used on both Shackleton Polar Expeditions "for long distance views in the Antarctic," according to a 1920's Cooke lens catalog.
When the expedition's ship, The Endurance, became lodged in ice, Mr. Hurley was forced to leave most of the photographic plates behind, which ultimately sank with the ship. The plates he chose to salvage reflect a stunningly crisp account of hardship, leadership and comradeship that have been beautifully developed and exhibited at museums in the U.S., including the Museum of Natural History in New York City and the Field Museum in Chicago as well as in the U.K. at the Fox Talbot Museum.
Alfred Steiglitz' Eastman View 2D Camera (c. 1921) mounted with his Taylor, Taylor & Hobson RVP lens (c. 1890). Photo courtesy of George Eastman House, Rochester New York.
Early Cooke Series II, f/4.5 Portrait Lens.
Cooke Portrait/Soft-Focus Lenses
Clarence White and Alfred Stieglitz, master impressionist photographers, among others, used a Taylor, Taylor & Hobson lens known as "The Rapid View" or "Portrait Lens" (brass lens engraved "R.V.P.") produced by TT&H in the late 1880s. By 1913, because of the influence of these acclaimed photographers, the company received numerous requests for the RVP lens that predated the sharp Cooke Anastigmat. In response to an avalanche of requests, they reproduced the single lens RVP as the "Cooke Achromatic Portrait Lens f/7.5" (as engraved) in four focal lengths: 10.5 inch for 4x5, 12 inch for 5x8, 15 inch for 6.5x8.5 and 18 inch for the 8x10 format. The "new" versions of these lenses included an iris diaphragm.
A Cooke lens catalog of 1913 notes, "Whoever expects sharp definition will be disappointed, but the photographer who desires softness and roundness coupled with fine modeling and a true perspective will be both astonished and delighted."
Subsequently, a series of Cooke Portrait lenses were produced called "Portrics", "Portrellics", and "Portronics", though none were engraved with those names. Instead, they were engraved with their respective series numbers: Series II, f/4.5 (the most popular of the Cooke Portrait lens series which later prompted Series IIB, IIC, IID, and IIE ), Series IIA, f/3.5, and Series VI, f/5.6.
These early soft-focus lenses were sharp anastigmats that employed a diffusion adjustment allowing the photographer to distribute any degree of softness evenly throughout the plate. The most refined way to use these variably-soft lenses is to set the diffusion adjustment first, to give the amount of softness desired over the image, then afterward focus on the part of the subject you want to appear sharpest.
The Lusitania
During World War I, British ocean liner Lusitania was torpedoed by the Germans and sank 7 May, 1915, killing more than 1,100 civilian passengers and crew. In 1936, "one of the best British super-speed lenses, one of the world-famous series of Cooke Lenses were selected for the exacting work of obtaining motion pictures from the deck of the sunken Lusitania" which still rests today under 295 feet of water near the coast of Ireland.
In 1924, the Cooke Aviar lens for general photography appeared in the company's catalog as the Cooke Series II f/4.5 in 8 focal lengths ranging in price from £6 to £30.
The Aviar Lens
The Royal Air Force adopted the Cooke Aviar Lens in 1916 as the best aerial lens obtainable.
With the onset of World War I, there arose an urgent demand for aerial reconnaissance lenses. At first, the need was satisfied by the British government purchasing German lenses from the public. Then Arthur Warmisham designed a new Cooke lens (British patent no.113590) that was accepted as superior in performance to foreign lenses.
From the Cooke lens catalog of 1921:
Mr. John H. Gear, F.R.P.S., when President of the R.P.S. [Royal Photographic Society], in 1916, made the following statement in his opening address about the comparative test that was made: -- "I may say that plates were exposed simultaneously at an altitude of several thousand feet with a Zeiss and the new Cooke lens, of equal foci, the latter now known as the 'Aviar': the plates received identical exposures and development. I was subsequently asked to give an opinion upon the quality of the lenses used in making the negatives, not knowing what lenses had been used. Very little examination was necessary before I unhesitatingly selected one negative as being superior to the other—that one was made with the British Lens." The Leicester firm deserves the congratulations of British photographers and the public, for having removed the stigma from British Science and Manufacture that English Lenses were inferior to German, especially at a time when there are war difficulties and shortage of suitable optical glass.
Their majesties toured the factory and were introduced to some senior staff and long serving employees. The Leicester Mercury newspaper reported that their majesties displayed great interest in both the technical and human sides of the work with several of the royal party commenting that they had never before seen work of such interest.
The Aviar lens was then adapted for general photography in 1924, becoming one of the most favoured of all high-grade anastigmats among both amateurs and professionals. It was produced in various focal lengths until about 1962.
The Cooke Speed Panchro lenses were a development of the Cooke Series O lens (shown here from a 1926 product catalog). The Series O lenses were the first to be designed with an aperture of f/2.0.
Cooke Speed Panchro
Horace W. Lee designed the Cooke Speed Panchro, a cine prime lens that chromatically enhanced an image when filming under restricted illumination. Developed several years before 'talkies' came into being, the advent of sound films created a great demand for faster lenses because arc lamps could no longer be used, making much existing equipment obsolete. Cooke Speed Panchros combined a relative aperture as wide as f2.0 with an angular field of view and definition previously impossible with much smaller apertures.
Before the Speed Panchro, Cooke Series VIIIB Telephoto Anstigmat, f 3.5 lenses "were used extensively at Hollywood for Cinematograph film production," according to an early Cooke lens catalog.
September 9, 1926, Kinematograph Weekly, The Observation Window column reports: "Over a hundred Taylor-Hobson Cooke lenses of various focal lengths are used by the photographic department of the Famous Players-Lasky studios. This interesting information is contained in a letter, copy of which has been forwarded by Taylor, Taylor and Hobson, Ltd. to the Bell and Howell Company of America from Frank E. Carbutt, Famous' director of photography. It is a concrete fact which emphasizes the world reputation of British-made lenses and their recognized superiority for all classes of photography. Mr. Carbutt adds that these lenses have, without, exception, given perfect satisfaction and that they have yet to find a poor Cooke lens."
The magnitude of The Famous Players-Lasky's use of Cooke lenses is vast considering the following: The Famous Players-Lasky dominated theatrical distribution through its ownership of production, distribution agencies and theatre holdings. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission investigated the company for restraint of trade. According to excerpted testimony from The New York Telegraph, April 24, 1923, "this combination of effort stifles competition, inasmuch as its competitors are unable to secure first run showings of their pictures. The complaint also charges that the corporation is the largest theatre owner in the world, and controls showings of the pictures through its ownership of Paramount Pictures, the distribution corporation." At the time, Paramount was releasing sometimes two features a week. Famous Players Lasky, through their various companies including Paramount and Artcraft produced all of the films starring Mary Pickford from 1913 to 1919.
Mount Everest
Cooke lenses were also used to document the Mt. Everest expeditions in 1922 and 1924. Captain John Noel, the expedition's photographer, used a Newman Sinclair camera, specially made by Mr. Newman, weighing 40 pounds. It's rigid frame construction was designed to hold 400 feet of 35mm film and a specially made 20 inch Cooke Series VIII f5.6 Telephoto lens. A Cooke product catalog of 1930 said that the lens "made a fine reputation when they were used for motion pictures of the climbers from a distance of two miles."
A letter to the company from Captain Noel in 1985 says that the highest station he reached at Everest was 23,000 feet and another was a rock ledge at 22,000 feet. He was able to get a "very clear view" of the signal sent to them at base camp number 3 "by Odell at No. 4 camp to tell us of the death of Mallory & Irvine, last seen ascending only 600 feet from the very top of Everest then hidden by the driving snow."
Twenty-nine years later, Tom Stobart, official filmmaker for John Hunt's Mt. Everest Expedition with Sir Edmund Hillary, achieved 35mm standards of quality while shooting "Conquest of Everest" entirely with 16mm Cooke lenses.
"For every branch of photography in all climates and conditions they are unrivalled." The nuances of the 1914 Shackleton expedition were captured so successfully by Captain Frank Hurley that Cooke lenses were chosen again for the 1922 expedition to the Antarctic. Frank Hurley (left) and Ernest Shackleton shown in ad photo above at Patience Camp.
On 26 April 1923 at Westminster Abbey, a Cooke lens captures the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of York (Prince Albert and Lady Elizabeth, now known as the Queen Mother).
Whilst there was no broadcast to the nation as with present day Royal weddings -- because authorities feared that "disrespectful people might hear it whilst sitting in public houses with their hats on" -- a Cooke lens captured the event, and the beautiful architecture of the Abbey in glorious detail.
The Duke and Duchess of York, 26 April 1923 on the balcony at Buckingham Palace, taken with a Cooke 20 inch Telephoto lens.
The Graflex Series C camera was "one of the most desirable Graflexes ever produced," according to Richard P. Paine in his book A Review of Graflex published 1981. That camera was supplied with a Cooke 6 1/2 inch, f 2.5 anastigmat for film size 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 , and was considered the "fastest lens ever built into a Graflex," according to Paine. The camera was made from 1926 to 1935.
The Cooke Series III, f 6.5 lens was made for the Auto Graflex (1906 to 1923), Auto Graflex Jr. (1906), Revolving Back Auto Graflex (1906 to 1908), 3A Graflex (1907 to 1926), and Press Graflex (1907-1923). The Cooke Series IIIa, f 6.5 fit the Revolving Back Auto Graflex (1909-1941). The Cooke Series IV, f 5.6 fit the Revolving Back Auto Graflex as well as the 1A Graflex (1909-1925) and Home Portrait Graflex (1912-1940). The Cooke Series II, f 4.5 fit the Telescopic Revolving Back Auto Graflex (1912-1914), the Speed Graphic "Top Handle" (1912-1927), Auto Graflex Junior (1914-1924), Telescopic Revolving Back Graflex (1915-1923), Revolving Back Graflex Junior (1915-1923) and Compact Graflex (1915-1925). The Cooke 11 inch, f 5.6 telescopic lens fit the Revolving Back Graflex Series B. The Cooke 158mm, f 3.5 fit the Revolving Back Graflex Series D (1928-1947).
May 28, 1926, From the British Journal of Photography - "Where Cooke Lenses Go – We are interested to learn that Taylor-Hobson Cooke lenses, fitted to Bell-Howell Eyemo cinematographic cameras, have been used with great success upon many recent expeditions to remote parts of the globe. Amongst them are included the Amundsen-Elsworth North Pole Expedition, the African and Mongolian Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History, the Third Asiatic Expedition, the Speejax Expedition, the Wilkins North Pole Expedition, the Alaskan Geological Survey of the United States Department of Interior, the Byrd Polar Expedition, the Smithsonian Chrysler Expedition to Africa and the Bering Sea Expedition. On May 9, Lt.-Commdr. Richard E. Byrd reached the North Pole by aeroplane and returned to Spitsbergen in 15 1/2 flying hours, and Capt. Amundsen's airship 'Norge' passed over the North Pole on Wednesday, May 12. Both these aerial expeditions carried Eyemo cameras fitted with Taylor-Hobson Cooke f/2.5 lenses."
By 1935 the Cooke Speed Panchros for cinematography were supplied in 8 focal lengths working at f/2.0: 24, 28, 32, 35, 40, 50, 75 and 108mm. They were designed to cover standard format 0.631 x 0.868 inch. (Brit. Pat. 377,537. U.S. Pat. 1,955,591 - 1931)
Cooke Speed Panchros
July 1930, from an article in The British Journal of Photography: "It deserves to be better realized in the photographic world to what extent Taylor-Hobson lenses have come into favour in the sound-film and silent-film studios in England and in Hollywood. The Cooke lenses of very large aperture have been establishing themselves increasingly in film production for several years past, and are now in use to an extent which is very gratifying to those knowing the merits of British products. In the same way Taylor-Hobson projection lenses have secured something like a monopoly among the 'super cinemas' in this country for projecting these same films. Frequenters of the movies may reckon therefore that most of the pictures which they see are both produced and projected by means of lenses made in the Leicester factories."
Virtually all Technicolor pictures were made with specially modified Cooke Speed Panchros until the early 1950s.
The year 1931 marked a further achievement. During the development of the Technicolor colour process, it became evident that the provision of a beam-splitting prism behind the objective in the Technicolor 3-strip camera made it impossible to use the wide angle objectives generally available at that time. The problem then, was to provide a lens of short focal length and wide relative aperture having the long back focal distance necessary to clear the prism whilst maintaining the high standard of definition expected from a Cooke lens.
Horace W. Lee's 1931 design (British patent 355.452) for the inverted telephoto lens did more than was demanded from it,: its unusually high correction for chromatic aberrations and remarkable vignetting characteristcis rendered it suitable for colour photography and contributed to the success of the Technicolor process.
"The most notable feature of these lenses, however, is the inclusion in the 30mm design of what might be called the inverse telephoto principle, whereby the back focal length is considerably longer than the equivalent focal length." (The Technicolor Process of Three-color Cinematography, by J.A. Ball, vice president and technical director, Technicolor Motion Picture Corp., Journal of Motion Picture Engineers, Vol. XXV, August 1935, No. 2, pp. 127-138.)
Walt Disney gained exclusive rights to the Technicolor technology for animation for the next three years, taking the opportunity to win two Academy Awards for short films: Flowers and Trees (1932) and The Three Little Pigs (1933).
Bell & Howell Cooke Varo Zoom Lens.
The First Zoom Lens for Cinematography
The first non-telescopic complex zoom lens for cinematography was the Bell & Howell Cooke Varo 40-120mm Lens (British patent 398,307, Arthur Warmisham) for 35mm format. The lens was manufactured and sold by Bell & Howell.
The lens came equipped with a special saddle that attached to a standard tripod plate. The saddle held the Varo lens and the camera ensuring correct alignment. The definition is critical at all parts of the zoom, at a standard much higher than previously attained with other contemporary zooms. The lens had adjustable stops and the focal length of the Varo lens was changed by rotating a crank.
George Noville, executive officer on board the S.S. Jacob Ruppert during Admiral Richard E. Byrd's second Antarctic Expedition 1933 to 1935, with a Bell & Howell Eyemo camera fitted with a Cooke lens. Photo taken November 1934.
Bell & Howell Eyemo Camera Lenses
In 1935, the Director of Photography of Metro-Goldwyn Mayer studios said, "All of our productions are made with the Taylor-Hobson Cooke Lenses at least 50% of our productions are made with Speed Panchros. I will try to name a few pictures that were made with Speed Panchros: Rasputin, Reunion in Vienna, Viva Villa, Going Hollywood, Riptide, Treasure Island . . . and others too numerous to mention. As I said before all of our productions are made with Cooke Lenses as this Studio is practically 100% Cooke equipped." (Quoted from a 1935 Cooke advert.)
The extremely successful Bell & Howell 35mm Eyemo cine camera was sold exclusively with Cooke lenses. Used by all major film studios, the camera was especially suited to stunt shots and a variety of special effects. Charlie Chaplain, Hal Roach, Cecil B. DeMille and others used Cooke lenses and Eyemo cameras exclusively.
"In the United States, Paramount, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Warner Bros. used Cooke Speed Panchros almost exclusively. Fox, R.K.O., United Artists, Columbia, Universal, and other studios were using them increasingly. In England, all film producers, including British Gaumont, British & Dominion, London Films, and British International Pictures, used these lenses. In other countries, Cooke Speed Panchros were used by the Russian motion picture trust, in Australia by Cinesound and Australian Films, and by leading studios in Austria, France, Italy, Germany, India, Japan, and South America." (Quoted from a 1938 Bell & Howell brochure.)
Later, the equipment was standard issue for World War II Camera operators.
Bell & Howell
The Series II Cooke Speed Panchros for cinematography were distributed exclusively through Bell & Howell in London and Chicago. The Series II lenses were developed for higher definition in wide screen presentations and to cover standard format 0.723 x 0.980 inches. By 1945 they came in focal lengths: 18, 25, 32, 40, 50 and 75mm. The 100mm, f/2.5 Deep Field Panchro was released in 1946.
The consumer market was also gaining momentum:
"George Eastman [of Eastman Kodak] told WT [William Taylor of Taylor, Taylor and Hobson] that 90 percent of the 16mm film used in America passed behind lenses made in Leicester." (The Life and Times of William Taylor, page 74. Written and privately published by Harry Dagnall.) This quote dates back to the early 1930s but George Eastman's statement proved true through at least the 1950s. The popular Bell & Howell Eyemo cameras used for newsgathering, documentaries and by the armed forces during World War II came supplied with Cooke lenses, as did the Bell & Howell 8mm Filmo camera for home movies.
Ansel Adams
In 1932, Horace W. Lee patented (British patent 376,044) the Cooke Series XV Triple Convertible, which provided three focal lengths, with each half comprising two cemented doublets. The components gave excellent performance throughout the various focal length combinations.
Ansel Adams, famous American landscape photographer, shot many of his most famous images using this lens, as documented in his book "Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs." He appeared on BBC-TV stating that he used a convertible lens for many of his photos, then said, almost as a throw-away line, "A Cooke of course." This lens was made between 1935 through about 1962. The Series XV lens is difficult to find on the used market today, but is still sought-after by 8x10 inch format photographers due to it exemplary performance.
Process Lenses
Cooke Process Lenses and Process Prisms helped expert cartographers and photographers provide the armed services with maps and charts of every description during World War II. Cooke process lenses were made from 1921 and were the first Apochromatic Process Lenses of British design. By 1947, three-quarters of the photo engravers in Great Britain and America were using them because of their uniformly keen definition.
By 1946, the Cooke name was associated with pioneering developments of large-aperture lenses for cinematography and television.
Pros and Amateurs
By 1955, nearly every 35mm film camera in use throughout the world was equipped with Cooke Panchro, Speed Panchro or Super Speed Panchro lenses.
In 1954, design began on the 18mm Series III Cooke Speed Panchro. Two years later, the new lens, of inverted telephoto construction, achieved an angular field of 80 degrees and f/1.7 while maintaining the modern standard of definition and resolution required for wide screen presentation. The other Speed Panchro to share the Series III distinction was the 25mm, again of reverse telephoto construction and also released in the mid-1950s.
Technicolor cameras were equipped with special Cooke Speed Panchro lenses. (See History page for the 1930s.)
In 1958, Bell & Howell 8mm and 16mm cameras were sold to the amateur photographer with Cookes of various names and focal lengths:
Bell & Howell Cameras c. 1958 sold with Cooke lenses:
8mm Sportster Tri-Lens Model 605C
8mm Sportster Duo Model 605B
16mm Autoload Model 603
16mm Autoload Turret Model 603T
8mm Cooke lenses c. 1958 for Bell & Howell cameras:
Pelotal 6.5mm, f/1.75
Trital 12.5mm, f/2.5
Taytal 12.5mm, f/1.7
Ivotal 12.5mm, f/1.4
Serital 0.5 inch, f/1.9
Serital 1 inch, f/1.9
Serital 1.5 inch f/1.9
Telekinic 2 inch, f/3.5
16mm Cooke lenses c. 1958 for Bell & Howell cameras:
Wide Angle 0.7 inch, f/2.5
Serital 1 inch, f/1.9
Ivotal 1 inch, f/1.4
Ivotal 2 inch, f1.4
Telekinic 1 inch, f2.0
Telekinic 1.8 inch, f/2.8
Telekinic 4 inch, f/4.0
Telekinic 6 inch, f/4.5
The "International Geophysical Years 1957-1958" were explorations within the South Polar Regions, also known as "Operation Deep Freeze". Special Cooke cine lenses were supplied to the British and American contingents that operated at –75 degrees F., capable of storage without damage at –100 degrees F.
Cooke Kinetal 16mm Prime Lenses
The Cooke Kinetal single focal length lenses were introduced in nine focal lengths. High precision, lightweight 16mm motion picture cameras were being produced during the 1950s offering the film industry an alternative to 35mm capture. Advances in the quality of film stocks and the cost savings compared to filming in 35mm made for an attractive alternative.
The Cooke Kinetal 16mm Prime Lenses were produced similar to those employed in 35mm cinematography: 9mm, 12.5mm, 17.5mm, 25mm, 37.5mm, 50mm - T2.0; 75mm and 100mm - T2.8; and, 150mm T4.0.
The Cinema Advances
Cooke Speed Panchros had gained a worldwide reputation for quality cine production. There was a range of unmounted optical units to choose from and mounted versions were supplied for almost any camera used in the motion picture industry.
In 1960, Director of Photography Russell Metty, ASC, used Cooke lenses with a Delrama anamorphic adapter to film "Spartacus" in Technirama. The 35mm negative was converted via Panavision printer lenses to a 70mm print.
The Cooke 100mm Deep Field Panchro was a six-element, four-component lens of extended Speed Panchro construction that corrected for all aberrations and was ideal for both colour and monochrome. Less
The lens was made with a sealed front focus unit and fixed front element that eliminated the risk of dirt and moisture being drawn into the lens and allowed for easy fitting of matte boxes and filter holders onto the front. The lens was enhanced with anti-reflective wide-band Varomag high performance coatings. This advanced technology achieved new standards in shadowed area definition, light transmission and durability, in addition to giving ghost and flare-free characteristics.
Gordon H. Cook received the 1988 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Gordon E. Sawyer Award for this and other technological advancements during his career as an optical designer.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom
In the 1980s, Cooke introduced Super 16mm and 35mm zoom lenses in different focal ranges:
Cooke Varokinetal (CVK) 9-50mm
The 16mm version of the Cooke 10.4-52mm lens, this lens was introduced in 1975.
Cooke Super Cine Varotal 25-250mm
With an aperture of f/2.8, it was ideal for special effects and was used to shoot the original Superman film in 1978, the year it was introduced.
Cooke Super 16 Varokinetal 10.4-52mm
This lens was first used by American cinematographer Curtis Clarke to film "The Draughtsman's Contract," the first technically and commercially successful Super 16 feature to be made. The CVP offered advancements in filming under difficult lighting conditions in 16mm and Super 16mm formats. It began production in 1983. The Cooke 20-60mm was the 35mm equivalent to this lens.
Cooke Varopanchro, 20-60mm, T3.1
Epitomised 35mm zoom lens design, with an optical performance comparable to the finest prime lenses. Introduced in 1981.
Cooke Varopanchro (CVP) 10-30mm, T1.6
The CVP offered advancements in filming under difficult lighting conditions in 16mm and Super 16mm formats. It began production in 1983. The Cooke 20-60mm was the 35mm equivalent to this lens.
Cooke Cine Varotal 25-250mm, Mark II, T3.9
Introduced in 1983.
Cooke Wide Angle Varotal, 14-70mm, T3.1
During the development stage in the mid-1980s, valuable input was received from various customers, which prompted the company to incorporate an innovative curved front cover glass, and a noise isolator. This lens was unique in the zoom series because it included a wide angle aspheric. It was launched in 1986.
In 1988 Cooke lens designer, Gordon H. Cook, received The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Gordon E. Sawyer Award "in recognition of technological contributions that brought credit to the film industry." It was the first time this Oscar category was awarded to someone outside the United States and is the highest accolade bestowed on an individual by the Academy for technical contributions to the film industry.
Gordon Cook designed cine and television lenses during the 1960s; most notably zooms that would meet the exacting requirements of the most discriminating cinematographer.
Feature films produced in the 1980s using Cooke lenses include Superman II, Star Wars, Ghandi, and Apocalypse Now.
Cooke Varotal 18-100mm
Design was initiated at the beginning of 1987 and the lens was exhibited for the first time at Photokina in 1988. It included refinements indicated by intensive market research into operator requirements.
Cooke Cinetal 25-250mm, Mark III, T3.7
Introduced in 1992.
Cooke S4 Primes
Cooke lenses were designed and made substantially by hand in Leicester, England since 1893. Taylor-Hobson currently manufactures fine metrology instrumentation, while the legacy of innovation and quality optical design established and developed by the Taylor brothers at Taylor, Taylor and Hobson continues today under separate ownership at Cooke Optics Limited.
Cooke became an independent company in July 1998.
In 1998, designs were completed and production began on the Cooke S4 Prime, T2.0 lenses. In 1998, the S4s won a Cinec Award in Germany. In 1999 the mechanical designers and optical designer of the S4 lenses earned a Technical Academy Award for mechanical and optical excellence, and in 2000 were awarded a Technical Emmy from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Lord Richard Attenborough officially dedicated Cooke Optics' new 20,000 square foot facility in Leicester in February 2000.
Cooke S4 35mm prime lenses
Cooke Portrait PS945 Lens for Large Format Photography.
Photo by Clive Russ.
Cooke Series XVa Triple Convertible Lens for 8x10 large format photography. Photo by Richard West
Cooke CXX 15-40mm Zoom Lens
Cooke S4/i Prime Lens and lens circuit board.
Cooke S4k Super16 Prime Lenses
Panchro by Cooke.
miniS4/i, focal lengths: 18, 25, 32, 50, 65, 75, 100 and 135mm
Cooke 5/i T1.4 Prime Lens
In 2000, Cooke Optics Limited won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Development for the Cooke S4 35mm Prime lenses.
In 2001, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, awarded Cooke two Queen's Awards; one for Enterprise - International Trade and one for Innovation. The Export Times and Trade Partners presented Cooke with their 2001 Exporter of Year award and 2001 Product Innovation award.
In 2002, the first Cooke lens made for large format photography in 50 years is designed and made in Leicester. The new Cooke Portrait PS945 lens for 4x5 format photography is a modern reproduction of the vintage Pinkham & Smith Company's Visual Quality Series IV lens. The first lens of its type is a 229mm, f/4.5. serial no. 0001 is auctioned at Christie's in South Kensington, London on July 16, 2002 to the highest bidder for 3500 GBP. One hundred lenses were made during the first production run. In 2009, Cooke Optics began a second production run.
In 2003, Cooke launched the Cooke Series XVa Triple Convertible lens for 8x10 large format photography. This was a modern redesign of the classic Cooke Series XV Triple Convertible from the 1940s, a lens that became popular with Group f/64 members, like Ansel Adams and Edward Weston, for capturing sharp, "straight" images. The original Series XV maintained its popularity into the 21st century amongst collectors and photographers. Cooke's modern redesign of the classic Series XV maintained the original three focal lengths and format of the original XV while adding a new feature: combine two lens sets for five possible focal length combinations. In 2009, Cooke began a second production run.
In 2004, Cooke introduced the Cooke CXX 15-40mm Zoom Lens. The Cooke S4/i 15-40mm CXX zoom lens offers attributes beyond great optical and mechanical performance for 35mm/Super 35mm formats. Cooke's new Variable Vignetting Stop allows the high speed CXX lens to maintain T2.0 and high resolution throughout the zoom range. This innovative mechanism adjusts automatically. The benefit to you: no ramping and no flare. T2, of course. Light and comparable in size to a Cooke S4/i prime telephoto lens. And like our S4/i telephoto lenses, the CXX zoom offers an extraordinary close focus: Under 7 inches from the front element. And like the Cooke S4/i Primes - no breathing.
In February 2005, Cooke developed /i Technology and began incorporating the digital protocol into every S4 Prime lens made from that date. Cooke's /i "Intelligent" Technology enables both film and digital cameras to automatically record key lens and camera data for every film frame, which can then be provided digitally to post-production teams to streamline processes and save time and cost.
In 2007, Cooke introduced Cooke SK4 Prime lenses for 16mm/Super16. The 6, 9.5 and 12mm wide angle T2.0 lenses were designed as an adjunct to the S4 range of 35mm lenses for shooting in 16mm/Super16.
In 2009, at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Panchro/i by Cooke 35mm lenses were announced. These T2.8 prime lenses were designed to provide a smaller, lighter weight and lower cost option for professional film makers without compromising optical quality. Offered in eight focal lengths, 18, 25, 32, 50, 65, 75, 100 and 135mm. All lenses are /i Techology equipped.
Originally introduced as the Panchro/i by Cooke, the lenses were re-branded in 2012 as miniS4/i to put to rest the confusion in the minds of film makers and others between the original Panchro lenses (Speed Panchros, etc.) of the 1920's thru 1960's and this newer, more modern design.
In September 2009, at IBC in Amsterdam, Cooke announced the 5/i T1.4 Prime lenses in focal lengths 18, 25, 32, 40, 50, 65, 75, 100 and 135mm. For the 5/i, Cooke's designers developed and incorporated a novel illuminated focus scale ring into its fastest lens designed to date. All lenses are /i Technology equipped.
Cooke honored at 85th Academy Awards
Cooke Anamorphic/i T2.3 Prime Lens
Cooke Metrology Lens Projector
Cooke Anamorphic/i 35-140mm Zoom Lens
Cooke Panchro/i Classic 152mm Prime Lens
Cooke S7/i Full Frame Plus Prime Lens
On February 9, 2013, Cooke was honored at the 85th Academy Awards "For their continuing innovation in the design, development and manufacture of advanced camera lenses that have helped define the look of motion pictures over the last century". Cooke Optics was this year's only recipient of an Oscar® statuette at the ceremony which took place at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Los Angeles.
In April at NAB2013, Cooke announced the Anamorphic/i T2.3 Prime Lenses in focal lengths 25, 32, 40, 50, (65mm MACRO 2015), 75, 100 and 135mm, (180mm and 300mm 2016). These are a brand new design, and true, front anamorphic lenses. All are equipped with /i Squared Technology -- the next generation of /i Technology.
Also in April, at NAB2013, Cooke introduced the Metrology Lens Projector. The new Cooke lens test projector has the highest light output of any lens projector available to date, allowing the user to analyze and adjust even the fastest high speed lenses, with light so bright it be demonstrated in daylight.
April 2016, Cooke presented the Anamorphic/i 35-140mm zoom lens and announced the Anamorphic/i 45-405mm zoom. True front anamorphic zoom lenses.
A specially manufactured set of anamorphic prime lenses, called Anamorphic/i SF, for "Special Flair," were first introduced Spring 2016 at NAB 2016 in Las Vegas. The lens range is complementary to the Anamorphic/i series, but with a coating that gives cinematographers even more options for anamorphic character.
In response to the ongoing high demand for Cooke Optics' vintage Speed Panchro lenses made from the 1920s to the 1960s, Cooke introduced this modern redesign of the legendary Speed Panchro in September 2016 at IBC in Amsterdam. The look and feel of the original Speed Panchros is intact using state-of-the-art glass, coatings and mechanics and like all modern Cooke lenses, is fitted with /i Technology capability for metadata capture.
The Cooke S7/i Full Frame Plus prime lens range was launched at NAB 2017 in Las Vegas. This all new lens design covers the emergent full frame cinema camera sensors.
This 10x zoom was first introduced in April 2017 at NAB in Las Vegas. Less


text:
12-year-old me and present-day me probably would not agree on all that much. He desperately loved Cinnamon Toast Crunch and the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and wearing extremely puffy pants with your best silk print shirt, whereas I do not. And I might not have been able to convince him of the benefits of getting massively stoned and listening to King Tubby. On the other hand, we would certainly agree on one simple fact: dunks are awesome. He was partial to MJ's pivoting, hand-on-the-floor throwdown over Patrick Ewing, while I might counter with Blake Griffin's spinning, open-floor crushing of Danilo Gallinari. But on the basics, we would agree.
Given that knowledge, what exactly is wrong with the dunk contest? We might as well expand the question and ask ourselves what, for a basketball lover, felt so desultory about all of All-Star Saturday night. Because their bodies are so sleek and coordinated and powerful and because they have such mastery of the skills inherent to the game, when they play against air, their actions appear so effortless as to be pretty much vacuumed of all drama. Without competition, there's no struggle; without a struggle to magnify and draw out the full measure of those incredible skills, there's nothing to see. Even the three-point contest–which I normally find pretty engrossing simply for the rhythmic, hypnotic sight of the ball going through the net over and over–underwhelmed. Kevin Love is a fine shooter and all, and I'm crazy about the guy as a player, but the fact that he won tells you all that you need to know about the quality of this year's competition.
And although its certainly impressive to know that Chase Budinger can jump over a famous hip-hop producer or that Jeremy Evans can dunk two balls at once, that same purposelessness applies to the dunk contest. The best dunks emerge suddenly, out of ordinary time, injecting very small moments with a revitalizing shock, a vibration that expands and extends those moments in our consciousness. The dunk contest lacks both the oppositional force (Jordan shredding that double-team, Ewing rising to contest) and the suddenness of of those great in-game dunks. We know exactly what to expect and the dunks themselves–black lights and glow-in-the-dark strips and motorcycles and capes and head-mounted video cameras and cupcakes notwithstanding–do very little to exceed those expectations.
So what could we do to fix this? Well, we could try getting Kenny Smith to ask a thorzine-mouthed, wasted-on-himself P. Diddy about his new projects. We could get Kevin Hart to dress up like a mailman. We could thrill the nation with a Cedric Ceballos cameo. We could get Flo-Rida to karaoke their second-best song. We could ask Big Shaq and Chuck and Reggie to convene an on-mic, cigar aficionado frat party. Oh I know, since the problem with previous dunk-contests was clearly that they were improperly judged, we could just start our own little social media revolution and allow the 99% (over three million people, we're told, chiming in via text or the Twitter) to vote for the winner…aaaaand those three million people could promptly select the gangly
Evans who, if you ask me, was no better than third out of four. (The two best dunks of the night–again, if you're asking me–were Paul George's Larry Bird tribute and Derrick Williams' 360 off the side of the backboard, if for no other reason than the fact that Ricky Rubio was giggling throughout the entire thing.)
We could try all of those things and the sparse crowd could still greet the proceedings with an email-checking, hot dog-eating non-enthusiasm punctuated by a smattering of lukewarm applause and even the occasional boo (for Evans' first, decidedly unimpressive dunk). What was merely boring could now become overstimulating and occasionally cringe-inducing. I'm left now with the same feeling that always seems to descend on me during the aimless spectacularity of All-Star weekend: the desire to watch an actual NBA game.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
It is a love so overpowering and spontaneous that it revitalizes the man's spirit and encourages him to dream of a future, even though he knows that there can be no hope for long. Spanning a matter of hours, Across the River and into the Trees is tender and moving, yet tragic in the inexorable shadow of what must come.
©1950 Ernest Hemingway, 1978 Mary Hemingway. All rights reserved; (P)2006 Simon and Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.
"Gritti romance - Piazza San Marco to Harry?s Bar"
So much about what is essential to this closely post war work has become common-place - ironically largely due to the enormous influence exerted over 1950?s and 60?s popular culture by Hemingway.
The landscape of Venice is now very familiar, Harry?s Bar being a central tourist destination, Valpolicella is on the shelf at every supermarket, there?s an Italian restaurant seemingly on every corner of every town, Generals David Petraeus, Stanley McChrystal and Nick Parker chase each other back and forth across the Six O?Clock News...and, whilst once there was a Hemingway on every bookshelf of every house, the link with the 1954 Nobel Laureate is broken.
Where there is talk these days, it is of the other major works - and so dipping into this secondary tier of the oeuvre is an interesting and well worth while excursion.
Lots to enjoy - and plenty to reflect on. Nothing more striking than the role of the Hero-Colonel and the siting of this mucho macho romance over the table top and across the counterpane of the 51 year old Hemingway?s liaison with the 19 year old Adriana Ivancich.
"Extremely listenable"
One of the things that I am most grateful to Audible for is introducing me to Hemingway. Like everything else of his this is sparsely written but magnificent and evocative. The economy of construction lends well to narration and the narrator is clear and interesing to listen to.
I started this book years ago and never finished it. I spotted it on Audible and thought this time I will get to hear what happens. Unfortunately I didn't. I am a huge fan of Hemingway but this book is awful. I have tried to listen to it 3 times and even though it is read really well and with passion, I have abandoned it once again. Get any of the other Hemingway books as they are brilliant, stay well clear of this one.
"Better than expected"
Contemporary critics did not care for Hemingway's "Across the River and Into the Trees." I enjoy Hemingway quite a bit and finally made my way to this novel. I found it to be a very touching story. The brief descriptions of leadership in war are both informative and heartbreaking. Highly recommended.
"across the river and into the trees"
I have enjoyed all of Hemmingway" books to date,(I have read several),but I'm beginning to worry that I can relate to all of his primary characters; and that does not feel all that "great". I would hope that I can cultivate a more encouraging outlook/perspective to my second 50 years.
"narrator lifts the novel"
Boyd Gaines gives an exquisite reading of one of Hemingway's more modest novels. In fact, it is read so well that in the audio version, the book exceeds its written impact. Boyd understands this novel so well, he gives me a newer insight into an old novel once only read.
This is the magic of audiobooks.
"A Bit of a let down."
I really couldnt follow this story. It seemed like Hemingway was not sure of himself when writing this one. For Whom the Bell Tolls was a work that left you wanting more but it was all I could do to drag my way through this one. To be fair I am not a great writer but I just didnt feel anything when listening to this verses For Whom the Bell Tolls where I felt the fear, anger, rage, passion, ect. All in all though it wasnt a waste of time.
Report Inappropriate Content
If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.


text:
Basics & Measurement Fundamentals
Refine the List
By Industry/Technology
By Type of Content
- Classroom Training (11)
- Webcast (1)
By Product Category
All Product Categories
- Calibration (1)
- Services
1-12 of 12
RF & Microwave Measurement Fundamentals
This 4-day class studies the principles of microwaves on transmission lines and power measurements, signal sources, mixers and modulation techniques, and the use of signal types in test applications.
Classroom Training
RF & Microwave Fundamentals Curriculum
An eight course curriculum that gives technicians basic understanding of Radio Frequency (RF) and Microwave (MW) measurements. Topics include the basics of connecting to power sources to frequency measurements. Offered at NHCTC.
Classroom Training
Fundamentals of CDMA
This 2-day course covers the CDMA technology - its advantages and limitations.
Classroom Training
RF and Microwave Fundamentals
This course provides an introductory training to refresh the RF & Microwave basic concepts and to discuss the measurement fundamentals at high frequencies.
Classroom Training
Logic Analysis Fundamentals for Computer Solutions
Learn how to configure and use the 16700 series of logic analysis tools to design and debug digital systems in this logic analysis fundamentals course.
Classroom Training
RF Measurement Basics
Obtain a solid background in basic radio frequency (RF) transmission theory and concepts.
Classroom Training
Transmission Line Fundamentals
Accelerated Education Curriculum:Understand the need for transmission line
Classroom Training
RF Design Fundamentals
This two-day course will provide the student with a firm grounding in the fundamental principles of RF engineering.
Classroom Training
Accuracy matters: Calibration Options for Lab Standards Webcast
Original broadcast May 19, 2016
Wireless LAN Technology Fundamentals
Learn the applications, standards, and implementation of Wireless LAN. Includes IEEE 802.11a and b, physical and MAC layers, and interoperability issues.
Classroom Training
Bluetooth Technology Fundamentals
This 1-day course covers the applications for this new technology, the structure of the Bluetooth system architecture and the setup of so called short-range ad hoc networks will be introduced.
Classroom Training
Digitizing Oscilloscope Fundamentals
This class gives the student an in-depth understanding of the operation and measurement techniques with an Infiniium oscilloscope.
Classroom Training


text:
Discussion in 'Tennis Tips/Instruction' started by Bubbagumptennis, Jan 10, 2013.
Just wondering... to me it seems pointless but I've seen older players do it
Helps totally.
Don't you hit your groundies after a bounce?
You can adjust height of ball and how hard you swing, the way you swing, and your positioning with drop feeds.
Is it truly necessary? Nope. But neither is tennis.
It is for those who cannot feed. I used to be one of them, especially on a cold start rushing back from work on a cold windy day. My arm would not listen to me. Then I changed something and don't have that issue any more.
Feeding balls well is more difficult than playing, you should realize.
Here's what I've observed.
The guys who hit the first feed on a fly usually hit it high up in the air, not caring if the other person get's a good first feed. Pros can do this, because their practice partners can handle any ball and smack it back.
Most of us can't, so a good feed to the forehand side, hip high, is important to have. We're not trying to win the point on the first feed ball.
If you're starting a rally, drop feeds are usually more controlled than out of the air feeds, unless you can do underhands like many of the pros do.
Repeated drop hits can help practice groundstrokes that create pace.
Starting rallys I don't.
Practicing groundstroke drills...drop feeding is great (especially when you don't have a practice partner).
I honestly think every player needs to know how to properly feed the ball. It may not be a stroke you use in a match, but you can't begin to have a good rally if you start with a horrendous feed.
What I still cannot do well is the overhead-lob repetition in warmups. Mostly off the backhand side; balls just land too short. Or it could be that people don't realize the intent is to get the overhead BACK, instead of smacking it away.
Exact same problem here. It always ends up over the baseline or on my own service line...
I really like self-feeding a bucket of balls to warm up solo before playing serious tennis with a partner. You can really focus on technique things you might be working, focus on hitting relaxed, focus on watching the ball into the strings, hitting lines, holding your racquet with a loose grip, etc. Good for breaking bad habits. Compared to hitting live balls you need to open your racquet face a little off dropped balls, so you might sky the first few your partner hits you after switching to a rally situation, but you can make that adjustment pretty quick without even thinking about it.
It helps most in getting the proper spacing that you usually get when you hit a groundstroke.
Before I figured it out I used to always have troubles drop hitting balls and it was because I'd drop the ball much closer to my body than I'd normally hit it.
Yeah, the overhead/lob combo is a function of cooperation between both players.
My old practice partners and I could do over 40 in a row, one of us losing interest by then. Lobs to just behind the service line, overheads nice and easy to the service line up the middle.
Simple and useful.
I always have seen in :
- strokes practice,
- movement patterns drills.
Also proves to your mind what angles you can hit, how high to hit how hard, and what depths to realistically go for.
Not pointless at all as others have already indicated. It is added groundstroke practice for you and it also gives your hitting partner a bit more rhythm -- it can be a little bit easier for them to split step at the appropriate time.
Andy Murray's last coach drop fed him balls. The process helps solidify muscle memory.
Separate names with a comma.


text:
Griffehpoo wrote:
Aphasia wrote:
Piercing or extra dmg on the shotgun?
In lieu of extra damage, I tend to take Smart Choke since it puts 50% more pellets on target and basically also increases the range by 50%. I always feel underwhelmed when I take extra damage since a lot of it is still whiffing around the enemy. I usually run Smart Choke and Shredder mod unless it's a particularly accurate shotgun to begin with. If I'm running the Wraith or Eviscerator, I usually take extra damage.
Or the Crusader. No reason to put a choke on a slug shotgun. Barrel and Shredder all the way for that on too.


text:
SJB's Ciliberti wins badminton title
Junior Gina Ciliberti of St. John the Baptist won her second straight CHSAA badminton singles championship Tuesday, posting a 6-0 record on the day on her home court.
Ciliberti went 12-0 at first singles for the second straight season and was named the CHSAA Player of the Year. She was the only player to go undefeated Tuesday.
"It took a lot of hard work, but I had a lot of fun this year," Ciliberti said. "This year was great for me individually, but we want to win the league championship next year. We have a lot of talent returning, so we'll be strong next season."
Ciliberti won her first match, 15-4, but had a bit of a scare in her next one against St. Anthony's Krista Zeigler. Ciliberti was leading 14-7 until Zeigler put together a run of five straight points to cut the lead to two, but Ciliberti was able to get the win, 15-12.
"She played very well and she came back," Ciliberti said of Zeigler. "I felt like that match was what I needed to get through the rest of the day."
No other opponent was able to get more than 10 points against Ciliberti.
"Gina had a great season," St. John the Baptist coach Len Krebs said. "I'm looking forward to having her as my top singles player again next year."
At second singles, Cyndle Rosado of Holy Trinity defeated Nally Ann Scaturro of Sacred Heart, 16-14, in a one-game playoff to win her first career singles championship. Both players finished the day with a 5-1 record, forcing them to play a tiebreaker.
"I haven't been a champion before, so this feels awesome," Rosado said. "I wanted to win this for my team because we haven't won anything. This means everything to me."
Rosado almost lost the match when Scaturro took a 14-11 lead, but she battled back with five straight points for the win.
"I just told myself I had to win this one, and then I had an adrenaline rush," Rosado said. "I refused to lose."
Caroline Kechejian of St. Anthony's and Alyssa Esposito of St. John the Baptist also finished with 5-1 records at third singles and played a tiebreaker. Kechejian won a hard-fought match, 15-12, to win the championship.


text: Hi Guys, Please help! I currently ride a Super Tenere and I have been considering moving from it to a 2012 990R, in fact I may do a test ride today. Living in the middle of New Mexico, we ride several hundred of miles of slab to SW Colorado to the San Juans, and of course the Tenere or the 990 will handle that just fine, and I assume the 990 will be better on the high mountain passes in the rough stuff than the Tenere. My question is whether I should consider the 690R - how will it do on say a 400 mile day on the slab going to and coming home from Colorado. Will it do 80mph comfortably all day long? Thanks in advance for any and all inputs!


text:
Hubby is on his way to Alaska and I just returned from MO. We both recently purchased SPOT for our trips. Assuming it works as it's supposed to, it is a comfort to have along in case of trouble. But it's also a source of comfort for friends and family to know that we've arrived and all is well.
My one issue is that it does take a while for the notifications to be sent out once you press the button. There were a few occasions that were followed by phone calls asking if I've arrived. Apparently I was not holding the button long enough or not allowing enough time for the sattellite to read.


text:
I was prompted to update to latest version of ZAX 9.0.114.000 this evening. I noticed two things when up and running again -- (1) I had to shut down ZAX and restart it initially to get my internet to work (no issues now), and (2) the program control area has two items with full access granted across the board "Microsoft Windows Media Configuration Utility" and "Local Security Authority Process".
Are these two items supposed to have all items checked green to allow for full access? The first item "media config" is more concerning, but when I select to "ask" it warns me that ZAX does not recommend that setting. Is it okay to leave full access or is this a security concern?
Thanks in advance.
Windows Vista


text:
Tha last pairs event has concluded and the 8 teams qualified for the final are (in order of qualification) :
1 Ksenia STOLBOVA / Fedor KLIMOV RUS
2 Wenjing SUI / Cong HAN CHN
3 Xiaoyu YU / Yang JIN CHN
4 Narumi TAKAHASHI / Mervin TRAN JPN
5 Natasha PURICH / Raymond SCHULTZ CAN
6 Anna SILAEVA / Artur MINCHUK RUS
7 Ashley CAIN / Joshua REAGAN USA
8 Taylor STEELE / Robert SCHULTZ
1 Brittany JONES / Kurtis GASKELL CAN
2 Tatiana DANILOVA / Andrei NOVOSELOV RUS
3 Kylie DUARTE / Colin GRAFTON USA
I think is quite safe at this point to predict the podium. Sui&Han, Stolbova&Klimov and Takahashi&Tran have simply dominated the JGP and are head and shoulders above the rest, not surprisingly since all three teams are the reigning Junior World medallists.
Nice for both Schultz brothers to make the final, and a shame for Jones&Gaskell to barely miss it, since this is their last junior eligible season. I quite like them but hey if SuiHan make the Senior Final there's still hope for them.
Source :http://www.isuresults.com/events/jgp2010/jgpspairs.htm


text:
Introducing Levon Washington to Rays fans
AP file photo
Maybe I do not get it. Maybe I am missing the entire idea of the draft when you take a player who is rehabbing an injury in the First Round of the draft. And the funny part is that the Rays have known about the injury the entire time having had the kid here a few weeks ago with his parents to do some ground work on even considering him for the Rays. He has even told the University of Florida coaching staff that he is going to try and get signed as soon as possible so he can get right to playing for the Rays.
Oh, and did I mention he is a distant cousin to Rays former slugger Fred McGriff who was sitting at the Rays Draft table in Secaucus, New Jersey and probably was the one to telephone his relative and give him the great news. But there is some unusual things to go along with the announcement of Gainesville native Levon Washington as the first pick for the Rays in 2009. Did I mention he is coming off an shoulder injury? The kid does have a pedigree that puts him just inside the top 30 prospects in baseball according to Baseball America, but even with his athleticism and speed, there is a huge amount of danger involved signing him as damaged property.
He is rehabbing nicely right now, with a total prognosis for no sustained problems after the injury heals, but the thought is to get him signed and maybe used as a Designated Hitter in the Gulf Coast League for the rest of the year so he can be ready in February 2010 for a full season team. Really? Is that too soon, or is the injury maybe a slight smokescreen that kept some teams away from the guy before the Rays took him with the 30th pick. And even if they did get a steal at 30th, does he have Carl Crawford speed, or maybe more like Gabe Kapler speed.
These things are major considerations for the Rays to think about before signing Washington sometime this week. Oh, the kid is above eager to get down to the Trop and talk money and get into playing for the team, That is a great thing to hear, that a player wants to play for the Rays. For years it was more like a disappointment to even be considered by the team, but after 2008, players are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and wondering if they might be the key to the next emergence of the team towards the playoffs in the future.
Oh, did I forget to mention that MLB.com did not even have a scouting report on the kid to place under his name on the website right after his selection. But that is not the curious thing to me. That is the fact that MLB.com had him listed as an infielder, while ESPN.com had him listed as an outfielder when the listing hit the Internet about 8 :30 last night. Now that is fine if the team pulled the rug out from under a few teams and selected a kid that flew under the radar due to his injury, but even high schooler Todd Glaseman, who was picked in the third round with the 108th pick had a small scouting report on him listed at MLB.com.
Doug Finger / Gainesville Sun.com
Okay maybe I am a bit bitter that two great catching prospects were still on the board and the thought of an injured player being picked in the First Round sounded more like a Dewon Brazelton than Tim Beckham type pick. But the fact that R J Harrison is so psyched that this kid was still on the board might be a better indicator of his possible potential for the Rays. " There's a lot of things we like," scouting director R.J. Harrison said told the St. Petersburg Times. "First of all, he's a premium athlete and y'all that have been around here for a while know we like that kind of athlete. He fits right in with the kind of players that we've signed in the past. He's a well above average runner and we really like his bat. We think he's going to hit, and hit for a high average. … We saw an advanced young hitter."
Granted the Rays might have seen a pile of unclaimed gold at the bottom of the First Round, but could his rehab after tearing his labium and spending most of his high school senior season as a DH and not in the field been a deterrent to his high selection in this draft. "We didn't go into this blind," Harrison said. "It's just a matter of time, and getting him back to full strength. He's made good progress already on his rehab, and when he gets with us and gets with our people that will only make it that much better." Okay, I understand personally that Ron Porterfield and the Rays medical team are the best in the game, but did we have to take this kid in the money round?
But with that aside, he might not have been there at the 78th pick in the second round, so I am going to reserve 3/4 of my judgment on here right now and wish the guy a speedy recovery and hoping he does sign fast and furious so we can get him into the "Rays Way" as soon as possible. But why is it that Andrew Friedman, the Rays Vice President of Baseball Operations just learned of the six degrees of separation concerning McGriff on draft night? If we had done our so-called background and knew everything about the kid, we would have also seen the correlation of the McGriff family bloodlines.
Of course this made no matter to the Rays. They were not selecting him for his bloodline, which Friedman confessed he did not know about prior to Tuesday night pick. When the St. Petersburg Times asked Friedman about the six degrees of separation he stated, "I learned it on the way over here (to address the media)," Friedman said. "R.J. said he heard it the other day. Fred told him again when R.J. called him to tell him the pick. Certainly can't hurt and hopefully it can help us in the recruiting process." And this was a kid the scouting department has said the Rays have been watching for two years ( according to the Times).
They had even had him at their homefield to do a short impromptu workout and nothing about the Rays-Washington correlation relationship came to light. They talked with his parents, and they did not divulge the family ties. Come on here, you mean a proud parent did not boast about their kid to a scout, in their home MLB stadium. It is a miracle people! Even though the kid is eager to get signed and maybe even get into a Rays uniform as soon as possible there are two words that might hinder a quick and sure-fire signing for the kid. Does the name Scott Boras send chills down Friedman or Matt Silverman's spine right now. The kid is represented by the anti-christ of agents.
This is not to say that the client will not get a speedy and quick resolution to the situation. The client( Washington) is eager and anxious to get his professional career underway and has not hinted of going to even enroll at the University of Florida, even if he does have a scholarship waiting for him right now. He is not posturing for a prolonged stalemate, or even
giving out any negative vibes that you got when the Rays selected Delmon Young a few years ago. Hopefully everything will go peachy keen in Rays-land and we can get this kid to the GCL within a month or so to begin rehab and his playing career.
I am not against the Rays getting a bargain, or even a steal in the First Round by finding a talent that people are overlooking due to a circumstance like a shoulder injury. It is just the fact that it is like trying to roll a "7" and the odds are against the player most of the time. I hope he heals and becomes a great player for the Rays, but I am going into this First Round signing with a bit of hesitation people. I mentioned Dewon Brazleton before in this blog.
There was a guy who was a project pitcher from the get-go and did finally make it to the major leagues before finally falling from grace and out of baseball by 2008. The last place I saw Brazleton was at the 2008 Little League regionals in Gulfport, Florida helping to coach the All-Star team from Tennesse. Here was a guy selected by the Rays with the First Round with the third pick in 2001 Draft and he is now out of baseball looking in at the game.
That kind of puts the baseball draft into true perspective for me. Of the Rays First Round selections prior to Brazleton's pick, only Rocco Baldelli and Josh Hamilton are still playing baseball at the major league level. Paul Wilder, Jason Standridge, and Josh Presley ( third Round) are out of the game. Presley was selected in the third round after the Rays lost picks to compensation for the signings of Wilson Alvarez, Dave Martinez and closer Roberto Hernandez. Day One is over for the 2009 Draft, but the murmur and the hum still can be heard amongst the Rays fans as to the selection of Washington.
This is the first true draft that will have Friedman and the Rays new Scouting staff's fingerprints all over them. With their successes of the past, and their eye for detail, you have to take a "wait and see" premise right now with their first three selections. But there is a long way to still go here with the later round continuing today with more possible surprises in hand for the Rays and other teams in the MLB. Oh, and there are still a few great catching prospects out there guys……….just a short hint there.
10 Comments
I heard the analysts say that Washington has a lot of upside and that he's the exact type of player the Rays have built their team around: speed, athleticism, baseball knowledgeable. Injury or not, he was the best fit for them, right? I don't know. I think the whole televising of the draft was a bit pressed… but no one cares what I think. LOL.
It was so cool in 2008 when they did it in Orlando and the Rays fans went by bus to the event.
He does have some huge upside, it is just a sensitive situation with our history of draft dysfunction that makes it all so….boring.
The prime thing idea would have been good for a Monday or Thursday when most of the team were not playing.
Let's see……….Baseball game, or stay home and watch the Draft?
The answer was easy!
Rays Renegade
You're being so cagey, Renegade. What's the secret you're hinting at? Catching prospects? Do tell.
That is why I am not a member of the Rays scouting family.
I tend to look point blank at a definite weak spot and drill it in until it is either filled or I drive some one nuts……or both.
I think we are good in the outfield, infield and in the starting pitching department this draft season. But closing, catching and maybe a true hitter is something we can still find that will help the cause in the future.
But then, I am a dreamer.
Rays Renegade
I agree with Jeff, Washington sounds like the type of player who will fit in well with the Rays if he's healthy. It doesn't sound like the injury is serious, so it looks like a good pick. The Twins drafted a pitcher (Kyle Gibson) who's also battling an injury, but like Washington, will probably be a great pick if it isn't anything serious. The Rays have done really well in the draft as of late, and it sounds like they got a good haul even with the higher pick this year. -Erinhttp://plunking-gomez.mlblogs.com
It just might be a good pick, but ti will take a bit of time to sort it all out.
Gibson was another injured star going for gold yesterday, and his injury was a bit different, but I see your point.
I am just a bit biased this year wanting to re-stock the minor league system in a different direction I guess.
Rays Renegade
Something doesn't seem to add up here. Washington is injured, there wasn't a scouting report on him and people seem to be hush- hush about him? It does make you wonder why the Rays took him and why didn't more teams take catchers who were available? All teams seem to need quality catching!
I still do not believe that the Pirates jumped that hard for Sanchez, but he was the top catcher in the first round by far.
Ever since that one kid got hurt right before the Draft and needed Tommy John's surgery, the draft went away from the catching corps.
I think sometimes kids fall through the cracks, and maybe Washington did, but that is a minority, and not the majority in the draft.
Rays Renegade
I think you're on to something. Maybe you're right that the injury was played up to keep him "devalued" and available. But the whole McGriff connection seems strange. It's not exactly easy to break into the MLB and I would think even a 27th cousin, thrice removed, would be shouting their family ties from the mountain tops. That's the part that really sounds a little fishy. Interesting.
The kid is the second fastest person from the HS level to get selected in the draft.
That is not fishy. Speed is a welcome commodity in the MLB.
I know they have a mindset something, like the NFL to take the best athlete and not the best player available sometimes.
The McGriff six degrees of separation is an interesting sideshow to the fact that this kid might have severs shoulder problems in the future.
But the Rays medical staff gave their thumbs up, so I will trust their judgment.
I do not adhere to conspiracy theories at all.
It was just a side obsevation to a wild selection process and hopefully the kid will be here as long as Carl Crawford.
Rays Renegade


text:
The Basics
Houston Dynamo (6-14-5) at D.C. United (5-17-3)
6:30 p.m. CT
RFK Stadium, Washington D.C.
All-time record: Houston leads the all-time series 5-3-1
Game Guide: downloadable PDF
Broadcast info
KHOU 11.2 (6:15 p.m. pregame)
TV Informa (6 p.m. pregame)
SportsTalk 790 (5:45 p.m. pregame)
La Ranchera 850 (6 p.m. pregame)
Game Intro
If MLS operated under the promotion/relegation system, this match would be a classic – two last-place teams hoping to climb over one other to escape the bottom end of the standings. As it is, both of these proud clubs have had to turn their focus toward next season, and the final month of this campaign represents a proving ground for that process.
Both Houston and D.C. are also fresh off last-minute, gut-punch defeats that encapsulate many of their 2010 failings. Last weekend, United let the league-leading LA Galaxy off the hook as Landon Donovan scored two goals in the final 10 minutes to avert a massive upset at The Home Depot Center. The Dynamo, meanwhile, are still smarting from Wednesday night's wild affair in Kansas City, a match they led 3-1 at halftime but lost 4-3 after Josh Wolff scored the winner six minutes into injury time. That came on the heels of a stoppage-time loss at home to Toronto last Saturday.
D.C. United
United has been locked in the league basement for months, but there's been improvement in performances and morale since Ben Olsen took the reins as interim head coach. He and his players came within minutes of stunning the mighty Galaxy in LA last Saturday, only to be undone by the same hobgoblins that have dragged them down repeatedly this season: defensive gaffes and lack of composure at pivotal moments.
It is no surprise that situational awareness has been a major talking point in training this week.
"That's been something that we've struggled with all season long," said assistant coach Kris Kelderman this week. "I think that's pretty obvious. We felt very good about the performance, the effort from everybody for the first 80 minutes. Then we make some mental breakdowns which can't occur if you're going to win the game, especially against the top team in the league at their place."
Amazingly, the Black-and-Red are only five points behind Houston, and a win this weekend would help D.C. achieve its goal of escaping last place in the overall league standings by season's end.
Houston Dynamo
Long feared and respected for their consistency, tenacity, and ruggedness, the Dynamo have become very un-Dynamo lately. The two-time MLS Cup champions have surrendered 40 goals to date this season, second-most in the league, and nearly a quarter of those have been leaked in the final 15 minutes of their matches.
That sloppiness has played a major role in their slow fade to the bottom of the standings. This week, head coach Dominic Kinnear acknowledged the likelihood that his team will miss the playoffs for the first time since their move from San Jose in 2005 – or to go back even further, since the then-Earthquakes were shut out of the postseason in 2000.
Wednesday's collapse in Kansas City has acutely aggravated that disappointment.
"We still had an outside chance," said Kinnear afterwards. "I know we don't now."
Heroes & villains
Dominic Oduro & Cam Weaver vs. Dejan Jakovic & Julius James: With Brian Ching hampered by knee trouble, Kinnear paired Oduro's speed with Weaver's size up top against KC, and the combo tormented the Wizards defense early on. United's central defenders will have to shackle the duo if the home side is to win on Saturday.
Stat that makes you go "Hmm..."
United and the Dynamo lead the league in a lamentable category: goals allowed in the final 15 minutes.


text:
Grant Hill, who is originally from Mountain Home, moved here from Little Rock to take over the store. He said he's always been aware of the shop, and when he read in February that it was being sold he said it was sad that the city might be losing such an iconic place, but didn't put much thought into beyond that.
"I thought it was a shame that we were losing this oasis in the creative economy desert," Hill said. "But I kind of just tucked it away in the back of my mind after that."
After talking with family and friends in early September, Hill, who had been looking to leave his dad's software company and buy a bookstore, decided to contact then-owner Mary Gay Shipley about the status of TBIB.
"After talking it over, I immediately messaged Mary Gay on Facebook to ask if the store had sold," he said.
Things moved fairly quickly after that according to Hill, who said everything along the way seemed to "fall into place," solidifying TBIB as the right choice for him.
"I'm really lucky to step into a store in this position," Hill said. "It may not be in its golden era, but it's certainly not crashing to the ground. It's a nationally known store -- and Mary Gay was willing to stay on and help me out."
Hill may seem young -- just 22 years old -- but he brings with him a lifelong passion for books and a vision for TBIB, qualities Shipley said would be vital for whomever the new owner was. Hill started working with Shipley in mid-November before taking over as owner on Jan. 1, and brought with him a number of ideas for the store.
"I've got a moleskin (notebook) full of ideas, but one of my first goals was I wanted the store to be that 'third' place that you can just go that's not home or the office, and be around friends or co-workers," Hill said. "Already I have KIPP teachers that will come in here and get together and work on their lesson plans because they don't want to sit in their office and do it. That's what I want to see. So I've put out these tables and have taken the password off of the Wi-Fi so customers can access it, and I'm looking at bringing in coffee sometime in the near future. I want this to be a destination place for people."
Some of Hill's ideas for change do present certain challenges, such as broadening the store's customer base. Hill said he's still trying to find ways to make the store more inviting to new groups of people, particularly the young adult crowd. But finding that perfect balance between new and familiar customers hasn't been easy.
"One of the biggest challenges I'm grappling with is how to keep from alienating people from either side -- you know, how to keep from making it so much of a college-age place that the older demographic doesn't want to come here anymore, but also make sure it's not so stuffy it's not intriguing to a younger crowd," he said. "I'd like to see a new crowd of people start coming in, but I definitely don't want to run off any of our familiar faces."
Hill said he welcomes the challenges, though, and is excited about what's is happening with the store overall.
"There's definitely a lot of room for me to do what I want to do here, which is fantastic, and so far the community has been really receptive," he said.
While there are a host of other things he hopes to eventually accomplish, both short-term and long-term, Hill said for now just being surrounded by books is like living a dream-come-true.
"Being surrounded by books all day is ideal for me. Even when I wasn't working in a bookstore I spent all of my free time surrounded by books," Hill said. "I was always the kid in my group of friends that reads a lot, so yeah -- I'm loving it."


text:
Carefully Climbing on the Summit Ridge
|[ Sizes: Orig | Large | Med | Small | Thumb ]
Ski carefully ascended this knife ridge which had fresh powder snow on it. The moment was a little worry some, but was exciting at the same time. Taken October 15, 2011 on Eldorado Peak.
Rate This Image
Current Score: 99.55%
Log In To Vote
[ View 117 Votes | Post Comment ]
North Cascades (Area/Range)
Josh Lewis's Image Gallery
Eldorado Peak (Mountain/Rock)
Walking into a Winter Wonderland on Eldorado Peak (Trip Report)
PHOTO OF THE DAY (Album)
Photo of the Week (Album)
Simply Snow (Album)
Photo of the Day - Year 2011 (Album)
Winter Arrives on Eldorado Peak (Album)
Image Data
Image ID: 755302
Hits: 13312
Lat/Lon: 48.53780°N / 121.1331°W
Object Title: Carefully Climbing on the Summit Ridge
Image Type(s): Alpine Climbing


text: Obviously a lot of players choose not to play it due to the difficult nature of the tour including top plays like Fed and Muzza. I've heard a suggestion where the Davis cup becomes compressed into a single event much like the Rhyder Cup for golf or the World Table Tennis Championships and plays almost like a WTF for teams i.e. lots of sponsors, one venue which changes every half a decade or so, perhaps 2 or 3 weeks etc. Opinions?


text:
Hamilton is now one of Canada's leading industrial centres. Its iron and steel industry, which began in the mid 19th century, has grown to become Canada's largest, accounting for a major part of the national steel output. Other industries include the manufacture of railroad equipment, clothing, appliances, turbines, automotive parts, wire, nails, and candy. Health care, local government, and education are also important to the economy. The city is also a financial hub and the centre of an extensive fruit-growing district; it is the site of one of Canada's largest open-air markets.
Hamilton is well served with rail and freeway connections to Toronto (35 miles [55 km] northeast) and Buffalo, New York, U.S. (55 miles [88 km] southeast). Its excellent harbour, 12 square miles (31 square km) in area, is protected from Lake Ontario by a sandbar 4 miles (6 km) long. Cargoes include coal, grain, steel, and petroleum products. McMaster University (founded in Toronto in 1887 and moved to Hamilton in 1930), noted for nuclear research, is on the western edge of the city. Hamilton Place (1973) is an impressive performing arts centre. The Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum is in City Hall Plaza. Also in the vicinity are Dundurn Castle (1835; a 72-room mansion built for politician Sir Allan Napier MacNab), the Royal Botanical Gardens (1941), and Stoney Creek Battlefield Monument, the site of a decisive battle of the War of 1812. The Art Gallery of Hamilton is one of Canada's largest and finest collections of Canadian art. African Lion Safari houses some 1,000 animals roaming freely throughout a park setting. The Museum of Steam and Technology preserves the city's industrial heritage, and the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum displays military aircraft from World War II to the present. Inc. village, 1816; town, 1833; city, 1846. Area 431 square miles (1,117 square km). Pop. (19962006) city, 322504,352559; metropolitan area, 624,360; (2001) city, 490,268; metropolitan area, 662,401647,634.