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Saturday, 26 January 2008
Postcard of the Day No. 12 – Marseille, le Prophète
Paul Signac and Albert Marquet are two French artists who frequently returned to Marseille to record the port and harbour of France's gateway to the Mediterranean and its colonial possessions. My image of Marseille has been conditioned by Edward Burra's sharply focused vision of seedy waterfront bars with a louche air of romance and criminality. The sense of infinite possibilities in terms of travel and changing identity that great port cities offered was equally appealing to his sensibility. Given that Burra's trips to Marseille took place in 1927 and 1930, it must be conceded that this source is far from topical. To see an example, in this instance, painted along the coast in Toulon click here. Another English artist, Edward Wadsworth had made several visits to the city earlier in the Twenties where among other things he made a series of detailed drawings of the cast-iron signs displayed outside the city's brothels.
At the other end of the Modernist spectrum, Moholy-Nagy and Germaine Krull were visiting the city in the late Twenties to take advantage of the dizzy perspectives offered by the "Pont Transbordeur" to create photographic images of near-abstract geometry. Follow this link to view. I like to imagine Burra skulking on the shady side of the street in search of another bar or tabac while on the sunny side, Moholy-Nagy is collecting his freshly pressed boiler suit from the dry cleaner.
All this lay some 20 years in the future when today's postcard was written. The message that Violet wrote to her friend, Mrs. King in Gravesend, on February 12th 1910 was conventional enough but confirms the character of the city as transient. "Pleasant voyage.....rough weather....mutual friends in the East....went for a drive today round the place on this p.c." The image on the front shows a coast road leading to what appears to be a genteel suburb of villas with sea views. A tram enters the picture lower right and the only hint of the demi-monde is the enormous poster in the distance advertising absinthe (Oxygénée Cusenier).
Posted by Phil Beard at Saturday, January 26, 2008 No comments:
Labels: postcards marseille
Wednesday, 23 January 2008
le Bouillon KUB
The distinctive graphics of the Bouillon Kub package have inspired artists as various as Cappiello and Picasso. Not bad for a humble stock cube, introduced by Julius Maggi in Switzerland and sold all over Europe. The image of a brooding, disembodied bull's head in which a Bouillon Kub is superimposed over the left eye has become one of Leonetto Cappiello's (1931), best known poster designs (click here to view). In the pioneering days of Cubism, Picasso and Braque were greatly amused by the ubiquitous and prominent outdoor advertising for "le Kub" and extended the joke in 1912 by including references to the product in their paintings. The best example is the "Paysage aux affiches" where a bouillon Kub is captured in a cubist townscape mesh along with a Pernod bottle.
After so many decades, it is pleasing to discover that some remnants of this publicity blitz can still be glimpsed as they fade gracefully away and an example recorded recently in Vincennes can be seen by clicking here. There is also a book published in France under the title "Maggi et la magie du Bouillon Kub" which is a copiously illustrated cultural history of the Kub in all its manifestations. As an accumulator of advertising ephemera and packaging, it was a great joy to discover, not one, but two Bouillon Kub tins in a local antique market. So, here they are, flaunting themselves, on a kitchen dresser in our home.
Posted by Phil Beard at Wednesday, January 23, 2008 No comments:
Labels: advertising packaging
Saturday, 19 January 2008
le Métro aérien
Unlike London Underground, the Paris Métro has no inner circle line but it does operate two distinct lines (2 and 6) that between them form an outer circle. Line 2 (Nation – Porte Dauphine) and line 6 (Nation – Charles de Gaulle Étoile) create a loop around the city at the point where line 2 passes through Charles de Gaulle Étoile. Both lines have extensive sections where they run on elevated structures above the city streets giving rise to the designation, "métro aérien".
The elevated sections offer spectacular views of the city below especially where they fly across complex road intersections revealing dramatic plunging perspectives. The other attraction is the opportunity to intrude into the privacy of Parisians as your train sails past at 2nd or 3rd floor level. This inspired Richard Cobb (in his book, The Streets of Paris) to write about the "suggestive, tempting, if fleeting views of third- and fourth-floor interiors: bedrooms, kitchens, figures silhouetted at night against drawn blinds..."
Bande Dessinée artist and author, André Juillard makes frequent references to the "métro aérien" in his book, "Le Cahier Bleu" (1994) which tells the story of Louise, resident of boulevard de Grenelle who becomes the object of obsessive interest on the part of the voyeuristic Victor, a regular traveller on line 6, who spies on her from his train. It develops into a narrative about points of view. Juillard returned to this area in 2001 when he included a view of the Eiffel Tower from Bir-Hakeim in his homage to Henri Rivière, "Trente-six vues de la tour Eiffel".
The photographs here come from line 6 between La Motte-Picquet and Bir-Hakeim and from line 2 in the vicinity of Jaurès station where the rail tracks soar high above the Place de la Bataille de Stalingrad which itself is constructed above the Canal Saint-Martin. Both locations are dominated by the "métro aérien" which with its almost constant overhead movement greatly enhances the pulse of urban flux.
Posted by Phil Beard at Saturday, January 19, 2008 No comments:
Saturday, 12 January 2008
la Petite Ceinture
There still exists in the outer suburbs of Paris an orbital railway which last ran a regular passenger service in 1934. Originally conceived as a means of linking all the main line terminals in Paris, it evolved into an outer suburban orbital railway. With the development of the Métro in the early 1900's it quickly lost custom to the greater convenience the Métro offered. It continued in use for the movement of freight and it was still being used to convey carriages between Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon as late as the 1970's as part of through services between Calais and southern destinations. Richard Cobb wrote of his fascination with it in his book, "The Streets of Paris" (1980). The freight traffic dwindled away by the early 1990's and the line has been out of use ever since.
In Britain it would never have survived this long. The holders of purse strings and the auditocracy would long ago have insisted that the tracks be ripped up for their scrap value and that the 20 metre ribbon of land be sold off, on a piecemeal basis, to any developer with the ability to exploit the commercial potential. In defiance of Anglo-Saxon economic orthodoxy, the French continue to maintain the tracks, suppressing the incursion of weeds and keeping the ballast in good order while a long and intermittent debate continues as to future use. There is an association dedicated to campaigning for its preservation with a website that can be reached from here. Urban explorers with a passion for insinuating themselves into areas from which the public is excluded are frequent invaders of the undisturbed permanent way and their photographs can be seen on Flickr where they have formed their own group.
The tracks can be clearly seen in two of the city's best known parks, Buttes-Chaumont in the north east and Montsouris in the south west. Also shown here below, are two photos taken from rue Brancion (XVe.), one of which shows what appears to be an abandoned station, possibly Vaugirard-Ceinture, or a freight depot serving the Vaugirard abbatoir. There is much more to be discovered about this anachronistic survivor which is very much part of the vanished Paris (Paris disparu) celebrated by Richard Cobb in his always entertaining essays.
Posted by Phil Beard at Saturday, January 12, 2008 No comments:
Labels: paris transport
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
Le Grand Palais
The Grand Palais is a grandiloquent structure combining engineering ingenuity with the decorative excess of the Belle Époque constructed for the Universal Exhibition of 1900 on the site formerly occupied by the Palais de l'Industrie (built for the 1855 exhibition). It was used to display exhibitions of both fine and applied arts during the fair and retained for a variety of uses thereafter. This may be the reason that an enormous amount of expense and energy appears to have been devoted to the provision of vast flamboyant sculptures and elaborate external decoration. Essentially it's an iron and glass building that has been covered with classically decorated stonework up to the roof level to create an impression of monumental mass. The true glory is the interior where an immense glazed nave runs north and south of an enormous glazed central dome. These features are at present displayed to perfection thanks to many years of painstaking restoration, the final stages of which were concluded in 2007. The sheer scale of the nave and the visual rhythms created by the glazing bars are exhilarating. The painted and decoratively formed structural ironwork is equally impressive, enclosing the generous space with minimum effort. Further information on the restoration project can be found by following this link.
A team of architects was employed on the original building. Henri Deglane designed the main building and frontage, Louis Louvet designed the mid-section and Albert Thomas designed the back of the building on the Rue d'Antin (now Avenue Franklin D Roosevelt). Despite the efforts of a co-ordinating architect, Charles Girault (who also designed the Petit Palais opposite), there is an obvious lack of unity between the component parts. The nave has had a chequered history. In addition to hosting trade exhibitions and events, it served as a medical centre in the First World War and a truck depot in the Second World War. It sustained war damage from fire and explosives and the glazing was replaced with a solid roof. In 1993 the nave was closed to the public when a section of the roof fell to the ground and a programme of restoration was prepared. Over the following 12 years the entire foundations (formed of oak pilings) were replaced and the glazing was reinstated. Every element of the building was renewed and the nave reopened for business in late 2005.
Posted by Phil Beard at Tuesday, January 01, 2008 No comments:
Labels: architecture paris france
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Mass Effect is odd in that it is simultaneously an argument for and against the 360. Utilizing their northern devilry, BioWare managed to jam a ridiculous amount of content onto a single platter. They've realized their cinematic ambitions in a way that will deeply alter your expectations, and they've done so in real-time sequences that probably kept the game from ballooning to three or four standard DVDs like other RPGs on the system.
At the same time, Microsoft's dogged insistence that they retain a model without a Hard Disc has done the game a bad turn. It's an experience that either needs a full install option or a significant cache, and it's got neither. So you're stuck in these ridiculously long elevators, or loading just for fun as you run down a hall. It's happening all the time, and the product is worse for it. The elevator in the Normandy is especially bad: other elevators in the game are long, so you're trapped in a box, but it's a box that moves quickly. The one in the core of the ship moves a centimeter at a time, inching its way to the belly of a ship the way a basketball might travel through a python.
The Shepard seen in the strip there isn't mine, of course: my evenings (and, indeed, my heart) are now devoted to a certain Sci-Fi lady. Her name is so long and so dense that looks like it may be encrypted. That's really the sign of a good name, in my opinion: that it might be mistaken for a PGP key.
I think Monday is the last one in the series, the last serious one, and just after that you'll be knee deep in Space Opera and will likely be lost to the world. Put in some more time last night, largely just a-ramblin', receiving distress calls, rolling deep on toxic alien globes. It's very talky, but, well... I'm me. Of course I like that.
Rock Band's downloadable content "story" has been revealed, and it's better than I expected. The idea that some individual tracks might go up to three dollars is a little troubling, but I don't know how common that practice will be, or if it's designed to get certain high-profile or brand-new tracks into financial striking range. The rest of it is more than tolerable: singles from one to two dollars, and three-packs for five-fifty. The "expectation" I alluded to earlier was that they would offer a better product for the same price, i.e. adding the drum and vocal tracks essentially for free while competing dollar for dollar with the Guitar Hero content. Offering more for less was not really a scenario I entertained. There are a lot of winners on the release schedule as well: Metallica's "Blackened" has been my fantasy from the very beginning, but I never thought we'd actually get it. There are other tracks, other good ones, but once I saw Blackened the rest of the list devolved into gibberish.
Child's Play update coming later today. Here's a preview: you are awesome.
(CW)TB out.

subset: commoncrawl


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Options Trading Strategies: Buying Call Options
Buying a call option —or making a "long call" trade— is a simple and straightforward strategy for taking advantage of an upside move or trend. It is also probably the most basic and most popular of all option strategies. Once you purchase a call option (also called "establishing a long position"), you can:
• Sell it.
• Exercise your right to buy the stock at the strike price on or before expiration.
• Let it expire.
A call option gives you the right, but not the obligation, to buy the stock (or "call" it away from its owner) at the option's strike price for a set period of time (until your options will expire and are no longer valid).
Typically, the main reason for buying a call option is because you believe the underlying stock will appreciate before expiration to more than the strike price plus the premium you paid for the option. The goal is to be able to turn around and sell the call at a higher price than what you paid for it.
The maximum amount you can lose with a long call is the initial cost of the trade (the premium paid), plus commissions, but the upside potential is unlimited. However, because options are a wasting asset, time will work against you. So be sure to give yourself enough time to be right.
Options Trading Strategies: Buying Put Options
Investors occasionally want to capture profits on the down side, and buying put options is a great way to do so. This strategy allows you to capture profits from a down move the same way you capture money on calls from an up move. Many people also use this strategy for hedges on stocks they already own if they expect some short-term downside in the shares.
When you purchase a put option, it gives you the right (but, not the obligation) to sell (or "put" to someone else) a stock at the specified price for a set time period (when your options will expire and no longer be valid).
For many traders, buying puts on stocks they believe are headed lower can carry less risk than shorting the stock and can also provide greater liquidity and leverage. Many stocks that are expected to decline are heavily shorted. Because of this, it's difficult to borrow the shares (especially on a short-them basis).
On the other hand, buying a put is generally easier and doesn't require you to borrow anything. If the stock moves against you and heads higher, your loss is limited to the premium paid if you buy a put. If you're short the stock, your loss is potentially unlimited as the stock rallies. Gains for a put option are theoretically unlimited down to the zero mark if the underlying stock loses ground.
Options Trading Strategies: Covered Calls
Covered calls are often one of the first option strategies an investor will try when first getting started with options. Typically, investor will already own shares of the underlying stock and will sell an out-of-the-money call to collect premium. The investor collects a premium for selling the call and is protected (or "covered") in case the option is called away because the shares are available to be delivered if needed, without an additional cash outlay.
One main reason investors employ this strategy is to generate additional income on the position with the hope that the option expires worthless (i.e., does not become in-the-money by expiration). In this scenario, the investor keeps both the credit collected and the shares of the underlying. Another reason is to "lock in" some existing gains
The maximum potential gain for a covered call is the difference between the purchased stock price and the call strike price plus any credit collected for selling the call. The best-case scenario for a covered call is for the stock to finish right at the sold call strike. The maximum loss, should the stock experience a plunge all the way to zero, is the purchase price of the strike minus the call premium collected. Of course, if an investor saw his stock spiraling toward zero, he would probably opt to close the position long before this time.
Options Trading Strategies: Cash-Secured Puts
A cash-secured put strategy consists of a sold put option, typically one that is out-of-the-money (that is, the strike price is below the current stock price). The "cash-secured" part is a safety net for the investor and his broker, as enough cash is kept on hand to buy the shares in case of assignment.
Investors will often sell puts and secure them with cash when they have a moderately bullish outlook on a stock. Rather than buy the stock outright, they sell the put and collect a small premium while "waiting" for that stock to decline to a more palatable buy-in point.
If we exclude the possibility of acquiring the stock, the maximum profit is the premium collected for selling the put. The maximum loss is unlimited down to zero (which is why many brokers make you earmark cash for the purpose of buying the stock if it's "put" to you). Breakeven for a short put strategy is the strike price of the sold put less the premium paid.
Options Trading Strategies: Credit Spreads
Option spreads are another way relatively novice options traders can begin to explore this new family of derivatives. The most basic credit and debit spreads combine two puts or calls to yield a net credit (or debit) and create a strategy that offers both limited reward and limited risk. There are four types of basic spreads: credit spreads (bear call spreads and bull put spreads) and debit spreads (bull call spreads and bear put spreads). As their names imply, credit spreads are opened when the trader sells a spread and collects a credit; debit spreads are created when an investor buys a spread, paying a debit to do so.
In all of the types of spreads below, the options purchased/sold are on the same underlying security and in the same expiration month.
Bear Call Spreads
A bear call spread consists of one sold call and a further-from-the-money call that is purchased. Because the sold call is more expensive than the purchased, the trader collects an initial premium when the trade is executed and then hopes to keep some (if not all) of this credit when the options expire. A bear call spread may also be referred to as a short call spread or a vertical call credit spread.
The risk/reward profile of the strategy can vary depending on the "moneyness" of the options selected (whether they are already out-of-the-money when the trade is executed or in-the-money, requiring a sharper downside move in the underlying). Out-of-the-money options will naturally be cheaper, and therefore the initial credit collected will be smaller. Traders accept this smaller premium in exchange for lower risk, as out-of-the-money options are more likely to expire worthless.
Maximum loss, should the underlying stock be trading above the long call strike, is the difference in strike prices less the premium paid. For example, if a trader sells a $32.50 call and buys a $35 call, collecting a credit of 90 cents, the maximum loss on a move above $35 is $1.60. The maximum potential profit is limited to the credit collected if the stock is trading below the short call strike at expiration. Breakeven is the strike of the purchased put plus the net credit collected (in the above example, $35.90).
Bull Put Spreads
These are a moderately bullish to neutral strategy for which the seller collects premium, a credit, when opening the trade. Typically speaking, and depending on whether the spread traded is in-, at-, or out-of-the-money, a bull put spread seller wants the stock to hold its current level (or advance modestly). Because a credit is collected at the time of the trade's inception, the ideal scenario is for both puts to expire worthless. For this to happen, the stock must be trading above the higher strike price at expiration.
Unlike a more aggressive bullish play (such as a long call), gains are limited to the credit collected. But risk is also capped at a set amount, no matter what happens to the underlying stock. Maximum loss is just the difference in strike prices less the initial credit. Breakeven is the higher strike price less this credit.
While traders are not going to collect 300% returns through credit spreads, they can be one way for traders to steadily collect modest credits. This is especially true when volatility levels are high and options can be sold for a reasonable premium.
Options Trading Strategies: Debit Spreads
Bull Call Spreads
The bull call spread is a moderately bullish strategy for investors projecting modest upside (or at least no downside) in the underlying stock, ETF or index. The two-legged vertical spread combines the same number of long (purchased) closer-to-the-money calls and short (sold) farther-from-the-money calls. The investor pays a debit to open this type of spread.
The strategy is more conservative than a straight long call purchase, as the sold higher-strike call helps offset both the cost and the risk of the purchased lower-strike call.
A bull call spread's maximum risk is simply the debit paid at the time of the trade (plus commissions). The maximum loss is endured if the shares are trading below the long call strike, at which point, both options expire worthless. Maximum potential profit for a bull call spread is the difference between strike prices less the debit paid. Breakeven is the long strike plus the debit paid. Above this level, the spread begins to earn money.
Bear Put Spreads
Investors employ this options strategy by buying one put and simultaneously selling another lower-strike put, paying a debit for the transaction. An investor might use this strategy if he expects moderate downside in the underlying stock but wants to offset the cost of a long put.
Maximum loss — suffered if the underlying stock is trading above the long put strike at expiration — is limited to the debit paid. The maximum potential profit is capped at the difference between the sold and purchased strike prices less this premium (and is achieved if the underlying is trading south of the short put). Breakeven is the strike of the purchased put minus the net debit paid.
Okay, now you've learned the basics and may be itching to try your hand at virtual options trading. It's time to select a broker if you don't already have one.


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Yesterday was a get out of the office and onto the slopes day. I was able to accomplish a first for me – ski all three of the North Carolina High Country resorts in one day. This has been something I have wanted to do for a long time and a Friday the 13th seemed like a perfect day to test my luck.
I started the day at Appalachian Ski Mountain where I was among the group waiting for the slopes to open.
Good things come to those that wait – Appalachian Ski Mountain
Once we got to the top we were greeted with some untouched and fast corduroy. The conditions, for the most part, were packed powder and getting to the bottom was pretty effortlessly – just needed to turn your skis on edge and let it take its natural course.
The top of App
It was lovely, and the relatively small crowd meant no waiting at the bottom and clean sailing for your line of choice. The right side of Appal was particularly good (a trend that popped up throughout the day)! Around 10:00 or so the guns where shut down and Santa Claus is Coming to Town could be heard coming out of the speakers.
Silenced guns at App
Close to 11:00, I packed up and headed toward my next destination – Sugar. As I was leaving, App was starting some late morning grooming starting on Orchard run. On the way out of App and to Sugar I took Flattop to Payne Branch and then Winklers Creek. While On Winklers Creek these turkeys flew in front of and over my Jeep – more than one I believe scrapped along the top of the car as they "flew" over.
High Country Turkeys
I also saw a bunch of deer on the Hound Ears course but they were a little quicker than the turkeys so no pic – sorry.
My first run at Sugar was a little after 12:00, and it was not only my first run of the day at Sugar but my first trip to the top this season. The riding at Sugar was awesome. They had great coverage on the opens runs with a packed powder primary – again all you had to do was engage the edge and all was good.
Top of Sugar
Now just because all one really needed to do was to put your stick on its edge for a nice relaxing turn, this is not what I chose to do most of the time (to the detriment of my legs which we'll get to shortly). Sugar had such a good coating of snow that a number of the extra-curricular elements on the sides of the runs came into play. There was the nice rock drop at the top right of Northridge and the walls along the right side of both Northridge and Switchback were just too inviting to let go by.
Swithback at Sugar
Sugar was a great time and I was sorry to see it go, but I had one last stop to make so I departed Sugar at about 1:30 with sore legs. My first run at Beech was around 2:00 and I believe I hit it at around peek conditions. Beech still had the guns going and there was a good crowd.
A little crowd at Beech Mountain
I was spoiled a bit at App and Sugar with the nice packed powder (with loose powder along the sides) and was not disappointed when skis met snow at Beech. The main difference with Beech was that just below the packed powder primary was a tightly packed secondary – not to say icy, which often times goes hand in hand with Beech. It provided a grip for the edges that I had not experienced at the other two mountains and did require a bit more oomph and want in the turns. This is where the tired legs from Sugar really hit home.
The top at Beech
Taking the high speed quad to the top gave you the choice of Robin's Run or Shawneehaw as your avenue down. For the first run I chose Robin's Run, mainly because no one else was really riding it. The snow was hard due to the light attention it was receiving but given that I was the only one on the slope at the time I was able to put together a nice fast run of big juicy GS turns and reached the bottom with my heart pumping and legs screaming. Damn the legs – that was fun! The remainder of my runs were on Shawneehaw where the traffic had soften the surface a bit and again I found the right side of the run to be the best with nice soft good ole fashioned manmade powder.
After a couple hours of this my legs were done. I was having a hard time just standing. Now my friends, I wish I could tell you that I ended the day with a nice cold one at the top of Beech at the new 5506 bar – but that was not to be the case. They were scheduled to open the top bar yesterday and all day I was very excited about rapping up the High Country tour with my first beer at the top of the world. But alias, getting the place all setup and the staff trained on the new gear was just a bit too much to pull off for a Friday opening (they are expecting to open it today instead). I was able to hit the bar at the base of the quad lift and had the great fortune to run into some existing SkiSoutheast members and some soon to be new ones I hope.
A few beers later and my legs magically felt better so back to the top I went.
The view from the top of Beech never gets old
I was dialed in on that run let me tell you! I could FEEL my skis and edges making contact with the snow. With every turn I could feel my edges slicing into the snow through my boot, up my leg, and connecting to my spinal cord. I had become one with the mountain itself. This is how I knew I was done for the day. For starters, it's times like this when you become complacent (which leads to trouble), my legs where basically throwing up when I got to the bottom, and finally I know I didn't look nearly as good coming down the mountain as my dialed in, one with the mountain, mental state of mind led me to believe. So, around 4:00 I packed it in and headed down the mountain one last time.
As much fun as the skiing was and being able to compare all of the slopes the North Carolina High Country had to offer in one day was just amazing, the best part by far was seeing you all out there enjoying the blue skies, great temps, and ever better conditions too. It was great meeting everyone, both existing members and hopefully some new ones. Drop me a line and let me know you got this far.
Take care out there this weekend. A good part of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic resorts are under a Winter Weather Advisory today!
Tim Bahlke
Drop me an email at [email protected] to let me know what you think or with suggestions on what we could be doing better.


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Obama Moves to Defend Infrastructure From Cyberattacks
WASHINGTON – Warning that cyberattacks pose a danger to US security, President Barack Obama signed an executive order on Tuesday designed to better protect critical infrastructure from computer hackers.
Obama, in his annual State of the Union speech to a joint session of the US Congress, said the United States is facing a "rapidly growing threat from cyberattacks."
"We know hackers steal people's identities and infiltrate private email," he said. "We know foreign countries and companies swipe our corporate secrets.
"Now our enemies are also seeking the ability to sabotage our power grid, our financial institutions and our air traffic control systems," Obama added.
"We cannot look back years from now and wonder why we did nothing in the face of real threats to our security and our economy."
Obama said his executive order would "strengthen our cyber defenses by increasing information sharing, and developing standards to protect our national security, our jobs and our privacy."
The president also urged Congress to pass legislation "to give our government a greater capacity to secure our networks and deter attacks."
The executive order (PDF) calls for voluntary reporting of threats to US infrastructure, such as power grids, pipelines and water systems.
The directive, which follows two failed attempts in Congress to pass cybersecurity legislation, allows the government to lead an information-sharing network but stops short of making mandatory the reporting of cyber threats.
A senior administration official said the order does not preclude the need for legislation but gets a cybersecurity program started that can encourage sharing information that may be confidential or classified.
The order allows for "sharing of classified information in a way that protects that classified information but enables the broader use of it to protect our critical infrastructure," the official said.
The White House move came despite criticism from some lawmakers that an executive order bypasses the legislative process.
White House officials noted that the measure would not apply to consumer-based services or information systems that do not meet the standard of "critical infrastructure."
"It's about protecting the systems and assets where an attack could have a debilitating impact on our national security," one official said.
The officials sought to quell concerns the measure could lead to increased surveillance of citizens, and said it requires federal agencies "to carry out these tasks in a way that protects privacy and civil liberties."
Legislation has stalled on cybersecurity amid opposition from a coalition of civil libertarians who fear it could allow too much government snooping and conservatives who say it would create a new bureaucracy.
US military officials have argued that legislation is needed to protect infrastructure critical to national defense, including power grids, water systems and industries ranging from transportation to communications.
Some lawmakers criticized the president for issuing an executive order instead of working with Congress.
The order "cannot achieve the balanced approach that must be accomplished collaboratively through legislation and with the support of the American people," said a statement from Republican Senators John McCain, Saxby Chambliss and John Thune.
"We will closely examine the executive order and ensure that there is thorough congressional oversight of any action it directs."
House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul said he was "concerned that the order could open the door to increased regulations that would stifle innovation, burden businesses and fail to keep pace with evolving cyber threats."
But the measure also drew praise, including from Michelle Richardson of the American Civil Liberties Union, who said the order "rightly focuses on cybersecurity solutions that don't negatively impact civil liberties."
Leslie Harris of the Center for Democracy & Technology welcomed the directive, arguing it "says that privacy must be built into the government's cybersecurity plans and activities, not as an afterthought but rather as part of the design."
But the director of George Mason University's Technology Policy Program Jerry Brito said in a tweet that "top-down regulation is the last thing that will improve cybersecurity."
Related: White House Issues National Insider Threat Policy
Related: Obama Releases National Strategy for Information Sharing
Related: Department of Defense Expands Information Sharing Initiative
Related: Taking the Blinders Off – The Value of Collective Intelligence
Related: Combating Emerging Threats Through Security Collaboration


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Version 1.3 of the AdSense Management API is now available and comes with new features to help you retrieve more publisher and reporting information.
Metadata for reporting dimensions and metrics
This is a highly requested feature that provides information on the list of available dimensions and metrics for the publishers, as well as their compatibility. This is useful to help developers avoid generating reports with invalid dimensions and metrics.
You can now list the publisher's current alerts, in their default language or in the one you specify.
Ad code
You can now programmatically fetch the code of an ad unit using getAdCode.
Remember to visit the AdSense API forums or our Google+ page if you need any help implementing these new features!
- Jose Alcérreca, AdSense API Team


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BROWN, FREDERICK, actor and theatre manager; b. in London, son of D. L. Brown; d. 1838 in North Carolina.
Although known as the "Liverpool Roscius," Frederick Brown in fact never completely fulfilled his early promise as a child prodigy. Short and slight with "a face of no marked constructiveness, but rather common in form," he was considered a highly respectable and gentlemanly leading player, but was not of the highest rank. At Sunderland (Tyne and Wear) on 28 May 1814 he married the actress-dancer Sophia De Camp. His marriage connected him with prominent acting families. His wife's sister Maria Theresa (Marie Thérèse), herself a well-known actress, had married actor Charles Kemble, younger brother of the famed John Philip Kemble and Mrs Sarah Siddons.
The Browns came to North America in 1816 and starred at the Federal Street Theatre, Boston, for the 1816–17 season. Their first appearance in Lower Canada was by "special engagement" with John Duplessis Turnbull's stock company in Montreal during April 1818. That July, after a "most favourable reception" at the Fairbanks Wharf Theatre in Halifax, Brown returned to Montreal, where he remained from October to April 1819, with the exception of engagements in Kingston in February and his New York début at the Park Theatre as Hamlet on 9 March. In Montreal Brown was applauded for his versatility and was well received in his repertoire of Shakespearian roles and in the late 18th-century classics made famous by John Philip Kemble. His Othello, particularly, was closely analysed and even compared with Kemble's.
Back in Boston for the autumn of 1819, Brown raised the ire of audiences by his indifferent playing of a series of secondary roles. Fearing a row, the management allowed him to return once more to Montreal, where between mid December 1819 and mid February 1820 he played major parts, scoring a particular success with the tragic George Barnwell in George Lillo's The London merchant. On 4 May 1820 Turnbull's playhouse burned down and Brown would not return to Montreal until 1825. He regained the respect of his Boston audience on 25 May 1821, when he replaced the legendary Edmund Kean as Richard III, after the great star had refused to perform. Brown's name then began to appear along the eastern seaboard. In 1823 he supported the American actor Junius Brutus Booth in Philadelphia and in Richmond, Va, and during 1824–25 became, for the first time, a manager in Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, Ga. He had less success acting in New York and was harshly criticized in October 1824 and again in May and June 1825. The poor notices may have helped him to decide to apply to manage the new Theatre Royal being built in Montreal.
The 1,000-seat, Georgian-style playhouse, on the site of present-day Bonsecours market, was constructed at a cost of £7,500. John Molson was the principal shareholder. The theatre opened on 21 Nov. 1825, just one week behind schedule, and Brown, the lessee, "received the warmest marks of approbation" for his playing of Vapid, the playwright in Frederic Reynolds's The dramatist. However, the conscientious though relatively inexperienced manager was destined to lose money. The theatre's extravagant appointments, its weekly overhead, the lavish size of the company (30 actors and actresses, 14 musicians, and backstage personnel), the ambitious repertoire heavily weighted with Shakespeare and avoiding the popular melodramas, and the relatively small English-language population in Montreal (10,881) combined to defeat the enterprise. Guest stars did little to stem the tide and the poorly heated theatre was discouraging to spectators when winter temperatures hovered around –32°F. As attendance dwindled so did newspaper coverage and some actors deserted to other theatres. Brown toured to Quebec from 6 to 21 Feb. 1826, to good response but limited returns. The 24-week season ended on 8 May but Brown retained the theatre until the autumn in hopes that an appearance by Edmund Kean would reverse his fortunes. Although the renowned star attracted crowds and gave Brown's management a final flourish, his nightly fee nullified the gains. The Browns had supported Kean, playing, for example, Iago and Emilia to his Othello. On 3 November the citizens of Montreal accorded Brown a farewell dinner and gave him a gold ring in testimony of their esteem. He had played over 100 roles during the season of 1825–26.
From January to mid May 1827 Brown took many of his Montreal troupe to Charleston, where he managed the company, again unprofitably. He played at smaller theatres in New York during the summers of 1827 and 1833, although he was located primarily in the southern United States. Brown and his wife returned to Montreal several times between 1829 and 1833, a period when her brother Vincent De Camp took over the Theatre Royal for four limited summer seasons. On 9 July 1831 the Montreal Gazette's theatre critic found Brown's playing "greatly improved," with "much less of the useless declamation which formerly rather injured . . . his acting." The last record of Brown's activity dates from the summer of 1834. While with comedians in Wilmington, Del., he penned some verses about the disrepair of a church which led to its restoration. Four years later he died in obscurity in North Carolina. His wife succumbed in October 1841 at Mobile, Ala.
Brown's North American vicissitudes as an actor-manager were typical of those faced by the English touring professionals of the period. As an actor in the heroic style of the Kemble tradition, he must have been something of an anachronism at a time when melodramas and equestrian shows were becoming popular. As a manager, he is remembered for his attempts to give colonial Montreal quality theatre.
Univ. of Pa. Library (Philadelphia), Charles Durang, "History of the Philadelphia stage between the years 1749 and 1855" (mfm.). F. C. Wemyss, Chronology of the American stage from 1752 to 1852 (New York, [1852]; repr. 1968). Baudoin Burger, L'activité théâtrale au Québec (1765–1825) (Montréal, 1974). W. W. Clapp, A record of the Boston stage (Boston and Cambridge, Mass., 1853; repr. New York and London, [1963]). Merrill Denison, The barley and the stream: the Molson story; a footnote to Canadian history (Toronto, 1955). Franklin Graham, Histrionic Montreal: annals of the Montreal stage with biographical and critical notices of the plays and players of a century (2nd ed., Montreal, 1902; repr. New York and London, 1969). W. S. Hoole, The ante-bellum Charleston theatre (Tuscaloosa, Ala., 1946). Glen Hughes, A history of the American theatre, 1700–1950 (New York, [1951]). G. C. D. Odell, Annals of the New York stage (15v., New York, 1927–49), 3. Y. S. Bains, "The articulate audience and the fortunes of the theatre in Halifax in 1816–1819," Dalhousie Rev., 57 (1977–78): 726–35; "Canadian newspaper reviews of Frederick Brown," Journal of Canadian Studies (Peterborough, Ont.), 20 (1985–86), no.2: 150–58; "Frederick Brown and Montreal's doomed Theatre Royal, 1825–26," Theatre Survey (Albany, N.Y.), 24 (1983): 65–75; "The New Montreal Theatre: battling way back then," Canadian Theatre Rev. (Downsview [Toronto]), 24 (1979): 64–68. Owen Klein, "The opening of Montreal's Theatre Royal, 1825," Theatre Hist. in Canada (Toronto and Kingston, Ont.), 1 (1980): 24–38.
© 1988–2023 University of Toronto/Université Laval
Cite This Article
David Gardner, "BROWN, FREDERICK," in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 7, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed September 26, 2023, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/brown_frederick_7E.html.
The citation above shows the format for footnotes and endnotes according to the Chicago manual of style (16th edition). Information to be used in other citation formats:
|Author of Article:
|David Gardner
|Title of Article:
|Publication Name:
|Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 7
|University of Toronto/Université Laval
|Year of publication:
|Year of revision:
|Access Date:
|September 26, 2023


text:
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text:
City initiates 'serious response' level as sickness recalls deadly respiratory syndrome that killed people
Five possible cases have been reported of a viral pneumonia that has also infected at least (people in Wuhan, an inland city west of Shanghai and about
The outbreak, which emerged last month, has revived memories of the – 2003 SARS epidemic that started in southern (China) and killed more than (people in the mainland, Hong Kong and elsewhere.
The serious-response level activated on Saturday indicates a moderate impact on Hong Kong's population of 7.5 million people. It is the second highest in a three-tier system that is part of a new government plan launched Saturday to respond to infectious diseases of unknown cause.
The city's health department added an additional thermal imaging system at Hong Kong's airport on Friday to check the body temperature of arriving passengers. More staff have been assigned for temperature checks at the West Kowloon high-speed rail station that connects Hong Kong to the mainland.
City leader Carrie Lam, on a visit to the train station on Friday to review the health surveillance measures, urged any travellers who develop respiratory symptoms to wear surgical masks, seek medical attention and let doctors know where they have been.
The Wuhan health commission said (of the) people diagnosed with the pneumonia were in critical condition as of Friday. All were being treated in isolation and others who had been in close contact with them were under observation.
Most of the cases have been traced to the South China Seafood City food market in the suburbs of sprawling Wuhan, where offerings reportedly include wild animals that can carry viruses dangerous to humans. The commission said the market has been disinfected.
The most common symptom had been fever, with shortness of breath and lung infections in a small number of cases, the commission said. There had been no clear indications of human-to-human transmission of the disease.
The latest cases in Hong Kong are two women, aged and (******************************************************************************************, who had been to Wuhan in the past 20 days but did not appear to have visited the food market, the Hospital Authority said. They were in stable condition and being treated in isolation at Princess Margaret Hospital.
Besides SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, Hong Kong has also been hit by bird flu in and swine flu in (**************************************************************. ********


text:
BEREA, Ohio – Halfway through his second season, Browns coach Pat Shurmur sees dramatic changes in his fledgling team.
The mistakes are fewer. The practices are crisper. The injuries are healing.
With two wins in their past three games, the Browns, yes, the Cleveland Browns, who have spent most of the past decade wallowing in defeat, are starting to build something. One of the NFL's youngest squads is growing up, and the Browns (2-6) are beginning to believe they can do much more than compete on a weekly basis.
Shurmur has his team feeling it can win — with him.
"Obviously, record-wise we're not where I want to be right now," Shurmur said Monday. "But I see a team that's improving. I see a team that's battling. I see a team that's with me every step of the way. And they believe in their coaches. And I see a team that's improving. I'm hopeful we're going to continue to make those improvements and win a heckuva lot of games."
Battling brutal weather conditions on Lake Erie, the Browns did just enough Sunday for a 7-6 win over the San Diego Chargers, who seemed as if they couldn't wait to get out of the cold and rain and back to the West Coast. With their passing attack grounded by high winds, the Browns turned to running back Trent Richardson and the rookie piled up a season-high 122 yards on 24 carries and scored the game's only touchdown on a 26-yard, tackle-busting romp in the first quarter.
It was a game where points were precious, where every inch, foot and yard had added meaning. And unlike a week ago, when rookie Josh Gordon's drop of a certain touchdown pass cost the Browns in a 17-13 loss at Indianapolis, the Chargers made the game's biggest mistake as wide receiver Robert Meachem let a TD pass slip through his wet hands.
"The football gods looked down on us," Shurmur said. "It wasn't pretty, it wasn't perfect, but it's something that we can build on."
The Browns showed some signs of maturity in winning their second straight game at home. They handled the nasty conditions, were called for just four penalties and did not commit a turnover, recovering two fumbles.
Shurmur has been criticized for pointing out progress following losses, but there's no denying the team made positive strides Sunday.
One of the biggest improvements came after the game. As Shurmur was about to announce, "See you Wednesday" and give his players a "victory" Monday off, he was interrupted by some of the Browns who told him they wanted to come to work and begin preparing for Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens.
For Shurmur, that was a sign of his team's evolution.
"The fact that they wanted to do it the last week in October says a lot," Shurmur said. "I've been around a lot of other good teams that will do whatever they can to get a 'see you Wednesday.' That shows me that there's a level of maturity there. It shows me that these guys understand the importance of work."
It was a welcomed development for many of the Browns, including kicker Phil Dawson, who has been with the club since 1999. Dawson has seen it all — the good, bad and ugly — during his time in Cleveland and the fact that so many players wanted to build off the win was proof that this group of Browns may be different that previous ones.
When Shurmur gave the Browns an extra day off following their win over Cincinnati on Oct. 14, they had a poor practice on that Wednesday and finished the week with the loss to the Colts. Dawson senses players learned their lesson.
"It's a good sign that guys recognize what's required," Dawson said. "Everybody would like a day off, but we know where we are right now and guys want more wins, and when you have the new owner say he wants to get greedy with wins, guys stepped in line and want do that. And so today was productive and hopefully it will kick start a good week of preparation so we can go out and get another 'w'."
The win over San Diego was the first for new owner Jimmy Haslam, who after being presented with a game ball from Shurmur in the locker room, stepped forward and challenged the Browns "to get greedy" and want to win more.
Tight end Alex Smith said Haslam's words made a big impression with everyone who heard them.
"It was kind of an awakening for everybody that hey, it's go time," Smith said. "Of course we're aware of that, but to hear that from the big guy just puts a little more into it. He said you know what, 'Let's get greedy and get another win.' That was his final message to us and that's where everybody is right now."
The Browns reached the season's midpoint with a one-point win. It began in September with a one-point loss to Philadelphia, one of several games the Browns would like to have back.
Shurmur, though, is looking forward and sees a team growing in many ways. Things are falling into place and there's even a chance his defense may have injured starting defensive tackles Ahtyba Rubin and Phil Taylor in time to face the Ravens.
It's getting better for the Browns, and with a few more wins it could be much better for Shurmur, just 6-18 in two seasons.
"We function better as a team," he said. "Our young skilled players on offense are better and we're getting production. We've won two games in the last three weeks. So let's call it for what it is. We're getting some defensive players back that will help us. If you function better and you're playing better and you win a couple games and you're getting some players back that can help you win, that helps me stay positive."
NOTES: Shurmur said Richardson is "no worse for wear" after starting his second game with a rib cartilage injury. ... Smith started at fullback over Owen Marecic, who was inactive and hasn't helped his status with at least four dropped passes this season. Smith did a nice job helping open holes for Richardson. He was also involved in an animated conversation with one of the officials after he noticed the Chargers had 12 players in the huddle. "Stanford guy," Shurmur joked about Smith. "He can count." ... The NFL moved the trading deadline from 4 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday because of Hurricane Sandy.
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL


text:
This tutorial exists for these OS versions
On this page
How To Integrate ClamAV Into PureFTPd For Virus Scanning On Fedora 14
Version 1.0
Author: Falko Timme
Follow me on Twitter
This tutorial explains how you can integrate ClamAV into PureFTPd for virus scanning on a Fedora 14 system. In the end, whenever a file gets uploaded through PureFTPd, ClamAV will check the file and delete it if it is malware.
I do not issue any guarantee that this will work for you!
1 Preliminary Note
You should have a working PureFTPd setup on your Fedora 14 server, e.g. as shown in this tutorial: Virtual Hosting With PureFTPd And MySQL (Incl. Quota And Bandwidth Management) On Fedora 14.
2 Installing ClamAV
ClamAV can be installed as follows:
yum install amavisd-new clamav clamav-data clamav-server clamav-update clamav-scanner
Clamdscan expects the configuration file /etc/clamd.conf which doesn't exist - therefore we create a symlink from /etc/clamd.conf to /etc/clamd.d/amavisd.conf:
ln -s /etc/clamd.d/amavisd.conf /etc/clamd.conf
Next we create the system startup links for clamd and start it:
chkconfig --levels 235 clamd.amavisd on
/etc/init.d/clamd.amavisd start
3 Configuring PureFTPd
First we open /etc/pure-ftpd/pure-ftpd.conf and set CallUploadScript to yes :
vi /etc/pure-ftpd/pure-ftpd.conf
[...] # If your pure-ftpd has been compiled with pure-uploadscript support, # this will make pure-ftpd write info about new uploads to # /var/run/pure-ftpd.upload.pipe so pure-uploadscript can read it and # spawn a script to handle the upload. CallUploadScript yes [...]
Next we create the file /etc/pure-ftpd/clamav_check.sh (which will call /usr/bin/clamdscan whenever a file is uploaded through PureFTPd)...
vi /etc/pure-ftpd/clamav_check.sh
#!/bin/sh /usr/bin/clamdscan --remove --quiet --no-summary "$1"
... and make it executable:
chmod 755 /etc/pure-ftpd/clamav_check.sh
Now we start the pure-uploadscript program as a daemon - it will call our /etc/pure-ftpd/clamav_check.sh script whenever a file is uploaded through PureFTPd:
pure-uploadscript -B -r /etc/pure-ftpd/clamav_check.sh
Of course, you don't want to start the daemon manually each time you boot the system - therefore we open /etc/rc.local...
vi /etc/rc.local
... and add the line /usr/sbin/pure-uploadscript -B -r /etc/pure-ftpd/clamav_check.sh to it - e.g. as follows:
#!/bin/sh # # This script will be executed *after* all the other init scripts. # You can put your own initialization stuff in here if you don't # want to do the full Sys V style init stuff. /usr/sbin/pure-uploadscript -B -r /etc/pure-ftpd/clamav_check.sh touch /var/lock/subsys/local
Finally we restart PureFTPd:
/etc/init.d/pure-ftpd restart
That's it! Now whenever someone tries to upload malware to your server through PureFTPd, the "bad" file(s) will be silently deleted.
4 Links
- PureFTPD: http://www.pureftpd.org/
- ClamAV: http://www.clamav.net/
- Fedora: http://fedoraproject.org/


text:
News from the XD Design® team
News 2020
Dear friends & fans,
First of all, keep safe and take care!
While we carefully follow the latest developments around the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak,
we wanted to share some of the steps we have taken to ensure our employees and customers health and safety.
Our head office team has put together a set of policies that we have implemented to combat the spread of the virus, including:
Please stay inside and avoid social interactions. In case you are experiencing any mild cold/flu-like symptoms, we encourage you to contact your doctor asap.
Last but not least, we would like to apologize for all the inconveniences that this may cause.
Together we can do this, let's flatten the curve :) !
Thank you for your understanding and patience.
Kind regards,
The XD Design® team


text:
Embraced on three sides by Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, can be as much fun in winter as it is in summer. Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort and Amusement Park, only three miles from downtown, offers skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing and year-round ice skating. By contrast, the national park presents serene winter landscapes that you can reach by car or on foot. And when you're ready to come in from the cold (the average December high is 50 degrees), you can visit an acclaimed aquarium, a vaudeville-type theater and a range of shops and galleries. There's also Smoky Mountain Winterfest, a holiday event that lights up Gatlinburg with tens of thousands of glittering lights.
Entertainment abounds in and around downtown, much of it on the Parkway, the main thoroughfare. The Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre offers original shows that are a mix of comedy, music and dance. Ride 400 feet to the top of the Space Needle observation tower for a 360-degree view; down below there's an arcade and laser tag fun. On New Year's Eve, the Space Needle serves up great fireworks and a ball drop.
In other seasonal events, November 10 brings the Gatlinburg Winter Magic Kickoff and Chili Cookoff. Chili cooks compete in a town that's virtually blanketed in energy-efficient LED bulbs. The lighted displays depict snowmen, snowflakes and toy soldiers, as well as 40-foot swans beside illuminated archways, a cupid hovering over a "Smoky Mountain Romance" sign, and animated teddy bears dancing, painting and working in woodshops. December 3 is this year's date for the Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade. The 1½-hour procession, which draws as many as 80,000 people, has dozens of floats, marching bands, helium balloons, decorated cars and, of course, Santa.
Ripley Entertainment wins the prize for the most town attractions, including the namesake Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum. But the scene-stealer in Ripley's repertoire is the Aquarium of the Smokies, the state's second most popular attraction (after Dollywood, Dolly Parton's theme park in neighboring Pigeon Forge). Videos and hands-on displays, such as the one about the surprising horseshoe crab—did you know this aquatic creature bleeds blue?—keep visits interesting. "I defy you not to learn something here," says the aquarium's director of marketing, Karl Thomas.
The soothingly dim and cool interiors are sure to lower your blood pressure. To subtly keep crowds moving forward and headed in one direction, the aquarium uses "glide paths" (moving sidewalks). Temporarily misplaced kids (called "jellyfish" by employees) are reunited with parents faster than you can say SpongeBob SquarePants.
Shark Lagoon, a serpentine acrylic tunnel that allows more than 100 sharks to swim above and around guests, is a favorite. Karl's believe-it-or-not claim: "I've actually 'burped' a shark." When new sharks arrive, he explains, air gulped in transit must be eliminated using a Heimlich-type maneuver.
The Penguin Playhouse is the latest aquarium addition. Here, tuxedo-clad African blackfooted penguins swim expertly (as fast as 12 mph) through a clear tunnel running beneath guests' feet, passing from indoor to outdoor habitats. Visitors can crawl through another tunnel to view the birds "nose to beak."
If you're looking for holiday gifts, meander through the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community, an eight-mile trail of shops and galleries about three miles east of downtown. You'll find glass-blowing, broom-making, pottery, painting and more. The community holds an annual holiday show at the Gatlinburg Convention Center (this year, November 23–December 5).
Another good source of gifts is the recently opened Carousel Gardens, a two-story gallery selling work by about 50 of the same AandC artisans. One caveat: Expect wall-to-wall crowds around Thanksgiving and during the holidays.
Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort and Amusement Park: 1001 Parkway #2; 865.436.5423; www.obergatlinburg.com
The Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre: 461 Parkway; 865.436.4039; sweetfannyadams.com
Space Needle: 115 Historic Nature Trail; 865.436.4629; gatlinburgspaceneedle.com
Gatlinburg Winter Magic Kickoff and Chili Cookoff: eventsgatlinburg.com
Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade: attractions-gatlinburg.com
Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum: 88 River Rd.; 865.436.5096; ripleysgatlinburg.com
Aquarium of the Smokies: ripleysaquariumofthesmokies.com
Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community: Hwy. 321N; 800.568.4748; gatlinburgcrafts.com
Carousel Gardens: 458 Parkway; 865.430.7334
NOTE: Information may have changed since publication. Please confirm key details before planning your trip.


text:
The Bay Lights
Star Struck
She Rests
Painted Ladies
Just Another Day In The Bay
July 4th San Francisco 2013
Distant Silhouette
Oracle Arena
I decided very last second to meet up with my buddy Casey at Sutro Bath tonight. Always trying to find new perspectives, so many angles to get along the coast.
Canon 6D
Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 L II
1/4 Sec
LEE Filters .9 Soft Grad
Induro Tripods CT214
The Golden Way
Natalia Stone
Sutro Selfie
Joe Azure
Sunset Blanket II
It's All Timing
New Years Fireworks 2014 V2
*New Years Fireworks 2014*
Well I guess I ended up here again this year! But this year instead of being above the bridge we got a bit to the right of it. I honestly didn't really want to shoot fireworks at all but had nothing better to do and best of all, spent it with the good company of Michael Bonocore, Joe Azure, Matt Granz and Ellie Stone!
One thing I really wanted to do this time was create a pano just before the show that I could bring the fireworks into later. I am pretty happy with how it turned out and have a few more I am working on. For now here is the first one! This shot is about 19,000px wide. Chris MacAskill
To learn a bit more about my process check out my newly posted tutorial.. http://tobyharriman.com/basic-fireworks-tutorial/
Gigapan full view: http://gigapan.com/gigapans/147409
Fire over San Francisco
A Manipulated New Year
Above It All


text:
No day passes without a Democratic politician, a left-wing commentator, or, if I may be excused a redundancy, a left-wing academic labeling Republicans and conservatives racist.
Given the power of repetition, one consequence is that many Americans, especially young ones, believe that one side of the political spectrum -- the right -- is racist.
Having been involved with conservatives for about 30 years, I have long known that this isn't true. In fact, the charge of conservative racism is so easily refuted that it is difficult to imagine anyone without a vested interest in libeling conservatives believing it. How, for example, does one explain that the most conservative Republicans were the ones who most supported Herman Cain, the one black running for the Republican presidential nomination n 2012?
Left-wing commentators offer this response: Conservative support of Cain was essentially a ruse to fool people into believing that conservatives are not the racists we liberals know them to be.
The absurdity of this response only proves that there is no good response to the question. The fact is that, compared to a person's values, conservatives couldn't care less about a person's color. I have actually asked large conservative audiences if they would prefer a Supreme Court composed of nine white male Christians who were liberal or nine black secular lesbians who were conservative. I have never encountered a single vote for the former.
But while I've never associated conservatives with racism, I also never used to associate liberals with racism. But I was naive in this matter. While there are liberals and leftists who are not racist, I have come to understand that many are -- considerably more than conservatives.
Here are some proofs:
First, white liberals repeatedly state that America is a racist a country, and that all whites are racist. The latter doctrine is taught at virtually every American university. The only difference among whites, liberal professors teach their students, is not that some are racist and some are not; it is that some acknowledge their racism and some do not.
But isn't that an admission that liberals are racist? When a person says, "We are all racists," isn't he saying that he is a racist?
A second proof that racism has a home on the left is the left's primary argument against requiring all citizens to show identification when they vote. The liberal-left-Democrat argument, repeated by almost every editorial page, columnist and news outlet, and by every Democrat, is that such a requirement would greatly suppress the black vote. Thus, voter ID is racist. This is said so often and with such conviction that few people ask whether it is true: Will requiring ID really suppress the black vote?
The answer, shown in study after study, is no. Therefore, people who assume that voter ID would suppress the black vote have to believe that millions of blacks are uniquely incompetent citizens. Few things in civic life are simpler than obtaining an ID, and identification is needed almost everywhere in society. One has to believe in widespread black incompetence in order to believe that obtaining an ID is too difficult for a vast number of blacks.
And is virtually every democracy in the world racist for requiring voter ID? Again, the answer is no. The idea is absurd.
So there are only two possibilities here. Either Democrats and the left make this argument for political gain -- to reinforce their hold on black voters by scaring them into believing that Republicans are racist -- or the left really believes that blacks are less competent than other groups.
It is probable that both reasons -- political opportunism and liberals' belief in black inferiority -- are at work here. Most liberals, after all, do not believe that whites -- even those who didn't graduate high school -- have any difficulty obtaining an ID, but are certain that millions of blacks find this too onerous. This insult to black intelligence is as obvious as it is ignored.
Third is the liberal and left-wing advocacy of lowering standards for blacks -- what is known as affirmative action. How is it not plain as daylight that whites (and other non-blacks) who argue for the continued lowering of standards for blacks have a low view of blacks? White liberals never advocate lowering professional or academic standards for, let us say, Asian immigrants who recently arrived in America, often without money or any knowledge of English.
Why not? Because white liberals think that Asians are bright.
Finally, there is the Democratic and liberal opposition to school vouchers that would enable many blacks parents to send their children to schools superior to the awful ones that the (liberal-run) educational establishment has provided blacks children.
Most blacks want school vouchers, but most liberals vehemently oppose them. Why? Because what is good for teachers unions is of more importance to the left than what is good for blacks.
Who, then, is racist? By their own admission, and by the policies they pursue, the answer is the people who call themselves progressive.


text:
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Impact-resistant windows and doors, tile roof, brick pavers and gourmet kitchens with granite countertops are just a few of the designer details you can expect included in your new home.
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- Acrylic drop-in tub with tile surround in master bath (per plan)
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text:
Looking for a special treat for that hard-to-please person? How about a trip to Liberal to take in a dinosaur-airplane experience?
Yes, dinosaurs and airplanes will be on display together this spring at the Mid-America Air Museum in Liberal. [[endteaser]]
No, it is not a replay of a strange sci-fi movie - but a unique partnership that actually makes sense. Museum director Jim Bert explained what makes the museum a great stop for visitors in 2013 - or any time:
Why does Liberal have an air museum?
The museum started in the mid-1980s after the city acquired an 80,000-square-foot production facility that Beech Aircraft had recently vacated. The folks in Liberal decided that their very large facility would be a perfect place to pay tribute to the town's aviation heritage. That heritage includes the Liberal Army Air Field which was a training base for B-24 "Liberator" heavy bomber pilots during WWII.
What are people most impressed by when they visit the museum?
Usually their impression comes from the sheer number of aircraft. We have about 95 aircraft inside, and about seven or eight on the ramp outside. It is quite special to see. Unfortunately, there are no B-24s in the collection. While this airplane was one of the most produced in military history, it is one of the rarest today.
What makes the museum different than other aviation museums?
The diversity of aircraft is perhaps our greatest strength. We have not only military, but also general aviation and experimental home-built aircraft. You can come to the museum, and see the whole range. We also have space objects on loan from NASA.
So, what's the deal with Dinosaurs and Airplanes?
Well, it starts with robotics. A part of the aerospace future is robotics. The museum has developed an educational mission to teach robotics to kids in the area. The museum's new Curiosity Robotics Academy gives kids kindergarten through eighth grade the chance to learn math and science using robotics kits. They have given kids in the area the chance to go to international robotics competition.
The dinosaurs are education for what they teach about the prehistoric era, but they are also life-sized robotic versions of the prehistoric originals. There will be a 10,000-square-foot area of the museum will be transformed into an opportunity to explore the primordial past. Thousands of people came to see this popular exhibit when it was at the museum about 15 years ago. The updated version will be on display from April 6 to May 5, 2013.
If you don't buy the robotics connection, I think another way to look at it is this:
Airplanes are big cool things - and so are dinosaurs.
Go see them both by putting a visit to Liberal on your 2013 calendar. You can find the museum at 200 West Second Street in Liberal or call 620-626-5263 for more information.
Karen Ridder is a freelance writer living in Topeka. A former News Producer for KSNW-TV in Wichita, her work can also been seen in print publications including: Topeka Magazine, TK Magazine and the Topeka Capital-Journal. She has written for several national blogs and was recently recognized as one of the 2011 winners in the Annual Kansas Factual Story Contest. Karen has lived in Kansas for 15 years and married a native Wichitan. Together they are raising three little sunflower boys and a dog named George.


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A waterskiing squirrel by the name of Twiggy has found herself at the centre of controversy during one of the country's largest boat shows being held this week in Vancouver.
Twiggy, an eastern grey squirrel, has been entertaining children about the importance of water safety – all while riding small waves on a pair of water skis, for 40 years. It's one of the featured attractions at this year's Vancouver International Boat Show, which sees roughly 30,000 boat enthusiasts.
But animal activists with Life Force Society are calling for an end to "these types of animal exploitation."
The group says that the show should be prohibited as it goes against Vancouver's bylaws.
"Using wildlife under the guise of 'water safety' is not as effective or educational as using consenting human actors," activist Peter Hamilton said in a news release. "It is about human safety!"
In an email to Black Press Media, a city staff member said that because the eastern grey squirrel is not native to B.C., it is not technically considered wildlife under city bylaws. However, there is a bylaw that does prohibit businesses from using rodents in competitions, exhibitions, performances and events.
The city said it is investigating the matter.
Twiggy was recently told she cannot return to Toronto after performing at a similar event last month, as the city has since passed a new bylaw which bans keeping a squirrel in "captivity."
A spokesperson with Laura Ballance Media Group, which is speaking on behalf of the Vancouver boat show, said in an emailed statement that organizers obtained and complied with all federal licensing required for Twiggy to come to town, including veterinary oversight of the squirrel.
"The presentation has been very well received by the children who it is designed to educate about water and life jacket safety as well as their parents, and we have had nothing but positive feedback," Krystle Landert told Black Press Media.
"One of the core goals of the show, which provides a crucial showcase for the hundreds of small, largely family owned businesses across our province, is to educate our guests about water safety."
This isn't the first time the Vancouver-based boat show has included animals – in 1967, organizers placed a southern resident killer whale named Walter in a pool for the duration of the event. After the show was over, the whale was sold to the Vancouver Aquarium Society and renamed as Skana.
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text: THE BOOK "First Comes Love" is available NOW! Foreword by LGBTQ community icon, Edie Windsor. 9"x12" Hardbound book. 148 pages. 65 black and white portraits with accompanying stories. "First Comes Love has it right: It's the faces and stories of real people that open hearts and minds and pave the way to legal and social change. And first comes love--the love that enriches our lives and the love that sparks the passion and commitment to bring the change needed. These beautiful images and stories are not just to look at, they are to be inspired by." -Evan Wolfson President, Freedom to Marry ORDER the First Comes Love book NOWOnly available here, in select independent bookstores, at book signings and events. FCL Book $50.00 USD Book with cool Tote Bag $54.00 USD WE ONLY SHIP WITHIN THE U.S. Email us with special shipping requests.


text:
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text:
Just days after Alex Knepper's date rape column, an Indiana University senior has caused a similar stir with his system for "rating girls" from "knockout" down to "turns off even the drunkest of males."
Yale Reardon's "Rating Girls" ran yesterday in the Indiana University Odyssey, a newspaper devoted to Greek life on campus. Unlike Knepper's column, which the American University Eagle left up on its website even as physical copies of the newspaper were removed from their stands by protesters, Reardon's effort has been taken off the Odyssey's site. Luckily, there's a cached version, from which we'll quote liberally. Reardon begins:
Men have been using the trusty 1-10 rating system to rate girls for what seems like centuries. Obviously a 10 is a knockout, and a 1 is something that should show up on the Discovery Channel. It's as universal as the 4.0 GPA scale or the dewy decimal system. One of my favorite things to do with my friends is to argue about what number a girl is.
Clearly Reardon needs to repeat Library Science (that's Dewey Decimal System), and perhaps Human Decency 101. Observe his numerical scale in action:
1. This is as bad as it gets. Lucky enough these girls hardly ever go out in public or wouldn't dare come to a state school like Indiana. They usually have 2-3 horrible features. This could be extreme obesity, a face that looks like it was hit with a frying pan, or a missing limb. They will likely remain widows or work in jobs where they can be hidden in the back.
Reardon also doesn't seem to understand what the word "widow" means, unless there's some weirdly high percentage of bereavement at IU that I don't know about. Here's what he has to say on "twos" and "threes":
2. A two is not much better than a one. She is god awful ugly as well. No matter how many drinks you have, she won't look hotter or thinner. All of her friends are busted as well. Thankfully a two does not have any confidence either so spotting them out is rare.
3. A three is the first girl that might get a little action from time to time. Granted the guy who falls for her will be wasted beyond belief. There is a chance she might have a good sense of humor but that will be as good as it gets. She is a prime candidate for extreme plastic surgery. Usually a three has just one feature (giant nose, freakishly tall, big belly, or no butt) that turns off even the drunkest of males. Who am I kidding they are ugly as hell to.
The sin of a "four" is "She will chase guys so far out of her league its not even funny." But it's when Reardon gets to five that he reveals his true rationale for hooking up with women in the first place: impressing bros. He writes,
5. This is the first girl on the list that can be acceptable to bring around your friends from time to time. If you bring any of the previous four girls back, good look not getting ripped on for at least a month. [...] This is the kind of girl that after a guy gets with, he will describe her as "honestly she wasn't that bad". Shut up bro, she was ugly and you can't lie to yourself anymore.
And on "sevens":
A seven is usually the coolest of the girls, but there is just something not right with her. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what is wrong with a seven, but you know it's there. If your boys never give you props for being with her, but never diss you for being with her, you got yourself a seven.
And here's how you spot a "ten":
If a girl walks into a room and you immediately tell all your friends to check her out, you are lucky. You are in presence of one of the rarest sights on earth. A perfect 10.
I'd actually like to thank Mr. Reardon for helping me put my finger on what's so upsetting about the whole practice of numerically rating women — which, it's true, long preceded his tenure as an IU provocateur. "Rating girls" is a group activity, something men (or, perhaps, boys) "argue about with their friends." As such, it's not about actual attraction, which is profoundly individual and idiosyncratic. Instead, it's about whether a girl would increase a guy's status — whether she conforms to whatever standards are necessary to generate props from the bros. And the thought of one's sex appeal being measured by the clumsy high-fives of dudes still a little drunk from the night before is both depressing and profoundly un-hot.
Of course "depressing and profoundly un-hot" pretty much describes Reardon's view of the IU dating/hookup scene, as set forth in the columns that remain on the Odyssey site. His "preparation" for a night on the town sounds super-romantic:
Before you head out you need to send a ton of texts. If you are smart you should have at least two to three girls lined up before you make it out. Make sure to text these girls something along the lines of "Cya at Sports tonight" or "Save a dance for me". Girls eat these lines up and will not be able to stop thinking about you after they get one of these texts. If you are in a relationship, dump your girlfriend now.
And who could resist him after his description of "The Ten People You See at the Btown Bars?" Example:
The fat dude: He never ever leaves the bar. His friends love him and they love bragging how much he can drink. He rips on girls all night and loves talking shit. Probably by the end of the night he will try to creep on a girl, get rejected, and get tossed from the bar. He will then call Avers Pizza for a Big10. Sure he got shot down, but he's got a delicious pizza and he can drink more than you.
We're still waiting for word on the IU response to Reardon's rating system, and the reasons for his column's deletion from the Odyssey site. For now, I'd like to echo Anna Holmes's reaction: "I'm so glad I'm not in college anymore."
Rating Girls [Indiana University Odyssey, Cached]
Author Archives, Yale Reardon [Indiana University Odyssey]


text:
New research provides further evidence that some babies who pass their newborn hearing tests are found to be deaf or hard of hearing as young kids.
Some of those newborns may receive passing grades incorrectly, researchers said, but others can be born with good hearing but develop progressive hearing loss as babies and toddlers.
"A parent or a physician may think, 'Oh, this child had passed the screen, so they must not have hearing loss,'" said Dr. David Chi, the study's lead author from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pennsylvania.
"Don't depend on just the fact that (your child) passed the screen, especially if there are any concerns about hearing loss or speech concerns," he told Reuters Health.
Chi and his colleagues analyzed the medical records of 923 kids who came to their medical center with hearing loss between 2001 and 2011, and were between four and five years old, on average. The children included 78 who had passed their initial newborn screening.
Of those kids, 28 were brought in because of parents' concerns about their hearing and 25 had failed school hearing tests, according to the findings published Thursday in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
There was no identifiable cause of hearing problems in more than half of the kids' medical records. The rest had deafness related to genetics, structural problems with their ears or complications from childhood such as infection.
It wasn't clear how long those kids had been hard of hearing before they were brought in and diagnosed.
"We don't know, 'what is the false negative rate (of newborn screening) versus the delayed onset rate?'" said Dr. Nancy Young, a pediatric otolaryngologist from Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Either way, she told Reuters Health, parents shouldn't be "falsely reassured" by their child having passed the newborn screening if they notice problems with the child's hearing or language.
Having deafness spotted and treated early, such as with cochlear implants, is important for children's future language development, she noted.
"We need to stay on the lookout and be vigilant and refer these children in," said Young, who wasn't involved in the new research.
Two or three out of every 1,000 U.S. children are born deaf or with hearing problems, according to the National Institutes of Health, and more go on to become hard of hearing.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a government-backed panel, recommends screening all newborns for hearing loss, based on "at least fair evidence" that the benefits of screening outweigh any possible harms.
Universal newborn hearing screening was instituted in Pennsylvania in 2001. Before that, hearing loss was typically diagnosed at around 26 months and hearing aids implemented at 30 months, Chi's team notes in its report. Since universal screening, interventions happen much earlier, by about six months of age.
Chi told Reuters Health that he and his colleagues are looking into strategies for screening young kids after the initial newborn test, such as with a second round of screening at three months of age.
But Young cautioned against going forward with such a plan until researchers have a better idea of when hearing loss is actually occurring for kids who pass their newborn tests but end up having problems.
"If a lot of this is driven by poorly done testing (and) equipment issues, then the focus should be on improving our current program, not on finding another time to screen," she explained.
"This paper is wonderful in raising awareness of the shortcomings of newborn hearing screening, but I really think we need to take it to another level to sort out, who are these children, and why did they pass?"


text:
June 23, 2011 — -- Naki'o has the rambunctious spirit of most dogs -- he loves to run, jump and play fetch, but one thing is different about this red heeler cattle dog -- his four bionic paws.OrthoPets, a Denver company that specializes in pet prosthetics, outfitted Naki'o, who lost his paws to frostbite after he was abandoned in the Nebraska winter.
When Naki'o was adopted, his legs had healed to rounded stumps, making mobility a struggle. He had to crawl on his stomach to move, but he was determined.
"Even though he was hobbling, he was still just trying to enjoy life," said Martin Kaufmann, the founder of OrthoPets, who outfitted Naki'o with his new paws."Naki'o's personality was great."
And it was that spirit that captivated his owner, a veterinary technician, to adopt him form a shelter and raise money for him to get two prosthetics.
Two became four when Kaufmann heard about Naki'o's plight and completed the set, making him, Kaufmann said, the first dog in the world to have four prosthetic paws.
Veterinarian Marty Becker said prosthetics are becoming increasingly common on disabled pets.
One prosthetic can cost anywhere form $1,000 to $3,000.
"It's really heartwarming," said Becker. "Dogs just soldier on. They could be in incredible pain but still greet you with their tail wagging.
Naki'o can now play fetch to his heart's content and enjoy his newfound mobility.
Kaufmann said Naki'o's only challenge would be learning once again what the ground feels like to walk on -- and he has no doubt Naki'o's playful spirit will help him adjust to his new paws.
"We get to work with patients with drive and determination," he said. "They have a real willingness to thrive."


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All 1 entries tagged Audacity Recording Software
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December 16, 2007
Podcasting Equipment Update
Podcasting Equipment Update
Below I'm giving some links to some basic podcasting equipment which will enable anybody with a computer and the internet to get going. Since I last posted something on podcasting some months ago I've managed to get the budget for a couple of Marantz PDM 660 semi professional audio recorders. They are semi professional because they record to compact flash cards which have a higher spped of data transfer rate than SD cards. The other main feature is that they have phantom power and XLR microphone inputs which should allow you to use them with unpowered condenser microphones. I have to say I have been very unsuccessfu l with this using the Rode NT2 mic and their Broadcaster mic.
On this basis I would recommend using microphones with their own battery power source as a safer bet. I haven't had a chance to research these properly, however, Sony used to have a good mini-jack input one with battery power apparently used by the BBC. This would be very useful with the new Marantz digital recorders I have just ordered. Which I am providing links to below. I have also spotted some useful looking gaming headsets from Sennheiser which look just the job and the students might have fun using those and Audacity.
The Marantz PMD 620 Stereo Recorder
According to one online retailer: The main features of the Marantz PMD 620 include (I suspect that nobody has invented a 2 terrabyte SD card yet but dream on):
- Powerful and feature-laden Portable Audio Recorder that accepts up to 2 TB (my emphasis)SD Flash memory cards
- Records WAV audio in 44.1/48KHz at 16 or 24 bit resolutions
- Records direct to MP3 at three different quality levels
- Includes 2 internal condenser mics, a 3.5mm (1/8 inch) external mic input, and a 3.5mm (1/8 inch) line input
- First Marantz recorder to use SD flash memory with support for cards up to 2 TB
- One-touch record engagement with red highlight illumination
- OLED display for low power consumption
- Powered by 2 AA batteries
- Configurable screen with 2 font sizes
- Do basic non-destructive copy and paste style editing directly on the device
- Transfer audio to your PC via USB 2.0
- "Skip back" feature lets transcribers review audio recorded from 1 to 60 seconds previously
- Level and Peak LEDs
- Display can be set to show time remaining, elapsed time, or other important numbers
Transom.org do a thorough review:
I have recently discovered this very useful site whilst trawling for reviews of the Marantz PMD 620.
This is the Transom Home page .
Here is an image from the Transom Marantz review. As always there are pros and cons, nevertheless I have gone for some. This review does make some useful things clear about microphones which may apply to the PMD 660 mentioned in the introduction. This review is a very thorough one and you are urged to read it if you are in the market for a digital handheld recorder.
An excellent feature of this review is that there are downloadable tests with some external microphones. The Marantz according to this review has the lowest level of background hiss Transom have tested for in the small handheld recorder range.
Getting One For Xmas?
Getting this Marantz for Xmas is a tempting prospect. The advantage of it being a recorder with a headphone output means that there is a playback facility as well. With 1 GB SD cards now being very cheap it would be easy to take a few loaded with music around with you in MP3 or even Wav format. This beats even the iPod!
Tripod mounting
Something which might come in useful is the ability to mount it to a tripod which could be useful in certain circumstances as the Transom review points out :
The 620 ships with a cradle with two connectors on the back: a belt clip and a standard photo tripod socket that allows the recorder to be mounted in a stable position. It's plastic and flimsy-feeling, but effective, and allows access to all important controls.
I see that it's time to upgrade my version of Audacity the free audio editing open source software. This software is an excellent package to start editing with and will fit especially well to the educational environment where low budgets are the norm. Students can also get a hands on feel for editing which combined with a USB headset - which many gamers will have anyway - can get you on the road to making your own content. There are versions available for Linux and Mac as well.
Find Audacity here
The last time I looked at headsets was several months ago when I ordered myself the USB Beyer MMX1. Since then I have noticed some models from Sennheiser which look as though they are more flexible. They have the facility to be used as a USB and with their own built in soundcard can be used with any computer even those without a sound card. The other thing is that they have an adapter so can be used with line input soundcards. I haven't tested them yet but in an educational environment where one might be swapping rooms and have an institution full of machines with different specifications this could be a powerful advantage.
Sennheiser pc155 USB Stereo Headset Mac User Review from 2004 giving it a 5* review. This appears to still be available one outlet had it for £61-95.
Below is a Sennheiser P166 Headset. The USB connection can clearly be seen. This can be disconnected and the headset can be plugged into normal souncards. With upmarket soundcards there may be better quality sound.
Below you can see how neatly the cable is dealt with:
Apparently these headphones can be found for £60 - £90 so look hard before you buy. Trusted reviews is positive at prices below £70 in terms of value for money. Techgage too was also generally positive recommending the use of a good soundcard for better quality.
Behind the Neck Multimedia Headsets
Some users may prefer to wear their phones / mic combination behind the neck rather thanover the head. In which case the Sennheiser pc 145 multimedia set is a possible choice. For Mac users there is a version specifically designed for Mac.
Rapid technological developments
It can quickly be seen that the market place for equipment to create user generated content is rapidly improving all the time. Thye euipment is also becoming easier to use and cheaper. This is helping to fuel the revolution which is turning the media world if not upside down then putting the media moguls on the back foot.
We certainly are living in the midst of a mass media revolution in which the 'mass' part has changed from being relatively inactive consumers to active producers of content which can often challenge or very effectively complement the professional organisations. This is genuine competition for the media companies and they are being forced to adapt!