text:
March 23, 2004
Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is pleased to have this opportunity to speak to you about the growing threat to consumers and Internet users posed by spyware and other invasive or deceptive software applications.
CDT is a non-profit, public interest organization dedicated to preserving and promoting privacy and other democratic values and civil liberties on the Internet. CDT has been deeply engaged in the policy debate about the issues raised by so-called
spyware. In November, 2003, CDT released a report
Ghosts in Our Machines: Background and Policy Proposals on the 'Spyware' Problem,[1] providing background on the spyware issue, evaluating policy and other solutions, and presenting advice for Internet users about how to protect their personal information and their computers from these programs. At the same time, CDT launched our public
Campaign Against Spyware, calling for Internet users to send us descriptions of the problems they have encountered with these invasive applications.[2] CDT is also engaging in in-depth meetings with the wide range of stakeholders in the spyware issue, including ISPs, software companies, and consumer groups.
The proliferation of invasive software referred to as
spyware is a large and rapidly growing concern. These deceptive applications compromise users' control over their own computers and Internet connections, and over the collection and sharing of their personal information. We praise the chairman and this Committee for holding this hearing on S. 2145Ńthe SPY BLOCK ActŃand thereby bringing public attention to this serious and complex issue.
In our testimony today, we hope to address three principal questions:
spyware?The term spyware is extremely difficult to define precisely, and can itself be misleading. The term has been used to describe a wide and diverse range of software. What these programs have in common is a lack of transparency and an absence of respect for users' ability to control their own computers and Internet connections.
Legislation directed at some of the specific issues raised by softwareŃsuch as notice and consent for installationŃmay also have a role to play. While crafting such legislation will be difficult, the SPY BLOCK Act demonstrates the progress that has already been made in our understanding of the spyware problem. The bill plays a critical role in advancing the inquiry about spyware and developing approaches to addressing the issue.
We address each of these questions in more detail in turn below.
No precise definition of spyware exists. The term has been applied to software ranging from
keystroke loggers that capture every key typed on a particular computer; to advertising applications that track users' web browsing; to programs that hijack users' system settings. In some cases, it has even been applied to web cookies or system update utilities designed to provide security patches directly to users. Spyware programs can be installed on users' computers in a variety of ways, and can have widely differing functionalities.
What the growing array of invasive programs have in common is a lack of transparency and an absence of respect for users' ability to control their own computers and Internet connections. The debate over precisely how to define the term spyware (as well as other related terms such as
malware or
adware) has been contentious, in some cases even leading to legal threats between companies.[3] But this semantic dispute diverts attention from the underlying question: Are consumers offered meaningful notice and choice about the programs installed on their computers and the ways in which their computers and Internet connections are used?
The most egregious forms of spyware (sometimes called
snoopware to distinguish them from other categories) are typically stand-alone programs installed intentionally by one user onto a computer used by others. Some capture all keystrokes and record periodic screen shots, while others are more focused, collecting lists of websites visited or suspected passwords. These programs have legal uses (e.g. for certain narrow kinds of employee monitoring) as well as many clearly illegal ones.
The more widespread spyware problem is that of applications installed on Internet users' computers in the course of browsing online or downloading other unrelated software. Users are typically unaware that these programs are being installed on their computers. Many
piggyback on other free applications, such as screen savers, system utilities, or peer-to-peer filesharing programs. In many cases, the only notice to the user about installation of such a secondary program is buried in a long and legalistic
end user licensing agreement. In some instances, no notice of the bundling is provided at all. Other programs trick users into authorizing installations through deceptive browser pop-ups, or exploit security holes to install themselves automatically when a user visits a particular website. In some instances, once a program is installed, it begins to download and install other software with no notice to the end user.
Spyware programs perform a variety of functions once they have gained access to a computer. Many track users' web browsing and deliver pop-up advertisements. While there is nothing inherently objectionable about using advertising, including targeted advertising, as a means to support free software, advertising software must function in a way that is transparent to users, and users must have control over its installation and the ability to remove it.
Other spyware programs can change the appearance of websites, modify users'
start and
search pages in their browsers, or change low level system settings without notifying users or obtaining their consent. Some will even co-opt users' Internet connections to send out spam. Such software is often responsible for significant reductions in computer performance and system stability.
Although much of the discussion about the spyware problem to date has focused on the privacy dimension of the issue, clearly many of these behaviors raise concerns beyond privacy. The term spyware itself can be misleading in some of these cases; arguably, a better term would be
Many spyware applications resist uninstallation. For example, advertising programs that are originally installed as part of a
bundle with other free software may not be removed when the main application is uninstalled. In some cases, spyware applications do not appear in the standard
Add/Remove programs or other uninstallation feature of the system. In egregious instances, some programs reportedly even reinstall themselves after the user has made deliberate efforts to eliminate them.
No single behavior of this kind defines
spyware. However, together they characterize the transparency and control problems common to such applications. Disagreements will continue about whether particular applications do or not deserve this label. In the end, it may be best to think of spyware not as a discrete and well defined category, but as the bad end of a spectrum of software practices, ranging from industry best practices for transparency, notice, and control on one end, to clearly deceptive and fraudulent behaviors on the other. Unfortunately, the resistance of spyware to easy definition makes writing legislation to address the problem difficult, as we discuss in detail in Section III below.
It is difficult to quantify the spyware problem because of the definitional questions mentioned above, and because the speed with which new spyware applications can appear and change makes reliable detection of the programs difficult. However, several indicators point toward the severity of the problem.
Since CDT launched our public
Campaign Against Spyware in November 2003, we received over 300 accounts of problems encountered with various spyware applications. The sources of the responses demonstrate that the problem is pervasiveŃrespondents included individuals dealing with the issue on corporate networks, on computers in schools, and on government networks. These users name a wide array of specific programs and identify several categories of concerns, including loss of privacy, decreased stability, and the inability to use their computer, either because of barrages of pop-ups, or as a result of severely diminished performance.
System administrators also responded to our
Campaign Against Spyware. One of the biggest concerns raised by network administrators relates to the security holes created by these applications. Some spyware programs open major vulnerabilities by including the capability to automatically download and install additional pieces of code with minimal security safeguards. This capability is often part of an
auto-update component.[4]
Network administrators report that spyware is as much or more of a problem than spam, viruses, or other security maintenance. One administrator told us that as many as 90% of the computers on the networks he manages have been infected with some variety of
spyware. Another technical support worker reported that the majority of the problems he encounters can be traced back to
spyware, and that his first recommendation to correct stability or performance problems is to run one of the free spyware search and removal utilities available on the Internet.
In our discussions with industry, CDT learned that invasive spyware applications also cause substantial harm to ISPs and distributors of legitimate software. In many cases, consumers are mistakenly led to believe that the problems resulting from spyware applications are a problem with another, more visible application or with their Internet provider. This confusion places a substantial burden on the support departments of providers of those legitimate applications and services. Not only are affected users required to pay for otherwise unnecessary technical support calls, but those calls impose significant costs on businesses offering the support. Some industry representatives we talked to estimated that the additional costs run in the millions or tens of millions of dollars.
Combating the most invasive spyware technologies will require a combination of approaches. First and foremost, vigorous enforcement of existing anti-fraud laws should result in a significant reduction of the spyware problem.
Addressing the problem of spyware also offers an important opportunity to establish in law baseline standards for privacy for online collection and sharing of data. Providing these protections would not only address the privacy concerns that current forms of spyware raise, but would put in place standards that would apply to future technologies that might challenge online privacy. Anti-spyware tools, better consumer education, and self-regulatory policies are also all necessary elements of a spyware solution.
Legislation to establish standards for privacy, notice, and consent specifically for software, such as the SPY BLOCK act currently before this Committee, may play an important role as well. The challenge to such efforts is in crafting language that effectively addresses the spyware issue without unnecessarily burdening legitimate software developers or unintentionally hindering innovation. We believe the current bill represents a major step forward, although several concerns still exist.
So far the efforts to address the spyware issue are all in very preliminary stages. They will each require cooperation among government, private sector, and public interest initiatives. We discuss each approach in turn below.
CDT believes that three existing federal laws already prohibit many of the invasive or deceptive practices employed by malevolent software makers. Better enforcement of these statutes could have an immediate positive effect on the spyware problem.
Title 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act is most directly applicable to the most common varieties of spyware. We believe that many of the more invasive forms of spyware discussed above clearly fall under the FTC's jurisdiction over unfair and deceptive trade practices.[5] To our knowledge, the FTC so far has not brought any major actions against spyware makers or spyware distributing companies. In February, CDT filed a complaint with the FTC against two companies for engaging in
browser hijacking to display deceptive advertisements to consumers for software sold by one of the companies.[6]
The FTC's plans for a workshop in April on
Monitoring Software on Your PC: Spyware, Adware, and Other Software, is an encouraging indication that the Commission is devoting greater attention to this issue. CDT hopes that the clear message emerges from this workshop that the FTC must take a more prominent role in addressing this issue.
We believe that one of the most immediate ways in which Congress could have a positive impact on the spyware problem is by directing the FTC to increase enforcement against unfair and deceptive practices in the use or distribution of downloadable software and by providing increased resources for such efforts.
Several laws besides the FTC Act may also have relevance. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), which makes illegal the interception of communications without a court order or permission of one of the parties, may cover programs that collect click-through data and other web browsing information without consent. The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) also applies to some uses of spyware. Distributing of programs by exploiting security vulnerabilities in network software, co-opting control of users' computers, or exploiting their Internet connection can constitute violations of the CFAA, especially in cases where spyware programs are used to steal passwords and other information.
In addition to federal laws, many states have long-standing fraud statutes that would allow state attorneys general to take action against invasive or deceptive software. Like their federal counterparts, these laws have not been strongly enforced to date.
CDT has argued that the most effective way to address the spyware problem through legislation is in the context of online privacy generally. Specifically, we believe that the privacy dimension of spyware would best be addressed through baseline Internet privacy legislation that is applicable to online information collection and sharing irrespective of the technology or application. CDT has advocated such legislation before the Senate Commerce Committee and in other fora. Until we address the online privacy concern, new privacy issues will arise as we encounter new online technologies and applications.
At the same time, certain aspects of the spyware problem extend beyond the privacy issues. Privacy legislation would not, for example, apply to software that commandeers computing resources but does not collect or share user information. A comprehensive legislative solution to spyware should address the user-control aspects of the issueŃpiggybacking, avoiding uninstallation, and so on.
The SPY BLOCK Act currently before this Committee represents an important first step towards addressing some of these problems. We appreciate the desire to craft targeted legislation focusing on some of the specific problems raised by spyware, and CDT applauds Senators Burns, Wyden, and Boxer for bringing attention to these important questions. CDT strongly supports the goal of the SPY BLOCK ActŃto assure that users are provided with meaningful notice and choice about the applications that run on their computers.
At the same time, we wish to emphasize the complexity of such efforts. The broad industry opposition to an anti-spyware bill recently passed in the Utah legislature, based on potential unintended consequences of the bill for legitimate software companies, demonstrates the difficulties that can be introduced by such legislation if it is not carefully drafted.[7]
Recognizing that development of appropriate standards for consumer software notice is still in preliminary stages, we suggest two areas of the SPYBLOCK Act that warrant further consideration and may require revision.
short noticesin the context of privacy statements under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act both demonstrate the complexity of this problem and may provide a valuable model for the kind of notices that are appropriate in the context of downloadable software. Many so-called
spywareapplications already provide minimal notice to consumers buried in legalistic licensing agreements that come with bundled software. (Programs that do not provide even this level of notice are probably already illegal, as described above.) However, such minimal notice does not provide consumers the opportunity to make meaningful and informed choices. To be effective, legislation will have to address the difficult issue of how best to ensure that the information that accompanies software is appropriately clear, distilled, and contextualized to allow users to make informed decisions. Simply requiring that programs list information prior to installation may not be enough. However, a bill that will burden users by prompting users for choice too often will not be effective either.
general purposesoftware and certain specific uses of information. CDT is concerned that this approach creates difficulties for software developers while imposing unrealistic burdens on legislators. This tack requires that legislators develop a comprehensive list of functions for which the requirements of the bill are not appropriate. Creating such a list for existing technologies is challenging in itself. Moreover, such a list will likely become outdated as soon as new technologies are developed, or as the categories defined in the law shift. CDT has argued that privacy laws should be neutral with respect to technologies, and we believe the same principle applies here.
We believe that valuable insight into the questions of scope and appropriate notice for consumer software are likely to emerge from ongoing industry and public interest efforts to define best practices, discussed below, and from the FTC's April Workshop in spyware. We encourage the Committee to incorporate the results of these efforts into refinements of the current bill.
Technology measures, self-regulation and user education must work in concert, and will be critical components of any spyware solution. Companies must do a better job of helping users understand and control how their computers and Internet connections are used, and users must become better educated about how to protect themselves from spyware.
The first step is development of industry best practices for downloadable software. Although not all software manufacturers will abide by best practices, certification programs will allow consumers to quickly identify those that do and to avoid those that do not. In the current environment consumers cannot easily determine which programs post a threat, especially as doing so can involve wading through long and unwieldy licensing agreements.
Technologies to deal with invasive applications and related privacy issues are in various stages of development. Several programs exist that will search a hard-drive for these applications and attempt to delete them. Some companies are experimenting with ways to prevent installation of the programs in the first place. However, even these technologies encounter difficulties in determining which applications to block or remove. Clear industry best practices are crucial in this regard as well.
Standards such as the Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P) may also play an important role in technical efforts to increase transparency and provide users with greater control over their computers and their personal information. P3P is a specification developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to allow websites to publish standard, machine-readable statements of their privacy policies for easy access by a user's browser. If developed further, standards like P3P could help facilitate privacy best practices to allow users and anti-spyware technologies distinguish legitimate software from unwanted or invasive applications.
The IT industry has initially been slow to undertake such efforts. However, increasing public concern about spyware and the growing burden placed on the providers of legitimate software by these invasive applications has led to more industry attention on this front.[8]
CDT believes Congress can have an immediate positive impact by encouraging industry to continue to develop these efforts toward self regulation.
Users should have control over what programs are installed on their computers and over how their Internet connections are used. They should be able to rely on a predictable web-browsing experience to remove for any reason and at any time programs they don't want. The widespread proliferation of invasive software applications takes away this control.
Better consumer education, industry self-regulation, and new anti-spyware tools are all key to addressing this problem. New laws, if carefully crafted, may also have a role to play. Many spyware practices, however, are already illegal. Even before passing new legislation, existing fraud statutes should be robustly enforced against the distributors of these programs.
The potential of the Internet will be substantially harmed if users come to believe that they cannot use the Internet without being at risk of
infection from spyware applications. We must find creative ways to address this problem through law, technology, public education and industry initiatives if the Internet is to continue to flourish.
[1] http://www.cdt.org/privacy/031100spyware.pdf
[2] http://www.cdt.org/action/spyware
[3] See, e.g., Paul Festa,
See you later, anti-Gators, CNET.com, October 22, 2003 (available at: http://news.com.com/2100-1032_3-5095051.html)
[4] See, e.g., Saroiu, Stefan , Steven Gribble, and Henry Levy.
Measurement and Analysis of Spyware in a University Environment Proceedings of the First Symposium on Networked Systems Design and Implementation, March 2004 (available at: http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/gribble/papers/spyware.pdf).
[5] Examples of clearly deceptive or unfair practices include:
[6] Complaint and Request for Investigation, Injunction, and Other Relief, in the Matter of MailWiper, Inc., and Seismic Entertainment Productions, Inc., February 11,, 2004 (available at http://www.cdt.org/privacy/20040210cdt.pdf).
[7] See, e.g. Ross Fadner,
Leading Internet Providers Oppose Passage of Spyware Control Act, MediaPost, March 15, 2004 (available at: http://www.mediapost.com/dtls_dsp_news.cfm?newsID=242077)
[8] See, e.g., Earthlink press release:
Earthlink Offers Free Spyware Analysis Tool to All Internet Users, January 14, 2004 (available at: http://www.earthlink.net/about/press/pr_analysis/); America Online press release:
America Online Announces Spyware Protection for Members, January 6, 2004 (available at: http://media.aoltimewarner.com/media/newmedia/cb_press_view.cfm?release_num=55253697).


text:
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The GPSBM is designed for the public safety (covert and discreet), industrial and transportation sectors, where a cost effective, efficient and robust antenna is essential to the application.
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Always been curious about the houseboats in Sausalito? Here's your chance for a glimpse into this unique living situation and community.
The 25th Annual Floating Homes Tour will be held this Saturday, September 25th from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm.
Approximately 19 homes will be shown on the Tour. I understand that this event usually sells out so buy tickets early.
Ticket prices are $35 for advanced purchase and $40 at the door.
There will be a fair amount of walking involved and you are unlikely to see all the homes in one day, but there will be docents to answer your questions and you will be treated to local musical groups throughout the day! It sounds like a great way to spend a day!
You can see Myles Cameron's floating homes tour on Youtube.
Or view images from previous tours.


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About nubwaxer
the USA under simpleton bush had the same shoot first, aim, and lie about any questions after.
broadband service is nearly as vital to existence, for businesses and individuals as well, that it needs to be regulated under section II as a public utility. it's that simple.
you'll probably find some on youtube if you haven't seen them on tv: police in other countries refraining from firing a lethal weapon when obviously provoked to do so when dealing with a violent and armed suspect. i've seen how foreigners do their protesting by throwing firebombs at the police who may respond with fire hoses or teargas but rarely with lethal force.
our domestic police should not have full military body armor and automatic weapons when dealing with the public. the police all too often escalate the potential for violence too quickly and should be better trained in how to interact of everyone they contact and with backup contain a suspect as well as possible until a resolution can be reached without gunfire. finally, part of police training should emphasize that they are obliged to a higher standard of tolerating erratic behavior and verbal abuse.
they are no more than self righteous and arrogant gangs and organized criminals with badges.
i must be out of touch with the times because a streaker in my day would have a hero at school especially if he got suspended as a badge of honor.
i can buy my insurance online from geico or progressive confident that i can call customer service anytime and get immediate customer service. i see allstate ofices around but i tried to buy insurance from allstate online and they sent me a large envelope full of forms so i guess if i went to their office i'd face the same cumbersome process. they even wanted something filled out by the dmv. ridiculous.
dealers provide the constant authorized service to maintain the cars under warranty. i'm thinking tesla cars need very little maintenance and therefor one of the main reasons for dealerships has been eliminated.
the hypocrisy is so obvious when corporasts have fought against regulations that prevented them from running amok but now they're all for crushing a tiny competitor that produces a great car.
i get a distinct feeling that everything going on in this country is based on a divide between confederate and federal ideals which were not settled even at the loss of 660,000 military deaths during the first civil war.
many people are too ignorant or to unwilling to accept the concept of a federal, constitutional, presidential republic.
what kind of fascist police state is the texas republic that wants to charge a 74 year old woman with felony assault on some pansy cop?
the real criticism is that it is a huge, inefficient and costly venture that yields a tiny amount of dubious information while collecting and storing everything available to it, or in other words a government make work program.
snowden broke the law but a public discussion could bring needed changes to our over reactions that infringe on our rights far beyond keeping us secure.


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The speculation is that Attorney General Greg Abbott has his eye on higher office, perhaps a run for lieutenant governor in 2010.
Sometimes in politics the perception becomes reality — at least for a moment.
During a news conference this morning on a gun smuggling bill that passed the Senate last week, state Rep. Frank Corte, R-San Antonio, promoted Abbott to the seat currently held by David Dewhurst.
With Abbott to his left before several reporters and television cameras, Corte started his remarks by saying, "Really, I'm going to just introduce the lieutenant governor," before correcting himself with "excuse me, the attorney general."
Abbott piped in with a smile: "A little Freudian slip there," he said, prompting chuckles.


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Hartford's Anthony Santago scored his second goal of the game, in the first overtime, as the Central Connecticut men's soccer team dropped its first game of the season, 2-1, on the road in West Hartford on Monday night. The Blue Devils are now 1-1 overall on the season.
The Blue Devils return to action on Friday as they travel to the University of Vermont tournament this weekend. Central will play the host Catamounts on Friday at 4 p.m., and then Sunday vs. New Hampshire at 11 a.m.
Hartford scored first in the ninth minute when Anthony Santaga took a ball over midfield and then beat the Central defense, and senior goalkeeper Anthony Occhialini for the 1-0 lead. The goal was the first allowed by the Blue Devils this season after a 2-0 shutout win at home over Yale on Friday night. The Hawks scored in the 92nd minute of the game, just two minutes into overtime.
The Blue Devils tied it up with 14 seconds to play before halftime on the second goal of the season from junior Eddy Bogle. Senior Reece Wilson, a 2012 Hermann Trophy finalist, fed classmate Jesse Menzies on a pass on the right side of the box. Menzies crossed to Bogle who scored just inside the left post to tie the game with 14 seconds left before the half.
The Blue Devils held a 5-2 advantage in shots on goal before the break, and had three corner kicks.
The second half saw both teams have several scoring chances, but neither could capitalize in regulation. Santago took a a feed from David Bernhardsson and headed the ball past Occhialini for the game-winner.
Occhialini finished the night with three saves for the Blue Devils. Viltsu Tuumi had seven in the victory for the Hawks. Central outshot the Hawks 14-11, including 8-5 in shots on goal. They had seven corner kicks to just one for Hartford.


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The Seahawks will continue their preseason on Saturday night against the Broncos without wide receiver Percy Harvin and it will be a little while before they know whether or not Harvin will stand a strong chance of returning to the team at any point in the regular season.
Harvin had hip surgery at the start of August and coach Pete Carroll said at the time that the team was "hopeful" that their biggest offseason acquisition would heal in time to help the offense. Carroll said Friday that he remains hopeful while acknowledging that it is soon too early to tell if a comeback is even in the cards.
"We just know that the surgeon that did the work was thrilled with the way he came back the days right after the surgery, and his ability to get range of motion and things were way ahead of schedule, so that's a great sign," Carroll said, via John Boyle of the Everett Herald. "We're hopeful, whatever that means. We won't know, it's going to take a good month before we can figure if he's even going to have a chance to come roaring back out of it, but it looks like all of the signs are very good. So we'll see what that means, but we're not putting any weeks on it. We don't know."
At the time of Harvin's surgery, the Seahawks were reportedly planning to place Harvin on the PUP list at the start of the regular season. Doing that would allow for an earlier return than placing him on injured reserve with the designation to return, although, as Carroll said, at this point we don't know if a Harvin return is anything more than a pipe dream.


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Atlantic Mills
Image of the Atlantic Mills located in Providence (Olneyville), Rhode Island. The Atlantic Mills complex dates back to 1851, when it started as the "Atlantic Delaine" factory for the manufacture of worsted textiles. The main surviving buildings were…
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The Carolina Hurricanes have made a significant switch with the Checkers.
Joining Charlotte for its upcoming game against the Chicago Wolves on Thursday, its first home game since Oct. 20, will be forward Elias Lindholm – the Hurricanes' fifth overall pick in the most recent NHL Entry draft. Meanwhile, Chris Terry, who is tied for the Checkers' lead with 10 points, heads to Carolina to take his place.
Lindholm, 18, will immediately become the youngest player for the Checkers, both on the current team and in team history, trailing defenseman Keegan Lowe and Swedish World Junior teammate Victor Rask, both 20. Lindholm has played in 10 of Carolina's 14 games, scoring one goal and one assist, having missed five games due to an upper-body concern between Oct. 13-24.
Excluding recent veteran addition Rick DiPietro (first overall in 2000), Lindholm will also be the highest-drafted player to play for Charlotte.
After taking most of four professional seasons to earn his first recall to the NHL, Terry, 24, was one of the final cuts from this year's training camp and is now the first forward to earn a recall, excluding Manny Malhotra, who the team signed to a new contract last week. Terry began the season with points in each of his first nine games, setting a new personal record.
The Hurricanes' sixth-round draft pick in 2007, Terry is the Checkers' all-time leader with 234 games played, 81 goals, 112 assists and 193 points.


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It's so easy to get discouraged, disillusioned and downright disgusted by elections. Even a video of a 4-year-old Colorado girl crying to her mother because she's "tired of Bronco Bama and Mitt Romney" touched a universal nerve.
But on this Election Day, we celebrate those who power though the negative ads, the dizzying campaign mailers and the incessant robo-calls and cast their ballots just the same. From first-timers to veterans, Bay Area voters who have taken the time to decode the complicated propositions, research local candidates and — bonus points here — watch the presidential debate during Game 7 of the National League baseball playoffs, we commend you.
The reasons are often as simple as a civics lesson.
"I like to say I did my part," Gloria Dy, 48, a quality assurance analyst in Santa Clara said Monday. "If you don't do your part, you can't complain."
And for new citizens, it can be as passionate as a surge of American pride.
"I'm excited and nervous at the same time," said Filipino native Nigel Remis of Pinole, who will vote as an American for the first time Tuesday after taking his citizenship oath last month. Drowsiness will tug at Remis, who works the graveyard shift registering patients at Stanford Hospital, but nothing will stop the 31-year-old from getting to his neighborhood ballot box before he goes to bed Tuesday morning. "I was born as a Filipino, but I feel in my heart a loyalty to the U.S.," he said. "I feel patriotic."
Sambath Ros, 77, no longer feels too nervous to vote.
He is one of more than 100 Cambodian elders in East Oakland who fled the violent Khmer Rouge three decades ago and are now voting in the United States for the first time. A community group worked to register the elders, who don't speak English well and have felt disconnected to get involved until Khmer-speaking activists reached out to them.
"This country helps the people," Ros said.
Not everyone can be motivated. Almost 18 percent of the registered voters in Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Francisco counties cast no ballot in the historic 2008 presidential general election; one-third of the region's registered voters ignored the 2010 general election for governor.
But really, there should be little excuse in this fair weather state for avoiding the polls, considering the extraordinary lengths voters on the storm-ravaged East Coast are going through to fulfill their public duty: They're slogging through sand and downed trees, rustling up battery packs to power voting machines and spending as much time finding their displaced polling locations as tanks of gas. With another storm barreling toward the region Tuesday, New Jersey voters, for the first time, can email or fax their votes. And New Yorkers will be allowed to vote at any polling place in the state and might get an extra voting day if turnout falls below 25 percent.
In the Bay Area, there is little on this election day to hinder time-honored voting rituals, where neighbors gather for ballot parties, mothers send out handwritten cheat sheets to their too-busy grown children and parents walk their school-age kids to the polls to see Democracy in action and get an "I Voted" sticker.
"I think the government is so removed from the people — it's Democrat vs. Republican and Republican vs. Democrat and they forget who put them in office," said Larry Moretti, 63, who owns an auto repair business in Santa Clara and who — like more than 800,000 voters in the Bay Area — already sent in his mail-in ballot. "This is my way of letting them know how I feel."
Denise Miller, a 27-year-old Santa Clara University Law student, also sent in her ballot — to her home state of Arizona, where Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio who made headlines about his harsh immigration stand is up for re-election.
"I hope my vote in Arizona might be more of a swing vote there," said Miller, who is encouraging her reluctant younger sister to vote, too. "If we become apathetic, that's not helping anything."
On Tuesday morning, more than 1,000 immigrants will emerge from a swearing in ceremony at Oakland's Paramount Theatre as new citizens. Although Oct. 22 was the state's deadline to register for this election, California offers a grace period for the last batch of newly naturalized citizens, who can go directly to their county election office, register and vote on the same day.
Jessica Guan and Kiran Bhogadi, who both became American citizens this fall, will head to the polls in Millbrae. Guan hails from China, the world's largest communist country. Bhogadi, her husband, comes from India, the world's largest democracy. While their newborn daughter slept, the couple spent hours studying the propositions and candidates.
"It is a right, and also a privilege," said Guan, a financial analyst who learned about the American political system as a schoolgirl in Beijing, where voting was an abstract concept. "I've done my homework. I've made my choices. I take it very seriously."
And like all Americans, new and old, the importance of the voting experience is passed to the next generation.
David Ortiz of San Jose, who drives a tour bus for Royal Coach and is especially concerned about measures that fund road improvements, said he's spent time with his 26-year-old daughter discussing the issues.
"I've told her it's important and will affect how we live and how our money is being spent," Ortiz said. "If you want to make some kind of impact, start with issues that directly affect you, like your community and schools, things you want to change."
Contact Julia Prodis Sulek at 408-278-3409.


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A new buzzword in the hair and beauty industry is "micellar," and products with this adjective may tout "dirt-magnet" or other such cleansing properties.
A new buzzword in the hair and beauty industry is "micellar," and products with this adjective may tout "dirt-magnet" or other such cleansing properties.
To understand this technology, one must first know a chemistry tidbit: A micelle is a mass of molecules that has the ability to dissolve and move non-polar substances through an aqueous medium. Or, as Women's Health magazine explained in December, in a way readers could comprehend, a micelle is a molecule that has opposite ends — one that is attracted to water and one that is attracted to oil. In essence, these micelles both grab what they need out of hair and off the face, and are able to rinse away easily.
While shampoos with micelles act to clarify — or deeply cleanse — hair of excess product buildup and oil, these shampoos are not as harsh on hair as are typical clarifying shampoos. Micelle shampoos are gentle enough to be used daily, asserts Women's Health. Plus, it is still OK to schedule a deep, periodic clarifying shampoo, even if micelle hair care is routinely used. Hair that is especially oily or gets excessively dirty due to exposure to the outdoors is less helped by micelle shampoos and, instead, benefits greatly from occasional clarifying products.
Micelle-infused products are touted by some as solutions to eliminating chlorine, salt, sunscreen and sand from hair after a day of fun in the sun. Often products list the ingredient as "micellar water."
Skin care products with micelles work to mildly draw impurities from the skin without drying it out. What micellar water will not do on its own is remove heavy eye or face makeup.
Since micelle-infused products are relatively new to the general marketplace, Women's Health advises experimentation with a few different products. Individuals can judge which ones work on their hair and skin types. There are plenty to choose from; beauty salons have them, as do pharmacies and popular mass merchandisers.
Expect to pay as much for particular brands of hair and skin care products with micelles as without.


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Lakes Coach Resigns After Two Seasons
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni has resigned after less than two seasons on the job.
Lakers spokesman John Black confirmed D'Antoni's resignation Wednesday night.
D'Antoni went 67-87 after taking over the Lakers early in the 2012-13 season, replacing the fired Mike Brown.
The injury-plagued Lakers were 27-55 this season, their worst campaign in more than 50 years. Los Angeles missed the playoffs for only the third time in 38 years.
D'Antoni had one year left on his contract, but wanted the Lakers to pick up his option year for 2015-16 to have any chance of success. The Lakers apparently refused, leading to D'Antoni's resignation.
D'Antoni also coached the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks.


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April 23, 2009
Complete List of All-MPSF Awards
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - A pair of UC Santa Barbara men's volleyball players were recognized by the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Thursday as Jeff Menzel (Santa Barbara, Calif./San Marcos HS) and Scott Slaughter (Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar HS) picked up honorable mention nods on the league's yearly postseason awards list.
Menzel, a sophomore outside hitter, paced UCSB's attack all season long. He led the Gauchos in kills, attack attempts, aces, and points and was second in digs. Menzel ranks fourth among all MPSF players in both kills and points per set and is eighth in aces per set. Nationally, he ranks sixth in kills and 22nd in aces. Menzel totaled 540 kills over the season, leaving him just 10 short of 1,000 for his career. The 540 kills ranks eighth on UCSB's all-time single season list, while his 1,185 attempts and 36 aces are fifth.
From the middle blocker position, Slaughter was one of the most consistent players in the MPSF this season. The sophomore ranks sixth in the league in hitting percentage, a stat he holds the ninth position in nationally. Slaughter's attack percentage of .437 is the fifth-best ever in a single season at UCSB. He led the Gauchos in blocks and was second in point production in 2009.
Menzel was an honorable mention pick in 2008, while it is Slaughter's first league award.
Pepperdine opposite Paul Carroll was named the Player of the Year and UC Irvine opposite Carson Clark was honored as Freshman of the Year. UC San Diego's Kevin Ring garnered Coach of the Year accolades.
Earlier this year UCSB Athletics unveiled the BE Great initiative. BE Great is dedicated to maximizing leadership ability, strong on-campus interaction, and general welfare for all 450 student-athletes and Intercollegiate Athletics staff at UC Santa Barbara. BE Great also focuses on personal and career development, diversity, and social awareness, along with ensuring academic success.
**UCSB - a nationally recognized university in both academic and athletic excellence - is located on the central coast of California in a picturesque campus and community setting on the Pacific Ocean. Each year over 450 NCAA Division I Gaucho student-athletes compete for national championships, succeed in the classroom, and give back to the community.**
- UCSBgauchos.com -


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TRIPOLI, Libya, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- The Libyan government was presented with an $8 billion investment plan for future production and exploration, Italian energy company Eni said.
Eni Chief Executive Officer Paolo Scaroni met in Tripoli with Libyan Oil Minister Abdelbari al-Arusiand.
"During the meeting, which was held in an atmosphere of cordiality, Paolo Scaroni presented an investment plan worth $8 billion for the development of ongoing production and new exploration activities over the next 10 years," the company said.
As part of the visit, both sides also discussed a potential $400 million social sustainability project and future downstream work with the Benghazi branch of Libya's National Oil Corp.
Early this month, the Italian energy company said it started onshore exploration work in the Libya's western Sirte Basin. Italy received nearly 10 percent of its natural gas from Libya's Greenstream pipeline before civil war began in February 2011.
Production and exploration were impeded by last year's war, though the oil sector has rebounded. German energy company Wintershall last month said it was planning to build an oil pipeline for the Libyan port of Ras Lanuf in 2013.


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The Author
Judith Blakely Morgan is a widely published journalist and author, based in California. Her weekly travel column, launched as "Her World" in the Los Angeles Times [1975-1992], roams to all continents and now appears in about 200 newspapers in the U.S. and abroad through the Copley News syndicate. The column, a personal, passionate and often humorous essay on the joys and rigors of travel, has won numerous awards from the Society of American Travel Writers, San Diego Press Club and California Press Association.
As a biographer, she is co-author (with Neil Morgan*) of Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel,* selected by The New York Times as a Notable Book of 1995, and of Roger, a biography of the oceanographer Roger Revelle, published in 1996 by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego.
California, a book of essays she wrote with photographer DeWitt Jones in 1989, received the Lowell Thomas Award from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation. In 1974, the Morgans collaborated on Island in the Coast: Sea Ranch, California (Oceanic Design, San Francisco.)
A lifelong traveler and ever-curious about the world, Judith Morgan has written articles for many magazines including National Geographic [with Neil Morgan], Travel & Leisure, Readers' Digest, Sports Illustrated and Harper's Bazaar. She has served as interviewer and editor for oral histories through the University of California, Berkeley.
She grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma in a family of journalists. After graduating with honors from the University of Montana in 1960, she studied in Argentina as a fellow of the Inter-American Press Association. She was a reporter on The Tulsa World before joining the staff of The San Diego Union in 1963.
She lives in La Jolla, California, with her husband Neil. She serves on the University of California, San Diego, Board of Overseers and is a Trustee of the University of Montana Foundation. The Morgans are joint recipients of the Ellen & Roger Revelle Award for community leadership and the UCSD Chancellor's Associates Medal.
Created by The Authors Guild
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They don't call this the Legends of the Summer tour for nothing.
Jay Z and Justin Timberlake rocked the first of their sold-out shows, taking over Yankee Stadium in New York City Friday night and paying tribute to Trayvon Martin while they were at it.
NEWS: Did Jay-Z changes his name?
The "Suit &Tie" duo saved the last song of their concert for the tribute, with Jay Z and Timberlake performing a rendition of "Forever Young" in honor of the late teen.
"This is for Trayvon, so light up your cell phones New York!," Jay Z yelled, with Timberlake adding, "One more time for Trayvon New York!"
In addition to their tribute, the pair brought along a couple of surprise performers, with Alicia Keys popping up during Jay Z's performance of "Empire State of Mind," and Timbaland hitting the stage for Timberlake's "SexyBack."
NEWS: Kylie Minogue teases her first album under Jay-Z's Roc Nation
And after the show was the after party.
Jay Z, Beyonce, Neyo, Meek Mill, and Fabolous all arrived at about 1:30 a.m. to the rap star's 40/40 club in New York City, with the crew sipping Jay Z signature tour cocktails courtesy of D'Uss Cognac at their VIP table to celebrate Jay Z's first stop on his U.S. tour.
PHOTOS: Justin Timberlake shows off new haircut
Beyonc was dressed very casual at the club, rocking curly hair, and sporting a button down long sleeve shirt with shorts and Christian Louboutin stilettos.
The husband-and-wife duo was spotted grabbing some food before the night was done, and Beyonc got her groove on throughout the night, dancing with friends.
PHOTOS: Justin Timberlake's top 10 best songs!


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Boston — Several groups and individuals in the health club industry have expressed opposition to a personal trainer licensing bill under consideration in Massachusetts.
In July, about 50 personal trainers attended the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Public Health's legislative hearing on Senate Bill 870, which would require the licensing of personal trainers. In addition, three industry representatives gave testimony against the bill at the hearing: Amy Bantham, the deputy vice president of government relations for the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA); Art Curtis, the CEO of Millennium Partners Sports Club Management, Boston; and Lisa Hufcut, the director of public relations for Town Sports International (TSI), New York.
"It seemed like this session went pretty well," Curtis says. "The committee seemed receptive to what we had to say. There was a strong response from private trainers in Massachusetts."
The bill would require license applicants in Massachusetts to:
Be graduates of an accredited educational program leading to professional qualification in personal training.
Hold a certification accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
Pass an exam with oral and practical demonstrations of skill.
The exam must be approved by an independent licensing board composed of an exercise science professor, a practicing personal trainer with credentials and a member of the public.
Bantham testified that the personal training industry already has embraced accreditation as a means to ensure consumer safety through self-regulation. She cited a recommendation, adopted by the IHRSA Board of Directors in 2005, in which IHRSA member clubs hire personal trainers who either are certified through one of the 12 personal training certifying bodies accredited by the NCCA or have a certificate or degree from an educational institution recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education.
Bantham also testified that the bill's educational requirements are unclear. She added the bill would in effect decrease the number of personal trainers providing services, increase the cost of personal training services and decrease the number of consumers wanting to pursue physical activity programs.
Curtis, whose company runs six clubs under the Sports Club/LA name, including one in Boston, testified that more clubs are adopting the IHRSA recommendation in order to remain competitive and that more members are demanding qualified trainers.


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Recently I have been reading up on the middle ages, and was reading about evolution of armor, and I came across a couple paragraphs that maybe our resident historians could elaborate on.
It said that plate armor was commonly painted, and our conception knights all in plain steel is wrong. The article said that the reason we have this conception is because collectors liked to display them without the paint, to give them a grimmer look. It goes on to say that there was mention of a mercenary company that earned the nickname the "white company" for its lack of paint.
If this is the case then there isn't any reason why the KK2 line would not be good for realism...
well, not the helms.
Any thoughts?


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EC Dipstick (formerly Nutrawand) by Control Wizard Products.New Name! New Label! Same Easy to Use Meter! Now with the 4 most popular scales: EC, CF, 500:1ppm, and 700:1ppm! No matter what meters you have used in the past, the EC Dipstick can read just like it. EC Dipstick (formerly Nutrawand) by Control Wizard Products dissolved salts pen, measures conductivity in both PPM, EC and CF. No calibration required, auto on/off. Very Nice!Over the years Control Wizard Products' EC Dipstick (formerly Nutrawand) has proven to be a rugged performer and great conductivity meter that everyone that owns one seems to love. Why, well they just seem to work harder the more demanding the situation. It's great for greenhouse use where high moisture situations exist or in classrooms where students are learning how to care for tools. The meter is waterproof to 1 meter for short periods of time. Its new electronics allow for hassle free operation. It does not require calibration like other meters. Calibration is all handled internally within its electronic brain. Each time you replace batteries it recalibrates itself. Wow, how cool is that? The savings in calibration solution over 5 years alone makes this meter a real buy. It measures conductivity in 4 scales: EC, CF and 2 PPM scales. EC stands for electrical conductivity, PPM stands for parts per million and CF stands for conductivity factor. Conductivity factor is simply ten times the EC reading for easy reference (1.5 EC reads 15 CF). Another feature that's a real advantage is with just a glance, the EC Dipstick allows you to easily read all scales at once. Well-placed blinking LED lights show you the conductivity of your nutrient from a brightly printed scale. This is one instance that new technology has actually made the product easier and more fun to use instead of hideously more complicated and time consuming. Want icing on your cake? This meter uses three inexpensive AA flashlight batteries. This meters worthiness should be a no-brainer for all growers young and old. This meter comes with a limited two-year warranty with your original sales receipt.
— Ships from Portland, Oregon USA.


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Overview of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH)
Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a condition that involves the build-up of fluid in the brain. Normally, a fluid called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulates around the brain and spinal cord. This fluid cushions, cleanses, and brings nutrients to the cells in the brain and spine. CSF is produced in small, hollow spaces within the brain called ventricles. For people in good health, excess CSF normally drains away into the bloodstream as fresh CSF is produced.
When cerebrospinal fluid does not drain properly, the cerebrospinal fluid builds up in the ventricles and NPH can occur. This build up puts pressure on the brain, interfering with healthy brain function. NPH most commonly affects the areas of the brain that control leg movement, bladder function, and cognitive abilities such as problem solving, speaking, and remembering.
"Hydrocephalus" was once called "water on the brain," but we now know that the water is CSF. The term "normal pressure" refers to the fact that this type of hydrocephalus, which generally develops slowly, has a lower CSF-pressure than other types of hydrocephalus. Normal pressure hydrocephalus occurs mainly in people over the age of 60 and symptoms may be mistaken for other disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. However, with proper diagnosis and treatment many of the symptoms of NPH can be controlled or greatly reduced. In some cases, a nearly complete recovery is possible.
Incidence and Prevalence of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
There are no definitive statistics for the prevalence of NPH in the United States at this time. Some experts estimate that up to 750,000 Americans may have NPH. Estimates also suggest that NPH may be the cause for up to 5% of dementia cases. NPH occurs at about the same rate in men and women and there is no correlation between NPH and race. In general, NPH usually affects patients over the age of 50, with most patients being age 60 or older.


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Plastic Canvas Book Giveaway - Closed
As a former military spouse, we frequently got rid of stuff each time we moved. I am trying hard not to be a pack rat, so I am passing along some various craft books, of crafts that I have tried over the years. These books fall under the category of not being used in well over a year so I am giving them away. There are 6 books from the 1990's time frame. I was living on Fort Knox at the time. Not pictured are several big sheets of standard plastic canvas, more smaller sheets and some round circles of plastic canvas. If this is something that you are interested in, please comment and leave a way to contact you or unique way of identifying yourself if you are the winner. The blog is open for anyone to comment and participate. E-mail entries are accepted with "Plastic Canvas Book Giveaway" in the subject. I will draw on Monday March 30, 2009.


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Get social, not radical
If you are a youth worker and you are worried about any type of radicalisation in your community, have a look at the Radicalisation Awareness Network website, or IMPACT Europe – an EU-funded project set up to research and exchange best practice on preventing radicalisation.
Not in our name!
After the terrorist attacks in France and Denmark at the beginning of 2015, European Commissioner Tibor Navracsics and Ministers for Education committed in Paris on 17 March to ensure that education promotes Europe's civic values. In addition to this, the European Union has funded several projects to promote mutual understanding.
Religious communities are also doing their bit. For example, the #NotInMyName campaign, set up by the London-based Active Change Foundation, encourages Muslims to condemn terrorism on social media. The campaign has now spread to other countries.
Be socially active – feel more included
Young people are often radicalised by online videos or the people around them. Making sure young people are fully integrated into society can help prevent this. A recent Eurobarometer survey on young people in the EU showed that the number of young people who said they had taken part in the activities of at least one organisation (e.g. a sports club, political party, or human rights organisation) in the previous year had fallen to 49% (from 56% in 2013). The most popular organisations are sports clubs (29%), youth or leisure clubs (16%) and community groups (11%).
If you want to be more active in society, why not try one of the activities on the European Youth Portal? If you'd like to do something for a good cause, you could volunteer abroad with the European Voluntary Service programme. Or take look at this list of opportunities to find ways to build your experience (e.g. traineeships, scholarships, competitions). If you're interested in youth policy, get involved in the Structured Dialogue process and help policymakers do a better job.
Related links
- Tackling radicalisation through education and youth policy – fact sheet
- Promoting freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination – declaration by EU education ministers
- SIRIUS policy network – educating children and young people with a migrant background
Published: Wed, 02/12/2015 - 10:39
Info for young people in the western balkans


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|7th December 2006
Senior Member
Join Date: July 2005
Posts: 441
The end of catwalk androgyny? (article)
I remain skeptical, of course, but a new article from the Wall Street Journal (and republished at the following link) suggests that fashion is finally making some tiny progress towards altering its inhuman - and lethal - starvation "standards".
What is important here is that the article identifies specific editors, councils, ministers, etc., who are at least considering implementing changes. This is particularly significant. As long as the discussion was about a vague faceless entity called "the fashion industry", no one had to take any ownership of the probelm. This article finally identifies some of the individuals and groups who do have power in (and over) the fashion industry. Hopefully, they will implement the changes that are being discussed.
If they dont, there will be nothing for it, and external regulation will be required.
It is specifically encouraging to hear these individuals admitting to "the role fashion plays in the spread of anorexia." I dont see how anyone - including plussize models - can deny that the fashion industry does play such a role, any more.
Here is the majority of the text:
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Milan considers setting weight guide for models
|7th December 2006
Senior Member
Join Date: July 2005
Posts: 633
Re: The end of catwalk androgyny? (article)
Interesting article. It's slightly promising, but it seems that the reporters who penned it are pretty skeptical themselves, and cautious about announcing any real progress until it happens.
As they note, "No concrete moves have been taken yet."
Still, there's no question where public sympathies lie- and even the sympathies of at least a few reporters. Just as Melanie's article noted signs of hope in the fashion industry, here's an article that talks about possibly positive developments in that other notorious promoter of the androgynous, skeletal look- planet Hollywood.
It's from an Irish newspaper (which I find fitting, as so many Irish girls are born to be well-fed beauties), and I like the fact that the reporter makes her disdain for the emaciated standard evident. People are slowly becoming more confident in their ability to express a open preference for plus-size beauty.
The link is here-
but the site might require registration, so here's the bulk of the article:
So long to the Size Zero Sisters
|7th December 2006
Senior Member
Join Date: August 2005
Posts: 587
Re: The end of catwalk androgyny? (article)
That is precisely the problem - that fashion models DO "tend to be thin"!! There is no reason why they should be. If Cosmo's editor really wanted to improve the situation, the most important thing she could possibly do is to use fashion model who don't "tend to be thin" - i.e., plus-size models.
It's nice that she's changing her magazine's illustrations, but what she should do is "put more meat on the bones" of her bony models, not just on her magazine's drawings.
There's another new article about these slightly-positive developments here:
Here are a few quotes from it. Note the last one, especially:
"After Spain barred models below a certain weight from a Madrid fashion show in September, industry leaders in Argentina and now Brazil have joined a campaign to ensure models are over 16 years old and are not excessively thin.
The latter point is especially important. The article that Kaitlynn posted revealed that "Ana Carolina Reston's BMI was just 13.5 - the World Health Organisation consider a BMI of 15 as an indicator of starvation."
It's not just pro-curvy individuals who are pointing out that today's fashion models are malnourished and starving. It's a clinical fact.
The fashion industry may still be in denial about this, but the fact is that the starvation of their models, and of the women who emulate them, is a humanitarian crisis, by any definition. I hope they finally do something about it - before more women die as a consequence of their callous and self-centred adherence to an inhuman aesthetic.
|8th December 2006
Senior Member
Join Date: August 2005
Posts: 352
Re: The end of catwalk androgyny? (article)
This is truly a shocking statistic, especially because, from her pictures, this model who died had a figure that was almost exactly identical to 99% of the models in the business. That means that MANY of the industry's models are also in this life-threatening category - life-threatening for themselves, and for the women who emulate them.
What is especially troubling is who the media puts on TV, whenever they treat the issue of banning underweight models. It's always either:
(a) two-bit authors out to shell style books. Very "informed" individuals. (Not.)
(b) fashion magazine editors. Gee, I wonder what THEY will say? That's like getting a tobacco company CEO to talk "objectively" about the dangers of smoking. And of course, they self-servingly try to deflect blame from themselves by saying, "This is a complex issue and emaciated models aren't the ONLY cause of anorexia." Yes, but they are ONE of the causes!!! That's reason enough to protect the public from their harmful influence.
That's like saying smoking isn't the ONLY cause of lung cancer. Yes, but it's ONE of the causes! That's bad enough to warrant regulation.
E.coli doesn't cause ALL bacteria-related deaths, but it causes some. That makes it a health hazard from which the public MUST be protected.
One medical study after another has conclusively linked images of underweight models to promoting eating disorders, and these people are allowed to appear on TV and pretend that these fact don't exist. Why doesn't some responsible reporter stick these reports and studies right in these editors' faces, and ask, "What do you have to say for yourself now?" Here is PROOF that the images you create, the models you use, ARE part of the problem."
The media has been going after other industries for years (60 Minutes does nothing but this sort of thing). Why does the fashion industry get a pass?
How many more people have to DIE before they are held accountable?
|10th December 2006
Join Date: July 2005
Posts: 1,784
Re: The end of catwalk androgyny? (article)
The CFDA director's statement is shockingly candid. It reveals that the fashion industry is not just a "Wild West," where every designer does whatever he or she likes. Rather, there is an overseeing body--and one that obviously holds enormous power.
The director's assertion that "If change comes, it's a collective response," is tellingly imperative. He seems remarkably confident in his ability to speak for the industry. He would never have made such an unequivocal pronouncement of what the fashion world would collectively do, if he didn't think that his council had precisely this much power over the industry as a whole.
His statement proves, unequivocally, that the fashion industry could change the size of its models, if it wanted to, and that this council is the regulating body that could make such a change happen.
It simply chooses not to do so.
So, for all of the eternal back-and-forth discussion about who decides models' sizes, and who could change this standard--with editors pointing at the designers, designers pointing at agencies, agencies blaming the movie industry, and so forth--now we have an answer: this entity, the CFDA, is the last word on the subject. They have the power to effect change unilaterally, if they choose to do so.
Furthermore, the CFDA director's statement that his organization is "still considering the issue" is quite transparent. Are they "still considering" the tragedy? Or rather, are they "still considering" whether they can get away with it--get away with letting designers select skeletal, deathly-ill models? Are they "still considering" the problem, or "still considering" how much "heat" they can stand, still watching whether the public furore will die down--which would allow them to go on ignoring the crisis? (At least until another model dies.)
It's like a tobacco executive "still considering the issue" of whether they need to alert the public to the dangers of their product. They are not "still considering" the ethics of their industry's practices, but rather, whether their industry will soon face outside regulation, if they don't do something themselves right now.
When models are dying, when women are starving, the time for "consideration" is over. A government crackdown, of the European sort, seems more necessary than ever--just as governments have always had to crack down on entities that poison the culture, and show a wilful disregard for the harm that their degenerate practices inflict.
The CFDA Web site includes the following text, as a statement of the Council's raison d'etre:
What's this? To "define a code of ethical practices"? What kind of "ethics" would not include the prevention of death, as an absolute necessity?
This is the other particularly significant point in the article. Fashion itself would become much more beautiful via a substantial increase in models' sizes. Designers would inevitably turn away from androgynous styles constrained by vertical lines and flat surfaces, in favour of more rounded, natural shapes that better suit the soft, swelling contours of the well-fed female figure.
Even from a strictly aesthetic standpoint, fashion's androgynous standard makes absolutely no sense. If designers want to promote "glamorous" clothing, it is the height of absurdity to promote such clothing on walking corpses. What is "glamorous" about malnutrition?
It is self-evident that "glamorous" fashions, befitting a "glamorous" lifestyle, should be displayed on models with "glamorous" figures--and there is nothing glamorous about a shrivelled, 90lb frame. Rather, the lavish opulence of the voluptuous female figure is aesthetically harmonious with the lavish opulence of expensive couture. The decadent, sumptuous fullness of timeless beauty accords with the pampered, adorably spoiled, self-indulgent nature of the target market for such attire.
Displaying top-drawer fashions on malnourished frames is like composing a grand concerto for a symphony orchestra, but having it performed by a two-bit wind band.
Plus-size models embody precisely the type of luxurious beauty that is best suited for showcasing creme-de-la-creme fashion.
Casey McCabe (Wilhelmina), looking sinfully, irresistibly indolent:
|14th December 2006
Join Date: March 2006
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 71
Re: The end of catwalk androgyny? (article)
I think a major obstacle are anorexics themselves. Many who suffer from the illness presently, or have in the past, refuse to acknowledge the very powerful and pervasive influence that the media has had on their disease, specifically images of modern androgyny. Many will attribute their problem to everything under the sun BUT the most obvious thing - the fashion/beauty industry. If more women who have suffered with anorexia stood up and held the industry accountable and protested this poisonous influence, the media could no longer get away with ignoring the issue.
|18th December 2006
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Join Date: July 2005
Posts: 517
Re: The end of catwalk androgyny? (article)
I think that's exactly right, and it's so glaringly true, that I am amazed no one acknowledges this. After all, the whole problem of anorexia is the fact that its victims have a severely distorted view of the femal body. Mis-perceiving the natural size of women is the crux of their illness. By definition, the one thing that they cannot assess accturately is emaciated media imagery, because they don't recognize starvation when they see it.
Of course they can't acknowledge the problem of anorexic media imagery, being anorexic themselves. If they can't see their own starvation, how can they see it in others?
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|Hayward, Calif.
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|Arroyo HS
UC Santa Barbara
After redshirting for a year, Kujore qualified for NCAA Championships in Discuss Throw and Shot Put where she placed 33rd in both… Competed in Hammer Throw, Discuss Throw, and Shot Put at Big West Championships…posted a best mark in Hammer Throw at Northridge Invitational where she placed 4th.
Kujore had a standout year, throwing personal records in the shot put, discus and hammer events...Threw 49-8.25 in the shot put and placed second in the Big West Conference and third in the UCSB school record list...Placed second in the discus at the Bryan Clay Invite with her farthest throw measuring 171-6...Threw a personal best of 175-4.5 in the hammer throw at the Occidental Invite and placing third overall.
Only competed in three meets this season.
High School
Qualified for the California State Championships in the shot put and discus events as a freshman...Voted MVP her freshman year...Captained her varsity track and basketball teams...Member of the California Scholastic Federation.
Kujore enjoys going out with her friends and listening to music...Played the tenor saxophone in jazz band while at Arroyo high school...Lettered in basketball as well as track...
Collegiate Career Bests
shot put - 49-8.25 (Big West Conferece, 5/13/2010)
discus - 171-6 (Bryan Clay Invite, 4/15/2010)
hammer - 175-4.5 (Oxy Invite, 5/8/2010)
weight throw - 64-9.25 (University of Washington Indoor Invite, 1/27/2012)


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Music video for myself: "Take That Thing Off My Couch" by me. Used After Effects and Premiere CS6, fractals were achieved using Artmatic 5.
And just on that… here are some screencaps from the animation.
I'm really not a "pixel art" type of guy. I wish I was, but unfortunately I'm just not as great with it. Now making it more interesting, what about textures? Those are more accessible honestly, and to me they're a step down from drawings and stuff. So I began investing a bit of time trying to figure out how I can make it happen. After a couple rounds of doing manual pixel art, I realized I can potentially make procedural textures out of it. Of course, it won't have the same feeling as manually created pixel art textures, but this project was all about how close I can get it. First of all some past things I've tried.
This was for my thesis film: The Door to Tomorrow
In these two cases above I'm basing the original texture off of procedural means. I had to do this partly because I had little time to generate nice looking backgrounds for the "game scenes" in the animated film. The textures were first generated in FilterForge, then processed again in FilterForge using a filter called: I Dream in EGA by Mike Blackney. The filter has custom color input, so I can choose a couple colors matching the scheme of the texture provided. This way we don't just end up with the default 16 colors.
I can then pick and choose what parts of the texture I want to use and also erase bits and pieces of pixels accordingly to have "stuff sticking out." The method is simple, rapid, and quite good looking as long as you don't change pixel scales.
But I kinda wanted a bit more. So I began investing some time doing more manual pixel art to learn the little things considered. There are tons obviously, and after studying more pixel-art based textures, I came up with a small method allowing for the style to be achieved while providing the ease in deployment. Of course, this is FAR from being a complete solution to achieving that specific clarity in style, but it's decent small step forward.
I have a copy of FilterForge 4 beta 1, and they featured groups. I'm using that. Meet the Pixel Shader, the grouped component that takes a color map and height map and spits out pixely textures with shading.
The method employed here is actauly relatively simple. The output look is what's difficult to achieve. In creating the little shader there, I basically had to modify the entire texture to suit a nice looking image. So it's a bit more work than just "plug and play" unfortunately. But the deployment is fairly easy and the adjustments you have to make to the filter are pretty basic.
The internals of this component isn't impressive at all. It's in fact stupid simple.
The package contains two derivatives so you can have two directional lights with controllable colors. There's an ambient lighting, shading bias, and several more options to fill in the goodness. The final stage is the pixelation, which happens via a checker node. I use this because it has two color inputs, so if you input another image into that checker, you get a "checkered" result between two images. This can be useful for a "dithered" look. In this case the filter isn't needing that effect so the output comes straight out.
But in the end, what you ULTIMATELY need to do is design a good texture to begin with. In this case, I designed the filter and had to modify it so it would work with the system I implemented. The idea here is that the little component isn't doing the entire job, it's the whole filter that's giving it the good look and effect of it.
I went around modifying other filters too so to achieve the same effect. A couple months ago I produced a filter that created SciFi Tech walls. It's a pretty detailed filter and I thought… it can use a bit of pixelation. Here's a screen cap of the presets after adding the Pixel Shader group component to the filter.
These might be quite visually too much if used practically, but it's still a good starting point for detailed pixel stuff.
Of course, it's flawed in that it's not the true goodness of hand crafted pixel art. I'm not going to state here I've made the pixel art machine, but it kinda gets part of the job done. In my mind, the next step after producing the texture is to actually go in and give more context by hand. I made this to help myself a bit along the way and not necessary to finalize a product.
While I don't want to be too restrictive, I'll need to keep the filter to myself for now. There's still a lot of things being developed for it and I'm using it personally in my job as well. This post does expose some of its secrets but doesn't explain it all.
In part two of this discussion, I'll talk a bit more about designing the filter so it works around the Pixel Shader.
Directly from my Behance page: A small exploration of color continues with fractal-like images. I created a filter using FilterForge and sampled the colors directly from a couple photographs.
– – –
Procedural work using FilterForge in exploring color and design. Each design was derived off of 5 colors I'm interested in. The images were created using a custom filter in FilterForge and processed by hand using Adobe Camera Raw.
– – –
Some generative works using Studio Artist 4 and a bunch of pictures. The one thing about this process is that it's mostly automatic once you set the brush preset up. I made some minor edits later on using ACR. It's an interesting effect and not that hard to do either, took a bit of thinking to get the thing working right but the overall process wasn't too bad.
Each image is around 4000 pixels wide although for web purposes I'm uploading just the small versions.
– – –
I was thinking about bioluminescent jellyfish as I played around with Artmatic.
The previous post explains about what you see here. Although unlike the last Artmatic structure I used, this one uses a similar tree structure. The modification adds a new effect.
– – –


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March 11, 2008
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - In the inaugural meeting between both programs, MIT emerged with a 6-4 win over Salve Regina University in non-conference men's lacrosse action on Tuesday. Eric Zuk registered a hat-trick while John Kucharczyk earned three assists for the Engineers (1-1). Brandt Nelson paced the Seahawks with two goals as their record fell to 1-1 on the year.
Salve Regina opened the scoring with 4:07 on the clock when Evan Gates found Ryan Comerford for his third goal of the season. With five seconds remaining in the period, Zuk connected on a pass from Kucharczyk for the equalizer.
Nelson converted a feed from Ryan Doherty after 2:52 elapsed in the second stanza. MIT countered with man-up goal by Patrick Shannon that was set up by Corey Garvey midway through the frame. With 5:12 on the clock, the Seahawks regained the lead at 3-2 courtesy of a blast by Bennett Sweeney that gave Robert Hoffman the assist. Just over three minutes later, the Zuk-Kucharczyk connection returned which resulted in a deadlock at halftime.
The majority of the third period was a defensive battle until MIT's Ryan Ballentine found Dan Piemont for the go-ahead goal with 1:04 left. The Engineers carried the momentum into the final frame as Piemont connected on a pass from Kucharczyk for what proved to be the game-winning goal after 1:51 expired. Salve Regina ended its 28-minute scoring drought and cut its deficit in half (5-4) on Nelson's unassisted strike with 8:41 to play. Zuk completed the hat-trick and gave the Engineers an insurance goal at the 3:21 mark, just two seconds after a two-man power-play expired. The Seahawks had several chances to close the gap, including a pair of extra-man opportunities however MIT's defense thwarted any hopes of a late rally.
In net, Garth Grove collected 12 saves for the Engineers while Brian Walker made 14 stops for Salve Regina.
MIT will resume action on Monday, March 24 when it faces off with Colby College in Clearwater, Fla. Next up for Salve Regina will be a neutral-site game against Amherst College on Sunday, March 16.


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- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
It's important to feel comfortable where you live, as if you belong. But if you live in a drafty, castle with a stone floor, you're probably chilly most of the time, even if you feel at home. And if you live with multiple humans, the likelihood that all of you are at the proper temperature for maximum enjoyment at the same time is next to nil. Having a big, comfortable robe you can throw on at a moment's notice is valuable, plus it'll remind your fellow humans that if they really need the common room as cold as they seem to think they do, you have the ability to make it snow.
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Miami Dolphins
Dolphins owner forms super PAC, blasts Miami lawmakers
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has begun exacting his political revenge against state lawmakers who stood in the way of his proposed renovation to Sun Life Stadium.
A new super PAC created by Ross mailed attack fliers late last week to voters in the districts of state Reps. Michael Bileca, Jose Felix Diaz and Carlos Trujillo, all Miami Republicans who opposed $350 million in stadium upgrades that would have been partly funded with public dollars.
The fliers signal that Ross, a wealthy GOP donor who had already lambasted the Republican speaker of the Florida House of Representatives for failing to take up the football team's legislation, has given up on making a push for the bill in next year's legislative session, when the same lawmakers will still be in office.
Instead, Ross is taking aim at next fall's elections, perhaps intent on trying for the stadium renovations again with new lawmakers beginning in 2015.
"It's reckless," Trujillo said of Ross' early campaign. "It's a little bit embarrassing, I think, for them, with their stature in the community, to be attacking individual members."
Ross, a billionaire real-estate developer who works in New York City but lives in Palm Beach County, could not be reached for comment.
A senior official with his new political action committee, Florida Jobs First, confirmed to the Miami Herald that the group targeted the three lawmakers and plans to support Republican Gov. Rick Scott's reelection bid, as first reported by Politico. Scott all but endorsed the Dolphins' stadium proposal earlier this year.
Ross first indicated that he would dive into Florida legislative politics on the night the session ended in Tallahassee without a House vote on the Dolphins' bill, which was required to allow Miami-Dade voters to weigh in on whether public money should be spent on the stadium makeover.
An incensed Ross blasted House Speaker Will Weatherford, a Wesley Chapel Republican, accusing him of reneging on a pledge to give the legislation a floor vote. Weatherford denied ever making the promise and cited a Miami-Dade legislative delegation split on the bill as a principal obstacle to its passage.
"In the future, I will look to play an important role in fixing the dysfunction in Tallahassee and will continue to work to create good jobs in Miami-Dade and throughout South Florida," Ross said in the May 3 statement.
Florida Jobs First filed paperwork with the IRS on June 14, registering as a political organization. As a super PAC, the group can raise unlimited political funds.
The lawmakers who opposed the Dolphins are likely to have deep-pocketed backers of their own. Miami auto magnate Norman Braman, himself a billionaire and frequent GOP donor, lobbied against public financing for the stadium improvements and praised the legislators who worked to defeat the proposal.
The Dolphins spent an astounding $10 million in publicly reported funds over six weeks on the special election. Their local political action committee, Friends of Miami First, raised $4.97 million from the Dolphins and Ross. It spent $4.48 million of that and made a nearly $4.8 million nonrefundable payment to Miami-Dade County to cover election costs.
In all, the effort amounted to one of the most expensive Miami-Dade campaigns ever waged.
The special election would have asked voters to approve an agreement crafted by Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, in which the county would have raised the mainland hotel-tax rate to 7 percent from 6 percent to fund some of the stadium improvements. Miami-Dade would have paid the Dolphins $289 million over three decades from that increase.
As part of the state legislation, the Dolphins were also seeking $90 million over 30 years from a Florida sales-tax subsidy.
In exchange for the funding, the club would have had to eventually repay some of the money to the state and county, to hold a certain number of sporting events at the stadium and to remain in South Florida for the next 30 years.
The Dolphins fought for a referendum before National Football League owners met last month to award the 50th and 51st Super Bowls. South Florida was bidding to host either championship but, without plans to make over the 1987 stadium, lost to the San Francisco area and Houston.
The first round of spending by Ross' new super PAC targeted Bileca and Trujillo, perhaps the loudest local voices opposing the stadium plan, and Diaz, the vice chairman of the Miami-Dade delegation. The fliers against the three men are identical, except for the legislators' names and photographs.
"More than 4,000 New Miami jobs ... gone," reads the front of the glossy four-sided flier. "Republican Representative Jose Felix Diaz failed us."
Diaz said he was surprised by the attack because he tried to keep a low profile on the legislation. His law firm, Akerman Senterfitt, has worked for the Dolphins, and he wanted to avoid creating a potential conflict of interest, he said.
"I never took a vote against it and I tried to stay out of it," Diaz said, acknowledging that he "wasn't excited" about the bill. "Mine just seems to be guilty by association."
The inside pages of the flier accuse the lawmakers of blocking "big tourist events like the Super Bowl" from returning to the Miami Gardens stadium — and of halting the proposed May 14 referendum that was canceled after the Dolphins legislation failed to get a House vote.
Based on the partial tally of votes that had been cast early in person and by mail in the referendum before it was called off, the Dolphins' campaign was foundering.