text: XenForo Template Babette's Feast Blu-ray ReviewThe worlds of the physical and the spiritual collide and embrace in grand and glorious harmony in Gabriel Axel's Babette's Feast. With a carefully paced and beautifully modulated story adapted from Isak Dinesen and a terrific array of fine actors underplaying to tremendous effect, Babette's Feast is one of those cinematic jewels that will continue to glimmer as long as there are folks willing to wait and watch one of the true transformational marvels of 20th century filmmaking. Studio: CriterionDistributed By: N/AVideo Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVCAspect Ratio: 1.66:1Audio: OtherSubtitles: EnglishRating: Not RatedRun Time: 1 Hr. 44 Min.Package Includes: Blu-raybook-like case inside cardboard slipcoverDisc Type: BD50 (dual layer)Region: ARelease Date: 07/23/2013MSRP: $39.95 The Production Rating: 5/5 Filippa (Hanne Stensgaard, Bodil Kjer in old age) and Martine (Vibeke Hastrup, Birgitte Federspiel in old age) are two sisters who as strictly practicing Lutherans have foregone the opportunities for love and fame to remain by their father's side leading his congregation and, after his death, serving as dutiful practitioners of Christ's teachings among their humble Danish brethren. In 1871, a French refugee Babette Hersant (Stephane Audran) arrives with a note from Martine's formerly ardent pursuer Papin (Jean-Philippe Lafont) asking for the sisters to give her sanctuary which they readily do adding her to their household as their cook. But time is wearing down the faith of the sisters' parishioners as they openly squabble about past slights and seem to be growing farther apart from the examples the girls' father had set. But Babette, who has just won a French lottery prize of 10,000 francs, decides she wants to use the money to prepare a genuine French meal the likes of which no one in the village has ever seen or tasted. But the sisters and their fold aren't sure a rich meal is proper enough for their faith built on the tenets of sacrifice and poverty.Director Gabriel Axel adapted Isak Dinesen's short story for the screen and uses subtlety as a powerful tool in telling the tale foregoing overwhelming amounts of dialogue with sensationally evocative close-ups of faces and fixtures letting them speak volumes without words. Wisely, the flashbacks with the two young, beautiful sisters are spare and get their points across without belaboring the sacrifices each makes, and the director is wise enough to offer us only small peeps into the kitchen as the feast is being prepared making the actual feast, presented course by course during the film's final forty minutes, the film's raison d'etre. He's also retained the very smart use of the general (Jarl Kulle) returning to the home of his lost love and serving as a kind of expert in cuisine explaining to the ignorant villagers (and us who have limited knowledge of French cooking and fine wine) exactly what is being served and how marvelously it's been prepared. With its limited dialogue and controlled emotional palette, it's amazing how funny and how touching the film's methodical but ultimately entrancing spell on the viewer is. It would be a rare person who doesn't see or understand the spiritual uplift this amazing food has on the community who consumes it: the kind of communal bond established when a group undergoes together something profoundly unique and life-affirming.Both incarnations of the sisters are tremendously effective. Bodil Kjer and Birgitte Federspiel as the older sisters have more screen time, and yet as their faces begin to transform during the amazing meal presented to them, one can almost imagine their younger embodiments inhabiting these older bodies. Jarl Kulle as the elderly general who ultimately understands Filippa's choice by the end of the meal gives a wrenching performance of great nuance as he has his epiphany near film's end. Stephane Audran is very understated, too, as Babette, and yet the slight smile of triumph as her meal concludes speaks volumes. Jean-Philippe Lafont as the pompous operatic tenor Papin whose pursuit of the youthful Martine has later ramifications for them all is very entertaining. Video Rating: 4/5 3D Rating: NA The film is presented in the 1.66:1 aspect ratio and is offered in 1080p using the AVC codec. Color is very subdued throughout (film clips used in some of the bonus features show more vibrant color timing), and flesh tones are generally good though occasionally veer toward being overly pink. Sharpness is usually outstanding in close-ups and medium shots, but in long shots there is some softness and lack of definition. While age-related artifacts are not a problem, there seems to be one moment where a kind of checkerboard pattern appears in the background of a scene, never to be repeated. The white English subtitles are very easy to read. The film has been divided into 27 chapters. Audio Rating: 4.5/5 The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo surround sound mix is very effective. Dialogue is always very clear and is never compromised by sound effects or music cues. Fidelity is generally very good (the young Martine of Vibeke Hastrup sounds lovely in her singing lessons), and the spread of sound effects like ocean waves or horses galloping get some nice spread from the fronts to the rears. Special Features Rating: 4.5/5 Gabriel Axel Interview (8:41, HD): a 2013 interview with the director-writer of the film finds him discussing the themes and style of his Oscar-winning movie.Through Babette's Eyes (24:21, HD): actress Stephane Audran reminisces about playing the role in the film and discusses her suggestions during pre-production to give the film more flavor.Table Scraps (26:00, HD): a video essay on the movie written and directed by Michael Almereyda which traces the journey of the film from Isak Dinesen's short story to the finished film. It's narrated by Lori Singer.Karen Blixen – Storyteller (1:30:07, HD): Christian Thomsen's 1995 documentary on the life of the baroness who wrote under the pen name of Isak Dinesen. Friends and family are interviewed along with excerpts from Blixen's television appearances in the decade before her death.An Artist for the Everyday (17:00, HD): 2013 interview with food expert Priscilla Ferguson which deals with the history of French cuisine and the important part it plays in the original short story and movie.Theatrical Trailer (1:28, HD)65-Page Booklet: contains the chapter listing, cast and crew lists, a series of color stills, film professor Mark Le Fanu's analysis of the movie, and Isak Dinesen's original short story.Timeline: can be pulled up from the menu or by pushing the red button on the remote. It shows you your progress on the disc and the title of the chapter you're now in. Additionally, two other buttons on the remote can place or remove bookmarks if you decide to stop viewing before reaching the end of the film or want to mark specific places for later reference. Overall Rating: 4.5/5 A film of subtle moods and exemplary execution, Babette's Feast is a film banquet of the first order. A beautiful looking and sounding Blu-ray release, the bonus materials are a rich dessert to go with the sumptuous main course. Highly recommended! Reviewed By: Matt Hough Support HTF when you buy this title:


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The following is from an interview of Samantha Anderson / Samantha 38G by Boobpedia.
"Porn is a job, just like anyother job. It is work. It is hard work to be successful."
"I am very open about what I do, and who I am. I see no sense in being ashamed of my career choice. I think the female body can be beautiful, and I think sex is awesome. Doesn't mean I want to have sex with every guy out there. (In my private life, in my bedroom, I am extremely picky and need more of an emotional connection than a sexually one.) But I fail to see how being open about enjoying sex and being a bit of an exhibitionist is so awful."
"What is there to be ashamed of in the first place? It is a fact, that we all are made to enjoy sex. It is a fact, that most people do have sex or at least want to. I find those who hide their sexuality and put down those in the adult industry are the weirdest and most harmful to others in the world."
"Does everyone know? Yah, I am all over the web. And if that makes someone not love me, then they didn't love me to begin with. Who would want those kind of people in their life? I did not lose a single person, I am still very much loved by those who have always been in my life."
"My reason for entering the adult industry is to make money. It is the common cause for most people to work most days of the week. Somehow having big boobs that are real, does not magically make my electric bill, house payment disappear. I need to make money to pay bills just like everyone else. (Got to laugh at those who think differently, that somehow my boobs or career choice means I live a fanasy life.)"
"I spend about 10 to 12 hours a day on the computer. How glamourous and fun is that for a career. LOL! Know more about computers than I ever imagined. Oh, it is called marketing. No gal can be sex or fantasy 24/7. So what you read in magazines see in storylines on websites and stuff. All marketing, all set up. She is being paid to pretend to be that fantasy. Enjoy it for the entertainment it is and leave it at that, it is not her reality."
"My own reality is pretty boring. I go to bed at about 10pm. I don't drink. I don't do drugs. I don't go bar hopping. I don't go looking for one night stands. I don't bring home girls for my guy and me to do. I put all my energy, creativity, imagination, all my sexuality into my site, into my shoots. Shooting can be fun and exciting, but then I am the one in control and refuse to do anything I don't like or enjoy."
"Things I like to do, my hobbies? Cooking is a creative outlet for me. Reading is how I relax. Long walks is how I figure out my problems."
"My favorite scene I've ever done: The future shoots. I never live in the past. It is like a great meal. You enjoy it so much while you eat, but once done, it is over. On to the next day and the next meal. I alway look forward to the next shoot, the next adventure."
"Want to know something horrible? Can't remember the male talents names. Just doesn't seem to matter to me. Great sex is about the emotional connection, the love between me and who I am seeing. Guess I am a girl, just like anyother. Not that they aren't great guys, but there is no sex off camera with them. Once done with a shoot they are onto their lives and I am off to mine."
"Here is a behind the scenes story: At my first boy/girl shoot, the Big Naturals video. Male talent couldn't keep it hard, he was into skinny girls with no boobs. Also his girlfriend was not happy about him being a male porn actor. There were too many people there, 'investors'. Had to do a couple scenes twice due to them talking or cellphones going off. I asked them to leave. Unheard of in this industry for the female talent to give orders. But then I was prepared to walk out and not finish the work or get paid. When I was done shooting, I got paid. I was out the door and the behind the scenes guys chasing me down the hallway. All wanting blow jobs. I had errands to run, places to be, things to do. Think I surprised them by saying no and being upon my way."
"Then the so-called real world, the corporate world is way worse. At least in this industry I know when I am being fucked. In the corporate world, it could be downsizing, not getting that much needed raise, not getting a promotion, health insurance benefits being cut, pension fund raided, company out sourcing your job, hiring only part-timers so on one gets any kind of benefits, bosses or co-workers who take credit for your hard work, or embarrassing Holiday parties."
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subset: commoncrawl


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This product is no longer available.
You can try these similar gifts instead.
Cappuccino Personalized Slate Clock
Treat the caffeine connoisseurs in your life to this delightful clock. A perfect addition to any kitchen or office desktop, the slate clock is decorated with a mug of cappuccino and can be personalized.


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SAN DIEGO - With the Super Tuesday primaries one day away, the final debates in San Diego's mayoral and city attorney's races are set for today.
Mayor Dick Murphy will square off on KFMB Radio's "The Rick Roberts Show" at 8 a.m. with the three men who want his job: Port Commission Chairman Peter Q. Davis, county Supervisor Ron Roberts and environmental designer Jim Bell.
At 3 p.m., attorney and civic activist Michael Aguirre, Deputy City Attorney Deborah Berger and Assistant City Attorney Leslie Devaney are to appear on Mark Larson's program on KCBQ. The three want to be San Diego's next city attorney.
The program will be broadcast from the Labor Council building at 3737 Camino Del Rio South, Aguirre spokesperson Chris Ward said.
Both debates could be significant. As of last week, a poll found that more people were undecided than supported a particular candidate in the two races.
The KPBS poll indicated Murphy should get 33 percent of the vote, which would force him into a runoff with the candidate receiving the next highest number of votes.
A runoff between the two top finishers must be held if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote.
Murphy, Davis and Roberts are all moderate Republicans who cut their political teeth in the 1970s through the patronage of then-mayor Pete Wilson.
The issue of city finances - brought to the fore by Murphy challengers Davis and Roberts - does not seem to be swaying those voters who already favor the incumbent.
Pension-funding problems, slipping credit ratings and even wordof a Securities and Exchange Commission probe of city employees whomay have misled Wall Street about pension problems have failed toarouse the electorate.
For his part, Davis has concentrated on his accomplishments, such as completion of the Padres ballpark in the East Village.
Murphy planned no other public events today.
The Davis campaign will hold a rally at 11 a.m. at Balboa Park, by the fountain outside the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, Davis spokesperson Rick Acello said.
Devaney is to be at 10th Avenue and A Street at 4 p.m., her spokesperson said.
Berger - who will be riding a bus with huge banners on it throughout the day - is to speak at a noon forum at the Free Speech Steps at Aztec Center at San Diego State University.
The bus will start its daylong journey at 10 a.m. at the Brickyard Cafe on G Street and Kettner Boulevard, then will head for Fashion Valley, area beaches and La Jolla, ending up in Rancho Bernardo.
Aguirre had no plans to campaign today, a spokesperson said.


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Disney Princesses Welcome Newbie Princess Leia in Song
Subscribe to KATS: THE Rock Station on
Even though the news that Disney and 'Star Wars' are joining forces is totally awesome, we do have to realize it'll take a little getting used to on both ends to ensure a smooth transition.We already know Darth Vader has been adapting to Disney World just fine, but what about Princess Leia? She's had to deal with men and spaceships and the Dark Lord her entire life, so it's no surprise she's a little lost as to how one behaves in the Magic Kingdom. Luckily, Ariel, Belle, Aurora and Cinderella are expert advice-givers (see: how to be cool), so Princess Leia is in good hands.
The girls offer very helpful advice to the newbie, like being dramatic whenever possible and shedding a tear or two until a prince can save your sorry behind.
This sweet Disney welcome is also pretty revealing for the other princesses. Looks like Belle is calling dibs on the Wookie because she likes hairy men! Scandal!


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On a recent weekday at noon, a horde of guys who work on Marvin Henry's floor at a Midtown bank were excitedly hovering over their computers. Meetings were pushed back, lunches were delayed, calls were left unanswered. The Gilt Man sale had begun. And Henry was ready to get his shop on.
"When I first got into it . . . the first couple of weeks, I was just hooked," says Henry, 35, who joined Gilt Man, a members-only, short-term sale site for men, when it launched in 2009. He would scope out upcoming designers, scan the goods on his iPhone app while in the lunch line at Chop't, and even admits to scheduling meetings around the sale mania.
"I'd be, like, 'Hey, I can't talk to you right now. The Gilt sale is going to start in 10 minutes,' " says Henry.
He estimates he's bought at least 10 items off the site — including a Ralph Lauren Purple Label belt ornamented with a bear buckle, A. Testoni chocolate cap-toe oxfords and khaki pants, spending up to $2,000 in total.
The financier, who lives with his girlfriend in Queens, has caught a style bug — and he's not alone. New York City alpha males are delving into the world of fashion with a frenzy previously reserved for their spreadsheets and fantasy leagues. They're signing up for online sales, checking style blogs daily and unabashedly buying $100-plus workout shorts from femme-friendly yoga shop Lululemon.
Don't call them metrosexuals; that outdated term has long been relegated to the land of Ed Hardy. It's the new age of style-savvy gentlemen who are neither dandy nor Axe-spraying, but appreciate a well-made $250 Villebrequin bathing suit or a Loro Piana sample sale — and are proud of it.
"There was something cartoony about the notion that you'd want to look good a few years ago, and it just feels natural now. It's not about over-grooming or spending $500 a week on moisturizer. It's about dressing like a man," says Tyler Thoreson, 38, head of men's editorial and creative at Gilt, which started out hosting flash sales for women. Today, 26 percent of Gilt's members are men, and its male subscribers have more than doubled in the past year.
"Females were a big driver," explains Thoreson of Gilt's sudden popularity among men. "Guys were saying, 'Well, honey . . . if you're going to keep buying stuff from Gilt, I might as well get in on the action.' "
From there, the dudes were hooked. "There's a generation of guys who have grown up dressing well because they want to, not necessarily because they have to . . . more and more men are taking control of their wardrobes," he adds. "Men have realized that caring about how you look is actually quite masculine."
Josh Leight is in the driver's seat when it comes to his attire. Although the 24-year-old's job in asset management calls for pretty rigid office attire, the Hell's Kitchen resident manages to "dress in a way that accentuates my personality," he says.
"I'm trying to counteract the plain gray pants, blue shirt that everyone seems to wear by adding some color, some patterns to my shirt. You don't want to attract too much attention. That's not the point. The point is to look well-put-together."
Leight just bought a made-to-measure suit on Gilt at a 50 percent discount. He tracked down brass buttons on eBay to spruce up an old peacoat. And he regularly visits style blogs such as UrbanDaddy's Kempt, How To Talk to Girls at Parties and Put This On (with the tagline "A Web Series About Dressing Like a Grownup").
Despite the fact that Leight says he's "not embarrassed" by his fashion sense, he doesn't brag about his shopping habit to his colleagues, either.
"Some people in an older generation might think it is less masculine to be interested in clothes," Leight explains.
But Jared Sevinor, who works for a Manhattan-based hedge fund and admits to getting nearly all his shirts tailored, disagrees. "Clothing is just so much more accessible now," Sevinor says. "Guys can find out what's cool without getting a personal stylist."
Of course, who needs a stylist when you have a girlfriend? Sevinor, 27, was turned on to Lululemon sportswear after his squeeze got him a shirt there.
"I only buy Lululemon stuff [now]. The pockets are just in the perfect spot, but it's also cool. I enjoy wearing it. It's not some raggedy pair of gym shorts from Nike," says Sevinor, who lives in the West Village. While the brand is still most commonly associated with yoga and women, it is rapidly gaining traction among NYC men.
"I think more straight men are doing stranger workouts. A lot more people are going to yoga and pilates . . . and it's more social, and people are dressing up a little bit more," says Kristian Laliberte, the New York editor for fashion news site Refinery 29.
"They don't want to go to the gym in their ratty college T-shirt."
But that's not to say some male Lululemon fans didn't need a nudge.
"Guys feel initially uncomfortable about any brand that features a fruit or a vegetable in the name," points out UrbanDaddy CEO Lance Broumand, 30. He got over it, though, and now occasionally dons Lululemon to the office.
Maybe the new fashionistos owe some credit to celebs such as David Beckham, Jimmy Fallon and "Mad Men" protagonist Don Draper, all natty dressers who clearly don't think their style threatens their sexuality.
"It's about individualizing your brand," says Broumand of the new breed of chic city men. And the Internet has made finding one's own "brand" all the easier.
"Everything is right there," says Russell Brandom, 25, a contributing editor at Kempt.
"A lot of the stuff we run, there will be a link, and you're not more than three clicks away from buying it." Which is great . . . until companies start blocking their employees from using those sites.
"I think we're waiting for the day that they do block Gilt," admits Henry. "And that would be a sad day."


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White Sox say so long to April
White Sox say so long to April
NEW YORK -- Manager Ozzie Guillen has no complaints about his team's aggressive baserunning, defense or even relief pitching through the disappointing first month of the 2010 season. He simply hopes the hitting will pick up as the weather gets warmer.
But in playing through these tough times, Guillen won't let his clubhouse get down, especially not so early in the present campaign.
"The clubhouse is very loose," Guillen said. "We do everything every day. In the dugout, it seems like it's kind of quiet once in a while.
"They play hard. They play the game the way they should," Guillen said. "They're just not hitting. It's not easy when you're struggling the way we are and be running around and having fun. I know that.
"In the meanwhile, I still have a lot of faith in them. I think the lineup we have can still come through this."


text: Video News: United States Brady's Deflate-gate Suspension Upheld By Appeals Court Following an appeals court ruling that reinstates his original ban, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will have to serve his four-game Deflategate suspension after all.The second US circuit court of appeals in New York announced its decision on Monday. The ruling could bring to a close a scandal that led to months of disagreement over the reputation of one of the NFL's top players. © DailyMotion - Monday, April 25, 2016


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Toy ratchet, plastic, continuous fast spin, clackety clackety. Recorded with Edirol R-09.
Recording of a the lens of an Olympus digital camera zooming in and out and attempting to focus automatically. Recorded ...
Minolta 35mm camera with a 135mm lens attempting to focus in a dark room. Small servo motor sound. Recorded with ...
A short motor sound. Free to use, from the creator of "Gears Of Destruction" check out my Industrial muSICK!!!
This recording is of a robot ladybug on my kitchen table. It was done with a Zoom and shotgun mic.
voice the vengance
A czech guy named "staney the robot man" who lives in Prague build this little synth. It's completely handmade and ...
This sound was taken from a robot ladybug on my kitchen table. I used a zoom with shotgun mic.
This sound was made in Audacity using the in-build DTMF generator. I applied wah-wah and some filtering.
Wind-up robot toy starting up.
A talking or at least communicating robot. But a very cheap one.
the sound of my automatic rear view mirror up close. sounds robotic
The sound of a JVC camcorder tape deck opening the being closed. Works for robotic sci-fi type things, etc.
This camera makes strange noises.
The sound of slamming the palm of my hand on an electrical storage heater (the kind which stores heat in ...


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Icom AH-710 Order #2715
Order #2715
|Amateur Wire Antennas
The Icom AH-710 preassembled multi-band, folded dipole was designed to get IC-718 owners on the air fast. This antenna covers all the amateur bands from 1.9 to 30 MHz [VSWR < 2:1 1.9-18 MHz, VSWR < 2.5:1 18-30 MHz]. It is 80.3 feet (24 m) long and can handle up to 150 watts. The AH-710 can be installed as a Flat Top or an Inverted V, as shown above.
The AH-710 comes with 98 feet (30 m) of 5D2V coaxial lead in. This lead has a PL-259 at each end. One end plugs into the SO-239 center-feed of the antenna and the other end to your radio. Icom also includes 32.8 feet (10m) of white nylon support rope. One foot (30 cm) of auto bonding waterproof tape is also supplied.
The support poles shown above are not provided.
Copyright 2001-2017, Universal Radio, Inc.


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Take A "Sleigh Ride" With Karmin, Rachel Zoe & CoachCan you spot all of the high end swag that Rachel Zoe decked Amy & Nick in?
Karmin, The Wanted & Colbie Caillat To Perform At Macy's Thanksgiving Parade TomorrowNeon Trees, Flo Rida, and Carly Rae Jepsen will also make appearances during the parade.
The Wanted, Flo Rida & Carly Rae Jepsen To Perform At Macy's Thanksgiving ParadeNeon Trees, Colbie Caillat, and Karmin will also make appearances during the parade.
Karmin Land Cover Of Rolling Stone MagazineThe duo celebrate a new milestone and a No. 1 single.
Karmin Up For Rolling Stones Women Who Rock Issue
Your Shark Week SoundtrackKarmin, Florence + the Machine, Dave Matthews, Jack Johnson and more come together with shark facts and great songs.
Karmin Shed Their Signature Hairstyles In "Hello" Music VideoThe more aggressive Stargate-produced track features a new look for both Amy and fiancé Nick.
Playlist For The Curiosity Rover On MarsWe wondered, what would the Curiosity rover (or perhaps some unknown life forms on Mars) like to listen to? Here are some suggestions, including the Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry, Karmin, John Mayer and more.
Mix Most Requested 7-25-12Oh things are getting crazy in the countdown No Doubt took the number one spot kicking Karmin out! Who will be number one tonight? Vote now and listen at 8pm as Heather Collins helps countdown your top 5 most requested songs, then after the countdown listen for your cue to win tickets to see Phantom of the Opera, before the show leaves the Venetian forever.
Vote For This Year's Summer Song
In Celebration Of Graduation Day: Our Favorite Musicians With Degrees
Karmin Reveal The Details Behind Nick's Proposal


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(Continued from Page 1 )
One beneficiary was Jake Lees, a 27-year-old Englishman who had been forced to spend long periods apart from his American partner, Austin Armacost, since they met six years ago. In May Lees was issued a fiance visa at the U.S. Embassy in London. The couple married two weeks ago and are now starting a new life together in Franklin, Indiana, as they wait for Lees' green card.
"I felt like the officers at the embassy treated us the way they would treat a heterosexual couple," said Armacost, a 26-year-old fitness and nutrition instructor. "It's a mind-boggling change after gay couples were treated like legal strangers for the first three centuries of our country's history."
Some conservative American groups are outraged by the policy. Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, calls it "a slap in the face to the majority of Americans," given that American voters have rejected same-sex marriage in a number of state referendums.
"This is taking a flawed view of what it means to be a human being — male and female — and trying to impose that on countries throughout the world," Brown said. "The administration would like people to believe that this is simply 'live and let live.' No, this is coercion in its worst possible form."
The American efforts are tailored to local conditions, said Scott Busby, the deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor at the State Department. Ambassadors can decide individually whether to hoist the rainbow flag, as embassies in Tel Aviv, London and Prague have done, or show support in other ways.
While some gay rights activists say support from the U.S. and other Western countries adds moral legitimacy to their cause, it can also cause a backlash.
Rauda Morcos, a prominent Palestinian lesbian activist, said local communities, particularly in the Middle East, have to find their own ways of asserting themselves. She criticized the U.S. and Western efforts in general to help gay communities elsewhere as patronizing.
"It is a colonial approach," she said. "In cases where it was tried, it didn't help local communities and maybe made things even worse."
An extreme case has been Uganda, which in February passed a law making gay sex punishable by a life sentence. In enacting the bill, President Yoweri Museveni said he wanted to deter the West from "promoting" gay rights in Africa, a continent where homosexuals face severe discrimination and even attacks. In response, the U.S. imposed sanctions and Secretary of State John Kerry compared the policies to the anti-Semitic laws in Nazi Germany and apartheid in South Africa.
In Russia, President Vladimir Putin has waged an assault on what he considers the encroachment of decadent Western values and the government last year banned "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among minors," making it a crime to hold gay rights rallies or to openly discuss homosexuality in content accessible to children. Afraid for their security, some Russian gay advocates try to keep their contacts with Western officials quiet.


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This tutorial will teach you how to create a playlist for Realplayer so that you can play your favourite songs without using the default music player!
It has been tested on the N70 and may work on other S60 phones.
What you will need:
*FExplorer (or a similar file manager)
*Ogg/Wma codecs if you want to play these formats
*Nokia Default Music Player (pre-installed)
*Nokia Realplayer (pre-installed)
Step 1:
Import your music into the default music player. This should be very simple for mp3 files.
For Ogg/Wma Files see: Secured URL
Step 2
Create a playlist of the songs you want, do this on the default music player.
I found that creating playlists of each of the artists was the best thing for me.
This is how you do it:
*Goto 'Artists'
*Highlight the artist you want to make a playlist of:
*Select 'Options' > 'Add to a playlist' > 'New Playlist':
*You will now have a playlist of all the songs from that Artist.
*Do the same with all the other artists.
*I also created a playlist containing all the songs.
Step 3
Move all your playlists to a single folder (easier to find and manage) using FExplorer.
They can be found in E:/My Music/
Step 4
Setting the playlists to be opened by Realplayer:
*In FExplorer highlight one of the playlists you made.
*Select 'Options' > 'File' > 'Open with...':
*Select the second box and choose 'Music plyr' from the list:
*Select 'Options' > 'Save'
Step 5
Playing your songs:
*Find the folder containing your playlists using FExplorer.
*Select which playlist you would like to play.
*It will open in Realplayer:
*To change playlist, exit Realplayer and choose the playlist you want from FExplorer again.
*If you have Active Standby 'On' and you have Realplayer running in the background you will see the current song on the main screen. Here you can also change the volume of the music without opening the program (Very cool!):
The END!
If possible please sticky this as it took me a long time to make and will help a lot of people.
If it helped you, please use the Repute Button. Thanks!


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Specializes in: CARDIOLOGY
Archana Gautam, MD is board certified in Cardiovascular Disease, Internal Medicine, Echocardiography, and Nuclear Cardiology. She is an interventional cardiologist who completed her residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and her fellowship at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Dr. Gautam was an assistant cardiology professor in academic medicine at OUHSC as well. She has conducted numerous research studies and been published multiple times. She currently serves as the Chest Pain Accreditation Co-Medical Director.
700 S. Telephone Rd, Ste 200
Moore, OK 73160
(405) 515-2260
Certification: Board Certified in Cardiovascular Disease and
Medical School: Gandhi Medical School
Residency: University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
Fellowship: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
If you are in need of a primary care physician or a physician specialist, we are here to assist you. The Community Call Center is open during normal business hours, Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to – 4:30 p.m. Closed on Holidays. You can contact the Community Call Center at 1-405-515-5000 or via email at email@example.com.
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text:
Postal² Trivia (Windows)
Published by
Developed by
Official Site
Also For
ESRB Rating
Critic Score
100 point score based on reviews from various critics.
User Score
5 point score based on user ratings.
The Black Eyed Peas video Where's the Love contains footage of Postal², showing the children playing the game.
On July 31, 2003, Postal 2 was put on the infamous German index by the BPjM. For more information about what this means and to see a list of games sharing the same fate, take a look here: BPjS/BPjM indexed games.
The original Postal was banned in Australia, so Postal 2 was banned in this country as well.
You can actually win this game without killing anyone. Despite the violent themes presented in the game, killing is purely optional.
Banned in New Zealand as of November 24, 2004.
The easiest mode is called the Liebermode, which is a reference to senator Joe Lieberman, who was strongly against the first Postal.
Computer Gaming World gave this game a rating of 0 out of 5 stars. It's the first time CGW has given a 0 to a game.
According to a news report, the developer, Running With Scissors, actually had to remove some content, otherwise it would've gotten an AO (Adults Only) rating.


text:
John William Hackley
Found 10 Records, 7 Photos and 58,977 Family Trees
Born in Virginia, USA on 1801. John William married Ann and had 2 children.
Family Members
Ready to discover your family story?
Simply start with yourself and we'll do the searching for you.
Potential photos and documents for John William HackleyView All 7 Images
Top record matches for John William Hackley
Surname meaning for "Hackley"
English: probably a habitational name either from a lost or
unidentified place, or a variant of


text:
Eating the right foods to keep diabetes at bay isn't always easy, but Adelaide researchers are working to develop a diet that is easier to stick to.
Researchers at the University of South Australia are running a trial of two diets to determine which one will better help diabetes sufferers lose weight and control their disease.
Senior research fellow and registered nutritionist Dr Karen Murphy is heading the trial, which is also looking for volunteers.
"Research has actually shown that they have poorer memory function than their non-diabetic counterparts, also with being overweight, people tend to be upset and depressed with how they feel on their body image," Dr Murphy said.
One of the diets being tested will be high in carbohydrate, while the other will be high in protein, but both will include products from all food groups - including lean fresh pork.
Researchers say the best part about the diets is that they involve a wide range of food like chicken and pork, so participants are less likely to fail.
"If they can follow them and adhere to them better, they might be able to maintain their weight for a longer period of time," said Associate Professor Grant Brinkworth from the CSIRO.
The six-month trial will see participants:
- Consume a weight loss diet for the first three months, and then follow a maintenance diet for the next three months
- Participate in moderate exercise five times a week
- Have their weight measured fortnightly, talk with a dietician and collect study foods
- And undergo a range of health tests at the beginning, middle and end of the six-month trial
Volunteers are required for the study and will need to meet the following criteria:
- Men and woman aged 18-65
- Overweight
- Non-smokers
- Have diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes
If you fit the above criteria and would like to take part in the study, call (08) 8302 2809.


text:
Never heard of it Jamie. How did you brick it this time?
You really do enjoy mucking about with your Wiis don't you. lol
Anyway I'm still none the wiser Help with comex formatter
i am trying to fix bricked wii with comex formatter.
i load the boot.dol from bootmii
i have all four wad's in wad folder.
they are ntsc as stated.
does anybody know how long this process should take or a guide to using it.
i can change the system menu and region (checked via bootmii info screen)
it seems to hang after installing the first 2 wads when on ios 30.
EDIT:- all four wads have installed and now i am on 3.1u (checked in bootmii info screen) but still unable to load system menu.
Last edited by jamieupanddown; 11-17-2009 at 01:21 AM.
Never heard of it Jamie. How did you brick it this time?
You really do enjoy mucking about with your Wiis don't you. lol
Anyway I'm still none the wiser Help with comex formatter
Not really doing much Wii stuff these days.
i read that forum (bit vauge)
comex formatter is an elf file which boots from SD section in bootmii.
it formats the nand and installs wads
Title ID Version
0000000100000002 257 (System Menu 3.1U)
000000010000001e 1040 (IOS30, for menu)
0001000848414b45 2 (EULA)
0001000848414c45 2 (rgnsel)
but from the bottom up. (it has to use ntsc/why i dont know)
then i was told to use anyregion changer.
i fancy trying it on my wii BUT AM A BIT CHICKEN!! buck buck buck, incase i get a total full brick as i assumed it would of deleted bootmii from boot2 2.
i asked for a bit more info from the site where i got comex formatter, they are very laid back and must sip tea, whereas we gulp coffee and are very fast in replying. LOL
its not even my wii, im giving it back thursday and even though it doesnt have to be repaired, i would of liked to of been able too.
someone said it could be a physical problem with the nand as whenever i back up the nand using betwiin, the firs 8/10 blocks are left unprocessed.


text:
'Film was never this sharp': Breaking Bad photographer interviewed
|Jesse Pinkman and Walter White (alias Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston) in a promotional still for Breaking Bad. Photo: Frank Ockenfels III
Commercial photographer Frank Ockenfels III has worked on several high-profile blockbusters like Harry Potter and Men in Black 3, as well as a number of TV shows, and his most recent work is currently being used to promote the season five finale of Breaking Bad on AMC. Ockenfels' moody portraits of the cast, shot using medium format digital equipment are very distinctive and PopPhoto has published an interview with him, in which he explains how he got started in the TV and movie business, the equipment he uses and why he bases his career around the concept of 'never having just one idea'.
|Jesse Pinkman and Walter White (alias Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston) in a promotional still for Breaking Bad. Photo: Frank Ockenfels III
Of particular interest to photographers are insights into what gear Ockenfels uses, and how. Shooting 'a lot on the Hasslblad and the Phase One backs', he explains, surprisingly, 'we had to step back a little on the Phase One backs because the higher resolution ones are so high-resolution that they almost have to retouch the sharpness out of them. I couldn't tell you which one we're using, but we're not using the highest-end ones because people complained that they were too clear'.
'Film was never this sharp. It's sharper than real life. You shouldn't be able to read a hair inside the tear duct of someone's eye. On one of those high-end backs, though, you can almost read what someone is thinking. It's kind of terrifying'.
What he really needs, says Ockenfels, is better low-light capabilities - 'being able to shoot with a medium format camera at ISO 2000 would be really nice. You have to know you can't have too many dark areas'.
|The main cast of AMC's Breaking Bad. Photo: Frank Ockenfels III
When it comes to lighting, Ockenfels likes to keep things very simple, saying 'I teach classes and I teach people not to overthink things. People get nuts and think they need all these lights. I'll have people show up to my classes and they'll tell me all these things they want to do, and I'll tell them to go over to Home Depot and buy a light. They say, "That's only 12 bucks!" Or, I'll say use your cellphone. There are a million things you can do that doesn't require a truckload of equipment'.
Ockenfels is also a keen Instagram user, saying 'you can [find people on Instagram] who aren't professional photographers, but they do the most amazing work. If they can do it, how a professional doesn't do it is beyond me. They're seeing this way every day. It's amazing'.
The full interview is well worth reading, and you can check out Frank Ockenfels III impressive portfolio at his website.
May 30, 2015
Jun 21, 2014
Dec 14, 2014
Sep 8, 2014
"'Film was never this sharp. It's sharper than real life." I think we've reached the point that real life is always a disappointment compared to the images we are shown......
It's interesting to see a story about 'breaking bad' and image quality since the show itself looks like it was shot on a cheap cell phone.
Are you nuts? The footage is amazing. I just got the Bluray collectors set and it's absolutely stunning visually. They shot it with film, and the resolution is amazing. Digital may be passing films resolution in our near future - but there is something to be said about an analogue medium. When you use film you are making something that is physically there - it's alive - not just a stream of electrons. Think about that for a second. I by the way have never shot any movie on film, it's all been digital for me - and I defend digital all the time - but to say it's not a good medium is absolutely idiotic and shallow minded.
People still watch this kind of garbage?
I think it's funny that you call it garbage- I wonder if you really watched the show at all. The show is about how a single bad decision, action or inaction has long lasting and disastrous outcomes down the road... it is about how you can do your very best to make drugs safe yet there is always blood shed. It's about how good people fall from grace - and bad people find redemption. I am sorry you are one of the people who think the show was about violence and glorifying drugs - because it really isn't. The writers pulled in those people who like drugs and showed them how they are funding so much destruction to everything around them - even if they are using "responsibly" and aren't addicted. "all hubris must be punished" - now is that garbage?
Degree of desired 'Sharpness' largely depends on the subject surely? Fine art portraits/street photography sometimes do not require sharpness, far from it but on the other hand wildlife stock images require sharpness and if technology can make them even sharper I will be all for it.
"sharpness is a bourgeois concept" HCB
I find the sharpness disconcerting in that my eyes are not perfect, and I tend to focus on one specific thing, automatically diminishing everything else around it when I do so. I think this is natural... it makes it difficult for me to watch movies in high def, because this is not how I normally see realit
That is the fault of a poorly taken photograph. By using techniques you should guide your viewer to the area you want them to focus on. Perhaps make the whole picture b&w and only have color on the object you want to draw attention to, or use a fibonacci ratio, but lowering resolution isn't necessary. Life has an effective resolution well into the giga-pixels - and yet as a photographer we try to focus on something worthy of taking a picture and that is why I don't buy the whole "high resolution is a distractor" if anything that makes people look at the photo longer and that is always a good thing
There will never be a camera too sharp for landscape work, not to be confused with a camera for portraits, thats why the Imogon was created, to soften the flaws of the subjects shot w/ 5x7, 8x10 and 11x14 film and made into contact prints. Cameras from the last century do a wonderful job of portraits. I would drop the MF digital and go with a Leica M-9 or M for this type of work. Lots of character potential w/o the grotesque micro detail of peoples pores.
The best show in TV since The Sopranos and a good read but to say that "film was never sharp" totally discounts something like a 4x5 contact print or a drum scanned Velvia slide. And sharpness is but only one aspect of IQ: DR, smoothness of gradations, color fidelity, grain are all equally important.
sure the components of IQ are sharpness(or detail) DR, color gradation, color fidelity, grain - but if you had to prioritize them in what order of importance would it be ? i believe sharpness comes first in this list because it is the most important feature of our image system (eye+brain) if you decrease signal of any of the other components, our brain can still reconstruct the information but if we lack sharpness we miss an important part of the information (example a face far away without enough detail (too blurry or too out of focus) and we cannot see if the person is smiling or if his eyes are looking in our direction. it is, to us human, much more important than if his skin color is completely off because we can reconstruct mentally a "normal" skin color that does not hold any useful information for us to understand the image). or is it DR ? the first (in theory yes because clipping loses all information but in practice we shoot mostly evenly lit scenes so i guess DR is second)
I don't think think the photographer is dissing film. He has done a remarkable job of representing the tv show in its mood and colour palette. If I wore a hat it would go off to him.
It's more like DPreview had taken the photographers line out of context and is using it to create a title to provoke anti film discussion.
Lets see some 25iso film on medium or large format and see how sharp that is.
And to take it a step further, lets look at 2-4 ISO tin or glass plates (I know, it's technically not film). I have a modern 3 ISO image captured on 8x10 tin that is sharper than anything digital can produce.
You mean sharper than anything '35 mm' digital can reproduce. Try comparing with the Hasselblad H4D-200, a medium-format camera directly descended from the classic studio photographer's favourite film camera, but with 200MP resolution. That has more resolution than the best available Zeiss lenses, and lenses were never the limit in the days of film. Think of a 60-inch wide print at 300dpi, so it is still pin-sharp viewed from a foot away!
Well that's a benchmark that needs to be tested then :)
I've used some leaf and phase one backs and have not been impressed thus far. Even at ISO100 the shadows kinda look murky.
I wonder if 200mp will help at all to stop digital looking flat and lifeless, regardless of what you do with curves to try and remedy.
My opinion is we need to move away from the Bayer filter,
Another one trying to make a name for himself by dissing film and its users.
Soooooooo boring...
He's merely stating the obvious. It's something that we've all known for a while now. That's not "dissing film." Besides, I'd hardly say that "dissing film", especially at this late stage of the game and at a point where film is barely even used anymore, is even newsworthy or enough to "make a name" for anyone. LOL.
"'Film was never this sharp. It's sharper than real life. You shouldn't be able to read a hair inside the tear duct of someone's eye. On one of those high-end backs, though, you can almost read what someone is thinking. It's kind of terrifying'.
What he really needs, says Ockenfels, is better low-light capabilities - 'being able to shoot with a medium format camera at ISO 2000 would be really nice. You have to know you can't have too many dark areas'."
If MF gives you too much resolution but not enough low light, switch to D800E. MUCH cheaper and easier to use. :)
I'd love to take a lighting seminar with this guy. Where can I find info?
Incredible work!
film wasn't just a 2d array of finite integer values either. it had soul, man :(
It HAS soul, man. It's not dead yet.
Film is an array of bi-stable silver salt crystals held in a gel. As a crystal is either set 'on' by the incidence of light, or left 'off' by its absence, film is the original digital medium. Ironically, the circuitry that records digital's integer values is analogue.
So which meduim has more 'soul'?
The sensor is analogue, the signal is then converted by an analogue to digital converter (ADC) which can be up to 16 bits. That's a significantly wider range than you get from film - even Kodachrome 25, which I used to use all the time.
That last photo is a composite of 8 studio shots and a nice desert wallpaper, but hey i guess it works, imagine the cost of getting all celebs out there in the dirt at the same time. That is professional these days, making it work.
For several years I've been giving Lightroom workshops and start every one with this line; "Ansel Adams is banging on the lid of his coffin to get out because it took him two weeks to do what you're going to be able to do in 5 minutes.
It goes along with something my father used to say; "I could built a house with just a hammer and saw, but why would I".
Our work as photographers is way beyond what was possible only two decades ( less, really) ago.
that's the miracle: Ansel Adams is *still' banginng the lid !!
John, you nailed it. I've been a photo enthusiast since 1963 and was actually better in the (film) darkroom than behind a camera. That said, I was one of the "pixel peepers" of the film generation as I used a grain focusing scope when printing. The digital world cannot imagine the noise in film, whether B&W or color, regardless of speed. My world was blown away when I was digitally processing a photo of the Charles Bridge in Prague taken with my new Nikon D100 circa 2001 ($1,995, 6 MP). There was a "spot" on the photo that I would have concluded was a dust spot in the film/paper era. I blew it up and up and up ... and was shocked to clearly see the "spot" resolve into an airplane with wings! OMG. I've been spoiled ever since. Now, with my new 16MP Olympus cameras, I can get clean photos at ISO 1600 and usable photos at ISO 3200. I don't lament film -- Kodachrome at ASA 25 or Tri-X at ASA 800 (grain the size of golf balls as we used to say).
I really wonder what it is he could not do with a current 400$ DSLR and the right lens. For what do they need the crazy resolution? Ok, maybe billboards. But technically, a modern DSLR should do the job just fine- I think.
Current productions are being shot with the expectation that they will be in syndication for five to 10 years. Since 4k is coming at the retail level, there is a lot more resolution in the current productions than is warranted by present market conditions or consumer demand. Look at the Japanese nature programs in HD from the 1990's. They still measure up, and were the state of the art at the time.
Do you mean 3840x2160 UHD?
It's great for watching 8 Mpx images!
I've seen some pretty ugly things on my old Blu-ray. Won't there come a time when resolution is so high that nothing analog (humans, for example) will be flawless enough to look at? My recollection from working with building wraps is that the required resolution was quite low due to the viewing distance.
Film was never this sharp because it was more faithful than digital is. It's almost like the old vynil vs CD debate. Are CDs really better because it cuts off unwanted frequencies?
Provia_fan, you're right. Both about vinyl and film. Of course, people who never heard a good recording on a good turntable will disagree, and so will people who are so obfuscated by technology that they would never care to look at a good photograph made with a film camera.
Another good analogy in this is comic book art vs painting. Which one looks more real and natural? The outlined comic book art or the painting one?
Because that's what digital kind of does, it makes outlines stronger where they never existed in the first place.
The comparison with vynil and CDs is pure nonsense. CDs do not cut off frequencies, they are digital. They can include every frequency you want. The only group limiting CD quality (and 'cutting out frequencies') is the producer, and not some inherent limitation in zeros and ones.
The sampling process for cd's does cut off frequencies, but theoretically they're outside the range of hearing. The question is whether the filters to accomplish this are audible, similar to the debate on aa filters for cameras. Higher sampling rates than 44.1khz used for cd's alleviate the problem by using gentler filters.
But it is widely agreed by music buffs and DJs that a shiny new vynil sounds better than a CD, as such some of those frequencies that are cut out on a CD must contribute to something. In what concerns photography, the depth and range of colour and field you get is still superior in film. Otherwise, why would manufacturers strive to get film-like results out of their sensors?
You'd better start using Audio-DVDs..
And Albert Silver, isn't CD-quality 16-bit 44khz? Do you know what "16-bit" means? If you did, you would know that there is a limitation to those zeros and ones. If you want to get unlimited zeros and ones you are entering the world of quantum computing which hasn't even quite yet established itself in everyday computing.
Audio DVDs?...still limited by bit depth and bit rate :D If anyone can point where is the bit depth limitation in a frame of film please do and let us be better informed. There is a reason why film has that smooth roll off of tones which is still unmatched, particularly when you go Medium Format or Large Format.
There is a certain delusional quality to the "vinyl sounds best" argument that at this point is almost certainly pathological, as the data indicating the contrary have been readily available for decades. In any case, I don't care what on what format you listen, or to what you listen.
The same type of delusional state is also apparent in the "film looks best" argument. In this case, though, I do care. PLEASE continue thinking film is best.
I've got money on it, so to speak. The more of you that try to convince people grain is better than detail, the more of you that carry on about a dead guy that carried field cameras up mountains to photograph a bunch of rocks 60 years ago, the more of you that ramble meaningless drivel about another dead guy that built a small, light camera suitable for social "posing" by owners and voyerism, the more clients will come looking for an image that actaully suits their needs -- a digital image.
Thanks boys!
By implying I'm blind you're resorting to insults, ostensibly in lieu of a logical argument.
By implying I can't see a difference between film and digital, you're resorting to a straw man argument, as in fact I've never stated I can't see a difference. In fact, if someone helps you re-read my post, you might come to understand that I specifically point out differences.
However I'm not here to argue or to generate an air of negativity. Instead I'll focus on what you and I have in common.
Example: Neither you, nor I, know what you are talking about.
Rallyfan, calling out people who think one looks better than the other as delusional is also insulting.
To simply boil it down to a matter of grain vs detail shows that you have limited visuals in seeing the difference, ie. impaired vision, ie. blindness.
Is that logical enough for you?
The statement is illogical.
The data are widely available. Whether you like one "look" over another is a matter of personal msiconception (what some might leniently refer to as "personal taste"). However, data are data.
In any case, I prefer you continue seeing film as "better," as explained above, if you are generating images for second-party use. If you are shooting for yourself I don't care either way.
Typical comment by someone who doesn't understand that 33.33 vinyl has less bandwidth than CD, and *much* less dynamic range. OTOH, it has loads more distortion! :-)
BTW, film is basically digital, as a single grain (actually clump of grains after development) is either black or white, the difference being that film has the equivalent of around 12 bits of resolution, but good modern sensors have around 14 bits. Please also get over the notion that digiital has 'stairsteps', dithering removes that issue, leaving a smooth dynamic range much wider than any analogue medium (especially true of vinyl vs CD, but also applies to film vs digital).
I've done stage and movie stills. Al i can say is it is A LOT harder than most people realize because you aren't just shooting the cast and freezing a couple of scene highlights... You have to capture and be able to transmit the essence of the show through your stills.
That, regardless of what gear or how big a assistant crew you have, is very difficult.
Weddings, high-end fashion, events, are all baby work compared to movie shoots done right.
Cudos to Frank Okenfels for getting it right!
Film was never this sharp? I take it he has never seen the humongous, yet finely detailed prints of Avedon's "In the American West".
Yeah, but Avedon shot those images on a Deardorff view camera with 8x10-inch sheets of film. Shooting with a huge, clunky large format camera with 8x10 sheet film is a pain in the butt to work with. I'm pretty sure Ockenfels is comparing to film formats that he might have been using to do these kinds of shots back in the film days, like 6x4.5, or 6x7 at most, not some enormous woodframe 8x10 view camera.
Indeed. Having viewed some really large prints from large format, and watched someone actually use one of these cameras, I concluded large format can't easily be beaten, for inconvenience or the quality of the resulting photo. Imagine what large format digital could do, if it were ever to happen!
there is large format digital it works like a scanne bed that you put in the film holder area of the camera you open the lens and it literally works like a scanner
You are referring to scanning backs like the original Leica S1 circa 1999 or the current Better Light 4x5 scanning backs. They don't suffer from Bayer interpolation artifacts.
Bill Atkinson used one to make the photos in his book "Within the Stone", and the main market is museum art photography.
"What he really needs, says Ockenfels, is better low-light capabilities - 'being able to shoot with a medium format camera at ISO 2000 would be really nice. You have to know you can't have too many dark areas'."
If he wants to make hi-iso pics with a Medium format, he should leave PhaseOne for a Pentax 645D, which have a nice hi iso mode :
"You shouldn't be able to read a hair inside the tear duct of someone's eye."
How do you see that on a 1920x1080 screen? He is shooting for TV now.
he's shooting for posters and other promotional work related to the TV show, not filming the show.
Blow the image up and put it on a billboard, and passers-by will be able to 'read a hair inside the tear duct'.
It makes sense then.
Strange really, all he would have to do is resize the photos to a smaller resolution, something like a bicubic smooth, and those who complained would probably be happy. I'd prefer to have the high resolution originals just incase I needed to do any extensive post work.
I wonder what resolution he is actually shooting at, if ISO 2000 is what he'd like, I wonder if he's ever tried a D800, might surprise him.
@Haider LOL!
I can't disagree. Images have never been better, work flow has never been easier to manipulate, and products have never been easier to share.
A lot of the criticisms tend to boil down to angst-driven "get off my lawn!" cries from self-annointed purists that have the time to cry in the wilderness.
Most people simply go on shooting images. Life moves on.
But you also pointed out why some people so fervently defend digital: " Images have never been better, work flow has never been easier to manipulate, and products have never been easier to share."
I dispute that images have never been better, but the rest is very true and that's why so many are quick to dismiss film. The reality is that digital has brought an oversaturation of the market where mediocrity outweighs quality by the ton.
I use digital myself and it's all good and easy, but I prefer film for the things that have always mattered and that digital can't quite match yet. The sharpness that you get or might get with digital is not quite real, simple as and generally when people make comparisons of digital and film the first and for some the only format that comes to mind is 35mm, they don't even consider 120 or Large Format.
Lets recognise things for what they are, digital might give you the workflow and the ease of use minus wastage, but doesn't give you the colour or depth which usually translates into faithfull reproduction of something. Otherwise, why would sensor makers or camera manufacturers strive to make cameras and sensors that are "film-like" in those characteristics? There's got to be something about film don't you think? Why are some major production houses still shooting 35mm or 70mm film?
I can't speak for production houses. There is a specific "look" to well-shot movies that is attractive even in my view, but that's only because it reminds me of the outdoor cinemas I'd visit during the summers of my childhood. It's no more accurate than any other image from the past. Maybe the houses are striving for that look to augment rose-coloured glasses worn by their audiences. I don't know, but I suspect simple nostalgia rather than a desire for accuracy.
I can't speak for camera manufacturers either, but I suspect their marketing propaganda sometimes speaks of "film-like" qualities in order to target a specific clientele. Nostalgia sells sometimes. Previous generations spoke of "the good old days" and by that they meant the... 1940s. We tend to overlook flaws and problems from the past because they're gone, and we miss the years more than we miss the difficulties.
As film users age, they will invariably require more and more health care. Autoradiogrammes are now digital...
'you can [find people on Instagram] who aren't professional photographers, but they do the most amazing work. If they can do it, how a professional doesn't do it is beyond me.'
Why would that be surprising to anybody? It's been always the case that people do much better work as their hobby than as their professionl. One thing is to be compelled from within, the other thing is to be compelled from outside by the desire to make money. Professionals need to learn to do only one thing well -- making maximum amount of money with minimal efforts. All the greatest artists were not the greatest businessmen.
I think what he means is it's surprising to find truly inspiring work among the dominant majority of generic happy snaps on Instagram. Although I get your point - hobbyists (inc the very talented ones) don't have as many channels to publish through, so of course you'd find them on Instagram etc.
If someone could give me reccs of who to follow, I'd use it more, rather than as another social network (which I don't need).
Exactly. Van Gogh didn't sell a single painting during his lifetime.
Most of instagram is garbage. This comparison picks a handful of the best pics from millions upon millions of examples of crap and then compares these few with the worst available shots from one professional. how surprising is that?
Instagramers accidentally get a good shot and then post it. A good professional gets a great shot on-demand every time.
PS... even a mediocre amateur hockey player will occasionally get the best of a pro
Well I can't remember who said it but it was a famous photographer, he said that the difference between an amateur and a professional was one makes 10% of his income off photography and the other 100%
StevenE, how right you are
too sharp? That's not accurate, it's more like "film was never this detailed."
The title is slightly misleading. Mr Ockenfels III didn't mean to make a mockery of film, but to set a reference against which to compare medium format image quality, which he deems too sharp. And rightly so: I, for one, don't like images sharper than real life.
As for Instagram, well... I'm yet to read an interview with someone who actually finds something less than glamorous about it here at DPR, but I'm afraid that ain't never gonna happen. Oh well.
"Too sharp" images are a ridiculous thing to complain about, it's trivial to blur or resample them in post. Good luck adding detail to a blurry, grainy film image though.
That's all nice and well if you believe detail is the ultimate achievement in photography. Some people want the images to look natural, though.
And, if someone doesn't have the skill to make sharp images with film, then he/she's got a serious problem and should look elsewhere for a hobby.
A good analogy in this is comic book art vs painting. Which one looks more real and natural? The outlined comic book art or the painting one?
@ Manuel...
I was looking at a 4k television on display at Best Buy recently. I consider it to be overly sharp as well, to the point of being almost video-game like. And you are also right -- there are those who base a good picture entirely on sharpness (or more accurately, acuity) rather than on the content of the subject. There are thousands upon thousands of both amateur and pro photographers who don't own D800s and Zeiss lenses, nor medium / large format backs and cameras that create superior images every day....with and without grain, laser sharpness, etc. of course, many forum heads here aren't satisfied with a photograph until the pixels have been examined with an electron microscope in a controlled lab environment, which normal photographers and viewers know is just downright stupid.
@ rally ... Your personal disdain for Adams and Cartier-Bresson aside, get over yourself, will you? There are those who still like film, vinyl, and climbing mountains with big gear. Deal with it.
Adams and Cartier-Bresson are both dead.
If you like climbing mountains with big gear, don't let me hold you back. In fact take a turntable with you while you're at it. Maybe something with a sand-filled plinth and fitted onto an air-leveling table. Don't forget a carbon-fibre tonearm and seven-nines silver cabling.
Have a good trip.
Love the series, love this shots!!! Yoooo Bitxxxh! :)
FILM IS DEAD! Long live mirrorless!
Mirrorless film has been around for a century
Maybe it's ironic snark? The mirrorless fanbois just got "pwned?" Eh, I'm trying to see a way it works for him, because otherwise he might as well be running around the comment spool screaming "I DON'T KNOW WHAT A LEICA IS!" Nothing good comes from that.
Huh... I didn't get it, either.
Sorry to see two personal attacks on G3User. Regardless of his opinion, let him express it without being disparaged by anonymous critics.
Which ones are anonymous?
In any case, G3User makes some very strong yet unsupported statements that are insight-free. He's decreasing the S/N ratio around here. The replies may help to increase the S/N ratio in the longer term.
These images don't impress me. Camera manufactures strive to produce great images from their products and then this guys throughs a yellow instagram filter on them, very unprofessional. I would expect this from my teenage daughter but not a pro. The expressions of the 2 people at the top are not very nice, they are saying to the Frank " I have no respect for you, put that camera down".
Haha, wow. Let me guess, you're part of the older generation?
I'm sorry you're such an angry person. You should try meditation.
Meditation could help, but maybe he's been sampling some of Heisenberg's product.
If you can't tell the difference between a typical lousy instagram shot against these professionally lit, sharp and well composed production shots then YOU are the amateur here.
Oh sure, Instagram could produce those shots...once you set up all the lights the right way to manage the dynamic range. I mean come on, taking the car shot as shown would be impossible with an Instagram phone app without some kind of reflector in the car, and the group shot would be hopelessly backlit. These are not amateur shots.
G3User you might not be aware of this having never shot stills for a major film or TV program but the standard industry practice is that you shot Raw files which at the end of each day are handed over to the publicity department. The TV/films own publicity department then do their own colour grading and retouching. This arrangement will have been built into the contract that the photographer would have signed at the start when they also signed copyright over to the production company. This is the give the production company full control over the images and what is done with them.
The expressions of the actors in the first photo will be what the publicity department of the TV program required in the photo. A series of photographs would have been taken for them and they then would have edited through them until they decided which one they used to promote the production.
G3User probably doesn't know what Breaking Bad is.
They are watching television. No posing for portraits.
"The expressions of the 2 people at the top are not very nice..."
Uh, have you ever even seen this show? LOL. Oh, wait, you probably don't own a television. Sorry, but these aren't meant to be Sears portraits. Clearly, you don't understand the atmosphere of the show, which is appropriately reflected in these images.
Come on guys, G3User's post just has to be a joke.
It's been twenty years since Jeff Keller founded the Digital Camera Resource Page, one of the first websites dedicated to digital photography. Jeff, who has been at DPReview for nearly five years, looks back at the rise and fall of consumer digital cameras and his website.
We're counting down our top 10 most popular sample galleries of 2017. At #2 we have another staff favorite – the Sony Alpha a9.
Rotolight has released the Anova Pro 2 circular LED for stills and video, boasting a 70% increase in brightness and what the company describes as "unrivaled battery performance."
Designer Vinicius Araújo has imagined what he believes the perfect Adobe software keyboard might look like. From customizable touch pads, to a scroll wheel, to a little display that shows the tool in use, his design is pretty compelling.
Peak Design has teamed up with Leica to release a limited-edition backpack made special for fans of the Red Dot.
A portrait of an android woman has beaten over 5,700 pictures of humans to take third place in this year's prestigious Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize. The judges were not told the subject was an 'android' until after the winning images were chosen.
Hauling around C-Stands just got a whole lot less annoying thanks to these new Matthews shoulder and roller bags, which can hold two or three C-stand (respectively) plus accessories.
Neal Preston has shot timeless photos of everyone from Led Zeppelin, to Whitney Houston, to Michael Jackson. In this interview, he offers insights into his craft to up-and-comer Elijah Dominique.
Future prosumer Canon DSLRs might feature light-up buttons, if this newly published patent is any indication of the camera company's plans.
Sony's a7R Mark III shoots 42.4MP files at 10fps and incorporates a robust video feature set, large battery, refined ergonomics and more. It certainly looks impressive, but what is it like to use, and how does it stack up against the rest of the market? Find out in our full review.
We're counting down our top 10 most popular sample galleries of 2017 – the Fujifilm X100F takes the bronze and the #3 spot.
There's never been a better time to shop for a new camera, but the number of options available can be overwhelming. In this series of buying guides we've provided customized recommendations for several use cases, from shooting landscapes to buying a first camera for a student photographer.
Shopping for a camera with a set budget? No problem! We've rounded up our favorite cameras, broken them into price brackets and picked the best of the bunch.
Looking for a lightweight compact camera that's easy to bring with you anywhere? Or maybe you're smartphone-shopping and want the one that takes the best picture. And what if you want to shoot from above? In these buyers guides we have recommendations for the best compact cameras, smartphones and drones.
Despite reports to the contrary, analysis of DPReview images by our friend Jim Kasson confirms a disappointing fact: Sony a7R III is still a Star Eater. But there may be some improvements.
As the saying goes: A photo is worth a thousand words. And if you're sending that photo through Facebook Messenger, your thousand words now look twice as nice after today's update to 4K resolution.
Get to know the new Leica CL in short order by giving our 90 second 'First look' video a watch.
Leica has just released the CL, the forth in its series of APS-C L-mount cameras. Despite sharing a name with a camera released in the mid-70s, the new CL is a thoroughly modern ILC, with a 24MP sensor and built-in electronic viewfinder.
The Leica CL is a 24MP rangefinder-style mirrorless camera, which sits alongside the TL2 in the company's APS-C lineup. We've been using one for a few days – check out our gallery of images.
While it shares a name with one of Leica's most popular and affordable cameras of the 1970s, the new CL is separated from its namesake by more than just years. We've been using one for a few days - click through for a detailed first-impressions report.
We're counting down our top 10 most popular sample galleries of 2017, and the #4 ranking goes to the Leica M10.
Sigma is discounting 13 different high-performance 'Art' series lenses from today until November 30th. The company is calling it an 'unprecedented' sale.
See DJI's 'AeroScope' drone-tracking technology in action. This is the system that DJI says can help law enforcement and airport (among others) track and identify rogue drones.
iPhone X owners can already accessorize their new phone with high-quality smartphone photography lenses courtesy of Moment's new lineup.
Considering buying Sigma's exciting new 16mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary lens for crop-sensor E-Mount and M43? Check out these official full-res samples first!
Vimeo has just added support for 8K HDR 10-bit content, making it possible to show up to 75% of the colors the human eye can perceive vs the usual 35%. Take THAT YouTube.
The holidays are coming, but your gear isn't cutting it? It's time to treat yourself!
We're counting down our top 10 most popular sample galleries of 2017, and sitting pretty at #5 is the Fujifilm X-T20.
See some of the most iconic black-and-white photographs throughout history brought to life by a community of colorization enthusiasts and professional retouchers in the new book Retrographic.
Shopping for a photographer? Whether you are one yourself or not, chances are you could use some ideas. From stocking stuffers on up, we've got some photography gift suggestions for every budget.


text: The often debated case of Nihiwatu is quite unique in Indonesia, since the deluxe resort claims exclusive use of "Occy's Lefts" for the happy-few who can afford $236/454 per day staying in beautiful cottages with 8 surfers max. As founder Claude Graves puts it, it's a way to avoid the usual surf-slum scenario and generate more benefits for the local communities with the help of the Sumba Foundation. Lefts work on any size, the bigger the better and get really fast and hollow at low tide. There are fat righthanders across the bay from Nihiwatu and there are Sunset style rights and lefts on the next point that can be accessed by boat or car in about 1 hour. There is also a right hand reef wave at the end of the beach that breaks on small days and is a half hour walk away.


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It seems to us: Gagging on a disaster, happy camper Rob Ford and the GOP knives are out
Good to know President Obama can still keep a sense of humor, as he demonstrated at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner last weekend.
The prez got a lot of laughs with, "In 2008, my slogan was 'Yes, we can!' In 2013, my slogan was 'Control-Alt-Delete.' " But perhaps his biggest laugh came at the end of his shtick when he tried showing a farewell video that failed to load properly. Who came to the rescue? None other than Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of Health and Human Services, and the one person blamed the most for the health insurance website's disastrous rollout.
If she had paid as much attention to preparing the website as she did on the gag about it, maybe she wouldn't be the outgoing secretary of HHS.
Who knew rehab could be so much fun? And that you could be the mayor of a major city and keep your constituents in the dark about where you are?
Such is the life of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who took a leave of absence to seek treatment for substance abuse. Where is anyone's guess; officials aren't talking and Ford isn't telling. This much we know: It's a blast. Ford told the Toronto Sun on Tuesday: "I feel great. Rehab is amazing. It reminds me of football camp. Kind of like the Washington Redskins camp I went to as a kid."
We're not sure, but we don't think rehab is supposed to be like football camp.
And they're off. It's Benghazi investigation No. 576, kicked off by the Republican House just in time – what a coincidence – for the 2014 election season. It's politics as the right has played it over the past several years, but even more transparent than usual.
The deaths of four Americans at Benghazi was a tragedy and it is possible, even likely, that the Obama administration could have done more to prevent them. Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admitted as much. But there is not a whiff off credible evidence of anything more nefarious than the Obama administration's confused efforts to communicate information and, yes, to offer a view that was least damaging. There is absolutely nothing but Neanderthal politics to suggest the need for the kangaroo court that the House has convened.
Where were Republicans, by the way, when 93 people were killed during 13 embassy attacks during the administration of George W. Bush? This is pathetic.


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Clinton school OKs referendum timeline
But the school board Tuesday night took one more step toward putting a construction question on the Nov. 4 ballot.
The board approved a timeline and to-do list presented by Business Administrator Kathy Zwirgzdas. If all goes as planned, district residents will vote on an $8.3 million plan to expand the elementary school and upgrade security at the middle and high schools.
Plans call for a new gym, library and classrooms at Clinton Elementary School, 301 East St., Clinton.
The district is waiting on the results of a study to determine if it could use geothermal heating, a renewable practice that pulls heat and energy from underground.
The district also is interested in researching green roofs, which use vegetation for insulation and storm water runoff prevention.
Zwirgzdas plans to look into the feasibility of sharing library space with the village of Clinton.
Other projects include creating committees, hosting open houses and designing literature. All three things would help educate the community about the need for construction at the elementary school.
According to the timeline, the district will finalize the project budget in May and write a referendum question in July.
Approving the timeline does not guarantee the district will go to referendum in November, said Ken Luety, board president.
Last updated: 1:08 pm Thursday, December 13, 2012


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East Asian Experience and its Relevance to Latin America and the Caribbean within the NAFTA Context
Economic development during the last thirty years provides a continuing experiment from which important lessons can be learned. These lessons are both positive and negative. One can learn from those that have succeeded as well as those that have failed. Among those that have succeeded, the East Asian countries provide valuable lessons that cannot be ignored by policy makers in other parts of the world. Of some twenty-three East Asian countries, eight stand out in terms of economic performance. They are Japan, the four original tigers - Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, China and Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Japan could be left out for two reasons. Japan's high growth has been sustained over a fifty year period, and it is by no means a developing country. The success of the remaining seven countries pose two essential questions for the Caribbean countries (as well as others). First, what were the policies that led to the recorded and undisputed success of these seven developing countries, in East Asia? Second, how relevant is that experience to the Caribbean countries not only in terms of their domestic policy environments and but also their external environment such as the prospects posed by the presence of the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA)? In order to set the tone for the discussion, it is necessary to keep a few caveats in mind. First, the East Asian experience has been widely interpreted by different protagonists as confirming their special and own interpretation of the causes for success. And there is wide room for this. One can avoid the obvious obscuring of underlying forces at work if epithets such as neoclassical and revisionist are discarded and facts are examined objectively. Second, concentrating only on the successful countries in East Asia should not detract one from learning from at least one hundred other developing countries which were not as successful as the East Asian countries. Third, when one talks about the East Asian countries, it is important to note the diversity among them. For example, Hong Kong and Singapore are small countries wholly devoted to manufacturing with small populations and high population densities. But South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand are, relatively speaking, large countries not only in terms of their populations but also in terms of their natural resource endowments. Even the two small countries, (sometimes referred to as mere city states) have different characteristics. Hong Kong has a much less interventionist economy than Singapore. In fact many consider it a laissez faire economy despite the large public investment in housing to accommodate the ever- increasing immigrants from the mainland. Singapore, on the other hand, did intervene more in the economy, but did so outside of the production sector and in a manner that was based on both foreign and domestic competition. Finally, the lessons from the experience of one group of countries can be transplanted to another group only after careful consideration of their initial conditions, institutions and political economy.The plan of the paper is as follows. Section II gives an account of the facts of the seven East Asian countries that are relevant for the Caribbean context. Then the factors that are commonly assumed to have led to the success are examined. Recently, there has been a re-interpretation of the success of East Asian countries as resulting from a combination of fundamentals, such as stable macroeconomic policies and sound incentive policies as well as selective interventions. Mainstream economists would have little quarrel with the recent re- interpretation of the success as having been facilitated by the fundamentals. This re-interpretation which explicitly recognizes the institutional ethos of these countries renders at least a part of the East Asian experience irrelevant to many other developing countries, including those in the Caribbean with different institutional structures. Section III considers the Caribbean context, noting the similarities and the differences between the East Asian and the Caribbean countries. The Caribbean Group referred in the present paper are defined to include the members of the Caribbean Group for Cooperation in Economic Development other than Belize, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti and Suriname. The group of countries considered in the paper, therefore, are Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. Henceforth in the paper, the references to the Caribbean countries are only to this set of ten countries. They can be thought of as belonging to the same set not only in terms of resource endowments, but also because they have a common geographical, economic policy, and institutional context. The Caribbean countries are compared with the East Asian countries in terms of the factors that led to the success of the latter in order to infer the policy and institutional relevance for the development of Caribbean countries. Section IV examines the external environment for the Caribbean group with special reference to NAFTA. Section V draws the
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text:
Signs and Symptoms
It has been estimated that as many as 2 to 3 million people in the United States and 20 million people in the world have celiac disease, but only about 10% of those in the U.S. with celiac disease have been diagnosed. In part, this is because symptoms may vary widely from person to person.
The manifestations of celiac disease tend to vary with a person's age and stage of development. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, infants and young children are more likely to have digestive signs and symptoms while adults are more likely to have symptoms affecting other parts of the body. Since the same symptoms may be present in a variety of other conditions, including food allergies, a diagnosis of celiac disease may be missed or delayed, sometimes for years.
Examples of some common signs and symptoms of celiac disease include:
- Abdominal pain and bloating
- Chronic diarrhea or constipation
- Greasy, foul-smelling stools
- Vomiting
- Iron deficiency anemia that does not respond to iron supplements
- Easy bruising or bleeding
- Bone and joint pain
- Fatigue, weakness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Mouth ulcers
- Weight loss
- Defects in dental enamel
- Osteoporosis
Children with celiac disease may experience failure to thrive, delayed growth and development, delayed onset of puberty, and short stature. Adults with celiac disease may also experience infertility.
Many people with celiac disease have dermatitis herpetiformis, a disease that causes itchy blisters on the skin. There is also an increased risk for developing intestinal lymphoma, a form of cancer.


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Boko Haram, FG Hold Secret Peace Talks In Senegal
Dec 2nd, 2012 – Nigerian Federal Government Holds Secret Peace Talks With Boko Haram In Senegal
According to reports coming from reliable sources, we learnt the Nigerian Federal Government and Boko Haram Jihadist sect held a secret peace talk in the country of Senegal over 2 weeks ago. www.naijagists.com
The meeting aimed at eradicating terrorism and incessant attacks in Nigeria was mediated by top Government officials from Senegal and Mali.
The peace talks, dialogue that took place was led by Godsday Orubebe, the current Minister of Niger Delta Affairs with top Boko Haram leaders.
According to a government source, we learnt the Boko Haram commanders who represented the sect insisted they'll not stop attacking until all their terms and conditions for ceasefire were met.
Few weeks ago, Boko Haram demanded the following in order to cease fire in the country:
- Immediate release of their detained members and their family members
- Compensation for damages to their demolished properties
- The rebuilding of their demolished mosques in Borno State and other area in the country
Do you support this secret peace talk?


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The king is dead; long live the king.
Peyton Manning is coming to town. Good-bye and thanks for the memories, Tim Tebow.
Tuesday provided a gusher of praise for Manning and Denver vice-president of football operations, John Elway, after the two agreed to a $96 million contract.
As media tried to find new adjectives to describe Manning's brilliance, analysts are already predicting the Broncos have just become Super Bowl candidates.
Bill Williamson of ESPN called it the "biggest day in Denver Broncos history since John Elway won his second straight Super Bowl 13 years ago."
Elway is Denver's golden boy. An icon. He never believed in Tebow's potential like he believes in Manning's legacy. And, his word is gospel. So Manning is in.
"John Elway is a baller," writes Ashley Page, on ESPN.com. "He was as a player and he has proved to be in just 14 months as the executive leading the Denver Broncos. He tolerated Tim Tebow. He coveted Peyton Manning.
Real recognizes real ... Elway got his guy."
In Denver's training facility, Manning stood next to John Elway and team owner Pat Bowlen and held up a No. 18 Broncos jersey, a number retired ever since Frank Tripucka, the team's first quarterback wore it in 1963.
"We didn't try to sell him hard, we wanted him to feel comfortable here," Elway said. "We're so fortunate to have him here. My goal is to make Peyton Manning the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. He's already made his teammates better ... he's going to be a tremendous effect on the Denver Broncos."
He certainly had an effect on the media, which seems to be all in on this decision. Woody Paige, in the Denver Post, pretty much describes this as a love-at-first-sight marriage.
"Manning ultimately decided the overall fit was perfect. He liked owner Pat Bowlen and coach John Fox, the city of Denver, its people and a quality of living for his family. He liked the football environment, the franchise's tradition, the weather, the team's promise, a stadium where he has not lost in three appearances, the sellout crowds, the nearby mountains and the small-townlike similarities to Indianapolis, and maybe the return to orange jerseys — as he wore at the University of Tennessee.
"When he chose Tennessee, he went with his gut. He has done that again with Denver," Paige wrote that a source close to Peyton told him. "And he went with Elway."
Never mind the cold. The wind. The open stadium. On this day, everyone was drinking the Kool-Aid.
Manning said the usual. He's "thrilled."
He's "excited."
He's "looking forward to meeting my new teammates."
Actually some of those new teammates might be old teammates. His centre for a dozen seasons in Indianapolis, Jeff Saturday, is expected to follow him to Denver. So, too, is former Colts' tight end Dallas Clark.
Manning's contract, while humongous if he ever completes all five seasons, actually reflects some of the health concerns that resulted in his departure from Indianapolis. It is reported to include $18 million guaranteed. After that, it's a series of one-year deals that require him to pass physicals every year.
He reiterated at Tuesday's press conference that he's healthy — or, at least as healthy as a 36-year old who has had to regenerate the nerves in his damaged neck can get. "Could I play a game this Sunday? Yeah, I could," he said. "I don't know if I could play as well as I would like, but yeah, I could go out there."
Elway was equally dismissive of any downside. "I don't consider it much of a risk," he said.
Unless your name was Tebow, for one day, it was all good. Concerns over whether Manning will last longer than the first sack were swamped by wild optimism. "He has the potential (to take us to the promised land)," veteran running back Willis McGahee told NFL Network. "He should. I'm hoping."
Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil told the Denver Post that having Manning makes "everybody better. He makes me want to work that much better. To have that type of leader in the locker, to have that type of talent on the field, we're all ready to share. He'll have to share with Batman and Robin, baby!"
Manning said he will stay in Denver this week and start learning the Broncos' offence. Meantime, when the euphoria of signing a four-time MVP dies away, there will also be another reality. That reality is that Elway has taken a huge risk.
One of the few dissenting voices is from former linebacker, Bill Romanowski, who believes the Broncos made a mistake, predicting Tebow will become better with another team and eventually take them to a Super Bowl.
Ultimately, nobody can predict the denouement of this little soap opera. Elway has Peyton Manning, future hall of famer. But the dark cloud looming behind this silver lining is that Elway also has a Peyton Manning who doesn't know himself what will happen the first time a linebacker treats him with all the respect of a tackling dummy. Elway has a Manning who is 36 years old, a Manning who hasn't played a down of consequence since Jan. 8, 2011.
If this doesn't work, this Rocky Mountain High, is headed for some vintage Rocky Mountain Whine.


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7 or 14 day pass?
Pardon my ignorance, trying to determine if a JR pass suits us.
We arrive in Tokyo from Sydney on a Friday at 6.30am (Narita airport) - will we be able to activate our JR pass at that point (so early in the morning) and use it to get to Shibuya where we are staying for 6 nights?
Does the JR pass cover travel in Tokyo and day trips from Tokyo? Such as to zoos, museums and other central sights plus further afield day trips such as Mt Fuji.
Our itinerary is as follows
Day 1 - fly into Narita 6.30am then to Tokyo
Do we need a JR pass? Will it cover most of our travel, and should we opt a 14 day pass or 7 (activating the seven day pass when we leave Tokyo for Takayama?
Hi there,
The JR Pass is good for travel within Tokyo but is better used for travel nationwide. As travel within Tokyo is not very expensive. Taking this in mind, I would advise a 7 day JR Pass for your itinerary. You can make some very nice savings by using it to travel to Takayama and Kyoto and it will also cover the way back to Narita Airport.
For your arrival, consider a 1,500yen Narita Express ticket.
Hope this helps!
Hi Daniel,
Thank you so much for your prompt reply.
Our only concern was that the day trips out of Tokyo would add up, would that make it worthwhile starting a 14 day pass right from the airport on arrival (would the JR office be open so early to do that?). Can you use your JR pass much in Tokyo day to day and from the airport anyways?
Many thanks.
Order your Japan Rail Pass Online
Starting from $257.00 for 7 days of unlimited Japan Rail travel
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Beyond Scared Straight [Video,NSFW]
I don't know about you but I like my freedom and being able to do whatever I want, whenever I want.
As I a kid my friends and I would always watch these Beyond Straight shows and we would always say how we wouldn't let anyone talk to us like that.
But secretly I think I would piss my pants if I ever happened to be on that show.


text:
Losing Our Faith in Religion
Young urban U.S. Jews are accurately reflecting their non-Jewish peers by ditching their affiliation to religion. If you want a place where 'integrating' doesn't mean assimilating, go to Israel.
The endless analysis of the recently released Pew Research Center report, Portrait of Jewish Americans, has generally...
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