text:
eBay cops $3 BILLION tax bill after moving its profits back onshore
Online tat bazaar eBay has copped a $3bn tax bill after bringing $9bn of cash held overseas back to the US. The firm hopes to use the remaining money to fund potential acquisitions at home. The firm announced as part of its first quarter earnings that it had paid a discrete tax charge of around $3bn to bring the cash pile back …
Don't worry
Just make it a couple of quid to list, raise the final value fee to around 25%, force P&P to be offered free, force everyone to use PayPal only, make it a couple of quid minimum charge per transaction and raise the PayPal fee to lets say 10%, then always find in the buyers favour each and every time there is a case opened, fraudulently or not, and prevent sellers from leaving anything but positive feedback That should bring the pennies rolling back in. Glad I left that steaming pile of shite probably ten years ago now.
Time to buy shares in US internet companys
Sounds like they are buying something of high value in the US.........
Explains a lot.
No wonder they're shafting sellers even more than they usually do. The new TSR rules coming into force in August punish sellers who reclaim fees when idiot buyers buy things without reading the descriptions or idiot buyers buy the wrong thing then file a "not as described" claim.
Re: Explains a lot.
Can't blame people who want to return stuff that they don't like.
All retail outlet allow that.
Re: Explains a lot.
Hahahahaha! I take it you've never actually dealt with a scamming buyer.
You are either going to have not had the item returned, just a "not as described" claim filed, money refunded. If you persist, you might get something sent to you, which may resemble what you sent, just now smashed up.
Another classic is for the scammer to ensure that the package doesn't get delivered, files a claim for non-delivery (and gets awarded their money back) then collect parcel from depot.
Usually what happens is you end up with no sale, a shipping cost, and no item. If you can pull that off with a retail outlet, I'm very impressed. It's the equivalent of spending up large on stuff on your credit card, then when home with the goods, claiming your card was nicked.
There are a list of countries whom I don't ship to, due to problems with large amounts of scammers, failed deliveries, dodgy customs and other such "double loss". Italy and UK top my list.for Europe, the ability to just flat out win buyer disputes by filing for action fraud and keeping the stuff.
Since the police are useless at any crime involving any level of paperwork (which is why fraud is the thinking criminals method of choice) the only effective way I found of shutting down the scam buyers is to send them low grade speed or coke in the mail. Nice leaky package.
For all the slagging off about bitcoin, if some Russian, Italian or British person wishes to buy something from me, then payment that is quick and non-reversible means I'll actually try to ship them things, rather than just say your country is full of scabs.
Re: Explains a lot.
"Italy and UK top my list.for Europe"
Italy and Greece perhaps - the UK is near the bottom for European fraud for me (expensive items like high end car audio)
The USA wins hands down for buyer stupidity though.
"Another classic is for the scammer to ensure that the package doesn't get delivered, files a claim for non-delivery (and gets awarded their money back) then collect parcel from depot."
That would be your fault for not requesting the parcel returned when a claim is raised then. All good couriers will immediately return to sender on request.
Re: Explains a lot.
Hahahahaha! I take it you've never actually dealt with a scamming seller!
Had the misfortune to purchase a camera and lenses from someone who claimed they were "clean"'; they were not. Seller claimed the lens diaphrams were clean and not oily; another lie. I had to send the whole lot back at my expense and then make sure I didn't post negative against the shyster so they didn't ruin my rep.
Pot, meet kettle.
Tee hee @ ...
... land of the free?
Wot, no comments...
...on how they actually PAID some tax this time?
I'd have thought congratulations were in order for a large multinational corp actually contributing to society for a change by paying tax - even if they did do it in the USA, rather than over here in Blighty.
Now, can more of them follow suit, but over here, please?
Re: Wot, no comments...
I think all countries where eBay does business should be entitled to a share of that tax bill. We paid the money that made their profits, so it is only fair that the tax due on that money returns to help the national debt. And before someone says we already get the VAT to help the national debt, I remember reading a story where it was discovered that Amazon were charing customers in blighty the 20% VAT rate but paying the money to Belgium at only 10% thus making a nice additional profit on the VAT. I find it difficult to believe that eBay won't have followed suit.
Re: Wot, no comments...
The current Belgian VAT rate is 21%. Do Amazon get a reduced rate somehow?
I completely agree with your sentiment, but the Cambourne government is far too supine to do anything to upset the US.
I'd have a lot more respect for UKIP if they explained how we were going to be independent of the US as well as the EU, but I've seen nothing from them yet to suggest that they don't simply intend swapping our control by two superstates for control by the one that happens to be furthest away.
@Roger Stenning - Re: Wot, no comments...
> I'd have thought congratulations were in order for a large multinational corp actually contributing to society for a change by paying tax
So that's *some* of the money they should have paid in tax.
What about the rest?
Re: Wot, no comments...
I think the reason people aren't patting them on the back for it is because they're only doing it out of necessity - if they want to buy a US company, the money used to do so must be brought into the country first.
JassMan: Ebay and all US companies do pay taxes in other countries, the "offshore money" you hear about them having has already been taxed overseas and those taxes can be deducted from the taxes due in the US when they bring it in.
Of course, given all the games they're able to play with Ireland and "Dutch Double Sandwich" sometimes that money hasn't been taxed very much in whatever country you live in, but that's an issue you need to take up with your government. They make the laws, and if companies are avoiding taxes in your country on profits earned in your country, they need to rewrite those laws so that doesn't happen. But they're afraid to in many cases because they believe it'll chase those who can avoid doing business there at all to other countries with more lax tax laws.
Re: Wot, no comments...
It is Luxembourg, where the VAT rate on e-books is 1.5%.
Re: Wot, no comments...
Most of that money was stashed in places like the Caymans where they hid it to avoid taxes.
The problem is that international Tax Policies haven't caught up with companies ability to Sell something in the USA or Britain and somehow have the Payment end up "Untaxable" because the Cash ended up in Lichtenstein.
The money they moved back to the USA is a drop in the bucket compared to what they still have sitting on a beach somewhere working on it's "Tan".
Re: Wot, no comments...
"if they want to buy a US company, the money used to do so must be brought into the country first."
Really? Would have thought they'd do what Apple do, which would be to take out billions of dollars worth of debt secured against their stock and then pay for things using that loaned money, with the offshore cash used purely as collatoral.
Must be something really wrong with the strength of their stock if they don't think this is possible, and need cold hard cash upfront for acquisitions instead. If I had any eBay stock, I'd be dumping it right about now...
Re: Wot, no comments...
EBay already has over $6 billion debt, if you check the relative DSCR of Ebay vs Apple you'll understand why it was a better deal for them to bring cash in rather borrowing against it. Apple got an interest rate of 0.77% above what the US government borrows at, Ebay couldn't come close to that.
Re: Wot, no comments...
Bullshit, this is the way the US Tax laws work, you only pay US taxes when the profits are remitted to the USA; they would pay any applicable local taxes at the time.
The EU quite specifically has laws that make it LEGAL to conduct business out of one member state and companies can chose which state they wish to be based in. They must have an actual presence, but that's the law as written, should those companies NOT obey the actual laws ?
And eBay's main contribution to society is the service that they offer that millions of people use by choice. If people didn't want that service, they wouldn't use it, therefore it is of value to those people and to society. eBay itself doesn't actually pay any tax anyway, tax is paid in some proportion by the employees, owners, and customers. If you want to pretend that the "company" pay taxes go ahead, just be prepared to pay higher fees to fund that tax and pretend that those higher fees aren't the tax. You, muggins, pay that tax whether you like it or not by choosing to use the service.
they didn't bring it back yet
Saw a (too lengthy) interview with Ebay CEO this morning and he said time and again they haven't done ANYTHING other than give them the option to "move quickly" in the event the want to bring $$ back. They haven't brought anything back and they don't have to pay any new taxes unless/until they do.
Okay - downvote me
I consider taxation as a immoral, evil and the product of Satanic minds forever seeking to sup the blood of decent and honorable people for the sake of personal pecuniary advantage.
In other words taxation as a moral good has been usurped by the greedy.
I rest m'case m'lud
Taxation could be robustly moral and for the common good but way tis done now motivates this rant
Re: Okay - downvote me
You are a contractor. That's the sort of thing they spout in lieu of doing any work.
Re: Okay - downvote me
And you are a permie. That's the sort of thing they write in lieu of stopping moaning, getting off their asses and going contracting.
Re: Okay - downvote me
What?!? You did ask.
Clever people in charge?
"If you look at our last 15 acquisitions, my guess is ten have been inside the US, maybe 11," chief exec John Donahoe said in an interview.
Seriously? He's the CEO and he's not too sure which companies he's bought?
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text:
Cast Iron Sewer Line
I just purchased a 40yr old home. During my home inspection, teh inspector noted two small "rust bubbles" or "rust blisters" on the underside of the cast iorn sanitary sewer line in the basement (the sewer line is actually attached to the foundation wall in the basement), and stated that the sections or the entire line will have to be replaced.
I had 4 plumbers come over to give me estimates, 2 plumbers stated that it would cost between $1400 to $1800 dollars to replace the cast iron with PVC.
the 2 other plumbers stated that the cast iron pipe is fine, and that nothing need sto be done, and that the pipe is solid. One even stated that Cast iron doesn't rust in that way.
Which plumbers are correct?? Should I replace the line, or just have it snaked out (the tubs drain slowly in the house).
Any advice??
You pipe is probably Okay. We do not often have to replace cast iron 4" above ground. They do get blisters but that doesn't necessarily mean the pipe needs to get replaced. Home inspectors must cover many different trades and it is their responsibility to inform you of possible problems. Licensed tradepersons often need to check things that are noted by an inspector. The two that said replace are probably talking preventive maintenance. Many of us will not tell you you have to spend money unless you really do. Although I cannot see your pipe I tend to think you do not need to replace it.
Major Drain Clog, HELP!!!!!!!!!!
cast iron tub drain
Cast-Iron Cleanout Problem
Leaking main sewer line?
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Jacuzzi Brands, Inc., a manufacturer of residential and commercial bath and plumbing products and premium vacuum cleaner systems, today announced the consolidation of its UK and European bath businesses into a single business unit to be led by Steven Cox, formerly the managing director of Jacuzzi® UK Bathroom Products Group. Mr. Cox will assume the role of Managing Director UK/EUROPE and will continue to be based in Bradford, UK.
The reorganization is effective immediately, and the business unit will include the Jacuzzi UK Bathroom Products Group, which is based in Bradford, UK; Jacuzzi Europe S.P.A., based in Valvasone, Italy; and ATMO, based in Vichy, France.
Donald C. Devine, president and COO of Jacuzzi Brands, Inc., said: "We believe the trends in the retail and builders merchant segments require us to have a more integrated approach to managing the UK and European markets. We are pleased to appoint Steve to this new role so that he can further integrate the activities among our business units and accelerate our growth on the European continent."
Mr. Devine continued, "As a focused global operating company, we recognize the importance of penetrating world markets, broadening distribution channels and leveraging the brand name recognition enjoyed by our products. Similar initiatives in the United States are producing positive, tangible results. Jacuzzi has enjoyed great success in the UK. By following the blueprint that they drafted, we believe that Steven and his team can mirror this success and further penetrate the greater European marketplace."
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text:
WARNING: Part rant and all technical. If you simply enjoy taking photos without being a techno gearhead feel free to ignore this post. I promise to return to more readable posts after getting this out of my system.
On Facebook the other day one of my non-person friends (BorrowLenses) posted a link to a video about T stops vs f stops. Huh? I've been photographing for 57 years and never heard of T stops. I watched it and did a bit of further research. It seems some folks with lots of time on their hands (time that would have been better spent taking pictures IMO) compared the actual amount of light coming through a variety of lenses and learned that (allegedly) your lenses are lying to you. According to them f/2.8, for example, may actually be f/2.9 or even f/3.something depending on the lens. They are (accurately) surmising that some light is lost inside the lens, absorbed by the lens elements, reflection for lens surfaces, etc., which isn't being accounted for with the result that they believe the f/stops are mislabeled.
The only "mis" going on is a misunderstanding of what the f/# means. To arrive at the f/# the diameter of the diaphragm opening is divided into the distance between the lens when focused at infinity AKA the Focal Length (more on that later). The resulting number is the f/#, period, end of calculation. Thus a lens rated at f/2 has a diaphragm opening the is one half the focal length of the lens, an f/4 stop is one quarter the focal length. It's a simple ratio. The diameter of the opening:focal length with the focal length always being "1". It is not and never was a direct measure of the transitivity of the glass although it is a useful approximation for calculating exposure.
So why don't lens manufacturers measure the light each lens transmits? I'm not a lens engineer but I've been a practicing photographer for a looong time so here's my educated hard knocks school answer. They don't because light loss in the lens is only one factor in how much light will actually hit the film/sensor at any given f/stop. The nominal focal length of all lenses is the distance between the lens and the film/sensor plane when focused at infinity. That is the closest the lens can be to the film plane and have anything in focus. As you focus on anything closer than infinity you are moving the lens further from the film plane. You reach a 1:1 subject size to image size when your lens is smack in the middle between the subject and the film.
Yes, I know you can bend the light rays using a +diopter effect (basically a magnifying glass) and the distances won't exactly equal at 1:1 but that's not the point. The point is that as you move the lens further from the film plane the light on the film/sensor decreases because of the law of inverse squares. On an SLR (digital or otherwise) the diaphragm opening can be linked with the focusing helical to approximate the same amount of light to a point. The barrel of the lens however limits how far the diaphragm can open. That's why the maximum aperture on most zoom lenses is marked as variable. When you zoom out, the lens barrel isn't big enough to accommodate the larger opening of the diaphragm at the longer focal length. It's the same size as at the shorter focal length but because it is a ratio of the two measurements, iris diameter:focal length, that same diameter is a smaller portion of the focal length. And yes, it does mean you get less light at any given spot on the focal plane, again because of the law of inverse squares (spread a given intensity of light over a large area and the light on any given part of the surface is less in inverse proportion to the increased distance). Although the effect is minor at subject distances closer to infinity, the light fall off increases as you focus on closer subjects and the progression of fall off is geometric.
There are other things that reduce the light at any given f/stop, notably filters. Before Photoshop allowed you to alter the relationship between values it was necessary to add a filter to the front of your lens. Obviously any filter you place in the light path will reduce the light reaching the film/sensor but that does not alter the ratio of the iris opening to the focal length of the lens. It is something the knowledgeable photographer has to compensate for to get accurate exposure. Or I should say had to compensate for.
All we are concerned about is correct exposure which is a mix of intensity of light and time. Modern cameras all have built in light meters coupled to computer chips to read the light actually falling on the sensor. The meter measures the light directly through the lens and doesn't give rat's patootie what the labeled f/stop is. If your camera has a histogram it tells you whether the light falls within the dynamic range that the sensor can interpret into a JPG based on the chosen exposure program (if you are shooting RAW the sensor will record a somewhat broader range that you can play with later). Even if the f/stop was intended to be a measure of actual light striking the sensor, which it isn't, there is no way the manufacturer could label the diaphragm ring on your lens with T numbers that accurately reflected the intensity since it is variable due to all sorts of adjustments to focus, filtration, etc. that change with each and every image you shoot. A simple ratio of diaphragm diameter to nominal focal length, that is something they can label and that is all it is. So f/4 is f/4 no matter what other circumstances are reducing the light coming through the lens and no, the manufacturers aren't cheating to make you think the lens is faster than it actually is. Today's photographers have marvelously technological cameras that virtually eliminate the complex calculations needed to get accurate exposure 50 years ago. Be grateful, stop wasting time on silliness and go take pictures. Jeesh!
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
What the #$!! are "T" stops?
Posted by Jim at 10:06 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: photography, Rant
Friday, November 07, 2014
Looking Out VS Looking In
Over a month and no posts. I've been wrestling with my thoughts on the state of photography, in particular, my photography. Looking at what's on the web I feel kind of 'out of step' but at the same time I have no desire to be 'in step'.
I just finished reading Disappearing Witness: Change in Twentieth-Century American Photography by Gretchen Garner. It is an art history book which is not my usual reading matter. I read enough art history in college to last me for a lifetime. Art history is mostly dry boring stuff and there is a certain amount of that in this volume, recitation of lists of photographers and how they fit into this or that genre. But this volume attracted my attention because its premise is something I had noticed myself.
One aspect of aging, of having been around for a long time, is that you gain a perspective that younger people don't have. In a sense it's like you learned to drive at night, able to see only what your headlights could illuminate and gradually the sun comes up and then you can see all this stuff that was hidden in the darkness. The stuff immediately around you, which was all you could see in the dark, takes on a whole new context once the sun comes up. I learned and began my practice of photography in the latter end of what Ms. Garner refers to as the "witness" mode of photography, the practice of looking out at the world, connecting with it on a psychic and emotional level, and making images that attempt to convey that connection to the viewer. That largely remains my mode of expression to this day.
Somewhere in the sixties or seventies the focus of art photographers took a major turn inward. It manifested in photographs that were less about the subject in front of the camera and more about the inner life of the photographer. Images became staged performances that were recorded on film and later digitally to illustrate an idea the photographer had. Such photographs had existed for some time previously of course but most were commercial illustrations for advertising or magazines, images made by photographers under the direction of art directors or editors. In the latter '70s and onward however it because the major trend of fine art photography.
I have observed this trend even among photography enthusiasts who don't aspire to "fine art" status but are moving in this direction as well. I don't know if it is the influence of Photoshop with its infinite control or a response the art world but I see ever more constructed as opposed to observed images as time goes on, images that are less about the subject matter and more about the photographer.
Perhaps I'm just being "stuck" in my past but I'm not sure that this trend is a good thing. Yes, we need to look inward, Eastern religions with their emphasis on meditation have been doing this for millennia but always as a ground for relating outward to the rest of creation or seeing ourselves in what we see. It is my belief that is what "witness" photographers were trying to do. Whatever the trend my photography will continue to look outward, to engage the larger world.
The photo is of a tree on the corner of Rt 56 and Garfield Rd outside Potsdam, NY. It caught my eye as I was driving into town one day and I stopped to photograph it with my cell phone which was the "best" camera (the one I had with me). It has been modified in Photoshop to accentuate the mood.
Posted by Jim at 12:31 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: art, phone photos, photography
Sunday, September 28, 2014
In a Remote Location
As long time readers know I adopt an Adirondack lean-to at Scott Clearing. The reason it is a clearing is that back in 1880s there was a lumbering camp in this area, some evidence of which remains to this day. The photo above is from the site of the pond onto which the logs were piled for release downstream in the spring. The bright area below the center red tree is the opening in the old dam (seen close up below). The dam was originally about 12 feet high.
I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed the day. If you wish to share them with others respect my copyright and send them the URL to this page. Don not repost elsewhere without permission.
Posted by Jim at 2:16 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: diary, photography
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Being Painterly
My favorite filters are the Topaz set. I started buying them when Fo2Pix folded and the BUZZ 3 filters were no longer available. Topaz picked up the gauntlet and created a similar filter in their Simplifier filter. They went on to create a number of other useful filters which I use frequently but the Simplifier filter remains my favorite of the bunch.
What it does is average the tone and hue of groups of pixels so that you get patches of color and tone. How big the patches are, what range of tone/hue is averaged, is adjustable with a slider control. With the original BUZZ 3 filter that control went so far that you could end up with a rectangle of one solid color. Topaz Simplifier doesn't have that range of control but who really wants to reduce their images to a single tone & hue anyway. Simplifier goes farther than I'm likely to ever want it to.
Today's photos all use (moderately) Topaz Simplifier in honor of two things. First, two of my images are in the 2015 Fine Arts Up North calendar. Both images made use of the Simplifier filter (along with other digital modifications). You can buy a copy of the calendar by contacting the Arts Council at this link. I don't get anything from sales but it supports our arts community.
The second reason for today's all Simplifier collection is that this was the last day of the Plein Air Festival in Potsdam. I'm not a painter (in recent years at least) but I went out in search of subject matter in the local community rather than running off to the mountains as I usually do and most of the subjects I found seemed best suited to this treatment which many people tell me makes the images look like paintings. Indeed massing tone and hue is exactly what painters do.
I went to three parks in Potsdam, Lehman Park, Ives Park and the small one on Fall Island. Afterward I drove to Canton to visit Heritage Park which I hadn't visited before. The photo above is from the parking area at Heritage Park and is my favorite of the day. The one below is from Lehman Park.
The next was made in Ives Park. The wind gusts were quite strong and I wanted to capture the blowing leaves of a large willow on the bank of the Racquette River.
Then come two wildflower photos from the Fall Island park, a Thistle and a Black Eyed Susan.
Finally a photo of some Plantation Lilies by the foundation of the church on Fall Island. This is a repeat subject from many, many years ago. I originally photographed it on the 1st roll of film I shot in a used Fuji GX 645 folding camera. That was a great little camera that produced amazing negatives.
If you click directly on an image you will get a larger view. I took more photos but this mix represents all the sites I visited. I hope you enjoy seeing them and please remember that they are copyrighted. As always, if you want to share them with others, give your friends the URL to this page, Do not repost them elsewhere without my express permission.
Posted by Jim at 11:06 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Canon 7D, photography
Saturday, August 02, 2014
This past winter I bought a Petzval lens reproduction from Lomography through a crowdsource project they ran. There were some delays and when the lens came it came minus several of the bonuses Lomography promised. Two of the missing bonuses were of no consequence to me (a camera strap and a canvas bag) but I also did not receive the special shape Waterhouse Stop set that was promised and that I did care about. Despite writing to Lomography, both through the crowdsource site and directly however have produced no result. I still do not have the promised special shaped stops. I would think twice before dealing with Lomography again.
The lens is well made with a nice brass finish, modified from the original design to fit directly on modern Canon or Nikon cameras (mine is the Canon version) and produces images with pleasant depth of field as well as fall off of sharpness toward the corners which gives a vintage look to the images. It is quite sharp in the center and overall sharpness increases with smaller stops since you are only using the center of the lens. Operation is strictly manual. The Waterhouse Stops simply drop into a slot in the lens barrel. Since the opening is perfectly round, unlike a variable diaphragm which works on movable leaves, the out of focus areas are pleasantly blurred. The camera controls the shutter speed and focusing is achieved via a rack and pinion on the bottom of the lens. The lens was promoted as a portrait lens and it is undoubtedly good for that but I bought it primarily to use for flower photos. Photographing individual or small groups or flowers shares a lot in common with portraiture as this group of images demonstrates
I wish the Waterhouse Stops fit a touch more snuggly or had some mechanism to hold them in place other than just gravity. Working in the field I'm concerned about dropping and losing one of them. I've tried using a hair band to hold the stop in the slot when I turn the camera on its side but I'm not entirely happy with that solution. Also the suede case Lomography provided for the lens and set of stops is virtually useless. It is awkward to get the lens into the case which is a poor fit. The case is a flat rectangle that opens via an overlap down the middle of one side and the stops are simply put into a pocket on the inside of the case. I can see that I will have to make my own case for the stops, something with slots for each stop rather than dumping them together in one too large pocket. I'd prefer that they be sorted by f/stop for ease of selection. I'll probably end up buying a Neoprene pouch, a round one, like the lens, to store the lens in.
This group was shot in the field behind my house, Spotted Knapweed above and below are two images of Yellow Daisies, a cluster of Butter and Eggs, a Rough Fruited Cinquefoil and a Plantation Lily that is in one of our flower beds. I converted the last to B&W because I thought that suited it best.
Posted by Jim at 5:39 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Canon 7D, Petzval, photography, Review
Saturday, July 05, 2014
I went to Saranac Lake last night to watch/photograph the 4th of July freworks. I've only tried shooting fireworks once before about a decade ago so for this effort I was still in the learning/experimental mode. I shot them at around f/8 on manual mode. The shutter speed varied from 1 sec. to 2½ sec. I had the camera on my tripod and was shooting mostly at the wide end of my 18-135mm zoom because I wasn't sure where the bursts would occur relative to the frame. I didn't look through the viewfinder. I just watched the sky, listened to the sound of the rockets and pressed the shutter release at the point I thought they were about to burst. They all have post exposure adjustments in Lightroom 5; cropping, some curves, highlight control, clarity and saturation. It was kind of fun. I might try it again sometime. More photos below, the most I've ever posted at once. Please respect my copyright and share by referring others to this page. Do not repost elsewhere without my express permission.
The one below reminds me of some old rock album covers.
An interesting abstract.
A new galaxy?
The finale
Posted by Jim at 2:23 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Adirondacks, diary, photography, technique
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
An Afternoon in a Bog
Late this morning I drove down to Paul Smiths and delivered my entries for their annual 'Life on the Lakes' juried show. After getting a lunch in Saranac Lake I headed home but when I got back to Paul Smiths the rain had stopped so I took my camera on the Boreal Life Trail to see what I could find. My first find was the Bog Laurel above but there was lots more.
The Pitcher Plants are all lower than the boardwalk that is the trail across the bog. That had me lying on my belly with the tripod hanging over the side for most of the above shots. The Bunchberry and Dog Bane below were at a more comfortable height.
All the photos are copyrighted. Please respect my work and do not repost without permission.
Posted by Jim at 9:12 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Adirondacks, diary, photography, wildflowers
Monday, June 16, 2014
Lean-to Maintenance & Why I photograph
A couple of friends and I hiked to "my" lean-to (I am the adopter of Scott Clearing lean-to) on Saturday to do a semi-annual cleanup and check for needed repairs. The streams were all running high from the heavy rains that had fallen the day and night before. On the way back out we stopped by Rocky Falls and I made the above 3 frame panorama.
When I posted it to Facebook one person thanked me for bringing the scenery into her home and that is part of why I photograph but only part. I know some wilderness photographers who make their photos as a way to encourage preservation of wilderness and Ansel Adams' photographs have been credited with convincing congress to preserve some western parks but Ansel was also a prolific advocate of wilderness. He wrote letters almost daily and was very active in the Sierra Club. While the photos played a role, they were secondary to his activism IMO. I belong to the Adirondack Mountain Club but mostly as a low key member. I participate in the lean-to adopter program and I donate use of my photos but I don't kid myself that my photographs are going to play a significant role in preservation of the park.
So why do I do it? Mostly for myself. Photography is a way for me to connect with the landscape more deeply than just hiking through. It makes me think about what attracts my attention and how best to represent that in an image. There is also the discipline of observation that goes along with photography. That discipline makes me a more keen observer of my surroundings. Practicing any visual art medium can develop your observation skills but photography appeals to me the most.
The photographs aren't entirely for me alone of course. The process is for me but once I have made an image I think is successful I like to share it and while people may enjoy seeing them I hope they will also be inspired to go out and spend time in nature themselves. The very best photographs I (or anyone) can make are pale imitations of the experience of being there. If anything is going to convert a person to being a preservationist it is the experience of being in the midst of nature and realizing that we are a part of nature that will achieve the conversion, not my photographs. At best the photograph inspires them to wander off into the wild to see what's there and be open to what wilderness has to offer.
The photograph below was made along the trail on the left bank of the brook as we were going back to the main trail after visiting the falls. After looking them up on the web I find that white Moccasin Flowers are not uncommon but this was the first one I'd ever seen so I felt it deserved a portrait.
Posted by Jim at 10:29 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Adirondacks, hikes, philosophy, photography
Friday, June 13, 2014
Digital Magazines
A review (sort of) that is photography related (again, sort of) but not about photography. After getting a Kindle Fire I decided to try subscribing to a couple of digital magazines, National Geographic and Outdoor Photographer. Both feature very nice photographs and it seems a shame to throw away/recycle print copies after reading them but what do you do with them? Enter digital subscriptions.
I really like the National Geographic digital presentation. They reformat the articles for digital presentation, text is separated and scrolls vertically, moving from section to section is done with horizontal scrolls. Photos are organized in albums for viewing with only captions. They even include interactive maps and audio/video clips. Very cool stuff, very well done, it takes good advantage of the touch screen. I haven't done a side-by-side check of the digital version against the print version but I think the articles are condensed from the print version. They don't seem as long as I remember from when I had a print subscription in the past but they are long enough to convey the stories. I don't finish one wishing they had included more and I read almost all of them. The one niggle I have is their app/delivery system. Perhaps the digital format they have chosen dictates it but I have to guess when an issue is available, open the app, log in and manually download the new issues. Maybe if they sent an automated email to let me know when a new issue was available it would annoy me less but aside from checking, there seems to be no way to know for sure when the latest issue is available. Never the less I give them 4½ stars out of 5 for the great presentation of great content.
Outdoor Photographer got the delivery right. When a new issue comes out it automatically downloads to my Kindle and pops up - BAM! as Emeril would say. No effort on my part. That's the last cool thing about the digital version of Outdoor Photographer. All they do is digitize the print version as whole pages, like a pdf file. Perhaps that would work fine on a desktop computer with a large screen but on a Kindle sized tablet it is a navigation nightmare. If you view the whole page, the print is far to small to read. If you enlarge it enough to be legible you are looking at only a section of page and spend all your time scrolling both sideways and up/down trying to read it. And because OP has a nasty habit of spanning photos across pages you see only a portion of the photo at a time or turn the Kindle sideways for a full two page view which is very small. Consequently I find myself reading very little of OP, a quick scan of each issue and perhaps one article, that's it. Add this to the editor's apparent notion that the only good landscapes are west of Denver (an annoyance I've noted in the past) and I will pass on renewing that subscription.
I've tried other digital subscriptions (news media) and noticed the same issue. They either scan and dump the print version as whole pages, sometimes in a proprietary format like Zinio, or they reformat the content to fit the constraints & advantages of digital presentation. IMO the latter is superior and the former is a poor substitute for print which isn't dead yet and won't be until publishers wise up to the differences or perhaps those who don't will simply cease publishing altogether.
The photo above has nothing to do with the post. It is just there for your viewing pleasure. It is from the canoe trip in the prior post. Like the others it was made from the canoe. Please respect my copyright and do not repost either the photos or the text without permission. Share by referring to this URL of this page.
Posted by Jim at 8:15 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Thursday, June 05, 2014
Another Season Begins
There was some headwind as I set out but it was less strong, or so I thought as I had less trouble paddling into it. Church Pond is somewhat smaller than Mountain Pond but is linked to Little Osgood Pond by a canal that was dug by Paul Smith. There is another canal from Little Osgood to Osgood Pond which by some standards could be called a lake. I have never understood the pond vs lake naming in the Adirondacks. It is so capricious that it must have been a matter of whim by the person naming the body of water. It does not seem to bear any relationship to relative size.
The stump above is along the shore of Church Pond on the side toward St John's of the Wilderness (http://jims-ramblings.blogspot.com/2009/08/st-johns-of-wilderness.html). It was the new evergreen growing on the side of the stump that first caught my eye. Upon closer inspection I decided to include the whole stump and surroundings. I especially liked the reflections on the ripples in the water. The image was converted to B&W in Lightroom based on a preset that I created. I tend to tweak all presets taking into account the individual image and this was no exception.
After paddling the length of Church Pond I came to the canal where I found a second interesting stump. Photographing this one was a challenge from the canoe. The canal is completely under the shade of the surrounding trees and a canoe is not a very stable platform. I managed a sufficiently short shutter speed (exposing for the shadows) by raising the ISO and opening the diaphragm to f/8, helped along undoubtedly by the image stabilization in my Canon 7D. The version above has a modified Lightroom Infrared preset applied to it. I did away with the negative clarity in the preset and added some sharpening, also a touch of burning in on the upper stump.
I wasn't able to navigate the second canal to Osgood from Little Osgood because of blow down across the narrow channel. Perhaps another day. On the return trip I stopped to photograph the lean-to and dock that are adjacent the canal in Church Pond. Again I used the modified LR Infrared preset. Returning to the dock where I had put in I had a tailwind but noticed a distinct current flowing in the opposite direction. That may well account for the relative ease of paddling into the wind when I first set out. It was a good start to a new season of paddling and hiking in the Adirondacks.
All photos and content are copyrighted. If you wish to share with friends, please do so by giving then the URL to see it here.
Posted by Jim at 5:43 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Adirondacks, B&W, canoeing, Canon 7D, diary, photography
Monday, May 26, 2014
Thinking About Art
Recently I watched "The Monuments Men", a movie that I recommend although this isn't a review. This is more of a mulling or pondering of the rationale the main characters used for their mission in light of how the world has changed since WWII.
For those who aren't familiar with the movie the plot (based on real life) involves a group of art specialists who set out to save the art that has been stolen by the Nazis in their advance through Europe. They volunteer to serve in a special unit to find, identify and retrieve great works of art as the Germans retreat after D-Day. The rationale for the mission is that the art represents the culture of the invaded countries and if it is lost or destroyed it will mean the destruction of the culture. As the lead character puts it, people can be killed but new generations will be born and the culture lives on through the art, thus it is important to preserve the art.
As the Germans gathered up the art in their retreat they stored it in mines and it takes the protagonists some time to learn where it is. The rest of the army is too busy fighting to provide more than minimal assistance and pays little attention when the Monuments Men do succeed. The only discovery they make that gets attention is a cache of gold in one of the mines. That gets everyone's attention including the media. Over the course of their self assigned mission the Monuments Men save and return millions of pieces of art, paintings, sculpture, etc. In the process they lost two of their unit plus two members of the team from allied forces. In the final scenes, Frank Stokes, the leader of the unit is reviewing the mission for his superiors and is asked "Was it worth it?". He responds that it was.
After the movie I wondered about his premise in terms of the modern world. In prewar Europe I can see where it could be argued that the art and architecture was the embodiment of the culture in which it existed. In today's global society I'm not sure that still applies. Yes, there are remnants of that old culture but it is rapidly fading and art is more an expression of the individual artist than of the culture and values of the society in which the artist works. Would any art curator today risk life and limb to salvage Damien Hirst's pickled shark on the pretext that it represented our culture? Or how about Raffaello D'Andrea's robotic chair? I wonder.
Posted by Jim at 5:45 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: art, diary, history, philosophy
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Back in the Adirondacks
It's been a while (last fall) since I've been down to the Adirondacks to do some photography. Sunday I drove to Old Forge to take in the last day of Paddlefest. The event was disappointing on two counts. One, the weather was distinctly chilly. There were only a handful of people brave enough to try out the paddle boards and boats. Second, there were even fewer canoes than last year. The vast majority of craft were standup paddle boards and every sort of kayak you can imagine. The guys from Slipstream Watercraft had their superlight canoes there (as little as 9½#). Those were interesting but not suitable for my uses.
I did a bit of photography along the way. The waterfall above is right alongside Rt 28. The stream comes out of a large culvert a bit up stream and then runs parallel to the highway for a bit. There is a bit of guardrail in the picture at the very top. I probably shouldn't confess that. I should just let you all think I hiked several miles to reach this place. I will be doing that later this summer (hiking) but not on this trip.
I also drove down to Thendara to check out the RR station there. I was last there when they were just gathering old RR cars to restore. I made some photos of the station, which is architecturally interesting, and a box car that was there.
Enjoy. If you wish to share with your friends, please refer them to this page. Respect my copyright and do not repost.
Posted by Jim at 2:41 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Adirondacks, diary, photography
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Danny DeVito, Nick Punto, New Best Friends Forever! [Video]
Danny DeVito, Nick Punto - brothers in arms!
Picture: Danny DeVito Screening of FX's 'It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia' and 'The League' held at ArcLight Cinemas Cinerama Dome Los Angeles, California - 13.09.11
Danny DeVito, Nick Punto - surprising BFF's? Well, the pair solidified their friendship with some on-field celebrations after the Dodgers hot streak continued this week.
The 'Twins' actor was spotted in the crowd for Monday's victory over the Mets, celebrating with thousands of True Blue fans as the Dodgers came back from a two-run deficit to win out 4-2.
MLB cameras spotted super-fan DeVito doing a celebratory dance when infielder Nick Punto smashed a home run in the seventh inning. Punto spotted the famous actor partying in the stands and after rounding bases, running over for a high-five with the diminutive Hollywood legend. What made for a nice touch was DeVito's Dodgers jersey, which had Punto #7 on the back.
After the game, the actor joined his favorite player for an on-field interview. "He was coming in for the hug, he's a good Italian, I know he's a hugger," said Punto of his pal DeVito.
DeVito rose to fame in the likes of Twins and Matilda and is currently starring as Frank Reynolds on the FX sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. During the Television Critics Association press tour, series star Charlie Day confirmed that a forthcoming episode would deal with the show's recent Emmy snub - in a tongue-in-cheek way of course. The upcoming episode 'The Gang Desperately Tries to Win an Award,' will follow Day and his pals as they realize that their bar, Paddy's Pub, has never won an award.
"They go to these other bars to try to figure out what they're doing that they're not doing, and then try to change themselves to fit in that formula. It doesn't go so well," said Day.
Danny DeVito Is A Huge Dodgers Fan


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Posts tagged metal-gear-solid-3-snake-eater-3d
Circle Pad Pro gloms onto 3DS on Feb. 7, exclusively at GameStop for $20
You'll be able to get your hands – and specifically your right hand – on the Circle Pad Pro in the US on February 7th, when the peripheral goes on sale exclusively at GameStop for $19.99. That's a full two weeks before the PlayStation Vita reminds portable gamers why a second analog s...
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D drops into Japan March 8
Japan will know The Joy of playing Metal Gear Solid 3 again on March 8: that's when the wait for Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D comes to The End. The date was announced at a press event last night and posted to the official Japanese website today, leaving us to feel only The Pain of jealousy. ...
Kojima: Metal Gear Solid 3D arrives early 2012
Metal Gear Solid 3D: Snake Eater will arrive in 2012, according to series creator Hideo Kojima. The detail confirms wonky words from Konami in late July that the game wouldn't make its announced 2011 launch. Andriasang also reported that Kojima gave an "early to mid 2012" release window for th...
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Art Lesson: Claymation - Clay Animation
Claymation: Clay Animation
Submitted by: Connie Ferguson, 2012 Arizona Art Teacher of the Year and Teacher at Riverview Elementary in El Mirage, Arizona. (Formerly art teacher at Monroe Middle School, Monroe, WI)
* Special Thanks to Renee Berg - Mitchell Middle School for her help and inspiration in this unit plan. See Renee's ideas on Incredible Art Department.
* Animation Lessons - Rubric - History - Flash and more! By Jim Hoffman, Mount Royal, Saskatoon, Sask.
OBJECTIVES: The learner will:
STATE STANDARDS: The learner will:
A2 learn appropriate vocabulary related to their study of art.
Photocopy lesson outline and assignments for student use
Alternate idea: Screamers - by Catharine Ho
See Note To Teachers
Microsoft Movie Maker Help Topics. Use iMovie for the Mac.
DVD: Chicken Run: Hatching the Movie, by Brian Sibley
DVD: How to Animate Clay and Stop Motion Puppets - How to Animate Puppets 2 DVD set will help you to be a better animator. With over five hours of video, every possible animation trick is explained.
Secrets Of Clay Animation Revealed - This book teaches all methods the experts use to make stop motion films from start to finish. After reading Secrets you will know how to create several types of armatures, learn how puppets are sculpted, make a motion control rig, light your sets, make your own surface gages, use video reference, chroma key, capture programs and more.
Beginner's Guide to Animation - With the help of Beginner's Guide to Animation, anyone can make animated movies, using a digital camera, basic software, and a computer. The book begins with an illustrated guide to setting up a simple animation studio at home, including a list of essential items.
The Art of Stop-Motion Animation - Through several hands-on exercises, you'll learn how to create puppets and how to bring them to life as you create your own stop-motion film. Interviews with industry professionals offer a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look into the undying art form of stop-motion animation.
Below: Although this is way beyond the ability of middle school students, it is a great way to motivate the students at the beginning of the project.
Animate Clay
1. View website Claymation Station on IPTV
* creation of story and characters
All team members will participate in the editing process.
Theme of cycle is based on units of study in core and encore classes.
Science: Insects
STORY BOARD (see handout)
1. Create a simple storyboard of eight to ten pictures that will be the main story of your claymation.
1. Choose a background that will be used throughout the entire story.
***DEMO on painting procedures.
1. Collect and bring in props to be used on the set. Look at Chicken Run, Hatching of the Movie for ideas of using commonplace objects.
1. For the claymation, characters will be made out of plasticine. A wire armature will be made as a movable skeleton.
2. Colored plasticine is wrapped and molded around the wire armature to create the character.
Character Requirements:
*Fits the theme
1. Set up the painting background
1. Using a digital camera take a photo or 3 second shot of your characters in the beginning pose.
**DEMO on using Microsoft Movie Maker. (For a complete tutorial on iMovie, visit Apple's website)
6. To insert Credits Frame
7. To edit clips:
8. Repeat this number 7 until all the unwanted sections are cut out of the timeline.
9. You may press play and watch the whole video throughout this process as many times as you want or need.
Helpful Hints:
To speed up movie clips:
Music and voice-overs are to be added at this time
To Add Voice Overs
To Add Music
FINAL PROCEDURES and PRESENTATION
Save As Movie
1. All projects will be transferred to a CD
Before downloading any clips:
Name __________________
3 Storyboard is developed to reflect the cycle theme
3 Background is complete and is consistent to the theme
3 Set and props are organized and are relevant to the story
3 Met all character requirements
3 Technology of software and hardware is successfully applied to the project
3 Animation is smooth and meets the time requirement
3 Worked cooperatively as a team player
See the student self-evaluation document
Submitted by: Catharine Ho, Hong Kong
Catharine planned on one class to work with their partner and do a story board, for homework - do a drawing of their character, 2 classes to make the character and any props. She is trying to convince the computer teacher to do the actual filming part. She used armatures (tissue rolls) and a very malleable plasticine called Jovi plasticina. The students will print up an image as the backdrop on A-3 size paper. As a problem to solve, the students will be working with a prop, voted for by the class( a ribbon or a ball or ?) that will appear in each of their clips so when there put them together there will be some unity to the collection.
From Connie: They (Claymation videos) work great with the new Windows Media Player but not the old version. I did study Renee Berg's work- it was very inspiring. I am doing this with my 7th grade cycles. 8 groups of animations every 7 weeks. That will be a lot of "movies" by June. I just presented this unit to the school board. They loved it! They have spent a lot of money on Technology so they were very pleased that someone was using it besides Power Point. I did get a brainstorm this weekend and thought about making a DVD with director commentaries, bloopers reel, location shots, etc. I have a very intelligent 7th grade study hall that seems to need something to do--- so they are going to be in charge of getting those video files ready throughout the year. I also had a "dinner theater" for lunch one day. All the 1st cycle students brought their lunch to my art room and we watched both classes of animations. It was a hit!
A background on claymation can be found here.
From: Mark Alan Anderson, Art Teacher, Raymore-Peculiar Middle School
My students work on clay animation for nine weeks with some pretty spectacular results.
Here's what you need:
My kids are exposed to the medium in this order:
1. We watch and analyze a series of animation clips on video. These include old cell animation such as Popeye and Foghorn Leghorn; clay animation like Wallace and Grommett, Gumby, etc.; clips from Nightmare Before Christmas; a short animation that I created and short clips from previous student animations.
2. I introduce the concepts of script and storyboard. Students must prepare and present a script and rough storyboard, along with fully modeled and articulated clay characters. Students work in groups of five or six. Clay characters are modeled on a wire superstructure to keep them from falling apart after the constant use they go through during production.
3. I demonstrate use of the camera, stressing that you MUST use a tripod to make this process work; demonstrate setting up clay characters and making them appear to move by changing the position of the models slightly and then making a still photo; demonstrate that by taping the cardboard set down to the table you avoid inadvertently moving it half way through the "shoot." Until scripts, models, cardboard sets, and storyboards are complete and approved, no student may begin shooting.
4. As students shoot, I encourage them to download their pictures to their computer folders to avoid them getting accidentally erased. I demonstrate how to use the software... iMovie and Movie Maker work in similar ways. (in Movie Maker, go to "Tools" and make sure that pictures are importing at about .5 seconds or shorter duration; in iMovie, import pictures at a duration of 00:00:12) If you've never worked with these editing programs, they are really very simple. Drag "clips" onto the timeline in the order you want them to appear... a "clip" in animation is one photograph or "frame." You can also add music, voices, narration, effects, titling, etc. in the program.
This is a really basic outline of a fairly complex process, but either program mentioned here will yield really nice results and has a fairly good range of additional capabilities for the student engaged in animation.
You do not need fancy software to do animation with your students. Many software programs have an animation feature. FrontPage (Note from Ken: Front Page is not a very good web page software program. I prefer Dreamweaver CS6) has Gif Animation in Image Composer that is very easy to learn. You would have to take digital images and save the as Gif in order to use that function. Animation can be done using PowerPoint. You simply insert the images on each slide and set the looping and time between slides to zero. Puffin was created for the Dropping in on Rousseau video that Jim animated. You have to save the PowerPoint to your hard drive in order to see the animation. Viewing the slide sorter view will show you how many slides it takes for one movement. You can see how many to include on the same pose to slow the movement down.
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Cheap ski holidays in hundreds of ski resorts worldwide.
Wednesday afternoon at the ski show is always a great way to kick start the season and yesterday was no exception to the rule. We had a fantastic afternoon with many of our good friends from within the world of skiing and very much enjoyed the surprise performance from former Meribel pop-band, The Feeling.
The afternoon got off to a good start over at the Thunder stand where the guys insisted their toffee vodka was better than that of the Morris Bar in Val d'Isere. Of course it would have been rude not to sample their product, and I have to say it is the best toffee vodka I've had outside of the Skilodge.
A walk around the show took us to some pretty cool products and some friendly stands. The guys over at Cool Board were demonstrating their great ways of developing core strength and Grannies inc were showing off their design your own beanies and had one of their grannies knitting away in the background. My favourite new product at this year's ski show has to be the retro, almost ironic, '80s-style one piece suits over at Willyfinder - I'll let you guess where the name comes from. Their über bright attire is bound to find its way into Europe's snowparks and student holiday trips this year, and to be honest for the sheer fun of it I would have bought one had I not forget my credit card!
Later in the afternoon we were treated to wine and canapés from our friends at Skiworld, one of our chalet operators, followed by more of the same by our friends from Inghams. It's always nice to meet up with our biggest suppliers face-to-face opposed to over the phone, plus there's always some good gossip on the go.
The highlight of the afternoon has to be the après ski-esque set that The Feeling did over at the Trois Valley bar. They played a few of their hits and Sophie Ellis Bexter joined them for an acoustic version of 'Murder on the Dance Floor'. They were promoting The Little Word Festival which will be on in Meribel in March, and the band have quite a following in the ski industry after a few seasons playing as cover band Superfly in Meribel. As always the music was great and they gave the show a little bit of a Ronnie-après-ski feel.
After a quick hello over at Natives, Aragon (Formigal) and Ski Big Three it was time to jump on the bus to the Ski Club of Great Britain party. The Ski Club party was fun and started with Pimms on the bus and a champagne reception as they showed off their rebranding (more to follow on this shortly) and their new website. A fun evening entailed and as usual we were joined by the guys from Vail Resorts and Ski Big Three for a quiet drink to discuss what had been a great day.
The ski show has some great entertainment on this year with the Trois Valley Cook-off, the Big Air competition and the Land Rover Fashion shows. If you have time head down there this week and enjoy the hospitality of everyone there.
Thanks to Inghams for inviting us down to the show and to the Ski Club of Great Britain for the evening presentation and entertainment. We'll be heading down again on Friday and then it's the unfortunate 12 month wait until next year's show.
With two weeks to go until the first festival of the season kicks off I thought I'd take a look at this year's Relentless Freeze Festival, based at one of London's famous landmarks, Battersea Power Station.
What better way to kick off the festivals than a huge kicker, followed by a great party on the shores of the river Thames. The Relentless Freeze Festival will be hosting the likes of Torstein (and hopefully another triple), current TTR champion Peetu Piiroinen and four-time X-Games Gold medallist skier Simon Dumont, to name a few. The evening entertainment also rivals that of any summer festival with the likes of Roni Size, Mark Ronson and Pendulum headlining and up and coming acts such as Jettblack, Bedouin Soundclash and The Nextmen.
An eventful 2010/11 season that saw double-corks taking precedent in competitions, Shaun White wining Gold at the Olympics, Bristol born Jenny Jones getting her third winter X-Games Gold and Torstein Horgmo's landing the quite ridiculous first triple-cork on film. Surely this can only mean another banging winter in on its way.
Along with a whole host world class athletes competing over the weekend Friday will again showcase the best of British, with the aptly named Battle of Britain. Competitors include Brits winners Gary Greenshields and Jamie Nicholls - who clocked up a top ten finish in August's Burton NZ Open. The British riding is always entertaining as it bring's together a crowd usually seen competing at The Dawn of the Shred and The Brits through to the indoor scene. Jamie has to be this year's favourite, but it will still be an entertaining afternoon finding out!
Friday is also the UK Premier and the final stop of the European Tour what is arguably the year's biggest snowboard film 'Deeper'. The film will be premiering on Friday night after the Battle of Britain competition and will then be screened throughout the rest of the weekend. Deeper follows one of snowboarding's all time greats, Jeremy Jones, on a mission to access the world's wildest terrain including friends Xavier De AL Rue, Travis Rice and Jonaven Moore.
The film, sponsored by O'Neill, has been in the making for the past two years and is set to take back country riding to a new level. The producers Teton Gravity Research have already premiered the world's first 3D snowboard film earlier this autumn, which went down a storm, and Deeper is set to be even bigger. The last time a film of this magnitude was released was Travis Rice's project 'That's it, That's all' and Jeremy Jones passion for free-riding will surely take this to the next level.
With 16 days until these two great events, I can't wait. I'm sure there will be plenty for me to write about after the show. Whether it's the snowboarding, skiing, music or the chance to meet Jeremy Jones the Freeze weekend is set to be a hit. See you there...
Did you know...?
Many people don't realise that we are a travel agent and when you come to our site you see the prices and availability of chalets, hotels and apartments from all the major tour operators and many small operators (we work with over 40 ski tour operators). We are saving you a lot of time and effort by bringing all this information together, as well as getting some great prices and exclusive offers from our suppliers.
What many people also don't realise is that many of the big ski brands are part of the same organisation. Iglu is an independent agent so we don't have any affiliation to any of the tour operators, our goal is to offer the best choice and prices for our customers.
Earlier this summer quite a major event happened in the ski industry, the Enigma Travel Group was sold to Hotelplan UK. Now this will not mean anything or sound very exciting to most people, but it has created the second largest ski tour operator group bringing together the brands of Inghams, Ski Total and Ski Esprit, and putting the Hotelplan UK group not far behind TUI Ski in size.
Is bigger better? In a tough economic climate if savings can be made through economies of scale and passed on to the consumer then everyone is winning, and it creates some healthy competition for the market leaders which is never a bad thing.
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Lebanon's draft budget
Lebanon's government is banking on an expanding economy to prop up a $4 billion fiscal deficit and a mountain of public debt.
June 30, 2010 1:42 by Katherine Azmeh
Lebanon's cabinet last week approved the country's first draft budget in five years – a $13 billion jolt of confidence in a nation where political consensus has often been elusive, and the paths to political accord, protracted. The expansionary budget includes a 15.5 percent increase in spending, widening the fiscal deficit to a forecasted $4 billion – more than 10 percent of gross domestic product.
This $4 billion budget shortfall is the backdrop for a crushing national debt burden, projected to reach $55 billion this year – more than 1.5 times the gross domestic product, largely accumulated since the 1975-1990 civil war.
But scores of big red numbers did little to discourage lawmakers on the merits of the budget. Lebanon's finance minister Raya el-Hassan said the strategy for managing the deficit and national debt is to ensure that the country's economic growth continues to outpace debt.
On that front, so far, so good. The economy expanded 9 percent last year, 8.5 percent in 2008, and stands to grow another eight percent this year, according to IMF forecasts. Real estate investment and tourism are credited with buoying the economy, and Lebanese banks are flush with cash. While global interest rates plummeted, banks maintained interest rates on deposits of Lebanese lira at around 7 percent, attracting a staggering 1.5 billion a month from abroad in 2009.
So, what's the upshot for the average Lebanese? A grab bag of pros and cons: While a staggering one-third of the budget is dedicated to servicing the public debt, it doesn't call for any new taxes. The country's power sector had been earmarked for 15 percent of the government's draft budget, and consumers will not see an increase in the VAT rate. The Energy Ministry said it intends to build more power plants to reduce the severe electricity rationing in the country.
On the down side, consumers probably shouldn't expect any relief from the outrageous prices on communications, either. Lebanon has the region's least competitive mobile market and some of the slowest internet in the world, but the budget does not call for privatizing the telecoms sector – a move opposed by opposition ministers.
The finance minster emphasized the need to allow the private sector to participate in financing some of the large infrastructure projects, such as electricity and water dams, saying that government does not have sufficient funds to pay for some of the ambitious projects they presented. But borrowing more money is worrisome for some ministers, who suggest a government ceiling on debt.
While a $4 billion budgetary shortfall is nothing to sneeze at, Lebanon's urgent need to improve delivery of public services – including water, power, waste, roadways, technology, and communications – is an investment that many, particularly in business, feel the country cannot afford to avoid.
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Blacks attend underfunded 'Racially Separate' colleges
Black students often attend poorly-funded colleges and receive certificates instead of earning degrees, according to a recent report. ...Read more ›
Black students often attend poorly-funded colleges and receive certificates instead of earning degrees, according to a recent report. ...Read more ›
A woman in Houston, Texas has allegedly used the infamous "Stand Your Ground" law in the way it was intended to be used. ...Read more ›
The unemployment rate for Blacks fell from 13.7 percent in June to 12.6 percent in July, the lowest jobless rate for Blacks since January 2009, according to the latest jobs report from the Labor Department. ...Read more ›
Austin, Texas Police Chief Art Acevedo has tried to impress upon the African American community during his tenure it has to be "never run from a cop with a gun. ...Read more ›
Conservative columnist Jeffrey Kuhner, who in the past has accused the President of having "Black nationalist sympathies" and unleashing "class hatred and racial hostility," couldn't pass up another opportunity to depict the bi-racial President as a racist. ...Read more ›
Black leaders and Democrats, on the other hand, countered that the bill was just another GOP attempt at voter suppression, aimed specifically at the traditional Democratic base – African-Americans, Hispanics, college students, the elderly and the poor. ...Read more ›
Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr. has announced that the Justice Department will sue the state of Texas to compel it to preclear any planned changes in its voting procedures before they can go into effect. ...Read more ›
National Urban League President Marc H. Morial has called for "a new civil rights movement," one that will focus on economic empowerment and justice ...Read more ›
Glimpses of heaven & a fiery hell at Port Chicago Naval Magazine Memorial ...Read more ›
Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) made the following statement after being honored by the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) with their "Friend of the National Parks" Award: ...Read more ›
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Short Story for Children written by: Carolina Mora Arevalo.
The fairies fly around when see grandpa. A nice man who has always lived giving love and affection to his family.
He looks for calm between the flowers and the fruits from his vegetable garden, and discovers that he is picking the fairies´unconditional love, the same values he instilled in his family.
One of the fairies called Shanna represents generosity, flapping happily towards grandpa, but does not find the moment to offer her presents.
The second fairy is called Sissi, she is solidarity, she is always ready to support, not just Grandpa, also everybody around.


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Retired command Sgt. Maj. William H. Acebes was recently honored at Fort Benning as the 2011 enlisted recipient of the Doughboy Award.
SAVANNAH - Visitors to the Savannah Technical College Liberty Campus in October just might see some unusual art on display.
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Navy Seaman Ashlie L. Ray, daughter of Ruth A. and Randy A. Ray of Hinesville, recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill.
The annual Wreaths for Warriors Walk Poker Run will be Saturday through Monday. Registration will begin at 9:20 a.m. and the ride begins at 9:50 a.m. at the Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith Army Education Center outside of Fort Stewart.
New Day Outreach Ministry in Midway commemorated the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks with a special service. Pastor Richard D. Hayes, president of the United Ministerial Alliance, gave a ceremonial speech in conjunction with the event and presented an honorary U.S. flag, which flew on the lawn of the United States Capital in Washington, D.C.
WEST POINT, N.Y. - Cadet Harrison Joseph Place, son of Col. and Mrs. Ronald Place of Fort Stewart, completed cadet basic training at the U.S. Military Academy.
More than 1,000 Cubs and parents attended the Boy Scouts of America Coastal Empire Council Cub Scouts Heritage Cuboree last weekend in Allenhurst, and event organizers are calling the weekend a success.
Editor's note: This column originally ran in the Sept. 16, 2007, edition of the Courier.
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Retired Army Lt. Gen. Glenn Webster, a former 3rd Infantry Division commander, recently donated $10,000 to Hinesville Mayor Jim Thomas, center, and George Holtzman, chairman of HMAC's Veterans Memorial Walk committee. Holtzman said he expects to receive several sizable donations in the coming weeks to help pay for the memorial to be built at Bryant Commons.
Liberty County band 3rd Class Citizens opened for the LACs at LACtober Fest last month at the Big Nasty ATV Park in Bloomingdale. The band, which now has a cellphone app available at www.reverbnation.com/3rdclasscitizens/app, also is in the running to open for Thomas Rhett and Dierks Bentley. Fans and supporters can find the Wainwright Family Foundation's page on Facebook and vote for 3rd Class Citizens to play at the concert. For more information, go to www.3rdclasscitizens.com or find the band on Facebook.


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Hi Alison
I have found a marriage for John Triggs and Jane Elford 1866 June qtr St James Westminster. There was a Jane Elford born in Liskeard 1838 in the 1851 census. So a strong possiblity this is the couple.
His father also John born 1809 and Rebecca 1811 mother ran an Inn and was also a shoe maker.
Notify Administrator about this message?
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Wiki Headlines
18th Nov: We've switched servers and will be updating the old code over the next couple months, meaning that several things might break. Please report issues here.
main index
Part 1Martin Trueman is a con-artist who works as an astrologer. One night, while doing a session for a woman named Cheryl, he is struck by a strange light. His astrological powers become real and he takes control of Cheryl, making her his assistant.Sarah Jane, Rani, Clyde, Luke, Haresh, and Gita all go to see a show being put on by Trueman. He is able to take control of Clyde's actions and accurately reads the pasts of Rani and Sarah Jane, including a mention of the Doctor. He then foretells that Sarah Jane will enter a battle that she cannot lose. After the show, Trueman is asked to appear on a television show about the paranormal after the intended guest fell down the stairs in her home (though she lived in a bungalow).The next day, Sarah Jane and Rani go to interview Trueman, intending to use the scanner watch to see if he is truly human. Not only does he show up as human, he knows that he is being scanned. He then chases Sarah Jane and Rani from his home by casting bolts of lightning from his hands, shouting that the "Ancient Lights" would destroy them.Trueman abducts Clyde and brainwashes him, ordering him to kill Sarah Jane.Sarah Jane and Rani return to the attic, where Luke and Mr. Smith have been studying astrology from all over the universe. They theorize that the "Ancient Lights" may have come from a universe from before the Big Bang where the laws of physics were different and astrology worked. The zodiacs from all those different planets were a form of memory that survived the Big Bang. Mr. Smith then suggests that Trueman's astrological birth chart provided the perfect conditions for the Ancient Lights to take him over.Mr. Smith then detects a broadcast of Paranormal Planet, which Trueman is appearing on. Trueman has caused the broadcast to appear on every television channel. He and Cheryl use their powers to knock out the hostess and crew. Sarah Jane, Luke, and Rani try to leave the attic, only to be stopped by the brainwashed Clyde, who now has powers similar to Trueman.Part 2While Sarah Jane tries to talk Clyde out of attacking them, Gita watches Trueman's broadcast and is put under his control. Trueman explains that all the stars in the universe are in the perfect arrangement for the return of the Ancient Lights. He then begins taking control of everyone in the world according to their signs, starting with Geminis like Gita. They are told to begin joining together in circles.Sarah Jane tells Clyde to try and kill her, certain that he cannot. Luke puts his hand on Clyde's shoulder. At that moment, Clyde is freed from Trueman's control. Sarah Jane concludes that by forcing Clyde to do something that he couldn't, she freed him. She then decides to try this on Trueman. Rani also suggests that they cut off the theater's power.Gita and the other hypnotized people go to the New Theater, where Trueman is broadcasting from. Some of them join hands in a circle around the theater. Pretending to still be brainwashed, Clyde bluffs their way into the theater. While Luke and Rani search for the theater's power supply, Sarah Jane tries to appeal to Trueman's human nature. However, Trueman claims that his human side enjoys what he is doing. He intends to create a portal for the Ancient Lights to take over Earth, which they will use as a starting point to take over the rest of the universe.Rani and Luke find the power switch but the Ancient Lights protect it with a force field. Rani and Sarah Jane are eventually possessed. Only Luke, who does not have a star sign, is left free. He destroys Trueman's zodiac stage display, which severs the Ancient Lights' connection with Earth but causes the theater to collapse. Trueman refuses to escape, not wanting to return to his old life. He then disappears in a trail of gold dust, becoming one with the stars.


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Yenny on 11/05/2014
November, 2014. I am a tenant of the unit 309, I've been living here since 2010. There is a cockroach and bed bugs infestation spreading so badly in the entire building, and since I understand that it has do a lot with cleaning habits of every individual, i also think the administration hasn't done enough to exterminate the pest for good. The administration office is also renting and showing a unit which is the origin of the roaches and still infested. How can you rent that place without solvin
g this problem that is affecting all the neighbours around, knowing that it can get worst? On top of that I see that the cleaning conditions of the building are very poor. In the 4 years I've been living here I never had this problem, I never saw roaches so now it's out of control and I don't see that proper actions are being taken. My sister -who i live with- is pregnant expecting a baby in the next week, we don't feel safe here anymore, besides the money I've been spending in baits, traps, etc, no matter what I try to do to keep my unit free of roaches if the main problem is not solved from the root. Neighbours are also part of this issue.
Jessica on 10/10/2014
This seemed perfect at first. Great price, close to my college. But while cleaning up after all mine and my roomates belongings where dropped off we found dead bed bugs and roaches on the floor. Thinking and praying that was it and we would be fine. We set up our beds, and started getting settled, around 8-9pm I heard my roomates scream and ran over to see what happened, her walls were alive with bed bugs, soon enough my room was too, we stayed up all night killing them taking turns resting, I h
ad bites the next day from one that managed to get in my bed while I laid down, these bites are painful afterwards and itchy as all sin. It traumatized me and my roomates. The very next day we left eeverything we owned there, one of my roomates travelled back home with is over 5 hours away, missing school. So did I and my other roomate, we went 3 hours to my mom's. We are still suffering because of this and my roomate had to drop out of school, we had to trasfer to another campus and it was so hard finding a new place. So PLEASE, even though they are nice on the phone, they will laugh in your face once you sign that lease. Trust me... Find somewhere else.
Anonymous on 02/03/2013
Run, don't walk away. This building has a severe pest problem. It is a revolving door when it comes to tenants and it's no wonder why. The rental office people seem very nice amd pleasant but they lie to your face if you ask if there are bug problems in the unit you are viewing and the building itself. Roaches are spotted everyday, in broad daylight, on doors, scurrying across the floor, you name it. The first day I moved in there were roaches all over the outside of my front door!
36 bedbug reports near this address:
|170 Islington Ave
|0.047 km
|147 8th St
|0.097 km
|135 8th St
|0.117 km
|8th St
|0.393 km
|20 Garnett Janes Rd
|0.489 km
|92 12th St
|0.651 km
|14th St
|0.906 km
|262 Birmingham St
|1.207 km
|123 Judson St, Go Transit
|1.346 km
|2663 Lake Shore Blvd W
|1.388 km
|191 St George St
|1.695 km
|340 Royal York Rd
|1.793 km
|349 Royal York Rd
|1.920 km
|110 Stanley Ave
|1.921 km
|6 24th St
|1.946 km
|2543 Lake Shore Blvd W
|1.947 km
|2521 Lake Shore Blvd W
|2.001 km
|25th St
|2.042 km
|Lake Shore Blvd W
|2.095 km
|2507 Lake Shore Blvd W
|2.106 km
|1 Summerhill Rd
|2.121 km
|2495 Lake Shore Blvd W
|2.160 km
|2493 Lake Shore Blvd W
|2.162 km
|2377 Lake Shore Blvd W
|2.491 km
|1 Superior Ave
|2.498 km
|2369 Lake Shore Blvd W
|2.545 km
|2361 Lake Shore Blvd W
|2.567 km
|2355 Lake Shore Blvd W
|2.584 km
|1 Birchlea Ave
|2.594 km
|7 Birchlea Ave
|2.608 km
|9 Birchlea Ave
|2.613 km


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Two HD videos from The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon appeared. in the videos you can watch Jules discussing 'The Normal Heart' and playing Face-balls with host!
As you know, Jules was guest at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon yesterday. I've added HQs to the gallery.
Public Appearances > Appearances from 2014 > July 31: 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' – New York City
TV Alert: Julia to appear on Today Show on August 1st! Here's a tweet from Today show's official Twitter:
Today on TODAY… @mlauer's one-on-one interview with Julia Roberts, #30DayDetox kickoff, & #AloeBlaccTODAY pic.twitter.com/PQGypBmLTD
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) August 1, 2014
It's yet rumor, but sounds real and many news agencies have posted the information that Julia was shooting for Italian hosiery and beachwear brand Calzedonia campaign in Florence, Italy. Fingers crossed it's real, I can't wait to see this confirmed.
Also, as a few days I posted Jules was going to be a guest at the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon which is already confirmed by Jimmy himself:
TONIGHT: Julia Roberts, @Andy Cohen, and standup from @RonFunches! Plus your #MyDumbFight tweets! #FallonTonight pic.twitter.com/5eMr4HjZNA
— Fallon Tonight (@FallonTonight) July 31, 2014
So excited to have Julia Roberts here tonight! Plus @Andy Cohen, stand-up from @RonFunches, and your #MyDumbFight tweets. #FallonTonight
— jimmy fallon (@jimmyfallon) July 31, 2014
New candids: Yesterday Jules was spotted shooting for a commercial in Paris, France. Can't wait to see the photos/video!
Candids > Candids from 2014 > July 29: Shooting for a commercial – Paris