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Month: April 2011
The real challenge for IT Lawyers: the law!
Sometimes it's tempting for an IT lawyer – or rather an academic IT lawyer – to feel that things are moving essentially in the right direction, that the subject is getting more mainstream, more understandable – and more importantly, more understood. In some ways, of course, that's true – but in others, we need to remember that things are far from positive, and that in many ways the 'establishment' – the legal system, the politicians, even the public – still don't really 'get it' at all. Perhaps the most important of these is the legal system. To a significant extent it seems as though the legal system – and the law – is just completely out of kilter with the reality of the IT world, and in particular the internet.
A couple of things in recent weeks have driven that home to me. Neither was surprising, but both were disappointing, particularly to those of us interested in privacy and autonomy. First of all, there was the announcement that there won't be any prosecutions arising from the Phorm secret trials, something which has been greeted with dismay by privacy advocates. Secondly, and most recently, was the failure of the judicial review to overturn the Digital Economy Act.
In both cases, it's easy to see how the results came about – and indeed to argue that from a precise legal standpoint the results might have been technically correct. In both – and in the case of the Digital Economy Act in particular – it shows that the legal system really doesn't understand what's going on in the internet, and how our online world functions. The Digital Economy Act – in its provisions concerning the policing of illegal downloading – is so clearly inappropriate that it's hard to find an academic lawyer in the field who believes it's appropriate or proportionate, or even who believes that it stands any real chance of being effective. Precisely the opposite. It won't work. It misses the point. It will victimise the innocent. It shows a fundamental misunderstanding of both the nature of the internet and the habits of most of those who use it. It's such a bad law it just makes many of us shake our heads in disbelief.
The Phorm story is a little less dramatic, but demonstrates some similar features. The CPS have decided not to prosecute – and they may be right that there might not be much chance of a result. That, however, just reveals that our legal system doesn't have the teeth or the capability to deal with the reality of the internet – for what Phorm and BT did was something that the law should have been able to deal with. It was a serious invasion of privacy on a very serious scale – secretly tracking the entire internet activities of 30,000 people without their knowledge or consent – and yet the law seems to be incapable of dealing with it, incapable of providing people with the kind of protection that people need. The kind of protection that people have a right to expect. The law should do this – and in its current form it doesn't.
In the grand scheme of things, neither of these two incidents are likely to matter in the end. Despite the failures of the law, Phorm still failed, brought down by a combination of the privacy advocacy of such excellent groups as the Open Rights Group and the Foundation for Information Policy Research, interventions by the European Commission, and the belated intelligence of businesses like BT who withdrew their support as they began to understand how things really work. Similarly, the Digital Economy Act is likely to end up an irrelevance, as the people who it is intended to catch find ways to sidestep it, as further legal challenges arise, and as embarrassing prosecutions fail – and something that gets closer to understanding the reality of the situation is brought in to replace it.
It feels, though, as if the legal system needs to be dragged kicking and screaming into the modern world. That's the challenge for IT lawyers. People are thinking and writing interesting, informative and insightful things about the nature of the internet – but right now, it isn't being sufficiently read or understood, and certainly isn't finding its way into the mindsets of those creating or enforcing the law. It needs to be – for though other forces will (and have, in the case of Phorm) stop many of the worst things from happening, without the law being 'fit for purpose' everything is a struggle, and many people suffer along the way.
Let's forget the right to be forgotten…
….and talk about the important part of that right in less emotive, less distracting, and more accurate terms. I'm not interested in rewriting or erasing history, I'm not interested in hiding my past – selectively or completely. I am, however, interested in cutting down the amount of data held about me for spurious purposes, and interested in having more control over what commercial enterprises do with the data they have on me. I don't want a right to be forgotten – I want a right to delete personal data!
I asked a question about this at the Westminster Media Forum a few weeks ago, and gave a presentation on the subject at BILETA in Manchester yesterday – but I think the subject needs more attention. At the Westminster Media Forum, there was a particularly acerbic attack on the right to forgotten by journalist Tessa Mayes, who seemed to think that the right was all about restricting journalists' rights to report on past events. At BILETA, even though I made the point very directly that the right to delete data isn't the same as a right to be forgotten, one of the biggest questions I got was actually exactly about how such a right would effectively mess up the historical archive that the internet provides. For me, the right to delete data isn't like that at all – but calling it a right to be forgotten can easily mislead people into thinking it is.
The right to delete, as I set it out in my presentation (slides of which are available by email), is something that allows individuals control over what data is held about them – but it has a number of specific exceptions, situations where data should be allowed to be kept, regardless of the desire of the individual concerned. They include examples such as medical records, criminal records, electoral rolls and so forth – and appropriate historical archives. All that should be clear – and should prevent the problems that would be associated with a real 'right to be forgotten'.
The point is, though, that those holding data should need to justify that holding – rather than the individual justify why they would like data to be removed. If there ARE good reasons to hold data, then say so. If not, then the individual should have the right to delete it. The key thing to understand, though, is that BUSINESS reasons – and in particular the fact that you can make money out of holding someone's data – are not sufficiently strong to override someones right to delete data. Privacy is more important than that.
Forgetting is important too – as Viktor Mayer-Schönberger has described so eloquently and compellingly in his excellent book Delete – but, as Mayer-Schönberger himself suggests, rights may not be the best way to bring it about. Talking about a bald 'right to be forgotten' doesn't really help either the understanding of what is a complex and important issue, or about dealing with the important both practical and ethical issues surrounding rights over personal data.
So let's forget about the right to be forgotten – but fight strongly for the right to delete personal data.


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Eleven athletes stamped their names in the history books when the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association today announced the first athletes nominated to the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team in halfpipe and slopestyle skiing. Both disciplines will make their Olympic debuts at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. All 11 athletes met the objective criteria during the five-event qualifying series. The USSA is expected to announce additional athletes to the team in the coming week, pending final quota allocations. All nominations are pending approval by the United States Olympic Committee. The USOC plans to announce the full 2014 U.S. Olympic Team on Jan. 27.
The current 11-member team, which ranges in age from 17 to 30, features a reigning world champion, X Games medalists and a Winter Youth Olympic Games medalist.
View the photos below to see who was named to Team USA.

subset: commoncrawl


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What's the bes with various surveys, one of the weightier and most respected restaurant guides has just published its own list of the nation's fast-food best: .
t restaurant chain in the United States? While plenty of Web sites and organizations routinelywade into that particular puddleZagat
If you follow restaurant trends and like to keep up with the best and most innovative restaurants in the country, chances are pretty good you're familiar with the narrow, oblong guides the company has been putting out for about the past 30 years. Stickers bearing the slogan "Zagat Rated" adorn the windows of restaurants – high-brow and low-brow but all serious about their food – in many of the country's larger cities. But fast food? Chains? I did a double-take when I saw it but it makes sense. More people eat more food from chains; we might as well see which ones are the best at what they do.
So, which chain restaurants are top-rated according to the Zagat survey? Let's do a little breakdown of the categories, first. Zagat divided fast-food chains into two categories: large, with less than 5,000 outlets in the United States, and mega, with more than 5,000. The survey also looked at quick-refreshment restaurants or "counter-service chains where coffee, ice cream, frozen yogurt or smoothies are the featured offering." Finally, they rated full-service chains, or restaurants that offered full table service. Here are the results (See the complete survey here):
Most popular large fast-food chains:
1. Panera Bread
2. Chipotle
3. Five Guys
4. Chick-fil-A
5. In-N-Out Burger
Most popular mega fast-food chains:
1. Subway
2. McDonald's
3. Wendy's
4. Burger King
5. Taco Bell
More From Delish
Most popular quick-refreshment chains:
1. Starbucks Coffee
2. Dunkin' Donuts
3. Culver's
4. Ben & Jerry's
5. Dairy Queen
Most popular full-service chains:
1. P.F. Chang's China Bistro
2. Bonefish Grill
3. Cheesecake Factory
4. California Pizza Kitchen
5. Maggiano's
The survey included feedback from 6,518 participants who, according to Zagat's Web site, ate an average of 6.1 meals at fast-food joints each month, and 4.6 meals per month at full-service chains. That totaled 837,000 meals eaten in chain across the country.
None of this is to say that survey participants were always crazy about what or where they were eating. Among the comments Zagat received (published, alas, without stating which restaurants they were describing) are these gems:
- "Loved it when I was in high school, but I was going through my stoner phase,"
- "Amazing how one can pile so many ingredients together and still come up flavor-free," and my favorite,
- "Ordinary is still the unattainable goal here."
Of course, I can't help but wonder: will we begin to see "Zagat rated" stickers adorning the take-out window at Dairy Queen?


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One for the books, folks. The 1st annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap was a smashing success.
But I'll be completely honest with you.
I did it all for the cookies.
All the work, all the logistics, all the worry… all worth it. I really want to thank everyone who participated. To everyone who baked cookies, shipped cookies, received cookies, ate cookies… thank you for helping to make this quite possibly the most epic cookie swap, EVER. We even made front page news! Some quick math revealed that over 22,000 cookies were sent around the world as part of this swap! The thought of that many cookies flitting across the country and around the world makes my heart happy. :)
I got three boxes myself, including a surprise from my co-organizer, Julie of The Little Kitchen. Which made me laugh because it was entirely unplanned, and yet we both decided, independently, to send each other a box of cookies. Great minds think exactly alike, apparently. :) Also making an appearance in my mailbox? Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Bourbon Chocolate Ganache (top left) from Tripp of It's Tripp and Polvorones (Mexican almond cookies, bottom left) from Suzy of Frosting for Dinner. Thanks guys! Your cookies were (*burp*) very much enjoyed!
The cookies I sent were these delectable sandwich cookies. Although it took me a few tries to get the cookie part right (a sandwich cookie must meet certain, very specific characteristics), from the first bite I knew the flavor combination was a winner. One of my all-time favorite cookies for sure. Chewy dark chocolate cookies with a hint of salt, filled with creamy malted milk chocolate buttercream. Sweet.
If you didn't get a chance to participate this year, be sure to sign up for our notifications list by visiting http://eepurl.com/hsS-Y. We will be sending an email blast out as soon as things start gearing up for next years' swap (and yes, there WILL BE a next year!)
Stay tuned, as Julie and I are currently collecting all of the cookie recipes. We'll be posting a massive roundup later this week. If you aren't hungry for cookies already, you will be. I promise.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup dark or Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 ounces (1 bar) milk chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon malted milk powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, espresso, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix until no traces of the dry ingredients remain, scraping the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is fully incorporated.
Drop dough by the tablespoon onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Roll into smooth 1-inch balls, then flatten slightly with the palm of your hand, forming even 1/2-inch-thick disks. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes or until cookies are puffed and set. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet (they will deflate slightly), then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To prepare filling, melt milk chocolate in a microwave or double boiler over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add cooled milk chocolate and beat until smooth.
Combine heavy cream and malted milk powder in a small bowl and mix until powder is dissolved. Add to milk chocolate mixture, along with vanilla and salt, and beat until light and fluffy, another 2 to 3 minutes. At this point you may need to add more cream or more powdered sugar as needed to achieve the desired consistency.
To assemble, spread or pipe about 1 tablespoon of filling onto half of the cookies, then top with remaining cookies. Press lightly until filling spreads to edges. Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Let us know what you think!
Leave a Comment below or share a photo and tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #loveandoliveoil.


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We just happened upon the fact that Miley and Russell are twinsies in their "Anarchy in the UK" tanks. So, we had to bring it to your attention and hold a fashion face-off.
We think Miley, who was seen wearing this side-boob-baring top back in September of 2012, wore it like a true rocker with her mini skirt and platform patent boots. It's a very edgy look that she recently has since returned to since her engagement to Liam has reportedly been on the rocks.
But Russell, who wore the tank more recently, looks pretty badass in it, too. Now that necklace, we're not too sure of.
More From Cosmopolitan
Anyway, now for your thoughts on this too-cool-for-school top.
Photo: FameFlynet/PacificCoastNews.com


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The Sandler Rules for Sales Leaders Online Course
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If you're like most sales leaders, you may be:
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If you want a better team, become a better manager. In this course, you will learn best practices for sales leaders, which you can immediately implement with the members of your team. We will give you an overview of the attitudes, behaviors, and techniques which we have found to be most effective over the past five decades. Dave Mattson, President and CEO of Sandler Training, best-selling author, and world-renown sales leadership expert leads a frank discussion of the strategies and tactics which are most useful to sales managers.
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Had a great time tonight mingling with like-minded music geeks at the launch party for the new Sonos Controller 200. What is Sonos, you ask? Simply it's the best digital music management system out there. It gives you the power to access all of your music in your house anywhere, anytime. And I'm not just talking about your digital music library. The system comes with a host of embedded services like Rhapsody, Last.fm, Pandora, Internet Radio, Sirius/XM…it's the perfect music tool for those afflicted with OCMD.
The original Sonos Controller was a bit of a beast. So the Sonos Controller 200 (CR200) is a definite form factor improvement, and who doesn't like that? It's palm sized and touch screen operated, just like an iPhone or iTouch. The company also has a free app for those devices that gives you essentially the same functionality, but that's a little personal for everyday public consumption. So the controller still serves as a necessary component to the system and I will be happily swapping out the 100 for the 200 in my home.


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Thank you so much P
Rules of the Liebster Award:
The Liebster Award is a blogger award for new bloggers or those with a small following. It is a way of giving new bloggers some recognition and encouragement for their hard work.
- The instructions for accepting the award and passing it on are as follows.
- Create a new blog post on your blog thanking the person that nominated you, link to their blog, and put in a graphic of the award.
- Answer the questions that were provided, and then share some facts about yourself.
- Create a new set of your own questions for others to answer.
- Nominate ten others and share your blog post with them so they can accept their award!
What's the best part of blogging for you?
Answer:Communication with my readers
2. How can readers support you
Answer: By just being themselves and supportive
3.Where else can you be found on the internets?
Answer: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as Tashnee.V.Mavee
4.Are you into podcasts, and if so do you have a favorite?
Answer: No
5.If you could be paid to do something you love, what would it be?
Answer:Dancing and Fashion Stylist
My Nominees
My Questions to you guys
- Beside blogging what do you do?
- If you could be a President of your country just for one day, what would you Change in your country and why?
- Name three people who inspired you when comes to blogging ?
- Why did you start blogging?
Name you favourite gospel music
Thank you for stopping by have a lovely blessed day


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27/11/2013-Greece has made impressive headway in consolidating its public finances and undertaking key structural reforms to boost productivity and enhance competitiveness. These reforms need to be implemented swiftly and in full to put Greece on a path of stronger, more inclusive growth, according to the OECD.
In its latest Economic Survey of Greece, the OECD says the crisis has been much deeper than expected, leading to a sharp contraction in activity that has pushed unemployment up to almost 28% of the labour force, created hardship for vulnerable social groups, and is posing risks to the sustainability of the country's government debt.
Presenting the Survey in Athens, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said: "For the reform efforts to succeed and be accepted by citizens, it is imperative that both the costs and the benefits of adjustment are shared fairly. (Read the full speech) "
He acknowledged that the country's government debt trajectory has worsened as a result of slower-than-expected growth, despite the 2012 restructuring.
"If Greek growth again disappoints, or deflation persists – even after the implementation of structural reforms - then it will be extremely difficult to reach the debt-to-GDP target of 120% by 2020. In this case, serious consideration should be given to reducing the current debt burden," he said.
The Survey says accelerating and broadening the structural reform programme is essential for a sustainable recovery. It says privatisations should be speeded up, particularly in the energy sector and in railways, regional airports, ports and real estate.
The report recommends better targeting of benefits, including a minimum income scheme, to strengthen the safety net. Health care cuts must focus on further reducing inefficiencies while safeguarding cost-effective and critical services.
The OECD's Competition Assessment of Laws and Regulations in Greece complements the Survey by recommending policies to achieve greater competition, widen consumer choice and lower prices. The Competition Assessment scrutinises more than a thousand pieces of legislation in four sectors: food processing, retail, building materials and tourism. If the recommendations are fully implemented, the benefit to the Greek economy in efficiency gains and increased purchasing power for consumers is estimated at 5.2 billion euros a year, or 2.5% of GDP.
The OECD is also working with Greece to reduce administrative red tape. It estimates that by lifting regulatory obstacles in a number of sectors by 25%, businesses could save around 1.8 billion euros annually, while supporting growth in productivity.
For further information, to obtain a copy of the Economic Survey of Greece or the Competition Assessment Review of Greece, journalists are invited to contact the OECD's Media Division, tel: +33 1 24 45 97 00.
Read the OECD Economic Survey of Greece online, share, link or embed on your website.
Related Documents


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What do Ancient Greece, The French Revolution and Apple have in common?
What do The Romans, Bauhaus and adidas have in common?
What do The Reformation, HBO and Dove have in common?
What do the US, the BBC and IKEA have in common?
They all have a foundational narrative. The foundational narrative is a concept taken from the academic world of cultural anthropology. It is described as the founding story and symbols that define the raison d'être, beliefs and actions of civilizations, nations, movements and institutions.
A foundational narrative creates the meaning, identification and commitment amongst people from which growth begins and grows stronger over time.
The Iliad defined the values and behaviours of the Ancient Greeks, the tale of Romulus and Remus drove the Romans forward, the Bauhaus manifesto defined the concept of modernism, still as powerful today as it was in 1919, and the French continue to cling to the proclamations of 1789.
When you look at the world's strongest brands it's possible to say that those that really resonate in the culture have strong founding narratives– explicitly or implicitly guiding what the brand says and does.
IKEA's founding narrative is based around the frugal and thrifty nature of the people of Smaland in Sweden. Dove's foundational narrative is an opposition to the beauty myth and its negative impact on women's self-esteem. Apple's is born out of the Californian counter-culture and one man's desire to make technology simple and beautiful.
As marketing gets more competitive, cluttered and complicated, and as consumers exercise more control over communications, there's definitely a case to say that if you want your brand to resonate in the culture it's worth borrowing from anthropology and getting yourself a foundational narrative.
Maybe the ancient world has a lot to teach us about how to build brands today.


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Messaging app Confide, which was last year touted as a popular choice in Trump's White House for staff wanting to leak intel to the press, has added protection against screenshotting to its iOS app.
The iOS app previously put some limitations on how users could screenshot contents when using the app — but full anti-screenshotting tech was limited to its Android app.
Not anymore, says co-founder Jon Brod. "ScreenShield is a collection of several different technologies that work together to prevent various screenshots and screen recording techniques," he says, discussing the new feature.
"There are many ways to capture a screenshot or make a screen recording on iOS, and each method requires different handling. One of the newest prevention technologies that we added to our toolkit utilizes the same content protection APIs already used by Netflix, iTunes Movies, and other video streaming apps. We have built upon the underlying technology to prevent capture of other media types including text, photos, documents, stickers, and more. Importantly, we are only using public iOS APIs in our ScreenShield technology."
Anti-screenshotting technology like this is really just security theatre, of course.
Not least because all it takes is a second device, unconnected but in close proximity to the first, to snap away and record its on-screen contents regardless.
Even so, Brod claims there's still value in the feature, despite such an obvious loophole. "While nothing is 100% foolproof, we believe the combination of our end-to-end encryption, ephemerality, and now complete screenshot-prevention makes Confide the most private and secure messenger available," he claims.
However rather more serious charges of flawed security were leveled at the messaging platform last March — when researchers demonstrated it was possible to intercept encrypted Confide messages, and claimed the platform could in fact decrypt and read users' missives (rather undermining its end-to-end encryption claim).
Asked about this now, Brod says all the security issues raised by the researchers were addressed "in a timely fashion as soon as they were reported to us last year".
"Confide implemented safety codes, which are a cryptographic hash that includes all public encryption keys for an account. Users can validate the keys used by Confide's end-to-end encryption by ensuring that the safety code displayed on their device matches the one displayed on their contacts' device. We also allow users to be notified if the safety code for one of their contacts changes," he tells us.
"We also underwent a comprehensive third-party security audit including blackbox, greybox and whitebox testing, covering both the client and server. The executive summary of the audit is published on our site."
And while a third-party audit is a welcome development, the presence of such serious flaws in Confide's crypto implementation in the first place remains concerning.
And for anyone with ongoing concerns about the robustness of its crypto, other end-to-end encrypted messaging apps are available.


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ABOUT Effective, secure communication in the cyber domain is essential to the everyday operations of military intelligence in America's Navy. Information Professionals who oversee the seamless operation of the global Naval network environment are key to these efforts. Their responsibilities include: Mapping out the network platforms of the future Ensuring the effectiveness of the Navy technologies Helping to develop and deploy information systems, command and control, and space systems Serving as a key part of the Information Dominance Corps in its mission to gain a deep understanding of the inner workings of adversaries and developing unmatched knowledge of the battlespace during wartime RESPONSIBILITIES As an IP, you are among those who plan, acquire, secure, operate and maintain the Naval network and the systems that support Navy operations and business processes. This role may include: Leading the Naval network warfare missions in developing tactics and procedures to realize tactical, strategic and business advantages afloat and ashore Driving interoperability with joint, allied and coalition partners Building professional excellence through education, training and certification, and milestone qualifications Optimizing organizational effectiveness through cutting-edge technologies, knowledge management techniques and a culture of innovation Overseeing the work of Information Systems Technicians – Enlisted Sailors (no degree required) who serve as specialists in information technology WORK ENVIRONMENT Information Professionals serve in challenging roles of increasing scope and responsibility both afloat and ashore. This could include: Being part of Battle Group staffs on ships at sea Working in C4I/Space/Surveillance on shore tours Serving on major Navy and joint staffs Serving in command of key communication and surveillance facilities around the globe TRAINING & ADVANCEMENT Those pursuing an Information Professional Officer position are required to attend Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Newport, R.I. Upon completion, they typically attend a five-week IP Basic Course of instruction in Pensacola, Fla., before or during their initial assignment. IPs must complete specific qualifications as part of their training during Fleet tours and are expected to pursue advanced education opportunities. Promotion opportunities are regularly available but competitive and based on performance. It's also important to note that specialized training received and work experience gained in the course of service can lead to valuable credentialing and occupational opportunities in related fields. EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES Beyond professional credentials and certifications, Information Professionals can advance their education by: Pursuing opportunities at institutions such as Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) or Navy War College (NWC) Completing Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) at one of the various service colleges Postgraduate education is important to the success of the Information Professional. Most IPs will complete a master's degree in C4I, space, information systems, computer science or modeling and simulation. There's also potential to pursue a graduate certificate, DoD certifications, federal executive fellowships and information assurance scholarships and internships. QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS A four-year degree is required to work as an Information Professional. Candidates seeking an Officer position in this community must have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution in a technical field, preferably in one of following fields: Information Systems, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Information Operations, Computer Science, Systems Engineering or General Engineering. All candidates must also be: U.S. citizens, willing to serve worldwide, eligible for a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance, and qualified for sea duty. General qualifications may vary depending upon whether you're currently serving, whether you've served before or whether you've never served before.


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One light. One 12 megapixel camera. One 85mm 1.8 lens.
Just put the light in the right place and then work on seeing the person in front of you. At that point the technical stuff should take care of itself.
Back when we printed just about everything every photographer worth his Dektol at his own filed out negative carrier to use in his enlarger. The idea was that you could print everything that was on the negative. It was proof that you saw perfectly at the moment you pushed your fickle index finger down on the shutter release button. Shades of Henri Cartier-Bresson!!! While there are probably a thousand ways to make your own custom frames to fit around you digital images I find it easiest just to hop into Snapseed and customize one of their handy, pre-fab frames.
Most of the time they serve no purpose other than eliciting the ethos of printing in the wet days. But in this situation the background toasted up to white and I needed a frame to define where the white background stopped and the Blogger background begins.
I did some work on this photo in Snapseed. I turned down the saturation a bit. Because I think skin tones look more natural when they aren't Disney-saturated. I opened up the shadows and brightened up my subject's eyes to match the perception I had of her eyes while I was shooting. I was moving from objective reality to my subjective reality, via sliders.
I look at most of my RAW files as a vague starting point. And when it comes to portraits I'm willing to use every trick in the book to bring an image from the vague muddle of data that comes from my cameras into line with the pristine and always optimistic view my brain seems to store of my subjects. On any given image I might spend some time in Aperture (for just the right color and tone), PhotoShop (to repair blemishes and dust spots and meteor dust) as well as Portrait Professional (to get the eyes and the skin tones just right), and finally a wallow through Snapseed because I like the judicious use of the structure filter and the ease of adding frames and vignettes.
It's my job to guide your eyes and your intentions. I am not an forensic documentarian. My job is the opposite of strictly recording the median. That's for robots and surveillance cameras.
I suggest that we use the tools we have at our fingertips. The trick is to know when to stop. That's probably why I'm not showing the other ten variations. The bottom line is that the value lies in your original vision, not the cameras literal compulsions. Drag the image to the reality you saw in your heart and mind and the hell with the purists.


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In this new post to Reddit, the author shares a bit of their knowledge on what they think everyone should know about strip_tags and some of the issues that can come with it (including security problems).
strip_tags is one of the common go-to functions used for making user input on web pages safe for display. But contrary to what it sounds like it's for, strip_tags is never, ever, ever the right function to use for this and it has a lot of problems.
Specific problems mentioned include "eating" of valid text, not preventing typed HTML entities, the whitelist of tags opening holes and character set issues that could have security implications. Other tools are recommended in both the article and the comments like HTML Purifier, the option of BBCode and Markdown.


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Soundboard recording of March 24 1977 in the Civic Center off Amarillo, Texas.
Amarillo '77
ElvisNews review
It took me a few deep breaths to force myself to listen to FTD's Amarillo '77. After I made that, I had to promise my CD-player that I would play something good right after it. Is our prejudice rightful?
What can you do with pictures of Elvis in 1977? At least the contrast between text and background is high , enough said about the design!
The main part of this disc is filled with the show in Amarillo on March 24, 1977. The introductions and bonus tracks are from different March '77 shows.
The show starts halfway That's All Right, so I guess we miss See See Rider and I Got a Woman/ Amen, no big loss I would say. Are You Lonesome Tonight is broken up after a few lines and then started again. The usual joking is done during the full version. Reconsider Baby is one of the few songs that I was looking forward to, but it was against better knowing…. only talking and a few chords on guitar. During Love Me I was ensuring myself it was the CD-player and not the record-player making sound… it sounds like it runs too slow. If You Love Me is totally ruined by Shaun "Singing Saw" Nielsen. You Gave Me A Mountain is not as bad as some other versions, but it clearly misses the power and volume it used to have. Some screams can't make up for that, especially the finish was weak. The rock'n'roll police should have done something against the rape of Jailhouse Rock. SKIP, I refuse to listen to O Sole Mio. Little Sister is acceptable and Teddy Bear/ Don't Be Cruel gets also a false start and the usual throwaway treatment. I've heard worse versions of My Way, but it's far from strong. The introductions (from March 29) are boring as ever, even a decent version of Early Morning Rain can't help that. I know now why Hurt is called so, my ears were really hurt… probably the most out of tune version! Hound Dog and Can't Help Falling In Love close this painful show.
The sound is not really good for a soundboard, Elvis is very upfront, which is certainly with a 1977 show a shame. Also the backing vocals (JD Sumner) are very loud compared to the mucisians.
The bonus songs bring And I Love You So – the soundquality obviously better than the show before, disregarding the fact that Elvis was complaining about it in the lyrics. At least this one and Fever show that Elvis' voice was much better 6 days later. I don't know who thinks that Love Me Tender is worth adding as bonus track, but what the heck… it's by far not the worst performance on this disc.
Steamroller Blues from March 28 is a little gem among the debris on this disc, but that says nothing about this version, well… it has some shine in it. Help Me is okay, like Why Me Lord. Bosom of Abraham an You Better Run are fun to have in this quality. An okay – including an extra damn - version of How Great Thou Art closes the gospel segment on this CD. A messy version of Tryin' To Get To You closes this survival trek through March 1977.
The bonus part makes up a bit for the poor main performance. Unfortunately my prejudice is confirmed once more... up to the Bang Years!
- That's All Right, Mama
- Are You Lonesome Tonight?
- Reconsider Baby (Intro only)
- Love Me
- If You Love Me (Let Me Know)
- You Gave Me a Mountain
- Jailhouse Rock
- It's Now or Never (O Sole Mio)
- It's Now or Never
- Little Sister
- Teddy Bear
- Don't Be Cruel
- My Way
- Early Morning Rain
- What'd I Say
- Johnny B. Goode
- School Days (Long Live Rock And Roll)
- Hurt
- Hound Dog
- Can't Help Falling in Love
- And I Love You So
- Fever
- Love Me Tender
- Blue Suede Shoes
- Steamroller Blues
- Help Me
- Why Me Lord
- Bosom of Abraham
- You Better Run
- How Great Thou Art
- Tryin' to Get to You


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Few, if any, statistical constructs have had a greater influence on the modern world than Gross Domestic Product (GDP). And 2014 marks the eightieth anniversary of its creation.
As every economist knows, GDP summarizes total economic activity. It was developed by Simon Kuznets, a Russian-American economist and statistician, as a way to better understand the American economy during the great depression. Not only was Kuznets a brilliant economist (he went on to win the Nobel Prize in 1971), he was also an astute judge of humanity, or at least the potential for people to misuse numbers: when he introduced GDP to the US Congress he warned specifically against using it as a measure of wellbeing: "the welfare of a nation can", he wrote, "scarcely be inferred from a measurement of national income". And this is because, as hopefully every economist also knows, it is easy to construct examples of undesirable social or environmental phenomena (crime sprees, oil slicks or hurricanes for instance) that can generate both an increase in GDP and a decrease in wellbeing.
But despite Kuznets's warnings, in both the US and many other countries, the pursuit of economic growth and a rising GDP quickly became a dominant mantra of policy making.
Eighty years on there are ever more – and ever more influential - voices calling for better metrics of progress to guide decision making. These voices recognize that what we measure affects what we do. They argue that we need metrics that focus first and foremost on people's lives, and which recognize that economic growth is a means to an end, not an end in itself. UNDP is proud to have played a leading role in this global conversation, through the introduction and championing of global, regional and national human development reports and the Human Development Index. Our work has helped change the development debate. No longer is it automatically assumed that growth and development are synonymous, or that growth is a prerequisite for development. As the 2010 Human Development Report showed, there are different paths to development and increases in health and education are not always correlated with economic growth.
The left panel above shows a positive association—though with substantial variation—suggesting that growth and improvements in human development are positively associated. Remember, however, that income is part of the HDI; thus, by construction, a third of the changes in the HDI come from economic growth, guaranteeing a positive association. A more useful exercise is to compare income growth with changes in the non-income dimensions of human development. The 2010 HDR did this using an index similar to the HDI but calculated with only the health and education components indicators of the HDI to compare its changes with economic growth. The non-income HDI is presented in the right panel of figure 3.1. The correlation is remarkably weak and statistically insignificant.
Previous studies have found the same result. One of the first scholars to study this link systematically was US demographer Samuel Preston, who showed that the correlation between changes in income and changes in life expectancy over 30 years for 30 countries was not statistically significant.
A key facet of human development philosophy is giving people more control over their lives. Some 800 national human development reports have championed this approach, emphasizing the importance of asking citizens what they see as important. And I hope this blog will also play a part, giving anyone a chance to give their views about what they see as important in this most important of topics.
It is also important to remember that human development is an open-ended concept that encompasses many aspects of life, and certainly goes well beyond our health, education and income, as measured in the HDI. This blog will also offer a means by which we can all discuss the many broader issues that together determine the development of humanity.
Human development has been defined as giving people the chance to live lives they have reason to value. It seems that US Senator Bobby Kennedy had a similar idea in mind when he spoke so eloquently in 1968 about the dangers of paying too much attention to national income, concluding that national income does not "allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor our learning; neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile".
The Senator's words ring true today. We may have eighty years' wisdom about the shortcomings of GDP, but it's a number that still carries far too much influence with many decision-makers. The need for discussion and debate about human development has never been greater and I am looking forward to hearing what you think.
Khalid Malik is the Director of the Human Development Report Office.
The HDialogue blog is a platform for debate and discussion. Posts reflect the views of respective authors in their individual capacities and not the views of UNDP/HDRO.


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Turns out South Carolina has just as many if not more critters than Iowa. Lucky me.
And Little Man has been in heaven.
This one was caught on a hook.
Little Man gave the pole a jerk and there was his new best friend.
Never mind that it's big.
Or smelly.
Or has talons like Freddy Kreuger.
We're pretty sure it's a map turtle and definitely too fun to not keep.
Just look at all of his cool tricks.
Hours of free entertainment.
And he's the best thing ever...
until the next best thing comes along.
Oh, the life of a boy...
*Since we arrived last week Little Man has caught 12 fish, 11 crayfish, 4 turtles, 1 anole, and too many bugs to mention. And all were released back to the wild.*
Canon 50mm lens, Photoshop Elements 8, and Florabella Halo Action used.
Thanks to all who have participated in the Shades of Autumn Challenge. The turnout has been phenomenal. We are down to the last two weeks (brown and white) and the finale, which you won't want to miss! So, hop on board and join Kristi of Live and Love Out Loud, Rebecca of Bumbles & Light and me for this fab photo challenge. Everyone is welcome regardless of skill level or camera equipment! You can find more details here.
If you would like to share a photo, just link it up below. Then stop back and check out a few other WWs.


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St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has filed a pair of building permits with the city-county Office of Construction Code Enforcement for a $25 million parking garage on its Downtown campus.
The nine-story, 1,601-space garage at 542 Danny Thomas Place will become St. Jude's third parking structure.
"At our current growth rate, it should handle growth for at least six or seven years," John Curran, St. Jude's director of design and construction, told The Commercial Appeal recently.
St. Jude filed a $2.1 million permit application for foundation work and a $20.9 million permit application for construction.
Evans Taylor Foster Childress Architects is architect and Flintco LLC is general contractor for the project.
Source: The Daily News Online & Chandler Reports
– Daily News staff
The original Neely's Bar-B-Que could be making a comeback if owners can pay off back property taxes.
The Downtown Memphis Commission's Center City Development Corp. on Wednesday, April 16, approved a $67,500 development loan to bring Neely's back to 670 Jefferson Ave. if owners pay back taxes on two closed restaurants.
Owners owe more than $40,000 in delinquent city and county taxes and penalties on the Jefferson Avenue property and a former restaurant at 5700 Mt. Moriah Road, which both closed in October 2012.
Tony Neely, who would operate the restaurant, applied for the development loan to help revive the original Neely's restaurant in the Victorian Village area just west of the Medical Center.
Neely previously operated the Neely's location in Nashville and is the brother of Patrick Neely, who stars with his wife, Gina, in the Food Network's "Down Home with the Neelys."
– Amos Maki
James Dalton, the chief scientific officer and vice president of Memphis-based GTx Inc., will resign effective Aug. 31 to become dean of the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy.
The biopharmaceutical company announced Dalton's resignation Wednesday, April 16, in a notice to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Terms of Dalton's departure were still being discussed, according to the GTx notice, with the possibility Dalton might serve as a consultant for some period after the end of August.
Dalton is the latest departure from the biopharmaceutical company.
GTx co-founder Dr. Mitchell Steiner resigned as CEO of the company effective April 3 to "pursue other business interests."
With Steiner's departure, the company's board announced its intent to seek a European marketing application for enobosarm, a drug it has been trying to gain approval for marketing in the U.S. as well.
The drug is a treatment for muscle wasting in patients with advance non-small cell lung cancer.
Earlier this month, the company was told by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that tests on enobosarm did not produce the necessary data in current trials that allow GTx to file a new drug application.
GTx laid off 53 non-executive employees late last year, with the company's chief financial officer resigning the day the layoffs were announced.
– Bill Dries
The Hope House Classic will be held Monday, April 28, at Chickasaw Country Club, 3395 Galloway Ave., to raise funding for programs and services that Hope House provides for children and families affected by HIV.
Hope House is seeking individuals and teams interested in participating in the tournament or acting as a sponsor. Throughout the day, golfers can challenge teammates and other players through games such as the hole-in-one competition and the birdie challenge.
Registration is $1,000 per team of four players, and individual entries are $300. Registration fees include player gifts, a silent auction with high-end items such as gift cards to local restaurants, entertainment and travel packages, spa packages and other gifts.
Register at hopehousememphis.org or 272-2702, ext. 206.
– Don Wade
Magna Bank has announced a new checking account package called Prime Checking, which allows a wider range of the bank's checking customers to earn interest on their account balances.
With Prime Checking, if monthly qualifications are met, customers can earn an enhanced interest rate on average collected balances up to $30,000 and have up to $15 of ATM surcharges refunded per statement cycle. Customers can open Prime Checking and most other deposit accounts online, part of Magna's ongoing technology upgrades.
The bank also recently began offering mobile deposit capability through its upgraded mobile app and plans to unveil more upgrades in the coming months.
– Andy Meek
Memphis City Council member Myron Lowery unsuccessfully attempted Tuesday, April 15, to take back the April 1 council vote to abolish the city's department of weights and measures.
Lowery moved for reconsideration, saying he wanted a one-year transition period to ensure state government would be prepared to take over the duties of making sure gas pumps and scales in retail stores accurately reflect prices by weight or amount.
His move for reconsideration lost on 6-7 vote.
The city department will no longer be funded by the city as of July 1 under terms of the resolution, which is similar to action the council took to do away with auto inspections.
The scheduled April 14 game between the Memphis Redbirds and Iowa Cubs was postponed to due to rain and field conditions and will be made up as part of a 5:05 p.m. doubleheader at AutoZone Park Wednesday, May 28, when the two teams will play a pair of seven-inning games. Gates will open at 4:30 p.m.
Tickets from Monday night's rainout can be exchanged at the box office for any 2014 regular season contest, excluding all fireworks games and July 4.
The Redbirds return to AutoZone Park Saturday, April 19, to start a four-game homestand against Oklahoma City. For tickets, call 722-0299 or visit memphisredbirds.com.
The Tennessee Legislature has passed a bill that may make it easier for some felons who have turned their lives around to find a job.
The bill, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, would allow courts to issue a certificate of employability to convicted felons who have stayed out of trouble. It would also grant some legal protection from lawsuits to employers who hire a felon who has the court-issued certificate.
The legislation was sponsored by Sen. Brian Kelsey, a Republican from Germantown. Rep. Karen Camper, a Democrat from Memphis, sponsored the House version of the bill.
Kelsey said the bill encourages public safety because people are less likely to turn back to crime if they have a job.
The bill has yet to be signed by the governor.
– The Associated Press
The Tennessee House has refused to go along with the Senate version of Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to set tighter annual limits on the amount of cold and allergy medicines used to make meth that can be bought without a prescription.
The lower chamber voted 80-10 on Wednesday, April 16, to reject the Senate version, meaning the legislation is likely headed for conference committee to work out their differences.
The House version would set an annual limit of 28.8 grams, or a five-month supply, without a prescription. The Senate bill would set a limit at half that amount.
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, 1,685 meth labs were seized in Tennessee last year.
Copyright 1995 -
by The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. - All Rights Reserved


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Only Two Days Till FanFest!!
I am soooo excited about FanFest!!! I can't believe that it's only two days away. I'm going to have so much fun, and I'm so happy that I get to go to Petco Park this weekend. Best place ever.
Even though it's pretty much the same events as last year, I'm still super excited to get out there and recharge my fanhood. It's been way too long since I've seen any baseball, and this is pretty much a celebration of our boys getting ready to get out there and win a title for us.
Hyun Young and I are really hoping to get Mat Latos' autograph. Out of all the guys on our team, this is one of the most amazing rising stars, and I feel like his autograph is going to be worth a lot someday. I would say that he's the next Jake Peavy but…look how he turned out.
I'm also excited to see the clubhouse again. I've taken the tour twice, but it still has the awe of the first time. Just thinking about the kind of legends that have stood in that clubhouse, like Trevor Hoffman and Kevin Kouzmanoff. Just to think that my baby spent a ton of time in that room…wow. It makes me want to scream or faint or something. That is a very special place.
I really hope that there's a lot of good stuff at the garage sale, too. Last year I got a Kevin Kouzmanoff banner that had been hanging on one of the lampposts (until they traded him of course). It's super cool, and I hope that I can find more Kouz stuff and anything else interesting.
And of course, the best part about FanFest is meeting up with other fans who are just as crazy about the Padres as I am! I hope to meet and re-meet a ton of people this year, including but not limited to Hyun Young, John, Gaslamp Ball people, RJ's Fro people, Twitter people, and Friarhood people. Especially since Hyun Young and I have a very special plan.
I can't wait. It's going to be such a fun day!!


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Technocratic Structures of Climate Policy: Dead-end Debates, Neat Narratives and Manipulative Machiavellianism
The contemporary models of climate change policy-making in the United States are particular to this decade. The increased role for experts and expert-led policymaking is unprecedented. However this power has been paradoxical. This paper argues that an excessive role for science in discussions of climate change has undermined the public's role, and has thus undermined the efforts on behalf of policymakers to pass comprehensive climate change policy. Two main aspects of the excessive role for science in the formation of climate policy were found to be 1. the large influence of dissenting scientists on the debate, and 2. the alienation of the public from the discourse. Further, possible scenarios for policymaking, which better balance the roles of experts, the public, and policymakers, are discussed and frameworks for the future are outlined.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5296/jpag.v2i4.2800
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Reopening the blind vs. open tasting debate
When I was down in the Santa Ynez Valley a week ago, I tasted through a bunch of his wines with Doug Margerum. Doug is a longtime factor in Santa Barbara County, having opened Wine Cask restaurant and wine store in 1981. It's hard to describe how important and influential Wine Cask was to the county's nascent wine scene. Doug began his own Margerum Wine Co. in 2001, and also crafts the wines for the Happy Canyon brand. He sold Wine Cask, after 26 years, in 2007, to devote himself fulltime to winemaking.
I tasted and reviewed the Margerum and Happy Canyon wines open, not blind. In doing so, I explained to Doug that I usually review wines at home, blind, under stringent circumstances; and I was feeling a little guilty that I was tasting them open, with the winemaker, at the winery. I added that I could only try to be as objective as I could despite the non-blind circumstances.
Well, Doug had what can fairly be termed a strong reaction to that statement. He told me in no uncertain terms that he didn't believe I should be tasting his wines blind. (!!) We ended up having a discussion, and here are Doug's reasons, as I understood them, why a critic shouldn't taste blind.
First of all, Doug said, "There's no reason to feel guilty about tasting open." His feeling is that "You can give so much more to your readers if you come into tasting the wine with knowledge" of its origins. "You need to judge wines by the context in which they fit. There are wines meant to be aged, wines made for aperitif, wines made to go with richer or lighter foods, wines for the table — and then there are wines meant to win blind tastings. They're the wines that stand out — but they're not often the wines that are outstanding."
Okay, I stopped Doug at that point. The argument that only Parkerized wines get high scores is at least 15 years old. Nothing new there. But I wanted to know more about why Doug feels that a critic like me is better off tasting wines openly, so that he knows the context.
Doug could best explain himself by way of a specific example. "Okay, take Chinon. If you taste it blind, especially against a California Cabernet Franc, you might not like it much. It's green, it won't do well in a blind tasting. But if you know it's Cabernet Franc from Chinon, then you go, 'Okay, it's Chinon.' So now, you can judge it by how well it fits into the Chinon category. It might be great with steak frites in the summertime. So if you understand the philosophy behind the wine and winemaking, you can approach the wine in a much more educated way. That's why it's an injustice to rate Chinon against California Cabernet Franc, because you're not rating it in the category in which it belongs."
I was getting a little confused. So let's say I'm tasting a flight of Chinons, to rate them for my readers. (Actually, Roger Voss would do that for Wine Enthusiast, but this was just a thought experiment.) Why, I still wanted to know, would it be better for me to taste that flight open, instead of blind?
Doug backed up a little. He allowed as to how a Master of Wine, who was seeking to learn about wines and regions, might profit from tasting blind. "But an M.W. learning about wine isn't the same thing as a wine writer making buying decisions for readers." How are they different, I wondered? "Because, for an evaluation of the wine, and telling people what to buy and what they should actually drink, it's a totally different story. You can't discern that in a blind tasting. You can't tell people what's good and what's not good."
I'm still not sure I understand where Doug's coming from, or the distinction he's making between how an M.W. tastes and how a wine critic tastes, or ought to taste. As I've written here many times, both blind tasting and open tasting have their virtues. Neither is perfect.
When I taste blind at home, in flights of similar wines, I work very hard to discern the minutest differences. Those differences may be small, but they result in one wine getting 87 points and another getting 91 points. And, as we all know, that's a huge difference in the market. But when you visit a winery and the winemaker wants to taste you through the range of his wines, it doesn't make much sense to taste blind, when you're dealing with different varieties, vintages and wine types. I know that I've stated in this blog that I've tried to minimize my formal tastings at wineries in order to avoid being influenced by the set and setting (as Timothy Leary once put it). But if Doug Margerum is right, I — as a wine critic — actually should be tasting openly with the winemaker, in order to transmit the best, most accurate, and contextual information I can to my readers.
I sure would love to hear what you all think, because this is a topic that's not going away.
Margerum has it backward in my opinion. A Chinon would win blind due to its freshness, while most CA Franc would come across as fat, jammy and hot! Better Chinons from great terroirs also have remarkable concentration even if they tend to be more acidic, green and lighter bodied. Only a few SB County CFs I've found come close in terms of concentration–Foxen's and some older ones off of Thompson Vineyard (Bedford & Silver).
Still, I agree tasting disparate regions like Chinon and Happy Canyon together doesn't make sense. But what about Happy Canyon and Los Alamos, or Happy Canyon and Ballard Canyon? I think this would be fine as it would highlight the diversity of Cab Franc in the region. And do it bind in this peer group to avoid unintentional bias.
Personally, I don't really "get" Happy Canyon. The Cab Francs from that region tend to be the jammiest in SBC and often seem rather flabby due to the high alcohol even if the acidity is technically well-balanced. Some also seem to be very earthy to the point of seeming dirty, which makes for an odd juxtaposition next to super-ripe characteristics. Of course, I am partial to Los Alamos and Tinaquaic Vyd (technically SMV) Cab Franc, which oddly enough is from a cooler area yet seems generally cleaner despite lower ripeness.
I think you're taking it too far when you say, "If Doug Margerum is right, I — as a wine critic — actually should be tasting openly with the winemaker, in order to transmit the best, most accurate, and contextual information I can to my readers."
I think it's more accurate to say, "If Doug is right, I should be tasting non-blind at home instead of blind." Or, perhaps, "If Doug is right, critics should at the very least know the region or appellation when tasting wines."
Good debate, and I think Doug makes some important points.
A couple of questions —
1) Have you ever gone back and looked (in retrospect) at the reviews you have done in blind tastings vs. the ones you did with the winemaker/at the winery? If so, were their differences? Were you harder on the tastings with the winemaker or easier?
2) Have you ever retasted, say in this case, the Margerum wines later in a blind setting and, if so, how have the reviews/ratings correlated?
Adam Lee
Siduri Wines
I think if you're scoring wines and trying to remain impartial above all else (including above making a connection for your readers with those wines), then tasting blind makes all the sense in the world.
If you're aim is not scoring but drawing a connection – trying to impart the palpable experience of tasting – to your readers, then you can do either but my experience has been that I succeed more in doing that non-blind, because that's how people drink their wine (with dinner, having all the knowledge they could possibly ever want about that wine at their fingertips).
A taster seems handicapped when wines are tasted discretely, blind or not blind, compared to peer group analysis. Steve, I think two things are blending here. 1) Tasting a wine by itself alone, blind or not, and giving it a contextual rating and 2) tasting wines in peer group, blind or not, and giving it a contextual rating. The blind part takes care of personal bias, but the peer group approach takes care of nuances discovered in context. I learn more about wine tasting first in blind peer groups, second in non-blind contextual comparison, and lastly tasting them by themselves.
Oy Vey… here we go again. Steve, you are 100% right about one thing: this is a topic that is not going away anytime soon. The final answer to your question is that it doesn't really matter, you should taste where and how you feel comfortable doing so. It is your opinion we like to hear about, and we wouldn't know anyhow where you formed it. I wrote a two part series about what I think wine reviews mean on the winery blog and it details what I think happens when you taste blind versus in company.
I think it is very interesting to see you write: "When I taste blind at home, in flights of similar wines, I work very hard to discern the minutest differences. Those differences may be small, but they result in one wine getting 87 points and another getting 91 points. And, as we all know, that's a huge difference in the market. " I have been thinking for a while now that what we think of as the 100 point scale is in reality only an 18 point scale (79 to 97 points where 99% of the ratings really fall). If my early morning math is right, this means that the "minutest differences" account for 22% of the score you give a wine. To me, this reinforces the big picture in this matter. The role of the critics has changed since there are very few shitty wines out there anymore, it now comes to very small nuances that are mostly a matter of personal preference (some of us love licorice, some hate it).
I say you should just enjoy your trips to wine regions and as long as there's someone to drive you, share wine with the winemakers so you can make the connection between their personality and the wines they make. Worry about the minutae when you get back to the office.
Steve, I may have been confusing…when I speak of peer groups, I mean *wine* peer groups, not *people* peer groups. Give the comment a reread and see what you think. So, tasting a dozen 2007 California Cab Francs next to each other, by yourself, as a peer group of wines. To me, this provides the best learning.
I say taste them as you please Steve and but relay the review (info) however they are tasted to the readers. "The following four wine reviews are from Margerum Wine Co. and were tasted at the winery in front of the Winemaker"
My customers have always appreciated the honesty from myself and from my staff of 10 on how I came to a conclusion about a wine or wines. This subject has been and always will be over analyzed … it's like the cork vs screw cap debate… it never goes away and frankly I wish both would.
And since when do we do things one way. Share all and any info with the reader / consumer and let them decide all the rest. : )
Keith Miller
And with that clarification, I have to also enthusiastically agree with Oded that I would be glad to hear your thoughts on a wine despite the setting or format. I sense you will take a serious and responsible approach. That's enough for me, the reader, when I seek your opinion. When this argument kicked up originally around the blogosphere years back, with attacks on Parker for not tasting blind, I thought it was a foolish nitpicking debate back then. I understood Parker's palate after reading his reviews for twenty years. He is pretty consistent, whether or not you like his palate preferred wine style, so he serves as a good benchmark. Most consistent critics offer that same benchmark if the reader becomes familiar with their palate and preferred styles. So just keep tasting and writing and dont sweat too much of the details.
For me…I love to learn in tasting *wines* in their peer groups.
Ov yey, indeed. Perhaps a few facts will help.
–I consider Oded and Adam to be professional friends. I mean my next comment as no criticism of them. BUT, in this seemingly never-ending discussion, and why should it end anyhow, it is the wineries and distributors who want their wines tasted with the label open. And, from that, I infer that they believe there is some benefit to them. Otherwise, why care?
–Wineries pull this "I do not send my wines out for review" crap all the time, "but you can come to the winery and I will let you taste anything you want". Adam and Oded are not among those who do that. So, I asked Tom Rochioli for a second bottle to replace one I bought at a store. His response was "come on up. I don't send out wine for review".
I asked how it was that Parker and Tanzer were reviewing his wine. He said they come to the winery. I asked if he thought that it was appropriate to have wines judged that way instead of in blind, peer-to-peer comparisons and he replied, "I GET BETTER SCORES THAT WAY".
Apologies for the caps, but that phrase goes to the heart of Doug Margerum's comments. He thinks he gets better scores when he is there explaining his wines to critics and explaining the context in which they fit. Never mind that he is not serving them to the critic in that context. He is explaining the context and telling the critic why his wines are better than they seem. Again, otherwise why do it unless he thinks he benefits from that process?
The point of blind tasting is to make judgments about wines in neutral context and to bring one's tasting acumen to bear. The argument that one cannot taste Chinon blind against Happy Canyon Cab Franc is a red herring on both sides of the equation. Simply put, no one does that. It is an argument ad absurdum. Speak about context. That argument has no context because it is not done in order to achieve finite ratings by anyone with any sense of knowledge and responsibility.
Joe Roberts (1WineDude) does make a valid point. There are differences in the ways in which reviewers operate. Guys like Steve and myself are what I call "comprehensive reviewers". We taste everything of a variety we can get our hands on. Other folks have other mandates, and their comments are far less comparative, can be shorter, like Joe's, or longer like Brooklyn Wine Guy's, but they are not meant to be comprehensively definitive, even when they appear with a rating. OK, I get that.
But, when it comes to the Wine Enthusiast to my Connoisseurs' Guide, to Parker or the Spectator, the consumer has every right to expect the reviewer to taste blind as a way of eliminating the bias that creeps in otherwise. Yes, context is important, but an experienced reviewer tastes wine blind and supplies the notion of context. "This bright, acid-driven yet not outrageously sour Chardonnay would really work with oysters on the half shell". Or conversely, "This bright, acid-driven Chardonnay will take the enamel off your teeth, and serving it with oysters is not going to make it or them taste any better".
If a reviewer is not capable of tasting a wine and discerning not only its quality but what the right context is for that wine, then the readers of that reviewer are being shortchanged. Tasting at the winery with the labels showing, the winemaker at your elbow chatting you up and winery dog licking your hand is, in my opinion, the antithesis of the way a professional taster should bring context into play. It is the taster's job, not the winemaker's job to bring context into the evaluative process.
I hope you don't feel guilty, Steve, but I also hope you don't review those wines, because even if you are totally transparent about where and how you tasted them, you still face questions of unintended bias. I presume that this column is actually part of your process for dealing with that very concern, and I applaud your approach. I just believe that your reviews oght not be done that way.
Respectfully submitted,
Steve… I understand the format side of things in WE and others… I am saying things maybe should be looked at and changed or, Steve you should have a seperate forum to post reviews. Consumers would love it and well they do love it that I know for sure : )
I think companies (critics) sometimes forget who they are writing reviews for. And approaching it in different ways is fine as long as how it was done is included in that review… Really, it is ok.
Bravo and well said Charlie. I know you went head to head with one of the authors of the Wine Trials but even if you disagree with the methodology or conclusions of the book it would seem that from many of the studies referenced in the book that we are easily influenced by conditions outside of the bottle.
We have achieved full agreement!
I'll retire now… 😉
The blind vs. open is getting a bit old. It all comes down to personal preference. Will you be more biased when tasting open? Probably. Does this mean all wine tasting should be done blind? Probably not.
I think you know which type of tasting results in fair reviews. That is what your readers want and they rely on your honesty prior to purchasing wines. So keep doing what you are doing.
I agree almost completely with Charlie, except that I don't think bias ever "creeps in", it blasts its way in. What you expect influences very strongly what you percieve. This is why in critical tasting of any product methods of removing bias and tasting blind are well established and no person understanding sensory analysis and accuracy would thing of tasting otherwise.
If the point is to judge wines without bias, it has to be done blind. If the point is write stories that seem plausible and are consistent with "known facts" and consistent stories that others tell you, then you can't beat seeing the label while you taste or being told a story about what you are tasting.
Speaking of Chinon and bias I remember bringing a few bottles of a wine home that I bought in Chinon that I loved at the time. Only, I found at home that it wasn't as I remembered it. It was thin, hard and pretty ordinary. Maybe the fact that I first drank it on a bench outside an old cathedral, with a baguette and cheese, cuddled next to my beautiful fiancee of one week had something to do with it.
Evan and Charlie said or suggested this already, but, jeepers, there's a HUGE difference between tasting a wine within a context that is fair — alongside wines of comparable variety and/or origin — and tasting at the winery with the winemaker. Blind doesn't mean picking bottles randomly out of the boxes of samples that arrive in the post. It means, for our purposes here, not knowing the name of the winery and not having the winemaker bending your ear while you taste.
Once again, my Papa Charlie nails it – though I'd argue that a non-blind review can be comprehensive… but the important point is that the aims are totally different. The folks reading my stuff on twitter aren't necessarily into into what I'm doing in longer format on the blog, and those readers aren't necessarily into what WS or WE are doing at the end of their issues. The approaches can be complimentary, I think, and reach different audiences – if they're responding to what we're all doing, that's what's important (to me, anyway :-). Cheers!
I see nothing wrong in tasting wines blind if that wine is in a flight of similar wines from the same region, particularly in a competition.
Tasting a wine blind and it is only one wine is good to determine if THAT taster likes that type/style of wine but not for competition purposes.
Blind tastging wines of similar varitals but different regions is good for educational reasons but they can be open also.
I would expect a wine writer or critic to taste the wine with some knowledge of its origin whether that tasting is blind solo or open, I do not care. You do have to know something about the writer/critic and whether or not you have some simpatico with that writer/critics style.
Wine tasting is subjective anyway. I am sure each wine maker or his/her marketer would always prefer anyone to taste their wine in circumstances that would enhance that particular product.
A while back I tasted a chardonnay from Santa Barbara that had a small percentage of viognier added to it. I liked it because it was crisp with a hint of the floral quality that viognier can bring. This was when oak heavy barrel fermenting was popular and lots of chards had the overdone pineappley thing going. So it was not typical or main stream at the time.
You had to know something about the styles of chardonnay tasting it blind in a competition might not have been a good idea. I do have to say that I am not a trendy wine drinker.
Still a big believer in tasting the wine first completely blind (no region, no variety), taking notes, making an educated guess as to variety and region, and then revealing and restating. Score before and after based on the criteria you think are important for the variety and style of what you believe the wine to be, and what it ultimately is. Combine the scores subjectively taking context into account. Explain your reasoning.
This is the best of both worlds, is educational, brings a sense of suspense for the reader if written correctly, and keeps the reviewer honest and accountable.
I also think that if there is any question about the wine in terms of issues or characteristics that affect its enjoyment (perceived high alcohol, VA, EA, Brett) it should be tested objectively. I frankly find it incredible that no wine reviewing body (outside of industry confabs like Steamboat in OR) does even a small amount of testing and tasting. It really is useful to both the critic and the consumer.
I am with you on that score. If an evaluator or critic calls out a technical, it should be tested, especially if said evaluation is done from a subjective rather than from a sensory-trained point of view.
Josh and Tom–
VA is VA. Professional tasters do not call out VA unless they are damned sure it is there, and have retasted the wine. But, these kinds of findings are not numerical; they are hedonistic. VA exists in all wines. Some wines with high VAs do not smell or taste flawed; others do. The legal limit for VA is 0.12 per cent. It becomes identifiable at about 0.06% in some wines.
I would suggest that smart folks who have been at the business of tasting wines for years now have tasting memories and recognition perceptions that are way beyond the average punter. Admittedly, there are differences, but, to use an example that has been discussed widely, Jim Laube and Ron Weigand seem to be more sensitive to TCA than most of their professional peers, who in turn are more sensitive than most of the non-professional tasters. The same is true for Brett, VA, RS, etc.
As for testing, it just is not going to happen for thousands of wines unless the price of subscribing to the various mags goes way up. I was having a conversation with a winemaker about acid levels in the 2010 grapes and he was commenting that the grapes are beginning to show brown seeds and lignified stems–normally a sign that they should be picked, but he said the acids were still off the charts. I asked if he thought MLs would bring them into range and he replied that it was impossible to know how much of the acid was malic vs. tartaric. So, I asked about testing. He said, "sure we can test" but it is expensive.
My point is that if testing is expensive for wineries, running thousands of tests with several different iterations is not realistic for publications. We do test for RS, but that is relatively simple. And even at that, we do not publish the results. We used to categorize the results, but the problem is that published tasting notes are meant to describe how the wine smells and tastes, not what its chemical composition is.
"Professional tasters do not call out VA unless they are damned sure it is there…"
This simply is not universally true.
I've met many who cannot tell the difference between VA and phenolics, Brett and corkiness, toasty oak and cooked, and so on. Why should these people get away with tarnishing a wine that they cannot objectively review?
Yes, testing is expensive–losing your wine sales because of some Yahoo's claims can also be expensive.
Wineries stop sending wine to winewriters all the time for all kinds of reasons, including the most often heard complaint–"You did not understand the style". That is their control point. If a winery sends wine to a Yahoo–or a Google–who calls out VA when it is not there, the simple answer is "don't send the wine".
I don't often name winemakers by name when I have differences of opinion with them, but the number of times I have heard "you don't understand the style" or similar complaints over less than complimentary reviews could fill a book. I fully respect wineries' rights to send wine to whomever they like. But, if all they want in reviewers is a bunch of sycophants, then they should not send wines to those of us who taste blind and call them as they see them.
Style is not a flaw, unless a flaw is the style, and I can think of a couple of wineries where it is…
But I am not talking about style. I am talking about flaws.
oops, I hit the button too soon.
Plus, the ability to identify flaws.
As a consumer, I don't taste blind.
It may sound a bit romantic, but knowing the wine helps me to recreate a sense of place. Maybe I'll remember standing in the vineyard or recall a conversation with the winemaker. Perhaps I'll remember how the wind was blowing on my last visit or conjer a picture of the sun casting across the valley.
To me, these sense memories are an important part of the tasting process. You create such sense memories yourself in articles and books so I find it odd that you (and other professionals) would work so hard to eliminate them from your tasting notes. Especially when so many winemakers try desperately to create such a sense of place in their wines. As a consumer, I try to find it in each and every glass. Does this improve the wine? Certainly. But I think it's a very important part of the process.
I understand that you want to be even handed in both your tasting and your descriptions. In fact, I greatly respect your intentions. But with your skill as a writer, I wonder what you might bring to the table for your readers if you tasted openly and honestly.
Hey there — I tried to post my comments over on your site — but wasn't able to for some reason — you may want to have your website person look into it.
Anyhow, I do think you are presenting a somewhat wine critic-centric view of the tasting process in your comments. A couple of questions/thoughts:
1) One of the reasons wineries may pull this "I don't seen my wine out for reviews" crap but want you to come to the winery to taste is that way they know that the wine will be tasted at least. In this age of new media there are innumerable "wine writers" asking for samples and a winery starts to wonder how many of the bottles actually get tasted. — I remember you asked us, specifically, some time back to send out some of our more limited production wines for you to taste — which we did — but then you didn't review them in print because production on them was too limited. An occurance like that makes a winery not want to submit wines — but we still do to you — just cause we love ya. 🙂
2) A winery would also like to know who is tasting the wine — I don't think that is too much to ask. Am I correct that CGCW reviews come from a group tasting? Is the group the same each time? Or does the group change? Tasting face to face at least you know who is tasting the wine.
3) You say that no one tastes Happy Canyon Cab Franc vs. Chinon in a blind setting. Yet doesn't CGCW doesn't Oregon Pinot Noir vs. CA Pinot Noir next to each other in a blind setting?
Just a few points from the (winemaker) peanut gallery.
Adam Lee
Siduri Wines
Making wine is humbling, and so is tasting it. I'm not saying you and Steve and the rest are bad at what you do, I'm simply saying that *it is really hard* to be right all the time about wine.
My tasting method above puts as much pressure on the reviewer to be held accountable for their reviews as there is pressure on the winemaker to produce a good wine. When consumers see that, when tasted blind, the hit rate for even the best critics on variety and region is sub 50% I am positive it will be an empowering moment for them. Likewise it will make the reviews more entertaining. And, at the end of the day, it will be the open label review that matters. That's where the writers training and experience can be brought to bear – but the reader will also have the blind score and notes to calibrate against.
As for the grower/producer who thinks its too expensive to test for malic/tartaric split – I can do a quantitative colormetric analysis of malic and a standard TA assay in my office for less than $10 and about 45 minutes of work (sampling, setup, prep, etc). Subtract the 2 and you're done. A minuscule price to pay to help make the all important harvest decision.
If WE or WS chose to spend ~3K, one time, up front on the right small lab equipment and then "hired" a Chem intern from Columbia or wherever to do the testing they could do most of the needed assays in house. Don't test every wine, just the ones that seem to be flawed.
I fully understand that your words are limited in this scenerio. It's a point well taken. In your response above to Adam. You said: "…in my experience the wines taste better when tasted openly with the winemaker. I try to "correct" for that in my mind."
I guess I'm trying to say that if such a setting and experience can reflect in the quality of the wine, then so be it. My preference would not be for you to "correct" for that in your mind, but review the wine as tasted and perhaps report how it was tasted as well.
In my experience presenting wine tastings at a local Art's Center, participants often will rate a given wine higher than most professional critics. (Could that be interesting blog fodder?) While I'm sure this is due to a less refined palate in many cases, I can't help but think that its also due to the time, place and method in which the consumer is experiencing the wine.
I simply don't see the harm in now and again tasting wine as we do.
I would think that a reviewer of restaurants, theaters or movies experiences (though perhaps with a more refined eye) their respective medium in the same way as their audience. It's simply part of the experience. A wine reviewer often doesn't taste in the same way as their audience, but time and place remain a very large part of the total experience. It puzzles me.
Anyway, you'll get no judgement from me. I suppose a professional should be nothing if not consistent. It just puzzles me, so perhaps therein lies my fascination with the whole topic.
Steve I understand the genesis of asking the question again, but there has always been a somewhat obvious answer. I love Josh's idea and think there is a business model there, but for WE the answer seems to me pretty simple: don't assign scores to wines not tasted completely blind, in the format you have been using over the years in your pursuit of consistency and transparency.
"Providing context" is a euphemism for telling a story. I like to read stories. But once a reviewer starts putting points scores on wines tasted "in context" the worth of the points-ranking system is jeopardized. And as the value and validity of the 100/5 point-scale is under constant debate that kind of context is dangerous.
MY 2 cents: An emerging region like Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara benefits to be first understood by the professional taster/reviewer. Here is where the tasting with winemaker at the vineyard/winery helps taster/reviewer to have the ability to see what's going on in the AVA. Taste the wines and give them a rating either in your head or on paper but use that as a primer for learning about the place/area.
Next, blind taste the wines back in the "white room", with no outside influences, with other wines from the same AVA or regional AVA or geographic place. (Not all wines are made from grapes grown within a "gated community".) This would be where a productive and un-biased review is then published.
There could be a "blind" follow-up tasting with similarly-styled wines from the top scoring wines from around the world to showcase how they differ and perhaps how they have some common thread running through the pack.
The readers are looking to understand the wine in a given bottle and how it compares to other wines from the same area, how it compares to other areas and whether or not if it is any good to buy/open and drink! They just need a nudge to take away the fear of feeling stupid. You are empowering the consumer to make choices that make sense to them.
Wine reviews are read by such a small percentage of consumers but those that do read reviews have some influence on their own peers. We all agree that this is a viral movement to better understand wine.
Josh, that's a great point about accountability. Right now there is none for critics. Miss the drinking window? No problem, blame provenance. Did a wine develop significant bottle variation? No problem, blame provenance. Did consumers not like it? No problem, blame consumers for unsophisticated palates.
It's a sort of closed loop. Critics give a rating, consumers buy for the rating. Because people are highly impressionable, the rating leads to more enjoyment. Only when a highly rated wine is truly bad does anyone question the system.
Critics get away with a lot if you ask me. I'd love to see any critic submit to a controlled study of the consistency of their ratings. Something like putting several wines into peer groups randomly tasting blind. Say 2 or 3 control wines in flights of 6 or 8 with the non-controls being switched out going through a half dozen or more flights total. Right now all critics claim they have no error bars on their points. I doubt that is true, but if I'm wrong I'll drink a bottle of 2BC as punishment for doubting the arbitrary precision.
Consistency. Isn't that all that matters?
If a consumer's tastes align with a critic's reviewing style, that consumer gets a good sense of security in investing in wines which that critic rates highly. Conversely, if a consumer's tastes don't align with a critic's reviewing style, that consumer might decide to avoid wines which said critic rates highly.
As long as there is consistency, what matter does the process make?
If context is really the argument, then isn't a huge factor of context for the consumer missing from all the debate? Critics rarely pay for the wine they review. Consumers almost always do. Science has taken at least the first attempt at producing evidence showing that knowing the price alters the experience of a wine for consumers. Will this be the next chewing point, and will it be next on the adjustment block for critics?
Stick with what works for you, and those who benefit from your reviews will stick with you.
Wine Tom
If you are reviewing wines with precise point scores for a commercial magazine that monetizes the points, you absolutely have to taste blind to have both consistency and credibility. I really think it's that simple. And I think Steve does it right.
If, on the other hand, you are giving descriptions, rather than points, or you or your employer can't monetize your review, that might give you a bit more freedom, for there is no reason to believe you will find "deep flavors of mulberry with a hint of nutmeg" just because it might bring in a few more bucks.
Steve, understand clearly, please, that this is in now way an accusation directed at you or your fine magazine. Rather, I laud you for doing exactly what you should in your position.
Taste wine with knowledge. Be smart, know what you're drinking. Be critical – especially if the wine is out of it's context, too expensive, or not right. We can then communicate that information to our friends, customers, and readers. Imagining having wine without food – that is where it is meant to be tasted and consumed. Yet the line em up and pick which is best ignores that part. Tell me another industry where the people who are the cognoscenti purposely blind themselves to what they are suppose to be so smart about. Taste with wine makers so you can see many vintages and know the wine and what it is being made for… lamb, aging, pleasure, freshness, or for our children to enjoy. Know the soil, and climate from where it originates so you can understand the climate and foods of that area. Blind tasters are blind to all of the other views that make wine so wonderful and diverse. Lumping wines into a linear line-up of best to worst ignores a global approach to wine and helps no one appreciate or understand it more.
Nope. Sorry Doug but your system is not intended to produce an unbiased view of the wine. It is intended to make your wine look good. Critics are not cheerleaders. That is your job. Critics do not work for wineries. They work for the consumers.