text:
Why is it that I leave things to the last minute? I leave tasks I don't really want to do until my dreams are invaded in a most unwelcome manner. And it's not as if I'm doing anything enjoyable while I procrastinate; I deprive myself of pleasure until I have completed what needs to be done – except perhaps for a walk along the beach. On Sunday it was relatively crowded with 21 people, Monday, just 4 and a dog. Who among you can resist the call of the sea?
So Monday was a little different in the procrastination department – I wanted to make a card for my grand-daughter's 8th birthday so I gave over the entire afternoon to the pleasure of making it. I started with a cereal box, gesso, some paint, the sheet music to Climb Every Mountain (it seemed apt) and pens. The time slipped by and I suddenly realised I was ravenous. Yesterday, Tuesday, was the party and today . . . oh today I need to do some day-job work. Never be confused about educators just swanning off for the entirety their holidays; there is always, always some work to do before the term starts.
Now, time for a walk along the beach before lunch . . . just checking to see if the mouth of the stream changed course yet again and what's come in on the tide.


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Organizing Notes
Bruce Gagnon is coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space. He offers his own reflections on organizing and the state of America's declining empire....
About Me
- Name: Bruce K. Gagnon
- Location: Brunswick, ME, United States
The collapsing US military & economic empire is making Washington & NATO even more dangerous. US could not beat the Taliban but thinks it can take on China-Russia-Iran...a sign of psychopathology for sure. @BruceKGagnon
Saturday, September 15, 2012
While delegates were inside voting on resolutions villagers and supporters did 1,000 bows outside the conference hall
|The crew outside conference hall gather to rejoice - victory is found in new relationships made and new determination to keep fighting!
Late last night we received word that the IUCN's World Conservation Congress (WCC) had voted against the resolution calling for an end to the Navy base in Gangjeong village. The official count was:
Governments - 20 yes, 68 no, 60 abstentions
NGO's - 269 yes, 120 no, 128 abstentions
I am told that in order to "win" our side needed 50% from each government and NGO's. I also have heard that the South Korean (ROK) government got 30 votes. So at these events the government side gets stacked and serves as a veto against resolutions that stand up against the status quo. A rigged game from the start.
We have no information yet about any of the NGO's that voted No or abstained. But I'd bet my life that many of them were bribed, coerced, or had serious conflicts of interest (meaning they get money from big corporations like Samsung).
Hopefully some good journalist will take this whole thing apart and give the public the real inside story.
In the end to have gotten this far, to have forced their way inside the WCC and forced a vote that the right-wing ROK "government" and Samsung DID NOT WANT was itself a major victory. New meaningful relationships with honest environmental activists from around the world were made. Much is likely to flow from this experience.
Paco posted on Facebook some quick reactions from the WCC that included:
Friday, September 14, 2012
Should it answer to conference sponsors Samsung and Korean government, or to its historical mission to protect environment and social justice?
JEJU ISLAND, SOUTH KOREA – September 14 - The world's largest and oldest conservation organization, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, is holding its giant quadrennial convention on Jeju Island, South Korea. But what conference planners weren't expecting was massive protests from the local community, joined by international activists, against a gigantic navy base being built seven kilometers away. As a result of this controversy, an emergency motion to stop base construction has been drafted, which will be voted on tomorrow, Saturday, September 15.
The South Korean government, which is subordinate on military matters to the U.S., under the US-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty, is building the enormous base on the coast at Gangjeong, a traditional farming and fishing community. If the project is allowed to continue, it will be large enough to hold 20 warships, including Aegis destroyers, aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines and 8,000 troops. South Korea is already one of the most militarized places in the world. But this new base is part of the Pentagon's recently announced plan to move 60 percent of its military resources from Europe and the Middle East to the Asia-Pacific region – the "Pacific pivot." The idea is to circle China with Aegis missiles. Islanders fear the base would destabilize the region, lead to a new Cold War, and turn their home into a first-strike target.
A recently leaked communiqué, obtained by a Korea National Assembly member, reveals the close connection between the Pentagon and base construction. The communiqué, sent by the commander of the US Naval Forces, Korea, to the South Korean defense minister, directly requests that the base plan be designed to accommodate an American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
The base would also destroy local livelihoods, biodiverse habitats in land and sea, contaminate one of the cleanest and most abundant freshwater sources in the world, kill the planet's largest temperate soft-coral habitat (15 acres), contaminate the rich volcanic soil in nearby farms as well as nearby UNESCO World Heritage Sites and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Korea's last 100 dolphins which frequent Gangjeong would also suffer. The villagers have been protesting for over five years, facing arrest, imprisonment without habeus corpus, and daily police brutality.
On May 30, 2012, three UN Special Rapporteurs sent a joint allegation letter to the South Korean government regarding numerous "acts of harassment, intimidation and ill-treatment of peaceful protestors in Gangjeong village," requesting a response within 60 days. That was three and a half months ago, but the Korean government has yet to respond.
An American scientist, Dr. Imok Cha, was deported upon arrival at the airport on the first day of the conference, where she was expected to give presentations on an independent environmental assessment that exposed the flaws in the Korean government's Environmental Impact Assessment for the base construction.
Leadership at the IUCN conference have refused to give the Gangjeong villagers their own exhibition booth to expose the litany Korean-government violations, offering no explanation. On the last day of his tenure as president of IUCN, Ashok Khosla denounced the campaign to save Gangjeong Village from base construction, calling the movement "colonial" because non-Koreans were involved. However, attendees know the reason that IUCN officials have done their best to silence the Gangjeong villagers: the main sponsors of their conference in Jeju are the Korean government ($20 million) and Samsung Corporation, which is also the lead contractor of base construction. Soon after Khosla issued his "colonialism" charges, a group of South Koreans representing 189 South Korean organizations, denounced Khosla, and charged him with ignoring their clearly expressed opposition to the base that had been going on for over five years.
As a result, a massive division within the formidable organization has been cleaved between its Secretariat and the 8,000 members in attendance who object to leadership's decision to side with its sponsors. One organization, the Center for Humans and Nature, from Indiana in the U.S., has drafted an emergency resolution to stop the construction. It will be on the Assembly floor for a vote before international governments and NGOs, this Saturday (Korea time), the last day of the conference.
Many members feel the entire future and credibility of the 64-year-old conservation institution is at stake, if politics prevent the resolution from passing.
Contact: Koohan Paik
Update on Resolution
Word from the IUCN on Jeju about status of resolution is as follows:
"And the situation on #181 is extremely intense right now. The steering committee had suggested the elimination of the motion. After a long heated discussion that made the President leave the role of chairman to someone else for that discussion, the suggestion was voted and while a majority of governments voted YES, a majority of NGO's voted NO. So it was taken to contact group again and it will continue tomorrow morning at 7AM, in the contact group."
Troy Library from Jennie Hochthanner on Vimeo.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
This is an interesting video about the Gangjeong village fight against Navy base. It appears to be a TV news documentary but I don't know that for sure. It is well done and gives you many different views of people and scenes from the protest there. It is all in Korean.
The artist they feature calls himself dopehead zo and he is one who has come to support the villagers. He plays guitar, sings, translates, and does many other jobs as he has fit into the community like one of their own.
At 4:23 into the video you see Professor Yang Yoon-Mo (who has done two major hunger strikes almost to the death in the past year) trying to block construction operations. He is in the brown clothes.
It's well worth the look.
It is obvious that since the U.S. war on Afghanistan began in 2001 opium production has steadily risen. Many maintain that the long known CIA-mafia-drug-weapons-trade-business is one reason that the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan continues today. Other key factors include controlling Caspian Sea oil/natural gas pipeline routes in the region and helping to establish military bases near China's border.
U.S. foreign and military policy has been privatized into the hands of corporations (overt and covert) who see this region of the world as key to long-term plans for global control.
There is a reason that "democracy" has broken down and the wishes of the public are now largely ignored by the political class. They don't give a damn want the taxpayers want. They don't care that 70% of the American people want us out of Afghanistan.
So when it comes to solutions - what are the people to do? How can we impact a system that is dead to the moral, ethical, constitutional, and budgetary appeals made by the public?
A full page advert in the New York Times (while maybe helpful in some cases) isn't going to be the "silver bullet" we need. Many people who share our analysis and concerns are not ready to take the next big step into non-violent resistance action. They are still "banking" on the increasingly slim possibility of hope and change coming from Washington.
Here in Maine we now have an interesting U.S. Senate race. The Republican and Democratic party candidates are both weak. Independent (and former governor) Angus King has a massive lead in the polls. He was once a Democrat and is a corporate man. You might call him a centrist.
On 9-11 the Maine Democratic party Senate candidate Cynthia Dill sent around an email on the subject of freedom and terrorism and concluded with these words: "Still, it is important to remember what has not changed: Our freedoms and liberties, our democratic way of life, which were so brutally attacked on 9/11, continue to shine – brighter than ever - as a beacon of hope for the rest of the world."
Local peace activist Morgana Warner Evans (now a college freshman) wrote to Dill saying, "I find it confusing that you do not mention unwarranted wiretapping, the suspension of habeas corpus, or any of the other threats to our liberty that have been put in place in the name of security when you acknowledge that 'our freedoms and liberties...continue to shine brighter than ever.' After seeing your definite misconception of this issue, I wonder if I can still vote for you."
Dill replied to Morgana: "There is plenty of work to do in our quest for a more perfect union."
I couldn't resist getting into this one so I wrote: "I was actually considering voting for you Cynthia until I saw this 9-11 bit. It then came clear to me that there is no one in the Democratic party willing to tell the truth about the corporate oligarchy that has taken over our country. I'll have to sit out the Maine Senate race because none of the candidates are free to speak the truth....very sad indeed. Corporate feudalism takes over and the Dems are still chanting USA, USA at the convention."
I thank Morgana for initiating this discussion on Dill's Facebook page. It makes me proud to see this young person take the lead on calling out the so-called "progressive" Senate candidate and getting many people around the state to engage in this important discussion.
The Democrats are nearly a dead party in Maine. They've lost their way as they cave into corporate imperial machinations.
The only voices left to speak for us?
Our own.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
First chance at internet this afternoon....4:15 pm Sept. 12...besides that, it has been overwhelming, non-stop, and unbelievable. I'm afraid uploading video is a problem...wireless here is sooooooo slow..11 hours to upload one 3 minute video...I have two ready to do...will try to make them lowest resolution and try again.
This is a police state!!!! Today 80 police showed up...already three times to remove activist blocking the gate to prevent cement trucks from entering....the cops surround them, pull them apart and haul them off to the side. It is turning ugly....getting rough, several young girls - they are their all the time - have been injured, bruised, and broken bones.....I literally cried after watching the first two yesterday.....they are so committed to their village and not afraid. You will cry when you see their faces lying on the ground.
Good news....the IUCN conference granted the village time in one of the programs, and over 100 traveled the four miles by bus to the village from the conference center yesterday to listen to the mayor and villages tell their story. They vowed to return to the conference and force a resolution of support from the IUCN for the villagers opposing the base.
Later in the evening there was the most fantastic music and dancing outside the conference center with many conference participants from around the world dancing and singing. WOW.....
I've been only eating Korean food...quite good really and not as spicy as some would have you believe. No Pepto Bismol needed, no nothing...everything going down regularly! Also, they put me up in a priest's temporary residence! Typhoon last week knocked out hot water heater....so cold showers and cold shaves! Sure wakes you up in a hurry.
These people are beautiful....warm, friendly...I've been treated like a VIP....they all knew "someone" was coming to make a film....and the stuff I'm getting is awesome....the high definition is incredible.
I got roughed up a bit today...not hurt...the cops leave you alone even when you stick a camera in their faces...but it got rough with several girls kicking as they were being hauled away....the cops form a cordon around them so they can run back and lay down in front of the trucks....I got trapped in the cordon and they would not let me out!
So, it is non-stop....some kind of direct action going on all day long....people sit in front of the gates all day long!!!! Many priests are there every day....some come and go. Mass everyday at 11 am....Fr. Moon...long white beard, white cassock and green stole is an iconic figure. He knows me now and I will interview him one of these days. Amazing man....arrested several times. Smokes like a sailor.
Had to take time out this afternoon to email, capture hours of video, and re-charge batteries....it is going to be an amazing documentary....
Got to go, and will try to find a way to upload video so you can get an idea of what is happening here and see the commitment of these people to save their village and their island! Occupy and every other activist group could learn how to do it from the villagers....this is their final hour....and the government of the U.S. is behind it.....they hate our government, Obama, and the U.S. Military.....I have felt rage, embarrassment and shame. They believe that most people in America want peace and not war making....but they say, it is the same thing here and all over the world.....seems like everybody else knows it is the multinationals who have taken over the planet.....one can only hope we and the rest of the planet wake up and come together to push back....
More from Gangjeong Village as I can find time.....Up at 5:30....to bed around mid-night....drop dead tired and conk out.
Regis Tremblay
Woolwich, Maine
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
I think the teachers strike in Chicago is a bellwether event. We must all find some way (even if just small) to lend support for the teachers, students, and parents who are involved. Our support must also be vocal so that the greater community hears us speak out.
The teachers are up against the corporate machine manifested in its control of both the Republican and Democratic parties. "Leaders" from both parties are publicly shitting on the teachers and students and expect them to take it without a whimper. The teachers have decided to stand up.
Teachers are key to the much needed resistance to the privatization of our lives. They are living witness to the corporate attempts to put education into a corporate controlled box that will dumb our kids down even further than they already are and turn them into capitalist non-thinking minions. Let's call it for what it is.
Back in the mid-1980's while living in Orlando, Florida a young student from El Salvador stayed at my house for some days. He had escaped from San Salvador after university students like him began organizing on campus to stop the cuts in education that the U.S. backed right-wing government was pushing. One day his university classroom door swung open and a severed head of a fellow student leader was rolled into the room. He left the country in fear of losing his life.
He told me how the teachers across San Salvador had led the marches in the city to stop the privatization of public services and loss of freedom they faced at that time. I've always remembered those images he planted in my mind. When I hear about the teachers on strike in Chicago my mind goes back to El Salvador.
We can't wait for "the perfect moment" to arrive before we start to fight back. There are a succession of perfect moments happening every day in our local communities. We need to step into them and give of ourselves to help protect the future generations while we still can.
Here is the resolution being brought to the World Conservation Congress by 34 environmental organizations from around the world. The word is that this is the most co-sponsors of any resolution at any ICUN event ever. This is the moment we have all been working for - when environmental groups worldwide begin to support Gangjeong villagers a new dynamic is created. The right-wing South Korean government (and their U.S. corporate handlers) will regret the decision to host the WCC on Jeju Island.
World Appeal to Protect the People, Nature, Culture and Heritage of Gangjeong VillageUNDERSTANDING that Gangjeong Village, also known as the Village of Water, on the island of Jeju, also known as Peace Island, is a coastal area home to thousands of species of plants and animals, lava rock freshwater tide pools ("Gureombi"), endangered soft coral reefs, freshwater springs, sacred natural sites, historic burial grounds, and nearly 2,000 indigenous villagers, including farmers, fishermen, and Haenyo women divers, that have lived sustainably with the surrounding marine and terrestrial environment for nearly 4000 years;
NOTING that Gangjeong Village is an Ecological Excellent Village (Ministry of Environment, ROK) of global, regional, national and local significance, sharing the island with a UNESCO designated Biosphere Reserve and Global Geological Park, and is in close proximity to three World Heritage Sites and numerous other protected areas;
NOTING that numerous endangered species live in and around Gangjeong Village, including the Boreal Digging Frog (Kaloula borealis) listed on IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species; the red-footed crab (Sesarma intermedium); the endemic Jeju fresh water shrimp (Caridina denticulate keunbaei); and the nearly extinct Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins;
NOTING the global uniqueness of the Jeju Soft Coral habitats, designated as Natural Monument 422 of Korea: the only location in the world known to have temperate octocoral species forming a flourishing ecosystem on a substrate of andesite, providing ecological balance to the Jeju marine environment and the development of the human culture of Gangjeong Village for thousands of years;
UNDERSCORING that of the 50 coral species found in the Soft Coral habitats near Gangjeong, 27 are indigenous species, and at least 16 are endangered species and protected according to national and international law, including Dendronephthya suensoni, D. putteri, Tubastraea coccinea, Myriopathes japonica, and M. lata;
THEREFORE CONCERNED of the Civilian-Military Complex Tour Beauty project, a 50-hectare naval installation, being constructed within and adjacent to Gangjeong Village, estimated to house more than 8,000 marines, up to 20 warships, several submarines, and cruise liners;
NOTING the referendum of Gangjeong Village on August 20, 2007, in which 725 villagers participated and 94% opposed the construction;
ACKNOWLEDGING that the construction of the military installation is directly and irreparably harming not only the biodiversity, but the culture, economy and general welfare of Gangjeong Village, one of the last living remnants of traditional Jeju culture;
NOTING the Absolute Preservation Act, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province (1991) and that Gangjeong Village was named an Absolute Preservation Area on October 27, 2004: a permanent designation to conserve the original characteristics of an environment from the surge in development, therefore prohibiting construction, the alteration of form and quality of land, and the reclamation of public water areas;
CONCERNED that this title was removed in 2010 to allow for the Naval installation, and that this step backwards in environmental protection violates the Principle of Non-Regression;
RECALLING the numerous IUCN Resolutions and Recommendations that note, recognize, promote and call for the appropriate implementation of conservation policies and practices that respect the human rights, roles, cultural diversity, and traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples in accordance with international agreements;
CONCERNED of reports that the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) for the naval construction was inaccurate and incomplete and may have violated well-known principles of international law concerning EIAs, transparency, public and indigenous participation, right to know, and free, prior and informed consent;
CONCERNED of the destruction of sacred natural sites in and near Gangjeong Village, noting that the protection of sacred natural sites is one of the oldest forms of culture based conservation (Res. 4.038 recognition and conservation of sacred natural sites in Protected Areas);
ACKNOWLEDGING that IUCN's Mission is "To influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable;" and that "equity cannot be achieved without the promotion, protection and guarantee of human rights.";
NOTING Resolution 3.022 Endorsement of the Earth Charter (Bangkok, 2004) that endorsed the Earth Charter as "the ethical guide for IUCN policy and programme," and that the military installation is contrary to every principle of the Earth Charter;
NOTING the U.N. World Charter for Nature (1982), and that the military installation is contrary to each of its five principles of conservation by which all human conduct affecting nature is to be guided and judged;
AND ALARMED by reports of political prisoners, deportations, and restrictions on freedom of assembly and speech, including the arrests of religious leaders, for speaking against the naval installation and for speaking in promotion of local, national, regional and world conservation and human rights protections;
NOTING Res. 2.37 Support for environmental defenders, "UNDERSTANDING that the participation of non-governmental organizations and individual advocates is essential to the fundamentals of civil society to assure the accountability of governments and multinational corporations; and AWARE that a nation's environment is only truly protected when concerned citizens are involved in the process;"
NOTING principles enshrined in the Draft International Covenant on Environment and Development such as those concerning military and hostile activities (Art. 36), culture and natural heritage (Art. 26), and the collective rights of indigenous peoples (Art. 15);
FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGING that militarization does not justify the destruction of a community, a culture, endangered species or fragile ecosystems;
AND UNDERSCORING that IUCN's aim is to promote a just world that values and conserves nature, and the organization sees itself as nature's representative and patrons of nature;
The IUCN World Conservation Congress at its 5th session in Jeju, Republic of Korea, 6-15 September 2012:
1. REAFFIRMS its commitment to the UN World Charter for Nature and the Earth Charter;
2. CALLS ON the Republic of Korea to:
(a) immediately stop the construction of the Civilian-Military Complex Tour Beauty;
(b) invite an independent body, to prepare a fully transparent scientific, cultural, and legal assessment of the biodiversity and cultural heritage of the area and make it available to the public; and
(c) fully restore the damaged areas.
Sponsor – Center for Humans and Nature
-Chicago Zoological Society (USA)
-International Council of Environmental Law (Germany)
-El Centro Ecuatoriano de Derecho Ambiental, CEDA (Ecuador)
-Sierra Club (USA)
-Fundacion Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (Argentina)
-Center for Sustainable Development CENESTA (Iran)
-Asociación Preserve Planet (Costa Rica)
-The Christensen Fund (USA)
-Terra Lingua (Canada)
-Ecological Society of the Philippines (Philippines)
-Citizen's Institute Environmental Studies (Korea)
-Departamento de Ambiente, Paz y Seguridad, Universidad para la Paz (Costa Rica)
-Coastal Area Resource Development and Management Association (Bangladesh)
-Fundação Vitória Amazônica (Brazil)
-Fundación para el Desarrollo de Alternativas Comunitarias de Conservación del Trópico, ALTROPICO Foundation (Ecuador)
-Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano (Ecuador)
-EcoCiencia (Ecuador)
-Fundación Hábitat y Desarrollo de Argentina (Argentina)
-Instituto de Montaña (Peru)
-Asociación Peruana para la Conservación de la Naturaleza, APECO (Peru)
-Coordinadora de Organizaciones Indígenas de la Cuenca Amazónica, COICA (Ecuador)
-Fundación Biodiversidad (Argentina)
-Fundacao Vitoria Amazonica (Brazil)
-Fundación Urundei (Brazil)
-Dipartimento Interateneo Territorio Politecnico e Università di Torino (Italy)
-Programa Restauración de Tortugas Marinas (Costa Rica)
-Corporación Grupo Randi Randi (Ecuador)
-Living Oceans Society (Canada)
-Instituto de Derecho y Economía Ambiental (Paraguay)
-Korean Society of Restoration Ecology (Korea)
-Ramsar Network Japan (Japan)
-The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (Isreal)
-Chimbo Foundation (Netherlands)
-Endangered Wildlife Trust (South Africa)
Monday, September 10, 2012
Bill Moyers talks to Green Party presidential and vice presidential candidates Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala, who share their unique perspectives on the intersection of personal missions and modern politics.
Stein graduated from Harvard Medical School to become an internist specializing in environmental health. She was a Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate in 2002, co-founded the Massachusetts Coalition for Healthy Communities in 2003, and represented the Green-Rainbow Party in state races in 2004 and 2006.
Honkala is an anti-poverty activist and community organizer who co-founded the Kensington Welfare Rights Union and the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign. A formerly homeless single mother, Honkala became the first woman ever to run for Sheriff of Philadelphia in 2011.
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Paco writes from Jeju Island:
Basically things are going super well! Our presence at the IUCN WCC grows every day. Today many villagers and activists were both inside and out, dancing, talking, handing out information, inviting to tours, singing, etc. Everyone knows about Gangjeong, what has happened to us, and what is happening. Today I didn't meet a single person who hadn't heard of it, and 95% of the people I met were totally in support us, loved our resolution, our actions, and our talks. We barely gave out any of our newsletters today because almost everyone already read it!
Inside the WCC there were several great Gangjeong related talks and a press conference as well as a short Gangjeong traditional folk performance and short talk by Mayor Kang in the 3,000 seat Tamna Hall. It wasn't full of course, but there was a good crowd. We also got our revenge about blocking our booth and just set one up ourselves inside the main hall. Much better position than the regular booths and totally free! After so much bad press, the police at the WCC are very careful with us.
Meanwhile back in Gangjeong the police are not careful with us and attacked the gate protesters 5 times today. There weren't many people because many people were at the IUCN. This new shipment of police (they change every 2 weeks or so) is from Seoul and they are very rude, violent, and rough. They especially don't like cameras and hit several peoples cameras and also aggressively blocked people who were not doing anything except taking pictures.
Tomorrow is another huge day, mostly in the village. a lot of people are coming to join another eco-cide tour of land and sea of Gangjeong. Also the IUCN has arranged for 100 of their top people to come to the village from 2-4 pm and have a meeting with the villagers. Don't really know what its all about, perhaps just a good will visit, hopefully nothing worse/sinister, hopefully something more supportive. Who knows what the police will do but probably they will hide again since so many visitors are coming.
The navy and ministry of defense are very scared of all the support and attention we are getting and are issuing several sudden and silly statements as well as suddenly publishing a poorly made English/Korean booklet about the naval base, which they are giving out at the WCC. It offers zero evidence for their absurd claims and sometimes even accidentally supports us.
Well once again, I guess not so short. Everyone is feeling very great about the all the support we've gotten. Everyone is also very tired from non-stop work in both the village and the convention center. The resolution was handed in. Now we wait to see if it is accepted and will go to voting.
Thanks for all your support! Keep up your great solidarity actions and spreading the word, and prayer, and general awesomeness!
We can do! Let's totally revoke the naval base!
The showdown in Chicago — the nation's third-largest school district — pits teachers against Mayor Rahm Emanuel, President Obama's former chief of staff. Emanuel remains a close ally to Obama, while many of the policies at issue in Chicago are being pushed on a national scale by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, former Chicago Public Schools chief.
Democracy Now is joined by Pauline Lipman, professor of education and policy studies at the University of Illinois-Chicago, director of the Collaborative for Equity and Justice in Education and member of Teachers for Social Justice.
People that work inside the military industrial complex are getting mail from their particular company urging them to contact Congress immediately to prevent any cuts in military spending.
One weapons company executive told his employees that even Obama's Secretary of War Panetta feels these potential cuts could "clearly damage our national defense." (Would Panetta take that position in public without the approval of his boss?)
Another aerospace weapons corporation told their employees that the executives were getting in touch with its suppliers and subcontractors and urging them to rally their workers to rattle the Congressional cage.
These recipients of massive tax dollars are creating fear across the nation. They are pitting well paid war machine workers against social programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, Head start, and environmental protection. The message: cut those "welfare and entitlement programs" but don't touch Pentagon spending.
Of course these corporate wags are not telling their workers that military spending is actually the worst way to create jobs in our economy. They aren't telling the workers that if their production plants were converted to building solar, wind turbines, or rail systems the number of jobs would double or even in some cases triple.
Congress will likely cower under the power and influence of the military industrial complex. I know that in Maine the Democrats routinely line up alongside their Republican competitors to cheer each killing machine that comes across the assembly line.
Eisenhower's words turned out to be more than prophetic - beware of the power of the military industrial complex. They are stealing the future from all of us.
Sunday, September 09, 2012
Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura concludes that the government is building top-secret space weapons at Area 51. His popular TV show called Conspiracy Theory looks into some of the black budget programs that have led to a succession of high-tech aircraft and space technologies.
Some years ago a reporter from the UK-based Jane's Defense Weekly wrote a book about the origins of Pentagon black budget programs and traced the secret government architecture back to Hitler's Nazi black programs that led to weapons developments like the V-1 and V-2 rockets.
After World War II 1,500 top Nazi scientists and operatives were smuggled into the U.S. under the program called Operation Paperclip. They created the U.S. space program, helped create the CIA and were instrumental in transferring the Nazi black budget programs to America.
In 2005 I wrote a blog post about all this. You can see the whole thing here
Here is a bit from that blog:
In a recent book called The Hunt for Zero Point, respected military journalist Nick Cook talks much about the "black" (the Pentagon's secret) budget. For 15 years Cook has been a defense and aerospace writer for Jane's Defence Weekly, which some consider the bible of the international weapons community. Cook spent the last 10 years researching secret military programs in the U.S. and believes that over $20 billion a year is spent on these programs outside the purview of Congress. Cook states, "It [black programs] has a vast and sprawling architecture funded by tens of billion of classified dollars every year. The height of its powers was probably in the Reagan era. But it has not stopped since then. In fact, under the Bush administration it is having something of a resurgence. Stealth technology is a primary example...research into anti-gravity technology...has been going on for quite some time."
Cook traces the roots of the U.S.'s secret programs back to the Nazi scientists brought to the U.S. after WW II in Operation Paperclip. He states, "We know the size and scope of Operation Paperclip, which was huge. And we know that the U.S. operates a very deeply secret defense architecture for secret weapons programs...it is highly compartmentalized...and one of the things that's intrigued me over the years is, How did they develop it? What model did they base it on? It is remarkably similar to the system that was operated by the Germans - specifically the SS - for their top-secret weapons programs."
"What I do mean," says Cook, "is that if you follow the trail of Nazi scientists and engineers who were recruited by America at the end of the second world war, the unfortunate corollary is that by taking on the science, you take on - unwittingly - some of the ideology...What do you lose along the way?"
This is a graphic made by our friends in the UK at the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). They are planning to use it in a media briefing to illustrate the extent of U.S.-NATO "missile defense" bases that are being created to surround Russia and China.
There can be no doubt that the U.S. (and its NATO lap dogs) are looking for trouble. The want to create the justification for new arms races on the Earth and in space. They know that the profits will soar for the military industrial complex as a result. The Pentagon understands that by "containing" Russia and China in this coming period of intense competition for declining natural resources that corporate capitalism will take the "advantage".
Last night we went to the birthday party for Herschel Sternlieb in nearby Brunswick and he reminded me with great fervor that we have to call what the U.S. and NATO are doing today "total insanity". Hersch is absolutely right.
There is a spiritual disconnection at work here - those in power are blinded by their love for money and power. They have little to no ability to see beyond their noses - they are not able to see how their decision making affects the next seven generations. Even Obama, who frequently talks about his two daughters, in the next breath after uttering the words climate change talks about "clean coal" and extracting the natural gas "under our feet" by fracking.
Those in power don't have the best interest of the people at heart. They represent those who seek to control the water, our food, natural resources, and our governments.
We all must become more aware of the details behind the nice sounding phrases that come out of the mouths of politicians. We have to become more engaged in these issues because the existence of all our relatives (all life forms) hangs in the balance. The days of worrying about what our neighbors and co-workers think of us if we become politically active must end. We must put our children's and grandchildren's lives above our own allegiance to the success mythology.

subset: commoncrawl


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South Florida Gay News
Educators Split on Transgender Student Bathroom Use
The survey that revealed nearly half of district leaders support teachers coming out also showed a divide on transgender restroom use among students.
New Ways Ministry: Gender is Not a Choice
Catholic organization New Ways Ministry released a rebuttal to claims parents should reject their transgender children.
Openly Gay Soccer Player Reveals 20 Athletes Will Come Out Together
Liam Davis is spilling the details of a big surprise. The openly gay English soccer player told The Telegraph he heard about a group of players coming out as gay in one big announcement.
St Helena, Home of Famous Gay Tortoise, Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage
In a 9-2 vote, British Overseas Territory St Helena's legislative council voted in favor of same-sex marriage. Weddings could happen within weeks.
Australian Woman Told To Pay $5,000 For Marrying Wife Before Marriage Equality Passed
A woman in Tasmania, Australia got retroactively billed for $5,000 in taxes after the country did not recognize her marriage.
Advocacy Group Calls On Japan To End Sterilization of Transgender People
An international human rights group is asking Japan to not require transgender people to be sterilized.
Nearly Half of Educators Support Teachers Coming Out to Students
A survey by Educator Political Perceptions found that 47 percent of K-12 teachers, school employees and district leaders would "completely support" LGB teachers from coming out ot their students.
Catholic Bishops Encourage Parents to Reject Their Transgender Children
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops released an open letter demonizing transgender children and rejecting their identities as a "false idea."
Tex Man to Run for Office After Previously Suing for Marriage Equaility
Lawyer Mark Phariss was one of four people who sued the state in 2014 after it declared same-sex marriage unconstitutional in 2013, according to PinkNews. He now will run for a Texas senate seat in the 8th district.
Trans Activist Attacked in Her Home
On Dec. 20, Arianna Lint, transgender activist and founder of TransLatina Coalition, was attacked in her Fort Lauderdale home by an unknown assailant.
Florida Rep. Proposes LGBT Discrimination Law
A Florida state representative is trying to introduce a law that would allow for businesses to discriminate against LGBT people.
NM Transgender Woman Alleges Discrimination at State Congresswoman's Office
A former worker for Democratic Representative Michelle Lujan Grisham is suing her office for allegedly firing her because she is transgender.
Advocates Say FBI Hate Crime Statistics Lower Due To Underreporting
Minority advocacy groups claim newly released hate crime statistics are not telling the full scale of the issue.
Palm Beach County The First in Florida to Ban 'Conversion Therapy'
A 5-2 vote from Palm Beach County made history today by becoming the first county in Florida - as well as the largest county in the United States - to ban the practice of conversion therapy for minors.
Survey Shows Majority of Soccer Fans Would Support An LGBT Player
A majority of soccer fans would not mind having an LGBT player on their national soccer team.
First Middle Eastern LGBT Radio Station Begins in Tunisia
Tunisia is now the first country in the Middle East to have a radio station devoted to LGBT issues.
AK Dept. of Health Ordered to List Same-Sex Parents on Birth Certificates
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson directed state officials to allow for same-sex parents to receive birth certificates with both of their names listed.
Man Gets Death Penalty After He Tortured, Killed Boy He Thought Was Gay
A jury voted a Los Angeles man to get the death penalty after he was convicted of the first-degree murder of a child he thought was gay.
Children in Quebec Schools to Learn About Same-Sex Relationships in 2018
Quebec will soon teach kids about same-sex relationships and sex education.
President of Ghana: Legalisation of Homosexuality 'Bound to Happen'
In certain terms, Ghana's president Nana Akufo-Addo said that while same-sex marriage is not on the country's agenda as of yet, the issue is sure to be addressed in the near future.


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Online registration for SIGGRAPH 2014 is now open!
The SIGGRAPH conference, held annually since 1974, is a five-day interdisciplinary experience for students and professionals in the fields of computer graphics and interactive technology. The conference is widely recognized as the most prestigious forum for the publication of computer graphics research. In addition to a leading-edge technical program, SIGGRAPH offers installations that provide close-up views of the latest in digital art, emerging technologies and opportunities for creative collaboration.
The SIGGRAPH conference is also host to the international SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival, which showcases works from the world's most innovative and accomplished digital film and video creators.
SIGGRAPH 2014, the 41st International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, will take place in Vancouver, Canada, from August 10 to 14.
In the words of a recent SIGGRAPH attendee: "Think of everything that has ever made you geek out and feel so passionate about something in your whole life and put it into one feeling… that, my friend, is the feeling you get when being at SIGGRAPH." If you're still not convinced, here are 6 reasons to attend SIGGRAPH 2014.
Once you register for the conference, be sure to reserve your hotel room. The harbor near the Vancouver Convention Centre offers magnificent views for many of the area hotels — but the early bird gets the worm. SIGGRAPH 2014 has negotiated reduced rates at Vancouver hotels for the duration of the conference, but reservations made after July 14 are subject to availability.
Some attendees may require a visa to visit Canada. The ACM SIGGRAPH International Resources Committee has created a handy tool to help SIGGRAPH attendees determine if they need a visa.
Looking for something to keep you occupied until the conference? Technical Papers content from SIGGRAPH 2013 and SIGGRAPH Asia 2013 is freely available to the public through the ACM SIGGRAPH website until the start of the respective 2014 events. You can also connect with ACM SIGGRAPH on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Google+ and get the latest conference news direct from the SIGGRAPH 2014 Blog! See you there.


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Welcome to the 7th Floor Family! Click to learn more!
Over 100,000 vapes later, our goal remains the same. We now have tens of thousands of satisfied customers and we continue to build the highest quality vaporizers humanly possible! It has been over 10 years since we built the original Silver Surfer Vaporizer, and it remains one of the best desktop vaporizers and top selling vapes on the planet. Every 7th Floor desktop and handheld vaporizer is assembled from the highest quality materials and tested by hand right here in Colorado Springs, Colorado by our dedicated technicians and artisan glass-blowers.
When looking for the universe's best desktop and handheld vaporizers, you need to look no further. 7th Floor LLC is the company that makes a model designed for your lifestyle and budget. We easily stand behind our products as the original Silver Surfer is still running today at our local store Higher Elevations Masterpiece Productions. If you are looking for a no frills work horse vaporizer, the Da Buddha Vaporizer is your vape of choice. If you are looking for the workhorse of a different color, the Silver Surfer Vaporizer is the perfect functional work of art for you. Then with our Wave Rider Series (WRS) your horse can go fly to the next galaxy with our in-house designs or any art you can imagine. If you thought it could not get any better, hold on! 7th Floor has just released the long awaited Super Surfer Vaporizer. This machine does everything you can dream of in a vape. With the Super you can use it with a whip for unsurpassed flavor. Fill a bag to easily share with friends. Or just leave it alone with the aroma top on diffusing your favorite essential or fragrant oils, leaving your home smelling oh so good. All this can be done with the Super also in our Limited Edition Wave Rider Series. Can't decide which vaporizer is right for you, contact our customer care team. We will get you set up with one of the best desktop or handheld vaporizers that fits you perfectly!
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Amanda S. Freeman
M.A., Kansas State University, 2006
Amanda joined the faculty as an instructor and advisor after graduating with her MA in economics from Kansas State University in May 2006. While completing her graduate studies at KSU she taught several classes for the department, including Principles of Macroeconomics, Money and Banking, and Labor Economics. In 2005, she won the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award. Her interests include Health Economics and Labor Economics, and she is active in volunteer work, particularly with aging and chronically ill populations. Her other interests include philosophy and Japanese pop culture.


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The honeymoon with MOOCs is over. The reality check has finally arrived which was inevitable. MOOCs will not solve all the woes of higher education. It is unfortunate it had to be a class on how to design an online course; it was the Fundamentals of Online Education: Planning and Application [FOE] offered through Coursera that brought things to a screeching halt. But this experience can provide an opportunity for institutions to re-focus—identify the role and purpose of MOOCs and move forward with a thoughtful, purposeful strategy.
In my last post I discussed the MOOC disaster with Fundamentals of Online Education, which generated a rich dialogue on the purpose and role of MOOCs. The course was suspended on the third day due to the confusion around group work which created a significant technical glitch. In this post I'll share three takeaways from this experience; principles that higher education institutions and educators might want to consider when offering MOOCs or online learning courses of a smaller-scale. I'm using the challenges within the FOE course to illustrate the struggles within higher education institutions as technology and economics are disrupting the model of traditional higher education and MOOCs are viewed as a panacea.
It was not technical issues that derailed this course (which was a symptom) it was the underlying philosophy that many institutions still hold—that a MOOC is similar to, or the same as a course in a traditional face-to-face classroom. And it can be successful using the same structure, same content and similar instructional methods. MOOC courses offered through Coursera and similar platforms often appear modified to 'fit' into a course experience on the Web, albeit with thousands of students.
The Three Takeaways
Below I've outlined the key takeaways from the FOE experience. Many ideas presented here are based upon the concepts and principles of Stephen Downes, George Siemens and Dave Cormier, founders of the original MOOC concept.
1) The instructional model is shifting to be student-centric, away from an institution or instructor-focused model.
In a massive, open and online course with thousands of students, the instructor must relinquish control of the student learning process. The instructor-focused model is counter intuitive to the idea of a MOOC; in the MOOC model the student directs and drives his or her learning. The pedagogy used for traditional courses is not applicable to a course on a massive scale. With the Web as the classroom platform, students learn by making connections with various 'nodes' of content [not all provided by the instructor] on the Web, they aggregate content, and create knowledge that is assessed not by the instructor, but by peers or self. This pedagogy builds upon the constructivist theory and more recently a theory developed by Downes and Siemens—the connectivist learning model.
This new paradigm highlights an existing tension where the control is moving away from the instructor. Below are two comments from readers that were part of the dialogue from the previous post:
"Her [referring to another educator] critique was that an individual[s] with years of experience and knowledge was reduced to a moderator and facilitator. I tend to think it is more of moving the instructor into a coach, guide and mentor role pointing the way. So I guess that argument between control and openness is at the heart of many of these tensions". Felicia M. Sullivan
"Other than that I have always had the impression that some teachers want so much certain "desirable" features that they try to force what otherwise is spontaneous and diverse in nature, like class participation, group formation, …. That can't be done. All we can do as teachers is encourage and motivate but if we force that will be counterproductive". Leonel Morales
2) Sound instructional design is the key to supporting self-directed learning experiences.
Online courses that adhere to a sound instructional design plan allow students to navigate the course as self-directed learners: access content from a variety of sources, connect with like-minded individuals, and create a learning experience and environment that fits with their objectives. The technology should be not be the focus, but should facilitate the learning. I often have stated that when one has created a sound instructional design plan, the technology becomes invisible.
Creating a solid instructional design strategy for an online course requires considerable work and planning upfront. Stephen Downes posted a presentation on his site called Facilitating a Massive Open Online Course (2012). His Slideshare gives an overview of the planning required to facilitate a MOOC, and highlights the unique strategy required when offering a course online—it does not mimic the traditional classroom experience.
My experience with developing online undergraduate courses is somewhat similar to Downes, but from a different perspective. I usually begin with an existing college course and work with faculty and course instructors to transition their face-to-face courses to the online environment. The instructional design and approach is radically different from what is used for face-to-face, and I use a formal model to guide the process, the Dick, Carey and Carey instructional design model which is systematic approach to developing a course. This model is based upon Robert Gagné's nine events of instruction, all which work towards supporting conditions for learning. This model has several phases, and one that is most relevant and necessary is the analysis of the learners (#3). It is in this step that the learning context is considered, where and how the learners will learn the skills and/or knowledge, which in this instance is on the Web. The characteristics of the learner are considered as well, which in the context of MOOCs is necessary given the diversity of learners (Dick, Carey and Carey, 2009).
3) Prepare students for the Learning Experience.
Another theme emerged within the discussions around the FOE course, how much responsibility should the learner assume in a MOOC? Does the responsibility not fall upon the student for the success of a course? These questions were posted, and my answer is yes…however, there is an onus on the course facilitators and designers to prepare students for learning by providing some sort of orientation. The instructors need to support conditions for learning, which prepares students to learn on their own, create their own experiences, knowledge, and potentially a personalized learning community.
Preparing students includes orienting the student to the technical tools that will be used in the course, guiding them to the applications (a blog platform for instance), and providing instruction for the tools to be used as needed. This is most important for students that might be new to technical applications. What I appreciate about Downes, Siemens and Cormier is the thorough preparation and guidance offered to students at the beginning of a MOOC they facilitated, change.ca.mooc. Instructions were detailed within the course home pages on How This Course Works. In addition, helpful instructional videos What is a MOOC, and Success in a MOOC, were available (Cormier, 2011). In the online program I worked with at a four-year university, we created a comprehensive orientation for all courses, that included a set of activities culminating with a quiz that reinforced technical details. This program has proved to be quite successful in reducing significantly, the number of questions by students within the first two-week period of the online course session.
Closing Thoughts
There is much to digest here, yet it is these three principles that are required to support students in massive, open and online courses. Learning has changed, the student is in the center, yet he or she still requires support and guidance upfront through an effective course design that creates a seamless user experience, and through instructors that offer guidance; supporting students in their efforts to become successful and connected lifelong learners.
- Facilitating a Massive Open Online Course, February 24, 2012. Stephen Downes
- Dick, Carey & Carey, The Systematic Design of Instruction, 2009, Pearson Publishing
- Success in a MOOC, YouTube Video, Dave Cormier
- Knowledge in a MOOC, YouTube Video, Dave Cormier
- How this Course Works, change.mooc.ca
- Robert Gagne, About, Boise State University, College of Education
- The MOOC Model: Challenging Traditional Education, J. Mazoue, EDUCAUSE Review
- How [Not] to Design an Online Course, Online Learning Insights
Further Reading on MOOCs and thoughts about the Fundamentals of Online Education: Planning and Application course:
- Change 11 SRL-MOOC study: Initial findings, Blog: Learning in the Workplace
- Negating the learner in the learning process, Blog: elearnspace
- Two Thoughts on the crash of the "Fundamentals of Online Education" MOOC, Blog: stevendkaruse.com
- FOE MOOC Notes, Blog: How People Learn Online
- A class is not a commune, Blog: More or Less Bunk
- edX 6.00x – the MOOC that failed to scale, Blog: Just One More Ten Pence Piece
- Oh, the irony: Coursera Suspends on Online Course about How to Run an Online Course, Ki Mae Heussner, GigaOm
- MOOC Mess, Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed
- Crash Sinks Course on Online Teaching, Douglas Belkin, Wall Street Journal


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Public Home · Ask a Researcher · Join · Convention · DNA Project · Members Benefits · Links · Store · Members Only
Public Homepage
Welcome to the Ames Society's website
We are dedicated to the genealogy and information of people with the surname Ames or Eames and their descendants. To read more about the Ames and Eames surnames and their variant spellings, click here.
We are here to serve our members and others who seek out their connection to an Ames line. To that end, anyone can ask our researchers a question about an Ames or Eames in North American. Click on Ask a Researcher. Our research team will try to help you seek your past. There is a researcher who cares for the descendants of each of the landed Ames or Eames in the New World.
We have samples of the information available for our members in webpages you can access using the buttons above. We have a meeting every 2 years in New England that you can read about under Convention. Our members have access to research and articles composed by our Shepherds and other members along with photos and other graphics relating to Ames. To see more about the advantages of membership, click here. Please consider joining the Ames Society.
If you have any questions about the Ames Society, please email the President of the Ames Society.
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One of the things I've tried to maintain with the branding around here is a building on top of what currently exists. Rather than completely toss out the visuals of designs and previous logos, I like to keep hints to the past. Part of that helps familiarity, but it also maintains a path of evolution rather than revolution.
Last week I rolled out an updated SimpleBits mark and simplified layout. I started tinkering a few months ago over on Dribbble and after some great feedback, settled on hex shape borrowed from the inner cube of the old mark, which was carried over from the original pixel art logo way back when. The new mark should work far better at smaller sizes and applications (which was the reason for the tweaking) and seemed fitting to bring back the original orange from the first (extremely dated) design from years ago (11px Verdana still looks good, no?).
Along with the new logo I made some adjustments to the template here as well. Most of those changes centered on a new typeface: FF Milo Web Pro which is versitle in various sizes, looks great in all caps and can be served up via Typekit (you need to purchase the font from FontFont first, which then unlocks it for use with Typekit).
Here's to personal sites being a perpetual sandbox.


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All of us, no matter how blessed and lucky we may be, have experienced trauma, loss, and adversity—or we will. The death of someone we love, the end of a marriage, a frightening illness, financial insecurity. How we cope with a crisis, however, determines whether we become overwhelmed, depressed, or ill—or if we emerge stronger, with greater confidence and wisdom. Yes, that can happen.
More From Prevention
Imagine a sturdy, flexible tree in a windstorm. Buffeted by gale-force winds, it bends but doesn't break. Its strong roots keep it firmly anchored to the earth. After the storm, it returns to its prior state and continues to thrive. Just like that tree, you can cultivate the emotional flexibility needed to weather any crisis by following these six steps.
The Mind-Body Mood Solution by Jeffrey Rossman, PhD. (c) 2011 by Jeffrey Rossman, PhD. Permission granted by Rodale Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098.
1. Acknowledge your feelings
Don't beat yourself up or try to jolly yourself out of it: Losing something you cherish hurts, period. Whether it's your home, your marriage, your job, or a loved one, it's healthy and natural to suffer. If you lose your livelihood, you will invariably have fears about your financial security. If you lose trust in someone you counted on, it's logical to feel anger. Stifling your emotions is counterproductive; it saps your energy, can leave you tense and depressed, and impairs your ability to heal.
To heal from trauma, you must allow yourself to accept, experience, and express your emotions. Once you do, you can begin to mobilize your energy and redirect it toward what's important to you. Here's how:
Air your feelings, even if only to yourself. For instance, say "I want to run him over with a truck!" This allows you to observe and give shape to your own emotions.
Confide in someone. Don't isolate yourself. This doesn't mean you should pour your heart out to everyone who casually asks how you're doing, but do let your hair down with the people who have a genuine interest in your well-being.
Start a journal or a blog. Studies show that writing about a traumatic event is another way of letting it out that can help minimize the chances of getting sick or becoming depressed. (See how some women use it to help them cope with divorce.) The more you write about the situation, the more your negative emotional responses to the memory diminish. Acknowledging and expressing your anger, sadness, or fear through writing allows you to release the emotion.
More from Prevention: Can Energy Medicine Heal Your Grief?
2. Erase all blame
How could this happen to me? What did I do to deserve this? When you experience a loss, injury, or infidelity, it's normal to ask yourself these questions. How you answer them figures powerfully in whether you bounce back quickly or stay paralyzed in trauma's grip. It's natural to assign blame: It was the other driver's fault... The doctor botched my surgery... The new boss never gave me a fair chance... Blaming is an attempt to make someone pay for your pain. In a court of law, finding blame may lead to a financial settlement in your favor. In your emotional life, however, assigning blame usually results in a lingering grudge that just prolongs misery.
These suggestions will help you forgive others—or yourself—for the part they may have played in your unhappiness, so you can move forward with your life:
Forgive. Let go of toxic resentment and judgment—but acknowledge that you don't condone the actions of the person who hurt you.
Don't feel like a doormat. You can forgive someone but also take steps to prevent that person from taking advantage of you in the future, or to prevent leaving yourself vulnerable in a similar situation.
Decide: Is it serving you to hold on to anger? Does resentment toward your spouse (or ex) really help you in any way?
Do your emotional homework. What changes have you made to prevent a recurrence of what took place? What have you learned about yourself that will help you in future situations?
Most important, forgive yourself. If you notice self-criticism seeping in, take a moment to breathe, then acknowledge that you made a mistake and that you are fallible, just like everyone else. Try telling yourself, Even though I did [whatever the mistake was], I still accept myself. (Here are 12 more ways to stop beating yourself up.)
3. Draw a circle of support
Numerous studies have demonstrated the power of social support to help people get through crises and maintain health. One of the earliest and most fascinating studies, conducted by Stewart Wolf, MD, a researcher at the University of Oklahoma and a pioneer in the study of mind-body medicine, took place in small-town Roseto, PA, where residents had much lower rates of heart disease, alcoholism, drug addiction, and suicide than neighbors in nearby towns. They ate no better, smoked no less, and exercised no more than the others—but their social connections were stronger. They knew one another; when anyone needed help, the community provided it.
Researchers predicted that if Roseto's tight social structure ever changed, the longevity of its citizens would be negatively affected. And indeed, a follow-up 14 years later revealed that as people moved out of the town center and experienced economic growth, social distance increased, as did rates of heart disease and mortality. The residents of Roseto had become just like other Americans.
Here's how you can locate the help you need:
Find your tribe. Most hospitals and some community centers and health clinics host various support groups. Gathering with others who are struggling with similar issues can be a tremendous source of support.
If you can't find the right group, create one. Go online, talk to friends, and set up regular meetings (either virtual or in person) to stay in touch and help each other.
Let people help. Good friends can cook meals, babysit, or run errands for you.
More from Prevention: 8 Friends Every Woman Needs
4. Look for ways to find meaning
When faced with a crisis, resilient people ask the forward-thinking question "What now?" They look within for answers to put their lives back together, and in doing so open themselves up to the possibility of living a richer, more meaningful life. There are a number of ways you can use adversity to add purpose:
Get to the heart of the matter. People who have endured a crisis and use the setback to further a cause—such as a mother who works tirelessly to raise funds for the illness that took her child—find that this newfound direction and energy can add dimension to their lives.
Reorder your priorities. Ask yourself: How do you plan to spend your time differently now? Who are the people you want to spend time with? Are there new ways you can use your strengths in the service of what's important to you now?
Think about what you would do if you had only a year to live. Write down what you'd want to do, what conversations you'd want to have, the person you'd want to be. Read it over and consider the steps you can take to achieve those goals.
More from Prevention: How To Live Your Life With Meaning
5. Believe that you can bounce back
One of the most crucial aspects of resilience is faith in your own ability to cope. This doesn't mean you'll always triumph over whatever problem you face. Even if you have the practical skills to manage the issue at hand, if you don't believe in your own emotional flexibility, you'll falter. Here's how to foster that unique quality within yourself:
Get moving. Regular physical exercise, especially exercise that you truly enjoy, boosts both your energy and your mood, and it reinforces your power to take charge of your own health and well-being. (Too busy for exercise? Here are 25 easy ways to sneak in more activity.)
Step out of your comfort zone. Learn a new language or computer program, or start a new project at home or at work. By embracing the unfamiliar, you'll strengthen your capacity to handle all sorts of new situations. The more you challenge yourself in different ways, the more resilient you will become.
Clear the weeds that are choking your optimism. When you notice yourself thinking pessimistic or cynical thoughts, take a moment to step back and reevalu-ate. See if you can look at the situation from a different perspective—one that is kinder to you and allows for a more constructive way of handling the difficulty.
6. Connect with your spiritual side
A sacred connection is a powerful coping method. People who are religious or spiritual stay healthier and report higher levels of well-being than those who aren't. There are many ways to develop this side of yourself:
Find the spiritual in nature. Gaze at a vast, star-filled sky, spend time with your pet, or just be present in the moment.
Create a sacred space in your home. Display pictures and objects that link you with your inner self. Listen to music that motivates you to think of the world and your unique place in it.
Join a prayer or study group at your house of worship
lmmerse yourself in inspiring spiritual or religious books. It's a wonderful way to peacefully start or end your day.
More from Prevention: Can Faith Really Heal?
Adapted fromThe Mind-Body Mood Solution by Jeffrey Rossman, PhD. (c) 2011 by Jeffrey Rossman, PhD. Permission granted by Rodale Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098.


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Welcome To AlbumLinerNotes.com
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Les McCann
Second Movement
Swiss Movement
Les McCann
Biography by Scott Yanow
Les McCann reached the peak of his career at the 1968 Montreux Jazz Festival, recording "Compared to What" and "Cold Duck Time" for Atlantic (Swiss Movement) with Eddie Harris and Benny Bailey. Although he has done some worthwhile work since then, much of it has been anti-climactic.
McCann first gained some fame in 1956 when he won a talent contest in the Navy as a singer that resulted in an appearance on television on The Ed Sullivan Show. After being discharged, he formed a trio in Los Angeles. McCann turned down an invitation to join the Cannonball Adderley Quintet so he could work on his own music. He signed a contract with Pacific Jazz and in 1960 gained some fame with his albums Les McCann Plays the Truth and The Shout. His soulful, funk style on piano was influential and McCann's singing was largely secondary until the mid-'60s. He recorded many albums for Pacific Jazz during 1960-1964, mostly with his trio but also featuring Ben Webster, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Blue Mitchell, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Pass, the Jazz Crusaders, and the Gerald Wilson Orchestra. McCann switched to Limelight during 1965-1967 and then signed with Atlantic in 1968. After the success of Swiss Movement, McCann emphasized his singing at the expense of his playing and he began to utilize electric keyboards, notably on 1972's Layers. His recordings became less interesting to traditional jazz fans from that point on, and after his Atlantic contract ran out in 1976, McCann appeared on records much less often. However, he stayed popular and a 1994 reunion tour with Eddie Harris was quite successful. A mid-'90s stroke put him out of action for a time and weakened his keyboard playing (his band began carrying an additional keyboardist) but Les McCann returned to a more active schedule during 1996 and was still a powerful singer. His comeback was solidified by 2002's Pump It Up, a guest-heavy celebration of funk and jazz released on ESC Records.
Content provided by All Music Guide. (C) 2009 All Media Guide, LLC.


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As the snow piles up here in Chicagoland, I finally got around to doing the best gift giving I could this holiday season. No, it wasn't last-minute shopping. I started making loans! You're thinking, "huh?"
I joined Kiva and started making "microloans" to businesses in need all over the world. Truth be told, many of you Arsians beat me to it a long time ago; there's already an Ars team on Kiva! I ask that you all consider this extremely cool, and extremely important way to stimulate growth in areas of the world that need it badly.
Kiva is simple to use, is a proven success, and can fit all budgets. Kiva members have loaned out more than US$1110,000,000 and seen a repayment rate above 98%. Kiva has reached over 276,000 entrepreneurs in 189 countries.
For as little as $25, you can begin lending money to entrepreneurs in Togo, Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, Azerbaijan, Uganda, Peru, and more. When thousands of people team up to fund businesses in developing areas of the world, they are helping communities grow stronger. And as these businesses pay back their loans, you get your money back and you can do what you want with it, including investing in other businesses. There is some risk involved, and you can learn more about how Kiva works on their site.
If you do join, be sure to also join the Ars Technica team! As of this posting we have 13 members. I'd love to see a zero tacked on to that!


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Sehba Sarwar blogs about her role as founding and artistic director of P&W-supported Voices Breaking Boundaries (VBB), a Houston-based alternative arts organization. A writer and multidisciplinary artist, Sarwar uses her poetry, prose, and video/art installations to explore displacement and women's issues on a domestic and global level. Her first novel, Black Wings, was published in 2004, and she is currently working on a second manuscript tentatively entitled "Island."
On October 1, 2012, Inprint, Inc., and the Poetry Society of America in association with Nuestra Palabra presented a panel discussion, Red, White & Blue: Poets on Politics, featuring Sandra Cisneros and Tony Hoagland and moderated by the Poetry Society's executive director Alice Quinn. The gathering, held at the University of Houston, drew a mix of students and community members and there was a rich conversation about the urgency of poets to speak in response to social issues. Both Cisneros and Hoagland read work by poets they admire, followed by a discussion about the importance of giving voice to community. Sandra closed with a poem by Amber Past, who lives in Mexico but archives stories of indigenous women.
The next morning, I had a spontaneous breakfast with Sandra, who I know because I've been part of the Macondo Writers' Workshop for the past four years. The group, which began fifteen years ago with twenty writers gathering at Sandra's kitchen table, long before a nonprofit was formed, gave San Antonio and Austin-based writers a space to gather and share their work. Once Macondo evolved into a nonprofit arts organization, annual summer retreats were organized in San Antonio. At its peak, Macondo had as many as 80 members. We gathered in San Antonio from around the United States and Mexico to workshop our writing or to gain time to write. Today, the Macondo Writers' Workshop is going through a transition as Sandra steps back to focus on her own writing.
Many artists, like Sandra, initiate arts organizations because they have a passion for their work and want to share art and resources with a larger community. However, there is a natural tension between the creation of art itself and the formalization of an arts organization. Art is not a prescribed process. One begins the journey without knowing the ending and most artists who start arts organizations either give up their own art or step away from the formal structures they create. Next year, Sandra will be taking a year's retreat in Mexico so she can write. "I'm going to Mexico for the same reasons you go to Pakistan each year," she tells me. "I need to be reinvigorated."
The act of writing is solitary. We need community for feedback and support, but to create work, we need time to be alone. As I reflect on my visit with Sandra, I remember a January 2012 New York Times opinion piece by Susan Cain, who talks about how "group-work" is over-emphasized in today's world. "Research strongly suggests that people are more creative when they enjoy privacy and freedom from interruption," Cain states. Her words make sense to me. In the flutter of our time, when to remain visible one must tweet or post on Facebook and always keep a product in sight, the need to slow down and reflect is underestimated. I applaud writers and artists who resist producing, and instead, dedicate time to the process.
Photo: Sehba Sarwar. Credit: Emaan Reza.
Support for Readings/Workshops events in Houston is provided by an endowment established with generous contributions from the Poets & Writers Board of Directors and others. Additional support comes from the Friends of Poets & Writers.


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Recently, we inaugurated a series called Community Stories, featuring interviews with Angelenos about their favorite works in our permanent collection. Top chef Susan Feniger chose a work by Helen Levitt from our photography collection—it may be viewed by appointment in our Wallis Annenberg Photography Study Room.
Feniger talked about why Levitt's work appeals to her so much, and about the connection between art and cooking.
I totally love photography.
This is the typical street corner, an afternoon in New York City. I really connect to that time period, and Helen Levitt does the most incredible job of capturing it. I think it's the expressions on people's faces and the emotions that her photographs show.
This is a totally classic Helen Levitt photograph. It really shows the feeling on the street in that period, and a lifestyle. Nothing fancy. It is about the relationship of these little kids and this street taxi, drawn by a horse. And you can see that it shows the grittiness and realness of the street. She's got the Coca-Cola sign and this Heinz 57 Sauce sign and the Reid's Ice Cream store. This is great for me because of all the food-related stuff!
I'm aware of the street here, and the curb. She makes you very aware of where you're standing.
It's not surprising that the chef whose most recent restaurant is called Street would be drawn to a photograph of a New York City corner.
I love big cities. I'm just drawn to urban landscape. Everything starts from the street. That's what so many people are inspired by—that's what I'm inspired by. The art world, fashion, food.
I'm drawn to the food someone eats on the street, or that they cook on the street. To me, that's the most inspired food.
Feniger collects photography herself, and lives with two favorite works by Levitt. I asked her about what draws her to a picture.
Pictures take me to a place inside. My life is so much about being out in public or in the kitchen, talking and talking! Helen Levitt's stuff, it brings me inside. She captures the human soul.
We also talked about how photography and cooking have a few things in common—a mix of creative intuition and technical skill, for example.
There are a lot of technical parts of cooking that aren't critical but important. I worked in a fish market for a year, just learning how to fillet fish.
I think that's what an artist does, constantly remaking something, improving it. I taste something and I think, "I've never tasted anything like that!" or I think, "That's a great idea and I think we could do it better." I can taste a dish, tweak it, and make it stronger.
I don't think anyone tastes enough. They're busy. But I find myself tasting and tasting. Does it have enough acid? Enough salt? Enough strong flavors? Is it good but not fantastic? You have to make it, taste it, remake it, and do that every day. It can always get better.
I think we can open people's hearts and their minds to be more open about other cultures through art, or food. Food and art are great ways to equalize people.


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Patrick Jones, Mr. Inspiration AND Agents v. Gatekeepers
December 6, 2006 at 7:36 pm Peter Bromberg 4 comments
MPOW just had it's 20th anniversary membership meeting at the lovely Seaview Marriott in Absecon, NJ. We were pleased to have YA author Patrick Jones on hand to deliver a morning program for SJRLC youth librarians AND a crazy brilliant afternoon keynote.
I've blogged about Patrick's presentations over at SJRLC's blog, and I invite you to check it out. Here, I'll just add one "takeaway" that I forgot to mention in my other post: Patrick's insight that, good as the YALSA Quick Picks list is, "The single most important list is the books that got stolen last year. Start your year by buying replacements. They have a track record!"
I'll add one more thing. As I noted in a previous post, I'm currently enjoying Setting the Table , by Danny Meyer. I'd like to share a passage that I found myself thinking about during Patrick's talk. Meyer writes,
In every business, there are employees who are the first point of contact with the customers (attendants at airport gates, receptionists at doctors' offices, bank tellers, executive assistants). Those people can come across either as agents or as gatekeepers. An agent makes things happen for others. A gatekeeper sets up barriers to keep people out. We're looking for agents, and our staff members are responsible for monitoring their own performance: In that transaction, did I present myself as an agent or a gatekeeper? In the world of hospitality, there's rarely anything in between.
I love Meyer's agent/gatekeeper concept. It's a simple idea, but perhaps for that very reason it lends itself to practical use. I found myself easily using it today as a gut-check while answering the phone and responding to emails. Was I making things happen for others, or was I erecting barriers to keep people out. (In fact, I did have to tell someone that they couldn't attend a program–but then I put on my agent hat and offered three alternative options.)
I guess Patrick got me thinking about this because maybe, just maybe, we tend to be a little more gatekeeperish with the teens. But whomever we're serving — kid, teen, adult, genealogist — I like the idea of making things happen for... Anyway, that's what gets me out of bed in morning!
Entry filed under: Uncategorized. Tags: Peter.
4 Comments
A good dichotomy, though I still like the idea of never saying no. I told someone at the new MPOW that I was changing my middle name from Gertrude to Collaboration.
Update: One of the three options I gave to the person who wanted to come to the program today (that was filled — and we're in a tight space) was just to show up, and if we had a no-show we'd fit her it.
Well, she showed up, we had a no-show, and I'm sitting here at the program and she's sitting here in front of me. Yeah!
I'm very pleased that she was able to attend, and I'm feeling quite agenty right now 🙂
I agree with Peter. Patrick Jones was also a presenter at the CJRLC Fall meeting. His ideas of connecting to teens are really relevant to working with community college students, community members, anyone coming into the library–or anyone who won't because she doesn't find us relevant.
[…] 1, 2010 It's been a while since I blogged about the difference between Agents and Gatekeepers, wherein I quoted one of my favorite passages from Danny Meyer's book, Setting the Table (the […]


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Nature's Warnings Exponentially Intensifying
Posted by edro on April 14, 2011
EDRO Models: Mass Die-Offs Looming
Energy Models show large scale die-offs occurring by 2016
Dynamic simulations are consistent with the rate at which nature's warnings are intensifying.
The warnings are becoming more direct and less ambiguous. Nature seems to be focusing more intensely on certain mechanisms to defend herself. See The Dynamics of Collapse.
The Earth is fighting to stay alive. IF she loses the fight we would all die!
Latest Probable Episodes
JPTRMT1 – Megathrust earthquakes are forecast to strike Japan Region releasing megabursts of energy, a total of about 80EJ of energy by 2016. See Forecast.
The Next Phase of Collapse: Global Wars for Hegemony Over World's Resources. See Nuking Earth for Lifestyle
U.S., the world, stake the future on high-energy strategies. Energy models' simulations show all such strategies ending in collapse.
The first wave of collapse of world cities would be caused by a combination of failing ecosystems, human-enhanced environmental catastrophes; failing infrastructure; food, water and fuel shortages; infectious disease; war, civil conflict and other dynamics. Following the first phase of collapse, massive waves of human migration from the affected areas create a domino effect that causes the collapse of the remaining population centers shortly after.
In 2010, FIRE-EARTH said; In line with its concept of 'Shrinking World,' and based on simulations of FEWW EarthModel and EDRO Energy Models, Fire-Earth Moderators believe at least one disaster could strike somewhere on the planet each day, throughout 2010. The outlook for 2011 and beyond …
Global Disasters in 2011 Could Impact 1/3 to 1/2 of the Human Population.
The impact of anthropogenic and human-enhanced natural disasters on the population will be 600 percent more severe in 2011 compared with 2010: Fire-Earth Forecast
Nearly all of the anthropogenic and human-enhanced disasters that will occur on the planet in the 2011-2012 period would have been preventable.
However, Humans continued to devour energy at a rate of 17.3terrawatt in 2011, when maximum 'safe' limit was less than 1.9terrawatt.
Based on their research, EDRO Moderators Have concluded that a series of man-made cataclysms will drive the earth's population to near extinction.
- Drought and Deluge: Two Major Mechanisms of Collapse
- Desertification
- Storms, Extreme Rain Events, Rising Sea Levels, Floods, Landslides …
- Storms, Extreme Rain Events, Floods, Landslides
UPDATED April 16, 2011


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Wait ... you're looking at this blog? You really should be looking at my other blog.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Mergers and Acquisitions
Posted by Ted Fisher at 2:43 PM 0 comments
Friday, July 08, 2011
How many times has this happened to you: you need to communicate your ideas on how to create the perfect lighting set up, but you have a fear of both paper and pencils.
Finally, there's a solution. The Strobox iPhone App.
It's free, it's fast, it's preloaded with images of gear you're not even sure you can name, let alone use, afford or store. Just click and drag a background, a camera, about 7 or 8 lights, three reflectors and that weird Brolly-box thingie.
Don't forget the snoot!
Add a model, and view the whole thing from above. In just minutes ... you'll have thoroughly overlit your subject in a fairly entertaining way.
But wait ... there's more!
You can look at other people's photos ... complete with lighting diagrams made with the App! That's right: no longer will you need to Guess the Lighting.
Heck, now if only your underpaid photo assistants could just afford to have phones...
Posted by Ted Fisher at 7:14 PM 2 comments
Labels: lighting diagrams, strobox, studio lighting
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Using the Metz 58 Second Reflector Well
Let's start with this: the Metz 58 AF-2 is a great hotshoe flash. In my opinion, it's the smartest flash out there.
I do, of course, understand why a photographer might choose the top-of-the-line flash from their specific camera brand. I think it's worth comparing, though, before a purchase -- it has some features that photographers might not even realize they need or realize are left out of the Brand Name flash.
I'll address the Metz 58's merits some other time, though. Today, I want to address an element I see presented badly around the web, and I just want to clarify a bit about this feature.
I'm talking about the Metz 58's "secondary reflector." Here's the deal: besides the main flash head, the Metz has a smaller, less-powerful flash tube ("reflector") that stays facing forward even when the main head is tilted up for bouncing.
So what do I want to clarify? Well, the typical discussion of this feature goes like this: "Hey, great idea, let's try it. Oh, tried it: it's too harsh."
So, let's look at this quickly. In the photo above, I set a camera bag down and made a quick shot by tilting my Metz up and bouncing the flash off the ceiling. Simple, and it worked well. But ... if we are really picky, and look at the buckle and at the shadows under the flaps of the bag, we can see the drawback of ceiling-bounce-flash: shadows. On a person's face, this can mean that the eyes get a bit dark: the brow ridges cast a shadow and "hide" the eyes.
Well, a quick solution can be to pull out the built-in white card on the head of the flash (similar to putting an index card on the flash held by a rubber band -- the old school solution). Alternately, we could bring in a reflector and redirect some of the light back into the eyes.
But can we use the Metz' "secondary reflector" to help us fill these shadows?
Yes ... and no ... and yes.
So, the Metz lets you sets:
- Secondary reflector at full power.
- Secondary reflector at half power.
- Secondary reflector at 1/4 power.
Cool. Let's try those.
Above: the main flash head is titled up at the ceiling, bouncing its light. The secondary reflector is pointed at the bag, set at "full power."
Awful. It looks like the flash from a little compact camera. Essentially, the secondary reflector is about the same size, so that makes sense. But don't blame the flash: this is the photographer's fault. We need to adjust the power levels between the main bounced flash and the secondary reflector we want to use as fill. In that first shot, the direct secondary reflector was too powerful, so let's turn it down.
Above: the secondary reflector is now turned down to 1/2 power. Better, but the quality of light is still not great. We are getting too much light from the smaller, "harder" light source and not really doing what we set out to do, which was fill in shadows left by the bigger, "softer" bounced light. So let's adjust further...
Above: now we've set the reflector to 1/4 power. Not as bad ... but not good enough.
And usually, that's where the test ends, and why I think this secondary reflector feature has been treated a bit badly by reviewers. They tend to say "Hmm. If it would cut down to 1/8 power, that might work...."
Well, shucks, is it so hard to help the flash out a little?
Okay, that's better. If you look at this shot, and compare it to the original, you can see some positive improvement. The buckle in the first shot is too dark, and here we can see it. And we've done it without letting the little (and harsher) secondary reflector ruin the quality of the light.
How did we achieve this? The Metz only lets you use the secondary reflector on 1/1, 1/2 and 1/4 settings. So ... how did we go further?
Well, duh. I just attached a little diffusion over the secondary reflector. I took out my Honl Strap, put it on the head of the flash, then velcroed on a Heavy Frost gel. If I wanted to cut further, I could use more diffusion.
This could be a very easy and workable technique if one is photographing people and seeing shadowed eyes. Any diffusion material can work -- and you can vary it as you like. For someone shooting night club photos, or a wedding reception, a little refinement of this technique could be a very plausible solution for no-worries fill.
Posted by Ted Fisher at 4:42 PM 3 comments
Labels: bounce flash technique, gels, metz 58
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Like A Felon
Recently, I've had to use gels on my flash for both color correction and for effects.
It occurred to me that, if someone is interested in gelling their flash, they may easily be led astray by the "advice" they find on photo forums. You know, those same people who tell you to use the bottom of a 2-liter soda bottle instead of a Gary Fong diffuser. They're out there, in the forums, and telling everyone to ...
- buy big sheets of color gel material and velcro fasteners
- spend all day cutting the gel material into strips and carefully attaching the velcro
- somehow label the gels so you'll be able to figure out which one is the full "Color Temperature Orange" and which one is the 1/2 "Color Temperature Orange" during the pressure of a shoot, in the dark.
Great. Because you need to spend hours doing that to save about $20. Nothing like work that equals about $5 an hour and looks kinda shoddy at the end of the day. Let me save you the time, but cost you about $50. First, know what you want to do. The idea is this:
The Problem:
Your flash puts out light that is pretty close to the color temperature of 5500k. So if you go into an office and want to use it to augment light coming from overhead fluorescent panels (which are kinda green if you shoot them with Daylight white balance instead of Fluorescent white balance), you may find a mismatch that can create color casts somewhere in the image. Or, if you go into someone's living room and want to add to the light coming from their table lamp (possibly balanced for 3200k) you will have to choose to set your white balance to match your flash or to match the lamp -- which can mean either a blue or yellow cast in some areas of the image.
The Solution:
Put a gel on your flash to match it to the existing light in the space. Then, you can set your white balance to match. In other words, in an office you would make your flash a bit green to match the greenish light fluorescents put out, and set your white balance to Fluorescent. In a living room, you would gel your flash to make its light close to 3200k color temperature, so it matches the living room lamp, and then set your white balance to "Indoor" or "Tungsten."
So what you need is the right gel -- and you can get custom made ones for relatively cheap, and quickly attach them to your flash. (And then, if you want to explore the world of "painting with light" or other color trickery, you can get additional gels to work with.)
Here's what I recommend:
1. Get a Honl Speed Strap.
This is just a strip that wraps on the head of your flash -- it's basically one size fits all for any hotshoe flash -- and that gels can be Velcroed to.
2. Get a set of Honl Color Correction Gels.
These come with a two of each of the important gels for making your flash match the conditions you'll find in the world. They attach quickly and easily to the strap, and take up almost no space in your camera bag. Adding flash to an office shot? No problem. Adding flash to a living room shot? No problem. Purposefully warming up a shot? No problem.
3. Later, get a set of Honl Color Effects Gels.
Then, you can spend hours in the dark, playing with light.
As an example, the image on this page was made with a "Bright Red" gel and a "Moss Green" and just a touch of "Yellow" -- I set my camera on a tripod, darkened the room, set my aperture to f/11 and the shutter speed to 8 seconds. I held my flash in my hand and then manually fired it in varying positions -- set on low power -- a few times with each gel.
Posted by Ted Fisher at 1:03 PM 0 comments
Labels: bounce flash technique, color correction, gels
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Riverside, Riverrun
Sant Khalsa explains her photographic practice while California Museum of Photography Director Colin Westerbeck listens during the opening reception for "Riverrun: Sant Khalsa's 20-year Journey with the Santa Ana River" in Riverside, Calif. on Saturday, May 7, 2011. The exhibition will be on display until August 13, 2011.
Posted by Ted Fisher at 2:45 PM 0 comments
Labels: documentary photography, riverside, sant khalsa


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Confident Valentino in first Paris menswear show
PARIS (AP) — The Valentino fashion house explored new landscapes in its first menswear show in Paris, travelling first class to London's Saville Row via a dash of British punk rock.
It was a highly confident affair.
Indeed, Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli said their decision to move from the Italian menswear tradeshow Pitti Uomo to the more-publicized Paris catwalk reflected this new confidence in their men's aesthetic.
The design duo have stamped their own bold vision on the Roman house in the few years they have been at the helm — this year in a show that left behind the charming Italian toy boy in favor of more sober British elegance.
Plays on patterns featured highly wearable single-breasted suits that harked back to 1960s fashions: Mary Quant-style checks, blown-up houndstooth, and lashings of plaid in a muted palette of black, navy, bottle green and black.
Some of the looks could easily have been worn to a British country club.
But despite all this, there was a strong, rebellious undercurrent that Piccioli called a nod to Mick Jagger. A fantastic, multicolored dyed fur collar set off one traditional camel overcoat — bold, but not garish.
Heat-bonded leather bands crossed traditional raincoats and recurred as mysterious-looking black paneling on mid-thigh overcoats, while some of the black leather coats and suit jackets had a sensual, rubbery quality.
"As a man, you know a suit, but you can have a different point of view," Piccioli said after Wednesday's fall-winter 2013-2014 preview show.
This collection proved him right.
Follow Thomas Adamson at http://Twitter.com/ThomasAdamsonAP


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