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|بروني دارالسلام
|Bandar Seri Begawan
|Absolute monarchy
|Malay (official)
|Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
|2,226 sq mi
|444,444 (2020)
|Brunei dollar
Brunei is a tiny but wealthy Asian nation on the north coast of the island of Borneo, and is a former Malaysian sultanate. It has been a sovereign state since 1965 following its withdrawal from the Federal Malay States after being granted independence by the British colonial power. Although only a small country it has immense oil wealth and the current Sultan is regarded as one of the richest men in the world. It declared its fully independence on January 1, 1984, and celebrates the National day on February 23.
Many cultural and linguistic differences make Brunei Malays distinct from the larger Malay populations in nearby Malaysia and Indonesia, even though they are ethnically related and share the Muslim religion.
Brunei has hereditary nobility, carrying the title Pengiran. The Sultan can award to commoners the title Pehin, the equivalent of a life peerage awarded in the United Kingdom. The Sultan also can award his subjects the Dato, the equivalent of a knighthood in the United Kingdom, and Datin, the equivalent of damehood.
Bruneians adhere to the practice of using complete full names with all titles, including the title Haji (for men) or Hajah (for women) for those who have made the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca. Many Brunei Malay women wear the tudong, a traditional head covering. Men wear the songkok, a traditional Malay cap. Men who have completed the Haj can wear a white songkok.
The requirements to attain Brunei citizenship include passing tests in Malay culture, customs, and language. Stateless permanent residents of Brunei are given International Certificates of Identity, which allow them to travel overseas. The majority of Brunei's Chinese are permanent residents, and many are stateless. An amendment to the National Registration and Immigration Act of 2002 allowed female Bruneian citizens for the first time to transfer their nationality to their children.
Oil wealth allows the Brunei Government to provide the population with one of Asia's finest health care systems. Malaria has been eradicated, and cholera is virtually nonexistent. There are five general hospitals—in Bandar Seri Begawan, Tutong, Kuala Belait, Bangar, and Seria—and there are numerous health clinics throughout the country.
Education starts with preschool, followed by 6 years of primary education and up to 7 years of secondary education. Nine years of education are mandatory. Most of Brunei's college students attend universities and other institutions abroad, but approximately 3,674 (2005) study at the University of Brunei Darussalam. Opened in 1985, the university has a faculty of more than 300 instructors and is located on a sprawling campus overlooking the South China Sea.
The official language is Malay, but English is widely understood and used in business. Other languages spoken are several Chinese dialects, Iban, and a number of native dialects. Islam is the official religion, but religious freedom is guaranteed under the constitution.
- Population (2006 est.): 383,000.
- Annual growth rate: 2.8% (IMF est. 2007).
- Ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese, other indigenous groups.
- Religion: Islam.
- Languages: Malay, English, Chinese; Iban and other indigenous dialects.
- Education: Years compulsory—9. Literacy (2006)--94.7%.
- Health: Life expectancy (years)--74.4 (men), 77.4 (women) yrs. Infant mortality rate (2006 est.)--12.25/1,000.
Government and Political Conditions
Under Brunei's 1959 constitution, the Sultan is the head of state with full executive authority, including emergency powers since 1962. The Sultan is assisted and advised by five councils, which he appoints. A Council of Ministers, or cabinet, which currently consists of 14 members (including the Sultan himself), assists in the administration of the government. The Sultan presides over the cabinet as Prime Minister and also holds the positions of Minister of Defense and Minister of Finance. His son, the Crown Prince, serves as Senior Minister. One of the Sultan's brothers, Prince Mohamed, serves as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Brunei's legal system is based on English common law, with an independent judiciary, a body of written common law judgments and statutes, and legislation enacted by the Sultan. The local magistrates' courts try most cases. More serious cases go before the High Court, which sits for about 2 weeks every few months. Brunei has an arrangement with the United Kingdom whereby United Kingdom judges are appointed as the judges for Brunei's High Court and Court of Appeal. Final appeal can be made to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London in civil but not criminal cases. Brunei also has a separate system of Islamic courts that apply Sharia law in family and other matters involving Muslims.
The Government of Brunei assures continuing public support for the current form of government by providing economic benefits such as subsidized food, fuel, and housing; free education and medical care; and low-interest loans for government employees. The Sultan said in a 1989 interview that he intended to proceed, with prudence, to establish more liberal institutions in the country and that he would reintroduce elections and a legislature when he "[could] see evidence of a genuine interest in politics on the part of a responsible majority of Bruneians." In 2004 the Sultan issued amendments to the constitution and re-introduced an appointed Legislative Council with minimal powers. Currently, five of the 31 seats on the council are indirectly elected by village leaders.
Brunei's economy is almost totally supported by exports of crude oil and natural gas. The government uses its earnings in part to build up its foreign reserves. The Brunei Investment Agency manages the bulk of the nation's foreign investments, which are reported to have reached more than $30 billion. The country's wealth, coupled with its membership in the United Nations, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, and the Organization of the Islamic Conference give it an influence in the world disproportionate to its size.
Principal Government Officials
- Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan, Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Finance—Hassanal Bolkiah
- Senior Minister—Crown Prince Billah
- Minister of Foreign Affairs—Prince Mohamed Bolkiah
- Ambassador to the United Nations—Dr. Haji Emran bin Bahar
Foreign relations
Brunei joined ASEAN on January 7, 1984—one week after resuming full independence—and gives its ASEAN membership the highest priority in its foreign relations. Brunei joined the UN in September 1984. It also is a member of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Brunei hosted the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in November 2000 and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in July 2002.
Introduction of Sharia in 2014
In on April 22, 2014 Sharia law was introduced, applying to Muslims as well as non-Muslims. Apostasy, insulting Muhammed, criticising the Hadiths or Koran, publicly saying one is not a Muslim, homosexuality, and adultery became punishable by the death penalty. Stoning is the official method of execution for homosexuality and adultery if there are four witnesses. Christmas celebrations were forbidden.[1][2]
The Sultan is both Minister of Defense and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces (RBAF). All infantry, navy, and air combat units are made up of volunteers. There are two infantry battalions equipped with armored reconnaissance vehicles and armored personnel carriers and supported by Rapier air defense missiles and a flotilla of coastal patrol vessels armed with surface-to-surface missiles. Brunei has ordered, but not yet taken possession of, three offshore patrol vessels from the U.K.
Brunei has a defense agreement with the United Kingdom, under which a British Armed Forces Ghurka battalion (1,500 men) is permanently stationed in Seria, near the center of Brunei's oil industry. The RBAF has joint exercises, training programs, and other military cooperation with the United Kingdom and many other countries, including the United States. The U.S. and Brunei signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on defense cooperation in November 1994. The two countries conduct an annual military exercise called CARAT.
Brunei's economy has enjoyed moderate growth in the mid-2000s, primarily due to high world oil and gas prices. At 3.7% GDP growth in 2006, Brunei had the lowest rate of any ASEAN member nation. Weak oil prices, the East Asian financial crisis, and the collapse of the Amedeo Development Corporation all contributed to very low growth rates in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Brunei is the fourth-largest oil producer in Southeast Asia, averaging about 219,000 barrels a day in 2006. It also is the ninth-largest exporter of liquefied natural gas in the world. Like many oil producing countries, Brunei's economy has followed the swings of the world oil market. Economic growth has averaged around 2.8% in the 2000s, heavily dependent on oil and gas production. Oil production has averaged around 200,000 barrels a day during the 2000s, while liquefied natural gas output has been slightly under or over 1,000 trillion btu/day over the same period. Brunei is estimated to have oil reserves expected to last 25 years, and enough natural gas reserves to last 40 years.
Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP), a joint venture owned in equal shares by the Brunei Government and the Royal Dutch/Shell group of companies, is the chief oil and gas production company in Brunei. It also operates the country's only refinery. BSP and four sister companies—including the liquefied natural gas producing firm BLNG—constitute the largest employer in Brunei after the government. BSP's small refinery has a distillation capacity of 10,000 barrels per day. This satisfies domestic demand for most petroleum products.
The French oil company Total (then known as ELF Aquitaine) became active in petroleum exploration in Brunei in the 1980s. The joint venture Total E&P Borneo BV currently produces approximately 35,000 barrels per day and 13% of Brunei's natural gas.
In 2003, Malaysia disputed Brunei-awarded oil exploration concessions for offshore blocks J and K (Total and Shell respectively), which led to the Brunei licensees ceasing exploration activities. Negotiations between the two countries are continuing in order to resolve the conflict. Two on-shore blocks are being explored following awards to two consoria—one Canadian-led and the other an Australian-led operating consortium. Australia, Indonesia, and Korea were the largest customers for Brunei's oil exports, taking over 67% of Brunei's total crude exports. Traditional customers Japan, the U.S., and China each took around 5% of total crude exports.
Almost all of Brunei's natural gas is liquefied at Brunei Shell's Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant, which opened in 1972 and is one of the largest LNG plants in the world. Some 90% of Brunei's LNG produced is sold to Japan under a long-term agreement renewed in 1993. The agreement calls for Brunei to provide over 5 million tons of LNG per year to three Japanese utilities, namely to TEPCo, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (J.TER or 5001), Tokyo Gas Co. (J.TYG or 9531) and Osaka Gas Co. (J.OSG or 9532). The Japanese company, Mitsubishi, is a joint venture partner with Shell and the Brunei Government in Brunei LNG, Brunei Coldgas, and Brunei Shell Tankers, which together produce the LNG and supply it to Japan. Since 1995, Brunei has supplied more than 700,000 tons of LNG to the Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) as well. In 2006, total natural gas production reached 1.2 billion cubic feet per day. A small amount of natural gas is used for domestic power generation. Since 2001, Japan remains the dominant export market for natural gas. Brunei is the fourth-largest exporter of LNG in the Asia-Pacific region behind Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia.
The government sought in the past decade to diversify the economy with limited success. Oil and gas and government spending still account for most of Brunei's economic activity. Brunei's non-petroleum industries include agriculture, forestry, fishing, aquaculture, and banking. The garment-for-export industry has been shrinking since the U.S. eliminated its garment quota system at the end of 2004. The Brunei Economic Development Board announced plans in 2003 to use proven gas reserves to establish downstream industrial projects. In 2006, the Brunei Methanol Company, a joint venture between Petroleum Brunei, Mitsubishi, and Itochu, was established. Initial construction on a $400 million methanol plant, fed by natural gas, was started in 2007 and the plant is expected to come on line in 2010. The government plans to build a power plant in the Sungai Liang region to power a proposed aluminum smelting plant that will depend on foreign investors. A second major project depending on foreign investment is in the planning stage: a giant container hub at the Muara Port facilities.
The government regulates the immigration of foreign labor out of concern it might disrupt Brunei's society. Work permits for foreigners are issued only for short periods and must be continually renewed. Despite these restrictions, the estimated 100,000 foreign temporary residents of Brunei make up a significant portion of the work force. The government reported a total work force of 180,400 in 2006, with a derived unemployment rate of 4.0%.
Oil and natural gas account for almost all exports. Since only a few products other than petroleum are produced locally, a wide variety of items must be imported. Nonetheless, Brunei has had a significant trade surplus in the 2000s. Official statistics show Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, the U.S., and China as the leading importers in 2006. The United States was the fourth-largest supplier of imports to Brunei in 2006.
Brunei's substantial foreign reserves are managed by the Brunei Investment Agency (BIA), an arm of the Ministry of Finance. BIA's guiding principle is to increase the real value of Brunei's foreign reserves while pursuing a diverse investment strategy, with holdings in the United States, Japan, Western Europe, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.
The Brunei Government encourages more foreign investment. New enterprises that meet certain criteria can receive pioneer status, exempting profits from income tax for up to 5 years, depending on the amount of capital invested. The normal corporate income tax rate is 30%. There is no personal income tax or capital gains tax.
One of the government's priorities is to encourage the development of Brunei Malays as leaders of industry and commerce. There are no specific restrictions of foreign equity ownership, but local participation, both shared capital and management, is encouraged. Such participation helps when tendering for contracts with the government or Brunei Shell Petroleum.
Companies in Brunei must either be incorporated locally or registered as a branch of a foreign company and must be registered with the Registrar of Companies. Public companies must have a minimum of seven shareholders. Private companies must have a minimum of two but not more than 50 shareholders. At least half of the directors in a company must be residents of Brunei.
The government owns a cattle farm in Australia through which the country's beef supplies are processed. At 2,262 square miles, this ranch is larger than Brunei itself. Eggs and chickens are largely produced locally, but most of Brunei's other food needs must be imported. Agriculture, aquaculture, and fisheries are among the industrial sectors that the government has selected for highest priority in its efforts to diversify the economy.
Since 2002, the government has worked to develop Brunei as an international offshore financial center as well as a center for Islamic banking. Brunei is keen on the development of small and medium enterprises and also is investigating the possibility of establishing a "cyber park" to develop an information technology industry. Brunei has also promoted ecotourism to take advantage of the over 70% of Brunei's territory that remains primal tropical rainforest.
- GDP (2006 est.): U.S. $12.582 billion.
- Growth rate (2006 est.): 3.7%.
- Natural resources: Oil and natural gas.
- Trade: Exports—oil, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products, garments. Major markets—Japan, Korea, ASEAN, U.S. Imports—machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods. Major suppliers—ASEAN, Japan, U.S., EU.
Historians believe there was a forerunner to the present Brunei Sultanate, which the Chinese called Po-ni. Chinese and Arabic records indicate that this ancient trading kingdom existed at the mouth of the Brunei River as early as the seventh or eighth century A.D. This early kingdom was apparently conquered by the Sumatran Hindu Empire of Srivijaya in the early ninth century, which later controlled northern Borneo and the Philippines. It was subjugated briefly by the Java-based Majapahit Empire but soon regained its independence and once again rose to prominence.
The Brunei Empire had its golden age from the 15th to the 17th centuries, when its control extended over the entire island of Borneo and north into the Philippines. Brunei was particularly powerful under the fifth sultan, Bolkiah (1473-1521), who was famed for his sea exploits and even briefly captured Manila; and under the ninth sultan, Hassan (1605–19), who fully developed an elaborate Royal Court structure, elements of which remain today.
The country was occupied briefly by the Spanish during the late-16th century. Part of the Spanish colonial mission was always the vigorous dissemination of Catholicism – in the previous century, Islam had been adopted in Brunei as the principal religion.
After Sultan Hassan, Brunei entered a period of decline due to internal battles over royal succession as well as the rising influences of European colonial powers in the region that, among other things, disrupted traditional trading patterns, destroying the economic base of Brunei and many other Southeast Asian sultanates. In 1839, the English adventurer James Brooke arrived in Borneo and helped the Sultan put down a rebellion. As a reward, he became governor and later "Rajah" of Sarawak in northwest Borneo and gradually expanded the territory under his control.
Meanwhile, the British North Borneo Company was expanding its control over territory in northeast Borneo. In 1888, Brunei became a protectorate of the British Government, retaining internal independence but with British control over external affairs. In 1906, Brunei accepted a further measure of British control when executive power was transferred to a British resident, who advised the ruler on all matters except those concerning local custom and religion. This arrangement continued – apart from a period of Japanese occupation between 1941 and 1945 – until Brunei's transition to independence began in 1959.
In 1959, a new constitution was written declaring Brunei a self-governing state, while its foreign affairs, security, and defense remained the responsibility of the United Kingdom. An attempt in 1962 to introduce a partially elected legislative body with limited powers was abandoned after the opposition political party, Parti Rakyat Brunei, launched an armed uprising, which the government put down with the help of British forces. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the government also resisted pressures to join neighboring Sabah and Sarawak in the newly formed Malaysia. The Sultan eventually decided that Brunei would remain an independent state.
In 1967, Sultan Omar abdicated in favor of his eldest son, Hassanal Bolkiah, who became the 29th ruler. The former Sultan remained as Defense Minister and assumed the royal title Seri Begawan. In 1970, the national capital, Brunei Town, was renamed Bandar Seri Begawan in his honor. The Seri Begawan died in 1986.
On January 4, 1979, Brunei and the United Kingdom signed a new treaty of friendship and cooperation. On January 1, 1984, Brunei Darussalam became a fully independent state.
Brunei hosted an ASEAN summit in July 2002, which agreed co-operative measures in the field of counter-terrorism among member states. Brunei is also involved in the search for a settlement of the awkward and potentially dangerous dispute over the Spratly Islands, the South China Sea archipelago claimed by six countries, including Brunei itself and China. Relations with Malaysia have improved since the resolution of various long-running border disputes. [1]
External links
- Brunei at the World Factbook
|Copyright Details
|This work is in the Public Domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the U.S. Code
| File available from the United States Federal Government [2].


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01 Apr 11. I'll push my luck and share yet another B&W image for today. As there was a request for some info on the Salish Slough location, I decided to take one of those HDR images not yet shared, convert to B&W, and see what I might come up with. Earlier tonight I was watching another of the nik webinars on B&W imaging, this time on advanced techniques, and wouldn't you know it, the discussion was on converting HDR images into B&W. To think that I was actually onto something. Oh well, I guess others decided before I did that it would a worthwhile endeavor. And I believe it is a great way to work with B&W. This old hulk was a study in browns, yellows, and reds, so it seemed a good candidate for B&W. If I worked this image correctly, your eye should be immediately directed to around the 9 o'clock central third, then bounce around in a circle without desiring to leave the picture. Your screen is going to have some effect on how it presents I believe as it is more dramatic on my work box than it is in this mail box. Now that I'm beginning to get a feel for B&W, I do believe I'll be sharing one perhaps every week unless I hear a demand for not so doing. ISO 200; 1/125 sec @ f /13.
04 Apr 11. We take a break from the B & W and try a bit of macro for today. While Jan and granddaughter Harper were wandering around Flower World last week looking for cheap bedding plants, I was looking for some early harbingers of Spring that I might share with everyone. There was actually not a lot out that met my conditions, but there were several pussy willows specimens and lots of crocus to catch my eye. One small grouping of crocus was also holding the attention of a common house fly sufficiently so that I was able to grab several shots of it crawling around on an outer edge of a couple of petals. The background stuff was very busy, both at the nursery and in the shot, so I grabbed all of it and converted it into a deep red that I selected from the image in hopes that the bland background would neither distract from the shot nor actually call its attention to you. I simple wanted something to fall off for the background. Now the fly was a different matter, and my attention was to use the flower's stamen to bring you eye into the same plane as that of the fly, thereby keeping your eye traveling constantly back to the center of the image. I considered cropping it tighter, but in the end decided that the petals held some small material of interest. ISO 400; 1/2500 sec @ f / 9.
05 Apr 11. Our walk along the water's edge at Mercer Slough afforded us a view of more than just the large raptor, as there were a number of small songbirds that serenaded us along the way. Most of them kept themselves securely out of the reach of the camera, hiding in the dense plant life that lined the walk. But as we ventured out onto a float on the creek, a couple water thrushes hopped into view and sat still long enough for me to grab a few portraits. This individual, I'm assuming a male from the feathering, posed for a solid 30+ seconds. The song was short, but certainly a pleasant part of our 1.5 mile round trip walk I would imagine as the days move forward that there will be far more of these lovely critters around for our enjoyment. ISO 200; 1/320 sec @ f / 11.
06 Apr 11. Being the consummate student, there are a couple of author/photographer's efforts that I look to regularly. I've written about Tim Grey numerous times, so most of you should be familiar with his material already. The other author/photographer is Bob Johnson, and his site is called Earthbound Light. Bob is a local resident and teaches each year as part of the Mountaineer's Basic Photo Course. He is an accomplished photographer and his weekly column is very much worth your time. I was reading it recently when he was discussing a new HDR program that he thought was quite good, and on account of his recommendation I bounced out to sns_HDR to have a look. It is now a workhorse in my stable of HDR software and rapidly becoming my favorite. Had I not read about it in Bob's blog I would not have known about it! I can highly recommend it to you if you are at all interested in HDR imaging. This piece of software does its utmost to give you a realistic looking image and it is quite hard to get it to give you the cartoon-like images lots of other programs do easily! On top of all that it is only €30 in price. Nothing else even comes close. One very nice feature of it is how it handles single image HDR output. An example of such I'm sharing today. The only drawback of its work on single images is that it produces a lot of noise, or at least that is what I'm experiencing. On multiple image HDR output I don't notice this occurring, but as there are many noise removal programs available, and I have several from which to choose, noise removal is not an issue. This image was taken on the stormy night prior to the class session on the following morning at Fisherman's Terminal. Take note on how well the clouds are rendered; you almost feel as though the thunder is eminent. I'll share several more images on which I've employed sns-HDR over the next few weeks and will identify them when I do. Meanwhile, hop out to the web page (you'll need some version of IE to change the native Polish to English) and have a look for yourself. ISO 200; 1/500 sec @ f / 14.
07 Apr 11. Leaving the house this evening at the start of the hail/snow/rain display, I looked down and noticed that a fair amount of water was beading up on the petals of a pansy plant we have yet to put in the ground. I grabbed the camera and fired off a couple/three shots of which this is my favorite. As there was lots of garbage in the photo such as cardboard box, stairs, etc, I severely cropped it and then added a bit of contrast with a curves layer followed by some slight manipulation using a plug-in filter to give it just a bit more zing. It was truly a grab shot, but I liked the way the water droplets were displaying enough to share. Jan thought I should manipulate it and put my reflection in one of the drops. ISO 400; 1/60 sec with fill flash @ f / 14.
08 Apr 11. A trip to the Seattle Aquarium last week was a two hour adventure of trying to get images amidst several bus loads of school children. Needless to say it was a bit of a challenge. The area I most prefer is the tide pool/intertidal zone exhibit which is a knee level display designed for kids to touch and watch the tide pool animals. It is in my opinion the best display in the aquarium, although there are many VERY nice displays in the buildings. My approach to photographing the animals in the display is to take a flash on an extension cord and place it at or slightly above the level of the animal of interest and push the light through the plexiglas sides of the display. In this manner I avoid the bounce back usually associated with flash on the water's surface while illuminating the animals in different ways. One of those ways is to tip the flash sufficiently so as to achieve a rapid fall off of the light, thereby simulating a deep water environment. Of course this requires an assistant to manipulate the flash and Jan is the one who does the "lighting" for me. The image for today of an anemone is one such example. The animal is in a display that has waves of water flowing into and out of it in sync with the actual tidal motion of Puget Sound in which the aquarium resides. Thus the animals experience the same environment as do their relatives outside in the real world. It is a very nice presentation and one I visit at least annually, if not more often. ISO 200; 1/60 sec with flash @ f / 11.
11 Apr 11. A sure sign of Spring in my mind is the show put on by all the flowering trees, and in our local area the streets are lined with trees displaying flowers of all the hues of red and white. Of course the tree that first comes to probably everyone's mind is the cherry, and there are several species in full bloom. The image for today is of just one such but was taken in a bit of a wind, so it was a little trial and error to get something even moderately acceptable. As such I decided to work with something new this time and resorted to employing a couple of blending modes to assist in getting the lighting aspects properly balanced. Now I'm wagering that most of you have not used blend modes, so a bit about them. Tucked away in the upper left hand corner of the layers palette you find a small drop down box that provides you 25 different ways of blending two adjacent layers together. It might be easiest to think of it as a very advanced non-destructive way of dodging and burning your photograph which, when combined with a layer mask, provides for some very sophisticated control of the local brightness/darkness of any portion of the image. An excellent presentation of the subject can be found in Photoshop Focus Guide #88 Improve your Photos with Layers. The lighting for this original image was not the best, so with the help of two blending layers, plus some Gaussian blur on its own layer to remove the distraction of the background (the tree was in a parking strip directly in front of a building) I came up with what you see today. It is not the strongest image I've ever shared, but it serves to illustrate what can be accomplished with blending modes by virtue of the balance of the lighting. I have intentionally left the image a bit flat (lowered contrast) as I prefer the pastel look in this instance. A single curves layer could easily add any desired contrast. ISO 200; 1/320 sec @ f / 10.
12 Apr 11. We took a trip up to Snoqualmie Falls on April Fools Day to photograph what was claimed to be a regular torrent of water spilling over the falls. The area had been experiencing some serious flooding so we weren't sure we could get there but some calls to the local residents said come on up the roads are clear, so up we went. What I didn't bother to ask, as I didn't know I needed to, was about the conditions at the falls park proper. Since I was a youth there had always been this lovely old covered viewing platform that protected you from the weather other than that created by the falls. Much to my disgust, those in the "know" had it torn down and replaced with a cement ramp, in theory I guess, to make it accessible to all. Of course the reality is that now there is nothing accessible to anyone. Truly the kind of progress no one needs!! So the ability to shoot the falls is now greatly reduced and when there is really something spectacular to shoot, as the runoff was that day, all the weather generated by the falling water is blown directly into you and your equipment. I had intended to work the falls for the better part of 45 minutes, but was driven off in less than 10 due to me and the camera gear being thoroughly soaked, head to foot. With absolutely NO protection whatsoever from the weather with the new design, you now need a lot of support (people and additional equipments) to protect yourself from the flow of water being directed straight towards you. I did grab a few shots however in hopes of capturing what was happening, not only at the falls, but on the location as well. The shot for today is one of those and before you think it entirely a wash out, look closely, perhaps for a minute or more. As your eyes adjust to the bright gray you will begin to see a certain amount of detail that tells its own story about the environmental conditions for April Fools Day, 2011. ISO 200; 1/200 sec @ f / 11.
13 Apr 11. At a photo club competition last night one image shared was of a flamingo that had been very elegantly manipulated. Its presentation reminded me of the day it had been taken. The image for today was taken at the same time. As I was out walking around the neighborhood this afternoon looking for plant life that would serve as the basis for some creative work, I thought about the combination of spring colors, on the pinkish side, and animals and decided that the feathering of a flamingo just might serve my purposes. So here is an attempt at combing the two with the feathering of a pink flamingo. To be sure the bird didn't look exactly like this when I pushed the shutter, but the "manipulation" of this image is not on the "creative" side but rather the end product of just a few adjustment layers where I played with light. Other than that and some selective cropping, it is a totally straight image. It is intentionally not razor sharp as I was looking for the soft look, much akin to what is commonly done in model photography where the complexion is not shot to show every pore, or in this presentation, every fiber of each feather. ISO 200; 1/640 sec @ f / 9. Hope you enjoy, dave
14 Apr 11. Had an occasion on Wed morning to make a rather quick run across the sound to Bremerton. The weather was basically unpleasant for the duration of the trip, the day in general, and conditions developed throughout the afternoon that resulted in us getting an interesting early evening hail storm for perhaps 15 minutes that turned the area white until it all melted. Didn't photograph that, and I missed the rainbow that apparently accompanied the hail storm, but I did get a few shots of the city on the return run from Bremerton. This shot should give you a pretty good idea of how the area looks for about 8 months of the year if you count the total days that look this way and divide by 30. I truly find it depressing, but there is still some beauty in gray and I would suppose the Navy thinks so also. The muted colors have a beauty of their own, and if you happen to save these images, you might find it fun to compare with one I sent last year from a sunny day. ISO 200; 1/640 sec @ f / 9.
Tax Day. As any of you who write daily, or find yourselves in the kitchen daily, producing the same thing day in and day out, you know it can get boring after a while. Most of the good cooks I know, Jan certainly included, find some small amount of satisfaction in creating something new now and then. In fact, like the kitchen being an organic lab where new experiments can occur on a regular basis if desired, so it is with the computer in the digital photography age where the software becomes the tools of creation should such be desired. Every once in a while it is fun to go all out and create something a little different, and the image for TAX DAY 2011 is one such image. I figure if the govt can get creative in how it defines things, so can I with how I define nature. So, starting with one large sized dandelion, and adding a hue/saturation adjustment layer, a Gaussian Blur layer, and a generous amount of selective masking, layered appropriately with some sharpening, then letting things set for a while to insure all is as desired, we have a new flower that looks somewhat like a cross between a dandelion and a carnation, a Carnelion, if you will. Jan's comment was if only they looked like this in the yard. Your comments may vary according to taste. ISO 200; 1/320 sec @ f / 14.
18 Apr 11. Directly parallel to an entrance to I-5 (145th St) that we commonly use sits a pair of ponds that are part of a City of Shoreline park known as Twin Ponds. We have driven past them hundreds of times not knowing they were there as a) there is nothing to identify their location, and b) they can't be seen from the road. A couple weeks back it was suggested by a list member that I should go check them out for a possible photo opportunity. So we did just that on a typical Seattle gray day and spent the better part of an hour walking the dog around the two little ponds. It was readily apparent that we were far too early for any good vegetation shots, and the animals that were there, about a dozen ducks, were not cooperating in any way photographic. But as we were traversing the more northerly of the two ponds we came to a small area containing some nice trees and a small spring that was feeding the ponds. Unless you were down on the path at that very spot, the presence of the stream would not be apparent. There was sufficient water running in it to provide for a couple of different approaches to shooting it, and I tried to do a cotton effect slow water shot. Trying to do so hand held was a bit of a challenge, but I was able to get the water slowed a bit, although not enough to get both a sharp image and really cottony water, so I elected to err on the sharp side of the equation. As I looked at what was right before me I found it surprising that you can find a stream like this one, pretending to be up in the mountains, right inside the city in a park. The lighting under the trees was quite varied, so the image has been masked for luminosity corrections several times to get this final result. ISO 200; 1/13 sec (hand held with vibration reduction on) @ f / 11.
19 Apr 11. During my youth watching the magical paper turn from pure white to a B&W image was not the only magic. I also recall watching in admiration as my father occasionally cautiously added a bit of color to (hand tinted) a few of the prints that were of family members. A tricky process, and unlike what I can do digitally, one simple mistake rendered the print a ruin and necessitated starting all over from scratch. So it was a meticulous process and perhaps even a bit nerve racking with the chillin standing too close and asking too many questions. But it got done and occasionally made it into a frame. Now days the process is very different, but the results are equally beautiful in their own way. The image today began as a 5 shot HDR color image, which then I converted with a B&W adjustment layer which was then desaturated just enough to get back the weak overall color. To that was applied a hue/saturation masked layer to pull out the deep blues, and then finally another masked adjustment layer to allow for the red and blues on the vessel Heidi. Then of course all was flattened and converted to a jpg image. An extremely simple process when compared to what Dad had to do, and one in which any mistake is readily, and simply, corrected. I often wonder what he would have done had he lived to see these possibilities. ISO 200; 1/30 sec @ f / 9 (middle image of the 5) on a tripod.
20 Apr 11. Arriving about 90 minutes early for the Fisherman's Terminal lab we held back in March meant three things: 1) a totally empty parking lot such that access in the middle of the lot for taking photos of signage was both safe and simple, 2) the fishing vessels would have their lights on for some interesting shots, and 3) the wind would not be up so the water's surface would be flat for some nice reflections. I've shared some of the results of 2 and 3, but for today an example of 1. Chinooks Restaurant has a very nice neon sign of a Chinook Salmon for its logo; there have been lots of shots taken of it, but this one is a bit different. The original was a 5 image HDR series which after creating I cropped tightly in addition to a couple small housekeeping chores to make it all very tidy, then brought it to the attention of one of my favorite filters for creating something a little different. I enhanced the colors just a bit (not a whole lot more than does nature each year), and then modified it slightly to give the fish something of a look of jumping the rapids on its way to spawn. ISO 200; 1/3 sec(middle exposure of 5) @ f / 9 on a tripod.
21Apr 11. Just back from the monthly Mountaineer's Photo Committee - everything in the Mountaineers is a committee, so translate this to the Mountaineers Photo Club - monthly potluck and image sharing where there were seemingly three themes tonight; a Camp Casey Whidbey Island photo scavenger hunt, the Fisherman's Terminal Basic Class lab, and the late blooming tulips up in the Skagit Valley. I didn't participate in the scavenger hunt, and I've shared lots from the Fisherman's Terminal lab, so perhaps it is time to jump on board with the tulip theme. According to those who shared tulip images tonight, they are just beginning to show their stuff, at least two weeks late. So if the weather holds, Friday will likely be a tulip trip, and if not, early next week, perhaps Monday or Tuesday. So not yet having made a sojourn to the fields this year, how about one from last year' collection. There are two main producers where we go, Tulip Town and Roozengaarde, and this is from the main Roozengaarde site. (I'll write more about each site later next week) This is a late afternoon lighting condition, on a day that was mixed weather meaning that rain was a constant concern throughout the shoot and became significant on our return home drive. ISO 800; 1/500 sec @ f / 16.
22 Apr 11. On a day forecast for snow and other bizarre weather events, I found myself inside attempting to rewire a fluorescent light fixture in which the ballast had gone south. It was my second attempt at getting the correct ballast, and I was no more comfortable with the one I got today than the one I got yesterday. The nice man at the electrical supply assured me it was correct as did the clerk the day prior at the hardware store. Having initially installed the lights about 40 years back I figured I could easily repair it. Well, it was a functional replacement, but it lacked 3 wires from the original and had a very unusual wiring schematic, such that I studied it for more than an hour not believing what I was seeing. But it did work as shown and then all I had to do was reassemble a four foot long fixture with MULTIPLE wires with a mind of their own, four loose tombstones (the plastic pieces which actually hold the bulb pins) that didn't want to go where I wanted them (Jan finally figured how to make them work), and a plate that wasn't cooperating, all a few feet over my head. To make it even more interesting one of the tombstone managed to slip its contacts out a bit further that it should have and I found a way to put my fingers across a hot connection several times.(Don't ask) An interesting feeling that made me think of what I should share for today. Actually, a close up of a single flower to which I applied some current - a digital filter obviously - to make it "electric." Or at least how I think it would have "felt" if it had hit the same wires I did. ISO 200; 1/400 sec @ f/ 16.
25 Apr 11. While working in the yard on Saturday, I ran out of space in the yard waste container so went next door to borrow a neighbor's. In the process I noticed that she had some nice tulips in her garden so I went back to get a few shots. While attempting to shoot a frame or two an individual who was looking at the next door home, which had gone on the market that morning, started a conversation with me that led to a discussion of us building our new home. As it turned out the individual, another Ballard resident, knew exactly where we are building, was aware of the farmhouse my father and grandfather had built, was familiar with my cousin's family operation in Hansville, and had recently built a home near Kingston with the help of his brother. It never ceases to amaze me with how small a world we occupy. The conversation was beginning to get long winded, as at one point I had to explain that I would continue chatting but that I needed to simultaneously shoot the flowers as the sunlight striking them was rapidly changing. Although the chat did tend to get in the way of the shoot a bit, I still managed to come up with a couple of usable shots. ISO 200; 1/320 sec @ f / 13.
26 Apr 11. In reviewing the group of images available to share for one that in its own right tended to look a bit like a water color, I came across this one and decided it did a reasonable job of illustration the concept. While visually playing around with it a bit I realized that I had unknowingly captured in the shot the culprit responsible for the geese nervously moving into and out of this particular setting. That observation made me certain that this was an image to share. Having recently been reading some of the excellent materials written by Thom Hogan, in particular on the D300s and D7000 bodies and several of the lenses I own, specifically the 18 - 200mm used to take this picture, I was pleased to see that the lens was performing up to expectations. This shot was taken the same day that the Fish & Game guy gave me a bunch of static but was at a location in which he could do nothing about us photographing the geese. Look directly above the peak of the roof of the larger red barn and you will see a Bald Eagle sitting on a bare branch. I can guarantee you that I didn't see this guy with the unaided eye while I was snapping the photo. Not sure the lens would perform as well with a better body, but the D300 / 18-200 combo seems to be serving me reasonably well. ISO 200; 1/1000 sec @ f / 11.
27 Apr 11. A return to B&W today as well as a return to a previously shared image. I've taken the Chinook's Restaurant logo image and not only converted it, but removed the name. So now all we have is a solo King salmon jumping through the air. I then painted everything save for the fish with black and ran it through the nik plug-in Silver Efex Pro 2 to give it a bit more contrast which resulted in having all but zone10 white present in the image. The result of so doing is what you see. I thought the removal of the name and conversion to B&W created a much purer logo and in its simplicity a degree of elegance. Same shooting info as before: ISO 200; 1/3 sec @ f / 9 on a tripod.
28 Apr 11. During our last visit to the property we had a few minutes to wait for the Kingston ferry, so I decided to do a little photography around the terminal waiting area. As part of the landscaping there is a very nice little waterfall and pond, about the size you might put in your front yard, so not very big as park area displays go, but very nice just the same. It had apparently been the site for a visit from either St Patrick or one of his devotees, for the water flowing in it was a definite blue-green. It made for an intriguing display as the water was changing color as it flowed over the spillway. I took a few shots of it and decided that they really wouldn't stand on their own, so I did a little "enhancing" of the one I'm sharing. Not much actually, basically just a bit of heavy over sharpening and contrast increase, then a masking of that on the water portions leaving just the rock work with the effect. The result gives the rocks a speckled gold look while simultaneously strengthening the colors of the water. It is very much a poster type image that I think you will either like a lot or not at all. ISO 200; 1/25 sec @ f / 36 (to blur the water) hand held.
29 Apr 11. The presentation for today is a bit of gimmicky look in that I've added an artificial frame - well, I guess all frames are artificial - but this one is of the torn edge type that is seemingly quite popular these days, at least with the mod crowd. I likely should have faded the image out some, to give it an "old" look, but as I wanted the flowers to be the key item, and not the edge treatment, I left it at full opacity. The original image was altered little save for some cropping and a bit of a curves layer for contrast, and then a tad bit of sharpening, otherwise, it is as shot. The border was an additional layer provided by another piece of software that works as a plug-in to Photoshop and other graphic manipulation programs and is part of the onOne Suite of programs. ISO 200; 1/640 sec @ f / 11.

subset: commoncrawl


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You sort of expect Gene Wolfe's new novel The Land Across to be a pomo magical realist-y novel, with tinges of Kafka. After all, it's about a man who travels to a fictional country only to be ensnared in bureaucracy and weird magic. But The Land Across is something far more difficult to explain.
Spoilers ahead...
It's really hard to summarize The Land Across, but I'll try. A writer named Grafton wants to write the first travel book about a small Eastern European country that nobody ever visits, but when he gets there, his passport is stolen and he's caught in bureaucratic nightmares. After that, Grafton is forced to become a propagandist for a strange secret society, imprisoned with a maker of lifesize voodoo dolls, and then deputized as a member of the secret police, investigating a Satanist cult. There are ghosts, severed hands, phantom policemen and buried treasure, in no particular order.
The book has a bit of a Kafka feeling towards the beginning, but quickly leaves that behind to delve into deeper and deeper layers of pulpy adventure, although you sense that there's something else going on beneath the surface.
In fact, the plot of The Land Across feels somewhat random, although it becomes incredibly elaborate in the second half of the book. Grafton stumbles on conspiracy after conspiracy, and uncovers tons of buried secrets, in the manner of a Raymond Chandler detective. At the same time, Grafton juggles jealous girlfriends and meets with secret wise men. Your head will probably be spinning by the end of the book, keeping track of just who is scheming against whom.
What makes the whole thing charming, not to mention thrilling, is the rough first-person narrative voice — Grafton is an impatient narrator, who often tells the reader that he's skipping over the boring parts of the story. He'll start to describe a conversation, then say something like, "And he told me a bunch of other stuff that turned out not to matter." Sometimes Grafton refuses to give some pieces of information, telling the reader to figure it out for yourself. His style is very much reminiscent of a dime-novel hero, too, with touches of Spillane at his most expressive — only the style is, if anything, simpler.
And yet, through the medium of this brash, impatient narrator, Wolfe manages some real poetry and some great moments of describing people. (Which, again, reminds me of Chandler.) Here's Wolfe describing the run-up to a major confrontation in a bar:
A dozen new people were coming into the bar while we danced and acting like they did not know each other. Only I figured they did. For one thing none of them looked like they belonged, and for another there was the same look on all their faces. When a cruel person is about to have some real fun, sticking it to somebody who cannot fight back and laughing about it, and doing it all over again only worse, he gets a certain look. It is not the same way a hungry person looks at food, but that is as close as I can come. You have probably seen it a few times. Think about it.
There are lots of passages like that in the novel — and when Wolfe says "Think about it," you actually do kind of stop and think about it.
Like I said, the basic plot synopsis makes it sound like The Land Across is going to be
the story of a victim — a man who's trapped in a strange country where nothing makes sense and the bureaucracy is out to crush him, alongside bizarre magics. But actually, once Grafton starts coming into his own halfway through the book, it's very much about his rise to mastery over his circumstances. As I said, he turns into a kind of master detective who figures out everybody's hidden motives and untangles the most twisted plots with an almost godlike acumen. By the end of the book, you might start to wonder if Grafton is really that clever, or if he's such an unreliable narrator that you're missing out on what really happened to him.
In any case, The Land Across will simultaneously feed you old-school adventure-novel thrills, baffle you with its complexity and refusal to cohere, and make you wonder just what kind of country this is. If you're still happy taking the novel at face value, Wolfe throws in one last confounding note — a postscript that will make you rethink the whole thing all over again. You might have to read this novel twice to figure it out.


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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Celebrities are flocking to Charlotte for the Democratic convention, albeit without the prop furniture that made Clint Eastwood's appearance at last week's Republican convention so talked about.
Thus far, the DNC has seen a large number of celebrity attendees, but not quite the outpouring of high-wattage support President Barack Obama engendered in 2008. Surprise guests could still arrive, like Eastwood did for his unexpected speech bestride an empty seat at the RNC.
But without Obama's most famous supporters — Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Ben Affleck, Anne Hathaway — the likelihood of any celebrity causing the stir Eastwood did seems slim.
Eva Longoria, a co-chair of Obama's reelection campaign, was due to address delegates Wednesday. Ashley Judd is attending as a Tennessee delegate. Will.i.am, who wrote the song "Yes We Can" for Obama's 2008 run, attended former President Bill Clinton's fundraiser Tuesday, and was to join a panel about innovative solutions to unemployment on Wednesday.
Kal Penn, the "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" actor who earlier worked as associate director in the White House Office of Public Engagement, addressed the crowd on Tuesday. His comedic speech included a reference to Eastwood.
"I've worked on a lot of fun movies, but my favorite job was having a boss who gave the order to take out Bin Laden and who's cool with all of us getting gay married," said Penn. "So thank you invisible man in the chair for that."
Penn is also hosting live streaming coverage of the convention Thursday for BarackObama.com. His guests are expected to include Elizabeth Banks and Olivia Wilde, among others. Penn also created a YouTube video in which he receives a phone call from Obama while he sits on a couch eating pizza with his "Harold and Kumar" co-star, John Cho.
Jessica Alba is hosting a closing party Thursday with her husband Cash Warren. Also in Charlotte for the convention are Rosario Dawson, America Ferrera and Russell Simmons.
The biggest celebrity infusion will likely come Thursday ahead of Obama's speech and acceptance of the party's nomination. Among those scheduled to perform Thursday are the Foo Fighters, James Taylor, Mary J. Blige, Earth Wind and Fire, and Marc Anthony, who is to sing the national anthem. Amber Riley of "Glee" sang on Tuesday.
Jeff Bridges, performing with his band the Abiders, is in Charlotte after a trip last week to Tampa for the RNC. He's seeking bipartisan support for the No Kid Hungry campaign.


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The city of Tulsa has welcomed its newest star with open arms. From beautiful weather to barbecue — oh, and new bow ties — Amanda Zahui B. is already enjoying her new home.
The No. 2 pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft was formally introduced as a member of the Tulsa Shock at a press conference Monday. The 6-foot-5 center says she has enjoyed the city's weather and its food offerings when it comes to barbecue.
"I didn't know anything about Tulsa before except that it was in Oklahoma," Zahui B. said during her intro press conference, "and since we got here it's a really peaceful city."
Zahui B. comes to the Shock after averaging 18.7 points, 11.7 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game during her sophomore season at the University of Minnesota. She entered the draft early and, along with Seattle's top pick Jewell Loyd, changed the entire complexion of the draft.
"Amanda has done a great job at Minnesota," said Shock head coach Fred Williams. "She's a player that we kept our eyes on for a long time."
Williams thinks Zahui B. can make an immediate impact for a promising young team. Her ability to come out near the three-point line and set screens before rolling or popping out for a shot adds another dimension to a young and talented Shock offense.
"It only helps us," Williams said, "because if there's any types of switches and mismatches then you got a guard guarding 6-5. And then it causes a lot of problems for people, plus it gives us more utility off the bench."
The franchise is looking to make the playoffs for the first time since it moved to Oklahoma in 2010. Tulsa missed the playoffs in the Western Conference by four games in 2014 and finished tied with the Storm for the worst record in the league. But with a young core of Skylar Diggins, Odyssey Sims, Glory Johnson and now Zahui B., the playoffs are clearly a realistic goal.
"I really want to help this team grow and be an impact player starting with [training camp] May 17," Zahui B. said." I'm really excited to put Tulsa back on the map so people know about us."
I wanna give a huge thank you to all the ppl who made my first visit to Tulsa successful!THANK YOU! See you soon again! #ShockTulsa
— Amanda Zahui B. (@AmandaZahuiB) April 21, 2015
Putting the Shock back on the map isn't her only goal. Making the playoffs and competing with the best teams in the Western Conference will play a part in making that happen. She has her sights set on the ultimate goal, though. She wants to bring a WNBA title to Tulsa.
"I definitely want to win a championship," said Zahui B., "and make sure that people know about Tulsa as a dangerous team and a team that they will respect and fear."


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Is it possible to work on multiple windows using selenium, when I searched on the net, there are only explanations and codes available for
Selenium2 webdriver version.
For the normal
selenium I can't find any info on it. So is there a way multiple window operations be performed in selenium + java , if yes, how can it be achieved?


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CARNIVAL WEEKEND: JAZZ RE-FEST II kicks off at The Flyover in Ladbroke Grove. After the success of the 1st JAZZ RE:FEST last year, the Jazz re:freshed crew have answered the call to do it all again this year and the … Continue reading
LIVE THE SPIRIT BIG BAND LIVE @ The Tabernacle – 26.10.013
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- About CWI LIGHTING
Product Description:
This breathtaking 4 Light Up Chandelier with Gray finish is a beautiful piece from our Soto Collection. With its sophisticated beauty and stunning details, it is sure to add the perfect touch to your décor.
|Item as Shown:
|Hanging Method/Wire Length
Comes with 72" of chain
|Collection Name:
|Max Height:
101 inches
|Bulb Type:
|Bulb Base:
|Max Wattage
|Manufacturing Country:
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Our satisfaction guarantee and lowest price guarantee let you rest easy knowing you'll be taken care of, no matter what happens.
CWI Lighting has been one of the top manufacturers, distributors, and designers of lighting fixtures for any and all establishment in North America for over 30 years. Their specialization and technique come from their 30 years of experience and continuous practice to provide high-quality fixtures anyone would be proud to show off and own.
This company pride themselves on providing modern, up-to-date, and stylish lighting fixtures to fit their customers' taste and any demographic. All of their amazingly captivating and elegant light fixtures are available, in various styles, types, and with different designs. You can also find CWI Lighting products' in almost any location in North America and online.
CWI Best Sellers
Because CWI Lighting has been in business for over 30 years, they have a vast collection of various lighting fixtures to choose from. You can be sure you get the best quality products available in the market and will definitely fit your budget and style. Here are some of their best sellers, but they have some other light fixtures like candle island lights,
Bathroom Lighting
Make your bath time extra special by adding bathroom lighting. These light fixtures from CWI Lighting will look great and also help you relax. With their various stylish and breathtaking lights, you will surely find the best one that fits the theme of your bathroom.
In choosing the right bathroom lighting, it is necessary to know which and what kind is the best for your dream room.
CWI Lighting makes a lot of chandeliers, in various types and styles, just to make sure they can provide anyone and everyone what they need and want. But because of a lot of choices, it might be confusing when you are shopping for your chandeliers.
There are a lot of variations of lamps designed and made by CWI Lighting but here are their top 2 best sellers,
- Floor Lamps
- Table Lamps
Flush Mounts
This type of light is usually a dome-shaped light fixture mounted flush or installed close to the ceiling. One of the advantages of this type of fixture is that it is less prone to catching bugs and dust inside the fixture. Meaning, less cleaning surface for you to worry about! Also, by installing a CWI Lighting flash mount in your home, you can hide marks on your ceiling
CWI Lighting designs and produces stunning and unique pendants. You can choose from their extensive collections of pendant lighting in various styles, materials, and finishes.
We are an authorized dealer for every brand we sell!
By buying from us, you qualify for the full manufacturer warranty, saving time and money! We ship directly to your door from the manufacturer's warehouse. Every product is checked for quality assurance and packaged with the utmost care to ensure it arrives in perfect working condition. We ship with only the best carriers, including UPS, FedEx, USPS, and trusted freight companies, to get your product to you quickly. We even offer discounts and gifts with every order just to make your day a little better. Our SATISFACTION GUARANTEE and LOWEST PRICE GUARANTEE let you rest easy knowing you'll be taken care of, no matter what happens.
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By Eileen AJ Connelly
AP Personal Finance Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- The nation's top credit card companies are seeing a boost to their bottom lines as consumers are getting better about paying their bills on time.
Five of the top six card issuers last Friday said the rates at which their customers defaulted on their accounts fell in June. Bank of America Corp. reported the biggest drop in defaults, with JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Discover Financial Services also showing significant improvement.
Late payments were also down. Only Capital One Financial Corp. saw an uptick in payments late by 30 days or more, and that increase was tiny.
Among the top six, only Citibank had not yet submitted its monthly regulatory filing detailing card performance for the month. Its parent, Citigroup Inc., reported second-quarter results earlier in the day, however, giving some insight into its card performance.
The latest data followed reports that show credit card users have far better payment habits than a year ago, when the industrywide charge-off rate peaked at 10.9 percent, according to Federal Reserve data. For the first three months of this year, that rate was down to 6.96 percent -- a significant improvement, but still well below the industry average of 3.82 percent before the recession, which indicates banks will benefit further as default and delinquency rates further improve.
And they should continue to do so. Banks have already written off the balances of most customers expected to default, and those individuals have a hard time getting new credit.
The impact of the improved payment habits was reflected in banks' second-quarter financial results this week.
Citigroup said that it pulled $757 million out of the pool set aside to cover uncollectable credit card bills, adding to its $3.3 billion profit for the quarter. That followed a report from JPMorgan Chase last Thursday, which posted a $5.4 billion profit for the period, boosted by a $1 billion reduction in loss reserves.
And much of Capital One's 50 percent profit leap reported last Tuesday was due to the $579 million it released from reserves. Analyst Henry Coffey of Sterne Agee estimated 81 cents of the $1.97 per share profit, or about 41 percent, came from that reserve release.
Last month, Discover Financial Services said it released $401 million from its reserves, helping to more than triple the company's second-quarter profit.
Also goosing bank bottom lines: Card holders are using their credit cards more. That trend is now clear, after 51 percent of the U.S. card market has reported its second-quarter results, said Morgan Stanley analyst Glenn Fodor.
Citigroup said purchase volume rose 1.5 percent.
JPMorgan Chase's customers spent 10 percent more using their cards. Discover said sales volume on its namesake cards rose 9 percent.
Bank of America and American Express Co. are slated to report this week, and both are expected to show similar gains in spending.
The Federal Reserve said total balances on revolving credit, which is mostly cards, rose slightly in May to $793.13 billion. That's still nearly 19 percent below the peak balances of $973.64 billion in August 2008, but reflected an uptick in spending after months of belt-tightening by consumers.
What's less clear is if the higher spending will continue.
Borrowing is typically a sign of confidence in the economy, and the weak jobs market and higher unemployment last month may discourage further spending.
And even when the recovery gains steam, few economists say they expect consumers to pile on debt again after spending the last two years paying it down.
Published: Tue, Jul 19, 2011


text: The Bijele Zemlje region has had communications routes since prehistoric times and later, during the era of the Roman conquests when Roman emperors traveled through this area, up to today. Settlements in the region:Lorencini, Stancija Torčelo, Bijele zemlje, Sažoni, Sv. Ivan, Raskršće, Pižoni, Šaltarija, Rupe, Stancija Bošić, Gardini, Jermani, Jarpetar i Hitrici.


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Since I was a former Anglican, I thought I would at least post something close to my heart. Firstly, if anyone has new information about the ECUSA or other Anglican communions that are engaged with the current crisis, I hope that you can share that.
Where do you think will happen to the ECUSA? Will they recant? Will they be seperated from the Anglican Church? Will it happen prior to the next Lambeth Conference? What of the archbishop of Canterbury? Anything relevant to consider?


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Mexico City, Mexico, Nov 16, 2013 / 14:24 pm
Pope Francis' video message to the pilgrims gathered in Mexico City today encouraged the faithful to spread the Gospel with a peaceful manner, as did Christ.
"The task of evangelization requires much patience, much patience…don't lose peace in the presence of discord. And know also to present the Christian message in a serene and gradual manner, with the perfume of the Gospel, as the Lord did," the Pope said by video Nov. 16 to those who had come to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
The Roman Pontiff used the video message to express his "desire to be with" the participants who had assembled together for conference and pilgrimage entitled, "Our Lady of Guadalupe, star of the new evangelization on the American continent."
The conference is inspired by John Paul II's 1999 post-synodal apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in America, and will discuss evangelization and the Americas. Among its sponsors are the Knights of Columbus and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
Pope Francis explained, "the goal of all pastoral activity is always oriented to the missionary impulse to reach everyone, without excluding anyone and really taking into consideration each person's circumstances."
"You must reach everyone and share the joy of having met Christ."
He cautioned that "this is not about going as one who imposes a new obligation, as those who merely limit themselves to reproach or complaint before what we consider imperfect or insufficient."
"Know to give preference to, in the first place, that which is essential and most necessary, that is, the beauty of the love of God that speaks to us in Christ's death and resurrection."
"For the other part, you must strive to be creative in your methods, we can't remain closed in the common place of 'it has always been done like this.'"
A Church that remains closed in on itself, with a sense of self-satisfaction, warned the Roman Pontiff, "in a certain way 'has indigestion' and weakens."
Rather, Christians must "have the audacity to reach the existential peripheries that need to feel the closeness of God."
In a particular way, the bishop must "be like the shepherd that knows the names of his sheep, guiding them with closeness, with tenderness, with patience, demonstrating effectively the maternity of the Church and the mercy of God," insisted Pope Francis.
Bishops, he said, should not be overly focused on administrative matters, but rather must "keep vigil" for the people entrusted to them, "knowing to discern, without stopping, the breath of the Holy Spirit that comes where it wills, for the good of the Church and her mission in the world."
The Roman Pontiff then went on to reject the attitude of clericalism "which does so much harm to the Church in Latin America."
It "is an obstacle to the development of maturity and responsibility of much of the Christian laity," because "clericalism implies a self-referential attitude" that "impoverishes the view towards meeting the Lord which makes us disciples, and towards the people that await the announcement" of the Gospel.
In order to help the Church avoid temptation and to grow in her mission, Pope Francis especially asked the prayers of those in consecrated life, who act as "leaven" in the Church.
"I ask the religious to be faithful to the charism they have received, that in their service to the hierarchy of Holy Mother Church, they not permit the disappearance of that grace with the Holy Spirit gave to their founders and that they must hand on in all its integrity."
The Pope then concluded his message by reiterating the importance of each Christian's mission, given in the first sacrament of initiation: "Remember that you have received Baptism, that you have been transformed into disciples of the Lord. But each disciple is, in turn, a missionary."
"This treasure of faith is not given for personal use. It is to give away, to hand on, and in this manner it grows."
"Make known the name of Jesus."
Then, referencing the story of how Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. Juan Diego, making roses bloom in December, Pope Francis added: "if you do this, do not be surprised that the roses of Castile grow in winter. Because you know, both Jesus and we have the same mother!"


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The Government can't create jobs
Recently the Center for American Progress and the Nevada Conservation League partnered to report on the economic impact of federal investments in clean energy in Nevada.
The report claims that 15,000 jobs would be created, or more than four times the number of jobs created in the oil industry with the same size investment. They also claim that in this time of record unemployment Nevada, more than anything, needs an economic stimulus package to get our economy jumpstarted.
For anyone paying attention, the stimulus package back in April 2008 didn't work too well. Look where it got us.
Unfortunately, the idea that government itself can generate growth and create jobs is a myth. The authors of the report have made a very simple economic error by ignoring opportunity costs.
They have assumed:
That the investment options available are clean energy or oil energy, and nothing else.
In reality, taxpayers as individuals could invest their money in the world's largest Tickle-Me-Elmo factory if they thought they could make a profit on it. The sky is the limit on what can be invested, bought, sold or consumed. The vast array of different jobs that could be created are too numerous to imagine.
That the money will be invested in clean energy or simply vanish into thin air.
The only way you can claim that federal investment in clean energy will generate 15,000 jobs in Nevada is to assume that had the money not been invested in clean energy, it would have been burned. In reality, like I said above, the money could have been spent elsewhere. Who knows what jobs would have been created if taxpayers had the power to spend THEIR OWN MONEY as they see fit.
Federal investment in clean energy will create 15,000 jobs related to the clean energy industry at the cost of thousands of untold jobs elsewhere in the economy. CAP and the Nevada Conservation League probably made an honest and easy mistake in their economic analysis. It is easy to see the jobs, roads or buildings that currently exist, but it takes quite a bit of imagination to understand the cost – those jobs, buildings or industries that never came into existence.
The government cannot create jobs. At best, it can only shuffle wealth and jobs around.
The problems with a cap-and-trade permit system to deal with pollution and climate change constitute another beast to slay entirely.


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My day off…
So you have a day off, and what do you do with it?
Are we talking a serious day off? Like no work, no kids, no nothing? In all honesty, I'd probably spend all day sitting on the couch watching re-runs of Judge Judy. In my pajamas. All day. That's what usually happens during my free time.
If I had my IDEAL day off though -
- Go to First Watch for breakfast. I'd order the trifecta, and thoroughly enjoy a fluffy waffle, scrambled eggs and bacon.
- Go to Jo-Ann's and pick out a craft for the morning. It would have to be a craft I could actually get done quickly, so sewing and cross-stitch projects are probably out.
- Go to a matinée of Mockingjay Pt 2. Eat a lot of popcorn while I'm there.
- Go on a fun outing with my family in the early evening. Maybe even like Chuck E Cheese or something. It may sound like a parent's nightmare, but I love watching the kids have fun.
- Spend a good hour or two online shopping.
- Plan and book next year's vacation.
- Watch a few episodes of my current k-drama: Jewel in the Palace
I suppose my life isn't very exciting, but that sounds like one heck of a good day to me!


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You are currently browsing the daily archive for February 24, 2008.
Cape Brasilia, offloading in the Upper Bay the other day, convinced me I'd seen her before, but
I hadn't. Below is her older sister by two years although identical in size, Cape Bruny.
And another shot of Cape Bruny, a UPT vessel launched in 2004.
Mediocre foto below but fantastic link. Check out the Hellespont "life at sea" videos on the left navigation bar. Anyone identify the red-roofed tower on the ridge to the right?
Here's a shot of the entire vessel. Any idea where Hellespont is?
All images by Will Van Dorp.


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Arrests made in Los Angeles store hostage drama
January 14, 2013
Sgt. Dennis Beacham told The Associated Press Sunday night that the arrests have been made. He declined to elaborate, saying an official announcement would be made Monday.
But persons familiar with the investigation told the Los Angeles Times that three people had been arrested, including one on Friday and another on Saturday. The men were not identified and police did not release details.
Investigators had strong evidence linking the men to Thursday's brazen robbery, including physical evidence and security camera video, the Times said. Prosecutors will decide this week whether to file charges.
One employee was stabbed and another was sexually assaulted before the three-hour ordeal ended early Friday at the Nordstrom Rack store at a shopping center near Los Angeles International Airport.
Police officers and SWAT team members swarmed the shopping center that also has restaurants and a movie theater. Officers found most of the hostages locked in a storage room and two others in a bathroom, police said.
The employee who was stabbed was treated and released at the scene, police said.
To help identify the suspects, detectives conducted numerous witness interviews and examined surveillance video from inside and outside Nordstrom Rack as well as from surrounding businesses.


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[THIS SECTION NEEDS WORKING but I'm just putting things where they belong in a very quick pass so that I can get this book ORGANIZED.]
For any given object, the intersection and the union of its identity set with itself is the identity set of the object, and the intersection of the identity groups of two different objects is the empty set. This last line defines, in fact, the very essence of what we mean by ``different'' just as the first two lines encapsulate what we mean by ``the same''.
Let us relate these two statements back to the Laws of Thought. In an existential -set theory, is not a set. Our human minds try to interpret it as ``the set of things that do not exist'' within the existential set Universe in question, but of course no such set exists within that set Universe (including the empty set) - it is a statement even in English. Nevertheless, we recognize the first of these two relations as the Law of Contradiction where as usual, can be any object or the ``empty object'' corresponding to the empty set drawn from within the set Universe. Rendered in English, it says that ``the intersection of any object drawn from our Universal set and not-an-set is not-a-set'' (within the existential Universal set of the theory). Nor can we form the union of any set object to a ``-thing'' that is not, in fact a set.
In this formulation, the two -statements become requirements of consistency of a set theory. Once one defines a set Universe with its implicit existential subsets, then any sort of algebraic operation or set specification that yields a result that isn't one of these subsets must be , an inconsistent result. That isn't a disaster, but it does mean that this and any subsequent operations involving that result are also - meaningless - within the specified theory.


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The National Archives
The National Archives is the UK government's official archive – not to be confused with the National Archives and Records Administration in the USA. In 2003 the UK's Public Record Office merged with the Historic Manuscripts Commission to become The National Archives (known to its friends as TNA), which pointed to a broader, more inclusive remit, but some still hanker for the reassuring days of the PRO. The location has remained the same – an imposing modernist building in Kew, to the west of London, with ponds and swans in its grounds, and hordes of historians and amateur genealogists within. It holds government and public records from the Domesday Book onwards, which are released to the public generally after thirty years have elapsed from their original production.
All of which is preamble to the news that TNA has produced a podcast entitled The National Archives Goes to the Movies, and it's rather good. Written and presented by Joseph Pugh, the podcast is a knowledgeable guide to the history of British cinema through the records of The National Archives. Recorded before an audience, around half of the hour-long talk is about the silent period. Among the subjects he covers are Will Barker's 1911 film of Shakespeare's Henry VIII, all copies of which were burned in a publicity stunt; the efforts of the Colonial Office to ban The Birth of a Nation; concern within the Home Office at how Cecil B. De Mille's The Cheat could offend the Japanese; the production of Maurice Elvey's ill-fated epic The Life Story of David Lloyd George (1918); the British government-sponsored dramas Hearts of the World (1918) and The Invasion of Britain (1918); Home Office efforts to ban Graham Cutts' sensationalist Cocaine (1922); and Marie Stopes' correspondence with the Home Office over her birth control film Married Love (aka Maisie's Marriage) (1923).
The point of the talk is not only to entertain but to encourage research. Consequently most of the films that Pugh refers to are also listed on Your Archives, TNA's wiki where researchers can post information on files that they have found. I'm not sure how much the wiki gets used, because researchers tend to be a little wary of giving away all their sources, but the principle is noble.
A trade paper advertisement for Cocaine and a poster for Maisie's Marriage, taken from The National Archives' Flickr site, original file references HO 45/11599 and HO 45/11382
The sort of records one find in The National Archives are those which document the day-to-day processes of government departments. There are memos, memos responding to memos, and memos responding to memos responding to memos. There are letters, minutes, briefing papers, personal papers, official papers, diaries, reports, lists, registers, passenger lists, medal rolls, photographs, maps and posters. The contents are generally arranged chronologically, identified by government department and then gathered together by theme into individual numbered folders.
The National Archives can be a daunting place for any newbie researcher. There is no single index, and although they produce an amazing rich online catalogue (helpfully named the Catalogue) they also have to produce a multitude of specialist guides that explain how to pursue particular topics. One of these research guides covers The Arts, Broadcasting and Film, and it's a very good starting point. As said, The National Archives arranges its records by department, so it is important to know that responsibility for film was held by the Board of Trade's Industries and Manufactures Department (formed 1918), but information on film is spread widely across particularly all departments. To produce a complete guide to TNA records to silent film would require a blog (or a wiki) all of its own, but here's an outline guide to some of the key departments to explore. Please note that catalogue references will simply take you to the barest of descriptions online, and to view the documents themselves you will have to visit Kew.
- AIR (Air Ministry, Royal Air Force etc)
Records of aerial photography and cinematography during World War One are held in AIR 2 (search under 'cinematography').
- BT (Board of Trade)
Records of registered companies (since dissolved), including hundreds of film businesses (producers, distributors, cinemas etc), with information on capital and shareholders, are in BT 31; records of liquidated companies 1890-1932 are in BT 34; trade marks (BT 42-53) includes film company trademarks, though there is no overall index so you need to search on-site by date (see the TNA guide on registered designs and trade marks); BT 226 has bankruptcy records for companies and individuals. BT 26 and BT 27 contains lists of ship passengers who arrived in (1878-1960) or left (1890-1960) the UK. The incoming lists themselves can be viewed online (payment required) at Ancestry, and the outgoing list (again payment required) at Ancestors on Board.
- CAB (Cabinet)
Papers from the very heart of government. Nicholas Reeves' Official British Film Propaganda During the First World War has a handy guide to PRO/TNA papers relating to official film, including Cabinet papers in CAB 21, 23-25, 27, 37 and 41.
- CO (Colonial Office etc)
Many records relating to the production, distribution and exhibition of films in British colonies and countries of the empire, including records of the Empire Marketing Board (for which John Grierson worked) in CO 758 (correspondence), CO 759 (index cards), CO 760 (minutes, papers) and CO 956 (posters).
- COPY (Copyright Office, Stationers' Company)
Before the 1911 Copyright Act if a UK film producer wanted to copyright a film (usually they did so only if there had been a case of their work being copied) then they had to do so as it if was a photograph; consequently there are numerous records of films 1897-1912 registered under COPY 1. The registration forms were accompanied by single frames, bromide prints, or in a few cases a few frames of film (the originals are now held by the BFI). For a guide to this collection, which comprises a few hundred titles among the many thousands of photographs, see Richard Brown's essay in Simon Popple and Colin Harding's In the Kingdom of Shadows. There are also registers and indexes under COPY 3. Some film posters and other promotional material can also be found in the COPY records.
- ED (Department of Education and Science)
Disparate documents on film and education, a theme of growing interest throughout the 1920s, including assorted commissions of enquiry.
- FO (Foreign Office)
The Foreign Office was concerned with promoting British foreign policy. There are extensive records relating to British propaganda films being shown overseas during World War One, in particular FO 115 on propaganda in the USA and Canada, FO 371 covering general correspondence, and FO 395 which covers war films and American propaganda 1916-17. There is a card index to the FO papers in TNA's search rooms, making this a particularly fruitful area to explore.
- HO (Home Office)
The Home Office oversaw domestic policy. There are extensive records on actual legislation (starting with the 1909 Cinematograph Act) and proposed regulation affecting the British film business, including such issues as censorship, local authority control, unlicensed film exhibitions and the filming of contentious events (political marches etc) are in HO 45. See also HO 158 for relevant general papers and correspondence.
- INF (Ministry of Information etc)
A particularly valuable source, with records of the War Propaganda Bureau, the War Office Cinematograph Committee, the Department of Information and the Ministry of Information, all of which were concerned with film production during the First World War (further official papers on war film production are held by the Imperial War Museum). The main section to follow is INF 4. Of particular interest is one chapter from the unpublished memoir by J. Brooke Wilkinson, leading film industry representative and first head of the British Board of Film Censors, at INF 4/2
- J (Supreme Court of Judicature)
Covers records of court cases (Chancery), often a rich source of information on how a film company operated. See in particular the winding up orders under J 13.
- LAB (departments responsible for labour and employment matters and related bodies)
Includes documents on film industry employees and industrial relations (though relatively little here for the silent era).
- MEPO (Metropolitan Police)
The Metropolitan Police conducted surveys of early London cinemas around 1908-09 after they were causing some social concern. The result is a rich record of the early cinema business and audiences, to be found in MEPO 2. They are described in detail in Jon Burrows' two essays 'Penny Pleasures: Film exhibition in London during the Nickelodeon era, 1906-1914,' Film History vol. 16 no. 1 (2004) and 'Penny Pleasures II: Indecency, anarchy and junk film in London's "Nickelodeons", 1906-1914,' Film History vol. 16 no. 2 (2004), while the London Project database lists the venues covered by files MEPO 2/9172 file 590446/7 and MEPO 2/9172, file 590446 (see also HO 45/10376/16142). There are later surveys of cinemas and screenings of indecent films in the 1920s.
- RG (General Register Office)
Has census returns from 1861 onwards (1841-1851 are under HO 107). These can all be found online through various commercial services (see details here), but all are available for free at Kew – see the helpful TNA guide to researching census records.
- WO (War Office)
There is relatively little that specifically relates to film here, as most papers relating to the War Office Cinematographic Committee will be found at the Imperial War Museum and the House of Lords Record Office (Beaverbrook Papers). But surviving records of film personnel who served during the War (including Official cameramen) can be found at WO 338 (officers' service records), WO 363 (service records), WO 364 (pension records) and WO 372 (medal cards). Digitised copies of the actual documents in all four categories can be found online through TNA's Documents Online or Ancestry (in both cases payment is required for downloads).
- Other records where information on silent era films can be found include ADM (Admiralty), CUST (Customs and Excise), IR (Inland Revenue), and T (Treasury).
This is a very simplistic overview, and it must be stressed that information on films will be found all over the place. For example, type in the term 'cinematograph' in the catalogue and you will get 1,108 records from forty-four separate departments (448 records from twenty-five departments if you narrow the date search to 1896-1930). It is a good idea to look at the bibliographies of books and the end notes of journal articles which have benefited from research at TNA (or PRO before it) to pick up specific references and useful indications of where it would be profitable to search.
The National Archives has produced some substantial publications which explore a subject in depth with copious file references. However, there is no such guide for film (one has been talked about for years but has never been forthcoming). However, there is a classic article by Nicholas Pronay, 'The "Moving Picture" and Historical Research', Journal of Contemporary History vol. 18 (1983) (available to higher education users on JSTOR) which describes in details the several kinds of government records which can be used for the study of film, describing why they were created, and giving specific file names. Note also that the above file information relates only to silent films – there is a huge amount of information at The National Archives relating to film (and television) from later periods, particularly govering the GPO Film Unit, film during World War II, the COI Film Unit, the Colonial Film Unit, broadcasting policy, British Council records, and much more besides.
The National Archives is still an underused resource for film history, though we have got beyond the days when Rachael Low could write a multi-volume history of British film apparently without any reference to the Public Record Office. If you've not been, and you can get there, then you really should – it's the most engrossing and rewarding research experience imaginable. Go explore.
By the way, films can be public records too, but the productions of the Ministry of Information, the COI Film Unit and others are preserved on TNA's behalf by the BFI National Archive and the Imperial War Museum.
My thanks to Brad Scott for alerting me to the podcast.


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Feuerbach, Anselm von
Feuerbach, Anselm von än´zĕlm fən foi´ərbäkh [key], 1829–80, German painter. He studied in Germany, Paris, and Rome, spending much of his life in Italy. He sought to produce works of pure classicism that were both didactic and idealistic. Most of his famous works belong to his Roman period (1856–73), including Battle of the Amazons (Nuremberg), Iphigenia (Stuttgart), and Medea (Munich). His portraits have withstood critical opinion better than his history paintings. His autobiography (1882) emphasizes his misunderstood genius.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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