Monday, February 28, 2011
Adding....
... That if you do want to donate to Planned Parenthood, which you should, you can always go here.
I Can't Believe I Still Have To Raise Money For This Shit
That was a line, roughly, from Lewis Black at a Planned Parenthood fundraiser years back. It does seem like Groundhog Day for so many issues. I know that some issues will endlessly be contentious because, you know, people disagree about stuff, but it's the endless battles on issues which aren't really up for debate, except in the sense that facts are pitted against fiction, which drive me crazy.
Hack Gap
Heard a few minutes of an NPR discussion program this morning, the introduction to their segment on the protests in Wisconsin. It's good that they are covering it at all, but while I didn't listen to it, the announced guest list was fairly typical of these things. The first was a historian of social movements. The second was some hack from Cato. This is fairly typical, with the liberalish side of things* being presented by someone non-political, who is then "balanced" by a movement conservative.
*Not having listened it may not have been liberalish at all, but obviously person A needed to be balanced by the right wing hack, according to the powers that be.
*Not having listened it may not have been liberalish at all, but obviously person A needed to be balanced by the right wing hack, according to the powers that be.
The Republic Will Survive $200/Barrel Oil
I'm someone who is more sanguine than most that high oil prices won't be economic Armageddon. Obviously now would be a particular bad time for oil prices to shoot up, as the economy already sucks, but longer run I don't see it as an economy killer. It will be a negative hit, and production and transportation patterns would change, but I don't think it will fundamentally alter existence.
The Internet Is This Fascinating New Thing Young People Use
I continue to be amazed that even now The Internets are written about as some sort of symbol of contemporary younger people. The internet is basically just a normal part of life now, not some fresh new hip thing the kids are getting into.
Sadists
Above all, the GOP Daddies and the Very Serious People know that Other People must suffer. Why? ARGLEBARGLE.
At Least Their Intellectuals Are Actually Intellectuals
While our "intellectuals" are mostly hack political pundits who don't know anything about anything and never really did. Still, yes, more expertise and less wanking is needed.
Faith Based Economics
It doesn't matter how many "reports" from "economists" get released making the obvious point that cutting spending=cutting jobs, the Real Americans in the Tea Party and those who understand them and speak for them, the Villagers, know that cutting spending is the right thing to do. Because arglebargle!
Also, Zombie Unicorns
As Matt says, the Very Serious People will use any excuse to tighten monetary policy. Being wrong about everything and having your disastrous policies lead to 9%+ unemployment never hurts your reputation.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Plain and Simple Light: Athar
Athar Khan is sort of a local legend in Howard County, MD. Many people know him as "the Columbia Bike Guy." He is always out on the roads, biking. He sometimes wears wild hats, or dresses unusually, etc. Lots of people honk and wave, but few people really take the chance to learn very much about him.
I photographed him for HoCo360 last week, and the post is making the rounds locally these days. And it is a good reminder that even though Strobist tends to center around lighting, what is far more important is what you are actually seeking to accomplish with your photos. Read more »
Oscars
I'm only 1/10 on seeing this year's best picture nominees, so it's all meaningless to me. I'll watch, anyway, as it's one of those shared cultural experiences which help keep us together just a little bit. Hopefully the one movie I did see does not win, as that would reflect rather poorly on the other 9.
Let's Make The Whole Place Uninhabitable
I knew the major natural gas find in Pennsylvania would lead to destruction and misery. I know people are in it for the money, but I'm also convinced some people just like to trash the place.
Afternoon Thread
It's going to be interesting to see what happens in Madison, WI this afternoon. 100,000 people showed up yesterday, 30,000 more than last week. This doesn't look like it is going away.
Switching Bastards
It'd be one thing if Lieberman and McCain had been on the teevee a couple of months ago denouncing Gaddafi, and a couple of years ago denouncing Bush's normalization of relations with him, but any excuse for a war I guess.
Sunday Bobbleheads
This Week has Governors Brewer, Patrick, Hickenlooper, and Haley.
Face the Nation has Chris Christie, the greatest man ever born.
Meet the Press has Scott Walker, Haley Barbour, John McCain, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, and Richard Trumka
Document the atrocities!
Face the Nation has Chris Christie, the greatest man ever born.
Meet the Press has Scott Walker, Haley Barbour, John McCain, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, and Richard Trumka
Document the atrocities!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
And Not Just Baseball
Pierce:
And it is further evidence that, for all the huffing and blowing about large-and-small-market teams, and about "competitive imbalance" and all that rot, the primary reason that a franchise in a self-regulating, government-sanctioned monopoly gets in financial trouble is because its owners are either a) cheap, b) greedy, or c) dumb as a freaking socket wrench.
Maybe Somebody Should Connect The Dots
So the Irish government bailed out the banksters, cut public spending, and their economy is in the shit.
Unemployment is up to 13.8 percent (it was as low as 4.2 percent as recently as 2005); public spending has been savagely and repeatedly cut since 2008; the deficit has risen to 14.3 percent; and current predictions suggest that 100,000 people will emigrate in the next several years, from a population of 4.3 million. The bill from the struggling banks may, in the end, total upward of $135 billion 100 billion euros, in an economy with a G.D.P. of $220 billion 160 billion euros.
Reminder
If my twitter stream is any evidence, I think some people need to be reminded that many tactics in support of the public workers unions in Wisconsin are illegal under the Taft-Hartley Act:
Myself included. I had either forgotten, or have always been unaware, how strictly the US regulates "union" activity, until I was reminded by a friend yesterday.
The Taft–Hartley Act prohibited jurisdictional strikes, wildcat strikes, solidarity or political strikes, secondary boycotts, secondary or "common situs" picketing, closed shops, and monetary donations by unions to federal political campaigns.
Myself included. I had either forgotten, or have always been unaware, how strictly the US regulates "union" activity, until I was reminded by a friend yesterday.
Friday, February 25, 2011
U.K. P.M. David Cameron answers your questions on Libya, budget cuts and more, in YouTube interview
Last week we asked you to submit your questions for U.K. Prime Minister, David Cameron, and you responded with 10,000 questions across topics like the violence in the Middle East, global arms trade, and tuition fees for U.K. students.
Today, in a special interview produced by YouTube World View and Al Jazeera English, you can get to see how the Prime Minister tackles a selection of the questions you voted to the top - including his thoughts on what should be done in Libya, whether banks in the U.K. should pay increased taxes, and what Britain’s role is in Afghanistan. Watch the full interview here:
You can also see how Cameron and a host of other leaders across various disciplines answered the same “Big Three” questions -- questions like “what is the biggest problem facing the next generation and what can we do to solve it?” and “if you could ask any other leader a questions, what would it be and who would you ask it to?” -- by going to www.youtube.com/worldview and clicking on the “Big Three Questions” tab.
We’ll announce our next YouTube World View interview in the coming weeks, so check back here for more details soon.
Today, in a special interview produced by YouTube World View and Al Jazeera English, you can get to see how the Prime Minister tackles a selection of the questions you voted to the top - including his thoughts on what should be done in Libya, whether banks in the U.K. should pay increased taxes, and what Britain’s role is in Afghanistan. Watch the full interview here:
You can also see how Cameron and a host of other leaders across various disciplines answered the same “Big Three” questions -- questions like “what is the biggest problem facing the next generation and what can we do to solve it?” and “if you could ask any other leader a questions, what would it be and who would you ask it to?” -- by going to www.youtube.com/worldview and clicking on the “Big Three Questions” tab.
We’ll announce our next YouTube World View interview in the coming weeks, so check back here for more details soon.
Ramya Raghavan, News and Politics Manager, and Jayme Goldstein, U.K. Product Marketing Manager, recently watched “A Girl Like Me”
Vanquishing a Food Desert
Nice story of neighborhood activists beating back The Donald to get a much-needed supermarket.
For long-time Germantown resident and Northwest activist Irv Ackelsberg, the Brown's ShopRite will serve as a reminder of the neighborhood's triumph over Donald Trump.
Several years ago, the famed business mogul had his sights set on part of the Tastykake site for a $300 million-plus casino. But residents from Nicetown-Tioga, Allegheny West, East Falls and Germantown banded together under the banner of the Multi-Community Alliance to make sure that project never got off the ground.
"About six years ago, people from the surrounding communities joined together to say 'we don't want no casino we want a supermarket'," said Ackelsberg. "So we owe a lot of appreciation to Brown Shop-Rite, but we also owe a little appreciation to ourselves for having hung in there and done the right thing."
Another Week For Lex Luthor
LaHood gives him another week to play Hamlet over the Florida SUPERTRAIN.
Insanity
It's as if they think that when there are problems that the government can attempt to devise solutions.
MADRID — Spain announced Friday a series of energy saving measures, including a lower speed limit and cuts to train ticket prices, in response to the rise in world oil prices due to unrest in the Middle East.
And George Soros Probably Sponsored His Career
Fresh off telling us which Jews were naughty and which Jews were nice, Beck has now decided that Charlie Sheen's expression of anti-Semitic remarks probably means he's part of the progressive movement.
Still waiting for my invitation to a Vegas hookers and blow party with Charlie.
Still waiting for my invitation to a Vegas hookers and blow party with Charlie.
Parks
I don't really have a good sense of Rock Creek Park, but it's an opportunity to explain my mild anti-urban park bias which I've expressed before. Urban parks should accommodate people. They shouldn't simply be a random chunk of inaccessible wilderness plunked into urban landscape. They shouldn't simply be vacant lots, placeholders to stop or stall development. They should be easily accessible. Larger parks should have services that people require, including commercial establishments. People need bathrooms. They need food and water. I'm not saying you stick a strip mall in the middle of them, just that there should be a recognition that people and families actually need stuff, and that stuff should be close by. If there's enough space and the terrain is appropriate, there should be recreational sports fields. The point is that the parks should be about human activity, and not simply be nature portraits.
50 Little Hoovers
It's only going to get worse.
Deeper spending cuts by state and local governments slowed U.S. economic growth in the final three months of last year. The government's revised estimate for the October-December quarter illustrates how growing state budget crises could hold back the economic recovery.
The Commerce Department reported Friday that economic growth increased at an annual rate of 2.8 percent in the final quarter of last year. That was down from the initial estimate of 3.2 percent.
Morning
First Draft has a video of the over 10,000 messages taped to the walls outside Governor Walker's office. I guess they don't count cause they're from Democrats, or outside agitators, or something. Kind of sad.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Compared to These, Rosco Gels Taste Like Crap
Outdoor photographer John B. Crane was hiking in the Colorado back country when he found himself in need of a green gel for funky-lit shot of an ice cave.None of the official variety was on hand. But they were not short on imagination -- or tasty snacks:
Fruit Roll-Ups and Nikon CLS
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They Come Home
I certainly think there's a place for the "serious Republican" in the Republican primary field. Republican primary voters seem to flirt with the crazy and then come back to the favored choice of the Powers That Be. I mean, obviously McCain is kinda crazy, but he did play the role of the serious candidate, and somehow he managed to come from basically last place to win. And then Sarah.
The Fucking Mayor
Not the most important thing in the world, but I for one am hoping that Rahm Emanuel, as mayor, no longer shields the public from his supposed potty mouth. Let Rahm be Rahm.
Jobs
The Villagers have moved on, of course, but we still have a wee unemployment problem in this country.
I guess I could write this post every day.
I guess I could write this post every day.
Lessons
Someone with a tiny scrap of empathy, who avoided having his life destroyed by a college drug bust, would learn the lesson that...maybe people shouldn't have their lives destroyed by college drug busts. But, no, not Republicans.
The American Riot
I understand it a bit, but I'm still quite fascinated with the unique role the price of gas has in our country. Within some range, people don't seem to notice the price bounce around all that much, but once it creeps up a bit more you get the sense that the riot is just around the corner.
Sick Day
Having neck issues which aren't exactly compatible with being hunched over computer all day, so...light posting today.
Plutocracy
Kevin Drum covers a lot of ground, very lucidly in this Mother Jones article.
There are also some really good charts.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Kick Their Ass And Take Their Gas
With oil prices up again we can ponder the impact of what, say, $7/gallon gas would have on this country economically, politically, and otherwise.
Just Saying Out Loud What They All Think
It isn't exactly a huge secret that conservatives want to completely destroy public education in this country. But generally the polite fiction that this isn't true is maintained.
I Do Not Think That Word Means What You Think It Means
Clinton statement on passage of DOMA:
Throughout my life I have strenuously opposed discrimination of any kind, including discrimination against gay and lesbian Americans. I am signing into law H.R. 3396, a bill relating to same-gender marriage, but it is important to note what this legislation does and does not do.
I have long opposed governmental recognition of same-gender marriages and this legislation is consistent with that position. The Act confirms the right of each state to determine its own policy with respect to same gender marriage and clarifies for purposes of federal law the operative meaning of the terms "marriage" and "spouse".
This legislation does not reach beyond those two provisions. It has no effect on any current federal, state or local anti-discrimination law and does not constrain the right of Congress or any state or locality to enact anti-discrimination laws. I therefore would take this opportunity to urge Congress to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, an act which would extend employment discrimination protections to gays and lesbians in the workplace. This year the Senate considered this legislation contemporaneously with the Act I sign today and failed to pass it by a single vote. I hope that in its next Session Congress will pass it expeditiously.
I also want to make clear to all that the enactment of this legislation should not, despite the fierce and at times divisive rhetoric surrounding it, be understood to provide an excuse for discrimination, violence or intimidation against any person on the basis of sexual orientation. Discrimination, violence and intimidation for that reason, as well as others, violate the principle of equal protection under the law and have no place in American society.
Change
I get that after a relatively long period of populations declines, cities started to really focus on how to entice suburbanites into visiting/working in the city, but in cities, like DC, that have been rebounding it's really time to stop focusing on speeding people in and out of the city as fast as possible.
The Good News
National Journal informs me on the twitter machine that the Obama administration is going to stop defending the constitutionality of DOMA.
The Period Police
None of these people actually gives a shit about real live babies, it's all just about control. They don't believe women should have autonomy, and they'll do anything they can to limit it.
These Are Not Good People
So Walker was scheming to trick Dems into returning. Since he's a GOP Daddy this will be praised as 'bold.'
Speaker Boehner takes your questions on YouTube as U.S. budget stand-off continues
With many U.S. states facing budget crises, and the President’s recent budget proposal being met with skepticism by Republicans, the financial health of the U.S. is capturing interest around the world.
As the budget debate heats up on Capitol Hill, we invite you to submit your questions for one of the most vocal opponents to President Obama’s proposed budget plan - Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH).
Speaker Boehner will sit down for a special YouTube interview next week, in which he’ll answer your top-voted text and video questions about the budget and spending, as well as other hot topics like the economy, jobs, health care and foreign policy.
Visit www.youtube.com/speakerboehner and use the Google Moderator gadget to submit your question and vote on others. Or you can tweet in your question using the hashtag #askthespeaker and it will automatically be eligible for voting in the queue.
A few things to note when asking your question:
We’ll post the final interview next Friday so stay tuned to see if the Speaker answers your question.
Ramya Raghavan, YouTube News and Politics Manager, recently watched “Movements.org”
As the budget debate heats up on Capitol Hill, we invite you to submit your questions for one of the most vocal opponents to President Obama’s proposed budget plan - Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH).
Speaker Boehner will sit down for a special YouTube interview next week, in which he’ll answer your top-voted text and video questions about the budget and spending, as well as other hot topics like the economy, jobs, health care and foreign policy.
Visit www.youtube.com/speakerboehner and use the Google Moderator gadget to submit your question and vote on others. Or you can tweet in your question using the hashtag #askthespeaker and it will automatically be eligible for voting in the queue.
A few things to note when asking your question:
- Video questions are highly preferred (though we also accept text). Videos should be about 20 seconds long and be sure to ask the question directly.
- Speak clearly and try to film in a place with minimal background noise. Keep the camera as still as possible.
- Feel free to be creative (use props, charts, etc.) to help your question stand out. If you have time, find an interesting backdrop that may help reinforce your message.
- Submit your question early. The final deadline to submit is Sunday, February 27 at midnight ET.
We’ll post the final interview next Friday so stay tuned to see if the Speaker answers your question.
Ramya Raghavan, YouTube News and Politics Manager, recently watched “Movements.org”
The US Is Not Manhattan But Manhattan Exists
Yes it's true that wiring up rural America for quality broadband is expensive, and this can explain some of the difference between internet infrastructure quality between places like the US and South Korea, but it's also the case that there are plenty of parts of the country which are quite dense...and we still have shitty broadband in those places.
I Get Emails
I get PR emails from ABC about daily, usually about some guest on Good Morning America, though occasionally just links to Steph's blog or similar. I'm just going to pluck the names of US political figures that appear in the subject line, in reverse chronological order.
Rand Paul (R)
David Wu (D)
Scott Walker (R)
WI State Senator Miller (D)
Michele Bachman (R)
Clinton (D)
Bloomberg (Can't Remember)
Rumsfeld
McCain (R)
Romney (R)
Michelle Obama
John McCain (R)
Obama (D)
Michelle Obama (D)
GOP War Horses (R)
Clinton (D)
Christie (R)
Pawlenty (R)
Rand Paul (R)
Biden (D)
Attorney General (D)
Schumer (D)
Palin (R)
Palin (R)
Palin (R)
Palin (R)
Weiner (D)
Petraeus (?)
Petraeus (?)
...adding, I don't have major point here, just paints an interesting picture.
Rand Paul (R)
David Wu (D)
Scott Walker (R)
WI State Senator Miller (D)
Michele Bachman (R)
Clinton (D)
Bloomberg (Can't Remember)
Rumsfeld
McCain (R)
Romney (R)
Michelle Obama
John McCain (R)
Obama (D)
Michelle Obama (D)
GOP War Horses (R)
Clinton (D)
Christie (R)
Pawlenty (R)
Rand Paul (R)
Biden (D)
Attorney General (D)
Schumer (D)
Palin (R)
Palin (R)
Palin (R)
Palin (R)
Weiner (D)
Petraeus (?)
Petraeus (?)
...adding, I don't have major point here, just paints an interesting picture.
Perfect Storm
I've written before that the phenomenon of people desperately wanting tremendous catastrophe to happen is quite interesting and isn't limited to people on the right. Basically I think they want the ultimate proof that they were fucking right, about whatever it is they think they're right about.
Modern Driving
So awesome.
Bridges says she has spoken with a number of drivers who have survived run-ins with trains in other parts of the state and most say they were distracted by things like cell phones and even texting while driving.
"We had one man say, 'I saw the train but my GPS said turn left now and I turned into the train,'" she said.
Good Morning
Great video, shot by Scout, of the happenings in Madison, WI. For all your WI news, First Draft rawks.
And February’s “On The Rise” winner is...theDOMINICshow
The people have spoken, and the people love Dominic! That’s right, D-trix from theDOMINICshow won this month’s “On The Rise” contest, the program that lets you decide which up-and-coming YouTube user gets a spot on the homepage. Thanks to your support (and votes!), D-trix is featured today.
D-trix is a talented dancer with a big love for comedy. When he’s not spoofing Justin Bieber or teaching us how to rap, he’s dancing out a surprisingly romantic Valentine’s message.
And, now, a few more words from the man himself:
“Hey, everyone! First off I would just like to say ‘Thank You’ for all the support and for getting me here today. This experience thus far has been a blast and I extremely honored to be a part of the poll. How it all began was I was on reality television (So You Think You Can Dance and America's Best Dance Crew) and from there I wanted to stay in the eye so I thought YOUTUBE was the best route for me. But, all in all, I totally wouldn't be here if it weren't for my great friend Ryan Higa, who pretty much introduced me to this whole YouTube experience. So to all my supporters old and new I just want to say THANK YOU times a thousand and stay tuned for more! Much love!”
If you want to learn more about this program, head over to our “On The Rise” channel, where you can watch trending partners as well as “On The Rise” winners and nominees. And be sure to check out our browse page to see other budding YouTube stars.
Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched “Tommy Guerrero - Nomadic State.”
And, now, a few more words from the man himself:
“Hey, everyone! First off I would just like to say ‘Thank You’ for all the support and for getting me here today. This experience thus far has been a blast and I extremely honored to be a part of the poll. How it all began was I was on reality television (So You Think You Can Dance and America's Best Dance Crew) and from there I wanted to stay in the eye so I thought YOUTUBE was the best route for me. But, all in all, I totally wouldn't be here if it weren't for my great friend Ryan Higa, who pretty much introduced me to this whole YouTube experience. So to all my supporters old and new I just want to say THANK YOU times a thousand and stay tuned for more! Much love!”
If you want to learn more about this program, head over to our “On The Rise” channel, where you can watch trending partners as well as “On The Rise” winners and nominees. And be sure to check out our browse page to see other budding YouTube stars.
Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched “Tommy Guerrero - Nomadic State.”
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Oh Look. Yuri is Doing a Studio Conversion, Too
Wow!
I'm building a studio, King of Microstock Yuri Arcurs is building a studio -- it's like we have this parallel mind thing going on. It's like we are doing the exact same thing at the exact same time.
But just between you and me, I think my $130 propane heater really pushes my studio over the top, compared to his new studio. Dontcha think? I mean, I wouldn't wanna say anything to him and all. But is it me or does his studio just look too, you know, chilly?
Don't you get cold just looking at it? I sure do.
The space is okay I guess. If you like that kind of thing. But I really like my compact heater. Plus, my windows have that black plastic light proofing. It is like, totally opaque.
Don't get me wrong. I am happy for him and everything. And I am sure he likes his new space, too. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
(Thanks for the tip, Debbi. Thanks a lot...)
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Shift
I'm sure scholars will have a more complete and more nuanced view, but I think the fact that the extremely liberal Hollywood finally put a couple of gay characters on the teevee (and actual gay Reality Show people) probably helped quite a bit. Might be forgetting something, but think it was a long time between Billy Crystal on Soap and it being a sort of regular, if still not exactly widespread, thing.
I Was So Much Older Then
I think it really started to change fast right about the time I left college, but definitely at that time the cultural norm was that the fun ends after college*, that it was time to get serious, settle down, get married, start cranking out the kids, etc. I don't think this was a good or bad state of affairs - though I think the cultural and peer pressure about it was bad - but nor do I think having a bit of time to bumble through your twenties is a bad state of affairs.
*Yes I know not everyone goes to college, was talking about the view from a certain socioeconomic perspective.
*Yes I know not everyone goes to college, was talking about the view from a certain socioeconomic perspective.
Gas Prices
On the other hand, significant increases in the price due to rising oil prices, unlike tiny increases in the gas tax, will be painful for people. Using my 500 gallon/yr example below, an increase of $1 is $500/yr. Doing the very complicated math, that means a $2 increase would be $1000/yr. The rest I leave to you as an exercise.
It's Different This Time
Yes we're used to Republicans advocating for policies which hurt the most vulnerable, but their active attempts to completely destroy their state economies are something new.
THREE CENTS
Contrary to popular myth, roads in this country don't come anywhere near "paying for themselves" in the sense that they're financed by various user fees. I don't have a problem with that as there's no particular reason certain publicly provided goods should be paid for only by those who use them and others shouldn't (there are arguments to be made of course, but I'll leave that for the margin of this blog post), but I do have a problem with the myth as people think roads are somehow "free" while mass transit systems are draining the public coffers. And it also makes for an electorate which tends to freak out when someone suggests raising the gas tax, even though gas tax increase proposals are generally so small that they're dwarfed by weekly volatility of retail gas prices.
3 cent increase in the gas tax, at 10,000 miles driven annually in 20MPG car = $15/year.
3 cent increase in the gas tax, at 10,000 miles driven annually in 20MPG car = $15/year.
Our Sociopathic Overlords
For decades I've been reading that the biggest problem facing the greatest nation in the world is that the poor and middle class just have it too damn good. I can only conclude that our fake meritocracy has elevated people to positions of power and influence whose source of pleasure comes entirely from their perceived misery of others. This is a problem.
A Nation Of Middlemen
I actually don't know what (or if) the US should be doing to boost manufacturing in this country, but I do know that the dream that we'd all work in Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate and this would put us on the path to riches was a wee bit flawed.
Monday, February 21, 2011
I Want to Love You Madly
Okay, so photographer Nick Fancher might be onto something here with this "Mad Men" themed engagement shoot. I can totally see this kind of thing making the rounds.
And besides, it's only the engagement photo. Even if Mad Men jumps the shark (if it hasn't already, with Don's surprise proposal) it's not like it's your actual wedding photos or anything.
Lighting Geekery: Note the very low flash levels (1/64th; 1/128th) being used. This brings the aperture down to where you can incorporate the ambient light mix -- very important -- into your photo without getting into crazy slow shutter speeds.
But back to the theme choice. What if Mad Men has jumped the shark? What is the forward-thinking coach potato engagement photographer looking to do as a follow-up?
I know... a Walking Dead engagement photo session.
Better yet: Spartacus. Hell, yeah.
Bonus Link
To ogle some of the lighting behind a real Mad Men still photo (no offense, Nick) check out this BTS video of Frank Ockenfels' shoot of Don Draper from last season.
(Thanks for the heads-up, Nick)
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Childlike Silliness
A wingnut presents this as an argument against Canadian-style health care.
Yet how beautiful it is that in Canada, “the Doctor” just provides services, the patient just receives those services – as much as he or she needs – and the Doctor apparently doesn’t need to be paid. Or at least the patient doesn’t have to worry about it, right? Isn’t that the way it goes in Canada? Somehow, because of the magic of government, Doctors and nurses and everyone “at the hospital” in Canada just simply perform their jobs, patients just simply “get” what they need, and everybody’s happy. And Canadians don’t have to face that devastating threat of long-term medical bills.
They're Just Bad People
I think people too much assign financial motivations to the bad things that right wingers do. Pete Peterson has spent a lot of money trying to make sure granny's in the poor house, and I highly doubt he's ever going to profit off of this venture. I'm sure the Koch brothers might make a buck here and there, but mostly they're just pursuing their agenda because they think it's right that working people know their proper place. It's conservative "philanthropy."
Our Dumb Discourse
NYT:
Not sure how many BILLIONS we're talking about, but, you know, that's a couple Months In Afghanistan. More than that, in a "recessionary era," the Feds should be pending BILLIONS on useful public works projects like, you know, ones which prevent catastrophic loss of life and infrastructure.
Lake Isabella Dam is just one acute example of a widespread problem: Of the nation’s 85,000 dams, more than 4,400 are considered susceptible to failure, according to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials. But repairing all those dams would cost billions of dollars, and it is far from clear who would provide all the money in a recessionary era.
Not sure how many BILLIONS we're talking about, but, you know, that's a couple Months In Afghanistan. More than that, in a "recessionary era," the Feds should be pending BILLIONS on useful public works projects like, you know, ones which prevent catastrophic loss of life and infrastructure.
15-Year-Old Gamers In Their Pajamas
I'm sure the emphasis of the internet will keep evolving, but what apparently won't evolve is the mainstream press's view of "the internet" as somehow being about young people. For years and years after the rise of political blogging, the press kept writing about it as if it was something that young people were into. As I wrote many times, I certainly wished I could take credit for getting a bunch of college kids interested in politics, but the fact is that people who read this site have always been pretty old. Basically the mainstream media types just wanted to infantalize bloggers as part of their mission of painting us as Very Unserious People.
System Fail
I'm getting grumpier and grumpier these days, as I ponder how it is that sociopaths rule the country.
St. Fetus
Years ago Eric Alterman, I think, had a good line, something like "I don't know why they want poor women to work more and rich women to work less." The basic point is that conservatives think it's really important that poor single mothers work - unclear how their precious children are taken care of - and that rich married women stay at home. More generally, I just don't know how conservatives expect children to be raised well in homes experiencing severe poverty, no matter how well-intentioned the parent(s) is/are. It's almost as if they don't care...
And, yes, this point has been made 12 billion times before.
And, yes, this point has been made 12 billion times before.
Most Of Us Need No Reminders
But there are plenty of people who don't quite understand that anti-choice leaders - though not all self-described anti-choice individuals - are driven by a deep and profound hatred of women.
It's All In The Public Interest
So it isn't just about union busting, it's also about giving away the power plants to your rich friends.
Rave Reviews
I'm never quite sure if Villagers are just unable to distinguish "the GOP operatives and other Villagers we talk to" from "the people" or if they truly believe (perhaps correctly) that they are just the only people who matter.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Light Remodeling, Pt. 2
NOTE: This is the second post in what will now probably be an ongoing series on making my garage useable as a studio.
Here is the first lesson I have learned: $200 will not get you very far when prepping a garage to be a convertible studio. But it's possible, in a very no-frills way… Read more »
Here is the first lesson I have learned: $200 will not get you very far when prepping a garage to be a convertible studio. But it's possible, in a very no-frills way… Read more »
Banskter Madness
The moment it became in the servicer's interest to foreclose whenever possible - legally or not - the system was fucked.
Sunday Bobbleheads
Face the Nation has Chris Van Hollen and Paul Ryan.
This Week has Hillary Clinton.
Meet the Press has Susan Rice, Dick Durbin, and Lindsey Graham.
Document the atrocities!
This Week has Hillary Clinton.
Meet the Press has Susan Rice, Dick Durbin, and Lindsey Graham.
Document the atrocities!
Morning Thread
by Molly Ivors
First Draft is doing a kickass job in Wisconsin.
Watch Athenae eviscerate Joke Line! Who once knew this janitor that he totally swears was a millionaire!
Watch Scout get weepy!
Watch Doc defend his parents! Parasites on the public teat who work unpaid overtime to run a school play! Those monsters!
Oh, hell. Just watch. They're all braving the weather again today.
First Draft is doing a kickass job in Wisconsin.
Watch Athenae eviscerate Joke Line! Who once knew this janitor that he totally swears was a millionaire!
Watch Scout get weepy!
Watch Doc defend his parents! Parasites on the public teat who work unpaid overtime to run a school play! Those monsters!
Oh, hell. Just watch. They're all braving the weather again today.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Infill
We're not doing much extending here either, but regarding this:
Stations on all of our rail lines are quite close together. If anything I'd say there are too many stations. I think localities should change their zoning laws to allow for more infill development around those stations, but we don't actually have a shortage of stations.
It is too bad, however, that apart from the West Dublin/Pleasanton Station, BART has no infill stations planned. Nor is it alone on this matter: Cities with extensive commuter rail and subway networks in the United States, including New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia, have been more interested on extending their lines out into the suburbs than filling them in. One notable exception is Boston, where four new stations are planned to be added to the Fairmount line to add to the transit options for people living in underserved neighborhoods south of downtown.
Stations on all of our rail lines are quite close together. If anything I'd say there are too many stations. I think localities should change their zoning laws to allow for more infill development around those stations, but we don't actually have a shortage of stations.
If Everybody Is Guilty Then Nobody Is
The lesson to be learned is just make sure everybody's in on the scam. One would think that the people in charge could be held responsible, but as we've learned the people in charge are never responsible.
Grand Bargains
Villagers love the idea of a couple octogenarian senators - one conservative Republican, one conservative Democrat - hashing things out in some back room in the middle of the night, forging some "compromise" which can be quickly rushed through Congress without anyone having to put their fingerprints on it. They believe there are "tough choices" which involve additional misery for the most desperate and vulnerable, and that the voters can't be trusted to support those choices. So we must have the grand bargain, the compromise blessed by everyone who matters without worrying the beautiful minds of voters.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Ad Blitz winner revealed
It's been about two weeks since the Super Bowl aired, but our ears are still ringing from the noise of advertisers jockeying for position in Ad Blitz, YouTube’s contest to find the best Super Bowl ad. Last Sunday, we added Super Bowl spots to the Ad Blitz gallery as they aired on gameday, and people could come to the channel (or even hop on their mobile devices) to vote for their favorites.
We’ve tabulated the final votes, and are pleased to announce that the winner is...
It was a great Super Bowl for mobile this year, with over 3.5 million views of the Ad Blitz channel happening on mobile devices. We received over 2.7 million votes, and in the first 30 hours after the game aired, commercials were viewed 47 million times.
As the winner of Ad Blitz, Chrysler will be featured in the YouTube masthead all day today. Hats off to them for being voted the top spot by the YouTube community.
Suzie Reider, Advertising Director Display, recently watched, “Steelers versus Packers - Super Bowl XLV and ESPN.”
We’ve tabulated the final votes, and are pleased to announce that the winner is...
It was a great Super Bowl for mobile this year, with over 3.5 million views of the Ad Blitz channel happening on mobile devices. We received over 2.7 million votes, and in the first 30 hours after the game aired, commercials were viewed 47 million times.
As the winner of Ad Blitz, Chrysler will be featured in the YouTube masthead all day today. Hats off to them for being voted the top spot by the YouTube community.
Suzie Reider, Advertising Director Display, recently watched, “Steelers versus Packers - Super Bowl XLV and ESPN.”
This Week's Trends: Britney Spears, Protests, and Videos That 'Get Passed Around'
Each weekday, we at YouTube Trends take a look at the most interesting videos and cultural phenomena on YouTube as they develop. We want take a moment to highlight some of what we've come across this week:
Check back every day for the latest about what's trending on YouTube at: www.YouTube.com/Trends
Kevin Allocca, YouTube Trends Manager, recently watched "Angela Winbush - It's The Real Thing."
- We studied how Britney Spears built up anticipation for her latest music video.
- We analyzed thousands of keywords from videos tagged "revolution" in Arabic to see which words were most commonly used and presented them in a word cloud.
- We followed how a surprising and funny moment from "Family Feud" got heavily "passed around."
- We curated dramatic footage from the protests in Bahrain as well as those in Libya, Iran, Algeria, and Yemen.
- We learned that "trick shot" sports videos might be at an all-time high in popularity.
- And we saw plenty of couples videos, it being Valentine's Day and all, but while some were indeed romantic, some of the most popular ones were not:
Check back every day for the latest about what's trending on YouTube at: www.YouTube.com/Trends
Kevin Allocca, YouTube Trends Manager, recently watched "Angela Winbush - It's The Real Thing."
The Worst Person In The World
Perhaps literally.
SCRANTON, Pa. - A former juvenile court judge was convicted Friday of racketeering in a case that accused him of sending youth offenders to for-profit detention centers in exchange for millions of dollars in illicit payments from the builder and owner of the lockups.
...
The judge, known for his harsh and autocratic courtroom demeanor, filled the beds of the private lockups with children as young as 10. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court dismissed thousands of juvenile convictions issued by Ciavarella, saying he ran his courtroom with "complete disregard for the constitutional rights of the juveniles," including the right to legal counsel and the right to intelligently enter a plea.
Learning To Fly
To me the most obviously insane part is giving up the future revenue stream from spare parts manufacturing.
Because It Pisses Off Atrios
I really am starting to believe that Republicans make policy decisions by asking themselves, "What would piss off Atrios?"
Rewarding Good Behavior
I haven't done much fundraising for awhile, but consider supporting the Wisconsin Senate Dems.
Hey! Something Good
Not sure how "letting gay people die" was ever considered to be a "conscience" issue, but good for the Obama administration for getting rid of most of the conscience clause crap.
Fiscally Responsible
If Governor Walker wins, Madison will lose $45 million in federal funds for their bus system.
(ht reader r)
(ht reader r)
The U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron takes your questions on the Middle East, global affairs and British domestic policy
Last month, we introduced the YouTube World View program with a citizen-powered interview with U.S. President Barack Obama. Starting today, through World View, YouTube and Al Jazeera English are bringing you another chance to engage with one of the world’s preeminent leaders in a special interview: British Prime Minister David Cameron.
In light of current events, you’re invited to submit questions to Mr Cameron about foreign policy, national security, and how he views the present situation in the Middle East. In addition, you can also submit questions about issues related to domestic policy, so if you’re curious about the economy, education, health, or the big society, just go to www.youtube.com/worldview to submit your question in either video or text. You can also tweet in your question - make sure to use hashtag #askthePM in your tweet, and it will automatically be added to the World View queue.
Next Thursday, the Prime Minister will sit down for a special interview and answer a range of the most popular questions submitted by you. The interview will be available on YouTube on Friday, February 25. The deadline to submit your question is midnight GMT on Tuesday, February 22nd.
In light of current events, you’re invited to submit questions to Mr Cameron about foreign policy, national security, and how he views the present situation in the Middle East. In addition, you can also submit questions about issues related to domestic policy, so if you’re curious about the economy, education, health, or the big society, just go to www.youtube.com/worldview to submit your question in either video or text. You can also tweet in your question - make sure to use hashtag #askthePM in your tweet, and it will automatically be added to the World View queue.
Next Thursday, the Prime Minister will sit down for a special interview and answer a range of the most popular questions submitted by you. The interview will be available on YouTube on Friday, February 25. The deadline to submit your question is midnight GMT on Tuesday, February 22nd.
Interviews with President Obama and the Prime Minister, David Cameron, are just the start. We’ll be announcing more World View interviews in the coming months with other top leaders, and you can be sure that each of these interviews will be completely driven by your questions and votes. Who would you like to interview next? Leave your suggestions in the comments.
Ramya Raghavan, News and Politics Manager, and Jayme Goldstein, U.K. Product Marketing Manager, recently watched "Demonstrations in Al Bayda Libya"
Let's Just Try To Lose More Elections
If Democrats really believe "cutting spending" will impress people as it kills the economy then they're beyond help.
Nobody cares about spending. Nobody cares about the deficit.
Nobody cares about spending. Nobody cares about the deficit.
Organize, Organize, Organize
Whatever happens with round 1 in Wisconsin, let's hope the people remain united for rounds 2, 3, 4, ...
Our Parasite Overlords
Some days I realize they won't be happy until everybody but them and their friends are homeless.
Morning Thread
by Molly Ivors
First, happy birthday to our gracious host!
Let's all celebrate by becoming Badgers for the day!
UPDATE: We got you a present! A kicky chapeau!
UPDATE 2:
I am so geeky that I was totally excited that the Wisconsin legislators first landed in Rockford IL.
First, happy birthday to our gracious host!
Let's all celebrate by becoming Badgers for the day!
UPDATE: We got you a present! A kicky chapeau!
UPDATE 2:
I am so geeky that I was totally excited that the Wisconsin legislators first landed in Rockford IL.
Dead of Night
Hey, remember how for the past couple of years the Republicans routinely and shamelessly and without precedent used a parliamentary gimmick to enforce a non-Constitutional supermajority in the United States Senate?
Keep in mind those shenanigans whenever you're told that the Wisconsin State Senate Democrats are opposed to "democracy."
Keep in mind those shenanigans whenever you're told that the Wisconsin State Senate Democrats are opposed to "democracy."
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Lines In Sand
Good.
I just got off the phone with Wisconsin State Senator Chris Larson, one of the Democrats who has left the capitol in order to stall the GOP's plan to rolll back the bargaining rights of public employees. Speaking to me by cell phone from an undisclosed location, Larson said he and his fellow Democrats would not return until the GOP takes its assault on organizing rights "off the table."
Nice Work
I'm quite sure someone qualified would be willing to manage it for a lot less.
DAVID: Well, Dylan, I think this is a very revealing move. You know, Aristotle taught us the tyrants first surround themselves with bodyguards who will go after anybody who challenges what they do. We shouldn’t forget that historical lesson. You know, the pensions they want to go after, they’re not very big in Wisconsin. I just calculated the numbers. The average Wisconsin state employee gets $24,500 a year. That’s not a very big pension. The state pension plan, 15% of the money going into it each year is being paid out to Wall Street to manage the money. That’s a really huge high percentage to pay out to Wall Street to manage the money. And what I think is going on here is this is the state as we began where public employee unions were first by law allowed, and if this governor can break these unions then you’re going to see this happen all across the country and further drive down wages. And if you can drive down wages in the public sector, it means private employers can drive down wages in the private sector.
Grand Bargains Are Also Complete Bullshit
Because Congress can pass a new law at any time. Yes I get that given various veto points there's a bit of inertia, but I assume after destroying the economy some future saner Congress might switch gears. I'm ever the optimist.
Screwing The Poor
Land use which requires people to surround themselves in an expensive two ton box in order to function in the economy dooms the poor.
A Is A
I long ago stopped taking Team Libertarian seriously, and by that I mean members of the Libertarian-Industrial Complex, not small-l civil libertarians. But to explain in it in the way that even their 3-year-old brains can maybe understand, any modern society is going to have a lot of old people. Many of them won't be able work to earn an income to support themselves, and some of them won't have enough savings either. Some of these people maybe were "irresponsible" during their working life, and some of them might be destitute because of medical bills. Some of them might have just lived a bit longer than they expected to. But regardless, the question is what does society do to deal with this inevitable chunk of the population. One answer is, of course, let them freeze to death on the streets, though that isn't my preferred choice. Alternatively, I suppose, we could put them on the SUPERTRAIN to Galt's Gulch.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Found: $30 LED Modeling Light for Your AlienBees
When the Elinchrom Ranger Quadras came out a couple of years ago, one of their groundbreaking features was the inclusion of a low-drain, LED modeling lamp. Pure genius. Especially since traditional modeling lights usually drain your batts faster than the flash itself does.
And if you are an AlienBees/Vagabond user, now you can get this same cool tech on the cheap. Read more »
Flash Bus Update and Schwag Bag Extravaganza
First, the bad news. If you live in Seattle, Portland, Chicago, NYC, DC, Boston, San Francisco or Buffalo -- those Flash Bus cities are now sold out. In fact, the whole tour is over 3/4 sold out. So if you are looking to grab a seat at a remaining city, don't wait too long. There are several more cities on the bubble.
Second, the good news. You may have noticed we pulled in … some sponsors. And you're gonna like this part. Read more »
More Shows
I actually like the "just play more shows" model of keeping market (as opposed to face value) prices down. I assume a big expense, both financial and personal, of touring is the "moving around" part and if bands with significant followings want to keep their performances accessible to more fans, while driving out the scalpers, then driving down the market price by simply increasing the number of available tickets by having multiple shows in locations with demand seems to be win-win.
I remember when Bruce Springsteen sold out 6 shows at the local arena way back when, though I don't know at what price. Also, too, I'm so old I remember when camping out in line for tickets was a normal activity.
I remember when Bruce Springsteen sold out 6 shows at the local arena way back when, though I don't know at what price. Also, too, I'm so old I remember when camping out in line for tickets was a normal activity.
The Bait And Switch
What you can do with "means testing" of Social Security is start talking about how Bill Gates and Tiger Woods don't really need Social Security. And that's (likely to be) true! But there aren't many people like that in the world. Well, then, okay, maybe you can say people with $250,000+ in other income in their retirement years don't need their Social Security. Ok, well, I don't really agree with that, but there aren't very many of those people either. This doesn't save you money. The only way to really save money is to dip into the benefits of people who were making 70,000-100K during their working years (adjusted over time), whose benefits already are means tested. So, basically, what we're talking about is benefit cuts for people who were upper middle class, but not UPPER middle class, during their working years. And those benefits just aren't very generous to begin with.
Inflation Target
Yes the big lesson from the last few years in terms of macroeconomic policy is that an inflation target of 2% is too low, should be increased to 4% or even more.
No Mouse Muscle?
Given the obvious benefits to Empire Disney, I'm a bit surprised they didn't throw their weight around with Governor Luthor.
...adding, I more meant that I'm surprised their muscle didn't work.
...adding, I more meant that I'm surprised their muscle didn't work.
I'll Take It
LaHood:
We are extremely disappointed by Governor Rick Scott’s decision to walk away from the job creating and economic development benefits of high speed rail in Florida. We worked with the governor to make sure we eliminated all financial risk for the state, instead requiring private businesses competing for the project to assume cost overruns and operating expenses. It is projects like these that will help America out-build our global competitors and lay the foundation needed to win the future. This project could have supported thousands of good-paying jobs for Floridians and helped grow Florida businesses, all while alleviating congestion on Florida’s highways. Nevertheless, there is overwhelming demand for high speed rail in other states that are enthusiastic to receive Florida’s funding and the economic benefits it can deliver, such as manufacturing and construction jobs, as well as private development along its corridors.
State Of Fiscal Collapse
Aside from the general lamentable movement away from affordable public higher education, it will really suck for tenured professors who have their positions eliminated.
Only Fools and Frenchmen
It's impossible to describe just how dumb our discourse was in the run-up to the Iraq war, and this was the post-9/11 era when everything was supposed to get oh so responsible and serious.
We could laugh if the consequences weren't so serious.
We could laugh if the consequences weren't so serious.
Nuisance Revenues
Whatever the merits of any particular regulation, local enforcement authorities should be in the business of forcing compliance, not issuing fines for minor infractions to boost city coffers. The fine should be the threat issued along with a sternly worded letter asking for compliance, not a random punishment for well-intentioned business owners unaware that they're doing anything wrong.
We Could Use It
I'm starting to think the conservative governors, recognizing that their governing mandate is to piss off liberals, just read this humble blog to get their ideas. Lex Luthor says no to $2.8 billion in supertrain money. Good luck Florida!
Dramatic Growth?
It is of course a big change for a city that has just stabilized population after shrinking for 5 decades or so, but I hardly think +4,000 residents per year for the next 25 years is "dramatic." Still, it does mean that policymakers need to start thinking about differently then they were in the decline era.
Thugland Express
I suppose it's somewhat comforting that the comments on newspaper articles are the same all over the country. I don't care if people hate cities or mass transit, I'm just amused at their interest! I don't spend my days commenting on suburban newspaper sites.
"Savings"
Anyone who wants to cut the Women, Infant, and Child nutrition program is not interested in saving money.
WIC saves about $45,000 for every $100 spent.
In other words, it will cost us hundreds of millions of dollars to "save" one hundred million dollars.
Oh, yes, and it will also kill lots of babies.
Signed,
Not Atrios
WIC saves about $45,000 for every $100 spent.
In other words, it will cost us hundreds of millions of dollars to "save" one hundred million dollars.
Oh, yes, and it will also kill lots of babies.
Signed,
Not Atrios
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
There's No Money In Means Testing
You just can't save any money worth the additional administrative burden by depriving a few rich people of their Social Security and Medicare benefits. There aren't that many rich people! Now, those not many rich people make a hell of a lot of money so you can raise revenue by increasing tax rates on them, but it isn't worth bothering going after their Social Security checks.
Infill
While I certainly dream of new supertrains all over the place, it's also the case that in my urban hellhole and elsewhere we haven't made the most of the existing transit network. There are a lot of stations which lack the appropriate density. Some of that is due to urban blight which can hopefully be more easily remedied as the city population declines end, and some of that is due to bad land use rules, but hopefully we get more like this.
Priorities
If the deficit was actually something anybody cared about, they'd be interested in raising revenue. You don't have to raise tax rates to raise revenue, you just have to increase the number of goddamn jobs.
Deep Thought
I guess if our elites don't talk about joblessness or foreclosures they don't really exist.
Grand Bargains Are Anti-Democratic
The point of "grand bargains" between the parties isn't to get something done, the point is to get something done in a way which leaves no one for voters to blame. It's accountability free legislating. Villagers love this, because they hate this whole voting thing and just want Bob Kerrey and Alan Greenspan to rule by fiat in order to make the poor and middle class suffer as much as possible without any resistance, but it means the rest of us are out of luck.
That Olive Complexion
One thing that's important to remember is that while many of our overlords are hateful bigots, it's also the case that many of them are extremely stupid hateful bigots.
Keep The Government Out Of My Social Security
I think it would be politically insane to cut any Social Security benefits, particularly benefits for current recipients, but Matt's right that it makes no sense to let a right-leaning part of the electorate join in with the Villagers to demand that other people suffer without any consequences to themselves.
Controversy
No, when people just make stuff up there is no controversy. Frequently there is a "controversy" however.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Join us on YouTube for Carnival in Brazil
Ever been to Carnival in Brazil? If you haven’t, you now have the chance to experience Brazil’s iconic celebration on the new YouTube Carnival channel via your computer or your mobile phone, from the streets of Salvador, Bahia, one of the largest cities in Brazil and carnival-rival only to sister-city, Rio de Janeiro.
The YouTube Carnival channel will offer live feeds to Salvador’s multi-day street fest from Thursday, March 3 to Thursday, March 8, or Fat Tuesday (literally, Mardi Gras). YouTube visitors worldwide will now be able to experience the music, dance and celebrations of Brazil’s Carnival (or Carnaval, as it’s referred to in Brazilian Portuguese).
As part of the transmission line-up, you’ll be able to:
On Saturday, February 19 at 15:30 ET (18:30 BrasÃlia time), get in the mood for the festivities by tuning in to a live transmission of the Carnival rehearsal of Ivete Sangalo, one of the most popular singers of the Brazilian Salvador festival.
Join YouTube in Salvador
Those who happen to be in the city of Salvador to experience Carnival in-person can do so at the YouTube camarote, one of the several cabins along the city’s main avenues offering refreshments, performances of local DJs and an environment designed to help participants enjoy the celebration. Find out how to buy a pass (also known as an abadas) directly at www.youtube.com/carnaval.
Flávia Simón, Marketing Manager Brasil, recently watched “Ivete Sangalo ao vivo no YouTube dia 19/02.”
The YouTube Carnival channel will offer live feeds to Salvador’s multi-day street fest from Thursday, March 3 to Thursday, March 8, or Fat Tuesday (literally, Mardi Gras). YouTube visitors worldwide will now be able to experience the music, dance and celebrations of Brazil’s Carnival (or Carnaval, as it’s referred to in Brazilian Portuguese).
As part of the transmission line-up, you’ll be able to:
- Watch many of the city’s most popular carnival bands (called trio elétricos) including Ivete Sangalo and other Carnaval artists performing to the rhythms of African-influenced axé music in the midst of the enormous block parties unique to Salvador’s version of the Brazilian carnival;
- Feel the energy of the celebration through street-site coverage from different parts of the city throughout the six-day festival;
- Access video-clips of music, greatest hits, practices and performances from the festival uploaded to YouTube in high-definition.
On Saturday, February 19 at 15:30 ET (18:30 BrasÃlia time), get in the mood for the festivities by tuning in to a live transmission of the Carnival rehearsal of Ivete Sangalo, one of the most popular singers of the Brazilian Salvador festival.
Join YouTube in Salvador
Those who happen to be in the city of Salvador to experience Carnival in-person can do so at the YouTube camarote, one of the several cabins along the city’s main avenues offering refreshments, performances of local DJs and an environment designed to help participants enjoy the celebration. Find out how to buy a pass (also known as an abadas) directly at www.youtube.com/carnaval.
Flávia Simón, Marketing Manager Brasil, recently watched “Ivete Sangalo ao vivo no YouTube dia 19/02.”
Minor Mystery
I suppose this question be asked from either side, but I've been wondering for awhile why places like Arizona have completely freaked the fuck out about the MESSICAN INVASION while my little urban hellhole, not without a history of racial animus and tension, seems to have barely noticed. South Philly has a large and growing Mexican population and oddly it barely registers. I get that border states have some additional issues, and I'm not saying the scale is precisely the same, but at least at the quite local level hardly anyone is bitching about the existential threat of illegal immigration (no idea what proportion of immigrants here are legal vs. illegal).
Could We Get Some Help With This At Home?
Because I imagine we need it.
The State Department plans to finance programs like circumvention services, which enable users to evade Internet firewalls, and training for human rights workers on how to secure their e-mail from surveillance or wipe incriminating data from cellphones if they are detained by the police.
Though the policy has been on the drawing board for months, it has new urgency in light of the turmoil in the Arab world, because it will be part of a larger debate over how the United States weighs its alliances with entrenched leaders against the young people inspired by the events in Tunisia and Egypt.
Speed Thrills - Tackling the YouTube video processing challenge
Few things can be more frustrating than waiting for what feels like years for that amazing video you just shot to finish uploading to the site so you can publish it and share it with your friends. Whether it’s the speed a video plays back, or the speed a video uploads, at YouTube speed matters. Why do we care so much about speed? Because we know that speed can mean the difference between you having a good experience, or you leaving YouTube in search of a better, faster one.
Today, as we look at 2011, we’d like to review our progress in improving the processing and publishing speed for videos. By processing and publishing, we mean what happens behind the scenes between the moment you press the YouTube upload button to the moment that video appears on the site for your friends to see.
Here is the challenge: 35 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. Over time, the average file size is going up, the average resolution is going up, as people switch to HD cameras and the average duration of the videos is going up. Moreover, an increase in resolution results in a quadratic increase in the number of pixels to be processed - a 1080p HD video has 2M pixels compared to 300k pixels in a 480p (DVD quality) video.
In the last few years the YouTube infrastructure team has tackled this challenge in a variety of different ways. We highlight two of them:
As you can see from the above chart, we’re making big strides when it comes to our battle to get videos processed and live faster. Here are some additional stats:
We know that there remains a lot for us to do when it comes to improving processing time and reliability and we certainly don’t think we have come close to solving the problem entirely. We have made big strides over the years and our speed is accelerating. When we make another big leap, we’ll post another blog to let you know. Until then, keep uploading!
Krishna Gadepalli, software engineer, recently watched “Satarii IndieGoGo Campaign,” and Wendy Tobagus, software engineer recently watched “Parkour and FreeRunning.”
Today, as we look at 2011, we’d like to review our progress in improving the processing and publishing speed for videos. By processing and publishing, we mean what happens behind the scenes between the moment you press the YouTube upload button to the moment that video appears on the site for your friends to see.
Here is the challenge: 35 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. Over time, the average file size is going up, the average resolution is going up, as people switch to HD cameras and the average duration of the videos is going up. Moreover, an increase in resolution results in a quadratic increase in the number of pixels to be processed - a 1080p HD video has 2M pixels compared to 300k pixels in a 480p (DVD quality) video.
In the last few years the YouTube infrastructure team has tackled this challenge in a variety of different ways. We highlight two of them:
- The first is to overlap uploads and video processing without waiting for the upload to finish. This results in a base quality version of your video going live very quickly after the upload completes, making the link to your video active and shareable.
- The second technique, which we’ve internally codenamed Hydra (after Greek mythology’s nine-headed monster) tackles this problem by leveraging Google’s massive cloud computing capabilities. We split a single video into small chunks and process each chunk simultaneously on different machines. Hydra then reassembles all the processed chunks so that you see a seamless video, processed and published in a fraction of the time it would have taken to do it previously.
As you can see from the above chart, we’re making big strides when it comes to our battle to get videos processed and live faster. Here are some additional stats:- We now process videos seven times faster than we did in 2008.
- We’ve gotten four times faster in the last six months
- 60% of all YouTube videos go live in under a minute as compared to none last year.
We know that there remains a lot for us to do when it comes to improving processing time and reliability and we certainly don’t think we have come close to solving the problem entirely. We have made big strides over the years and our speed is accelerating. When we make another big leap, we’ll post another blog to let you know. Until then, keep uploading!
Krishna Gadepalli, software engineer, recently watched “Satarii IndieGoGo Campaign,” and Wendy Tobagus, software engineer recently watched “Parkour and FreeRunning.”
What They Want
Republicans don't want to cut spending, as at best they don't really give a crap about spending, and most likely love most spending except for programs liberals have an affinity for. They want Dems to take responsibility for unpopular spending cuts so they can run against them.
Send virtual love this Valentine’s Day
Scrambling to make last-minute dinner reservations and to order a bouquet of long-stemmed red roses before your local florist is left with only withered strands of baby’s breath? You don’t even need to leave your computer to send your own personalized message of love this Valentine’s Day.
With Unlisted videos, you can send a message to your sweetheart without anyone else knowing you’re sometimes referred to as “Honeybear”. When you upload your video, mark it as “Unlisted”. Then you can share it with only those people who have the URL.
There are also a number of free web applications that can help you create original personal videos from text and images and easily upload them to YouTube, like Xtranormal, Stupeflix, Animoto, and One True Media.
Cool video Valentine got them to agree to an actual date? Whether you’re a regular Casanova hoping to keep things exciting this year or an awkward first-timer trying to make a good impression, a search for ‘Valentine’s Day’ on YouTube returns over 250,000 videos dedicated to making every aspect of this day perfect for you and your significant other.
The YouTube community provides a wealth of videos that you can access to help you make the date a success. Learn how to set the right mood with tips on creating your own floral arrangements, candle centerpieces, romantic dinners and Valentine's day chocolate mousse. They can also help you look your best with make-up and wardrobe tips.
We all know that there’s more to a great date than ambiance and food, so the most novice dater can spice things things up with tips on dancing, flirting and even kissing. Searches on YouTube for ‘how to kiss’ are up 61% since 2008.
If things don’t go so well, you can also look for ways to make breaking it off slightly less painful. And if you’re like millions out there spending Valentine’s Day alone, this video will help you make sure the best date you have is then one with yourself.
Rachel Snare, Account Manager, recently watched “Chocolate Mousse for Valentine’s Day.”
With Unlisted videos, you can send a message to your sweetheart without anyone else knowing you’re sometimes referred to as “Honeybear”. When you upload your video, mark it as “Unlisted”. Then you can share it with only those people who have the URL.
There are also a number of free web applications that can help you create original personal videos from text and images and easily upload them to YouTube, like Xtranormal, Stupeflix, Animoto, and One True Media.
Cool video Valentine got them to agree to an actual date? Whether you’re a regular Casanova hoping to keep things exciting this year or an awkward first-timer trying to make a good impression, a search for ‘Valentine’s Day’ on YouTube returns over 250,000 videos dedicated to making every aspect of this day perfect for you and your significant other.
The YouTube community provides a wealth of videos that you can access to help you make the date a success. Learn how to set the right mood with tips on creating your own floral arrangements, candle centerpieces, romantic dinners and Valentine's day chocolate mousse. They can also help you look your best with make-up and wardrobe tips.
We all know that there’s more to a great date than ambiance and food, so the most novice dater can spice things things up with tips on dancing, flirting and even kissing. Searches on YouTube for ‘how to kiss’ are up 61% since 2008.
If things don’t go so well, you can also look for ways to make breaking it off slightly less painful. And if you’re like millions out there spending Valentine’s Day alone, this video will help you make sure the best date you have is then one with yourself.
Rachel Snare, Account Manager, recently watched “Chocolate Mousse for Valentine’s Day.”
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