lunes, 31 de enero de 2011

domingo, 30 de enero de 2011

The Skier Who Can't Shoot Straight

Most people who win Olympic medals in the somewhat incongruous sport of biathlon have two exceptional skills—they're gifted cross-country skiers and excellent target shooters.

Germany's Magdalena Neuner, who won a silver medal in the 7.5-kilometer sprint Saturday and who will compete in the 10-kilometer pursuit Tuesday, has taken a different, and considerably more lopsided, approach to the sport.

She's fast as heck on skis, but get out of the way when she picks up a gun.

During the past four years on the World Cup tour, Ms. Neuner's shooting percentage—the rate at which she hits targets—has ranged from 73% to 78%, about 10 percentage points lower than the other top biathletes on the World Cup circuit. Ms. Neuner has particular problems shooting from the standing position, where the past four years she has never hit more than 65% of the targets. Lying down, her percentages range from 85% to 91%.

View Full Image

SP_SHOOTER

TKTK

Magdalena Neuner of Germany competing in the women's 7.5-kilometer sprint biathlon Sunday, in which she took the silver medal.

SP_SHOOTER

SP_SHOOTER

That sort of inaccuracy can cause serious problems. For each of five targets a biathlete misses during a shooting round, she must do a humiliating lap around a 150-meter penalty loop, costing precious time in the race. The only reason the 23-year-old Ms. Neuner (rhymes with "joiner") has a shot at any medal is that she's far and away the fastest skier on the women's side of the event. She's so fast that Germany's regular cross-country team wants her to ski in next week's relay.

During Saturday's event, Ms. Neuner missed a target during her second round of shooting, sending her to the penalty loop and costing her about 10 seconds. Seven minutes later she crossed the finish line and collapsed into the snow, gasping for air. She'd finished in second place, just 1.5 seconds behind the ultimate gold-medal winner, Anastazia Kuzmina of Slovakia. Had Ms. Neuner completed two clean rounds on the range, she would have won going away.

"I missed the one target," Ms. Neuner said after the race, "but then I hit four more." The fact that she could have won gold with one more-accurate shot didn't seem to faze her. "It's a silver medal," she added, "It's great."

During the 2008-09 season, Ms. Neuner's struggles on the shooting range became a soap opera in Germany, where she's a major celebrity. Some have asked why she doesn't just bag biathlon and focus on skiing exclusively. But biathlon is the third most popular sport in Germany, after soccer and Formula One racing, with televised competitions every weekend throughout the winter. Biathletes take in more than $1 million a year in prize money and sponsorships. Cross-country skiers make substantially less and receive far less exposure and notoriety.

Olympics

See complete coverage of the Games

A six-time world champion at individual distances and relays, Ms. Neuner is one of the stars of Germany's Olympic team. Blond and blue-eyed with a wide, telegenic smile, Ms. Neuner has been called "our biathlon beauty" by Germany's Bild newspaper. News of her silver medal led German news reports Sunday though many German fans were disappointed that she missed gold by just 1.5 seconds. In Whistler, British Columbia, where the skiing events are taking place, a pack of a dozen German sports journalists track her every move.

"I am very impressed the way she is representing her sport and her country," said Thomas de Maiziere, Germany's minister of inner affairs. "And to think she is only 23. That makes her something special."

Ms. Neuner and her coaches say that she has no physical or technical problems and that the issues are entirely in her head. During a weeklong training session in Sonthofen, Germany, that focused entirely on shooting, a riflery specialist made a tiny adjustment in the position of her right leg, placing it more directly behind her left leg on the range. Other than that, team spokesman Stefan Schwarzbach said, head coach Uwe Mussiggang simply told her to relax.

To do that Ms. Neuner has spent countless hours in what she called "mental training" with a psychologist. Her sessions continue during the Olympics from 6,000 miles away. Mr. Schwarzbach said he walked into Ms. Neuner's room the other night and she was speaking to her psychologist through Skype, the Internet video service.

Ms. Neuner said her psychologist first instructed her to change her attitude about the shooting range, to embrace it rather than dread it, and to smile when she picks up her rifle. "Last year, as I would get there I would think, 'Oh, no,' and I would be nervous. But this year, I run to the shooting range, and I get happy when I am there," she said.

Ms. Neuner has learned to control her breathing and visualize hitting each target before she pulls the trigger. As she skis the final stretch of the course into the shooting range, she slows down her breaths and begins to see herself hitting the targets. The screams of the crowd and the ubiquitous sounds of clanking cowbells begin to disappear. "I hear them when I am on the course, but never when I am on the range," she said. "I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon as I see the targets, I tune them out."

So far the changes have produced slow and steady progress, as Ms. Neuner's shooting percentage has, at times, risen into the mid 80s this season in competition, though when she wins it's often in spite of her shooting rather than because of it, and she has to ski farther than anyone else on the podium.

Last month at Antholz-Anterselva in Italy, for instance, Ms. Neuner won races at 7.5 and 15 kilometers, even though in the 15-kilometer race she missed more targets than any of the next five finishers. In the 7.5-kilometer race, she missed one of 10 targets. The second- and third-place finishers missed none. In a 10-kilometer race that weekend, she missed four of 20 targets, and still managed to finish second.

And yet, true to her new positive outlook, Ms. Neuner won't let any of this get her down.

"I know that I can shoot well," she said Saturday night at Germany House in Whistler, her silver medal sitting at her fingertips.

"Last year was difficult, but I made a U-turn and now I am going to show everybody that I can shoot well. Maybe I make one mistake sometimes, but, all in all, there is a good feeling for shooting now," she said.

—Matthew Karnitschnig contributed to this article.

cross country skiers, magdalena neuner, gold medal winner, target shooters, olympic medals, cross country team, biathlete, finish line, silver medal, precious time, inaccuracy, targ, skier, percentage points, skis, sprint, world cup tour, world cup circuit, percentages, heck

Online.wsj.com

Reaching [146/365]

photo

Reaching [146/365]

Tags

Day

iPhone

Cold

Blizzard

Park

project365

Bryant Park

Snow

Trees
Flickr.com

sábado, 29 de enero de 2011

viernes, 28 de enero de 2011

High Line Snow Sculpt-Off 2011

photo

High Line Snow Sculpt-Off 2011

Tags

High Line

park

snow

blizzard

kids

snowman

snow sculpture

Friends of the High Line
Flickr.com

miércoles, 26 de enero de 2011

Attention Grabber!

<a href=photo" width="640" height="512">

Attention Grabber!

Some lads out training in Cairns, a crop of an earlier photo....

Tags

Australia

lads

men

shirtless

street

training

Cairns

Queensland

attention grabber, cairns, lads, photo
qtdz
Flickr.com

Farum sejlklub

photo

Farum sejlklub

Early morning tranquillity

Tags

Water

Lake

Nightqtdz
Flickr.com

martes, 25 de enero de 2011

Bolton Wanderers v Chelsea: live

Bolton Wanderers v Chelsea: live

Follow live, minute-by-minute commentary of the Premier League game between Bolton Wanderers and Chelsea at the Reebok Stadium on Monday Jan 24 2011, kick-off 20.00 GMT.

PREVIEW

LIVE

REPORT

BOLTON

0 - 4

FT

CHELSEA

Monday, January 24 20:00

Premier League

Reebok Stadium

(HT 0-2)

ATT: 22,837

Drogba (11)

Malouda (41)

Anelka (56)

Ramires (74)

Didier Drogba - Bolton Wanderers v Chelsea live

Flying start: Didier Drogba reels away in celebration after the Chelsea striker put his side 1-0 up against Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium Photo: ACTION IMAGES

By Thom Gibbs 7:25PM GMT 24 Jan 2011

COMMENTARY

KEY MOMENTS

60000

2011-01-25 09:53:09.0

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/7943954/Bolton-Wanderers-v-Chelsea-live.html?service=artBody

This page will automatically update every 60 secondsOn Off

Email Thom Gibbs with slightly over-the-top angry reactions to any hint of sexism displayed in the context of football
-------------------------------------

21:45: "Allo, Allo, Chelsea-are-back, Chelsea-are-back, Allo, Allo," sing Cheslea's fans, somewhat bafflingly if you're not familiar with the ouevre of a certain disgraced former glam rock star. They may well be back, that was a sweat-free display of real class from Ancelotti's team, exerting their superiority over a disappointing Bolton side that were made to look a league worse than their conquerors. The goal glut will be welcomed at Stamford Bridge, but the clean sheet is not to be sniffed at earlier. Too late for a cheeky run for the title? Over and out from me, thanks for your company.

FULL TIME

90+3 min: Almost a wonderful goal as we approach the final whistle. A lovely passing move between Anekla and Cole is just cleared for a corner, which there's just time to float into the middle before Foy blows for full time.

90+1 min: Three minutes of added time, and I should mention that Robbie Blake came on for Holden four minutes ago. If that has any bearing on the outcome of this match I will be very, very surprised.

89 min: Elmander is ushered down a blind alley by Ivanovic. After looking slightly nervous in the opening three or four minutes this has been a faultless defnsive performance by the champions.

Twitter87 min: I don't think Mark Ogden is having a very good time. From his Twitter: "Ludicrously cold at the Reebok. Stating the obvious, but still."

85 min: Holden, frustrating tonight, plays a poor final ball towards the area which is comfortably claimed by Cech. You could hear an enamel pin badge drop at the Reebok.

83 min: Clear penalty for Chelsea as Anekla is bundled over by Robinson just inside the box. Chris Foy takes pity on the chastised home side and pretends he hasn't seen it.

81 min: Holden scoops the ball high into the box after another swift one-two with Mark Davies. Cech is out to claim and uses his formidable height advantage to pluck the ball effortlessly out of the air.

79 min: Elmander tries an ambitious shot on the turn but it finishes midway up the stand behind the goal.

Email77 min: Matthew Hetherington, with a name like the posh cousin of the Stoke midfielder, writes: "I was worried to see the use of the term 'two man wall' in the 60th minute. I, as I am sure most do, understand that it was a wall made up of 2 men. However this could suggest, or be interpreted, that women would not be capable of doing this job if called upon. It would be a shame if the Telegraph was to be held to account for this use of sexist terminology! Surely the term; a 2 person wall, would avoid any problems." And they say satire is dead.

76 min: Kalou is on for recent goalscorer Ramires.

Goal74 min: GOAL!! Bolton 0 Chelsea 4 (Ramires)
A quick throw is delivered to Essien on the byline, he skirts inside and plays in Anelka 12 yards out. His shot is charged down but falls invitingly for Ramires, who steers the ball expertly into the left hand side of the goal. It's the first time he's scored for the club.

72 min: Mikel is off for Chelsea, it's Josh McEachran on in his place, who looks approximately seven years old.

71 min: Mark Davies slots in Elmander who has a wonderful chance but can only blast the ball into Cech's shins. It wouldn't have counted anyway, he was offside.

67 min: Some artful short passing from Bolton but Elmander's final ball to Mark Davies is slightly too heavy and Cech can come out to collect the ball.

63 min: Double sub for Bolton. Rodrigo's on for Petrov and Muamba makes way for Mark Davies.

62 min: Chelsea, at least, are looking hungry for more here. Drogba performs a cheeky flick to win them a throw half way into the Bolton half. I imagine Drogba et al. now see this as an opportunity for a morale-raising rout.

60 min: Taylor's free kick just outside the corner of the box is straight into Chelsea's two man wall.

58 min: That's it as a contest, surely? Surely even Chelsea can't throw away a 3-0 lead against Bolton? Can they? Can they? CAN THEY? Come on fate, I'm attempting to tempt you.

Goal56 min: GOAL!! Bolton 0 Chelsea 3 (Anelka)
Another worrying Chelsea break sees Essien put a low cross towards Drogba at the near post. Once again, there's a bit of luck in the build up, as Drogba spins the ball fortuitously to Anelka, but the Frenchman's finish is unerring and beats Jaaskelainen at the near post. The keeper possibly shuold have done better, but that's a chance well-taken.

54 min: Essien's poor ball towards Anelka spells the end to a Chelsea break in which they had four on three. Bolton race up to the other end but Petrov's cross is just shy of the free man waiting in the middle.

51 min: An amusing impromptu six-pack competition between Drogba, who angrily shows Taylor his chest to prove he was caught by the defender, and Steinsson who rushes over with his shirt pulled up to prove a similar point. Wonderfully childish. Chelea's free kick evades everyone but is headed behind for a corner anyway. It comes to nothing.

50 min: A Bolton fan named Marcus' wallet has been found, and is now in the Reebok's main reception. This courtesy of the stadium announcer. This news is more pertinent that anything that's happened on the pitch in the last two minutes.

48 min: Holden gives the ball away, Mikel gives it straight back to him. Sloppy start to the second half by both sides.

46 min: Bolton begin the second half in the face of sprightly Chelsea pressure. A lovely early Bolton goal would really set this game on the correct tracks.

HALF TIME

45+1 min: We're into the only minute of added time. Turn. That. Phone. Off. Sam.

44 min: Minor chaos! Davies' odd flick towards goal is oddly flicked by a flying Elmander, which baffles Cech who'd expected the ball to run through to him and is forced into an impromptu save. Bolton waste the resulting corner, again.

Goal41 min: GOAL!! Bolton 0 Chelsea 2 (Malouda)
A Chelsea corner is cleared but the ball is eventually collected by Malouda near the touchline. With every Bolton defender expecting him to cross he cuts inside, getting a bit of a lucky bounce to keep possession, and can thread the ball between Jaaskelainen and his near post. An odd goal, neither of Sky's commentators seemed quite sure what they'd just witnessed.

39 min: Steinsson brushes against Drogba on the edge of the box and the striker makes a typical meal of it. His free kick from 20 yards is far too high. Goal kick.

37 min: Malouda's cross flicks up for Drogba in the box at a difficult height. It briefly looks like he's winding up for a blistering volley, but instead tries a fancy flick which causes the move to break down.

35 min: Is Owen Coyle the Premier League's loudest manager? During an uneventful period of play his voice is more or less all I can hear. Alternative nominations here.

33 min: Someone at Sky needs to tell Sam Allardyce to turn his phone off, it keeps generating interference that's getting picked up on the sound feed. A schoolboy error from the big man on his commentary debut. I can't for a second entertain the idea that it's Martin Tyler's mistake. That guy is a pro.

31 min: So close Matt Taylor! Petrov's excellent cross is flicked towards goal artfully by the midfielder and looks bound for the bottom corner, but Cech gets a finger to it and pushes the ball round the post. Bolton's corner comes to nothing.

30 min: Anelka beats the offside trap and bears down on goal, but is forced wide by Knight and has his shot blocked. His follow-up is weak and straight at Jaaskelainen. Perhaps he doesn't want to score against his old club?

29 min: Elmander and Petrov look to break but are well dealt with by Chelsea's defence, who clear danger.

27 min: Hard to say whether it's the players or the deadening monotone of Sam Allardyce's voice which is making this game so painful to watch.

26 min: Drogba is played in inside the box, but the ball takes him slightly too far wide, making a successful finish very difficult. His shot is straight at Jaaskelainen.

23 min: Matt Taylor's sweeping cross needs heading behind by Bosingwa. The same defender clears the corner with his head.

22 min: Davies is fouled by Ivanovic and Bolton take a quick free kick. It's worked out to Petrov who has a little bit of space near the left touchline, but his cross is poor and behind for a goal kick.

20 min: Ramires attempts to play in Anelka, but the former Trotter's touch is extremely heavy and the move breaks down. Still absolutely no excitement to this game, apart from Drogba's outstanding goal.

17 min: Bolton's Holden floats a high-quality ball into the box from deep which is attacked by Cahill and Elmander. Brief panic for Chelsea, possibly as they fully appreciate the sheer size of Bolton's side for the first time, but the ball ricochets out for a goal kick.

Email15 min: Tim Nadin has been in touch via email, and you can be too. Tim writes: "Great to see that Sky are now only too aware that they need to be fully equal opportunists, I can’t see any other reason to give Big Sam the mic. He’s about as dull as dishwater"

13 min: Corner to Bolton, straight up the other end after the goal. It's cleared comfortably. If Chelsea are intent on stifling this match we could be in for a very long night.

Goal11 min: GOAL!! Bolton 0 Chelsea 1 (Drogba)
A ludicrously good goal by the hitherto out-of-form Ivorian. Drogba receives the ball 40 yards from goal but with a little space to run into. He takes a couple of quick touches before unleashing a thunderbolt that swerves and dips wickedly, bemusing Jaaskelainen and flying directly over him into the back of the net.

9 min: Davies chases Terry, who's shepherding a loose ball out of play. The Bolton striker puts in a slide tackle in a last-ditch attempt to win the ball. He appears to catch Terry slightly and the Chelsea skipper, just as Martin Tyler says "some people have said this Chelsea side is too old", starts limping in the style of an old man.

8 min: Chelsea look for all the world like a nervous England side playing a friendly against decent but limited opponents. They're content to pass it around sideways, almost entirely in their own half, with a sense that they're one misplaced pass away from disaster. Bolton doing a good job at pressing but haven't touched the ball for about three minutes,

5 min: Chelsea have settled, or are trying to, by playing the ball around sedately in their own half.

3 min: Elmander flicks the ball on towards Davies, whose header at goal is poor. Bolton all over their visitors in the opening stages.

2 min: Joining Sky's commentator Martin Tyler this evening, by the way, is Sam Allardyce. He's no Andy Gray, he's yet to denigrate any genders.

1 min: We're underway, Bolton nicking the ball immediately from Chelsea's kick off to win a throw-in deep in their opponent's half.

20:02: Impeccably observed silence, as you would expect. We appear to be running a solid four minutes behind schedule but kick off now appears imminent.

19:57: There's going to be a minute's silence for Nat Lofthouse before the game, I promise not to post any updates during it. Both sides are wearing black armbands.

19:54: This trend for bookmakers' owners appearing in their own firm's advert is my least favourite development in football-related advertising during 2011.

19:50: If Chelsea lose tonight are they definitely, definitely out of the title race? Are they out of the title race any way? Do the club need to overhaul their squad, or possibly change their manager to mount a legitimate challenge again? Are Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka past it? All this and more are questions I would invite you to answer via email.

19:45: And here are those teams:

Bolton: Jaaskelainen; Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson; Petrov, Muamba, Holden, Taylor; Kevin Davies, Elmander.
Subs: Bogdan, Mark Davies, Ricketts, Moreno, Blake, Cohen, Wheater.

Chelsea: Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole; Essien, Ramires, Mikel, Malouda; Anelka, Drogba.
Subs: Turnbull, Ferreira, Kalou, Sturridge, Bruma, Kakuta, McEachran.

Referee: Chris Foy (Merseyside)

Bolton's new defensive recruit David Wheater can only make the bench, Chelsea's subs demonstrate the worrying lack of depth at the club presently.

19:40: It's not often that you can say the build-up to a Premier League is overshadowed by the off-air mutterings of a pair of middle-aged men with attitudes best left in the 1950s, but that's arguably the case ahead of Bolton Wanderers' game against Chelsea.

A fresh-faced young man named David Jones deputises for the slighty-disgraced Richard Keys this evening, but he doesn't get to play with the "silly machines" (copyright Ron Atkinson) in Keys and Andy Gray's shiny undergound Monday Night Football lair. It's the Austerity Measures chic of a simple in-stand studio at the Reebok. I picture Keys and Gray holed up alone in the unused studio, ruefully sipping bottled beers, shaking their heads, and muttering about how political correctness has gone mad.

Football, then, and these teams met at the fag end of 2010 and Chelsea briefly undermined their disastrous form with an edgy 1-0 win. Bolton have been good value at home under Owen Coyle, with Mark Davies notably scoring the thinking man's goal of the season in their 2-2 draw with Blackpool back in November. Tonight's build-up is heavy on the Nat Lofthouse references, who will be honoured by Wanderers before kick off. Teams to follow.

PREVIEW
--------------------------

Monday, January 24

Bolton Wanderers v Chelsea
Reebok Stadium
Kick-off: 20.00 GMT
TV: Live Sky Sports 1.

Bolton (4-4-2): Jaaskelainen; Ricketts, Cahill, Knight, Robinson; M Davies, Muamba, Holden, Taylor; K Davies, Elmander.
Chelsea (4-4-2): Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Essien, Lampard, Malouda; Drogba, Anelka.
Referee: Chris Foy. Matches: 15. R0 Y38.

Tale of the game

Chelsea need to win again to reignite their push to retain the Premier League title.

The 2-0 win over Blackburn last Saturday was only their second victory in 10 Premier League games.

The other win was against Bolton, at Stamford Bridge, in the last game of 2010 when a second half goal from Florent Malouda earned Chelsea a much-needed win.

Chelsea should be confident given their Premier League record against Bolton.

They are unbeaten in their last 14 meetings, home and away, winning 11 and drawing three.

Bolton last beat Chelsea in December 2003, at Stamford Bridge and have not won a league game at home against them since October 1997.

Overall, in 23 Premier League meetings, Chelsea have won 15, drawn five and lost only three.

Bolton will test Ivan Klasnic, who has missed three games with a groin strain, while Gretar Steinsson (knee), Ricardo Gardner (knee), Jloyd Samuel (calf) and Sean Davis (knee) are still missing.

Chelsea are still without Yuri Zhirkov (calf), Alex (knee) and Yossi Benayoun (Achilles).

This season: Chelsea 1 Bolton 0.

Last season: Bolton 0 Chelsea 4, Chelsea 1 Bolton 0.

Stat of the game: Chelsea have won only 12 of their 38 points away from home.

Betting tip: 2-0 to Chelsea comes at 13-2.qtdz
Telegraph.co.uk

night parking

photo

night parking

I rode down to Evan's school for a council meeting this evening. Good thing they're only once a month.

Tags

w.o. mitchell

iphone

school

snow

bench

bike

onbike

365photosqtdz
Flickr.com

lunes, 24 de enero de 2011

Q&A websites like Quora and Stack Exchange take off

Hot on the Web these days: Question-and-answer websites.By Jon Swartz, USA TODAY

SAN FRANCISCO — What's one of the hottest new areas for technology investment? The answer: question-and-answer websites.

Stack Overflow is the latest to join the fray on the heels of new Silicon Valley darling Quora.

Today, Stack publicly launches Stack Exchange, a network of 33 Q&A sites on topics ranging from computer science to cooking. The service, in beta testing for seven months, has more than 1.5 million users, up 50% from November. It is looking to add one topic site a week.

"This is a specialist's site," says Stack Overflow CEO Joel Spolsky. "We're going to be the reference section of the library, where you can reach experts and get definitive answers."

There seems to be no limit to websites devoted to answering questions for consumers. Many are not only adding millions of customers but millions of dollars from tech investors.

Last year, Stack raised $6 million from Union Square Ventures.

Meanwhile, recent buzz over Quora has been positively Twitter-like.

The Q&A site — founded by former Facebook employees and already valued at $86 million, based on undisclosed funding from Benchmark Capital— combines elements of Facebook, Yahoo Answers, Wikipedia, Twitter, and two of its competitors, Ask.com and JustAnswer.

There have been Q&A websites for years, such as Answers.com. Texting and website service ChaCha started in 2005. But newer services such as Stack and Quora are narrower in focus, with experts providing the answers.

Spolsky divides the fledgling field into two categories: horizontal sites, where anything can be asked and anyone can answer, and vertical sites, such as Stack Exchange. "Listen, if you are a math researcher at UC-Berkeley, you're not going to go to Yahoo Answers," Spolsky says. "Our motto is to link experts together, so they can get definitive answers on specific topics."

Stack Overflow makes its money through targeted advertising.

Meanwhile, better-established Q&A sites say there's a healthy market for competing players.

"There is a lot of interest because people have a discrete need to have questions answered," says Doug Leeds, CEO of Ask.com, which combines search and Q&A services. Ask has 90 million users worldwide.

At least one company is getting people to pay for its expertise. Millions have paid about $20 per question to get medical, legal, financial and other advice on JustAnswer, started seven years ago by CEO Andy Kurtzig.

stack overflow, new silicon valley, uc berkeley, yahoo answers, fledgling field, jon swartz, definitive answers, benchmark capital, silicon valley, twitter, answer question, wikipedia, chacha, technology investment, targeted advertising, answering questions, texting, beta testing, seven months, question and answer
qtdz
Usatoday.com

domingo, 23 de enero de 2011

sábado, 22 de enero de 2011

_IMG9315.jpg

photo

_IMG9315.jpg

Tags

2011

Langevelderslag

Strand

Zee

Henk van den Brink

Photodigitaal

PhotoDigital

Photo

Foto

Digital

Digitaal

Hond

Honden

Nederland

Niederlande

Holland

Netherlands

Pays-Bas

Dog

Chiens

Trix

Emma

Trix en Emma

Hund

Hunde

co

Perro

Cane

Cani

Perros

ces

Dogs

Beach

Sea

Plage

praia

playa

spiaggiaqtdz
Flickr.com

city lights

photo

city lights

Tags

sete

city

ville

canal

mer

water

sea

lights

lumires

boats

bateaux

nuit

night

port

reflets

reflections

photos

photographie

photography

picture

wallpaper

fond d'cran

hrault

languedoc

france

europe

francia

frankreich

europa

geotagged

carte

color

colour

couleurqtdz
Flickr.com

viernes, 21 de enero de 2011

Hoboken, NJ

photo

Hoboken, NJ

Trees, benches &amp; snow - Columbus Park.
DSCN9982.JPG

Tags

JVD

Hoboken

New Jersey

Columbus Park

snow

trees

United States

columbus park, hoboken, benches, amp
qtdz
Flickr.com

jueves, 20 de enero de 2011

Who Moved My Throne

photo

Who Moved My Throne

Tags

Detroit

Detroit0610DMU

Michigan

Packard

Packard Plant

USA

United States

United States of America

abandoned

graffiti

urban exploration

urbexqtdz
Flickr.com

Snowy mailbox

photo

Snowy mailbox

Tags

mailbox

snow

sun

cold

sweden

ljusdal

Canon

EOS

7D

January

2011qtdz
Flickr.com

Kingbird-1_January 19, 2011

photo

Kingbird-1_January 19, 2011

I'm pretty sure this is a Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) because I took this shot while in the grassy open area of Estero llano grande State Park. However, I didn't hear this bird call so I'm not 100% sure.

Tags

Estero Llano Grande State Park

Kingbird

Texas

Tyrannus

USA

bird

tropical kingbird, llano grande, bird call, estero, january 19
qtdz
Flickr.com

miércoles, 19 de enero de 2011

Distant Ruin

photo

Distant Ruin

Exif data:

Camera:canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Aperture: f/16.0
Lens: Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 @24 mm
ISO Speed:100

Processed using Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop CS4

Tags

Lishman

Chris Lishman

Canon

canon 1D MKIV

Manfrotto

Dawn

Embleton

Dunstanburgh

Dunstanburgh Castle

Life Belt

Sea

Coast

Dunes

Grass

Sand

Beach

Coastal

Northumberland

Northumbria

Castle

Ruin

Ancient

morning light

Sunrise

Safety

beach safety

Sky

Sunlit

canon eos 1d, canon eos 1d mark, sigma 24, camera canon, canon eos, 70mm, canon, adobe
qtdz
Flickr.com

ponton

photo

ponton

Tags

photo

photography

image

picture

landscape

Languedoc

France

Francia

Frankreich

europe

colours

small boats

sea

mer

water

sun

sky

blue

port

cement

seascape

Ste

wallpaper

fond d'cran

eau

photographie

shot

ciel

soleil

geotagged

color

colour

couleurqtdz
Flickr.com

martes, 18 de enero de 2011

The Port

photo

The Port

Tags

Lihir Gold mine

Papua New Guinea

February 2010qtdz
Flickr.com

Forest Pathway

photo

Forest Pathway

Steps inviting to climb the hills surrounding Hamoir (Belgium). Do you feel inclined to go up or down the stairs?

Tags

Belgium

Hamoir

Stairs

forest

path

pathway

steps

treesqtdz
Flickr.com

lunes, 17 de enero de 2011

Tunisia Army arrests security chief in coup plot as struggle for control intensifies

Tunisia Army arrests security chief in coup plot as struggle for control intensifies

Tunisia arrested the ringleaders of a potential coup against its new leadership as talks were launched to form a coalition government and the Army swamped the streets to quell violence, looting, arson and shooting.

A member of the Tunisian national guard in Tunis

A member of the Tunisian national guard in Tunis Photo: Reuters

By Our Foreign Staff 3:08PM GMT 16 Jan 2011

Tunisian police arrested the head of the presidential guard Sunday and dozens of others suspected in drive-by shootings, trying to restore calm to the North African nation after the historic ouster of its longtime strongman.

Tunisians and observers worldwide were looking for signs about which way the country would turn as a new leadership sought to tamp down the looting, arson attacks and random violence since autocratic President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was driven from power on Friday.

Police arrested the head of Ben Ali's presidential guard, Ali Seriati, and several colleagues over accusations they had plotted against state security. Other details were not immediately available, but security agents had often fired on unarmed protesters in the last month.

"Criminals are using ambulances to fire on people," a police official in charge of security said.

Dozens of people have died in a month of clashes between police and protesters angry about the repression and corruption during Ben Ali's rule - unrest that ultimately marked the end of his 23-year regime.

A soldier fired shots in the air Sunday near Tunis' main train station - which had been turned into a blackened carcass - to warn that a gathering of more than three people is banned under the state of emergency law.

Police insisted that gunfire heard overnight was only the firing of warning shots. One soldier stationed near the train station said, "We are with the Tunisians, we are all brothers."

A well-known human rights advocate returned home to the embattled - but in many ways, hopeful - country in the midst of an unprecendented power shift for the Arab world. Souhayr Belhassen, president of the International Federation of Human Rights, arrived at Tunis' airport and said her long-repressed countrymen appear poised for unprecedented freedoms.

A day of violence Saturday cast doubt on hopes for a smooth transition to a post-Ben Ali era: Assailants attacked police near the Interior Ministry, and looting and score-settling attacks besieged wealthy neighborhoods, department stores and shops.

Businesses owned by Ben Ali's family were major targets of looters. The family of the ex-president's wife, Leila Trabelsi, has financial interests in wide-ranging sectors from banking to car dealerships. A branch of the Zeitouna bank in Tunis founded by Ben Ali's son-in-law was torched, as were vehicles made by Kia, Fiat and Porsche - brands distributed in Tunisia by members of the ruling family.

Tunisians are especially overjoyed at the prospect of life without Ben Ali's wife and her family.

Tunisian media reported one brother-in-law of the president, Imed Trabelsi, was attacked by an angry mob at Tunis airport and died from his injuries.

Fouad Mebazaa, the former head of parliament's lower house, was named interim president on Saturday and quickly ordered the creation of a national unity government that would include longtime opponents of Ben Ali. Elections must be held in 60 days.

"We can start to hope," said a founder of the main opposition party, the Progressive Democratic Party, Nejib Chebbi.

The question now, he said, is whether a new government will be pluralistic or again dominated by Ben Ali's ruling RCD party. "If the RCD is dominant, we're not out of the woods."

The 74-year-old Ben Ali and some family members fled to Saudi Arabia. Other relatives were in France, but authorities said they were not welcome to remain.

Tunis' airport reopened Saturday but a state of emergency continued. Thousands of tourists were being evacuated Sunday from the Mediterranean nation, whose wide beaches, deserts and ancient ruins are a strong draw for Europeans seeking relief from winter.

Street violence took a new form Saturday with roving gangs sacking homes in at least one wealthy neighborhood and residents, armed with golf clubs, forming self-styled vigilante committees.

Others worried about food shortages.

"This all happened in three days. Maybe tomorrow we can't eat," said Mohsen Yacoubi.

A Paris-based photojournalist, Lucas Mebrouk von Zabiensky, 32, of the EPA photo agency, died Sunday after being hit Friday in the face by a tear gas canister.

The downfall of Ben Ali, who had taken power in a bloodless coup in 1987, delivered a warning to other autocratic leaders in the Arab world.

The improved quality of life for many failed to keep up with the increased limits on civil rights like freedom of expression. The jobless rate is officially 14 percent, but is thought to be far higher among young who make up more than half of its 10 million people.

The self-immolation, and eventual death, of a 26-year-old university graduate selling fruits in central Tunisia last month triggered a series of protests that, relayed by social media like Facebook, spun into general anger against the regime.

main train station, arson attacks, unarmed protesters, zine el abidine ben ali, coup plot, random violence, emergency law, drive by shootings, warning shots, power shift, security agents, african nation, police official, coalition government, security chief, state security, strongman, state of emergency, ouster, ambulances
qtdz
Telegraph.co.uk

domingo, 16 de enero de 2011

impend

photo

impend

Same storm as previous shots, view from a lighthouse.

Tags

storm

rain

ocean

sea

island

cloud

reflectionqtdz
Flickr.com

sábado, 15 de enero de 2011

100_1012.JPG

photo

100_1012.JPG

I found this place right before dark(again)Great ole place.Ill be revisiting when the weather is better...And light.

Tags

winter

woods

tree

snow

scenery

rural

ruins

old

forest

house

landscape

decay

creepy

chimney

abandonqtdz
Flickr.com

times square

<a href=photo" width="640" height="640">

times square

Photo taken by Carsten / topfloor - please enjoy ! (c) 2010

Walking the winter streets of New York, fully analog this time.
Shot with a rental Hasselblad 503CW and the 80 mm f/2.8 CFE on the new Kodak Portra 400 film.

Filename: 55000010

Films developed and low-res scanned by Luster Photo - quick service and good quality. They develop 120 and 135, bw and color with push or pull development.

Tags

Film 180

Hasselblad 503CW

Hasselblad 80 mm f/2.8 CFE Zeiss Planar

I shoot film

Kodak Porta 400new

Luster Photo NYC

Medium Format

New York

Taken 2011-01-13

Times Square

http://www.photosfromthetopfloor.blogspot.com

http://www.photosfromthetopfloor.com

2011

6x6

Analog

Analogue

City

Film

Hasselblad

SLR

Scan

Stadt

Streetphotography

USA

flickrup

topfloor

hasselblad 503cw, winter streets, streets of new york, cfe, zeiss, luster, carsten, bw, porta, comhttp, kodak, photo
qtdz
Flickr.com

_MG_4675.jpg

photo

_MG_4675.jpg

Tags

Christmas

Food

Grisha

London

Nadia

Nevena

Radi

Radka

Table

Tiko

Veniqtdz
Flickr.com

Il piacere di ricevere posta

photo

Il piacere di ricevere posta

Da Nicol,7 anni,per me.

Tags

Lonigo

Vicenza

Veneto

Italia

Italy

Europe

Europa

Letteraqtdz
Flickr.com

viernes, 14 de enero de 2011

blue hawser

photo

blue hawser

shot aboard a ship on the St. Lawrence river (Quebec, Canada)

I macro normalmente mi vengono da schifo, stavolta ci riprovo!! Non traduco in italiano perch verrebbe immediatamente in mente una infelice e fantozziana espressione... Per la cronaca siamo a bordo di un traghetto sul San Lorenzo da qualche parte in Quebec

Tags

hawser

gomena

blue

blu

macro

Canada

Quebec

San Lorenzo

St. Lawrence

san lorenzo, quebec canada, st lawrence river download
qtdz
Flickr.com

jueves, 13 de enero de 2011

Coastal Walk

photo

Coastal Walk

Loving couple on coastal walk on the jurassic coast near Durdle Door and the village of West Lulworth.

Tags

scouserdaz

canon

dorset

coast

beach

cliffs

jurassic coast

lulworth cove

durdle door

landscape

west lulworth, jurassic coast
qtdz
Flickr.com

12012011782

photo

12012011782

Tags

N8

Legoqtdz
Flickr.com

miércoles, 12 de enero de 2011

Mecom rejected Trinity Mirror bid

Mecom rejected Trinity Mirror bid

Mecom, the pan-European newspaper group run by former Mirror Group chief David Montgomery, rejected an approach to merge with Trinity Mirror in mid 2010.

Mecom, the pan-European newspaper group run by former Mirror Group chief David Montgomery, rejected an approach to merge with Trinity Mirror in mid 2010.

Mecom will hold a board meeting today which will be dominated by discussion of whether Mr Montgomery will remain at the company. 

Amanda Andrews

By Amanda Andrews 12:13PM GMT 12 Jan 2011

Comments

Informed sources said an approach was made by the owner of the Daily Mirror for a nil- premium, all-share merger with Mecom a few months back, but it was soon rejected.

“Mecom is showing strong signs of growth and it does not have Trinity’s pension deficit,” said one source.

While Mecom was hit by the advertising downturn in recent years, it is not faced with the same structural issues as the UK regional newspaper market.

According to Sky News, the approach came from Sir Ian Gibson, the chairman of Trinity Mirror, Mecom chairman Alasdair Locke.

Mecom will hold a board meeting on Wednesday which will be dominated by discussion of whether Mr Montgomery will remain at the company following investor pressure for him to exit.

A trading update tomorrow is set to show strong growth at the company.

Analysts at Collins Stewart believe the trading backdrop for Mecom is improving. "We think that the significant positive shift in cash generation in 2011 will help to drive a rerating in the shares, demonstrating the relative strength of the balance sheet, the strong cash flow underpinning and the ability to grow earnings through deleverage," it said.

Over the past three years, one of the key management focuses has been paying down the debt built up in the Wegener acquisition. Collins Stewart said: "Cash restructuring costs have been high and have significantly masked the strong cash generating capabilities of the business. We believe that this will become strongly apparent in 2011, when we expect to see rapid debt pay-down."

Are you interested in a career in the media industry? Telegraph Jobs currently has 27 Media and Publishing vacancies listed

share merger, trinity mirror, sky news, mirror group, daily mirror, cash generation, chief david, group chief, rsquo, sir ian, relative strength, key management, wegener, alasdair, pan european, downturn, board meeting, underpinning, locke, backdrop
qtdz
Telegraph.co.uk

Our World

photo

Our World

Remember your world.....

Tags

scotland

beach

lighthouse

sea

clouds

freedom

nature

Angel

North

AngeloftheNorth

AntonyGormleyqtdz
Flickr.com

martes, 11 de enero de 2011

Chinook

photo

Chinook

Tags

Papua New Guinea

helicopter

jundy

5DmkII

chopper

chinook

jundytiu

blue sky

clouds

5Dmk2

red

135 f2L

motionqtdz
Flickr.com