20071103_IMG_9540.jpg
Worlds End State Park
Tags
PENNSYLVANIA STATE PARKS
WORLDS END SP
Forksville
Pennsylvania
United States
jueves, 30 de junio de 2011
Lyndoch
Lyndoch
Abandoned. Strangely, if I went any closer, the camera would stop working.
Tags
architecture
abandoned
Lyndoch
South Australia
colonial
HDR
miércoles, 29 de junio de 2011
At Hungry Jack's
martes, 28 de junio de 2011
Sneaky little slim-down tricks from top weight-control experts
By Maureen Callahan, MS, RD for Health magazine
Start smart
Begin lunch and dinner with a veggie-rich salad or broth-based soup, says Pennsylvania State University satiety expert Barbara Rolls, author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan. “That lets you fill up first on a big volume of low-calorie food and ends up displacing some of the foods you’ll eat next—the choices that are usually higher in calories.”
Sneak a snack
“Ten minutes before each meal, eat some healthy fat (around 70 calories or fewer): a handful of nuts, a few slices of avocado, or a spoonful of peanut butter, for example. That helps activate ghrelin, a hormone that lets you know you’re full,” says Michael Roizin, MD, co-author with Mehmet Oz, MD, of You on a Diet: The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management.
Health.com: 5 snacks that won't ruin your supper
Try the 3-hour rule
“The secret to losing weight comes down to keeping your metabolism alive and active,” according to fitness guru Jorge Cruise, author of The 3-Hour Diet. How do you do that? By eating every 3 hours, give or take 10 to 20 minutes, he says, which translates to three moderate meals with three snacks (100 calories each) between meals. Though other experts say there’s nothing magic about 3-hour intervals, eating small, frequent, portion-controlled meals and snacks can keep your blood sugar level steady, your energy up, and keep you from overindulging.
Have liquid assets
“If you’re going to drink anything with calories (i.e., fruit juice, soda, sweetened coffee and tea, or alcohol), you need to consciously adjust your diet to accommodate those extra calories,” says Purdue University nutrition researcher Richard Mattes, PhD. His research shows that people typically make adjustments to eat fewer calories over the course of a day after eating a solid food like jelly beans, but not after drinking the same amount of calories in a glass of soda. And if you want to replace sweetened drinks with their calorie-free counterparts, rethink it. Some research suggests that people who drink no- or low-calorie drinks might actually end up eating more, Mattes says. The best thirst quencher—and a dieter’s best friend—is still plain old H2O.
Health.com: Trying to lose weight? Drink more water
Choose your pals wisely
Studies show that most of us base how much we eat on what others around us eat, says University of Toronto psychologist Peter Herman, PhD. So steer clear of the big eaters in your social circle, at least when food is around. Sashay over and make small talk at parties with the folks who aren’t hovering near the food table. “Marching to your own caloric drummer requires some independent thought and calculation,” Herman says.
Pare portions
Everything from beverages to bagels is two to five times bigger today than in the 1970s, says New York University nutrition professor Lisa Young, PhD, author of Portion Teller, who has studied the servings dished up in restaurants and by food companies. “So if you grab a bagel or eat out, chances are you’ll be served double what you need,” she says. Her advice: Start leaving just a little bit on your plate or, if you can, cut the amount you eat in half. She also suggests that you “use your hand as a portion guide—3 ounces of meat fits into your palm, 1 cup of potatoes looks like a fist.”
Health.com: 8 tips for controlling portion sizes
Be an early bird
Eat the most food earlier in the day, says Elisabetta Politi, nutrition manager at Duke Diet and Fitness Center, Duke University’s successful weight-management center. “Many dieters try to trim calories from their breakfast and lunch and then get hungry,” she says. “Research shows the calories you eat earlier in the day help you eat less at night” —a good idea since you probably won’t be active after an evening meal.
Step it up
“Get a pedometer and start walking,” says University of Colorado obesity expert James Hill, author of The Step Diet. To keep the weight off forever, the goal is to take 10,000 steps a day. “You don’t need to do it all at once,” Hill explains. Start with 2,000 steps a day, or about 15 minutes of walking. Add another 5 minutes (500 steps) each week. You can find supercheap pedometers at drugstores and big-box retailers to help you keep count. There are lots of other sneaky little ways to add more steps to your day, too: Use a cordless phone and walk while you talk, or get up and walk during TV commercials.
Health.com: 9 ways to sneak in more exercise
Think thin
“Seeing is believing,” says Janice Taylor, weight-loss coach and author of Our Lady of Weight Loss. “You have to picture yourself thin if you want to become thin.” Visualize what you’re wearing, where you are, who you are with, and how you feel. “The more vivid the picture, the more real it will feel to you,” Taylor says, “and the more likely it will take form.”
Shula Lazarus, PhD, a psychotherapist at the North Carolina–based weight-management program Structure House, agrees, though the method isn’t clinically proven. “We use it to help dieters visualize a healthy eating pattern and the right portions on their plate. It can’t hurt, and it might help.”
Fill up on fiber
Crowd out calorie-dense foods by ratcheting up on fruits and veggies. “Start by eating one more serving of fruit and one more vegetable a day,” says Donald Hensrud, MD, a Mayo Clinic nutrition specialist. Hitting that mid-afternoon slump? Reach for carrots—the carbs will give you a lift. Not only does munching on nature’s bounty become a good habit, but it’ll also help you tap into dozens of disease-fighting phytochemicals and vitamins. The biggest fiber bulker-upper: beans. Just a cup of black beans nets you nearly 15 grams of filling fiber.
Health.com: Fill up on fiber
Brush your teeth
Sometimes the best advice comes from your best friend or, in this case, a fellow Health reader. Barbara Haug of Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, says she brushes her teeth right after dinner instead of at bedtime. “I can be a compulsive snacker in the evening,” she says, “but I don’t like messing up freshly brushed teeth.”
mehmet oz md, richard mattes, maureen callahan, blood sugar level, nutrition researcher, pennsylvania state university, volumetrics eating plan, fitness guru, jorge cruise, purdue university, liquid assets, low calorie food, university nutrition, course of a day, ms rd, researc, satiety, coffee and tea, jelly beans, solid food
lunes, 27 de junio de 2011
neat
neat
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Drinks at Gol Gol Hotel
Drinks at Gol Gol Hotel
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2005
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domingo, 26 de junio de 2011
Ohno Wins Another Medal
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – It was lucky number eight for American Apolo Anton Ohno, who broke his own record Winter Olympic medal haul on Friday night with a bronze in the 5,000 meter short track relay.
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Getty Images
Bronze medalist Apolo Ohno holds up eight fingers to signify his tally of Olympic medals.
For the most decorated American Winter Olympian ever, an eighth medal could be a perfect career cap. Mr. Ohno skates with the number eight on his boots, and started a nutritional supplement company called Eight Zone.
During the medal ceremony, he formed the number eight with his fingers for the cameras. "This has been quite the epic journey," he said.
Canada took the gold in a clean race that had an unusual five teams, instead of four, on the track simultaneously. Korea won silver. Less than 0.3 seconds separated the first and third.
The U.S. team's bronze-medal win gives the U.S. 34 medals in hand, with two more assured in men's ice hockey and men's long-track team pursuit. That gives Team USA no less than 36 medals for these Games -- equaling the record for most medals won by a single nation at an Olympic Winter Games, which was set by Germany in Salt Lake City.
The U.S. was a dark horse in the short track relay, since Mr. Ohno had long been considered the team's only world-class skater. But Mr. Ohno was helped in the relay by the emergence of a new American star, 19-year-old J.R. Celski.
The U.S. team had been behind much of the race, but a final shove by Mr. Celski pushed Mr. Ohno – and the team -- into third place. "Right when I did that, I knew he could handle business from there," said Mr. Celski, who won two bronze medals in Vancouver.
He downplayed comparisons between himself and Mr. Ohno. "I don't feel that any torch is being passed off. I was just happy to be out here and have fun," he said.
With his three-medal haul in Vancouver, the 27-year-old Mr. Ohno proved he was not too old to compete seriously. "I'm in the best shape of my life. I feel the best I've ever skated," he said.
Earlier on Friday, he nearly came in second in the 500 meter race, but was disqualified after bumping into Canadian Francois-Louis Tremblay in the final seconds of the race.
"I had so much speed. I put my hand up to not run into the Canadian in front of me. I guess the judge saw something we didn't see," he said. "In this sport, I learned over many years and through life in general that you only have control over certain things."
These Games may mark the end of the road for Mr. Ohno's speed skating career. In addition to his company, he is also a TV star off the ice through appearances on shows such as "Dancing With The Stars."
Following Friday night's relay, he wasn't ready to discuss what's next. "I'm not thinking anything past tomorrow," he said. Asked whether he would retire, he responded, "It's too early to say."
"I never say never. This sport has been so good to me. But I will tell you I would definitely take a long break – a needed one."
Write to Geoffrey A. Fowler at geoffrey.fowler@wsj.com
apolo anton ohno, apolo ohno, olympic winter games, winter olympic medal, nutritional supplement company, olympic medals, image getty, eight fingers, vancouver british columbia, bronze medals, eighth medal, epic journey, medal haul, medal ceremony, team pursuit, number eight, american star, salt lake city, lucky number, winter games
sábado, 25 de junio de 2011
viernes, 24 de junio de 2011
paysage des Cvennes
paysage des Cvennes
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paysage
Cvennes
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jueves, 23 de junio de 2011
Hummingbirds 2011
miércoles, 22 de junio de 2011
Summit Snow Dome
The view of the summit of Limestone Mountain, a large rounded snow dome. In the background is Mount Arrowsmith.
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mountain
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mount arrowsmith, snow dome, summit
boats
boats
At the river locks. Gta Canal in Trollhttan. Around midsummer, 10PM is still golden hour. ;-)
Please do press "L" to view it large on black, it's much better that way.
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bt
btar
river
locks
slussarna
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Trollhttan
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golden hour, quot
martes, 21 de junio de 2011
Greek Leader Faces Key Confidence Vote
ATHENS—Prime Minister George Papandreou faces a crucial vote of confidence in parliament late Tuesday as the government tries to shore up support for its economic reforms amid growing popular discontent over a fresh wave of austerity measures.
The vote, which is expected at midnight local time (5 p.m. ET), comes just days after a mass protest over new government cutbacks shook Greece's political establishment and touched off a revolt within the ruling Socialist party.
In an effort to assuage both public opinion and the party rank-and-file, Mr. Papandreou reshuffled his cabinet Friday, sacking his unpopular finance minister, who was seen as the architect of the austerity measures.
More...
EU Links Greek Aid to Budget Cuts
Analysts say the move has helped rally the Socialists—who control 155 seats in Greece's 300 member parliament—and is likely to pave the way for parliamentary approval of the new measures in a separate vote expected later this month.
View Full Image
Thierry Roge/Reuters
Greece's Prime Minister George Papandreou spoke to the media after a meeting at the EU Council in Brussels on Monday.
"I don't see any surprises coming tonight. Papandreou will get his vote of confidence, the cabinet reshuffle helped unify his party," said Anthony Livanios, an independent political analyst. "And with a vote of confidence, he will be able to pass the austerity measures as well."
In May last year, Greece narrowly avoided default with the help of a €110 billion bailout from its fellow euro-zone members and the International Monetary Fund. But still facing prohibitively high borrowing costs on international markets, Greece now needs another €100 billion or so in fresh loans to cover its borrowing needs for the next three years.
As a quid-pro-quo for that second aid package—but also for Greece to receive the next quarterly disbursement of its existing loan—the government must pass a new, five-year, €28 billion austerity program and related privatization plan.
On Monday, European finance ministers meeting in Luxembourg put off a final decision on that second aid package until July 11. But the ministers promised to disburse the next tranche of the existing loan early next month—once Greece's parliament approved the new measures.
The IMF, which is providing about a quarter of Greece's total loan, warned starkly in a report Monday that failure to address Greece's debt crisis "threatens to overwhelm" Europe's broader economic recovery.
A visiting troika of European Union, IMF and European Central Bank officials began a two-day visit to Athens earlier Tuesday to check on last-minute changes to the government's five-year program.
"The troika visit is taking place at a technical level and will be to see whether some recent changes in the overall package still conform with what Greece has promised its lenders," said a finance ministry official.
Greece's two major umbrella unions, private-sector GSEE and its public-sector counterpart ADEDY, incensed over the austerity measures, have called for a rally outside parliament later Tuesday.
Greece's militant power-sector workers' union, Genop, has also begun an open-ended strike against the government's privatization plans.
At the same time, thousands of ordinary Greek workers, middle-class citizens and retirees indignant over the cutbacks are also expected to stage a mass protest outside parliament ahead of the vote.
—Riva Froymovich, Matthew Dalton and Charles Forelle contributed to this article.
austerity measures, george papandreou, mr papandreou, austerity program, cabinet reshuffle, privatization plan, vote of confidence, member parliament, international monetary fund, mass protest, government cutbacks, party rank, zone members, parliamentary approval, political establishment, roge, s 300, finance minister, political analyst, euro zone
lunes, 20 de junio de 2011
colosseo [colosseum] 3.17.10 - 79
Today's Sports on Air
Baseball
2 p.m.
College World Series:north carolina vs. Texas
ESPN
7 p.m.
College World Series:Vanderbilt vs. Florida
ESPN2
7 p.m.
Yankees at Reds
YES, WCBS (880 AM)
7 p.m.
NY-Penn: Aberdeen at Cyclones
SNY, WKRB (90.3 FM)
Tennis
7 a.m.
Wimbledon: Early rounds
ESPN2
Horse Racing
12:25 p.m.
Parx
Ch. 71
1:15 p.m.
Delaware Park
Ch. 71
7:10 p.m.
Yonkers
Ch. 71
wcbs 880 am, wkrb, college world series, baseball2, m college, wimbledon, vanderbilt, world series, aberdeen, yankees, delaware, north carolina
domingo, 19 de junio de 2011
IMG_5014 I Don't See Any Land
IMG_5014 I Don't See Any Land
Lisa tries to hide from the wind and look for land, but there's no sight of the Baja Peninsula.
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lisa
water
view
curve
sapphireprincess
cruiseship
ship
princesscruises
travel
cruise
mexicanriviera
sábado, 18 de junio de 2011
Inlay at Hagia Sophia
photo" width="470" height="640">
Inlay at Hagia Sophia
With this photo I hoped to capture two beautiful aspects of this church turned mosque turned museum: its great age and its intricate artworks.
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turkey
canon sx100
istanbul
point and shoot
building
history
church
mosque
museum
inlay
arch
door
stone
tile
inlay, artworks, mosque, photo
viernes, 17 de junio de 2011
Cowboy
jueves, 16 de junio de 2011
French Banks Warned on Greek Debt
PARIS—Europe's sovereign-debt crisis washed closer to U.S. shores Wednesday after Moody's Investors Service warned it may downgrade three French banks that rely heavily on U.S. money funds for short-term financing.
Moody's cited the banks' exposure to Greek debt, and added that it may do the same to other euro-zone banks.
The three banks—BNP Paribas SA, Crédit Agricole SA and Société Générale SA—have all said recently that their exposure to Greece remains manageable. Analysts say a Greek default would cause them only small declines in the capital ratios used to measure financial strength. Shares in the three banks all fell 2.5% or more on Wednesday.
View Full Image
Michael Debets / Demotix
Two man queueing at an ATM outside a branch of the Emporiki Bank, part of French bank Crédit Agricole. The branch is closed due to a general strike in Greece. Moody's has warned of possible downgrades to French banks due to their exposure to Greek sovereign debt.
Still, the warning from Moody's followed heightened fears over the prospect of a disorderly Greek default, and its impact across financial markets. Investors have begun assessing the so-called contagion risk on global markets should European officials be unable to reach any agreement on how Greece's debt should be restructured.
One place many have been looking is the U.S. money markets, where massive funds buy up short-term debt of sovereign nations, banks and companies.
In recent years, some European banks have been some of the biggest borrowers in these markets. According to Fitch Ratings, as of February, 44.3% of assets at the 10 largest prime money market funds were invested in short-term loans to European banks.
BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole and Société Générale have been among the biggest borrowers. As of May 31, those three plus another French bank, Natixis, had about $91 billion in outstanding debt with the top U.S. funds, or about 12% of total assets of the funds, Fitch estimated.
While the Moody's downgrade warning didn't impact the credit ratings on the banks' short-term borrowings, and investors for now aren't concerned about any fallout from the warning, the agency's announcement was a reminder of how financial markets remain deeply intertwined.
Money funds are only permitted to buy the highest-rated short-term debt. If those ratings appear under threat, money funds would quickly stop buying the debt, closing off a vital means of financing for the banks.
While many money managers have moved to curb their Europe exposure in recent months, the downgrade could prompt another wave of credit analysis among managers, said Brian Reid, chief economist for the Investment Company Institute, a Washington-based trade organization. "As new information comes to the market, asset managers are going to assess the risk of what they're invested in," Mr. Reid says. "You've already seen a general market pullback."
Some of the banks may now find some investors are willing to lend for shorter periods, said Alex Roever, money market strategist at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. in New York.
The three French banks, which all declined to comment on the Moody's decision, are exposed to Greece in two ways: holdings of government debt and their own business activities in Greece.
The latest data from the Bank for International Settlements show that French banks have the largest overall exposure to Greece, totaling $56.7 billion, compared with $33.97 billion for German banks.
More
MarketBeat: Moody's: Big French Banks May Have Bad Greek Exposure
As of March 31, BNP's overall exposure to Greece was €5 billion; Crédit Agricole's was €21.7 billion, and Société Générale's was €5.9 billion, according to Moody's.
"What has changed is the risk of default of the Greek government," Nicholas Hill, senior credit officer at Moody's, said in an interview. "That raises direct and indirect consequences for the banks that are exposed to Greece."
For now, the affirmation by Moody's that the banks' short-term rating would remain intact "has been viewed positively by short-term investors," said Chris Conetta, head of global commercial paper trading at Barclays Capital.
Mr. Conetta said the banks' short-term paper was in demand on Wednesday.
"I think the market will stay very calm on these specific French banks," Mr. Conetta said. "They are large banks which have experience in the market and have been long-time issuers in the CP market. If anything, some investors may follow the usual pattern and buy CP with shorter maturities until Moody's finishes their review of the credit ratings."
The top French banks are able to borrow for three months at rates below 0.25%, traders said.
Moody's said Société Générale, unlike the other two banks, was under threat of a two-notch downgrade because of a technical review of the potential support it might get from institutions such as the French government or the European Central Bank.
Société Générale postponed the sale of a planned yen bond in Japan, known as a samurai bond, following the Moody's report, according to two people familiar with the planned deal.
—Mary Pilon, Min Zeng, Natasha Brereton-Fukui and William Horobin contributed to this article.
Write to Matt Phillips at matt.phillips@wsj.com, Elena Berton at elena.berton@dowjones.com and Sebastian Moffett at sebastian.moffett@wsj.com
short term loans, french banks, money market funds, bnp paribas, capital ratios, european banks, emporiki bank, investors service, french bank, money funds, short term financing, european officials, sovereign nations, sovereign debt, debt crisis, fitch ratings, money markets, euro zone, queueing, contagion
Art Exhibition
Art Exhibition
Think I'll wrap up my Bournemouth shots with this one.
Bournemouth, dorset, UK
11 June 2011
© 2011 darren lehane
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people
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street
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c darren lehane
lifecity, dorset, photography
miércoles, 15 de junio de 2011
ISTANBUL by Wolfgang Wildner
ISTANBUL by Wolfgang Wildner
ISTANBUL, turkey,
by Wolfgang Wildner
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Istanbul
Trkei
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Trkiye Cumhuriyeti
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Asien
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Konglomerat
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Wolfgang Wildner
Mann
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House
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wolfgang, istanbul, turkey
Radio days.
Radio days.
Nungwi, Zanzibar.
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ZANZIBAR
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Africa
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people
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beach
sea
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travel
Nikon
BeboFlickr
nature
martes, 14 de junio de 2011
Olympics Draw Refugees
![[olyref]](http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-HS952_olyref_F_20100303191314.jpg)
Getty Images
Spectators watch the Closing Ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics.
The Vancouver Olympics has had one curious byproduct: refugees. Canada has received seven requests for asylum from foreign Olympics spectators so far—including two from Japan, one from Russia and four from Hungary. If past trends are any indication, that number could increase.
The flurry of asylum applicants underscores Canada's reputation as an easy place to ask for refuge: Nearly anyone can do it, as long as they have entered the country and haven't been identified as an international security risk.
That ease has prompted a surge in asylum applications in recent years, from a list of countries that include Mexico, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Canada received nearly 34,000 requests for asylum in the past year, according to the Immigration and Refugee Board. Some 61,000 such applications were pending as of the end of December, the highest ever under the current system.
Asylum seekers generally apply under the standard definition of a refugee as laid out by the United Nations, meaning they fear persecution at home based on factors such as race, religion, politics or membership in a persecuted group, often gays or lesbians.
Those who can't prove they are truly in danger of persecution are sent home—as some 60% of applicants have been in recent years. But applicants are allowed to stay in Canada, with full benefits, until they get a hearing, which could take years.
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said on a Canadian politics television show Tuesday: "It is a pretty obvious signal to people that they can come make a claim, get welfare benefits, get a work permit, stay here sometimes for years, and try to get permanent residency.''
Canada has tried to stem the rush by making it harder for citizens of top refugee producers to get in. In July, Citizenship and Immigration Canada started requiring visas for travelers from Mexico, which ranked No. 1 last year with 9,296 asylum requests. (It has a 9% acceptance rate.) Mexico slapped visa requirements on Canadian diplomats and officials in return.
The same month, Canada reimposed a visa requirement on then-No. 2-ranked Czech Republic, noting that nearly 3,000 refugee claims had been filed by Czech nationals in the roughly two years during which visas hadn't been required.
International sporting events have been magnets for refugee claims. Canada received 1,390 refugee claims associated with the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, and 1,592 from the 2001 Francophone Games in Ottawa and Gatineau, Quebec, said Johanne Nadeau, a spokeswoman for Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
Write to Phred Dvorak at phred.dvorak@wsj.com
citizenship and immigration canada, immigration and refugee board, refugees canada, immigration and refugee, asylum requests, asylum seekers, asylum applications, citizenship and immigration, asylum applicants, definition of a refugee, immigration minister, welfare benefits, jason kenney, security risk, permanent residency, canadian politics, byproduct, international security, current system, list of countries
lunes, 13 de junio de 2011
The Setting Sun - (Venice, Italy)
The Setting Sun - (Venice, Italy)
Bored? Killing time at work? Here's the way I see it:
By liking the Blame The Monkey Facebook Page or following me on Twitter, I'm helping you, help me, help you, by helping (us) waste a few more pesky seconds at work before the end of the damn day.
---
2 bottle minimum:
When I arrived in Venice last week, I was exhausted. I really didn’t want to do anything. -- This is rare for me too. I’m usually always amped up to go shooting. -- So knowing that I had a few days to get the shots I wanted, I resolved to grab a few cheap bottles of wine and call it a day.
Before I went out though, I decided to check the weather. You know, just to help mentally plan the next few days of shooting... And then...
##@^^#@#ER#$# ARRGGHHH!!!! The forecast called for the next 10 days of solid rain! WTF?! Really?!
To make a long (and angry) story short, this is one of the few photos that I shot last week in Venice, Italy. It was also one of the only spouts of real sun in a 10 day rainy spell.
On a little side note however, it turns out that my camera bag fits 2 bottles of wine inside the pockets. ;)
* To read more click here
---
For HDR Tips, Tutorials, and Technical Mumbo Jumbo, visit: www.blamethemonkey.com
* All comments are welcome & Monkey Business is strongly encouraged. If you have questions, I would love to hear them. Thanks for viewing!
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venice
venezia
italy
italia
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D700
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tonemapped
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photo
pic
Travel
travel photo
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Eli Locardi
Elia Locardi
Blame the Monkey
venice italy, killing time at work, monkey business, 2 bottles, setting sun, spouts, mumbo, pockets online, few days, amp, wine, rain, weather, photos
domingo, 12 de junio de 2011
Panagia Ekatontapiliani Fresco
Panagia Ekatontapiliani Fresco
Tags
Art and Craft
Building
Europe
Greece
Painting
Paros
Places
sábado, 11 de junio de 2011
113473758OdNxdK_ph
113473758OdNxdK_ph
Markets of PNG
global-citizen-01.blogspot.com
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markets
png
papua
new
guinea
travel
highlands
melanesia
fruit
vegetable
chimbu
snowboard in the park
snowboard in the park
Ilford hp5 400@1600
development r09 1+50
Pentax super ME
revuenon 50mm 1.4
scanned from negative
Press L to enlarge
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snow
London
snowboard
park
night
analog
vintage
low key
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bianco e nero
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white film pentax pentax
super
ME
revuenon
50mm
iso
asa
1600
ilford
hp5
r09
viernes, 10 de junio de 2011
Castres - river
Castres - river
Looking at the shops and houses along the river in Castres, France.
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Houses
Medieval Restaurant
Shops
Water
Blue Sky
River
Buildings
Restaurant le Medieval
French Town
Urban
Town
Bridge
Castres
D300
EU
Europe
FR
France
Midi-Pyrenees
Midi-Pyrnes
Nikon
Nikon D300
Tarn
Sigma
Sigma Lens
18 - 50mm
Wideangle
Fast Lens
Sigma 18 - 50mm Lens
18 - 50mm Lens
Zoom
castres france, 50mm
Serpentine
Serpentine
Carpathians
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Carpathians
PHOTOGRAPHY EXCELLENCE
Summer
Ukraine
beautiful earth
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blue
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colorful
colors
d90
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green
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outside the city
photo
photography
road
roads
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jueves, 9 de junio de 2011
evening over Kiev
evening over Kiev
Kiev, Ukraine
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Kiev
PHOTOGRAPHY EXCELLENCE
area
buildings
calm evening
capital
city
city views
clouds
color
d90
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landmark
photo
photography
set
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sunset
miércoles, 8 de junio de 2011
Booking Spontaneity, at a Price
![[SURP1]](http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/NY-AZ495A_SURP1_G_20110606201200.jpg)
Daniella Zalcman for The Wall Street Journal
Aerialist Seanna Sharpe instructs Hirak and Millie Biswas during a one-hour cloud trapeze class.
Millie and Hirak Biswas arrived at a Williamsburg, Brooklyn, street corner one night last week, following vague instructions that offered little hint at what was in store for the evening.
They were told to wear comfortable clothes and warned that they would spend time barefoot. It was little to go on, but the couple had theories. Perhaps they would be swimming or playing some kind of sport.
They weren't even close.
A young woman with a knowing smile met the couple and led them to a tall oak tree inside McCarren Park. There, she suspended them from 30 feet of silk rope. And so began the couple's private trapeze lesson.
The Manhattan couple had paid $50 apiece for an evening of the unexpected with Surprise Industries, a company that plans spontaneous activities for its willing customers.
"Every weekend we know what we will be doing ahead of time—birthday parties, dinner with friends. We wanted to do something where we didn't know what was coming," said Ms. Biswas, a 28-year-old consultant. "It breaks the routine and gets a new energy flowing."
Secretive activities have long captivated New Yorkers, particularly the types who love to flaunt their knowledge of a phantom lounge underneath a taco stand or a tiny bar behind an unmarked door. The planners behind Surprise Industries take that love of the unknown and make it available to anyone with a free night.
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Daniella Zalcman for The Wall Street Journal
In McCarren Park, aerialist Seanna Sharpe instructs Millie Biswas during a cloud trapeze class. Far left, Hirak Biswas, who is afraid of heights.
The company's three founders started up two years ago, a passion project supplemented by more traditional careers. Co-founder Tania Luna, a 25-year-old psychology instructor at Hunter College, said the company's revenue doubled to $100,000 in its second year and is on track to double again in 2011.
"We have people saying, 'I will pay whatever, can you create this mind-altering experience?'" Ms. Luna said.
View Full Image
Daniella Zalcman for The Wall Street Journal
Prior to the event, Millie and Hirak Biswas were given vague instructions that offered little hint at what was in tore for the evening.
The Surprise team has planned just more than 1,000 experiences to date. They start at $25 a person for such activities as pottery classes, wine tastings and kayaking jaunts. For more elaborate outings—flights in a helicopter, trips to a shooting range and a beer-tasting/tango-class combo—the company charges upwards of $75. (The Biswases got their $50 surprise as part of a holiday special.)
Surprise Industries is one of many New York businesses seeking to capitalize on the allure of the unexpected. In the retail world, marketers have for years used flash sales, pop-up stores and Twitter campaigns to excite consumers.
Such limited-time offerings, along with the city's unending tide of new restaurants, new clubs, new shops and new people, eventually leave us numb, said Dr. LeeAnn Renninger, a psychologist who studies surprise and is writing a book on the topic with Ms. Luna. Dr. Renninger calls this "change blindness" and says it is a reason why truly unexpected events are more rewarding.
"We drift from day to day. One of the elements that helps us to feel really alive in the moment is surprise," she said.
Unexpected twists tap the human body's reward system and send a surge of dopamine into the bloodstream. That reaction "not only feels awesome but also makes us feel more bonded to the people around us and those who experienced that moment with us," Dr. Renninger said.
Deep-pocketed New Yorkers with a boundless appetite can opt for Surprise Industries' upcoming product, dubbed "Blow Your Mind." For $10,000, the company will create a weeklong series of surprises, something akin to a real-life version of "The Game," a film in which a character played by Michael Douglas becomes ensnared by an elaborate surprise company. (The experience is similar to the movie "but not creepy," Ms. Luna said.)
Even modest surprises can feel risky, which is part of their appeal. The trapeze lesson, for instance, might not be everyone's idea of a good time—including, as it turns out, Mr. Biswas, a 29-year-old bond trader who is afraid of heights.
"I saw him freaking out, but I know that he loved it," Ms. Biswas said while her husband hung upside down from a nearby tree.
The outing left the couple exhausted and sore, but exhilarated. "We never would have done this if we knew what it was," Ms. Biswas said, "but I really feel great."
silk rope, williamsburg brooklyn, passion project, psychology instructor, mccarren park, hirak, brooklyn street, spontaneous activities, biswas, traditional careers, tiny bar, aerialist, dinner with friends, afraid of heights, seanna, hunter college, tall oak tree, millie, new energy, sharpe
You Belong to Me
You Belong to Me
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Califorina
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Santa Cruz Boardwalk
Santa Cruz County
USA
United States
United States of America
ride
martes, 7 de junio de 2011
Jalan Jenderal Sudirman - Yogyakarta (Java - Indonesia)
Jalan Jenderal Sudirman - Yogyakarta (Java - Indonesia)
Jalan Jenderal Sudirman 09/03/2011 17h31
Walking on the Jalan Jenderal Sudriman crossing a bridge over a river or canal without a name but with a serious flooding problem at the moment I was there. No clue if this had anything to do with the eruptions of Mount Merapi. But that is the only thing I can think of.
I was on my way to a McDonald's restaurant at 400 meters from our hotel. Just for some photos.
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Asia
Indonesia
Java
Jawa
Jawa Tengah
Central Java
Yogyakarta
City
Urban
Jalan Jenderal Sudirman
Jalan
Jenderal
Sudirman
Houses
River
Sungai
Flooding
Water
Stream
Canal
March
2011
Meteorry
jalan jenderal sudirman, mount merapi, java indonesia ebook download, yogyakarta, clue, mcdonald, bridge, photos
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