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Whereas most technology conferences hearken back to the days of the school science fair, the Macworld Conference and Expo is more akin to the senior prom. Actually, it’s even bigger than that: Think your first U2 concert or the Super Bowl.
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Channel plays MST3K episodes 24 hours a day
Mike Cohen
Leading Jewish Peace Group Calls for US Action to Promote Gaza Ceasefire
Article seen in Broward For Obama mailing list (read original):
Statement by Jeremy Ben-Ami, Executive Director, on Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza
While this morning’s air strikes by Israeli Defense Forces in Gaza can be understood and even justified in the wake of recent rocket attacks, we believe that real friends of Israel recognize that escalating the conflict will prove counterproductive, igniting further anger in the region and damaging long-term prospects for peace and stability.
Respecting Israel’s right to defend itself, we urge leaders there to recognize that there is no military solution to what is fundamentally a political conflict between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. Read the full statement here.
Today’s IDF strikes will deepen the cycle of violence in the region. Retaliation is inevitable, though we don’t know how far the violence will spread or how many more Israelis and Palestinians will die and suffer in the days and weeks to come.
We call for immediate, strong diplomatic intervention by the United States, the Quartet and allies in the region to negotiate a resumption of the ceasefire which dramatically reduced violence and preserved quiet for over five months.
The United States, the Quartet, and the world community must not wait – as they did in the Israel-Lebanon crisis of 2006 – for weeks to pass and hundreds or thousands more to die before intervening. There needs to be an urgent end to the new hostilities that brings a complete cessation to the rocket fire out of Gaza and that allows food, fuel and other civilian necessities into Gaza.
The need for diplomatic engagement goes beyond a short-term ceasefire. Eight years of American neglect and ineffective diplomacy have led us directly to a moment when the prospects of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict hang in the balance and with them the prospects for Israel’s long-term survival as a Jewish, democratic state.
We urge the incoming Obama administration to lead an early and serious effort to achieve a comprehensive diplomatic resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian and Arab-Israeli conflicts.
This is a fundamental American interest as we too stand to suffer as the situation spirals, rage in the region is directed at the United States, and our regional allies are further undermined. Our goals must be a Middle East that moves beyond bloody conflicts, an Israel that is secure and accepted in the region, and an America secured by reducing extremism and enhancing stability. None of these goals are achieved by further escalation.
Even in the heat of battle, as friends and supporters of Israel, we need to remember that only diplomacy and negotiations can end the rockets and terror and bring Israel long-term security and peace.
Despite my Jewish heritage, I’m a very strong supporter of Palestinian independence and self-determination. The way Israel treats their Arab citizens is horrific, maybe even worse than South Africa under Apartheid.
Not making the same mistake
I know it’s silly, but my mother believed that you should tie a red ribbon in a new car for protection and good luck. The Prius was the first car with which I didn’t do it, and I had more trouble with it than I’ve ever had with any car I owned. Today I salvaged a red ribbon from a gift and tied it to the rearview mirror in my new car.
App Store has gas
The top paid application in the App Store is iFart Mobile, one of more than a dozen apps that create flatulent sound effects. The developer posted his sales figures, which shows sales of over 5000 copies a day.
Maybe iDjembe would sell better if it made fart sounds.
links for 2008-12-24
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Weather & sunset cam from downtown Vancouver
Getting perfect white balance
When you’re shooting in mixed light, most camera’s automatic white balance can give incorrect or inconsistent results. The most accurate way to get the correct white balance is by measuring it. Most photographers carry a gray card for measuring & setting white balance, but Photojojo has something a lot more convenient: the white balance lens cap.
Instead of carrying around something extra, simply replace your lens cap with the white balance lens cap. Before you start shooting in a new location, measure the light and set the white balance. Then remove the lens cap and shoot normally.
On a D90, press the white balance button and turn the command dial until it shows PRE. release the white balance button and press it again and hold until PRE starts blinking. Set the camera to automatic exposure and snap a picture (which will be solid white/gray). The display will flash GOOD if it was able to successfully capture a reference image. That’s it – you can now shoot normally.
Here are two sample images, taken with automatic white balance and measured white balance, both with no adjustments. The wall is off-white and the lighting is a halogen lamp.
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| Automatic white balance | Measured white balance |
links for 2008-12-22
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There are few lighting situations trickier than Christmas morning, with a cacophony of lighting sources competing to confuse your camera. So as you get ready for the veritable Olympics of personal digital photography, consider these five tips for taking better pictures.
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When the fanatics of Palestine won that victory, and when Judaism repudiated Athens for Jerusalem, the development of the whole of humanity was terribly retarded.