I don't know why a Washington think-tank hasn't snatched up celebrity gossip suckhound Perez Hilton. The man is obviously a wordsmith as well as an intellectual. Responding to Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, who questioned President Obama's pro-abortion stance saying, "The question is, and this is what Barack Obama didn't want to answer, is that human life a person under the Constitution?..And Barack Obama says no. Well if that human life is not a person then I find it almost remarkable for a black man to say 'now we are going to decide who are people and who are not people," Mr. Hilton writes, "Dear Rick Santorum...This sucks. Wow. Just wow. What makes him think that anything about what he says is okay?" See here.
Obviously Senator Santorum has hit a nerve in the liberal anti-life community, a community which claims to be interested in civil rights while denying the civil rights of the unborn. It was Lisa Graas, a former lobbyist for Kentucky Right to Life, who framed this issue so eloquently:
"...it’s clear that had the Dred Scott decision been allowed to stand, our world would be a far different place right now and there would be no black candidate serving in elected office anywhere in this nation, let alone running for president. Indeed, Senator Barack Obama, who claims it was the Civil Rights movement of the sixties that is responsible for his being conceived, may never have been born. How ironic, then, that Mr. Obama is such a staunch supporter of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that did the same thing to children in the womb that Dred Scott did to people of African descent – stripped them of 'personhood' status under the law."
As Dr. Germain Grisez has said, "Abortion and its legalization are great evils. They differ in some ways from the mass murders carried out under Stalin, Hitler, and others, but also in some ways are comparable to those crimes and in other ways even worse; because of the greater numbers being killed, their total innocence and defenselessness, the essential role played by those primarily responsible for nurturing the victims, the widespread support of this slaughter by both rulers and people in so-called liberal democratic nations, and the complicity in the killings of so many religious leaders, educators, people trained in law, health care professionals, people in the mass media, and so on..Everyone who recognizes the evils of abortion and its legalization should do something to oppose them."
Yes indeed. Mr. Hilton has a firm grasp of this issue. And I date supermodels on the weekend.
The six-member bipartisan group of U.S. senators, referred to as the Gang of Six. (AP) The Gang of Six is a noble idea. A consensus-driven, bipartisan working group on the deficit crisis, the coalition of three Republican and three Democratic lawmakers hashing out a compromise their colleagues can vote on is the sort of high-minded, honorable notion that is so rare in Washington these days.
The problem? It doesn’t appear to be working. While a report may still come, its release has been stalled, and one member of the so-called gang, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), abruptly announced Tuesday he would be rolling out his own offering. The talks have gotten so drawn out, one Democratic aide has said, they’re becoming less and less relevant. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid even forgot to include the group when he recently listed the competing plans for reducing the deficit. In the meantime, the White House and GOP lawmakers have begun talks on a deal that, at least as outlined, appears to have support from both sides. The plan, which would produce significant cuts in order to get the votes to raise the debt ceiling while postponing land mine issues such as Medicare until the 2012 election, will be like getting “a single or a double,” says Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), rather than a “grand slam” that would mirror his more radical budget overhaul. Hardly unbridled enthusiasm; but in Washington, it’s better than nothing.
As a result, it’s quite possible the Gang of Six’s report could be sidelined, or arrive too late. Such an outcome highlights the downsides of consensus-building, and to what extent a group of peers without a nominal leader have trouble making progress during emergency situations. While most leadership thinkers hail concessions and compromises as critical skills, there are times when it can actually hinder real progress, rather than bringing two sides together to move forward.
That appears to be what’s happening with the Gang of Six. There is a serious deadline, after all. If Congress does not vote to raise the debt ceiling by this summer—now Aug. 2, according to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner—the U.S. could default on its debt, sending the economy into a tailspin. And no Republican lawmaker is going to risk voting for such an action—no matter the consequences, they say—without some serious spending cuts that would help to bring down the deficit.
If they’re able to produce a report in the coming weeks, the Gang of Six’s bipartisan approach could be just the plan needed to bridge the revenue-versus-spending gap that so dominates this debate. But if they don’t do so quickly, they’re likely to be beat to the punch by the deal getting hashed out between the White House and the GOP. Unfortunately, the back-and-forth negotiations of an evenly split group without an apparent chairman may be too slow for the sort of pressing emergency deadline that this country faces over the debt ceiling.
The introduction of Nikon's new D700 may have been one of the worst kept secrets in an industry with more leaks than the Titanic, but it was still something of a surprise coming so hot on the heels of the D3 and D300. Essentially a D3 shrunk down and squeezed into a body roughly the same size as a D300, the D700 is Nikon's first 'compact' professional SLR, and in its segment of the market will compete with the recently announced Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Sony DSLR-A900.
The imaging side of the D700 is pretty much the same as the D3; it shares the acclaimed 12.1MP full frame ('FX') sensor and has the same processing engine, so we would presume output to be almost identical. The main differences (aside from being considerably smaller) are physical; there's a different shutter (good for 150,000 exposures rather than 300,000 on the D3), different viewfinder prism (with 95% coverage) and a slower burst rate. You also lose the rear LCD info panel (there's no room for it) and one of the D3's two CF card slots, but you do get a couple of extra features to soften the blow slightly; most notably a self-cleaning sensor and a built-in flash. We'll look a little more in-depth at the differences between the D3 and D700 in a moment.
The D700 joins the D3 as a fully-fledged 'professional' model; it has the same tank-like build quality (though we're sure the pop-up flash will cause a few raised eyebrows), and gets you the full pro service from Nikon. And the pricing (around $2999) reflects this; anyone hoping for an 'affordable' semi-pro full frame Nikon SLR will have to wait until the cost of producing such large sensors falls considerably.
ISO 200 - 6400 (with boost up to ISO 25600 and down to ISO 100)
Also supports DX lenses, viewfinder automatically masks (5.1 megapixels with DX lens)
14-bit A/D conversion, 12 channel readout
Same ultra-fast startup and shutter lag as D3
Nikon EXPEED image processor (Capture NX processing and NR algorithms, lower power)
New Kevlar / carbon fibre composite shutter with 150,000 exposure durability *
Multi-CAM3500FX Auto Focus sensor (51-point, 15 cross-type, more vertical coverage)
Auto-focus tracking by color (using information from 1005-pixel AE sensor)
95% coverage, 0.72x magnification viewfinder *
Auto-focus calibration (fine-tuning), fixed body or up to 20 separate lens settings
Scene Recognition System (uses AE sensor, AF sensor)
Picture Control image parameter presets
5 frames per second continuous with auto-focus tracking*
Optional MB-D10 Battery Pack (same as D300), increases burst rate to 8 fps *
UDMA compatible single CF card slot *
3.0" 922,000 pixel LCD monitor
Live View with either phase detect (mirror up/down) or contrast detect Auto Focus
Virtual horizon indicates if camera is level (like an aircraft cockpit display)
HDMI HD video output
'Active D-Lighting' (adjusts metering as well as applying D-Lighting curve)
Detailed 'Control Panel' type display on LCD monitor, changes color in darkness
Magnesium alloy body with connections and buttons sealed against moisture
Improved Info display on main screen *
* Different to D3
Nikon D700 vs D3: Key Differences
Although the D3 and D700 are essentially the same camera in a different form factor (the D700 being far closer to the D300 in design and control layout), there are a few important specification differences.
Smaller, lighter body *
Built-in iTTL flash (G.No 17 / ISO 200)
No rear information panel (new info display on main LCD)
D700 doesn't have the D3's 5:4 aspect ratio option
95% coverage, 0.72x viewfinder (D3: 100% / 0.7x)
Focus screen DX mode now indicated with a rectangle rather than shaded area
If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read some of our Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).
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Dpreview use calibrated monitors at the PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally also A, B and C.
Catherine Kieu Becker, 48, is under arrest for chopping off her husband's penis and tossing it in the garbage disposal.
After she laced her husband's food with an unknown drug or poison, he lay down, believing something was wrong with the food, according to police reports. Her husband then woke up tied to the bed as Becker cut off his penis with a knife. She then threw the genitalia in the garbage disposal and turned the disposal on, Lt. Jeff Nightengale of Garden Grove, Calif. police, said.
Nightengale said the couple is going through a divorce, but could not confirm why Becker wanted to cut off her husband's manhood.
Becker eventually called 911, asking for medical assistance. When firefighters and police arrived on scene, Becker told officials that her husband "deserved it," said Nightengale. Police found the man, who remains unidentified, tied to the bed and "bleeding profusely." Becker was arrested on several charges, including aggravated mayhem, false imprisonment and assault with a deadly weapon.
Her husband was rushed to University of California at Irvine Medical Center for treatment.
"He is in stable condition, but we have no details about the surgery," said Nightengale.
"Police were able to recover portions of the penis from the garbage disposal," Nightengale noted, but it is unclear how much or whether doctors will be able to reattach them.
"The immediate issue here is to control the bleeding," said Dr. Alasdair Conn, chief of emergency services at Massachusetts General Hospital, who said that the injury is quite unusual, even in the emergency room.
Upon his arrival, doctors need to tie off arteries and veins to stop the bleeding. Surgeons will attempt to maintain the remaining tissue and cover the wound so it does not get infected, Conn said.
If the penis is available to reattach, Dr. Ryan Terlecki, assistant professor surgical sciences-urology at Wake Forest University, said it should be wrapped in saline-soaked gauze, placed in a plastic bag, and the bag then should be placed in an ice bath to keep cold.
"Time is of the essence for a re-implant," said Terlecki, who has performed a handful of such procedures. "It's best to reattach it within 24 hours, preferably less than eight hours."
Doctors then reconstruct the nerve arteries and veins, while also putting the erectile tissue back together.
Urine control will not likely be affected because the muscle that causes the sensation to go to the bathroom is outside of the bladder. That muscle probably went untouched during the assault, Conn said, but a Foley catheter will likely be inserted into the bladder to drain urine, which is also "a relatively straightforward procedure."
If doctors cannot reattach the original penis, Conn said, "over the next few days, surgeons have to decide what to do to reconstruct the penis. Plastic surgeons who specialize in transgender operations may be able to construct a new penis."
Terlecki said that the penis is recreated by grafting tissue from another part of the body and then augmented with a penile prosthetic.
When Gerald R. Ford took the oath of office on August 9, 1974, he declared, "I assume the Presidency under extraordinary circumstances.... This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts." It was indeed an unprecedented time. He had been the first Vice President chosen under the terms of the Twenty-fifth Amendment and, in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, was succeeding the first President ever to resign. Ford was confronted with almost insuperable tasks. There were the challenges of mastering inflation, reviving a depressed economy, solving chronic energy shortages, and trying to ensure world peace. The President acted to curb the trend toward Government intervention and spending as a means of solving the problems of American society and the economy. In the long run, he believed, this shift would bring a better life for all Americans. Ford's reputation for integrity and openness had made him popular during his 25 years in Congress. From 1965 to 1973, he was House Minority Leader. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1913, he grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He starred on the University of Michigan football team, then went to Yale, where he served as assistant coach while earning his law degree. During World War II he attained the rank of lieutenant commander in the Navy. After the war he returned to Grand Rapids, where he began the practice of law, and entered Republican politics. A few weeks before his election to Congress in 1948, he married Elizabeth Bloomer. They have four children: Michael, John, Steven, and Susan. As President, Ford tried to calm earlier controversies by granting former President Nixon a full pardon. His nominee for Vice President, former Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York, was the second person to fill that office by appointment. Gradually, Ford selected a cabinet of his own. Ford established his policies during his first year in office, despite opposition from a heavily Democratic Congress. His first goal was to curb inflation. Then, when recession became the Nation's most serious domestic problem, he shifted to measures aimed at stimulating the economy. But, still fearing inflation, Ford vetoed a number of non-military appropriations bills that would have further increased the already heavy budgetary deficit. During his first 14 months as President he vetoed 39 measures. His vetoes were usually sustained. Ford continued as he had in his Congressional days to view himself as "a moderate in domestic affairs, a conservative in fiscal affairs, and a dyed-in-the-wool internationalist in foreign affairs." A major goal was to help business operate more freely by reducing taxes upon it and easing the controls exercised by regulatory agencies. "We...declared our independence 200 years ago, and we are not about to lose it now to paper shufflers and computers," he said. In foreign affairs Ford acted vigorously to maintain U. S. power and prestige after the collapse of Cambodia and South Viet Nam. Preventing a new war in the Middle East remained a major objective; by providing aid to both Israel and Egypt, the Ford Administration helped persuade the two countries to accept an interim truce agreement. Detente with the Soviet Union continued. President Ford and Soviet leader Leonid I. Brezhnev set new limitations upon nuclear weapons. President Ford won the Republican nomination for the Presidency in 1976, but lost the election to his Democratic opponent, former Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia. On Inauguration Day, President Carter began his speech: "For myself and for our Nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land." A grateful people concurred.
Meet Le Hoang Bao Tran (pictures here), a 12-year-old model from Vietnam who has become an internet sensation in her country and beyond.
Le Hoang Bao Tran was born on December 3, 1998. Her father Thao Le Hoang Anh is an amateur stage director in Ho Chi Minh City. Le Hoang Bao Tran was catapulted into the stardom in September, 2009 when she won the Teen Model competition (in the Girls category, Ngoc Thien was the boy champion) held in in HCM City Theater.
Despite Teen Model was a fashion contest, the contestants were also judged based on their other talents abilities. In the end, Hoang Bao proved she did good at not only the catwalks but also her talents, thus becoming a gold Teen Model.
Ever since she won the 2009 competition, Le Hoang Bao Tran, whose height now is towering at 172cm, has signed with the PL Model company and is one of its signature faces. Instead of just appearing for teenagers’ magazines, she was featured in many Vietnamese newspapers and on the cover of various women and fashion journals.
According to Dantri.com.vn, Hoang Tran recently also modeled in a wedding gowns fashion show along with elder models, and she strutted in steps full of confidence and professionalism! The fame of Le Hoang Bao Tran nowadays is well beyond in her native Vietnam. Herphotosarespreadlikethewildfire on the websites of the neighboring China and South East Asia (link).
Jalan-jalan ke Pulau Samalona yang Indah dan Eksotik - Makassar adalah kota terbesar di Pulau Sulawesi. Kota ini memiliki banyak tempat menarik, pulau-pulau eksotis, pantai yang indah, kesenian yang atraktif, hiburan, dan kuliner khas. Makassar juga merupakan pintu gerbang wisata lainnya di Sulawesi, seperti Tana Toraja, Bunaken, dan Wakatobi. Makassar adalah Ibu Kota Provinsi Sulawesi Selatan. Kota Makassar menempati wilayah seluas 175,7 kilometer persegi, berada di bagian selatan Sulawesi Selatan. Menghadap ke kaki langit Selat Makassar. Terletak di 119 derajat bujur timur dan 5,8 derajat lintang selatan atau tepat di tengah Indonesia.
Pariwisata Makassar berjuluk kota Anging Mammiri. Dalam bahasa Makassar berarti angin sepoi-sepoi. Makassar merupakan kota pantai dengan angin lembut berhembus semilir dari laut setiap siang dan sore hari. Memiliki iklim tropis yang hangat dengan suhu antara 24 hingga 35 derajat celcius. Makassar memiliki pemandangan matahari terbenam (sunset) yang indah. Bahkan konon, sunset di Makassar adalah salah satu yang terindah di dunia. Selain itu, ada beberapa pantai dan pulau-pulau indah yang bisa dikunjungi. Berbagai aktifitas menyenangkan dapat dilakukan seperti menyelam, berenang, memancing, melihat terumbu karang, atau sekadar beristirahat.
Bahari atau maritim memang menjadi ciri utama Kota Makassar. Tetapi wisata sejarah tidak kalah menariknya dan merupakan bagian dari gambar sejarah nusantara.
Kota ini menyediakan berbagai fasilitas. Ada sekitar 140 hotel mulai bintang lima hingga nonbintang, restoran, dan rumah makan dengan kekayaan kuliner. Ada juga sarana hiburan seperti bioskop cineplex, pub dan restoran, karaoke, mal, dan pasar tradisional. Sebagai kota terbesar di Sulawesi, Makassar merupakan pintu gerbang menuju obyek wisata populer lainnya di Pulau Sulawesi.
Kebudayaan Makassar sesungguhnya bukan hanya nama sebuah kota, melainkan juga sebuah identitas kultural (kebudayaan). Suku Makassar adalah satu dari sekian banyak suku asli di Sulawesi, mendiami wilayah bekas Kerajaan Gowa di Sulawesi Selatan bagian selatan. Ada pula Suku Bugis yang wilayah kulturalnya menempati sebagian besar Sulawesi Selatan bagian utara. Bugis adalah suku dengan populasi terbesar di
Sulawesi. Toraja juga merupakan identitas kultural yang menempati wilayah luas di jajaran pegunungan Latimojong di utara. Sedangkan Mandar adalah suku asli yang mendiami Sulawesi Barat. Seluruh identitas kultural itu kini tumbuh subur di Makassar. Bercampur dengan suku-suku dari daerah lain di Indonesia, seperti Minahasa, Jawa, Bali, Melayu, Ambon, dan Tionghoa. Menciptakan keragaman budaya yang berwarna. Sepanjang tahun, selalu ada even kesenian yang digelar di Makassar. Mulai dari kesenian modern seperti festival musik populer dan jazz, teater, sampai festival kebudayaan lokal yang menampilkan kesenian atraktif.
Pulau Samalona merupakan salah satu tempat wisata pulau pasir putih di Sulawesi selatan. Samalona adalah sebuah pulau kecil di Selat Makassar, tepatnya di sebelah barat daya pantai barat Sulawesi Selatan. Secara administratif, pulau ini termasuk wilayah Kota Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan. Posisi lebih tepatnya berada di sebelah barat kecamatan Wajo, Makassar, berjarak sekitar 2 km dan bisa dilihat dengan jelas dari kecamatan tersebut.
Untuk menuju pulau ini bisa menggunakan perahu nelayan (perahu dengan mesin tempel) dan memerlukan waktu tempuh tidak lebih dari 0,5 jam. Di pulau ini berdiri sebuah mercu suar yang digunakan sebagai tanda batas daratan bagi kapal-kapal berbadan besar.
Samalona adalah kepulauan yang bisa dilihat jelas dari Benteng Fort Rotterdam di daerah Keling - Makassar. Mandalika hanya berjarak 500 meter dari bibir tebing Benteng Fort Rotterdam.
Pulau Samalona merupakan gugusan pulau karang yang berbentuk bundar dengan luas 2,34 hektar. Pulau kecil ini merupakan salah satu tujuan wisata bahari yang banyak dikunjungi wisatawan lokal maupun mancanegara.
Pasirnya yang putih dan airnya yang jernih menjadikan pulau ini cocok untuk berjemur. Selain itu, kawasan pulau ini sangat bagus untuk menyelam (diving), karena di sekelilingnya terdapat karang-karang laut yang dihuni beraneka ragam ikan tropis yang berwarna-warni, dan biota laut lainnya.
Waktu yang paling baik untuk berwisata di Pulau Samalona adalah pada bulan Februari sampai Oktober.Untuk melakukan wisata bahari di samalona sangat menyenangkan pemandangan yang indah ditiap sudut pandang kita. Kecerian mudah tercipta di pulau ini, warganya yang ramah dan tempatnya yang tidak terlalu ramai membuat suasana nyaman untuk refresing sangat efektif di Samalona.
Di Bibir pantai sangat seru buat main air dan berendam di air laut yang jernih. Kita bisa melihat karang-karang dan mahluk laut disekitar pantai. Anginnya yang sepoy-sepoy dan suara gemuru air laut buat hati tenang berada di Samalona.
Berenang di laut Samalona sangat menyenangkan sepanjang pulau airnya sangat bersih dan terjaga. Namun, kadang ada mahluk laut seperti ubur-ubur datang dan membuat badan kita menjadi gatal.
Inih dia sisi lain dari samalona yang paling saya sukai. Tempatnya keren sekali, pemandangan dan suasananya seperti berada di surga. Entah apa fungsi dari pondasi yang berbentuk unik seperti yang kita liha difoto ini namun pondasi tersebut buat tempat ini unik dari Pulau samalona. Jadi, buat yang penasaran untuk merasakan suasana wisata Bahari Samalona silahkan mengunjungi Pulau ini....
