Cho Gao
Photo care of Brad.
Tags
Brendan
me
Melbourne
not by me
people
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
3 and one heart
3 and one heart
San Francisco, CA
Tags
california
love in the lower haight
love in the lower haight mural
lower haight
lower haight mural collective
san francisco
Monday, February 28, 2011
113473573tuIYlE_ph
113473573tuIYlE_ph
Markets of PNG
global-citizen-01.blogspot.com
Tags
markets
png
papua
new
guinea
travel
highlands
melanesia
fruit
vegetable
chimbu
Sun breaking through
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Microsoft, Facebook Address Online Concerns
Technology giants Microsoft Corp. and facebook Inc. moved to beef up and clarify their efforts around the thorny issue of online privacy—the latest steps by the Internet firms to call for stronger consumer protections.
On Thursday, Microsoft endorsed the concept of adding a do-not-track tool to its Web browsing software, signaling a shift in support for a system that could let people avoid having their movements monitored online. Microsoft slipped its mention of the tool—specifically, adding a reference to a do-not-track feature in its Internet Explorer browser—into a technical paper it submitted to the World Wide Web Consortium.
On Friday, meanwhile, Facebook unveiled a new draft of its highly watched privacy policy. While the new policy doesn't change the social network's data-handling practices, it contains chunks of information organized around more practical headings such as "your information and how it is used" and "how advertising works."
The moves underline how some tech companies are continuing to grapple with online privacy concerns. The Wall Street Journal has been running an investigative series, "What They Know," which chronicled the scope and increasing intrusiveness of online-tracking technologies. The Federal Trade Commission has since weighed in with proposals on improving online privacy, as efforts to simplify privacy policies and controls have also gained steam across a range of companies.
View Full Image
Associated Press
Facebook unveiled a new draft of its privacy policy on Friday.
A Microsoft spokeswoman said the company's proposed do-not-track feature is part of a suite of privacy tools that the company hopes can gain broad industry support. Microsoft has said its upcoming Web browser, Internet Explorer 9, will also include an anti-tracking tool that will let users create their own custom lists of companies to block from tracking them.
Microsoft removed similar features from Internet Explorer 8 after online advertisers expressed concerns about the impact on their business.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau, which represents online advertisers, said "there is currently no definition" of what advertisers should do when receiving the do-not-track notification. "It's like sending a smoke signal in the middle of Manhattan; it might draw a lot of attention, but no one knows how to read the message," said Mike Zaneis, senior vice president of the organization.
Microsoft's move leaves Google Inc. as the only major Web browser maker that has not yet supported the inclusion of a do-not-track tool in its Web browser. In January, Mozilla Corp. said it would add a do-not-track tool to an upcoming version of its Firefox Web browser.
A Google spokesman said it would "continue to be involved closely" with discussions about do-not-track tools, but for now would stick with offering add-on software for its Chrome Web browser.
Meanwhile, Edward Palmieri, a privacy and product counsel at Facebook, said the goal of the new draft of the start-up's privacy policy was to "apply the Facebook design experience that we bring to everything we do and extend that to our privacy policy."
Mr. Palmieri said Facebook has been working on the new privacy policy since a company-wide "Hackathon" work session last October, and consulted with a handful of privacy groups for feedback.
"The new policy is much more of a user guide to how to manage your data," said Jules Polonetsky, the director of the Future of Privacy Forum, which was consulted by Facebook. "You might actually want to read this thing."
The new privacy policy is Facebook's latest step to address users' and regulators' concerns about privacy. Last spring, Facebook consolidated many of its settings into a control panel designed to make it easier for users to adjust when and how their information was shared with other users and third parties.
Write to Julia Angwin at julia.angwin@wsj.com and Geoffrey A. Fowler at geoffrey.fowler@wsj.com
internet explorer browser, world wide web consortium, internet explorer 8, microsoft spokeswoman, technology giants, wide web consortium, wall street journal, browsing software, internet firms, facebook, consumer protections online, thorny issue, federal trade commission, privacy tools, investigative series, microsoft corp, similar features, support microsoft, privacy policies, chunks
Saturday, February 26, 2011
UCLA to host Arizona in what could be an emotional home finale
Arizona forward Derrick Williams tries to dribble around UCLA forward Tyler Honeycutt during the second half of their game last month in Tucson, Ariz, where the Wildcats won, 85-74. (John Miller / Associated Press / January 27, 2010)
It's goodbye, for now.
UCLA bids farewell Saturday to its basketball home of the last 46 years, with plans to return to Pauley Pavilion after renovations are completed in the fall of 2012.
In a fortuitous development, the Bruins will also get a chance to say hello to first place in the Pacific 10 Conference. USC's 65-57 upset of No. 10 Arizona on Thursday moved UCLA (20-8, 11-4 Pac-10) to within a game of the Wildcats (23-5, 12-3) heading into the Bruins' home finale against the conference leaders.
Get the monthly that has L.A. talking. Subscribe to Los Angeles Times Magazine at a special introductory rate.
That means an afternoon that already figured to be sentimental for UCLA could be revved into emotional overdrive.
"It's bigger than any player out there wearing a jersey," sophomore forward Tyler Honeycutt said.
UCLA is breaking out retro uniforms from the 1963-64 team, the first to win a national title under John Wooden. Some Bruins will wear matching fluorescent yellow sneakers that they debuted against Arizona State on Thursday.
Others, maybe not.
"They're ugly," sophomore forward Reeves Nelson said. "I won't wear them in public."
Whatever ensemble the Bruins choose should get plenty of exposure. A sellout crowd is expected, with fans encouraged to wear blue to enhance the home-court edge. Denny Crum is among the players from UCLA's 1970-71 national championship team scheduled to be introduced at halftime.
As far as Coach Ben Howland is concerned, there is one person missing who could complete the experience: Wooden, who died in June at 99.
"I'm really sorry that Coach isn't going to be here," Howland said. "I mean, that really in a way hurts because I would have loved for him to be here for this last game in the building that he opened. … But I'm sure he'll be watching down on us."
With the 11 national title banners hanging over them in the arena that Wooden built and star players Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Marques Johnson and so many others sustained, the Bruins realize they must resist the temptation to become too emotionally charged.
"We can't come out over-hyped because sometimes that can come back and bite us in the butt," junior guard Malcolm Lee said, "so we just have to come out with intensity, but not over-intense."
A victory over Arizona could catapult UCLA into the national rankings and improve its seeding for the NCAA tournament. It could also quash the perception that the Bruins can't beat super-athletic teams such as the Wildcats, Washington and Villanova.
Sophomore forward Derrick Williams appeared to be on another plane the last time UCLA and Arizona met, carving up the Bruins' defense for 22 points during the Wildcats' 85-74 victory in Tucson.
Howland said double-teaming Williams was not an attractive option because it would leave open several of the most accurate shooters in the Pac-10. Forward Solomon Hill is making 44.4% of his three-pointers and swingman Kevin Parrom is making 43.5%, to say nothing of Williams' conference-leading 62.8%.
Williams was held to a season-low eight points Thursday against USC, so he undoubtedly will be seeking a bounce-back effort against UCLA.
"Good players, you can't hold them to zero points," Bruins freshman center Joshua Smith said, "but we just want to make it as tough as possible on him as we can."
Some might say the Bruins are making it unnecessarily difficult on themselves by vacating Pauley Pavilion for a year and playing at a hodgepodge of venues that Howland has dubbed "a road show." Howland said it's a necessary detour for the long-term good of the program.
UCLA's lineup will look dramatically different the next time it plays on campus, with freshman center Anthony Stover possibly the only starter back. In the meantime, the Bruins seek one final tribute for their storied basketball venue.
"We want to make sure we send Pauley out the right way," junior guard Lazeric Jones said.
ben.bolch@latimes.com
denny crum, sellout crowd, derrick williams, home finale, tucson ariz, conference leaders, pac 10, introductory rate, los angeles times, john miller, s 65, los angeles times magazine, bruins home, dribble, last game, wildcats, national championship team, associated press, ben howland, arizona state
Thursday, February 24, 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.
View Full Image
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, vancouver british columbia, image getty, eight fingers, bronze medals, eighth medal, epic journey, medal haul, medal ceremony, team pursuit, number eight, american star, salt lake city, lucky number, winter games
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)