jeudi 30 juin 2011

About New York City

photo

About New York City

Tags

New York City

New York

NYC

USA

Tourism

Turismo

Nueva York
Flickr.com

PRIDE BARCELONA 2011

photo

PRIDE barcelona 2011

Barcelona (26.06.2011)

Tags

Europe

Europa

Spain

Spanien

Espaa

Espanya

Katalonien

Catalonia

Catalunya

Catalua

Barcelona

Gay Pride

Orgullo Gay

Christopher Street Day

Tranvestit

Travesti

Transexual

SONY

Alpha

DSLR-A550

18-200mm

Frank Eggers

El Agradable

pride online, barcelona

Flickr.com

mercredi 29 juin 2011

2011-06-19 SSC Fun Run GC 1889 630

photo

2011-06-19 SSC Fun Run GC 1889 630

Tags

Runners

running

gold coast

dreamsport photography

dreamsport

fun run

Corporate Challenge
Flickr.com

NWC34 | Saturday 410

photo

NWC34 | Saturday 410

Masquerade and hall costumes.

Tags

Nikon

SeaTac

costuming

nwc34

Pippi Longstocking

fantasy

Panels and Events

Convention

Norwescon 34

Tamron

Costume Gallery

Norwescon

D7000

cosplay

costume

Hilton

Tamron 28-75 f/2.8

Doubletree Seattle Airport

Masquerade

Washington

Hotel

USA

Doubletree

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) Macro

ld aspherical, hall costumes, seattle

Flickr.com

mardi 28 juin 2011

Opera Square Antiques

photo

Opera Square Antiques

Jim Thorpe, PA

Tags

2010

Jim Thorpe

Oktober 2010

Pennsylvania

fall

PA

autumn

foliage

Carbon County

mountains

Mauch Chunk

city

town

USA

store

shop

antiques

Opera Square

Broadway
Flickr.com

dimanche 26 juin 2011

samedi 25 juin 2011

Kite Surfer's Paradise

photo

Kite Surfer's Paradise

The sun finally came out today, so a walk down my local area with Tia was a must, still blowing a hooley and you will see that this is a paradise for the kite/wind surfers. The shot is taking from my village in Hillhead looking eastwards towards Lee on Solent. The buildings are on the Lee on Solent front, but the surfers are taking off further back towards Hillhead. We are blessed with a strong tide here and you will notice the spit in the forefront. This tide makes for a popular venue for the surfers, whether it's the windsurfers or the kitesurfers, so always something special to watch down on the beach. A never ending canvas.
The original of this shot was a bit bland, so I've added a texture to the shot.
Thanks to Spectolar Addendum.

And hey, tomorrow (or later on this morning) we've got a heat wave....Yeah... mind you the kite surfers wont be happy, but I will be.... on that note I'll bid you good night and I will catch up with your streams Sunday afternoon. Have a great Sunday and as always thanks for your visits.

Tags

kite surfing

wind surfing

Lee on Solent

The Solent

Hampshire

England

UK

My local area

beach

sea

kite surfer, wind surfers, hey tomorrow, kitesurfers, hooley, windsurfers, heat wave, addendum, sunday afternoon, forefront, spit, local area, canvas, streams, venue, texture, tide, sun

Flickr.com

cygnes

photo

cygnes

Tags

Lyon

France

zoo

Parc de la tte d'Or

animals

photography

water

swans

park

birds

nature

cygnes

oiseaux

lake

blue

white

reflets

reflections

wallpaper

fond d'cran

parc

eau

pictures

photos

sun

shadows

quiet

peaceful

Rhne-Alpes

francia

frankreich

photo

photographie

shot

soleil

geotagged

europe

europa

color

colour

couleur

exbr

natur

rhne
Flickr.com

vendredi 24 juin 2011

41310006

<a href=photo" width="639" height="640">

41310006

Twitter / Tumblr / Photo blog (hebrew)

Tags

e.yessod

120mm

water

sky

sea

photographersofisrael

film

landscape

israel

cloud

zeiss ikon nettar

nettar, hebrew, ikon, photo

Flickr.com

jeudi 23 juin 2011

BJ's is seeking more

EXCLUSIVE

BJ's Wholesale Club wants a sweetened offer of $55 a share -- or nearly $3 billion -- from a pair of buyout firms that are looking to take it private, sources told The Post.

As reported by The Post last week, the warehouse retailer has received a joint bid of $50 a share from Leonard Green & Partners and CVC Capital Partners -- a price that surprised some Wall Street analysts who were looking for a bid closer to what BJ's has now demanded.

BJ's told the private-equity firms yesterday, following a Tuesday board meeting, that it wasn't closing the door on talks, sources said. But BJ's was "not thrilled" with the $50-a-share offer, and pushed the bidders to raise it, according to one source.

Leonard Green and CVC are "very reluctant to go there," and "it now looks less likely there will be a deal," according to one source close to the buyout shops, referring to the $55 price tag.

Nevertheless, the source noted that the pair of private-equity shops were "still meeting" late yesterday and that "talks are not off yet." According to one source briefed on the talks, BJ's might accept a more modest bump-up that could amount to as little as "a dollar or two."

Likewise, Leonard Green and CVC might still allow some flexibility to sweeten their offer by a similar amount, according to one source. Last week, however, the buyout firms had signaled that their $50-a-share bid was a "final" offer, according to one person close to the process.

In a research note this week, Janney Montgomery Scott analyst David Strasser said $52 a share would represent "fair value" for a BJ's buyout, noting that the figure would amount to seven times the company's Ebitda, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

"We continue to believe that BJ's Wholesale going private makes sense due to the potential for a national store rollout," Strasser added, noting that the company has 180 stores in just 15 states, vs. rivals Costco and Sam's Club, which operate bigger chains that span 40 and 48 states, respectively.

BJ's shares, which have risen more than 19 percent in the past year as Leonard Green pushed BJ's to put the company on the block, inched up 17 cents yesterday, to $47.27 a share.

Los Angeles-based Leonard Green announced the joint bid with CVC Partners in a public filing last week -- confirming a June 7 report in The Post that the two planned to team up. While the buyout shops made their binding bid only a few days ago, they may have gone public sooner to pressure the company's board.

Indeed, insiders speculated that hedge funds -- including Steve Cohen's SAC Capital, the second-biggest BJ's shareholder -- might be pressuring the retailer to sell. jkosman@nypost.com

cvc capital partners, janney montgomery scott, private equity firms, david strasser, wall street analysts, sam s club, leonard green, wholesale club, costco, private sources, ebitda, seven times, 48 states, bj, bidders, price tag ebook download, board meeting, depreciation, sha, rivals

Nypost.com

mercredi 22 juin 2011

The Breakfast First Date: 6 Reasons To Try It

By Chiara Atik for HowAboutWe.com

While it might seem unromantic to meet someone for a date before work, breakfast dates can be completely awesome. Here's why you should meet your next date at 8 am instead of 8 pm.

1. It's Just Quirky Enough

A breakfast date is the perfect date for people who want to break away from their &quot;let's meet for drinks" dating rut, but don't want to stray too far from their comfort zone. Waking up early to meet someone for coffee and eggs at a diner is just unusual enough to feel special and fun, but really you're still just meeting someone at a restaurant for a meal. Sometimes, the simple act of doing something out of the ordinary with someone is enough to create a spark.

Beware The Guy Who Spends Too Much On A First Date

2. Easy Conversation Starters

Worried you'll need something to talk about? Bring a copy of today's paper! You can easily use the headlines to start a conversation: "Hey, did you hear about _____?" Just make sure it's nothing too political. You can also talk about what you did last night, and what plans you have for the rest of the day.

Related: Ikea Is For Lovers: Why The Furniture Megastore Makes A Great First Date

3. People Are Cuter In The Morning

This is sort of hard to explain, but, people are just cuter in the morning. Drinking orange juice. Glugging coffee. Spreading butter on their toast. Breakfast is just adorable, you know? Who wouldn't fall for someone over an English Muffin? It's also nice to meet people when they're looking forward to the day, instead of completely drained from it.

4. Fits A Busy Schedule

Some super busy people are hesitant taking chances on dates when their free-time is already so limited. Why waste an evening on a date you may or may not like, when you could spend it with friends you definitely like? A breakfast date is a great low-pressure way to see if you connect with someone. Worst case scenario? You finish your hash browns and get on with your day. Best case scenario? You schedule an evening second date.

The Top 10 Traits That Attract Men

5. Time Limit

You know how sometimes a first date can seem like it goes a little too long? A weekday breakfast date has a built-in time limit. If things go poorly, you have an easy excuse to cut things short: work. And if things are going well, a too-short date can heighten the interest for both parties: you'll both be so excited to schedule the next date.

6. Of Course, If Things Go REALLY Well...

Of course, if this is the best date of your life, and you're having too much fun to drag yourself to work, you can do what our Mobile Date Contest Winner suggested, and "call in slick." The Date Report is the companion blog to HowAboutWe.com, a dating site that makes it fun and easy to go on awesome dates. How it works: 1) Invent fun dates. 2) Ask people out. 3) Do something awesome, together. Sign up for free here. Don't forget to join us on Twitter and Facebook -- and download our brand-new app here!

worst case scenario, hash browns, toast breakfast, english muffin, work breakfast, easy conversation, atik, perfect date, ikea, taking chances, comfort zone, orange juice, quot, free time, eggs, drinks, coffee, furniture, headlines

Shine.yahoo.com

ds_water

photo

ds_water

water vapour in the clouds
water spray
and the beautiful lake

Tags

water
Flickr.com

mardi 21 juin 2011

lundi 20 juin 2011

Relaxation Incarnate

photo

Relaxation Incarnate

Seal Island Sancutary Zone.
Shoalwater Islands Marine Park, Western Australia.

Tags

phil's camera

western australia

australia

rockingham

shoalwater

penguin island

shoalwater islands marine park

penguin and sea lion cruise

ocean

indian ocean

shoalwater bay

island

beach

seal island

seal island sanctuary zone

sea lion

australian sea lion

Neophoca cinerea

sleeping

three

things in threes

pinniped

shoalwater islands marine park, islands marine park, island sanctuary, sancutary, sea lion, marine park, western australia, relaxation

Flickr.com

dimanche 19 juin 2011

061920119191

photo

061920119191

Tags

Cameraphone

N8photo

Rolandtanglaophoto

Vancouver

ubc

ubc beaty biodiversity museum

museum

wetlands
Flickr.com

AGONCILLO-Wrth-Escalera 05

photo

AGONCILLO-Wrth-Escalera 05

See more photos in this Set: Wrth Museum (La Rioja - Spain)

Tags

Nikon D700

D700

Wrth Museum

Wrth

museum

museoa

art

Agoncillo

La Rioja

Spain

stair

stairs

red

gorria

70-200mm f/2.8g VR

Nikkor 70-200

la rioja spain, escalera, 8g, photos

Flickr.com

Dignity

photo

Dignity

Analog photography (Asahi Pentax ME)

Tags

arte

art

photo

photography

fotografia

foto

Angelo Rodrigues

Rio de Janeiro

asahi, photography

Flickr.com

samedi 18 juin 2011

mint leaf beetle on a leaf

photo

mint leaf beetle on a leaf

Gedsc digital camera

Tags

water

tree

small

shiny

reflection

pond

outdoors

macro

little

leaves

leaf

insect

head

green

grass

gold

colourful

closeup

close

bugs

bug

bright

beetle

mintleaf

mint

leaf beetle, mint leaf

Flickr.com

113473758OdNxdK_ph

photo

113473758OdNxdK_ph

Markets of PNG

global-citizen-01.blogspot.com

Tags

markets

png

papua

new

guinea

travel

highlands

melanesia

fruit

vegetable

chimbu

simbu
Flickr.com

vendredi 17 juin 2011

Girl in Blue

<a href=photo" width="640" height="427">

Girl in Blue

It takes extreme focus to win at Water Gun Racing. hats off to the girl in the blue.

Tags

Games

Fair

Carnival

Fun

Focus

Girl

Summer

Water

GAC

GAC-photo

water gun, hats, photo

Flickr.com

Just Another Sunrise : Vickery Creek -- Roswell, Georgia

photo

Just Another sunrise : Vickery Creek -- Roswell, Georgia

This is a shot I took the same morning as a previous one I posted, but from a different composition that I personally like maybe better... cant always pick! Hope you like it!

Took this stacking a CPL and 3 stop ND filter to get the slower shutter speed.

I dont know if you can tell, but the orangish area to the right of the waterfall is the sunlight's ray with the water spray. Obviously it does not do justice in this photograph, but in person it was really sweet to see the sun hit it just right. Thanks for looking :)

Some history of this area:
This is taken at the Roswell Mill which goes back to the civil war in history. The waterfall in the back is from the dam that was made to provide power to run the mill. Much of the history around the mill does not survive because of Sherman burning it all down, but what is left here is really cool to see! If your ever in the area check this place out!

Tags

roswell

georgia

mill

civil

war

vickery

creek

sunrise

waterfall

water

fall

dam

log

leafs

smooth

roswell, georgia

atlanta, georgia

atlanta

canon

30d

vickery creek

historic roswell

ND

CPL

10-22

landscape

scenic

light

vickery creek, shutter speed, s ray, water spray, roswell, waterfall, cpl, civil war, sunlight, photograph, composition, sunrise, sun

Flickr.com

jeudi 16 juin 2011

7 Summer Style Essentials Under $25

Snag this complete look for $99, plus tax!

Whether you’re flocking to an exotic vacation spot or heading to your favorite local sandy patch, you don’t need to spend a fortune to look chic this summer. The following seven items—each under $25!–will get you through the sunshine season in comfort and style, whether you amass them for one fabulous outfit or combine one or two items with clothes you already have!

1. Old Navy’s One-Shoulder Bandeau Bikini

We love this One-Shoulder Bandeau Bikini from Old Navy (top and bottom, $15.50 each). The one-shoulder cut makes it unique and ensures that you’ll stand out! The best part about this stylish suit? It’s perfect for mixing and matching with other budget-friendly bikini separates, making your options endless!

This Year’s Hottest Bathing Suits

2. Forever 21’s Vibrant Maxi Dress

We love this rockin’ cover-up steal–just $15.50!—for its trendy length and bohemian tribal print. What’s more, this dress is just as chic off the sand, taking you from a day at the beach to shopping to a casual dinner!

3. Target’s CALYPSO St. Barth Girls’ Natural Sequin Tote

A straw tote is a summer must-have, and this one is pretty enough to house your essentials at the beach or accompany you on a trip to the grocery store or the county fair! With a little bit of sparkle and an unbeatable price ($12.99), Target’s Natural Sequin Tote is a fabulous warm-weather carry-all perfect for any daytime occasion.

The Best Summer Styles

4. Wet Seal’s Bead T-Strap Sandal

Most women have a pair of thong sandals in their closets, but this pair with beaded details by Wet Seal takes any outfit up a notch. Perfect for traversing the hot sand, they not only add some shine to your beach-chic look, but also they look perfect with skinny jeans and silver jewelry! You can’t go wrong with this pick—it’s only $6.80!

5. Target’s Merona Round Crown Floppy Hat in Natural

The ‘70s are back in a big way, and this wide-brimmed hat is the perfect way to channel the relaxed, groovy vibe of the decade! Plus at a mere $12.99, this topper won’t make you feel guilty when the trend passes. We love a floppy hat at the beach, but with leg-lengthening wedge sandals and wide-leg jeans, it’s also prime for meeting friends or a mid-day errand run.

6. Old Navy’s Cat’s-Eye Sunglasses

Summer style is all about protecting yourself from the sun’s harmful rays, and you couldn’t look chicer doing it than with this $9.50 pair of sunglasses.  Not only does the oversized shape ensure your eyes aren’t subjected to damaging UVs and the sun’s reflective glare, it is also fabulously on trend.

7. Kohl’s The Big One Geometric Dot Beach Towel

As pretty as it is useful, this eye-catching oversized beach towel from Kohl’s ($9.99) completes the beach or pool look with its vibrant color and pattern.  

More from Kaboodle:
Bright Clutches to Top off Any Look Easy Hair Fixes To Try Now
One-Piece Swimsuits with Flair
Sunglasses For Every Occassion
Swimsuits That Flatter Every Body Type
Humidity-Fighting Hair Accessories
The Beach Essential You Can’t Live Without Printed Swimsuits You Can't ResistSkirts and Shorts That Lengthen Your LegsThe Hottest Celebrity Summer Hair and MakeupOur Favorite Summer Closet Picks

Connect with Kaboodle:
Find us on Facebook!
Follow us on Twitter!
Become a part of Kaboodle's community!

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

calypso st barth, thong sandals, sunshine season, skinny jeans, old navy, wet seal, warm weather, merona, casual dinner, floppy hat, hot sand ebook download, target, brimmed hat, exotic vacation, day at the beach, unbeatable price, silver jewelry, vacation spot, rela, maxi dress

Shine.yahoo.com

Traffic Control

photo

traffic Control

I guess I missed my chance at mischief.

Tags

traffic signal

control box

wires

intersection

Lincoln Park

Chicago

©2011 Mike Travis

IL

USA

mischief, traffic

Flickr.com

mercredi 15 juin 2011

The Landscape of Lake Havasu

photo

The landscape of Lake Havasu

Title

Tags

America

Arizona

Colorado River

Desert

Lake Havaasu

Lake Havasu

R&R

Southwest

U.S.

USA

United States

activities

ecology

ecosystem

environmentalism

images

lake

landscape

marsh

mountains

nature

river

summertime

tourism

traveled

traveling

travelled

vacation

water

amp, landscape

Flickr.com

mardi 14 juin 2011

autour du mont Lozre

photo

autour du mont Lozre

Tags

la garde gurin

lozre

languedoc

roussillon

french

vintage

photography

France

europe

travel

fond d'cran

wallpaper

village

beauty

photo

francia

frankreich

light

photographie

shot

geotagged

color

colour

couleur

beaut

lumire

Canon

day

spring

journe

printemps

exbr

paysage

landscape

nature

natur

trees

arbres

ciel

sky

clouds

nuages

mountains

montagnes

view
Flickr.com

photo - Cafe Fudgelato

photo

photo - Cafe Fudgelato

They have spiffed up the dining area of this little cafe; it is very bright and cheery.

Tags

photo

Alameda

California

Cafe Fudgelato

Fudgelato

cafe

restaurant

interior

tables &amp; chairs

empty tables & chairs

photo cafe, dining area, amp, chairs, little cafe

Flickr.com

Markets Welcome Turkish Vote Result

The Turkish lira strengthened and bond yields fell Monday, as markets digested what some economists called a "goldilocks" outcome in Turkish elections.

As voting begins in Turkish elections, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is to set to win a third consecutive term in office. Video courtesy Reuters.

The religious conservative and market-friendly Justice and Development Party, or AKP, scored a landslide third-term victory in the parliamentary vote Sunday with 49.9% of the vote, while at the same time failing to gain enough seats to rewrite the country's constitution alone, according to unofficial results.

While not a surprise, the outcome reassured markets, which had worried that if Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan secured the super-majority he wanted in parliament, he would have been tempted to drive through controversial changes to the constitution at risk of triggering political turmoil.

"Encouragingly…if the party wants to pass constitutional reform it will now need to work through parliament and also then call a referendum," said Royal Bank of Scotland emerging-markets economist Tim Ash, in a research note on the result titled "Goldilocks election result for the market."

"This should reassure markets, but the concern still is that the government could get bogged down in its third term with difficult/time-consuming constitutional reform," Mr. Ash said.

View Full Image

turk0613

Umit Bektas/Reuters

Turkey's Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdogan, with the slogan "we are Turkey together" in the background, greeted his supporters at the AK Party headquarters in Ankara, Turkey, Sunday.

turk0613

turk0613

The Turkish lira strengthened to 1.567 against the U.S. dollar in early trading, from 1.572, while the benchmark Feb. 2013 bond yield fell 0.6 percentage point to 8.8% and stocks rose slightly—by 0.06%—before settling back.

But with neighboring Syria melting down and a ballooning current account deficit that continued to expand in data Monday, Mr. Erdogan will quickly face major challenges that had been put off until after the elections, analysts said.

The AKP's nearest rival, the Republican People's Party, won 25.9%, while the third party to make it into parliament, the National Movement Party, or MHP, won 13%, according to unofficial results from the Cihan news agency, working with Turkey's national election board. The Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party, which fields candidates as independents, won 6.6%, Cihan said.

[TURKELECT]

The result confirmed Mr. Erdogan's unrivalled position on Turkey's political scene and created momentum for him to carry through his goal of redrafting the constitution, political analysts said.

Mr. Erdogan could also press to change Turkey into a presidential republic, as he has said he wants to do, although he would now need to secure some support outside his party. Such a move would potentially see him rule this strategically important Muslim nation of 75 million people until 2024, were he to win presidential elections due in 2014 and serve out two terms.

But on Sunday night, as he spoke to a cheering, flag-waving crowd of supporters in Ankara, Mr. Erdogan sought to send out a conciliatory message to the 50% of Turks who voted against him.

"We will be more moderate in the next period," he said, calling on all sides of the political debate to put behind them what had been at times a dirty and violent election campaign. "The nation gave us a message to make a new constitution by consensus."

An AKP victory had been widely expected, not least because the economy grew 8.9% last year in a remarkable recovery from the global downturn. Mr. Erdogan's high international profile, expansive foreign policies and tough stance toward Israel also proved popular among voters.

View Full Image

turkelect0612

Associated Press

An elderly Turkish woman casts her ballot in Yayladagi, Turkey, near the Syrian border.

turkelect0612

turkelect0612

"The fact that after eight years in power they could win even within a few percentage points of what they gained in 2007 is an extraordinary victory by any standards. This is a landslide," said Soli Ozel, a prominent Turkish columnist and political analyst. The AKP won 47% of the vote in 2007, and 34% in 2002.

The campaign was hard-fought as Mr. Erdogan sought to secure enough votes to give him the 330 seats out of 550 in parliament that he needs to be able to rewrite the constitution without support from other parties, and put it to a popular referendum for approval.

That's a potentially divisive goal in a nation deeply split over the proper role of Islam in society. The potential for political turmoil had worried some investors already concerned that Turkey's economy may be overheating and in need of urgent government action to cool it.

But on Sunday, Mr. Erdogan promised to negotiate the new constitution with opposition parties and to consult with academics and the media. The new constitution would be "built entirely on civil liberties," he said, in apparent response to critics who accuse him of authoritarian tendencies and of crushing press freedoms.

The Cihan agency said the AKP would get 326 seats in the new parliament, while the CHP would 135 seats, the MHP 53 seats and the Kurdish BDP, 35 seats.

Critically, the nationalist MHP made it back into parliament, clearing a 10% threshold. Had the MHP fallen below the threshold, its votes would have been redistributed to the two main parties, putting the AKP comfortably above 330 seats.

On Sunday night, MHP deputy chairman Faruk Bal accused the AKP of "dirty tricks" during the campaign, which he said had affected the result. Ten senior MHP members were forced to resign last month, after sex tapes in which some of them featured were released on the internet. Mr. Erdogan has denied any AKP involvement.

The AKP lost a limited number of votes in Kurdish areas to the Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party, or BDP, likely as a result of Mr. Erdogan's decision to court nationalist voters by taking a harder line on the country's Kurdish problem.

Turkey's constitution remains widely associated with an era of so-called "military tutelage," in which Turkish governments were elected but had limited freedom to act, with the possibility of a further coup always present.

At the same time, several candidates currently awaiting trial on charges of being members of a terrorist conspiracy to topple the government, looked set to get seats in parliament based on the unofficial results, apparently winning a sympathy vote.

The Republican Peoples Party says the trials, which include hundreds of defendants from army generals to journalists, amount to a political witch hunt. Among the defendants who appear to have won parliamentary seats were a journalist and a university professor.

——Yeliz Candemir contributed to this article.

Write to Marc Champion at marc.champion@wsj.com
Online.wsj.com

IMF Hit by Cyber Attack

WASHINGTON—The International Monetary Fund is investigating a recent cyber attack that hit its network, the latest in a series of high-profile hacking incidents against major corporations and institutions.

The fund declined to disclose the nature of the attack, whether its systems were infiltrated or whether any confidential information had been compromised. The extent of any infiltration remains unclear.

"We had an incident," said IMF spokesman David Hawley. "We're investigating it and the fund is completely functional." He said IMF staff received a "routine notification" about the incident by email Wednesday asking them to contact their tech department "if they saw anything suspicious."

The threat against the institution is the latest in a recent series as it responds to economic turmoil in several European nations. Earlier this month, the IMF said it had taken precautions after a group called Anonymous indicated its hackers would target the IMF web site in response to the strict austerity measures in its rescue package for Greece.

The IMF has faced repeated cyber attacks in recent years. It routinely collects sensitive information about the financial conditions of its 187 member nations. Some data in its computer systems could conceivably be used to influence or trade currencies, bonds and other financial instruments in markets around the world.

The latest infiltration was sophisticated in that it involved significant reconnaissance prior to the attack, and code written specifically to penetrate the IMF, said Tom Kellermann, a former cybersecurity specialist at the World Bank who has been tracking the incident.

"This isn't malware you've seen before," he said, making it that much more difficult to detect. The concern, Mr. Kellermann said, is that hackers designed their attack to gain market-moving insider information.

The attackers appeared to have broad access to IMF systems, which would give them visibility into IMF plans, particularly as it relates to bailing out the economies of countries on shaky financial footing, Mr. Kellermann said.

The IMF spokesman wouldn't comment on any specific details of the incident, which was first reported Saturday by the New York Times.

The attack on the IMF led the World Bank this week to cut a network link between the two institutions, even though the tie is not used for confidential financial information or other sensitive data. The IMF and World Bank, whose headquarters are next door to each other in Washington, work closely together on economic concerns of their member nations around the world.

A World Bank official said Saturday the network link with the IMF "involved nonpublic, nonsensitive information and it was cut out of an abundance of caution."

The network link between the two institutions has been severed before due to attacks against the fund.

Cyber threats against the fund have increased in recent years, particularly after the global financial crisis. The IMF has been heavily involved with European governments in bailing out Greece, Ireland and Portugal as the nations struggle with sovereign-debt crises.

It's not clear whether the number of cyber attacks is increasing, but it is certainly the case that institutions have recently grown more comfortable about disclosing them. So widespread is the threat that the fear of embarrassment appears to have shrunk, security experts say.

Google Inc. recently said users of its Gmail email service had been hacked by unknown people in China. Lockheed Martin Corp. has acknowledged a breach that it linked to an attack on EMC Corp.'s RSA unit, a security company that makes the numerical tokens used by millions of corporate employees to access their network.

Write to Sudeep Reddy at sudeep.reddy@wsj.com and Siobhan Gorman at siobhan.gorman@wsj.com

imf spokesman, imf web, austerity measures, david hawley, imf staff, international monetary fund, economic turmoil, economies of countries, insider information, kellermann, cyber attack, cyber attacks, member nations, financial instruments, infiltration, attackers, confidential information, reconnaissance, computer systems, hackers

Online.wsj.com

lundi 13 juin 2011

Wilson wall

photo

Wilson wall

Tags

art

artwork

australia

Blackandwhite

bw

festival

light

nb

noiretblanc

nsw

picture

sydney

vivid

vivid2011

wall
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dimanche 12 juin 2011

DSC_0443

photo

DSC_0443

Tags

island

lewis

isleoflewis

gannet

guga

sulasgeir

rona

ness

boat

sea
Flickr.com

The Olgas Northern Territory

photo

The Olgas Northern Territory

A small part of the massive rock "mountains" located in the Northern Territory

Tags

Olgas

Northern

Territory

Australia

massive rock, mountains

Flickr.com

samedi 11 juin 2011

Deal beach - Dover

photo

Deal beach - Dover

Sitting on the beach to have lunch

Tags

Deal

beach

sea

shingle
Flickr.com

step into the dark mirror - if you dare!

photo

step into the dark mirror - if you dare!

© Craigh Marsden 2011 All rights reserved.

Canon 5D Mk II
Canon EF24-70 f/2.8L USM @ 55mm
Exp 94 seconds, F16, ISO 250
B+W ND110 &amp; polarising filters
Silver Efex Pro 2

Tags

Port Adelaide

wharf

landing

ladder

barnacles

wire

rust

graffiti

monochrome

water

low tide

long exposure

ND110

reflection

mesh

Canon 5D Mark II

Canon EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM

Silver Efex Pro 2

square

canon 5d, dark mirror, polarising, 8l, 70mm, marsden, mk, amp, canon

Flickr.com

vendredi 10 juin 2011

My last German MacD Burger

photo

My last German macd Burger

&amp; our last McCafe stop

Tags

thecrave

Tour

europe

Roadtrek

iPhone

mccafe, macd, amp, ebook download

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The Bachelorette: too cruel for TV?


Did anyone else watch last night's episode of the Bachelorette with a hand partially over their eyes? For those who missed it, there's a guy on the show named Bentley who gets off on humiliating women. And despite the villainous music that swells when he's on screen, he succeeds at getting his jollies on a grand scale. 

Bentley is the embodiment of many women's worst fear. He's the guy who tells you how much he likes you, and then tells his friends how dumb you are to fall for his lines. Only in this case, his "friends" equal millions of viewers.

As many a mom has said, it's only funny until someone gets hurt. And last night, as Ashley pathetically wrapped her legs around a guy who just called her nothing special, someone got hurt. Like find a therapist who makes house-calls hurt. According to host Chris Harrison, they almost stopped production on the show because she was such a puddle of emotions. But, of course, they didn't. 

It's hard to feel too bad for a woman who's likely earning a six figure salary for being on a reality show, but last night got ugly. Producers allowed a guy with the empathy quotient of a cheese doodle to hijack the show.

Now viewers are tweeting mad that producers let this manipulative creep play out his abusive behavior over three episodes on the show. (Actually, more, since Herbert told People.com he's coming back in a future episode.) Sure he made for a good plot twist but was it worth it? His evil asides to the camera as he petted her head made us all feel like co-conspirators in his cruel prank.

And maybe in some way we were. But ethics and morality aren't two things I need to be thinking about when I'm watching my stories. 

Related:
Ali's rules for nabbing any bachelor
Bachelors tweet the Bachelorette finale
What happens in the fantasy suite?
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jeudi 9 juin 2011

Tern

photo

Tern

Hanko, southernmost town in finland.
In the distance the islands of Lngskr, Ormskr and stergrdsharun.

Tags

tern

bird

water

sea

Baltic Sea

archipelago

islands

Lngskr

Ormskr

stergrdsharun

Hang

Hanko

Finland

Suomi

trna

tiira

southernmost town, finland

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