The Herald: September 2008 Edition

[The Herald]

[The Herald]

This month we've updated the website to make it easier for authors of our content to update their contributions. If your contributions are not being shown on the website correctly and are under my name (as I submitted them on your behalf) please send me a pm and I will be happy to change the name for you.

I'm sure you all want to know the progress being made on v7. Well I can tell you that it is coming along nicely. It will be a bit different to the style we have at the moment, but nothing over the top like our previous versions.

Anyway, on with what you really come to this board for. Enjoy.

Eternity

[The Herald]

Stinky666 is known around this article for his fabulous premades but did you know, he also makes tutorials?

The 'Mehbeh' tag tutorial for Paint Shop Pro is a detailed guide on how to make a black and white abstract signature with a focal point. It is well laid out and very easy to follow and the tutorial itself is quite pretty.

The final outcome is unusual which is what I like about it, far too many abstract signatures just have a render in the background and some pretty lady in the foreground. With this signature some thought has gone into it meaning that the final piece is interesting and unique.

At the beginning of the tutorial Stinky offers some really good advice - don't imitate, learn. So often I see the same old signatures because a tutorial has been followed to the T by many different people. You do not learn by doing this. Follow the steps by all means but go back and do more, do your own thing using techniques you already know as well as those you learned in the tutorial.

[The Herald]

There wasn’t as much activity in the photography board this month as there was in months prior, and so picking the image this month wasn’t as difficult since there wasn’t as much to choose from. I don’t know whether I should be upset that there was declined interest, or happy that my job was a bit easier (but I think I’m more upset…). So give me a run for my money next month, okay?

That being said, this month the honour goes to Gray, who had an incredible vacation to Mexico. He took so many wonderful shots, but the one that really stood out to me was Rainforest Trail.

This shot, while a bit rough around the edges, is gorgeous to look at. It’s broken a few rules, and while fixing them might make it stronger, it’s still strong all on its own with them. It has such vibrant colours, and strong lines, making you want to look at it all. And the repetition of the similar colours and shades of colours makes it easy on the eyes, and not too busy. This is also a photo where the lack of a depth of field, bringing everything basically in to focus, works very well. Because in a shot like this, things falling out of focus would only serve to distract the viewer from its beauty.

Congratulations Gray on a well-done image.

To see this image, and more of the beautiful scenery from his vacation, please visit the original thread.

[The Herald]

Hey guys. I'm glad to see so much enthusiasm in the Critique section. Well as usual I'm going to give a winner and two runner-ups. This month our winner is Smangii, with his fabulous vector masterpiece Peculiarity!

^click^

If I've said this once I've said it a million times. I LOVE VECTOR! This piece is so fantastic I can't stand it. Keep it up mate!

Our runner up is egbakaet with Metropolitan

^click^

Very groovy piece, the colors all match up and it makes me think of soda! I really like it. Keep it up man.


Our second runner up is metalkorr with Supernatural.

^click^

This is an unusual piece, I didn't like the colors at first but now I am fond of them. It's subtle, and I like that. Continue the good work!


Congrats to all that participated!

[The Herald]

Sometimes we mistake famous for funny, but there's nothing wrong with a few laughs if the speaker is famous, is there?

"If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to forment a rebellion and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation."
- Abigail Adams

"If one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River, the headline that afternoon would read: "President Can't Swim.""
- Lyndon B. Johnson

"History is the best medicine for a sick mind, for in history you have a record of the infinite variety of human experience plainly set out for all to see, and in that record you can find for yourself and your country both examples and warnings: fine thing."
- Livy

"I busted a mirror and got seven years bad luck, but my lawyer thinks he can get me five."
- Steven Wright

"If God wanted us to bend over he'd put diamonds on the floor."
- Joan Rivers

"I am free of all prejudices. I hate every one equally."
- W. C. Fields

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."
- Albert Einstein

"A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice."
- Bill Cosby

"It's funny, to me, the way people refer to childbirth as a miraculous event. A miracle is something that defies nature. Only, childbirth has got to be the most natural thing in the world. Top three anyway. But, on the other hand, when you think about it, there's really no other word that fits. Sperm. Egg. A coincidental meshing of genetic information that will grow something that could write an opera or cook up some Napalm. It blows my mind."
- Barbara Hall

[The Herald]

For this month, I chose to review a very sad, yet unbelievably good movie. I was getting tired of comedies to be honest. Probably because I have seen numerous crappy ones recently. Anyways, this film has a terrific cast and a superb storyline.

Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix) is the main character. The plot consists of him flashing back on his past. The movie takes you through his many struggles at the fire station and on the home front. He encounters many intense situations. The bulk of them being emotional. The storyline does a great job honoring all firefighters and really gives you an insight into how hard their job is and how grateful we should be to have them.

The whole screenplay is brilliant and very realistic. It does a great job of portraying the firefighters and their lives. You can really get a sense of the true comradery the firelighters share. and begin to admire their profession. There are many turns in this movie. One at the end which I didn't see coming. I don't want to give much away, but the saying "the good guy always wins" doesn't hold true for this movie.

He eventually meets the women of his life Linda (Jacinda Barrett) and marries her. The is when the life cycle begins. Love, birth, tragedy, and ultimately death. I definitely think you should watch this movie asap. Maybe with your girlfriend or boyfriend. It's more fun. xD Let me know what you think of it.

4/5

[The Herald]

There only seems to be two birthdays this September . . . .

Eternity – September 14


Myself – September 30

[The Herald]

Dozens killed in Kyrgyzstan plane crash
Sunday, August 24, 2008


Image courtesy of cnn.com

A Boeing 737 heading for Iran with 90 passengers crashed near Bishkek, killing dozens of passengers. The six crew members survived the crash, but authorities are reporting roughly 60 passengers are now dead with around 20 suffering from serious injuries. The plan crashed near the U.S. military Manas Air Base.

Listeriosis outbreak linked to Toronto plant
Sunday, August 24, 2008


Image courtesy of cnn.com

The Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto has been linked to a deadly listeriosis outbreak, causing the company to put out a greater recall on their product. Its Bartor Road plant was closed after an original recall was put into place as a precaution. The outbreak was first noticed last month when cases were reported by an Ontario public health unit.

[The Herald]

Hard Candy is Madonna's eleventh studio album, released in April 2008. The album features the singles '4 Minutes' and 'Give It 2 Me'. The lead single '4 Minutes' is the most successful song from the album and has become one of Madonna's best selling singles.

I do quite like 'Give It 2 Me', but there is this stupid bit in the middle that ruins it. '4 Minutes' on the other hand is probably the best song on the album. Other songs on the album include 'Heartbeat', 'Miles Away', 'Beat Goes On' and 'Candy Shop'. Like 'Give It 2 Me', 'Candy Shop' it half great, half ruined, so it is odd to listen to, liking some of it and disliking other parts of it.

Madonna's Hard Candy is a bit of a departure from her previous works, utilizing a more urban sound, and could be her most ambitious project yet. It has been generally well received, with mostly positive reviews, and has sold more than 2.6 Million copies to date. The album features vocal appearances from Timbaland, Pharrell, Kanye West, and Justin Timberlake. Timberlake featuring in no less than five songs of the albums twelve.

There are some great songs, some not so good, and some weirdly half good and half bad, but overall it is a decent urban pop album. Worth listening to at least once, even if you're not much of a Madonna fan.

[The Herald]

Metal Gear Solid 4 is the latest game in the acclaimed Metal Gear Solid series, directed by Hideo Kojima. MGS4 was released exclusively for the Playstation 3 on the 12th of June 2008, a full 20 years after the release of Metal Gear, the very first game in the series. It is supposedly Kojima's final Metal Gear Solid game, as well as Snake's final mission. A prematurely aged Solid Snake returns as the only playable character under the new codename Old Snake.

Some of the new features in MGS4 include 'Octocamo', which replaces the camouflage system in Metal Gear Solid 3. It is probably Snake’s most technologically advanced suit yet, changing colour when pressed against a surface instead of having to pause to access the camouflage menu and change it manually to match your surroundings. Another new feature is the 'Metal Gear Mk. II', a small robot that can be used for reconnaissance and knocking out enemy troops by giving them an electric shock. It can also be used to communicate with other characters in addition to the Codec radio system.

One of the games tag lines is 'Nowhere to hide', and as soon as you begin the game you can see why. In act one, 'Liquid Sun', Snake is in the Middle East wearing a militia disguise, being delivered into a war zone via a militia convoy. His mission to reach the Praying Mantis camp and assassinate Liquid. The convoy then comes under heavy fire from the PMC (private military company) Praying Mantis, and as Snake gets off the truck, the tag line becomes apparent.

The militia and PMC troops are engaged in battle, and with men everywhere and bullets flying all over the place, you really do think 'How am I supposed to sneak through this?'. It is an incredible innovation in terms of gameplay as a lot of tension is created by the ongoing battle and constant flow of soldiers, any one of which could notice you.

However, you can gain the respect of the militia by taking down PMC soldiers and become allies with them, making getting past militia troops that much easier. On the flipside, you can't become allied to the PMC soldiers because they are controlled by nanomachines, and will never view snake as an ally no matter how many militia you kill.

Following the failed assassination attempt, act two, 'Solid Sun', sees Snake go to South America to reach Naomi Hunter who is being held captive. Again, Snake must sneak through an active war zone to reach his objective. The South America level will please fans of MGS3, but it's definitely no retread.

When Snake reaches Naomi, she explains that Liquid is planning to use Big Boss's genetic information to access JD and take control of SOP (Sons of the Patriots), the system of nanomachines and ID-authentications which allow the Patriots to monitor and control soldiers.

The games main bosses are the 'Beauty and the Beast' unit, its members are Laughing Octopus, Raging Raven, Crying Wolf and Screaming Mantis. A unit of four women who are all suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and as a result have become war machines. Their outer battle suit is referred to as the 'Beast', while they referred to as a 'Beauty' when they shed these suits.

In South America, Snake faces the first of the Beauty and the Beast unit, Laughing Octopus. It is an enjoyable game of cat and mouse, Laughing Octopus using Octocamo to hide from Snake, even taking the forms of Metal Gear Mk. II, an electrical unit, and a mannequin. You can use the Solid Eye to find her if she proves too difficult to find though.

_{In all the chaos of battle, all Laughing Octopus ever wanted was a hug.}

In act three, 'Third Sun', Snake travels to Eastern Europe in search of Big Mama, who leads the resistance group 'Paradise Lost', who are in control of the body of Big Boss. This section of the game is very different to the previous acts, as you now have to locate a resistance member and tail him to the hideout, while not letting him see you, and avoiding the Raven Sword PMC soldiers. Some good old fashioned sneaking to be had here. Once you reach the hideout and locate Big Mama, she reveals herself as EVA, and the surrogate mother of both Liquid Snake and Solid Snake.

You are then thrown into a motorcycle chase, trying to evade the attacking Raging Raven and her drones while protecting the van with Big Boss's body in it. It is a great chase sequence, EVA chastising you if you don’t gun down the drones with efficiency, and complementing you with 'That’s my boy' when you do. The chase ends with the motorcycle crashing and EVA sustaining injury. Snake then holds her and says 'I need you', very reminiscent of MGS3.

Snake then faces off against the second of the Beauty and the Beast unit, Raging Raven. Another excellent battle, this time you have to defeat Raging Raven while she flies around the building amongst her flying drones, attacking you from above.

Following the Raging Raven battle, Liquid's boat is surrounded by the U.S. Army, but he then displays his power and announces the implementation of 'Guns of the Patriots', his taking over of the SOP system, by disabling their guns and incapacitating the entire force by controlling the nanomachines in their bodies. He then instructs his troops to gun down the U.S. soldiers in a rather amusing fashion, by pointing in the direction of the intended targets with his fingers in the shape of guns. Hilarious.

_{Old Snake.}

In act four, 'Twin Suns', Snake returns to Shadow Moses Island, where REX has remained in the nine years after the events of Metal Gear Solid, to stop Liquid from using REX's rail gun to launch a stealth nuke at JD. While on the island, you must face the third of the Beauty and the Beast unit, Crying Wolf. A sniper battle then takes place on the expanses of Shadow Moses Island, and with near zero visibility in the snowstorm, the Solid Eye is an essential aid to finding Crying Wolf.

After defeating Crying Wolf, Snake discovers that Metal Gear REX's rail gun has already been removed. Snake is then attacked by Vamp, and after battling him, you must fights off a unit of Suicide Gekko while Raiden kills Vamp. An awesome bit of gameplay, as you can destroy the Suicide Gekko in one with the rail gun you acquire from Crying Wolf. After Otacon reactivates REX, you can control the giant bipedal tank to escape the attacking Suicide Gekko, gunning them down with miniguns, anti-tank rockets and a laser weapon. After escaping the building, you then use REX to fight Metal Gear RAY, piloted by Liquid. Using REX is definitely one of the most awesome bits of the game.

Liquid then reveals his ultimate weapon, a battleship based on Arsenal Gear blueprints. The ship is named 'Outer Haven', and REX's rail gun has already been mounted on it.

In act five, 'Old Sun', Snake boards Outer Haven to upload a virus to GW to stop the nuke being launched at JD. Here you face the fourth and final Beauty and the Beast unit member, Screaming Mantis. After defeating Screaming Mantis, you must battle through hordes of Dwarf Gekko, which is extremely fun, to reach the microwave corridor that literally microwaves any intruders trying to access GW. A weakened Snake reaches the GW server room, only to be overwhelmed by yet another horde of Dwarf Gekko, but Otacon manages to use the Mk. III to disable the whole of the Patriots system with the virus FOXALIVE, destroying the Gekko, the SOP system, the nanomachines, and the entire war economy.

The final showdown takes place on top of Outer Haven, Liquid and Snake fighting each other in a fighting game style battle. With music from previous games in the series playing throughout, it is a fitting end to an epic game. A full hour of cut scenes follow this fight, wrapping up the story nicely.

As well as all this story, you can play Metal Gear Online, or MGO, the games 2 - 16 player online mode. It features character customization, and several game modes such as deathmatch, team deathmatch, and sneaking mission. It has some excellent action, and is great fun most of the time, but it can also be very annoying when it wants to be. Laggy connections and cheapness by people who care more about their stats than having a good fight the main ruiners here. Also, the 'Reward' system used to obtain new items is very ironically titled, because I don't find it the least bit rewarding. First off you have to pay to get the expansion pack before you can even play the 'Survival' mode, which is where the majority of your points will come from, and then you have to fight hard to earn your points. If you don't get the expansion pack, you won't have very many reward points to play with. Very rewarding. Still, as online games go, it's damn good.

MGS4 is full of flashbacks from previous games in the series, as well as the usual fourth wall breaking jokes. For example, Otacon telling you to switch to disc 2, then realising you don't need to with the wonders of a Blu-ray disc, and Snake replying 'Damn it Otacon, get a grip!', moments such as this give you a laugh amidst all the action. There is also a plethora of unlockables to acquire, so there are plenty of reasons to play through it again and again.

Featuring cinematic cut scenes and a wonderfully intricate story, Metal Gear Solid 4 is an absolute must. The graphics are some of the most beautiful you will find, and the story is so big and detailed. Very few games have the substance this game has. It is without doubt one of the best games I have played. If you don't own a Playstation 3, you're missing out. It probably isn't too over the top to say this is the gaming event of the year, or even the decade.

[The Herald]

Basic Information
Name: Saiyuki
Episodes- 50
Genre- Adventure, Comedy, and Supernatural
Rating- 5/5

Background Information and Summary
There have been many renditions of Saiyuki out there, one of the most popular being the Dragonball series. Saiyuki was originally the story of the monkey sage Goku that wielded his nyobu staff, and rode upon a cloud in Chinese mythology.

This story is actually called Saiyuki, and it’s an amazing tale that’s been split into three parts. The first part, Saiyuki, is what this review will focus on. After Saiyuki though, there is Saiyuki Reloaded, and Saiyuki Reloaded Gunlock; or Reloaded and Gunlock for short. There is also the movie, Requiem for the One Not Chosen, as well. And if you read the manga alongside watching the anime, you’ll realize that they cut down on a lot of the perversion.

Saiyuki is a tale that borderlines being explicit content just because of all the ideas and themes that pop up into it. It’s a favourite of many girls because of the high potential for male-male relationships, and loved by even more because the characters are so dynamic.

Genjo Sanzo, a Buddhist priest of the highest level, has been told by the Gods that he is to travel west to find out who is trying to resurrect the demon Giyumao, and to stop them at all cost. He is not allowed to travel alone though, and so he is accompanied by Son Goku, Cho Hakkai, and Sha Gojyo.

Sanzo and Gojyo are two peas in a pod when it comes to a love for smoking, and a love for drinking. But Gojyo has another love for sleeping around with women, and is constantly trying to find one. Sanzo takes no part in that, and tends to keep to himself. Hakkai on the other hand, seems to lack the ability to get drunk, and is a very intellectual guy. It’s hard to tell with him if he’s joking or being serious. And Goku was borne of the rock, being the monkey king himself and always, always hungry.

Out of the group, only Sanzo is purely human, but his banishing gun and Maten Sutra make the playing field level for him as they take on many demons and even the Gods. Gojyo is a half demon, which is completely taboo, just as are half gods. And Hakkai made himself a demon by killing 1000 of them and being drenched in their blood. Goku is of the Gods, but his golden eyes say that he is dangerous, and so he was shunned.

In fact, all of them have a connection to Heaven that is later revealed with the coming of Homura, as the plot line changes from going forward to stop the resurrection of Giyumao, and instead becomes a journey to stop Homura from causing the apocalypse.

Through out it though, they never stop traveling west, just like in the original Chinese mythology, and while it’s very loosely followed, it’s still present. And they will continue on their journey westward come Reloaded, and probably Gunlock as well, because this story ends without the completion of their original task.

So one you have watched, and/or read, Saiyuki, it’s off to Reloaded with you to see where their adventures will take them next!

[The Herald]

If left alone, 70% of birthmarks gradually fade away.

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

We are about 1 cm taller in the morning than in the evening.

Layers of cartilage in the joints gets compressed during the day.

There are approx. 550 hairs in the eyebrow.

The strongest muscle in the human body is the tongue.

The life span of a taste bud is 10 days.

The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.

The largest known kidney stone weighed 1.36 kilograms.

Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin.

Babies are born without kneecaps. They appear when the child is 2-6 years of age.

Your body is creating and killing 15 million red blood cells per second!

The average human produces 10,000 gallons of saliva in a lifetime.

If you ate too many carrots you would turn orange.

The force of 1 billion people jumping at the same time is equal to 500 tons of TNT.

A baby is born every seven seconds.

You can tell if a skunk is about if you smell only .000000000000071 ounce of its spray.

You breathe about 10 million times a year.

The colder the room you sleep in, the better the chances are that you'll have a bad dream.

The foot is the most common body part bitten by insects.

The most common time for a wake up call is 7 a.m.

The typical person goes to the bathroom 6 times a day.

The fastest growing nail is on the middle finger.

The human body weighs 40 times more than the brain.

A person swallows approx. 295 times while eating dinner.

Your urine will turn bright yellow if you eat too much asparagus.

There are more people alive today than have ever died.

The human body is better suited to two four-hour sleep cycles than one eight-hour one.

A hair is 70 per cent easier to cut when soaked in warm water for two minutes

Women's hair is about half the diameter of men's hair

4.5 million people have their health 'adversely affected' by air pollutants each year.

4 million children die each year from inhaling smoke from indoor cooking fires that burn wood and Dung

4 million people die annually from diarrhea infections, caused by poor sanitary conditions

The hardest bone in the human body is the jawbone.

[The Herald]

I was thrilled when our lovely Editor let me have this for the month, I have been wanting to handle this article for quite sometime.

• Where did you get your name from?
  Birdie or Silverwings? Silverwings means a great deal to me, my biological mother calls me her little angel, and I dislike gold, so a dear friend of mine said my wings would be made of silver instead of gold. Birdie was a gift from James, our lovely little James. He told me, but I like keeping that one between us. <3
  
• Whats for dinner?
  I am tailgating, so hotdogs?
  
• What are you currently super obsessed with?
  Making this a great year for my residents.
  
• Who are you currently obsessed with?
  Leo, my Lover.
  
• Why do you have obsessions?
  Don't we all?
  
• Don't you know they can be unhealthy?
  Yes I do, but still I have them anyway.
  
• Can you be obsessed with me?
  But you don't even talk to me.
  
• Want a muffin?
  Please
  
• What did you do for your birthday?
  I got a book, and a bunch of sad events. But then I got Apple Pie.
  

[The Herald]

Allure

When writing something, you want it to be appealing to the reader. Something that screams . . . “READ ME!” When it’s looked at.

Unfortunately, this article will only feature advice. It’s up to you to find examples and research what people want and hate. Most websites have polls that you can take samples from and even compare with other sites. You can use this to your advantage.

”A filet mignon wrapped in bacon is delicious on a china plate, but is disgusting on a trash can lid.”- Anonymous

Presenting your work will affect how people respond to it. If it is not inviting as well as a good read, it will have no effect on the general population of readers that you are catering to. For example, keep your titles short and sweet. Many an article have been scoffed at and thrown out for idiotic titles. (Not really, but it could happen) Nobody will read it if you are naming it something outrageous. Stay within your boundaries. Don’t go out of your comfort zone because your populace does not want to read something that you yourself are uncomfortable writing.

Remember, when writing, you want the “wow” factor. People want to like your work, but you must let them. Just put your mind to it and you can have a great piece in no time. Keep your humor short and sweet. Don’t draw it out. I personally don’t like essays to be from the first person perspective, as don’t most people.

Keep writing, and show us your talent guys

[The Herald]

Model Mayhem –vs- Model Buzz[/u]

Out there on the big world of the internet, I have found two modeling sites that allow for the networking between photographer, model, wardrobe specialist, retoucher, hair stylist, makeup artist, and more. They are Model Mayhem, and Model Buzz.

I have used both, made connections on both, and can easily say that Model Mayhem is my preferred service for a lot of reasons.

The biggest and most important reason why I find Model Mayhem to be a better site for making connections, is that the ease of your control panel is a lot smoother. So is the system for viewing profiles, and the way to add friends and find people. Model Buzz has the functions, but it takes a bit of jerking around to figure out how to do it because links disappear on some pages.

When it comes to actually finding models, Mayhem once again excels because you know that you’re not going to have parents with seven year olds contacting you. What I mean by this, is that Buzz is full of child models, whose parents have written up the profiles and make them sound like they’ll be the next Brittney Spears. It’s actually quite disturbing to read these profiles that talk as if these kids have forgone playing in order to make a career as a model, some at the age of three or four. Mayhem doesn’t have any of this, since models are all at least in the teen years.

Model Buzz did school Mayhem in one way, and that’s with the photos. On Buzz, you’re able to customize albums, which is a nice feature when you figure out how to use it. However, you must pay in order to have more photos, where as Mayhem will give you a good portion for free and then there is a way (though I’ve yet to get a definite answer as to how) to get more if you really want. But 20 photos seems to be a good average so it doesn’t become MySpace and users don’t just use their most recent and best work.

Meeting up with local models also seems to be easier via Mayhem, as I’ve never made a connection on Buzz that actually would work out, since no one from my state or area has contacted me on there. Of course, that’s not including the child fact.

The only problem with sites like these though, are flakey models that don’t show up for a shoot. There are models out there like that, so be very careful and thorough when setting up a meeting and/or shooting date. Make sure that you contact them the day before to make sure they’re still coming/available, and get a cell phone number. Give them yours as well, so that if an emergency or something happens, you two can contact each other. And even though this is business related, never EVER meet up in a private place if either of you are coming alone. This is still the internet, be smart and safe about it.

And happy shooting! If the Buzz should up their standards, I will let you know. But as of right now, Model Mayhem is the way to go. No matter what the Buzz says about being a unique site and the best of its kind.

[The Herald]

One of the essential staples for any photographer in a digital field is being able to have streamlined workflow and ease of image processing. The faster you’re able to work on the computer, means the more time you can spend behind the lens doing what you love—taking the photograph. That’s why Lightroom was such an important and amazing tool for the digital photographer when it came out.

And now, Lightroom 2 has arrived!

Lightroom 2 has the same functionality of the original program, except that after listing to photographers using it who were in the field, Adobe has made it better. No photographer really believed that they could at first, but Adobe has found a way. And there is cheering in the streets, because the digital workflow has once again become easier.

The best feature about Lightroom always has been, and probably always will be, the fact that it is completely integrated with all RAW image files. So no matter what camera you are using, Lightroom will always be able to read the files it’s producing. It has the ability to integrate with Photoshop, and even that’s become more streamlined and faster, and now it will even read your PSD files.

Lightroom was known for how you could batch rename and edit, and how you worked nondestructively on virtual copies. It made organization easier as everything could have its own folder and keywords. Lightroom has the built-in copyright so that your photos have a watermark when they leave if you so choose, so that people (hopefully) aren’t stupid enough/able to steal your work. With Lightroom you are able to adjust the image exposure should it be a little off, and check your histogram just to be sure. It helps to remove colour casts and properly white balance, and add a boost of sharpening if needed. And you can do some minor cloning and healing with it. You are able to rate your photos so that you can find the best ones right away, rather than having to open them all separately and choose by a very slow process of elimination. With Lightroom, you also have survey mode which will pop up several photos of your choice at once, so that you can pick the best of them. Exporting files was simple and easy with a module that let you customize and save presets at your whim, and you could chose what kind of file to make it and how large as well. And Lightroom will run on Windows or Mac, without having to buy a separate disc for each, making it a very compatible program.

And somehow, Adobe made all of this better.

With Lightroom 2, you can now access multiple drives of photos at a time, rather than just your one catalog, giving you the ability to see a lot more photo shoots than just what fits on your computer. There is now selective editing, where you can dodge and burn, or clone and heal. The sharpening feature has become even more controllable, because you can select just how you want the sharpening done. Lightroom 2 will also now work with dual-screen setups, and integrates more nicely with Photoshop CS3. The print module will now do packages instead of just single sizes at a time, and it also means you can save those presets for when you have other clients requesting the same thing. Organization has gotten better too, as you can now search more metadata settings and keywords at a time to quickly locate that photo whose location you can’t remember off the top of your head. They’ve also made the colour and exposure edits more enhanced, so that they will work betting on not just RAW files, but on any other file format as well.

The web gallery and slideshow functions remain the same though, but that’s okay. You’re still able to use Simpleviewer for free, and create amazing flash or html galleries with a few simple clicks in Lightroom and an FTP server. Lightroom has really gone above and beyond what Photoshop offers by way of web galleries, and since they work together so nicely, you have the freedom to choose which one you want to use.

Lightroom 2 currently goes for $299 usd if you are buying it new. For those who already own Lightroom, the upgrade to 2 is only $99 usd, and not quite as hard on the wallet. Most photographers already have Photoshop, which is well over $500 usd, so integrating it with Lightroom really is a smart move to make. It’s an investment that no photographer will ever feel sorry about, because Lightroom makes everything easier. And ease of use means less frustration and more camera time.

So the next time you’re looking to upgrade your photo equipment, look into Lightroom. You won’t be sorry that you did.

[The Herald]

    The Olympics have sadly (or finally for some) come to an end. We saw many records have new leaders and even some controversy. Overall, I think Beijing did a good job of hosting the Olympics. Of course, they did some things unrelated to the Olympics I didn't approve of, but all of the facilities were nice, security was high and the events were spectacular.

I guess I will start off with the controversy. To start, the opening ceremony as glorious as it was, it was filled with many sad flaws. One of them being the singer of the national anthem being told she wasn't "cute enough" for T.V. hence leading to it being lip synced. And, the fireworks display which everyone viewed on T.V. was in fact fake and never happened at the Birds Nest. Way to go China.

Other concerns surrounding the Olympics were the accessibility by the press to certain sites. China said when they accepted the bid that everything would be accessible online and there would be no censorship. That proved to be false when journalists couldn't access sites such as Amnesty International. Next thing that pissed me off, was that China allowed protests, but not really. You had to apply for a protest permit in order to stage one in a "protest zone" located far from the Olympic facilities. Anyways, that didn't matter because of the almost 100 applicants, all were turned down and some of those groups were arrested. In addition, the Chinese government supposedly held tickets to events and basically prevented them to be sold in fear protestors would purchase them and stage a protest during an event. That would explain all of the empty seats you saw during the games. Last, there were reports of Tibetans being sent on a "forced holiday" outside Japan to ensure they wouldn't be seen as a threat. But, that didn't stop some as foreign protestors managed to stage of small acts of support for Tibet.

The most controversial issue that now has the IOC (International Olympic Committee) leading an investigation into it is whether or not the Chinese gymnasts team was all over 16, the age prerequisite. There were reports written in China specifically stating one of the girls was born in 1994 and it was printed less than a year ago, which mean she could be 15 now. Still making her ineligible. These reports have since been removed, but were recently dug up by a hacker using cached files. I am not trying to stir anything up, but I could tell that by looking at those girls faces that they certainly did not look 16.

Lets move away from the controversy and on to the things that matters. I will cover Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt and gymnastics. All items which made big news in he US and abroad.

Some say he's a fish, others claim he's from another human race from a different planet. Where ever he is from, he definitely amazed the eyes of millions. He went into Beijing with the opportunity to win eight gold medals, five for individual events and three for team events. Going in, no one was as optimistic as he was. No one believed he could really seize all the gold medals. Members of foreign swim teams were talking smack about him, giving him even more motivation to prove them wrong.

He took each gold one at a time. Having a scare in the medley relay with his teammate Jason Lezak having to come from behind to win. He slowly grabbed each gold, making some people believe this feat was feasible. After all was said and done, he was left standing with eight golds. Wow. He set the record for most gold medals in a single Olympics passing Mark Spitz's previous record of seven. He also tied the world record for most individual gold ever one at an Olympics. He seems indestructible and has already shown interest in the 2012 games in Athens.

I am a member of my school indoor track team, but never really took an interest into watching it on TV. After watching Usain's Bolt display of pure athleticism I, along with many others became intrigued by the sport. Usain Bolt's wicked fast speed and agility set a new world record in the 100 M. He ran 100 meters in 9.69 seconds. Can you believe that? And to the naked eye, it didn't seem like he went 100% at the end because he was looking back and making hand gestures in the final 10 M. He also set the record in the 200 M with an unbelievable time of 19.30 seconds. He became the first man to set Olypmic records at all three of his track events. The other one being the 4x100 Team relay. The "Lightning Bolt". Such a sight to see.

Gymnastics was all around an enjoyment for everyone. We saw many young (no pun intended) athletes display their talents in front of the world. Nastia Liukin one the all around gymnast event beating out her friend and fellow American Shawn Johnson. She also came in second on the uneven bars even though she got the same first place score as He Kexin. Shawn Johnson took gold on the beam. A great accomplishment for her. On the mens side, Zou Kai of China dominated the individual events picking up three gold while the Americans didn't fair as well as they liked too. They suffered to devastating losses being that the Hamm brothers couldn't participate.

All in all, the Olympics was enjoyable for all! The next summer Olympics will be held in London in 2012. Maybe some people from SSD will be there! Who know? Until next time. . .

---

Total Medals:

United States	China	Russian Fed.	Great Britain	Germany
110	100	72	47	41

[The Herald]

September 19th of every year has special meaning to a lot of people around the world now, as it became national (starting in the US) to international Talk Like a Pirate Day six years ago. It started between a group of good friends, and with a quick mention in the blogging community, it’s become an international event that people look forward to celebrating.

On this day, people all over the world dress up for and get into character, speaking and (sort of) acting like pirates for the entire day. Of course, since we are far more civilized than the high seas were way back when, some things can’t be replicated (your neighbors are not going to appreciate you pillaging treasure from their house), but it still is entertaining and a great way to bring people together! Especially after The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, that got many people hyped up about pirates in general! And this year it falls on a Friday, so people are psyched up for a Talk Like a Pirate Weekend.

What’s really nice about the day though, is that the UK took the lead in making International Talk Like a Pirate Day something to help raise money for good causes. So now it has become encouraged for everyone who participates to get a group together, and hold a fundraiser. After all, what better way to get that plundering in than for a good cause? A bit backwards from pirates, but hey, it’s still bound to be a fun day! And you can go find the rum after a good day’s work. Or in this case, weekend.

So what’s the basis behind talking like pirates? Considering they’re horrid and despicable creatures no matter how you look at it in history? Well, according to the official site:

“Before we go any further, there's something we need to be clear about. Pirates were and are bad people. Really reprehensible. Even the most casual exploration of the history of pirates (and believe us, casual is an accurate description of our research) leaves you hip deep in blood and barbarity. We recognize this, all right? We aren't for one minute suggesting that real, honest-to-God pirates were in any way, shape or form worth emulating.

So what is it exactly that we're celebrating here, if not pirates? What, you're wondering, is the point?

We're going to be painfully honest here, perhaps fatally so.

The point is, there is no point.

And that's what's fun about Talk Like a Pirate Day specifically, and talking like a pirate in general.”

So there you have it, there is no point what-so-ever to this holiday but silliness. And apparently that’s what people needed, because it spread like wild fire across the seven seas to become internationally known and loved.

Be sure to check the official site for all things related to this holiday as well, from their Myspace page and photo galleries, to some quick (and humourous) lingo tips, to the top ten pirate pickup lines that are sure to get a chuckle out of you!

Avast! Look forward to it me harties! Talk Like a Pirate Day is comin’!