Pricing Photography: How To Keep Your Customers & Stay Open For Business

In this day and time, we photographers can't just go out there and start shooting.  Gone are the

days where we could pursue our passions and dreams without giving serious thought as to how

we will survive! Now, it's all about branding, strategies, social media, the economy and learning

how to run a business...not just about learning the features on your camera.  One of those 

"must learn" items is how to price our photography.

What I'm writing about today is what I've learned (the hard way) since starting my small 

photography business a few years ago and has been one of my most difficult tasks to date.  

The fact of not beginning this little venture with large funds, has been the catalyst for me to

continually fine-tune EVERYTHING I can to ensure that I remain in business.  It can seem 

daunting and complicated, but I promise, you CAN do it without going insane!

I am not an expert, but this is my finely-tuned list that has worked for me.

1. Have a solid base of customers:

If your customer base (realistically) consist of a few repeat clients - then put off increasing
prices for now.  Otherwise, you'll probably lose the few customers you have, rather than gain
more.  Work on getting that solid base so you'll have enough customers to support the
increase in fees.

2. Price according to cost:

This was one of the hardest things for me to do, and sometimes it still is.  If you have a large,
agreed upon contract price for a project...well, it feels great, right? So - what did it COST YOU?
What is your time worth?  software? expenses? i.e. gas, food, travel, etc.? How much per hour
are you making if you shoot for 2 days, then edit for 1 1/2 weeks?  Lets not forget the level of
skill and knowledge it takes to edit properly and with care. (subject for another time)

3. Price the competition around you.

Check out not only other photographers, but include the 'box photography studios' like
PictureMe Portraits, (CPI Corp)
Olin Mills (LifeTouch)
JC Penney Studios (LifeTouch)
Sears Portraits (CPI Corp)
Portrait Innovations
They run specials all the time, but hopefully, a.) You're staying in contact with your customer
base and b.) your photos are unique, beautiful, and set you apart from box store
photographers.
You can run specials too, you know.  Do it.  Your customers will love you for it and it'll make
them even MORE loyal to you.

4. It doesn't hurt to ASK.

By that I mean, survey your customer base, asking if a % increase seems reasonable to them.
You don't have to go into every detail as to why - but you could say due to software upgrades,
new technology/equipment cost, etc.  if you feel you have to say something.  Most customers
will appreciate the personal notification, and will feel like you've included them in your personal
circle....which in one way - you have. I have found that having a personal chat with my
customer(s) has proven over and over to be a key ingredient in my success.

5. What type of photography you are producing affects pricing:

1/3 of how to determine pricing is the TYPE of photography you produce. Obviously, cost are
different for a studio-only photographer, a nature photographer, action/sports photographer,
photojournalist, or wedding photographer.  You can't just add a % multiplier to your cost and
expect to come out on top of the pricing game!

6. Your Business Model:

What are your profit goals for the year?  How would your prices change with a change in the
number of sessions you do per year? Would prices increase or decrease? Are you prepared
with a Game Changing Plan B? Do you have additional income or savings set aside to help you
start your business and keep it running until you are ABLE to increase your prices? These
numbers should be included in your initial pricing model.

7. Accurate package pricing:

You must know what your costs are, which includes personal branding printing cost, shipping,
materials to ship your photos in, etc. You need to know these costs before you can accurately
price your packages.  One way to reduce cost is online proofs, which has become pretty much
the standard; however, I deal with a lot of older customers who prefer looking at printed proofs,
so keep that in mind.  Online package pricing should also account for any additional credit card
or PayPal fees you incur with each transaction.

8. Video:

So often now, with snazzy software and cameras that offer 1080/HD video, everybody wants a
video - of everything.  Be sure to include in your price quote the cost of that task i.e. buying
DVD's, labels (that cost extra if you have them printed) or for ink to print them yourself.  All of
these costs add up!  Again - what is your time worth?
My first video was a nightmare.  Me and my business partner shot video for 3 days at an event.
  I bought the software to put the video together, but also had to buy an additional, advanced
software for splitting sound and video 'bites' that I didn't think of previously.  Plus - the kicker - it
took me 1.5 weeks to put it together.  Needless to say, we lost our butts on that deal!!!!

9. Fixed expenses: 

Although most of your fixed expenses should be included within your Business Model, I
disagree that some of them should be paid for by your customers.  By that I mean, taxes,
business licenses, equipment, studio space, office materials - all are part of small business
items that you'll be able to take off on your taxes. So to me, including those things in your
pricing is like double-dipping and I don't do it.  That's just the accounting auditor in me.

10. Your market:

A photographer in a small town that charges lower prices for family portraits, but has a steady
customer base (repeat customers) can often end up making more per year than the
photographer that travels for shoots and does - say, 1 big shoot per month!  Know your market.
Obviously, customer base and location should be another 1/3 of your pricing model.

11. Hourly vs. Contract:

Admit it, we all do it.  For some customers, we'll charge an hourly or lower rate for a shoot
rather than a contracted / studio price.  When, depends on a few things: a.)difficulty of the shoot
(Animals & some children require longer and sometimes requires these types of fees.) and
b.) What the customer can afford at the time.  I'm not saying give it away for free, but to keep
our base customers, we need to show that we are there for the long haul.
I have a customer (a steady customer) who lost her job.  She needed pictures for Mother's Day
but couldn't afford my regular studio fee. Solution: Hourly fee & in cash.  She paid less for her
pictures and I kept a customer.  She has since found another job, and continues to be one of
my best customers.  She knows I'll work with her to keep her as a customer and to me - that's
everything in business.  Everything.

12. Use some plain common sense:

Build up your prices over time.  DON'T just go from 'barely there' to 'world-renowned
photographer' pricing. Increase your pricing as your skill level, as well as your customer base
increases.

In summary, we photographers have an unbridled passion to share how we see EVERYTHING
with the world, whether it's good, bad, beautiful, ugly, disturbing or comforting.
We are the record keepers and time preservers. We are passionate about our craft and more 
often than not, will fail to find any substitute for it.
However, realistically, we need to be smart about our business as any small business does, so
we must pay attention, make an effort to learn how to do things better and more efficiently and
by doing that, hopefully - we stay in business.  Efficient pricing is just one of the tools we can
use - like a carpenter uses his tape-measure to build a house - so too can we build a great
photography business. 

Some suggestions for pricing software:
1. Start Smart Pricing Software - for the amateur going professional photographer,
                                                       with lots of modules if you are a studio 1 person,
                                                       studio 2 people, wedding, wedding & portraits, etc.
                                                       http://howmuchdoicharge.com/2011/02/start-smart-portraits/

2. fotoQuote Pro &
    fotoQuote Pro 6 -                      This software is the industry standard for stock and
                                                        assignment photography estimating.
                                                        http://www.cradocfotosoftware.com/fotoQuote-Pro/

3. BlinkBid -                                    This is for the Video professional. Includes Estimating
                                                        production & invoicing software.
                                                        http://blinkbid.com/

4. HindSight Photo Price Guide - This software can be adapted to suit your needs, but
                                                       you'll need to be knowledgeable in spreadsheets. One
                                                       great thing is it has currency conversions, it's versatile
                                                       and you can download a trial version.
                                                       http://www.hindsightltd.com/products/PriceGuide.html

5. NPPA Cost Of Doing
   Business CDB Calculator-        This software is custom made for the Photojournalist.               
                                                       http://www.nppa.org/professional_development/business_practices/cdb/cdbcalc.cfm

Learning To Be Social Media Savvy: Day : (I Forget)

Yes.  I KNOW it's been a while since I've written about learning to be Social Media Savvy, but
that doesn't mean I haven't been as busy as a bee trying to figure it all out.
To catch you up, I've been studying my insites on Facebook, joining the ranks of Klout (more
about that one in a few minutes) and trying to be smarter on Twitter by targeting my audience and
fellow photographers. 
On my last post, I received a reply comment from Rosh Sillars. T H E ROSH SILLARS. (One of
my HEROES) He gave me great advice; this is what he said:
"Don't give up.

There is a lot of information out there. Don't become overwhelmed. Social media is not direct marketing (email, Google ads and direct mail). It's not rocket science either.

Here are three basic thoughts to remember.

1. The more quality information you share in the social media the more benefit you will receive. Both quality and quantity are important.
2. If you focus on championing other people the more engagement you will earn.
3. Social media is a marathon not a sprint." (Bolding is mine)

Social media IS a marathon.  It's a continuation of efforts and the persistence in the art of fine-tuning and targeting your audience. 
Product and customer service after the sale have always been 'JOB ONE' for me.  Lately, I've re-contacted some of my original customers and asked them to answer a few questions: (Yes, I realize this is like Marketing 101)
1. Why did you choose me for your photography needs?
2. HOW did you find me? 
3. Rate your experience with me from 1-5, 5 being the best.
4. Did you tell your friends about your experience with Ginger Z Photography?
5. What can I do to improve?
6. What type of incentives would you like to see offered by my company?
7. Will you be back?
During this experiment, I only received 1 complaint, which was that my pricing had changed
too dramatically for them and they felt they could no longer afford my services.
This customer was one of my very first customers. They allowed me to use their photos for
my portfolio in return for a small studio fee, rather than regular prices.  So, to this customer I
made an offer to do another session - again for a smaller fee, but proposed a different subject for the shoot.  They loved the idea!  They get more pictures, I get an expanded portfolio and they tell their friends.   Happy Customer.

My definition of Social Media:

Social media is social interaction by means of technology-based communication venues between communities, organizations and individuals, turning one-way communications into interactive dialogues.

This means TALKING to your customer(s), and making sure the dialogue between your customer's network and yours is positive, interactive, and resolute.
To get the word out there, I've taken out Facebook ads, to put the brand out into the world.  I've also networked with (in particular) my shared groups within LinkedIn, and by agreeing to support each other, we are sharing technology, industry news, how-to's - you name it, in addition to supporting each other's FB pages, Twitter, etc...  I like that.  We're not competing with each other - - we're helping each other. 
I have begun to share articles, pictures, industry news - anything that can help us as an
'industry' to survive, I'm sharing.  We have become a community in of ourselves, and I have to tell you, it's a good feeling. 
My klout score has increased, although there is a growing controversy on whether or not Klout
score even matters, being that it's so fickle, but I'm watching mine grow - and it feels good, even if it may be for a short while.  It makes me think I'm on the right path, you know? 
I know more people are talking about my Facebook Fan page. I include not only my pictures, but those of my comrades.  I give Kudos to photographers I think really have the gift, and I share articles from those who have the gift of the written word.  I feel better having this network of photographers.  I'm not alone in my quest - seems we're all trying to figure this Social media thing out.  At least I don't feel so alone in my quest to understand Social Media within my particular industry, and not only have I increased my network, I've increased my circle of friends.  
Quite frankly, I think that's pretty damn cool, don't you? Yep....I believe I get it now.

Learning To Be Social Media Savvy: Day 2

I realize it's been a few days since I've written about my progress, although I've been trying,
I do not feel I've made that much progress, really.  I HAVE been doing my homework.
I'm reading tons of information from Jeff Bullas. Lately, I'm reading about how to take my
company's Facebook Page from 0 to 40,000 fans.
The link for this article: http://www.jeffbullas.com/2011/03/14/how-to-take-your-companys-facebook-fan-page-from-zero-to-40000-fans/
Basically - in 4 stages, you too, can be a Facebook mega-star.  What are the 4 stages?
Stage 1: Why Use Facebook?
Stage 2: How Do You Start?
              a. Defining your market
              b. Getting the 'tone' right
              c. Identify the engagement fundamentals
              d. Treat it as a long term investment
              e. Keeping it Real, Relevant and Relaxed
Stage 3: Making It Happen (how to update)
Stage 4: Monitor, Measure & Report
I'm working on this so I'll keep you posted on my progress.
Another thing I've been working on is a new blog and website.  At the present, I really only
have a smugmug account to show off my work.  It has served it's purpose up until now, but yea,
I'm at the point where I want more - I want a REAL website. My next question is how many
marketing dollars do I want to spend and is it possible to do it yourself?
I set out with full intentions of creating a website from scratch by myself.  I've done little sites
for the garden club, why can't I do this?  I mean, I should be able to do this..right?
I began by attempting to set up my domain name (previous post advice) and I did through
Site Ground Hosting.  Prices quickly added up for when I shopped to get 3 things: My own
domain name, a website and a blog (a flashy - fancy blog).  Everything I've been reading said
I really needed a flashy site(s) so I thought 'Well, what the hell could it hurt?" Long story short
was that afterabout 4 hours trying to get the design how I wanted it (limited templates - unless
you want to buy more which I did) the content transferred over, or the pictures I wanted, I was so
frustrated that I gave up, called customer service and canceled it.  I still have the domain name
for 1 year, so I'm going to try it again but with another service.
Unless you're tech savy, I think it's difficult to create a really cool flash site and it's probably
worth the money to have a professional help you with this part.  Really - what's your time worth?
I needed to be editing photos from a wedding, but totally lost part of a day trying to figure it
out quickly.  Oh, and by the way, I thought I was going through WordPress - then it was
Joomla - then it was Site Ground...yea - go figure that one out!
I'm doing a little more research before I take the dive and have a professional help me out,
so next, I'm going to try Wix.  I've heard great things about them, so I'll let you know.
What's interesting to me in this journey, is that basically - all of the ground work has to be
in place before you can connect the dots and get your social media campaign going.
[sigh] I hope it's worth it; I think it will be.

Learning To Be Social Media Savvy: Day 1

" You can't do today's job with yesterday's methods and be in business tomorrow."

"Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision."

-- Peter F. Drucker


 As I wrote in my previous post, I'm taking the information that is coming across my Timeline in Twitter,
and LinkedIn, using those tips, tricks, steps, secrets, etc. and I'm going to see if I can use them
for my small business...my VERY small business and write about the results.  I'm going to
attempt to take at least one piece of advice per day and apply it to my little one-man-show.
One person I follow on Twitter is Brian Moran, Executive Director for the Wall Street Journal,
and an expert on small business.  His mantra is: "Social Media is a 'means to an end'. I've
watched his 'Tweets' and have watched as he relentlessly takes questions through Twitter from
around the globe on the subject and recently relayed to his audience 6 reasons why we, as
a small business should engage in Social Media:
Lead Generation, Customer Service, Market Research, Competitive Analysis, Networking and
Public Relations. It's within those 6 categories that I'll be measuring my level of success or failure
during this project.
Another great resource I follow is Jeff Bullas.  www.jeffbullas.com Jeff's blog is completely
about everything to do with Social Media, Online Marketing, Blogging, Facebook, YouTube,
LinkedIn, SEO and Inbound Content Marketing. Today, I'm following his "37 Tips for Optimizing
Your Blog" which he relays via TopRank Online Marketing Blog, written by Lee Odden. You can
read what I'm reading through this link: http://www.toprankblog.com/2009/03/blog-feed-seo-sesny09/
Some things I'll need a little assistance with, like adding 'deep links' to my RSS Footer, so
for those things, I'm making a list for when I see my geek niece, who understands that stuff better
than me.
My next marketing tip(s) are coming from Rosh Sillars, who I also follow on Twitter. Today,
he has shared "Six ways photographers earn income through Facebook". The link to his
blog is: http://www.roshsillars.com/2011/01/six-ways-photographers-earn-income-through-facebook/
1. Network with other photographers to trade leads and referrals. (I do this already)
2. Share photographs on Facebook as a passive form of advertising. (I do this too, and find
    that it really is a great way of advertising your work.)
3. Tag people. Offer clients a free image to share if they like your Facebook page, which
    will lead to more referrals. (I haven't been doing this, so this is one item to begin today.)
4. Use Facebook to advertise and directly target your demographic, make adjustments
    quickly, and control budget costs.  (I think this is the whole reason you have a
    Facebook page, so I don't really see the value here; correct me if I'm wrong.)
5. Promote other people related to your industry. Theory being that when you promote them,
    they will promote you.  (I do this already also - so this one is a 'check')
6. Create events.  Facebook has an excellent event notification system, so take advantage
    of it to invite people to your next show, party or networking event. (I'm going to use this
    advice and perhaps create a photography exhibition event with fellow photographers; I'll
    keep you posted.)
Next, an advice post on Word Of Mouth Marketing by Zenologue. Website link:
http://www.zenologue.com/blog/2011/11/photography-business-word-of-mouth-marketing-solutions/#more-5144 
(Yes, I know it's a very long link)
The one thing that really stood out for me in this column was a quote about changing the game on
word of mouth marketing.  "What will change the game is actually changing the game. Changing

the experience of talking about you so fundamentally that people will choose to do it."  

That's a powerful statement. We need to create something worth talking about! Is the experience in

my studio so great that people will talk about it after they've completed their session with me?

I realize word of mouth today, isn't what it used to be. It's not likely to be Rose who sees 

Martha at the meat counter in the local grocery store, telling her about the studio shoot she

had in my studio.  Today, that word of mouth has morphed into 'word of thumbs' - texting

and Twittering her experience to her friends (The article uses the phrase "word of mouse") and you 

can COUNT on Rose putting her experience up on her Facebook wall!  Another great point 

within this article is this excerpt: 

"Interestingly enough, the closer the referring person is to you in social terms, the more likely 

you are to act on the information they give you. In other words, the influencing power of the 

message is dependent upon the social distance of the messenger from the receiver."

I agree with this statement to a certain point; however, I have gained clients through sharing
photos on Facebook; the person in the picture shares with cousins who live far away, and have
been asked to photograph the cousin when they come to town. So - -

The end point is to build a WOMM Strategy (Word Of Mouth Marketing). The book that will

expand on this idea is called "Word Of Mouth Marketing Secrets For The Professional

Photographer" and is available in three different versions (Kindle, Nook or PDF.

I believe this book will have a great impact on my marketing efforts.  If you buy it and you like

it, let me know. 

All of the articles from above are about marketing efforts - getting the word out about your

brand or product, targeting your demographic and the resulting interaction between your

clients and THEIR audience - - of whom hopefully, will become your future clients.

Not too shabby for Day 1.

The Sea of Social Media & My Very Small Business

Recently, I began to ponder the true effects of Social Media sites like Twitter, Facebook and 
LinkedIn - within the small business world, the VERY small business world.
Yes, there are literally THOUSANDS of articles on how you too can become a 
Marketing Mega-Star, best tactics, lead generation, how to engage your audience, 
and it goes on and on.
Strategically, any business I believe thinks about the best way to reach their demographic. 
The question I have is do we [ me ] really need to follow these media experts and jump on 
every social wagon out there? Almost daily, there's a new 'latest and greatest' that somebody 
tells me I need to be a part of.  Quite frankly, sometimes it makes my head spin and I begin 
to envision little mice running from one corner of a box to another in packs!
As you probably already know, I'm a photographer.  My small business staff consists of, 
well - me.
I'm not a famous photographer by any means, but my little business has started to grow, 
and I'm actually able to make a living from it, albeit barely.  So, how will all of this social media 
mumbo-jumbo help somebody like me? I have a Facebook page for fans to "like" and I 
jumped head-first into the Twitter world; which, by the way has allowed me to make fast 
friends within my field and out and for that fact alone, I'm grateful.  I don't have a huge 
following yet, but I've decided I'm not going to pay any agency to help me find followers 
and I'm not going to say "I'll follow you if you follow me."  ...I think that's bullshit.  I want folks 
to follow me who are truly interested in what I do for a living and what I have to say about it.  
I also want to find comradery in special interests I have, such as sailing, music, discovery,
and global news.  I follow lots of professional photographers from around the globe and 
follow almost anything to do with sailing -oh, and don't forget the comedians.. I do love to laugh.
But does that really do anything at ALL towards marketing efforts and my business?  I don't think 
so. What it does do for me is this: It brings information TO ME. 
Is that narcissistic? Probably, but hear me out.  I'm a one-person show. Marketing with a big 
budget just isn't in the cards for me right now but within this particular venue, some of the 
best of the best are giving me FREE advice on how to build my business.  All day long, 
there's a steady stream of professionals who have made it and want to share with you how
they did it; some used social media, some did not, but either way, they want to share that 
information with me, you and the world!
One day, I'm sitting at my desk editing photos from a shoot and half paying attention 
to the Timeline on my Twitter. I wondered....what if I tried to actually take all of the advice 
that came through my Timeline in a day and actually do it. ??? Would it improve my business 
and how?  Whose advice would prove to be the best? Perhaps I should have been doing
all of these things all along?  Why HAVEN'T I been doing these things?  Well, for one thing, I 
know where my audience is; about 1/3 of that audience doesn't use a computer
for anything other than to receive email from grandkids, but the other two-thirds do, and
that's who I'm going to target. In the past, the best marketing for a photographer has been 
word of mouth, slowly building through the years, and exhibition venues.  Let's see how 
photography fairs in this fast-paced sea of social media.
Everyday, I'll tell you who's advice I'm following, any links that are offered, how long the
anticipated results should take and if they do, and within what venue i.e. Facebook, Twitter, 
LinkedIn, etc.
If you decide to do this with me, I want to know and I want to read your comments.
Ready? Let's do this.

What’s with all these earthquakes?

What’s with all these earthquakes?

More on the America's Cup Racing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHIAFfpHRYk&feature=player_profilepage

AMERICA'S CUP RACING

ABSOLUTELY MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR!
Don't know about you, but I LOVE watching the Americas Cup / AC World Series. I'll try to post updates from their websites. Forgive the RSS Feed size, I don't have much control over this one.

OUTBREAK NOTICE: Polio Outbreak in Tajikistan, Cases in Russia, Risk of Spread to other Central Asian Countries

Current Situation:

The Tajikistan Ministry of Health continues to respond to an outbreak of poliovirus imported from India. The outbreak was confirmed on April 21, 2010, by the World Health Organization (WHO). It represents the first importation of polio into the WHO European Region since it was certified polio-free in 2002. All countries in the Central Asian region and the Russian Federation are at risk of additional poliovirus importations until this outbreak is over. Central Asian countries include Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Transmission in the northern Caucasus area of the Russian Federation indicates a possible risk of spread to the Caucasus countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

Tajikistan
Tajikistan reported 712 cases of acute flaccid paralysis in 2010. Of these cases, 457 have been laboratory-confirmed as polio. Of the confirmed polio cases, 298 are in children under 5 years of age; 29 deaths in 2010 were attributed to confirmed polio As of June 7, 2011, 12 additional acute flaccid paralysis cases with onset in 2011 had been reported but none have been confirmed to be polio as of date.

Confirmed polio cases have been reported in the capital city of Dushanbe, Districts of Republican Subordination, and Khatlon Province, all in central and southwestern Tajikistan, and one district and the provincial capital city Khudjand in the northern Sogd province. The government of Tajikistan has received technical guidance and support from WHO, which is communicating with neighboring and other countries about the outbreak. Tajikistan borders Afghanistan to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and the People's Republic of China to the east.

Russia
Russia has reported 14 polio cases to date, 5 of which are linked to travelers, but a substantial spread in the country has not been reported. Cases have been reported in Moscow, as well as Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, and Khabarovsk regions, the Chechen Republic, and Republic of Dagestan. The latter two are Northern Caucasus republics that have each reported 3 cases of local transmission, without any known travel link to Tajikistan. The most recent confirmed case in Russia had onset on September 25, 2010, in the Republic of Dagestan. A total of 166 cases of acute flaccid paralysis have been reported since January 1, 2011, and 115 of those that have test results have been negative for polio.

Turkmenistan
In 2010, Turkmenistan reported 50 cases of acute flaccid paralysis, including 3 confirmed cases of polio. All these cases had onset in June and occurred in Lebap province, which borders Uzbekistan. As of June 7, 2011, 10 additional acute flaccid paralysis cases with onset in 2011 have been reported, and all tested negative for polio.

Kazakhstan
In 2010, Kazakhstan reported 113 cases of acute flaccid paralysis and 1 confirmed case of polio, with onset August 12, 2010. The case was reported in South Kazakhstan close to the border with Uzbekistan. As of June 7, 2011, Kazakhstan reported 41 acute flaccid paralysis cases with onset in 2011. None of the 30 cases that have test results tested positive for wild polio.

Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan reported 147 cases of acute flaccid paralysis in 2010, including some near the country’s borders with Tajikistan,Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan, but none have been confirmed as polio. As of June 7, 2011, 66 additional acute flaccid paralysis cases with onset in 2011 have been reported.

Kyrgyzstan
In 2010, Kyrgyzstan reported 68 cases of acute flaccid paralysis. As of June 7, 2011, 19 additional cases with onset in 2011 have been reported. No cases of polio have been confirmed.

Recommendations for US Travelers to the Caucasus countries, Central Asian countries and the Russian Federation
Polio is a disease that is most often spread through contact with the feces of an infected person. Poliovirus can also be spread through oral fluids, contaminated items, water, and uncooked food. The disease mainly affects children less than 5 years old, but unvaccinated people of any age are at risk. Signs and symptoms of the illness may include paralysis of limbs and respiratory muscles.

Travelers should take the following steps to protect themselves from polio:

Get vaccinated for polio

* Talk to your doctor to find out if you are up to date with your polio vaccination and whether you need a booster dose before traveling.
* Even if you were vaccinated as a child or have been sick with polio before, you may need a booster shot to make sure that you are protected. If you are traveling with children, be sure that they have been appropriately vaccinated, too.

Follow safe food and water practices

* Eat foods that are fully cooked and served hot.
* Eat and drink dairy products that have been pasteurized.
* Eat only fruits and vegetables that you can wash with safe water and peel yourself.
* Drink only bottled or boiled water or beverages that have been bottled and sealed (carbonated drinks or sports drinks). Avoid tap water, fountain drinks, and ice.

Practice good hand hygiene

* Wash hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, you can use an alcohol-based hand gel.
* Wash hands especially before eating, drinking or preparing food and after using the bathroom, and changing diapers and coughing or sneezing.

Information for Health-Care Providers
Vaccine Recommendations: Infants and Children traveling to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and the Russian Federation

* The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that all infants and children in the United States receive 4 doses of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV), administered at 2 months, 4 months, 6–18 months, and 4–6 years of age.
* If accelerated protection is needed, the minimum interval between the first three doses is 4 weeks (28 days), and the minimum interval from dose 3 to dose 4 is 6 months.
* A dose of IPV should be administered at age ≥4 years regardless of the number of previous doses.

Vaccine Recommendations: Adults traveling to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and the Russian Federation

* Travelers who have received the complete series with either IPV or oral polio vaccine (OPV) as a child without an adult booster dose (either OPV or IPV) should receive another dose of IPV before departure.
* Available data do not indicate the need for more than one lifetime IPV booster dose for adults.
* Travelers of any age who are unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or whose vaccination status is unknown should receive 3 doses of IPV (2 doses at 4– to 8-week intervals, followed by a third dose 6–12 months after the second dose). (See Chapter 2, Poliomyelitis, CDC Health Information for International Travel 2010, for details.)

Why Facebook's Friends May Fade

Just when businesses are catching up with social media through Facebook, I think I'm sort of "fading off". Why? I don't want to "like" every single website, or news article I'm reading. I don't want these businesses jumping into my personal social life! I don't want them to steal my Friends List and start spamming them!!!

Is it just me? In addition, Facebook isn't really that user friendly. Apps don't work correctly half the time, and I've received more virus threats through those posts like "If you're an American, you'll repost this...." I hate those.

This morning, I came across this article regarding Facebook, Google and customer satisfaction Index. I thought it was worth reposting.

Writen by : Mikal E. Belcove for Entrepreneur

THE DAILY DOSE
Why Facebook's Friends May Fade

This won't come as welcome news to the folks at Facebook, but its customer-satisfaction ratings aren't much to boast about.

Among its social-media peers, Facebook landed at the bottom of the keeping customers-happy list, according to the 2011 American Customer Satisfaction Index E-Business Report. With a score of 66 out of 100, only airlines, subscription TV and newspapers fared less favorably with consumers.

If you're unfamiliar with it, the ACSI E-Business Report enables businesses to track customer satisfaction in three categories: social media, portals and search engines, and online news. And -- as in last year's report -- social media sites continue to lag significantly behind other e-businesses in maintaining consumer satisfaction rankings. The category earned a paltry 70 score out of 100.

While Facebook remains at the bottom of the heap, the social-networking utility did actually make a modest 3 percent gain over last year's score of 64. ACIS surmises that Facebook's size domination might be a factor in the improved figures. After all, Facebook is approaching one billion users. Wikipedia and YouTube scored 78 and 74 in the latest report, respectively.

So what does this mean for you and your business?

In my experience, consumer dissatisfaction with e-businesses comes from user concerns about their privacy and security. They also appreciate when businesses understand the difference between social networking and social selling -- generally, consumers don't like hearing a sales pitch when they're not expecting it.

Keeping these and other concerns you're aware of in mind when developing and executing your business-communications strategy is key. And it's more important now than ever. If you're old enough to remember when email first emerged and then evolved as a marketing tool, you'll recall that similar concerns surrounding spam, phishing, viruses and formatting plagued consumers right from the get-go. My thinking is that as email evolved to include certain protections and standards, so too will social media-related platforms, but only you -- the business owner -- can set the tone surrounding the proper mix of social networking and social selling.

Even though Facebook remains the dominant player in the social-media spectrum, the ACSI study does suggest that they may need to worry, as users have few other choices for social interaction. In particular, the recent launch of Google+, a social networking platform that boasts an enticing video-conferencing feature, among other things, is expected to give Facebook a run for its money.

And, since Google routinely scores at the top of the ACSI report in the search engine and portals category -- climbing to an astounding 83 rating in customer satisfaction this year -- a continued poor showing by Facebook could give Google the leverage it needs to topple the social-networking giant.

UK sails ahead in offshore wind power

UK sails ahead in offshore wind power

Jon Stewart Calls Out Hypocrisy of FOX News' Laura Ingrahm and Bill O'Reilly

Tropical Storm DON: Gulf of Mexico Offshore Waters Forecast

From the NOAA Weather Station National Hurricane Center in Miami Florida:

000
FZNT24 KNHC 291529
OFFNT4

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
1030 AM CDT FRI JUL 29 2011

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO

SEAS GIVEN AS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT...WHICH IS THE AVERAGE
HEIGHT OF THE HIGHEST 1/3 OF THE WAVES. INDIVIDUAL WAVES MAY BE
MORE THAN TWICE THE SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT.

GMZ089-292130-
SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO
1030 AM CDT FRI JUL 29 2011

.SYNOPSIS...TROPICAL STORM DON NEAR 26.2N 94.9W AT 10 AM CDT
MOVING W-NW AT 12 KT. MINIMUM PRESSURE 1002 MB. MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS 45 KT GUSTS TO 55 KT. DON EXPECTED TO MOVE TO
NEAR 26.8N 96.7W THIS EVENING AND THEN INLAND TO NEAR 27.7N
99.1W BY SAT MORNING. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR
PORTIONS OF THE WESTERN GULF BETWEEN 25N AND 28N W OF 93W.


GMZ080-292130-
NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W
INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY
1030 AM CDT FRI JUL 29 2011

...TROPICAL STORM WARNING S OF 28N...

.THIS AFTERNOON...TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WITHIN 90 NM OF
DON. MAXIMUM WINDS 50 KT GUST TO 60 KT. HIGHEST SEAS 20 FT.
ELSEWHERE NE OF DON...E TO SE WINDS 20 TO 33 KT. SEAS 7 TO 11
FT. ELSEWHERE NW OF DON NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 3 TO 6
FT. SCATTERED RAINBANDS AND TSTMS S OF 27N. WIND AND SEAS HIGHER
NEAR SCATTERED SQUALLS AND ISOLATED TSTMS N OF 27N.
.TONIGHT...S OF 28N W OF 95W TROPICAL STORM WINDS WITH MAXIMUM
WINDS 50 KT GUST TO 60 KT EARLY. HIGHEST SEAS 20 FT. WIND THEN
DIMINISHING TO SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 10 TO 15 FT
PRIMARILY IN SE SWELL. ELSEWHERE E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS
5 TO 8 FT EXCEPT 8 TO 10 FT S OF 28N E OF 92W. SCATTERED
RAINBANDS AND TSTMS S OF 28N W OF 95W.
.SAT...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT.
.SAT NIGHT AND SUN...E WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT.
.MON AND TUE...VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT.


GMZ082-292130-
SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W
1030 AM CDT FRI JUL 29 2011

.THIS AFTERNOON...N OF 24N S TO SW WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS
BUILDING 6 TO 10 FT. ELSEWHERE N OF 22N S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20
KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. S OF 22N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3
TO 5 FT. NUMEROUS RAINBANDS AND SCATTERED TSTMS N OF 23N.
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ELSEWHERE W OF 93W.
.TONIGHT...N OF 24N W OF 95W SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6
TO 9 FT. ELSEWHERE E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT.
.SAT THROUGH SUN...NE TO E WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT.
.MON AND TUE...N OF 22N NE TO E WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. S OF
22N N TO NE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT.


GMZ084-292130-
MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W
1030 AM CDT FRI JUL 29 2011

.THIS AFTERNOON...N OF 25N SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO
15 KT LATE. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT LATE. S OF 25N
E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS N
OF 27N.
.TONIGHT THROUGH SUN...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT EXCEPT 5 TO 10
KT N OF 27N. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT.
.MON AND TUE...N OF 25N VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO 2
FT. S OF 25N E WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT.


GMZ086-292130-
E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W
1030 AM CDT FRI JUL 29 2011

.THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SAT...N OF 25N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15
KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. S OF 25N E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4
TO 6 FT.
.SUN THROUGH TUE...N OF 25N VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO
2 FT. S OF 25N E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT.

The Very 1st "Senior Moment"

It's Friday, and here's a little cartoon
to make you smile.

Violin For Sale: Otto Benjamin 4/4 with Pernambuco Bow

I usually wouldn't use my blog for this type of thing, but husband thinks it's a good venue - so, I'll give it a try. If you know of anybody (or students) looking for a violin, please consider this one.

Sale Price: $1,100.00

Otto Benjamin Violin 4/4 with Pernambuco Bow,
Oblong Case.
Model # ML-500
Serial # 58066-64

Fully hand-carved from highly select tone-woods.
Hand-applied beautiful amber varnish.
Pernambuco bow with fully lined ebony & Mother-of-pearl Frog.
Deluxe case with hygrometer, but hygrometer was lost. Lined in green velvet
With plenty of room for storage and comes with shoulder strap.

I paid $1900.00 for the violin alone.
Only used for 4 months.
Has new strings

Comes with:

2 Rosin Blocks,
Adjustable 4/4 KUN Violin Rest
1 Sabine Zipbeat Quartz Metronome ($60 value)

Please send email if interested, only serious inquiries please. It's
already hard enough to have to sell this violin.
gingerz@charter.net

Video: Cannon Turns 1 Today

I had the opportunity to photograph little Cannon for her newborn photographs as well as her 1 year old milestone. This video is the result.

GingerZ

The Moon Over the Ocean. N. Myrtle Beach, SC

This is a picture of the moon over the Atlantic ocean in North Myrtle Beach, SC on July 18, 2011.

I've never seen one so red, so beautiful.

Check out my gallery for Beach pictures to see more or go to
gingerz.smugmug.com.

This Just In!

This Just In!

Six planets Now Aligned in the Dawn Sky

The picture depicts how the planets lined up on Saturday, April 30, 2011 as seen from Los Angeles, California.
CREDIT: Starry Night Software (reposted)
Information provided by: Geoff Gaherty, Starry Night Education

OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS you'll be treated to the sight of all the planets except Saturn arrayed along the ecliptic, the path of the sun through the sky.

For the last two months, almost all the planets have been hiding behind the sun, but this week they all emerge and are arrayed in a grand line above the rising sun. Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter are visible, and you can add Uranus and Neptune to your count if you have binoculars or a small telescope.

Astrologers have always been facinated by planetary alignments, and the doomsayers of 2012 have been prophesying a mystical alignment on December 21, 2012.

The modern tools of astronomers, such as planetarium software, show otherwise: absolutely no alignment at any time in 2012. BUT, they also reveal a beautiful alignment visible during the month of May this year.

Six planets at one time.

While astrologers view planetary alignments as foretellers of disasters, modern amateur astronomers look forward to them as nothing more than grand photo ops.

If you go out any morning for the next four days, you'll be treated to a view of the crescent moon and all but one of the naked eye planets.

Because the moon moves rapidly from one morning to the next, it will only be part of the lineup for the next four mornings, but the four naked-eye planets will be there for the next few weeks.

Venus is, as always, the brightest and most visible of the planets, and it can be your guide to spotting the others. About half way between Venus and the rising sun is Jupiter, the second brightest planet.

Mars will be a tiny speck just above Jupiter, and Mercury another tiny speck about half way between Jupiter and Venus. Uranus is slightly more than one binocular field above and to the right of Venus, and Neptune is much farther to the right, about 40 degrees away in Aquarius. The Moon will be just above Venus on Saturday morning, and just above Jupiter and Mars on Sunday morning.

How to photograph the planets.
Capturing a photograph of this gathering of the planets couldn't be easier!
Just about any camera will do, though a camera with a telephoto lense setting will be better. Let the camera's exposure meter be your guide, though a slight underexposure will help bring out the colors of the dawn sky.

Try to place the silhouette of some foreground object to lend depth to the scene. The best pictures will be on the next few mornings, while the crescent moon is part of the grouping.

This article was provided to SPACE.com by Starry Night Education, the leader in space science curriculum solutions.

Meteor Shower Schedule for 2011

In this post and a couple more following, expect me to share with you some of the highlights happening in the sky. I'll also post links for you to view official NASA websites. Most of us probably missed this incredible shower predawn this morning but, I understand the further south you live, with Aquarius higher in the sky the better. Friday night - should show a few stragglers.
CREDIT:RASC Observers Handbook 2011 International Meteor Organization

Meteor Shower: Eta-Aquarid
Best Date: May 6, 2011
Constellation to look towards: Aquarius
ZHR: 60
Originates From: Halley's Comet

There will be several meteor showers after this through the summer, but I did come accross this very interesting article and thought I would share with you.

1999 LEONID Storm as seen from high-altitude aircraft.
CREDIT: Shinsuke Abe and Hajime Yano, ISAS

NASA is assessing the risk to spacecraft posed by the upcoming 2011 Draconid meteor shower, a seven-hour storm of tiny space rocks that has the potential to ding major Earth-orbiting spacecraft like the crewed International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope.

The meteor shower risk assessment is actually more art than science, and there has been some variation in the projected intensity levels of the 2011 Draconids by meteoroid forecasters. But spacecraft operators are already being notified to weigh defensive steps.

Current meteor forecast models project a strong Draconid outburst, possibly a full-blown storm, on Oct. 8, 2011, according to William Cooke of the Meteoroid Environment Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

The Draconids do present some risk to spacecraft, Cooke confirmed. They could potentially become the next significant event in low-Earth orbit as far as meteoroids are concerned, he added.

Cooke and Danielle Moser of Stanley, Inc., also of Huntsville, presented their Draconid data at Meteoroids 2010 - an international conference on minor bodies in the solar system held May 24-28 in Breckenridge, Colo. The conference was sponsored in part by NorthWest Research Associates/CoRADivision, NASA, Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Office of Naval Research.

Less flashy, but risk exists

The yearly Draconids are not known for their bright meteor displays, Cooke said.

Predicted intensity rates for 2011 span an order of magnitude, he added, with maximum Zenithal Hourly Rate, or ZHR, ranging from a few tens to several hundred as viewed by a single observer.

A Marshall Space Flight Center Meteoroid Stream Model based on radar and optical observations of past Draconid showers suggests that the maximum rate will be several hundreds per hour.

So why the worry?

Cooke said that a significant fraction of spacecraft anomalies produced by shower meteoroids are caused by electrostatic discharges when meteoroid meets satellite.

And while no spacecraft electrical problems were reported during the strong Draconid outbursts of 1985 and 1998, he said that the lack of past anomalies should not be taken as carte blanche for satellite operators to ignore in 2011.

The chance of electrical anomalies is low, however, due to the Draconids slow speed, Cooke pointed out.

"We're already working with NASA programs to deal with spacecraft risk," Cooke said. "I imagine when the word gets out there will be a Draconid outburst, I'll get the usual calls from comsat companies as well as government space programs," he told SPACE.com.

Out on the limb

The International Space Station ?is heavily armored against orbital debris.

That being the case, "we don't expect anything to go wrong there," Cooke said.

However, the Draconids will appear above the Earth's limb making it a spectacular looking out-the-windows celestial show for the space station crew.

"I have no concerns about the space station. Even if the Draconids were a full-scale meteor storm I would be confident that the space station program would take the right steps to mitigate the risk," Cooke said.

The most radical step would be to reorient the space station, Cooke said.

"But frankly, given the flux levels, I don't think they are going to have to do that," he added. "But that's their call. I'll give then the flux levels and they'll make the decision."

One measure that space station officials could take, he added, is not to perform spacewalks during the shower.

For the Hubble Space Telescope, if its operators deem the risk high enough, they will point the observatory away from the Draconid radiant ? the point from which the shower appears to emanate.

"Any time you take a mitigation strategy, like changing a spacecraft's attitude or turning off high-voltage, that incurs risk as well," Cooke said.

Caution is key

Each spacecraft is unique, and components have differing damage thresholds, so programs are encouraged to conduct analyses to determine whether or not mitigation strategies are necessary for their vehicles ahead of next year's Draconids.

Cooke said that the spacecraft threat from meteor showers in the past ? particularly the 1998 Leonids ? produced more hype than hypervelocity impacts.

"We really didn't understand what was going on," he added. "Now we have a much better feel. But the Leonids did sensitize spacecraft operators to worry about meteor showers. Perhaps, sometimes, they worry more than they should."

In early 2011, Cooke said that he'll be revising his Draconid prediction ? also making use of data from other forecasters around the globe ? which will be released to spacecraft operators.

"There's also an awful lot of windage in there too," Cooke added. "We're like the weather reporters?our forecast changes?and the general trend is always downward," Cooke said.

Still, caution is the watchword.

"Because we can now forecast them, we have a way of putting it. If you are hit by a sporadic [meteor], it's an act of God. If you are hit by a shower meteoroid, it's an act of negligence," Cooke said.

On Killing Osama bin Laden.....To See - Or Not To See.

On Monday morning, Facebook was already a buzz, hot on the debate of wheather or not to see 'proof' of the killing of Osama bin Laden. Twitter-ers were twittering as fast as their little thumbs would twitt. Within 1 hour, I saw some within my Facebook network absolutely giddy about the death of one of the worlds most notorious terrorists and giving shout-outs and HIP HIP HORRAYS to the US Government and to the military. Other folks started re-posting a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King.
"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkenss cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

In addition, others were saying things like "I can't believe Obama is taking credit for this!" For me, that was the last straw. I had to chime in. Up until that point, I tried to keep political and religious views out of the picture and not use FB as a theater to apostatize those views, but I couldn't take it. First, I had to correct the comment that Obama took all the credit. What he ACTUALLY did was acknowledge that he gave direction, gave credit to the military, to the counterterorism professionals, global allies, President Zardari, to the men who carried out the mission and to the families who lost a loved one(s) on 9/11.

Secondly, on " ...the death of one, not even an enemy statement..", I reminded those folks that if a man broke into their home, bound and gagged their daughter and/OR their wife or sister - raped them - sodomized them - beat them - and made you watch as it all happened, then drug you outside and made you watch as they blew up your home and family...."all in the name of Allah", they might just feel differently. I reminded those folks Osama bin Laden was not a true Muslim. What he was, was truly insane, and used religion as his catalyst, as was other terrorist like Hitler and Stalin; bringing it further in to our own yards - as was Ted Bundy, The Zodiac Killer, Charles Manson, Jim Jones, Guy Ballard, and David Keresh.
My question was this: "Do you want to see pictures of those killers too?" "Have you laid awake at night wondering if they're really dead because you haven't seen a picture of the dead body?

I even addressed the religious part of this: I reminded someone about 2 scriptures from the Bible when they had the AUDACITY to question the killings of world enemies: In the New Testaments, the apostle Paul declares that God empowers governments to punish those who do evil. Civil officials are told to bear the sword as avengers and execute wrath on those who practice wickedness. Romans 13: 1 - 7 and also, First Peter 2: 13 - 14 is in agreement - God ordained government to ensure order in society by punishing evildoers.


I'm reminded that up until as recently as 2004, 80% of Americans thought that the assassination of John F. Kennedy was a cover-up! It wasn't until 1992 that the records were released by the 'President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act" The final report wasn't even released until 1998!!

In addition (just for a little humor here) THOUSANDS of mourners walked right past the casket of Elvis Pressley in 1977; they saw him with their very own eyes....and yet today - there are folks who still think he's alive and living in his Memphis mansion eating hotdogs and doughnuts, sitting in a chair, looking out his window from the top floor.

On the point of Obama taking the credit; this statement was especially disturbing to me because it was made by a person that had served in the military. I had to remind that person that yes - he IS reponsible for the death of Osama bin Laden. He is the Commander-in-Chief of this country. He gave the orders. He was involved in every decision. I KNEW they were fully aware of the military protocol and was flabergasted that they would even say that. I have to admit, I did give a little sting on that note saying George Bush couldn't get it done - but Obama DID. End of story.

Okay now, back to the point of the pictures:
I have a couple of questions for the unbelievers. Why do you want to make Osama bin Laden a martyr? Why do you want to risk the security of the United States of America (where you live) to further terrorist attacks in retaliation to his death? Why do you REALLY want to see the pictures? Is it your morbid curiosity? I tell you my thoughts, even if the government DID show them, you know what those same "Trump-ers" would say? "Looks like they photo-shopped the hell out of it!" In other words....they wouldn't believe it anyway.

John Stewart said "Personally the best reason in my mind for releasing the photos is that we've been fighting this war for nearly 10 years - - thousands of US deaths, tens of thousands of Iraqis and Afghanis have died - and we've seen nearly zero photographic evidence of it." Oh really? Uh - do you watch the news John Stewart? I see pictures and videos of it all the time. Anybody with a computer and the internet has access to endless amounts of it. I've even seen 2 full documentaries on the 'war on terrorism' on the History channel!

I do not believe that it has anything to do with the graphic nature of the photos as to why they shouldn't be seen. We see that kind of thing everyday in movies and television shows - horrible graphics that personally, I think should NOT be seen. I DO believe, that the government has weighed the pros and cons of the release. I do believe that showing the photos would encourage gangs and recruits of Al-Qaeda and would inflame anti-American sentiment like a pep-rally. I believe that the military used face recognition software, took the DNA samples, took the photographs for archives, did probably some sort of autopsy aboard the ship, washed the body, wrapped it, and buried it at sea - oh, why at sea? Obvious.... you would end up with one group robbing the grave to totally tear up the body - the head, whatever, and display it in hate, or set it on fire. You would have another group, who would probably rob the grave, taxidermy the body and keep it as a shrine and inspiration to members of Al-Qaeda.
Perhaps there would be another group, one that would dig up the body and sell the PARTS for profit!! Yes indeed, there are those out there who would do just that.
At sea is fitting.

When I saw the hanging of Saddam Hussein I felt pitty for him. Yes, for a brief moment I had forgotten the thousands he had killed, I forgot the own members of his family he had killed, the THOUSANDS that he killed of his own people with chemical weapons. I forgot that he used to throw people into industrial shredders. I forgot how he allowed his evil sons to rape and kill women, then to feed them to the starving dobermans. .....sympathy and pitty is what I felt. I wish I had never seen the video.

I'm sure this debate about whether or not to see the photos, videos, DNA report or whatever else will go on and on, until the government finally shows them under the pressure. If they do - I'm sure the other side will say he caved in to the pressure and what kind of president is that? Can Obama ever win ? Probably not. As Americans, we've forgotten how to trust in our President. We've lost the 'Stand by your country' and gained 'Always be a pessimist.' Yes, we've fought this war a long, long time. Do I feel the victims of 9/11 have been justified? Yes. I believe in my president. I don't need to see the dead body. I don't want to make Osama a martyr for others to follow in his footsteps. There will always be Osama's out there, he's not the only one we will fight who dares walk into our yard, but I've seen Osama bin Laden's face for 10 years. He's dead. Why do I need to see that face one more time? Nah, I'll pass on that one.

Oh yea....one last thing...
Mr. Trump, and all you "Trumpers" out there. Wanna do something good for this country? Then why don't you shut up. Go do what you do best and rip off a land owner or - better yet - - why don't you get busy and rebuild the twin towers? That should give you something to do. Stop wasting my President's time and this country's. Of ALL the huge world topics and things going on right now - you pick a birth certificate? What a whimpy, petty, thing. ...you remind me of Sarah Palin. .lets face it...that stunt ended your political career.

My President has terrorist to kill - - to keep your ass safe. Don't bother him.

London Wedding Photographer -Wedding Photographer London

London Wedding Photographer -Wedding Photographer London

Hats off to this photography staff. Awesome.
GingerZ

Lets Not Forget the Photographers Who Put Themselves On The Line Every Day

TIM HETHERINGTON

Last week, on 4/20/2011: "Conflict photographer Tim Hetherington was killed in Libya's third-largest city, Misurata, during his coverage of the Libya conflict. He is known for directing and producing the film "Restrepo" as well as photographing (and raising the visibility of) major world conflicts in Liberia and Afghanistan Darfur."

Litigation Piling Up At Ernst & Young

Article by Francine McKenna
ACCOUNTING WATCHDOG

April 26, 2011 - 12:36 p.m.

Image Via Wikipedia

I’d rather see than be you, Ernst & Young.

As if the global audit firm didn’t have enough to worry about, now there’s a backdating case, arisen from the grave, threatening a jury trial.

That’s just unheard of.

From the Los Angeles Times on April 15, 2011:

Accounting firm Ernst & Young must face a class action suit over option backdating at Broadcom Corp., a federal appeals court has ruled, saying the auditors knew or should have known about the resulting misrepresentations in the Irvine tech company’s financial statements.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco reinstated Ernst & Young as a defendant in the investor lawsuit, overturning a 2009 decision by U.S. District Judge Manuel L. Real…The auditors “apparently accepted management at its word, never received requested documentation and issued an unqualified opinion on the accuracy of Broadcom’s financial statements,” the panel said, adding that the accounting firm’s audit “amounted to no audit at all.”

There it is again. The deadly, “no audit at all” phrase.

Ernst & Young is already defending against it in the lawsuit brought by the New York Attorney General for the Lehman failure. Ernst & Young recently petitioned to have that case moved to federal court and to a more friendly judge, Lewis Kaplan. The New York Attorney General filed their brief on March 18 but there’s no word yet on the court’s decision.

A move to federal court would make it easier for Ernst & Young to rid itself of the Martin Act - the broad, powerful anti-fraud statute the state is using to eliminate their need to prove scienter.

"Lyle Roberts in the 10b-5 Daily blog:

Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (PSLRA), plaintiffs must plead facts creating a strong inference that the defendants acted with scienter (i.e., fraudulent intent) to survive a motion to dismiss.

There’s a growing trend for plaintiffs’ lawyers to use the “no audit at all” approach to survive motions to dismiss in auditor liability cases. Deloitte will also face a jury – unless they settle first – in litigation related to their audit client Bear Stearns. By proving auditors were so reckless in their negligence that it amounted to “no audit at all”, there’s a lesser burden to prove fraudulent intent before proceeding to discovery and, possibly, a trial.

The SEC and PCAOB issued disciplinary orders against Price Waterhouse (PW) India for the Satyam fraud that did not rely on proving scienter. PW India had performed not only very poorly with regard to their audit client Satyam but, in general, throughout their Indian practice.

Section 10A(a) of the Exchange Act requires each audit to include procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance of detecting illegal acts that would have a direct and material effect on the determination of financial statement amounts. No showing of scienter is necessary to establish a violation of Section 10A.

The plaintiffs in the Broadcom case piled on the evidence in their appeal. They successfully convinced the appeals court of Ernst & Young’s possible complicity, at least as a result of their reckless negligence, in the backdating violations that led to significant restatements.

Ernst & Young is going to trial – unless they settle first.

From Lyle Roberts’ 10b-5 Daily blog:

The court found that each of the following three allegations, whether taken individually or viewed collectively, were sufficient to find a strong inference that E&Y had acted with scienter:

(1) E&Y knew the material consequences of a May 2000 backdated option grant that would have resulted in a $700 million charge to Broadcom’s financial results but, despite violations of GAAS, signed off on the grant without obtaining documentation;

(2) E&Y knew that several significant option grants in 2001 were approved on dates when Broadcom’s compensation committee was not legally constituted due to the death of one of the two committee members; and

(3) E&Y presided over corrective reforms in 2003 to prevent and detect any future instances of improper stock option awards without questioning the integrity of Broadcom’s accounting for options granted prior to the corrective reforms.

The court also examined several other factual allegations related to scienter, including allegations of insufficient documentation, weak internal controls, and red flags related to Broadcom’s stock option grants.

And how did Ernst & Young’s lawyers defend the firm? They questioned the contention that the same Ernst &Young partners who participated in Broadcom’s 2005 audit were aware of the earlier alleged backdating that impacted Broadcom’s 2005 consolidated financial statements. Ernst & Young took exception to what they called “roving scienter.”

The court’s response:

“EY, despite serving continuously as Broadcom’s auditor from 1998 until 2008, during which it attested to the accuracy of Broadcom’s financial statements for the multiple years noted in the 2005 Opinion, cannot now disclaim those prior opinions simply because the same individuals were not involved.”

Audit reports in the United States are signed in the firm name, not individual partners as a sign of solidarity, unity, and global brand strength. It’s professionally embarrassing that Ernst & Young would use this defense to, in effect, “have their cake and eat it, too.”

How Iran Became The World's Worst Internet Oppressor

Article by: Andy Greenberg April 26, 2011 - 10:27 a.m.
Reposted from THE FIREWALL

The Internet has fueled, and by some accounts may have even sparked, the wave of revolutions sweeping across the Middle East. So perhaps it’s little wonder that Iran, which has always kept a tight grip on its citizens’ access to the digital world, has stepped up its oppression to become the world’s number one enemy of Internet freedom.
In a report released last week from Freedom House, the civil liberties-focused non-profit analyzed the level of access to an unfettered Internet in 37 countries. Estonia was found to be the most liberal and connected, followed by the United States. Iran hit the bottom of the list, down significantly from the last time the report was compiled in 2009 and the country ranked above China, Tunisia, and Cuba.

What happened? According to the report’s analysis, Iran has cracked down on every front online. Since the Internet was used to organize protests after the disputed June 2009 re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the country’s government enacted a Computer Crime Law the next month severely restricting acceptable content online and banning anything vaguely resembling political opposition, including women’s rights, homosexual rights, and content considered insulting to religious figures.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corporation (IRGC) bought a controlling stake in the Telecommunications Company of Iran in September of that year, and already exerted de facto control of the alternative IranCell through former IRGC officials.

That tightened control has also allowed high-level monitoring of content. Encrypted sites like Gmail are often banned to force users towards less-shielded alternatives that allow easier spying, and all data is stored by Internet service providers (ISPs) for six months before deletion so that it can be investigated.

To prevent users from circumventing surveillance, the regime has clamped down on the use of anonymity tools like Tor. In a blog post in January, Tor executive director Andrew Lewman wrote that one of the five Iranian ISPs is now blocking publicly-known Tor nodes, even when that connection is encrypted. “In a short few months, Iran has vastly improved the sophistication of their censorship technologies,” he wrote. The government was also recently found to be spoofing the SSL certificates on sites to trick users into thinking their connection is secure even when it isn’t.

A result of that crackdown is that more than 50 Iranian bloggers have been arrested. One, Omidreza Mirsayafi, died in prison under questionable circumstances. Hossein Derakshan, credited with founding Iran’s blogging movement, was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison last year.

The Iranian regime has long painted its internal dissent as external foreign meddling. Freedom House writes that the June 2009 protests were considered a “soft war” waged by foreign powers. So don’t be surprised if Iran’s brushes with real cyberwarfare, including the Stuxnet malware that’s thought to have targeted its uranium enrichment facilities, confirm its strange internal logic. Earlier this week, Iran declared that it had discovered a second cyberwarfare attack on its digital infrastructure known as the “Stars” virus. If the country’s ruling regime manages to conflate these purported outside Internet attacks with its citizens’ right to protest, expect Iran’s online crackdown to only intensify.

Global Seismographic Network

I make a regular visit to this site. TONS of information. Thought I would share. There was another magnitude 5.0 earthquate today near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

Click on the link and keep it bookmark for the latest information on earthquakes around the globe.

* This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.

Magnitude 5.0
Date-Time

* Friday, April 15, 2011 at 14:34:25 UTC
* Friday, April 15, 2011 at 11:34:25 PM at epicenter
* Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location 39.148°N, 142.282°E

Depth 31 km (19.3 miles)
Region NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances 114 km (70 miles) ESE of Morioka, Honshu, Japan
156 km (96 miles) NE of Sendai, Honshu, Japan
166 km (103 miles) SSE of Hachinohe, Honshu, Japan
444 km (275 miles) NNE of TOKYO, Japan
Location Uncertainty
horizontal +/- 18 km (11.2 miles); depth +/- 7.8 km
(4.8 miles)
Parameters NST=219, Nph=219, Dmin=327.3 km, Rmss=0.79 sec, Gp=104°,
M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=9
Source

* USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Event ID usc0002s5g

What Japan's nuclear crisis means for public heath (Q&A)

Sorry to keep going back to this subject, but I think we all should be very concerned not only for how this crisis will affect our world economy, but also for the poor souls that are dealing with this and everything else in Japan. I came across this article that's worth sharing.

This article was written by Martin LaMonica.
Martin LaMonica is a senior writer for CNET's Green Tech blog. He started at CNET News in 2002, covering IT and Web development. Before that, he was executive editor at IT publication InfoWorld.

"By far, the biggest danger from the disaster at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi power plant is to the workers who are trying to control a still-volatile situation. But with the crisis likely to play out for months, people are beginning to wonder what the release of radioactive material actually means.

Very low levels of radioactive material have been found in the water supply in Tokyo, for example, and those same particles are being carried by the wind elsewhere in the world.

Workers near the reactor core are being exposed to radiation coming directly from the core and spent-fuel cooling pools. For people living far from the source of the radiation, exposure can come from the radioactive material that entered the air or water during efforts to stabilize the cooling.

Radioactive versions of cesium, iodine, and strontium can enter the body either through the lungs or by eating and drinking affected food. A standard precaution is to prevent people, particularly growing children, from drinking milk in the area of a nuclear accident, since cows can eat grass with radioactive iodine and pass it on to people.

(Credit: Tokyo Electric Power via Martyn Williams)


The Environmental Protection Agency is monitoring and publishing data on the radioactivity in water and milk from Japan in the U.S. and the levels are "far below levels of public-health concern." But some argue that being exposed to even a small dose of the radioactive materials already released--iodine-131 and cesium-137 are the most prevalent--can be significant. If ingested, radioactive iodine can be absorbed by the thyroid gland, with children at the most risk. Cesium-137, which can also lead to cancer by affecting many types of cells, is more worrisome because it has a half-life of 30 years, versus 8 days for iodine-131. Radioactive strontium, which also has a long half-life, is linked to bone cancer and leukemia.

If there is a large-scale release of radioactive isotopes from the Fukushima Daiichi reactor or spent-fuel pools, then the risks will rise substantially.

But in the current situation, how should people evaluate the health risk? How do academics and scientists view this problem? Are sufficient safeguards being put in place?

To get a better understanding of these questions, CNET spoke to two experts in the field to get their views the same week that the Fukushima Daiichi was raised to the highest level possible for a nuclear power accident.

Below is an edited transcript of a discussion with David Brenner from Columbia University's Center for Radiological Research. Later today, we will run an interview with Ira Helfand, the former president of Physicians for Social Responsibility, a group quite firmly opposed to nuclear power which it says poses unacceptable risks.

In a nutshell, the view of Brenner, who recently testified to Congress on radiation from backscatter X-rays at airports, is that the individual risks are extremely low for people outside the exclusion zone around the Fukushima Daiichi power plant. At the same time, a large number of people will be exposed, which means that over the long term, that minute risk becomes more significant.

Q: What is the difference between what workers are exposed to and the rest of the population?

Brenner: It's simply a matter of the radiation dose. It's relatively low for people away from the plant. While we don't know what the doses are, the workers are clearly getting relatively high doses.

Q: There have been traces of radioactive material detected in food and milk here in the U.S. Should people be concerned?

Brenner: In the U.S., the levels of radioactivity in the water and milk both on the West Coast and the East Coast have been exceedingly low. I don't think there are any significant health issues with the level of radioactivity in this country.

It was inevitable that once radioactivity was released in Japan, that some of it would be blown here. What was fortunate is that most of the radioactivity released into the air was blown into the sea but it was inevitable that it would end up in this country...Very little indeed has gotten here because it got heavily distributed. The fact that you can measure it here doesn't mean that it's a high health risk, at least in the short term. That's the situation in the U.S.

In Japan, the doses are still pretty low outside the exclusion zone. Again, the further away people are from reactors, the lower the dose, such as the folks in, say, Tokyo. In Kyoto, it's even lower.

Q: What about the longer-term effects?

Brenner: The health consequences are actually very small for any individual. That being said, there are longer-term issues. The two main isotopes that were released are iodine-131 and cesium-137. The half-life for half the radioactive material in iodine to decay is eight days, so by a month or two later, it's essentially all gone. There's no long-term effect.

Whatever cesium was released will get into the food chain, into the ecosystem, and it will gradually get dispersed. So there will be some in the food and water for generations to come. It will be at some level but it will be at a very low level. What we really have will be a prolonged exposure to very low levels of radioactive from the Fukushima event. That's really what we're stuck with. But the risk for any individual will be tiny.

Although individual risk is low, an awful lot of people exposed to it. Think of the lottery. An awful lot of people will [be involved] because somebody's going to win...[In this case] one would expect some extra cancers in the long run but everybody's individual risk is low.

Some people say that even a tiny bit of exposure should be avoided because it could cause a specific type of cancer, such as thyroid cancer in children.

Brenner: You can think about risk in two different ways. There's the risk of an individual and certainly the risk is very small. You can also think about the lottery analogy. How many tiny individual risks affect a population? It's two complementary ways of looking at it.

From an individual's point of view, one doesn't have to worry. When you're starting to think about what is significant from the point of view of the population and how do we proceed with nuclear power, we need to think about the population.

Should we be restricting food imports?
Brenner: Most of radioactivity being seen in food, water, and fish is almost certainly from iodine. I would expect in a month or two months, those restrictions will probably go away. But what will be left will be much lower levels of cesium in food [in part because less cesium than iodine was released]. It's more than appropriate that Japan and the U.S. and any other country should be monitoring the food. It's not hard to do. I don't expect this will be long-term except in a broader sense.

How do people in your profession decide what's an acceptable risk?
Brenner: We try to think about risk and benefits. Having a CT scan, there's a small radiation risk, but there's a benefit to hopefully getting an accurate diagnosis. It's another story whether we get that balance right since there are alternatives to CT scanners.

You could argue, one should be doing the same estimations for nuclear power. The risk, unfortunately, is the scenario like what we have in Fukushima. What are the benefits of power with oil or use of fossil fuels? It's up to society to make the risk-benefit analysis as best they can. You need to understand risks as well as you can and different folks will come up with different conclusions.

One thing that's pretty clear is that we have in this country and Japan a pretty aging fleet of nuclear reactors. The Fukushima plant was built in the 1970s and there are plenty of similar reactors also built at the same time in the U.S.

It seems to me we're at that point where we have to make decisions about replacing older reactors with more modern reactors that have more defense mechanisms built into them. We can never say anything is 100 percent safe, but they can be a lot more safe.

Are you pro nuclear power?
Brenner: My job is to try to understand the risks. It's for society in general to determine how to balance risks. I'm all in favor of safe nuclear if it can be achieved. Some risks do always exist. The question is do they counter-balance the benefits.

The two extremes around nuclear power are either that it's extremely unsafe and it should be abolished, but that is not true. The other extreme is that it's entirely safe. That's not true either. The reality is in the middle.

It seems that there isn't agreement on the ultimate health impact from the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. Does that disaster provide much guidance?
Brenner: Most of the epidemiological studies that should have been done haven't been done for political and economic reasons. The Soviet Union broke up shortly after so it's difficult to have Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia work together on it.

The studies that have been done are the low-hanging fruit--studies about thyroid cancer and leukemia which you would expect to see first. There's no question there was a tremendous increase in thyroid cancers and it's pretty clear for [an increase in] leukemia too.

Studies on the more common cancers like lung cancer and breast cancer have not been done. And that's a shame, to put it mildly. Lacking those, people are having to estimate what consequences were because we don't know enough of the effects of very low levels or radiation.

It's still not appropriate to compare Fukushima to Chernobyl, where the containment blew up entirely and large amounts of the core were emitted high into the atmosphere. There was no ocean. I heard a statement that Fukushima was one tenth as hazardous as Chernobyl but I think it is far less.

You testified in Congress about backscatter X-rays at airports. For most people, this is the day-to-day question: how much low-level radiation is OK. Do we know?
Brenner: The argument's a little bit the same [as Fukushima]. The individual risk is miniscule. I didn't hesitate to go through [security] on my flight home. The concern is the population risk because an awful lot of people fly, about 700 million a year in the U.S.

If the TSA wants to scan every passenger, you got a scenario where you have a tiny risk and you take that tiny risk [and multiply it], you do get significant population risk. You could argue that there's risk but it's OK as a benefit. But there are alternative technologies, such as millimeter scanners that don't have this X-ray risk.

An individual who lives in Tokyo doesn't have that choice and there are no individual benefits. Fortunately, for an individual the risks are extremely low.

You readers may or may not know this but 40 percent of them are going to get cancer, so the sorts of increases we're talking about are miniscule. It's a tiny addition to a very large problem.

You've been working on a system where people can do individual testing with a blood test (called the RABIT, for rapid automated biodosimetry tool for radiological triage). Is the goal to get away from statistical estimates for whole populations?

Brenner: Yes. The motivation is a large-scale radiological terrorist event [from a dirty bomb]. In many senses, that scenario is quite like the scenario in Japan with a very small number of people exposed to high doses. And a very large number of people exposed to very small doses and not believing what they are being told. There is a great deal of skepticism in Japan and I'm sure that would be true in this country too. The goal is to have some very high-throughput way of estimating one's dose. So you can try to find the folks who did get high doses who need to be treated. The other part is to reassure people.

We're developing a finger stick approach where you take a drop of blood, something that can be done by nonexperts. You'd have many centers, such as hospitals and railway stations, where you can go have your finger sticked, give a drop of blood, and it would get transported to more centralized local machines. An individual estimate will mean that you won't clog up the emergency services.

What sorts of precautions should someone in the U.S. and Japan take?
Brenner: You don't need to be doing anything. The EPA is testing the water and milk and the levels are all pretty low and will get a lot lower as iodine decays. There's no reason to avoid any food or drink. The same goes for Japan. Yes, there will be some contaminated food [and they are being monitored with spot checks] for the moment. That's what the government is and should be doing [to watch that] it is going to be at reasonable levels.