TMZ Founder Jim Paratore Dies at 58

Leah Beckman for Gawker : 

Jim Paratore—founder of TMZ and creators of hit talk shows "Ellen" and "Rosie"— died from a heart attack yesterday while on a bike trip in France. The President of Telepictures was 58-years-old.

The man who is more responsible for the 'in your face' celebrity loving (or hounding, depending on who you ask) culture that has defined television from the 90's till now. Can't say that I didn't enjoy it.  Can't say that I'm bright enough not to either. 

(Original source: TMZ Founder Jim Paratore Dies at 58.)

Someone My Age Reviews the State of Dance Culture

Ricj Juzwiak for Gawker :

That's a dance-music cliché, but according to what I saw at Electric Daisy Carnival — a three-day, four-stage electronic dance music festival held in East Rutherford, N.J., two weekends ago — all of dance-music clichés are true. It is tribal and ritualistic, it's uniformity masquerading as individuality, it's skin-deep anti-intellectualism. It's a body high.

Love the title of the header image at Gawker : Alone Surrounded By Children . Think it summarizes best how I feel. 

(Original source: Dance Dance Dissolution: The Electric Daisy Carnival's Fresh Hell.)

Create Your Own DIY Ring Light (Best Example So Far)

Glamor Shots: DIY Ring Light - Filmmaking & Cinematography Tutorial 8 - YouTube:

In this tutorial I explain how to setup and built a RINGLIGHT that you can use in your next video!

A simple Ring Light setup that can be done at home. The tutorial is about half way through, so forward ahead if you want. 

In Japan : Nikon cancels comfort women photo exhibit without explanation

Never a good sign when equipment manufacturers bow down to public pressure but understandable in light of the pain of recent history.  

In a phone call with the Hankyoreh, a Nikon public relations manager said, “It is true that we received several protests regarding the holding of the comfort women exhibition, but the decision to cancel it was taken in consideration of all circumstances.” It has emerged that, starting on May 21, many postings were uploaded to the right-wing blog 2channel criticizing Ahn’s exhibition and calling for a boycott of Nikon cameras. It appears likely that such movements influenced Nikon’s decision.

(Original source: Nikon cancels comfort women photo exhibit without explanation  and the WSJ )

7 Things You Should Do Immediately With Your First DSLR

[News] 7 Things You Should Do Immediately With Your First DSLR | Fstoppers

1. Go Out and Shoot a Little Bit
2. Read the Manual
3. Enable RAW Image Capture
4. Switch over to Manual Mode and Learn the Lay of the Camera
5. Learn the Limitations of Your Camera
6. Establish a Photo Filing System
7. Go Shooting Again

I think these are the best tips anyone can give to beginners . Still struggling with no.6# myself. 

Canon Rumors: A Brief Hands On: Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L II Canon Rumors

A Brief Hands On: Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L II « Canon Rumors:

"The zoom ring is quite smooth, and the lens now extends in telephoto and not at 24mm like the current version."

That would be a good enough reason to upgrade in my books. 

(Via. Canon Rumors) 

In the News: Judge Throws Sibling-Supporting Honor Student in Jail for Missing School, Says He Didn't Want to Appear 'Soft'

Moron. 

Her friends say she is often so exhausted, she simply can't wake up in time for school. "She goes from job to job, from school she stays up ‘til 7 o'clock in the morning," said classmate Devin Hill.

(Original source: Judge Throws Sibling-Supporting Honor Student in Jail for Missing School, Says He Didn't Want to Appear 'Soft'.)

Update on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 at 3:33AM by Kiran Nesarajah

Off Topic: What a Horrible World We Live In

There are growing concerns regarding the safety of supporters ahead of this summer's European Championship, with the British Foreign Office warning about co-hosts Ukraine that "travellers of Asian or Afro-Caribbean descent and individuals belonging to religious minorities should take extra care".

 That is pretty much everyone who isn't white and Christian.  

(Original source: Sol Campbell: Fans could come back in coffins - ESPN Soccernet.)

Nikon D600 Rumors

New/updated Nikon D600 specifications | Nikon Rumors:

There are also rumors that Nikon has invited some European resellers for a meeting in Casablanca on 28 May, 2012. I am not sure if this is related to the D600.

That's today , so if it true we'll be hearing more about the low end full frame as dealers and resellers casually leak stuff even though they are probably under NDA. Nikon Rumors has the potential spec sheet as the following :

• 24.7MP full frame sensor
• Weight: 760g (850g with battery and memory cards), the D800 weights 900g
• 3.2" LCD with 921K dot with ambient sensor control
• HDMI output
• Video compression: H264/MPEG-4
• Full HD with 30p, 25p, 24p, HD with 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p
• Viewfinder coverage: 100% for FX , 97% for Dx
• The Nikon D600 will have built-in AF motor
• The body most probably will be weather sealed
• The D600 may not have built-in GPS as initially reported
• ISO range: 100-6400 (with Lo-1 ISO 50 and Hi-2 ISO 25,600)
• 39 AF points (with an option of 11 AF points), 9 cross-type AF points
• AF face detection
• Exposure compensation: ±5 EV (same as the D800)
• The D600 will probably use the EN-EL15 rechargeable Li-ion battery

A low end Nikon with 24.7MP but limited high ISO capabilities ? Sounds like the same 'lets cripple our cameras so can differentiate them'  game the other vendors, such as Canon are playing.  Gone are the days when cameras got better with time as technology progressed.  

A Lame Self Portrait Joke

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