#steve skinner photography

[taylorswifthongkong]

willow music video

starring taylor swift taeok lee indiana cheairs samuel silver yoe apolinario maria wada jazz smith gracie stewart jake landgrebe nolan padilla mark villaver robert green mason cutler sienna lyons

directed by taylor swift

director of photography rodrigo prieto ASC, AMC

producer jil hardin

editor chancler haynes

production designers ethan tobman regina fernandez

stylists joseph cassell sunshine madsen

first ad joe “oz” osborne

co-first ad ev salomon

visual effects ingenuity studios grant miller  david lebensfeld jumanah shaheen   executive producer rebecca skinner

co-producer kathy palmer

gaffer manny tapia

key grip “pie” alexander griffiths

storyboards vincent lucido

the song written by taylor swift and aaron dessner produced by aaron dessner recorded by jonathan low and aaron dessner mixed by jonathan low orchestration by bryce dessner mastered by greg calbi and steve fallone drum machine programming, percussion, keyboards, synthesizers, piano and electric, bass and acoustic guitars by aaron dessner synthesizers and drum machine programming by james mcalister percussion and drum machine programming by bryan devendorf violin by yuki numata resnick electric guitar by josh kaufman cello by clarice jensen glockenspiel by jason treuting flute by alex sopp french horn by cj camerieri keyboard and synthesizers by thomas bartlett intro music modular synth by benjamin lanz

A special thank you to our on set medics, COVID-19 compliance personnel and the crew for operating under the strictest guidelines including wearing PPE, practicing thorough sanitization and respecting social distancing during the video shoot. (x)

[funnywildlife]

A Big Caturday shout out from #wildographer , guide & #RememberingLions contributor @mlorentz23 ・・・ Get to know the other special contributors to the upcoming book. #repost @mlorentz23 Today marks the launch of the new #rememberinglions kickstarter campaign - the latest in the @rememberingwildlife series of beautiful books that have raised considerable funds for conservation. I am honored and delighted to have had one of my photographs selected for inclusion in this new book. Please do check out the #kickstarter page - your support really does make a difference! And there are some wonderful rewards on offer... . http://bit.ly/RememberingLions . @passagetoafrica @royalafricansafaris #lions #tanzania #ngorongorocrater #kingofthebeasts #natgeoyourshot #addressplanetearth #natgeo100contest @natgeowild @earthpix #pantheracats #catsofinstagram #earthcapture #rememberingwildlife #wildography #rememberingbooks #wildographersunited #wildlifephotographersunited . Congratulations to all the contributing photographers: Adam Bannister, Albie Venter, Andrew Aveley, Andy Biggs, Andy Rouse Photography, Anja Denker, Art Wolfe, Billy Dodson, Brent Stapelkamp, Chad Cocking, Chris Schmid, Daryl Balfour David Lloyd Wildlife Photography, Federico Veronesi, Frans Lanting, Greg Du Toit, Hannes Lochner, Heinrich Neumeyer, Hilary Hann, Isak Pretorius, James Gifford, James Suter, Jami Tarris, Jan van der Greef, Jonathan & Angela Scott, Keith Connelly, Kyle De Nobrega, Marcus Westberg, Marius Coetzee, Mark Dumbleton, Marlon Du Toit, Marsel van Oosten, Melissa Groo, Michael Lorentz, Michael Poliza, Nelis Wolmarans, Paul Goldstein, PJ Hicks, Pete Oxford, Piper Mackay, Richard Peters, Roger Hooper, Ross Couper, Sabine Stols, Andy & Sarah Skinner - Wildlife Photography, Shem Compion, Steve Winter, Suzi Eszterhas, Theo Allofs, Thomas Mangelsen, Todd Gustafson, Tom Way, Will Burrard-Lucas https://www.instagram.com/p/BuPelwvAREn/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=gf2rnefc5hta

[automaticvr]

Elton John Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour Announcement 2018 Spinifex Group & Rocket Entertainment CREATIVE LEAD: Ben Casey EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Sandy McEvoy CLIENT MANAGEMENT: Jo Hedley LIVE EVENT PRODUCERS: Glenn Herniter, Sarah Mason, Adam Serle, Anthony Hickson HEAD OF INTERACTIVE: Shea Clayton INTERACTIVE PRODUCER: Cassandra Ichniowski VISUAL EFFECTS PRODUCERS: Alenka Obal, Dave Wein, Anthony Esebag, Cyril de Baecque LIVE ACTION DIRECTOR: Damian Fulton ART DIRECTOR: Ben Alpass LEAD VR ARTIST: Aaron Kaminar LEAD FACE ANIMATORS: Kirk Cadrette, Shoghi Castel De Oro 3D FACE MODELER: Kris Kelly VISUAL EFFECTS DIRECTOR: Stephen Van Elst VISUAL EFFECTS ARTISTS: Tristan Maduro, Fred Ross, Thomas Pullar, Stephen Morton, Steve Verne, Chris Sayres , Kasey Allen, John Federico, Roy Christian, Shanu Shukla LEAD COMPOSITORS: Will Skinner, Duncan Dix PROJECTION MAPPING CREATIVE: Jason French PROJECTION MAPPING 2D ARTIST: Bartek Reszelski LEAD DEVELOPER: Clint Hannaford DEVELOPMENT TEAM: Justin Crown, Adam Schneider, Malcom Tyson, Bryan Lemus, Jeremy Bunting, Brendan Biagas MEDIA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Lang Walker DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Evan Pesses SOUND MIX: Brian Yaskulka PRODUCTION MANAGER: Dana Skaggs MOTION CAPTURE PARTNER: House of Moves LIVE STREAM PARTNERS: YouTube, Vantage TV HEADSET PARTNER: Welens Source: https://ift.tt/2LtXMFC

[stephaniefchase]

Bajan Newscap 4/23/2017

Good Morning #realdreamchasers! Here is your daily news cap for Sunday 23rd 2017. Remember you can read full articles via Barbados Today (BT), or by purchasing a Sunday Sun Nation Newspaper (SS).

ESTATE SINKING IN DEBT - A local plantation business is up in arms over Government’s failure to pay for the compulsory acquisition of a large portion of land at Constant, St George. The owners of Constant Estates Limited (CEL) are seeing red over the tardiness of payment for the land, which was acquired by Government  in September 2005 for road improvement from Mapp Hill, St Michael to Walkers, St George. That matter is set to be heard by the Supreme Court in November. CEL also has an issue with not being allowed to develop some of its other lands for residential purposes, with managing director Christopher Robinson claiming the landowners are being “disenfranchised”. “Constant Estates Limited was prevented from developing its land for the identical purpose Government acquired and developed it for,” a peeved Robinson told the SUNDAY SUN in a recent interview. (SS)

MONEY TRANSFER FEARS GROW - With major banks in North America and Europe dropping their correspondent banking relationships (CBRs) with some Caribbean banks, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says an action plan has to be developed quickly. In a statement Friday on the growing problem, the IMF’s executive directors acknowledged that many small jurisdictions in the Caribbean had been affected by the loss of CBRs, though “cross border payments have generally remained stable”. A correspondent bank is a financial institution that offers services on behalf of another financial institution usually in another country. These services include accepting deposits, wire transfers, business transactions, and gathering documents on behalf of another financial institution. In Barbados, eight financial institutions have had some correspondent banking relations severed and this has hit the international business sector, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) reported following a review last year. (SS)

BEF CEO BATS FOR START-UP COMPANIES - The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation (BEF), Celeste Foster, has appealed for legislation to address the issue of alternative financing measures for start–up companies on the island. She made the call this morning at the official launch and orientation programme of the 2017 Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme’s Entrepreneurial Development Training Programme. Foster said the country’s financial system has failed to integrate alternative financing options such as equity financing or crowdfunding, leaving most entrepreneurs to apply for loans or grants to fund their companies. While commending young entrepreneurs, Foster said that there was a lack of market research or knowledge exhibited by individuals starting a business. Foster stressed that for enterprises to grow and develop, market research is necessary to guide them along the correct path, as they move from idea to enterprise. (BT)

WILLIAMS WANTS BACK BAXTER’S ROAD MALL – New dems candidate for the City of Bridgetown, Henderson Williams, wants the Baxters Road Mall back as a key component of the Crop Over Festival. In his first speech to Democratic Labour Party Bridgetown branch members and supporters last night, Williams said he had already started dialogue with the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) on returning the once-popular street event to Crop Over as soon as possible. Williams said he had also spoken to a number of residents and business owners in Baxters Road in recent months and they had all indicated that reintroduction of the event could spur economic activity in the area. Addressing an upbeat crowd at the Wesley Hall Junior School yesterday, Williams said he was there to work with constituents, and had nothing to hide from them. He also  introduced his mother, brother, girlfriend, ex-wife, two daughters, and a number of nieces, nephews, and cousins to party faithful. (SS)

SOLUTIONS’ NINE – Further to this week’s announcement of nine candidates to contest the next general election, Solutions Barbados has released photographs of some of them. A juice maker, a hairdresser, a building contractor and the owner of a photography business are among the ���quality” candidates announced by the Grenville Phillips 11-led Solutions Barbados to contest the next general election constitutionally due here within the next 12 months. While stressing that there were no merchants involved, Phillips, who was harshly criticized following his initial announcement last year of a business people only political grouping, told Barbados TODAY he was very confident that Barbadians would throw their support behind the little-known team, which also includes two computer specialists. While boasting that the majority of the nine candidates have like years of professional experience, Phillips further suggested that his party could provide the right fix for Barbados’ worrying economic problems. He is joined on the Solutions Barbados team by Benjamin Niles, a building contractor of 25 years of experience; Andrew Banfield, a computer software specialist of 25 years of experience; Robert Toussaint, a juice manufacturer of 25 years experience; Ronald Lorde, a businessman of 21 years experience; Julie Chalbaud, a photography businesswoman of 20 years experience; Angela Edey, a hair specialist of 33 years experience; Cherone Martindale, an administrator of 16 years experience and Andre Griffith, a computer specialist of 13 years experience. However, following a retreat held by the political grouping at the weekend, Phillips admitted that so far the party had only been able to settle on representatives for St George North, St George South, St Philip West, St Philip South, St John and St James North. He also revealed that while the plan had been to announce the slate of 30 candidates in three batches of ten, one of the initial ten had apparently developed cold feet and backed out of the race ahead of the announcement. However, Phillips expects to be in a position to announce the party’s full slate of 30 candidates within the next two weeks, including the composition of its shadow cabinet. Solutions Barbados is one of three recently formed political groupings seeking to reshape the political landscape dominated by the ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP) and the Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP). The other two are the United Progressive Party (UPP) led by former BLP senator Lynette Eastmond and the Barbados Integrity Movement led by Neil Holder. (BT)

FERTILITY CLINIC THRIVING - One thousand, nine hundred and sixty-five babies and counting. The Barbados Fertility Centre (BFC) has given new life to families in Barbados and beyond. The Eastern Caribbean’s lone internationally accredited fertility facility has put Barbados on the map, and is now helping more Barbadians create families than ever before in its 15-year existence. Consultant gynaecologist with the centre, Dr Juliet Skinner, revealed that local customers now make up just under 20 per cent of their overall business, as Barbadians were finally realising the quality of in vitro fertilisation care available in their own backyard. In addition, hopeful couples from many other parts of the region are flocking to Barbados for assistance in getting children. (SS)

SPARE ROD - The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has renewed its call for Barbados to ban flogging, but local authorities are asking for understanding on ending its use in the home. The recommendation was among twelve that the committee, an independent body, made to Barbados after consideration of the second periodic report submitted by Barbados on its implementation of the International Convention On The Rights Of The Child.  A team of officials led by Minister of Social Care Steve Blackett, and including Child Care Board officials and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) children’s champion for Barbados, Faith Marshall-Harris, attended the meeting in Geneva. In relation to flogging, Barbados submitted that there was still a “strong cultural attitude in favour of corporal punishment”. (SS)

NEW CHILDREN’S ACT COMING – Barbados will have a comprehensive Children’s Act before the end of the year, say officials. Faith Marshall-Harris, UNICEF’s children’s champion for Barbados, said the draft legislation was now before Cabinet for approval. This was confirmed by Minister of Social Care Steve Blackett. The act would bring together all the pieces of legislation relating to children, with additional compliance measures from the United Nations Convention On The Rights Of The Child. Marshall-Harris and Blackett were members of the Barbados delegation that travelled to Geneva in January to submit the country’s third report on the rights of the child to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. (SS)

FAREWELL SERVICE FOR BABY DELLON - Little Dellon Rivaldo Marius was bade farewell yesterday in a quiet service at the Gittens Gap Fellowship Church, Gittens Gap, Government Hill, St Michael. The three-month-old boy died on April 3.  There was no eulogy, but Pastor Winfield Forde in delivering a brief address told those gathered that “God can heal the hurt”. He said also that God can give them hope as stated in Isaiah, “Seek ye the lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near”. After the 30-minute service at the small wooden church, the small white casket trimmed in blue left for the interment at Westbury Cemetery, St Michael. Blue was the colour of choice for the mourners who joined in singing the songs which included There’s a Friend for Little Children and Jesus Wants Me for A Sunbeam. At the graveside, the songs included Tell Me the Stories of Jesus, Jesus Loves This I Know and When He Cometh. It was then that tears flowed for little Dellon. According to police reports Dellon was mistakenly left at home by the parents during the morning period, and was later discovered unresponsive. The death happened sometime between 7 a.m. and 5:40 p.m. at the family’s Webster’s Gap Back Ivy, St Michael home. Following the discovery of the body, both parents were interviewed by police. (SS)

SIR FRANK: FSC WILL BE FEARLESS - Chairman of the Financial Services Commission (FSC) Sir Frank Alleyne has put businesses on notice that the agency will be fearless in carrying out its duties. While he said the regulatory body for non-bank financial institutions would not engage in harassment, Alleyne was insistent that the FSC would do its job “without fear”, to protect investors, the investing public, and individuals who buy certain services. “I don’t care how powerful the institution is, the law will catch up with them . . . . We don’t believe in going to court for the sake of going to court,” Alleyne stated in his opening remarks at the annual FSC lecture at the Grand Salle, Tom Adams Financial Centre, on Thursday. “I want to disabuse anyone in the public domain of the notion that we are going to use strong arm tactics,” the chairman said. (SS)

ATTORNEY TO LOOK INTO SUICIDE – The family of a man who police claim took his own life while in custody at the Oistins Police Station have hired an attorney to delve into the circumstances which led to his untimely death. Angela Best, the distraught mother of 34-year-old Corey Best, was hoping to hear from the powers that be or even her parliamentary representative over the last seven days, to explain what led to the death of her eldest son. But she said she is yet to get a phone call. “We have hired an attorney to get to the bottom of this,” Best told the SUNDAY SUN. (SS)

HOLDER STANDS FIRM – Captain Jason Holder struck his fifth Test half-century but only 69 balls were possible as rain wrecked the second day of the opening Test between West Indies and Pakistan yesterday. Heavy rain at Sabina Park brought an abrupt end to the already truncated day’s play at 3:05 p.m. after just 55 minutes of action. West Indies, having resumed on 244 for seven reached 278 for nine, with Holder unbeaten on 55. He faced 69 deliveries and struck seven fours and two sixes. Wet spots in the outfield and on the bowlers’ run-up had earlier forced the abandonment of the opening session, pushing back the start to an hour and a half after the scheduled lunch break. (SS)

$200,000 TO HOST DAVIS CUP – Apparently, victory comes at a cost. A steep one too. The Barbados Tennis Association (BTA) does have a price to pay to return to Group I, having revealed that it will cost close to $200 000 to host this current Davis Cup campaign. BTA president Dr Raymond Forde disclosed the figure ahead of September’s Group II final against Venezuela after also playing host to Guatemala earlier this month. “Staging this last tie has been excess of $90 000, having to pay duty on materials which are sent from the International Tennis Federation to dress the court because unfortunately one does not get tax relief on these things,” explained Forde. (SS)

EARTH DAY CLEAN UP – Barbadians are being urged to “pick up after themselves” after more than 200 bags of garbage was removed from a 12-kilometre stretch of West Coast beach yesterday. The exhortation has come from Gayle Talma, the group operations director of the Elegant Group of Companies as it spearheaded a clean-up campaign as part of Earth Day yesterday. Workers at Turtle Beach Hotel cleaned the stretch of beach from Brighton to Brandons, St Michael; while those at Waves Hotel and Spa cleaned Batts Rock. The staff at Daphne’s Restaurant and The House were assigned to Paynes Bay and the fish market; the combined team of Tamarind Hotel and the corporate office combed the beaches of Folkestone and Porters, St James, while Colony Club tackled Weston and its fish market. (BT)

GG LAUNCHES TRUST – The Governor General today launched the Elliott and Loretta Belgrave Scholarship Trust. Speaking at the launch Sir Elliot said the trust aims to provide financial assistance to disadvantaged students at the University of West Indies and the Barbados Community College who are pursuing degrees in accounting, marine engineering, architecture, maritime law and legislative drafting. It has been the Governor General’s mission, since his appointment on May 20, 2012, to encourage youth development across the island and unearth the tremendous talent of the nation’s youth. Throughout his five years in office, he has visited public and private primary schools, advocating for educational advancement and this has inspired him to contribute to the education of young Barbadians. The trust expects to distribute five scholarships within its first year, starting in September. A fundraising gala will be held on June 17 on the grounds of Government House. The aim is to raise at least $75, 000.  (BT)

That’s all for today folks. There are 251 days left in the year Shalom! #thechasefiles #dailynewscaps Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for your daily news. #bajannewscaps #newscapsbystephaniefchase

[yahoo-puck-daddy-blog]

Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey: Friday picks

OTTAWA, ON – NOVEMBER 13: Eric Staal #12 of the Minnesota Wild passes the puck against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on November 13, 2016 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***

By Chris Morgan

Since there is only one game Friday, Tampa Bay vs. Montreal, Friday’s contests include Saturday’s schedule as well. That means you’ve got 14 games worth of players to choose from. With that abundance of options, here are some players that you should target and others worth steering clear of in Yahoo! Daily Fantasy Hockey.

[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey contest now]

GOALIE

Kari Lehtonen, DAL vs. COL ($32): There’s no denying that Lehtonen has had a season to forget. This is not about having confidence in Lehtonen. It’s all about having no confidence in Colorado whatsoever. The Avalanche have scored a measly 1.99 goals per game, by far the worst in the league. They also have the worst power play. Oh by the way, Colorado has also allowed a league-high 3.37 goals per game, so Dallas should be able to give Lehtonen plenty of offensive support. The Stars are 21-12-6 at home, while the Avalanche are a miserable 9-29-1 on the road. All signs point to Lehtonen garnering the win, and that goes a long way in daily fantasy.

GOALIE TO AVOID

Steve Mason, PHI vs. CLM ($35): It feels strange to see Mason this pricey against his old team. After all, he only has a .908 save percentage on the season. Columbus, meanwhile, has averaged 3.01 goals and 31.0 shots on goal per game. With 28 teams in action, you have so many options to choose from. Why pay this price for a goalie who’s been below average this season, especially against a team that’s headed to the playoffs?

CENTER

Eric Staal, MIN at ARI ($19): While the Wild have not been able to keep up their torrid pace all season, Staal has been just fine. He’s operating a point-per-game pace over his last 10, and he owns 27 goals on 205 shots this season. The Coyotes have given up 3.15 goals per game and 34.0 shots on net per contest, ranking second-worst in the NHL in both categories. That makes this quite the matchup for Staal and the Wild.

CENTER TO AVOID

Jonathan Toews, CHI at LOS ($24): The Kings aren’t going to the playoffs, but their defense is not to blame. Los Angeles has allowed a league-low 25.9 shots on goal and a mere 2.42 goals per tilt. The Blackhawks rested Toews on Thursday, and while they may not do that again, they have nothing to play for right now, so they might rest him some more or at least dial back his minutes. Additionally, the Kings have the third-ranked penalty kill, so don’t expect any power-play success for Toews in this one.

WING

Conor Sheary, PIT at TOR ($22): Sheary has averaged 8.1 fantasy points per game. He probably owes that in part to starting 37.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone and playing on Sidney Crosby’s wing. In his last 17 games, Sheary has tallied 18 points and 52 shots on goal. His power-play minutes are up, too, as he’s played 2:13 per game with the extra man in those 17 contests. The Maple Leafs have given up 32.8 shots on goal per game, third-most in the NHL. If nothing else, Sheary should be able to put a few pucks on net.

[Follow Puck Daddy on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tumblr]

Evander Kane, BUF at FLA ($21): James Reimer returned to action Thursday, but it did not go well for him, as he allowed five goals to the St. Louis Blues. The Panthers have also allowed 31.5 shots on goal per game, which is particularly notable when considering Kane. Kane has excelled at putting pucks on net this season, as he’s tallied a whopping 256 shots on goal in 68 games. If Kane keeps up his pace and Reimer doesn’t look good again, that could be a recipe for success.

WINGS TO AVOID

Jeff Skinner, CAR vs. STL ($24): The Blues have only allowed 28.1 shots on goal per game, and they’ve allowed a mere 1.76 goals per game since the All-Star break. St. Louis has also been stout on the penalty kill, ranking sixth. With almost every NHL team in action, there are much better matchups out there. Bearing that in mind, why spend this much money on Skinner when there are so many other choices?

Johnny Gaudreau, CGY at SAN ($21): Gaudreau has averaged 6.7 fantasy points per game, which is good, but short of the elite level he showed us last year. Now he’s facing a San Jose team that has only allowed 27.7 shots on goal per game, third-fewest in the league. The Sharks have also given up a mere 2.44 goals per contest. Once again, this is a matter of what else is out there for you. Why take Gaudreau going up against a team that has been strong defensively when many of the league’s worst defenses are in action?

DEFENSEMEN

Rasmus Ristolainen, BUF at FLA ($18): Ristolainen has been a do-everything player for the Sabres. He’s played a whopping 26:35 per game, including 3:14 with the extra man. On top of that, he’s tallied 45 points (25 on the power play), 183 shots on goal and 158 blocked shots. As previously noted, the Panthers have given up 31.5 shots on goal per game, and they’ve allowed 3.14 goals per tilt since the All-Star break.

Keith Yandle, FLA vs. BUF ($16): Let’s not overlook the flip side of that matchup. The Sabres have allowed a league-high 34.2 shots on goal per game, and that number is up to 35.7 since the All-Star break. Additionally, Buffalo has the 27th-ranked penalty kill. Yandle has tallied six points and 19 shots on goal in his last nine games, and he’s notched 18 power-play points overall.

DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID

Torey Krug, BOS vs. WAS ($19): Krug got banged up Thursday against Ottawa, which is in and of itself a good reason to avoid him. However, this is also a particularly difficult matchup. The Capitals have allowed a league-low 2.18 goals per game, and they’ve given up a mere 28.0 shots on net per contest. Washington also has the seventh-ranked penalty kill, which is foreboding, considering that 25 of Krug’s 51 points have come with the extra man.

Justin Faulk, CAR vs. STL ($19): Faulk is in the same boat as Skinner, going up against a Blues team that has posted sterling defensive stats. In addition to the aforementioned numbers, St. Louis has only given up 1.76 goals per game since the All-Star break, and that number was down to 1.53 in March. The Blues have been as stout defensively as anybody recently, and that doesn’t bode well for Faulk.

MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY:

[touristguidebuzz]

Deal Alert: Newark to San Diego From $144 Round-Trip

 Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend that you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency, such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using the American Express Platinum Card, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.

Been thinking about a trip from one coast to the other? Delta is offering travelers in the New York area and America’s Finest City, San Diego, the option to fly between the two for just $144 round-trip. There are scattered dates where this transcon fare is available between March 2017 and January 2018, so it’s best to scroll through Google Flights’ calendar for availability. Note that you’ll be required to make one stop in each direction — in most cases either Atlanta (ATL), Detroit (DTW), Minneapolis (MSP) or Salt Lake City (SLC). Additionally, these are Basic Economy fares, so many restrictions apply, however you can upgrade to a regular coach fare for $30 more round-trip.

Airline: Delta Route: EWR-SAN Cost: $144+ round-trip in economy Dates: March 2017 – January 2018 Booking Link: Orbitz or Expedia Pay With: The Platinum Card from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

Newark (EWR) to San Diego (SAN) for $144 round-trip in May:

Newark (EWR) to San Diego (SAN) for $144 round-trip in December:

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as the American Express Platinum Card (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

Featured image courtesy of Images by Steve Skinner Photography via Getty Images.

If you’re able to score one of these tickets, please share the good news in the comments below!

H/T: The Flight Deal

[rollingstonemag]

Un nouvel article a été publié sur http://www.rollingstone.fr/la-legende-sweet-home-alabama/

La légende Sweet Home Alabama

Un riff imparable, un son venu du Deep South américain, une polémique et surtout un tube planétaire. Malgré la controverse qui planera sur ce titre, Lynyrd Skynyrd, en signant cette réponse aux chansons antisudistes de Neil Young, entrera dans la légende

Par Philippe Barbot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye5BuYf8q4o

Ça avait l’air simple, comme ça : des péquenauds sudistes chevelus célébrant les bienfaits de leur bercail sur fond de drapeau local. Un peu comme chez nous, ceux qui sont fiers d’être bourguignons, corses ou bretons. Bref, un innocent hymne régional, entre cantique autochtone et slogan touristique. Sauf que l’antienne en question, intitulée “Sweet Home Alabama”, non contente d’être devenue un tube mondial et un classique rock, a été l’objet, à la fois, d’un quiproquo et d’une polémique. Sans doute l’une des chansons les plus complexes et incomprises – ou les moins comprises – de l’histoire du rock, à égalité avec le “Born in the USA” de Springsteen.

Les responsables, d’abord : un groupe de copains natifs de Jacksonville, Floride, affublés pour rigoler du nom de leur ancien prof de gym, un certain Leonard Skinner (prononcez ’Leh-’nérd ‘Skin-’nérd, comme précisé sur la pochette de leur premier album). Un bon gros groupe de blues-country-rock avec la particularité d’exhiber sept musiciens dont trois guitaristes, et autant de chapeaux de cowboys. Lynyrd Skynyrd donc, puisque c’est leur patronyme, sont peu à peu devenus les champions de ce qu’on surnommera bientôt le rock sudiste (Southern rock), avec des orchestres comme les Allman Brothers ou le Marshall Tucker Band : cavalcades guitaristiques et histoires de virées, d’alcool, de filles et de chevaux (et tant pis pour la caricature).

Nous sommes en 1973, en plein été, et nos Lynyrd Skynyrd sont rassemblés dans le célèbre Studio One de Doraville, Géorgie, pour enregistrer leur nouvel album, intitulé Second Helping, sous la houlette du producteur Al Kooper. Parmi les chansons choisies, l’une se distingue du lot : d’abord pressentie pour figurer sur le premier opus, elle avait été mise de côté pour des jours meilleurs. Basée sur trois accords et un riff peaufiné par les guitaristes Gary Rossington et Ed King (ce dernier affirmera par la suite en avoir rêvé chaque note en dormant…), elle est complétée d’un texte écrit par le chanteur Ronnie Van Zant. Le prétexte : une réplique cinglante à deux chansons de Neil Young, “Southern Man” et “Alabama”, évoquant le passé ségrégationniste et esclavagiste du Sud des Etats-Unis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QGMz9beIL0

Une réponse du berger à la bergère, en apparence explicite, puisqu’un couplet dénonçant nommément le fautif se termine ainsi : “J’espère que Neil Young se souviendra qu’un sudiste ne veut pas de lui chez lui.” Le reste de la chanson évoque la douceur et les cieux toujours bleus de l’Alabama, le bonheur de rentrer au pays et d’écouter les musiciens locaux de Muscle Shoals.

L’histoire aurait pu s’arrêter là, une guéguerre musicale entre Lynyrd et Young (on verra par la suite qu’il n’en est rien), sauf qu’un autre couplet sème le trouble. Y sont évoqués George Wallace, à l’époque gouverneur ultra réactionnaire de l’Alabama, et Birmingham, plus grande ville de l’Etat devenue symbole du combat pour les droits civiques des afro-américains dans les sixties, théâtre d’un emprisonnement de Martin Luther King et d’un attentat raciste dans une église baptiste qui causa la mort de quatre fillettes noires. La strophe “In Birmingham they love the Gov’nor” provoque le ravissement dudit Wallace et l’indignation de la gauche dite bien-pensante. D’aucuns voient dans la chanson une proclamation raciste, d’autres une attaque scandaleuse contre leur héros Neil Young. Sauf que…

J’espère que Neil Young se souviendra qu’un sudiste ne veut pas de lui chez lui.

“Nous ne sommes pas dans la politique et Wallace ne connaît rien au rock’n’roll, se défendra Ronnie Van Zant. Le public n’a pas remarqué que la phrase en question est suivie d’un ‘Boo boo boo !’ [l’équivalent de notre ‘ouh’, hululé pour conspuer, NDLR]… Quant à Neil Young, nous l’aimons, lui et sa musique. Nous avons écrit la chanson comme une plaisanterie, les mots sont venus comme ça. Nous imaginions que Neil avait flingué tous les canards en espérant en descendre un ou deux… Nous sommes certes des rebelles sudistes mais nous connaissons la différence entre le bien et le mal.”

Un vrai-faux règlement de compte qui dissimule en fait une réelle amitié et un respect commun. Van Zant a toujours été un admirateur de Neil Young, allant même jusqu’à se faire photographier avec des t-shirts à la gloire du Loner. Young, lui, avait plusieurs fois proposé des chansons au groupe (comme son “Powderfinger” que Lynyrd n’eut pas le temps d’enregistrer) et, pour clore le débat, a interprété plusieurs fois sur scène “Sweet Home Alabama”, qu’il considère comme une grande chanson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6xNft9MutQ

Le 20 octobre 1977, de retour d’un concert à Greenville, Caroline du Sud, l’avion transportant le groupe s’écrasa dans une forêt du Mississippi. Ronnie Van Zant, sa sœur et choriste Cassie, le guitariste Steve Gaines et plusieurs membres du staff technique furent tués. Les autres s’en tirèrent avec de graves blessures. Trois jours avant, était sorti l’album Street Survivors, à l’étrange pochette environnée de flammes. Reformé en 1987 avec quelques survivants et Johnny Van Zant, le frère de Ronnie, Lynyrd Skynyrd célèbre toujours la douceur de l’Alabama. Un détail : aucun des auteurs originaux de la chanson, Ed King, Gary Rossington ou Ronnie Van Zant, n’était natif du coin.

[quantumd3]

A star trail is a type of photograph that utilizes long-exposure times to capture the apparent motion of stars in the night sky due to the rotation of the Earth. A star trail photograph shows individual stars as streaks across the image, with longer exposures resulting in longer streaks. Typical exposure times for a star trail range from 15 minutes to several hours, requiring a ‘bulb’ setting on the camera to open the shutter for a longer period than is normal. Star trail photographs are possible because of the rotation of the Earth on its axis. The apparent motion of the stars is recorded as streaks on the film or detector. For observers in the northern hemisphere, aiming the camera towards the north creates an image with concentric circular streaks centered on the north celestial pole (very close to Polaris). For observers located in the southern hemisphere, this same effect is achieved by aiming the camera south. In this case, the streaks are centered on the south celestial pole. Aiming the camera towards the east or west creates straight-line streaks that are angled with respect to the horizon. The size of the angle depends on the photographer’s latitude. Star trail photographs can be used by astronomers to determine the quality of a location for telescope observations. Star trail observations of Polaris have been used to measure the quality of seeing in the atmosphere, and the vibrations in telescope mounting systems. The first recorded suggestion of this technique is from E.S. Skinner’s 1931 book A Manual of Celestial Photography. Image credit: Steve Knight http://ift.tt/2k9P7gJ

[danielelembo]

An Evening at Warm Waters by beachbum

[automaticvr]

CREATIVE LEAD: Ben Casey EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Sandy McEvoy CLIENT MANAGEMENT: Jo Hedley LIVE EVENT PRODUCERS: Glenn Herniter, Sarah Mason, Adam Serle, Anthony Hickson HEAD OF INTERACTIVE: Shea Clayton INTERACTIVE PRODUCER: Cassandra Ichniowski VISUAL EFFECTS PRODUCERS: Alenka Obal, Dave Wein, Anthony Esebag, Cyril de Baecque LIVE ACTION DIRECTOR: Damian Fulton ART DIRECTOR: Ben Alpass LEAD VR ARTIST: Aaron Kaminar LEAD FACE ANIMATORS: Kirk Cadrette, Shoghi Castel De Oro 3D FACE MODELER: Kris Kelly VISUAL EFFECTS DIRECTOR: Stephen Van Elst VISUAL EFFECTS ARTISTS: Tristan Maduro, Fred Ross, Thomas Pullar, Stephen Morton, Steve Verne, Chris Sayres , Kasey Allen, John Federico, Roy Christian, Shanu Shukla LEAD COMPOSITORS: Will Skinner, Duncan Dix PROJECTION MAPPING CREATIVE: Jason French PROJECTION MAPPING 2D ARTIST: Bartek Reszelski LEAD DEVELOPER: Clint Hannaford DEVELOPMENT TEAM: Justin Crown, Adam Schneider, Malcom Tyson, Bryan Lemus, Jeremy Bunting, Brendan Biagas MEDIA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Lang Walker DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Evan Pesses SOUND MIX: Brian Yaskulka PRODUCTION MANAGER: Dana Skaggs MOTION CAPTURE PARTNER: House of Moves LIVE STREAM PARTNERS: YouTube, Vantage TV HEADSET PARTNER: Welens Source: https://ift.tt/2LtXMFC

[sotosker]

Swamis Display by Steve Skinner Via Flickr: On the second day of sweltering heat, Mother Nature decided we hadn't suffered enough and brought some humidity up from Mexico!! She did give us a little heat relief later in the day.I the evening she arrived with a present wrapped in amazing colors! So vivid she didn't even need to use a bow!!

[connor-burrows]

In The Land of the Blind by beachbum

[cindycapo]

In The Land of the Blind by beachbum

[tinnacriss]

On The First Day - Vermillion Lakes by Steve Skinner

[automaticvr]

Elton John Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour Announcement 2018 CREATIVE LEAD: Ben Casey EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Sandy McEvoy CLIENT MANAGEMENT: Jo Hedley LIVE EVENT PRODUCERS: Glenn Herniter, Sarah Mason, Adam Serle, Anthony Hickson HEAD OF INTERACTIVE: Shea Clayton INTERACTIVE PRODUCER: Cassandra Ichniowski VISUAL EFFECTS PRODUCERS: Alenka Obal, Dave Wein, Anthony Esebag, Cyril de Baecque LIVE ACTION DIRECTOR: Damian Fulton ART DIRECTOR: Ben Alpass LEAD VR ARTIST: Aaron Kaminar LEAD FACE ANIMATORS: Kirk Cadrette, Shoghi Castel De Oro 3D FACE MODELER: Kris Kelly VISUAL EFFECTS DIRECTOR: Stephen Van Elst VISUAL EFFECTS ARTISTS: Tristan Maduro, Fred Ross, Thomas Pullar, Stephen Morton, Steve Verne, Chris Sayres , Kasey Allen, John Federico, Roy Christian, Shanu Shukla LEAD COMPOSITORS: Will Skinner, Duncan Dix PROJECTION MAPPING CREATIVE: Jason French PROJECTION MAPPING 2D ARTIST: Bartek Reszelski LEAD DEVELOPER: Clint Hannaford DEVELOPMENT TEAM: Justin Crown, Adam Schneider, Malcom Tyson, Bryan Lemus, Jeremy Bunting, Brendan Biagas MEDIA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Lang Walker DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Evan Pesses SOUND MIX: Brian Yaskulka PRODUCTION MANAGER: Dana Skaggs MOTION CAPTURE PARTNER: House of Moves LIVE STREAM PARTNERS: YouTube, Vantage TV HEADSET PARTNER: Welens Source: https://ift.tt/2LtXMFC