I know it’s late, but remember when I praised Herman Wouters into heaven? Well I did an interview with him ages ago and I finally came round to putting it up. So please give this guy a chance, read the interview and praise him the way I do.

MELANIE CAITLIN INTERVIEWS HERMAN WOUTERS

Herman Wouters, photojournalist for Dutch papers like Trouw as well as international ones like The New York Times, agreed to meet me at a cafe somewhere in the centre of Haarlem, The Netherlands. For nearly an hour we'd talk about every aspect of his life.

Wouters once started as an artist on the academy for arts. After having spent all his time in galleries, he decided this was not the job for him. When people took more interest in his photography he decided to permanently stop with art. He invested in a professional camera and set himself a goal: being able to live off of his photography within a year or two. I tell him my goal is similar. I want people, all over the world, to know my name in four years time. "That's healthy ambition" he tell me enthusiastically. "It is very important to have connections. People need to know you exist." he says when I ask him how one rolls into business the way he did. "I never would have dreamed I'd end up with The New York Times. I thank every bit of it to my agency 'Hollands Hoogte. Eight years ago or so they received some foreign assignments. They picked me among some others to take on The New York Times. After the Jayson Blaire scandal, I was the only one to stay and receive a contract."

I understand that it helps an amazing amount to be signed to an agency and ask Wouters how he ended up at his. "Agencies don't go out looking for people, you have to be out there yourself. I used to go around with an old school paper portfolio. Now it can easily be done online, on your own website." This doesn't convince me just yet. There are millions of people out there that put their photos on the net. How do I still stand out? "How did you find me?" Wouters suddenly asks. "Well, I knew your name from photos I saw in Trouw.." I tell him, slightly surprised. "Exactly! That's exactly how things go" he shouts out.

"I've had a look at your website, you do a lot of live shots, don't you?" he asks. "Yes, that's right" I tell him. "Besides live shots I also love photographing strangers. I adore the moments people normally run past. I keep my eyes open at all times and take photos at the most random moments!" Wouters smiles and says "To me, that seems like a great strategy." After all of his praise I wonder what it takes to be a good photojournalist. "It's important you're well informed. You need to know what's going on. With that said, you need to be confident, not give a damn about what others say and work towards a goal at all times. And you, you should definitely continue doing what you're doing right now!" he tells me.

I, still flabbergasted by what has just been said, ask Wouters what an ordinary day in the life of Herman Wouters looks like. "I have about three assignments on an ordinary day. And see, when I'm there, I'm not there for myself but for I don't know how many people who read the paper. One way or another, I have to show them what something is about. My photos have to describe stories, a certain event" Wouters says. "Now internet's arrived, news has become more broad. Nowadays, it would be extremely difficult to work without the internet in my profession. I still remember sending contact sheets and film to New York, back in the days. All I have to do, right now, is press two buttons and I'm done. Thank goodness." In my opinion no one takes journalism seriously any more. Doesn't he agree at all? "The big mass never took it seriously to begin with. So I'm safe to say not much has changed" he says.

Herman Wouters appears to be a confident man. It seems like he's accomplished everything he's ever wished for. Has he never felt unwanted at some point in his career? "Of course I've felt like that" he tells me. "My agency, Hollands Hoogte, turned me down at first. They thought my work wasn't what it could be just yet and told me to come back in a year's time. As strange as it may sound it didn't bother me and I just went on to the next person." Weren't you disappointed at all? "No, I can't say I was. Somehow if it was something art related I think I would have been." When I ask him why he chose photography over art in the end Wouters tells me: "With art you have to make things up constantly, with photography you get a chance to pick from several facts. In reality breathtaking things take place, things you never could have imagined. I think that's amazing."

Check out Herman's work at hermanwouters.nl

"Inaintez pe strada cu viteza unui melc de curse , ii privesc pe cei din jurul meu , par a nu avea nici o grija , zambesc , rad , spun glume mai bune ca oricand si asta ma face sa ma simt prost . Cu 3 luni in urma eu eram cel mai mare comic din lume , la glumele mele radeau chiar si presedintii celor mai importante state . Daaaah , ce bine era sa fiu in centrul atentiei , aveam contracte cu cele mai importante televiziuni din lume , eram asigurat pe cel putin 20 de ani , banii deja incepusera sa curga garla . Dar...(intotdeauna exista un dar in astfel de situatii)...intr-o dimineata cand am deschis televizorul , trebuia sa inceapa unul dintre fenomenalele mele showri , ce vad , emisiunea este intrerupta de o editie speciala a buletinului de stiri , in direct , dintr-o locatie secreta . Cica se stransesera conducatorii marilor puteri sa hotarasca modul de distrugere a tuturor focoaselor nucleare existente.
Cand am vazut una ca asta am sarit in picioare si am inceput sa strig : "Blasfemie! Jignire! Nerusinare! Cum au indraznit sa-mi intrerupa emisiunea ?! Mie, cel mai iubit ,cel mai dorit om din lume ?!!! Mie, care la fiecare emisiune aveam rating de 100% ??!! Faptul ca urlam ca disperatu' se pare ca i-a deranjat pe vecinii mei , (singurii oameni de pe planeta care ma urau) care au dat buzna in apartamentul meu , spargandu-mi usa , m-au imobilizat si mi-au indesat in gura sosetele nespalate de mai bine de 2 luni.

O furie nemarginita ma cuprinde cand un politist imi spune o gluma de-a mea fara sa ma recunoasca , ii dau un pumn in nas si acesta cade la pamant , ii iau pistolul si ii trag un glont in cap . Ma uit in jur si lumea fuge ingrozita , incep sa trag la nimereala in cine este mai aproape de mine , copii , femei ,batrani , iar acestia cad inrosind trotuarul . Gloantele din pistol se termina dar eu apas pe tragaci in cotinuare . Cand realizez ca pistolul e gol il arunc si o iau la fuga dupa oamenii care seamana mai degaraba cu o cireada de vaci scapate de sub control . Strig dupa ei "Stati nu va vreau raul ,a fost o greseala ,duceti-ma la puscarie , condamnati-ma la moarte , orice numai amintiti-va cine am fost ! "Cad in genunchi , imi pun Mainile in cap si strig cat ma tine gura "Ajutoooooor !"Un singur barbat , neras , slab , imbracat in zdrente si un pic beat se opreste si se apropie de mine cu teama dar o depaseste si ajunge langa mine.
Imi sopteste la ureche "Te cunosc , tu esti jurnalistul care a transmis stirea despre bombe , nu-i asa?"
La auzul acestor vorbe aceeasi furie nemarginita de mai devreme ma cuprinde . Din nou , mainile imi tremura si cauta ceva , nu stiu ce , mana stanga atinge ceva lung si rece , era o teava de metal . Omul intampina loviturile puternice cu tipete si strigate dupa ajutor , dar nimeni nu-l ajuta pentru ca e prea ocupat sa-si salveze propriai piele . In cinci minute omul nu mai misca , statea intr-o balta de sange , cu fata in sus, care dupa loviturile repetate , nu se mai deslusea , nu mai puteai spune ca in locul nasului s-ar fi aflat vreodata asa ceva . Gura nu mai avea dinti intregi si parca ranjea la mine facandu-mi in ciuda . Asta m-a facut sa urlu ca un animal salbatic , m-am repezit spre masina primei mele victime , am pornit girofarul si am pornit la vanatoare de "animale". Cand prind cate unul acesta ori se izbeste de parbriz ori intra sub masina care ruleaza cu 90 km/h . Parbrizul este rosu si crapat , nu mai vad pe unde merg . Cu piciorul apasat pe acceleratie scot capul pe geam si la un metru de masina vad zidul unei banci pe care scria :
"AICI INCEPE VIATA TA".

If the traditional definition of marriage is the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law, when was the union of two people, of the same sex, added to this definition?  It doesn't make any sense to me.

I can think of 2 people in my family involved in this kind of activity, but it's not something I condone.  I was taught growing up in the "church" that marriage was a privilege a man and a woman held that cemented their promise of obligation toward each other.  It's like two pieces of a puzzle that just fit.  I am of that generation where everyone decided to "come out."  I don't want to see all that!  It's a sickness to me and I would prefer we were still in my grandparent's day where you just stayed in the closet.  Way back in the darkest part of the closet.  We were meant to procreate.  It's the natural order of things.

That's why it's very important that a child is either raised by both parents, or surrounded by caring adults, male and female.  It's not normal for a male child to be influenced by his mother alone.  I was a single parent, but made sure my sons were influenced by my brothers, uncles, father and cousins.  I can't teach a boy to be a man.  Only a man can.

Download episodenya dengan mengeklik link dibawah ini:
- Download Link#1

Supponiamo di voler contare banalmente i record di una tabella. Un primo metodo potrebbe essere ciclare i record della tabella:

miaTabella t;
int contatore;
;

while select t
{
contatore++;
}
Info("Numero record:"+int2str(contatore));

Anche se è una “fatica” inutile dato che possiamo sfruttare il metodo “count” che comprime il codice:

miaTabella t;
int contatore;
;

select count(recId) from t;
Info("Numero record:"+int2str(t.recId));

ATTENZIONE!
Ci sono alcuni casi in cui non è possibile però usare il metodo count(). Mi trovo, infatti, nella situazione di dover contare i record di una tabella raggruppata per uno specifico campo come in questo esempio:

mioCampo:
2
2
7
7
7
9

I record contati non dovrebbero essere 6, ma il risultato che vorrei ottenere è 3 ovvero il conteggio della tabella raggruppata per quello specifico campo:

mioCampo:
2
7
9

In questo caso il count() dei record darebbe come risultato 1.

select count(recId) from miaTabella group by mioCampo;
contatore = miaTabella.recId;
risultato: contatore = 1;

questo perché viene fatto il raggruppamento per ogni valore trovato nei record e subito il count, ovvero,  raggruppo per 2 con count = 2, poi raggruppo per 7 con count = 9, infine raggruppo per 9 con count = 1.
In questa siamo costretti a ciclare i record come segue:

while select miaTabella group by mioCampo
{
cntatore++;
}

In questo caso il contatore restituisce il numero di record della tabella gia raggruppata, ovvero 3.

Logotipo para Aguamarina, una tienda en Marbella, de ropa tipo ibicenca (lino, algodón, etc). El imagotipo no es original, el texto sí.

Podéis pasaros por allí cualquier tarde de estas por el centro, muy cerquita de la Plaza de Los Naranjos. Precios asequibles para vestir con buen gusto.

After listening to Riot! through the first time, the first striking thing is that the variety in the songs is brilliant. There are slow melodies which show off Hayley’s voice perfectly, fast up-tempo songs that are more catchy than anything you will hear in the charts, and even within these songs have variation in the tempo, notably in ‘That’s What You Get’, which is a ridiculously catchy song, and also in ‘crushcrushcrush’. Songs like ‘We Are Broken’ and ‘When It Rains’ and ‘Hallelujah’ are absolutely made for someone with a voice as spectacular as Hayley’s, both songs are so emotional and have meaning that really comes across in the song. The first single from the album, ‘Misery Business’, is a fantastic mix of pop/punk that has a typical Paramore style to it, but also has from the sound of it, personal experience. For example, “Well I refuse, I refuse, I refuse!!” is rejecting the Paris Hilton’s of the world, which needs to be said quite frankly, and anyone who has seen the video will know this is the theme for the song. This goes for all the other songs as well, each is distinctive and at the same time gets a point across by using meaningful lyrics.

In complete contrast to my recent Linkin Park review, Paramore have not changed from their pop/punk roots, and fans of the original album will defiantly recognise the catchy choruses, and be singing along within minutes. In fact, anyone who doesn’t sing along to ‘That’s What You Get’ might have something wrong with them. On the downside, it is arguably a short album being only 38 minutes long, but when the songs are as varied and well crafted as they are, it doesn’t need to be longer. Living up to the utterly flawless debut album release was always going to be tough, but I think they just about manage it.

The energy, emotion and truly talented band members in Paramore are really refreshing to listen to. Whether you’re in the mood to relax or have a mosh, there’s a song to fit, and while Paramore have definitely matured since the debut album, (which shows throughout Riot! In the lyrics and song construction) they’re sound remains as it should; exciting, upbeat and above all, fun. So, while not as good as ‘All We Know Is Falling’ the album is carried by a truly magnificent vocal performance, catchy sing-along choruses, well varied tempos, and excellent guitar riffs, for me make this one of the best albums of the year.

Overall - 9/10

A petrol pump attendant fills a motorcyclist’s tank at a filling station on Tran Hung Dao Street. The retail price of A92 petrol fell by VND500 (US$0.03) per litre nationwide today to VND16,500. — VNS Photo Truong Vi

HA NOI — The retail price of A92 petrol fell by VND500 (US$0.03) per litre nationwide today to VND16,500, following a decision by the Ministry of Finance.

This is the third time distributors have cut petrol prices. The first cut occurred on August 14, with A92 petrol dropping VND1,000 per litre to VND18,000. The second cut took place two weeks later, with the price dropping a further VND1,000 to VND17,000 per litre.

Meanwhile, the prices of kerosene and diesel remained unchanged.

The Government said the decision to cut the domestic oil price was made in response to sharply decreasing global oil prices.

The world oil price hit a record high of US$147.27 per barrel on July 11. Yesterday it hovered around the $88-per-barrel mark, its lowest level for eight months.

Importers said the modest decrease in the oil price was justified because they had incurred large losses when the price reached record highs of around $140 per barrel.

They added that the VND500 cut was based on considerations of profits and losses over the whole of the year.

An official from the Viet Nam National Petroleum Corp (Petrolimex) said it was difficult to predict market trends but that if the world oil price fell further, the local price would decrease accordingly.

In a bid to recoup losses, the MoF, in decision No 85/2008/QD-BTC, asked petroleum distributors and importers to set aside from their monthly pre-tax profit VND1,000 per litre of petrol sold to pay the State budget.

If the source of capital was not enough to pay debts, enterprises must use other capital sources to settle debts. Payments must start in October, the ministry said.

According to the Finance Ministry, the State spent thousands of billions of dong compensating petroleum firms for losses incurred while the global oil price soared.

In addition, the State’s zero per cent import tax on oil cost the country around VND25 trillion ($1.5 billion).

Deputy head of the Price Management Department under the Ministry of Finance Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong said total losses incurred by petrol distributors up to July 21 reached VND3 trillion ($181.8 million). —