sebadee

When I invaded France back in 1990, I spent a month at the Alliance Française learning absolutely nothing. When I did get employed, I learned loads!

La charrue avant les bœufs, n'est pas?

I keep finding miniature frogs like this one - 2" long max - by the door inside our new extension. Here is number 4.

I now leave a glass and a piece of cardboard by the door to transport them back to the garden where they can continue with their important work for the Resistance.

French frogs, eh!

My concern is as much environmental as economic. Data centres are hovering up resources - water and electricity - in sparsely populated areas of the US where water is plentiful yet political power is not.

Newton County, Georgia is a case in point. Wells are dry so households no longer have water.

From the article: "According to recent estimates, generative AI now accounts for roughly 40 percent of the United States’ gross domestic product. In other words, if the AI spending boom falls apart, it could take down the entire economy with it."

Sharma seems to be confusing GDP growth with GDP!

Diane Keaton had a place in everyone's heart. Especially those who grew up watching her extraordinary work in cinema throughout the 70's.

I think he is scared... of Stephen Miller.

A dead leaf with hole near the centre through which the sun makes a starburst

Ways to use sunlight in the forest

A black & white photo of a fallen tree in a forest

I took this picture of a fallen tree this morning, about 120 years ago

A clearing in the forest canopy using intentional camera movement reinforces the framing of the sky

Forest #icm

A bright orange leaf on the forest floor picked out by a band of almost horizontal light

Leaf at my feet

As the morning sun rises in the forest, bands of sunlight are projected on the ground. I spent the morning looking for things in these bands.

Thanks for this! I will try it out.

What irks the most is losing all the work from using Lr for 2 years. The Adobe sidecar files with all my adjustments cannot be read by other software.

Thanks for sharing, Stephen. Very interesting take! She says what I feel.

Her No 1 paid suggestion I have on a 30-day trial: ON1 Photo Raw 2025. It costs €96. There is a subscription version with 20GB of web storage for €7pm. We'll see...

So, companies I loath with products I need: Apple, Adobe.

There's a French film with this very plot.
It has a great cast but sadly it's unwatchable.

You again! Convince me you're not a bot.

This award seems richly deserved. President Madura ensured that Machado was banned from holding public office, ending her run against him in 2024.

It also carries a political message from the Nobel committee. They favour those who fight for the people against an authoritarian government.

N.B. DJT!

Thanks for this! Ewan's take is very helpful. He's right, it is very hard to move to new software, as I am now really fast with Lr. I'm trying out ON1 Photo Raw 2025, but so far, I hate the interface and miss my colour controls.

The price of the Photography plan (20GB) annual, billed monthly plan is changing from 11,99 €/month to 18,14 €/month (including applicable Tax/VAT) on your next renewal date. To maintain your effective current base rate (excluding any promotions) you can change your subscription to an annual, prepaid plan. Your subscription will renew automatically on 09-November-2025 (PT) and will automatically renew annually until you cancel. Price subject to change at renewal. You can manage or cancel your plan anytime directly through your Adobe Account or Customer Support.

Photographers: Adobe is hiking its subscription for Lightroom by 50% next month. I can lock in my current plan by prepaying for a year at the current rate, or I can cancel and switch.

Does anyone use a non-subscription alternative to Lightroom that offers a similar workflow?

#adobe

Beer • Terrace • Come

...sounds a little perverse to me

I'm having Pareidolic Bypass Syndrome... I can't get this to work. I'll dip my head in alcohol and see if that helps.

The palm fronds create a halo that captures the dynamism of this reclining sloth.

Wow!

I very much appreciate what's in front of you and am wondering where the hell it is...

Bravo! These images are sublime!

His Rivers of Bile speech!

The blur of a speeding car passes a pylon and a telegraph pole while the morning sun lights up the mist from behind

When I saw thick mist this morning, I grabbed my camera and ran for the door. I staked out this pylon for about an hour. The sun was trying to shine through the mist, which produced this unusual glow!

Your pylons look so different from ours in France.

People queuing to get their selfie at the summit of Everest. On one day in May 2019, 358 reached the summit. Photo: Hindustani Times

As of 2024, there have now been nearly 13,000 successful climbs.

860 climbs were recorded in 2024. The Nepali govt charges $25,000-$30,000 per climber. Climbing generates c. $500M pa or about 7% of Nepali GDP.

The greatest number of climbers to summit in a single day was on May 23, 2019: 358!

Gorgeous image! When I first saw it on my timeline, I saw a line pylons not trees. I need help.

This should keep you octoppied!

Beautiful pylon!