DarkKnightNine comments

You guys don't seem to understand HDR photography. Which I'm 99.9% sure this is NOT! The purpose of HDR is to bring out details in both the highlights and the shadows. It gives an image the dynamic range closer to what the human eye can see but no camera (no matter how good) cannot by combining multiple exposures metered for both the shadows and the highlights. Everything in this shot is lacking in detail from the buildings, the tree line, the sky, even the lights in the foreground.

That's not to say it's not a nice shot, because it is. It's just not HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography as many of you seem to assume. It is a long exposure shot. Completely different from HDR.

This is one of the problems with HDR photos when there are people moving in the picture. You get the "ghosting".

What gave you the impression this was an HDR shot? It could just be a slow shutter shot. Given that there are no details in the tree line or the sky I would say this is NOT an HDR photo.

And then we have the brainwashed, braindead Flash drone who cries about a technology that's dragging his PC to a slow crawl and yet thinks he or she needs it because Adobe has told them so, not because they actually know something about technology. If he or she did, they would realize like the idiots who are hooked on oil that Flash is bad for your PC in the same way oil is bad for the environment. Wake up people and get a clue. Geez.

And one would need a dual screen for what exactly? Especially on the road where a mobile device is most likely used. Other than as a bragging rights gimmick, a dual screen on a notebook is both useless and stupid. I have two 30" HD monitors connected to my desktop where they actually serve a purpose as I require as much screen real estate as possible when editing HD video and/or film projects. Other than in the afore mentioned professional environment, having a dual display on a mobile device just makes you look like the nerd you probably are with no added benefit.

King, who also produced and wrote the script for the film, said it is “as fantastic, glamorous and grounded in reality

Really?! What reality does this idiot live in? As far as know, people are broke, hungry and struggling to make ends meet, not jetting off to Abu Dhabi on some rich Sheik's expense account riding around in Maybachs.

Imagine being lucky enough to wake up to that beautiful face (scratch that), beautiful everything (face, body, voice...), every morning. Her husband must live in pure bliss.

That depends on how you stood up to him and if any Japanese witnessed it. If you were to give him the smack down he deserved without a witness you would be locked up without question. As I stated in my other post, I have caught quite a few up-skirt photographers, but I could do nothing about it. The only thing I have done is walked up to them and told them I saw them do it, but they will either deny it flatly or just run away. It's not your country, so it is not worth getting involved. Just shrug it off as more Japanese pathetiquette.

@Disillusioned That is the most pathetic thing I've ever heard of... You actually watched these crimes being committed and didn't try to apprehend the suspect? Foreigner or not, if you live in a society, you have a moral responsibility to try and help it's citizens as you are temporarily apart of it. I used to live on the Saikyo line when it was first built. I apprehended a groper on my way to work but in that instance, I was more angry at the woman for allowing it to happen than the groper. The train was not full as it was still a new line. The suspect got on the train, sat unusually close to a young woman across from me and opened a newspaper covering his lap and hers. When I saw discomfort in her facial expressions, I had all the evidence I needed and leapt into action. He tried to run, but me being an ex-Olympic speed track and field sprinter from my University years, he had no chance. I caught up with him, grabbed by the collar and dragged him to the nearest train authorities for which they thanked me. Case closed; back on the train, late for work but the boss understood. No condemnation for being a foreigner in sight. Would suggest to you would be heroes out there that you DO NOT under any circumstances punch or kick the suspect as that would be against the law.

I agree that men should be conditioned to watch out for and protect the women. I thought that that was supposed to be a natural instinct; I don't know what happened that many men in the world don't feel that way any more.

One only has to look at the trend in Hollywood movies and their impact on society to know what happened to the traditional values you speak of. In most modern Hollywood movies over the last decade or so, the women are portrayed as the Heroes and the men are just competent sidekicks. Perhaps men no longer feel a need to protect their female counterparts. Personally I think it's over-the-top stupidity but it gets people into the theaters.

This so-called "health care bill" is a giant leap backward for American citizens and a giant advancement for big government that intrudes more and more into the lives of too many people. "Health Care" is no more a right than car care or home care. Take care of yourselves people! Eat right, get your rear off the couch once in a while and stop expecting others to take care of you!

Oh yeah the "Big Bad Government" is coming. Is that something like the Boogieman or "dem terrists"? The right has been selling this fear BS for years now to privatize and deregulate everything so they can rake in profits without any government interference or protection of the average citizen. Wake up! Can you really be that stupid?! Fortunately most Americans aren't buying this BS anymore, but it's still hard to believe people like you still exist.

People keep complaining about Socialized this and that, but two things that absolutely should be partially socialized meaning the government should guarantee to each and every citizen are Health Care and Education. I believe those two things are basic human necessities that not only benefit each individual, but benefit the masses. An educated and healthy worker is a productive worker and as such a productive member of society. A productive society means less poverty; and less poverty means less crime. Of course this is a generalization.

I say partially socialized because I don't believe the government should decide which hospital or school you attend, only that it provide the means for you to attend one (of your choice) and make sure that there certain standard met by all.

Oh for Christ's sake it has nothing to do with his color; I'm so sick of hearing that crap. Now I can't criticize my President because he's black. It's just naturally assumed (and seems to me more of a crutch used by the left) that if I'm white, not a liberal and criticize that I must be a 'banjo-playin', rebel flag carrying, gap-toothed, Ree-pub-lykin with an IQ of twelve. I'm not just saying this to make myself look 'hip' but frankly his color is meaningless to me - and I'll bet very many of us - and wouldn't even be a thought if it wasn't thrown in our faces because it's an easy way to accuse because not everyone agrees with BS legislation that was hastily thrown together after defeat of the original plan and rammed through to win a political victory. It is true that most everyone - liberal, conservative, democrat/republican, tall, short, white, black, green or indigo - has not read through this bill to study and understand all of its nuances. You know the talking points and the 'good things' it will do. But what about all the crap tacked on to the back pages? I suspect there is a lot of bill there that few have really gotten to the meat of. So why not rush it through so we can all pay for it and enjoy it? Read it? Why would you want to do something so stupid? I'm a tech writer by trade and write the instructions that most of you never read when using a new piece of software, or putting together a bookcase you bought from IKEA. You never read the instructions and screw it up every time. Usually they aren't written correctly and make no sense (not mine of course!). Same thing here. Ram it through and will fix it later. Sure, great idea. Some type of health care reform was most definitely needed, and past administrations have dragged feet and one nothing. I'll give it to the President that he at least did something. But hastily cobbling legislation, ramming it through and changing our system to one that at least bear strong resemblance to socialized medicine was not the way to go and is dangerous. Too many of us currently have health insurance that we pay for that seems to work. Now I have to change all of that so I can pay for everyone else to have it as well. Magnanimous or not, you can see why that might make some of us rather nervous. Instead of getting a clear-cut, concise and studied in-depth presentation and rational discussion of what this bill would entail and in fact do, we were met with presentation of an angry car salesman telling us that we need this and to shut up and pass it. Logic wins out over stupidity. If this had been presented correctly rather than crammed down our throats by less than eloquent politicians and witch-like Pelosi and weirdo Reid, it may have been more palatable and even made sense to the masses.

Wow! tigermoth, for once I'm inclined to agree. Admittedly I have NOT read the bill and only made assumptions on the fact that we desperately NEED change. As you pointed out, you are paying for and thus can afford HC, but there is a large majority of Americans who cannot. And just like you're probably not a 'Yeaaaa haaaaaw' yelling redneck, it's shouldn't be assumed that these people are lazy and jobless lowlifes. People tend to forget we are still in the middle of a major financial crisis and maybe you are lucky enough for it not to be affecting you, but there are a lot people that it has affected and they need help. So my personal opinion is... if I have to get taxed a little more from my pay to help others get back in their feet, so be it. In the long run, it only comes back to help me because maybe one those people may end up being a customer of mine in the future. It's just good Karma.

Everyone is quick to call Obama and a liar but I wonder where all of those people were when we were constantly being lied to by the Bush Administration. I suspect every President has had good intentions of keeping certain promises made while campaigning for one thing or another but then have had his reality shattered by back door politics that kept him from keeping those promises. The only difference is that since Obama is the first African American to hold the office, everyone wants to ridicule on an unfairly amplified level. Like comedian Chris Rock said (in reference to Bush), "An African American B+ student will have a hard time finding a job as a manager of a fast food restaurant, but a caucasian C- student can be President of the United States". It's the same old racism and double standards that have always existed for an African American. I don't particularly like Obama and have been disappointed by his failure to keep certain promises, but at the same time, I don't see how he is any different from any other President. No President has ever been able to keep 100% of his promises 100% of the time. People are just quicker to scrutinize Obama because he's African American.

The government already spends (or I should say wastes) over 2 trillion annually for health care,

see link here: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2009/07/29/2009-07-29_what_you_need_to_know_about_president_obamas_health_care_reform_plan.html

so how in the world do you think spending 900 billion to revamp a system that doesn't work is going to all of a sudden bankrupt the country. It's nothing but Republicans up to their old scare tactics to push their jaded agenda and you so called educated ones fall for it every single time. Enough is ENOUGH already! The bill was passed and we have a new health care system. DEAL WITH IT!

@skipthesong Sounds like you're pissed because the bill will actually provide help, training and medical assistance to the underprivileged. Yeah I can see how an elitist would say that's wrong. Perhaps you nor anyone in your family has ever suffered from not being able to afford health care. I personally watched my favorite Aunt slowly die while I was in Basic Training in the Navy because we couldn't afford to get her higher on the list for a heart transplant. Apparently good health care is only for the rich and privileged. Until you've watched a loved one die because you couldn't afford to provide adequate HC, you will never understand. For you and people like you it's all numbers and theories.

Let's face reality, you are more with this because it comes from obama. Had it come from any other politician/prez, you would probably have been in my court playing with my ball.

Really?! Is that the best you could come up with? I've listed many reasons why I was for spending X amount of dollars for health care. And now you've ignorantly come to the conclusion that I like Obama and that I'm in favor of this bill because it comes from him. So let me say it again for the illiterate who don't seem to read the rest of my posts. The government will ALWAYS spend money, so if they are going to spend money anyway, I would rather it be for something that benefits me and my family directly unlike a war on foreign soil that adds absolutely nothing to my life or the future of my children. I could care less who initiated the bill. If they are trying to better the present health care system, I'm all for it. Now it may not be a perfect bill but at least it's a step in the right direction. People are afraid of change and I would agree that a cautious move is always the best, but seeing how our health care system is not working as is, perhaps it's time we tried something new. Reps love to scare people from change with nonsensical argument and propaganda. And just for the record I'm neither Dem or Rep. Not that it's anyone's business, but I voted for Ron Paul because I thought he was the best candidate not because of his political party.

@ manfromamerica The HAS and always WILL do that anyway. You're naive to think that it doesn't. So to now raise a stink because the money is being "redistributed" as Health Care benefits is what makes your argument pretty nonsensical. I'd rather have my money being used to help me and the millions of other Americans who need health care than to have have used for fighting useless wars. Let me repeat that; The government will USE your money whether you want them to or not and they WILL spend money, if not for this bill, then for something else. So if they are going to USE or SPEND money anyway, I'd rather it be spend on something that affects my life in a positive way by helping me cope with rising health care concerns.

As for your comparision on Japan vice the US, well, as a spouse of a doctor here, you couldn't be further from the truth. guess what, Japan does ration health care and medicine, they will refuse treatment to you under a multitude of circumstances.

Oh really? Don't know who your wife is, but I've been living here in Japan for 24 years. Never been refused health care for any reason whatsoever. Just to be clear, we are talking about the National Health Care System right? I'm not talking about private insurance companies. I don't even remember filling out a detailed form about any health conditions I might have prior to joining the Nationalized scheme. So please give examples of under what circumstances I might be refused (as per your doctor wife). I mean obviously if I want to have hair transplant surgery, I don't think it will be covered.

Moderator: Readers, please stay on topic. References to Japan are not relevant.

Wow! It's Socialist to take a little money from everyone and spend it on Health Care so that EVERYONE can afford to be treated, but it's Democratic to take a lot of money from everyone, bankrupting many in the process, and spend it on making the rich richer and two wars that were started without congress's consent (one of which had nothing to do with other and was based on lies about WMDs). Maybe my understanding of Democracy is all screwed up, but I think that helping common people is the most democratic thing a government can do. I didn't vote for (and was totally opposed to) any of those wars and yet my money is being spent on them anyway. How the heck is that democratic?

@ Helter_Skelter: Your argument is ridiculous! First of all our military in Iraq and Afghanistan aren't protecting any Americans. They are protecting the monetary interest (namely oil profits) of the selected few. National Security my arse!!!

Additionally our government handed out huge bailouts to big businesses only to have their Executives turn around and misuse the money. This is the first time in a long time that money is actually being allotted to helping the common people with real and immediate needs. Most Americans can't afford Health Care and even the ones who can, are often refused coverage by their insurance companies when they actually need it most and/or become seriously ill. This is what a lawless privatized health care system has gotten us. Morally corrupt Insurance Companies whose only goal is to make a profit and leave sick Americans bankrupted and twisting in the wind. Yeah I can see how that's better.

The purpose of government is to govern. To protect people from the exact kind of corrupt situations that our privatized health care system has created. What idiot thinks that the primary purpose of the government is military? Hmmm sounds like maybe you should be living in Cuba, China or North Korea.

You people are almost as bad as the politicians and a prime example of what's wrong with America. You sit here attacking each other over irrelevant issues. Bottom line; any amount of money spend on Health Care is a benefit to ALL Americans Dems, Reps or otherwise. We spend money on stupid wars that have absolutely no benefit to any American whatsoever and everyone thinks that's OK, but when a President wants to take care of an issue that affects virtually every single American, that's somehow wrong? How stupid do you have to be to come to that conclusion? Take care of home first. That's just common sense. And for anyone who thinks Government Sponsored Health Care doesn't work, well you're living in a country (Japan) that it absolutely works. My only question is what took us so long?

Well Japanese companies could start by giving their employees a decent salary and more vacation time. A lot of family problems seem to stem from financial woes. Less worry about penny pinching and more time to actually enjoy life would relieve a lot of tension in this country. If you ever just sit in a cafe in Tokyo and watch people walk down the street, you can see the tension in their eyes and body language.

Also if Japanese people could (and should) learn to make themselves more accessible. Everyone is walking around with an invisible barrier and don't seem to want (or know how) to meet new people. Try just saying hello to someone on the street or just a simple smile is often rewarded with a scowl in Japan (unless you get away from largely populated cities).

@ womanforwomen: Wow! Thanks, dk9

Good picture composition. Too bad the bird's a bit soft. One of the down sides of using a zoom lens over a fixed lens for photos like these.

@ RomeoRamenII: and it's especially difficult to pinpoint a moving subject in sharp focus zoomed all the way in at that focal length while trying to maintain the good composition. if the subject was more cooperative, I probably would have nailed the focus.

@ dejaboo: I know and I truly appreciate the correction. I'm shameful to admit, I had no idea what kind of bird it was. thanks for commenting, dk9

Only know what I was told. I'm not a nature photographer by trade and I appreciate the correction. I'm really not sure what kind of bird it is, I just know it was beautiful.

I think arguing about what the blossoms are and what the bird is kind of misses the point of the picture. I only provided the details about the day it was taken so at the very least, that point can be taken out of the equation. Please enjoy the picture. Thanks, the photographer.

The picture was taken last Sunday February 28th at 3:41PM during a professional photo shoot in the above mentioned park with a Canon EOS 7D / EF 70 - 300mm DO IS USM Lens zoomed all the way in to 300mm at ISO 100 / Shutter 1/250 at f5.6. Don't know what blossoms they are but was told by Japanese friends who know that they were Plum Blossoms and that the bird was a "Uguisu". There just enough time to change to the aforementioned telephoto lens and catch the bird before it flew off.

I think the Dark Knight raised the bar for all super hero movies in the future and they will probably be produced with a darker, humanistic theme rather than the cartoonist appeal of the earlier Batmans. I did like the saracastic and witty Tony Stark played by Robert Downey Jr. and can't wait to see where they take the next Iron Man. The Tobi Maquire Spiderman was kinda lame. Hopefully Sony will make Spidey more of a badass. It's done wonders for both the Batman and James Bond franchises.

The sad part about all of this is this man just compounded his problems immensely. Suicide (Seppuku) has been a part of Japanese culture since the days of the Samurai, so it is viewed differently from how we see it in western cultures. Nonetheless most modern day suicide attempts seem to be over financial woes, so in this man's case, when the train line sends him the bill for inconveniencing an estimated 5,500 people, his problems will only get worse.

@smartacus

Well, why don't you visit the gentleman in hospital and ask him his reasons? Do you really expect news media to report on his reasons for an attempted suicide less than one day after the incident? From the traveling public's point of view, his reasons are irrelevant. It is more interesting to me that quick-thinking commuters saved him. That is newsworthy, I think. I often wonder what I would do in that situation, if I would be alert and brave enough to act. And yes, the word is "loser."

Well said. I too wonder if I would be brave or even fast enough to save the victim. I've read so many stories of people who jumped down onto the tracks in an attempt to save the victim only to succumb to the same fate as the suicide victim. Bravo to the brave people who were able to save this man. That is truly newsworthy.