Flickr disaster

The post  by Edwinjones on Flickr says it all:
"1. Photostream
Old Flickr - I the user get options on how it is viewed both by myself and others. Either larger or smaller images and I can promote my sets on the first page. New Flickr - I get no options. The header image is unnecessary and takes up too much space above the fold. The resolution required for the profile image has been increased with nobody bothering to tell us first.

2. Individual Images
Old flickr. Clean and simple layout. I can see at a glance the picture and a map if available and the number of views, comments and favs. New flickr the number of comments made cannot be seen without scrolling down. Click needed to see exif assuming this is noticed in the links from the dots to the side of the picture, click needed to see the map. It appears showing the picture on black is not good for sight problems.

3 Viewing Contacts Images, groups and search
Old Flickr. I had a wide choice of viewing these as justified or as various thumbnail sizes. New flickr you restrict me to justified. I have over 500 contacts and comment on many of them. In the old system using a thumbnail size it was much easier to quickly see the photos I wished to view and comment on. In Groups I liked to quickly look though pages and might only look in detail at I picture per page, Justified is totally unsuitable. You just destroyed Groups. For groups and search only the most recent pictures will be viewed. Justified is far too cumbersome especially for those on a slow connection."

Jim Davies said: "Flickr users are photographers.

As a result we are also aesthetes. We know what is "good".

There was always a very, very sweet spot for me with Flickr - lots and lots of easy to find high quality photographs and a chance to share my own attempts with like minded people. These ranged from lo-fi analogue fans to megapixel professionals and all points inbetween. There has been nowhere online to compare.

As I type this there have been over nine thousand replies to this topic in fifteen hours almost overwhelmingly disapproving of the new Flickr.

It is clear that you have made an unpopular choice. I don't think Yahoo! will gain as many new users from the new Flickr as they will lose unhappy ones who feel cheated, dismissed, or just can't stand the idea of a Facebook style cover-photo.

I can find no reason to rejoice in any of this." 

As to me, I had been away from Flickr for some two hours, when I returned I was confronted by a cover photo so I almost thought I had landed on Facebook. No, it was a huge change on Flickr, everything, photostream, sets, groups where in justified view, just scrolling, scrolling, scrolling. When at last I got to an individual photo page, I was promised some info. Most of it was just "see how wonderful we are now". The only real info was what a 'terabyte' is, which free accounts now are promised, 500 000 photos!

It said: 'Pro members, your subscription stays the same.' ??? First, there is no pro anymore, it has even taken from your name. Yet they call you pros! Secondly, the fee is doubled to 50 dollars/year, if you do not want adds. Free accounts get this terabyte but must have adds and do not get stats. 

There is a new category called 'Doublr', 2 terabytes, costing 500 dollars a year. How many do you think will want that?

I have been able to find some features (by trial and error) so it's a bit easier. 

There are six official topics where users can tell about bugs and their feelings. 

Feedback on today’s site changes 

was started 11:20 last night. Now, in the afternoon next day, it has 93 pages, mostly negative, very  few positive expressions. 

My initial reaction was one of horror, I even wept!
The photos are on a wide black background,without a choice, which we had  before.

This was my contribution: "Wow, I did not think I had been away from Flickr's photostream for more than a couple of hours and when I get there I see COVER PHOTO so I thought I'd come to Facebook! I did never think they could do justified on the photostream! though I saw people wish for it earlier, I thought them stupid LOL. 

Is it possible to opt out of it? I thought I saw some. one ask that earlier but I'm too nervous/upset to read posts. Do we get to a photopage by clicking on a photo? I hope I get used to this but for the first time on Flickr I have doubts! 

And the same thing I hated on other justifieds, loading for ever and ever, crazy. 
This is sure to get more people writing on the HF than ever before. I LIKED THE PHOTOSTREAM, BUT NOT THIS! I have hardly ever complained but this is too much, aarrgghhh!
The whole thing is a big bug!! 

You have spoiled the whole Flickr experience, who wants to come here any more! You are welcome to have a justified view for those who have wanted it, but let others have the chance to have the old photo page and thumbnails

I do not feel quite as suicidal as I found the photopage and there is still some familiar things there." 

On my photopage it says: 

Pro members, your subscription remains the same
Later I have found more on FAQ and those who were pros when this change happened, can reapply for the same fee, 24,99.


This because Yahoo had just bought Tumbrl for a huge amount of money. 

17. May, day of children's processions and national costumes.

Untitled, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

We were lucky again with the 17. May (syttende mai), the constitution day, there were only a few showers of rain in Oslo. Everyone is supposed to dress in their best clothes (pynte seg). To the majority of Norwegians, it means to wear their "bunad", national dress, even many children do that. They are gorgeous, strong colours, beautiful complicated embroidery, expensive silver jewellery, often gold plated. Brooches which are fairly large cost over 2000 kroner, silver belts can be from 6000 to over 8000 kroner. These are for the Hardanger festival bunad, bought from the internett. You can expect to pay at least NOK 30,000 for one adult costume. Bunads are tailor-made.
http://www.solvbutikken.no/bilder/bunader/dame/%C3%B8st-telemark.jpg
Beautiful East-Trøndelag dress has two breast brooches, over 6000 kroner each.

How is it that any time I write something intelligent (maybe just my opinion) in Flickr, no-one comes any more to see the thread?  Like here:

 Member A:  I've been a Flickr member since April 2009.

I regularly chat with another Flickr member (whom I have marked as "Family") via flickr-mail. Tonight I get a "Slow down partner" spam-block while chatting with my friend? 
This is not acceptable. In the past I have often had long conversations with this person and have never encountered this problem. We can chat via regular e-mail, but for goodness sakes, if you wish to enforce a spam-block, can't one at least get some or other warning before you are suddenly cut off. What if I didn't have his regular e-mail address? I would just seem rude.
I 've opened up a help via e-mail case - number Flickr Case 2569456] Re: Other issues but am posting here in the forum in the hopes that a Staff Member might see the problem and offer to help. Please guys. This is not necessary and was clearly not spam. The guy kept on responding, after all. 

Answer by Flickr:  You are indeed hitting our anti-spam limit. You should able to send Flickr mail again in a day or so. 

Member A:   I have been a member since 2009. I have chatted to this guy since 2009. Between us there have been more than 10 000 Flickr- mails on this account alone. He does not consider my flickr-mails spam Do you really want us to go outside of Flickr? Do you want to chase us away? 

Member B:  It could just be that using Flickrmail as a chat program could quickly exceed whatever the spam limit is. If you're actually going back and forth dozens of times in a short time period, then yes it may be better to use a tool that is designed for that a little better. 

Member A:  Yeah.
Clearly, I'm not welcome in Flickr. 

Member B:  I don't see where you get that idea. It's just that not every tool is meant to do everything. FlickrMail is a very simple (and slow) inter-site mail tool. I don't think it was ever designed to do rapid chat/texts with.

Member C: Well like mentioned 
You have no public photos
You have no contacts*
You belong to 3 groups
All the groups you belong to were started by you
All the groups you belong to have only one member.
Sorry but Flickr wasn't designed to support to a non-sharer to the community. It was designed for social interaction in group threads and sharing of images with others. Not your personal one-one chit chat.

Member A:  The bottom line is that I was NOT spamming anyone. I abhor spam. I was NOT doing what they accused me of. Staff came along and could clearly see that what was happening was NOT spam - yet she chose do do nothing.
 Now your way of using Flickr is your business. How I use it, is mine. I used to be very active in many groups - including the Help Forum. I used to admin one of the most active social groups on Flickr but it's nasty little twerps like you who like belittling others who chase people like me away. I am sick and tired of people like you. Your contribution is worthless. I hope it makes you feel better about yourself, but I no longer want any part of it.
For what it is worth, Flickr, to me, used to be a friendly community. I used to "live" here, but I no longer do. More and more it is becoming unfriendly and unwelcoming and while there are some fantastic, wonderful people who contribute here (amongst others,  above), this Help Forum is a prime example of people  liking to put other people down.

Member C:

I was just stating the positive attributes of sharing & communicating.
 Other's and you indicated my vision wasn't the only valid use of flickr.
Fair enough and I accept that. But the need to get nasty & name calling doesn't show much maturity on your part. 
I don't think I said anything nasty or belittling to you.
But then you seem to need to?
”but it's nasty little twerps like you who like belittling others who chase people like me away. I am sick and tired of people like you.Your contribution is worthless.”

Member A: (to a member he appreciates)   I wish you well. If you will permit, I will take a leaf out of your book and say: "Go ahead guys. Tear me to threads, if you like. I won't be back here to see what you are saying. I've said my bit." 

Me: 

You probably are not coming here any more. It is a pity if you go, but I also find it sad to go to an account and be confronted by "nothing available to you" as this is supposed to be a sharing site. Sometimes I feel like having a door closed in my face. But certainly there are various ways to use the site. 
For me, I have not found Flickr unfriendly in general, I have some friendly exhanges even in comments, but for some reason things sometimes get heated in the HF, even when people just try to explain why something is happening. I could not see anybody be abusive to you, it was only you who said some nasty things about another user. 
Naturally you do not see your conversation with your friend 'spamming'. Unfortunately, Flickrmail has been designed for sharing information with others on Flickr, not as a chat feature. Sometimes I do not get anything for weeks. You hit the spamming limit, it was not personal, it is just something designed in Flickr to spare members from real spamming, not a "let us get Koeshke!" How can it be an insult? 
"Is that so wrong?" It is not wrong to want to do that, it just does not suit the rules here. Would you accenpt free spamming here? 

Mount Kilimanjaro, Wikipedia

Warren and climbing

'It is interesting, how many there are, with Warren either for the first or the last name, who are either climbing or otherwise connected with climbing.. There is the amazing Warren MacDonald climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with no legs, but there are many more/

Marlin Integrated Capital Holdings Sponsors Kilimanjaro climb to aid Tibetan charity

Warren Dedrick, Chairman Marlin Holdings, today announced the Marlin Group will sponsor a high profile climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro aimed to raise funds to support sustainable development in the Kham region of Western China. Kham Aid is the designated charity

Warren MacDonald,  amputee to reach the summit of Africa's tallest peak, MtKilimanjaro. ...

chiropractor Timothy Warren    Mount Everest    so far he has climbed three of the world's seven summits - Mount McKinley in Alaska, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and Mount Aconcagua in Argentina.

Warren Wolstencroft  Warren lost part of his arm to cancer but doesn't wear a prosthetic limbWarren is trekking up Kilimanjaro for charity in July 2006.

At the same time a filming team from Warren Miller Films under the direction of Chris Patterson was on the mountain with EWP making a documentary on a ski and snowboard descent of Elbrus

Kilimanjaro Ice Core Records: Evidence of Holocene Climate Change ...

The second large event in the Kilimanjaro record began as an abrupt 18O depletion at ~6.5 ka ... AT Grove and A. Warren, Geogr. J. 134, 194 (1968) [ISI]. ...

Warren Storkman - Climber.Org Roster - 12.25

Climb Kala Pattar and/or Ascend to Mt. Everest Base Camp Sep 30 - Oct 21 (Sat-Sat); Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb with optional safari Jan 3-22

Biography for Christopher T. Warren - 11.52

Christopher T. Warren - Filmography, Awards, Biography, Agent, Discussions, ... Summits (Mount Kosciuscko in Australia and MountKilimanjaro in Tanzania

Adventurer Warren Jansen of Jekyll Island returns from his ascent of Mount KilimanjaroAugust 29 - September 6. His

Outside of his practice, Mr. Warren was a soccer coach for several years and remains an avid cyclist and runner, having competed successfully in several duathalons and marathons, including three Calgary Marathons, the 1998 World Endurance Duathalon and six Boston Marathons, the latest one in 2003. In 2004, he and his family huffed and puffed their way to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Kenneth J. Warren

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  , daughter and man standing. with Mt. Kilimanjaro in the background. ... Kilimanjaro. Mary Warren and daughter

CPA runners find faith, hope in Africa

JESSICA HOPP
Tennessean Staff Writer

Standing atop Mt. Kilimanjaro, it is easy to forget what lies below.

Fifteen thousand feet above the arid plains of Tanzania, what little breath the lungs hold can get swept away by splendor and accomplishment.

Paul and Eddy Warren have been there.

The Christ Presbyterian athletes have traveled through the equatorial jungle and along glacier-eroded mountainsides. With the stamina and determination of life-long runners, they scaled Africa?s highest peak. They understand what it means to be on top of the world.

But they have also been below the clouds where breathtaking beauty is replaced by a war-torn and poverty-stricken landscape.

For the Warrens, Africa is not just a place to vacation.

Some people come out on top, no matter what they do. Like our Chief Magistrate JudgeWarren P. Davis, who, among other honors, has received the William McMahon Award from the American Bar Association and the "Man of the Year" award from La Vision, a bilingual newspaper. 
And even when it comes to giving excuses, he tops anything I've ever heard. Last February, when I was recruiting readers for Dr. Seuss' birthday, I called Judge Davis, expecting him to read as usual. (I volunteer to do this so when I write my poem, I know I'll have names that rhyme with something.) 
Anyway, Judge Davis declined because he'd be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro that day. And it wasn't something he'd come up with at the last minute. He'd worked long and hard on this one. 
"Selecting a training regime was difficult," Judge Davis said. "The first Web sites I reviewed contended that Kilimanjaro climbers must be able be to run at least six miles in 48 minutes. With that information, I did the only thing that a prudent AARP member could do. I looked for other Web sites with less rigorous requirements."
He and his wife, Elizabeth Belden, began training in October for their March climb up the world?s highest free-standing mountain, which at 19,340 feet, would be like a dozen Stone Mountains piled on top of each other.

Warren Ferguson and friends will fly to Africa to climb Mr. Kilimanjaro, the tallest freestanding mountain in the world.

Hey, you're only as old as you think and feel. I hike and climb sometimes with folks in their 70s and 80s. One fellow, Warren, organizes hikes up Kilimanjaro, in Nepal, lots of other places, and as tour leader, is right up there at the front of the group, and that's at 83 or 84.

Welcome to the Adventures of

Dr. Tim Warren

CLIMBING TO THE TOP

MOUNT EVEREST

SUMMIT OF ASIA

8,848 METERS (29,028 FEET)*

Aconcagua, normal route, mid-January 1991: All 11 members of our Mountain Travel team summitted. Head guide was Ricardo Torres-Nava; other members were Beth Baker, Sid Bronstein, Dan Bronstein, James Chandler, Tommy Cary, Lowell Hill, Paul Morrow, Wayne Oldenburg, Dan Warren, and yours truly

Toby Warren - Africa & Australia Expert 
Toby was brought up in Kenya and at a young age gained a passion for travelling. After climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro when he was sixteen he went on to help manage a fishing lodge on the shores of Lake Victoria, hitch hike barefoot through sub-Saharan Africa and spent a year working and guiding in Kenya as part of his university degree

.

That's been a passion for the Desais since the mid-1980s, when they decided to walk every day for a year, in order to ascend 19,340-foot Mount Kilimanjaro on the Kenya-Tanzania border. Apparently, this fitness regimen had been avidly pursued by all present -- includingWarren Stockman of Palo Alto, who at 74 was the oldest strider present. The group nailed the 2,800 foot summit of Black Mountain in just two hours and 25 minutes. Then they dropped down the back side, so they could hike back up and add another 500 feet of vertical to the day's total.

Editors note: Yosemite climbing legend Warren Harding passed away Feb 27, 2002. He will be sorely missed

 

Leonard Bernstein and Wiener Philharmoniker

Arkadij Volodos plays Brahms concerto 2

OnThursday, 24th April I heard Arkadij Volodos play the Brahms Piano Concert nr. 2 with the Oslo Philharmonic. He certainly is one of the leading pianists of this decade. After the third call he sat down again and played something quite opposite to the fairly boisterous concerto. Was it Bach, I'm not sure, gentle, fairly slow, but his pianissimos are magical.

We also heard the 5th symphony by Sibelius, my favourite. The director was Saraste. I love the ending by cords. It also has the famous 'swan theme'. You can find the 5th on YouTube by many conductors. I loved the intrepretation of Bernstein, partly perhaps as it is taken from a DVD, not CD, so you can see him. The ending cords are perfect. And the end where he first thanks the orchestra and then puts his folded hands in front of his mouth as if overcome with emotion. 

For most Finns, Sibelius is something you have grown with, that is ingrained in one, ingraved in one's heart. His name is Swedish but his soul has greated music that feels so true to the Finnish soul. Somewhere in his symphonies and other greater works I often hear the wind in the forest. 

It did not come cheaply!

My old tap in the bath must have been as old as the house (built in 1957). The packing went at last  and water was not just dropping, it was running! Of course this happened in the weekend. On Monday I called my plumber and got an appointment in the afternoon.  But I was not going to get off  cheap. No changing parts when it was so old, he had a whole new tap with him, shiny and beautiful. "This is Norwegian made!" I did not have the heart to tell him that I would have preferred Finnish made!
When it came the time to stop the water, the thing would not turn, he had to go to the cellar to turn the water off, and back to turn it on again. That seemed to add another hour in the bill. The new tap cost me 4200 kroner (720 USD, 548 euro)! But it's shiny and beautiful and simple to use.  No matter it took care of about half of my monthly budget. I think it cost more than my stove! (The shower was not part of the deal.)

Altar rail

Altar rail, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

Now they say that resident found blood around a boat in his yard and it is said that the subject was alive when he was taken to hospital. Now they say : in serious condition. did he shoot himself or some-one else shot him . I hope he is still alive.

Justin Bieber 2012

Justin Bieber 2012, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

Justin Bieber arrived again to Oslo. He was here last summer and caused a riot or rather the fans did. One concert was arranged at the Opera house square, it was hot and many fans had  had very little to eat or drink so some fainted. This year he travelled straight from the airport to the concert house. There must have been a queue of 20 000 people so the concert was over an hour late before they were all inside the Telenor Arena.
There was even a program in the TV and he was interviewed by Skavlan of the Norwegian TV. You get an idea of a balanced, normal and lively young man. Amazing that so many people dislike him, make fun him etc.

Boston Skyline, from Bunker Hill Monument

Boston Skyline, from Bunker Hill Monument, a photo by City of Boston Archives on Flickr.

The Boston marathon suspect has been captured after the most extensive manhunt in memory. The evidence seems certain of the deed but difficult to understand how he could have done it (with his dead brother) as there had been no indication, friends and people who knew him were puzzled.
I felt terrible for the parents and other relatives who thought he had been framed, he could not have done it, that was natural .
Wonderful that he is now in custody and alive. Maybe we can get answers. Why did they have to kill the young policeman?

Telenor Arena

Untitled, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

The Finnish National Theatre, Helsinki

The Finnish National Theatre, Helsinki, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

I belong to a group reading plays aloud together, which is great fun. We do not see the plays beforehand. A few years ago we read Alan Ayckbourn’s ’Body Language’, an outrageously funny play. One of the characters is called Hravic Zyergefoove, an 84 years old surgeon from an unspecified East European country. Ayckborn has created for him a language, which he speaks in the play. The copy of the play provides a translation but I got the idea that in the performance he just speaks the language that is not understood by the audience, though sometimes his assistant provides a translation. A great chance for an actor!

I went to the internet to see more information of the play. Martin Hoyle, Financial Times, 24 May 1990, in Body Language, writes:

"…an octogenarian surgeon from Eastern Europe whose speech seems a cognate of Serbo-Croatian mixed with Czech and Slovak."
,
But David Jeffels, The Stage, 21 June 1990, in Women On The Verge writes:

"Nigel Anthony as the German surgeon of international repute gives a delightfully funny performance, contrasting with the straight-laced Benjamin Cooper, brilliantly played by Geoffrey Whitehead, who runs the high-class medical clinic in the South of England where the play is set."

I am at a loss to understand why he thinks the surgeon is German as the language looks like this:

Lololo! Nit im. Ip gool crack, men. Int klingt ip ribbt shickershack snoop ipper smoot! or
Ert zimter, een fiss shrigger Memmer Hrootpucker woo ten benshtergeel teadle. Oh, een woot vint ipper ribbies.

Sleeping 4

Sleeping 4, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

A kitten of the friend renting my apartment was put to sleep by a guy by stroking him between the eyes, she quickly went to sleep. Then he noticed that he could lift the kitten's paws and they stayed in that position. Then he gently manipulated the paws roung this toy and the kitten just kept sleeping.
I saw a kitten on Flickr with big eyes, looking up, with a funny caption. It had over 18 thousand views. I think mine is rather cute too, it has 18 views. I am gradually getting so frustrated. I have 248 contacts and I am trying to go comment on their photos and many other people's photos too. Yet very few comment on mine or even view them. I have a very simple camera but I did not think my photos are quite that bad.
How do some people get so many comments, even photos on subjects I have photographed like the Oslo Opera house. People comment often on photos that are not even as good as mine. It is terrible to moan like this, maybe my photos are not interested enough. I should probably up load less photos.

Shuttle Endeavour: Incredible View [1680x1050]

Shuttle Endeavour: Incredible View [1680x1050], a photo by DUCKofD3ATH on Flickr.

NASA has some great photos that are shown on Flickr . I wonder if I could also get over one thousand views if I used one ;). Actually, I think it is great that some people dare to upload them as we might not otherwise see them. They usually give the source.

The wonder of winter

The wonder of winter, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

There was a heavy fog at night and when I woke up in the morning, I took this photo out o the window. All the birches in the area were covered with hoarfrost, looking absolutely magical. I took a few more photos, then went to have coffee. I should have gone out to take photos immediately, because in an hour or two, all the white had disappeared because of the sunlight.
I thought the people on Flickr would have liked the photos, but hardly anyone has view them. Sometimes I wonder why I take photos and send them to Flickr, I have lots of contacts, yet I am not known.

Corvus m. monedula II

Corvus m. monedula II, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

I did not know jackdaws can be so friendly! I do not actually know why he came to sit next to me on the bench. He was the only bird in the shopping centre, which is a bit strange, as these birds are social birds and usually in flocks.
I was eating an ice cream but it did not look as if he was begging for food. He just sat there for several minutes some 20 centimeters from me, turning his head once in a while. I was able to take as many photos as I wanted, though I only took two. After a while he just left. I enjoyed our short companionship.

On top of the ski jump

Untitled, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

Wonderful view to all directions from the Holmenkollen ski tower. I had a really happy Christmas with my son and his wife from Australia sharing it with me, joining me and my daughter. It is so good to show sights to people who appreciate them.
As one can see, we had a white Christmas, with almost too much snow (and snowing of course!), but also some beautiful sunny days.

Miss Myanmar

There's a competition, Miss International, taking part in Japan each year. This time for some reason, they decided to send the photos to Flickr. The photo getting most votes, which in this context meant 'views', would be the winner. Myanmar (Burma) has not taken part in anything like this for 50 years, so many are eager for her to win. It was not  just one vote per person, these people sat for hours at their computers clicking away until they got to 16.777.612, when the numbers stopped growing. Consternation! They came on Flickr Help Forum to ask what is going on. Flickr is not a voting machine and views have never reached such high numbers, so the servers probably would not work after that. So they put in another photo hoping they would be counted together.
This was a draft, but I want to publish it too, with some different information.

Miss Myanmar in Miss International pageant.

nankhinzayyar, a photo by bluesky@ on Flickr.

These are some competitors of c. 40 beautiful ladies taking part in Miss International competition in Japan, this year in Okinawa. I do not know how official it was to use Flickr as a ’voting’ site. It is a photo sharing site and not equipped for voting . Myanmar people have the first chance for doing anything like that for 50 years. They stayed at their computers and internet cafes clicking away. When the count reached 4.777.126, the Flickr servers could not manage any more. That caused consternation and questions: Why? So they added a copy of the photo and started ’voting’ on that. The closest competitor was Miss Macau who in the end also reached the limit of 4.777.126. People also wrote comments, mostly :We love you, Miss Myanmar, also : fighting!
” no matter how we face bully and unfair condition, we are bad up giving up… non sleep tonight for miss myanmar,
sleeping can get the next day,
voting only tonight”
Now at last the voting finished, the result: Internet view count poll for Miss International Internet poll award is officially over. Myanmar stands first at 16,777,216 +4,852,624 view counts vs Miss Macau at 16,777,216 view counts. The Flickr poll had to add a second picture of Miss Myanmar as the view counts reached over the maximum number of clicks.Waiting for the official announcement of the winner.
I do not know what effect this 'voting' has on who is going to win, anyway, as it seems that the final of the competition will be on Sunday with judges and all.
missinternational-okinawa.com/final/  Bluesky@ called Miss Finland "doll face". I hope that means a positive thing in Myanmar culture.

Berkheya cirsifolia White Surprise

Berkheya cirsifolia White Surprise, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

Even this late in the autumn, the Oslo Botanical Gardens present some wonderful flowers, as this one from South Africa. I had taken some photos a couple of months ago and went there to find a nametag for a flower and stayed to take a few other photos seeing new flowers.

Punting on Cam

Punting on Cam, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Newspapers and magizines have decided that the world is interested in the Duchess of Cambridge’s breasts.
”We have intellectual freedom” says the Italian magazine editor Alfonso Signorini when confronted by criticism. . What have Kate’s boobs got to do with brains ? He thinks that the photos will boost her image as a moderen day royal.
According to French editor Laurence Pieau they were visible from the road. ”They are a beautiful couple in love, he’s putting cream on her. The photos are full of joy, they are not degrading.” She also defends her magazine with that they had much more intimate photos they decided not to publish.
Of course they are not degrading, but intimate is intimate, why would anyone want to share such moments with the whole world? They are for her husband to enjoy. Why should her breasts be of more interest to the world than anybody else’s? Irish Daily Star editor Michael O’Kane has been suspended. According to him, the photos were very tasteful . ”It is incredible that Kate Middleton would think, being one of the most famous people in the world, that she can expose herself topless outdoors and expect that the world would not take notice of it.”
So it is her fault!? Also the French editor explains that they were visible from the road. Lawyer Aurélian Hamelle, their lawyer tells they were in a private house and could not be seen by the naked eye, only by a powerful camera lens.
According to Pieau, the editor of the Closer who first had the photos also makes it their fault: ”It is because of the couple that the journalists are here.”
Would you like to be famous?

A heavy joke

A heavy joke, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

Fest konsert

Opera at night, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

Today was the open day at Bjørvika and at the opera, of course. There was a festival concert inthe evening, we could get free tickets to it from 10 in the morning. One was allowed four tickets and I was able to get two friends take two of the tickets. Lots of people watched and listened on the opera roof.
The concert presented excerps from future programs. The conductor was Fiore, the opera director, most of the vocal soloist were Norwegian, except for Olga Guryakova. Everyone performed wonderfully, one could feel with Olga's Madam Butterfly, for example. The last piece, Salome's dance, by Richard Strauss, was exciting, the orchestra exceeded themselves. And Fiore is so funny.

Meow. Now you know how to speak "Cat".

P1100653, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

When you start Flickr, you get a greeting in a different language. As a joke, they also use "cat" as a language. I just do not think it works very well, the title tells you what a cat says in English, Finnish cats say "miau".

A year later

A year later, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

They brought flowers to lay under the big heart on the Cathedral lawn again also. There was also the great idea to put roses that had the little water container attached, to stand in the flowerbed, that was beautiful. I only have a video of those.

National Remembrance Concert

National Remembrance Concert, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

On July 22nd, a year after the terror, there was a concert . People came from two directions to the City Hall. It was raining, so there were many umbrellas, though they tried to advice people in the TV and newspapers to take raincoats. But raincoats were only important to use in the area in front of the stage. I did not even try to get there. There were huge screens for people to see. Lots of people though not as many as in the first gathering on 25th of July 20011.
Many people brought roses again.

Keihäs

Untitled, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

Only the semi-finals, and already Thorkildsen is so good that he might win the javelin competition. It is funny that while I live in Norway, I hate it when a Norwegian beats a Finn. But it is so sad about Finland, they have now one silver only. There expectations are just 3 medals!
There was one runner, and he did not finish, actually was carried from the stadium, his leg hurt so much.
I have just seen Mannio throw, 81.99 when 82 m is the limit. Does it mean he did not get into the finals?
Later: Mannio got into finals, as 12 people are allowed in the finals and only eight reached the limit of 82 meters. Both of the other 2 Finns got to the finals also. The finals were on Saturday and I started to watch 'A few good men' on the TV, even if I had already seen it.
I only remembered on the way to church on Sunday. I got the news in my phone and the first I saw was an interview with Thorkildsen's father where he said he did not think any one was as likely to get the gold metal as Andreas. He had won the gold in the two previous Olympics, so it would have been wonderful to get a third gold. My heart sank. But then I noticed the date was Saturday and found an article below the first one where it came out that the gold was won by a surprise winner , Keshorn Walcott from Trinidad & Tobego, only 19 years of age.  Ruuskanen was third, Thorkildsen but the sixth! So it wasn't so bad I had not watched, I will probably find a video on YouTube.

Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

31st May. She came to Oslo 20 years later to give her Nobel Peace Prize speech. Her sons had collected the prize 20 years ago.  After she had delivered her lecture, a platform had been erected in front of the Peace Prize Centre. There were many music performances and then she spoke. It was difficult to get a good photo. I was against the railing but Burmese were let into the area between the railing and the platform. It was wonderful that the sun came out when the program started.

Church boat

Church boat, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

Bonfire on a float

Bonfire on a float, a photo by ausfi on Flickr.

This bonfire on Seurasaari was the one that the wedding couple selected to be married on this special day, with a huge audience following the event in the centre of the island, came to light later. The vehicle for reaching this float was a long church boat with 11 pairs of oars.