Tourists in front of the Buckingham Palace
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Salines de Salins-les-Bains
Le plus intressant... | Ma carte | Mes classeurs | Mes albums
Vue sur l'entre du muse des Anciennes Salines de Salins-les-Bains.
J'aime ici le jeu de complmentarit des couleurs rouge et verte.
Les anciennes Salines de Salins-les-Bains sont inscrites depuis 2009 sur la liste du patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO.
Il s'agit ici d'un site d'exploitation du sel ignigne (vaporation de la saumure par le feu).
Le sel est exploit Salins-les-Bains depuis le nolithique, l'existence de salines dans la ville est attest depuis le Moyen-ge.
Bien que fonctionnant jusqu'en 1962, elles ont servi alimenter la Saline Royale d'Arc-et-Senans par un double saumoduc de 21 kms.
Salines de Salins-les-Bains
Salins-les-Bains | Jura (39) | Franche-Comt | France
Canon EOS 400D | Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro
ISO 400 | 17mm | f/6.3 | 1/500s
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saline royale, sigma 17, franche comt, 70mm, muse, eos 400d, unesco, exploit, arc, jura, existence
Small "apartments" with great views
Gulls on their nests.
In the cliffs of Ltrabjarg, one of the most important wildlife sanctuaries in Iceland, the home of thousands of seabirds.
By the Denmark Strait, in the Greenland Sea.
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JACKSON HOLE, Wyo.—Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke Friday said the central bank stands ready to provide further support to a persistently weak economy, but didn't indicate any move was imminent despite fresh signs of feeble growth.
In a much-anticipated speech to global monetary policymakers gathered in Wyoming, Mr. Bernanke didn't elaborate on the central bank's remaining tools to boost the economy, which could have been a sign that the Fed was leaning toward action. Instead, he said the Fed would extend its mid-September meeting to two days to discuss options the central bank could pursue.
"The Committee will continue to assess the economic outlook in light of incoming information and is prepared to employ its tools as appropriate to promote a stronger economic recovery in a context of price stability," Mr. Bernanke said.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened lower and fell as much as 221 points right after Mr. Bernanke's comments. But stocks pared losses and turned higher midmorning as some market participants applauded the Fed's measured approach.
Bond investors, however, bought safe-harbor Treasury bonds amid rising fears that the U.S. economy is headed into a recession, sending prices on the benchmark 10-year note higher. The speech delivered the stimulus-withered dollar a reprieve, sending it higher against rivals such as the Swiss franc and euro.
The latest sign of trouble for the economy came Friday as the Commerce Department revised down its already low estimate for second-quarter growth in gross domestic product. The economy grew by annual rate of only 1% in April through June, not the 1.3% rise that was previously estimated. That was after GDP increased by just 0.4% in the first three months of the year.
More
Bernanke Gives No New Signs on Fed Move
Bernanke to Markets: Stay Tuned
Key Passages in Speech
Live Blog Recap: MarketBeat Analysis
Mr. Bernanke said the U.S. recovery, now more than two-and-a-half years old, continues to be "modest." He conceded the pace of growth has been slower than what the Fed expected. But he was more optimistic about the long run, saying the economy hasn't been permanently scarred by the financial crisis.
"Although important problems certainly exist, the growth fundamentals of the United States do not appear to have been permanently altered by the shocks of the past four years," the Fed chief told the gathering, which this year focuses on long-term growth prospects for the global economy.
U.S. banks are much healthier now, manufacturing has risen 15% since its trough and households have made progress in repairing their balance sheets, Mr. Bernanke noted. Still, he warned that financial stress continues to be a significant drag on the recovery both in the U.S. and abroad.
A recent round of weak data has raised fears the economy may slip into recession again, leading investors to hope Mr. Bernanke would use the Kansas City Fed's annual summer retreat to open the door to a new round of monetary stimulus. A year ago, Mr. Bernanke used his Jackson Hole speech to signal the Fed could launch a second round of bond purchases, or quantitative easing, as it eventually did in November.
A changed economic landscape—especially higher inflation—is forcing Mr. Bernanke to be more cautious with what would be part three of quantitative easing, or QE3. In August 2010, the economic outlook had deteriorated and inflation was falling. Now, while the economy is still weak, several indicators of inflation remain above the Fed's informal target of 2%.
Mr. Bernanke said he expects inflation to settle at or below a 2% rate following the moderation in the price of oil and other global commodities.
Mr. Bernanke said Fed policy can't do much for the economy's long-run trend and urged Congress to fix the budget deficit in a way that doesn't hinder the economy. He said the U.S. needs a better fiscal decision-making progress.
For more than a year, Mr. Bernanke has been urging Congress to use government tax and spending policies to provide short-term stimulus to the economy, tied together with a credible plan to bring down the deficit in the long run.
Write to Luca Di Leo at luca.dileo@dowjones.com
federal reserve chairman ben bernanke, jackson hole wyo, federal reserve chairman, dow jones industrial average, dow jones industrial, monetary policymakers, treasury bonds, bond investors, first three months, two and a half years, much anticipated speech, market participants, swiss franc, quarter growth, dow jones, price stability, economic outlook, commerce department, economic recovery, jackson hole
Google plans to start its online television service in Europe early next year as the world’s largest Internet-search company seeks to expand its TV customer base, Chairman Eric Schmidt said.
The company, based in Mountain View, Calif., also will continue to help fund broadcasting content, though it will stop short at producing any itself, Schmidt told television executives in Edinburgh.
Google TV started in the US last year with partners Sony Corp. and Logitech International.
“Just as smartphones sparked a whole new era of innovation for the Internet, we hope Google TV can help do the same for television, creating more value for all,” Schmidt, 56, said, according to a transcript of his lecture to the annual Edinburgh International Television Festival in the Scottish capital.
Google TV works with an Internet television or a set-top box, according to the company’s Web site. Logitech said in April it would cut the price of its Revue device by 17 percent to attract buyers after a “slow start.”
Schmidt told the audience he wanted the UK television industry to work with Google on developing content for broadcast. He rejected what he called an “accusation” that Google aimed to make all content free for users.
“We’re agnostic when it comes to whether free or paid content models are best,” Schmidt said. “It’s up to content owners to decide if they want to charge, and it’s up to users to decide if they want to pay.”
international television festival, uk television industry, internet search company, logitech international, edinburgh international, content models, sony corp, google, scottish capital, television executives, internet television, eric schmidt, television service, paid content, tv works, accusation, customer base, mountain view, new era, broadcast
Ancien lavoir (2)
Mazres de Neste (Hautes Pyrnes, France).
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So this is why Canadians spend all that time and energy playing shuffleboard on ice.
Olympics: A Curling Letdown
3:02
The U.S. curling teams are struggling, causing some to question the team-selection process and whether they're looking ahead to the next Olympics. Curler Dean Gemmell joins Kelsey Hubbard to talk about the top curling contenders.
Olympics: Judging Fashion Over Form
3:27
WSJ's Rachel Dodes talks about Norway's crazy curling pants, Ryan Bedford's patriotic hair, snowboarders' denim-like garb and "aboriginal" ice skating outfits.
With four days to go in the Vancouver Olympics, Team USA looks to be running away with the overall medal count, which would give the U.S. its first overall medal victory since 1932. But the race for most golds, which is what matters to most of the world, is setting up as a four-way battle among the U.S., Canada, Norway and Germany. And that may very well come down to Canada's stature as a curling powerhouse.
While Canada likely will fall well short of its pre-Games goal of 34 overall medals—the centerpiece of its "Own the Podium" program—the final days of the Games are packed with events where Canadians have a strong shot at victory.
Right off the bat, or, stick, is Thursday's gold-medal game for women's ice hockey, against Team USA. Neither team has been challenged in the tournament, but the defending Olympic champion Canadians are on home ice. Advantage Canada.
Canada also is strong in the women's speed-skating relay, scheduled for Saturday. Add in two likely gold medals in curling, and Canada is set to be at the top of the list in number of golds. Suddenly, the gloom and doom over the home team's underperformance would be an afterthought.
View Full Image
Getty Images
Canada skip Cheryl Bernard releases her stone down the sheet during a match vs. Great Britain.
Nate Silver, who has been averaging medal projections from nine sources and updating the figures daily on his Web site, fivethirtyeight.com, Wednesday had the U.S. winning the overall medal count, with Germany, Canada and Norway right behind.
"This is a game between the U.S. and Germany now," said Luciano Barra, an executive with the Turin Olympics and a noted Olympic predictor.
"The difference for those countries is they are winning medals in a lot of different sports, which is what you need to do to win," Mr. Barra said.
But Mr. Silver's Web site has Canada winning the gold-medal count by a healthy margin—12.8 to second-place Germany's 9.6. Norway was in third in golds, with 9.3, and the U.S. is projected for fourth place, with 8.4 golds.
View Full Image
Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Canadian women's ice hockey player Jayna Hefford celebrates a goal during a game against Switzerland.
Mr. Barra and most other predictors appear to have overestimated Canada's home advantage. That was undoubtedly the flaw of The Wall Street Journal's projections at the start of the Games, which relied on statistical probabilities rather than simply predictions for gold, silver and bronze. These predictions placed Canada in first place in the overall medal count with what now seems like an absurd 37 medals in 86 events.
Canada threw millions of dollars in public money at its Olympic program, plus millions more in private funds, and it limited the access of foreign athletes to the venues.
"There's a historical average of the home field producing three more medals," said Dan Johnson, an economics professor at Colorado College, whose prediction model relies on home-field and socioeconomic factors. Mr. Johnson had Canada winning the medal count with 27, three more than its 24 in the 2006 Turin Games.
"Will they come in lower than that? Yes," he said. "But Canada has a reputation of not being a greedy host."
At the same time, most projections appear to have underestimated Team USA's home-continent edge. American Alpine skiers, who have won eight medals, say the snow feels like California, and, as opposed to most World Cup events, which take place in Europe, Vancouver puts most of the competition in a truly foreign land.
The Journal's projection of 10 gold medals and 33 overall for the U.S. just might end up being right on the mark. Team USA is guaranteed at least a silver in women's hockey, and it should pick up medals, some of them gold, in Nordic Combined, speed skating, short track and perhaps bobsled.
Norway, meanwhile, could sneak away with a gold-medal triumph if its biathlon and cross- country-relay teams, led respectively by Emil Svendsen and Petter Northug, prevail, and if Canada and the U.S. falter.
Likewise, Germany looms. Winner of the overall medal count in four of the past five Winter Games, Germany has gotten a huge lift from its "biathlon beauty," Magdalena Neuner, the winner of two golds and one silver. It also has enjoyed its usual dominance in sledding sports, where it has already won nine medals in luge, bobsled and skeleton.
Take away the sled track and Germany suddenly looks a lot like Korea, with 11 medals and five golds.
And the Winners Will Be…
Here are The Wall Street Journal's final projected medal standings for what we expect will be the top four finishers.
COUNTRY
GOLDS
TOTAL MEDALS
U.S.
9
35
Germany
8
28
Canada
11
20
Norway
7
23
Source: WSJ Research
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Captain USA monster truck at the 15th Annual South Tacoma Classic Car Show
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Geirangerfiord
Norvegia 2011 - Viaggio con il battello postale - Hurtigruten -
Geirangerfiord lato est
Da Wikipedia, l'enciclopedia libera.
Flag of UNESCO.svg Bene protetto dall'UNESCO
Stub patrimoni dell'umanit.png Patrimonio dell'umanit
Geirangerfjord
West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nryfjord
207 Geirangerfjord.jpg
Tipologia Naturale
Criterio (VII) (VIII)
Pericolo Nessuna indicazione
Anno 2005
Scheda UNESCO inglese
francese
Il Geirangerfjord (Geirangerfjorden) un fiordo che si snoda nella regione norvegese del Sunnmre nel sud della contea del Mre og Romsdal. un ramo del ben pi grande Storfjorden e al suo interno si trova il famoso villaggio di Geiranger.
Il fiordo uno dei siti naturalistici pi visitati della Norvegia e dal 2005 rientra, insieme al Nryfjord, nella Lista dei patrimoni dell'umanit redatta dall'UNESCO. La presenza di questi due fiordi nella lista comunque minacciata da un piano di costruzione di alcune linee elettriche attraverso il fiordo [1].
Il Geirangerfjord sotto la costante minaccia dell'kerneset, la catena montuosa che affaccia sul fiordo, e che sta lentamente franando nel fiordo. Ci potrebbe causare un violento tsunami che travolgerebbe le cittadine di Geiranger e Hellesylt in circa 10 minuti.[2][3][4]
Lungo il fiordo ci sono molti caratteristici poderi abbandonati. Una ristrutturazione minima stata avviata dall'associazione Storfjordens venner. Alcuni tra i pi famosi e visitati sono: Skagefl, Knivsfl e Blomberg. Skagefl pu anche essere raggiunto a piedi da Geiranger, mentre gli altri sono accessibili via mare.
L’aeroporto pi vicino per raggiungere il fiordo nella citt di lesund, a circa 110km. Il percorso tra Geiranger e Hellsylt pu essere coperto anche con un battello che effettua corse giornaliere offrendo cos una visione del fiordo.
Il fiordo ospita inoltre diverse spettacolari cascate.
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marrickville (august 2011)
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East Rutherford Exempt Fireman's Park
The park’s honored deceased include FDNY Chaplain Father Mychal Judge who served at St. Joseph’s Church in East Rutherford and Dennis G. Taormina Jr. who was a former East Rutherford Fire Department volunteer firefighter and Vice President of Finance at Marsh and McLennan. They both died on September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center.
East Rutherford 9/11 Memorial - firefighters' Memorial Park - Paterson and Randolph Avenues in East Rutherford, New Jersey - Google Map -
Miles to Ground Zero:
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garibaldi Lake From panorama ridge- Day 4
Photo taken on August 17th 2011 on a trip in Garibaldi Provincial Park from August 14th to 20th 2011.
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Angels outfielder Vernon Wells, right, is congratulated at home plate by Bobby Abreu after hitting a two-run home run against the Baltimore Orioles on July 23. The Angels are still chasing the Texas Rangers in the AL West. (Joe Giza / Reuters)
The top of the American League West standings could be a scheduled destination for the Angels.
Although they trailed the first-place Texas Rangers by four games through Sunday, the Angels will play considerably fewer games against teams with winning records over the season's final 51/2 weeks than their division rival.
The Angels play only 13 of their remaining 34 games against teams with records better than .500, nine fewer games than Texas plays against teams with winning records.
That could be significant since the Angels and Rangers have done the bulk of their winning against losing teams, with both teams winning exactly half their games through Sunday against teams that have .500 or better records. The Rangers are 39-21 against teams with losing records and the Angels are 36-26 against them.
Predictably, Angels Manager Mike Scioscia went with his it's-not-who-we're-playing-or-where-we're-playing-but-how-we're-playing mantra when asked about the discrepancies in the teams' remaining schedules.
"That has no bearing on what we need to do," Scioscia said Sunday after his team completed a three-game sweep of the sub.-400 Baltimore Orioles. "We need to play good baseball whoever we're playing."
That will especially be true in the final six meetings between the Angels and Rangers. The teams start a three-game series in Arlington, Texas, on Friday and then meet Sept. 26-28 at Angel Stadium in the final series of the regular season.
"That's when you can make up the most ground," Angels center fielder Peter Bourjos said of the head-to-head meetings. "You don't have to wait and see if they won or lost, so I think it's important when you're playing them that you win."
The Rangers won three of four games when the teams met last week, but the Angels took the last game on Mark Trumbo's walk-off home run, which sparked the four-game winning streak the Angels will take into a series opener against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday at Angel Stadium.
"One swing of the bat kind of turned us around," said Bourjos, pointing to a four-run first inning in the next game against Baltimore and what he called a different energy in the clubhouse.
In a scheduling quirk, the Angels will have two days off this week, a rarity this late in a season. Although it will provide some much-needed rest for a team that played on 19 of 20 days before Monday, the break also comes with a downside.
"I wish I could say, 'Thank you,' but [Texas has] four games they're going to play [in four days], so if they win two they can actually gain a game while we're sitting out," right fielder Torii Hunter said. "I'm thankful for it, but it can set us back a little bit."
Rooting interest
The Little League World Series was playing out on the televisions in the Angels' clubhouse Sunday afternoon, with one player paying particularly close attention.
Catcher Hank Conger's former team, Ocean View of Huntington Beach, had already taken a five-run lead over North Oldham of La Grange, Ky., on the way to a 10-0 win.
Having reached Little League's biggest stage for the first time, Ocean View is as few as three victories away from winning the championship.
"It would be unbelievable," said Conger, whose team fell one victory short of reaching the World Series in 2000. "Ocean View, there have been a lot of good teams coming out of there the past couple of years, so for them to finally get a big win and win the whole thing would be awesome."
Conger's Little League days, when he pitched and batted leadoff, were long ago. But he still likes to keep close tabs on his former league.
Last year, Conger instructed several Ocean View players during baseball camps in Huntington Beach and then hung out with the entire team when it visited Angel Stadium.
He also called during their regional last year to wish them good luck. If Ocean View, which outscored its first two opponents, 21-0, keeps dominating, he might be getting back on the phone to offer congratulations.
Still an Angel
Outfielder Reggie Willits, who was designated for assignment last week, has cleared waivers and was reassigned to triple-A Salt Lake. He was put on the disabled list because of an Achilles' tendon injury.
ben.bolch@latimes.com
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walkway to the east wing
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San Francisco Bay Bridge - Aug 18 2011
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Castell d’Empries - Centre Ville Historique
Visite du centre ville Historique de la ville espagnole de Castell d’Empries. Ville Comtale s’tendant sur 41,84km2, atteignit sa splendeur maximum durant le Moyen-ge, quand au XIme sicle les Comtes d’Empries y installrent leur rsidence, convertissant la ville en la capitale du comt. Les difices se trouvant dans le quartier monumental appartiennent l’poque mdivale et conservent l’aspect traditionnel de ce quartier. Dans ce centre, il est possible de rencontrer des survivances de l’ancien urbanisme, telles que les places avec porches, la rue Bordell, les quartiers artisanaux et le Call, situ entre les rues de St. Pere ms Baix et des Peixaterias Velles, dont il ne reste aujourd’hui que les tracs urbanistiques.
Une Terre de Troubadours :
Le festival « Terre de troubadours », remmorant la priode resplendissante du comt de Castell et soulignant autant l’aspect populaire (march mdival, marches, etc.) que l’aspect culturel (confrences, concerts de musique des troubadours, etc.), mrite une mention spciale. Il permet aux visiteurs d’effectuer un voyage dans le temps et de se plonger au cur de l’poque mdivale.
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By Perri O. Blumberg, REDBOOK
It might not be the Royal Wedding, but hype about Kim Kardashian's is certainly the most buzzed about topic this week. So we decided to ask our readers what advice you'd give to Kim before her big day. While a fair share of you had some warnings for Kim like "Make sure you're marrying him for love, and not the attention from the public" (submitted by Melissa T.) we loved the great advice many of you sent out to the dashing Kim K. Here are some of our favorite nuggets of wisdom:
Related: 5 Dresses Every Woman Should Own
1) "Always remember there are three sides to every story or problem; yours, his and the unbiased one. Always go to bed with a kiss and a smile-never mad!' —Kayla D.
2) "Communicate!...It doesn't matter what you do for a living, marriage is hard work. There are amazing things about it...but it takes a lot of effort, compromise, honesty, communication, trust, understanding, compassion and love. Make sure all doors have been opened and you are going in with a clear head and understanding of your relationship. Marriage is supposed to be a one time thing, make it work even when you feel like giving up! Love is a wonderful gift, many blessings to you both!" —Emily R.
3) "Stay true to yourself and always be honest about EVERYTHING. If you can't be those two things, what good is everything else?" —Mandy F.'
Related: 3 Ways to Snap Out of An Afternoon Slump
4) "Try to love your husband more than you love yourself." —Jennifer H.
5) "Marriage is awesome but it is a full time job to make it work! Enjoy the little things!" —Stacey T.
6) "Nothing is impossible, just follow your heart and do what makes you happy. If it works it works,if it doesn't you move on." —Amani A.
Related: 18 Most Annoying Male Habits, Explained!
7) "Stick with it. Don't throw in the towel just bc you have an argument. Marriage. Is. Work. Lots of it." —Jenny C.
We sure hope our former covergal and Kris live happily ever after, but whether you think saying "I do" is a big do or don't, what advice would you share with her?
More from REDBOOK:
Could You Go a Week Without Yelling?
Have the Hottest Sex of Life…with Your Husband
6 Shocking Reasons Why Men Stray
101 Date Night Ideas
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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
kim kardashian, full time job, nuggets of wisdom, relationship marriage, many blessings, time thing, throw in the towel, royal wedding, amazing things, 3 ways, blumberg, fair share, kayla, mandy, honesty, hype, compassion, compromise, melissa, nbsp
Aquarobics 18.08.11
Tous les jours 10h30/everyday at 10.30am/ elke dag om 10:30. Rcuperer les en bonne qualit ici / Get the picture in high quality here : www.flickr.com/photos/camping-international/sets/72157627...
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Lady of the Lake
The Lady Express, heading back downlake.
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Vincent Barabba, left, watches as Secretary of State Debra Bowen certifies one of the new legislative and congressional maps. (Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press / August 16, 2011)
Reporting from Sacramento and Washington, D.C.—
GOP leaders announced an effort to invalidate many of California's new voting districts Monday as the boundaries were finalized by the commission that drew them.
The maps, drafted for the first time by a citizens' panel rather than politicians, could give Democrats a tighter grip on the statehouse and California's congressional delegation. In particular, the new lines put Democrats within reach of the coveted two-thirds majority, which is needed to raise taxes, in the state Senate.
The California Citizens Redistricting Commission consists of five Democrats, five Republicans and four unaffiliated members. But state GOP Chairman Tom Del Beccaro characterized the approved boundaries as "unfair if not unconstitutional."
Interactive maps: Has your district changed?
Republicans aren't the only ones girding to fight the new maps, which are to be used during the next decade in elections for 120 seats in the state Legislature, 53 in Congress and four on the state Board of Equalization. Activists argue that Latinos are underrepresented in some new districts and are threatening a court challenge.
Even some on the 14-member commission expressed reservations about its final product, emboldening potential challengers.
A referendum drive to overturn the state Senate lines is being led by state Sen. Mimi Walters (R-Laguna Niguel) and Orange County businesswoman Julie Vandermost through a committee called Fairness and Accountability in Redistricting, according to Republican consultant Dave Gilliard. They may also launch a referendum on the congressional boundaries, according to Gilliard.
"It is our goal, and should be the goal of all elected officials who believe in fair, accountable and transparent government, to reject the lines drawn and ensure that the referendum is successful," Walters said.
Backers have 90 days to collect 504,000 signatures to qualify a referendum for the ballot.
The petition drive is endorsed by the 15-member Senate Republican Caucus, according to state Senate minority Leader Bob Dutton of Rancho Cucamonga.
"I indicated my willingness to try to help raise some money for the referendum," Dutton said. "The people of California were hoping for an open and free process that was free of political influence and I'm not so sure that's what they got."
If a referendum makes it to the ballot, the redistricting plan adopted Monday will be suspended and the state Supreme Court will determine districts for the 2012 election. GOP strategists say that's an easy bet.
"The idea that the court would disregard the 500,000-plus citizens' signatures to leave in place a plan approved by 14 citizens — no one I know thinks that's a likely outcome," said Jim Brulte, a Republican and former state legislator.
Bruce Cain, a UC Berkeley political scientist and reapportionment expert, said that even if a referendum qualifies, it is unlikely to pass. "For the most part," he said, "public opinion has been relatively positive."
The president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, meanwhile, said his organization is considering taking the commission to court.
"We are looking at compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act," said MALDEF President and General Counsel Thomas A. Saenz, citing particular concerns over the state Senate and congressional district lines. The federal law protects minorities against having their voting strength diluted.
Saenz suggested the commission failed to create enough new districts with Latinos as the majority of voters. That raises a potential legal issue, he said.
The state Supreme Court on Monday announced an expedited process for hearing legal challenges to the new maps. But Saenz said his group may file a challenge in federal court, where the case would be heard by a three-judge panel that could consider requests for a preliminary injunction blocking the Senate districts from taking effect.
One of the redistricting commissioners, Maria Blanco, expressed reservations similar to MALDEF's before casting her vote to approve the plan. She noted that the state Senate district now represented by Democrat Alex Padilla of Pacoima in the San Fernando Valley was changed into one with far fewer Latinos of voting age.
Commissioner Michael Ward voted against all of the new legislative maps, the only member of the panel to do so. He accused his colleagues of violating their legal mandate by making some decisions based on "political" considerations.
"This commission broke the law," Ward, a Republican chiropractor from Anaheim, said at a Capitol news conference attended by all 13 other members of the panel. He said they held secret meetings to draw boundaries for partisan considerations.
"This commission simply traded the partisan, backroom gerrymandering by the Legislature for partisan, backroom gerrymandering by average citizens," Ward said.
Ward's charge was disputed by commission Chairman Vincent Barabba, a Republican businessman from Santa Cruz County. He said decisions were made in open meetings, and there was "no basis" for the accusation that they were due to political considerations.
"The sense I get is that Commissioner Ward attended different meetings than I did," Barabba said.
Interactive maps: Has your district changed?
patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com
richard.simon@latimes.com
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New York
Eddie Palmieri slid into a booth at the Copacabana, next to a column resembling a plaster cast of a palm tree. The décor was a throwback to this newly reopened Manhattan nightclub's namesake, a mid-20th-century hotspot. It recalled a moment when mambo was ascendant and the Afro-Cuban musical tradition deepend its elemental presence within New York's cultural identity.
Ken Fallin
Eddie Palmieri
Mr. Palmieri grew up in that environment. Now 74, as a pianist and a bandleader he is the patriarch of Latin music in the U.S.
"It was important that commercial radio played the Latin orchestras back then, which doesn't happen anymore," he said. "We could all hear the Machito Orchestra, the Tito Puente Orchestra and the Tito Rodriguez Orchestra—the three heavies—every day. I heard it when I was out playing stickball in the street."
Mr. Palmieri was born in Harlem to Puerto Rican parents, who moved the family to the Bronx when he was 6. His uncles played guitar and sang boleros. His father was an electrician, his mother a seamstress. The whole family invested in a luncheonette called El Mambo. "I manned the juke box," he said. "The best one in the neighborhood."
Mr. Palmieri, whose style as pianist is devastatingly percussive, first fell in love with the timbales, the metal-cased drums associated with Latin music. "I played timbales for a while," he said. "But my mother wanted me to be a pianist, so she bought me heavy metal cases to lug around the drums. She'd say: 'Your brother doesn't have to carry those cases. When will you learn?'"
Mr. Palmieri began, he said, as "Charlie's little brother." Nine years his senior and a distinctive pianist himself, Charlie was already playing with Tito Puente's orchestra when Mr. Palmieri was in his teens. It was Charlie who, in 1956, helped Mr. Palmieri gain the pianist spot in a group led by Vincentico Valdés, who had sung with Mr. Puente.
That's the moment originally intended for commemoration through a new "50th Anniversary DVD" (Eddie Palmieri Music), documenting a 2006 concert by Mr. Palmieri's orchestra at Bushnell Auditorium in Hartford, Conn. Though it was delayed due to technical issues, the DVD release works even better now, anniversary-wise: Leading his orchestra through two sets at the Copacabana on Tuesday night in celebration, Mr. Palmieri will mark 50 years since the formation of his first group, Conjunto La Perfecta.
With its unusual frontline of two trombones and a flute, La Perfecta announced a new sound—bold and hard-edged, in stark contrast to the plush Afro-Cuban orchestras and more courtly charangas, featuring violins and flutes, of the day. This instrumentation owed to practicality, said Mr. Palmieri; production budgets were limited and trumpeters (the more common lead horns) commanded high fees. But La Perfecta more reflected a partnership formed at a Bronx social club, Tritons, between Mr. Palmieri and trombonist Barry Rogers, whose own powerhouse playing matched the pianist's intensity. "He was a true genius," said Mr. Palmieri. "And our minds melded."
La Perfecta was innovative in other ways. The group shattered the recording format's customary 3½-minute barrier with its 8½-minute 1965 hit "Azúcar," one of several classics reprised on the new DVD. "We had no choice," said Mr. Palmieri. "It was already a hit in the streets for two years, so there was no way we were going to change the way we played it." By 1968, the group was gone (Mr. Palmieri has revived it, thrillingly and in slightly altered form, since 2002).
Mr. Palmieri's career traced a restless and inventive path without ever losing its footing in dance-oriented rhythms, always showcasing his remarkable piano playing—characterized by pungent harmonies, stinging dissonances and sheer power. Several of his recordings can be credited with helping develop nascent styles, from salsa to Latin jazz. And a 1981 album titled simply "Eddie Palmieri" (commonly called "The White Album") is a masterpiece that defies category, as beautifully orchestral (with arrangements that include French horn and bassoon) as it is hard-driving.
Though his music has long blended modern jazz with Afro-Cuban rhythms, jazz did not come easily to Mr. Palmieri. "I hated jazz when I was younger because I couldn't comprehend it," he said. Again, the relationship with Rogers was key, at first through exchanged albums. "I'd give him a Celia Cruz and he would give me a Thelonious Monk," he said. "I'd give him one by [Cuban trumpeter] Chappotín and he'd give me Miles Davis's 'Kind of Blue.'"
Once immersed, he found the challenge of Latin jazz daunting. "How do you satisfy the jazz musician's desire for harmonic complexity, what he needs to solo, while also getting the right reaction out of the rhythm section, which is an entirely different kind of complexity?" he asked. "How do you satisfy both, and not have one less important than the other?" He did so definitively with his 1994 album "Palmas," introducing what he calls his Afro-Caribbean jazz group, still the most elegant and forceful expression of such balance.
A 1975 Time magazine article on salsa music's rise began with an image of Mr. Palmieri at the piano. But for him, the word "salsa" is a misnomer. "It shows a lack of respect for specific rhythmic patterns that each have proper names," he said with a wince. He winced more deeply at the mention of the Grammy Awards, despite having won nine to date, including the first ever for Latin music, in 1975, for his album "The Sun of Latin Music." Regarding a recent decision by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to eliminate 31 categories, including Latin jazz, he said: "It's an insult that hurts. It's a Grammy scar. And it makes no sense."
Yet his eyes brightened as the conversation returned to musicians—to, say, trumpeter Brian Lynch, with whom he's worked for more than 20 years, including the Grammy-winning 2006 collaboration "Simpático" ("he keeps pushing me to take more and more chances"), and to bassist Luques Curtis, whose performance on the DVD came early in his assocation with Mr. Palmieri. "He's filled up my soul in brand-new ways," he said of Mr. Curtis, "but I can't hold him. He's just that good."
Any conversation with Mr. Palmieri eventually gets around to musical theorist Joseph Schillinger, whose ideas he absorbed through studies with the singer and guitarist Bob Bianco. With animated gestures, Mr. Palmieri described mathematical principles underlying the manipulation of musical axes to establish balance and create imbalances. It took Schillinger's ideas, he said, to finally unlock for him the secrets of the classic Afro-Cuban dance orchestras. "What Schillinger helped me to understand is that there is a way to engineer excitement through musical structure. I don't guess that I'm going to excite you. I know it."
Mr. Blumenfeld writes about jazz for the Journal.
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