Thanks to Brian Biddle for his contributions to this article.

The Philadelphia Flyers head into the hallowed halls of the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh to faceoff against their hated division rival Penguins.

 Last 10 Flyers (15-15-1) are (3-7-0) after a win last night over the Bruins and the Penguins (22-10-1) are hot going  (7-2-1)

Brian Biddle with contributions from Chris DiFrancesco-

This game is a preview for the upcoming Winter Classic on New Years Day at Fenway Park. However, tonight is the tale of two different teams. This is the second of four meeting this season with Philadelphia taking the first game on Oct. 22.

The Bruins (16-9-6) are coming into tonight hot. Going 7-1-2 in their last 10 games and the Flyers (14-15-1) have been frost-bitten going 2-8-0 in their last 10.

In their last meeting, the Flyers beat Boston 4-3 in a shootout on Oct. 22 at the Wachovia Center.

“If you continue to beat yourself down, you only drive yourself further into a hole,” defenseman Chris Pronger told reporters after the loss Saturday to the Devils. “We’ve got to pick one another up in here. We’ve got to start acting as team. At the end of the day, we have to play better. It’s not good enough to keep it close. This is no fun.”

The Flyers hope to improve their play as coach Laviolette said he questions his teams conditioning and that they have zero jump to the puck.

Claude Giroux is finally starting to breakout offensively after scoring the teams last 3 goals. The Bruins David Krejci is on a three-game point streak with two goals and three assists.

The Bruins have killed off 78 of their last 86 shorthanded situations (90.7 percent) after giving up eight goals in their first 26 times shorthanded this season. They are tied with San Jose for first in the NHL in penalty killing with an 85.7-percent success rate. The Flyers have the fifth-best power play at 22.5 percent

The Flyers will once again turn to Brian Boucher between the pipes. Boucher would like to improve from his 4-goal letdown against the Devils on Saturday night. James van Riemsdyk has not scored a goal in 12 games, the Flyers need the rookie to step up and start throwing the puck at the net. More so like Jeff Carter. Carter has 27 shots in the past six games.

After tonight the schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Flyers. They have a home-and-home with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday and Thursday.

The points have to start coming, Philadelphia cannot continue to lose all these games in regulation. Look for a bounce back game tonight in Boston.

Quotes: Flyers

PHILADELPHIA- For the past few weeks during the downfall of the Philadelphia Flyers, fans and media outlets kept saying the ‘franchise players’ have to step up and lead this team out of their funk. Well, last night at the Wachovia Center those ‘franchise players’ did just that and more.

Captain Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and Claude Giroux each netted two goals to propel the Flyers past the Islanders 6-2. Peter Laviolette earned his first victory as Flyers new head coach.

Overall, from start to finish the men in orange and black stomped their way through the Islanders. In wake of the news that goaltender Ray Emery will 6-8 weeks with an abdominal tear, Brian Boucher had an impressive outing stopping 22 shots.

Last week, the focus of the franchise getting out of this rut came full circle when the captain stated he was ready to lead this team forward. Richards took those words to the ice and lead his team in the right direction. The 24-year-old led the way beginning with a power-play goal 9:47 into the first period. Richards redirected a wrist-shot from Kimmo Timonen.

Richards wasn’t finished. At 15:14 in the first period, he blocked a pass from Islander defensemen Mark Streit and was off to the races on a breakaway and lifted a shorthanded goal past Martin Biron. That was Richards’ and the Flyers first shorthanded tally of the season. They were his 12, and 13th goals of the year.

“I saw a guy take charge of a game tonight,” Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said after his first win with his new team. “On the ice he was pretty good — on the penalty kill, five-on-five, on the power play. He played a pretty solid game. When you get into these situations where you haven’t been having success you usually look to your leaders to get you out of it.”

Chris Pronger took notice to the leadership Richards showed.

“He’s the leader, he played like it,” Pronger said. “He got us off to a great start and he continued to play both ends of the ice very hard and backside pressure and kind of being a safety valve sometimes when it really wasn’t supposed to be his job. Just the effort and passion for the game. It’s something over the last four years he has been highly-regarded for.”

Jeff Carter scored a power-play goal at 4:21 in the second. That was Carter’s first goal in seven games. Carter’s second goal was a hard-fought tip in after Danny Briere took the initial shot. Carter and Richards are tied for the team lead in points with 25.

Over 10 minutes later, Claude Giroux feasted on the exposed Islanders scoring his first goal in nine games on the power-play. Giroux added his second at 2:35 in the third.

“It’s nice to score goals; it’s been a long time,” Giroux said. “I had some nice plays from my linemates. I was trying different stuff out there to help the team in another way. I felt like I could control the puck and do some plays and I haven’t done plays in a long time. I just felt good out there.”

After scoring six goals and finally putting together an impressive win, can the Flyers now relax and focus on building from here?

“I don’t think relax, but maybe not squeeze the stick as hard,” said Richards. “It’s something to build on. On the offensive part, it’s nice to get bounces. When you don’t get bounces, you’re squeezing the stick and trying to do too much with it.”

“I thought a lot of our game had a lot of that in it (Monday) night,” Laviolette said, “we just didn’t bring the rubber to the net. Tonight we did a much better job of that. Our (defense) was trying to get it there, our forwards did a great job. I thought our key players were pretty sharp tonight.”

John Tavares scored both Islander goals.

The Flyers will host the Ottawa Senators tomorrow night from the Wachovia Center. The pucks drops at 7pm.

Quotes: CSNPhilly and The Philadelphia Flyers

From 9/21 Cyber Report

Last week the Federal Trade Commission announced that beginning on Dec. 7th, it will hold the first in a series of three public round tables to discuss the growth of social networking, cloud computing, online and advertising marketing with a goal towards determining “how best to protect consumer privacy while supporting beneficial uses of their information and technological innovation.”

The FTC wants participants to address three questions: (1) What risks, concerns, and benefits arise from the collection, sharing, and use of consumer information? (2) Are there commonly understood or recognized consumer expectations about how information concerning consumers is collected and used? (3) Do the existing legal requirements and self-regulatory regimes in the United States today adequately protect consumer privacy interests?

The round table begins on the second anniversary of the FTC’s issuance of proposed self regulatory guidelines for behavioral targeting and FTC Chairman Liebowitz’s April warning that the industry was facing their last chance at self-regulation before the regulators took over.

By the time of the first round table, House Internet Subcommittee Chairman Boucher will have introduced his much anticipated privacy bill, giving the issue momentum when Congress returns in January. Not much activity is expected before next year on tech issues in general giving Congress’ full plate of health care, climate change, Afghanistan and the budget.

As discussed in the Sears matter below, the FTC is also stepping up on enforcements efforts regarding online privacy. More Info: FTC Press Release; 2009 Staff Report on Behavioral Targeting and a Wired Article on the Boucher proposal.

Where I come from, people stand in line for celebrities and iPhones.

Here in Auvers, it appears the most wanted men are the butchers.   On Sunday mornings before they close for their weekend, the line stretches down the main drag.

J.Y. Gicquel Boucherie  comes highly recommended by the Ladoux family.   I’ve been a little hesitant to venture in there because it will require speaking French and I shudder to think what adorable forest creature I might wind up taking home for dinner.   I’m also not sure whether those numbers before the decimal point in their prices, are ones or sevens and whether we’re talking francs or euros and I’m afraid I can’t afford it if I have to ask.

I’m feeling a little lazy tonight and have decided that my lack of energy is due to a protein deficiency and I need a good piece of red meat.   Preferably something someone who’s lived on takeout for the past 20 years can cook.

I’m a little nervous entering, the vibe here is a lot friendlier than the boulanger down the street, where I feel I must apologize when I enter, again when I order and one more time when I pay.   Sometimes I apologize when I leave for good measure.

It’s not like I’m a total stranger here.  I wave to them every time I walk by and they wave back.  There are usually two butchers; a younger one with a roundish face and receeding hairline and an older guy with salt and pepper hair and a nice northern european face.  They may be wearing bloody aprons, but here, they’re captains of industry.   A woman mans the prepared foods counter (quiche, Frenchy salads, things en croute and terrines with hardboiled eggs in them) and cash register.

A couple of people are ahead of me which gives me time to get my bearings and look at all the meats behind the counter and try to figure out what they are so I can point knowledgably.   There are about 7 different kinds of chicken shaped items in various sizes.  Lots of fillets of chicken colored objects of various sizes,  slabs of red unrecognizable red meats.   Lots of unrecognizable parts.   Sausage galore.   Chops.   Ribs.   Rabbits.   Geese.   I’m getting a little sad and consider fleeing or at least turning to the deli counter, but it’s my turn.

Here are the french words for meats I know I’ll eat:   poulet (chicken), agneau (lamb), boeuf (beef), dinde (turkey), porc.   But then we get into cuts and I’m lost.   Is an onglet a steak or some organ I don’t want to know about?   And is it an onglet de boeuf, ou cheval?   And what the heck is french for goat?   Je ne voudrais pas goat.   Or lapin (rabbit).   I’m now in a cold sweat and probably look guilty.

The younger guy greets me in French.    I try to say something in French, but all I can do is look behind the the glass and point desperately at a kebab and ask ‘qu’est ce que c’est.’   He doesn’t understand me.   Shit (merde).   He’s one of those French people who doesn’t understand English OR really bad French.   This could be a problem.

I point again at the kebab and ask “c’est l’agneau?”

He looks at me blankly.   I repeat myself slowly.   Nothing.   By now everyone in the store has stopped and watches curiously.   I really want to flee now, but I might want to come back here sometime, so I blunder on.

I point at the kebab and “baaaaah” loudly like a lamb.   His face brightens and he nods vigorously.   I point to my leg.   He nods again.

I shout excitedly, ca!   Un de ca s’il vous plait.  He doesn’t understand what I’m saying, but we’re on the same wavelength.

He wraps it up and I hold my hand out to take it.   He gives me a slip of paper and points to the cash register while babbling something in French.  And I totally get it.   They give me the meat after I pay.   I say merci beaucoup, he says something and the transaction is completed.    We’re both very pleased with ourselves.

Next stop, cash register.   Grand total about E4.92 which is about 9 dollars, so, pretty pricey.   It also presents the problem of whether I pay with the pocketful of coins in my pocket or just hand her the E10 bill I have and get even more coins.   If I pay in coins it could take hours for me to figure out the right amount.   But if I get my change in coins, I’ll just have to face the problem down the road.   I do the only logical thing and dump the contents of my pocket on the counter and let the very nice cashier pick out the coins she needs.

I leave the store with my package, calling out “merci, bon soir!” feeling very French.

I broil the kebab, which is all seasoned lamb cubes with a chunk of some sort of sausage at each end and make a salad.

All I can say is that kebab brought me more pleasure than Springstein, Jagger or an iPhone ever could.   Hours later, I’m still fantasizing the subtle seasoning and the tender juicy lamb cubes.   And the sausage!   OMG!  A veritable medley of spices in perfect pork harmony that I can’t get out of my head.

Tomorrow is Sunday, so I’m going to get in line first thing in the morning.   Maybe I should camp out front over night.   I’ll just die if they’re sold out when I get there.

Consult this meat translation guide before venturing into a boucherie.

L’auteur retrace avec sa plume, l’histoire de son grand-père dont l’ombre semble avoir pesé sur ses vacances dans le Loir et Cher. Et voici le grand-père croqué sous les traits d’un étonnant et robuste sanglier qui, sous couvert de cultiver tranquillement ses plans de salades fait dans la résistance face à l’ennemi d’alors : les troupes d’occupation allemande puisque nous sommes en 1942 à Selles sur Cher…

Stéphane Levallois offre un superbe travail sur ses encrages : des noirs profonds avec de l’encre de Chine, très épaisse, très pâteuse, et de l’acrylique noire pour les aquarelles. Ses planches communiquent à la fois la rêverie poétique de son récit et la lourdeur, le poids de l’époque d’alors. Le dessin, tout en pudeur en économie, parle à la place des personnages, donnant aux émotions une force communicative inattendue.

Un très bel album de mémoire !

La résistance du Sanglier de Stéphane Levallois, août 2008, Gallimard, Futuropolis 120 pages (21,5×29cm)

It says something about Australia—and a whole lot more about the other world teams—that with just two seasoned world-class batsmen, two proven performers with the ball and aided by an all-rounder with reasonable experience they comfortably won the Champions Trophy.

Out of the line-up that India faced when they last played Australia in March 2008—the two finals of the Commonwealth Bank Series that India won—only five familiar faces lifted the Champions Trophy. With this win, Australia is back to the top of the ICC ODI rankings; followed by India, South Africa and New Zealand. South Africa and India are very confounding cases; both of them were jostling for the number one position for quite some time before the Champions Trophy. The consistent cricket that they have played over a year reflects their rise in ODI rankings.

Their performances in big tournaments, on the contrary, can best be defined by the immortal words that Lewis Carroll gave Alice in his masterpiece Alice in Wonderland: “Curiouser and Curiouser!” These words came to Alice after she fell down a rabbit hole and was so bewildered by what she saw that she even forgot to speak proper English. It is since then used as literary shorthand to describe wonder and disbelief; and the kind of perplexity that India and South Africa display in major tournaments.

With the 2007 World Cup in sight, Aussie legend Greg Chappell was taken as India’s coach in May 2005 and fellow Australian Tom Moody took over Sri Lanka. In far away South Africa Mickey Arthur replaced Ray Jennings as the national coach. The first big World tournament for the new coaches and their teams was the 2006 Champions Trophy in India.

India was knocked out in the first round at home. South Africa reached the semi-final but got blown away by a Chris Gayle tropical storm that hit Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur. Gayle blasted 133 not out and the Windies chased 259 with 6 overs to spare. Australia routed the West Indies to claim the only silverware missing in their impressive collection.

In the last 6 world tournaments going back to the 2004 Champions Trophy in England; South Africa have not reached a single final and India have crashed before the first hurdle 5 times and they eventually won the solitary event where they went ahead; an uncanny position for consistently-winning teams.

India was out of the 2007 World Cup in the filtering process of the initial stage. They lost two of their 3 qualifying matches. South Africa got to the semi-final, and Smith said he’s never seen the squad so confident after winning the toss against Australia. That became a non-issue as the ‘Pigeon’ was on full flight that day in St. Lucia; nibbling the heart of South African batting and leaving them bleeding at 27 for 5 in 9.5 overs. McGrath got Kallis, Prince, and Boucher in his first spell. Australia trampled South Africa on their way to the final.

Greg Chappell resigned after the World Cup, having spent 18 months with the team and Moody moved on from Sri Lanka. Dhoni led a young Indian team that had an indifferent start to the inaugural World T20 championship in South Africa and faced two must-win games against England and the fancied South Africa.

Yuvraj came in to bat with India at 155 for 3 and 3.2 overs left against England; he was on strike when Stuart Broad came in to bowl the 19th over. It was a spectacle or a bloody carnage depending on how one saw it; 6 massive sixes in six balls got Yuvraj to 50 in 12 balls. He used the depth of the crease with great anticipation to get under the ball and time it beautifully, without ever committing early. With 218 runs on board, England fell short by 18.

The last match of the Group stage between South Africa and India was an organiser’s delight: all three teams—South Africa, New Zealand, and India—had a chance to go to the semi-finals with the probabilities in that order. After a bad start, a gritty performance by Rohit Sharma (50) and Dhoni (45) got India to 153. Two great moments in the field and three perfect deliveries reduced SA to 31 for 5 inside 6 overs. Boucher and Morkel took the score to 97 for 5 in 16 overs; 29 needed in 24 balls to qualify and 57 to win; South Africa finished on 116 for 9 in 20 overs.

In the semi-final Yuvraj came up the order and was brilliant again: 70 in 30 balls. India posted a healthy 188 and Australia fell short by 15. Dhoni and his young team lifted the championship in a fight-to-the-finish final with Pakistan.

The defending champions crashed out of the 2009 version at the first hurdle; losing all their three big games. South Africa was brilliant throughout and had accounted for everything, even for the inherent unpredictability of this format.

Pakistan reached the semis in tatters; their journey was nothing short of miraculous. It can be best described by the modifiers used in headlines after they lost to England. Sloppy Pakistan face litmus test—this classic was before the Netherlands game. Then rusty, lacking discipline and erratic; the analysis after the New Zealand match said Charismatic Pakistan.

The semi-final for which South Africa had accounted for everything, they could not account for one man; neither with the bat nor with the ball. Afridi came in at number 3 and made the fastest fifty of the match in 34 balls; very slow by his standards—since he has an ODI hundred in 37 balls against Sri Lanka. His bowling figures were 4-0-16-2; the only bowler to take two wickets and the most frugal. With 29 needed in two overs, Umar Gul bowled the 19th over, perhaps the best over at death that cricket has seen for a while. Just six singles and the buffer of 23 for the last over was more than enough.

When Pakistan met Sri Lanka in their Group match at Lord’s on the 12th of June, the green and blue intermingled; they stood alongside each other in their first meeting after that Lahore morning. And after the wheel turned a full circle to bring these two teams as final adversaries, it became an event that transcended sport. That this final was being played was in itself an immensity that made the game and its result completely inconsequential.

As for India and South Africa, the perplexity is at the opposite ends of the spectrum—India’s bane has mostly been the first hurdle, in fact the first match; and for South Africa it has usually been near the end. India needs to wake up and get their act together for the first match and South Africa needs to avoid sleeping near the end.

Den sjette sesongen av Hell’s Kitchen er i gang, samtidig med sesong 5 av Top Chef og den fornorskede versjonen av Gordon Ramsays “kitchen nightmares”: “Hellstrøm rydder opp” – som nå er inne i sin andre sesong. Hell’s Kitchen sesong 6 følger den samme dramaturgien som tidligere, men det er heldigvis blitt gjort noen små forandringer siden de forrige sesongene. De ordentlige talentene innen matlaging finner du i Top Chef. Der hvor Hells Kitchen mest dreier seg om Gordon Ramsays utrolig dårlige og uinspirerende lederstil, kombinert med sosialporno blant konkurransedeltagerne, fokuserer Top Chef seg på å lage de mest orginale, spennende rettene – gjerne klassiske retter med en vri. Spenningen i Top Chef fokuserer altså ikke på kjefting og smelling. Tidligere jobbet jeg selv for en kjøkkensjef som hadde samme lederstil som Gordon Ramsay – det var hverken hyggelig, lærerikt eller godt betalt – altså ingen grunner til å fortsette å jobbe der. Derfor sluttet også samtlige arbeidere. Norske TV3 har kjøpt konseptet til Gordon Ramsay; “Kitchen Nightmares” og viser nå andre sesong av den fornorskede versjonen “Hellstrøm rydder opp”. Eyvind Hellstrøm besøker flere norske restauranter som sliter med råvarer, økonomi, drift og besøk. Den klassiske historien, som man også finner igjen i utenlandske versjoner av programmet, er at restaurantene ikke benytter seg av ferske råvarer – og at bruk av frossen-, ferdigvarer og prefabrikata fører til sviktende besøkstall. For oss som er over gjennomsnittet interessert i matlaging  er det hyggelig å følge med på at Hellstrøm klarer å inspirere og lede disse norske bedriftene inn på en bedre og mer smakfull retning. Selv arbeider jeg på et spisested hvor det serveres avfall til kundene og hvor ingen medarbeidere har noen som helst stolthet i arbeidet sitt. Det handler kun om å produsere raskt nok – jeg har til og med observert medarbeidere slenge spareribs i frityrkokeren. Det kunne vært hyggelig å arbeide på et mer inspirerende sted, men det er også flere spisesteder i Norge som ikke er så heldige at de kan overleve kun på beliggenhet:

Da TV3 sendte den første sesongen av “Hellstrøm rydder opp”, meldte jeg selv på en restaurant (hvor jeg hadde vært gjest), men restauranten ble dessverre ikke tatt med i programmet. Det var allikevel ikke bortkastet, ettersom de ansvarlige for driften av restauranten tok kontakt med meg etter å ha kommet over blogginnlegget om saken. Les alt om det i dette innlegget: Åsgardsstrand og babyspy, som utspiller seg på restauranten i et hotell. På både internasjonale hoteller og restauranter blir kjøkkenet drevet med et system som kalles Brigade de Cuisine:

Brigade de cuisine er et hierarkisk system som finnes i hoteller og restauranter med et høyt antall ansatte i Frankrike. I engelskspråklige land blir disse referert til som “kitchen staff”. Kjøkkenansatte/kjøkkenpersonale på norsk. Konseptet ble videreutviklet av Georges Auguste Escoffier,men det finnes bevis for brigade-stil drevne arrangementer allerede fra middelalderen av ifølge franske og engelske kilder. Strukturen i systemet sørger for å delegere ansvar til forskjellige individer som hver er spesialister innen sitt felt.

1. “Chef de Cuisine” - kjøkkensjef. Sjefen over kjøkkenet. Også kalt executive chef på engelsk.
2. “Sous-chef de cuisine” (nest-sjef på kjøkkenet). Kjøkkensjefens nærmeste assistent. Kan ha ansvaret for å sette opp vaktlister og ta kjøkkensjefens oppgaver i hennes/hans fravær. Souschef’en fyller også inn for, eller assisterer stasjonskokkene når det trengs. Mindre kjøkken har ingen sous chef, mens større kjøkken gjerne har flere.
3. “Chef de partie” (stasjonskokk/linjekokk) har et bestemt ansvarsområde (et bestemt ansvarsområde kalles en stasjon) i produksjonen (f.eks. sjømat, fjærkre, kjøtt…). I store kjøkken hender det at det er flere kokker på samme stasjon. Disse kan da være oppdelt i et hierarki:
   • Saucier [sos.je] (Sauté Chef) – Har ansvaret for alle sauterte gjenstander og sausen som hører til. Dette er normalt den høyeste posisjonen innen alle stasjonene.
   • Poissonier [pwɑ.so.ɲe] (Fish Chef) – Tilbereder fisk og har ofte ansvar for all sløying av fisk og tilhørende sauser. Denne stilling kan være kombinert med Saucier stillingen.
   • Rotisseur [ʀo.ti.sœʀ] (Roast Chef) – Stekt og grytestekt kjøtt, samt tilhørende sauser.
   • Grillardin [gʀi.jaʀ.dɛ̃] (Grill Chef) – All grillet mat. Denne stillingen kan kombineres med stillingen som rotisseur.
   • Friturier [fʀi.ty.ʀje] (Fry Chef) – Forbereder alt som skal grilles. Kan kombineres med rotisseur.
   • Entremetier [ã.tʀə.me.tje] (Vegetable Chef) – Forbereder varme forretter og sørger ofte for suppe, grønnsaker og pasta. I et fullt besatt storkjøkken ville en potager forberede suppen og en legumier ville hatt ansvaret for grønnsaker.
   • Tournant [tuʀ.nã] (Roundsman) – Også referert til som swing cook, fyller inn etter behov på stasjonene i kjøkkenet.
   • Garde Manger [gaʀd mã.ʒe] (Pantry Chef) – Ansvarlig for å tilberede kaldmat, inkludert salat. kalde forretter, patéer og charcuterie.
   • Boucher [bu.ʃe] (Butcher) – Slakter/kutter opp kjøtt, fjærkre og noen ganger fisk. Kan også ha ansvaret for kavring av kjøtt og fisk.
   • Pâtissier [pa.ti.sje] (Pastry Chef) – Forbereder bakevarer, deiger og desserter. I større etablissementer har Pâtissier ofte ansvaret for egne team i egne kjøkken eller en separat avdeling/separat butikk.

Se svenskekokken i The Muppet Show prøve seg som saucier:

Kilder:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigade_de_cuisine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chef

Nyheter:

Hengt ut av Hellstrøm / åpner for å bli slemmere / får kjeft / brakk hånda /Ned med ølprisen / Koker over for Hellstrøm / Koker over 2 / Flere gjester = større tap / Han er ei hore / Kjendiskukk slår tilbake mot Hellstrøm / Therese gråter seg gjennom kveldens episode

La du forresten merke til Carl Warners bilde i toppen av artikkelen? Det er lagd av mat. Se flere av hans bilder på www.carlwarner.com

Noe å innvende om oppbyggingen av et kjøkken? Noen synspunkter på Hells Kitchen, Top Chef eller Hellstrøm rydder opp? Kom gjerne med kommentarer…

°

le “je”
au centre du haïku =
l’arbre qui bouche la vue

°

d.(21/9/9)

Web privacy has been an important issue since the Internet came into being, but in the past few months the topic has been thrust into the national spotlight. The newfound prominence of web privacy issues has come largely from a bill being drafted by Congressman Rick Boucher, a Virginia Democrat who heads the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications Technology and the Internet.

The target of the bill is behavioral advertising, a practice used by online advertisers in order to target individuals based on the websites they visit. Advertisers track users’ online habits and then mine that data to serve up information collected on an individual’s web-browsing behavior. This information is then used to select which advertisements to display to that individual.

The problem that Boucher and other lawmakers have with behavioral advertising is that many, if not most, Internet users are completely unaware that their private information is being gathered and used in this way. The bill Boucher is drafting would impose broad rules on websites and advertisers. His goal is to ensure that consumers know what information is being collected about them on the web and how it is being used, and to give them control over the information.

This is a storm that industry insiders have seen coming for some time. In July, the industry released a set of self-regulatory principles in an effort to head off concerns in Congress and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC put out Internet ad guidelines earlier this year.

Boucher’s efforts have encouraged privacy activists. “Consumers have no idea that they are being followed online and that their information is being compiled into invisible digital dossiers,” said Jeffrey Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, one of ten privacy groups that recently issued recommendations for lawmakers.

Boucher’s bill would not be the first significant online privacy law. In 1986, Congress passed the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which placed privacy obligations on companies and organizations that offer e-mail services. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 requires commercial websites targeted at children under thirteen to obtain parental consent before collecting personally identifiable information.

While Congress has dealt with Internet privacy issues before, this measure would be the first major attempt to regulate online advertising. The key to making the bill a success will be finding a middle ground that both protects the rights of consumers and does not hinder Internet commerce. Preserving the underlying economics of the Internet should be a primary goal for the lawmakers involved in shaping the bill. Advertisers use the Internet to spread product awareness and increase sales, while many websites rely on advertise to keep online content free.

Boucher should also be cautious about hindering the speed and convenience of the Internet by requiring websites to obtain user permission to collect personal information. Such a measure presents the danger of overwhelming consumers with privacy notices.

Thus, while this bill is a step forward for the privacy rights of Internet consumers, it must strike a balance between those rights and the business interests of online advertisers, while at the same time preserving the utility of the Internet.

– Jeremy Francis

Image Source

This has been one of my favourite portraits ever since I was a little girl and came across it in a book about Waddesdon Manor. I was really thrilled to see the real thing a couple of years ago when we went there for the day and it was just as lovely as I had always anticipated.

The portrait is of the two year old Louis-Philippe-Joseph de Montpensier, the future Duc d’Orléans and was painted in 1749 by François Boucher. Lavish portraits of children have always been popular amongst royalty and the aristocracy, which may be surprising when you consider the high rates of infant mortality but when portraits by a master such as Boucher didn’t come cheap what better way to show off your wealth than by commissioning a painting of your toddler son and heir?

The boy in the painting grew up to succeed his father as Duc d’Orléans and became husband to Mademoiselle de Penthièvre, who I have featured before here. He would go on to embrace liberal politics and ended up voting for the execution of his cousin, Louis XVI before ultimately being guillotined himself in November 1793.

Luckily, there are no grim foreshadowings of his awful fate in this lovely portrait and instead we can enjoy the shimmering silver brocade of his dress and the interesting paraphenalia of priveliged eighteenth century childhood that surrounds him such as his beautiful silver and coral teething rattle, his sweet little clumpy silver shoes and the splendid rocking horse at his side.

Le cinéma autrichien ne se résume pas qu’à la misanthropie vomitive d’Ulrich Seidel (l’ignoble Import / Export, dont Isabelle Régnier écrivait dans Le Monde que la surenchère dans la misère était telle, « qu’elle tend vers l’abstraction, […] ce qui […] fait la beauté du film » sic !), et c’est tant mieux. Ce mercredi sort dans nos salles une comédie noire aussi sympathique que loufoque et glaciale par moments. Sur ce dernier point, le contexte enneigé de l’histoire et les gueules qui parsèment le récit contribuent à renforcer l’effet « froid dans le dos » de l’entreprise, une entreprise qui, comme disait Rousseau, n’eut jamais d’exemple – en tous cas sur nos écrans. Programmé sous le titre The Bone Man lors du 1er Festival du Film policier de Beaune au printemps dernier (compte-rendu « à chaud » sur ce blog dans la rubrique concernée, mais aussi dans notre numéro en cours, VERSUS n° 16), Bienvenue à Cadavres-Les-Bains met en scène le personnage de détective apathique Simon Brenner, né de l’écrivain Wolf Haas et héros de pas moins de six romans policiers. Portées pour la troisième fois à l’écran par le même trio auteur-réalisateur-acteur/co-scénariste (après Komm Süsser Tod en 2000 puis Silentium ! en 2004, inédits chez nous), les enquêtes privées de l’ex-flic reconverti dans le cynisme et la migraine carabinée dépeignent un univers violent mais cocasse, où satire sociale et brutalité physique se disputent la première place d’un spectacle atypique, inclassable.

Dans Bienvenue à Cadavres-Les-Bains, Simon Brenner (Josef Hader, désabusé à souhait), est chargé par son « ami » Berti, concessionnaire peu scrupuleux, de retrouver les mauvais payeurs de voitures et de les faire casquer ou de leur confisquer leur bien à quatre roues. Parti débusquer en pleine campagne enneigée un dénommé Horvath qui reste introuvable (au contraire de sa New Beetle jaune citron), Brenner atterrit dans l’auberge de Löschenkohl, réputée pour son poulet frit à la viennoise (miam). Chargé d’une autre enquête au hasard d’une rencontre, le détective s’intéresse alors à l’inquiétant maître des lieux et aux sales histoires de famille qui se trament en cuisine.
Galerie de portraits détonants (des physiques marqués et marquants, dont celui de Birgit Minichmayr, ici serveuse-tenancière pour le moins magnétique que Brenner va séduire avec un panache étrange), peinture criminelle très couleur locale dopée aux caractéristiques culturelles et sociales de l’Autriche (proximité avec les pays de l’est, d’où l’omniprésence de mafieux russes dans l’intrigue, mais aussi intensité des rapports humains à la campagne), Bienvenue à Cadavres-Les-Bains s’intéresse davantage à la déambulation des figures tragi-comiques, toutes ambigües, qui défilent dans le Löschenkohl de jour comme de nuit. La ruralité du lieu de vagabondage de Brenner, horizons bouchés par la neige qui fond perpétuellement le cadre au blanc, contribue à une paranoïa et claustrophobie palpables, même en extérieurs. Partant d’un événement brutal dont la réalité ne nous sera révélée que bien tardivement, le polar de Wolfgang Murnberger (également co-scénariste) s’éloigne des codes du film noir européen pur et dur pour flirter avec la comédie macabre, l’étude de mœurs déjantée où, à l’image de cet aubergiste grand méchant malgré lui agissant de façon impulsive, les apparences et idées reçues (sur l’identité sexuelle, les gens de la campagne, l’argent et même l’amour) sont concassées sans ménagement, passées au broyeur – comme les os des maîtres-chanteurs russes.

Dans son apogée d’une horreur meurtrière (une véritable boucherie, donc), contrebalancée par une interaction ludique de tous les personnages (chacun court après sa reconnaissance tout en avançant masqué – géniale idée théâtrale, dramaturgique, du bal costumé aux trois quarts du film), Murnberger n’hésite pas à faire usage de la force du gore suggéré, convoquant incidemment tout un pan du cinéma de genre horrifique des vingt, trente, dernières années (Massacre à la tronçonneuse en tête, surtout avec ce crochet à « viande humaine »), mêlant avec jubilation et décalage typiquement européen, l’imagerie redneck psychopathe et les illustrations archétypales des dangers mortels des « trous perdus » par rapport à la ville. Plus grinçant qu’hilarant, ce traitement ne nous arrache pas des cris d’épouvante vu le genre « réaliste » abordé, mais la froideur ordinaire, presque bonhomme (!), avec laquelle il orchestre les événements les plus sordides ébranle notre position de « spectateur confortable ». À la lumière des horreurs récemment découvertes en Autriche (affaire Natascha Kampusch et réclusion forcée de trois filles par leur mère pendant sept ans près de Linz) et des arnaques russes de tout poil, Bienvenue à Cadavres-Les-Bains se révèle d’une proximité, d’une coïncidence, dérangeantes. Inutile d’y mettre votre main à couper, Brenner y a déjà perdu un doigt. En attendant un quatrième volet, apprend-on, de ses aventures hautes en couleur : rouge pour les effusions, jaune pour le rire…

Stéphane Ledien

> Sortie en salles le 2 septembre 2009

Spring.

Summer.

Autumn.

Winter.

It’s not often a guy gets to spend his whole career with one team. There are the rare times when a city gets to embrace a player as theirs alone. And then there are those, when so embraced, go and royally mess it up (Favre).

But the Philadelphia Flyers has its own unique situation with Brian Boucher.

Boucher played in Philly in 2000, with impressive numbers for a rookie, goal-tending his team into a seven-game Eastern Conference Final. After that, he lost his beginner’s luck, was traded, bounced around and could never find his glove.

Two years ago, he called in a favor to his team: He asked to play for the Phantoms to find his game again.

His time there got him back into NHL form and an opportunity to play in the bigs, successfully goal tending for San Jose and, again, putting up impressive numbers.

For the 2010 season, Boucher finds himself back in the black and orange. The two-year deal Boucher inked this summer with the Flyers brings him back to where he stared it all — and a city he said he truly enjoys — with the promise of shining the same way he did a decade ago.

Pierre Boucher/de Grosbois/de Boucherville| Marie-Madeleine Ouébadinourkoué dite Chrétienne

January 17th, 1649

Francois Boucher/Vin d’Espagne | Anne Lepine

april 221st, 1664

Francois Boucher | Florence Gareman

September 3rd, 1641

Gaspard, Boucher | Nicole Lemaire

about 1619

Jean Baptiste Boucher | Marie-Marthe Gamache

April 23rd, 1743

Jean Galleran Boucher | Marie Clerc

October 10th, 1661

Louis Boucher | Marie Meille

February 9th, 1660

Marin Boucher | Julienne Baril

February 7th, 1611

Jacques Boucher/Boucher/Saint-Amour | Marie-Renee Laverti

June 16th, 1709

Thomas Ayotte/Hayot | Jeanne Boucher

July 15th, 1629

Urbain  Beaudry dit Lamarche| Madeleine Boucher

November 18th, 1647

Toussaint Toupin dit  Dussault| Marguerite Boucher

December 25th,1645

Etienne Lafond | Marie Boucher

January 30th, 1645

Related Posts:

Evelyn in Montreal (Archives): Boucher m. Gagnon, St-Gabriel, Stratford, Quebec

A Canadian Family Database: Some BOUCHER Marriages

]]> http://acanadianfamily.com/2009/08/17/evelyn-in-montreal-archives-boucher-m-gagnon-st-gabriel-stratford-quebec/ Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:06:06 +0000 evelynyvonnetheriault http://acanadianfamily.com/2009/08/17/evelyn-in-montreal-archives-boucher-m-gagnon-st-gabriel-stratford-quebec/

Diane Szabo wanted information on Edmond Boucher and Celine Gagnon.

Information

Edmond Boucher and Celanire Gagnon were married in the parish of St-Gabriel in Stratford (Wolfe) Quebec. Edmond’s parents were Joseph Boucher and Louise Bourque, while Celanire’s parents were Joseph Gagnon and Marie Tourigny. The marriage took place in 1874 on May 16th.

Related Post:

Early French Canadian Pioneers: The Bouchers of Quebec

A Canadian Family Database: Some BOUCHER Marriages

Because one day I really want to go to the Venice Carnival and wear this

and because I’m a perfectionist so I can’t buy an ‘ok’ readymade version and because I can’t afford the hefty price tag for someone to make it for me, I need to learn to sew.

The current plan is to go for my 30th birthday, so I have about 4 years – phew!

Anyway, everyone has to start somewhere, so I’ve been on the lookout for a good how-to-sew-for-idiots book and I think I’ve found one that actually surpasses all my expectations!

This is a little gem of a book, which I would recommend to anyone, whatever their level of sewing experience.  It caters for beginners with clear instructions of how to do the very basics (different types of seams, machine and hand stitches, hemming, etc), but also provides the more advanced sewer with ideas for gorgeous and fun projects that would make wonderful gifts for friends, family and yourself!  I can see this being a wonderful reference for people with mid-level skills, too, with it’s detailed how-tos on some funky and useable techniques, such as frills, ruffles, suffolk puffs, pleats, frog fastenings, beading, sequins, tassels, shirring (so pretty!), smocking, quilting, applique, patchwork, trapunto (seen loads on expensive cushions), embroidery, and loads more.  Here’s an idea of the other projects inside: curtains, cushions, bags, understanding and altering commercial dressmaking patterns, repairs, a circular skirt.

This book really does have it all and I’m so pleased I picked it up – I can’t wait to get going!  I am so going to make this cuff – I’m so in love with it.  It’s already helped me to understand different types of fabric and a lot of dressmaking terms I’d heard used elsewhere.

My only criticism is that some of the basic techniques are displayed on a patterned fabric, making them not as clear as they could have been, especially as the book relies on photographs and doesn’t have any diagrams.  A plain fabric with a lighter-coloured reverse and contrastic thread would have made the step-by-step instructions even clearer.  The addition of diagrams for some of the techniques would have helped, too.  But all in all, this is only a tiny negative in what is really a brilliant book.

Highly recommended.

Hmm… so this post has turned into a review of the book, nevermind – I’ll post more on-topic another time.

Boucher may be ready to suit up by Tuesday. He will still only back up Ray Emery in the home opener.

Brian Boucher left the game against the New Jersey Devils with a lower-body injury according to Rotoworld.com. Rotowire is reporting that the injury is a groin strain that will keep Boucher out of action for about 10 days. Johan Backlund will likely be called up to take his place. Confirmation about the type of injury has not been given by the Flyers.

Rudy Mater est-il vraiment un bon joueur de foot ?

La réponse parait évidente. Le gus joue à Valenciennes, un bon joueur peut il jouer à Valenciennes avec des mecs comme Pancho Abardonado et David Ducourtioux  (c’est pas un nom de footballeur ça) comme partenaires de défenses ? Non. CQFD

Seulement cette fascination pour Rudy dans les travées du magnifique Stade Nungesser (heum…) donne envie d’essayer de comprendre ce phénomène.
Rudy c’est un peu le gars de la maison, proche du peuple, le petit nerveux pret à en découdre à la moindre occasion avec une dégaine d’ouvrier carrossier de chez Toyota.
Rudy tu sens qu’il faut pas le faire chier. Et ça la plèbe adore sur un terrain de foot.
Techniquement instable, bien qu’étrangement il soit capable d’effectuer des centres aux cordeaux alors qu’une passe à 5 mètres est une véritable épreuve, il compense par son physique et son “envie” souvent un peu, beaucoup, passionnemment, à la folie caractérisée. Il a du noir sous les ongles l’ami Rudy.
Le type de mec capable d’humilier Usain Bolt en traversant tout le terrain en largeur à plein gaz pour aller placer un RKO dévastateur sur Brandao comme si de rien n’était.

Bordeaux a Franck Jurietti (détenteur de la carrière internationale la plus courte, merci Raymond), l’OM a Cyril Rool, Valenciennes a Rudy Mater. Gueulard, brailleur, dur sur l’homme, inconscient, il donne tout sans se cacher. Un bon boucher comme on les aime dans les stades car ce genre de mec mouille le maillot malgré ses carences.

Rudy est probablement le plus talentueux des trois. 16 fois meilleur que Cyril Rool, et 7 fois meilleur que Franky. Oui il réussit chaque fois à passer au travers des mailles du filet, aucune expulsion dans la carrière de ce rugueux gaillard. Ca parait incroyable. Mais niveau carton jaune ça y va. Comme quoi il sait quand meme se maitriser.

Il a toutes les qualités pour aller casser du bois de l’autre coté de la manche sous la tunique d’un de ces obscurs clubs inutiles genre Bolton, Wigan ou Wolverhampton.

Je pourrais en parler des heures, mais Rudy n’interesse personne.

Rudy est un bon joueur de Valenciennes. Pour le foot c’est une autre histoire.

Agent Campbell.

Calzati, Mangel, Boucher et Roy, rue Noémie-Delobelle. Photo PVC

Il n’y avait pas foule dans les rues de Burbure, dimanche, au moment où sont passés les coureurs du 63^e Grand prix cycliste d’Isbergues – Pas-de-Calais. Quelques spectateurs dans la rue Noémie-Delobelle et quelques autres rue Nationale, de part et d’autre du rond point des Allots-Jean. Après le passage de la caravane, réduite à sa plus simple expression, avec un bonbon jeté de temps en temps, il a fallu patienter une heure environ pour voir arriver les coureurs, à l’heure : le moment important pour les 23 signaleurs arborant un maillot orange, postés à tous les coins de rue. “Les organisateurs nous en demandent 20, explique Alain Lemâtre, président du comité d’animation chargé de leur recrutement, mais j’en prévois toujours 23 au cas où”. Sage prudence, pour pallier toute défection de dernière minute, car leur mission aussi brève qu’elle soit est particulièrement importante, puisque c’est en partie grâce à eux que la sécurité des coureurs est assurée. Traversée de la place du Rietz, virages de la rue Noémie-Delobelle… Quatre hommes en tête : S. Calzati (Agritubel), L. Mangel (Besson Chaussures – Sojasun), le Nordiste D. Boucher (Landbouwkrediet) et J. Roy (Française des Jeux)… Et une poignée de secondes plus tard le peloton qui ne tardait pas à étouffer cette tentative d’échappée. Coups de klaxon, les voitures suiveuses et motos de presse défilent, un sociétaire de la Française des Jeux est attardé. Le ruban du grand prix avale le bitume. Quelques heureux ramassent les bidons jetés par les coureurs. De quoi faire la joie des collectionneurs. Restait alors à rentrer chez soi où à prendre la voiture pour aller dans les côtes du Ternois, à Estrée-Blanche, dans le virage de Rely où nous avons rencontré des Burburains ou carrément se rendre sur la ligne d’arrivée pour assister à la victoire de Benoît Vaugrenard, de la Française des Jeux. Et peut-être que certains ont eu la curiorisité de regarder le résumé de la course diffusé sur Eurosport, hier lundi, en tout début d’après-midi… On a vu Burbure.