Wedding Photog Might Sue for Copyright Infringement Over Anti-Gay Attack Ad

Wedding photographer Kristina Hill says she?s contemplating legal action for copyright infringement against a Virginia-based group that has ripped off one of her images of a same-sex couple, and used it to create a political attack ad.

The group, called Public Advocate of the United States, used an engagement photo of Hill?s showing her clients kissing. The group used the image in a political ad attacking Colorado State Senator Jean White, who has voted in favor of allowing civil unions in Colorado.

Public Advocate, which is designated a ?hate group? by the Southern Poverty Law Center.? cropped Hill?s image, stripped away the background of the New York skyline, and replaced it with a background of a Colorado landscape in winter. The group also superimposed text that read: ?State Senator Jean White?s idea of ?family values???

?Kristina Hill

The ad was created for a conservative anti-gay opponent vying for White?s senate seat. White was defeated in that race.

One of the men in Hill?s photograph, Brian Edwards, was notified by a friend about the ad. Edwards minced no words about it on his blog called The Gay Wedding Experience: ?How do I feel? I?m in shock and I?m angry and I?m hurt and I?m flabbergasted and I?m livid.?

According to The Denver Post, Edwards and his partner have hired a lawyer.

Hill also wrote about the theft on her blog. ?To see an image, taken with that intent being used in the way it was used is heart-breaking for me,? she said. (Hill was a PDN Top Knots contest winner in 2010.)

In The Denver Post story about the ad, Public Advocate defended its unauthorized use of the image on the grounds that others ?make fair use of our materials.? (Public Advocate?s web site says it is ?fighting Liberals Tyrants Elitists Homosexuals Barack Obama pornography gay marriage same-sex marriage high taxes over-regulation.?)

In an interview with PDN, Hill said of Public Advocate?s use of her image, ?It?s obviously copyright infringement, and I plan to pursue it.?

She?s just not certain she has the resources?or the stomach?for a protracted court fight. ?There?s not going to be monetary gain in my lawsuit. I don?t care. I would be looking for justice. But it could drag on for years, and rack up a lot legal fees for me, and I don?t have a ton of money.?

She adds, ?They?re a powerful organization that did this. I?m one tiny photographer. It?s scary. It could be a lot of tearing me apart. It could get ugly.?

Tags: Brian Edwards, civil unions, gay marriage, Kristina Hill, Public Advocate of the United States

This entry was posted on Friday, June 29th, 2012 at 4:17 pm ET by David Walker and is filed under Copyright, Photo Manipulation, Politics, weddings.

Source: http://pdnpulse.com/2012/06/wedding-photog-might-sue-for-copyright-infringement-over-anti-gay-attack-ad.html

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Sherman Oaks Patch: Latest On The Ralphs Market Construction ...

Here?s an update on the Ralph?s construction?

http://shermanoaks.patch.com

Ralphs Mega-Store Construction Rolls Onward

Patch visited the construction site today of what will be the largest Ralphs Supermarket in the San Fernando Valley

Although opposed by neighborhood groups, as were other well-known developments currently under construction in Sherman Oaks, the immense development of this Ralphs mega-supermarket is very much under way.

Patch visited the construction site today at 14049 Ventura Blvd., which extends over a vast amount of commercial real estate from Ventura Boulevard north to Moorpark St., and to Hazeltine Ave. on the east and Murietta Ave. on the west.

Not unlike the vehement neighborhood opposition to the Chabad House development currently under construction on Chandler Blvd., some neighborhood groups opposed this development, objecting to its size, as previously reported in Patch.

Speaking in front of the Planning and Land Use [PLUM] committee (the same group which will be voting today on the Chabad issue), Marshall Long of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association [SOHA] said the proposed building doesn?t fit in with the neighborhood.

?We?re appealing this project due to its excessive height,? he told the committee, which then included council members Ed P. Reyes, Jose Huizar and Paul Krekorian.

?It?s a very big building and not in compliance with the specific plan.?

Ten days before Christmas, 2010, the council, without any debate, voted to approve the project.

Now eighteen months later, and both Ventura Blvd. and Moorpark Street are burdened daily with heavy traffic congestion due to the construction.

In addition, another vast large retail and restaurant development is under construction less than a block to the west, adding more congestion. Called The Shops at Metro Art, it is proposed as a mini-Grove, designed to complement the new Ralphs with a veritable village of shops along 350 feet of frontage at 14141 Ventura Blvd.

Leandro Huirez, 24, an employee of the Taco Bell on Ventura Blvd. directly between both construction sites, said his customers complain constantly.

?They say the traffic here is no good,? he said. ?Takes too long just to drive in here. We?re losing customers.?

Ralphs is owed by the Kroger Company, and located in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the largest supermarket chain in the country.

When they won the right to proceed with this development, they introduced it to the community with special website devoted only to this project, on which they extend gratitude to the community for its support:

?We?ve crossed the finish line, and couldn?t have done it without our over 400 supporters, the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council, the Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce, and VICA who stood by us every step of the way. We are pleased to announce that we have completed the approval process!?

This is no normal Ralphs, they promise, explaining that the previous store was the only Ralphs on Ventura Blvd. which had not been refurbished.

The original store, which was rebuilt in 1994 following the Northridge earthquake, was 31,555 square feet with a parking lot for 189 cars.

The new store will be 65,500 square feet, with two levels of parking providing a total of 316 parking spaces.

It will also have a 6,270 square foot lobby, as well as 4,000 square feet of ground floor shops along Ventura Blvd.

As one can see if you walk around the site, Ventura Blvd. is 11 feet higher than Moorpark Street, so there?s a significant slope downward from the front of the property back towards Moorpark Street.

For years, this consisted of separate properties along the slope, disconnected. But the new Ralphs complex will bridge the entire lot.

To compensate for the height differential, the development is designed with two levels of parking, with the entrance to the first level on Moorpark Street and an entrance to the second top level on Ventura Blvd.

This expanded Fresh Fare version of Ralphs was chosen, according to the company, to improve the grocery shopping area in Sherman Oaks and to become more upscale in order to match what they perceive as the ?quality retail environment? of this neighborhood.

So as to maintain a healthy openness with the community, Ralphs has established a a project information line with a phone number published repeatedly on their website.

Calls to that website reached a recorded message by holistic healing consultant Jason Teichner, who has no relationship whatsoever with Ralphs.

Patch will continue to bring you information about this story as it develops.

Related Topics:City Council, Ralphs, Ventura Blvd.

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Source: http://stonecanyonneighborhoodwatch.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/sherman-oaks-patch-latest-on-the-ralphs-market-construction/

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East Asia's oldest farming site unearthed

SEOUL, South Korea?? South Korea's archaeological agency says it has unearthed evidence of East Asia's oldest known farming site.

Archaeologist Cho Mi-soon said Wednesday that the agency has found the remains of a farming field from the Neolithic period on South Korea's east coast. The site may be up to 5,600 years old. That's more than 2,000 years older than what is now the second-oldest known site, which also is in South Korea.

During the Neolithic period humans began living in permanent settlements and farming after a previous nomadic existence of hunting and gathering.

Cho points to traces of pottery and house remains found at the site as proof of its age. She says material was tested and determined to be from the Neolithic period.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47982132/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Oil prices rise, drop, and rise again. Buckle up, Earth.

Predicting global oil prices is not easy. Prices have more to do with global politics -- and supply and demand -- than with politicians, but voters take out their anger on the leaders they can reach.?

By Scott Baldauf,?Staff writer / June 6, 2012

A sign for $2.99 a gallon gasoline is seen as vehicles wait for a traffic light to turn green at a Hot Spot convenience store on the corner of Henry and Converse Streets on June 1, in Spartanburg, S.C.

Rainier Ehrhardt/AP

Enlarge

For sheer roller-coaster thrills, picture yourself as an oil market analyst.

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Imagine the challenge of (correctly) predicting the future price of oil and all those wonderful fuel products Americans love to use, in the midst of a crucial election year.

When oil-producing countries like Iran, Iraq, Libya, and Nigeria, become unstable, oil prices can soar. When economies shrink in energy-consuming places like Europe and the United States, oil prices can sink. When both trends happen at the same time, oil market analysts dig into their pockets for a coin to flip.

In February, when oil prices surged over $110 a barrel, some oil analysts were predicting an End Times scenario, where the US economy would go into a fetal position, rocking back and forth and singing Adele songs. Fox News Channel, the drama queen of the global news pageant, was betting that gasoline pump prices were likely to hit $8 a gallon, a factoid that, at least for now, appears to be utterly false.

RELATED: Eight ways $100 oil may affect you?

Early this week, crude oil prices had dropped to $84, driven downward by the lower demand of a contracting global economy. Gasoline prices are dropping with them, down to a national average $3.56. This is significantly higher than the 26 cents it cost to fill your father?s ? or your grandfather?s ? Oldsmobile, but the dollar is worth less today than it was in the 1950s. In inflation-adjusted dollars, we have been paying $10 to $30 a barrel for the past 160 years or so, with just a few major spikes in 1860-1861, 1979-1980 and 2007-2008.

Now the bad news has gotten so bad, it?s good. On Wednesday, oil prices shot up again to $85.56 a barrel, ahead of Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke?s testimony before Congress, as oil market analysts bet that he would urge for some kind of stimulus package.

Aside from gasoline price swings from nearly $4 a gallon to $3.50, the volatility of oil prices has other effects. Higher oil prices, which drive up the cost of production, make factory owners think twice about expanding. High oil prices also encourage consumers to start thinking about conservation, such as turning off lights and buying fuel efficient cars. But high oil prices also make oil exploration in new places more attractive. And as oil companies start finding oil in untapped fields in Kenya, North Dakota, Ghana, Alberta, Israel, and Somalia, that increases the overall supply of oil, which ends up driving prices down again.

A growing global supply of oil might seem to be the solution to America?s economic doldrums, but this solution brings a host of ecological problems, according to Foreign Policy magazine?s Steve Levine.

Already, carbon emissions last year reached levels that are linked by scientists with a 2 degree rise in global temperatures over the past 50 years, according to the International Energy Agency. But if carbon emissions continue to rise ? as they will if more energy is produced, and if energy prices drop enough for people to consume more of it ? the world will ?blow through? emissions targets agreed to in global treaties.

So this provides what may be the most vexing moral dilemma of our times: to grow, or not to grow. That is the question.

One thing you will notice about this process: It has very little to do with politicians. These days, the price of oil is determined more by roughnecks in greasy denims or Wall Street futures traders than by Middle Eastern oil sheikhs or White House economists. But voters, driven by fear or angst, still feel the need to punish the man in charge for their economic suffering. And in an election year ? as former French President Nicolas Sarkozy can attest -- the economy matters above all else.

The roller coaster continues. Buckle up, Mr. Obama.

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Getting Help with Debt ? Debt Help ? American Financial Solutions ...

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PR for Authors Part 2: How to Build a List of ... - Authority Publishing

In my previous article, I covered what you need to know before you pitch the media. Now I?ll share with you how to build your list of media contacts?and it?s a lot easier than you might think.

Media Websites

Nearly all of the major media outlets have websites with easy access to contact information for reporters, editors, and producers. In fact, they make it almost ridiculously easy to find email information because the reality is that they need story ideas! While this information is easy to locate, the research can take time. Keep reading?

LinkedIn

Just about anyone who is anyone is on LinkedIn now. You can use the Advanced Search feature to locate users by keywords, company name, publication name, or job title. If you?re not yet connected, you?ll need to either request an introduction from a mutual friend or pay to upgrade your LinkedIn account so that you can email contacts outside of your network. You can also track down a contact name, return to Google, and search for an email address.

Media Lists

You can skip all the time-consuming research and buy a media list. Two reputable sources: Bacon?s Media Directories or Gebbie Press (a more affordable choice).

Google

Use the search engine to search for media sources. For example, if you want to reach media in your old home town, you can search Google for ?newspaper Indianapolis,? ?news Indianapolis,? ?radio Indianapolis,? etc. You can also search for terms like ?list of weekly newspapers.? My search for that term turned up a list for Los Angeles (http://www.laalmanac.com/media/me04a.htm) and a comprehensive list (minus contact information) here: http://www.xpresspress.com/weekly-newspaper-media-list.

Be on the Lookout

Whether you?re surfing social media or reading a magazine in your doctor?s office lobby, keep an eye out for reporters who write about topics that relate to what you do. Most reporters have a specialty area of focus. If a reporter writes about the stock market, he probably won?t be writing about the latest in cake decorating. So find the reporters who can connect with your message and reach out. Even if you?re simply offering a compliment on a great story with a quick note that says you?re available as a source if the reporter writes a follow-up article, you have opened up a line of communication. It might sound crazy, but reporters have databases of contacts and you never know when you might rise from the archives.

Check back for part 3 of this series, where I?ll cover how to contact internet media sources!

Related posts:

PR for Authors Part 1: What You Need to Know Before You Pitch the Media I?ve been saying for years that though press releases have long been the standard way...

How to Contact the Media (for Authors) Go directly to the source by reaching out to reporters who cover your topic. If...

How Authors Can Get More Media Coverage Open any newspaper or magazine and notice how each article includes quotes and advice from...

How to Leverage Your Contacts to Help You Promote Your Book When planning your book launch campaign, it?s important to consider your contacts? friends, family, peers,...

Media Training for Authors: How to Prepare for Interviews I will never forget what happened after sending out my first press release. I didn?t...

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How do Home Improvement Loans Work?

Home improvement loans are a specific type of mortgage that can be obtained by homeowners when they are having construction done, or home improvements done, and need additional financing in order to complete it. These loans can work much like a conventional second mortgage, however a more complex refinancing process might work better for some homeowners.

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When a more traditional mortgage is arranged for a home improvement loan, it can be done in the form of a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit. Home equity loans can be extended over a certain number of years, with regular monthly payments being made on both the interest and the principal of the loan. The interest rates that come with home equity loans are almost always fixed. Upon approval of a home equity loan, the homeowner will be given the full amount of the loan all at once, which can be beneficial for homeowners that are involved in large construction projects, when large amounts of money are needed all at once.

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A home equity line of credit is a second mortgage much like a home equity loan, but lines of credit do work quite differently.

Firstly, lines of credits or HELOCs as they?re also called, almost always work on a variable rate, unlike home equity loans; and instead of making the same, regular payments, the only payments due on home equity lines of credit are interest payments. These will need to be paid until a pre-determined date at the end of the loan, when the entire balance will be due.

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Typically the only requirement that homeowners will need to be approved for a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit is twenty percent or more equity in their home.

This is the total amount of the home that the homeowner actually owns, either by paying their mortgage payments or through their down payment. Even when a homeowner has equity in their home, they will not be able to borrow against all of it, as only eighty percent of the equity is the usual standard that lenders will allow.

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For those that don?t want a traditional second mortgage, a cash out refinance might be a better option. Refinancing can be a complex process that involves a lot of paperwork and can take quite a long time so homeowners need to seriously consider it before embarking on it. A cash out refinance though can allow a homeowner to both change the terms of their mortgage and reduce their monthly payments, while giving them extra cash at closing to use on their home improvements.

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Home equity loans, home equity lines of credit, and cash out refinancing are just a few of the names that home improvement loans go by. Whichever one you choose will depend on what?s best for your situation, as all of them have very different terms and qualifications, and different benefits too. Making home improvements is a great way to add value to your home, and to your investment. And knowing which home improvement loan option to use is a great way to get it done!

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