...

(see the other thread)

Congrats!

I got this one a few days ago:


Nothing like yours, but still... very nice 

Quote from: Zero Talent on April 05, 2020, 13:01

Quote from: Video-StockOrg on April 05, 2020, 11:32

Quote from: Zero Talent on April 05, 2020, 10:19

Quote from: Video-StockOrg on April 05, 2020, 06:37

Quote from: Shelma1 on April 05, 2020, 06:32

Quote from: YadaYadaYada on April 04, 2020, 21:09

Quote from: Shelma1 on April 04, 2020, 14:26

Quote from: Uncle Pete on April 04, 2020, 10:28

The CDC has reversed its recommendations about using face masks as the coronavirus pandemic develops.

You left out the part where Trump told everyone it was voluntary several times, and also said several times he won�t be wearing one, while standing right next to all his cronies.

It is voluntary, the CDC isn't Trump, who cares about Trump, he can wear a mask or not. The CDC says recommended that we now wear masks. Trump can go die with no mask and make people happy.

I don't care what happens to him. But his followers put healthcare workers' lives at risk by continuing to spread the virus.

You mean the democratic mayor of New York is putting everybody at risk because he denied the seriousness of the virus. Go check your facts, lad.

A classical case of whataboutism.

Allow me to highlight that what the POTUS has to say is many, many times more important than what any other politician has to say.
He is the most powerful voice in the country and he must be hold responsible for his early denial and mocking of the whole crisis, for his lack of leadership and for his appalling lack of action in getting the country ready to deal with it.

Have a look here:
https://youtu.be/NezEbDx4B9A

Having said that, Blasio is also a failure.

Let's fire them both, ASAP!

Deal?

I would love to see whole statements. Because media loves to clip out only snippets that suit their agenda. I've seen this so many times that I don't trust any f*cking media anymore. Trump blocked any travel from and to China in January because of the virus and the media marked him xhenophobic. How could that go together with his "denial" statements? Go figure.

Yeah right. When the media is reporting about de Blasio's failures, the media is real news. But when the same media is reporting about how Trump failed to get our country ready, it's "fake news".
Look who's talking about cherry-picking only what fits one's agenda.   

Sorry, but you can't have it both ways.

And if you would really love to see the whole statements, just look them up. All the interviews, press conferences and rallies when he downplayed and mocked the virus crisis, failing to act, failing to do what was needed to save lives, are widely available.

Leaving the mocking aside, the failure to get people tested, the failure to secure enough protective equipment, etc, were all mistakes that led to a national disaster.

The evidence is overwhelming.

So I'm asking again: since you brought him up, are you ready to fire both de Blasio and Trump for their incompetence?
 

Enjoy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCzJlhE35YM

You obviously didn't watch the real thing, did you? Instead, you prefer to watch what some random dude has to say about the reality.

Here is the full transcript:

Now the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus, you know that right? Coronavirus, they�re politicizing it. We did one of the great jobs. You say, �How�s President Trump doing?� They go, �Oh, not good, not good.� They have no clue. They don�t have any clue. They can�t even count their votes in Iowa. They can�t even count. No, they can�t. They can�t count their votes.

One of my people came up to me and said, �Mr. President, they tried to beat you on Russia, Russia, Russia.� That didn�t work out too well. They couldn�t do it. They tried the impeachment hoax. That was on a perfect conversation. They tried anything. They tried it over and over. They�d been doing it since you got in. It�s all turning. They lost. It�s all turning. Think of it. Think of it. And this is their new hoax. But we did something that�s been pretty amazing. We have 15 people in this massive country and because of the fact that we went early. We went early, we could have had a lot more than that. We�re doing great. Our country is doing so great.

Our country is doing great, indeed!  Right?

Breaking News: it's a disaster, no matter how you spin it.
Trump's denial (we only have 15 deaths, therefore we must be doing a fantastic job) and his failure to listen to people who warned him that this is is no joking matter (they politicize Corona, their new hoax) is massive leadership failure.

A failure to come up with early testing that could have saved lives, a failure to secure enough protective equipment and medical supplies that could have saved lives.

And there are countless other interviews and press conferences, where he is downplaying the seriousness of the matter. Look them up, look for official transcripts, not for some random dude spinning the reality.

The reality will punch you hard, straight in your face, as it happened even to him:

From "we are doing great because we only have 15 deaths", now he has the audacity to say:
"So you�re talking about 2.2 million deaths, 2.2 million people from this. And so if we could hold that down, as we�re saying, to 100,000. It�s a horrible number, maybe even less �but to 100,000. So we have between 100 and 200,000, and we altogether have done a very good job"

Wake up, man!

Quote from: Shelma1 on April 05, 2020, 06:32

Quote from: YadaYadaYada on April 04, 2020, 21:09

Quote from: Shelma1 on April 04, 2020, 14:26

Quote from: Uncle Pete on April 04, 2020, 10:28

The CDC has reversed its recommendations about using face masks as the coronavirus pandemic develops.

You left out the part where Trump told everyone it was voluntary several times, and also said several times he won�t be wearing one, while standing right next to all his cronies.

It is voluntary, the CDC isn't Trump, who cares about Trump, he can wear a mask or not. The CDC says recommended that we now wear masks. Trump can go die with no mask and make people happy.

I don't care what happens to him. But his followers put healthcare workers' lives at risk by continuing to spread the virus.

You mean the democratic mayor of New York is putting everybody at risk because he denied the seriousness of the virus. Go check your facts, lad.

A classical case of whataboutism.

Allow me to highlight that what the POTUS has to say is many, many times more important than what any other politician has to say.
He is the most powerful voice in the country and he must be hold responsible for his early denial and mocking of the whole crisis, for his lack of leadership and for his appalling lack of action in getting the country ready to deal with it.

Have a look here:
https://youtu.be/NezEbDx4B9A

Having said that, Blasio is also a failure.

Let's fire them both, ASAP!

Deal?

Quote from: Zero Talent on March 28, 2020, 18:54

Except that, as shown above, the opposite is true.

Effective Covid-19 tests from Europe couldn't be imported in the US, exactly because of our very strict FDA regulations.
The absence of testing in the US is certainly the reason for the extensive spread of the virus.
Many deaths could have been avoided by early testing. Check that screenshot from NY Times, I posted above.

Besides, our very strict FDA regulations are preventing drug imports, thus reducing the competition on the US market.
This is also why, many drug companies currently enjoy a virtually monopolistic situation, being protected against foreign competition and smaller domestic competitors by our strict FDA regulations.

Lower prices are not achieved through a government fiat, but through competition.

A screenshot of a headline doesn't really show anything though does it. Someone else could just easily cherry-pick an editorial about the medical company that bought out a smaller company that was mass producing cheap ventilators just so they could shut them down and protect their more expensive ventilator range. 

The reason those tests weren't purchased by the US could just as easily be argued to be because the  "the Trump administration had �incredibly limited� views of the pathogen�s potential impact" and Trump was "dismissive of the threat to the public�s health or the nation�s economy. By the end of the month, Mr. Trump claimed the virus was about to dissipate in the United States, saying: �It�s going to disappear. One day � it�s like a miracle � it will disappear."�

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/28/us/testing-coronavirus-pandemic.html

If the administration took the threat seriously restrictions could have been waved in light of the emergency. Instead it wasn't even recognised as an emergency.

Hate to say it but you seem to be seeing everything in anti-government lens.

Arguing that the answer to corporations having too much control over government leading to anti-competitive practices and preservation of monopolies is to dis-empower government, rather than curbing the power of corporations seems bizarre to say the least.

Do you think corporations are just going to be like "cool we'll chill out then" while that happens, or do you think they will use the opportunity presented by weakened government to take ever more control over all our lives as any checks on their power is removed? A weakened government is just easier to capture.

The question is of course rhetorical, as it has been going on for decades and you can see the result today. Big business will always try and take control of political leavers of power, and the only way to prevent is political engagement and education of the populous.

Yes, I agree that our president is a moron, no debate here.

What I find interesting to see how you justify the suspension of a law, instead of questioning the efficiency of that law, in the first place.

What I also find interesting is that you think that somehow corporations will take over your life, instead of realizing that this crisis, like many other crises (think 9/11) are used by governments to take even more control of our lives. Bit by bit, pieces of your freedom are chipped away.
Remember also that in a competitive economy, you have a choice. You can say no to a corporation and go with a competitor.
There is no competition for your government. Refuse to comply and coercion will be used against you. Your physical freedom will be at risk.
This is why you should fight for your freedom to choose, for competition, for your right to say no, not for the opposite of that.

Moreover, on one hand, you admit that corporations will always be in cahoots with the government, but on the other hand, you believe that the government is here to protect you against corporations (!?). Don't you see the logical contradiction here?

Yes, I understand that asking for more economic freedom, as a solution against corruption and crony-capitalism, might sound bizarre when analyzed superficially. But it is backed by strong logical arguments, not discovered by me, but by reputable economists. Try to follow their arguments and you might be surprised.

Yes, I also agree that the solution is education. People must stop believing that politicians are messiahs destined to save them from evil corporations. Politicians will always try to save themselves first while trying to make you believe that they sacrifice themselves to save you. Remember that they are in bed with their sponsor.

When voters will stop believing in fairy tales and stop asking for more of that, we will be one step closer to the real solution.

This is why the power of the government to interfere with our economical freedom must be limited, the same way the constitution is limiting the power of the government to interfere with our civil liberties. We need an economical bill of rights.

Quote from: Zero Talent on March 30, 2020, 12:19

Mat, one more question: it's likely that I will hit 5,000+ DLs for 2020 around July-August. I only have the Photography plan. Will I be able to upgrade to the full package earlier?

a

It's a great question but no, the codes will be distributed in February, 2021 for all qualified artists.

-Mat

Too bad.
I like Davinci Resolve but I think that there was a chance to be hooked by Premiere Pro and After Effects, before I learn to love Davinci too much! 

Anyway, the initiative is really appreciated!
Thanks again!

By now, you should have received an email about the 2020 bonus program for Adobe Stock artists. We are switching the program up this year.

Instead of the number of uploads being the qualifier, it's going to be the number of downloads. Contributors with more than 150 downloads between Jan 1 and Dec 31, 2020 will receive a bonus code for their chose of Creative Cloud Photography plan or a single app which yes, one of those apps to choose from is Illustrator if you are a vector artist or Premiere if you are a video producer.

For those of you that have 5,000 or more downloads this year we'll be providing you with a code for the all-apps Creative Cloud. Still images count as 1 download, video licenses count as 8 downloads by the way.

You can see all the details here for additional information: https://helpx.adobe.com/stock/contributor/help/royalty-details.html

Let me know if you have any questions,

Mat Hayward

Thanks, Mat! This is great news!

Since 1 video DL counts as 8 DLs, maybe it's time to talk to the technical team and ask them to create a filter for video DLs and earnings. There is no way to segregate video DLs and earnings from the totals.

Quote from: Visualab on March 29, 2020, 04:28

Btw if it's true that capitalists are taking most of the pie,it's even true that our lifestyle has improved much...

Capitalists always took most of the pie. That is not the question. The question is that nowadays, with a more and more unregulated capitalism they are taking almost all of the pie. The gap between rich and poor was never this big.

In competitive capitalism, every transaction is a win-win. When you have choices, when the competition is allowed to flourish, you pay only as much as you think that product is worth. You decide how much of their pie to take and how much of your pie to give away in exchange.

The problem you are describing is not deregulated capitalism, but the exact opposite: it is over-regulated capitalism. It is crony-capitalism. Capitalism where the consumer doesn't have choices. Capitalism where corporations are in cahoots with regulators.

Consumers' choices are the healthy feedback loop in a healthy economy. The consumer sends back their message to companies, through their choices. Companies must adapt to consumers' will and choices or perish.

We vote for politicians every 4 years or so. In 4 years, many things can go south with no way to change course.

In healthy capitalism, we vote every day, we vote with every single purchase we make.

Remember that in general, nobody is defending your own interest better than yourself; not the corporations and not the government. Both entities, the same as you, will defend their interest first and foremost. And there is nothing wrong with that. That's how the world works.

Didn't you notice that politicians very seldom talk about consumers? They either want to protect a select group of workers or a select group of companies. They forget that consumers are a natural regulator and the oil that's harmoniously linking those two entities.

I agree that the situation you are describing is bad. But you are choosing the wrong direction to address that problem. The direction should be towards less regulation and more competition, not the other way around (as most politicians want you to believe, when they ask for your vote, in an attempt to position themselves as your saviour).

Quote from: Justanotherphotographer on March 28, 2020, 13:39

Quote from: Zero Talent on March 28, 2020, 13:19

That's old thinking.
In this time and age, in the social media age, when all brands are so very much concerned with their image, more than ever, no company can afford to go against what consumers want. Companies are very often ahead of regulations because they understood exactly those concerns coming from consumers.
Moreover, even when bad things happen, regulators are very often oblivious to that. Independent consumer associations, the free press, etc., are most of the time ahead of those bloated bureaucratic governmental bodies. See the VW emission case.
Even more, those regulators are often in bed with the industry, playing favorites with those who pay their bills and bankroll their elections. See the recent Boeing case.

During the early stages of the Covid-19 crisis, too much governmental control has prevented the Covid tests manufactured abroad to be imported in the US, because those tests, despite being proven superior, were not FDA approved. So... too much regulation might have led to deaths when preventable cases went untested and unnoticed. And the shortage of tests in the US continues even today, despite the daily lies from our dear leader and God sent savior.

Sorry but this just isn't true. Look at climate change. Oil companies have been spending hundreds of millions of dollars for decades to obscure facts and muddy the waters so just enough consumers are just confused enough to think there is still controversy over the science. This is while the companies  own scientists have been at the forefront of researching the truth behind closed doors and burying it. It's much cheaper to spend a few million hoodwinking a chunk of the public than to lose the billions that would come if there was consensus.

Consumers often either don't have a choice or the time to research these things, and journalists have never been squeezed more than today. Only governments have the power to reign in massive corporations.

yes - you beat me to it!  just look at the damage trump has done by rolling back or eliminating regulations; or by the failure to regulate big pharma (we pay many times the $ other countries for the same drug because our govt is PROHIBITED from neghotiating)

Except that, as shown above, the opposite is true.

Effective Covid-19 tests from Europe couldn't be imported in the US, exactly because of our very strict FDA regulations.
The absence of testing in the US is certainly the reason for the extensive spread of the virus.
Many deaths could have been avoided by early testing. Check that screenshot from NY Times, I posted above.

Besides, our very strict FDA regulations are preventing drug imports, thus reducing the competition on the US market.
This is also why, many drug companies currently enjoy a virtually monopolistic situation, being protected against foreign competition and smaller domestic competitors by our strict FDA regulations.

Lower prices are not achieved through a government fiat, but through competition.

Quote from: Zero Talent on March 27, 2020, 21:08

Quote from: Visualab on March 27, 2020, 19:08

It's funny how people from all over the world criticize their political leaders...if they were right all politicals are morons...the real truth is that the whole world system was unprepared...and i call it capitalism....capitalism system doesn't store resources but eat them all...that's why every states in the world is facing the same problem...lack of resources...medical in this case..

And what is your alternative? Communism? Communism where all resources are wasted, generating all sorts of shortages, even during regular times?
...

it's not either/or -- we need a more controlled capitalism - we have govt regs for clean air, clean water, etc, otherwise industry wouldn't take those steps (and it would be counter their interests to do so when their competitors do not)

That's old thinking.
In this time and age, in the social media age, when all brands are so very much concerned with their image, more than ever, no company can afford to go against what consumers want. Companies are very often ahead of regulations because they understood exactly those concerns coming from consumers.
Moreover, even when bad things happen, regulators are very often oblivious to that. Independent consumer associations, the free press, etc., are most of the time ahead of those bloated bureaucratic governmental bodies. See the VW emission case.
Even more, those regulators are often in bed with the industry, playing favorites with those who pay their bills and bankroll their elections. See the recent Boeing case.

Back on topic, during the early stages of the Covid-19 crisis, too much governmental control prevented the Covid tests manufactured abroad to be imported in the US, because those tests, despite being proven superior, were not FDA approved. So... too much regulation might have led to deaths when preventable cases went untested and unnoticed (see attached).
And the shortage of tests in the US continues even today, despite the daily lies from our Dear Leader and God-Sent Savior.

Quote from: Zero Talent on March 27, 2020, 21:08

Quote from: Visualab on March 27, 2020, 19:08

It's funny how people from all over the world criticize their political leaders...if they were right all politicals are morons...the real truth is that the whole world system was unprepared...and i call it capitalism....capitalism system doesn't store resources but eat them all...that's why every states in the world is facing the same problem...lack of resources...medical in this case..

And what is your alternative? Communism? Communism where all resources are wasted, generating all sorts of shortages, even during regular times?

Morons in power is our problem. Populist morons in power.

Populist morons like dear Boris, who was shaking hands with infected people to prove how stupid he is.
Or populist morons like dear Donald, who said, for a long time, that everything is a hoax, (instead of getting ready), to prove how stupid he is.

I don't have any alternative,and i don't pretend to be the one who has the solution,i only stated how capitalism works..and i didn't say it's worst than comunism..btw we leave in this system and politics can act only inside this system and stocking resources
for future crisis pandemics or whatever you want it's not allowed by the capitalism nature itself...you can blame all politics are morons but the reality is that if you replace them things won't change because of the system rules...

Ok then, it sounded like you blamed capitalism for the crisis.
I only want to add that one of the feature of capitalism is a constant adaptation to public demand, through a constant feedback loop. If people will learn something from this crisis, moving forward, we should first elect less morons in power. Secondly, many companies learned the hard way, what it means to play the game on the edge. Companies without reserves will disappear. The rest will learn to get better prepared for such events.

And yes @justanotherphotographer, we are not talking about pure capitalism nor pure communism. Left and right are deprecated classifications. In the real world, there is a whole spectrum of nuances, first on the horizontal axis, ranging from a fully state controlled economy, to a pure free market, but also a full range of options on the vertical axis, ranging from the total absence of government (anarchy), to a single person absolute dictatorship.

My point is addessing both axis: stay on the right side of the economical axis (not far right, mind you), and in the middle of the vertical axis.

Just what If....I know most of you hat Pres. Trump...But what if the Chinese created this virus in the lab to reduce their population of elders as the 70 year old plus people old do not produce for the Chinese government. They just use up sources/food. Something went wrong in the Chinese lab and they had a very bad accident and the virus was release/by accident.. Just what if...

A pile of horseshit.

This book explains with convincing arguments why viruses and pandemics (plague inclusive) have historically emerged from Eurasia and not from the Americas (nor Africa):

https://books.google.com/books/about/Guns_Germs_and_Steel.html?id=kLKTa_OeoNIC&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button

What happened is Europeans decimating with their viruses (also helped by their acquired immunity) roughly 90% (tens of millions) of the native American population (and not only).