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But you know that would never happen....
I can see may losing a couple of those fights so he would never partake in it.
Pac is about to retire so he wouldn't want to risk the giant payday vs. may either.
Too bad i wanna see mosely fight more.
Have you ever boxed? Do you realize how difficult it is to pull off the philly shell?
There is a good chance manny won't land anything substantial to May and get counterpunched cleanly all night. At the same time i can also see that May could not be able to handle the 4 or 5 punch combinations. I want to see this fight....tho i think it would be crazier if they had a super six with the best welters...
But you know that would never happen....
I can see may losing a couple of those fights so he would never partake in it.
Pac is about to retire so he wouldn't want to risk the giant payday vs. may either.
Too bad i wanna see mosely fight more.
i really thought Cotto was going to win and upset people...boxing is too obvious these days...the favorite always wins now...no under dogs coming out victorious.
guess its Manny Pac vs Mayweather...the fight of all fights for this decade.
"The Knicks are back" - Amare
i have never seen a fighter like manny that can move up all that weight as well as he has, i really enjoyed the beatings he put on those chumps de la hoya and hatton.
Cotto is still a great fighter to me, hes got as much heart as anyone else and hes a true warrior. Hes also a great person away from boxing, i hope to see him continue his career and hopefully get a rematch with margacheato...margacheato aint beatin cotto without that **** in his gloves.
And I think Mayweather can beat Pacqaiuo...dont quote me on that though, but i think hes a much more skilled fighter. He will be a hard target for pacman and probably will counter him alot...I used to not like mayweather but he his skill won me over as a fan. Ill be rooting for him but if Pacman wins, im cool with that. I like both of them.
Mayweather would show signs of vulnerability but his opponents were never smart enough to utilize a certain weakness all out during the fight, then Mayweather would pick apart his opponent and just out box him.
If Pacquio wants to beat Mayweather then he has to go after him early on and weaken his confidence in anyway. Mayweather just gets better as a fight goes on and gains confidence and lands more punches round after round. His game is longevity and Pacquio has to KO him and end his rule as champ.
"The Knicks are back" - Amare
A good aggressive game plan can beat Mayweather, he has shown vulnerability in his fights but fighters dont take advantage of them.
"The Knicks are back" - Amare
Danny Green just smashed Roy Jones Jnr, brilliant
Now that I think about it, im goin with Mayweather. Juan Marquez got knocked down 3 times in the 1st round of a fight with Packoww, and boxed his way to a draw. They had another fight but i dont remember what happened. But if Marquez can give Ms. Pacman that many problems, just imagine what Floyd will do. By the way, i dont hate pacman...i hate his fans though. Like i said before, i like floyd and manny alot but i like floyd more. And i didnt even like floyd at one point, that wwf **** he did was mad homo. But hes so skilled that i cant hate.
march.13th is the date im waiting for Mayweather gonna prove again that he's the BEST P4P boxer of this decade his undeated record shows it and his skill is masterful, hes up there amongst the greats and although Pacman wont be a walk in the park mayweather has cat like insticnts his counter is ridiculous, and lands punches with high efficiency.....this will be a lopsided win in his favor
DaTPRiNCE...That EGYPTiAN Fella, #MeloMafia
**** THAT. Floyd is like Roy Jones Jr- loud mouth who always has an excuse for dodging the big fights
Pacman is the national hero of his own country. He wants to fight Mayweather. Unlike Floyd, he never runs away from the big fight- he always gives the fans what they want.
The two sides need to get together again and get this one SIGNED
Floyd will beat Pac, if he doesn't I will never post on this site again.
that **** was embarrassing as a boricua.how the **** do you get your ass beat that badly by a smaller man?


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2012/08/06 EWG Meeting Minutes
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2012/08/06 EWG Meeting Minutes
Chris, Janos, Nelio, Schrapp; Fabian, Dave, Peter, Clive, Elena, Arun 1. EWG Meeting 3rd August 2012 minutes – approved subject to amendment to 5 b) Chris has established interest from: Giles Fraser, Richard Murphy, Polly Toynbee, John MacDonnell; Richard Wilkinson (Spirit Level) and TJN (John Christianson) are possible speakers and replies are outstanding from Geoffrey Robertson; Robert Skidelsky; Helena Kennedy; Robert Peston; George Monbiot. 2. GA review – need to speak in the language that most people understand; learn from politicians who use soundbites; breakouts into smaller groups to talk about economics within GA's (economics literacy): Economics Education group (now defunct) produced some materials: Chris Fraser's online education tool? Questionnaire; Posters? Fabian to get them onto the website. Critical political economic literacy project formed out of TCU and Critical Thinking course is developing – intended to use graduates and post grads to run outreach courses/workshops to a curriculum. People are at different levels of attainment and one needs to test for assimilation. Three levels to address – top, intermediate and simple for public meetings – script – we need to be able to operate at all three levels; Liam is an exemplar and has a script which Dave will follow up on. Some don't want to know, some need to know to change the world; make it relevant to most people by addressing things that affect them. eg. Setting up GIRO bank to engage on broader banking issues. Scotland Yard – not a great location for a public audience; Mel felt the capitulation to tent removal was premature; EWG need to lead on the public GA's to explain economics and choose the venue. IFCT would engage people. 13 point banking paper – this Friday? Possible venues: Railway Stations, Liverpool St, South Bank, Art installation on South Bank to be occupied, roof garden, outside Tate Modern, CityHall (not public space). Smaller squares, e.g. Gillett ☐, Soho square; Russell Sq – cooperative cafe; Birkbeck's SOAS green space; Holborn –green by car park? informal discussion around the points beforehand (Sean). For this Friday GA: suggest South Bank river side in front of Queen Elizabeth Hall. 3. a) GiroBank – contacts being sought – need to consider locations out of London? b) Tax Havens – meeting 4pm Friday at Cafe Nero St Pauls; 4. Website: Section Headings Policy, Papers in Progress, Blog. Side Menu items (banking, basic income etc.); need a means of donation? should be a button on the website; working groups to raise their own finance; eg. OT; need to know what you are donating to. Housing statement/homelessness; long term issues v ongoing issues; same document accessible from different places on the website; liaise with the website working group; EWG request housing policy document should be prominent on the website; shelve the collaborative software platform for the time being but possibly revisit once the changes have been made. 5. a) LBOI - proofing in train; getting quotes and cover design in progress b) Putney debates. Chris to ask Sean to put Agile proposals up on Friday in advance of GA; the event potentially brilliant if done well; Chris is awaiting return of the person responsible for booking St Mary's church; putting out feelers to potential participants makes a lot of sense – thanks to Chris for taking the initiative; must involve the Archbishop; c) Housing. Communities and Local Government dept response to the letter to 10 Downing St – they need to answer the question – Chris to follow up; d) IFCT passed in principle by GA; idea mentioned on Helena Kennedy's R4 Capital Justice program on the Law and Economics http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01lhbg0; Dave to contact Professor Golden e) Localism A ct responses awaited from the draft request letter circulated by Mike Gold. 6. Progress on Road Map – Nelio has annotated a copy for Dave. They'll meet Thurs-day pm - others awaiting Dave's next draft; Roadmap objective – to solve all the economic problems of the world; origin http://www.newint.org/features/2012/03/01/fair-economy-roadmap/ New Internationalist. Janos has done a Table of Contents. Roadmap grew out of School of Ideas session in Feb, organised into shape by Tim with additions from Dave. 7. Shout out – Section 12/14 of Public Order Act Thursday 7pm Passing Clouds Dalston (1 Richmond Road) with Steve Moore. 8. Next meeting Friday 10th August 2012 – Cafe Nero

subset: commoncrawl


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Ill Winds in December
Can I take just a minute to gloat here? No, not about that. That's more humbling than anything. No, I want to gloat because I got an early Christmas present! That's right, Kyle Farnsworth is leaving Detroit and heading off to beautiful Kansas City! My only real question is, did he cry this time? So long and good riddance.
But, that being said, I would like to thank all of our readers for coming back, even on days when I was writing instead of Jeff. I know my manner of arranging words and sentences into (somewhat) coherent thoughts may not be as silky smooth as Jeff's Ozzie Smith-like turns of phrase but it's still gratifying to check in and see that people are actually commenting. In fact, I'll say right here and now that one of my New Year's resolutions is to occasionally respond to those comments. It might even happen, too.
However, despite all the good cheer in the air, an ill wind blows in from Mordor on the Hudson carrying with it the stench of sulfur and brimstone. This must mean it's the time of year when the Steinbrenners open up their checkbook and start wheeling and dealing. But there's a peculiar, additional scent this time and an odd baseball shaped head that haunts my dreams. Yes, the Mets have created their own version of Hades out in Queens and the wailing you hear is the sound of MLB GMs wondering where they are going to find relief for sagging bullpens.
Is there a hero who can save us? Will our white knight prevent this Gotham centered frenzy? Well, I'm not sure yet but here at RSBS we will be tirelessly tracking down the answers and looking out for some minor-league prospect who can pull the sword from the stone and slay these dragons. Hopefully they can also get rid of some these mixed metaphors because they're killing me.
7 Comments
Kyle didn't cry this time. He's getting out of Dodge before the place goes under. Onto greener pastures in KC, where he will be hailed as a hero for hurling fastballs with absolutely no movement on them.
Allen – don't tell Jeff this – but your blogs are much then his! Let's keep that our little secret. Keep up the great work guys!
OUCH! OUCH! OUCH! That was some partisan comment there, Julia. It hurts so much I might just pull a Farnsworth and cry like a little baby.
Jane, why no tributes to Farnsworth like you did Melky?
Dang, Farnsy is getting just tossed everywhere. Despite his complete lack of the ability to do his job, or what we shall say "strike some a-holes out", I grew to like semi-like the guy. I second that comment by Jeff, the Nuke LaFarnsworth definitely needs a tribute post.
P.S. I would like to promote some bipartisanship and say that I think both A and J do equally awesome🙂
V – http://flairforthedramatic.mlblogs.com
"Nuke LaFarnsworth" I love it. Might steal that one from you eventually, V😉 And I dig the bipartisanship too.
I actually didn't come up with that one Jeff, Jason @ heartlandpinstripes.wordpress.com did, but steal away! lolz.
V – http://flairforthedramatic.mlblogs.com
That Mets bullpen will rival the Nasty Boys of the 1990 Reds. They need a name; I'm thinking "Devastation Inc." Here's a scary thought: what if Billy Wagner's rehab goes well enough for him to help in September and be activated for a possible post-season roster spot? (A blog about this possibility will be forthcoming from me.)


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Although the president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association said earlier this year that one should "never say never" to another Ricky Gervais-hosted Golden Globes, the HFPA's going in a different direction for 2013.
The Golden Globes announced on their official Twitter account Monday that the hilarious tag team of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler has been tapped to lead the show.
The two comic actresses will host the 70th Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 13, making us hopeful for a night filled with smart and barbed humor (and maybe even a drinking game to rival the "Bridesmaids" version at the SAGs).
Fey and Poehler are former "Saturday Night Live" co-horts and current comedy stars on NBC. The president of alternative and late-night programming for the network, Paul Telegdy, has called the Fey/Poehler match-up "a major coup."
"Tina and Amy have a proven chemistry and comedic timing," Telegdy said in a statement to THR, "from their many years together on 'SNL' to their successful co-starring roles in 'Baby Mama.'"
HFPA president Aida Takla-O'Reilly agreed that Fey and Poehler have "unparalleled ... timing," which will "surely have viewers wanting to tune in to see them in action."


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Dragon Ball
Walking Their Own Ways
Episode 131 | TV-14
Goku's training takes an unusual twist when Mr. Popo challenges him to a game of hide and seek. Back on Earth, Krillin and the gang get lured into a mysterious festival where something very bad is about to happen!
Dub Expires: 07-25-2014
Official Site: www.funimation.com/shows/dragon-ballHide Details


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On 8 November 2012 I did a presentation to the Ratio Christi club at Liberty University on how to argue for the existence of God. It was designed to be a smaller training session for the Ratio Christi members. I discussed the importance of apologetics and the difference between knowing your faith to be true and showing your faith to be true. That was the followed by methodological differences and my use of the classical approach.
I then gave three arguments: 1) Thomas' cosmological argument from contingency, 2) the abductive fine-tuning argument, and 3) the abductive moral argument (or as I like to say, the new moral argument).


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The old school way of taking BCAAs was an oily, messy, and awful tasting proposition. But with Aminocore's solubility treatment technology called Myotrisol, taking BCAAs has become a delicious and easily mixable anabolic powerhouse treat.
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Vitamin B6 - 2 mg
Vitamin B9 BioB9™ - 400 mcg
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AMINOCORE [45:30:25] Pure 100% Instantized BCAAs - 8,180 mg
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The 24.6-megapixel Alpha A900 is Sony's first full-frame digital SLR and is aimed at professional photographers, especially studio-based pros looking for the ultimate in high resolution.
Sony Alpha a900 Review
Of course, entering such a market is not a decision to be made lightly, and in fairness Sony's position was a somewhat advantageous one right from the outset. The company already had a history of semiconductor manufacture before it took control of Konica Minolta's imaging arm, and already had its foot in both compact and camcorder markets, too. Furthermore, its huge marketing muscle goes some way to explaining the Alpha range's meteoric rise, with Sony's transparency about its ambitions making the A900 a talking point for the past two years.
Naturally, Sony's competitors have been making their own advances too, yet at least on paper the A900 still manages to hold a number of trump cards, not least in its resolution. Perhaps more important, the A900 provides the strongest indication yet as to what part Sony will play in the ever-changing DSLR landscape. So, will the A900 be the camera that finally ends the dominance of Canon and Nikon?
More info:
Sony Alpha a900 value for money
Full-Frame Sensor
At the heart of the A900 is Sony's Exmor sensor, scant details of which were made public at the start of the year. It's a full-frame CMOS chip, with a total count of 25.7MP and an effective output of 24.6MP, and it contains over 6,000 parallel analogue to digital (A/D) converters. This, Sony claims, allows data to be converted quickly to resist noise and other interference, with noise reduction applied on-chip both before and after the signal has been converted. The sensor has been designed to match the capabilities of Sony's Alpha range of lenses, in particular its G series and those manufacturers under the Carl Zeiss brand.
Images from the camera measure 6048 x 4032 pixels at their maximum resolution, with an average JPEG weighing in at just under 70MB when opened. In addition to the three levels of JPEG compression, the camera supports Raw and compressed Raw (cRaw) formats; this latter setting reduces files by around a third in size, with a supposedly negligible effect on image quality. So much so, in fact, that Sony's intention is to make it the primary Raw recording option in its future models.
Super SteadyShot
The sensor's design has also taken into account the image-stabilising Super SteadyShot function. It follows the same sensor-shift principle we've seen before, though the system has been redesigned to cater for the larger surface area of the sensor. This makes it the first full-frame image-stabilisation system, claimed to offer up to four steps of usable shutter speeds slower than would be otherwise possible. In comparison with Sony's previous Super SteadyShot systems, it's also claimed to be 1.5x more powerful and able to function 1.3x faster, with the vibrating mechanism also serving to combat the effects of dust.
Sensitivity Range
The camera offers a standard sensitivity range of ISO 200-3200, expandable to equivalent settings of ISO 100 and 6400. Noise reduction is optional for exposures longer than a second, while images shot at or above ISO 1600 carry additional options for high, normal or low noise reduction. Driving this and all other operating and processing functions is a take on the Bionz processing technology we've seen before. Notably the camera now contains two processors, which apply further dual-step noise-reducing algorithms as part of their image processing. The processor also allows for a sustained burst rate of 5fps at the full 24.6MP resolution, for up to 105 Fine JPEG files or 12 Raw files, or 10 Raw+JPEG files at either full or compressed Raw settings.
Lens Compatibility
As with Nikon's D700 and D3 models, the A900 offers support for both 'full-frame' and Sony's DT range of lenses, the latter specifically designed for cropped sensors. Any mounted DT optic decreases the effective resolution to 11MP while increasing the focal length magnification factor to 1.5x, though Sony has made it clear that it cannot guarantee exposure when DT lenses are used in certain situations. The reason for this is that the edges of the lens sit inside the sensor's full-frame area, obscuring the peripheries which can influence metering.
Exposure Metering
Predictably, we see some features carried on from the A700, and the metering pattern is one of these; this comprises a 40-segment honeycomb pattern and both average and spot options. Dynamic Range Optimisation has also been included, with Standard and Auto Advanced settings, in addition to a further advanced option that allows you to fine-tune optimisation to one of five levels. Meanwhile, the focusing module sports nine standard points and 10 AF assist points, with its central point being the only one of the dual-axis 'cross' variety. This is said to enhance accuracy when shooting at apertures of f/2.8 or wider.
The area where Sony has made considerable noise is the A900's pentaprism viewfinder. The aim was to surpass the performance of the Minolta Dynax 9, and not only does Sony claim to have achieved this, but to have bettered the performance of its competitors, too. Figures provided by Sony claim that the finder exhibits a 0.2 – 0.4EV brightness advantage over competing models, and 20% less distortion than the Dynax 9. This is aided by Sony having redesigned the condenser lens at the prism's base and the eyepiece optics, while multi-layered, anti-reflective coatings have been applied to help minimise ghosting. What results is a viewfinder with an approximate coverage of 100% and a magnification factor of 0.74x.
Live View
Sony's approach to live view has been a curious one, in that it has developed the most efficient and fluid version we've yet seen but only included it on two of its DSLRs. The live view-less A700 was released at a time when every other manufacturer was pushing the technology, and once again the A900 does the same – the logic behind this being that live view isn't as great a priority as other features. Had its current live view system been implemented in the a900 this would have compromised the performance of the viewfinder (given the extra sensor in the camera's prism), so essentially we have that impressive viewfinder in its place.
Just as impressive is the camera's body. Sony has said that making the A900 lightweight was one of its objectives, and at a body-only weight of 850g it's done well to fulfil this aim. Looking at the camera's construction, a frame consisting of aluminium has been complemented with magnesium alloy panels around the front, back and top, while a polycarbonate mirror box has been reinforced with carbon fibres. The mirror unit itself has also seen a revised construction, using a 'parallel-link' mechanism to adjust the angle at which the mirror is lifted. By doing so, the mirror lifts over two pivots rather than swinging from one, and, given its size, it's able to travel more efficiently.
Intelligent Preview
One of the more interesting features we see debuting in the Alpha range is the Intelligent Preview function; this allows you to take a preview image, before varying exposure, dynamic range and white balance settings and seeing their effects upon the image. Four small histograms – one for each colour channel and one for exposure – are provided alongside, and once the desired settings have been selected the camera then sets these for you to take the final image. In fairness, this isn't the first time we've seen such a concept, though how comprehensive it is sets it apart from other implementations.
Flash and Battery
There's no built-in flash, though compatible units include Sony's innovative HVL-58AM, which features a Quick Shift Bounce system ideal for portrait-oriented shooting. Thanks to its rotating head it provides the same concentration of light whether the camera is held in either a portrait or landscape orientation, and is even capable of adjusting its own white balance. Other units include the cheaper HVL-F42AM flashgun, ring and twin-light options, and third-party units from Sigma, Metz and Sunpak.
Finally, the camera's InfoLithium battery is claimed to offer up to 880 shots from a single charge, with its charged percentage constantly displayed on the camera's LCD screen. Considering that the camera has two processors to deal with this is quite an achievement, though the lack of both live view and a video facility helps conserve power.
Similarities to A700
Cosmetically, the A900 treads much the same path as its A700 sibling, and again not straying too far from the Konica Minolta template. In fact, you could almost mistake the back of the Dynax 7D for that of the A900, given how little Sony has deviated from the former's control and button arrangement. Standard operational controls – such as menu, display and playback – sit along the left of the LCD screen, while the metering mode lever, power switch and Super SteadyShot button are both similarly placed and orientated to previous models. The changes Sony has made from the A700 are slight at best, such as with the design of the thumb rest and labelling of functions, though the camera is slightly wider and its connective ports now encroach slightly further onto the rear from the left-hand side.
The jewel in the crown is the viewfinder, and being the largest we've seen yet on an Alpha model we'd expect it to make an impression on the top plate. Bucking the smoother and more organic contours of similar models, the prism sits proudly in a pyramid-like fashion, with defined edges and a peak at its apex. Next to this we see a small LCD screen, which displays basic exposure information, while the other side plays host to a mode dial, offering basic exposure modes and three customisable settings.
How this all translates to handling is a varied matter. The camera isn't exactly heavy, but feels no less solid than its competitors, while all buttons are clearly defined and access to main functions is either direct or pretty close. The A900's connective port covers are more solid than the slightly flimsy ones of the Nikon D700, and it's hard not to appreciate how extensively the body has been rubberised in order to provide a secure hold.
The grip has, however, been contoured to fit only two fingers, which can place more strain than usual on your little finger after a day's shooting. We also found the camera not entirely accommodating to left-eye shooting, spectacle wearers, in that to see both the entire viewfinder and the exposure information along its base requires one to press one's face right up against the back of the viewfinder, which puts the nose in close contact with the rear command wheel, thereby increasing the chances of accidentally changing the autofocus point while using the Local AF mode.
Auto Rotate
The first few times we turned the camera on, the Auto Rotate function would display the graphic user interface at the wrong orientation. For example, we would be holding the camera horizontally but down towards the ground, while the display would be vertically aligned. The camera would need a good shake for it to adjust itself – fortunately this feature can be disabled via the menu.
Continuous Shooting
Sony doesn't quote what memory card it used to achieve its burst depth figures, but using a Lexar 8GB UDMA card with a write speed of 300x, simultaneous Raw and JPEG images, as well as cRaw and JPEG images, each beat their targets by a frame to make 11. Extra Fine images also surpassed their 11-frame limit to an average of 35, but the biggest surprise came with Fine JPEG files. Despite a quoted frame depth of 105 shots, we achieved bursts of 251, 216, 586 and 153 frames. The final attempt fell just six frames short of the full capacity of the card, notching up a staggering 1,366 frames with no slowdown.
AF Performance
We used a range of lenses to compare any differences in focus, and as we may expect from compact, fixed-focal-length lenses, the 50mm f/1.4 did a fantastic job. In low light at its widest aperture it did well to focus quickly, and in better light its speed was hard to fault. I was surprised by how similar a performance the slightly quieter 16-80mm Zeiss lens exhibited, particularly with no SSM high-speed motor to drive its focus. So, focusing is generally good, though anyone wishing to upgrade this would have to pay a fair price for one of Sony's SSM lenses. Only four Sony lenses with the technology currently exist, in addition to two Zeiss-branded optics and a few older Minolta High Speed (HS) telephoto lenses. As with Olympus, this can be attributed to how long Sony has been developing lenses in comparison with other manufacturers, though more SSM lenses have been promised in the near future.
Sony's ambivalence about using DT optics is perhaps equally an issue. While we didn't see any grave exposure errors using the DT 16-80mm Zeiss lens, the viewfinder's method of marking out the DT area seems very half-hearted. There are just four thin corners, which can be hard to see against dark or more intricate subject matter, and worse still, they don't light up at any point during focusing to assist you. For this reason, shooting at night with a DT lens can prove difficult, and I'd say this poor support is perhaps one of the biggest disappointments about the A900, particularly if you've already invested in any of Sony's DT lenses and see the a900 as a potential upgrade. Aside from this, the viewfinder is hard to fault; it's large, clear and bright, and exactly what you want it to be.
Intelligent Preview
One feature we did use often was the Intelligent Preview function, given how practical we found it. It provides the easiest method of fine-tuning key settings; for instance, fine-tuning exposure can be easily and quickly done, as is the case with the Dynamic Range Optimisation, and also of finding which combination of the two provides the best result. The white balance presets, though, may only be compared easily with those directly either side of them. The Auto setting, for example, is five steps away from the fluorescent preset, meaning you need to make a mental picture of one before turning all the way to the other and figuring out which is the most appropriate. We should clarify that we're poking holes in the finest system of its kind and that in most situations it's a perfectly valid and useful function.
We anticipate this feature will work its way down to future consumer models, as it serves more as a good learning tool rather than something the post-processing pro will need to call upon too often. We also hope this transcendence applies to the A900's high-resolution LCD screen which is as a perfect match for the model's other high-end credentials. Now that we've seen a fair few models with this LCD resolution, only the most entry-level of DSLRs will be able to get away with anything less. Our only niggle regarding how it performs is its drop in contrast in bright, outdoor conditions, though this is a criticism you could level at most DSLRs.
Image Quality
Raw and JPEG
JPEGs on their standard settings were about as soft as expected, and could generally do with a little boost in sharpness. Thankfully, Sony supplies its Raw-processing Image Data Converter software with the A900, which is fully featured with all main processing options.
Despite the odd over and underexposed image, the metering system kept within the margin of error we would expect, and studio tests showed the camera's midtone to be neither too bright or dark. We used the Dynamic Range Optimiser on a number of occasions, and with seven separate options to choose from, what setting you use can make quite a difference to the final image. The process does give rise to noise and noisereduction artefacts in areas that have been 'lifted', though; for which reason the function seems a little redundant on a 'pro' model such as this one, when a more sensible option would be either to shoot Raw or at the very least to bracket exposures.
Anyone expecting the same sort of high-ISO performance the Nikon D700 displays will be disappointed, but with a sensor that's twice as populated this probably should come as no surprise. Images shot at ISO 200 are detailed, though there's a very slight granularity and some chroma noise in blue skies, while midtones at ISO 400 also reveal a little chroma noise. Despite a coarse texture and a fair helping of chroma noise, images do still remain fairly detailed and relatively sharp at higher sensitivities, though Raw files are noticeably sharper. The high-sensitivity noise-reduction settings do a good job of filtering out the coarsest chroma noise, but only the most conservative 'Low' option strikes a good balance between noise reduction and detail retention.
Colour and White Balance
The Auto White Balance system worked well, with just a few errors on its part. These seemed to bias towards producing slightly warm images. Mixed lighting is always a struggle for Auto White Balance systems, and one instance where we found inconsistencies was when shooting under a mixture of daylight and fluorescent light. In comparison with the closest preset (Daylight) the camera produced a very warm, magenta-toned cast. We also found this issue when shooting outside in sunny conditions, but for the most part it got it right.
Sharpness and Detail
With a little processing, Raw and JPEG files exhibit good detail and respond well to sharpening. Noise reduction is sometimes necessary before sharpening, as sharpening itself can make noise more pronounced.
Value for Money
Value for Money
Currently, the A900's two rivals are Canon's 5D Mark II and Nikon's D700. If comparing specifications, we see that the Sony has the edge in terms of its resolution and viewfinder coverage, but loses out on its sensitivity range, live view, and, with the 5D Mark II, a video facility. We imagine many purists will side with Sony on the live view issue, and we can't imagine that omitting a video facility would alienate too many buyers either. You could, however, argue that much of the A900's 'core' specifications – such as focusing, metering and sensitivity – are barely different from the A700, a model a third of its price. So, whether the camera is good value or not depends on whether you need the improvements Sony has made over the A700, and don't mind what its feature set has left out.
Camera Layout Chart
It should come as no surprise that the A900 is a solidly built DSLR, capable of producing highly detailed images. From a practical consideration, its resolution and the Carl Zeiss optics currently available make it a perfect match for landscape and studio photographers, as well as anyone else needing high-resolution files. With its full-frame sensor, those still holding on to their Minolta lenses will also regain their wide angles. Hats off to Sony for the grip and flash options it provides for use with the model, too. These really go above and beyond the norm, and if they are indicative of how committed Sony remains for the professional then we can?t wait to see what comes next. But just as it?s clear what applications the A900 does suit, we?d be more hesitant to recommend it for anything that requires shooting at high sensitivities. With such a populated sensor we see a slight disadvantage when it comes to controlling noise, and this, together with its resolution, narrows the market for whom the A900 would be the ideal camera. We make this point not to demean the camera?s performance, but more to highlight how better suited it is to certain applications than others.
Yet despite this, we do admire what Sony has done with the A900. It blends a capable feature set with highly detailed images, adding a further dimension to the full-frame DSLR market.


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Lawmakers want to know who is calling the shots at the University of Hawaii in light of the mishandling of a bogus Stevie Wonder concert, and the internal probe that followed.
As KITV reported last week, lawmakers were unhappy with the handling of the concert debacle and the reassignment of athletic director Jim Donovan.
Now, a special legislative committee may convene in mid-September.
But, lawmakers said the probe isn't limited to the concert fiasco and will press for answers from UH administrators and regents about their operational and fiscal responsibility to taxpayers.
The bogus concert lost $200,000 for the already cash strapped UH athletics department.
But, there are also questions about spending in the top offices and whether it can be justified.
"The chancellor's office, and the president's office are creating positions right now. There is a lot of general fund money that goes in, and there is the increase in tuition, and the students feel that the money is being wasted," said Sen. Donna Mercado Kim.
The concert and probe has also turned into a public relations nightmare.
Kim says there may be a line of questioning about that.
The university administration recently hired a number former broadcast journalists as part of the president's communications staff, some who used to work at KITV.
On top of that, a private public relations firm was hired in May to assist in handling certain controversial issues.
The legislative committee does not have subpoena powers and will be arranging with UH officials to see when they will be available to answer questions about the recent events.


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criminal justice
Police Academy Application Process
Graduates of the Criminal Justice program may find employment with city, county, private and state agencies who are involved with the enforcement of laws, the investigation of criminal acts, corrections, probation, and parole. Positions are also available in the private industry where security and loss prevention are paramount. Some graduates will continue to pursue a bachelor's degree, which expands the employment market to include state and federal agencies.
The qualities that a person should have to be successful include: keen powers of observation; mental alertness, emotional stability; ability to work within prescribed rules and regulations; and the ability to handle responsibility and discipline. As the field of criminal justice becomes more sophisticated and complex, advanced training and education become more critical. The two-year curriculum includes courses in forensic science, juvenile delinquency, drugs and narcotics, family violence, criminal and constitutional law, criminology, and criminal investigations.
Where You Could Go
Common work settings include police/ sheriff's departments, juvenile facilities, city/county probation, correctional facilities, private security agencies and loss-prevention (retail). Many graduates transfer credits to another college or university bachelor degree program.
NC State has over 40 agreements with four-year colleges and universities, to provide a smooth transition for students who want to pursue a bachelor's degree; some of which are offered on the NC State campus or online.
Job Demand
There are a variety of career choices for criminal justice graduates. The field is stable and generally offers good job security, along with advancement opportunities with further training and education.
Program Learning Outcomes
Local Job Growth
Data provided by our Career Coach website. Percentage reflects the predicted job growth over the next 5 years in the North Central Region* of Ohio.
average $ 27,165 $24,190 $30,140
Entry Salary Range
Data provided by our Career Coach website. Salary range is calculated for the North Central Region* of Ohio and includes jobs that may require a bachelor's degree.
*The North Central Region of Ohio includes these counties: Richland, Ashland, Crawford, Wayne, Holmes, Medina, Huron, Seneca, Wyandot, Marion, Morrow, Knox, and Delaware.


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George Clooney And Stacy Keibler Show Up To The 'Argo' Premiere Together Amid Split Rumors
Those reports earlier this week that George Clooney and Stacy Keibler's relationship is on the rocks are apparently untrue. Rumored to be heading for splitsville for a few weeks now, the couple dazzled at the premiere of Ben Affleck's new film Argo Thursday night, holding hands and putting their arms around each other most of the time. If their relationship is in trouble they sure are fooling us!
Last month Clooney's rep told UsWeekly.com that a report in British tabloid The Sun wasn't true.
"A story published by a London tabloid, The Sun, concerning George Clooney and Stacy Keibler [is] not true," the rep said.
And despite the recent rumors of trouble in paradise, the current issue of Life & Style magazine reports that Stacy has moved into George's Los Angeles home.
An insider tells the magazine, ""She's 100 per cent moved in... she spends her summers at Lake Como in Italy (where George has a summer home) and all her stuff is at his place in Los Angeles."
"All her clothes are at George's, and she never goes home," the source adds.
The couple, looking happy together, joined the joining the likes of the film's director and star Affleck and wife Jennifer Garner, along with Argo stars John Goodman and Bryan Cranston.
The film's premiere was held at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, Calif. Clooney produced.


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The County Republican Convention is held in even-numbered election years, as part of the statewide and national Republican convention process. The purpose of the convention is to choose delegates and alternates to the Republican Party of Texas (RPT) State Convention, currently scheduled for June 7-9 in Fort Worth, said Walter Coumbe, county chair.
Resolutions or statements on policy issues will also be discussed and sent to the state convention for eventual inclusion in the state and national Party platform.
As a result of substantial changes in the election calendar in 2012, the county Republican Party will not conduct precinct conventions on the evening of the May 29 Primary Election and will be incorporating all party business into the county convention on April 21.
All attendees will be seated by precinct and will vote their precinct strength. Furthermore, all attendees have the right to seek to become a state delegate and to bring forth resolutions for consideration by the convention. The convention will be open to any registered voter who signs an oath of affiliation identifying themself as a Republican.
"Although the timing of this year's convention schedule has changed for Refugio County Republicans, we are more enthusiastic than ever about coming together for this important event and ready to get to work on our duties that day," Coumbe said. "On behalf of our county party, I invite all interested Refugio County Republicans to join us on Saturday, April 21 at the Pct. 2 Community Center in Bonnie View to participate in the important discussions and decisions that will carry forward to our State Republican Convention and beyond."
As an additional resource, the state party stands ready to answer any questions related to the 2012 Republican Party of Texas Convention process. More convention information is available at the RPT website - TexasGOP.org.
For any additional questions or information, please contact the Refugio County Chair, Walter Coumbe, at 361-779-7002 or by email at: email@example.com.


text: Right to Die Video: Assisted-suicide laws challenged again Add to ... CP Video Published Monday, Nov. 14, 2011 7:39PM EST Last updated Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011 9:01AM EST The issue of assisted suicide is again before the courts, 18 years after Sue Rodriguez lost her right-to-die fight at the Supreme Court. Protesters outside the court say laws banning euthanasia are there to protect vulnerable people. Watch More Video: Meet the pilot representing Canada in a vintage air rally California warehouse fire death toll climbs, includes teens Italy's Matteo Renzi says he will resign following referendum defeat Convoy with Fidel Castro's ashes makes final trip Trump breaks with long-standing U.S. policy by calling Taiwan's president Warehouse fire in Oakland, California leaves at least nine dead and two dozen missing Meet the pilot representing Canada in a vintage air rally South Korea to hold Park impeachment vote in parliament Thousands of Indonesian Muslims protest against Christian governor Donald Trump's supporters optimistic during Cincinnati rally Donald Trump wants James 'Mad Dog' Mattis for Secretary of Defense Mosul villages liberated, but land mines still pose massive risk Victims of Colombia plane crash to be sent home to Brazil Dakota Access Pipeline protesters prepare themselves for cold winter Donald Trump thanks Ohio voters for U.S. election victory Monsef takes heat for reaction to electoral committee report Time-lapse images from space show the human impact on parts of Canada Justin Trudeau encourages Canadians to get tested for HIV Donald Trump speaks to Carrier employees in Indiana Analyst: Wilbur Ross and Steven Mnuchin are relatively safe Trump choices Comments Share via email Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on LinkedIn Print More Related to this Story Video: Visit Sunnybrook's critical care unit Video: Meet Rheo: He got married despite untreatable cancer Tale of death that took 'painful eternity' opens right-to-die case


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Neighbourhood Planning
SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBOURHOODS IN PLANNING Programme 2011-13
Over the period from April 2011 to March 2013 we worked closely with over 50 communities developing Neighbourhood Plans under the provisions of the Localism Act 2011. They were selected from over 150 applications for support under the Supporting Communities and Neighbourhoods in Planning programme funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government. The neighbourhoods we assisted ranged from small rural areas with a simple set of issues to large urban areas with complex issues and diverse population.
Most of our neighbourhood planning work in the first year of the programme was delivered in the form of hands-on, participatory workshops with local residents and businesses, as well as other key stakeholders such as local authorities, transport/highways authorities, landowners, developers, etc. This is based on the Enquiry by Design (EbD) method of stakeholder engagement developed by us.
In the second year we delivered carefully targeted support to 24 neighbourhoods, focused on progressing Neighbourhood Plans. This included support at various stages of Plan development, related to:
- Community outreach and engagement
- Facilitating / running collaborative planning and decision making events
- Drafting of Neighbourhood Plans
- Carrying out sustainability appraisals where requested by local authorities
- Facilitating joint working between neighbourhood bodies, their local planning authorities and other key stakeholders (incl developers and landowners)
- Providing extra project management capacity
- Demonstrating compliance with NPPF and local plans / core strategies.
Over the course of the programme we facilitated over 300 workshops, meetings and community events, attended by over 12,000 people.
For examples of the work delivered under this programme please see our neighbourhood planning case studies.


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"You have helped me in so many intangible ways! I have grown in my knowledge and wisdom by reading your excellent materials and viewing your videos. I have passed along insight to my friends and family. I'm proud, blessed and happy to be an avid (ardent, dedicated, enthusiastic, keen) Catholic!"
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~ Michel Le Tellier, French Secretary of War, Chancellor under Louis XIV, devout Catholic; sang the canticle of Simeon "Nunc dimittis" (Luke 2:29-32) just before dying at the age of 82.


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West African countries ban Europe's dirty fuel imports 05/12/2016 00:00:00
Mushrooming Cooperation 05/12/2016 00:00:00
Closing ceremony of Environmental Rule of Law Symposium with (from left), Hon. Justice Winston Anderson, Judge, Caribbean Court of Justice, Hon. Justice Antonio Benjamin, Judge, High Court of Brazil, Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, Hon. Justice Philip Waki, Court of Appeals, Kenya, and Scott Fulton, Member, UNEP International Advisory Council for Environmental Justice; Principal, Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.; Visiting Scholar, ELI; Adjunct Professor, George Washington University Law School.
Nairobi, 25 June 2014 - The Global Symposium on Environmental Rule of Law, held at the first United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi, brought together Chief Justices, Heads of Jurisdiction, Attorneys General, Auditors General, Chief Prosecutors, lawyers and legal experts to raise awareness of the role of environmental law as an indispensable tool in achieving sustainable development and a Green Economy.
Recent research confirms that only 4 out of 90 of the world's most important environmental goals have registered significant progress. The financial toll of just one aspect of this shortfall on the global economy, that from international organized environmental crime, is US$70 to 213 billion annually, according to the joint UNEP-INTERPOL report, The Environmental Crime Crisis. The human toll is even greater: UNEP estimates that at least 40 per cent of internal conflicts over the last 60 years are linked to the exploitation of natural resources.
The symposium was delivered in two sessions. The first session explored different aspects of environmental rule of law as it relates to human rights and accountability. The second session dealt with the key components of enforcing environmental law.
Following the official opening of the symposium by Deputy Chief Justice of Kenya, Kalpana Rawal, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner described UNEA as a global platform that offers environmental law makers, implementers and enforcers a unique opportunity to spotlight the indispensable role of the rule of law in the protection, preservation and sustainable management of natural resources, and the protection of human rights.
Mr. Steiner said that he was impressed by the interest in the symposium, seeing all of those present as critical players in fostering the environmental rule of law, which he described as an issue that should concern everyone, and not just lawyers.
"Without UNEA, this group of stakeholders would likely never have convened at such a high-level event, and in such great numbers to discuss the pivotal role of the rule of law in ensuring our transition to a more sustainable and inclusive global economy," said Ms. Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director General, of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN),
Justice Antonio Benjamin from the High Court of Brazil- also Secretary General, UNEP International Advisory Council for Environmental Justice and Secretary General, UNEP World Congress on Justice, Governance and Law for Environmental Sustainability-led the interactive discussions on some of the most critical aspects of environmental rule of law as it relates to human rights and accountability.
Presenting a judicial perspective on human rights and the environment, Justice Winston Anderson, Caribbean Court of Justice, described environmental rule of law as an essential means of correcting social and economic injustices. Justice Benjamin also charted the journey of human rights and the environment from 1972, when an overlap between the two was first acknowledged, to its constitutional recognition vis-à-vis landmark cases heard in the Inter American and European Courts of Human Rights.
"The rule of law is a key tool to address inequalities, and environmental rights should be enshrined in constitutions and conventions," he said. "Although there is a transnational culture of environmental protection, an international court for the environment should be established."
Effective access to information, public participation and access to justice were described as important for transparent and accountable governance and to strengthen the public's trust in governing institutions.
Dr. Lalanath de Silva, Director of the Access Initiative, World Resources Institute, said, "Citizens are fighting for the rule of law, the right to information, the right to take part in decision-making and access to justice. Civil society should have the opportunity to challenge government decision-making that is not grounded in sound reason, science and law."
Mr. Scott Fulton, Adjunct Professor, George Washington University Law School, and former General Counsel and Appeals Judge of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), introduced the symposium's second session on environmental rule of law enforcement.
Participants were informed that although close to 130 national constitutions contain a right to a safe, healthy, and ecologically balanced environment, violations of environmental laws often fail to prompt the required response from governments and the law enforcement agencies. Such crimes are often still perceived as 'soft crimes' or 'victimless crimes', despite the actual and potential scale and consequences.
David Higgins, Assistant Director of INTERPOL's Environmental Security Sub-Directorate, described some of the types of crimes and other violations of environmental law, including the illegal trade in protected species; smuggling of ozone depleting substances; illicit trade in hazardous waste; illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing; and illegal logging and trade in timber. He described how environmental crime is fast evolving and therefore requires better-coordinated preventive actions and responses at national, regional and international levels. This was followed with a discussion on the capacity of institutions to enforce environmental law.
"Increased efforts are required to strengthen the capacity of courts and other tribunals, enforcement agencies, auditing institutions and other stakeholders to prosecute the perpetrators of environmental crimes," said Ms. Silvia Capelli, Senior Public Prosecutor, Brazil, and President of the Latin American Network of Environmental Public Prosecutors.
"There still exists a general misperception that environmental crime is somehow a lesser offence than other types of crime," said Mr. Tony Oposa, President, Law of Nature Foundation, Philippines. "On the contrary, environmental crimes that involve pollutants and the disposal of hazardous wastes can destroy local economies and damage human health inter-generationally."
A number of panelists shared good practices of successful prosecution of environmental crimes at the national and regional level. They explained how such cases lead to the strengthening of legislative instruments and enhanced capacity of courts and tribunals to bring the perpetrators of environmental crimes to justice.
"While delivering environmental justice is fraught with challenges, we have heard many successful approaches to environmental enforcement today, from which we can all learn and apply in varying degrees, to our own national and regional contexts," said Chief Justice Md. Muzammel Hossain of Bangladesh.
Mr. Steiner, bringing the event to a close, said that the global community must move forward in making environmental rule of law a reality for all by realizing its intrinsic value for environmental justice and sustainable development. It must work towards eliminating financial and other barriers obstructing access to justice in environmental matters. Investment in environmental legislation and support to legislators should be increased. UNEA, UNEP and its partners, will continue to play a supportive role in this process.
The outcomes and recommendations of the symposium have been forwarded to UNEA to inform, guide and enrich the debate on sustainable development goals and the post-2015 development agenda, including sustainable consumption and production as well as the ministerial dialogue on illegal trade in wildlife.
They will also be further enriched through follow-up work by the UNEP led World Congress on Justice, Governance and Law for Environmental Sustainability and through the International Advisory Council for Environmental Justice.
Some of the major outcomes of the symposium included:
1. Environmental Rule of Law is indispensable to sustainable development. Its further development and implementation will help to ensure just and sustainable development outcomes.
2. Law, coupled with strong institutions to implement it, is essential for societies to respond to increasing environmental pressures in a way that respects fundamental rights and principles of fairness, including to future generations.
3. Only through environmental rule of law can conditions be established under which justice and respect for environmental obligations arising from treaties and other sources of law can be maintained.
4. Through publicly promulgated and adequate environmental laws, which are equally enforced and independently adjudicated, the environmental rule of law reducing corruption, ensures accountability to the law, fairness in the application of the law, separation of powers, participation in decision-making, respect for human rights - and delivers environmental justice.
5. The illegal exploitation of natural resources, and especially the surging illegal trade in wildlife, is a growing concern. It highlights the importance of environmental rule of law and has impacts not only on the environment but on peace and security, national economies and involves sophisticated international criminal syndicates.
6. The world's Chief Justices, Attorneys General, Judges, Chief Prosecutors, Auditors General, leading legal scholars, practitioners and experts, and all relevant stakeholders must continue the dialogue on environmental rule of law in order to increase cooperation and the broad ownership of environmental rule of law measures.
For more information please visit:
About the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA)
UNEA is the highest-level UN body ever convened on the environment. It enjoys universal membership of all 193 UN member states as well as other stakeholder groups. With this wide reach into the legislative, financial and development arenas, the new body presents a ground-breaking platform for leadership on global environmental policy. UNEA boasts over 1200 participants, 170 national delegations, 112 delegations headed at minister level and 40 events during the five-day event from 23 to 27 June 2014 at UNEP's Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.


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Thor Industries Inc. (NYSE:THO) has reached the top gainers list today as the stock has jumped 4.69% from the open, touching $102.87 on a recent bid. The year-to-date performance of the stock is 63.24%. The monthly stock performance comes in at 14.84%. For the quarter, shares are performing at 11.43%. Weekly performance analysis shows the equity at 4.54%.
Certain covering analysts have provided recommendations and price target projections on Thor Industries Inc. (NYSE:THO). First Call currently has the consensus target price on the stock at $95.38. Analysts have also given a consensus recommendation on the stock of 1.80. This value is based on a numerical scale of 1 to 5. Analysts giving the rating a 4 or 5 are indicating a Sell. Analysts giving the company a 1 or 2 are indicating a Buy. A 3 rating would indicate a Hold on the equity.
Thor Industries Inc. shares are currently 119.22% away from the 52 week low. Alternately, the stock is separated 11.83% from the 52 week high. Current levels place the company 24.49% away from it's 20-day simple moving average. The average volume stands around 2954239. Trading volume is a hugely important consideration for any investor. By watching how many shares are trading hands and looking for any changes in that activity, trading opportunities can be spotted along with a deeper understanding of the reliability of other indicators on the stock. A significant increase in trading volume means that more than double the average amount of stocks are moving. When volume is decreased significantly, it may indicate there is an issue that shareholders should watch out for. It's also important to take into consideration how long the unusual volume sustains for. If it's only the one trading day, it can be dismissed as an anomaly.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and information expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any company stakeholders, financial professionals, or analysts. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. They should not be utilized to make stock portfolio or financial decisions as they are based only on limited and open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of any analysts or financial professionals.


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U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
The EEOC works with the Fair Employment Practice Agencies (FEPAs) and the Tribal Employment Rights Offices (TEROs) to manage charges of discrimination and the protection of the employment rights of Native Americans. The EEOC contracts with approximately 90 FEPAs nationwide to process more than 48,000 discrimination charges annually. These charges raise claims under state and local laws prohibiting employment discrimination as well as the federal laws enforced by the EEOC. FEPA and TERO offices for the area covered by this office are listed below.
Texas Workforce Commission, Civil Rights Division (FEPA)
101 East 15th Street
Room 144T
Austin, Texas 78778
Phone: 888-452-4778
Fax: 512-463-2643
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: http://www.twc.state.tx.us
Louisiana Commission on Human Rights (FEPA)
1001 N. 23rd Street, Suite 268
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
P. O. Box 94094
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9094
Phone: 225-342-6969
Fax: 225-342-2063


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Interpreting the Sharpe Ratio
by Wayne A. Thorp, CFA
The relationship between risk and return is an essential concept in finance, which argues that riskier investments should compensate investors with higher returns and safer investments should not experience exorbitant price fluctuations.
When comparing the performance of two securities, funds or portfolios, investors must consider risk-adjusted returns to see if they are being adequately compensated for the risk they are assuming. The goal is to achieve the largest return per unit of risk.
William Sharpe devised the Sharpe ratio in 1966 to measure this risk/return relationship, and it has been one of the most-used investment ratios ever since. Here, we discuss how to calculate and interpret the Sharpe ratio.
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Components of the Ratio
Much of the ratio's fame is attributable to its simplicity, as it comprises only three components. The original formula Sharpe presented in 1966 is as follows:
Sharpe Ratio = (Rx – Rf) ÷ StdDev(Rx)
Rx = average rate of return from investment X
Rf = risk-free rate
StdDev(Rx) = standard deviation of Rx
When analyzing the Sharpe ratio, the higher the value, the more excess return investors can expect to receive for the extra volatility they are exposed to by holding a riskier asset. Similarly, a risk-free asset or a portfolio with no excess return would have a Sharpe ratio of zero.
Average Return
The Sharpe ratio was originally developed as a forecasting tool, but it can also be used to calculate a historical risk-adjusted return. Expected average returns are used to calculate the forward-looking ratio, whereas actual returns are used in the historical ratio.
The expected return is also known as the required rate of return because it represents the minimum return investors require to compensate them for the added risk, which includes both the riskiness of the investment and the time value of money.
Risk-Free Rate
The risk-free rate is the return investors require to compensate for the time value of money alone. Typically, investors use the return on U.S. Treasury bills for the risk-free rate because it is reasonable to assume the U.S. government will not default on its debt obligations, and thus investors need only be compensated for the time their capital is tied up in the security.
The Sharpe ratio requires that Rf represents the average return of the risk-free rate over the time period under evaluation. When analyzing a three-year period, investors must average the rate of return on T-bills over the same three-year period.
Traditionally, the shortest-dated bill is used since it is the least volatile. However, some argue the risk-free security should match the duration of the investment. Since equities theoretically have an infinite duration, one could argue that the longest-dated bill should be used.
Standard Deviation
The standard deviation of a security measures how far returns deviate on average from its mean (or average) return. Standard deviation is a common indicator used to measure the volatility, and thus the riskiness, of an investment. For instance, an investment that deviates only 3% from its mean on average is judged as less risky than an investment with a 20% average deviation.
Using the Sharpe Ratio
As an example of how to calculate and interpret the Sharpe ratio, we downloaded monthly data on the S&P 500 index, the S&P MidCap 400 index, the S&P SmallCap 600 index and 90-day T-bills from January of 2008 to July of 2012 into an Excel spreadsheet.
Since the S&P 500 consists of 500 large-cap U.S. companies, it should theoretically be the least volatile and also the least rewarding. Similarly, the S&P SmallCap 600 should be the most volatile and also the most rewarding of these three indexes, as small-cap stocks are generally considered to be riskier.
When computing the Sharpe ratio, investors must first make sure they have an abundance of consistent and comparable data points. The more data points we use, the more likely distribution is normal and thus the more accurate our results will be. Although we use monthly data here, shorter intervals can be used but are more volatile and thus may require a longer time period to compensate for the added volatility.
In Excel, we used the function "=Average" to calculate the average monthly return and the function "=StDevP" to calculate standard deviation based on the entire population. [The function "=StDevP" is used when the entire population is present or when an individual is only interested in the sample and does not want to generalize the data to represent the entire population. For sampling, the function "=StDev" can be used. Basing the standard deviation on the entire population may be preferable when comparing historical performance, whereas sampling may be preferable when forecasting.] We then apply the components to the aforementioned formula to get the Sharpe ratio.
The resulting Sharpe ratios shown in Table 1 indicate that the S&P SmallCap 600, with a Sharpe ratio of 0.06, provided the highest monthly return per unit of risk out of the three indexes over the 4½-year period. As expected, the S&P 500, with a Sharpe ratio of 0.003, had the lowest volatility (standard deviation of 5.67%) and produced the lowest average return (0.05%). Meanwhile, the S&P SmallCap 600 experienced the most volatility, with a standard deviation of 7.12%, and the largest returns, averaging 0.46%.
Therefore, the S&P SmallCap 600 earned an average excess return of 6% per unit of risk, whereas the S&P 500 earned an average excess return of 0.3% per unit of risk. Although the S&P SmallCap 600 is more volatile and thus riskier, holders of the index were much better compensated for the risk compared to holders of the S&P 500 during that period. If investors expect this to continue in the future, they should favor the S&P SmallCap 600 over the S&P 500, as it would offer a higher expected return per unit of risk than the S&P 500.
Note that since all three indexes constitute diversified portfolios and that since diversification reduces volatility, their standard deviations are quite similar. Furthermore, historical performance is not a guarantee of future results. In general, small caps will outperform large caps when the market is improving, but small caps will severely underperform when the market is deteriorating. Although choosing the investment with the highest Sharpe ratio is logical, diversification and risk aversion should be considered first.
The Ratio's Weaknesses
Relative Value
The Sharpe ratio provides valuable information only when compared with another investment. To illustrate, if Company A has a Sharpe ratio of 1.0, does that make it a good investment? What if its competitor, Company B, has a Sharpe ratio of 3.0? All else equal, Company B is more attractive because, although Company A appears to have a high ratio, Company B's ratio is better.
|Average Monthly Return (%)
|Monthly St. Deviation (%)
|Sharpe Ratio
|Monthly Returns (%)
|Source: standardandpoors.com
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Moreover, negative Sharpe ratios, which are quite common during bear markets, do not provide useful information because the risk-free asset is then outperforming the investment on a risk-adjusted basis. In that case, investors often flood the bond market in search of the highest risk-adjusted returns available.
Total Risk
Since standard deviation measures total risk, the Sharpe ratio does not determine what investment is best for a diversified portfolio, rather it shows which investment is better of the two being compared. The total risk of an investment comprises both firm-specific and systemic risk, whereas a well-diversified portfolio should contain virtually no firm-specific risk because it is offset by the other securities. Therefore, it may be appropriate to choose an investment with a lower Sharpe ratio in the interest of maintaining a well-diversified portfolio.
Normal Distribution
Standard deviation requires that an investment's returns are normally distributed. That is, they must take the shape of a bell curve. The Sharpe ratio is not a suitable measurement for investments with asymmetric expected returns.
Even if returns are normally distributed, bell curves have real limitations. For instance, they do not take big market moves into account, which can impact long-term returns and affect leveraged investments.
Furthermore, the time period used in the calculation will affect results. Going too far back may not provide an accurate representation of the current situation.
Standard deviation includes movement in every direction, which many consider a weakness because it does not differentiate between upside and downside volatility.
However, because standard deviation and volatility measure the predictability of an investment, which is then translated into risk, high volatility means returns are inconsistent. Strong upside performance of a highly volatile stock can turn severely negative in an instant; thus it is still a risky investment.
Wayne A. Thorp, CFA, is senior financial analyst at AAII and editor of Computerized Investing. Follow him on Twitter @AAII_CI.
Doug from NY posted over 3 years ago:
Given that a Sharpe Ratio can be driven toward INFINITY by reducing the StdDev(Rx) toward zero, one really has to watch for earnings smoothing when using the Sharpe Ratio!
As an outrageous sort of example, suppose that a company had annual returns of 4%,5%,9%,4%. By simply deciding to give management a "special bonus" (call it the Sharpe Ratio Maximization bonus :-)) equivalent to the difference of these annual returns from some attainable return like 3% (and why shouldn't management receive more when returns are higher?), we can reduce the net return to 3%,3%,3%, and 3%.
Add back in a *little* variability (to avoid StdDev(Rx)=0), say by having higher expenses in some years, and we can make the Sharpe Ratio as high as we like, at the mere cost of a somewhat lower average return.
Mac from Massachusets posted over 3 years ago:
Could you offer more specifics on how to re-create the T-bill risk-free rate shown in Table-1? My attempt with info I downloaded from www.treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/... led me to calcs that were way off. Thanks.
Mac from Massachusets posted over 3 years ago:
Could you offer more specifics on how to re-create the T-bill risk-free rate shown in Table-1? My attempt with info I downloaded from www.treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/... led me to calcs that were way off. Thanks.
Gareth Degolier from MN posted over 3 years ago:
First of all, thanks for an informative article on the Sharpe Ratio.
Secondly, you say that "translated into risk, high volatility means returns are inconsistent. Strong upside performance of a highly volatile stock can turn severely negative in an instant; thus it is still a risky investment."
I know that it is conventional wisdom, but I don't buy that volatility equates to risk. There are other kinds of risk that should be emphasized more than volatility for either traders or investors. With a highly volatile stock, the reverse of the above statement is also true. Strong downside performance of a highly volatile stock can turn significantly positive in an instant; thus creating a lower entry point and potentially higher returns assuming, strong fundamentals.
Justin Morrill from CO posted over 3 years ago:
Thanks for the Sharpe ratio explanation.
While it's admittedly simple to calculate the Sharpe ratio in comparing several equities, I have come to use Beta as a proxy for standard deviation when screening a universe of stocks for possible investment. I believe that beta is a reasonable proxy since it is a measure of the volatility of an individual stock versus the volatility of the entire market. I find that this method is easier since beta of individual equities is widely published, and requires no calculation. I calculate the risk-adjusted-return by dividing the expected percentage return (equity price growth plus dividend over the same period) divided by beta. With the Treasury Bill rate near zero for the last several years, I currently gnore the risk-free expected return in this analysis. Just as with the Sharpe ratio, the higher the calculated value of this alternate ratio, the better the potential risk-adjusted-return.
Any comments on this approach?
Tony from MD posted over 2 years ago:
Something to think about:
"If investors rely solely on quantitative risk measures such as the the ones discussed here, real risks can escape detection until the damage has been done." - Arijit Dutta, Associate Director of Mutual Fund Analysis with Morningstar
"Thus, standard deviation, the most frequently used risk measure, is likely to understate the true downside of a portfolio." - Arijit Dutta, Associate Director of Mutual Fund Analysis with Morningstar
"With 20% declines occurring, on average, every decade or so, you'd think that the standard risk models that investors use to make their asset-allocation decisions would assign a significant probability that these events will occur. Think again." - Paul Kaplan, Ph.D., CFA and V.P. of Morningstar's Quantitative Research
"I think the simple message is that there's much more risk than there appears to be and that the standard deviation doesn't capture all the risk." - Roger Ibbotson, Founder of Ibbotson Assoc.
IMO, there are tree factors to consider when evaluating risk;
1. Predicting the probability of decline with a certain time frame
2. Predicting the length of the decline
3. Predicting the severity of the decline
Is their anyone who has been able to predict the answers to these questions to an acceptable degree of certainty?
At the end of the day, risk management calculations can only tell us about the past, and nothing of the future.
Doug from NY posted over 2 years ago:
Justin Morrill wrote:
I calculate the risk-adjusted-return by dividing the expected percentage return (equity price growth plus dividend over the same period) divided by beta.
So, this is basically the "Treynor Ratio".
Using a similar technique to the one I mentioned above, for the Sharpe Ratio, a company can drive beta toward zero (just keep the net earnings REALLY STABLE and the beta ought to decrease). If they can keep their expected percentage return ABOVE zero, they can drive your ratio toward infinity.
(Basically, I think ratios like this allow the denominator to be way too important, especially if it can be manipulated toward zero.)
Chris Smith from IA posted over 2 years ago:
I agree with Gareth that volatility does not necessarily equate with risk, especially if no one is holding a gun to your head forcing you to close out your position at the most inopportune time.


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Advanced Cultural Studies (ACS) Program at BTS
"If you are among the gifted men and women considering ministry training in the U.S. and your first language is not English, I invite you to consider Biblical Seminary's Advanced Cultural Studies, designed for qualified international students who wish to study in a theological community at the graduate level."
- Dr. Frank James, President of BTS
Who Should Consider Our ACS Program?
The Advanced Cultural Studies program is for any student desiring a theological education and whose primary language is not English, no matter where they are from. Typical English language training can fall short of equipping students for graduate level ministry study. Students face many issues in moving to a strange land with confusing customs and little access to the help they need.
Advanced Cultural Studies is designed to provide training for graduate level students in need of focused academic training in the English language, cultural awareness, and theological terminology in addition to regular program courses at BTS.
Why is BTS's ACS Program Unique?
The Advanced Cultural Studies curriculum includes cultural and spiritual formation, English language practice, and theological studies.
Read what Shinhyung Park has to say about the ACS programs
Read what Jihoon Park has to say about the ACS programs
Goals and Learning Outcomes of the ACS Program
The goal of Advanced Cultural Studies (ACS) is to provide BTS students with:
After completing Advanced Cultural Studies (ACS), students should be able to:
- Demonstrate competency in using comprehensive English skills for academic success in their graduate-level study.
- Demonstrate competency in theological terminology, missional theology, biblical literacy, and research skills.
- Demonstrate the ability to show cultural competence, multicultural awareness, interpersonal communication, and conflict management in diverse communities.
- Demonstrate capacity to maintain spiritual, intellectual, and emotional health by managing their daily life, studies, and social activities in a Christian environment.
How Many Terms or Classes Will I Need to Take?
The number of classes is determined by your TOEFL iBT score, which is a highly respected English-language test. It measures your ability to use and understand English at the university level, and evaluates how well you combine your listening, reading, speaking and writing skills to perform academic tasks. If you need to take the test, or additional information, you may visit the TOEFL site to learn more.
Our Required TOEFL iBT Scores:
- TOEFL iBT score minimum requirement = 60
- If your score is 60-69: 3 terms are required
- If your score is 70-79: 2 terms are required
- If your score is 80 and above: Selected courses may be recommended
Full-time students: 5 courses are required in each term
Advanced Cultural Studies Curriculum:
Advanced Courses
Intermediate Courses
Introductory Courses
Level 3: 2 ACS courses + 2 degree program courses
Other Requirements for Entry to BTS's ACS Program:
If you are an international student transferring your visa status to BTS (Category A), you must be accepted into one of our degree programs. If you are an international student that does not require transfer of your visa status (Category B), you do not need to apply for a degree program. Here are the requirements for application:
Category A Students
Students with a completed undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university who need an I-20:
Category B Student
Students who have completed two or more years of college/university (60 credits or more) and who do not need an I-20: