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April 19, 2012 —
Here in the Upper Delaware Valley, variety is indeed the spice of life. This past week served up a perfect menu, since The River Reporter's "Where and When" section was riddled with choices. Fascinated (yet horrified) by that woman known only as "Danielle" who spent $50,000 to clone her dog (www.andersoncooper.com [2]), I realized that simply being called a dog from time to time does not qualify me for cloning. Yet. Therefore, schedule in hand, I made my selections and headed out.
Having missed out on one or two stellar (so I'm told) exhibits at the Catskill Art Society (www.catskillartsociety.org [3]) over the winter months, I was determined to catch their newest installation, the annual Sullivan County High School Art Show featuring student work from participating schools in Eldred, Fallsburg, Liberty, Livingston Manor, Monticello, Roscoe, Sullivan West and Tri-Valley.
Meandering through the exhibit, I was reminded of Pablo Picasso's words: "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." Chatting with a few students at the show, I became convinced that this should not be a problem for some of these budding geniuses. Seventeen-year-old Zac Parc, representing the Roscoe Central School District, had concerns that seemed (IMHO) very grown up already. In keeping with state and nationwide concerns, Parc expressed dismay over funding cuts and the effect they have on the arts. "Roscoe's program has been compromised" he told me, while pointing out some of his work. "Without enough supplies to meet the demand, fewer courses were offered this year, which is a disappointment for all concerned."
Tri-Valley's Sidnye Orion was happy to report that although threatened, her school's program was going strong "for now." A senior with her eye on a career in fine art, Orion takes her work—and responsibility as an artist—seriously. As a visual example of that ethic, and solemn "music for the eyes," Sidnye chose "Human Struggle" as the theme for a series of paintings for her senior year, and is grateful that her instructor, Mr. McAssey, "gives us a wide berth" in how students choose to express themselves through their art.
Looking at colleges and summer internships, Orion chose to exhibit work that speaks of eating disorders and domestic violence, believing these issues to be of prime importance in a world where "sometimes, things aren't all that pretty." Daring and admirable come to mind, and there are over 100 examples of this kind of thinking (alongside the whimsical and lighthearted) on display through May 6 at the gallery in Livingston Manor.
Inspired by the youth of America, I made my way to the Event Gallery at Bethel Woods for an opportunity to experience "art for the ears" in the form of guitar legend Leo Kottke. Again, my mind wandered to others' words as I recalled Ludwig van Beethoven, who once declared that "the guitar is a miniature orchestra in itself." Kottke, arguably one of the finest guitarists in the world, is the physical embodiment of Beethoven's sentiment.
Taking the stage promptly, with no opening act and his beloved 12-string in tow, Kottke reminded the audience that we could have chosen a Justin Bieber concert over him, but promised to "do everything that Bieber would not" in his attempt to entertain. Charmingly self deprecating, Kottke shared stories about his youth, his career and some of the luminaries with whom he has shared a stage, but the focus of the evening was (and always will be) the music.
With over 20 albums under his belt, the guitarist has a vast repertoire from which to choose, and although he shared that he is "not always happy with what I do," the sold out crowd was more than happy with Kottke's signature and wildly innovative finger picking style, which "draws on influences from blues, jazz, and folk music, and his syncopated, polyphonic melodies" (www.wikipedia.org [4]).
Polyphonic music is defined as having two or more parts, each having a melody of its own, and Kottke is the undisputed king of this intricate and difficult technique. With an emphasis on the music itself ("Later I might burst into song, but not right now"), rather than the occasional vocals, Kottke's humor and intellect shone through when he did choose to address the crowd, but he allowed his instruments and talents to speak for themselves, inviting two standing ovations and demands for a rare encore. "There's no place to hide!" he moaned in mock distress, before taking the stage for a final tune that can only be described as (please forgive me) finger-pickin' good. Music for the eyes... art for the ears? Couldn't have said it better myself.


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'The Walking Dead' Recap: 'Clear' Is Best Of Season So Far
This week's episode was far and away the best episode of season three yet. That's a bold statement to make, considering how strong the season has been on a whole, but this episode stood out for many distinctive reasons, most notably for the way it developed three of the shows most important characters.
The episode begins with Rick, Carl, and Michonne in the process of making a run when they pass by a hitch hiker, who they refuse to stop and help. Their SUV gets stuck, and they get attacked by walkers, which they easily clear out. Rick and Carl have a great father and son bonding moment when Rick teaches Carl how to free the SUV, and the hitch hiker catches back up with the trio, just in time for them to pull away.
They arrive in Rick's old hometown, and they head to the police station, where they find that all the guns have been taken, and find one stray bullet, which is given to Rick. Rick gets angry about the fact that the guns are gone but decides that they are going to search the rest of the town, believing that there are more firearms to be found.
They discover that the center of the town has been booby trapped, and eventually are fired upon by a roof top sniper. Michonne attempts to flank the sniper, but they soon emerge on the street and come close to killing Rick, at which point Carl shows up and shoots the person in the chest.
The trio discover that the man was wearing a bullet proof vest, and Rick pulls off his mask to reveal it to be none other than Morgan, the man who helped Rick on the show's pilot. Rick is determined to talk to Morgan, and Rick and Michonne drag him back into his house, where they discover cryptic writing covering the wall.
Rick sees a message written on the wall refering to the death of Duane, Morgan's son, and soon realizes that Morgan is in a similar mental state. Rick ties him up and waits for him to wake up, and Carl and Michonne leave to go find a crib.
Rick messes around with the sniper rifle that he gave Morgan to shoot his wife, and Morgan rushes Rick with a knife. The two brawl and Rick ends up getting stabbed in the process, but both men live. Rick converses with Morgan, who has become very cryptic and believes that Rick cannot prevent the death of the one's he loves. We see Morgan's radio, and he states that he tried to contact Rick every day. Rick feels bad about what has occurred but cannot seem to get through to Morgan.
Meanwhile, Michonne and Carl end up at a bar that contains the last picture of Rick, Laurie, and Carl together, and the two end up fighting a bunch of walkers to get it. It was a thrilling sequence, although Michonne's disappearing act to get the picture seemed a little gimmicky. It was great to see the two bond, though.
Speaking of Michonne, this was by far and away her best episode yet. She had the best line in the episode, when Rick asked her if she was just going to eat Morgan's food, and she responded with "the mat said welcome."
Rick offers Morgan the chance to head back to the prison with them, but Morgan refuses, and decides to clean up the town instead. This serves as a wake up call for Rick, and the episode comes to a great close with Michonne saying that she used to see her dead boyfriend. Rick seems to feel that Michonne is part of the group now, and seems to have a newfound resolve.
Overall, this episode was nothing short of fantastic and was a much needed break from the going ons at the prison. Next week, it looks like the Governor and Rick will finally meet face to face, and that should prove to be nothing short of a stunning moment for the show.

subset: commoncrawl


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Ex-Lehman economist plans hedge fund
John Llewellyn, who was global chief economist at Lehman Brothers prior to its 2008 collapse, is hoping to make his debut as a macro hedge fund manager aged 69.
He said he has a US-based seeding firm lined up as a partner.
Lehman Brothers collapsed during the 2008 credit crisis. Several of its alumni work for his advisory boutique Llewellyn Consulting.
Llewellyn stressed he had not yet firmed up his hedge fund proposal, but he said: "Research would be key to this idea. We would aim to back three or four themes a year."
He said his team would seek to interpret the intentions of central banks when they clarify their views on policy. He said: "Their views are heavily coded. Market participants don't always know how to deal with this."
He said markets can move contrary to received wisdom for long periods of time. He said he is talking to his potential partner on dealing with this situation.
Llewellyn Consulting is an independent firm that regularly publishes economic reports. If the macro fund is launched, it will be advised by the firm. Llewellyn has been retained by Pension Insurance Corporation to lobby for the creation of a state-sponsored bank to advise the government on infrastructure development projects.
Russell Jones, a partner at Llewellyn, used to be chief economist for Asia at Lehman. He is former chief economist for the treasury department of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.
Llewellyn's chief operating officer, Lavinia Santovetti, also used to work for Lehman. More recently, she worked for Nomura's economic research department.


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No. 11 Oklahoma holds off TCU 20-17
NORMAN, Okla. Brennan Clay broke a 76-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter and No. 11 Oklahoma held off TCU 20-17 on Saturday night.
Trey Millard had a touchdown run for the Sooners (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) and Michael Hunnicutt hit field goals of 39 and 32 yards. Oklahoma and Texas will meet next Saturday in the annual Red River Rivalry in Dallas with first place in the conference on the line.
Oklahoma opened with seven straight defensive 3-and-outs, after finishing a 35-21 win at Notre Dame last Saturday with three. The 10 straight 3-and-outs was the longest such streak recorded by the Sooners since at least the 2003 season.
Oklahoma has won 10 straight Big 12 games, its third-longest streak in conference play since the league formed in 1996. The Sooners have won their last three against TCU (2-3, 0-2) since the Horned Frogs won in Norman in 2005.
TCU was expected to be a contender in the Big 12 this year but the Horned Frogs have struggled offensively in losses to Texas Tech and Oklahoma. Against the Sooners, TCU managed only 210 yards of offense, including only 44 yards rushing.
TCU had entered the game having won 16 of its last 18 conference road contests.
The Horned Frogs didnt cross midfield in the first half and didnt record a first down until the 8:34 mark of the third quarter. They managed a 25-yard field goal by Jaden Oberkrom on that series, which lasted for 12 plays and 7:17.
That seemed to energize TCU, which recovered a subsequent onside kick and drove 35 yards for a touchdown, with Trevone Boykin scoring on a 2-yard run to pull the Horned Frogs within 13-10.
The Sooners ran only eight plays for 4 yards in the third quarter and didnt record a first down in the second half until the 10:54 mark of the fourth quarter, after their defense had stopped TCU in Oklahoma territory.
That proved to be TCUs last, best chance. After the teams traded punts, Oklahoma took over at its own 18. Clay carried for a 6-yard gain, then broke into the open and outran everyone for his career-long 76-yard touchdown run with 4:37 left. Clay finished with 111 yards on nine carries.
TCU quickly answered, as a 45-yard pass from Boykin to David Porter and a 21-yard screen pass from Boykin to B.J. Catalon led to an 8-yard touchdown scramble by Boykin with 2:26 left. But the Horned Frogs deep kickoff went out of bounds and Oklahoma quarterback Blake Bell ran out the clock, running for a pair of first downs.
After strong showings in his first two starts - wins over Tulsa and Notre Dame - Bell completed 20 of 31 passes for 152 yards. He didnt throw an interception (for the third straight game) but also didnt throw a touchdown pass. Bell finished with 61 yards rushing on 14 carries.
The Sooners, who had averaged 256.8 yards rushing per game during a 4-0 start, had 203 yards against TCU.
No. 10 LSU 59, Mississippi State 26
STARKVILLE, Miss. Zach Mettenberger threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns, Odell Beckham Jr. had 179 yards receiving and two TDs, and No. 10 LSU pushed past Mississippi State on Saturday night.
Mettenberger completed 25 of 29 passes in another impressive performance during the seniors breakout season. Beckham was his favorite target the two hooked up for nine completions.
LSUs Jeremy Hill added 157 yards rushing and two touchdowns. The Tigers (5-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) have won 14 straight over Mississippi State (2-3, 0-2) dating back to 1999.
It was a tight game until the first play of the fourth quarter, when Mettenberger found Beckham for a 33-yard touchdown pass to give the Tigers a 38-26 lead.
Mississippi States Dak Prescott threw for 106 yards and rushed for 103 more. Jameon Lewis caught seven passes for 111 yards and a touchdown.
The Bulldogs offense was good, especially early, but LSUs was even better.
The Tigers receiver duo of Jarvis Landry and Beckham was unstoppable, even when Mississippi State appeared to have good coverage, and Mettenberger found them early and often.
Landry had eight catches for 96 yards as the Tigers finished with 563 total yards.
LSU needed all those big throws, because the defense was gashed for a second straight week. The Tigers gave up 44 points and nearly 500 yards last week in a loss to Georgia and Mississippi State had some early success on Saturday with a two-quarterback system.
Prescott started after two weeks of mystery. Coach Dan Mullen said senior Tyler Russell who returned after missing three games due to a concussion would be the starter after the teams win against Troy on Sept. 21, but waffled on that statement as the LSU game drew closer.
The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Prescott has been terrific in Russells place, providing much more of a running threat. On the teams first offensive drive, he rewarded Mullens confidence with a 28-yard touchdown run to pull the Bulldogs with 7-6.
Russell entered the game early in the second quarter and also had immediate success, throwing a 20-yard touchdown to Lewis to pull Mississippi State to 21-16 in the second quarter.
The Bulldogs took a 23-21 lead on Russells 59-yard touchdown pass to DeRunnya Wilson, but LSU responded with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Mettenberger to Beckham to take a 28-23 lead into halftime.
Russells second touchdown pass was the 40th of his career, which set a Mississippi State record. He finished 7 of 11 passing for 146 yards.
The teams combined for 608 total yards in the first half 334 for LSU and 274 for Mississippi State.
LSUs defense tightened in the second half, giving up just three points.MORE IN Sports WireOXON HILL, Md. Wade Davis already had closed out a World Series. Full StoryBOSTON New Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale said he isnt worried that he might not be the ace... Full StoryNORMAN, Okla. Full Story
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text: I have been pumping one time a day to save for supply. Yesterday i pumped right after I fed Sawyer and then went to the store. My husband called to say that he wanted a bottle (superbowl made for long lines...) so i told him to go ahead and give him one, then I pumped again when I got home. Would you have pumped that second time?


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Reviewed By David N (Union Hall, VA) Reviewed for a 2011 Acura RL —3/31/2012 5:19 AM
Prompt delivery; top quality product; car seat size surely varies but it would be improved if had a means to connect on the ends better and if it were a few inches longer (from top to bottom. When dogs step on it the cover fits more tightly into the junction of the top and bottom seat and pulls up slightly in the front nearly uncovering the front edge of the seat. I would buy again.


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Our Buffalo location is closed this afternoon, December 10, due to a power outage. We hope to resume normal operations in Buffalo tomorrow.
4.6 years old
We think Buttercup is pretty cute too, but she is no longer available for adoption.
Check out some other animals still waiting for homes.


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By Greg Sargent
Mitt Romney frequently faults President Obama for not having any kind of plan to pull us out of our employment slump. But would Mitt Romney's ideas help fix the economic crisis?
I asked two economists to take a look at that question. Their conclusion: While both said they support some of Romney's long term goals, they both agreed that Romney's ideas would do little or nothing to fix the immediate crisis, and could in the short term make things worse.
The question of whether Romney's ideas would fix the economy in the near term has gotten short shrift, because presidential campaigns amid a bad economy tend to focus relentlessly on the incumbent.
The most direct answer Romney has given to the question of what he would do to fix the near term crisis — as opposed to his long-term plan — came during an interview on CNBC in the wake of the bad May jobs numbers. Romney offered six suggestions.
He said he would tap our energy resources to "put a lot of people to work in the energy sector." He said he'd repeal Obamacare, which is "scaring small businesses from hiring." He said he'd balance the budget so people know "investing in America is going to yield a return in dollars worth something." He vowed to "open up new markets in American trade." He said he'd revamp the National Labor Relations Board and lower tax rates on employers, both of which would make it easier to hire people.
"Are all these things going to reduce the unemployment rate from eight to five in two years? No," Joel Prakken, the chairman of Macroeconomic Advisers, tells me. He described Romney's ideas as a "a bundle of reasonable policy proposals that could well stimulate the economy from the supply side over a number of years, but would do little to stimulate aggregate demand in the short run. The reason that unemployment is as high as it is is inadequate aggregate demand, not inadequate supply."
"On net, all of these policies would do more harm in the short term," added Mark Hopkins, a senior adviser at Moody's Analytics. "If we implemented all of his policies, it would push us deeper into recession and make the recovery slower."
I asked each economist to walk through the specifics:More at:


text: The Falls City Varsity team won the 7 on 7 championship last week. They defeated Runge, Falls City JV, Woodsboro in pool play and then defeated Floresville JV, Woodsboro and Floresville Varsity. Pictured here are Austen Camber, Cody Houdmann, Dean Gaskamp, Tyler Malcolm, Eric Wiatrek, Jonathon Sekula, Mitch Lyssy, Kendall Kanak, David Brodsky, Tyler Moore, and Joseph Swierc.


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Panthers offense struggles in loss to Seahawks
Cam Newton and the Panthers struggled against a tough Seattle defense on Sunday.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Cam Newton and the
Carolina offense never looked anything like the high-scoring team they were last season. Instead, the
Panthers dropped passes, lost fumbles and had to fight for every yard against Seattle's tough defense Sunday.
Newton threw for a career-low 141 yards in the 16-12 loss to the Seahawks, while the offense managed just 190 total yards and failed to reach the end zone all afternoon.
Carolina (1-4) headed into a bye week with plenty to think about after a performance that drew some boos from the home crowd.
"I think the thing we have to understand more so than anything else is that when it's harder, we've got to buckle down and play better," Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. "There is really no simple answer to this other than to just keep working hard and keep believing in the process."
Things started off badly for the Panthers, with three three-and-outs in five first-half possessions that managed only a field goal. Newton missed on 12 of 15 passes during that half, and things didn't get much better on the afternoon. He finished 12-for-29 and was sacked four times.
"I have to be accurate throwing the ball and the check downs and that didn't happen today," Newton said. "To a degree, I'm kind of embarrassed, you know? But things are going to get better."
For the Seahawks, rookie quarterback Russell Wilson threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate with 35 seconds left in the third quarter for the go-ahead score.
Wilson shook off two third quarter interceptions -- including one that was returned for a touchdown -- and threw for a season-high 221 yards. Marshawn Lynch ran for 85 yards for the Seahawks (3-2).
The Panthers' only touchdown came on Captain Munnerlyn's 33-yard interception return early in the third quarter.
Carolina started the season with plenty of optimism with the return of Newton to lead a high-scoring offense, but the Panthers couldn't rebound a week after losing 30-28 to the Falcons on Matt Bryant's field goal with 5 seconds left.
The Panthers had two chances to take the lead in the final minutes on Sunday, the first when they drove all the way to the Seattle 1-yard line with about 4 minutes left.
On a fourth down play, Newton rolled to his right and spotted Ben Hartsock open in the end zone, but he threw a one-hopper on the short pass to give the ball back to Seattle.
Then, after the Seahawks took an intentional safety, Carolina got the ball back at its own 31 with 54 seconds left and no timeouts.
After a first down incompletion, Seattle rookie Bruce Irvin came around the right side and stripped Newton from behind as the quarterback tried to load up for a throw.
The ball hit the turf, and Alan Branch recovered to seal the victory for the Seahawks.
The game marked a homecoming of sorts for Wilson, who first gained acclaim as a quarterback at North Carolina State. He also played minor league baseball in Asheville and Gastonia before returning to college football and finishing up at Wisconsin.
The rookie hadn't thrown for more than 160 yards in a game until Sunday, but didn't panic when he threw the two interceptions and bought time with his mobility on several plays to help the Seahawks keep drives going.
After a fumble by DeAngelo Williams gave Seattle a short field, Wilson moved the Seahawks to the Carolina 13 then found Tate over the middle for a short throw. Tate spun off a hit from Thomas Davis around the 4 then ran into the end zone for the 13-10 lead.
Steven Hauschka added his third field goal to make it 16-10 with about 10 minutes left.
Lynch, the NFL's leading rusher for the season's first month, reached 85 yards rushing for the 13th time in 14 games. That included when he had a spinning 11-yard run on a third-and-7 for a first down that helped the Seahawks use more clock after the Panthers' stalled late drive.


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- 18 Mar 2013:
9-Dec-2016 markets closed
|TSE electronic
|OTC electronic
- Apple supplier Foxconn plans expansion in US (Dec 7) - Wall Street Journal
- Siltronic said to attract takeover interest from China group (Dec 2) - Bloomberg
- India's central bank says cash crisis is hurting the economy (Dec 7) - CNNMoney
- Why China wants US memory chip technology, and what Washington is doing about it (Dec 6) - Forbes
- SoftBank CEO tells Trump he'll invest US$50 billion in startup (Dec 7) - Bloomberg
- Chinese celebrities caught up in tech group's woes (Nov 30) - The Financial Times
- Trump-Taiwan call breaks US policy stance (Dec 3) - BBC News
- Obama blocks Chinese takeover of Aixtron as US security risk (Dec 3) - Bloomberg
- Releases
- White papers
- Bulletin
- Conexant working with Amazon to create AudioSmart 2-mic development kit for Amazon Alexa
- CEVA creates new value by enhancing IoT and machine learning applications
- DSP applications focus on IoT and computer vision to stimulate new industrial growth
- Innodisk launches digital input/output expansion cards suitable for industrial systems
- AVerMedia introduces video capture and streaming solutions, targeting application opportunities in four major sectors
- Unisys IT Implementation of Unisys Stealth Solution for Data Center Segmentation
- AccuTouch Five Wire Resistive Touchscreens
- Getting the Most Out Of Your Next Generation Digital Security Surveillance System
- Embracing the New Generation Intel Atom Family with DDR3 Memory Support
- Got The Message? Ensuring efficient and reliable delivery of content across a mission critical digital signage network
- Perforce Software Wins Develop Industry Excellence Award for the Second Year in a Row
- Perforce Teams with Leading Git Client Developer fournova
- Perforce Introduces Helix GitSwarm: Flexible Git Ecosystem Mirrored to a Powerful Mainline Repository
- Perforce Helix Distributed Version Control System Brings Greater Flexibility While Maintaining Enterprise-class Security, Auditability and Control
- Perforce Powers Development of Legacy Quest for iOS and Android
- Digitimes Research: Samsung Note 7 issues may help Apple to regain number-1 crown in 4Q16
- Digitimes Research: 4 million 9.7-inch iPad Pros to ship in 1H16
- Digitimes Research: Global all-in-one PC shipments to drop 3.9% on year in 2015
- Mentor Graphics Veloce VirtuaLAB adds protocols for networking designs
- Mouser Electronics undergoing expansion
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- Smartphone and tablet industry: The view from Taiwan - May 2012
Taiwan-based companies have a long and successful history of involvement in the supply chain for mobile devices, which for the purposes of this article consist...
- Taiwan motherboard industry overview - May 2012
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- Notebook market overview - Jun 2011
The notebook industry in 2010 experienced several major events that significantly changed the industry's ecosystem for the year and the industry is also believed...
- LCD TV overview - Jun 2011
Growth of the global LCD TV market was not as strong as expected in 2010 as the market continued to feel the aftershocks of the economic recession that had hit...
- Wireless broadband developments in Southeast Asia markets
As of 2013, the 10 ASEAN nations had a total of over 700 million mobile subscriptions, with the CAGR from 2003-2013 reaching 24%. This Digitimes Research Special Report analyzes the various mobile broadband markets in ASEAN and looks at the respective trends in 4G LTE development for those markets.
- 2015 global tablet demand forecast
This Digitimes Research Special Report provides a 2015 forecast for the global tablet market and analyzes the strategies of key market players such as Google, Apple, Intel, and Microsoft.
- 2015 China smartphone panel trend forecast
This Digitimes Research Special Report analyzes the strategies of key China-based major panel makers BOE, Tianma and IVO for attacking the different market segments through technology and pricing, and their relationship to local vendors Huawei, Lenovo, ZTE, Xiaomi and Coolpad.


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Richard Childress Racing
Recent News
Sprint Cup Preview for Kentucky Speedway
June 25, 2013
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series News and Notes
Race: Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts
Date: Saturday, June 29, 2013
Location: Kentucky Speedway
Richard Childress Racing in the Bluegrass State ... In seven NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) starts at Kentucky Speedway, Richard Childress Racing holds a 17th-place average starting position and an average finishing position of 20.1 and has completed 1,859 of the contested 1,869 laps (99.5 percent). The 1.5-mile tri-oval has held NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events since 2000 and RCR drivers Paul Menard and Kevin Harvick have both competed in Nationwide Series races at Kentucky Speedway, with Harvick claiming victory in the inaugural NNS event in 2001.
RCR in the NSCS ... In 2,321 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 103 wins, 42 pole awards, 440 top-five finishes and 925 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.9 and an average finishing position of 15.8. RCR has earned 14 total championships (six Sprint Cup Series championships with Earnhardt in 1986, '87, '90,'91, '93 and '94, five NASCAR Nationwide Series titles, two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series titles and one ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR's three national series.
RCR Sonoma Rewind ... Last weekend at Sonoma Raceway, Harvick scored his eighth top-10 finish of the season (10th-place) while Menard and Jeff Burton finished 14th and 31st, respectively.
The Collective RCR ... Throughout the season's first 16 races, RCR's Sprint Cup Series entries have earned two wins with Harvick at Richmond International Raceway (April) and in the Coca-Cola 600, notched five top-five and 15 top-10 finishes with drivers Burton, Austin Dillon, Harvick and Menard. RCR's three full-time Sprint Cup Series drivers rank fourth (Harvick), 12th (Menard) and 20th (Burton) in the driver championship point standings.
Interactive RCR ... For up-to-date news and exclusive content, visit RCR's Twitter page - @RCRracing - along with the RCR Sprint Cup Series team Twitter pages - @RCR27PMenard, @RCR29KHarvick, @RCR31JeffBurton and driver Twitter page @KevinHarvick. Information about the 14-time championship winning organization can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardChildressRacing and at www.RCRracing.com along with official driver pages - www.facebook.com/PaulMenard27, www.facebook.com/OfficialKevinHarvick and www.facebook.com/OfficialJeffBurton.
Catch the Action ... TNT's live coverage from Kentucky Speedway begins Saturday, June 29 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The race will also be broadcast on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Paul Menard
No. 27 SYLVANIA/Menards Chevrolet SS
This Week's SYLVANIA/Menards Chevrolet ... Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 414 at Kentucky Speedway this weekend. This No. 27 Chevrolet SS previously ran at Darlington Raceway in May and was tested earlier this month at Kentucky Speedway.
Stats in the Bluegrass State ... Menard has two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile oval. His best start of 10th came in 2011 and best finish of 12th came in 2012. The Wisconsin native has completed 533 of 534 laps attempted (99 percent) at the Sparta, Ky., track.
About SYLVANIA ... Innovation at its Brightest ... OSRAM SYLVANIA is a leader in lighting solutions and services, specializing in innovative design and energy saving technology. The company sells products for homes, businesses and vehicles primarily under the SYLVANIA brand name, and also under the OSRAM brand. Headquartered in Danvers, Mass., OSRAM SYLVANIA is the North American operation of OSRAM GmbH. For more information, visit www.sylvania.com.
Questions with Paul ... Menard will participate in a 15-minute question-and-answer session with fellow drivers Aric Almirola and David Ragan at Kentucky Speedway on Saturday. The session is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time and is located in the Infield Fan Zone adjacent to the Sprint Cup Series garage.
Race Rewind ... In this event last year at Kentucky Speedway, Menard started the No. 27 Chevrolet 15th and finished 12th, collecting his best finish to date at the 1.5-mile speedway.
Menard's Thoughts on Racing at Kentucky Speedway: "Kentucky (Speedway) is a flat 1.5-mile track, it has high-frequency bumps and is really wide. It's a track with a lot of character and I enjoy going there. We tested at Kentucky for a couple of days earlier this month and learned a lot. Hopefully the weather will be similar to our test session and we can apply that information to this weekend. It's always nice to get a little extra track time any chance we can get. I know my guys have worked really hard to give me a fast SYLVANIA/Menards Chevrolet and we'll see what we've got when we turn our first laps of the weekend on Friday."
Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet SS
This Week's Budweiser Chevrolet SS at Kentucky Speedway ... Kevin Harvick will pilot chassis No. 425 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway on Saturday night. This is the same Chevrolet the California native drove to Victory Lane after the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.
Racing in the Bluegrass State ... Harvick has two starts to his credit at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval dating back to 2011. The RCR veteran earned his best start of fourth and finish of 11th in 2011 and completed 100 percent (534 of 534) of the laps contested.
Red, White and Blue Summer ... Budweiser's limited-edition red, white and blue packaging represents a special initiative in which the brand will contribute a portion of all sales from May 5 - July 4 to help raise as much as $1.5 million for the Folds of Honor Foundation*, which provides post-secondary educational scholarships for families of U.S. military personnel killed or disabled while serving their country. Since 2010, Budweiser has raised more than $5 million for the Folds of Honor Foundation and provided more than 1,000 educational scholarships to the families of soldiers killed or disabled in service. (*Donation of 2 cents per case of Budweiser sold, May 5, 2013 to July 4, 2013, with a maximum donation of $1.5 million.)
Race Rewind ... Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser Folds of Honor team crossed the finish line in the 11th position in the 2011 edition of this event at Kentucky Speedway after battling handling issues during the 267-lap affair.
What are your thoughts on racing at Kentucky Speedway? "It's the newest, oldest track we go to. Kentucky Speedway is a place where our team felt like we needed to try some things, so we decided to test there a few weeks ago. We feel as though we made our car better from the information that we collected during the two days we spent there. We'll have to see what the weather is like when we go back, but hopefully we'll have a good base-line of where we need to be for the race."
What makes Kentucky Speedway unique compared to other 1.5-mile tracks? "Kentucky Speedway is very rough. The corners are longer so they're not as sharp, but the roughness of the racing surface is really what makes it unique in my mind. There is still a lot of grip, but the track has become rough over the years."
Jeff Burton
No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS
This Weekend's No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet at Kentucky Speedway ... Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 372 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable this weekend at Kentucky Speedway. This No. 31 Chevrolet was utilized earlier this season at Bristol Motor Speedway in March.
Burton in Kentucky ... Burton has two starts at the Sparta, Ky.-based facility with his best start of 22nd and best finish of 19th both coming in the 2011 event. The South Boston, Va., native has also completed 533 of 534 laps attempted (99 percent) at the 1.5-mile oval.
Featured Cat Dealers ... Whayne Supply Company Inc. will be featured on the deck lid of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet this weekend at Kentucky Speedway.
•Whayne Supply Company, one of the oldest and largest Caterpillar dealers in the United States, is celebrating their 100th anniversary this year. Based in Louisville, Ky., Whayne has 16 locations across Kentucky and Indiana serving the construction, mining, highway, agriculture and power industries.
Last Season in the "Bluegrass State" ... Burton and the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet team posted a 24th-place finish in the 2012 race at Kentucky Speedway.
RCR recently tested at Kentucky Speedway, how was the track? "It's pretty rough, much rougher than anywhere we go. Atlanta (Motor Speedway) is rough, but it is more of a wavy rough. Kentucky Speedway is just plain and simple rough with these big bumps. The grip level is not great either so you are able to slide around a little bit, especially when the weather is hot. It's a challenge with the splitters on these cars. Splitters don't like to be hitting the race track and to get the splitter off of the ground while being able to turn at the same time is very difficult."


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Here are the Disney photos you took for June
ANAHEIM Is there a better place to take photos than at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim?
Still, it is a pretty darn good spot to snap away.
The Register's new Disney website, OC Disney, spotlights one photo taken by you, the public, each day. We use one for each OC Disney page that runs in the Register, too, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Here are some of the better ones we came across in June on our Flickr account.
You can share your photos snapped at Disneyland or Disney California Adventure with us by setting up a Flickr account at flickr.com/groups/ocrarounddisney.
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Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to republish your name and comment in additional Register publications without any notification or payment.


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The one when Bart questions his sexuality and John Waters is in it..ReplyCancel
Season 7 – Sideshow Bob and his brother Cecil – voiced by Kelsey Grammer & David Hyde Pierce. Loved when Lisa jumps on Cecil's back & says "Guess who?" His answer – Maris!
There are so, so many great episodes . . .ReplyCancel
Horrifying confession: I have never watched an entire episode. I think that means I'm eligible to be deported.ReplyCancel
The one where Radiohead guest stars and Cartman kills this kids parents and cooks them into chili and made the kid eat it,ReplyCancel
Is this show still on??? I may have watched 2 or 3 shows way back in the last century…ReplyCancel
I've never sat down to watch a full episode, but I have watched the closet episode online with Travolta and Cruise. As a critic of Scientology and someone who dislikes watching people hide in the closet, I highly enjoyed this episode.
I'm not sure if it is true, but I heard lawsuits were threatened and the episode can never be aired again. Thankfully we have YouTube.ReplyCancel
That was SOUTHPARKReplyCancel
Just watched that episode the other day. Classic! Poor Stan just wanted Tom outta his closet.ReplyCancel
Idk bout lawsuits cause I watched it on Comedy Central the other day but i was surprised it was on.ReplyCancel
"Lisa's Substitute," with Dustin Hoffman as the substitute teacher Lisa falls in love with. The ending could have been hideously sentimental but right when you thought a great episode was going to go to waste they pulled a rabbit out of a hat and ended it perfectly.
"Homer the Great," where Homer becomes head of the ancient secret society of the Stonecutters. The Stonecutters song "We Do!" is the best song they ever did.ReplyCancel
Funny cuz I was going to purposely mention a fav South Park or Family Guy episode because, in other words, can't recall any Simpsons episodes. It's been so long and I guess they weren't as memorable as South Park.
I can see how non fans could confuse them. ….."what would Brian Botano do?" & "shut ur effeminate mouth Uncle Ducker….shut ur effin mouth Uncke Ducker". And the loud motorcycle epi. Ummmm kayyyReplyCancel
The Michael Jackson one- where Homer ends up in an asylum. Love the Birthday Song for Lisa.ReplyCancel
@BratGirl- ha ha ha. Thanks for the clarification. I don't watch SouthPark either so I have no frame of reference for the difference between Simpsons and SouthPark.ReplyCancel
I watched the Simpsons occasionally until i found out that the voice of Bart is Co$ and now I boycott it.
Plus South Park is funnier.ReplyCancel
@Ray interesting it was on. Maybe the ban was BS or COS is losing power (yeah).ReplyCancel
Re- SouthPark Out of the Closet episode. Originally the story was Cruise threatened to pull from doing publicity for one of the Mission Impossible movies if the episode was aired again (both SP and MI are from Viacom). An early rebroadcast was pulled. Cruise later denied the story and the episode has since been aired.ReplyCancel
That's my favorite, too, @Jane!
Oh yeah, shake it, Madeline! Capital knockers!ReplyCancel
Homer tripping. I forget if it was from a pepper, shrooms or both.ReplyCancel
the epi when santas little helpe (the dog) needed an operation and the family had to cut back on expenses. as soon as marge suggested cutting back maggie bent her arm and her shirt tore. by the time the dog got the operation i remember bart having a really bad mom haircut and maggie exploded out of her shirt. lolReplyCancel
Stopped watching years ago but 9 yr old boy made us start back last year. I forgot how much I loved it!ReplyCancel
Itchyscratchyland, probably. Or the prohibition of alcohol one.
In South Park, I love the "not without my anus" one (Terrance & Philip, sp, special making the cliffhanger from the 1st season longer), and the one when Butters says "do you know what I am saying" when pimping.ReplyCancel
Kamp Krusty. Bart and Lisa are in their freezing cold cabin in their bunks lying down when the counselors tell them they're going across the lake to "meet some tail."
I was 9 when I first saw this episode.ReplyCancel
i still yell "excelsior" from time to time because of Ralph, the kid in the white shirt with the pocket protector. lolReplyCancel
There are so many classic episodes, at its peak (arguably Season 3-7), it was one of the sharpest, funniest shows ever made.
The Shining and Citizen Kang Treehouse of Horrors are tops. I think my all-time favorite is Itchy & Scratchy Land – my BORT license plate keychain is one of my prized possessions.ReplyCancel
The Christmas Show where Homer loses the kids' Christmas Present Money at the Dog Track on "Santa's Little Helper" and Santa's Little Helper gets kicked out for being a loser. Then he shows up at the door on Christmas Eve and the kids scream that they got a dog for Christmas. It was AWESOME!ReplyCancel
Never watched a single one.ReplyCancel
My bf has a Stonecutters tattoo.ReplyCancel


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"Thank you for Catholic Answers. I enjoy hearing Patrick and his guests each weekday evening, and I have grown so much in my faith in the last 7-8 years. Thank you for speaking the truth."
~ Diane
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"Behold, for a thousand years the pictures of your forefathers holding rosaries in their hands have stood in this church."
~ Cardinal Klesl, to the citizens of Sankt Polten (Lower Austria) during the Reformation, explaining the historic and ancient nature of Catholic praxis.


text: MTA members win NEA Foundation grants MTA members in Natick and Belmont are the recipients of $5,000 Student Achievement grants from the NEA Foundation. Jill Conroy and Kathleen Browne of Natick Public Schools will use their grant to explore impact of pollution on local water supply.Through this project, environmental studies students will expand their knowledge of biotechnology techniques by collecting, testing, and analyzing samples from local water sources. Working with the town water and conservation commissions, students will determine more environmentally safe clean-up methods and learn measures to prevent pollutants from entering the water supply. The grant awarded to Melissa Latham and Rebecca El-Gamel of Belmont High School will purchase Rosetta Stone software to expand the opportunities for students to study German, a course not regularly offered to students. The software will be used to support the teaching and learning of German to independent studies students as well as ESL students in their school. The NEA Foundation awards two primary categories of grants to public education professionals: Student Achievement Grants for initiatives to improve the academic achievement, and Learning & Leadership Grants for high-quality professional development activities. Nationwide, the NEA Foundation has awarded 57 grants totaling $252,000 to support educators' efforts to improve teaching and learning. Since 1999, the NEA Foundation has funded 50 grants for Massachusetts educators. The latest grants were awarded to educators in 33 different states. "With support from the NEA Foundation, public school educators in schools nationwide are finding new ways to increase student engagement in learning and are sharing new approaches to instructional practice with their peers," said Harriet Sanford, president and CEO of the NEA Foundation. "Our most recent grantees will use these funds on a wide range of projects: from studying brained-based teaching strategies to instructing students how to create multi-media life stories through photography, poetry, and rap." Since 1999, the NEA Foundation has awarded more than $7.5 million in grants to educators in every state in the country. The Foundation awards its grants to educators three times a year. The deadline for the next review period is Feb 1, 2011. Descriptions of current and past recipients, online application forms, and an instructional video can be found at neafoundation.org. The NEA Foundation is an independent, public charity supported by contributions from educators, corporate sponsors, and others. We partner with education unions, districts, and communities to create powerful, sustainable improvements in teaching and learning. Visit www.neafoundation.org for more information.


text: American Revolution: One Word (2) tv-pg Play video Select your TV provider to log in to have full access to videos Select your TV provider See all providers Don't see your TV provider? Learn more You can access this video on the free HISTORY® app. *You must verify your TV provider towatch this video on the App Your Parental Control settings do not allow you to view this content. American Revolution: One Word (2 min) tv-pg How would you sum up the American Revolution in just one word?


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Pacific Southwest, Region 9
Serving: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific Islands, Tribal Nations
Climate Change in the Pacific Southwest
Green Site Cleanups
Greener Cleanups Policy EPA Region 9 (PDF)
(2 pp, 17K)
EPA Region 9 is focusing on cleanup programs that use natural resources and energy efficiently, reduce negative impacts on the environment, minimize or eliminate pollution at its source, and reduce waste to the greatest extent possible. The practice of "green remediation" uses these strategies to consider all environmental effects of remedy implementation for contaminated sites and incorporates options to maximize the net environmental benefit of cleanup actions. EPA's Green Remediation program provides information about innovative treatment and site characterization technologies.
Life Cycle Assessment of Alternative Remedies
In order to choose the most environmentally beneficial clean up remedy, project managers need tools and metrics to measure benefits consistently and make comparisons. Region 9's Waste Management Division is developing such a methodology using life cycle assessment principles. The methodology will guide facilities in estimating the environmental footprint of alternative cleanup remedies in order to make better informed cleanup decisions.
Region 9 has completed one pilot study using the methodology at Romic East Palo Alto, California. Region 9 is conducting additional pilots to validate and enhance the methodology. The results allow project managers to:
- identify the environmental resources used for each proposed alternative
- identify specific activities that may be "driving" the environmental impacts
- focus on specific aspects of any particular remedy to reduce the environmental footprint, and
- consider the environmental impact of the alternatives in the selection process.
The methodology includes estimation of resources used during the alternative remedies (such as construction materials, energy, and water), emissions to air, and wastes generated.
Most "green remediation" efforts currently underway at USEPA attempt to reduce the environmental footprint of an existing remedy or the preferred selected remedy. The Region 9 Waste Management Division methodology estimates environmental footprints prior to remedy selection, helps the project manager make a better informed decision, and limits the need for post-selection or construction modification to enhance resource efficiency.
Cleanup Clean Air
The goal of Cleanup Clean Air is to encourage, facilitate, and support diesel emissions and greenhouse gas reductions technologies and practices at Superfund cleanup and redevelopment sites. A particular focus of this effort is encouraging use of Clean Diesel Technologies & Alternative Fuels and Renewable Energy Technologies.
The Smart Energy Resources Guide (PDF) (200 pp, 4.9M) provides cleanup and redevelopment project managers with the tools and information they will need to make informed decisions about selecting cleaner diesel construction equipment, including retrofit technologies, repowers, and cleaner fuels, and about selecting alternative energy sources to help augment energy needs for long-term site cleanup operations. Implementation of green remediation practices on Superfund sites can offer carbon footprint-reduction opportunities as well as cost-saving benefits. See EPA's Green Remediation: Incorporating Sustainable Environmental Practices into Remediation of Contaminated Sites (PDF) (56 pp, 814K).
Green remediation practices are already in place at a number of Superfund sites in EPA Region 9:
- Apache Powder employs solar energy to recirculate shallow ground water through a hydraulically driven constructed wetland system (Benson, Arizona).
- Frontier Fertilizer Superfund Site uses solar energy to produce an estimated 8,500-9,000 kWh of electricity each year for the water treatment system (Davis, California).
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) saves $50,000/year and 330,000 pounds/year of greenhouse gas emissions due to pumping configuration and optimization (Pasadena, California).
- Operating Industries, Inc. Landfill converts landfill gas (LFG) to electric power to meet approximately 70% of onsite needs (Monterey Park, California).
- Pemaco Superfund Site uses onsite solar power to generate over 5,900 kWh of electricity saving 3.3 tons of CO2 each year (Maywood, California).
Additional Resources
- The Superfund program has developed Green Remediation Resources and Tools.
- Under a new initiative entitled RE-Powering America's Land, EPA is encouraging the development of renewable energy by identifying currently and formerly contaminated lands and mining sites that present opportunities for renewable energy development.
- EPA Principals for Greener Cleanup
- Draft Superfund Green Remediation Strategy


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ITS Calendar
December 2012
Friday, December 14th
- Colleague and The Hub unavailable
- Regularly scheduled maintenance will be performed on Colleague and The Hub.
- 6:00 pm
Monday, December 17th
- OnBase User Forum
- A drop-in session for questions, comments, or concerns about OnBase.
- 1:00 pm, CMC 11
Thursday, December 20th
Friday, December 21st
- Server Maintenance-Monthly Windows Server Patching
- Several applications/services may experience a 5-10 minute downtime between 6:00 and 11:55. Click through for full list.
- 6:00 pm
Friday, December 28th
- Carlpedia down for upgrade
- Carlpedia will upgraded to the newest version of the software.
- 8:00 am


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UPDATED 8th November, 2012. First released in March 2011, the Canon EOS 600D is positioned as a mid-level enthusiast DSLR. Still listed as a current model, the Canon EOS 600D has since been succeeded by the Canon EOS 650D. Can the Canon EOS 600D still cut it against the competition? We find out in the What Digital Camera Canon EOS 600D review…
Canon EOS 600D (Rebel T3i) Review
Canon EOS 600D review – Features
Back in 2003 Canon pretty much single-handedly kick-started the DSLR consumer market into life with the launch of the EOS 300D. It was the first truly affordable DSLR, and its 6.3MP APS-C CMOS sensor was considered cutting edge at the time. Since then, Canon has evolved its triple-digit, mid-level DSLR range with annual updates to the range, with each new model generally sporting a richer feature set and improved performance over its predecessor.
Add some competitive pricing to this and its little wonder that Canon's triple-digit DSLR range has been so successful, with models from the range regularly topping the best-seller lists and collecting awards. The (now discontinued) EOS 550D that the EOS 600D replaced was an incredibly well rounded camera in its own right, so how much better is the Canon EOS 600D?
Well, at first glance you might be forgiven for thinking that the two models are almost exactly alike. And that's because, internally at least, very little was changed or tinkered with. For example, both the 550D and the 600D use an 18MP CMOS sensor. Canon claims that the two chips are not identical though. In addition the ISO range also remains the same, from 100-6400, while it can be expanded further, to an ISO equivalent of 12,800 at its 'H' setting.
DIGIC IV processor
The DIGIC IV image processor that's used in a host of other Canon DSLRs allows you to capture 14-bit Raw files and offers a burst rate of 3.7fps (no improvement over the 550D), with the same 63-zone iFCL metering system (first seen in the 7D) and 9-point AF system (with the central AF point cross-type) also being recycled from the 550D.
While the Canon EOS 600D may share a great deal of DNA with the 550D (and 60D for that matter), there have been some changes, with the most obvious being the rear screen. The 3in screen used by the 550D was excellent thanks to the 3:2 aspect ratio used and a screen resolution of 1040k-dots. That remains the same, but it now offers tilt and swivel positioning, just like the 60D's vari-angle screen. It can be swung out from the body by 180° and rotated 270°, allowing it to be positioned for a range of shooting angles during Live View or video recording. On that subject, the Canon EOS 600D can record full HD video at 1080P with a choice of 30, 25 and 24fps capture.
You're not restricted to shooting in the EOS 600D's native 3:2 aspect ratio either, as it can also be set at 4:3, 16:9 and 1:1, though a little of the resolution is sacrificed due to the crop being applied. You also get a Scene Intelligent Auto mode replacing the 'green square' Auto mode that's been on a long line of Canon DSLRs, with this new mode setting AF, brightness, flash and colour tone according to the scene.
If you've got yourself a compatible flashgun as well, then you can now use the Canon EOS 600D's built-in flash to trigger and control it wireless for a host of potential lighting techniques and is a welcome inclusion on a camera of this class.
Canon EOS 600D review – Design
From the front, and the Canon EOS 600D looks markedly similar to the 550D, with a few subtle aesthetic design tweaks to keep the camera looking fresh – the mode dial looks a lot more high-end for example, with finer grooves round the dial, while to the right of the lens mount, the body has also benefited from the addition of a rubberized grip.
Round the back, and the presence of the vari-angle screen has understandably altered the design of the rear. The hinging for the screen has been kept relatively flush with the body, but even so, but it does mean it's a touch fatter than the 550D. It's also a bit taller than the 550D, but it's only marginal, and though chunkier than a Compact System Camera, overall, the Canon EOS 600D is still a nice and compact DSLR.
With the extra space required for the vari-angle screen, the eye-sensor that was positioned just under the viewfinder on the 550D, has disappeared on the EOS 600D. To now cut the shooting info when you raise the camera to your eye, you have to hit the Display button, which has moved from sitting just above the screen at the rear on the 550D, has moved round onto the top plate in front of Mode dial on the EOS 600D. This isn't as much as a faff as it sounds, especially as the display blacks out automatically when you half depress the shutter button to focus. An Info button, allowing you to check peripheral camera information while shooting, and cycle through shooting info during playback, has replaced the Display button on the rear of the 550D.
The rest of the button placement on the rear of the camera remains virtually identical to that of the 550D, though to accommodate the vari-angle screen, the d-pad has shrunk a touch by comparison, while there's also a deeper and more pronounced thumb rest than before. So for button placement, to the right of the viewfinder, there's a Live View activation button (hit this in Movie mode to start recording), while further to the right is the Exposure lock and AF point selection buttons that double-up as your magnify tools during playback.
The Exposure compensation button also allows you to toggle between setting aperture and shutter speed in Manual mode, due to the single control wheel on the front of the camera. Just below it is a handy Quick menu button, letting you toggle through and adjust a range of shooting settings on the rear display, while the d-pad has dedicated settings for AF, Drive, White Balance and Picture Styles.
From the top, and the only noticeable change, as already mentioned, is the inclusion of the Display button and the refined grip round the Mode dial. The ISO button is conveniently positioned, and there's a subtle difference in feel between that and the Display button to reduce the risk of hitting the wrong one when you raise the camera to your eye. For existing EOS users, there shouldn't be any nasty surprises, while new users should experience an intuitive and quick to use interface that's been evolving for almost 10 years.
While there's no denying that the Canon EOS 600D has been put together to a high standard, the smooth, matt exterior does feel quite plasticky however. That said, the more well-defined handgrip and thumb rest offer a comfortable grip, while the more pronounced textured rubber finish applied are a welcome progression from the 550D.
Canon EOS 600D review – Performance
If you were expecting a shiny new AF system, then you'll be disappointed, with the Canon EOS 600D sticking with the tried and tested 9-point phase-detect AF system used in previous models. The nine points are grouped relatively tightly together in the centre of the frame in a diamond formation; with the central AF point the only cross-type variant sensor, being sensitive to both the horizontal and vertical.
Focus selection is carried out by hitting the AF point selection button, then using the control wheel or d-pad to select your desired AF point, and while you may find the central-bias of the AF points restrictive when mounted on a tripod, it'll focus with not much fuss, with hardly any over- or under-focus issues – even with non-central AF points. While it's a solid system, it does feel a touch unsophisticated compared to rivals the Panasonic LUMIX GH2 and Sony Alpha a55. These offer much more in the way of AF speed and focus-tracking, leaving the system in the Canon EOS 600D to appear a little outdated and slow.
With the exception of the screen – more on that in a moment, the Live View system is remarkably familiar to that of the 550D. You've got two main options when it comes to focus – there's Quick mode, using the 9-point phase-detect system already discussed, but the feed is cut when focus is being acquired and the default setting, Live mode. This uses contrast-detect AF, allowing you to move the AF 'box' round the majority of the screen via the d-pad, though you can't focus right up to the edge of the frame.
There's also the option to set it to Face Detect Live mode, and to toggle between the 3 AF Live View options, you can either dive into the main menu or hit the Quick menu button during Live View. If you're using manual focus or just want to confirm AF, then the 5 and 10x zoom feature via the magnifying/AF point selection button is very handy. In operation, and in Live mode, focus is relatively good if there's a decent amount of contrast in the scene, but can struggle in limited contrast scenes, slowly trying to obtain focus. For a DSLR, the system works well, but there's no getting away from the fact that compared to the Live View system found in the LUMIX GH2 (or the G2 for that matter), and it's excellent touch screen and responsive AF, the EOS 600D struggles to mount a challenge.
The 3:2 aspect ratio screen delivers the goods however. Thanks to it being the ratio as the sensor, images during playback or during Live View fill the screen perfectly (assuming you're using the native 3:2 aspect ratio of the chip), so no black borders running along the top and bottom of the screen. That's not forgetting one of the key differences that sets the Canon EOS 600D apart from the EOS 550D, the vari-angle screen. It offers pretty much identical control to the screen found on the 60D, allowing it to be pulled and angled into a range of positions, while the screen can also be stored facing the camera for extra protection.
The viewfinder doesn't offer quite 100% coverage, down to 95%, so you may have to be cautious when framing and reviewing images as it's surprising what can creep into the frame in that extra 5% that you can't see. The viewfinder, with a magnification of 0.85x, is good for a camera of this class, and while the optical viewfinder utilized here easily beats an electronic equivalent, it can still feel a touch cramped when you peer through it.
The Canon EOS 600D's burst rate of 3.7fps isn't going to set any records, loosing out to both the LUMIX GH2's 5fps and the Alpha a55's impressive 10fps (though that's in Speed Priority mode). Set to continuous drive mode, the EOS 600D can shoot 6 Raw files consecutively, while it was able to shoot over 100 JPEG files continuously.
Finally, a quick word on the new Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II kit lens that's bundled with the Canon EOS 600D. Incorporating a built-in anti-shake system (IS), the lens is a cosmetic update to the previous model, with the internal lens construction remaining the same. That said, the lack of USM (Ultrasonic) motor that features on a lot of Canon's glass means that there can be some audible noises as the lens focuses.
Image quality
Canon EOS 600D review – Image Quality
Canon EOS 600D review – Tone & Exposure
The 63-zone iFCL metering system was first seen on the EOS 7D back in 2009, and has proved to be a very solid exposure system, and it's the same story in the Canon EOS 600D. Images are well exposed under a range of lighting conditions, meaning you won't have to spend too much time with the exposure compensation button, while there's a smooth tonal noticeable in the images. As well as shooting in Evaluative metering, you can switch to Partial, Centre-weighted or Spot metering in the menu of the EOS 600D.
Canon EOS 600D review – RAW/JPEG
The Canon EOS 600D's .CR2 Raw files can be read using Photoshop CS5 or Elements 9 (you'll need to update to the latest Camera RAW – 6.4, which is still in beta, but will read and allow for conversion), as well as similar programs. There's also Canon's bundled Digital Photo Professional software too.
As you'd expect from an unadjusted Raw file, they lack the punch and end results of the output JPEG file, which has a decent level of contrast and sharpness applied to them to deliver attractive final images. That said, to achieve the best quality from the chip, Raw conversion is recommended.
Canon EOS 600D review – Colour & White Balance
Colour reproduction from the Canon EOS 600D is just a little on the punchy side of neutral, delivering a pleasing result. If that's not enough, then there's the EOS 600D's Picture Styles – Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful and Monochrome. There are also three user-defined modes, allowing you to set Sharpness, Contrast, Saturation and Color Tone, which can be saved and used any time.
There are 6 white balance modes (Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten light, White fluorescent light & Flash), as well as a Custom mode, white balance bracketing and Auto White Balance (AWB), which performs very well, though can be a touch warm indoors.
Canon EOS 600D review – ISO Sensitivity & Image Noise
The Canon EOS 600D has a standard ISO range of 100-6400 that can be expanded to an ISO equivalent of 12,800 (the 600D's H setting) at full resolution, though you will need to activate the ISO expansion in the Custom menu.
Even for an APS-C sized sensor, 18-megapixels may be seen as a bit of a squeeze for a sensor that size, with a poor signal-to-noise ratio resulting in pronounced noise. However, with some clever engineering has resulted in some of the best results for a camera of this class. Noise in Raw files up to ISO 800 is barely noticeable and very well controlled. ISO 800 is starting to show minor signs of breaking up, while ISO 1600 displayed some unwanted colour noise. Above that, and at ISO 3200 & 6400, Noise is noticeable, but considering the sensitivity, is well controlled. At the ISO equivalent of 12,800, and as you'd expect, Noise is quite pronounced but if it's your only option, still very useable.
When Raw files are compared alongside JPEGs of the same shot and at higher ISO settings, then it's the JPEG files that appear to handle Noise better, though this is at the expense of sharpness – this is where Raw processing is advised, allowing you to get the best balance of Noise control and sharpness.
Canon EOS 600D review – Sharpness & Detail
The 18MP sensor in the Canon EOS 600D is capable of delivering an impressive amount of detail, allowing you plenty of flexibility if it comes to the need to crop the image fairly aggressively. While JPEGs are more than acceptable, they do tend to be a touch softer, becoming more noticeable at higher ISOs as noise control takes prominence, with Raw files allowing you to resolve the most detail from the chip.
The 18-55mm kit lens has its weaknesses, tending to be a touch soft in the corners wide-open and struggling to get the optimum sharpness from the sensor. If you want to get the best from the camera, then a higher quality optic is recommended.
Movie/video mode
Canon EOS 600D review – Movie/Video Mode
Canon EOS 600D review – Quality
The quality of footage achievable from the Canon EOS 600D is good and like a host of other Canon DSLRs before it, the EOS 600D outputs videos straight from the camera as MOV files, allowing you to have useable files straight away without the need to process them. Footage is captured at full HD 1920×1080, while there's the choice of shooting at either 24, 25 or 30fps, as well as the option to flick between either PAL (UK) and NTSC (USA).
Canon EOS 600D review – Record Time
The maximum quoted duration for the Canon EOS 600D is 29mins 59secs, with a 4GB limit. Canon has also incorporated their Video Snapshot technology, first seen on their camcorders, that allows you to shoot short clips of either 2, 4, 8secs, with a series that can then be merged into a single clip.
Canon EOS 600D review – Focusing Modes
Autofocus is possible during video capture, but this has to be enabled via the main menu. Just as you had in Live View, you have the choice of either Live mode (and Face detection Live mode) or Quick mode – the later is only possible before filming commences, but Live mode is possible during recording. That said, it's advisable to use manual focus during filming as the sluggish AF system can result in unwanted shifts in focus in your video, while the noise from the motor in the lens will be picked up by the microphone in the camera.
Canon EOS 600D review – Manual Control
There's a dedicated Movie mode on the Mode dial, but exposure can be set to be controlled manually if you wish as well that's selected via the menu. There's a Quick menu (activated by the Quick menu button) that allows you to set White Balance, Picture Styles, Video Snapshot, Movie size and Auto Lighting O
ptimizer (as well as Low, Standard and Strong, it can also be disabled).
Canon EOS 600D review – Sound
Sound is linear PCM, which will probably suffice for family videos, but as mentioned, be aware of the AF noise generated from the kit lens that will be picked up if you decide to use autofocus while recording. If you want to get a bit more serious, there's a 3.5in mic socket, so an additional on or off-camera directional microphone can be called into action for professional sound recording.
Value & Verdict
Canon EOS 600D review – Value
In June 2012 the Canon EOS 650D was announced as the successor to the EOS 600D with a launch price just shy of £800 with an 18-55mm kit lens. This has since fallen to around £600. The price for the older EOS 600D (with 18-55mm kit lens), meanwhile, now stands at around £450-500. In other words, investing in the older model will currently save you around £100-150. Of course, the EOS 600D doesn't come with the unique touchscreen functionality offered by the EOS 650D, and compared to the newer model's 18MP sensor effective resolution is slightly less at 16MP. However, you're still getting quite a lot of camera for the money.
Looking at what's on offer from rival manufacturers, the EOS 600D faces some stiff competition not least from the Nikon D5100 that was launched at much the same time as the EOS 600. Whereas the D5100 launched with a similar £780 price tag (with 18-55mm kit lens), it has since fallen to around £430 – making it slightly cheaper than the EOS 600D. Another big contemporary rival to the EOS 600D was the Pentax K-r, which launched with a £480 price tag. As a discontinued model the K-r is harder to find than the Nikon D5100, and somewhat bizarrely the price has held firm (no doubt due to lack of stock) at around £460. All said and done the Canon EOS 600D is still very good value.
Canon EOS 600D review – Verdict
There's no getting away from the fact that the Canon EOS 600D has inherited a lot from existing models in the Canon line-up, primarily the 550D and to a lesser extent, the 60D. In essence, the EOS 600D is a 550D with the 60D's vari-angle screen, with very little in the way of innovation. With the 550D still available for around £150 less than the 600D, you'll have to ask yourself how desperately you want a vari-angle screen and the other minor additions.
Ignoring its predecessors for one moment, and as a standalone mid-price DSLR, and the EOS 600D is a great camera. Admittedly, the performance can be left a little wanting, especially with certain aspects of the AF and frame advance, but results from the 18-megapixel sensor are great, with bags of detail and well-controlled noise. Then there's the polished user interface that allows novice users to grow with their new bit of kit, while the list of features shouldn't leave more experienced users feeling short-changed either. It may not feel particularly cutting edge, but the Canon EOS 600D has been years in the making, evolving into a great camera for the price.


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The C4ISR Division is comprised of three supporting committees: C4, ISR and Intelligence. The focus of the C4 and ISR committees is on National Military and Defense material needs, products and services consistent with DOD and Joint Staff recognized capability needs and threat evolution concerns at the operational and tactical levels.
The C4 and ISR committees provide a forum for industry and government C4ISR industrial base executives to address the pressing policy, technology and budgetary matters associated with the gamut of US and Coalition deployment requirements for which interconnected platform, system support and mission control are critical to achieving commander's intent.
In early 2014, the Intelligence Committee was created to provide a forum of discussion and industrial base action associated with achieving persistent and actionable intelligence across the spectrums of interest that encompass MASINT programs and delivery systems, SIGINT and imagery (video) collection and dissemination, and Intel Fusion Centers operated in concert with National Authority direction, as well as statutory and human domain constraints.
Overall, the primary objective of the C4ISR Division's 3 committees is to collaborate with the Under Secretaries of Defense for Intelligence and for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, along with the DOD Chief Information Officer through their appointed government liaisons to identify focus areas that can benefit from industry expertise and experience.
Within this framework, the C4, ISR and Intelligence committees seek out the challenges confronting the Director of Intelligence, J2/Joint Staff, Defense Intelligence Agency, Combatant Commands, and Military Services to offer industry views and assistance in providing C4ISR solutions.
The division provides continuous contributions to U.S. national security through periodic studies performed by industry subject matter experts for the identified USD(I) and USD(AT&L-CIO) areas of need. The division also periodically sponsors national symposia, seminars, workshops and conducts bi-monthly executive breakfast meetings on C4ISR and Intel related topics.
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|March 01, 2014
|The Week in Politics and Stuff
|no comments
Let's start with the U.S. Senate:
Senate GOP Blocks Veterans' Benefits Bill
Senate Republicans derailed efforts to move forward with a $21 billion bill to enhance health care, education and job benefits for veterans.
Republicans stopped the veterans' bill from moving on a procedural vote, which needed 60 votes. The final tally was 56-41.
Republicans and Democrats normally agree on the need to enhance benefits for the nation's 22 million veterans and their families, but Republican senators wanted to lower the amount of spending in the bill. The GOP senators also wanted to include a measure that would have imposed new sanctions against Iran, which President Obama has warned against doing at this time. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid blocked the amendments from being considered.
"Shame on the Republicans for bringing base politics into a bill to help the veterans," Reid said on the Senate floor Thursday morning.
The bill would have improved benefits for veterans, including better health care and dental services provided by the VA. It also would have guaranteed post-9/11 veterans access to in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities in any state.
Meanwhile, over in the House of Representatives:
House GOP Votes To Take 'Consumer' Out Of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
WASHINGTON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday to overhaul the U.S. consumer financial watchdog, although the politically charged legislation stands little chance of becoming law.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, was created as part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank law to help protect Americans from financial scams.
Republicans say the agency is unaccountable to lawmakers because its funding comes from the U.S. Federal Reserve, not congressional appropriations. Democrats, on the other hand, staunchly support the agency's independence.
"The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is not responsive to Congress because it doesn't get its funding from Congress," said Wisconsin Republican Sean Duffy, who sponsored the bill.
"We think it is appropriate when you have an agency that is so powerful and so unaccountable that we give the elected members of the American people the power to say how much money they should have."
House members voted 232-182 for a bill that would replace the bureau's director with a commission and subject it to the appropriations process.
Which is why the legislation was designed so it wouldn't be subjected to the whims of politicians.
Then in state politics, we received a video from the Wendy Davis campaign:
Wendy Davis Obliterates Ted Nugent and Greg Abbott with Blistering New Ad
The ad features rape survivor Nicole Anderson speaking out, "I am speaking out because it really bothered me for Greg Abbott to partner with Ted Nugent knowing his history of being a predator. I was at home. I heard about it on the news. It made me feel like the it minimized the fact that Ted Nugent is a predator. I think that it sends the wrong message that he partnered up with this man that is very vocal about liking underage girls. There's something wrong with that. It's not okay."
This ad is important on a couple of different levels. First, it is telling the truth about Ted Nugent. These types of ads should make Republican candidates think twice before they decide to cozy up to, and appear with, a self-admitted sexual predator. Secondly, the use of Nugent as a campaign booster by Abbott is an escalation of the Republican war on women, and the men who support the rights of all women. Abbott's embrace of Nugent is sending the message to all voters that if Greg Abbott is elected governor, open season will continue on the rights of women.
It is good to see Ted Nugent getting called out for what he really is, but it also highlights the crucial issue in this election. Do the women and men of Texas think it is representative of their values to have the Republican candidate for governor getting cozy with a sexual predator? If Greg Abbott has no qualms about buddying up with Mr. Poopypants, he also won't hesitate to accelerate the extremist anti-women agenda in the state of Texas.
Excerpts from http://www.politicususa.com/2014/02/27/wendy-davis-obliterates-ted-nugent-greg-abbott-blistering-ad.html .
Finally, we were treated to an interesting set of discussions on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher. The guests this week included Austan Goolsbee, Margaret Hoover and Bill Kristol.
Bill Maher Takes Down Kristol: 'Tea Party Was About A Black President'
From the cursing, angry reaction of Bill Kristol, you can tell Maher hit a very raw nerve (yes, he said bulls**t). Not only does Maher lay out the irony of what the Tea Baggers are supposed to be about (given the returns on investment from various 'bailouts' prove they were wrong) but also notes the ignorance of Kristol's position just by visiting the Tea Bagger websites where they are talking about anything BUT the financial issues of bailouts, etc.
When you have Bill Kristol get as mad as he gets in this video, you know you've touched upon a deeper truth, and he knows it.
Bill Maher vs Bill Kristol: Have You Ever Met a War You Didn't Love
Bill Maher and Bill Kristol went at it even harder Friday night over the Pentagon's proposed spending cuts. While Maher argued that the relatively minor cuts could not possibly hurt our country's massive military, Kristol saw them as potentially disastrous. Maher showed a chart which was created by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation and has been making the rounds this week, to ask why the U.S. needs to spend more on defense than the next 10 countries combined.
Kristol called Maher's arguments "childish," calling military spending the "lowest it's ever been in the modern era," a suggestion the show's other guests could not agree with.
"Have you ever met a war you didn't love?" Maher asked Kristol. All that the war mongerer Kristol could do was admit that he has supported military intervention by multiple administrations.
Finally, Maher's monologue was a knee-slapper with some topical jokes and commentary about persecuted billionaires:
We will return to our regularly scheduled Caturday kittehs momentarily.


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Civil War: Convention, Jones raid excited city
In the last column we covered the military and political plans centered around Parkersburg and Wood County. On the political front, the nominating convention to choose the governor-elect was approaching. Parkersburg natives Arthur I. Boreman and Peter G. Van Winkle had announced their candidacy.
Boreman, a local attorney and politician, had played a lead role throughout the statehood process, convincing wayward leaders in West Virginia to support the Union and defeat secession in the northwestern part of Virginia. He then played a lead role in the activities of the Reformed Legislature in Wheeling and pushing in Washington to keep the statehood legislation on track.
He became a highly respected negotiator and was a close friend of many in Parkersburg supporting statehood, including financial support. Parkersburg was a center of commerce in the area and the new oilfields had made some very prosperous new oil barons. They were all willing to show their influence, and did. Many of these with newfound wealth were in the 70-person contingent the attended the First Wheeling Convention in 1861. Boreman was one of those.
P.G. Van Winkle, like Boreman, was a local attorney and politician, and, like Boreman, was involved in the local oil boom. However, Van Winkle had a more direct connection. Van Winkle's wife was the daughter of W.P. Rathbone of Burning Springs and Parkersburg. The elder Rathbone owned Burning Springs. Van Winkle was also the president of the North Western Virginia Railroad (part of the B&O) and owned the P.G. Van Winkle Oil Co. He owned the beautiful mansion still standing on Ann Street.
Van Winkle had put up the money ($10,000) to pay the expenses of the First Wheeling Convention in May 1861. In effect, he wrote the new state constitution and was responsible for creating our eastern panhandle, by drawing the new boundary line so as to include those counties along the railroad. He claimed he wanted the railroad to be in the Union, for Union military protection. Interestingly, he had fought the Willey amendment on slavery, claiming Congress had no right to tell a state what to put in its constitution, particularly one he had written. He finally gave in and reluctantly agreed with the changes made in Washington.
The upcoming convention coming to Parkersburg was scheduled for the weekend of May 9. It was being held under the auspices of the Constitutional Union Party. This is a very interesting fact, since this was one of four parties in the 1860 election and actually supported a division of the union, with each state deciding about slavery on its own. We know of no other political campaign to put up opposing candidates. So, who won the contest in Parkersburg was to become governor of the new State of West Virginia.
There were hundreds of convention participants and a larger building had to be converted to accommodate the large crowd. After many votes it was finally decided A.I. Boreman would be the new governor.
The Wheeling and Cincinnati newspapers covered the Parkersburg convention extensively, pointing out Parkersburg dignitaries were showing off the town with the intent of making Parkersburg the capital of the new state.
Now, back in Wheeling, Gov. Pierpont, governor of the Reformed Government in Wheeling, was making plans to move his office to Alexandria as governor of Virginia, or those areas of Virginia still under Union control – that was Alexandria, Norfolk, part of the eastern shore and minor areas where Union troops had kept control. The Reformed Legislature in Wheeling was also to move to Alexandria as the Virginia Legislature, and member of the reformed government in Congress would continue to serve in Congress, alongside the new members elected to represent West Virginia. Importantly, Sen. Carlile would continue in office even though he had been asked to resign by the governor and legislature.
On the military front, Gen. Grumble Jones and Imboden had started the raid across the state with a successful attack on Buckhannon, capturing a huge amount of supplies. This was a cavalry raid of 1,500 riders ordered by Gen. R.E. Lee. His interest was destruction of the B&O Railroad, but equally important was the collection of cattle and horses, in scarce supply in the south. The effects of the union economic embargo on the south was beginning to cripple the southern economy, hurting Gen. Lee's ability to bring horses to his army as well as cattle for feeding the troops. He had no problem with ardor of his troops; he had severe problems with feeding and equipping them. By June 6, the raid had gone through Morgantown, Fairmont, Clarksburg, Grafton, Weston, West Union and Cairo. Jones moved like greased lightning and had arrived in Cairo with all expecting an invasion on Parkersburg. The raid brought out Parkersburg's paranoia about being raided, but in this case, there was a real threat.
This caused all the visitors to the convention to get back on the steamboats and trains to get out of town. Jones had intended to take Parkersburg, which would have been a real plum. Remember, the Jenkins raid in September 1862 raced across the state and he also would have come to Parkersburg, but the town was too heavily protected. Instead, Jenkins turned south and fled back to Virginia. At this point, however, Jones was still aimed at Parkersburg, and the Union was desperately trying to find out what was going on. The question on the telegraph was "where was Jones headed, and how many troops were involved" – 1,000 or 10,000? There was great confusion, and with the new political convention taking place in Parkersburg, the town became both a military and political hotseat. Troops were brought in from all over for protection and when Gen. Jones learned of this protection for the town, he turned south.
That put him in a direct line to Burning Springs and its new oilfield, which will be covered in the next column. And it was an exciting venture unto itself.
* * *
EDITOR'S NOTE: Dave McKain is director of the Oil and Gas Museum and is chairman of the area Civil War Roundtable which is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Contact him at firstname.lastname@example.com


text: Federal Government Cost Accounting Because of the complexity of government cost accounting rules and standards, dealings with the federal government differ greatly from standard commercial business practices. All professionals involved with government contracts need a basic understanding of the cost accounting principles that affect these contracts. Attend this course and you will gain a clear understanding of the need for consistency in accounting practices in terms of bidding, reporting, recording, and invoicing costs (CAS 401), and appropriate cost isolations within the books and records of your corporation (CAS 402). Course content is presented from the perspectives of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Cost Pricing Reference Guides (CPRG), and Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) documents. The central importance of Cost Allowability and the key Cost Accounting Standards is also covered. Course Topics Include: Introduction to Government Cost Accounting Basic accounting system requirements Understanding Direct Labor, Direct Materials and Subcontracts, Direct Travel and other ODCs, Indirect Cost Pools, and the Concept of "Cost Allowability" in FAR 31.2 The wide reach of "Cost Allowability," including guidance in FAR 31.205 The "CAS 401/Cost Allowability" linkage in cost estimating, reporting, recording, and invoicing The role of other key cost accounting standards, contract type in Government Cost Accounting, the Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA), Public Law 87-653, Earned Value Analysis and other cost performance measurement systems Related government audits Available Sessions Course not available for public enrollment at this time. To schedule for your organization, contact Customized Training


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Home List of Titles X-ray phase imaging: demonstration of extended conditions with homogeneous objects
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/74040
|Download PDF (Published version) (Adobe Acrobat PDF, 128 KB)
- Title
- X-ray phase imaging: demonstration of extended conditions with homogeneous objects
- Author(s)
- Turner, L. D.; Dhal, B. B.; Hayes, J. P.; Mancuso, A. P.; Nugent, K. A.; Paterson, D.; Scholten, R. E.; Tran, C. Q.; Peele, A. G.
- Abstract
- We discuss contrast formation in a propagating x-ray beam. We consider the validity conditions for linear relations based on the transport-of-intensity equation (TIE) and on contrast transfer functions (CTFs). From a single diffracted image, we recover the thickness of a homogeneous object which has substantial absorption and a phase-shift of -0.37 radian.
- Publication type
- Journal article
- Research centre
- Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences. Industrial Research Institute Swinburne
- Source
- Optics Express, Vol. 12, no. 13 (Jun 2004), pp. 2960-2965
- Publication year
- 2004
- Keyword(s)
- Absorption; Imaging systems; Propagation; Microscopic examination; TIE; Transport of intensity equation; X-ray diffraction; X-ray microscopy; X-ray phase imaging; X-rays
- Publisher
- Optical Society of America
- 1094-4087
- Publisher URL
- Copyright
- Copyright © 2004 Optical Society of America. Published version of the paper reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. This paper was published in Optics Express and is made available as an electronic reprint with the permission of OSA. The paper can be found at the following URL on the OSA website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OPEX.12.002960. Systematic or multiple reproduction or distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means is prohibited and is subject to penalties under law.
- Full text
- Peer reviewed


text:
Nepotism in county government; visitors association in the crosshairs
September 12, 2012 —
The request for proposals for organizations interested in running the tourism promotion business in Sullivan County, which went out on August 31, seemed to be an attempt to disqualify the Sullivan County Visitors Association (SCVA), the organization that has been doing the job for the past decade. The RFP said that "no more than one member of the nuclear family unit" could work for the company that wins the contract.
Roberta Byron-Lockwood is the president and CEO of SCVA, while her husband, Herb Clark, is the vice president. On September 5, the RFP was amended to say that the "one member of the nuclear family unit" was "encouraged" but not mandatory.
Interestingly, the next day at the government center, the county legislature had a lengthy discussion about whether or not the county should have a policy regarding nepotism that would cover county employees and contracting agencies.
Lawmaker Gene Benson, who has been very critical of SCVA, came out firmly against the idea of adopting a policy. He said, "Most of the highway departments and water and sewer departments in this county would not have a full compliment of staff if they couldn't hire relatives."
Lawmaker Kathy LaBuda agreed, saying, "You cannot compare our county to Orange County because our workforce is limited. An executive order in Orange County dating to 1983 says, "No one in the immediate family of anyone employed by Orange County government shall hold a position of employment in direct line of supervision as his or her relation."
Lawmaker Jonathan Rouis said, "Whether it's an honor or a curse, I work in a family business [the accounting firm Rouis and Company LLP] and it works well, and I'm glad that I do, and I hope that it continues to flourish. So we've got to be careful of the message we're sending. Our county is made up of a lot of good family businesses that work very well together and that are very productive."
Lawmaker Cindy Gieger, however, said the legislature should consider adopting a policy because constituents have raised concerns about the issue. She asked the question of whether in a single department, such as family services or the department of public works, "Do you really want a husband, a wife and a daughter-in-law in the same department? I think that creates some problems."


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