Superzoom, SLR-like (bridge) Cameras

Digital Photography Review is my favorite photography web site.  It’s an English company that tries to appeal to the entire world.  Not only do they provide reviews of all the new cameras, lenses, and printers they provide articles on photo techniques, technology, glossary of photo terminology, and a variety of other topics.  Also there are forums where everyone can offer their opinion.

What makes this site particularly appealing is that it is owned by Amazon.com.  While they do provide connections to buy photo equipment they are not tied to any brand.

I am the owner of two small point and shoot cameras and one superzoom.  My favorite is the superzoom.  I thought it appropriate to copy this one commentary from their last roundup of superzoom cameras in 2010.

“The latest generation of superzoom cameras incorporate such large zoom ranges that, if you were to try to match them for use on a full-frame DSLR, you’d end up with something so large and imposing you’d expect it to need a special weapons export licence. {notice how they spell license}  Even on these small-sensor cameras, the lenses are necessarily large enough to dominate the design of the cameras. The result is that most of these superzooms look pretty much like SLRs – a hand-grip with a large protruding tube at the front.”

That paragraph encapsulates my preference for the superzoom.  Now I am awaiting the reviews of the newest batch of superzooms.  Mine is three years old and still operates just fine but may not have all the latest features.

The New Normal – 8% to 10% Unemployment

How much more brutal can it be when the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics monthly jobs report starts with these horrible words? “Nonfarm payroll employment was unchanged (0) in August, and the unemployment rate held at 9.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment in most major industries changed little over the month.”

Looking down through the detail only makes you feel even worse.  Comments by the White House and the Speaker of the House did nothing to make anyone feel good about the jobs situation.

Rather than actually doing something constructive our national government is tied in knots because the political parties are more interested in dueling than accomplishing anything.  Would voting out the incumbents make a difference?  Unlikely because the new office holders would simply comply with their party line.

While we may be dangerously close to a double dip recession that probably won’t happen because enough Americans are working and shopping to sustain the business community.

We have the kind of economy that Bill Gross of PIMCO calls “the new normal” and others call “the great reset.”  Whatever you want to call this situation there  does not appear to be a path back to “the good old days.”

AARP top 10 Affordable Cities for Retirement

First of all many of the places suggested are not cities.  They qualify as towns.

AARP offers their list of the top 10 Affordable Cities for Retirement.  They say that they looked at 350 cities across the country. They considered not only property and sales-tax rates, median housing price, and cost of living but also the tax rate on pensions and Social Security. Then they added in such criteria as recreation, climate, and arts and culture.

It is difficult for me to understand how they made these selections.  After all as we get older we need access to health care that is limited in small towns.  I have met people driving 60 to 100 miles into Los Angeles from smaller cities and towns because they do not have the needed medical care.  In addition there are fewer opportunities for senior activities.  Although it is expensive to own a home in San Diego they do have an abundance of museums.  That is a common feature of most larger cities.      

Their number 1 choice: Winchester, Virginia.  This is a remote town 75 miles from Washington D.C. The winters are very cold when temperatures tend to be in the 30’s. As I research the town on September 1, 2011, the temperature is 70° and humidity is reported to be 88%.  The population is just over 25,000 people.  I remember my visit to rural Ruckersville, Virginia on business about eight years ago.  I stopped in Culpeper for a cup of coffee at a McDonald’s.  There were three people ahead of me and it took 15 minutes waiting in line.  If you like slow and boring you will love rural Virginia.  I was told slow down or Smokey will stop you.

Number 2 is Portland, Maine.  USA Today says, “Winters are long in Portland, Maine, and it is essential to find things to do to avoid cabin fever.”  With a metro population of 230000, the Greater Portland area is home to almost one quarter of Maine’s total population.

Gainesville, Georgia is Number 3.  At 55 miles and a one hour driving time to the center of Atlanta, Georgia this town would be worth considering.  It is an overwhelmingly White community so if that is a factor in your decision you may need to look elsewhere.  The demographics are inviting.

Number 4 is Wenatchee, Washington is too far from Seattle at 148 miles and 2 ½ hours away.  At just over 30,000 people it really is remote.  The climate is warm during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 70’s and very cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 30’s.

Tulsa, Oklahoma at Number 5 is a city of almost 400,000 people will at least provide the services that seniors require.

Obviously I am oriented towards cities.  They are just more interesting and provide the services that seniors need.

U.S. Justice Department finds its Backbone!

The U.S. government finally took the kind of action that has been absent in the merger and acquisition arena.  The financial stations and web sites call it M&A.  Here in California we have seen the number of banks, supermarkets, and drug stores decline as one after another is bought by a competitor or an out-of-state company.  Sadly no government agency has stood in the way of these consolidations.

In every instance the claim of lower costs to do business was the proclaimed benefit of the acquiring company.  In fact those lower costs (thanks to the ensuing layoffs) resulted in higher profits for them but resulted in higher costs to the public.

Today the U.S. Justice Department filed suit to block AT&T’s $39 billion deal to buy T-Mobile USA on grounds that it would raise prices for consumers.  Of course AT&T said it would fight for their acquisition to be approved “enormous benefits of this merger.”  The Associated Press provided some of the current happenings in this saga.

To reinforce the Justice Department case consumer groups like AARP and Consumers Union should both enter supporting pleas (amicus curiae).

Alan Krueger – Just Another Yes Man

President Barack Obama has chosen Princeton University’s Alan Krueger to be chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers.

“As one of this country’s leading economists, Alan has been a key voice on a vast array of economic issues for more than two decades,” Mr. Obama said Monday in a statement. He continued, “Alan understands the difficult challenges our country faces, and I have confidence that he will help us meet those challenges as one of the leaders on my economic team.”

Mr. Krueger served as assistant Treasury secretary for economic policy during the first two years of the Obama administration—which means he has recently cleared the sometimes treacherous Senate confirmation process.

What we have here is a re-cycling of the same people between government and the elitist economists that dominate the Ivy League universities. Larry Summers rotates between Washington D.C. and Harvard University. Christina Romer and Robert Reich are now at UC Berkeley. Austan Goolsbee returns to the University of Chicago.

Alan Krueger brings the same thoughts and ideas that are just a re-tread of the previous advisers. It’s the “yes men” who provide nothing new and simply provide support to the president’s views. This situation is nothing new. Every president that I can remember has done exactly the same thing. Those who are not “yes men” do not last long.

Remember Paul O’Neill under George W. Bush. He held the position of Secretary of the Treasury from January 20, 2001 to December 31, 2002. O’Neill was chairman and CEO of the Pittsburgh industrial giant Alcoa from 1987 to 1999, and retired as chairman at the end of 2000. He was fired for opposing the invasion of Iraq. It was his reward for not being a “yes” man.

A Reliable Source for Oil

The proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast would not have “significant impacts” on the environment, the State Department has concluded, removing a major barrier to construction of the $7-billion project.

The problem is that environmentalists and others oppose the idea on the grounds that tar sand extraction (usually called fracking) because water tables will be impacted in the mining area.  There have been reports on American television of enough gas in water pipes to ignite them at their outlets.  This is obviously a serious issue.

The question of a new pipeline from Alberta to Texas should be what will the Canadians do if the United States says no to the project?  It appears Canadian are determined to extract oil from their soil in Alberta despite the opposition.  The answer is they will sell the crude oil to another country.  That would most likely be South Korea, China, or Japan.  There are already plans to build the Northern Gateway pipeline from Alberta through to British Columbia’s northern coast.  Some say this is a fake play by the Canadian government.  No matter, a greater reliance on oil from Canada will benefit the United States with more jobs and a dependable source of supply.

President Obama may be caught in this controversy because if his decision is a “no,” Republicans will say the decision is anti-business and is a job killer.  They would be correct.

Source for this article is the Los Angeles Times and Scientific American.

Forecasting the Worst and Hoping for the Best

A New York City taxi is stranded in deep water on Manhattan’s West Side as Tropical Storm Irene passes through the city, Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011 in New York. Although downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm, Irene’s torrential rain coupled with high winds and tides worked in concert to flood parts of the city. From North Carolina to New Jersey, the storm appeared to have fallen well short of the doomsday predictions.

George Will on “This Week” questioned the hysteria that was promoted by the news media although admitting there have been some very high tides.

I have noticed that weather forecasters seem to emphasize the worst possibilities.  After all they do not want to be accused of not warning of the worst case situation.  Here in the San Fernando Valley the forecast for today is 108º F.  Yesterday the temperature reached 106º F.

It’s better to know the worst situation and be prepared.

Ahmadinejad lashes out at Israel

From the Los Angeles Times

RAMIN MOSTAGHIM REPORTING FROM TEHRAN

Establishment of an in­dependent Palestinian state would not stop efforts to wipe out Israel, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahma­dinejad said Friday.

Palestinians are ex­pected to present a petition to the United Nations Gen­eral Assembly next month I for full U.N. membership, which would confer interna­tional recognition of an inde­pendent state. The United States is seeking’to block any action on the bid.

Creation of a Palestinian state would not satisfy those intent on “annihilating” Israel, Ahmadinejad said, speaking at Iran’s annual Quds Day rally in support of the Palestinian cause.

“Do not think that your existence will be recognized with the recognition of the Palestinian state,” the Irani­an president said, address­ing Israel.

“You have no place in our region and among our na­tions, and you will not be able to continue your ignominious life on even a small part of the Palestinian terri­tories.”

Ahmadinejad also re­newed his previous charac­terizations of the Holocaust during World War II’ as a “lie.”

Tens of thousands of Ira­nians marched Friday in Tehran for Quds Day events; some observers said the crowds were smaller than those of last year.

Authorities provided free bus and subway rides for at­tendees.

Mostaghim is a special correspondent.

Praying for an Extremist

Although results of a presidential election cannot be deduced by today’s poll results, trends can be an indicator.  Just last week a Gallup poll showed approval of President Barack Obama’s handling of the U.S. economy had fallen to a new low of 26 percent.  Another Gallup poll shows that Mitt Romney could win an election today against Obama 48% to 46%.  Rick Perry would be in a tie and both Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann are closely trailing Obama.

Trends are telling and there is little to indicate that Obama has too much strength with “independents.”  That is the group that will most likely determine who will be elected next November (2012).

Barack Obama is an outstanding speaker.   He just has not shown the leadership skills that a president needs.  If a Tea Party candidate wins the GOP nomination the Republican Party will have given the Democrats what they are hoping for.  That would be an extremist.