text:
Light Detection and Ranging LIDAR is an optical remote sensing technology used to collect a wide range of topographic data.
Introduction to LIDAR:
LIDAR is similar to radar technology, which uses radio waves, a form of electromagnetic radiation that is not in the visible spectrum. The range to an object is determined by measuring the time delay between transmission of a pulse and detection of the reflected signal. LIDAR technology has applications in Archaeology, Geography, Geology, Geomorphology, Seismology, remote sensing and many more areas.
Light detection and ranging (LIDAR), also known as airborne laser scanning (ALS), is an emerging remote sensing technology with promising potential to assisting mapping, monitoring, and assessment of forest resources. Compared to traditional analog or digital passive optical remote sensing, LIDAR offers tangible advantages, including nearly perfect registration of spatially distributed data and the ability to penetrate the vertical profile of a forest canopy and quantify its structure.
LIDAR Systems
A LIDAR system operating from an airborne platform comprises a set of instruments: the laser device; an inertial navigational measurement unit (IMU), which continuously records the aircraft's attitude vectors (orientation); a high-precision airborne global positioning system (GPS) unit, which records the three-dimensional position of the aircraft; and a computer interface that manages communication among devices and data storage. The system also requires that a GPS base station installed at a known location on the ground and in the vicinity (within 50 km) of the aircraft, operate simultaneously in order to differentially correct, and thus improve the precision of, the airborne GPS data.
The laser device emits pulses (or beams) of light to determine the range to a distant target. The distance to the target is determined by precisely measuring the time delay between the emission of the pulse and the detection of the reflected (backscattered) signal. There are two types of LIDAR acquisition differentiated by how backscattered laser energy is quantified and recorded by the system's receiver. With waveform LIDAR, the energy reflected back to the sensor is recorded as a (nearly) Continuous signal. With discrete-return, small-footprint LIDAR, reflected energy is quantized at amplitude intervals and is recorded at precisely referenced points in time and space. Popular alternatives to the term "point" include "return" and "echo." The energy amplitude pertaining to each return is known as intensity.
System Specifications
LIDAR systems have been evolving for more than a decade, and will likely continue to evolve even faster in the years to come. Hence, when planning data acquisition, it is essential to obtain specifications of currently available systems. Such specifications will determine both data acquisition costs and, quite likely, the feasibility of projects the acquired data are expected to support. The major operational specifications of a LIDAR system are outlined below:
• Scanning frequency is the number of pulses or beams emitted by the laser instrument in 1 second. Older instruments emitted a few thousand pulses per second. Modern systems support frequencies of up to 167 kHz (167,000 pulses per second). A high-frequency system can generate desired return densities by operating on an aircraft that flies higher and faster than an aircraft carrying a lower frequency system, thereby reducing flying time and acquisition costs.
• Scanning pattern is the spatial arrangement of pulse returns that would be expected from a flat surface and depends on the mechanism used to direct pulses across the flight line. Of the four scanning patterns supported by instruments used in acquiring laser data, the seesaw pattern and its stabilized equivalent are the most common. In these two patterns, the pulse is directed across the scanning swath by an oscillating mirror, and returns are continuously generated in both directions of the scan. In the parallel line pattern, a rotating polygonal mirror directs pulses along parallel lines across the swath, and data are generated in one direction of the scan only. The elliptical pattern is generated via a rotating mirror that revolves about an axis perpendicular to the rotation plane.
• Beam divergence Unlike a true laser system, the trajectories of photons in a beam emitted from a LIDAR instrument deviate slightly from the beam propagation line (axis) and form a narrow cone rather than the thin cylinder typical of true laser systems. The term "beam divergence" refers to the increase in beam diameter that occurs as the distance between the laser instrument and a plane that intersects the beam axis increases. Typical beam divergence settings range from 0.1 to 1.0 millirad. At 0.3 millirad, the diameter of the beam at a distance of 1000 m from the instrument is approximately 30 cm. Because the total amount of pulse energy remains constant regardless of the beam divergence, at a larger beam divergence, the pulse energy is spread over a larger area, leading to a lower signal-to-noise ratio.
• Scanning angle is the angle the beam axis is directed away from the "focal" plane of the LIDAR instrument The maximum angle supported by most systems does not exceed 15 degrees. The angle is recorded as positive toward the starboard and negative toward the port side of the aircraft. The combination of scanning angle and aboveground flight height determines the scanning swath.
• Footprint diameter is the diameter of a beam intercepted by a plane positioned perpendicularly to the beam axis at a distance from the instrument equal to the nominal flight height. It is thus a function of both beam divergence and the above-target flight height. The distribution of pulse energy is not uniform over the extent of the footprint. It decreases radially from the center and can be approximated by a two-dimensional Gaussian distribution.
• Pulse length is the duration of the pulse, in nanoseconds (ns). Along with discretization settings, it determines the range resolution of the pulse in multiple return systems, or the minimum distance between consecutive returns from a pulse.
• Number of returns (per beam/pulse) is the maximum number of individual returns that can be extracted from a single beam. Certain systems can identify either the first or the first and last returns. Most modern systems can identify multiple returns (e.g., up to five) from a single beam.
• Footprint spacing is the nominal distance between the centers of consecutive beams along and between the scanning lines, which, along with the beam divergence, determines the spatial resolution of LIDAR data. The footprint spacing is a function of scanning frequency, the aboveground flight height, and the velocity of the aircraft.
Applications of LIDAR
Archaeology - LIDAR has many applications in the field of archaeology including aiding in the planning of field campaigns, mapping features beneath forest canopy, and providing an overview of broad, continuous features that may be indistinguishable on the ground. LIDAR can also provide archaeologists with the ability to create high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) of archaeological sites that can reveal micro-topography that are otherwise hidden by vegetation. LIDAR-derived products can be easily integrated into a Geographic Information System (GIS) for analysis and interpretation. Beyond efficiency, its ability to penetrate forest canopy has led to the discovery of features that were not distinguishable through traditional geo-spatial methods and are difficult to reach through field surveys. An April 2009 flyover of the Maya city of Caracol used LIDAR equipment to help scientists construct a 3-D map of the settlement in western Belize. The survey revealed previously unknown buildings, roads, and other features in just four days, scientists announced at the International Symposium on Archaeometry in Tampa, Florida.[1]
Atmospheric Studies - NASA plans to test a laser-based sensor (Fall, 2010) in space that will help scientists better understand global climate and how it might be changing. The instrument, called LITE (LIDAR In-Space Technology Experiment), will orbit the Earth while positioned inside the payload bay of Space Shuttle Discovery. During this nine-day mission, LITE will measure the Earth's cloud cover and track various kind of particles in the atmosphere. Designed and built at the NASA Langley Research Center, LITE is the first use of a LIDAR system for atmospheric studies from space. LIDAR is similar to the radar commonly used to track everything from airplanes in flight to thunderstorms. But instead of bouncing radio waves off its target, LIDAR uses short pulses of laser light. Some of that light reflects off of tiny particles in the atmosphere and back to a telescope aligned with the laser. By precisely timing the LIDAR "echo," and by measuring how much laser light is received by the telescope, scientists can accurately determine the location, distribution and nature of the particles. The result is a revolutionary new tool for studying constituents in the atmosphere, from cloud droplets to industrial pollutants, that are difficult to detect by other means.[2]
Bathymetry - Although it is still beyond our reach to acquire precise and high-resolution seafloor depths from space, LIDAR bathymeters on fixed wing and rotary aircraft can penetrate the water column to collect seafloor data at depths of up to approximately 230 feet (70 meters). Bathymetric LIDAR uses a high powered laser to transmit electromagnetic energy, specifically in near-infrared and green wavelengths, from the aircraft platform through the water column and make a time difference measurement to calculate the seafloor depth. Most modern units today use a frequency between 200 and 4,000 Hz, which can result in upwards of 14 million measurements per hour and a horizontal spacing of approximately 0.5 to 6 meters on the seabed. While airborne, a laser altimeter mounted in the aircraft pulses both of these wavelengths to the surface of the water and measures the time it takes for the energy to return. The infrared light is reflected back to the aircraft from the water surface while the green light travels through the water column. Energy from the green light reflects off the seafloor and is captured by the airborne sensor. The water depth is obtained by determining the time difference between the infrared and green laser reflections using a simple calculation that incorporates the properties of the water column along with system and environmental factors.[3]
Contour Mapping - LIDAR Contour Mapping is a rapid, cost-effective source of high-accuracy, high-density elevation data for many traditional topographic mapping applications. The technology allows large area topographic surveys to be completed significantly faster and at a reduced cost compared to traditional survey methods.
Meteorology - The first LIDARs were used for studies of atmospheric composition, structure, clouds, and aerosols. Initially based on ruby lasers, LIDARs for meteorological applications were constructed shortly after the invention of the laser and represent one of the first applications of laser technology. Elastic backscatter LIDAR is the simplest type of LIDAR and is typically used for studies of aerosols and clouds. Differential Absorption LIDAR (DIAL) is used for range-resolved measurements of a particular gas in the atmosphere, such as ozone, carbon dioxide, or water vapor. Raman LIDAR is also used for measuring the concentration of atmospheric gases, but can also be used to retrieve aerosol parameters as well. Doppler LIDAR is used to measure wind speed along the beam by measuring the frequency shift of the backscattered light. Scanning LIDARs, such as NASA's HARLIE LIDAR, have been used to measure atmospheric wind velocity in a large three-dimensional cone. Synthetic Array LIDAR allows imaging LIDAR without the need for an array detector.
Geology - In geology and seismology a combination of aircraft-based LIDAR and GPS have evolved into an important tool for detecting faults and measuring uplift. The output of the two technologies can produce extremely accurate elevation models for terrain that can even measure ground elevation through trees. Airborne LIDAR systems monitor glaciers and have the ability to detect subtle amounts of growth or decline.
Biology and conservation - LIDAR has also found many applications in forestry. Canopy heights, biomass measurements, and leaf area can all be studied using airborne LIDAR systems. Similarly, LIDAR is also used by many industries, including Energy and Railroad, and the Department of Transportation as a faster way of surveying. Topographic maps can also be generated readily from LIDAR, including for recreational use such as in the production of orienteering maps.
Imaging - 3-D imaging is done with both scanning and non-scanning systems. "3-D gated viewing laser radar" is a non-scanning laser radar system that applies the so-called gated viewing technique. The gated viewing technique applies a pulsed laser and a fast-gated camera. Coherent Imaging LIDAR is possible using Synthetic array heterodyne detection which is a form of Optical heterodyne detection that enables a staring single element receiver to act as though it were an imaging array. 3D mapping Airborne LIDAR sensors are used by companies in the Remote Sensing area to create point clouds of the earth ground for further processing (e.g. used in forestry). A common format for saving these points (with parameters like x, y, return, intensity, elevation) is the LAS file format.
Law Enforcement - LIDAR devices have been developed that can pinpoint oncoming cars in traffic and determine their rate of speed with a great degree of accuracy.
Oceanic Studies - LIDAR imaging has been used to analyze oil contamination in the Gulf of Mexico resulting from the 2010 BP oil rig disaster.[4]
See also
- About LIDAR Data. NOAA Coastal Services Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Web site. Accessed 10 June 2010.
- Using LIDAR Data in an ArcView Project. NOAA Coastal Services Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Web site. Accessed 10 June 2010.
- ↑ Massive Maya City Revealed by Lasers. National Geographic Daily News. 20 May 2010. Accessed 10 June 2010.
- ↑ http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/factsheets/LITE.html NASA - LITE: Measuring the Atmosphere With Laser Precision
- ↑ Bremen, J.: Ocean Globe, page 3,5. ESRI Press, 2010.
- ↑ http://lidarnews.com/nasa-using-lidar-to-analyze-gulf-oil-spill NASA Using LIDAR To Analyze Gulf Oil Spill - LidarNews article 5/10/2010


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fireworkx - pyrotechnics simulation eye-candy.
fireworkx [-display host:display.screen] [-visual visual] [-window] [-root] [-verbose] [-no-flash] [-no-glow] [-shoot] [-delay number] [-maxlife number] [-fps]
Simulates fireworks (pyrotechnics); explodes better on faster machines.
-visual visual | |
Specify which visual to use. Legal values are the name of a visual class, or the id number (decimal or hex) of a specific visual. | |
-window | Draw on a newly-created window. This is the default. |
-root | Draw on the root window. |
-no-flash | Turn off light effect (runs faster) |
-no-glow | Turn off self glow (dull blasts..!) |
-shoot | Shoot the shells. |
-delay number | |
Delay between frames. In microseconds. (Default: 1000) | |
-maxlife number | |
Maximum decay period for an explosion. (Default: 2000) | |
-verbose | for scientific purposes..! |
-fps | Display the current frame rate and CPU load. |
DISPLAY | to get the default host and display number. |
to get the name of a resource file that overrides the global resources stored in the RESOURCE_MANAGER property. | |
Copyright © 1999-2005 by Rony B Chandran. Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software and its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation. No representations are made about the suitability of this software for any purpose. It is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.
Written by Rony B Chandran <email@example.com>
Additional programming: ------------------------ Renuka S <firstname.lastname@example.com> Jean-Pierre Demailly <email@example.com> Nicholas Miell <email@example.com>

subset: commoncrawl


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Brazil's Institute of Industrial Property has ruled that Apple does not hold exclusive rights to the "iPhone" trademark in the country. The decision comes after a dispute with Gradiente, a local company that first registered the trademark in 2000 — long before Apple's revelatory smartphone was launched in 2007.
Apple may continue to use the iPhone trademark in Brazil, but it won't be able to claim exclusive ownership of the mark. That opens the door for Gradiente — which released its own Android-based "iphone" late last year — and other cellphone makers to capitalize on the popular brand. But that flexibility only applies to mobile phones: the INPI says Cupertino will keep some semblance of exclusivity over "iPhone" when the trademark is used elsewhere.


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He was young, active and healthy, but that was no match for this year's deadly flu virus.
Matthew Walker, 23, is one of the latest victims to die from the flu, specifically the H1N1 virus commonly known as swine flu.
The death of the young man from Santa Rosa this week is catching the attention of a lot of people.
MORE: Bay Area H1N1 Flu-Related Deaths on the Rise
Walker's friends and family are devastated.
"I can't believe something like this could happen to someone so young," said 21-year-old Tanner Petersen, Walker's friend and co-worker.
Petersen said he can't believe his friend is gone. Just three weeks ago, Walker was working beside him in the produce department of G and G Supermarket in Santa Rosa before coming down with a fatal case of the flu.
"He'd been coughing for awhile, but it didn't seem like anything, just a normal cough," Petersen said. "Just this quickly, like boom, he goes from being completely fine to where we're at right now."
MORE: Flu Prevention Tips
Walker's health spiraled down incredibly fast. He chronicled it all on Facebook:
On Dec. 22 he wrote: "Woke up heeeela sick…sore throat cough runny nose."
Two days later he wrote: "I'm so over being sick."
But by the end of that week he was in the hospital a second time: "Lying in a gurney with 103 temp today no fun," he wrote. Within hours, Walker had gone Code Blue.
"It's a very ragged roller coaster ride, with a horrible ending," Walker's father Cliff told NBC Bay Area via telephone.
Walker's father, who enjoyed playing music with his son, said it's hard to accept. He said his son played the saxophone and harmonica, and was an avid skateboarder, but above all he was healthy.
Cliff Walker is warning other young people to take care of themselves. His 23-year-old son didn't get a flu shot, something Matthew Walker's father says would have saved him.
"Take very seriously respiratory stuff, and get your shots if you don't have the symptoms," Cliff Walker said. "If you have the symptoms, get treatment now."
MORE: Regional Medical Center of San Jose Sets Up Flu Tent
"It's scared me a lot," Petersen said.
A shaken Petersen just got the flu vaccination, but he is heartbroken his friend couldn't be saved.
"I just want him to know I love him, and we care about him," Petersen said. "We miss you, man."
Walker's father confirms it was the H1N1 virus that took his son's life. Matthew was hospitalized within days of showing symptoms.
With his family by his side, Matthew Walker succumbed to the flu on Wednesday. He is survived by his parents, as well as four brothers and a sister.


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David Putter: "They treated me so awesome."
It's well known on car forums that "the answer to every question is 'Miata.'" It's also well known that the Miata is the best-selling roadster of all time. Since I love roadsters (a woman friend once told me, "you like go-karty cars," which nailed that), you might imagine that I'd like it. I do. In fact, the 2016+ Miata (codenamed ND, following as it did the NA, NB, and NC) is, in my opinion, the ideal car. It's small and light, the top folds down manually, it's rear-wheel drive, it has the engine at the correct end, it has the right number of seats, and it's available with a stick shift. The engine is low-powered enough that you have to row the gears and stay on the right one. Plus, it's the right size and power level to be usable and enjoyable on real-world roads, driving real-world speeds.
If someone offered to give me one or the other and I had to drive them and couldn't resell them, I would take a new Miata over a new Ferrari, and I'm deadly serious. If I could resell them, I'd take the Ferrari, drive it for a month for the experience of turning some heads on the freeway, sell it, buy a Miata or maybe even two, and pocket the change. There would be a lot of change.
There aren't a lot of roadsters these days. Their historical moment has passed. The quintessential driving experience c. 2017 is sitting in an SUV in endless stop-and-go traffic, despairing and wishing that Google would hurry up with those self-driving cars already. Me, I'm just grateful that one example of the perfect car is still available to buy new. I don't happen to be able to afford one, but that's my fault. I don't do enough gear posts ;-)
More than most cars, Miata buyers skew male—about 70%, a rate surpassed only by a few iconic muscle cars such as the Corvette. (The Corvette has a take-rate that's about 86% male. The other 14% must be the type of femmes fatales who wear stiletto heels at bars and could hurt you). Much more than most cars, male Miata buyers skew middle-aged. Finally, most middle-aged male Miata buyers have beards.
Middle-aged dudes with beards. That's the Miata's demographic.
David Putter is a middle-aged beardy guy. More about him in a minute.
The "chick-car" myth is not the only thing about Miatas that isn't true. Actually, that idea about the Miata being the best-selling roadster isn't quite accurate either.
I mean, it is—the Miata has sold right around a million iterations since 1989, far more than any other roadster nameplate in automotive history. But what they don't tell you is that that it hasn't sold very well for a long, long time. Long gone are the days when Mazda sold 59,000 Miatas a year. In recent years, it's been more like one-tenth that.
In fact, had the Miata not been the "halo car" for the Mazda brand—a brand in need of its halo, as Mazda is one of the lesser Japanese carmakers—there is a pretty good possibility that it would have been discontinued after the NC variant (2006–2015). The NC saw its North American sales numbers dip below 5k before it was retired. In fact, in 2014, U.S. Miata sales dipped below 300 in four separate months, which is not good at all.
This leads to the demise of the last myth, which is that Miata buyers love...well, Miatas. I.e., true roadsters with stick shifts. Again, they do, no doubt, for sure...in theory...but they're also middle-aged males, who are getting older, creakier, and, um, thicker, and who, despite themselves, care more about creature comforts than they used to. So a few things Mazda discovered over the run of the NC, besides the mystifying fact that Americans love cup-holders, was that a) more buyers than you might think went for the automatic transmission option, despite it being sacrilege; and b) that the retractable hardtop variant was popular.
The retractable hardtop was the biggest surprise. Meant as a one-off to spur flagging sales, it was so popular it ended up outselling the ragtop version of the car.
So when Mazda decided to go ahead with the new ND, and opted for a total ground-up redesign, a hardtop variant was designed-in from the start.
The result is the Mazda Miata RF. That doesn't stand for rangefinder, which is what "RF" always means to me; it stands for Retractable Fastback. It's actually a targa with an automatically self-stowing top, but Porsche has the word "targa" so tied up that Harry Houdini himself couldn't get it loose. Here's a video showing how it works. And, of course, having learned its lesson with the NC RH, Mazda expects the '17 RF to outsell the convertible versions of the car.
And that's where David Putter comes in. The ND Miata debuted in convertible form. David Putter, who has owned 16 Mazdas and eight Miatas and is a Miata fanatic, was chosen by Mazda last Fall to be the ceremonial recipient of the very first North American RF "Launch Edition."
All very cool. The RF is one of the best-looking cars on the road and, if historical trends for sports cars hold true, Mazda can enjoy a few years of strong sales (new sports cars tend to sell well for a few years when they're new. Sales then tail off). So far, so good: in 2016, the convertible ND broke 1,000 in monthly sales in the U.S. three times. No telling how many more middle-aged beardy guys like David Putter were holding off for the RF, but we'll know soon.
Me? I'd still take the convertible. I had a Miata for three years and hardly ever raised the top. Roadsters forever.
And if you actually like muscle cars? Well, you're strange and I don't understand, but, for you, compliments of Flyin' Miata in Colorado, there's a 2016+ Miata with a Chevy small-block LS3 engine from a Corvette in it. Since the Miata with a V-8 is still 600 lbs. lighter than the lightest Corvette, you will be eating Corvettes and Mustang GTs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
And even holding your own with Ferraris, too.
(Thanks to Jim)
"Open Mike" is the Editorial page of TOP, where we cover things like coffee, cars, and p**l. It appears on Wednesdays.
Original contents copyright 2017 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.
3, 2, 1, green light, go:
"Like" Mike or Buy yourself a present
(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:
Carsten Bockermann: "I still own and love my NA Miata that I bought a little over 21 years ago when I lived in the U.S."
Chris Hunt: "I came to the Miata by way of the Spec race class. I had no inclination towards them as I viewed them as a bit feminine myself, but the spec class was/is great for these cars. Big fields, competitive driver-focus with (theoretically) equal cars, lower (theoretical) costs, and so on.
"I'll tell you, though, that after getting the car, for the two months I might have driven it prior to gutting it out, installing a cage and other safety gear, as well as a stiff suspension (thereby ruining it for any use off of a track), it was like heaven in a driving experience. I drove my father's Mazdaspeed version of the NB later, and that was just heavenly-er. I have a hard time conceptualizing a car nearer to perfect. I was, and still am, shocked at my reversal of attitude toward the Miata.
"I daydream occasionally of getting another Miata to replace my daily car. Alas, I'm in that middle-aged group sans beard, and I have a child to ferry around often. Still, it's tempting.
"Long live the Miata, so I can keep those daydreams fed.
"Oh, and I'd get the convertible too. That RF is neat and all, but it's just not the same animal to me."
Jim: "Having owned over two dozen Alfas, a C4 Corvette and two Miatas (NAs), I have many stories about roadsters. These are from our 30 years in Boston.
"After my '63 Alfa Giulia Spider was the victim of a hit and run (Cadillac Escalade), I decided to never drive a vintage car on the street again. I bought a '84 C4 Corvette coupe, all black. When I took it to a shop in the Italian corner of Boston to be inspected for MA licenses, a middle-aged lady, dressed all in black, looking like a Mafia groupie, came over and hit on me—a middle-aged guy with a beard, natch.
"After a few years of Corvette ownership and some fun (made a great track car—I remember doing a 360-degree spin at New Hampshire Motor Speedway one day—and recovering), I sold it and replaced it with a '92 Miata. A few days later, I parked it in our small town center (near Cambridge, Mass.) and was surrounded by a bunch of preteen girls who were gaga over my red sports car. I found the difference in the females who were impressed with my cars interesting....
"That Miata became the car I kept for the longest—sold it when I moved to California. Bought another out here and kept it less than a month—could not live with the fact that half the vehicles here are pickups jacked up until I could almost drive under them. My sense of survival prevailed...."
Mike replies: I thought you'd be good for a great comment on this post, Jim. Thanks.
I suspect every Miata owner has an "almost got run over by an idiot who didn't notice my car" story. Miatas do need much better, louder horns, that's one way they could be improved!
Paul H: "Drove one of the first gen MX5s for a weekend when a friend and I did a weekend car swap (he needed something a bit roomier for a house moving exercise). It was a lot of fun—handled nicely, not too stiffly sprung, and plenty of feedback. Very usable performance for normal roads. Not fast, but then 'tis more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow...."
Per Kylberg (partial comment): "Being an ex-gokart racer, I am not that impressed by the Mazda. Take a look at Mercedes SLC instead. Shorter than the 'Miata' and definitely not boringly underpowered. Another fave for me is the Honda S2000; better balanced on the race track and also not underpowered."
Mike replies: All Mazdas are underpowered. It's a law of the (automotive) Universe.
There was one exception, but it had its own problems. The New Yorker magazine runs a weekly "Caption Contest," where they provide the cartoon and ask readers to supply the caption. One early one showed a car frantically scooting around in circles while two mechanics sit at a nearby repair shop looking on, one saying something to the other. One caption I thought of would only have worked in a car magazine—it was, "I told him the Mazdaspeed 3 suffered from torque steer, but he wouldn't listen." (The car was going in clockwise circles, i.e. turning to the right, so the caption I submitted was, "He really tore me a new one. Told me we made the steering pull to the left." The winning caption was, "At what point does this become our problem?")
Paul De Zan: "Right after the election (and I blame this move on a desperate need for distraction), I did something completely out of character re: cars. After a lifetime of fascination with and ownership of driver-oriented, foreign-built cars, cars that 'can be balanced' as Stirling Moss put it, I bought a phenomenally unbalanced 1964 Chevrolet Bel Air two-door sedan, which was born with a 289 V-8 but now has the legendary 409 in it. Other than the engine, the car is bone stock and looks about two years old. It is the quintessential Q-ship, a car that looks like a schoolteacher's Sunday driver, but which absolutely hammers the earth on which it stands. The engine swap was half-assed, so I've busied myself making everything correct and the end result is an absurdly fast, absurdly loud and profoundly wasteful vehicle that turns more male heads that anything I've ever driven. I plan to sell it next year and I'm going to have an absolute blast making a sales video for it.
"I am completely out of my mind to have done this, but it's certainly in the spirit of the times."


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Carey Wedler / (ANTIMEDIA) As the nation rightly focuses on Flint's ongoing water crisis, other cities in the state of Michigan face even higher levels of lead contamination. The alarming pervasiveness of potentially toxic drinking water extends across the United States.
The Detroit News reports that "Elevated blood-lead levels are seen in a higher percentage of children in parts of Grand Rapids, Jackson, Detroit, Saginaw, Muskegon, Holland and several other cities, proof that the scourge of lead has not been eradicated despite decades of public health campaigns and hundreds of millions of dollars spent to find and eliminate it."
Of over 7,000 children tested in the Highland Park and Hamtramck areas of Detroit in 2014, 13.5 percent tested positive for lead. Among four zip codes in Grand Rapids, one in ten children had lead in their blood. In Adrian and south-central Michigan, more than 12 percent of 640 children tested had positive results.
These overall numbers are higher than Flint's, where Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha found lead in up to 6.3 percent of children in the highest-risk areas;while The Guardian reported Dr. Hanna-Attisha has also said the rate is as high at 15 percent in certain "hot spots," the size of those samples was not listed. Even so, the overall figures across Michigan are lower than in previous years. In 2012, children tested across Michigan had lead in their blood at a rate of 4.5 percent, about five times less than the rate ten years prior, which reached an alarming 25 percent. In spite of the decrease in recent years, however, thousands of children in Michigan are still affected.
"In 2013, that level sank to 3.9 percent and fell again to 3.5 percent in 2014. But that is still 5,053 children under age 6 who tested positive in 2014," theDetroit News explained. "Each had lead levels above 5 micrograms per deciliter. (Though no amount is considered safe, 5 micrograms is the threshold that experts say constitutes a 'much higher' level than most children.)" One Detroit zip code had a rate of 20.8 percent of children who tested positive in 2014, and 20.3 percent the following year.
The outrage in Flint is especially warranted because of the pronounced effects of lead on children. Lead, a known toxin, is associated with bothphysical and mental ailments, and according to one Detroit teacher, has harmed the cognitive abilities of students.
Kieya Morrison, a veteran kindergarten teacher, who now teaches preschool, described a recent student known to have elevated levels of blood in her system. The girl experienced difficulties grasping simple cognitive tasks, like differentiating between a triangle and a square. "She had cognitive problems. She had trouble processing things," Morrison said. "She could not retain any of the information." The University of Michigan recently found a link between lead in children and lower academic test scores.
Michigan's lead problem "…is still an issue. It's not going away," said Dr. Eden Wells, chief medical executive of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
In fact, lead levels are elevated across the United States. Anti-Media reported this week on Sebring, Ohio, where a similar lead crisis spawned official cover-ups. For years, discoveries of lead in public water supplies have made headlines, even if these finding were not national news. In 2008, the Los Angeles school district's water supply was found to have levels of lead hundreds of times higher than the allowable. In 2015, officials could not guarantee they had adequately purified the water. In another example, in 2010, New York City tested 222 older homes known to have lead pipes, and found 14 percent had lead levels higher than the allowable limit.
Vox noted that in 2014, "Nine counties nationwide told the CDC that 10 percent or more of their lead poisoning tests came back positive. Four of them are in Louisiana, two in Alabama, and the rest scattered across West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, and Oklahoma."
The problem extends beyond anecdotal cases or any specific region. As Huffington Post reports, millions of lead pipes — like the ones that contaminated the water in Flint — are still in service across the United States:
"There are roughly 7.3 million lead service lines in the U.S., according to an estimate by the Environmental Protection Agency, down from 10.5 million in 1988. Service lines are the pipes connecting water mains to people's houses. They're mostly found in the Midwest and Northeast."
Jerry Paulson, emeritus professor of pediatrics and environmental health at George Washington University, told the Detroit News how common the problem is:
"This is a situation that has the potential to occur in however many places around the country there are lead pipes," he explained. "Unless and until those pipes are removed, those communities are at some degree of risk."
Paul Haan of the Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan, an organization that works to eliminate household hazards to improve children's health, warns that the levels of lead in Michigan children's blood continue to rise, citing weekly statewide reports from pediatricians. In spite of his efforts to help reduce contaminants, he pointed out a dismal flaw in the process:
"The problem is," he said, "we're still using kids as lead detectors."
This article (6 Cities in Michigan Have Even Higher Levels of Lead than Flint) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Carey Wedler and theAntiMedia.org.


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Special Coverage
Auto Show
GENEVA – Subaru, which has built its brand in the U.S. around symmetrical all-wheel drive, will expand its product offering to include a rear-wheel-drive sports car, going on sale in early spring 2012.
The Japanese auto maker uses the auto show here this week to unveil a sleek Lucite body that highlights the lowered position of the 4-cyl. horizontally opposed boxer engine and the driveline channeling all the power to the rear wheels. Subaru has not sold a RWD car since 1970.
Expect the actual production vehicle to be displayed at the Tokyo auto show in December.
Subaru refers to the program as the Boxer Sports Car Architecture, which springs from a joint development program with Toyota, which owns 16.7% of Subaru. General Motors sold its 20% stake in Subaru in 2005.
Subaru and Toyota announced the joint rear-drive vehicle development program in 2009.
Here at the Geneva Motor Show, Toyota exhibits its own sports car derived from the architecture.
The FT-86 II, delivered by the auto maker's European Design Development Centre, emphasizes aerodynamics, compact dimensions, dramatic styling, a high power-to-weight ratio and a low center of gravity – important for dynamic handling.
Toyota says the concept harkens to its sporting roots by combining a free-revving boxer gasoline engine and 6-speed manual transmission. Toyota contributes RWD and suspension technology to the development, while Subaru brings its boxer engine expertise.
Like the Subaru vehicle, Toyota says the production version of the FT-86 II will go on sale in Europe in 2012.
There are a number of questions Subaru executives cannot answer about the new sports car, such as weight distribution, price target, anticipated sales volume, horsepower/torque and whether a race series will be developed around the vehicle.
But Ikuo Mori, president and CEO of Subaru parent company Fuji Heavy Industries, says the vehicle will be on sale in all markets worldwide and serve as an important addition to the brand's portfolio by drawing a new breed of enthusiast customer.
"We expect when we introduce this vehicle that it will appeal to customers who will enjoy an opposed-piston sports car," Mori tells Ward's after unveiling the concept. "We want to expand our appeal beyond reliable driving."
Most Subaru customers in the U.S. are looking for AWD, off-road capability, practicality and near-luxury appointments when they buy a Forester, Outback, Tribeca or Legacy.
Engine | 2.0L naturally aspirated H-4 |
Overall length | 165 ins. (420 cm) |
Overall width | 70 ins. (177 cm) |
Overall height | 50 ins. (127 cm) |
Wheelbase | 101 ins. (257 cm) |
Tire size | 215/45R17 |
With the new car, the auto maker hopes to attract more customers like those drawn to the brand's sporty offerings, particularly the Impreza WRX and STI.
But Mori says the new model does not signal a completely new direction for the auto maker.
"We aren't changing any products or engineering," he says. "We want to enhance the good characteristics of the horizontally opposed piston engine."
In January, Subaru unveiled the third generation of its gasoline boxer engine, a 2.0L 4-cyl., codenamed FB, first to appear later this year in the all-new '12 Impreza compact car. A 2.5L version appears in the new Forester cross/utility vehicle in the U.S.
Horizontally opposed engines first arrived in the Subaru 1000 sedan in 1966. Over the following 23 years, the Japanese auto maker would sell 4.1 million boxer engines, most of them in AWD and FWD vehicles.
Subaru's first prototype passenger car, the P-1, arrived in 1954 in a front-engine, RWD layout.
If the model on the stand is any indication, the sports car will offer a small back seat in a 2+2 configuration, much like the Mazda RX8.
By way of competitors, Subaru identifies the Porsche Cayman, a mid-engine, rear-drive 2-seater that also uses a boxer engine, but with six cylinders. Without discussing price, Subaru executives suggest their vehicle will be less expensive than the Cayman, which starts at $51,400 in the U.S.
Cayman offerings in the U.S. include a 320-hp 3.4L V-6 and 265-hp 2.9L 6-cyl. boxer.
Subaru says its rear-drive sports car will be the first in the world powered by a boxer engine mounted in front, and that the engine, thanks to its flat design, will be positioned unusually low in the chassis and likely will be made of aluminum.
Compared with the 4-cyl. boxer in the current Impreza, Subaru engineers say the center of gravity for the engine in the new sports car will be 4.7 ins. (12 cm) lower, and that it will be positioned 9.5 ins. (24 cm) closer to the firewall, more like a front/mid-engine vehicle.
The engine's center of gravity will be lower than an average adult male's knee, says Toshio Masuda, senior project general manager, Subaru Product & Portfolio Planning Div.
Lowering the engine allows the driveshaft extending to the rear to be flatter, which, in turn, allows the hood, floorpan and seats to be positioned lower.
"It will feel like a go-cart," Masuda says.
The Lucite model on the show floor confirms the unusual orientation of the longitudinal boxer. In many vehicles today, the top of the engine often is well above the top of the wheels.
The Subaru concept pushes the engine much lower, about level with the wheel hubs. A shallow oil pan was designed especially to maintain the flat dimensions. The engine is so low, a visit to the chiropractor might be necessary after working on it.
Two all-new transmissions are being developed for Subaru's sports car, an automatic and a 3-pedal manual.
Subaru insiders say a 200-hp rating is possible for the engine, but that straight-line acceleration is not the primary goal of the vehicle program.
Instead, Subaru plans aggressive integration of lightweight materials and a distinctive suspension setup incorporating struts at the front and a double-wishbone layout at the rear. Combined with a short wheelbase and short overhangs, the auto maker promises an entertaining ride.
Subaru will produce the vehicle in the Gunma prefecture of Japan. Last July, Subaru opened its fifth engine plant there, in Oizumi, to produce the FB boxer engine.


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OIP 107. Reliefs and Inscriptions at Karnak, Volume IV: The Battle Reliefs of King Sety I The Epigraphic Survey
This volume presents the famous Karnak war scenes engraved by order of Sethos I. These have been well known (after a fashion) through the venerable works of Champollion, Rosellini, Lepsius, and, latterly, Wreszinski; but the present work must rank as the definitive publication of these reliefs. Study of these reliefs raised so many issues that the major editor of this work (W. J. Murnane) found it necessary to publish a separate monograph (The Road to Kadesh: A Historical Interpretation of the Battle Reliefs of King Sety I, 2nd ed. rev.; SAOC 42; Chicago: The Oriental Institute, 1990), to deal with wider historical issues.
- Chicago: The Oriental Institute, 1986
- Pp. xxiv + 166 (including 2 figures) in booklet; 50 plates + key plan
- Out of Print


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An annual filing of a Business Property Statement (PDF) is a requirement of section 441(d) of the California Revenue and Taxation Code. Statements are sent in order to gather the most up to date information on the business property so that an accurate value can be determined.
Show All Answers
California Constitution Article XIII and Revenue and Taxation Code section 201 state that all property is taxable unless it is stated that it is exempt. Business personal property is not exempt.
Sales tax and property tax are two different types of taxes.
Unsecured property is a personal liability of an Assessee, generally the owner of a business, which has not had the tax payment secured by the ownership of real property.
This is a requirement of section 441(d) of the California Revenue and Taxation Code. An Assessor's request for the filing of an annual statement is sent in order to gather the most up to date information on the business property so that an accurate value can be determined.
It is important that the statement be returned even if you no longer own the business property. If a statement is not returned, an estimated assessment will be made using the best information available, and a 10% penalty on the assessed value will be added for failure to file as mandated by the California Revenue and Taxation Code section 463.
Whenever the due date for filing a Business Property Statement falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the statement may be filed by the close of business (5 p.m.) on the next regular business day with the same effect as if it had been filed on the specified due date.
Refer to the instructions provided. If you still have questions, please contact the Assessor's Office at 530-889-4300 or visit our office.
For your convenience, the Assessor's Office offers access to a free online filing program (E-File) from mid-January until May 7th at 5 p.m. annually. E-Filing is quick and secure, with an immediate confirmation that your filing has been accepted. The E-Filing program replaces the need for a printed submission of the Business Property Statement to be mailed to the Assessor's Office.
The E-Filing program is not available after May 7th at 5:01 p.m. All statements filed after May 7th at 5 p.m. must be submitted by mail.
The Business Identification Number (BIN) is a unique access code that provides private and secure access to your property statement through the E-File program. A new BIN is issued each year and is included with the Notice and Assessor's Request to File a Business Property Statement letter sent in January. Because the BIN is unique each year, the BIN you received last year will not work to grant you future access to the E-Filing program. If you require a new BIN, you will need to email the Assessor's Office.
Statements returned to the Assessor by fax or email must be accompanied by a cover letter on company letterhead. This cover letter must include a description of the information being submitted, contact name and telephone number, email address, and be signed and dated by the taxpayer or taxpayer's authorized agent. All emailed statements must be in a PDF format and emailed to the Assessor's Office.
Yes. If you are using the equipment for business purposes, it is reportable, assessable, and taxable as business personal property.
Movable property has situs where it is located on the lien date of January 1 if it has been in the county for more than 6 of the 12 months before the lien date and is expected that it will remain or return to the county for:
If the property does not meet the qualifications, the location of the property is the location where it normally returns or is stored when not in use, such as a construction or rental yard, or the principal place of business of the owner if no such location exists.
Yes. All True Leases, Capitalized Leased Equipment, and Lease to Purchase Option Equipment, where the final payment has not yet been made, are reported in Part III on the front of the property statement, or as an attached listing if more space is required.
Capitalized or Purchase Option Leased Equipment, where the final payment has been made, must be reported in Schedule A at the original cost and original year acquired, not the buyout cost or year the final payment was made.
Business property not in use but located within the county is still assessable. If you have received a Business Property Statement you should complete it for the remaining property and add a letter of explanation as to where and what the remaining assets are.
If you have not received a Business Property Statement, you should complete and return a Business Property Affidavit (PDF) to the Placer County Assessor's Office. There is a section regarding property remaining after a business closure. Based upon the information you provide, a review of your assessment will be completed.
Examples of reportable supplies are:
Put in the total amount of the retail value of supplies you had on hand on January 1. If you are not sure, make an estimate of the amount you normally keep on hand.
When signing, please remember that it is important to complete all the areas of the Declaration by Assessee in order to validate a signature. The declaration must be signed by either the assessee/owner, a duly appointed fiduciary, or a person authorized to sign on behalf of the assessee such as: a member of the bar, a certified public accountant, a public accountant, an enrolled agent, a partner, corporate officer, LLC manager or managing member, or other person as defined by the State of California Board of Equalization.
When a declaration is signed by an employee or agent, other than a member of the bar, a certified public accountant, a public accountant, an enrolled agent or a duly appointed fiduciary, the assessee's written Agency Authorization form (eForm) to authorize the employee or agent to sign the declaration on behalf of the Assessee must be filed with the Assessor. The Assessor may at any time require a person who signs a property statement and who is required to have written authorization to provide proof of authorization.
A Business Property Statement (PDF) that is not signed and executed in accordance with the foregoing instructions is not considered a valid filing. The penalty imposed by section 463 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code for failure to file is applicable to non-valid or unsigned Business Property Statements.
Depreciation tables are set for different types of equipment and are based on the annual Equipment and Fixtures Index, Percent Good and Valuation Factors approved by the California State Board of Equalization, Assessor's Handbook 581. Equipment is depreciated based on the equipment's original cost and type and year of acquisition to arrive at the fair market value. View Equipment Factors and Classifications (PDF).
You may call, email, or write the Assessor's Office to discuss the value and make a written request for an informal review. Please note that if the value was the result of an estimated assessment made by the Assessor for failure to file a property statement by May 7, of each year, you will need to complete and return a Business Property Statement (PDF) and attach a Federal Depreciation Schedule with your request for an informal review.
You can file an Assessment Appeal Application online or by calling 530-889-4020. In order to appeal an assessment, you must file an Assessment Appeal Application with the Clerk of the Board between July 2 and September 15 (or the next business day if the September 15 falls on a weekend or holiday).
Should your value notice be the result of an Escape Assessment, you have 60 days from the date of the Notice of Enrollment of Escape Assessment to file an Assessment Appeal Application.
Please complete, sign, date, and return a Business Property Affidavit (eFile) to the Placer County Assessor's Office. Under California Law, the owner of assessable business property at 12:01 a.m, January 1 (lien date) is responsible for taxes and must be assessed at full value. Sale, closure, or disposal of property after the lien date does not relieve the Assessee of the obligation to report and pay taxes.
Please complete, sign, date, and return a Business Property Affidavit (eFile) to the Placer County Assessor's Office. Based upon that affidavit, a review of your assessment will be completed. If business property is still located within the county, it may still be assessable. Non-use or storage of a business asset is not the determining factor for its assessability.
No. Unsecured bills are never prorated regardless of the disposal date. Proration of taxes should be done between the buyer and seller at the time of sale.
Bankruptcy does not relieve the Assessor of determining a fair market value. Assessed value and payment of taxes are separate issues. Please contact the Placer County Tax Collector at 530-889-4120 for issues regarding whether payment is required after bankruptcy.
Either the Assessor's request to file a valid property statement was not received by May 7th, or no statement was received. California Revenue and Taxation Code section 463 mandates that a late filing penalty of 10% of the assessed value be added for statements not timely filed by May 7th. The Assessment Appeals Board is the only authority with the ability to abate a penalty for late filing.
The bill is not for real property such as the land or building. It is for the business personal property and fixtures used in the operation of a business such as:
For additional information on Business Property, please visit the California State Board of Equalization website.


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This article is more than 1 year old
Surface tablet's touch cover is ZX81 REBORN
Hands on with Redmond's Typoslab
FIRST FONDLE The Surface tablet's Touch Cover is eerily reminiscent of typing on a ZX81, The Register can report after fondling one of the elusive (to non Microsoft-adoring press) computers at the Australian launch of Windows 8.
To do so, we elbowed aside other media and scored a few minutes on a Surface running Windows RT. We were able to use both the Touch Cover and Type Cover and can report that both are decent input devices.
The Touch Cover, however, offers absolutely no tactile feedback, a sensation - or lack thereof - your correspondent cannot recall experiencing on a keyboard since last millennium when wrangling Sinclair's classic micro. Touch typing therefore produced results rather less accurate than your correspondent would produce on another unfamiliar keyboard, but was still easier than working a ZX81.
Typing on the Touch Cover is a little odd compared to the experience of using an on-screen tablet keyboard, as when typing on a 'classic' fondleslab one's eyes don't have to travel far between the (virtual) keyboard and the data one enters. There's more ocular action required to ensure accuracy on a Surface when using the Touch Cover, but we expect that as with any keyboard that effort will decrease over time.
The Type Cover is rather better. To offer an apples vs. apples comparison we can report it's more responsive than the experience of typing on the ZX Spectrum's infamous dead flesh keyboard and maybe a little more immediately welcoming than a first experience using recent Apple keyboards. The keys have decent travel, click just a little, and made it possible to touch-type with the accuracy your correspondent generally achieves on the first try of a new keyboard.
Overall the Surface is a slick machine. The keyboards snap in with a satisfying click. The touch screen is swift and responsive. The overall package was clearly superior to other small Windows 8 laptops on show at the launch. An ASUS model, for example, could only detach the screen from the keyboard if one found a special sliding switch and then negotiated a fiddly pair of latches. Connecting a keyboard to the Surface is as easy as using a magnet to fasten something to your fridge.
Where the Surface - and all Windows 8 devices - challenge the user is their insistence on learning a new interactive vocabulary to get them doing clever and/or useful things. For example, the trick to accessing important navigational elements of The Interface Formerly Known as Metro (TIFKAM) is to start a swipe off the screen, a technique pioneered on the BlackBerry Playbook.
That ill-omened machine infamously failed to make much of an impression on the market. The Surface is a slicker creature and we can imagine users will find plenty of reasons to climb its learning curve.
Just how steep that curve will be and whether many will reach the summit remains to be seen. Your correspondent can recall taking a week or so to feel sufficiently familiar with Palm's 'Graffiti' text input system when the Palm III emerged in the late 1990s. That effort required the user to memorise around 30 pen strokes, but after that week left me feeling well and truly in command.
It's not clear how many new gestures, mouse clicks or menu options one will need before feeling all of Windows 8's best bits are mere putty in your hands. But if our brief time using a Surface proved anything, it's that figuring it out will be quite fun. ®


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Creeks, Lakes & Rivers
The City of Citrus Heights has 26-miles of creeks; specifically Arcade, Brooktree, Coyle, Cripple, Mariposa, and San Juan. These creeks deliver water to Arcade Creek and then directly to the Sacramento River and ultimately into the ocean. Because runoff reaches our creeks, lakes, and rivers, in most cases without being treated first, it is important to keep storm drains free of pollutants. The video below demonstrates how pollutants travel from residential neighborhoods directly into our waterways.
The porous and varied terrain of natural landscapes like forests, wetlands and grasslands trap rainwater and snowmelt so the water can slowly filter into the ground. In contrast, nonporous urban landscapes like roads, parking lots and buildings prevent water from slowly absorbing into the ground. Instead, water remains above the surface, accumulates and runs off in large amounts. In cities, storm drain systems carry this runoff from nonporous surfaces into local streams and creeks.
When water enters storm drains, it carries pollutants such as sediment, oil, and pesticides with it. As a result of increased development, the number of pollutants has also increased. In Citrus Heights, this polluted runoff flows from storm drains directly into creeks without any treatment. Increased pollutant loads can harm fish and wildlife populations, kill native vegetation, foul drinking water supplies, and make recreational areas unsafe.
Citrus Heights needs your help to prevent pollution from the source. Do your part to keep waterways clean by following the tips listed on the Waste Disposal page.


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Alien Crash Landing
- Alien Blaster
- Alien Power Cells (x120).
There's a curious sight to see at the northern end of the vast Capital Wasteland. Making the venture up there is all the more worth it when you consider one of the game's rarest and more powerful weapons is at that location. When you consider large-scale nuclear war and the devastation is wreaks, one must also consider the radioactive signature sent out into space by such an event. Could it be that aliens picked up on just such a signature and visited post-nuclear Earth to see what was going on there, only to find a civilization all-but-destroyed?
Well, there is a crashed alien spacecraft to find, and an alien corpse as well. We've kept the screenshots to a minimum below so as to not ruin one of the cooler things to find in all of the massive game known as Fallout 3, but we'll still tell you what's up, what you can find, and how to get there. Check out your map. Way north of Megaton (and slightly to the east) is an abandoned settlement known as Minefield. Further to the north (and slightly to the west) is a factory with towering smokestacks coming out of it. This is MDPL-13 Power Station, and it's a perfect location to spring off from to find what it is we're looking for.
Take a look at your map, and look north of MDPL-13 Power Station. You'll see a line wiggling down from the north, wrapping around the power station and heading straight south to the east of it. Just north of this line, due north of the power factory, you will run into a downed spacecraft with its deceased alien pilot. There are two things you can do to make sure you're on the right path. The first is picking up on the alien distress signal from the downed craft, which is audible only when you're close to the craft. The second is the minor radiation the craft gives off -- if you're anywhere near it, you'll be radiated.
When you arrive, take in the awesome sight, but act quickly. The alien's Alien Blaster can be found in the wreckage near the pilot's corpse. The little white cylinders are Alien Power Cells, and you should find 120 in all. This extremely powerful weapon does 65 damage in the condition you find it in, but its ammo is extremely limited (if not entirely impossible to find away from the crash site), so use it sparingly!
Congratulations! You found one of the game's coolest -- and most powerful -- weapons.


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Studio 10 Co-Host Sarah Harris Gets Revenge On ABC's Tom Gleeson After 'Hard Chat' Roasting
He's built a reputation on the ABC for putting media personalities in the hot seat and firing away curly questions, but now Tom Gleeson has been dished up some payback by one of his victims.
Studio 10's Sarah Harris has previously featured on Gleeson's 'Hard Chat' segment on The Weekly with Charlie Pickering, where she was given an absolute roasting about the morning program she co-hosts on Ten with Joe Hildebrand, Angela Bishop, Denise Scott and Denise Drysdale
However, Harris took full advantage of Gleeson's appearance on Studio 10 this morning, setting up a hilarious 'Revenge Chat' segment with the comedian.
Bloody hell! @Studio10au turned on me! I'm not sure my self-esteem will recover. #HardChat #RevengeChat pic.twitter.com/NycPnqRyn5
— Tom Gleeson (@nonstoptom) September 4, 2018
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Internet fumes as Giants get Tabcorp sponsorship. Just wait 'til they find out that pokies keep the pubs open.


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SCARTH, WILLIAM BAIN, businessman, politician, and office holder; b. 10 Nov. 1837 in Aberdeen, Scotland, second son of James Lendrum Scarth and Jane Geddes; m. 27 April 1869 Jessie Stuart Franklin Hamilton, sister of the wife of Alexander Begg*, in Hamilton, Ont., and they had at least eight children, including four sons and three daughters; d. 15 May 1902 in Ottawa.
Educated in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, William Bain Scarth, a descendant of the Binscarths of the Orkney Islands, immigrated to Upper Canada in 1855. He immediately acquired a taste for Conservative politics and campaigned for Isaac Buchanan* in Hamilton. A young man of promise, Scarth set off for London, to work for Buchanan's associate, Adam Hope*. In 1865 he followed Hope to Hamilton and in 1868 he moved to Toronto to work for him. By 1870 he was manager of A. and C. J. Hope and Company, the Toronto arm of Hope's hardware business, but he may also have been attempting to branch out on his own as a commission merchant. Hope's Toronto firm closed the following year. Despite this set-back Scarth had acquired valuable experience. His political activity in London and Hamilton had won him respect and his emerging friendship with Sir John A. Macdonald* decisively guided his future.
Scarth had married in 1869 and had settled in prosperous St James Ward. He served as one of the ward's aldermen in 1879 and 1882, president of its Conservative association, and chairman of the federal Conservative party's forces in the riding of Toronto Centre. His ruling passion was the welfare of the federal Conservative party and he claimed to have figured prominently in every electoral campaign waged in Toronto between 1875 and 1884. None the less, his bid in 1883 to repeat his modest electoral success failed.
Scarth had set himself up in 1871 as a shipowner and timber merchant. By 1873, with his brother James Lendrum Scarth, he had formed Scarth Brothers, a firm of timber merchants. The following year they joined Alexander McArthur*, his brothers John and Peter, and other businessmen to form the Collins Bay Rafting and Forwarding Company. The firm was probably involved in the extensive lumbering operations of McArthur Brothers on Georgian Bay. Scarth's connection with it continued into the 1880s, but Scarth Brothers may have dissolved around 1875. In that year Scarth, his brother, and Robert Cochran formed Scarth, Cochran and Company, stockbrokers and real-estate agents. Apart from his own involvements in insurance, railways, mining and real estate, Scarth made his mark as an enterprising manager of British capital in Canada. He was instrumental in the establishment of the North British Canadian Investment Company and the Scottish Ontario and Manitoba Land Company, founded in 1876 and 1879 respectively, with boards of directors composed of similar groups of merchant capitalists from Glasgow. The two firms were involved in land speculation and property development. On his advice, they invested heavily in Toronto and the northwest, and in 1880 Scarth established agencies for both in Manitoba. The boom in Manitoba [see Alexander Logan*] was just in the offing, but he confided to Macdonald in 1880 that he had borne "for five years back . . . continuous worry and trial" over his personal financial situation. He would experience financial difficulties at various times throughout his life.
On 6 June 1882 the Canadian Pacific Railway sold a large portion of its land grant to a consortium of English and Canadian capitalists represented by Scarth, Edmund Boyd Osler*, and others. The land was in turn sold to the Canada North-West Land Company, created two weeks later, and Scarth was catapulted into the position of managing director of the company. Through its successive boards of directors, Scarth would associate with members of the British peerage, some of the directors of the Scottish land companies, and notables such as explorer John Rae* (his wife's uncle) and Donald Alexander Smith*. In 1884, a year after an agreement had been struck between the CPR, the CNWLC, and the dominion government for the development of the townsites of Virden, Man., and Regina, Qu'Appelle, and Moose Jaw (Sask.), Scarth assumed sole administrative responsibility for the joint venture.
As the excitement of the early 1880s died, Scarth's three land companies floundered with unrealized investments. Writing to Macdonald from Winnipeg in 1884, he explained that he had moved there with his family to "work my [Scottish] friends well out of the company, or rather the company itself well out if I can." He had no small task ahead of him. Declining sales forced the CNWLC to reduce the number of its directors and the size of its operations. Power in the company slowly passed into the hands of Canadians and Scarth found the climate inhospitable after the departure of directors who were his friends. His own finances suffered and moved him at times to desperation. His appeals to Macdonald for favours grew progressively less fastidious. "Like many others," he wrote, "I made losses in the boom and in addition to being cleaned out of money am daily meeting obligations from my income."
His financial situation did little to damp his political enthusiasm, however. In 1885 he was elected president of the Liberal-Conservative Association in Winnipeg, in spite of complaints from Liberal shareholders in the CNWLC. Although Scarth had a well-deserved reputation for honesty and integrity, his critics deplored his lack of judgement. He often leaned on Macdonald for instruction in situations where subtlety and discretion were required. Notwithstanding his zeal, his attempts to cement together the supporters of Macdonald and those of provincial Conservative leader John Norquay* proved ineffective. Although widely known as a leading representative of Macdonald, Scarth could not command unquestioned support for his leader's wishes even among those who considered themselves Macdonald's men.
Having obtained Macdonald's blessing and the grudging consent of the CNWLC, Scarth ran as an independent against William Fisher Luxton in the provincial election of December 1886. Unfortunately he had no organization to speak of two weeks before the vote and was bedridden with bronchitis for much of the campaign. Followers of Macdonald failed to back him, and the Norquayites who supported him did him great injury by denouncing Macdonald's policy of disallowing provincial railway legislation. Unsuccessful in straddling both wings of the party, Scarth lost by 39 votes.
Long before the election, Scarth had been intimately involved in organizing the campaign for the impending federal election on behalf of Donald Alexander Smith. When Smith withdrew from the race in the riding of Winnipeg the Conservatives were left without a strong candidate there. Macdonald thrice pressed the party's standard on Scarth, who eventually accepted. Heaven and earth were then moved to win Scarth the seat. Macdonald lured Duncan MacArthur out of contention with the promise of an appointment to the Senate and provided Scarth with the means to attack the other contestant, Hugh McKay Sutherland*, promoter of the Winnipeg and Hudson Bay Railway. Scarth won by eight votes on 22 Feb. 1887.
His activity in the Anti-Disallowance Association, formed shortly after the elections, was simply a ruse; as the provincial and federal governments moved towards confrontation, he was compelled to maintain the appearance of opposing Ottawa's unpopular policy. His situation was unenviable. When the Norquay regime entered its final crisis, he was drawn into negotiations to establish a coalition government under David Howard Harrison, based on a proposal to end the CPR monopoly in 1891 in return for the cessation of hostile provincial railway legislation. Scarth's indiscriminant use of the prime minister's letters revealed Macdonald to be the real architect of the plan and he faced an open revolt by anti-disallowance Conservatives who wrenched the leadership of the Winnipeg Liberal-Conservative Association from his hands. His identification with Macdonald without open recognition of his services from his mentor had left him severely vulnerable. His political career lay in tatters.
The CNWLC applied enormous pressure in April 1888 to have Scarth abandon political office, since his activity was a dubious asset to the company. Macdonald, alarmed at the prospect of reopening the riding, asked Sir George Stephen*, who was president of the CPR and had great influence with the CNWLC, to allow Scarth to retain his seat for the sake of the northwest and the railway. Stephen's reply was blunt. Scarth was too "ready to sacrifice himself and his family . . . for an ambition that in his case is hollow, he is not and never can be anything politically but a ciffer." Macdonald apparently ceased to consult Scarth on important political matters, patiently withstanding his periodic outbursts of frustration at the prime minister and the "CPR magnates" who impaired his usefulness.
Just before the election of 1891 the CNWLC attempted, without Scarth's knowledge, to bargain for his retirement from politics in return for tax concessions from the administration of Premier Thomas Greenway, but the plan failed. Humiliated, Scarth considered exposing the deal, but his sizeable family and his financial straits led him to decide otherwise. Faced with opposition from the CNWLC to his participation in the campaign, he favoured the nomination of Macdonald's son, Hugh John*, and finally prevailed on the prime minister to agree to it.
A leading contender for the position of lieutenant governor to replace John Christian Schultz*, Scarth enhanced his qualifications in 1894 by becoming president of the Winnipeg Industrial Exhibition Association and the Winnipeg Board of Trade. He had a serious rival in Arthur Wellington Ross, the champion of the party's rank and file; Scarth's support came from the party's élite. Because of deep divisions in Conservative ranks concerning the appointment, eventually both he and Ross were passed over, notwithstanding some furious angling on their part. Scarth's final reward came with his appointment as deputy minister of agriculture at Ottawa on 1 Dec. 1895.
Whatever expertise Scarth may have had in agricultural policy was never utilized. During his tenure he was preoccupied with matters of quarantine, and in 1897 he was given additional responsibilities as deputy commissioner of patents. His health began to deteriorate in 1898. He was stricken with diplopia a year later. Shortly afterwards, the Liberal government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier* launched an investigation into the accounts of the town-site trust established in 1884 (Scarth had been re-elected to its board of directors in 1895). A commission questioned him at length. Its report criticized Scarth's involvement in securing refunds for his Scottish friends in 1886. In obtaining the refunds Scarth had requested of Macdonald that the credit for settling the question with the government be given to him rather than to Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt*, whom the Scottish investors had hired to represent them. Macdonald had pronounced Scarth "worth a dozen Galts." It was an affirmation that would scarcely survive the prime minister. With Macdonald's death in 1891 Scarth's heyday had passed. He stayed in office until his death in 1902, although illness prevented him from discharging his duties during his final years.
AO, F 67. Man., Dept. of Consumer and Corporate Affairs, Corporations Branch (Winnipeg), Canada North-West Land Company files; North British Canadian Investment Company files; Scottish Ontario and Manitoba Land Company files. NA, MG 24, H35; MG 26, A, 21, 113, 186, 214, 260–65, 326, 525, 528–30 (mfm. at PAM); D, 182, 186–87, 202, 215 (mfm. at PAM); MG 27, II, D15; RG 17, A I, 1713–35; RG 31, C1, 1891, Winnipeg, Ward 2: 113. PAM, GR 553; MG 12, E. Hamilton Spectator, 28 April 1869. Manitoba Morning Free Press, 1887–1901. Manitoba Sun (Winnipeg), 8 Dec. 1886, 15 Jan. 1887. Winnipeg Tribune, March–April 1895. J. W. Brennan, "Business-government co-operation in townsite promotion in Regina and Moose Jaw, 1882–1903," Town and city: aspects of western Canadian urban development, ed. A. F. J. Artibise (Regina, 1981), 95–120. Can., Statutes, 1874, c.108. Directories, Ont., 1871; Toronto, 1869–85. H. A. Fleming, Canada's Arctic outlet: a history of the Hudson Bay Railway (Berkeley, Calif., 1957; repr. Westport, Conn., 1978). Douglas McCalla, The Upper Canada trade, 1834–1872: a study of the Buchanans' business (Toronto, 1979). [I. M. Marjoribanks Hamilton-Gordon, Marchioness of] Aberdeen [and Temair], The Canadian journal of Lady Aberdeen, 1893–1898, ed. and intro. J. T. Saywell (Toronto, 1960). "Western men: no.7 – Mr. William Bain Scarth," Western World (Winnipeg), no.62: 1–2.
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Cite This Article
Zenon Gawron, "SCARTH, WILLIAM BAIN," in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 13, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed February 22, 2024, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/scarth_william_bain_13E.html.
The citation above shows the format for footnotes and endnotes according to the Chicago manual of style (16th edition). Information to be used in other citation formats:
Permalink: | http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/scarth_william_bain_13E.html |
Author of Article: | Zenon Gawron |
Title of Article: | SCARTH, WILLIAM BAIN |
Publication Name: | Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 13 |
Publisher: | University of Toronto/Université Laval |
Year of publication: | 1994 |
Year of revision: | 1994 |
Access Date: | February 22, 2024 |


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I use Font Agent Pro as my font manager of choice. I just upgraded my 2007 Mac Pro from the latest OS X 10.6 to 10.7.5 lion.
I was having a problem with Postscript Type 1 fonts not being available to Adobe or other applications, so I cleared the font cache from Terminal.
sudo atsutil databases -remove
After doing so, my Mac will not shut down - when I try to shut down the screen goes gray but the cursor can still can be moved around
I have to hit the power button to shut down manually.
Any ideas as to why this is happening?


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People, you're crazy! Too many folks come from old school work flows. This is the web! Technology is ever fluid. In your initial planning questions/documentation, make folks aware there are many different browsers. Back it up in the agreement. Then design & build for the medium. Stop trying to make the web "print."
If you're in an agency run by old school art directors and marketing people, yeah, you'll bust your head open trying to implement this kind of thinking. But
your agency will be charging prices that are exhorbitant for what's delivered, updates will be hell, and sooner or later, the client may realize how the agency f*cked them, and go to a modern web design outfit.
So, live and learn. This is the way of the future. If you like the past, stay there.


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Bath slippers
The Stanno assortment of accessories is versatile and innovative. It is the specialty of Stanno to provide extensive collections of interest to every athlete, on the one hand, and, on the other, to develop tailored, high-tech products for specific groups of athletes. Always high-quality and with attention to detail.


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Poker Theme Cupcake / Food Toppers
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I Crocodile is a slouchy hat inspired by Fred Marcellino's "I, Crocodile", a popular book with my children. The vibrant, scale-like watercolor image inside the back cover instantly brought to mind the colors of NORO yarn and this hat pattern was soon to follow.
The hat is worked top-down and stranded in a worsted weight, so it knits up quickly. The colorwork doesn't follow the rules, but the wonkiness that results only adds to the character of the hat. The wearer is definitely in for a good time! The brim is unusual, with its use of seed stitch. Included in the pattern is both an adult's size and a child's size, each showing off the unique NORO vibrance.
This pattern makes for a wonderful introduction to self-striping yarn. Even better, it's a great way to use up that stash of leftover NORO.
SIZE Child [Adult]
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS Circumference: 18[20] inches Height: 8[9.5] inches Note: Measurements taken after blocking.
Adult's Hat [MC] Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair [30% mohair, 70% wool; 140yd/128m per 57g skein]; color: Day Lily; 1 skein [CC] Noro Taiyo [40% cotton, 30% silk, 15% wool, 15% nylon; 220yd/201m per 100g skein]; color: #11; 1 skein
Recommended needle size [always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique] 1 set US #9/5.5 mm double-point needles 16-inch US #9/5.5 mm circular needle 16-inch US #7/4.5 mm circular needle
Notions Stitch marker Yarn needle
GAUGE 18 sts/24 rows = 4" in stockinette st using larger needles, after blocking
PATTERN NOTES [Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.] Seed Stitch (Worked in the round over an odd number of sts): Round 1: [K1, p1] to last st, k1. Round 2: [P1, k1] to last st, p1. Repeat these 2 rounds for Seed Stitch.
Seed Stitch Rib (Worked in the round over a multiple of 10 sts): Round 1: [P1, k1, p1, k1, k6] to end of round. Round 2: [K1, p1, k1, p1, k6] to end of round. Repeat these 2 rounds for Seed Stitch Rib.
Child's Hat Only: Work 3 rounds Seed Stitch, decreasing 1 st at end of last round. 70 sts.
All Sizes: Work in Seed Stitch Rib until work measures 1[1.5] inches.
Switching to larger circular needle, shape hat body as follows: Next Round: *K3[4], kfb, k2[3], kfb; repeat from * nine times more. 90[110] sts.
Work all rounds of Hat Body Chart; 10 sts of chart pattern will be worked 9[11] times in each round.
Switching to double-point needles, work all rounds of Crown Shaping Chart. 9[11] sts remain.
Adult's Hat Only: Next Round: [K2tog] five times, k1. 6 sts remain.
All Sizes: Break both strands of yarn. Draw CC yarn tail through remaining sts and pull tight.
FINISHING Weave in ends and block as desired.
Helen Rose is a pediatrician, wife, and mother of four who lives in New Jersey. For the past nine years, she has been knitting garments for her children. She expanded her focus to include knitted hats a few years ago. Now that every known relative owns a hand knitted hat, Helen recently decided to turn her attention to design. She has catalogued innumerable design ideas over the years and has finally launched her own knitting brand, NEED, as a platform to develop them. NEED focuses on what Helen knows best; children's apparel, baby garments, and hats.
When Helen is not working, caring for her children, or knitting, she is usually sleeping.
Her patterns are available at NEED on Ravelry and in her Etsy store, NEEDdesign. She blogs about yarn, her kids, yarn, and life here.
Pattern & images © 2011 Helen M. Rose. Contact Helen


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Badmovies.org not only dishes on zillions of low-budget monster/kung-fu/exploitation/horror/etc cinematic masterpieces, but almost every film review also has - yes! - audio clips. Throw laughable sound bites into your dj mixes, radio shows, podcasts, or ipod random-ness.
Friendly Persuasion has returned to the air and 'net; Otis Fodder has been playing strange music on the internet for a decade now (when he wasn't curating the 365 Project or running a 'net label), and his three hour weekly show is truly an embarrasement of riches, with a special emphasis on French-Canadian oddities, representing his new Toronto home.
Godly Grooves is a near hour-long mix of German Christian '70s funk (just when you think you've heard it all, eh?) A big danke to Oskar for sending this jewel our way: "German DJs called Arok and Scientist did a (digital) mixtape of rare German Christian-themed funk music...this is stuff that was recorded before the commercialization and professionalization of the Christian music scene that's not nearly as big a market in Germany as it is in the US but does exist here as well. The music sampled in the mix is remarkable in its complete lack of the cool/hip that would otherwise be probably considered essential to this genre and yet it's of strange creative appeal - I'm certainly no expert on funk music, but the use of a recorder/children's flute on a funk track strikes me as rather odd...I don't know if this is any fun if you don't speak German. The thing I like most about the mixtape are the lyrics that are often very naive and contain a lot of quasi-liberation-theology capitalist-bashing in the name of equality."
Crudcrud is in Morocco: a fascinating travelogue + Moroccan vinyl he's picked up along the way. I haven't been this jealous of a fellow music blogger since Radio Clash went to Africa.
Cinema Terrorisme is a new-ish podcast for these End Times we're living in - a densely packed audio collage of music, sounds, speech, horror and insanity. Weee!
7 Layer Dip, on the other hand, is a North Carolina college radio show that is far more light-hearted, a romp thru bad/weird music (much of it taken from this here blog), and recipes. and here's a New Link.
The Residents are on tour in the US and Europe, which doesn't have anything to do with the internet, really, but since the Beatles of the Bizarre only tour once in a blue moon, and, having been around for over 35 years aren't getting any younger, this might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to catch perhaps the most famous group in weird-music history.