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|Sept 4, 2008
In the old days when computers were slow and memory was expensive, it was difficult to display color images. One couldn't simply put 24 MB for frame buffers on a video display card. To display color, rather than using 24 bits — 8 bits for each of Red, Green and Blue — per pixel, each pixel was typically only 8 bits deep. These 8 bits then used as an index into a palette, or color table. The color table was in fact a set of three tables, one for each color. Then, using the R, G and B tables in the color table, a single 8-bit index could be used to specify up to 256 different 24-bit colors.
Some interesting problems arise. Of the possible 16 million colors that can be described by 24-bit RGB, how do you choose a mere 256 to be the representatives in the color table? How do you display these 256 colors to eliminate visual artifacts from such a small number of colors? And once you have the color table, how do you quickly do the inverse process of finding the best index for each RGB pixel in the image?
The first problem, that of choosing a good set of approximate representatives from a distribution of instances in a much larger set, is an example of vector quantization (VQ). Each of the representatives is a "vector" with Red, Green and Blue components. Each representative will be used as an approximation to the color of some number of actual pixels, and the set of representatives is typically chosen to minimize some error criterion for the actual distribution of colors in the image. The solution of the first problem is represented as a color table for the image.
VQ differs from scalar quantization in that for the latter, the quantization would be an outer product of separate scalar quantizations in each of the three colors. VQ is better because it allows far more flexibility in the way the full color space can be divided up.
Once the color table is selected, the image must be scanned and all pixels assigned an index in the color table. This requires an inverse color map. One brute force approach, by which the 24 bits of RGB are used as an index into a table with 16 million 8-bit indices, requires too much memory. Likewise, another brute force method where for each pixel, the distance to each of the 256 representatives is computed and the smallest is chosen, is impractical because it requires too much computation.
The inverse color map must be performed efficiently. We provide two methods of color quantization, both of which yield efficient (in space and computation) methods for generating the colormap index from the RGB pixel value. The first is a subdivision of the color space into arbitrary rectangles; the second is the octree. Both can be implemented in a way that gives very good results.
However, even with the best set of 256 colors, there are many images that look bad. They have visible contouring in regions where the color changes slowly. Flesh colors can be notably poor. The best solution to this problem is error diffusion dithering (EDD), which has the interesting aspect that it typically increases the mean square error. EDD works by computing the error between the pixel value and its nearest representative, and then propagating that error to nearby pixels that have not yet been assigned to a color in the color map. After using EDD, the average color in a small region is very close to the average color in the original, but the individual colors are constrained to be taken from the set defined by the color map. By propagating the error in order to achieve visual color accuracy, EDD thus trades spatial resolution for resolution in depth. Using EDD, a surprisingly bad color quantization can be made to look remarkably good. The point is not that it is OK to do a lousy job of color quantization; rather, if you use dithering, it is not necessary to do an optimal quantization.
There is another interaction between EDD and the inverse color map. Without EDD, the inverse color map needs only be defined for those RGB values that are found in the initial full color RGB image. However, with EDD, the RGB values can be anywhere in the color space, and thus the inverse color map procedure must find a good indexed color for any RGB value.
Finally, for EDD to accurately represent every color, it is necessary that the actual colors fall within the convex hull of the representative colors in the color table. That way, each color can be interpolated between the limited set of colors in the color table. To take an extreme example, if all of the representative colors have a Blue value of 0, it would be impossible to represent any amount of blue in any pixel. In practice, the convex hull criterion is not strictly possible. However, it is important that the representative colors span the color space so that this condition is approximately satisfied.
Going back to the problem of finding a good set of colors, several methods have been proposed. The simplest is a fixed color partitioning, such as one that uses equal volumes of color space. This has the virtue that it can cover the entire color space and does not require a first pass over the image to generate the partitioning. We have implemented a one-pass quantizer, using equal volumes, where each quantized volume is composed of two octcubes that are 32/256 of the color space in each dimension. Using the center of the volume as the representative color, the maximum errors in the (red,green,blue) values are (16,16,32). Partitioning by octcubes is a way of minimizing the maximum pixel error.
Of course, a partitioning that is adapted to use the statistics of the pixel colors in an image will do a better job. This requires two passes, although the first pass, which gathers statistics, need not sample every pixel in the image. There are three types of such adaptive color quantizations for which practical implementations have been made: popularity, median cut and octree. The division of the color space can be represented by a tree, and this tree can be generated either by starting with the entire color space and splitting it up, or by starting with a large number of small volumes and merging them. The division of colors along a line can be either flat or hierarchical. The popularity method uses a simple selection of colors from the color space, the median cut method uses a splitting algorithm designed to have roughly equal number of pixels in the resulting rectangular volumes, and the octree method is hierarchical and is naturally amenable to an algorithm that merges (as well as splits) regions of color space.
Before we discuss these, I should mention that there is another type of clustering, called K-means, along with related vector quantization methods such as the Linde-Buzo-Gray algorithm for clustering for data compression. In K-means, you start with an initial set of centers, make a pass over the image to assign each pixel to its nearest center, compute the centroids of each cluster so obtained, and use these centroids as the centers for the next iteration. The total error is guaranteed not to increase from one iteration to the next, so the method will converge to a locally optimal solution. However, it is not guaranteed to be globally optimal; the final centers will depend on the initial centers that are chosen. The LBG algorithm is similar. These clustering methods are not practical for color quantization because, in addition to sensitivity to initial conditions, they require many iterations and are very slow.
The popularity method selects the color representatives from the set of most popular colors. Make a histogram of the actual colors in an image (say, clipped to 15 bits so that you have a significant number of pixels in the most popular colors), and choose the top 256, for example. This method does poorly for images that have many different colors represented. For example, if the image has a small number of pixels of some particular colors, these colors will not be represented at all. It also does poorly when using dithering (see below) because dithering can only interpolate within the convex hull of the representatives. Consequently, we have not implemented this.
The median cut method attempts to put roughly equal numbers of pixels in each color cell. It is implemented by repeatedly dividing the space in planes perpendicular to one of the color axes. The plane can be chosen to divide the largest side and to leave about half the pixels in each of the resulting regions. This method does well for pixels in a high density region in color space, where both the cell volume and color error is very small, but the volume of a cell in a low density part of the color space can be very large, resulting in large color errors.
In the open source jpeg library implementation, half the representatives are chosen by the median cut, and half are chosen by dividing up the volume in the largest remaining regions. This reduces the largest color errors that may occur, and spreads the representative colors out more evenly through the color space. The latter allows better results with dithering.
Octrees are another good way to divide up the color space, while allowing fast indexing for an inverse color table. One method has been published, by M. Gervautz and W. Purgathofer, a summary of which can be found in Glassner's Graphics Gems I, 1990. This method builds an octree by taking pixels, one at a time, and either making a new color or merging them with an existing color. After the prescribed number of colors in the color table have been established, the new pixel either makes a new color (causing merging of two existing colors), or it is merged with an existing color. Each color is represented by an octcube, or set of octcubes, so the merging operation effectively prunes the (potential) octree. This method has the advantage that only up to 256 colors need be stored at any time. It has the disadvantage that the merging operations are complicated, and it is not easy to understand how to represent the full color space, which is necessary for dithering. In fact, the description was so sketchy that I can only commend D. Clark for providing an implementation in Dr. Dobb's Journal (reference at the end of this section).
Leptonica provides two methods of color quantization: Modified Median Cut Quantization (MMCQ) and octree quantization (OQ). Both can be designed to be fast, to give reasonably good results without dithering, and to give very satisfactory results with dithering.
In MMCQ, as in the median cut method, the color space is divided up into a set of 3D rectangular regions (called "vboxes"). These are derived by splitting from a large vbox that contains all the original pixels in the image. Further, if dithering is allowed, the original vbox must be the entire RGB space, to assure that any possible RGB value is in one of the final subdivided vboxes. Quantization of color space is to a fixed level, given by the number of bits that are retained for each component. We call the smallest possible vbox the "quantum volume." Typically, when using a colormap of 256 colors or less, 5 bits are sufficent for each component, so there are 215 of these quantum volumes filling the entire color space. With respect to the 8 bit/component quantization of the original RGB image, each quantum volume is then a cube holding 29 = 512 of the original 224 colors. The smallest vbox is one quantum volume. Because there are 215 of them in the color space, on average, each vbox has 64 quantum volumes. For a typical image, the highly populated vboxes will be relatively small, and, as we will see, the largest vboxes will be nearly unoccupied.
In adaptive (2-pass) OQ, the entire color space is represented by the root octcube. The octcubes at each level are further subdivided, depending on occupancy. This is somewhat more difficult to visualize than MMCQ. It is described in more detail below, and in the code in colorquant1.c.
In colorquant2.c, we've implemented a modified version of Paul Heckbert's median cut algorithm, which he published in Color Image Quantization for Frame Buffer Display, in Proc. SIGGRAPH '82, Boston, July 1982, pp. 297-307.
The Heckbert "Median Cut" algorithm says to repeatedly divide 3D regions in colorspace in such a way that the two parts have roughly equal number of pixels. Heckbert also suggests choosing the axis for subdivision based either on the length of the side or the variance of pixel values along that axis. The implementation starts with a computation of the histogram in quantum volumes, which is typically an array of size 215. This is used to determine which vboxes to split and where to split them. After all splitting is done, the colormap is assigned, with one color for each vbox, and the histogram is converted to an inverse colormap containing the colormap index for each quantized rgb value. Finally, the inverse colormap is used to generate the quantized image. This is conceptually very simple.
A number of important implementation decisions are not discussed. Consequently, different "implementations" of "median cut" will significantly vary in the quality of the quantization, depending on the pixel distribution in color space and the details of the implementation. This is important to keep in mind when you are told how well an algorithm performs: the algorithm has to be sufficiently specified so that it can be constructed in a unique way from the specification.
Heckbert's paper was written in 1982. Today, with open source, an algorithm can be fully specified with the code itself. I found that implementing median cut was a very interesting exercise. First, doing an implementation brings up various decisions that must be made. Second, I found that median cut doesn't work well on images, such as paintings, that have small amounts of spot color that need to be in the colormap. The flaws in the method then led to an understanding of the requirements for a successful approach to quantization.
One immediately sees that there are three main decisions outside of the original description that must be made.
How do we schedule the existing set of vboxes for further subdivision?
How do we decide the axis along which to divide the vbox?
When dividing the vbox along the chosen axis, in which part do we put the bucket containing the median pixel?
Following one of Heckbert's suggestions, I chose the axis to be the largest dimension of the vbox. For the third question, suppose we represent each component in color space by 5 bits. Then the maximum length in quantized units of a vbox is 32. Suppose we have a vbox where the maximum length is N. Choose that direction, and build a histogram of the number of pixels falling inside each of the N buckets, by summing over the region in the other two directions. Suppose the median pixel falls into the Mth bucket, where buckets are numbered from 0 to N - 1. Then there are M buckets to the "left" of the Mth bucket, and N - M - 1 buckets to the "right". When you subdivide, put the Mth bucket into the smaller of the "left" and "right" parts. This has the effect of making the two parts closer in size, because the partition line is moved into the larger of the parts. For the first question, the obvious choices are using a simple queue and using a priority queue based on total occupancy. The priority queue is preferable for several reasons, one of which is that it does a much better job of breaking up the high occupancy regions so that they are as close to equal population as possible. The effect on image quality is that washes composed of many pixels with slow spatial color variation are well-quantized to avoid posterization.
But even if you make all these choices, you will find that small color clusters will not be represented in the color map. The reason is that any small cluster that is included in a vbox with a large cluster (that is not so big that it is further subdivided) will be represented by a colormap color determined by the large cluster. For these situations, median cut does poorly.
However, a simple modification of median cut does a much better job representing the small clusters. We want to cleanly separate the small clusters from the larger ones. To do this, move the partition line even farther into the larger side ("left" or "right"). Surprisingly, the best results appear to happen when we place the partition line not near the median pixel, but in the center of the larger of the two blocks ("left" and "right") on either side of it!. What is happening? By putting the cut line far from the dominant cluster, we give the small cluster a chance to be properly represented in the colormap. And because we are using a priority queue, it doesn't matter that the larger cluster wasn't partitioned: it will come right back to near the head of the queue for further subdivision. Higher density clusters will be repeatedly subdivided into smaller regions, and the modification only applies when the larger of the "left" and "right" blocks is 2 or more. This modification is part of the reason I'm calling the algorithm MMCQ — we're not really splitting close to the median.
But we're not finished with necessary modifications. There are still flaws in the result. If we choose all partitioning based on population, there may be very large vboxes with considerable population that are not split. Without dither, these can appear as large posterized regions; with dither, serious artifacts can develop, where the error is significant and the accumulated error manifests itself periodically in pixels of very different color. This situation must be avoided.
The dither oscillations can easily be prevented by putting an upper bound on the amount of error that is propagated to neighboring pixels. It is reasonable to do this for safety. But a more general improvement is needed, that will split regions that are large with a significant population, but may not have enough pixels to get to the head of the queue. The jpeg quantizer uses population to schedule half the splits and vbox size for the other half. Here's what we do:
Generate a fraction f of the requested output colors by splitting vboxes based on the number of pixels in the box.
Then generate the remaining fraction (1 - f) of colors by splitting based on the product of the population times the volume of the vbox. If we were to use simply the volume, we would waste colors by splitting vboxes that have no pixels.
We need a nonzero value of f because it is important to balance the splitting of the most populous vboxes with the splitting of the largest well-occupied vboxes. It turns out that the result is not strongly dependent on the fraction f, and very good results can be obtained for f between 0.3 and 0.9. The independence of the quantization quality with respect to f is encouraging, because it indicates that good results can be generally obtained with a single choice of this parameter.
Overall, the undithered MMCQ gives comparable results to the Two-pass Octcube Quantizer (OQ). Comparing the two methods on the test24.jpg painting, we see:
For rendering spot color (the various reds and pinks in the image), MMCQ is not quite as good as OQ.
For rendering majority color regions, MMCQ does a better job of avoiding posterization. That is, it does better dividing the color space up in the most heavily populated regions.
After splitting the colorspace, we generate a pix colormap by representing the color in each vbox by the average color of the pixels there. (If there are no pixels, we use the center of the vbox.) At this point we no longer need to keep the histogram of pixels in each quantum volume, so we turn the histogram into an inverse colormap, where every quantum volume in a vbox is labelled by the colormap index representing the vbox. The final step in quantization is to compute, for each image pixel, the value of the colormap index to use. The inverse colormap allows this to be done with a simple table lookup. If we are dithering, there is some added computation to propagate the error to pixels that have not yet been indexed.
For a summary of our modified median cut quantization algorithm, I've written a report.
The method we use in Leptonica is fairly simple, both conceptually and in implementation. Our basic data structure is a pyramid of arrays, describing the leaves of an octree at each of the levels 0 through 4 (or 5 or 6). At each level, there are 8 cubes that correspond to a single cube at the level above. The cubes are indexed so that the cube i at level l contains the eight cubes 8i+j, j = 0, ... 7 at level l+1. The cube index is computed from the RGB values by taking the most significant bits of the three samples in order:
r7 g7 b7 r6 g6 b6 r5 g5 b5 r4 g4 b4 r3 g3 b3 ...
down to the level of interest. For example, at level 5, the index consists of the 15 bits that are shown above. For any RGB value, it is easy to compute the cube indices at any level of the octree, and we provide lookup tables to make this fast. Note that the octree that is represented by this set of arrays is virtual, given by the indexing relation above, because there are no pointers going between different levels! We just have arrays of these cube data structures, with fast indexing into the arrays. Keep this "pyramid" in mind in the following description of the algorithm
There are two passes. The octree with the selected color table entries (CTEs) is built in the first pass. To build this, we only need to label the specific octcubes within these arrays that are to represent the CTEs; we do not need to build any other data structures. How do we determine which cubes to label? In the first pass, we place the pixels in octcube leaves at a designated depth or level, which can be 4, 5 or 6. With level 5, there are 215 = 32K leaves. We store only the number of pixels in each of these leaves. The tree is then pruned in the following way. Starting at the deepest level, and iterating for every cube at that level, check the octcubes in sets of eight, where the eight octcubes are those that compose the octcube at the next level up. For each set of eight octcubes, one of the following will pertain:
One or more of the cubes has enough pixels to become a CTE. Make it a new CTE.
One or more of the cubes has already been selected as a CTE.
None of the cubes is already a CTE or has enough pixels to become a CTE.
In both the first and second cases, the octcube at the next level up automatically becomes a CTE, which contains those pixels that are not in a subcube that already is a CTE. In the third case, the pixels are simply aggregated into the octcube at the next level up. When all cubes are done at that level, the procedure is repeated at the next level up.
The decision for forming a new CTE is that the number of pixels in the cube exceeds a threshold that is proportional to the number of pixels yet to be assigned to a color divided by the number of colors left to be assigned. We actually hold back 64 colors in reserve, because when we get to the second level we require that each of these 64 octcubes be a CTE by default. In this way, we constrain the maximum color error while insuring that the entire color space is covered by the color table. The value 1.0 for the proportionality constant at each level works well. (The proportionality constants for levels 0, 1 and 2 are not used, because the octcubes at level 2 become CTEs automatically.)
We associate with each octcube in the color table the coordinates of the center of the cube. This is easier than maintaining a running centroid, and has very little effect on the result. In fact, because the octcubes at each level are indexed as they would appear in the octree from left to right, we can quickly compute the center of the octcube in which any pixel would fall, so we don't even need to store it.
The second pass, where the pixels are assigned their index, can be done very quickly in two different ways, of which we implemented the second:
Make an explicit inverse colormap. Compute and store the index in the leaf array at the deepest level (in the place where we initially stored the histogram). Then for each pixel, convert the RGB value of the pixel to the truncated octcube index at that level, and look up the colortable index from the pre-computed array.
For each pixel, run down the tree from the root to find the octcube that it belongs in. Do this by converting the RGB value to an index into the array of octcubes at each successive level, stopping when you find an octcube that is marked as a CTE and the octcube at the next level down is not a CTE. (If you reach the bottom level, take that octcube.) Then take the colortable index from the CTE octcube. For dithering, you also need to know the center of the octcube, which can either be computed or read from the value stored there.
This octree method has the drawback of not generating exactly the number of colors requested for the color table. It typically has a few less. The actual number depends on the distribution of colors in the image. Note that if enough pixels are present to make a CTE from an octcube at level 6, then CTEs for the containing octcubes will be generated automatically at levels 5, 4, and 3, regardless of the number of unassigned pixels in those cubes. (The only exception is if all 8 subcubes of an octcube are already CTEs, the containing octcube will be labelled as a leaf for purposes of traversing the tree in the labelling step, but will not be assigned a color).
To maximize the accuracy of the color appearance, we use EDD in the second pass. The error in each of the three samples is passed down to three adjacent pixels whose indices have not yet been computed. We use just three pixels, with fractions of 3/8, 3/8 and 1/4, for simplicity. The implementation uses six color buffers for the pixels in the current line and the next line, and does all computation in integers with a multiplying factor of 64 to reduce the roundoff error. To the extent that the actual RGB pixel colors are within the convex hull of the CTE values, EDD will accurately reproduce the original pixel color when averaged over a few pixels.
For efficiency, the first pass, where the octree color table is generated, can be done on a subsampled version of the input image. For an image with a million pixels, subsampling by 4x in each direction is perfectly adequate, as it leaves about 70K pixels to form the octree. The conversion speed for generating a colormapped image from an RGB image depends on the deepest level at which pixels are allowed to form CTE octcubes. On a million pixel RGB image, using a 3 GHz Pentium, the total conversion time in seconds is:
|octree levels
|no dither
All details are found in the code in colorquant1.c and colorquant.h, where you will find 8 different implementations. The two-pass adaptive method gives the best results (in fact, typically a little better than the median cut). However, other octcube-based implementations are useful for specific types of images. For example, map images with a relatively small number of well-populated colors, but having a large number of different colors due to anti-aliasing, are quantized well using pixOctreeQuantByPopulation(). See the regression test, prog/colorquant_reg.c for usage and results on a number of different images. It should be emphasized that when using error diffusion dithering, you get a reasonable job of visually representing the color, even for simple, non-adaptive methods of quantization. However, without EDD, non-adaptive methods look poor on most images. In the examples below, pixFixedOctcubeQuant256() is used for one-pass quantization, and pixOctreeColorQuant() is used for two-pass quantization.
For more information on octree color quantization, I've written a report. There are five comparative images referenced in the report. These are given below. It should be noted that the actual rendering of these images will depend on the browser, the frame buffer depth (8, 16 or 24 bits) of the computer, and the video display card.
Color quantization in the wikipedia.
Paul Heckbert's original paper. Color image quantization for frame buffer display, Computer Graphics, Vol 16, No. 3, pp. 297-307, 1982.
The popularity algorithm, D. Clark, Dr. Dobb's Journal, pp. 121-128, July 1995.
Median-cut color quantization, A. Kruger, Dr. Dobb's Journal, pp. 46-54, 91-92, September 1994.
Color quantization using octrees, D. Clark, Dr. Dobb's Journal, pp. 52-57, 102-104, January 1996.


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24Jul, 2015
8 Beauty hacks that every girl must try
Every woman wants a flawless skin and beautiful hair. We all woman want look good not just to attract other people's attention but to look good and feel good about ourselves. We women are beautiful creatures and hence we are always looking out for ways to enhance our beauty. So here are some beauty hacks for all the lovely woman that would make you look gorgeous all the time. For gorgeous thick hair Add some curry leaves into your hair oil and heat it for some time. Then apply […]

subset: commoncrawl


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The instant we become debt free it becomes an exhilarating, burden lifting, and pressure releasing moment where a long awaited conflict has been resolved. The attempt to resolve the issue of incurring debt can be extremely stressful, especially when the debt continues to rise at a neck breaking speed. Then one day you look back and wonder where did all that debt come from.
Is debt freedom really possible? The answer to the question has to be an overwhelming YES! Why does it have to be an overwhelming Yes? It is because HOPE is always pointing the way to freedom. To begin walking on HOPE street means to really understand that being debt free is obtainable, is tangible, and it is within our grasp. However, it does require action on my part.
1 Peter 1:13
13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
I must get on hope street because that is where the grace in Jesus Christ is located. The grace that is extended to me and you comes from Jesus Christ and shedding of his blood.
Col 2:14 "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross"
God made us alive with Christ,by our debt being nailed to the cross. Now that is really being alive.
Is really possible to be debt free? YES The instant we become debt free it becomes an exhilarating, burden lifting, and pressure releasing moment where a long awaited conflict has been resolved. The conflict that is resolved is our past.
Hope is a click away.


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(Reuters) – Syrian rebels pleaded for military and medical aid in the embattled border town of Qusair on Thursday, saying they were unable to evacuate hundreds of wounded under an onslaught from government forces backed by Lebanese Hezbollah fighters.
President Bashar al-Assad launched an offensive to capture Qusair two weeks ago in what many see as a bid to cement a hold on territory from the capital Damascus up to his Alawite community heartland on the Mediterranean coast.
"We have 700 people wounded in Qusair and 100 of them are being given oxygen. The town is surrounded and there's no way to bring in medical aid," said Malek Ammar, an opposition activist in the besieged town.
Rebels in Qusair sent out an appeal for support using social media outlets, saying the town near the Syrian-Lebanese border – straddling supply lines critical to both sides in Syria's civil war – could be devastated.
"If all rebel fronts do not move to stop this crime being led by Hezbollah and Assad's traitorous army of dogs…, we will soon be saying that there was once a city called Qusair," the statement said.
Syria's two-year old conflict began as a peaceful protest movement but evolved into an armed insurrection after a violent security crackdown on demonstrators. More than 80,000 people have been killed and the violence is now stoking political and sectarian tensions in neighbouring countries.
Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah is believed to have committed hundreds of guerrilla fighters, many of them with battle experience from a 2006 war with Israel, to help its ally Assad secure Qusair.
Fighters in Qusair said they were hearing at least 50 shells crashing every hour. Hezbollah and Syrian government forces appeared to be advancing more quickly after seizing the nearby Dabaa air base on Wednesday.
The Qusair fighting has intensified already simmering sectarian tensions. The rebels are mostly from Syria's Sunni Muslim majority while minorities have largely backed Assad, himself from the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.
Rebel units from different parts of Syria have said for days that they have sent fighters to support the opposition in Qusair, but rebels inside say none have made it into the town.
You Tube videos published by several units suggest some brigades have arrived around the outskirts of Qusair, a town of 30,000, but not advanced further.
Ahmad Bakar, a doctor in a hospital near Qusair, posted on appeal on Facebook for rebels to rush to help.
"We need immediate intervention from outside battalions. I swear to God no supplies have gotten through to us and we need a route to be opened to evacuate the wounded an civilians."
Thousands of civilians are believed to have fled Qusair before the offensive began – Assad's forces distributed leaflets by plane saying they would be attacking the town.
Some activists estimate Qusair's civilian population was at about 20,000 when the offensive began.
"What we need them to do is come to the outskirts of the city and attack the checkpoints so we can get routes in and out of the city. Most of Qusair is surrounded," said the activist Ammar, speaking by Skype from the town.
Among those who have come to try to help Qusair are fighters from radical Sunni Islamist groups such as Ahrar al-Sham and Jabhat al-Nusra, which is linked to al Qaeda.
Sunni rebel groups have threatened to commit sectarian revenge massacres in Shi'ite and Alawite towns both in Lebanon and Syria in retaliation for Hezbollah's participation in the Qusair attack. They see the battle-hardened Hezbollah's role as critical to Assad's battlefield strength.
(Editing by Mark Heinrich)


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Ethan gave me this card a few days ago:
Looks sweet, doesn't it? But no! Look at the inside:
"To mom, I hate you because you didn't let me play piano."
If you're wondering why mean old mom wouldn't let him play the piano, it's a reference to Ethan's always contentious piano practice sessions. I have to sit with him while he practices. If I don't, he plays only the pieces he knows best, not the ones he's stuggling with, and he plays the easy bits only, eliding over the hard parts. If he plays the hard parts at all, he will play them too fast and butcher them, missing every other note, without stopping to correct the problems. In short, if he practices alone for a day or two, his piano playing doesn't get better; it gets worse.
So I sit with him. I make sure he plays every piece, that he plays them at an appropriate tempo, and that he stops to correct mistakes. I also watch his wrist position, which otherwise deteriorates over time.
Ethan hates this. He wants to practice alone so he can be sloppy and not get called on it. So he fights me during practice. I'll ask him to do the F major scale, and he'll play the D major. I'll put the music of one piece up on the piano, and he'll play another. I'll remind him that a certain measure should be forte, and he will play it piano. If he becomes so defiant that we can't get anything done, I terminate the practice session and send him to his room.
You might think he would be relieved at this–I mean, clearly he hates the practice sessions–but being sent away from the piano infuriates him. This is my best tool at managing his defiance. But when I use it, he gets really mad, and that note he wrote me is the consequence.
When I saw it, I had to restrain myself to keep from laughing. I'm not offended by a note like that from Ethan for three reasons.
Reason #1: I know that, in truth, Ethan loves and respects me. He demands endless hugs and kisses and back rubs, says he loves me, picks flowers for me, and out of the blue says things like, "Mom, you're beautiful." The fact that he can't dominate me seems to actually drive him closer, except for these occasional outbursts of rage.
Reason #2: Even if he did hate me, it wouldn't matter, because being loved by my kids isn't my goal in parenting them. My goal is to help them grow into successful, productive adults who give back more to society than they take from it. My goal with piano is not to turn Ethan into a great piano player (I doubt that's in the cards), but for him to learn the meta-lessons involved. These include learning to persevere when something is hard and how to practice (or study) effectively. I also want him to grow comfortable with interacting with powerful, intimidating people, like his piano teacher, a concert pianist who teaches some of the most talented kids in the area.
The irony is that by fighting with Ethan, who clearly has a strong desire to be dominant/alpha, I'm actually serving his interests. You don't get to be an "alpha" in this world by force of personality–you need to be good at something. Sloppy, lazy work won't cut it. He has the raw talent. He just needs to learn to make the most of it.
Reason #3: I'm not in parenting for acknowledgements or kudos. Certainly I appreciate them when I get them, but I view parenting as a "pay it forward" undertaking. I'm raising my kids as well as I can not because I expect them to reward me for it later, but because my parents did it for me and now it's my turn. My kids can "thank" me later by raising their own kids as well as they are able.
At any rate, Ethan must have felt bad about the note, because later he gave me another one:
"Dear mom, I love you mommy because you love me. Happy Mother's Day. Love, Ethan."
Happy Mother's Day to all my fellow parents in the trenches!


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Rapid Ratings International Implements Enhanced Product Features
July 21, 2015
Rapid Ratings International (RRI), a leading independent ratings, research and analytics firm, today announced the enhancement of its Financial Health Rating (FHR®) to provide greater insight into near term probability of default. The FHR is a quantitative 0-100 measure of a company's financial health that rates public and private companies on the same basis globally.
RRI's enhancement expands the proven methodology of the FHR that focuses on financial health over the next 2-3 years with further evaluation of 11 'Resilience Indicators,' ratios that lend insight into the probability of default over the next 12 months. The result is a multivariate statistical classification system that far exceeds traditional models and methods for identifying default risk. In line with RRI's consistent philosophy, the enhanced FHR only uses information from a firm's financial statements, allowing swift and objective, analysis of both publicly traded and privately held firms. RRI will continue to report the Core Health Score, the original FHR, as it remains an invaluable tool for assessing a company's proximity to success or failure as well as report on the enhanced FHR.
"This enhancement is another example of our continued effort to innovate and improve what we do to add more value to our clients who rely on our ratings every day for critical decision making," said James H. Gellert, CEO of RRI. "As counterparty risk management becomes ever more important, we will continue to release and provide solutions for greater insight into assessing risk."
The FHR has a strong track record for providing advanced notice on a company's deterioration and is consistently more accurate than traditional credit ratings, default models and payment history based scoring systems. In contrast to other products, RRI utilizes an un-conflicted, quantitative system to rate the financial health of corporations and financial institutions. The result is an assessment that predicts the long-term stability of a company, regardless of size, industry, or geographic location.
The updated FHR is the result of extensive econometric analysis on thousands of entities historically rated with weak Core Health. RRI understands what characteristics differentiate weak, but resilient companies from those with the highest immediate risk of failure, and have incorporated this research into yet another high value analytical tool.
About Rapid Ratings International
Rapid Ratings International (RRI) is a quantitative ratings and research firm that enables companies to most effectively assess the financial health of their global public and private counterparties, including their customers, suppliers and vendors, trading counterparties, and investments. The firm's solutions are fully scalable and have been proven to identify distress situations earlier than its competitors. Their measurements are the only to rate public and private companies globally on the same basis, giving clients the ability to assess any company with the same depth of analysis.
Learn More
firstname.lastname@example.com • 646.233.4600 • 86 Chambers Street, Suite 701, New York NY 10007 •
Press Relations • 212 646 4600


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Relaxed Raw Edge Button Down Top
Sale Sold out
Regular price $33.00 USD
Regular priceUnit price per
Sale price
Transition pieces are great for all season and this top is the perfect piece. Paired with our Special A Mid-Rise Knee Destroyed Straight Leg Jean and our Chinese Laundry Matcha Snake Bootie. Our Relaxed Raw Edge Button Down Top is great with shorts , worn as a swimsuit cover up or even as a layering piece.
- Raw edge and hem
- Textured soft fabric
- Single pocket at chest
- Open button all the way
- Imported
- 100% Cotton
- Model is 5' 4" wearing a small
- Item runs true to size


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UK cinemas warn over Argentine film
LONDON: British cinemas are warning viewers about a new Argentine film which shows a chief steward intentionally crashing a plane — a scene bearing eery similarities to last week's Germanwings tragedy.
"Following the Germanwings flight incident on Tuesday 24th March, please be aware that 'Wild Tales' features a sequence that some customers might find disturbing," the Curzon cinema chain said on its website.
The British Film Institute issued a similar warning saying: "Please note: 'Wild Tales' is a work of fiction, and any similarities with real events is an unintentional and regrettable coincidence."
The film by Argentine director Damian Szifron is about the fine line between civility and barbarism.
It came out last Friday in Britain — three days after the Germanwings crash in the Alps on February 24.
Prosecutors have said they suspect co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, who told his bosses he had suffered from severe depression, locked himself into the cockpit and deliberately crashed the plane.
The plane slammed into a mountain at 700 kilometres (430 miles) an hour, instantly killing all 150 people on board.
"Wild Tales" is co-produced by Spain's Pedro Almodovar and begins with a scene in which the chief steward locks himself in the cockpit to crash the plane.
"It begins with a brief, savage revenge tale set on an airplane (horribly timely in fact, given this week's air disaster in France)," Time Out magazine said.
Film critic Mark Kermode wrote in The Observer newspaper: "The results are shocking and sharp as a knife, but be warned -– the unfolding real-life tragedy in the Alps casts a grim unforeseen shadow over the opening segment."
Documentary filmmaker James Jones took to Twitter to give his reaction to seeing the scene: "That first scene on the plane is horribly unfortunate… Made me feel a bit sick."


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Here we have an ever-growing list of frequently asked questions regarding PySNMP usage issues. If you got an issue that you think is worth noting here, please open a GitHub issue.
Keep in mind that some the answers below may not be universally applicable to any PySNMP revision.
- Getting peer address information
- How to implement MIB at the Agent
- Ignored SNMP packets
- Listening on multiple network interfaces
- Garbaged SNMP values (apps)
- Garbaged SNMP values (tools)
- Dealing with the "OID not increasing" error
- How to pass MIB to the Manager
- My py2exe app can't find MIBs
- Resolve response values at MIB
- SNMP data constraints verification error
- Walking whole MIB


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The Happiest Place on Earth Turns 60
Walt Disney is one of America's best known dreamers – best known for bringing his dream to life. Sixty years ago, July 17th ,1955, Walt Disney opened the original Disneyland in Anaheim, California to an invite-only crowd and gate-crashers that swamped the park which was riff with problems – including wet paint, rides breaking down, food shortages and even a gas leak. The park cost $17 million to build in 1955 and continued to have problems the following day when it opened to the public.
In the early days Disneyland was far from a sure thing – Walt Disney often stayed overnight at the park to work on problems and slept in a small apartment above the Firehouse on Main Street U.S.A. This is the only park that Walt would work on personally, but it was his vision that would spawn a world-wide empire of imagination.
When the park first opened it included only 18 attractions spread over Main Street U.S.A, Fantasyland, Frontierland, and Adventureland. Today there are 11 Disney theme parks spread across the world. These days Walt Disney Corp also includes a television station, cruise ships, a movie production company, toys and just about anything you can think of.
While this level of success, let alone any success was not a guarantee when Disneyland opened its doors some 60 years ago today so-called "Disney vacations" are the dream vacations not only of children but of many people world-wide.


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2015/2016 Season
A massive congratulations goes to Jen Sturm and Simon Mulligan who raced at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii in October 2016.
The club saw a huge representation for the 2015 ITU World Duathlon Championships in Adelaide
Meagan Palmer
Matt Mcdonald
Rob Mclean
Peter Bice
Adam Spratt
Brian Norcott
Annette Chatterton
Sarah Perkins
Nic Leavold
Claudia Chavez
For the ITU Sprint and Standard World Championships in Chigaco, Claudia Chavez represented the Club.
Congratulations to our Junior Members for their achievements
Charlotte Derbyshire – Scody 2016 Australian Youth Triathlon Series winner
Thomas Woodward – Representing South Australia at nations schools triathlon champs.
Well done to all of our members that participated in Ironman Port Macquarie, Ironman Taupo, Ironman Bussellton, Ironman Cairns and Ironman Cairns 70.3.
Well done to all of the club members that completed their first ever sprint distance and standard distance.
A big round of appaluse goes to our Meteors State Series Champions for 2015/2016
State Series Winners
Meagan Palmer – 35 -39
Claudia Chavez – 40-44
Clayton Reeves – 45-49
Long Course State Champions
Clayton Reeves – 45 -49
Sprint State Champions
Emma Browne – 20-24
Claudia Chavez – 40 -44
Clayton Reeves – 45 -49
Aquathlon State Champions
Tassie Williams – 25-29
Meagan Palmer – 35 -39
Claudia Chavez – 40 -45
Emma Franks – 45 -49
Clayton Reeves – 45 -49
Olympic State Champions
Simon Mulligan – 40 -44 State Olympic Distance Champion
Clayton Reeves – 45 -49 State Olympic Distance Champion
Amazing efforts everyone. Congratulations to all.


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MRP: Rs. 13,995
Rs. 8,397 Save Rs. 5,598
Price inclusive of all taxes
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Inspired by the famous Furano Flower fields in Japan, this scarlet red kimono jacket is a wardrobe must-have. Reversible yet chic, this kimono comes with a fabric belt. Add this layering piece to any monotone under layers for the perfect pop.
Muga Modal
Shipping & Returns


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Easton's Bible DictionaryAn exclamation of ridicule (Psalm 35:21; 40:15; 70:3). In Isaiah 44:16 it signifies joyful surprise, as also in Job 39:25, R.V.
Greek1436. ea -- ah! ha! (interj. expressing surprise, indignation ...
... expressing surprise, indignation, fear) NASB Word Usage let...alone (1). aha! Apparent
imperative of eao; properly, let it be, ie (as interjection) aha! ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1436.htm - 6k
3758. oua -- ah! ha! (an expression of wonder or surprise)
Strong's Hebrew1889. heach -- aha!
... heach. 1890 . aha! Transliteration: heach Phonetic Spelling: (heh-awkh') Short
Definition: aha. Word Origin a prim. ... Definition aha! NASB Word Usage aha (12). ...
/hebrew/1889.htm - 6k
A Peal of Bells
Paul's First Prayer
Our Watchword
Psalm 40
Of the Fact that Devils Struggle with Men not Without Effort on ...
The Eternal Name
The Preacher as a Patriot.
Epistle xviii. To John, Bishop.
The Desolations of the Lord, the Consolation of his Saints
A New Year's Benediction
ThesaurusAha (11 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) A sunk fence. See Ha-ha. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. AH; AHA. ...
Edward Mack. Multi-Version Concordance Aha (11 Occurrences). ...
/a/aha.htm - 12k
Aha'va (3 Occurrences)
Si'aha (1 Occurrence)
Man'aha'thites (1 Occurrence)
Appalled (31 Occurrences)
Ha (8 Occurrences)
Ah (43 Occurrences)
Enlarge (18 Occurrences)
Surprised (46 Occurrences)
Related Terms
LinksBible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus


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Your Karting Weekend Starts With Us
Since 1994 BBR Karting has been in karting and is one of the best teams/coaches in the World based in Vancouver, BC. Start driving from 5 years old and up.
BBR Karting Services
Buy A Kart
We have a selection of used and new karts. Let us help you find the best option for you at the right price. We stock all the essential parts you need to keep your kart running. We are the dealer for the best kart in the World, Tony Kart.
Years of
Super Power Dyno Tuned Engines
BBR Super Power Dyno Tuned Engines are hand built by us to give you the best power. We utilize a state of the art dyno and engine machinery equipment to build all our engines at an affordable price.
Frequently asked questions
1How to get into karting?
BBR Karting sells used and new karts. We will help you get into the sport with all the equipment you need to get going. Come and visit us at the track or shop and we will show you kart and engine packages that are ready to drive. Call Blake today at (604) 783-6474 or email@example.com
2Why choose BBR?
Blake Choquer (BBR) has been in karting since 1994. Having competed around the World Blake is considered to be one of the top coaches. BBR provides many valuable services to make your karting experience the best right from a recreational driver all the way up to drivers wanting to have a professional career in racing. Our Racing Team is one of the best in North America and we compete at the highest levels all over the World. Our home track is Greg Moore Raceway in Chilliwack, BC. This is where we practice and coach year round.
3How can I get driver coaching and how much?
Driver coaching is one of the most important investments you can make in your karting career. We have developed a driver program over the last 16 years that has helped young drivers all over the World to be faster, win National and World Championships and step into race cars as a career. Driver Coaching is $600 a day. Each driver has different goals. Its important to create a program based around your objectives. Call Blake today and we can discuss your goals and setup a training day or build a custom program around you. (604) 783-6474 The most popular course is a three day training. We start with focusing on the basics and foundational skills. As your skills develop we begin to work on more advanced techniques like passing, race craft and chassis setups developed around your driving style.
4What chassis and engines do you use?
We utilize two chassis brands. BBR Viper and Tony Kart. Tony Kart is the Ferrari of the kart World, but it comes at a price. It is the best chassis on the market. We utilize it for a our racing team. New 2021 Tony Kart 401R $6,495.00 CDN BBR Viper is the perfect chassis to get into the sport on a budget. Spend 1-2 years developing your skills, then upgrade to the Tony Kart. Don't break the bank getting into the sport. New 2021 BBR Viper One $3,195.00 CDN When it comes to engines their is only one brand. Rotax Max. It is the most reliable, user friendly engine in the World. You can run easily 30-50 hours before a rebuild. Don't get suckered in by the competition buying a cheaper engine to only have to service it every 10 hours. Rotax Engines Range from $2000 used to $4,300 CDN New. When you buy a kart from BBR we build it and custom fit it to your exact measurements. We try to get the extra mile to make sure you have a long, enjoyable karting experience and career. It's why we go the extra mile.
5What's your schedule for 2022?
In 2022. Our schedule will be full of training at Greg Moore Raceway and we will compete at as many events as possible events across Canada. COVID-19 is something we are constantly evaluating to ensure the safety of our members and teams. Team Info Package And Race Schedule West Coast Kart Club, located in Chilliwack BC. Western Rotax Max Canada Final - TBD Calgary Kart Club - Alberta Edmonton Kart Club - Alberta Ron Fellows Karting Championship - Ontario Canadian Open - Montreal If you are new to karting the best place you can start is running 1 year of Club racing at West Coast Kart Club. firstname.lastname@example.com


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In a week of metallurgy camp, learn the basics of metal shaping from bulk material to crystals and objects of various sizes. We will use furnaces and other heat sources that go up to 1000C. Take home your own creations!
Program Hours 8:30 am - 4:30 pm M-F
Drop-off is from 8:00 - 8:30 am and pickup is from 4:30 - 5:00 pm
We can provide early care before 8:00 am and late pickup between 5:00 - 6:00 pm for an extra fee.


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The Rocket Plume Flowfield Module (RPFM), software package applies the highest fidelity numerical procedures and physical modeling to plume flow phenomenology. Accurate predictions of plumes can be significant in the development of systems for missile launch detection, typing, tracking, and aim-point selection algorithms critical in hardware-in-the-loop testing.
RPFM utilizes the entire feature set available within the CRAFT CFD® flow solver developed over countless man-hours of plume flow modeling research. An Expert Interface (EI) is included by packaging this capability within a simple intuitive interface requiring little to no computational fluid dynamics (CFD) knowledge, making it possible to obtain high-fidelity, CFD flow solutions for realistic missile geometries on trajectories from sea-level to 250km in altitude. Over 100km, a unique grid generation methodology can be applied that adds grid "shells" to the domain to capture large expanding plumes, or the continuum near-field solution can be automatically interfaced to an appropriate non-continuum flow solver using the Automatic Efficient Generalized Interfaces Surface (AEGIS) Toolkit.
The RPFM EI utilizes a tab format that allows the user to quickly switch between multiple trajectory points for case modification, while also providing the user with live status updates for each trajectory point simulation. For even greater ease of use, within the software package is a trajectory setup feature that allows the user to provide each trajectory point's altitude and velocity, or mach number, which the RPFM EI will use to initialize the entire trajectory tab structure in seconds. Within a few button clicks the entire trajectory can be setup and running so that even a novice CFD user can produce desired plume flowfields for analysis.
Upon completion of the CFD analysis, the flowfield can be easily converted to a variety of other formats for infrared radiation(IR), ultra-violet(UV), or visible spectral analysis, for radiation transport or scene generation softwares. Converters are also available for analysis using DSMC codes, and radar cross section codes . If IR predictions are not desired, RPFM also includes a visualization package to quickly view CFD results for analyzing solutions.
The RPFM software as been validated against a wide range of missile systems over the last 10 years, providing a robust tool for many missile system applications. A quality assurance(QA) matrix performs over 280 missile plume signatures prior to every release to improve the user experience. RPFM's QA matrix tests the entire plume flowfield from the missile nose to the end of the plume for altitudes ranging from sea level static cases to 250km altitudes for a variety of conditions from liquid and solid systems. Additionally, conversions and simulations for the most common radiative transport codes are performed to assure a good user experience with partner software packages.
Contact Us for more information or to try out the software.


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Tiny Happy Pinhole
You have to hand it to Olympus, for a comparatively 'tiny' Japanese corporation they stream out interesting things at an impressive rate. Some smooth evolutions, some wild innovations, while at the same time they just keep pushing features down their range. Now the E-620 pitches up as the world's smallest SLR with in-body image stabilisation. Looking like the offspring of a liaison between the tiny E-450 and the muscular E-30, it retains almost all the features from its larger parent (itself virtually an E-3 minus the armour plating) while barely bigger than the smaller one. It creates a new niche – the very compact enthusiast SLR.
The Olympus E-620 doesn't replace an older model. The 600 series is new and fits nicely between the 400s and the Olympus E-30, below the Olympus E-3. Exactly how it sits with the Olympus E-520 isn't quite so clear. Numerically and functionally it ranks above, even though it's smaller. As the only SLR system designed to be digital the E series has always held the promise of smaller cameras. This was made flesh with the entry level E-400, whose progeny the E410, 420 and 450 have remained the smallest SLRs on sale. With the E-620 as small enthusiast model, this strategy still leaves space for a weatherproof small pro model. The popular E-520 may well stay on as an option for people with bigger hands.
Nice body, same about the face
The E-620 has definitely inherited the Olympus family looks. Some of the best of the E-4xxs and a little muscle from the E-30. It is still small, barely thicker and taller than an E-450, despite squeezing in a flip out screen and in-body stabilisation. It feels small in your hand but good and dense. Olympus have build quality sorted. Not in the sense that all their models are indestructible, but so that every model feels great. They really are nicely made and make competitors feel quite clumsy in comparison.
When I first handled the E-620, after using both the E-420 and E-3 for some time now, it strangely felt both too big and too small. Compared with the E-420 it's deeper, and more angular as a result of the hinge on the articulated LCD. Compared with the E-3 the grip is less exaggerated and the lens plays a larger part in holding the rig steady. But it just took a few minutes to drop into a groove between the two which the Olympus E-620 digital SLR fits like a glove. The grip is big enough to provide the secure monkey hold that I like and the stronger angles help to lock your hand into place. I soon felt quite at home. My better half who has smaller hands found it an ideal fit – while she finds the E-3 more than a handful.
Feature count
The E-620 cherry picks features from various models, and still has a few of its own. It collects the 12.3 Megapixel sensor from the E-30 and E-P1, the Art filters from the E-30, and the IS unit from the E-P1.
Where it might be fair to suggest that some brand's lower echelons are dumbed down, that's not the case with the E series which are the most configurable cameras amongst the crowded SLR market. The E-620 sets some kind of record here with a few controls even I won't ever use – and I love controls. The bulk of controls are familiar from previous models, but the expanded menus are logical and more rewarding. The depth of the configuration is quite striking. Beyond normal stuff like shutter release priorities and bracketing methods, there's a wealth of unexpected extras like custom battery warning levels, separate exposure offsets on the metering modes and even fine tuning of focus - on a per point basis.
Some of the review sites have taken exception to this, whining that it's all just too much, but you never need to enter the menu system if you don't want to. All Olympus SLRs have what is known as the Super Control Panel which gives instant display and control over a very well chosen set of the most used parameters. Just by pressing OK you can navigate thorough all the displayed parameters and set them, fast. It's a very natural way to set the camera, although you do have to lift your eyes from the viewfinder.
On the button
The spread of keys is somewhat different from previous E-Series. The hinge for the tilt and twist display bars buttons on the left hand side and it's not tall enough to have them under the display, like the E-3. Moving the review and live view buttons into the thumb radius above the cursor pad is a home run, gathering the menu and info button on the top left makes sense but takes a little more getting used to.
One 'surprise and delight' feature makes its debut the first time you power the camera up after dusk; the control button cluster lights up. It's surprising how much this helps; perhaps you spot a night scene you want to capture and, whether you want to use the super control panel via the cursor pad or go straight to ISO, metering, AF or white balance you can simply see the buttons you need. The glow also highlights review, live view and IS controls. What a great idea!
The card door has had a work over, not the release lever of the E-3, but a slide and latch mechanism which can't be brushed or idly flicked open. Like all other Olympus SLRs there are two card slots behind that door; Compact Flash and xD. The slightly newer Olympus E-P1 PEN EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens) camera has moved to SD, so this pairing may not be seen in public much longer. Whatever the cards, I'm very pro this twin slot set up as it effectively gives the E-series the option of built in memory. I use the CF slot as the primary shooting memory and leave the xD as a safety net. Many times I've needed a bit more space, not wiped a card, or forgotten to replace the CF and smiled broadly at my 2GB reserve tank.
Gardening leave
My first stop with a new camera (in Summer) is a trip into my garden. With a macro lens on I hoped to test the resolution of that new sensor (excellent by the way), but what struck me first of all was the colour. Olympus have a reputation for good colour, but the E-620 pulled out some very hard delphinium blues and held on to some outrageous oranges and reds. The session was instructive as I found it was very easy to remove face detection - using the Super control panel - and then to select the centre focus point - panel again - and then to reduce the centre spot size - that did need a trip into the menu. So with a few presses I was back to my favoured set up, already wasting the extra six focus points!
What macro sessions also show is whether focus is accurate, using the equivalent of a f2.8 140mm lens (Zuiko 50mm and 1.4x converter) you don't get much margin for error and I didn't need it. I got razor sharp results on moving insects; the stabilisation helped, but I was pleased. Outdoors the ambient light was ample, but I thought I should be thorough and so I played in our kitchen cobwebs - I keep plenty of spiders for situations like this :-) These days I use the wireless control mode as it means I can just perch the flash somewhere and control it from the camera. The RC mode is beautifully simple; set remote flash ON in the menu, set mode on the FL-36 or FL-50 to RC too and you're away. It works like wire but better, you can control 3 channels of numerous flashes in any mode including FP TTL - where shutter speeds up to 1/4000th are available. I love it for impromptu macro as you can just perch the flash anywhere and only have to handle the camera.
Angles and demons
Even though Olympus introduced SLR live view back in 2007, it's fair to say that it's still a work in progress. Their pioneer E-330 used an extra sensor which worked better than the system that's on this and pretty much every new SLR now. They all lock the mirror up to expose the main sensor and relay the view to the screen. While you see a live view all the camera can do is try to focus like a compact, only when the mirror drops can it use its fast phase detection focus system. It's the same for all the current (mirror flapping) systems. The Olympus E-620 can use a hybrid of both methods to refine live view focus using phase detection when the photo is taken. This works well, but isn't as fast as direct view and phase detection alone. It certainly wouldn't hurt to have the contrast detect algorithms from the mirrorless E-P1 or Panasonic GH1 on board.
Live view is way more useful with a versatile, mobile LCD. Without one, you have to accept an oblique view of the subject. With a tilting LCD you can work higher or lower but once it swivels too you are released from standing behind the camera. The screen swings 180 degrees out to the side and can then twist 270 degrees, this allows you a front row seat from any position except lying beneath the front of the camera. So it has all the useful options covered. The 2.7" screen is bright and clear, not the highest resolution available, but one of the few I've used which can actually hold its own in bright sunlight. For manual focus in live view you can enlarge the focus area by 10 or 14x.
Another useful option the LCD offers is to turn inward for protection from scratches. If you feel nostalgic looking at the blank camera back after doing this, why not try playing 'film camera'. No reviews or extra info, see how long you can stand it!
Wide Boy
I've used the Olympus kit lenses for years now, so they are a well known quantity – some of the best budget lenses and a bargain at the kit prices. Their new stable mate is a 9-18mm wide angle lens. I've used the fantastic pro grade 7-14mm a lot, but would be the first to admit it isn't light, cheap or easy to hide. Olympus needed an affordable ultra wide option and here it is. For all the difference in cost, it's the difference in size which hits home most. It is a very little larger than the kit lenses - which are themselves very small - and it doesn't expand to any extent. Unlike the other 'budget' range members, it has a metal lens mount. The front element is a fair size, but by no means extreme and unlike the 7-14mm you can use filters, or just protect it with a 72mm UV.
For the price, I've got no complaints with the build or operation of the lens but the design is very low key. It actually looks like a nice lens disguised to look like a standard lens. I'd suggest Olympus gave it nicer focus and zoom rings to cosset users and emphasise that it's worth 3x as much its range mates.
What do points make?
Before the E-3 arrived, Olympus SLRs had just three focus points (not something I ever found a problem as I like to use just the centre). The Olympus E-620 has a slightly cut down version with 7 points rather than the 11 the E-3 and E-30 have. Much to my surprise, I soon found a use for them; in shooting fish underwater with a macro lens, the wider net of points allowed the camera some warning of objects in its wafer thin depth of field and had a positive effect on lens ballistics (nerdspeak translation = it was faster). With less specialist lenses this wasn't needed and with static macro I prefer to choose the focus point my self, rather than let the camera decide what's important.
Unlike its big brothers the focus points aren't all created equally. Five of the seven points are fully biaxial - with four sensors at each crosspoint. In common with other brands, the only way to fully exploit focusing speed is with ultrasonic lenses. Supersonic Wave Drive or SWD in Olympus speak, so the 12-60mm was my next stop. This lens is a pleasure to use on any E-series body, but really flies on the new models with updated focus systems. On the E620 the 12-60mm feels as fast as the 'fastest in the world' E-3, and turned out some great results before I swapped onto a longer lens to give the stabiliser a work out.
Shake rattle and roll
The Zuiko 50-200mm is another super sharp lens, but at those focal lengths - effectively doubled on a 4/3 format E-series body - you need plenty of light to avoid shake. The in-body sensor based stabiliser on the E-series has been reviewed extensively and rates very well. The consensus seems to be that it's just as effective as in-lens systems. The E-620 adds extra utility to this; if you want to try some non standard glass the stabiliser can be configured to work with any length of lens between 8 and 1000mm. With so many adaptors available for the E-series, you can try almost anything. The stabiliser has 3 modes, which are just numbered and not described, 1 - both axis, 2 - horizontal and 3 - vertical. With in-body IS all your lenses become stabilised - including wide angles and kit lenses, everything. IS does use more power, but you can turn it off whenever you like. My favourite use is for interior and dusk candid shots, no flash needed to retain the atmosphere of candles and firelight.
The limiting factor in low speed shooting tends to be the natural movement of the subject, engaging Auto ISO helps strike a balance. I'm easy for high ISO shooting as I remember the film days when 400ASA was fast, but I'm impressed with the performance up to 1600. Sure a Nikon D3 is better, but these ordinary SLRs, the E-620 and contemporaries such as the Canon 450D and Nikon D90, are giving much better performance than rose tinted films ever did. They get closer scrutiny too, as we peer into the shadows looking for noise after downloading, rather than just flicking through prints. I thought that ISOs up to 1600 were fine, attractively grainy at the top end, but sharp and usable. ISO 2000-3200 got noisy, and although they're sort of OK, I'd prefer to set a lower shutter speed and try to hold still!
Using the 50-200mm I'd need shutter speeds between 1/100th and 1/400th to avoid shake – equivalent focal lengths are doubled for 4/3 cameras. At a gig in a very dark village hall I didn't get offered any faster than 1/25th and most shots were at 1/10th, but I got sharp results without too much trouble. The IS adds about 3-4 stops to what you can handhold, if you're careful. Used in conjunction with the Auto ISO it pretty much frees you from using flash indoors and makes sniping for candid shots in crowds much more successful.
Noise reduction and noise filtering can be adjusted on all Olympus SLRs so you can play with the balance of noise/grain and the softening filtering causes. The default balance is towards a filmic grain, not a super clean, cold digital look.
Dust devil
The IS is driven by the same technology as the dust buster which keeps the sensor clean. So far it's the only system which has worked in independent testing, although almost every SLR has one now. Despite this I'm always very careful to avoid dust when changing lenses; while dust isn't a big deal for Olympus shooters, there's no point tempting fate. We don't have to fret like the others do, but dust can still creep in and good camera hygiene is just common sense.
Battery Life
The Olympus E-620 uses the same BLS-1 battery as the 400 series and EP-1. It's small, at 1050mAh, but I've been nothing but impressed by the way it lasts in my E-420. In the E-620 it can be worked harder, features like stabilisation and live view do drain power, but that's up to you of course. After lots of flash, live view play and using the IS full time I pulled the number down as low as 250 before I saw the battery warning. Using it as a normal SLR on a country walk we were back to E-420 levels of 400-500 shots per charge, where you don't usually see the battery warning as you change it before you go out the next time.
As always there's a whole pile of accessories for any new SLR, but for me the headline act is the underwater housing, the PT-E06. As a diver it's a huge positive for a camera to have purpose designed case. I've taken it for few dives in a companion test, I hope you'll have time to read that too!
If you read other reviews of this camera you'll see that the Olympus E-620 is rated ahead or on par with its competitors in all respects bar one – which is faint praise if you compare the build quality and feature set which are markedly better. There's only one aspect where it apparently trails on the spec sheet, and it's a strange one. Video recording is starting to creep into the SLR market – although it's rarely full frame rate and clunky to say the least. It has a lot in common with the reservations about live view and it seems that the new Micro Four Thirds cameras are the only ones which have done it right from the outset. It may be that Olympus are trying not to muddy the waters with a half baked option, but given their leadership in live view, the omission is a pity.
And finally, the six art filters are an interesting diversion. No honestly! I did try them and while I thought they were an amusing idea couldn't immediately think of a time when I'd use them. Then I casually mentioned them to a friend and he was full of enthusiasm. After rattling off a few frames to see how they worked, his view was that he'd seen plenty of photo exhibits where the six options could have covered most of what filled the 'creative' categories. Maybe he was a little jaded but the effects are fun and can be applied to pictures as they're taken as well as after the fact in-camera (and in the Olympus software). I think they'd be more useful if there was some control over the strength of each effect.
After you've read this far you won't be surprised that I liked it. It takes an awful lot of the things I like about my current cameras by packing E-3 functionality into an E-450 sized body. Short of being weatherproof, the build couldn't be much better. It's a light companion for travel and days out without compromising features. The 400 series is still smaller, but if you can stretch your budget a little you get a lot of useful goodies. The image stabiliser and high ISO performance make natural light shooting a breeze. Little touches like the backlit buttons fit right into this mindset. I really enjoyed using it and will be sad to see it go!
Build: 9/10 - Great, only better if it was weatherproof
Performance: 9/10 - Strong true, natural colour with lots of detail
Handling: 8.5/10 - Secure grip, logical control, fun
The Olympus E620 digital SLR is an excellent, full featured compact SLR which loves travel.
Thanks to Holly Pickford, who was playing with the Travellin Soldiers.
Read Rob's review of the Olympus PT-E06 waterproof housing for the Olympus E-620.
Read Rob's review of the Olympus UFL-2 strobe for use with the PT-E06.


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Protesters camped-out for 48-hours in front of New York's City Hall Thursday; demanding $1 billion in funding cuts for the NYPD as demonstrators demand "police reform" across the United States.
"Protesters in New York City spent a second straight night camped out in front of City Hall to demand a $1 billion cut to the police department's budget. The group of about 100 protesters, calling themselves 'Occupy City Hall,' gathered at a nearby park around 5 p.m. Tuesday and haven't left. They have vowed to stay until their demand to slash one-sixth of the New York Police Department's $6 billion budget is met," reports Fox News.
"Mayor (Bill) de Blasio has thus far rejected this demand, which is unconscionable," VOCAL-NY, the group organizing the protest, said in a written statement. "We have questions about City Council promises to support our demands, because we have not seen their plan outside of a vague press release. We view this lack of transparency and specific public commitments as a red flag."
"Strong communities make safe communities, and police don't, and so that's what we're fighting for," he said.
Read the full report at Fox News.
BIG APPLE BREAKDOWN: Bill De Blasio's Daughter, 25, Arrested During Manhattan Protest for Blocking Traffic
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio's daughter was one of hundreds of demonstrators arrested over the weekend; reportedly taken into custody for blocking traffic during a protest in Manhattan Saturday night.
Chiara de Blasio is one of the nearly 790 people who have been arrested in New York City since protests over the death of George Floyd began last week https://t.co/UusGs3188p
— TIME (@TIME) June 1, 2020
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio's daughter, Chiara, was arrested around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday near Union Square in Manhattan, a police official said.
Follow live updates of the protests in New York: https://t.co/Bo6wZQfwRq
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 1, 2020
"New York Mayor Bill de Blasio's daughter, Chiara, was arrested around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday near Union Square in Manhattan, a police official said," reports the New York Times.
"She had allegedly been blocking traffic on Broadway and was arrested after refusing to move, the source said," adds the New York Post.
Read the full report here.
CHAOS NYC: Rioters Loot Manhattan Stores, De Blasio Describes Situation as 'Limited Protest Activity'
Rioters smashed windows and looted stores in Manhattan late Sunday night after assembling for citywide protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis; a situation Mayor Bill de Blasio described as "limited protest activity."
"Fox News crews on the scene in SoHo reported hundreds of people stealing from luxury stores – including Chanel and Dior – for hours on Sunday night going into the early hours of Monday morning. The looters were seen piling shoplifted merchandise into vehicles while others rode off with the merchandise in black garbage bags balanced on CitiBikes," reports Fox news.
Here it is… just disgusting to see this in person pic.twitter.com/GftB2C5Bfw
— Rob Schmitt (@SchmittNYC) June 1, 2020
"Most of the day we had large crowds throughout the city in multiple boroughs [on Sunday]. But when it got dark, things changed and it changed rapidly," Shea said on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" on Monday morning. "We anticipated it, but you saw large groups of people had no inclination to all this protest once it got dark, particularly in the area of SoHo between Canal and West Broadway. We had a number of stores broken into."
Read the full report at Fox News.


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352 Media Group receives WebAwards
October 21, 2007 (PRLEAP.COM) Media NewsGAINESVILLE, FL 352 Media Group, an interactive development firm, received the Medical Equipment Standard of Excellence award from the Web Marketing Associations WebAward last month. The award recognizes 352 Media Group for the design and functionality of the Web site it developed for the medical company, Regeneration Technologies, Inc.
With its unique integrated team approach, 352 Media Groups wide range of award winning services include Web design, information architecture, ASP.NET Web application development, Intranet and Extranet development, Web marketing, Flash animation, E-commerce and more.
Since its inception over 10 years ago, 352 Media Group has been developing Web sites, interactive media projects, Web applications, CDs, DVDs and interactive marketing campaigns for small businesses and Fortune 1000 clients around the globe. Clients include American Express, Ben & Jerrys, Microsoft, Earthlink, Outback Steakhouse, University of Florida among others.
Regeneration Technologies, Inc., is a leader in tissue-based innovations that are used to repair and promote the natural healing of human bone and other human tissues. RTI processes human and animal musculoskeletal tissues in producing allograft and xenograft implants. Surgeons then use these implants to repair a wide variety of bone and other tissue defects, including spinal vertebrae repair, musculoskeletal reconstruction, fracture repair, joint repair and reconstruction for sports medicine injuries.
The Web Marketing Association is the producer of the WebAward Competition. Now in its 11th year, the WebAwards is the premier annual website award competition that names the best Web sites in 96 industries while setting the standard of excellence for all Web site development. Best Web sites are selected by judging the entered sites using seven criteria - design, ease of use, copywriting, interactivity, use of technology, innovation and content.
The Web Marketing Association was founded in 1997 to help set a high standard for Internet marketing and development of the best Web sites on the Web. Staffed by volunteers, the
organization is made up of Internet marketing, online advertising, PR, and top Web site design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of online advertising, internet marketing, and Web site promotion.
About 352 Media
352 Media Group, www.352media.com, is a full-service interactive development firm headquartered in Gainesville, FL, with offices in Jacksonville, Atlanta, Ann Arbor, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle. 352 Media Group provides its clients with a complete approach to business development, offering Web development, Web applications, CD/DVD Production, motion graphics and more. Since its founding in 1997, 352 Media Group has served more than 1,000 clients across the United States and around the world.
Lisa Deutch
S&S Public Relations, Inc.
Contact Information
Peter VanRysdam
352 Media Group
Contact Us
Peter VanRysdam
352 Media Group
Contact Us


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Everyone loves their mom and always wants to find the best gift to make her feel loved and appreciated. These are the gifts I have found and would love to share with you. After you enter my giveaway head over to Makobi Scribe to see her mothers day gift ideas worth over $3000. Then enter the grand prize drawing of a $1000 worth of Karina Dresses. <—click that link to get to the Grand Prize!
BOB Revolution SE Duallie**: For the mom on the go with two kids. The Duallie makes it easy to stay in shape while traversing your kids over even the toughest terrain. I love mine and would highly recommend any mom trying to stay in shape to get one!


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Hail Satan? That's a good question, and it's also the name of Penny Lane's new documentary premiering at Sundance. The filmmaker visited the IndieWire Studio presented by Dropbox along with Satanic Temple co-founder Lucien Greaves, and the two discussed the many misconceptions about Satanism — some of which are addressed in the film.
"One of the reasons that I wanted to make this film is because I personally related a lot to the Satanists and their mission, not because I'm a Satanist or because I'm particularly engaged in a church-state battle of my own — more that I feel a kinship with people who choose to do the difficult work of being heretics," said Lane while speaking to IndieWire's Christian Blauvelt.
"Society needs skeptics. It needs outsiders to stand up for themselves and fight against the dominant ideas," she added. "We need that; it's really healthy to have that. I really appreciated the role that they were taking on in this particular cultural context, and I related to it personally because I feel a kinship to the kind of person who doesn't mind if their point of view upsets you."
"For me it seems kind of obvious that there's been a complete reversal in the roles of who's ostensibly the good guys and who are the bad guys," said Greaves. "Right now we have evangelical nationalists pushing a theocratic agenda in the United States and making great headway to take away people's reproductive rights, endorse corporal punishment in schools, spread pseudoscience or otherwise reject the scientific point of view, and really undermining liberal democracy."
"At this point there seems to be an inherent, intuitive grasp of what Satan can mean in a heroic context, and I think you see that vindicated in the film when you see how quickly we've grown and how much that kind of iconography has resonated with people."
Watch their full conversation — including Greaves' thoughts on Trump vis-à-vis Satanism — below.
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Did you know that it can be very easy to make your own laundry detergent? Here are 2 ways to make it. Washing powder Ingredients: – 100 g baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) – 100 g Marseille soap flakes – 100 g crystal soda How to proceed: If your Marseille soap is in one slice,…
Do It Yourself
DIY Chestnut Detergent
The days are getting darker and most of the trees have lost their leaves by now, which means it is time to try another laundry detergent recipe! Once you have been out and about collecting chestnuts, proceed to dry and clean them if they are very dirty. For one load of laundry, you will need…
How to Make Your Own Mosquito Repellent
Are you looking for a homemade option to fend off annoying mosquitoes? Why not give this easy to make repellent spray a try? Download the recipe
Cleaning Products
Here you find some recipes and further infos on zero waste cleaning products. You can learn about ingredients that will keep your home a closet clean – all without toxins in a zero waste way. And the best: It is easy to make and saves you some money!
Make your toothpaste
You want to reduce your waste in the bathroom? Try out some easily made toothpaste recipes! We have a sweet ginger toothpaste or a clay-based cinnamon version. You can of course adapt them to your personal needs, but we hope they will give you some inspiration to start from.
Make your Cardboard Clothes Hanger
– easy and simple – Have you recently moved or gotten a parcel in the mail? Did you order new clothes and have no free hanger available? The solution is so simple and can help you reduce waste! Cardboard is a fantastic material, it's recyclable, compostable, strong, and solid. It's widely used as packaging material and…
Xmas salve
With winter and cold coming your skin is maybe dry. Here is a simple recipe to make your own salve using only natural products. You could also be interested by our recipes about peeling and deodorant. Download the recipe
Make your peeling
You are a coffee addict and would like to do something with the coffee ground? Why not trying to make a peeling with it? If you want to go further have a look at our recipes to make your own salve and deodorant. Download the recipe
Make your deodorant
You want to reduce your waste in the bathroom? Why not trying to make your own cosmetics using natural products? If you are afraid to do the first step this really simple recipe will show you that it is really easy and fun to make your own deodorant. If you want to go further have…


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Faimily (biology)
In biological classification, faimily (Laitin: familia) is
- a taxonomic rank. Ither well-kent ranks are life, domain, kinrick, phylum, class, order, genus, an species, wi faimily fittin atween order an genus. As for the ither well-kent ranks, thare is the option o an immediately lawer rank, indicatit bi the prefix sub-: subfaimily (Latin: subfamilia).
- a taxonomic unit, a taxon, in that rank. In that case the plural is faimilies (Latin familiae)
- Example: Wawnits an hickories alang tae Juglandaceae, the wawnit faimily
What daes an daes nae alang tae ilka faimily is determined bi a taxonomist. Similarly for the quaisten if a parteecular faimily should be recognised at aw. Eften thare is na exact agreement, wi different taxonomists ilka takin a different poseetion. Thare are na haird rules that a taxonomist needs tae follae in describing or recognizing a faimily. Some taxa are acceptit almaist universally, while ithers are recognised anly rarely.


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Interior Doors
You don't have to settle for boring interior doors!
Get the style and design features you need to complement
your new home design. From barn-style sliding doors to
metal and glass inserts, Renaissance presents you with
high quality options. Need an interior door estimate?
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Interior Doors to WOW Your Clients
Your latest residential new construction project has an impressive front elevation. Continue the WOW factor inside with stunning interior doors.
Custom-Produced, Loaded With Style & Value
Remember when interior door choices were limited to hand-carved or plain & ugly? Thank goodness those days are long gone! With Renaissance you have lots of choices for every door opening.
When you're ready to plan windows & doors for your next residential project, let's talk!
Houston BuildRenaissance
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Saint Mary's, 04, AGTamarind Hills Darkwood Beach
4 habitación
6 baño
Tamarind Hills offers a wide choice of villas, townhouses and condominiums for sale on a freehold basis. The residences are located on the beachfront, directly above the ocean or on the hillside – all with magnificent sea views. The properties range from one bedroom apartments to five bedroom homes. All villas have private pools, exquisitely finished European kitchens and bathrooms, high speed wi-fi and cable TV throughout, large outdoor living spaces and magnificent west facing ocean views. The interiors exude contemporary Caribbean charm with the wow factor.
The tranquillity and privacy of a luxury villa, townhouse or suite at Tamarind Hills belies its convenient location close to some of Antigua's finest restaurants and attractions. Indeed, one of the island's most highly rated restaurants, Sheer Rocks, is located just a short walk along the beach, as is the popular island rendezvous, Dennis's Bar, renowned for its Sunday suckling pig roast and Friday evening beach bbq's. The informal yet chic Jackie O's, over the hill from Darkwood Beach, is the perfect beachfront bar and restaurant with a great menu, cocktail list, atmosphere and views.
Tamarind Hills is a 25 minute drive to the V.C Bird International Airport, and a 15 minute drive to the capital St John's. A little to the south are the world renowned five star hotels Carlisle Bay and Curtain Bluff, with all the attractions at English harbour a beautiful half hour drive away through the rainforest. The nearby Jolly Harbour Marina offers a good choice of shops and local services with a very well stocked supermarket, golf, banks, a pharmacy and post office – all the essentials close by.


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When it comes to a beauty contest, the African manatee, a bloated sea cow that grazes the coastal waters off west Africa, will never win any prizes. But should an unprepossessing mugshot condemn a species to extinction?
According to a new study, rampant bias exists among researchers towards "cuter and more interesting" animals. The meerkat has clocked up more than 100 published studies since 1994. The manatee has been the subject of just 14, and academic neglect may be a vital factor in its currently parlous position. "Scientists are people too," says Morgan Trimble, a conservation scientist at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, who carried out the study. "And many of them want to work with the big and furry stuff."
For years, conservationists have wrestled with the problem that high-profile species draw the most attention, and therefore the most money. It is no accident that conservation group WWF is known by its distinctive panda logo.
Supporters of this approach argue that "charismatic mega-fauna" attract much-needed funds for other species too. Sally Wren of the Zoological Society of London argues: "Charismatic species can be used as flagships to help protect areas and reduce threats, the effect of which often also benefits the less compelling species in the same region."
Critics, including the founders of a website called Endangered Ugly Things, point out that some less glamorous creatures fall through the conservation net as a result. "There has been a long-standing debate about the conservation of charismatic species such as gorillas and elephants over others. We wanted to see if this was a deeper problem and if it applied to scientific research and funding," says Trimble. "The bottom line is that there is not enough money to go around and what we choose to learn about could influence what we conserve."
With her University of Pretoria colleague Rudi van Aarde, Trimble surveyed scientific papers published from 1994 to 2008, looking for mentions of almost 2,000 species found across southern Africa. They combined this information with a global list produced by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which classifies each animal according to its endangered status.
Writing in the latest issue of the journal Conservation Biology, the scientists say their study shows that: "In the eyes of science, all species are not created equal." They add: "A few species commanded a great proportion of scientific attention, whereas for many species, information that might inform conservation is virtually non-existent."
Threatened large mammals dominated the studies, appearing in 500 times as many published papers as threatened amphibians. Threatened reptiles, birds and small mammals also received much less attention. The most studied animals were chimpanzees, with 1,855 mentions, and leopards, with 1,241 mentions. Even within the relatively well-studied group of threatened large animals, more than two-thirds of scientific effort went on less than a third of species. For threatened reptiles, some 98% of research studied less than a quarter of species.
The scientists, who call such disparities "disconcerting", say: "It is unlikely that these figures represent the relative importance of these animal groups from the perspective of ecosystem conservation... it is time for a proper evaluation of scientific investments."
Trimble said research on animals was skewed for more reasons than the appeal of charismatic species. Meerkats live in complex social groups and chimps are our closest relative. Commercial factors can also play a role. Some of the most studied small mammals draw attention because they are pets, while the three most studied amphibians are also kept as pets. Scientists may also be interested in animals that occur near to them, which may explain why the new study showed that lower-risk species of amphibians and small mammals received more attention than threatened species.
The study suggests skewed research has led conservationists to overlook the extinction of ignored species. Wren says this may be exaggerated. "But it has had a large impact on our response to diversity loss. The less well-known species, which might have been easy conservation wins, have often been neglected as efforts are directed elsewhere."
Colin Butfield, head of campaigns at WWF-UK, said: "There is no point in saving one species when we are losing whole habitats. We would like to see more research looking at the health of entire ecosystems to determine the underlying cause of species' extinction."


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There is a new milkman in town. Well, new milkmen.
ROC Ventures, an entertainment and sports management firm, is bringing the Milwaukee Milkmen, a new independent baseball team, to the Ball Park Commons in Franklin next spring.
"We're proud to officially join the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball as the Milwaukee Milkmen, on behalf of the state of Wisconsin," said Mike Zimmerman, chief executive officer at ROC Ventures, which is building Ball Park Commons, in a press release. "As an organization, our focus has always been on creating and strengthening community opportunities, and we look forward to providing new, affordable fan experiences to the city of Franklin and beyond through America's favorite pastime."
ROC Ventures asked for fans to submit ideas for a name for the new team. They then had fans vote on the top ten names that were submitted, which resulted in the name Milkmen. (According to a June story in the Milwaukee Business Journal, the other names included Crop Dusters, Cheesers, Farmhands, Haymakers, Broilers, Barn Owls, Cow Tippers, Bovines and War Pigs.)
When the Milkmen begin play next season, they will be taking the field in a brand new $125 million stadium that will seat 4,000 people. The stadium will also be home to the UW-Milwaukee baseball team. The Milkmen are using the slogan, "Pro Baseball that's Udderly Different," and are promising fans a variety of food and drink options, along with all-inclusive areas and plenty of entertainment and other experiences in addition to the baseball.
The sprawling new Ballpark Commons also will include golf and bicycling facilities, a coffee shop, restaurants, a beer garden, a physical therapy clinic, offices, apartments and senior housing units, according to the Business Journal story.
Milwaukee will be the 13th team in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. Although the Milkmen will have no affiliation with any team in Major League baseball, the association has hosted players who have gone on to the big leagues, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer and current Brewer Junior Guerra.
ROC Ventures said players in the league include former minor-leaguers and even former major-leaguers.
Tickets for next season are now on sale at milwaukeemilkmen.com.