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A little over a week ago I shared with you my First Impressions: Shadow Priest PvP post. I've put in quite a bit of PvP time since then and learned quite a bit more as well, so I figured it was time to give another update on where I stand right now.
Gear Changes
I've definitely found more success using my JC gems for Resilience over Stamina, and I'm very glad that I did. I might be a clothie, but I've got some definite survivability…usually.
As far as purchasing the gear goes, I've found that getting the honor I need is way easier than I was anticipating. I was shooting for 1500 Honor per Week, but I can pretty regularly pull that off in a day, plus some. Sometimes we get in a big losing streak and it just takes forever to get out of it, so there are some days that I'm lucky if I make it above 200 in a given day before I just give up on PvP for the night. Right now I'm averaging just over 600 Honor per night.
Because of that I broken away completely from My Plan on purchasing gear. Seeing the need for Resilience early on I went straight for set bonuses above all else, and I chose to go with the dual-2pc bonuses over a single 4pc starting out so that I could get the +400 Resilience bonus from both sets. I decided I'd rather build a solid, workable collection of gear sooner and then fill in with upgrades as I go along.
Right now I have one non-PvP ring that needs to get replaced, and then four pieces of crafted gear that need to be upgraded at least to Bloodthirsty. I'm also using a PvE weapon right now, but this week I'll be able to get the Conquest points I need to upgrade to the Vicious Gavel.
While Conquest points are maxed easily in a single night of Arena matches the cap on them makes it take forever to purchase Vicious gear. Because of this I've gone PvP crazy in BG's to farm the Honor I need to get full Bloodthirsty first. As I upgrade my set pieces to Vicious, I'm going to go for the 4pc Mooncloth set instead of the dual-2pc so that I can make use of the Mooncloth 4pc set bonus as one of my biggest problems right now is getting mobility debuffs and then having a melee eat my face.
Right now I'm rocking Jewelcrafting and Inscription as my professions, but even though I just power-leveled the Inscription last week I'm still feeling the urge to switch to Engineering for the helm. I'm going to let that idea simmer for a while and see if I still like the sound of doing that in a week or so, but right now I'm considering it and I'm even more notorious for dropping maxed professions than I am deleting max level toons.
I still find Destruction Warlocks to be my biggest threat. Unholy Death Knights are still really strong as well, but I'm actually managing to take some of them out now so it's not quite as bad as it was. I'm finding a lot of Arms Warriors stepping it up and giving me a challenge now as well as Feral Druids.
Demonology Warlocks aren't quite so big a deal anymore, and Affliction isn't doing much to me either. Frost DK's are pretty annoying, but I find them a lot easier than Unholy. Blood DK's take forever to actually kill, but their damage is low enough that they don't bother me much.
As I've built up my gear and changed my spec and glyphs I'm finding Frost Mages to be much more managable than they used to, though they can still put up a ton of pressure and make for some really great fights.
On the Arenas front, I'm having a horrible time with Enhancement Shamans as well. Not so much from staying alive, but rather in managing to kill them. It's like they have heals for days and there's nothing I can do. They never run out of mana either, even if I switch to Mana Burning them. They end up killing me by outlasting me more than anything else, and there's almost nothing I can do to stop it. I've gotten a lot better at managing my CC and cooldowns since the last time I faced one though, so I'm looking forward to trying it out again to see how well I can hold my own with better gear and a stronger skill set.
I've changed my spec up a couple of times now. Right now I'm running with this 8/0/33 build, but I'm about to make a change to it, dropping Improved Mind Blast and it's healing debuff for 2 points in Paralysis and 1 point in Harnessed Shadows. I don't really need the cooldown on Mind Blast, and the Mortal Strike debuff on it doesn't seem to help me much at all.
Mana issues are still present right now, but I'm getting a lot better at managing them and dealing with them during combat so I'm much more calm in most fights than I was before. With the mana issues becoming more manageable I also dropped my points in Mental Agility (reduced mana cost on instant cast spells) and switched them over to Improved Power Word: Shield for an extra 20% win to my bubble. When the time comes to spread those DoT's and run I like having the survivability more so than saving a small amount of mana.
I'm also making use of the Glyph of Dispersion now which drops the cooldown on it from 2 minutes to 75 seconds which helps on the mana front as well as survivability thanks to being able to take advantage of its damage reduction more often.
Issues to Work Out
My biggest problem right now is rotation. I don't feel like my DoT's do enough damage for them to really be reliable against anyone in Resilience gear. They still deal damage and all, but if there's a healer nearby who can dispel then the DoT's are just a waste of my mana. On the flip side, Mind Spike/Blast spam works fairly well, but I can't keep it up for very long before I drive myself OOM, and if my target is getting decent heals then I'm screwed anyway).
I'm not sure what the answer is, but I probably need to go dual every class I can to find out which strategies work against which classes.
My ability to kill people right now just feels weak overall. Now that I'm over 3,200 Resilience I think it's time for me to start focusing back on Intellect to increase my damage output. I also need to figure out whether I'm better off stacking more Haste until I reach the next break point in damage per cast for all of my spells, or if I should just focus on Spellpower and Mastery instead.
First Impressions
I'm still managing to grow more skilled and more confident in my Shadow Priest performance. I like how most of the struggles I've faced on the Priest have caused me to develop to overcome them rather than giving up in frustration as I've done before with other classes.
There's still that feeling of having the class changed on me there at the very end, and it's still a little odd, but it no longer bothers me in the same way that it did before. Once you get Mind Spike you have the ability now to be something more than a simple DoT Monkey, you can actually deal some spike damage and try to burn down your targets which is great. I still need to get a better grasp on which style to use versus which opponents though. Often in BG's I can Mind Spike people to death all over the place because there's rarely any real coordination in non-rated BG's. When it comes to Arena and RBG's though, I have to be much more aware of who I'm facing and the best way for me to deal with them and the situation around us. Sometimes my best option is to DoT and run, other times it's Mind Spike spam, sometimes it's pure CC (as best I can), and sometimes it's blowing all of my cooldowns while I get 2-4 stubborn (ie – stupid) melee DPS to chase me all the way across the field while my flag carrier runs right though the area we were just in.
I still find that EotS, TP, and BfG are the battlegrounds that I enjoy the least. Whatever the reason, it just seems like Alliance has a horrible time accomplishing anything in those three places. Horde executes great tactics that people should be learning from, but instead they just mindlessly bash their head against an unyielding wall over and over until the timer runs out and the Horde claims victory.


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Difference between revisions of "Ohio prehistoric sites"
Revision as of 23:46, 4 October 2009
This article is a travel topic
Evidence of man in Ohio goes back as far as 13,000 BC, with the first inhabitants after the last ice age most likely being Paleo-Indians who seemed to have disappeared after the Younger Days impact event . Later they were replaced by Archaic people who are referred to as Native Americans. The Archaic period has been seen as divided into Early, Middle and Late Archaic periods, it is thought of as the second (possibly) period of human occupation that took place 8,000 BC to 1,000 BC.. The Woodlands Period went from about 1,000 BC to 700 AD and included the Adena and Hopewell peoples who are sometimes referred to as the Mound Builders. Other cultures extended the Mound Builders period to about 1300 AD.
The list below is far from a complete list of prehistoric sites in Ohio. Finding a clovis point in a farm field from a Paleo-Indian roaming your land 11,000-15,000 may be more memorable than visiting any of the historical sites. Ohio is literally, littered with artifacts from early man. There are many private and public displays throughout the State of "field finds", which are far from uncommon, yet today.
These sacred sites have endured much over time and have diminished more since the white settlers showed up in The Ohio Valley, than any other time in history. One of the biggest enemies of these sites has been the invention of the cast-steel plow. Property owners have ignored the importance of the remnants of early man and have plowed over burial sites, mounds and artifacts without concern. The most common way of discovering artifacts today, is during the plowing of fields (field finds). This lack of care or respect for these monuments reflects badly on current inhabitants. One needs to reflect on today's burial practices and how their remains may be treated in the future
There are fantastic exhibits throughout the State. This is a short list.
Associations and societies
There are also numerous local chapters of both of the organizations listed above.

subset: commoncrawl


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PULLMAN, Wash. — Researchers at Washington State University will use a $749,661 grant from USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture to examine whether organic management improves natural pest control.
The grant is one of five that NIFA awarded recently to support research, education and extension programs that will improve the competitiveness of organic livestock and crop producers.
The grants disbursed include more than $3 million through the Organic Transitions Program. USDA's flagship program to fund organic production, the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative, currently remains unauthorized to continue until a new Farm Bill is passed by Congress.
Other grants:
• University of Florida received $675,719 to develop sustainable whole-farm systems for organic pecan production in the Southeast.
• Michigan State University received $464,482 to develop alternatives to antibiotics for fire blight control in organic crops.
• University of Minnesota received $718,225 to create a series of online, interactive educational modules with a focus on the fundamentals of organic agriculture and how to transition to organic farming.
• University of Texas Pan American received $746,973 to launch a new academic program that engages students in rigorous, well-designed research projects designed to address real-world problems faced by organic farmers in South Texas.


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Lue Had a Chance to Play Nebraska Football
Randy York's N-Sider
Two weeks from Friday, a Husker legend will be inducted into the Nebraska Basketball Hall of Fame, and another honoree on that same night just might share an interesting tidbit with Big Red fans. He is, after all, the one who thought a point guard, who went on to play 11 years in the NBA, could have been a dandy cornerback and might have had what it takes to play in the NFL, too.
Tyronn Lue recalled Monday his 1996 visit to the office of Nebraska football Coach Tom Osborne, who had seen film of Lue as both a high school quarterback and a major college freshman basketball star. That, in turn, allowed a national championship coach to reach an immediate conclusion. "Coach Osborne told me he knew how much I loved basketball, but he also thought I had the skills needed to become a really good corner, too," Lue said. "I thought about it. I really did. But I kept coming back to having to play in the rain or the snow, and that was probably the biggest reason why I chose basketball over football."
Lue and Osborne won't be the only ones honored on Feb. 15 at Nebraska's 2013 Hall of Fame Induction Banquet. Joining Lue and Osborne, the Bud Cuca Special Award winner, will be Dave Hoppen, NU's all-time leading basketball scorer who will receive the Whitehead Distinguished Alumni Award.
"With Coach Osborne, Tyronn Lue and Dave Hoppen all getting honored on the same night, this will be one of the best and most memorable basketball banquets we've ever had," said Marc Boehm, Nebraska's executive associate athletic director in charge of men's and women's basketball. "This will also be the first banquet featuring Tim Miles as our head coach, so it will be about as entertaining as you can get. That's why we're inviting former Husker players from all over and hoping our fans can give Coach Miles a rousing welcome to what we're envisioning to be a great future."
Lue Sees Bright Nebraska Basketball Future
Count Lue, an assistant coach for the 17-time World-Champion Boston Celtics, among those who see Nebraska having a bright basketball future. "I work for Doc Rivers with the Celtics, and he was amazed what he saw last year when he went to Lincoln to watch a football game," Lue said. "He got to see Nebraska's new basketball practice facility and told me it was the best he'd ever seen – by far. I can't wait to meet Coach Miles and see that new practice facility, plus see how far along they are on the new downtown arena. That's going to be a real wow factor and will definitely have a great impact on recruiting."
Lue knows Nebraska has played in six NCAA Basketball Tournament games without winning, and the Husker wearing Boston Celtic green sees nothing but a Big Red green light in the future. "It's unbelievable that we've never won an NCAA game, but Arkansas outplayed us in the second half and won (74-65)," said Lue, Nebraska's junior point guard on that '98 team that was Nebraska's last NCAA qualifier.
"Once we get in that new arena, the talent will come," Lue predicted. "You can have the greatest coaching in the world, but the NCAA still comes down to talent. It's all about recruiting, and when that comes together with the new facility, I can see Nebraska winning at least one game and maybe even two in the NCAA Tournament sometime soon."
Lue: Loyal Husker Fans Deserve NCAA Win
Once that barrier is broken, Nebraska just might show it can go deeper into a national tournament. "Nebraska fans deserve something like that," Lue said. "They've always been very supportive, and they've always created a great environment. I know how loyal Nebraska fans are, and that's why I remained loyal to them."
Lue was heavily recruited at his Raytown, Mo., high school before all but three schools backed off when he didn't pass his entrance test requirement. "I told everyone I was going to work hard and qualify, and Nebraska believed me," he recalled. "My decision came down to Nebraska, Memphis and Arkansas, even though Missouri, Minnesota, Kansas State and KU all ended up offering me again after I passed the test. By that time, I was all set on Nebraska, and it's still one of the best decisions I've ever made because Nebraska taught me how to study and forced me to grow up."
He had to grow up in a hurry. At Nebraska, Lue stood up with fellow freshman Venson Hamilton (the 1999 Coaches and AP Big 12 Player of the Year) as two rookies who refused to join a 1996 senior-led boycott of their head coach. "I think we showed how men handle the truth," Lue said. "We had a great team and were 15-4 at one time. Then the bottom fell out. We lost nine straight. It wasn't the coach's fault. We weren't playing well, and I fondly remember what we did for Danny Nee, our head coach, down the stretch."
The Huskers went straight from that nine-game losing streak to a five-game winning streak to win the National Invitation Tournament at New York's Madison Square Garden. The Huskers won their last four of five on the road (at Colorado State and Fresno State and beat St. Joseph's and Tulane in New York City).
Lue Leaves Early, Goes in NBA's Round 1
As a junior, Lue became a first-team All-Big 12 guard and a member of the All-Big 12 Tournament Team. He finished his career as one of Nebraska's most decorated players ever and left for the NBA a year early as Nebraska's seventh-leading scorer, third in assists and fifth in steals – enough to convince the Denver Nuggets to draft him in the first round and then trade Lue that night to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Tyronn Lue played in 61 games for Laker teams that won two world championships. He then played for Washington, Orlando, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas and Milwaukee. Overall in the NBA, he played in 554 games, started in 173 and averaged 22.7 minutes per game. He hit .437 of his field goal attempts, .391 of his 3-point shots and .829 of his free throws. He averaged 8.5 points per game and 3.1 assists per game.
"I wouldn't trade my Nebraska experience for any other, and I wouldn't trade my NBA experience for any other," Lue said. "I've been blessed to play for Phil (Jackson) and Doug (Collins), coach with Doc (Rivers) and count "Shaq" and "Kobe" among my teammates. My two best friends are Chauncey Billups and Kevin Garnett, and I'm as close to them as I was to Venson (Hamilton) and Cookie (Belcher) at Nebraska."
Hamilton intends to play one more season in Europe, and Belcher works for the IMG Academy in Florida. "We stay close," Lue said. "I appreciated Coach Osborne's interest in me, but I was meant to play basketball. I'm in my fourth year with the Celtics, and I'm doing everything I can to become a head coach in this league someday. Doc is helping me set my goals high and teaching me what I need to know. My goal is to be a head coach in the NBA three years from now."
Practice Facility, New Arena = New Talent Level
I ask Lue if three years from now is plausible for Nebraska winning at least two games in the NCAA Tournament. "Yes," he replied emphatically. "I can see all kinds of talented recruits wanting to play in that new facility, and I couldn't be happier for my alma mater. People are still surprised when I tell them I played for Nebraska. They still call us a football school, and I tell them that's true, but everything's about to change."
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The "sequester" has taken effect. According to multiple news reports, an early casualty will be the shipbuilding industry, especially on the military side. But it will also make more difficult the full implementation of the derivatives piece of the Dodd-Frank Act by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that are already struggling to complete the task.
That our national lawmaking process has collapsed should be obvious to all. I have long advocated that every ballot should contain a "None of the above" box. Unfortunately, the idea has not taken hold, but, if it did, we would be largely spared the cost of transporting our "leaders" between their exotic destinations and an occasional appearance in the Nation's Capitol, not to mention the many impassioned speeches made by our legislators for TV consumption to an empty House or Senate.
This is not the ranting of a committed Democrat or Republican. I was only one of two CFTC Commissioners ever confirmed as an Independent, over some angst at the Reagan White House and suspicions in the Senate that I was a closet Republican. Even then, when the Government seemed to work moderately well, I wanted no label attached to me.
But back to the CFTC and the SEC. Consistently, both have delivered to the Treasury an amount of annual civil penalties well in excess of their budgets. Sometimes, a single settlement exceeds that amount. Each agency is a cash cow in the federal budget. Even so, the sequester restraints are likely to slow that source of windfall profits and exacerbate, not reduce, the national deficit. Go figure.
Dodd-Frank is a major expense to both regulators. For those who oppose some or all of its mandates, the sequester is good news. It will almost surely slow the process of putting the new rules into effect and provide more time to deflate or deflect some of the new requirements.
Meanwhile, the futures markets have begun to create new futures contracts around other derivatives, like swaps, that will (and should be) administered under the pre-existing regulatory scheme for futures that has been in place for generations. This reflects a fact missed by the Congress — that swaps are virtually indistinguishable from either futures or options, economically speaking, that were already covered by the Commodity Exchange Act (including the exemptive powers for the more byzantine instruments). Indeed, although the CFTC had allowed private swaps under strict conditions for a number of years, it never said that they were NOT futures or options.
Of course, dysfunction is the dominant gene in the Government's anatomy these days. Sequester assures that the CFTC and SEC will contract that same malady. Opponents of Dodd-Frank will surely make much of the resulting chaos to undermine confidence in the agencies. Like cutting off a person's foot and then criticizing the limp.


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The Child Abuse Prevention Action Committee invites communities, schools, businesses and individuals to participate this year in the "Build a Blue Ribbon Tree for Kids" campaign. The blue ribbon is the international sign for child abuse prevention and serves as a constant reminder that all of us have a responsibility to help protect children.
Participants can display blue ribbon trees throughout the month of April, which is Child Abuse Prevention Month. The theme for this year's CAP month is "It's Your Turn to Make a Difference in the Life of a Child." Tree photos will be featured in a presentation at the State Capitol on April 9, CAP DAY AT THE CAPITOL.
A "Tree Registry" form is available to print from the Oklahoma State Department of Health website at: http://fsps.health.ok.gov then click on the words "2013 Blue Ribbon Tree Materials". The theme for the 2013 CAP Day at the Capitol is "Connecting the Dots for Oklahoma's Children – Prevent Child Abuse." Include no more than two photos of your tree with the completed entry form. The registration form must be completed and submitted by Wednesday, April 3, 2013.
To build a Blue Ribbon Tree, select any materials. If using a living tree, choose a highly visible location and secure needed permission. Creativity is encouraged. Decorate the tree with blue ribbons to represent any of the following:
The confirmed number of abused and neglected children in your countyThe number of new babies born in your communityOr to show your community's support for children, or something important to your organization, agency, program, or community
Mail, fax or e-mail the complete Blue Ribbon Tree Registry Form to: Sherie Trice, Community Based Child Abuse Prevention Grant Coordinator, Oklahoma State Department of Health, Family Support and Prevention Service, 1000 NE 10th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73117-1299, or fax to (405) 271-1011, or e-mail email@example.com.


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Babel (US - DVD R1)
Gabe sees more integrity in the tower of Jenga than in this unstable structure...
Richard and Susan (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett), an emotionally estranged couple from San Diego, California, are vacationing in Morocco. When two young goat herders take a reckless pot shot at their tour bus, Susan is hit. Meanwhile, Amelia (Adriana Barraza), Richard and Susan's maid/nanny, gets a distressed call telling her to stay with the children until Susan has recovered. Amelia must attend her son's wedding in Mexico, and when she can't find a babysitter brings the toe-heads along. Back in Tokyo, Cheiko (Rinko Kikuchi), a deaf-mute struggles to find love and a decent father/daughter relationship in the wake of her mother's suicide.
I never got around to seeing Paul Haggis' Crash, but based on its premise (interlocking stories centred around a car crash) I always assumed it was an American, anti-racist take on Alejandro González Iñárritu's début motion picture, Amores Perros. It seems only fair that Iñárritu's latest picture should retake Crash's style. Unfortunately for Iñárritu critics still reeling from what I am told was a wholly undeserved Best Picture win at last year's Oscars® on Crash's part were very quick to unleash venom upon Babel (or at least half of them according to the Rotten Tomatoes quotes I read).
I still remember when we called these interwoven, multi-plotted stories 'Altman-esqe' after Robert Altman's love for the style (though, of course the style existed long before Altman came around). Then came Pulp Fiction, and everything that involved more than two story arcs was called Tarantino-esque, even though the superior Jackie Brown encapsulated the style more precisely. Later we compared these movies to P.T. Anderson's Magnolia (and by 'we' I mean the few people that didn't think the film was the most pretentious thing since Kubrick), and with good cause, as it took Altman's style, mixed it with Scorsese's, and ended up being one of the finest films of the last decade. Now it's all about Crash, mostly because Nashville, Pulp Fiction, and Magnolia never won any Best Picture Oscars®, deserved or not.
Babel is the kind of movie a viewer will either run with or away from. I wanted to trip it and finish the race alone. The tales of pretension and convolution told by many a film critic upon the film's theatrical release are painfully true. Babel is a very well acted bad movie that wants to tell you how to feel. I tried to go with it, even as the trite plot developments wound tighter and tighter. I wanted to like the film as a work of art, and when that failed, a work of emotionally rich entertainment. I even tried to enjoy it as Hollywood tearjerker, but to no avail.
The film's basis, the basis the trailers championed, the basis that should make an interesting and thought provoking motion picture, is the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel. Pain is universal, even if language is not. It's a warm fuzzy feeling. Rather than truly exploiting this premise, Iñárritu and his scriptwriter slather together some politically and emotionally centred, but ultimately safe stories about mistakes made and do their best to occasionally remind us about the dangers of miscommunication.
With the exception of the tale of Chieko, the deaf-mute Japanese girl in need of a beginners class on Freud (more on that in a few), Babel basically comes down to a series of incredibly stupid decisions on the parts of its ensemble cast (and hand holding, always with the hand holding). These stupid decisions (which I won't get into too much for spoiler sake) make it increasingly difficult to identify with anyone in the film. I understand that these mistakes are made outside of any malicious intent, and I'm guessing they somehow hark back to miscommunication, but it doesn't make them any less stupid. You can say 'Oops' in any language you want, it doesn't make criminal offences okay. Like I said, you'll either run with it or walk away.
The Altman-esque interlocking seems like an afterthought, and I see little point in telling the four stories at once. Cheiko's story is so detached from the other three that the pitiful attempts at tying it in are insulting. Ironically enough, despite belonging somewhere else entirely, it is Cheiko's story that most encapsulates the film's supposed point about miscommunication. The other three stories (the ones where people make stupid choices) make up an arthouse film that wishes it was a political thriller, and then ends without any real closure. Magnolia may've been contrived and melodramatic, but at least it had an ending. Had all four stories been unrelated beyond the idea of painful language and communication barriers it may have worked, but stapling one story onto the narrative quilt is weak writing, that and the fact that none of the stories are particularly interesting to begin with.
The acting is solid enough, but is more accurately referred to as reacting. Brad Pitt gets to grieve, worry, and be scared. Cate Blanchett gets to be shot and cry in pain. Only Rinko Kikuchi as Cheiko did anything for me emotionally (though her character is about as thickly written as any other dissatisfied youth on the Disney Channel), everyone else was about as engaging as the people you see on the side of the road after a car accident. Yeah, I feel bad for them, but I'm not going to cry for someone I don't know and have never met.
The biggest crime though, for me at least, as a shallow individual, is the film's visual aesthetic. 2006 was a banner year for Mexican filmmakers, specifically the three best friends Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón, and Babel's Alejandro González Iñárritu. Del Toro made Pan's Labyrinth, a visually rich and endlessly creative adult fantasy. Cuarón made the best film of the year (in my opinion, of course) in Children of Men, a gritty sci-fi thriller with a not-so-hidden political subtext. In comparison to Del Toro's Baroque art direction, and Cuarón's unbelievable one-takes, Iñárritu's film is flat, quiet, and haphazardly edited. Not to mention the fact that it only works as a melodramatic morality play, whereas Children of Men and Pan's Labyrinth work hard above and below the surface. Babel is merely competently directed. The fairness of this comparison comes down to the fact that other, often better writers than myself have made it in a positive light already.
Perhaps Paramount is saving all the visual razzle-dazzle for the Blu-ray and HD-DVD releases, but for a major release of a recent film this DVD is lacking. Each country was filmed using different stock (and apparently different cameras), and it shows, but the overall presentation is still pretty unified. Details are usually sharp when the stage is well lit, but falter in darkness. The film is very grainy as well, which is mostly ignorable, but on occasion becomes a real nuisance.
The film is made in a Cinema Verite style, and is most likely meant to look a little rough around the edges. The Moroccan segments are very washed out, their colours muted, but again grain and noise plagues them. The Mexican scenes are more colourful, but the Japanese sequences fair the best. Black levels are often tinted slightly bluish as well. This is a good transfer, but really should be a great one, and I do wonder about the high definition releases.
Babel is an audibly sparse motion picture. Sound design is sometimes brilliant, but often missing entirely. On the whole I was unimpressed with the Dolby Digital 5.1 track, but taken out of context, the Japanese scenes are incredible. Because Cheiko is deaf we are occasionally privy to her world. Cutting from noise to silence makes for a neat audio presentation. The original music (not the J-Pop and traditional Mexican music) is mostly single instrument based. It's pretty obvious that composer/song writer Gustavo Santaolalla has been watching Deadwood recently.
Babel is dry as the Sonoran and Moroccan deserts in the extras department, just a theatrical trailer (a really good trailer, by the way), and a few other trailers for upcoming releases. I smell a post Oscars® double-dip.
If there's anything to learn from Babel, it's that Iñárritu is most comfortable in his native country of Mexico. The scenes taking place in there are the most alive in the film. If you want to see him make good on the woven storyline concept rent or buy Amores Perros instead. From what I see in the mini-movie that is the Japanese section of this film it's time for him to move on, like his friend Alfonso Cuarón, who has made good in many varying genres and styles.
This is a safe film all around (with the exception of a go-nowhere sequence of a Moroccan child masturbating to thoughts of his naked sister). A safe choice for its director, a safe choice for most of its stars, a safe choice for audiences craving something beyond the Hollywood norm, and a safe choice for Best Picture this Oscar® season (though I suppose all five choices this year are pretty safe). I wanted something dangerous.
Review by Gabriel Powers
Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian
Disc Details
Release Date: 20th February 2007
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Single side, dual layer
RCE: No
Video: NTSC
Aspect: 1.78:1
Anamorphic: Yes
Colour: Yes
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 5.1 French, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround English
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Extras: None
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael García Bernal, Kôji Yakusho
Genre: Drama
Length: 153 minutes
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Two vehicles were involved in this accident at the Church Street bridge in Honesdale on Friday morning. Rain started falling shortly before 8 a.m. and roads quickly became icy because of the cold temperatures. There were accidents reported throughout the area Friday, including some which closed down portions of Interstates 81 and 84. Also, the Casey Highway was closed for a period of time around the Carbondale area.
Woman dies
in accident
NEWFOUNDLAND — A Creso woman died in a one-car accident on Thursday.
Kathleen Kenny-Konkoly, 61, was killed in the accident, according to the Pennsylvania State Police.
According to the report, Kenny-Konkoly was driving a 1997 Saturday Sl2 sedan south on State Road 191 at around 6:40 p.m.
The driver apparently failed to negotiate a left turn in the roadway and lost control of the vehicle.
The state police said the car left the west shoulder of the road and continued off of the roadway, striking a tree. It happened about one mile north of State Road 507 in Dreher Township.
Wayne County Coroner Edward Howell declared the woman dead at the scene.
The incident was investigated by Trooper Brian Rickard. Assistance was provided by members of the Green-Dreher Volunteer Fire Association.
In the coroner's report, Howell said the cause of death was "multiple traumatic injuries" becuase of the accident.
Kenney-Konkoly was not wearing a seat belt, according to the police report.
Also Friday morning, there were numerous other accidents reported all over the region. Portions of Interstates 81 and 84 were closed because of accidents as was Highway 6 in the Carbondale area.
There were also accidents reported in several locations in Wayne County, including on the Church Street bridge in Honesdale.


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- NFL Recap – Week 13Atlanta Falcons 23 - New Orleans Saints 13The Atlanta Falcons were looking forward to facing their NFC South rival the New Orleans Saints, the only team to beat them this season. The Falcons jumped out to an early lead, which left it up to Drew Brees to rally his team back. But he couldn't overcome his five interception, ending his NFL record of consecutive games with at least one touchdown pass at 54. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
- NFL Recap – Week 13Buffalo Bills 34 - Jacksonville Jaguars 18Ryan Fitzpatrick sparked his Bills team to a win over the Jaguars on Sunday to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Fitzpatrick only completed 9 of his 17 pass attempts for 112 yards and ran for a touchdown. But that was more than enough to beat the (2-10) Jaguars. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)
- NFL Recap – Week 13Seattle Seahawks 23 - Chicago Bears 17The Seattle Seahawks found a way to win on the road and keep their lead in the NFC wild card chase on Sunday. The Seahawks lost five of the first six road games this season, but rallied to beat the Bears who were unbeaten in five games at home this season. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson threw a go-ahead TD with :24 seconds left only to see his lead disappear with a Bears' field goal as time ran out. Both sides went back and forth in overtime, but finally Wilson connected with Sidney Rice on a 13-yard TD pass with 7:33 left to win the game. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)
- NFL Recap – Week 13Indianapolis Colts 35 - Detroit Lions 33Andrew Luck showed the Detroit Lions and the NFL why he was selected No. 1 in the NFL Draft. With the Colts down 12 points in the fourth quarter, Luck, who threw 4 TDs in the game, drove his team down the field twice. With seconds left on the clock, Luck stepped up in the pocket and threw a 14-yard TD to Donnie Avery to beat the Lions 35-33. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images)
- NFL Recap – Week 13Green Bay Packers 23 - Minnesota Vikings 14Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers withstood a monstrous rushing attack from the Vikings' Adrian Peterson on Sunday. Despite Peterson's 210 yards on the ground, the Vikings couldn't muster much more offense against the Packers. Rodgers threw for 286 yards and one touchdown as the Packers took control of first place in the NFC North. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
- NFL Recap – Week 13Kansas City Chiefs 27 - Carolina Panthers 21With the backdrop of the Jevon Belcher shooting hanging over the team, the Kansas City Chiefs fought off their emotions to earn their second win of the season. It was their first at home in seven games. Running back Jamaal Charles ran for 127 yards, and Brady Quinn threw for 201 yards and 2 TDs in the 27-21 win over the Carolina Panthers. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
- NFL Recap – Week 13New England Patriots 23 - Miami Dolphins 16Tom Brady entered Sunday's game against the Dolphins with his Patriots' offense firing on all cylinders. However it turned out not to be a typical game for Brady, who threw for just 238 yards and was sacked four times. The Patriots held on for their sixth straight win, clinching their fourth straight AFC East title. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
- NFL Recap – Week 13New York Jets 7 - Arizona Cardinals 6After three quarters, three interceptions and 97 yards of passing offense, Rex Ryan finally pulled the trigger and replaced Mark Sanchez with a backup quarterback. However, with Tim Tebow listed as inactive, Ryan turned to third-stringer Greg McElroy to rally the Jets. McElroy stepped on to the field and completed 5 of his 7 passes for 29 yards and the only TD of the game. The Jets won 7-6 over the Arizona Cardinals. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
- NFL Recap – Week 13St. Louis Rams 16 - San Francisco 49ers 13It was just :26 seconds away from happening again, this time Greg Zuerlein wouldn't miss. The 49ers and Rams ended regulation in 13-13 tie thanks to a Zuerlein 53-yard field goal with no time remaining. In overtime the 49ers had a chance to win, but Akers missed a field goal attempt. And that gave Zuerlein the chance to kick a 54-yard game-winning field goal with :26 seconds left in overtime. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
- NFL Recap – Week 13Houston Texans 24 - Tennessee Titans 10The Houston Texans kept pace with the Atlanta Falcons for the best record in the NFL with a 24-10 win over the Titans. The Texans' defense forced six Titans turnovers (3 fumbles, 3 INTs), which Matt Schaub turned into 10 points. The win clinches the Texans' second consecutive playoff berth and sets the franchise record for most regular season wins. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
- NFL Recap – Week 13Denver Broncos 31 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23Peyton Manning threw for 242 yards and three touchdowns as the Broncos won their seventh straight and clinched the AFC West title. The three touchdown passes give Manning 29 for the season and set a Broncos record for the most TD passes by a quarterback in single season. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/Getty Images)
- NFL Recap – Week 13Pittsburgh Steelers 23 - Baltimore Ravens 20The Steelers' Charlie Batch rebounded from a horrible game last week to lead his team in a must-win against the rival the Baltimore Ravens. Batch threw for 276 yards and one touchdown, and led his team on a 61-yard drive late in the fourth quarter to set up Shaun Suisham for a 42-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
- NFL Recap – Week 13Cleveland Browns 20 - Oakland Raiders 17The Browns jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the first half and held the lead through the second half. Brandon Weeden and the Browns did just enough to end their 12-game road losing streak. Weeden threw for a career-high 364 yards and one touchdown, and Trent Richardson rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
- NFL Recap – Week 13Cincinnati Bengals 20 - San Diego Chargers 10Andy Dalton threw for 211 yards and one touchdown and ran for another, as the Bengals won their fourth straight game to keep pace with the Steelers for the second wildcard spot in the AFC. With 4:11 left in the game and the Bengals down four and facing a second and goal, Dalton pumped, then tucked the ball and ran it up the gut to secure the win. The Chargers fell to (4-8). (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
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- Final NFL Power RankingsIt's tough to keep up with all the action in NFL. Here's your final power rankings of the season.
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Several items appear in the daily print editions of the Herald that are not posted to the website. Only in Print items for the June 21 edition include:
• Inquiring photographer when students answer what makes them wild about rockets on page 4.
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• Legal notices on page 6.
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To see these and more, you can purchase a copy of the newspaper for $1.25 from the Herald office at 119 Main Street East or one of several Sleepy Eye businesses that sell the Herald. Or, better yet, subscribe to the Herald: Mail/carrier subscription rates for Brown, Redwood, Cottonwood, Watonwan, Blue Earth, Nicollet and Renville counties are $57 for one year. Our eEdition is available for $32.95 for one year. Contact the Circulation Manager Penny Mathiowetz at 507 794-3511 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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BOISE — Transportation funding is shaping up to be a hot topic during the 2014 Idaho Legislature and farm groups are being asked to weigh in on the issue.
A governor's transportation task force says an additional $262 million a year is needed just to maintain the state's roads and bridges.
Two state lawmakers who are also farm producers have led the discussion on ways to come up with the money. They introduced four bills near the end of the 2013 legislative session that offered numerous proposals to increase transportation funding.
Sen. Bert Brackett, a Republican rancher from Rogerson, and Rep. Clark Kauffman, a Republican farmer from Filer, have discussed their proposals with numerous farm groups and others since April.
The ideas pitched in their bills included phasing in a 10-cent increase in the state gas tax and a 15-cent increase in the diesel tax over five years, raising registration fees for passenger and commercial vehicles and temporarily increasing the state sales tax a penny.
None of the proposals are likely to survive in their current form, Brackett said, and the legislation was introduced to get people talking about the issue.
"Our goal was to get the discussion started and we've been very successful in that, I believe," he said.
AAA Idaho recently joined the fray when it launched a website — www.BetterRoadsforIdaho.com — dedicated to discussing ways to come up with the money.
According to Dave Carlson, AAA Idaho's director of public and government affairs, the group's "Better Roads, Fair Funding" initiative will include paid advertising and guest opinions and is "intended to identify collaborative solutions to Idaho's funding shortfall."
Nobody likes a tax or fee increase, Kauffman said, but the roads and bridges won't fix themselves and the state's farmers and ranchers rely on an adequate transportation infrastructure.
Rural areas have been more impacted by the lack of transportation funding than urban areas have, he said.
"If your farm-to-market route has a road with a deficient bridge on it and you have to go so many miles around it, that will impact you quite a bit," he said.
Most of Idaho's state funding for transportation comes from the gas tax and vehicle registration fees, which haven't increased since 1996 and 1997, respectively.
Sen. Jim Patrick, a Republican farmer from Twin Falls, was among the lawmakers who supported Gov. Butch Otter's unsuccessful push five years ago to increase transportation funding.
He knows it might not be any easier this time around because 2014 is an election year.
But farmers know better than anyone the impact a lack of adequate transportation funding has had on the state's roads and bridges, Patrick said.
"We see the need because we use the local roads a lot," he said. "We know there's a need to get some money in there."


text:
Everyone needs encouragement at some point. I'm at that point.
I've struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember. I'm constantly up and down and don't think that it's possible to ever be "skinny." There are times I want to give up. Times that grabbing that cheeseburger or not going to the gym seem so easy. Even at times when I've had the best workout ever, I just wonder when it's going to start paying off.
A lot of times encouragement from others goes along way. When you're down, simple words can make it easy to keep going.
I don't like salad. I don't like vegetables. The last two days I've ate at least one salad a day. I cringed as I took every bite. I figured it wouldn't make me full so I had several other options to eat with me. I posted pictures to Facebook just to prove to people that I was actually doing it. I was so angry about not being able to grab a piece of pizza or HAVING to go to the gym that I wanted to have a huge breakdown. All of that on top of a screaming three year old, work, and TONS of homework, made me feel that my life was falling apart.
I was about ready to go to bed when I got a message from my mom. It said, "I'm very proud of you and all the working out you are doing. I keep thinking it would be nice if I was there to go with you, too. You don't always have to eat salad either, or change up the dressing sometimes or add a cracker to make some crunch with it. Love you."
This made my day. My mom has been my biggest cheerleader, whether I lose 3lbs a week or gain 2. It's her words of encouragement that had me eating a salad today and being pumped about going to the gym tomorrow.
It doesn't matter if a person is struggling or not. Give some words of encouragement to anyone.


text:
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Rumor or Truth? Inon Japan closing Inon America?
Posted 17 January 2009 - 05:35 AM
PS. I own 3 D2000 Inon strobes and was going to buy a fourth for Troy's camera in Coz if he liked it. I was hoping he would be able to try one out at Bonnie's workshop but now, I'm not sure. I hope this is only rumor and Troy will be able to try one out like I did last year. Also another friend of ours, Anna, tried one out at the workshop and she bought one also. I'm sure there were others. Rant off
Posted 17 January 2009 - 11:31 AM
their Inon stock by 30%? Buy, buy, sell, sell. . . . woohoo.
Posted 17 January 2009 - 12:12 PM
Skype address: underwatercolours
Posted 17 January 2009 - 12:55 PM
We are REALLY going to miss Steve & Jolene!
Inon America has been a wonderful company to work with and I am sorry to see them go.
I am also going to miss Steve and Jolene. Ditto your comment that Inon America has been wonderful to work with. Steve and Jolene have always responded promptly to my questions about using Inon Strobes. They have also been super people to be around both on the boat and off the boat in Cozumel.
I wish them the very best in their future endeavors.
Posted 17 January 2009 - 04:52 PM
Inon America should keep copyright for all their translation work, wouldnt have been able to use my ringflash or 240 as easily without their manuals
Nauticam Rossa / GH4 / 7Dmk2 / 1Dx
www.nad-lembeh.com: 2:1 diveguide ratio in an photographer owned / operated resort
Posted 17 January 2009 - 05:27 PM
Flickr: CADiver
Blog: 葉
Nikon D90, Tokina 10-17, Nikkor 60, 105VR, Nexus, Inon Z240 IV, Hartenberger Nano, FixLED 1000DX.
Posted 19 January 2009 - 08:11 AM
Mike Oelrich
Canon EOS 40D in Seatool housing, 100mm macro, Tokina 10-17, INON Z-240s.
Posted 19 January 2009 - 08:19 AM
Dear valued Inon America customers and industry colleagues.
Inon America regrets to announce that as of January 9, 2009, the company is suspending sales and most other business operations, for the following reasons.
Since establishing Inon America in September 2003, we have done our best job for these 5+ years building Inon brand name recognition, reputation and market share in North, Central and South America. Despite our efforts and success, the Japanese manufacturers of Inon product, Inon, Inc. and Seanet, Inc., have suddenly and unilaterally decided to sell directly to our customer base, cutting Inon America out of the very business it created.
To implement their new distribution scheme without engaging Inon America, since November 2008, both Inon, Inc. and Seanet, Inc. in Japan have refused shipments to Inon America unless Inon America agreed to the new scheme. For this reason, Inon America has since been denied supply of product and repair parts it has needed to support its dealer base and to repair products. We know many customers had hoped for products and repairs to be completed before the 2008 holiday season, but control of the situation was out of our hands. Inon America is very sorry for any inconvenience this has caused.
We do not agree with Inon and Seanet's unilateral decision to sell directly from Japan to our customers. It means our employees will lose their jobs and their families will suffer, just because the manufacturers deem it time to take over now that the hard work has been done. Because the consequences are so dire, we will continue to try to work out a solution that will enable us to resume our services to you.
For those who have outstanding repairs, by now we have been in contact with you about the lack of parts support, and our ongoing efforts to resolve the situation. For those who won our 2008 monthly photo contest, we have been in contact with everyone about how to redeem your winnings, which we will honor to the best of our ability. Our goodwill to help those who have supported us will last as long as we have the means.
If you have any product, sales or other inquiries, please use the email form below.
We hope to return to service as soon as possible.
In the meantime, thank you for your support, and for the good times these past years. We hope for prompt resolution, and the chance to resume our business and earn back your patronage.
Edited by MikeO, 19 January 2009 - 08:19 AM.
Mike Oelrich
Canon EOS 40D in Seatool housing, 100mm macro, Tokina 10-17, INON Z-240s.
Posted 19 January 2009 - 09:24 AM
I looked into becoming a dealer a couple of times and was considering it in the near future. But Inon Japan is a very difficult company to deal with. They insist on dealers having a brick and mortar store, BUT most all of their product is sold over the internet. Particularly frustrating is that Asian internet dealers often sell way below allowable US pricing. It's not an unusual situation, it does happen with other companies. But without a US distributor enforcing pricing, it becomes impossible to compete, which possibly may have been the reason Marine Camera decided to pull the plug. Margins are very, very small for dealers and it takes a large investment to carry these lines.
Just a few random thoughts.
Jack Connick
Optical Ocean Sales.com
Nauticam, Subal, Sea & Sea, Olympus, Seacam, Gates, Ikelite, Zen, Fix, 10Bar, Kraken, Light & Motion, iTorch/I-DAS & Fantasea Line
Cameras, Housings, Strobes, Arms, Trays & Accessories. System Packages. Photo Expeditions.
Blog & Gallery: Optical Ocean Sales Blog - Flickr Galleries: Optical Ocean on Flickr
Posted 19 January 2009 - 09:54 AM
Our store will continue to support all of the Inon products we've sold in the past, and their warranties will be fully honored. Inon Japan will honor their obligations, and our company has an excellent track record dealing with Japanese vendors, so I don't expect radically different service response times than would have been offered by Inon America dealing directly with Inon, Inc.
Posted 19 January 2009 - 02:24 PM
... If they have any Z-240s left, it would appear now's the time to get a good deal on one . . .
Nope, confirm with Tom this morning, no more Z240F ...
I agree it's really difficult for seller as well as buyer, Z240F cost over $700 in USA and less then $600 from Asia. It's a tough decision. We need Obama to get the US $ strong again, otherwise, we can buy zip for a while ...
Cheers !
Flickr: CADiver
Blog: 葉
Nikon D90, Tokina 10-17, Nikkor 60, 105VR, Nexus, Inon Z240 IV, Hartenberger Nano, FixLED 1000DX.
Posted 20 January 2009 - 01:44 PM
...we need Obama to get the US $ strong again, otherwise, we can buy zip for a while ...
Whatever... People, keep in mind that the Undewater Imaging "business" and related product lines are a very, very small specialty niche market, which is very competitive, and with too many suppliers and not enough customers to support everyone. Ask yourself, how many people in your neighborhood buy underwater camera items? Not many. Thus given the products are luxury goods, they are the type subject to demand declines especially by consumers watching their spending. I dont blame the manufacturer for selling direct and trying to keep their products competitive.
Posted 22 January 2009 - 01:16 PM
Rumor has it that Inon Japan is closing Inon America?????. I heard that Inon Japan may be closing it's America division. How could this be? I don't know about any of you that own an Inon but I personally want service here in the U.S.A. . I bought my first one from Ryan, Reef Photo, at a trade show and also bought the uw lens and housing for my oly 350. What a treat this was to get personal service. I used this rig for about two years and then took a a course with Cathy Church and she suggested I get a second strobe. A few months later, I took a photo course with Bonnie Pelnar and was able to "try out" a second Inon strobe through Inon America and of course you know the results, I bought it. I personally have told many people over these boards about my strobes and how much I love them. Been to several countries on dive trips and many people on the boats have asked about them and I told them where to buy. However if I have to purchase them from Japan and send them to Japan for service,etc. , I will change my mind. I think that Inon makes a great product but if they stop having Inon America, I will look for a brand that can be serviced here in the states. The customer support from Inon America is amazing. I called Steve once in a panic and he was will to help me out overnight! I also flooded my strobe once and told him the truth how it happened and he was amazed. It's one great product. OK, I'm finished ranting now, I just hope and pray that this is just rumor. I won't continue to buy if I have to send products to Japan to get them fixed, buy, etc. Scott Nielsen
PS. I own 3 D2000 Inon strobes and was going to buy a fourth for Troy's camera in Coz if he liked it. I was hoping he would be able to try one out at Bonnie's workshop but now, I'm not sure. I hope this is only rumor and Troy will be able to try one out like I did last year. Also another friend of ours, Anna, tried one out at the workshop and she bought one also. I'm sure there were others. Rant off
For Inon Japan to arbitrarily shut-out their US distributors, doesn't do much to shore up wavering consumer confidence -- especially in such a small niche market catering to underwater photographers (and in particular, given this economy). Reputation is everything in this industry, and I recall the difficulties I even had dealing with Nikon in the past (when they owned / distributed Aquatica for a brief time) -- a company with, then and now, a gargantuan presence in the US. I had every intention of purchasing additional Inon Z-240 strobes but will now put that off and, once again, go the Sea and Sea route, without any real assurance of the type of support I received from Inon America . . .
Edited by loligo, 22 January 2009 - 02:55 PM.
Posted 22 January 2009 - 01:35 PM
Hey INON Japan. THINK AGAIN!!!
· INON Z-240s & Sea & Sea YS-250 Pros
· SmallHD DP4 monitor & NA-DP4. Fisheye Aquavolt 3500s & 7000s
· Zen DP-100, DP-200 & DP-230
Posted 22 January 2009 - 02:37 PM
- Col. John "Hannibal" Smith
Nikon, Seatool, Nexus, Inon
My Galleries
Posted 22 January 2009 - 02:39 PM
And then of that Inon %, how much is coming from the North America market vs the rest of the world ?
Logically speaking, I think for a business to pull out like this, they must have seen a decline or unsustainable operation or difficulties working with the importer. For me, I rarely see people with Inon strobe around where I dive in Monterey, most with P&S camera use Iketlite strobe or Sea&Sea, then those with dSLR are usually using Ikelite & Sea&Sea. Saw a couple folks in SeaTool and Inon and never ever seen one with a Nexus or Seacam housing ! I do dive regularly. I think as long as Inon is not closing down like Oldsmobile, it should still be a candidate for prospective buyer. If you have some friends in Japan, Taiwan or Hongkong, wouldn't that help too?! Meanwhile, I think DS-160 may need to increase their production which is perhaps good for the American industry :-)
Edited by CADiver, 22 January 2009 - 02:43 PM.
Flickr: CADiver
Blog: 葉
Nikon D90, Tokina 10-17, Nikkor 60, 105VR, Nexus, Inon Z240 IV, Hartenberger Nano, FixLED 1000DX.
Posted 22 January 2009 - 02:59 PM
Ikelite and Sea & Sea have been in the American market far longer than Inon. Inon started out being called cheap and flimsy here at Wetpixel and I don't see that sentiment anymore. There are plenty who use Inon strobes with very high end gear even if none of them live in Monterrey.
If you don't know, Ryan is a retailer of Inon products and he's commented already in this thread.
- Col. John "Hannibal" Smith
Nikon, Seatool, Nexus, Inon
My Galleries
Posted 23 January 2009 - 03:08 PM
I like Steve, Mark et al at Inon America and wish them the best of luck in settling this issue.
"Journalism is what someone else does not want printed, everything else is public relations."
"I was born not knowing, and have only had a little time to change that here and there.
Posted 23 January 2009 - 04:15 PM
I do think there is a bit of overreaction to the news. Inon Japan is restructuring how they do business here in the US. They have not withdrawn local representation but just decided to do direct distributing vs having a distributor in the US. Let's not trash them before they have a chance to prove themselves in this decision. I seriously doubt Inon will let one of their bigger markets suffer bad service.
I like Steve, Mark et al at Inon America and wish them the best of luck in settling this issue.
I recently contacted one of Inon's local dealers in California and was apprised of that Japanese company's unreasonable and byzantine requirements to even do any future business with them in the US; as a result, that well-respected dealer will no longer carry Inon, and there is now a fire sale on those products . . .
This type practice is nothing new; other diving-related companies have pulled this crap in the past, Poseidon AB most notably. That company was once richly represented in the US diving community, that is before ridiculous quotas, strictures, and a general lack of support in the unavailability of spare parts, became the burden of prospective dealers. The result of that effort is now an ever-dwindling market share, at least here in the US . . .
Edited by loligo, 23 January 2009 - 07:15 PM.
Posted 26 January 2009 - 09:47 AM
I recently contacted one of Inon's local dealers in California and was apprised of that Japanese company's unreasonable and byzantine requirements to even do any future business with them in the US; as a result, that well-respected dealer will no longer carry Inon, and there is now a fire sale on those products . . .
Along these lines, I may (or may not) have been one of the first people in the U.S. who was very interested in INON products, using first their conversion lenses with my Olympus gear (starting with a C-2020Z) and then with my DLSR gear, finally graduating up to using their strobes as well with my current setup. Early on, when I tried to get information from the company, it was a bit difficult, but it was Mark Rupert (then in Japan) who e-mailed me on behalf of Mr. Inoue. Mark and I were then in touch off and on for some time about the off and on again Caon 10D housing. Throughout, Mark was helpful and informative, even when I'm not so sure the parent company was. While I can certainly understand that some have chafed at the notion of the U.S. pricing being higher than that in Asia, there is a cost to having a distributor/repair shop that is a bit more local. We'll see what differences emerge in customer support once this sorts itself out. Perhaps INON Japan will become efficient at getting warranty work done remotely, perhaps they will make parts available to dealers directly. That being said it is, indeed, a shame that someone put a lot of hard work getting the brand and products market share in the Americas and then might be pushed aside (and into unemployment) once that work is done. If there is no way for the sides to come to a reconciliation, I do hope that INON Japan will learn a few lessons and become a bit more customer focused. They do make nice gear and it would be a shame if they managed to, in the end, screw up a good thing . . .
Edited by MikeO, 26 January 2009 - 09:50 AM.
Mike Oelrich
Canon EOS 40D in Seatool housing, 100mm macro, Tokina 10-17, INON Z-240s.


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Houston Texas Environmental Design
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The lead headline in last week's Fort Leavenworth Lamp read "Chinese delegation visits Fort Leavenworth."
The lead headline in last week's Fort Leavenworth Lamp read "Chinese delegation visits Fort Leavenworth." The accompanying front page article told of a seven-member delegation from the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China visiting the fort.
It caused a flashback to 1981, and the first visit of a Chinese general in anyone's memory. The major general was the Chinese military attaché in Washington, and came to speak to the CGSC class. By then I'd been "certified" as a post tour guide by the Fort Leavenworth Historical Society, and was asked if I would take the general on the famed historical tour of the fort.
I would, and I did. I checked with the office that administered allied officers, as they were called then. There had been a few Chinese army students prior to WW II, but none since the war. And no office could find information about even a visit by a Chinese officer, much less a general officer, since the Big War.
I'd been stationed twice in Asia and Europe, and had never seen a Chinese officer before. As one who has always enjoyed meeting military personnel from other countries, as evidenced by my family's 35 years of sponsoring international officers, I certainly was interested in meeting my first one from China.
I reported as directed, and was briefed by the Chinese interpreter as to how the tour would proceed. The interpreter would ride in front of the Army sedan, with the general and me in the back seat.
The interpreter was very insistent that I was to look at him and not the general, speak slowly, and in essence ignore the general and deal only with the interpreter. That order was soon overruled.
Being aware that not everyone is interested in history, I've always incorporated humor wherever I could in my tours. Cause them to laugh as often as possible, and they might enjoy the history more.
At my first attempt at humor, I dutifully looked at the interpreter. When he translated my remarks, the general gave a subdued laugh. That was a good sign that the old boy had a sense of humor.
At my second attempt, as we passed the commandant's quarters, the general again laughed. But something made me suspicious.
At my third attempt, I looked directly at the general rather than at the interpreter when I spoke, and sure enough, before my remarks were translated, the general smiled.
I then probably broke international protocol by looking directly at the general and saying "General, you understand everything I'm saying. For the rest of the tour, I'm going to talk to you rather than to the interpreter."
Not surprisingly, the interpreter went bananas. His face turned bright red, and he yelled "You cannot speak directly to the general. You must talk only to me."
But, rather than my being reported to the United Nations, State Department, CIA, and probably a few more alphabet agencies, to my great relief the general waved his hand at the interpreter and said something in Chinese.
Fortunately whatever he said was not my death sentence. The interpreter said nothing, but turned in his seat, bowed his head, and spoke not another word the rest of the tour.
At the end of the hour, the general shook my hand, but never said a word in English. The interpreter, subdued, thanked me for the tour, but didn't sound very sincere. I'd heard of the famed "inscrutable oriental," and surmised I'd probably just met two of them.
I say it's way past time for a CGSC student from the People's Liberation Army.
John Reichley is a retired Army officer and retired Department of the Army civilian employee.


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The cardboard climb overhaul kit for shrinkwrapper in double lane series 8000 and PC include:
• chain guide
• transmission shaft complete of pinion and bearings
• Transmission groups
• complete chains with levers
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