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Ballooning for Cosmic Rays
Cosmic rays are atomic nuclei and electrons that streak through the Galaxy at nearly the speed of light. The Milky Way is permeated with them. Fortunately, our planet's magnetosphere and atmosphere protects us from most cosmic rays. Even so, the most powerful ones, which can carry a billion times more energy than particles created inside atomic accelerators on Earth, produce large showers of secondary particles in the atmosphere that can reach our planet's surface. [more]
Above: Supernova explosions, like the one that created the expanding Crab Nebula (pictured), may be the source of galactic cosmic rays.
Where do cosmic rays come from? Scientists have been trying to answer that question since 1912, when Victor Hess discovered the mysterious particles during a high altitude balloon flight over Europe. Galactic cosmic rays shower our planet from all directions. There's no definite source astronomers can pinpoint, although there is a popular candidate.
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"It takes an awful lot of power to maintain the galactic population of cosmic rays," says Adams. "Cosmic rays that lose their energy or leak out of the Galaxy have to be replenished. Supernovae can do the job, but only if one goes off every 50 years or so." The actual supernova rate is unknown. Observers estimate that one supernova explodes somewhere in the Galaxy every 10 to 100 years -- just enough to satisfy the energy needs of cosmic rays.
But there could be a problem with the supernova theory, says Adams.
"A supernova blast blows a bubble in the interstellar medium that grows until the shock wave runs out of energy," he explained. "They can accelerate particles up to some point, about 1014 electron volts (eV) per nucleon, but not beyond that. Below an energy of 1014 eV, all of the different cosmic ray species -- protons, helium nuclei, etc. -- should have the same kind of energy spectrum: a power law with index around -2.7."
A "power law" spectrum is one that looks like a straight line on a piece of log-log graph paper. In the energy range ~1010 eV to 1014 eV, the supernova theory of cosmic ray acceleration predicts that the power law spectrum of protons should have the same slope as the power law spectra of heavier nuclei (about -2.7).
The problem is when scientists compare the energy spectra of protons and helium nuclei, the two don't resemble one another as much as they should. Both are power laws, as expected, but "existing data indicate a possible spectral index difference between protons and helium of about 0.1," says Eun-Suk Seo, a cosmic ray researcher at the University of Maryland. "The [slope of the] proton spectrum is close to -2.7, but the energy spectra of helium and heavier nuclei seem to be flatter. The difference is small and it might not be statistically significant." If there is a genuine discrepancy, she added, it could signal trouble for supernova models of cosmic ray acceleration.
To find out if the supernova theory is indeed in peril, a team of scientists led by John Wefel ( Louisiana State University) and Eun-Suk Seo, and aided by personnel from the National Science Balloon Facility, launched a helium-filled balloon from McMurdo, Antarctica on Dec. 28, 2000. The payload, which is now 120,000 feet above Earth's surface, includes a NASA-funded cosmic ray spectrometer known by its builders as the Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter or "ATIC" for short.
"ATIC is sensitive to cosmic rays with energies between ~1010eV and 1014eV," says Wefel. By covering such a wide range of energies with a single modern spectrometer, the team hopes to measure the proton and helium cosmic ray spectra with better precision than ever before.
"The higher energy cosmic rays are rare," he continued. "For example, each day ATIC collects no more than ~10 cosmic rays with energies exceeding 1013 eV. That's why we have to fly the balloon for such a long time, to gather enough particles for a statistically significant result." By the time ATIC lands on January 12th or 13th, the spectrometer will have been in the stratosphere counting cosmic rays for nearly two full weeks.
The long flight time, more than any other reason, is why the researchers chose to fly the balloon over Antarctica. "We would be happy to fly this payload over North America," says Adams. "The problem is that we need the spectrometer to be aloft for a long time. Antarctica has two advantages: It's international territory, so we don't need to apply for lots of overflight permissions, and the Antarctic Vortex (a circulating weather system around the south pole) keeps the balloon confined to airspace over the continent."
"If there is a difference between the proton and the helium spectra -- and that's not certain, by the way -- it won't necessarily kill the supernova model," continued Wefel. "But a discrepancy would cause problems." Theorists may have to consider the progress of supernova shock fronts in greater detail. "Every supernova explosion is an individual work of art," says Adams. "We use mathematical models that assume the explosions are spherical, but they are not. Within the blast wave itself you can see irregularities. There are bright knots, for example, where shock waves run into interstellar clouds. In crowded groups of massive stars ('OB associations') where supernovae can occur in quick succession, blast waves collide with other blast waves." It can get a little messy! Modeling such details might affect any necessary reconciliation between the theory and the data.
Above: The ATIC balloon payload. Click on the image to find out how the Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter works.
And what if the supernova model can't be rescued? "There are other possibilities," says Wefel, "but not a lot of good ones. We'll really have to look hard to find something other than supernovae that can meet the cosmic ray energy requirement."
The analysis team led by Eun-Suk Seo is eager to sift through ATIC's data files after the balloon lands. The new particle counts, which the experimenters hope will be the most accurate to date in ATIC's energy range, could shed new light on the decades-old mystery of cosmic rays.
Visit the ATIC home page for status reports about the ongoing balloon flight. Participants in the ATIC project include Louisiana State University, the University of Maryland, NASA, the Naval Research Laboratory, Southern University (Baton Rouge), the National Science Foundation, and collaborators from Germany, Korea and Russia.
The Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter (ATIC) Scientific Balloon Experiment -home page
ATIC video -a collection of movies about the ATIC project
Cosmic Ray Classroom Activities -from the ATIC team at LSU
Cosmic Rays, what are they? - from NASA Goddard's "Imagine the Universe"
NASA's Scientific Ballooning Program - supported the launch, flight and recovery of ATIC.
Supernovae and Supernova Remnants - a tutorial from Harvard's Chandra Science Center "X-ray Astronomy Field Guide"
|The Science and Technology Directorate at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center sponsors the Science@NASA web sites. The mission of Science@NASA is to help the public understand how exciting NASA research is and to help NASA scientists fulfill their outreach responsibilities.
|For lesson plans and educational activities related to breaking science news, please visit Thursday's Classroom
|Author: Dr. Tony Phillips
Production or: Dr. Tony Phillips
Curator: Bryan Walls
Media Relations: Steve Roy
Responsible NASA official: Ron Koczor


text: Light has a myriad of effects on water. How it sparkles, reflects, and shimmers are just a few of them. The golden hour, a time after sunrise and before sunset, can be very revealing. Patience is often rewarded at this time skies of deepening colors and the reflection of those colors in the water.

subset: commoncrawl


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Doesn't get any better than this, does it?
Bela as Murder Legendre from White Zombie...
Dr. Gangrene's Cinetarium airs Saturday Nights at 9pm central on Nashville NECAT Arts CH9. It is also simulcast on the NECAT Roku channel (search for Necat). Or click to watch below.
The hand gesters he makes on this one are great, as well as that close up of his eyes...the first zombie movie ever made! The one and only White Zombie! So old school...I love that it has a mansion by the ocean..ReplyDelete
He has such fun with this role. It's not Dracula and it's not his usual approach outside of Dracula. It's the best part of the movie, which in itself may be slow, but is so dreamlike and intense. Legendre is energetic and charismatic and repulsive; quite a memorable role.ReplyDelete


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Merging general medicine with emergency and specialty care, Coral Springs Animal Hospital in Coral Springs, Fla., just may be the practice model of the future. But is it right for you? Here's a look inside this year's Hospital of the Year.
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A former athletic club-turned-veterinary hospital, Coral SpringsAnimal Hospital takes up more than 19,500 square feet. The practice sitson a busy thoroughfare, near the former facility, for high visibility.
Long before it was popular to merge general practice, emergency care, and specialty medicine, Dr. Lloyd Meisels was on the path to doing just this. When many doctors were building their general practices, adding associates, and referring cases to specialists, Dr. Meisels hired on a full-time dermatologist.
Fast-forward 25 years. Now Coral Springs Animal Hospital in Coral Springs, Fla., boasts 11 specialties, 24-hour emergency care, and a thriving general practice. Though Dr. Meisels started adding specialists many years ago, what he built just may be the practice model of the future, according to some industry experts.
Coral Springs Animal Hospital caught the eye of the 2012 Veterinary Economics Hospital Design Competition judges. They gave the practice top honors in the competition as the Hospital of the Year for excellence in design. The judges said this hospital is proof that great things can happen when you choose the right building for a conversion. Coral Springs Animal Hospital was originally a fitness center. The design team kept the shell of the building and transformed the interior into a multifaceted veterinary facility. The judges loved the hospital's impressive exterior, welcoming interior, and organized floor plan. (Click here for design ideas for practices of every size—even if you're not building.)
"This practice model is the way to go," says Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board Member Dr. Fred Metzger, DABVP. "Many emergency clinics have already moved to this format, and many other factors play into this decision. And it's only going to become more popular as older practitioners sell or retire out of practice, increasing numbers of female practitioners enter the profession, and clients demand more convenient veterinary care."
Apparently, Coral Springs Animal Hospital has been ahead of the game for a long time. Dr. Meisels and his team earned kudos for his design efforts once before. In 1987 the practice earned a Merit Award in the Hospital Design Competition. (Click here for a sneak peek at this year's Merit Award winners.)
Photos by Tim Murphy, Foto Imagery
Wave of the future
"This practice model wasn't anything that I specifically planned; it has just developed over the years," says Dr. Meisels. "In my early years of practice I worked in New York and I was used to partnering with nearby specialists. I liked that backup in care." Dr. Meisels first added a dermatologist, then continued adding specialists as the need arose. Now the practice boasts 11 specialties, including dentistry, surgery, oncology, cardiology, behavior, and internal medicine, to name a few. And that first dermatologist he hired? She's still with the practice, after 25 years.
Dr. Meisels does believe that this is the practice model of the future. "Without a doubt, merging is the way of the future," he says. "It's a good model that works well for us, and we're happy to partner with and be an extension of the general practices in our area."
Why this model works
A lot of factors play into why this practice model is becoming more popular, Dr. Meisels says. "Our clients like the convenience of all of these specialties under one roof, and area veterinarians enjoy the extra care we can provide," he says. "They also trust us to care for their patients—and send them right back where they belong when we're done."The real key to do this is not to compete with local veterinarians but to partner with them, he says. So why are more practices moving to a combined practice model? We recap some of the factors here.
> Younger doctors don't want to own. Dealing with employees, accruing large debt, and being in charge of the future of a practice might push more recent graduates into a merged practice model, Dr. Metzger says. "This model allows them to be veterinarians, while relinquishing much of the management responsibility and giving them time off for themselves," he says.
> More women are in the workforce. "With more women entering the veterinary field each year, we're seeing a modified practice schedule," says Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member Dr. Dennis Cloud. "Typically women who have children will need more flexible schedules, and this type of practice suits them well."
Dr. Metzger agrees, stating that with about 80 percent of veterinary school graduates being women, the industry will see an increase in multiple-specialty practices. Emergency and 24-hour care especially causes a problem for young doctors with families, Dr. Metzger says. "Parents, especially moms, have a hard time covering their own emergencies because they interfere with a family's schedule," he says. (Don't agree? Click here to read a female perspective.)
> Older practices are closing up shop. With a large number of solo practitioners hitting retirement age, more doctors are merging their practices to make them more desirable for buyers, which gives them an easier exit strategy, says Dr. Metzger.
> Doctors don't want to take their own emergencies. "Ten to 20 years ago, a good amount of our business came from overnight care," says Dr. Cloud. "Now that number is down to about 1 percent, as we send most of our cases to a 24-hour care facility. It's becoming the new norm."
> Clients enjoy convenient care. Simply stated, many doctors like having backup specialists on site to confer with, and clients like the convenience of having everything they need in one location. And doctors like the advanced technologies that large practices afford.
While there are many great advantages to merging practice styles, these doctors do warn that it's definitely not for everyone. For example, some clients still want to visit smaller one- and two-doctor practices for that hometown feel. "Many clients love to see their 'own' veterinarian, and the bigness of such a practice could disenchant them," says Dr. Cloud. "It's all a matter of perception that larger practices will have to work hard to combat." Dr. Metzger also warns that merging into a larger practice could take away some practitioners' independence.
My business, your business
While multiple practices, in essence, reside under one roof at Coral Springs Animal Hospital, Dr. Meisels stresses that he takes great pains to keep his general practice separate from the rest of the business. When the practice used paper files, the team color-coded general practice patients one color, emergency care patients another. Now that the hospital has gone digital, he keeps entirely separate databases of clients so as to never send reminders, mailings, or other communications to clients who are not his own.
"The real key is to treat the business as two separate practices," he says. "We are not in competition with area general practitioners, but an extension of their practice, and we want to keep it that way."
If a client visits for an emergency or self-refers to a specialist and can't remember his or her regular veterinarian's name, staff members will find out who to send the client back to. "We go out of our way to make sure clients get follow-up care from their regular doctor," says Dr. Meisels. "We ask two questions: 'Were you directly referred by another veterinarian?' If no, we ask, 'Will you be returning to a veterinarian that you've been seeing?' This helps us decide how to label the client and ensure the best care possible."
Coral Springs Animal Hospital
2160 North University Drive
Coral Springs, FL 33071
Owners: Lloyd Meisels, DVM, and Bruce Sullivan, DVM
Associates: 18 full time, 9 part time
Hospital team: 97 full time, 8 part time
Practice type: 100 percent small animal: general, emergency, and specialty referral
Building size: 37,344 square feet
Exam rooms: 18
Cages: 81
Parking spaces: 120 client and staff
Construction: $7.4 million (building only; excludes land purchase, landscaping, parking lot, etc.)
Land purchase: $4.3 million
Site improvement: $320,274
Professional fees: $663,799
Equipment: $915,571
Furnishings: $8,200
Computers: $351,726
Year built: 2008
Primary architect:
Animal Arts
4520 Broadway Street, #E
Boulder, CO 80304
(303) 444-4413
fax (303) 444-1759
Consulting architect:
Slattery and Associates
2060 NW Boca Raton Blvd. #2
Boca Raton, FL 33431
(561) 392-3848
fax (561) 392-5402
Entry: A sweeping 24-foot reception desk is the focal point of a freestanding island in the reception area. All ancillary services are packed into this one space, reducing steps for staff members and creating a central island around which a one-way client flow is driven. Clients enjoy watching the boarded cats from the reception area.
Exam room
Exam time: Eighteen exam rooms are grouped into four pods of four to five exam rooms each. (Behind each pod are outpatient treatment areas and work stations.) In the exam rooms themselves, clients sit diagonally from the exam tables, giving them a front row seat. Each exam pod features a high-definition digital imaging monitor for clients to view their pets' cases.
Neighborhood areas: Similar to the pod system for exam rooms, the practice also uses "neighborhoods" that encapsulate the exam rooms, surgery, imaging, ICU, and a group of sub-specialty functions. These areas provide structure to the facility while streamlining staff and services.
Luxury boarding: The upscale boarding area includes spacious suites with brightly colored tile walls decorated in South Beach art nouveau style. The glassed-in rooms include a video screen and views to the greenway, and are gathered around a light-filled atrium where a staff member monitors the pets from a work station.
Feline Boarding
Cat's eye view: Boarded feline patients have a front-row seat to spy on the reception area. They are the first to know when clients arrive and leave the clinic.
Boarding Atrium
Canine Bathing
Scrub-a-dub: The canine bathing room is complete with cages with dryers and a ramp (under the tub) that pulls out for easy dog access.
Doctors' Work Station
Hard at work: Eschewing a typical doctors' office, this practice instead features doctor work stations scattered throughout the hospital.
Comfort Room
Saying goodbye: With dimmable lighting and no stainless steel in sight, this room is a great escape for grieving clients who have lost a pet.
Dog Beach
Resting place: This "beach" is located in the ICU and provides comfort for dogs coming out of anesthesia.
Therapy time: The rehabilitation area features an underwater treadmill, balancing therapy, and holding cages for patients. Floor-to-ceiling windows give clients and staff members easy visual access to patients in this area.
Dog Ward
Dog stop: The canine ward comes equipped with cages, 32 hospital indoor and 37 boarding indoor runs with partial-height privacy panels.
Cut open the details: This is where the magic happens at Coral Springs Animal hospital. In addition to surgery, the practice boasts 10 specialties including dentistry, oncology, cardiology, behavior, and internal medicine, to name a few.
Surgery Suite
Special circumstances: Complete with natural lighting, digital radiograph readout, and anesthesia monitor, the specialty surgery suite is the perfect place to heal patients.
Staff Lounge
Hospital Exterior
IT Room


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Humanity Is Not Sleeping; It's In An Induced Coma
In the late 1960s, the sudden widespread availability of psychedelics combined with the circulation of eastern philosophy to the west to begin a radical transformation of human consciousness. Our species, desperate to transcend the residual trauma from two world wars and the existential terror of the nuclear age, began moving into a wildly unprecedented relationship with its capacity for abstract thought.
For the first time ever, humans began disentangling themselves from egoic consciousness on a mass scale, suddenly using thought as the useful tool it's meant to be rather than the life-dominating addiction that it had become up until that point. World leaders not only permitted this transformation but actively facilitated it, realizing from their own encounters with this new revolution that humanity relinquishing its egoic mental constrictions opened up the possibility for the creation of paradise on earth.
As we became less egocentric, our values and interests changed. This led to changes in the way we vote, in the kinds of media we chose to consume, and in the kinds of ideas which were popularized.
This set the stage for the next level of human evolution in the arrival of the internet. For the first time in history humans were able to network their minds all around the world in real time, by the thousands, then by the millions, then by the billions. Our harmonious relationship with our inner world suddenly segued smoothly into the ability to develop a harmonious relationship with our outer world, no longer confined by space and time in sharing ideas and information with each other.
With clear minds networked in a truly democratic way we were quickly able to identify and solve all the remaining problems in our world, and we saw ourselves transitioning into a collaborative relationship with each other and with our ecosystem which gave us all a quality of life that had been unimaginable up until a few decades ago.
Now, here in 2019, all human creativity and ingenuity goes toward finding new ways to help us survive and thrive and understand. Technological innovation, once mostly stagnated in the cognitive cul-de-sacs of figuring out new ways to exploit and dominate each other and commit more efficient acts of mass military violence, is now flourishing and expanding at an exponential rate. We have indeed created Heaven on earth together.
that was just a dream I had.
It could have gone down like that. There's no reason it couldn't have. Maybe in a parallel universe it did. But, here in this timeline, it didn't.
Here in this timeline, the people in power wanted to remain in power thank you very much, even if it meant making life worse for everyone in the long run, including themselves.
Here in this timeline, we had all the medicine we needed to cure our sickness, but we were forbidden from using it.
Here in this timeline, plutocrats bought up all the media so they can tell us every day how important it is to continue bolstering the status quo, and that the only thing up for debate is what strategies we should use to do so.
Here in this timeline they got us dependent on money, and then devalued it to ensure that we're working harder and harder for less and less so we have no time to expand our consciousness of our inner or outer worlds.
Here in this timeline psychedelics were made as illegal as heroin or cocaine, and their use was stigmatized as a dangerous activity for criminals and degenerates.
Here in this timeline, control of the internet was quickly shored up by plutocratic interests and government agencies, and traffic is now directed toward authorized platforms sharing authorized narratives which bolster the status quo and manufacture consent for establishment agendas.
Here in this timeline, we had all the tools to escape this prison, but they were taken from us and replaced with more prison bars. Taken by people who were more clever than the rest of us, and who had enough money and influence to shut the whole thing down.
For some weird reason I found myself watching a spiritual guru-type guy discussing his political views on a video yesterday, and, like most spiritual guru-type people, his view of our political reality was highly malnourished. He kept talking about how all our problems are the result of humanity being deeply unconscious, and how that unconsciousness leads us to elect deeply unconscious leaders. Like "elected leaders" are the ones calling the shots. No mention of plutocrats, opaque government agencies or propaganda; the only problem, according to spiritual guru-type guy, is that we're all equally asleep at the wheel and all equally responsible for what's going on.
Spiritual guru-type guy is wrong. Humanity is not sleeping. Humanity is in an induced coma.
If our society had simply been permitted to progress along its natural trajectory at a natural pace and to use the innovations that we'd discovered in a natural way, we would all be wide awake by now. The psychedelic revolution would have continued and matured and grown into adulthood instead of being murdered in its infancy, and our exponentially increasing ability to network and share information would have coupled with our mature consciousness to build a deeply awakened society that benefits every living creature on this planet. That would have happened, and it is only because of the unnatural interference of a very few deeply unwise people that we stayed locked in the matrix, now faced with the looming threat of near term human extinction.
This is a crime against humanity which far surpasses all of the most egregious atrocities in any history book. What these people have done to us, what they have taken from us, what they have twisted us into, is an offense so profoundly evil that it cries out to the heavens for vengeance.
The good news, if there is any to be had, is that there are still more of us than there are of them, and that all the tools they took from us are still there to be used if we care enough to take them back.
A woman once had an LSD trip in which she realized the illusory nature of the separate self, seeing clearly that she'd been living in a dream world her entire life up until that point. The effects of the entheogen wore off, and she convinced herself that it was just a pleasant drug high. She made herself forget it, plunged herself into her career, got a promotion, got a husband, got a nice two-story house in the suburbs at 4.5 percent interest, got some kids, and got plenty of stress but whatever there's always wine.
Decades later, after finding nothing but suffering along her chosen life trajectory, she began thinking about that LSD trip she took way back when. She began wondering if maybe that strange, sacred experience had been real after all. If, maybe, it was the only real thing that had ever happened to her.
That's kind of where our whole species is at right now. A door opened up in the sixties which was very quickly and violently slammed shut, and now there are independent flickerings all around the world of that strange, sacred light that still shines under the crack of that door. We still have the ability to open it up again. We've only got to want it enough.


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Canon SX230 HS Review
|Basic Specifications
|Full model name:
|Canon PowerShot SX230 HS
|12.10 Megapixels
|Sensor size:
|1/2.3 inch
(6.2mm x 4.6mm)
14.00x zoom
(28-392mm eq.)
|Extended ISO:
|100 - 3200
|1/3200 - 15 sec
|Max Aperture:
4.2 x 2.4 x 1.3 in.
(106 x 62 x 33 mm)
7.7 oz
(218 g)
includes batteries
|Full specs:
|Canon SX230 HS specifications
Your purchases support this site
Buy the Canon SX230 HS
SX230 HS Summary
Canon took an already excellent pocket long zoom digital camera and added GPS and Full HD video capability, resulting in an excellent travel camera that can both see far and wide, and can map your route along the way.Pros
Great zoom range from 28mm to 392mm equivalent; Full HD and slow-motion video; excellent print quality.Cons
Low battery life; some chromatic aberration; flash pops up when powered on every time.Price and availability
Shipping as of March 2011, the Canon PowerShot SX230 HS carries an MSRP of US$350, and comes in Black, Blue, and Pink.Imaging Resource rating
4.5 out of 5.0
(#3 in our 2011 Travel Zoom Shootout!)
Canon SX230 HS User Report
by Mike Pasini and Stephanie Boozer
Review Posted: 06/15/2011
The $350 Canon SX230 is the third GPS-equipped digicam I've reviewed in 2011, following the Casio H20G and the Panasonic ZS10. We've certainly been getting our 10,000 steps a day with these assignments.
How do they stack up? The Canon is the best camera among the three as far as image quality goes, but trails the Casio H20G slightly in GPS implementation, lacking location names and Playback mapping. It does include logging, as well as a mapping application. The Panasonic ZS10 lags behind both of these cameras in image quality and GPS implementation.
If this were dot racing (and it is dot racing season once again), the finish line would see Canon, Casio and Panasonic, in that order, although you could argue that Panasonic, lame as it was, might never make it that far.
Canon has packed a lot more than GPS into the Canon SX230, though, including slow-mo video and enhanced low light shooting. That makes it fun to fiddle with even if you're not going anywhere this summer.
Look and Feel. Except for the GPS radio bump on the top panel, the Canon SX230 is identical to the SX220, and the two of them aren't much different from last year's SX210. But the differences are worth pointing out.
The stereo microphones have moved from the SX210's top panel to the front of the new cameras, sitting 2.25 inches away from each other on either side of the lens. Nice move.
And the Power button has slipped off the top panel to the top ridge on the back panel of the new models. And the Zoom control has morphed into a ring surrounding the Shutter button. Another nice move.
The flash is still a popup, and still pops up every time you turn on the camera. There's no way to disable that in Setup unfortunately. Even if you set the Flash mode to never fire, it still pops up. The only solution is to keep your finger on it when you power up until the latch returns to the lock position to hold it down. The popup flash is a great idea but its implementation is a nuisance on the SX230.
This is a beefy model (in fact, your filet mignon may resemble nothing more than the Canon SX230). But there's no thought to providing a grip except the slightly askew Mode dial on the back, which also serves as a thumb pad.
The front panel hosts the large 14x zoom lens, identical to last year's model. An autofocus-assist lamp is at the eleven o'clock position near the lens and one of the stereo mics just to its side. A dark plastic panel is above them and just under the GPS radio bump, presumably to improve GPS reception. The other stereo mic is on the other side of the lens just below the little tab for lifting the popup flash manually.
On the top panel, from left to right, you have the popup flash, the speaker (nope, not stereo), the GPS radio, and the Shutter button surround by the Zoom lever.
On the back panel, there's a 16:9 widescreen LCD and controls to the right, including the Power button on the ridge above the LCD. The Mode dial is in the top right corner, the Movie and Playback buttons just below it. Just off five o'clock from the Mode dial is a small green status LED, which indicates startup, card write status, computer connection, GPS logging, and other functions.
The four-way navigator, which also functions as a scroll wheel, has a Function/Set button in the middle and sits right above the Display and Menu buttons in the common Canon configuration. Missing are any icons or labels on the four-way navigator to indicate their function (lightly touching the ring, though, brings up a map of available functions on the LCD). Up is EV, Right cycles the Flash modes, Down is the Self-Timer, and Left cycles through the Focus modes.
On the right side is the eyelet for the wrist strap and the cover to the mini-HDMI port and AV/USB port.
On the bottom panel the metal tripod socket is right on the hinge for the battery/memory card compartment.
Controls. The Power button was easy enough to use but I was glad to find out the Playback button also has an on/off function because it won't extend the lens when you just want to see what you've shot.
The Shutter button was big and responsive, the half-press point easy to find. The Zoom lever was smooth and slow enough to use in Movie mode or to refine your still composition.
The Mode dial was packed with settings, which I'll detail below. There's more than one auto mode these days and several Scene modes made it to a spot of their own on the dial.
There are no special or dedicated buttons apart from the Movie button.
Lens. The 14x optical zoom in the Canon SX230 ranges from 28 to 392mm in 35mm equivalents, including a good wide angle that can fit the whole room into the frame and an aggressive telephoto for those faraway subjects. It's extended by a 4x digital zoom for a total 56x zoom range. With optical stabilization.
Focusing Range extends from 2.0 inches (5cm) to infinity at wide angle and 3.3 feet (1m) to infinity at telephoto. In Macro mode, the range at wide angle is 2.0 inches to 1.6 feet (5-50cm).
Maximum aperture at wide angle is f/3.1 and f/5.9 at telephoto.
Shutter speeds range from 15 to 1/3,200 seconds, depending on the mode (with the fastest flash sync at 1/2,000). ISO ranges from 100 to 3,200.
Our lens quality tests show the lens to be slightly soft in the corners at both wide angle and telephoto, with very mild barrel distortion at wide angle, which becomes barely perceptible pincushioning at telephoto. Some mild chromatic aberration is visible at both wide angle and telephoto.
Modes. One of the delights of the SX-Series cameras is that they retain the PASM manual shooting modes of Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual.
There are also two automatic modes in addition to Program: Auto and Easy mode.
And there are a set of Scene modes in addition to the commonly used ones on the Mode dial itself for Portrait, Landscape, and Kids&Pets.
In addition to Movie mode, there's also a Movie Digest mode to make a short movie of your day from stills.
Let's take a closer look.
Program gives you the most control over camera functions except for the shutter speed and aperture. You control Flash mode, EV, White Balance, ISO, the aspect ratio, Release mode, Focus mode, Metering mode and more. What you can't do is select from a range of shutter speed and aperture combinations with the equivalent exposure.
Aperture Priority additionally lets you select the aperture from a range of f/3.1 through f/8.0 at wide angle and f/5.9 to f/8.0 at telephoto. The Canon SX230 displays the shutter speed in orange instead of white to indicate improper exposure. You can then adjust the aperture until the shutter speed appears in white. Alternately, a Safety Shift option in the Record Menu system will automatically adjust for correct exposure.
Shutter Priority provides the same control as Aperture Priority but lets you control the shutter speed. The options range from 15 seconds to 1/3,200 second. Flash sync is as high as 1/2,000 second. Any shot taken at 1.3 seconds or slower employs noise reduction processing, which can slow shot-to-shot times. The Canon SX230 displays the aperture in orange instead of white to indicate improper exposure. You can then adjust the shutter speed until the aperture appears in white. Alternately, a Safety Shift option in the Record Menu system will automatically adjust for correct exposure.
Manual mode gives you control of both the shutter speed and aperture. When you press the EV button you shift from one to the other, which you can set (as in the other modes) using the scroll wheel. A vertical exposure guide appears in the bottom right corner.
Smart Auto, which also works for video, analyzes up to 32 shooting scenarios before setting the camera. An icon is displayed to show you what scene type the camera recognized. The Canon SX230 can recognize portraits, landscapes, macro, backlit, sunset, spotlights and night scenes and various combinations.
Easy mode adds instructions displayed on the screen while limiting control to the Zoom lever, Shutter and Movie buttons plus the Right button to toggle the Flash on or off. It also works in Playback mode, setting the Function/OK button to start a slide show and the Down button to erase images.
Movie Digest creates a movie by saving a two to four second video clip of the scene when you capture a still and then assembling all the clips into one movie. Standard definition clips are captured and assembled by date, so only one film can be made for each day.
Scene modes include Portrait, Landscape, and Kids & Pets on the Mode dial itself plus the options under the Scene mode. Those include Smart Shutter (Smile, Wink Self-Timer, and Face Self-Timer), High-speed Burst, Best Image Selection, Handheld Night Scene, Low Light, Beach, Underwater, Foliage, Snow, Fireworks, and Stitch Assist.
Creative Filter. Like another set of Scene modes, these options include Fish-Eye Effect, Miniature Effect (video, too), Toy Camera Effect, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Color Accent, and Color Swap.
Movie modes include Standard, iFrame Movie, and Super Slow Motion Movie. Movies can be captured in High Definition (1,920 x 1,080 at 24 fps or 1,280 x 720 at 30 fps) or Standard Definition (640 x 480 or 320 x240 at 30 fps).
An iFrame Movie is captured at 1,280 by 720 and 30 fps. (iFrame is a format developed by Apple that is based on industry-standard codecs designed to simplify video editing.) Super Slow Motion can capture up to two minutes at 320 x 240 pixels and 120 fps or up to four minutes at 240 fps. The sample at right is 240 fps.
Menu System. Canon fans will be instantly familiar with the company's traditional menu system. And new Canon owners won't take long to figure out the two basic rules:
- Use the Menu button to make changes to general camera behavior for Recording, Setup, Playback and Printing.
- Use the Function/Set button to make changes to exposure settings.
In addition, the four-way navigator arrow buttons provide a few handy shortcuts as explained in the Controls section above.
GPS. To record location data with each image, you first have to turn on GPS in the Setup Menu. There's also an option to enable GPS logging, so if you want to map your route (using the included Canon software), you should enable that, too.
Like other GPS-enabled cameras, turning off the Canon SX230 does not turn off the GPS radio. That lets it maintain contact with the satellites so when you next power on the camera, you're already in sync. It also lets it continue to log your position as you travel.
Sync status is displayed on the LCD with three satellite icons. A solid satellite indicates sync has been achieved. A flashing satellite icon indicates sync is being established. A satellite with the circle bar icon indicates no GPS signal was found.
See the sidebar below for important tips on getting a good GPS signal. You have to be patient -- then leave it on.
GPS Log. If you opted to log your route, a page icon will appear in the upper right corner of the screen. Consider that a warning not to format your memory card, which will also erase any log files.
As long as the GPS radio is on and you've enabled logging, the Canon SX230 will periodically record its position in a log file (in the CANONMSC/GPS/ folder of the SD card).
Canon doesn't specify the interval between GPS updates on the Canon SX230. Typically it's about five minutes. When traveling by car, that can introduce some inaccuracy in the route.
Once a good sync was established, I found the Canon SX230 to be as accurate as other GPS cameras, if not a little more so.
GPS Fields. Here are the GPS-related fields captured by the Canon SX230:
GPSVersionID: 22.214.171.124 GPSLatitudeRef: North GPSLongitudeRef: West GPSAltitudeRef: Above Sea Level GPSTimeStamp: 20:02:11 GPSStatus: Measurement Active GPSMapDatum: WGS-84 GPSDateStamp: 2011:04:01 plus GPSAltitude: 80.2 m Above Sea Level GPSDateTime: 2011:04:01 20:02:11Z GPSLatitude: 37 degrees 46' 15.70" N GPSLongitude: 122 degrees 28' 22.24" W GPSPosition: 37 degrees 46' 15.70" N, 122 degrees 28' 22.24" W
After software installation, the Canon Utilities folder will include the MapUtility, which can display either a GPS tagged image or a log on a Google map.
Finally, just a warning that if you post your photos publicly, you may not want to reveal location data. Turn off GPS when you don't want location data written to the Exif header.
Storage & Battery. There is no built-in memory on the Canon SX230, which relies on the SD-format card you insert. Memory card format support includes SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Card, Eye-Fi Card, MultiMediaCard, MMCplus Card, and HC MMCplus Card.
You can store 1,231 Large Fine 4:3 images or 14 minutes 34 seconds of Full HD video (1080) or 20 min. 3 seconds of 720 HD video on a 4GB card. Use at least a Class 6 high-speed card for HD video capture.
The Canon SX230 is powered by an NB-5L lithium-ion battery. Canon estimates about 210 captures or four hours of playback from a fully-charged battery. An AC adapter kit (CA-DC10) is also available.
The battery has come in for some online battering for being a weakling but I didn't have any issues with it. There are a couple of things to keep in mind, though.
One is simply that turning off the camera does not turn off the GPS radio. And that will wear down any battery. You might want to do this if you're tracking your route, but if you want to break off a route or just give the battery a break, make sure the GPS feature is off. We also strongly recommend carrying a second battery.
Image Quality. I have no quibbles with the image quality of the shots I took with the Canon SX230.
I will note a slight blooming along the edges of some bright subjects, but concede that's pretty common. It was almost frightening with the Olympus XZ-1 (see the log shot), whose quality I admired, and the Canon SX230 never approached that.
If you fear the 12.1-megapixel sensor might lack resolution, take a look at the shot of the Ferry Building (YIMG_0183.JPG), where you can tell the time (which I could not do with my naked eye), or the fig leaf (YIMG_0210.JPG), whose every vein is sharply captured.
Color was likewise a delight, whether it was cherry blossoms against the blue sky or an old aluminum alloy engine. The shot of the poppies was faithfully captured, as was the low light shot of a reading book end.
Distortion was mild, as noted in the lens section above. See our reports on lens quality below.
Shooting. My first outing with the Canon SX230 was up Twin Peaks to take the zoom series. Metallic turquoise would not have been my choice for a body color, but nobody laughed at me up there.
The optical zoom range was excellent, showing me detail I just couldn't see with my naked eye -- including the cables on the Golden Gate Bridge seven miles away. And the digital zoom range was usable, clearly showing the gear on the roof of the Bank of America building, bringing the Canon SX230 nearly to megazoom range.
I was biking so there are no comparison shots of the logs but I did take a black and white comparison shot in Golden Gate Park as I made my way to the beach. The color and black and white shot of the olive tree trunks were in shade and both look significantly overexposed.
There was no EV adjustment and exposure was automatic but I notice that the auto ISO was set to 200. The sunlit shots were all ISO 100.
ISO was still on auto when I shot the engine, going all the way to 1,600. And in the cabin, shooting the stick shift knob at macro range, it was 640. Canon isn't shy about using high ISOs on the Canon SX230.
The bookend shot shows why. At ISO 1,600, it is among the clearest of those I've taken, the text on the spines clearly readable.
In fact, you'd be hard pressed to see any advantage to the Low Light Scene mode shot of the mandolin and the straight ISO 3,200 shot of it. The Low Light shot is smaller, the pixels averaged to minimize noise, but it wouldn't have been worth it to switch to Low Light from Program for that shot.
I also took the Canon SX230 to a birthday party where the light level was generally pretty low and provided by ceiling cans and a huge HDTV. Not the greatest situation, but the camera did well.
I didn't record GPS data with these shots but the Leninade bottle says enough about the white balance and low light capability.
Overall, the Canon SX230 HS was a gem of a long zoom, its many facets well-polished.
See below for our lens and image quality analysis, and below that for our conclusion.
Canon PowerShot SX230 HS Lens Quality
Wide: Sharp at center
Wide: Very soft at upper left
Tele: Sharp at center
Tele: Soft, upper left corner
Sharpness: The wide-angle end of the Canon PowerShot SX230's zoom shows a fair amount of blurring in the upper left corner of the frame, though blurring isn't as strong in the other three corners. Blurring also doesn't extend very far into the image area. At telephoto, performance is a little more consistent from center to corner, though some mild blurring is present.
Wide: Minor barrel distortion; only slightly noticeable
Tele: A small amount of pincushion distortion, quite minor
Geometric Distortion: Barrel distortion at wide-angle is actually quite low (0.4%), as is pincushion distortion at telephoto (0.2%).
Wide: High and bright
Tele: Also high and bright
Chromatic Aberration: Chromatic aberration is high at both wide-angle and telephoto zoom settings, and pixels are very bright. The effect is quite strong, and extends fairly far into the main image area.
Macro with Flash
Macro: The Canon PowerShot SX230's Macro mode captures a sharp image with well-defined detail. Blurring is somewhat high in the corners of the frame though, particularly the left, and some chromatic aberration is present (a common limitation among consumer digital cameras in macro mode). Minimum coverage area is 2.30 x 1.72 inches (58 x 44mm), which is good. The PowerShot SX230's flash produced a very uneven exposure, with strong shadowing in the lower right from the lens. When it comes to shooting this close, existing lighting will be your best bet.
Canon PowerShot SX230 HS Viewfinder Accuracy
Wide: LCD Monitor
Tele: LCD Monitor
Viewfinder Accuracy: The Canon PowerShot SX230's LCD monitor showed just over 100% coverage at wide-angle and slightly below 100% at telephoto, which is excellent.
Canon PowerShot SX230 HS Image Quality
Color: The PowerShot SX230 HS performed pretty well here. Bright blues and reds are a little oversaturated, while strong yellows are a bit muted, but saturation overall is actually a little better than average. Hue shifts are relatively minor, with the exception of a stronger push in cyans toward blue. Yellows are also pushed toward green, and orange toward yellow, but most hues are fairly close. Dark skin tones show a small push toward orange, but lighter skin tones are pretty accurate. Overall, very good results.
Auto WB:
Good, though a bit yellow
Incandescent WB:
Too pink
Manual WB:
Very good
Incandescent: Manual white balance handled our incandescent lighting much better than the Incandescent setting, which came out too pink. Auto produced better results than average, though with a slight yellow tint.
Horizontal: 2,000 lines
Vertical: 1,800 lines
Resolution: Our laboratory resolution chart revealed sharp, distinct line patterns down to about 2,000 lines per picture height horizontally, and to about 1,800 vertically. (Lines are fairly distinct at 2,000 vertically, but begin to merge just a hair.) Extinction of the pattern occurred at around 2,400 lines per picture height.
Wide: Bright
Tele: Bright, with falloff
Auto Flash
Flash: Our manufacturer-specified testing (shown at right) shows bright results at the rated wide-angle distance of 11.5 feet, though the camera increased ISO to 400 to achieve this. The telephoto test also came out bright at the rated distance of 6.6 feet, though with some faint vignetting at the edges and corners. (ISO was again increased to 400.)
Auto flash produced bright results in our indoor portrait scene, retaining some of the ambient light by using a slower shutter speed of 1/40 second, and raising ISO to 400. Any movement of the subject could be problematic at this shutter speed, though the SX230's optical image stabilization should eliminate the need for a tripod. Shot taken at ~5 feet (~1.5m) on a stable tripod.
ISO: Noise and Detail: The Canon PowerShot SX230 HS captures a lot of fine detail with strong definition at ISOs 100, 200 and even 400, though details are a hint soft here. Even results at ISO 800 are better than expected. Though luminance noise does distort definition here slightly, overall fine detail is still quite good. At ISOs 1,600 and 3,200, results are fuzzy, but the camera holds on to a lot of detail. See Printed results below for more on how this affects prints.
ISO 200 shots also print well at 16x20 inches, with very fine noise appearing in shadows.
ISO 400 images are good, but a little softer at 16x20 with more pronounced luminance noise in the shadows. Softness is reduced by printing at 13x19, but really doesn't go away until 11x14 inches.
ISO 800 files are usable at 11x14 inches, but are a little soft in the detail department. This goes away when printed at 8x10.
ISO 1,600 shots are usable at 8x10, only slightly soft.
ISO 3,200 shots are pretty good at 5x7.
Hair also gives CMOS sensors trouble, but the Canon SX230's sensor handles the hair in our INB test shot better than most, looking good printed at 13x19 inches.
Overall, the Canon SX230 HS does remarkably well in this test, showing that Canon was wise to go from the 14-megapixel CCD that appeared in the SX210 to the 12-megapixel CMOS sensor in the SX230.
Canon PowerShot SX230 HS Performance
Startup Time: The Canon SX230 takes about 2 seconds to power on and take a shot. That's quite good for a long-zoom model.
Shutter Lag: Full autofocus shutter lag is good, at 0.40 second at wide angle and 0.53 second at full telephoto. Prefocused shutter lag is 0.090 second, slower than most, but still pretty quick.
Cycle Time: Cycle time isn't outstanding, capturing a frame every 2.03 seconds in single-shot mode. Canon rates the SX230's full-resolution burst mode at 3.2 frames per second, which is not as fast as some competing CMOS sensor models. There's also a High-speed Burst mode rated at 8.1 frames-per-second that captures 3-megapixel images.
Flash Recycle: The Canon PowerShot SX230's flash recycles in about 6.2 seconds after a full-power discharge, about average.
Low Light AF: The camera's AF system was able to focus down to midway between the 1/8 and 1/4 foot-candle light level without AF assist enabled, though the camera was able to focus in complete darkness with the AF assist lamp enabled.
USB Transfer Speed: Connected to a computer or printer with USB 2.0, the Canon PowerShot SX230 HS' download speeds are pretty fast. We measured 8,308 KBytes/sec.
In the Box
The retail package contains the following items:
- Canon PowerShot SX230 HS camera
- Battery pack (NB-5L)
- Battery charger (CB-2LX)
- Wrist strap (WS-DC11)
- AV cable (AVC-DC400ST)
- USB cable (IFC-400PCU)
- Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM
Recommended Accessories
- Extra battery pack for extended outings
- Large capacity SDHC memory card. These days, 4GB is a good tradeoff between cost and capacity, but if you plan to capture many movie clips, 8GB should be a minimum.
- Medium camera case
Canon SX230 Conclusion
In general, I found the Canon SX230 to be a nimble companion on my jaunts for a week, whether by bike, on foot, or in the car. GPS locations were generally accurate and the logging useful.
While I wasn't wild about this particular body color, the Power button or the Mode dial, none of them were deal breakers. And I could find hardly anything else to complain about.
The only thing missing from the GPS implementation is location names and I didn't miss that at all. It would have been nice if the Canon SX230 had a mapping function in Playback mode like the Casio H20G, though.
Fun as GPS recording was, I was greatly relieved to know I didn't have to worry about image quality. I took shots in a variety of situation and the Canon SX230 always got the job done, often doing it much better than I'd hoped. And that earns it a Dave's Pick.
To see how the Canon SX230 compares to its competitors, see our Travel Zoom Shootout!
Buy the Canon SX230 HS
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Coin Guitar Picks Are Awesome
Loose change is always a terrible conundrum. Nickels, dimes and quarters pile up in your car, on your dresser and in your couch cushions until you decide you want to cash them in and buy yourself something nice. Use that extra money to get yourself one of these handmade Coin Guitar Picks.
Shaped by an Etsy vendor from Nashville, these guitar picks are made from actual U.S. coins, from silver dollars to quarters to wheat pennies. The metal coins will give your guitar an awesome tone and their smooth, beveled edge means you won't wear out your guitar strings after playing the riff from 'Walk' by Pantera a few thousand times.
The Coin Guitar Picks cost $10-$30 each, which means you'll be trading as much as $30 for $1, but considering that last time all you got from your loose change was a Big Gulp, some beef jerky and a DVD of 'Saved By The Bell: Hawaiian Style,' you are making a better investment.


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September 19, 2016 at 6:30pm to September 19, 2017 at 6:30pm – Ballet Hispánico School of Dance Just in time for Hispanic Heritage Month, Ballet Hispánico introduces new adult class offerings in Salsa and Flamenco at the company's School of Dance at 167 W. 89th Street, NYC. The classes are reco… Organized by Emily | Type: dance, classes, salsa, flamenco
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May 15, 2017 at 6pm to June 13, 2017 at 7pm – Museum Ludwig in Cologne Jeannette Ginslov on behalf of Screendance Africa, is on the jury of Moovy Tanzfilm Festival 2018 in Cologne, Germany. Screendance Africa and Moovy Tanzfilm would like you to send your screendance… Organized by Jeannette Ginslov | Type: open, call
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Heart 2 Heart: Self-Confidence9:00 AM
Because we aren't all immaculate unicorns, we have to derive confidence from something other than perfection.
33 comments
You are really brave and one of a kind! This is the first video of this kind that I have seen! Great job!ReplyDelete
A Cult Beauty Haul | The Conscience Fund
This is such a wonderful video and precious words. Everything what you told is true! Thank you for this great video <3 and I must say that you look just amazing with no makeup!ReplyDeleteReplies
Oh gosh I don't know that I actually look anything but average without makeup but THANK YOU for your precious words!!!Delete
That is such an important issue and I think it's great that you brought that up.ReplyDelete
Thank you for sharing you thoughts <3
Thank you so much for making these videos. Honestly this couldn't have come at a better time - I definitely needed to hear what you were saying. So thank you - and you are the best!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 15, 2014 at 12:57 PM
I've enjoyed watching your makeup and skincare tutorials, but I wanted to reach out and thank you especially for taking the time to make this thoughtful video. It must have taken a lot to put yourself out there in this way, and it feels good to hear such a candid, heartfelt account of universal confidence issues in the rush and worry of everyday life!ReplyDelete
http://thatumamilife.wordpress.com - a clean eating bento blog. Japanese or Asian-inspired!
Love your heart to heart, genuine and down to earth videos.ReplyDelete
I really enjoyed this video from you Jen, you are such a lovely person xReplyDelete
Me encanta el vídeo :)ReplyDelete
Kyllie | Make Up Fragrances
Thank you so much for making such a lovely video. I've gone through many changes this year and have really faced a lot of self doubt. Things have been better lately, but it's a constant battle. I really appreciate being reminded that I'm not alone in that. Thanks for being so open and genuine.ReplyDelete
I've been a huge fan of you and your videos for a long time, but this is my first time to comment. I just want to say i am so much comforted and impressed by this honest, brave and wonderful video. Thank you so much for doing this. You are so great!ReplyDeleteReplies
I'm truly honored to have a follower like you. To even comment for the first time means a lot to me! <3Delete
gen, i have been watching your videos for quite a long time, i check your website almost everyday, i learned so much about make up knowledge from you, i have tried lots of products you've mentioned. i use to have no clue about make up, little by little, i found myself more familiar with putting make up on and know myself better. i like your videos, i like you, you are such a genuine person. beccause of my personality and all that, i dont like to leave message, or post anything, i have tried to post some message on your website a couple times, i always ends up deleting them. After watching this heart to heart video, i decide to be more open with my heart and my thought, posting this is my way of saying, you are the best!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you so much for being brave and commenting! I really do read every single one and I take it to heart when someone comes forward and opens up. Thanks so much for being supportive and checking in and please, please don't delete your comment before posting in the future! It's not just me whom it can affect, but even a simple comment can have an impact on others as well. :)Delete
Thanks for the reply, sorry for the typo of your name, i must got nervous that i put i name backwards and yours spells wrong, too bad i cant change the posted message, i guess there is a first time for everything. English is not my first language, but still i cant believe i did that. Thousand times of apology! And Thank you again for the reply, it means a lot to me.Delete
Great video! :) i do felt the way you felt... i have an asian monolids eyes, and i have to wear an eye tape to make my eyes bigger. if i didn't wear it, i feel so ugly.That's why i have to wear makeup all the time to boost my confidence.ReplyDelete
Sometimes i do have an insecurity, i scared people will judge me a faker. Because people around me and my friends didn't wear any makeup on, they said it too much but i don't have any choice.
So.. i have to build a confidence in me everyday ! as long as i'm happy with it
Just like you Jen <3
Your video really inspired me :D thx
Thank you so much for this video. This really hit close to home with me, as I am going through a stressful time in my life right now (and of course with that, out come the breakouts!) and my skin is really showing it. I too have struggled with acne from my early pre-teen years and now into adulthood, wondering when it will ever go away. I look forward to your blog and video updates every week, as your words are inspiring and give me the courage to believe in myself and to put my best face forward to face any challenge each day! And as other viewers have commented, you look amazing without makeup! :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 16, 2014 at 11:37 AM
Jen: Thank you so much for sharing. This couldn't have been available at a more perfect time than now. I really needed this because I'm at the point where I've been given this great opportunity to grow and to do more good in my field of work, which is helping improve and maintain the well-being of the elderly who have cognitive impairment. I love my job so much because of the people I work with and for. My work does have its stressors, but at the end of the day I still find it worthwhile and rewarding because I know and believe I am making a positive impact on the lives of the elderly. At the same time, I'm a little scared and insecure about this new position that I could potentially have. I'm still waiting on a confirmed interview date, and because of this video, I feel ready to move forward and to do the interview. I'd admit that I had some tears while listening and watching this video. I know that if I am given this new position, there will be a lot of challenges and obstacles. Like you said, you need to have faith and hope and understanding that once you put yourself in the uncomfortable position, you'll learn and grow from the experience and next time it will be a little easier. I know that in interviews, you are supposed to highlight all the good parts about you, your skills, and what you can offer the company. I think I'm going to do things a little differently this time around. The individuals who will be interviewing me know me well because of the commitment, dedication, diligence, passion, and work I've done for them at the community for the last year and 8 months. As you have the courage to be vulnerable and authentic with sharing the insecurities you've had in this video, I'm going to be the same during my interview - completely open.ReplyDelete
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
Love your ❤2❤ articles !ReplyDelete
Thanks for your honesty and courage !
Michelle | MyWonders❤MesMerveilles
Hi Jen. Are you interested in the idea of making a video of a typical day of you. I think it's very interesting to share. Thank you. I am always inspired by your posts.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 17, 2014 at 4:12 PM
Jen: I was wondering if you've ever tried a overnight skin mask? There are these masks that you can wear while sleeping, and was wondering what you thought of them.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 18, 2014 at 8:56 AM
gah it makes me so sad to see someone this age still obsessed with such superficial and vain things. you put SO much emphasis on your appearance, it's really really sad. you should really think about things like what kind of person you want to be, what kind of wife/friend/daughter/sister you'd like to be, how you;d like to give back to your community, etc, and maybe volunteer some on your free time. it's like your maturity is stunted because you live in a bubble, so all you do all day long is obsess over your appearanceReplyDeleteReplies
Jenn I don't ever post but felt I had to after reading some of the comments here. Excellent video - you are beautiful inside and out and it shows through this video where you are sharing our your own life experiences and encouraging others to love themselves inside and out. I find it sad that someone at whatever age would be quick to jump into conclusions about your life from a mere 13 minute video. I'd like to tell you I got nothing from positivity from your video, and I love your make up tutorials! I suck at putting on makeup (I have both lopsided monolids and weird hooded inner and outer v's) and I've learned a lot from the videos :)Delete
Hi Jenn,ReplyDelete
I almost feel like I shouldn't be suggestion a solution on a post where we are discussing faith and accepting the perfection of imperfections. But, I thought you might be interested. You are not alone, I get post inflammatory hyperpigmentations from my acne too and I'm 31. This product speeds up the healing for me. Maybe it will work for you too.
Thank you so much for sharing. I really do enjoy reading your blog. I totally agree with you.
Love you back!
Hi Jen!ReplyDelete
I've been following your blog for several years now but have never posted a comment. I love watching and learning from your tutorials and videos, because your inviting personality always puts a smile on my face :) This video is by far my most favorite that you've ever posted. There are so many of us out there who can't even find the strength to be vulnerable with our families or significant others, but here you are showing us that you can be completely vulnerable with the entire Internet and hey... things are still okay. Thank you for sharing so much of yourself with us--it is not an easy thing to do. The things you said in this video really resonated with me and I could not have put those thoughts into better words myself. I did not used to be a confident person when I was younger, but I have gained a ton of confidence through variations of all of the things that you talked about. Thank you again for sharing!
THANK YOU Jen!!!ReplyDelete
I needed this... God guided me here watch your video. I love you too...
- AnonymousMay 20, 2014 at 2:17 PM
Hi jen, I have been following you for some months now. I am French born chinese, that is what brought me on your blog first ( asian monolid makeup mainly). I stayed because I found you very sweet and simple. Anyway, just commenting to thank you for this video that will surely help many of your followers. Also, I wanted to say that you are really lucky to have both your sister and dad ok now one year later. I wish I had the same luck with my dad who was diagnosed with a lung cancer in 2012 and died less than one year later. I hope you have time to enjoy to enjoy your loved one company as much as possible. Sorry for any possible language mistakes in this post. Love from France.ReplyDelete
Hi Jen, i really love this video of yours, it's just at the right time. I just got out of a 4 years r/s and we were supposed to be married next year. It totally crushes my self confident and self image, I've been dealing with low self esteem for my whole life. There are days where i feel really uncomfortable without my make up (been 6 years living with adult acne), but i remembered your video where you appear without and talk about it and i feel braver. Thank you very much Jen for all your inspiring videos. Maybe you can talk about heartbreak in your next videos? :)ReplyDelete
Hey Jen,ReplyDelete
Can you do a heart to heart on your height? I am 5ft and I am subconscious of my height so I wonder if you have the same issue as well.
I'm not commenting every time because I'm not really have good english and fear every time using bad word.
But I think it's important to react. i'm impress for this video you seems so painful in your voice it's the first time I heard this in your voice (more important when it's not your mother language, you heard the real intonation more and more), and I didn't reallyse immediately that you are self confident.
So real so true.
Believe in himself is important, for sure.
So Long time to you and your family and take every time the good side of things, it's the best way to be good with himself and others
So thank you for this video ^^
Hi Jen,ReplyDelete
I only started watching your videos recently, but I was really touched by your heart 2 heart videos! As someone who has also had horrible acne as well as always having been skinny without many curves, I know how it can mold you and affect all of your behavior and how you see the world. I don't know what changed and when I finally became more or less okay with my figure (the acne finally got better with birth control use in my 20s, of all things) but it is nice to hear someone else ask why it is okay to criticize skinny girls for having no curves - we know, and we are jealous of anyone with a B cup and up! Thanks for having the bravery to post your videos. Keep up the good work! Also, you are beautiful with and without makeup!
I have been watching your videos and reading your blog since a pretty long time. But I have never written anything or left a message to you. It's so touching to me when you are talking about how your setback (Acne monsters) are bothering and devastating your life. I know how that feels and can hugely relate to that as I got the same problem when I was younger. Thanks god who listens to my prayers and wipes off my tear with his soothing words. You and your family will be in my prayers even though we barely know each other!
I am an Asian and I am proud to be one!


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A pair of commentaries to appear in an upcoming issue of the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy highlight a debate within the public health community surrounding Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for treatment of exposed individuals during last year's fungal meningitis outbreak. Manuscripts of the commentaries were published ahead of print today on the journal's webpage.
"I will try to offer sufficient documentation to show there are alternative approaches worthy of consideration," writes David A Stevens of Stanford University Medical School, the author of the first commentary which questions the CDC recommendations.
In late 2012 the United States experienced its largest reported healthcare-associated outbreak when some patients who had received contaminated steroid shots developed fungal meningitis. As of Jan. 14, 2013 there have been 678 cases and 44 deaths reported. Approximately 14,000 people were potentially exposed to the contaminated steroids. During the outbreak the CDC recommended that clinicians closely monitor individuals who had been exposed but specifically recommended against the use of preventative (prophylactic) use of antifungal drugs in asymptomatic patients in the absence of a clinical diagnosis of meningitis infection.
In his commentary, Stevens puts forth a detailed argument concluding that the CDC should have recommended prophylactic treatment with oral antifungal drugs for all exposed individuals. He also voiced other concerns with the CDC recommendations including the focus on only two specific drugs for treatment.
"If I were advising any patient who had been injected intrathecally or into a space adjacent to the intrathecal sac with material from one of the known contaminated lots, I would recommend taking chances with the known, uncommon and usually inconsequential side effects of the oral drugs and try to prevent onset of a serious and lethal disease," writes Stevens.
In the second commentary, a rebuttal of the Stevens' commentary, a group of scientists including one CDC official defend the CDC's recommendation against prophylactic antifungal therapy, describing the CDC's decision analysis model.
"Most of these cases resulted from epidural injections; these patients did not intentionally receive intrathecal injections, as suggested by Stevens," write the scientists. "Clinicians must carefully weigh the benefit of treatment of asymptomatic patients with the significant expense associated with drug acquisition, monitoring drug levels and substantial drug-drug interactions. For this reason, CDC chose to recommend careful clinical evaluation and imaging for high risk patients, independent of symptoms, with the goal of finding early indications of infection."
The manuscripts of the commentaries are available online at http://bit.ly/asmpr0205a and http://bit.ly/asmpr0205b. Formal publication is scheduled for the April 2013 issue of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy is a publication of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM).


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Tahoe-bred Krista Lukas publishes book of poetry with Black Rock Press
TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. — Krista Lukas will read from her collection at the Mile High Jazz Band's Jazz and Poetry event June 11 at Comma Coffee in Carson City, and the Ventana Sierra Advanced Writers Conference at Western Nevada College in Carson City on June 14.
Born in Truckee, Lukas grew up in the Lake Tahoe area. She received her Bachelor of Arts in literature from the University of California, San Diego, and did the coursework for her K-12 teaching credentials at Sierra Nevada College.
She has taught English and English as a Second Language at various levels. Currently, she serves as the specialist at Jacks Valley and Zephyr Cove elementary schools.
According to a press release, "Fans of My Unconscious" brings a microscope's eye view to the poignancy and absurdity in everyday life.
"With humor, warmth, and clarity, Lukas observes the meaning and the meaninglessness in the mundane. The post office, a campfire, and a bulletin board are the seemingly unglamorous settings transformed in these poems into flights of the imagination. Lukas meditates on technological advances, oranges, and the end of the world revealing the strange within the familiar," a press release stated. "She listens for the next line that will be spoken by someone unsuspecting and she writes it down, adding her own quirky twist to the conversation.
"This poetry collection is for a seasoned reader of poetry as well as someone who has yet to take up the genre. These poems invite without spoon-feeding and surprise without pyrotechnics. They revel in language without sacrificing meaning. 'Fans of My Unconscious' is a collection to enjoy and recommend."
Lukas has published poems in The Best American Poetry 2006, Creative Writer's Handbook, New Poets of the American West, and literary magazines including 5 AM and New Millennium Writings. She is the recipient of a Nevada Arts Council Fellowship and the Robert Gorrell Award for Literary Achievement from the Sierra Arts Foundation.
Her book manuscript was a finalist for the 2009 May Swenson Poetry Award. Her poem "Letter from My Ancestors" was translated into Russian and published in Polutona Magazine.
A lover of arts and culture as well as the outdoors, Lukas enjoys traveling, museums, hiking, cross-country skate skiing, and most of all, reading.
She is the recipient of a poetry fellowship from the University of California, Riverside, where she will begin the Master of Fine Arts program in the fall.
For more information, visit http://www.blackrockpresspubs.com.
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Sanitation Rules
Solid Waste Handling Requirements
- Customers must have Sanitation service with the city of Marietta and display an official city decal in order for garbage to be picked up.
- City ordinance requires all city residents sign up for Sanitation service with the city of Marietta and that no private haulers are allowed to pick up sanitation within the city limits of Marietta. Please refer to City Code Section 5-8-050 (b).
- Households must have an adequate number of garbage cans with tight-fitting lids. Customers are picked up according to their service level. Any additional cans above their service level will be charged at the rate of $5 per can per pickup.
- Collection containers must not be more than 32 gallons in size. There will be a $10 charge per pickup for each can that exceeds 32 gallons.
- No sharp items that can cause injury to collection personnel may be placed in cans.
- The overall weight of the can when full may not exceed 60 pounds.
- Cans should be stored at the rear of each household. They may be placed curbside before 7 a.m. only on the scheduled pickup day.
- Call the Sanitation Division at 770-794-5595 to make arrangements to collect large trash items that cannot fit in your garbage can. Fees will vary, depending on weight and volume.
- Wednesday is the pickup day for brush and yard trimmings. Yard trimmings may not to be mixed with regular household garbage. Branches and limbs must be six feet or shorter, and no single piece may be more than four inches in diameter or weigh more than 100 pounds. Grass and leaves must be bagged and set next to the curb. Bags for grass and leaves must not exceed 32 gallons in size. The city will not pick up logs and stumps.
- There will be an excessive yard waste (grass clippings, leaves, shrubs, pine cones, pine needles and brush) collection fee that will be added at the rate of $100 per load (approximately 200 cubic feet or 4x4x12) or (48 bags or more of yard waste) and/or a combination of both to equal 200 cubic feet. Residents should notify the Sanitation Division when they have excessive amounts of brush.
- Trash or yard trimmings must be placed at the curb adjacent to the originating property before 7 a.m. only on the scheduled day of collection. Items placed at the curb must not obstruct sidewalks, gutters or the free movement of traffic.
- Customers should use biodegradable paper bags for yard trimmings because state law prohibits plastic in compost landfills.
- Households, contractors and tree surgeons are responsible for disposing of construction debris, demolition waste and trees or oversized limbs. The city will not collect these items. The city will not pick up any parts of a tree that a tree surgeon cuts down. The tree surgeon is responsible for removing the tree.
- It is unlawful to sweep or throw waste material into streets, vacant lots, streams, storm drains, sewers, someone else's container or any dumpsites.
- The city will not collect building material, tires, motor oil, batteries, liquid or hazardous wastes. Paint will be collected if completely dried out and placed next to the curb on your regular garbage day. Remove can lids. Use cat litter or sand to dry out paint.
- All items (household garbage, brush or yard waste, extra pick-up items and recycling) must be ready for pickup and disposal at 7 a.m. the scheduled day of service.
- Used cat litter must be double bagged and placed by the curb (curbside only) on your regular garbage day.
Additional PickupsWhen you need to dispose of items that will not fit in your garbage can, please contact the Sanitation Division at 770-794-5581 to make arrangements for a special pickup. There will be an additional charge for special pickups, which will be added to your Sanitation bill. All special pickups must be placed on the curb before 7 a.m.
Not all items can be collected by the Sanitation Division. If in doubt, please confirm when you submit your request for a special pickup. Some of the items we do not pick up are: building material; batteries, rocks, dirt, cement, car parts, motor oil, cans of paint that are not completely dried up and hazardous waste. Most of these items can be taken to the Cobb County transfer station on County Services Parkway. For Cobb County disposal information, call 770-528-2500.
Newspaper Recycling
All newspaper recycling will be picked up on your regular curbside recycling day. If you are not sure of your recycling day, please contact the Sanitation Division.
Recycling Requirements
- Curbside collection of recyclable materials occurs Monday through Friday. All recycling must be placed on the curb by 7 a.m. on the day of collection. To determine your recycling collection day, call 770-794-5595.
- Some of the items that may be placed in your recycling bin are: newspapers, phone books, magazines, aluminum and bi-metal beverage cans, plastic soda bottles, milk jugs and water bottles, corrugated cardboard (maximum size 2 feet by 2 feet only), and steel and bi-metal "tin" cans.
- If you have old garbage cans or plastic bins you would like to use as recycling containers, please clearly identify these containers as recycling.
- Newspapers must be placed in a grocery bag (paper or plastic) and placed on the curb before 7 a.m. No loose newspapers will be collected.
- Request a recycling bin by calling 770-794-5595.
- If you experience problems with your recycling, call 770-794-5581.