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Don't look at this next photo for the patio furniture, okay? Just look at the patio itself. Is that slate tile? Sandstone? Bluestone? Travertine? Some other type of paver? I've priced out hardscapes on my herringbone idea and it's out of our range, even if we DIY. This might be an alternative.

Videogames Quiz Pack Available for BUZZ! Quiz World PSP Today

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PSBlog/~3/EUMCpWgPifo/

http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=22088

Happy New Year, BUZZ! fans! We’re coming up on the first PlayStation Store Update in 2010 and it’s time to start looking forward to a fantastic new year of downloadable content for BUZZ! Quiz World.

I’m happy to announce that the first DLC available for BUZZ! Quiz World PSP will be the Videogames Quiz Pack, launching today on PSN. Previously only available for PS3, the popular Videogames quiz pack has been optimized for use on your PSP. Now you can test just how well you know your favorite videogames from anywhere on the go!

And soon you’ll be able to boost your question banks with the bevy of additional DLC that’s coming up. We’re hard at work converting other great downloadable quiz packs like Comedy, Sci-Fi and National Geographic: Safari for use on PSP.

If you didn’t have a chance to pick up BUZZ! Quiz World PSP before the holidays and you’re not sure how to spend that PSN card that came in your stocking, you may want to use it to get your hands on the game now. With the great line-up of DLC that’s in the works, there’s never been a better time to pick up BUZZ! Quiz World PSP.

Thanks for checking in and stay tuned to the PlayStation.Blog for the latest information on upcoming DLC for BUZZ! Quiz World!

Nikon N60 20-80 mm f/1:3.5-5.6D $80.00 (Lynn, MA) $80

http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/ele/1541947835.html

With a Nikor AF NIKKOR f1:3.5-5.6D

Type of camera: Integral-motor autofocus 35mm single-lens reflex (SLR) with built-in TTL Speedlight
Picture format: 24 x 36mm [standard 35mm (135) film format]
Lens mount: Nikon F mount
Lenses: AF Nikkor lenses, AI-P-type Nikkor lens (IX-Nikkors cannot be used)
Focus modes: Autofocus (AF) or Manual (M)
Autofocus: Auto-Servo AF - automatically chooses Single-Servo AF or Continuous-Servo AF with focus tracking operation according to the subject status, i.e. stationary or moving (including directional information). Note: Continuous-Servo AF with focus tracking is automatically selected when exposure mode is set to Sport mode
Autofocus detection system: TTL phase detection system using Nikon Advanced AM200 autofocus module; AF-Assist Illuminator provided
Autofocus detection range: Approx. EV -1 to 19 (at ISO 100)
Autofocus lock: Focus is locked when shutter release button is lightly pressed and stationary subject is in focus in Auto-Servo AF
Focus tracking: Automatically activated with a moving subject
Exposure modes: General-Purpose Program, Auto-Multi Program (Flexible Program and Exposure Compensation possible), S: Shutter-Priority Auto, A: Aperture-Priority Auto, M: Manual, and five Vari-Program modes (Portrait, Landscape, Close-Up, Sport, Night Scene)
Programmed Auto exposure control: Both shutter speed and aperture are automatically set
Shutter-Priority Auto exposure control: Aperture automatically selected to match manually set shutter speed in S mode
Aperture-Priority Auto exposure control: Shutter speed automatically selected to match manually set aperture in A mode
Manual exposure control: Both aperture and shutter speed are set manually in M mode
Shutter speed/aperture adjustment: Rotating the Command Dial changes shutter speed in M and S mode or aperture value in A mode in 1/2 EV steps (To change aperture value in M mode, rotate the Command Dial while pressing the aperture button)
Auto exposure lock: Available by pressing the AE-L button while the exposure meter is on. Automatically selects continuous metering.
Exposure compensation: With exposure compensation button; ±3 EV range, in 1/2 EV steps (in P, S, A and M mode)
Exposure metering: 3D Matrix: with D-type AF Nikkor; Six-segment Matrix: with non-D-type AF Nikkor, AI-P Nikkor; Center-Weighted: in Manual exposure mode or with Auto Exposure Lock
Exposure metering range: EV 1 to 20 at ISO 100, 50mm f/1.4 lens
Shutter: Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter
Shutter release: Electromagnetic
Shutter speeds: In General-Purpose Program, P, A, Portrait, Landscape, Close-Up, Sport, Night Scene mode: 30 to 1/2000 sec. automatically set. In S, M mode: 30 to 1/2000 sec., Long Time Exposure (only be selected in M mode)
Viewfinder: Fixed-eye-level pentaprism high-eyepoint type; approx. 0.69X to 0.74X magnification with 50mm lens set at infinity; approx. 90% frame coverage
Diopter adjustment: -1.5 to +1.0 diopter
Eyepoint: Approx. 17mm
Focusing screen: Fixed Nikon Clear Matte Screen II with central focus brackets for autofocus operation
Viewfinder illuminator: Automatically activates when exposure meter is on
Film speed range: ISO 25 to 5000
Film speed setting: Automatically set to ISO speed of DX-coded film used
Film loading: Film automatically advances to first frame when camera back is closed
Frame counter: Digital display in LCD panel; additive type; counts back while film is being rewound
Film advance: Film automatically advances one frame when shutter is released; in Sport mode, shots are taken as long as shutter release button is depressed; shooting speed - approx. 1 fps
Film rewind: Film automatically starts to rewind at the end of the film roll; rewind speed: approx. 17 sec. with 36-exposure film or approx. 14 sec. with 24-exposure film; mid-roll rewind possible
Self-timer: Electronically controlled; timer duration - 10 sec. (cancelable)
Reflex mirror: Automatic, instant-return type
Accessory shoe: Standard ISO-type with hot-shoe contact, ready-light contact, TTL flash contact, monitor contact; mount receptacle for Posi-Mount system provided
Built-in TTL Speedlight: Activated by pressing Speedlight lock-release button; guide number: 49 (at ISO 100 in ft.); angle of coverage: 28mm lens or longer lens with some limitations; approx. 4 sec. recycling time
Flash synchronization speed: 1/125 sec. or slower
Automatic Balanced Fill-Flash: Possible with built-in TTL Speedlight or Nikon dedicated Speedlights such as SB-28, SB-27, SB-23, and SB-22s; Matrix Balanced Fill-Flash in Auto exposure modes; Center-Weighted Fill-Flash in Manual exposure mode
Standard TTL flash: Activated when using a non-CPU lens
Flash ready-light: When Speedlight is off, blinks when using flash is recommended; when Speedlight is on, lights up when built-in Speedlight or Nikon dedicated Speedlight is ready to fire; blinks after shooting to warn of insufficient light for correct exposure
Power source: Two CR123A or DL123A-type lithium batteries
Number of 36-exposure film rolls per fresh battery (using AF Zoom-Nikkor 35-80mm f/4-5.6D)*:

At 68°F At 14°F
Without flash Approx. 65 Approx. 38
With flash for half of all exposures Approx. 16 Approx. 10
**After lightly pressing the shutter release button for 5 sec., autofocus operation covers the full range from infinity to the closest distance and back to infinity before each shot. With a shutter speed of 1/125 sec. or faster. After the exposure meter automatically turns off (2 sec., or 5 sec. with flash), the same operation follows for the next shot.
Body finish: Silver and black available
Camera back: Hinged back with film cartridge confirmation window; unchangeable
Dimensions (W x H x D): Approx. 148.5 x 96 x 69mm (N60), 148.5 x 96 x 70mm (N60QD)
Weight (body only): Approx. 575g (N60), 585g (N60QD)
Date/time imprint function (For N60QD only) Year/Month/Day, Day/Hour/Minute, No Imprint, Month/Day/Year and Day/Month/Year; built-in clock: 24-hour type with timing accuracy within ±90 seconds a month; leap year adjustment until 2019
Usable film: ISO 32 to 3200 DX-coded film
Power source: One 3V lithium battery (CR2025 type)
Battery life: Approx. 3 years (May vary depending on extent of imprint use, film speed in use, etc.)

All specifications apply when fresh CR123A-type batteries are used at normal temperature (20°C).

Never Before Seen 'BSOD' Debuts at Microsoft CES Keynote?

http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/9_1tQddqZ_8/

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/01/bsod-microsoft-ces-keynote/

The lights go out temporarily at Microsoft's CES keynote Thursday, causing a half-hour delay. Geeks are quick to nickname the ordeal "Black Stage of Doom."

Plastic Logic Aims New Que E-Reader at Business Users

http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/12rkz0INr4c/plastic-logic-launch

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/01/plastic-logic-launch

The big, versatile touchscreen e-reader from Plastic Logic can handle digital books, magazines, personal documents and even e-mail. The design of the Que is stunning, but at $650 and up, the price is a bit steep.

Chinese Coal Formed During Earth's Greatest Extinction Is Deadly

http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/_1VSyn46xWY/

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/01/nasty-coal/

Coal formed 250 million years ago, in the midst of the greatest extinction event on record, has a particularly nasty chemical composition. In fact, using the coal as cooking fuel appears to be explain why a rural Chinese area has the highest known lung cancer rate among women in the world.

State of the Goat 2009

It's been a momentous 12 months here at LiveJournal. We crossed a capital T at Ten years young. And, like most precocious pubescents, we celebrated turning double digits by publishing our first book! Needless to say, we've experienced some major changes, both inside and out. Before we recap, we'd like to thank you for bearing with us as we've struggled through ungainly growth spurts, identity pangs, and, yes, the occasional blemish. We hope you'll continue to stand by us: We're gaining wisdom with maturity.

Stuff you liked

Back in February, we placed a call for entries for our ten-year anniversary anthology in lj_turns10. In December (less than a year later!), we officially announced the publication of Live Journal: The First Decade. Featuring an inspired collection of writing, photographs, and artwork from the pages of LiveJournal history, the book has been selected by Blurb.com as a top staff pick! We are proud to have played host to so much talent over the years, and we thank our contributors for sharing their extraordinary work.
We all love quirky surprises, but not when it comes to managing our account settings. This year we streamlined settings into one central account management area. No more pouring through FAQs to figure out how to control privacy settings, modify notifications, adjust mobile settings, or update contact information!
Being users ourselves, we realize our own mothers couldn't find us on LiveJournal based on our usernames and userpics alone (*heaves heavy sigh of relief*). But since there are times when we actually want to be found, we created a search tool--Find Your Friends--to help locate people by email address (it's in the Friends drop-down menu).
Spam counter-attack: The war against viscious malware and spambots reigns eternal, but we've been making serious inroads to ensure your online security. We've established new protocols, such as requiring email address validations. We've grown more savvy about ferreting out suspicious behavior. We've added features, like whitelisting, to help you protect your communities. Our valiant (i.e., overworked) spam avengers (a/k/a the LiveJournal ops team) are standing on red alert so you can sleep safely at night.
After an intensive beta, we launched My Guests at the end of the year, which lets you see who's been hanging around your journal. A number of you have even discovered secret admirers (not all of whom are creepy)!
Last, but by no means least, we want to thank our volunteers for providing invaluable support and feedback. Their Herculean efforts enable us to answer your questions more efficiently, identify spammers, reduce abuse, and deliver better features (through tireless testing). On behalf of the staff and the larger LiveJournal community, we are truly grateful for their diligence, intelligence, loyalty, and passion.

You got your fix

We recently debugged a number of the oustanding issues with the rich text editor so your entries look great regardless of whether you know html. You can read more about text editors here.
In response to user demand, we brought back international voice posting. For more info on voice posting, read here.
At long last, we revived TxtLJ with Verizon. For more info on TxtLJ, check out the FAQ.

Paid features you enjoyed

In December, we introduced My Stats, which provides detailed data on who's been viewing your entries as well as statistics on commenting, RSS requests, friending history, and more. Despite a few early glitches, the response has been extremely favorable.
This year, we launched and improved Notes (i.e., the feature formerly known as Alias), which lets you add private comments on friends and commenters (it's in the Profile drop-down menu). This way you won't be caught red-faced when you strain to remember details about that wonderful LiveJournal friend who sent you a birthday vGift. For more info, read the FAQ.
When we first announced View friends pages by date, we thought it would be a quiet, minor enhancement. The rave reaction floored us, which made us all very happy. We gave it a fine tuning in February of 2009, so it's even better!
We didn't know just much you liked pingbacks until it went in for service. It's back and, judging by your irritation when it wasn't available, this is good news. FYI, pingbacks send instant notifications (via screened comments) whenever someone links to one of your entries on LiveJournal. For more info, read this entry in paidmembers or check out the FAQ.

Mixed reviews

The search is still on. Some of you have reported getting more comprehensive results for keyword searches using the new Yandex search engine and like the ability to search within content categories (like entries or comments). Others have not been satisfied with the relevancy of search results. Please be patient. We're still tweaking this product.
This past December, we wanted to try out a new holiday promotion. Given the crap economy, we decided to offer our Paid/Permanent users a stack of $10 coupons to send to Basic/Plus users for paid account upgrades. We hoped you would like it. And some of you did, but many were disappointed that we didn't offer Give More as well. We want to thank you so much for letting us know. Your input will help us plan better in the future. Just FYI, Paid/Permanent users can continue to send out coupons through January 15th. Coupons can be redeemed through January 31, 2010.
We were pretty excited about Your Journal Your Money, which allows Paid/Permanent users to earn extra cash by displaying Google ads to Basic/Plus and logged out users. A number of you tried it. Some of you really like it. Others, not so much. (Just FYI, Paid/Permanent users who do not participate in this program will not view ads on journals. Participants will see ads on their own journal, but won't see them on other journals unless they specifically opt in.) For additional details, visit here.
We relaunched m.livejournal.com, our mobile app. While it offers a nicer UI and enhanced functionality, some of you think we can do better on load times. Like most of us, it's a work in progress. You can customize your mobile settings here. For more info, please read the FAQ.

Missing Inaction

We shudder to bring up the neon purple elephant squatting on our heads, but, yes, we didn't give you those a la carte userpics. We've been making radical improvements to our backend in order to support them. But no excuses. We know you want them. We cringe every time you mention them. We're sorry we dropped the ball on this, and we promise to do our best to get them to you in 2010.

Stumbling points

Back in early August, we experienced outages related to a series of DDoS attacks. We are proud to report that we were down a total of one hour over the course of a few days. We thank our heroic ops guys for getting us up sooner and more consistently than any of our less fortunate social networking friends. We apologize for leaving you temporarily stranded.
A couple of months back, we offered a free, unrestricted vGift, which induced a snowflake cookie avalanche. This resulted in backed up/delayed notifications, which, in turn, led us to reboot systems, rendering scrapbooks unavailable. It took a while to shovel free. Apologies for the inconvenience. We learned a valuable lesson that should keep us calamity-free in the future (fingers crossed while knocking on wood).
That darn Best Buy ad. First off, we're sorry about the audio auto-play (we got it turned off as quickly as possible). While it's true that we'll continue to show this type of ad to accounts that normally see them (never to Paid/Permanent accounts), we'll make sure the sound defaults to off moving forward. We promise to do our very best to keep ads to a minimum on LiveJournal, while keeping a roof over Frank's head.

Full steam ahead!

As we plunge headfirst into the next decade, we want to take a moment to look back and thank all of our employees, both past and present, who have worked so hard to create our unique and magical universe. We couldn't have made it this far without you: Your contributions brighten our path everyday. We also want to extend our heartfelt appreciation to each and every one of you. Whether you've been around for ten days or ten years, your humor, intelligence, talent, and creativity are what makes this the most vibrant global community on the Internet (the best place on the Web, in our humble opinion). Here's hoping that 2010 will be the greatest year yet! We thank you for joining us as we embark upon another glorious decade of LiveJournal history!

Give to Receive – 5 ways to use your talents to help others

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DigitalPhotographySchool/~3/uFSng4t10k0/givetoreceive

http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=11558

Last month, Christina Dickerson did a list of 5 ways to use photography to reach your community. I didn’t even realise it until I was finishing my own list of 5 ways! So in addition, I submit to you 5 more ways you can use your talents to give back to your community.

1.) Most obviously – you can take photos for friends and family which they will cherish and burn them a CD, no strings attached. If you’re a professional, or even a prosumer, you’ll know by now that at every party, for every wedding or occasion, you’ll be asked if you’ll be bringing your camera. Which is code for “we didn’t hire a wedding photographer because we thought you could take a few pix.” I try to keep my professional and personal life separate. When I first started in photography, I was at every event with my camera, emailing photos to my friends before the day was out and I think I had a hand in creating the expectation. When my life became more and more defined by my status as ‘the photographer’, I had to make a conscious effort to not bring my camera to every party or event. “What, no camera?” “No, I’m not working tonight” *wink wink* This has given me the opportunity to give friends the gift of my photography at times when I feel inspired to do so, not because it is expected.

2.) Offer to take photos where you see the need. Walking around London, I see it all the time – couples trying to cram their face together and stretch their arm to take a photo of themselves with Big Ben in the background or a family of five minus Dad who is taking the photo. I wouldn’t hand my camera over to just anyone, but I often just breeze by and ask if they want me to take their photo. I don’t act pompous and announce, “I’m a photographer, let a real professional handle this” but sometimes if it seems right or they hesitate, I’d just say, “I’m a photographer” and once in a blue moon, I’ll even give them a quick tip. “See this setting with the head? That’s great for taking pictures of people”. Something like that. Why let a family have a photo without Dad if you could take five seconds and snap it for them?

3.) This next one is hard to talk about but really should be mentioned. Infant bereavement photography has been such a gift to many grieving parents the world over. One such group where you can volunteer your services is called Now I Lay me Down to Sleep and they get called into hospitals at a moment’s notice to help a family who is experiencing the loss of a newborn baby. The hospitals take photographs, but they can be horrific. NILMDTS strives to take tender, loving images which sometimes even includes retouching to give parents beautiful momentos of their baby with no signs of trauma or illness. Please visit NILMDTS’s testimonials page to see how this type of volunteering has changed lives.Click here to see photos taken by NILMDTS for my friend when her baby boy, Chase, passed away.

: Photo by Adam Hickmott

4. ) Teach someone. Teaching someone else about photography is so rewarding. Find a local home education group and offer to do a little workshop to teach the kids about photography or go into a school. If you have the resources or know how to write really convincing letters, you can get funds and donations for a cluster of cameras that can be used. Give the kids a camera and lend it for a weekend. It could be a simple as unlocking an interest or potential they never knew was there. Children aren’t often allowed to even handle a camera, much less take pictures of their very own.

5.) Help Portrait is a worldwide movement all about gifting less-fortunate people with professional photography. How? 1. Find someone in need. 2. Take their portrait. 3. Print their portrait 4. Deliver their portrait to them. Simple as that. It’s not about advertising, not about notoriety. Just about using your talents to give people something they may have never had in their entire lives – a portrait. Even though this was pushed to take place on 12.12.09, many photographers have been doing it year-round and will continue to do so. I think they’re making it an annual event.

So as the Help-Portrait site says: Get off the couch, put down your laptop, pick up your camera and help change the world. What will you do today?

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Give to Receive – 5 ways to use your talents to help others

Mint Vivitar zoom 85-205mm f/3.8 screwmount (Brighton, MA) $25

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/pho/1541878863.html

Minty Vivitar Macro focusing Auto zoom 85-205mm f/3.8 screwmount, made by Kiron (famous as a maker of fine quality lenses). This is an M42 manual lens that can be mounted--with a cheap adapter available on ebay and other places--on any slr or dslr: Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony... A big animal, long and heavy (see the pics; the second one shows the lens next to a modern Pentax kit lens). Body and glass in superb condition. No fungus, no scratches, no internal dust, no blemishes, no oil on blades. Comes with both caps.

Pictures:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2737/4248751847_891df6c508_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4249524836_ff83154f26_b.jpg

Nikon F Photomic FTN With Three Nikkor Lenses (Medford) $275

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/pho/1541857502.html

Ninon F Photomic FTN with 50mm 1.4 Nikkor-SC Auto. 85mm 1.8 Nikkor-H Auto. 35mm 2.0 Nikkor-O Auto. Also an adapter so a cable release can be used. All in very good working condition. $275.00 or best reasonable offer.

Google Chrome for Mac Now Supports Extensions

http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/AEYWYLwt6Ps/Google_Chrome_for_Mac_Now_Supports_Extensions

http://www.webmonkey.com/blog/Google_Chrome_for_Mac_Now_Supports_Extensions

The Mac version of Google's Chrome browser now has experimental support for extensions like ad blockers and password managers. It's available only to early adopters running the developers' release.

New Series Thrusts 'Daily Show' Wit John Oliver Into Comedy Spotlight

http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/3N0V1dE8_0Y/

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/01/john-oliver-comedy-show/

The British funnyman hosts big-name comics and up-and-comers in John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show, premiering Friday on Comedy Central.

Know Your Sync

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2010/01/know-your-sync.html

Pop quiz: What is your camera's maximum sync speed?

Much like the interstate highway at 3:00am, in some situations your max sync speed is not so much a law as a suggestion.

And by the same token, sometimes instruction your manual can lie: Your camera may not be able to truly hit its advertised sync speed at all.
__________

As many of you may know, a camera that says it syncs at 1/250th might go a little better than that if you use a fast flash and a hard cord instead of a PW. And that little bit of non-sync strip at the bottom of your frame at a 1/320th might not be very noticeable.

Or it might actually help the frame, as in the not-quite-synced sunset shot at left. (More on that photo, here.)

And, speaking of that shot, if I wanted to I could easily have synced this shot at a 1/500th. Just turn the camera upside down and let the unsynced half of the frame fall on the sky. The sky needs no sync -- it is all ambient, right?

But On the Flipside …

We have talked about the over-the-speed-limit stuff before. Fun stuff. But camera engineers sometimes cut it close to hit that round shutter speed number. And sometimes they miss it.

Lemme ask all of you 5D MkII owners, what's your real sync speed? 1/200th, right? (The Devil was due something for all of the camera you got in that sub-$3k package. No 1/250th for you today.)

But it may be even worse than that. You may be getting a little banding at a 1/200th. And heaven help you if you are trying to fire a slow, "big light." Or even slave a quick, second speedlight off of your main speedlight.

Take this little setup, in Guanajuato, Mexico. I am being a VAL for Francoise, who is shooting at the bottom of the frame.

I tell her to just go to a 1/200th and get a good aperture for a rich sky, then we will add light in to bring Sara back up in a cool way. Even better, Francoise is on-camera filling -- so the shadows on Sara will not be black. Gonna look cool.

No problem, right?

Yeah, well, except that Francoise's 5D MkII is really a true 1/160th full sync. Which means that it will grab a partial sync of my slaved SB-800's light, but not all of it. So naturally, I keep walking up the power setting, to no effect. This is because the raised power setting is just making the flash duration longer.

The flash is firing, and partially synching. But most of the hi-power goodness is happening after the shutter closes. And Francoise, naturally, keeps getting more and more confused when Sara doesn't get any brighter.

Meanwhile, a few feet away, Peter Norby (who took both of these photos) is doing just fine. His camera -- also a 5D MkII -- is grabbing all of my slaved SB-800's flash pop. Same exact setup, same lighting gear and same conditions.

What Peter got was what I was expecting Francoise to get. But it was just not happening for her. And it wasn't until the situation happened again later in the day that I figured out the problem.

This time, Peter was the subject, in a similar lighting setup. We were three feet away with him, using a slaved, direct SB-800 at half power. I mean, I was starting to catch a whiff of burnt facial hair in the frame, if you get my drift.

Nothin'.

Okay, actually just enough to see some flash, but probably 80% of the slaved pulse was not being synced by Francoise's 5D MkII at 1/200th. Which is supposedly it's sync speed. But not really.

Then it hit me: Francoise's camera might be a little … slow. We dropped to a 1/160th and shot another frame. This one looked like Peter was being lit by a small thermonuclear device. Which is exactly how my brain had been telling me all of the recent pops should have looked.

Test, Test, Test

How do you know if you have a slow camera? It's easy to test and find out.

Get in a darkish room. Put your flash on camera and set your shutter at your fastest true sync speed. Fire a full pop on a plain wall and adjust your aperture until you get a reasonable exposure. (It is important that you use a full pop, as that is the longest flash pulse your speedlight can produce. Crank the ISO down, and even still you may need to back up.) Now open up the shutter one third of a stop, i.e., from 1/250th to 1/200th, or 1/200th to 1/160th.

You should not see any difference. If you do -- a little brighter, maybe, or a little previously unnoticed banding disappeared in the slower shutter pop -- then your camera is not full synching at its advertised speed.

You can stress the situation a little, too, by using your on-camera flash at low power to slave an off-camera flash at high power. This will add a little sync delay in (very tiny amount) and show you your limitations in a multi-flash situation. Throw a PocketWizard up there, and maybe add in a slower "big light" and you may get some additional valuable info on the sync front.

My D3, for instance, will sync a full-power and extra slaved SB-800s, but will band a little at a 250th with a PW and a full-power AB800 or AB1600.

Next, Crank the Volume to 11

If you are dumb-syncing (PW, PC cord, etc.) crank your shutter up above your sync speed with your typical flash gear and repeat the test. This way, you can get familiar with how your camera bands a missed sync at a 1/320th and a 1/500th, for those times when you need a little extra ambient control.

As long as you know exactly what is not going to be lit by flash at those speeds, you can compose (and/or rotate your camera) to make it work.

OCF Mags at Imaging USA

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2010/01/ocf-mags-at-imaging-usa.html

Headed to Nashville this weekend?

Don't forget to drop by the ExpoImaging and/or Zenfolio booths. They have some of the last remaining easy-to-get OCF magnets. No code words needed this time -- but it is first come, first served.

The others are all distributed (either already placed or awaiting orders) at sleeper cells around the world.

-30-

Crosses in potatoes appear to online sellers

http://feeds.sfgate.com/click.phdo?i=9b6cfceb25e5b675f4ce70ab76ce1ba6

Move over, Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese. Step aside, Fish Stick Jesus. Online bidders, meet the Holy Cross Potato. Both of them. Yes, the 2009 holiday season bestowed (at least) two miraculous spuds with crosses at their centers. Aside from the sizes of the...

The Civilian Conservation Corps
This is very cool. I wish things like this still existed. Im not saying I would join, I'm too old by now. Actually, I'm not saying I would have joined 10 years ago either, because I had a girlfriend. But if I was younger AND single? I'd definitely be down for this.

The Civilian Conservation Corps: Training a Generation in Manliness

Eighty years ago the nation was plunged into the Depression when the excesses of the 1920s caught up with society. Like the current recession, the economic bubble and collapse was the result of excessive debt spending by consumers and excessive risk taken on by investors. At the worst depths of the Depression 25% of the workforce was unemployed.

The depression hurt young men especially. They had the fewest skills and the lowest earnings and savings, and many found themselves coming of age in a decade with high unemployment. They were at the greatest risk for poverty and starvation. Any sociologist will tell you that restless young men without a purpose will usually lead to social instability and skyrocketing crime rates.

President Franklin Roosevelt saw all these problems and sought ways to fix them. One of his “100 Days” programs he passed was the Emergency Conservation Work Act (ECW), a temporary program that would become the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

The program, which started out with 250,000 men, would eventually employ 3 million young men, Native Americans, WWI veterans throughout its nine year history. The CCC would go on to leave a legacy of restored natural beauty, economic sustenance for families across the country, and a generation of men made better for their experience.

Number of Trees Planted: Between 2 and 3 billion
State Parks Developed: 800
Public Campground Development: 52,000 acres
Miles of Roads Built: 125,000
Miles of Telephone Lines Strung: 89,000
Miles of Foot Trails Built: 13,100
Farmlands Benefited from Erosion Control Projects: 40 million acres
Stream and Lake Bank Protection: 154 million square yards
Range Re-vegetation: 814,000 acres
Fire fighting Days: More than 8 million

Several famous men would come out of the program:

Chuck Yeager – West Virginia CCC, joined the Army Air Corps during the war, rose to become Brigadier General, first man to break the sound barrier.
Robert Mitchum- Actor from film classics Cape Fear, Winds of War, Night of the Hunter
Norman Borlaug – CCC member who went on to lead the “Green Revolution” in agricultural, helping keep billions of people from starvation. For his efforts he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.
Walter Matthau – Actor and co-star with Jack Lemmon in such classic man films as the Odd Couple, The Fortune Cookie and Grumpy Old Men
Raymond Burr – Actor most famous for his role as the titular character in Perry Mason. Was active in the National Associations of Civilian Conservation Corps Alumni and successfully lobbied Congress to reinstate the program in 1984, though the program was then vetoed by President Reagan.

http://artofmanliness.com/2010/01/07/the-civilian-conservation-corps-training-a-generation-in-manliness

Read the rest. Its really inspiring. And depressing that its no longer around.

I wish they still had something like this today. If they are, I can tell you they're not doing it right. I know about programs like CityYear and they're great, but their focus is wrong. if I may be so bold... learning to help others is wonderful, but you must first learn to help yourself, be a stronger person, a better person.

Furthermore, it would be so hard to do something like this today, because you'd have to worry too much about insurance, and lawsuits and other assorted bullshit. you'd probably have the ACLU, OSHA, AND every labor union in the country on your ass. Suck. Still, I would totally start up something like this if I had limitless capital and free time :) Man, I need to just skip right to the part where I'm old, rich and beneficent.

France floats Google music-and-movie tax

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2010/01/07/france_report_suggests_google_tax/

Vive la différence

France should tax Google and other online US giants to subsidize local music and movie industries, a report commissioned by the country's culture ministry has recommended.…

Case Study: WhatsUp keeps Legoland turnstyles ringing