GOVERNMENT OF CANADA HELPING CREATE JOBS BY SUPPORTING NIAGARA MANUFACTURING

2011 was a busy, focused and successful one for our community. There are a number of reasons to say this and I figured important enough to number.

1. Unemployment numbers in our community dropped each and every month since January.

There are still more jobs to create and the recovery is a fragile one. No question however, that we are on the right track.

2. The Cairns Family Health and Biosciences Research Complex was built and is almost completed.

No longer is Brock the university up on the hill. The facility will boast almost 110,000 sq feet of Bioscience research, second to no other research facility or university in the country. It will in fact, rival the facility in place at the University of Florida. The link with the community and our local economy is through the incubator facility that will house small start up businesses. The true value of this investment is when we see the creation of manufacturing jobs through this facility. My close friend Jeff Cairns' dad Roy passed away in 2011.? One of his last significant commitments to his community was the Cairns' family investment and contribution to Brock. Roy had a feeling this is going to work and it's up to all of us to make sure we prove his feeling true.

3. Majority government on May 2nd of this year.

Yes of course, those who didn't vote Conservative may disagree with this from a partisan perspective, but truly what this country needed was a stable federal government for a number of years. We can all judge the results once we reach re-election time in 2015.

4. Completion of a number of economic stimulus projects in town.

The new parking garage, the Armenian community centre, the children's centre at the YMCA, the football/soccer facility at the 4-pad, a brand new airport, nGen technology and multi-media investments, to name a few, have helped bring our community into the modern era. They also created short and long term jobs that were sorely required.

5. St. Catharines/Niagara is at the forefront of the agenda in our nation's capital.

The direction we take as a government is inspired by and involves our community. In other words, we matter and we play a role. I have to compliment both Dean Allison and Justice Minister Rob Nicholson for being great spokespersons for our communities.

Turning to 2012, the economy and continuing to help create jobs will remain our community's most important focus. It's the responsibility of all of us local politicians at the federal, provincial, regional and municipal jurisdictions to work together and never lose sight of the fact that whatever we do must have a long term economic benefit to our city and our Niagara.

We've spent a ton, yes a ton, of taxpayers money in St. Catharines from all orders (levels) of government. All of those investments were made with the rebuilding of our local economy in mind. In other words, we aren't dreamers or creative folks any longer. We are now project managers who have to ensure that taxpayer's investments will do what we (politicians) said it would. In 2012 I'm focused on the results of these investments to ensure that the investors (taxpayers) get value for their hard earned dollars vis-?-vis property tax, regional tax, provincial tax and federal tax. Every one of us has to focus on providing the actual outcomes from each of these investments that prove they're delivering the results promised.

Heading into my 6th year as the MP for our city, I'm looking forward to playing my part and ensuring we do focus on our economy and continue to bring St. Catharines issues to Ottawa.

city I'm looking forward to playing my part and ensuring we do focus on our economy and continue to bring St. Catharines issues to Ottawa.

Here's to 2012!!?

Later,

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Source: http://www.rickdykstra.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2822&Itemid=51

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Sony?s E-Book Store Opens In Australia

If you?ve got a Sony e-reader, you?re about to get a whole lot more from your device, because Sony just opened up its e-book store to Aussies.

Sony?s Reader Store officially opened today, and just by signing up, the gadget giant is going to give you a free e-book. You know, provided you want one of the books that Sony is prepared to give away.

The store is accessible from your Sony e-readers, but otherwise, you can head here to get into the new Sony bookstore.

Source: http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/05/sonys-e-book-store-opens-in-australia/

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All-in-one Atari 2600 controller crafted to curtail retro gaming clutter

Ahhh, the venerable Atari 2600. The godfather of console gaming has, in recent years, seen a resurgence as a hacker's muse -- mods to its innards and controllers are legion on the web. Recently, a new mod emerged: a controller that combines the capabilities of the Atari's joystick, paddle and keyboard controllers. It's crafted from a small wooden box, a cannibalized joystick, an Ethernet cable, some switches and a smattering of other electronic bits, and there's a full how-to on making one of your own on Instructables, courtesy of user x2Jiggy. If the mere mention of such an all-in-one has those DIY juices flowing, head on past the break for a construction video and see how it's done. It's high time you dust off your stock 2600 and break out Pitfall, Adventure or, well, Breakout.

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Via: Hack a day

Source: Instructables

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/05/all-in-one-atari-controller-finally-arrives-to-curtail-retro-gam/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Testament to tenacity: NY man nearly finished handwriting King James Bible after 4 years

PHILMONT, N.Y. - In the beginning, Phillip Patterson decided to write out every word in the Bible.

On empty pages, he wrote of Adam, an ark, locusts, loaves, fishes and the resurrection in his neat, looping cursive. Four years of work begat more than 2,400 pages and left a multitude of pens in its wake. Now, as he copies the last words of the last book, Patterson sees all that he has created.

And it is good.

"I hadn't counted on the fact that it would end up being beautiful," Patterson said. "Or that it would be so exhilarating. And so long."

Patterson, 63, might seem like an unlikely scribe for the King James version of the Bible. Tall and bald with a hearty laugh, the retired interior designer is neither monkish nor zealous. He goes to church but has never been particularly religious. Health issues ? including AIDS and anemia ? have sent him to the hospital and slowed the work. He relies on two canes and will lean on walls and furniture to get around his apartment near the Massachusetts border.

But he has always been curious.

One day in 2007, his longtime partner, Mohammad, mentioned that Islam has a tradition of writing out the Qur?an. Patterson replied that the Bible was too long. Mohammad said, well then, Patterson should do it.

"The next day I started researching pens and pencils and paper and never looked back," he said.

Patterson began copying the first five books of the Bible, known as the Pentateuch, in 2007. Work on this "prototype" allowed him to figure out technique, layout and technical details like the type of paper (19-by-13-inch watercolour) and writing instruments (felt-tip pens). He tackled the complete King James Bible in 2009.

Patterson works at a wooden desk by his bed, near neatly shelved pages of his completed volumes. Fingers on his left hand track the words on a small hardcover Bible while he methodically writes with his right hand. Patterson pencils in ruled lines on the sheets to guide his writing and erases them when he is done, leaving black ink on creamy white pages.

The Bible's exact word count depends on who is doing the tallying, but multiple sources put the King James version at around 788,000 words or more. Patterson used to work up to 14 hours a day on the project, though he averages around six to eight hours a day now that his stamina has ebbed. He usually works until he can't stay awake.

"I go to bed and close my eyes and feel so incredibly serene," he said.

There has been darkness and light along the way.

He especially enjoyed the Book of Ruth, which he interprets as people acting loyally and doing the right thing. But he disliked the plagues, killings and other violence scattered throughout the Bible. Although he respects Jesus for promoting peace and love, he finds the character portrayed in the Gospels too glib and condescending to his disciples.

More importantly, the countless hours of transcription has led him to conclude that the Bible is more sublime than just a bunch of stories from thousands of years ago.

"The begetting and the begatting and all of that, that's really incidental," he said. "These people are trying to understand where they fit into this world."

In a way, Patterson is doing the same thing. There were times when he wondered whether he would ever live to finish the project. Now as it nears its end, he said, it has helped him become more patient, more confident, more loving and more open to differences.

"Every day as I write, I discover something new and it expands my mind more and more," Patterson said. "Not so I can become more of a religious person, but so that I can become more of a whole person."

That assessment is echoed by Laura Glazer, a photographer who has documented the project since its start. Glazer, who has become friends with Patterson over the course of some 4,000 pictures, said Patterson has become more introspective since she first started collaborating with him. But she notes that could also be related to the death of Patterson's partner several years ago and the passage of time.

Although rare now, hand-crafted Bibles were common before the invention of the printing press. In those times, monks who made ornate copies of the Bible saw it as part of their sacred calling, said Anthony Tambasco, a professor of theology at Georgetown University. Patterson does not see any kinship to those long-ago scribes, seeing himself merely as a regular guy who ended up learning something.

"He's not a martyr or a saint. That's what's so nice. It's just what he does," Glazer said. "He's not trying to prove anything to anybody. He's making something beautiful."

Patterson will finish up the final lines of the Book of Revelation during a ceremony at his church, St. Peter's Presbyterian, on May 11. His adult daughter and Glazer will be among the guests, and he will discuss the Bible with an eminent theologian. Once the books are bound, the Bible will be given to the church.

Patterson is already talking about turning a new page.

"I will take any opportunity I can find to do this again," he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/testament-tenacity-ny-man-nearly-finished-handwriting-king-084009168.html

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Cooler weather aids fight against Calif. wildfire

Firefighters from Riverside, Calif. work to extinguish a brush fire at Point Mugu, Calif., Friday, May 3, 2013. A Southern California wildfire carving a path to the sea grew to more than 15 square miles and crews prepared Friday for another bad day of gusting winds and searing weather. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

Firefighters from Riverside, Calif. work to extinguish a brush fire at Point Mugu, Calif., Friday, May 3, 2013. A Southern California wildfire carving a path to the sea grew to more than 15 square miles and crews prepared Friday for another bad day of gusting winds and searing weather. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

A firefighter keeps watch as the wildfire burns along a hillside in Point Mugu , Calif. Friday, May 3, 2013. Firefighters got a break as gusty winds turned into breezes, but temperatures remained high and humidity levels are expected to soar as cool air moved in from the ocean and the Santa Ana winds retreated. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

Fire trucks keep an eye on a burned structure at the Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) at Point Mugu, Calif., Friday, May 3, 2013. The 15 1/2-square-mile blaze was only 10 percent contained on Friday, and the work of more than 900 firefighters, aided by air tankers, was just beginning. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

A firefighter carries tools down a burned hill after a wildfire in Point Mugu on Friday, May 3, 2013. A huge wildfire carved a path to the sea and burned on the beach Friday, but firefighters got a break as gusty winds turned into breezes. Temperatures remained high, but humidity levels were expected to soar as cool air moved in from the ocean and the Santa Ana winds retreated. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

A resident waters the burned area next to his home in Point Mugu, Calif., Friday, May 3, 2013. A huge wildfire carved a path to the sea and burned on the beach Friday, but firefighters got a break as gusty winds turned into breezes. Temperatures remained high, but humidity levels were expected to soar as cool air moved in from the ocean and the Santa Ana winds retreated. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) ? A big cool-down in weather calmed a huge wildfire burning in Southern California coastal mountains Saturday, and firefighters worked to cut miles of containment lines while conditions were favorable.

High winds and withering hot, dry air were replaced by the normal flow of damp air off the Pacific, significantly reducing fire activity.

"The fire isn't really running and gunning," said Tom Kruschke, a Ventura County Fire Department spokesman.

The 43-square-mile blaze at the western end of the Santa Monica Mountains was 56 percent surrounded.

The humidity level rose so much that an overnight effort to burn away fuel at one section of the fire did not work well, Kruschke said.

Despite the favorable conditions, evacuation orders remained in place for residences in several areas.

Nearly 2,000 firefighters using engines, bulldozers and aircraft worked to corral the blaze.

Firefighting efforts were focused on the fire's east side, rugged canyons that are a mix of public and private lands, Kruschke said.

The National Weather Service said an approaching low pressure system would bring a 20 percent chance of showers Sunday afternoon, with the likelihood increasing into the night and on Monday.

"Anything we get is going to help us," Kruschke said.

The change in the weather was also expected to bring gusty winds to some parts of Southern California, but well away from the fire area.

Despite its size and speed of growth, the fire that broke out Thursday and quickly moved through neighborhoods of Camarillo Springs and Thousand Oaks has caused damage to just 15 homes, though it has threatened thousands.

The fire also swept through Point Mugu State Park, a hiking and camping area that sprawls between those communities and the ocean. Park district Superintendent Craig Sap told the Ventura County Star (http://bit.ly/18CKxY4) that two old, unused ranch-style homes in the backcountry burned. Restrooms and campgrounds also were damaged. Sap estimated repairs would cost $225,000.

The only injuries as of Saturday were a civilian and a firefighter involved in a traffic accident away from the fire.

Residents were grateful so many homes were spared.

"It came pretty close. All of these houses ? these firemen did a tremendous job. Very, very thankful for them," Shayne Poindexter said. Flames came within 30 feet of the house he was building.

On Friday, the wildfire reached the ocean, jumped Pacific Coast Highway and burned a Navy base rifle range on the beach at Point Mugu. When winds reversed direction from offshore to onshore, the fire stormed back up canyons toward inland neighborhoods.

The blaze is one of more than 680 wildfires in the state so far this year ? about 200 more than average.

East of Los Angeles in Riverside County, a new fire that broke out Saturday afternoon burned 650 acres of wilderness south of Banning. It was 20 percent contained. Banning has been flanked by a nearly 5-square-mile fire to the north since Wednesday. Firefighters contained 85 percent of that fire, which destroyed one home shortly after it broke out.

In Northern California, a fire that has blackened more than 10 square miles of wilderness in Tehama County was a threat to 10 unoccupied summer homes near the community of Butte Meadows, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Thunderstorms Saturday were expected to bring erratic winds but little rain to the area about 200 miles north of San Francisco.

Nearly 1,300 firefighters were on the lines and the blaze, which started Wednesday, was 20 percent contained.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-05-04-California%20Wildfires/id-8b224888e00c48b19c0e8820791af354

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Farrah Abraham Takes Pole Dancing Lessons (PHOTOS)

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Sigma DP2 Merrill

The DP2 Merrill ($999 direct) is one of a trio of fixed-lens cameras?offered by Sigma. They all share the same image sensor, but the focal length of their f/2.8 lenses varies. The DP2 features a lens that produces a standard-angle field of view, perfect for shooters who eschew wide angles. The APS-C Foveon image sensor is a unique design that captures an incredible amount of detail, but requires special software for Raw processing. We liked it a bit better than the DP1 Merrill and DP3 Merrill. Its JPG engine outclasses the DP1 and it's speedier to focus than the DP3, which is slowed by its macro lens. The DP2 will reward you if you work within its limits, and it's the only camera of its type with a standard-angle lens. It doesn't oust the Ricoh GR as our Editors' Choice for prime lens compact cameras. Photos taken with the pocketable GR don't require any special processing, but the lens captures a very different wide-angle field of view that isn't for everyone.

Foveon Image Sensor, Design, and Features
Much like the Sigma DP1 Merrill, the DP2 uses a Foveon X3 image sensor. This design uses three layers to record information,?each one sensitive to a different color channel. Traditional digital cameras use a single-layer sensor with a Bayer overlay, which has grids of red, blue, and green pixels to create a color image. Each layer of the DP2's sensor boasts a 15.4-megapixel resolution?because of this, Sigma advertises it as a 46-megapixel camera, even though the resulting, printable images are limited to 15.4 megapixels in size.

The sensor design omits the low-pass filter, which is a trend on higher-end cameras. But because of its design, which by its nature omits the Bayer color-array filter, there's no danger of moir? entering into your shots. The downside to the unique design is that there's no support for the DP2's Raw format in Lightroom or similar software programs?you'll have to use Sigma's Raw software to process photos. The software leaves a lot to be desired, but you can use it as a basic converter to convert the Raw images into TIFF format, which can then be imported into Lightroom or the workflow application of your choice.

In terms of design, the DP2 is essentially a brick with a lens, measuring 2.6 by 4.8 by 2.3 inches, and weighing in at 11.6 ounces. It's not that far off in size and weight from the 2.7-by-4.9-by-2 inch, 11.2-ounce Leica X2, which has a wider 36mm-equivalent lens. The X2 supports an add-on EVF, which is an option that is not available on the DP2. There is a hot shoe directly above the lens, so using a fixed optical finder that matches its field of view and trusting its autofocus system is an option.

The lens is a 30mm focal length, which translates into 45mm in terms of full-frame photography. It has a maximum aperture of f/2.8, which is a little slow for a standard-angle design. The full-frame Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 has a faster, wider 35mm f/2 lens, but costs nearly three times as much as the Sigma. If you're looking for zoom, look elsewhere, but for those of us who see the world in that focal length, the DP2 is a welcoming camera.

Pleasingly minimal, the camera's color scheme is flat black, with a metal chassis that is cool to the touch. Buttons are labeled in white for shooting functions, and red for playback functions. On top you'll find the Power button, Mode button, a control wheel, and the shutter. The rear houses the Auto Exposure lock, a four-way controller with a center select button (the up direction lets you select the focus mode, the bottom the focus point), an image playback button, a button to control the amount of information shown on the rear display, the menu button, and the QS button.

The QS (Quick Set) button grants access to seven quick shooting controls. Press it once and you can adjust the ISO, exposure compensation, drive mode, and image format settings. Press it a second time and the menu switches to white balance, image compression, color balance, and image format (in the same place as the first menu) settings. It's a well-designed interface, and lets you adjust settings without diving into the menu system.

The 3-inch rear display packs a 920k-dot resolution. It's sharp and gives you a good idea about the quality of the images you are capturing. The display is just as sharp as the 1.2-million-dot display on the Ricoh GR, but it's not as bright; that camera has an extra layer of white pixels that make it possible to view on even the brightest days.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/XAr4oSQECBA/0,2817,2418391,00.asp

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