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- Rig Rundowns
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PG's Rebecca Dirks is On Location at the 2011 NAMM Show where she swings by the Bogner Amplification booth. In this segment, we get our first demos of the Mephisto and Panama amps. The Mephisto is two amps in one--loaded with two 6V6 and two EL84 tubes. Play each channel separately or blend them together for a unique sound. With both channels cranked, it pushes about 25 watts and has built in attenuation. In addition, the Panama goes falls in line with Bogner's International line of amps. This model is a 6V6-loaded, 4-watt bedroom monster with plenty of gain for any style of player.


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Artist sets up shop in Austin
February 25, 2013
The day after David Heisler graduated college, he accepted a position working as a digital assistant and retoucher for Hollywood photographer, Greg Gorman.
The Record profiles a true Rock and Roll band
February 12, 2013
Clad in lightwash jeans, boots, button-down shirts and moppy curls that look tousled in an effortless sort of way, Scorpion Child gives off an air of regularity and unrehearsed sincerity.
For Carillon Restaurant chef Josh Watkins, it's been a lifetime of cooking
January 28, 2013
Nearly 20 years later he still vividly remembers changing the plating of a dessert at Macaroni Grill.
Big Top Candy Shop offers nostalgia to satisfy any sweet tooth
November 25, 2012
Behind the sideshow curtain, the fruity mixture of taffy lingers in the air and the sounds of prewar music fill the room.
Jenna Radtke supplies Austin with a flamboyant selection of costumes at Lucy in Disguise
November 12, 2012
The walls are covered with swatches of old fabric, creating an endless checkerboard effect surrounding the thousands of costumes that suffocate the store.
Student DJs reveal what it takes to spin
October 31, 2012
Following the likes of David Guetta, Deadmau5 and Avicii, students around campus are becoming self-taught disc jockeys and music producers, gaining a fan base and landing paid gigs.
Student dedicates blog to being healthy
October 22, 2012
As a child she said she knew she was overweight and needed to lose weight.
UT-Arlington student posts flyers around UT-Austin campus in hopes of finding fleeting mystery girl
October 17, 2012
As Kaelin Mace glossed over the various message boards, she encountered the most romantic gesture she had ever seen: a boy looking for a cute, mysterious girl.
Hip-hop champs strive for more wins
September 24, 2012
Inspiration comes from everywhere, but for Redefined Dance Company, inspiration comes from music that reflects members' life experiences.
Normandy Scholar Program students focus on World War II, prepare to travel to Europe
April 24, 2012
The 20 scholars spend the semester in World War II courses and will travel to Europe with their professors for three weeks.
Application tracks location in real-time
April 22, 2012
Glassmap is an application that enables users to find their friends's locations.
Longhorn Circus offers alternative exercise and self-expression
April 15, 2012
Longhorn Circus is a group that shares their skills and knowledge with one another and with onlookers during their performances.
When the dogs come marching in
April 4, 2012
On Saturday, April 7, Hotel San Jose and Jo's Hot Coffee will host their 13th Annual Easter Pet Parade.
University Flying Club encourages students to live out their dreams of flying
March 29, 2012
The University Flying Club is open to anyone with an interest in aviation.
Classic and modern dances evoke emotion
March 22, 2012
The Dance Repertory Theatre, the Department of Theatre and Dance's student dance ensemble, will perform four dances throughout the weekend for students, faculty, parents and locals.
Film committee hosts local film festival
March 1, 2012
The Student Events Center Film Committee presents its Third Annual Texas Union Film Festival today in the SAC auditorium.
Sophomore Paige Baize lives strong for LIVESTRONG Austin Marathon
February 16, 2012
Paige prepares for the Sunday marathon with determination, courage and carbo-loading.
Annual chili cook-off will benefit local woman
February 1, 2012
Jo's Sixth Annual Chili Cold Blood Chili Cook-Off will benefit the Lila Tenenbown Recovery Fund.
UT students perform traditional Asian Dragon and Lion Dances
January 26, 2012
The team typically performs multiple days each week for restaurants and birthday parties.
Second film serious to showcase work of disabled
January 18, 2012
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Gigglepants improv 'strives to constantly fail'
December 2, 2011
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Holiday show displays work by disabled artists
November 28, 2011
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UT students spread awareness about invisible children
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New Invisible Children film "Tony" serves as a call to action for those willing to help.
Coffee robot serves up precise hot beverages
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The kiosk will allow customers to choose the type and quantity of syrups, sweeteners and non-dairy options.
Service organization to host charity capture the flag tournament
November 2, 2011
With the bar set high this year, the Orange Jackets hope they will continue to have just as much success.
Robotics enthusiasts share expertise
October 24, 2011
The Robot Group meets every Thursday night to discuss building, how to deal with financial aspects and also their love of the hobby.
Metal detecting club digs up good vibes
October 16, 2011
When Jim Lawhon began detecting for metal in his backyard more than 15 years ago, he had little piles of dirt where he had found silver and gold coins.
Student group works to keep carillon tradition alive
October 9, 2011
Carillon guild embraces unique opportunity to perform atop the Tower and produce music for the university's community.
Austinites head over heels for trapeze lessons
October 2, 2011
Flying trapeze has been around for more 150 years, but Trapeze Austin only started two years ago.
Archery club practices poise, focus
September 25, 2011
Proper technique and mentality are emphasized over strength by club.
UT student shares Chinese yo-yo experience
September 15, 2011
Thomas Gu believes it's the job of the yo-yo artist to come up with his own tricks.
Trailer serves Italian comfort food for Austin crowd
May 6, 2011
On the corner of South First and West Live Oak streets stands an orange trailer complete with a mustache painted on the back and fresh flowers in pots on the windowsill.
Alumnas shoe line offers comfy solution to heels
April 19, 2011
When she's traveling or just wants a break for her feet, Jessica Nadeau slips on a pair of her Solettos — a comfortable ballet flat designed for emergency situations.
Breaking it down
April 14, 2011
Every Wednesday night, funk and hip-hop music is heard around the hall and through the closed doors of the Union Quadrangle Room. As Darren Lam made quick crossovers with his feet, he then dropped to the floor and spun on his back for what seemed like an eternity.
Pantry volunteers give food for thought
April 1, 2011
Every Saturday, hungry people file in to the Micah 6 Food Pantry and sit and wait for their food. Others drift toward the sign off to the side that says "clases de ingles gratis," or free English classes.
Business students create Bible study, incorporate ethics
March 8, 2011
At first Brothers and Sisters in Business simply wanted to change the businessmen and women for the better. Once they saw this was possible, they wanted to change the world one ethical decision at a time.
Music, rhythm fascinates deaf student
November 17, 2010
Jannifer Wilkins spoke without words, her hands forming a language that Barbie Parker, her interpreter, decoded. Wilkins was born deaf, and has been singing since she was a child; since before she could remember. When asked about music, her hands moved with even greater dexterity exemplifying her passion for the subject.
Group pushes students to globalize education
November 14, 2010
Latin American studies senior Asiago Ogaisa is a big believer in karma, and rightfully so. While in Vietnam, Ogaisa ate dog, a traditional staple of the country's diet, but just a week later, a dog bit him in Thailand.
Lifelong dream of flying inspires UT business major to take to the sky
November 3, 2010
Max Tribolet walks around the plane, completing tasks on a tedious list that includes testing the lights and switches in the cockpit, checking the weather and making sure the air space is clear. After finishing this, Tribolet insists that what comes after is actually the simple part — lining up the plane on the runway, getting up to a speed of 55 to 60 mph and taking off.
Sailing Club members tackle harsh winds
November 1, 2010
Last winter on Lake Travis, there were 30 knots of wind, so much that advertising senior and UT Sailing Club secretary Jennifer Beazley had to take the main jib, or front sail, down from her boat, forcing the railing to go almost entirely in the water.

subset: commoncrawl


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May 20, 2012
Spinach & Sausage Lasagna
I don't know what it is about lasagna, but to me it's the perfect comfort food. Whether it's just a cold and snowy Vermont winter night, or I'm feeling a little down, or I'm just feeling like I wanna be over indulgent....lasagna always fits the bill.
One of the things I love about lasagna is that you can add so many different things to it to make it different. I love adding veggies to it, not necessarily to make it a "veggie lasagna", but just to give it another dimension and to make it a more well rounded one dish meal. The possibilities are endless - carrots, zucchini, squash, etc. Just saute it up with onion and garlic and layer it on top of your cheese layers....YUM!
This recipe is one that all three of us equally enjoy....even my 13 year old son. It's really that good! Today I used no boil noodles for the first time. I always wanted to try them to see if it really works and to see how the end result would turn out. I was delighted to discover that I actually like these no boil noodles better! They are thinner which I liked very much...it didn't feel so "heavy" for lack of a better description. My husband agreed 100% - I think we are officially converted and will never go back to those other kind of noodles! ☺
Spinach & Sausage Lasagna
9 oz package of no boil lasagna noodles
5-6 cups of your favorite tomato sauce
1/2 cup sauted sliced mushrooms
1 lb hot sausage (or sweet Italian), crumbled and cooked through
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 Parmesan cheese, + some to sprinkle on top
2 packages sliced mozzarella cheese
1, 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning mix
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 cups shredded mozzarella
Preheat oven to 375, and spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Warm your sauce at medium heat, until hot. Add the sauted mushrooms and cooked sausage and let simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside. In a large bowl add the ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic, spinach, Italian seasoning and nutmeg and stir until well combined.
Spoon about 1 cup+ of the sauce into the bottom of the baking dish (we like our lasagna extra saucy, so I might use a little more than a cup here, measurements here can be adjusted to your own preferences). Layer the no boil noodles over the sauce, leaving about a 1/2 inch space on all sides to allow for the noodles to expand while cooking. Layer on top of the noodles 1/2 of the cheese mixture and spread even to the sides of the dish, and top with the sliced mozzarella. Add another layer of noodles in the opposite direction of your first layer, then top with another 1 cup+ of sauce. Gently spread remaining cheese mixture over sauce, then add another layer of sliced mozzarella. Add the last layer of no boil noodles (again alternating the direction of the noodles), and spoon 1 cup+ of the remaining sauce over the noodles.
Sprinkle with the shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake for about 50 minutes in preheated oven. Remove the foil and continue baking until hot and bubbly, about another 15-25 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with foil, and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
4 comments:
- JustBreath7May 21, 2012 at 11:14 AM
This looks so good, my dear Mother use to make something like this. Can't wait to try it :)ReplyDelete
Hmm.. not a big fan of sausage but I love everything else!ReplyDelete
I'm adding this to my to-do list :)
This recipe looks delicious. Great photos.ReplyDelete
I made this exactly as the recipe stated and it turned out beautifully. My six-year-old and my husband loved the lasagna. I will definitely make this again. It was actually the best lasagna I have ever had.ReplyDelete
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SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants turned to a familiar name to fill one of the two remaining spots in their starting rotation.
Right-hander Tim Hudson, the former A's ace, agreed to terms on a two-year, $23 million deal with the Giants on Monday. Drafted by the A's in 1997, Hudson will return to the Bay Area after nine strong seasons with his hometown Atlanta Braves.
Hudson, 38, leads all active right-handers in career wins (205) and has a 3.44 ERA in 15 big league seasons. The Georgia native had a 3.97 ERA in 21 starts for the Braves last year, but his season was cut short by a gruesome ankle injury. Hudson was covering first base in a game against the New York Mets on July 24 when he was stepped on by base runner Eric Young Jr. Hudson suffered a fractured right ankle and ligament damage and required surgery. He reportedly is nearing the end of the rehab process and might begin throwing later this month.
Hudson finished second in the American League Cy Young Award voting in 2000, his first full season in Oakland. He was a two-time All-Star for the A's while joining Mark Mulder and Barry Zito (who parted ways with the Giants after the 2013 season) in giving the organization one of the best young pitching trios the game has ever seen.
The A's traded Hudson to the Braves in 2004, and according to ESPN's Buster Olney, Oakland finished second in the bidding for Hudson's services in recent days.
A dependable, ground-ball pitcher, Hudson is a perfect fit for a Giants organization that has a wealth of pitching talent at the lower levels of the minors. General manager Brian Sabean said in September that he expects the prized arms to start arriving in San Francisco in 2015, and Hudson can help bridge the gap while providing another veteran presence in the rotation. He joins Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner and Tim Lincecum in a rotation heavy on experience and postseason success.
The Giants have committed $148 million to Hunter Pence, Lincecum and Hudson in the past two months but still need one more starting pitcher. They have been connected to veterans such as Bronson Arroyo, Josh Johnson and Dan Haren and also could reunite with Ryan Vogelsong after declining his option earlier this month.
For more on the Giants, see Alex Pavlovic's Giants Extra blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/Giants. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/AlexPavlovic.


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FREE color-your-own ornaments on orders $40+
Smiling Tree's line of personalized wooden Christmas ornaments make thoughtful heirloom gifts for any age. Customize with your choice of wood type and font to create a special keepsake for baby's first Christmas, kids' stocking stuffers, and adults of all ages. With so many designs to choose from, our personalized ornaments make great gift ideas for teachers, hostesses, families, co-workers, clients, and sports teams. Hand sanded and finished with our organic oil blend, every ornament has that special handmade touch!
Personalized hippo ornament measures 3.5" x 3.75". Back side is blank (with the option to engrave a personalized message for an additional $4) and features a small logo. Comes in a clear bag with red ribbon for hanging.
All names/phrases will be capitalized and punctuated EXACTLY as you type them. Text will be sized and arranged to fit best in the given space. Text on walnut ornaments does NOT show up as well as text on maple and cherry ornaments. Please note that text on walnut (dark brown) ornaments does not show up as well as text on maple and cherry ornaments.
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() Stream Online Free - 123 Movies
Watch Full Movie Online free in HD on 123 movies,...You are watching the movie () Stream Online Free - 123 Movies produced in belongs in Genre with rating of / roadcast at W1.123movie.ag. Movies was first released in , dated . Original title of the movie is "" and Original Language is "". The Popularity of this movies is .
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Oakville, ON – The Toronto Rock defeated the Philadelphia Wings 12-9 in exhibition play at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre in Oakville on Saturday night.
In the opening quarter, Philadelphia opened the scoring with a pair of goals in the first 3 minutes of play to lead 2-0. The Rock answered with a pair but the Wings got those two goals back in short order to restore their two-goal edge. Rock defender Damon Edwards scored his second of the quarter to close the gap to 4-3 after one quarter.
The visitors got the first goal of the second quarter to lead 5-3 but Rock forward Eric Law scored just 47 seconds later to once again bring the Rock to within a goal. Rock captain Colin Doyle scored on the powerplay to tie the game 5-5. Philadelphia's Jordan Hall scored his third goal of the half to put the Wings up 6-5 at the break.
The first ten-plus minutes saw both teams fail to get on the board. Doyle changed that with his second of the game to tie the game 6-6. Rob Hellyer and Scott Johnston each scored once to give the Rock an 8-6 lead. Philadelphia scored with just 3 seconds left in the frame and trailed 8-7 after 45 minutes of play.
Toronto surrendered the first goal of the fourth quarter and the game was once again tied. The two clubs would trade goals before the Rock rattled off the final three goals of the game to surge ahead and hold on for a three-goal win.
Nick Rose relieved Zak Boychuk in the Rock goal to begin the second half and allowed just three goals in earning the win.
Josh Sanderson led the scoring parade for the Rock with three goals and four assists for a seven-point night. Other Rock goal scorers were Doyle with three, Edwards and Rob Hellyer each with a pair while Law and Johnston chipped in with singles.
2014 Toronto Rock Season Tickets and the brand new Toronto Rock Upper Bowl Season Pass are on sale now. The Toronto Rock Upper Bowl Season Pass gets you a seat for all nine regular season home games at Air Canada Centre for just $99.99. Single game tickets are also on sale for all nine regular season home games including the 2014 Home Opener on January 3rd against Calgary. For more information, please visit www.torontorock.com or phone 416-596-3075 to speak with a ticket representative get your hands on the BEST ticket in town.


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Our Wallpapering Instructions
You'll find all the tricks of the trade in our Wallpapering Instructions.
Item number: 103072103072
Delivery times refer to selected country Deutschland.Change country
Shipping costs:
Standard shipping: £11.07
Express shipping: from £46.18
You can print out the sample to get a better idea of the wallpaper pattern.
Print out a sample of the wallpaper (with a scale of 1:1) in order to get a better idea of the dimensions of the individual design elements.Print a sample now
Order a sample of this wallpaper to get an exact idea of the material, the structure and the colour.
With exotic hummingbirds in all the colours of paradise, surrounded by delicate petals and tendrils in red, purple, magenta, yellow and green on a fresh white background, this design wallpaper creates an understated romantic effect.


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8 of 13
The classic bake sale favorite: crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, and dusted with cinnamon.
Snickerdoodles, buttery cookies rolled in cinnamon-sugar, are a staple at bake sales and holiday gatherings. Their characteristic sour note comes from cream of tartar, which before the advent of baking powder was used in conjunction with baking soda as a leavening agent.... Read More
View Recipe


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|The contents of this page are not supported by Mojang AB, the Minecraft Wiki, the Minecraft IRC channel or the Minecraft Forums.
Mods (short for modifications) are anything that changes Minecraft's game content from what it originally was.
Purpose[επεξεργασία | επεξεργασία κώδικα]
Most mods add content to the game to alter gameplay, change the creative feel, or give the player more options in how they interact with the Minecraft world. Most people who create mods for Minecraft (known as modders) use Minecraft Coder Pack and either ModLoader or Minecraft Forge to do so. Some mods may be bigger expansions, others add more settings and options to optimize speed, graphics, or gameplay of the game. Server mods or plugins mainly give server admins more options and ease of use, and most mods for single-player have a server version that allows or optimizes the mod in multiplayer.
Ideally, the creator of a mod updates the mod whenever the game updates - bringing more content, bug fixes, or optimizations. Otherwise, the mod may not work with a newer version.
Mods are also available for the Pocket Edition via jailbreaking on iOS and through apps such as "BlockLauncher" or "MCPE Master" on Android devices. Mods are not available for the Console Versions.
Types of mods[επεξεργασία | επεξεργασία κώδικα]
Client-based[επεξεργασία | επεξεργασία κώδικα]
Client mods are modifications to your game files themselves. They are not custom clients, and they require modification of minecraft.jar.
As the Minecraft server software will ignore custom content from client side, most of the client mods which add new content to the game do not work in SMP unless a modification has also been installed on the server. Some authors of client mods have made server versions of their mods available, and others have not. A few of the Loader/API type client mods (e.g. ModLoader and AudioMod) and many of the functional client mods (e.g. Optifine, Rei's Minimap and TooManyItems) have effect in SMP straight away, without any modification on server side.
Server-based[επεξεργασία | επεξεργασία κώδικα]
Server mods are modifications to the official Minecraft server software. They are commonly designed to make administration of servers easier by implementing tiered privileges for commands (such as kicking, banning etc.). They are frequently implemented as "wrappers" which do not actually modify the main server .jar file, instead monitoring its output and sending commands to it.
|Server Modifications
|Latest Release
All-in-one server mod with great stability and lots of features.
Successor of Canary Classic, a fork of hMod
|1.8.0-1.2.0 (Bleeding)
1.7.10-1.1.2 (Stable)
A popular mod API with its own server software. Discontinued.
download (Unavaliable))
A popular server software based on Bukkit.
|MC Port Central
Modified Server combining forge with Bukkit allowing you to play mods and bukkit plugins on the same server.
|Build #18
|Ported Mods for 1.4.6
Sponge is a combination of a new API (based off of Spout/Flow's APIs) implemented on top of Forge, with assistance from other parts of Minecraft's modding community (Glowstone, Cauldron, Spout, etc.).
Mod packs[επεξεργασία | επεξεργασία κώδικα]
Mod packs are collections of mods that have been put together and configured so that they will all work together. Mod packs are often centered around a general theme like tech, quests, or magic. Mod packs often have either custom launchers or installers that make installing and running the mod pack easy. Some of the more popular mod packs are Feed The Beast Infinity and the slightly outdated Tekkit and Hexxit. There are of course also smaller mod packs, such as e.g. Crafting Dead, most of which using the special Minecraft Technic Launcher from Technic Pack.
Most mod packs can be found on custom launchers, which make it easy to install and launch various mod packs. The most popular of these are the Feed the Beast, Technic, ATlauncher, and the new Curse.com client launchers. In addition to making it easy to install mod pack clients, certain launchers can also download mod pack servers.
Bugs[επεξεργασία | επεξεργασία κώδικα]
If you install a mod, it may stop the game from working properly. If you encounter a problem while using mods and want to report it, first remove all of your mods and see if the problem still happens. If the problem continues to happen, it can be reported on the bug tracker. Otherwise, try to reproduce the problem with the fewest possible number of mods, and then report the problem to the author(s) of those mods.
If Minecraft crashes, a modified game is flagged in the crash report. The following link explains how to obtain a crash report. (Note: If your Minecraft has never crashed, following those instructions won't find anything.)
The crash report text will include a line near the bottom which will say one of:
Is Modded: Probably not. Jar signature remains and client brand is untouched Is Modded: Very likely; Jar signature invalidated Is Modded: Definitely: client brand changed to (present loader, such as "fml,forge" or modloader)
A shortened example crash report is given below:
|Crash Report
Σφάλμα: Η συμβολοσειρά υπερβαίνει το όριο των 1.000 χαρακτήρων.
The code that checks for mods is fairly simple, and it's not always correct; it may say 'probably not' even with mods installed. However, it's very difficult to get the 'very likely' message if you haven't modified minecraft.jar somehow, so that's essentially a 'yes'. There's also a 'definitely' message, seen when a Bukkit server crashes and under other similar circumstances, like when the Minecraft Forge API is installed.
'Probably not' appears when the client/server brand appears to the in-game check to be unaltered (often termed 'vanilla') and the META-INF folder is still there. 'Very likely' appears when the META-INF folder is not present but the client/server brand seems to be vanilla. 'Definitely' plus the client name appears when the client is not vanilla. For example, you might see something like:
Is Modded: Definitely: Client brand changed to 'fml,forge'
See also[επεξεργασία | επεξεργασία κώδικα]
- Plugin API, an upcoming feature that allows modders to more easily add content to the game.
- Cheating and exploits.
- Mods/Installing mods for a guide on how to install mods.
- Mods/Installing forge mods for a guide on how to install mods using Forge.
- Mods/Creating mods for a guide on how to create mods.
- Programs and editors/Modding showcases tools for installing and making mods.
|Development cycle
|Game customization
|Supported Mods
|Other Mods
|Add-ons (PE)


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Warren Buffett co-hosted Bloomberg TV's "In the Loop" with Betty Liu Friday morning, and given his previous comments, he had some contrarian things to say about the U.S. economy, JPMorgan Chase's big loss and Wells Fargo's mortgage operations, along with Bank of America and other Berkshire Hathaway holdings.
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon "does not need any advice from me," Buffett said, before offering some.
The Oracle of Omaha went on to talk about the U.S. debt ceiling and what he calls "the tapeworm of the American economy."
Read on for nine of Buffett's midyear pronouncements, taken from a Bloomberg TV transcript.
1. Buffett on JPMorgan Chase
On whether he was surprised by JPMorgan's $4.4 billion loss:
"Not surprising … in terms of the loss from a transaction of that size. My guess they pretty much worked out of it by now. They lost a whole lot more than that in loans and mortgages and reps and warranties that are coming back. It sounds like a whole lot of money, but it is not that significant relative to JPMorgan … I have had enough mistakes of my own, so I am very forgiving."
"Oh sure—They had losses on reps and warranties on mortgages that were substantial. They had loan losses that were substantial bearing the 2008 period. I just heard the Wells Fargo figure. That was $5 billion a few years ago. Banks are in the business of taking some risk. If they take risks, they are going to have losses as well. If you put it under a rock, you will not have any losses, but you will not earn any money." 2. On JPMorgan Chase's CEO Jamie Dimon
"We work on a panel together at Microsoft shortly after it broke. I heard him talk about it. It is pretty clear what happened. He does not need any advice from me."
On what advice he'd give Dimon:
"Keep your head down and you have a fantastic institution, and you are making money every day. You are going to run into things like this…I think it is the best shareholder letter. It is very, very good. He is a candid guy. When he made that statement in April, that is what he thought. I have no question about Jamie Dimon telling the truth."
3. On Wells Fargo:
"They've got a sensational mortgage operation. The total mortgage market was at the $3 trillion level not that long ago. If it goes back up to $3 trillion, I hope Wells is going a third of those."
"Wells did the best job of the big players in the mortgage market and therefore they've garnered a share as the other fellows have fallen by the wayside."
"I like Wells Fargo better than anything by far. It complicates life when I and buying things as opposed to the Berkshire Hathaway. I get what is left over…I like Wells Fargo better [than JPMorgan]. We have been buying Wells Fargo month after month for a lot of years. Among the big banks, I think it is the best."
3. On the housing market:
"It is starting to recover. The general economy has probably slowed down a little in the last few months … We have moved noticeably in the last few months. It was just a question of getting households in balance with housing units. That happens at different paces in different parts of the country. You have seen a much better balance developing here in recent months. That is why you are seeing a pickup in prices."
4. On Berkshire Hathaway's $5 Billion Investment in Bank of America:
"It is an attractive price. I wish I had done it for $10 billion."
Bank of America is a remarkable institution…Wells Fargo may have the best deposit base in the United States, but Bank of America's deposit bases are absolutely fantastic. The real asset of a bank is its liability. Bank of America has a deposit base that is terrific. They got in trouble with a couple of acquisitions, but that was not under [CEO] Brian [Moynihan]'s watch. Brian has been doing exactly the things in terms of correcting problems in the past. I think he has done a terrific job. He is getting it back to basic banking."
5. On Health Care
On the Supreme Court upholding President Obama's Affordable Care Act:
I think it is the right decision, but I think the health care problem is the No. 1 problem of America and of American business … It is the tapeworm of the American economy. We have not dealt with that yet. Obamacare is a step in the right direction in many ways. In terms of cost, it is going to require a huge change. We have seen that number go up to 17%. That is a huge cost factor. I think Berkshire Hathaway's costs are over $2 billion a year for health care.
On those who say that Obama's push into health care will cost him the election:
"We will know in November. Not only what he does but what his opponent [does]. The American public is going to have their choice of two people bending. They will come to a judgment about which of two men they preferred to run the country. I think Obama is clearly the superior. Events from now until then will have an effect on that. Some people will be for or against because of the health care act."
6. On Newspapers
On why he's investing more in newspapers:
"These are smaller newspapers generally. Newspapers used to be primary virtually everything. They have lost their primacy in many areas. If you lived in Nebraska and you are interested in at Nebraska football or your high school and what is going on with your neighbors, you are only going to find it in the independent papers. The smaller paper is still primary to many areas of interest."
On whether he'd invest in News Corp.'s publishing unit that was recently spun off:
"I would rather buy newspapers myself directly … I like buying individual papers at the right price. The prices should be low because their revenues are going to decline over time. We are not buying into a business where revenues are going to increase. We have to buy them at the right price. We have to buy papers that are subject to less erosion because they have lost their primacy."
On whether he'll buy more newspapers this year:
"I think so…it depends on who calls us. We don't go out searching for them. They come to us." 7. On Facebook's IPO:
"It either came out at the wrong price or it was handled the wrong way. A lot of stocks go down. All kinds of stocks go down. The question is whether Facebook is worth $100 billion or $50 billion or $200 billion. Probably a higher percentage of the people bought it because they thought it would go up the next day. That is a terrible reason to buy a stock. They were not buying Facebook because they thought the business was worth $100 billion. People bought it because they were told that it was going to be hot. You should not buy a farm because you think you could sell it the next day for more money."
8. On the Euro:
"It cannot survive with the present rules. That is what they are learning. The question is can 17 countries get together in a way to do something that will require much closer cooperation when their individual conditions are so different?" 9. On the U.S. debt ceiling:
"I think people are quite disgusted with Congress. The idea of having a debt ceiling—as this country grows, our debt capacity grows. To go through this charade, we are going to increase the debt ceiling, so why Congress does not do it in five minutes instead of spending weeks and weeks posturing and complaining and holding other things hostage, I think it is disgusting. I think they ought to do it this afternoon. They know they are going to do it, and they are all just sitting around using it as a little pond in the game to try to embarrass the other side.
Only Congress passes bills, and the debt ceiling is up—to me it is the most obvious of all. I do not know why the majority and minority leaders of both houses do not say we are going to do that this afternoon. I think it would give the American public the confidence that at least these people will not use everything in the world as a political."
More Top 10 lists from AdvisorOne:
- Top 10 Worst Financial Meltdowns by Athletes
- 5 Super Costly Divorces of the Rich and Famous
- Top 9 Most Disliked U.S. Companies
- 7 Biggest IPO Flops in Last 25 Years
- 5 Ways Rich and Famous Can Hide Assets
- 10 Best Cities for Jobs in Financial Services
- Top 15 Best Paying College Degrees
- Top 10 Best Cities for Educated Job Seekers


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So you want to have a garden and a dog, but think both of your passions can't coexist within the confines of your backyard? With a bit of planning and dog whispering, you can grow a dog-friendly garden — and a garden-friendly dog.
Get on all fours in the yard you want to convert into a garden and ask yourself, "What do I, as a dog, want from this space?" The breed, personality and age of your dog may dictate just how much you can convert to garden, and what kind of garden you can grow.


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The aim is to revive wind power deployment for these regions to meet at least 50% of their final energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020 and eventually to become energy independent.
This goal was adopted in 2009 as part of the Grenelle de l'Environnement, a national debate to determine environmental policy. Installed wind power capacity in the targeted territories currently stands at 56MW (see table).
The tender covers five tranches: Guadeloupe in the Caribbean and its dependencies Saint-Barthelemy and Saint-Martin, Martinique in the Caribbean, French Guiana in South America, Reunion off the coast of Africa and Corsica off the coast of France.
Each tranche specifies the maximum number of projects and installed capacity open to tender. The selected projects, which are expected to be completed by 2013, will be eligible for a 20-year power supply contract with the largely state-owned utility EdF.
With the territories all served by isolated grids, the tender also stipulates that projects must be equipped with wind forecasting capabilities and storage systems to allow higher levels of variable renewable energy onto the wires without compromising network stability. At present, the limit of renewable energy allowed onto the grid is 30%. The government hopes to attract technically innovative projects and to "offer the industry an opportunity to develop solutions of interest to a much larger market", said former energy minister Jean-Louis Borloo when launching the tender.
Bids must be submitted by May, with successful candidates to be announced by the end of the year. The government says it will then probably launch a second tender, enhanced by lessons learned from the first proposals.
The move is good news for the French turbine manufacturer Vergnet. As well as co-developing projects, the company specialises in producing turbines capable of withstanding hurricane-force winds and of supporting weak and unreliable grids. Since 1993, Vergnet has supplied over 400 turbines to often challenging locations overseas.
Aerowatt, another pioneer of wind energy in tropical locations, also welcomes the initiative. The owner-operator has installed over 60MW in the French overseas territories and is also researching various forms of energy storage.
Major growth required
The tender is split into five regions
Location Max number of Max tender Currently
tender projects capacity (MW) operating (MW)
Guadeloupe, 3 20 27
St-Barthelemy & St-Martin
French Guiana 1 15 0
Martinique 3 20 1
La Reunion 3 20 10
Corsica 3 20 18
Total 13 95 56


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1 day Rafting prices 3000 Rupees per person. For the Nepalese customer it cost Yek hajar ath saya rupaiya
Rafting Package and Cost in Nepal
Rafting in Nepal is famous adventurous activity in Nepal. Most of the rafting destination are access by the bus and located in major highway in Nepal. Trisuli river rafting is very center on the way to go pokhara and chitwan just dirve 2 hours from capital city of Nepal kathmandu. Bhotekoshi river lies near the boarder of the tibet where is possible 2 to 3 days rafting. Similarly Kaligandaki river rafting near from pokhara, just dirve 60 km west from pokhara ending in the Ramdi on the way to go Palpa and lumbini. In kaligandaki there are possible 3 to 8 days rafting. Sunkoshi river start from Dolalkhat 50 km road distance from kathmandu where is possible 3 to 8 days rafting. Karnali river is western part of Nepal where is water follow or rafting grade are more.
Feel free to ask the cost of the rafting prices with us.
Trisuli River rafting-1 to 3 days
Kaligandaki River rafting-2 to 5 days
Bhotekoshi River rafting-2 to 3 days
Karnali River rafting-3 to 6 days
Sunkoshi River rafting-3 to 7 days.
Diffrent river has diffrent management of the rafting package. for the prices and cost will be diffrent according to the transporation, distance and management the equiment suh as camp fire, tent, cooking materials, vehcile. Trishuli river rafting is cheaper than other river rafting because of the easyiness and located the major highways. Please ask the up to date prices of the rafting where you like:
Do you like join the trekking in Nepal, we mostly like recommendation the places upper mustang.See also, Do you know Tibet in Nepal? where exotic and orginal culture more than tibet that is the part of the mustang region of Nepal. Can you imagive the tibet outside the boundary of the Tibet? Upper mustang trekking , the best tea house trekking in Nepal in the restrication areas of the Nepal. we manage restrication areas , permit and best package for your family, freind holidays trek in Nepal.
Hirring a best trekking Guide in Nepal who helps you about the info , culture geography in Nepal. Book a trekking guide in Nepal in a cheap prices.


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Today's veterans bring unique abilities and experience to the civilian workforce, including hard-to-teach skills like loyalty,dedication, self motivation, sustained performance under pressure, respect for procedures and the ability to work as a team.
Isn't that the kind of person you're looking for as your next hire?
Join us! At We Hire Heroes, we believe in standing with those who have stood strong for us. Like us on Facebook too.


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MEA President Repeats 'Disingenuous' Claim About Teacher Pay
Union says teacher with master's degree earns only $31,000; won't respond to verification requests
For the second time in a month, Michigan Education Association President Steve Cook claims there is a teacher in Michigan with a master's degree making $31,000.
Cook made his assertion April 25 in a Detroit News column where he wrote that a Lenawee County teacher made $31,000 a year. In a March 28 column also in The Detroit News, Cook also claimed that teacher was in his second year on the job.
Michael Van Beek, education policy director at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, checked the salary schedules for the school districts in Lenawee County and said there was no full-time teacher making $31,000 with a master's degree.
"The average teacher salary in Lenawee County in 2011 was $58,857, according to the Michigan Department of Education," Van Beek said.
Blissfield has the lowest salary schedule for the first two years in the county. A teacher just starting with a master's degree would earn $34,750. A teacher in the second year on the job would make $35,447 with a master's degree. A teacher with a master's degree at the top of the scale would make $65,607.
Cook hasn't responded to emails seeking comments.
State Rep. Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills, said the MEA has been disingenuous in the past, but now that public schools are required to put union contracts online, it is easier to check the union's claims.
"There was a time they could say stuff like that and nobody could verify [it]," McMillin said. "Nowadays, it can be proven factually. They are just not used to that. That used to work in a time when we didn't have openness of government [and] you couldn't check and verify. Maybe he is still living in that era."
See also:
MEA's Underpaid Teacher Claims Don't Fit With The Facts
Are Teachers With Master's Degrees Forced To Take Food Stamps?
Coverage of School District Claiming Cuts
Creative Arts: Exaggerated Teacher Union Claims Not Supported By the Facts
Teacher Union Prez: Stronger Emergency Financial Managers is "Just Like Being in the Slave Days"
The Compensation of An "Unappreciated" and "Devalued" Spanish Teacher
Snyder K-12 Cuts Embellished by Critics
Warren Schools: Plenty of Desks, But Not Enough Cost-Cutting?
Does the Lansing School District Really Pay 'Below the Poverty Line' for Teachers?
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.


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Editor's Note: This guide is an abridged version of an article on types of telescopes that was originally published in 2002 in our annual SkyWatch publication. The article is just as useful now as it was then, outlining the key aspects of telescopes that you'll want to pay attention to when considering a purchase. The emphasis would probably be a bit different if it were written today, though; in particular, Go To drives have become much cheaper, better, and easier to use over the last decade.
How to Choose a Telescope for Beginners
This is an exciting time to become an amateur astronomer. Never have novice stargazers been presented with such a vast array of telescopes and accessories to pursue their hobby. Naturally, this brings the burden of choice: the bewildering variety makes it hard for an uninformed consumer to make the right decision on what type of telescope to buy.
Whether you're seriously considering buying your first telescope or just daydreaming about it, this guide will help you narrow your options. First we'll explore the types of telescopes available, and then we'll discuss their key features — the size of the primary lens or mirror, type of mount, portability, computerization, and accessories. We'll also look at the tradeoffs, because every instrument has its advantages and disadvantages.
Before you buy anything, you must determine what's important to you. What do you most want to look at? How dark is your sky? How experienced an observer are you? How much to you want to spend? What storage space do you have, and how much weight do you want to carry? Answer these key questions, familiarize yourself with what's on the market, and you'll be well on your way to choosing a telescope that will satisfy you for many years to come.
Before examining the different telescopes available, it's worth knowing the basics of how they work.
Aperture: A Telescope's Most Important Specification
The most important aspect of any telescope is its aperture, the diameter of its main optical component, which can be either a lens or a mirror. A scope's aperture determines both its light-gathering ability (how bright the image appears) and its resolving power (how sharp the image appears). When learning how to choose a telescope, knowing all you can about the aperture is crucial to your ability to see the night sky.
What does this mean? The bigger the aperture the better. With a 6-inch telescope you can discern craters on the Moon as small as about a mile across — half the size of those visible in a 3-inch scope (under the same conditions using the same magnification). The same two instruments turned toward a faint galaxy on a moonless night would tell an even more dramatic story. Because the surface area of a 6-inch mirror is four times that of a 3-inch mirror, it collects four times as much light, meaning the galaxy would appear four times brighter. (Astronomically speaking, that's 1.5 magnitudes brighter.)
Magnification Isn't Everything
It may surprise you, but a telescope's aperture is not what determines its magnification ("power"). When seeing a telescope for the first time, a novice will usually ask, "How much does it magnify?" The answer is, "Any amount you want." Any telescope can provide an almost infinite range of magnifications, depending on the eyepiece you put into its eye end.
But don't get the idea that super-high powers will do you any good. Two main factors limit the power that shows a decent view with a given instrument: aperture (again) and the atmospheric conditions.
Only so much detail exists in the image created by a telescope's main mirror or lens, so you must find the optimum magnification to see this detail — without spreading out the target's precious light too much, making a dim object too dim to see or turning a bright object into just a big blur.
This is why observers generally use low powers for looking at faint things like galaxies and nebulae, and no more than medium-high powers for bright things like the Moon and planets. Just as enlarging a photograph too much will simply show you the grain in the film or the pixels on the chip, so too will excess magnification just make your target blurry.
How much power is too much? There's a simple rule to find the top useful magnification: 50 times your telescope's aperture in inches, or twice its aperture in millimeters. And that's if the scope has perfect optics and the night air happens to be unusually steady.
This means that a high-quality 4-inch (100-mm) scope should not be pushed beyond about 200x. To put this in perspective, even a small instrument that has good optics will show you Saturn's rings or the principal cloud belts on Jupiter, since these can be seen at a magnification of 75x. On the other hand, if you see a small, 60-mm department-store telescope scope labeled as delivering "300 power!!!", you'll know it's advertising hype and you should wisely look elsewhere.
Calculating Magnification
Now you know the maximum practical power for any given instrument. But how do you get it? What do those little numbers on the eyepieces tell you about the magnification they give?
Every scope has a focal length, which is effectively the distance from the primary lens or mirror to the image it forms. (This is not always the same as the length of the tube, since, as we'll see later, some telescopes optically "fold" the light path internally.) Focal length is the large number you'll often see printed or engraved on the front or back of the scope, usually between about 400 and 3,000 millimeters depending on the scope's aperture and type.
Eyepieces have focal lengths too — 25mm or 10mm, for example. Simply divide the focal length of the scope by that of the eyepiece; that's the magnification. For instance a 1,000-mm focal length scope, used with a 25-mm eyepiece, delivers 1,000 / 25 = 40 power (or 40x).
Read more about choosing your telescope's magnification here.
Why Does the Moon Look Fuzzy?
Even with the best telescope, you'll notice that you can discern finer lunar or planetary detail on some nights than on others. Sometimes the sharpness of the view even changes from one second to the next. At high power, you'll see that planets and stars shimmer and blur on most nights. The fault lies not with the scope but with Earth's turbulent atmosphere, and sometimes with very local conditions such as warm air rising from a nearby asphalt driveway that soaked up solar heat all day. Astronomers refer to turbulent nights as having bad "seeing."
Large apertures allow observers to pick out faint objects and fine detail on the Moon and planets, but regardless of aperture, the better the seeing, the more you can see. Since steady air is so important, large telescopes — even those in the 10-inch-plus category — are often limited to 250x or 300x on all but the very steadiest nights.
Any experienced observer will tell you that with practice, you'll see more detail in an image — not only because your eye gets better trained, but because the longer you look, the better your chance of catching a few moments of unusually steady atmospheric seeing.
Is Bigger Always Better?
So why go for a telescope larger than 10-inch aperture if the sky conditions will limit you? Large apertures are most often chosen by observers who want to gather as much light as possible for viewing dim things: galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters. These so-called "deep-sky" objects are generally viewed at much lower powers than the Moon or planets, so the quality of the atmospheric seeing is less of an issue. Also, larger aperture generally leads to shorter exposure times for those interested in astrophotography, especially when combined with a short focal length.
But even if a large instrument is within your budget, there's the question of portability. A really large amateur scope requires either a permanent observatory so you never have to move it, or willing buddies to help you lift and assemble it for each observing session, then take it down afterward. Clearly, there's a tradeoff between convenience and performance - and everyone will have his or her own definition of what is "portable." It's easy to succumb to "aperture fever," in which you're seized by a compulsion to buy the largest telescope you can. The sad fact is that the leviathan is all too often consigned to the basement or closet, being too heavy and unwieldy for regular use. Remember, the telescope that you use most often is the one that will actually show you the most.
Pay close attention to the weight of the scope you're considering buying, usually listed in the small print. Get a barbell or a log that weighs this much on your bathroom scale. Carry the log around with you. Carry it back and forth from where you'll store the telescope to where you'll use it. Are there stairs along the way? How often will you want to do this at the end of a long day?
Here's our pick for three small telescopes that measure up. (Make sure to check out our Test Reports evaluating each scope.)
Types of Telescopes
Having gained an appreciation of a few important optical principles governing a telescope's performance, and the tradeoff between performance and portability, we can now explore the different types of telescopes available.
You'll be forgiven for thinking there's an infinite variety from the ads in the astronomical press. Yet for all their varied shapes and sizes, types of telescopes can be divided into three classes: refractors, reflectors, and catadioptrics.
Types of Telescopes: Refractors
A refractor is the stereotype of how a telescope is supposed to look — a long, gleaming tube with a large lens in front and an eyepiece at the back. The front lens (the objective) focuses light to form an image in the back. The eyepiece is a little magnifying glass with which you look at the image.
High-quality refractors are often sought out by lunar and planetary observers who value their crisp, high-contrast images that can take high magnification. In fact, when well made a refractor can provide the finest images attainable with a given aperture.
Another advantage of the refractor is that it's generally more rugged than other types of scopes, because its lenses are less likely to come out of alignment. For this reason refractors are well suited to those who wish to have a "pick up and go" instrument or who have no desire to tinker with the optics.
But these nice features come at a price. A really fine large objective lens is a work of art that requires special glass and individual hand-crafting. For this reason, refractors are the most expensive instruments of any given aperture.
Also, in their commonly encountered forms, refractor tube lengths can be unwieldy. A 4-inch refractor can be 4 feet or more long. And since the eyepiece is at the lower end of the tube, a tall tripod is required if you expect to observe objects overhead. Such a tripod has to be very solidly built to prevent wobbles at high powers, so it may be heavy or unwieldy, not to mention expensive. For deep-sky observers a refractor may not have enough light grasp for viewing faint objects, and the fields of view may be narrow. Modern optical design has led to shorter, more manageable refractors, but at a correspondingly higher cost.
Types of Telescopes: Reflectors
The second type of telescope, the reflector, uses a mirror to gather and focus light. Its most common form is the Newtonian reflector (invented by Isaac Newton), with a specially curved concave (dish-shaped) primary mirror in the bottom end of the telescope. Near the top a small, diagonal secondary mirror directs the light from the primary to the side of the tube, where it's met by a conveniently placed eyepiece.
If you want the most aperture for your money, the reflector is the scope for you. When well made and maintained, a reflector can provide sharp, contrasty images of all manner of celestial objects at a small fraction of the cost of an equal-aperture refractor.
The tube of a Newtonian is considerably more manageable, too. Its length is rarely more than eight times the diameter of the primary mirror, and frequently less. This means an 8-inch Newtonian can be housed in a tube hardly over 4 feet long, fitting in the back seat of a small car for transportation to dark, rural skies. Combine this with the Newtonian's generally low center of gravity well below the eyepiece, and you end up with an instrument on a compact, stable mounting that presents the eyepiece at a convenient height for just about any sky orientation.
And there's another benefit. A reflector is, by and large, the only type of telescope that shows you a "correct-reading" image rather than a mirror image. This is especially important when you're trying to compare what you see in the eyepiece to what's on a star map.
For the best value of all, much consideration should be given to a particular type of reflector known as the Dobsonian. This is a Newtonian on a very simple, very rugged mount. These extremely popular instruments are available in apertures from 4 inches to more than 30 inches and represent the ultimate in observer convenience for casual viewing.
Like all reflectors (there are other types, but we'll skip them because they're rarely encountered in amateur hands), a Newtonian will require occasional maintenance. Unlike a refractor's solidly mounted lens, a reflector's mirrors can get out of alignment and hence will need periodic collimation (adjustment) to ensure peak performance, particularly if the telescope is moved frequently. This is no big deal once you get the hang of it, and the mirrors of the average Newtonian may not require tweaking for months at a time. But for those not mechanically inclined, having to collimate a Newtonian reflector even occasionally may be frustrating.
The reflector's open tube means that dust and dirt are more likely to accumulate on the optical surfaces even if you're careful to cover the tube in storage, and this will mean occasional cleaning. Also, the aluminized surfaces of a reflector's mirrors may need to be sent off for recoating every 10 or 20 years — more frequently if you live in a badly air-polluted urban area or by the sea.
Types of Telescopes: The Best of Both Worlds
Then there's the third type of telescope, the catadioptric or compound telescope. These were invented in the 1930s out of a desire to marry the best characteristics of refractors and reflectors: they employ both lenses and mirrors to form an image. The greatest appeal of these instruments is that, in their commonly encountered forms (the Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutov-Cassegrain), they are very compact. Their tubes are just two to three times as long as wide, an arrangement allowed by "optical folding" of the light. The smaller tube can use a lighter and thus more manageable mounting. The upshot is that you can obtain a large-aperture, long-focus telescope that's very transportable.
But here too there are caveats. Like the Newtonian, the Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope needs occasional optical collimation that lessens its appeal to those disinclined to tinker. Their fields of view can be rather narrow, too. In terms of cost, aperture for aperture, the catadioptric lies midway between the reflector and the refractor. Like a Newtonian, the popular forms of compound telescopes have a secondary mirror in the light path of the instrument, and this slightly degrades performance for critical lunar and planetary observations. Even so, when well made, a Schmidt-Cassegrain or Maksutov will deliver very fine images of a wide variety of celestial objects.
In common with refractors, the tubes of catadioptrics are sealed so that dirt and dust are largely excluded — a big plus for an instrument that you're going to take out into the country. But if you live in an area where dew occurs (which is almost everywhere), some sort of collar or extension to prevent misting of the exposed corrector plate at the front of the tube is a must.
In practice, many people seeking a highly versatile, very portable (for the aperture) scope that can be used for all sky subjects and for astrophotography will tend to opt for some form of compound instrument. Scopes of this type also tend to be the most highly "technologized," with many options such as computerized pointing and photographic adaptations. In short, they're excellent general-purpose scopes that can use a wide variety of accessories.
Types of Telescope Mounts
The best telescope in the world is useless unless it's on a solid, stable, smoothly-working mount, one that permits it to be directed to the desired part of the sky and to follow a celestial object smoothly and precisely as the Earth turns beneath it.
In realistic terms, a "stable" mount is one that, when you're using a moderate to high power, will not vibrate for more than a second or so after you rap the tube. In particular, the view can't wiggle so much when you hold the focus knob that you can't see when you've found the sharpest focus. And when you let go, the aim must not jump to one side. This completely eliminates the typical "department-store" semi-toy telescope from consideration.
While there are variations on a theme, you'll encounter two types of mount: altitude-azimuth (or "alt-az") and equatorial.
An alt-az mount operates like a tripod's pan-and-tilt head, moving the scope up-down (in altitude) and left-right (in azimuth). Equatorial mounts also possess two axes, but they're tilted so that one can be aligned with the rotational axis of the Earth.
If you're intending to use a small telescope for casual sky viewing or daytime use (say, birdwatching), you'll find the alt-az mount preferable. Well engineered mounts of this type will have finely threaded slow-motion controls that enable the scope to be moved smoothly by tiny amounts, especially important when you're using high powers. The value of such refinements will be all too apparent when you are tracking a star or planet at high magnification.
The Dobsonian is a form of alt-az mount. Inexpensive materials such as particleboard and Teflon figure in its construction, resulting in a low-cost, low-center-of-gravity mount that (ideally) glides smoothly about both axes with fingertip control. A Newtonian reflector mounted in this fashion is not only extremely easy to set up and intuitive to use, but very good value, too.
For a telescope intended for astronomy, and for which photography is a future prospect, consideration should be given to some form of equatorial mount that automatically counteracts Earth's rotation. It's far easier to track a celestial object with a scope mounted this way, since you need only concern yourself with turning the scope about one axis — not two simultaneously, as in the alt-az. When an equatorial mount is properly set up, turning the slow-motion control of its polar axis is all that's required to keep an object in view.
More sophisticated mounts, including modern high-tech alt-az mounts, have built-in electric motor drives to do this, freeing you to concentrate on observing.
So is one type of mount better than the other? Not really, since each has its strengths. For the casual observer who wants a highly portable scope that can be quickly set up in a variety of locations, an alt-az is preferable — especially a Dobsonian. An equatorial, while virtually mandatory for most forms of astrophotography and critical observations of the Moon and planets at high power, needs to have its polar axis aligned with the rotational axis of the Earth. While polar alignment is not particularly difficult and becomes routine with practice, it can take a little time at the start of your observing session if you want to do it really precisely (necessary for photography but not for just looking).
Go To Telescopes
Currently in vogue are the computer-controlled Go To scopes appearing on the market in various guises. These have mounts that are controlled either by a built-in computer or remotely by an external PC. This allows you to direct the scope to any object in the computer's database.
At first glance these "Go To" units would appear to be the answer to a novice's dream, since they ostensibly take the hard work out of finding elusive objects like faint galaxies, star clusters, and asteroids. "Hey," you might think, "I don't have to learn the sky!"
But it's not quite like that.
There's no denying that when well engineered (read expensive), these robotic scopes are great fun to use, as they almost magically slew across the sky in search of whatever you've keyed in, zeroing in on the target to be presented in the eyepiece. But this technology is only beginning to mature to the point where these scopes will automatically orient themselves when you take them outside and switch them on.
Almost all Go To systems will ask you to enter the geographical location of your viewing site (or the nearest city) and the date and time at the beginning of each observing session. This lets the onboard computer calculate the positions of any celestial objects you may care to look at. Often you'll also have to level the telescope's tube, point it north (or south in the Southern Hemisphere), and then launch into an alignment procedure that uses two bright stars (which you must know by name) to synchronize the telescope's coordinate system with that of the sky.
It's true that this setup routine is easily mastered with practice. But it does take time. And for someone completely unfamiliar with the sky, the vast majority of the current batch of robotic scopes have the potential to be very frustrating at first. Still, some help is on the way. The newest crop of Go To scopes include their own Global Positioning System devices to at least tell you (and the telescope) exactly where you are and what time it is, making setup a little easier.
Then there's the question of how accurately the mechanical parts actually point the telescope where the electronics think it's pointing. At astronomical magnifications, there is no room here for even very tiny errors — meaning any costcutting in the mechanical design and manufacturing. A cheaply made Go To scope won't work, no matter how fancy the electronics are.
Here's one last thing to keep in mind: the money spent on a Go To scope's electronic mount could be invested in a traditionally mounted scope of larger aperture.
When used at medium to high power, a telescope shows you only a tiny little bit of sky. This make pointing at a target a frustrating process unless the scope has a finder.
As the name suggests, a finder assists you in locating celestial objects. All but the smallest scopes need one. Most common is a miniature telescope attached by a bracket near the eyepiece of the main scope. It has a low magnification and hence a wide field of view, and is equipped with crosshairs like a gunsight. Once you align it correctly with the main scope, centering an object in the crosshairs gets it into the main telescope's view.
You need a reasonably big, high-quality finderscope. Look for one that has an aperture (front lens) larger than an inch (25mm) and appears well-made. Dinky, nearly worthless finders are all too common on cheap telescopes.
A popular alternative is the reflex sight, which projects a point or ring(s) of light on the background sky when you look from behind. Many people prefer this intuitively simple option, but you're limited to naked-eye objects because this type of finder has no magnification and no more light-gathering aperture than the pupil of your eyeball. You can, however, still "star-hop" from naked-eye targets to deep-sky objects using the main scope at its lowest power — if you have sufficiently detailed sky maps.
Can I Photograph What I See?
Assuming you've bought a new scope, it's almost inevitable that you'll wish to use it to capture the beauty of a planetary image on film or to emulate the marvelous gallery of deep-sky photographs that grace magazines such as Sky & Telescope.
In principle there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to, given the necessary equipment, inclination, and time. But it's wise to get used to operating your new scope visually, and learning your way around the sky, before embarking on the astrophotographic adventure.
Photography of the heavens can be incredibly rewarding, but it's as much an art as a science. The learning curve can be steep, the equipment can get expensive, and getting it right can consume a lot of time. While any telescope will permit you to shoot the Moon, for just about everything else you'll need a scope on a very rigid, well-engineered, and precisely driven mount.
Find astrophotography advice from Richard S. Wright, Jr.
Everything Has Its Price
While it may be tempting, resist the urge to buy the cheapest telescope available. Most of these are poor quality optically, mechanically, or both, and will disappoint. If you've a budget of less than $200, consider good binoculars instead.
That said, quality instruments can sometimes be obtained secondhand that an experienced member of your local astronomy club may be willing to check out on your behalf. Or have you considered building one yourself? If you're gifted with your hands and enjoy working in wood, it's possible to buy the optics and make a top-quality Dobsonian reflector yourself. Again, members of your local club may help.
Even if you have lots of money to spend, don't buy the largest, most expensive telescope you can find just yet. Start smaller and more manageable. If you're just learning to identify the constellations, many of the advanced features of a really expensive instrument aren't likely to be any use to you. And remember not to get something too heavy to set up, take down, and store.
And, remember you need more than glass and metal. Be sure to save some of your budget for additional eyepieces to expand the scope's magnification range, a very detailed sky atlas (essential!) and good guidebooks, and any number of other accessories — particularly if you have astrophotography in mind.
Last Thoughts
So, is there a perfect telescope out there waiting for you? Actually, there is — it's the one you'll use most often!
An optically superb but massive refractor will be effectively useless if you can't carry it outside, and the largest Dobsonian will not show you the faintest galaxies if the only place you can use it is a light-polluted parking lot in a city.
Consider carefully what you feel to be your primary observing interest, where you're likely to be able to observe, and what is "portable" to you when learning how to choose a telescope. Weightlifting is good for you, but not everyone enjoys it.
Contact your local astronomy club, which may have observing nights when you can try various scopes and chat with their owners. Don't be shy. Your local club wouldn't have put itself in our database unless they wanted you to call. And consider subscribing to Sky & Telescope for a monthly dose observing advice.
A telescope is a big investment for most people, and the universe is not going away. So take your time to choose your telescope. Use binoculars to get familiar with using star charts and guidebooks to ferret out faint, difficult wonders. Doing this will develop exactly the knowledge and skills that you'll need to use a telescope well. When you do buy, you'll then be more likely to make a decision you're really happy with, and you'll possess an effective key to unlocking a lifetime of cosmic wonders.
It's a clear night — what are you waiting for?
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Environmental Review
Environmental Review is required if your project cannot meet the environmental development standards found in Sections 33.430.140 through 33.430.190 of the Zoning Code. Most properties with environmental zoning are subject to the regulations of Chapter 33.430.
Special districts that always require Environmental Review include the Columbia South Shore Plan District (north of NE Columbia Boulevard and east of NE 82nd) and the Smith and Bybee Lakes Natural Resources Management Area. If your project is in either of these areas, talk with a planner at the Development Services Center. You must complete the Environmental Review before you can obtain a building permit.
Projects in environmental zones in the Columbia South Shore Plan District are subject to the environmental regulations in Chapter 33.515 (Sections 33.515.265 through 33.515.280).
Projects in environmental zones in the Cascade Station/Portland International Center Plan District are subject to the environmental regulations in Chapter 33.508 (Sections 33.508.300 through 33.508.500).
Most environmental reviews, including most environmental violation reviews, are processed through the Type II Procedure. Property Line Adjustments and resource enhancement activities in environmental zones are processed through the Type Ix procedure. Some uses and development in resource areas of the Environmental Protection zones and corrections to some violations are processed through the Type III Procedure.
Type III Environmental Reviews will always require a Pre-Application Conference. Optional Early Assistance Appointments are available to discuss your development plans with an environmental planner prior to submitting a proposal for review.
Information found in Portland Zoning Code Chapter 33.430 will identify the specific environmental regulations which may apply to your proposal. This Zoning Code Subsection can be purchased at the Development Services Center.
- Application for Land Use Reviews - Complete this application form to apply.
- Early Assistance Application - A pre-application conference is required for all Type III Land Use Reviews. An optional Early Assistance appointment may be requested to identify and discuss any major issues that may impact the Environmental Review or Environmental Plancheck process.
- Waiver within 120 days - Sign this form within 21 days of application date to allow submittal of new information if a Type III decision is appealed.
- Environmental Review Application Information - Application submittal requirements with sample site plans and recommendations on how to prepare a written response to approval criteria.
- Environmental Review Submittal Checklist - Use this checklist to prepare Environmental Review applications.
- Environmental Plan Check or Review - Find out if a review or plan check will be required.
- Environmental Plan Check - Submittal requirements for environmental plan check.
- Summary of Procedure Types - Summarizes all procedure types.
- Type Ix Procedure - Outline of timeline for Type Ix Procedures.
- Type II Procedure - Outline of timeline for Type II Procedures.
- Type III Procedure - Outline of timeline for Type III Procedures.
- Portland Plant List - Extensive list of native plants and the various Portland plant communities. All vegetation planted in e-zone resource areas must be native.
- Native Trees on the Portland Plant List - A list of native trees identified by both the scientific and common name.
- Chapter 33.430, Environmental Zones
- Environmental Study Reports and Plans - Use these detailed studies to identify resources and functional valves on your site.
- Environmental Review Application Example
- Chapter 33.515 - Columbia South Shore Plan District
- Chapter 33.508 - Cascade Station/Portland International Plan District
- Fee Schedule for Land Use Reviews - A list of all land use fees.
- Fee Schedule for Land Use Reviews in Unincorporated Multnomah County


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Q: We were taking our Hawkes Bay friends out to the airport the other day and Janice asked what had happened to the wee church on the corner of George Bolt Drive and Ihumatao Rd. Kaye Proctor, Torbay.
During the expansion of Auckland Airport, the Westney Church and the associated Westney Homestead were placed on a temporary site until a suitable home could be found for them. The buildings can be found at the Abbeville Farm Estate, which is situated within the Auckland Airport Business District precinct, in Nixon Rd. It will be used as an events function venue. In 2006, the graves were re-sited, many to Mangere Lawn Cemetery. The names of those buried are recorded on a memorial inside the restored church.
Q: On a daily basis, I turn right into Gavin St from Penrose Rd. Whenever there is a vehicle turning left into Gavin St from Penrose Rd, they without fail give way to me. There is an island dividing my path from that of the left-turning vehicles however they do not have a give way sign. Can you please confirm that I should be giving way? Warren Brown, Northcross.
Contrary to your observation, left-turning traffic from Penrose into Gavin does face a give way sign. Thus, left-turning traffic from Penrose must wait for you.
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Q: I travel home along Aviemore Drive and turn left to go up Highland Park Drive. At this intersection there is a give way sign and painted lines. Most cars waiting opposite to turn right do not realise this. Even when the lane is clear of cars travelling straight through, if I stop to give way, like I should, the cars opposite never move, or wave me through thinking that the new law applies. This normally results in a Mexican stand off and ends with lots of hand and arm waving as well as shaking heads.
Could you please confirm that a) the new give way rule does not apply here as the intersection is controlled by a give way sign, and b) maybe ask to have the give way sign removed as no one gives way there anyway and it would be an easy solution to the issue. Hayden Stephenson, Pakuranga.
You are correct, Mr Stephenson. Traffic turning left from Aviemore into Highland Park must wait for right-turning vehicles, as they face a give way sign, and so the new rule does not apply. Auckland Transport planners might like to consider your suggestion of removal of this sign.