Coolpix P510 Digital Camera

Posted December 26, 2012

A few weeks ago I caught a pretty good deal on a Nikon Coolpix P510 camera. I have been using both my cell phone camera and a couple of 4 and 6 megapixel pocket size point and shoot type cameras for a quite a while.  The 4 megapixel camera was purchased on a close out about 6 years ago for sixty nine bucks.  Both of these small cameras work great for a quick snap shot, but they really lack in capability on the flash and on their zoom lenses. Some of the cheaper pocket cameras use a strictly digital zoom system that doesn’t even have an actual zoom lens.  I tend to avoid those type cameras because their photos get very pixely as you zoom in.  These small cameras have very small lenses that just don’t have enough glass in them to do a good job at the extremes of the zoom range.

I had read some reviews of the P510 when it first came out and was quite impressed with the features of the camera.  I also liked the fact that it was a Nikon as I have gotten used to the Nikon user interface.  Nikon does a pretty good job of making even their inexpensive  cameras with similar user interfaces.

Anyway, I have been taking some photos with the P510 and really like both the pop up flash and the zoom lens. I really like the range of the zoom lens. It goes from a 40mm (equivalent) to 1000mm!

Here are three photos of the beach at St. Augustine.  You can click on the thumbnail to see a bigger version.  I suggest that you do to see some additional detail in the photos.  I have sized these photos to 1200 X 900 pixels and 150 pixels per inch, so they are no where near full res, but to they do illustrate the capability of the zoom lens.

Coolpix P510 at full wide zoom. Look close at the right side of the road going toward the beach, there is a blue SUV parked there. Hard to see at full zoom.

 

P150 zoomed to see the SUV parked on the beach. Can’t quite read the tag, but you can read the speed limit sign very well.

 

Here we are at full zoom. Notice the speed limit sign and the birds on the beach. In the full wide you couldn’t even really see the birds.

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Labor Unions Special Privileges

Posted December 19, 2012

Are you aware of the fact that Labor union officials enjoy many extraordinary powers and immunities that were created by legislatures and the courts. Union officials claim to rely on the support of rank-and-file workers. Yet, they clamor in the political arena to secure and expand their government-granted powers, including the powers to shake down workers for financial support and even to wage campaigns of violent retaliation against non-union employees.

The following list of special privileges reveals the extent to which union bosses have rigged our nation’s labor laws in their favor.

Privilege #1: Exemption from prosecution for union violence.

The most egregious example of organized labor’s special privileges and immunities is the 1973 United States v. Enmons decision. In it, the United States Supreme Court held that union violence is exempted from the Hobbs Act, which makes it a federal crime to obstruct interstate commerce by robbery or extortion. As a result, thousands of incidents of violent assaults (directed mostly against workers) by union militants have gone unpunished. Meanwhile, many states also restrict the authority of law enforcement to enforce laws during strikes.
Privilege #2: Exemption from anti-monopoly laws.

The Clayton Act of 1914 exempts unions from anti-monopoly laws, enabling union officials to forcibly drive out independent or alternative employee bargaining groups.
Privilege #3: Power to force employees to accept unwanted union representation.

Monopoly bargaining, or “exclusive representation,” which is embedded in most of the country’s labor relations statutes, enables union officials to act as the exclusive bargaining agents of all employees at a unionized workplace, thereby depriving employees of the right to make their own employment contracts. For example, the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) of 1935, the Federal Labor Relations Act (FLRA) of 1978, and the Railway Labor Act (RLA) of 1926 prohibit employees from negotiating their own contracts with their employers or choosing their own workplace representatives.
Privilege #4: Power to collect forced union dues.

Unlike other private organizations, unions can compel individuals to support them financially. In 27 states under the NLRA (those that have not passed Right to Work laws), all states under the RLA, on “exclusive federal enclaves,” and in many states under public sector labor relations acts, employees may be forced to pay union dues as a condition of employment, even if they reject union affiliation.
Privilege #5: Unlimited, undisclosed electioneering.

The Federal Election Campaign Act exempts unions from its limits on campaign contributions and expenditures, as well as some of its reporting requirements. Union bigwigs can spend unlimited amounts on communications to members and their families in support of, or opposition to, candidates for federal office, and they need not report these expenditures if they successfully claim that union publications are primarily devoted to other subjects. For years, the politically active National Education Association (NEA) teacher union has gotten away with claiming zero political expenditures on its IRS tax forms!
Privilege #6: Ability to strong-arm employers into negotiations.

Unlike all other parties in the economic marketplace, union officials can compel employers to bargain with them. The NLRA, FLRA, and RLA make it illegal for employers to resist a union’s collective bargaining efforts and difficult for them to counter aggressive and deceptive campaigns waged by union organizers.
Privilege #7: Right to trespass on an employer’s private property.

The Norris-LaGuardia Act of 1932 (and state anti-injunction acts) give union activists immunity from injunctions against trespass on an employer’s property.
Privilege #8: Ability of strikers to keep jobs despite refusing to work.

Unlike other employees, unionized employees in the private sector have the right to strike; that is, to refuse to work while keeping their job. In some cases, it is illegal for employers to hire replacement workers, even to avert bankruptcy. Meanwhile, union officials demonize replacement workers as “scabs” to set them up for retaliation.
Privilege #9: Union-only cartels on construction projects.

Under so-called project labor agreements, governments (local, state, or federal) award contracts for construction on major projects such as highways, airports, and stadiums exclusively to unionized firms. Such practices effectively lock-out qualified contractors and employees who refuse to submit to exclusive union bargaining, forced union dues, and wasteful union work rules. So far, just three states have outlawed these discriminatory and costly union-only pacts.
Privilege #10: Government funding of forced unionism.

On top of all of the special powers and immunities granted to organized labor, politicians even pour taxpayer money straight into union coffers. Union groups receive upwards of $160 million annually in direct federal grants. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In 2001, the federal Department of Labor doled out $148 million for “international labor programs” overwhelmingly controlled by an AFL-CIO front group. Federal bureaucrats spend approximately $2.6 billion per year on “job training programs” that, under the Workforce Investment Act, must be administered by boards filled with union officials. Union bosses also benefit from a plethora of state and local government giveaways.
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One year ago today

Posted November 23, 2012

One year ago today, the Friday after thanksgiving, I put the last piece of carpet in the Corvette. That doesn’t sound like a really big deal, but let me know how you feel after replacing the carpet in a Corvette! It is a big job because of all the small pieces of carpet that have to be fitted and glued. Not to mention all of those glued pieces of carpet that have to be removed from the car and the interior trim panels. It is a job.  I ordered the carpet in July and it arrived in August.  When the weather cooled off a little bit in September I started on the project.  I figured a couple of weekends, maybe three, I would be done.  Little did I know!

We had a good summer with the car. Got to do some shows and picked up a trophy. Hopefully we will get to do some more next summer. The car shows have wound down for the year. There are still some year round cruise ins this time of year but even those are pretty slim. It doesn’t completely shut down like it does in some parts of the country, but there isn’t much going on this time of year.

So, today’s project is to pull the car out and wash it and then pull it back in the garage and put the cover on it. Won’t get driven much from now till the spring. A few trips, but I will wait until after all the fallen leaves have gone away, they really clog up the radiator.

Here is a couple of photos of the interior, one with it gutted, the other after it was finished.

Later

Interior gutted and ready to be cleaned up

 

Interior completed!

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Apple is doing what?

Posted May 5, 2012

You would never guess that Apple, the darling of the left, is avoiding paying taxes.   In fact, they have set the standard for other companies to avoid paying taxes.

Apple has set up their operations in states that have low or no corporate income taxes.  Yes, Apple, the darling of the left, is avoiding taxes.   Well, why not, they are after all a company and their goal is to make a profit.   Taxes are cost, and costs cut into profit.

Read more at The Tea Party Economist.

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The Mitty Challenge – Road Atlanta

Posted April 29, 2012

I had the opportunity to attend the Mitty Challenge at Road Atlanta this weekend. Barbara and I went last year and had a really good time. The Mitty is sports car racing on the excellent and challenging road course at Road Atlanta.

Barbara was getting over the flu this weekend and didn’t want to spend the day at the races.  So, my friend Kim came met me that and we enjoyed the day.  The racing was good.  We found a good spot to set up our chairs and watch the qualifying and the races.  Not only did we watch the races, I signed up for the Track Tour when you get the opportunity to drive on the track during the lunch break. That was a lot of fun, to get out on the road course with the Corvette.  Here’s a photo of me and my friend Kim circulating around turn one at Road Atlanta.

Cruising through turn 1 at Road Atlanta - Click thumbnail to see a larger photo

 

We had a good day watching the races, touring the track and eating BBQ !

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