HOYA SWALLOWS PENTAX !

On 2006-12-28 15:09:17 -0600, "jeremy" said:

Pentax saw the handwriting on the wall when Sony introduced DSLRs. A
company known for excellence and innovation in electronics hooks up
with Carl Zeiss, and becomes a major player almost overnight. Pentax
courted Samsung--but Samsung is not thought of as being in the same
league as Sony.

I have a good impression of Samsung. They've done some noteworthy
things in TV sets and monitors. LCD displays are among the hardest
things in the world to manufacture. I seem to recall that Apple owns a
stake in Samsung, and Samsung in turn provides a lot of LCD panels to
Apple -- they aren't known for being poor quality at all.

--
Tony Belding, Hamilton Texas

"Ron Hunter" wrote in message
...
Laurence Payne wrote:
On Fri, 29 Dec 2006 12:56:06 -0700, Bill Funk
wrote:

Don't be quite so condescending.
I never said anything to indicate I am scared. I pointed out that
there are problems with electric cars that most people don't think of,
and that they can be overcome.
And, why would we need to find a way that embraces expensive and
scarce energy? Shouldn't we be looking for a way to embrace
inexpensive and easily available energy?

I first visited America in the early 70s. One thing surprised me. My
hosts were incapable of rational discussion on the subject of
communism. (Which they confused with socialism.) Anyway, they were
frightened of it. I now detect the same regarding energy and
pollution. I'm sure I over-generalise. But I'm definitely detecting
it here.

Communism and socialism are quite similar, differing only in who decides
how goods and services are be distributed, and by whom.

Yup. - I put them in the same bag with liberalism......Or, "Robinhoodism" as
I like to call it....Steal from the rich to give to the poor.......

"Ron Hunter" wrote in message
...
William Graham wrote:
"Ron Hunter" wrote in message
...
William Graham wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
William Graham wrote:

The old and blind are driving right now, even as we speak.....I
thought I
had made that clear. I have been driving all of my life, and I was
never
able to see very well in the dark. I have never been tested by the
DMV or
anyone else for night vision. As a matter of fact, I was turned down
by the
US Navy for pilot training because of, "weak ankles". Later on, I
realized
how lucky I was, because I would have caught the lip of a carrier
during
after dark air-ops and be dead right now, instead of talking to you
guys on
the internet. I am 71 years old, and just passed my DMV eye exam for
another
6 years a few months ago. I will be very lucky if I don't run off the
road
and kill myself and perhaps someone else during the next 6 years.
But,
apparently, you guys aren't listening to me. I am not
alone....Thousands of
retired Californians are coming up here to Oregon to share these dark
streets with me every year.....Sooner or later, one of us is going to
run
off the road and kill you. If I was you, I'd do something about it
before
it's too late.
I, for one, appreciate the warning, and will take appropriate
precautionary measures.

Well, that's a more reasonable answer that that of Ken Lucke, who
apparently thinks I will go away because he puts me in his kill
file.....:^)
I suggest that you institute some program of testing the night
vision of drivers. They will either restrict the driving of those whose
vision is inadequate to daylight hours, or provide better lighting on
the main roads, or both. The tacit assumption that because one can see
and drive very well during daylight hours, they must also be safe night
drivers is very false, and I believe it is high time something was done
about it.
How about a person of 71 years who KNOWS he doesn't see well enough to
drive at night being responsible, and rational, enough to NOT DRIVE AT
NIGHT? Naww, that would entail a person taking responsibility for his
OWN ACTIONS.

Even my older brother, who used to scare me to death by following too
close, has changed his habits since he realizes that at 78 his
responses aren't what they used to be, and now maintains a more sensible
distance from the driver in front of him. He used to adjust his
distance so that he couldn't see their license plate! CRAZY!

But he still drives, right? - And there's a good reason for that....He
can't get where he needs to go ANY OTHER WAY.
Do you think there's a message in there somewhere?
Look. We can make this personal, and about me. Or we can extend the
problem to where it really needs to be....To a general problem that's not
getting any better that affects the whole society. I partially solved my
problem this New Year's Eve by getting a motel room in Silverton, so I
will only have to drive 4 miles after dark, instead of 20. but not
everyone can afford, or is willing to go that far. And I will still have
to drive over 4 miles after dark this Sunday evening. My motel room will
cost me about $80.....
Actually, he drives quite well now, and should he not feel able to get
there himself, he has a daughter who would be happy to drive him, and,
since he lives in Chicago suburbs, he has train, taxi, limo, and bus
service to call upon. He plans to stop driving when he turns 80 (his
current license expires then), or when he feels he isn't able to do so
safely.

Well, that's wise.....I do much the same thing....Whenever I can, I turn the
driving over to someone else at night. But it's not always possible.....The
young people who could help me out are very unreliable, and, as I said
before, our society is individual transportation oriented.

"Ron Hunter" wrote in message
...
William Graham wrote:
"Laurence Payne" lpayne1NOSPAM@dslDOTpipexDOTcom wrote in message
...
On Thu, 28 Dec 2006 02:36:37 -0800, "William Graham"
wrote:

Well, I claim
that the cars of the future will run on electricity.....Some
combination of
storage batteries and/or on board generators that don't burn gasoline
will
power them. Or, they may pick up power from the roads they run on. But
however they do it, they will be an individual transportation system
that is
capable of taking one or more individuals to their specific
destination, and
not be a mass transit system. Furthermore, it will happen as soon as it
is
economically necessary, and not a minute before.
You're focusing on the means of power delivery. Now apply your mighty
intellect to where the power is going to ultimately come from.

That was solved over 50 years ago.....Nuclear power......Right now, 60%
pf the power we use here in the US comes from burning coal. For some
crazy reason, we are way behind on the utilization of nuclear
power....That will have to change......
It won't, because uneducated people have been so scared by those who have
financial interest in other fuels that they go bonkers at the mere mention
of nuclear power.
I gas-powered plant can blow up and it gets 3 inches on page 20, but let a
valve malfunction in a nuclear plant, and it is front page news.

Yes.....It is estimated that the air pollution caused by the coal plants
that supply that 60% of our electric power have killed many times the people
who might have died from nuclear accidents.....But I guess people would
rather die from a known predictable source than take a chance on the
unknown.........I wonder what they think is wrong with cloned meat? If the
parent cow was nice and tender, then so will all its clones be.........

"Michael" wrote in message
...

"William Graham" wrote in message
. ..
Look. We can make this personal, and about me. Or we can extend the
problem to where it really needs to be....To a general problem that's not
getting any better that affects the whole society. I partially solved my
problem this New Year's Eve by getting a motel room in Silverton, so I
will only have to drive 4 miles after dark, instead of 20. but not
everyone can afford, or is willing to go that far. And I will still have
to drive over 4 miles after dark this Sunday evening. My motel room will
cost me about $80.....

This is about YOU taking responsibility for YOURSELF not US taking
responsibility for you.
Bill, you know you have a problem driving after dark yet you continue to
do so.
IF I were in your position I would do what ever I needed to avoid driving
at night.
We are ALL responsible for our own action, no if ans or buts.

An $80 motel room is the best I can do this time.....Normally, My wife would
be here to drive me, but she is down in California visiting her
grandchildren.........The road between Mt. Angel and Silverton is straight
as an arrow, and pretty easy to negotiate. I won't have any problem......

"Laurence Payne" lpayne1NOSPAM@dslDOTpipexDOTcom wrote in message
...
On Fri, 29 Dec 2006 18:37:20 -0800, "Michael"
wrote:

This is about YOU taking responsibility for YOURSELF not US taking
responsibility for you.
Bill, you know you have a problem driving after dark yet you continue to
do
so.
IF I were in your position I would do what ever I needed to avoid driving
at
night.
We are ALL responsible for our own action, no if ans or buts.

Yeah. Strange mixture of pioneer spirit and gimmee-gimmee client of
socialism. I HOPE he's just trolling :-)

I told you guys the problem, hoping you might try to do something about it,
but I can see I just wasted my time. You insist on personalizing
everything....The problem has been here since long before me, and it will be
here long after I am gone. It is you who are turning your backs on it, and
it is you who will intimately suffer for it. As of now, I am washing my
hands of it.....I will post no more about it.

"William Graham" wrote in message
. ..
Look. We can make this personal, and about me. Or we can extend the
problem to where it really needs to be....To a general problem that's not
getting any better that affects the whole society. I partially solved my
problem this New Year's Eve by getting a motel room in Silverton, so I
will only have to drive 4 miles after dark, instead of 20. but not
everyone can afford, or is willing to go that far. And I will still have
to drive over 4 miles after dark this Sunday evening. My motel room will
cost me about $80.....

This is about YOU taking responsibility for YOURSELF not US taking
responsibility for you.
Bill, you know you have a problem driving after dark yet you continue to do
so.
IF I were in your position I would do what ever I needed to avoid driving at
night.
We are ALL responsible for our own action, no if ans or buts.

William Graham wrote:
"Ron Hunter" wrote in message
...
Laurence Payne wrote:
On Fri, 29 Dec 2006 12:56:06 -0700, Bill Funk
wrote:

Don't be quite so condescending.
I never said anything to indicate I am scared. I pointed out that
there are problems with electric cars that most people don't think of,
and that they can be overcome.
And, why would we need to find a way that embraces expensive and
scarce energy? Shouldn't we be looking for a way to embrace
inexpensive and easily available energy?
I first visited America in the early 70s. One thing surprised me. My
hosts were incapable of rational discussion on the subject of
communism. (Which they confused with socialism.) Anyway, they were
frightened of it. I now detect the same regarding energy and
pollution. I'm sure I over-generalise. But I'm definitely detecting
it here.
Communism and socialism are quite similar, differing only in who decides
how goods and services are be distributed, and by whom.

Yup. - I put them in the same bag with liberalism......Or, "Robinhoodism" as
I like to call it....Steal from the rich to give to the poor.......


Or government: Steal from everyone, and keep it. Grin.

William Graham wrote:
"Michael" wrote in message
...
"William Graham" wrote in message
. ..
Look. We can make this personal, and about me. Or we can extend the
problem to where it really needs to be....To a general problem that's not
getting any better that affects the whole society. I partially solved my
problem this New Year's Eve by getting a motel room in Silverton, so I
will only have to drive 4 miles after dark, instead of 20. but not
everyone can afford, or is willing to go that far. And I will still have
to drive over 4 miles after dark this Sunday evening. My motel room will
cost me about $80.....

This is about YOU taking responsibility for YOURSELF not US taking
responsibility for you.
Bill, you know you have a problem driving after dark yet you continue to
do so.
IF I were in your position I would do what ever I needed to avoid driving
at night.
We are ALL responsible for our own action, no if ans or buts.

An $80 motel room is the best I can do this time.....Normally, My wife would
be here to drive me, but she is down in California visiting her
grandchildren.........The road between Mt. Angel and Silverton is straight
as an arrow, and pretty easy to negotiate. I won't have any problem......


Yes, I just looked at it on GoogleEarth, and it is quite straight, and
not a long way. Now if no one pulls out in front of you on a tractor.....

Ron Hunter wrote:
William Graham wrote:

That was solved over 50 years ago.....Nuclear power......Right now, 60% pf
the power we use here in the US comes from burning coal. For some crazy
reason, we are way behind on the utilization of nuclear power....That will
have to change......


It won't, because uneducated people have been so scared by those who
have financial interest in other fuels that they go bonkers at the mere
mention of nuclear power.
I gas-powered plant can blow up and it gets 3 inches on page 20, but let
a valve malfunction in a nuclear plant, and it is front page news.

Agreed, but it raises the interesting question of exactly what is the
financial interest that the big media conglomerates have in helping to
prevent the building of safe, economical, and clean nuclear power
plants in the U.S......