And once again another example of the most transparent administration in history. This guy and his lackeys are a pathetic joke!

The White House has rejected a request to publicly disclose documents relating to the kinds of security software and computer systems behind the federal health care exchange website on the grounds that the information could "potentially" be used by hackers.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services denied a Freedom of Information Act request made late last year by the Associated Press amid concerns that Republicans raised about the security of the website, which had technical glitches that prevented millions of people from signing up for insurance under ObamaCare.

In denying access to the documents, including what's known as a site security plan, Medicare told the AP that disclosing them could violate health-privacy laws because it might give hackers enough information to break into the service.

"We concluded that releasing this information would potentially cause an unwarranted risk to consumers' private information," CMS spokesman Aaron Albright said in a statement.

The AP is asking the government to reconsider. Obama instructed federal agencies in 2009 to not keep information confidential "merely because public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure, because errors and failures might be revealed, or because of speculative or abstract fears." Yet the government, in its denial of the AP request, speculates that disclosing the records could possibly, but not assuredly or even probably, give hackers the keys they need to intrude.

Even when the government concludes that records can't be fully released, Attorney General Eric Holder has directed agencies to consider whether parts of the files can be revealed with sensitive passages censored. CMS told the AP it will not release any parts of any of the records.

The government's decision highlights problems as it grapples with a 2011 Supreme Court decision that significantly narrowed a provision under open records law that protected an agency's internal practices. Federal agencies have tried to use other, more creative routes to keep information censored.

In addition to citing potential health-privacy violations, the government cited exemptions intended to protect personal privacy and law-enforcement records, although the agency did not explain what files about the health care website had been compiled for law-enforcement purposes. Some open-government advocates were skeptical.

"Here you have an example of an agency resorting to a far-fetched privacy claim in an unprecedented attempt to bridge this legal gap and, in the process, making it even worse by going overboard in withholding such records in their entireties," said Dan Metcalfe, a former director of the Justice Department's office of information and privacy who's now at American University's law school.

Keeping details about lockdown practices confidential is generally derided by information technology experts as "security through obscurity." Disclosing some types of information could help hackers formulate break-in strategies, but other facts, such as numbers of break-ins or descriptions of how systems store personal data, are commonly shared in the private sector. "Security practices aren't private information," said David Kennedy, an industry consultant who testified before Congress last year about HealthCare.gov's security.

Last year, the AP found that CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner took the unusual step of signing the operational security certificate for HealthCare.gov herself, even as her agency's security professionals balked. That memo said incomplete testing created uncertainties that posed a potentially high security risk for the website. It called for a six-month "mitigation" program, including ongoing monitoring and testing. The site has since passed a full security test.

Government cyber-security experts were also worried that state computers linking to a federal system that verifies the personal information of insurance applicants were vulnerable to attack. About a week before the launch of HealthCare.gov, a federal review found significant differences in states' readiness. The administration says the concerns about state systems have been addressed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Well looking back through the thread it is hard to put your statement into context, you were responding to Artz who is a progressive leaning liberal who was being critical of conservatives suggesting that not supporting the president and the dems going after corps is tantamount to not supporting his laundry list of items that money would support. As far as wasteful spending goes, I am sure that you are correct in stating that vets depend on the VA, but that hardly means that the VA is beyond reproach.

Take everything ... the one thing you leave home will be the thing you want when you get there ... of course be aware that this comes from a lady that hikes everywhere with her 30 pound pack .. tripod strapped on the back and I have 5 camera batteries, my remotes with extra AAA batteries, my flash with extra eneloop batteries, a full frame camera and four lenses, and some cleaning supplies, and a water bottle, and a pump bottle of bug spray, and a tarp in case of rain. I hiked from sun up to sun down for a week carrying all that stuff and I used every bit of it except the flash. I'm seriously considering a lighter tripod. I was a little sore when I got home. ;)

Like many I am a digital pack rat but I have a flaw as far as pack rat goes, every so and then I 'clean' meaning I savagely cut on the clutter.

Between yesterday and this early afternoon I killed 5,395 pictures, some as old as 2004.

I use the criteria:
Old
No real interest (ordinary, out of the mill)
Poor workmanship (out of focus, under/over exposed)
Duplicates (too close to another more recent, especially flowers and insects)
Will never be used (pattern background shot during some unrelated event)

So, from over 29k in pictures and PSD files I went to just about 24k...

What would be YOUR criteria to clean up your own pictures?

Hello, my name is Billie and I am a novice. Several years ago I wanted a DSLR, but didn't know much about them, The lady at the camera store sold me an Olympus Evolt e-510 because she insisted it was the best for me. I took her class, but never really got the hang of getting good photo's using manual. Basically, I used the camera less and less, because I set it on automatic and didn't get good inside photo's, and when I went on vacation I took a little pocket camera.

I am now wanting a better lens, or better camera and lens so that I can take photo's in a gym. My son plays basketball, and I really want those great action shots. A friend has a Canon Rebel that takes good photo's, but the salesperson at the camera store said that Nikon is better. And the lens she suggested was a Tamron 70-200. Now I am confused. I asked her if I could buy a new lens for my Olympus and she acted like it was a crap camera. lol.

So, could anyone tell me what I need to get good action photo's in a gym?

Thank you for your time.
Billie

I haven't noticed any vignetting with the SX50 and the focus doesn't seem 'soft' to me unless I just miss the focus! And you can go into the setup to adjust saturation/contrast/sharpness/etc.

If you do go shopping for the SX50, and think about buying it, check out Amazon.com for the price first. Then if you have a BestBuy or something similar you may be able to get a 'price match' on it. I did that and got it for $389!!! I didn't tell the BestBuy people, but I did all my handling of it at Walmart. Then I asked Walmart if they would price match to Amazon.com and they said no, so I told them I was going to go over to Best Buy to make my purchase!! :lol: :lol:

We are also taking a trip to Alaska next week, 7 days land adventure & 7 days on a cruise, inside passage. I also have questions about what lens to take with me. Never been to Alaska & don't know what to expect.

I will be using a 7D Canon. Have 2 kit lens - 18 - 135 & 70 - 300. A 10 - 22, 17 - 55 and a Tamron 150 - 600.

Thinking about taking the 150 - 600, the 10 - 22, the 17 55 ... not sure if the 70 - 300 & the 18 - 135 will be necessary. I always seem to bring too many lens when traveling. Any thoughts?