Free Republic

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger lit the fuse on his promise to blow up the boxes of state government with the release last week of the massive, 2,500-page California Performance Review report. Many Sacramento insiders, including legislators and advocacy groups opposed to the reforms, are already frantically trying to stamp out that fuse. They say it won't work, reforms can't be made. Others say the report, like so many reports before, will simply end up in the dustbin of failed government reform efforts. But there's a difference this time: Schwarzenegger himself. "Of course there will be the special interests that will be...

A research team at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has created a new type of reflector that has dramatically improved the luminance of LEDs (light-emitting diodes). The US National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded the research team a three-year $210,000 grant to move the patented omni-directional reflector to market. 'We have developed an omni-directional reflector (ODR) for LEDs that will accelerate the replacement of conventional lighting used for a multitude of applications, such as lighting in homes, businesses, museums, airports, and on streets,' said Fred Schubert, a Professor of the Future Chips Constellation at Rensselaer who is heading the research effort. Increasingly...

Canyon drive gets holidays glowing BY JANE ALDRED AVALANCHE-JOURNAL Touring the Lights in the Canyon is a great way to kick off the holiday season, said Susan Upchurch, who had just completed the two-mile drive through Mackenzie Park with her husband, Dan. "It sets the town in a mood for Christmas," Upchurch said. "I think this is great to bring to the city of Lubbock." Dan Upchurch said he believes the display is a great idea for the city. "It's spectacular," he said. Event organizers from Broadway Festivals Inc. expected several hundred people to view the lights Tuesday night, the...