| Top picks for cameras, camcorders and related equipment
Mid-range: Olympus Evolt E-510 ($650). The 10 megapixel E-510 has image stabilization, a dust removal system and 19 scene modes. A big plus is Live View, which lets users compose shots using the LCD screen (most SLR digital cameras require using the eyepiece viewfinder for shooting to conserve battery life). Uses compact flash cards, micro drives or xD cards. Includes rechargeable lithium ion battery pack. Splurge: Nikon D300 ($1,700). The high-resolution 12.3 megapixel D300 is fast on the draw, with six frames per second, and has a self-cleaning dust sensor. Exceptionally accurate 51-point scene recognition metering system quickly tracks for automatic focus, exposure and white balance. Compose pictures with the eyepiece viewfinder or the 3-inch LCD screen, a first for Nikon digital SLRs.
California flora surpass muster in Fort Bragg
FORT BRAGG, Calif. - By the time you've driven this far north of San Francisco (more than three hours), the ocean's rhythmic thunder against the cliffs lining Highway 1 has hammered your senses into a state of numb awe. Along the way, you perhaps visited the gorgeous, if touristy, seaside village of Mendocino and sated your palate and your shopping habit. Following the highway a little farther north into this more workaday town, it is easy to miss the entrance to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, although it is right beside the highway. But even those who don't know a dahlia from a calla lily will find it worthwhile to seek out this small but extraordinary public garden. Beyond the fence that screens the site from the parking lot, visitors can pay a modest fee for a map, which outlines a looping trail through more than 20 plant collections on a 47-acre tract.
SMU, Bush Foundation approve presidential library
From the Worldwide Faith News archives www.wfn.org [UMNS-ALL-NEWS] UMNS# 076-SMU, Bush Foundation approve presidential library From NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>
Date Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:24:27 -0600
SMU, Bush Foundation approve presidential library Feb. 22, 2008 NOTE: Photographs are available at http://umns.umc.org. A UMNS Report By Marta W. Aldrich Thanking U.S. President George W. Bush for entrusting Southern Methodist University with an important national resource, the school's board of trustees unanimously approved an agreement to locate the Bush presidential library, museum and policy institute on the Dallas campus. The Feb. 22 vote came hours after an official announcement that the Bush Presidential Library Foundation had chosen the United Methodist-related school as home of the planned facility.
guardian of the galaxy
Suppose yourself a National Basketball Association lottery pick. Suppose further that you are blessed with a big body but are somewhat limited (Im being kind here!) in skills. Say your rookie year free throw percentage was a reeking 59%. That aint just malodorous that kind of stench from the line should trigger an OSHA investigation. The HAZMAT guys shouldve been sent in to clean up the site! Say further that you have no shot; you must be within 5 feet of the hoop to score. In plain talk: you cant hit the side of a barn with a Gatling gun even if you are inside the barn. If you were being paid kajillions of dollars, would you dedicate a few minutes each summer to honing those skills and your craft? If that question seems rhetorical, consider the career statistics of a certain overpaid NBA athlete.
Gilmore's gold in first round
WORLD champion Stephanie Gilmore swooped into the new season as the pacesetter in round 1 of the Roxy Pro surfing tournament on the Gold Coast yesterday. The 20-year-old Snapper Rocks board rider posted 15.84 points, the day's top heat score, which included the best ride in good 1.2m waves at Duranbah Beach. Gilmore was the outstanding surfer of the 2008 world tour launch, beating 15-year-old Hawaiian prodigy and Roxy Trials winner Carissa Moore. She said she was relieved to finally don a contest shirt after a blur of commitments as world champion. "It's been a bit crazy with all the awards and activities and stuff, but it felt good to get back in the water," Gilmore said. "I guess I was a bit rusty at the beginning, but I started gaining more and more confidence throughout the heat and felt pretty good by the end." Local knowledge helped Gilmore pick the best waves and take command of the heat.
Aging arena
We just missed out on Hannah Montana because we were 2,000 seats short. "I'm saying in five to 10 years we need to be moving on it. We have to be moving down the road." To comment on this story, call Kareem Copeland at (601) 961-7190. .
Michael Clayton
Oceans Thirteen, Good Night, and Good Luck, Syriana) is an in-house fixer at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. At the behest of the firms co-founder Marty Bach (Pollack; Eyes Wide Shut, Cold Mountain, Tootsie), Clayton takes care of Kenner, Bach & Ledeens dirtiest work. .
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