Heat of the Moment, Surf's Down, -and- To Protect and Serve

Heat of the Moment - world misled over glacier meltdown
Surf's Down - New York Times prepares to charge online readers
To Protect and Serve - Ohio prison guard fired after teen's suicide attempt ignored

On this day in history: January 18, 1990 - Washington DC mayor Marion Barry is arrested on cocaine possession charges at the Vista International Hotel, as he tokes on a glass crack pipe while being videotaped with his mistress Rasheeda.

Born on this day in history: January 18, 1955 - Kevin Costner (1955 - ) Born in Compton, California, actor Kevin Costner gained fame in Bull Durham (1988) and Field of Dreams (1989). He directed and starred in the epic film Dances With Wolves (1990), which won seven Oscars. In addition to his successful film career, Costner formed the country band Modern West, which began touring in 2009.

Scripture of the Day: No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. - 1 Corinthians 10:13

Video of the Day: RC SR-71 Jet - submitted by Jay

Imagine my surprise when I encountered this scene while water skiing Lake Corning this morning! Click to enlarge.

RAIN! It has been raining continuously since Saturday night, and if the forecasts are correct, it will rain for many more days. Fortunately, it is relatively warm (51° currently), and there is no wind. I shall (attempt not to) complain!

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Slither, Jury Duty, -and- Heat of the Moment

Slither - man arrested after stroll with python
Jury Duty - court orders passers-by to serve
Heat of the Moment - global-warming protest frosted with snow

On this day in history: January 18, 1991 - The United States admits that the CIA paid Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega over $300,000 during his career as undercover narc.

Born on this day in history: January 18, 1955 - Kevin Costner (1955– ) Born in Compton, CA, actor Kevin Costner gained fame in "Bull Durham" (1988) and "Field of Dreams" (1989). He directed and starred in epic film "Dances With Wolves" (1990), which won seven Oscars. Costner has gone on to starring roles in numerous films.

Scripture of the Day: For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. - 1 Peter 1:18-19

Video of the Day: Nikon D3 Preview!

Mr. D3 has arrived! He is wonderful well beyond the limits of the human imagination! Click to enlarge.

Recommended Sites:
Nikon Photographer Forum - a free forum for photography enthusiasts
Corning California Message Board - a free message board for Corning
Olive Hut Blog - specials, olive news, recipes, and more

The Saga of the Nikon D3: (NOTE: The following took place yesterday.) On September 12, 2007, I pre-ordered a Nikon D3 Digital SLR body to replace my Nikon D1 Digital SLR body (available in the For Sale Forum on this board). Because I am a certified Nikon Professional Services member, my order was prioritized by Nikon. Nikon would ship a D3 body to the seller (Ritz Camera) under my name, when the camera became available. The camera began shipping in late December, and my position on the NPS list arose this week. Nikon shipped a D3 body to Ritz Camera, and Ritz Camera shipped it to me two days ago.

So far, so good, you are thinking. Ah!

I tracked the shipment and was understandably upset when tracking this morning resulted in the status showing "no one at home - delivery not made"! I raced to my house and retrieved the FedEx door tag. Yikes! Apparently, Ritz Camera was unable to differentiate between "billing address" and "shipping address" and was further unable to read the shipping directions from the NPS directive.

I scanned the FedEx door tag and emailed it to Laura. She called a few minutes ago to say that she had successfully retrieved the 8-pound (!) package from the FedEx depot at the airport in Chico on her way home from her position as Executive Assistant to the owner of Sierra Nevada.

I am now able to relax for the first time since 10 AM this morning, when I received the abhorrent status report.

I told Laura how relieved I was, and she said, "Look on the bright side. They could have left it on the doorstep, and somebody could have grabbed it." That certainly made me appreciate the way things took place. The thought of some scofflaw selling my $5,000 camera body to buy meth conjured an image that I shall not soon forget.