Cuba may be far from perfect, but they do indeed have a lot more going for them economically, educationally, etc. than a number of their Caribbean neighbors. Actually, John, you don't have the right to post/say anything you want on this forum. There are a number of rules, and while not all are consistantly enforced, one can be banned from participating here if one posts in a manner considered inappropriate by the site managers. Yep, it's America, and we have to right to free speech, but we don't have the right to say or do whatever we want wherever and whenever we want. Some things are appropriate in some places, but not in others. A guy in a Speedo at the pool is fine, but I don't want my little daughter's school teacher coming to work in such attire. When we're on someone else's turf, we have to play by their rules...and in this case, majority rule can be a good thing. When others share similar standards, it makes for a place where we feel comfortable. (Now, arresting someone for wearing an anti-war T-shirt is unconscionable, but that's another matter!) As to being a religious thing, I believe the poster who initiated thread this is an agnostic.

i am a big fan of canon i had a sony point & shoot and wounld never buy sony again from yahoo shopping couldn't get the link to work Digital cameras Some big-camera features come in strikingly small packages from ConsumerReports.org November 2006 More than 30 percent of U.S. households have yet to switch from film, and millions more are seeking a second, or even third digital camera, so this should be a hot holiday season for digitals. Manufacturers are responding by crowding more capabilities into smaller, lighter, more stylish models. And they're adding special twists such as water resistance, large-type icons for the eyesight challenged, and--in one case--even a slimming feature that claims to take 10 pounds off your subject's image. This guide, along with the Ratings, can help you find the right camera. Noteworthy cameras examines three new models that arrived too late for us to fully test and rate in this report. Match the size to your needs Virtually all digital cameras take decent pictures these days. In choosing one, first decide if your priority is small size or extra photographic power and flexibility. A few models strive to offer it all, but none do so without compromise. Small cameras continue to shrink and grow sleeker, and many have an LCD large enough to dominate the camera's rear side, even as their resolution keeps growing. Five megapixels is already considered minimal resolution, and 7 or 8 is offered by a small but growing band. Other features trickling down from large models to a few small ones include zoom ranges larger than 3x, image stabilization, and manual controls. One familiar feature may soon be on the endangered list: the optical viewfinder. Meanwhile, larger and more powerful cameras keep gaining new capabilities and, in some cases, growing cheaper. Some advanced compacts--cameras that offer extensive controls and higher-than-entry-level resolution while retaining the convenience of a built-in lens--rival some SLRs and weigh nearly as much. Resolution now runs between 8 and 10 megapixels, and the ability to save images as a RAW file is standard. (A RAW file contains the captured image before it has been processed by the camera's built-in software and gives you maximum flexibility in controlling things such as sharpness and color balance.) More super-zooms, with optical zoom ranges 10x or greater, feature optical or mechanical image stabilizers. Most of these cameras are bulky and weigh a pound or more. However, innovative designs make a couple of models smaller and much lighter than the rest, heralding a new day for this type of camera. SLRs, once limited to those on champagne budgets, are increasing in resolution and coming down in price; several are now available for less than $1,000. Recently, three manufacturers--Sony, Nikon, and Canon--all introduced 10-megapixel models in that price range, thereby upping the ante in the growing competition for serious photographers. CR's take. Compacts are the mainstream cameras, with the capabilities most people need, for as little as $200 for a fine performer. Choose a subcompact if you're willing to pay extra, and can accept a few compromises, to be able to carry it in your pocket. Get an advanced compact if you want lots of control over exposure and the image but prefer a built-in lens. Go for a super-zoom if you want to shoot closeups of distant subjects. Spring for an SLR if you must have it all, are willing to lug around that much weight, and can afford separate lenses. For more specifics see Types. Don't overspend on resolution Most new cameras now offer at least 5 megapixels of resolution, though a few older, 4-megapixel models may linger in stores. Buying more than 5 megapixels costs less than it used to, but you'll still pay $30 to $50 per additional megapixel for a basic compact camera and a bit more for a higher-resolution subcompact. More megapixels usually translate into more picture detail. But beyond 5 megapixels, you're unlikely to see the difference unless you crop images heavily or make poster-size prints. Even with the 8x10 prints we use for our tests, high resolution doesn't assure high overall print quality, since other factors, such as lens quality, affect the score. With small cameras, high resolution can impose trade-offs in picture quality, especially in low-light conditions. Our Ratings illustrate this: Only a third of the highest-resolution (7- or 8-megapixel) subcompacts produced excellent prints, compared with more than half the 5-megapixel models. And while a few subcompact cameras now offer ISO settings of 800 for handheld shooting in dim light, the resulting shots are often grainy and noticeably worse than those from SLRs at similar or even higher ISO settings and the best (expensive) point-and-shoots. CR's take. A 5-megapixel camera should provide all the resolution most people need. If you often crop or blow up your images into posters, get at least 7 megapixels. If you're attracted to a particular subcompact or compact because of its high ISO settings, check our Ratings or make sure you can return it at no cost if its handheld low-light performance is disappointing. If you need both high resolution (greater than 5 megapixels) and impeccable quality, focus on the advanced compacts and SLRs that had excellent print or image quality in our tests. Weigh zoom range trade-offs Another feature to consider carefully is a zoom range that's greater than the 3x found on most cameras. (A zoom lens' range is the ratio of its highest, telephoto focal length to its lowest, wide-angle length. For example, a zoom lens that's considered equivalent to a film camera's 35-mm to 105-mm lens has a range of 3x.) The wider the range, the greater the flexibility you have for composing shots. A few compacts and subcompacts now feature ranges as high as 5x, enough to make a distant figure fill the frame. Through innovative design, a few super-zoom cameras, such as the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 and Nikon Coolpix S4, even manage to squeeze a 10x zoom into a package just a couple of ounces heavier than many basic compacts and a little bigger (or pricier) than many subcompacts. Most super-zooms are double or triple the weight of smaller cameras and cost hundreds more than the best values in compacts. (The same applies, of course, to SLRs that accept any lens.) Super-zooms also have lenses that tend to bring less light into the sensor and be less sharp. CR's take. Despite recent advances in zoom technology, you shouldn't pay extra--financially or in terms of size and weight--for a zoom range greater than 3x unless you often shoot distant subjects, such as wildlife and sporting events, or need a very wide-angle lens for landscapes or group portraits. Consider reliability Overall, digital cameras have been among the most reliable products in our subscriber surveys. Fewer than 10 percent of those purchased between 2003 and 2006 had ever been repaired or had a serious problem. That said, our latest survey (see Brand repair history) found small differences in reliability between point-and-shoot cameras and same-brand SLRs. And reliability by brand differs somewhat and might help you fine-tune your buying decision. Olympus has been among the more repair-prone brands of SLR. CR's take. It doesn't pay to buy an extended warranty for a digital camera. Check whether your credit card provides coverage. Such plans, often found on gold and platinum cards, may lengthen the original warranty by up to one year. Choose your time and place Camera prices don't fluctuate seasonally, but most new models reach the market during two periods--March through May and September through November. During those times, many older models are replaced by more capable ones that often cost about the same. You can often find street prices, availability dates, in-stock status, and return policies at the Web sites of online retailers and electronics stores. In the latest subscriber survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, online retailers fared well in our Ratings, but if you want personal service, you might want to consider shopping in brick-and-mortar stores. CR's take. To catch the wave of the latest models, buy between May and August or November and February. During these periods, older models may be discounted before they disappear. (You can tell that a camera isn't long for this world if the manufacturer offers a limited-time rebate.) Scrutinize too-good-to-be-true offers. Some dealers use them to unload refurbished cameras. If you're comfortable with refurbished and the price is right, fine. But remember that the latest model, even without a steep discount, may be as good a value because it has more capabilities.

Part 2 As far as supplies, I'd contact major online suppliers and any local scrapbook, office supply and craft stores to see of they will work with you when purchasing supplies. They may give you free shipping, put together a basic kit to donate to you or give you a discounted rate for purchases since it's for a school. Your kind of class will undoubtedly inspire many a scrapbooker to continue long after the class is over and if you make it known where the supplies came from, they are more likely to go to that same place to purchase their own supplies in the future. That might be a good incentive for a business to donate supplies. (If you find you are forced to pay for a lot of things yourself, post messages on several bulletins boards explaining your situation and asking for donations of any extra supplies people have and I'll bet you'll get supplies pouring in! The downside to that would be you wouldn't know what you're getting- you might end up with ten of this and none of that-, what condition it would be in and it may not be wise to give out your address on the net. If you do this I'd suggest using the school address, "attn.: your dept.", or getting a P.O. box and only post that address. It's been done with great success in the past.) I don't shop online much, but some great online suppliers are dMarie.com (I have shopped here and was very pleased), twopeasinabucket.com, pebblesinmypocket.com, and Keeping Memories Alive at scrapbooks.com. CK magazine has a lot of great advertisements and I'm sure you can find more suppliers to appeal to in there. These are just the few suppliers I can think of off the top of my head. I'd recommend using large tables rather than individual desks for several reasons. You can have groups of four or five (even six if the tables are large enough) at a table and share supplies easily, eliminating the need for many duplicates. Also the area afforded on an individual desk will probably be too small a workspace. Have students supply their own basics such as: scissors, their choice of adhesive (you'll want to explain and/or demonstrate each type of suggested adhesives, emphasizing what ever they choose it must be acid-free), a basic black journaling pen (with acid-free ink) and, of course, photos. Preferably ones that are duplicates. Third, what to teach and how to teach it. That will depend largely how much time you have. If it is a class in and of itself, you will be able to be more flexible than if it's a short section of another class. The best way to learn how to scrapbook is to actually do it so Id give demos and give them lots of class time to work on their own. I would start with the basic principles of design, color wheel, etc. These would be good quiz material. There is a book put out by CK called "Simple Scrapbook Makeovers" that I believe specifically addresses it as it applies to scrapbooking. There were several scrapbooking books I got from the library that had that info in them as well. I cant think of the titles now because since Id had design classes I didnt pay much attention to that part of the books. For the final test or exam you could make it a take-home type project and give them time in class to work on it to use class supplies. You could require certain elements like, 1)one layout should use the element of balance, 2)one layout should use a complimentary color scheme, 3)one should use one of the following techniques: list two or three techniques you covered in class and give them their choice, etc. Make it based upon how well they can incorporate the principles you teach into their albums. Layouts usually take an average of an hour to complete. Some longer, some shorter. I would allow this as a minimum for beginners of high school age. Say, they should have at least one layout done and another started for every two class periods. They will get faster as they do it longer. I can think of a few different ways you could teach it. You could 1)demonstrate one technique and give students a class period or two to create their own layout using that method. 2)You could demonstrate all of them, say one or two per day for a week, giving them handouts and showing examples, and the next week they can work on layouts using whichever techniques they want to try. (continued...)

I’m no good at identifying hawks either, Digit! Don’t have any idea what the one I saw last week was! About the only one I’m ever really certain of is a Red Tail—in flite, when I see the glint of red in the sun! But here are a couple pages that “might” help—some! This is about the best “hawk ID” page I’ve found! http://www.birds-of-north-america.net/hawks.html And this is the “main page” with links to other birds of prey too! http://www.birds-of-north-america.net/Birds_of_Prey.html I can’t use this on my Dumb Phone, but possibly it could help you—and others! Just got it in an email today! http://ebird.org/content/ebird/news/merlinphotoid/?utm_source=Cornell+Lab+eNews&utm_campaign=ac5ca3fdac-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2016_12_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_47588b5758-ac5ca3fdac-302450646 And this is another “bird email” I got today with three “bird cam shorts!” I noticed it because Zach brought up ravens above, and the first short video has a VERY “vocal” young raven in it! Enjoy! http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=b35ddb671faf4a16c0ce32406&id=de8a57e0bb&e=cb6f4a5944 My feeders—and birdbath—have been mobbed for the last couple days! Wonder why!!! Just a little bit chilly out there! Haven’t seen a flicker back at the suet again, but I do believe the house sparrows have decided to look for Friendlier Yards, so I think I’m probably safe in putting the second suet cage back out near the little branches—where the house finches and juncos can reach it! Looks like more “weather” coming in in the next week—or two! Feed the birds! Skybird