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So, I saw over on Lisa's site a little variation on the 23rd/5th meme going around... her post was the 5th sentence from the 23rd page of the book you are currently reading, not the nearest book you find. That would change things significantly in my case. Anyhoo, I heard this hooha on the radio this morning about the powers that be trying to stop the use of ultrasound technology in non-medical venues. I support this opinion. It's not great for the fetus and little fetal portrait studios doing ultrasound so mommy and daddy can have a refrigerator magnet with a blog of developed embryo should be shut down. However, the use of ultrasound during abortion counseling for women on the fence is definitely borderline because, like the dude said, the damaging effects of ultrasound on a fetus are significantly less than the damaging effects of an abortion on a fetus. Makes sense to me. Thus ends me plug for something in the news. On another (more fun) note, I ran across this site that pimps National Geographic expeditions. That is for me! Holy shit... check out this 13 day safari: Days 1 and 2: Atlanta or New York/Windhoek, Namibia Depart on an overnight flight to Johannesburg. Upon arrival, connect by scheduled flight to Windhoek, Namibia’s historic capital city, and transfer to our resort. Days 3 and 4: Skeleton Coast Fly northwest by private light aircraft along the scenic Skeleton Coast to the remote Kaokoveld in the northwestern corner of Namibia. Our group splits in two, with everyone spending two nights at the Skeleton Coast Camp and two nights at Serra Cafema Camp. The Skeleton Coast, named after the many ships that were wrecked along its treacherous shores, is one of the most hauntingly beautiful places on Earth. It is wild, desolate, and uninhabited, and represents a microcosm of the Namib Desert with everything from windswept plains, towering canyons, and soaring sand dunes to seal colonies, shipwrecks, and an array of desert-adapted wildlife. Travel through this landscape of never ending vistas in specially outfitted safari vehicles, with frequent stops to explore on foot. Perhaps you will see a gemsbok, one of the few large mammals that has evolved to living on the sand. Days 5 and 6: Skeleton Coast/Serra Cafema Fly from Skeleton Coast Camp to Serra Cafema Camp on the Kunene River. We share this remote region with the Himba people, one of the last true nomadic cultures of Africa. Your lodgings will be wonderfully furnished safari tents beneath big, shady Albida trees on the Kunene River. The river’s reed banks are home to crocodiles and an extraordinary array of bird life, including the Cinderella waxbill, one of southern Africa’s rarest birds. Activities include nature drives to appreciate the breathtaking scenery and wildlife, eco-dune biking excursions, a leisurely boating excursion on the Kunene River, and trekking in the remote mountain and river valleys. During our stay, we hope to meet members of the nomadic Himba tribe and learn about their unique lifestyle and traditions. Days 7, 8, and 9: Okavango Delta, Botswana Travel by light aircraft to Botswana’s famous Okavango Delta. Botswana is widely recognized as one of Africa’s prime safari destinations, and the Okavango Delta offers a game-rich, unspoiled wilderness in a unique wetland oasis. You’ll have a broad array of exhilarating options for exploring the delta’s complex maze of lagoons, channels, and islands. Activities include fishing, trekking the islands, boating, and taking dugout canoe trips along the floodplain with members of the local BaYei tribe. There will also be plenty of opportunities for up close encounters with the delta’s abundant wildlife during day and night drives in open 4x4 vehicles. Days 10 and 11: Linyanti Enjoy stunning aerial views of the Okavango Delta as you fly north to the Linyanti Reserve. The Linyanti is a private reserve adjoining Botswana’s Chobe National Park, and you will be sharing this breathtaking area with a myriad of elephants, buffalo, lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, crocodiles, hippos, sitatungas, lechwe, and spotted hyenas. The reserve is also a prime spot for bird-watching. Explore the reserve’s magnificent terrain and wildlife during day and night game drives. There will also be opportunities for hiking, fishing, and motorboating (subject to water level). The Linyanti is famous for its vocal bird life, so be prepared to be serenaded in the evenings and mornings by a chorus of warbling, punctuated by occasional lion roars and elephant trumpets. Days 12 and 13: Linyanti/Maun/Johannesburg/Atlanta or New York After breakfast, fly from Linyanti by light aircraft to Maun. Connect onto a scheduled flight to Johannesburg and transfer to your flight to Atlanta or New York, arriving the next day. Yeah, it's about ten grand... yeah, I'd need a 600mm f/4 before we left (another eight grand)... but still... wow. Amazing. My sweet wife made me fresh coffee and breakfast this morning before work. Oddly, whenever I eat breakfast (which I usually don't), I am twice as hungry by lunch than when I skip breakfast. It's only ten-ish and I'm a starvin' marvin. My tummy is a'grumblin'... I am the proud owner of a Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX fisheye and the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM. I also received a spare battery for my camera body yesterday, a 500D fitted for my EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM and a Hoya R72 for the 17-40mm. I have a Cokin P-series filter system with some ND filters and grad-ND filters coming soon as well. All of this is carefully planned prep for our camping trip up the north shore of Lake Superior in northern Minnesota this summer. I am really exacited about it. I hope to get some good landscape shots. I want to shoot Split Rock and many of the other famous sceneries as well as have the opportunity to re-shoot Enger Tower and Gooseberry Falls with a new outlook. EL has been great about planning the photo ops. We're taking henry with us, so that should be interesting. He's a handful for sure. I have a ton to do this morning... gotta run.