Madagaskar

Duck! The Penguins Are Flying the Plan

Published: November 7, 2008

There’s a nuttier, generally more diverting entertainment creeping, crawling and waddling along the edges of “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” than the larger one lollygagging on screen. This central story of this new animated movie, written by Etan Cohen and the directors Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, involves Alex (Ben Stiller in low gear), a lion who in 2005 journeyed from New York captivity (i.e., a zoo) to the jungle in the first “Madagascar” with the usual mix of celebrity-voiced racial and ethnic stereotypes: a motor-mouthed zebra, Marty (Chris Rock); a nice if woefully neurotic giraffe, Melman (David Schwimmer); and the token girl, a hippo with a sizeable caboose named Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith).

Three years later Alex and company are literally ejected from Madagascar in a rickety plane operated by a penguin crew that’s led by the supremely confident, quite possibly insane Skipper (Mr. McGrath), a sleek ball of feathers and fat who simultaneously brings to mind Jon Lovitz, Phil Hartman, John Wayne and a cue ball. Along with his two sidekicks, a couple of stooges called Kowalski and Private (Chris Miller and Christopher Knights), Skipper keeps first the plane and then — after crash-landing on an African savannah — the movie moving with his deadpan delivery and with some surrealistic nonsense involving a barrel of laughing monkeys. (I see a big future for Mason and his silent partner, Phil, the two-chimp team whose lah-di-dah manners and sartorial flair recall that of the 1970s television ape, Lancelot Link.)

With King Julien, a deranged lemur whose daft non sequiturs and bon mots are dropped and dribbled with dexterity and control by an unrecognizable Sacha Baron Cohen (at times sounding like a less frantic Robin Williams), the penguins and chimps could have skittered into something memorable. Alas, the filmmakers, who clearly are having as much fun visually with these scene stealers as they are aurally, stick by the contemporary American animation playbook: Alex has a dream (gotta dance), father issues (with Bernie Mac as the pride of the pride) and a requisite baddie rival (Alec Baldwin, who else?). There’s also an unfunny old lady with a Jackie Mason accent who deserves a violently cruel end, but this is a PG movie.

Mr. Darnell and Mr. McGrath don’t appear especially committed to these stale conceits and character dynamics, which may explain why they spend so much time playing with the penguins, chimps and King Julien, who may not roar but certainly rules. There’s true playfulness here whenever this wacky animal pack takes over, a suggestion of delirium echoed by the zippy, at times overly zooming camerawork with its roller-coaster dips and swoops. And while the filmmakers throw the camera around almost as much as Brian De Palma does, every so often they slow down, giving you a chance to scan the softly muted colors of the landscapes and explore how the exaggerated character designs create a nice visual contrast with the photorealistic details and flourishes.

It’s unsurprising that Alex’s mane registers as more realistic than any of his words or emotions, but it’s also a bummer. “Escape 2 Africa” is good enough in patches to make its distracting star turns, storybook clichés and stereotypes harder to take than they would be in a less enjoyable movie. Casting Mr. Stiller and Mr. Schwimmer may sear their brands onto under-age cerebral cortices but does nothing for the movie. And, really, did the hippo (voiced by will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas) who courts Gloria with a low rumble and a suggestive shimmy have to sound like Barry White rather than, say, Marc Anthony or Justin Timberlake? I laughed, but honestly, if this country can vote colorblind surely its movie studios can animate colorblind too. (Can’t they?)

“Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” is rated PG. Parental guidance suggested. But not required.

MADAGASCAR

Escape 2 Africa

Opens on Friday nationwide.

Directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath; written by Etan Cohen, Mr. Darnell and Mr. McGrath; music by will.i.am and Hans Zimmer; production designer, Kendal Cronkhite; produced by Mireille Soria and Mark Swift; released by DreamWorks Animation and Paramount Pictures. Running time: 1 hour 29 minutes.

WITH THE VOICES OF: Ben Stiller (Alex), Chris Rock (Marty), David Schwimmer (Melman), Jada Pinkett Smith (Gloria), Sacha Baron Cohen (King Julien), Cedric the EntertainerAndy Richter (Mort), Bernie Mac (Zuba), Sherri Shepherd (Alex’s Mom), Alec Baldwin (Makunga), Tom McGrath (Skipper), Conrad Vernon (Mason) and will.i.am (Moto Moto). (Maurice),

Wonderful Plateau

Ijen Plateau

The Ijen Plateau is a large upland area southeast of Bondowoso, which includes the peaks and foothills of Gunung Ijen, Gunung Raung (3332m), Gunung Suket (2950m) and Gunung Merapi (2800m), plus several smaller peaks. The entire area is rural, coffee plantations and vegetable gardens blending into the forested uplands, with a few widely dispersed villages. The highlight is the dramatic lake, Kawah Ijen , in the crater of the dormant volcano from which dozens of miners dig sulphur by hand.

The usual access to the crater lake is a three-kilometre (90min) hike from PAL TUDING , where there's a campsite, dorm (under $5; bring a sleeping bag), caf?, and national park office (Rp1000 park entrance fee). From Pal Tuding, the path heads steeply uphill through the forest and is easy to follow. After 45 minutes it passes a building, and the climb steepens. Just above here the path splits; the right fork, the best route, leads to the crater rim and the left fork to the dam at the end of the lake. After a while you find yourself 200m above the lake in a dramatic, austere landscape of almost bare rock sloping down into the crater. You can walk along the top of the crater, or descend to the edge of the lake along the narrow path that the sulphur miners use - allow 30 to 45 minutes to get down, and twice that to get back up. The sulphur miners come up to Kawah Ijen daily; they set off from the Banyuwangi area before dawn, walk up to the lake from Licin, hack out a full load of sulphur (50-70kg) by hand, which they bring up to the crater rim and back down to Licin where they receive around Rp125 per kilo. It's dangerous work, and sudden eruptions and sulphur fumes have been known to kill miners.

From Bondowoso there are four buses daily to SEMPOL , the main village on the plateau (66km; 3hr); from Sempol you have to hitch or use an ojek (Rp10,000 one-way) to get to Pal Tuding. The most convenient place to stay is at the national park office area in Pal Tuding, but it's also possible to stay near Sempol, 1km from the main road in the hamlet of Kalisat , at the guesthouses, Jampit II and III (no phone; $5-10), which are signposted "Penginapan Kaliasat" from the centre of Sempol. Staff here can arrange excursions to Kawah Ijen, local guides, transport and inexpensive food.

Photo Techniques - Landscape Photography

How to Take Landscape & Scenic Photos

Desert Landscape

Landscape or scenic shots are one of those types of images that almost everybody takes, professional or not. The only problem is that so many of basic landscape pictures never look as good as it did in person. The reason may be obvious but it also marks the difference between professional scenic photographers and general consumers. The difference is the amount of detail that is able to be captured. Get more detail into your scenic shots and you will greatly improve your images.

The first trick to getting more detail has to do with the time of day the image was taken. Never shoot during the middle of the day if you can avoid it. Go for the Golden Hours as discussed before and take advantage of when Mother Nature looks her best. In landscape photography direct overhead sunlight kills landscape dimensions and makes them look flat and bleak.

A tripod and a shutter release cable are very helpful tools to have with landscape photography. Losing detail due to camera shake would be a terrible crime in landscape photography. In most cases, the landscape isn't moving - at least not a rate that we can tell. Take the time to properly compose and think about the elements in your shot. Look for hidden details within the landscape that can be focused on or even put in the sweet spots of your image.

Angola Waterfalls

Flashes are generally not necessary in landscape photography. This is mostly because the flash won't even hit the subject that you are shooting. If your camera tries to use a flash then force it to turn off. This will allow you to have slower shutter speeds.

Increase your depth of field. This can be done a couple of ways. The first way is to use the smallest aperture you can. This will give you a greater depth of field then with a larger aperture. A smaller aperture will also require a longer shutter speed. This is allowed in landscape photography since your subject is not moving. Remember that a small aperture is represented by a large number such as f/22.

You can also increase depth of field by including a close by subject to make a contrast in size. An example of this would be if you were on one mountain ridge taking a picture of the ridge next to you. Include in your image a tree that is on your ridge but far enough away. You suddenly brought depth and proportion into your beautiful landscape.

Other Technique from Dawn Lane

So you think you might be interested in doing a little landscape photography but the grand sweeping vistas of Ansel Adams Yellowstone tend to intimidate more than inspire? Don't despair. You needn't lug around 30 lbs of camera equipment or scout the National Parks for suitable subjects to enjoy the art of landscape photography. It is within the reach of anyone who enjoys the outdoors and owns even the most basic camera equipment.

Defining landscape photography

Landscape photography is difficult to define. The more landscape photography I do, the broader my definition becomes. For me, landscape photography is not so much about what is contained in the image, but what it portrays about a place. While a landscape photograph might be a wide-angle image of a pristine lake or an ocean sunset, it might just as well be a dormant plant in a winter pond. If the lake, the sunset and the dormant plant image each reveal something significant about a place, its inhabitants, or its conditions and evoke an emotional response in the viewer, they qualify as landscape photographs in my book. Grand or tiny, a landscape is not so much about the subject itself, but rather about the place in which the subject exists and the feeling the subject and place evokes.

Camera equipment for landscape photography

You do not need to invest in a lot of expensive gear to begin exploring landscape photography. I like to travel light and concentrate on taking pictures rather than changing lenses, so my gear of choice is a Coolpix 5700 digicam with a built in zoom lens. A zoom lens will give you ready access to a wide range of focusing distances that will allow you to explore different compositions within a single scene with little effort. The one additional piece of equipment I would recommend is a lightweight tripod. A tripod will ensure a steady camera at any shutter speed and allow you to fine tune your compositions.

Landscape photography in your own backyard

What if the familiar places of the famous landscape photographers lay many states away from your own home? Who says these are the most worthy locations anyway? Landscape photography is not about a specific place, but about seeing the significance of the natural world around you every day. Your own backyard literally can be a great starting place because you know it better than any other place. If you don't have a backyard to call your own, a city or county park, a campground or even a drainage pond bordering the local shopping mall can provide a great starting place to explore landscape photography. Most of my landscape photography takes place within a 20-mile radius of my home. I've created a list of places I like to visit and have come to know these places well. One you know a place well, you can anticipate things like how the light will cast a shadow at a particular time of day, or when a certain wildflower will be in bloom.

Cruise to Jurrasic Island of Indonesia

2008 "KLM Ombak Putih" Cruising Sulawesi-Komodo-Flores-Sumbawa 7 Days/6 Nights

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All Cruises Include:	All Cruises Exclude:
Full Board A/C Cabins Private Shower and Toilet Soft drinks, tea, and coffee Towels Excursions Laundry service Use of snorkeling gear Use of sea canoes European cruise director	Air Fares Insurance Acoholic Beverages Tips

If you looking for a sailing expedition, that appeals to everyone, KLM Ombak Putih has earned the reputation of carrying, the perfect mix of deluxe clients. International Travelers from around the world board KLM Ombak Putih for "this years experience". You will find the service impeccable and the conversation light and intelligent.

"Departure Dates & Rates 2008"

PENDING

"Advance Bookings Suggested"

YOUR PROGRAM TO KOMODO

Day 1	At 08.00 being transferred from your hotel to the Benoa harbor. After boarding your vessel Ombak Putih., we will sail to Gili Trawangan , the largest of the so-called Gili’s three tiny islets off the north-west tip of Lombok. With it’s sandy beaches, beautiful coral reefs and abundance of iridescent tropical fish, this is a snorkellers/divers paradise. We’ll spend the afternoon relaxing on the beach and snorkeling, or diving on the reef before setting sail later this evening to cruise overnight to Sumbawa Besar.
Day 2	Arriving at Sumbawa this morning we disembark and explore the town of Sumbawa Besar on the west side of the island. We visit the Sultan’s Palace, a raised wooden building built on the site of three former palaces, the pasar and a traditional Sumbawanese village and rejoin our schooner for cruising overnight to the Komodo archipelago.
Day 3	Arrival in Komodo. This afternoon we land at one of the beautiful beaches of Komodo Island – one of the greatest wildlife regions of the world -. Only 37 km long by 21 km wide. Komodo island is a rather desolate place inhabited by a few fishermen with their outriggers. Red beach is so called because of traces of red coral in the sand – we hope to have a barbecue lunch on the beach - and perhaps do some swimming, snorkeling or diving around the coral. There is also a large fruit bat colony here and after lunch we go in search of giant fruit bats.
Day 4	This morning we walk through dry and dusty scrub to a point from which we can observe the Komodo Dragons. The largest of the monitor lizards, they have been extinct elsewhere since the Jurassic Age and almost identical fossilized remains date from the age of dinosaurs! Their unique size and bulk results from the lack of any serious competing species or predator. Their bodies can be up to three meters long and weight up to 150 kilograms, yet they can move swiftly to hunt and their powerful jaws and sharp claws can easily tear apart their prey of wild pig, wild boar or deer. This afternoon we continue to Rinca , a small island not far from Komodo. The island is home to a variety of animals, such as deer, buffaloes, and family groups of monkeys, wild horses and also the extraordinary megapode bird. We anchor in a beautiful bay where dolphins can often be seen flocking in the wake of passing boats and sperm whales and dugongs are occasionally seen offshore. We shall spend some time in the nature reserve before rejoining our schooner and cruising to the harbor of Labuhanbajo at the westernmost point of Flores.
Day 5	After breakfast, we will have a transfer to a village 10 km from Labuhanbajo where we will attend a so-called ‘caci’ (whip-)dance a ceremonial dance conducted at official occasion in west-Flores. Around noon we will sail to Tatawa and Batubolong, s tiny desert island off the Flores coast where we will swim, dive and relax. In the evening we will have a BBQ under star spangled sky..
Day 6	In the morning we will arrive at the island of Satonda, a sunken volcano in the middle of the sea. We walk up to it’s caldera, before relaxing on the beach or snorkeling/diving off the fine reef. From here we head west and when tiome allows we will drop anchor off the mouth of a small river on Pulau Moyo where we would go ashore. Following the river through the forest we come to a waterfall where we can bathe in a rock pool. At night sailing to west-Lombok
Day 7	After a stop at the Gili’s off the west-coast of Lombok where we will have a final swim and snorkel, we will arrive at the Benoa Harbor around noon and disembark from the schooner bidding farewell to the crew.

Finding the Best Yacht Charter to Suit Your Needs

You’ve made the decision to charter a yacht. Now, let us help you make the process easy and enjoyable. With years of experience pleasing diverse clients with diverse needs and wants, we will help create your dream private custom charter.

Our specialty is matching our clients’ needs to the most appropriate yacht and crew. But, in order to do so we need some basic information from you.

Step One: What, Where, When?

Motor yacht or sailing yacht? Many people enjoy the speed a motor yacht affords, along with its roominess and luxury. Others prefer the excitement of sailing as much as arriving at new ports. In some locations meals and fuel would be in addition to the base charter fee for motor yachts, while they may be fully inclusive for sailing yachts.

What is your budget? When planning a charter vacation, you will need to budget for the base charter fee, meals, beverages, and gratuities. Travel to and from your embarkation and disembarkation ports are a separate cost.

Where would you like to cruise? Many clients know exactly the area they would like to explore. If not, we can help narrow your search by sending you suggested itineraries of specific areas. Let us know where you’d like to go and we’ll send you itineraries that can help define your custom cruise once you have chosen your yacht.

How many are in your party? The number of people and their interests are important for us to ascertain which yachts would have the appropriate number and type of staterooms. Knowing ages and interests will also help us to find yachts equipped with the right “toys” such as diving or fishing equipment and water toys.

When is your vacation? Early booking is usually best, especially for popular destinations and yachts, so we advise you to plan ahead. As soon as you know when and where you would like to charter, let us know. Bookings are generally made in weekly increments but start and end dates can be flexible. With approximate vacation dates we can find you the most appropriate yacht for when and where you want to cruise.

Step Two: Narrowing the Field

With the above information known, we can research and find the most appropriate yacht for your charter. With a worldwide fleet of yachts and our personal knowledge of the fleet and crew, we search for the best yachts to fit your needs. Then, we can recommend a selection of yachts available for your destination, size, and budget.

After you have looked over our suggestions, we will explain the terms of each yacht to narrow your choice until we have found you your perfect match.

Step Three: Reserving the Yacht

Charter Agreement: When you are ready to reserve your yacht we will ask you to review and sign a Charter Agreement which we will walk you through to assure you understand and are satisfied with the terms.

Deposits and Final Payment: Once you have reviewed the agreement and are ready to sign it, we will require a deposit. If the charter date is longer than 6 months from the date of signing the agreement, the deposit is 25 percent. If the charter is within 6 months from the date of signing the agreement, we will require a 50 percent deposit. The final payment, as well as the Advanced Provisioning Allowance (APA) for non-inclusive charters, is made one month before the charter date begins. For non-inclusive charters, your captain will keep a detailed account of food and beverage expenses that will be reconciled against your advance funds for you at the end of your charter.

Food: Each charter is a customized experience and that includes the food and beverage. Therefore, we will send you a detailed questionnaire about your preferences for food and beverages, along with medical and dietary concerns. It’s crucial the yacht crew has this specific information so they can make appropriate provisions before the start of the charter to assure they have everything you like and want.

Cancellation: Charter cancellation terms are detailed in the Charter Agreement form. Charter cancellation insurance is an option we will discuss with you before you reserve your yacht.

The Responsibilities of your Captain: Your captain is eager to make your charter a personalized adventure of a lifetime. He or she is responsible for the safety of the vessel and all on board. Therefore, when there are issues of safety, your captain will make final decisions.

Gratuities: At your discretion, it is customary to tip the captain and crew at the completion of a charter. The usual range for a tip is more or less than 15 percent of the base charter fee, depending on the level of service you have received.

Flying with the Aircraft family

Pilots who fly the A350 XWB will feel at home in its advanced cockpit, wow it's very wonderful which inherits the commonality features from Airbus’ fly-by-wire aircraft family while also benefitting from the latest in display technology and integrated modular avionics.

The A350 XWB retains the same excellent handling qualities as the A320, A330/A340 and A380 families, and is flown utilising similar operating procedures. For Airbus-rated pilots, this means reduced training time in the transition from one aircraft to another, as shorter-duration Difference Training classes replace the Full Type Rating course.

Additionally, pilots can fly multiple aircraft types within an Airbus fleet by using the proven Mixed Fleet Flying concept, resulting in significant benefits for airline profitability, pilot productivity and scheduling flexibility.

Airbus is building on its cockpit design heritage in taking the A350 XWB’s display technology a step beyond the A380. Six very large LCD screens replace the 10 large LCDs on the A380, providing ample room to show all flight and system information needed today, with additional display area available for future requirements.

In addition, the A350 XWB’s six identical screens are fully interchangeable and have the same part number for reduced spares requirements, while their advanced design and mature technology cut maintenance costs by up to 80 per cent.

The A350 XWB will be a faster, more efficient and quieter aircraft as the result of its advanced wing design – which combines aerodynamic enhancements already validated on the A380 with further improvements developed by Airbus engineers.

Built primarily from carbon composite materials, the wing is optimised through extensive use of Computational Fluid Dynamics and wing tunnel testing for a fast cruise speed of Mach 0.85. This reduces trip times, improves overall efficiency, and extends the aircraft’s range.

All three A350 XWB family members share the same wing planform – with a 64.7-metre wingspan, a total area of 442 sq. metres, and high swept leading edge. In addition the internal wing structure will be scaled to meet the specific requirements of each aircraft variant.

Innovative concepts are being applied to the A350 XWB wing’s high-lift devices (flaps, slats and spoilers) that will reduce noise and drag while also improving the aircraft’s low-speed performance.

One of these innovations is the stream-wise deployment of trailing-edge flaps. On a traditional swept-wing jetliner, the outboard flaps extend at an angle to the airflow. For the A350 XWB, flap deployment is along the direction of flight – resulting in better lift efficiency and improved low-speed performance, while reducing aerodynamic-generated noise.

Other A350 XWB wing enhancements include the adoption of a drop-hinge mechanism to improve the flap’s deployment kinetics, along with the introduction of a downwards movement for the upper wing spoilers to fill the gaps that occur when flaps are extended. In addition, the A350 XWB’s flight computer will perform in-flight trimming of the inboard and outboard flaps, creating a variable camber wing that adapts to different flight conditions.

The A350XWB’s new wing is being validated using the latest computational fluid dynamics techniques accompanied by thousands of hours of wind tunnel testing.

review from www.airbus.com

Best general-purpose inkjet printer

For those who want to print a mix of text, graphics and photos, reviewers say the Pixma iP4500 is the best blend of print quality and value. Two paper trays let you load both regular paper and photo paper, and print quality for both photos and text is very good. Other unusual features include auto-duplexing (printing on both sides of the paper) and two paper trays. Missing is an LCD screen for previewing photos -- some owners miss this feature, but others don't.

Live life in the fast lane with the racy PIXMA iP4500 that’s both quick and heart-stoppingly sleek

Right on target: Print at nothing less than the ultimate in accuracy and quality
•	Microscopic 1pl ink droplets for absolute precision
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•	Incredibly fast speeds of 31ppm in monochrome and 24ppm in colour
•	5-colour ContrastPlus Ink System ensures exceptional colour reproduction across the entire spectrum

Get productive…and creative: A variety of media and a capacity for bulk printing makes it easy
•	Auto Sheet Feeder and Paper Feed Cassette hold 300 sheets in all
•	Print directly onto CDs and DVDs with the included CD/DVD tray
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•	Integrated software such as Easy-PhotoPrint Ex provides boundless creative opportunities

Perfectly simple and convenient
•	Print without a computer, thanks to the iP4500’s PictBridge compatibility
•	Pigment-based black ink produces sharper, clearer text
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Get handy: Make the most out of your projects with these creative capabilities
•	Create greeting cards, 3D paper craft and more at the online Canon Creative Park
•	Easy-PhotoPrint Ex produces photo prints in a variety of ways

Memories are forever: Retain your best moments in vivid colour
•	ChromaLife100 technology produces fade resistant prints that will last for years to come