Evaluate your pace of play honestly and often, and if you’re consistently the slowest one in your group, you’re a slow player, period.  Remember the old staples of getting around in good time: Play “ready golf” (hit when ready, even if you aren’t away) until you reach the green, be prepared to play when it’s your turn on the tee and green, and never search for a lost ball for more than five minutes.

2. Keep your temper under control

We all have our moments of frustration, but the trick is to vent in an inoffensive way. For example, I often follow a bad hole by hitting the next tee shot a little harder — for better or worse.

3. Respect other people’s time

Because time is our most valuable commodity, there are few good reasons for breaking a golf date. Deciding last-minute to clean the garage on  Saturday just doesn’t cut it. Always make your tee times. Social functions are no exception.

4. Repair the ground you play on

Replace divots and rake bunkers like you mean it.  Make the area nice and smooth — don’t leave furrows from the rake. Before you exit the bunker, ask yourself, “Would I be upset if I had to play from that spot?”

5. Be a silent partner

Know where to stand and when to keep quiet. Position yourself directly across or at a diagonal from a player setting up. Never stand on the line of play, either beyond the hole or directly behind the ball. When a player is about to hit a shot, think of the fairway as a cathedral, the green a library.

6. Make your golf cart ‘invisible’

Your goal when driving a cart should be to leave no trace you were there. Because we tend to look where we’re going and not where we’ve been, it’s easy to damage the turf and not realize it.

7. Always look your best

You appearance speaks volumes about you as a person, and the neatly appointed golfer, like a businessman or someone headed to church, gives the impression he thinks the golf course and the people are special.

8. Turn off the cell phone

Nobody knows less about technology than I do. But I know enough to recognize a cellphone when it rings in my backswing. I don’t know all the gadgets and settings on those phones, but do whatever you have to do to keep it quiet. And if you absolutely have to make a call, move away from the other players. And keep the call so brief that they don’t even know you made it.

9. Lend a hand when you can

It’s easy to help out your fellow players, if you just pay attention. One obvious way is looking for lost balls — better yet, watching errant shots so they don’t turn into lost balls.  Pick up that extra club left on the fringe or the headcover dropped next to the tee, and return it to its owner after saying, “Nice shot!”

10. Learn the little things

There are a hundred bits of etiquette I haven’t mentioned, like laying the flagstick down carefully, taming down spike marks when you’re walking off a green, letting faster groups play through, and so on.

Just know that golf has a way of returning favors, and every piece of etiquette you practice will be repaid tenfold.

This is an article copied from Golf Digest and I do not own any rights to it.

Following is my own list of players I would like to see play during this tournament. This list is ordered by 2009 year end Money List rankings – not by preference.

Christie Kerr (2nd on the 2009 Money List) – This will be her 13th year on tour. Kerr is currently number one American player on Tour.

Lorena Ochoa (4th on the 2009 Money List) – A determined Ochoa, number one player on Rolex World Ranking,  is back to defend her title. The 5’6″ Ochoa uses Ping clubs and Callaway ball.

Paula Creamer (7th on the 2009 Money List) – Paula, finally health, is ready to make a push towards the top. 2009 was an off year for Paula, finish 7th on both the Money List and Rolax World Rankings. The Pink Panther, a fan favorite, is expected to have a huge gallery – probably one of the three biggest galleries along with Natalie and Michelle Wie. Paula is a Taylormade-Adidas player and only thing non-TMAG is her Precept golf ball.

Michelle Wie (14th on the 2009 Money List) – Wie finally won a tournament after six years of Nike hype machine.

Hee Yong Park (20th on the 2009 Money List) – The 5’6″ South Korean played well last year at this event and we can expect her to contend for the title.

Brittany Lincicome (21st on the 2009 Money List) – Lincicome, the 5’10″ American, is a strong player who drives well. She uses Adams irons and Titleist wedges.

Morgan Pressel (22nd on the 2009 Money List) – Another young American girl who deserves more press than Wie, Morgan is a force to be reckoned with. Morgan together with Paula Creamer, Natalie Gulbis, Brittany Lincicome, and Wie forms the backbone to carry American lady’s golf to the next decade.

Natalie Gulbis (40th on the 2009 Money List) – Natalie was only 40th on the Money List, but is still one of the top earning lady golfers. She has her own show on the Golf Channel and is one of the most popular players on tour. She, like Creamer, is a Taylormade-Adidas player.

I cropped out some eyesores near the border of the frame and also did some post processing. I normally don’t do this, but for this group of photos, I used a high contrast, low saturation process to give it an old-movies type to vibe.

Here are the responses from celebrities who witnessed West’s outburst:

Katy Perry on her twitter:

“FUCK U KANYE. IT’S LIKE U STEPPED ON A KITTEN.”

Pink, who also lost in the Best Female Video category, reportedly had to be restrained by security from approaching West after his rant.  So, Pink instead turned to her twitter and wrote: “Kanye West is the biggest piece of shit on earth. Quote me.” Pink also said, “I was there. It was the one time I really, really wished I would’ve won because I had this amazing Alexander McQueen purse with brass knuckles on it. Honestly, I don’t think it would’ve happened if I was there on stage. Taylor Swift is awesome… I think he’s just a  waste, he’s an idiot, he’s a toolbox.”

Kelly Clarkson actually wrote a letter to Kanye on her blog – IAmKelly:

Dear Kanye,

What happened to you as a child?? Did you not get hugged enough?? Something must have happened to make you this way and I think we’re all just curious as to what would make a grown man go on national television and make a talented artist, let alone teenager, feel like shit. I mean, I’ve seem you do some pretty shitty things, but you just keep amazing me with your tactless, asshole ways. It’s absolutely fascinating how much I don’t like you. I like everyone. I even like my  asshole ex that cheated on me over you… which is pretty odd since I don’t even personally know you. The best part of this evening is that you weren’t even up for THIS award and yet you still have a problem with the outcome. Is winning a moon man that much of a life goal?? You can have mine if it will shut you up. Is it that important, really?

I was actually nominated in the same category that Taylor won and I was excited for her… so why can’t you be?? I’m not even mad at you for being an asshole… I just pity you because you’re a sad human being.

Joel Madden: Wow Taylor Swift’s first VMA and she didn’t even get to ENJOY it. Kanye You were just a bully on that one man.

Kelly Pickler: Tator Tot, you handled yourself with grace. Kanye, go grow some f-ing balls bitch! don’t mess w/my lil sis!!

Greg Grunberg (of Heroes) on his twitter: I just realized what Kanye West stands for.. UNFOLLOW !!

Christina Applegate: I love seeing good people doing even greater things. Beyonce is a class act. Now, on the other hand seeing douches doing douchy things….

All-American Rejects – Mike Kennerty: Kanye West is a fucking asshole!

Maria Menounos: Thinking of my last image of Taylor as she’s finished with her performance… tears. She waited her whole life for this moment – Kanye ruined it.

Ricky Martin: kanye. what an asshole dude.

.. and you think that’s all. Even President Obama thinks Kanye is a jackass.. [link]

Lake Success, N.Y., July 22, 2009 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, announced today the development of Hybrid Image Stabilizer (IS), the world’s first* optical image stabilization technology that compensates for both angle camera shake and shift camera shake. The technology will be featured in interchangeable single lens reflex (SLR) camera lens planned for commercial release before the end of 2009.

Several different preventative methods and corrective procedures have been introduced to compensate for errors caused by camera shake, which occurs when a camera moves while its shutter is open and its image sensor is exposed to light.

Canon began researching methods to compensate for camera shake in the 1980s, and in 1995 launched the EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, the world’s first interchangeable SLR camera lens to feature a mechanism that compensates for optical camera shake. Since then, the company has continued to produce a variety of interchangeable lenses with image stabilization capabilities, and boasts a total of 21 such lenses in its current product lineup.

Canon’s newly developed Hybrid IS technology optimally compensates for angle and shift camera shake. Sudden changes in camera angle can significantly affect images taken during standard shooting, whereas shift-based shaking, which occurs when a camera moves parallel to the imaging scene, is more pronounced in macro photography and other close-range shooting.

The new Hybrid IS technology incorporates an angular velocity sensor that detects the extent of angle-based shaking and is found in all previous Canon optical image stabilizer mechanisms, as well as a new acceleration sensor that determines the amount of shift-based camera shake. Hybrid IS also employs a newly developed algorithm that synthesizes information from the two sensors to make optimal adjustments, thereby dramatically enhancing the effects of image stabilization during shooting, including macro shooting, which had proven difficult for conventional image stabilization technologies.

Canon is actively engaged in ongoing research and development of interchangeable SLR camera lenses incorporating Hybrid IS technology, and is aiming for the early commercialization and inclusion of the lenses in a wide range of products.

I can’t wait to download it… I will buy it when it is released here in Thailand, of course…

Colbie Caillat - Breakthrough

Take a look at it..

Got Milk

Milk is good for you.  So.. I’m doing a public service… this picture is good for your bone.. um.. bones…

A unique feature in these lenses is Sigma’s own Optical Stabilizer (OS) function, which eliminates camera shake in the viewfinder and provides sharpness at lower shutter speeds. The company offers both lenses in Canon, Nikon, Sigma, Pentax and Sony mounts, and is the only manufacturer to provide lenses with the OS system for Pentax and Sony digital cameras.

Both lenses incorporate Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass elements, are outfitted with an inner focusing system to provide high image quality throughout the entire zoom range, provide Super Multi-Layer Coating to reduce flare and ghosting, and include Hyper-Sonic Motors (HSMs) to ensure quiet and high-speed auto focus.

“We’ve become known for our high-quality, interchangeable lenses, but we certainly haven’t lost sight of the need for high-performance and high-value ‘kit’ lenses,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, general manager of Sigma Corporation of America. “These lenses have been manufactured with Sigma’s usual high standard of quality and they, undoubtedly, offer the best optical performance in their respective classes.”

Sigma 18-50mm F 2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM

As an upgrade to its predecessor, the 18-50mm F2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM is a large aperture, standard zoom lens that is dedicated to digital SLR cameras with APS-C size image sensors. It is currently the only lens in this category to offer internal focus and internal zoom, meaning that the lens does not extend while zooming. The combination of the F2.8 aperture and the OS, or anti-shake function, makes it easy to capture exceptional photos in low light with this lens; the wide angle is well suited for indoor photography. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 11.8 inches (30cm) throughout the entire zoom range and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:4.1.

On the other hand, the 50-200mm F4-5.6 DC OS HSM is a compact, high-performance telephoto zoom lens that allows the use of shutter speeds up to four stops slower than normal for steady, handheld photography. The lens has a minimum focusing distance of 43.3 inches (110cm) throughout the entire zoom range and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:4.5. An inner focusing system eliminates front lens rotation, making it suitable for use with circular polarizing filters.

Canon 50mm Prime Lenses

Lenses with F number smaller than 2.0 are usually expensive but the 50mm models are the exception.  Due to the ease of construction, the 50mm lens with wide apertures are very affordable – especially the F/1.8 and F/1.4 models.

Just to put things in perspective, most kit zoom lens at 55mm focal length have aperture of F/5.6.  A lens with aperture F/1.4 can actually capture 16 times more light.

Canon has no fewer than three lenses with F/1.8, F/1.4, and F/1.2 apertures. On the highest end we have Canon EF 50mm F/1.2 L lens – the luxury model for professionals, and at the other end, we have very economical Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 lens. Currently the Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 II lens is the best value lens available for Canon SLR cameras. It should be noted that the F/1.8 model uses MM (Canon Micro Motor) while the F/1.4 and F/1.2 L models use Ring USM (Canon Ultrasonic Motor).