I purchased a Canon Rebel XSI body new off of eBay. So far it’s a pretty great camera; I love the live preview function.

936 PM CST TUE JAN 5 2010 /1036 PM EST TUE JAN 5 2010/  

...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING  
THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT...  

A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING  
THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.   

* TIMING...SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS WEDNESDAY  
  EVENING AND THE REMAINDER OF NORTHEAST ILLINOIS INTO NORTHWEST  
  INDIANA LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. SNOW  
  IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN TO TAPER OFF THURSDAY NIGHT WITH THE  
  EXCEPTION ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST  
  INDIANA WHICH MAY RECEIVE ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS FROM  
  LAKE EFFECT SNOW.  

* ACCUMULATIONS...6 TO 9 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION BY LATE  
  THURSDAY NIGHT WITH LOCALLY HIGHER ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE FOR  
  AREAS WHICH RECEIVE ADDITIONAL LAKE EFFECT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS  
  THURSDAY NIGHT.  

* HAZARDS...THE PRIMARY HAZARD OF THIS WINTER EVENT WILL BE THE  
  LARGE AMOUNTS OF SNOW. HOWEVER...DUE TO THE FLUFFY NATURE OF THIS  
  SNOW...NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WILL RESULT IN AREAS OF  
  BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW THAT WILL LIKELY RESULT IN HAZARDOUS  
  TRAVEL CONDITIONS.  

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH  
THURSDAY MORNING...  

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM  
WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH  
THURSDAY MORNING.   

* TIMING...LIGHT SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN WILL BEGIN DURING THE DAY  
  WEDNESDAY. HEAVIEST FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED FROM WEDNESDAY  
  EVENING INTO THURSDAY MORNING.  

* ACCUMULATIONS...UP TO A QUARTER INCH OF ICE.  

* HAZARDS...ACCUMULATION. SOME SLEET AND LIGHT SNOW MAY MIX AS  
  PRECIPITATION BEGINS ON WEDNESDAY.  

* IMPACTS...GLAZING OF ROADWAYS...PARKING LOTS AND SIDEWALKS. THIS  
  WILL MAKE FOR HAZARDOUS TRAVEL ON UNTREATED SURFACES.  

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...  

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT  
SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.  
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.  

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO
6 PM CST WEDNESDAY...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL GO INTO EFFECT AT NOON TODAY.

* TIMING: LIGHT SNOW WILL BECOME MODERATE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME
  TONIGHT. SOME SLEET MAY MIX WITH THE SNOW LATE THIS AFTERNOON
  AND THIS EVENING. LIGHT SNOW WILL PERSIST INTO WEDNESDAY AND
  THEN TAPER OFF TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS.

* ACCUMULATIONS: SNOW TOTALS ARE FORECAST TO RANGE FROM 4 TO 8
  INCHES IN THIS 36 HOUR PERIOD OF SNOW.

* MISC HAZARDS: STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP ON
  WEDNESDAY RESULTING IN CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

* IMPACTS: TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY DETERIORATE RAPIDLY
  THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH MANY ROADS BECOMING SNOW
  COVERED. DRIFTING SNOW MAY BE A PARTICULAR PROBLEM...
  ESPECIALLY ALONG NORTH TO SOUTH ROUTES ON WEDNESDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT ACCUMULATING SNOW
WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW
COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES. USE EXTRA CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.

October was pretty uninteresting weather wise. We only had 2 clear days according to the NWS; I believe that as it pretty much seemed like it was raining all the time this month.

Thursday the COD Weather Conference starts; that should be a blast.

URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 745
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
825 PM CDT SUN SEP 27 2009

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS
NORTHWEST INDIANA
SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN
LAKE MICHIGAN

EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING FROM 825 PM UNTIL
200 AM CDT.

TORNADOES…HAIL TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER…THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH…AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 60 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES NORTH OF MILWAUKEE
WISCONSIN TO 35 MILES SOUTH OF DECATUR ILLINOIS.  FOR A COMPLETE
DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE
(WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).

REMEMBER…A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

DISCUSSION…TSTMS EXPECTED TO INCREASE ALONG COLD FRONT AND ALONG
PRE-FRONTAL CONFLUENCE AXIS OVER SRN WI/IL…AHEAD OF STRONG/
AMPLIFYING SHORTWAVE TROUGH NOW OVER SE MN.  ALTHOUGH THE
PRE-FRONTAL ACTIVITY LIKELY WILL REMAIN SLIGHTLY ELEVATED…
AND…WITH TIME…LINEAR FORCING FOR ASCENT WILL INCREASE ALONG COLD
FRONT…FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS A QUASI-DISCRETE STORM MODE IS
EXPECTED TO PREVAIL.  GIVEN MAGNITUDE OF DEEP SHEAR /AOA 60
KTS/…SUPERCELL STRUCTURES LIKELY WILL BE ASSUMED BY ANY SUSTAINED
UPDRAFTS.  INFLUX OF SOMEWHAT MORE SUBSTANTIAL MOISTURE NOW NEAR STL
INTO CNTRL/NRN IL STORMS LATER TONIGHT FURTHER SUGGESTS POSSIBLE
TORNADOES GIVEN FACT THAT FLOW IMMEDIATELY AHEAD OF FRONT SHOULD
MAINTAIN A SIZABLE SLY COMPONENT BENEATH 50+ KT WLY 700 MB FLOW.

Got an HP HDX-16t. It rules. HD is smooth.