Last Sunday, we started our Best of News Illustrated series, a collection of graphics hand-picked by the staff on a variety of timeless subjects.

We specifically chose "Killer Tans" to kick off the series, since we're in the middle of Spring Break season. Appropriate since a trip down A1A in Fort Lauderdale will tell you that there's a lot of people who are getting their daily doses of vitamin D.

Renee Kwok's page was originally published in 2006. It's an oldie, but a goodie. And you may learn something new!

If you want more information, check out the Food and Drug Administration's site, as well as Tanning Facts and Tanning Truth.

Or, if you want a break from reading, check out the Sun-Sentinel's Spring Break gallery.

Enjoy!

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If you missed the Golden Globes, then tonight's the chance for you to get back to the award ceremonies by catching the star filled 51st Grammy Awards. And don't forget to watch the annual Academy Awards, Feb. 22, to see who takes home the Oscars. Prepare yourself by making your Oscar choices and printing them out to compare with the winners.

Check out this week's News Illustrated on the back of the Outlook section to see what these awards are worth!

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Still not ready for the transition to digital cable broadcast? Don't worry because the senate voted to delay the switchover until June 12.

Apply for a coupon for a digital-to-analog converter box: The government is issuing $40 coupons toward specific converter boxes for analog television.

Download our News Illustrated page on The Digital Shift. Its full of information on what analog and digital broadcasting is, how converter boxes work and how to hook them up.

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One business that may not be affected by recession could be plastic surgery. The chart below shows that the number of surgeries and procedures have doubled since 2000:

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Only 700 calories compared to the 3,000 caloried-meals most of us will be consuming this Thanksgiving. Check out what astronauts are eating to celebrate the holiday in space:

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They have been around for a hundred years, and they are more popular than ever. Now, you can even customize your very own pair by choosing a different color or pattern for every part of the shoe.
Just go to "Design your own" tab on the Converse website:

Download Sunday's News Illustrated here to learn how Converse became the shoe to wear.

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High rises are using their roof space as gardens, green space and landscape.

Here is a graphic that shows how the roofs are layered to enable greenary:

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Negotiations have been set in motion for a replacement show in 2010 for the Air & Sea show that has been a Florida tradition for the past 13 years. But since we have to do without it for two years, you can get your fix with this paper airplane garage. Learn about aircraft, how planes fly and design your own paper airplane.

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Looks like there are hurricanes lined up for South Florida as we head towards the season's peak. But it's nowhere as bad as the continuous hits we endured in 2005. Below is a chronological chart of all the storms that year.

Download the 2005 'cane News Illustrated and compare 2005's hectic hurricane season to 2008's so far.

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So you want a pet snake, huh? Well, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission expects you to know what you're getting yourself into. Below is the first page of the official questionnaire that you'll have to fill out to get a permit to own a python. Do you know the answers?

Find out why they are a problem in South Florida in our Snakes Gone Wild News Illustrated.

Download PDF here.

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Surfers are known to ride the waves from stormy weather but it can be fatal. Take the man who was injured during Tropical Storm Faye and is now in critical condition.
To prevent from being blown around, read up on our News Illustrated about the basics of kite boarding here.

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Laser correction surgery could be your ticket to perfect vision.

Click here to check out a video of how the procedure is done, provided by Millennium Laser Eye Centers.
UPDATE: You can download the News Illustrated graphic to learn more.

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Looking for the latests trends to wear back to school without breaking the bank?
Check them out here. We'll tell you how much they cost and where to find them.

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If you got a flexible fuel car or alternative fuel car, click here to find the closest fuel site available in the U.S.

Learn more about ethanol fuel in our News Illustrated page.

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As much as you don't want to admit it, hurricane season is here. If you don't have shutters, get them now before prices go up in Summer. Check out all things hurricane on our hurricane guide page.

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Governor Crist flipped on drilling oil off Florida's coast. Here is a map of the current Florida buffer zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

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The new $5 dollar bill has been in circulation since March. You can protect yourself from counterfeits by learning its security features. The U.S. Department of the Treasury has put together the interactive graphic below showing what the new $5 bill looks like. To see the $10, $20, and $50, go to the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing site.

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May 3rd was a disasterous day for Myanmar. Cyclone Nargis has left over 43,000 dead and over 27,000 are still missing. The strict military rulers are not making things easy. Borders closed off to the relief efforts and aid organizations are still waiting for visas.

Look for my News Illustrated page this Sunday in the Sun-Sentinel to learn about the country's troubled history.

Also check out United Nations to get more info or if you want to pitch in and help out, Red Cross is taking donations.

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

UPDATE: The cyclone's official death toll has surpassed 78,000 with another 56,000 missing. The United Nations continue to pressure the govenment to let in more aid workers. Survivors are in great need for help as they are faced with diseases and malnutrition.

In case you missed Sunday's Sun-Sentinel, you can download my News Illustrated page.

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If you missed the MMA explainer in Sunday's News Illustrated, you can download it here.

Also, for more local coverage you can look at some of the best fighters in South Florida and their profiles at our photo gallery

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Mixed Martial Arts, aka ultimate fighting, has exploded, gaining a huge fan base.

Learn more about the sport's rules and some of the more popular moves in the interactive above. Or look in Sunday's Outlook section for the News Illustrated page that gives a basic overview. Also, check out Sunday's Sports section for full coverage of the latest and greatest in MMA.

For more updated information, visit our MMA site.

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With the recent construction crane accident in Miami, we thought a page created last July by former graphics reporter Hiram Henriquez would be informative. It explains how construction cranes lift, how much they cost, and how they are constructed.

To download the News Illustrated page, click here.

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Back in September, 2005, a News Illustrated page introduced the use of unmanned drones to allow hurricane hunters to safely study the lower regions of tropical cyclones. It explained how the aerosondes are flown into the storm where stongest winds are found and save data and measurements every 10 seconds on the plane's hard drive. It also explained how it communicates with a ground station to complete flight plans. To download the News Illustrated page, click here.

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