Ok, so about two years ago my wonderful wife and I agreed to purchase a new digital camera. I had a 1st generation type that took pretty good pictures, but, it was time to upgrade. WW declared a need to have a camera with a big monitor screen (bms) on the back of the camera. Her friend had one with the bms and she liked it. A phone call to Lakeside Camera (no they didn't carry her friend's camera type anymore, but) resulted in a recommendation of a Casio Exilim Camera....bms and a high resolution of 7.2 megapixels.
Purchased the product and began using it with much satisfaction. 2 years in and on our trip to Lake Tahoe.....kapooy.....streaks in the pics....and/or very bright (too, too bright) pics. Big pink sign in the camera box DO NOT RETURN THIS CAMERA TO THE RETAILER (aka Circuit City). Mailed product according to instructions to Casio in New Jersey.
Letter from Casio.....cost to fix your camera $134.78 plus $7.95 p&h........further down the letter.........however, if you choose to you can purchase a RECONDITIONED camera.....3 possibilities available all in the same price range......from various price ranges......all coincidentally near $134.78 plus $7.95. So, we opt to move up to a thinner (called Card) model with similar features for the price of $135.00 plus $7.95.
In makes me wonder.....what does Casio have going with this deal? I will have to get back with you for that answer....will the camera last only another 2 years? or more? or will they offer another upgrade at some time? what about a 4th generation camera?
All this has me thinking back to a Christmas purchase I made for my WW from the Pottery Barn catalog.........one of the articles I purchased came ever so slightly damaged. I called to get a new item and did......here was the kicker.......the customer service rep when asked by me if I needed to return the original item stated that I could keep it......apparently whatever item I had purchased was not worth their time and effort to return/restock/fix, etc.....this happened on two different occasions! Questions: How much did those things cost?...apparently not much.....How much was I paying for them?......eh....Pottery Barn.....apparently too much.
Spend Wisely,
Peace Out
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
In the Air Tonight.
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord. Thanks, Phil. Yep, go outside just after it hits dawn tonight and take a deep breath, then another. You can feel it out there, you know its there and you just can't put your finger on it. I know it.....I feel it......I am ready for it.......are you ready for some FOOTBALL?
No, the fall weather has not blown across the plains of Nebraska for me to have this feeling. Down here in Humidity City its the calendar that gives it away. It is the beginning of the school year and preseason practice that provides other clues. It could be a whistle here and a whistle there on the field or in the stadium. It could preseason media junkets, preseason all-star picks, or the preseason coaches vote for who is suppose to finish first. There are a lot of signs. I know its out there and I am ready to take it on.
I am not one of those fantasy geeks who spends countless hours making up made up teams that don't really play and rely on players have great days out on the field. I am your analytical purist (I analyze the plays, players, and coaches---its the coaching background, I'm sorry)....love to watch a good high school game to see the future talent......love to watch a good college game.......pros are last on my totem pole, but, gotta love the Saints!
As a side to all the hoopty la associated with games I will get to spend some time tailgating (an added attraction to the game....a great time to visit with good friends and have to great food).
Don't forget to vote in my POLL: Are the Saints going to make it to the Super Bowl this year?
Yes, I did include a picture of the God Father of Football in Louisiana.....symbolic icon.
I am ready for some Football!
Go Lions
Go Saints
Comments Welcome.
Peace Out.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
On The Lot: Stay Off Grass
So, I walk over to the couch as my darling wife is talking on the phone and I am completely unaware of the fact that the TV is on. Tiredly, I glance to the TV I begin to focus in on a show called On The Lot. The premise of this reality type show is to find the next "new" "best" "exciting" "young" filmmaker? Contestants or participants produce a two minute film weekly and the best ones stay and someone is eliminated.
This week's segment dealt with producing a movie of the comedy type of two minutes. Stay Off Grass is one of the segments.
As the movie rolls here comes none other that Mr. Perfect....aka....Mike Broussard (OK, not really him, but, the actor playing his part in an exaggerated manner) comes out to his yard to do some plant manicuring and he puts down a gnome in his yard. Mr. Perfect Lawn Guy puts on some headphones to listen to a a little music. A glance up the sky by the camera shows a streak of fire/smoke and suddenly a male super-hero lands on the lawn (having dug up lawn trying to stop). Right after that a female super-hero lands causing more commotion and yard destruction. They commence to verbally joust then fight with one another and then make up by locking lips and twirling around like a tornado which totally destroys the yard (Mike would have had a cow) while the actor playing Mr. Perfect LG has no idea what is going on. Super-heroes depart and Mr. Perfect LG turns around and to his shock sees the yard. He promptly drops his gardening tool bucket on top of the gnome smashing it. End of movie.
Now, I know that Mikey boy would not have just dropped his bucket. He would have rolled out some expletives and stormed around more than the super-heroes in this movie and then began immediate work to restore his perfect yard back to his perfect yard.
I'll leave you with my half country man (say this with a bit of a Brogue......I'm half Irish don't you know) Oscar Wilde's quote:
Paradoxically though it may seem, it is none the less true that life imitates art far more than art imitates life.
Enjoy this glorious Wednesday!
Please comment.
Peace Out.
This week's segment dealt with producing a movie of the comedy type of two minutes. Stay Off Grass is one of the segments.
As the movie rolls here comes none other that Mr. Perfect....aka....Mike Broussard (OK, not really him, but, the actor playing his part in an exaggerated manner) comes out to his yard to do some plant manicuring and he puts down a gnome in his yard. Mr. Perfect Lawn Guy puts on some headphones to listen to a a little music. A glance up the sky by the camera shows a streak of fire/smoke and suddenly a male super-hero lands on the lawn (having dug up lawn trying to stop). Right after that a female super-hero lands causing more commotion and yard destruction. They commence to verbally joust then fight with one another and then make up by locking lips and twirling around like a tornado which totally destroys the yard (Mike would have had a cow) while the actor playing Mr. Perfect LG has no idea what is going on. Super-heroes depart and Mr. Perfect LG turns around and to his shock sees the yard. He promptly drops his gardening tool bucket on top of the gnome smashing it. End of movie.
Now, I know that Mikey boy would not have just dropped his bucket. He would have rolled out some expletives and stormed around more than the super-heroes in this movie and then began immediate work to restore his perfect yard back to his perfect yard.
I'll leave you with my half country man (say this with a bit of a Brogue......I'm half Irish don't you know) Oscar Wilde's quote:
Paradoxically though it may seem, it is none the less true that life imitates art far more than art imitates life.
Enjoy this glorious Wednesday!
Please comment.
Peace Out.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Restaurant Report: Cafe Dolce'
After completing a "shoot" (just throwing around some TV lingo....even though I am not sure if it is correct)David Williams, cameraman extraordinaire and all around good guy directed us to a new restaurant venue known as Cafe Dolce'. I am adding the accent mark just to make it read a little better or more swanky.
Lunch was the time of day and on Dave the Rave's suggestion we split a muffaletta and each had a bowl of chicken and andouille gumbo. Dave was raving about the gumbo (dark roux and great taste) and I would have to concur. The standard muffaletta on a toasted seeded bun was the sandwich item. It was good, there is of course the purists who would shun a toasted bun and probably flip out at the use of the seeds. Post Katrina it has been hard to find true "italian" bread in these areas to use on one's muffaletta. Nevertheless, I found no major complaint with this dish.
I will rate it at Not Too Bad on my first visit. It has the potential to move up into the Pretty Damn Good category, but, more visits will be needed to confirm that label.
Peace Out.
Lunch was the time of day and on Dave the Rave's suggestion we split a muffaletta and each had a bowl of chicken and andouille gumbo. Dave was raving about the gumbo (dark roux and great taste) and I would have to concur. The standard muffaletta on a toasted seeded bun was the sandwich item. It was good, there is of course the purists who would shun a toasted bun and probably flip out at the use of the seeds. Post Katrina it has been hard to find true "italian" bread in these areas to use on one's muffaletta. Nevertheless, I found no major complaint with this dish.
I will rate it at Not Too Bad on my first visit. It has the potential to move up into the Pretty Damn Good category, but, more visits will be needed to confirm that label.
Peace Out.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
The Fence
Having just pulled out of my driveway, moving down the road, and listening to my 91 yr. old mother tell me story of family things from long ago....she stops mid-sentence to say "Ooh, I like that fence." as she glanced to her and my right.
I began to laugh almost uncontrollably and then gasped for air....I was thinking how funny it was that she picked out Broussard's fence and then almost as if I realized he was gonna love hearing that....I gasped for air.
Of course, my mother reacted to my laugh/gasp and asked me what had brought on my response. I could hardly gather myself to tell her that Mikey was a fanatic about his fence (I didn't bother to get into the truck, garage, grass cutting, etc. previously discussed in some detail on this blog).
Yearly Mike (if he doesn't repaint it) cleans (a brush and some type of clorox cleaner are necessary) his fence. Mildew is his enemy and he strikes out at it with a vengeance! Green or black shall not dot the corners or edges of his fence. He is faithful in his duties to maintain a clean and visually pleasing fence.
The fence matches the lawn or vice versa or it matches the garage or vice versa or it matches the truck. Oh, enough already all this talk of Mr. Perfect is making me tired. It is hard to keep up with perfection.
Peace Out
I began to laugh almost uncontrollably and then gasped for air....I was thinking how funny it was that she picked out Broussard's fence and then almost as if I realized he was gonna love hearing that....I gasped for air.
Of course, my mother reacted to my laugh/gasp and asked me what had brought on my response. I could hardly gather myself to tell her that Mikey was a fanatic about his fence (I didn't bother to get into the truck, garage, grass cutting, etc. previously discussed in some detail on this blog).
Yearly Mike (if he doesn't repaint it) cleans (a brush and some type of clorox cleaner are necessary) his fence. Mildew is his enemy and he strikes out at it with a vengeance! Green or black shall not dot the corners or edges of his fence. He is faithful in his duties to maintain a clean and visually pleasing fence.
The fence matches the lawn or vice versa or it matches the garage or vice versa or it matches the truck. Oh, enough already all this talk of Mr. Perfect is making me tired. It is hard to keep up with perfection.
Peace Out
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Grass Cutting Problems Solved: Kenny Verbene
Having not quite yet fully recovered from a bout with poison ivy, oak, or sumac I filled one of Dr. Bob's (my dermatologist) prescriptions (Rx: "Get a lawn boy"). Kenny Verbene, come on down!
Kenny showed up to yesterday and for a nominal fee rolled out his zero turning radius mower and weed whacker and trimmed the front and back forty here on Maple Street in no time at all. High marks for Kenny as he was able to carefully cut around the path lighting that surrounds the pool. It was as if he had just done a good ole flat cut on a head of hair.
Kenny is a good ole boy from Husser with a vibrant personality. He fits the Broussard mold (btw, Kenny's comment on Broussard......"he has definitely got some military in him").
Peas in a pod, I say.
Peace Out.
Kenny showed up to yesterday and for a nominal fee rolled out his zero turning radius mower and weed whacker and trimmed the front and back forty here on Maple Street in no time at all. High marks for Kenny as he was able to carefully cut around the path lighting that surrounds the pool. It was as if he had just done a good ole flat cut on a head of hair.
Kenny is a good ole boy from Husser with a vibrant personality. He fits the Broussard mold (btw, Kenny's comment on Broussard......"he has definitely got some military in him").
Peas in a pod, I say.
Peace Out.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Pause to reflect.
My good friend Rick called me the other day with news that his wife's uncle (really her father figure) had awakened at 2 a.m. with a severe headache (caused by an aneurysm) subsequently he suffered a stroke, heart attack, and passed away.
He text messaged me upon his passing and his words resonated in my head....."he was a good old dude, I wish I had told him that more often". Why is it that we are taken from life and people are left with thoughts that they should have expressed? Do we not take the time? Do we feel that it would sound silly to the person we want to say it to? Probably, not. It is more likely that we think we are going to see the person again. But unfortunately that doesn't happen. For it seems that only upon someones death do we pause to reflect on them and our relations with them.
I had encountered this man on several occasions and can truly say that Richard Powe was a man who presented himself as someone with a gruff exterior. If you delved deeper you knew that he used that gruff exterior cover his pleasing disposition and caring spirit.
I agree with Rick he was a "good old dude".
I think he would like the fact that Rick spoke highly of him to everyone and that people outside his family circle thought well of him, too. Yes, we didn't get to tell him. But, now those that read this will know what we know.
May God Bless him and may he rest in peace. Amen.
This week why not share with a friend or family member that you feel they are a "good old dude"?
Peace Out.
He text messaged me upon his passing and his words resonated in my head....."he was a good old dude, I wish I had told him that more often". Why is it that we are taken from life and people are left with thoughts that they should have expressed? Do we not take the time? Do we feel that it would sound silly to the person we want to say it to? Probably, not. It is more likely that we think we are going to see the person again. But unfortunately that doesn't happen. For it seems that only upon someones death do we pause to reflect on them and our relations with them.
I had encountered this man on several occasions and can truly say that Richard Powe was a man who presented himself as someone with a gruff exterior. If you delved deeper you knew that he used that gruff exterior cover his pleasing disposition and caring spirit.
I agree with Rick he was a "good old dude".
I think he would like the fact that Rick spoke highly of him to everyone and that people outside his family circle thought well of him, too. Yes, we didn't get to tell him. But, now those that read this will know what we know.
May God Bless him and may he rest in peace. Amen.
This week why not share with a friend or family member that you feel they are a "good old dude"?
Peace Out.
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