March 2, 2007

Can you help me decide?

I know that a lot of you have been missing my photos and I do see opportunites to take a few every time I leave my house. (Well, duh! It’s Hawaii. Of course I do!) I just have a hard time with posting bad pictures, so I’ve passed up most of the chances that have come my way.The pictures I’ve used in my blog lately have been out of focus & more than a little embarrassing. That’s because I’m still using the cheesy little camera that I’m “holding” for the homeowners association. I finally started shopping for a camera yesterday. I was doing some household shopping at a warehouse memebership store and decided to take a look at what they had. I’m no camera expert, but I know a little about what I want. I see surfers and whales almost every time I drive the coast highway this time of year. The few photos I’ve taken have shown little dark specks lost on the blue ocean. I’ve never gotten a good shot of the mountains either. I’m pretty sure I could do a better job with a something somewhat higher than the 4X zoom I have available right now (which is still higher than the 2X I had on the camera that died on me.) I found several in my price range yesterday that had either a 10X or 12X. There were little data cards stuck behind plastic on the display counter. The cards didn’t give me the kind of info I needed, so I tried to find someone to open the case and pull out some user’s guides for me. Good luck if you find yourself needing help in that type of store. I wasted about twenty minutes and came home to do my comparison shopping online.

I think I’ve found the camera I want. If you’re pretty savvy about these things and want to help me out, leave me a comment with your advice What I primarily want to know is how “user-friendly” it is, since I’m very much the techno-phobe. It’s easier for me to shop online because I can compare specs side by side, but since I don’t know what half of them mean I’m still a little lost. The camera that I’ve got my eye on is an upgrade on one that I had handled at the store yesterday. It’s a Kodak Z710 Easyshare 7MP with 10X optical zoom. I found an Overstock.com deal on it that will save me thirty bucks, so I can get it a little cheaper there than at the local place. I think it has the features that I want and need, but am more than willing to look at other models if the advice comes flowing in and other options seem better suited for my limited abilities. There are scads of online coupon codes available to me, so I can afford to shop around at different merchants and look at other brand names.

I know that several of you that read me regularly are pretty knowledgeable about cameras, so if you’re willing to help me out here, give me a shout. I’m not in a huge hurry, but I’d like to be able to take some pictures when my son comes, which I think will be late March. I’m looking to save money, so I’m especially interested in the discounts that are available at CouponChief.com and, besides, they were nice enough to sponsor this post and I’d like to give them some love back.

[tags]digital cameras, electronics,payperpost,online coupons[/tags]

December 28, 2006

Postie Patrol 3

PayPerPost is at it again with their whacky videos. This time we get to view the insane antics they cooked up for postie Genki Girl on a cold Chicago day. She had to accost a stranger for his autograph, find someone wearing shorts on that cold, cold day, attempt to make a snow angel on iced-over snow that wouldn’t budge, and write “I LOVE PPP” on her forehead. It’s fun to watch, and suspenseful as we watch the minutes ticking down. This post was brought to you by HP, who supplied the prizes for the bizarre scavenger hunt. Did Genki Girl win a whole boatload of prizes, including an HP digital camera and Digital Photo Printing< equipment and a bundle of cash? You’ll have to watch to find out!

Video link deleted.

Now wasn’t that fun? Don’t you think HP and PayPerPost should come to Hawaii to thaw out for their next Postie Patrol? Shouldn’t I have the next shot at winning a boatload of HP gear and cash? Yeah, I think so, too!

December 22, 2006

Life is not fair!

The first HP 6 mega-pixel digital camera and printer have been given away. The lucky winner is Anna-Marie, whose surreal fantasy charmed the payperpost and HP judges. Now, I’ll have to agree with them that her contest post is classy. The girl knows how to use a camera. She’s pretty persuasive, too, what with her hard-luck stories about carpal tunnel syndrome and being robbed. But, well, would you just look at her? If you were one of the judges, would you have voted for her? Of course you would. You wouldn’t even have needed to read a word she wrote! I’m quite certain that the judges were drooling the entire time that they were reading her post (if they were able to tear their eyes away from the photos long enough to actually read it.) She’s probably the reason that the contest was delayed; they wanted an excuse to review the entries again and again just so that they could gaze upon her loveliness . Even women are beguiled by her. Tune in to the PayPerPost YouTube Channel and behold the groveling PPP staffer kissing Anna-Marie’s camera so that the imprint of her lips can someday caress Anna-Marie’s hand:

Video link deleted.

Now I ask you, is this contest fair? What do you think my chances are of winning one of the nine remaining HP 6 mega-pixel camera and printer sets? How can an over-the-hill, grandmotherly type compete with that? Nothing I can say or do is going to make an impression on judges so focused on youth and beauty. The only way they will ever be able to convince the world of their impartiality is to do an abrupt about face. I happen to love PayPerPost and care deeply about their reputation. I’m sitting in my office next to my HP Officejet 7410 All-In-One while using my Compaq (HP) computer to compose this PPP post. I just finished downloading photos from my HP320 digital camera (which, sadly, only has 2.1 mega-pixels,) so it should be clear to everyone that I also love HP. My loving devotion and customer loyalty are surely worth rewarding. PayPerPost was kind enough to sponsor this post, but I don’t think that’s adequate recompense. I think HP, PayPerPost and I can come to a mutually beneficial agreement here that will salvage their reputations and put a nice new camera and printer in my possession, don’t you? Yes, I’m volunteering to be their token old broad. Selecting me will remove the taint of their past prejudicial practices and allow their reputation to shine once more.

December 21, 2006

My camera is getting old

My camera is an HP320. I like it. It was given to me by dear friends two years ago for Christmas. Two years is a long time for electronic equipment to stay in service in today’s fast-changing technological world, but still, it takes nice pictures and it’s easy to use. It has 2.1 mega-pixels. Now, I should tell you right here that I’m not sure what mega-pixels are. I know they have something to do with photo quality, and I know that Ted has more of them than I do. Who is Ted? He’s the PayPerPost guru who wants to give away some HP 6 mega-pixel digital cameras and photo printers. This post is sponsored by HP, who wants Ted to give me a camera and photo printer. Ted has more of almost everything than I do. Since Ted is in a sharing mood, I think he should give me a 6 mega-pixel camera. I live in Hawaii. I take scenic digital photos and share them with the folks who read my blog. My blog works for him when I do PPP posts. It makes sense that Ted should want me to take the best pictures possible. So Ted? Could I please have one? The entire blogsphere will thank you for the quality photos I feed into its stream, and so will I. I’ll even give my old HP320, which is a perfectly good camera, to the nearest women’s shelter if you give me a new one. Deal?

December 20, 2006

Sing your heart out!

Karaoke is hugely popular in Hawaii. The karaoke bars are always rocking with crowds, usually groups of friends cheering each other on. Malls and local TV stations have karaoke contests and, of course, fans have parties at home and have their own karaoke machines so they can practice whenever they want. My next door neighbor’s grandson drove me crazy a while back when he set up his machine on their carport and belted out endless repetitions of The Impossible Dream. He wasn’t very good, but he was having so much fun I don’t think anyone minded much. You can liven up your own parties or surprise your favorite fan with their own machine after you do your research at Home Karaoke Machine Guide, which provides you with all the info you’ll need to make a smart buying decision.

Earplugs for your neighbors are available at the corner drug store.

December 18, 2006

Fun last minute gifts

I’ve been doing termite inspections for almost twenty-seven years. I’m very good at what I do. One thing that I learned early on is that good tools make good work. As an amateur gardener, it doesn’t matter that I use inexpensive tools from the discount store. As a professional providing a service, I look for the very best tools available to assist me in my work. The picture above is my proof. It’s over a decade old. The Streamlight Rechargable Flashlight is clearly visible on my hip. I still rely on Streamlight after all these years, because their flashlights have proven themselves reliable, sturdy and very long-lasting.

While you’re checking out the flashlights, take a look around at some of the other optical instruments at OpticsPlanet.com . If you still have last-minute Christmas shopping to do and you’re looking for bargains, you can certainly find them there. I spend a lot of money on my work tools, but want a discount price for my nephew’s first telescope. The hunters in your life would love to find leupold rifle scopes under the Christmas tree this year. Paintballers and others who play in the dark might appreciate an improvement in their night vision. You still have time to order, and will get free UPS shipping on orders over $29.95. Prowl around the site while your there. There are thousands of optical products and accessories and the discounted prices are very appealing.

December 14, 2006

Feeling safe at home

I had a recent scare when an intruder walked into my home one evening. My dogs chased him away, so I was very fortunate that time. I’ve become more conscientious about locking my deadbolts since then, and I started shopping for outdoor security lighting the next day. I still feel vulnerable, but didn’t want to install an expensive Security System in a home that I’ll probably be selling in the next year or so. Now I’ve found out that there’s a more effective approach. LaserShield is a portable system that’s easy to set up and will provide the 24/7 monitoring that I want. The keychain remote alarm and activator will allow me to arm and disarm the system as I come and go, and it can be configured so that the dogs won’t be triggering false alarms. I can take it with me when I move, and the system is expandable, so I can add to it if my new place is bigger. LaserShield is available at CompUSA, Kmart, Home Depot and other national retailers as well as online.

November 23, 2006

Up close view

I had a “little scientist” kit when I was a child. Santa Claus, who always knows everything, knew of my curiosity about the natural world and supplied the tools necessary for my explorations. My parents were quite patient with my messy experiments conducted with kitchen pantry items and the cleaning products that were normally “hands-off” to my young self. I kept a careful log of the proofs that water could exist as a liquid, a solid or a vapor, and that one small sample could be endlessly cycled through those states. The best of all, though, was my view of the world through the microscope. A flimsy little plastic gadget, it required the careful placement of Mom’s reading lamp. Through its magic I discovered that ordinary objects were not so ordinary at all. The smoothness of a shiny penny was shown to be as pitted as the surface of the moon. Barbie’s hair wasn’t black at all, but a multi-hued blend of mostly blues and reds. The ticklish legs of a doodle-bug became gigantic spiky, fearsome things when seen through the lens.

Children’s microscopes have come a long way since those days. This site for microscopes features a wide range of products to fit every budget. Deep discounts insure that Santa will be well-supplied this year with the tools for the budding scientist in your life, and shipping is free for orders over $29.95. This microscope would fit perfectly under any tree, and is sure to please. If you’re all grown up and want a more sophisticated instrument, you’ll find that here, too. They even stock the high-quality instruments that meet the exacting demands of professionals, with savings that fit nicely into a working budget.