Archive for December, 2007

Area Rugs

Sunday, December 16th, 2007

Last spring my wife and I went out to get some new area rugs for the living room and dining room. The old ones were hand-me-downs from past generations and showed their age. I was a long day looking through the limited selection at the store, but we eventually found two that we both pretty much liked.

I really wish that I would have known about an online store to buy area rugs. The prices are very similar to those found in a store and the free shipping makes it a great bargain. I’ll do more online research the next time we need area rugs.

Gas Guzzling by Accident

Sunday, December 16th, 2007

I can’t wait until I get to buy a new car. All the cars I’ve bought so far have been used. The first was the cheapest I could find – it didn’t even have A/C. The second I bought off my folks who gave me a good deal because they didn’t like the idea of me driving the first car since it didn’t stear (it did last 2 years though). Of course after the second car was stolen, I had no get another one so along came car #3. We got that one because we thought our stroller would fit in the back of a station wagon. it didn’t. Car #4 was bought because you can’t fit 3 car seats in the back of a 5 passenger vehicle. Or was it because the station wagon broke down? Now I’m stuck with this gas guzzling mini van and I’m hoping they (whoever THEY are) make a car that fits 6 people (3 in car seats and 4 who cannot sit in the front without risking death by airbag) that runs on water or dirty diapers so I can free my self of my $9/day habit of foreign oil.

Online poker casino

Sunday, December 16th, 2007

If you would have told me ten years ago that watching poker on television would become a ratings bonanza, I would have laughed in your face. Seriously, I had never even heard of Texas Hold ‘Em back then. I had played plenty of poker, but the most exotic flavor that I had ever tried was Seven Card Stud.

So begins the meteoric rise of televised poker, televised gambling, and the online casino.

For those who live outside of the great United States of America, there are many options for your online poker and other online betting needs. The best would have a way to bet on any part of the casino out of a single pocket of money. It is very convenient not to have to go to multiple sites with multiple accounts just to do some other types of gambling whether that is sports betting, poker, blackjack, or other interactive online games. That option is very important to many people.

Always make sure you check out any online site, even gambling sites, before you send them money. And also remember, gambling can be fun, but it is addicting to some. Once it becomes an addiction it is no longer fun. So have fun, people.

Girl Clothes

Friday, December 14th, 2007

I had some trouble out shopping today and if you have a girl to shop for this Christmas, this information is vital to your success.  When you go to the store, you will not necessarily find a ‘girls’ section.  Oh sure, there’s a boy’s section.  Even ‘mens’, ‘womens’, ‘infants’ and ‘toddlers’ but today I discovered that girls are not ‘girls’ – they are ‘juniors’.  I was quite confused and wandered a small store aimlessly for a little while trying to figure out my options.  Now I ask you, what is the point of the ‘juniors’ section?  It seems to me that this is as clear as the ‘miss’ section in days past. In other words, not clear at all. To me, it seems like if there is a boys section plainly labeled, there should be a girls section just as obviously labeled, that’s all.  By the way, don’t bother trying to buy her a jacket – they’re out of season.

Mommy makeover

Thursday, December 13th, 2007

The schedule of the modern mother is one that would make many salesmen blanch. With soccer and school and sports and the rest of the activities that the kids are involved in, there is rarely time left for anything that mom wants. For the average mom in southern California, there may be another option than giving up the goal of obtaining your pre-baby figure.

A typical makeover changes your clothes, hair, makeup, shoes, etc., but when you think about it, you can’t wear those clothes everyday, your hair grows out, and the makeup gets washed off at the end of the day. Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery offers a more permanent transformation with their mommy makeover.

A Beverly hills cosmetic surgeon offers multiple techniques and procedures for many specific needs. I didn’t even know that plastic surgeons did specific surgeries for different ethnic groups, but this center lists many of them.

The procedures range from an eyelift to a california tummy tuck. Some of the pictures that are available on the website show dramatic differences in the before and after surgeries. Not the typical before and after pictures that you see from weight loss commercials at three in the morning, but reasonable changes that anyone going into the center can expect to see. I think that you can get a good idea of what’s possible with the different types of surgery from some of the pictures that they have on the site for Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery.

Some agencies adopt a famous moniker in order to drive in more business. I was at first kind of expecting to see that the address for Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery to be somewhere east of LA in the great sea of suburbs that exist up and down the freeways. I was somewhat surprised to see that the street address listed under the Contacts portion of the site listed their address as on Rodeo Drive and in Beverly Hills.

Talk it over with your doctor and see if cosmetic surgery is the right thing for you at the right time.

Vacuums suck

Thursday, December 13th, 2007

I know that you get what you pay for, but some vacuums just suck.

A few years ago we tried a bagless, which conveniently stopped working. We went back to a low-end model bag vacuum (one of two available at the time) and just had to spend 30 minutes unclogging the hose.

Do you remember when your mom’s vacuum just worked? You emptied the bag, and it just kept working. Novel concept.

Whenever I can afford it, I’m going to try out the new Dyson’s. Word of mouth is that they never break and always have suction. In other words, they actually suck.

Flowers Are for Every Occasion

Thursday, December 13th, 2007

I love fresh flowers — the petals are so soft and the aroma so sweet. I wish there were a way to make cut flowers last forever but until then, I wish I got flowers more often (hint to friends and family). Roses can certainly be perfect for any occasion (change the color and you change the meaning) but the variety of flowers abounds and gorgeous bouquets can be made by almost any flower. I found a bouquet of sugar plum lilies at proflowers.com that looks very lively and sophisticated (something I’m not but that I like to pretend to be). If this has inspired you to buy some for my table, just have the flowers delivered to me. Thanks in advance!

Toy Shopping

Thursday, December 13th, 2007

I just saw a news story about recalled toys.  No, this was not the first story I saw and I know it’s not going to be the last this Christmas season.  Many of the toys are recalled for having lead in the paint but there were many other reasons as well (choking hazard, drugs in the toys, if you step on it the toy blows up – you get the idea) and everyone is supposed to buy American made toys to get around the lead problem.  Well, exactly what company makes their toys in America anymore?  I couldn’t have told you for sure because I don’t usually look for the label when I go shopping.  Then I Googled it and sure enough, there are toy makers in this county.  FAO Schwart even has a spot on their web site where you can look for toys from a specific country.  The USA section actually has very little in the way of toys and more in the way of dress up clothes, but they have more than just the United States and China to choose from, so it might be helpful anyway.  Other sites list the place where the toy was made in the blurb for the toy.

Holiday Travel

Wednesday, December 12th, 2007

 

Are you planning on visiting out of town family over the holidays? Let me advise you that it is a much nicer experience if you stay at a hotel instead of with your family. As well meaning as you and they may be, having a place of your own to rest your head may mean you actually get to rest. If you’re lucky, that out of town destination is Scottsdale and Hotelsbycity.net is a great resource for finding what you need to make your visit wonderful. They have travel guides and a  hotel guide for a variety of cities that tell you where to find a place to stay and what those places have to offer. (Just one example is the Hyatt Regency in Scottsdale which offers pools, Jacuzzis and a golf course.) They also give you an idea of what else you can do while you’re in town. Scottsdale is a shopping mecca so when you realize you forgot to shop for your mom on Christmas Eve, you won’t have a problem finding that perfect gift. When you’re feeling the after Christmas blahs, you can spend time looking through the many art galleries available to you. They even help you with a variety of links so you can get more information on your own.

 

Buy My House, Please

Wednesday, December 12th, 2007

The real estate market around here stinks.  I should know, I’m trying to sell my house.  Mind you it’s not because I can’t afford it; it’s because we got a job in another city.  Murphy’s Law dictates that we get a new job that fits all our needs just as the housing market goes bust.  Now I wasn’t in on that .com stuff when it went south and I’m happy about that, but does that mean I was due for an investment arena to go kaput on me?  Does this mean I’m less likely to get burned in the future?  Of course this time of year is pretty bad for the housing market anyway, but I’ve heard those in the know about this stuff aren’t expecting a real recovery until 2010.  I’d kinda like to sell my house before that, ya know?

1800nodrugs.com

Wednesday, December 12th, 2007

The Christmas season is when you are supposed to spend time with family and loved ones. It is extremely difficult to enjoy this time when you are saddled with the guilt of knowing you’re addicted and that this addiction is a burden to those you love. Realizing you have a problem is often the hardest part mentally but what sometimes feels harder still is trying to figure out how to get help. Sometimes the embarrassment of asking for help can hold a person back because it means they have to admit they have a problem not just to themselves but also to someone else which can be a very humbling experience. Looking for a drug rehab or an alcohol rehab facility online is an option now in ways that it hasn’t been in the past. Not only do many facilities have websites, there are also referral services that can help you find a drug treatment program that will work for you. One such place is 1800nodrugs.com. You can get information about rehabilitation, relapses and general drug facts. If you need more information, you can give them your contact information and they will reach out to you. There’s no embarrassment involved because they know why you need to reach them. Maybe you are held back because you don’t think you can afford an expensive treatment facility. In fact, many health care plans cover these costs. Even if yours doesn’t or you don’t have insurance at all the truth of the matter is that you cannot afford to lose your livelihood and even your life because you do not make this investment in yourself. This web site has information about financing the expenses, something I did not realize could be done until now. If you have a loved one who needs help, you can use this service as well. The website helps out with information on interventions and after care as well as the referral service.

Interest Rate Drop

Wednesday, December 12th, 2007

Well, the fed dropped the interest rate another quarter point. I hope I can refinance my mortgage and get a lower monthly payment because of this.

Unfortunately this also means that the interest rate on my savings account is going to go down. I’m beginning to wonder if they do negative interest on savings accounts.

SurfExpo.com

Tuesday, December 11th, 2007

I live in Arizona so I don’t often get to the ocean.  Being landlocked, it goes without saying that I can’t surf  — but I am glued to the TV on those rare occasions when surfing is on.  (Actually pretty much any sport other than the ones they seem to show are the ones I like.  I’ll take skateboarding over golf any day of the week.)  Anyway, I just found out about an interesting web site called SurfExpo.com.  They have a lot of information about the goings on in the surf community and have a tradeshow coming up in January in Orlando.  It’s hard to find a blog that is actually enjoyable but one of the SurfExpo’s Staff Blogs has footage of the waves on a recent day on the California coast that was really cool.  They also have a section on the main page that lets you access different press releases about surfing, skateboarding and surf and skate fashions.  If you can’t make it to the expo, you can always check out their  slide shows.If you’re interested in the surf industry (and that includes surf fashion as well) this is a good website to check out for news and the latest gear.

Planet Terror

Monday, December 10th, 2007

Even though I probably should have gone to see this one in the theaters, I finally borrowed Planet Terror from a friend and popped into the old DVD.

It was crazy, obscene, funny, confusing, bad, and just plain REDONCULOUS.

So in other words, I kind of liked it.

Online slots

Monday, December 10th, 2007

What are slot machines. What are they really? Just a computer hooked up to a money slot, some spinning wheels, and a big handle.

Doesn’t seem like there’s any need to head to the casinos to use their computers when you can just use your own computer to be your very own slot machine.

If you like to play slots, just remember that it can be fun, but if it gets out of control, it’s not fun anymore.

Still raining

Monday, December 10th, 2007

Ok, don’t get me wrong. We’re in a desert, and we always need more rain.

However, it’s been raining almost non-stop for about 10 days now. We’re just not used to this stuff.

Rain is supposed to blow into town at about 4pm, drop off its liquidy load, and move out of town by 6.

Besides, it’s better for the town if the rain lands further up north so it can flow into the reservoirs.

Stock Research Site

Monday, December 10th, 2007

I don’t know about you, but I’ve just about driven myself mad trying to find a good place to do stock research on the internet. I listen to the Nightly Business Report on the local PBS station and I know that investing in stocks requires good reseach so I feel like I should take a more active role in my investments and maybe try my hand at buying some stocks apart from my regular investments. TheBuyList.com tells me what mutual funds have bought and sold so that I can compare that to my own portfolio. Why not take advantage of the fact that the companies that run mutual funds have vastly greater resources at their demand in figuring out their stock picks? Investment research is incredibly time consuming and at TheBuyList.com I can indirectly use the research done by big investment companies to help me decide what my next buy or sell will be.

Duel of Ages

Monday, December 10th, 2007

My brother got into the Duel of Ages universe a couple of years ago. We all played the game constantly for six months or so before putting it away for a while. Well, we’re back into the DOA world.

A warning before you spend your money on the game: it comes in 6 or 7 different boxes that all cost between $20 and $40. So if you want the entire set, be ready to shell out some serious clams.

The game itself centers around a changeable board and huge decks of cards. The cards contain characters and items from ancient times, industrial times, the modern age, and the future. So your characters can vary from the Mongol hordes, to Billy the Kid, to an army sniper, to a crystalline entity from space. Each character tries to complete challenges to earn points and equipment. The equipment can be any sort of tool, weapon, or pet from any age.

There is no set goal for points in the game, only a timer that all players agree on before starting the game. If you can test play it once at a game store, I recommend getting to know it before you buy it. My gaming group loves it.

Online loans

Monday, December 10th, 2007

One of the things that I can’t stand is getting a stack of pre-approved credit card offers in the mail. Every day it seems like my mail box will just fall off the wall from the sheer weight of the pre-approved offers.

Instead of rewarding your business to a credit card company that participates in one of the annoying scourges of the world, look around for an online company for some of the Best Credit Cards.

Personal loans are another option for some of these online sites if credit cards aren’t what you’re looking for.

Bad Credit Loans can sometimes be the only option for people with a checkered credit history. No matter what type of online loan or source of credit that you’re looking for, remember to read the small print, think of the worst case scenario, and consider all your options.

Digital Camera Checklist

Monday, December 10th, 2007

A digital camera is always a wonderful gift to give for the holidays and since I’ve had a few I feel at list slightly qualified to offer suggestions on how to find a better one when you go out looking.

1) Obvious as it may be, get one with a LCD display.  The whole point of the digital camera to me is that I can see the picture as soon as I take it so I know if I need re-do.  No display means don’t bother with it no matter what else it has.

2) Remember to get a memory card or stick with extra memory.  Many new cameras just come with the internal memory (which is minuscule) or  with a card or stick that doesn’t have enough memory.  I recommend at least 1GB of extra memory so you don’t have to clear your card constantly.

3) Digital zoom is a nice amenity.  You actually zoom in on what you are taking a picture of giving you better resolution and  the ability to print a better picture later.

4) Figure out which cameras don’t suck your batteries dry even when it is turned off.  You’ll probably need to talk to a knowledgeable salesperson to get this one done.  So far for me it has been hit and miss.  In the mean time, buy rechargeable batteries and have a spare set ready each time you know you are going to use your camera.
5) Look for a camera that has little delay time between the push of the button and the actual taking of the picture.  That perfect moment will be missed every time if the delay is too big and the subject is bombarded with a flashing light long before the picture is actually taken.

6) If the camera is for yourself, set up an account at Walgreens.com or some other such speedy developing place.  You can upload your pictures and have them ready in an hour for very reasonable prices.  Only have them print and buy the ones you like instead of a whole role of film that has your finger in every picture.  You can get the pictures in a variety of sizes and you don’t have to buy a special printer or special paper to do it yourself at home (though you certainly can).

Good luck in this adventure into modern picture taking.