Save the Planet

Back in the 70s, they called it ecology. Today, it's called being green. Just a few ideas to get started.

1. Recycle your newspapers.

2. Instead of buying disposable water, invest in a Brita Purifier and buy some Kleen Kanteens. Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Poly Loop Cap (12-Ounce, Black Eclipse)

3. An idling car emits 20 times pollution than one moving at 32 miles per hour. So, turn off the engine after fifteen seconds.

Photographic Techniques

I like to call myself a photo enthusiast. I've been taking photos for 40 years, so in that time I've picked up a few tips.

1. Be sure to use your LCD screen to proof your pictures as soon as possible. Since your pictures can look great on your two-inch screen, it's a good idea to enlarge them on your screen to make sure they still look good. I've taken many shots that look good, until I enlarge them.

2. Beware of camera shake. I use attach my camera to ThePod, to create sharp pictures. Also, my camera pod is easier to haul around than a tripod. But that's not all I do. I've learned the process of pressing the shutter release will also cause camera shake, so I often use a self-timer. Some cameras have self-timers with more than one delay setting.



3. Back-up your photos in the field. I use a Photosafe II, because I simply insert the memory chip and hit copy. If you want two copies to be on the safe side, you can insert your regular memory chip, then a compact disk and copy from the memory chip to the compact disk!




4. I utilize the scene modes, such as Sunset, Landscape, etc, to make my pictures even better.

5. Use the rule of thirds for composing your shots. Instead of putting your subject in the center, divide your screen into a tic-tac-toe grid, and place your subject at one of the places your lines intersect.

6. Use the built-in frame-assist to line up horizons, buildings, etc. Or, you can use the lcd edges as a guide.

7. Protect yourself by registering your pictures at copyright.gov.

Airline Hassles

Everyone hates to fly these days. In fact, we'd rather drive 550 miles one way than take an airplane. But sometimes we have to fly.

Last August, we were flying into Vancouver for our Alaska cruise, and had to change planes in DFW. Our connecting flight was canceled due to mechanical problems, and suddenly American Airlines had to find alternate flights for a planeload of people.

The American Airlines ticket counter employee booked us on United Airlines. It was in another terminal, so we had to catch the tram to the other terminal. Once we arrived, the guy at the United Ticket counter refused to let us board until our luggage arrived at their gate! We informed him we had a cruise to catch, but it made no difference.

The plane took off without us, so we called American Airlines and they sent us back to the American Airlines terminal. Finally, we arrived at the gate in question and we got a manager this time. He put us on standby on the last flight to Vancouver. We ended up being the last two people on the plane!

We arrived in Vancouver, but our luggage didn't. We were so late, the Pan Pacific had sold the last waterfront room, so we ended up with a Mini-Suite! That Mini-suite was fancier than the one we got at the Hilton back in 1996 when our ship was eight hours late getting into port, and Royal Caribbean had to put us up for the night. The next morning, we had french toast worthy of Alton Brown! Yum, Yum. And coffee in the dining room was $4.50 per person. Ouch!

Flying back from Anchorage, Alaska, we were delayed again, due to damage on the wing. We waited for an hour for American Airlines to contact an engineer in Tulsa. Of course with the time difference, he was off work by then. Finally, we got the go ahead to fix the wing, and they fixed it by applying duct tape (I kid you not). Then we waited another hour for the paperwork (including serial numbers) to be completed. Due to delay regulations, we got more food before the flight than during the flight. We ended up being only a few minutes late for our connecting flight in DFW, but they refused to hold the plane for us. We were told at the desk that it's a huge no-no to have customers arrive without their luggage. But I suspect not as big a no-no as having to put them up in a hotel for the night.

In the October 7, 2010 issue of the Wall Street Journal, "A Big Jump in Gripes About Airline Service" mentions all the hassles, and how people that complain get better service than people that don't. They no longer take complaints via e-mail. Probably because many people can now send emails via their cell phones. These days, you can go airconsumer.ost.dot.gov and fill out a form.

Payments for August and September (Month to Date)

Also Speedearner & MidnightClicking

Waiting Payments

Both Deep-C-Links and LadyoftheLinks have announced upcoming closure.

Deep-c-Links: 66 Request Ahead of You, 154 Days Old (Second Request Due to Exceeding Maximum Allowed Balance) Number ahead of me decreasing, but no change in beenpaid page. Ads are slow to process, and none of my ads from my PTP rotator upgrade have been processed in nearly 2 months. All this, and still requires 125 clicks a month.

E-Qoo2: 31 Request Ahead of You, 151 Days Old, 1 click required every 15 days.

LadyOfTheLinks: 5 Requests Ahead of You, 154 Days Old (Second Request Due to Exceeding Maximum Allowed) Ads are slow to process, and none of my ads from my PTP rotator upgrade have been processed in nearly 2 months. Still require 50 clicks a month.

PreciousPomsPTR: 4 Requests Ahead of You, 74 Days Old, 50 clicks required monthly

RoseBizs: 8 Requests Ahead of You, 190 Days Old, Been Paid Page Removed (owes me $7.74, but changed the amount of my payment to $1.01 after a post at GlobalFriendsOnline)

Lose For Good Campaign

Weight Watchers is teaming up with http://www.facebook.com/ShareOurStrength and http://www.facebook.com/actionagainsthunger to fight world hunger. Learn more about it at www.weightwatchers.com/loseforgood.

Save 35% off Commbs Maple Syrup in September

Get 35% off Commbs fmaple syrup!

We use only Maple Syrup on the Breakfast table, so I always have my eyes out for a good buy.

Order Commb’s Maple Syrup at 20% discount in September, then save an additional 15% with the Subscribe and Save Option!

Digital Photography Tips.

I've inherited my father's interest in taking photographs, and have inherited his collection of slides taken over a period of six decades.

While my shots are no where near the quality of a professional photographer, I've learned a few tips over the years.

1. Make sure your camera has a thread for a tripod mount. While I seldom take my tripod on trips anymore, I've purchased some The Blue Pod - Camera Platform over the years, and use these as often as I can. I have a small with a center screw for my point-and-shoot, and a larger one for my Ultra-Zoom and Compact SLR. I'm probably going to order one with an off-center screw for the SLR. By simply mounting the camera on one of these, I've gotten much clearer photos.

2. Utilize the self-timer button on your camera. Just the act of pressing the shutter release can move your camera. The last two cameras I've purchased have a two second delay, as well as the twelve second delay.

3. All images look sharp in the two-inch LCD screen on the back of the camera. Be sure to use the image magnifier to check the sharpness of your photos. When purchasing a new digital camera, make sure that your camera's LCD will work in bright sunlight. Check it out in both portrait and landscape mode. I tried a camera which looked great in the normal position, but would go blank when turned 90°.

4. Backup your photos as soon as possible. I always take a remote backup on our travels, so I have a second backup of my photos! While there are some that actually come with a screen for viewing, I've taken my Digital Foci Photo Safe II PST-251 500 GB Digital Picture Storage (Blue/White). It also acts as a hard drive back-up for your computer on those days when you need to restore factory settings.