sanfords

I just had to tell this story.  It makes me feel dumb but I bet I'm not alone.

 

So many years ago, maybe 2002 timeframe, I bought one of those VHS to DVD conversion boxes.  Why?  Sure I could probably play my VCR into my PC and make copies but why bother with all the hassle?  These things let you stick in a DVD and a VHS tape, hit one button and walk away - I love it!

 

Yah, well...

 

I bought a Samsung (I don't recall the model) but it was the cheapest one I could find at the time, about $250.

When I got it I tried the obvious - well it just sat there. 

I managed to hook up my PC to view the menu and played around with it.  Just couldn't get it to work.

I remember (this was years ago) I called their customer support after a few days of no luck and I was told I had too new/fast a DVD in there to work.  Well gee, why can't you tell me that you dumb machine!

 

I ended up useing some DVD-RW disks and I finally got it to work.

 

But when I viewed the resulting DVD, I was not impressed.  Just a very lame looking menu leading to titles.

I found out later that I have to use the remote to set things up to give proper titles etc. so that the resulting DVD is at least descriptive enough for a user to recognize what's on it.

 

But using the remote was a real hassle - because there was a 1 second delay after every button I touched!  This was amazingliny slow!

This is a bigger deal than you might think because you have to specify the start and end times of each block on the VHS tape that is to be a separate title.  This can involve dozens of clicks and with a second delay between each click it can literally take a half hour to just set up one VHS tape to copy!

After repeated attempts to use it on rare occasions it just began to gather dust.  I used it so infrequently that I quickly past any chance of getting my money back.

 

Just a few weeks ago I gave it one more big try.  This time I simply couldn't get any output out of the thing.  I don't know if it was my new TV card in my PC or the wrong cables.  I went to various stores several times to try go get cables that would work including HDMI cables and adaptors - man are these expensive!  I eventually returned them all (except for a cable which the seller told me could not be returned because it wasn't certified!  How LAME.  They charged me like $26 for that cable and I brought it back only two days after purchase!  (That was from Vetco)

 

So I had this thing for maybe 5 years and successfully copied maybe two VHS tapes.  Also the great feature I didn't think about is copy protection!  If you bought a VHS movie, don't expect these things to make a digital version for you - they just will refuse to work.  That really ticked me off because I threw out my old VHS player thinking this thing would have me into the digital domain in no time.  So don't throw out your old VHS player!  It may be the only way to copy your VHS movies without having to buy a new DVD version.

 

So the dumb thing was in line to be trashed.

 

I was told that Stupid Prices had some VHS-DVD boxes for sale cheap.  I went over and they were going out of business so their Sony VHS-DVD boxes were only $65!!!  This was awesom!

 

But I wasn't about to have the same thing happen to me again so I asked them to demo it for me (no refunds were allowed.)

They managed to hook it up to a TV but didn't have any VHS tapes to test so I went home and picked up a copy protected VHS tape, a non-protected one, and two different types of DVDs (DVD-R and a DVD_RW)

When I got back I gave it a shot and no luck.  So I grabbed this kid (who reminds me of Drew)  and asked him to show me how to get it to work.  Well he tried the obvious, just like I did, and it just sat there.

I asked if he had a manual.  He didn't the thing didn't even come with a manual!  Then we realized that we probably needed a remote to get it to work.  He couldn't find a remote for it but found one for a related model.  So what they were selling was a device that absolutely needs a remote.... without the remote!

I finally had to tell him I couldn't buy it.

 

How do companies keep getting away with selling this CRAP?  Unbelievable!

 

I think I will try borrowing a friend's VHS-DVD device and see if I can get that to work.

 

So much for easy.

People seem to love PDF files.  That's because it preserves the paper mentality for them.

PDFs are printer friendly but information averse.

I am at this second printing a small book to read in the car.  To save paper I am printing 4 pages per paper page.  Due to the large margins for the original, the print is microscopic.  It need not be but PDFs do not lend themselves to easily re-presenting the information like .doc files do.

It always drives me nuts when I go online to submit an application for a new account of some kind and get pointed to a PDF file to print out, fill in by hand, and then scan in to fax to the firm in question.  A total waste of time and paper to me.  A simple HTTP form will do with a checkbox stating that I am attaching my signature to a contract and agree to uphold it - just like when you install software.

 

And that's it for today's LAME REPORT.

 

We just got back from a visit with my good friend Billy at Pismo Beach.

As usual it was a good time for all!

This was the view at the peak of a hike we went on.

Brandon is cuite - my new sand buddy!

Willy teaching Cara, Becky, and Katheryn how to KILL.

Billy innocently shaking hands... Look out Cara!

Billy teaching Cara how to break your arm.

How to break free.

Billy showing off as usual.

Billy making my head pop.

More instruction for death.

The ladies having a nice chat.

A blurred but good shot of Billy, Deanna, Darwin and Terry.

Pismo Beach proof.

Becky with her board.

More of Becky.

The threesome ready to surf.

Surf siloettes.

Help me up from the cliff with this silly kite!

Jessica alone on a desert island.

Becky on the same island.

Jessica and Katheryn lost in the desert.

More lost souls.

Becky flying my kite in the desert.

Girls dying of thirst.

Willy being dragged by my kite.

The before the hike shot.

The shot durring the hike.  Bummer, I'm just as fat as usual!

Our friend waiting for free food.

Mayhem at Avilla Beach - a school of fish always makes things lively.

Give me your watch!

Pellicans and seals galore!

Becky likes fresh fish.

Leroy the sea lion tells me to get lost.

Becky chokeing Willy.

Becky choking Katheryn.

Becky showing off her Highland Dance moves.

Billy learning Highland Dance from Becky.

Jessica showing off her hawian moves.

Becky and Deanna hiding among the flowers.

 

What a fun and relaxing time we had.  Man Pismo has perfect weather all the time!  What an awesome place to go.

Thank's Bill!

At our school's auction we bought a week at a cottage on the beach at Marristone Island.

This was really fun and so I thought I'd share some of the pictures I took.

A nice artsy desktop picture taken of the beach.

Keep Clam.  The beach has billions of sand dollars.

Fort Flagler and the local fawna.

Our guest hiking at Fort Flagler.

Another artsy desktop taken at dawn from the inside of the cabin.

So last winter the snow destroyed my little tarb-based covering for my boat next to my house.

So I decided to add a carport.

Then I poured cement to make a nice place to put my boat on.

Then I needed to extend the driveway to properly get my boat in and out.

So here are the pix!

I simply have to share this story.

 

Last spring I gave each of the 6 graduating students of the school where my children attend, two real silver dollars.  I did this because it represented what I thought were true values instilled in them at this private classical christian school.

 

Well, this last week, my son told me that one of the girls in his class cashed in her two dollars at the bank for... you guessed it... two plain paper dollars.

 

It's sad, really pathetic, that this girl didn't know the difference in value between an irredemable paper note and a solid ounce of pure .999 fine silver.

 

It really takes me back and makes me want to discuss this with the board and principle of the school.  People just don't know what the difference is between money and credit anymore.  People just aren't being taught, even at some of our best private schools.

 

Well, maybe this financial collapse will teach us a lesson to remember.

 

Though I slam the Zeitgeist Addendum movie in my previous blog, the first hour of that film is actually an excellent introduction to modern ecconomics and I highly recommend the first half of that movie.