Having a Heat Wave!?! Break Out the Resort Wear!

Record heat is forcing all of us to cope whether we really wish to or not.

We all know the basics. We stay inside with the A/C, running for our air-conditioned vehicle whenever we just have to venture out. We drink plenty of fluids. We bring our pets inside and give them extra water, too. We check on our neighbors.

However, the heat also provides an excuse to break out the "resort wear" purchased earlier in the year while on vacation in Hawaii. So a bit of fun, a reason to smile while wearing clothing I might otherwise deem inappropriate.

New Flavor - Doritos Corn Chips (Cheeseburger)

NOTE - Natural BEEF Flavor

I don't know about you but I don't want my corn chips flavored with beef ... what, by-products?!??

What Do I Do With All The Pics Shot With My New Camera?

Photos from my newish digital camera have taken up residence on Flickr,  a wonderful, photo sharing site on Yahoo. Currently 2000+ of my pics reside there, mostly because I have been putting every photo I take on Flickr as a sort of online backup. And because, often, I can't see what I have (at least not well) until I've uploaded to Flickr.

Maybe someday I'll cull the less than wonderful specimens from my Flickr photo stream.

Changes are underway that should make for an even better experience

See - Tech Crunch.

An Interesting Feature of This Blog

Sometimes I wonder if it is worth my time to add labels to my posts as I write mostly for myself. Today, just for fun, I clicked on one of my blog labels. To my great surprise and delight, every post labeled with that particular label was before me on my screen.

Now to try it elsewhere..

Estes Kefauver

An interesting read ...... I discovered Estes Kefauver delivering a message about organized crime, at the end of a classic film noir, The Captive City, .My movie-watching companion is old enough to remember when Estes Kefauver served as a United States Senator from Tennessee. Kefauver was a contemporary of Al Gore, Sr and Lyndon Johnson. He seems to have been an independent man of conscience.

We could use some of Kefauver's anit-trust/anti-monopoly fervor today.

The Captive City, 1952 movie poster

The Captive City, from Wise Films, this review also discusses photographic technique

The Captive City, from Where Danger Lives Blogspot

The Captive City, from Wikipedia

The Captive City, from Movie Mirrors

The Captive City, from IMDb

The Captive City, from TV-Guide

Robert Wise Biography, from AOL Television

See also, This TV  (where I came across this movie)

Just Saying, "Hello"

I recently acquired a new cell phone from T-Mobile .... Motorola CLIQ .... . The purchase of this phone was brought about by the death of a cute little cell (also from Motorola) I had managed to keep alive for six years (buying it new batteries every two years or so).

Truth is, I liked my old cell better. It's difficult to use everything the CLIQ has to offer without running the battery down way too quickly. When I called T-Mobile for assistance, the suggestion was to use a less than maximum quality setting for photos, to run fewer apps, and to disable the wi-fi.What's the point of having so many features, if I don't use them!?!

And much to my dismay, for some inexplicable reason, the CLIQ turns itself off, without warning, when I am trying to take/save/share a photo or video (and the photo or video vanishes forever). So far, I haven't figured out why. Sometimes it works wonderfully well and other times it does not work at all! One of the principle reasons for buying this phone, was for the camera. I love to send photos off to whoever and wherever as soon as I take the photo. However, I have found that when traveling, the photos do not always go right away (if at all) to where I'd like them to be.

T-Mobile coverage is excellent in big cities but works less well and sometimes not at all in other locales. So not the best service to have when traveling. I find myself pulling out my i-Pod and my MiFi (Verizon provides excellent coverage).

Having said all of the above, I just found a fun feature on my Motorola CLIQ. There is a factory installed app simply labeled, "Voice Search". A simple tap yielded, "Speak Now".

And so I found myself just saying, "Hello".

(My "Hello" produced a page of Google listings for "Hello" beginning with Hello Magazine.)

Update 6/14/2010 - Dropped by Costco today to pick up some HP printer ink. The wireless cell kiosk is located at the end of the aisle. A young salesman asked if I was ready for a new phone. I replied that, unfortunately, I already had a new phone. He asked what I didn't like about it. And I shared my battery woes. He grabbed my cell and added a free app called Advanced Task Killer. Then he turned down the light on my screen and removed most of the apps from my screen. I kept the messages window on top so as not to miss text messages sent directly to my cell. I can check the other functions ---- email, Facebook, etc manually.

He keeps his phone on Battery Saver Mode all the time. However, some of the functions don't function on Battery Saver Mode. I have the phone on Performance Mode when I am trying to take and save pics. There is also a Smart Mode.

He showed me how to use the touch screen to take my apps up and down. Clearly, I need to read the directions or spend more time at Costco.

Movie - City Island

See - City Island

Also - Share Your Secret

We all have secrets - What a relief when we feel safe enough with someone to share our secrets. Too bad many of us have to pay someone to listen.

I am reminded of one of the Crocodile Dundee movies. The male lead is talking with the female lead. She says something about going to see a counselor of one type or another. He asks if she is crazy and she says that she just needs someone to listen to her problems. Crocodile Dundee asks if she doesn't have any "mates" as he just tells his problems to his "mates" and they straighten him right out!

Oh, How Clever (and Frugal) I Am!

Another holiday has bit the dust and so, it is time to redecorate my windows.

Cause for a visit to the local Dollar Store to see what I can see. Hmmmmm ..... nothing but 4th of July and graduation decorations ... and nothing much I really care for ..... but wait, what do I see here. Oh, wow, 4th of July gift bags ..... just $1/each. I can cut out each side of each bag .... yielding two patriotic stars & stripes per bag ... each with a convenient strap with which to hang it in my window from the hooks already there from the last holiday decorating binge.

Maybe I'll add a photo or two later ..... maybe someday ........ from bag to flat window deco ....

Travel By Amtrak

Having recently returned from a 10-day vacation via Amtrak, I find myself in the position of being able to offer up my take on my experience (a good experience, overall).

Wow, what a convoluted sentence!


See - Amtrak to National Parks 

See - Empire Builder Upgrade (2005) Pics here of the interior of the train ......

Sticking My Toes Back Into The Water - Posting Again (Well, Maybe)

Through no choice of my own, my last post here was February. 28, 2010. For reasons unknown my blog had been redirected. For about a month, I had no access and could not post. Now with great trepidation, I'd like to dip my toes (or more accurately my fingers) back into the stream.