Souplantation vs Fresh Choice

Souplantation and Fresh Choice are very similar cafeteria style restaurants. They offer salad, soup, pizza, bread and desserts for one price. Eat as much as you like. At one time, both had locations in Southern California, but at that time, I lived in Northern California. Around the time we moved to SoCal, Fresh Choice closed all their SoCal locations, so now we only get to go there on visits to NorCal. While they were very similar a few years ago, at least in my memory, now there is a huge difference to me. Fresh Choice has more choices, better quality food, and a nicer eating environment. Souplantation has fewer choices and they've raised their prices regularly without adding much to the menu. For vegetarians, Fresh Choice is much better. The only problem is that the closest one is 350 miles away.

Runescape obsession

Online role playing games are very open ended, so they lend themselves to lots and lots of time spent playing the games. World of Warcraft, of course, is the biggest, and seems to cater to a more adult audience. Runescape has a younger set of players, including both of my sons. I think they would play it 24 hours a day if they could, as would many of their friends, all of whom are male. What's been different this summer with Runescape is the number of real life friends who have tried to scam my sons as well as the bad luck they've had trusting anyone who they've met online through the game. It doesn't surprise me that people try to trick others to get ahead in the game, but the outright stealing and dishonesty among real life friends does bother me. Dealing with people online in an environment where it's difficult to establish trust is an invitation for people to be dishonest if they are so inclined, but when the people are known to you in real life, it's a different story.

iMovie 08 tutorials

Jim Heid may have more to write about on his blog now that iLife 08 is out. Or maybe he'll be too busy working on his book. Either way he's got an insider perspective on what's new and what's out in iMovie 08. Plus he helped with the tutorials on the new version.

iMovie 08

I read David Pogue's review of iMovie '08 in the NY Times. He says it should be called something else since it's not an evolution of iMovie but a different application which serves a different purpose. Reading the comments on Pogue's article and elsewhere, there do seem to be quite a few people who really like the new iMovie. It works with hard drive and flash media based camcorders and does seem to be aimed at a more casual kind of user who wants to put something together quickly. Others have pointed out the lack of audio editing and timeline features and maybe it is the case that Apple wants people to use Final Cut Express for those features. For me, the ease of use with iMovie kept me from spending any time on Final Cut Express. I could do what I wanted to do, for the most part, with iMovie, so I never bothered to learn FCE.

Fake Steve Jobs aka that guy at Fortune magazine even chimes in with some commentary about the Pogue review. It does make you wonder if Pogue will continue to get the insider stuff from Apple. He should, because at least he's honest with his opinion.

Mattresses from galleryfurniture.com

Furniture stores tend to be very large because they have to display lots of items to attract lots of customers. My town has very few furniture stores, but shopping online is a nice alternative. Lots of choices that you can browse through very quickly makes it a good experience. If you are looking for a mattress, the Tempur-Pedic brand is one I recommend. I've had a Tempur-Pedic mattress for about five years now and I really like it. The memory foam has a unique feeling to it and although it's heavier than a regular mattress, I find it to be much more comfortable. I've gotten so used to it that I sometimes have trouble sleeping on hotel beds which are often very firm. Gallery Furniture has a wide selection of Tempur-Pedic mattresses as well as lots of other furniture for any room in your house and they offer same day delivery within 100 miles and next day delivery within 500 miles of their stores! That's pretty amazing. At most places I shop for large items I'm happy to get my stuff within a week. You can also order from them if you live even farther away and they'll deliver on purchases greater than $20,000. If you are interested in Houston furniture, visit the Gallery Furniture store in person.

iMovie plugins

Among the many strange choices made with iMovie '08 is the lack of plugins for the program. I have a few plugins for previous version of the program and always wanted a few more if I could afford them. It's not clear whether or not there is a way to create plugins for iMovie '08 or not. The other thing I'm not seeing is a price cut on the plugins for the older versions of iMovie. If that software isn't going to work with the new version, the customer base for the plugins probably isn't getting any larger, so a nice discount on the plugins might spur some sales.

Educational price of iLife 08 not such a bargain

Maybe my memory is failing me, but I recall paying about $49 for previous versions of Apple's iLife with the educational discount. iLife '08 came out recently and the list price is $79 while the educational price is $71. Doesn't seem like much of a deal really. The same is true for the iWork package.

It sounds like you can purchase iWork for $49 by downloading the trial version and then buying a serial number. I think I will wait and see if they carry the boxed versions of this software at the campus bookstore when I go back to work in a couple of weeks. In the past they have offered an even better deal than the educational discount.

What happened to sports?

There is hardly a professional sport in the US right now that doesn't have some kind of scandal. Baseball has the never ending steroids issue with Barry Bonds getting ready to break the home run mark. Basketball has the cheating referee and football has the Michael Vick dogfighting. The Tour de France has its own doping scandals, with riders dropping out daily it seems and even the UFC had a steroid scandal, as did the WWE which may technically not be a sport but it's an athletic entertainment event at least. NASCAR has issues from time to time with modified engines, although the drivers don't take drugs to do better. Golf seems okay. I don't know about tennis. Maybe this is a good time for soccer to become more popular in the US, with David Beckham arriving and no scandals so far.

Simple Viewer

I like the slideshow that you can create using Simple Viewer. It looks good, works well and is easy to use, plus with the right tool you can customize it to a certain degree. It's free and the free version does the job very well. I saw it first on the Oakland Tribune newspaper site and was a little surprised that they use the free version. Actually I was a little more surprised that the Oakland Tribune was still around, but couldn't they afford to pay the $45 for the pro version and add some custom features?

Year round football

I never noticed it until this week, but pro and college football don't have any weeks off on ESPN now. They have the NFL Live show on all year. It seems like the NFL draft was way overblown in terms of coverage, but after that it hasn't slowed down. You have mini camp, trade talk, the lead up to the pre-season and then the season and playoffs. It pretty much never ends. I guess the same is true with the NBA and with soccer worldwide.

Tire pressure

My tire pressure was way too low on the front two tires of my Civic Hybrid. I inflated the tires this morning and although I seemed to get better mileage before I got on the freeway, the overall result wasn't that different. I got 58 mpg on the 40 mile trip to work. I think I should be closer to 70 on the way home, assuming I can find a truck to draft behind.

Matt Barnes

Matt Barnes is playing like an all-star for the Warriors. I know he bounced around with a few times and played for the Clippers for a little while, but when did he get so good? It may just be that he fits in really well with the crazy style the Warriors play, but he sure has done well for them. I like his hustle and he's really become a good three point shooter.

Where'd my photos go?

My photo site seems to have been down lately - http://www.temeculatalk.net/photos. It's running today but maybe that's what I get for my $20 for the first year of service. It does always seem to be slow to load.

Suns will go all the way

I think this may be the year the Suns get to the finals and win it. I hope so. Dallas does not look good and is struggling to get out of the first round. The Suns look hard to beat when they play their game and I think they can deal with the Spurs and the Mavericks and then whoever wins the East. If I had the money, I'd drive to Phoenix just to see a playoff game.

Online Memorials at Registry of Life

Many people put so much of their lives online now in social networking sites, blogs, web sites, photo sharing sites and more. Using the web as a place for memorials is a nice way to keep important memories alive and available for others to share. Registry of Life is an Online memorial site which lets you create a nice web page with lots of information, photos, links, a timeline and a guest book. There is a one time fee of $49.95 when you set up your memorial.



Press Release:

Seattle, WA. – The passing of a loved one is difficult but can bring many an opportunity to find meaning and strength. Registry of Life.com – a new Web site developed by clinical psychologist Dr. Wayne Dees – provides an interactive way to share memories, stories, and photos of loved ones long after they are gone.

Registry of Life.com is an online memorial honoring and celebrating the lives of loved ones who have passed away. Providing a link from the past to the present, the Registry provides a legacy in words, pictures and even music accessible by family, friends and future generations.

www.registryoflife.com allows members to create a personal URL for their loved ones and is an easy and beautiful way to continue the legacy of those closest to their hearts. Members can create a customized Web site that includes a photo album with slideshow, a life timeline, music, customized design templates, and a guestbook. It also provides optional password protection to allow personal memories to stay personal. The one-time fee opens the door to a lifetime dedication and allows families and friends to upload memories, share stories, and find strength together, forever.

“As a result of counseling many grieving individuals and understanding how difficult it is for many to tolerate the painful emotions of mourning – it’s wonderful to have a place where families can honor their loved ones, share their memories, and continue their legacy,” explains Dr. Wayne Dees, creator of Registry of Life.com.




Registry of Life.com also features articles on bereavement and loss as well as recommended reading to help individuals cope with the normal but often difficult emotions that arise when dealing with loss: shock, denial, anger, guilt, sadness, and depression, while also helping the griever to move on through awareness, acceptance, and hope.

Registry of Life.com includes suggested readings that can help individuals find a productive means of coping, and more importantly, help their loved ones live on forever through their memories and images. Using the Registry can also be a great tool to help educate future generations about their family’s history.

“The Registry can help individuals in coping with the grieving process and to tell the life stories of their loved ones in words, pictures and music,” adds Dees. “We want people to have the opportunity and ability to commemorate the accomplishments and memories that celebrate life rather than focusing on loss.”

About Registry of Life.com:
Registry of Life.com is the creation of Dr. Wayne Dees, a clinical psychologist licensed in the state of Washington and a member of the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Bereavement. Dr. Dees has worked extensively in the areas of bereavement, grief and loss. He holds a masters degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University in Los Angeles, CA, and a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Spalding University in Louisville, KY. The American Psychological Association approves both programs. Dr. Dees provides individual, couples, and group counseling in Seattle, WA. The Registry of Life.com is $49.95 after free 14-day trial period. For more information about Registry of Life.com, please visit http://www.registryoflife.com/ or email info@registryoflife.com.

Adobe CS3 options a little confusing

I'd like to upgrade my copies of Photoshop and Flash and get Adobe Lightroom. Adobe has an offer for Photoshop and Lightroom and another one which includes Flash and Photoshop, but the only way to do what I want is to probably buy the Photoshop & Lightroom deal and then buy Flash separately. When you do that, you pay so much money that it seems better to buy one of the package deals and purchase Lightroom by itself. That might be the better move, but there are too many deals and packages that it's all a little confusing to me. And some of them aren't available yet, which makes it even more confusing.

Too busy for blogging

I haven't gone so long in between blog posts in about a year. I got busier at work and at home with the start of soccer season and I'm also enrolled in a photography course, so there's not much free time lately. I think I've got things a little better under control, so I hope to get back to a more regular blogging schedule.

OS X 10.5 not coming until Fall

I guess it's not a big deal, but the next major update of Mac OS X is delayed until October. It seems odd that the reason is that so many resources have gone into getting the iPhone ready for release in June, but Apple isn't really so big that they've got enough people to manage all these products at the same time. At least that's my guess. I'm disappointed a little bit because this will also delay the purchase of new hardware unless they offer a free upgrade on the software. It will also delay the new version of iLife and possibly other software. Six months isn't that long, but in technology time, it's a whole generation.

False precision

I think the thing that bothered me about my experience with the chiropractor was the false precision involved in some of the discussion. Saying that with a pinched nerve I was at 45% function didn't impress me. No x-rays, no real way of knowing what was wrong other than my own description. And then saying that it would take exactly 57 visits to cure the problem and it would just happen to cost $4000 seemed pretty dubious. That plus the application to finance the bill over 5 years wasn't what I had expected when I went there.

Putting ice on my back several times a day and stretching has really improved things to the point where I can move around without too much pain, although I can't sit for extended periods without my back getting tight.

Bad back

I did something to my back on Monday morning and wasn't able to stand up straight for two days and I still am having trouble moving around. I can't drive and can't do much of anything. I visited a chiropractor today, and that helped a little, but I'm not sure I've got the money to go back 57 more times, as was recommended. That was a pretty surprising recommendation based on the little bit of consultation involved. I've had good luck with chiropractors in the past, but they were also covered by my health insurance. Now, I don't have any coverage for chiropractic and I don't think I can spend $4k on that.