Book Reviews and Money Saving Tips

I have a stand alone computer connected to my TV. I purchased a video card with an HDMI connector to get the best possible resolution. Well, after much fooling around, I discovered my video card HDMI and my TV don’t play well together. I ended up using an SVHS connection which while adequate, I could have done with my old video card. Tsk. I have a cable modem and a fast pipe is necessary for watching Internet TV on the big screen. I still get drop out on occasion and since I get the same problem on my XP, Vista and Win7 computers I am inclined to blame my Comcast cable modem. I have run slide shows of photos from my computer to the TV. It brings fond memories of the slides my Dad used to show but he had to drag out his screen, set up his projector and occasionally replace the projector bulb. I turn on the computer. I occasionally lay back in the recliner and surf on the big screen. I do not type well on my lap but I am sure that the txting mavens out there w...

Recently I had a TV dying and decided to upgrade to current technology. I am one of those stubborn souls that feels if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. I am going to live with my low resolution tube TVs until they die. Well considering I won the aforementioned dying TV in 1985 in a sales contest I think it served me well. Shopping for a TV is an interesting experience. I blogged on my Best Buy experience on February 9th. They would have had a sale except for the surly twit that drove me out of the store. Target had a Magnavox 1080p, 42” that was priced at $699.00 which was a good deal, except they didn’t actually have it in stock. Kmart had a good deal too except they too didn’t have it in stock. Hmm, you can put anything you want on sale for a great price if you don’t actually have to deliver something. I went to a local retailer and they were $200.00 more than my $699.00 target price. I talked to one of the owners and she said she would find me one. I told her she could exceed my targete...

Ok, Bakugan Battle Brawler s is another extraordinarily overpriced TV show promoted kids game. If you kids watches TV cartoons, they are exposed to a continuous stream of thinly veiled infomercials. These are not cartoons like Tom & Jerry, they are the Pokemon version of extended commercials. Bakugan Battle Brawlers are another example of the despicable lengths our enlightened corporations go to market to kids. If the toys were reasonably priced then you might be able to justify the marketing ploys. Bakugan Battle Brawlers look like they should be found in Crackerjack boxes, remember the free toys in Crackerjack? These preteen infomercials create a market, promote an erroneous perception of value by alluding to the collector value of the toy (yeah right) and instigate conflict over the purchase of these questionable toys. If you refuse to succumb to the pleas to purchase, you are a horrible parent and obviously don’t love your kid. Short of banning TV, I don’t know what a parent ...