Review: Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1

Is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 an Under-rated Camera?

Big Zoom - Small Price

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 is a camera with a Big Zoom and Small Price tag. I am now on my fifth digital camera and still have never owned a Canon, the world's proclaimed favorite and king of them all. Every time I look for a new camera, Canon's competition always offer me something with better features and bang for the buck. Whether it's higher megapixels, bigger optical zoom or improved video, there is always competitive brands with supposed inferior quality that offer more for less. Of course, features are meaningless if the quality is not at least comparable to the Canon. I don't think Canon Digital Cameras have quite the edge that they used to in camera technology. The Panasonic DMC-ZS1 offers a compelling case for this. Read the rest of this entry

Coffee Roasts

Do Light Coffee Roasts Have More Flavor?

Light Roast Coffee

My taste in Coffee Roasts has changed dramatically. I've come full circle over the years in how I like my coffee. Even when I gave up cheap canned coffee 15 years ago, it took me some time to become endeared to the very dark roasted Starbucks Coffee that is now my favorite. Read the rest of this entry

Presto 12-Cup vs Westbend and Farberware Percolator

Presto Percolator

A Farberware Percolator seems to be the all time standard in this group. So, how does the Farberware Percolator compare to the contenders? I'll have to admit that I sometimes get overly excited about products without giving them enough time to show me their quirks. I really thought the Westbend Percolator was a great percolator until it showed me it's dark side - and I don't mean, dark, as in coffee. The Westbend Percolator was the king of all java until it started exhibiting an annoying habit from time to time.  On a rare occasion, the Westbend Percolator would decide to take time some time off from it's duties, and just brew piping hot water instead of piping hot coffee.  Read the rest of this entry

Web Analytics Review

What is the Best Free Web Analytics Program?

webstats software

Looking for Web Analytics Software that  is easy and sensible? Every once in a while I find a free product that is so useful to me that I strongly feel the urge to tell everybody about it. I know that there are at least as many web analytics programs as there are websites, so why are so many website designers still looking for them? Maybe it's because we all have different needs. A great many of these web analytics programs are completely free, but like anything else, we only have so much time and patience to learn and use them all. There's gotta be one web analytics program, either cheap or affordable, that does just about everything we need. I'll be honest, as a blog website creator, I do use a few free website stats programs to track the progress of my ratings site. Just to name a few of them: SubmitExpress, Website Grader, Reaction Database, Quarkbase, etc. The list is too great to mention them all. While each of them have some redeeming values, there is only one Web Analytics program that I keep coming back to on a regular basis:  Spydermate Web Analytics. Read the rest of this entry

Toro-Leaf-Blower

Toro Leaf Blower

Don't Blow it with the Wrong Leaf Blower

Who needs a Toro Leaf Blower? If ever there was a ratings contest for the greatest lazy-man's inventions, the Leaf Blower, along with paper shredders, has gotta rank right up there with the best. The Toro leaf blower was obviously invented when some lazy guy with a sore back was raking and picking up leaves, and a major gust of wind came along and conveniently blew all of his debris into his neighbor's yard. Thinking that was a heckuva lot easier (and faster), then doing it the old fashioned way with a rake and a broom, he decided he'd like that gust of wind to be always available where and when he wanted it.  It's this kind of laziness that made America the great, inventive and industrialist nation that it is - and gave us the Toro leaf blower, to boot. Read the rest of this entry