Friday, December 24, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Winners and news
Ok again I have to apologize. My Computer has decided it hates me and I haven't been able to get to my blog as often as I like. But Here are the winners of the Kix and Uncommonly Cute giveaways.
Melissa won a t-shirt of choice from Uncommonly cute and Kim won the Kix prize pack! Enjoy Ladies!
I will be taking a break from Blogging for a few days/weeks. But I hope all of you will be as excited as I am when I come back. I have fun giveaways from Rockin’ Green, more vinyl wall art and more! Check back soon.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
TV’s: LCD, LED, 3D…ABC
As I said in my last segment, this month we’ll be talking 
TV’s.
Go into any Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target, or just about anywhere and you’ll be bombarded with tons of different letters, numbers, and details that, unless you know what you’re doing, you will be lost. With the holidays just around the corner, you may be looking to get a TV for that special someone. Here’s how to shop.
First, let’s start with the easy part: HD, or High Definition. This is denoted by the number and letter combination, normally 1080P or 720P. What do these mean? Well, the first part, the number, denotes how many lines of pixels are on the screen. More lines obviously means better quality. Either 720 or 1080 is considered HD. There’s also 480, but that’s standard definition and is virtually nonexistent now.
After the number, there is a letter, either P or I. This denotes how the lines of pixels appear on the screen. P stands for Progressive, which means that all lines are displayed on screen at every given moment. I stands for Interlaced, which means that at any given moment, only half of the lines are on screen. While not totally noticeable, it does cause a slight motion blur where a Progressive does not.
Now that we got that done, let’s go through the types of TV’s there are. There are currently 4 types on the market: Plasma, LCD, LED (or LED-LCD), and 3D. Here’s the differences.
Plasma offer the deepest colors, especially black. However, these monsters consume a high level of power and tend to reflect light on their glass screens. If you’re looking for a TV to watch or play games in a dark or dim room, plasma is good.
Then there’s LCD. These tend to be standard and more affordable than other TV’s. And, in this case, cheaper is not necessarily a bad thing. They consume much less power than plasma, and, because most models are made with a matte screen, you can pretty much set it up anywhere and be able to see. We have an LCD and I have shined a flashlight right at the screen and we could still see the picture just fine. For the standard living room or bedroom or wherever, this is the way to go. And most 40” or bigger LCD’s won’t cost you more than $300-$400.
Lately, LED, or what was known as LED-LCD’s, have hit the market. These are still a little bit pricey, more than LCD’s, but they offer a few things. For one, they tend to be much thinner than LCD’s, some coming in under half an inch or thinner. They also use a little less power than LCD’s, so for those looking to save money on electric bills, this is a good way to go.
Finally, we hit the big monster, 3D TV. This technology is so new, it is still extremely expensive, with your basic TV’s starting at around $1500-$2000. And, on top of the TV, you will need to buy a pair or 3D glasses for each person to use (at around $120 a pair), plus you will need either a 3D Blu-Ray player or a PS3 (minimum price: $300). So, long story short, expect to spend upwards of $5000 to go 3D, which is basically an LED that has the picture jumping out at you.
Now, lastly, there’s another number to be considering. You’ll normally see a number like this: 60Hz, 120Hz, or even higher. All this means is how crisp the images look. But be careful. We use a 60Hz TV and like it, where a 120Hz makes the images all look like a soap opera. So, best advice, bring a movie you like to the store and have them try it out in the TV you’re interested in and see how it looks.
So, for the holidays or just whenever, which TV is a good choice? Well, my family uses the Toshiba Model 40RV525R, (pictured above) available factory-refurbished from Best Buy for $519.00. It offers 60HZ, 1080P picture, great sound, and a 40” screen. Video games look awesome on it, as well as movies. But that is our personal preference. Just look online, read reviews (very important, trust me), and then, after narrowing it down to 3 or 4 TV’s, go to the store, possibly armed with your favorite movie, and try them out. Go for something you like that won’t break your budget.
Next month, eReaders: are they replacing the paper book? We’ll find out.
TV’s.Go into any Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target, or just about anywhere and you’ll be bombarded with tons of different letters, numbers, and details that, unless you know what you’re doing, you will be lost. With the holidays just around the corner, you may be looking to get a TV for that special someone. Here’s how to shop.
First, let’s start with the easy part: HD, or High Definition. This is denoted by the number and letter combination, normally 1080P or 720P. What do these mean? Well, the first part, the number, denotes how many lines of pixels are on the screen. More lines obviously means better quality. Either 720 or 1080 is considered HD. There’s also 480, but that’s standard definition and is virtually nonexistent now.
After the number, there is a letter, either P or I. This denotes how the lines of pixels appear on the screen. P stands for Progressive, which means that all lines are displayed on screen at every given moment. I stands for Interlaced, which means that at any given moment, only half of the lines are on screen. While not totally noticeable, it does cause a slight motion blur where a Progressive does not.
Now that we got that done, let’s go through the types of TV’s there are. There are currently 4 types on the market: Plasma, LCD, LED (or LED-LCD), and 3D. Here’s the differences.
Plasma offer the deepest colors, especially black. However, these monsters consume a high level of power and tend to reflect light on their glass screens. If you’re looking for a TV to watch or play games in a dark or dim room, plasma is good.
Then there’s LCD. These tend to be standard and more affordable than other TV’s. And, in this case, cheaper is not necessarily a bad thing. They consume much less power than plasma, and, because most models are made with a matte screen, you can pretty much set it up anywhere and be able to see. We have an LCD and I have shined a flashlight right at the screen and we could still see the picture just fine. For the standard living room or bedroom or wherever, this is the way to go. And most 40” or bigger LCD’s won’t cost you more than $300-$400.
Lately, LED, or what was known as LED-LCD’s, have hit the market. These are still a little bit pricey, more than LCD’s, but they offer a few things. For one, they tend to be much thinner than LCD’s, some coming in under half an inch or thinner. They also use a little less power than LCD’s, so for those looking to save money on electric bills, this is a good way to go.
Finally, we hit the big monster, 3D TV. This technology is so new, it is still extremely expensive, with your basic TV’s starting at around $1500-$2000. And, on top of the TV, you will need to buy a pair or 3D glasses for each person to use (at around $120 a pair), plus you will need either a 3D Blu-Ray player or a PS3 (minimum price: $300). So, long story short, expect to spend upwards of $5000 to go 3D, which is basically an LED that has the picture jumping out at you.
Now, lastly, there’s another number to be considering. You’ll normally see a number like this: 60Hz, 120Hz, or even higher. All this means is how crisp the images look. But be careful. We use a 60Hz TV and like it, where a 120Hz makes the images all look like a soap opera. So, best advice, bring a movie you like to the store and have them try it out in the TV you’re interested in and see how it looks.
So, for the holidays or just whenever, which TV is a good choice? Well, my family uses the Toshiba Model 40RV525R, (pictured above) available factory-refurbished from Best Buy for $519.00. It offers 60HZ, 1080P picture, great sound, and a 40” screen. Video games look awesome on it, as well as movies. But that is our personal preference. Just look online, read reviews (very important, trust me), and then, after narrowing it down to 3 or 4 TV’s, go to the store, possibly armed with your favorite movie, and try them out. Go for something you like that won’t break your budget.
Monday, December 6, 2010
And this weeks Lucky number is 2
I don’t know how many times this has ever happened but Lets just say if I was a betting person I would pick #2, in fact I have two winners to announce and they were both luck number 2!
The winner of a top from alight.com is # 2, Jeannie!
Anonymous said... I love the Crimson Studded Layer Top
by Extra Touch - JeannieNovember 9, 2010 9:30 AM
and the winner of a wall quote from Belvedere Designs is also # 2, Jamie!
Jaime said... like you on FB November 3, 2010 4:45 PM
Please contact me if you won the above giveaways within 24 hours. If you didn’t win one of these great giveaways try your luck in one of the other great giveaways I’m currently hosting and be on the look out for more coming soon.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Need personalized cards?
Look no further LOL! Ok so this is a blatant plug to drum up business for myself. I make personalized card, blinkies and other graphics on the side to earn a little extra. With Christmas coming I thought I might branch out and see if any of my readers are in need of personalized Christmas cards (or birthday cards).
Here are a few of the cards I’ve made -
If your interested please email me and we can talk prices.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Hey Kohl’s, Discrimination is not OK!
The following post is the odyssey my family has had recently with the Kohl’s corporation. As far as shopping goes, Kohl’s has left us with a bad taste in our mouths. After contacting the BBB we were left with a generic ‘copy and paste’ apology. And that’s not any more ok than the way my family was treated.
Here’s what happened (these are my husband’s Better Business Bureau complaints and responses):
11/29/2010
My Complaint
Kohl's Response
Edited to add specifics: In both Nebraska stores I was followed around by store employees, spoken rudely to and was given dirty looks by store employees. In the second Nebraska store I was told I could not use my Kohl’s gift card even though it was not expired nor did I violate the terms of the card. I would have overlooked these issues because frankly being fat is the only thing that is still PC to discriminate against. Sadly I’m used to it, but when a Kohl’s employee verbally abused my child it was the last straw. All I asked for was a sincere apology and yet they couldn’t even do that. In the North Amherst, NY location, the store employee grossly overstepped her rights when she attacked my then 2 ½ year old child.
I’m am appalled mostly by the treatment my child and I received at the North Amheart, NY Kohl's! It is never ok for an employee of a store to take it upon themselves to approach my then 2 1/2 year old child and yell at them! As a mother I wanted to slap that woman, and she for one is lucky that at least I have the tact that Kohl's obviously lacks.
Let me ask you my readers as parents would you stand by and let some stranger discipline your child?? I’m not even going to get into the fact that my husband and I both already had the situation under control and fixed any disorder my child may have made, but that this woman had the nerve to yell at my TODDLER and reduce her to tears.
Stand up and ask yourselves this holiday season do you want to shop at a store who discriminates against people?? Maybe tomorrow they wont like the way you look, or your siblings, children, or parents!
Where does it stop Kohl's Corporation? Do you have to be a size 2 and/or have a 6 figure income to shop in your stores? Let us know!
Here’s what happened (these are my husband’s Better Business Bureau complaints and responses):
11/29/2010
My Complaint
On three different occasions in two different states, my wife and I shopped at Kohl's department store. On all three occasions, we were treated badly by store employees. We were treated as though we weren't classy enough to shop at Kohl's. On one occasion, a store employee yelled at my daughter for being on one of the display beds after my wife and I had already taken her off and fixed the bed in question.12/2/2010
In a second store, my wife and I went shopping with gift cards. When we tried to use them, the employees and the manager again treated us like low class people. We liked shopping at Kohl's before and were willing to overlook the first transgression. But after being treated like low class people at three separate stores in two separate states, it has become apparent that this is a Kohl's policy to treat certain people like this and that only the elite are allowed to shop at Kohl's. Consequently, my wife and I will not be purchasing any more items at either a Kohl's store or online. Also, my wife runs a blog where she will be relaying her experience for all of her 400 followers to read about.
For the record, these are the locations where we were treated this way:
3115 Niagara Falls Blvd.
Buffalo, NY 14228
909 S. 72nd St.
Omaha, NE 68114
13550 West Maple Rd.
Omaha, NE 68164
I will give Kohl's a chance to respond before I bring this matter to the attention of local newspaper and media outlets in both states. Thank you for your time.
Desired Outcome:
I would like to be compensated for the way we were treated by Kohl's and would like a formal apology issued by Kohl's for their treatment of my family.
Kohl's Response
We regret the service Mr. Russell and his family received did not meet our mutual expectations. Customer service is a priority at Kohl’s, and we expect our associates to accommodate our customers in a courteous and professional manner. Mr. Russell's feedback is important to us and we appreciate the time he took to share his concerns. We are sorry that Mr. Russell did not receive the service he deserved. While we empathize with Mr. Russell’s frustration regarding his recent shopping experiences, we politely decline his request for compensation.My Response
The response received from the business in this case is not accepted. This is a canned, copy-and-paste apology that means nothing to this corporation. If anything, it further shows the kind of attitude prevalent throughout Kohl's and reinforces our belief that the way we were treated is a company policy. Further measures against this corporation will be taken. We will be contacting media outlets in both states with our story and will be publishing all information on my wife's blog for her followers to read about. Thank you for your time.Better Business Bureau Response
The BBB, in reviewing the complaint that you submitted to us about Kohl's Corporation, has closed the case. The outcome of this complaint will be included in the business's Reliability Report for 3 years.In other words, the BBB is washing their hands of it, and Kohl’s thinks a copy-and-paste apology is all they need to give. We need to stand up for our rights, and I personally am SICK of being treated poorly at stores like Kohl's. Last time I checked my money looks the same as every other Americans. It isn't stamped with the word poor, or fat. There isn't a list of places its not accepted because of my race or suture, etc.... So why does kohl's think its right to have their employees treat me and my family like trash??
If you wish to further pursue the issue, you might contact a legal advisor or the Attorney General's office. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us - we are happy to assist you.
Edited to add specifics: In both Nebraska stores I was followed around by store employees, spoken rudely to and was given dirty looks by store employees. In the second Nebraska store I was told I could not use my Kohl’s gift card even though it was not expired nor did I violate the terms of the card. I would have overlooked these issues because frankly being fat is the only thing that is still PC to discriminate against. Sadly I’m used to it, but when a Kohl’s employee verbally abused my child it was the last straw. All I asked for was a sincere apology and yet they couldn’t even do that. In the North Amherst, NY location, the store employee grossly overstepped her rights when she attacked my then 2 ½ year old child.
I’m am appalled mostly by the treatment my child and I received at the North Amheart, NY Kohl's! It is never ok for an employee of a store to take it upon themselves to approach my then 2 1/2 year old child and yell at them! As a mother I wanted to slap that woman, and she for one is lucky that at least I have the tact that Kohl's obviously lacks.
Let me ask you my readers as parents would you stand by and let some stranger discipline your child?? I’m not even going to get into the fact that my husband and I both already had the situation under control and fixed any disorder my child may have made, but that this woman had the nerve to yell at my TODDLER and reduce her to tears.
Stand up and ask yourselves this holiday season do you want to shop at a store who discriminates against people?? Maybe tomorrow they wont like the way you look, or your siblings, children, or parents!
Where does it stop Kohl's Corporation? Do you have to be a size 2 and/or have a 6 figure income to shop in your stores? Let us know!
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