tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42388156977079122882024-03-13T09:31:57.926-07:00According To CraigCraig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-58534553190992437072020-10-26T21:52:00.001-07:002020-10-26T22:00:38.407-07:00To Vote or Not To Vote! | According2Craig<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMSHyTCDRL6kkL-5t9BVEbG6mnO08HtKy_6yV4DoxU4hwwsN85BUJF56uarIf1DA6KE94D1AAXh1Dg0mPpME5K0f9vru5CaYFJedRSOTGdggj6Ehpg_BYANZmp-7RVDZnmsc_C0Lxfevo/s1080/zebras.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="two zebras walking" border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="1080" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMSHyTCDRL6kkL-5t9BVEbG6mnO08HtKy_6yV4DoxU4hwwsN85BUJF56uarIf1DA6KE94D1AAXh1Dg0mPpME5K0f9vru5CaYFJedRSOTGdggj6Ehpg_BYANZmp-7RVDZnmsc_C0Lxfevo/w400-h266/zebras.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><p></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Confession time. As a man in his
forties, living in these United States, I have never voted before.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
grew up with the belief that Christians should not vote. You know,
the whole thing about being Ambassadors for Christ and our
citizenship not being of this world, and so on.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.79in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">2 Corinthians 5:20 <span lang="en-US"><i>Therefore
we are envoys on behalf of Messiah, as though Elohim were pleading
through us. We beg, on behalf of Messiah: Be restored to favour with
Elohim.</i></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.79in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Philippians 3:20
</span><span lang="en-US"><i>For our citizenship is in the heavens,
from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Master </i></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span lang="hi-IN"><span face="Arial (Arabic)"><span><span lang="he-IL">יהושע</span></span></span><span lang="en-US">
</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Messiah,</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Of
course, we also knew that ultimately it was our heavenly Father that
put leaders into place. We wouldn’t want to presume to know his
will, would we?</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.79in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">Romans
13:1-2 </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>Let
every being be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there
is no authority except from Elohim, and the authorities that exist
are appointed by Elohim.</i></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.79in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><i><span lang="en-US">2 So he who
opposes the authority withstands the institution of Elohim, and those
who withstand shall bring judgment on themselves.</span></i></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">In
recent times, </span></span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">I’ve
come to the opinion that just perhaps that anti-voting belief was
incorrect. Of course, I need to be able to support any belief with
the Bible, and not just my personal opinion. I can have opinions all
day long, but they are worthless if they don’t have a firm
foundation.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Remember,
our citizenship is in the heavens. Messiah even said that we are not
of this world.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.79in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">John
17:16 </span></span><i><span lang="en-US">“They are not of the
world, as I am not of the world.</span></i></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">But
does that mean that we are not to take part in the world? I think
that it we look at the verse just before, we get an idea of the
answer to that question.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.79in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">John
17:15 </span></span><i><span lang="en-US">“I do not pray that You
should take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the
wicked </span><span lang="en-US">one</span><span lang="en-US">.</span></i></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">He
(Messiah) did not pray that we would be taken out of the world. If
therefore we are still “in” the world, should we not then
participate where appropriate? In this world we are subject to the
laws and regulations of this world, and </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">have
no choice but to be a part to many things.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.79in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">Mark
12:17 </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><i>So
</i></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span lang="hi-IN"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="he-IL"><i>יהושע</i></span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><i>
</i></span></span></span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><i>said
to them, </i></span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><i>“Give
to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to Elohim what is Elohim’s.”
And they marvelled at Him.</i></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">Give
to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” Doesn’t sound like we are supposed
avoid participating in the world that we are in. A bit like the
saying, “No man is an island.” We can’t take ourselves out of
the world, why should we not be a participating member of society.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">So,
at this point, I’m sure that someone is thinking that we just need
to have faith that our Father will appoint the authorities (Romans 13
again). Does it take more faith to sit back and do nothing or to take
some action.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.79in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">James
2:17 </span></span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><i>So
also belief, if it does not have works, is in itself dead.</i></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">So,
faith (or belief) is dead without works. What are these works? Put
simply, these works are our actions. Without action, our faith is
dead. In the Bible we read of many that had great faith, and we read
of their works. In Hebrews 11, often referred to as the faith
chapter, </span></span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">we
see repeatedly the works of those that are deemed to be examples of
faith.</span></span></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">Noah
– prepared an ark (action)</span></span></span></span></p>
</li><li><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">Abraham
– moved to a strange land (action)</span></span></span></span></p>
</li><li><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">Abraham
– offered up his son (action)</span></span></span></span></p>
</li><li><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">The
parents of Moses – hid their baby for 3 months (action)</span></span></span></span></p></li></ul>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">You
can read more on your own, those are just a few quick examples.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Another
quick thought about faith being of action.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.79in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">Ephesian
6:16 </span></span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><i>above
all, having taken up the shield of belief with which you shall have
power to quench all the burning arrows of the wicked one.</i></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">It’s
the shield of faith (belief). How does one use a shield? Think of
soldiers or knights on the battlefield. They wouldn’t just set it
in one place and leave it there. For the shield to be truly
effective, they needed to turn it to put between them and the attack.
If the “arrows of the wicked one” are coming from our left, we
better be putting that shield on our left side. If they are coming
from the right, guess what. Yes, the shield goes on our right. </span></span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">If
we don’t actively position our shield, it is not going to be
effective.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Perhaps
a little more light could be shed on this subject by thinking of
something else that our Messiah said:</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.79in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">Matthew
5:13-</span></span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">16</span></span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><i>“You
are the salt of the earth, but if the salt becomes tasteless, how
shall it be seasoned? For it is no longer of any use but to be thrown
out and to be trodden down by men. 14 “You are the light of the
world. It is impossible for a city to be hidden on a mountain. 15
“Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a
lampstand, and it shines to all those in the house. 16 “Let your
light so shine before men, so that they see your good works and
praise your Father who is in the heavens.</i></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">S</span></span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">o,
we’re the “salt of the earth.” I don’t know about you, but
the salt in my kitchen doesn’t seem to do anything if I just let it
sit in the container. I actually have to shake out a little salt, or
grind some salt, for it to be effective. If, then, I’m going to be
the salt of the earth, sitting at home and doing nothing is not going
to be very effective. I want to be of use.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Then,
in verse 14, Messiah says, “You are the light of the world.” Just
like a flashlight does nothing in a dark room if you don’t turn it
on, I cannot be the light, or a light, of the world if I don’t take
some action. </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">As
believers, we are told “Let your light shine before men.” We have
to be among men for them to see our light.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">In
either case, we are called to action. We aren’t called to be simply
bystanders of what this world is doing. We need to take are part, and
we need to take it seriously.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.79in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">1
Corinthians 10:31 </span></span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><i>Therefore,
whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the esteem of
Elohim.</i></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">His
esteem, not our own, is the goal. Whatever action we take, “whatever
you do,” must be with that in mind, but action must be taken.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">So,
yes, 2020 became the year that I voted for the first time. It’s
about time that I make my voice known in one way or another. I know
that ultimately, regardless of the outcome, our Father, Yahweh, is in
charge.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">One
last thing that I feel is very important, regardless of what action
you have personally chosen to take or not to take, follow this
advice:</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.79in;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">1
Timothy 2:1-3 </span></span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><i>First
of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and
thanksgiving be made for all men, 2 for sovereigns and all those who
are in authority, in order that we lead a calm and peaceable life in
all reverence and seriousness. 3 For this is good and acceptable
before Elohim our Saviour,</i></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">All scriptures quoted are from The Scriptures version by the <a href="https://isr-messianic.org/publications/the-scriptures.html" target="_blank">Institute of Scripture Research</a></span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">The image at the top of this post is © 2020 by Craig Pifer, All rights reserved. Unrelated to the post, but it looks happier with an image.</span></p>Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-74228619185798595682018-06-24T17:28:00.001-07:002018-06-24T17:28:43.068-07:00I Ain't Afraid Of No GhostsRecently, one of my former places of employment has been in the news, and on national TV. Sure, this isn't the first time, but it's for a little different reason than usual.<br />
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Over the course of three summers I worked at the Enchanted Forest Theme Park just south of Salem, Oregon. I loved working there and had a great time. It's a great place for families, and it was also enjoyable seeing the look of joy and excitement on the faces of so many children.<br />
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This weekend, The Land of Enchantment was featured on a show called Ghost Adventures. I have not seen the show, and don't necessarily plan to. I simply don't have the desire to learn what they think they've found.<br />
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One of my current co-workers asked me whether I thought the place was haunted. My answer was simple, "no." To put it more plainly, I do not believe in ghosts, therefore it cannot be haunted by ghosts.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"For the living know they will die; <b>but the dead do not know anything</b>, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten." - Ecclesiastes 9:5</span><br />
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That's right, if the dead don't know anything, it eliminates the possibility of ghosts. I do believe, thought, in a spirit world. The Bible, while not supporting the existence of ghosts, does indeed support the existence of angles and demons.<br />
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I told my co-worker that I never experienced anything of a "haunting" nature at Enchanted Forest. Continuing on, I explained that there has only been one time that I've truly felt an overwhelmingly evil presence.<br />
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During the summer of 1993, I spent six week in Israel with a group from college. We spent five weeks digging at Tel Hazor, and the final week was spent in and around Jerusalem. On August 4th, we went to Bethlehem and visited the Church of the Nativity.<br />
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The Church of the Nativity was established in 327 CE, but was formerly a site dedicated to a Greek god. While there, I entered the site with other members of our group, but after only a short time, I was compelled to get outside, and stay outside. I had a feeling that this was NOT a place that honored God in any manner. Although this site is heralded as the birth place of Christ, I am absolutely convinced that it definitely is NOT.<br />
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Of course, it doesn't matter <i>where</i> Christ was born. I believe that the evil one, Satan, uses such things to draw focus away from what really matters. The more you focus on a site, the less you focus on the significance of the event that is being claimed to have taken place there.<br />
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Two days later, we visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This site is also quite old, and has some similarities to the Church of the Nativity. It is said to be the location of Christ's crucifixion and entombment. Whether or not it is, I really have no way of knowing, and neither does anyone else. What I do know is that it did not elicit the same feelings in me, or the same response to flee.<br />
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In 1998 I also was fortunate to make another visit to the Middle East. Again, the group that I was with visited both of these sites. When we visited the Church of the Nativity, I chose to wait on the bus. After my previous experience I wanted nothing to do with the place.<br />
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As for Enchanted Forest being haunted, I'm sure that like every other place on Earth, it is NOT haunted. Probably about the creepiest things I saw while working there are in the photos below.<br />
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<br />Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-56139911013974616642016-03-02T19:47:00.006-08:002016-03-02T19:47:47.543-08:00The Maximum Minimum - Part 2Today Oregon governor, Kate Brown, has signed the new minimum wage bill into law. That means that it's time for the sequel to <a href="http://according2craig.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-maximum-minimum.html" target="_blank">The Maximum Minimum</a>. I received positive feedback on my last post, despite having a relatively low view count. I attribute the latter part of that partly to the lateness of posting. As I had mentioned, I did have a few more things to discuss with regards to minimum wage.<br />
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<b>Wages vs. Welfare</b><br />
I work daily in the world of public assistance in the form of Medicaid. Eligibility for this program and many others such as SNAP (food stamps), TANF, etc. are based on federal guidelines, not state. Currently Oregon already has one of the highest minimum wages in the country, $2 above national. A single person working a full time job (40 hours a week) at minimum wage in Oregon does NOT qualify for Medicaid. Same job at the national minimum wage would be within the qualifying income range.<br />
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So, the higher the wage, the fewer people getting public assistance. That's great, right? In terms of health insurance, it can be the difference between getting free healthcare via Medicaid, or having to pay for private insurance. It's not just the premiums, which could be as low as a few dollars a month, to a few hundred depending on certain factors. What about deductibles and co-pays? If a person actually has to use the insurance, they could end up spending more total than the increase in pay that disqualified them from Medicaid.<br />
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What about someone receiving SNAP benefits? Again, this is a federal program, based on federal guidelines. The more money someone earns, the less they can receive in benefits. Now, more of the wage increase goes to the food budget therefore nullifying the increase.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Solutions?</b><br />
If the minimum wage adjustments are left completely at the federal level, it could easily be adjusted along with the federal poverty level (FPL) which programs such as Medicaid are determined on. The biggest argument to this is going to be the fact that the cost of living is different in different parts of the country.<br />
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Alternatively, continue to allow states to make adjustments to the minimum wage, but partner that with adjustment to the FPL based on cost of living. Alaska and Hawaii already have levels different from the national, so it makes sense that all the other states should not be deemed equal.<br />
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Obviously neither of those are being implemented at this time, and I doubt that anyone (the elected "leaders") is even considering either option.<br />
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What about a smarter solution to the minimum wage? I have a couple ideas that I will put out here that I feel could work better than what is currently being done.<br />
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<b>Training wage vs. working wage:</b><br />
With this idea an employee could be hired in at a minimum wage, but could not remain at that wage. I often see news stories about minimum wage wherein they find someone that has been working at fast food for 9 years and still makes minimum wage. With my idea, that would not be possible. After 1 year the employer would be required to give the worker a raise. Many companies have a trial period of some sort, so this would fit well.<br />
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The first argument would be that the employer would just go out and hire someone new instead of providing a raise to an existing employee. While that could certainly happen, it's not really in the best interest of the company. It makes more sense to give a small raise to an existing employee than spending time and effort on training a new person.<br />
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<b>Industry standard wages:</b><br />
Do away with the one size fits all strategy. Why should two people get the same wage for two vastly different jobs? Starting wages should be determined instead by industry, skill set required, training needs, etc. Someone that has gone to school for 4 years (or more) to learn a particular skill set should be expected to earn more than someone that has just graduated from high school. Even now you can do an internet search to find out what average wages are for a particular job. Why shouldn't that be incorporated into a minimum wage system as well? Let's pay the accountants with degrees more than we pay the 16 year old flipping burgers.<br />
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<b>Combination:</b><br />
I imagine that there are many ways to actually use a combination of the above ideas, which would certainly be better than how things are today.<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b> </b><br />
It wasn't that long ago that I was working a minimum wage job. I didn't complain about it being minimum wage, or even demand to be making more, I was just glad to have a job. I didn't want to work a minimum wage job forever, and I didn't. I now have a decent paying full-time job thanks to the effort I've put in to gain some experience. A major issue that I have with raising minimum wage is that workers like myself will not receive an equivalent wage. Many will go from making a few dollars above minimum to only earning a scant amount above, or actually be left at the new minimum.<br />
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Let me know what you think in the comments.Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-52277926255459340672016-02-18T21:50:00.001-08:002016-02-18T21:50:53.117-08:00The Maximum MinimumThose of us in Oregon are more than aware that as of today both the Senate and House of Representatives have passed a bill to increase Oregon's minimum wage. It also comes as no surprise that the governor is expected to sign it, after all, wasn't it her idea anyway? While the overall increase proposed in this bill will take a matter of years to be fully implemented, it will make Oregon's the highest state minimum wage in the United States (assuming that other states don't pass similar increases before then).<br />
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What follows here is my opinion, achieved by using logic a common sense, things that are sadly lacking in this world. If you disagree, that is fine. If you are offended or upset, you were warned. Continue at your own risk.<br />
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<br />
<a name='more'></a>Oregon's minimum wage bills follows on the heels of Seattle's passage of a localized $15 minimum wage, and pushes for such in other parts of the country. Obviously for those pushing for these increases, they are expecting a bed of roses, but I think they are forgetting about the thorns. Here is an interesting article regarding <a href="http://viral.buzz/seattles-15-minimum-wage-crash-for-many-their-new-wage-is-zero/" target="_blank">Seattle's minimum wage</a>.<br />
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<b>Let's try simple math and logic:</b><br />
Most businesses exist in order to make money. A business will work to maintain, or increase, it's profit margin by a couple methods. Either they will raise prices of their goods or services, cut costs, or use a combination of the two. [To be certain, there are other methods to protect profits, such as adding new products or services that provide a greater ROI than existing ones. To keep it simple for this, we'll stick with the status quo as it were.]<br />
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<b>Increase prices:</b> To make up for the increased labor costs, a business may choose to increase their prices, passing on those costs to the consumers. Those workers who are now earning a higher minimum wage are also now paying more for essentials. This will also result in an effective pay cut for those that are already earning more than minimum wage. They won't get a pay increase, but they are also stuck paying the higher prices.<br />
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<b>Reduce costs:</b> Lets say that current minimum wage is $10 an hour (simple round numbers here) and an employer is paying $30 to 3 workers for an hour's work. So, the wage goes up to $15 an hour and the employer needs to maintain the current cost level. Now 2 workers can work for that same $30 an hour. Either 1 of the employees is out of a job, making them worse off than before, or all 3 get their hours cut by 1/3rd and still earn the same amount of money and no one is better off.<br />
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Maybe they do a combination, cut a few less hours, raise the prices by a smaller amount, etc.<br />
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<br /><b>Oregon's tiered minimum wage:</b><br />
The newly passed bill provides for 3 different wages bases on geographic location. The Portland area gets the highest wage, and rural areas get the lowest. To me this is the epitome in wage unfairness. Yes, there has been a lot in the news about rent going sky high in Portland, but that doesn't negate the fact that prices are often higher for other things in rural areas. What about gas that's often higher in rural areas, or even groceries due to having less variety of stores to shop from. If someone wants to have access to the variety of stores that might have lower prices, they need to drive long distances, using more gas.<br />
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I have more opinion, including at least two different alternatives to a blanket increase the minimum wage, however I will save that for another post. If you agree with me, I'd love to see it in the comments.<br />
Thanks for reading.Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-25900191825481035572015-10-29T19:47:00.000-07:002015-10-29T19:47:29.147-07:00The Windows 10 Experience | Part 3So, I've been running Windows 10 for a few months now. A wise <strike>old</strike> lady asked me for another post, and I've put it off until she bugged me about it again. Sorry mom.<br />
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Back when my mom asked me to write another post, I really didn't think I had all that much more to say. There were a couple of things that I thought deserved to be mentioned, so here it all comes.<br />
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I'm pretty sure that it was the same day that I was asked to do another post, that I turned on the computer and found this.<br />
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That little "Sign out now" button was completely useless. It let me log back in, but came up with the same error. I had to power the computer off, by holding the power button for a few seconds, and restart it to get it to start up properly. It has not happened again, but I don't have any idea what prompted it that one time.<br />
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Probably one of the more irritating things about Windows 10 are the automatic updates. With previous version of Windows, you can actually set it so that you get a choice of whether or not to download update. This is NOT the case on Windows 10. You do have a limited choice of being notified to restart, rather than having the computer just restart automatically.<br />
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I noticed a few times that I was unable to load any web pages. It was as if I had lost internet completely, although every indication was that I was still connected. I finally noticed, when I went to restart the computer, that said something to the effect of "Apply Updates and Restart". Of course, after restarting, everything seemed to be fine. I just found it extremely annoying that the update process had such a drastic effect on internet access. If you are able to restart at your convenience for the updates, they shouldn't make it so inconvenient to use the computer until you restart it.<br />
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Recently my big complaint with W10 has to do with my computer that is running W7. I used that computer to download, but not install W10, since you can create installation media for use on another computer. For quite a while not it reminds me, nearly every day, that I can install W10, although I really don't want to - I still prefer W7. What is disconcerting though is installing updates on that computer. I can still select which update I want to install, and when I want to install the, etc. Once I've selected the updates, and have told it to download and install, it displays "Downloading Windows 10". When I first saw this I couldn't hit "Cancel" quick enough. I since discovered that it does actually download and install the updates that I expect it to, it just doesn't know how to express itself.<br />
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If I had my choice, I'd run W7 on my laptop, rather than W10, but it's still a better alternative than W8.1. I don't find it to be better than previous versions of Windows, but thankfully it's not really any worse, other than a few interface issues that are mostly person preference.<br />
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I realize that there is one feature of W10 that I haven't mentioned in my posts. W10 comes with Cortana, a personal digital assistant, or so I believe it's called. Microsoft had a few commercials about how great it was on the Windows Phones, so they put it in W10 too. I do not have it enable, simply because it requires you to opt in to having your data collected. I realize that for it to work, it does need to learn more about the user, but I don't want Microsoft having access to that. I've already provided access to most of the information it would want to Google anyway, and I can use that on my phone. Using such features on a computer really isn't beneficial to me Perhaps if I was running W10 on a tablet my opinion would vary. Then again, why would I want to start using Cortana when I have something that works as well as I need it to, Google?<br />
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And with that, I'll end my rambling, and this 3rd post on my Windows 10 experience.<br />
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<br />Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-69448872261840329562015-08-05T21:25:00.000-07:002015-08-05T21:25:10.578-07:00The Windows 10 Experience | Part 2After a few days of having Windows 10 on the new laptop, I thought I would go ahead and post part 2 of this experience. I'm not going to pretend to share any great insight, but rather to just share some thoughts and opinions.<br />
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<b>Travels to the Edge.</b><br />
I said before that I found Microsoft's new browser, Edge, to be just as useful as Internet Explorer in that I used it to download Firefox. I decided that in all fairness I should actually go ahead and give it a try.<br />
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From what I can tell, it's a fairly straight forward web browser. The interface is clean and simple, yet seems a little blockier than what I am used to. There are no "curves" to it, as there are with many other programs. This almost seems to be the way with Windows 10 in general. Nothing inherently wrong with squared edges and such, but it definitely doesn't look pretty.<br />
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I started this post in Edge, but I just had to switch to Firefox instead. I'm used to the Blogger interface giving me a WYSIWYG interface, but instead in Edge it was HTML only. I'm not brushed up on my HTML enough to be comfortable working with it. In Firefox I have the option to switch between WYSIWYG and HTML. Perhaps there is a plug-in that Edge needs for it to work, but it did not request to add anything, and it Firefox it just works.<br />
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Speed. I really don't know how to measure a browser's speed to be able to compare Edge to Firefox. There are times that it seemed a little slow, but that could just be the computer. At other times it did seem to be moving at adequate speed.<br />
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Conclusion: It won't be my every day browser. I'll still stick with Firefox. Maybe it's the familiarity, but why fix what's not broken.<br />
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<b>Start Menu.</b><br />
I decided that it was only fair that I revisit the start menu. After my friend Marty left a comment on my earlier post about how the "tiles" could work, I decided that I would take a look at it. I understand it somewhat now, but I'm not convinced that it's a better interface than what was in previous versions of Windows. For now I plan to continue using the Classic Shell interface, but I still have the option to use the W10 start menu at any time.<br />
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If you spend the time getting your commonly used programs setup as tiles, then it could be beneficial. Aside from doing that, it seems that a lot of extra time and effort is expended in actually locating the program that you want. Sadly there are some things that do not show up in the Classic Shell menu, but can be found with the W10 menu. All newly installed programs will show up in both locations. I do not know why there is a disparity, but it seems to be mainly with Microsoft applications.<br />
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That's it's for this installment. Futures posts on the Windows 10 experience will be dependent on my deciding that there is actually something worth me saying about it.<br />
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Thanks for reading, I'd love to know your thoughts.Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-57420266836690667512015-08-03T08:06:00.001-07:002015-08-03T08:06:14.297-07:00The Windows 10 Experience | Part 1Unless you've been living in a cave, or even if you have, you may
have heard about Windows 10. The "big" thing about W10 is that Microsoft
is offering a free upgrade to users of W7 or W8.1. With this in mind, I
thought that someone might be interested in my experience with W10.
This is the first, and hopefully not last, installment on this subject.<br />
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Very
recently, I picked up a new laptop computer. It's not a high end
machine, thought I wish that I could justify spending more on one. It's
in many ways a replacement for the laptop that I got 5 years ago. The
old one has a display that no longer works, but, thanks to the magic of
the HDMI port, works well to watch streaming video from <a href="http://www.hulu.com/" target="_blank">Hulu</a> and other sources on the TV.<br />
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Not
only does the new laptop solve the issue of having one to take on any
trips that we go on, but also provides a needed computer for the
children in doing their school.<br />
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So, Windows 8.1. I
really have no interest in dealing with it. I've seen enough of W8/8.1
to know that I don't like it. I decided that my first project with this
computer would be to upgrade to W10. Really, it can't be worse than
W8.1, and there is a chance that it's better, after all, it does have
the start menu again.<br />
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<b>Time</b>.
Yes, it takes a good deal of time to perform the upgrade. I don't know
exactly how long though. I started it, but then we left and were gone
for most of the day. I don't know if the process paused when I closed
the lid of the laptop, or if it kept working. After we got home, I
opened it up, and it still took a couple more hours to finish it off.
So, probably at least 3 hours for the upgrade process.<br />
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<b>Microsoft Account</b>.
Definitely not a fan of this. To be able to complete the installation,
you have to have a Microsoft account. There is no choice here, either
sign in or you can't use Windows. The idea here is that you can backup
your settings, files, etc. via a Microsoft account, making it "easy" to
move to another computer, or recover from a hardware failure, etc. It
would be nice to have a way to bypass this, as many people really don't
for the idea of Microsoft having access to personal data. They also made
it so that the Windows login uses this Microsoft account as well. The
good news is that you can change how you log into Windows, so if you
want to use a difficult, very secure password for your Microsoft
account, but also want to be able to login to Windows with a simpler,
and easier to remember, password, you can.<br />
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<b>Edge Browser</b>.
So, Microsoft has replaced Internet Explorer with Edge. So far I have
found Edge to just a useful as IE, I used it to download <a href="https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/" target="_blank">Firefox</a>.
I have been plenty happy with Firefox for several years, so I'm not
sure why I would want to, or need to, switch to something different,
especially from a company that historically does not have a good track
record with browsers.<br />
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<b>Start Menu</b>. Yes, it's
back, but it's not the start menu that you remember. I don't really know
how to describe it, other than I could not really figure out how to
find programs. I clicked on something like "All Programs", or something
similar, and it gave me a long alphabetical list of programs that I had
to scroll through. It was not what I would call easy or convenient. <a href="http://classicshell.net/" target="_blank">Classic Shell</a>
to the rescue. This is a little program that I have been using from the
time that I first got W7. It basically allows you to have a classic
interface, including the start menu. It does give you some options for
what type of start menu you want, but I always choose the "Classic
Style". It's a lot cleaner and more streamlined than the other options,
and allows me to find what I want on the start menu without much hassle.
I highly recommend it, and it's free.<br />
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That's it for
now. I'll try to make another installment after I have had more time to
use the computer. I'll see if there are any other ground breaking
features that need my opinion.Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-13039322859563571062013-11-17T11:40:00.000-08:002013-11-17T11:40:05.470-08:00Made In The U.S.A.?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Do you remember when it actually meant something to buy a product made in the U.S.A.? Can it really have been that long ago?<br />
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Years ago Wal-Mart proudly advertised that they sold items that were made in the U.S.A. Now it's a almost a struggle to find a product in their store that isn't made in another country. Perhaps I exaggerate a bit, but they sure don't promote "Made in the U.S.A." anymore.<br />
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Personally, I prefer getting products made in this country when I can, and supporting US companies. I'm not saying that I would avoid a foreign made product, but if I have my choice of equal quality products, I would rather have the US made version. Some items don't have equal counterparts, leaving no choice, of course.<br />
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Why do I bring this up? Recently in the news has been talk of the failed launched of the Obamacare website. Regardless of how you or I feel about Obamacare in general is not the point of this post. The thing that really struck me in the news, other than the extremely high cost of the website creation, was where the company responsible for most of the work is located. The work was done by what is essentially a Canadian company, not a US company.<br />
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Why? Someone please explain to me why a government would give such a large contract of work to a foreign company. Shouldn't there be a law that government contracts go to companies in the country. I can understand if there are no domestic companies that provide the product or service, then reach out to foreign companies. I'm willing to guess that there are plenty of companies in the United States that are more than capable of creating websites. Maybe the problems would be the same, but why are we sending tax dollars to another country for a product that is supposed to "serve" U.S. citizens?Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-16492717167503290972013-05-25T14:32:00.001-07:002013-05-25T17:27:55.756-07:00Playing Around With Photos At Work | According To CraigI'm a photographer, and I even have a <a href="http://lightscribbles.craigpiferphotography.com/" target="_blank">photography blog</a> and fledgling photography business, <a href="http://craigpiferphotography.com/" target="_blank">Craig Pifer Photography</a>. My day job at the <a href="http://enchantedforest.com/" target="_blank">Enchanted Forest Theme Park</a> doesn't involve photography, but I still really enjoy the job. On Friday I took my camera to work with me just for the fun of it. I snapped a few photos and played around with them a bit.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AQc4jX-tTPY/UaAbo9uF5LI/AAAAAAAAJ2c/HY_j6JH0HgM/s1600/toftefalls-10-MOTION.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AQc4jX-tTPY/UaAbo9uF5LI/AAAAAAAAJ2c/HY_j6JH0HgM/s1600/toftefalls-10-MOTION.gif" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
This little waterfall can be found at the Tiny Tune Train ride in the Kiddy Ride area. It, and the surrounding decorations, were built by Roger Tofte, the creator of the Enchanted Forest Theme Park. I've dubbed this little fall as Tofte Falls.<br />
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I also made sure to get some fun sequences of a few of my co-workers. [If the animation isn't going, you may need to wait for it to completely load.]<br />
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For some reason this last one is not loading properly, so please excuse the distorted aspect. It was two, but I got one to work by resizing it. This one still won't work even with resizing. (Sorry Chris)<br />
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<!--more--><br />Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-58826592417875555252013-03-05T19:58:00.003-08:002013-03-05T20:09:47.815-08:00Barbeque Chicken with Homemade Sauce - Yum!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been playing with making my own barbeque sauce. Why? you may ask. Frankly it's an effort to avoid some of the garbage that goes into store bought BBQ sauce, mainly high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). In my opinionated opinion, HFCS should be avoided as much as possible. I'm sure there will still be certain vices, perhaps a Dr Pepper or two, that I will partake in, but if there is an option without HFCS, that is what I will choose.<br />
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Anyway, I've come up with a recipe that is acceptable enough that it's worth repeating. It's not too spicy, which the rest of the family appreciates, not too sweet, which the wife appreciates. It tastes enough like a BBQ sauce to go ahead and claim that's what it is.<br />
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The first couple of times I made sauce, I then added in some canned roast beef (from CostCo) to make some BBQ beef sandwiches. Tonight chicken was on the menu and BBQ sauce was mentioned. The children all thought that sounded good, so I went with it. I had a bit of a mishap to start with, but our <a href="http://www.vitamix.com/" target="_blank">Vitamix</a> solved that.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I'm going to divulge my secret sauce recipe to all my readers. That's right, to both of you. It's actually quite easy.<br />
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<i>1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce<br />¼ cup brown sugar<br />1 – 1½ Tbsp. garlic powder<br />2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar<br />1½ – 2 Tbsp. chili powder<br />Splash – 1 tsp. Liquid smoke<br />1 – 2 tsp. honey<br /><br />Combine ingredients in small sauce pan over low heat. I turn the burner on as soon as the tomato sauce is in the pan. When the sauce heats up it will bubble and splatter, so use a lid to contain it. Cook for several minutes until heated throughout. Adjust seasoning and flavor to your preference.</i><br />
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Well, tonight I went to the pantry, grabbed out my tomato sauce and sugar. Then I searched for the can opener, found it and opened the can. It was at this point that I discovered that my can of tomato sauce was actually a can of diced tomatoes.<br />
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This is where the Vitamix comes in. Instead of getting too frustrated or upset, I just put the tomatoes and the other sauce ingredients into the Vitamix and turned it on high. The nice thing about the Vitamix is its ability to heat up liquids, soups, and sauces. After a few minutes running on high I had a nice steaming hot BBQ sauce, no sauce pan needed.<br />
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While I was getting the sauce taken care of, I also started some green beans in my <a href="http://www.platinumcookware.com/" target="_blank">Platinum Cookware</a> and got the grill pan ready for the chicken. We had some chicken thighs that were neither boneless or skinless, so I pulled the skin off. I would probably take the bones out, but I really don't know how, it's been a few years since learning that in my home economics classes.<br />
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Once the grill pan was hot enough, I placed the chicken thighs in the pan to start cooking. After a few short minutes I turned the chicken over, sprinkled some seasonings on them, and spooned some of my hot BBQ sauce on top. After cooking for a few more minutes, I turned the chicken once more, spooning more of the sauce onto it. The pan was covered and allowed to cook for about 10 more minutes as such.<br />
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I have to admit, the green beans were probably the easiest part of the meal. That's the beauty of the Platinum Cookware, I put a few frozen beans into the pan, added about a tablespoon of water (I didn't measure it), put the lid on, and turned the burner to medium. Once the wonderful temperature control knob reached 40 I turned it to low and let them cook for 20 minutes. They were some of the best green beans I've had in a long time.<br />
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All in all it was a good dinner. I've already had a request from the oldest child to make this more often. That's always a good thing.<br />
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So, if you try my sauce recipe I'd love to know your results. If you make improvements on it, which I'm sure is possible, please let me know so I can try the adjustments too.Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-18546627410776612012012-12-24T22:42:00.000-08:002016-12-25T17:18:43.499-08:00Reasons why I don't celebrate x-messA few years ago, I wrote a blog post here titled <a href="http://according2craig.blogspot.com/2010/12/7-reasons-why-im-glad-i-dont-celebrate.html" target="_blank"><b>7 reasons why I'm glad I don't celebrate x-mess</b></a>. All 7 of those reasons are very true even to this day, but I've decided to go ahead and write a post about <b>why</b> I don't celebrate x-mess.<br />
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I could really make this a long post by quoting scriptures and articles and, well just a whole lot of things. That is not the purpose of this post. If you want more detail information, let me know and I can direct you in the right places.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>It might surprise some to find that this is a holiday that I have <b>never</b> celebrated. I was fortunate to be raised in a home didn't follow the so called mainstream Christianity. Perhaps it would be safe to say that growing up in a home that never celebrated it is indeed one of the reasons why I don't celebrate x-mess now.<br />
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When I tell someone that I don't celebrate the holiday that is celebrated by many on December 25th each year, I'm never sure what their response will be. I'm sure that the first thought, for at least some, is that I don't believe in Christ. Nothing could be further from the truth.<br />
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<b>It is because I believe in Christ as my messiah, and believe that the Bible is the true word of God, that I do not, and cannot, celebrate this day.</b><br />
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There is no Biblical instruction to celebrate or observe the birth of Christ. If this was something that was expected of us, wouldn't it be in the Bible. Rather there are several annual Holy Days that we are indeed instructed to observe, yet the majority of "Christianity" completely ignores them (Leviticus 23).<br />
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Christ was not born on December 25th. No human knows when Christ was born, period. That it was <b>NOT</b> in December is very clear. A simple case in point is the fact that shepherds would not have been out in the fields at night during the cool, rainy season that is December. Biblical and historical evidence points to the greater likelihood of Christ's birth being during the autumn. Still, no date, precise or otherwise, is given. Again, wouldn't this be important if we were expected to observe His birth?<br />
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The traditions and customs surrounding the holiday have no basis in the Bible, nor any association with Christ. In fact many of them, including the x-mess tree, pre-date the birth of Christ by many centuries. You can easily trace back the traditions to ancient Egypt and ancient Rome, and likely many other ancient pagan societies. Again, the Bible has no instruction for any of these traditions, so why follow them?<br />
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The Bible actually instructs against following pagan worship practices. In Biblical times God did not want his people worshiping Him in the same ways that the other nations worshiped their gods (Deuteronomy 12:30-31). Why would God want us worshiping him now with ancient traditions used in worship of the pagan gods?<br />
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Some will say that that applied to Old Testament times, but that these practices are okay now, as long as we dedicate them to Christ. Hebrew 13:8 states that, "<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">Jesus Christ </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px;">is</i><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"> the same yesterday and today and forever." If he wasn't okay with it "yesterday", why would he be okay with it "today"? Easy answer is that he wouldn't be, and he isn't.</span></span><br />
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I could probably go on, and in great detail, about how x-mess was NOT observed by Christ's disciples, and that it was actually hundreds of year after His birth before he was wrongly associated with the pagan celebrations. I could try to explain how December 25th was an important date, even birth date, for a number of pagan deities. Perhaps even mention the importance of the date and customs and traditions in the worship of the sun. Instead, I will end here.<br />
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If this truly piques your interest in the origins of the celebrations, more information is merely an internet search away. None of this is hidden or secret knowledge, yet I know that the majority of people are so comfortable with their traditions and celebrations that, even learning of the truth, will never taken any action.<br />
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As for me, I cannot, with a good conscience, choose to celebrate x-mess when it has absolutely no foundation in the word of God. I cannot look at the traditions and practices of the pagan religions (ancient or modern) and say that is how I want to worship the true God. Rather I choose to do my best to observe the Holy Days that God has instructed His people to keep, and to avoid the practices that disobey and dishonor God. No one is, nor can be, perfect in the worship of God, however I can certainly do my best to avoid something that is clearly wrong.Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-57900851478123217702012-12-02T23:56:00.000-08:002012-12-02T23:56:18.174-08:00Who Doesn't Like Pecan Pie?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, if you are one of the odd few that don't like pecan pie, then this blog post is not for you. I rather like pecan pie, although it seems that I don't have it, or make it, nearly often enough. Recently I remedied the issue of not having made it in quite a while.<br />
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I would like to share my experience, and recipe, with you. I hope that you enjoy it, and that you decide that it's been too long since you have pecan pie. Go ahead, you know you want to, try this easy recipe.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>It all started as we approached the Thanksgiving holiday. Obviously pumpkin pie was a given, but I thought that a pecan pie sounded like a good addition. We even bought a new bag of pecans, as we couldn't remember whether or not we had some at home. We did have a brand new bag in the freezer, but that's okay, we'll use them.<br />
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My wife was going to make the pumpkin pie, and I was going to make the pecan. As it turns out, the pumpkin pie only called for 1/2 the can of condensed milk, or was it evaporated milk? She chose to go ahead and make two pumpkin pies, thereby using both of the pie plates. The pecan pie would have to wait.<br />
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So, a couple days later, when we had an empty pie plate, I was able to proceed with <i>operation pecan pie</i>. The first thing I did was search for a recipe. Sure, I've made it before, and I've used a couple different recipes, but I wanted something new. The first priority: no corn syrup. It seems that the majority of pecan pie recipes have at least some corn syrup in them, but my pie didn't need it.<br />
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<i>Why no corn syrup?</i> As a family we want to make an effort to make healthy choices in our food. We really want to avoid GMO foods as much as possible, and with such a large percentage of corn in the USA being genetically modified, it really means that we have a desire to avoid many corn products, or to choose ones that are certified organic, or otherwise noted as GMO free.<br />
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A quick search for "pecan pie no corn syrup" led me to a simple recipe on <a href="http://allrecipes.com/">AllRecipes.com</a>.<br />
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First, of course, I had to start with the crust. I have a decent crust recipe that I got while in college, and it's perfect for pecan pie, but may need some tweaking.<br />
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<b>1 1/4 cup all purpose flour</b><br />
<b>1/2 tsp. salt</b><br />
<b>1/3 cup shortening</b> (I used coconut oil)<br />
<b>3-4 Tbsp. cold water</b><br />
<b>3 Tbsp. finely chopped pecans</b><br />
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In mixing bowl, stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening until pieces are size of small peas.<b> </b> <i>(Again, I used coconut oil, which is a healthier oil than most others on the market, and avoids the GMO rich oils such as corn and canola.)</i> Stir in chopped pecans. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. of water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push to side of bowl. Repeat until all is moistened. Form dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, flatten dough with hands. Roll dough from center to edge, forming a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Wrap pastry around rolling pin, unroll onto a 9 inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry. Trim to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate; fold under extra pastry. Make a fluted, rope-shaped, or scalloped edge. Do not prick pastry. Bake as directed in individual recipe.<br />
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Rather than attempt to roll it around my rolling pin, I simply rolled it out on top of a piece of parchment paper. I then turned the parchment paper over on top of the pie plate. This made a quite simple method of getting the pastry into the pie plate. The chopped pecans are the main reason that I like this crust for a pecan pie.<br />
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The crust is good, but not truly great. I found that I needed more than the 4 Tbsp. of water to properly moisten it, so keep that in mind. The coconut oil can certainly impart a coconut flavor to anything you prepare with it. They recommend using salt to cut the flavor. I made a second pie after the first one was finished, and I used closer to 1 full tsp. of salt, and I added about 1 Tbsp. of sugar as well. I'm not sure that there was a truly noticeable difference, but both versions were more than edible.<br />
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Now for the important part, the filling for the crust.<br />
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<b>1 cup brown sugar</b><br />
<b>1/4 cup <strike>white</strike> granulated sugar</b><br />
<b>1/2 cup butter - melted</b><br />
<b>2 eggs</b><br />
<b>1 Tbsp. flour</b><br />
<b>1 Tbsp. milk</b><br />
<b>1 tsp. vanilla extract</b><br />
<b>1 cup chopped pecans</b><br />
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Beat eggs until foamy. (I did this with a wire whisk, so don't think that an electric mixer is required for this.) Stir in melted butter. Stir in sugars and flour, mix well. Add milk, vanilla, and nuts last. Pour into unbaked 9 inch shell. Bake at 400<b>° </b>for 10 min., then 350° for 30-40 min.<br />
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I personally think that pecan pie needs to have pecans on top, as well as inside, so, although the recipe didn't call for it, I did add some to the top, as can be seen in the photo above. The downside is that it makes it a little harder to cut the pie, but it's well worth it. <br />
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I noticed a comment on the AllRecipes site that mentioned changing the baking temperature and times. It was suggested to bake at 350° for 15 min., then 300° for 50-55 minutes. I followed this suggestion. I baked it for exactly 50 minutes after turning the temperature down. If anything it seemed ever so slightly over baked.<br />
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Our pie plates are 9 1/2 inches, so the filling didn't seem to fill it nearly as full as I would have hoped. When I made the 2nd pie I increased many of the ingredients by about 1/4. Obviously I couldn't increase the eggs, and on some of the minor ingredients I didn't worry about exact measurements. That's the way I cook often, not worrying about exacts; if it's close, it's good enough.<br />
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Also with the 2nd pie, I baked it for 40 minutes after turning the oven down. The top of the pie showed some slight cracking, which is an indication of doneness. I pulled it out at that time rather than continue baking it. It was sufficiently baked, but could have easily baked for another 5 minutes with no problem, and is probably what I will do if/when I make this again.<br />
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And, of course, what is pecan pie without some vanilla ice cream? Sure, it's edible without it, but that ice cream really adds to the entire experience.<br />
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Conclusion: This is a very simple recipe to make. The most difficult part is the crust, but you are welcome to use your favorite pre-made crust if it's really that big of deal. As with most pecan pies, this one is very rich as well. If you can't handle your sweets, definitely go for a smaller slice. I've had some pecan pies, usually at restaurants, that have a somewhat bitter taste to them, this one had none of that. It was good enough that I could have eaten a bigger slice, but rich enough that I didn't need to. Definitely one of the better pecan pies that I've had in a long time, which probably explains why I made a second one.Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-21060162590510718902011-07-16T20:53:00.000-07:002011-07-16T20:53:09.584-07:00Just a quick blog post of nothingness.I haven't really updated this blog, or any of my others, for some time now. I really should be more diligent with the blogging, but it seems that I am always busy with one thing or the other.<br />
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The main point of this post to to see if Google has managed, yet, to form some sort of integration between Blogger and the new Google+. More specifically if they have initiated an easy way to share a new blog post on the Google+ service. I'm sure that it would be fairly simple (what do I know, I'm not a programmer) to add sharing options to the publishing options in Blogger.<br />
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Anyway, that's the extent of my post for now as I investigate this.<br />
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Until next time...Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-2799316236368795102011-01-19T16:27:00.000-08:002011-01-19T16:27:44.882-08:00Review: Roku XD digital video player (Part 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJNYvjT25nXrDCy5cCZKQeZ1IqtXyUCVVyEW4ZIzp-ojHZPP_yV9zB6BLbi8lFw-pic3CUya2r8QsvncjZoCY6DaZgTXbX6iaiNa63wHNqZ6JgwlyI98mHA01Y7VJ6LXlvk_tAqFxxvgP/s1600/roku003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJNYvjT25nXrDCy5cCZKQeZ1IqtXyUCVVyEW4ZIzp-ojHZPP_yV9zB6BLbi8lFw-pic3CUya2r8QsvncjZoCY6DaZgTXbX6iaiNa63wHNqZ6JgwlyI98mHA01Y7VJ6LXlvk_tAqFxxvgP/s320/roku003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Well, I'm finally going to write up part 2 of my review. This will focus on connecting the Roku and going through the initial setup procedure.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJuwvJItfWDWAAJct-bkoiSvpiNaA0u6g6PTF3NbvtZm48mYDoodtzheKSCRuKbAIhxfEQ3ADRJUxEq5cFP0MPEg1ouunsvnc7GdR5duvAh58EqoWYUWCpFk2f2Xfc20YmGOypctbGQuT/s1600/roku009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJuwvJItfWDWAAJct-bkoiSvpiNaA0u6g6PTF3NbvtZm48mYDoodtzheKSCRuKbAIhxfEQ3ADRJUxEq5cFP0MPEg1ouunsvnc7GdR5duvAh58EqoWYUWCpFk2f2Xfc20YmGOypctbGQuT/s200/roku009.jpg" width="200" /></a>Just a reminder of what came in the box: Roku XD player, remote, A/V cable, and power supply.<br />
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<b>Connection:</b> Connecting the Roku to the TV took a lot less time than it took me to take photos of my new device. It took me about 4 minutes, but that involved getting a flashlight to see what connections were available on the back of the TV. I had to disconnect the VCR, but we haven't used that in a while anyway. It's a very straight forward connection in all.<br />
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<b>Remote:</b> I would like to say something about the remote that is included. The XD model that I got, and the XD|S have a slightly nicer remote than what ships with the HD model. It's not that much of a difference, but it does offer an instant replay button that will back up the video approximately 7 seconds.<br />
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What I really like about the remote, as little a thing as it might be, is the battery compartment. We have several remotes in our house and all of them have a small little door on the back that either slides off or has to be unhooked. At least a couple of these are broken. The Roku remote is quite different in that the bottom section fo the remotes slides off completely, revealing the batter compartment. There is no door to get knocked off, or to become broken and useless. I wish all remotes were like this.<br />
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<b>System setup:</b> Upon plugging in the Roku it immediately powered on. After a short time I was presented with a setup screen. I was asked to choose wireless or wired connection. Of course I chose wireless. I then was presented with the available networks, mine being the one with the strongest signal and prominently selected. I chose my network and then had to enter in the password to connect to it.<br />
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It was at this point that things didn't go quite as I had planned. I got a message saying that it was unable to connect to my network. I double checked that I had the password right and that other devices [my computer] were able to connect and access the internet fine. I tried again and it still wouldn't connect.<br />
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I had put the Roku in a stereo cabinet that holds the VCR and DVD player, and that the TV sets on top of. The included quick start guide mentioned NOT putting the device in a cabinet so that the wireless signal wouldn't be blocked. So, I took it out of the cabinet to see if that would sold the problem. It didn't. I acted exactly the same outside the cabinet as it did inside. <br />
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Remember that Ethernet port on the back of the Roku that I didn't expect to ever use? Well I had a cable long enough to reach from the router to the Roku, so I plugged it in. I then chose a wired connection. It connected immediately and proceeded to install an update.<br />
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Part of the initial setup is to "link" the player with an account at Roku.com. I had already setup an account before the player arrived to save some time. Many of the channels require you to link your player with your account. This is the case with Netflix and Amazon Video to name just a couple. This is simple process and involves entered a code generated by the Roku on the website for the channel you are attempting to link.<br />
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After this I went into the options on the player and changed my network connection back to wireless. I entered in my network password and this time it connected. I'm not sure if it needed that update that it did when it first connected or if there was some other issue that was preventing it from actually connecting. I did put the player back in the cabinet and have not had any problems with it in there.<br />
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The Roku started up with the "big" channels already added. There are, of course, Netflix, Amazon Video and Hulu Plus. From there I was able to access the channel store and browse the available channels, added the ones I wanted as I went. It was a very simple process.<br />
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In actual usage the Roku has been nearly problem free. Occasionally when I want to play a video it will begin to load and then it will just stop and go back to the previous screen. It's not a big deal, and I'm guessing just has to do with my network connection. I just hit play again and it usually loads fine on the second try.<br />
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The only other problem I had, and I don't think it is with the Roku itself, had to do with it locking up after exiting the screensaver. I added a Picasa screensave, which gives me the option of using the photos from my own Picasa account, or just a random collection, as a screensaver. When I came back and tried to do something else after the screensaver had been playing a while, it completely froze up and I was unable to do anything. I unplugged the Roku and plugged it back in (there is no power switch) to restart it. I changed to the basic clock option for the screensave and have not had an issue with it since. I may try the Picasa one later to see if it does the same thing again, but for now it's fine the way it is.<br />
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Conclusion: The Roku XD is a great little player for streaming video. It's easy to setup and connect, although it should have been easier than it was for me. This is a well designed and conceived product, which I would gladly recommend to anyone. Operation is quite simple as well, and it's easy to browse through the available content.<br />
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If you have a Netflix account and/or enjoy the ability to rent (or purchase) movies from Amazon Video, then you may very well enjoy having one of these too. In addition there is a wealth of available content including old TV shows and movies, news, YouTube, etc.<br />
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As I mentioned in my previous posts, you can get the <a href="http://roku.tellapal.com/a/clk/x33dz">best available pricing direct from Roku</a>. By following my link I will get a free month of Netflix service if you make a purchase. Obviously I wouldn't mind that, so please bear that in mind if you decide to make the purchase.<br />
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Also, right now if you buy a Roku and link it to your Amazon Video account by the end of the month, you will get a $5 credit with them. I have mine linked, so it's just a matter of finding a good deal on a rental or two.Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-56260920031711652462011-01-15T00:19:00.000-08:002011-01-16T14:14:29.368-08:00Review: Roku XD digital video player (Part 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0_Qt8Am1DnK_uIKKv_dauRaH6foJ8K8J9e1bX67dR4qCmKCRXIHOFr62hw926t-5MFBorpUxFlQQlSld8e-dyM5HYMHVTKtMxq4qIcdWTTBQ5t99P-k8ahxEFIyEc-f80d8__KjKZspB/s1600/roku010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0_Qt8Am1DnK_uIKKv_dauRaH6foJ8K8J9e1bX67dR4qCmKCRXIHOFr62hw926t-5MFBorpUxFlQQlSld8e-dyM5HYMHVTKtMxq4qIcdWTTBQ5t99P-k8ahxEFIyEc-f80d8__KjKZspB/s400/roku010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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It's finally here. My 5 year old daughter informed me that she heard the doorbell while I was in the shower. She said that no one was there, and she didn't see a package, but she had seen the UPS truck. Yay for Brown. I went to the front door, opened it, and retrieved the small package that was leaning against the door. No wonder she didn't see a package, it was small.<br />
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Anyway this is my initial review on the Roku XD digital video player, henceforth Roku or player. If you are at least partially interested in this device, please read on "This is gonna be fun."<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQEk2hHXmUFKrry4iBD0eF7GIbsAcr0tw-p5yp4rOb6oG27w2AijLlT5DppJRiZCdsMds5Feyipp_fdSewxY85gLZBj7LM7Ga0PKnuRZjH7_kpNooFYiWocQqVvhYtReEuw-YcW8EEpgo/s1600/roku001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQEk2hHXmUFKrry4iBD0eF7GIbsAcr0tw-p5yp4rOb6oG27w2AijLlT5DppJRiZCdsMds5Feyipp_fdSewxY85gLZBj7LM7Ga0PKnuRZjH7_kpNooFYiWocQqVvhYtReEuw-YcW8EEpgo/s200/roku001.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top 6 Things...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
This first thing I noticed, although I was prepared based on what I had read about Roku, was the small size of the box that it shipped in. It is definitely minimal packaging, which I'm sure is great news to all those that believe that the end of the world will be brought on by the excess packaging used for many products.<br />
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Before you even get the box open you are presented with the "Top 6 things to do when you set up your Roku." In case you weren't sure where to start, this gives you a few ideas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlb7NY-KaY0ujHo4b6sJb5DYa9xkQLZK0dJJroC5DHt6fuPQf7M0mdQM-UY0prALFlA44om8rei22ePIMpME5A4c3cEuJCqFgBcScOzIlw15UGoVSNU-GRSNsDe2WDjSbbLdUQ1YSqC-ID/s1600/roku002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlb7NY-KaY0ujHo4b6sJb5DYa9xkQLZK0dJJroC5DHt6fuPQf7M0mdQM-UY0prALFlA44om8rei22ePIMpME5A4c3cEuJCqFgBcScOzIlw15UGoVSNU-GRSNsDe2WDjSbbLdUQ1YSqC-ID/s320/roku002.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hi!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This is a friendly product, as witnessed when opening the box and being greeted by "Hi!"<br />
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The product fits nicely within the box. The box is indeed not too large, yet still offers plenty protection for the electronic device enclosed.<br />
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In addition to the "Hi!" sheet was a quick start guide and a warranty sheet. No big manual - it better be a breeze to setup and use.<br />
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The player itself is quite small, which means that it will take very little space amongst the other electronic components. In actuality space was not a huge consideration and we could have easily fit a much larger device. For those that are already cramped for space, then this will certainly be an advantage. The Roku has room for all the needed connections and does not have anything extra.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8vKRO01GSNlTl0AXk1zQaKF13h9frlRa3bDj9ukgIsJKhAAzHlCZIJaAUx_GyT-VtHliKtQBGF170TfeIGlbjTi1ZlfNEEvvRPtdAc-zmoFpt_635arTPW1qdUisHFgIWQUYnhFEm3_H/s1600/roku004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8vKRO01GSNlTl0AXk1zQaKF13h9frlRa3bDj9ukgIsJKhAAzHlCZIJaAUx_GyT-VtHliKtQBGF170TfeIGlbjTi1ZlfNEEvvRPtdAc-zmoFpt_635arTPW1qdUisHFgIWQUYnhFEm3_H/s320/roku004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-rTJZwHGWsX79C6i_nCkRYXoTFWteAuDcTSROl1x2oYSJix3MUvx2Hl-i_fybuJjhnyRKlU0Gwvb-WZ2VBQLrspTtWLTpsps4aNS8kC5Wt8-7ynPCS6Tv75J4wmAA99gTgSkGrsJR2K_/s1600/roku005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-rTJZwHGWsX79C6i_nCkRYXoTFWteAuDcTSROl1x2oYSJix3MUvx2Hl-i_fybuJjhnyRKlU0Gwvb-WZ2VBQLrspTtWLTpsps4aNS8kC5Wt8-7ynPCS6Tv75J4wmAA99gTgSkGrsJR2K_/s320/roku005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSv26NJexqKTV0NdRNF3ij0FUQbNJ4Dx2_VeUabchyHg7k-cAF2QiIPJyuNZesReIXaga6mhGiZf6ALAqSdVglYht6fyrN4WMejKIvyKhc-5cD4XOqcBQQcFPoGFG2KIU7Qkdr5tMYi9am/s1600/roku007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSv26NJexqKTV0NdRNF3ij0FUQbNJ4Dx2_VeUabchyHg7k-cAF2QiIPJyuNZesReIXaga6mhGiZf6ALAqSdVglYht6fyrN4WMejKIvyKhc-5cD4XOqcBQQcFPoGFG2KIU7Qkdr5tMYi9am/s320/roku007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95auC-6Z36lcV-7gNjTbAZXBNBKLEMUAiCkF-8mT-nkjpQAyY1WlTLcn0wNV5SnjEnrD7kK8Cxy-m_JIdPVqYCFfeuRCTnsonbg_TV3ietKRyyuh6WY6-WXfuCf5Ef3y3Ehe8SG98lmrb/s1600/roku006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95auC-6Z36lcV-7gNjTbAZXBNBKLEMUAiCkF-8mT-nkjpQAyY1WlTLcn0wNV5SnjEnrD7kK8Cxy-m_JIdPVqYCFfeuRCTnsonbg_TV3ietKRyyuh6WY6-WXfuCf5Ef3y3Ehe8SG98lmrb/s320/roku006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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One thing that I've seen mentioned in many other reviews of this product is the small purple tag on the player and the remote. It's a small fabric tag which seems somewhat out of place on an electronic device, but I take as a bit of whimsy on the part of the company. It doesn't bother me in any way.<br />
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The XD model has only an HDMI, an Ethernet, RCA audio/video, and power connections on the back. The step up model, the XD|S adds in component video and optical audio outputs as well as a USB port, options which did not justify the additional pricing for me. I admit though, that USB port would be nice, but I can live without it.<br />
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Since we don't have a high definition TV the HDMI port does nothing for us. Thankfully Roku provides the standard RCA connection for those of us that are still content with standard definition TV. The Ethernet port is a great plus, but with the built in Wi-Fi I didn't expect to need to use it (more on this later). <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZAu7HleBp_d3C2S4ua1a2euqdVnwOv23KPzqZJwdZoIzt9uFIkwviXeKLYtABtIj76ufPPhf-L9Iabhj5gOqIaK4W25Jqg1exXKD2ijeson1Oe8tiCu4_I-FpwBX6NoAzhqm6wh_d7ShW/s1600/roku008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZAu7HleBp_d3C2S4ua1a2euqdVnwOv23KPzqZJwdZoIzt9uFIkwviXeKLYtABtIj76ufPPhf-L9Iabhj5gOqIaK4W25Jqg1exXKD2ijeson1Oe8tiCu4_I-FpwBX6NoAzhqm6wh_d7ShW/s320/roku008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>For size comparison purposes I placed a DVD on top of the player. As can be seen in the photo, the player is just barely larger than a DVD and only about an inch or so tall.<br />
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It's smaller than most other entertainment electronics. I've seen some small DVD players, but not this small. Prior to this our smallest device was our digital TV converter box, which is about twice the size of the Roku.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJuwvJItfWDWAAJct-bkoiSvpiNaA0u6g6PTF3NbvtZm48mYDoodtzheKSCRuKbAIhxfEQ3ADRJUxEq5cFP0MPEg1ouunsvnc7GdR5duvAh58EqoWYUWCpFk2f2Xfc20YmGOypctbGQuT/s1600/roku009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJuwvJItfWDWAAJct-bkoiSvpiNaA0u6g6PTF3NbvtZm48mYDoodtzheKSCRuKbAIhxfEQ3ADRJUxEq5cFP0MPEg1ouunsvnc7GdR5duvAh58EqoWYUWCpFk2f2Xfc20YmGOypctbGQuT/s320/roku009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>What's in the box:<br />
The player (of course); the remote; power supply; batteries (2 AAA) for the remote; RCA cable;<br />
"Hi!" and warranty sheets and quick start guide.<br />
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Connecting the Roku should take less time than I took to take photos of it. Due to the length of this post already, I'm going to save the connection and setup of the Roku for another post.<br />
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Stay tuned for Part 2 of my review.<br />
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As I mentioned in my previous post, you can get the <a href="http://roku.tellapal.com/a/clk/x33dz">best available pricing direct from Roku</a>. By following my link I will get a free month of Netflix service if you make a purchase. Obviously I wouldn't mind that, so please bear that in mind if you decide to make the purchase.Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-83187586897595085122011-01-11T12:49:00.000-08:002011-01-11T12:49:03.054-08:00Waiting on a Roku, had to write something.What is a Roku? Yes, that is a very good question. In fact it's a question that I would have had a couple months ago.<br />
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At the beginning of December I entered myself into a sweepstakes to win a Roku player and a year of Hulu Plus service. I didn't win. Despite this I was extremely intrigued by the product, to the point that we have ordered one and it will be arriving this week.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>A Roku is a digital video player allowing you to watch streaming video from the internet on your TV. Their current lineup includes 3 players priced $59.99, $79.99 and $99.99. All of the players will connect to either an HD or SD television set and can connect to your wireless network with the built in wi-fi.<br />
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If you have a Netflix subscription, then you would probably love to have a Roku player. It's the original set top box for Netflix (at least I believe that's the case). We recently got a Netflix account which includes unlimited access to the movies and shows that they have available for streaming. We have a Wii, which now supports Netflix streaming, but that only takes care of the TV in the living room. In the bedroom we have watched (as we do with Hulu) either on the laptop screen or via the old, on-it's-last-leg laptop connected to the TV via an S-Video cable. That certainly is not the most convenient.<br />
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Enter the Roku, the ability to stream Netflix to the TV, without the need for a computer. But it's also much more than that. Take a look at their website at <a href="http://www.roku.com/">www.roku.com</a> and see the large number of channels available. There are many free channels available, as well as many channels that allow you to view your existing subscriptions to premium content. I'm looking forward to all the channels, and not just Netflix. I wish that Hulu was available without requiring a Hulu Plus subscription, but I think I can live with that.<br />
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<b>Getting a deal on the player:</b><br />
I mentioned that Roku has 3 players at different price points. We ordered the Roku XD, which is the one that normally sells for $79.99. We didn't pay that much for it though.<br />
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<b> </b>I was doing some searching and found that Amazon had the XD for the $79.99 price, but then I noticed that they had an offer going on. If you spent $5 or more on their Amazon Video on Demand content, either for rental or purchase, you got a $20 credit towards the XD. This put the price down to $59.99, the cost of the lowest model, the Roku HD. So, I figured that I could spend $5 and end up saving $15 on the player.<br />
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A couple days later my wife found a deal that required connecting your Twitter account through Amazon and sending out a tweet about their Video on Demand to receive a $5 VoD credit. Ok, so I did that and got a $5 credit, which is exactly what I needed to spend to get the $20 credit.<br />
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We used a $5 credit for VoD to purchase <i>The Princess Bride</i> which was available for $5.49. It's not necessarily one of my favorite movies, but that's okay, and the children mike like it eventually. So, for 49¢ we got a $20 credit to use towards the Roku XD.<br />
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We immediately ordered the Roku XD, finding that it was out of stock at the moment. This wasn't too surprising with the seeming increased popularity of the player, and the availability of a $20 discount from Amazon. Still, we placed the order knowing that we would get it once they had it in stock again. We also choose the Super Saver shipping, which, although it takes longer, saves more money for us. <br />
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Now, while waiting to receive the player from Amazon I have noticed that they have another special offer. When I register the player with the VoD service I will receive a $5 VoD credit. So, it gets even better, approximately $90 worth of product for $60.48. <br />
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So, the player shipped yesterday, one week after Amazon had them in stock again. I guess they figure that the 5-8 business days on the Super Saver shipping is how long they take to ship it, aiming for closer to the 8 days for the customer to receive it. I would have figured that it had more to do with the shipping method rather than how long they wait to get it out the door. This is really my only complaint so far, and it has nothing to do with the product.<br />
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Once we receive the player and I have a chance to set it up and play with it a bit, I plan to post a full review here. I may even post an intermediate review after getting it set up.<br />
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If you are thinking that a Roku player would be right for you, keep in mind that the Twitter offer for the $5 VoD and the $20 credit towards the Roku XD are now expired. You can still get the <a href="http://roku.tellapal.com/a/clk/x33dz">best available pricing direct from Roku</a>. By following my link I will get a free month of Netflix service if you make a purchase. Obviously I wouldn't mind that, so please bear that in mind if you decide to make the purchase. Hopefully my next posts will convince you further that you have to have one of these devices.Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-64127675238917046962010-12-24T14:28:00.000-08:002010-12-24T14:28:52.194-08:007 reasons why I'm glad I don't celebrate x-mess.I have never celebrated x-mess. I am very glad of that fact for several reasons. Here are some of those reasons, in no particular order.<br />
<ol><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> I don't need to LIE to my children about a fat man in a red suit (and everything else associated with that LIE).</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I don't feel obligated to spend money that I don't have just to satisfy the greed of others.</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I don't have fill my home with a tree or any of the other pagan symbols associated with the holiday.</div></li>
<li>I don't have to wait in line to returns gifts that I never wanted in the first place.</li>
<li>I don't dishonor God by celebrating a day that is important only in the worship of the sun and other pagan deities, and not associated with Christ until falsely done so centuries after his birth.</li>
<li>I don't need to attempt to put Christ back into something that he was never in to begin with.</li>
<li>I don't need to spend money to buy lights to decorate my home, or the electricity to use those lights.</li>
</ol>Okay, I could probably come up with more than 7 if I were to break some of them down. The point is, I'm glad that I don't celebrate the holiday. I could make a post on why I don't celebrate it, but suffice it to say that the holiday is un-Biblical and goes against God's command to NOT worship him as the other nations worshiped their gods.<br />
<ol></ol>Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-24957079033323597702010-11-16T19:09:00.000-08:002010-11-16T19:10:30.201-08:00Facebook stole money from me!Yes, Facebook did indeed steal money from me. The amount was not great, but the principal stands that they stole from me. I don't like having things stolen from me, no matter who is doing the stealing. I'm not going to keep quiet about it, hence this post, which will be linked to via Twitter and thereby Facebook as well.<br />
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Please read me story and feel free to share it with others.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Earlier this year Facebook (fb) gave away free Facebook Credits (FC), some of these were given for playing certain games on fb. I received a number of these free FC.<br />
<br />
The main game that I play on fb is MouseHunt (MH). I decided that I would use my FC to purchase the in game premium cheese, Super|brie+ (SB). With MH (and I'm assuming most other apps) the more you spend, the more you get for your money. Between the free FC and then a few more that I got from doing some of the free offers (surveys and such) I had 65 FC. I could use this to purchase 75 SB twice, for a total of 150 SB. For 75 FC I could get 325 SB, over twice as much for just a little more.<br />
<br />
I decided that I could buy the extra 10 FC that I needed and get the best value. I have a Visa Debit Rebate Card that we received from rebate that we took advantage of. I figured this would be the best way, so that fb wouldn't have access to a real credit card number from me.<br />
<br />
Now, the minimum amount of FC that you can buy is 15. This would leave me with an extra 5 FC, but I figured I could live with that. So, I entered in my payment information, only to have fb tell me that couldn't accept that payment. That was sure nice of them, they didn't want my money after all.<br />
<br />
Then I had a great idea, I decided that I could use this card with my PayPal account and still buy the FC. So, that's exactly what I did. I purchased 15 FC and then used 75 of my now 80 FC to buy 325 SB for MH. No worries, right, all was done and I had 5 FC and some SB.<br />
<br />
A few weeks later the card was declined for a small purchase. I thought that there should have been enough to cover it, but apparently not. Thankfully I could go online and check the balance and activity of the card.<br />
This is what I saw (non-relevant entries have been edited out):<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79Do8pNZXs9pY2sSDcdggjZxpiI4XvSQQ-HCZAnmOscAb8TpVmKrYLET4_-QJ86ue6MkvYYNG3Si-MxPxCKhDpEda_DAXoJ8WoV-hmLzDt8OAiP4jS8bULa_tyy2894HDZfbWnZeoABiB/s400/charges.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to view larger</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was very surprised to see that not only was there a pre-authorization from fb, but that there was actually a final charge as well of $1.50. I expected the charges from PayPal, as they are legitimate. To see charges from fb after they told me that they couldn't accept my payment was really shocking.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I called the customer service number on the card. Unfortunately, because of the type of card it is, they were unable to do anything. It doesn't work like a regular credit card when it comes to disputing charges.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next, I searched fb to see if there was anyway to contact them. It wasn't easy, as I'm pretty sure that they really don't want people contacting them, but I finally found a contact form. I explained the situation and waited for their reply.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is the reply I got from them:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Hi Craig,<br />
<br />
Thank you for your email.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, we are no longer able to refund your charges because the associated Facebook Credits have already been spent with MouseHunt. <br />
<br />
I apologize for any confusion you experienced when making your purchase. Unfortunately Facebook only issues refunds for fraudulent charges so we will be unable to refund you in this particular case.</i></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, apparently, pretending to not accept a payment and then actually charging the card is not fraudulent?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I sent a reply and attempted, once again, to explain that the credits spent with MH were the ones purchased with PayPal. I never received any additional credits. So, I'm waiting for a reply, but I will not be surprised if I don't get one. If they only check the transaction history on my account (something I am unable to do) they would see when and where the credits came from.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Why the fuss over $1.50?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's NOT the amount, it's the principal.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>I wonder how many other people have had this happen to them without ever knowing it. Do you always check your credit card statements and look at every charge? Most people don't, I don't every time, just a quick glance. I'm hoping that my story will help others to be aware of the fact that <b>Facebook is a thief</b>. If they stole $1.50 from me, how much will they steal from the next person?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Please pass it on.</div>Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-58960647266580430502010-07-31T13:26:00.000-07:002010-07-31T13:27:47.493-07:00"They've got nothing on In-N-Out."<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJz1FC-rijBmffK18N5Mchn83Q4Fa2H6X25vRUW0nYEn2l6cORbRd6OSMeOMfVGNPQ07saf7WSRDe9XuqNW-jtExs6ukiMknzFiuTGYka6veQki40GhfjhmVM2Ka7oYTC3Ln91fqjmf0E/s1600/photo-767494.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJz1FC-rijBmffK18N5Mchn83Q4Fa2H6X25vRUW0nYEn2l6cORbRd6OSMeOMfVGNPQ07saf7WSRDe9XuqNW-jtExs6ukiMknzFiuTGYka6veQki40GhfjhmVM2Ka7oYTC3Ln91fqjmf0E/s320/photo-767494.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500169768409810738" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShyphenhyphenPHo61NqkfpcZIJJDy26Drtt4FWOFvqXku_Td8JDdxg468_YWIVqD8Mkw7Hvgu3c6pzsFIYz8hnAyYLB6XBLFwqlKHurOAtkmCXxAfh3nH-tmJYA87q-ngN7Vuun0eKTZm8W6Tp5xd6/s1600/photo+2-769369.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShyphenhyphenPHo61NqkfpcZIJJDy26Drtt4FWOFvqXku_Td8JDdxg468_YWIVqD8Mkw7Hvgu3c6pzsFIYz8hnAyYLB6XBLFwqlKHurOAtkmCXxAfh3nH-tmJYA87q-ngN7Vuun0eKTZm8W6Tp5xd6/s320/photo+2-769369.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500169779333656290" /></a></p>Not long ago a new burger joint came to Salem. It seems that<br>restaurants with quality burgers are a bit of a rarity, or too<br>expensive and off the beaten path.<p>This new place, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, seemed that it would be a<br>welcome addition to the burger offerings in town.<p>When we heard, or rather saw, that this was going in, we were looking<br>forward to trying it. After seeing their prices I decided that there<br>was no rush to try them.<p>A couple weeks ago we were nearby for something else and decided to go<br>ahead and try their burgers.<p>One of the first things we saw upon entering was a box of peanuts for<br>us to help ourselves to. There were also many boxes, or was it sacks,<br>of fresh potatoes.<p>Their burger offerings are not many: hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon<br>hamburger, and bacon cheeseburger and also a "small" version of each.<br>The only difference, other than $1 or more in price, between the<br>regular and small versions is 2 vs. 1 patty.<p>We each chose a small cheeseburger. The fun part was choosing the add-<br>ons. Every burger comes with you choice of toppings at no additional<br>charge. I think it's 19 different toppings with choices such as<br>lettuce, tomato, mayo, mustard, ketchup, pickles, grilled onions,<br>grilled mushrooms, and more.<p>We also got a large order of fries to share. They certainly provide a<br>generous serving of fries, even overflowing into the sack. We got the<br>Five Guys style, which are a homestyle cut fry.<p>While the burgers were not awful, they were definitely NOT anything<br>spectacular. I ordered the grilled onions and mushrooms, but they put<br>so few on that I couldn't even taste them. I had to look to make sure<br>they actually had put some on my burger. The seasoning of the meat<br>itself seemed to be fairly nonexistent as well.<p>They fries were well cooked but could also have used some seasoning.<br>Overall I found the food to be fairly bland. There was nothing to set<br>it apart from any other restaurant that might offer a burger on their<br>menu amongst the many other entrees they serve.<p>My wife grew up in southern California and is a huge fan of In-N-Out.<br>It was her that made the statement I used as the title of this post.<br>She knows where the nearest In-N-Out is, and would gladly drive the 6<br>hours to get there, but she isn't likely to drive the extra mile out<br>of her way to go to Five Guys Burger and Fries.Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-21449564029943681572010-07-07T19:36:00.001-07:002010-07-07T19:36:33.841-07:00Super Fun High Quality<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguH_Iyii-_w9y0R4DqIu-NHN4UcNGZPMUuTHtCKwmsz6FHUMa8s9io-N5tLlDfR-sHUUSMFdfvZ2TBpa_vdB0oHxNU7cS7kT337o-3rr4wiUNusp97r8FNHGzNQhd6D-Us6MzsqWeeLTRa/s1600/super_fun_high_quality-793842.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguH_Iyii-_w9y0R4DqIu-NHN4UcNGZPMUuTHtCKwmsz6FHUMa8s9io-N5tLlDfR-sHUUSMFdfvZ2TBpa_vdB0oHxNU7cS7kT337o-3rr4wiUNusp97r8FNHGzNQhd6D-Us6MzsqWeeLTRa/s320/super_fun_high_quality-793842.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491358754258592818" /></a></p>Because I just think it's great!<br><br>Do I really need any other reason?<br><br>Later!<br><div style="visibility: hidden; display: inline;" id="avg_ls_inline_popup"></div><style type="text/css">#avg_ls_inline_popup { position:absolute; z-index:9999; padding: 0px 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 240px; overflow: hidden; word-wrap: break-word; color: black; font-size: 10px; text-align: left; line-height: 13px;}</style> Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-42559089512245827222010-06-27T22:48:00.000-07:002010-06-27T22:49:32.583-07:00Stone Wars for iPhone<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMSq9qodeQfv3gRX_Wz117pan4fpTqadJGZl7UdefXN5jpPz55bMgcgipNlcan1xqKnFY25pIUzlQB2ow45rh6lNK7vw5XZT8YTV4rd8NOh-1WfHTExsebTOiBICwZGisrzs-Uvpnrm8C/s1600/photo-772584.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMSq9qodeQfv3gRX_Wz117pan4fpTqadJGZl7UdefXN5jpPz55bMgcgipNlcan1xqKnFY25pIUzlQB2ow45rh6lNK7vw5XZT8YTV4rd8NOh-1WfHTExsebTOiBICwZGisrzs-Uvpnrm8C/s320/photo-772584.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487697634269582882" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXawLSgTxjQ5YW-t2eaItGu8SSrR6Cd8biHT1wm5OvojZ457At0f07ot6aYN1N96WQuhGpQk6_QCokw_l0mCDmxWwkIFrctML9h2T2pvxBpkLw7JDYhUT9LwDKS189wLnIhGjqe-BAtiv/s1600/photo+2-774099.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXawLSgTxjQ5YW-t2eaItGu8SSrR6Cd8biHT1wm5OvojZ457At0f07ot6aYN1N96WQuhGpQk6_QCokw_l0mCDmxWwkIFrctML9h2T2pvxBpkLw7JDYhUT9LwDKS189wLnIhGjqe-BAtiv/s320/photo+2-774099.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487697643099762882" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFl7bLOS9WjpKJzoZuQUMi4iaIu-xAtRtUD3EFfBURWhG-G6LGTadyXrbSLmLGOJguozsDv8S0BPGbmSm4mvpnzFxdE5aYF-4eqK3c33B-S-4gfsIhpxqPeBdHdda6Fpa9apFdrjfxTjr9/s1600/photo+3-774967.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFl7bLOS9WjpKJzoZuQUMi4iaIu-xAtRtUD3EFfBURWhG-G6LGTadyXrbSLmLGOJguozsDv8S0BPGbmSm4mvpnzFxdE5aYF-4eqK3c33B-S-4gfsIhpxqPeBdHdda6Fpa9apFdrjfxTjr9/s320/photo+3-774967.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487697648797711938" /></a></p>As I've mentioned previously, I enjoy finding new apps for the iPhone/<br>iPod Touch.<p>Last week I came across this game, Stone Wars. I've spent a lot of<br>time playing it since. Sure, that's partly to do with the fact that<br>I'm not very good at it, but mostly due to it being fun.<p>As of right now, June 27, 2010, it is still FREE in the app store.<p>It's a turn based game where you, as a caveman, attempt to defeat your<br>enemies with primitive weapons.<p>So far I have only played the Arcade mode, but you also have the<br>option to play against others on the Internet, locally via wi-fi or<br>Bluetooth, or vs the game itself.<p>In the Arcade mode completing a level adds another weapon/tool to your<br>arsenal. Some levels grant you more than one.<p>The levels are not designed for fast play. Many are complex and quite<br>time consuming. You have to be able to figure out how to stay alive<br>and kill all your enemies. Many levels have a "teammate" that you can<br>rescue, or even one that you start with. As long as one is alive, the<br>level continues.<p>Survival often requires the purchase if food. To afford the food you<br>have to demolish rocks to find gold and gems. Unfortunately these do<br>not carry to the next level. The gens are also needed to pay for the<br>use of some items later on as well. If you don't have the money,<br>you'll need to do some more blasting.<p>The controls are quite simple. Just drag to aim, or to change the<br>viewing area. Pinch to zoom in and out just as you do in the Safari<br>browser you've been using. Use the left and right arrows to walk, and<br>the up arrow to jump. For most weapons the fire button is also a "hold<br>to charge" button, allowing you to control the force of your attack.<p>What are you waiting for? Go get it now while it's still available for<br>FREE. You can't beat the price and you are sure to get your moneys<br>worth.Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-5499473888177020642010-05-27T20:27:00.000-07:002010-05-27T20:34:11.570-07:002360: Battle For Cydonia<div class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqA1AmmzamySB7A0el_iEPXDNuNNldbeJNs7QcDBffhW7YSzRKeHBwEXWREiOuf2u3MW1ardFH_HDFjwGSGiY7GRVzu6ljOHhzSN1kxzsRACm55klD20ruJ1OZTKg_0o1MDlHzJGMBf2n4/s1600/photo-788464.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476157560686653186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqA1AmmzamySB7A0el_iEPXDNuNNldbeJNs7QcDBffhW7YSzRKeHBwEXWREiOuf2u3MW1ardFH_HDFjwGSGiY7GRVzu6ljOHhzSN1kxzsRACm55klD20ruJ1OZTKg_0o1MDlHzJGMBf2n4/s320/photo-788464.jpg" /></a></div>A while ago, I got a 1st generation iPhone. I use Verizon for cell<br />
service, which precludes the use of the iPhone as a phone for me.<br />
Because of this, it is merely an iPod Touch with a camera.<br />
I have discovered that there are a ton of apps available for this<br />
device - most are either garbage or useless to me.<br />
Most of my apps are games. I refuse to pay for apps, as I don't see<br />
them as being that vital to my well being.<br />
I'm currently using an app called App Miner that allows me to browse<br />
apps that are new or on sale. By viewing only the free ones I am able<br />
to come across some enjoyable apps.<br />
My pick for today is the app in the title of this post. It's free for<br />
today only, so I'm glad I already got it.<br />
It's a fun little shooter where you get to control a robot of sorts.<br />
It was definitely worth a look for the price of free, and one that I<br />
may play on a semi-regular basis.<br />
<br />
I may continue to post my great finds to this blog as I come across<br />
them. The apps I choose are always free and rarely "lite" or limited<br />
versions. I hate apps that want to get you hooked with a free version<br />
and constantly beg you to upgrade. Perhaps, if time allows, I'll be<br />
able to give a mini-review with my picks in the future.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">[Sorry for the picture orientation. It's an iPhone screenshot, and I could find no way to rotate it in the process of writing this post via e-mail. I will work on this for future posts.] </span>Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-17798552144019415622010-05-12T20:28:00.000-07:002010-05-12T20:34:30.824-07:00Check this video<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='400' height='326' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyXldOFofnf-vuDVwFrcSsElZtoE8WayS2ty3oQySE_pSGXXZGuK80QpL4bm37y0Fsdk47I66yOgaw_CvcQWg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>This is a test of whether or not I can send video to thisblog.<p>The attached video was created using Qik VideoCamera application for<br>the iPhone.<br>For better compatibility, use QuickTime to play this video.Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-35065010428279586022010-03-04T23:45:00.000-08:002010-03-04T23:46:33.665-08:00Late night TVI'm watching The Tonight Show with Jay Leno right now. It's the only<br>late night TV show that I enjoy watching.<p>It's really quite nice to have Jay back on. I watched Conan (when the<br>channel would actually come in), but it seemed that he was always<br>trying way too hard. Some bits were a wee bit funny, but often to<br>contrived.<p>When the NBC signal doesn't come in, we get stuck watching Letterman<br>on CBS. I don't have a clue how he is still on TV. His bits are not<br>funny, and I don't know if he has actually ever told a joke. I missed<br>it if he did. It's also annoying how he rehashes the same old stuff<br>night after night, just in case it becomes funny I guess.<p>Anyway, NBC, thank you for putting Jay Leno back on the Tonight Show.<br>As for Conan, good riddance.Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4238815697707912288.post-39801914649169054452010-02-27T15:01:00.000-08:002010-02-27T15:02:13.612-08:00Time to start something.I set this blog up a while ago, but I haven't bothered to actually<br>post anything until now.<p>Perhaps now that I have an iPhone/Pod, and can post via e-mail, I'll<br>actually get around to posting occasionally.<p>[I say iPhone/Pod because it is a first generation iPhone with no<br>phone service. Basically it works like an iPod touch, but has a<br>camera. I traded an iPod Nano, which I really had no use for, for it,<br>and it's been a lot of fun.]Craig Piferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05363245788056391402noreply@blogger.com0