Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Ghengis Jon]

Amen.

[madootra]

Yup...

[Mackenzie]

Hope this is the right place to post this. Any photo buffs out there? As my winter project, I would like to scan 30+ plus years of album photos onto my computer (5 year old iMac loaded with standard iPhoto). Some of the pictures are faded, some are not. Some of the pictures are kinda stuck to the album page, some are not. For some I have negatives, for some I do not. Some are organized, some are hither tither. I have seen "personal" scanners advertised (Kodak, Epson) that state they will copy photos and negatives onto a flash drive type device which I then guess you can copy to other programs such as iPhoto. The cheaper ones are in the low 100 to upper 100 dollar range. Any advice on the best way to accomplish my goal. Could I take the negatives someplace where they can put them on a disc or memory device for me and just do the photos myself. Anyone ever use one of the personal scanners and know who fast they copy, etc. I think you get the picture (ugh, no pun intended). Any advice welcome.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Some of the bigger box stores that have photo sections will burn them to CD. Then you just have to download them into your photo software on your pc. Its a huge job worth paying someone else to do it for you.

[Mackenzie]

Will be checking into that. I guess I am just fearful of handing over years of memories and having them get destroyed, lost, etc. I realize the chance of that happening is relatively small but *&^% happens.

[geo weidl]

Mac, try this site out for info: http://www.komando.com/

It is very informative and some really good tips and leads for what you have in mind.

[Mackenzie]

Mac, try this site out for info: http://www.komando.com/

It is very informative and some really good tips and leads for what you have in mind.

Thanks. I visited the forum embedded in the site. One post was almost a duplicate of my question. However, no replies. I'm going to continue to peruse the site. Thanks again.

[DennisT]

I've been getting started with my dad's 2000+ slide collection. Have been using a cheap slide scanner I borrowed and have decided it's not good enough quality. So I've been looking around and have it narrowed down to the Epson Perfection V600 or V700. Haven't pulled the trigger yet though.

[Mackenzie]

I've been getting started with my dad's 2000+ slide collection. Have been using a cheap slide scanner I borrowed and have decided it's not good enough quality. So I've been looking around and have it narrowed down to the Epson Perfection V600 or V700. Haven't pulled the trigger yet though.

I have seen those on the net also. Be sure your operating system is compatible. For instance, I believe both of those will only operate using more advanced or the latest operating systems particularly if you own a Mac. I have found one product, VueScan, that purportedly will adapt most operating systems to a large number of different scanners. Anyway, I am not super computer savvy but perhaps these are things to consider in your search. What scanner had you been using with which you were dissatisfied?

[DennisT]

Small little Ion scanner I believe. Some of the slides are overexposed to begin with and this scanner would return completely white faces. Just not acceptable. I also have a Canoscan and it scans well but only 1 slide at a time. I just can't see using it for 2000 slides. The V600 does 4 slides at a time and runs about 150 bucks. The V700 does 12 at a time and runs about 550. I'd like the V700 but am having a hard time with the price jump. Been keeping an eye on them at ebay and they sure hold their resale value so am thinking about buying and reselling. Haven't decided.

Here is a great site by the way. Lots of info... http://www.scantips.com/

[geo weidl]

Great site DennisT.

[Rob F]

I'll try to keep this brief...

It's been about 2 1/2 weeks since I last posted (not that you guys missed me!), but sometimes the people and events in one's life supersede all else, including Michigan Football.

My dear Dad lost his battle to prostrate cancer a week ago tomorrow, at age 86. He battled it courageously for over 15 years, but in the end, the cancer teamed up with both old age and pneumonia and he finally waved the white flag, dying peacefully in his sleep last Sunday morning. He stayed strong in most ways right to the end, celebrating his 86th birthday a month ago, and then Thanksgiving, before the pneumonia "piled on" just a week before his passing.

Dad was a simple but complex man, a strict disciplinarian who was at the same time the kindest and nicest man most people knew, whether it be his neighbors, co-workers, or anyone else who got to know him. Dad, like I said, was a simple man---he grew up dirt-poor on a farm during the Great Depression (born in 1925), he was the 5th child of 6 (2 others died shortly after birth), and just about every piece of clothing he wore as a child was a hand-me-down. Though he quit school after 8th grade to help on the family farm (as 2 of his older brothers served during WWII), he was a man of great intelligence and common sense. Not only that, but (just ask any of his co-workers and/or supervisors from his working days) NOBODY could out-work the man.

In his early days of employment after leaving the family farm, Dad's 1st job (back in 1950) was at a near-by Meijer Supermarket, where he often worked alongside Fred Meijer himself, as well as other members of the Meijer family. Dad thought very highly of Fred----and vice-versa---and was proud of the fact that Fred often sought him out just to chat, years later when my Dad went back to Meijer as a part-time grocery stocker to supplement his income (something one has to do when raising a huge brood of 10 kids, I guess). Just a couple weeks ago, when Fred Meijer passed away, Dad retold the story once again of how, in his later years just prior to retirement, Fred Meijer again bumped into him on one of his store visits and told him "Thanks for all the hard work Francis, but you can slow down anytime now, you've earned it!"

Dad liked sports, but it wasn't his passion nearly as much so as it is mine. He was not a Michigan Fan (rooted for Notre Dame), not openly a Detroit Lions fan (though I could tell he cared about them by how much he railed-on about how "those Lions will never amount to much as long as 'Clay Ford' runs the show!") as he openly rooted instead for the Packers. He did follow the Detroit Tigers more and more in his later years, especially enjoying watching their pennant race this past summer and fall . More importantly, however, he closely followed his grandchildren (he had 19 of them!) and their accomplishments, both on the field and otherwise throughout their school years.

In fact, it's safe to say he adored his grandchildren (and 5 great grandkids, too). As much pain as he may have been in towards the end, his face literally lit up with joy when any of the little ones visited him at the nursing home.

I'll miss Dad. He was tough on me, but I often needed it and deserved it. But he was also always there to listen and be supportive, especially a few years ago when I needed his wisdom and love more than ever as I went thru divorce. After all Dad had done for me, there was nowhere I would rather have been than at his side for much of the last couple of weeks. But even the weekend of the ohio game, he told me not to worry about him but to instead enjoy going to the game, as planned, with one of my brothers. It was just a few days later that the pneumonia hit, and less than a week later, Dad was gone.

But even as I wrote he "is gone", I know deep within myself that he'll be with me the rest of my life. I know now, more than ever, how fortunate I was to have known him and, more importantly, to have had him as my father for the last 56+ years. Again, thank you Dad, with love!

[entropy]

Rob.. Sorry to hear about your loss. I am confident his legacy will live on in you.

[Jamie H]

Rob, thanks for the story about your dad. My step-dad had prostate-cancer surgery just this summer. He's only in his early 60's. The cancer was actually way worse than the doctors expected, but so far he has tested out clean.

[lineygoblue]

I know what you're going thru, Rob. I found that as I became a man, my dad also became my friend. He was tough on me too, but I avoided a lot of trouble in life, with his example and good counsel. I know your dad was the same. You have my phone number, and my e-mail. Let me know if I can be of any help to you.