RIP Mr Nimoy

Such sad, but not unexpected news. Thank you for letting me be one of your 'unofficial grandchildren'. RIP Grandpa. You truly "Lived Long and Prospered".

Leonard Nimoy, the Beloved “Mr. Spock” in Star Trek, Dies at 83.

You wouldn't ask your dentist for free dental implants

But people see no problem with asking me to bring and use several thousands of dollars worth of photo equipment (cameras, lenses, lighting, cables, backdrops, stands, etc etc) and to do a job that would at the least cost $1500 for just the day, and to do it for nothing, or for a 'photo credit'.

 

What's even worse, it's people who know better.

Don't make me angry.. you won't like me when I'm angry

 

After week of feeding me copied and pasted bull$hit from the FAQs, that even though I had quoted their FAQs in my support ticket, I had enough of their non-support.  Here is my reply to yet another inane copy/paste from FAQ with another link to the full version to download.

I did all of this, I even tried it on a different computer, running Windows 8.1, fully updated, firewall shut off, anti virus shut off, malware protection shut off, and the problem of it not connecting to DirectorZone persists.
After weeks of uninstall, reinstalls, manual edits, manual searches, registry searches, then the week of trading messages with you telling me to do what I had already done time and again, I ended up saying f**k it and I downloaded the trial version of PhotoDirector 6, renamed the PhotoDirector5 folder, and launched PhotoDirector 6 via Media Suite interface.
Guess what? THAT one connects without a single problem. There is an inherent problem in PhotoDirector 5, as PhotoDirector 4 connected without issue, and now PhotoDirector 6 connects, I think you should give everyone who just purchased PD5 a free upgrade to PD6.
I have been a long time customer, and yes, I seem to have problems with your software (whenever an update gets applied, the program no longer functioning was my biggest bugbear which was remedied by downloading full version and installing, rather than using updates) and I highly doubt I will be updating/upgrading to any newer versions again.
I know I am not your only customer, but offering a Media Suite for what turns out to be outmoded versions of your programs (do you have ANY idea how pissed off I was when I thought I had gotten a good holiday bargain, only to get nothing but update, upgrade notices from within the programs?) , and with a history of updates that ended up bollixing the programs, resulting in having to either purchase the next version or not being able to work?
You, Cyberlink, are the undisputed champion of the "bait and switch".

Well, that was pointless

I posted something on a program makers "Facebook Page", asking a question.   I get a reply the next day, to please go to their main site and submit a support ticket.

I dutifully point and click on over, copy and paste the exact question on their "Submit Support Ticket", and clicked on "Submit".

Today, I get notice that someone answered me.  Their answer is "No it doesn't work with your browser (I know that) and there is no ETA as to when it will."

Ok, riddle me this: was was so dastardly that the person on the FB site couldn't have typed out "Sorry, we don't support that browser at this time, and don't have an ETA as to when we will"?

And on their survey, I pretty much told them exactly that.

That precise moment..

When the pain medication kicks it, and you get that first ebbing of pain, it flows back but not as strong, and it ebbs again, comes back even weaker, you know it's been beaten back this time. 

So there, Migraine wannabe, you are going away, and I didn't throw up.

Kind of warm day for gardening

But needed to be done. Got two bags of potting mix as I have two chili plants that need to be topped up. And one of the Geraldton Wax seedlings I rescued from a hole in a brick has more than tripled in size, so needed a new home.  I used the pot I used to have my star jasmine in (before that got too large for it).

After I transplanted it, I gave it a dose of SeaSol, and then watered it.   And when it's larger again, I'll get another large plastic pot, like the one the lime tree is in, and let it grow in that, trimming it to keep it short. Geraldton Wax Bonsai tree? Could be, could be.

Oh great…

It rained just enough to turn the house into a freaking sauna.

4:40am? Really?

Loki, just because I went to bed early did NOT mean to get me up early.  Yes, pre-dawn birdsong is nice, but I prefer to sleep a bit later.

No matter, you're out, back in, back out, fed and I am sipping my morning brew.  I do, however, see yet another early night… or possibly a nap.

They get to live

For now.

I went into my office area, and could hear the steady growling of an pissed off cat. Ziggy. Loki was about 3ft away from her, and she was letting out a steady stream of growling (and for such a tiny cat she sounds very fierce. had deep guttural growl).

Shooed Loki away and spotted Trance's collar on the floor, by the looks of it, torn off of her. In the short space of Wing feeding Ziggy and his ducking it to take a shower, Trance went after Ziggy and Ziggy handed her her ass.. again.

The "they get to live".... I spotted two of my external hds knocked to the floor, the small USB fan I keep going behind the computer to prevent overheating (not that it's really a problem, but why take chances) broken, and cords unplugged.

Took about 2 hours to get everything set up to test. Other than the fan frame needing to be glued together, all seems to be in good working order.

Ziggy finally let me check her out (she was a bit umm smelly as Trance had, shall we say, bladder control issues when she decided to take Ziggy on again.) Ziggy is cleaned and groomed, and I checked her for wounds. Nada.

Now, I have to find Trance and do the same. I'm betting she is sporting some new scratches again.

Yes, I still have Windows XP

And I keep what can be updated, updated.

There are certain software/hardware that never made it to the next generation of Windows, even with "compatibility mode". There is also the lack of full screen DOS window with Post WinXP. And all hype aside, Windows XP is a good stable OS.

So, my netbook is updated, Windows Virtual Machine on my Win7 desktop have been kept updated. 

Dear Persistent Loki

Just because I went to bed early-ish last night, doesn't mean I wanted to be up before the sun rose.

kthnxbai!

Why do I bother laying it all out?

I submitted a support ticket to Cyberlink regarding one of their programs having a problem.

PhotoDirector 4 I could login to "DirectorZone" for templates and upload to Facebook, Flickr etc etc. Newest version, v5, suddenly I keep getting error.

 

 

Just for giggles, I clicked on "Forgot password" and PhotoDirector sent me to a non existent website. I can see the error in the link, but can't figure out how to correct it in the program.

So, I send support ticket. Yes, I've uninstalled, rebooted, reinstalled, rebooted, problem persists. yes, it's white-listed in both antivirus and firewall.  I even tried shutting antivirus and firewall off. Problem persisted. I tried changing password on the site and in program, problem persisted.  I sent them %#$%$ screencaps of it.

What do I get? Copy/Paste bullshit from the #$$@%#$$ FAQ!

Can you give me an "ARRRRRGH!"?

Canon Australia has opened February's "Canon Light" entries a little over a week ago, subject "Street Photography". 

I only have a single candidate so far because of  firebugs!

I have asthma. There are fucking arsonists lighting fires in the bush areas.  The air tastes of smoke and ash, and I have trouble breathing, to the point I am indoors with the a.c. running.

I know there is still time, but I don't want to have to choose one image at the last minute, but I also want more than one to choose from!