The packaging avalanche

In today's Saipan Tribune:

"The floor is littered with boxes, plastic blister packs, cardboard, greeting cards, ribbons, bubble wrap, tags, pins, bows, wrapping paper (my nemesis), polystyrene packing, plastic bags, and all the rest of it. I know I'm not the only one digging out from an avalanche of packaging and related garnishments..."

The Obsolete man

Whenever I find a product I like it is immediately discontinued. It is a recipe for derangement and financial ruin, as explained in today's Saipan Tribune: The Obsolete Man.

Digicam shopping

Digital cameras are going to be popular gifts (again), so, for aspiring Saipan Santas, I ponder the realm of camera shopping in today's Tribune.

A mighty useful information source is Steve's Digicams. On that site you'll find that the "conclusion" page for any given camera holds the most useful insights.

There's a lot to digest in that site, so here are three good pages to start off with:

6- to 7-megapixel cameras

8- to 10-megapixel cameras

Steve's Best Cameras list

On a related note, in the world of digicam batteries, PC World magazine reported getting as many as 664 shots out of one pair of "AA" sized Energizer E2 lithium batteries. And one writer for PC Magazine reported getting 2, 676 (yikes!) shots out of one pair. I'm sloppy about power management-- I spend more time looking at photos on my screen than I do actually taking pictures-- and yet my battery-draining behavior still yields at least 450 shots out of a pair. They're magic. (These are disposable batteries, and are NOT the same as the "lithium-ion" rechargeables. )

As I prepared this article, I happened to stumble across a favorite old camera model of mine, so I wound up buying...ahem... well...I bought 10 digicams; I'm cursed with the fact that every time I like something, it's discontinued, so I think I've developed a hoarder's mentality. Most people start New Year's off with a headache, but I'll start it off broke!

Photo: Steve's Digicams

Department of Santa Claus

After creating a Department Of Santa Claus (DOSC), Saipan's bureaucrats issue their grand strategy, namely:

"Diversifying from reindeer-powered sleighs to eco-friendly wind-powered rocket ships, which will create a tremendous opportunity for diverse diversification within inter-cosmic free trade zones via public-private partnerships, education, and community participation."

Old St. Nick ain't amused.