Ive tried several less expensive clubs including some very modern taylor made knock offs (integra), and I like the feel of these KCII’s better. They are quite dated by todays standards, but ironicly they did much to set those very standards. 
The KCII’s give me just what I want from a set of irons, great accuracy with aproach shots and lots of confidence, easy to hit. I have the steel shafts and they dont feel good with mishits, however with a good hit they are smooth as butter. On the bright side I guess you could call that good feedback.

Highly reccomended for mid to high handicappers/ weekend golfers who want quality clubs for a reasonable price. Very well made clubs ahead of their time. Ill be using mine for a long time.

I still cant hit the long irons, but Im sure that problem is mine, not the clubs. Combined with a couple hybrids/ fairway woods they are fabulous, quality clubs.

Consult your laptop’s manual and make sure you purchase the right type of memory for your laptop:

SDRAM: New laptops no longer use SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory), but many older machines can benefit from an SDRAM upgrade. Buy the SDRAM that fits your motherboard, either 100 megahertz or 133 megahertz. You will find the exact specifications in your laptop manual.

Double Data Rate SDRAM: DDR SDRAM allows memory to deliver data to the computer processor twice as fast as SDRAM.

DDR2 SDRAM: DDR2 SDRAM has a faster clock speed than DDR SDRAM. DDR2 also has other tweaks to make it work more reliably.

Make sure you buy SODIMM memory designed for laptops, which is smaller than the full-size DIMM memory used in desktop PCs.

Want some so called ‘GODless’ GOlden Dollars with no edge lettering? You’ll be suprised to know that there are several types of errors and other ‘new errors’ that can be associated with this type of coin. (Please see my other guide on errors in general with the Golden & Presidential Dollar coins)This coin with EDGE LETTERING marks the 100th anniversary of the last coin to sport a readable edge. …The StGaudens $20 gold coin (1907-1933) Except the lettering is ’stamped into’ or incused into the edge. What more (a bummer) since the Date and Mint Mark is on the edge, it would be indistinguishable to know if the ’smooth edge’ coin came from P or D mints.  Though most of the errors seem to come from the Philadelphia mint and shipped to Florida.

Missing Edge Lettering: is the most obvious seen error. With the first errors selling upwards of $500 and more, and $2000 for a slabbed. A more reasonable value is $50 and $100 for a slabbed MS65+

Doubled Edge Lettering: this may be the most likely candidate for a collectable of value. This coin should have doubled lettering all around the edge.

Double Die Edge Lettering: Similar to above but only part of the lettering may be doubled.

Partial lettering: Coin with missing lettering, possibly a missing mintmark, or other letters. This may be caused by a flake of metal, gease or some foreign object in the way when the edge lettering is applied.

Inverted Double Die: Possibly the most rare of errors is a coin which the edge lettering is made then have been ‘flipped over’ then lettering applied again in reverse of the other.

Obverse/Reverse Right Edge Lettering: No fault of minting at all. Coins with face up or tails up may have the edge lettering in readable position. Or Rotation Position of Edge Lettering, meaning the position of ‘GOD’ is not always at the position of ‘Liberty’s Torch’

Many people want to shoot panoramic, however they do not know where to start, and often opt for an APS camera, which actually is not panoramic at all. It exposes images on the same width of film as does any typical 35mm camera, however it literally mask off part of the image at the top and bottom, which makes the photo seem panoramic.

However, true panoramic cameras have either a rotating wide angle lens, or an interchangable wide angle lens. There several products on the market today, however most are too exensive for an average part-time shooter.

There is one product which stands out from the rest. It is a russian-made Horizon Pro S3 camera. It has a fixed 28mm rotating lens, and a fully mechanical construction. It is modern, and sofisticated looking, and its operation is quite simple. You can still get this camera for around 300 to 350 US dollars, however it will soon be quite a bit more expensive, since Lomography is taking over the production of this very same camera. Lomo sells it as Horizon Perfekt for appx. 600 dollars, which is still less than most other Panoramic cameras. This camera shoots on standard 35mm film, and fits 22 images on a 36-exp. roll. This camera does not have its own meter, so pack one in your camera bag.

The lens is very sharp, and you will certainly have fun with the camera.

People often ask whether or not it is possible to convert a biopak 30,45,60,or 240 into a underwater diving rebreather

Short answer: YES

They should be asking:

Is it worth it to convert a biopak to underwater use?

Short answer: NO.

Slightly longer answer: MAYBE

First off, you have to ask yourself what you hope to get out of it. Realize this: At present, there is no nationally recognized agency to certify you on this. Someday there may be, but not in your lifetime.  This means that no boat or dive shop will have anything to do with you and your rig, no mater how good it is.  Even Morgantown (current parts supplier) will not deal with you if you breath a word of what you are up to. You will be on your own. 

If you just want to experience rebreather diving, many dive shops have an “intro to rebreathers” that will cost you very little. (comparitively.) Certainly much less than it will cost you to even get your biopak into the pool.

If you wanted to use the biopak as a pure O2 rebreather,  and limit yourself to 20 feet, you may find you about break even.

If you were going to make it a fully functional CCR, capable of normal scuba depths, you will spend a lot more money than you would if you just bought a regular rebreather that you could get certified on.

If you can do without the services of a dive shop or charter boat, and if you can get your sodasorb and oxygen fills on your own (and you can, of course, if you are determined to do so.)  then the next question is:

How well do you know yourself?

 Will you ever finish the project? Most Biopaks you see on Ebay have been there before.  And again before that. Be honest with yourself, do you have any cars waiting to be restored? Got space in the trunk for a biopak?

What is your confidence in your skill level? would you pilot a helicopter you built yourself?

How are your diving skills?  You should be pretty comfortable with your rebreather skills before you try to build your own.

There are, of course valid reasons to build your own rebreather.  At this point in history, it is  unfortunately, still possible to build a better rebreather than you can buy. If that is your goal, the biopaks are not the place to start.  They have inherent limitations that cannot be fixed.

There are a couple of good reasons to build a rebreather out of a biopak, but cost is not one of them.

Often much is made about the original cost of a new biopak.  It is true that they go for  four to five thousand dollars each new.  Look at the catalog, though, and its not hard to say why. Six dollars for a screw, a few hundred dollars for a rubber diaphragm, it adds up.  These are designed to be paid for by taxpayer dollars, the prices would never hold up on the open market. Keep in mind also, that if you get serious about this, you will be throwing out about half the supposed value of the rig in parts that just don’t work underwater.

It is also commonly thought that the mask that comes with it can easily be converted to a Divator.

Depends on what you call easy.  First, the correct lens will cost you about a hundred dollars.  The AGA style masks also do not have nose access, so a nose block is also required.  Next, you need the face plate, and regulator, or rebreather adaptor.  You are looking at  $500-$1,000 to make a functioning underwater mask out of this.  So what you get, basically,  is an AGA skirt.

Fortunately, most people don’t use full face masks, so this is less of a problem.  It is not a problem at all if your unit ships with the scott mask instead, as there is no conversion at all for that one.

Lets say you decide to do this anyway (I have done over a dozen, and will likely do more.)

The first step is to decide which model to use.  The bp 30 is very uncommon, and has an excrable scrubber, so let’s just ignore it altogether.

The BP-45 is a major league diversion from the line, it doesn’t come with any of the expected biopak style enhancements, such as a scrubber (used disposables) or regulator (seriously, it uses a capillary tube for pressure reduction). To make things worse, it has even smaller breathing tubes than the other biopaks, and none of the parts are compatible- with anything.  I have converted these to diving, but have since decided that there is absolutely no way at all that it can be made worthwhile, except perhaps as a joke.

BP-60

This is probably the easiest to convert, and the only one that was originally designed for diving. It started out as the CCR-25, a pure oxygen rebreather that also was marketed (unsuccessfully) to the military as the Cobra system.

When it failed that, it was colored orange and sold to firemen, where it did very well.  The bp-60 is different in a lot of ways from its predecessor, but not so far that it can’t be changed back. probably the worst factor of the bp-60 is that it has the world’s worst scrubber.  It is so thin that breakthrough is normal, not the exception.  This design also wastes a huge amount of sodasorb. The Bp-240 cannister holds less than twice as much, but goes four times longer.  Also, there are no ridges in the bp-60 scrubber to limit channeling, and no tension device on the scrubber bed, other than the compression of the foam pad, so settling is almost certain.  The scrubbers are interchangable though, so in essence, you can have biopak 240 performance in a bp-60 size, if you are so inclined.

The bp 240, despite its similarities to the ccr-500 and 100, was never meant for diving.  It shares more in common with the biopak 60, such as scrubber, scrubber lid, and plumbing.   The case is larger, both in length and width. It comes with the larger scrubber, but almost never the mask or tank.  The challanges of building a 240 are slightly different than a bp-60, but if you have built one, you can build the other. If you are looking to build a more serious RB, this might be the place to start.  Or it might be a total waste of money. (see below.)

Once you have decided which model to start with, consider the vintage.

Normally , the newer ones are better in several respects.

The hoses smell better and are more squash-proof. (older ones always have the squashies.) Newer ones have the push-button add valve. newer ones have movable scrubber connections, which many of the older ones had molded on. The newer ones may also have additional oxygen port connection areas available, though you still have to drill and tap them yourself.

Older ones (square box era) had better regulators. They were dual-tank style, not just limited to oxygen tanks.  They had a built-in o-ring, so you don’t have to get a bartok or plastic washer.

of course, if you end up not using the reg, this is not a plus.

Ok, lets assume you have selected the bp-60, modern style (rounded  top shipping box)

As I see it, there are three basic levels of conversion that you may attempt.  Obviously there are endless variations, so I’ll ignore them.

Level one:

for those who just want to make it work, no matter how poorly, either couch diving or swimming pool, for whatever reason.  They don’t care if it all rusts out, or how it performs in real world settings, they just want to join the storied leagues of RB divers in any way possible, no matter how minor.

Get a couple of hose clamps and a 1″ pvc fitting with a 3/4″ tee. Heat the tee and squash it to fit a scuba mouthpiece. Get a couple of snorkle one-way valves and poke them down the tubes in the appropriate direction, and clamp the Tee on. put fresh sodalime in the scrubber, and a full tank of O2 in. Breathe off of this for at least half an hour just to make sure you have it all down. Have a friend handy.   While you are sitting on the couch breathing, take a moment to add things up. You probably paid $100-$200 for the bp-60 carcass, another $100-$150 for the sodasorb, shipping, handling, small parts, oxygen fill, you are most likely $400-$600 into this thing,  and its only fit for a pool dive. Take your rescue diver buddy and go in the shallow end of the pool, sit underwater for a while and breathe, then try swimming back and forth for a while. Naturally, you will have done all normal rebreather checks topside first, so there should be no leaks.  If there are, of course, terminate the dive by standing up.

When you get out of the pool, look under the scrubber. There will be moisture. Dip you finger in the puddle, if it forms a string, it’s your slobber.  That’s OK. If it doesn’t, taste it.  If it tastes like chlorine, you have a leak.  That is not so good.It may be from your mouthpiece, remember, it has no shut-off capabilities, its just a pipe fitting.

Chances are, at this point, you have concluded that there is a bit of hype in the concept of “easily  and cheaply converted” yes, you have actually breathed off of it under water.  You survived.  It worked.  However, in this length of time, you have also noticed that the breathing hoses are exceptionally long. They have to be, to go under your armpit and around to the center section.   Somehow, at this point, you realize that more needs to be done to make this thing really divable.

This would bring us to:

Level Two: a divable rig, pure oxygen

I am not going to cover SCR and the biopak, simply because SCR sucks.  They require an outsize tank (up to 50 cf are commonly used.) they still make bubbles, they still use more gas with depth, and in fact, can actually use more gas than open circuit, under certain conditions.  Add the cost of Nitrox and sodasorb, and you have, well, nothing good.   It is certainly easy to do if you want to, just drill a .490 hole in the side of the breathing chamber, and you can fit any Drager orifice you want to. But I said I’m not going there, and I won’t. That’s just throwing money down a rathole.

So the middle road here is to convert (revert?) the bp-60 to ccr-25 days.  You will come out of it with a pure-O2 rebreather, complete with 20 food depth limit. Just about the cheapest way to do this will cost you another few hundred dollars, bringing your total up to over a thousand, which would have bought you a Drager Ray (yes, its a justifiably discontinued piece of poo, but you would at least have a chance to dive it on your vacation to Grand Cayman.) and maybe the training, too. (Ray instructors, if there are any left, must be getting a bit edgy by now.)

But let’s press on.  First thing to do is strip off all the things that started rusting since your pool episode. all iron goes, all the aluminum, the honker, the suicide valve, and perhaps the orifice, though that is a personal choice.  If you are going to use the original regulator (yes, works fine at this depth) you need to change the pressure gauge for a submersible one.  Take the reg to a machine shop and have them spot-face the connections so you can use o-ring seal hoses, at least on the HP seat.  Decide beforehand whether you want the LP seats converted too, as they generally charge at least 60 bucks an hour (it adds up)  Either use an old style hp gauge, or get an adapter to use a new one, because the threads will be the same as LP side threads.

If you have the old turn-style bypass valve, dump it and replace it with a toggle valve or KISS valve. These run 50-500 bucks, depending. If you have the push button style valve, as a suggestion, take it apart, clean it and replace the schrader valve.  If you haven’t already, also replace the main oxygen addition valve, which is also a tire valve.  If the thought of being fed off a shcrader valve bothers you (and it will, the first time it fails to operate under load) then go to morgantown and order the little T-shaped lever.  It seems expensive, but it makes this work a lot better, and its definitely less expensive than replacing the main diaphragm. (HUNDREDS of dollars) I say replace because once the little brass insert falls off of it, there is nothing on earth that will make it stick back on (reliably) and so this little later-day mod is definitely worth it, if you hate that oxygen-starved feeling as much as I do.

As long as we are spending the big bucks here, I am going to tell you straight up, you need two things to make this work at all well as an underwater rebreather.

1: get the 240 scrubber. Its a couple hundred bucks, but quite necessary, if you hate that co2-buildup feeling as much as I do. ( you will.) you might not need to get the bp-240 lid, often it is enough to remove the cooling rings and grind off the bolt stubs to make it fit.  If not, another couple hundred bucks.  You can also stretch the scrubber if you are good at that kind of fabrication, but I certainly wouldn’t recommend it, if you aren’t 100% with your skills in this area. if you choose that option, count at least 20 bucks, possibly more.

2: Get a dsv. Yes, you can make them, but there is a place in germany that sells them cheap enough that you don’t have to kill yourself trying to make one.  they are a couple hundred bucks, or you can get one of Gordon Smiths for about  six hundred.

3: wings. I know I said 2 things, but did you really think this would fly without some kind of BC? no, it won’t. get a nice trans-pac and wings, or something similar.  Yes, It may set you back another 500, but on the bright side, you can always take it with you when you graduate from this system.

4: Pony bottle: as with 3: above, you need one anyway, no matter what kind of RB you dive, so it doesn’t really count against your total cost. Lest this turn into a Monty Python skit, that really is the last of the major really needed items.

OK, now you could have bought a used dolphin with the amount of money you sunk in this thing, and if your time is worth anything, you would have had a sport KISS before you are done here.  So why do we do it? I can’t say, really what the attraction is… Oh, yes I can, I get paid for this.  What’s your excuse? Oh, well, anyway,  back to work.

The next thing you want to do is rotate the center section so that the connectors come out the top.  Move the lid latch if necessary, also you will have to build up the two bottom center section connection points, because doing it this way puts them in a bad location.  Some people have a delrin mounting ring machined instead, this is a great solution, but again, 60 bucks an hour plus delrin, which is not cheap. Nylon is just as good for this application, by the way.

When you do this, you also destroy the warning label, so get another. Yes, it is important. Or get one of Jetsam’s, they are pretty much to the point as well.  Or you can use my favorite, the one I have inscribed (or scrawled) inside all of my deep-sea helmets:

“Today may be the last day of the rest of your life.”

That’s mine, but you can use it. Think on this every time you dive. Make sure it never comes true. (on a dive).  By coming out the top, you save about four feet of that convoluted hose, which may or may not make a noticible difference in your WOB, depending on how many sit-ups you do every day. Either way, it is a lot more elegant (less dorky) than the under-arm crap. Seriously, you have to wonder how they came up with that.

Most people will change out the original steel bottle for a C-size oxygen bottle. This is about as large as you can get without dismounting the oxygen reg. If you have used the original steel bottle, that works too, if you remove the pressure gauge and plug the hole it leaves.

Consider casting some weights for the inside of the cover, the  closer you can get this thing to your back, the easier it will breathe.  If you don’t like casting, get some really fine lead shot and make an epoxy-lead syntactic goober  and paste it in there (AFTER you get all your plumbing finalized.)

This will  only achieve about 80%  the weight efficiency of cast lead, but its a lot easier to do and you won’t get burned.

At this point, you have someting fair, you may be able to replicate a LAR-V dive profile, as far as depth and duration (20 feet, 3-4 hours) good on ya. Believe it or not, this may hold you for quite a while, if you live where there are a lot of great shallow dives.  You do not yet need oxygen monitoring, just a pressure gauge.

How much money do you have invested? Best not think about it. A lot, but remember, there are many reasons to build your own RB that cannot be counted in terms of money. I guess.

Level 3:

Free-fall zone. Heart of darkness. You are colonel Kurtz and your methods have become unsound. No messenger is coming up the river after you.  That sound is your wife beating on the garage door.  Better not let her in.

You have come over to the dark side, and there is no going back. you want to dive normal scuba depths, and maybe, beyond.  you definitely need some oxygen monitoring at this point. Be warned, as you cruise the web looking at what others have done: There are some pretty bad ideas out there.

Abandon the one hundred-two hundred dollar zone now.  you are in the one-two thousand zone. You can, of course, go to oxycheq and build your own oxygen monitor. Then you have to put it in a waterproof casing (all together now: sixty dollars an hour plus materials) or you can buy it stock, from one thousand-two thousand, depending if you just want monitoring, or an actual computer that calculates oxygen dosage in real time.

Now you also have to add a diluent system,  which means another bottle, another spg, another addion device, etc. (it is tempting to use your bailout as diluent, but not always a good idea)

you may also find that you have outgrown your noryl plastic orange box of death, and now want a stainless backplate, with a carbon fiber shell (at this point, it doesn’t matter whether you started with a bp60 or 240, there won’t be enough original parts left to tell the difference)

to paraphrase mr. Popeil: NOW how much have you paid? well, again, it doesn’t matter at this point, you are obviously into this thing for reasons no one but another bp fanatic can understand.  You have also run up against some of the dirty little secrets of the biopaks.  Small bore hoses are fine for shallow diving, up to normal scuba depths. In fact, they are preferable, if you have rough waters or ride submarines or scooters.  However, there really is something to the hose diameter thing when you go deep. It is possible, of course to adapt the hose sizes up, but the connection to the center section will never be larger.  In fact, one of them is only half diameter, and though not a real issue, it will cause you to have unclean thoughts about modifying your center section.

Dude.

at some point, you just have to accept the basic limitations of the device, or give it up.  When you get here, stop.

Projection Screens come in many surfaces, it is important to understand that human eye will perceive image quality based on the following variables

Projection
Format

The height and width of the projected image determines the screen’s size and shape (AV, NTSC, HDTV, WideScreen, CinemaScope, overhead, slide, motion pictures, etc.).

Resolution

The clarity of the projected image.

Gain

A relative measure of a screen’s reflectivity.

Contrast

The ability to accurately reproduce and differentiate light and dark characters and backgrounds, or light and dark areas of an image. Ambient light rejection properties: the ability to perform well under normal to adverse lighting conditions in the audience area.

Uniformity

The screen’s performance when viewed from various points off the projection axis (both horizontally and vertically), and when the brightness of the center of the image is compared to the corners.

Below is a list of the different screen surfaces that Manufacturer Da-Lite offers and a description of each.
Matte White

The most versatile screen surface and the premier choice when ambient light is controllable. It evenly distributes light over a wide viewing area while colors remain bright and life-like, with no shifts in hue. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.

Viewing Angle: 60°
Gain: 1.0

High Contrast Matte White

Designed for moderate output DLP and LCD projectors, this screen surface is a great choice when video images are the main source of information being projected and where ambient light is moderately controlled. With its specially designed gray base material and reflective top surface, this screen material is able to provide very good black levels without sacrificing the white level output. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.

Viewing Angle: 50°
Gain: 1.1

Video Spectra™ 1.5

Especially designed for demanding video and overhead LCD projection applications where a balance of higher gain and greater viewing angle is required. The special pearlescent surface may be cleaned with mild soap and water. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.

Viewing Angle: 35°
Gain: 1.5

Silver Matte

A uniquely designed screen surface with a specifically designed silver finish. This surface is perfect for situations where a silver surface is necessary for a polarized 3-D projection. The matte finish of this surface successfully rejects ambient light. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.

Viewing Angle: 30°
Gain: 1.3

Glass Beaded

This surface has the ability to achieve a higher gain by reflecting more of the projected image back along the projection axis. Glass beads impregnated into the screen’s surface provide additional reflectance. This attribute creates an unparalleled screen surface that reproduces vibrant life-like color at moderate viewing angles. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.

Viewing Angle: 30°
Gain: 2.5

High Power

A technological breakthrough, combines the reflectivity of a glass beaded surface with the ability to clean the surface when required. Its smooth surface offers the highest gain of all types of screen surfaces with moderate viewing angle. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.

Viewing Angle: 25°
Gain: 2.8

Da-Mat™

A smooth, white, vinyl finish surface for precise image reproduction. Provides an exceptionally wide angle of view with little loss of resolution. It is a highly flexible unsupported vinyl fabric and may be folded or rolled. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.

Viewing Angle: 60°
Gain: 1.0

High Contrast Da-Mat™

A smooth, gray, vinyl finish surface for high output LCD and DLP projectors. This surface improves the perceived contrast by lowering black levels. It is a flexible unsupported vinyl fabric and may be folded or rolled. Available on all models offered with the Da-Mat™ surface. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.

Viewing Angle: 45°
Gain: 0.8

Cinema Vision

A unique unsupported vinyl surface that offers a bright, uniform image with no color shift no matter at what angle you view the image. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.

Viewing Angle: 45°
Gain: 1.3

High Contrast Cinema Vision

A smooth, gray, vinyl finish surface for moderate output DLP projectors. This surface improves the perceived contrast by lowering black levels while offering moderate gain. It is a flexible unsupported vinyl fabric and may be folded or rolled. Available on all models offered with the Cinema Vision surface. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.

Viewing Angle: 50°
Gain: 1.1

High Contrast Cinema Perf

With the same optical characteristics as High Contrast Cinema Vision, this surface is perforated to allow placement of a center channel speaker behind the screen surface while allowing the sound to transmit through the material. Ideal for use in environments with moderate control of ambient light. Screen surface can be cleaned with a mild soap and water solution. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.

Viewing Angle: 50°
Gain: 1.1

Pearlescent

This surface utilizes an unsupported vinyl creating a very smooth Pearlescent coating that provides high reflectivity and brilliance without loss of image quality or resolution. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.

Viewing Angle: 40°
Gain: 1.5

Silver Vision

This screen surface is uniquely designed with a specially formulated silver finish. This surface is perfect for situations where a silver finish is necessary for polarized 3-D projection. The silver finish of this surface successfully rejects ambient light. It is a highly flexible fabric that must be tensioned. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.

Viewing Angle: 25°
Gain: 1.5

Audio Vision

This acoustically transparent front projection screen allows for the center channel speaker to be placed directly behind the screen while still transmitting the full range and brilliance of an original soundtrack with maximum clarity. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.

Viewing Angle: 50°
Gain: 1.0

High Contrast Audio Vision

With the same optical characteristics as the High Contrast Da-Mat material, this surface is designed to provide the viewer with a more realistic soundstage by placing speakers behind the screen and allowing the sound to be transmitted through the material. This screen surface is best used when there is good control of ambient lighting and a moderately wide viewing angle is desired. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.

Viewing Angle: 45°
Gain: 0.8

Everyday as we go through our daily lives, the world is producing the collectibles of tomorrow as far as ephemera is concerned.  We recently helped a young couple clean our their grandmother’s home, we don’t do estate sales, we just advise people as to the best way to handle an estate. During our visit, we found folders after folders of information that had been saved for the past forty or more years.  This lady was very particular about her household affairs.  As we began to go through files, we found the original reciept for a purchase of a painting, without that reciept it was just another painting, but the paper trail showed the date it was purchased and that she was the original owner of the work. The value of the painting went from garage sale $100 to a gallery collector’s piece of $4,000.  It is to be auctioned very soon at a fine art collections auction.  This is an example of the difference just one piece of paper can make. Is it any wonder ephemera collectors want to always look through the trash pile at estate sales !

Paper is not expensive to print and the designs of artists appear on a world wide variety of work. For the most part these small fragments of a larger picture are put in the attic or thrown in the trash can, and usually it can be collected free of charge or at a very small price.  A box full of paper at an estate sale is always a collectors dream, even if you only get one or two pieces of ephemera from the box, usually the small price you pay is well worth the effort of the dig.

There really isn’t a golden rule as to what is ephemera and what is not ephemera. If you are a theme collector and all you want are snowmen, then you are constantly searching for old Christmas cards, tags, decorations, wrapping paper, postcards and anything else that has been printed with a snowman. I know one lady that will gladly pay the asking price for a set of  green paper luncheon napkins with a snowman on it, as long as the hat he wears is black and there is actually a carrot nose on the snowman !  Theme collectors love to find the printed items that go with the 3-D objects they own, even if its a magazine advertisement for the product. It gives a display one really unique look.

Collecting by occassion has become a very popular way of saving ephemera. We have daily planners from the years everyone in our family was born. We have magazines from the day we were born, newspapers, just the same.  If our favorite toy from the 60’s is on a antique store shelf, the first thing we do is ask if the paper from the box was put somewhere.  Do you know many antique stores have a what not box full of paper that they just don’t know what to do with and many times, its paper that goes with the very items they are selling. Its hard to put in a display for them or they didn’t know they had a match. We have found some really nice Christmas Bridge Tally cards stuck inside books and no one took the time to remove them before shelving the book.  The price of the book wasn’t near the cost of what those tally cards would have cost if they were being sold. 

Collecting by date takes patience. We were first introduced to this by a man that stood in our booth for hours looking through over 3,000 postcards.  He collects anything mailed on December 7, 1941, although it was a Sunday, many post offices had skelton crews that stamped the postmark and had the letters ready to mail on Monday. He said he usually finds one or two each time he goes out searching. He said he has more time than money invested in his collection. Imagine items mailed from New York on September 11th, they are sitting in drawers somewhere and will be an ephemera collectors find one day. Collecting by date can also lead to a unique collection of items.  Dallas, Texas ephemera collectors still look long and hard at estate sales for items mailed on the date of the Kennedy assasination.

Collecting by mail cancellations, postmarks, stamps are another way people collect paper that has been through the mail system. There is a lady we like to talk to who collects all postmark from cities that have affectionate names,  Loveland, Colorado.  If she finds a valentine collection that still has envelopes, she is in heaven.

We were watching the Texas Rangers play baseball and I soon realized that we were about to witness Kenny Rogers pitch his perfect game.  I told my daughter to go out and by another program or two and to pick up any tickets she found on the ground along the way. We had gone to the game to watch Bo Jackson play in right field and instead we witnessed baseball history. Now we combined our tickets, the program and a Kenny Rogers baseball card we were given that night by Mother’s cookies and we had our perfect game collection. Kenny Rogers threw ninety-eight pitches that night for his perfect game.  and the attendance at the ballpark that night (46,581) was the largest crowd that had ever attended a regular game at the baseball field at that time. July 28, 1994, we were there and we have the paper to prove it !  Did anyone else think this was important, well one man did, he bought the remaining 1,000 programs  at the top of the seventh inning. We only got our extra one because who can refuse a cute little girl asking to buy a program.

You just never know when you will be a witness to history or what you are handed will become historical. If you haven’t started an ephemera collection but are interested, why not put a shoe box on a closet shelf.  Each time you attend an event, put the piece of paper you are handed into that box, the program, the ticket, maybe even a picture of someone from the cast.  You can clean and purge as you go or you can figure out what you want to collect from the by-gone eras based on what you find appealing in what you have been throwing in your box. Matchbook collectors are never picky, they bring home every printed matchbook they can and then use what they don’t want as barter or trade. One man only collects hotels, while another only hamburger joints, pretty soon you are networking your collectibles and trading items.

Do you need some help figuring out what you will collect. Look at this list and then check a few items. The next time you go on a junking expedition take your list and see what paper you find.  What if you collect items that are related to :  Education, Medicine, Railways, Hotels, Travel, Church, Electricity, Dancing, Law, Turnpikes, Theater, Cookery, Taxation, Hygiene, Circuses, Libraries, Aircraft, Banking, Travel, Cosmetics, Gardening, Navy, Charity, Insurance, Cinema, Crime, Agriculture, Fairs, and on the list will go.

We hope we will see you at the next flea market we attend, we will be the one sifting through paper finding anything printed with pictures of ladies doing farm chores.  Oh look, there is one now right on the front of the Carnation Milk recipe book.

The technology
High-definition TV, or HDTV, is popping up in living rooms across the country. It’s a new TV standard that offers a picture 10 times sharper than anything you’ve seen. High-definition camcorders use the same technology. The pictures are phenomenally rich. The sound is unbelievably crisp. It looks and sounds like a real production, but how?
 

At first glance a high-definition camcorder appears to be a typical camcorder. The recording format is still MiniDV tapes. They have features common to digital camcorders, including digital still capability, back light compensation, built-in digital effects and scene transitions. What separates high-definition camcorders from their counterparts is the extraordinary image quality. 

Crystal-clear picture
Camcorder pictures are made up of a series of lines. The more lines, the clearer the picture. These lines are displayed on the screen incredibly fast in one of two ways. Lines can be progressive scan (’p'?placed in order one right above the other) or interlaced (’i'?placed in two sets, one set going every other line, then the other filling in). High-definition uses the progressive-scan format, which creates a better picture with at least 720 lines. By comparison, a normal TV has at most 480 using the interlaced method.
 
Another measure of picture clarity is pixels, which are the little dots that make up the picture. Just like with the lines, the more dots you have, the more detailed the picture. An average camcorder creates a picture of between 100,000 and 700,000 pixels. High-definition camcorders raise this number over the one million mark to make the image remarkably more intense.
 
Other special features also contribute to the picture quality. Camcorders may have a specially designed lens for high-definition filming with features such as superior color purity and low edge-to-edge distortion. High-definition camcorders and TVs use component connections that allow multiple video signals to transfer, keeping the same colors and brightness that were originally recorded.

You have just spent hundreds of dollars on your new camera and you need something to protect it with.

SCENARIO 1: You buy a case from eBay that has (for eg) one size fits all SD300, 400, 500, 600, 700 etc.

The following could occur:
- You receive the pouch and find you camera swims inside the case.
- You put your camera case in your purse or clip it to your belt, then notice its moving around all the time
- You drop your camera case, and then notice your screen is shattered
- You buy a case with a belt loop & when you receive it the belt loop is too small, since you only have thicker belts.
- Its just way too big & you have no use for it.
- The material the seller has described as “leather: is simply a cheap imitation
- You hate the case so much you decide to pack up and move to Alaska

SCENARIO 2: You buy a case that is specific to your digital camera and nothing else.

The following could occur:
- You receive your case & it fits your camera as snug as a bug in a rug
- You receive your camera case & the leather quality is excellent as the seller described
- You receive your camera case & it doesn’t scratch the inside of your camera due to the soft interior lining
- You drop your camera case, take out the camera and wow…no damage because there was no shuffling around inside the case
- You are so happy with the case you decide to pack up and move to Alaska

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING FROM A SELLER ON EBAY OR ANYWHERE ONLINE

1. Make sure the case is not a “one size fits all” case (Sometimes however, you will have certain cameras with the same brand (for eg) Canon SD500 & 550 are the same size & width. However do not buy cases that state: SD200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700 etc) as that is an all in one case)

2. Make sure the seller specifies the dimensions of the case in the auction. This is one of the most important points to look for.

3. Make sure there is a soft inner lining, not just leather. It must have a soft suede, felt, or cloth lining.

4. Make sure there is some sort of durable clip on the back, this is very important because sometimes when you are away on vacation, you need to clip this on your waste, belt, knapsack, fanny pack etc. I try to stay away from loop cases because its not everyday you wear a belt, although if you do wear a belt, then its ok.

5. You obviously want it to look good so factor that in as well. If looks aren’t a factor for you, then you may want to consider wrapping it in toilet paper with a rubber band around it. (Kids diapers are also very protective….preferably unused)

6. If ever in doubt, email your seller & ask as many questions as you need to make sure your transaction goes smooth.

I hope you have found this little guide helpful & Good Luck with your hunt!

Life has a way of moving inexorably onward, while we can remain stuck in a by-gone era (and in the same old tired styles). Just about the only style that stands the true test of time, no matter what decade it is or age we are — are the classics. Great styles in quality fabrics that have the look and timeless beuty that are great value for money. Often we loose touch with the idea that it is a good thing to care for ourselves and about the way we look — what our “style” (or lack of it) says about us as Mom’s, women and co-workers. We often focus only on others, leading to feeling and/or looking like a drudge. We have a “why bother?” attitude because television or movie perfection (if we ever lived it), has left us in the shadows. Unfortunately, Hollywood has hooked us into believing that it is real (it isn’t). Life is about striving for comfortable, happy living not striving for perfect.

Having said that, I completely understand that we would like to be our best without a ton of muss and fuss because we live busy, full lives. So, with some simple tricks, we can hide plenty of the real or imagined imperfections that keep us from appreciating our own true beauty — no matter what size, shape or age we are. We must begin with the idea that we are individuals, with individual purpose and beauty and that we should appreciate ourselves BEFORE asking those who love us to do so too.

Each of us can and should strive for our own signature “look” because even when we appreciate and adopt another’s “style” we do make it our own. In creating our own style we add some much needed “self care” to our life. I promise that you will feel truly empowered and energized by your own special “pulled together” look that will be easy to do — YES your own version of the pulled together easy look you often have envied in others.

So, one of the most positive and uplifting things we can do for ourselves is to make a few changes that move us from “timed out” to “timeless.” It is true that, no matter what your size or shape, you can use these tips to flatter your look and you can use Ebay to keep the costs of making those changes within your budget too! Why pay retail when you can get great deals by bidding or by making best offers on clothing lines that are usually only available in upscale stores?

Here are some helpful hints to achieve a Classic Style for your body type:

1. Got a tummy? A straight or pencil skirt, coupled with a loose, longer style sweater or top takes the focus off the tummy bulge and draws the eye vertically from your lovely smile to your pretty shoes.

2. Shorter legs? Lengthen them with hose and shoes that match your skirt or slacks color. (Higher heels, if you like and can wear them, will add height too). Top off the outfit with a chunky sweater or overblouse with a scarf and/or pin for a finished look.

3. Hips a little larger than you would like? Wear an A-Line or pleated skirt that will skim over the hips. Add a matching jacket that hits just below the hip to achieve balance between the top and bottom (drawing the eye vertically).

4. Large Bust make you feel self conscious? Stay away from breast pockets and bloses that gap. When you put a top on sit in it and see how it lies on your chest. The goal will be to achieve balance between a more ample bust and less ample bottom. A straight skirt or pants (well pressed with a center crease), draws the eye vertically. Add tops that fit well in the shoulders AND (especially) are well fitting across the chest. If buttons gape at the bust in a standard size, but the shoulders fit well, try some of the “women’s sizes” such as a 14W, 16W and 18W. Women’s sizes provide more room in the bustline without additonal shoulder space added. Add a good fitting and matching or coordinating top (not too baggy or too tight) to those beautifully creased pants or straight skirt for a great look that draws the eye vertically. Check the balance of your outfit in the mirror — if it appears to be perfectly balanced from top to bottom, That is the look we are going for.

5. Darker colors on top also help to balance an exaggerated bust or wider shoulders. For instance, try camel pants and a black sweater. Note: Avoid belts which will only cut your verticle line and thereby emphasize the bust. An additional style to try is the halter style in warmer months which extends the verticle look by virtue of the ties at the neck.

5. Small Bust? Emphsize it with “add in fabrics” such as ruffles, cowl neck, drop neck, rouching, smocking, pin tucks or pleat details. The object here is to replace the additional bust you wish you had with fabric details in the top/sweater/shirt or blouse design to creat the upper and lower balance.

6. As discussed above, figures with any imbalance between top and bottom (i.e. pear shapes) benefit from staying away from horizontal lines in the fabric or an abrupt change of color (black and white for instance) at the waistline. Such elements cut the verticle view in half and exaggerate what we want to disguise. In these cases, a single coordinated color in the major pieces (top and bottom can be made more interesting with jewelery, jackets, cardigans and scarves while still creating a vertical line.

7. Short people should also avoid horizontal stripes too for the very reasons stated above and because the drawing of the eye left to right instead of top to bottom only makes short people look shorter. Remember that boxy styles tend to make one look like a box.

8. If you have small hips, add a hip belt to add some bulk where there is less than you would like to have. This addition of a hip belt also acts to help balance the top and bottom. Larger bottom than top? See item 6., above.

9. Bring fun into what you wear — Explore color! Contrary to most of nature where the males enjoy the beauty of coor (think peacocks here), in humans it is women who have the ability to use and enjoy color. Too often, we buy the same boring colors (are you permanently wedded to black or beige?). Sadly, as wonderful as the colors are, wearing them constantly is not flattering to anyone. Wearing a single color over and over, has predicable and unexciting results. Make it a point to explore color on your next shopping trip. Try on colors and styles you have never tried before — take an honest friend or relative with you to offer comments. Make a note of what works for you. Love fuscia but don’t think you can wear it? Try it in an accessory! A great way to use your favorite colors is with a silk scarf. Check out Ebay for a vast array of the prettiest silks imaginable at prices you just will not believe! Use silk scarves to soften the look and to wear new colors without drowning in them. To add to the fun, learn to tie several specialty scarf knots for different looks. Instructions on tying scarves are available on the web, try Googling “tie a silk scarf.”

10. Style is not a size — it is a look (and no one can see your tags) so buy the right size — not the number on the lable. Large or small — big or tall — Proportion is everything! Ever see someone walking down the street and you cannot see the person for the huge sized print they’e wearing? This visual shows you what “prints that are out of proportion” means in practice. No single element of what you wear should ever draw attention away from your entire (overall) look. I think prints are best when they are small and use beautifully coordinated colors. In printed fabrics, it is essential that one recognizes whether the print will add to, or detract from the balance we are trying to achieve in our overall look. Personally, I believe that a large print is rarely a good idea for any sized woman, but a large print easily overwhelms those who are short or very thin. Above all, remeber that large prints are very distracting so if you really like them, make sure that the pieces you wear with a large print are extremely quiet so you make a balanced presentation. Balance and proportion go hand in hand. Balance and proportion make or break an outfit every time.

11. I am a true fan of natural fibers or fabric blends with a large proportion of natural fibers in them including cotton, cotton blends, 100% merino or wool gaberdine, cashmere, Linen, silk and silk blends. The quality and weight of the natural fabrics lends them to a beautiful drape and most importantly, to the wearers comfort. Natural fibers tend to look great up close and from a distance too –and they last longer and look better for longer. Quality clothing is unmistakeble — it looks exactly like what it is — quality clothing. Obviously, clothing made from these fabrics tends to be far more expensive, too. This is why Ebay is the best source for great value on the best fabrics and styles in high end ladies clothing — New or Used. Get familiar with some of the best including two of my personal favorites, Talbots (great styling, wonderful size options and quality fabric) and Ralph Lauren (great country styling coupled with quality fabrics).

12. Help — I have no color sense…what now? You can never miss with a monochromatic look — two shades (usually light and dark) of the same color such as navy and grey blue or sky blue (wearing the darker shade on the larger part of the body such as a black top on a large busted woman or black slacks on the larger hipped woman). Color is easy when you choose two shades of the same color. It never misses for that that “pulled together” look we want. As boring as it is, I think the more classic look calls for no more than three colors in an outfit too (think black, white and gray). As examples, navy and light blue, black and gray, as well as brown and beige are great pairings. Keep such classic combinations from being boring by adding interesting and appropriate accessories, to include scarves, belts, shoes, jewelery and touches of small coordinating colors (possibly even a print) in a scarf or overblouse. Black pairs with almost any other color, including itself! The same is true for white but it is harder to wear and seasonal rules for wearing bright white, although changing still make bright white a summer color. Want to wear white in winter? Try eggshell, Ivory or winter white.

13. Although many designers mix prints, one must remember that these mixed prints usually are displayed on models who are six feet tall and weigh about 100 pounds. It seems that models would look lovely in a paperbag. This is not real life and hardly a good choice for a PTA meeting or a day in your office. If you are not a model shape, pulling off that level of “busy” in your outfit is much more difficult for those living in the real world and wholly unecessary to achieve your own “look.”

14. Following fashion fads is thankless and expensive. If you can afford to completely replace your wardrobe each season, following fashion fads is possible but the question remains — does it really make sense? If you find that you must chase the latest look, ask yourself why it is important to look like thousands of others rather than yourself? A critical element of real fashion nd those who are fashionably dressed is finding our own style, not following fads. In fact — being a style maker beats a style follower any day! The most practical way to dress is to buy the best clothing we can afford, avoiding fashion extremes, focussing on high quality, timeless pieces that carry us through for years. Mix and match the timeless pieces (for instance; a classic white shirt with a classic black trouser), with the trendy item of the year and season — such as a poncho, pashima or snood (to name only three fads that passed in the blink of an eye). If there is a fad look that you particularly loved such as that gypsy look from the 70’s there are many updated, less exaggerated versions available to keep the look without having it appear dated or over done.

15. Key to looking good, is feeling good about who you are. Understand that no matter what your size or shape, you are here on earth with a purpose and that makes you important and worthy of being well cared for — beginning with caring for yourself. In caring for yourself, self acceptance is an important first step. Spending the time and effort to get a great haircut, a facial and a manicure is not indulgence, it is essential self care. If you take great care of yourself you actually take better care of those you love. The bonus of positive self care aqnd a sense of personal worthiness and purpose is that taking good care of yourself directly translates to renewed confidence and belief in yourself that is so essential to the modern woman.

16. How do I maintain a “sexy and alluring” look without degenerating into the “Hooker” look? A simple rule here is to limit the exposed areas per outfit to only one. For instance, if you are wearing something with an exposed back, stay away from the deep plunging neckline –the reverse is also true. Never combine a deep plunging neckline with a side split to the hip in a skirt. Note that if you have to keep tugging a clothing item to keep yourself covered, it is too small or ill fitting — get rid of it. If you love the item and simply must have it — sell yours on Ebay and post a “Want It Now” ad to replace the item it in a larger size. The office (both in terms of time of day and environment) is never a place for exposed cleavage, or side splits that extend above the knee exposing a lot of thigh or your hip. The masculine attention you may get with inappropriate exposure will never be worth the picture you are painting of your “personal style.” Here again — it is balance that makes the difference. Be careful that your style is an accurate reflection of your professional capabilities and ambition not an advertisment of something else. Dress for the job you want, not necessarily the one you are in. Today, women want to be judged by our smarts and capabilities and not by our curves — one way to achieve this goal is to leave the skin exposure for after 5 and limiting your day wear to reflect “I am a grown and capable woman” not “I am hot and trolling”!

17. There is also an important delineation between office bling (low key, not clanging and appropriate) and after five bling (wear it loud and proud). Bling is beautiful and fun to wear — the more bling you wear, the less busy the clothing style should be. For perfect examples of what I mean here think of the best dressed actresses on the red carpet at the Oscars. Generally, the more busy the dress, the more delicate the jewelery, while the more quiet the dress, the more of Harry Winston’s over the top bling the actress can successfully wear.

Now go ahead, care for your beautiful self by cleaning out the closet (sell it all on eBay) and find some looks you really love and create a personal style that will have everyone thinking you just returned from an expensive spa. Tear out pages in magazines of things you like — as a well dressed pal what she thinks of this style for you.

I do hope you found this guide useful and will scroll down and offer a yes vote if you did find it helpful. I sincerely thank you in advance for your time! Please stop by my store “The Write Place” and my auctions for some stunning buys in the classic quality ladies clothing, shoes, accessories, I discuss in this article. I also sell bricabrac and collectables too.