Party Tent Discount Canopy, Tents, Awnings, Camping, Wedding, Awning, Manufacturers

This site has it all -- in the world of party tents. If you need any size go to this site and check his pricing. Can't be beat -- he ships same day and stands behind his product. It's a big site, so call the owner Brian Nelson ... he's got a 7 min. video about the tents. Good to view this first (below)

Party Tent City .... click here for website.

Radford Video Creations special events videography pricing page

We've had a number of recent inquiries about price from business clients ... which is listed on our web page nav-bar.  Here it is too.

Radford Video Creations special events videography and production

WHO IS A JOURNALIST?

Have you considered the authenticity of Wikipedia? Apparently a Vermont college has banned Wikipedia as a source for student papers and tests -- considering that the information in some cases was false. So ... the question might boil down to 'Who do you trust' for authoritative information? I worry about the truthfulness of stuff online -- as much as I do in any media.

But the owners of Wikipedia and Wikia would have you believe that the Encyclopedia Brittanica is no better, no more responsible, as a source -- but I wonder. Wikipedia has had a number of misleading and inaccurate stories. The authors generally submit material based on trust, for free. Yes, there is a level of review. But, if a traditional journalist is being PAID and is judged and reviewed on their performance for accuracy -- then maybe that author and the material might be more reliable?

I think this question is even more of a concern for blogs as well. There are some blogs that are seeking equal footing with traditional news sources by requesting press credentials for special events such as ball games, political events, concerts, and corporate annual meetings. Should they be admitted as legitimate members of the traditional press? The bloggers would say they too are investigative reporters who have a right to know, and the freedom of information act supports them. Plus, they may enjoy a sizeable online audience.

There are even blogs sponsored by legitimate newspapers -- a real extention of the media for trained reporters, and response by readers. Today it's a real 'community' of open dialog. Again, who do you trust for accurate information? And what differentiates the traditional journalist from the blog reporter or developer of a Wikipedia article? Plenty!

Just putting 'stuff' on a blog or a website is not necessarily a 'responsible' act of journalism. In many cases it's seriously biased. (We could argue that some journalists, make good bloggers, while being legitimately biased -- it may be their job to offer biased opinion, similar to the OpEd page of a newspaper. But the intent and bias is clearly identified.) The traditional journalist is normally a trained journalist, who follows an ethics code and is paid based on performance, and held responsible by a higher level of authority ... his/her boss, a board of directors, and peers of the industry.

In many cases, the blogger is simply exercising their free opinion, and is responsible to nobody -- and most often has a clear bias. There is little attempt to be 'fair' and balanced, nor accurate, and real problems arise with misleading information. The traditional training and the review process based on 'standards' of performance, are not usually involved in the blog site. Oh, there are exceptions -- but let's face it, any fool can start a blog or claim authenticity to information on a web site. It doesn't mean it's true, nor should it be considered an authentic source by students, business people, customers, or the general public.

At least not UNTIL there is: 1) standards of conduct and practice, and 2) peer reviews based on those standards.

Of course we've all heard the saying, "Do you believe everything you read?" Probably not ... As long as there is freedom of speech, there will be a difference of opinion. The wisdom of 'buyer beware' prevails. So, let's at least warn people which is which ... and make some attempt to separate the opinion from the misleading, from the real facts that are historically, technically, and socially accepted as correct and responsible. And raise the standards of online dialog.

NEW TRAVEL SITE

For those of you who travel -- allot like us or even a little, or wana-be ... check out EveryTrail.com, which aims to revolutionize how people exchange information on outdoor travels and adventure. It's intended to be a huge index of travel experiences ... for people who hike, go on sailing trips, bike ride or drive routes ... using their GPS data to pinpoint the site with images and maps, and describe the location with text and photos -- from cafe's in Paris, to a trail in the Captol Reef National Park of Utah. You can also pinpoint the routes using Google Earth, or your pocket or car GPS ... A descriptive video is on YOUTUBE at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=jWE024hSiX4

CELLPHONE RETURNED

Here's a great product. It locates your lost gizmos -- in my case, a cellphone! I'm amazed. Only a month ago I bought a subscription from STUFFBAK -- which claimed a high rate of returns, but never did I think I'd really need it. (Finders call an 800# with id on the lost item.) I don't lose much stuff ... OK, I lose it in my own house! So, we went to Maui ... and I promptly lost my cellphone on the beach -- actually thinking it may have been in my swimming trunks, and ruined / lost forever in the depths of the sea. WRONG! I got a call today from STUFFBAK that my very cool RAZR Motorola phone had been found on the beach by a hotel employee and was being returned FedEx tonight, FREE, thanks to my subscription to STUFFBAK. Is that a good investment of $20 or what? Forget phone insurance ... get your STUFFBAK! I am a believer.

CASIO DISK LABELER

This is a review from my initial disk labeling experience, using the Casio CW-100 Disk Title Printer, priced at $115 on Amazon. First -- this is a home studio or consumer product. (The better option for professional color graphic imaging which I use for my commercial video customers is an ink-jet printer, which handles bulk quantities with robotic stacking and cost $1,500 from Primera.) Having said that ... the Casio, priced at only 1/10th the cost, will find use for simple text-only disks that can handle thermal transfer printing (ink ribbon)... with 300 dpi quality -- which is very good. Note: permanent ink markers will work on disks -- but they run the risk of data damage and of course they look like crap. And NEVER use paper labels, which gum up the disk player and are a pain to print, and throw drives off balance. NOTE: an important distinction -- ink-jet printable disks are available as flat silver or snow-white coated rough surfaces, which DO NOT work with thermal ribbons. They have a surface 'tooth' that adhere's well to wet inks. They are available in some (not all) electronic stores or order on the web. However, disks for the Casio CW-100 thermal printer ONLY must use a clean (no label) surface for dry thermal ribbons -- and (this is important) -- which have a clear area in the top/bottom for the printing -- not an embossed logo of the disk manufacturer or other disk information, or rule lines for pens. It won't print well on those raised or rough surfaces. I use Imation DVD-R 16x disks with plenty of clear space ... or the TDK disks that work well, and Casio lists Maxell and JVC (CD and DVD)compatible disks. So, try to find a "compatible" (totally blank) disk on price special -- that also has a low error rate and high burn quality (that's another story un-related to labeling). Given the above ... my initial disks printed well. The unit connects to a PC or Mac with a USB cable, with AC power, in either vertical or horizontal position, requiring about 8-inch square. The PC software permits the use of the computer's true-type fonts, and the claim is you can import .jpg or .bmp graphics (ie logos). While print formatting is VERY structured, the software permits positioning, centering, flush-left/right, sizing, etc. up to six lines top or bottom. There are also four ink-colors. But, other users warn against all but the black ink. Be sure to buy extra cartridges.... $7.50 on eBay (vs $10 retail), from which you might get "up to" 40 disks, probably less. In summary, the CW-100 gets good reviews from the home market, and certainly has a place in the home studio for clean, professional looking text labels.

DAY 15: LAVORNO, ITALY

(CLICK FOR VOICE) It's all about the sea in Le Cinque Terre... see the photos. Our 10-hour tour today was, yes, exhausting, but also a wonderful option to the previously-visited Florence. We traveled by bus and train to five small medieval towns that haven't change much since the 14th century -- only 500 to 1000 inhabitants each, who sustain their lives from olive and grape production, and some tourism. The Cinque Terre community is a chain of 'old towns' built on sheer cliffs, with a bell tower and church at each, rising above the tile roofs. We indulged at a typical sea-side restaurant -- It's our final port, with one more sea day.

SEE OUR ENTIRE PHOTO SLIDE SHOW (16 MIN) AT: http://jcradford.bizland.com/video/Mediterranean06.wmv

Day 14: VILLEFRANCHE

The scenery is nice, but in Villefranche Sur Mer (France), it was the people who got my eye. It's great for "people-watching" along the Cote d'Asur ... where visitors experience a magical atmosphere of sun, sand, sea, wine tasting, shopping, sightseeing, dancing, and gambling. To the north is Monte Carolo, to the south is Nice and the Cannes Film Festival. The Villefranche port was created in 1295, and still has a 14th century ambiance of red-topped tile roofs built into the cliffs, tunnels, and cobblestone narrow streets. We stopped into an Internet Cafe, and then had a salmon lunch in the sun at a waterfront brassiere. A few dozen sailboats were tied up in the harbor, surrounding our giant cruise vessel. Oui, it's nice to hear French again. Back to Italy tomorrow -- last stop in Florence.

DAY 13: ROME

They say that, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” but that’s all the time we had for a visit. Our group of five made their own way, covering about five miles on foot, including St. Peter’s Cathedral, the Trevi Fountain, Piaza Navonna, the Pantheon, the Coliseum, the Roman Forum and ruins being un-earthed by architectural students. The Vatican Museum had an 8 block line of people, 7 across waiting patiently -- maybe 10,000++ people. We passed on that 3 hour wait to see the Sistine Chapel. Our most welcome stop was an off-street trattoria called “Colors” -- a buffet starter, wine, the main course and secundo, followed by dessert and an espresso. Perfect for tired dogs, at only 65 Euros for all of us, or about $80. We were amazed at the realism of the Bernini statues throughout the city. The most grueling part of travel must be the heat and humidity, but touring Rome in November or Spring means a cool and comfortable 65 degrees. People love to stroll here ... mostly rubbing elbows ... but watch out for the Vespa scooters and cars that sneak up behind street-walking tourists and then hit the horn! Tomorrow -- we visit Villefranche in France, then back to Florence for our last stop before trip’s end in Barcelona... back to reality.

DAY 12: NAPLES

CLICK FOR VOICE) -- Naples is the third largest city in Italy -- stepping off to Pompeii, the Island of Capri, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coastline. But, in fact, very little kept us in Naples itself, whose history dates back to the 4th century. Since it's devastating eruption in 79AD, Mount Vesuvius has dominated the lives of the neighboring Naples community, and is expected to erupt again by 2044. Our visit took us south to Sorrento and then through the narrow mountain chain along to Amalfi. Sunsets are as picturesque as the azure waters are pristine. What amazed most travelers were the home and hotel architecture built into the cliff walls and sea-side gorges. Each photo here represents the diversity of the Amalfi Coast -- I especially enjoyed the little tan dog near the front-wheel of the scooter.

DAYS 10 - 11: VENICE

Two glorious days in Venice -- a maze of 177 canals and 400 bridges, with millions of poles driven into the sediment to hold up the buildings. Our ship was met by a small demonstration of environmentalists who oppose the new Moses project of water containment, and erosion of the lagoon from cruise ship traffic. Venice was home to Marco Polo, Vivaldi and Casanova. We missed a classical concert, but celebrated Donna's birthday with a gondola ride, then a visit to the Murano glass works, the Doge's Palace in the Piazza San Marco, and the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore ... and then a quick visit to the Danieli honeymoon hotel of Megan and Tom. We did some healthy walking (rather than the water taxis), to help counter- balance the wonderful Italian food.

DAY9: CROATIA

CLICK FOR VOICE: Along the Dalmatian coastline of the Adriatic Sea, Dubrovnik, Croatia might conjure up images of war at its worst. But modern Croatia has come a long way from it's neighboring Bosnia, rebuilding the town to near-original ancient marble-paved squares, cobbled streets and boutiques, and is one of UNESCO's "world heritage treasures." Among these treasurers was the invention of the men's necktie, initially the silk cravat worn by soldiers. Entering the harbor we are greeted by a spectacular sunrise and the massive suspension bridge -- then we ventured out to the farm-country to meet the people whose origins begin here in the 13th century. (click on the voice file).