Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[kinboshi]

Time magazine covers for this weekend:

 

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

Eventually purchased my new camera yesterday, a "Coolpix L120".

I had considered a "proper job", a SLR thingie, but Tom very wisely advised sagainst. The truth is, I'm shite at that sort of thing, & I think the extra cost would have been wasted on me.

It came with an instruction manual, both a printed version, & a CD. It also had a "Quick Start" Manual (print version), which I decided was the way to go. It's only 24 pages.

I settled down last night to set it up, with all the bits & pieces laid out in front of me, then went to the first page of the Quick Start Manual.

Section 1 was headlined.....

"Take the Camera Out of the Box"


I'm managing OK so far.

It took me less than an hour to fit the strap, & barely 30 minutes to remove the memory card from it's plastic wrapper thing.

Eventually tested the camera, & took some practice photos. Room for improvement, fair to say.

Tomorrow, it gets road-tested, on the Thames, at Hampton Court, & Laleham, & at Heathrow. 

[tikay]

Time magazine covers for this weekend:

 

Click to see full-size image.

Linmania!

I blame Kimber.

Great story, though.

[tikay]

Yesterday was my maiden visit to an Argos store. I will not be tempted to trouble them with my custom again in a hurry.

Such a peculiar customer-experience, though it had promised so much.

I reserved the camera (and a Memory Card) via their website, & arranged, via a series of mouse clicks, to collect it from their Staines store. They even sent me a text with a reservation number - fantastic.

I got to the store, which was full of kids grizzling. Not crying, grizzling, "I want my daddyyyyyyyyy" type of thing. Ugh.

I get to the front of the queue, & it's all easy, but then I happen to see some 4-packs of AA batteries on the counter, in a display, so I pick one off & place it on the counter. The girl then scrolled through 30+ pages of her internet screen to check the reference number, & price. Then she tells me to replace the pack on the rack, as the merchandise will be bought up from the warehouse shortly. What?

Anyway, it all gets sorted, & she says the lot comes to £145 or whatever - I had declined the extended warranty, which was priced at £45 on a camera costing £129.99. Then she says "you do realise you do not get the 30 day guarantee on this camera, don't you?". So, no 30 day guarantee, but I can have an extended guarantee for £45.  I felt like arguing that the lack of guarantee made no odds in common law, as I understand it, but I could not be arsed.

Then they give me a receipt, & a customer number, with the promise of "delivery within 4 minutes", & I'm directed to some naff chaiirs, upon which I am required to wait. I sit down, & the grizzling kid & his Mum come & sit smack next to me. "I want my daddyyyyyyyy".

Never again, I swear. I shall go to a proper shop next time.

[ripple11]

 I'm directed to some naff chaiirs,

lol.... I quickly read that as "naff chavs".

Must be because you were in Staines  

[tikay]

 I'm directed to some naff chaiirs,

lol.... I quickly read that as "naff chavs".

Must be because you were in Staines  

Staines - don't start me off. I had assumed it was a lovely place - it has loads of reservoirs, gravel pits & quarries you know, & you can watch the 'planes come & go,  - but wow, it was like nothing I have ever seen in that Shopping Centre, people selling their kids, & all sorts. I never realised it was in Essex.

[AlunB]

Well if you wrote that, Jeff, you should pack up poker & go back to journalism, it was a beautifully balanced & paced little piece, well presented, very professional, & I mean that. The gift of writing well should not be underestimated.

Anyone suggesting Jeff should give up poker and return to journalism must think he either a) really loves journalism or b) really hates money

Oh and +1 on the well written.

Ha, I took it as a rub to my abilities at da pokerz....tyty for the compliments, always available for further gainful employment should your fine mags require my service

Send me a PM with your email and let's have a chat.

There you go, combined Diary & Recruitment Agency.

Alun, what is the current market for poker print magazines? Almost nobody ever pays for them, or so it seems, so they must be mostly funded by advertising revenue, which I would have assumed is falling stone style. Do they have much of a future in the internet age? Does the Online version make decent money?

I do wonder how many "strategy articles" & big name Profiles mags & sites can keep regurgitating, they must all have gone round the block a few times now.

Wow that's a lot of questions. Some good points, some bad. I'm only going to talk about PokerPlayer in its printed form here. I do a lot of other things, but let's keep this simple.

1. Current market? Obviously not going to go into commercials on a public forum. Yes the market for printed media is not what it once was, but our readership is still solid. Every single copy of PokerPlayer is paid for. We don't do free distribution and you won't find our mags at casinos. Every copy is either bought on the newsstand or through a subscription.

2. Poker is ever changing, and so is poker strategy. It's almost the perfect subject in that respect. There is always something new to write about in strategy terms. New stars are always appearing, and people still love reading about your Negreanus and your Hellmuths. Content is not really an issue on a monthly print title.

3. Is there a future for printed media in genera? This is really the question. It's certainly not a poker specific problem. I would like to think so. I think there is something printed media offers that you can't replicate online. But whether anyone under 30 agrees with that I'm sure we will soon find out.

4. Is the future online and tablet based? Almost certainly. Will that mean fundamentally redefining how publishing and media businesses operate? Almost certainly. Will that ultimately be a bad thing for both the industry and the consumer? Almost certainly.

Just my ¢2

[SuuPRlim]

How was the flight to LA, how is the hotel, when does the Tourney begin, what is the cash action like, who else (from home) is there? Is Flushy & Co there, too?

Daily reports please, & here.

Temporarily, I will grant you "Poker Corry" rights.

Hello!

I decided for a few reasons to go to Vegas for 2 or 3 days first, I am staying in one of the Wynn "Tower Suites" which are absolutely amazing, I already been round to see some friends of mine word on "the street" is that the cash games on the side of the LAPC have been a little slow actually, but 20/40plo and the occasional spurt of 100/100 has been running so plenty to be getting on with - it actually seems like the cash games in Vegas might have been great lately - reports of daily 10/20/40 games with some very gambley gentleman - so I'm staying here until saturday when I am going to head over to L.A. it's ofc 4am my sleeping pattern is kinda mangled.

I was persuaded to play some chinese poker last night and lost $800 over dinner lol - this is why you don't gamble with Germans.

If you're thinking, wow i'd love to read more about this then do check my blog out - http://lildaveslife.blogspot.com/

I hope Alun is right and printed magazines do continue to thrive, I've always loved reading them.

[kinboshi]

Trying to swat a fly with an ipad is not only ineffective, it's expensive.

[smashedagain]

Trying to swat a fly with an ipad is not only ineffective, it's expensive.

You wanna try wiping your bum on an i pad when they have run out of loo roll in the dtd toilets. Very messy and could i hell get it to flush away

[david3103]

Yesterday was my maiden visit to an Argos store. I will not be tempted to trouble them with my custom again in a hurry.

Such a peculiar customer-experience, though it had promised so much.

I reserved the camera (and a Memory Card) via their website, & arranged, via a series of mouse clicks, to collect it from their Staines store. They even sent me a text with a reservation number - fantastic.

I got to the store, which was full of kids grizzling. Not crying, grizzling, "I want my daddyyyyyyyyy" type of thing. Ugh.

I get to the front of the queue, & it's all easy, but then I happen to see some 4-packs of AA batteries on the counter, in a display, so I pick one off & place it on the counter. The girl then scrolled through 30+ pages of her internet screen to check the reference number, & price. Then she tells me to replace the pack on the rack, as the merchandise will be bought up from the warehouse shortly. What?

Anyway, it all gets sorted, & she says the lot comes to £145 or whatever - I had declined the extended warranty, which was priced at £45 on a camera costing £129.99. Then she says "you do realise you do not get the 30 day guarantee on this camera, don't you?". So, no 30 day guarantee, but I can have an extended guarantee for £45.  I felt like arguing that the lack of guarantee made no odds in common law, as I understand it, but I could not be arsed.

Then they give me a receipt, & a customer number, with the promise of "delivery within 4 minutes", & I'm directed to some naff chaiirs, upon which I am required to wait. I sit down, & the grizzling kid & his Mum come & sit smack next to me. "I want my daddyyyyyyyy".

Never again, I swear. I shall go to a proper shop next time.

Proper shops are great, but that camera wouldn't have been £130 at at proper shop... Our local Argos stores were all marvellous on the customer service front as I picked up a variety of Christmas and Birthday gifts sourced by 'her indoors'.

The camera you've bought looks tremendous value and I thought of you as I constantly swapped lenses the other day whilst trying to take pictures of the grandkids running free around the park...

You might consider adding these to your purchases at some point
 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2X-Telephoto-0-5X-Wide-angle-Lens-Nikon-Coolpix-L120-Filter-Adapter-tube-/200695316819?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item2eba5f8153

[Jon MW]

I'm pretty sure she was an idiot about the batteries as well.

I've bought over the counter stuff from Argos and they've just scanned it and sold it to me like a normal shop

[tikay]

I'm pretty sure she was an idiot about the batteries as well.

I've bought over the counter stuff from Argos and they've just scanned it and sold it to me like a normal shop

Me too, & as she was serving me, she was also playing a banjo. Always a good clue to idiocy, that.

Think she may have been Italian, too.  You can't have better proof than that.

[kinboshi]

I'm pretty sure she was an idiot about the batteries as well.

I've bought over the counter stuff from Argos and they've just scanned it and sold it to me like a normal shop

Me too, & as she was serving me, she was also playing a banjo. Always a good clue to idiocy, that.

Think she may have been Italian, too.  You can't have better proof than that.

Think she reads this diary and was just trying to wind you up.

[gatso]

Then she says "you do realise you do not get the 30 day guarantee on this camera, don't you?". So, no 30 day guarantee, but I can have an extended guarantee for £45.  I felt like arguing that the lack of guarantee made no odds in common law, as I understand it, but I could not be arsed.

think you misunderstood

she's talking about their in house 30 day money back guarantee which applies to most goods and means you can take it back if you change your mind, something that they don't have to offer. don't think they let you have it on anything with digital storage because of the hassle of wiping all your dirty pictures off before they can resell

obv you still have full rights if it's faulty/not as described but that's not what she meant