Poet Ponders the Digital

Wedding Style Special Edition November 4, 2011 Deadline Special Issue The Ultimate Online Shopper (and Bride-to-Be) “I bought my wedding dress online.” When a young coworker told me she shopped for almost everything online, I naturally doubted her. Why would you buy a wedding dress online? “I wanted a classic dress,” she explained, “something vintage. So, I went online.” It all started with a simple wedding dress in a classic movie. Off my colleague went to The Knot (theknot.com), one of the leading online resources for brides-to-be. Several of the dresses featured were “almost” what she wanted, but none of them were perfect. She then visited local shops, but still failed to find what she wanted. After explaining what she wanted, a local seamstress mentioned to the frustrated young woman that an existing dress could be altered. This was a moment of inspiration. The bride-to-be was transformed into the ultimate online shopper. Somehow, she found her dream dress for $120...

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley October 31, 2011 Deadline December 2011 Issue Have a Happy High-Tech Holiday Holidays are about faith, family, and friendships, with some gift giving as an added bonus. If you can be with loved ones for the holidays, that’s the most important gift. Still, giving that perfect gift is a challenge we all face. The best gifts reflect how well you know the recipients. Allow me to offer some ideas from the Virtual Valley. Idea 1: Earphones. If the music lover in your family is still using “buds” instead of headphones, consider the gift of high-fidelity sound. Yes, old-fashioned headphones. Until I tried a pair of Skullcandy Throwback headphones, I had no idea how great an iPod could sound. Skullcandy (skullcandy.com) sells “over the ear” headphones resembling the old padded ones my father used in the 1970s. They might look odd to young people, but the sound difference is astounding. Marshall headphones (marshallheadphones.com) are a great gift for a...

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley May 26, 2011 Deadline July 2011 Issue Real Estate Websites: House Hunting Goes Virtual Buying a house is one of the most stressful experiences I can imagine. Add in the stress of selling an existing home and trying to coordinate the move and the stress level increases exponentially. My wife and I spent May and June house hunting and are now in the process of selling our current home. I believe nothing is better than working with a respected local real estate agent. Most local agents are Realtors, members of the National Association of Realtors . I encourage homebuyers and sellers to work with a professional. Professionally, I’ve met and worked with many great Realtors in Tulare County. Unfortunately, we’re heading to the opposite coast. We considered renting, but there aren’t many apartments or homes for rent in our destination. I’ll write about where we are heading and why in an upcoming column; I believe the move could help Valley residents an...

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley February 28, 2011 Deadline April 2011 Issue Crawling the Crafters’ Web Beading, quilting, knitting and various other crafting hobbies occupy, literally, a fair amount of space in our household. My wife enjoys assembling bracelets and necklaces, creating jewelry that easily matches items we’ve seen in stores and at craft fairs. Handmade items are given and received as gifts in both of our families; my mother and sister-in-law both quilt and sew. One thing I’ve learned about crafters is that they respect the handmade projects of other crafters. It is a community with a passion for supporting each other, too. These artisans are small business owners, too, selling their crafts. There is no better way to show your support for arts and crafts than buying items made by the men and women at local craft fairs. My wife and I visit craft fairs several times a year. During the winter months, there are fewer such markets. But fog, rain and even snow do not s...

Lifestyle / Direct: Wedding Issue November 15, 2010 Deadline Wedding 2010 Issue Wedding Registries Go Virtual A friend of mine adores Williams-Sonoma, the gourmet food and cookware retailer known for unique teas, baking mixes and unusual items like cakelet pans. When she announced her engagement, she included Williams-Sonoma among her list of bridal registries. However, many specialty retailers have yet to open locations in Tulare County. Though a drive to Fresno to visit some retailers might be a nice way to spend a weekend afternoon, my unfortunate experience has been that specialty retailers do not offer the same selection in the Valley as they do in places like San Francisco or Los Angeles. Also, there are some smaller retailers we might never see in the Valley. I know some couples who have used Target’s “Club Wedd” to create wedding registries. Club Wedd’s online bridal registry is convenient, especially when you’re swamped preparing for the big day. As my wife has remin...

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley June 29, 2010 Deadline August Issue Back to School Computer Shopping Back-to-school sales used to mean new jeans, shoes, and school supplies. Now, along with binders and pencils, retailers discount computers as summer ends. Computer manufacturers have joined in with back-to-school promotions, making August and September great months to consider a new computer, especially for college students. When buying a computer for school, two common mistakes are bargain shopping and brand loyalty. There are instances when buying the cheapest possible computer makes sense. If the student only needs to type papers for class and perform some basic spreadsheet functions, then almost any computer is up to the tasks. Even the most affordable netbooks, at under $200, can surf the Web and run a good word processor. Considering the abuse portable computers take in college settings, I’m all for buying an affordable system. I’ve seen students knock computers off the...

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley October 2008 Issue September 11, 2008 From the Virtual Highway to Highway 99 Spending hundreds of dollars a month on gasoline meant my wife and I were cutting dinners out, DVD purchases, and our day trips to the national forests. My beloved Jeep was affecting our lifestyle. We made the decision to buy a new, high-mileage car. Like many people, we first looked at the cars in person. I like to look after hours, when the sales staff is not around. Sure, I could look online, but it’s nice to see the car. Once I had seen the cars and looked at sticker prices, I went to the Web site of each manufacturer. The sites are all nicely designed. Most let you see previews of various colors and options. I have to admit, the Mini Cooper site was a lot of fun, but my wife had already ruled out the car as impractical for trips to Home Depot or Costco. I settled for looking at practical cars in their mix of exterior and interior colors. Having studied the option...