Garage Door Guy of Illinois
Don't Be A Slave To Reality TV
My buddy Jack Rabbit Slim is at it again!!! And in some light that's good for us!
For those who don't know him, Jack Rabbit Slim is a blog buddy of mine, and at we write things just to get the other started on a rant. Those rants are usually hysterical tirades on just about anything, but in the end, you - the reader - is the one who benefits with some content that put you near the edge of wetting your pants.
Low and behold, JRS broke his arm in an "undisclosed" accident and has been sitting on the shelf popping pain killers and watching reality TV. Now two things come to mind here: 1 - I've never heard of a broken arm sidelining someone for so long to a point where the were practically immobile. And 2 - I want to know exactly what kind of meds he was on when he wrote this doozy.
Everything is covered here from Sandra Bullock's separation, Tiger Woods' infidelity, Star Trek geeks, politician's dirty hookers....AND...A MAJOR SPOILER ALERT FOR THE SERIES FINALE OF LOST!!!!
Poor Jack Rabbit Slim. How long has be engulfed in this reality TV matrix? You'll have to read to find out!
CLICK HERE to read his blog.
For those who don't know him, Jack Rabbit Slim is a blog buddy of mine, and at we write things just to get the other started on a rant. Those rants are usually hysterical tirades on just about anything, but in the end, you - the reader - is the one who benefits with some content that put you near the edge of wetting your pants.
Low and behold, JRS broke his arm in an "undisclosed" accident and has been sitting on the shelf popping pain killers and watching reality TV. Now two things come to mind here: 1 - I've never heard of a broken arm sidelining someone for so long to a point where the were practically immobile. And 2 - I want to know exactly what kind of meds he was on when he wrote this doozy.
Everything is covered here from Sandra Bullock's separation, Tiger Woods' infidelity, Star Trek geeks, politician's dirty hookers....AND...A MAJOR SPOILER ALERT FOR THE SERIES FINALE OF LOST!!!!
Poor Jack Rabbit Slim. How long has be engulfed in this reality TV matrix? You'll have to read to find out!
CLICK HERE to read his blog.
James Cameron is "The King of The Ripoffs" - Why You Should NOT Buy AVATAR on DVD
It may be the highest grossing movie of all time, but AVATAR and its creator James Cameron are being called into question.
Let me first say that I am a big James Cameron fan. The first two Terminator films are nothing short of classics. Before there was Michael Bay, there was True Lies. And let us not forget the former heavyweight champion of the world - who also nabbed the 1997 Academy Award for Best Picture...something Avatar failed to do in 2010 - Titanic.
Let's take a quick trip back to 1997. Titanic reigned supreme at the box office when an adult movie ticket averaged at $8.00. Not only have adult ticket priced inflated to $10.50 today in 2010 but there is an extra $3.00 per ticket charge for 3D glasses - $5.00 more if it's IMAX. Now factor in the multiplexes that have one film playing on a minimum of three screens. When you do the math, it wasn't so much of feat for Avatar to steal the all-time crown. Don't get me wrong, Avatar is not a bad movie...but it's not a great one either.
I understand that James Cameron put more effort into the visual development of the film, and it paid off in spades. The movie is nothing short of breathtaking, even with a lackluster script. Again, not terrible - but nothing to write home about. It was a simple movie whose every frame was as predictable as the last. And there is nothing wrong with that as long as you give the viewer something back to compensate for such a simple script. Take nothing away from the film. It was an epic event, but not a masterpiece...and that's ok.
I was happy to see the Academy properly award the more deserving The Hurt Locker for Best Picture, because I feel that a film shouldn't be considered the best based on ticket sales and visual effects. Best Picture is about the heart and soul of storytelling, its character development and the true craft of filmmaking. In my opinion, The Hurt Locker far exceed Avatar and truly earned its trophy...and that's ok.
So what is my quarrel with James Cameron and Avatar?
As I said before, I really enjoyed the movie and immediately wanted to add it to my personal (and excessive) DVD collection. I'm old school - only 35, but to me that's old enough. I liked it back in the day when a movie ran its course in theaters and gave you six months to a year to crave the experience again before being released on home video. Today, a movie could last two weeks on the big screen and end up on DVD the following month. it's just that fast that you really don't appreciate the appetite for good filmmaking. They are rush to the screen and then rushed on video, and ultimately forgotten. The home video release was always as big as its theatrical release. Cameron is guilty of that as well as Avatar was rushed to DVD. but in today's world, that's the norm and why should Cameron be any different. ...and that's ok.
So where's the problem?
I go to the local video spot to make my DVD purchase and while waiting on line, I'm reading the back jacket of the cover. Do you know what I saw?...NOTHING.
The highest grossing movie of all time. A film that changed digital filmmaking and the theatrical cinematic experience. James F'N" Cameron's innovative technology and the countless hours of nearly two years worth of production. All the answers to the many "how did they do that questions". The extra goodies that a grown man craves from a DVD like child in a toy store. And in the end...NOTHING.
$20 buys you the movie Avatar. That's it. Bare to the hollow bone. No commentaries, documentaries, trailers, behind the scenes footage, making of, ...NOTHING! In my uproar, the guy infront of me says, "That's because they are going to release a special edition next year with like 2 or 3 dics".
Well if that's the case, why the hell should I spend my money now? See in the DVD collector's world, we call that act "double-dipping". And this is how Hollywood keeps digging their hands in your pockets. This is how James Cameron broke his own record. This is how Avatar will move on to be the greatest selling DVD of all time. Sorry Jimbo. Not on my dime.
I'll cherish the memory of the IMAX experience and I'll let my Avatar crave long and hard for 12 months until you're ready to give me more bang for my buck. Rather than take your time and give the film a proper releases, with a full tour of your genius filmmaking, and allow us to share your experience in making the film - you choose to string us along with an empty shell that puts a price on our loyalty to your art. Well, not me buddy. I can wait to return to Pandora. Now get your damn hand out of my pocket!
Let me first say that I am a big James Cameron fan. The first two Terminator films are nothing short of classics. Before there was Michael Bay, there was True Lies. And let us not forget the former heavyweight champion of the world - who also nabbed the 1997 Academy Award for Best Picture...something Avatar failed to do in 2010 - Titanic.
Let's take a quick trip back to 1997. Titanic reigned supreme at the box office when an adult movie ticket averaged at $8.00. Not only have adult ticket priced inflated to $10.50 today in 2010 but there is an extra $3.00 per ticket charge for 3D glasses - $5.00 more if it's IMAX. Now factor in the multiplexes that have one film playing on a minimum of three screens. When you do the math, it wasn't so much of feat for Avatar to steal the all-time crown. Don't get me wrong, Avatar is not a bad movie...but it's not a great one either.
I understand that James Cameron put more effort into the visual development of the film, and it paid off in spades. The movie is nothing short of breathtaking, even with a lackluster script. Again, not terrible - but nothing to write home about. It was a simple movie whose every frame was as predictable as the last. And there is nothing wrong with that as long as you give the viewer something back to compensate for such a simple script. Take nothing away from the film. It was an epic event, but not a masterpiece...and that's ok.
I was happy to see the Academy properly award the more deserving The Hurt Locker for Best Picture, because I feel that a film shouldn't be considered the best based on ticket sales and visual effects. Best Picture is about the heart and soul of storytelling, its character development and the true craft of filmmaking. In my opinion, The Hurt Locker far exceed Avatar and truly earned its trophy...and that's ok.
So what is my quarrel with James Cameron and Avatar?
As I said before, I really enjoyed the movie and immediately wanted to add it to my personal (and excessive) DVD collection. I'm old school - only 35, but to me that's old enough. I liked it back in the day when a movie ran its course in theaters and gave you six months to a year to crave the experience again before being released on home video. Today, a movie could last two weeks on the big screen and end up on DVD the following month. it's just that fast that you really don't appreciate the appetite for good filmmaking. They are rush to the screen and then rushed on video, and ultimately forgotten. The home video release was always as big as its theatrical release. Cameron is guilty of that as well as Avatar was rushed to DVD. but in today's world, that's the norm and why should Cameron be any different. ...and that's ok.
So where's the problem?
I go to the local video spot to make my DVD purchase and while waiting on line, I'm reading the back jacket of the cover. Do you know what I saw?...NOTHING.
The highest grossing movie of all time. A film that changed digital filmmaking and the theatrical cinematic experience. James F'N" Cameron's innovative technology and the countless hours of nearly two years worth of production. All the answers to the many "how did they do that questions". The extra goodies that a grown man craves from a DVD like child in a toy store. And in the end...NOTHING.
$20 buys you the movie Avatar. That's it. Bare to the hollow bone. No commentaries, documentaries, trailers, behind the scenes footage, making of, ...NOTHING! In my uproar, the guy infront of me says, "That's because they are going to release a special edition next year with like 2 or 3 dics".
Well if that's the case, why the hell should I spend my money now? See in the DVD collector's world, we call that act "double-dipping". And this is how Hollywood keeps digging their hands in your pockets. This is how James Cameron broke his own record. This is how Avatar will move on to be the greatest selling DVD of all time. Sorry Jimbo. Not on my dime.
I'll cherish the memory of the IMAX experience and I'll let my Avatar crave long and hard for 12 months until you're ready to give me more bang for my buck. Rather than take your time and give the film a proper releases, with a full tour of your genius filmmaking, and allow us to share your experience in making the film - you choose to string us along with an empty shell that puts a price on our loyalty to your art. Well, not me buddy. I can wait to return to Pandora. Now get your damn hand out of my pocket!
You Can't Look Into The Future - But You Can Dig Up The Past
Got an email from my buddy Jack Rabbit Slim, and told me about a guest post he did for another Garage Door blogger, Cardiff Giant - seriously, where do these guys get such cool names.
The topic of the blog struck a familiar cord with me, as it dealt with the type of people repair and installation places hire and send out to your home. To be quite honest, the blog creeped me out because although it tried to use a light sense of humor to ease the tension, the reality of the topic remains haunting. Let me tell you a quick story.
Back in 2007, my brother was doing some remodeling. He went online looking for local contractors and found someone who advertised that he was reasonably priced and in business for over 12 years. After a couple of phone calls and without further consideration, my brother decided to hire him. The guy did pretty good work and my brother thought he'd found a good contact to hire for future jobs.
Then one day, the contractor is working on the job and the only person home was my brother's wife. She was a stay-at-home mom and never had any problems with people coming over to do repairs or installations. The contractor tells her that he didn't have enough supplies in his truck to finish the job and would have to go back to his office to restock. It seemed perfectly fine. Things like this happen all the time.
My brother's wife figured it would be a good time to take a shower while the contractor was gone, as he estimated that it would take him about 2 hours to find the stock, load the truck and come back. That was more than enough time for her freshen up.
Little did she know, that it would only take the contractor less than 45 minutes to get everything he needed and come back. No problem at, right?...We'll here's the problem. The contractor decided to let himself back into the house and when my brother's wife exited the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel, she found the contractor snooping through her bedroom draws.
She immediately ran out of the house and called my brother as well as the police. When they arrived, the contractor claimed that he came back earlier than expected to finish the job and didn't hear anyone in the house. So he was supposedly "calling out" to see if anyone was home to let them know he was back. But it still didn't answer why he was rummaging through her underwear draw in their bedroom.
The bottomline is, anyone a company sends out to your home is going to be a stranger, but they shouldn't be a stranger to the company they work for. Thorough background checks should be administered on all employees. And as a consumer, one of the greatest advantages you can have before making a decision on who to hire or even what to purchase is customer reviews. You wouldn't buy a new car, or widescreen TV without reading some reviews. You wouldn't go see a movie or read a new book without reading some reviews. Then why would you risk the safety of your family and home without doing the proper research?
Precision Garage Door heavily believes in implementing such safety measures. It offers consumers hundreds of customer reviews, bios on each technician that is employed with the company and background checks available on their websites.
We'll enough of me doing all the yapping - you should check out Jack Rabbit Slim and Cardiff Giant's posts. Definitely worth the read!
The topic of the blog struck a familiar cord with me, as it dealt with the type of people repair and installation places hire and send out to your home. To be quite honest, the blog creeped me out because although it tried to use a light sense of humor to ease the tension, the reality of the topic remains haunting. Let me tell you a quick story.
Back in 2007, my brother was doing some remodeling. He went online looking for local contractors and found someone who advertised that he was reasonably priced and in business for over 12 years. After a couple of phone calls and without further consideration, my brother decided to hire him. The guy did pretty good work and my brother thought he'd found a good contact to hire for future jobs.
Then one day, the contractor is working on the job and the only person home was my brother's wife. She was a stay-at-home mom and never had any problems with people coming over to do repairs or installations. The contractor tells her that he didn't have enough supplies in his truck to finish the job and would have to go back to his office to restock. It seemed perfectly fine. Things like this happen all the time.
My brother's wife figured it would be a good time to take a shower while the contractor was gone, as he estimated that it would take him about 2 hours to find the stock, load the truck and come back. That was more than enough time for her freshen up.
Little did she know, that it would only take the contractor less than 45 minutes to get everything he needed and come back. No problem at, right?...We'll here's the problem. The contractor decided to let himself back into the house and when my brother's wife exited the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel, she found the contractor snooping through her bedroom draws.
She immediately ran out of the house and called my brother as well as the police. When they arrived, the contractor claimed that he came back earlier than expected to finish the job and didn't hear anyone in the house. So he was supposedly "calling out" to see if anyone was home to let them know he was back. But it still didn't answer why he was rummaging through her underwear draw in their bedroom.
The bottomline is, anyone a company sends out to your home is going to be a stranger, but they shouldn't be a stranger to the company they work for. Thorough background checks should be administered on all employees. And as a consumer, one of the greatest advantages you can have before making a decision on who to hire or even what to purchase is customer reviews. You wouldn't buy a new car, or widescreen TV without reading some reviews. You wouldn't go see a movie or read a new book without reading some reviews. Then why would you risk the safety of your family and home without doing the proper research?
Precision Garage Door heavily believes in implementing such safety measures. It offers consumers hundreds of customer reviews, bios on each technician that is employed with the company and background checks available on their websites.
We'll enough of me doing all the yapping - you should check out Jack Rabbit Slim and Cardiff Giant's posts. Definitely worth the read!
What Psycho's Are You Letting Into Your Home???
Garage Door Tax Credits For 2009 and 2010
My buddy Jack Rabbit Slim - no joke, that's the name he goes by - recently posted a blog talking about some quality information that he came across online that offers homeowners a simple easy-to-follow guide on what you need to know to shop for and claim an energy tax credit with the purchase of a new garage door.
It's not a sales pitch trying to get homeowners to go out and spend money to stimulate the economy. Instead, it's pretty much taking you by the hand and showing you exactly what doors to buy so you can qualify and get the money you spent right back. The door is pretty much paying for itself. At the same time, your making an efficient investment in your home that will save you energy money year round and an additional tax claim where you could see up to $1,500 in a return!
I've seen plenty of so-called rebates and claims that were so difficult to follow that most people either spent the money and had no clue on how to file to cash in on their rebate, or were so overwhelmed with blah blah blah nonsense that they passed on the opportunity. In this case, Jack Rabbit Slim found a way for you to make a list of exactly what you need to know so get it right the first time with no hassle!
But Garage Door Guy, can't I just repair my garage door instead of fix it? Good question grasshopper. There are three steps to figuring out if its better to replace your garage door or just fix it. Check it out.
It's not a sales pitch trying to get homeowners to go out and spend money to stimulate the economy. Instead, it's pretty much taking you by the hand and showing you exactly what doors to buy so you can qualify and get the money you spent right back. The door is pretty much paying for itself. At the same time, your making an efficient investment in your home that will save you energy money year round and an additional tax claim where you could see up to $1,500 in a return!
I've seen plenty of so-called rebates and claims that were so difficult to follow that most people either spent the money and had no clue on how to file to cash in on their rebate, or were so overwhelmed with blah blah blah nonsense that they passed on the opportunity. In this case, Jack Rabbit Slim found a way for you to make a list of exactly what you need to know so get it right the first time with no hassle!
But Garage Door Guy, can't I just repair my garage door instead of fix it? Good question grasshopper. There are three steps to figuring out if its better to replace your garage door or just fix it. Check it out.
'Show me the money!'
What Brand of Door Would Buy?
A garage door just isn't a garage door. And when shopping for a new garage door, you have so many details and options to look into just as you would have in buying a car itself. The last thing you want to do is walk into a place and say, "Um, I'll take that one there...cause it's pretty".
If you don't know anything about garage doors, then sometimes the best place to start is with companies themselves. All companies are shameless self promoters, but you can learn a lot from their sales pitch. Apparently, they tell you things about the product that you wouldn't have known to look for if you were just browsing for doors. Like any other product, there are some that go above and beyond the call of duty, and for their efforts, they are recognized as in the industry. Maybe you've heard their names before? Garaga, Clopay, CHI, Hormann and Martin.
I'm always curious to get customer feedback and see what's in-demand. The voice of the people speaks volumes and I'm always listening.
Based on what you've seen, heard and researched - which brand of door would you buy?
If you don't know anything about garage doors, then sometimes the best place to start is with companies themselves. All companies are shameless self promoters, but you can learn a lot from their sales pitch. Apparently, they tell you things about the product that you wouldn't have known to look for if you were just browsing for doors. Like any other product, there are some that go above and beyond the call of duty, and for their efforts, they are recognized as in the industry. Maybe you've heard their names before? Garaga, Clopay, CHI, Hormann and Martin.
I'm always curious to get customer feedback and see what's in-demand. The voice of the people speaks volumes and I'm always listening.
Based on what you've seen, heard and researched - which brand of door would you buy?
The Door Guy Is Here...And Could Use A Lesson In Photoshop
Everyone is always calling me "The Door Guy". "Hey Door Guy, got a question...Ask the Door Guy...Let me call the Door Guy to fix this...." Let's get something straight, that's Mr. Door Guy to you! And I personally think that my name would sound much better if you used my full name - Garage Door Guy. That way, I don't get confused with my brothers Front Door Guy, Back Door Guy, Screen Door Guy or Slider Door Guy (he's adopted).
I'm always being told that I should have a website to talk about all the knowledge I have in the garage door repair business, so I decided to put this little giddy-up together. I'm not the best when it comes to using computers. No sir, these hands here were made to fix things. Luckily, my wife knows a think or two and has been keeping up with the cyber-age. She found this Weebly site which feels like an adult Fisher Price toy. So easy to learn and put the pieces of the puzzle together...except for that photoshop thing.
I thought it might be a good idea for people to get a look at the Garage Door Guy, so they can put a face with the name. But being the diva I am, I couldn't find or take a decent enough picture for the site. I ended up settling on a n older picture of myself, but the quality wasn't best. That's when I figured I would start messing around with the photoshop things because from I understand, it's supposed to fix up your pictures. I get one of my kids to come over and help me and they start schooling me on layers and masks and stuff. After a quick crash course I figure I can make some adjustments...diva adjustments that is....YEAH! So I tried making myself look a little thinner!!! You would too!!!
My kid comes back and says I look like Bruce Willis on crack. Not sure if that was a compliment but I'll take what I can get these days. We tweak the pics up a bit and I'm thinking its somewhat of an improvement. So I start playing with other pictures...of my wife. I always wondered what it was like when a photographer retouches and air brushes pictures of models.
So after a while of getting lost in a world of digital cosmetic enhancements, I didn't realize that my wife was standing behind me FUMING from the ears! She thought I was hinting that she needed to get some work done. Not the best way to say thanks for helping me with this nifty little site. So I figure, I'm going to keep the site basic and only work pictures featuring garage door related products. Yes, that means I'm not allowed to post the photos I made of Angelina Jolie's new lips. I, for one, think they are a masterpiece.
So, Garage Door Guy is here to talk about garage doors and offer you readers some insight to the largest moving part of your home. I'll toss in some other cool stuff from time to time, but hey, I'm a door guy! Remember?
I'm always being told that I should have a website to talk about all the knowledge I have in the garage door repair business, so I decided to put this little giddy-up together. I'm not the best when it comes to using computers. No sir, these hands here were made to fix things. Luckily, my wife knows a think or two and has been keeping up with the cyber-age. She found this Weebly site which feels like an adult Fisher Price toy. So easy to learn and put the pieces of the puzzle together...except for that photoshop thing.
I thought it might be a good idea for people to get a look at the Garage Door Guy, so they can put a face with the name. But being the diva I am, I couldn't find or take a decent enough picture for the site. I ended up settling on a n older picture of myself, but the quality wasn't best. That's when I figured I would start messing around with the photoshop things because from I understand, it's supposed to fix up your pictures. I get one of my kids to come over and help me and they start schooling me on layers and masks and stuff. After a quick crash course I figure I can make some adjustments...diva adjustments that is....YEAH! So I tried making myself look a little thinner!!! You would too!!!
My kid comes back and says I look like Bruce Willis on crack. Not sure if that was a compliment but I'll take what I can get these days. We tweak the pics up a bit and I'm thinking its somewhat of an improvement. So I start playing with other pictures...of my wife. I always wondered what it was like when a photographer retouches and air brushes pictures of models.
So after a while of getting lost in a world of digital cosmetic enhancements, I didn't realize that my wife was standing behind me FUMING from the ears! She thought I was hinting that she needed to get some work done. Not the best way to say thanks for helping me with this nifty little site. So I figure, I'm going to keep the site basic and only work pictures featuring garage door related products. Yes, that means I'm not allowed to post the photos I made of Angelina Jolie's new lips. I, for one, think they are a masterpiece.
So, Garage Door Guy is here to talk about garage doors and offer you readers some insight to the largest moving part of your home. I'll toss in some other cool stuff from time to time, but hey, I'm a door guy! Remember?
